Gayla's Magazine

Pastor Lonnie Stewart

 

Pastor Lonnie Stewart preached for us today and what a great message he had for New Life.  He has a great memory and quoted many many scriptures in the course of his message.  O so good! He preached the greatest message on Christ all the way from Genesis to Revelations! New Life really soaked in the Word today! 

He has a wonderful ministry of helping to serve communities in Hurricanes and disasters - feeding and clothing thousands.  In Hurricane Katrina his feeding sites fed multiplied thousands in several different locations.  He has an incredible miraculous testimony of God healing him while he was working in relief work.  While he was feeding people one day, a man came up to him wearing clothing that he gave him and eating food that he fed him, and he pulled a gun out and shot him in the head.  Pastor Lonnie not only survived this vicious attack, but he is recovered and back out preaching the Gospel again!  

For every 'fake' that people can point their fingers at and say that preachers aren't for real there are two genuine preachers that are for real.  This is one of them!

 

Pastor Stewart brought his son Lonnie and his fiance Danielle with him and we sure enjoyed his singing.  Wow what a voice! We enjoyed meeting them and feel like we will see them again down the road.  Sweet kids.

Crystal Beach Texas

Now that Thanksgiving is over and countless loads of provisions have been delivered to the devistated areas of Hurricane Ike - I have remembered that I have not shown you one of the churches in Oak Island that we have helped.

 

Pastor Marty and his wife Nicole are now taking care of three churches now because of the storm.  They are both hard working pastors who care about their communities of High Island and Crystal Beach.  

 

It's still terrible after 3 months of clean up.

 

Here is one of their churches after the storm.

 

Their sanctuary.

 

Their songbooks.

 

Their piano.

Please take moment and pray for this couple, they have their hands so full of responsibilities, people, labor, needs, and little sleep.  They need your prayers.

 

 

Silent worries .......

Christmas is coming.....  and the world's only two people who knew the plan of God  were  quite alone in the reality of life. I can almost hear their thoughts!  I am working on my Christmas Drama and feeling for these two people.

The hour is late and I am so tired, every bone hurts and my body feels heavy. I don't know how I stayed on that donkey so long!  85 miles on his back has stretched my nerves and muscles terribly!  Now I am having pains  every 10 minutes - is this labor? Surely not!  We are within sight of of the city, but I can't be in labor now!  There is no way.  I can't do this out here. Oh God help me here comes another pain. How do I tell Joseph this!?! I am worn out and I know he is too, but maybe this will just pass.  I will stay silent a little longer, maybe if I get down an walk.  My baby is tired of this constant joshing around.

oooooo no getting down is no better, Joesph I have to stop.  I think I need to breath and stand still, nooooo that's not better, I need to set down a minute. no.... that' not better either. Joseph..... it hurts so much, I think I might be........ having this baby soon. I am sorry to add this to your day. Ok.... it's easing up, no you can't carry me you are so tired too.  Can you help me get back on the donkey - no wait I need to stand still again..... ooh what are we going to do, I can't have this baby out here!  Maybe if I bend over .... no it's worse. Joseph can I just lean against you for a moment.

"oh no..... this can't be happening now. It looks like we are still about a mile outside the city.  It's getting dark, I am almost out of water in the water bag, I hope she can hold on.  She is sweating and breathing hard a little. She looks pale to me...... man what on earth am I going to do?  I thought she said it would be about a month before the baby came! If she can somehow hold on till we reach Bethlehem I can get her into a nice room.  I have directions from my uncle where the best one in town is. Then I will get her into bed, have the servant watch her and I will find a doctor to come and deliver her.  Please God help me to get her safely into a warm bed.  She looks scared. What if I carry her and I trip in the dark, no way .... it's better if she is on the donkey! I would bring a donkey who's gait seems really off now that I look at it. I hate to do this to her, but I just got to get her back on the donkey, the sooner she can ride the sooner we will get her to that Inn and a good bed.

Grit your teeth, don't say anything, you can do this!  I will NOT have this baby out here.  Ok as soon as the next pain stops I am getting back on this donkey and staying until we get to the Inn.  Then Joseph can carry me in.  Only one more mile..... only one more mile.  Just hang on, close my eyes, hold my breath here comes another pain.

Happy Turkey Day!

 

 

 

This Grandma is incredibly thankful for these two angels from Heaven sent into our family. With full gratitude to God, for His blessing of adding them to our lives- they bring cheer to the worst days, joyful breaks in the sadness of life and ALWAYS cause me to smile even through tears! Happy Thanksgiving - surely you have two things you can be really thankful for this year!

The ride to school

 

On the way to school I had the grandchildren read a pop up book about cookies - it's the best way to get their opinions on what kind of cookies they would like to have for Christmas.  Each page was a different kind of cookie that jumped out when they opened it. 

 

Each page was oooo's and ahhhh's as they pored over them looking for just the right cookies for MiMi to make for them to enjoy.  Oooo maybe this one! No what about THIS one! 

 

And the delight they had when they got to the last page and saw it was a gingerbread house.  Which was the real reason I got the book!  I am going to thrill them with some news about a new family tradition we are going to begin this year. 

 

"And kids..... this year we are going to have the most wonderful Christmas of all!  We are going to start our holiday season with 'The Family Chapel Christmas' ".  Of course they were all eyes, and begging me to tell them about it. And when I did, they started telling me all what fun it would be. To soon we were at school and time to pray a little prayer and send them on their ways for the day, with smiles of excitement on their faces.

I won't tell you the details yet, but let's just say creative drama ideas also play into special family functions too!  Oh I love having grandchildren!!!

Church services today.....

Good food and fellowship, many hands make the work go faster through out the 2 days of preparing New Life.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 
No doubt about it, getting New Life ready for Christmas is a big job. I didn't take enough pictures to show you all that was going on!

 

 

Down through the ages mankind has dressed the Christian churches in preparation of the commemoration of the birth of Christ the Messiah.  We too, enter in with all these in our preparations as an act of worship to the Lord in our devotion in remembering His birth. We have had our church services in yet another way as unto the Lord for these 2 days.  

What did I do today?

 

Saturday was so very busy for this pastor's wife.  My husband is traveling a 1200 mile trip headed back home - and I am taking care of a couple of projects.  This is the main decorating day for Christmas in the Church and the Community Center. So there are ladies and men in both buildings. Unpacking the giant crates, unpacking the boxes and setting up trees, checking lighting, it's like busy bees everywhere! 

So I get things started  with prayer and teams over different areas of each building, then I run to our RMA store to check on the staff. We have a new staff member who might be overwhelmed, this is our busiest day of the week. Sure enough things are hopping here. There is a line of cars lined up with donations pouring in. One CS girl is managing all of them as best she can. No one has had a break  yet, it's just too busy.  I have to remind the staff that at closing today - new carpet is coming in, and things will need to be up off the floor. I promise I will be back later to help.

Some furniture is being delivered to the little guest house we are setting up for the relief workers still here working on Hurricane Ike disaster.  So I run over to the warehouse and check if they have arrived.  They have and everything is a mess. So I call the Warehouse manager to come with helpers and together we rearrange everything and put the dining room table, chairs into place and the buffet fits where I wanted it to go.  The entertainment center might not work... hmmmm I will have to think about this later.  Gotta get back to the church. 

 

I can always count on my ladies to make me smile and laugh.  I get back, everyone is happy and working right along. Christmas music is playing in both buildings, hot chocolate and apple cider are being served to the workers, and candles are burning making the atmosphere look and smell like the holidays. Wonderful! Lunch will be served to everyone on time - sandwiches, fresh veggies, 2 kinds of homemade soups and fresh fruit trays. I have such great RMA team leaders I love each of them!

Then everyone eats and I plan a couple of meetings for the afternoon.  I need to meet with our Education Administrator about some details for our Christmas season events.  The children's ministry Christmas party, their little treats and special things for our teachers. And to share with her about a new event we will be adding this year - it's still a secret today!

Then its meetings with a couple of ladies about their plans for next year and what their teams will be doing. Good thing I have my planner with me! Just little things about Father's Day details and next year's fall plans.

Things are getting completed here.  So I walk through again for last looks, checking details and appreciating all the hard work.  The platform wreaths look gorgeous. The lighted trees and choir lofts so nice. The Nativity scene complete with straight curtains and trimmings. The Foyer is complete with the tall center Story Tree fabulous as always. And the side trees all nicely decorated and standing straight and tall.  The bookstore is decorated and CD's, tapes,  books and Bibles ready for the season. The doorways are trimmed, the outside wreaths are lit up and in place high above the doors.  Next door - the Community Center is done, the snow village complete in the Foyer.  The end tables down the Grand Hall are all done, the Gold tree is glorious and the Cafe is complete. The bulletin boards announcing all of the functions that will be happening this Christmas season are done.  I guess I can move on to the the store. I'll show you what it all looks like later.

I arrive and see donations all the way outside halfway down to the street!  The workers are still unloading cars lined up.  I can tell there is no way we can hold all of this inside so a quick 'help' call goes in to the warehouse to come quick we need a truck.  These guys promise to stay late after their shift and help pack up all the donations. Inside the store there are prob 12 customers lined up at the counter and my new clerk is working as fast as she can.  So I slip into the stand with her and start greeting people and sacking up for her.  Talking to our customers about Role Models of America - and hearing their thoughts about our blog.  www.rolemodelsofamerica.org  I see the store is out of RMA cards - make a mental note to get some more here.  As soon as the line eases up, head for the back area to check on the incoming staff member and find her just as busy with her team of CS workers. Clothes and stock is piled high - we both laugh at the chaos!

Run back to the office to interview a new perspective employee with staff members.  I like her energy - let's hire her!

Just as the store is closing our carpet layers arrive and it's time to jump into a higher gear and help start moving things and showing them around as to the areas to get new carpet. Ladies dept, girls dept, men's, boys, and babies areas. The Christmas corner, and the furniture area - all will be moved and put back in the next 24 hours. It has to all be done and back in place before 9 am monday morning.   I am excited about this - it's been a prayer of mine for several years!!

Don't know what time it was when I left the store, my husband is driving -still about 150 miles from home - I know I need to eat something, but frankly my energy is gone and I just want to go home and fall into bed!

Tomorrow is Sunday .... if you are a pastor's wife you know what that routine means in ministry. If you are not one.... well that's another post later to tell you about!  Meanwhile I need to get my thoughts together about Thanksgiving music details and rehearsals. Shhhhhhh .....stop my thoughts...... time to rest, tomorrow I can start up again!  

Where is Jesus?

 

Unwrapping the Nativity scene I find that the Baby Jesus is missing! Now what could have happened - everyone else is here.  Searching through the boxes and wrapping papers I look and look.  The other ladies look and look.... maybe somehow He was used in another drama? Check the choir room.  How about the Prop Room?  Go see.... in the huge caverns of costumes, wigs, and props of gold and silver maybe He is there. No He is not. 

My mind starts worrying.... now what?  How on earth can the Family be in place without Jesus?  Who is the center of attention? Who would all the people be looking to without Him? Without the Prince of Peace - there is no peace.  Without the Light of the world - all is darkness and sin.

 

Without Him there is no joy...... no Love....... no forgiveness..... no Grace. All day long I am worried about this problem.  Shall I put in sign in place of where He should be asking, 'where is Jesus in your life'? Someone check the choir room, maybe He was left there after all the singing and shouting was done.  Someone check the Prop room, could it be He got put there to stay amidst the drama of life only.

Do I somehow set a mirror in His place - so people can see their own reflections instead of Him? What is the message here? Lord what do I do about this? 

And at the close of the day, straightening the now empty boxes one small overlooked box that advertizes a DVD player on the outside is noticed. Hmmmm anyone check this? No it just holds the current form of attraction and distraction for our  world - movies. A great way to keep the mind entertained and off important 'stuff'.

 

Wait here He is!!! Buried under everything else in life! Projects, people, places, problems, pertinant facts and pride!  We all thought various  thoughts of 'who stole Him' to 'what department took Him'! Nevermind He was here all the time, just waiting on us to look closely at the details of our surroundings!

 

Two of the most awesome gifts in all of life are these:

1. Finding the Lord Jesus Christ for yourself!

2. Seeing Him in the life of your offspring! My daughter!

The Christmas Book

 

We have a book of Christmas decoratons that is used year to year, providing the same quality of decorations for  different ladies to copy. This handy guide has been created by past Christmas decorations so we don't have to remember every year 'now where did this go'?

   

There are drawings and clear instructions that describe all of the details through out both buildings, insided and out. 

 There are pictures to show how things are to look.  This book is invaluable to us as our decorations always look professional and the meaning of each work of art is clear.  Thanks to my husbands foresight and ideas, he encouraged me to create this book years ago, and it's been a real help every since!

 

It's a great time together of decorations, christmas music, laughter, most christmassy sweaters contest, hot chocolate to sip while setting up trees, lights, balls, ribbons and trimmings.

Setting up the snow village and finding all the tiny treasures again is fun for a new 'artist' this year!

 
One does the front doors, and one does the doors of the Grand Foyer.

 

 

 

It's beginning to look alot like.......

 

It's getting close to Christmas decorating time again.  Tomorrow there will be 9 teams of RMA ladies descend upon New Life to turn it into a beautiful honor to the Lord's Birthday celebration of Christmas Day.