E-mail me a photo of you and your husband/wife or send me a link where I can download a photo (Facebook, blog, something like that) for a Life Answers Photo-Directory. I'd like to have this done going into our Summer break.

As this is the final Update of the 2010-2011 ABF Season, take note of the announcements and needs described here. (There won't be a reminder for quite some time.)

Susan Winnett, coordinator of K-5th Grade ministries (Fish Tank & THE GRID), came to us last week expressing the need for volunteers for all sorts of areas. Some of them are more involved, others are less involved. Here's what she shared:

• Weekly Small Group Leaders -- 42 Weeks, 1 service hour
• Coach -- 1 Sunday per month, 9:30 - 12:30
• Transitional Leaders -- same week every month, 1 service hour
• Substitutes -- willing to fill in last minute
• Greeters -- Month on, Month off; 1 service hour
• Parent Pager/Welcome Desk -- Month on, Month off; 1 service hour
• Resources -- during the week whenever available, counting, cutting & sorting

Micah 6:8 Bike Challenge
Monday, July 04 - Friday, July 08
from Cincinnati to Cleveland

The ride is to raise funds for Christ Community Chapels justice and mercy ministry partners and will cover six days and 400 miles.

Ministries benefitting include: Urban Vision, Pregnancy Solutions and Services, Love 146, South Street Ministries' Porch Project, Truly Reaching You Ministries.

Take a look at the ministries listed here, talk with Tony if you have any questions, and visit this page to make a pledge. As Tony said this past Sunday, he's got big goals!

Last Sunday's ABF Recap - Journaling
tg & rg

[Journaling] for the purpose of godliness.
1 Timothy 4:7 (New American Standard Bible)

• Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, by Donald S. Whitney
• Celebration of Discipline, by Richard Foster
• Death By Suburb, by David Goetz

Aside: Taking a brief moment here to look into next ABF season, one of the things we'll be doing on a regular basis is taking a Scripture passage and breaking it down according to our Reading the Word for Maximum Impact study. Tony mentioned how he recalled I Corinthians 5:21 this past week and spent time there. And the same could be true for us if we identify a passage and consider it according to our RTWFMI strategy and sitting with it during our Quiet Time/Spiritual Discipline Time.

Our final lesson of the Season was on the topic of Journaling. For those of us who weren't English Whizzes (did I even spell that right?) in school, Journalling can sound like voluntary homework. Yuck. It can sound daunting, too. "I'm not a good writer," one might think. But there are lots of good reasons to Journal.

Journaling is a great way to document family milestones, to recall past times in great detail, and to identify patterns in our lives. It can help us evaluate a past event once the emotion has passed, and by evaluating and putting pen to paper, we can then mentally move on to the next appropriate step rather than allowing a continuous loop to play in our mind. It can remind us of God's faithfulness, blessings and answered prayers. Journaling can also lead us to communicate with paper instead of people, so it must be done with the appropriate intentions and as a supplement to both the other Spiritual Disciplines and to good communication skills in the home.

So those are some of the benefits of Journaling, perhaps we should talk about what Journaling is. First of all, it is not mandated by Scripture. It's kind of like a diary, and for the Christian who uses Journaling for spiritual purposes, it is a place to record the works and ways of God in one's life. Journaling is the intersection of biblical doctrine and daily living.

We talked about four reasons why Journaling is important and helpful.

1. Help in Self-Understanding and Evaluation.

   In Romans 12:3, Paul said

   For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

   It was John Calvin who said, "Without the knowledge of self there is no knowledge of God." Therefore, if Journaling is a way to help one learn about him/herself, and if the knowledge of one's self enables one's knowledge of God, then Journaling sounds like a pretty good thing to do. Said Tony, "Noting the events of the day and our reaction to them allows us to examine ourselves much more thoroughly than we otherwise might."

2. Help in Meditation

   David kicked of the Psalms in 1:1-3 by writing

   Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.

   Peace and concentration is absolutely countercultural. Blackberries, iPods, facebook, kid's schedules, television, etc. are barely conducive to slowing down and meditating on God's Word. Journaling helps to slow things down and helps to focus our mind on the Word, and also to sort our thoughts that the Word prompts.

   Have you ever taken notes during sermon, not for the purpose of reading the notes later, but to help focus on what the preacher is saying? Journaling through the Word during Meditation is very similar. In either instance, what is heard or read sticks with us longer when we write it down.

3. Help in Remembering the LORD's works

   Remember the last time you moved and packed up your belongings? Do you remember finding that box of old stuff and the memories it brought back? Journaling is like packing that box... it serves as a marker to be recalled in the future.

   Psalm 77:11-12 says,

   I will remember the works of the LORD; surely I will remember Your wonders of old. I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds.

4. Help in Monitoring Goals and Priorities

   If you feel like you're spinning your wheels in you walk with Christ, try Journaling. By writing down your thoughts and goals, you'll be more likely to stick with them. You'll also be able to review those goals and see that you've met the "mile makers" in the past, and this will give you encouragement to reach for the mile makers further down the road. Paul touched on this in Philippians 3:12-16...

   Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

   Along the same lines, Journalling helps us to look backward and forward. The prophet Habakkuk wrote in 2:2

   Then the LORD replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that whoever reads it may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."

   There is an aspect of anticipation in the type of "Journalling" that God is commanding of Habakkuk, and so can there be for us when we Journal. It's not just about the past.

What does a good Journal look like? Whatever your Journal looks like. Don't compare it with another's Journal. Jim Colledge has said, "Get your high school English teacher out of the mix!" Your English teachers of the past are not going to grade it!

If you've never taking on Journaling, consider these suggestions:

• List verse or idea from your Bible that impressed you the most
• Meditate on that for a few minutes, then record your insights and impressions
• Record recent events, attitudes, feelings
• Write self-evaluations against spiritual goals
• Jot down brief prayers

There are several take-home points here, but among them is this: Journaling can be fruitful at any level! It takes persistence, and you must start before its value can be seen, but just like with the other Disciplines we've covered, if you pursue it with pure motives, the LORD will meet you where you are in that Discipline!

Keep an eye out for e-mails from me, Robin, Marissa and/or Jessica as "things" arise. We'll have an opportunity or two for get-togethers as an Adult Bible Fellowship, and when details are finalized, we'll let you know. The 2011-2012 ABF Season will kick off toward the end of August/beginning of September, and we'll keep you informed of those details, as well.

Enjoy your week! And your summer! Send an encouraging note to a friend.

RG