Just a quick update:
Eli’s tests came back great. For the third straight visit, her numbers didn’t change….AWESOME! The doc said that her aortic repair and VSD repair are holding up great. Her aortic valve is still broke, but with the numbers not going up, we won’t have to go back until October or November.
Thank you for all of your prayers. Leah and I truly appreciate them.
My Sr Pastor had the privilege of being featured on LifeChurch.tv’s Online Campus today! What an honor! As he spoke about Peter’s experiences and the more he got to know Jesus, it really hit me that not only is there more to my relationship with Jesus - that Jesus is more than who I think He is - but that there’s more to what I do at Northway Church than what I think. It’s easy to put my head down and push forward, but I have to remember that the impact and power of God’s word is far more, far bigger, much deeper than I think.
Today, over 22 countries were represented as people watched the message online. Right now, there are 1870 churches representing over 1 million people taking part in One Prayer - coming together as One Church.
What a humbling experience. I just felt like crying after our entire staff watched the online experience together in the worship area. What an honor it is to call Northway Church my home and my job…my life. The cool thing is…there’s more to do. More to me. More to God’s church. More people to reach. More kingdom building to do.
Well, my mom came up and stayed for a week to help out, then took Emily and Andrew to Alabama. It’s just me, Leah and Eli. Holy cow! Having only one kid is so easy. Especially Eli. She’s the best baby ever…always happy!
Leah and I have gone on a date, had a one night getaway and are going to the lake today. Can’t wait for Wednesday night…leaving for Alabama to visit my family. Can’t wait to see everybody…and go fishing of course.
Just found this pic of our staff and fam from Easter at the Colonial Theatre in the Berkshires (MA).
This weekend was off the hook. We wrapped up our Dave Ramsey series and kicked off our class tonight…over 200 people…all on the road to financial freedom! Off the chain!
And tonight on the Capital Regions CW…Northway Church baby! Check it out tonight at 10:00pm.
It’s interactive so go to www.BuddyCremeans.com to join the conversation.
My family has been hit hard this season. We’ve been down and out the past couple of weeks. The only members of the fam not affected are Leah and Dunkin’. Eli’s got a wicked cough. Andrew’s nose is running wild…like him. Emily’s eyes, nose, and everything else that can be affected is driving her crazy. Me and Emily are spitting images of one another. So needless to say, we’ve been at war with the trees, flowers, grass, mold, dust…you get the point.
As a result, we’ve got more drugs in our house than a pharmacy. I start allergy shots on Monday. I’m also on Flonase, Optivar, and Allegra (just switched from Claritin). Emily’s on Rhinocort, Zatidor, and Zyrtec. Can’t give anything to Eli and Andrew loves the taste of Loratadine, the cheap version of Claritin.
Bottom line is we’ve been pretty much trapped in our own house. Thank you Jesus for central air…we can’t open the windows on all of these beautiful days. When the kids do go outside…showers all around, change the pillow cases, change jammies…get the enemy (allergens) out of this house.
I’m happy to say that order is returning to the health of the house…now that the meds are starting to work. Now that everything’s bloomed out and things are getting back to normal - with the help of meds of course - I feel like the lady in Poltergiest when she says, “this house is clear.”
So this past Saturday I woke up to my kids being way too loud and Leah getting ready to walk out the door. Normal Saturday at our house. Then I heard banging on my front door. At first I thought it was Andrew…he’s always banging on something. But to my surprise, it was coming from my front door. There were at least 20 people standing in my front yard. No, it wasn’t Jehovah’s Witnesses or Christmas carolers, it was people from my church. I reluctantly opened the door…bed head and all…and they said, “Surprise” we’re here for a work day. I first thought that they were picking me up to go work somewhere….but then someone said, “Give us a list!” I was shocked. They were there to makeover my house.
They raked my yard in 20 minutes…then my neighbors yard. They painted the window trim, painted the bay doors to the basement, replaced my broken gate to the back yard, trimmed the bushes and trees, installed much needed gutters and installed a new storm door for my front entrance. It would have taken me all summer to do all of that work…if I would have ever mustered the motivation to do it.
I can’t say thank you enough. Not only do I go to the best church on the planet, but our church has the best people on the planet. Thank you to all of you who blessed me and my family…it means so much to us!
Some family time with the kids…Andrew insisted he wasn’t tired!
I can’t believe it. Easter is this coming weekend. So stinkin’ busy around NC…getting ready for the greatest event in history, the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Don’t miss one of our 7 services and make sure you invite your friends.
These past couple of weeks have been so busy. Easter is right around the corner and we’re getting ready to take the Berkshires by storm. I’m so excited, as this is the first time in a long time that we at Northway have celebrated Easter somewhere other than home…of course we’ll have our normal services on Saturday and Sunday at both of our locations, but Good Friday we’ll be at the Colonial Theatre.
At one of my many meetings this past week, my pastor asked me a sobering question…”What if this were your last chance to share the Good News?” I of course thought the normal pastoral answer…”wow, how deep.” But then he said, “if it were, it would change how you live and work.” That hit me.
I have to admit, sometimes my job feels like a job, not a calling. It’s stinkin’ hard to separate. How do I categorize my personal and professional life with Jesus. I battle that a lot…I bet most pastors do.
These last couple of weeks have been so busy. I feel like everything I do, everyone I talk to, everything I plan…all of it is for the eternal investment in the lives of the people that will visit our church next weekend. This is one of those times throughout the year that people who don’t normally go to church…will. I can’t wait to see what God’s going to do next weekend.
What if it were your last chance to tell someone your story…the story of how Jesus changed your life?