clear explaination of the gospel

This is a nice resource I found. It's a very clear explanation of the Gospel.

The Good News

Wedding Pictures!

So...these pics are backwards, so if you want you can scroll down and go up!

Here are a few of our amazing wedding pictures by Daniel Davis.

check out his website at: www.danieldavisphotography.com

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

haha...just thought that was a funny title.

Sorry I (Holly) haven't written in here in a while!  But I want to catch you all up on our neighbors here at Kingswood!  A few weeks ago the little girl (Elizabeth, 10) that lives next door and her friend (Daisy, 9) came over and asked if Iwas going running.  I guess they had seen me run a few times since we moved in.  They wanted to go running with me, so we went!  And we had a great conversation about many things...little girls can talk! :-)  After we ran, they spent most of the evening in our apartment playing on my laptop & dancing.  I was so thankful that they came over...I had felt convicted that we haven't tried hard enough to meet our neighbors yet, so they came to us!  

Then, a few days after that they came over again, with Elizabeth's little sister, Jaclyn (7 or 8) and then we went and picked up Daisy's sister, who is 11.  We got pizza, made brownies, and watched a movie.  Also on this night I shared the gospel with them over dinner...they seemed to pay attention for the most part and had many good questions to ask.  Please pray for them, that God opens their heart.  They've all had rough lives and still do...each set of sister's has had their father's walk out on them and are barely around their mother's because they work so much.  They are so wrapped up in the world, boys, and definitely what America defines as 'beautiful'.  Pray that God continues to open up doors for me to spend time with them & speak His truth into their lives.  

I also got a chance to spend some time with Elizabeth & Jaclyn's aunt, Monica who's 24.  I met her when I first moved in.  She came over and asked me to take her to a bank to open an account.  So I got to know her more.  She's married and has been for 4 years.  They don't have any kids.  She doesn't work and told me that if I ever get bored, to come over because she's always there!  I really enjoy getting to know them!

James has also got the chance to play football with some kids and also met a guy that lives in the set of building across the street.

In about a week & 1/2 we are going to have an outreach here with our LifeGroup!  There is a field right accross the parking lot, so we're gonna get a table to put out there & bring a lot of food and have sports & games to play with the kids and invite all the neighbors around us and whoever else might want to come!  Please pray that this time be fruitful, that we get to know our neighbors better & share the Gospel of Christ with them!   

Spring Break '09

You think we are just going to sit this spring break out and NOT go on a mission trip??? Well... we almost did. lol. With us getting married and the funds being tight, we both decided it would be best to just work that week to build up some more "grain for our barns." ...We both were convicted soon afterwards.

We both are in a unique position to have a week off in the Spring; a week that most people do not and cannot get. Instead of using that week to build up more funds, we feel it would be better to serve God and take part in His mission in Memphis, TN.

We are being sent by Denton Bible Church to take part in several activities:

• grunt work (in attempt to love a black community to break down racial barriers)
• street evangelism
• Red Revolution (a conference)

Please pray for us as we prepare and for the people we will meet. Pray that God will be glorified and magnified in our work. Pray also that God will give us the money to go. We need $650 to cover both of us.

Thank you.

save yourself a hundred bucks!

Just recently, Yale University has finished documenting (online) 73 volumes of one of my favorite theologians, Jonathan Edwards (a $100 value).

http://edwards.yale.edu/

Here you can view his publications, writings, sermons, etc. You can even search throughout them all!

If I'm having trouble with a certain text in the Bible, I usually go to http://bible.org/ to enter the passage into the search bar. Now I can get Edwards insight on it as well!

High five!

Tip of the Hat, Wag of the Finger

Eat your heart out Steven Colbert...

Ok, anyways... Here is a story of a 29 year-old exposing himself to an undercover cop. Wait, what? Who cares about that? Why did this even make the news?? I forgot to mention this is the son of the Pastor of one of the biggest churches in Dallas, T. D. Jakes...
My tip of the hat goes to Bishop Jakes for his statement, "It is in moments like these that I am so grateful that we do not preach that we are the solution, but we look to Christ for resolution" and "So then, as a very human family with real issues, like many other people, we will draw from the same well of grace to which we have led others to drink and be refreshed." 

Truthful text hits world for 32k crushing. Sorry, that was the nerd coming out in me. But seriously, I am very pleased with the way Jakes handled this. The first thing that stands out to me is his humility. He recognizes that he is just a fallen man that needs grace just like the rest of us. Second, it that he is pointing people to the God that forgives and restores. A+My wag of the finger goes to Shayne Lee, a Tulane University Professor, who claims that the public is only having compassion on the pastor because "He doesn't have a judgmental message...
If he had been a Bible-thumping, finger-pointing kind of preacher, he'd be in trouble now."

I think Lee has a lot of truth to his statement but it sounds like a threat. There is nothing wrong with being judgemental, a bible-thumper, or finger-pointer if done correctly. Note that Jesus was without sin yet he was a "Bible-thumping (John 7:15), finger-pointing (Matthew 12:34), judgemental (John 5:22, Psalm 96:13)" person. Would this kind of thing get you in trouble? Look what happened to Jesus. But are we to turn into a bunch of "Joel Olsteens" and just try to tickle everyone's ear? No. The Truth is to be proclaimed no matter how unpopular we get. 

This is one of my favorite quotes:

I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made--I am a disciple of His. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, worldly-talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean in His presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer and I labor with power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my Guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, hired away, turned back, diluted, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the enemy, pander at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, give up till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And, when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me... my banner will be clear.

Child labor laws should be abolished

...and for only one reason: Children are having babies and they need to support their familes.

Check out 13 year old dad, Alfie.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2233878.ece


Note: I don't really believe Child Labor Laws should be done away with.

7 year-old courage

Here's a pretty heartbreaking article. Its a story of a boy who gave his life for his sister after a man tried to rape her. God, give us men the courage to die for the ones we love.

http://www.russiatoday.com/news/news/36941