Change Comes At You Fast

Change comes at you fast

Today, I will turn in my resignation at Hickory Grove Baptist Church. Over the next two weeks I will wind up a twelve year ministry there and I will prepare to begin anew in ministry at Carmel Baptist Church in Matthews.

Hickory Grove has been a marvelous place of ministry. God has allowed me to see great and mighty things—the greatest of which are changed lives. My arrival on staff at HGBC was truly miraculous and my going to Carmel is too. While I am saddened to leave HGBC, I am excited to go to Carmel and minister there as their Pastor of Education. God has allowed me to learn so much at HGBC. I began with no experience and no formal training. I leave a veteran with almost 12 years experience and a Master of Theological Studies. I remain, however, a student, both formally and informally, for there is always much to learn. I take great experience to Carmel, but I go to learn as well. Most of all, I go to see God work in the lives of people and I know He will work in mine too.

I will forever be grateful to Hickory Grove Baptist Church and I will love her people all my life. Change comes at you fast, but God is sovereign! God has a plan. Please pray for Brenda and me as we seek to do that—walk in His plan. I fully expect an Ephesians 3:20 experience at Carmel, just as I have had at HGBC.
Sunday October 5 will be our last day at The Grove. Then, a week’s vacation to rest, refresh, and renew. Monday, October 13 will be day one on a new and exciting field of service at Carmel Baptist Church.

Carmel Baptist: www.carmelbaptist.org

Contact info as of Oct. 13:
Carmel Baptist Church
1145 Pineville-Matthews Road
Matthews, NC 28105
joem@carmelbaptist.org
704-815-1592

Between now and then, you can still reach me at HGBC!

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think according to the power at work within us. Eph 3:20.

Our fighting men and women are people just like you and me

Marine Captain Nathaniel C. Jaime (Nate) took a few short minutes during duty to stop by the officer’s pool to watch his daughter, Naomi ,play in the kiddy pool. You can't help but to notice the kiss. Naomi stretches up to her daddy ("NaNa") in response to his request for a "kiss-kiss." This uniformed Marine gently holds his daughters hand and he gladly accepted the little yellow duck she offered to him to hold. I watched as my son-in-law stole few short moments out of the middle of the day to be a dad. We think of Marines (Devil Dogs) as tough, well trained, hardened fighting machines and they are. But, they are so much more. They go to work and they prepare to wage war. They come home and they are just like you and me.
We are very fortunate right now. Nate is state-side. He, Alana, Naomi, and new their new little boy, Gabriel, are stationed at Twenty-nine Palms Marine Corps base in the Mojave Desert of CA. Nate has been deployed to the Middle East twice in the past three years, but right now he is training other Marines do to what he does when he is at war. We are very proud of him and of our daughter Alana. Alana has a needle work picture framed that says, "A Marine Wife - The Toughest Job in the Marine Corps."
Remember our Fighting Forces and remember their families. As you watch news reports remember this picture and know each of our men and women who serve in harm’s way love deeply and are loved deeply. Yet, they go. They go for you and they go for me. They go for their/our country - the USA.

Gabriel -- Holding him reminds of what's important

I held Gabriel for about 45 minutes tonight. He was awake, alert, and happy. He looked all around and made little noises.

Perspective -- what is life really about? It is about relationships. It is about giving and receiving. The greatest treasures we will ever have are not in the things of earth, but are of the people of the earth. Who we know and who knows us -- therein lies treasure.

The artist of relationships is the Triune God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). In Him, we find the perfect relationship. He offers that relationship to us through the Son, Jesus Christ. I desire to pursue relationships. I want to know God. I want to know Brenda, my wife. I want to know my family. I want to know any who would consider a friendship a treasure. I want to know and I want to be known.

"I didn't even have to say excuse me."

Miriam and MacMac had a great time swimming together on Lake Gaston. After everyone else had left the waterside Miriam and I had time to swim with just the two of us. I told her that we were "partners," explaining that we were "working together" to swim and just enjoying being together. Her enjoyment of this alone time with MacMac, came out as she was telling her Grandma about her experience. She said , "I didn't even have to say excuse me." She had my undivided attention--she didn't have to break into a conversation with, "Excuse me MacMac." How precious! I will cherish the swim time that Miriam and I had--"partners"--just us.

For Tips

A crowd must form as tourists in Ensenada, Mexico are drawn the too heavy musical sounds produced by four home-made drums, a home-made xylophone, and a flute. In the midst is a young woman dancing to the rhythmic sounds produce by the musicians. The teens play and dance hoping for tips. They move from street corner to street corner with their high energy show. As the Ensenada police arrive, they vanish into the crowd only to reappear on another street corner to entertain -- all for tips.

Haley

Haley is almost 2 1/2 years old.

Michael, my grandson