Anniversary Weekend

 

Last weekend Marc and I celebrated 6 years at WABC. To say that it hasn't been a struggle would be lying. But if you asked either one of us if we would give up ministry I believe the answer would be no. Its not the first time we have struggled in ministry (we have been at this for most of our adult life, and we both grew up in church literally from birth. Its actually how we met while teens at a church convention). We know what its like to be on the receiving end of love and on the receiving end of hate. It comes with the territory whether we like it or not! But if you go in ministry expecting it to be easy then perhaps you are in the wrong calling!

If you are looking to be in the spotlight or the star of the show then again you are in the wrong business. The majority of us in ministry will tell you this is not for the faint of heart. Its definitely does not guarantee a large salary, or a mega church or even a congregation over the size of 100! It doesn't even guarantee that the people will love you! What it does guarantee if you keep God at the forefront is a home in heaven.

What I have found out after nearly 20 years in ministry is that there are rewards that money can't buy and that the haters can't take away! Its the hugs from a child in Children's church, a quart of strawberries from a senior citizen just because she thought you would like them. Its the confidence in you from a young couple who are trying to find their way, or words of encouragement from the chairman who doesn't have an agenda to fulfill. Its hearing a church member pray for your husband and for you (and your children) when they don't know you are listening. Its having a teen feel comfortable enough with you that they are able to come and ask you a favor because they know they can count on you. Its the surprised but delighted look on one of your sick and shut in members when you go to visit. There are so many more stories like this that I could share. Small tokens of appreciation that get you through the rough days and moments at special occasions such as a wedding or baby dedication that bring joy to this work we call ministry. And work it is....our problem sometimes seems to be that we forget who the one we are working for is. I can pretty much guarantee anything you go through down here on earth doesn't come close to the sacrifices that God made on our behalf. 

The following scripture has been in my head for the last few weeks and as much as I would like to I just can't seem to forget it. Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap our just rewards.

Our small church is very good at showing us love. We are blessed that we have the support of family and friends. We continue to be humbled by the responsibility placed on our shoulders as leaders but we are reminded daily that its not about us and that it really is all about God and our only responsibility is to represent him well!

End of the Month Wrap Up!

Ministry life has been crazy this month. Marc had several speaking engagements including preaching at his home church.

I am just in amazement how fast the youth at WABC have grown up since we first came to WABC. We have watched this young man grow up before our eyes. He is now off to college and Marine training.

We celebrated the birthday of one of our seasoned members. She turned 90. Which still amazes me (she is the one in the creme hat).

My mom and I got to spend some time together this month at a Missionary banquet.

We were celebrating these two young ladies from WABC.

Marc got to do his most favorite thing other then Baptisms and Weddings. This young man's dedication was so special. He knew it was his day because he waved to everyone while being walked down the aisle by Marc. LOL

We also welcomed a young lady and her daughter into the WABC family.

This past Saturday we had a prayer breakfast.

We also celebrated WABC 76th Church Anniversary on Sunday.

In the midst of the business we did lose a very special family member. Cousin Rose's memorial service was truly aHomegoing celebration with lots of families and friends gathered to remember her. Great testimonies about her life, gorgeous photos from her modeling days and jazz music playing to greet everyone at the start of the service. If you knew her you know this would have been right up her alley!

It almost became a family reunion of sorts with several of us traveling together to MD. At one point we had 14 family members sitting down to eat before and after the service. 

That is one of the many things I love about my family. They will come together when it counts the most, but not only then but whenever giving the chance we do not hesitate to gather together. Life is just way to short to be divided especially when it comes to family. The older I get the more I appreciate the one that God placed me in!

We did celebrate several birthdays this month including my girlfriends mom who just happens to be my Mary Kay lady (over 15 yrs).

And October is a big month for birthdays in my family. TJ's birthday was a few weeks ago and Nicki will turn 29 on Tuesday, This coming Friday on Halloween will be my moms birthday. October is also the birthday month for several cousins as well as my nephew Alex who turned 17! 

Again I'm just so grateful to be a part of this family. 

Family

Hard to believe but in just a few weeks we will celebrate 6 years at WABC! I found this picture evoke searching through old albums for the upcoming celebration. What I love the most about this picture is that most of the people standing behind us are family! I love my family to life! I understand that not every family is as blessed as I am and it makes me even more grateful to God for placing me in the one he did! Whenever you call on them they will be there if at all possible. And it doesn't matter if its for me or Marc. From the moment we married he became a part if them and they love in him just as if we was one of their very own..which he is! That to me is what family is all about!

Stepping out of our comfort zone!

This week has been a week of change and stepping out of our comfort zone for both Marc and I! For the first time ever Marc dressed down for our first official dress down Sunday which will take place on 5th Sundays at WABC, and I led worship during the start of our evening bible study! We both had to step out of our comfort zone but knowing its where God has been leading us seemed to make it a bit easier. I am the first to admit I don't do well with change. I'm a planner by nature..it's just in my DNA. But my plans don't always (more often then not don't) coincide with Gods plan for me! Lets face facts. There are many places and things I would not have gone or done on my own! But God has led me to places and caused me to do many things I never imagined. Sometime we expect things to be a certain way when in fact God is telling us to find a new way! Even in his word he makes it clear that new is sometimes better! 2 Corinthians 5:17 says...Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

We tend to cling to the old when God is asking us to embrace a new thing! If we really have confidence in God then ask yourself why are you afraid? Why do you keep looking backward rather then forward? 

Proverbs 3:5-6 says Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not to your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your path! 

If we really believe in the scriptures why do we have such a hard time applying them to our daily life?? At the end of the day Marc survived not wearing his suit one Sunday and even though my voice cracked during worship I made it through the set without passing out! 

What fear do you have that's keeping you from doing and being all that God has called you to be? Often we are distracted by things that mean very little to God and it keeps us from fulfilling our bigger purpose!

^{6 in all your ways acknow}

Conference Attire

The conference was as close as I was going to get to a vacation this year so the moment I found out I would be going I started planning what I would wear. Knowing Marc would not be of much help because lets face it men don't usually notice what type of attire women wear (well Marc doesn't unless they are wearing something crazy...lol) I checked with my mom to see if I needed to dress up or not. Based on what she told me it just depended on what you wanted to do and since I was more concerned with being comfortable rather then trying to impress people this is what I went with!

Ironically the outfit I wore on Sunday to go register was taken from my mom's closet when she started to decide what to take to the conference. This dress was soo comfortable and the added benefits was that it had pockets (which I love on dresses because I never know where to put my hands).

The blue stripe dress is from Sam's Club! And I loved it so much I went back and got it in green a few weeks after I picked up this one for my birthday. The Purse is from JustFab and the shoes are from Payless and are at least ten or 15 years old! The jewelry was from my birthday haul and the watch is from last years anniversary trip to Florida.

Each year I make a wish list for the following year and last year I knew I wanted a black and white Maxi skirt. I just didn't want to pay the prices that I was seeing for them. Then one day I walked in Roses (which is a discount store here) and saw one for $12.00. I picked it up as soon as I got birthday money. The sandals and jewelry have all been in my collection for more years then I can count. The jacket (which I knew immediately I wanted to wear with this skirt) is from Dress Barn and the black t-shirt is from Sam's. They have a basic line of t-shirts that I just love (so much so that I have the same shirt in white, gray and navy stripe). The purse which is kind of hard to see in this picture is from ...you guessed it. JustFab. I swear they need to sponsor me. LOL

This dress is cute but just a tad to short for my taste once I put it on anyway. I may need a kerchief to put around my legs in order to wear this one again. My sandals are Kenneth Kole and the bag (no its not from JustFab) is from an outlet in Florida. I picked up the necklace a while back at KandG for like $6.00! 

I love the colors in this dress. Picked it up as well as the jean dress from Roses for $15.00 each! You can't beat that with a stick! Unfortunately by the end of the week my feet and ankles were swollen from all of the walking and I had to break down and go to Payless and get a more comfortable pair of sandals with more support. I also abandoned my regular purse for my small Dooney and Bourke satchel a friend gave me for my birthday. 

With the exception of a pair of new sunglasses and the new dresses that was the only things I have added to my wardrobe this summer. My wardrobe choices probably wouldn't make it into a magazine but they work for me and at 50 yrs old that's all that really matters to me anyway. LOL

The 100th Hampton University Ministers Conference!

Last week Marc and I attended the 100th Hampton University Minister's Conference.

We went on last Sunday to pick up our registration info and packets and to help my mom settle into the dorms which she stayed in during the week (they also offer workshops that week for Choir Directors. You might recall us helping her last year as well). Last year Marc attended for the first time and enjoyed it so much that he thought I would want to attend this year.

The contents of the Conference bag this year was pretty good!

Although the conference would not officially start until Monday evening they held a concert Sunday evening to kick off the event. After we helped my mom unpack we went to dinner and then came back in time for the festivities. 

I even got to see two of my friends who sing with the Mount Unity Choir.

The first night of the event the President of the HUMC spoke. The next morning we got to hear from Pastor E. Dewey Smith. That man preached his socks off ! 

Tuesday during lunch time I got to attend a special session for Women Leaders. The speaker was Pastor Susie Owens. This was not the first time I had heard her and as usual she did not disappoint. 

If you left that session the same then maybe its time to do something different! 

The women (and a few men) were packed in there! 

I had the pleasure of sitting between two awesome women of God who made me feel loved and accepted despite the fact that I didn't hold a degree or carry the title of Minister. 

Tuesday night we got to hear Bishop Jakes speak. The place was so packed it was crazy. People were entering the conference center two and three hours in advance to get a seat!

Wednesday before the afternoon sessions I caught a shuttle and met my mom over at the Hampton University's Cafeteria for lunch. The company was great, the food was filling and the view was breathtaking! 

Wednesday after the TD Jakes had spoken and Marc and I were on our way out we ran into our good friend Slater who was one of the worship leaders for the conference. 

Marc and I learned our lesson the first night and made it into the center in plenty of time before having to end up in the nose bleed section. LOL

A few of the days we were there we got to hang out with long time friend Rev. Ricky Lee.

I had a great time but my feet suffered the consequences of days of walking and I had to break down on Thursday and go get a pair of more comfortable sandals to wear because my feet and ankles were swollen.

There were several vendors at the conference (next year I will have to get a pic of the big tent where everything a First Lady or Pastor would ever want (or not) could be found. Including a Rolls Royce! 

I think the best part for Marc was seeing all of his fellow classmates and Pastor friends. I even saw a few people I knew including some family.

On Thursday night we attended the concert that spotlights all of the Music majors, worship leaders and directors. Somewhere in that sea of people was my mom. LOL

I really enjoyed the week and I can see going back again if Marc decides to go next year. Other then the morning speaker Dr. Smith I really enjoyed the class sessions. My favorites were Relevant Social and Civic Engagement with Dr. Antipas Harris from Regent University, Using a Familiar Story to Reach and Unfamiliar Culture with PastorTim Tooten, Sr who is a news reporter as well as a pastor. I also enjoyed the Dynamics of Organizational Change with Bishop Felton Hawkins. 

My advice to anyone attending would be to register early, make use of the shuttles for getting around the campus (which is huge). Spend a little time away from the conference just connecting with others that are there and if at all possible make use of the campus cafeteria (you can't beat an all you can eat lunch for $11.00.....lol).