Huntington WV (Beth Moore and Gary Smalley) Focus on Marriage Simulcast

When your marriage is satisfying and stable everything looks different i.e. your problems and pressures seem manageable. But when your marriage is not satisfying and unstable it makes everything look worse. Your problems and pressures seem overwhelming. The quality of your marriage affects every area of life. Couples who are happily married tend to enjoy life and cope with problems better than unhappy couples. That's why we have to take time to nurture our relationship with our mate. As I write these words I feel convicted because I spend so much time working. I’ll bet you feel the same way. You are busier than me. We're all busy. But there comes a time when we need to stop working and focus on marriage. This weekend you have an opportunity to do just that. Come to Norway Ave Church of Christ this Saturday morning at 9am for the Focus on Marriage Simulcast. You will worship God and learn from his word and meet couples from nearly every church in the Tristate area. You will be inspired by great speakers like Beth Moore, Gary Smalley and John Trent and many others. Most important, the Lord Jesus Christ will be at the center of it all. You see, Jesus is the key to enriching your marriage. The closer you get to Jesus the closer you'll be to each other. So come to the Focus on Marriage Simulcast this Saturday (Feb 28). Our church is easy to find. Just click on this link for directions http://norwayave.org/findus.html or email Jeanie Meadows at secretary@norwayave.org or call 304-525-0095. See you Saturday.

Focus on Marriage Simulcast at Norway Ave (Beth Moore and Gary Smalley Live)

Come to Norway Ave Church of Christ on Saturday February 28, 2009 for the Focus on Marriage Simulcast. That's right! You will be blessed as by the the worship and praise led by Jeremy Camp and you we learn how God wants to bless your marriage from some well-known speakers. Live via satellite, you will hear Beth Moore, Gary Smalley, John Trent, Gary Thomas and Del Tackett. Tickets on sale now. Child care will be available. Contact the church office (304-525-3302) for more info or visit the church website at http://norwayave.org/.

All of our ministries at Norway Ave are built around the cross of Jesus Christ. The cross is at the center of everything we do. It's all about being transformed from the inside-out - not by will-power and self determination, but by the Holy Spirit. All of our ministries - benevolence, buildings and grounds, children's ministry, education, evangelism, small groups, fellowship, Sonshiners, youth ministry, technology, women's ministry and worship - it is all focused on the cross of Jesus Christ. The vertical beam represents our love for God and the horizontal beam represents our love for each other.

I am writing from Dallas where I attended a great conference called Innovation3 . Over 100 innovative church leaders spoke at the conference which was held at Bent Tree Bible Fellowship. Some of the leaders that spoke were Brian Tome (Crossroads Church - where my friend Phil Richardson attends), Tim Keller (Redeemer Presbyterian Church), Mark Driscoll (Mars Hill), Nancy Ortberg (Teamworx2), Steve Robbins (Vineyard Church), Stacy Spencer (New Direction Christian Church) - just to name a few. The conference ended with a great talk by Matt Carter. Carter is the pastor of Austin Stone Community Church. Carter planted that church with the help of worship leader Chris Tomlin (imagine that!) and it has grown to have a dynamic impact in Austin, TX. The conference was great - the speakers were fantastic, the bands were awesome and the worship and praise was amazing. This evening I began the process of transcribing my conference notes - most of the other pastors had their lap top at the conference but my battery is bad so I had to use pen and paper. The content of the presentations was so good I couldn't write fast enough. When I finish transcribing I plan to share what I've learned with our ministry leaders at Norway - I may also post them on this blog. My plane leaves DFW early and arrives around 1pm in Columbus. After teaching a 6-9pm class at Marshall I'll be home. I look forward to seeing Kim and the girls.

From Glades Springs Resort

I spoke at the State of WV Probation Officer's Conference at Glade Springs Resort near Beckley. The resort is big and beautiful - there is snow on the ground. The title of my presentation was "Effective Strategies for Highly Stressed Probation Officers." The room was packed and the the PO's responded with interested and enthusiasm. I really enjoyed speaking - I used principles from CBT the audience was engaging and participated. I also played my guitar - I opened with Grandma's Feather Bed by John Denver and closed with a song I wrote - Home Six Mile. Two of the PO's were from Madison and they said that a bar in Madison WV plays my music in their juke box - the especially liked "1981" and "Home Six Mile."

From Dallas Texas - My presentation at the Association for Assessment in Counseling and Education (AACE)

I am writing from my hotel in Dallas. I just finished speaking at the AACE National Assessment Conference and I am excited! I thank God for the opportunity and the way people responded to my research. The title of my presentation was "Using ENRICH to assess the marital satisfaction of interethnic couples". The first part of my presentation focused on the the instrument itself (e.g., it's content, it's psychometric properties, etc.) and the second part focused on the results of my research. The response amazed me! I thank God! People did not want to leave the room. I told them we had to go because the next presentation was about to begin. They came to me, ask for copies of my study. The AACE president Dr. Richard Balkin and another AACE leader walked me down the hall, talking the entire time - they asked me to speak at next year's conference in Virginia Beach and recruited me to serve in a leadership position. I am not sure what it involves but they way they described it sounded really great. If I understood them correctly - they asked me to consult and advise and colaborated with other profs in AACE as they create standards for clinical assessement and standards for training graduate programs. These men serve important roles in the counseling profession and influence the profession at a national level. The president of AACE is a prof at Texas A&M-Commerse - I do not remember which university the other man was from but he talked about how they work at a national level (e.g. NBCC). Anyway, I know God opened this door for me and I thank him for it. And now, I can't wait to get home to see Kim and the girls.

From Mackinac Island in Michigan

I am writing from the beautiful historic Grand Hotel on Mackinac Isaland in Michigan. Today I spoke at a state-wide convention for the Michigan Association of Healthcare Advocates (MAHA). My presentation was titled "Serving Others is What Life is all About". It was a mixture of CBT principles spiced up motivation, inspirational stories, lots of jokes and, of course, music. I always bring my guitar to these speaking engagements to sing and play. Music brightens up the audience and creates a climate for learning. The people received my presentation very well and I am happy! I'm grateful to Mary Lou McFadden (VP of Education for MAHA) for inviting me. My good friend Pat Chambers invited me to speak in Charlotte NC and Williamsburg VA. Mary Lou was at both conventions, heard me speak and that's how she came to invite me. Pat opened a great door for me which has resulted in numerous speaking engagements and I am so thankful for Pat. I thank God for the opportunity to speak here. It is a great privilege and I never take opportunities like this for granted. I thank God for being with me as I speak. I always put in a good word for Jesus, share my story and encourage people. They laughed, cried, bought all my music CDs. I sold out and people were standing in line expressing disappointment that I didn't have more. I gave them my website and instructions on how to download my music on itunes. The island is amazing. As beautiful as the Greenbrier Hotel in White Sulfur Springs in WV but I believe this setting tops it. Out my window is a beautiful lawn, a large blue pool, a view of the great lakes, horses, buggies, lots of people - it's a self-sustained island of hotels, bed and breakfast inns, shops and historical buildings. No cars are allowed - only horses and bikes. I saw a beautiful stone church (congregationalists) on the way up the hill that was built in 1900. I wish Kim and the girls were hear. I miss them now and look forward to seeing them Wednesday at church when I return. For now I will continue to study through the night and try to make good use of this peaceful and quiet (and very expensive) hotel room before I catch my 11:10am flight back home.

From New York City

Kim, Amber, Tori, Shayna and I are in New York City on Vacation. We have had a blast! We stead in a Ramada just a few blocks away from the Empire State Building, which we visited at night to see the beautiful lights of the city. We took the ferry, saw the Statue of Liberty, went to China Town, Grand Central Station, two museums, art gallaries, St Peter's Cathedral, Central Park, Time Square, Yankee Stadium, Ground 0 where the Twin Towers collapsed, the Rockefeller Center, walked down Wall Street, walked through Tiffany's, and shopped in Macy's and much, much more! It has been fantastic and Kim, the girls and I have had a wonderfulful time - it's a vacation we will always remember. And it's not over because tomorrow we are going to an Dorney Amusement and Water Park in Allen Town PN - it has about a lot of big rollercoasters and water slides.

From Pepperdine University in Malibu California

I have had a wonderful week at Pepperdine University in beautiful Malibu California. I taught a class called "Wonderful Counselor: Chirst-Centered Cognitive Behavior (CBT) Training for Church Leaders. I have renewed friendships and had great visits with lots of people like Rick Atchley, Chris Siedman, Buddy Bell, Craig Kelly, David Martin and Lynn Anderson gave me a great big holy kiss. I'm looking forward to going home. I miss Kim and the girls.

From Williamsburg

I'm writting from Williamsburg VA. Pat Chambers invited me to speak for the SDVSHO Conference Pat is the president over the district which includes 13 states. I went to dinner at a very nice resturant with Pat and her friends tonight and I speak two times tomorrow. The hotel is beautiful and surrounded by history. The 301-acre Historic Area, with 88 original 18th-century buildings and more than 500 structures re-creating the colonial capital of Virginia, which is a brief stroll from the Lodge front entrance. I am grateful to Pat for the opportunity to speak. The people at these conferences are wonderful and I enjoy being with them. I pray I do a good job speaking.

1981 (Scott High 25th Year High School Reunion)

I wrote this song for my 25th year high school reunion. I graduated from Scott High School in Madison (Boone County) WV in 1981. I hope you like the song.

From Columbia SC

I'm in Columbia SC. I just finished speaking at the President's Summit for South Carolina's Hospital Auxilary. My presentation was a mixture of CBT, stories, jokes, and music. I really enjoyed it but I'm tired and ready to be home. My connection is Philadelphia which puts me in Charleston at 11pm and home late but it was worth it. They responded well to my presentation and my music. My music CD is now in SC! I have one more speaking engagement this month in Waverly Ohio. Next month I will be in Virginia. I will be in Malibu CA in May and at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island in Michigan in June. I thank God for the opportunity to speak to a variety of people and audiences.

Six Point Buck (Deer #7)

The Lord gave me success this deer season. Jacob used these words to decieve his father in Genesis 27:20 Isaac asked his son Jacob, "How did you find it so quickly, my son?" "The LORD your God gave me success," he replied. Jacob lied. He wasn't serving wild game. He was serving a young goat taken from his father's flock. His mother prepared it and dressed him up so that he felt like and smelled like his brother. Jacob decieved his poor old feeble blind father. But his statement "God gave me success" is meaningful. Isaac did not balk at that statement because God can give a hunter success. God gave me success this season. The Lord gave seven deer and the last deer was a six point buck. My freezer is full and I'm eating deer meat (not goat) almost every day. It's really good. There is something special about eating the meat you hunted and killed. After every kill and before every meal I said a prayer of thanksgiving. It was a great season. I didn't get the monster I was hunting but I got a good buck. I'm tagged out and my season is over.

My Songs on Ourstage.com

Listen to my new CD at - http://www.ourstage.com/entry/UZWYDYTSTDMZ-home-six-mile-upload.

I've killed 6 deer this season

I've killed 6 deer this season. I killed four in WV and two in Ohio. My freezer is full! I'm sharing the meat with some friends. I have one more month to bow hunt in Ohio. For three years I've been hunting a buck that is larger than the one in the picture above. He's a huge monster and I pray I get him in January. At this time I'm sitting in a ski lodge at Seven Springs early this morning and I am thinking about the recreation that I am enjoying with my family and the deer hunting that I have enjoyed this past fall - my heart is filled with gratitude. Thank you Lord!

From Seven Springs Ski Resort (PN)

We are skiing Seven Springs. Carl and Sharon (Kim's parents) gave the girls a ski trip for Christmas! They are so generous. The girl's cousins Ally, Emma and Dillon are here and the girls always have a great time with their cousins. Carl just took Darren to Pittsburgh and is on his way back to Seven Springs. Pray for Darren, he's headed for Germany because he was deployed by the US military. Sharon, Kim, the girls and their cousins are asleep and I woke up at 6:30am and it snowed 15 inches last night and it's still coming down! Ski conditions are going to be great today and 7 Springs has night skiing so we can ski till 9:30pm. Last night Shayna had a little trouble on one of the slopes but it was so funny that we all stood at ski lift and laughed till it hurt. It was so much fun!

Preparing for 2 Corinthians

I am preparing for my next series in 2 Corinthians around the theme "Maintaining Healthy Relationships." My teachers are Scott Hafeman (2 Cor. - NIV Application Commentary), Kent Hughes (2 Cor. - Power in Weakness), John MacArthur (The MacArthur NT Comentary 2 Cor), Aida Spencer (Daily Bible Commentary: A Guide for Reflection and Prayer), Charles Hodge (Commentary on 2 Cor - this commentary belonged - I love to read it because I can see the parts that dad highlighted and underlined) Ray Stedman (Exposition of 2 Cor: Power Out of Weakness) and John Piper (who has several online manuscripts on 2 Cor). I just recieved my commentaries in the mail today. It's like opening up boxes of candy. It's exciting for me. I have been reading and re-reading 2 Corinthians and now I get to enroll in six courses on 2 Corinthians. Jesus and his Spirit will feed me with the text, the profs will help me go deeper, and through prayer and refection and meditation and living and talking and getting stuck and unstuck - I will fill myself up with the word of God so that I can preach. I have to live with it first. I learn far more than I ever share. I learn from the best teachers (that I know) and when I'm full, I can preach Jesus with passion. But I cannot feed others until I am fed. I love what I do! I love to study God's word, Lord help me apply it to my own life first. I love to prepare to preach - to wrestle with the sermon manuscripts and the presentation. I love searching for illustrations and stories. I talk to others, learn from everyday events, search for multimedia on ignitor video and blue fish. Jeanie helps me so much with this whole process. So, I'm excited now and ready to begin my preparation. I've taught 2 Corinthians in Bible classes, but I've never preached through 2 Corinthians. God help me preach Jesus and bless me and the church as we learn from this series of teachings. Help me make it encouraging and uplifting and simple and practical and clear and strengthen our faith in Jesus so that we can build and maintain healthy relationships.

The New Earth

How could I have missed it? As many times as I have read passages about a new heaven and a new earth - how could I have missed it? It's right in the middle of the song we sing every Christmas - "Joy to the World". Remember the phrase - No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow, far as the curse is found. Jesus not only redeemed humanity by the cross, he will one day reclaim the earth. Isaiah, Peter and John spoke of a new heaven and a new earth. They were talking about this old earth being made new. That's right! The earth you're sitting on will one day be reconciled to Jesus Christ. The Bible speaks of the renewal of all things (Matthew 19:28), the restoration of all things (Acts 3:21), the liberation of creation (Romans 8:21), and the reconciliation of all things (Colossians 1:19). One day Jesus will make all things new. All things includes not only people, but the visible universe. The prophets were never concerned about some far-off immaterial realm where ghosts live. The prophets talked about the land, the inheritance, the city of Jerusalem, and the earth they walked on. This is where we will live because heaven and earth will be one.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas is here. Kim, the girls and I are headed tO Jeanie's for Christmas Eve dinner. We will celebrate Christmas tonight and tomorrow here at our house and then it's off to Carl and Sharon's for another Christmas meal. We are so grateful for all of God's blessings, especially gift of his one and only Son Jesus Christ. God bless you and your family this holiday. Merry Christmas to all!

His Name is Wonderful (100 Biblical Names and Titles for Jesus)

Advocate (1 John 2:1) Almighty (Rev. 1:8; Mt. 28:18) Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:8; 22:13) Amen (Rev. 3:14) Apostle of our Profession (Heb. 3:1) Atoning Sacrifice for our Sins (1 John 2:2) Author of Life (Acts 3:15) Author and Perfecter of our Faith (Heb. 12:2) Author of Salvation (Heb. 2:10) Beginning and End (Rev. 22:13) Blessed and only Ruler (1 Tim. 6:15) Bread of God (John 6:33) Bread of Life (John 6:35; 6:48) Bridegroom (Mt. 9:15) Capstone (Acts 4:11; 1 Pet. 2:7) Chief Cornerstone (Eph. 2:20) Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4) Christ (1 John 2:22) Creator (John 1:3) Deliverer (Rom. 11:26) Eternal Life (1 John 1:2; 5:20) Gate (John 10:9) Faithful and True (Rev. 19:11) Faithful Witness (Rev. 1:5) Faithful and True Witness (Rev. 3:14) First and Last (Rev. 1:17; 2:8; 22:13) Firstborn From the Dead (Rev. 1:5) Firstborn over all creation (Col. 1:15) Gate (John 10:9) God (John 1:1; 20:28; Heb. 1:8; Rom. 9:5; 2 Pet. 1:1;1 John 5:20; etc.) Good Shepherd (John 10:11,14) Great Shepherd (Heb. 13:20) Great High Priest (Heb. 4:14) Head of the Church (Eph. 1:22; 4:15; 5:23) Heir of all things (Heb. 1:2) High Priest (Heb. 2:17) Holy and True (Rev. 3:7) Holy One (Acts 3:14) Hope (1 Tim. 1:1) Hope of Glory (Col. 1:27) Horn of Salvation (Luke 1:69) I Am (John 8:58) Image of God (2 Cor. 4:4) Immanuel (Mt. 1:23) Judge of the living and the dead (Acts 10:42) King Eternal (1 Tim. 1:17) King of Israel (John 1:49) King of the Jews (Mt. 27:11) King of kings (1 Tim 6:15; Rev. 19:16) King of the Ages (Rev. 15:3) Lamb (Rev. 13:8) Lamb of God (John 1:29) Lamb Without Blemish (1 Pet. 1:19) Last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45) Life (John 14:6; Col. 3:4) Light of the World (John 8:12) Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5) Living One (Rev. 1:18) Living Stone (1 Pet. 2:4) Lord (2 Pet. 2:20) Lord of All (Acts 10:36) Lord of Glory (1 Cor. 2:8) Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16) Man from Heaven (1 Cor. 15:48) Mediator of the New Covenant (Heb. 9:15) Mighty God (Isa. 9:6) Morning Star (Rev. 22:16) Offspring of David (Rev. 22:16) Only Begotten Son of God (John 1:18; 1 John 4:9) Our Great God and Savior (Titus 2:13) Our Holiness (1 Cor. 1:30) Our Husband (2 Cor. 11:2) Our Protection (2 Thess. 3:3) Our Redemption (1 Cor. 1:30) Our Righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30) Our Sacrificed Passover Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7) Power of God (1 Cor. 1:24) Precious Cornerstone (1 Pet. 2:6) Prophet (Acts 3:22) Rabbi (Mt. 26:25) Resurrection and Life (John 11:25) Righteous Branch (Jer. 23:5) Righteous One (Acts 7:52; 1 John 2:1) Rock (1 Cor. 10:4) Root of David (Rev. 5:5; 22:16) Ruler of God’s Creation (Rev. 3:14) Ruler of the Kings of the Earth (Rev. 1:5) Savior (Eph. 5:23; Titus 1:4; 3:6; 2 Pet. 2:20) Son of David (Lk. 18:39) Son of God (John 1:49; Heb. 4:14) Son of Man (Mt. 8:20) Son of the Most High God (Lk. 1:32) Source of Eternal Salvation for all who obey him (Heb. 5:9) The One Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5) The Stone the builders rejected (Acts 4:11) True Bread (John 6:32) True Light (John 1:9) True Vine (John 15:1) Truth (John 1:14; 14:6) Way (John 14:6) Wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:24) Word (John 1:1) Word of God (Rev. 19:13)