Sunday, December 26, 2010

Sunday Summary 12.26 - Snow Day!

Last night, the weather forecast was for 70% chance of snow. "Should we cancel the church services or not?" was the question. Every other time we've canceled, the snow didn't come or the roads were clear. This morning we awoke to find several inches of snow on the ground and it was still falling. I drove to church and the roads were wet, but really fine and no ice. So, I figured if a Florida boy could manage it, we would still offer the service for those who would choose to come. Realizing that it takes about 2,000 gallons of water to baptize a Baptist and only 2 drops of rain to keep them home from church... I didn't know what to expect; but we had a great crowd!

The day started with a surprise 25th wedding reception for my wife and I. Our girls worked with Stacie to invite the church family to come celebrate with us. The number of people that came out early on a snowy day, the cards, and the gifts made us feel so loved. Thank you to everyone who attended.

During the morning service, there were about 150 people present and it was a different "feel," but it was neat to see so many people brave the elements to come worship the Lord. After church, we had a great snowball fight that included almost everyone. Jacob got snow packed in his ear by a side shot... Joey was hit in the back of the head... Scott and the Curry family displayed their experience in snowball throwing... Dan was holding his snowball under some water (is that legal?)... Philip and Mayelin were enjoying snow after returning from FL... Jake locked his parents out of the van... and when I threw a snowball at David, he moved and let it hit his wife (oops).

We had a great family day celebrating, worshipping, and playing together. For those who couldn't make it, you were missed and we hope to see you next Sunday.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Christmas Eve Service

Our annual Christmas Eve service has become one of my favorite services and seems to be growing each year. This year, approximately 350 people joined us for this special service which included both traditional and spiritual Christmas carols, our Kidz Praiz choir, children's handbell choir, the reading of the Christmas story, and communion. We had many guests and it was exciting to see so many of our folks bringing their family members and using this service as the launch to their Christmas celebration.

I brought a brief devotion prior to communion reminding everyone about what we are celebrating and how long the world had waited for God's promised Gift. While we remember and celebrate Jesus' birth annually; there was approximately a 4,000 year waiting period from the first prophecy until Jesus arrived. Just imagine the excitement of the people who had been hearing, anticipating, and anxiously waiting for the Messiah to come. I hope we celebrate Christmas with the same enthusiasm and don't lose Jesus somewhere amongst the wrapping paper, Christmas leftovers, or football games.

Monday, December 20, 2010

25th Anniversary

It's hard to believe, but today, Flora and I celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary! December 20, 1985 we were married at Belmont Baptist Church just outside Atlanta, GA. It was the little church that my wife attended during college, but it has since grown and relocated to a beautiful new building right on I-20. The old building was destroyed, but the memories remain. Flora made her dress, our friends hosted the reception, and another friend took our pictures (the same pictures that our kids laugh at and ask who is standing with mom). Dr. Jack Baskin performed the ceremony and our family and friends were all present. We didn't spend a lot of money (we didn't have a lot of money), but we both loved the Lord, loved each other, and dreamed of the plans that God had for us.

Twenty-five years later... seems like the blink of an eye and I better understand what James meant in James 4:14 when he said "your life is but a vapor that appears for a little while then vanishes away." Our three babies are now beautiful young ladies who love the Lord and we could not be any more proud of. God has blessed us far beyond what we ever imagined and we are still serving Him. Who knows what the next 25 years might hold, but I hope and pray they are as wonderful as the first 25.

Monday, December 13, 2010

9th Annual - Home for Christmas 12.12.10

This was our 9th year to offer this special service in conjunction with Hines, Norton, and Young & Young funeral homes. This was the 2nd year that Life Care Hospice participated. Together, we all reached out to those families in our community who had loved ones pass away during 2010. For the first time, I too was on that list. My grandmother passed this year at the age of 95 and it will be our first Christmas without her. The service took on a whole new meaning for me and was an encouragement to the 80+ guests that were present.

This is one of my favorite services of the year as people come together and build bridges across racial, social, economic, and denominational lines to display the love of Christ to those who are hurting. You see, while some are celebrating at Christmas... others are grieving. To show them that we care... to embrace and encourage them... to remind them of the hope found in Christ... and to help them see their loved one sitting at Jesus feet and celebrating His birthday in His presence is priceless!

I preached on "Frequently Asked Questions About Heaven" and God blessed us with 11 people praying for salvation, 8 renewing their commitment to Christ, 3 desiring information about church membership, and 2 expressing their interest in being baptized. Following the message, we read the names of the deceased, gave beautiful ornaments to the families, and prayed for them. After we dismissed, people stood around weeping, embracing, and encouraging for nearly 30 minutes. It was a good day to be in God's house, and to experience what true ministry is all about.