The Hardest words you will ever say

    On Saturday September 15th, I had the opportunity to work side by side with many other youth at the Big Day of Sevice on Yorkville Illinois. I spent my day at low income housing for Senior Citizens. As the day drew to a close, with the work accomplished and now only having to clean-up and put away the tools that we had used, I found myself looking around for a few of our youth wondering, where are they and why are they not helping out! I found them taking break and visiting with some of the people whom we had been working for. I jumped them for not helping out the rest of the youth who were outside do some of thier work. They hurried to thier feet and began to help. Later, that week I felt remorse over what I had done. You see these kids were not just working to help ourt a few Senior Citizens and then going home, they were spending real time with them in conversation & caring for them in a different way.
      I teach our youth in Sunday schol and this Sunday I asked for Forgiveness for my attitude towards them and I let them know how much I appreciated them striking up a relationship with these folks who get way to little company.
     The hardest words you and I will ever say are, "Please forgive me" or "I forgive you".  For those of you in Church on Sunday we talked a little about this, but I can never stress enough the impact that you and I saying these words can have on our families, Churches and in the place that you work. The healing they can bring to both the sayer and the recipient. I am grateful that my youth forgave me and for the spiritual freedom I now have because I asked for forgivenes and it was granted!
     If all went well I have included two music video's for you to watch that express how hard it is to Forgive, but also the freedom it brings to Giver and Reciever. The words are powerful. May they move you to offer Forgiveness you have been denying or Forgiveness you need to ask for. The hardest words you will ever say, but when said, Oh the peace that will come over you as well!
   Love you All! Your Brother in Christ Pastor Rick Koch Dutchtown Church         


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1Lu5udXEZI

My Bass Thumb

    This past Saturday I was driving to Yorkville Illinois with some high school youth to work for the day on a mission project. On the drive in one of the kids noticed a band-aid on my thumb and began to kid me how I had not even done any work yet and I was already hurt! Then they asked what I had done to my thumb. I told that I had a Bass Thumb. They gave me a look, probably much like the look some of you now have on your faces, unless you are an avid fisherman. You see earlier in the week I had been Largemouth Bass fishing one evening and had caught several. In the process of taking the hook out of their mouth's you simply grab the fishes lower lip with your thumb and it neutralizes them while you take out the hook or lure. So why was my thumb in need of a band-aid. The lower lip is covered with an area that is like a very gritty sandpaperer, and in time if you catch enough fish that lower lip tears away at your skin, as it did mine. In a way this Bass thumb of mine was my "Badge of Honor" for catching fish. A source of great pride.  
     Earlier today I began to wonder what scars or marks are upon my life that show that I am a follower of Jesus? Do people around me see me any differently then they see anyone else? Are we wearing our Faith in Christ in a way that is leading others who do not know Him, towards Him? Do we bear any scars from standing up for Christ? I sure hope so!
      Go forth this week and be the body of Christ bearing His mark upon your lives!
               Pastor Rick Koch Dutchtown Church 

Sunrise

   Is there anything more awesome crerated by God, more majestic then a Sunrise! Today when I got up I blew off running or working out. Just didn't have the get up and go. So I got out to Church a bit earlier then ususal and as I went to park my car I found myself pulling over to the north side of my church where I had full view of the sun arising. The vivid colors put many rainbows to shame,  the beauty of one causes me to praise God for his word in Lamentations 3:22 & 23. "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness". And as I was watching the sunrise and in prayer, the song "In Wonder" from the Newsboys began to play on my radio. Wow, what a rush, a surge of Holy Adreneline pouring through my body. I have included that Song/video for you to enjoy as well. Have a blessed day. Pastor Rick Koch Dutchtown Church 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6bBxO37LE4

Passwords

    I don't know about you, but I get frustrated from time to time about having all of the different "Passwords" that I need to have so that "I" can even get access to my own computer files and sites that I have saved under my Favorites site. I will "Fess Up" and say that part of the problem is me simply trying to remember what Password I need to use for each site. And then of course there are times when I get so frustrated trying to "Sign In" that I change my Password and then I get this message that there is a 24 hour "Waiting Period" before I can access my files because I changed my Password and that all of this is for my own protection! Oh joy! Don't these people know that I almost missed my Fantasy Football draft over a silly password issue!
       Anyway, amidst my frustration I got to thinking about what a wonderful Father we have in Heaven in that He requires NO password from us to speak to Him whenever we want! You see when Jesus died on the cross scripture tells us in Matthew 27:51 that the curtain in the Temple separating the the Holy of Holies, the place where the Ark of the Covenant was held, that this curtain was torn in two from top to bottom giving everyone direct access to our Father in Heaven 24/7! Thanks be to our Lord who makes it so easy to have access to Him, to pray to Him and to know that He is listening and ready to respond to you and I. So the next time you have an issue with a Password, remember how much God Loves you and gives you access to Him, to listen to you, to bless you and build you up in your faith.
          Have a Joy Filled Week! Pastor Rick Koch Dutchtown Church    

"THe Blow Out"

     It was late afternoon on Wednesday, August 15th. Beckie and I had taken a vacation day and now were were taking Drew and Emma into Chicago to Brookfield Zoo for the day. They had stayed the night with us on Tuesday so that we could get an early start. To make a long Zoo story short, we arrived at Brookfield at 10:00a.m. and did not leave until 4:00p.m. We spent the day seeing all that we could amidst the intense heat. It was now time to go home and there was no way to get around the mid-afternoon Chicago traffic. What a bummer! We barely made it out of the parking lot before Drew fell fast asleep. A little while later Emma nodded off and then Beckie took little cat naps as we began our trek home. There I was left to fend for myself. That's what Grandpas do. After driving for about 40 minutes or so the traffic thinned out a bit. I was in the middle lane and I found myself smack dab behind a Semi with a load of  very large metal pipes. I began to day dream about how tragic it would be if his load of pipes came undone and the danger it would cause to us motorists. So I decided that I needed to get around and in front of him! As I got along side of the truck, I heard what sounded like a gun shot or small explosion! One of the trucks inside duals had blown out and pieces of the tire began flying everywhere! With me now beside him I was spared the brunt of the onslaught of the dangerous debris. I began to pray for those cars behind me and the driver of the truck as well that he could get his Semi to the side of the road safely amidst the now early evening traffic. When the Adrenaline rush began to subside within me, I began then to realize that my day dream was actually the still small voice of God urging me to to get around this truck. You might call it coincidence, luck, karma or fate. But I know it to be the voice of God. Thanks be to Him for His protection on that day and to the Holy Spirit causing me to listen. This week I urge you to listen for God's voice as you meander through the days ahead! To Go be the Glory!
        Your Brother in Christ, Pastor Rick Koch Dutchtown Church