Dad

Today, I have enlisted in childcare duties. That’s right. I am solely responsible for taking care of our two daughters, Emma and Reagan. Don’t get me wrong. I thoroughly enjoy being a parent. Playing is my expertise, if you will. Toys and games with my girls, I've got it covered! It's when the word responsibility comes into action, where my job as dad gets . . . sticky at times.

About a week ago, Rachel left me in charge. Yes, I was the primary caregiver for a few hours. That is when the phrase Daddy Day Care will ring a bell for many of you. I was doing a terrific job! Emma was dressed in her school attire and she almost arrived at school on time. Arriving back at home, it was easy for me to fall into my usual routine: relaxing, drinking coffee and taking care of some minor chores. This is when things seemed to be a little too quiet. Not the peaceful silence of a quiet household, but more like the, “what-is-she-doing?” kind of quiet moment.

As I walked back into the living room, I noticed Reagan sitting on the floor with her socks off. She lifted her hands and feet as she proudly began to show me her beautiful fingernails and toenails. Apparently, Rachel left the nail polish on the window sill within the range of Reagan's reach. Reagan had painted a Picasso masterpiece on her hands and feet, along with her face. She must have known I would not be gone for long and painted herself as quickly as she could! I learned very quickly, that stuff takes a while to clean off. We will not discuss the health hazards of polish remover on my two-year-olds face. But it’s all part of being a parent.

As a Dad, I'm looking forward to the tickle times, homemade snacks and many more uh-oh moments that have yet to come. Children truly are a blessing. Have a great day.

Nick Peppo

3 Things I Love About Having Surgery!

For those of you who didn’t know, I had a hysterectomy a couple of weeks ago. Yes…I said the word “hysterectomy.” It’s seems like such a personal thing, but it is what it is! It seems like it would be easier to tell someone, “Oh I just had knee replacement surgery,” or something like that.

Anyway, because I really believe in sharing our lives, I wanted to let you know how I am doing and a little bit about my experience. First of all, IT HURTS! But the good news is that after about 10 days of tender loving care from my family and my friends, I am well on my way to being back to 100%.

Before I tell you the three things that I loved about having surgery, I must divulge information about your pastor, Deven. He is amazing! He has been an outstanding Male Nurse! Deven has been thoughtful, caring, patient, and just willing to do whatever it takes to make life easier for me. I might fall in love all over again! Well, he did kind of put me back to work today with some things that I can do from my comfy bed. Ha!

So, here we go....The 3 things I LOVE about having surgery.

1. DELIBERATE LAZINESS
2. WEARING SLOPPY CLOTHES ALL DAY LONG
3. SPECIAL ATTENTION FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS (Is that bad?)

On top of all that, the extra time to talk with the Lord and read has just revitalized my heart!
I wouldn’t recommend the going under the knife, for anyone. But it never fails that when I trust God with my life, he always…always….always…turns something very negative around and allows something good to come from it.

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose

In conclusion, I love you all and thank you so much for the love and concern that you have shown me. I enjoy sharing life with you and want you to know that you really color my world and add such quality to our lives.

Because of Jesus, Kathy

It's a boy!!!

Silas Benjamin has arrived! He's a healthy baby boy, whom some say resembles his dad. I think he looks like a little old man...not sure what that makes me. Thanks to all who prayed for his safe delivery. Mom was a champ as always. I was dressed for the occasion but did absolutely nothing.

Here's his stats:

5lb. 3oz.

18 inches long

ETA was approx: 3:10 pm, 1/27/09

Ben Davis

The I-pod

Earlier last year I got an I-pod. That’s right, an I-pod. I know I’m probably a little bit behind in technology. But in my defense, I never thought I really needed one. Oh, was I ever wrong! Needless to say I have become extremely attached to this small piece of electronics. Those who see me on a regular basis will always find me with the headphones in my ears listening to music or podcasts or whatever I could load onto this thing. At the office, I will work at my desk with the device in my ears. I’ll walk from here to there listening to the latest tunes. I will make phone calls with a headphone in one ear and the telephone in the other. That may be a bit much, but I can multitask. I will pray and read my bible with my the headphones in my ears.

At home I’ll do almost everything while some sort of sound is echoing through my brain. Everything from reading, to cooking, to cleaning, to walking the dog, to taking out the trash became subject to my need to have music or messages coursing through my veins. I will even go to sleep with the headphones in my ears. Now, I know what you are thinking. No, that is not extreme! At least, not yet. I was unable to listen to it while I was in the shower, so guess what I got for Christmas? You got it. I received a port that I can plug the device into so that I can hear the music in the shower. My family is an enabler.

Then, finally, the worst thing of all, I will even drive my vehicle listening to that I-pod. Yes, I know it’s probably illegal and yes, I will most likely get a ticket one day. But there’s nothing good on the radio and my CD player is broken so, that should be a good reason to drive with headphones in my ears, right? My sister refuses to let me drive her car because, although her CD player works perfectly fine, I still want that I-Pod playing.

So it came as no surprise to me that, as the 21 day fast began I could feel God leading me to times of silence and solitude. Believe me when I say, it was hard! It was like having withdrawals. The silence was agonizingly painful, if that is even possible! The thoughts of my mind began to travel on a four lane highway, BOTH WAYS! Still, I felt God calling me to just sit, be still, and know that He is God. Psalm 46:10 says,

“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”

God wants all of us. Not just little bits and pieces throughout the day, but all of us, every day, all day. And while we all have certain responsibilities (working hard, taking care of our families, being the good neighbor, responsibly taking care of what he has given us or running errands) responsibilities which God considers just as important as we do, He still calls us to times of silence and solitude. This was an essential part of Jesus’ ministry.

He would often leave the masses AND his disciples to give uninterrupted focus to the Father. It may seem odd, but in truth, some of the greatest works of Jesus took place after he had taken time to be alone with the Father. After hearing the news of the death of John the Baptist, the bible says he left everyone to be alone and then later fed 5,000 people. Before Jesus walked upon the water during the storm, He was alone on dry land. He brought several of his disciples, alone to the mountain to witness the Transfiguration. And finally, Jesus was alone, in the Garden of Gethsemane, praying to the Father, the night before he was crucified.

Some people truly fear silence and solitude. But as followers of Christ we must embrace these times when God calls us to be alone with Him; to be still (silent) and know that He is God. We must turn off our I-pods, turn off the televisions, computers and even our phones. We must seek him wholeheartedly, because He wants ALL OF YOU, and simply because HE IS GOD! And yes, it is hard at first, very hard! Our minds wander and drift, but with focus, determination and repetition, we can quiet and renew our minds to hear God’s voice, know his will, love on Him, and allow Him to love on us in ways we never thought possible. And remember, it's not about being silent and not saying anything. It's about giving him all of yourself, focused and uninterrupted.

Be blessed and encouraged in the final days of our fast, and seek solitude and silence in Him!

Marc Sampey

Spiritual Meteorology

Since we talked about assumptions this past Sunday, I wanted to share an assumption of mine the Lord recently shattered. I didn't even realize that I had made this assumption, and it's going to sound a little silly at first. I was driving one day and praying, but it was one of those prayers that felt like a lot of work. What I mean is that it was a good thing to pray for, but the prayer seemed to be running entirely on my own effort. Of course, prayer isn't always easy, and you don't necessarily always need to feel a certain way. But this prayer just felt empty. I didn't sense any real life in it.

Then the Lord asked me a question, "What if I'm not doing that right now?"

That kinda took me by surprise because I guess I had assumed that God always did the same thing all the time. The truth is that there are times and seasons when God does different things. King Solomon put it like this:

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.

-Eccl 3:1

That is a very insightful verse. Seasons are important. Timing is important. By God's design, there are seasons and rhythms to life. Spring leads to Summer, Summer to Fall...Fall to Winter. It doesn't make much sense to wear summer clothes in the winter. It also doesn't make much sense to try harvesting when it's a season for planting or vice versa. In fact, it doesn't matter how skilled you are or how many tools you have at your disposal, you're going to have a tough time trying to harvest when it's a season for planting. The key is learning to recognize and discern the season you're in. I think much of living well and spiritual leadership comes down to just this.

Consider how many times Jesus said, "My time has not yet come..." Jesus also spoke to us about the importance of recognizing seasons.

Then he (Jesus) turned to the crowd: "When you see clouds coming in from the west, you say, 'Storm's coming'—and you're right. And when the wind comes out of the south, you say, 'This'll be a hot one'—and you're right. Frauds! You know how to tell a change in the weather, so don't tell me you can't tell a change in the season, the God-season we're in right now. -Luke 12:54-56

We're often much more in tune with the natural than the spiritual, but if we fail to understand the season we're in, we end up trying to maintain something that's over or manufacture something that's not yet...both are unfruitful and wear us out! (By the way, fasting is one way to help us discern the season...to put us more in touch with the spiritual than the natural.)

Personally, I feel like I'm in a season of deeper surrender and dependence on God. Our nation is in a season of transition as our new President takes office. The Church at large, I believe, is in a season of restructuring and transformation.

What season are you in?

What is God doing at this time in your life, and how can you cooperate?

Do you need to do some spiritual meteorology?

Ben Davis

Puppies!

My husband, Jordan, and I have have two beautiful Golden Retrievers, Dakota and Sadie. They are a source of joy for both of us. We had always known that we wanted to have a litter of puppies. Well, as life would have it...

So, for the last four weeks I have experienced something pretty exciting...birthing and taking care of newborn puppies. Wow! What an experience! Before the puppies came, I did all I could to research the birthing process and make sure I knew what symptoms and changes to look for in Sadie. I talked to the vet and made sure I understood my role in all this...but nothing could prepare me for what was about to come. On December 23rd, we came home to find that Sadie had gone into labor and had successfully delivered one puppy already. I of course grabbed a front row seat to this so I could see all the action. It was gross!!! The delivery was a very long process and she would go an hour sometimes between deliveries. So as another, and another, and another puppy came out, with me helping her deliver 3 of them, I was sure that she was finished by number 9. Oh, was I ever wrong. I came back to find she had delivered 2 more, with another 2 on the way!! 13 PUPPIES!! What a cray night we had, with even more crazy nights to follow.

With 13 puppies comes a lot of work though, so I spend most of my time right now in the garage with the puppies...feeding them, cleaning up after them, playing with them, loving on them. And as I sit with them I watch how they go into an almost panic, if you will, when their mom seems to be out of reach from them and not in their sight. They begin searching all over the pen for her, crying as they sniff around hoping to find her. And when Sadie hears their cries, she immediately stops what she is doing and comes over to the pen and lets them know she's there and the crying then stops as they know mom is there to comfort them. This reminded me of life and how sometimes it feels as though God's presence is far from us just because we cannot feel Him near, or we may not feel close to Him; but the truth is He is always with us and answers when we too cry out to Him. The Bible says "Do not be afraid, for the Lord your God goes with you, he will never leave you nor forsake you" (Deuteronomy 31:6) Praise God!! How awesome to know that we are never alone because He is always with us in our every move!

Well as for us, we have really enjoyed this new experience and I am sad to say we have grown attached to the whole litter. Jordan says I can't keep any of them, but we'll see about that. Though I know we could not possibly keep 13 puppies, I am still going to be sad when they go. Oh, they're so cute!!

God bless,
Whitney Pedeaux

Broken Hammock… or Not?

Well, I successfully surprised Deven for Christmas when he opened the huge, wrapped box! It was the hammock that he saw several months before. I could tell that he really liked it, so I tried hard to buy it, wrap it and hide it without him finding out!

Deven is so hard to surprise! He seems to always figure out things before they are revealed. For instance, it never fails that he realizes the end of movies before the end. Anyway, he was surprised, and I managed not to let the cat out of the bag before Christmas.

When we opened the box, we found that the main support bar was broken in the middle. We thought that it must have been damaged during shipping. Yes, it looked as if we had purchased “damaged goods.”

We hauled the big, opened box back to the store and exchanged it for another. When we got back home, we opened the box and guess what? The new hammock was broken too! Or not? We began to realize that the bend in the middle was designed that way. Hello! Instructions?

What is the moral of the story? Maybe some things that seem to be broken are really part of an original, intentional design. As you can see from the picture, the hammock was in perfect condition, was exactly as it should be with the bent bar, and was assembled with ease!

It is true that sometimes life’s events, tragedies, challenges, relationships and our perceptions give way to the reality of brokenness in our lives. If we respond to these happenings properly, it is in our brokenness and humility that God molds and positions us for greater function in His kingdom. Not to mention the closeness we experience with the Father.

Much like Jacob, we can wrestle with God and wind up having a limp, marking us for greatness. And we are changed so much that we become more like Christ. In addition, we must not forget that Jacob’s name was changed because of the change that was taking place through brokenness.
So, if we are scarred, bent or seemingly broken somehow by life’s challenges, or even walk with a limp as Jacob did, let’s rejoice in that we are better. We are destined for greatness in Him! Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble, but be of good cheer because I have overcome the world.” YES!

The stories behind our battle scars are precious and make us into the beautiful children of God that we are! In our brokenness, we are fashioned into handy tools that fit perfectly into the hand of God. Others may see the glory of God in our lives, yet don’t realize that there are stories of brokenness that have prepared the way. What are your stories? If you have one that glorifies God and want to share it, please comment.

In no way are we “damaged goods” because of the scars of life, but uniquely designed for a special purpose and a special position in God’s Kingdom.

No matter what battles we have won, whether they are battle scars from sin, or from involuntary traumatic events, we are changed through the humility of being broken before God! Remember that if we don’t fall on the rock voluntarily, it can crush us.

Luke 20:18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”

In conclusion…remember the hammock story!

Because of Jesus,

Kathy

Oops!!

I must add a confession of failure concerning our 21-day fast. You must forgive me church. This is my story:

As you can see, the evidence is clear. Well, a Blood-Mobile pulled up to North Cypress Fitness and I couldn’t resist giving blood. After all, it’s the right thing to do. The only mistake I made was that I worked out and didn’t eat, at all. Before thinking of that, I entered the bus feeling like I was doing my part to help those who may need blood.

You probably know where this is going. Yes, I nearly passed out. The sweet nurses actually said I passed out, but was still awake. What is that?! Anyway, when the clouds cleared, they forced me to eat these cookies. I refused several times, but they said I couldn’t get off the donation bus unless I ate them. I felt like I was being held hostage against my will.

They were the most delicious cookies I have ever eaten.

Deven

Another Great Week

It's amazing! 2009 has just started but already it seems to be moving so fast. Another week has come and gone. I thought it might be fun to share with you a few highlights of my past week. Believe it or not, some people wonder what I do all week! Ha!

Monday's Highlight - I had three bank presentations which may sound boring to you, but I loved it! I loved it because I was able to share about our new project on the I-55 service road. I also had the opportunity to brag on you and tell our story about how BIG God is among us. I am not sure how it affected the bank presidents, V.P's, and loan officers, but it moved me just hearing myself. Have you ever seen someone do a skip and then tap their shoes together on one side? Well that was me when I left each bank. Oh, how AWESOME our God is!

Tuesday's Highlight - Tuesday I went to a pastors meeting in Slidell. It wasn't the meeting itself that made my day, but the vulnerability of an older pastor sharing with us about his life. I am so encouraged when pastors come to the realization that they can be real! I believe that this glorifies God because all of the credit for anything good goes to Him. I don't have time for fakes, and no patience for games.

Wednesday's Highlight - Connect Night!!! Oh what a great night getting to know a room filled with new people, all sharing their spiritual journeys together. It was a night that brought laughter and tears. Hey! A shout-out to Gerry and Brenda Zeringue for being incredible hosts and leaders!

Thursday's Highlight - I found myself in jail! I was visiting a young man in the Tangipahoa Parish Jail in Amite. My intention was to go and encourage him, but God was already at work inside of him. I have to tell you that it moved me spiritually. I loved praying and sharing with him and witnessed God really transforming his life.

Friday's Highlight - Wedding! Big weekend for Daniel and Margie! Getting to know Daniel and Margie has been such an enjoyable experience...doing pre-marriage counseling, and planning the special ceremony. They have such a sweet spirit about them and I really want their wedding to be everything they dream it would be. When you see them at church or around, don't forget to congratulate them.

Pastor Deven

Confession

So I thought I'd kick off this whole blogging thing with a little confession:

I've never been very good at fasting.

I really like to eat, and since we're fasting I won't even begin to describe my favorite foods. But for a long time I just didn't get it. I knew it was Biblical...Moses fasted forty days and nights on Mount Sinai as God wrote the Ten Commandments with his own finger (Exodus 34:28). Jesus fasted 40 days and nights at the beginning of his ministry (Matt 4:2). He also gave specific instructions about prayer and fasting (Matt 6:16-18). Jesus obviously expected that his followers would set aside special times of prayer and fasting to seek God.

Okay, so we should do it, but fasting hasn't ever been real fun or easy for me. In fact, I'm not sure it's fun for those around me either because I can get down right mean when I'm hungry! But like all spiritual disciplines (exercises), you have to start somewhere. Most of us don't like exercising or discipline much at all. I rarely feel like going to the gym. It's inconvenient and painful, but the benefit of health is worth it. The point is never the discipline or exercise itself, but living healthy.

Paul writes in 1 Timothy 4:8, *"Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and the life to come." *I think we sometimes forget that there is *training* for godliness. That means there's some exercise and discipline involved. It means we get intentional about our health spiritually. But look again at what this training promises: ...*promising benefits in this life and the life to come. *That sounds pretty good. If you're like me, these twenty-one days will be very challenging, but training in godliness is the most rewarding thing you can do. It's not too late. There are lots of different ways to fast...you just have to start somewhere!

Here are a few ideas:

- Fast TV
- Just do fruits and vegetables
- Fast dessert or caffeine
- Commit to pray with your spouse every day for 21 days
- Lead a family devotion every day for 21 days

The main thing is to live healthy, Jesus-centered lives. I heard someone say that fasting is another kind of feasting...that sort of helped put it together for me. We'll be feasting on Jesus for the next 3 weeks. Bon Appetit!

Ben Davis

Sunrise

Psalm 143:8

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you

The drapes had been drawn, and the enormous window was facing directly east. Last week I had the opportunity to spend the night on the coast, and I woke up at the exact moment when the sun peeked out over the water. God knew He had to wake me up because it would take a miracle for me to naturally wake up that early!

Anyway, the burnt orange-colored sun peeked out over the water and it was as quiet as a whisper, but sudden and very striking. It was a moment in time that one should know that God is trying to say something. I knew that it was a special time just for me, and straight from heaven. This sunrise only lasted a few minutes. But somehow, I knew that God was touching me and speaking to me through this.

What was He saying?

I believe He was saying that “He knows me better than I know myself.” Why? Because He knew how much I would enjoy seeing that beautiful scene even though I didn’t plan to wake up and see it on my own.

I am certain that in the future He will remind me of this when I need to trust Him in some unique or difficult situation. It will be a time when I will need to hear Him say, “Don’t forget....I know you better than you know yourself.” And He will have me recall this beautiful sunrise that happened on the 6th of January.

It was a morning of calming assurance of His love for me and how special I am to Him. It was like He nudged me and quietly said….. “Wake up...I want you to see something with me!” Wow! God wanted to start the day with me! I can trust Him who loves me like that.

Guess what! You are special to God too! I believe that He knows you better than you know yourself! Ask God to show you in a very special way, perhaps a sunrise or a sunset, how much that you can trust Him with your life.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

Pastor Kathy

X Marks the Spot

Another step forward has been taken toward our new building! The building perimeter and parking lots have been marked by little orange flags. You can see them yourselves if you pass by the property.

I know it doesn’t seem like much, but every step forward is a win! As I stood among the flags today, I felt like I was standing on the pages of a giant coloring book. All I could see is the bold lines…. the outline….. the form……all waiting for the artist to apply the color and see the page gathering its form.

Isn’t that the story of our lives also? We all carry dreams, but it seems so foggy between the dream and the reality. If only we had little orange flags to help guide us, helping us to know where to build or perhaps how to color within the lines.

The good news is that God plants the dream in our hearts, and then the Holy Spirit leads and directs us! We must have courage in the face of fear and step out with creative excitement. This will take us beyond the dream into the physical manifestation.

I’ve just read an amazing book with this idea by Erwin McManus called, “Wide Awake.” It has inspired and encouraged me once again to follow hard after the dreams that God has placed in my heart and mind.

Let us together, not only witness the dream of a building this year come alive, but also, to see your individual dreams become realities!

Pastor Deven