Monday Morning Downloads

Welcome to another edition of Monday Morning Downloads. What follows is a somewhat chronological journaling of the events of my weekend:

*I took the kids to school earrrrrly Friday morning. They start over an hour earlier here then they did back in Forest. Which means we get up over an hour earlier [insert yawning sound effects]. I secretly think I might eventually possibly like it though because it gets the day started and rolling along.

*I spent the rest of Friday day getting flags out and repaired and ready to be flown Saturday for the hot dog dinner and Sunday morning for our visiting missionaries. Caleb was a big help.

*Friday evening we made home made pizzas. Everyone made a different one because we like different stuff and not everyone agrees with my sausage, black olives and feta combo.

*Saturday was spent getting ready for the hot dog dinner for Re-Light Bluewell, which is a local fund raising project to buy Christmas lights and decorations for the towns of Bluewell and Brushfork. Its a very cool project and we were happy to be a part of it. It was a fun evening and everyone worked hard but seemed to enjoy themselves as well. The ladies who prepared and served the food are amazing. They just jumped right in and did what they do and everything ran smooth. Scott did a great job planning and leading the event and I’m so glad he connected us with Re-Light Bluewell. I can’t wait to see the lights!!!

*I met lots of new people at the hot dog dinner and it was great to meet so many people from the community. I was blown away at how many people came who don’t attend the church. I thought it would mainly be a VOP event but it wasn’t and that made me happy.

*Now its time to talk about potato salad. I grew up loving my mom’s potato salad. I loved it. I ate lots of it at whatever meal at which it was served and then I ate it later as leftovers and then I fried it up with bologna for breakfast the next morning. I loved it. But its been a long time since I’ve had it and I’ve searched all around for something that tastes similar. I always order potato salad at restaurants and I’m always disappointed. Order. Taste. Bleh. Push bowl or plate away. On to the next menu. Until Saturday. On Saturday, as the evening waned, I tasted some potato salad which was sent home with us in a big old aluminum pan. I tasted it, prepared to bleh and push away, but I didn’t. I tasted again. And again. And again. I ate three bowls. I then began to investigate. I successfully found the chef and I won’t be revealing who it is because I don’t want to overwhelm her with the celebrity status which would surely come with the discovery of her potato salad, but I will say that I have made contact and assured myself of future potato salad

*Sunday morning we woke up and got ready and met Ralph and Terry Dorsey as they drove in from Lynchburg. It was great to see them. I know what it takes for them to be away from Tree of Life on a Sunday morning and it was an honor to have them with us. They blessed us with great company and a GREAT song. I loved it and I hope everyone else did as well!

*We put out all of the flags Saturday evening and then flew the American flag, Christian flag and West Virginia state flag on the main poles. It was an awesome and amazing sight. I had heart about how great they looked but seeing them for myself, and knowing that so many other countries were represented did something to me. My eyes started sweating at some point.

*We also had Rick and Latrissia Black with us during our service. Rick and Latrissia go way back at VOP and it was great to have them home. They shared some stories about Costa Rica and what the Lord has done with them and through them as missionaries. I loved their stories and I love them. We are blessed to call them church family and we are blessed to have the opportunity to help them as they return to Costa Rica in the near future.

*We ended the service with Communion, which ended our Season of Communion. I love giving Communion and taking it with this wonderful church family.

*It was a great day all the way around. Talk to you next time!

My Thoughts On The Earthquake…

So on Tuesday, August 23rd–my birthday–an earthquake occurred near Mineral, VA and was felt as far North as Boston and as far South as the Carolinas. Here in West Virginia we felt a bit of it, but we immediately heard about it through Facebook. My newsfeed was full of phrases like “Did anyone else just feel that?” and “Earthquake?” and “EARTHQUAKE!!!!” Thankfully, no one was hurt but the 5.9 quake did some damage and sent people into a bit of a frenzy. I didn’t really feel it, but we have friends back in Lynchburg and Northern Virginia who did and when you feel something like that it….it does something to you ya know? I hate to use such a bad pun but it shakes you up.

After everyone checked on their friends and family and discovered everyone was okay, a different kind of fear and dread slowly started making its way around the states and especially the internet. Questions started rumbling forth. Is this the end of the world? Is Judgement Day coming? Will more earthquakes come?

Many Christians began to “answer” these questions by quoting verses and some momentum has taken place. I’ve heard that churches will be filled on the East Coast this Sunday and many people will be there because they think this may be the end of the world and it might be a good time to punch the old church time clock. You know….just in case. Some will be there out of raw fear. Others will be there with a sincere heart and mind…seeking answers.

May I be just full out honest with all of you for a moment? I’m worried about the answers the church will give.

I see A LOT of Christians giving full out wide open monologues on judgement and wrath. Using phrases like “God’s sovereign hand of justice” and “reckoning” and “Great White Throne”. I see these essays and diatribes and…rants maybe even…making their way around and I struggle with speaking up. Why do I struggle? Several reasons. First, I don’t ever want to misrepresent God so I’m very careful what I say about Him and what He is doing. Not hesitant…careful. Second, I never want to be in opposition to God, so I am very careful refuting or opposing other “Christians” because there is a chance they are right and then I find myself opposing God. Not a good place to visit. Definitely not a good place to live. Third, I don’t want to waste space on people’s prayer lists as they question my salvation and thus begin to pray for something to happen in my life that has already happened.

Possible Dialogue Example.
Person #1: “Did you hear about Jason?”
Person #2: “No. What happened?”
Person #1: “He posted a blog about the earthquake.”
Person #2: “Really?”
Person #1: “Yep…”
Person #2: “What did he say?”
Person #1: “I’ll let you read it for yourself…”
[insert ominous organ music reminiscent of Guiding Light's radio days]
Person #2: Reads with squinted eyes and furrowed brow.
Person #1: “So what do you think?”
Person #2: “I think we need to pray for him right here right now!!!!!!!!!!!”
[cue Rocky Theme Song as intercession is made for the salvation of a born again believer]

But I also want to make sure that God’s Word is accurately represented and for that reason I write this blog post today.

So lets tackle some questions together shall we?

Question #1: Is the judgement day coming? Yes.

Follow up question to Question #1: WHEN is it coming? No one knows. Let me explain by sharing one very powerful verse. “No one knows that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Matthew 24:36. This is referring to the rapture. So here’s the thing, if someone claims to KNOW when its gonna happen, then that goes against the verse that says NO ONE will know. There are many many verses that say His return will be unexpected so if people are expecting it, He won’t come on that day. So, no one knows. Not even the people who rent giant billboards. It seems basic, but the fact that people claim to know the day, actually gives us clarity that it WON’T be that day.

Question #2: Should I be scared of Judgement Day? Yes. We’re sinners and the God we sinned against will have us before Him and we’re unworthy and we will fall short, and we deserve punishment. HOWEVER, Praise God that He provided His Son as a sacrifice for our sins and by accepting that sacrifice, we actually receive Grace and Mercy instead of the judgement we deserve. So that “yes we should be scared” can become a “no, there is no need to fear that day” because of the work Jesus did on the cross on our behalf. If we accept that gift of Grace, then we are born again (Read John chapter 3) and Christ’s return, once we begin to look closely at what the Bible says about it, can be our “blessed hope” because Revelation 21:3-4 says “God will dwell with man and they will be His people and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore…” This is a promise Christians can hold on to. We can find hope in those verses, not fear. We can find reassurance, not insecurity.

Question #3: Is the earthquake a sign that the end of this world is coming? The answer is maybe. Jesus IS coming back. Eventually, after His return, this world WILL come to an end, but as I said before, we don’t know when. We need to note though, that in Matthew 24, when listing out the signs that would show the approach of the end of the world, Jesus listed “earthquakes in various places” as one of the signs. So, when earthquakes happen in places they don’t normally happen, its natural to think that MAYBE this is one of the things Jesus spoke about. But let me ask you to do this. Read Matthew 24 on your own. Not chopped up and served up by someone who might have an agenda, albeit a sincere one. read it for yourself, especially the first 14 verses. After you do, you will see that several things have to happen AFTER the earthquake signs. Verse 14 says “And this gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and THEN (emphasis mine) the end will come.” So you see, we can take hope that after the scary signs, the great and blessed hope of the Gospel will be preached in all the world. That means the Grace of our God will be preached throughout the world!!!!! Then, yes, this world will end and anyone who has ignored or rejected God’s grace and mercy will face punishment. And that is what people should fear. Facing a God you rejected is far more scary than a few cups falling off of a shelf. Its even more scary than the terror of watching buildings fall or lives end. But Matthew 24 gives us hope that IF the earthquakes are a sign of the end times, they are also a sign that the Gospel is going forth. Are you a believer and follower of Jesus? Then carry the Gospel forth. Be used by God to TRULY shake the world. If you are not, then I encourage you to take time now to discover the Truth of the Gospel (the Good News) and talk to the God you are scared of facing. Talk to Him with the confidence that He accepts and forgives a repentant heart. Read 1 John 1 and find hope, especially in verse 9, which says “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Question #4: Okay, then what do you REALLY think about the earthquake? Alright, let me clarify, I’m going to specifically now share my thoughts on the Virginia earthquake, and NOT some of these devastating ones like the one that hit Japan. Here are my thoughts on the earthquake from Tuesday. I think God allowed the natural movements and groanings of this earth to shake in the form of an earthquake. I think He allowed the earthquake and I think He allowed it to wake us up a bit. I think GENERALLY we are spoiled in America. I love America and I love Americans, but we are a bit spoiled. We live well and many of us live large. Compared to the rest of the world we live in security and prosperity. Hey, I’m not complaining, I’m just telling you what I think. I think within this security and prosperity we forget to pray for and have empathy for those who do not have as much as we do. And something like an earthquake reminds us of the temporal state of security we live within. It makes us think about what would have happened had the earthquake been stronger. What would it feel like to lose someone or many someones? What would it feel like to be homeless? To watch all of our precious STUFF destroyed? Those fears and worries and thoughts can be bad but they can also be very healthy if they lead to appreciation for what we have and compassion for those who have not. I think God allowed this quake to wake us up to the fact that we are richly blessed in this country. When we realize that we might take action. We may give to countries devastated by major earthquakes. We may give to missions in order to see the Gospel go forth according to Matthew 24. We may receive a call to the mission field ourselves or answer a call that came years ago. We may call up old friends or make new ones or enjoy the ones we see everyday. We may love stronger, laugh louder and hug longer. And more than that, to bring this full circle, we may start asking questions which lead us to the God who Loves us and yearns to reveal Himself to us in new and exciting ways. People may post questions on facebook or twitter and someone is going to answer those questions. Will it be believers who point them to the Creator of the universe or will it be someone else who is just as confused and lost. Will we let the blind lead the blind through the rough waters of this event or will we take someone’s hand and walk them to the security and peace that can only be found in Jesus? I choose to do the latter.

What will you do?

Monday Morning Downloads (early edition)

What follows is a somewhat chronological look at the events of this past weekend. Enjoy

*Woke up to rain Friday morning. That would normally be ok with me but Friday was the day of the Father/Son campout and rain and “out” don’t go together. People rarely go to camp”in”s. Not sure why, but they don’t. So rain wasn’t a good thing.

*Had to run to the clinic to find the results of the kids TB tests before they could register for school since they moved here from out of state. They PASSED!

*Went to Wal-Mart and bought massive amounts of camping stuff. I almost said supplies, but the word “supplies” implies necessity, and a folding fork and spoon knife may have been a necessity for 1950′s boy Scouts, but the invention of plastic utensils negates the need for that beautiful invention. I left it on the shelf

*I kept buying orange stuff. Orange sleeping bags. Orange chairs. Orange oranges.

*The rain stopped sometime mid-day. Praise God!

*Dave was at the church early loading up the van. When we got there he had everything loaded and we were ready to roll.

*Dave bought a lot of eggs. I suspect he likes them.

*It took about an hour to get to the campsite. We camped at Foster Falls near Austinville, VA.

*Does anyone else find it ironic that I moved from Virginia to West Virginia and then went BACK to Virginia to camp?

*The park was beautiful. Dave’s dad set the trip up and they did a great job picking the site. At first I didn’t like the whole “carry your stuff from the van in several backbreaking trips down a steep slope and back up another steep slope or use an antique cart with tiny wheels” option, but once we unpacked we realized the peace we had not having to worry about vehicles at the campsite. Revving engines. Shining lights. Running over children. Stuff like that.

*I took Noah and Jakey with me. I looked forward to spending time with them and I wasn’t disappointed. I don’t think they were either. They were excited the whole time. Jake gets loud when he gets excited. Like piercing the darkness loud. He got loud a lot. And I never shushed him. Not once. I was happy to see him so happy.

*I got Noah a pocket knife for the trip. He has owned knives before but this one must have been extra special because both of us ended up being sliced open by it before the trip was over.

*We had ten guys on the trip. Ten great guys. My goal was to strengthen friendships and start some new ones. All goals accomplished.

*Being the pastor is a strange thing sometimes. You have to be careful allowing your son to turn your hat sideways in case someone snaps a picture and posts this non-clergy type pic to facebook… I looked like I was ready to be on an Amy Lambert Invasion billboard…

*We had hot dogs for dinner Friday night. They were good. The chili was excellent. The chips had a hint of lime. Enough said.

*Sleeping in a tent with two boys is an interesting experience. At times, my ribs felt like they belonged to an Austrian cage fighter.

*I slept about two hours. I fell asleep to the sound of the rushing water down at the river. I awoke to the sound of rushing air coming out of the air mattress pump as Noah fired it up near my ear and then innocently asked “oh hey dad…are you awake?”

*Breakfast was very good. Scott fried bacon. Heath and Bryan made toast. Dave made scrambled eggs and french toast. It was very good. If you make french toast that good on a coleman stove you have to wonder how good it is at home. No wonder Dave told us not to tell Alecia he knew how to make breakfast…

*While some of the guys went fishing, most of us waded out into the New River. The water was perfect. We had a blast. Noah and Jake and I braved the rapids barefoot. We are manly and that is not debatable. It simply isn’t.

*Loading the van back up wasn’t as fun as unpacking it.

*We arrived home in the early evening and my boys were sacked out in the van seats. They were dreaming of the bag full of light sabers Warren brought with him no doubt.

*It was good to be back. I must admit, I was homesick…

*Sunday morning was beautiful. I know I say that every week but if a Sunday morning is beautiful I have to call it like I see it.

*The worship was amazing. Pam and the praise team and musicians were anointed and powerful.

*The theme of the songs were freedom and the Love of God. After the worship, Vickie shared a Word about God’s love for each of us and it was so very timely. It was one of those times when God’s Spirit is so tangible you feel like you can fill your hands with it.

*My message came from Jonah 4. I compared the book of Jonah to the story of the prodigal son. Compare the two some time and see what God says to you.

*The entire message was centered around the love of a father and son, with the emphasis on the love of THE Father.

*I may try to share some expanded thoughts on Jonah in a different post. It was a wonderful day at Voice of Praise and I went home knowing God loves me. What better thing to know?

Monday Morning Downloads

I’m writing this MMD within 10 feet of the scene where I just killed a giant spider. It was huge. I’m talking Discovery Channel huge. But I’m dedicated to MMD and I will show that dedication by pressing on even after waging battle against an arachnid man killer. What follows are my almost stream of consciousness ramblings about the weekend in a somewhat chronological order.

*Friday was a day of errands and telephone calls and such. My highlight was mercilessly spraying the kids with the hose.

*I started Saturday looking over my passage and notes for Sunday morning.

*In the middle of the day we went on a search for games for the church picnic. We got a bean bag game, bocce ball and lawn darts. A newer safer lawn dart, not the kind several teens in the seventies lost toes and feet because of. I remember the dangerous kind. They were so bad, Hollywood was gonna make a beach thriller about them but then Jaws came out and lawn darts paled in comparison.

*Saturday night we went to a Princeton Rays game with the Malachowskys. It was our first Rays game and I liked it. I actually liked the Bluefield game better even though the Princeton stadium is newer and nicer. Maybe it was the threat of rain which never came. Or maybe it was the mascot.

*Lets talk about the Princeton Rays mascot. He was a chicken. A rooster to be exact. And he was…odd… Caleb freaked out when he came near and most mascots have a keen sense of awareness about their ability to freak out babies. They usually immediately back off but this one didnt. He kept pushing the issue. He then aggressively pursued a high five from Brandy which she almost gave him against his chicken cheek. A friend of mine from high school, after seeing the picture of the rooster on facebook asked a great question. Why is the mascot for the Devil Rays a rooster? And how do we know that he wasn’t some weird guy in a chicken costume? The answer is, we don’t know…. we don’t know at all…

*Sunday was church picnic day and my kids woke up excited. Misty made deviled eggs and Jasilyn kept stealing them. I’m pretty sure she ate them for breakfast….

*We had a great morning at church. We miss the Brownings when they aren’t with us, but we’re blessed to have the ability to worship with videos and thats what we did. Our worship set was Happy Day, Song of Hope, He Knows My Name, and I Give Myself Away. Our people are definitely worshipers because they worshiped with videos the way they do with live worship. Thats rare.

*My message was short. I went through Jonah 3 and I asked everyone to imagine themselves in the two main scenes of chapter 3.

*The first scene is the giant fish vomiting Jonah up on the shore. What if you were there? What would you do? How would you treat Jonah? How would you treat him if you were God?

*After God re-commissioned Jonah and sent him on to Nineveh, the second scene unfolds. The scene where Jonah walks into Nineveh, this enemy city. This city filled with barbaric warriors, and speaks an eight word message from God. What an amazing scene that would be. Imagine how Jonah felt uttering that first word. Imagine how amazed you would be as every single person repented…

*I then went into a rant about preachers who talk too much….moving right along

*At 1pm, we held our church picnic at Bluefield City Park. It was awesome.

*Lots of food. Lots. And a good variety of stuff. Every type of chicken. Potato salads. Macaroni salads. Meat loaf! Meatballs. Pigs in blankets. Vegetables. Desserts and desserts and desserts.

*There were lots of cool things going on at once and it is hard to list them all but one thing was allll the kids running around. That was a great sight. They eventually made their way to the creek. Need I say more?

*There were also lots of games. The two most popular were horseshoes and the beanbag game. I think we have a church full of hustlers because lots of people kept going on and on about how they never played while throwing ringers….

*Although there was a threat of rain all day, God held it off and we had a great time!

Monday Morning Downloads

Welcome to another exciting episode of….Monday Morning Downloads. What follows is a rundown of my weekend in somewhat of a chronological order.

*Friday was the last day of Voice of Praise’s VBS. This year our theme was “Backstage With The BIBLE” and I have to say its the best Vacation Bible School I’ve ever been a part of. The hearts of the volunteers humbled me. The kids who came night after night just blew me away. And the Spirit was all over the place. Pam did a great job planning and directing it and I couldn’t be happier or more thankful.

*My favorite parts? Security Steve. The Bounce House. The Conga Lines during Bible Book Bop. Spontaneous Wild Wig Usage. The skits. Lots of new faces. Smiling happy kids.

*The snack Friday night was chili cheese nachos :O and I ate enough of them to feed a small Latino nation.

*We got a kitten Friday. His name is Ninja. He has ninja skills. He shows them late at night while others sleep.

*Saturday was a day of ministry in many forms and it was one of those days as a pastor where I felt the weight others carry and their burdens were my burdens. Its what I was created for but I could fully feel it Saturday, all day, and it was a long day. I think its okay to say you have sad days as a pastor. If its not it should be. Saturday was a sad day.

*Sunday morning started out rough. The enemy was aggressive and vicious. Many of our leaders said they felt the same thing as their day was starting. We turned that around through prayer before service and some anointed praise and worship. Pam always does a great job leading us and Nathan led us as well. I love Nathan and its easy to see why the church looks up to him.

*We have the best Media Team around.

*Dave made coffee. It was good. You can tell how addicted to coffee someone is by how they drink their first cup. Try it some time. Sit back and watch a coffee addict. We will entertain you

*We took in a new member yesterday. It was the first one I’ve taken in during a service. It was awesome. Welcome to the family Diane!!!!!

*We continued our “Gone Fishin’” series yesterday and I wanted to go back through Jonah 1 and walk through Jonah 2, looking at pictures this book can paint for us about our Christian Faith.

*Jonah paints a picture of God’s Sovereignty.

*Jonah paints a picture of God’s Grace and Mercy.

*Jonah paints a picture of the runaway Christian.

*Jonah paints a picture of the sleeping Christian.

*Jonah paints a picture of the life of unbelievers.

*Jonah paints a picture of repentance.

*Jonah paints a picture of Jesus Christ. Is Jonah an unworthy artist? Is Jonah an unworthy paint brush? Yes. As am I.

*Candace Asbury’s last Sunday was….yesterday…. We will miss you Candace but we are excited about what God has in store for you in Lynchburg, VA. Great things can happen in Lynchburg

*I started the day attacked and I ended it thankful.

Rough Cut Notes From “Gone Fishin” [part 1]

Jonah 1
1 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.”

*When God sends us somewhere, we need to remember that He is omnipresent, so in reality, even when He says “Go”, He is really saying “Come follow me”.

*It IS possible to deny God’s call upon our life.

3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

*When you decide to run from God, there will always be a vessel ready, willing and able to take you away from Him.

*The journey away from God is a downward one, and it always ends somewhere you never thought you would be.

*Jut because God doesn’t close the door, it doesn’t always mean He wants you to go through it.</em

4 But the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.5 Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.6 So the captain came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.”7 And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, “Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?”9 So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”
*Just because God allows you to walk away from Him, it does not mean He stops caring about you.

*Running away from God drains your energy even more than the hardest job in God’s service.

*Your testimony can be a powerful tool for the Lord, but it can also be a powerful weapon for the enemy.

10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “Why have you done this?” For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them. 11 Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?”—for the sea was growing more tempestuous.
12 And he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.”
13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them. 14 Therefore they cried out to the LORD and said, “We pray, O LORD, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O LORD, have done as it pleased You.” 15 So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the LORD and took vows.
17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

*Sometimes the actions of unbelievers look more Godly than the actions of believers.

Monday Morning Downloads

Two weeks in a row an MMD is released on time??? Yes. Believe it people! Here are some highlights from the past weekend in somewhat of a chronological order.

*Jasilyn and Noah were with their grandparents for a few days so a chunk of Friday was spent driving that all familiar 460 trek to pick them up and bring them back home. I missed them so I drove fast to get them

*I love some of the small towns you go through on 460. Narrows and Pembroke are cool outdoorsy type towns with lots of stores with the word “outfitter” in them. Even the 7/11 sells fishing bait. “I’ll take a chili cheese filled sausage, a Boston Creme donut anddddddddd 17 night crawlers please!” yummmmmm

*Friday afternoon the kids assaulted each other with the sprinkler in the back yard.

*Want to create some excitement in your life? Take 7 kids (make sure one of them is a toddler who runs everywhere and a 5 year old who wants to be a stunt man) to a park with a pond surrounded by docks with no safety rails. Want some more excitement? Make sure that park has a 77 foot tall sliding board which looks like it was built in the 1940′s when young men were being prepared to go to war against the Nazis and even their playground equipment reflected this fact. The Malachowskys and the Queens did that Friday night and we lived to tell about it. All of us. It was a good night.

*Saturday was a mixed bag. I started the day reviewing my Sunday message. Just reading through the points and letting God speak on each one.

*Saturday afternoon we went over to the Malachowskys and enjoyed some Northern style BBQ with the Lesters. It was a great afternoon with shredded meat and good friends.

*Sunday morning was a beautiful West Virginia morning. The Sun breaking over the high green mountains is a scene I will be able to describe to my grandchildren.

*If I spent the rest of this blog listing the reasons I love the people of Voice of Praise, the blog host would have to charge me for the amazing amount of space I would use up writing the reasons down. It would fill a few super computers. But I do love them. Ive fallen in love with them and that continues week after week.

*I got lost in the worship. I love it when that happens. It doesn’t always happen because I don’t let myself because I think too much but yesterday I got lost in it. Our musicians and singers have pure hearts. What more could you ask for?

*We had a few first time guests and several people who came back after being gone for a while. We’re still in a time when people are testing the waters a bit and thats good. We’re just gonna be who we be and let God draw people to that.

*Yesterday’s message started off our “Gone Fishin’” series as we looked at the story of Jonah. I kept saying don’t focus on the fish but I focused on the fish.

*I always say I will share the notes and sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t but I will make sure I do with this one. I asked God to draw some Jonahs to us and if He did I would speak directly to them. He did so I did. I have a heart for Jonahs because I’m a recovering Jonah. And many of you are too. I see you at the meetings

*VBS this week! Can’t wait to share some cool stories with you!