Affirmation

"Today is the day that the LORD has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Psalm 118 came to mind as I have thoroughly enjoyed today.
I got up around 8:45 and Steve & Nikki hadn't stirred yet. There was a service at 10:00 at a church that Wendy and I wanted to check out, so I showered and left by 9:30 to give myself time to find the place: Vanguard Church

As it turns out, Stikki did end up going here, but they came late and sat in the back...I met up with them aftwerwards.

Of course, to give Wendy a better idea, I had to take a few photos. Steve said photos wouldn't do it justice, but it's better than nothing I think. They're in a former movie theater complex while their new auditorium finishes construction, so it can be taken as a novelty, knowing that the finished product is around the corner.

It was a tad odd walking down the aisle of a movie theater getting in a mindset for worship. But the seats were the really comfy kind that recline a bit...and it was easy to see the words to the songs on the giant screen!

Here's from the parking lot:


Here's the lobby:


Here's inside:


Here's a sample of the worship:


Most of all, I liked the sermon. The pastor is younger than is typical for a senior pastor. Kelly Williams is 36 (he mentioned his age today) and is apparently going through Isaiah naming his theme "Redemption & Restoration". Makes sense, since we know that the history of God's relationship to the nation of Israel parallels our relationship with Him.

As God often seems to do, the message seemed to be aptly timed and directed for me personally. The title of his message "The Devil's Language" reflected on how the Enemy is always trying to kill, steal and destroy. He often lies, manipulates and intimidates us sometimes in subtle ways. Anyways, Kelly used an example of the fear and anxiety associated with...oh, say trying to get a new job!

Without going into a complete exegesis of the sermon, suffice to stay I caught every word and was moved and inspired....thank you, God. (The sermons are available on their website too.)

Afterwards, Stikki and I wanted to check out the young marrieds group, but I guess summer has things a little unorganized, and so instead of meeting at the church, they were just going to go to lunch for fellowship. We tagged along, and Stikki and I sat with an awesome couple named Taylor and Becky. We got to know each other and were laughing and genuinely enjoying each other's company. It felt like a real good match. Can't wait for you to meet them, Wendy.

I'm in the library again, doing this update and other internet-related activites. It occurs to me that I haven't updated on here about the job search progress. I speak to Wendy just about every day, so she's up to speed, but everyone else isn't! This post is starting to feel a tad long, though, and I don't want to frighten/bore any readers, so I'll save the rest of my update for tomorrow.

Peace!