LAUNCHING IN 5,4,3,2….

/ Brenda from the Bridge / 2 Comments

The Bridge Artistic Network has just officially been LAUNCHED as a FACEBOOK Group! It is for artist of every ilk and all ages. We all remember what it felt like starting out…and we know what it feels like being where we are…COME JOIN THE COMMUNITY AND ENGAGE IN CONVERSATION…And Help each other to GROW AND THRIVE!

If you know me, you know I have a heart filled up with love for artists.  I want them to know they are cherished, that their work, their gifts, their talents and abilities have great purpose and value!

I mean can you imagine trying to weather the storm of COVID19 with out the arts and entertainment?  What about falling in love or going through a break up with out music, or even just a long drive by yourself?  What would life be like without theater, dance movies, television?  What about painting, drawing, poetry, writing…Sculpting, Sewing, quilting, costuming, cooking…THE LIST OF STYLES AND KINDS IS ALMOST ENDLESS!

While COVID 19 says we must practice social distancing (Because we love each other enough to stay away!), we need not feel alone or useless.  SO LET YOUR CREATIVE FLAGS FLY FREE AND JOIN US ON FACEBOOK at

The Bridge Artsitic Network and become a vital part of the conversation!

#whywaittocreate

Can’t wait to see what is about to happen!!!

See you at the Bridge!

Brenda J.

Meeting Day- You Never Realize What Your Doing Until You Look At Your Agenda.

/ joseph elon lillie / 1 Comment

Social distancing has changed the way we do church work for sure. That said church work still needs to get done. Tuesdays is still staff meeting day and we have continued to meet using Zoom tech. While it is called Zoom that is no indicator that our meetings are any shorter. Today we met for two hours.

Time Flies Images, Stock Photos & Vectors | Shutterstock

I know most people think that pastors only work on Sundays and Wednesday nights, but nothing could be further from the truth. Our Tuesday meetings as a staff of nine cover a lot of territory, and there just is no way to shorten up the weekly business. I have actually been to weekly staff meetings which take up to five hours. One deacon board meeting I attended recently engaged us in six hours of business, and that was with us pushing things along.

Now with Covid-19 entering the discussion we have even more to talk about as we plan for the future. Like the rest of the country, we are looking forward to reopening, and discussions are being had on the regular about just how to do that, and of course when. Here in the North East we are bracing ourselves for a long haul.

Scratching My Head

All that to say Tuesdays- Meeting Days are busy days and sometimes I don’t really realize how busy they are until I take a look back at the agenda and see all we have done. For instance: The house started stirring this morning around 6 A.M. By 9 I prayed, ate breakfast with Amanda and Mom, walked all three dogs (which is something of a process as Mercedes is in heat), got ready for the day, got Mom’s morning supplies, fed the birds, washed a load of laundry, changed out my pillow cases and folded yesterday’s laundry. At 9:30 we found out that we lost a congregant last night to the disease (she had several other health conditions as well) . At 10:30 we found out another congregant was being sent home on hospice after a long battle with a series of health issues.

Then staff meeting. While Amanda and I had staff meeting, Brenda took some time and sat with Mom and then with the dogs who were beside themselves with heat. Then she did some writing in her study.

After staff meeting Brenda and I finished up some errands Amanda had started yesterday for an elderly congregant. Then it was back home for afternoon prayers and the afternoon dog walk (in the rain).

My little puppy at bath time. My instagram: @sgeuter stock photo ...

Brenda had an on-line meeting with an artist from the South and I made dinner for the house while Amanda got herself ready for youth group.

In the midst of all of this I have even had time to write! Amazingly, I have not felt rushed at all. I’m kind of marveling at that in fact, and I am wondering how it is possible that I do not feel half out of my brain. Maybe it is just the fact that most of this did not involve me leaving the house…..hmmm. Ok it is time to walk the dogs again because one of them is beginning to howl like a six pound wolf.- See Ya Soon!

The Trouble With New

/ Brenda from the Bridge / 1 Comment

Guimaras Sunset

We read “His mercies are NEW every morning.”

We hear “You learn something NEW every day.”

We know He is doing a NEW thing and right now it is springing forth!

NEW. Everything is made NEW!

Today is a NEW day!

We want NEW clothes, a NEW car, a NEW house, a NEW job!

We say we want to go in a NEW direction.

~

It’s not a lie, we do desire the NEW.  We long to step out of our ordinary into the EXTRAORDINARY.

The trouble with NEW is that in order to reach out for the NEW thing, we need to let go of the OLD.  That old comfortable pair of shoes that has taken us this far down the pilgrm road, needs to be tossed into the bin.  We need to cast off the OLD to embrace the NEW.

The trouble with NEW is that it’s uncomfortable.  And for those comfort-seekers among us, NEW doesn’t feel right, even when we know it is.

The trouble with NEW is that it requires great FAITH to begin the journey.

It requires a HOPE to believe the impossible is possible.

It requires a JOY that makes our strength unstoppable.

It requires a LOVE for others, that is greater than our own desires for safety and comfort.

~

The trouble with NEW is that, to get from the ordinary to the EXTRAORDINARY, you have to do something EXTRA.  You must study EXTRA  hard, delve EXTRA deep, go the EXTRA mile.

So-  Are you ready for the journey of a lifetime? To go from the ordinary to the EXTRAORDINARY?  Because the trouble with NEW is that it requires your LIFE -AS A LIVING SACRIFICE.

 

Back To Singing

/ joseph elon lillie / 2 Comments

I have not really been able to sing since the pneumonia. But recently I was asked by THE REACH NEW ENGLAND CHAPTER OF SPECIAL TOUCH DISABILITIES MINISTRY to put together a brief video for their virtual service coming up.

I gave it the old college try Friday. I am definitely out of practice, but at least most of the notes are right.


The Wall Pt. 2

/ joseph elon lillie / 1 Comment

Just over a year ago God gave me a vision during a Sunday morning service. In this vision I saw a satanic force coming against our church. The Lord showed me that for a season we would be able to thwart this spirit power in the strength God had already given us. But the Lord told me that there would come a time when the enemy would be too powerful for us to face in our own strength. The Lord instructed that when that time came we were to call the church to pray and He would send us divine helpers to strengthen and revive the church.

I believe we have come to that time when we cannot face the enemy in our own strength…. and so we have started THE WALL prayer meetings to call the church to pray and ask God to send us the help He promised. This is our prayer meeting from last Wednesday night. Perhaps you can use it to spend some time focusing your own prayers. Please join us this Wednesday night from 7-8 to pray.

Without A Recipe For a Birthday

/ joseph elon lillie / 1 Comment

I am so proud of this lady. I would say girl but that is not what she is anymore. She has proven herself to be one of the most capable adults I know.

Today is Amanda’s birthday. If you want to know how old she is you are going to have to ask her. Because I try never to tell a lady’s age. I can be old school like that sometimes.

Amanda was supposed to be in Pennsylvania celebrating this week. Covid-19 has changed all that. It looks like none of us are going anywhere for quite a while. So instead of doing normal birthday things today like going out to eat or heading out for a movie, Amanda will be doing another episode of “Without A Recipe.”

Check in with her at 3 P.M. to wish her a happy birthday and to tell her how to make an ice cream Sundae.

Here she is making a dessert lasagna.


Without A Recipe Is Born

/ joseph elon lillie / 1 Comment

When the shut in was declared we all knew our lives were going to change radically: My life became more cloistered. Brenda was suddenly thrust into the world of Zoom and Facebook meetings. Amanda discovered she was going to be doing a lot of organization, direct ministry and on-line services. She is perhaps the busiest member of the Vicarage now. She still goes into work everyday at the church and she is spending copious amounts of time organizing and administrating long distance ministry.

Every week she creates CD’s for shut ins who do not have on-line access. She planned an Easter Outreach with the help of our Pastor’s wife and then set up the delivery schedule with a team of people from the church. She does daily challenges with her kids to keep them engaged, and every week she also produces two segments for Facebook. Fridays she does her children’s lesson. On Mondays she has begun doing a fun feature called Without a Recipe for kids and parents alike. Here is the first one. I will be posting the others as well, but if you would like to see an episode live you can find her on Facebook live tomorrow at 3 P.M. She will be making Sundaes without a recipe.