Lots of Big News!!

God has been doing exciting things in our life lately. He blessed us with the ability to move into a house this past winter, and in the midst of the move we found out we are going to have a little one joining us come October! Lots of changes, but all good ones!

Life has been full speed this year so far. We are deep in community groups, students, bible studies, and preparing for a new baby. It has all been so good though.

We had our version of VBS a couple weeks ago called Adventure Camp. A group from Northway Church in Macon, GA came to help us out and it was such a fun week! We saw several new kids and families participate in Adventure Camp, and we even have had a few students join our student ministry from Adventure Camp. We could not have done it without the help from our friends at Northway, and we are so thankful God chose to provide for us through them!

Northwest Community Church has been going through a series this summer called Primed and our community groups are going through the Gospel Primer. The two go hand in hand, and it has been really neat to see individuals and groups really dig in and learn what the Gospel is and what kind of implications it has for our lives as individuals and as a church. I'm so excited to see how this summer will kickstart some really neat relationships and service throughout our church and community.

As the summer begins to wrap up, I am entering my 26th week of pregnancy! We have a sweet baby girl on the way, and we are beyond excited to meet her in a few months. She will, of course, create need for a few changes and adjustments. God has provided for us in the past almost year and a half, and we are trusting him to continue to provide during this new season as well. We don't really know how he is going to do it, but we are believing that he will. As of now, I am planning to continue working 3 days a week and Jared will stay home with her 2 of those days. We will have to find someone to keep her one day a week. We hope that I will eventually be able to stay home with her, but right now that's not in the cards and it is okay. We are so thankful that I have a very flexible job and a boss who loves the Lord and truly understands and believes in family coming first. He is fully supportive of us and what we're doing here in NWA. We know we are where God wants us, and we know his plans are much higher than ours.

Thank you for keeping up with our little adventure over here in the Northwest corner of Arkansas! We continue to be so blown away by God's provision and his providence here. We so appreciate your prayers and support as we walk into this new season of life!

-Adrienne-

An Anchor for my Soul

So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Hebrews 6:18-19

Today was Northwest Community Church's 5th birthday. It was such a beautiful morning of celebration of what God has done in and through Northwest, but also a celebration of who God is. We talked about WHY we, as christian's, can celebrate. 

The music and Will's talk all pointed back to how Christian celebration flows directly from the fact that we have an anchor in this life. We have an anchor that does not shift or come loose. When everything else is shifting or settling, our anchor does not change. He holds. There is no storm too big or wind too strong for our anchor. Our anchor cannot be dug up or made to shift with the current. Our anchor in this life is Jesus. We can stand and celebrate in good times and in bad times because we have a foundation that is sure. 

This idea of God as our anchor settled so deep in me today. This past year has been crazy. We left behind stable jobs, steady income, friends, familiarity, family, routine, "easy." We left those things behind because we have an anchor. We have a God who stays no matter what is going on around us. He stays even when we leave him. He stays when we are scared. He stays when things are good. He stays when friends are made. He stays when relationships begin to blossom. He stays when we get to be a part of life change. He stays when we are tired. He stays. 

I praise my God that he is an awesome, big God who created the world, but I also praise my God for being a God who sees me where I am and who I can truly say is an anchor for my soul. 

This Grace-Passion

This anchor for my soul, - This everlasting hope, - Your grace on which I stand.

And it's where my life begins, - My future held within, - Your grace on which I stand.

Oh, this grace on which I stand, - It will hold me till the end, - Never failing.

And Oh, praise the One who rescued me, - Jesus you will ever be, - My salvation.

And when I'm on the road, - The road that leads me home, - Your grace on which I stand.

And when I see your face, - The only claim I'll make, - Your grace on which I stand.

Worthy is the Lamb of God

Who takes away the sin of the World

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain

To receive all honour and praise

We sang this song this morning and it is simply a prayer of thanksgiving and praise and confidnece in our anchor. 

.love.

Adrienne

Have You Ever Spent Christmas Eve in a Barn?

At the church, we did our Christmas Eve service in a barn. We put up lights everywhere, made some coffee, hot chocolate, and some cookies. We put up a bunch of signs around town and everyone invited their friends and neighbors. Come Christmas Eve night, we had on our gloves and and had the hot chocolate ready and waited to see who would show up. 

We had about 150+ people show up as Jared led with music and Will presented the gospel. It was a really neat night where we got to worship God and we got to serve some new faces! We are looking forward to see how God continues to use that night in the coming year! 

.love.

Adrienne