Two Women

I was rereading the story of D.L. Moody this week and it struck me in a fresh way what a vital role those two praying women played in his ministry. Moody's ministry was already a great success and yet these two ladies believed God wanted to do something more.(Even when Moody was satisfied with what was taking place). These two women(Auntie Cook & Mrs. Snow) provoked Mr. Moody to explore Spirit Fullness. At first Mr. Moody was somewhat offended that these two ladies believed that something was missing from his ministry. But soon, Moody himself began to long to know God in all His fullness. God answered and Mr. Moody's ministry expanded to global proportions.
Dear God, give us more women (and men) like those to ladies who have an awareness of the lack of spiritual unction concerning our ministries, and who will take it upon themselves to make a difference through prayer.
Lets ponder a couple of questions: Do we even sense a need for spiritual power? Are we willing to do the prayer work necessary to make up the difference?

Our hearts go out to VT

These kinds of tragedies leave you wanting to do something and yet often times your not sure what to do. You can certainly continue to pray for the families involved whether you personally knew any of the victims or not. Also, I would like to express our sympathies as a church family. If you know or hear of any local family who has lost a loved one in this tragic event please let us know.

Good ol' Friends

My wife and I just spent the last couple of hours with good friends who use to live in our area and we went to church together. They moved away about a year ago and we really hadn't spent much time with them since. It was as if we never missed a beat. One of the greatest fringe benefits of being a child of God is being a member of the family of God. Friends who can relate to your struggles with no pretense and yet share a sincere desire to be used of the Lord. Friends who you could trust with your own reputation. Friends like this are rare but real.
If you have such friends like this, you are blessed, I would encourage you to express your appreciation to them sometime this week.

Sunday Snapshot

It's been a full day! It started this morning at 5:30 a.m., leaving for Front Royal by 6.
We played our last Football game of this session this morning at 7:45 a.m.. Man, was it a close one. We almost won. The score was 36 to 0. Well, o.k., so it wasn't that close.
We did have a great time.
Well, o.k., so we didn't have a great time. We at least finished the season without giving up. Who ever said "winning is not everything" was right but winning sure does make everything else a whole lot more fun.

We did have a great time at church today despite the nasty weather. It's always encouraging to see new faces in the crowd. I had a lot of fun with the new series. Today's message was called "If I only had a brain". I talked about the importance of seeking counsel. I was reminded how many people I count on for guidance and all the great examples and mentors that I have benefited from in my own life. I promised myself that I would express my appreciation to several folks this week who have invested in my life over the years by their words and ways.

This evening we visited a friend who just lost his youngest son in a car accident. I know he was broken on the inside but it was very evident that he was relying on the Lord for strength. How do people handle things like that without leaning upon God? Ronda and I were talking on the way home, in light of our recent loss, with the death of her mom; how does people get through things like this if they don't have the hope of heaven and the promises from Christ that we will be reunited with our loved ones again. The Lord sure is good!

Well, it's 10p.m. and I've been on auto pilot for over 16 hours straight. It is time to find the landing strip. To all of you who call Virginia Hills your church home; thanks for being such a blessing and allowing me to have the greatest job in the world. Blog you later!

Sight & Sound

43 of us from VHC went to Lancaster, Pa. yesterday to take in the new production at Sight and Sound Theater. It was called "In the Beginning". The presentation was absolutely wonderful and the Cinnamon almonds were delicious as usual. The actors, live and animated animals, and the detailed set designs are world class! I would encourage everyone to make plans to attend. The story lines always bring up new insights and considerations. It reminded me of how much the Lord desires voluntary obedience and admiration. It's always been His choice to give us a choice. Real love and devotion can't be forced. He wants us to love, follow, and obey Him. He also wants us to want to love, follow, and obey Him. I regret that I have not always done the God-honoring thing but I'm thankful that God did not create me as a robot. He's given me a choice and His grace gives me a chance to discover liberty in Christ.

It's a Start!

Thanks for stopping by. You have stumbled upon my first post. I have been looking forward to getting my blogging up and running for some time. I think it will be another effective way to communicate with friends and family of Virginia Hills Church. My hope is that the chatter and discussions will be uplifting (Up Words) and thought provoking. I welcome you to join in the discussion and share your insights and opinions.