Post Card from Alicia Womack - Mission's Trip

Alicia writes: "Dear Valley Grace Family, Thank you so much for your prayers and support for our ministry here in Chuuk. We are having a wonderful time building relationships with the children at camp. They are so engaged with the Bible stories. You have truly made an impact by sharing in the work of the gospel with me. God Bless."

Congratulations to Jesse Taylor & Cathy Rodger on their Engagement

Jesse & Cathy are planning a January 2008 wedding which will be officiated by Cathy's father here at Valley Grace.

Absolute Lunacy And Maybe Headed Your Way!

Colorado's governor, Bill Ritter recently signed Senate Bill 200 which expands “anti-discrimination” law to cover sexual orientation, meaning not only homosexuality or bisexuality, but also “transgender status or another person’s perception thereof.” It appears from the language of the bill that it would allow men to enter into women's restrooms, locker rooms and other public accommodations (and of course vice versa) if they feel that they are "transgender." There is no legal definition of what "transgender" is. It is a matter of self-identification which means you can't prove it or disprove it. Included in the bill are prohibitions of making anyone feel uncomfortable with their status or the appearance of discrimination. According to Ross Kaminsky, a company who advertises showing a traditional family as a graphic, could be sued by someone claiming that they were offended by this discrimination. So, some middle school or high school guy decides that today he is "transgender" he then can go into the girls locker room and attempt to shower with them without any discipline, and if anyone complains, they can be accused of discrimination. (You can read more from Ross Kaminsky here)

Congratulations to Jeremy Leatherman & Holly Shifler on their Engagement

Jeremy & Holly are planning an October wedding

Congratulations to Josh Miller & Lindsay Hicks on their Engagement!

Josh & Lindsay are planning a December wedding in Florida

Benefits to $4 Gas?!!

As many of you, I have been giving thought to the rise in energy and gasoline prices. Obviously, there are some serious concerns to families, and businesses, but there are also some benefits to higher gas prices. TIME magazine has an article entitled "10 Things You Can Like About $4 Gas". Here are a few of their observations:

1. Globalized Jobs return home = the cost of shipping is becoming so expensive that producing items oversees with cheaper labor costs and shipping to the US is causing companies to rethink their strategies - could be good for US job market
2. Sprawl Stalls = instead of building homes all over the farm lands, more people are going to choose to live closer to their work.
3. Four Day Work Weeks = companies are finding that they can save significantly on utilities an other expenses by going to a four day work week. This also has implications for telecommuting
   
4. Less Pollution = self explanatory
5. More Frugality = people are rethinking the "throw-away" society in which we live. They are becoming more intentional. I think this could also impact families making more intentional decisions about spending, sports involvement, doing more family things at home or close by rather than feeling the need for expensive entertainment.

Other benefits, according to TIME magazine - fewer traffic deaths, less traffic, and better health due to more walking.

What are your thoughts? What benefits do you see about more expensive gas (and energy). It is probably here to stay so we are going to need to learn how to live with it! You can leave a comment on this blog - (comments are moderated to keep out spam, so may take a bit for it to show up). By the way, if you wish to read the full TIME article, here is the link.

Two Men and Their Toys!

Thanks, Ray & John!

Workday Clean up

Wanted to say a big THANKS to youth and some adults who helped to do clean up around the church. Many of the youth who are going to Momentum (BNYC) were involved, as well as some adults - Steve Keener, John Saunders, Pastor Ray, Pastor Allen. Mulching was done, modular front cleaned, wood chips on the hillside contoured, flower beds weeded. Really looks so much better! PS - thanks to Greenscape for supplying the mulch, truck and additional tools!

Two Bible Publishers Being Sued by Gay Man

This just caught my attention! A gay man is suing Zondervan Publishing for $60 million and Thomas Nelson $10 million for violating his constitutional rights and causing him emotional pain because the versions that they publish refer to homosexuality as a sin. According to The Grand Rapids Press<, the lawsuits were filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Bradley LaShawn Fowler of Canton, Mich., claims that the Bible has ostracized him from his family and contributed to physical discomfort and periods of "demoralization, chaos and bewilderment." Zondervan has said that Fowler is suing the wrong party because Zondervan does not translate the Bible, they are publishers. U.S. District Judge Julian Abele Cook Jr. says the court "has some very genuine concerns about the nature and efficacy of these claims." We may think this is an "off-the-wall" lawsuit today, but this appears to be where our society is headed. Recently Canada prosecuted a pastor who spoke out and has been charged with hate speech (not necessarily agreeing with all of his position - I don't know enough about the story). [story reported here]

Please Pray for Henry & Amy Fisher's Ministry

We have enjoyed the fellowship of Henry & Amy Fisher here at Valley Grace. Henry has been called back into the ministry - again (I believe Henry said he has retired 3 times). He will be serving a charge of two churches on Sunday mornings. Henry & Amy plan to continue to fellowship with us on Wednesday evenings. Please pray for them as they continue to preach God's life changing message - what a great opportunity! Henry began this new ministry on Sunday, July 6, 2008. I'm sure there are some jokes that start, "Old preachers don't retire, they just...." We thank God for providing this opportunity for Henry and Amy to continue to use their gifts and abilities for His Church and His glory!

Special Masterpiece Acquisition

Please check out the following masterpiece that has been endowed to Valley Grace. It is hanging in the hallway across from the main offices. The artist is Terri Tucker and expresses what God has laid on her heart in her journey with leukemia and God's provision. The most recent update is that July 16 is to be the next major appointment for Terri. Thanks for sharing, Terri!

More Dangers from Gaming Consoles

Parents, you need to be aware and inform your children of a new danger of gaming consoles. Yes, it is possible to become sedentary and lose social skills, to be injured by a flying Wii accessory, but there is a much more serious danger that is lurking - online stalking. USA Today reports that it is possible for predators to stalk your child through these games which can be connected to the internet. The USA Today article (here) states:

"Parents may not realize that gaming consoles have become Internet devices or that savvy kids can bypass parental controls, says Marc Rogers, director of Purdue University's Cyber Forensics Lab. Police who have been doing stings in Internet chat rooms for years now are going undercover to catch predators playing interactive games, ranging from Grand Theft Auto to old-fashioned chess and checkers. They're making arrests."