Scott Miller Blog :: Good Stuff

Ahhh…Christmas Treats…

$399 Chocolate Santa

I ran across this find whilst on my annual track for stocking gifts on Christmas Eve. You could buy this huge chunk of a chocolate Santa for a mere $399 from the South Bend Chocolate Company. You think someone would buy this as a novelty? Or to actually eat?

Esther – a young life changed

The picture above is Nathan Turney (one of Pathway's missionaries who leads Asia's Little One's) and Esther. Esther was abandoned by her parents, and her grandmother was caught by the police trying to sell her in a local market. Nathan helps to oversee the orphanage in Cambodia that now has Esther.

This picture gripped me as I read Nathan's newsletter just now. You will never know what you are doing for the Kingdom when you give faithfully to missions! Esther is just a start…

(Nathan will be with us in Middlebury on March 28th…trying to figure out a way to get him to Elkhart as well)

The Sing-Off?

Just want to throw this out there…did anyone else follow the whole The Sing-Off show on NBC?

I was pulling for the Lee University Voices of Lee…but they ended up in third, of course. If you want to lose, be sure to have me pulling for you.

The show drew me back to my inner need to harmonize…ah yes…someday…it will happen…look out Boyz II Men…here comes An Amish Man…(or at least, a man with Amish lineage)…

The Living Nativity

Several of you have asked about the video I showed at the end of my message today…here's the link to watch it again…click on "watch preview"…

Merry Christmas!

Just finished up our 2 Sunday services here in Middlebury…what an amazing time celebrating an Amazing Gift!  Our Elkhart Campus saw 5 people make commitments to follow Jesus today...

Merry Christmas!

Christmas at Pathway - Middlebury

Took the picture below at last night's worship team practice…going to be doing our service in the round in Middlebury this week…never done this before…a little more of an intimate feel, like the Elkhart Campus…

I won’t go without your Presence

Exodus 33:12-18 has been on my heart today…

• Moses in essence – You've called me to lead these people, but I need a little more reassurance that something or someone is going to be there with me!
• God in essence – Oh Moses, calm yourself now. I really do love you and will be with you…know this, My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.
• Moses in essence – Are you kidding me? If your Presence doesn't go with us, I don't even want to step in that direction…don't even send us…we must go with your presence…after all, it's your presence that distinguishes us from all the other people…your presence sets us apart in a good way…I'm surely not going to do this on my own!

Can you see yourself in this piece of history? Is there anything right now that I'm trying to do outside of the presence of God? For instance, God wants to give me His presence to help me be the father I'm called to be. But perhaps I haven't allowed His presence to permeate that area of my life yet?! Maybe I haven't allowed Him to give me the grace to go there!

God wants to give me His presence to solve issues at work that no one else can…not b/c of how smart I am, but b/c He has graced me with the ability to do such…His presence can even permeate the way I do work! Have I allowed Him to?

God's words for Moses are ours for today! He wants to, and will, go with us if we allow Him to…if we invite Him to…if we let Him!

Maybe a good tool to recognize if I'm walking with God's presence in an area is if I'm at rest with it. God says His presence will go with us, and he will give us rest. If you are feeling restless about something, maybe it's b/c you've left him behind? His presence isn't anywhere near it b/c you are filling it all with your own presence and thoughts, not His!

Just a few random thoughts I've been thinking about today…

Exodus 33:15 If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here."

Dif between Peace Keeper and Peace Maker

Another thought sparked from a recent message from John Bevere…the difference between a Peace Keeper and a Peace Maker.

Peace Keeper:

• Holds down the fort.
• Keeps peace at all costs.
• Keeps people happy!
• Makes sure there is no, or very little, change.

Peace Maker:

• Makes the hard call to bring forth change.
• Battle's through to keep peace for the right reasons.
• More intent on pleasing God than man.
• Plows new ground knowing that it will bring fresh life and peace.

What would you add to these lists?

Fear

Was listening to a message from John Bevere the other day…he made a great point on fear, "Any area you still fear is b/c you haven't put it under the cross."

The next time you find yourself being gripped by fear of whatever, lay it down at the feet of Jesus…and trust Him with it!

Sound of Music in a Train Station?

This is great...the next time you have a spare 7 minutes, watch what happens...

Thanks to Rob Wegner for the heads-up...

Day trip to American Girl Chicago

Spent the day yesterday at every Grandma's favorite place to spend way too much money on their granddaughters…The American Girl Store – Chicago. The girls all had some sort of frilly tea thing for lunch…whilst us feller's headed to the food court at the mall.

Good time had by all…I love Chicago.