It's amazing what happens when Christians choose to love.

I read this story and was so pleased. THIS is what we, as Christians are to be like. THIS is what it means to look past what we see with our eyes and see a person's heart in need of the love of Christ. THIS is it. Read this story. I think it will amaze you. God is a big God and we can share His love if we'll simply look past what we see with our eyes and look at the need of a person's heart. There are many broken hearts in need of His love. Some even live in Franklin Parish.

Revival

Rev. Charles Finney

So, I ran across this quote by Charles Finney, "A revival is nothing else than a new beginning of obedience to God." How true that is. Revival is when we refocus and begin obeying God as we used to. It's an awakening of the sleeping spirit to one which is alive, aware and ready to serve. Be praying for revival services at FBC, Winnsboro. Pray we'll be awakened to God's power and God's voice.

The Miracle of Jen

Wow. What a book! This book, a complimentary copy which I obtained from Tyndale publishing for review, was great. It tells the moving story of Jennifer Barrick and her recover after a horrible automobile accident. The book focuses on Jen and her recovery, but you do get a grasp at how the entire family dealt with her recovery. I was concerned we would not get a true picture of how everything went after the accident. In some Christian books, there is a lot of fluff and no real evidence of struggle with the reality of the pain and suffering. I was relieved to find that Linda shares all in this book. She is up front with her readers and does not hide any of the difficulties of recovery. Recovering from a horrible accident is not a walk in the park and Linda does not paint it as such. For that I am glad. I have read too many books and seen too many Christian movies where the reality of pain and suffering are not dealt with in a realistic way. Overall, this book will bring you into the hospital room and put you right alongside Jen as she recovers. Great writing and a wonderful true story of triumph and personal growth for the mother, Linda, and for the reader. For more information you can go here http://www.miracleforjen.com/ 


By the way, exciting news! I have a certificate to get a copy of this book for free if you can name my favorite Star Wars character. The first one to answer correctly gets the certificate. You take the certificate and redeem it at your nearest Christian bookstore.

Ecclesiastes, nothing new under the sun

Well, we finished the January Bible Study. Ecclesiastes was a great study that reminded us that without God, life is meaningless. What a study!

I've never been applauded for doing a Bible Study before. There is a first for everything. The people I pastor at FBC, Winnsboro are awesome!

On a sad note, our Uncle Willie passed away today. He had had a stroke and had pneumonia. Sad.

Reflection time/Lights went out...

Happy Birthday to me. Well, it's my birthday today. Did I do anything special? Not really. I went to the office. The day continues  by like any other with the exception of over 100 Happy Facebook Birthday greetings, a container of strawberries, a card and a gift certificate to San Marcos Mexican Restaurant. I also received some cologne, sleeping pants and sweat pants from my family. Oh, also cake and ice cream! Lol. Yes, I guess it was special. As I begin to age, I have found an urgency to make a difference in this world. I have taken some time to reflect and ask myself the question, "If I died today, would the world be a better place because I was here?" It's a question I find myself asking more and more.

Lights went out
 Sunday evening the lights went out. Close to 1,100 people in our area were without electricity. Remember what Sunday was? Yes, it was Super Bowl Sunday. The power went out around 5 p.m. I was supposed to be sharing the January Bible Study at 6 p.m. People came and left. After they left, at 6:05 p.m., the power came back on. Why did God allow this? Is He REALLY a football fan? I have my doubts. I question why it would happen to come on just after everyone left. Amazing.

Had to laugh.

Too funny!

The Louisiana Baptist Singing Ministers

Went to hear them and was very pleased. Wish all of you could have been there. They sang at FBC, Columbia, LA. Ran into a lot of old friends. Good to see them.

When winning just doesn't happen.

Well, I watched the Saints lose. I watched and could not believe what I was seeing. We tried, but we had a team that seemed to want the win a bit more than we did.

I then watched the Miss America Pageant. Wow. So subjective. Hope Anderson should have won. It was an odd pageant. She is a winner in all of our hearts. We are so proud to have her as our Miss Louisiana. I think God has big plans for her.

Sometimes winning doesn't happen. Sometimes it's not time. When winning doesn't happen, what do you do? I am disappointed. I am down. I try to convince myself that it wasn't meant to be. I sometimes believe myself. I really should. I don't know who needs what when. I don't know "all." Ah, but I do know the one who does. I am still learning to trust Him in all things. He has His timing and we have ours. Ours is not right, His always is.

In spite of the lack of wins recently for our state there are a great number of churches who are praying through the 21 days. Ours is one of them. It's an awesome experience and one I hope will change our lives for the better. Spending time with God is never a losing proposition. We are winners each second we spend with Him.

As we continue to pray, let God speak to you. Take time to listen to Him. If there is any time we need to be closer to God and have direction in our lives it's now. If there is anytime we need to rise up and live out our faith before mankind, it's now. Our nation needs a spot of Hope. Our state needs a spot of Hope. Let's share the Hope of Christ with those who need it.