The Blog May Be Moving

Just wanted to let everyone know that I'm currently exploring the possibility of moving the blog to a different blogging service. The new service may actually allow me upload podcasts of our church services. I'm still researching and experimenting with the possibility at this point but if it works then the change will definitely be worth it so we can get the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ out to as many folks as possible.

Exciting Church News

This past Sunday morning God saved another precious soul at our church!!! It was a young lady who had been coming with one of the families in our church for some time. Blythe had been under conviction for some time it seemed and finally Sunday morning she surrendered and gave her heart to Jesus Christ and accepted Him as Lord and Savior.

Please continue to pray for the other at our church that have not yet accepted the Lord Jesus Christ.

I'm very ashamed that it's taken me this long to post this but it's been a very busy week, as usual.

All glory, honor, and praise to the Lamb of God!!!!

Verse Of The Week

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” — Romans 8:28

We found out yesterday at our regular baby dr. appointment that Teresa failed her sugar test. That means she’s got gestational diabetes. So, tomorrow we’ll be going to see the high risk doctor’s nurse practitioner / nutritionist. She will most likely be required to check her blood sugar 4 times per day and will probably be on a pretty restricted diet. While this is definitely not great news, things could still be MUCH worse. At least this is an issue that is very manageable and if handled appropriately shouldn't result in any long term effects and it shouldn't be too detrimental to the baby. As I was thinking about this new development, I couldn't help but rejoice that this is just a part of the wonderful and perfect plan of God for our family. What an wonderful comfort it is to know that in every situation God is at work in our live. We still desire and appreciate your prayers, but together we thank God and praise Him for His power and His plan!!

Have You Ever Been Considered? - Men's Meeting Update

Last night we had our regular monthly men's meeting at the church and, as always, what a blessing it was. For those who don't know, on the last Thursday of every month the men of our church and any other men who would like to join us gather at the church and have a worship service. The service always begins with a time of praying together at the altar. Then we have preaching or teaching.

Last night, brother Keith Copeland from Pine Ridge Baptist Church taught on the thought of "Have You Ever Been Considered?". Through the lesson God sent a wonderful reminder that sometimes the family of God goes through trials simply because we are being considered. Not all bad things happen because of chastening but sometimes things happen just so God can be glorified and seen in our lives in a greater way and that we may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Every Christian who's ever been through a trial should definitely hear this lesson sent from the Lord. Thanks to the Lord enabling us to record our services we were able to record the lesson. What a blessing from the Lord!!

"And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?" -- Job 1:8

Verse Of The Week - One Of My Faves

"And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?" -- Nehemiah 6:3

As anyone who knows me very well at all already knows, Nehemiah is one of my absolute favorite books of the Bible. In this portion of Scripture, Nehemiah and the people of God have begun the work of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem when the enemy comes and tries to hinder the work. Rather than yielding to the enemy and allowing the work to stop, Nehemiah determined to press on and not stop for anything because he realized how important that the work really was. Any time we labor in the service of the Lord the enemy will try to halt our progress. Let me encourage the family of faith to press along just as Nehemiah did. The work is far too important and far too great for us to allow anything to prevent us from finishing the course the Lord has set for us. In the words of the old hymn, "press along, weary pilgrim, press on."

Exciting Church News

I am so excited to announce that as of last Wednesday night we are now recording our worship services. The Lord wonderfully blessed our church with a great opportunity and the means to purchase all we need to begin this wonderful outreach. Now we can share the Gospel with those who are shut in or unable to attend regular service or folks that have a church home but would like to have a copy of our services as well. We thank God for this amazing opportunity to share His Word with more folks. If anyone would like a copy of any service, please feel free to contact me and we will be more than happy to fulfill that request. Please pray God would use this to reach more people with the Gospel of His Son. All glory and honor are His!!!

Verse Of The Week

"Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?" -- Jeremiah 23:29

Nothing or no one can speak with as much authority about the Word of God then the Word of God itself. Here the Lord reminds Jeremiah of the power of His Word. Thank God that His Word is, as Jeremiah said in another place, like a fire shut up in the bones of the believer. There is also reason to rejoice that His Word is like a hammer and is able to break and penetrate even the stoniest of hearts. I encourage you to take a moment and thank God for the amazing power of His Word.

Back To Blogging

After a little over a month's rest from blogging, I decided it's time to get back on track. So, here we are back in the blogosphere. Here's a quick update of what's been happening in our neck of the woods.

- Addison gets more beautiful and fun every day.

- Ava is still healthy and growing and inching ever closer to her grand debut into the world.

- Our wonderful Lord is still blessing at the church and things are going wonderful.

More updates and blog to come, hopefully, in the near future.

Verse Of The Week

"Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord." -- Proverbs 18:22

Today is mine and Teresa's 8th wedding anniversary and all day long I've meditated on this verse. Without a doubt, one of the greatest blessings in my life is the woman God chose for me to have as a help meet. She is such a great support. Even though things aren't always easy, and only a pastor's wife could truly identify, she always handles it with such grace. Not only is she my best friend, my high school sweetheart, and the mother of my children; she's also the love of my life. My prayer is that each day God would help me to be the blessing and help to her that she has been to me. To the husbands who may read this, let me encourage you to remember what a blessing your wife is. To my beautiful bride, let me say that I love you with all of my heart and when the Lord allowed me to "find" you, I found a good thing.

My beautiful bride of 8 years.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!

Verse Of The Week

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." -- Proverbs 22:6

As we get ready to begin Bible School at our church tonight, this verse is on my heart. We must realize that children will never know or find the right way on their on. It is our duty as parents to train them in that way. Many may wonder what the "right way" really is. I am thoroughly convinced that the ONLY right way is God's way and the only way to know God's way is through His Word. We, as mothers and fathers, must take the initiative in properly training and teaching our children according to the Word of God.

Without a doubt, this requires a great deal of effort and dedication on our parts but the rewards are well worth the investment. Proverbs tell us in this verse that if we will train our children in the right way then they will NOT depart from it. The Word of God is inescapable. Even if they don't always abide by the teachings of God's Word, if we as parents do our part they will always know what the right way is. Let me encourage everyone to be faithful in training up our children in the right way. They will surely need that training as they grow.

Catching Up

After just over two weeks of not updating the blog, I felt like it was definitely time to do so. The last couple of weeks have been very full and very tiring and, to be perfectly honest, I've just not had the time or energy to post anything new. Hopefully I can get back on track now and keep the blog updated more faithfully.


37 days until we find out if the new baby is a boy or girl!

Friday Five

Psalm 119 is a psalm which is all about the Word of God. It tells us what the Word of God says of Itself. For some reason, it's been on my heart since I've been at the computer. So for today's Friday Five I'm going to list five of my favorite verses from Psalm 119. If you want to know the importance and the value of God's Word, Psalm 119 is a great place to study. I hope this is a blessing to you!

Five Of My Favorite Verses From Psalm 119

- "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." -- Psalm 119:11

- "Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage." -- Psalm 119:54

- "For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven." -- Psalm 119:89

- "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" -- Psalm 119:103

- "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." -- Psalm 119:105

Verse Of The Week

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us," -- Hebrews 12:1

Let me begin by saying simply this, thank God for a great cloud of witnesses!! The writer of Hebrews recognized three things that are a great help to all who hope to run the race with patience. The writer recognized that we all must deal with burdens, not the least of which is our own sins. The writer also recognized that the burdens and sins of our lives are sure to be hinderances to us as we strive to run the race for the glory of Christ. But the writer also reminds us that we are not alone in our ambition but rather that we are surrounded by brothers and sisters in Christ who share in similar struggles and are witnesses to the glory and power of the living Lamb of God. Without a doubt the Word of God is filled with men and women whose lives are witnesses to the fact that the power of God is sufficient to give victory no matter what we may face. Likewise, we are blessed with an assortment of witnesses in the life of every believer who have confessions of like faith as those found in God's Word. Witnesses who glory not in themselves but rather in what the Lord Jesus Christ has done, is doing, and will do in their lives and in the lives of all who trust Him as Savior and Lord. My prayer is that the Lord will help me to be a witness to someone else of the victory that can only be found in Jesus that someone else may find the help they need to run this race with patience.

I knew It Would Happen Sooner Or Later

When I started this blog, with every intention to update it multiple times during any week, I knew that eventually things would get too hectic and I would fail to follow through. That happened last week. Things were so busy and I had so much other stuff on my mind I neglected to even post a Friday Five for last week. The blog was not neglected without good reason though. Here's an update of the last few days of our lives.

Last Thursday - We had our monthly men's meeting at our church. Brother Dustin Copeland came and preached a wonderful message. The men's meetings have been such a tremendous blessing and help to the men of our church...and probably most of all to myself as their pastor.

Friday - We had the rehearsal dinner for Dean and Kellie's wedding. The rehearsal went very well and everyone involved seemed ready for the big day. During the rehearsal dinner, Addison got her first uninitiated kiss. One of the groomsman's little boy, who I believe is about 3, walked up to Addy G and planted one on her right on the lips. She just kind of stood there stunned for a minute looking at him like he'd lost his mind. It was great!

Saturday - I had the great privilege of officiating the wedding for Dean and Kellie and then it was off to the reception. The wedding was beautiful. Then it was off to the reception. It was a blast...and Addison danced herself silly. I even got to share a dance with my beautiful bride who still takes my breath away even today. I love you baby!

Sunday (yesterday) - We had two FANTASTIC church services! The Lord really blessed. Words really can't express how thankful I am for our church family. What a blessing to be a part of such an amazing body of believers!

Looking back over the last few days it's no wonder the blog was put on the back burner.

It's also been a while since I posted any pics of Addison, who turned 18 months old last Wednesday. Here's a couple of more recent pics.

Enjoying her first sucker


Being silly

Verse Of The Week

"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,"
"I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." -- Philippians 3:14-14

If anyone had a past that could be dwelt upon, surely it was the apostle Paul. After rehearsing a summary of his past in the opening verses of Philippians chapter 3, Paul encourages the church at Philippi to remember that we need never get bogged down in our past, whether it be what men consider good or bad. Instead it is our duty to forget what is behind and earnestly strive after the prize of every child of God, the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. May we always remember that it's never about us but that it's ALWAYS all about Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. May we also always apply our greatest efforts to pursuing His high calling. It is, by far, most important in our lives.

Friday Five

Five Reasons This List Is Being Posted So Late

- Lack of inspiration

- Wanted time with Addy G when I first got home

- Had to mow the yard

- Had trouble with mower which made mowing take longer

- Wanted more time with Addy G when I got finished mowing

Verse Of The Week

"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." -- Psalm 46:10

At times, life can be very chaotic. We live in a rushed society. In our fast paced world it's vitally important that we take time to just simply be still and establish in our hearts that He is God. Our families are important...but they are not God. Our jobs are important...but they are not God. Our church is important...but it is not God. After pausing and remembering the One who is God, it should quickly become our desire to exalt Him, and Him alone, in our lives. He alone is worthy of exaltation. He is God!!

Friday Five

Five Moments / Events I'll Never Forget

- When I got saved by God's amazing grace
Of all the events I've experienced, NOTHING has had a greater impact than Christ saving me from hell. Not only did it change my life forever, but it also changed my eternal destination. Praise God for His salvation!!

- Seeing Addison Grace born
One of the most amazing things I've ever experienced, I learned things I never knew about love when I witnessed the birth of Addy G. In that moment, I learned the amazing love that only a parent can feel for their child. I also realized that even though I loved Teresa with all my heart before Addison; I love her even more after seeing Addison born.

- Marrying my wonderful wife
I had the great privilege to marry my high school sweetheart. She's not only the love of my life but my best friend in this world. I honestly couldn't ask for a better help meet. Her support and love never cease to amaze me. I love you babe!!

- Finding out Teresa was pregnant with Addison
After countless disappointments, which are detailed on Teresa's blog in her first blog entry, I'll never forget the elation I felt at learning that Teresa was pregnant. Only God could have given us such a miracle.

- Finding out Teresa is pregnant with Baby # 2
Not planned and more than a little unexpected, I'll never forget the Wednesday morning we found out we'd have a new addition and Addison would be a big sister. This was yet another blessing that could have only come from our amazing Lord. Yet more proof of just how blessed we really are.

Verse Of The Week

"The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." -- Proverbs 15:3

Anyone from our church who may read this probably won't be surprised that this is this week's Verse Of The Week. The Lord allowed me to mention it during the message during yesterday morning's service and I've not been able to quit meditating on it since. I find this verse to be both a great challenge and a great encouragement.

It's a challenge because it reminds me that absolutely no sin escapes the notice of our Holy God. So often we fail to consider before yielding to temptation that God is watching us. In other instances we sometime believe that after yielding to temptation we have hidden it from God. What an exhortation this should be to all to remember that our trespasses are witnessed by the Lord!

There is also encouragement to be found in this verse. For as much as it makes us aware that we cannot hide our sins, it should also make us aware that there is no situation that we can face that God is not standing vigil over us. Whether we be on the tops of the mountains of life or if we be in the valleys of dark days, our loving Lord is watching over us. I'm so glad that God is never ignorant about where I am in life and that nothing evades His attention.

May the Lord help us always to live as though He is watching...because it is certain that He is.

Friday Five

Last week's Friday Five was made up of five of my favorite verses. This week's Friday Five is made up of five of my favorite books of the Bible. All of the Word of God is absolutely perfect and absolutely wonderful but these are five of the books that are special to me. Feel free to share your favorite books with me in the comments.

Five Of My Favorite Books Of The Bible...And Why

- Nehemiah: Nehemiah is a great source of encouragement and a charge to persevere in the work of God. It's a great portrait of the determination necessary to do the work of wonderful Lord.

- II Timothy: The apostle Paul's final epistle, written just shortly before his death, is another source of great encouragement. As Paul writes to the young preacher, Timothy, he declares without reservation the troubles of the world and the importance and blessings of faithfulness to the Gospel.

- Psalms: No matter what situation we face in life, the psalmist faced it as well. The psalms range from songs of great joy to songs of deep despair. Yet through it all we see the power and glory of God.

- Ruth: Called by some "the romance of redemption", the account of Ruth is the greatest love story ever told because it shows not just the pure love of a man for a woman but because it demonstrates the purest love and devotion of the Lord Jesus Christ for His beloved bride. If anyone wants a picture of how Christ loves us, then Ruth is a great place to look.

- Hebrews: One of my favorites because it addresses so many vitally important doctrinal issues. From the eternal security of the believer to the eternal priesthood of Jesus Christ, Hebrews reminds us that we are truly blessed to live in the grace of God.

Belated Church News

I wanted to take just a moment and thank God for such a blessed day this past Sunday. This past Sunday morning three more individuals joined the church. Two, Caleb Walker and Karl Carpenter, joined as candidates for baptism and one, Joyce Tadlock, joined on the promise of a letter from a sister church. It was a truly wonderful service and I thank God and give ALL honor and glory to Him. This means that we now have five people to baptize in the coming weeks. Thank God!! He has blessed our church so much and continues to amaze us. Please continue to pray that God's will might be done in all we do. Above all else, pray for those who are yet lost. We are looking forward to seeing what else God has in store!

I feel awful that it's taken me almost a week to post this but it's been another VERY busy week.

"But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God." -- Acts 5:39

Baby's First Ultrasound

This afternoon Teresa, Addison, and myself loaded up and took a trip to the baby doctor for the new baby's first pictures. Teresa and I were both very happy with the doctor who had a great personality and was very thorough. The best part, of course, was getting to see the new addition. Addison really didn't know what to think at first. She sat on my lap and was a little uneasy as the ultrasound tech started the ultrasound. As soon as the baby showed up on the monitor I pointed he or she out to Addison. At the point, she was fine. She just looked at the monitor with a look that can only be described as a cross between confusion and wonder. We are so blessed that both mommy and baby are doing so well. The doctor also said that Teresa's due date is exactly what we thought it to be, December 12th. Thanks to everyone who has been praying and please continue to do so! Here's a pic of the newbie.

The newest member of the Rogers family

Check at Teresa's blog for a couple of different pics.

"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." -- Jeremiah 1:5

Verse Of The Week

"But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;"
"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." -- Hebrews 9:11-12

Last week at our church's monthly men's meeting we studied about the heart of God. Brother Dustin Copeland, a young preacher from a sister church, commented about the amazing reality that the blood that was shed upon the cross of Calvary as Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, suffered and died was blood that had passed through the very heart of God. How exciting it is to consider that we have not been redeemed with a temporary redemption which needs to be redone annually, as in the days of the law! But rather the blood of the precious Lamb of God without spot or blemish takes away all our sins FOREVER if only we will trust Him as Savior and Lord. If you've never trusted Christ to cleanse and forgive your sins, accept Him before it is eternally too late. His is the only blood acceptable for the permanent forgiveness of sins. If Christ is your Savior, rejoice that His blood always has been and always will be enough. Worthy is the Lamb!!

Friday Five

Five Of My Favorite Verses [In Random Order]

- "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:" -- Romans 5:20

- "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor His seed begging bread." -- Psalm 37:25

- "And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?" -- Nehemiah 6:3

- "Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein." -- Jeremiah 6:16

- "And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof." -- Revelation 5:5

I've got so many favorites it was VERY tough to pick five so I'm sure I'll be using this topic again for another Friday Five. Feel free to post you favorite verse(s) in the comments.

Warning: Major Geek Moment Below

Last week's Friday Five centered around the summer movies that I'm most looking forward to seeing. If you saw that list then you know I'm most excited about Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, which releases on June 24th. I discovered this morning that the new trailer has just been released. It looks fantastic. I couldn't resist including it in the blog.





If I only see one movie in theaters this summer, I hope this is it.

Verse Of The Week

"Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." -- Ephesians 6:13

In days such as these when the majority of folks are encouraged and even pressured to compromise, especially on matters concerning the truth of the Word of God, it's absolutely crucial that the redeemed of God remember the great duty we have to stand. Admittedly, it's not always easy to take a stand for the truth but it's always needful. Thanks be unto God for equipping His people to take their stand! We are reminded that God has outfitted His people with His "whole armour" that we may be able to "withstand in the evil day". Let's not shun the armour of God but let us rather be sure we are equipped and do our part to stand firm. He's given us His armour for this express purpose! Praise His holy name!!

Friday Five

Since today is such a warm and beautiful day in East Tennessee, with more great weather to come this weekend, I thought it be good to use today's Friday Five to look towards one of my favorite parts of summer...the summer movie releases. Admittedly, it's very doubtful that I'll see all of these in the theaters due to exorbitant ticket prices. I still plan on seeing all of these movies as soon as I can. So here's this week's Friday Five!

Five Summer Movies I'm Looking Forward To Seeing

- Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen [Release Date: June 24th]


- X-Men Origins: Wolverine [Release Date: May 1st]


- G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra [Release Date: August 7th]


- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince [Release Date: July 17th]


- Star Trek [Release Date: May 8th]

Milk: Good For The Body But Not A Ford Ranger

Today got off to a less than perfect start. I got up on time and got ready to head off to work. I even had time to pack some cereal so I could eat it for breakfast once I got to the office. I put the milk for the cereal in a pretty big travel cup because I like a lot of milk with my cereal. Everything was going pretty well until I got to the office. As I was getting out of my truck to go inside, I somehow managed to hit my steering wheel with my fully loaded travel cup of milk. Now this wouldn't have been a big deal if I could have found the lid for that particular travel cup before I left home this morning. I, however, didn't find the lid before I left. That means that about half of the milk in my fully loaded and uncovered travel cup poured out onto my driver's seat. I spent the next 10 to 15 minutes trying my absolute best to clean the milk out of the seat. Needless to say, this was not how I wanted to start my day. On the bright side, if this is the worst thing that happens today then it will still have been a good and blessed day.

If anyone knows of a good vehicle upholstery cleaner, please let me know. I'm definitely going to need one.

Verse Of The Week

"The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof." -- Psalm 97:1

What a wonderful reason to rejoice! In an ever changing world it's important to remember this truth that our God is sovereign. He, and He alone, has absolute power and absolute authority. Even in times when life seems to be totally out of control, the Lord still reigns. And not only does He reign today, but He always has been King and always will be. He does not need man's coronation or approval to make Him the King. He reigns regardless!! If the Lord Jesus Christ is not your King today it's my prayer that you will surrender your life to Him and allow Him to be your King. For the believer I pray God will remind each and every one of us that regardless of what may come in our lives our King still reigns. In that truth we are able to rejoice and be glad.

Weekend Wrap-Up

I thought I'd do a quick recap of what our weekend has been like. There's a good chance that this will become another regular blog feature. So here's our weekend in a nutshell.

Friday night Teresa went to a wedding shower at the church. Addison and I hung out with Alvis and Carson at Stephanie and Alvis's house. We always have such a great time with the Richardson's.

Addison chiling out with her buddy Carson

Yesterday, we just had a family day at home. Teresa and I took Addison for a ride around the neighborhood in her wagon again. She really loves being outside! After lunch, we all took a pretty good nap before heading back outside for a while before coming back in.

This morning we got up and got ready for church as usual. When we went out to leave we made a surprising discovery. We had left the front drive and passenger windows down on the car. No big deal if it was pretty but not fun since it was raining, and had been for about two hours before our big discovery. We were blessed with two wonderful services at church. There's no way I can tell how much I appreciate our church family or what they mean to me.

Addison enjoying the desk that Bobby and Angela Metcalf gave her.
She LOVES it!

All in all, another truly wonderful work week. Now to look ahead to a new week.

Friday Five

Five Of My Favorite Pics On My Cell Phone

Shades baby!!

A great expression

Looking like a big girl

I love how she's standing

My girls

It probably comes as no surprise that every single one of these pics include Addison.

Addison Tours The Neighborhood

Addison in her wagon

Tonight Addison decided she wanted to ride in her wagon. She's not expressed much interest in her wagon since we moved so I couldn't resist honoring that request. In fact, I think she's only been in it once since the move and it was for just a short trip down the street. So, off we went on a nice little tour of the area around where we live. She loves being outside so she enjoyed very much. We went down our street and then up the street to Riverview before returning home. It was a nice chance to for Mommy to have some time to herself and for me and Addison to have some time for just the two of us. Thankfully, the wagon has two seats so that in the future Addison and I can take the new baby along as well.

"And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived:" -- Genesis 45:27

I just couldn't resist including this verse since it mentions wagons.

Verse Of The Week

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." -- I Thessalonians 5:18

As Paul, through the unction of the Holy Spirit, writes the closing verses of his first epistle to the church at Thessalonica, he gives this word of encouragement. It's important to note that there are no qualifying statements included in this verse. It doesn't say, "In every good thing give thanks" nor does it say "In every thing that goes as you think it should give thanks" but rather "In every thing give thanks:...". I thank God for the reminder that regardless of circumstances and situations, we can and should always give thanks unto the Lord. If for nothing else, the redeemed can give thanks that our names have been written in the Lamb's book of Life! I encourage everyone to strive to always and in every thing, good and bad alike, give thanks unto Him who is worthy!

New Addition...Coming Soon

As I'm sure most everyone has heard by now, Teresa and I are expecting a new addition to the family on about December 14th. Addison is going to be a big sister!! We were very surprised by the news as it was TOTALLY unexpected. We are excited beyond words that the Lord has allowed us to have this added blessing. It's amazing to think that just three short years ago we were told that we would need "medical assistance" if we wanted to have any children of our own. What a testimony to the power of the Great Physician and the amazing power of prayer! Please pray for a healthy pregnancy, Mommy, and baby. Also, please help us pray that we will always be the parents that God would have us to be and to rear our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord.

"For with God nothing shall be impossible." -- Luke 1:37

Friday Five

The "Friday Five" will hopefully be a regular weekly feature of my blog which will consist of a list of five things about a central topic. I'd love to get feedback from as many folks as possible on each week's list. Here's this week's list:

Five Christian Books I Highly Recommend

- He Shall Be Called by Robert J. Morgan

- The Applause of Heaven by Max Lucado

- A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller

- Six Hours One Friday by Max Lucado

- In the Grip of Grace by Max Lucado

Sick Day

When I left work yesterday afternoon I took a trip by the doctor's office. On Monday night I had kind of felt like I might be coming down with something but wasn't sure. When I got up yesterday morning my throat was really bothering me. It just flat out hurt. Being no stranger to strep throat, because I had it constantly as a kid, I had feeling I knew what was coming on. So I checked my own throat with a flashlight and, sure enough, there were a couple of blisters there. At that point I decided I would definitely see the doc on my way home. I didn't want to take a chance on Addison getting sick.

The doctor determined it wasn't actually strep throat but a bacterial infection like strep throat. He told me I was contagious and that I couldn't work today or go to church tonight. Not working was one thing but not going to church is EXTREMELY difficult for me to handle. However, I didn't want to take a chance on spreading it to anyone in the church so I followed the doctor's orders and stayed in all day and tonight. Thankfully I was able to get a young preacher in the church to fill in for me tonight. I've heard the the Lord really used him and that service was really good. I sure did miss getting to go though. I honestly don't know how people make it without be faithful to the house of God. I'm just thankful that Sunday is just a few days away!

We're still hoping that Addy G won't get what I've had. Please help us pray that she won't. She's had a rough enough time with seasonal allergies. We also got some other news today which I'll likely elaborate on in the future but until then I would appreciate if everyone would please just help us to pray. I'm glad to know that God is always in control.


"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." -- Jeremiah 29:11

East Tennessee Weather

After thoroughly enjoying two days of 70-ish degree temperatures on this past Saturday and Sunday, we in the Tennessee valley woke up to snow flurries and a light dusting on the ground this morning. Only in Tennessee can such a radical difference take place in such a short period of time. I don't think I can ever remember an April snow before though. If anyone else can then by all means feel free to refresh my memory. The good news is that warm weather is on the way and it should be beautiful again by this weekend...just in time for our Easter egg hunt at church on Saturday. Everyone is invited to come and join us at 11:00 on Saturday morning!

This pic wasn't taken this morning but I couldn't resist including a pic
of Addison in the snow.

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:" -- Ecclesiastes 3:1

Verse Of The Week

"For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgements." -- Ezra 7:10

Ezra, the scribe, had a heart that should be the desire of every child of God. His heart was a prepared heart. He was prepared first to seek out and determine what God's Word said. Next, he was prepared to put what the Lord showed him into practice in his life by being a doer and not just a hearer. Finally, he was prepared to share the Word of God with other that they too might benefit and that God may be glorified in their lives. May the Lord help each and every one of us, as His dear children, have prepared hearts!

Psalm 127:3

If the title verse is unfamiliar to you then I promise it will make sense, and be quoted, at the end of the post. Read on!

Teresa and I were just watching a video of Addison from 1 year ago when the title Scripture came to my heart. A year ago our little toddler wasn't even 6 months old yet. As we watched the video, a thousand thoughts and memories flooded my mind. Once again I was reminded, as I am thousands of times a day, of what a blessing it is to be entrusted with the joy that is Addison Grace. Having her in our lives is without a doubt one of God's greatest blessings. She never ceases to amaze and amuse me.

I'm also reminded of the great responsibility that comes with having such a blessing. It is our responsibility to teach and to train her up in the way that is pleasing unto the God that gave her. It's my sincere prayer that the Lord will help us to always raise her, not according to our on thoughts or ideas, but according to the precepts of the Word of God. She was, after all, His to begin with and still is His today.

Addison and me the night she was born

Addison and me about a month ago

"Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is His reward." -- Psalm 127:3


I've also got to give major applause to my beautiful wife for being such a wonderful mommy. She does such an unbelievable job. It's not easy to wear all of the hats that she wears but she does so with great skill. I love you babe!

Verse Of The Week

In the future, I hope to do the verse of the week on Monday of every week. However, since I didn't start the blog until AFTER Monday of this week, I decided to go ahead and do a verse of the week for this week today.

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;" -- II Corinthians 4:17

What great encouragement can be found in the words of the apostle Paul, a man who had suffered far greater trials and afflictions than most of us today, to the early church at Corinth. It's a tremendous comfort to know that the troubles of the day are only "light affliction" and that God is using, and will continue to use, each one to reveal Himself in our lives.

Piney Grove Baptist Church

Here's a picture of the front of our church. Our service times are listed below. I am so blessed to get to be the pastor of such an amazing body of believers. The Lord has really really blessed and we look forward to seeing what else He has in store.

Service Times:

Sunday School - 10:00 a.m.
Sunday Morning Worship - 11:00 a.m.
Sunday Evening Prayer Room - 5:45 p.m.
Sunday Evening Worship - 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday Evening Worship - 7:00 p.m.

Monthy Singing - 1st Saturday Night of Each Month at 7:00 p.m.
Monthly Men's and Women's Meetings - Last Thursday Night of Each Month at 7:00 p.m.

Everyone is invited to any and all services and meetings. We hope to see you there!

To Get Things Started

As more and more folks catch the blogging bug, my amazing and beautiful wife included, I thought it would be fun to start a blog of my own. Then I hit the first major roadblock. What in the world could I blog about? I wanted to contribute something that is unique to my life and the life of my family. But what? Teresa is already recounting what it's like to live with Addy G. Then I realized that I have a point of view that not many people have. God has blessed me with the point of view of a pastor.

Most people think that pastors, preachers, and their families are anything but normal people. It's often thought that we are some kind of "super Christians" but let me assure you, although I would love with everything in me to say that's the truth, it simply isn't. We really are just regular, everyday people. Admittedly we are regular people with an amazing and wonderful call upon our lives, but we're still just regular people.

So, I thought it might be neat to let everyone else know to the best of my ability what it's like to live in our lives and, more specifically, in my life as a pastor. I promise it's something you can't imagine unless you've been there. It's not always easy and it's not always fun but I can honestly say I wouldn't trade it for anything. It truly is a gift from God. All glory and honor belong to Him and to Him alone!!

The coming posts will range from life experiences and reflections to humor and maybe even some Bible study. I look forward to seeing how the Lord might use this to bring glory to His holy name. That is, after all, what it's all about. Feel free to leave comments, questions, or any other feedback. I hope others enjoy reading this as much as I think I'll enjoy doing it.