NorthStar Church Blog

Got a tip that may help someone? Submit your ideas to Pam Wang at awang3@nycap.rr.com

Bible Verse: “I sought the Lord, and He answered me: He delivered me from all my fears”-Psalm 34:4(NIV)

Diet/Exercise Tip: Exercise 30-40 minutes 3-4 times per week for a healthier body. Any good exercise program is going to have both aerobic exercise and strength training.

Protect the Environment: Choose the reusable alternative to disposable products: sponges or rags vs. paper towels, reusable razors vs. disposable shavers, coffee mugs vs. paper or plastic cups, washable plates vs. paper, cloth napkins vs. paper, cloth diapers vs. disposable, handkerchief vs. tissues, and reusable mesh coffee filters vs. paper –Recycling Tips Website

Life Tip: If we do not plant knowledge when young, it will give us no shade when we are old. - Lord Chesterfield

All futuristic movies paint the future as bleak and hopeless with every person being out for themselves. We as a human race have done some amazing things like heart transplants and putting men on the moon. No matter how smart we become, however, we still cannot predict the future and it really bothers us. We worry about terrorism, our families and our jobs. Worry doesn’t do a thing for us. If you are a believer and you worry, you’re a bad testament to your faith. You’re saying that God can’t take care of things. It’s hard to give up your worries to God but He’s got it under control. We only have a limited perspective of what’s right in front of us. God has a higher view and can see into the future. What attribute of God deals with our future? His faithfulness does. It says He won’t break His promises to us. There are five promises that God makes to us about the future.

1. I can depend on God to guide me when I’m confused. Decisions we have to make in the future are hard and complicated. God promises that He will be our guide and helper as we make these decisions. We have three sources to pick from when making decisions: external sources such as magazines, popular culture, and psychic hotlines; internal sources like our own intuition which isn’t the most reliable; and the eternal source of God. Read His word to help make decisions in your life. There is no certainty in the outcome of your decision but if you can be 80% sure of something, go that way and trust God to take care of the rest.

2. I can depend on God to help me when I’m tempted. Weaknesses and temptations are things you will struggle with your whole life. The sin that you wrestle with is different than the sin your neighbor. For some of you, alcohol will control your life and for others, it’s just a beverage. Some of you struggle with greed, anger, depression and over-eating. Get realistic about it. It isn’t something that can be cured or fixed but it can be managed. Some of us know how close we come to the edge of succumbing to the sin we wrestle with daily. We know in our hearts how close we are to destroying everything we have if we do succumb to this sin. It’s no sin to be tempted. When you act, dwell, indulge and enjoy the temptation – that’s the sin.

3. I can depend on God to support me when I’m overwhelmed. When you are doing everything you possible can to get through whatever you’re struggling with and you feel alone and abandoned, God will be with you. When you are going through it, God will give you the strength you need to get through it. God promises His mercies are new everyday. When you think the future is hopeless, bleak and empty, remember that God knows your future and His plans are to give you hope. God will support you even when you feel overwhelmed.

4. I can depend on God to avenge me when I’m attacked. Jesus never said this was a fair place. We are the salt of the earth. We are to keep society from rotting and preserve it. What happens when we’re the ones who’ve been wronged? God says He will do the avenging in our name. God has the right to balance the books. He will repay those who deserve it. Unfairness will not always exist on earth but, until it’s gone, trust God to do the avenging. That way, we can continue our works in goodness.

5. I can depend on God to reward me when I’m faithful. Why should we have ethics when it seems that others live a ‘dog eat dog’ existence and they get ahead in life. God says He sees all and He will reward goodness. God says I’ll take care of the reward and you just keep loving and serving. Are we going to trust God to take care of us and provide for us? Without Christ, there is no future and no hope. Christ makes the difference and can take away the bleakness that exists without him in our lives.

Pray for Jesus to give you the strength to do the right thing. Accept God’s amazing grace through His son Jesus Christ. Stop acting like a spiritual orphan and trust the Heavenly Father. Step out in faith today and do the right thing. Ask Jesus to infuse you with His power and strength.

Got a tip that may help someone? Submit your ideas to Pam Wang at awang3@nycap.rr.com

Bible Verse: “There is no one on earth who does right all the time and never makes a mistake.” – Ecclesiastes 7:20 (GN)

Diet/Exercise Tip:

Specific - The more specific you can be the more it will help you focus on your effort and clearly define what you are going to do. Instead of setting a general goal to lose weight or be healthier, set a specific goal to lose 2 lbs per week or take off 2 inches on your waistline or to walk 3 miles at a challenging pace.

Measurable - If you can’t measure it, you won’t be able to manage it. Choose a goal with measurable progress, so you can see the change occur. Then pull out the scale, tape measure or smaller pair of pants and see how your goal measures up.

Achievable - If your goals are too far out of reach you probably won’t be able to make the commitment to accomplish them. Your goal should stretch you slightly but just enough to feel like you can accomplish it with a real commitment. Then when you do achieve that goal you will feel successful and feelings of success, not failure are what keep you motivated

Realistic- Realistic does not mean “easy.” Realistic, in this case, means “do-able.” A goal of never again eating sweets, cakes, and chocolate may not be realistic if you really enjoy these foods. It may be more realistic to set a goal of eating a piece of fruit each day instead of one sweet item. You can then choose to work towards reducing the amount of sweets gradually and realistically.

Time Driven- Setting a timeline for reaching your goal (i.e. in a week or over 12 weeks) provides an end point and a clear target to work towards. Without a timeline, you’ll feel you can start at any time, and you’ll lose your sense of urgency. Telling others your timeline also helps keep you on purpose. Ask them to check in with you at certain dates to confirm you’re on track.

-Submitted by Deb Darby

Protect the Environment: Reuse the toilet paper cardboard roll by cutting in half and putting them around your new plants and seedlings to protect them from being mowed down-Handyman.
The items can be cut down and use for planting seedlings: Egg cartons, Tetra-pak cartons, plastic bottles, plastic containers for cherry tomatoes, old boots and shoes, plastic carry-out containers, and plastic ice cream containers. –Reduce Your Rubbish Website

Carry a supermarket bag with you when you go walking so that you can pick up glass, litter or other plastic bags. –Reduce Your Rubbish Website

Life Tip: “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” -Helen Keller

Bob Lyng, April 6
Rich Del Grosso, April 16
Jeremy Skramsted, April 19
Kimber Dennis, April 28

Failure is the unpardonable sin of the world today – it’s inexcusable. Fear of failure and of rejection is what haunts us in the dark corners of our mind. We settle and don’t move forward because of fear of failure. It’s one of Satan’s greatest tools to use against us. What does the bible have to say about failure? It tells us there are four things that can be used to overcome this fear.

1. Remember that everybody fails. We all stumble. No one on earth does what is right all of the time. You have failed. You are failing right now in some way and you will fail in the future. It’s inevitable. But, there is hope. The hope is that you continue to fail in the future. If you fail, you grow in character. Admitting that you have failed and that you don’t have it all together allows you to grow. Be an authentic person. Say to others – here are my faults and my failures and I need your help. Professional sports players only score three out of ten times-and that’s considered good. Heroes in the bible aren’t perfect either. Lots of the people who wrote scriptures were sinners and failed – Peter denied Jesus and Moses killed someone. We can take comfort in the fact that everyone fails. We’re human, not angels and Jesus told us we would have problems in our lives. Take off your mask and show others who you really are. Be imperfect. It’s ok. It’s ok to fail. Grow from it.

2. Realize it’s not fatal. Failure is not as damaging or harmful to your life as the fear of it is. The fear stops you from moving forward. Sure it hurts when you fail but you won’t be crushed. Failure means that you didn’t have a goal – not that you failed to reach your goal. Failure doesn’t mean you didn’t try but rather that you refused to get back up again. It doesn’t mean you didn’t have a dream but failure does mean that you didn’t have a plan to accomplish the dream. God’s dream or vision isn’t wrong – just your plan for God’s dream may need work and failure is the way God shows you to try again. Many famous people have failed multiple times before they succeeded. It’s not fatal and it’s not the end of the world. Failure is actually beneficial.

3. Recognize the benefits. God educates, motivates and cultivates us through our failures. Mistakes help us to change. Maybe it’s a simple redirection or a change of style or maybe a resource in your life has dried up. It’s a sign that God wants you to move in some direction. Rejoice because mistakes develop strength of character. It will make you more sensitive, more understanding and more caring about the failures of others. Pseudo-failure comes from comparing ourselves with someone else. You can’t compare yourself and ever grow your own character. Those failures aren’t real. God will want to know why you chose to spend your life not using the gifts He blessed you with but instead coveting what others had.

4. Relax in God’s grace. God knows that we’re not perfect. Grace isn’t performance-based. God gives us the grace to grow into who He made us to be. If God only wanted perfect people, nothing would get accomplished. God uses us in our brokenness and pain to grow into the people we’re supposed to be. Our suffering makes us more loving and caring towards others. Church should be a safe place for everyone. All should be welcome no matter what sins they may have committed. No one should judge you in church. It should be a safe haven for people who are messed up just like you are. For God so loved the world – no exceptions. People judge people. God doesn’t judge. Church is filled with messed up, selfish people who have a sickness. Church is where they go to be healed and feel better. The message of Jesus Christ and the cross has helped to change all of us and it will change the world.

Accept God’s amazing grace through His Son Jesus Christ. Stop faking. Be more authentic with your struggles. Don’t give up. Use your failures to educate, motivate and cultivate yourself and others.

Got a tip that may help someone? Submit your ideas to Pam Wang at awang3@nycap.rr.com

Bible Verse:

“In Christ we can come before God with freedom and without fear. We can do this through faith in Christ.” –Ephesians 3:12 (NIV)

Tips for a good night’s sleep:

Try having a standard relaxing bedtime routine and keep regular sleep times. Make sure your bedroom is dark, cool and quiet and that your pillows, blankets, and mattress provide you with comfort. Don’t go to bed hungry, but don’t eat a big meal right before bedtime either. Also remember that eating high protein foods close to bedtime can make your body think it should be active and can therefore keep you wake. Exercise regularly, but be sure to finish your workout at least three hours before bedtime. Avoid foods and drinks high in caffeine (coffee, colas, tea and chocolate) and alcohol a few hours before bedtime. Caffeine and alcohol disturb sleep. Nicotine may make it difficult to fall asleep and lead to fragmented sleep; those who smoke should get help to quit. If you can’t sleep, don’t lie in bed tossing and turning. After 30 minutes, get up, move to another room and do something relaxing until you feel sleepy again. If you have a new infant in the family, arrange for some help from family or friends in order to get a few more hours of sleep each week until your infant is sleeping through the night.

-Submitted by Deb Darby

Protect the Environment:

Recycle your plastic bags at the transfer station on Vischer Ferry Road. Some grocery stores give you money off your bill if you bring in your reusable plastic or cloth bags for your items.

Life Tip:

Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help. Pray for God’s healing.

When we were children, ‘chicken’ was the worst thing to be called by our peers. Many of us have taken our first drug, first sip of alcohol or first cigarette because someone called us that. Today, we admire heroes in our society. We not only admire those firemen who run into burning buildings to save lives but we also admire ordinary people who get up every day and go to the job they hate, who try to save their children from destruction, and who try to save their marriages from dissolution. As we grow older, we have more fears than ever. We’re inundated with worries in the world – Avian bird flu, West Nile Virus, kids with guns at school…there’s so much to be afraid of these days. If we’re not careful, our fears will control us and how we live our lives. Fear will stop us from living extraordinary lives. The first thing Jesus said when he came out of his cave was “Don’t be afraid.” That’s the basic message of Easter.

What are you afraid of? Because of Easter, we don’t have to be stuck, confined, and controlled by our fears. Here is how you can establish a foundation for fearless living:

1. Accept God’s love for you. What’s the opposite of love? It’s fear. Wherever there’s fear, love cannot exist. Hatred comes from fear. It makes it harder for us to love. Wherever God’s love exists, fear cannot. There are different levels of fear. There is surface fear which is fear of everyday living such as fear of heights, fear of spiders, etc. On the second level is fear of failure and rejection, fear of being left alone, of not being adequate and of being found out for who you really are. The third level of fear is the deepest level and that is the fear of not being accepted by anyone – even God. The fear of only being loved when we’re good and being discarded if we don’t act appropriately. The third level is deeply rooted in us. Human love is dependent on how we act towards each other. Sadly, it can change with our actions. God, however, will love us even if we don’t act like we should. God says “I loved you on the worst day of your life just like I loved you on the best day of your life.” God loves us at the maximum possible level. Just look at the cross to see God’s love for us. God has never stopped loving us. That doesn’t mean that God approves of everything we do. It just means He loves us no matter what we do. God made us to love us. “You are worth much” He tells us. You’re going to have to accept God’s love everyday and keep accepting it because it’s in our nature to forget it. We have to make a conscious choice each day to accept God’s love for us.

2. Believe Christ died and rose for you. Some of you believe that God exists but you have to take the next step and believe in God. There were other people before and after Jesus who claimed they were the Messiah. But there was something different about Jesus. People believe that Jesus existed but also people believed in Him. Believe in Him. Make His message your own message. God covers the past and forgives us for that. God covers the present and walks with us each day. God takes care of the future for us also. If God can take care of the future of the entire world, He can certainly handle all of our hopes and dreams, our fears and worries. Give them up to God and you can live fearlessly. God cares about all the things you’re afraid of and will take care of it all for you. You just have to let Him.

3. Commit your fears and your life to Christ. Give reverence to the Lord. God wants to be the manager and CEO of your life. Many times fear come from our own obsessions. Failures can haunt us. We revolve our lives around our fear focus instead of around God. If God is the center of our lives, he controls it and nothing is an accident. We can’t live the extraordinary life if we’re controlled by our fears. Jesus left an empty tomb to fill our empty hearts with love. Where there is love, there is no fear. There’s no hopelessness. God is in the resurrection business. He wants to take what we think is dead inside us and in our lives – our relationships with our children, our job, our spouse and resurrect the joy in our hearts. God wants to offer us the same power he used when he resurrected Jesus.
Some of you may have wandered away from Jesus. Maybe you came to worship him on Easter out of a sense of duty or because someone invited you to join them in worship. Today is the day that you can say, “Jesus, I want you to be the center of my life. Help me have perspective and focus on you. Help me believe in you.” Focus your love on Jesus. Give your fears to Him.