Category: God

Categories
God Holidays

The Christmas Card Of The Year Club

As of press time on this glorious Christmas Eve Morning I have received 19 Christmas cards in the mail and in-person. Each and every one of them is very special to me; however, two of them in particular stand out with important messages that symbolize the true meaning of Christmas. I’ll post one of them below, and the other one tomorrow morning on Christmas Day:

Because Jesus Came We Can …

… have peace with God,
be filled with all joy,
abound in hope,
be justified freely,
be alive toward God,
have the spirit of wisdom,
be under grace,
know the hope of His calling,
be conformed to His image,
be a child of God,
be His heir,
have victory,
know the riches of the glory of His inheritance.

Because of Jesus, we have so many reasons to rejoice !

Luke 1:49 (NLT 2ND Ed.):
For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me.

Categories
God

Life Pointe Church Sunday Morning Tossed Salad

1.  The Information Booth was up and looking nice (as usual), but the ‘small screen’ was dark due to a glitch with Pastor Paul‘s laptop. We couldn’t get the image of the laptop screen to appear on the monitor. Next week the Information Booth itself will take a one-week hiatus, but have no fear for it shall return triumphantly for our first Sunday morning services of 2008.

2.  The hot new Life Pointe Church tee-shirts are in, and they look fantastic !  Look for me to appear LIVE and in living colour in my new ‘CHURCH ROCKS !‘ tee-shirt next Sunday morning !

3.  I read the Advent message on stage at both services this morning. It’s the 4TH Sunday of Advent, and today we lit the candle for Love. God’s Love has gotten Him into a lot of trouble. His passion for Israel has led Him to make promises to them that will cost Him dearly. They are about to get a sign from Him that they weren’t even asking for – the birth of God Himself among them. Jesus’ nickname is Immanuel – a Hebrew way of saying ‘God is with us’. Even in a manger. Even in a ministry marked by rejection. Even on a cross. His Love has brought Him down. Down to us. We have found that this act of God in Love for Israel was also a sign of His love for the whole world. He came down to raise up all of us.

4.  Pastor Paul did this week’s teaching. It was all about ‘Leaving The Good For The Best’. Getting to the best requires obedience. It also requires leaving what is comfortable. If you are comfortable then you are simply not living the Life that God wants you to live. The Holy Spirit gives us the best chance of making it in Life. Jesus had to leave in order to give us the best. Jesus died for us. He made us, and then He paid for us on that bloody cross. He died so that we can live.

5.  Los Santoyos – Jesse, Reina, y Diego – were the subjects of this week’s likeus.tv message series video on the ‘big screen’. Jesse led his family from their comfortable Life in Chicagoland, and he brought them to us here in Homestead Florida. We are so glad that Los Santoyos are part of our loving Life Pointe Church family !

Categories
Food God

Life Pointe Church Sunday Morning Tossed Salad: Special Wednesday Night Edition

1.  TONIGHT we had our Volunteers’ Christmas Dinner at the original church on Old Dixie Highway for all of those that serve on Sunday mornings at Life Pointe Church. There were over 100 servers in attendance, and we served ourselves to about 100 pounds of delicious food courtesy of Pollo Tropical (Chicken On The Grill !).

2.  Pastor Paul was the Master Of Ceremonies, and he did a fantastic job welcoming us, thanking us, blessing the food, and then entertaining us like only he can. The after-dinner entertainment included a fun ‘Christmas wish’ game and a festive Christmas sing-along. Paul likes to talk about me and my fantastic journey. I like it when he talks about me. I’m proud of my new Life and all of my loving friends at Life Pointe Church.

3.  I instantly spotted and identified Venus’s gourmet banana nut bread before she revealed to me the obvious – that it was indeed made by her and pulled out of the oven right before she left her home. I suggested to Venus that the banana nut bread would be a perfect snack for the Hospitality team on Sunday morning.

4.  Jesse and Terry were taking pictures of the festivities, and I tried hard to sneak myself into a few of their snapshots that I wouldn’t otherwise be in. Some people hide from cameras, but I seek them out. I’m looking forward to seeing the lovely picture of J.T. & Anne … and ME !

5.  After seeing all of the little kids running around and laughing and yelling and screaming on stage and elsewhere I now have an even bigger appreciation for the fine work that the ‘Kids Life’ leadership does each and every Sunday morning. I don’t know how you all do it, but keep doing it.

Categories
God Music

My Fantastic Journey: It’s In The Lyrics

“Hotel Aquarium” – Falling Up

Is this another complication I face ?
Here is the mistake coming back to catch me.
To you I hold.

Now I know that I’m alive.
All the loneliness is filled by you inside.
And as I finally breathe the air.
You open up my eyes. Now I’m alive.

The lesson in breathing is never using control.
Seconds to misplace. I’ve never been so unsure.
To you I hold.

Now I know that I’m alive.
All the loneliness is filled by you inside.
And as I finally breathe the air.
You open up my eyes. Now I’m alive.

To the heights there is hope.
It’s been waiting all along.
To the heights there is hope.
Waiting.

Now I know that I’m alive.
All the loneliness is filled by you inside.
And as I finally breathe the air.
You open up my eyes. Now I’m alive.