Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Family Emphasis at First Southern
Hello fellow bloggers. Cayson is finally asleep so I have some time to blog.
Church was awesome Sunday. It has been family emphasis month at our church and Sunday was the climax. First of all, we had 4 baptisms. How awesome is that?! The worship time was so incredible. Our choir sang a song called "Something Happens" that has to be the most worshipful song I have ever sung. It's all about how something has to happen when we call on the name of Jesus. At the end of the song most of it is just calling/singing His name over and over. It's wonderful. Russ preached on the Lord's Supper. And during the invitation time, we took the Lord's Supper, but in a little different way. Usually the juice and wafer are just passed around, but this time we had 4 tables set up across the front of the sanctuary. Russ, Shaun, and a couple of our deacons each stood at a table. Russ invited everyone to pray together as a family and then come as a family to partake in the Lord's Supper. It was such an intimate time. And we didn't have children's church so everyone's whole family could be together. It was just an awesome time.
Then Sunday night we had our Fall Festival Trunk or Treat. We had a great turnout. Cayson was a tootsie roll! He was so cute! And he even won some baby food! Although he's not quite ready for it yet, it will come in handy when he is.
Well, I guess that's it for now. I hope everyone is having a great week!
Church was awesome Sunday. It has been family emphasis month at our church and Sunday was the climax. First of all, we had 4 baptisms. How awesome is that?! The worship time was so incredible. Our choir sang a song called "Something Happens" that has to be the most worshipful song I have ever sung. It's all about how something has to happen when we call on the name of Jesus. At the end of the song most of it is just calling/singing His name over and over. It's wonderful. Russ preached on the Lord's Supper. And during the invitation time, we took the Lord's Supper, but in a little different way. Usually the juice and wafer are just passed around, but this time we had 4 tables set up across the front of the sanctuary. Russ, Shaun, and a couple of our deacons each stood at a table. Russ invited everyone to pray together as a family and then come as a family to partake in the Lord's Supper. It was such an intimate time. And we didn't have children's church so everyone's whole family could be together. It was just an awesome time.
Then Sunday night we had our Fall Festival Trunk or Treat. We had a great turnout. Cayson was a tootsie roll! He was so cute! And he even won some baby food! Although he's not quite ready for it yet, it will come in handy when he is.
Well, I guess that's it for now. I hope everyone is having a great week!
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Golden Opportunity
Hiya folks. As I'm writing this I am watching Dora the Explorer! Why? Because I am now keeping Ty, the 2 year old son of some friends of ours. Some of you might know them...his dad was the youth minister at Immanuel Baptist in Warren until about a year and a half ago. Now he's the youth minister at a church up here. Anyway, this is a golden opportunity because I'm getting to experience what it's like to have a toddler and a baby at the same time. I do want to have more kids someday, relatively close together. So far, it's been pretty easy. Nursing has been a small challenge, but I've figured out how to accomplish it while having privacy and keeping an eye on Ty. And he's potty-training, but that's just good experience for me! Time is flying by so quickly that it'll be no time before Cayson is ready to potty-train.
We had a double baby shower yesterday. One for a baby already born (they didn't know what they were having so we waited until after the fact) and the other is due in a month. Our church is growing in so many ways! Since we've been here there have been 5 babies born (counting Cayson) and 3 more expecting. There was another one, but we got the sad news a week ago Sunday that one of our mothers had lost her baby. And she was 8 months along. They had to deliver it on that Saturday and then the next day another lady had her baby. It was a sad situation. Please keep that family in your prayers.
This is also a golden opportunity because I'm actually getting to blog. Dora is Great!!! (What a random thought!)
Saturday I had to leave Cayson for the first time with his Grandma Sherri. (I don't know if she wants to be Grandma Sherri or Grandma Martin. She just now decided on Grandma, rather than Nana or something like that. I guess I'll have to ask her.) Shaun, his brother Kevin, his dad, and I went to the Razorbacks game. It was fun, mostly, but I missed Cayson terribly. And we didn't have the greatest seats. We sat in the level above the band...2 rows from the top! I felt like we were in another atmosphere. But the view was incredible. The leaves are starting to change and it was so beautiful. But getting up there was NOT. We were late anyway because the line to our gate was a mile long. (I'm not exaggerating.) So by the time we got to our seats we had missed the kickoff and the first touchdown. And everytime we tell someone that their reply is "You missed the best play of the game!" Oh well. Oh, it is not fun to climb all those ramps when you've just had a baby! I have seriously got to get back in shape. I have lost all of my pregnancy weight, however! Plus a pound.
Well, I've mostly caught everyone up on what's been going on in my life. Oh, Shaun's been leading worship for a revival. There, that's everything. Hopefully I'll get to blog more, so my posts won't be this long. I hope everyone has a great day!
We had a double baby shower yesterday. One for a baby already born (they didn't know what they were having so we waited until after the fact) and the other is due in a month. Our church is growing in so many ways! Since we've been here there have been 5 babies born (counting Cayson) and 3 more expecting. There was another one, but we got the sad news a week ago Sunday that one of our mothers had lost her baby. And she was 8 months along. They had to deliver it on that Saturday and then the next day another lady had her baby. It was a sad situation. Please keep that family in your prayers.
This is also a golden opportunity because I'm actually getting to blog. Dora is Great!!! (What a random thought!)
Saturday I had to leave Cayson for the first time with his Grandma Sherri. (I don't know if she wants to be Grandma Sherri or Grandma Martin. She just now decided on Grandma, rather than Nana or something like that. I guess I'll have to ask her.) Shaun, his brother Kevin, his dad, and I went to the Razorbacks game. It was fun, mostly, but I missed Cayson terribly. And we didn't have the greatest seats. We sat in the level above the band...2 rows from the top! I felt like we were in another atmosphere. But the view was incredible. The leaves are starting to change and it was so beautiful. But getting up there was NOT. We were late anyway because the line to our gate was a mile long. (I'm not exaggerating.) So by the time we got to our seats we had missed the kickoff and the first touchdown. And everytime we tell someone that their reply is "You missed the best play of the game!" Oh well. Oh, it is not fun to climb all those ramps when you've just had a baby! I have seriously got to get back in shape. I have lost all of my pregnancy weight, however! Plus a pound.
Well, I've mostly caught everyone up on what's been going on in my life. Oh, Shaun's been leading worship for a revival. There, that's everything. Hopefully I'll get to blog more, so my posts won't be this long. I hope everyone has a great day!
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Cayson
My son blows my mind! I love him so much! Last night (or this morning, rather) he smiled at me. It was the biggest smile yet. It made me forget all about how tired I was. I love to just lay on the couch and hold him. Well, he's waking up from his nap, so I'd better go.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
We dedicated Cayson to the Lord Sunday. It was a very emotional event. Cayson did great...he slept through it! But afterwards, Shaun sang the song "I Want to be Just Like You" by Phillips, Craig and Dean. He cried the whole way through it! I have seen Shaun sing many times, even in some emotional situations, and he's always been able to push aside his own emotions and just sing. But this time was different. In a good way. It's just such an awesome song with very powerful words. And I know he took them to heart.
My whole family came up for the occasion. We had 12 people, including me, Shaun, and Cayson, in our house!!! It was definitely an adventure.
On Saturday, we held Hog Slop 2006 for the youth. We watched the Arkansas/Auburn game first--which was awesome, by the way--and then played games in the mud. It was pretty funny!
My whole family came up for the occasion. We had 12 people, including me, Shaun, and Cayson, in our house!!! It was definitely an adventure.
On Saturday, we held Hog Slop 2006 for the youth. We watched the Arkansas/Auburn game first--which was awesome, by the way--and then played games in the mud. It was pretty funny!
Wednesday, October 4, 2006
Housecleaning and Church news
Wow, I finally have a little bit of free time! Such is the life of a new mother! I'm loving every minute of it, though. You know, I've learned a lot since I've become a mom. Like the fact that laundry never ends! Before, I could do laundry all in one day once a week and stay pretty well caught up. Now, it seems like I have so much more! For one thing, the baby goes through so many outfits a day, or so it seems anyway! And between spit-up and other types of leakage (I'll leave it at that!) Shaun and I go through more clothes, too. I have so much to do around the house and all I can seem to get done is nurse, laundry, change diapers, nurse, dishes, change diapers, nurse, pick up the living room, change diapers...did I mention nurse and change diapers??? I did get tSo o clean out our closet tonight. And the nursery is finally finished. But we still have that other room that needs cleaning. The office/junk room. Maybe we'll get around to it one day.
Oops...my intent for this post was not to talk about my housecleaning, or lack thereof. I meant to actually talk about the other major part of our life: the church. There's a lot going on right now. We've started a new outreach program called G.R.O.W. (God Rewards Our Work.) So far it's going well. We've had 2 outreach nights so far and we've made a total of 133 contacts with 28 people involved in this ministry. Also, we had high attendance Sunday a few weeks ago and our Bible Study hour had 185 people attend...the most this church has ever had! We had about 250 in worship that day. The really great thing is we have been averaging 150 in Bible Study (Sunday School) and 200 in worship since that day. The best thing is lives are changing. The night before high attendance Sunday, Shaun had a bonfire for the youth. We had 32 kids show up. We usually average about 10. The goal for this event was 20. And Shaun had the opportunity to lead a young man to Christ! He was baptized this past Sunday.
Also, this month is Family Emphasis month. This past Sunday Russ preached on the husband/wife relationship. It was awesome. Sunday night was very different. Instead of worship time as usual, we had date night. We provided activities for the children and youth at the church and the adults were to go out on a date and just spend quality time together. I think everyone really appreciated the opportunity. This coming Sunday the message is on the family and there will be a baby dedication. Guess who? Yep, Cayson will be dedicated Sunday! That night, instead of church, it is family game night. Each family is encouraged to stay home and spend quality time together. The week after that is focused on reaching out to other families. And that night we are supposed to invite a family from church that we don't know very well, as well as a couple that might be a prospect over for dinner. I'm really excited about that. Then the next week is a celebration time as well as a family Lord's supper. Then the last week we are having fall festival. Last year they had over 300 people, so we are expecting more than that this year. Oh, and I am very excited because we're dressing Cayson up as a Tootsie Roll!!!
Well, I guess that's it. I don't even know if anyone will read this. I haven't been having any visitors lately. I guess because it's been a while since I wrote anything of interest to anyone other than moms! I'll try to do better. I've just got to make more time. I can't imagine how it would be if I were working! Ok, now this post has come full circle. Oh well. Goodnight!
Oops...my intent for this post was not to talk about my housecleaning, or lack thereof. I meant to actually talk about the other major part of our life: the church. There's a lot going on right now. We've started a new outreach program called G.R.O.W. (God Rewards Our Work.) So far it's going well. We've had 2 outreach nights so far and we've made a total of 133 contacts with 28 people involved in this ministry. Also, we had high attendance Sunday a few weeks ago and our Bible Study hour had 185 people attend...the most this church has ever had! We had about 250 in worship that day. The really great thing is we have been averaging 150 in Bible Study (Sunday School) and 200 in worship since that day. The best thing is lives are changing. The night before high attendance Sunday, Shaun had a bonfire for the youth. We had 32 kids show up. We usually average about 10. The goal for this event was 20. And Shaun had the opportunity to lead a young man to Christ! He was baptized this past Sunday.
Also, this month is Family Emphasis month. This past Sunday Russ preached on the husband/wife relationship. It was awesome. Sunday night was very different. Instead of worship time as usual, we had date night. We provided activities for the children and youth at the church and the adults were to go out on a date and just spend quality time together. I think everyone really appreciated the opportunity. This coming Sunday the message is on the family and there will be a baby dedication. Guess who? Yep, Cayson will be dedicated Sunday! That night, instead of church, it is family game night. Each family is encouraged to stay home and spend quality time together. The week after that is focused on reaching out to other families. And that night we are supposed to invite a family from church that we don't know very well, as well as a couple that might be a prospect over for dinner. I'm really excited about that. Then the next week is a celebration time as well as a family Lord's supper. Then the last week we are having fall festival. Last year they had over 300 people, so we are expecting more than that this year. Oh, and I am very excited because we're dressing Cayson up as a Tootsie Roll!!!
Well, I guess that's it. I don't even know if anyone will read this. I haven't been having any visitors lately. I guess because it's been a while since I wrote anything of interest to anyone other than moms! I'll try to do better. I've just got to make more time. I can't imagine how it would be if I were working! Ok, now this post has come full circle. Oh well. Goodnight!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
