I’ll be returning to the blogosphere later this week. I’ve been working on some series ideas and individual post ideas. I’m doing well hanging with my High School kids at camp this week. Will be returning soon. Talk to you then.
Jason
The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:
The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.
A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 11,000 times in 2010. That’s about 26 full 747s.
In 2010, there were 92 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 93 posts. There were 76 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 5mb. That’s about 1 pictures per week.
The busiest day of the year was December 2nd with 216 views. The most popular post that day was Bible Study: Would You Be Interested?.
The top referring sites in 2010 were jasoncrandall.info, facebook.com, fbcpearland.org, mail.yahoo.com, and en.wordpress.com.
Some visitors came searching, mostly for homeless people, homeless, judge dredd, storms, and glasses.
These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.
Bible Study: Would You Be Interested? December 2010
2 comments
Jesus 25 – The Storms June 2010
1 Like on WordPress.com,
McChurch: “I’ll take a Bible Study and a super-sized playground with that” May 2010
8 comments
About Jason October 2008
A Much Needed Rave: ALLISON CRANDALL May 2010
5 comments
I’ve been praying about something for a while and would like your opinion on it. I’ve realized that frequently we tell people to “know their Bible” and “study the Word”, but rarely do we equip them to do it. I’m praying about teaching a class in January that would teach people how to study the Bible. I’d like to know if you all in the Pearland/Houston area would be interested. I would really appreciate your input. Feel free to ask questions in the comment area.
Christ is all,
Jason
Read Psalm 107
• Why does the Psalmist tell us to give thanks?
• When does the Lord deliver?
• Does the Lord allow hard times to cause people to call on Him (10-13)
• What are we told to thank the Lord for?
Hi everyone,
Thanks again for all your prayers and support over the last couple of weeks. Our son, Hayes, is doing really well, and was even able to get off the ventilator yesterday.
Unfortunately, our daughter, Bailey, is still recovering from surgery in the med center, and has had another complication resulting from that. She is going to undergo surgery again today around 2:00 to close an aortic valve that was closed a week ago, and has reopened since the last week’s surgery. Hayes had this same issue as it isn’t uncommon in babies born this premature, but they were able to fix his with medication. Since Bailey’s was closed and has reopened, the medication isn’t as effective, so that are going to have to open her up and put a staple on the valve to close it. Evidently it is only about a 25 minute procedure, but it is heart surgery, so there is always concern in that.
Again, we’re a little disheartened because she had been doing so well until last week, and had been recovering well until this heart murmur started. We were hoping to get her back to Clear Lake tomorrow with her brother, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen now. The good news is that the surgeon who fixed her up last week is the same one who will be working on her today. He is one of the best in the world (we’re so blessed to live in Houston), and we have a ton of confidence in him.
Please pray that everything goes well, and that Bailey will rebound as well as she did with the last one (only minus anymore set backs), and that we can get her back close to home with little brother. I will update on how everything goes.
Also, if you can say a quick prayer for me and mom. Mom is doing great, but it’s all started to wear on me a little the last few days physically, and I just haven’t felt very well (fatigued, nervous stomach, head/muscle aches). It’s such a roller coaster ride, in addition to trying to visit two babies in two different places, and still try and maintain our normal routine and responsibilities.
Thanks again for your support,
CP
Chris R. Perrin
The scans came back on both Bailey and Hayes.
Bailey’s scan was clear! She is doing well
Hayes is also doing well, they did find a small spot on his brain, but it has not been of great concern to the doctor’s at this point. He is on medicine and they will rescan in a few days.
Thanks for praying!
Jason
Imagine walking into your house. The house you live in, the house you (or your parents) pay for. Imagine walking in there and the people inside that house (the house you live in, the house you pay for) don’t know you. You know them. You know their names, you know their birthdays, you even know their phone numbers (which is a huge accomplishment in this age of cell phones), but they don’t know you. Those are your relatives, your roommates, and they don’t know you. They look at you like you are a foreigner, like they’ve never seen you before.
How frustrating.
How overwhelming.
How sad.
How painful.
That’s what Jesus stepped into…
He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
(John 1.10-12)
Born on Earth in a manger, grows up in Galilee as a carpenter in relative obscurity, at age 30 He comes on the scene and people are interested because of what He can do, not because of who He is. Those who were told He was coming didn’t realize who He was. Those who followed Him for years weren’t even sure till later. When He told them who He was, they didn’t buy it. They wouldn’t listen to Him. They wouldn’t receive him.
Some did though. Some finally got it. For the most part those guys were fishermen. They were blue-collar workers who worked hard, but weren’t the brightest bulbs. They would be the Junior Varsity today. They wouldn’t be the intellectual elite today. They wouldn’t have MBA after their name or CPA or PhD. They were regular guys. Those regular guys finally started to understand Who it was that they were walking around with and believed on Him. When they got it they got a new title; more important than Doctor or Senator, or Representative or General. They got to be called “Sons of God”.
Today that title is still available. Sons and Daughters of God are still made. They are still grown, by knowing Jesus Christ. By trusting in His name as the only hope of salvation over sin and death. He alone. Jesus alone. He must have felt pretty alone when He showed up here on Earth, but He started a movement that has not stopped and has only gathered momentum and force. He isn’t alone any more. He has many siblings and coheirs. Are you one?
Reflection Questions
Additional Scripture
Christ is all,
Friday I posted a blog about what you should do if you are a wounded body part. I got some good response, but had some questions about what to do if a leader hurts you. I guess this is probably one of the more likely scenarios as leaders carry more weight and that weight can bludgeon to death. They are frequently people who have been looked up to and have been put on some sort of a pedestal. You’ve thought much of them and they’ve hurt you with words, actions, or both. What now when you’ve incurred the hurt?
Let me tell you a story: 3 or 4 months ago I was speaking about the Holy Spirit leading believers and how we should be listening to His prompting. After the service someone came up to me and shared with me about something that was heavy on her heart, a circumstance that was coming up, and asked me to pray that week. I told her I would pray that week. I did. The next Sunday she came up to me and said that she had been hurt by me the week before. I didn’t really understand why. She said she was really offended by me that week. I didn’t know why and asked. She said it was because I didn’t pray right then with her. She was right. I should have, especially after teaching on the Spirit leading us. I didn’t realize I’d offended her. She told me, I realized what I’d done, and asked her forgiveness.
Sometimes a leader doesn’t realize that they’ve hurt or offended someone. This isn’t an excuse, but in the course of a Sunday pastors will talk with many, many people. We hear sad stories followed directly by joyful ones. On Sunday our emotions are all jumbled. This isn’t an excuse, but an explanation why sometimes we might miss something. For all the pastors out there I apologize. If we offend you in something like this PLEASE bring it to us. It is never our intention.
Jason, I get that what about something more substantial?
I’d say do the same thing. Come talk to the leader. It’s back to Matthew 18. It’s back to bringing that offense to the brother (with humility) and being understanding. Who knows what will come of it, but the right thing for you to do is to bring the personal offense to that leader quickly. Time doesn’t heal wounds in this case. In cases like this you are leaving the wound untreated. Take the offense to them. Do it again and again, don’t give up on them. They are your brothers and sisters. They aren’t perfect and this is part of their growth.
Jason, what if it is some unrepentant sin?
Let me introduce you to 1 Timothy 5
19 Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.
If a church leader is seen to have sin that is unrepentant then it’s supposed to brought to him with 2 or 3 witnesses. Can I say again we do this to help that leader? It is not good to allow your brother to remain in sin. It is not good to run from it. It’s your responsibility to the church AND to your brother in leadership to hold him accountable to sins that may be there.
If you’ve been wounded by a leader or pastor in a church I’m so sorry. There is much pain and heartache I’m sure, but it is your responsibility to, in love and humility share the offense before the wound becomes large, infected, and deadly. Share it with the offender: maybe they didn’t realize it, maybe they did and they ‘re sorry, maybe that realized it and aren’t sorry yet, but will be when they know that it hurt. Maybe it is big, unrepentant sin, I beg you to deal with that biblically as well.
Last thing: it says to confront on sin, it doesn’t say to leave. You may be their means of growth…Leaders aren’t perfect, far from it, but as Hebrews 13.7 says “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account.”
Christ is all,
jc
I am a compulsive worrier. I worry frequently. I think of worst case scenarios and act like they will happen. There are a million things to worry about: bills, people, finances, family, health, etc…The list could go on and on. Normally, when I get tense, scared, reclusive, and unproductive then the Holy Spirit snaps me back and I begin to recall Scripture. Maybe this will be helpful for you, at the least it is helpful for me:
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6.25-33
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God,which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4.4-8)
God is in control and always has been and always will be.
Christ is all,
jc
