The Change

Most of you may already know the changes that have taken place. But for those of you who don’t, I am happy to share the news with you. As of June 1st, Teya and I were asked to oversee the Children’s Department at Grace Church. We are very excited about this opportunity. It was not a decision that was made without a lot of prayer and we ask that you pray for us as we take up our new positions. We are so grateful to all of you who continue to serve in the Children’s Ministry. We are honored to rub elbows with you in service because as you know, we can’t do it without you. It’s going to be a BLAST! God is GOOD, God is FAITHFUL!

In light of the recent changes, I want to let everyone know that Generate Young Family Ministry is NOT going anywhere. We plan on hosting events that incorporate the vision of Generate, which is “strengthening the family and producing relationships”, as well as ministering to the children, which, I believe, goes hand in hand with the Young Family Ministry. What an awesome opportunity we have to work with you and your family on this big of a scale. Again, Teya and I are very excited and we hope you are too. We look forward to seeing each and every one of you soon.

God Bless,

Watermelon Eating contest

Game Time!

Food, Fun

Clowning Around

What a DAY and What a TURN out

Teya and I would like to THANK EVERYONE for coming out on Saturday for the "End of School Year Picnic". We would especially like to thank Josh and Tracy, Chris and Stephanie, Tori and Roy and Lisa who helped with everything from setup to cooking to break down. You all did a FANTASTIC job, and it is very much APPRECIATED! We would also like to extend our THANKS and APPRECIATION to Miss Abbagail J. Gogh for coming out and painting all of our children’s faces. She was busy from start to finish and the kids absolutely loved her. We had an AWESOME time hanging out with everyone and getting to know as many of you as possible. There was never a dull moment during the event. We did everything from a Watermelon Eating Contest to kickball to blind folding all the MOM's and having them try and find their own kids… talk about funny stuff. We even tried to confuse everyone by playing a shoe pile scramble and seeing which family could find their shoes the fastest and put them on before crossing the finish line. Then we threw all the families for a loop by playing a game called "Tunnel Gopher" which is the opposite of leap frog so instead of having to go over one another they had to go under and through some legs. The parents struggled with this a little since kids obviously have the advantage in the height department. I have never seen so many smiling and laughing faces in one spot. The sack race was very popular- we all had fun hopping uphill to the finish line. We closed down the show with a good old fashioned TUG-OF-WAR. To make this exciting we had all the mom's and their children take on the dads and guess what???? The dads won! It was such a wonderful time and we thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. The weather was perfect for the outdoor event... I even got a little color. So once again THANK YOU to EVERYONE for making this day such a success.

God Bless!

WORDS of Encoragement!

Everytime I read these 5 verses from the book of Romans they just seem to speak so loudly to me (especially with all that we see and hear going on in the world today!) I figured surely someone else will be blessed by what they have to say. I wanted to go ahead and share with everyone these encouraging words and to remind everyone we have a GREATER HOPE than those with out Christ and we can REJOICE in troubled times.

ROMANS 5:1-5

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and REJOICE in HOPE of the GLORY of God. And not only that, BUT we ALSO GLORY in tribulations, KNOWING that tribulations produces PERSEVERANCE, CHARACTER; and CHARACTER HOPE. Now hope DOES NOT DISAPPOINT, because the LOVE of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was GIVEN to US.

God Bless!

A Happy Belated Mother's Day to all the MOTHER's

This was sent to me the other day and as I read it I thought it was worth sharing. Thank you Devy for passing this along. Happy Mother's day to all the mother's who read this blog. Make sure you read through to the end. BE BLESSED!

The One Flaw In Women

By the time the Lord made woman,
He was into his sixth day of working overtime.
An angel appeared and said,
'Why are you spending so much time on this one?'
And the Lord answered, 'Have you seen my spec sheet on her?
She has to be completely washable, but not plastic,
have over 200 movable parts, all replaceable
and able to run on diet coke and leftovers,
have a lap that can hold four children (or three doggies) at one time,
have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart
-and she will do everything with only two hands.'

The angel was astounded at the requirements.
'Only two hands!? No way!
And that's just on the standard model?
That's too much work for one day.
Wait until tomorrow to finish.'

'But I won' t, ' the Lord protested.
'I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart.
She already heals herself when she is sick AND can work 18 hour days.'

The angel moved closer and touched the woman.
'But you have made her so soft, Lord.'

'She is soft,' the Lord agreed,
'but I have also made her tough.
You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish.'

'Will she be able to think?', asked the angel.

The Lord replied,
'Not only will she be able to think,
she will be able to reason and neg otiate.'

The angel then noticed something,
and reaching out, touched the woman's cheek.
'Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model.
I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one.'

'That's not a leak,'
the Lord corrected,
'that's a tear!'
'What's the tear for?' the angel asked.

The Lord said, 'The tear is her way of expressing her joy,
her sorrow, her pain, her disa ppointment, her love,
her loneliness, her grief and her pride.'
The angel was impressed.
'You are a genius, Lord.
You thought of everything!
Woman is truly amazing.'

And she is!
Women have strengths that amaze men.
They bear hardships and they carry burdens,
but they hold happiness,
love and joy.
They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.
They don't t ake 'no' for an answer
when they believe there is a better solution.
They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.
They are happy when they hear about
a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member,yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss
can heal a broken heart.
Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you
to show how much they care about you.
The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning.
They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideals.
They give moral support to their family and friends.
Women have vital things to say and everything to give

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE TINY FLAW IN WOMEN,

IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

ThE cLoWn Is CoMiNg! tHe ClOwN iS cOmInG!

This just in for all you clown lovers, Abbagail J. Gogh has said that she will be coming to our picnic to paint up some faces. So make sure you all stop by and say hi to Abbagail and get your face painted.

How do children spell love?

I was reading an article this morning that talked about how children spell love; I found it rather interesting so I thought I would share it.

Someone once said, "Children spell love --- T-I-M-E" and this is so true. Your children want your love, time and attention. Some of us may have thought that our kids spell love, "M-O-N-E-Y" because of the way they're always asking for it. But that is not what matters most to them. What they really want is MOM and DAD!!! We as parents need to make sure that's what they get… not the T.V, money or time shopping at the mall… just us!

I can tell you from personal experience, above anything else our daughter desires to just simply spend time with me and Teya. There is nothing more satisfying then seeing the look on Belle’s face when we all spend time together doing what she wants to do… no matter if we feel like it or not. In her little eyes, that is the best kind of quality family time and in the end we always have as much fun as she does.

Funny…
As I was reading this I was thinking what a great opportunity the “Out of School BBQ/Picnic” will be to spend quality time with my family. We can’t wait… it’s going to be great fun.

So, you too make plans to attend and get ready to create some wonderful memories together as a family.

Remember, the event will take place on Saturday, May 17th at the Grace Church Pavilion. We’ll cook the hotdogs and burgers… you bring side dishes, drinks, lawn chairs and anything else you picnic with.

Get Ready For FUN on May 17th at Grace 12:00pm-3:00pm

AfTeRnOOn In ThE pArK - AnSwErEd PrAyEr

Happy Tuesday to everyone. This past Sunday we celebrated Easter with an AWESOME service and a WONDERFUL afternoon in the park. We got to see just how GREAT GOD is by how the weather turned out. Teya and I watched the weather all week and kept seeing the temperature change from 40 something to 50 something up and down and then the chances of rain kept going up and down, it was very much a rollercoaster to watch. We stood in agreement that the weather would be great and that there would be no rain. On top of the weather the park had been closed all week due to storm damage removal. I had people asking me if I had a plan B incase the weather or park would not be available. Needless to say plan B was to cancel. All I can say is THANK GOD for PLAN A. There was no rain, lots of sunshine and a nice cool breeze. We sat in the SUN and basked in the vitam D, played football and ate lots of sweet treats and good food. Let's just say Fruit Pie cookies are EVIL "Thanks Tracy" Just kidding they are way to good.

Teya and I would like to THANK EVERYONE that came out and enjoyed the day with us.

"in sickness & IN HEALTH!"

I hope March is off to a better start than it was for our family. It started the last week in February with me (Rich) getting strep throat and then a week later Teya getting the flu. Of course it would just not be the same had the flu germ not shared itself with me, so I came down with a case of the flu two days after Teya did now both of us are out of commission leaving our beautiful daughter who is 8 to take care of her parents. All I can say is she did a great job and THANK GOD for Teya's mom who came over to help us out. Teya and I are on the mend now and feel MUCH better. Now wouldn't you know it Belle ended up going through it this week. She is all better now though.

While I was going through all of this the vow of "In sickness & in health" came to my mind. What does this vow mean to you? Well it is a pledge we make to one another when we get married but I think so many times we forget the importantce of what it means. I know from a personal stand point Teya and I got to really put that into practice and to be honest with you I saw just how blessed I truley am to have a wonderful wife such as Teya, who even though she wasn't feeling well didn't hesitate to take care of me and Belle when it was needed.

Well stay healthy and remember God's covenant "by His stripes YOU WERE HEALED!"

a BIG tHaNk YoU!

On behalf of Teya, Pastor Al and Myself we would like to thank everyone who attended the Marriage seminar during the month of February. We pray and believe that the information which was shared was useful and practical to be able to incorperate into your relationships. We look forward to future seminars and having the wonderful opportunity to share with you again. If you can't wait that long then look for upcoming events we will be hosting for the young families and we will see you there.

Week 5 - Friendship, Fun & Sexuality

This was our last session of the series and we covered the importance of friendship in marriage along with having fun and sex in the marriage.

3 basic reasons why friendship in marriage is important:

1. To Have a Life Partner

* Man was not created to live alone - Genesis 2:18
* It's important to like the one you married, since this is the person you plan to grow old
with and share who you really are; your dreams, joy & very soul.

2. To Walk in Spiritual Unity

*Matthew 18:19 say's, "Again I tell you if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask
for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven."
*Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 shows us 4 benefits of a friend: Productivity, Support, Warmth & Protection

NOTE: In order to get closer to your spouse you MUST first draw closer to God.

3. To Have Sexual Relationship

* To enjoy a quilt-free, disease-free, sin-free expression of love.
* Genesis 2:25 says, "The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame."

The Importance of Fun in your relationship

Too many couples do not keep fun alive in their marriages. Think back to when you were dating all the fun you used to have. What has happened is we have gotten too busy or we are too tired and all of our responsibilities have mounted up so we let all of these things ruin our fun times.

In order to keep the fun alive you will have to make time for it and when you do protect that time from any conflict. Once you have done these two things get up and go have fun with your spouse.

Find things that you will enjoy doing together.

Sexuality:

What is the intended use of Sex? Look at I Corinthians 7:1-5 (Message)
Now, getting down to the questions you asked in your letter to me. First, Is it a good thing to have sexual relations? Certainly - but only within a certain context. It's good for a man to have a wife, and for a woman to have a husband. Sexual drives are strong, but marriage is strong enough to contain them and provide for a balanced and fulfilling sexual life in a world of sexual disorder. The marriage bed must be a place of mutuality - the husband seeking to satisfy his wife, the wife seeking to satisfy her husband. Marriage is not a place to "stand up for your rights." Marriage is a decision to serve the other, whether in bed or out. Abstaining from sex is permissible for a period of time if you both agree to it, and if it's for the purposes of prayer and fasting - but only for such times. Then come back together again. Satan has an ingenious way of tempting us when we least expect it.

We are there to please our spouse and our spouse to please us. If your not sure what pleases your spouse simply ask them.

An important thing to remember is INTAMACY is NOT sex. Intamacy is meeting an emotional need INTERCOURSE is the sexual act.

Remember sex is like a dance, you have to learn how to dance. Men have to learn how to lead and women have to learn how to let him lead.

The POWER of your sex life is determined by the PURITY of your sex life.

Your sex life is based upon how well you want to GRATIFY/SATISFY your spouse.

Romance is the adult version of a play ground, and sex was for pleasure long before it was for having kids.

Five Questions Men and Women Must Answer

Pastor Al did a great job with sharing last night on the differences between men and women, and found five questions that every man and woman need to answer:

5 Question Every Man Must Answer: (Women Ask)

1. Am I more important than our money?
2. Are you really sincere?
3. Do you notice me?
4. Am I more important than your ___________?
5. Do you notice other women?

5 Question Every Woman Must Answer: (Men Ask)

1. Is life with you going to be filled with admiration?
2. Is life with you going to be free of complication?
3. Is life with you going to be sexual?
4. Is life with you going to be cooperative?
5. Is life with you going to be lived in the present?

Week 4 - Men are like waffles and Women are like spaghetti?

If you were there last night the title of this post would make sence, if not let me give you a basic idea of what that means.

Men are like waffles because we compartmentalize everything. If you look at all the spaces on the waffle this is like the compartments a man a man utilizes. He has one for his hobbies, family, work, kids, and the ever popular blank compartment. A man can get into an argument with another guy and 5 minutes later they can go out to lunch and act like nothing happened.

Women are like spaghetti because everything in their life is intertwined with

everything else. Their marriage, family, the kids, finances, shopping, social gatherings, etc.. these are all tangled together just like a big bowl of spaghetti. For ladies it is important to them to talk things through.

The Speaker/Listener Technique

•Rules for Speaker:
–1. Speak for yourself. Don’t mind read!
–2. Don’t go on and on.
–3. Stop and let the listener paraphrase.

•Rules for Listener:
–1. Paraphrase what you hear.
–2. Don’t rebut. Focus on what the speaker is saying.

•Rules for Both:
–1. The speaker has the floor.
–2. Speaker keeps the floor while the listener paraphrases.
–3. Share the floor.

Resources Used & Recommended

We have had several questions about the resources we have used for this seminar & some others that we recommend. So here is a list of books that we have looked at and used.

1. The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman

2. Fighting for your marriage by Markman, Stanley & Blumberg

3. A Lasting Promise - A Christian Guide to Guiding to "Fighting for your Marriage"By Scott Stanley, Daniel Trathen, Savanna McCain and Milt Bryan

4. Toward a Growing Marriage by Gary Chapman

5. The DNA of Relationships by Dr. Gary Smalley

6. Heirs Together by Mac Hammond

Enjoy and happy reading!

Week 3 - Communication

If you missed last night we talked about how important it is that there is open communication within your marriage/relationship. Communication is the doorway to intamacy. We talked about how to handle conflit while preserving oneness as well as how to express critisim constructivley. Then we had a time for talking one on one with your spouse using the Speaker/Listener Technigue. This is an artifical way of spealing which creates a sturctured and safe environment when tough issues arise and things need to be talked out. It will also help you stay away from teh four danger signs of communicating.

1. Escalation
–Proverbs 15:1 (NIV) A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
2. Invalidation
3. Negative Interpretations
4. Avoidance and Withdrawal

The most important scripture to remmeber when it comes to communicating is James 1:19-20 which says: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for your anger does not produce God's righteousness. (NIV)

Weekend to Remember - Group Registration Code 15506

Make plans to join us as we attend the "Weekend to Remember" Marriage retreat hosted by Family Life Ministries this April 11th-13th. It is being held at the Downtown Doubletree hotel. Come and enjoy a great time reconnecting with your spouse.

To register call 1-800-FLTODAY. Take advantage of the early bird group discount and save $80 per couple by using our five-digit group code 15506 when registering by phone or mail.

To receive the discounted rate, your registration must be received by FamilyLife prior to 11:59 p.m. on Monday night, 18 days prior to the conference start date (March 24th). Group registrations can only be processed by phone or mail at this time.

What is your love language?

Wow what a night. We were so excited to see everyone come back for week two and to see the new faces as well. We had lots of fun talking about how to effectivly communicate love to your spouse and discovering what the five different love languages actually are. If you missed last night here is the list of the languages. If you would like to learn more about them we suggest you get the book by Dr. Gary Chapman "The Five Love Languages" which is on sale this week at Mardel's for only $5.00, now that is a bargin.

1. Words of affirmation

2. Quality Time

3. Recieving Gifts

4. Acts of Service

5. Physical Touch

Off to a great start!

The marriage seminar has finally begun and we are off to a great start. The whole thing brought back memories of Christmas when I was a child. I remember all the anticipation and excitement ... waiting for the big day, and just like that, the big day was over. Well this time we have more than just 1 day to enjoy everything... we get 4 more powerful weeks, Praise God! If you did not get a chance to make it on Wednesday Pastor Al started the seminar off by talking about the "Oneness" that is needed in a marriage. (Genesis 2:21-25)

We are looking forward to next week where we will be talking about how to communicate love effectively to your spouse so you can make sure their love tank never gets low.

Meet Rich & Teya Selleck

We are thankful for the opportunity to attend a church that both confirms and strengthens our faith in Christ Jesus. We moved to Oklahoma in 2001 to attend Rhema Bible Training Center and graduated in 2003. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we know it is God who brought us to Grace Church and showed us this is our home. Sitting under the teaching of Pastor Bob has been a privilege that many people could only hope for. Throughout our 13 years of marriage, God has shown Himself faithful time and time again. We have one sweet daughter named Belle who is 7 years old. As parents, we are blessed to see a picture of true faith in the heart of our child. Having a family has given us a glimpse of our Father’s love.We have served in ministry together for many years. It is a joy to put our hand to the plow in the Children’s Ministry at Grace Church. We teach the children that obedience brings blessings. We are thankful this truth is the same in our own lives because God is FAITHFUL and He is no respecter of persons.

Marriage Seminar 2008

Sponsored by the Young Family Ministry of Grace ChurchJoin Rich & Teya Selleck, Young Family Ministry Leaders, and Al Poncel for this practical series that will enhance and enrich your marriage. Class starts Wednesday, January 30, 2008, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. and runs for 5 weeks, meeting in the Single Alliance Room. Child care is provided by the Children’s Ministry.
For more information, visit http://www.gracetulsa.com/generate