So, it will be officially one week till the new chapter starts. We have made the last minute touches on this new chapter. I am excited. Being the head pastor so to speak will be the first for us. Part of me is excited for a new adventure but the other half is terrified. I have heard so many stories about how it ruins the family. Will this new chapter end badly for us? I don't want this chapter to end the way this one did. There were some things that happened that I don't want to hurt us again. I pray this new church will allow us to love them and serve them and hopefully will love us back. I have so many ideas that I hope to use here. I do believe God has prepared our family for this new experience. We can use our past experience and use them plus God will put new ideas in our heart to help this church grow. I am so excited!!!! You know how a kid feels the day before Christmas. They are so excited about getting up and opening those presents. Well that’s how I feel. I am so giddy that I can't take it.

Well anyway. Today we went to our old church to celebrate the 50th anniversary. We got to see all our old friends when I was little. I was nervous because we hadn't there in a while. But it was great. It felt like the old church again. I remember being little and just loving to hear the choir sing and enjoy worshiping God. It was just like old times. Seeing all those kids who I helped with Rainbows grow up. Everyone has grown so much. I enjoyed seeing how God has used those families in ministry at other churches. That church is like a launching pad so to speak. We learned how to serve, and then we would use that knowledge with God's help and go and touch other lives. That church will always be a good memory for my family. We will never forget those days at that church.

I pray that this next church will be the same. I pray that this church will be used as a launching pad and send people around the world to serve others. I pray that people like our family will always remember this church not because of us but because of how God moved and touched their lives.

Well can't wait!!
Teapot Girl

Hey I'm back.

So today we are getting to walk for my sister. She was diagnosed with Crohns in 2009. Every year they have a walk for Crohns to help raise money for a cure. So we are getting to go walk today!! Her team has raised over $300. AWESOME!! We are sooo excited!!

So officially in a month, I will be through with this chapter in my life. It is sad! But I know that it will be okay! Today we decided to visit a church plant close to my grandmother's house. It was inside a Movie Theatre. Very cool!! See we were apart of one when I was in Jr high but unfortunately it didn't make it off the ground. But it all worked out the best and if we had not left there then we would have never a great church the past 2 or 3 years. Anyway, the church is really cool. They meet in one of the theatres while the children's church is in another. Very organized!! Today was their first Mission's Sunday. They had two speakers: one we already knew from the church plant we were in and then another from Gambia. They were very good! One of them talked about the Jesus.net site that they use to help people understand the gospel. I really liked that because it helps reach others even when we don't have a missionary there. They can be reached through the Internet!! Wow!! Pretty cool!

Anyway, that church was very good!! I would love to implement those ideas into our next chapter. My dad will be filling in at different churches around our state because he feels called to preach adults. He has always preached to children or youth but always seemed to timid to preach to adults. But this past year has helped change that! He will be a great pastor. That is one thing we have learned from our pastor now is to be like a Shepherd!! Take care of your flock. I believe my dad will have a heart for the people. I believe God can use us all in that ministry! There was a song that we sang today at that church. It was called I give myself away. It says,
I give my self away,
I give myself away,
So you can use me!
I believe that song seems to fit this next chapter. We are going to have to give ourselves away so we can be used to stretch His kingdom!! God, use us Lord!! God, I give myself away so you can use me!! If you can use those people in that church plant then you can use this family as well!! Use us Lord!!

How can He use you this week?

So about to start another chapter in my life. This new chapter will require a lot more out of us. We will be official PKs. See I have been a PK all my life but my dad has never been a pastor until now. WOW. I knew this day would come but I guess I didn't think it would happen so soon. Its not that I won't like being a PK but I will feel more like a fish in a fish bowl. Always watching us, waiting for us to mess up. I have heard some of my PK friends struggles with the fish tank theory. They never feel like themselves. I sometimes worry will this happen to me? Or can I be myself? My parents have always said told us to be ourselves!! Don't let others define you! Once again, this falls into the Trust God category. Haha I have to trust him!!

Have you ever worried about the new chapters in life? Do you wish this chapter will never end? Or do you sometimes wish this chapter would end so you could start on another chapter? I love books so I sometimes always compare life to books. haha Weird, I know. But if you think about it. Our life is like a book filled with many chapters. Our birth is one, our childhood is one and so on...

So hopefully this chapter will be great. The last chapter was really great as well. At the beginning of that chapter, I was afraid it would start out bad but it did turn out okay. I will always remember that chapter!! That chapter was the one that helped me grow from knowing God in my heart to fully knowing Him with my heart. So maybe this chapter will be okay as well. Can't wait!!

Trust

Hey,

So I am new to blogging. My sister had one for a while but I never felt interested in it. But now I have decided to give it a try!! :-)

So, I was wondering have you ever had trust issues? I have always seemed to deal with that. Whether it was with a friend or loved one or God. Well every time I seem to fix that issue, another one seems to pop up. I worried a lot when I was in Jr high and did not want to trust God with my life. I always seemed to never fully trust him. Every time I would deal with those trust issues, I would remember Proverbs 3:5-6. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." And when I would think about this verse, I would remember to trust Him. It always seems to help. So, maybe today that will help you as well. Just remember to trust Him.

Just this past month, I was in search for a car. I prayed and prayed and prayed for the right one. And we would go and look everyday and see one that might work but every time we started working on the process for buying it, it was either too high or the dealer was rude or something was wrong with the car. I was almost to the point of giving up. I just kept asking God when will I find the right car. Have I missed it? I had seen lots of friends get the right car but it would never happen for me. Well, two Mondays ago, we stopped to look at this weird looking car. Never seen it in my life. I test drove it but just didn't want to get my hopes up. Long story short, I bought it. It was the right price, right payment, great dealer, and the right car. Finally after waiting for over a year, I had found the right car. It was worth the wait. I know that this was God's car. He knew that I would buy this car this month. I just had to trust him!! And I did!! He made this path straight. He lead me to this car!!

I don't know if you are having trouble trusting Him but just remember whenever you feel like you don't know where you are going or if the right car will ever turn up, just Trust HIM!! And He will direct your paths!
Nancy Drew