What is holding you back, you could be joining us on a once in a life time life-changing Retreat!

There are only a few more days to register so don’t delay, September 14th is the deadline for registration (we need a deposit by then) and September 30th is the deadline for final payment!

We want to see you there! — The Women at Crossroads

Just scroll down to get all the wonderful details!

Entrance to the Vail Cascade Resort and Spa

Come join us for “Living Beyond…living a passionate life for Christ in an apathetic world” on Oct. 15,16 & 17 at the Vail Cascade Resort in Vail CO.

Maryellen Stipe and the leadership of the Women at Crossroads will be the speakers for this years life-changing event and the worship leader for the weekend will be the gifted Molly Hall with Special music by the dynamic Angela White.

A sampling of some of the growing list of special session and workshop teachers featured during the weekend:

Kristen Crewell

Connie Baca

Judy Crewell

Angela White

Molly Hall

Dee Castleman

For more details and online registration click on the Main Crossroads website at the link listed in the sidebar.

Rates start at just $159 for the weekend and this price includes meals!

“Simply Christmas” is the theme of our Annual Women’s Christmas Tea and Holiday Celebration. This event is the highlight of our year in Women’s ministry and in 2010 it  is happening the first two Saturday’s in December, the fourth and the eleventh.  The Teas begin at 12:30 P.M. and last approximately 2 and a half hours.

What can you expect…

The Christmas celebration starts the minute you step through the doors of the auditorium and enter a room transformed into holiday splendor. Our time together begins with sharing a traditional English Tea but the celebration does not stop there. After a festive time of conversation and fellowship your holiday festivities will be finished off with a program meant to stir the Christmas spirit in young and old.

This year our program features Kory Brunson and the many talented vocalists of the Crossroads Worship Team. Attendees can expect a musical feast that will put them in the mood for Christmas celebration and send them out ready to communicate the reason for the season.

This event is more than just an holiday show it is a presentation marked with inspiration and true Christian celebration.

Come rejoice with us as we come together, remembering our Savior’s birth! Tickets are reserved seating only for 17.50 per person and are available now, at the Crossroads Admin building, at all services and online!

I strongly believe that precaution and preparation are needed if parents are to be able to adequately protect their children in our current society.

Precaution, Preparation and Prayer: Wisdom for Safeguarding Your Family

By Maryellen Stipe

Our vulnerability to threats to our safety and the safety of our loved ones is increasingly on our minds these days. In a society plagued by child abductions, sexual abuse and the exploitation of children via the porn industry parents are being forced to deal with many ugly realities as they raise kids. Foreseeing and preparing for encounters with potentially dangerous situations has become a necessary part of  educating children.

“Stranger danger” used to be the common phrase used when referring to the topic of teaching children about threats to their safety. But now teaching our children about mere “stranger danger” has proven incredibly anemic. The proportions of possible risks to our children have been expanded before our very eyes, and research has uncovered that in regard to sexual abuse of children those who commit such acts tend to NOT be strangers at all.  Now we know that in approximately 90% of the cases of child sexual abuse the abuser is part of the known social network of the child.

Such realities rock our sensibilities and tend to cause us to overreact. But the truth is–no matter how heinous the dangers–the single most important thing we can do to protect our children is to-instill confidence rather than fear.

You want to equip your children with the strategies that they will need to protect themselves.

You want to let them know that they are not alone, and that resources for protection are always near.

And you want your boy or girl to think clearly and resourcefully and respond quickly if he or she gets into a situation where they are in jeopardy.

As a part of their protection our kids should know that the God of Heaven is always on their side and that He opposes evil. But they should also be aware that there is a network of trustworthy adults such as policemen, security guards, fire and rescue personnel, teachers and others to whom they can always turn for support and aid.

God is ultimately the victor over evil but it is also undeniable we are in a violent conflict of good and evil where there can be casualties. Scripture communicates a balance between God’s protection of us and our vulnerability to evil.  The Bible tells us to pray and ask God for protection but at the same time to be aware of and alert to the schemes of the Evil One.

Scripture admonishes us, Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. 1 Peter 5:7-9 (NLT)

When protecting your children, the first step should be to empower your children while taking care not to intimidate them or overly scare them with the evil nature of this world.

You should furnish them with the attitude of an over comer, a survivor and be careful to avoid promoting a victim mentality. Let your kids know that they are valued by you and by God and that they have a will and a voice. No matter how young they are they can reach out for help in time of trouble.

You should also become knowledgeable yourself about safety strategies and procedures. This is important so that you can in turn, move and proactively educate your children giving them the tools they need to keep themselves safe.  Up-to-date classes and seminars such as “Protecting Your Child from Predators, The Swimsuit Lesson” by Jon Holsten and others address the threats to the safety of children and can be attended in most communities. There are also multiple websites dedicated to the safety of families and especially children.

We teach our children a myriad of safety rules when they are young, but talking with them about things such as violent intruders, terrorism, child abduction or sexual abuse can elude us.

These are difficult topics indeed and most are just not prepared to breech such subjects.  As a Christian community however we can no longer afford to bury our head in the sand and deny what is going on around us.  Planning on how we will deal with the mounting level of evil that surrounds us is called for, and educating our children about how to be safe is vital.  The apostle Paul warned the believers in Corinth that were part of a very corrupt first century society. Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. 1 Cor 16:13 (NLT)

A final and overarching measure that must be taken by all of us on a daily basis is to pray diligently for the protection of our families.  We can make all kinds of plans for our own protection and the welfare of our household but the Bible is succinct in giving us the bottom line: Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. Psalms 127:1 (NKJV).  We should implore the Lord’s help in protecting our households and always know that He is our first and last line of defense.

David, the boy who slew Goliath, the man who ran for years dodging the attacks of Saul knew first hand the ability of the Divine to protect.  In Psalm 91, he declares, Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty…He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him Psalms 91:1-4 (NLT).  David states here a principle that should be realized in the life of every believer: it is the person who lives close to the Lord in relationship who can count on the awareness of His protecting presence.  If you constantly abide close to the Lord you will find rest knowing that He is always nearby watching over the concerns of your life.

Believers who stay close to God learn that they can trust Him implicitly and as their faith grows they come to know that whatever befalls them, He will always be with them in the midst of it.  As Jesus left this earth to join His Father in Heaven, He encouraged His disciples with words that should equally encourage us today, Lo I will be with you always even until the end of the age. Even when dangers loom on every front nothing can separate us from the loving presence of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and in this fact we can take heart.  Our trust in Him should drive away the fears and anxieties of this world, in the words of the apostle Paul, And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us …from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 (NLT)

Please come out and join the parents and grandparents of our church as we seek to be educated about how we as a community can better safe-guard our children.

As a life-long child protection advocate, Jon Holsten is an internationally recognized speaker and children’s book author. Jon has investigated and helped successfully prosecute dozens of child sexual abuse cases. His experiences on the front lines of law enforcement led Jon to seek new ways to protect children from predators. His research and passion led him to create the wildly popular children’s book: The Swimsuit Lesson. Through his writing and speaking, Jon demonstrates his passion for helping parents protect their children from predators.

This event is for moms, dads and all interested parties.

NOTE: If you need child care you will need to preregister for this event.

Breaking Free is an in-depth study of freedom in Christ, which draws heavily on themes from the OT book of Isaiah. Members will explore what factors keep believers from living and enjoying the benefits of abundant life in Christ. Participants will be challenged to develop not “just knowledge” about what freedom can look like but an actual lifestyle of living free. The first hour of the course will be a DVD teaching session by the renown Bible teacher Beth Moore.

Beth was a victim of childhood sexual abuse and “Breaking Free is Beth Moore’s life message about the transforming power of Christian freedom.  In addition to attending the lecture part of the course participants will also be REQUIRED to attend the group experience that is scheduled to follow each teaching session. A workbook will be supplied to each participant and students will be expected to complete homework assignments. The course is ten weeks in length.

For freedom Christ set us free. No longer be entangled in a yoke of bondage. Galatians 5:1

The small groups that are such and essential part of this soul care experience will be led by Maryellen Stipe, Linda Hanson and a staff of trained female clinicians from the Care Center at Crossroads.

On September 23rd at 6:30 P.M. and September 24th at 9:30 A.M. our new fall Bible Study will begin and will be an expositional look at the book of Titus.

The instructor for this course will be Maryellen Stipe.

Titus is a surprising little book that is full of practical wisdom. If you’ve ever been troubled by people who profess Christ and yet live very differently than you, Titus will be an eye-opener. If you have ever wondered if there is any hope for our mixed-up confused society, Titus well help you find the answer. If you want to lean how to take your Christianity more seriously and affect others in the church to do the same, then Titus is the book for you. Come out to this six week study that is bound to bless your socks off!

Tom and Maryellen Stipe during the Jesus Movement

When most people search back through the annals of their memories and remember the life changing passages in their lives they often think back to high school or college.

They remember the schools they attended, the relationships they had there, and the music that played in the background.

But when I think back on my life molding times—I am different.

I’m different because it was not the hallowed halls of an educational institution that profoundly shaped me. I am not without an educational alma-mater but the influence that sent me on my life course did not come from there.

What profoundly formed my life was a spiritual time—a special period of “God history.” And the spiritual environment, the spiritual experiences and the relationships that I tasted then are the elements that make up the indelible imprints of my young adulthood.

I consider myself fortunate to be one of “thousands” of so-called “Jesus freaks”– individuals whose teens and twenties were dominated by no less than Jesus himself. We are an unusual bunch, who when thinking of “where were you in the seventies?” don’t think of a school or a stadium, or even a war, but instead think of three words—The Jesus Movement.

The Jesus Movement was a culture unto itself—a counter-culture expression contrasting a youthful society gone mad. By the grace of God, at a time when evil raised up a banner extolling free sex, drugs and eastern mysticism, the Almighty raised up a standard of His own. To a generation looking for love in all the wrong places God lifted up his Son and His Divine love and thousands including me flocked to Him.

There was never a time before or has there ever been a time since when God moved so dramatically on young people. It was “revival” –and a spiritual Wind moved across a generation whisking tens of thousands into its influence. My life was dramatically changed by that Wind and my choice for a mate, my calling, and my lifestyle were cast in its wake.  I chose to follow Jesus and I have never looked back.

As a result, the story of my youth will never be encapsulated in a yearbook. Instead, the saga of my young years is tied to a dynamic people—the Jesus People—and their culture.

Yes, we had our own culture. We had our own brand of religion, with its own liturgy and a new spiritual jargon. We had our own dress; our own music and we even had our own folk heroes.

It was the music, which was a new type of sacred song that was the most defining element of our “spiritual culture.” And the music was pioneered by an elite group of young minstrels. The band that was at the epicenter of the musical awakening taking place was a group of redeemed “rockers” called Love Song.

The young guys who made up Love Song were unlikely “Levites.” They were not the beneficiaries of a long religious heritage, like the worship leaders of old; instead God drafted them off the street.  They came out of the “hippie” culture they were called to juxtaposition and God gave them inspired songs for the spiritual climate he was creating. They became the “pied pipers” of the movement, calling young participants to follow The Master.

Tom Stipe preaching in "Tent" at Calvary Chapel during the Jesus Movement

As I said, we also had our own folk heroes, these were teens that God raised up from amongst us to take the forefront leading the new sacred gatherings we were initiating. Jesus music concerts were one of the staples of the spiritual life of the Jesus People and they were almost always punctuated by the messages of young evangelists.  I married one of these evangelists/folk heroes and nearly forty years later we are still making disciples.

I never went to one of my high school or college reunions, but through the years I have attended several “Jesus People Reunions.”  These events are extremely popular because they help true “Jesus People” to remember the happenings that for most of us eclipsed everything else in our young lives. We have a chance at these gatherings to sing the old songs, to raise our hands in the same holy ways and to consider once again the spiritual truths that have always been so important.

These reunions, while misunderstood by many, are immensely clear in their importance to those who actually lived through the Jesus Movement. They are meaningful and bring to our remembrance the sacred times that carved out our personalities and determined our futures. At these events we have an opportunity to savor the spiritual essence of a time gone by while we worship the Savior who’s always the same and who we will always love!

On September 15th at 6:30, Crossroads Church of Denver will host the Love Song Reunion Tour with Chuck Smith; also on hand will be hundreds of Jesus People who actually lived through that incredible time in history. I will be there with my husband Tom Stipe. Tom and I moved to Denver in 1976 to plant a Jesus Movement type church in Colorado. We were on staff with Chuck Smith from 1970 until 1976 and during that time Tom was the staff evangelist in charge of the Saturday Night Maranatha Concerts.

We invite you to come and join us for what we are sure will be a life-changing concert with Love Song and Chuck Smith. If you are a Christian who dates back to the Jesus Movement days please come ready to be part of a heart warming reunion and if you are one who wants to just come and check out what you have heard about this incredible band please feel welcomed. I am sure no one will go away without experiencing a blessing and a dose of God’s love. God’s love in abundance was one of the hallmarks of the Jesus Movement and it’s the same yesterday, today and forever!

For a taste of the time, I’ve included the following excerpt from an article from a local newspaper of the period. This posting is a part of just one of the many articles that I have collected that reported on the spiritual happenings in the tent that Calvary Chapel called home during the Jesus Movement. This particular piece is one of my favorites because it captures the preaching of my husband Tom Stipe.

Sunday March 31, 1974 Long Beach Independent, Press-Telegram (from article “Jesus on Campus”)

Tom Stipe, the folk hero of Calvary Chapel comes on after the large, youthful congregation has warmed up with an hour of moving ballads interspersed with deep-bass, hand-clapping Jesus rock from the musicians of Love Song, one of the chapel’s nationally known rock groups. He’s wearing faded jeans, a blue work shirt and tousled, shoulder length hair. Stipe is a showman, but he mocks his own showmanship, dropping into a Southern preacher drawl that delights the teenagers.

“Now when ah got saved, ah wasn’t falling into the depths,” he drawls. “Ah was into the whole party thing in pursuit of fun—you know the kinda guy who is driving around at three in the morning to see it anybody is still awake…” Laughter rocks the light-flooded chapel.  It’s Saturday night and it’s the biggest Jesus show around. For local high school and college students, it’s the Southland’s religious mecca.  They come driving down to South Santa Ana from as far as the San Fernando Valley and San Diego.

“Now, everybody thinks they can get more from Pier One in Newport Beach than from Jesus Christ,” Stipe preaches. “They think they can get more action on Long Beach Boulevard or Pacific Coast Highway than from the Lord…Before I got saved I always thought that if you became a Christian, you’d become like a stone, You know,” he says, dropping into a deep, moronic voice. “duh I am a Christian.” And people would just roll you around. (Roars of laughter). Well let me tell you what it’s really like…”

When you think of wild…lions and tigers and bears might come to mind but that is not the only definition of the word.

Wild can also mean…

• Going beyond normal or conventional bounds
• Extravagant
• Not subject to restraint
• Passionately enthusiastic
• Strong desire or emotion
• A free or natural state of existence
• Out of control
• Living in a life or existence that is not tame.

God calls us to a different kind of wild, a life without restraints of human understanding but rather a life alive to faith in the mighty power of God.

We have been released and unleashed by our faith in Jesus Christ to live an extraordinary existence…a different kind of wild.

The Apostle Paul writes,

If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.

And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

2 Cor 5:13-15 (NIV)

Come join us for Released and Unleashed—A Different Kind of Wild, on Oct. 15,16 & 17 at the Vail Cascade Resort in Vail CO.

Maryellen Stipe and the leadership of the Women at Crossroads will be the speakers for this years life-changing event and the worship leader for the weekend will be the talented Angela White.

A sampling of some of the growing list of workshops topics and teachers featured during the weekend:

Kristen Crewell: “Single and Unleashed”

Amy Cabrerra: “Newly Married and Going Wild”

Jessica Wade: “Released from Past Hurts”

Connie Baca: “Our Wild God”

For more details and online registration click on the Main Crossroads website at the link listed in the sidebar.

Rates start at just $149 for the weekend and this price includes three meals!

You will need to be there by 10:00 A.M. as you won’t want to miss a minute of Beth’s dynamic simulcast!

Ticket are on sale now–and can be purchased in group blocks for great savings!

10 ticket for $100 ($10 each) or 5 tickets for $60 ($12 each)

Single ticket are also available for $15 each.

Right now it is reserved seating only–so get your seat secured ASAP!

All those who participate in the early bird specials will also receive a full color program and notes for the simulcast!

Tickets can be purchased online at the main Crossroads website, at the church at the Admin building during the week (9-5) except Mondays, and before and after church services on Wednesdays and Sundays. Tickets will also be available at all Women’s Ministry Events!

See you there,

Maryellen Stipe

When I tell people I Facebook and Twitter I often get

STRANGE REACTIONS…

Uninformed people often roll their eyes and question me.

They ask how I can justify

wasting so much time in such frivolous pursuits!

Well, this weekend I had that experience once too often!

I set up a table in our church lobby…

with the aim of recruiting bloggers and social-network enthusiasts.

My intention was to start a Blogging and Social-Networking Group.

A group which would gather people

who are interested in the SKILL behind Internet Social Media.

A group focused on learning new ways to reach out and

effectively communicate with more people on the worldwide web.

A group whose goal is, ultimately,

to stay in step with our culture and

to share our Christian values in culturally relevant ways!

But what did I get for all my trouble!

FRUSTRATION!!!

I was horrified as a talked to large numbers of people

who are CLUELESS about the value and importance of social media.

It was not one or two people who questioned me,

about why I view social networking as having redeeming social value.

It was, in fact the majority of people.

Well, a couple of days have passed since then…

and, my frustration has not passed!

So, I have written this post to answer my critics,

I want to scream ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN LIVING ON THE MOON?

and I want to point out, that–I am NOT THE CRAZY ONE!

If you think becoming effective at social media is frivolous or valueless;

YOU ARE UNINFORMED.

Our culture is currently in a SOCIAL MEDIA REVOLUTION and whether you know it or not,

there is…

NO TURNING BACK.

Social networking is the BIGGEST thing on the internet.

It is BIGGER than porn!

And BIGGER than on-line shopping!

IT REPRESENTS A MONUMENTAL SHIFT

IN COMMUNICATION STYLE!

IT REPRESENTS PERHAPS THE BIGGEST SHIFT

IN THE STYLE OF COMMUNICATION IN HISTORY!!!

Please educate yourselves and watch the following video!

Please save me the awkward chore of insulting you!

THIS IS WHY I FACEBOOK AND TWITTER!!!

Charles Haddon (C.H.) Spurgeon was born, June 19, 1834 and died, January 31, 1892. He was a Baptist preacher who remains highly influential among Christians of different denominations today and he is still widely known as the “Prince of Preachers.”

I am a fan of Spurgeon and my favorite quote by him has to do with the decline of the church and the need for Holy Spirit revival.

The need for Holy Spirit empowerment of the church is very much on my heart today!

This morning as I was praying and studying, I remembered this quote and it moved me once again to pray, repent and seek a deeper walk with my Lord. Because of the effect that these lines had on me I thought it appropriate to post it here.

My hope would be that the truth embodied by Spurgeon’s words  would touch someone else and serve to motivate them as I was motivated. May this saying move your heart like it moved mine!

“I believe brethren, that whenever the church of God declines, one of the most effectual ways of reviving her is to preach much truth about the Holy Spirit. If the Spirit be withdrawn, then the vitality of the godliness begins to decline and we are backbiting.  Let us turn to the Spirit of God crying, “Quicken thou me in thy ways.” If we sorrowfully perceive that any church is growing lukewarm, be it our prayer that the Holy Spirit may work graciously for its revival, Let us return to the Lord.  Let us seek again to be baptized into the Holy Spirit and into fire, and we shall yet, again behold the wonderful works of the Lord.” — C.H. Spurgeon

My husband is preaching today, in California on this very subject–the necessity of receiving Holy Spirit empowerment for the church.

Please pray that our churches would not decline and move into backbiting…but instead that they would return to the Lord and seek again to be baptized into the Holy Spirit and fire.

Kory Brunson on the Jumbo-tron at Coors Field

I love it when God gives Christian musicians visibility in the secular arena.

It makes me happy when “believers” get the chance to use their talents in places outside of church walls.

It is the way Jesus and Paul and others in the Scriptures practiced their religion–they went to the marketplace and engaged as many people as they possibly could.

Last weekend, our worship leader Kory Brunson, had the rare opportunity to sing before a full stadium at Coors Field, here in Denver, Colorado.

The song he was asked to perform was one of his own, and is a tribute to those in military service.

“We Know Your Out There” was written by Kory to honor the troops and “Thank God” for those who have chosen to put on a uniform and serve the U.S.A.

Ever since I heard about what Kory was able to do–I have been smiling inside.

I have been rejoicing, because he was able, to address–that crowd of over 40,000 people–and engage them with a song and a message that gives thanks and encourages hope in God.

I wanted to post this picture of Kory singing because I believe, that his boldness–to stand up as a Christian in the marketplace and thank God for those who serve this country–is to be ADMIRED.

I pray that more Christians would have the chance to stand tall in public places and give testimony of their faith.

And I pray for us, as believers, that when the opportunity to proclaim our beliefs comes our way–that we would not shrink back in fear.

I pray for all of us, that–when given the chance–we would have the courage to step forward and confidently declare our values–just as Kory did.

BRAVO KORY!

And like so many others I reflect on the very personal price that it cost my family.

I was first made aware, as a small child, of the reality that liberty does not come cheap.  When I was born my family was still acutely feeling the effects of losing one of their own on a field of battle.  As a  child I vividly remember my grandmother’s grief over the loss of her son.

My Uncle Ted was an MIA in the Korean War and was not found for 17 long months.

He was finally located on a lonely Korean beach where he had been hastily interred. His family was told that my Uncle Ted was killed during a beach assault while rushing off a troop carrier. He was 20 years old.

The Korean War is often called “The Forgotten War” but it will never be forgotten by my family.

Gratefully, it only lasted three years, June 25, 1950 – July 27, 1953, but for those who lost loved ones there, it was three years too long!

What you may not realize is that The United States Armed Forces suffered 33,665 Americans killed in action in “the forgotten war” in Korea.

As I have researched my uncle’s military history and the record of his death on the Korean War Project Website, I have found that he died in the deadliest battle of that entire war.

The Battle of the Pusan Perimeter which lasted from August 4, 1950-September 16, 1950, was won at the price of 3,603 American lives. It was very early in the war but this battle would prove to be the most costly in terms of casualties and my Uncle was one of those killed in action.

My father and my other uncle, Joe, also served in the Korean war.

And in fact, I was born while my father was away serving in the U.S. Navy many thousand of miles away from home.

I honor the fighting men of our nation who gave their last full measure of devotion for our freedom. I also honor those who gave valuable years of their young lives in service to our country!

THANK YOU for your sacrifices!

THANK YOU UNCLE TED!…

PFC THEODORE GROENEVELD

9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, Army

Hostile, Died (KIA)
Date Of Loss: September 1, 1950
Location of Loss: YONGSAN, SOUTH KOREA

Born: August 21, 1930
HOMETOWN: TINLEY PARK, IL

Comments: Private First Class Groeneveld was a member of the 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy in South Korea on September 1, 1950.

Korean War Project Key No: 11547

The pub where Lewis and his friends experienced "community.

My husband, Tom and I have been discussing an amazing quote used by Tim Keller in his book “The Prodigal God.” It comes from C.S. Lewis’s The Four Loves.

For context, it’s important to point out that Lewis is referring to community within the Inklings, a small group of men who met weekly for almost 20 years. Lewis’s closest friends seemed to be in this group, and Charles and Ronald were both members. “Ronald” is J.R. R. Tolkien and “Charles” is Charles Williams.

“In each of my friends there is something that only some other friend can fully bring out. By myself I am not large enough to call the whole man into activity…Now that Charles is dead, I shall never again see Ronald’s reaction to a specifically *Caroline joke (see below). Far from having more of Ronald, having him ‘to myself’ now that Charles is away, I have less of Ronald…we possess each friend not less but more as the number of those with whom we share him increases.

In this, Friendship exhibits a glorious ‘nearness by resemblance’ to Heaven itself where the very multitude of the blessed (which no man can number) increases the fruition which each has of God. For every soul, seeing Him in her own way, doubtless communicates that unique vision to all the rest. That, says an old author, is why the Seraphim in Isaiah’s vision are crying ‘Holy, Holy, Holy’ to one another. The more we thus share the Heavenly Bread between us, the more we shall all have.”

*”Caroline” is an adjective which comes from the Latin for Charles, which is (I believe) Carolus. So a “Caroline” joke would be a “Charles-y” joke – in other words, a joke of the type Charles told.

Another interesting tid-bit gleaned from the blog world, Tolkien never liked Charles Williams and wondered what Lewis saw in him. He also was a bit jealous of Lewis splitting his affections between him and Williams. So we may wonder to what degree he would have endorsed this paragraph from Lewis!

What are your reactions to this quote and the importance of community that it underscores?

Other posts you might like: A Vision For A Church God Can Grow http://womenatcrossroads.wordpress.com/2008/12/31/vision-2009-%E2%80%93-a-vision-for-a-church-god-can-grow/

In part 1 of this series I discussed in detail the fact that most women whether they think they are beautiful or unbeautiful  struggle with talking honestly about beauty…Here I pick up where I left off and continue on with a discussion of–what incorruptible spiritual beauty really is!

…If we don’t believe we fit the narrow stereotype society says is beautiful; talking about what beauty entails–tends to make us feel inferior, inadequate and just plain not good enough.

What I think is interesting however is that we have been fed a bill of goods about what true feminine beauty is.  In centuries past before visual media could be blasted throughout the known world—the social norms for beauty were wider.  You had a few very beautiful girls in your community and you also had some not so beautiful ones–but the community determined what beauty was and most women fell somewhere in the middle.

Today however it is much different from—those days gone by—today the media—decides what is beautiful and then airbrushes it and sends it around the world.

While the average size of a woman in the U.S. is a 14, Madison Ave has decided that “what beautiful is” is a size 0 or 2 and they reinforce their taste by featuring only models, actresses and spokespersons that fit that narrow grid.

And ladies it is not only those who think that they are “unbeautiful” who have it bad!

Those who think they might possibly be beautiful, also struggle because they know that beauty is fleeting and that they can age, change, or fall out of style and be un-beautiful again in a flash.

If the truth be known, even the most physically beautiful women wonder how long they can hold on to their beauty.

So you see, the pressure to be beautiful and keep your beauty in our society is an equal opportunity crazy maker.

But the question is–are we really viewing beauty accurately? –Or are we viewing the entire subject through a faulty lens?

Because–whether society will ever recognize it or not, God says true and lasting beauty is on the inside of a woman!  The Bible is emphatic about exhorting women not to be absorbed with outer beauty but to build up the hidden person of the heart.

I Peter 3:3-4 tells us, Do not let your adornment be merely outward–arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel–rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. I Peter 3:3-4

Now to be brutally honest when I first came upon this verse years ago I hated it with a passion. I felt it was unfair that God should show a discretionary bias towards a gentle and quiet woman.  This was my opinion, because in my mind, He had created me the polar opposite of the “gentle and quiet” stereotype that I believed He deemed beautiful.

Upon closer examination however, I was surprised to find out that the terms translated “gentleness” and “quietness” in English in the NT — did not mean exactly what I believed them to mean.

“Gentle” is the translation of the Greek word praeos, a word that is routinely translated in the NT as “meek”.  When Jesus referred to himself,  “meek” was the word that he was most likely to choose. Today the term meek tends to carry with it an idea of passivity and subservience, but it must be understood: the Biblical concept of meekness is different.

In the first century “meekness was a good thing” and meek was one of the great Greek ethical words. Meekness is strength under the control of God; it is the quality or characteristic of being even-tempered and having composure in every situation.

The term “quiet” in 1Pet. 3:3-4 is also different than we might think.  The Greek word translated quiet is better translated “restful” or “tranquil.” It has nothing to do with “not talking” or being “silent” but instead depicts a relaxed God-controlled disposition.

Perhaps what stands out to me most about both of these biblical characteristics is that they are qualities that do not come “NATURAL” to anyone. They are not qualities born of a personality type but rather born of the Holy Spirit of God working in one’s life.

I LIKE THAT, because God is not expecting me to shed–the personality that He has given me, but He is instead calling me to submit all that I am to Him–that my personality might be channeled appropriately in a Christlike way.

And on rare occasions in my own life I have actually witnessed “strength with composure” and “a relaxed God-controlled” spirit coming forth as a result of the Holy Spirit working in me.  It does not involve me not being me, but me– surrendering who he has made me be–to His Spirit and His divine superintending of my life.

In Eccl. 3, God promises that He makes everything beautiful in His time Eccl. 3:11. By His hand he works miracles in us that beautify us.  He places us in situations and circumstances that make beauty come forth and sometimes the places where beauty blossoms forth the strongest are in the most difficult places of life.

In man’s realm time diminishes beauty, while in God’s realm time perfects beauty—Beth Moore

I love God’s realm don’t you!

It takes a lot of courage to say this, but the truth is: I am beautiful as I am.  I have the looks and the shape that was gifted to me.  My breasts are no longer perky like when I was younger and my hips are wider than a fashion model’s–but for this I am glad, for these are the signs of a well-lived life! and meanwhile I know that God is at work on the inside of me—gracing me with his incorruptible beauty and making me more beautiful that I ever dreamed possible.

Rethinking Beauty…

Who is beautiful to you and why?

Is beauty truly in the eye of the beholder?

Beauty is one of those tough topics for women. It is tough because so many of us have been avoiding REALLY talking about it in honest ways for most of our lives.

I think we avoid it–because it makes MOST of us feel INSECURE.

If we don’t deem ourselves beautiful, beauty is certainly not going to be one of our favorite subjects.

If we don’t believe we fit the narrow stereotype current society says is beautiful; talking about what beauty entails–tends to make us feel inferior, inadequate and just plain not good enough.  It’s a painful topic.

But those who think they just might be pretty, have it equally as bad or worse.

Those who think they might possibly be beautiful, also don’t want to bring up the topic–they know that beauty is fleeting and that they can age, change, or fall out of style and be un-beautiful again in a flash.

If the truth be known, even the most physically beautiful women wonder how long they can hold on to their beauty.  And ladies, that–makes them even more insecure and miserable than the “average” girls.

So you see, beauty as a subject, whether you figure you have it or you don’t, is not a popular topic for deliberation among females.

But the question is, are we really viewing beauty accurately?–or are we viewing the entire subject through a faulty lens?

Whether society will ever recognize it or not–true and lasting beauty is on the inside of a woman!

The Bible exhorts women not to be absorbed with outer beauty but to build up the hidden person of the heart.  According to the Scriptures we are to adorn ourselves with incorruptible beauty–a gentle and quiet spirit–that is precious in the sight of God.

I Peter 3:3-4 tells us, Do not let your adornment be merely outward–arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel–rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

So, where does that leave us, to be brutally honest, when I first came upon this verse years ago I hated it with a passion.

I felt it was unfair that God should show a discretionary bias towards a gentle and quiet woman.  Was He prejudiced against women of strength who possessed a voice?

This was my opinion, because in my mind, He had created me the polar opposite of the “gentle and quiet” stereotype that I believed He deemed beautiful.  I viewed myself as “strong and extroverted,” and deep down I resented God for crowning the lucky “gentle and quiet” ones as the queens of the ball. How fair is that?

It brought up some of the same emotions I had experienced growing up as a brunette and realizing that “blonds had more fun.”  In those days it felt like the media had made a pejorative judgment against all women with dark hair judging our lives dull and boring.

But in the case of the “gentle and quiet” girls, now it was GOD telling me that they were better. I wanted to run out and get a personality transplant!  It was irritating, because once again, even in the “spiritual” beauty department, beauty seemed outside my grasp.

INSECURITY raised it’s ugly head.  Would I ever be able to attain “incorruptible beauty” in the sight of God, as a strong female leader, who liked to talk?  It was from this starting point of utter frustration that my own personal investigation into “what is true inner beauty?” was born.

In Part 2 of “Rethinking Beauty” I will seek to unravel the mystery of what having a “gentle and quiet spirit” really entails.

MEANWHILE, I know many of you agree that–it is tough being a woman in a world so preoccupied with outer beauty. What are your main insecurities when it comes to the subject of beauty? (Be honest)! I would love to read your thoughts and experiences…so…please feel free to join this thread.

This year’s theme will be “It’s Tough Being a Woman” and the program will spotlight the many challenges involved in being a woman in our current society.

Through music, drama, and speaking attendees will be uplifted by a lighthearted and inspirational program designed for all ages.

Our agenda for the day will be to underline the important truth that: although it’s tough being a woman, in Christ we can live exceptional lives!

We are enabled to be beautiful, balanced and brave while just being who He made us to be!

The program will feature, Angela White as our special guest musician and she will be joined on stage by the Crossroads Band.

The seating is reserved seating only and the tickets are on sale online at the main Crossroads website and at the Women’s Ministry Counter located in the lobby of the Crossroads Main Building.  The tickets are $17.5o each and the price includes a catered lunch.

The event will begin at 11:30 A.M with luncheon being served and the program following.  The event will conclude by approximately 2:00 P.M.  Get your tickets now.

His recent article called “As Good As It Gets” describes the things Tom sees affecting Baby Boom Christians in the Church today.  It is very thought provoking and interesting, and in my opinion definitely worth a read!

Click the link at the bottom of this excerpt to read it in it’s entirety or continue to peruse it here.

“We have lived life for better or for worse and are pausing to grade our progress like approaching the end of a semester. It is more than a little threatening. The finish line is in sight and the race has nearly been run.  Now it seems that the only thing left is the inevitable looming question, “How did we do”?

In the 1997 movie, “As Good As It Gets” starring Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt, there is a memorable scene in which Nicholson’s character reinforces the film’s title. Leaving his psychiatrists office, Melvin Udall (Nicholson) passes through a waiting area filled with sullen, self-absorbed patients; then he pauses and asks, “What if this is as good as it gets?” It is a question that he leaves hanging in the air with no obvious answer as he leaves.

What about us? What if this is it? Jesus hasn’t returned yet, although things are looking pretty good for that these days. Life goes on. The future that was ahead of us has arrived. The married life we dreamed of has come and–in some cases–gone…”

Catch this entire “Message To Baby Boom Christians” by Tom Stipe at  www.crossroadsdenver.wordpress.com

http://wp.me/pfMlG-1M

It is no secret that my husband Tom Stipe and I are a couple of aging “Jesus People.”  We were born and raised in Southern California and the roots of our Christian experience trace back to a revival time in the early seventies known as the “Jesus Movement.” Those years were exciting times for youthful followers of Christ and they also have proved to be the days when Contemporary Christian Music was born and began taking its first shaky baby steps.  The first “Rock” generation Christian musicians began to take the platforms of American churches during those years (approx. 1969-1976) and it was in many ways ground that was not easily taken.

By God’s blessing Tom (a musician himself) became the staff evangelist at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa  and the preacher at ground breaking regional Christian Music events known as The Saturday Night Concerts.  Weekly thousands of young people would fill a tent pitched as Calvary Chapel’s temporary facility to hear a growing family of Christian musicians and bands evangelize crowds with the music of the Jesus People. It was during these grass roots times of Contemporary Christian Music that Tom and I became acquainted with many young Christian artists and amongst them were a young couple named John and Lisa Wickham.  John and Lisa were among the pioneering contemporary Christian musicians on the then fledgling Maranatha Music label, where Tom served as a staff producer.  John was part of the band known as “The Way” and Lisa a part of the group “Parable”.

Well, fast forward nearly forty years and that’s where you meet up with Phil Wickham.  Phil is the son of John and Lisa Wickham and has taken the Christian music legacy of his two parents on to new heights.  Phil is a ground breaking Christian musician in his own right.  He has had numerous top-ten Contemporary Christian hits and his song “Safe” is currently at number five on the Billboard Charts for Christian Music.

With all this said, Tom and I are excitedly awaiting Phil’s up-coming concert at Crossroads Church of Denver on April 13th, 2010.  While it makes us feel incredibly old it also warms our hearts to welcome the children of our “Jesus People” friends to our platform. Phil is among an elite group of second generation Contemporary Christian Music artists and personnel who are currently gracing the stages of Christian venues and churches throughout America.  Other Christian artists whose parents were a part of the “golden” age of Contemporary Christian Music are:

Chad Butler from Switchfoot whose Dad Chuck Butler was in “Country Faith” and “Parable.”

Alisa Girard Childers from Zoe Girls whose Dad Chuck Girard was in the famed Jesus Movement group “Love Song”.

And Eli Thomson a Maranatha Music artist and producer whose Dad Kevin Thomson was a member of “Sweet Comfort.”

In addition, our two daughters Jennifer Stipe Mouttet, and Allison Stipe Schwab have followed in their Dad’s footsteps working in the Contemporary Christian Music Biz.  They both graduated from Belmont University with degrees in Music Business and have worked for various labels throughout their careers most recently and notably BEC Recordings.  On a side note Allison is also married to a Christian artist, Andrew Schwab of Project 86.

Tickets for the up-coming Phil Wickham concert cost $12 and are available on his website.  Tickets will be available at the door the night of the concert for $17.