Monday Morning Perspective and a big Happy Birthday

Pardon me a moment while I gush about my birthday boy. John Michael turns 21 this afternoon!! Those years have flown. They've been full in every way and I wouldn't trade a day for anything!! So proud of him but more than that just plain thankful. He's one of my biggest thrills and enjoyments! A grace gift at it's best! Excited as I see God's hand all over you John Michael!! He has greater adventures ahead than all the great adventures you've already had with Him. Thankful for your impact on my life and how I see you inpacting others. I love you  John-John! Happy 21st Birthday!

Now about Revive. We continued our series in Nehemiah 10. Amazing word from my man on total dedication. In chapter 8 the people showed up. In chapter 10 they stepped up. We saw how obedience to God's Word is essential. Our true belief system comes out in how we behave. 

Fave quotes...

...He's hot. So is hell but you don't want to go there. 

...She believes in God. So do the demons but you don't want to date them. 

...We see ourselves as owners. These people saw themselves as stewards. 

...We say we believe in prayer and witnessing but do we do it?

Monday Morning Perspective

We continued our Revive series as we journey through Nehemiah. In Nehemiah 8 we saw that God comforts the afflicted. In Nehemiah 9 we saw that God afflicts the comfortable. God can use and revive anyone at any age but the question is, are we willing to pay the price and do what it takes? We looked at 2 Chronicles  7:14 and had to ask ourselves if we were willing to do what we are called to do as God's people. I LOVED the clock illustration my husband used to show seasons of life and how we respond and react. 

Our 3 main points were 1) we must be sorrowful over our sin, 2) praise God for His goodness, 3) be serious about being faithful. Each point contained challenging thoughts to consider and take to heart. It's a message worth getting online and listening to but be warned...it's a challenging and powerful word!! 

Fairview girls and anyone else interested

Hey girls!  Eddie and I are at camp with our students. This is one of our highlights every summer. We love getting away and  hanging with our students! They are such a vital part of the church! We've been told by many that they can't believe we do this every year which totally blows my mind. The few times we have had to miss brought total heartbreak to me and summer felt so incomplete. Anyway that's not the point of this post but did want to say we love our students and always want a relationship with them!!

So here's the point...stay in the Word!! We get so busy in the summer and we lose that sense of schedule and accountability so often. Eddie gave a great challenge Sunday about church attendance and I want to piggyback that and challenge you, as well as myself, to stay in the Word this summer. Let's not take a summer vacation from scripture. We have exciting things planned for fall for you but don't wait til then. We need His Word every day. I'm going to share a link with you if you want to read through Acts. Also Beth Moore is doing an online study this summer if interested. Lots of good stuff out there to help us journey through the Word. Let this be a no excuse summer for not studying scripture. 

I'm so crazy for each of you! God has great purpose no matter your season of life or your circumstance. Nothing hinders Him from doing a powerful work in your life. Just say yes to Him!!

http://www.flourish.me/uploadedFiles/Journey%20Through%20Acts%20Reading%20Plan.pdf

Some Father's Day pics

Monday Morning Perspective

So yesterday was Father's Day! I know that's a tough day for some for different reasons. I hope all found some sense of enjoyment and celebration in it. Thankful most of all for a Heavenly Father who loves us unconditionally, is always faithful, will never leave us and never let us down. We got to enjoy a houseful of family. I think it's the only one I've ever spent with my brother so that was sweet. Having my parents close enough to spend the day with was extra special. It was a first Fathers Day for Michael and my man had all his kids around him except Stephen. Stephen is in Atlanta serving the city this summer so that makes his dad proud and of course understands why he wasn't home. We had a great lunch and then spent the whole day relaxing and talking together. A family dinner was full of laughter and random conversation. Just the kind of days I like best. 

As for church, it was fabulous! Worship was great as usual and having people join our church family and proclaim that they've received Christ is always exciting. We have much to celebrate at Fairview, which makes it perfect that Eddie's message was about worship and celebrating from Nehemiah 8. He challenged us in this area to be faithful on attendance. Of course we have times of worshipping other places. We can worship God anywhere. But the challenge was given, do we? When we say we can worship at the lake, in the mountains,at the ball field, do we actually do it? Again the challenge is that God has called us to come together as church and worship. 

The other challenge was that the Word is central. It's the most publicized, most published, and the least read. People have been imprisoned and died so that we could have it. We need to spend time in it every day. 

Pray for Fairview students as they head to camp today. We will be heading their way tomorrow to spend a few days with them. Pray that this will be a life change kind of week for them, not just temporary like camp can be sometimes. May this week light a fire that never burns out. 

Monday Morning Perspective

Finally getting back to MMP and it feels good. We had an incredible morning of worship. Our worship team brings it again and again. I'm so thankful for all of them and their commitment to leading us every week. 

We started our summer series Revive out of Nehemiah. If every week is as good as this one I'm not sure I'll be able to stand it. What a challenging message reminding us that We are in the People Business. 

Our first challenge was to allow the Holy Spirit to be the gatekeeper of all our gates. Those being our eyes, ears, mouths. Let the Holy Spirit take over, praise God with music, live out His Word and revival will happen. 

Our other challenge was to honor the past without living in the past. Our methods must change in order to reach people. We aren't in the building business or the program business. We are in the people business. We must sacrifice, give, and labor for those who are not yet part of the kingdom or are not here yet. Some churches had rather die than change and we don't want to be one of those. 

Thankful for our time of worship! Thankful for another fabulous message that pushes us closer to being all God has called us to be. Thankful for our new student pastor Michael Hux and his wife Chrissie who will lead our students to the next level. What God is doing at Fairview is beyond anything we could do. We want more and more of Jesus and what He can do!!!