What a Day!

What can I say about our 20^th anniversary celebration that hasn’t already been said? It was an amazing day, and as far as I know, everything worked as planned. There were so many elements that made the day really special for Connie and me.  I enjoyed having Mark Jones with us. He did his usual great job with his message, and I think he and Gail genuinely

enjoyed the entire day, getting to know many New Life people. They stayed over until Tuesday morning, giving the four of us Monday to catch up with each other’s lives over the past 20 years. We made a trip down to the southern part of The Villages. We walked one of the hiking trails in Finney, had lunch at Booster’s restaurant, and later enjoyed ice cream. We also took in a movie. It was such an enjoyable day.  

Our guest music artist, TaRanda Green, was a great fit for the day and for our congregation.  She made herself right at home. I believe she enjoyed the experience too. As she was leaving, she commented that meeting New Life people had made her feel like she had gained more family.  

I can’t say enough about Gary Nellans and his team, who put the entire thing together. I sat in on several of their meetings, and it was amazing how, when something needed to be taken care of, there was always someone ready to step up to see that it was done. 

Oh, and I can’t leave out the Bar-B-Q meal from Mission BBQ. It was delicious. We have used them before, and I am sure we will again. They do it right. The meal allowed us to enjoy the added space in the Fellowship Center. That expansion will be one of the best things we have ever done, building-wise. Now we need to get it paid for. 

It was a great day of remembering. God is a God of remembering. The word remember is used about 225 times in the Bible. The Jewish community observes Passover to remember how God delivered them from their bondage in Egypt. When Israel crossed the Jordan River into the promised land (Joshua 3,4), God had them place 12 stones at the edge of the river to serve as a reminder of their crossing. Psalm 77:11 says, “I shall remember the deeds of the Lord; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.” 

Of course, each Lord’s day we take time during our worship services to remember the redemptive work of Jesus. We eat a piece of bread and drink a cup of juice. The bread is to remind us of the broken body of Jesus, and the juice reminds us of His blood. When Jesus instituted these reminders, He said that when we participate in this act, we are to do so to remember Him. (I Corinthians 11:23-26) Remembering is a good thing. 

One more thing. We have collected money over the last two Sundays for a family in our church who are going through some difficult times. Your generosity has been amazing. You have given almost “$7,300.00! The only thing I feel bad about is being amazed by that number. I have seen you do this so many times before; I shouldn't be amazed at all. Thank you for your giving. You will never know how much you have helped this family.