Thursday, January 8, 2009
My Notes from our New Convert/Altar Care/Host Awards Banquet
As much as this world loves to give accolades for solo accomplishment, the truth is that no lone individual has done anything of great value. The belief that one person can do anything great alone is born of a lofty ego.
Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto!
Wyatt Earp had Doc Holliday
Popeye had Olive Oil!
And we could go on and on! Even Jesus had a team of disciples, and each of those disciples had a team!
Paul had Silas, Mary had Martha, Esther had Ruth….and so the story of team effort goes.
All seemingly solo acts are works of greatly orchestrated team efforts.
Michael Phelps; every time he won another medal he gave his TEAM the credit!
Einstein once remarked, ‘Many times a day I realize how much my own outer and inner life is built upon the labors of my fellow men, both living and dead and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received.”
In other words all his accomplishments were results of diligent work of trying to give credit and honor to the labors of those helping him and to those who had paved the way before him!
The team effort in this church has reached a level to where we are all on the same page, in one mind and in one accord, following one man’s vision, and acting upon how we felt the Lord would have us carry out that vision. The Leaders here tonight that I will recognize are great motivators and carriers of Pastor Stanley’s vision for this church. And their efforts are bringing about real countable results!
1. Sis. Shirlane Grant - Along with Bro. Shane, she is involved in many levels of this church, including the Choir and Praise team, the Children’s Ministry at times, Sunday School Teacher, College and Career Ministry as well as being an integral part of the New Convert Care team. And of course she is the Director of the Altar Care Ministry. I have observed her and admired her great composure, careful planning and genuine anointing. Everything she does is with CLASS!
As Altar Care Director, she is responsible to equip, and motivate a team of altar workers who are dedicated, faithful, prayer warriors and who diligently make it to every guest who finds their way to an altar of repentance, and guide them into all the steps necessary to experience salvation. Not only to our visitors do they give the necessary attention, but they are great examples of lifting the saints as well when it seems one might need help in prayer for a breakthrough. Sis. Shirlane does a wonderful job leading and mentoring this group, and I have always found her to be committed to excellence.
2. Bro. Tim Hardin – Along with Sis Robin he is director of the Greeters or Host/Hostess Ministry Team. He is responsible for a team who sets the stage for our first impression every single service. And I must say there is no better person for the job! He is always willing to do whatever is asked of him, and if he has a fault it would be that he does not say “no” well and is always eager to be a part of everything going on around here. He is the ultimate Greeter, and is steadfast in always working to keep his team fresh and “on stage”! His is not an easy task, as he must weed through all the many emotions that enter the doors and sometimes with a kind word or deed rearrange the frowns on our faces to smiles as we come to worship! He is very easy to work with and always open for suggestions. We cannot do without Bro. Tim and his team of greeters!
3. Last but certainly not least is Sis. Beckord! She is someone I really seldom carry on great lengthy conversations with, but someone who I lean on and draw strength from more than she realizes! As a mother nurtures the infant, she is responsible to nurture and bring to full growth the new convert. She is diligent, dedicated, faithful to a fault, extremely dependable, and a vital part of the growth of new life here at "New Life"! She is a great encourager, and I love her dearly. One of the great things I admire in her is a genuine love and respect for her Pastor and First Lady. Her team is behind her 100% and work tirelessly for her. She is one of the GREAT leaders who can with a team, get the business done!
At this point we gave out Certificates and Awards and each team awarded a Team Member of the Year. First from the Altar Care department the Team Member of the Year went to Sis. Earline Matthews. Next from the New Convert Care Team, Sis. Patricia Whyne and I am so happy to announce that the Team Member of the Year for the Host/Greeters Team went to the great and wonderful....(drumroll....) DAN MAXWELL!
He was so surprised and happy to be recognized as were each of the recipients. It was such a great night and well planned and executed. I am sure it will become an annual event. I would encourage every Team Leader to recognize those who help you or fill in for you as much as is possible. I have learned that a public showing of gratitude is very necessary to keep people feeling respected and appreciated.
I firmly believe in showing three ways of appreciation for each person who helps me out in any capacity. 1. Tell them they are appreciated often 2. Send them a handwritten card of "Thanks" 3. Publicly thank them and tell others of your appreciation. You will find that when you follow these three simple steps, people will do just about whatever is asked of them at any time because they know they are not taken for granted.
Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto!
Wyatt Earp had Doc Holliday
Popeye had Olive Oil!
And we could go on and on! Even Jesus had a team of disciples, and each of those disciples had a team!
Paul had Silas, Mary had Martha, Esther had Ruth….and so the story of team effort goes.
All seemingly solo acts are works of greatly orchestrated team efforts.
Michael Phelps; every time he won another medal he gave his TEAM the credit!
Einstein once remarked, ‘Many times a day I realize how much my own outer and inner life is built upon the labors of my fellow men, both living and dead and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received.”
In other words all his accomplishments were results of diligent work of trying to give credit and honor to the labors of those helping him and to those who had paved the way before him!
The team effort in this church has reached a level to where we are all on the same page, in one mind and in one accord, following one man’s vision, and acting upon how we felt the Lord would have us carry out that vision. The Leaders here tonight that I will recognize are great motivators and carriers of Pastor Stanley’s vision for this church. And their efforts are bringing about real countable results!
1. Sis. Shirlane Grant - Along with Bro. Shane, she is involved in many levels of this church, including the Choir and Praise team, the Children’s Ministry at times, Sunday School Teacher, College and Career Ministry as well as being an integral part of the New Convert Care team. And of course she is the Director of the Altar Care Ministry. I have observed her and admired her great composure, careful planning and genuine anointing. Everything she does is with CLASS!
As Altar Care Director, she is responsible to equip, and motivate a team of altar workers who are dedicated, faithful, prayer warriors and who diligently make it to every guest who finds their way to an altar of repentance, and guide them into all the steps necessary to experience salvation. Not only to our visitors do they give the necessary attention, but they are great examples of lifting the saints as well when it seems one might need help in prayer for a breakthrough. Sis. Shirlane does a wonderful job leading and mentoring this group, and I have always found her to be committed to excellence.
2. Bro. Tim Hardin – Along with Sis Robin he is director of the Greeters or Host/Hostess Ministry Team. He is responsible for a team who sets the stage for our first impression every single service. And I must say there is no better person for the job! He is always willing to do whatever is asked of him, and if he has a fault it would be that he does not say “no” well and is always eager to be a part of everything going on around here. He is the ultimate Greeter, and is steadfast in always working to keep his team fresh and “on stage”! His is not an easy task, as he must weed through all the many emotions that enter the doors and sometimes with a kind word or deed rearrange the frowns on our faces to smiles as we come to worship! He is very easy to work with and always open for suggestions. We cannot do without Bro. Tim and his team of greeters!
3. Last but certainly not least is Sis. Beckord! She is someone I really seldom carry on great lengthy conversations with, but someone who I lean on and draw strength from more than she realizes! As a mother nurtures the infant, she is responsible to nurture and bring to full growth the new convert. She is diligent, dedicated, faithful to a fault, extremely dependable, and a vital part of the growth of new life here at "New Life"! She is a great encourager, and I love her dearly. One of the great things I admire in her is a genuine love and respect for her Pastor and First Lady. Her team is behind her 100% and work tirelessly for her. She is one of the GREAT leaders who can with a team, get the business done!
At this point we gave out Certificates and Awards and each team awarded a Team Member of the Year. First from the Altar Care department the Team Member of the Year went to Sis. Earline Matthews. Next from the New Convert Care Team, Sis. Patricia Whyne and I am so happy to announce that the Team Member of the Year for the Host/Greeters Team went to the great and wonderful....(drumroll....) DAN MAXWELL!
He was so surprised and happy to be recognized as were each of the recipients. It was such a great night and well planned and executed. I am sure it will become an annual event. I would encourage every Team Leader to recognize those who help you or fill in for you as much as is possible. I have learned that a public showing of gratitude is very necessary to keep people feeling respected and appreciated.
I firmly believe in showing three ways of appreciation for each person who helps me out in any capacity. 1. Tell them they are appreciated often 2. Send them a handwritten card of "Thanks" 3. Publicly thank them and tell others of your appreciation. You will find that when you follow these three simple steps, people will do just about whatever is asked of them at any time because they know they are not taken for granted.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Let's Begin Again
I am so happy for the New Year to be here. Time to reorganize, reconnect and reconsider!
Reorganize my life...finances...time...pantry...closet...garage(yuck)! I have done the finances, pantry, and closet... those are easy and I enjoy it. However... the time and garage is another matter entirely. I am working on the time, but the garage caved in on its self. I told Dan the other night that I just was going to start parking in the front because once I got in the garage with the Jeep I must have gained weight, because I couldn't get in and out and around the Jeep! He was very silent! lol I know you are laughing! So am I! ... I don't really know if he was silent because of the "weight" comment, or the fact that I was griping about the garage! Anyway I came home last night to find the garage reorganized. It was soooo great! Plenty of room on every side! Course I have lost 4 pounds too!
Reconnect with friends... we have so many friends and family we have been close to at one time or another, and seems like we have become disconnected from many of them. I am happiest around my friends, and a few in particular just make me a better person! I hope you all have that some special friend that you just want to be with, because they make you feel better about yourself!
Reconsider my goals... so many goals that I have had in life are now accomplished, and I must move on into a new time of life with new goals and ambitions. I look back and see where I have come from and think, "My goodness how in the world?" I look ahead then and know I can make it. After all I have come this far! God is so good and faithful. It is by His grace that we can continue on through any struggles, we can overcome, we will perservere!
Anyway... it is such a good feeling to have things in order, clean and ready to start again! You find things you never knew you lost, you get new ideas, create new outfits, replenish your pantry with fresh spices and try new recipes... Its just very fun for me when the new year begins. I hope you are all enjoying the same excitement as I am to begin again. I am reminded right now of the scripture that says..."His mercies/blessings are fresh and new each morning".I have recommitted to prayer and the Bread Chart to help me discipline myself to daily bible reading, and already feel so much closer to the Lord. I came to work this morning and knelt down... and He was right there to meet me. Such a sweet presence of the Lord filled my office. I am so glad He loves me so unconditionally. Last year and all my mistakes and failures are passed, He has forgotten them, and has given me another fresh clean slate for 2009. I pray I make good use of it this year. I am committing to blogging more frequently this year and pray the words are a source of encouragement to you. If you have not already gotten in the New Year spirit, maybe my thoughts will encourage you to BEGIN AGAIN! Its a great feeling!
Reorganize my life...finances...time...pantry...closet...garage(yuck)! I have done the finances, pantry, and closet... those are easy and I enjoy it. However... the time and garage is another matter entirely. I am working on the time, but the garage caved in on its self. I told Dan the other night that I just was going to start parking in the front because once I got in the garage with the Jeep I must have gained weight, because I couldn't get in and out and around the Jeep! He was very silent! lol I know you are laughing! So am I! ... I don't really know if he was silent because of the "weight" comment, or the fact that I was griping about the garage! Anyway I came home last night to find the garage reorganized. It was soooo great! Plenty of room on every side! Course I have lost 4 pounds too!
Reconnect with friends... we have so many friends and family we have been close to at one time or another, and seems like we have become disconnected from many of them. I am happiest around my friends, and a few in particular just make me a better person! I hope you all have that some special friend that you just want to be with, because they make you feel better about yourself!
Reconsider my goals... so many goals that I have had in life are now accomplished, and I must move on into a new time of life with new goals and ambitions. I look back and see where I have come from and think, "My goodness how in the world?" I look ahead then and know I can make it. After all I have come this far! God is so good and faithful. It is by His grace that we can continue on through any struggles, we can overcome, we will perservere!
Anyway... it is such a good feeling to have things in order, clean and ready to start again! You find things you never knew you lost, you get new ideas, create new outfits, replenish your pantry with fresh spices and try new recipes... Its just very fun for me when the new year begins. I hope you are all enjoying the same excitement as I am to begin again. I am reminded right now of the scripture that says..."His mercies/blessings are fresh and new each morning".I have recommitted to prayer and the Bread Chart to help me discipline myself to daily bible reading, and already feel so much closer to the Lord. I came to work this morning and knelt down... and He was right there to meet me. Such a sweet presence of the Lord filled my office. I am so glad He loves me so unconditionally. Last year and all my mistakes and failures are passed, He has forgotten them, and has given me another fresh clean slate for 2009. I pray I make good use of it this year. I am committing to blogging more frequently this year and pray the words are a source of encouragement to you. If you have not already gotten in the New Year spirit, maybe my thoughts will encourage you to BEGIN AGAIN! Its a great feeling!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Amber Alert
I just recently ran across a "church sign" stating
""Amber Alert" - Jesus missing!
Last seen in your heart."
We are all familiar with the term "Amber Alert" and that it is the universal bulletin and notification that a child is missing and to be on the lookout for them.
Now this statement as a church sign just makes no sense at all to me. Aside from the literal meaning of the sentence actually not making sense,the idea that Jesus could be missing is just ludicrous! Don't get me wrong, I do "get" what they were going for, but... really now... it's a stretch, don't you agree?
It is never Jesus that is the one missing. He is never the one we have to go looking for, because He is always right there, just as close as breathing His name. It is I that must make the effort to not go missing from His presence. It is I that has to be found when I choose to separate myself from His love. To call out an all Amber Alert for a God that is missing is just not Biblical.
In all my life never one time have I ever had to go searching for the Lord. I have found Him to be instantly there whenever I need Him. There are times that I feel closer to His presence than others, but that is because of me moving, not Him. Seasons of changes in our relationship come, but that is predicated by me and my reaction to situations, not any doing on His part. He said I will never leave you, nor forsake you, and I have found that to be TRUTH. Even in the darkest trials of my life I have never found Him to be missing. Maybe He doesn't respond to my every whim, but I KNOW He is there looking out for me. Sometimes we feel in a desert place with no direction, and we don't have the feeling that God is there, but we still KNOW that He IS there waiting on us to get to the place where we can hear His voice again.
Now I am sure that the person who created the sign had good intentions, but really now they need a Bible Lesson! If you are going to make public declarations, be able to back it up! He is not missing, He is risen and lives with us forever more!
""Amber Alert" - Jesus missing!
Last seen in your heart."
We are all familiar with the term "Amber Alert" and that it is the universal bulletin and notification that a child is missing and to be on the lookout for them.
Now this statement as a church sign just makes no sense at all to me. Aside from the literal meaning of the sentence actually not making sense,the idea that Jesus could be missing is just ludicrous! Don't get me wrong, I do "get" what they were going for, but... really now... it's a stretch, don't you agree?
It is never Jesus that is the one missing. He is never the one we have to go looking for, because He is always right there, just as close as breathing His name. It is I that must make the effort to not go missing from His presence. It is I that has to be found when I choose to separate myself from His love. To call out an all Amber Alert for a God that is missing is just not Biblical.
In all my life never one time have I ever had to go searching for the Lord. I have found Him to be instantly there whenever I need Him. There are times that I feel closer to His presence than others, but that is because of me moving, not Him. Seasons of changes in our relationship come, but that is predicated by me and my reaction to situations, not any doing on His part. He said I will never leave you, nor forsake you, and I have found that to be TRUTH. Even in the darkest trials of my life I have never found Him to be missing. Maybe He doesn't respond to my every whim, but I KNOW He is there looking out for me. Sometimes we feel in a desert place with no direction, and we don't have the feeling that God is there, but we still KNOW that He IS there waiting on us to get to the place where we can hear His voice again.
Now I am sure that the person who created the sign had good intentions, but really now they need a Bible Lesson! If you are going to make public declarations, be able to back it up! He is not missing, He is risen and lives with us forever more!
Friday, September 26, 2008
Encouragement for the "wait/weight"!
Just wanted to send a shout out to all those of you who find yourself "waiting on the Lord!" Keep up the good work... for in it you find strength. I have recently found myself counselling several who are stuck in the "wait zone" and they have begun to feel the "weight" of it. I have found that it is much easier to encourage someone than to actually wait myself. I seem to have all the great words to say when I am no longer waiting, and my prayers have been answered, but of course in my own "wait" time, I became anxious, frustrated, and even at times down right fearful that God would not help me out! I know He has never failed me, but what if He really doesn't want me to have this thing that I think I need so desperately? What then? Well if we have ever prayed the prayer " Not my will, but thine be done." then we can rest assured that He heeds that prayer above the ones where we might ask amiss. God is not deaf to our prayers. We know that he hears us, and if he chooses not to answer every time we knock, that is His perogative. Sometimes no answer is answer enough. And then there are the times when we just won't take "no" for an answer, and God gives us just what we were asking for. In those times we usually find that we didn't want what we got when we got what we wanted! Waiting on the Lord is an ability that none of us master. We are always learning how to wait for Him, and in every circumstance, the wait is different. Sometimes we just have no clue what God is doing, and then there are times when we can see His hand in every little minute that we wait. Then there are the times, when it seems like God really was late, and everything fell apart. Later on we discover, that He allowed just what needed to happen at the exact time it needed to happen, it just wasn't on our wish list. All I really know for sure is that the Bible gives us many promises concerning waiting on the Lord, and in every one of them strength is the end result whether we got what we were hoping for or not. And I know His word will not return unto Him void. He honors every single word that has been written in that book, and this I can trust in. So wait upon the Lord, He knows what He's doing, and you don't want to get your hands into the mix and mess it all up. I know that in baking bread, if you knead it too long it becomes tough, so keep your hands outta it...and Let God do the baking! lol!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Update
Well, well, well, It's been a long long time since I visited this spot! Alot has happened. For one.. little Crissy has gone on to be with the Lord! It was a sad day and sad still every time I think of her as she was a huge part of our lives. We enjoyed life with her for 14 or so years, since Shelly was 5. We feel kinda lost without her, especially when we come home and she is not there to greet us with the kisses and hugs. Maybe some day we can find another little puppy to share life with us, but none will ever replace those special memories of that precious Crissy!
I have been blogging on Everyone's Connected and enjoyed it thoroughly, but since they reformatted I do not like their new set up, so thought that since I have already established this Blog site, I may as well begin using it! We will see how it goes! I do enjoy sharing my thoughts and life, but of late my time has been so limited that I have not had time. I think life has slowed down a little and I may actually find 15 minutes or so a day to record my thoughts! So I begin again!
I have been blogging on Everyone's Connected and enjoyed it thoroughly, but since they reformatted I do not like their new set up, so thought that since I have already established this Blog site, I may as well begin using it! We will see how it goes! I do enjoy sharing my thoughts and life, but of late my time has been so limited that I have not had time. I think life has slowed down a little and I may actually find 15 minutes or so a day to record my thoughts! So I begin again!
Friday, November 16, 2007
Crissy
Well, it was 14 years ago today that little Crissy was given to this world! I cannot believe so much time has passed and she is this old! She still looks like a puppy and sometimes still acts like one, although most of the time she just sleeps! She is so sweet and has made me so happy. God just knew I needed her! She is actually Shelly's but the past few years she has really been close to me, I guess because when Shelly went off to college she felt like she had been abandoned! Anyway now Shelly is back and we are all just enjoying every minute we can. Here are a few pictures I thought I would share with you.
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