Christmas Pictures

We are ahead of schedule this year! Christmas pictures are already taken and Christmas cards already ordered. As many of you know we send out about 250 Christmas cards to the entire church family so the task of getting pictures taken, design selected, and then ordered has in the past hung over our heads like an never ending cloud, but this year my wife wisely suggested that we take the pictures before heading out to our family Thanksgiving party and so we did. Here are a few great ones that didn't make the final cut.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year. Although over the last few years it seems that more and more people are skipping this holiday to focus solely on the gift giving of Christmas. It makes total sense for those who make money off the materialism and consumerism of the Christmas, after all its hard to encourage people to be thankful while at the same time pointing out how much they need your product. The last few days have been a wonderful time at our home. Cecil and I have gotten lots of time with the kids and haven't been too rushed. We went into this holiday season with that as the goal (since we constantly seem to find ourselves overly committed to too many things. The list of things I'm thankful for could go on and on and on but I thought I would just leave you with my top 10 (not necessarily in order of importance):
1) God - I'm glad I have someone to express my thanks too, otherwise life would truly be a cruel joke
2) A wonderful wife
3) Two beautiful, healthy children
4) My awesome church family
5) Great parents and in-laws that are fun to be with
6) A home to welcome guests too
7) That I have a job I love
8) Friends to share life with
9) The promise of heaven and eternity with Christ Jesus
10) Eggnog :)

Chronicles of Narnia - The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Every now and then as a pastor I get invited to an early screening for a movie that in some way promotes Christian values. Hollywood film makers have realized that the Christian market is a large and important demographic and they are learning to tailor certain movies to that audience. The first movie that really demonstrated that was the Passion of the Christ directed by Mel Gibson. So last Thursday my wife and I (absent our children thanks to friends) headed out for a date which included dinner and then a screening of the new Chronicles of Narnia movie, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Now just in case you were not aware, the Chronicles of Narnia is a book series written by a wonderful Christian theologian, C.S. Lewis. This delightful series is embedded with tons and tons of Biblical theology and Christian symbolism. I have seen both of the previous movies and found them very good and this movie was no exception. Below I've attached one of the more spiritually meaningful scenes. If you get the chance I hope you will support this movie (disclaimer - some scenes are a little too intense (in my opinion) for those under 7 or 8 years of age).

Checking Back In

Well it has been a while since I posted. Life has been busy (although that's not a good excuse).The last few months have been really good at MSC. Just this last Sunday I counted eight new families that were there that have begun attending over the last few months. We have also been working on remodeling the worship center. Attached are a few pictures of some of the finished project. Special thanks to the following people who helped out in a big way: Terri Sudbrook (picked out color schemes), Gary Simas (sent over an employee from his painting company), Jack Latreille, Tim Magee, Andrew del Rosario, the band, Cecil Wroten and Carrie Pitta. And a special, special thanks to Howard Harter and Lee Pitta for answering the last minute call for help from the pastor.

Veteran's Day

I have always been especially thankful for those who serve in our armed forces. So for all the men and women that wear or have worn the uniform, my sincere thanks for your service. As always I am truly proud to be an American!

Great Sports Testimony

I was really impressed by the interview from former 49ers running back Coffey. It's always exciting to see people make the decision to passionately follow Jesus regardless of the consequences.

MEGA Sports Camp

This summer has been very busy and full of activities. This is a short photo collage of our Mega Sports Camp program which went really well.

Untitled from andrew del rosario on Vimeo.

Back 2 School BBQ

Great Sermon Video

I found this clip from a pastor that I have admired from afar and wanted to share it with you. Let me know your thoughts.

Why Churches Die - Part Three

Have you ever played tug-of-war? I remember as a child and teenager being amazed at how the "adults" would always win when we competed at camp or on activity days. There were always more of us and as a group we were even stronger. Looking back the answer is very simple. The "adults" knew to pull together, at the same time, all the time.

So what does that have to do with why churches die? Simple: Growth churches learn how to pull together and dying churches don't. By pulling together, I don't mean uniformity. Uniformity is everyone doing the same thing. Honestly, lots of dying churches have uniformity. They all do the same things, the same ways, and then wonder why it isn't working anymore. When I say pulling together, what I mean is everyone is captivated, motivated, and working towards the same goal. For example, on a football team everyone has a different role to play. The coach calls the play, the center hikes the ball, the quarterback throws the ball, the receiver catches the ball. Although there is not uniformity, there is unity around the goal: Score a Touchdown! The ministry of a dying church is usually like a shotgun blast - wide, spread too thin, and lacking in power. In growing churches, the mission is clear, the vision is focused, and the people all play their part in making it happen.

Random Thoughts about Change

My wife and I lead a Financial Peace University small group at our home on Friday nights. So each week I send out an update email to everyone in our group. This week I thought I would share the content of that email with you. Hopefully it will be an encouragement.

Hey Everybody,

It was great to have everyone there last Friday. I know that for some of you the progress seems slow, but I can tell that things are changing. Here is a brief synopsis of how change happens in people’s lives.
1. Thinking – The battle for change is fought in the mind. For some of you, FPU was a new and drastic way of thinking about money. This change in thinking takes time. It is the same for all of us: Resist (I don’t need to change), Question (is this really the best way?), and Embrace (this moves us to Action).
2. Actions – The actions associated with FPU are budgeting forms, cash budgets, cutting up credit cards, paying off debt, sacrificing non-essentials, and saving for the long-term. These actions are trial and error. You do well at first but then you fall off the wagon. At first the actions are a result of strong will power and discipline. You know it’s right to do but it doesn’t feel good.
3. Emotions – Lastly your emotions will start to help you in the process instead of resist you. Do you remember the first time you made the decision not to purchase something that you normally would? It’s painful! You think, “What’s the harm in buying that Starbucks, McDonald’s value meal, new clothes, electronic gadget, etc…” But after awhile you begin to train your emotions and before you know it, those things won’t have the appeal or pull they used to have. Now your emotions will begin to tell you that you can do more with less, that money/food/clothes/whatever cannot make you happy, and that you saving money is not only wise but feels good too.

So I say all of that to say this…DON’T QUIT NOW! Keep it up. It will pay off.

Why Churches Die - Part Two - Inward vs. Outward

I think one of the major reasons that churches begin to decline and ultimately die is that they move from an Outward focus to an Inward focus. When new churches begin they have specific characteristics:
1. Mission focused
2. Limited bureaucracy
3. Desire to try new things
4. Focused on the community and unchurched
Over time as a church grows the focus slowly moves from those outside of the church to those inside of the church. The church begins asking all the wrong questions or not asking the right questions:
• Instead of “How do we grow?” they ask “How do we have security?”
• Instead of “What will work to reach people?” they ask “What ministries do we want in the church?”
• Instead of “What do we need to connect and be relevant with the unchurched?” they ask “What subjects are we most interested in studying, preaching on, and learning about small groups, worship services, etc…”
• They stop asking “What is working and what isn’t working?” and instead say, “This is what we’ve always done.”
Now in and of themselves none of these things is wrong. In fact many of them are good. But they should not become the driving force for the church. Luke 19:10 (NLT) says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” I truly believe that when churches lose the focus of reaching those who need Jesus, they have begun the slow descent to death.

Why do churches die?

Recently, I have been spending some substantial time working on both the transitional team and now board for Next Generation Churches of Northern California and Nevada. This process has been very eye opening and also educational as our board has needed to work through numerous vision, philisophical, and organizational hurdles. During this time, a member church decided after many years of ministry to close it's doors and they donated their building and property to our association. As part of our responsiblity as board members we are now considering the best options available for it's use. Over these months I have been able to learn more and more about this church's history and timeline. I was intrigued to learn that at one time it was a growing fellowship of believers whose attendance had grown to probably more than 200. Then upon the purchase of their final building things began a long, slow decline. Recently while touring the building and considering the options avaliable to use, I had to restroom in the upstairs. When I opened the door to go into the men's room, I saw this large VISION and MISSIONS sign. I thought to myself how sad, that this church with good intentions and real desire to follow Christ now finds itself nonexistent. So I asked myself this question, "How did this happen?" Over the next few days I plan on doing some posting in response to this question. I hope you will check in regularly and also I would love to get your thoughts on why this type of stuff happens to churches.

Exciting Easter Celebration

I wanted to express my thanks to all those involved in our Easter Celebration on Sunday. We had a record attendance of 190 with around 30 first time guests. So many brought friends and family to the service and so many volunteered to serve. For those in our church family, "thanks for being a part of the team!" Your involvement is making a difference.

Good Friday Service Tonight

Good Friday Service @ 7:00pm

www.msconline.org

Holy Week - Day 5

This morning I read, Matthew 27:15-23 (NLT)
15 Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner to the crowd—anyone they wanted. 16 This year there was a notorious prisoner, a man named Barabbas. 17 As the crowds gathered before Pilate’s house that morning, he asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18 (He knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.) 19 Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Leave that innocent man alone. I suffered through a terrible nightmare about him last night.” 20 Meanwhile, the leading priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be put to death. 21 So the governor asked again, “Which of these two do you want me to release to you?” The crowd shouted back, “Barabbas!” 22 Pilate responded, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” They shouted back, “Crucify him!” 23 “Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?” But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”

Throughout Scripture there is a theme of the innocent taking the place of the guilty. Here are a few examples:

• An innocent animal is killed to provide clothing for guilty Adam and Eve



• In Exodus we read about the passover sacrifice



• God institutes a sacrificial system in Exodus and Leviticus where innocent animals are offered for the sins of the entire community

Now in this passage once again, this theme is repeated. It was Roman custom that during the feast of the Passover, the Roman governor would commute the sentence of a Jewish criminal. In this case, it is a man named Barabbas. And so once again we find this theme of the innocent dying for the guilty. We should never forget that the very central truth of the crucifixion is this theme. Through Christ's death, each of us, just as Barabbas, is allowed to go free. That is why we call today, "Good Friday." The only reason today is good is because you and I do not have to face the consequences of our sins. Jesus Christ already took care of that through his death.

1 John 2:2 (NLT)
2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.

Holy Week - Day 4

Today I focused in on this passage:
Matthew 26:36-46 (NLT)
36 Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” 37 He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. 38 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” 39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” 40 Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? 41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” 42 Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open. 44 So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!”

I don't know about you but that phrase, The spirit is willing, but the body is weak," certainly applies to me. Many times in my spiritual life I know what I should do but I can't seem to make it happen. Over the past three years of my life God has been doing a huge renovation project. It started with some much needed mentorship from my dear friend, Paul Null. Then it crashed into personal crisis about 1.5 years ago, then it became a family crisis with Ethan's surgery in November, and now finally things are starting to get back to normal - if there is such a thing as normal. I say all of that to say this, God has been teaching me that truly, "without Him I can do nothing." Many times we think that without God's help we limit our succes or we limit our ability to accomplish, but the truth is...any accomplishment apart from God is really no accomplishment at all. Here the disciples, Peter, James, and John, were weary and they were simply dependent on their own ability, but that was not and will never be enough. Our only true source of strength is God and Him alone, because we are dealing with our sinful nature which is powerful. In the verses following this passage, we will read how all of the disciples fled away from Jesus. They were afraid and ashamed. When we rely on our own strength (the flesh) we too will find ourselves afraid and ashamed.

Holy Week - Day 3

In my devotional time this morning I read Matthew 26:17-30 (ESV)
17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 18 He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’ ” 19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover. 20 When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. 21 And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” 23 He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” 25 Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.” 26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” 30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

This passage of Scripture describes the scene as Jesus and his disciples observe the Jewish Passover. Then at the end of the passage, Jesus establishes the Christian ordinance of Communion or the Lord's Supper. But what I really focused on this morning was the fact that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament Passover remembrance. In the book of Exodus, the Israelites were commanded by God through Moses to pack their bags and get ready to leave Egypt because God was going to send the 10th plague, which was the death of the 1st born son. Moses said that the death angel would "pass over" their homes and spare their eldest son if they observed this ritual. They had to kill a lamb and sprinkle the blood on the top and sides of the doorpost. When the death angel saw that mark, he would "pass over" them.
Now move forward to the Matthew 26 passage. In this passage Jesus is declaring that He is the permanent passover sacrifice. Just as the blood of the lamb spared the house from the righteous anger of God, so the shedding of His blood on the cross would spare the world from the righteous anger of God. With the original passover all were welcomed to participate in the passover feast, both Israelite and Egyptian. But of course only those who believed and worship Jehovah God participated. In the same way, all are welcomed by God to participate in the forgiveness and reconciliation that is offered through Christ's death, but only those who choose to embrace Jesus as Lord and Savior will do so. So this morning I end with these words written by the Apostle Paul, "Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!" 2Corinthians 9:15 (NLT)


[1]
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2004). Holy Bible : New Living Translation. (2nd ed.). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.

[1] The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Day 2 - Extravagant Worship

This morning during my time of prayer and Bible reading I focused in on Mark 14:1-9.

1 It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, 2 for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.” 3 And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. 4 There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? 5 For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. 6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 9 And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”[1]
[1] The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Reading this story I immediately noticed the extravagance of this woman's offering. One denarii is the equivalent of one day's wages. So the amount of this gift could be comparable to $50,000 in today's dollars. Wow! I don't know about you but that is certainly an extravagant gift. Of course, this woman's gift was given in view of the most extravagant gift in history - the gift of Christ's life on the cross. So when viewed in light of God's gift ("For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son"), this gift isn't quite an extravagant as we might think. But never the less, this story of extravagance has been recorded in the timeless pages of Scripture. Here are few thoughts I had about extravagant worship while reading this morning:

1) Extravagant worship requires a change in focus from the temporal (earthly) to the eternal (heavenly).
This woman recognized the coming crucifixion of Jesus. She understood that earthly possessions (perfume) have no comparison to eternal priorities (worship of God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength).
2) Extravagant worship makes others uncomfortable - did you notice the response of others (specifically Judas)? Their response was self righteous and hypocritical. They had been put to shame by this woman and got defensive in the process. I remember a few months back when my daughter wanted to participate in an offering at her school (Prince of Peace Lutheran). If I remember correctly, the offering was to help missionaries in remote parts of the world. She had just begun getting paid to do her chores and I think she got one dollar a week. Now she is a good saver and never spends the money. So after saving up for weeks and weeks, she had about 10 dollars. She said she wanted to give 5 dollars to the offering. Do you know what my first response was? I thought in my mind, "this is unwise, this is half of everything she has, they don't need her 5 dollars." The truth was her extravagant worship put me to shame.
3) Opportunities for extravagant worship are not always available - Jesus said, "For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me." If this woman had waited just two more days to perform her act of worship, it would have been too late. Jesus would have already been arrested and his trial would have already started. If she had waited, she would have kneeled before him at the cross and wept tears of sorrow for missing her opportunity to express her love.

My prayer for today is this, "May I look for opportunities to express my extravagant worship to God for his amazing, extravagant act of grace towards me."

Day 1 - Palm Sunday

Matthew 21:1-11 (ESV)
1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ ” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

As I read this passage of Scripture, I focused on the line in verse 10 "Who is this?" People have been asking this question for centuries. Now a days it has been rephrased a little bit to sound something like this, "What's the big deal about Jesus?" In our culture, Jesus is a great teacher, a wonderful role model, or a powerful historical figure, but He cannot be who He said He was. I love this famous quote from CS Lewis:


"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic -- on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg -- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." – Mere Christianity, pages 40-41.

What begins the movement of God in your life and what makes you a follower of Jesus is when you honestly answer the question, "Who is Jesus?" If Jesus is God become man then this week has powerful significance, but if Jesus is just another great teacher or moralist, then we should do away with this week.

The Beginning of Holy Week

Normally I'm not much of a tradition person. In my mind, tradition typically means boring, routine, and very dry. But this year I've decided to do something a little bit different for the days leading up to Easter. I have been really passionate to see God work in my life lately, and so this week I've decided to begin each day focusing on Christ's path to the cross. Part of my plan is to fast from food on Thursday and Friday as a way of preparing my heart for the Good Friday Service. Another part is to read the different stories in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) that tell the story leading up to the crucifixion. I hope you will join me this week in asking God to do a great work in your heart as well.

Leprechaun Trap

Who would have known how much I needed to learn when Alanna started kindergarten. This week in celebration of St. Patrick's Day, we had to come up with a Leprechaun Trap. Here is a picture of the finished product...any Leprechauns in our home don't stand a chance :)

Sneak Peak at New Sermon Series

Here is the graphic for the new sermon series starting on Easter. Let me know your thoughts. What's the first thing you think of when you see the graphic? Does it grab your attention? Are you interested in "reading" it?

I hope to see you Sunday at our 7th Anniversary Service. We have a BBQ and Baptism following the 10:35am service. (Cool new baptistry too! Thanks to Ernesto and Drew for helping me pick it up.)

7th Anniversary of Morning Star Church

It's hard to believe that it was seven years ago that Cecil and I started MSC. Time has flown by. Here are a list of a few of the changes we have experienced over that time.

1. We were young and energetic (hopefully we are still energetic but I don't think we feel young anymore)
2. We added two to the family (Alanna and Ethan)
3. We bought and sold our condo, then bought our current home
4. We moved the church from the Marriott, to Musick Elementary, to Ruschin School
5. We started MSC with 1 family and now there are about 150 people in the church family
6. We have had our share of struggles and difficulties but God has been faithful
7. We have learned to find our strength in God
8. We have made many wonderful friendships
9. We have seen people grow in Christ and we have shared the heartache of people walking away and rejecting Christ
10. I finished seminary and received my MDIV degree

I hope you can join us this Sunday at either the 9 or 10:35 service. After the later service, we have baptism and BBQ celebration for everyone.

Valentine's Day

As our culture has done over and over again, a simple holiday has been commercialized. Over this past week, I have heard and seen too many commercials all suggesting that if I really want to express my love for my wife I must buy this flower arrangement or this piece of jewelry. Of course, I do think it is very appropriate to make symbolic gestures of love and appreciation on Valentine's Day, but I also think that many times people try to make up for an entire year of neglect by buying that diamond necklace or splurging on an extravagant weekend when what is really desired is meaningful connection.

Thankfully, I have been blessed with a wonderful wife who over and over again has made it clear to me that she is not impressed by extravagant financial displays. Instead she has helped me learn over almost 10 years of marriage that simple yet meaningful displays of my love mean much, much more to her. After these many years together, Cecil continues to amaze me with her passion and excitement for life; her simple yet profound words of wisdom; her superhuman powers of balancing home, marriage, personal, and family responsibilities; her desire to follow and please God; and her unconditional acceptance and love for me.

So to my dear wife I say, "I love you and Happy Valentine's Day."

So what is it really like living at the pastor's house...

You might wonder from time to time what it's really like to live at my home. Well...here is a little taste from this evening. Cecile is out for dinner with a good friend so we made our own fun. Here we are playing "freeze dance" (of course all incriminating footage of myself is conspicuously absent).

Life never stops changing

Today, we went out to Costco (my favorite store - if you can't find it at Costco you don't need it) and bought Alanna a twin bed. She finally outgrew her toddler bed which really wasn't designed for a child that weighs 50+ lbs. It seems like just yesterday that we brought her home from the hospital and put her in the bassinet, then we transitioned to a crib, then toddler bed, and now an adult bed. I was talking with Cecil's Mom today and she said, "She's not your little baby anymore, is she?" Unfortunately, she is right.
So just a heartfelt reminder - enjoy each moment you get with your spouse, kids, friends, and anyone God brings into your life because you will never again get these moments back.

Fearless Sermon Series

They're talking layoffs at work, slowdowns in the economy, flare-ups in the Middle East, downturns in the housing market, upswings in global warming. Fear, it seems, has taken a lease next door and set up shop. But what if faith, not fear, was your default reaction to the difficulties in life this year? Envision a day when you could trust more and fear less. At Morning Star, we can! Join us starting January 10th as we explore the secret to a fearless life.

Awesome Christmas Eve Service

We had a fabulous Christmas Eve Service last week. The band did a fantastic job with the music. Andrew, as normal did good job getting everything ready for the evening. Our church family brought their friends and family. In fact, we ran out of room for people. The band stayed on the stage, greeters and volunteers did without a seat, and everyone pushed in close as we added rows of extra chairs. It's always hard to get an accurate count at a service like that but the best we could come up with was about 125!

Also, I have to share how truly blessed I am by our church's generosity. I know the people in our church are not immune to all of the economic bad news. People have lost jobs, had hours cut, or are under employed. But I was amazed to see the Christmas Gift for Jesus Offering totals...just over $2,000! That money will go a long to helping our missionary partner, Tim Ekno, to provide lepers in India with a Christmas dinner, change of clothing, and the message of hope in Jesus Christ.

For all of you who served, gave, and invited...Thank you! Cecil and I are truly grateful to pastor this church. Your passion to follow Christ in all areas of life encourages us to keep serving the Kingdom.