A Powerhouse of Potential |
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If you’ve been in the market for a new home, you know that housing prices are through the roof (pun intended.) Nowhere is this more apparent than in Cupertino, California, which is in the heart of Silicon Valley.
In this Northern California city, which is the headquarters of Apple, a tiny home is making big news. A bite-size 384-square-foot house hit the market for a whopping $1.7 million! By comparison, in the United States, the average hotel room is between 350-400 square feet.
This compact house, built in 1948, features a small bedroom, a microscopic bathroom, and a minuscule kitchen. The home does not have central heating or air, nor does it even have a stove.
This diminutive dwelling sits at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac dwarfed by massive mansions worth upwards of $5 million.
The house’s real estate listing uses the word “cozy” and the phrases “endless possibilities” and “a powerhouse of potential.”
As one local realtor says, “It’s time to bring out the old cliché, which just happens to be the truth — it’s location, location, location.” The home sits in a top-notch school district and close to the area’s high-tech, high-paying jobs. For context, Cupertino currently has 60 homes on the market, with a median price of $2.86 million.
Despite the $1.7 million asking price for a house that’s only 384 square feet, within the first week, a dozen serious offers were made on the home. After just nine days on the market, the home sold for “considerably more than the asking price.”
That’s because those house-hunters didn’t merely see a pocket-sized cabin - they saw potential.
More specifically, the exorbitant price tag was based on the size of the lot. The itsy-bitsy domicile sat on a piece of property that is 7,841 square feet (that’s the equivalent of 1/6 of an acre.) And in an area where land is scarce, potential buyers viewed this as an opportunity to purchase a fairly large lot (at least by California standards.) And sure enough, the new owner plans to tear down the house and build something much larger (a 3,700 square foot home.)
The seemingly outlandish asking price attracted a plethora of serious buyers. and the home sold for more than the asking price. That’s because potential buys saw exactly that – potential. They not only saw what is there now, but what could be there in the future.
Scripture gives us a wonderful glimpse of a loving God who views us through the lens of grace and forgiveness. God sees you where you are, but also sees the person He created you to be. He sees your potential.
Psalms 139 is a powerful reminder of this:
“For you created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. With Your own eyes you saw my body being formed. Even before I was born, You had written in your book everything about me.” (Psalm 139:13-16.)
Maybe you think that your best days are behind you. Maybe you feel down and discouraged. Maybe you are haunted by shame or regret or poor decisions. Maybe you feel like you don’t have a purpose.
Those are all lies. God forgives your past, and He sees your future – your potential. In fact, Psalm 139 tells us that God lovingly created you for that potential! The Bible assures us that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” The Hebrew word for “fearfully” is translated as “astonishing and awe-inspiring.” “Wonderful” carries the connotations of being beyond human comprehension or being miraculous.
This speaks of the care and attention with which God has made us. God has made billions of human beings, but we are not mass-produced. We're not churned out on an assembly line. Each one of us is individually handcrafted and there is something awesome about how each of us has been made.
God designed you with potential. God created you with potential. And God empowers you with potential.
Realtors talk about “location, location, location.” God has placed you in a specific time and a specific location and a specific sphere of influence. God has placed you in a pre-set environment so you can be and do all that He created you to be and do.
We live in a fallen and hurting world where we will encounter both good and bad, evil and righteousness. We face the realities of life and death. God created you, equipped you, and then filled you with His Holy Spirit, to face situations that may seem overwhelming and insurmountable. But with His presence, power, help, and guidance, God can use you to be an agent of change, so that people can see the transformation from death to life, evil to good, and bad to best.
I admit that, when I first read the article about the 384 square foot house that was listed for $1.7 million, I thought, “Only in California! Who would be dumb enough to pay that?” But I was only looking at the house, which honestly doesn’t look terribly impressive from the outside. Obviously, other people saw it differently. The reality of the small, uninspiring little house paled in comparison to the potential of what could be.
Friends, I don’t know how you view yourself. But I do know that God knows your potential and has enabled and empowered you to live that out. I pray that you will actively, intentionally, and purposefully pursue what it is that God has planned for you.
I look forward to worshiping with you on Sunday., Until then, know that you are loved.,
Joe
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VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL |
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June 3-7 • 9 am - 12 pm |
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Children 4 years old through rising 6th graders are invited to join us and use their investigative skills to discover Jesus. Registration is open! Space is limited. Deadline to register is May 26 or until spaces are filled. Register early as we will not be able to accommodate walk-ins.
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We also have an Amazon "Wish List" for supplies for VBS.
Click here to see our supply and craft needs.
You can purchase them on the site, and they will be shipped directly to the church.
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On Saturday, May 18, we will have a SWATeam project (SWAT stands for Servants With A Task, and focuses on local missions and service projects.)
Jan Dunaway is a member of our Mountain View family. Her loving husband passed away a few years ago, and it isn’t easy to take care of all the upkeep that her house requires. So we will head over there for a few hours to take care of some of the minor home repairs while also tackling the challenging backyard, which needs some weeding, some tree limbs cut, and the gutters emptied, spreading mulch, plus a few other various projects. Regardless of your skill level, you will be blessed to be a blessing!
We will meet at Church at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 18. We will stay for a few hours, and even if you can’t be there the whole time, we do hope you’ll stop by for part of it.
Craig and Linda Rogers are spearheading this powerful ministry. If you have any questions, please email Craig Rogers or Joe McKechnie.
Together we can work to help Jan while also beginning a future commitment to missions work throughout our community.
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Details coming soon! |
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Mountain View Used Book Sale |
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Drop off books you no longer want in the collection box set up outside of the Fellowship Hall.
Soon we will announce the date of the sale and more details!
All proceeds will go to Mountain View’s Missions ministry-S.W.A.T. Team (Servants With A Task).
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Please join us |
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for a baby shower honoring |
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Leslie Swinea
May 19 • 2:00 pm
Mountain View Fellowship Hall
A sweet baby girl is on her way! They have the bottles, bibs, and more. Let's shower her with diapers and wipes galore.
RSVP Kay Watkins 404-964-7962
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If you are interested in learning how to make or in sewing new costumes for Bethlehem Walk, please email bethlehemwalk@mv-church.org. Diana Amers, head of costumes, will get in touch with you soon.
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Sunday Mornings - 9:30-10 am |
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stop by the lobby |
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Everyone is invited for refreshments, fellowship, and a gathering time before the service each Sunday from 9:30-10:00 am in the lobby area outside the Fellowship Hall. Grab a muffin and have some fellowship with friends before worship.
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In what city was the Beatles’ first American concert?
If you think you have the correct answer - or even if you don't - email Dr. Joe at Joe@mv-church.org.
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Last Week's Question:
Between 1960-63, this Motown group released six songs, none of which even made the Top 40 charts. But in 1964-65, they had six #1 songs in a row. Who are they?
The Answer: The Supremes
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“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
– Ephesians 6:18
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At Mountain View, we are a praying church, and we have assurance and confidence that God hears our prayers, whether celebration and joys, or heartfelt cries and pain. We invite you (and encourage you) to pray for the following people and circumstances:
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- Pray for Sue Spann's niece, Gloria Mattix, who is battling cancer.
- Pray for Lorita and Brad Moore, after the tragic death of their grandson, Mac Pullium.
- Pray for Bob Stockwell, who has been diagnosed with leukemia, and started chemo treatments this week. Also pray for his wife, Jill.
- Pray for David Kohutek, who is recovering from rotator cuff surgery.
- Pray for Rev. Hugh Donald Herrin, who is the father of Anne Taylor's caregiver. Rev. Herrin has Alzheimer's, and has taken a turn for the worse.
- Pray for Alan Pigg, who is recovering from surgery.
- Pray for Tonya Cannon's mother, Donna, who fell and broke her arm. Also pray for Tonya, who is serving as her mother's caregiver.
- Pray for Tony Fisher, who is recovering from surgery.
- Pray for Shirley Adams, the mother of Terri Kellar. Shirley was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer.
- Pray for Janice Goins, the sister of Linda Hoyal, who is going blind.
- Pray for Sharon Carpenter, who had surgery for temporal arteritis, which is the inflammation of your blood vessels.
- Pray for Debbie Carmack, who is recovering from leg surgery while on vacation in Florida (she is now at home.)
- Pray for Cathy Gentilello, who is recovering from full hip replacement surgery.
- Pray for Emma Kate, the granddaughter of Emily Adams' aunt, as their family faces some difficult issues.
- Pray for Lauren Whitfield, who is facing some medical issues.
- Pray for Dianne Patterson, who is recovering from Hybrid Ablation surgery.
- Pray for Susan Reeder, the cousin on John Watkins. She is in a New Jersey nursing home with COPD, and now has COVID.
- Pray for the family of Tony and Barb, who are neighbors of John Watkins. Their son recently committed suicide.
- Pray for the friends and family of Sandra DeRose, who recently passed away after a battle with pancreatic cancer. She is a dear friend of Joanne Mazula.
- Pray for Pam Johnson, who is bedridden with Parkinson's. She is a friend of Joanne Mazula.
- Pray for Marie Boatright, who is recovering from liver surgery. She is a friend of Joanne Mazula.
- Pray for Eileen Jedlicka, who is recovering from shoulder surgery. She is a friend of Joanne Mazula.
- Pray for Michelle Salmon, who is in Hospice. She is the grandmother of Kristen Woodruff. Also pray for Kristen's mother, Kim McKinney, who is the one caring for Michelle.
- Pray for Steve Dennis, the father of Jeremy Dennis. Steve recently completed treatment for prostate cancer.
- Pray for Robert McKechnie, the father of Joe McKechnie. Robert had been battling cancer, but found out that it has spread to his bones.
- Pray for Sharon Basal, who is now living in the Signature Nursing Home by Kennestone.
- Pray for Andy and Debbie McClarney, who are facing a family crisis. They are friends of Jacque Gangi.
- Pray for Anne Taylor's nephew, Kenny Taylor, who is having health issues.
- Pray for Sandra Logan, who has been diagnosed with cancer. Sandra is a dear friend of Dianne Patterson.
- Pray for Tina Gillies (the cousin of Joanne Mazula). Tina has cancer in her colon, liver, and lungs, and has started chemo in Tennessee).
- Pray for Sid Orr, whose cancer has spread to his bones, keeping him from being able to walk.
- Pray for Sue-Ellen Brogdon, who is facing health issues.
- Pray for the people of Ukraine, as well as Christian missionaries who are in ministry there.
- Pray for Caroline, a little girl with brain cancer.
- Pray for our military - we thank them for serving in harm's way for our freedoms.
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If you would like to share a prayer request with us, please email Dr. Joe at Joe@mv-church.org.
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