<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!--Generated by Squarespace Site Server v5.11.81 (http://www.squarespace.com/) on Tue, 29 May 2012 07:46:14 GMT--><feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"><title>Tom's Blog</title><subtitle>Tom's Blog</subtitle><id>http://www.oakvalleychurch.org/toms-blog/</id><link rel="alternate" type="application/xhtml+xml" href="http://www.oakvalleychurch.org/toms-blog/"/><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.oakvalleychurch.org/toms-blog/atom.xml"/><updated>2011-05-17T23:48:27Z</updated><generator uri="http://www.squarespace.com/" version="Squarespace Site Server v5.11.81 (http://www.squarespace.com/)">Squarespace</generator><entry><title>Life</title><id>http://www.oakvalleychurch.org/toms-blog/2011/5/17/life.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.oakvalleychurch.org/toms-blog/2011/5/17/life.html"/><author><name>ADMIN</name></author><published>2011-05-17T23:42:40Z</published><updated>2011-05-17T23:42:40Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[Webster’s dictionary has twenty different definitions for the word “life.” In the Bible there are three words that speak to this thing we call life.

Bios: the manner of life. How we live it. How we choose to life.
Psuche: The breath of life, both natural and spiritual. Who or what has breathed into you to cause you to choose how you live.
Zoe: life in the absolute sense. Life as God sees it.]]></summary></entry><entry><title>Islam and the Believer</title><id>http://www.oakvalleychurch.org/toms-blog/2011/5/5/islam-and-the-believer.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.oakvalleychurch.org/toms-blog/2011/5/5/islam-and-the-believer.html"/><author><name>ADMIN</name></author><published>2011-05-05T04:27:01Z</published><updated>2011-05-05T04:27:01Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[I guess it's time for me to weigh in on Osama Bin Laden, or more specifically Islam.

We are in a prophetic, historic season that the world has never seen. It's one that the church must recognize. Muslims today make up one-fifth of the population. Over one billion people claim the Muslim faith. It's the fastest growing religion in the world...]]></summary></entry><entry><title>Get Out the Knife</title><id>http://www.oakvalleychurch.org/toms-blog/2011/4/22/get-out-the-knife.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.oakvalleychurch.org/toms-blog/2011/4/22/get-out-the-knife.html"/><author><name>ADMIN</name></author><published>2011-04-22T18:36:08Z</published><updated>2011-04-22T18:36:08Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[There's more to overcoming sin's hold in our lives than removing guilt and shame. While I love the "clean" feeling I get when sin is broken and overcome in my life, there's so much more than feeling "clean" that we are to experience...]]></summary></entry><entry><title>What Gap?</title><id>http://www.oakvalleychurch.org/toms-blog/2011/4/13/what-gap.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.oakvalleychurch.org/toms-blog/2011/4/13/what-gap.html"/><author><name>ADMIN</name></author><published>2011-04-14T00:40:36Z</published><updated>2011-04-14T00:40:36Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[Having recently turned 55, I am ever aware of the cultural gap that stands between someone my age and a twenty something.

In a Saturday night service message I asked if anyone present had never heard of the beloved (by me) Waltons television show. I was stunned to learn that 30 to 40% of those in attendance had never heard of John Boy, Jim Bob, Marry Ellen, etc. It was then that I was reminded of two very important things;]]></summary></entry><entry><title>Who Are You</title><id>http://www.oakvalleychurch.org/toms-blog/2011/3/23/who-are-you.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.oakvalleychurch.org/toms-blog/2011/3/23/who-are-you.html"/><author><name>ADMIN</name></author><published>2011-03-23T23:06:00Z</published><updated>2011-03-23T23:06:00Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[In this day and age of mobile professional sports franchises, (teams that have left one city for another), mascot names can really get off base. Los Angeles and Lakes do not have much in common. At least not as much as Minneapolis does, which was the original franchise home. Utah Jazz? Anything but. The Jazz should've stayed in New Orleans. New Orleans is now the Hornets by way of Charlotte who were replaced by the Bobcats. How about New Orleans Cats ... Hmmm. This translates over to football also. The Rams of Los Angeles replaced the Cardinals who now fly in Arizona. A Cardinal can't survive in Arizona. It's too hot! Baseball? ...]]></summary></entry><entry><title>The Secret Law of Attraction</title><id>http://www.oakvalleychurch.org/toms-blog/2011/3/16/the-secret-law-of-attraction.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.oakvalleychurch.org/toms-blog/2011/3/16/the-secret-law-of-attraction.html"/><author><name>ADMIN</name></author><published>2011-03-16T20:59:53Z</published><updated>2011-03-16T20:59:53Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[In recent years a movement, of sorts, called "The Secret", espoused the doctrine of Attraction. With high profile people, led by Oprah Winfrey, singing it's praises, the followers aim was to attract success and successful people. Wealth, favor and it's like, were to be drawn to the devoted. 

Got me thinking about who is drawn or...]]></summary></entry><entry><title>Capital Campaign</title><id>http://www.oakvalleychurch.org/toms-blog/2011/3/9/capital-campaign.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.oakvalleychurch.org/toms-blog/2011/3/9/capital-campaign.html"/><author><name>ADMIN</name></author><published>2011-03-09T22:20:12Z</published><updated>2011-03-09T22:20:12Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[As we begin this capital campaign it's important for us to realize there is much we can do to raise money to support God's work. But, our human ability is limited, so we cannot go into an endeavor such as this without the understanding that our Faith in Gods ability to do the supernatural, must never be compromised...]]></summary></entry><entry><title>You Are Important</title><id>http://www.oakvalleychurch.org/toms-blog/2011/2/16/you-are-important.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.oakvalleychurch.org/toms-blog/2011/2/16/you-are-important.html"/><author><name>ADMIN</name></author><published>2011-02-16T22:28:36Z</published><updated>2011-02-16T22:28:36Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[The church is described by many metaphors in scripture. It is referred to as the flock, a vineyard, a temple, a family, a building, and most commonly, a body. That to me makes perfect sense, in that, Jesus is called the Head of the church.
In 1 Corinthians 12:27, we are told that we are all Christ's body and each has a part of it. Verse 19 says "How strange a body would be if it only had one part."
I have been in ministry for well over 28 years as a pastor. In all of that time, I've seen the importance of the whole body and the specific roles we all play. Can't imagine any attempt to do it on my own or even thinking that I could. ...]]></summary></entry><entry><title>Belated Letters Of Gratitude</title><id>http://www.oakvalleychurch.org/toms-blog/2011/2/9/belated-letters-of-gratitude.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.oakvalleychurch.org/toms-blog/2011/2/9/belated-letters-of-gratitude.html"/><author><name>ADMIN</name></author><published>2011-02-09T23:17:23Z</published><updated>2011-02-09T23:17:23Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[Sorry for my one week sabbatical.

Someone somewhere once said, "Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." ...So here goes.

I'm grateful for the family I was born into, strong parents who instilled in me values and unwavering faith in God.

I'm grateful for siblings who possess varied personalities and giftings. Liz, for her leadership and gift of giving. Suzanne, for her ability to wrap her arms around so many people and love them, all at once. Andrew, whose leadership and love for life, endears him to so many people. James, for his focus and heart for family. Peter, who is fierce for his family and carries such tenderness in his heart...]]></summary></entry><entry><title>Oxymoron. The Cross</title><id>http://www.oakvalleychurch.org/toms-blog/2011/1/27/oxymoron-the-cross.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.oakvalleychurch.org/toms-blog/2011/1/27/oxymoron-the-cross.html"/><author><name>ADMIN</name></author><published>2011-01-27T23:43:32Z</published><updated>2011-01-27T23:43:32Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[I know it's not yet Easter month, but the Power of the Cross should be every believers passion, at all times. The actual visual of the cross can be unifying and polarizing. To quote the apostle Paul, "We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to believers, foolishness to non-believers."...]]></summary></entry></feed>
