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Good-bye, Dear Friends

August 17, 2011 by Aliesha

As many of you know from reading my blog in the last few weeks, our senior pastor at our church recently resigned. It is a very sad time for our family, since we are very close to Travis and Andrea! They moved out of town today, and it suddenly all feels so glaringly real.

Travis and Tad hit it off right away when they began working together over two years ago. Tad learned lots from Travis, and I know Travis appreciated their friendship too. They got along great and complemented each other in a way I think few senior pastors and youth pastors do.

Travis is an excellent preacher who has always been faithful to the Word. He spent much of his time discipling others and pouring himself out in ministry. Travis was our first pastor as a married couple, and Vera’s first pastor ever. I know Travis and Andrea had vision to be at our church for a long time, but, and only the Lord knows why, that could not happen. There are still people at our church who will miss Travis deeply, and our family is definitely in that number.

Andrea reached out to me as a friend immediately, even before Tad was officially hired (four months before we were married). We emailed back and forth all summer, and she graciously volunteered to photograph our wedding. She has photographed every important milestone in our family: our engagement, our wedding, random mini shoots, my pregnancy with Vera, Vera’s birth, one of our first family photos, and many photo ops throughout Vera’s first year of life (like this one, this one, this one, and this one). Did I mention she photographed Vera’s birth? It definitely brought us closer together when she was with me during my labor and delivery!

Our kids have often played together. Their youngest son, Owen, is exactly five months older than Vera, and I guess I always thought they would grow up together. I remember when Vera was just a few months old, Andrea and I were sitting in church a pew apart while our babies smiled and coo-ed at one another during the service.

Andrea is one of the most generous people I have ever met, not just with her possessions, but also with her talents. She has a heart for ministry, and she is the reason we started a community women’s Bible study. I know the Lord is going to continue to bless her for the many ways she has blessed others.

As Travis and Andrea leave, we know that God has good plans for them. We will miss them terribly, but we are trusting that 1) God will continue to be glorified through their family and their ministry, and 2) we will still keep in touch and remain friends.

Travis and Andrea, we love you guys and your family and we pray God’s blessings on you as you leave!

Less Like Scars

July 31, 2011 by Aliesha

I’m loving this song right now.

It’s been a hard year
But I’m climbing out of the rubble
These lessons are hard
Healing changes are subtle
But every day it’s
Less like tearing, more like building
Less like captive, more like willing
Less like breakdown, more like surrender
Less like haunting, more like remember
Less like a prison, more like my room
It’s less like a casket, more like a womb
Less like dying, more like transcending
Less like fear, less like an ending
And I feel you here
And you’re picking up the pieces
Forever faithful
It seemed out of my hands, a bad situation
But you are able
And in your hands the pain and hurt
Look less like scars and more like
Character

By Sara Groves from the album All Right Here

Worry

July 27, 2011 by Aliesha

My mom emailed me this great devotion yesterday, and I found it so encouraging! It is taken directly from here, so click over if you want to read all of it. I especially liked this part:

One day I was reading my Bible and noticed how Martha’s worries were making her weary, and making her wonder if Jesus cared that her sister left her in the kitchen to do all that work, all by herself.

And listen to how He responded: “‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’” (NIV)

So, how do we choose what is better? How do we let go of our worries and take hold of confident peace that assures us God notices and God cares?

First Peter 5:7 tells us: “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (NLT)

The apostle Paul tells us the same and he tells us how: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7, NLT)

It sounds so doable, but why is it so hard? I think it’s because Satan whispers the opposite. He tells us, “Don’t be calm about anything; instead worry about everything. Tell God what He should do. Then take control if He doesn’t listen. And concerns that consume you will become like acid in your heart, eroding your confidence with worry and doubt!”

Instead of giving into the whispers of worry, spoken by the enemy, let’s listen to God’s promise for peace. When we feel overwhelmed by life this week, let’s commit to …

• Stop worrying — Press the pause button on our consuming concerns.

• Start praying — Talk to God about all we’re doing. Ask if there’s anything we need to cut back so we can seek Him as much as we serve Him, and others.

• Keep thanking God — Thank God for what He’s done in the past and will do in the future. This helps us remember how good He is at being God.

source

Good-bye, Dear Friends

Less Like Scars

Worry

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