Week of Fasting

Today begins our one week fast for our mission trip to the Apache Indian Reservation in Whiteriver, AZ June 21 - July 1. If you are attending, you are well aware of this fast. Each time I begin a fast, the beginning is difficult. As I stick with it, my Spirit becomes more in tune with God's Spirit, and I begin to see breakthroughs in my walk with Him. At that point, it becomes easy because I know I am sacrificing something so small in comparison to the battles that are being won in the Spirit realm. If you are reading this and are not a part of the trip, but would like to contribute by fasting yourself, we would be delighted to hear! The way Josh and I are fasting is we are eating only one meal a day for four days. Then we will do a "water only" fast for the last three days.

Here are some focuses for our prayer time during our fast:
1. God's protection over our group as we travel.
2. Spiritual breakthroughs in the people on the reservation.
3. Spiritual breakthrough and renewal in our personal devotional lives.
4. Spiritual growth in our team through evangelizing and ministering to the people on the Rez.
5. Wisdom and favor among the people
6. A complete healing work in Asheigh McIntyre's body

We encourage you to create your own list. Include prayer focuses for the reservation, but also include prayer focuses for your own personal life. Some things come through fasting that do not come by prayer alone. So we encourage you to go for it, and see what God will do!
As you fast, read chapter 58 of Isaiah. This chapter breaks down the promises of true fasting. We miss so much in our walk with God when we overlook this spiritual discipline! Our prayer is that God will give you the strength and determination to make the sacrifices necessary to see sweet rewards and breakthroughs in your life!

Congrats to our Graduates!

We'd like to take a moment to give a shout out to all those graduates out there, whether high school or college, we wish you the very best! We are so proud of our graduates from Gateway Church, and so wish we could have been at the ones in the Ruston & Jonesboro area! Brittany & Hillary, we are so proud of you!
We posted a few pics from our graduation banquet and the few graduates we were able to catch to get a picture with right after graduation ceremony!
"May the favor of the Lord our God be upon you, and establish the work of your hands; yes, establish the work of your hands." Psalm 90:17

Virginia

Viriginia with her family

Tiffany with her parents

Joey & friends

Kacey (Kayla's lil' sis), Tiffany, Amelia, Virginia, Kayla

Amelia & her parents

Virginia & her mom, Monica

Virginia & Kayla

Jill & Kayla

Virginia & Jill

Kayla & Alicia

Still Believing

We are praying once again for Ashleigh McIntyre. We spent this morning at her check up, where she was told she will be admitted into the hospital again tomorrow. Ashleigh has battled Cystic Fibrosis her entire life, but believes God has begun a healing in her body. We are believing with her for Him to complete what's been started! Pray for complete peace in her heart as she spends the next week or two in the hospital. We love you, Ashleigh and are so proud of the step of faith you take daily! Remember, He is your constant source of stability!

Paperwork

Aubrey chillin' in the waiting room

Does that look say "mischief" to you?

Ashleigh's bag is full of treasures!

"I'll brush your hair, Ashwee!"

Ooooo, ipod.

Love me an ipod.

Is this what they'll be like when their teens?

Entertainment while we wait for the doctor.

Aubrey and Dianne Hill celebrating Josh's 32nd Birthday at staff lunch.

Yum!

Pastor John giving thanks for the food.

Kylee was so tired.

Cutie!

"How do I look?"

Jill & Ashleigh

Happy Birthday, Pastor Josh!

Welcome Pastor Richard & Brenda Exley

We are so pleased to announce that Sunday night, Gateway Church voted to bring in Dr. Richard and Brenda Exley as our senior pastors with a 100% vote! We know beyond a doubt that God has sent them, and that He is working greatly in our midst!

Their first opporunity to speak to the body as pastors.

Pastor Richard & Brenda Exley walking in after our congregation voted.
They have such a sweet & humble spirit.

One of Those Days

6:00 am - I'm up and mopping the kitchen floor while the rest of the house sleeps. I love the mornings I can wake up and have a little extra "alone" time to spend in God's Word and getting the extra cleaning done that seems impossible when everyone is awake!

9:00 am - Girls are up and getting ready for a play date at the park to catch up with old friends!

9:30 am - Our van doesn't start. It's only a 2008 model... should not be having problems! Josh comes out to help, of course, because I cannot even find the latch to pop the hood! Isn't that pitiful?

9:45 am - Josh jump starts us off, so like a good mom I drive off for a play date with my
girls rather than taking the van to the shop. After all, we can't disappoint friends!

10:05 am - We arrive at the park. The girls have a ton of fun with their friends.

11:45 am - It starts to rain, so our play date ends, and, you guessed it, the van doesn't start! I have to call my sweet husband who is trying to enjoy a day off and have him make a 30 minute drive to jump start us again... this time to head to the dealership!

12:15 pm - Josh is driving around the neighborhood where the park is located, frustrated that
he's not finding the park! It's one of those places you have to KNOW where it is!

12:35 pm - We're finally headed to the shop.

1:00 pm - We drop the van off, and head for lunch. By this time, I'll confess, I'm holding back tears the day has been so frustrating.

2:30 pm - We pick up the van. Thankfully it just needed a battery, and since it's under warranty, we didn't have to pay a dime!

3:00 pm - We head to Hobby Lobby for a little stress relief! We found a few things to finish off our mantle.

Our Completed Mantle

3:30 pm - We head home to lay the girls down for a nap, and stuff envelopes to mail our May newsletter.

9:30 pm - We are so tired from "One of those days," but so excited about tomorrow. Tomorrow we get to meet with our soon to be pastor, Richard Exley for a staff lunch, and then enjoy an evening with our entire church community getting to know their soon-to-be pastor.


I'm reminded of a saying my Nana always had hung on a wall in her house. It said, "A day hemmed in prayer seldom unravels." I love the key word there, "seldom." I'm so thankful that even when things do unravel, God is right there with us through it all, and somehow He always manages to bring us a brand new day!


We love you all, and hope it's not been "One of those days" for you. But if it has, think on God's love and remember that He promises never to leave us. We can depend on His strength when we feel weak!

Safe in His Arms

Have you ever found yourself in a situation that seemed so unfair and wondered why it seemed that evil prevailed? We can see areas of our government where evil seems to prevail. We read stories of Christians around the world who are imprisoned and mistreated simply for choosing Christ. I have often asked the question, "Why does God allow evil to prevail at times?" Take Job, for example, a man who genuinely loved and honored God, and yet Satan ripped everything from him.

I have dedicated myself this year to read through the entire Bible (yes, I'm behind already) as if I've never read it before. No preconceived ideas, just asking the Lord daily to open my spiritual eyes to His word, and to speak to me daily like never before. A few days ago I was reading in Exodus, and stumbled on a verse that caught my attention.

"But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." Exodus 9:16

This is what God had to say to Pharoah, the one who was determined to mistreat the Hebrew children! The phrase, "raised you up" actually translates "spared you." It occured to me that God could have simply killed Pharoah at any moment He chose. He could have turned the situation to a place that the Israelites would have been free from the beginning. But sometimes God, in His infinite wisdom, allows evil to prevail so He can demonstrate His power and vindicate His name. Sometimes the battle we are in is not even about us, it's about Him and His name!

Throughout all plagues that were inflicted on the Egyptians, the Israelites never suffered. God always protected them. I love the verse in Psalm 55:18 that says, "He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me even though many oppose me." We can emerge from hurtful situations unhurt! I am reminded of the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace... Daniel in the lions' den... and the list goes on.

So what about your situation? Are you fully trusting God? God could shield us from every little problem or situation if He chose to, but we'd never learn to depend on Him, would we? We would probably be a bunch of spoiled brats running around getting our way all the time! The thought of that makes me laugh! There is nothing in our lives that goes unchecked by God. He sees all and understands all. There will be a day when He will right all that is wrong in our lives, and we will see ourselves emerge from the hurtful situations of life unhurt because our trust and our hope is in Him!

Spring and Easter Fun

We'd like to take a moment to say "Happy Easter" to you all! We are so thankful for our risen Savior, and that He brings purpose to our lives! Right now I'm listening to one of my favorite songs, "Jesus Paid it All." I love the lyrics, "O praise the One who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead!" There are times in our lives when the enemy strives to kill us as we are told in God's Word that he comes to "steal, kill, and destroy." I'm so thankful that God lifts us out of that death. He has no hold on us when we are in Christ!

We've had some good times with our sweet girls over the past few weeks as the weather has SlOWLY but finally warmed up! Hope you enjoy the pictures of the girls visiting grandparents in Alvin, TX, and enjoying Easter festivities. They are such dolls! We are so blessed to get to share Easter with them and teach them of God's love!

Aubrey playing in the flowers at Grammy & Pawpaw's house.

She still has that sweet baby face.

Kylee is in her own world of imagination.

They had so much fun picking flowers.

Kylee is sharing with Aubrey. She can be so sweet and protective of her lil sis.

Aubrey wasn't too sure about all those flowers the first time I tried to take pictures!

Kylee loved this kitten at our church family fun day yesterday.
She really wanted to keep it!

Kylee loved the face painting, and hand & arm painting!

Aubrey's first real time to hunt eggs!

She's so excited about her eggs, I mean, candy!
Kylee would actually take the candy out and throw the egg down!

They are so sweet together!

Kylee enjoying Easter morning with her Sunday School teacher, Mrs. Vergie.

Daddy & Aubrey

Flowers!