Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Day 1: A Month of Gratitude, "I Appreciate You."

by Jay Kelly

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
-I Thessalonians 5:18

Tomorrow, Oct. 1, is the beginning of a month-long journey into greater appreciation of all that God has provided for each of us. The bible is clear that gratitude is to be practiced in all circumstances. Giving thanks takes practice and we will get better at it over time. Gratitude, especially in a challenging situation, is a true indicator of spiritual maturity and a rarely travelled road to joy and fulfillment.

Today is Day 1 and we are going to provide a gratitude exercise prior to each day of the coming month.
October 1: Homework,
Tell someone close to you what they mean to you; Be specific and elaborate on at least three specific things you see in them that have made a difference in your life. The proverb, "familiarity breeds contempt." was credited to St. Augustine. We all know how true it is that those we see every day are least appreciated in a tangible way.

We also understand that we are meeting two needs when we tell those closest to us what we love about them...

"The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated"
-William James (1842-1910) pioneering American psychologist and philosopher, trained as a medical doctor.

They need to hear how much we've benefitted by having a relationship with them. We grow through our gratitude and they grow through realization of appreciation. They hear, "I do matter in this world!"
We hear, "I am loved deeply every day by those I often overlook."


On the eve of each October day we will post a theme of gratitude for you to contemplate in the morning before you begin your day. The staff is praying that our themes will have a profound impact on your life as you go forward from your quiet time each day.

With love and gratitude for your faithfulness,

Jay Kelly and The Staff of the Seattle Church of Christ

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Anticipating an Amazing Auction Night

by Jay Kelly

It's been a great day of church business. A special highlight was our auction planning meeting tonight at the house with April Brown, our auctioneer. Everyone was excited about all the good news; It's obvious that God is working to help us host a very special night for a great cause. Aaron Johnson put together a little intro video for one of our celebrity guests, Kendra Todd, who won Donald Trump's, "The Apprentice, Season 3." We will be auctioning off a Power Lunch with Kendra for those interested in learning about her experiences on The Apprentice and working for Donald Trump and most recently hosting her own show on HGTV, "My House is Worth What?"

You won't want to miss this special night as we save one of Seattle's historic buildings and have fun doing it. All funds raised will go toward preserving this Queen Anne historic building at 2555 8th Ave. West, Seattle, Washington 98119. The "Building Life" silent and live auction is this Saturday, October 3, 2009 at 6pm. You can register in advance or pay at he door. $30 includes finger food, fine wine and friendly neighbors having a good time for a good cause. If you haven't registered, it's not too late. Go back to our main church website or find secure online registration at www.another100years.com.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Two Special Denver Memories

By Jay Kelly

Being here at the International Leadership Conference in Denver has been truly life-changing for me already. Carol and I served in the ministry here from 1988 to 1992. I was the singles minister, the campus minister at Metro State College and at University of Colorado, Boulder and spent time leading a ministry of marrieds as well. There are old friends around every corner and in every classroom of the conference.

My two favorite times spent here so far were taking a road trip up to Boulder to climb up to my old prayer spot overlooking CU, Boulder and showing Daren Overstreet where Carol and I were married. Here's a short video clip of both of those outings...