Ultimate Reminder of Giving

I can think of nothing more powerful in the realm of giving than Easter. God, Jesus, and the Spirit loved everyone who ever lived and would live so much that they gave their love in giving up their life so that we could be supernaturally connected back in relationship with them. From God's perspective it's a done deal - God's mad-in-love with us. But just as you can love an infant and they don't have a clue how much you care, so it's that way with us and God. Laura and I hope you will catch a glimpse of how much you really are loved by God this weekend.

We would simply love to share Easter with you at our Portland church. Services start at 10 am.

I've been reading the book, The Shack, a gift from one of my fellow pastors, and I was so amazed at the picture of God and the purpose for our existence. The fallacy of independence and power being a gift. The idea that a hierarchy of power is necessary and good is foreign to God, in this novel. It's a powerful book (the idea of God coming as a large black woman named Papa is just one of the many twists . . . the explanation for why God shows up this way is even more stimulating and intriguing . . . this book is a must read . . . SORRY, I got off subject a bit. The gift of this book is so touching my life (and one of my sons) . . . and I believe Laura and my other son will be very much touched by it. Buy two copies soon and share one even before you read yours. Plan a coffee date to discuss . . .

Funny, but I had to pay a Comcast bill and went to their website; then I saw this article mentioned regarding giving (wait to go there). I thought of how it fit with Simon Cowell's recent purchase of one of the world's fastest (legal). Try this: watch the YouTube clip about the car then come back and read this Comcast news note. Science is proving that it's not what you have or spend on yourself that determines your happiness, rather GIVING to OTHERS! Jesus gave us more than a really cool car (yes I did drool over the Bugatti Veyron).



Reading: Ephesians 1:4-5; 2:1-10, John 3:16-17, I John 4:11-13, and Revelation 22:17