Sixty-First Homecoming Celebration

It was great to have Bishop Paul Holt and wife Barbara with us for our Sixty First Homecoming Celebration. We were blessed with a great message from Bishop Holt. We enjoyed the fellowship of being with them. We have known the Holts for many years and enjoyed working in Youth Camps under them as Camp Directors. Bishop Holt is serving as International Heritage Ministries Director (including managing the Fields of the Wood) and as Assistant to the International Financial Director. We thank the for driving such a long distance (almost 600 miles round trip) to be with us.

We also enjoyed local singing talent, a reading of the history of the beginnings of the Huntingdon church and a great meal prepared by the ladies of the church. We missed several who were out sick or away on trips. Although we were low in number we were "soaring as eagles" in Spirit - as Brother Paul encouraged us in his message. We believe God has great plans for the church here if we can just hear his voice and be involved in what He wants for this church. There is so much that He wants to do in us, through us and for us.

James Thompson and Krystel Grace Wedding and Reception

Mr. and Mrs. James Thompson

The Bride and Groom's court.

We are one in "Spirit." We are one. . .

The Bride beautifies nature. . .

I'm am so tired. . .That's enough pictures. . .I am out of it. . .

James Thompson and Krystal Grace, Wedding Rehearsal

Lets get this as right as we can this time. We laughed and laughed at "Monkey."

The Bride to be and Dad.

The ring bearer. . .

Good food, good friends, good fellowship and a great time together. Thanks to both families for the great meal. . . .

GREAT WEEKEND

We are thankful for a great weekend.

James Thompson and Krystel Grace are now Mr. and Mrs. James Thompson. It was my joy to see this couple for about six different pre-marital counseling sessions and then to officiate their wedding. What a great day yesterday was to see so many from their family and to see this couple joined together in holy matrimony. May God bless this marriage with his grace, love and presence throughout their lives. Hope to post some pictures later.

The Sixty First Homecoming Celebration was a great success today as we enjoyed hearing the history of the Huntingdon church read and was blessed by the message of Bishop Paul Holt, International Heritage Ministries Director. It was a great joy to be with he and Sister Barbara. His message encouraged us to continue to "mount up with wings as eagles." Thank God for a great message, worship, fellowship and enjoying a meal together.

Wedding and Reception

James Thompson and Krystel Grace announce their wedding vows for Saturday, October 25th, 2008 beginning at 2:30 pm.

Wedding Reception immediately following in the Fellowship Hall.

Sixty First Homecoming Celebration

Sunday, October 26th will be Huntingdon's Sixty First Homecoming Celebration.

Guest Minister: Bishop Paul Holt, International Heritage Ministries Director

Local Singing Talent

Brief History of Huntingdon Church of God of Prophecy and Recognition of Former Pastors

Fellowship Meal after the Morning Service

This Coming Sunday's Message

Grace For Grace

•John 1:16 And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. KJV
•John 1:16 From his full measure we have all been given grace on grace. BB

John Blanchard noted, “For daily need there is daily grace; for sudden need, sudden grace, and for overwhelming need, overwhelming grace.”

Preacher Charles Swindoll recalled his last spanking when he turned thirteen years old. Chuck said, “Having just broken into the sophisticated ranks of the teen world, I thought I was something on a stick. My father wasn’t nearly as impressed as I was with my great importance and new-found independence. “I was lying on my bed. He was outside the window on a muggy October afternoon in Houston, TX, weeding the garden. He said, ‘Charles, come out and help me weed the garden.’ I said something like, ‘NO, IT’S MY BIRTHDAY, REMEMBER?’ “My tone was sassy and my deliberate lack of respect was eloquent. I knew better than to disobey my dad, but after all, I was the ripe old age of thirteen. Dad set a new 100-meter record that autumn afternoon. He was in the house in a flash and all over me like white on rice, spanking me all the way out to the garden. As I recall, I weeded until the moonlight was shining on the pansies. “That same night he took me out to a surprise dinner. He gave me what I deserved earlier. LATER HE GAVE ME WHAT I DID NOT DESERVE. The birthday dinner was a matter of grace. He showered his favor on this rebellious young man. And I enjoyed grace.”

James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Charlie “Tremendous” Jones has come up with a way to tell his entire life history in 15 seconds or less. He says, “I am not what I used to be, I am not what I shall be, but, by the Grace of God and through the Blood of the Lamb, I shall become what I am supposed to be.”

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

In other words, we begin our Christian life in God’s grace, and then quickly abandon grace, and try to live our life, and almost to continue to earn our salvation, - by what we do, by our works. Author Jerry Bridges puts it like this: "We tend to give an unbeliever just enough of the gospel to get him or her to pray a prayer to receive Christ. Then we immediately put the gospel on the shelf, so to speak, and go on to the duties of discipleship. The grace that brought salvation to you is the same grace that teaches or disciplines you. But you must respond on the basis of grace, not law." Jerry Bridges - from his book Transforming Grace.

What makes Christianity different from all the other religions of the world? Years ago that very question was discussed at a conference. Some of the participants argued that Christianity is unique in teaching that God became man. But someone objected, saying that other religions teach similar doctrines. What about the resurrection? No, it was argued, other faiths believe that the dead rise again. The discussion grew heated. C. S. Lewis, a strong defender of Christianity, came in late, sat down, and asked, “What’s the rumpus about?” When he learned that it was a debate about the uniqueness of Christianity, he immediately commented, “:Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.” --- Source unknown

DL Moody was a great evangelist from Chicago. He went to England once and met a young man there that wanted to preach in his church. Moody agreed thinking that he would never see him again. To his dismay he recieved a letter that said the young man would be in his town shorlty and wanted to take him up on the offer. Moody was going out of town that week and agreed to let the man preach, but he warned the deacons to be ready in case it was a real flop. When Moody returned from his business his wife informed him that revival had broken out in his church and that "he needed to be converted". The young man preached every night on the same text, John 3:16, speaking of the love of God, from his heart. Moody went and he said he was indeed converted. He said I used to preach the judgment side of the cross, now I focus on the grace side of the cross, I used to preach mainly on the wrath of God, now I preach he said on the love of God. His life and ministry were forever changed. We need to experience a renewal of the Love of Christ in our Lives.

Zec 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

Charles Swindoll in his book on Grace puts it this way, "You want to mess up the minds of your children? Here’s how - guaranteed! Rear them in a legalistic, tight context of external religion, where performance is more important than reality. Fake your faith. Sneak around and pretend your spirituality. Train your children to do the same. Embrace a long list of do’s and don’ts publicly but hypocritically practice them privately . . . yet never own up to the fact that its hypocrisy. Act one way but live another. And you can count on it - emotional and spiritual damage will occur." Charles Swindoll. The Grace Awakening. Dallas: Word Pub., 1990) p.97

•Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

Sin demands to have a man by himself. It withdraws him from the community. The more isolated a person is, the more destructive will be the power of sin over him, and the more deeply he becomes involved in it, the more disastrous is his isolation. Sin wants to remain unknown. It shuns the light. In the darkness of the unexpressed it poisons the whole being of a person. This can happen even in the midst of a pious community. In confession the light of the gospel breaks into the darkness and seclusion of the heart. The sin must be brought into the light. The unexpressed must be openly spoken and acknowledged. All that is secret and hidden is made manifest. It is a struggle until the sin is openly admitted, but God breaks gates of brass and bars of iron (Ps. 107:16). Since the confession of sin is made in the presence of a Christian brother, the last stronghold of self-justification is abandoned. The sinner surrenders; he gives up all his evil. He gives his heart to God, and he finds the forgiveness of all his sin in the fellowship of Jesus Christ and his brother. The expressed, acknowledged sin has lost all its power. It has been revealed and judged as sin. It can no longer tear the fellowship asunder. Now the fellowship bears the sin of the brother. He is no longer alone with his evil for he has cast off his sin in confession and handed it over to God. It has been taken away from him. Now he stands in the fellowship of sinners who live by the grace of God and the cross of Jesus Christ… The sin concealed separated him from the fellowship, made all his apparent fellowship a sham; the sin confessed has helped him define true fellowship with the brethren in Jesus Christ. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together, 112-113.

Notes From Pastor Andy Stanley at the Catalyst Conference 2008: by Tim Stevens

Borrowed from Tim Stevens

· We want our leaders to have consistency between what they say and what they do.

· At the end of the day, everyone is a volunteer. They can quit at any time.

· Authenticity is a powerful leadership dynamic.

· Nehemiah got mad and asked the leaders to stop over-charging the people. They immediately complied. Why? Because for 12 years, Nehemiah had been living an authentic life in front of them. He had moral authority.

· As leaders, we must be the men and women who never carry into the future the hurt of the past.

· Perhaps the boldest leadership move you could make is to get on your knees and let go of your hurts.

· Men: If your wife feels like your church is your mistress, you are part of the problem you are trying to solve.

· If your kids feel neglected because of your time at the church, you are part of the problem you are trying to solve.

Profundities From the Apostle Paul - MIDNIGHT

Acts 16:25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

Acts 20:7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

Have we become the Sunday "day time church" in these latter days? It seems that attendance in night times of worship have diminished in many churches. Some have gone to having one service a week or one long service of celebration. While this may be good for the time limitations and schedules of many it cannot substitute for corporate gatherings that bring us together to worship the Lord during the night seasons. I understand that God can be worshipped morning, noon or night. For some, however, it is noted that the night time is a difficult time - in various ways.

For those who have been diagnosed as depressed, with panic problems or other types of so-called "mental" problems, night time seems to be the intensifying of those problems. So the doctor prescribes a pill that will bring on the drowsiness and the six to eight hours of sleep. When the person awakes, what then? For those who know God almighty, there is no greater time to pray, praise and worship Him than at night, even midnight or the early morning hours. No doubt, Paul and Silas had read the Psalm which says, "At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments." (Psalms 119:62) It did not matter that they were in a stinking prison where the thieves, murders and criminals were. They were seeking the Lord and singing praise to Him. Many of those in the prison came to know Jesus after the prayer, praise and worship of God, when the prison was shaken and the doors were opened. The jailor and his family were among those who came to know Jesus as their Savior. Don't we need a move of God like that in our nation, states, counties and cities?

Yet, this nation is more anxious and panicky over the stock market and the economy than they are over the need to repent and seek the Lord and the "church" rides that long black train as well. Perhaps it will take some type of "prison" for the church to realize how much we need to pray, praise and worship the Lord. It would do us well to remember the words of the Lord to Laodicea, "thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. . .As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." (Revelation 3:17 & 19) How much more rebuke and chastening will it take?

What about the night? God has no problem with the darkness of the night. "Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee." (Psalms 139:12) What He has a problem with is a church or person who is bound by the ways of the humanistic, secular time restraints that will crowd Him out of their lives. The Apostle Paul was not bound by time restraints that kept him from praying, praising, preaching, teaching and worshipping God. Yes, there are some who are radical and ridiculous about taking time and being "in front." But what about true worship? Yes, we should worship at home with family and, at times, in private worship but what about corporate times of worship? If we give .02 percent of 168 hours in the week, that would be about 3.5 hours. That is a very low number for assembling together corporately in a local church. Yet, it seems that we "cry for more time with family, jobs, or whatever it is we are doing. I wonder how much "entertainment" time (TV, games, sports, etc. etc.) we give each week? Sure, we can't seperate our daily responsibilities as a type of worship to God as long as they are priorities in His sight. I believe the perilous times we are in requires more coming together than we want to give.

The Psalmist wrote, "Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD." (Psalms 134:1) Where are those servants who stand in the house of the Lord by night? As a younger man, I remember anticipating and expecting great times in the Lord when we had Sunday evening services or revivals . At times, we were there until 11 pm, midnight, and sometimes, even after midnight, praying, praising, worshipping God almighty. God was worshipped, people were saved, filled with the Spirit and delivered from bondage. The next morning, I would be refreshed (with four or five hours of physical sleep) and ready to put in an eight or ten hour day of work. Some would leave early from the meeting, and there would be no judgmentalism about that. God knows our limitations and He knows our laxness as well. Where is the dedication to God? Where is the commitment to God?

Now, we say, "we need family time or we need to be at home on Sunday night." I know scheduled service times can be tradition laden, but we best beware and not take God's corporate study time, prayer, praise and worship time, lest we sleep a sleep of spiritual death. Yes, Paul was giving his farewell message that late evening and continued long into the night, but one has to wonder, what time did the meeting start? Did they come together later at night because of persecution factors? Did they start the meeting about "dark-thirty?" Did the meeting start earlier in the afternoon or around the sixth watch or ninth watch? That is not clear. What is clear, is that God's presence was active and mighty among them. Follow the reading from Acts 20:7, verse 8-12. "And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted." If he fell from the third loft, that could have been about 20 to 30 feet that he fell. God was present and he manifested in the healing of this young man, at mignight. Then they tarried and fellowshipped with sweet communion until daylight dawned. We need to cry out to God in the night seasons. "I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons." (Psalms 16:7) Where are we "church?" What are we doing "church?"

There will be a cry one day and it will catch many sleeping the spiritual death. "And at midnight (symbolic of an hour when many are sleeping) there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him." (Matthew 25:6) "Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober." (1Thessalonians 5:6) Yes, I want to sleep, at times, when he gives me sleep in the natural, for he "giveth his beloved sleep." (Psalms 127:2) But I want to be AWAKE in the Spirit and sometimes that means we are "by night, standing in the house of the Lord, or "arising at midnight to praise him," or "being in a service which tarries for late hours."

O MIGHTY GOD HELP US TO MAKE TIMES TO STUDY YOUR WORD, PRAY, PRAISE AND WORSHIP YOU IN OUR CORPORATE GATHERINGS! AMEN! AND AMEN!

Wilbur Thompson Family Reunion Pictures

Here are a few pictures I took of my mother's family reunion. I was involved in seeing them and speaking with them so much that I did not get as many pictures as I would have liked.

In the foreground is Charles Thompson (89), the oldest living child of Wilbur and Hettie Thompson. Behind him is his only son, Paul, with his back to the camera. Next to him is Lamar Green, son of Chester and Rozelle (Thompson) Green. I enjoyed a lot of Summer time days and nights in their home. Across the table is Daniel (Danny) Thomspon, J. D. Thompson and Hilda (Hedgecoth)Thomspon's oldest son. I also enjoyed a lot of Summer time days and nights in their home.
Standing in the background is my mother, Beatrice (Thomspon, Gordon) Cathey (78). Delano Thomspon (71) is second seated on the right side of the table as you look at the picture. Barry Thompson is the first one seated on the left side of the table. He is J. D. Thompson's second son.
Several children of my cousins that I do not know the names of except Stephen Green (oldest Son of Lamar) with the bald head and sunglasses. In the farthest background is Janice Monday, who is the daughter of Vera Mae (Thompson) Monday and Glenn Monday. I enjoyed a lot of Summer time days and nights in their home.

Denver Thompson (69), the youngest of Wilbur and Hettie (Hill) Thompson's children. Charles, the oldest, and Denver, youngest, were born 20 years apart on the same day of the Month in April.

Tommy Thomspon, fourth on the left side of the table, is the son of Lowell Thompson. They lived in Ohio many years where Lowell worked at Fridgidaire until he retired.
Terry Thompson, J. D. Thompson's third son, his wife and daughter. Tim Thomspon, his youngest son was not present and I failed to get a picture of Trudy, J. D.'s youngest child and daughter.

Awesome Weekend

The church I pastor, Church of God of Prophecy, Huntingdon, TN, was gracious in allowing me to be away this weekend to be with my family in Crab Orchard and Harriman, TN. Bishop David Prince came to be with the folks at Huntingdon and minister to them. Thank you Brother David.

There were about 50 family members who came together for the Wilbur Thompson family reunion (my mother's father). There are four left of the eleven children that Hettie Hill and Wilbur Thompson had - Charles Thompson (89), Beatrice Cathey (78), Delano Thompson (72) and Denver Thomspon (69). The other 7 have passed on. We enjoyed seeing many other cousins, nephews, neices and others that we have not seen in several years. The food and fellowship was awesome. Another great time was when mom pulled out her mandolin and guitar and we sang many of the old spiritual hymns and worship songs. It was so good to see many of my cousins that I grew up with - working in the hay fields, going to Daddy's Creek, going to church together and getting a 5 cent coke and a 5 cent candy bar or bag of peanuts at the store next to the old church. Hopefully, I will post some pictures later.

Today we enjoyed being with my Brother Tony who is the Pastor of the Harriman church. There was a great spirit of worship. The presence of the Lord came in a powerful way. We enjoyed going to Cracker Barrel after church being with them. We are so blessed with great family and with a loving, gracious, mighty, holy God. TO HIM BE PRAISE, HONOR AND GLORY!

Urgent Prayer Request

I received an email from Sister Ragene Burks for prayer for her husband Chuck. Brother Chuck was taken to the emergency room tonight after having severe pain in his abdomen with much weakness. He was sent back home with the initial diagnosis of Chron's Disease. Let us join in prayer for Brother Chuck.

Profundities From the Apostle Paul

THE IMAGE OF CHRIST - WHOSE IMAGE DO YOU PORTRAY?

1Corinthians 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

Ever notice how the image of a person seems to be the most important thing to society, the media or to many in Hollywood? The recent presidential debate (last night, October 7, 2008, in fact) was inundated with media comments about whose image showed the best connection with the public. One comment was, "Barak Obama seemed to show calmness and coolness while John McCain appeared to be angry at times." It is amazing that some people prefer a cool, calm demeanor over an angry, stern look - even when disastrous conditions and catastrophies are looming.

Of course, understandably, the type of image portrayed by politicians and others in the public eye is about connecting with the humanistic side of people. What about Christ's image to the public? Well one Scripture says, "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him." (Isaiah 53:3) Another Scripture says, "And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! (Matthew 27:29) Not a very pleasing humanistic image, huh? But, isn't there more to the image of this man? Surely he connected with the public more than this. Surely this is not the image that Paul is speaking of.

You may have guessed where I am going with this. Matthew 19:2 says, "And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there." His connection and popularity was great while he was on earth as a man as long as he was meeting the humanistic, temporal needs of people. There were even some who would take him by force to make him a king because of the miracles he performed. "When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone." (John 6:15) Don't we deserve to rule and reign with Him? We are to be be "priests of God and Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." (Revelation 20:6) Surely, this is the image that Paul is speaking of - at least part of it.

Well, not so fast. You see, Jesus did not come to have a popular image on this earth. He came to do the will of His Father and to bring, "many sons (and daughters) to glory. . ." Hebrews 2:10. He did not come to simply feed the "great multitudes." He did not come to fulfill a great image of the temporal, earthly, sensual desires of humans. When he was here on earth He said, "I must preach the kingdom of God. . ." (Luke 4:43) He further said, "Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. (Luke 17:21) The Apostle Paul says, "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Romans 14:17) Paul further says, "Who (Father God) hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." (Colossians 1:13-17)

So with sincere longing and desire, I pray Holy Spirit do your complete work in me to change me into the image of Christ. "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 2:18) "And as we have borne the image of the earthy (Adam's nature), we shall also bear the image of the heavenly (Christ's nature). Whose image do you portray? If you are not in His kingdom, simply ask Him to translate you into His kingdom. Confess that you are a sinner, with the fallen nature, trust His blood and accept His power to bring you in to His kingdom. Then the Holy Spirit will take you on an image changing tour that will be all glorious! The Holy Spirit is ready change you, "from glory to glory," into the image of Christ.

WISDOM FROM THE PSALMS from Crosswalk.Com

Psalm 119:136 Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not they law.

Reverend Hawkins sat at his desk and cried. He had been a good shepherd for his church, and he had given everything he knew to give, but the members of the church had so far to go. In all his years, he had not asked anything special of his congregation, but now he wanted to open their doors as a shelter to vagrants in the area. He was committed to the project to the very depths of his soul, but the church had voted it down by a strong majority. All he had ever tried to teach them was lost. It made him heartsick to think that the Gospel was just a story and not a way of life.

Christian growth comes slowly. Not all Christians operate at the same point at the same time. Very little that Jesus asks or commands in the New Testament is easy. It takes time to learn how to walk the steps of Christ. We may lament that others are not committed in the same ways that we are, but if they are trying their best to follow Jesus, then we need to rejoice at their progress and hope for continued growth in their lives and in our own.


Prayer:
I weep for those who have forgotten what it means to follow You, Lord, and I pray that You help me to continue to grow, and that You might use me to help others in their growth. Amen.

Devotional From Dr. Charles Stanley

Judges 7:1-7

Have you ever felt backed up against a wall, with the odds stacked against you? In situations like that, Christians too often refuse to acknowledge an important truth. That is, they fail to recognize that God may actually be the one who is orchestrating their challenging circumstances.
You may think, No way. God protects me from such things. The world and Satan are doing this to me. Perhaps. Yet maybe, just maybe, God is trying to tell you something--and He first needs to get your attention.

Time and again in Scripture, we see that the Lord uses difficulties to build faith. It's easy to trust in Him when things are going our way. However, God often removes comforts and false securities from our lives to remind us that He is the true source of our strength.

Consider today's passage, in which Gideon was ready to lead a powerful militia of 32,000 men into battle against the enemy. However, the Lord stepped in three separate times, whittling the Israelite army down to less than one percent of its original size. We may have replied, "What? It's impossible to defeat enemy forces with just 300 men!" That's probably true; 300 men alone couldn't do it. But the Lord can--which is the lesson of Gideon.

When the odds are not in your favor, don't think that God has abandoned you. Your friends, money, and success may disappear, but those won't win the battle anyway. Stand your ground and keep your eye on the Lord. With everything else stripped away, you'll be amazed at what your heavenly Father will achieve.

Getting Back To Ministry After Burn Out

The following is from Agile Ministry.

I was recently asked how a volunteer that previously stepped down from ministry due to burnout should approach going back to volunteering when asked by their church. Here are some questions to consider on the matter:

1. Are you ready to give to others more than you take from the church? If your heart isn’t focused on the desire to minister to others in need, then you aren’t ready yet

2. Have you forgiven those that you consider responsible for causing the burnout, including yourself? If you haven’t forgiven them, it will interfere with your ministry.

3. Has the time off from volunteering brought you closer to God or further away? The burnout was most likely caused by serving God more than seeking God - have you restored your relationship or are you still quenching the Holy Spirit through anger or other busyness?

4. Are you considering the same ministry or something new? Joining the same ministry can often produce the same results if left unchecked by both you and the ministry leader

5. If you are joining back as a ministry leader, what is your plan to prevent burnout this time? How have you dealt with your potential to overwork and burnout?

6. Do you have an accountability partner to ensure that you are not going to burnout again? Find someone that can hold you accountable to tell the truth on the number of hours you are putting in each week. Be honest with them and report what you’ve done for the week. This partner needs to be someone who is mature and have dealt with burnout successfully in the past.
7. Do you have a written understanding with your staff/leader on how often you will be serving? Many ministry leaders fail to create a job description and requirement for the positions they need filled. Ask for one and insist that it define a duration (e.g. 3-6 months) and the number of service times expected from you per month.

Use these set of questions to help determine if you are ready to return. Whatever you do, make sure you are focused on how God is going to use you in ministry to make a powerful impact tomorrow, not on how you burned out yesterday.

Visit and Prayer Request

Sister Virginia Davis is doing much better after surgery for a blocked artery in her abdomen area. Thank God for bringing her through this. I visited with them and prayed with them.

Camden Singing - Powerful Worship and Presence of the Lord

Karen and I enjoyed a visit to the Camden Church of God of Prophecy with Pastor Harold and Shirley Batson. The spaghetti supper was great and the singing and worship was awesome. The praise team from the Ridgely Church was there with Pastor and District Presbyter Clayton Mahan. Their singing and worship was dynamic. Thank God for such a great time in the Lord.

We also enjoyed several others who sang, Sister Winchester and Randy Crowder from Paris Church, the Nolans from Camden and many others. I pulled out a couple of old tapes and, as the saying goes, "sang by letter, opened my mouth and let her fly." We sure enjoyed this time in the Lord.

Circus Trip With Family

Saturday, Karen and I went to the Shriner's Circus with our three daughters, Sarah's daughter, Aviana, and Heather's two children, Courtney and Caleb. This was for a birthday celebration for Danita, our oldest and Sarah, our youngest. Of course the children had the greatest amount of fun, although we enjoyed the tiger show, elephant show, acrobatics, the clowns and the record holder of being shot out of a cannon. It was a special day for us to be with family. We love all of you very much. Mamaw and Papaw.

We are thankful to Pastor Terry Lowery and church at Old Hickory for inviting us to attend this event. One of his men at church is a Shriner and he helped us get in by invitation only.

Which is the clown????. . .Terry knows I am kidding. We grew up together and went to youth camp together.
Two clowns. . .??????? Really!!!!!!
Some Old Hickory youth and children. Aviana is our youngest grandchild. She will be six in May.
Caleb is our grandson. He will be six in December.
Courtney, our oldest grandchild. She will be eleven in November.
Sarah always said she took after her dad. He he. . .

Sarah - My Youngest Child's Birthday

Today was Sarah's 22nd birthday. We celebrated it with her. . .

Spoonheads or spoon noses? Are we having fun or what? See what my daughter taught me to do.

Want some more birthday cake????? Did you say you have learned a new way of eating through your nose? Wow what a daughter!!!!!

Juanita Weakley

When I called Vanderbilt today Sister Joyce Cowan answered the phone. She reported that Sister Weakley is doing well and her vital statistics are good and she is able to use the restroom on her own. The doctors report that the cancer has been contained to the short portion that was removed and lymph nodes look good.

PRAISE THE LORD! HE IS AWESOME!

This Coming Sunday's Message

TEXT: Luke 15

TITLE: Thank God, I'm Home

SUPPORTING SCRIPTURES, ILLUSTRATIONS, QUOTATIONS, EXCERPTS:

Unless otherwise noted, all material is from SermonCentral.com

Robert Robinson had been saved out of a tempestuous life of sin through George Whitfield’s ministry in England. Shortly after that, at the age of twenty-three, Robinson wrote the hymn Come, Thou Fount. Come, Thou Fount of ev’ry blessing, Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise. Sadly, Robinson wandered far from those streams and, like the Prodigal Son, journeyed into the distant country of carnality. Until one day—he was traveling by stagecoach and sitting beside a young woman engrossed in her book. She ran across a verse she thought was beautiful and asked him what he thought of it. Prone to wander— Lord, I feel it— Prone to leave the God I love. Bursting into tears, Robinson said, "Madam, I am the poor unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago, and I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, to enjoy the feelings I had then." Although greatly surprised, she reassured him that the "streams of mercy" mentioned in his song still flowed. Mr. Robinson was deeply touched. Turning his "wandering heart" to the Lord, he was restored to full fellowship. —Kenneth W. Osbeck, 101 Hymn Stories, p. 52

"Every parent is at some time the father of the unreturned prodigal, with nothing to do but keep his house open to hope."

i. (From “The Hurting Parent”, pg. 78ff.) A couple with two daughters still at home received a call from their wayward son late one night. He had called from a hotel and told his mom, “I’m hurting and really hungry…tell me what to do.” His voice drifted off and a strong voice broke in. It was the manager of the Holiday Inn 150 miles from the Farrone’s home. The whole family piled in the car and made the trip. When they arrived they thanked the manager and placed their inebriated, emaciated son in the front seat of the car. The father leaned over and buckled his son in. The stench of alcohol, vomit and weeks on the street was overwhelming. They had to roll the windows down to breath. It was then he felt he understood more completely what the Prodigal’s father did when he embraced him.

Devotional

The following devotional speaks volumes. . . From Today God Is First. You can go to the devotional site here

Coming Out of the Stronghold

References:-->1 Samuel 22:5 ..."Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah"...

David and his fighting men had been hiding in the cave of Adullam. He was fleeing Saul. Many of life's down-and-out had come and joined David's army. David was content to stay in the stronghold of safety. Then, God's prophet came to David and told him that he must leave the stronghold and go into the land of Judah.

When life beats down on us and we get to the place where we want to hide in a cave, God often places people around us who prod us into moving in the right direction. He does not want us to remain in the place of discouragement. He wants us to move into the land of "praise." Judah means "praise."

I recall when I went through a very difficult time. It seemed to drag on and on with no change until finally I wanted to retreat to a cave and forget pressing on. It was a great time of discouragement. A godly man came to me and said, "You must keep moving! There are too many who are depending on you in the Kingdom." I didn't totally understand what he meant at the time. Now I know he was saying that God is preparing each of us to be the vessel He wants to use in the life of another person, but we will never be that vessel if we give up and hide in our cave of discouragement. Not only must we keep moving, we must move into a new realm. Our attitude must move from discouragement to praise. It is when we move past discouragement to praise that we begin living above our problems. Make a decision today to go into the land of Judah. By Os Hillman