Early Church Services

For the last two Sunday services Gail & I have taken in the 8:30 am service at Benson Baptist Church.  The week before that we attended St. Paul Lutheran Church's 8:15 am service.  We've really gotten to like attending early services as it gives us a fuller day on our one day off a week.  Reverend Paul Marine is the Pastor at Benson Baptist and I have to say that I've heard him preach three times now and every time I have gone away very impressed with his preaching style. 

Today on our way into the Church building, we ran into Susan Gillies.  I haven't seen Susan for quite sometime now and it was very good to visit with her.  After the service Gail and I stopped and chatted with her for quite a long time.  Susan is the ex-Executive Minister for the ABC Nebraska and a sister to Kathy Brown my late mentor Jesse Brown's wife.  Susan told me about the upcoming Biennial Mission Summit this coming June.  The Biennial is taking place in Kansas City this year so I really should try to work it out to attend.  The only issue is that in June and July there are several events coming up and I'll have to see if I can afford to be out of the Gallery for several weekends in a row.

This weekend was our January ELM training session.  This month we discussed 'worship' and the instructor was Glenda Dietrich Moore an ordained DOC Pastor from Lincoln.  It was a good session and it was very interesting to me to compare the various orders and content of worship and the differences between the four denominations involved in ELM.  We haven't had a session since October so we were all looking forward to seeing each other again and catching up.  Sadly we learned that our class mate Shirley Bible from Council Bluffs is still having serious health issues.  I'd very much appreciate any prayers that anyone reading this blog might lift up on Shirley's behalf.

We had some great conversations over the weekend and I do think that our poor instructor was a bit over whelmed as all of us were very excited to be back together and everyone was sharing and commenting all throughout the class.  Our class is very comfortable together and at times I can't help but feel for the instructors as they really have to work to keep the class on track and on schedule.  The upside is that everyone brings up wonderful points and all the sharing of experiences gives the rest of us great insights into practical use of what we are learning.

As far as my weight training is going I've kept training but let up on the workout intensity and dieting for the last two holiday months.  Starting a week from tomorrow it will be back to high intensity training and a strict diet.  I haven't really gained too much extra weight and my strength has stayed pretty stable so I am in a good position to spring back into heavy training next week.

Thank you all for following along and God Bless you all.

In His Eternal Grace and Joy,
Roy

Psalm 30 (NRSV)

1I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up, and did not let my foes rejoice over me.

2O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.

3O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.

4Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name.

5For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

6As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.”

7By your favor, O Lord, you had established me as a strong mountain; you hid your face; I was dismayed.

8To you, O Lord, I cried, and to the Lord I made supplication:

9“What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?

10Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me! O Lord, be my helper!”

11You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

12so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.