One year ago...

One year ago, today, I resigned from our work in Pflugerville.  Early that morning I passed this field, snapped this picture and heard from the Lord for Wichita Falls.  It seems like so much longer ago, but then it doesn't!?  How can that be?

We have seen so many advances in that year, but yet, the bulk of our work is still ahead.  We spent today doing what the Lord spoke to me about on that morning through this field.  The first community day out in the neighborhoods of Wichita Falls.  The feeling is beyond expressing:  to see the people begin to walk into the park in expectation... and our people knowing what we have to give is so much more than a hot dog or a handshake.  I have thoroughly been refreshed by new babes in Christ who are so excited to be free from sin.  They aren't looking for a way to do what the flesh wants, they are looking for a way to get out of all the things the flesh has gotten them into!  

Oh, the harvest is great!  The fields are ripe unto harvest.  We have only begun.

The time here seems so long because of all that has happened.  It seems so short, because we have barely even gotten started.  We are still discipling, mentoring and sowing... and will be until Jesus comes to get us.  Why? We are still Mission Ready.

P.S.  I am so happy with what God has done in Pflugerville in that year as well!  I could not help but be somewhat apprehensive about leaving our new baby church,  but Chad and Cassie Harper have done awesome.  They are now an autonomous home missions church.  The church now has it's own purchased property with a newly remodeled sanctuary and more room to grow.  New souls have been added and more are on the way!  I have tears in my eyes as I type this because God is so good.

1960's-1970's Homecoming

Life Tabernacle (formerly First United Pentecostal Church) is hosting a homecoming for all of those who called Wichita Falls and our church home during the 1960's and 1970's.  It will be held on Saturday, July 25th and 26th.  Saturday will be a day of friends, food and memories!  Sunday morning we will have a worship service with Dr. James Hughes speaking and Sunday evening with former pastor, Rev. J.R. Ensey.  We have already received great response to this and are looking forward to having everyone back "home."  

We will have a postcard mailing very soon, but wanted to get the word out here and it is also listed as an event on Facebook.  If you know of someone who needs an invitation, please get their name and address to us ASAP!  You can email me at gholleyjr@lifetab.org or list it in the comments here.  Also, if you have any pictures from that era, we would love to have them for a slideshow.  We have a special hotel rate at a new facility near our church of $71 a night.  You can call the Baymont at 940-692-7500.  Just mention Life Tabernacle.

We are looking forward to seeing you!

Freda Green Homegoing Snapshots

I am thankful for family. We are definitely not able to get together as much as we should. When we are together, though, it is like old times. The homegoing for Aunt Freda was a peaceful and touching time. Family and friends came together to remember the times we shared with her. I wrote about her in an earlier post.

We gathered together on Memorial Day

evening for a time of visitation...

Freda's Daughters (my cousins): Judy King and Connie Steadham

Chad, Mark King, and Cameron, just getting to meet each other.

In the background to the right you can see

Rita's O'Bryant's daughter, Anita, and her husband.

"Old" friends and our kids!

Kevin and Shelli's kids: Blaine and Jessilyn Bradley

Keith and Carla's kids: Taylor and Mallory Clark

In the background, you can also see David and Vicki Green with Mom.

Judy King, our Uncle Donald Holley and me (looking a little too overjoyed!)

We got with the Bradley family for dinner at Salt Grass

following the visitation:

Uncle Chuck Bradley

Mom and Dad

Kevin (my cousin) and Shelli Bradley

Keith and Carla Clark (my cousin)

Following the homegoing service,

we gathered for a dinner and fellowship:

Mallory Clark, Charles Holley (my cousin) and Carla Clark.

In the background, next to Charles' face is Johnny Dewayne's son, Sean.

Cousins: Cathy Holley, Judy King and Sandra Holley

Johnny and Judy King

Some of Aunt Freda's grandchildren and their spouses:

Jonathan and Crystal Stramberg, Misty Hamel, Mark and Star King,

Matthew King and Josh Hamel.

The sunset can be the most beautiful parts of the day and so can the setting sun of our life... when we have lived and prepared for this day. We must live our lives now in a way that our families can peacefully say, "I will meet you in the morning over there...just inside the Eastern Gate."

Playing Catch-Up

I thought I would catch up and share a few pictures today. Life has been busy, but if it wasn't we would be bored.

Cameron & Chad will be out of school for summer on Friday. This means we will now have both of our boys in HIGH SCHOOL (Cameron will be a SENIOR!!!!). It's hard to imagine that we have reached this time of life, but it's also a fun time. There are tricky times when you are trying to let them become their own person, but I enjoy watching them develop into the men they will be.

The day after the choir concert, several ladies met to raise money for Mothers' Memorial. We walked and then had breakfast together at Atlanta Bread Co.I thought these next few pictures were hilarious! A couple weeks ago they had "crazy hair day" in Xtreme. Needless to say, the adults had fun with this also.The Rider ACAP choir had their final performance for the year last week. We have three girls from the church in the choir - Kathy, Alysha & Ayrian - they are all seniors, so this was their last performance.
This past weekend was so much fun. Sharon & I have been friends since I was 10 years old - 32 years!! But... we were only two of the three muskateers. Krista was the other. Last Friday Krista, Troy (her husband) and Ashley (their daughter) came to spend the weekend with us. We have all seen each other briefly through the years, but it had been about 15 years since we had spent any length of time together. We laughed until I was almost sick! As you will see in the pictures, Sharon still has the bridesmaid dresses from my wedding and Krista's. So, Krista tried them on. It was quite funny. Long-story-short, we had a blast.

On Monday & Tuesday we had the chance to visit with family & friends at the funeral for Aunt Freda. Gene will be blogging about this later and posting pictures.

We are now headed into June. June 8 is the beginning of Texas Camp Meeting. Gene & I will be there. Cameron has been asked to play the bass for South Texas Youth Camp during that same week, so he and Chad will be headed to Columbus. The following week is Texas Junior High Camp. Kassie has been asked to head up the music and asked Cameron to play the bass and me to play the organ, so we'll be back in Lufkin. The next week is Texas Senior High Camp where the boys will both be campers.

We'll try to get some pictures uploaded from all these events as they happen.

HAPPY SUMMER EVERYONE!!
Take time to enjoy your family!

Freda Green Homegoing...

Freda Holley Green, 77, passed away Saturday, May 23, 2009.

Funeral: 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in Mount Olivet Chapel. Interment: Greenwood Memorial Park. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at Mount Olivet Funeral Home.   Survivors: Husband, Johnnie; two daughters, Connie and Judy; and nine grandchildren.

What a wonderful lady my aunt was.  Above you see her with her daughter, Judy King of Calgary, Alberta.  She was told 21 years ago that she had 6 months to live because of a disease that hardens your lungs.  She defied their prognosis and lived life to the fullest, all the while in pain.  She was full of laughs, life and had a direct line to God.  She was a part of starting the church we now pastor.  When Grandpa moved to Wichita Falls to start the church, Freda quit school to go to work and help support them during that time.  She played the piano for church, all three songs that she knew!  Her sacrifice is now a blessing to my family and everyone else who attends Life Tabernacle, Wichita Falls, Texas.

Our love and sympathy go to her two surviving daughters and her husband.  Thankfully, my wife and I were able to go with Dad (her brother) and Mom to see her on Friday.  She knew we were there and we had a time of prayer.  She passed away the next morning. We will travelling to Fort Worth this afternoon to be with them for the visitation tonight and the service tomorrow.  

Swing wide the pearly gates, she's home!

Ladies of Life Tea

Tonight was the annual "bring-a-friend" tea at Life Tabernacle. It was a great success. Special thanks to Priscilla Venegas and her crew that put the whole thing together. It was beautifully decorated and everything was wonderful.
Our theme this year was: "The Finer Things in Life - Friends & Chocolate" (thanks for the idea, Tracie). Of course, with that theme you know we had to have chocolate - and lots of it. There were chocolate cupcakes, a chocolate fountain, mocha punch, hot chocolate, and I don't know what else. LOL!

Of course, we also had sandwiches, meatballs, fruit, muffins, iced tea & hot tea to balance out all the chocolate we were consuming. We had five doorprizes - three of which were boxes of Godiva Chocolates. The other two were devotional books entitled "Hugs for Chocolate Lovers."

Joseph Ouellette organized a group of men to take care of the serving so that all the ladies could enjoy themselves. Thank you to him and the guys that came to help!!! And thank you to the young ladies who came to take care of the kids so the mothers could relax and have a great time.

As part of the program, Veronica Eddie had some readings she shared having to do with friendship. And Kassie Dutton sang a beautiful song about the best friend you could ever have.Stacey Shaw was our speaker for the evening. She did an incredible job. She spoke on the ingredients of friendship - comparing them to the ingredients that go into making a chocolate cake. She ended up by talking about the friend we have in Jesus Christ. Stacey is a very close friend of mine, and I was overjoyed that she and her daughter, Brooke, were able to come.

I am very thankful for the lives that were touched by Life Tabernacle tonight. There was a sweet presence of God as we were closing, and I'm quite sure I saw tears on some faces of those in attendance. Only God knows what is accomplished through these events.

Concert Slideshow

WoW! Concert and more...

All I can say is, "Wow!"  I have never been to a Choir Concert that ended on such a note.  The house was completely full with chairs sat out in the back.  There was an excitement in the air and every song brought praise to a God Who loves us.  The choir, trios, vida contantes and children's choir were right on and driving, if I can explain it that way.  By the time the last song and our cardboard testimonies, the river of the Spirit was flowing waist deep and above!  In the middle of the song, we had people kneeling at their pew praying and had some praying long after everyone else was gone.  

I talked with one of our new contacts from Community Day as tears were streaming down her face... she sought after Him wanting a complete transformation in her family.  He loves us and no one could deny that fact after being there.  Stories continue to come in about who was there and what happened to them.  A special thanks to Kassie Dutton, our music director, all the musicians, sound/media techs, usher/greeters, nursery staff, and every saint that promoted and worshipped.  You were all a part of this success.

Two weeks of prayer and fasting preceded this concert and many months of committed personalization with our contacts.  Postcards were sent to our guests that came to Life Tabernacle in the past few  months.  I am sure that miracles will be reported from this night.  

We will not stop here, though.  

We are three weeks away from our next whole-church outreach... a neighborhood block party.  We will now shift our focus to this neighborhood and God's desire for the residents.  We will first mail postcards to its 750 homes and then followup with door to door outreach the day before.  It is a predominately Spanish neighborhood and we are continuing to build a Spanish church.  Because of this, we will be offering English (ESL) classes twice a week this summer, Friday night and Sunday morning Bible studies and anything else the Lord opens the door to.  He orchestrated the English classes and provided the teaching materials through the WFISD.  July 12th is our next Sunday night Bilingual service.

Before the Block Party; the Ladies Tea is this coming Tuesday with Stacey Shaw, Austin, Texas speaking, Pentecost Sunday is May 31 and we will also be training our church members on Discipling twice a week during this time.

We are gaining ground.  We had so much fun at the concert and it truly is a joy to see lives impacted like they were.  It makes everything worth the time and effort!  

P.S.  We have been slow in posting to our blog, but so much is happening and so fast... it's all excuses, but they are true.  We are on Facebook and that has taken much of our attention.  It doesn't take so much time to sit down and type status updates as it does to write posts here.  We are still committed to this, though.  It is a great journal of all the happenings in our life.  I can still hardly believe all that has happened since we started this blog.  All I have to do, though, is click on the earlier year's posts and relive it all!  Wow.  What a ride!  Can't wait to see what He is up to now. 

 (I don't have any pictures of the concert!?  Only a few snapshots of after and rehearsal.  Sorry.)  

It's all about Him...

There is something so special about Him and His Name.  Transforming, in fact.  When our frail humanity, with all of it's shortcomings, comes in contact with this Holy God... transformation happens.  What we cannot handle, change or understand - He can.  I stand in awe at the miracles that are in our midst.  There are testimonies all around us.  I have one.  Do you?  Why don't we share it with everyone today?  

Our lives are truly all about Him, now and that's the way it is supposed to be.  We were created to know Him, to walk and talk with Him; for His glory.  From the concert program above, it became apparent to me that tonight is all about Him!  I can't wait to let my praise be heard.

Join us tonight...7pm.

Mom's are great...

...they give us more than cake!

Moms just know what you are supposed to eat, wear, say, go, ...everything...

Us Dads just say, "Whatever."  Cake for breakfast?  Sure.  I don't have to fix anything that way!

I am so glad God saw fit to provide us with someone in our lives who really pays attention to the details and cares enough to spend time getting them right.

My wife, Karla, is a great mom to our boys.  I give her honor today for making our home a place of refuge and fun.  God and family are the important things in her life and for that we are blessed.  We could not function without her, as I proved a few Wednesday nights ago when she was out of town!  We love you.

My mom, Joann, is such a sweet and faithful lady.  I am blessed to have a Mom who loves God and has served Him through all of my life.  She is also a great grandmother!  Thanks for every kind word and gesture of love.  You are loved.

Happy Mother's Day!  

May it be the best ever.