The most difficult problem in your life can cause you to go around in circles.  The impediment for which you have no glib answer, the struggle that knocks down on your knees, breaks your heart and silences all of your bright insights, this hurdle will take you to the place of despair or to a place of stillness where you will bow down and worship God. And this place of humility is the doorway to God and peace.
  The grandson of Abraham, Jacob, after lying repeatedly to his own father, Isaac, and stealing the blessing from his twin brother, Esau, was on the run. And now all alone with a stone as a pillow, Jacob encountered God’s love and promises.  Would God not have been wiser to throw down some fire and brimstone on this deceiver? Would rejection and hardship not assist in his conversion and finding the straight and narrow pathway faster?   But God instead choose to give Jacob the, “I will be with you to the end,” promise. And surely in surprise Jacob jumped up and exclaims,
       “Surely the Lord is here in this place and I did not know it! This is the house of God and the
         gateway to heaven.”
Have you discovered the gateway to peace right past the mirror of personal brokenness? After discovering one’s own reprobate state and only after this discovery can one truly accept the amazing gift of grace, for as long as we think we are almost getting our own act together we do not know the depth of our need for undeserved, freely given grace.  There is no peace until we see that we bring nothing to the table of salvation except our empty, open hands for God to fill. And only then can we walk in pure thanksgiving, joy, and peace. 

Sharie Patty

   "In the beginning....". For most of us these words are loaded with meaning.  They are loaded,  because we think we know what comes next.  We've developed a narrative around these words that is packed with explanations, theories, thoughts, and beliefs.
            Think back to a time of "beginning" in your life.  Maybe it was starting at a new school or starting a new job.  Perhaps it was getting married or having your first child.  You may think of beginning life in a new city or becoming part of a new church community.  We go through many beginnings.  There is an excitement and freshness to new things.  There is also some wonder and uncertainty.  God seems to love newness.  In Scripture, the words "In the beginning..." are followed by "God created."  The first thing we learn about the nature of God is that he is "creative." 
            If you are up on the current lingo, this is now a whole class of people in the work place and in our culture.  The "creatives" are shifting and changing how companies approach business and how they are connecting with people.  The funny thing is, we were designed by God from the beginning to be creatives.  Genesis tells us that "God created mankind in his own image..." (1:27).  This simply means we were created as an earthly reflection of the character of God.  We often get so hung up on what God created, and when, and how, that we forget the whole purpose as to why.  I often wear a shirt that has the phrase, "Live to create, not simply to consume."  We are being consumed by consumption.  I think we are asking the wrong questions.  The real question to ask is, "how are we bearing the image of God in our world?"  What are we creating?  What are we making new?  What are we breathing life into?
            May we be known as true image-bearers. May we be the bringers of new life into a broken and hurting world, realizing that our brokenness is only made new by the one who brings us life.  May we remember the words in Lamentations 3:22-34 that say:
                        Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
                        for his compassions never fail.
                        They are new every morning;
                        great is your faithfulness.
                        I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
                        therefore I will wait for him."

Chris White

I had the recent pleasure of listening to a talk given by Tim Siegel at my daughter's FCA meeting.  A little over a year ago, Tim's son Luke (a then 4th grader, now 5th) was in a terrible golf cart accident that caused severe brain injury.  Many of you might recall hearing about the Siegel's story and have followed it over the past year.  My wife, Kim, was Luke's music teacher at Lubbock-Cooper. The Siegel family has been a part of the Lubbock community for many years, so many of you are connected in some way.  Tim spoke to the group, mostly middle school students, about the tragedy of his son's accident, the challenge to his faith, the pain, and ultimately his renewed passion and hope.  Many have been inspired by Luke's story, his resiliency, and his progress beyond expectation. 
            Tim's message and the Siegel's journey has caused me to think about opportunity.  I think of my own children, and the short time I have with them.  I have the choice to be present and seize the opportunity for each little moment with them.  I'm reminded that we often take for granted the things that we have, and the people that surround us.  Typically we associate the word opportunity with action, success, business, or even ministry.  I believe that our world today needs more people that seize the opportunities for authentic relationships.  We need more opportunities for open dialogue over divisive issues and conversations that center in on the core things that move us toward a flourishing for all people.  May we be a people that are authentic, and that are brave enough, and have the courage that only comes from Holy Spirit to "make the most of every opportunity", as the Bible says.  May we love in ways that don't make sense.  May we live radically the way of Jesus.

Chris

---->Try this link to watch Tim Siegel's talk<----

Philippians 4:6 begins with these words,
“Be anxious for nothing!”
“For real, God, You are asking us to be anxious for nothing; right now in Twenty Sixteen, in this church, in this country? How can we choose to be anx-ious for nothing when everything is going askew?”
The verse goes on to say,
“In everything by prayer and pleading, with thanksgiving, let your re- quests be made known to God.”
Vandelia has been praying and pleading. But have we thanked God for all our broken hearts, all our diseased bodies, and for all our burdened spirits? Aren’t these things the very things that drive us to fervently seek God? And in re-sponse God promises us,
“the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.”
Has anyone experienced a peace in the midst of a crisis that can only be God’s peace? There is no other explanation possible- the peace is super natural. The verse goes on to say that this peace will guard our hearts, and minds through Jesus Christ. And then we are told to meditate on all things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, good, virtuous and praiseworthy.
Dear Vandelia, let’s do this. Let’s be anxious for nothing. Let’s give Vandelia Church back to God and to allow God to do as God pleases with us. May God be glorified through our lives fully submitted to Him.

​Sharie

Have you ever thought about the way that we look at people?  If we are truly honest with ourselves we make so many judgments about people simply based on the way they look.  I know, you might be thinking, "I don't do that", but think about the last time you were in a restaurant or a coffee shop.  Say someone walks in with sunglasses, long beard, leather vest, jeans, boot, and bandanna; who comes to mind? ....Biker right?  What about a woman that walks in with her family and is wearing a hijab?  Pretty easy one....Muslim woman.   Once we've categorized, we can now begin (in our minds) to make certain distinctions about them based upon what we call stereotypes. Stereotypes are simply widely held but fixed and oversimplified images of a person or thing.  This is something that we all do.  Some more and some less, but we all do.  We can't help it, because there is something in us that has to categorize people.  The fact is, most people and situations are way too complex for stereotypes to ever be enough. 
            One of my favorite stories in scripture is in John 4, commonly known as the "woman at the well."  Jesus interacts with a woman who has multiple stereotypes laid upon her.  She's a woman, she's a Samaritan (hated by the Jews), she's an outcast from her own town, etc.  What I love about Jesus' interaction with her is that even though he knows all these things, he blows right passed them, straight to her heart.  He doesn't care about what people say, he cares about her.  He wants to know her on a deep, personal level, and more importantly he wants her to know him on a deep, personal level.  My prayer is that we stereotype like Jesus.  We realize and understand the stereotypes that we have, but we blow right past them to the heart of the person.  At the very least, we can be fully aware of our stereotypes and realize their inadequacy.  May we be the people that get passed "issues" and stereotypes, and dive into the heart, depth, and complexities of life.

​Chris

Dear Heavenly Father,
We who gather here at Vandelia come confessing our brokenness.  We are a stubborn people and we like children and sheep often go astray. Father, draw us ever closer to your heart.  We must discover and rediscover your way; without You we wallow in guilt, pride, and despair.  Steady our course with your faithfulness. Help us to see your holy way and increase in us the desire to follow where You lead.  Remove all self-righteousness from our hearts. Expose our fake securities.  You alone are trustworthy.

We as your people at this Church have witnessed your creation and we are amazed by your creativity, power, and design.  We see seeds in the parched land receive your water, sprout, grow, blossom, and produce cotton, pecans, apples, tomatoes, sunflowers, squash, zucchini, and zinnias; we are delighted by your gifts. We bow down in humble thanksgiving for all You do for us. We know that You are God and we are your creation. 

Father, show us how to glorify You in everything we do, in every relationship we have, and with all our possessions.  Remind us that our bank accounts, our homes, our cars, our jobs, even our bodies are made possible only through You.  May we use all we are and all we have to show your glory in this world. Help us to trust that even our brokenness can bring glory to You, just like the man’s blindness did long ago.
We pray this in Your Name, Jesus, Amen

Sharie

We recently were on a trip to the northwest. We had been preparing for a few months and thinking about things we might do and places we'd like to see and take the kids to see.  We were going to visit some friends, see some areas that Kim grew up in etc.  Traveling is a bit of an "other" experience.  We seem to get so caught up in our routine, that when we aren't doing it, everything seems all wrong.  It's so uncomfortable. It's like some kind of out-of-body experience when you go on vacation.  Ironically, I think we kind of like that feeling sometimes, but we are usually ready to get back to our routine after a vacation.  We also know that if we stay "on vacation" there won't be any money to take any more.
            The life of a Jesus follower is much like this "other" experience.  As his followers we are often called to "other" ways of living out life.  These ways can often be uncomfortable and uncertain.  They require a reliance that is beyond our human capabilities and understanding.  We live in a world that is often filled with bad news and grim circumstances.  We are surrounded by hurt, pain, and violence. Yet, as followers of Jesus, we are called to be bearers of "good news."  Good news is only "good" if it changes the status quo of bad news and the mundane of our every day lives.  Often, the circumstances and shadows of life demand our constant attention and tend to evoke negative responses.  The nature of the "good news" of Jesus is that it breaks into these shadows and shows a fresh and better way.  It quietly calls us into an "other" way of living. 
            Are we sharing this kind of good news to our world today?  Are we bearing the name of Jesus in a way that breaks the chains and the darkness in the lives of people around us?  May we all begin, or continue to share a message of real and living hope in a fractured and broken world. May we go out like the seventy-two disciples in Luke 10.  May we go out with nothing but reliance on Holy Spirit and the message of peace, doing the work of healing and declaring that the kingdom of God has come near.

​Chris