If you go…
What: Marystown Festival
When: Starting at 11 a.m. Sunday
Where: The Church of St. Mary of the Purification, 15850 Marystown Road in Shakopee
Cost: Admission if free; there is charge for food and games

Marystown Fest is Sunday
Ruth Anne Maddox of the Shakopee Valley News reports:

Baptists don't exactly bless each other very much.

When I started going to a Lutheran church with my darling wife, all of the formality felt a bit odd.

But it has grown on me. I like saying "The Apostle's Creed" and "The Lord's Prayer" every week -- they remind me, respectively, what is the core of my church's beliefs and how to pray.

Until we sang "Jesus Love Me" in church last weekend, I didn't remember all of the verses. It's nice to look back on what seems like a childhood song and realize that it still means a lot to me today. So here goes: 

Jesus loves me! this I know, for the Bible tells me so;

little ones to him belong, they are weak, but he is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me, yes, Jesus loves me,

yes, Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves me! he who died heaven's gates to open wide;

Tonight, the city council issued a proclamation calling Thursday, May 1, the Day of Prayer in Jordan. That day also is the National Day of Prayer.

Councilmembers Barry Ullmann, Jeanne Marnoff, Mike Shaw, Jeremy Goebel, Sally Schultz, and David Hanson each read a section of the proclamation, which said:

"Whereas, Jordan is a city that enjoys so many blessings: natural beauty, abudant resources, strong families, a diversified economy, native peoples, and immigrants from all over the world; and

What: Youth Event, night of team games, music, and food

Who: All ages

Where: The Hub, 231 Broadway St. S. in Jordan

Cost: Free

For more information, call Mattea Gunderson at 952-212-3898.

"Who doesn't love a messy breakup?"

Those words were actually uttered on ESPN a minute ago. I can't believe it, and I am so offended. 

Imaginary tournament brackets are a regular feature of ESPN, one of my favorite sports TV channels. Normally, the brackets feature debates about the greatest sports moment or something to that effect.

The Lydia Zion United Methodist Church women's second annual spring boutique is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 12.

Lydia Zion is located at 1026 E. 205th St. in Spring Lake Township, 6 miles south of Prior Lake, near the intersection of Highway 13 and County Road 10. 

For more information, call the church events line at 952-985-1211, call the church office at 952-492-2249, or go to www.lydiazion.com.

Memorial Day services are planned to celebrate Jordan's fallen soldiers and deceased firefighters.

For the full program, go to http://www.jordannews.com/news/activities/memorial-day-program-2008-7680.  

Yesterday, Jordan resident Melody Monyok stopped by the office of your local newspaper, the Jordan Independent, to talk about and show me photographs of her church mission trip to Haiti. It is the second time Monyok has gone on a mission trip to Haiti, both times with Friendship Church of Prior Lake. This year, Monyok wrote this about the trip:

I have a lot of great memories and fun times in Haiti this
year.

I’ve been a little quick to anger recently, but I’m trying to do something about it.

My fiancée left for a week-long trip to Jamaica Sunday morning. Instead of spending time together before she left, we both had busy weeks last week and weren’t able to see each other for more than an hour or so at a time.

Along with other members of my church congregation, I have been going through a simple exercise -- reading a daily Bible verse, making a request of God, and then praying for various people in the congregation.

Today is the last day of a month-long process, and I'm sorry to see it go. I've felt like a difference maker by being devoted to a joint cause with the rest of my church body. They surely will benefit from my work, and we all will be better for our collective prayers.

The verses assigned for today and yesterday hit me square in the heart.

What’s the best way for you to make up with your neighbors – officials at city hall or those in favor of the church’s position – after a bitter dispute about widening the intersection of highways 169 and 282, near an important historic building?

A musical lyric about God that I heard on the radio today: 

"In all this world, you're all that's true. I'll always stand for you."

On a daily basis, believers and nonbelievers alike struggle with one main demand made by God -- he requires his followers to live on his terms.

Recently, a friend told me he plans to live on his own terms, not necessarily by what the Bible teaches. Although he professes a belief in Christianity, he knows that his lifestyle isn't focused on God. His plan is to repent on his death bed.

This morning, before coming to work, I read 1 Peter 5. 

It's interesting how the writer transitions from teaching pastors how to instruct their congregations to teaching all of us how to be submissive and humble. My favorite part:

"All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, 'God opposes the proud but gives graces to the humble.' Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may life you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

The other day in church, song "Your Little Ones, Dear Lord" touched me. It was the writing of this hymn that makes me feel close to God. These are some of the words that had particular impressions on me:

- "Our little ones, dear Lord, are we ..." 

- "... enlighten every soul and mind, that we the way to you may find ..."

- "... kiss the ground before your feet ..."

- "Oh, draw us wholly to you, Lord, and to us all your grace accord; true faith and love to us impart, that we may hold you in our heart."

I've always wanted to go to Egypt. See the pyramids, ride a camel, maybe get into a tomb via a tour guide who knows something the others don't.

I love church, and I hate missing it. But my lovely wife was sick this week, so I stayed home with her until the baseball game started.

"You guys, this was a wow moment for me. I submitted to God, and He did
something to show me that He cares about me and that He is going to

Lifelong Belle Plaine resident Larry Bratsch has weeks to live. He is suffering from cancer and Lou Gehrig's disease. A benefit for him will be held from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 22 in Belle Plaine.

Lifelong Belle Plaine resident Larry Bratsch fought off cancer once, but it’s back.

Recently, I've been "reading" this somewhat new kind of audio book. They are called Playaways.

My faith is not my own.

I believe that faith in Jesus Christ is meant to be shared. I will never say I'm perfect, but this is one thing from which I won't shy away.

This morning, my pastor gave a four-point sermon on how to pray. The Rev. John Hogenson of St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi called his meditation "Take a Trip with God."

Sometimes, don't you just want to drop everything and tell God how in love you are with him? I do. 

I think that there is something so special about 20K people coming together for one purpose. Music and Worship. God inhabits the worship of His people.

Last week, one of my Bible readings was Ephesians 6. Boy, what a powerful reminder of God. Here's part of what I read:

SonShine 2006

I'll be honest with you -- I struggle with some of what the Apostle Paul has written in Ephesians 5, one of my Bible readings earlier this week.

Last year we went to SonShine for the first time. I have to admit that being older, I guess that is a relative term today. However, if one has gray hair or a bald spot.

My small-group Bible study recently finished reading through and discussing the book of Esther.

I've been doing a poor job of studying the Bible, but that doesn't mean I haven't been touched by God lately.

Why not make a regular online habit of checking the topics of the day in the Forums section of this Web site?

Youth For Understanding is one of the world's oldest, largest, and most respected international exchange programs.

The Webmaster for www.jordannews.com is constantly tweaking and changing things to make it easier for you to find news, to have discussions, and to have fun on this Web site.

During the past few weeks, my friend Justin and I have taken a hiatus from our Bible study on Titus.

For several weeks now, pastor-in-training Justin and I have been using "1 Timothy & Titus: Fighting the Good Fight" by John Stott.

This blog is a little out of order -- I'm skipping right to Titus chapter 2 -- but I don't care.

The weekend of Christmas, I went to my parents’ house to see family and friends in Platteville before I drove to my grandparents’ house in Sheboygan (about a three hour drive away). My family left Platteville the night of Dec. 23. I spent that night with friends and left the morning of Dec. 24. I wanted to get to my grandparents early enough to spend the whole day with family, so I left Platteville at about 7 a.m.

For Christmas, I received two especially good stocking stuffers.

One was an figurine of Senator Palpatine, the Emperor of "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi" fame. I am a collector and appreciated the gift.

I tried fasting for the first time in my life last week.

If I understand it correctly, the idea behind fasting is for a believer to suffer a little bit -- symbolic of the suffering Jesus Christ chose to undergo for us. (Please correct me if I'm wrong or if I'm missing the meaning.)

My Bible study focused on the book of Titus has officially started. Justin, one of my dearest friends, came to my house last night to talk for a couple hours over a Whopper and Cheese Nips.

We had chosen Titus because it was written by the apostle Paul and because it is short. Having read the book before our meeting, Justin and I made a list of all of our questions, words or phrases that we would like to study, and controversies we plan to discuss.

On Thursday, I read all of the book of Titus. It's only three chapters long.

I'm starting a one-on-one Bible study with Justin, a dear friend of mine who is going to Luther Seminary. Our goal is to do in-depth studies of biblical scripture and people.