Darryl and Tracy Strawberry

Our worship service this past Sunday was a continuation of the HopeFest weekend! Below is a link to the video of our pastor, Geoff, talking with Darryl and Tracy Strawberry. It is not terribly long, and I hope that you will view it! I cannot tell you how much it moved me and caused me to reevaluate my commitment to Christ. The Holy Spirit moved in a huge way in our service, and lives were changed!


http://vimeo.com/42813202

HopeFest Celebration!

Our church's annual Hope Epidemic and HopeFest celebration was this past weekend! I have wanted to post about it since last Saturday, but I didn't know where to start. As someone said Sunday morning at church: "So many things happened that I don't even know what happened!"

We met at the Family Life Center early Saturday morning to have breakfast, get our shirts, and find out our assignments. Over 1100 volunteers had signed up for various tasks all over our town: cleaning up cemeteries and parks, visiting nursing homes, passing out Bibles, taking baked goods to ethnic restaurants, working at the Food Bank, etc. Volunteers worked until 11:30, and then we met at an off-site location to celebrate. The entire town was invited to come and eat for free, receive free haircuts and health screenings, and listen to some great bands and testimonies.

I cannot begin to explain what a blessing it was to be a part of this event. Of course, there are all the benefits and blessings you would expect, like seeing people's needs met, and reaching out to people you didn't know. But....perhaps the most exciting part for me was working side-by-side with other believers who just wanted to serve. It was amazing to see so many people put aside their own wants and desires and instead just reach out to others. The humility I saw all around me was inspiring.

God did some tremendous things this past weekend in our town. I probably will never know how many people were affected. I know that some people became believers that day, and some people renewed their desire to live wholeheartedly for Christ. It was impossible to be there and not be changed.

Blessings.....

p.s. In the picture above, Ron caught us taking a break to listen to the concerts!

Jesus loves them.....

"Jesus loves me this I know...

For the Bible tells me so."

We all know that special children's song we sang in Vacation Bible School and church when we were little. I have sung it over my own children as I tenderly rocked them to sleep. I didn't get to do that with JJ, but I pray every day that Jesus' love is a reality in his life. I have sung it to precious Collin as I held him in my lap and gave him a bottle. I wanted them to know, above all else, that Jesus does indeed love them.

This past Sunday morning, Pastor Geoff led us to sing this sweet song in the sermon. Then, he asked us to join him as we sung it a little differently. He changed the word "me" to "them". That made a huge impression on me.

God's message to me has been unrelenting in pointing me to others lately. Jesus does love me!!!! But....there are is a whole world out there, and some of those people don't know that Jesus loves them so much! What a difference that truth made in my life. My heart hurts for those who have not experienced that all-encompassing, amazing, limitless love that only He can give.

I will keep on singing "Jesus loves me", but now I have added another verse.

Blessings....

Jesus, Friend of Sinners

Oh my.


This song came up on Pandora this morning, and it drove me to my knees. Literally. I had to look up the lyrics and they jumped off the page and into my heart.


"Jesus, Friend Of Sinners"

Jesus, friend of sinners, we have strayed so far away
We cut down people in your name but the sword was never ours to swing
Jesus, friend of sinners, the truth's become so hard to see
The world is on their way to You but they're tripping over me
Always looking around but never looking up I'm so double minded
A plank eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided

Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks yours

Yeah...

Jesus, friend of sinners, the one who's writing in the sand
Made the righteous turn away and the stones fall from their hands
Help us to remember we are all the least of these
Let the memory of Your mercy bring Your people to their knees
Nobody knows what we're for only what we're against when we judge the wounded
What if we put down our signs crossed over the lines and loved like You did

Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks yours

You love every lost cause; you reach for the outcast
For the leper and the lame; they're the reason that You came
Lord I was that lost cause and I was the outcast
But you died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet

'Cause You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever

Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks Yours

And I was the lost cause and I was the outcast
Yeah...
You died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet.

May the world never trip over me on their way to You, Lord.

May people always know what I am for...not just what I am against.

May I always remember I was that lost cause; I was that outcast.

God, break my heart my heart for what breaks yours.

Back in the Saddle!

The last few months have been a time of learning, resting, healing, and hope. It's always unsettling when God changes your direction and sets you on a different path. It's exciting, too! Michael and I have been waiting to see what God was going to do next.

I have posted before about an amazing woman who mentored and taught me when I was a young mother. I remember that every year Barbara would re-evaluate where she was being effective, and if God was still going to use her in the same way in the coming year. It was a valuable lesson for me! It taught me to be expectant in listening for God's voice and direction. It taught me not to hold on too tightly to the familiar.

In the last year or so, Michael and I have been doing that very thing. We have been asking God how He wants us to serve. We have been open to whatever He has for us. Many new things have been added to our lives, and some of them have definitely required us to grow and change. It isn't always comfortable!

Now we know that one part of our new calling is the same as the old one.

Beginning in a couple of weeks, we will be teaching a Sunday School class of junior high youth. Our passion for teaching and loving kids has never diminished, and we are absolutely awestruck that God would allow us to serve in this way. We are excited to be able to support our youth pastor and his wife, Nathan and Hannah, as they lead youth in our church.

Please pray for us as we begin this next chapter! God is faithful!

There's Hope!

On May 19, an exciting event is sweeping through our community! I am so excited to be a part of it!

If you live in the area, you can volunteer to be a part of this life-changing day. We will be impacting our area with acts of service and kindness. It's a chance to make a difference in this world.

Check out the website for more info:
http://www.hopeepidemic.org/

Verse of the Day.......

"For God does not give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."

In my quiet time today, God gave me this nugget of truth! I went online and looked up Matthew Henry's commentary of this verse in 2 Timothy 1:7. Here is what it said:

"God has not given us the spirit of fear, but the spirit of power, of courage and resolution, to meet difficulties and dangers; the spirit of love to Him, which will carry us through opposition. And the spirit of a sound mind, quietness of mind."

I LOVE THAT.....especially that last part! When fear takes over, which I know does not come from God, I sometimes forfeit my "quietness of mind". The "what ifs" are all out there in front of me, keeping me up at night, replacing my peace.

This verse reminds me that I have power and love and self-discipline. They are mine because God gave them to me!

Have a great day!