Sunday, Oh Sunday

Well, we had a great time at church again today. Today was one of the Sundays this month, that the choir sang. We have to be at church at 8:45am to practice. I always enjoy this time with the choir. Our Sunday School class was good again today, also. Our teacher, Ed Bell, has a cool teaching style. He gives you great scriptural background for the text you're reading, but does it in a sometimes humorous way. We are very much enjoying our time there. The worship service was fantastic today, also. The children sang two songs for the church, and then the pastor did baby dedications for three children. It was a great part of the service, as he prayed over these children individually, and asked for God's blessings upon them, and their parents. Then, the choir got up and sang a song called 'Ten Thousand Years'. It was a very exciting song, with all the parts pulling together to make a beautiful noise to the Lord. The pastor delivered a great message on unity amongst Christians. I was really inspired by his message.


In the afternoon, we met up with four of our close friends, DJ / Alisha, and Brady / Mandy. We went to Concannon's Bakery and Deli in Muncie for lunch, at around 1:30pm. We had a FANTASTIC time with all of them. DJ / Alisha moved to South Carolina last year, and were here for a few days to visit family and friends for the holiday. We ended up staying at the restaurant for about 3 hours. I really do miss DJ / Alisha and their family. It was so good to spend time with Brady / Mandy again, also. We haven't done that in a while.






As I am typing this, a MASSIVE thunderstorm has just passed through our area. There's still thunder and lightning going on, but nothing like it was. I thought we were going to lose trees, the wind was that strong. I didn't even know it was supposed to rain, much less storm. It was a crazy end to such a beautiful day. Carolyn had a great birthday. Thank you Lord.

Oh Salvation (a poem)

I had an okay day today. Work was ok, except for the heat and humidity. When I got home, I got cleaned up to go to church, but I still wasn't feeling great. Carolyn has had some kind of sickness for the last two or three days. I'm hoping I'm not catching it. But anyway, when Carolyn got home, she did not feel like doing anything, so we both skipped church tonight. I really like the Wednesday night class, and choir practice, but we just couldn't imagine sitting with a bunch of people, feeling like we did. I hate missing both of those tonight.

There was one good thing that happened today. God was giving me some words yesterday to a poem. I got the rest of them today. It's short, and I call it, Oh Salvation. Here it is:

Oh Salvation, to the masses
Dream of every child of faith
Blind to race, and social classes
Deaf to angry shouts of hate.

Salvation knows no earthly boundaries
Salvation is for one and all
It helps you see, what you're life can be
When your back is pressed, against the wall.

Oh Salvation, gift from above
So simple and so freely given
Salvation is, and always was
For God knows, our desire to sin.

Salvation is our ticket home
Salvation is man's only way
To see God, and His only Son
And to know forever there you'll stay.

A Nice Day

Today was a busy day. We got started early this morning because of choir at church. This was our first time singing with the choir at First Baptist Church, and we had to meet for a final practice at 8:45am, right before Sunday School class. After the final practice for today's song, we went to a new class, called Genesis. The regular teacher was gone today, but it was still a good class. We met even more new people. We are meeting more new, and interesting people every time we go. After SS class, we met up front. The choir sang the first song, welcoming in the members to worship. It was a great feeling, standing up there, watching everybody coming in, while singing with the choir. God has surely blessed us by sending us here at this time.

After the morning worship service, they took a picture of the whole congregation, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the church. That was a lot of fun. Carolyn and I got stuck right up front. I would rather have been off to the side, but oh well. After the picture, we had a pitch-in dinner in the Fellowship Center. We got to meet alot of people back there. After the meal, there was a Business Meeting. We sat in on that, to see what all was going on at the church. We talked to the Pastor, Jerry Ingalls, about becoming members, and he said there would be a new members class in the middle of July.

This afternoon, we went to Glen Oaks to have our monthly church service, and found somebody else there instead. They had scheduled another guy to come in and have a singing service. We just turned around and left. I didn't get upset, I figured it was a God thing. Carolyn wasn't feeling well today anyway. She went home and rested a little. She almost passed out when the choir was practicing this morning. She broke out into a sweat, and got dizzy. Very scary. She thinks it might be her new medication.

All in all, it was a good day. God still blesses us, always watches over us, and never leaves us. There's always something new around the corner. What an awesome God He is.

Church Tonight

Well, Carolyn and I went to First Baptist Church tonight for Wednesday night study, and choir practice. We didn't know where to go, or what class to go to, but God led us to the right class. We are learning about the different personalities God gives each of us, and how this will help us in our lives, and our study of God. It was very interesting. We met a nice couple in the class.

After the class, we went to choir practice. We didn't know what to expect, and didn't know who was going to be there. The choir director is the same guy that leads praise and worship on Sunday mornings. There ended up being about 20 people there, and we were separated into parts. Carolyn sang with the altos, and I sang with the tenors. We practiced 3 songs, and had a great time. We met alot of people in the choir, and really felt like we fit in. We are going to sing with them Sunday morning. I hope we don't mess them up too much.

Carolyn and I both know that this is the church we are supposed to be in now. God is doing great things with us already. It just seems so effortless. He puts us with the right people, at the right time. We'll just have to wait on Him, and see where He leads us. Thank You Father.

Church This Morning

We went back to First Baptist Church this morning to give it another try. This time we went for Sunday School too. We really enjoyed the class, and the people in it. They were very nice to us, and welcomed us as if we'd always been there.

The service today was fantastic, also. The sermon today was from Phillipians 1:9-11. The pastor brought out a lot of great points in Paul's letter. Pastor Ingalls gets into the original Greek meanings of key words, and it helps us get over him using the NIV. Carolyn and I both use, and enjoy, the KJV. God knew this when He sent us here though, so we are getting past that. I will never change over to NIV myself. I was raised on the KJV, and that's where I'll stay. Carolyn and I sincerely believe this church is where God wants us right now. Whether we join or not is a subject for another day. Whatever God wants us to do. Period. Tonight, we are going to visit a Nazarene church near our house, since First Baptist doesn't have an evening service.

We have been invited to come to choir practice this Wednesday night at FBC (easier). I think we are going to go to the Wednesday evening service at 6pm., and then go to choir practice at 7:45pm. We are really excited to see where God is going with all of this. It's like a new beginning for us. We still miss Smyrna Baptist Church, and all the people there, but we REALLY have to experience all God has for us, or we'll die spiritually. Life's too short to stay comfortable. Seek the Lord while He may be found.