It's always darkest before the dawn

I've heard this phrase many times but never really understood it until I rode out a hurricane a few years back. Missy and I along with 15 of our closest friends at a church in VA Beach went on a Cruise. We decided to "road trip" it down to Miami and then go to the Caribbean. We had a blast. We were 1/2 way there when we got the call saying that because of a hurricane that the boat was unable to get back into port. We decided to wait it out. The hurricane came up the Eastern Seaboard and then took a left right where we were staying. (The picture doesn't lie!) We had a fun hurricane party! The storm got pretty intense and it ended up being a long dark night! We didn't sleep much because of the howling winds, so we consequently were up at dawn. The winds died down and the sun peeked up over the horizon and it was the most beautiful peaceful and comforting thing that I have ever experienced. In the dark fear was gripping me but when that sun popped up, I was so relieved that the storm had past. We enjoyed a great vacation on the cruise ship at reduced rates and were blessed to see God's hand in keeping us safe!

If you are going through a dark time, remember that God's in control and dawn is coming!!!

Today is the Day You Have Made...

I have had a busy couple of weeks where I felt out of control. I had many many unscheduled meetings that caused my days to be "lost" when it came to being productive in the office. What do you do when you start feeling this way? I tend to get with someone that I trust and hang with them, and unload. This is what I did yesterday.

A close friend of mine got together with me for lunch and instantly my world felt better even before we said a word about what was going on in our lives. Why? Because I knew that this friend understood me. He is a pastor and has been in my shoes. We ministered together at a small church. He lead the youth group and I did worship for him. We got in his truck and we went to a place that had the potential for being their next building. We prayed for that, he prayed for us at Horizons and we both took a deep breath and were ready to face the "giants" in our lives!

How do you deal with pressure? A friend of mine once told me that our lives are like a three legged stool. One leg represents "Prayer", one leg represents the "Word", and the other represents "Fellowship". If any one of the legs is missing the stool falls over. We need to find that balance. If you are need of fellowship, find a friend at Horizons. Get in a small group. Get balanced!

Hope to see all of you at the 24 hours of prayer this weekend @ Horizons Church. www.horizons church.com