Incredible Teens

Ellen and I worked in Youth Minstry for nearly twenty years.  We’ve seen lots of great kids and had some of the most wonderful experiences of our lives.

Right now at Creekside our teens are about as close to one another as we’ve ever seen in a teen group.  They spend so much time together.  That time is both scheduled time as a youth group and time that they get together themselves.  To me, when young people have so much desire to be together that they “make it happen” themselves, that’s community and fellowship.

My kids are closest to their friends at Creekside than any other group in their lives.  That’s so important for us as parents.  They laugh together, cry together, and are growing up in Christ together–Priceless.

Today they perfomred a drama that I hope to get a video copy of on this blog.  It’s called “Set Me Free.”  After the presentation, they shared with the church family things they need to be set free from, things they are being set free from, and things they have been set free from.  What great hearts!!  I’m so proud of every one of them.  They have really blessed our church family and I look forward to great things from them in the future.

Focus

I’m watching the presidential debate as I type this.  Wouldn’t it be cool if one of them stopped and said something like this:  “The real answer to our problems lies in the faith that we have as a country in Jehovah God of the Bible, His Son Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.”  Watching this debate has taught me once again the fact that politics will never save our country.  A focus on God will.

Stretched Not Stressed

To say that life is stretched is to make a great understatement.  I know that’s true for everyone and I guess it’s a weak excuse for having not blogged in such a long while, but it’s the best thing I can come up with.

Life hasn’t really been “stressed”, but just stretched.  Here are some words to describe life around here for the past month.  Maybe this list will help you understand what I mean.  Weight-loss (31 lbs at last weigh-in), financial woes (who’s not having them), Creekside Carnival (always a great, but busy time), Ministry joys (preaching for my  Creekside family is awesome), Mom’s house (what a painting project!), Danielle’s seizures (much better right now).

I could go on and on.  It’s amazing that there’s so much to talk about and I’ve been in such a “funk” with my blog site.  It’s just lack of focus on it I guess.  Maybe I’m coming out of it.  As you can see from this short list of things, there’s lots of great things happening in our lives.  Most of the “busy-ness” of life is really great and positive stuff!  Weight-loss has really blessed us.  Ellen has lost 26lbs and Tabitha 19.  We’re walking every day and feeling better than I’ve felt since I don’t know when.  Danielle’s seizures seem to be slowing down.  We started today a little different twist on her treatment.  Please pray for that.

Well, thanks for stopping by and I hope to be doing this more and more again.  God bless all of you.

Lifting Holy Hands – A Miracle!

If we could only step above the controversies in our lives and see that some things we argue about are so insignificant.  Last night at Refuel (a monthly teen worship experience that we are a part of) the singing was so awesome led by the Crosspoint Church’s praise team.  Why did I ever wonder or criticize people for “lifting holy hands” to God?  As I have learned more and more about my God and His awesome power, majesty, honor, and glory, I get so awestruck that lifting hands to Him seems such a small thing, but at the same time such a huge expression of my desire to be with Him.  It’s much like my children used to do when they were small.

Anyway, this whole thought came into my head because of a video that a friend of mine sent to me.  Please take about 6 minutes and watch something that just might help us put into perspective the miracle of just being able to lift our hands.  As my friend who sent it to me said, “You really have to see it to believe it.”  Also remember this–the next time you feel the urge to raise your hands to the sky in worship to the Father, just do it.  He will be honored and after seeing this video, you’ll be more and more blessed.

And by the way, Greg, you will appreciate this video bigtime because it involves a guitar!

Encouragers

I love encouragers.  They are people who just seem to know the right thing to say at just the right time.  I know I haven’t blogged much lately.  There are probably several reasons why, but one of them has just been that I’ve been a bit discouraged lately.  That ought to be all the more reason to blog because you are a great family of encouragers.

Isn’t that just like us though.  We get down about something and we then begin to ignore, run away, or just plain get into a type of laziness that excuse by our discouragement.  People tell me all the time, “Yeah, I just got discouraged.  That’s why I quit coming to church.”  Isn’t that a bit like the battery saying to the charger, “Yeah, I was just about out of juice.  That’s why I didn’t have the energy to plug in.”

Thanks to people like you Judy who sent me an email just to check on me because I haven’t blogged in a while.  I really appreciated that.  She then sent me an email saying that she had “just raised her head” from praying for me and my family.  I really hope to meet you face to face one day sis!

To encourage someone means that we “give them courage.”  That email from Judy and notes from so many of you keep me going.  I love you all and don’t ever underestimate an encouraging note.  You never know when your going to really brighten someone’s day.