New babies were a big part of the day yesterday. We had a new baby, 2 weeks old, in attendance in worship yesterday. It is always great to have that kind of biological church growth. I was also excited to announce that my wife and I have a new grandchild that was born Saturday morning. I had to make the announcement because my wife hopped in the car drove to Michigan to hold this new blessing shortly after we got the call. I love new life. Speaking of new life, here are my musings…

-There was a beautiful, active spirit in our worship yesterday.

-Someone came to the altar at the conclusion of my sermon yesterday and that was without any plea to come forward by me. Love seeing people respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

-We had a new family visit and they have indicated that they will be returning.

-Things are always different for me when my wife is not here.

-We had a special time of prayer during worship as we anointed one of our men who has been going through a lot of physical issues. I loved seeing so many men gather around him and pray fervently for him.

-Our attendance was very good.

-After two Sundays of real winter weather we enjoyed a very pleasant and remarkably mild day for a Sunday in January.

-I enjoyed sharing lunch with a family as they celebrated their Dad’s 81^st birthday. He is definitely one of my favorite guys and this last year has not been an easy one for him.

-It was great to see many people in attendance who had missed the last couple of weeks due to the weather.

-I loved the fact that a couple of men who are participating in our mid-week men’s discipleship study asked if they could get some of the material ahead of time so they could study more. How awesome is that?

-Once again we had some people who had to step up and fill in for people who were scheduled to serve but didn’t make it.

-I attended a funeral for a former pastor on Saturday. There were 35 pastors who attended and created an honor guard of sorts as his casket came into the sanctuary. We also sang a couple of songs as a choir. Not sure about the quality of our sound, but we were passionate. Seeing a sanctuary that was filled so that several of us had to stand throughout the service was another reminder that serving as a pastor does make a difference in many lives.

-Spending a lot of time in planning this week as I prepare to begin pastoring 2 churches. I will meet with the board of the other church this week for the first time. I am excited and nervous about this new adventure.

-I love that my wife is able to go and help when a grandchild is born. I love that they asked if she could come to help. But I miss her fiercely when she is gone.

Here’s hoping you recognize that you have the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life this week.

Dennis