Sports and the Arts

Last Saturday evening, I had the privilege of performing for the Stonecroft Christian Couples' Club here in the Village. The speaker of the evening was Jim McQueen. I had never heard of him, but he is a very talented Sports Illustrator. His work has been published in Golf Digest, Golf Magazine and Tennis Magazine. He has worked as a freelance illustrator for 40 years. His talk about Jesus was inspiring and encompassed both sports and the arts. If you are a fan of either, you will enjoy his website: www.jimmcqueenart.com

A Day of Records

I am amazed at the greatness of God! Yesterday was our day to give for mission work. The goal was $60,000. Well, we far exceeded that with a number of nearly $80,000 given for foreign and domestic work. Not only were we blessed monetarily, but we also were blessed with more people in the brand-spanking new Spanish Ministry. In a ministry catering to the Spanish speaking community in the Village that began last Sunday morning with 15, we have doubled in one week! 30 people crowded into the youth room to worship together in their native tongue. God is so good!! And I know that He will continue to provide the increase.

Last night, the youth were able to spend time in devotion to God with our missionaries, Carlos and Maribel Preciado. We had so many youth that the house was ready to explode. They are leaving this week for their new work in South Florida. I am going to miss them more than words can describe.

WOW!

192. Can you believe it?!? We had 192 here at the building last night for Fall Fun Night! Now that is including not only the youth and young families that showed up for tricks and treats , but also the adults that came to the auditorium for the lesson.

It was great to see new young faces and make some new contacts for the church here in the Village! We have our work cut out for us with the new influx of young people. God truly has blessed this place.

Back Among the Living

Thank you all for your thoughts and kind words while I have gone through two illnesses back to back in such a short time. You have been very helpful to me and Elizabeth. It is great to be back among the living.

Here are some things to catch you up with the things going on around here:

• We have hired a new preaching minister. His name is Jim DuBose and he comes from Topeka, Kansas. He will be blowing into town around the second week in November.
• Rick and Gail Northen, two of the neatest people in our congregation, left for Cambodia to work on a medical missions boat. They left us with a hole in our hearts, but we sent them off with our blessing because we know that God has called them to that work.
• The youth participated in Cabot Praise 2005 on the 15th. Even though the numbers were low, the learning was great and Watershed Worship was one of the highlights of our time there.
• Carlos and Maribel Preciado, two people that are dear to my heart, cooked a Mexican Fiesta for the congregation on Wednesday the 19th. Nice and Spicy. The food was so well-received that it ran out quickly.
• Speaking of Mexican food, there is a new restaurant here called El Acapulco's. It is the talk of the Village. If you have ever been here, you would know why.
• We had dual services for the first time on Sunday the 23rd. 15 people gathered in the youth room in the morning for worship and Bible study in Spanish. More are coming this Sunday! What a great work!!
• This evening is our annual Fall Fun Night in the Fellowship Hall. We open up our building to teens and young families in the surrounding area for a time of facepainting, cookie decorating, cake walking, apple bobbing, hay riding and jupiter jumping.

That is all for now. I will be back tomorrow with a new blog.

I'm Out

Forgive me if you have not seen a blog from me for a while but I am suffering from what my doctor calls trigeminal neuralgia (basically the feeling of getting stabbed in the head with an icepick every 15-20 seconds). Doctor Hollis has prescribed Carbamazepine and Hydrocodone. So, needless to say, I am sort of out of it. I am sorry that this blog will be on hold until I am back out of left field. Please be patient with me as I recover.

Quote Of The Day

"A Christian doesn't avoid the questions; a Christian embraces them. In fact, to truly pursue the living God, we have to see the need for questions.

Questions are not scary.

What is scary is when people don't have any.

What is tragic is faith that has no room for them." - Rob Bell

Eloquence

Here is a blog from Mike Cope that I believe hits home with me and I think will with you as well. He has such a great way with words that I could not pass up placing this on my blog to share his thoughts and insights with my readers.

At our home, we are Shel Silverstein fans. Here's one for today:

I went to find the pot of gold
That's waiting where the rainbow ends.
I searched and searched and searched and searched
And searched and searched, and then--
There it was, deep in the grass,
Under and old and twisty bough.
It's mine, it's mine, it's mine at last. . . .
What do I search for now?

So often we think that there is some great destination that we're waiting for. We find ourselves "killing time" (a horrible phrase) just waiting for that destination. We forget that it's the journey itself that is full of life.

You can't wait for your kids to grow up so you can have a little peace and quiet. There is the joy of the journey.

You can't wait for retirement so you can play golf. There is the joy of the journey.

You can't wait for your church to "do things right" so you can be happy. There is the joy of the journey.

You can't wait for Americans to get back to the good old days. There is the joy of the journey.
Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Lion, and the Scarecrow are headed to Oz. But the heart, the courage, and the brain they need come from the journey--not from the diminutive wizard behind the curtain.

Bilbo Baggins' walking song has it right:

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

I have my eyes on an incredible destination. But the journey is filled with joy--even in the midst of pain. I don't want to miss that joy!

What's out there on the road for you this day? Don't put off today waiting for Friday. Don't blow off this week waiting for next week or this month waiting for next month or this year waiting for next year. Too many people miss life waiting for something better.

Look out today and smile at THAT spouse, THOSE kids, THAT job, THOSE friends, THAT church, THOSE neighbors.

Blessings

I know that the people in and around Cambodia will be blessed by the presence and hard work of Rick and Gail Northen.

I know that the people of Miami are going to be caught up in the lovestorm that is Carlos and Maribel Preciado. They won't know what hit them.

The family here was certainly blessed to see Mandy and Tori Gardner once again. We were able to worship and fellowship with 2 people we dearly miss.

God has a great way of using others to bless and encourage the rest.

Thank You, God, for what You do through and for us!