Historical fact from Lisa Harper's Malachi

Hello Family Circus! Just a little historical info from Lisa Harper in her Bible study, Malachi:

The term JEW historically refers to a member of the tribe of Judah. The Israelites came to be commonly known as "Jews/Jewish" during the postexilic era-fifth-century B.C.-in regard to how they'd returned home from Babylon to inhabit the land of Judah.

Hope you are all having a great week!

John and Hannah Wilkes

How very southern their names sound. (Gone With the Wind, anyone?)

I would guess that Hannah is our resident southern belle.

 

November 2009

 

If you could live anywhere in the world together where would that be?

John = Houston or Charleston;  Hannah = Houston or San Diego

 

John is a coffee drinker, while Hannah is not.

 

This made me laugh!

If you ever are invited to the Wilkes home, John will probably be your cook. Hannah just heats things up.

 

Their favorite memory together is the birth of Kaden. I think we can all relate to that. :)

 

Favorite place to eat on a date?

Hannah loves Cheesecake Factory and John will eat whatever Hannah wants.

[and that is the sign of a good marriage ;)]

 

When they got married their favorite part was the week long cruise afterwards with 43 of their family and friends.

 

Three wishes:

1. Health for our family

2. For Kaden to have fun and be happy as mush as possible

3. To be debt free!

 

Love it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pre-Sunday Guide

Sunday Morning Family Circus Class

Growing with God I.C.F.C.

Sunday Preview

 

“Growing Spiritually as a Couple Requires Good Communication”

 

Good couple’s communication will involve expressing love, clearly conveying needs, and helping to resolve conflicts.

 

Ephesian 4: 15, 25, 26 and 29

 

See you Sunday!

 

Gary

In case you missed Sunday's class...

Sunday Morning Family Circus Class

Growing with God I.C.F.C.

February 23, 2014

“Growing Spiritually as a Couple Requires the Release of Unrealistic Expectations of our Spouse”

Realize that your spouse has characteristics that may meet your expectations and others that you may find frustrating

Being realistic and accepting the entire package

Setting healthy boundaries

Moving from infatuation and idealism to reality

Overcoming unspoken expectations and undetected flaws

What are the dangers of trying to remake our spouses?

Philippians 4:19

Only God can meet all of your needs so why do we try to put so much pressure on our spouse?

Is every perceived need an actual need in our lives?  Give examples.

Is your spouse God’s primary instrument for making you a better person?

Are you making impossible demands on the spouse that God called you to serve?

Release unrealistic expectations of your spouse and accept that your spouse is as imperfect as you are

Happy Saturday!

 

 

Yahoo!  I am sorry I am late.. again...

Had a great time hanging out for a Ladies Weekend at Women of Faith.  Saw lot's of familiar faces and a few new as well.  It was a great weekend however it was exhausting!  Loved it!

 

Now on to the big news drum roll please....

 

Family Circus 6th Annual Camping Trip!

YES YES YES!

I have sent out the evite if you did not get it let me know ASAP.  Grab me at church, or Jimmy and let us know so we can get the info out to you.  It is going to be a BLAST.  We are going to be changing up the menu a bit and adding a lot more family fun time.  You really don't want to miss it.  If you don't like to camp but want to come hang out join us on that Saturday into dinner time.. we always have the yum yum yummiest fajitas and s'mores for dessert!  Or even better.. join us for Church under the tree's that Sunday morning.  We don't camp too far away so really it is a beautiful Sunday morning drive and service is always relaxed and enjoyable. 

 

For more information please contact me via email or text. We are taking deposits starting tomorrow.. checks payable to me, or cash.  The deposit is $25 to hold your spot and the balance in full is due April 13.  The cost this year will stay the same, $80 for a family of up to 4, $90 for families of 5 or more.  That includes your camp site fees, beverages, 4 meals and a bunch of activities.  You cannot beat that price for a family get away weekend. 

 

We can't wait!

 

 

Wednesday 2/19 - Knowing God's Power

Is there a specific situation where you found yourself standing alone for Jesus? How did you feel and respond?

How do you think you would feel if every Christian abandoned the faith and you had to stand alone in your commitment to Jesus?

Wednesday we took a look at 1 Kings 18:16-40, here we found Elijah facing enormous odds.  The Israelites had rejected God in favor of Baal and his 450 prophets.  So what does Elijah do?  He challenges Baal and his prophets to a contest with God.  A pretty bold move, but Elijah was confident in his knowledge of God’s reality and power.  So up on Mount Carmel, as the 450 prophets of Baal frantically tried everything to Baal to answer until they were exhausted, then God revealed his power, the all the Israelites fell and cried “The Lord, he is God! The Lord, he is God!” (1Kings18:39)

What are the “Mount Carmel” situations you face?

In what ways are God’s power and reality challenged there?

How can you , like Elijah, rely on God’s power in that situation?

Make a list of every situation where you fell weak, then read 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 to see how
God’s power can flow through us.

Pre-Sunday Guide

Sunday Morning Family Circus Class

Growing with God I.C.F.C.

Sunday Preview

 

“Growing Spiritually as a Couple Requires the Release of Unrealistic Expectations of our Spouse”

 

Are you making impossible demands on the spouse that God called you to serve?

 

Philippians 4:19

Oh those Plasters!

 

I just love these Aggies!

 

Sweet or savory breakfast?



Savory for me!! TeJay makes a killer omelet and makes breakfast for me on special occasions

 

The craziest thing this couple has ever done together (well G-rated), was on a crotch rocket holding both arms up "Titanic" style..no one steering or holding on..on their first date.

 

Their best date happened at Red Lobster when TeJay proposed. All their family was there to congratulate! (that is a lot of family...,)

 

“Little Moments Like That” by Brad Paisley….really anything by Brad Paisley is what they consider their "song"

 

When asked what the name of their game show would be they answered, Wheel of Fortune…feels like I’m winning all the time being married to TeJay 😉 lol

(my oh my ;))

 

Country, city, or suburbs?

country!

(h#!! yeah. We could be neighbors)

 

If they could live anywhere to raise their family..,

We love living in Conroe. Only thing is now it is getting bigger so maybe a little further out with a little more ‘elbow room’.

(I have an empty lot next door...)

 

So there you have it folks. The Plaster couple that we all love.



Sunday Recap

Sunday Morning Family Circus Class

Growing with God I.C.F.C.

February 16, 2014

“Growing Spiritually as a Couple Requires a God Honoring Marriage”

Remember the old song “All you need is love”; Is love really all you need?

Where you once said “I do” now do you say “I don’t”?

Why should we have a marriage that mirrors the union of Christ and his Church?

Is your marriage presenting the right picture to your children?

Ephesians 5: 21-31

Are you building a solid foundation as a couple that is a solid foundation for your children?

What is true spousal love?

Phillipians 2: 1-4

Define love as an emotion.

Define love as a commitment.

Are you intentionally committed to discovering and meeting the legitimate needs of your spouse?

How did Christ show his intentional commitment to loving his people?

Do you think the emotions of romantic love shrink and expand over time?

How does the intentional commitment to love your spouse provide stability?

Wednesday 2/12 - Overcoming the Impossible

How do you respond when confronted with a seemingly impossible situation?

What impossible situation are you facing today?

This past Wednesday we discussed Caleb and Joshua from Numbers 13:26 – 14:10, Two of twelve spies that were sent into the promised land to find out what lay ahead for the Jewish people.  The other ten spies returned with reports of fortified cities and giants, a seemingly impossible situation for them to invade.  However, Caleb and Joshua remained faithful to God and believed if God was able to free them from Egypt and provide for them in the dessert then why would he deny His people His promise of this land?  The people were in fear and chose not to invade but Caleb and Joshua believed so much that they were almost stoned to death because they believed in such a Big God who could do Big things.  That generation of Jews would never see the Promised Land except for Caleb and Joshua and their faith!!

How does our lack of faith prevent us from experiencing God’s blessing and power in our lives?

What are the “giants” confronting you today?

How can the example of Caleb and Joshua encourage you to trust God more fully in one seemingly impossible situation in your life?

Spend time praising God for who he is, and ask him to grant you the confidence and faith of Joshua and Caleb.

Wednesday Class 2/5 - Hearing God's Voice

I apologize for the delay in getting this out the last two weeks have seem to overrun me and I was not able to catch up until this weekend so here is the first of two post regarding the Wednesday night class.  If you have not been the discussions we have been having were great.  We are looking at our character through people of the Bible.

Hearing God's Voice:

In what ways does God speak to us today?

When is it hard for you to hear God?

During the days of Samuel, Israel was without a king and “everyone did as he saw fit”(Judges 21:25)  Today we are going to observe Samuel as a young man, hearing the word of the Lord for the first time.

1 Samuel 3

The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.² One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. ³ The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. ⁴ Then the Lord called Samuel.

Samuel answered, “Here I am.” ⁵ And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.⁶ Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”⁷ Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.⁸ A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. ⁹ So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

¹⁰ The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” ¹¹ And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. ¹² At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. ¹³ For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them. ¹⁴ Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’”

¹⁵ Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, ¹⁶ but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.” Samuel answered, “Here I am.” ¹⁷ “What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.” ¹⁸ So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”

¹⁹ The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. ²⁰ And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. ²¹ The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.

Why do you think Samuel has difficulty distinguishing God’s voice from Eli’s?

Why is the attitude “Speak, for your servant is listening” (v10) important in order to hear from God?

How does Samuel’s openness to hear God compare with yours?

What are some obstacles that prevent you from hearing God’s voice?

What was Samuel tempted to do with the vision? (15,17)

When have you been tempted to hide God’s word from others? Explain

How does Samuel’s obedience affect his relationship to God and his future ministry?

In what ways does Samuel provide an example for you in your relationship with God?

What practical steps can you take to be more attentive to God’s voice?

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Mark 1:35

What do you think the key for Jesus is to hear the Father?

Valentine's Day!

 

 

Yay for Valentine's Day!

 

I will keep this entry short.. since I am working on the finishing

touches for the Valentine's Banquette tomorrow evening with my fellow cupids 

 

Tomorrow is the big night... reminder... 6:30 at the church.  We will be meeting in the great room. 

 See me (Carol) upon arrival for childcare payment and room assignment for them.  We will be feeding the kiddos pizza/juice/cookies.  If you have reserved child care and there have been any changes please let me know ASAP so I can make any necessary changes to the child care assignments. 

 

Thank You for checking in with me on our Fun Friday!

 

Happy Valentine's Day to You & Yours!

Moving Forward

Sunday we will kickoff with the first "c" in ICFC.

Sunday Morning Family Circus Class

Growing with God I.C.F.C.

Sunday Morning Preview

 

“Growing Spiritually as a Couple Requires a God Honoring Marriage”

 

We need to have marriages that mirror the union of Christ and his Church. Think about it!

 

Read Ephesians 5:21-31

 

Gary

The Family Circus Matriarch and Patriarch...

Keep scrolling for some great photos!  I hooked ya'll up!

 

Let's play a little game of he said, she said..,

1. Describe your first date.

*He said, "1973. Go to movies to see Poseidon Adventure. Wearing bell bottom pants, driving a '67 Mercury Cougar. I had an immediate attraction even though I thought she was a little strange"

*She said, "His ex, a friend of mine, set us up. Went to see Poseidon"

2. Name your own reality show.

 

*He said, "Crazy Arguments and Antics of a Couple over Low Priority Meaningless Issues"

*She said, "Trisha's World! (what else?)

3. If you had to give your spouse a nickname, what would it be?

 

*He said, "professional shopaholic"

*She said, "strange little man, he loves it!"

4. What is your favorite memory of each other?

 

*He said, "Trisha was and is a fantastic mother, home manager, and has always looked beautiful."

*She said, "When he brought me flowers on my mother's 1 yr anniversary of her new life."

5. What is the most romantic thing you have ever done for each other?

 

*He said, "We are both pretty practical but realizing early on that our marriage was something special and always to be cherished."

*She said, "He always gets my gasoline."

6. Rainy days or sunny days?

 

*He said, "I like them both"

*She said, "sunny"

7. What is the craziest thing you have ever done?

 

*He said, "Attempted tricks and stunts on different moving objects that did not end well"

*She said, "Possibly it was when I jumped out of a rolling car. (I have gotten a lot smarter since then!)"

 

KEEP SCROLLING FOR AWESOME PICTURES!

 

 

Congratulations Class! We actually finished an entire lesson.

Sunday Morning Family Circus Class

Growing with God I.C.F.C.

February 2, 2014

“Growing Spiritually as an Individual Requires Passion and a Plan”

Are you passionate about serving God? Why or why not? What does that mean?  What does it require?

Years ago I had a coach tell the team that you have to have a “burning desire to get on field and play”.  Do you have a burning desire to serve on the Lord’s playing field? Why or why not?

John 10:10

Are you really living the life that God gave you or just simply enduring?

Romans 8

Are you serving God with a purpose and a plan to accomplish?

What is the difference in humility and fear?

Philippians 4:12

Do we sometimes confuse contentment with our spirituality with laziness?

Why do we often think so small when we serve such a Big God, the Creator of the Universe?

Romans 12:11

What are ways that we can invigorate ourselves to serve and to touch others in the name of the Lord every day?

Psalm 96:2

Loving you is fun

Have fun with the ones you love at the

Sweetheart Banquet 

Saturday Feb. 15th

6:30pm Great Room

Give me an "R", give me an "I"

Give me a "GGS" What's that spell?

RIGGS!

Katy and David Riggs..,

One of those couples that make you feel better by knowing them. :)

 

We caught up with the Riggs recently to ask a few questions.

 

Both David and Katy have no preference to white or wheat bread. They will eat either one.

 

They enjoy going out to dinner together when  they do not have kids around.  I wonder what happens after dinner....

 

Thank goodness for awesome husbands who are "up and at 'em" in the morning.  It allows your "slow to move" wives more time to sleep.

 

They had their first date at the Navasota Race Track.

 

"Married with Children" would be the name of their reality show. 

(Maybe we could make a guest appearance)

 

Altogether now, they would wish to win the lottery, pay off debt, and live old to see our children grow up and have families of their own if they had 3 wishes together. Hopefully, they would take their grandkids on some awesome vacations with that lotto $$$!

 

So there you have it folks!

 

David and Katy Riggs.

 

 

Sweetheart Banquet Feb. 15th

*Yummy Food!

*Funny Games!

*Awesome Prizes!

*Great Fellowship!

Don't forget to sign up! Check your email for evite and payment to Carol, Hillary or Melanie. 
We've already had several sign up...Don't miss out!!

Post Sunday Recap

Sunday Morning Family Circus Class

Growing with God I.C.F.C.

February 2, 2014

“Growing as a Christian Requires Time and Patience”

Growth requires time and patience based on continual progress and development over time.

Everything in life takes time to grow, people, families, companies, capabilities, churches, so why are we sometimes frustrated when we have not reached spiritual maturity virtually overnight?

James 1:4

Have you ever set a goal and began working toward it and as time passes only to realize later in life that you reached the goal and you did not even notice it?

Do you think older or more mature Christians are impatient with new Christians? What are the responsibilities of both?

Are you impatient with others, or even your-self, if there is a problem understanding the basic concepts of the Bible? Why?  What should we do about it?

Remember that Christians who are mature today did not get that way immediately but it took years of study, development and personal maturity. Do not be discouraged or a discourager, in fact we should be growing and maturing until the time we leave this earth.

If a Christian makes a mistake or gets off on the wrong path should he be corrected?  How are we to do this?

Galatians 6:1

Colossians 3:16

2 Timothy 4:2

Matthew 16:21-28

Why did Jesus correct and rebuke Peter? Do you think Jesus was too harsh?

Invest in your own growth

Thanks to the cold days last week, we had an extra week for our study! Hope we all had some good reflection...

Meeting again 6:30pm this Tuesday

Some interesting food for thought from Lisa Harper's Malachi: 

*How does your head react to the fact that God loves you? When have you felt it most?

*Have you ever been so distracted by your disappointment or pain that you missed God's grace?

*Who have you had to 'love less' to get closer to Jesus? Matt 10:37

*How do you describe a healthy tension between having a strong heart that rears up against evil and having a soft heart that submits to the authority of the Holy Spirit?

I hope you can reflect on these thoughts and seek answers that cause a change in your own life. 

Invest in your own growth!

Super Sunday

Good Evening! 

You may not have noticed but I have missed the last couple of Friday's but tonight is catch up night!

We have a LOT of things coming up in the next couple of months.  Exciting stuff!

First up is the Welcome Baby Shower for little Caroline.

Those of us at church today got to witness her dedication.. 

What a cutie patootie little baby bundle! 

Friday Feb 7th

please contact Rebecca, Renee or Becky for details

 

Next is the Sweetheart Banquette Februrary 15th at 6:30.

We have a very yummy dinner planned prepared by Jimmy

Dessert by Stephanie - yes.. the COOKIES!

Entertainment prepared by Hillary and Melanie

CRAZY FUN YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS!

Only $20 per couple! WHAT! 

Ms. Jana is going to be providing childcare for us at an additional fee. 

If you will need childcare I need to know

no later than the 9th of February.

Any questions regarding childcare please contact me directly.

We have sent an evite for the event however we will need payment of the $20

in order to secure your reservation.

Please see Melanie, Hillary, Carol or Jimmy for payment for your reservation 

NO LATER THAN FEBRUARY 9th

Jimmy and Melanie will both be at church Wednesday night to

collect payment as well.

Ok, I am still working on a format for the upcoming events calendar that works for everyone.  I like bullet points but that does not leave a let of room for details.. and I am a detail person!

For now we are going to stick to bullet points..  wuhoo!

February 7th - Welcome Baby Shower for Caroline

Februrary 15th - Sweetheart Banquette

March 21st - God's Not Dead Movie Family Circus Night at the Movies

This movie comes out on the 21st of March, which is a Friday night.  From what I can see in the reviews/blogs it most likely will not be something our younger one's will want to see.  I have heard pretty good buzz about it and would really like to see it.  I would like some feedback on the outing, if there is any interest in it.  Either a Friday night or a Sunday after church.  Depending on show times etc maybe we could look at securing child care at the church for a couple of hours and bring sack lunches for the kids?  Please comment on the blog or shoot me an email.  I would like to get started on planning this if we have enough interest.

April 11th - Rio 2 Family Circus Goes to the Drive In

Can't wait for this sequel!  Wuhoo!  Pack up your kids and your blankets/chairs and let's take over the Showboat Drive-In!

April 25th-27th - 6th Annual Family Circus Camping Trip at Hunstville State Park

I cannot believe it is almost here already! Please look for upcoming emails regarding camping committee opportunities.  Can't wait! Oh.. and if you would like to start praying for good weather for that weekend now I will not stop you!  The year before last rain rain.. last year COLD COLD! 

That's all for me now.. Can't wait to see everyone Sunday!  Please leave comments.. feedback is welcome!  Any ideas?  Do YOU want to plan an outing or have any ideas on some great locations please let me know and I will get it on the blog.  

Thanx!

Your Friendly Neighborhood Sunshine Lady