Neighborhood Teams

For many years we have had the privilege of being part of a mid-week Bible Study - currently these are called Neighborhood Teams.  They have been called Neighborhood Groups, Small Groups, Home Teams, Bible Study.... all the same thing - people who love Jesus doing life together. 

So we came up with the top ten reasons to be part of a Neighborhood Team:

10 - Team meets on the same night at the Homeowners Association (HOA) - what an excuse to not go to the HOA meeting and not feel guilty!

9 - Friends in the team will watch the dogs when you want to go out of town on  short notice.

8 - The computer geek who is wonderful to know when your hard drive crashes on a Saturday morning.

7 - Free roadside assistance when you break down, the best reason to have everyone's number in your phone.

6 - You get to love on children who don't belong to you - great when yours have moved out.

5 - You get to attend children sporting events (soccer, baseball, football) and show up when the game starts without snacks....you can even leave early if it starts raining.

4 - Ladies Night pedicures.

3 - Food - potlucks, snacks, s'mores around the fire (who cares it was May?)

2 - A safe place to share life - the laughter, the tears, the fears, to know a bunch of people have your back.

1 - Unconditional love, encouragement, support and prayer.

All of the above make me wonder why everyone isn't in a Neighborhood Team!!

God is good.

Missed Opportunities

The last few weeks have been a roller coaster of emotions.  Dealing with family and expectations.  I have come to the conclusion most people don't take the opportunities placed before them.  That is what I will have to explain to God someday.

I watched a young man, who said some extremely hurtful things, step way out of his comfort zone in an effort to restore a relationship.  He was totally ignored. 

There is a young woman who deeply wounded her father.  She won't reach out though she knows the love is there.

A brother who had the ability to help decided not to because things weren't done his way.

Why are we so judgmental?  Why do we hold onto hurts?  Why are we so full of pride?

Jesus says in the Scripture, our Lord's Prayer, "...forgive us our (debts, sins, trespasses) as we forgive those who (owe us, sin, trespass) against us".  Those are pretty important words.  If I refuse to forgive, then God does not forgive me.

How much time do we lose with others because of pride?  How many experiences are missed because of pride?  Why are we so unwilling to take the first step?  Or sometimes why are we so unwilling to accept the olive branch?

For those of us who love Jesus - we must remember - we are going to spend eternity with some of the people who have hurt us.....

Missed opportunities - so sad.  God is good.