The Fuller Team - Easter Sunday Morning.

When we arrived at church on Sunday, Laura had someone snap this picture of our crew. This is something she has done every year at Easter and Christmas since we have been married. As I look at my family, I am incredibly blessed by each of them.  Thank you Jesus for the way you have blessed our family.  We are grateful.

The Girls Competition at Myrtle Beach, SC

Sarah Belle performing with the Starlites

Anna Brooke with her team, Double Bubble

Belle Belle on the beach

Brookie on the beach

My girls - best friends for life.

Sarah Belle with her team trophy

My 3 beautiful girls.  I am so proud of them.  Thanks to our Fullertown mommy for

making all of this happen. 

NCAA Duke Practice

Last Thursday evening, we had a blast at the Greensboro Coliseum watching our favorite team, DUKE practice.  Since the Coliseum opened the doors for the locals to come, we took them up on it and had a blast.

The boys are in full focus of what is going on. 

The girls thought it was fun too.

Our favorite team, Duke.  Although they lost this past weekend, we still love them and will always be die hard Duke fans.

What a fun evening it was!

North American Missions

We are blessed as a church to have a heart for North American Missions. Last year we began a partnership with New York as our focus of North America.  Some of you were able to go on a mission trip to New York and you saw first hand how God is at work in North America. 

During the next few weeks, we will collect our annual offering for North American missions.  As we collect The Annie Armstrong North American Missions Offering, our churchwide goal will be $5000.00.  Please pray about how God desires to use you, your family and your sacrificial gift to touch the world that God has brought to us in North America.

Totally Challenged!

I have always been an advocate and supporter of The Baptist Children's Homes of NC but I had no idea how much of a ministry this has been and continues to be across our state.  As 70 children and teenagers who are residents of the BCHNC walked into our church this past Sunday, my heart began to sink.  Then when they stood across the stage and sang, "How Great Is Our God," I totally lost it. When Roberta gave her testimony of 52 counts of abuse, parents who did not want her and her siblings, and how she finally reached a point of forgiveness, I was amazed. What a day, what a service, and what a ministry BCHNC is. Thank you Southside for giving nearly 4000.00 last Sunday for this vital ministry.  Let's continue to seek ways that all of our Bible Study Groups, Sunday school classes and individual familes can be involved to make a difference for the children that reside at the BCHNC. To God Be The Glory. Thank you Jesus for opening our eyes and challenging our lives on Sunday.

The Power Of A TESTIMONY

WOW, WOW, WOW! Today I have been at the Executive Committee Retreat for our State Convention.  One of the things that our leaders had each member do was to share our personal testimony.  This took several hours but it was so powerful and moving.  I have worked with several of these amazing people on different committees and in difference roles over the years, but have never heard some of their stories. Today, my heart wept as I listened to several individuals share about their personal journey.

God taught me that there is POWER in a testimony and that we need to take more time as Christians to listen to the stories of others.  I am guilty of being so busy and running wide open all day, that sometimes I do not take time to slow down and "listen to life!"  I am a new man that heard things today that have challenged me in a special way.

Thank you Lord for the POWER of EVERY testimony. Let's all be intentional to share our personal story so that we can be a blessing to those who need to hear it.  You might be the link that someone needs to come to faith in Jesus.

A TWISTFUL DAY

Today has been a day filled with twists and turns. I had the opportunity to officiate the wedding celebration of Paul and Jamie this afternoon. What a beautiful wedding it was.  Most importantly, they are an amazing couple and I am so proud of them. They both waited for years to discover who God had for them and what a blessing it has been to see them grow and come to this point in their journey.  I was blessed to see such joy today as everyone joined together in such a sweet and special celebration.

Then tonight, as I arrived home from the wedding, I received a call that our longest tenured member had passed away a few moments earlier.  I immediately went to his daughters home where he was being cared for during these last days of life. As I drove to the home, my heart twisted and turned from the celebration of the wedding earlier today to complete sadness.  Jim was such a delightful man and such a blessing to our Southside family.  After being with his family for a couple of hours I began my journey home and God gave me another twist as I was filled with gratitide for Jim that now he is in the presence of his JESUS! Wow, what a blessing for him to be in the presence of God.

At Southside, we are indebted to this man who became a member of our church when Southside was still a mission in the 40's and meeting in a tent.  He has seen our church in every stage and he was such a humble servant of Christ.  As I worship tomorrow, I will be thinking about how blessed I am to worship, along with all of you, as we (stand on his shoulders) for the foundation he gave for each of us.

As I sat in my recliner late tonight to finish my sunday school lesson, I felt that I needed to write about today.  The truth is, every day will have twists and turns (joys and sadness, victory and grief, and blessing and mourning) but God is always with us.

I am thankful that His presence was felt at the wedding today in such a remarkable way and that his presence was equally felt tonight in a powerful way as the family of one of our patriarch's went home to be with his Lord.

Thank you JESUS for your presence in our lives.