5 Things in Week 44 of 2012

1. Julie and I voted this past Saturday.  It’s the first time I’ve ever gone through early voting.  I highly recommend it.  It was fast and easy, even though the polling site looked busy.  They had several lines and it took only about 5 minutes to go through the entire process.  We voted at the public library in The Woodlands, across from the Market Street HEB and next to the Pavilion.  You can early vote until Friday.

2. Julie went to a teachers conference in Galveston last Wednesday through Saturday so I was on my own for a few days last week.  Here is what I learned: 1. If Julie leaves me or dies before me I’ll be able to survive as long as I can buy food at a restaurant or fast food place.  Apparently I have no ability to cook myself a meal. 2. I can text if I am motivated.  I probably set a record for myself sending texts to Julie, it must’ve been at least 20!

3. Fall Festival 2012 was great.  Had a good turnout in the colder weather and our church turned out to put on a great show for the kids.  It’s so much fun to see the kids dressed up, playing games, laughing and having fun.  I really enjoyed the parent/child games, especially the three-legged race.  Nothing like watching Chris Rivard carry Devon across the finish line!  Those of you who have pictures, please send them along.

4. Going under the knife this week to have my right knee scoped.  They are going to remove some torn cartilage and do any other repairs needed.  Apparently there are signs of “wear and tear” says the doctor.  How could that be?  I’m a young man.  I haven’t done anything to mistreat my knees.  I do find it interesting that on both my knees the major work that must be done is on the interior side of my knees.  Probably because of my bow-legged ways 🙂  So I’ll be out of the office from Wednesday through the end of the week, but I’ll be in the pulpit on Sunday.

5. With October coming to a close we are about to enter the holiday season.  Thanksgiving and Christmas seem so far away still, but we know they are just around the corner.  So Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes are due to the church beginning November 11th.  And our end of the year mission offering, known as the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, will begin soon.  And of course the Thanksgiving Dinner will be on November 18th and other holiday traditions will follow soon after.  Keep your eye on the church calendar and make sure to not miss a thing.  We are going to have a great finish to 2012.

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5 Things in Week 43 of 2012,

1. Last night I watched the last of the presidential debates.  It was a late night because I recorded it and watched after the football game was over.  🙂
After all the talk and all the talk about the talk, I don’t see how anyone could still be undecided.  It seems to me that if you have paid attention at all you should know how you will vote.  But it does seem that some are still undecided.  I wonder how many of those who are still undecided two weeks before the election actually end up voting?

2. One exciting thing about this election, it’s the first time for my daughters, Holley and Courtney, to vote in a presidential election.  I remember my first time to vote for president, it was 1984, Reagan vs. Mondale.  I voted for Reagan and am proud to say that my vote put him over the top in that landslide victory.  When was your first time to vote for president and who did you vote for?

3. I finished reading the biography of Steve Jobs last week.  That was a great read.  It was interesting to read about the genesis of the products that I have loved and used since 1984.  I also enjoyed Jobs’ take on Apple and Microsoft.  He talks about how Microsoft and Bill Gates were focused on profits and they excelled at making money, but his focus was on great products.  That focus led him to believe in controlling all aspects of the computer, from hardware to software to accessories.  Of course that limited their market share, but it may have also been the key to creating the iPod and iPhone.  I recommend you pick up a copy of Walter Isaacson’s work.

4. We’ll be getting information out this week about ETC Student Camp 2013.  I’m excited about that time as we focus on Christ with our students and challenge them to live their faith out everyday.  You can get more info about student camp at our website: www.exposedtochrist.com

5. Julie and I went to see “Argo” at the theater last week.  It’s an entertaining movie about true events that occurred in 1979-1980.  I recommend it highly.  It has some humor in it but keeps you on the edge of your seat, which is interesting since, if you know your history, you know how it all turns out.

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5 Things in Week 42 of 2012

1. Today is a tough day.  Beverly Gregory passed away this morning.  Beverly was a great friend to me and my family.  When we first moved to Spring she became a surrogate grandparent to our girls whose real grandparents lived hours away.  When we had to give an emergency contact number to the schools of someone besides us who could pick up our girls, it was Beverly.  She loved the Lord, loved her church and she loved our family.  I will always have fond memories of sitting in her living room visiting with Beverly and E.T..  They have left a wonderful lasting legacy of faithfulness behind them.  Their kids, grandkids and great grandkids are blessed having had these two at the head of their family.

2. Nothing seems to fit at number 2 this week.

3. This Sunday night we are having our Quarterly Ice Cream Business meeting at 7 pm.  We started having ice cream business meetings in the summer many years ago.  That was back when we had monthly business meetings.  When we made the move to quarterly business meetings the one stipulation asked for in the meeting was that we have still have ice cream when we met.  So it is that at each of our business meetings we serve ice cream.

4. The Fall Festival is coming up in less than two weeks now.  I’m pretty excited about it.  We’ll be having it off campus again this year at Kaufman Elementary in the Imperial Oaks subdivision.  Our candy collection is going great and almost all of the volunteers spots are filled.  Check the board this week to see where you can help.

5. Courtney and I are participating in the 2012 version of the UT Baptist Student Ministry Jar Wars.  This is an annual fundraiser for summer and semester student missions.  You can help send students on mission and help Courtney and I to victory by sending a check made out to the UT BSM with “2014” in the memo.  This will ensure that our team gets acknowledged for your gift and that you can get a tax deduction from the BSM.  Thanks for supporting student missions.

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5 Things in Week 41 of 2012

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1. I love breakfast.  I know it sounds shallow, but breakfast is one of my favorite meals of the day.  I especially enjoy our covered dish breakfast days at Spring Creek.  It was great to see so many consuming the sweet rolls and muffins as well as the Word of God in Bible Study.  That was a good start to our 7 Week Challenge where we ask that you attend Bible Study at least once.  Try It Out!

2. Today is Columbus Day.  Columbus arrived in the Americas on October 12, 1492 and people across the two American continents have been celebrating for centuries.  It’s been a federal holiday since 1937.  This year marks 520 years.  It is hard to imagine the courage it took to venture out into an unyielding ocean over 500 years ago, not knowing what, if anything, could be found.  I’m glad there are still adventurers who will risk it all to discover new horizons.  BTW, did you know that Columbus made four trips across the Atlantic?  He crossed in 1492, 1493, 1498 and 1502.

3. There is an apologetics conference taking place this weekend at Faith Bible Church in The Woodlands.  The cost is $39 for one person, $10 for a spouse and $10 for students.  Click here for more information.

4. Another reason democracy is difficult in a predominantly muslim nation: Grace.  Islam is a works based religion, but more than that, it is a religion without grace.  Man doesn’t find grace from God, he overcomes his own shortcomings by performing a larger number of good acts as well as rituals.  In Christianity it is the grace of God that overwhelms our sin and becomes our only access point into relationship with God.  What does this have to do with democracy?  Democracy is all about grace.  We believe in forgiveness upon repentance.  We believe in a second chance.  We believe in redemption of all.  Without grace, we must have dictators who are above the hoi polloi (masses of people).  Without grace we need leaders who have some special dispensation from God that makes them, and them alone, capable of ruling.  Look at the muslim nations, they are all ruled by a ruling class that claims some special ability or place that makes their rule unquestionable.

5. It was great to be in the baptistry again Sunday.  Please continue to pray for the new believers in our midst.  God is doing a powerful work among us.  When adult men start to come to faith in Christ as we have seen the past two weeks, God is at work.  Look around and join in the fun!

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5 Things in Week 40 of 2012

1. Watched an interesting movie this morning on Netflix, “Beware of Christians.”  It’s a documentary by four college students from Dallas who spend 5 weeks in Europe examining their own Christian faith.  Challenging thoughts on materialism and relationships are interspersed with some funny college antics.  It’s a good show, we might even try to incorporate some of it into our 2013 Student Camp.

2. I laid down a challenge to our AWANA kids last night.  We have averaged about 17 kids each week in AWANA so I challenged them to have at least 20 kids on two of the three nights in October before our Fall Festival.  If they make it, I’ll let be in the booth where they can throw water filled sponges at me.  I hope they make it because I had a great time doing that last year.  🙂

3. The book of Titus is challenging.  Paul puts so much into this short book.  The urgency he writes with is so proper as we find ourselves in the same type of circumstances today.  We have to make a stand against false teaching, false living and shallow Christianity.  Paul challenges Titus and us to be ready because the time is now to live a bold life for Christ.

4. Loved watching the Longhorns make the comeback against OSU on Saturday night.  Even better was to read afterward what quarterback David Ash said about how his faith gave him strength when the situation may have called for panic.  He said he knew that no matter how it turned out, he was secure in his walk with God and that was all that really mattered.

5. Had a good meeting with our Bible Study teachers last night and I’m looking forward to seeing how we can encourage more people to be involved in weekly Bible study.  I firmly believe that being involved in regular weekly Bible study will make a positive difference in your life and the life of your family.  If you don’t have a place yet, there is a place at Spring Creek for you.

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5 Things in Week 40 of 2012

1. Watched an interesting movie this morning on Netflix, “Beware of Christians.”  It’s a documentary by four college students from Dallas who spend 5 weeks in Europe examining their own Christian faith.  Challenging thoughts on materialism and relationships are interspersed with some funny college antics.  It’s a good show, we might even try to incorporate some of it into our 2013 Student Camp.

2. I laid down a challenge to our AWANA kids last night.  We have averaged about 17 kids each week in AWANA so I challenged them to have at least 20 kids on two of the three nights in October before our Fall Festival.  If they make it, I’ll let be in the booth where they can throw water filled sponges at me.  I hope they make it because I had a great time doing that last year.  🙂

3. The book of Titus is challenging.  Paul puts so much into this short book.  The urgency he writes with is so proper as we find ourselves in the same type of circumstances today.  We have to make a stand against false teaching, false living and shallow Christianity.  Paul challenges Titus and us to be ready because the time is now to live a bold life for Christ.

4. Loved watching the Longhorns make the comeback against OSU on Saturday night.  Even better was to read afterward what quarterback David Ash said about how his faith gave him strength when the situation may have called for panic.  He said he knew that no matter how it turned out, he was secure in his walk with God and that was all that really mattered.

5. Had a good meeting with our Bible Study teachers last night and I’m looking forward to seeing how we can encourage more people to be involved in weekly Bible study.  I firmly believe that being involved in regular weekly Bible study will make a positive difference in your life and the life of your family.  If you don’t have a place yet, there is a place at Spring Creek for you.

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