Settling Down

Well, we are finally starting to settle down in our new place. This past weekend was a blur with the signing on Friday, moving the majority of our stuff from the 'Mitchell Mansion', going to the football game and 5th Quarter, then moving all of the heavy stuff on Saturday and now getting it all unpacked and put in the right place according to Elizabeth's instructions. I am beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel.

I want to gratefully thank Roy Swann, Jerry & Cindy Jamar (+ Kassidie), Berrilynn Daniell, Karla McCoy, Thomas Levens, Jasmine Nelson, Allan Stanglin and Sean Luke Henderson for helping us haul and lift heavy things! You guys saved me from a herniated disk!

I also want to thank George and Brad Offutt for all that you have done for EL and me! You are great! Where would we be without you guys?

EL and I now can't wait to have someone over to the new digs!!

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Now I am looking forward to spending some time today with our newly hired minister, Greg Neill. He is coming into town with his fam to househunt and see the sights here in Marble Falls, America! I am going to show and tell what I know.

So Excited!

Elizabeth and I are so excited!! Tomorrow morning we will sign the closing papers on our new house here in Marble Falls. After that, we will be busting it to put all of our stuff from the 'Mitchell Mansion' over into the new house.
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There will be a brief interlude of the football game (now across the street) and the 5th Quarter (hosted by Guy and Ruth Ann N.) in the Youth House.
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Then we will be back in the new house getting it ready to live in.

Saturday, we will be inviting everyone from the church to help us move the rest of the stuff out of storage with us.
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Another brief interlude of door knocking with the new Spanish Ministry for a few hours...
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Then back to the new house to try to get it somewhat settled! Man, we can't wait!!!

Quote Of The Day

"Here is a word for our churches. Every foreign country is our fatherland—we belong to Korea, Paraguay, Angola, Bulgaria, and Mexico. All countries are honored. All need Jesus. We belong to them all because God loves them all and all are in need of the kingdom of God.

But at the same time, every fatherland is a foreign country—even our own, even America. We do not trust it to solve our most substantial problems or look to it to fill our greatest needs. We do not assume it is always right or always good. And we do not consign to it our hopes or our future. Our future belongs only to God who is the ruler of all nations and who grants us the extraordinary rights and privileges of living as citizens, not here, at least not for long, but forever in his glorious kingdom." - Jack Reese

Chaotic

Today has been a crazy day and I am unable to blog much further. I am having all of my numbers and accounts changed for the big move this Friday. I am also meeting with David G and Brian J. I have had luch with George Q and my sweet wife, Elizabeth. There is also a baptism this evening. All good news this day but it has left me reeling!!

Be back later with more information...

Ministry In A Nutshell

"I have a special pass. The kind that gets some people into every athletic event for their school or that permits some people to park wherever they want.

Only my pass allows me to enter into the holy places of lives.

I’m a minister. I’m one who speaks the Word of God, one who shapes worldviews, one who challenges, chastises, encourages, teaches, forms, unforms, and guides. And because of that — ill-formed though my life often seems to me (dogged by doubts and shortcomings) and ill-prepared though I’ve always felt (despite those many years of Greek!) — I’m given a pass that permits me to walk into sacred places.

Places where vows are made. Places where last words are spoken by best friends before walking out to make vows. Places where grieving widows or widowers say one last word at the casket after everyone else is gone. Places where parents hold their breath and beg God, waiting for the latest MRI to come back. Places where people speak their secrets, needing reassurance that God still loves them. Places of grief, relief, sorrow, joy, fear, and ecstasy.

What would I say to a young person who’s considering ministry?

Well, let’s be honest. It isn’t always easy. (What job is?)

But it’s a privilege, a blessing beyond blessings. My pass lets me weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. And when that happens, I feel fully alive. Even with those hidden doubts and shortcomings." - Preacher Mike

That just about sums it up for me. I love doing what I do! I love ministering to not only the teens and tweens, but people of all sizes and shapes (and Ages).

I have always wanted to help this world in some way and I can think of no better way of doing it than sharing the love of God and His son Jesus Christ with a fallen race. It is my prayer that I continue to be melted down and reformed into His image as I reach out to the lost and the hurting.

Thank You, Lord for loving us and giving us Your Spirit to guide us in this place! Thank You, God, for making us in Your image and giving us the tools to spread Your good news to the ends of the earth!

Quote Of The Day

"Two cities have been formed by two loves: the earthly by the love of self, even to the contempt of God; the heavenly by the love of God, even to the contempt of self." - St. Augustine

Mold Me and Shape Me

This morning, I visited the High School to hear the Ladies Varsity Choir under the capable direction of Director Bryce Gage. They have come a long way from last year-the difference is night and day. Needless to say, I am extremely excited about the concert this coming Monday night!!

This afternoon I am starting a premarital counseling session with a couple that I will marry in October. This is my first and I am looking forward to getting to know them.

After that session, I will be counseling a teen from my youth group.

In between and afterward, I will be working on my sermon for this Sunday evening.

Looks like I have a full plate today.

You know, I asked God to mold and shape me into the leader that He wants me to be and He is answering my prayer by loading my days with good, hard work for His kingdom.

Realize this: God answers prayer in ways we can't always foresee!

Service For Him

I am really excited about my youth here in MF! One of my teens is going to set a regular time with me each week to accompany me on my visits to the members here in from the congregation. Last week, David and I visited with Jim and Helen Dobbs before his forthcoming surgery. This week, we were able to help with a struggling, young mother of 2 pay for her medication at the HEB Pharmacy. OK, so it wasn't our money but we did do the middle-man work and it felt good, just the same. Every week on Wednesday, we are going to set aside some time to do something to lift the spirits of our flock, peers or community members. I love doing this!

Random

OK, I am back. Where was I? Oh Yeah, this morning I accompanied a parent and a teen for a counseling session. Now I have returned to finish recounting the events of this past weekend.

After the Faith Academy game (or slaughter), I got ready to take the teens to Hamilton for an Acapella concert. We had a great time rocking out and then filling up on Storm's burgers and fries. We left at 4:30 and got back home at around Midnight.

I got up early Sunday morning to look over my class materials and spend time in prayer. Elizabeth and I got to eat lunch with a ministerial candidate and som other interested families.

That afternoon, I prepared the songbooks and ice chest for a great time of devotional that evening at the home of Chris and Julie Bridges. After filling up on good Julie Bridges food, we jumped on the trampoline, played street basketball and wrapped up the night singing, praying and studying around a campfire. It was perfect weather for it, too!

Yesterday, I subbed in High School Algebra and then held Meat Eaters last night in the Youth House.

This afternoon, I am going to look over a sermon that I have completed because I may be preaching this Sunday evening.

Tonight, I am going to the Middle School to take part in a Teen Suicide Prevention Seminar.

Only 10 more days before E and I get to move into our new house! We can't wait!!!

Only a little over 3 more months before a new life enters the Mitchell household. God, help us to be ready! Can you ever be ready to raise a child?!?

Here

It has been a blur over the past few days!

Saturday morning, Elizabeth and I caught the football game of Faith Academy vs. West Columbia Christian. Clayton Bridges made a TD and a great interception! The game lasted only about an hour, though, because Faith won it 48-0.

My ride is here so I will return in about an hour. I will tell you more about it when I come back.

Quote Of The Day

"I can't think of a more urgent need than enabling young people to understand their faith and preparing them to defend it against the onslaught of secular thought they encounter in their schools and in popular culture." - Charles W. Colson

Jim and Helen

I have just returned from the home of Jim and Helen Dobbs. They were tearfully overjoyed!!You see, last night 26 from the Youth decided to make a little DVD for him before going into surgery on Friday. We sang some songs, read some Scripture and individually told him that we were thinking of him and praying for him to get through this surgery. I took them the DVD and prayed with them for this difficult time.

Jim Dobbs is a well-loved man. Many from the church here are going to show their support on Friday by praying and being there. His brother, Buster Dobbs, is coming into town this coming week to be with him and his daughter, Ann, is coming a little later to help him in his recovery. And all of us will be here lifting him up to our God.

Please continue to pray for Jim and Helen in this time.

Thoughts

Jim Dobbs, our minister emeritus in Marble Falls, is going in for surgery this Friday and I ask that you keep him and his wife, Helen, in your thoughts and prayers. He is a hard worker for the Lord and His kingdom and has brought many to a deeper understanding of God and our walk with Him. His love and intelligence seem to know no boundaries. He is a great example to me.

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Today, Elizabeth, David G and I are going to visit 2 homes. The Dobbs and the Hahns. I am excited about talking and praying with Jim, Helen, A.L. and Imogene. Good, quality time with brothers and sisters in Christ. I love it!!

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Tonight, I have something planned for the youth, but I can't let it out of the bag until this evening! It is going to be good.

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"To pray is to change. Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us. If we are unwilling to change, we will abandon prayer as a noticeable characteristic of our lives. The closer we come to the heartbeat of God the more we see our need and the more we desire to be conformed to Christ...

James says: ‘You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions’ (James 4:3). To ask ‘rightly’ involves transformed passions, total renewal. In prayer, real prayer, we begin to think God’s thoughts after Him: to desire the things He desires, to love the things He loves. Progressively we are taught to see things from His point of view.” - Richard Foster

Quote Of The Day

"The general human failing is to want what is right and important, but at the same time not to commit to the kind of life that will produce the action we know to be right and the condition we want to enjoy. This is the feature of human character that explains why the road to hell is paved with good intentions." - Dallas Willard

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow!

Elizabeth and I were thrilled with the news yesterday that our baby girl is going to be just fine. She is still due on January 9th and everything is great! The Amnio results came back healthy and normal! Thank you for your calls, letters and prayers. We love you all!!

On top of that, we closed on the sale of our house in the Village on Wednesday and we made an offer on a house here in MF yesterday. The offer was accepted with a possible closing date of October 6th! I can't wait to have devotionals and 5th Quarters this season in my own home!!

We just can't find a better church family anywhere than the one right here in MF! They have been so supportive and have helped us through all of the worry and pain. God bless them and all of you for what you have done!

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Now it's time for me to get ready for the Faith Academy game (with Clayton Bridges playing) @ 5:00, the reception at the Bridges that will follow, the Homecoming game (with John Bird and Zane Rogers playing-also David Griffin is up for Homecoming King) at Marble Falls @ 7:30 and the 5th Quarter that will follow at Bryce's house. From now to Midnight I have quite a bit to do!

Quote Of The Day

"Finally this morning, let me encourage you over the weekend to spend some time reading in Ephesians. It's hard to miss Paul's resolute desire that the identity of the Ephesian Christians would be formed by their connection to Christ and Christ alone.

Too often these days, we qualify our Christianity. "I'm conservative." "I'm liberal." "I'm progressive." "I'm traditional."

But spending time reading Paul reminds me that his calling card was "I'm Christ's person" nothing more, nothing less. I pray that my identity might be so singularly focused that, as was the case for Paul, others might see Jesus in me." - Jim Gardner

Even More

Tuesday came with a great time of fun for the High Schoolers. In the evening, I got to ride along with the Marble Falls High School Choir and the their director, Bryce Gage, in the Homecoming Float Parade. It was exciting to drive along and see all of the eager parade watchers and look on while the teens threw candy and gum with sprays of silly string at the members of the town. We then headed to the Johnson Park Pavilion for an uplifting pep rally getting us pumped about our Homecoming game this Friday against Del Valle. The band played, the choir sang, the cheerleaders cheered, the starlets starletted and the audience applauded! It was a great night!

Several More Things

David Griffin, one of my teens, is in my office right now. We are having a great time talking about life in general. You know, he is royalty-soon to be the Homecoming King!

When we were through with S3, Jasmine, David, Karla, Allan, Carrie-Anne and Elizabeth helped me and BOB move furniture and stuff out of the seemingly neverending Penske truck into the storage unit. Thank all of you for helping and making it so easy and quick!! You are awesome! Then on Sunday we...

Welcomed our new members in a New Member Luncheon in the large fellowship hall. It was good to get to know the newbies here in Marble Falls. We ate good that day and then rested up for...

The HS/MS Devo later that night at the home of Kyle and Marti Futrell. Swimming, Catchphrase Jr., Trampoline Jumping and a great time of singing with an outstanding devotional talk by Coach Futrell were the highlights of the evening! The next morning we...

Got ready to take BOB to Austin to return the truck and to depart for Benton, AR on a Greyhound Bus.

I even have more for later.

Several Things

Well, it has been a whirlwind over the past 4 days and I will bring you up to date on Marble Falls happenings.

First, my dad, Big Ol' Bear, came into town with a Penske truck full of our furniture and stuff from the house in AR. He got in on Saturday morning at 4:30. We got up around 10, had a great breakfast cooked by my sweetheart, and took it over to our Storage Unit. I left him at 1:30 to...

Begin the first ever S3: Second Saturday Servants here in Marble Falls, TX! This is anyone in the youth group that is able to come on the second Saturday of the month to serve this community in any way possible. 8 of us from the Youth Group packed up in a van and headed over to Gateway Villa, an assisted living facility here in town. We sang classics like: I'll Fly Away, In The Garden, Be With Me Lord, etc. then we shared some of our songs with them: As The Deer, A New Anointing, Sanctuary, etc. When we finished singing, we all sat down with the 25-30 ladies and shared our stories and listened to theirs. It was a perfect time to do it because Grandparents Day was Sunday and this week is Assisted Living Week! We then...

More To Come

Quote Of The Day

"What the gospel does is to administer a sharp jolt, to shine a bright light, to kick-start the brain, and the moral sensibility, into working properly for the first time." - Tom Wright