Tory Farina

Weekend Reflections...

• This weekend something deep happened. I’m not sure what it was, but it feels like we crossed a barrier. Every so often this happens, and I eventually find out what that barrier was. 
• The band was stellar as usual. Kyle Rex is a ROCK STAR! I thought he was going to smash his guitar at the end. 
• Joe Anderson did an outstanding job! His story is remarkable and it draws people to the Lord. 
• We have had so many visitors that we can’t handle the crowd at the welcome center. They changed some things up in the lobby today. I am not sure if we’ll do it that way going forward, but we are going to have to make some changes to accommodate growth. I am weird... I love change. I’d set up the lobby different each week if the volunteers wouldn’t hate me for it. 
• Elizabeth gave an incredible report today. She talked about how we are so grateful to the Lord for her healing that we decided to give a thank offering as a family. It was a significant gift for us but it’s not the money that matters. It was a heart issue for us. God has been challenging us to give more than we ever have. I love it. 
• I just found out another lady in the church is pregnant. On my last unofficial count that makes 8 ladies in their first trimester. We are about to have a huge boom in our nursery this year. 
• Alyssa Whitmire our kids director is taking the whole place to the next level. I peeked in this morning and was very pleased to see so many kids worshiping God with actions and singing. It was not that long ago when we had no kids coming in the 6-11 ages. She wants to start using the older kids and teenagers to help staff and lead her kids in small groups. What an awesome way to make future Connection Group Leaders. 
• Brian Kirchner (our deacon) blessed us with such kind words and challenged the church to love on us pastors. Thank You! 
• I started Mike Vick today on my wife’s recommendation. When I told her he got hurt and cost me a win she said, “Well that’s what you get for taking my advice in football.” How right she is.
• For those keeping score at home. I am now 3-1 in the High Point League and 2-2 in the Mike Vick League. If I would have played Rivers I would be 3-1. “I’ll get you next time Gadget!” 
• We are going to need a bigger refrigerator. O is bringing twice the art of other kids on Sunday because she attends both services. Lots of drawings. I asked if she wanted to stay home for one service. She said, “No daddy I want to be at church with my friends. She is kind of social.” 
• I am so excited to start the next series. The Life of Joseph is a great case study on Betrayal.

Betrayal Bumper from Courtney Feia on Vimeo.

1st sled...

We went to Menards and got O her 1st sled... She (I) is so excited about it.

Weekly Recap...

I love when Our band reinterprets a song and makes it contemporary and exciting. This Sunday during the offering time The Band played... "The Touch The Feel of Cotton" Song.I asked the 1st service to text in what they thought it was but no one got it.

I am enjoying this series. It is a challenge for me. I feel like each week I am boiling a box of spaghetti as I prepare. I am realizing how much content their is to cover and how little time I have on a Sunday to get it covered. We will defiantly be revisiting these subjects in the new year.

Monday night was fun to be apart of but not so fun to watch. Favre was consistent and Rogers was not. It might have had something to do with his O-line but It just wasn't a great game for my packers. I look forward to next month in Lambeau. 

Elizabeth Update... She is doing a little better with the fluids they have been giving her by IV. This afternoon we are going in to get a picc line put in so that she doesn't have to get an IV every few days. She has small veins and it takes a half a dozen tries sometimes. She also found out yesterday that she needs a root canal... YEAH! She hates dentists, (she had a bad experience as a kid, but haven't we all?) So We keep saying "Put it on my tab" and laughing because that is about all we can do. Keep praying for her she is going through a lot to get this baby here.

I am being challenged lately about how we are training and developing you as the church to "Live Your Potential" lots of thoughts and planning. I am going to be challenging you in the next few months to do somethings you have never been challenged to do! Maybe I have been watching too much "Biggest Loser" but I want to get you into shape spiritually, physically and mentally and help you experience a new level that God has for you! Stay tuned in... And start praying about if you are where God wants you to be? What your next step may be?

We have our 3rd Leadership Lunch this Sunday. I love this time with our Ministry Team Leaders. They do a great Job and deserve to be thanked and developed. I look forward to who God is developing to be our next leaders.

Phil Wickham is coming out with a new album soon http://philwickham.com/.I was sent his 1st album this week. He put it together in High School. It got me excited to find a Youth specialist to help us find and cultivate the next Great Worshiper, Leader, Politician, Teacher, Salesman, Missionary. If we can show our kids their potential at a Young age they will thrive in this life. Scripture calls it shooting arrows! I want to shoot O and the next little one we have as far as I can to make a difference in this world!

Take a minute and listen to this song as you Thank God today for His grace and mercy and Love. Take a minute to allow his presence to wash over you. Take a minute and Thank God for His Grace!

God will never leave you for the Jets!

Thank you PATRICK STITT, our new missionary to Moldova, sent this picture to me and I had to share it with you. If I had a church sign and lived in WI I would put this up too.

Keep pushing!!!

I saw this video while prepping for this Sundays message... WOW! It isn't Olympics so I am not going to use it but I want to share it with you nonetheless.

ONE MORE YEAR>>>> PLEASE?

Brett Favre puts an end to rumors. I am so sad to see him hang up his cleats. One more year would have been a blast to know that this was it and we would see him truly use the young team he has to its potential. Lets Hope that the next in line QB has something special inside to keep the Pack in contention. I'll be Honest I just don't want them to lose to the vikings both times this year.

The Half Mile Hill...

I was running today and on the 3.5 mile route I choose I had to make a decision. Do I run down the half mile hill? Which as you know is a lot easier and more fun. Or do I run up it at the end of my run?

I choose to run up it at the end but half way through I realized that that was not a fun idea. To make matters worse they had just put road gravel down so it was like running on the beach. I felt like David Hasselhoff. I wanted to quite. But turning around only meant I would have to go up the hill again when I was less tired. Stopping would have only given me a break for the moment and walking meant that I would be giving in to the pressure. I ran the whole way up. Slowly, but it was still defined as a run… I looked it up.

I think life is like this. We have half mile hills that we face all the time. If we are pursuing Gods will we will face Half mile hills all the time. I am talking about Noah this week. 120 years he spent building the ARK. That was a long time filled with a lot of stopping or quitting moments. He kept going. Why.

It says in the passage regarding Noah that he walked with God. When I am running with James “the machine” Zwiefel, he tells me that I am not tired yet. I argue with him between gasps of air but he usually wins and I keep running. By coach knows that I can do a lot more than I feel I am able.

The first time we ran 3 miles I was tricked into it. It was actually 3.8 and when we finished I realized that 3 was no big deal. So what in your life looks like a half mile hill? What feels as impossible as 3 miles did? God your coach wants to walk you through it. He wants to see you victorious on the other side.

One final thought: For every up hill there is always a down hill!