Back from vacation

It’s great to be back.  This past week Asia, the girls, and I went to Missouri for vacation and were able to visit with some old friends.  We spent a day at the St. Louis zoo, went to a Cardinals (nighttime) baseball game, played disc golf in an underground mine, attended a friend’s wedding, and ate Imo’s pizza.  Asia doesn’t like it all that much, but it is my favorite!  We stayed with some close friends of ours who will be leaving in a few months for Senegal, Africa to do ministry for two years. 

It was great seeing so many people from our past and catching up outside of Facebook.  Although it was good to take a break for a week, it was impossible to get my mind away from home and church.  I was very much saddened to hear of Jim Gurley’s passing.  As I visited him in the hospital the week before, that man impressed me so much with his gentle sense of humor and intense love for his wife.  Jim is a man that I hope someday to be, maybe not a vegan, but for his love for Christ and his family.  I do not speak in past tense for our brother Jim because I know we will someday see him again.  Romans 6:5 (NLT) say’s, “Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was.”  Jim is with Jesus right now!  That thought gives me goose bumps.  While he is no longer with us and literally with Jesus, one day we will join him there!  Jim has finished the race and he finished very well.

Now that I am back, I am very much excited for the next couple of weeks.  As a church, we have so much going on.  This weekend Bud Holmes will not be here with us because his daughter will be getting married.   Instead, we will be having Joe Wilson filling the pulpit.  He is in town this week and we are excited to hear him deliver God’s word to us.  Also happening this Sunday, a personal friend of mine will be joining some of our musicians in leading us in worship.  I have known Brian Carter for seven years and he is a talented musician and has a heart for lost people.  I want to be clear, this is NOT an interview.  We are not looking to hire him here.  Brian was available to come spend time with us and I thought it would be a blessing to have him here this week.  I apologize this was not communicated earlier.  In the craziness of getting everything taken care of before I left for vacation, this slipped through gap.  Regardless, I am looking forward to a very exciting and edifying church service this Sunday.  I hope to see you all here as we gather corporately to worship our heavenly father. 

*Side note – I have been having some trouble with my church email the past two weeks and found out about it late last week.  If you have sent me a message and I have not replied, either I did not get the message or my email did not send you my reply.  If this is you, please resend your message or call me at the church office.  I am hoping the issue has been corrected and I apologize for anyone I may have not replied to yet.