Blessings and Trials!

This morning I awoke to hear the rain pounding down and then later when I went to school it was raining so hard that I just sat in the car for awhile before I could go in. But that was ok, because I wanted to talk to the Lord, so the rain He sent just gave me another reason to stay put and enjoy some quiet time with Him. I felt my day went pretty good but when I got home I learned that the "powers" that be in the Roanoke school system had decided to charge us after all for using Round Hill as the location for Life Pointe Church so once again the Lord seemed to be testing me or us and seeing if we are going to be faithful and hang in there till He changes things or provides another means to use the school. But then Ginny was talking later to Nancy and Larry and asking them to pray and not only did they say they would do that but added that they would like to support us if need be. That is a blessing indeed so maybe God is using us to get other folks busy, going about doing the Father's work. So things are going to be ok, but it still seems like God is putting us through the fire for some reason. Maybe it is to burn off the impurities and end up with something "pure" for Him and His use. May we continue to be faithful.

Tough Day on a Monday!

I know we are not suppose to grow weary but I am. I don't know quite what it is, but on this very rainy, (I can hear it through the roof here at school) Monday, it just seems sort of tough. And it's not like God hasn't been working, I rejoice in the fact that my niece Emily and her little sister Rachel both asked Jesus into their hearts this past week so that's great! But it just seems like I sometimes have the feeling that I am not quite doing all I can to lead Life Pointe Church the way I should be. I want Ginny and Andy and Ashley to grow just like I want other to grow. It seems we have so many different spiritual levels at Life Pointe. But it just seems that our vision and enthusiasm is not as high as it use to be so I just want us to keep the vision that God has given me in front of us; stay expectant of His leading and blessings; and just look for the opportunities that He gives us to share with others the good news of Jesus love and forgiveness. I even need to remember those things myself sometimes. It seems we all either stay busy or tired almost all the time and we have to get out of that rut and get back to enjoying the things we do and not just doing the things we do. I feel overwhelmed at times, yet I know Jesus tells me to put all my cares on Him. I want to do that, it is just tough sometimes. But as the song says "and may all who come behind us find us faithful" and as another song says "I hide myself in thee" so that is what I will do as I sit and wait for all the storms to pass but with this very real rain that's falling and with the "rain" that I feel has been coming down on me for the past few days or weeks. God is in control, and I know that; and I know He cares for me and loves me just like He does His own Son, so that alone should be enough to help me keep going and press on. I want to soar but maybe soon....

Great News About "The Good News"

Since the Bible is called "the Good News" I am thankful that "the Good News" gave me some great news just this past week! Just when you wonder if you are making a difference or not or if Life Pointe Church is making a difference in the lives of folks, along comes an email like the one I got from my sister Melanie on Thursday evening. On September 8th, I made an entry about my nephew Benjamin seeing his need for Jesus and that was just so exciting! Well this past Thursday my sister Melanie sent me an email about Emily coming home with two things in her hand. One was her report card and the other thing was a paper that she had signed showing that she had accepted Jesus as her Savior when the Bible bus had made a visit to her school! Emily got saved!! And then if this wasn't enough great news concerning the "Good News" then Melanie proceeded to tell me about Rachel who after hearing about Emily asking Jesus into her heart wanted to do the same. So Rachel bowed her little head and asked Jesus to come into her heart and save her too! So Melanie made sure Rachel asked forgiveness and then prayed with her too! What unspeakable or indescribable joy Melanie must have now to have seen ALL of her children come to the Lord within about a month of each other!! I am proud of them and so love the Lord so much for giving us eternal life and for giving it to my very own nephew and now my two nieces!! And to know that Life Pointe Church played a part in this, (Melanie calls us a catalyst) is such a blessing to me! And so I am encouraged to know that God is indeed with us and will lead us as we travel on and lead others to Him! Praise the Lord! Who knows what He has in store for us tomorrow for our Sunday service! And I continue to preach up in Newport too, so God is charge and I pray that I might be a mouthpiece bringing His "Good News" to all those I can!

Good Service for October 17, 2010

Glancing at my last post, I see it has been since September 8th, since I have last written something yet I know God continues to work both personally in my life and at Life Pointe Church. Yesterday for example, I felt we had some good responses to the message and had the opportunity to share with others so God blessed our time. One thing that touched my heart was my sister telling me after the service, and often through tears at that, that she and the family are going on a little trip this coming weekend and taking a little girl that my sister knows is not saved and really wants nothing to do with God. But my message was on Esther and the key verse was 4:14 from that book which reminds us, "for such a time as this" and that touched Melanie to see the connection that for this coming weekend, she has the opportunity to be Esther and possibly share Jesus with that little girl, thus just like in the story of Esther, people are saved and lives are changed. Wow, that really blessed my heart as my sister Melanie was telling me that. That just shows God is giving her a sensitive spirit towards others, especially those that don't know Jesus. And we had a couple of visitors that came in at the last, nevertheless enjoyed some pizza with us and one of them even enjoyed working a puzzle about Daniel in the Lion's Den and I thought that was great. And of course I am thankful for the family God has blessed me with, who without them, I couldn't do the work of Life Pointe Church. I am both humbled and grateful. This is a new month, and with the Block Party, possibly changing locations for the church, and some other things we are working on, it looks busy, but afterall, Jesus said, "I must be about my Father's business" so I am happy to be doing the work of God.