And the fun begins

This coming week is the official opening of the season here at Alamo Rec Veh, and things are beginning to pick up.  Because of a water leakage problem, the sound system had to be moved to the other side of the hall - so we may or may not be able to use the hall or sound system for our first church service next Sunday. So on we go to plan B - use the Annex - the only problem could be the music, but we can work that out, I am sure. God has a plan, and so we just pray for His guidance. It really does not matter where we praise Him, or if we have music or not. He can hear our voices without music - probably even better!!!!  Chaplain Bill and his wife Ali arrived on Wednesday, ready to dig in and start their ministry. There was a hot dog welcome on Thursday for them as well as us (although pretty much everyone knows us). Many people attended and were glad for the opportunity to meet Bill and Ali one-on-one early in the season. This was followed on Friday with meetings with management to form a game plan and ideas for the coming year.  Pray for all of us as it is almost too early to see which direction we are going, but we know God will lead us.

We again attended church at Great Oaks, along with Bill and Ali and a neighbor. As usual Pastor Israel provided a great sermon, reminding that God has given us the gift of vision and it is our responsibility to be watchful, stand firm in our faith, be courageous, and be strong enough, through God's help, to follow that vision to look ahead, with the faith that it will be accomplished. Read Nehemiah to see how God gave him a vision and how he accomplished that vision. He had faith and courage to ask for more than the obvious and received what he asked for. We need to rely on God as we ask for the courage because the enemy is out there trying to defeat us. Not only is the enemy lurking on the outside but also within us, trying to defeat us before we even begin. Have faith, be strong, and rely on God.  It was also communion Sunday (Great Oaks serves communion quarterly and we were blessed to be there today.) We will continue to attend Great Oaks in addition to our service here at the park as often as we are able to.

 

Ali and Bill Artherholt, new Chaplains here at The Church @ Alamo Rec Veh

Pastor Israel Rodriguez's hands as he prays over the elements

the ushers also praying, ready to serve us

take my will Lord and make it truly yours

This is the time of year that I love - cool mornings and evenings, beautiful warm days. I must admit that I miss the beauty of the changing seasons, the smell of  falling leaves, pumpkins, everything that fall stands for. I remember as a kid in Chicago, neighbors would rake the leaves and pile them at the curb, waiting until evening to burn them. The smell was almost intoxicating, as we kids would run from one smoldering pile to another, sometimes jumping over them, must to the horror of the adults. I hated to go home, clean up and change into pajamas because I loved the smell so much. As there were no gardens around, our Dad would drive us to a suburb to pick out a pumpkin, which was quite a process as the choices were too many.  We would then take them home, carve them out, and Mother would bake the seeds with salt - a treasured treat as it happened only once a year. Since we cannot savor the changing colors here in S Texas, I stole a picture from a facebook friend to remind me how beautiful is this gift from God of creation. Read Psalm 104 and you will see what I am talking about.

no man can duplicate this

 

 

 

We have a special request for prayers for a  relative with an inoperable heart condition. With only one main artery partially open, he tires easily and is often out of breath. The doctors are treating it as much as they can, but are saying nothing else can be done. Pray for Edwin, that he comes to accept his current situation, slows down his lifestyle, and leans on Jesus Christ, his Savior. Our Lord is indeed the great healer - and He can perform miracles beyond our comprehension.