Isn't It Amazing?

I was up early this morning. Not for any thing specific really. I am on vacation this week with my wife and 2 girls and I went to bed early so I got up early. Vacation for us typically means some fun in the sun; some time on a beach somewhere on the gulf. So my wake up call this early morning was a view of the Gulf of Mexico. Isn't it amazing?

Yesterday we took the girls on a snorkle excursion. It was a lot of fun. We made our way out of the pass and up the shoreline of the gulf coast. On our way to Egmont Key we had several dolphin encounters. It was amazing to see them allow us to get so close to them. They were having breakfast while we were having an amazing experience. Soon we were snorkeling at Egmont Key. Just under the surface of the ocean we saw all sorts of fish and ocean fixtures. It was amazing to see all of these beautiful creations.

Isn't the creation astonishing? I feel sorry for anyone who does not know our Creator God. God made all things that are out of nothing. He told the ocean it could only come so far. He tells the sun where to stand each morning. He named the stars! He is aware of each and every piece of sand. There is not one dolphin that God does not know.

And amazingly, Creator God invites us to have a personal relationship with Him. Isn't it amazing? I hope that your summer is marked by amazing encounters with a very amazing God.

Blessings,
Pastor Shannon

Taste and See

Have you ever come across one of those verses in Scripture that you've heard before or you've read several times and this time it just does something to you? Devotionally, I spend lots of time in the Psalms and last week I read Psalm 34:8 and it took hold of me. I have spent a week and a half reflecting on this one short promise.

Psalm 34:8 says, "Taste and see that the Lord is good." God is so very good to us! Even this week the weather has been just one reminder of how good God is. I was having lunch today with a friend of mine and I asked the owner of the restaurant how things were going. He quipped, "OK." I said, "You could be in Cairo." God is so good to protect us and to watch over us.

Our church, even in the down economy, has been so richly blessed. We are giving more to missions causes and mission work this year than at any other time in our churches history. We raised around $30,000 for the Lottie Moon Christmas offering. We have folks giving to purchase supplies to build "shanties" in Peru, 3 paid for as of this blog entry. Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Taste and see is a challenge to us to either put God to the test or reflect on what God has already done for us. Either way, God is so good! If you just read this blog, stop and reflect on all that God has done for you and all that God has brought you through. The rest of that verse says, "Blesssed is the man who trusts in him."

Taste and See,
Pastor Shannon

A Day by Day Commitment to a Long Range Plan

Who doesn't dream about the future? At times all of us wonder what life will be like 3, 5, or 10 years down the road. We envision our college graduation or our future home. We systematically contribute to our retirement plan and then hope that it will be enough. We see ourselves traveling all over the world as we enjoy the rewards of fruitful labor.

I suppose that a long range plan is something that as good stewards we all should have. It might not be crystal clear and it may not be writtten in ink, but nonetheless we have a plan for our future. But be careful not to live life in the future. Be careful not to wait to live.

As a caution, James wrote, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit, yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes." Don't wait until tomorrow to do what you know you ought to do today. Don't live so far out in the future that your life makes no difference in the present.

Your long range plan should be no more than a series of moment by moment commitments to be all for Christ that Christ desires you to be today. And if and when that time comes in the future that allows you to enjoy the fruit of your labor, you won't look back at your life with any regrets.

Blessings,

Pastor Shannon

Catching Up!

Well it has been a few months since my last post. I actually had some software issues and am just now sorting through them. Without trying to explain that which I cannot, let me just say that the software issues hindered my ability to "blog." To "blog"! What does that mean? I don't know what it means but I'm doin' it!

Praise God for 4 short term mission trips out of our church this summer. We had a good group serve the folks in Nashville, TN back a few months ago. Our combined efforts with some other folks in Nashville afforded us the opportunity to do some much needed clean up work. Two groups returned less than a month ago from Peru, South America. Over 40 of our short term missionaries partnered with Bro. Mike Kennedy and New Life Childrens Home. I know my wife Jennifer and my oldest daughter Madison had a great couple of weeks there in Cieneguilla. Blair and I enjoyed our time back in the states...she spent some time with family in Florida while I took in the Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando. Our last short term team returned home yesterday from Honduras. I don't yet have an update on their trip but I am sure that it was rich and rewarding.

Summer is in full swing. Worship at Lizella is awesome! Vacation Bible School begins next week and we will no doubt see the fruit of a great children's ministry and a great Sunday school program. Team Impact will be here in August. Looking foward to their evangelistic ministry. Hey, it's a great time to give LBC a try. See you on Sunday.

More to come later.

Blessings,
Pastor Shannon

God Is On Your Side

Ever been discouraged? Ever been uncertain about the present and even more uncertain about the future? Ever asked the question, "How am I going to survive this?" I know some would say "you can't do that" but let me answer the question with a question, "If God be for us then who shall be against us?"

Now think about that for just a moment. What your facing is real and it is burdensome. It may even keep you awake at night. If not losing sleep you certainly are less than productive during the day. Maybe it is a financial struggle associated with the continuing struggling economy. Maybe your marriage is not what you intended it to be when you said I do. Maybe it is the accusations of another against you. Maybe you are struggling with single life or married life or retired life...you fill in the blanks.

I have one simple profound truth that will help everyone of us deal with life. And quite honestly that's what your going through. Life is the series of events that happen to us moment by moment and day by day that make us who we are. Here's the truth: God is for you so what can stand against you? Paul wrote, "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Rom. 8:38-39

Your "whatever" is not bigger than God! God is not only able but fully willing and devoted to bringing you through this circumstance. God has not left His post. He is still seated on the throne and even though the enemy doesn't want you to believe it, it is still true: GOD IS ON YOUR SIDE!

Blessings,
Pastor Shannon

Christmas Is the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

As I write this blog I am listening to my favorite Christmas song That Spirit of Christmas by Ray Charles. You might be more familiar with the opening line in the song, "Christmas is the time of year." What is so special about Christmas? What makes Christmas the most joyous season of the year? Ray Charles causes us to consider really only two things in his historic song.

First, Christmas is the time of year for being with the ones we love. It is the time when families and friends get together and just enjoy one another. It is the time of year to enjoy Christmas plays, musicals, and contatas. It is the time of year to have fellowship around the family table. It is that time of year when we just sit around the fire and sing about Jesus. My youngest daughter Blair has been singing Christmas carols since Thanksgiving.

Second, why can't it remain all through the year, each day the same? What a great question! The spirit of Christmas is amazing. It is noticeably different. On purpose we celebrate the simple things: family, friends, events, fellowship, etc. But for whatever reason, just as the New Year turns we put away not only the Christmas decorations and the lights and ornaments but we also put away the spirit of Christmas.

I encourage you to do two things as you read this blog: 1) Listen to the song That Spirit of Christmas while you read it and 2) After Christmas, do the usual...box up the tree, the lights, the ornaments, the wrapping paper, etc. but leave the spirit of Christmas out of the box this year.

Celebrate with your family and friends all through the year.

Merry Christmas,

Pastor Shannon

So Thankful!

Tragic is the only word to describe the events that unfolded at Fort Hood less than 2 weeks ago. I grow so tired and weary of hearing about the bad news that grabs our attention all too often. But let me say with full fervor that even in the bad news we have so much to be thankful for.

Today marks the first day of my third year as Senior Pastor of this great church. I made that very comment to a staff member this morning and their reply in jest was, "It's been a long two years." The time has flown by. I can't believe that we have been in Georgia for two years.

I am thankful that God continues to grow me and this church. I am thankful that God is building a great team of support for pastoral ministry. I am thankful that we have laid a foundation for ministry over the course of two years and am thankful that the details of the vision and strategic plan will come in this third year together. I am thankful for your patience with me as pastor and for your support. I am thankful for every person won to the Lord and every person baptized. I am thankful that you continue to support the church financially. I am thankful for the sacrifice that many have made so that we could get our property updated and well kept. The appearance of this property alone causes my heart to be so full of thanksgiving.

Well I could go on and on...you know I could! That being said, tragedy is about to strike. No, I'm not an Old Testament prophet, just a citizen of a sin stricken world. And when it strikes I will continue to be thankful for all that God has done.

Blessings,
Pastor Shannon