Thankers . . .

I know I don't say 'Thanks!' enough. I know that I don't acknowledge folks who give great effort enough (with my family at the top of that list!).

I think if we were better 'thankers' how much different life would be . . . "Pleasant words are a honeycomb; sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." (Proverbs 16:24)

Well, with that in mind, mucho THANKS to Audie & Mike Ilse and the entire Oso Fun team! Awesome job on Sunday!

And THANKS to Charlie Ogden and all the men who threw in on the Saturday morning work day to help maintain what God has given us! They got a ton done, way to go guys!!

Matt Beveridge Update - 9-1-08

Good news, Matt is out of the hospital and back home as of the end of last week!

He is now going through 'immunotherapy' . . . which is a treatment that stimulates the immune system to help fight the cancer. He's been going through these treatments for a week now and the doctors hope to build back up his system so that they can do a bone marrow transplant.

And TODAY - Sept 1 - is his birthday -- 20 years old! I want to encourage you to flood his website with Happy Birthday messages - you get there by clicking here and then go to the Guestbook at the bottom and sign away!

"Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones!" (Prov 16:24)

Be a Life Giver!

This week on the creek texts (click here and here if you don't know what I'm talking about) --- we've been focusing on the power of the stuff that comes out of our mouths (and a big thanks to Nathan L. who brought the message last week!) . . . . .

'Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.' Prov 16:24

'The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.' Prov 18:21

'An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.' Prov 12:25


And then yesterday, someone who I respect sat down with me and just for a couple of minutes (just a couple of stinkin' minutes) told me how much he appreciated me and how well he felt like I was leading Oso Creek.

You know what, IT WORKS! I'm still living off the power of those words today!

Now, I'm not talking about insincere chatter, but if we will only choose to see God in the lives of those around us and then pull what we see to the surface -- then we speak LIFE and HEALING into people's lives!

I challenge you to see how many more times you can do it this weekend!

Thank You's

Last Sunday at Discovery Dessert there was one couple who shared some incredibly encouraging words concerning my ministry and Oso Creek.

And then this week I received an incredible note of encouragement in the mail from a Creeker family who recently moved from Corpus.

"Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." (Prov 16:24)

I actually have a file where I keep notes of encouragement that I receive. Sometimes when I'm discouraged or frustrated I'll open it up and be reminded of why I'm here and what God is doing.

Along with my other blog on encouraging folk's gifting and passions, I've just been thinking about how powerful encouragement is. And I just read this on another blog: The highest from of praise is '3rd-Party Praise.' It is when you say: 'I overheard somebody saying great things about you.' (Joel Hunter)

Who have you encouraged today?