Welcome to Westside

Our Welcome video is now available online and on youtube. The link on youtube is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7JfTujxxWI

It is so great to be a part of a church that really wants to help people find purpose for their life and help them take their next step in God's Kingdom. If you have not taken that step I pray you will today.

Watch this video and listen to the stories of 3 people who have found meaning and purpose in their lives in Christ. They did and you can too.

Say CHEEEESE!!!!!!!

Yesterday was just picture perfect! Great day in worship as we seen a young lady give her life to Christ. How sweet that was. What a beautiful picture that was of her as she came down that isle and gave all that she knows of herself to all that she knows of Him. That's a picture I will not forget soon.

Then in the afternoon, the photos just started rolling. I heard the Baker clan was quite a big group. But it was so sweet to see people fellowshiping together in the hall as they waited so patiently for Olin Mills to call their name. Even waiting in line is not wasted in the Kingdom.

Group last night was AWESOME!!! I learned so much about encouraging people in my life. I only hope I can put into practice all that I learned. It really it important to focus on what is right with someone and not so much about what is wrong with them.

SEEING DOUBLE AND THEN SOME

Well it's been a long day already but we are now seeing double. We had such a great day as Brent, Corey and Ron put up our new dual projectors and screens. It looks great!!! You should see the difference with the new bright projectors. The center of the stage is now open and beautiful. I am so thankful for people who pour their lives into the Kingdom in so many different ways. As I type this Martin and Melissa are helping to keep our church clean as volunteers. Thanks God for servant hearts. Also right now several people are helping to unload a semi-truck load of food in our barn for us to give away tonight. In a couple of hours we will have overb 50 volunteers here giving the food away. So many people serving in so many ways. We may be seeing double with dual screens, but today God is seeing scenes all over Westside as people are serving. Together side by side walking in His Kingdom. God may you be blessed and lives be changed as we serve together.

1800

1800, sounds like a great number if it is your weekly paycheck, but that is not why I am focused on this number. It is a great number if it is the number of people you had at your outreach event, but that is not why I am focused on that number either. 1800 is the number of calories the doctor wants me to have each day. Sounds like a lot, but when I really count the calories, I mean all the calories, it is not too much. 1 Turkey sandwich has around 375 calories. 1 bowl of oatmeal has over 300 calories. 1 Apple or Banana 100 calories. It adds up pretty quick. But I need to do it. I pray for strength and self discipline to stick to this. I need so much more self control. Actually right now I need God control, because myself does not desire the right things.

1800 seems like the right number, but to be honest 3800 is more fun.

UFC for outreach

Who would have ever thought that a UFC fight would be a great place to share the love of Christ? Well today that becomes a reality. It's all in the attitude.

Just a reminder that our whole lives belong to God and His Kingdom agenda.

Even in our fun and crazy activities.

Went to a rugby game today. Trying to figure out how to share God's love there.????

Looking for any good ideas.

Had fun. Justin did AWESOME!!! Scored and made some great tackles.

Weird entry I know, but this is my day.

FREE FRIDAY'S ARE GREAT

Yesterday was such a great day. Just hung out at home most of the day doing nothing. I loved it. Then spent the afternoon a dinner with Tam and then shopping for her some summer clothes. I must be getting soft in my old age or something, but I really enjoyed helping her shop for some new summer clothes. I picked out some awesome super hot outfits, needless to say she did not pick most of them. But, she did pick some of the clothes I picked out. As a matter of fact all the stuff she bought I picked out.

It is such a blessing to see her feel good and ready to do things. I am so thankful to God that she is feeling better so much more of the time. I am so thankful to God's people for their prayers.

Finished the night with great friends just visiting and hanging out. I am so thankful for friends that you can just talk with. What a blessing.

God, thank you for a free Friday and time with my wife who was feeling good. Thank you for time with friends to hang with. Thank you for the little things I seen yesterday. Tammy smile, her feel pretty, her feel good, her energy, the servant attitude of a pre-schooler, the love of a family, the love of my family. I am so blessed.
Thanks God
Amen

All Stressed About Nothin

Well, the worst is over. Did my stress test and did fine, atleast I felt fine. It was a lot less eventful than I thought it would be. I guess the results could not be good, but I felt great during the whole thing.

Moving on. The stress of pastoral life seems to trump any physical stress in my life anyways. I wonder why the people of God do not desire to protect worship. Why do they put it second or lower on their life's scale. What are we doing wrong in the church when people do not want to pray and worship but they love to play and party. There is a disconnect somewhere.

God what will you do to bring us back to you and you alone. I pray we learn and return quickly and that total destruction does not need to come to wake us up.

I am probably over reacting to the situations of my life, but I do wonder when the people of God will trust the Body of Christ to truly worship in Spirit and Truth. In transparency and honesty, leaving behind the cares of the world and chasing only God and His people.

Now I'm stressed about something at least.

You Got to be Kidding, Kidney Stones???

Well our family got their first close encounter with Kidney Stones this last week. Justin had them and even though his rugby coach says he is so tough. You would not have known it watching him with kidney stones. Not that he is not tough, but they are just soooooooo painful! I have heard about them from many others and how painful they are, but just seeing Justin with them helped me to have a new respect and fear of them. I am such a big baby. I know I am.

This week is just full of medical stuff. I had my physical last week and so far everything is good, but tomorrow I have to take a stress test. They called it right, I am already stressed. The doctor thinks everything is fine, but due to my family history long past and recent, I should have it done. I am not stressing, or am I???

Either way tomorrow I will be stressed in more way than one. But for today I will just try and relax and enjoy the day.

The good news is that I get to go watch Brooke play tennis. A victory is always good to relieve stress, right?

What's Good About Good Friday???

Good Friday. Isn't that a funny name for the day our Savior bled and died? Suffered more than any ever has and yet we call it Good Friday. Rejected by His own people, beaten by the rulers, denied by His followers and yet we cal it Good Friday. Jesus died and we call it Good Friday. God turned his back and we call it Good Friday.

How crazy is that? or not?

You see, we can call it Good Friday because we know the rest of the story. We know that in 3 days it all changes. Jesus is no longer beaten, He is no long dead. He is free, He is Risen, HE IS ALIVE!!!

Jesus is alive and that makes every day a good day. But Good Friday is good because of where it was taking us. Not to death but to life.

Good Friday is good because Sunday is Comin!!!

Holy Week is here and so is the snow

Well it's been a while since I wrote. Life has been wonderfully busy. The church is going great. We had one man accept Jesus Christ as his personal savior yesterday. That put the icing on the cake. Still praying for a few more. Also got to talk to the sweetest little seven year old girl in our church and hear how she had accepted Christ with her mom as her mom read her a book about Jesus and His love for us, and how she wanted to be baptized. So next week on Easter we are going to celebrate that with her and her family.

Life at the Emmerling's is good. Brooke is back in Tennis on the Varsity Tennis Team playing number 2 doubles. They won their first match 6-0, 6-2. For you non tennis people that is like winning a basketball game 80-30 or football game 28-3. Anyway you say it. It was a major whipping. I am so proud of her. Not because she is playing #2 doubles, but because of the wonderful Christian young woman she has become.

We have had lot's of wonderful things happening, but none really compares to snow in April. Here it is April 6th and snow abounds in Flint. Makes me want to sing that old song that goes like this "anybody here want to go to heaven, say I do", but maybe this time we would substitute Flint for heaven. "Anybody here want to go to Flint, say I do" don't think I would have too many takers.

Good news though, they say by Easter it is going to be just beautiful. Probably 50 or so.

This week will be kind of crazy as we get ready for Good Friday Stations of the Cross service with communion like we have never done it before. Then Easter Morning Celebration.

It's gonna be a great week.

Holy Week is here and so is the snow. LET'S GO