One of those moments...

I was typing an email today...writing it out...trying to encourage the person that I was writing to...in the background on my iTunes I was listening to the New Testament...As I was typing this message Romans 8 was playing...actually I didn't even notice it until I heard it...my favorite passage in the Bible...Romans 8:28..."And we know that in all things God works or the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." I didn't plan for that verse to happen then...BUT God did...God knew that I needed that scripture to share in my email at that moment...PEOPLE...Our God is alive and well AND he cares about YOU!

Coaching your kids...

I LOVE coaching...I love pulling the best out of kids and seeing them accomplish more than they think they can. We had our 2nd practice with Jaden's U6 soccer team...GREAT group of boys! It is going to be fun to work with them...My struggle is to make sure that I don't expect more out of Jaden...basically to remember that he is 6! Tonight was one of those nights...I was ON HIM...most of which he deserved of course :-), BUT he needs to know how proud I am of him...AND I AM! Best part is he still prayed tonight and thanked God that I was coaching him! I'll take that!!

Team

So here I am...our Easter service is over...I'm standing outside at our Easter Egg Hunt...meeting families...seeing all of the smiles...enjoying the moment...celebrating what God did during our service too...and my mind jumps to the fact that we MUST be out of the theater in about 30 minutes! My first thought was to run back in and see if anyone was tearing the rest of the stuff down...BUT I stopped and thought...Nay...I bet my tear-down guys are getting it done...GUESS WHAT?!?! I was sooooooooooooooooooo RIGHT! Those guys just took initiative and got EVERYTHING taken care of...they even packed up my stuff and brought it out to me! I never had to go back in...I am so thankful for all of the people of Grace! I really believe that we have the best people to work with in the world...they dive in with both feet and make things happen! I am so proud of how everyone just helped on Sunday! GREAT JOB CHURCH!

"Thanks God..."

Today was amazing...just mind-blowing...we saw 10+ people pray to put Jesus in charge of their lives!! I NEVER want to get used to that...I can still remember praying...begging...pleading with God to allow us to see 1 or 2 people IN A YEAR give their lives to Christ and TODAY God allowed us to see 5 or 6x's that! THANK YOU GOD! Our worship band was just incredible...steering us to the presence of God...their passion and excitement for God is AWESOME! (Great to see Kelsey playing violin again too!!) Our KidZone leaders made the outside of their auditorium look like a tomb...with the stone and everything! REALLY COOL! Then they had balloons lining the isle inside the theater...A real atmosphere of celebration! LOVED IT! We about doubled our regular attendance...Largest Sunday since our launch! We have such amamzing volunteers...all of these amazing things are happening AND we are putting on an Easter Egg Hunt after the service. People were EVERYWHERE today making things happen...GREAT to see THE CHURCH working together to serve people...the people of Grace get it...it is not about us...It is about God and OTHER people..."THANKS GOD for an amazing Sunday...A Sunday that I won't soon forget...Thanks that we got to see people walk from darkness into light! Thank you that we got to celebrate ON THE SPOT people who are now headed for an eternity in heaven. Thanks for the new people that we got to meet today...God...more than anything else...thanks for Jesus...for his work on the cross and his resurrection that allows us to have the opportunity to celebrate!"

????

"God...what are you going to do in the morning? All of those years ago you did something that continues to blow our minds...you brought your Son, Jesus, back to life AND in doing that you gave us a clear path to you, if we believe. So, God...my question is the same...if you did that all of those years ago...what are you going to do at Grace in the morning? BLOW OUR MINDS AND the minds of EVERY Jesus-following church in the world today...In Jesus name...Amen!"

What really matters...

Today we "celebrate" one of the darkest yet most amazing days of the people of God...Dark because when our Savior said the words "It is finished" I wonder what the disciples were thinking...They would have to have been taken back a little...their faith would have to have been rattled a little...thinking..."isn't the Messiah supposed to save us...how can he do that when he is dead?" I can't imagine what the disciples must have been thinking and feeling..."Lord, we want to believe..............please.............please show us what you are doing......."

And on the other side of this is the fact that our Savior just took on our sin...he put ALL OF IT on his back...he shouldered it so WE could have the opportunity of heaven...umm...."Thank you Jesus...thank you..........................."

Housing Market...

"YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" I think those words, and a few others, went through my mind yesterday when I heard what our house appraised for...it was $25,000 less than what a house sold for LAST YEAR in our neighborhood...kind-a put a damper on the the whole refinance idea! WOW...the house is appraised for about what we bought it for 8 years ago...a sign of the times we are in with the economy...$25,000 less...huh.........

Communion

We ended our 21 day fast last night with a communion service. One of the highlights for me was looking around the room and seeing the conversations happening at EVERY table. People are connected...people enjoy being around each other...It was great to hear testimonies of what God is doing and has done in people's lives. We had people in tears...people laughing until their sides hurt...stories of the greatness of our God...stories of how the PEOPLE who ARE the church have encouraged and helped each other...Just amazing! Praise God for what he is doing in our church!

Thoughts...

It's Sunday afternoon...we just finished our longest service ever! And it was a good one...we wrapped up our "He Is..." series today and announced the winner of the essay contest...the essay selected was about Clarence Eichorst. This guy is 90 years old and still living for Jesus...still praying A LOT...and still has his funny sense of humor!! I LOVE THIS MAN! I pray that I will finish well like Clarence is...

We gave a recap of our China trip during the service...God really has stirred me up...this trip really rattled me...there were times as we were going when I really, honestly did not want to go...BUT I knew that I needed to...I knew that I must trust God and that leaders in China. I learned that there are times when I literally went against EVERYTHING that I was feeling, because my feelings said "STOP! DON'T GO!" but in my heart I knew that I had to keep going. Does this make sense?! I can tell you this...I have never sensed the spiritual battle before like I did on this trip...AND I never have been more proud of my teammates! GOD DID MIRICLES while we were there...from Colin's sickness going away to guards allowing us to go that stopped us earlier in the day...AWESOME to see God work in this way! So, as you can see, it was a roller coaster 10 days!

THEN...Jim NAILS the message..."He Is Loyal"
Some Highlights:
-MEN...we have made a DEATH TO US PART commitment to our wives...
-DO NOT BACK OUT OF THAT COMMITMENT!!!!
-We can be loyal today
-Jesus didn't go away, so neither will I!
-Let's change the divorce rate!
-Let's not just survive, let's thrive!
-Let's rebuild the future
AMAZING to see couples up front...lead by their men...saying..."WE WILL THRIVE! WE WILL STAY LOYAL!" YES!

Random Thoughts...

Ummm...I have been back from China now for a little more than a day and I'm trying to process the experience. Trying to get my mind around the amazing people that I met...their faith...the challenges they face...How do I possibly inspire other people to go and serve...to step out in faith. I was stretched personally in ways that I have not experienced before. I have never had my faith tested in this way...do I really and truly believe that God is in control or do I want the control. I have gained a great deal of respect for people who follow Jesus in nations where it is not easy to follow. I have gained a new appreciation for the freedom we have here in the States...umm...so much to process...so much to do...so many people that need Jesus...