May 2019 Newsletter
Save The Date"
May 2: National Day of Prayer
May 12: Mother's Day
May 18: Armed Forces Day
May 27: Memorial Day
Prayer Corner
Mothers Day can be a difficult day for some. Please pray for those who may have an estranged relationship with their mom, or those whose moms are no longer here on earth but are present with the Lord. Also, pray for those who long to be moms who are battling infertility or pregnancy loss. Let us not forget the moms who have lost a child far too early. May our good Father bring peace and joy to their hearts. A peace that surpasses all understanding and an abundance of joy for all that He has blessed them with, even in the midst of these difficult trials.
LIFE HAPPENS
by Bill Powell
To know me is to know I am the king of colloquialisms. Here is another one, “Life is not always a bed of roses”. Excuse me while I lead you down a garden path. It’s summer, right? So you’re thinking of a vacation. You’re going to have a swell time. It’s going to be great. Then, Boom! Life happens. Actually, you don’t have to go on a vacation for life to happen. What I am getting at is that bad things happen to good people. Life is not always a bowl of cherries. Don’t get me wrong. Sometimes life is a bowl of cherries and sometimes a bed of roses. The question is how do you react to life when it happens.
It’s easy to comport ourselves in a pleasant way when things are going great, but what about when things don’t go so well? The Christian life is not a guarantee that trouble, difficulty, injustice, pain and sorrow never darken our door. We will all have to agree life has so many wonderful things to enjoy. Especially in this country, we are blessed to the point that it is so easy to be ungrateful, spoiled, and as Americans in general, we can even be wasteful. Too often Americans can act entitled.
That’s where Christianity kicks in. We are ambassadors for Jesus Christ. As Christians we are to enjoy the many blessings we have been given. We are to be grateful, appreciative, humble, and forgiving. We are to shine our lights at all times not just when things are good. Rejoice when things go well, but when they don’t how should we act? Here are some verses to chew on before leaving to go on vacation or if you plan a staycation.
(Luk 6:28) Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
(Luk 6:29) Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either.
(Luk 6:30) Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.
(Luk 6:31) Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.
(Luk 6:32) If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
(Luk 6:33) If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. NASB
Remember, there is no good that comes out of anger, bitterness, being unforgiving, jealous, envious, rude, and combative. Too often, the verses about turning the other cheek or forgiving seventy times seven are thrown out the window. Enjoy your summer, rejoice, be glad, be grateful, kind, loving, gracious and giving. If you follow these rules, your summer should be great. Remember, there is no justification for bad behavior. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
A LITTLE ABOUT ME
by Christina Hutchinson
Something that many of you may not know about me is that I am a singer/songwriter. I’ve been singing ever since I can remember. I have been writing songs probably just as long. For some reason, I liked to sing and make my own songs either on the swing set or in the car. I also used to practice on my karaoke machine in the garage at home. All the neighbors could hear me loud and clear, even on the next street over from us. My mom would get a call on the phone “Christy’s at it again!”
When I met my husband in 2005 our love for music was the first thing that brought us together. He plays guitar, I sing, we’re a perfect match! In 2009 we started laying acoustic entertainment gigs, as Stealing Vanity, for restaurants in our local area and quickly picked up steam covering a large area from Flagler Beach to Cocoa Beach and everywhere in between. We weren’t just playing at restaurants anymore either. We played for Nascar events such as their awards banquets locally in Daytona Beach and also in the Nascar Hall of Fame located in Charlotte North Carolina. We played under the NAPA tent during the Coke 0 race as well. Stealing Vanity became a signed band to an independent label in Nashville TN. We were featured in multiple songwriter showcases, we performed for top studio producers, made a music video, and were on our way to making a new album that we were hoping was going to put us on a national map.
Well, things didn’t go to plan. In fact, the dream we had of touring, our name in lights and magazines quickly vanished! The entire production fell apart. Now I’m willing to bet that most of you reading this probably think I am bummed that my dream never came true, but actually it was for the best! See, Ryan and I had started going to church in 2014 and about a year later attempted to move to Nashville to salvage any little bit of our music career we had left. That lasted all of 2 weeks. God wanted us here, in Daytona. It’s obvious in today’s culture that fame leads to a life of misery. Maybe not for all, but for most. When I see what we may have been in for I thank God for sparing us from whatever was awaiting us on that road ahead. I thank God that He does have a plan and that it’s for our good.
Ryan and I still do our acoustic gigs locally and write music too. We are also a big part of our praise team at Church. In all that we’ve been through together whether it’s the band not working out, or our journey to parenthood, we know that God has a plan for us, that His timing is perfect, and that He promises to never leave us even when we face disappointment and loss. Through it all, God has strengthened our faith and also our love for one another.
Maybe you’re facing a disappointment, a change in direction you didn’t expect. If that’s the case, hold tight to the promises of God, because He works all things for the good of those who love Him.
BECAUSE WE ALL NEED GOD
by Denisha Stearns
What a rich heritage we Americans have! The annual National Day of Prayer is in a few days- on Thursday May 2nd. We sometimes take for granted the blessing of having a national day set aside for prayer that has existed since the first Continental Congress in the late 1700s. I admit that I myself haven’t been as serious or thoughtful about this day in years’ past. But with a growing awareness of other peoples’ needs, caring more about others’ salvation, and seeing the atrocities happening around the world, I am compelled to humble myself before the Creator of the universe. Because we all need God. Every day. Now even. The ancient Israelites cried out to Jesus, “Hosannah” which means “save us”. Has peoples’ need for salvation, among other needs, changed much in two thousand years? If you are already considered by many to be a “prayer warrior”, then God bless you. For the rest of us, let’s get serious. Not just on this day for tradition’s sake to preserve this great heritage, but for relationship’s sake, to have our heavenly Father hear our love and concern for others and the world we all live in.
If you want a suggestion for guiding the What and the Who of your prayers, how about this? Start inward and go out. Start with yourself, then family, friends, church, community, country, world. Don’t forget your foes, the forgotten, or the forsaken. Those who fight for your freedom, and those who fight the good fight of faith. And I plan on some serious meditation of the Psalms as lately I have found much to relate to: David’s weakness and despair and the Lord’s strength. David’s lack of ability and the Lord’s infinite capability. David’s understanding of his circumstances and his faith in a God who is all-knowing and all-powerful over all circumstances. And David’s declarations of his continued trust in a trustworthy God. May He hear your prayers this Thursday and every other day as well. Because we all need God!
“I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.” Psalm 116:1,2
THE TWIN PROTECTORS
by Chris Johnson
How often do you pray for protection? Maybe your family is in the midst of a trial and are looking for wisdom and clarity concerning some important decisions you have to make. It’s possible that you're facing some difficult situations at work and want to walk carefully and honor the Lord with your words and actions. Maybe a business partner is tempting you to make some questionable decisions that might be unethical but would benefit the company financially. These examples call for prayers of protection and courage to walk in integrity and honesty. Psalm 25:21, relates David’s prayerful words to the Lord when he faced great adversity and yet was committed to waiting on the Lord for his plan to unfold. He prayed, “May integrity and uprightness {honesty} protect me, because my hope, Lord, is in you.” (NIV) The twin protectors, integrity and honesty, serve as powerful shields against the temptation to take matters into our own hands and not wait upon the Lord for his wisdom, guidance, and direction. Integrity in the secret place and honesty in the public eye are far better than deceit and deception. They encourage us to walk humbly before the Lord, trusting in his sovereign care, and perfect plan for our lives. The Lord Jesus is our master, and we are His servants. He cares for us and has promised to guide every day of this life.