Check out new pictures from The Edge and from dinner at Hometown Buffet.  click on the "Photos" link in the left hand column.

Tuesday morning after Prayer Breakfast, I went to Starbucks to load up on a Mocha.  On my way back I was turning left on to Victor from Campbell in the Saturn, and I got hit by a Lincoln Navigator, spun around 180 degrees, destroying my beloved car of about ten years.  Thankfully no one was seriously injured or killed. 

I am tremendously thankful for many things:

• I have my amazing wife and daughters intact and I can still hug them and be loved by them
• No one was killed or seriously injured
• My daughters weren’t in the car with me
• Seat belts and crash zones that worked
• All the prayers and help that has gone out to my family over this past week
• God’s wonderful provision for our family during this time
• An amazing church family as Campbell, all your phone calls, e-mails, meals and love that you have poured out since the accident
• That it is just a car, and I have all my limbs
• Least of all, that I don’t have to preach THIS Sunday, however, after this week, I would have a lot to say about an active God in this world and the miracles of His provision through the body of Christ.  It has been amazing to be a recipient of God’s grace through this church family. 

 

As I think of the accident over and over, and I see these pictures, I think that I should be sitting in a hospital bed for the severity of an accident such as this one, if not the morgue.  I think that if it happened a quarter second sooner and we would have hit head on.

 

God is good.  All the time.

 
Beth Dawkins had a son!  His name is Branson Dakota.  He was born seven week premature this past Thursday Night, but he is doing really well.  He is at Kaiser Santa Clara and will probably have to stay there for about six weeks.

We as a student ministry are going to be collecting gifts for Beth and the Baby over the next few weeks at Cross Training, The Edge and Sunday Morning class to help support them.  Amy & I went to see Beth today and here are the things they said that they need:

This is a great service opportunity for us as a student ministry to help someone in need.  So do me a favor and go to Target, Longs, Old Navy, Kohl's, etc. and pick up an outfit or a bag of diapers, or something, wrap it up, and bring it to Cross Training or Sunday Class by the end of next week, Sunday March 20th. 

Let's welcome baby Branson in to the family of God here at Campbell by being generous and showing that we care.

GOOD FRIDAY MEMORIAL SERVICE
Friday, March 25th at 7:00PM
This is going to be a really cool evening looking back at the life of Jesus as we celebrate Good Friday.  This is going to be a cool night where we look at the impact that Jesus had on our lives and take some time to mourn his death before we celebrate it for Easter.

Download your own Junior High or High School Calendar at your leisure.  Just click on the different "Links" section in the right hand column and you will get your very own PDF format of the most recent calendar!  Whoo-Hooo!

It is always an interesting question to ask, "Is this art?"  A recent art display in New York's Central Park entitled "The Gates" made me raise the question.  "Is this Art?"

Here is a brief description from the Artists website: 

The 7,500 gates, 16 feet  (4,87 meters) tall varying in width from 5 feet 6 inches to 18 feet (1,68 to 5,48 meters) according to the 25 different widths of walkways, on  23 miles (37 kilometers) of walkways in Central Park. Free hanging saffron colored fabric panels, suspended from the horizontal top part of the gates, come down to approximately 7 feet (2,13 meters) above the ground.

Granted, the pictures that you can see of "The Gates" show a visually stunning display throughout Central Park.  It is beautiful.  But this is the part that gets me . . . the price tag.  It cost over $21 Million for the 16 day exhibit.  They built it, put it up and let it stay for only 16 DAYS!  That breaks down to  $1.3 Million a day for the art to be displayed.  My first reaction was, "Isn't there a better way to spend $21 Million?" 

However, when you ask a question like that you begin to put a price tag on Art.  By putting a price tag on art, you begin to limit it.  I think Art by definition ought not to have limits.  For Art pushes the human experience emotionally, visually, spiritually, etc.  That is what is great about Art.

Isn’t God a bit the same way?  The moment you begin to put a label on God is the moment that you begin to limit God?  God is limitless by definition.  Isn’t God the original artist?  Taking a canvas of an entire universe, God spoke and galaxies came into existence.  All you have to do is go to space.com to check out some of His best work.  God created each and every one of us and thank goodness that He is creative or else we would all look alike and life would be uninteresting. 

 

Go to Psalm 139 and read how God was creative, careful, exciting, nurturing when He created you.

 

I don’t know what I really think about “The Gates” yet.  My mind is not made up yet.  On the one hand,  it is hard for me to get past the $21 Million price tag and to think how many schools, homes, meals could be purchased for those in need.  But on the other hand, I am glad there are people who are crazy, creative and imaginative enough to do a project as grand as setting up 7,000 things in the heart of central park that stretches my imagination. 

 

What do you think?  E-mail me and let me know what you think.

Check out the NEW show with Special Guest Liz Long, former member of The Zone Student Ministry and now a student at Pepperdine University.  Our musical theme for the day was "Beleive."  If you want to stream the show CLICK HERE. 



To download the show click on the  Attachment link below.

GIRLS RETREAT COMING IN APRIL
Girls grades 9-12 · April 22-24, 2005 · Sonora Retreat House · $35 
'It is for freedom that Christ has set us free'.  Galatians 5:1  As girls, we all struggle with maintaining a healthy image of ourselves and our bodies.  We are all tempted with unhealthy habits that rob us of not only of our physical health, but also our spiritual vitality.    The goal of this retreat is to learn how we can equip ourselves against these threats.  For more information contact Annette Falkowski  408.241.9222 or ajwf17@juno.com

For more information and to Download your own Registration Form CLICK HERE

You can also cick on the Attachment below.