Saturday, November 13, 2010

Walking at Sinnissippi Park

It is always special for me to walk with my brother David and sometimes Opie on a bike path at Sinnissippi Park. Especially in the fall, it is beautiful and we enjoy all the colors of the leaves. And, it is fun to walk when it is not so, so hot but yet is not cold either. Thanks to David for always encouraging me to walk and for taking time to go with me. We have a wonderful time together. It seems like I have special activities with members of my family......well, this belongs to David and me.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Sister Time

My sister Jan and I enjoyed one afternoon together. We went to the Apple Orchard and shopped for all kinds of little seasonal goodies as well as apples, pumpkins, and squash! Then we headed to Olive Garden for dinner. Of course, I had Zuppa Toscana!! Our waiter was really interesting. We discovered that he was in college, studying Spanish and planning to be a nurse. He is adopted.....and if I get the details correctly, his biological father is from Colombia and was involved in the drug cartels and his biological mother is from Central America. In the States, he was raised in a Christian home and appears to have a strong faith. That was a really cool experience!!!! And Jan knows the parents of his good friend! We had a great time!!!!

Monday, November 8, 2010

Visiting My Sister, Jan, and her family

Here are some family pictures from our family get-together at my sister's house while I was in Illinois in October.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Meditating


MEDITATING ON THE WORD! OPIE IS A REALLY SPIRITUAL POODLE!!!

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Our Back 2 School Service

We had an awesome Back to School service this morning at Nueva Vida in Lasara. The praise and worship was awesome with a quiet but strong Presence of the Lord. We prayed for those with special needs. Then, I gave a message/object lesson for the kids.....some of them were on the edge of their seats, waiting for the "giveaways!" We prayed for all of our children and our teens. And, then we gave them little "goodie bags." Exciting to me was the instant formation of a 5th Sunday School class which will be for the young adults. Thank you, Sis. Susie, for being ready and willing to teach this special group. God is doing marvelous things in our church. Don't miss out on your blessings!!

Friday, August 6, 2010

An Awesome Sunday Service



We had a sweet Presence of the Lord in our service on Sunday morning. Bro David Salazar from the Brownsville UPC ministered. I know that God touched many of us during the altar service.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Blessings as Hurricane Alex approached

As I was preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Alex, I got the call that the license plates for my new Edge were ready to pick up. I decided to make a quick trip to get them before starting to get all my outside things in the storage shed. When the salesman gave me my packet of papers for the Edge, he also handed me a check for $35, an overpayment for title, taxes, license plates. That may not sound so special, but I really needed a little cash to fill up the gas tank and get a few groceries. So, this was a special blessing for me.

But that is not all! As I was getting in the Edge to leave, the salesman asked if I wanted to know what happened to my Freestar. Yes, I loved my Freestar and certainly wanted it to have another good home. He told me that a humble couple with five children came looking for a larger vehicle. They had a small car without enough seatbelts for all the children. My van was just about finished and ready for sale so the salesman showed it to them. They were thrilled at the condition of the van--the excellent condition of the carpet and the seats, the radio and both a/c units working, the electric windows and doors working, etc. They bought it. And, the special part is that they are a Christian family and the salesman was able to tell them a little bit about me! I pray that the Freestar will serve them well....and it is a blessing to know that the new owners do appreciate the van.

So, I had a smile on my face from knowing about my van's new home, gas in the Edge, the items I needed from the grocery store, and some cash in my pocket. God is so good!!!

And Alex brought us a lot of wind and rain, but no damage to my house or to our church or to the homes of our church members. The flooding continues and has been very serious in Monterrey, Mexico as well as Reynosa and along the US side of the border. We are praying for all those who are suffering.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Fathers' Day at Nueva Vida, June 20,2010

We had a terrific Fathers' Day celebration at Nueva Vida. Sis. Susie and Sis. Rosa read scriptures about fathers. After the praise and worship, the children gave their fathers (as well as all the other fathers in the church) gold trophies filled with candy! Then we had a time of sharing about our fathers, a short message, and then prayer for the fathers. Yes, there were also some special gifts as "door prizes". And, then we had a typical Nueva Vida style dinner and lots of fellowship. What a great day!!

A special "thank you" goes to Sis Tammy and Silvia who helped her for working so hard with the children. And to all the cooks: Sis Diana, Sis Delia, Sis Olga, Sis Alma, Sis Norma, Sis Susan--you really outdid yourselves. Thanks to all the others who helped with the meal: Sis Tammy, Sis Susie, Sis Aida, Sis Nicole! We could never do these events without your help. And during the week, the men worked at church too so thanks to Bro Ventura, Bro Balde, Bro Roman for working on the platform, doing painting, having the lawn looking great. You see, we really need all our fathers!!!

Friday, June 18, 2010

Learning New Things

These days my mind and my fingers are being challenged. I have a new laptop. The keyboard is in English, it has Windows 7, and a touch pad instead of a trusty mouse. That is a whole lot of change for my brain to accomodate. My PC has a Spanish keyboard, Windows Vista, and yes, a nice gray mouse! And if that is not enough, my new Edge has the shift on the floor between the driver and the passenger seats.....I have had the shift on the steering wheel for too many years to count. I am always reaching in the wrong place when I want to shift. And then there are the whistles and bells. Actually, the Edge has little beeps when I back it up and get close to something else. It also has little magnifying side mirrors that almost make me dizzy if I pay attention to them! Then I am also trying to perfect my texting skills.....another kind of keyboard and a different way of sending and seeing messages, not to mention some other beeps and rings to tell me what is happening. Please be a little patient with me.......I want to learn to use Skype too!!!!! Well, back to practicing....or am I playing with my new toys?

Monday, June 7, 2010

Happy Fifth Birthday to Opie!!!


Today Opie celebrates his 5th birthday!!! He has ordered CHICKEN and a VANILLA CUPCAKE for his birthday dinner. Opie is a really special friend! I told him that I bought him a new vehicle today.....but he wasn't nearly as impressed as he was when I started fixing his chicken and rice!! I hope Opie has a great year......and many more.

Welcome to my new Edge



Welcome to my 2010 White Ford Edge. I checked out a number of models and decided that this is the one I want to spend the next few years driving! It looks so pretty and smells so new! And, I am still kind of afraid to drive it!! It will take me a little time to get used to my Edge. I am so thankful to Jon and Dad for giving me some good advice and thankful to God for allowing me to make this purchase!! I am praying that God will protect me and use this vehicle in ways that will bless others. I think you will be hearing more about my Edge in the next few years!

Good-bye to my Freestar

Today, I tearfully said "good bye" to a faithful companion! I owned my 2004 Freestar mini-van for 6 years 4 months and 2 days! I drove it 113, 720 miles. We spent hours on the Pharr/Reynosa International bridge! We traveled to Illinois to visit the family. And, it served me so well as I moved all my belongings from Reynosa to Raymondville. Only once did it leave me stranded.....on the highway in Little Rock last fall when the transmission went out. We took people to church and on errands! Opie and Chiquita as well as the cats have traveled to the vet in the Freestar....in fact, Opie thought he was a permanent front-seat passenger. I really liked my Freestar and though I have moved on to a pretty, new vehicle, I will miss my van. Thank you, faithful Freestar for all your great service! Many memories remain with you!

Our Church Graduates








On Sunday, June 6th, we celebrated the graduation of 7 of our Nueva Vida family. Aliyah, Tony, Francisco Daniel, Karissa and Arturo Jr. graduated from kindergarten. And, Kayla and David graduated from 8th grade. We recognized them in our service. Our desire for these young people is that they live close to God, stay away from things that will hurt their lives, and that they may be richly blessed by God. Following church, we enjoyed a reception with cookies and punch! It was a sweet, special time!!


Thursday, May 27, 2010

Things are even worse!

After posting all the problems with purchasing food, I heard on the news a new discovery! The wooden and plastic pallets used for shipping food also contain DANGEROUS stuff. Maybe I should just go on a forever fast!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Grocery shopping list.....

The end of the month is here.....and my cupboards and refrigerator are getting empty. It must be time to make a grocery list. I really would like to eat healthy so...
  • meat is out because of the hormones used to raise it and the cholesteral
  • canned goods can have contaminents due to the tin cans and preservatives
  • processed foods have too much salt, sugar, and preservatives
  • drinks have caffiene and even sugar substitutes are bad for me
  • organic and natural may not really mean they are THAT organic and THAT natural
  • fresh vegetables and fruits may have pesticides
  • there are recalls on food with e-coli and other horrible stuff
  • and what are those ingredients that have very long, unpronounceable names?...must be bad
  • everything else has too many calories

Well, I guess I don't need any groceries after all.........

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Remembering Carolino, Opie's Dad



Today, Opie and I are remembering his Dad, Carolino. Carolino was about 10 years old and he passed away last Saturday, May 15, 2010. Maxie, his wife and Opie's Mom, died in September of 2008. They had a real wedding with a wedding gown and tuxedo and a delicious wedding cake. For poodles, it was instant love. They really liked being together whenever I would bring Maxie over to visit Carolino. He was a loving father and Opie has many of his traits. Just like his Dad, Opie likes to lean his nose on most anything as in the first picture. He was a faithful pet for Rossy and Domi and a wonderful father to Carola, Opie's sister who lives with them. It is sad to think of not having Carolino around any more......we do get a little comfort thinking he is with Maxie (and Chula, Blackie, Lobo, and a few more of his friends) in the special pet cemetery behind the church in Reynosa. So today, we pay tribute to Carolino, Opie's Dad and my "son in law."

Friday, May 14, 2010

Chaser

Well, Opie had quite a day. In fact, we changed his name to CHASER. He started this morning by chasing the neighbors' cat, Jo-Jo, out of our yard and over the fence. Then, he went after two stray dogs.....Opie on our side of the fence and the dogs on the other side. He was BIG STUFF and they totally ignored him. Then, he tried to catch some big blackbirds. He charged across the porch and came to a screeching hault at the very edge. The birds had already flown away. But the best was kept for last. He spent the evening chasing lizards. There were several on our sidewalk and driveway. He would run really fast....and then look bewildered as he couldn't find lizards anywhere. So, now I have a black poodle named CHASER instead of Opie......or maybe he should be SNOOZER since he is now sound asleep. I guess he did too much chasing!!!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

"Always Write Your Plans in Pencil"

I was so blessed and challenged by this devotional that I have included a few excerpts. It is written by Len Allen, an author, and I found it in Crosswalk Daily Updates.

" As we walk through our lives we should definitely make our plans, make our lists, but we should write those plans in pencil--so that as God leads us through the daily details and reveals His desires, we can easily make adjustments. Just erase that next item and pencil in a new plan based upon how the Lord is leading."

"Changing the plans of life when written in pencil is much less stressful than when we cling to our list of goals as if they were written in permanent marker."

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Mothers´ Day, 2010

This morning, we celebrated Mothers' Day with a special service. After our praise and worship time, the musicians played and sang the traditional serenade, "Las Mañanitas". Then after a little message on Titus 2:3, 4, and 5, our children did a little skit showing the many roles a mother has to play. The kids were so cute. The last child represented mothers as prayer warriors and we presented the mothers with CDs with scriptures recorded on them. We prayed for our mothers.....and of course, had some special prizes to give them.

A special part of our service was having Bro. Alberto able to attend the service! Please continue to pray for him and for his family that their faith may remain strong as he battles cancer.

And during the past week, we have been in construction.....again.....! This time we are adding a porch for our fire exit, railings on two other porches and a closet off of my office. We are praying for angels to surround our church building and for God to protect it!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Where the Walls Were!




The walls are down and we have the beginning of a platform.....we need to get the thermostat back on the wall and carpet on the addition to the platform. We are moving ahead!

Monday, April 19, 2010

And the Walls Come Down!!!

I went to church early this morning to pray. It was such a beautiful, country drive to church. And, then I drove into the parking lot to see a truck with 2X4's sticking out the back parked next to our fire exit. Yes, the walls came down.....the men are making our closets into more platform/altar space. Instead of praying right away, I was taking things out of the remaining closet before the guys could get to it. What does this tell you? We have not even been in our new building for six months and we already need more room...... I am thinking that there is revival in the land. And, I prayed for God to help us to walk gently in the midst of revival and keep our hearts and ears atune to His Voice.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Credit my Visa? I don't have a Visa!

Okay, I don't like to go shopping.....well, actually, I love grocery shopping when I play two games. One is "how much can I save on coupons?" and the other is "how close can I come to the amount I budgeted for this grocery shopping trip?" And, I really like Wal Mart because I can find most everythng in ONE store and pay ONE bill! But, honestly, I am NOT a shopper, especially NOT a window shopper.

That is why I am a catalog shopper. I like the catalog to come in mail so I can sit in my recliner and make decisions at 11 p.m., change them three or four times, figure out how much I can fit into my budget, and then order. I love waiting for those packages to come in the mail too! Am I crazy?

Well, someone is crazy! Yesterday, I received a package from a company I did NOT order from. It contained three items that I definitely had not ordered.....two super large t-shirts with low cut necklines in white and coral and (get this!) a pair of size 28 petite capris in a very busy sunflower pattern. Now does that sound like me?????? The order was in my name, to my address, using my customer number, and was charged to my Visa account. Oops! I don't have a VISA card or account!

So, I called customer service. They verified the order number, customer number, my address, catalog numbers of the items in the package, and that it was paid for by my VISA card. I told them that I had not ordered anything from them since last September, the size of the items was all wrong since I do not wear a petite nor a 28 (thank goodness!), nor do I ever wear capri pants, and that it could not have been charged to my Visa account since I do not have one. The sugary sweet customer service rep told me there was no problem. I can just send the items back in the same container with the return post-paid label included with the packing slip and the reason why I didn't want those items by marking one of the choices on the return slip. That is just fine except, I told the sugary sweet customer rep, there is no choice that says I didn't order the items or they must have been sent to the wrong address. Sugary Sweet says, "Well, just mark whatever. It doesn't really matter. And, tell us if you want a different size or color and we will correct the order." "Sorry, Sugary Sweet, I didn't want the original order and I don't want a different size or color." Sugary Sweet says "Well, ma'm, then we can refund your money." Me: "What money? I didn't pay anything for this. It is an order sent to the wrong place." Sugary Sweet:" Okay, I'll tell you want we can do. We can just credit your Visa account." Me: "What? I don´t even HAVE a VISA ACCOUNT and so it was NEVER charged to my nonexistant account." Sugary Sweet: "Just a minute ma´m, let me check with my supervisor." I wait. Sugary Sweet comes back with the perfect solution. "Okay, Ma'm, my supervisor says that we can just send you a refund check."

Frustration! and a silence! Sugary Sweet says "Ma'm, are you still there??" Me: "Oh, yes. I am just trying to figure what part of "I have NO VISA account so you have NOT charged ME anything so you do not need to refund anything!" you don't understand." Silence. (I guess he didn't get it.....EVER!) Me: "How about if I just return the merchandise and we call it even?" Sugary Sweet says "Well, I guess that might work. Let me get my supervisor's approval." Me: "No, let's just call it even. Otherwise, I think you will be out money anyway you look at it." Sugary Sweet says, "Well, if you are okay with that, I guess it is okay." Me: "I´m good."

Sugary Sweet says (I think he was reading a prompt!) "Well, thank you and is there anything else I can help you with today?" Me: "No, I think I just helped YOU.....so is there anything else I can help you with today?" Sugary Sweet says "What?" Me: "Do you need any help?" Sugary Sweet says "No, thank you." and hangs up.

Who hired that guy?????? And, maybe I should try shopping in stores instead using catalogs................

Monday, April 12, 2010

If you think Easter was great......

If you think Easter was great at Nueva Vida, you should have been there yesterday morning! We had another wonderful service where God was in control and touched many lives! I can't wait to see what will happen next!!!!!!

Friday, April 9, 2010

Special Visits


Having my aunts, Dad's two sisters here for Easter was really special. In the 40+ years that I have lived in Texas and Mexico, only my immediate family has visited. Then Uncle Jim and Aunt Eunice started spending their winters in the Valley and we have been able to spend a lot of time together over the past 10 years or so. Now to have my Aunt Gladys come to visit for a week was just extra special. I enjoyed visiting with them, going out to eat with them, having them come for a meal at my house, and of course, having them join us for our Easter service and picnic last weekend. It is a privilege to have relatives close by. Since mine live far away, this has been an extra special time for me!!!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Easter Sunday

Our Easter Sunday at Asamblea Pentecostés Nueva Vida in Lasara, Texas was really special. One of the ladies who has just started visiting us brought two pretty Easter lily plants for the altar. The praise and worship was awesome! We had a good altar service too before the children presented their part. They had prepared a drama using puppets and actors. They did so well! Three of the children read poems and they sang two songs. The whole group sang "Alive, Alive, My Jesus is Alive" and it was exceptionally good. Then a group of girls sang "Celebrate Jesus, Celebrate" in both English and Spanish! I am so proud of the children and their teacher, Sis. Tammy Gonzalez.

Following the service, we had a picnic lunch at Bro Alberto's ranch. The food was great!--brisket, rice, beans, bread, sodas, cake! The kids had so much fun playing, hunting plastic eggs, and breaking "cascarones". I even got one broken on my head!!!

A special blessing for me was having my Uncle Jim & Aunt Eunice and my Aunt Gladys at church and at the picnic to celebrate this special day!! Uncle Jim & Aunt Eunice winter in the Valley and attend our church often, but Aunt Gladys just came for a few days.

(We had 73 people in attendance at church and then 92 at the picnic....some relatives came from other places including Harlingen and the Brownsville UPC. Numbers are not the most important but it is so exciting to me when we have visitors and when new people become regular attendees. God is blessing us!!!!)

I love my church family! Each one of you is so special to me!!!

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Aunt Gladys is visiting in the Valley



How exciting it is to have Aunt Gladys visiting here in the Valley. Uncle Jim and Aunt Eunice went to the Harlingen airport to pick her up on Tuesday....and I met them there. We had a subway lunch together. Then on Wednesday, they came to my house for dinner....and we took a couple of pictures. It was so fun to show Aunt Gladys things that I have in my home that my grandfather (her father) and my Dad (her brother) made. Opie really liked having Aunt Gladys at our house too!! On Thursday, I met them for Chinese food....and we had another good visit. Now we are all looking forward to celebrating Easter tomorrow at Nueva Vida Church and then having a picnic lunch and egg hunt, cascarones, and lots of fun. I am sure I will be posting more pictures soon!!!! Thank you, Aunt Gladys, for coming to visit us!!

Friday, March 19, 2010

Blooming tree


This blooming tree is gorgeous! I am so enjoying it giving color to my front yard. The tiny petals are making a carpet on the grass too. Spring is such a wonderful time!!!!!

Sunday, March 14, 2010

My cousins Visit the Valley

I was so honored and so excited to have my cousin Darlene and her husband Jim visit Nueva Vida for our morning service. It was another one of those well planned services that just had a few (?) unexpected changes but worked out beautifully. We also enjoyed dinner, eating at Casa Blanca with Uncle Jim and Aunt Eunice. We were also able to celebrate Aunt Eunice's birthday. What a special day!!!!

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Reading Update, again!

Last night, I finished reading "Lost and Found" by Ed Stetzer. I thought it would take me less time.....but it is packed with good stuff and I had to slow down reading to assimilate it all! I hope that I will be able to put some of it to use in my life as a pastor and leader of a church! Well, I should say that I hope AND PRAY that I will be able to put some of it to use. Oh, yes, I already have.......I decided to go high tech (except mine is really kind of LOW tech) and give our church announcements by text, phone, and emails instead of a paper bulletin or announcement time at church. I think it is going to work....if I can handle the technical part, that is!!! Already, I have received responses from several people that I don't usually communicate with all that much....and I have had some good phone conversation and texting with others! Now some of the authenticity stuff is going to take some more work!!! I do highly recommend this book to my pastor friends as well as others in missions and leadership. (Once again, thanks, Jessica for helping me to discover books by Ed. Stetzer!)

Beautiful!



I love God's beautiful creation in springtime.......yes, especially the roses!!!!!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

New Flowers!

Spring is here! Well, it is 88° outside, sunny and windy. Actually we may have skipped spring and moved into summer!! I planted impatiens and agaretums in the flower box in front of my house. And, I have a good number of rosebuds coming along....I just took pictures of the biggest ones. Then I put away about three-fourths of my winter clothes and have the spring/summer ones ready to wash and put in the closets. Yeah! I love spring and summer and fall!! Winter, well, not so much so I am glad to see it go away till November or December. I love the bright colors of spring......and love the newness of life.

Monday, February 22, 2010

The Dedication of our new Sanctuary









The Dedication of our new Sanctuary finally arrived! We had wonderful weather. There were 76 people celebrathing with us! Our own church musicians, Ropin' the Faith, played so well....just as always! Bro. Alberto Salazar gave a welcome and a few comments about the history of the church. I have been the pastor for 17 years of ups and downs but this is actually the 20th anniversary of the church. We will celebrate that in September as we usually have a "Reunion" Sunday around Labor Day! Pastor Lucio Gutierrez ministered a good word to us and prayed for more growth in the church. And, Bro. David Salazar prayed the prayer of dedication. Bro David is the youngest son of the founding members of the church. Then we enjoyed visiting together and having cake and punch! It was a great day of celebration! (Now I am looking forward to the day when we have 100 people in a service!) Thank you so much to all of you who worked and helped to make this a great day of celebration....those who donated, encouraged, worked, planned......everyone deserves a big thank you!!!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

A Little Nervous!

The special day is almost here!! .....Just today and tomorrow and then we will be dedicating our new sanctuary. The church is cleaned and everyone has their contributions! ....I just worry a bit as I wait for everything to come together for the BIG day! My dream is for an attendance of 125.....I think that is kind of BIG but surely we will have more than the all time high of 73, but then it is a Saturday afternoon and I wonder if some people will just forget. Or if they will have other things to do and just not come....... I do so want everyone to get in on the blessing and share our joy!!!!

Friday, February 12, 2010

Valentine Basket Sale






Today we finished our sale of Valentine Baskets....a big fund-raiser for the church. After a week of making cookies and candy as well as preparing all the materials for the baskets and wrapping, we put the baskets together at church. Besides being a good money maker to give our treasury a boost, we had a great time working together. I so enjoy working with the ladies in our church!!!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Needed to be part of the church family.......

I am still thinking about my Sunday sermon. I wasn't talking about salvation, but rather about being a part of a church family. Of course, a salvation experience is the first and most important requisite for being part of the Church. But what do we want when we look at our church membership?

First of all, the nonChristian world has requisites for being part of their groups. They are looking for the beautiful, the young, the rich and the intelligent. So... go figure.....I would NOT qualify nor would most of us.

The church family looks for something quite different. We want believers who are faithful to God and to the church. We need people who are obedient to God and to the teaching of the Bible. And, we need those who are willing to work for the growth of the church. How wonderful it is that we also have those who really want to praise and worship God.

All of us can qualify as part of a church family if we are faithful, obedient, willing and full of praise!!! I like that!!!!!!

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Reading Update

At the beginning of January, I decided on an ambitious list of reading for improvement in my ministry. I have been reading. First, I read Mark Jordan's book, Living and Leading in the Ministry. It was an excellent beginning because it contains lots of teaching that will improve our ministry..with adjustments to the way we do things and how we handle situations. I highly recommend it, especially to new pastors.

Next, I read Joy Haney's book, Be Healed in Jesus Name. It is scripture packed and practical for all those who are seeking healing....through medicine and through divine healing.

Now, I am reading Ed Stetzer's book,Lost and Found, dealing with the 20 to 29 year olds who are not in church. So far, I have learned interesting facts about how this age group thinks and believes. While it is statistical, it is enjoyable reading. I have it underlined and starred already so I can go back and put some of the findings to use in our church.

And, there are still 11 more books on my list........

Nueva Vida gets new pews!





Nueva Vida is definitely an exciting church!! This week, we found pews for sale online, checked them out, decided they would be appropriate for our church, got a loan to cover them, and two couples and another man took off for Baytown to buy the pews and bring them back. They rented a huge U Haul truck...loaded it up (and that was lots and lots of work), drove the U Haul back to Lasara....and yesterday the guys unloaded the pews into our church sanctuary. Now, we have lots of pews and adequate seating for those who attend. We are so happy and God has blessed us GREATLY!

To make things just a bit more exciting, today, we started our new schedule which includes Sunday School for adults. For a first time with the new schedule, things went very smoothly and we had a great service. God was among us to meet needs and to bless us!

Serving God is SO AWESOME!!!!...especially at Nueva Vida!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you to all those who worked so hard so that we could have these pews today!! I love my church! I really have the greatest congregation!!!!

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Expectant......


Well, today is Kiarah's due date. Kiarah is Opie's sister who lives in Veracruz, Mexico......and she is having babies! Hopefully, there will be two or three so that Opie and I can have a baby to love and train! We are so excited as we wait. Will it be a girl or a boy???? We have secret names picked out for either.....just in case....... More news will follow, I'm sure!

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Books to Read in 2010

I have developed a list of books for me to read for my own growth both spiritually and as a pastor. Thanks to Bro Kent and Sis Tracie Smith, Sis Jessica Marquez, and Sis Vicki Simoneaux for the input they all gave me as I was making this list. Here it is:

1--Living and Leading in the Ministry by Mark Jordan

2--Healed in the Name of Jesus by Joy Haney

3--Reflections of the Man in the Mirror by Rufus Parker

4--Grace Full Leadership by John C. Bowling

5--Columbia--the Rest of the Story by Sidney Purdue

6--21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell

7--11 Inovations in the Local Church--How Today's Leaders Can Learn, Discern and Move into the Future

8--Spiritual Warfare in Missions by Ed Stetzer

9--The Comeback Churches by Ed Stetzer

10--So Long, Insecurity by Beth Moore

11-Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson

12--Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Cymbala

13--Year of Privilege, Year of Blessing by Barbara Willoughby

14--Lost and Found, The Younger Unchurched by Ed Stetzer

I do not plan to read these in any special order.....the order may depend on how quickly the orders arrive or I buy the books! At least one is on backorder already and one is to be published in June. So, now I have to get busy and read!

What Happened?

Well, I have just not added to my blog for a long time. It is time to get with it and make a goal for this year: to blog at least once a week. Now, will I be able to really attain this goal??????