Tag Archives: Community

Outlook

I give thanks to Adonai with all my heart
I will tell about all your wonderful deeds
I will be glad and exult in you
I will sing praises to your name Elyon.
Psalm 9. 1-2

Recently I was reading Psalm 9 and I love especially the beginning part. David shows us here the right outlook and perspective. In the moment he thanks God for things he did in his life and then also tells about his wonderful deeds his outlook is changing. It is moving away from maybe an outlook or perspective of fear or something else he is facing to God who has all the answers. While writing most of the Psalms David is going through some challenges in life. But instead of just looking what he can see with his eyes, he is looking at the things he cannot see. He is speaking courage to himself by reminding himself that he is on the side of the Most High!

So outlook is very important. Whatever hard time you might face in life it’s important that you are not just looking at the things you can see but choose to thank God and remind yourself of the amazing things he did in your life and the life of others. You can watch how your courage is rising and your perspective will shift. Your focus falls more on God and your relationship with him and not so much on the issue. And in that moment God can then give you courage to face whatever you need to face.

So the great thing is when you tell neighbors about the wonderful deeds of God in your life that opens up conversation and gives opportunity to share the good news. So start to give him thanks right now and start talking about the wonderful deeds!!

Hey our friend

We hope your week was wonderful!! We had our quarterly meeting with bay area ministries which was encouraging. It really helps when you spend time with others and hear their victories and struggles. That is why God always meant for us to be in a community. Even from our first day on earth he placed us in our family community. Let’s bring our neighbors into a loving community and let them see how God can move through it!! On that note we also had our wonderful neighbor brunch which was super encouraging. We love everyone who comes and they all became a community to us and to each other. So it makes a difference!!

So don’t forget starting today to thank God for the community you have or the one He wants to build through you and build up your courage!!

God bless you

Markus and Jen

Lion Power

Be excited this Blog is about a lot of power and strength!

Hey our friend

We hope you had a fantastic week! Jen loves art and that’s why she started teaching art classes at the boys and girls club like this week. Through the program she had the opportunity to build deeper relationships with the kids and could encourage them as well as answer questions that they had about God. A great opportunity to use the gifts has given her. God also gave you many gifting’s to change the world. What are yours and how can you use them to change the world?

We also had many opportunities to deepen friendships and through that show and share more about our faith and our relationships with Father God. The best way to share the gospel is through genuine and meaningful relationships with neighbors and people we are seeing regularly. Use the chance to share the good news of the gospel so that it can be life changing for them too!!

We wish you a blessed week and don’t forget the lion power that is with you!

God bless you

Markus and Jen

Ready for an Adventure?

Right in front of me on top of my desk is a wedding invitation for my brother and his future wife with the words “Our Adventure begins”. I love that way of looking at life. When we think of Adventure we think of new experiences, exploring something, but also taking risks. With a great adventure, you never know what comes next. But most of the time we would have some kind of guide who can lead us on this adventure. As an example, if you go White River rafting you probably will go with someone who is experienced and not just by yourself in your own little rubber boat.

Life as a follower of Jesus is an Adventure, but the great thing about that is that we also have a guide with us. God leads us along the way and is always with us. He knows totally what’s best for us along the way of that adventure. I was recently reading through the books of 1. Kings and you can see different outcomes when the kings went on their Adventure with God or without him. When they went with him He was guiding them along the way, gave them the right perspective and also the courage to do the right thing. If they walked by themselves, usually things didn’t work out well for them.

So going on an adventure always requires a good guide and God wants to be that guide for each one of us. Yes, Adventures can be challenging and sometimes scary, but with the right guide at your side things will work out better. Because you know He’s got things! Going down that White River and seeing the waves left and right can really bring fear, but with the guide in the front of the boat giving instructions and leading, it can be a lot of fun.

We want to encourage you to let God guide you in your Adventure. You will have an exciting journey ahead, but also someone who is with you when things don’t look as good.

Hey our friend

Labor Day is here and also the time of our last big barbecue for this year. Its sad that it is the last one for this season, but in the same way we are really excited to spend time with our neighbor friends. Make sure to invite some new people to your barbecue it is always exciting!!

But sadly life can’t be just barbecues; sometimes we also have to do office work. But we got a lot of stuff done this week. And it feels good too when you can see immediate results.

We hope you had a good week too and want to wish you an amazing one for this coming one! Let God guide you into your own Adventure with Him!!

God bless you

Markus and Jen

Peter

Over the last few months we looked at different people from the bible from time to time. Today we want to write about Peter, the friend of Jesus.

Peter used to be a fisherman before Jesus called him to be a disciple. A fisherman was a normal job but when Jesus called him to be a disciple that was a huge honor and upgrade for him. So first of all Jesus honored Peter by offering him that position. During their time together Peter grew in his faith also through stepping out in it and failing. One time he walked on the water, but then second guessed himself and what Jesus said, and began to sink, but Jesus pulled him out. But after all he took a step of faith in that situation and that takes a lot of courage. Later on he called Jesus the son of God which earned him credit from Jesus and also showed how he hears clearly from God. But just one chapter later he gets rebuked by Jesus because he did not listen to God. Again Peter was a normal guy with issues like all of us.

When we come towards the end of Jesus life Jesus told Peter how he would deny him in front of the people before the rooster would crow, but Peter strongly disagreed. But Jesus was right as soon as he was caught Peter denied him. But that moment changed something in Peters life. He broke down crying. Probably he realized even more that without trusting in Gods ability and not his own he would be lost. After Jesus rose from the dead, him and Peter had a conversation, in which Jesus spoke out his full trust in Peter. He said it 3 times that he trusts him and that he would build his Community (in the Jewish bible its called community not church) on him. Jesus rebuilds something in Peter by speaking out his full support to him not based on Peters achievements but based on how Jesus believed in him.

When we read further in the New Testament we see how that word came true and how he build his church on him. When we look at the church today we notice that all of us in the church are a bit like Peter ourselves. We are not perfect people; we have our problems and issues like Peter. But God still decided to choose us to build his Kingdom. He chooses imperfect people to bring change to an imperfect world. He takes us by the hand and walks with us like Jesus walked with Peter. He believes in us and wants to help us grow and succeed. So let us all take the hand of Jesus and let him guide us in our journey.

Hey our friend

What’s new in your life? Are you enjoying your summer?

Last week i (Markus) celebrated my 41st birthday and it was awesome!! Jen took me a to toy train museum the sunday before. On the day off, we went on a hike with the encouragment group and i got blessed with some amazing picninc food. At night we went out for a meat dinner which was amazing!! I made a little album if you want to see some pictures click on this link:

We also had some wonderful times with our neighbor friends. God really blessed us with friends that just live across the street! Its amazing!! Let him gift you with the same thing! Trust me its a blessing!!

Let the example of Peter show you in all our strength and weaknesses, in all our failures and successes, God wants to work with us!

God bless you

Markus and Jen

Mister Rogers Neighborhood

“Knowing that we can be loved exactly as we are gives us all the best opportunity for growing into the healthiest of people.” Mr Rogers

Recently we saw a movie called “Won’t you be my neighbor”. It is about the life of Mister Steve Rogers and about his children show that played from 1968 till 2001 called Mister Rogers Neighborhood. It was a simple show that helped children to grow up with the knowledge that they are special and loved and also to encourage them to love others. But not just the children, cast members heard from Mister Rogers, some for the first time in their lives, that they are loved. Mister Rogers studied to become a minister but then felt called to the TV world. He felt that he could use that medium to really speak into the lives of the children that watch it on how unique and special they are made by father God. During his life he helped many through his true love, through hard times and tragedies. He didn’t just talk about easy topics; no he talked about everything kids could experience. But he talked about it in a way that they could go through it hopeful. His show was very simple, but he didn’t need much since he showed people how loved they are. He was a very special and unique person. He used his gifting to live the gospel and make the words love your neighbor real. Many lives are changed because of him following his calling.

Mr Rogers was not in a traditional setting what we think of when we think of ministry, but instead he used the gifting God gave him in a unique and new way and ministered through that to many. The quote at the beginning of the blog shows really well what happens when we love people well. That is true for each one of us. Each one of us can be a light in there environment like Mr Rogers was in his. Each one of us can love the people well that we are connected to. I believe that if we live our lives that way, the words from Jesus to love our neighbor become reality and it starts to change all the places we get in touch with. So lets start today lets tell someone that they are loved.

Make sure to watch the movie while its still in theaters! I promise you will leave inspired!! Here is a link to it and I also attached the trailer.

Hey our friend

We hope that you are doing really well and enjoy the summer. Our DTS Students graduated last week. It’s always sad to see them go, but then, in the same way, it’s exciting to see where God is leading them. Please pray for them in this transition season from DTS to whatever is next. We also had our encouragement group and a few other things going on which was a blessing. We both just love that God created such a wonderful community in our area through loving our neighbors. Its wonderful!

Remember this week through Mister Rogers that God can use your giftings in a new and unconventional way!

God bless you

Markus and Jen