A fruitful Summer

Its been a long time since I posted an actual blog, I have had an amazing year so far! Definitely living up to its expectations!  When we launched with South Oaks Community Church, my husband and I had taken on the Men's & Women's Ministries. Well just this past spring we also took on Children's Ministries as well, merging them all together to create our Family Ministries! Its been such an exciting change, and we are growing in ways we never saw coming! 
God has truly been doing some amazing things! Back in June we were blessed to go on a week long Leadership conference with our Pastors, Cindy & Steve. What an INCREDIBLE experience! We did not come back to Minnesota the same! At the end of the amazing Dave Williams Leadership School we had a "graduation". We spent the evening in worship and prayer, praising God for everything He had done that week. I had sprained my ankle the weekend before, and that Thursday I was healed when one of their prayer warriors prayed for me, and not even for my ankle! I met some amazing people who I hope to keep in my life a very long time, and watched a girl with flat feet miraculously get arches! I learned so many things about honor and how to honor our leaders in the Godly way, I learned about Faith Goals, defeating fear, creating an atmosphere of praise and growth in our church and so much more! The coolest thing was that during the graduation evening the leaders kept saying "the portals of heaven have opened above Mt Hope church" which is where the conference was being held, the repeated it several times. I remember thinking it was kind of a strange saying, and I wasnt too sure about it. But when we walked out of the church that evening I remember looking at the clouds over the parking lot and thinking, WOW....just beautiful! The sun was setting the sky was a beautiful color, the clouds were these amazing shapes and they took my breath away.
 As I stood there gazing at the clouds I noticed that people in the parking lot were looking behind me with an even more amazed expression, so I turned around and there...coming right out of the middle of the building was a double rainbow. No rain anywhere in sight, none! Just this magnificent double promise that the portals of heaven had truly been opened by our intense praise and worship that evening. I wish I had my camera with me, but the cell phone photo will have to work as proof. Never underestimate God, He will always outdo your plans!


"And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires." 2 Peter 1:4

Expectations

Well 2012 is here, and 2011 is gone.


Last year, at the beginning of 2011, our pastor challenged us to paint our canvasses. He handed out little paint brushes to everyone and said "2011 is a brand new year, God made the canvass, you paint the year!"
Well looking back on what my painting of what 2011 looks like, I am quite happy with it. There were lots of tough times, probably more than I have had in a long while.....but every one of them was worth it in the end.


With March's 21 day fast that led to some incredible awareness's, a free trip to Tennessee for a leadership conference, Sheldon's political campaign, leaving our old church and planting the new one, my boys a year older and the one started kindergarten, an amazing wedding season, leading my womens ministry and kick starting fun get togethers, leading my first bible studies, God providing new(used) vehicles, and sooo much more!
God really opened the door to some incredible opportunities that just cant be explained away.


2011, you have memories that will be tough to compete with, but with Gods help I go into 2012 with even higher expectations.


I expect tough times, they are learning experiences. I expect blessings, to be the giver and receiver. I expect expect to grow in ways I never knew I could even stretch. I expect to fall into an even deeper level of love for the almighty Father! I expect miracles, Gods hand is moving on this earth...watch out for it!


Coming up we have a Men's Advance, a Women's Retreat, a Marriage Weekend, a monthly couples Date Night, tons of different studies and social groups to get connected in and lots of worship!
And on top of all that I get to witness my sister marry the love of her life, who we already call our brother.


2012, I have expectations of you. Instead of making resolutions that will be broken shortly after making them, maybe you should have expectations.  What are your expectations?


I will bless those who bless you,
      And I will curse him who curses you;
      And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”Genesis 12:3