"Pastor Tom, I'm about to bust!"

Wow! I hope your Sunday services were as powerful as ours were yesterday. There is hardly a Sunday that goes by that I am not amazed as I stand in the presence of God!!! Each week I enter the worship center wondering what God's going to do time. And, He always does SOMETHING!

Yesterday we sang. One of my good friends was already back from her miracle journey to adopt her brand new baby boy. And having walked with her through many sorrows then through many joys (in the adoption of her daughter) I was thrilled to watch her worship as she led us. (You can read all about all of that on her blog. Follow my link called "stretch marks.")

Then, Tom whispered to me to look at Mrs. Alys.

Mrs. Alys lost her husband of MANY YEARS just months ago. And after he went on to heaven, she joined the choir. I'm not sure how old she is, but she wouldn't mind me telling you she is old enough to remember when we worshiped with a hymnal in one hand and a funeral home fan in the other! Tom and I both love to watch her sing in that choir. She stands on the front row, with her hands raised and her eyes closed--I can only imagine what she is seeing as she loves on the Lover of her soul even through life's valley of the shadow of death.

Once our singing came to a soft hum, Tom went up to the pulpit and prepared to share Scripture that would lead us into a time of prayer. All of a sudden a man in the congregation cried (I mean literally cried) out, "Pastor Tom, I'm about to bust!" And with that, Tom invited him to the front, introduced him and gave him a microphone--"Church, this is my friend Jesse," Tom said, "Let's listen to what he has to say."
Jesse wept, then gained his composure and said to us, "I just want you to know how much this church means to my family. We moved here recently and you all have loved us. That love has meant more to us than I can share. I praise God for you! I thank God for you! I just want you to know that." And then he took his seat.

When he left to sit down, Tom told us this, "Jesse mailed me a letter before his family moved to our community, and in his letter he sent his tithe check." Can you imagine that? Tithing to a church you have yet to join! No wonder God met Jesse and his family here. When your heart is right with God (and my friends in America, the tithe check is a great indicator of a right heart) God opens the floodgates of heaven and pours Himself out on you!!

I took pictures last Sunday because my heart was warmed as I watched my friend Caitlyn worship. Caitlyn is the most innocent person I've ever met. She has known deep pain and loss. Just last year her father went to be with the Lord. She and I talk on the phone. Last week when she called she said that she wished I could have known him (they had only recently moved here and I hadn't had a chance to get to know her family when he died). I assured her that I would get to know him one day when we get to heaven. She said, "Mrs. Leighann, you are going to love him! Everybody loved my Dad." And I smiled.

I'll get her picture downloaded here. (If I could just find that little cord!) Then you'll see how Caitlyn worships even in the aftermath of unbelievable loss:


We had worship Sunday! I hope that you did too.