Noah, the Ark, the Dove, and my Life

Isn't it great how God uses the things we go through in order to allow us to become what HE had always intentioned. Yesterday morning Dave made a statement during the opening of his sermon that put this all in perspective to me.

"Noah couldn't have been used by God if he had not obeyed what God told him to do."

After all we have been through spiritually, emotionally, financially, and physically in the past six months it is such a joy to watch my husband in the pulpit. The anointing that God has placed on his life in so much more apparent to me than it had been for months. I know he has recently said similar things about me, but I see it more in observing him obeying what God told him to do. For the first time in 3 years I am able to sit in the sanctuary and listen to his sermons week after week. As he began his sermon with such a simple statement about Noah's obedience to God I was struck with how much it applies to us. It has been difficult to stay in place and wait for God's timing. We have been broken in such a way that now we see God moving in our church and community the way we have been praying for it to happen. The day to day struggle of rebuilding the congregation are stressful, but the miracles and testimonies are worth it all.

I tried to discreetly take a short video clip of Dave's sermon yesterday, specifically so his parents could see. I realized after I loaded it to the computer that I am unable to rotate the frame like I can with photos from the same camera. I'm going to post it below, but be forewarned it is sideways. I'll try to make sure I don't turn the camera from now on...but he's sooooo TALL!

Oh and by the way his sermon was on the dove (the title of this post).

The first annual Crab Orchard July Festival

We have had the great privilege of participating in the first annual Crab Orchard July Festival. One of the great burdens on the hearts of Dave and myself is the lack of the spirit of community in Crab Orchard. We both feel that without community spirit the small town will die. if you think of the small towns in America that seem to be surviving this age of suburban sprawl there is always a great sense of community pride. Crab Orchard has been lacking in this. This festival is a step in the right direction. City hall sponsored the event and participation by the local churches and Liberty Market made the day.

Our church set up a booth that we called "The Deep Fried Depot". We sold deep fried pickles, cheese on a stick, deep fried oreos, and deep fried twinkies. Our one concession to health consciousness was that we did use peanut oil for the frying. Church members, remember to ask Drew about the peanut oil. :)

These are a couple of pictures of Mary and Peggy mixing up the batter for the booth.

Liberty Market sponsored the fireworks and I was overwhelmed by the quality. We attended the Crossville fireworks on the 4th (see earlier post) but Crab Orchard's were far superior. The display was well over 20 minutes long. The following video is but a short sampling of the quality that was presented.

The Ghana Project

Anyone who knows me, knows that I tend to be addicted to crafts. I can't sit still and just watch TV or ride in the car. I am always reading a book or doing some sort of craft. The summer we moved to Crab Orchard I was bored silly. I had just left a job in the corporate world and chose to not search for a new job until my children were settled into school in the fall. The monotony of cleaning the house quickly got to me so....I taught myself how to knit. I love scrapbooking and cross stitch and sewing and drawing and painting and....but knitting has become a favorite of my hobbies. A knitting project so easily goes in the car with me and enables me to still carry on a conversation with my family. Now that my time is so absorbed by the primary passions of my life (these include my family, of course, community ministry, and my studies at COGTS) I look forward to the times when I can knit to my heart's content.

I just found a couple websites that make this pasttime all the more appealing. The one that grasps my attention the most is The Ghana Project. Check out the link in my new blog roll. Knitters from all over donate squares and they are sewn into afghans to be used as security blankets for children treated for orthopedic ailments at a hospital in Ghana. I can't wait to finish using up some of my scrap yarn and participate in community ministry at the same time. This project is great for all those who love to knit or crochet but don't feel like they have anyone to create for. Why don't you join me in knitting for this great cause?