Jake Rinard

Your Darkest Hour

Jake Rinard — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:16:02 +0000

Acts 16:25-27 (NLT)
25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!

Paul and Silas were in jail for preaching. They were locked up, it was midnight. They had been beaten, roughed up, they sat on the floor I am sure in puddles of blood and cold. Yet, they found reason to be positive.

It is in our darkest hours, our roughest times that if we find reason to be positive that the greatest things can happen. You see Paul and Silas were set free! A very large earthquake broke the prison from its foundations, the prison doors flew open, and the chains fell off of every prisoner.

Find reason to be encouraged when life is rough. Be positive, put a smile on your face, and talk about the good things. This will set you free!

Not only that but read on further in Acts 16:

27 The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”

29 The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.”

While in their darkest hour they found reason to be cheerful in the darkest hour and now the lives of others were being saved! Sometimes praising God in the dark times can be a sacrifice, but don’t do it because of how you feel, but because of who God is, He is worthy to be praised. Be encouraged, find reason to be happy, spread your happiness, and watch it spread!

Marlo Update and Chuck E Cheese

Easter Planning for the Whole Family

Jake Rinard — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:56:16 +0000

We are putting together our Easter Team and it is going to be a great time at Hurst. Seriously, we are going to keep it simple, yet very good. It will be a place where kids, teens, and adults want to come and have a good time while learning about the real F word, Forgiveness.

Big plans in the works and I am not going to tell you now as the team needs to begin getting the ideas set in stone. You won’t want to miss the weeks leading up to Easter and following Easter. I am telling you now, it is going to be good.

More details will follow here and at Hurst Church.

Random Posts

Big Things, Exciting, and Amazing

Jake Rinard — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:49:42 +0000

What What! Where is time going? I can’t believe we are at the midway point of February already. Time is fun when you are having flies!

Today is Valentine’s day, Marlo’s first. Marlo turned 9 months old a few days back as well, which makes her adjusted age 6 months. She is really growing quickly and weighs in at over 14 pounds. She is learning to sit up, spit up with more accuracy, and cry. Marlo is a real delight, and keeps us all walking on cloud 9 most of the time. We appreciate even the crying times at 2am, because we cherish every moment.

The other kids seem to be adjusting well and all of them are excelling in their school work. Phil is becoming quite the guitarist and when he plays we all find it very enjoyable to listen. I am of course pushing him to play many of the classic rock songs.

Life is pretty exciting and many things are coming together. 2012 is shaping out to be a unique and amazing year. Big things to come!

Sunday Mind Dump – January 22, 2012

Jake Rinard — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:54:15 +0000

Sunday was exhausting
Everything seemed to be off today
Lead singer lost her voice
Switched out songs last minute
Music was rough as a result of the 2 things above
Things didn’t click
In the end, people came forward with requests for prayer to help broken relationships, marriages, families, and for others.
The service had huge bumps, but in the end it was a powerful day
Children’s wing is being redone, including the foyer, hallways, and more
Our focus on children will now be evident!
If you walk in our doors you will know that we love children
New faces and old faces are being seen again at Hurst Church!
Excitement is contagious, and it is spreading

I am a little late with this Sunday recap of Hurst Church, but hey here it is!

Name Picked – Message to Spread

Jake Rinard — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 06:47:05 +0000

Marsha and I have been praying and searching for a new name to share our message to the world. One where we can spread a message of hope and joy through pain and suffering. One that can look back on the lives of John Carter Rinard and Claire Rinard and extend a hand of hope to all the suffering children and parents in this world.

Tonight, I think we have found just the right name. It is Sparrow’s Heart. The site was just set up a few minutes ago and is basic, but will be developed rapidly, so please bookmark this site, and share it with others as we aim to be a shoulder for others.

Please keep in mind that this page in its current form not the final form and it will be regularly changing and being updated. We only put some placeholders that mean a lot to us to remind us all of how precious life is.

January 1 – Sunday Night Dump

Jake Rinard — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 23:58:03 +0000

It was a really good service at Hurst Church today.
The reason it was good was because we took some good steps in multiple areas
Had a good message, but could have hit it harder
Decent turnout for January 1
We will begin working with the leadership team and laying out the future
I am really excited about what is ahead for everyone that attends Hurst Church and the people it will affect in the community around
We are laying the ground work for some good things in the Fort Worth area
If you know anything about set design, lighting, or sound we want you! Uncle Sam Wants You!
Do you like drama? Do you like putting together costumes, acting, or anything to do with a very well done Easter drama? If so, we need to hear from you.
Easter Easter Easter!

That’s it for tonight. I am tired from the holidays and kicking things off here in Fort Worth. It is going to be a fun wild ride!

Why am I Excited for Christmas?

Jake Rinard — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 20:43:04 +0000

I am very excited about Christmas in 2012. Why? Multiple reasons. Our family has had a rough couple of years with the birth and subsequent death of our son John Carter Rinard in 2010, then a miscarriage, followed by a twin pregnancy that ended in the result of beautiful Claire Rinard going home to Heaven, and Marlo Joy an amazing miracle born 14 weeks premature, and fighting for life. Today Marlo is home with us in Texas, and making her presence felt! My parents were involved in a horrific car accident and survived. The list goes on, but why does that make Christmas special in 2012?

Christmas 2012, is on a Sunday. What a great day to celebrate the birth of Jesus. So, we celebrate new life, the life of our Savior, and the new life that is ours for the asking. This Christmas, I will celebrate with my entire family, all my brothers and sisters. All of us! This is the first time in 16 years all of my siblings were together for Christmas! Another reason to celebrate new life!

I am celebrating the life that gives life to all this Christmas.

If you are in the Fort Worth area, please consider joining us for a brief and memorable Christmas service at 10:30 celebrating the greatest gift we all have been given. Click here for location details for Christmas 2012.

Kick Off Week and Christmas Service at Hurst Church

Jake Rinard — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:29:11 +0000

We made the big move and rented out our old house.
We kicked off the first Sunday service and it all went well.
We have a lot to work on at the church, but will focus on a few things for now.
We need a band!
Sunday evening Installation Service had a lot of people show up, and a great meal afterwards.
The people at Hurst Church know how to put the food on the table!
We need a band!
Last night, we had our annual Christmas Open House, which was attended by about 70% of the people from the church!
Next year, I hope to get neighborhood people invited and joining in at the open house.
We need a band! (did I say this before?)
Seriously, if you like to play music, we may have a fun team for you to help out with. Can you sing, play keyboard, bass, lead…. We want something upbeat and fun. If you can have fun, we have a place!!

We are having a Christmas Day Service!!! So many Christmas Eve services, we opted for the Christmas Day service, and we will have a great time of Carols and a short talk on The Greatest Christmas Gift of All at Hurst Church on Pipeline. Service will start at 10:30, and should be over by 11:15.

Struggle | Get Up Again

Jake Rinard — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:11:16 +0000

When I suffer it is hard for me to know what to say and what not to say. What is appropriate and what is not?

We all suffer at times, life is full up disappointments. I tend to try to use my down times to help others, and thus don’t want to always say what I am feeling. Other times, which is most times I have no idea what I am really feeling and unfortunately at times what I am saying.

What I do know is that pain hurts. Life hurts. I aim to be strong, I aim to lean on God, I aim to lean on my friends, and I aim to help you with your pain. My suffering has affected me in many ways. So many ways that I don’t even notice them all, but am reminded of them by those I love when I blow it big time.

What I do know, is that I aim to please my wife and children, mom and dad, and most of all bring glory to God. I struggle to do this at times, but please remember I will always try to get up again.

Name Picked – Message to Spread

Cutest Cow You Have Ever Seen

Jake Rinard — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:57:10 +0000

Now, I live in the Dairy Capitol of the world currently. We know a good looking cow when we see one. The other day, a cow was in my house, and I reckon it was the most beautiful cow I have ever seen.

What do you think?

Cutest Cow in the World

I want to be a pig!

Some Pics from Mellowland

Jake Rinard — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 03:07:10 +0000

We took some fun pics this week as we got prepared to carve the pumpkin! Emma was good at asking to carve the pumpkin, and we were a bit slow on the uptake, but we came through in the end!

What an AWESOME big Brother!

Yup, always cute no matter the pose.

Beautiful Emma, and Cutie Pie Marlo

All my kids. Yes that includes the big one too.

Pictures linked from my Mellowland.

Random Posts

Boise State vs. Air Force and DFW

Jake Rinard — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 03:23:27 +0000

I am traveling to Dallas/Fort Worth area over the weekend. I am looking forward to meeting some new friends and seeing my family. It is a quick trip, but will be a great one.

While away I will miss the Boise State football game. This I of course do not like. Being back in the States, I am so happy that I have the Versus TV channel where Boise State is playing host to Air Force. Being an airman myself makes this game an even more exciting one (if that is possible). I am sad to miss it live, but will have it on the DVR, and watch it with my son when I get back.

Air Force could be a surprisingly tough opponent. Their offense just may be pretty tough for our defense. It should be a much better opponent than Colorado State was.

My family in Fort Worth will have to do their best to not let the outcome of the game be known to me. This will be tough, but I hope they can do it.

Go BSU!

Peeking Around the Corner

Jake Rinard — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 02:41:18 +0000

I have been enjoying every minute of this time with the family. I have had fun times with each of the kids and my wife. The new addition of Marlo to the household has been very exciting. I find myself awake most hours of the night, just wanting to watch her as she sleeps.

She is struggling with some of her eating. We were told this is a common issue with micro-preemies, and sure enough it is for Marlo, the one who the nurses always commented read the book on preemies. Even with her eating and her spitting up, she is a delight for us all. None of us can get enough of little Marlo.

I know I am not updating often, and neither is my wife, but if you check both sites you may get a couple of updates each week. Her blog is Adventures in Mellowland.

Please keep us in your prayers as we seek the Lord’s will in our lives. We feel that something is right around the corner!

Attitude During Tough Times | Invite God’s Blessings

Jake Rinard — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 03:01:55 +0000

“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” Philippians 2:5 NLT

Have you ever been around a person that no matter, what he can find something to gripe about? No fun. What about being around a person who will have a bubbly personality at all times?

Zig Ziglar once said, “It’s not what happens to you that determines how far you will go in life ;it is how you handle what happens to you.”

When life hits hard, when the blows keep coming, it is how we handle the blows. When the winds blow, it is how we navigate the sails that determines our outcome. When we face adversity, we determine the outcome by our attitude.

When adversity comes your way, are you going to respond in a way that promotes a positive outcome or a negative outcome? Will you be nice to the person who mistreats you, or will you respond in a similar nasty way? Some people get all bent out of shape when adversity crosses their path. But, it is the negative attitude that will stop the positive way God wants to move in your life.

To allow God to work and bless yourself and those around you, we must choose to have an attitude that welcomes God to do the miracles he wants to bless you with. We must choose to respond to the hard times by choosing to be positive.

Today, invite God to do amazing things by keeping the right attitude. Stay positive, fight the good fight, and press on to the blessings that God wants to spread on His people.

Random Posts

Celebrate and Road to Recovery

Jake Rinard — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 15:10:02 +0000

We are spending some time at the San Diego Wildlife Park. Last year we took the family there as one of the first things we did on our path of getting busy and back on track after Johnny died.

It was a good day last year, and today a day of remembrance while we celebrate our our little Marlo.

Life can be so very tough, but take it a step at at time, focus on each other and hold tight!

Great to be Home – Not To Trade

Jake Rinard — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 23:23:53 +0000

It is great to be back with the family. We have just been enjoying each other and getting caught up on sleep. Well, not catching up with a newborn, but well wishing we were catching up on our sleep.

I wouldn’t trade this for anything in the world.

Message of Hope for a Hurting World

Jake Rinard — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 21:28:49 +0000

This is a sermon I gave recently on hope. As life has been tough on so many people the last few years, the message of Hope to a hurting world has never been more needed than now.

To Listen to Sermon Push Play:

To Download Sermon Click Here: Hope in a Box

More messages will be posted as they become available.

To have Jake and Marsha speak at your location please use the Contact Page.

Countdown To Home Has Begun

Jake Rinard — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 22:35:23 +0000

My countdown to home has begun, and I can’t wait. It will have been 6 weeks. 6 weeks away is far too long. The time before this was 8 weeks away – FAR TOO LONG! It is great to have work, and a paycheck. We definitely count our blessings. But, nothing takes the place of “us”.

This trip home will be so different than the last trip home. My last trip was spent in the hospital, except for the day we took the kids to Disneyland, and the days I felt I may be sick (not worth the risk of being in a NICU spreading germs). It was hard to come back to Australia, while little Marlo was still in the hospital. Now, when I go home I will be greeted by Marlo! She will welcome me home. How wonderful.

All of my kids in the same house! The older kids are deep into school, and I hear they are doing quite well. I have a sophomore, freshmen, and a 7th grader! Just a few days, and we will ALL be together at our home!

Family, such a wonderful thing.