God of This City

What an A-W-E-S-O-M-E song and video by Chris Tomlin.
I hope you read the words and enjoy the music.



A Rose

A rose, what a beautiful and delicate flower.

This flower comes in a vast array of colors from red to yellow. It blooms in praise to the one who made it; it's Creator, the Lord of Heaven and of earth.

A rose has many layers of soft, beautiful petals and it also has many thorns which prick and can cause serious pain to those who are drawn to it and want to touch it.

How can something so beautiful also cause so much pain?

I have a beautiful bush of magnificent pink roses on our property. I get great joy and pleasure in looking at these flowers. I like to look at the details and different shades of pink in each one. I like the way they look when rain drops are on them. It amazes me how the strength of the rain does not kill them but rather causes them to grow and bloom even more. 

I want to be like a rose, I want to bloom in praise to my Creator, the One who made me.

I don't want to be hardened by the storms and thorns of life but rather be made softer by the work of the Holy Spirit.

I don't want to bring pain and heartache to people but rather when they examine and look at my life cause them to give praise to the Lord Almighty for the work of redemption in my life.

Are you a Rose or a thorn?

One In A Million Bible Study

Hey there precious friends. I wanted to share with you the next bible study I have the joy of leading at NorthPark.

ONE IN A MILLION

by Priscilla Shirer

This will be a 7 week study starting June 15, 2011.

...... here is a sneak peek.

I hope to see you there.

April's Fury 2011

Wow, alot has happened in our Sweet Home Alabama over the past few weeks. We have seen devastation unlike anything before in our lifetime.

I know like many of you I have asked the question, "WHY"?

My friend, to that question I do not have an answer.

What I do know is that the Creator of the Universe sits high and He looks low. He sees the devastation our beautiful state has endured.
One thing I know for sure, Alabama WILL recover again and rise from the ashes.
I have seen people come from far and near to help total strangers clean up their ruins and be the hands and feet of Christ. Of this I am proud.

In closing, I don't know what tomorrow holds but I do know the ONE who holds tomorrow.
Seek Him while He may be found: God loves you.

New Book I am Reading

I am so excited about this book.

Here is an overview.

How are we doing? The church, that is. And how are we doing it? Congregations have long measured success by "bodies, budget, and buildings"--a certain record of attendance, the offering plate, and square footage. But the scorecard can't stop there. When it does, the deeper emphasis on accountability, discipleship, and spiritual maturity is lost. Ignoring those details, we see fewer lives transformed, Christian influence wane, and churches thin out--a situation that is all too familiar across North America today.

It is time to take heart and rework the scorecard.

According the Ed Stetzer and Thom S. Rainer, the authors of Transformational Church, "Too often we've highlighted the negative realities of the declining American church but missed the opportunity to magnify the God of hope and transformation."

Based on the most comprehensive study of its kind, including a survey of more than 7,000 churches and hundreds of on-site interviews with pastors, Transformational Church takes us to the thriving congregations where truly changing lives is the norm.

Stetzer and Rainer clearly confirm the importance of disciple making for all through active biblical engagement and prayerful dependence on God alongside of ever-increasing, intentional participation in mission and ministry activities. As the church engages these issues, the world will see the change:

Please visit their web site: http://www.transformationalchurch.com/

Commenting on my Blog

Friends, apparently there was something wrong with  my settings for commenting on posts. This prevented anyone from leaving a comment. It is now fixed so please feel free to comment now.

My Birthday

What an AWESOME day I had today. I was able to spend a great afternoon with wonderful sisters in Christ over lunch at our home. We had a wonderful time of fellowship and prayer over lunch. I thank God for these mighty women of valour.