Moving Out

We are moving the WaterCarriers blog to our NEW LOCATION

Hope everyone will visit us there.

Much Love
George

What’s in a Label?

Institutional, Cell, Postmodern, Emerging, Emergent, Simple, House, Relational, Network, blah, blah, blah, yada, yada, yada! Now please do not get me wrong I understand the need we as humans have to label things but these labels are a thing that limits our conversations and cause us to marginalize those who are not of our bent. I am guilty of this as I know most of you are. We attempt not to be, but what was you response the last time someone questioned the way you express yourself as it pertains to your way of living as the church? What was your response when they were condescending to you? When they shook their head at you and thought you a heretic because you don’t go to church on Sunday or because you do go to church on Sunday? Did you love them anyway? Did you not think of yourself more highly than you ought? Because you had the new true answer and they just didn’t get it? Did you have a feeling of superiority because of “the new thing” God had shown you? When will we understand that ALL of the various forms need parts of the other? Even the forms that hurt some of us are needed. Not in their abusive ways but in the true nature of the church in that form. You see to me it is simple. As a follower of Jesus the Christ I am FREE! You can tell me no I can’t do it that way, no I can’t start a new work, no I can’t because I need to have more knowledge and education, no I can’t because I have to have man’s approval, no I can’t because God doesn’t work that way, no I can’t because . ………… (fill in the blank). But you see I CAN! Because Jesus says I can and you can too. So to those of you out there who have been waiting for someone to tell you okay you have permission. OKAY YOU HAVE PERMISSION!
Go out and do it the way God has put it in your heart to do. But remember to love and not to look down on or feel sorry for those who do it differently. Even when they persecute you and they will love them and do not label them unless it is the label of brother or sister in Jesus.

Just remember
Freedom is for “The Free”

Much Love
Geo the S.I.M.P.
Saved Indwelt Master Purified

Sick of Being Sick

Man, I am sick of being sick! Both me and Bonnie have been sick since before Christmas! We are a little better the past two days. But one thing has been good and that is all of the thoughts and musings in blog world. Like over at Creech World checkout the 12-26-03 entry or over at bechurch the 12-30-03 entry or checkout my new friend Paul at SteelerDirtFreak 12-30-03 entry.

It seems that the Lord is working mightily to stir up people and awaken them that He is doing an old thing. Something so old that it is NEW! We will see more and more in the coming year as the trickle turns into a tiny stream. The Exodus has begun how big or wide spread it will be is not of our concern. Mine is but to follow the cloud by day and the fire by night. it will at times be lonely but He is with us!
Starting next week we will share some of what we see in the year ahead. Until then HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A Non Repayable Christmas

Eph 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

We were talking last night and the subject of being saved by grace and not works came up. As we discussed it the Lord showed me that we at this time of year feel that if someone gives us a card or a gift then must return the favor or else people will think us to be rude or Cretans. Why is it we feel that we MUST reciprocate? Is it not because we feel we are not worthy of the gift? So we feel we must give back something. I mean how many times has someone given you a gift at Christmas and you had nothing for them in return? But then you ran to the drugstore and bought them some trinket gift that you gave them after Christmas along with some explanation that you had misplaced it! Come on be honest! I thought so, I have to. But no more! I have learned that if people give in expectation of return it is no gift at all. Jesus expected nothing from man because he knew what was in man. But still he gave his life not asking or demanding anything in return. So this is for those of you who have been given a gift this year and you felt you needed to give a gift in return, well you can’t! And if you feel you are not worthy of the gift you were given your right you aren’t! That’s why it’s called a gift! So relax and accept freely the gifts this season. Because a true giver does not expect a return. Jesus didn’t and now neither do I. For it is by grace you have been given THE GIFT! Enjoy it this season and be free!

Much Love
Geo

Coming or Here?

AMOS 8:11 "The days are coming," declares the Sovereign LORD,
"when I will send a famine through the land--
not a famine of food or a thirst for water,
but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.

AMOS 8:12 Men will stagger from sea to sea
and wander from north to east,
searching for the word of the LORD,
but they will not find it.

Are these days to come or have they arrived?

Much Love
Geo

The Accident & The Hospital

After driving 15 minutes I get a call on my cell phone. It is my son, “Dad, where are you at”? I am almost in Pittsburgh why? To which he responds, “I have just been rear ended on Interstate 79! Are you okay!? I think so but my car is totaled, he replies. He asks, “Can you come help me”? Of course but it will take me 15 minutes to get there. So I arrive on the scene my sons car is facing the opposite direction of the traffic flow with the rear end tore off. The man that hit him is in his van both air bags deployed. Over the next 2 hours we sit and wait first for the ambulance, then the police, then the wreckers to tow both vehicles away. During this time I felt a sense of calm I have never felt before. If you look at the Myers-Briggs Tests results below you will understand I am an emotional person. I express my feelings and sometimes in inappropriate ways. But this day was different it was as though God had prepared me earlier in the day as I was reading “Ruthless Trust” remember from yesterday it was the book I had just bought earlier in the day? Well I have to confess the trust that overwhelmed me was not my own. It was the very trust of Jesus that worked in me at that accident scene. You see if I had relied on my trust I would have been cussing all involved in the accident because it seemed to me that people were not listening at all. It seemed as though no one cared about my first born and his minor injuries. But because of the ruthless trust of Jesus that worked in me I was able to be calm and caring to all involved. So finally the scene is cleared and I leave to go and see my son in the hospital. Long story short he is fine. And you know what this day has been a TOTAL BLESSING from our Father! I can only imagine the love Father has for us. As I write this I am in tears thinking about my two wonderful sons I love them more than my very life. And as much as I love them it is NOTHING in comparison to how our Heavenly Father loves us. If you are blessed of God to have children pick them up tonight and hold them tight. And if you are childless pickup a friends child. When you do listen closely and you will hear the voice of our Father as he says to you “you are my son/daughter in whom I am well pleased”! Be Blessed, I Am!

Peace
Geo

Applebee’s, Accidents & Hospitals

The phone rang Tuesday it was my eldest son asking if I could bring him his bath towels he had left and a pair of shoes that had been delivered to our house. He asked if I could drop them off at his workplace Thursday around noon and then we could have lunch together. Great idea! I would do anything to get to spend time with him plus I could get some shopping done before we went to lunch. So off I went yesterday morning first to Family Bookstores to get The Matthew video for our counselor/mentors Bruce & Judy Fowler and to get other CD’s books and various things. Well this was to be no ordinary day. First the video that we were getting our friends cost $70.00 which I knew before hand. So I continued to shop I bought a CD an IWorship DVD and two books by Brennan Manning one of which was “Ruthless Trust” When I get to the checkout I am expecting the total to be about $130.00 I look up and the total is only $80.00! WHAT! As I look at the receipt it tells me the video was reduced from $70.00 to $20.00! YES! God is so good! So I go to meet my son for lunch. I had 30 minutes to wait so I begin to read the ‘Ruthless Trust” book I just bought. My son comes out we go have a great lunch at Applebee’s I take him back to work and head for home. As I am driving home I thought to myself life is so good I am so blessed and then 15 minutes into my ride home everything changes when the cell phone rings………….. Tomorrow: the Accident & the Hospital

Much Love
Geo

Was Paul a Blogger?

I was thinking about online fellowship and questioning was it in fact true fellowship? I mean what takes place when we fellowship? What are the interactions that go on when we enter into this thing called fellowship? Is it possible for me and you to have true fellowship with each other when we have never met face 2 face? To me the answer is YES! Those of you who have left comments here I daily check your blogs and lots of other blogs also. By doing so I begin to get a feel for who you are. In a lot of ways blogger fellowship is more open and real than face 2 face fellowship. So then I began to think would the Apostle Paul have been a blogger? And my conclusion is YES! I mean as you read his letters he is always telling the recipients to pass the letters to other fellowships for them to read. Although I am not good at putting my thoughts into words as some of you are I never the less feel that I should. As I believe you should also. For some on this journey out of the previous into the unknown future you bloggers are the only regular fellowship they can count on at this time. So blog away, your brothers and sisters are waiting to be blessed and challenged by your unique views and revelations.

Much Love
Geo