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guess who is preaching this Sunday


The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.

This is an incredible week.  I am enjoying time with my mom and dad as well as my two brothers.  What a huge blessing it is be able to spend time away from my home in Virginia and know that all is taken care of while I am away.

Because of my absence, some excitement, and wanting you to pray, I want you to hear this special announcement …

This coming Sunday at The Community Fellowship we will have a special guest speaking that you will be surprised by.  My lovely and awesome wife, Julie, will be speaking.  Yes, you heard me right.  Julie Harrison will be sharing a message with our church family from her heart as we close out our series YourVerse.

Please be praying for Julie as she prepares for Sunday and as she shares.  I am so excited about this.  But I also ask our church family to flat fill the church up.  My Julie is an incredible lady that will bless you, encourage you and help you see how the Scripture has taken her life and our family to a new level.

I am missing Julie and our kids big time (other than our oldest daughter Rebecca who is traveling with me this week).  I believe that The Community is going to be in “overflow mode” this Sunday, and no one needs to miss this.

Most of you know that my mom has been in a nursing/rehab center since she broke her ankle almost 5 months ago.  It has been a struggle and very difficult time for my mom and our family.  This week I have been blessed to spend some time with mom, and yesterday she even took her first car ride in 4 and 1/2 months.  Saturday we all be attending my niece Quincy’s wedding, and my mom will be there and most likely crying with the rest of us.

I promised you stories.  I guess I will keep my promise. 

Quincy is the youngest of my brother’s children as I am the youngest in our family.  I really have always thought that the baby of the family is the most special child of all.  You would agree, I am sure.  My brothers say that I was spoiled which could not be further from the truth.  When I was very young, I didn’t have my own room.  My parents would tell you that I would wait till late in the evening to see which brother I wasn’t mad at that I would sleep with that night.  I would tell you that all I had was a closet in the hallway that was mine.  Poor Michael, right?

On another occasion at the same house as I was 4 or 5 years old my oldest brother was playing baseball with some of his friends in our front yard.  I was pestering him (I didn’t do that much).  I kept begging him to let me play in our mom’s car, an old white four door Ford.  He let me in the car.  By the way, our drive way was steep, and the car was parked at the top of the driveway.  Before long the old Ford ended up inside part of the garage without the garage door being opened and on some of the front porch.  Someone said that I jumped out of the car and said, “can I do that again?”

There are some stories for you.  I like to reminisce and even to drive around the town I loved in growing up and see all the changes, but what I really enjoy most are the people who have held my heart all these years.  My parents, my brothers and I have been through a lot.  Heart attack of dad in the early 80’s.  Knee surgery for mom.  Car wrecks.  Wild sons.  Death of grandparents.  Troubles at churches we attended.  Struggles in school, especial for me in elementary school.  Health problems and more.  But we have each other. 

I am grateful for my family back home in Virginia, but what an honor and blessing it is to spend some time with this great family of my origin.  Please keep on praying for my mom as she gets stronger.  Pray for my niece and her soon to be husband, Nick.  Pray for Julie as she preaches on Sunday at The Community.  And finally, I challenge you to cherish and spend time with your family!

Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law.

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