I know – I have not posted in a while and some of you think I should post something every day!  I promise I am going to try and do better!  I have been working really hard for the past several weeks on getting Northwood’s new web site planned and organized and I am happy to report that we are now full swing in the process of building the site – it is going to be a super tool for reaching out to our community and world!

We left a little early for our trip, so Joy and I could visit with the Stewarts!  Erin is doing great – she was and is even more now one of God’s miracles!  Philip and Kay are great and I am so proud of the way that they are dealing with all of the challenges.  Joy and I got the chance to take them out for dinner and we spent a couple of hours just praising God and enjoying sweet fellowship!  I also want to say here – how proud I am of our Northwood Family for all of the love, support and prayers that they have shared with and for the Stewart family.

I have has some very special times with the Lord over the past several days!  I have had the opportunity to spend a little over an hour every day in prayer and then another hour or so, just listening through His Word!  It has been hard to not work on sermons or strategy, but I have pushed myself to stay focused on nothing but God and my relationship with Him!

The first big thing that God has made clear for me is:  It is not our job to grow the church, it is our job to grow ourselves and each other!  I have spent to much energy on trying to grow the church.  In the days ahead I hope to invest my life in growing myself and others!  I hope that you will join me, because I know that God has great things in store!

By the way – I survived my first Sunday not preaching!  I enjoyed the church that we visited and appreciated the message.  I did miss Northwood big time!  Gracie actually missed Northwood more than anyone – she spent the first twenty minutes of worship with one of the saddest faces I have ever seen!  Her thought:  “Any church that is not our church is just different!”  She’s got a very good point!

Pray for me and my family – that God will bless us with some sweet family time together!  That I will hear from God and acquire His wisdom and knowledge, and that someones life might be changed because of meeting me and my family!  I Love You!  God Bless & Press On!