Make plans to join us at Grace Community Church in Plano, Texas for Christmas Eve. We have four different services you can attend:
2:00 pm – Celebration Service with Nativity
4:00 pm – Celebration Service with Nativity
6:00 pm – Celebration Service with Nativity
11:00 pm – Celebration Service with Candles, Choruses and Communion
We would love to have you as our special guest this Christmas Eve as we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here is a glimpse of what you could experience.
Sleeping in, and hanging-out as a family was all that was on the agenda! With no real agenda we got off to a late start planning on going to Peter-Piper-Pizza and letting the boys play, especially Jackson! That soon changed to Chick-Fil-A when Josiah decided that’s where he wanted to eat. From there we went to see Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa for the matinee. It was a great movie and I recommend it to people with or without Kids. It was a great fun filled day, until we rented the carpet cleaner. Yes that’s right, a Honey do. My Friday evening was filled with cleaning carpet. Just one more spot of carpet left then to the couches. I personally don’t think the machine we rented is any different than the hoover carpet cleaner we have borrowed in the past. They both seem to do the same type of job.
Here are some pictures of the boys playing at Chick-fil-A, driving the shopping race car at Lowe’s, and the new way Jackson like to watch TV.
This week has been crazy busy, but as I write this I can’t help but think how good the week was. Here is a brief shakedown of my week:
Monday – All day leadership training at Grace click here to read more!
Tuesday – Student Staff Meeting, Interview and audition/practice with perspective Student Worship Candidate.
Wednesday – Jackson had a doctor appointment in the AM, this always make for an exciting PM and it did. At about 6:00 pm as we were getting ready to leave for a ball game with students, Jackson starts crying and throwing his head back as if he is in pain. He would calm down for a little while, like a minute, and then start again. Each time he would wear himself out causing him to have to try to catch his breath because he was crying so hard. After about thirty minutes I got him to calm down by talking loudly to him saying, “Daddy’s here, you are going to be ok, Jackson Daddy’s here, you are going to be ok!” It amazes me how a comforting voice can can change how others feel. He started to calm down after that. However, it was really scary.
From this, we went to the ball park. It may sound bad but our thought was if we were going to have to take him to the hospital, the ball park is closer to the hospital than our house is.
The Rough Riders Stadium is nice. For 15.00 dollars, we saw a game, ate all you could eat hot dogs, burgers, chicken sandwiches, and BBQ pork, chips, and drink, AND got a Rough Riders hat. Pretty sweet deal. the home team won, the weather was perfect, and everyone had a good time!
Thursday – Plowed through small group curriculum for the year for each age group. Made training books for Small Group Leader/Coaches and our B2S Retreat curriculum and held band practice with potential Student Worship Coordinator.
Friday – NOTHING – Blogging and then hanging out with the family! Well my wife just asked if we could go shopping for the Cafe’, so . . . I guess its not nothing!
Here are some pic of our Fusion Family Night at the Rough Riders Game!
“Then he said, ‘Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.’” v.9
“Then he added, ‘Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given—and you will receive even more. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.’” v. 24-25
This passage is close to my heart because it is the text I used to preach my first sermon. I was scared to death, a little legalistic at the time, but God was teaching me so much. Today as I read it, three words keep jumping out at me; Hear, Listen, and Understand. The study notes of the NLT Life Application Study Bible nailed it this morning! Read for yourself,
“The hearing that Jesus wants from us in not the kind we use when we listen to background music or when someone starts to recount a long story we’ve already heard. To truly “hear” Jesus’ words is to believe them, to use them immediately in decisions and attitudes, and to base life on them – your reaction and work, family plans and money matters, praying and singing. To hear Jesus’ words is to make Jesus your true Lord.
The light of Jesus’ truth is revealed to us, not hidden. But we may not be able to see or to use all of that truth right now. Only as we put God’s teachings into practice will we understand and see more of the truth. The truth is clear, but our ability to understand is imperfect. As we obey, we will sharpen our vision and increase our understanding.”
I still have much to learn, and apply! But everyday I pray that I am becoming more like Jesus, and that I hearing, listening, and understanding the things He is teaching me!
Today, listen for God! Do you hear Him speaking? What is he asking you to do?
Well, I just said goodbye to my wife and kids! Stephanie and the boys will be spending the week with her mom and dad in Missouri. Mexico will be here before I know it. Have no idea what to do tonight since our dish network went out Wednesday. They are supposed to come fix it tomorrow but that still doesn’t help me tonight! I guess I will just head home and either sleep, work, or read.
Dan Gould 