Micheal Ellis Childress's Page

Hi, Micheal. I just read your comment to Matthew Ross, (a fellow Canadian!), and this statement caught my attention: "We are a group of people trying to love God, love each other and love our community." It echoes our group's "constitution"! Here it is, in its entirety;

Being Followers of Jesus(Diana Drive and Beyond)

Launching a direction (while expecting to hear the GPS voice say “Recalculating”!):

Vital features:

Loving God with heart, soul, mind, strength:
 learning of Him: scripture, stories, teaching, experience, fellow followers, etc
 seeking Him: wanting Him and His friendship/ fellowship more than His gifts, cultivating worship lifestyle
 listening to Him: cultivating attentiveness to His voice, His acts
 obeying Him: submission to kingdom principles and His specific directives/ interventions

Loving neighbours:
 prayer: intercession, blessing, gratitude
 attentiveness: observing relational responsiveness, interests, needs, promptings, etc
 engagement: being accessible, opening doors, supporting
 flexibility/ creativity: open to diversity of “format”, adjusting to context
 inclusiveness: invitational, making space for whoever

Growing:
 individually
 as households (with spouses, families)
 with group
-diversity that accommodates
e.g. flexible partnerships (Bible read-and-reflect? prayer?), adult group, meals, family spiritual times / social get-togethers, community social activities, etc
- one anothers
- each ones
- connections with larger Body of Christ
 compassionate expressions/ undertakings

Thanks for the back-up encouragement, Michael. It's alway nice to connect with another, while in this amazing journey...!

Are you near Colorado Springs? Some dear friends are out that way ... you familiar with (or heard of) either Tim King, or Kevin Beck, of Presence International...? Wondermous folks to know. Talk about folks seeing beyond appearances...!

Anywho, just wanted to connect ... share a moment. May this day unfold in wonderment for you and yours!

Shalom, Dena

There's much to discover and experience here ...

I lived in Leavenworth Kansas, and we took a bus to CO Springs for skiing ... so where you are has more in common with the geography of Kansas, than the mountains. I have great memories of that time I lived there!

It sounds idyllic, Michael...! Are you a native, or did you relocate?

I'm familiar with Bend ... though I'm in the Willamette Valley ... I was born in this area, when Dad was in law school ... then we moved all over the planet with the military ... most frequently in the Washington, DC area, where I married, and lived for 21 years ... we moved to Dallas, OR four years ago ... which is on the verge of birthing new life (having been pregnant 11 times, I recognize pregnancy, LOL!). Talking spiritual-beyond-religious life here ... the Abundant Life that religion tries all too hard to manufacture.

Isn't this planet just a gorgeous and awesome creation?!? Loving seeing it all through new eyes, that let me enjoy it!

Shalom, Dena

I guess I'd just post a thread about looking for one ... or you could check with "Groups" to see if there are any here on Simple Church from North Carolina.

Look through these: http://www.simplechurch.com/groups

Welcome to the family ! I hope and pray that you make strong lasting meaningful connections !!!

With faith hope and love, jeromy and marcelia

That is River, our 7 month old malamute. yes 7 months. 90lbs

Well, "active" may be an overstatement as I seem to be turning into a vegetable with all my studying for finals.

hopefully within the next few months
and iam looking at several areas that interest me.i.e. flagler,greeley,ft.morgan etc.