Happy Spring Break CIC Team,
Since we have the ability to communicate again via email, I thought I would do
a quick newsletter with a few updates and opportunities. I have included a few
things in this email. serving opportunity, giving opportunities, prayer
reminders and a daily devotional that has stuck with me and been a powerful
tool since I read it. It's titled: Control Girl to Jesus Girl and while it has
a "girly name", it's not a girl's only message. Additionally, for those of you
who have joined the FAITH group, I haven't had a chance to attend the weekly
prayer call that occurred this week, but I did receive several emails about how
wonderful it was. If you are in need of prayer, information is posted on the
website. Again, I will be starting the formal integration meetings soon, to
determine our go forward plan and will hold a call with this group, once I
understand it more. If in the meantime, I can answer questions or support you
in your faith, please let me know.
Prayer & giving opportunities:
Two of our very dear members have continued need for prayer and for those of
you who aren't on our private FB page, I wanted to share them. Please keep
them in your prayers. Remember you can now either post your prayer requests on
our private FB page, or if you are old school like me-you can email them out.
Just make sure you send via BCC and send to
ConnectedInChrist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:ConnectedInChrist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Monica Garcia: One of our founding members of the prayer team and a dear friend
who's mom has been battling a horrible courageous battle with tongue cancer.
Here is an update on my mom Teresa. I know it's been a while, the last time I
posted we were going to MD Anderson. Well they did not have anything to offer
my mom either, this type of cancer is very aggressive and the only thing they
can offer is an immune therapy. This therapy if it works will boost her immune
system so hopefully her own body can fight the tumor on her tongue or at least
maintain it at the size it is now. I believe my mom struggled with a little
depression after that visit knowing that nothing else can be done. We won't
know if the treatment is working until another month or two. I'm sharing this
picture of her that we took on Wednesday she was having a good day having her
children and grandchildren spend the day with her. Yesterday we were looking
through old pictures and it made her sad she said she misses her old life.
Please pray that my mom can find a way to enjoy the life she is now learning
how to live with. This is a huge challenge for all of us we all miss her voice,
energy and always being the life of the party. I pray that she has more good
days and the strength to stay positive.
Kerry Martin: Her son Buddy has also been courageously battling cancer.
Please keep both of them in your prayers and also if you feel moved to give to
support his "Disney last wish", details can be found here and also be shared on
your FB pages. https://www.gofundme.com/BuddyDisneyDream
Paul Bowman: Many of you know Paul because he tirelessly maintains our CIC
membership and dedicated many hours to getting our communication tools back on
line. Paul's sister lost her daughter in a tragic car accident on the way to
school/work three years ago when she was only ten years old. Her mother is a
single mom and is unable to purchase the memorial headstone for her daughter.
If you feel moved to support this, details can be found here:
https://www.gofundme.com/reagan-lees-memorial-bench-fund?r=46459
Dell Technologies: Leaders, Families, Friends and the Communities in which we
live: As we continue to move through our integration, please continue to keep
our leaders in prayer, that they would make good decisions. Please keep our
employees and those who have been impacted by job reductions or job changes in
your prayers. Please also pray for all of our employees, friends, families and
communities-that everyone would be in good health and look for ways to serve
each other and be on mission to shine God's light.
Serving opportunity:
Fellowship Church In Round Rock is launching a new ministry in the community.
If you are looking for an opportunity to serve, here is the description:
Stephen Ministry at The Fellowship exists to deliver the healing love of Jesus
by enabling congregation members to provide one-on-one Christian based care to
those who are hurting.
Details regarding commitment, training requirements and applications are in the
attached documents. If you have additional questions, please contact:
rebecca.cahak@xxxxxxxxx<mailto:rebecca.cahak@xxxxxxxxx>
Daily Devotional:
"Not my will, but yours, be done." Luke 22:42b (ESV)
"You guys are going to love this!" I said as I plopped steaming heaps of peach
porridge into my kids' breakfast bowls. They didn't look convinced. This was my
fifth new recipe that week - all attempts to accommodate my son's new
elimination diet. The nutritionist had promised that peach porridge would be a
favorite. But Cade - who was 6 and never shy about his opinion - said, "Blech!
Mommy, this is so icky!" I should have laughed good-naturedly and pulled out
some gluten-free cereal, but instead, I snapped: "Well that's your breakfast
and you're going to eat it." I was running out of recipes and patience. Plus
those ingredients were expensive. And I had enough left for 10 more batches of
peach porridge. "These kids are so picky!" I fumed.
The older kids, sensing I meant business, began forcing porridge down by
gulping juice, but Cade refused. "I can't eat it, Mommy!" he wailed.
I whirled around and said, "Oh, yes you can, and you'll sit there till you do!"
He choked several spoonfuls down, but then began gagging dramatically, which
produced a little heap of porridge that slid right back into his bowl.
I was furious. "Oh, so you want to start over?" I snarled and replaced his
porridge with a fresh, heaping bowl.
Oh, the crying and gnashing of teeth in our kitchen that morning! The bus came
and went, and poor little Cade sat spilling tears into his bowl. Before long,
the wash of remorse came. I apologized, fed my poor boy and drove him to
school. It's one of many "Control Girl" memories I wish I could erase.
I'm learning that my anger over little things - like dirty clothes under the
bed or an un-shoveled driveway - is often a symptom of a deeper problem. Anger
is what's spewing, but feeding my anger is a deep, unhealthy craving for
control.
The same is true of my anxiety. On the surface, I might be fretting or
obsessing over my baby not crawling or my husband's spending, but feeding my
fear is a desperate longing to have control.
So, when I feel a surge of anger or a spike of anxiety, I'm learning to ask
myself, OK, Shannon, what are you trying to control? What do you feel you're
losing control of?
And then I remind myself of the truth: I'm not in control. God is.
God never intended for me to shoulder the burden of trying to control. I can
live responsibly and positively influence the people I love. But can I
ultimately control whether my kids graduate with honors, marry a Christian or
eat their peach porridge? No, I can't.
And when I clamp down on outcomes I'm convinced I can and must create (in
parenting or elsewhere), I only become angry, fretful and obsessed.
Thankfully, Jesus offers me another way. He invites me to follow Him and live
the way He did. And how did Jesus live? Did He take control or give it up?
The hours before Jesus' arrest were the most stressful, trying moments of His
life. Unlike us, Jesus could have taken control and avoided the cross. Instead
we see Jesus sweating profusely in agonized prayer, pleading, "Father, if you
are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be
done" (Luke 22:42, ESV).
Do you hear the surrender in Jesus' words? I often picture the posture of
surrender as hands serenely lifted during a gentle worship song. But perhaps
the image of Jesus' sweaty battle on His knees is more accurate.
And what does this uphill, gritty surrender yield? Peace. Security. Hope in
God, not in my ability to lunge for control.
Surrender begins not in cross-sized situations but in the small moments - like
when my 6-year-old won't eat his porridge. Or my middle-schooler fails math. Or
my husband shrugs off health concerns. In these moments, will I explode in
anger or dissolve in fear? Or will I retrain my heart to say, Not my will but
Yours, Lord, be done ...?
Small surrender leads to big surrender. And a lifestyle of surrender is what
turns me from a Control Girl into a Jesus Girl.
Lord, thank You that I am not in control and that You are. Help me live like
both of these are true. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
In Him,
Shawn Trotter
Vice President
Dell EMC | Global Commercial Channels, North America Sales
Mobile: +1-512-917-7990 office 1+512-723-5764
email: shawn.trotter@xxxxxxxx<mailto:shawn.trotter@xxxxxxxx>
Administrative Support: Luanne_Hoelck@xxxxxxxx<mailto:Luanne_Hoelck@xxxxxxxx>
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