Well, it finally happened! After 2 years of God stirring up Curtis and Amanda and spooning them onto the same ministry page and after six months of praying and planning with a core group of believers, Bayou City Fellowship blew open its doors last Sunday, September 11th. On so many levels, it was the Sunday of my lifeā¦and, just so you know, Iāve loved me some Sundays. Youāve got no hater here. Ink canāt convey what growing up in the church meant to a child whoād come from early victimization and was all but paralyzed by fear and insecurity. I know my story is not everyoneās but, for me, church was a safe place. A happy place. A lively place even long before the days of praise bands and raised hands. It was there in that small circle of Sunday school chairs in Arkadelphia, Arkansas that I met the love of my life. It was there that I memorized my first Bible verses and, there, my head plunged beneath the waters of baptism at the ripe old age of nine.
If Iām counting them right, Iāve belonged to about 6 or 7 churches in my 54 years and most of those changes were necessary because of moves. I canāt say that a single one of them was intolerable. If youāve been around the LPM blog very long, you may know how dearly I loved HFBC and what tears I shed in saying goodbye to the church where Iād worshipped for almost 30 years. At first the sense of lostness was palpable. Then, suddenly, as I crouched with other believers way out on that limb, in the throes of desperate prayer, and complete dependence on God for this infant church, it was like quart of Red Bull started coursing through my veins. People would ask from time to time, āAre you guys scared?ā Well, alive is more like it. Alive and AWAKE.
Itās been one of the most exciting things Iāve ever been part of. Many of you who have been involved in church plants have said the same thing. I guess one reason is because itās just so out there. History canāt make it float. Heritage canāt make it float. Habit canāt make it float. Only Jesus can make it float. If He does not shine His face upon us, we will fizzle out like a year-old sparkler on the 4th of July. The other big thing from a personal standpoint, making it so exhilarating is the band of new relationships. How often does somebody make 50 new friends without getting on Facebook? I know at least 20 childrenās names and they know mine. OK. So I have candy in my purse. Is that against anybodyās religion??
Sunday two weeks ago, we had our BCF dress rehearsal. Everybody on the core team has at least one job to do so we got there early and into our places. (The first wave at 7:00 AM. The second wave at 8:30. Thatās my wave. Service begins at 10:00.) Iām on the host team so we mostly practiced welcoming each other at dress rehearsal and we taste-tested the coffee at our makeshift coffee bar. Other teams were practically as busy at dress rehearsal as theyād be on opening day. The utility team and the childrenās team require the most hands on deck because they have to set up and tear down every week. God graced us lavishly with space to rent at Houston Christian High School (Beltway 8, close to Hammerly ā a gorgeous school and a great one). So, on these Sundays, halls and gyms transform into childrenās areas with bright primary colors, songs, sounds of laughter, and stories about a great big God and a Savior who could walk on water. A Man who could take one boyās lunch and feed thousands. Someone who said, āDonāt hold back those children from me! Theyāre what the Kingdom of God is all about!ā We feel like God gave us one of the most gifted couples in our entire area to head up our childrenās ministry. I pray for Dustin and Cassi second in line only to Curtis and Amanda. I wondered if theyād be overwhelmed on opening Sunday but their team was prepared, all the children welcomed and well cared for, and I saw nothing but smiles as I picked up Jackson and Annabeth.
Oops. Iām getting ahead of myself. Iāll back up and give you a short run-down of our first Sunday from the pitifully biased point of view of Blonder Than She Pays To Be:
I got there a few minutes behind schedule because Iād asked special grace from the pastorās wife. Saturdayās simulcast in Lubbock made for a pretty late Saturday night so, by the time I got to the church, everything was already in high gear. This was the scene at the welcome center for the children. As you can see, we were getting a few things ironed out before our guests arrived.
We met for prayer in the gym and, after our pastor asked us to get in small groups and agree in focused intercession, one of our team members also requested that we gather around Curtis, lay hands on him and call out to God in his behalf. It was such a powerful time that I donāt think Iāll ever forget it. I could get tears in my eyes just thinking about it. At this point, you realize that we didnāt even know for certain that anybody else was coming. We were “in the presence of the God in whom [we] believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.” (Romans 4:17 ESV)
After prayer, we all scurried to our places. Mine last Sunday was beside those at the front door to the chapel. I will work in the childrenās area pretty regularly but, when Iām in big church, I get to be on the team that welcomes people. I always wanted to be on the welcoming committee at HFBC so Iām ecstatic about my new job. I get to serve in this capacity as long as I donāt clog up an aisle or a door so I intend to stay light on my feet on Sundays and move from place to place. (I have promised Curtis and Amanda that I will not let BCF become a place for signing books or taking pictures. I just want to be a fellow church-servant so badly. On our first Sunday, thatās exactly what I got to be! A good sign indeed.)
I wish you could have seen the host team and I staring through the glass doors for signs of guests. Sure enough, by 9:30 they were coming. To say that we tripped over one another to welcome people is an understatement. Mind you, weād been planning this moment for 6 months. It might be safe to say that there were some among the host team who were willing to elbow others to get to the guests first.Ā Iāll not mention any names but, if I remember right, I think her initials were BM.
Side note: Someone who will remain nameless but is related to me had brought donuts for the team to dress rehearsal the week before and I couldnāt eat one because of a bread-fast I was observing for the simulcast. I could not WAIT to sink my teeth into a warm Shipleyās on our opening morning and, lo and behold, no one brought any. I said to my son-in-law Colin, āIām starving for a donut.ā (A sick exaggeration, of course.) He said, āI donāt have a donut but I do have some peanut M&Mās. Would that do?ā In a pinch, YES!
At the exact moment I threw a handful in my mouth, our first guest walked through the door. Not to be outdone, I flew over there, chewing as fast as I could, and greeted her with great enthusiasm and with tiny chips of brilliant red, blue, and green lodged between the opening teeth of my lifelong overbite. In hindsight, I wish Iād waited. I saw a piece of peanut on her shoulder after I hugged her. I wanted to swat it off but I was afraid sheād think that I thought she had dry scalp. It was a lose-lose. Another of our team members was equally enthusiastic. She showed us later how sheād nearly wrapped herself like a pretzel around the first guest she got to greet. (Donāt be scared to visit. If we canāt bring ourselves to settle down some over the next few weeks, we overzealous ones are prepared to take medication. Or have it forced upon us. Maybe we could wear a relaxation patch of some kind.)
Then I looked inside the chapel ā still about 25 minutes before the service ā and spied two women from the back with really cute gray hair. I descended upon them like a seagull dive-bombing a surf. We are hoping to no end that God will build BCF into a multigenerational body of believers so gray was one of our favorite colors last Sunday. If we donāt turn out with many senior adults, Iāll pray about letting my hair go its natural color. And I feel utterly certain that God will say no.
Their names were Irma and Joanne. Iām talking about the two women in the chapel. Stay with me here. And, are you ready for this? They are SIESTAS. Yep. Siestas. They live in Houston and knew about Bayou City Fellowship through our blog. In fact, I do not doubt they are reading this right now. Hi, Irma! Hi, Joanne! I loved meeting you both! Are you coming back this Sunday? Huh? Huh? I, of course, asked them if theyād be coming to our SSMT celebration but Irma said sheād found so many verses to be a bit daunting. I bet many of you can relate. But I told her the same thing Iām telling you: itās not too late! Choose a psalm with 20 verses and get busy!
Back to BCF. The host team got the chance to welcome many people on Sunday. We think we had about 500 in all, counting the children. We were ecstatic. It was the perfect size for our first Sunday because we had a room full of worshippers without being overwhelmed. Our praise to God knows no bounds. Our whole family was involved. I wish I could see your faces when I tell you that Melissa manned the coffee bar. She did a splendid job, but when she ran out of half and half, youād have thought we were on the edge of Armageddon. The Texas Pecan coffee was other-worldly in my opinion but she quipped, āWITH NO HALF AND HALF???ā I agreed. It was unheard of. I just adore her. No one on earth is like her. Colin, Melissaās man, was extremely busy because he is on the utility team, setting up and tearing down. (She is, too, by the way.) During the service, Colin passed one of the offering plates and, honestly, if I loved him more, Iād throw my back out. I would not trade him for anything on the planet. Melissa sat on one side of our hard-working pastorās wife. (Donāt get me going on the pastorās wife. It will put me over the edge. She is taking her place right beside her man and I am so impressed with God through her that I hardly know how to handle it. I have begun to call her First Lady. She has failed to acknowledge the honorific, however.) My older sister, Gay, sat on Amandaās other side. It is a picture that will be engraved on my mind as long as I have memory. Ā I sat on the other side of my sister and Keith sat next to me. And his handsome twenty-two year old nephew sat next to him. And itās very likely that any unattached young woman within five years of him wished she were sitting hitherto.
And, Curtis?
Well, Girlfriend. Curtis preached.
I do mean Curtis PREACHED.
And I got a word.
And many of us rededicated our lives. Iām not being facetious. I really did. 54 is no time to shove everything over to the young. They need you to stick with them. And, oh, Lord, have mercy, I NEED THEM.Ā Iāve hardly known what to do with myself since giving up Sunday school. I have a new job at church now: itās called Whatever. Iāll rock babies. Iāll tell stories to children. Iāll welcome guests. Iāll help Melissa with the coffee. Iāll pass the offering plate (and probably try to peek in it). Whatever. Iām in.
Because I love church life. Even in all its imperfections and missteps. Even with its questionable reputation. Even though, at best, it can only point to Jesus and feign to replace Him. God used it to scoop me up when I was freefalling into an abyss. God used it to light a torch in me for missions and for the lifelong study of Scripture. God used it to teach me how to take a messy stab at teaching. God used it to show me how to love and to be loved. God used it to teach me how to forgive and feel forgiven.
Infinitely more than that, Jesus loves the Church. The big One. The one weāre only a speck on the face of. We – a people crouched on a tiny new dot on the Kingdom globe – want to take our place, shoulder to shoulder, with all the others who lift the Name of Jesus sky-high for any eye to see.
We want to take our place next to you.
And, if you happen to find yourself shoulder to shoulder with me, you might check your person for a rogue piece of peanut M&M. Iām a hugger, you know.
What a beautiful thing God is doing! And, yes, the Church is the greatest organism on earth! So thankful and humbled to be one of those “specks” firmly fastened to it ~ locking arms for His great fame! How GREAT is our God?!?!
been there, done that, and couldn’t agree with you more! LOVE ME Sundays in church, and ESPECIALLY loved the six years spent serving and wearing as many hats as i could–church secretary, worship leader, children’s worship leader, audio guy’s wife and chief cable roller, treasurer, small group coleader. God used it and i’m so grateful i didn’t have to leave the country, like i initially thought He was calling us to do, to be a missionary/emissary for Him. oh, and i’m so with you on the new FRIENDS thing! soak it all in and lay off the M&Ms next week.
Oh my goodness, what a joy this blog post was to read. I’m sitting on the beach with my hubby next to me and I read the whole post to him. We both died laughing at the M&M’s in your teeth and then on the lady’s shoulder!!! Now that is quite the greeting! I love it!!!! SO SO happy that the first BCF Sunday was one of your favorites!!!! Here’s to many many more blessed Sundays….and lots of Shipley’s donuts!!! š
I’m so glad you told us how the first Sunday went! I had been wondering and praying and wondering. You must know that all of us Siestas as excited along with you! How exciting to hear about God’s work at BCF!
So sweet thank you for taking me to church with you!! I Thank God He is using Curtis and Amanda and your family in this work… May He be glorified and it looks like He is :o) May God bless and Grow BCF!
My daughter-in-law’s brother and sister-in-law are a part of your core team…. (How’s that for complicated??) Zach and Karley! So excited for you all! Praying God’s blessings!
500 that is so cool. What a great start. God is amazing to say the least. Congratulation.
Wow! I too was thinking His plans for us are beyond what we can ask or think! Loved everything about your Sunday except that I wasn’t there!!!
I was just thinking this morning now that my life has slowed down how sad it was that I didn’t get to post my scriptures during the craziness of my spring and summer. You mentioned that there was still hope if we memorized a 20 verse Psalm. The rule follower in me asks, if we post now through the end of the year and have enough verses memorized, can we still attend?
Judy, we’d love to have you if you feel you can do that!
Beth,
I am so thrilled that you just got to be Beth, a fellow worshiper and believer on a misson. I will add your church and believers to my prayer list. God bless you all richly for your obedience in planting a church for Him.
I just want to say thank you again for the simulcast. I have been reading my notes all week.
I love you,
Melinda Hohenberger
Eugene, OR
You sure do have a way with words! You paint such a picture that it makes me feel like I was there. I can hardly wait until we are all together in heaven worshipping the Lord Jesus, shoulder-to-shoulder!
God used it…He sure did!
You said it Mama Siesta!
I heard on the radio this morning that this weekend is the official “go back to church” weekend. I’ll admit, I have not gone to church as I should since becoming a Christian 9 years. The enemy has done an excellent job in keeping me isolated over the years. He usually starts toward the end of the week, convincing me how tired I am going to be by the weekend (I work two jobs), and wouldn’t it be nice to sleep in.
Thank you Beth for this post!! I am so motivated to get back to church and get back to enjoying fellowship with other believers. I truly do miss it and I don’t even think I fully know how sweet it can be.
Dianne,
I encourage you to go back to church. It is a great place to get those tired bones and weary feet recharged!! What is truly amazing is the energy that fills your spirit and puts the “pep back in your step!” God wants to do that for you. The enemy knows that God will. That is why that ol deceiver wants to keep lying to you. Go, sweet Siesta, and get your praise on!!!
Lots of love,
What a wonderful portrait of God’s goodness and faithfulness! Thank you so much for sharing! Much love to you all…
I was so anticipating this post – almost as much a I anticipated BSF’s first Sunday! You tell it so well. It was a joy to participate. Can’t wait for this Sunday. That Curtis sure can bring it!
I meant BCF. I’ll have to practice typing that.
What a beautiful blog about the church. Made me want to go join a church family despite all my imperfections.
Angelic,
We ALL have imperfections! Please, please don’t let those feelings keep you from enjoying your brothers and sisters in Christ. You can find a church family that will love you for who you are! Just like your siestas. If only perfect people went to church, all the churches would be empty!
Angelica,
YES! Come join mine! I dare say if you DO have it all together you wouldn’t like us very much. We all seem to have problems. But we have them together! Well, actually sometimes I get mad at them, then I have to say I am sorry and try again. But we DO give good hugs. (And we serve great coffee. I have found that to be a good defense mechanism against over-huggers if you just hold a hot cup in front of your chest.) Blessings!
we are all imperfect!! please oh please find you a good church home that preaches the Word. there is NOTHING like Christian fellowship!
Oh Angelic,
please do! we are all imperfect!! Only Jesus is perfect and He loves you so so so very much. Church is the perfect place for people who aren’t! I pray that you will find the perfect church family.
Oh, do! I’m sure there’s a church body {or two or four or ten!} near you who would love to embrace you and welcome you in! You’ll be glad you did!
How incredible! My husband always thought he would plant a church but God called us to a small town in Texas that just needed someone excited about Jesus teaching the Truth, and it’s been such a blessing. I love hearing about your new church family. God is good, isn’t He?
I am amazed how you can compartmentalize your life š There is no way any of us at the simulcast could have guessed that any of this was coming the very next day! Thank you for your focus! We could totally feel you there with us in the moment during the Live event! I am happy for your family in this new adventure and pray that God continues to bring people into this beginning stage that will share the vision and passion. I grew up in a pastor’s family where our 1st church service ever had 28 people in a elementary school! Church was not a safe place for me as I was scrutinized as the PK of a small church and lost friends as people moved through and out of the church. I would have gladly accepted a zealous hug from a candy coated hugger! Hugs to you all!
Love, love, love this!!! What an amazing God we serve!! I would take a rogue piece of peanut anyday for a loving hug around the neck š Made me happy just reading this. I got the privledge last night of being a small group leader at our ladies gathering and we were graced with a sweet sister accepting Jesus as her personal savior at the table next to us. So exciting to hear and see what God is doing in us, through us, and around us all.
Wow, Woman! No grass growing under your feet!
I know what you mean about “whatever.” We started a new church with our pastor seven years ago. I have been on the “whatever committee” for seven years. This year we have grown enough for me to begin to let go of some things into other, very capable hands.
This post is such a blessing! I have had you guys on my heart at least 500 times this past week – just so excited to know how God was going to move and speak and love on all those new attendees. He is so faithful! Your post was an answer to prayer. Thank you Beth for ever last detail that you gave. I laughed and cried through the whole thing and when you said, “Curtis PREACHED”. I just flat out broke down for a few minutes and had to put the computer down. Praise God for those who pursue the call God’s placed on their lives. Jesus is so good. I love Him so much and y’all too! Blessings to you all and will think about you again this Sunday from England. XXOO, Cindy š
What an exciting time! I was really glad to hear about the first Sunday at BCF. If I get to come to SSMT will you please greet us with M&M’s in your teeth? š
Congratulations on your new church!! I so needed a good giggle and you delivered one of the best I’ve had in a while (even better than a Frasier rerun and that’s saying a lot ;0) I’ll be praying for the Lord’s continued anointing for all involved.
Momma Beth –
Heart bursting with joy and PRAISE as I read this wonderful post! Was praying for you all from up&over here.
9yr old son having a little crisis of faith last night and I told him, “we serve a LIVING GOD, Son. I KNOW!” we chatted and hugged more and prayed for the ways he will KNOW, too… but reading this post is confirmation…. THE LORD IS MOVING and has made Himself known at BCF! YAY!
Trying to book my room in BALTIMORE, MD for Sept 30!!!!
Favorite post of all time. Tears in my eyes at your (as ever) eloquent account of the unhindered lives you and your extraordinary family are up to for the glory of our great God. As an unofficial member of the Amanda Jones fan club I have been anticipating this day with prayer and great anticipation for all of you for weeks. Thrilled at what the Lord did and can’t wait to see what else He’ll do. And all of this after getting my socks knocked off at the simulcast on Saturday. Please do have some doughnuts.
How exciting to be a part of a new church start! It sounds so exciting. Our God is an awesome God!
Mama Beth, It sounds so exciting! I am so glad things went so well! We’ve been praying.
(By~the~way, Siesta Mama, I know exactly how you feel. Get the same kinds of feelings and excitement about my Jesus. I even couldn’t contain myself last night when making dinner. Made a Pot Pie, and had to create vents in the crust, and was so overwhelmed with love from
Him that I put a little heart and the name of “The Lover of my Soul” in the crust. Honestly, pulled that pie outta of the oven for dinner, and there it was “love Jesus” :0)
This completely made my day! Loving Melissa as I do, and loving Half & Half as I do, the visual image created by your description of her at the coffee bar sent me over the edge. Thanks for the description of a great day!!!
thank u mama beth–today i needed to be reminded of the good things about church.
I love this! I am also a pastor’s wife and for the first time EVER got called First Lady but someone from a Missionary Baptist Church. I had never heard of a pastor’s wife being referred to as such, but I loved it!
So excited at what God is doing in BCF and so excited that y’all are getting to be right in the middle of it! Oh, our God is just so good and I hope He continues to just blow your socks off!
See you in January and will be visiting your new place of worship!
Can I tell you I loved reading about your 1st Sunday!!
May God continue BCF!!
Love,
Siesta Stacie
This usually unemotional Siesta is dropping some pretty big alligator tears in thankfulness to God after hearing how about how big He showed up on Sunday! I have been praying for so long…thank you so much for sharing. You are truly the best story teller ever!
And we can still ‘catch up’ on our scripture memory?? Are you kidding?? I was so bummed to get behind in April as I had a sudden quadruple bypass (at age 40!) and well…life took over and didn’t think I’d be able to go. Praying that God provides a door for me to be able to attend.
I’m laughing and crying here! A few months ago I began a position at my new home church as director of children’s ministries, and I’ve been struggling the last few weeks with all the imperfections and frustrations of church ministry… so your missive ministers to me today!
I have felt such a pull to the body at BCF, which I support in prayer and hope to visit some day. I told my husband that “my friend Beth Moore’s daughter and son-in-law just started a church in Houston, and part of me wishes I were there to help them.” First he laughed at me referring to you as “my friend” and then, Lo and behold, he surprised me by saying “I would move to Houston.” (This is the guy who was stationed at Ft. Hood and has said MANY times over that he hated Texas and would never go back.) I don’t honestly think God is calling us to move south but it’s a pleasant thought anyway! Keep bringing us the reports on the ministry at BCF – and I pray that some day soon I can be one of the ones you spit M & M’s on. š
Hilary in Michigan
Oh, thank you so much for taking me to church with you! I want to come for real but the commute from Boise is probably a bit much. Love hearing about this new church God is growing. I needed a little of this joy today!
Sounds like it was the best! 500 people…wow! Loved the M&M story š And so glad you get to be “whatever.” Thanks for sharing with us…praying for all of you and for BCF.
Dearest Beth,
Thank you so much for sharing in such great detail about your first BCF Sunday! I had been praying for all of you last Sunday and am so blessed to hear it went so well! I will continue to pray. But what I am most excited about is I have been so sad thinking I was to late to join the scripture memory and celebration with all of you. So if it’s okay I’m going to get busy on my 20 verses and maybe join you in January? Hey, can I share a quote with you I read yesterday that I was so blessed by? “Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory.” William Barclay. Ever since I read that I have been praying with all the earnestness I can muster – Dear Jesus, take my hardships and turn each one of them into glory for you. Love ya’ Beth!
I just love you Beth.
Oh my goodness…..I just grinned with every sentence, laughed out loud, and had tears in my eyes. Thank you for sharing this great big day with us. He is so worthy.
So much love,
Fran
Love, love, love it. God be praised and so blessed to read of the great launch Sunday.
Delightful post! And I admit, I had a few laughs!
This is too cool. Thank you, Beth, for the update with your new journey. Love it! This brought to mind what my mother told me this summer.
I was doing my Bible study early one morning this past summer. I was having coffee with my mother while talking about my Bible verses. I am 44 and she is 67. All of a sudden, at 6:23 am, she blurted out that my great grandmother had planted a church when my mom was a little girl. My great grandmother donated a little lot in a family neighborhood to start a church. My jaw dropped. I told her that I was grateful that she told me this at this time. I feel such a hunger and desire to know God more. What is so neat about this is that I always knew I had this God- thirsty craving for Jesus but now I know it is because HE has been part of my family for so long. God had even granted my mother memory and gave her the address so we could look it up on MAPS on my ipad. She pointed directly to it from a birdās eye view. She said that it was just a little plot of dirt, probably one of those little tiny houses on a country road that says āJesus live here, welcome.ā I was so excited to hear about this that I told my Bible study group the following week. My mother is not a writer so I am sure I would have never found this piece of information in one of her journals. Needless to say, I was ecstatic about this news. We love you JESUS.
Sisters in Christ,
Genevieve
The only way this could bless me more is if I were right there. I will read and reread this many more times. There is more food for the soul in this than you know.
And if you hug me with M&Ms on your breath, I will ask for some. They are my absolute favorite.
May God be praised and praised and praised. After all that Texas has been through, God clearly made His presence known.
Can’t wait for the next update
Many blessings and prayers
Kim
Oh, how wonderful!!! I’m so, so excited you shared! If I lived there, I’d have been there. What a great thing to be a part of! And I love a church that really gives A WORD! How I’m so thirsty for it! Congratulations to Curtis and Amanda and to all of you for what God is going to do in your city because of you!
Roy and I love Dustin and Cassi! BCF is so blessed to have them leading and teachng the children. So thrilled to hear that the first Sunday went well. We’ve been and will continue to pray for BCF.
For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised! Love it when you share from your heart, your love for the church, family, friends and God!
My family did not always go to church, until my dad retired from the Air Force. But, my mother did teach my sister and me some of the Bible story, the ten commandments and especially to pray. When we started going to church my sister and I came to Christ, then my parents rededicated their lives to the Lord. Later, I taught missions to kids, Sunday School to kids and now the Lord is having me teach women. When I look back, I’m like you_it’s really hard to believe God has been so good. Once a year a help with a ladies brunch and love it. This year we had a lady with cancer, a lady in a wheel chair, and an elderly lady that just blew my mind, when she told me each year it gets better, well that is God working! I love Him and yes, His church.
Bible Study is awesome as well!…so far this is the fourth or fifth Beth Moore study we have done.
So, thank you for reminding us how important church is, how wonderful God has been and how precious our families are! I know those grandkids just love you so much!!
I love church too Beth and feel SO blessed that I have never really NOT gone to church.Even when I moved away to go to college I was active in the Wesley Foundation (Methodist Student Fellowship). I can’t imagine life without a church family. Thanks for painting such a perfect picture of the first Sunday at your new church…and if you spit any M&Ms on me , make sure they are RED. Big college rivalry game here tomorrow between UL (RED) and UK (BLUE)so keep those blue M&Ms in Texas!
Love, Linda
UL WON the big game !!
I never comment but love reading the blog. But this post requires a response! I am beyond thrilled with what God is doing in your church and I celebrate with you! I laughed and cried as I read your post–it was the highlight of my day! I’m going to read it to my husband tonight–he’ll love it! Thank you.
That is wonderful…. love God word and church too. love God people and felllowship…will be praying for ya’ll because i know what it is like to start a church… But God is so faithful….. š
Oh, we are looking for a church home. The Lord moved us and didn’t tell us our next move so we are visiting and waiting on the “This is it” word of the Lord. The commute is a bit too long for us to visit you (we live near Dallas), but I’d love to come. If we are in Houston for a weekend, we just might pop in!
God be praised for all that He is doing in and through this new church family! Joy to you all!
God is so good! I am so happy that y’all had such an amazing first Sunday! Can I also add I just love your writing style, I have admired it for a long time. I teach 4th grade Reading and English and am honestly tempted to print this out just to show them an example of descriptive writing. Yes, I hound children weekly about being so descriptive that you can see it…and I could totally see everything from Sunday. Great post:)