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We made it to the ocean. It was a joy to see all 4 kids so excited. They quickly unloaded car & jumped in swimming suits & hit the beach.  Now we are at pool despite being a little tired & a little red.

I am on family vacation July 28th-August 2nd so will not be posting regular content. However, check back for pictures of Sea World San Antonio and the oceans of North Padre Island. 

"The Greatest of These" was Ed's title. In his younger years in a dream, Ed realized he was afraid of Jesus. Through his journey, he is now not afraid any more. Who is Jesus? To understand Jesus, Ed took us on a journey through the gospel of John. The Holy Spirit is a He not an it. Surrender and submission can be fulfilling. Some of us are not good at loving or being unified. Jesus calls us to love one another! Psalm 115:1-all glory to Jesus!

Photos taken by The Christian Leader Check out www.usmb.org for quotes & reflections from Pastor's Conference. ,

Check out my notes from Thursday night's session at USMB Pastor's Conference at www.usmb.org.

Today, I am headed to Santa Clara, California for the USMB Pastor's Conference and Conection 2014.  I will be participating with other pastors July 24-25 and then will participate in the convention July 25-26. Our speaker will be Ed Stetzer. To follow what is going on, check back on this blog or at http://www.usmb.org/news/article as I will be part of the social media team for the four days. I will also be posting on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram I look forward to interacting with you or keeping you informed if you were unable to attend.

Here are selected promises of God from the book of Numbers by Kenneth Boa: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace” (6:24-26). “The Lord answered Moses, ‘Is the Lord’s arm too short?   You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you’” (11:23). "The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion" (14:17). “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God.   I am the Lord your God” (15:41). “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind.   Does he speak and then not act?   Does he promise and not fulfill?” (23:1

My baby turns 7 today.  It is hard to believe this baby who caused a little stress, worry, fear, and anxiety in me as I heard we were pregnant again would be a joy-filled, energetic, crazy, funny, Jesus loving, song singing, big smiling, story reading blessing in my life. Happy Birthday, Molly!

I will be part of the social media team at the USMB Conference in Santa Clara, California on July 24-26.  I will be sharing quotes and thoughts via Facebook, twitter, Instagram and via the USMB blog.  Please visit that site  here . Whether you are attending the conference or interested in what is going on from home, check all of the above social media for information or to interact.  I look forward to the time together in California.

I have heard this song many times before, but I was impacted last week as I watched the video on Facebook.  Be reminded of who you are and how God sees you today!

Jefferson Bethke has written an excellent book on the differences between religion and a relationship with Jesus.  I am sharing more quotes from the book today: Many Christians don't really care about God; they just want to use him to get what they truly want--status, a nice job, a car, forgiveness--you name it. . . .We have elevated the gifts above the Giver.  Thankfulness is the quickest path to joy. He owes us nothing, but he gives us everything. It is clear in Scripture that he is not the source of evil, nor did he cause it, but he promises he can use it. . . .Suffering is never from God, but he can redeem it. Again, when you are suffering, God is not punishing you. I am so sure of this because God promised that he has already laid all punishment on Jesus on our behalf. When I'm struggling, one of the most encouraging things is to just have my friends and family be there for me. Their simple presence--saying nothing, simply sitting there with me--a...

Really?  Are there promises from God in the book of Leviticus?  Here are a few: “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life” (17:11). “Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God.   Keep my decrees and follow them.   I am the Lord, who makes you holy” (20:7-8).   “You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to by my own” (20:26).   “I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.   I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high” (26:12-13).

Below are notes from my sermon today at Hesston MB based on John 10:11-21: Background- In the English language , black sheep is an idiom used to describe an odd or disreputable member of a group, especially within a family . The term stems from the genetic effect in sheep whereby a recessive gene occasionally manifests in the birth of a sheep with black rather than white coloring; these sheep stand out in the flock. The term has typically been given negative implications, implying waywardness (Wikipedia) Have you ever felt like the black sheep? John 10:10-Satan’s Purpose-Steal, Kill, Destroy, God’s Purpose-Abundant Life. I AM-previous sermon- Jesus responds with His identity as fully God, I AM-- I Am Statements in John: Bread of Life, Light, Gate, Shepherd, Resurrection & Life, Way/Truth/Life, Vine   A shepherd’s purpose is to protect, provide, guide. Throughout the Bible, God’s people are compared to sheep). [1] ...

Here is my final post on Gospel by J.D. Greear.  I recommend you picking up this book.  The following quotes are from the final chapters of the book. The more we taste the gospel, the more we love it. And the more we learn to love the things of God, the more time we'll spend doing those things, less by discipline and more by desire. We enter into a self-reproducing cycle of life. We are sowing to the Spirit, and from the Spirit reaping life everlasting. The gospel isn't about work, after all; it's about resting in God's work on your behalf. When we grasp how much God has given to us in grace, and we see how great the needs of the world are, we will want to work for God. gospel-centered people offer themselves to God, joyfully, and then do whatever He directs them to do, knowing that only what He empowers them to do will do any real good.  We simply carry out orders; He provides the resources. the only thing that brings true spiritual g...

Be encouraged by this song today.  We saw Amber Nelon at ICRS 2014 and the trio sang a powerful song a capella.  Jesus really is more wonderful than we can imagine!

Here are more thoughts from Jefferson Bethke from Jesus > Religion : The biggest difference between religious people and gospel-loving people is that religious people see certain people as the enemies, when Jesus-followers see sin as the enemy. It's only when we understand that in Jesus we are cleansed, washed, and renewed that we see our sin fall by the wayside. Avoiding sin isn't about us not getting in trouble; it is about us trusting that the Creator knows his creation best and has designed the world to work in a certain way. Keep our eyes on him, and we will make it because it depends on him, not us. When Jesus and his righteousness are ultimate, then you actually see evil as the source of evil, rather than politics, money, or gender. But the truth is, God doesn't grade on a curve; he grades on a cross. It seems Jesus didn't come to lower the standard; he actually came to raise it. He took the issue from external to internal. Jesus is quite clear...

Today, I am posting over at 1 Corinthians 13 parenting.  My post today focuses on fun and enjoying your kids during the summer break.  You can read the post here

Here is my next to last final post on Gospel by J.D. Greear.  I recommend you picking up this book.  The following quotes are from the final chapters of the book. If we lived with an awareness of His love for others, the kind of power in prayer we could tap into would blow our minds. God's help flows out reflexively to those who presume upon His grace and power. Jesus has not changed. He is still willing and able to feed the multitudes. What He wants us to do is lay hold of His willingness, in prayer, and release His power into a world in desperate need. The cross is the measure of His compassion, and the resurrection the measure of His power. When we can't understand what God is doing in our circumstances, we can hold on to what we see revealed about Him in the cross. We can still know that God is good. But the Bible also teaches us that He has placed His power at our disposal, to be released by faith. But how God feels about us, and how H...

I am continuing to share the promises of God from each book of the Bible compiled by Kenneth Boa.  Here are a few more from Exodus:   The Lord is our Banner (17:15). “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (33:14). The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, is slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin (34:6-7).

Yesterday we celebrated our freedom in the United States.  Today, I wanted to share a great verse about the freedom we enjoy in Christ.  The image is from Logos Bible Software.

Wishing you a great Independence Day from my sparklers to yours!

Here's a reminder from For King and Country from Hebrews 12:2: