Stanley & Monica Groothof
I’m a husband, dad, friend, and pastor. –S. I’m a wife, mom, friend, and homemaker. –M.
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Posted in: Trusting Papa
Thank you, Kelly, for sharing this here. ~Stanley
Posted in: Favorite Hymns I Don't Want to Forget
Thanks! I already had a couple of those on my radar, but not "Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross." Haven't sung that in ages... I'll see if I can fix that... ~Stanley
Posted in: Favorite Hymns I Don't Want to Forget
I just found a couple more I don't want to forget:
:: "O Jesus, We Adore You" PsH 472
:: "Christian, Do You Struggle" PsH 575
Posted in: Disciplining a Retired Pastor
Christians fighting amongst themselves, trying to figure out who should be kicked out of their little club and how they can justify weaseling out of showing 1Cor 13 love to one another... Any discouragement from the original article is certainly eclipsed by this discussion thread.
Posted in: Disciplining a Retired Pastor
Sometimes I kick myself for not visiting the CRC Network more often. But then I skim a thread like this and am reminded again how such forums quickly become toxic for my spiritual health.
Posted in: Books to Read
Mark Buchanan, Your God Is Too Safe is one of the best books I've ever read. I was also blessed by recently reading Roy Hession's classis book The Calvary Road. ~Stan
Posted in: Starting Well at Your Second Church
Hey Leon. I had heard that you had received a call. As I'm still in the midst of my first call, I have no advice for you. But something I wonder about when I go to my second church some day is what to do with all the people connected with Telkwa CRC with whom I'm friends on Facebook. I think that's a variant on the question of who/how/whether to stay in contact with people from your previous church when you move to a new one. I have a feeling that with Facebook, a pastor may remain more connected to the former congregation than s/he may intend perhaps to the detriment of his/her current congregation. Part me says, "Make a clean break! Delete 'em all and make new online friends with people in your church." But another part of me says to keep in touch from time to time as I didn't love them because I had to but simply because I did, and that's what friends do when they move away. Anyway... Not so helpful for you, but I think I've wondered a bit about what you're wondering a lot! Stan
PS: Blessings to you and your family in your fresh start!
Posted in: Our Email That You (Probably) Missed
The Banner charges the CRC for ads?! Isn't that like robbing Peter to pay Paul?
I was one of the pastors who didn't pass along the email, but that's because I've been forwarding specific Network articles and discussions to Telkwa CRC people.
Stanley
Posted in: A Poet's View of Synod 2010
Wish I could have been there!
On another note: Prof De Moor is retiring? This can only spell anarchy and chaos in the CRC... It's the end of the world as we know it!
=) Stanley
Posted in: Need or Desire for a Repository of Worship Visuals?
I'd bookmark and peruse it for sure! S.
Posted in: 3 Web Design Elements You Should Know
Parallax scrolling. Now I finally know what that's called! Thanks.
S.
Posted in: Good Bye Martha Stewart! Rethinking Hospitality.
Thank you, Melissa! I have said before that we confuse hospitality with hosting, thinking that we must be the perfect host (in a perfect house with a perfect meal attended by perfect children...) when what's needed is welcoming hospitality. We'll bless people more with an open door than a perfect home. ("...Perfect home" just struck me as an oxymoran as I typed it.)
Blessings!
Stan