I'm Back!

I'm back from my temporary hiatus from blogging! Since my last post we've had Christmas, New Year's in Gatlinburg (fun!), and January has been filled with reorganizing the house and tax stuff at the church. All the deadlines have been met, so I can breathe easy again.

I am so excited about the new year and the freshness it brings. This year looks to be a big & exciting one! My Jessica will be turning sweet 16 in October. Alex, my baby, will be 12 in June and starts 7th grade in August. (I can't believe it!) Oh yea, can't forget my sweetie will be 40 this year! Party time!! I am officially full time at VL now. We are starting 3 services in April. It's going to be a great year!

Our theme at VL this year is Love Strong. Just click on my title to hear our message kicking it off. We have been doing a series on the Bible over the last few weeks. I am loving it! The Bible is God's love letter to me! (and you!) I knew reading my Bible was something I needed to do and something that I did, but never thought about it as a love letter from God. You know the excitement you get when your sweetheart writes you a letter, God desires the same passion, same relationship, same love, same worship. I just purchased a parallel study Bible with NIV & The Message. I have come across 2 passages that have come alive to me. One - Psalm 23:6, "Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life" (this is David singing to God) and Two - 1 Corinthians 1:7-9 "Just think - you don't need a thing, you've got it all! All God's gifts are right in front of you as you wait expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene for the Finale. And not only that, but God himself is right alongside to keep you steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus. God, who got you started in this spiritual adventure, shares with us the life of his Son and our Master Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that." I recently heard Josh McDowell say that being rasied in legalism ultimately robs you of any joy in Christ. When we are busy making sure we have our do's & don'ts right, we tend to loose focus of why we are doing it and who we are doing it for in the first place. I pray that you experience fresh and anew (just as I have) God's love and beauty chasing after you, the comfort in knowing that He is right alongside of you, and that He will never give up on you!