Craig Daily Press / Faith

Power lifting team set for performance at local church

This weekend’s Sunday morning service at New Creation Church may have more frying pan curling, soda can crushing and phone book ripping than usual. Made up of former body builders, NFL players and Strongman contestants, evangelist John Jacobs’ Next Generation Power Force strength team is set to perform Sunday as part of a Christian mission to spread the word of God in churches across the world. “I have one guy that can wrap a six-foot-long steel bar around three times, and others that can rip two license plates in half like they’re sheets of paper and rip phonebooks in half like it’s nothing,” said Alex Morales, a Miami-based pastor who works as the team’s administrator. And in between the seemingly impossible stunts, Morales said the members tell their stories.

Kate Grobe: Fundraiser a function of community, God

I'm often asked where the funding comes from for the Yampa Valley Pregnancy Center. Churches in this area support us, and there are some individuals who generously send us money, and we have a few fundraisers each year. I also count the numerous and varied donations as support since we get so many valuable items such as food, diapers, clothing, and furniture. This may seem like a strange business model, but the fact is that this enables us to help people. We're often able to meet very specific requests.

Vacation Bible School students assist Love INC with food donation

Surrounded by painted murals, Courtney Orvalla and her brother, Robert, tied colored ribbons around brown paper bags Monday afternoon in the basement of The Journey at First Baptist. The bags, containing dry soup, were designed by Vacation Bible School students, and there was a goal in mind for them. They were being donated to Love In the Name of Christ of the Yampa Valley, a local nonprofit organization. “A lot of (VBS students) were really understanding about it, they were really excited they got to help people out,” said Courtney, of the 70 to 80 children who participated in The Journey's VBS, which took place last week and was themed, "Sonrise National Park."

Vacation Bible School students assist Love INC with food donation

Students spent the week at The Journey's VBS strengthening their faith and focusing on helping others. Throughout the week, children brought in different items to donate while participating in skits, games, snacks, music, crafts, and learning new topics every day.

Karen Gibson: Home is where the heart is

Wow, what an awesome morning I had. The temperature was perfect, and sitting out on the back deck in the sunshine was like a gift from God. Other than the birds chirping it was completely quiet. You and I both know these moments of tranquility are short-lived. When we are able to capture one of these special moments, we appreciate them. I also appreciate the gift of a home and a deck where I can sit outside whenever I choose. There is no law that says everyone must be given a place to live. “You have to earn it,” the pundits say. Occasionally someone buys a raffle ticket and wins a house (however, I don’t recommend raffles), sometimes it comes with the occupation one has, but most of the time it takes money to get a place to live. Is it necessary the community of faith accepts the burden, responsibility or privilege of helping people find places to live? I support the Love In the Name of Christ model of providing help in the community. I know there are other good agencies in Moffat County that provide rental money. However, Love INC recognizes the need for emergency housing and accountability at the same time.

Katie Grobe: In life, the only constant is change

Change is a part of life. We change jobs, homes, interests, and some of us even change towns, fairly often. Change is something we can seek out or something that can be thrust upon us. Changes can be as large as relocating across the globe or as small as substituting oatmeal for cold cereal each morning. Accepting change can be a real challenge for some of us, and even a slight hiccup in our daily schedules can make things quite difficult.

Pastor Linda Taylor: Hash Browns

Last week I thought I would surprise my husband and fix him a nice breakfast. I was going all out: bacon, eggs, hash browns toast, and a glass of orange juice. I thought he would be surprised, mostly shocked being this does not happen very often. It’s usually a slice of toast and some bacon. I started getting the food out to fix and realized I didn’t have any hash browns, I had potatoes I could have peeled and fried, “but let’s not get carried away.” Frozen hash browns is the only way to go. My husband was busy working outside, so that gave me time to run to the store for some frozen hash browns. I hurried and grabbed my purse and keys and headed for the store thinking, “how surprised he will be to have a nice breakfast.”

Craig couple reunites through hardship, faith

As Barbara Jean Sonntag sees it, her husband Frank has nothing if not a good sense of humor. It doesn’t take long to see what she means. At their Craig home Monday morning, she lists off the names and ages of their five children — Jeff, 51; Lisa, 50; Richard, 49; Danny, 47; and Cathy, 43—when Frank chimes in. Having children, he said, is “like eating peanuts. Once you start, you can’t quit.”

Briefs for April 28: Medicare counseling in Craig

Medicare consultations take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday in room 106 of Colorado Northwestern Community College’s Bell Tower Building, 50 College Drive. Betsy Packer, with the State Health Insurance Assistance Program, is available the first and third Tuesdays of every month to offer one-on-one help to residents with Medicare and their families. The consultations are free and confidential, and they are open to residents who receive Medicare, which is for people 65 and older, or who will be receiving Medicare services in the near future. For more information, call Packer at 819-6937 or call 1-888-696-7213.

Holiday services, events scheduled

The following is a list of Easter services and events slated for Moffat County:

Neil Folks: What about the other 80 percent?

Years ago, and I won’t tell on my age, we were taught 80 percent of communication between people on a personal and professional basis was non-verbal. That means most of our relationships are built on something non-verbal. Imagine that. Something occurs in the space between two people that’s not always transmitted, frequently referred to as vibes, at the unconscious level. I’m starting to note a huge gap occurring between us where sensations or vibes are not flowing.

Dreams of a distant shore: Craig couple fulfilling shared goal to work and serve overseas

John and Tracey Wall’s life together could be a blueprint for the American dream. They own a house on Yampa Avenue, complete with a back yard, a dog and a couple of cozy-looking hammocks on the front porch. John, 36, works as an accountant at Colowyo Coal Co. Tracey, 32, was until recently a physican’s assistant at Moffat Family Clinic. They have a 17-month-old daughter, Adalynn, with another due in April.

Karen Gibson: Shout Hosanna!

In most churches this coming Sunday, there will be some form of palms being waved. In fact, there may be some Saturday night worship services, or masses where palms will be waved. It is a tradition that traces back in history to the time when the incarnate Jesus lived among other humans. In fact, Jesus’ popularity had spread to the point that when Jesus and his disciples made plans to attend the Passover in Jerusalem, special plans were made on how Jesus would enter Jereusalem.

Letter: It's time to wake up America

It’s time to wake up, America, as the Apostle Paul wrote concerning the end times, which we are living. But know this: in the last days perilous times will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemous, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, slanderous, brutal, despisers of good, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. Doesn’t this accurately describe our modern age? As part of the end of times scenario, Jesus described droughts, famines, fires, floods, earthquakes, and other disasters on a global scale, events we have seen regularly in recent years.

Journey of the heart: Tour through Israel leaves Craig pastor with ‘great hope’

In the heart of Jerusalem stands a ruin from a distant past. It may not look like much to the curious tourist. The stones in the ancient wall are worn, and a few weeds sprout in the cracks between them. But if you know the Bible like Len Browning does, you know the significance of this place. It’s a reminder of the Jewish temple destroyed nearly two millennia ago. The temple housed the Holy of Holies, which is believed to be the place where God himself dwelled.