Three Weeks, Two Prospectives and A Question of the Week

Posted: December 31, 2008 in America, basketball, Choir, Christ, Christians, Christmas, church, FCC Owasso, friends, Jesus, Mad Prop's Friday, ministry, politics, Prayer, sunday morning, Tuesday's Question of the Week
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Hello! It has been over three weeks since we last met and we have so much to catch up on! I don’t have a lot of time so let me try to catch you up on the last twenty seven days of my life as quickly as possible.

  • Avalon was incredible! Made some new friends through the process ( Cathy Freeman and Chris Kelly with Spirit 102.3, Greg Long with Avalon) and watched our church do a tremendous job in helping with the event.
  • Mad Prop’s to Cathy Killion for all her hard work on the Avalon show! She was my hostess and really went out of her way to take care of the group.
  • Christmas services FREAKING ROCKED! Jana Gorham had almost thirty people in the orchestra this year and as usual they were incredible, the Choir was bigger and better than ever, Brittany Bolt sang her guts out and rocked our faces off and as always the band was awesome. This had to be the best Christmas service EVER in our church.
  • Christmas Eve services were great as well. We did some things a little different but somehow throwing acoustic worship, Charlie Brown, a live nativity, the Christmas story read by grandpa Tom, communion and candle lighting in to one service worked!
  • Mad Props to my boy Mitch who managed to focus his attention to leading worship on one of the hardest days in his life.
  • Christmas at the Tibbles was awesome! I will always love Christmas morning with my kids more than any other day of the year! This year was awesome… there were nice lessons learned by my youngest. More on this later…
  • In-laws came to our place for Christmas #2. It was nice…
  • Spent more time with my grandparents in two days than all of 2008 combined. I love them so much. They are great examples to us in all aspects of their lives.
  • Had a great Christmas with my small group. I am so appreciative of them and their love for us and each other. Its great to be a part of a group where we are “Tim and April”.
  • I somehow ended up catching a cold that turned into a fever and sore throat… I hate being sick. Then again, who doesn’t?
  • Our Church Basketball League starts up soon… I am uber excited about this. I’m not a great player but I love basketball to a fault.

So that’s my life over the past three and a half weeks. Sorry we were not able to connect. What’s that you ask? What are my feelings on Rick Warren praying for the inauguration? Funny you should ask! What amazes me is the two opposing views of this prayer.
1. The “Liberal Left” is ticked at Obama for inviting a “gay hating”, “anti-abortion”, “narrow-minded conservative” to be a part of his inauguration. It’s funny to me because Obama is doing what he said he would do. Did these people think that he would unite only the Americans who agreed with them?
2. The “Conservative Right” is ticked at Warren because he has accepted the invitation to participate in Obama’s inauguration. This is funny to me because Warren is doing exactly what he is supposed to do as a Christian. Does this group think that Warren should stand up and call Obama a “hypocritical”, “gay loving”, “baby-killing” heathen like a lot of other so called Christian leaders? Isn’t Warren doing exactly what the rest of us should be doing… praying for Obama?

It was great to see you again! Lets meet up tomorrow. I would like to share my 2009 New Year’s Resolutions. Before you go let me give you my question of the week:

What is your top resolution for 2009?

See you tomorrow!

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Christmas With Avalon

Posted: December 3, 2008 in Avalon, community, FCC Owasso
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When it comes to Avalon, the premier vocal group in Christian music, there is much
to know:
• Five successful studio projects, a remix album, two RIAA-certified gold records
• 19 No. 1 radio hits, 14 of which were featured on a single album, Testify to Love:
The Very Best of Avalon, a feat only an elite few artists have accomplished
• 20 Dove nominations; three Dove Awards
• Two Grammy nominations
• A 2002 American Music Award for Contemporary Inspirational Music

The “Christmas with Avalon” tour is coming to First Christian Church of Owasso on December 18th and 19th at 7:00 PM. You can get your tickets now at http://www.itickets.com or by calling the church office at 918.272.9551.

Tickets are only $12.00 in advance and $15.00 at the door. We have kept the ticket prices low becuase we are asking all who attend to bring a new or gently used coat to donate to Gyles Coates for Kids. Make your plans now to be a part of this incredible night and help bring warmth to someone in need this Christmas season. I hope to see you there!

Face of Jesus Manifests on Washburn Guitar

Posted: December 3, 2008 in guitar, Jesus
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Oriinally Posted by Scott Thorn | MLive.com December 02, 2008 10:45AM

Okay, I’ve seen the face of Jesus appear on toast, crepes, window panes…but now a guitar?

Ludington music store employee Jeff Hoyer noticed it after others commented on it

November 28, 2008: Ludington Daily News: “The reason that I didn’t discover it when I was setting the guitar up, is when you look at it from this angle (from the neck down) the face disappears, which is proof that it cannot have been faked, that it is actually in the grain, because if it were airbrushed in there, or somehow faked, no matter what angle you looked at it, it would still be there,” Hoyer said.

Hoyer then explained the process of making such a guitar.

The guitar has spalta maple front, sides and back and was made was through a process called bookmatching, Hoyer said.

Bookmatching means a piece of wood was and cut down the middle and opened up like a book, so that the patterns in the wood grain are mirror images.

“So basically what happens is half of that face was in this half and when they open it up like a book it’s a mirror image of the other side of the face,” he said.

When asked if he had ever come across anything quite as mystical as this Jesus guitar in his life, Hoyer had this to say.

December 2, 2008: MusicRadar: “I’ve been here for 27 years and I’ve never seen anything close to that… the face is so clear,” shop employee Jeff Hoyer told the Ludington News. It reminded me, and a couple of other people, of the Shroud of Turin and we know who that was.”

“It also reminds me of my brother, he’s a biker.”

Tuesday Question of the Week on Wednesday

Posted: November 26, 2008 in Christ, Christians, communication, Cross, marriage, Tuesday's Question of the Week
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I came across this cartoon on ragamuffinsoul.com.


It pretty much sums up how I feel about a lot of Christians and churches that I grew up around. One of the most important things we can do as Christians is to show Christ’s love to others. You don’t see Christ beating God’s love into the people in the Bible. However, it is just as important that we defend our faith and stand up for what is right in the eyes of God even if it means disrupting society, just as Jesus did when He overturned the tables in the temple courts. This is why I get so conflicted over issues such as the one happening in California right now. I believe God intended marriage to be a union of one man and one woman for life. It is a sacred covenant and one that should be defended and respected. So here is my question of the week… brought to us by Carlos Whittaker at ragamuffinsoul.com

“How do we stand for what we belive in without standing in what we dont?

Make A Difference Monday: Thankful for my shoes

Posted: November 24, 2008 in children, Make A Difference Monday, shoes
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The 50,000 Pairs in 50 Days Challenge

It’s “Make a Difference Monday” and as usual I am always on the lookout for people who are trying to show the love of Christ to others in tangible ways. Here is an organization that started with a guy who just wanted to help after the Asian tsunami in 2004.

Right now Soles4Souls is trying to raise 50,000 shoes in 50 days. A one time donation of 5 dollars will purchase two pairs of shoes for kids in need. Please consider taking a moment like I did and help a child receive a gift that most of us take for granted. Just click the link below to participate.

The 50,000 Pairs in 50 Days Challenge

Discipline

Posted: November 19, 2008 in change, mentor, mistakes
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God has been working me over lately. One of the big lessons He has taught me over the past several weeks is that “discipline” is not just a form of punishment.

This idea was a new revelation to me. After all, “discipline” is a corrective action you take against a person who has done something wrong, or so I thought. I have always understood the premise of discipline as a habit in my mind but somewhere in the recesses of my brain the connection was never made between my mind and my character.

Discipline, I have discovered, is a habit of action that adds value to our character. Many of us lack discipline both spiritual and physical and the result tends to be disastrous. I have so much more to learn in this area, so much more to understand. I don’t know how long it will take or what is yet to be learned but I do know that by the grace of God, He has surrounded me with people who are helping me little by little become more disciplined in both my personal and professional life. I thank God for the people God has placed in my life that constantly pour into my soul the value of discipline.

I also know God has both saved me and redeemed me and that through Him all things are possible. I am a new creation and everyday God blesses me with a new day to become better than I was the day before. Each day brings a new challenge and a new opportunity to add value to my character by becoming more disciplined. I hope one day I can become a person of substantial discipline and deeper character though I fear I it will be one of those things I struggle with for a while. Its hard to break 33 years of habit… but that’s where discipline comes in.

Funky Fresh Sr. Choir

Posted: November 16, 2008 in Choir
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It’s early Sunday morning and I am doing my usual routine of looking over the service orders, reading, watching the sunrise through my office window and spending some time with God. Not much was different about this morning, until I checked my email…

Is your Sr. Adult Choir this Funky Fresh?

Family Hang Out Night

Posted: November 14, 2008 in children, dance, family, Kids, ministry, schedule
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A few weeks ago AP and I realized that our Thursday nights were out of control. Homework, basketball, football, dance, grocery shopping and about a half dozen other things all seemed to find their way in to our Thursday night schedule. We were running everywhere, trying to get everyone where they were supposed to be in a coordinated sequence of events that resembled a city wide game of musical chairs. We had become more fragmented as a family on Thursday nights than any other day of the week and for a family in full time ministry that means something.

We needed a way to rally Team Tibbles, so AP and I came up with the idea of a base camp. The concept was pretty simple, have a central location that we could set up and hang out while each of us accomplished our various activities and responsibilities. Usually, our shedules are so staggerd that I could run one of the kids to whatever thier commitment is for the evening while AP stays back at base camp. Then when I return AP is free to take the next child prodigy to the next event on our schedule. This process goes on until we run all of errands for the evening and all family members are back to base camp.

Not only has it worked out way better than expected, Thursdays have become one of my favorite nights of the week. For the past several weeks we have chosen Panera as our base camp. The kids get hot chocolate and I get wifi. We all look forward to it. Our night is still hectic but I get to spend quality time with each member of the fam.

Tonight I had a personal realization, there are a dozen places I am supposed to be and there are a million things I could be doing but there is only one place I want to be on Thursday nights…

Do you blame me?

My Glorious

Posted: November 4, 2008 in emotion, politics, worship
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I (like everyone at this point) am ready for the campaign rhetoric to stop. I didn’t realize it until my wife told me that my 12 year old son was actually scared of Obama winning this election. I panicked! I did not realize until that moment, I got sucked in like everyone else. I was so consumed in election coverage of campagin rhetoric and electoral maps that I had somehow allowed my son to be convinced that a president could have such a dramatic impact on his life. That the fate of his future relied on the cumulaitve descision of the voters in our country. Honestly, I almost cried for my son.

The truth is that as Christians we should never be convinced either by others or by our own emotions that anyone can care for us the way God does. We should never find ourselves relying more on a president’s promise than on God’s faithfulness. God is ultimately in control (Romans 13) of our lives and by His word and power we are saved, not by a presidential candidate. No government program has ever saved our souls and no government program will bring us closer to the one who saved us. God is much bigger than any president or election (Colossians 1:6) regardless of the media hype or the promises of those running for office.

One of my all-time favorite worship tunes is My Glorious by Martin Smith.

God is bigger than the air I breathe
The world we’ll leave
God will save the day
And all will say
My Glorious

The Chorus really sums up exactly how I feel about this presidential election.

Make A Difference Monday: "IT" Matters

Posted: November 3, 2008 in band, church, community, creative planning team, FCC Owasso, planning, service, small groups, worship
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I remember, several weeks ago, sitting in our weekly Creative Planning meeting and going over our upcoming services about community. One of our team members mentioned how tough it was for some people to feel comfortable committing to a small group. He began to describe it like a personal tug-of-war, constantly pulling against the demands of life in order to grow spiritually as a christian. Suddenly an idea was born. The team came up with a drama about a guy pulling on a rope that continually refused help because of his own pride.

The idea was great but there was a big problem, we do not have a drama team at FCC. That may have seemed like a deal breaker for most but we have an axiom we use a lot in our planning meetings, “Don’t let logistics get in the way of a good idea.” The team began to jot down names of people who might be able to pull this off and began the process of convincing them that they were the right people to make this happen. Here is the result.

I know there are a lot of Worship Leaders and Creative Arts people that read this so I want to take this opportunity to tell you, no matter what the obstacles you face, “IT” matters.
The time you spend in creative and planning meetings matter.
The evenings you give up to rehearse with your band matters.
The mornings you drive into the office before the sun even comes up matters.
The countless hours you spend investing into the lives of your volunteers matter.
The tech meetings matter.
Your hard work matters.
The lives you touch matter.
“IT” Matters… to God
God is so incredible. He has a way of taking the little things we do and turning them into major life changing moments. Thanks Mike for your amazing testimony!

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