On Vacation

On vacation for some much needed rest and relaxation. In Florida having a blast just hanging out with the kids and with friends. Today we went in the boat around the Destin bridge area, it was spectacular. Water was clear and people everywhere. We anchored the boat on a sand bar and played in the water for several hours. Nice people and a lot of fun. Rest is such an essential part of our lives. We are gearing up for the busiest times of the year from the start of school till Christmas. It seems like much gets done in the church world during that time. Rest is much more important especially when you work hard. Getting into God's rhythm of 6 days work and 1 of rest is a key component also. I'll be back soon.

Second Half part 3

This is the 3rd part of what I felt God spoke to us during the Awakening time of prayer and fasting at the first of the year. The third thing was that God was going to take away our reproach. God spoke to a childless woman in the OT and told her that HE would take away her reproach. I really believe that this is going to be a very fruitful time for the kingdom. As we embrace this new wine skin of LOVE and that new grace from God is on our lives, then we are going to see more fruitfulness in our lives than at any time before. God’s desire for all of us is for us to be fruitful. A fruitful person is a happy person, a blessed person, a fulfilled person. It reminds me of our life with our children, in that we have much fulfillment in seeing our children and them grow and have success. Whatever has been your reproach, your burden, the thing that has weighed heavy on your mind I know that God desires to take it away and free you to be what He’s destined you to be. The Psalmist wrote that God has a glorious destiny for me and I believe it for you , for me, and for HOF.

Second Half part 2

The second thing that God spoke to me about our church and this year was: you will be anointed with the finest of oil. That is a portion of scripture found in Psalms. I believe that when we begin to operate in the Love of God that a new anointing is going to be in operation in our life, church, and relationships. God’s anointing or blessing on our lives is the best thing that can happen in and to us. God’s hand on your life is the best thing that could ever happen to you, it’s better than anything money could buy or influential people could do. God’s desire is to pour out His best on His children, He’s not holding back, but desires to bless.

Second Half

I want to remind you what I felt like God spoke to me during the fast at the first of this year when we observed a time of Awakening. There were three things that I felt like God spoke to me during those 21 days of fasting and prayer. 1. New wine for a new wine skin. I really believe that a new wine is going to be poured out as we are open to serving God with a new wine skin. In other words, what has worked in times past will not be effective today. Wineskins got dry and brittle and inflexible and were not fit to hold new wine, which was the best wine. Churches and people can get inflexible also. This new series on Show YOUR LOVE is the new wine skin that God is going to use to pour out some new wine into our lives. I'm so pumped and excited about the second half of the year at HOF. Don't miss Sunday or any of the sermons in the series, we are going to have a blast hearing God's heart of love for us and learning how to love others. That's what life is all about. Vanessa has been gone for 6 days and without someone to love life really loses it's meaning.

New Rev on David

I was having my quiet time this morning and reading the account of David's sin with Bathsheba and Uriah. For those who aren't familiar, David saw Bathsheba bathing on a rooftop and even though she was married to another, he took her for himself and had her husband, Uriah, killed in battle. I thought about Psalm 53 that David wrote as he was finding his way through that time where he lost his way. His prayer in Psalms 51:1 taught me something. It says, "have mercy on me Oh God because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sin." David had an understanding of God that is revealed in his prayer. He knew that God forgives us because of His love for us not because of how bad we may feel. He put his faith in God's compassion to remove the stain of sin rather than his own feelings of remorse. David kept his eyes on God even through repentance. It's so tempting to focus on how everything makes "you" feel, but we need to be reminded that God is good and merciful and just and righteous and forgiving because that's who He IS. Not because of anything I may feel about myself. You know what that means? That there is hope for all of us, no matter who you are or where you are at in life. God loves you and because of His mercy and His compassion He desires to make us right with Him.

Man Up Tonight

I want to remind and invite all men who want to have a great time tonight to our Man Up meeting in the Activity Center at HOF. We have turned tonight's meeting into a College World Series watch party with the first pitch around 6:00 pm. We have a meal prepared and we are going to turn this place into Omaha South for tonight. Come and bring your friends, this championship will be much better enjoyed with a couple of hundred of your closest friends. We are going to go live to Omaha and speak to some guys that will be at Rosenblatt. Acts 2:42 says that, "... believers devoted themselves to ...fellowship, and to sharing in meals...". Come help us cheer on the Tigers or of course feel free to cheer for the Short Horns. I feel a homerun coming on. LSU versus right handed pitching has been nails. We'll see, whether the Tigers win or not, Jesus is still Lord and I'm still saved.

This is the day

This is going to be a great weekend at HOF. For starters we get to kick off the weekend by watching LSU pound the piggies today then to celebrate a big Father's Day Sunday we have Pastor Stovall Weems of Celebration Church doing his One Prayer message on God is MERCIFUL. I can't wait to be a part of what God has to say through Pastor Stovall this Sunday and you won't want to miss it. I'm encouraging you to bring your father, bring your husband, bring your sons, bring everyone and anyone to hear that God is Merciful. Then to cap off the weekend, Man Up on Monday night at 7 in the Activity Center on campus. What a weekend and its great serving God in Gonzales.

Loving People, Loving God, Loving Life

I've been thinking about the most significant moments I've had and one is definitely when I experienced a new revelation of God's love for me. That has motivated me since then and really it's love that is our motivation to live for God. Jesus was asked the most important commandments and He said, "love God with everything you are, and love people". That's my paraphrase by the way. As a church our challenge is how do we say, God loves you and we love you to our community, to each other, and to the world. Here's one way we have be able to say "I love you" to a small part of the world in Zimbabwe in the city of Masvingo. See the pictures. Feeding children has made such a difference there. The school staff tells us that since we've been feeding, attendance is up, scores are up, and kids are more motivated to learn. We are learning how to say, "I love you" and it's what the world is dying to hear. Not just words, but really believe that someone loves them.