"Thanks for your time"

I was blessed to sell a home this past week and the buyers are such sweet people. We had a great time finding that perfect home for them and spending hours together. Yesterday, a package arrived at my office and the receptionist called saying that if I didn't come get it, it wouldn't last long. It was a bouquet of cookies that were decorated like clocks and one of them said, "Thanks for your time!" It was so neat.... and delicious. I thought I would show you a picture. Too bad you are not here to get a sample!

You can see more about the bouquets at cookiesbydesign.com

Leads - that's our life

Well, I have come to realize that my family's whole life is about "leads" The art of generating interest in what we have to offer. Our church is constantly reaching out to people, trying to catch their interest in "New Life" and letting them know that God has just what they need. We have been so blessed to come across people miraculously - it was a God thing. Yes, there are days that it seems nothing is happening, but I lean on God's calling. I refuse to fear and be discouraged. This is His church and He is the ultimate "Lead Generator!"

Our real estate business is also about generating interest by getting our name out there and catching people when they are needing help with their properties. I have had so much interest lately that it has been amazing. I told Karla the other night, it has to be a God thing, too! I have friends in the business who have gone months without finding someone who is interested. I had another Open House this past weekend and picked up some leads. I have two lease customers I am working with that I came across on phone duty and had a call last night to get a CMA (comparative market analysis) together and possibly list their home. I have been quietly believing in His provision. Like I said, He is the ultimate "lead generator."

I went on property tour today with a fellow REALTOR® who wants to come visit our church! You know how the subject of church came up? We were all talking about what we had going in our business and this lady said, "Wow, you have the best of luck!" I took the opportunity to say, "No, it is not luck. I believe God is blessing me! My family is starting a work for God and He honors our giving." So, when we got out of the car at the next house, she came over and asked where our church was and what kind it was. She asked, "You're not one of those stuffy kind of churches are you?" LOL! Absolutely not! When we got back to the office, she went looking in the office for Karla because she wanted to meet the "Pastor's wife!" She left with a card and a HUGE welcome to come. The great "Lead Generator" is at work on all fronts.

These are just a few examples of His work. Isn't He just the best?

Pickin' and Singin'

Our boys were privileged to play for the youth who were singing Sunday night at our mother church. Cameron played the bass and Chad played the bongos! They had a great time and the Lord moved and blessed through it.

It is great for them to have the opportunity to not only play for our startup church, but also be able to feel a part of something much bigger. We're proud of you guys! Keep up the great work.

Quick Update

I have been asked if we are okay, since there has been no post in 10 days. We are fine, I have just been very busy showing houses, phone duty and searching the multiple listing service.  I put in an offer tonight on a home for a family, have two lease customers tomorrow to show homes and an open house Sunday.  Karla has been working extra hours because of the end of the year and such. This along with Sunday service, Discipleship class this Sunday evening and the addition of a new suite in our current location for the church leaves no time for the extras.

We are excited about our new suite that we will be calling our Youth Center.  It will house three Sunday School rooms, a bathroom, a storage room and a large youth room.  It is three doors down from our current location.  This will allow us to run our bus ministry and also have Saturday night youth "hang out" time.  The youth room will have Xbox, ping-pong, basketball and a serving area.  It has a huge garage door to open when the weather is good!  This doubles our square footage, giving us 3280 sq ft.

I will post more...I promise.   Keep praying.

Beyond the Open Door

Our theme for 2008 is one that calls for us to step through the door of opportunity that the Lord has opened before us. As you can see in the graphic above, there is a harvest waiting beyond that door! God is moving in our midst. I have a Bible Study this Friday with our VBS mom and am working on another one with a sweet family that have been attending for a couple months now.

I am believing God for new families that are in need of a new life. We are working on outreach opportunities to come in contact with those who are hungry for change and are planning a Spring Block Party to start off with. We did have 10 filled with the Holy Ghost this past weekend in the our prison service! They are definitely in need of a new life! We have a freedom service planned for January 30th for those that are facing the addiction to substances in their families. Spirit of Freedom Ministries will be with us and we will be starting classes for those who need to satisfy probation requirements in our area. The need is great and we plan to step through this door.

January is a month of prayer and fasting.  We will end the month with our first communion service.  Several months ago, someone called out of the blue and offered us a complete communion set!  A few days following that, UPS delivered it to our door.  We are so thankful for all God has brought our way.  We will also resume our Discipleship classes on January 27th for 3 Sundays.  They are on Sunday evening at 6:30pm.

Please be in prayer still for our land and next location. We have several possibilities for our next storefront location and land is still in the works for our future building! We need the new location to expand our Children's Ministry on Sundays. I believe this is a key also to reaching families. We want to prepare for our miracle bus ministry. 

In the things familiar we find security 

Resisting all the changes that days and years can bring, 

When God decides to lead you through an open door 

Inviting you to walk in realms you've never walked before. 

Beyond the open door is a new and fresh anointing, 

Hear the Spirit calling you to go. 

Walk on through the door for the Lord will go before you 

Into a greater power than you've ever known before. 

Hear the spirit calling to wake the living dead, 

To reach the huddled masses who cry out for living bread. 

Arise oh mighty army, take up thy shield and sword 

For the Father lifts His golden lamp beside the open door. 

Where He leads me, I will follow 

Where He leads me, I will follow 

And where He leads me, I will follow 

Into a greater power than you've ever known before, 

Beyond the open door... 

Because of the Times

My wife and I had our first experience at the conference, "Because of the Times," this week! It was phenomenal! We attended with another couple from our church, Terry and Donna Stephens. They were a lot of fun to travel with and get to know better. We forgot our camera, so we have very few photos, just what we got on the phone!! We had a great time in church and travelling... that is just about all we had time for. We travelled there on Tuesday and arrived through the torential rain just in time for service. We slept for a few hours and then left the motel around 8:15am each morning, returned at 4:30pm to get ready for the night service which we had to leave for at 5:45pm so that we could get two seats together!

We saw SO many friends and even family that we didn't expect to see in the crowd of around 2800 people. The services and messages were just what we needed to hear.

We were empowered to continue on. We were blessed to sit with Steve and Karen Wehrle one night and then with our friends from Cedar Park (another daughterwork here in Austin), Melvin and Lisa Reddy another night. The conference was aptly themed, "Downpour," because of the outpouring of the Spirit AND the natural rain that continued for much of the time we were there!  There is no way to explain all that happened, so I will just say— "We definitely got wet in the Downpour!"

Few Do...

In reading Pastor Steven Furtick's blog today, I really liked what you had to say today...
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Stop doing what everybody else is doing.
Stop doing what you’ve always done.

Most human beings deeply desire to be used by God in unique and extraordinary ways.
Most human beings talk about these desires.
And most make resolutions about how they’ll change their lives in order to see these desires fulfilled.
But few do.

Trust God with a unique and extraordinary faith this year.
Do the things that few do.
12 spies took inventory of the Promised Land.
All of them desired to go in.
Only 2 were willing to fight for it.
Only 2.
See what I’m saying?

Many desire…
Few do.

In 2008, I want you to be one of the few who do.

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Are you willing to fight for the things that God has for the taking? He has already given the promise, we just have to be willing to be inconvenienced to attain it in our life!  Let's do it.  "Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world!"  Give me this mountain!