On Second thought....

Pray for me...

These past few weeks and the coming 3 weeks represent to me another reason why the TEAM approach - with Coaches taking care of Team Leaders and Team Leaders taking care of there teammates! You are taking the load in a big way while there is so much going in our lives - Dean's job, selling our house..and then this past week gearing up for the Leadership Summit and next week "living" the Summit beginning on Monday with preparation of more ideas, planning all staging areas for our Guests; Tuesday the Willow Creek volunteer will arrive to tour and get updated with us; Wednesday we unpack all the boxes for to set up a temporary bookstore for all the resources being sold at the Summit, etc.; Thursday - Saturday - THE SUMMIT and then we still have the weekend services.

Oh yeah, my youngest son Jackson, is getting ready to leave for college...ECU - Go Pirates!! And for those of you that know me well - I'm not handling this with the greatest grace...okay; frankly I'm being the biggest baby of all - I'm still in denial about the term (EN)....empty nester YIKES!

Then God reminds me I am not the only one going through this thing called life! Pete and Mary have a son in Iraq, which is a far greater stress than 2 hours away at college. I've heard from so many people that are struggling BIG TIME with their employment or lack of employement. People have lost loved ones and loved ones are diagnosed with serious diseases. Lots of us are lonely.

Then we learn of the shocking news of the bridge collapse in Minneapolis - Unexpected and excruciating pain! I think - boy - the enemy is having a field day!

But this morning I read Obadiah (yep - the whole book - It's only 1 Chapter!!) because I loved the description of God that Steve used in his sermon this past Sunday - "Mighty to Save"!

Obadiah's name means "servant of the Lord" and the theme of this book is about how pride and gloating and bitterness and holding a grudge leads to destruction. God takes care of it all. We can put all that "yukki stuff" in our lives in His hands - knowing that "the kingdom will be the Lord's". (1:21).

So it was comforting to me that I lay my battles, my hurts upon His MIGHTY Shoulders - to cry on those massive and tender arms of His - and while I go through the trials of my life today, next week and years from now, that as His SERVANT I chose to declare that only our GOD is incredibly MIGHTY to save me from forever hell and yes - today's hell.

New Team Member

Please welcome Ruby Carpenter this Sunday as she steps in to serve in Guest Services!!!

Summer is winding down and folks will be coming back to church from being on vacations - Let's stay together on all fronts-encouraging one another-praying for one another. We will be challenged and stressed "to the max" and as someone prayed recently - pray that God will "bless us to the max"!

Let's Get Started!

I do have a separate personal blog (which is open to anyone). This one is dedicated to the volunteers (and very interested parties) that serve at Hope Community Church!

The goal is that we can all participate in an open forum of discussion about events, issues, ideas which affect how we serve others and how we can encourage each other!

In addition, as God continues to grow us - both in number and spiritually - perhaps the input and feedback will open our eyes to things we may not have ever thought of --- if done with love and for the good of many!

Please feel free to share your ideas, thoughts and suggestions here! Let's see what happens!