Changing Lives for Good

TCASR Update - The CHRISTmas Edition

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
 
I want you to know how blessed it’s been to have each of you be part of The Church at Sendera Ranch or one of our services or events. Thank you and we hope to see all of you again soon. We have some great opportunities to get together coming up in the next week, some BIG news about the future, and a little year-end reminder.
 
Come Carol with Us!
We’re caroling on Sunday and we’d love for you to join us! We’ll be meeting at the front amenity center at 5:30 pm to begin caroling and already have a few requests. We’re going to have a great time and I hope you’ll come. Can’t carry a tune? Well we allow lip syncing so that excuse doesn’t work. See you at 5:30 in the front amenity center. And if you can’t make caroling but would like for us to stop by the house to carol to you, just let me know by replying to this email and we’ll be sure to stop by.
 
Christmas Eve Service
Wednesday, December 24th
4:00 pm
Jamie and Shannon Spake’s Home
Contact Brett for a Map

The Spake’s have generously offered their home for our Christmas Eve service and it was a real answer to prayer. We had so many people interested in being part of our Christmas Eve service Jen and I were worried we wouldn’t fit in on living room and dining area. Come and be part of a very low key family Christmas Eve experience with a little singing, a brief family oriented message, and likely a few treats as well.
 
 
Want to know the BIG news?
We’re moving closer to the Sendera Ranch community in February and into Premier Academy! We’re very excited to be getting closer to the community and having the quality of facility that Premier Academy will allow us to have.
 
Grand Opening
February 1st
in Premier Academy
14081 Willow Springs Rd., Click for a map 
 

 
 
Little Reminders
In order for your year-end donations to be apply to your 2008 taxes under charitable giving we must receive the donation by 11:59 pm on December 31, 2008 or the donation must be postmarked December 31, 2008. The Church at Sendera Ranch is a Non Profit 501(c)3 organization and your donations are tax deductible as charitable giving.
 
Did you know that you can now help The Church at Sendera Ranch when you shop at Amazon.com. Simply go to this page of our website click on the link to amazon and buy what you need. The Church at Sendera Ranch will get anywhere from 4-10% of the revenues from the sale. Or you can follow the direct link. 
 
Have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Profound simplicity strikes again

There are times in life when the profound truth of the gospel hits you fresh again. Times when the depth of God's forgiveness presses deep into your soul and the gift of grace reveals yet another facet that causes you to stop and give glory to God. Tonight, I had one of those moments and I didn't realize how deeply I needed it. Thank you Jesus for helping me once again experience the freeing cleansing of your grace in the profound simplicity of your gospel.

Audio Book Review: Word of Promise Next Generation - New Testament

In my second review for Thomas Nelson's Book Review Blogger program I chose yet another item for my girls... the Word of Promise Next Generation - New Testament.

This is a dramatized audio New Testament read by tween/teen stars such as Cody Linley, Emily Osment, Jordin Sparks, Alyson Stoner, Corbin Bleu, and many more. They use the child friendlytext of the International Children's Bible which doesn't lend itself to this medium as much as the Message or NLT would in my opinion. That said, I am definitely not the target audience for this product so my thoughts aren't nearly as important as my 7 year old daughters which I will also include in this review.

My take: I couldn't listen to it very long at a time. It's well done for what it is but it's very "teeny" as it honestly should be for the target audience. It's often overacted and hard for this 35 year old father of three to listen to without letting out the occasional laugh so it was an times entertaining... but for me it was entertaining for the wrong reasons.

My 7 year olds take: My daughter liked it... a lot. She enjoyed the radio drama aspects of it along with the music. She didn't notice the overacting although she did say on occasion that it sounded weird at times. What exactly does that mean? I don't know and she couldn't explain it to me either. But overall she likes it and is listening to it.

Would I recommend a buy? It depends. Not for adults (although Nelson also has a Word of Promise for adults which comes highly acclaimed). Does your kid enjoy listening to books? If so then I'd encourage you to get it for them if they seem interested in it. After all... if their going to listen to something on their iPods instead of listening to you it ought to be the Bible right?