A few days to reflect....

This past weekend has been an amazing one for sure. Friday night a lot of folks from church got together and had a bonfire from all the woods signs and stuff from the pumpkin patch and haunted trails. It for sure was a great time to hang out and enjoy some outside time. Saturday, after the gym I got to spend some special moments with one of "MyKids" over a muffin and a Diet Dr. Pepper. We got to enjoy some talk and shared a few things as we sat trying to be "Fancy" while we ate with our pinkies out. We then made a batch of cookies of a local family and 5 of us delivered it to them Sat afternoon. We then found out how desperate this family was and we went into action. She was in tears and said she did not know where else to turn to. We showed up in Gods perfect timing. I got to see 4 almost teenagers and myself shovel a barn full of wasted hay, horse crap and who knows what else.... to make a clean stall for their 2 horses. We then went and got some McDonalds and then brough back the 4 kids happy meals. The awesome part of all this is not watching these kids put their faith into action, which is SO flipping cool, but to see them invite this family to church the next morning and them walking through the doors yesterday. That is illuminating a light to the dark places in our world. That is the sharing of Gods love in practical ways. It was awesome yesterday in youth group as I asked them to stand and share a little of their experience. We will be serving this family again very soon. Yesterday had a great day at church. Awesome message in being thankful in everything. We all got together after church for our Thankgiving meal. Great meal was put together for sure! Enjoyed the conversations and smiles. Last night our rock group got together and got in our pj's and watched "Saving God." Awesome movie for sure... a big twist at the end that was unexpected and some tears were flowing. I do have to say we can eat some popcorn!! Awesome time together for sure.....Tomorrow night we should have a huge turnout for movie night - Our student ministry is headed to see "Blind Faith". Should be a great time together with a movie that has a great message! Totally pumped for this time together.

So whats up with the picture? Yes that is me and my momma. I was like 15 maybe ... dork huh? yeah well ... I guess we all get better looking with age. Funny seeing me with hair.... but figuring I could share a picture of mom and I when I was small and all but leading students ... well maybe they can relate better to a picture of me when I was their age. I have so much I would make time to talk to mom about today. I would wear the porch swing out for sure with all we could talk about. I know there are things in life that only mom would understand. I miss those moments. I miss her little things... her laugh, her biscuits and gravy, I miss her always serving example to others. I guess in many ways YEARS of watching her serve others has rubbed off on me. It reminds me that even if those in my life that dont get it... maybe they dont get me so much ... maybe that is right now and one day maybe they will. Some do though...... and thats enough to keep pouring out and doing what each of us are called to do as a follower of Jesus. I am thankful for my moms example. Even though then I didn't understand it like I do now.... It is all in perfect timing. This is a week of reflecting for me.... being thankful and grateful in all things.

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have in life to enough.

I want to share Psalm 107 today. It is wonderfully written and puts everything into perspective.

Psalm 107 1-3 Oh, thank God—he's so good! His love never runs out. All of you set free by God, tell the world! Tell how he freed you from oppression, Then rounded you up from all over the place, from the four winds, from the seven seas. 4-9 Some of you wandered for years in the desert, looking but not finding a good place to live, Half-starved and parched with thirst, staggering and stumbling, on the brink of exhaustion. Then, in your desperate condition, you called out to God. He got you out in the nick of time; He put your feet on a wonderful road that took you straight to a good place to live. So thank God for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves. He poured great draughts of water down parched throats; the starved and hungry got plenty to eat. 10-16 Some of you were locked in a dark cell, cruelly confined behind bars, Punished for defying God's Word, for turning your back on the High God's counsel— A hard sentence, and your hearts so heavy, and not a soul in sight to help. Then you called out to God in your desperate condition; he got you out in the nick of time. He led you out of your dark, dark cell, broke open the jail and led you out. So thank God for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves; He shattered the heavy jailhouse doors, he snapped the prison bars like matchsticks! 17-22 Some of you were sick because you'd lived a bad life, your bodies feeling the effects of your sin; You couldn't stand the sight of food, so miserable you thought you'd be better off dead. Then you called out to God in your desperate condition; he got you out in the nick of time. He spoke the word that healed you, that pulled you back from the brink of death. So thank God for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves; Offer thanksgiving sacrifices, tell the world what he's done—sing it out! 23-32 Some of you set sail in big ships; you put to sea to do business in faraway ports. Out at sea you saw God in action, saw his breathtaking ways with the ocean: With a word he called up the wind— an ocean storm, towering waves! You shot high in the sky, then the bottom dropped out; your hearts were stuck in your throats. You were spun like a top, you reeled like a drunk, you didn't know which end was up. Then you called out to God in your desperate condition; he got you out in the nick of time. He quieted the wind down to a whisper, put a muzzle on all the big waves. And you were so glad when the storm died down, and he led you safely back to harbor. So thank God for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves. Lift high your praises when the people assemble, shout Hallelujah when the elders meet! 33-41 God turned rivers into wasteland, springs of water into sunbaked mud; Luscious orchards became alkali flats because of the evil of the people who lived there. Then he changed wasteland into fresh pools of water, arid earth into springs of water, Brought in the hungry and settled them there; they moved in—what a great place to live! They sowed the fields, they planted vineyards, they reaped a bountiful harvest. He blessed them and they prospered greatly; their herds of cattle never decreased. But abuse and evil and trouble declined as he heaped scorn on princes and sent them away. He gave the poor a safe place to live, treated their clans like well-cared-for sheep. 42-43 Good people see this and are glad; bad people are speechless, stopped in their tracks. If you are really wise, you'll think this over— it's time you appreciated God's deep love.