Hope in a Troubled World

This is the last time I saw my baby bird last weekend. He was nestled under the hedge and under his father's breast and trusting him to take care of him. In a similar way, I am trusting my Heavenly Father to take care of me. The father bird continues to stay in our yard, so I think the baby is hidden someplace safe.

At the beach on Sunday, I watched our pastors baptize some new believers. I love these beach baptisms. It's just a breezy, relaxing and refreshing way to worship God in one of the most beautiful places He created.

I especially like it with an assortment of people on the beach and body surfers all around watching the show. I think a beach baptism gives spectators pause to think about their own souls, and that's a meaningful thing for any of us.

Here's our little church, gathered on the sand and watching as Joe plays his guitar.

The question is, "Why would anyone in our modern world bother to get baptized?" Some view it as an outdated and irrelevant ritual, meaningless in our high-tech, but troubled world. With all the suffering around us, it's hard to believe in a God who cares, anyway.

But this girl's arm says it all.

God is Love.

It fills me with hope just to see it.

That simple phrase, God's declaration about His own character, lifts me from despair and allows me to bear the loss of my son, and all the other losses of this life.

(and even the sadness about the bird's nest.)

Despite what we see around us, we have a God who says He loves us. He tells us that no matter how things look, nothing can ever really separate us from His love. It's that irrepressible love, whispering quietly in my heart, that helps me patiently endure.

Romans 8:38-39

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What We've Been Doing

Our new church has been a wonderful gift to us from God. We love our young pastor, Steve, and his beautiful wife and family. He is a gifted Bible teacher and his life wisdom belies his years. We love the kind and honest people who join us on Sunday mornings to learn about God, and how to live with one another in love and grace. We love our old/new building, donated to us by another church that was in decline, but wanted to see the building live on through another congregation. We love seeing our grandchildren there learning the life-changing truths that will sustain them through the terrible storms of life that undoubtedly lie ahead. We love contributing to this noble effort in our own little ways.

With all this in mind, we spent most of our spare time during the month of December and early January getting the building ready to be occupied. My interest was in the children's wing, because I think Sunday School should be the warmest, coziest, funnest place we can possibly make it. I think children should wake up on Sunday mornings and think to themselves, "Yippee, I get to go to church today!"

So we set out to create an environment for them, and with albeit limited resources, but lots of good will, we came up with Treasure Cove. And we, along with some very wonderful and dedicated partners, painted and sawed and hammered our way through December and created a kids' zone where our precious little ones could learn where their true treasure lies.

We started with this projected drawing on the wall...

Then painted it (I love the goatee on the little sailor)...

and turned it into surf shack check-in center...

then built a boat on some waves-- for climbing, and sitting, and gathering...

and added frolicking orcas to inspire the kids to do the same...

...and a treasure chest, overflowing with treasure on the outside, and prizes on the inside, that are earned by learning their verses and bringing their friends.

So far it's working beautifully!

Store up for yourselves treasure in Heaven...Matt. 6:20

Almost Speechless

This is a picture of our new fledgling church--Essential Church. It just started back in February, and we currently meet in a school because it's expensive buying and maintaining property. In fact, we didn't think a building was anywhere in the near future, but in this picture, our gifted pastor is making a "Big Announcement" (notice the screen). He revealed ---drum roll, please--- that another church in town with a declining membership had given us their 7-acre property. Yes, you read that right. A $4 million dollar property and they gave it to us!

Included: a spacious and fully stocked 15,000 square foot building.

Jaws dropped around the room, and not surprisingly, we erupted into applause.

Here, Steve's lovely wife, Melissa, talks about a verse that she had hung on to: Jeremiah 29:11. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope".

But really, what an amazing answered prayer this place is! Melissa gives God glory for doing more than we could ever ask or imagine.

While we were listening to the announcement, a group of people were over at the new property preparing spaghetti lunch for us. When our morning service was over, we high-tailed it over to the new property to check it out. Oh my, it is indeed so much more than we could ever imagine. It is nothing but POTENTIAL! Who knows what lives will be changed in this place.

Here's the auditorium with lunch over and us out of there and the chairs all set back up in place. This incredible building also has about 10 children's classrooms, 6 adult classrooms, a recreation/game room, a fenced playground area, a full kitchen, and a piano and organ! You can see more if you go to my link for Essential Church.

What do you say to something like this, besides thanks to the generous people who gifted it and

"Thank you, God!"

I've never heard of such a thing and I'm almost speechless.

I'm just praying that this will be a haven of hope, healing and comfort for people, and that God will be pleased by how we serve Him in this amazing place.

Beach Baptism

Our church met at the beach for Labor Day. Here Pastor Steve (with his little sidekick) talks about the meaning of baptism--dying to self, and being raised to new life in Christ.

Heads bowed and eyes closed...we pray for those being baptised this morning.

What better baptismal than the Atlantic Ocean, God's cathedral?

Aidan and Clare wait for their turn.

Here Pastor Steve and Noah dunk Clare good!

Clare emerges surprised and excited. Baptism is a little act with big consequences.
Now Aidan emerges.

He's looking pretty satisfied with the whole experience.

Hugs from the Mamas who are very pleased that their children are followers of Christ and wanting to be baptised.

A very special day for all of us.

COL 2:12

... having been buried with Him in baptism

and raised with Him through your faith in the power of God,

who raised Him from the dead.

Last Sunday Morning

Joe and Jaime leading worship at our new church.

One of the greatest blessings of the past two months is finding a church here where we feel at home. They sing the songs we like and they have a very easy and casual approach to church, which we find works the best for us after our "flip-flops and board shorts" church in Maui.

We've been blessed to have had two great churches in our lives-Calvary Community in California when we were raising our children, and Hope Chapel in Maui during our fifteen years there. Now we've found Essential Church here in Virginia. The pastor, Steve, is a great Bible teacher, and the worship leader, Noah, is dedicated and gifted. We like the casual atmosphere, and though we've always attended large churches, this small community just suits us perfectly now. They are very welcoming to our family and that means a lot to us. This church simply focuses on the essentials of the Christian faith, hence the name, and we are now finding it to be essential to our week.

Hebrews 10:23-25
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;
and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,
not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

Nana's New Career

You don't get opportunities like this every day. A community night at the park, sponsored by our new church, and a table full of face-painting supplies. With my counselor's heart on hiatus for the past year, this one was calling to me. Improving people's lives --one silly face at a time. Only a fool would pass this up!

Shhh...Quiet please...Artist at Work...

Okay, so I need some practice. But isn't she just the cutest thing you've ever seen!

Some FINE-looking bunnies. See how my art is drawing families together!

You should have seen my masterpiece alligators. Unfortunately, there were no paparazzi nearby to document the splendid artistry, but I will tell you the parents were impressed. That family left the park happier than when they'd arrived!

This teenage boy wanted nothing more than a Mom tattoo on his shoulder. Isn't that the sweetest. Who needs a counseling room? There is hope for American families, and it's only a brush stroke away.

I'm available for hire. Cheap.

The Church Shop Hop

This is the backside view of Essential Church as they appeared in the Pungo Strawberry Festival Parade. Here they are walking down the street together, pushing strollers and having a grand old time. Up in front, a flat bed truck with the band playing worship music.

So here we are living in a new town, making a new life, and therefore looking for a new church. Not an easy order to fill after our wonderful years and friends at Hope Chapel on Maui.

Since we feel like church is essential, we visited Essential Church yesterday. It's a great group and we felt very much at home there. We also heard they won 1st Place in the parade! Cool! They were really good!