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.