Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Lots to update you on.




Wrestling
So Friday Adam had a wrestling scrimmage. This was the first time Adam and I got to see him wrestle. So my patents, my nieces, and Will and Lexi joined us to see Adam in action. As soon as I saw the first match, I was nervous. It was more aggressive than I expected. There was a lot of throwing around, and loud thumps. Made momma nervous. So when they called Adam's name, he walked out onto the mat, and took his position. Then it was on. It went so fast, and so slow at the same time. We were all cheering for him. I am not really sure of the rules, I need to learn about that. Alex yelled out, "Adam don't concentrate on anything but this!" It was so cute. They wrestled for 6 minutes, and then at the end, the ref raised Adam's hand signaling that he won the match. I was cheesin from ear to ear. This is Adam's first experience with School sports. I took a video with my phone, and I am working on uploading that to my blog. But until then, here are some pics. Adam was in grey. I walked over and told Adam how good he did, and some of his friends asked if I was his sister!! I am telling you, that was the best compliment I have received in a long time.
As we walked to the car, Alex told us, that if anyone hurt his brother, when he gets bigger he will beat them up.

Saturday, we froze!
I set it up so that we could have family pics taken outside on Saturday. Well, it was freezing cold. We went to the KFC Building here in Louisville. They have a pretty park, and apparently it if for there employees, because as we were wrapping up, security came and kicked us out. At least we got out pics done. But like I said, it was cold. Outside pics in November, wasn't my best idea ever.


Rockin around the Christmas tree.
Saturday night, I met my friend Erin at Garden Ridge, and we shopped for Christmas ornaments for my tree. We have a fun family tree with colored lights, and all kids of ornaments. But I have always wanted a theme tree. So we went with a peacock theme, because I love the colors in peacock feathers. Well I got it home, and the peacock stuff didn't look very christmasy, so I took those back, and went with black, white, and silver. And it is beautiful. I love it. Very elegant. Here are some pics.

Thankful for..
This morning Alex showed me a paper he made at school.




If you can't see it, he is thankful for his Family, Friends and God. And he drew God with a Big heart.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Wrestling

Little Adam's first Wrestling match is tonight. It is an inner squad scrimmage. Momma is alittle nervous. But he is very excited! We haven't seen him wrestle before. This is new for him, and we haven't seen him practice, so this is a new frontier for us. I will take lots of pics and post them over the weekend. I hope he has fun, and I am praying no one gets hurt :o)

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

i will serve you while i'm waiting

About 60 days ago, our 70 days of ridiculous miracles started. Pastor asked us to make a list of Ridiculous Miracles we were believing for. I had a hard time with my list. I would write something down, then I would say, “With God, this isn’t really ridiculous”. You see, I have had some ridiculous miracles happen. My family was saved, me and my husband started serving god together, my father was baptized, my father was healed, my friends lives have been impacted and they have given there hearts to the Lord. God has sent special people into our lives. God has taken care of us Financially when there was no way. These are all things that seemed ridiculous before they happened, but then they happened, and I saw that nothing is too ridiculous for God, and because he has me, I know he can make it happen.

All this time, there was still something that I was believing for. I wanted to know my place. I saw people serving God in a place were they felt was right were he put them. The past 3 years that I have been at NVMC, I have served. I didn’t do it for a paycheck, I didn’t do it for recognition, I didn’t do it expecting anything in return. Having a relationship with God, and feeling his presence is an amazing experience. I didn’t want to leave church. I wanted to be there all the time. I remember Little Adam telling me one time, “Mom I wish we had church everyday!” So I started to serve because I wanted more of it, that feeling of being close to God. I have served ever since. I have been in the Choir, served in the children’s Dept, the nursery, First Impressions, Vision Care, Vision Athletics and any and all special events we had. I do not do it for man’s applause. I am telling you this because all this time, I wasn’t sure what his plan was for me, I wasn’t sure of my purpose. I knew I had one! I decided to serve him while I waited for him to show me my purpose. I didn’t serve him asking for something in return, but I do believe that I wouldn’t be were I am in him if I did not serve him.

(Deuteronomy 11:13-15 KJV)
(13) And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, (14) That I will give {you} the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. (15) And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full.

I served were there was the greatest need, I served when I wasn’t sure what he wanted me to do, I served him while I waited.

Are you serving him? Don’t wait to serve while you are waiting on him. Serve him, and it will change your life.

Serving him is my way of worshiping God! I serve him by showing others that they matter to God!

God is good. God has given me my purpose. I am passionate about it, and know he has placed me were he wants me. So in the 70 days of ridiculous miracles, he has given me mine.

While I'm Waiting :
By: John Waller

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Takeing every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Alex Says

Tonight Alex said, " I feel like I am about to give birth!"

lol, he cracks me up.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

What will you sing?

I haven’t Blogged in a while. So here goes.

These past two Sundays have been amazing at Church. Two weeks ago, November 2nd, I went to first service, and during the first song I felt God’s presence. I know that he is there even when I don’t feel him, but this morning I felt it. I had some worry that I was carrying around. I kept telling myself that I wasn’t worried, but I just pushed it aside. So I felt God telling me that I can’t just push it aside and pretend it isn’t there, I have to give it to him. I went up to the alter for prayer during praise and worship. When I got back to my seat, Pastor Curtis and the Choir started to sing my favorite song, “To the Glory of your name.” This song has always ministered to me, and taken me to a deeper place in my worship. (I would love to have a live version of this on CD, hint hint) The song lyrics seem simple, not to knock Pastor Curtis’s writing ability, because we know he is gifted. It is a true worship song, and you really don’t need a lot of words for that, just to come from your heart. The song is more than the lyrics, it is the music, and it is a song that ushers in the presence of God. I really felt this was for me, because I hadn’t heard Pastor Curtis and the choir sing this for a while. Then came the Word. Pastor gave a word that I feel God had given me a glimpse of early that week. I really enjoy blogging, and sometimes I will think of something to blog about, and I will record it in a voice recording on my phone, so I can write about it later.

Here is my recording on 10/28/08 word for word:

What you put into you is what comes out of you. All day I find myself singing and humming songs that praise God. What you put into you is what is in you, and what comes out of you.

On Nov 2nd, Pastor talked about how we want God to help but we don’t want to walk in his word. We fill ourselves with things that go against the Word, and his will for us. We do it in the name of entertainment with the songs we listen to, the movies and TV shows we watch. These are some of the notes I took on Sunday:

· Every word you speak is powerful.
· What comes out of you magnifies what is on the inside of you.
· Watch what you listen too.
· Lyrics can live in your life.
· When you got junk in your life, you will sing his song.

When you got junk in your life, you will sing his song. Because I fill myself with his word, and songs that glorify him, I can sing his song.

When junk comes into your life, like a bad Doctors report, losing your job, death, or bills you can’t pay, WHAT DO YOU SAY? Do you ask God why it had to happen, do you worry how you will pay the bills, do you feel alone, and like no one cares, do you vocalize how everything bad is coming against you?

Or can you say or sing, “I call you holy, your name is holy, holy you are and holy you’ll be”, “Here in your presence, we are undone, here in your presence, heaven and earth become one, here in your presence, all things are new, here in your presence, everything bows before you”, “you were there, you were always there”, “You are God Alone!”, “When I think about the Lord, it makes me want to shout, Hallelujah, thank you Jesus, lord your worthy, of all the glory, of all the honor and all the praise!”

This past Sunday Pastor reminded us that you never know who is watching you. If you are at the Bar, cursing out someone, or gossiping you never know who is around the corner. We have to be more like him in our everyday walk, not just at church to put on a show for everyone, or if we bump into someone from church in public. Because it doesn’t matter what man thinks. We do need to be mindful of what we do, we are a reflection of him, and of our church. Ultimately, it matters what God thinks, and he sees you even when your alone, he knows your heart when you put up a front for others to see, he knows your thoughts when you keep your thoughts to yourself.

When I am in the car, or walking threw the grocery store, cleaning the house, or working, I hum and sing Christian music. Most of the time I don’t even realize that I am doing it. The funny thing is that it might not even be a song I have heard in a while, but it is in me. It is in my heart, my mind and my spirit. It’s not the music, it’s God. It’s his word that lives in us. What is in you is what will come out of you. If you have hate, anger, un-forgiveness, and judgment that is what will flow from you. But if you have love, acceptance, forgiveness, and compassion, that is what will flow from you. What do you want to reflect to those who are hurting and need to know this amazing man names Jesus, that came and died for our sins, and washed away our old things, and made us new in him.

Monday, November 10, 2008

The Church Hoppers

Yesterday at church, Pastor told us about this group called Church Hoppers that go around to Church's un-announced and check things out. No one at NVMC knew that they visited our church a few months back. At NVMC, we know we have a good thing, but it is nice to hear it from someone who has no ties to NVMC. At NVMC, we are a church for people like you, so come and see!! Consider yourself invited.

Check out this great blog at noefool...

and...

Here are some of the things they wrote. Check out article here.

The Church Hoppers
Music, marriage and a mosh pit

There was a lot going on in New Vision Ministry Center’s sanctuary.

Robotic lights pivoted on shiny metal trusses that hung over the stage. Huge woofers pumped out Gospel-infused rock while lyrics flashed on video screens.

But the Church Hoppers’ overwhelming first impression of the church was people. Folks were crammed into the modified gym up to the rafters, filling the room with expectation. It felt like a rock show. As the band played, the under-18 crowd surged forward to stand in front. Simple worship choruses flashed on the screen: I want to jump higher than before … I want to shout louder than before … I want to worship deeper than before … I wasn’t sure what jumping and shouting had to do with God, but it sure got the congregation energized as — yes — they actually bounced and screamed. In the midst of the passion and intensity, something happened to Zach. He tried to explain later: “I felt a Presence that I haven’t experienced in church since I was a kid,” he said. “It was actually kind of scary, like ‘I shouldn’t be enjoying it this much.’ I was clapping; I was feeling it … and yet I was really at peace with myself.” My skeptical side figures Zach’s experience was the product of music and emotions. But my Christian-idealist side hopes maybe he was sensing the presence of God.

The wedding in worship
I grew up in a conservative church where worship songs came from the hymnal and the preacher was in no danger of succumbing to excitement. So I’ve always been suspicious of Bible-thumping holy rollers. Yet I’m not completely cynical. Somewhere inside, I wish I could find as much faith in God’s power, as much passion for Jesus as they have at New Vision. There, it seems like anything could happen on a Sunday morning. Yes, I mean anything. Halfway through the service, Pastor David Boggs explained that a couple in the church wanted to get married, but they couldn’t afford the ceremony. So he conducted a wedding in the middle of worship, with a thousand cheering parishioners as wedding guests. “I sure didn’t see it coming!” said Zach later. “But hey, it’s celebration, and we’re all here anyway. It was really nice of the pastor to do it.” I actually choked up as I watched this couple exchange vows in the middle of a Sunday service. Boggs went on to preach from Romans 12:2, where the Apostle Paul instructs his readers to let God’s wisdom reshape their thinking. “Don’t look like the world; don’t act like the world — it’s messed up,” said Boggs. “We’ve got to learn to make decisions with the mind of Christ. There’s no addiction, there’s no boyfriend … there’s no job, there’s no financial problem, there’s no spiritual problem that Christ can’t conquer … I want this church to mature to the place where we all have the mind of God.” The pastor challenged his flock to renounce their sins, then move forward with the conviction that God would bring blessings as they followed him.

God may not bring “explosive growth” to the members’ mutual funds, but perhaps that’s not the big idea. Their passionate convictions might still help them through hard times — even a recession.