Two words not used nearly enough are the words "thank you." Seems we are a culture that doesn't take well to gratitude. My mission tonight is to simply say thank you to everyone who made our student dinner theater a success. Our church is not large by any definition. We are a fairly good definition of the "average" church in America. What we do have are some people with very large hearts with above average talent. Our students along with a few adults presented pieces of the old television show "Hee Haw" the last two nights. The house was full both nights with extra chairs needed tonight. Many hours of preparation went into the production. There were decorations to make and hang. There were costumes to be fitted. There were scripts to write. There were so many things that the list could take forever to read. Yet, our troop of performers endured the torture to entertain people of all ages. My hope is if you attended that you will make a special effort to say those two words mentioned above. Let's take the opportunity to encourage those who risk failure. From my heart is a prayer of thanks to everyone involved. You are appreciated by everyone who enjoyed your efforts.

Bro. Trey

My mood seems a bit reflective tonight. It's just me and the kids this week so being a bit thoughtful is the norm. We get lots of together time in the evening when it gets late. Tonight it was my joy to lay with my youngest until there was the melodic note of snoring. It's not just family that brings time to think but being around the church this evening also contributes. Granted that some of the sounds at church were on the boisterous side but that is ok with me. That just means the kids were having a good time. We adults behaved ourselves as always. An untrained eye may not see all that was evident around the building. A critical eye would find fault with the activities. My thought is that God is pleased by the moments we overlook at times.

This past summer was the most difficult for me in all these years of church work. For whatever the reasons this last few months wore me out in places that I didnt even know I had places. Blame is too easy a trap to fall into in those kinds of times. We would rather point fingers than try to hear what God may be saying. Sometimes we even think our life is beyond such pain because we are deserving of better. One of the gifts of such a season is we can learn to see even the tiniest of ways that God works.

More than a few people really did not believe we could pull off our VBS this past July. If you go into the July archives you will read we not only pulled it off but we knocked it out of the park. There are not enough words to relate how amazing our people were during that week. There were several who told me they were impressed at our creativity and energy. Now that same recipe is going into our Dinner Theater this weekend. No matter the attendance this weekend the project is already a success. Every adult and student should feel that divine pride of being a part of something bigger than self. We have other places where the people of God here are leading out in new ways. Our Preschool-Daycare is underway with fresh faces all around. They are doing a terrific job just to prepare and now to be in full swing.

The road may still be bumpy but we can travel the same direction now. We are a wonderful mix of people who gather for God's purpose. In my reflective moments I am proud of who we are. We may not be perfect but who is? We can just be who God makes us and leave the idea of perfection to the critics. We can arrive together because we never drifted apart.

Bro. Trey