Awesome! Pop-Up Hallelujah Chorus at Macy

Awesome! Pop-Up Hallelujah Chorus at Macy

Christmas...fun fun fun!

Come join us this Christmas!

We are excited about our new series "Imprint"Tiny fingerprints that let a mark on this world. What mark are you leaving on this world?














Join us Christmas Eve at 7:00pm for a Candlelight Service as well

My little Victoria at Homecoming

This is such a beautiful worship song. I wept as I heard it for the first time. My heart has been so tender to the voice of Jesus lately. This is such a excruciatingly wonderful place to be...

My lovely Victoria...

Going through the "actions" on a beautiful fall day...

Isn't it just lovely here in MI this time of year? It seems as if this fall has been exceptionally gorgeous! Inspite of this beauty, last weekend, I came down with a nasty cold and along with it came a sore throat and a horse cough. Nice huh? I was leading worship, feeling the tension all throughout my back and neck as I tried to stay on pitch and keep things positive, even though I felt like I had been hit by a bus. As I was struggling to get through Sunday morning worship, I realized that maybe it was God's intention for me "to be still and know that He is God." To be quiet and love Him and let His love fill me completely. I thought about this as I was sititng at a soccer game for Victoria later that aftenoon. The colors were lovely, she was playing a great game and even scored a couple goals. While I was sitting there feeling miserable and slightly sorry for myself, everyone around me was laughing drinking cider brought by another mom. It would appear to be a great day, but inside, I felt icky, just really weighted down from this cold. Instead of cheering and being social with the other paretns, I was sitting alone in the quiet of the field and secretly pressuring myself to praise God for this silly cold. I needed this time to be quiet and enjoy God's creation... one of which was my beautiful daughter. It was a fall day... filled with amazing colors and warm breezes. After I went through the actions of thanksgiving verbally- (in my head of course, because if I started talking to myself out loud, that might just sinch me as the crazy mom) I began to actually feel his goodness surround me. Thanks God for giving me this silly cold... thanks for teaching me to be intentionally still... and to look for Your beautiful face in everything around me. The red leaves, the swaying trees, the cooler air and yellow and purple mums are evidence that You are a God Who speaks to the quietness of my soul. Will I stay where I am? or will I reach for a deeper "awe" and "wonder" of my Creator? Sometimes beginning with the "going through the actions" mentality can lead to actually feeling deeper meaning when my heart is right, but I am depleted.

In my weakness, He is made strong!

Suburban Kids Build Field Of Dreams In Detroit check this out! reaching and building into our community!!! This is being Jesus here on Earth.

How He Loves Us - Kim Walker / Jesus Culture

"Prayer is keeping company with God" ~ Clement of Alexandria
"God's acquaintenance is NOT made hurriedly. ~ E.M. Bounds

Cam is doing well at Grace college in Indy. He was on a break from his soccer training for a few minutes and I grabbed a pic outside the bookstore.

Can't Smile Without You

Join us!
Upcoming Sermon Series by our new pastor: Brent Wood
Connection with God (09.05.10)
Connection with Others (09.12.10)
Connection with Self (09.19.10)

Casting Crowns - Does Anybody Hear Her

This week, I have been struck by several things every time I have had my quiet time with Jesus.. Can I share with you just a few thoughts I have had?

How often have I found joy in what I have done in my achievements. my passions, my victories, my family... my, my, my. But what is it worth apart from You, Holy God? "Unless the Lord builds the house, it's builders labor in vain." Unless You work through me, labors will be empty and meaningless. If I work so hard to serve my family and those around, but I do it void of any influence from You, Jesus, it is all just ugly and empty. Unless I abide and dwell in your Word I can do nothing... nothing that really truly matters in the light of eternity. Unless I follow after You, Jesus, my life will never bear fruit that will really and truly last. But when I live in Your grace and follow after Your heart, only then, will all this work here on Earth have any sort of meaning. Help me, Jesus, to store up my treasure in Heaven, not on earth... because those are the things that will last for eternity and will be passed down to the next generation...
(ps 127:1, Isa 65:19-23. Mtt 6:19-21 and Jn 15:5)

So? How do I do that? How do I seek after the heart of Jesus? How do I relinquish my will and my ownership? I believe, it's a daily choice to humble myself and become obedient to His commands... reading my Bible and making HIM a moment to moment aspect of my everything. My perfect little world and my hopes and dreams then become HIS everything.


"Not as I will, but as Thou wilt. To be able to say these words and truly mean them is the highest point we can ever hope to attain. Then, indeed, we have broken out of time's hard shell to breathe, not it's stale air, but the fresh, exhilarating atmosphere of eternity."
Malcolm Muggeridge (1903-1990)

We stayed a night with My older sister Gail in Newaygo. Good times on their farm! This is Cam with his little cousin Mikaelyn visitng from WA. while her mommy was on a missions trip to Uganda. She loved hanging with her big cousins. So sweet.

Summer winds down

Suza March featured brass section (far left)

Cam was asked to play along with the Blue Lake Northern Winds band that toured Europe. It was an honor to step in and play first chair. His director, Mr. Dobos is just amazingly gifted and we are excited thatTori will be under his direction thsi fall at OCS. What a whirlwind of a week!

good times... the band played at the party

My sister Gail and me at cam's grad party (she's the eldest and I am the youngest of 7 Strader kids)

FAMILY GET AWAY... Our family will be taking a trip up north to Petoskey, MI for a time of renewal and rest. It is the plan to hang out by the pool, take bike rides, take a day and do some Harley riding as well as hang out, cook smores as well as enjoy God's amazing country. We will be gone the week of June 27 - July 5and are looking forward a special time away before the two older kids head off to college this fall.

UPCOMING SERVICES... Lindsay will be leading worship on the 4th. We have some awesome things planned for this service, you won't want to miss this time together with God! Communion will be moved to June 27. Guest Speaker, Brent Wood will be speaking June 27, July 4 as well as July 11.

Coming this Sunday June 27th Family Hymn Sing at 6:00pm Come on out and join us for Hymn stories and testimonies as well as a wonderful time of fellowship together singing good ole' hymns form the books!

Congrats to Coach Todd and the Clarkston Impact for winning the WIST Soccer tournament last weekend. What an amazing come back after being behind by 3 with only 8 minutes left! He had 3 assists! Logan is Goalie and Center Mid.

Todd was absent from last night's game as he received an emergency call from his mom stating that his dad had passed away after an aneurysm / brain bleed. Please pray for God's amazing peace on this family. Todd's dad is from Wisconsin and at the age of 65, knew Jesus. What a shock to this dear family.

Congrats to Tori for being chosen to be in 2010 SE Michigan Honor's Band

INTENTIONAL TIME ALONE WITH GOD

Jeremiah 33:3 "Call unto me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." Hebrew 13:5 says " Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you." We have a God Who wants to be sought after. He wants our attention and deserves to be "chased after". Jeremiah 33:11 goes on to say Give thanks to the Lord Almighty for the Lord is good and His LOVE ENDURES FOREVER." If I take a moment to stop and ponder what an amazing Creator, Redeemer and Rock I have... I am astounded by his greatness! And yet, He longs to be chased after. He doesn't NEED it. He desires us to love Him with the same tenacious and fierce love in which He loves us. His love endures... not for just a moment, but forever. When we seek after the heart of God... He promises to reveal to us great and mighty things and insight into His very heart. When I fail and decide that I am too busy, distracted and overwhelmed to seek after God, I lose sight that His heart is breaking and He longs to spend time with me, a human being created in His very image.

My son told this story last week during his speech at his commencement. Cameron was such a crazy busy toddler giving "busy" a new meaning. He gave all the nursery workers and baby sitters a run for their money! Cam was in to everything and escaped out of bed, the front door, the back door, the fenced in yard the SS class room... everywhere. He wouldn't just slide down the slide like a normal little child, he would do it standing up with Rollerblades on. Cam had stitches in his head at least 5 times! Because of this little man, we decided pretty quickly that a fence needed to be put up in the back yard. One day, he decided he wanted to go see his friend on the other side and climbed the fence. On the other side was a very very busy main road. I pulled him down off the top of the 8 foot fence 3 times before he got a spanking. When I turned to go back inside the house, he continued to climb... and climb... and climb... after the 21st spanking, I was exhausted and actually considered letting him go over and play in the traffic! jk! On the 22nd time, he put one foot on the rung of the fence and turned around to see if I was watching. I crumbled onto the kitchen floor sobbing. I just couldn't believe that he would do this AGAIN! He then took his foot down and ran over to me. "I sorry mama, I sorry. Don't cry."

I tell you this little story to remind us both that we need to listen and obey God. Spending time with Him is crucial! Reading our Bible, spending time basking in His glory, intentional time of prayer is what I'm talking about. When we don't, we break his heart. Think about it.

On that note: I'm off! to spend some time with my Heavenly Father! How bout you?

Cameron's Commencement Speech:
1. Seek God First
2. Get out of God's Way
3. Listen to God and Obey his Voice

Cameron Graduation party is Friday, June 11th at 6pm

Come help us celebrate!

Steve's parents and the kiddos

It was wonderful to have my kids all home for the weekend with me! I don't take these moments for granted. next year, Cameron will be away at school as well as Kaili on a soccer scholarship at Grace College. As much as I am delighted that he is following after Jesus and the calling He has on his precious heart, I will miss him greatly!

Praise God in His sanctuary...

Easter Worship at WCC

"Wonder"

This world we live in is chaotic and unpredictable. We forget to stop and wonder at the amazing work the Jesus did for us on the cross. This Easter, we choose to be still and know that HE is God. Our theme is "wonder". We have chosen to celebrate, take a step back and wonder at JESUS. Join us at 11:00am on Palm Sunday: Mar 28th and Easter: April 4th as we celebrate the WONDER of Jesus death and Resurrection.

More to come...

Congratulations to Cameron on earning his NHS honor chords. Graduation is right around the corner

"Overcome" rehearsals are never dull at WCC...

Our new drum kit will be here tomorrow! we are so excited! This one is on it's last leg... but has served us well for the last 10 years.

BIRTHDAY MOMENTS...

bragging moments... My little guy, Logan won the Optimist Award for Clarkston Schools this year. This is his Principal who stated that one day, they would like to see Logan Johns as Governor or even President. It made me smile and possibly tear up a bit. This month, Logan was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. It has been a painful and challenging winter for him. We are so thankful it was NOT Lymphoma as the doctor suspected. We have an amazing Savior! Logan has had a chance to share Jesus through these moments of tests, hospital visits, pokes and struggle.