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we keep having all kinds of showings, so we are eating a lot of fast food and right now living at the Johnsons with our dog and soaking up their WI-FI. Maybe we'll be free of our mortgage soon.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Homeless sort of...
we keep having all kinds of showings, so we are eating a lot of fast food and right now living at the Johnsons with our dog and soaking up their WI-FI. Maybe we'll be free of our mortgage soon.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Flyer running!
Today, I got to run around to all the gradeschools and meet with people. It was neat to meet new faces and connect with old friends like Joanie Holbein and Denise Peters. God is so amazing. I got to hear hearts of folks that were hurting, tell people about our Easter Outflow and get waves from a kid who went to my old church in Loveland (www.lovedtolove.com). Anyway, the people of our community and schools really seem open to a church that is trying to practically meet the needs of the children of our area. I hope that a FREE meal and a simple thing like an egg-hunt will provide us with a ridiculous amount of ops to love people like Jesus would. Pray with me friends that our 1,200 flyers will not fall on deaf ears, but on open and supple hearts.
Monday, March 23, 2009
THE SHACK
Hi everybody,Just finished an interesting read. To many it has been controversial and to others life-changing, but I believe that it is by far a worthy read. A story that some have completely missed the point on I think. But for me, this is what I thought...
A book that takes the pain of our lives and teaches us how to walk with God in order to face those pains and grow in our relationship with our heavenly Father. It is a fictional story (for those who prefer non-fiction, like I do, don't be afraid it's worth it) and a wonderful theological dialogue that takes you through one man's journey through his pain to finally give God everything in his life and walk more fully with Father. I encourage all who read it to let go of the symbolism and focus on what is taking place with the main character. His journey is the core of the story.
I personally loved it. It makes you laugh, cry and go really deep all the while entertaining you and challenging you to grow in your faith and forgiveness of others. After I twist Corrie's arm to read it :) I will be passing around my copy.
Thanks goes out to the 1/2 dozen customers at the shop who encouraged me to read it AND big thanks to my dad who let me read his copy.
PLEASE, comment below about THE SHACK if you have read it.
Blessings,
Adam
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Favorite time of the year!
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Print out your bracket today!
UMichigan is in after a decade long drought!
Basketball fans go to http://www.themarchmadness.blogspot.com/ and email adam@orchardmorrow.com ASAP!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Monday was a sad day...
I spent most of Monday afternoon weeping and praying over the decision to fund stem cell research. As most of you know, I am very PRO LIFE and very PRO ADOPTION as opposed to the alternative. It was sad when our current president decided to fund abortions as one of his first acts as president (Read Article), but monday left me extremely sad. This quote is the one that tells it all for me...
"Researchers highly value embryonic stem cells because of their potential to turn into any organ or tissue cell in the body. Stem cells have this ability for a short time. A few days before the embryo would implant in the uterus, it starts to develop into specific cells that will turn into skin or eyes or other parts of a developing fetus. When the embryo is 4 or 5 days old, scientists extract the stem cells and put them in a petri dish. With the removal of these stem cells -- of which there may be about 30 -- the embryo is destroyed."
To read the full article click here.
Please, pray with me that Obama has a change of heart.
Our awesome photographer...
Check out the link to Ashley's site on the right. She's got all kinds of pics of our kids (and dog) like the one below for ordering.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Soaking my head in this right now...
One of our awesome associate pastors Jason Hunley twisted my arm and made me steal a CD from him. Go to http://www.philwickham.com/ and you can download his entire "SingALong" album absolutely free. It is amazing and perfect soacking music.
Good new for the Waters?
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WASHINGTON – The Obama administration kicked off a new program Wednesday that's designed to help up to 9 million borrowers stay in their homes through refinanced mortgages or loans that are modified to lower monthly payments.
Borrowers, however, are being advised to be patient in their efforts to get help because mortgage companies are likely to be flooded with calls.
Government officials, launching the "Making Home Affordable" program also acknowledge that the initiatives are only a partial fix for a sweeping problem that has helped plunge the U.S. economy into the worst recession in decades. In fact, tens of thousands of homeowners in some of the most battered real estate markets — concentrated in California, Florida, Nevada and Arizona — won't be eligible for the two programs.
"It's not intended to prevent every foreclosure or to help every homeowner," a senior Treasury Department official told reporters. "It's really targeted at responsible homeowners."
There was also skepticism that banks would be willing to participate.
"I've just seen so many of the programs not work," said Pava Leyrer, president of Heritage National Mortgage in Randville, Mich. "It gets borrowers hopes up. They call and call for these programs and we can't get anybody to do them."
The Obama administration's program has two parts: one to work with lenders to modify the loan terms for up to 4 million homeowner, the second to refinance up to 5 million homeowners into more affordable fixed-rate loans.
For the modification program, borrowers who are eligible will have to provide their most recent tax return and two pay stubs, as well as an "affidavit of financial hardship" to qualify for the loan modification program, which runs through 2012.
Borrowers are only allowed to have their loans modified once, and the program only applies for loans made on Jan. 1 2009, or earlier. Mortgages for single-family properties that are worth more than $729,750 are excluded.
Lenders could reduce a borrower's interest rate to as low as 2 percent for five years. Rates would then rise to about 5 percent until the mortgage is repaid.
If the plan works as intended, it could be a big plus for borrowers like Nick Kavalary, a network cable installer who lives outside Milwaukee.
Kavalary, 42, has been struggling with JPMorgan Chase & Co. to get a loan modification. He was finally approved for one this year, but it only cuts his interest rate to about 9.8 percent from 10.75 percent. Even at the lower rate, he said, making the payment is nearly impossible.
"If I can't pick up a second job, I'm going to lose this house," he said. "With the job market being the way it is, nobody's hiring nobody."
For the refinance program, only homeowners whose loans are held by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac are eligible and have until June 2010 to apply.
Consumers should contact their loan servicer — the company that sends out their monthly bill — to find out if their mortgages are held by Fannie or Freddie. The two mortgage finance companies own or guarantee almost 31 million home loans — more than half of all U.S home mortgages.
Many mortgage brokers, however, are critical. They argue the fees imposed by Fannie and Freddie over the past year make it difficult for borrowers to afford to refinance. The two companies, which are now government controlled, have yet to detail how they will implement the plan, or whether any fees will be rolled back.
Meanwhile, action to put in place another part of Obama's housing plan is expected soon on Capitol Hill.
House Democrats agreed Tuesday to narrow proposed legislation that gives bankruptcy judges the power to change the terms of mortgage loans for debt-strapped borrowers.
In the latest version of the bill, judges would have to consider whether a homeowner had been offered a reasonable deal by the bank to rework his or her home loan before seeking help in bankruptcy court. Borrowers also would have a responsibility to prove that they tried to modify their mortgages.
A full vote in the House could come as early as Thursday.
Borrowers, however, are being advised to be patient in their efforts to get help because mortgage companies are likely to be flooded with calls.
Government officials, launching the "Making Home Affordable" program also acknowledge that the initiatives are only a partial fix for a sweeping problem that has helped plunge the U.S. economy into the worst recession in decades. In fact, tens of thousands of homeowners in some of the most battered real estate markets — concentrated in California, Florida, Nevada and Arizona — won't be eligible for the two programs.
"It's not intended to prevent every foreclosure or to help every homeowner," a senior Treasury Department official told reporters. "It's really targeted at responsible homeowners."
There was also skepticism that banks would be willing to participate.
"I've just seen so many of the programs not work," said Pava Leyrer, president of Heritage National Mortgage in Randville, Mich. "It gets borrowers hopes up. They call and call for these programs and we can't get anybody to do them."
The Obama administration's program has two parts: one to work with lenders to modify the loan terms for up to 4 million homeowner, the second to refinance up to 5 million homeowners into more affordable fixed-rate loans.
For the modification program, borrowers who are eligible will have to provide their most recent tax return and two pay stubs, as well as an "affidavit of financial hardship" to qualify for the loan modification program, which runs through 2012.
Borrowers are only allowed to have their loans modified once, and the program only applies for loans made on Jan. 1 2009, or earlier. Mortgages for single-family properties that are worth more than $729,750 are excluded.
Lenders could reduce a borrower's interest rate to as low as 2 percent for five years. Rates would then rise to about 5 percent until the mortgage is repaid.
If the plan works as intended, it could be a big plus for borrowers like Nick Kavalary, a network cable installer who lives outside Milwaukee.
Kavalary, 42, has been struggling with JPMorgan Chase & Co. to get a loan modification. He was finally approved for one this year, but it only cuts his interest rate to about 9.8 percent from 10.75 percent. Even at the lower rate, he said, making the payment is nearly impossible.
"If I can't pick up a second job, I'm going to lose this house," he said. "With the job market being the way it is, nobody's hiring nobody."
For the refinance program, only homeowners whose loans are held by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac are eligible and have until June 2010 to apply.
Consumers should contact their loan servicer — the company that sends out their monthly bill — to find out if their mortgages are held by Fannie or Freddie. The two mortgage finance companies own or guarantee almost 31 million home loans — more than half of all U.S home mortgages.
Many mortgage brokers, however, are critical. They argue the fees imposed by Fannie and Freddie over the past year make it difficult for borrowers to afford to refinance. The two companies, which are now government controlled, have yet to detail how they will implement the plan, or whether any fees will be rolled back.
Meanwhile, action to put in place another part of Obama's housing plan is expected soon on Capitol Hill.
House Democrats agreed Tuesday to narrow proposed legislation that gives bankruptcy judges the power to change the terms of mortgage loans for debt-strapped borrowers.
In the latest version of the bill, judges would have to consider whether a homeowner had been offered a reasonable deal by the bank to rework his or her home loan before seeking help in bankruptcy court. Borrowers also would have a responsibility to prove that they tried to modify their mortgages.
A full vote in the House could come as early as Thursday.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Okay God...
So, me and Jesus are slowly starting to communicate again. Corrie and I are beginning to reunderstand life and how things are supposed to work as we interact with his people and kingdom. Not that we haven't been talking to Jesus, but we're doing a much better job of letting him talk with us lately.
Other notes:
Good sermon from a difficult text from Matt today.
Both grandparents have visited the past 2 weekends. It's been good to see them.
We've received some amazing blessings over the past couple of weeks. We'll try to explain it on some level, but it's hard. To those of you who have been amazing to the Waters' and the Orchard (and you know who you are), all we can say is THANK YOU.
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