Whew!! So much to say.

This weekend was a great time for our youth! New Life UPC, our mother church, had Youth Revival with Bro. Shay Mann, General Youth Secretary. Cameron was in a drama and plays the bass for the Youth Choir. The drama was really incredible. It was set the song, "Total Eclipse of the Heart". It shows how youth are enticed by the enemy and can be totally eclipsed by sin. Cameron was a demon called Hatred. If you click on this picture you can see the part he played a little better (he is on the second row, second from the left). For some reason, I was always called upon to play the devil and it looks like the gift has been passed on- is that a good thing?


The youth praise band, Beyond the Noise, led worship tonight and it was really good. They have a new CD and you can hear samples of their songs on their website. Most of the songs are written by them. It is led by the youth pastor and his wife, Seth and Sarah Simmons. You can also purchase their CD online. All the proceeds go to the youth group— Fusion.


It was casual tonight. I couldn't believe it when I saw what Seth was wearing! We had to get a picture...
Six received the Holy Ghost at the mother church today and several were baptized. Revival continues.

We had 34 in our last service in our old location this morning! The Spirit was tremendous. We added two more singers to our worship team for a total of six with Karla and I. I spoke on "Creative Faith" and I believe that we will hear of miracles taking place from this morning's service. We have a young lady who is in need of the Holy Ghost. She is so hungry, so she will get it! She is feeling the need to stop smoking, she bought a longer dress this week that she said she would NEVER do and she is asking off work for each Sunday now. She has spent time in prison and has been out for a little while. Wouldn't you say she is a perfect candidate for what God can do?

Our chairs will be delivered tomorrow —OH, and I just received word that Life Tabernacle gave enough to finish paying them off tonight in service!!!! Thanks to the most wonderful group of people in the world. We love y'all.

Our carpet will be installed on Tuesday and we will complete the day with a cleaning night.

The church will join together at the new location on Wednesday night to anoint the new place with prayer and worship! We will pray over every chair, every door, the Sunday School room(s).

We have just a little more painting to complete tomorrow - does painting ever end?

We had a table, some stackable burgundy chairs, an easel for teaching, and two file cabinets donated this past Saturday. They called and said, "If you can pick it up within an hour, you can have it FREE!" Bro. Stephens and I went to check it out and we didn't have room to carry it all. So, the District Manager of Farmer's Insurance here in Round Rock said, "Just take it in my truck." So, not only did they give us stuff free, they gave us a way to get it home! These items will pretty much complete the equipment we need to get our classrooms set up. God sends it when you need it. Isn't He so good?

A prayer request - our land deal has hit a few glitches. Pray that the barriers will be removed. We really need to get our permanent location underway.

Whew! Did I really type all this? On to a new week....

UPDATE: The carpet installation was pushed to Wednesday! They said they should be finished and out by 2pm and then we can move the chairs in before prayer. So our cleaning will be moved to Thursday evening. You know how construction goes.... ALSO - have you ever bought paint in stages (10 gallons, then 10 more gallons, then 5 gallons and then 3) and the last batch be off just a little bit? The base is the same, the numbers are all the same - but we did not notice until it dried that it is a little different color!!!!! We had to reroll several rooms with the new paint because we had spot painted the imperfections and you could see everyone of them.

Blossoming

It is exciting to see things come alive. Some friends and family have posted pictures of plants blooming in their yards and it brought this to my mind. I love to see things that were once ugly and unkempt turned into something of use and beauty. I think Spring is my favorite time of year because the world comes alive and the ugly becomes beautiful. In our front yard is a tree that Dr. Randall Hallford told me was an ornamental apple tree. I wouldn't know, because I didn't plant it or see the label from the nursery, but the blooms are beautiful on what was a small, insignificant, group of twigs during the winter.


I felt this way last night as I continued my series on faithful stewardship called, "ALL of me." I was overcome with emotion as I looked at a crowd of 31 on a Wednesday. It may not seem like much, but when we came only 8 months ago, there had not been a midweek service and our first few were only us four and one lady. This Wednesday was the last midweek service in the original building and God has blessed us twigs with growth. What was once bare is budding into beauty. The presence of the Lord was so sweet as we worshipped- it extended for a little while as we basked in it. I can see beautiful flowers of His grace and mercy appearing. I am so excited and overwhelmed with God's amazing work.

I have also seen a group of people this week who were willing to step up and work when I was not able. I see life and beauty where it was once a struggle to do anything. Just a few months ago, there would have been no one to do the work, BUT GOD has provided. Tonight was the third worknight this week and "here they came again"....excited and ready to work. God provided a right hand man to us that has been working with me through the days to get the work done. His job starts in two weeks, right after we get in our new location. I could not have orchestrated this "coming alive" in Pflugerville any better if I had planned it for months. I am overwhelmed at times with God's provision. Next Wednesday, New Life Church of Pflugerville will join together in our new temporary location to thank God for our progress and invite Him to take us to a new level. Our first service will be Sunday, April 1 - the flower will open and the fruit will begin to form. I love new life!

Speaking of things coming alive and becoming more beautiful, here's a picture I took tonight of the progress in the Sanctuary.

More Painting!

Just wanted to update everyone. Though Gene is not completely up-to-par, he was able to work at the church tonight. I know several of you have been wondering about him. Thanks for your prayers. We love y'all!

Painting

Tonight we had a worknight scheduled, but Gene is very sick, so we thought we'd have to cancel it. Well, our wonderful saints said no way, tell us what to do and we can get busy. So... several members of our church got together and began painting our new location. We had a good time watching the walls take on the new color. I've included a few pics to give you a visual of what it will be.

Good times...

We have had quite a week!
It was so great to be with family and enjoy the good times together.
Way too many families and friends only get together for funerals or surgeries!
Thanks to all of you that helped make my wife's 40th a special event.

She was surprised!

If you click on the above picture and enlarge it,
you will see the shock that Alayna also felt at this great party!

Karla was reading notes from family and friends who couldn't attend.

All of our friends and family mean so much to us.

Priscilla, Kassie, Misty, Ashley, Amber and Shannon

Kelly Meacham and David Ouellette

Carla Clark (my cousin) and Me

Karla and the Williams sisters - our nieces.

Thank you Mandy for all your help!
...and everyone else who helped with the serving.

Chad and Cameron with Alayna Elms

We got to see Ashlyn!
This was the first time since her birth in January that we got to see and hold her.
She is so sweet!

AND THEN…
…to be able to go to church today with the great family of God that is being brought together here in Pflugerville - what a life! We had 34 in service today, one away from our record number! The young man who was with us on Wednesday night brought three family members to service with him today. His Dad owns a moving company here and offered their services to move our church belongings to the new location! Since no one in our church owns a truck, I think I will take him up on it. God knows right when to bring someone along. They were also praying at the end of service. God is so good.

We will be painting the walls of the new location this week. I will try to post some pictures this week. Off to a new week...enjoy yours!

Happy 40th!

What big eyes you have! LOL!

You are the fun of my life and I am so glad that the Lord allowed us to spend our lives together. Everything is more fun when you are with me. Our boys love being with you, laughing with you and enjoying life.

I pray for you often that God will use you in a mighty way and I know that he has. You have been invited to do things that I know was a dream come true for you and I am so proud.

You are a beautiful lady and so full of life. I love you more today than ever. Happy 40th Birthday and many more years to come!

Yours Always,
Gene

P.S. I really wouldn't have used this picture, but it is the only one on the laptop that we have with us on the trip! I think it is cute though! It shows your fun and crazy personality.

Serving God is Beautiful

We were privileged to have Ronda Hurst in service with us tonight. She testified and sang "Serving God is Beautiful" - a song that she wrote. It was really neat because we sing that chorus often and they had never heard the verses. This week has been good for our church, meeting more of our family and seeing another side of our life.

We had a new young man in service tonight who has moved to Pflugerville from Charleston, South Carolina. He said he would be back Sunday!

First Out of Town Speaker

This past weekend was a great time at New Life Church Pflugerville. We had 32 in service with Pastor and Sis. Elms of Wichita Falls, TX as our special guests. We enjoyed the Word and the special singing. I insisted that they sing together! I said, "I am the Pastor here!" The church really had a good time of encouragement. The Spirit of the Lord was so sweet and the Word was full of strength.

We are thankful to those who have sent money to help buy our pew chairs - it is quite humbling to realize people want to help you. Bro. Elms announced that he would take up an offering at Life Tabernacle to purchase the remaining chairs we need. Our church responded with clapping and rejoicing! The chairs are on order and should arrive soon.

The Elms are still here and Karla's other sister, Ronda, arrived yesterday from Hollister, CA. We are enjoying the family time together!

I have been working on the new storefront much of the time and that is the reason for fewer posts here. Mom and Dad came in on Wednesday of last week as Karla was headed out to Lufkin to teach at the Higher Ground Music Conference. Dad and I worked from early morning to 11pm at night Thursday and Friday. They left Saturday morning before our Outreach and Karla returned in the afternoon.

This Monday morning, Bro. Terry Stephens and I installed insulation in the Sanctuary Ceiling and today, we sprayed the ceiling with black paint. I came out of the process totally black! It was quite a sight. The air conditioning is installed (several days of labor was donated) and the electrical is completed. We will be painting walls in the next few days and the carpet comes in next week. Our church people cannot wait and neither can I! I will post pictures as it takes shape.

The choir at Bro. Bernard's sang for the first time under Karla's leadership this past Sunday and they did really good. They are so excited and really sang with all their heart. She has 50+ in the choir, but only 40 or so were in town this time. Of course, I think Karla did great! She was her excited self and trying to make them smile! :)

The Master of Making Do!

Karla opened Chad's bedroom door the other day to find out what all the racket was. This is what she found! He had brought boxes, suitcases, metal folding chairs and his practice pad to his room and created his own drum set! His bass drum is the floor (second story!)— so you can imagine the shaking going on downstairs.

When he started playing in church, we had to take his old set to the church. Everytime he tries to practice at the church, the next door "Chinese Tea" lady comes over and tells him to quit. So he made do. He is taking lessons and is really getting into it now. We are planning to get a set at the church and he can have his back at home. Pretty ingenious, we thought.

High as a Kite!

This is a picture of the 79th annual Zilker Kite Festival that happened today in Zilker Park (downtown Austin). Up to 15 thousand people were expected to show up and fly kites. Chad and I drove down there during the time that my wife and Cameron had choir practice at the Bernard's church. There were thousands of them, but it is hard to get pictures of kites! They are too high and move way too much. But Chad did a good job taking this one.

Not only did we see these kites, but we are as high as a kite following this morning's service! We had two backsliders get refilled with the Holy Ghost today! The presence of the Lord orchestrated the service from the very beginning. My Sunday School lesson turned a whole different direction. I only got two paragraphs of my notes covered! Then our special singer, Sis. Donna Stephens sang exactly what I ended up teaching. It was all about trying again when you have failed. I love how God cares about us so much that He will tailor a whole service for a lost sheep.

Also, I presented the need of our Pew Chairs and made no big thing out of it. I handed out pledge cards and asked them to pledge to buy a chair for themselves and one for a visitor. The deadline for their pledge is March 31. When we added them all up, we had 38 chairs purchased by those who were there today (29). One of the ones who was refilled today bought 5. We had several families out today and I have already been told by one of them that they will buy 10 more! That is 48. So, we are only 27 away from our goal of 75!

We enjoyed ministering on Friday night in Edna, Texas at Grace United Pentecostal Church. Paul and Katrinia Thrasher are originally from Texarkana, Texas. They took the church in Edna last March and they have seen it quadruple in size! God is really doing a work in these last days. It was good also getting to see Bro. and Sis. Kight from Victoria, the presbyter for that section. Karla and I sang, the boys played along with us and I preached. After it was over, Sis. Kight slipped a $20 bill to both of the boys and told them that was for doing a good job! It was really touching for the boys. Chad felt like a big guy with all the compliments. We enjoyed the fellowship at Whataburger and driving through towns we had never heard of in our life! Yoakum, Pearl City, Hochheim, Hamon, Joliet, Mendoza and the list goes on....

We are looking forward to the Elms being with us this coming weekend. It will be my first Sunday to have a visiting preacher. I thought is was fitting to have my Pastor be the first guest speaker. I have never sat down during one of our services since last July other than a special song! By the way, Bro. and Sis. Elms, you do have to sing also - so be ready!