It’s Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas!

It has been awhile since I have written and a lot has happened over the last month. We have enjoyed some really nice weather and we also got some much needed rain over the weekend. I am looking so forward to a warm Christmas this year (which will definitely be a new experience!).

Last Sunday night, our youth group put on a Christmas play, “Finding the Christmas Star.” They did an excellent job! Everyone was very pleased! We had a pretty big turn out also.

Christmas is such a wonderful time of year! It will either bring out the best in people, or the worst. But it is such a joy to see people acting with a giving spirit and showing kindness to others. That is what this time of year is truly all about. With Jesus being the reason for the season, we can show forth Christ’s love more than any other time of the year, and people seem to be more receptive. But more importantly, we need to have “the spirit of Christmas” all year long! Wouldn’t the world be a much better place?

I don’t know about you, but I have all my Christmas shopping done and it is such a relief! The stores have been so crowded now for about a month, and it is good to be done! Now I can sit back and relax and wait for Christmas day to come!! I love to see the joy on little ones faces every time I put another present under the tree!

I hope each and everyone of you have a wonderful Christmas, and remember to spread Christ’s joy and love wherever you go! They’ll know we are Christians by our love!

Merry Christmas!

~Sonya

Seniors Banquet

Today we had the opportunity to play and sing at the Middle Baptist Association’s Seniors Banquet. We sang two older hymns, In the Sweet By and By and How Great Thou Art, and was well received by the older saints here. The kids singing and playing their instruments is always a hit with the older generations and Sonya’s singing ability is always enjoyed by all.

We are settling in at the church, the Association and the community and seem to be bonding well. Friday night we will attend our fourth Screven County High School football game. Saturday our church is hosting a fall festival with lots of activities and plenty of food.

We are enjoying the new friendships we are making and the wonderful ministry opportunities here at McDonald Baptist Church and look forward to what God has in store.

Our God is an Awesome God!

"The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." - Psalms 103:8-12 (KJV)

What an Awesome God we serve! Reread the passage again, (and again and again) and just let it sink in. It fills my heart with wonder at the greatness of His love for us! The verse says that "He will not always chide, neither will He keep His anger forever." Yet it is so easy for us to hold onto our anger or our bitterness and think that we have the "right" to be angry, but God, who has EVERY right to be angry with us each and every day, is "slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy." It says that He has removed our sins from us, as far as the east is from the west! They can't get any further away than that! We all deserve every wicked and abominal thing to happen to us, yet He does not reward us according to our sins! That is so amazing to me! Our human minds can't comprehend the depth of His mercy and grace, yet we must remember, that it is not about us, it is ALL about HIM!!! But how many times do we trample His grace under our feet? Yes, He is always there, ready to forgive, but we tend to take it for granted and miss out on His blessings. He wants us to have a daily walk with Him, a personal relationship, keeping Him the center of our daily lives. Whether it is at work, school, church, home, or where ever we may be, we need to exemplify a life that would be pleasing to Him and that would bring Him glory and honor.

So, go back and read the passage one more time, and let it be a reminder to us each and every day from where He brought us and may it help us to love Him more and more every day!

~Sonya

God is so Good!

I know it has been awhile, but you will have to forgive us for not writing any sooner. We have finally settled into our home and there is only a couple of boxes left to put away. Everything is beginning to fall into place, and it feels like home! Everyone at church has joined in and made us feel so welcome, it is beginning to feel that we have known some of them for years! God has truly been so good to us, sometimes I feel like it is far beyond my comprehension!

“Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.” -Psalms 40:5 (KJV)

We have had some beautiful weather lately. We are coming into my favorite time of the year! I absolutely love the Fall time of year! I love cool nights and warm days, scarecrows and pumpkins, bonfires and fall festivals, and also the changing of the leaves! I am so excited to start our new journey at this time of the year! We have so much to be thankful for!

“O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.” -Psalms 95:6-7 (KJV)

We have also added 2 new additions to the family! Sophie and Daisy are our new German Shepherd puppies! They are so mischievous, but they are a bundle of fun!!

To God be the glory, Great things He has done!!

~Sonya

Sylvania, Here We Come!!

We were voted into McDonald Baptist Church on Sunday, Sept. 23rd! We received 100% of the vote! It has been our dream to be used by God in a mighty way, we just never dreamed He would bless us so much! We fell in love with the people the very first time we met. It is going to be wonderful to serve with them.

We are planning on moving soon, and we are definitely going to miss our dear family in Christ at Unity Baptist Church. It has been such a blessing to know each and everyone of them! But at the same time, I am so very thankful that God guided us to them and gave us friendships that we will always cherish.

Please keep us in your prayers as we endeavor to serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

May His name be glorified in everything we do!

~Sonya

Healing Rain

Today we are getting some much needed rain. It has been raining hard since after midnight last night, and we were in desperate need of it. We actually have our own little river flowing in front of the house! But as I watch the rain fall, it makes me think about how we need God to pour out His healing rain on our land today!

The Bible says in James 5: 7-8, “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”

Anytime that we as individuals or nation as a whole desire to see God’s spiritual rain, He tells us to be patient and wait, for He will send it in due time, at the right time. But so much of the time we want everything right now without any effort on our part; we want God to send forth a revival across our nation without first getting rid of the sins that so easily weigh us down. He tells us in 2Chronicles 7:14 that we must first and foremost humble ourselves. What does that consist of? We must have the heart of a servant, willing to think of ourselves last, putting others first. Second, we must pray. He wants us to have communication with Him on a continual basis, not letting anything come in between us and Him. Third, we must seek His face. What does it mean to “seek His face”? To make Him Lord of our lives, in every area. To seek Him for everything we face in our lives, from the smallest of things to those things that we think we will never make it through. He wants us to want Him. Fourth, we are to turn from our wicked ways. Every sin that we do not confess to Him can strain our relationship with Him and cause us to drift further away into more sin. That is what it means to repent; to turn away from our sin, and He says that if we do confess our sin, He is faithful to forgive us. What an awesome promise! Lord, send revival in our hearts!

~Sonya

Listen to Micheal W Smith's song Healing Rain

He is Always With Us

As we remember the awful tradgedy that occurred on September 11, 2001, and those that lost their lives, let us never forget from where our life comes from. This is a day to also remember our Creator, that He is with us no matter what we face in this life. We came across this awesome video on YouTube that expresses it well. Make sure to turn up the volume!!

Once again on September 11

Six years ago today America and much of the world stood still. For several days we watched and prayed in silence. "Was this the beginning of more to follow" occupied our minds.

But once again, America cried out to God, our churches were full, and people were serious about being right with God. We united together in American pride and unity seeking to make this country strong and righteous once again.

But once again, we have forgotten the lessons we should have learned those six short years ago and have became complacent and forgetful.

On this day as we memorialize Patriot Day, let us stop and remember what can happen when God pulls back His protecting hand from us. And may those who are truly patriots rise up for God and country before we, like Lot, run out of time and lose it all.
~James

Hall of Faith Christian Goes to be with the Lord

The passing of Dr. D. James Kennedy will go down as one of the saddest events in 2007. For Christians it will rank up there with one of the saddest days in American history.

One of our most faithful warriors has went on to be with the Lord. Although we rejoice that this great Pastor has entered into the presence of the Lord and Savior, we can’t but be sorrowful for our great loss.

We are saddened that we have lost one of the great communicators and administrators for the Christian faith. Dr. Kennedy was used greatly by God to be an ambassador of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ in America and throughout the world.

As Baptists we will feel the loss of one who proclaimed the historic Christian faith, promoted local and world missions, and pushed Christians back into the cultural wars. Words cannot express our sadness that his work down here is finished, nor can they express our joy that he has now entered into his rest.

We extend our condolences to the family, the congregation and the fellow-servants of Dr. D. James Kennedy.

~The Brown Family

Modesty DOES Matter

I came across an article on crosswalk today that especially caught my attention. It's called Fashion Rebels: Modeling for Modesty. If you are a concerned parent that abhors the fashion statement of today, then it is a must read! He promotes a group called Pure Fashion, and their guidelines and rules for modesty are awesome! They are a Catholic group, but their efforts are to be commended. We definitely need more groups like this one who will give our children a godly alternative to what is being taught in our culture today. We need more Christians who will get involved in raising up godly children, instead of hiding their heads in the sand or excusing their child's behavior as "just a phase". Please be one who will stand true to what is godly and right. Make godly standards in your life and for your children. They will thank you for it some day. And remember, it is possible to be trendy yet still be modest!

Labor Day Weekend '07

Labor Day weekend 2007 will be a weekend we will never forget! We received true Southern hospitality and met some of the most wonderful people you could ever meet! We will cherish their friendship for the rest of our lives. They definitely went above and beyond the call of duty.

We traveled on Saturday and when we arrived we enjoyed a day filled with food and great fellowship. We were also given a tour of the church and parsonage. God has definitely blessed them with a beautiful place. James preached a very good sermon about justification on Sunday morning, and again we were warmly welcomed! It is truly a place we could call home. But that of course is in God's hands.

We traveled south to Savannah on Monday with a couple from the church who were such a joy to be with! They took us to some historical sites including Fort Pulaski.

The kids were excited when an aligator poked his head up through the water in the moat around the Fort. The most exciting part of the day was when we came to the ocean and seen the excitement on the children's faces as they saw it for the first time! It was windy and the waves were big enough to knock a few of them over, but they had a blast! Like I said, it was a weekend we will cherish forever!

~Sonya

Sylvania or Bust

Tomorrow we will be heading to Sylvania, Georgia to candidate for a pastor search committee. I will be preaching Sunday morning and am excited about the great opportunity. Sylvania is about 5 hours southeast of where we live so we will get to enjoy another long trip. The good news is that we just got Casting Crowns new CD so I am sure we will wear it out.

Lord willing, on Monday we are going to take the kids to see the ocean. Sylvania is not too far away from Savannah, Georgia so the ocean will excite the kids (and Sonya) while Savannah’s rich history will catch my interest.

Please keep our trip in your prayers, not only for our safety but also for God’s will to be done. Our sole desire is God’s will but we are also eager to know the church God is called us to. We are ready to get to work in many areas of ministry and feel like we are lacking a huge part of our lives. I don’t do limbo well!
~James

Great New Music

After church last night we went to Wal-Mart to buy the new Casting Crowns CD The Altar and the Door, that just came out on Tuesday. I have greatly enjoyed their music, it has been such an inspiration to my life. Their songs seem to touch every aspect of our lives, no matter what the circumstances. It is hard to even pick a favorite, when it is easy to say that all the songs are my favorites! Songs like Does Anybody Hear Her, Praise You in this Storm, Love Them Like Jesus, What if His People Prayed, and the list can go on and on and each one has a message for your situation. But can they really get better? The answer is most definitely, YES! God has truly blessed them with wonderful talents. Their songs are so uplifting, yet convicting. It is definitely a must have to add to your collection. Two of my favorites already are Slow Fade and East to West. Buy it, you won’t regret it!
~Sonya

Non-Conformists

Today as I was surfing the internet, checking out all the news and everything that is going on in the world, I read an article about the Christian music group BarlowGirl. With all the so-called “role models” for our girls to look up to, there are those still out there who are trying to set the example that God would have them to be. It was refreshing to hear that they are not conforming to this world and it’s culture, but are setting godly standards for the younger generation to follow. On their web site they are quoted as saying, "In a world that constantly bombards us with impurity and immodesty, we feel called to take a stand against what the world is telling us is acceptable. Especially in the area of clothing and modesty." It is so important that we give our children an alternative to the pop culture of today , one that is focused on putting God first, and not compromising the truth. There are several that I recommend including Krystal Meyers, Joy Williams, Casting Crowns, just to name a few. That needs to be the motto of our lives-- God first, no matter what! Is what we are doing bringing honor and glory to Him, or are we promoting self and falling into this generation that says, “It’s all about ME.” Let us be the generation that stands for God first ~ that it is all about Him ~ and never cave in to the pressure that the world puts on us or our children to have to be like the world. God has set us apart as His children to be a peculiar people, non-conformists! Let’s live like it!

You can read the article here: http://www.crosswalk.com/music/11550361/page1/

~Sonya

Treasures in God's House

“And of the Levites, Ahijah was over the treasures of the house of God, and over the treasures of the dedicated things.” -1 Chronicles 26:20

Under the Old Covenant the treasures being spoken of in this verse consists of earthly things. In the New Covenant we still have treasures in the house of God whether we have been blessed by God with beautiful facilities or not. We are told in Ephesians 3:8 that we have “unsearchable riches of Christ.” It is a fact that today we have greater treasures in the house of God than the saints had under the Old Covenant.

Being back in our home church was a great blessing today. We are blessed to be members of a church that is rich and full of great treasure because “we preach Christ and Him crucified.” What a wonderful blessing it was to assemble with God’s people and rejoice in the grace we have in Christ.

This morning in Sunday School our pastor was in Romans 5 and we were studying all the blessing that flow from our justification by faith through Jesus Christ. Knowing we have been justified we have peace with God and access to the Father because of Christ’s redemptive work on the Cross.

Then in the morning service Pastor Marlin preached a sermon about John the Baptist entitled The Voice of One. He brought out three points from Matthew 3:3.
1. Lone Voice 2. Loud Voice 3. Liberating Voice
It was a great encouragement because many times I feel like our voice is also a lone voice. However, just like in Elijah’s case there are still many others who have not bowed the knee to Baal. But even if we are a lone voice we still have a message that must be proclaimed.

I have never had a problem with identifying with the second point. Right, wrong, or indifferent I have never sheepishly proclaimed the Word of God. I can identify with John the Baptist on this point as well.

Finally he pointed out that we should have a liberating voice because Christ is the true liberator. That is the purpose for which Christ came. Would to God our Baptist brethren would become a voice to liberate our homes, churches and civil society from the bondage of Satan.

This evening was a bit unusual. Since we are from the North we had a new experience. It is one that we will get to participate in next week. We had a guest speaker but the purpose of the evenings service was because a pastor search committee from another church was there to hear him preach. He preached a very good message from Romans 7 concerning our struggles to do what is right.

What a wonderful day as we fellowshipped with the saints, sang praises to our God and heard His Word. We hope you were able to behold the treasures of God’s house today as well. If not, make it a point next Sunday to go to the House of God.

~James

So Easy a Baptist Could Do It

We had a wonderful day in the house of the Lord today! It was our first Sunday back at Unity Baptist in about a month. God is so good!! He has blessed us with many friends from Unity, and it was good to worshp with them today! Bro. Larry preached a message on "The Voice of One" and it was about John the Baptist. When he was talking about him in the sermon, I got a mental picture of what John may have looked like and can you imagine him in 2007? This wild looking man wearing camels hair, with a big wide belt, he would probably be laughed and scorned at by even many Christians! But he was the forerunner of Christ to prepare the way of the Lord!! The Holy Spirit entered him in his mother's womb! What an awesome position this "wild" man had! I like to think he would be a pretty cool guy! He definitely would be a man with no insecurites!! Who knows, they might could have used him on the Geico commercials!

~Sonya

A Day To Worship!

"I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house

of the LORD." ~Psalm 122:1

I hope we can all say that today! He has given us another day to worship Him and to bring Him glory! What more can we ask for! It is only because of Him that we have life, let us use that life to honor Him in everything that we do. May we go to the house of worship with open hearts, ready and willing to hear His word spoken to us, and not just hear it, but be a doer of it! I don't know about you, but I want His word to be a part of my everyday life, to let it penetrate me so much so that it becomes a part of who I am. I want it to be there always reminding me to stay on the straight and narrow path, throwing out warning signals everytime I so much as stray off the line! I want Him to be first in my life; not 2nd or 3rd, or last, but #1! May that be the prayer of His children , to make Him first in our lives, every day of our lives!!

May the LORD God of Heaven be with you today as you seek His face!!

~Sonya

The Life & Times of Temporary Nomads

The last few weeks have been a very exciting part of our lives. We are presently seeking God’s calling for our next church. God has led us to the South and we feel right at home.

What makes this exciting, and intimidating, is that we are looking for God’s will for the rest of our lives. While God has called us to the South in which to pastor a Southern church, He is also calling us to find the place in which to plant roots for generations to come. We are not looking for God’s temporary placement, but Lord willing, a permanent placement.

So, there are many things involved including where our children will finish being raised, marry, and begin families of their own. It also includes planting our ministry, Baptist Vision, in a solid church from which to work and grow as well.

There is a lot to consider and a lot at stake making it exciting but also nerve-racking. But God has blessed us in this process.

We have had a lot of contact with prospective churches and we are now being considered by several so far.

Our first adventure took us to Dickson, Tennessee and Maple Grove Baptist Church. We had the opportunity to preach in the Sunday morning and evening services and to play and sing also. Our family has begun to play music together and it has been a blessing to our family. Sonya (my wife) has a beautiful singing voice and several of our children are showing strong promise in that area as well.

We stayed the weekend with the Turners and enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship and fun. Many of their family and friends came over and Sunday evening after church we played music and sang till after midnight. It was a blast.

Next, we were at Macedonia Baptist Church in Dalton, Georgia approximately 7 miles from our home. It was a very intense day as we preached in the morning service and met with a couple men from the search committee that afternoon. After preaching in the evening service it was followed by another interview with the search committee.

We had wonderful services and enjoyed the people tremendously. God has blessed them with beautiful facilities that would make any preachers eyes light up. Especially country folks like us!

The following weekend we headed off to Cullman, Alabama. That’s right, Roy Moore country. A few years ago I was in Montgomery for the Roy Moore/10 Commandments event and fell in love with that part of the country. It has a rich conservative heritage and beautiful scenery.
Although we had just went to Mission Grove Baptist Church for an interview on Sunday afternoon they were gracious enough to have Sonya sing and me preach that evening. We had another great and positive service and, Lord willing, we will be going back to sing and preach September 9th. Please keep this in your prayers as we were very impressed with the area and the church.

September 2nd, we will be in Sylvania, Georgia although we are awaiting word to make sure it all comes together. It is another exciting opportunity that God has opened for us.

We have been very blessed by God. He continually supplies our needs and sustain us. My health remains the same but God continually gives enough grace to see me through. God has given me great clarity of mind in all the places we have preached at and His Spirit has moved in all the services. We are humbled by His grace and mercy on our lives and give Him all the praise for the things which have been accomplished.

The experiences of this transformation have at times been trying but we are having a blast as we nervously, but confidently, watch God work.

“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” -Philippians 2:13

~James