New Psalms

Jonah 2:3 (KJV) For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
In the deep places of the heart, where depression lay as the floods of fear overwhelm, I found a few songs that spoke to me. New Psalms that spoke to me in my loneliness from men who I did not know, but knew what I was going through. I want to share a few of them with you today.

#1 Revelation by Third Day - Listen to the words, they were mine. #1 in my Playlist by far. I wanted God to help me, save me, show me, free me.

#2 Born Again by the Newsboys - This is what I wanted. This is the Life I desired in Christ. Not the religion I had been taught from a child, but a relationship with the one with two scarred hands. I claimed this whenever I felt is was slipping back or when someone tried to move me there.

#3 Mountain of God by Third Day - You were there with me. Do I need to say anything more?

#4 Rescue by Desperation Band - I need you Jesus to come to my Rescue. I still cannot listen to this song without weeping in that Jesus came to me and saved me from the deep.

#5 Never Alone by Barlow Girls (Acoustic Version) - This was my Anthem for a while. My Prayer. I Screamed it. Held onto it as there were many days when I felt so alone, but I held tight to what I knew, Your here and Never Alone.

#6 Love is here by Tenth Avenue North. From His Wounds we drink Salvation, He is the Lord, Love is here, Love is now. WOW

None of these are songs of Worship. They are songs of the Wounded. Songs that spoke for me when I could not speak. Songs of hope, when I had none. Songs that kept me going when I wanted to quit.

Maybe they'll help You.

Have an Awesome Day. Love is Here. Thank you Jesus

A Letter from PRob

Hey newLife there are seven things I want to share with you today about Sunday

1. Sunday was the most energetic pre-church service we have had in a long time. There was an anticipation of what God was going to do and He showed up powerfully.

2. Sunday was awesome because I saw so many people greeting and caring for others. From the parking lot to the pew people were loved. One first time visitor told me that He had never felt so welcome in any church he has ever been too. Great Job Tim and Debra for leading those efforts.

3. Sunday You all Learned to Clap! What is up  with that? It was Awesome.

4. Sunday the Song service was just what I needed to free myself from me and find myself focused on Jesus.

5. Sunday Anthony showed us a side of himself few of us ever knew.

6. Sunday the message spoke deeply to me and I appreciate the fact that this church allows me to be real without judging me for it. The pain I see in so many, I have felt, and I just want them all to be free. NO ONE ought to live in Depression for long. and NO ONE ought to be ALONE when going through it.

7. Sunday is Coming Again, Lets Anticipate Greater Things.

Lets get the Party Started

It's all Cake

I loved birthdays growing up.
Being the last of eight kids my mom went all out.
Tons of presents, lots of friends, fun games, and cake.
I love cake.
German Chocolate.................uuuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmmm.

Sorry.
Birthdays were that one day when I felt special, important, valued.
I even loved going to my friends parties for the same reasons.
It was there day and I got to celebrate it with them.

Now they just suck.
My next one will be 49. Kill me now.
and everyone of my friends feel the same way cause thier all old too.
But thats not the point of this post.

I feel that way about Sunday.

I can't wait to get to the Party.
We are going to celebrate Jesus!
We are going to Sing our Guts out!
We are going to share the Good News!
We are going to have a Baptism!!!!!!!! (In warm water)
We might even have someone join our church!
Lets Go All Out!

Maybe we should have a Cake?

I love MY LIFE

Can I get a Witness!!!!!!!

This morning I woke up at 2:00 am. Not to be sympathetic to the Loggers in the Church, but because of too much.

Too much I want to do for God.
Too much I need to do for the Church.
Too much I have to do for my life.

I'm back a day and a half from a conference on learning how to finish well and I am already overwhelmed.

Too much is too much.
There is so much that has to be done.
All of the phone calls, all of the meetings, all of the sermon prep, all of the relational activities.
And it has to be done today.
No rest for the wicked.

But I'm not wicked.
Jesus saved me from that moniker years ago.
His work on the cross freed me from the bondage of wickedness.
His life was given for mine.

So why no rest?
Because I'm choosing to live my wicked life again.

Peter understood something about choosing to live the wicked life when He denied Christ. He got caught up in all that was going on with Jesus Crucifixion and failed miserably, so when he writes about this subject he writes from experience.

1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
Its my pride that tells me that I have to get it done............myself.
That I have to carry the burden............myself.
That if I don't get it all done I will fail...............myself.
But Peter learned another option.

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Today I am going to do two things.
1. Recognize that God cares for me.
He loves me and saved me from the wickedness that drives me.
He wants me to love my life, to live it to the fullest, to be free.

2. To do this, I have to cast my cares upon Him.
Is it that simple?
Yes.
I am going to get off the computer, take my too much to Him in Prayer and go and live my life to the fullest.
What gets done, will get done because of His work in me.

Rest, yes, but for the Witness not the wicked.

Why is this important for me?
because of the next verse.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
My life has an adversary.
He wants to steal and to kill and to destroy.
He wants me to live overwhelmed and fearful which will lead me back to a wicked life.

No rest for the wicked.

I'm am going to go and pray, then go to breakfast with my brother, and then I will start a very long day.
And its going to be Awesome.

Join me this morning by casting all those burdens that are weighting you down on Him.
and be a witness of the grace, love and mercy of our Savior.

I love my Life

No rest for the Wicked, is true, but there is hope!

If there is one truth about conferences, it is this, They are not for Rest.
Because to be a part of a conference, you have to get there.

The Travel is stressful.
The Time is wasteful.
The Meals are horrible.

and then at the conference they leave you with more questions than answers.
Rest?

But I guess that's why they called it Re-Awaken.
The goal of this conference was to wake you up to what wears you out to keep you from wimping out.

And it did, and I'm Glad.
and Today I ask for your Prayers.

I have so much to work on in my life Physically, Emotionally, Relationally, and Spiritually to be the Pastor newLife needs for the future. And, for the first time in years I have hope that I can not only survive but thrive in ministry.

newLife is becoming a great church and I am excited to be a part of it and hope, that the work that God is doing in my life will help Debra and I to FINISH WELL.

But before I begin, I am going to rest from the travel, so I can work on the truth.
Thank you newLife for caring for me enough to allow me to do so.

I love my LIFE

Cover Your Mouth!!!!!!!!

I hate colds.
It's not just being sick, but that it's an annoying sick.
Annoying in that your nose runs all the time, breathing hurts, and you just generally feel gross. And worse of all, annoying in that colds are so easily preventable.

If your getting sick, rest.
Stay germ free by washing your hands.
Eat properly.
If you cough or sneeze do so into your own arm.

This week Debra and I attended a conference for sick Pastors.
They stated that 90% of Pastors do not finish the course of their life well.
I took it as if a Pastor does not finish well, how would thrived church finish?

If I have a cold, hang around me too much and you'll probably get sick too.

I am walking away from this conference with the understanding that I need to be healthier aa a Pastor.

1. I need to rest more.
A. Physically
B. Emotionally

If I am going to finish well.

2. I need to wash more.
A. Be more aware of my own Spiritual health.
I. more time in personal prayer and bible study rather than people prayers and sermon prep.

3. I need to eat better, more healthy.
For me this is more than more bible study or book reading, but meditating on what I am getting from God.

4. I need to be more aware of my own sin, and repent of it.
Even our bad attitudes can spray filth on those around us infecting them with our bad day.

newLife I want to be healthy and finish well.
I don't want to end up a statistic or a sick man embittered and battered by the work of God.
And I definitely want our church to be coldless.

Pray for me as I begin this journey of health to finish well.
I'll share more as I travel.

Have an awesome day tomorrow!

Excited

At re-awaken and ready. Please be praying for Debra and I as we recharge after 15 years of service to our Lord. And thank you church for being so great to us. I hope you have an awesome prayer meeting tonight as this is an amazing time for our church. I'll write more tomorrow.