Saturday, February 23, 2013

Today.

Slept in a little, but still up and rolling around 7. Moving. Leaving this great house that we love, but trusting there's even greater things ahead. We brought Mary Grace home to this house, led our first community group together in this house, shared Christ with people in this house, had our first "let's love our neighbors by serving/feedig them" cookout at this house, we did a lot of updates in this house, we cried tears, laughed laughs, um... let's see... oh - wiped baby  butts, and basically, just, loved it here. Thank you God for this house. Our house on Grace St. I'll never forget it. How fitting.

I read some Oswald this morning ... he emphasized that service is not about pleasing people ultimately ... not mostly for their good. It must be generated by our love for God. I think I've been a little off base there. God designed me to really really love and care about people... but I get discouraged easily. I think I need to stay focused on God and His glory (while maintaining compassion for people) and serving and speaking truth for HIS glory.

We've really got a lot going on right now. Trying to pack up the whole house today (while taking a few breaks here and there to finish sermon prep for tomorrow!), got worship gathering, leadership lunch, and then 4 football games Sunday, get the truck and load everything up Monday, CG Monday night, close on Lincoln Tuesday morning, begin cleaning/painting, speak at RVA United Tuesday night, move everything in Wednesday, and then ... wait for it... go snow skiing Thursday. (not to mention I'm supposed to be writing an article for Steve Wright about church planting)

So here's this from 2 Cor. 4 (Msg) ...

So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace.