Reflections, Memories and New Beginnings

First I want to give a big welcome to a friend that has just joined the blogging world - welcome to my good friend Sheri.

Secondly I want to talk about our church service today.

Today is the last day of church in our old sanctuary. We have been in the process of building a new church that sits adjacent to our old sanctuary and it is now completed. If you would like to visit our website and see the building pictures, here in the link, it is Church of the Nations.

Today was our last service in the old sanctuary, which, as of next week, will become our new youth meeting area. Anyway, today was both exciting and reflective as we had some former worship leaders lead us in song and also many people from the congregation share how the Lord had ministered to them over the years in and through our church. It was very neat to hear all the testimonies.

We have been talking a lot about this next year being a year of new beginnings. The number eight in the Bible is the number that represents new beginnings. We feel it is significant that we are starting a new beginning in a new building in the year 2008.

I was overwhelmed by the Lord's presence during our worship time today. We sang many songs, some newer and many older but one that touched me today in a special way is the song "Shout to the Lord" that Darlene Zschech sings. I was singing the song and worshipping and I just was thinking about the words:

"Shout to the Lord, all the earth let us sing,
Power and majesty, praise to the King,
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
at the sound of Your name.
I sing for joy at the work of His hands,
Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand,
Nothing compares to the promise
I have in You."

I was struck by all of the things that my husband and I have experienced over the years. We were in ministry for many years and there were many joyful and glorious times and yet many hurtful and hard times that we went through. I remembered when my husband was diagnosed with cancer and I was pregnant with our first child. I was very afraid. I remembered us having to live with his parents at one point, because we didn't have a job. I remembered when our son was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes and the horror of knowing that we would have to fight the disease everyday. All those memories came rushing into my mind and I was struck by the words, "nothing compares to the promise I have in You." Lord, nothing compares, nothing difficult, nothing joyful, nothing at all compares to what You have done and are going to continue to do on this earth and in my life and the lives of my family.

I was reminded of the verse in Romans 8 that says, "For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

I am excited for all the Lord has for us in the new year of 2008. But, it is as several people said today during the testimony time; we have to make a commitment to Him. He is ready to act on our behalf and bless us, but He is waiting for each of us to run into His open arms.

Are you ready for new beginnings in your life? It starts with Jesus and knowing that He is the only way to real life, real peace and real happiness. I pray your life in 2008 would be full of all good things from His hand.