Community

Before I start with the main topic to this posting which is community, I wanted to share what inspired it. Monday evening, I received a call informing me that one of the members of our weekly small group was taken to the hospital. Teresa and I prayed and I sent an e-mail asking for prayer. After 30 minutes, I received another call informing me that Rick Page (the small group member) had passed away. It shocked me and Teresa. We later found out he had a heart issue he and his wife knew nothing about. Rick was only 53 years old. As I was typing an e-mail to send to the Common Ground folks I kept thinking about our last small group meeting. Rick had brought his guitar and we spent 30 minutes just singing worship songs and I thought now Rick is worshiping our Savior face-to-face. It still brings tears thinking about it.

It is only because of our small group that I got to know Rick. I’ve knew he and his wife for almost 5 years but it wasn’t until we came together in a small group over a year ago that we started building a closer bond. I’ve been part of small groups for over 10 years and it never ceases to amaze me just how close a group can get. I do believe that a church should have small groups as its core because that is where the community is built. No matter how small or big a church is, small groups is where the bonds are created.

Our small group has dinner together each week before we do our Bible study. Doing this has created something that I have never seen before. It’s great to be apart of it. You see, I’m a member of the group; not the leader. I’m enjoying seeing how this group has brought out the gifts of Ed Frost (the host/leader of the group). This is a time for me to be part of a group and listen to others. I enjoy each week. The community in this group of 10.5 people -5 couples and baby Ripley (the .5) - is amazing. We hold each other accountable to words spoken and actions made, we love on each other, pray for each other, and now we are crying with each other.

I do wish more churches have small groups. The community that they create is what our world needs to see as an example of the New Testament church; people from different backgrounds, education, race, and financial make up all loving each other and sharing Christ with others.

Ed Frost has known the Page family for many years. Check out Ed’s thought about his friend at http://outerperspective.blogspot.com/.

Lucky (or Blessed) Man



Today is my 14th wedding anniversary so I wanted to post just how lucky of a man I am. I remember back in college talking with some older married students and them asking if I was married or happy. I know they meant it as a joke, but I always wanted to say that I was a happily married man. I prayed that God would give me a Proverbs 31 wife; I prayed this for the first time as a 16 year old preacher-boy and prayed it throughout my dating years. I sought the perfect woman and dated a lot of attractive women but I always asked God, “Is this the one You want for me?” It never failed, through circumstances the answer would be no so I went one to the next one. I knew God had called me to be in the ministry and I was told that I needed to be married so I looked for a ministry wife. I did this until I got tired of dating and decided to not date for awhile. That is when God sent Teresa into my life.

Teresa and I met when I worked at QVC. She was a Fulfillment Supervisor and I an hourly associate. I never worked for your department but we came into contact a few times. We started hanging out after work with a few others and then I invited her to church. She came several times. As our friendship deepened, I started to wonder if she was a Christian, so I asked her. She told me that she was not and that day God used me to draw her to Himself; the date was April 1, 1996. After her conversion, our friendship developed into something deeper. I wasn’t sure what it was morphing into. I prayed if Teresa could be the one for me. After the past relationships, I thought that she was but I needed to know. You see, Teresa was (and still is) the perfect package; she is beautiful, smart, caring, straight-forward, loved (still does) the Lord, and the list would take too long to read. I loved our friendship and feared that if I tried to take it to the next level it would stop. God was showing things to Teresa as I was praying, and she felt the same way. God has put us together at the right place and at the right time for us to be together. After praying and dating for 10 years, God gave me my Proverbs 31 wife.

I can say and I mean this with all my heart that I am the man I am today because God put Teresa and me together. I honestly believe God uses other people to mold us into who He wants us to become. Luck didn’t put Teresa and me together; it was God. I am blessed beyond measure with Teresa in my life. May God bless us with another few hundred more years today! I can honestly say, “I am a very happily married man

I Am Blessed

Sometimes we forget just how blessed we are of God. Living our lives, working our jobs, and doing the same thing day in and day out, we tend to forget to stop (and smell the roses). It takes going on vacation for some of us and others they never do stop.

Teresa, Ripley, and I have been away in KY since July 1. I’m on vacation!! I knew that God has blessed me so much in my life but getting to spend all day the last week with Ripley, I can see just how blessed I am. She is so pleasant and sweet. It has been a treat to see her and care for her; to watch Teresa love on her; and see her meet our families for the first time. I love everything about her.

I was going to wait and post my thoughts when I got home but I can’t wait. I want to shout just how great my God is and how He has blessed this sinner far more than I desire. He drew me to Himself at the age of 7 and He has molded me into the man I am today; through the good, the bad, and the indifferent situations of my life. He loves me far more than I desire. As a father now, I can see just a small bit of how He can love me like He does. How can I not serve Him the rest of my life?

Thank you Father for loving an unlovable person. Please take this small offering and use me to do whatever with me and to me so that You will receive the honor and glory.