But others, they really connected with different elements of the worship.  I don’t understand always what “works” and what doesn’t.  But I am realizing that people want to worship our Great GOD.  I just get to help them do that.  Maybe that’s part of my contribution to God’s kingdom; helping people connect with God.  That’s a pretty big thing to give your life to.

The Easter Celebration  at MVBC lifted up our Lord.  Thanks need to go out to all of those involved in our worship team, choir, and orchestra.  You guys showed out for the Lord.

I’d like to say a special thanks to Zach Rogers who so masterfully prepared and assembled our worship orchestra.  Zach’s excellence shows in his music.

Lastly, at least one person prayed to receive Christ at the Easter Celebration. That is worth celebrating just for that person.  ”All praise, unto the Lamb, who sits on the throne, honor and power dominion and praise, unto the Lamb, who was and is and is to come.”

I believe success can have a whole different meaning.  I believe success is being a part of a changed life.  Here is what I mean.  Teachers spend day after day and night after night working with students that may or may not have a person who loves them at home.  They do their best to teach academic principles and life skills and often feel discouraged when the whole class does not seem to appreciate or desire to learn.

But then there’s that one student who gets it.  She desires to learn and
grow.  She works hard and is making progress; maybe small steps but they are steps towards progress.

That is success.  Maybe not short term but definately success.  That type of
progress won’t get on the front page of a newspaper or on the nightly news,
but it is success.  Coaches like John Wooden that work so hard to not only
teach skills on the court or field but also in life, school teachers that
always seem underappreciated, ministers who work so hard to minister to
individuals without great applause, these are all examples of success.

How do you view success?  Your view will shape how you determine if you are successful or not.

Why not ask yourself this question?  “At the end of my life, will what I’m
doing have made a difference in someone’s life?”  Keep that on your radar as you strive to change the world.

It happens.  We have a bad day, week, month, year.  Even Christ followers
deal with depression.  Now I am not a psychologist or psychiatrist, but I
know that God’s word can help with any situation.
Let’s consider Psalms 102- The Psalm for the Depressed (my interpretation of
the Heading)
The writer is having a no good, very bad day.  He says things like…
    -my days have been consumed in smoke
    -my bones have been scorched like a hearth
    -I foget to eat my bread.  Have you ever been so down you didn’t feel
like eating?
    -I resemble a pelican and an owl (owls don’t sleep at night)
    -I lie awake at night
    -My enemies have reproached me
    -I have mingled my drink with weeping.  Have you ever cried so much it
fell in your drink?!  And you didn’t care!
    -I wither away like grass.

Wow, this man is depressed.  I love the honesty.  We all get depressed
because life happens.  Stuff happens.  But here’s the rub.  How do we as
Christ followers handle depressing situations?  That is the real question.
Because we need relief, answers and those around us are watching to see what
a “Christian” will do when life happens.  Again, let’s look at the writer.
He relies on the truth of who God is.
    -Thou, O Lord, dost abide forever
    -Thou wilt arise and have compassin on Zion (maybe you’ll have some on
me?)
    -The nations will fear the Lord
    -He has regarded the prayer of the destitute.

See the writer isn’t focussing on what he sees and feels but on who God is.
We must all remember that.  When stuff happens and we get depressed,
remember and read the truths of God.  He hears the prayers of the destitute.
He will “continure the children of Thy servants.”  Thank you God.

I think I’ve figured out a huge truth in life.  Love is a decision we make.  I try to love life no matter what it brings me.  I have a wonderful wife, great children, a job to go to every day where I get to serve others and serve God.  I get to live in the great U.S.A. and the list goes on.

All of these areas of my life have problems, don’t get me wrong, but what is there not to be happy about?  But I must choose daily to love what I’ve got.  The songwriter Cheryl Crow wrote a great line when she said “It’s not having what you want, it’s wanting what you’ve got.”  Now, there’s a great line of a song.

Do I really want what I have?  Do you?  Have you reflected on the blessings God has given you just today?  Did you sleep in a bed last night?  Do you have clothes, food, and shelter?  Then you are richer than 90% of the rest of the world. (According to Dr. Johnny Hunt, Pastor First Baptist Church Woodstock, Ga)  Did you eat a meal yesterday?  Do you have any family or friends?  The Bible says that life is like a vapor.  It is here and then gone quickly. 

The choice is yours.  Will you focus on what you wish you had or the things you don’t like about your life?  Or will you be thankful for the wonderful blessings in your life? 

If you choose the second option, you’ll begin loving what you’ve got.