February Connexion

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Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin

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Alice Grace Ripley lives in a dream world, her nose stuck in a book. But the happily-ever-after life she's planned on suddenly falls apart when her boyfriend breaks up with her, accusing her of living in a world of fiction instead of the real one. To top it off, Alice loses her beloved library job because of cutbacks due to the Great Depression. Longing to run from small-town gossip, Alice flees to the mountains of eastern Kentucky to deliver five boxes of donated books to the tiny coal-mining town of Acorn, a place with no running water, no electricity and where the librarians ride ornery horses up steep mountain passes to deliver books. When Alice is forced to stay in Acorn far longer than she planned, she discovers that real-life adventure, mystery - and especially romance - may be far better than her humble dreams could have imagined.

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What Good Is GOD? by Philip Yancey

I have toured in developing-world countries where traffic and pollution are oppressive, the food suspect. During meetings the air-conditioning and the sound system may malfunction, and afterward people crowd around suffocatingly at book signings. Just as I'm feeling sorry for myself, ready to swear off trips forever, I meet some nurse who runs an AIDS program in remote villages and rides a motorbike on muddy roads four to five hours every day. At that point I remind myself of a deeper reason why I travel, the true origin of this book. I go in search of a faith that matters.

g: in d a e R d e d n Rec om m eTHE FIVE LOVE

How Do You Show Your Love page 2

Four Essentials For A Healthy Church Part Three: The Lord’s Table page 3

Tell How Much god has Done for You Page 7

LANGUAGES

How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate Are you and your spouse speaking the same language? He sends you flowers when what you really want is time to talk. She gives you a hug when what you really need is a home-cooked meal. The problem isn’t your love—it’s your love language! In this international best seller, Dr. Gary Chapman reveals how different people express love in different ways. In fact, there are five specific languages of love:

• Quality Time • Words of Affirmation • Gifts • Acts of Service • Physical Touch

What speaks volumes to you may be meaningless to your spouse. But here, at last, is the key to understanding each other’s unique needs. Apply the right principles, learn the right language, and soon you’ll know the profound satisfaction and joy of being able to express your love—and feeling truly loved in return.

February 2012

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“Tell How Much God Has Done for You” by Pastor Mac

-Violet Moore

In today’s society, love seems to have been reduced to some sort of sappy emotion. It is the stuff of “chick flicks” and the basis for much of today’s music. Possessing it can be more intoxicating than drugs, while its loss can be more devastating than death. It is the one thing everyone looks for, but only a few lucky ones seem to find. It gets pursued to the point of idolatry and has the potential of leaving one filled with disappointment. Sounds like a bad movie, doesn’t it?

In Luke 8, the healing of the hemorrhaging woman seems oddly sandwiched between two unrelated stories. Why? After Jesus heals the demonpossessed man, the people are afraid and beg Jesus to leave. Jesus says to the man, “Go home and tell how much God has done for you”… When Jesus returns, He is welcomed by a large crowd. Among them is a man named Jairus who comes and falls at Jesus' feet. He begs Jesus to come to his home because his twelveyear-old daughter, his only child, is dying. Jesus goes with him. They start on their way through the pushing, jostling crowd.

Fortunately, this is not the picture of love we find in the pages of God’s Word. The love God wants us to walk in is not focused on what we can get out of it ourselves. Instead, it looks upon others as someone to be valued and seeks ways to benefit them. Look at what John writes in his first letter. We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God's love be in that person? Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 1 John 3:16 – 18 NLT God’s love moves us to action; it causes us to get involved. It impels us to spend time in sincere prayer for the needs of others. It urges us to invite that lonely couple over for supper. It sends us to the hospitals and nursing homes to visit the ill and the elderly. It’s what causes us

to take a bag of groceries to a single mom and her children. That sounds like another verse of Scripture. Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. James 1:27 NLT God’s love for us moved Him to act (John 3:16). His love working in us will cause us to act as well.

I guess the question we then need to ask is, “If love is measured by action, how do we measure up?” How do you show your love? It’s something to think about. Blessings!

“You can follow Mac online by subscribing to his blog ‘Living in the Reign’ at http:// livinginthereign.wordpress.com/, or by following him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MacDumcum”

In the crowd that day there was a woman who for 12 years had been afflicted with hemorrhages. She had spent her last penny on doctors, but not one had been able to help her. She slips in from behind and touches the edge of Jesus' robe. At that very moment her hemorrhaging is stopped. Jesus turns and asks, "Who touched me?" Peter basically says, ‘Jesus! Are you kidding? In this jostling crowd? Dozens of people have touched you!’ But Jesus insists, "Someone touched me. I felt power go out from me." The woman realizes that she can't remain hidden, she comes and kneels, trembling before Jesus and blurts out why she touched him

and how, at that very moment, she was healed. Jesus says, "Daughter, you took a risk trusting me, and now you are healed. Go in peace." While Jesus is still speaking, someone from Jairus’ house comes up and says to Jairus, "Your daughter died. No need now to bother the Teacher." Jesus hears it and says, "Don't be upset, Jairus. Just trust me and everything will be all right. Just believe and she will be healed." Have you ever wondered why the story of the woman was placed in the middle of Jairus’ story? I believe that God, knowing the great effort it would take for Jairus to trust after hearing that his daughter was dead, arranged for the event with the hemorrhag-

ing woman at this exact moment. Right on the heels of Jesus’ words, ‘Woman, you took a risk and trusted me. Now you are healed.”, He turns to the man. Hard as it would be to trust, Jairus had just witnessed a demonstration of the awesome, unbelievable power of Jesus: a vivid object lesson to help him trust for the impossible! 1 Cor 10:11-13 tells us that these are written for an example to us, to help us cultivate and practice confidence. God will never let us down. He’ll always be there to help us. When He does, bless Him and others as we tell all He has done for us!

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Childish Gifts Quite often Children are motivated to draw pictures, pick flowers or even give rocks to their parents as an expression of their love. Children don’t have any resources themselves and usually the flowers they pick are from their parents’ garden, the pictures are drawn on their parents’ stationery and gifts are purchased with their parents’ money. However, good parents don’t dwell on these things. They are aware that their child is trying to show appreciation in their own unique way. A good parent sees the motivation behind a simple gift and proudly displays such little trophies so all who enter their home may see their child’s gratitude.

MACH 21st Annual Conference! Join us for a dynamic conference with outstanding speakers and workshops. Our special guest speakers will be Hal & Melanie Young. A whole collection of useful workshops will also round out the conference. As usual, we have many exhibitors on hand displaying the largest selection of home school material in the province. Come meet hundreds of other home educating families from all regions of the province. The conference will be held at Calvary Temple, Winnipeg on March 23rd & 24th. Its location is 400 Hargrave Street - only two blocks north of the MTS Center. Who Should Attend? -Those interested in home education. Come and discover more about it. -Beginning home school families. Plan a course for success. -Veteran home educators. Review the course you've set. Children under 13 - Please understand that MACHS loves children; it is for their well-being and future we exist. This conference, however, is intended for parent enrichment, and we are unable to accommodate children. (Nursing babies are welcome) Visit http://machs.mb.ca for details.

God has told us to be childlike and there is no better way to be childlike than by giving. When we are focused on God, like a loving child is focused on their parent, we will be motivated to give as an expression of our love. We should be delighted to draw pictures (spiritual service) and give flowers to our Divine Parent. But if we do it begrudgingly (because we feel we have to, or out of guilt), we simply show how ungrateful and selfish we really are – guilt gifts bring no glory to God. We should give with delight or not at all. God always sees (and rewards) the motive behind the gift – never the gift itself. (2 Corinthians 9: 7)

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Awana in in Action Action Awana

Awana is doing very well, and we continue to have between 100 - 110 children coming every Wednesday. The night is full of games, crafts, Bible memory and story time. We have an amazing team of leaders and helpers that love God and are committed in serving, so these children have a better understanding of the Gospel. Our goal is not only to reach the boys and girls that come out to clubs, but also to reach their family and friends. I hope everyone that enters CFC feels the warmth and love of Jesus, through us. Again, we thank parents for bringing their children; God has a plan for each one of them. God bless, and yours truly, Commander Glenn

Awana Grand Prix coming to CFC Friday, March 23, 2012 7:00 p.m.

Four Essentials of a Healthy Church Part 3: The Lord’s Table -by Gerry Rogers In three of the Gospels, Matthew 16, Mark 14 and Luke 22 we have a record of Jesus celebrating His last Passover meal with His disciples on the eve of His crucifixion. It was during this time He instituted what we call the Lord’s Table. Paul, in 1 Cor. 11 gives us more complete instructions concerning it, which he had received from the Lord. As we partake of the bread, representing His body, and drink of the cup, representing His shed blood, we do it in remembrance of Christ. Communion is not to be taken lightly; in a sense it is a serious and somber time. We are remembering our Savior’s great sacrifice on our behalf. He died for us bearing our sins on the cross, providing salvation, forgiveness and taking the punishment we deserve. It should be a time of self examination (confessing our sin, reconciliation with others if needed) so that we don’t partake in an unworthy manner. In Ephesians 2:110 it certainly indicates that God the Father and Jesus displayed a tremendous act of LOVE on our behalf. Fellowshipping and breaking of bread was a common reality for the Jewish people, as they often ate

together. But Jesus gave a new meaning to the breaking of bread. As these new believers had fellowship around food, they added the communion table that the Lord instituted. As they did so they were remembering what Jesus Himself had taught the Apostles. Just as they had been celebrating the Passover meal in remembering the deliverance from slavery in Egypt,

These early Christians were rejoicing in what Christ had accomplished for them. It had a strengthening impact upon their faith, and they rejoice in their resurrected Lord’s promise that HE would return for them and take them to dwell with their Father in heaven. Communion was also celebration. (John 14:1-4) The Lord Himself commanded that we are to do this in remembrance of Him. As we do so, there are three essential things we are doing; confessing that we believe that Jesus Christ died for our (my) sins, that Jesus Christ lives and His death has significance for all of time, (points to the glorified Lord in Heaven); and it also points to our resurrected Lord’s return. A question I would ask: why don’t we celebrate the Lord ’s Table more often, that our faith may be strengthened, and that we might be reminded of the glorious hope that is ours, after all we were created for eternal fellowship with our heavenly Father.

the Lord’s Supper became a celebration of their deliverance from the bondage that had been enslaving them. Communion is not just looking to the past, but also looking to the future coming of the Lord. “For whenever you eat this eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim (remember) the Lord’s death until He comes” 1 Cor. 11:26.

I John 4:9 “God showed how much He loves us by sending His only Son into this wicked world to bring to us eternal life through His death”. In this act we see what real love is: it is not our love for God, but His love for us when He sent His Son to satisfy God’s anger against our sins. (Living Letters from the Life Application Bible).

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What’s Your Emergency Fund Range? Dear Dave, In your plan, you talk about Baby

Step 3 as saving enough to have three to six months of expenses in your emergency fund. My husband and I were wondering how you can determine whether you need to be on the low end or high end of that range? -Amanda Dear Amanda, Lots of times in a marriage you’ll have a situation where one person wants to save more, while the other is excited to move on toward investing. Technically, neither is wrong. So, the emergency fund really deals with someone’s own personal level of peace. Remember Murphy’s Law, and how it says that says if something can go wrong it will go wrong? Your emergency fund is Murphy Repellant. Some people just want to

Winnipeg Built for Battle Men's Conference

make sure he doesn’t knock on the door, while others make sure he stays in the next county! There are always practical considerations you can use to determine the amount of your emergency fund. If you both have very stable jobs, you’ll probably be okay saving up three or four months of expenses. But if just one of you works outside the home, or if one is selfemployed or on commission, leaning toward the six month side is probably a good idea. Of course, you can always compromise. Start out with three months, but add a little every once in a while until you reach a point where you’re both comfortable. —Dave For more financial help please visit daveramsey.com.

Men, Mark you Calendar! Come out on Feb 25th, for our next Mens Morning!! All are welcome, and prepare to learn and be blessed! More details to follow in the bulletin!

March 9 & 10, 2012 Church of the Rock, 1397 Buffalo Place Winnipeg, MB EARLY BIRD DEADLINE

Thursday, Feb. 9

Register Now The early bird pricing for Promise

Keepers Canada's Built for Battle Men's Conference ends Thursday, February 9. Register now and save up to $21 off the walk up price. Please contact Gerry Rogers, Mike Doerksen, or Jeff Enns for more details

Approximately 25 men came out on the morning of January 28th to embrace the first official Men’s Morning kick-off. The initial plan for the Men’s Ministry is to meet on the last Saturday of each month, and to invite men of all ages to come out and learn where God is leading and guiding them. The morning began with freshly brewed coffee and hot cinnamon buns straight out of Jeff’s oven….okay it was the oven at Bake World! Anyway, thoroughly enjoyed by all A big thank you to Sacha Kaboha for sharing his musical gifts and leading the group with a time of praise and worship. Pastor Mac followed with a message of God’s limitless love for all men, and how that can be attained and spill over into their daily lives. The key is to recognize the Father Heart of God, and allow Him to work in the hearts of all men. Men, mark your calendars! The next meeting is slated for the morning of February 25th, and as previously mentioned, men of all ages, young and old alike, are welcome to attend. For those who are computer savvy, the CFC website will soon have a Men’s Ministry tab which should keep you posted on upcoming events and the like. As well, more details will soon follow in the bulletin.

Focused On Marriage - with John Neufeld

Gifts Every Woman Loves

It's that's season again for finding the perfect gift for your sweetheart. However, some of the best gifts are not under the tree. Here's a baker's dozen - that's 13- ways to give your wife gifts of honor she will enjoy long after the wrapping paper has been hauled away. •Make sure you tell her every day that she is your best friend, your lover, and your confidant. There should never be ad doubt in her mind how you feel about her. She needs you to tell her and show her how important she is to you. •This one takes a real man to do. Turn off the ball game on a Sunday afternoon and take her to the local park for picnic. This might be hard to do in winter but you get the idea. •Get together a group of friends and relatives and throw her a huge, surprise birthday party. Be creative. Pick a time and place, get the cake and decorations, and make it happen. I've done this and she was shocked, big time! It's not that hard. A few friends will be glad to

help. Just make sure you have the right date! •Check into a hotel some weekend and give her a change of environment. If you can afford it, find a hotel with a massage therapist, nail salon, etc. (The longer she is out getting pampered, the longer you can check out the sports channel.) •Call her at home or work, and ask her out. It doesn't matter how long you've been married; you can still date! You can both have fun flirting on the phone. Tell her how attracted you are to her. •Let her have quiet time to recharge her batteries. If you have kids, get lost with them for a while. Believe me, the whole family will benefit. •When the kids are spending the night somewhere else, rent her favorite movie and watch it with her. (Sometimes this is torture to me but I give it try and the rewards are worth the effort.) •Always treat her with respect. Whether publicly or in private, your

wife should be treated with respect than anyone else. She deserves it and it is your obligation as a man. Hold doors open for her, carry things, lift things and help her with the children or grandchildren. Treat her like a queen. Getting your prayers answered depends on this. 1 Peter 3:7 •Make sure you give her lots of affection. Hug her often, kiss her, or come up behind her and wrap your arms around her and just say, “I love you!” If you are affectionate she should never have cause to wonder if you love her. •Pray for her everyday and let her know that you do. Better yet, pray with her and ask God to bless and protect her. •Keep the temperature in the house and in the car to her liking. (For some reason my wife is always cold. Is yours?) We should try to find a happy medium and make sure she is comfortable. •If you play golf and she doesn't take the time to teach her. Let her go with you sometime, and you can both get frustrated together. •Listen to your wife. Really listen! Sometimes she just needs to speak, and you just need to listen. Part of being married is hearing intently what the other has to say. (Trust me guys; it will save you a lot of heartache down the road if you will heed this advice.) Well guys, there it is. Do these sorts of things often and you'll have a very Happy New Year!