On Tuesday evening the Erans welcomed Vincent Wesley into their family! God has been so good in bringing this blessing into their family. Welcome baby, we are so glad you’re here!

This past weekend several Christ Community women participated in the The Gospel Coalition Women’s Conference. A conference for women, all about the Word! Plenary speakers unfolded the book of Nehemiah—the story of God’s people returned to a broken-down city and called to trust God’s Word at a point of great need. It’s about God redeeming a people for himself through his Son. This is our story. They focused on listening to this Word…living in light of it…helping others hear it…worshiping according to it…waiting on the Spirit who inspired it…exalting Jesus at the center of it.

Nuf said

I love this account from Tolkien because it captures the fight of the redeemed heart. Aslan is on the move, Spring is coming. Our Warrior God has defeated the enemy and is now rolling back the darkness. And we join in that victory and in the battle to work-out all the ramifications of life conquering death.

Sam: It’s like in the great stories Mr. Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn’t want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end it’s only a passing thing this shadow, even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines it’ll shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something even if you were too small to understand why. But I think Mr. Frodo, I do understand, I know now folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going because they were holding on to something.

Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam?

Sam: That there’s some good in the world, Mr. Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for.

O Lord,
make us have perpetual love and reverence for your holy Name, for you never fail to help and govern those whom you have set upon the sure foundation of your loving-kindness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.