OKAY, SO CHARITY MAKES A GOOD CAKE FOR A SIXTY ONE YEAR HUSBAND
We braved the weather Wednesday Night at Bill and Linda Aldridge's place, to have a great time of cold fellowship, and for our birthday.
The good folks at Rivers of Joy Baptist Church gave us some very nice birthday cards, a gift card to Praises and a pastor's appreciation card and some good fellowship around the fire on Wednesday.MICHAEL MAPLE
- I mentioned to my father in law yesterday that it's good to back in the pastor/teaching ministry. We went to Bremen, Ohio, for a funeral viewing. Michael Maple, who died Monday, is the son of Roy and Lana Maple,with whom I went to seminary. Mike was the associate pastor with his dad there in Lancaster, Ohio. Our love and prayers are with the family.
WHY SOME COME TO CHURCH:
I sometimes wonder why people even come to church on Sunday, then Sunday Evening and then again on Wednesday. I am sure there are many reasons why people believe they need to attend the services at the church they attend. Some people will drive a good distance to come even to Rivers of Joy, while others who live across the street do not attend any church.
As a Pastor you desire folks to come and really experience the joy of the Lord in their hearts while they lift up their hearts in worship to the Lord. You desire that the experience is not so emotional that when they get in their car and leave the parking lot, that they lose the joy of the Lord before they get home.
We sense a safe havan in the church building and hopefully around Christians believers, then we get out into the real world, and experiece all the difficulty that we face each moment. Life has a way of giving us the shock treatement. And without a dose of the power of the Holy Spirit within us, we would be powerless to cope with every day life.
I can't imagine what Roy and Lana Maple are going through in losing their son, or Mike's wife is going through now. Here is a family without question who has given their life to the Lord, and yet in God's plan, Mike was taken to the Lord. While going to Heaven is really is a good idea, it's so hard on the family.
I have come to realize that God has a plan for us to live a certain amount of time in this life, and then it's over here. So what we do with this life now, each moment, each day, is important to give to the Lord. I certainly would pray that when my time on earth is ended, that I am in the will of God. I would rather be preaching and teaching and around good Chritians friends, then out of church, sitting at home, and mad at God.
THANKFUL AND BLESSED
I am thankful the Lord has allowed me again to pastor a church. I am glad the folks at Rivers of Joy Baptist Church have allowed me to be their pastor. Charity and I are a team, and we love the Lord and the sweet folks there at the church.
May the Lord give us another day to serve Him, and that we will be serving Him when He calls us home to be with Him.
