Family Time @ the Crews' - by Breeze

       Today, my dad gathered my siblings and me together to pray about what the Lord has in store for us the next few months. The worship started the way it always does, my dad making Ian and the boys look for his tuner and Laura and I getting comfortable on the couch, but as the worship time actually began, it became something more.

      Joe and Laura prayed as my dad played the guitar. The music began to get really up beat when I noticed that Ian seemed to be in a world of his own, counting the minutes till this was over. I soon recognized a similar spirit inside myself and felt the need to pray. I prayed that the Lord would break down the walls in our hearts that kept us from joining with our brothers and sister in praise and worship, that the barriers that kept us from coming to the Lord and walking with him would be broken down. As this prayer was spoken, the atmosphere of the room changed and so did the song being played.

     My father began to sing of Joshua and his warriors dancing around the

Wed. July 1 w/Scott Stimson

We are relishing our wonderful Texas summer . . . errrr, rather "puddling" through our Texas summer.

For a bit of fellowship and refreshing come and join us as we share a welcomed visit with our brother Scott Stimson.

Where? Here at the Crews casa - 2816 Rockbrook Dr. in Plano. When?  7:00pm

map link

Look forward to seeing you! Blessings and Peace,

Alan

972-977-8564

Brian

972-670-0217

If Necessary, Apply the George Constanza Principles for Success

Today after spending some time in prayer, Brian and I had a discussion about what we were hearing the Spirit say to us. Brian affirmed to me that we need not ask the Father to give us what He has already given us.  What does that mean? We are in Christ...we are not coming to be in Christ.  We have the Father's love and He is walking with us...we aren't waiting for His love to appear. Our futures are secure, not because circumstances tell us they are, but because the Father is working all things together for good in our lives. Therefore, everyday, when we wake, we arise with the knowledge that we are in the Lord and He is in us.  We can wake with thankful hearts full of anticipation and security because the Father is with us.  We can stop trying to "be" whatever and just be what Jesus has made us to be in Him.

My closed face response to this was, "but what about all the problems...difficulties...sin...blah blah blah!" These "realities" must be submitted to the truth.  There are real difficulties that we face in the earth, but the position of our hearts in relations to the reality of who we are in Christ and the nature of Christ Himself determines how we face these "realities" and how we successfully live our lives.  Regardless of what our circumstances are today...regardless of whether they are the bi-product of our stupidity, weakness, sin...regardless of the fact that someone has hurt us, cheated us, abused us, the truth of who Father is remains the same.  He loves you and He is in control.  He is your resource, your love, your hope. Nothing is unredeemable in Him. Nothing has caught Him by surprise. Nothing can remove you from His love. The truth about what He has done for you in Christ is not changed by any difficulty. You didn't achieve for yourself the love of the Father and the salvation you have in Christ.  Your success or failure doesn't qualify or disqualify you for what He has accomplished for you Himself. So, wake up everyday aligning yourself with this truth and be thankful.

Now, for some of us this type of thinking will be counter-intuitive. It won't come naturally.  If this is me...oh, I mean you, apply the George Constanza principle.  For the rare person out there who doesn't know who George is, he is a character from the T.V. show Senfield. George was a louse who never enjoyed any success until one day he had an epiphany: "Before you act, think about what you would do naturally and do the exact opposite."  After George employed this philosophy, his life turned around and he started to enjoy success in his life.

So if the ideas expressed here about the Father and this approach to life ring true to you, but  just aren't how you roll, APPLY THE GEORGE CONSTANZA PRINCIPLE! You will be glad you did.  Mary, inspired by Brian.

How Amazing to Pray to Our Father

Have you ever considered what a paradigm shift Jesus' declaration to pray "Our Father" must have been to the disciples?   We memorize the "Lord's Prayer" in Sunday school, and we accept  this title as a part of our faith. We accept this addressing of God as commonplace.  This familiarity with God was not the disciples experience.

The disciples would have related to God as Jehovah.  A wonderful name.  A name that depicted the eternal, self-existent God.  A God who loved them, had cut covenant with the; but who was so holy, so far above them that His name wasn't spoken openly.  The idea of Jehovah being their Father and all the name, Father implies must have been revolutionary to them.  It moved them from a contractual, moral relationship to a familial one. This must have blown their minds. It must have reset the order of their lives.  No longer was their God far away, exacting appeasement.  He was a parent who loved them and held them close.  They were tied to Him by blood.  A part of His family...part of Him.  Wow!

Pondering this point, has caused me to ask myself, do I need a paradigm shift?  Do I need to absorb and receive the weight of what it means to pray to God who is my Father?  Have I let the familiarity of the term, Father rob me  of the full meaning what Jesus invites me to enter into when I pray?  Am I praying to the Self Existent One who has made a contract with me or am I relating the my Father who chose me and who wants me?

Regardless of our experiences with our earthly fathers, I believe all people have a paragon in their hearts of what a father is.  We know a father should love us, want us, protect us, lead us, care about us,  shape us, share himself with us.  I believe we know this because our God, our heavenly Father has put this knowledge of Him in all hearts.  I am excited that we have been invited in Christ to enter into this accurate and excellent relationship with God, our Father.

I intend to move beyond the commonality of this title and recognize that my relationship with the Self Existent One has been deepened.  I will let my mind be changed and move from praying to the God who has made a contract with me into praying to my Father, the One who has loved me and made me His own.  If this resonates with you, I hope that you will do the same.  Mary

Bumping on thru April

Hey wanted to share something with you since a couple weeks have slipped by and here we are already over half way thru April.

Next week we will be joining Roger and Ann Sapp in Springtown as they host our friend Alan Ross from Scotland.  All are invited to join us and attend.

Details forthcoming tomorrow including directions.

We are in an interesting space here in the Crews Family - simular in many ways to many we share our journey with.  We are all looking for cool new changes and leadership in our lives by the Father.

Peace,

b