I have moved...

Thank you for visiting me at "For What it's Worth". I appreciate your visit and would like to invite you to visit my new website and blog. You can find it at jjriley.net. Please feel free to check out the new site and tell me what you think. I look forward to hearing from you there.

Have a great day...

Once again the site is jjriley.net...come on over!

Where do you run when life turns upside - down?

Proverbs:18:10
The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Are you in trouble? Is your life out of your control? There’s only one you can run to who can see you through…He’ll be your Strong Tower. Run to him…he’s trustworthy.

Thank God for little children!

During worship this past Sunday – my daughter Kendall – age six – held up and waved a piece of paper that she had drawn several hearts on. As the congregation is singing, and Kendall is waving this piece of paper with the hearts – my wife inquires as to what, exactly she is doing.

Her reply – “I’m showing God how much I love him!”

I may be a little slow... but I didn't miss this one.

My Thoughts on Winter ...

This may sound a little strange – but I really enjoy winter. It’s not just the winter… I love all four seasons. I especially enjoy them in Southern Ohio. Don’t get me wrong… winter, to me, is forth on a short list of four seasons – but it’s still amazing. I believe God reveals a little of himself to us through every season, and winter is no different, just a little colder. The night skies are so clear in the winter that it seems you can just reach up and touch the stars – and snow covered pine trees display a beauty that can only be born out of God's awesome creativity.

Spring and fall are my favorites by far – but summer and winter are amazing.

There are a few details that when present make the winter much more pleasant. One detail would be snow – lots of it and often. Along with the snow comes sleigh riding, snowman (snow people) building with Kristin and Kendall, and snow ball fights… you can’t go wrong there. A second detail would be warm enough temperatures on occasion – 40 to 45 degrees – to play just enough golf to keep what game I have from getting too rusty.

The only problem I can see with winter is that after the National Championship Game and the Super Bowl – the college and pro football seasons are over and baseball season is still a few months away. Sport fans are left with little more on ESPN than basketball and hockey. College basketball is pretty cool, but still leaves us a little sports starved during the coldest months of the year. I’m thankful that Golf starts in February, at least we can watch Tiger, Ernie, Phil, Rich, and the others between hockey fights and missed traveling calls in pro basketball.

By the way… I went to a fight one time – and three hockey games broke out! (Sorry)

Which season is your favorite – winter, spring, summer, or fall?

My Music...

Here is a small list of the music CDs I’ve been enjoying lately – and would highly recommend to you as well.

Toby Mac: Portable Sounds
Newsboys: Go
Jars of Clay: Good Monsters
Relient K: 5 Score and Seven Years Ago
David Crowder Band: Remedy

All of these CDs contain songs that are very powerful and relevant. The groups share great lyrics with great music – focused on God… what more could you want in the music you listen to.

Here are the lyrics to one of the songs on the Go CD by Newsboys…

Secret Kingdom/Newsboys

This here comes breakin' in
Like brick to glass

Like grace to sin
Gonna kick down walls like West Berlin
Shout an amen

Hug it out, then
This here's gonna light a fire
Gonna pink slip preaching to the choir
Gonna send us hobbits outta the shire
Here's the theme song
Get your ring on
That there's still propagating, waiting on a rooftop
Our journey's just begun...

COME HERE, A LITTLE BIT CLOSER
I WANNA TAKE YOU TO A SECRET KINGDOM
IT'S HERE SPINNING OUR WORLD AROUND
TURN IT UPSIDE DOWN
THIS HERE IS BIGGER THAN SHOW BIZ
IT'S GONNA SHOW US WHAT THE GOOD NEWS REALLY IS
THIS HERE IS SPINNING OUR WORLD AROUND
'TIL WE'VE GOT NO FEAR

This here won't be contained
By culture, wars and trendy names
Been there, done that, wore out the t-shirts
Don't need free perks
Don't need knee jerks
This here still wakes the dead
Still gets God's people Spirit-led
Gonna put in action all we've read
Not all enraged, just all engaged
'Cause that there's still fabricating kingdoms out of boxes
We're gonna leave that slum

This here wants faithfulness, not easy fixes
This here won't shrink to fit no politics, yeah
This here knows whistles make for better mixes

COME HERE, A LITTLE BIT CLOSER
I WANNA TAKE YOU TO A SECRET KINGDOM
IT'S HERE SPINNING OUR WORLD AROUND
TURN IT UPSIDE DOWN
THIS HERE IS BIGGER THAN SHOW BIZ
IT'S GONNA SHOW US WHAT THE GOOD NEWS REALLY IS
THIS HERE IS SPINNING OUR WORLD AROUND'TIL WE'VE GOT NO FEAR

The lyrics to this song are great – but it’s even better when put to music.

So… who is your favorite group – and what are you listening to on your ipod – CD player -- or radio right now?

Shooting in Portsmouth

A few hours ago a man entered Notre Dame Elementary School where he shot and stabbed one of the teachers who authorities believe to be his wife. The town is pretty much in shock… everywhere I’ve been today in Portsmouth the people want to talk about it hoping somehow to make sense of the whole thing. Obviously the most concerned are the parents of children in the Portsmouth area schools.

It’s a bizarre and sad day in Portsmouth… as you may know Innermission Campus Ministry is about 4 blocks from Notre Dame Elementary – and approximately 8 blocks from where the Portsmouth Police – Scioto Co. Sheriff’s Department – and the Ohio State Patrol have a block of Argonne Road shut down as the gunman is holdup in a house there.

The students here at Innermisson are anxious and hopeful for how all of this will turn out. We are all concerned for the victim of the shooting – the children at the Notre Dame Elementary School who knew the teacher well…and saw all of this happen – and for the man who is responsible for the shooting.

There are helicopters flying all around Portsmouth, and one is pretty much hovering right over Shawnee State University, and Innermission. As I said before… there is a lot of anxiety in this town today. Please pray for everyone who this tragedy has and will touch.

You and Me - Unity

I think amazing is the word I’m looking for…I think.

As I read the story of The “Tower of Babel” it seems to me that our God finds unity amazing. I want to say impressive – but I don’t think God finds us all that impressive. I know he loves us with a love we can’t comprehend – and that he’s relentless in his loving pursuit of us – but I don’t think he’s really all that impressed with us. So at least for now I’ll use the word amazing – I think it fits. If you follow the link to Genesis 11:1-9 you can read the story of the “Tower of Babel” and decide for yourself.

Genesis 11:1-9

When I read this story I think it’s clear that their unity is more than just interesting to God. And I believe they did more than “get his attention.” The result of their unity – both in what they we able to accomplish and the steps God took to bring it to a halt, point to something amazing – and unity is amazing.

For a more insight into unity follow this link…

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

There are so many directions we could go from here, but just let me say this…

If they could accomplish so much by working together on their own… can you imagine what we could accomplish if we allowed God to unite us – to make us one in him? There would be no end to the amazing things he could accomplish through us.

But the most amazing thing our unity in him would accomplish can be found by clicking on the scripture link below…

John 17:20-23

If you have any thoughts on unity – please feel free to share…

Take a Hike...

Hocking Hills hosted their annual Winter Hike this past Saturday the 19th. The weather forecast called for temps in the mid 20s – and for snow flurries and showers. Despite the cold temps, there was an estimated 5,000 hikers that took part in the hike, and I’m proud to say that our group of Innermission students as well as a few from Sunshine made up 18 of those 5,000 hikers.

The Winter Hike is always a great time, and the scenery is spectacular -- it's like a small part of God's amazing art gallery. We have participated in the hike for several years now, and always look forward to it with great anticipation.

Here are a few pics from the hike this year...

Click on any pic to enlarge it.

God is amazing, and it's always a blessing to see his handiwork. Not only in the things he created, but especially in people, his most magnificient creation of all.

BTW -- Please remember to pray for the 7 members of Sunshine who are on day 4 of their week long mission trip in Haiti.

Haiti Mission Trip

In approximately 17 hours and 15 minutes 7 members of Sunshine - Brandy Gampp, Scott Gampp, Aaron Kallner, Matthew Gampp, Mike Dixon, Jason Coriell and Karen Griffith – will be departing from Port Columbus Airport in Columbus, Ohio. They will be embarking – with many prayers and much love – on a mission trip for 1 week to Haiti to work together with "Hope for Haiti’s Children." We appreciate their hearts and honor them for their desire to serve the Lord by ministering to the needs of the people of Haiti.

Please remember to pray for the team and their families – that all will go well and that God will use them for his purpose and will.

The following is an excerpt from a prayer of Saint Patrick taken from “My Sacrifice His Fire,” by Anne Ortlund.


I establish myself today in:
The power of God to guide me,
The might of God to uphold me,
The wisdom of God to teach me,
The eye of God to watch over me,
The ear of God to hear me,
The word of God to speak to me,
The hand of God to protect me,
The way of God to lie before me,
The shield of God to shelter me,
The hosts of God to defend me,
Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ in breadth, Christ in length,
Christ in Height, Christ in the heart
of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who
speaks to me,
Christ in the ear of every man who
hears me.
Confident in Christ.

Serve well in His strength guys, we’re praying for you, and we love you.

Adventure Kingdom – Adventure for His Kingdom…

Kendall and I went to Adventure Kingdom for a while Thursday evening.. She loves to play in their Jungle Gym and I get a kick out of watching her have fun.

I thought there would be a huge crowd to deal with, but to my surprise the place was basically empty, except for a dad who had brought his three sons for an evening of fun and games. Other than that we had the joint all to ourselves.

You know the scene… parents pass one another, smile and nod, while chasing their child from one place to next. From time to time your kids are actually at the same place at the same time and you make small talk...

“How are you? It looks like your sons are a lot of fun.” I remarked.

He replied, “Thanks, your little girl is pretty.” To his sons, “Guys be a little careful around her,” Then turning to me, “You know how boys can be.”

Anyway, after a few of these 20 second visits I introduced myself, “I’m Jamie Riley,” to which he replied “I’m Steve (last name omitted),” and then he added “Things have been pretty hard lately, my wife just served me with divorce papers and I didn’t see it coming…”

I have to admit -- I didn’t see this coming at all either. I want to be available for God, and he gives me wonderful opportunities. But for some reason I thought the only thing God was using me for at this time was to love his little girl/my daughter Kendall, by allowing her to do one of her favorite winter things…play at Adventure Kingdom. But by this time I’m fully aware that he has more than one thing in mind for me.

I told Steve I was very sorry for what he was going through, and asked if there was anything I could do. He simply said “Please pray.” I said I would and told him I would ask some of my friends to pray as well. After offering to listen anytime, I gave him my cell number, and told him about Sunshine, a place where God is working in the lives of his people, and that he would be very welcome with us.

We shared a little more about our lives and as we left I assured him that I and others would be praying for him and his family. So please remember Steve, his wife, and their three sons as you spend time with God, I trust he will do something great for them.