by June Carter on July 21, 2009
“The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.” Proverbs 15:33
This past weekend I finished school. It was a momentous occasion and Friday night I celebrated by walking my laptop computer from the breakfast table to the office. Michael and I discussed how wonderful it would be to finally have our eating area back to normal. Then today at noon I went home and quickly carried it back to its familiar nesting place over the past 16 months. My heart was about to burst with thoughts God was speaking to me, so I opened up the laptop and began to write.
Being a big star or making a mark in history has never really been an aspiration for me, yet I do find myself struggling with desires to be recognized for my efforts in life. You know the symptoms…the work hard for a treat treadmill. [click to continue…]
by Todd Thompson on June 29, 2009
The Lord’s Supper…that word “supper”, it got me to thinking…
You don’t hear that word anymore. Everything is “dinner”. Let’s go to dinner. What are we having for dinner?
I’m an Iowa farm boy and Andy is an Alabama guy. Where we come from it’s called supper. Except in Alabama it’s more like “Whas’ fo’ suppa?”.
You put in long days on the farm. Breakfast is what you eat in the morning. Dinner is what you eat at noon. And supper is what you eat in the evening. Oh, and lunch? That’s what you have with your coffee at 10 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon.
When I was a kid about my kids’ age, the school bus would drop me off at the end of the gravel lane framed by two giant cottonwood trees. I’d have all this pent up energy that had accumulated by sittin’ in a school desk all day and it needed to go somewhere. So I’d run and play. Sometimes up in the hay mow in the barn. Sometimes climbing trees in the grove. Get my BB gun and shoot something. Sometimes trying to pop wheelies on my bicycle. You know, the one with the wide handle bars and the banana seat?
When the sun started dropping and waving good-bye to the day, Mom would start calling me. Inevitably, I was at the far end of the farm and all I could hear was a distant “T—o—-d—-d! S—u—p—p—e—r!” [click to continue…]
by Janet Barrett on June 27, 2009
When I realized there was nothing I could personally do to improve my relationship with God except to trust Him and know that His provision is real, then I began to grow in my walk with God exponentially. I had a person say to me recently. “I just don’t know what else I can do to better my relationship with God.” Their frustration was born from circumstances in their life.
We cannot always relate circumstances back to moments of rebellion. Rebellion has its own kind of repercussion. Sometimes all God wants is for us to be still and know that He has provided for us. How can we do that? By letting His provision be our joy. We try to be self sufficient and when we fail to be self sufficient then we allow condemnation to come in, and discontent. We start saying “God, what do you want from me????”
If you will stop and listen you will hear Him say to you, “I want you to trust me and to know that I have provided for you.” Did someone loan you something you desperately needed? Did they just seem to come up to you and say “Let me help you?” Do you want to rob someone of being blessed by helping you? You see the enemy can deceive us into believing that if everything is going OK then we must be doing everything right. That is so far from the truth! [click to continue…]
by Pam Sumrall on June 25, 2009
Since she was very young, our now-20 year old daughter, Grace, has wanted to be a nurse. In the past few years, that calling has more specifically become a desire to be a medical missionary. It’s a noble cause, we love our daughter and we know that good parents support their kids so of course we have helped her focus on getting the education she needs.
But we haven’t been entirely on board with the missionary part.
All of the places she’s considered are a lot further away than 100 mile limit my mother’s heart has been ready to tolerate. We’ve encouraged her to finish her education and go on a couple of summer trips, hoping that would satisfy her calling and leave her life here with us.
Last Sunday something remarkable happened. [click to continue…]
by Eric Chaffin on June 6, 2009
2 1/2 years ago–the night before I was set to depart my long-time home of Oklahoma City and migrate west to the dry and dusty land known as West Texas to start the next chapter in life by tackling a new pastorate–a former pastor came to my house to pray with me and offer some words of counsel. The first words out of his mouth were, “Are you ready?”
Even knowing beyond any shadow of doubt that God had called me to go to Lubbock, Texas, my immediate and forthright response was, “No, not really.” Down deep I knew that I was not adequate to the task at hand, and I had admitted it freely, both to him and to God.
Maybe you can relate. [click to continue…]
by Janet Barrett on June 2, 2009
Oh my Lord and my King!
How is it that I could be ever present on Your mind?
How is it that You would look at me for who I am and love me still?
Your people are supposed to know that You love them!
Yet does their heart rejoice over the privilege of Your unfailing grace?
Yet my soul sings out for the love You have shown me!
My heart beats faster because of Your awesomeness and power!
I cringe before Your perfection because I am so lacking on my own!
What can I give You Oh my God? I want with all of my heart to be obedient to Your call!
I cast before you all that I adore! For nothing can compare to Your loving kindness!
Fill me today with the Glory of Your majesty that all may know that You alone are God!
And how can I be downcast my Lord? When I am filled with Your abiding love!
I want to be a blessing today! I want others to see the light of Your salvation alive in me!
Take my life, my heart and my soul and consume every part of it until there is only You!!!
For I know the deep pit from which you pulled me out of and the daily sorrow I lived in.
When you pulled upon your lap Oh my Lord and I rested against your breast that day.
When Your mighty ocean of forgiveness spanned my entire view and we together dropped in my pain.
Down into the depths of Your unending grace to lie on the bottom of the ocean floor.
I remember hearing the heartbeat of Your love and resting in the rhythm of your breath.
I will never be the same for I have entered into Your presence!!!
How can I describe Your greatness for my comprehension is forever exceeded.
And my words fail to adequately proclaim how wonderful and awesome are You my God.
Oh, may you give me a heart like David who loved you so true.
And may my children be blessed and love you too.
May my mind and deeds bring glory to Your name and may every evil root be destroyed.
For I know that You are wonderful, and I love Your counsel.
Never take Your Spirit from me, and never allow me to stray.
For in Your arms is the healing of the nations and in Your love is redemption for all.
Where else can one find healing for the mind, body and soul?
I will rest in Your grace, and proclaim Your love for You alone are worthy and You alone are my God.
Amen
by Pam Sumrall on May 28, 2009
I had sandwiches for lunch last Friday. Nothing remarkable about that except that it was my 48th birthday and my husband and I were sitting on a bench on the rim of the Grand Canyon on our first vacation together in 6 years. Amazing.
What a way to celebrate the life God has given me - seeing a glimpse of His majesty while sharing a simple meal with the love of my life. All I could think of at first were the lyrics to a song from my childhood…
How big is God? How big and wide His vast domain?
To try and tell, these lips can only start.
He’s big enough to rule this mighty universe, yet small enough to live within my heart.
We cleaned up our mess and hitched a ride on one of the shuttles that would take us to well defined lookout points along an 8 mile stretch of the canyon. The shuttles come and go from each stop in 10 minute intervals so we could stay at each stop for as little or as long as we liked. There were people from all over the world visiting the canyon. It was fun to listen to the different languages they spoke and do some people-watching in addition to continuing to ooh and aah over God’s creation. It was an incredible day.
At one of the stops, a woman about my age approached us and asked if we lived in Lubbock. “Yes”, I said. “We live just outside of town.” How odd to see someone from home at this far away place. Imagine my surprise when her next question was, “do you go to Turning Point?” and then, “your husband ushers in first service, right?”! And that’s how Paul & I met Wayson & Debbie Gerwig. It seems we had to travel 800 miles to meet someone from our own backyard. We met up with the Gerwigs again a little further down the canyon and spent some time visiting and getting to know them - something we should have done long before.
I was thinking about that chance meeting this morning while Pastor Andy was talking about being lead by the Spirit. Like most of us, Paul & I sit in the same section at church every week, warmly greet the people around us, follow Allen into incredible times of worship and Pastor Andy into the Word. We learn and grow and serve on those Sunday mornings, but how many opportunities are we missing? [click to continue…]
by Allen Weathers on May 14, 2009
So, last night I felt a very familiar tug at my soul. Most everyone probably knows what I’m talking about… pastor Andy talked about it in detail in his sermon a couple weeks ago. Cliché would say the temptations of my flesh pattern “came rearing their ugly head.” But there wasn’t really anything ugly about it at all. Like I said, it was a familiar tug, I recognized it instantly - all of its seemingly glorious perks and releases as well as its downfalls and snares.
In that moment I had the joyous opportunity to pick a master, and for some reason I really favored the idea of a poor decision. But, before I could act on that idea, my heart held to the allegiance it was taught in the following Word: [click to continue…]
by Allen Weathers on May 8, 2009
I love sunflower seeds. I learned to love them instantly and passionately as a young boy sitting in the dugout with summer friends waiting for my turn to bat. At first, I could only crack them with my teeth then pry them apart with my fingers and enjoy. By the time I was in high school I had graduated to stuffing half a bag in my mouth and, with professional precision, devouring the whole lot at a lightning pace. It seems a rather futile practice though if sustenance is the goal. I’m certain sunflower seeds don’t replenish the energy it takes to enjoy one. But anyway…. [click to continue…]
by Pam Sumrall on April 14, 2009
After 3 days of excruciating pain, I held my 98 year old father-in-law’s hand as we prepared to move him to the hospice floor of the hospital. The meds they gave him had eased his pain and his sleep was no longer fitful. He was more at peace at that moment than I had seen him in several years. Not since before mom’s fall, that marked the end of their independence, had his brow been so smooth – no longer furrowed with worry, anger or frustration.
His nurse came and we began the move to the fifth floor for what would be the last days of his life. My husband had gone home a few hours before, exhausted from the emotional assault of watching his father suffer. We had made the decision to begin hospice care before Paul left, grateful that there was finally something someone could do to ease dad’s suffering. [click to continue…]
