Events: Mama's Day

Mother's Day in the north dawned gray and rainy but thankfully that didn't effect our Sunday morning moods too much and we even got to church 15 minutes early!! {sometimes it does seem like a small miracle when that happens!} Micah joined us for the first time {he usually attends elsewhere} which was really special too as we celebrated Mama's Day

Pastor Keddie's message was *so* good. I haven't been so spiritually fed in such a long time! {being mentally fed at church is good but does not compare at all to being spiritually fed}. I scribbled down such an awful lot of notes but I'd just like to share a few points that really jumped out at me.

Moral Failures & the Church: Dealing with Ourselves       

1 Corinthians 5:6-8

{Recap from previous message:  When dealing with sin in the church, you can't just ignore it and hope it goes away. It's not to be winked at as if it doesn't matter. If sin is made public in the church, it must be dealt with publically. Declaring that it's none of the church families business and "keeping it under the rug" only makes the problem worse and drives away accountability. Glorying in sin is NOT good-- for don't you know that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?}

• Are your actions -or inactions- hurting yourself, others, the church? "Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God & he will exalt you in due time"

• When your prideful mind isn't taken care of-- the more the evil spreads throughout your soul and to those around you.

• A realistic view of personal sin is the first step to the road of repentance & renewal. Are we really wanting to be searched by the Lord? "Purge *out* the old leaven that you may become a *NEW* lump!"

• A christian testimony isn't about how blessed you are-- it's *all* about Christ!!

• 1 Timothy 6:12- Begin to *fight the good fight of faith*! Take action! Continually call up the Lord to purge you and make you new again! We don't have the strength in ourselves which is why it's the power of God unto salvation! Take encouragement in what God has already done in your life-- He is NOT limited!

• God *is* in the business of forgiveness, but we *must be* REPENTANT! IF we stumble, we have an advocate who will save us, but we don't have an excuse to continue on in our sin.

• Ezekiel 36:27- I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will keep my judgments & do them. There's a new nature at work in you-- be what Christ has made you unto salvation!!

There's a family of ducks which always makes it's home in the church courtyard and every year they have to let them out through the church because the ducklings are to young to fly out!

 Pastor Keddie "shepherding" them out the door:)

Aaaaand we had a family picture taken {thanks to Mary!} for the first time since last summer. But enjoy the "bloopers/getting ready collage" first:) haha oh and notice how the family "grows" in each shot. It took us a while to corral everyone.

We took Mama out for lunch {something different for a change-- ever since I can remember we've always cooked her a meal at home for Mother's Day. I can't say why we did it different this year except that Daddy wanted to do something a little different!} and later that afternoon, the sun came out for the rest of the evening, completing a lovely day! I just hope Mama enjoyed as much as we all did. Though we don't always show it, she means so much to us all and I can't think what we'd do without her!

How was your Mother's Day spent?

Love these darling ladies a *whole* bunch!