Broken Promises

What do these things have in common?

Answer: They are all easily broken.

Everyone is guilty of breaking promises. Often times, we have every intention of keeping the promise we made, but life happens. Read the verses below:

"Simon Peter asked him, 'Lord, where are you going?' Jesus replied, 'Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.' Peter asked, 'Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.' Then Jesus answered, 'Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!'" ~John 13:36-38

What was Peter's promise to Jesus?

Just a little background of these verses: The verses prior to this record Jesus' observance of the Lord's Supper. This was a very emotional meal with His disciples. After the meal, Peter emotionally promised Jesus that he would never betray Him. He also promised that he would follow Jesus anywhere, even to death.

Do you think Peter truly meant to keep that promise? Have you ever made a promise to God that you didn't keep? How did it make you feel when you realized you had failed to keep your promise?

It is very easy to make an emotional promise to God, then fail to live up to it-just like Peter! Take your commitments to God seriously, but when you fail, remember that God is a God of forgiveness, grace, and mercy. He doesn't write you off! You are still useful to His kingdom. Embrace His forgiveness and let Him use you.

Are you feeling the weight of a promise you made to God and didn't keep? Spend some time in prayer talking to God about that promise today. Ask for His forgiveness and for His strength to help you be faithful to Him in all things.

Loving Jesus together,
Morgan

God's Handiwork

For the past 24 hours, I have been a little obsessed with something...

This cute little one right here! At the Greenville zoo, a new baby giraffe was born two nights ago. They have a live camera where you can watch the mama and her calf 24/7 in their barn and outside. It has been really cool to see this little one from actually being born, its first steps, and first time in daylight! I loved showing my kids last night this little one as it was walking around and interacting with its mama! And then I thought, how cool is God! He created everything, including these giraffes. How crazy it is to see just a few short hours after being born, the giraffe learning how to stand and walk on its wobbly legs. How it immediately knows it's mama and that she is it's protector. Isn't God amazing?!? Take time today just to observe God's handiwork around you. This time of year is especially exciting with the changing of the leaves, weather, etc. Thank God for creating you and this earth and of course this cute little giraffe! You are a miracle!

Loving Jesus together,

Morgan

"God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good." ~Genesis 1:25

PS: If you would like to see this baby in action, click on the link below!

Live Video of Baby Giraffe

Girlfriends Holiday Pinterest Party

Hey ladies! I am so excited about our next event in November. For many months, we have been trying to come up with the best way to bridge the gap between all the generations of women in our church. It is important, especially for you, that the older women of the church pour into your lives the wisdom that they have learned over the years. This new ministry is going to do just that! Girlfriends ministry is going to connect all of our middle and high school girls, college girls, and the women of the church together through fun fellowship events and other opportunities! We really just want to build relationships with all of our sisters in Christ! So anytime you see a Girlfriends event, YOU are invited!!!

Our first event is going to be on Thursday, November 8th starting at 7:00 in the ROCK! It is called a Holiday Pinterest Party. This basically means that we are going to be getting our "craft on" and make something super cute that has been found on Pinterest for the holidays! Now, if you are not crafty, no worries! The project we will be making is super easy and anybody can do it! The cost of the event is only $10.00 which helps cover the cost of the materials and our refreshments for the night! You do need to have a ticket to come. How do you get a ticket? Just come and find me either on Wednesday nights, Sundays, or in the office and I can give you one!

Start making plans now to come spend a night out with your girlfriends! And don't forget to invite others like your mom, sister, grandmother, best friend, etc! It is going to be such a fun night!

You can also order a girlfriends t-shirt that night as well for $10.00. They are white long sleeve shirts with the girlfriends logo on the front!

Let me know if you have any questions! I'm so excited for this night to spend with YOU!

Loving Jesus together,
Morgan

"Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God." ~Titus 2:4-5

Thankful Thursday

It's Thankful Thursday on the blog today! We have so much to be thankful for in our lives! Here is what I am thankful for from this week..

1. I am so thankful that my husband is finally feeling better. He has been sick all week with Vertigo and hasn't had much energy. He is not 100% yet, but he is getting there!

2. Think Pink Night tonight. What a great way to show God's love to our cancer patients by blessing them!

3. Free to Worship. I love hearing my kids sing praises to Jesus in the car. Melts my heart!

What are you thankful for today? Make sure to take a moment and thank Him who deserves all praise!

Loving Jesus together,

Morgan

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever." ~Psalm 136:1

Senior Spotlight~Allee Clifton

Our Senior Spotlight for this month is...

Allee Clifton

Allee is a senior at Aiken High School. Her life verse is 1 Timothy 4:12, "Do not let others look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity."

1. What is your favorite song right now?

I have a few! "A Drop in the Ocean" by Ron Pope, "I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz, and "He Said" by Group 1 Crew.

2. What one place in the world would you like to visit and why?

I want to go to Sydney, Australia and go to a worship service at Hillsong because their concerts are so amazing and I want to see what their home church is like.

3. What advice would you give to younger girls who are seeking to grow in Christ?

You need to get into a daily devotional. Sometimes they have the perfect Biblical example or encouragement that you need.

4. How has the Student Ministry impacted your life?

I have found some of my best friends through the Student Ministry. They've shown me what true friendship is. I also have gotten to go on some of the most life-changing trips ever thanks to the Student Ministry. Being with the youth group is definitely one of my favorite places to be!

5. Salty or sweet?

Both! McDonald's fries dipped in a McFlurry is one of the yummiest things ever! Try it!

Thank you, Allee, for letting us know just a little something about you! If you see Allee around church, make sure to introduce yourself! 

Loving Jesus together,

Morgan

PS. Don't forget about our "Think Pink" night TOMORROW! It's going to be a great night with the girls! 

Waiting Game

What is the longest amount of time you ever waited to get something? What was it? For me, I can think of a few. It seemed like I had to wait months for getting that acceptance letter to Clemson or waiting 11 months to say "I do" to the love of my life and even waiting nine long months twice for Cade and Campbell!

Think about how you feel when you're waiting for something you really want. What's your waiting style?
*I wait patiently for things.
*It's not my favorite thing ever, but it's ok.
*I hate waiting! I'm so impatient!

Read Genesis 15:1-6.
God had promised Abram that he would be the father of a great nation, and Abram and his wife were still childless years later. If it was me in this situation, my faith and patience would start to slide away  on waiting for so long. But God assured him once again. When God makes a promise, He keeps it-but He doesn't always let us in on the timing of His fulfillment. When we're waiting for God to act, we must actively choose to trust Him and His purposes. God doesn't work according to our time frame.

In what areas of your life have you been waiting for God to act for a long time? What steps will you take this week to entrust those areas to Him again? Express to God that you trust His timing in those areas!

Loving Jesus together,
Morgan

"Look up at the sky and count the stars-if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." ~Genesis 15:5

Living Water

Water is vital to your body. It makes up 93 percent of your blood, 73 percent of your muscle mass, and even your body fat is 10 percent water. Water is necessary for:

*Regulating body temperature
*Protecting organs and body tissues
*Digestion
*Transporting nutrients to cells
*Helping to dissolve nutrients
*Lubricating joints

You are probably thinking right now, "Why is Morgan giving us a science lesson on water?" Stay with me!!

Jesus answered her (Samaritan Woman at the well), "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." "Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?" Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water." ~John 4:10-15

Life can leave us feeling all dried up. We get drained, worn out, tired, and frustrated. We chase a satisfaction we can't seem to find. And like the Samaritan woman, we have to keep going back to the well because our thirst never seems to go away. Think about these questions...

*What was Jesus referring to when He talked about living water?
*What physical solutions do you sometimes turn to when you really have a spiritual thirst to quench?
*What did Jesus promise to those who choose to drink the living water?

When we offer God the little that we have, He always gives us much, much more than we had before. With Jesus, we are always "trading up." We have nothing to fear from giving Him all we have. Not only can He satisfy our deepest needs, but He also wants to give us more than we could possibly imagine.
Today, focus on a spiritual thirst you have been trying to quench with physical remedies like food, relationships, anger, addictions. Ask God to quench that thirst so you can experience Him fully!

Loving Jesus together,
Morgan

A Girl Answering the Call

Have you ever asked God, "What am I supposed to be doing?" or "What is my purpose?" or "Really, God? You want me to go where?"
As Christians, we struggle every day in searching for what God wants us to do with our lives. I want to share a story of a hometown girl who answered God's call for her life and is now serving him overseas in Belize through Water Missions. Click the link below to read her story and then come back to the blog!

Melanie Dowdy


Melanie, is the granddaughter of Nancy Dowdy, Pastor Eddie's secretary here at the church. What a testimony she has! Because she said "yes" to God's call, He has put her in the place He designed just for her. God chooses and uses ordinary people like you and me!

Is God trying to tell you something? Are you listening? Are you willing to say "YES!"? It may not be to travel overseas or actually go on a mission trip, but you are in a mission field right now in your schools and the people you come in contact with. You can share the love of Christ anytime and anywhere. You just have to be willing to answer the call!

Loving Jesus together,
Morgan

For more information about Water Missions, go to WaterMissionsBelize

Let's keep Melanie in our prayers, Girls!

Girls' "Think Pink" Night

Hello ladies! Yesterday, marked the start of October and Breast Cancer Awareness month. Last year, we had a great night making journals and bags for our area cancer patients. I have gotten so much feedback from women who we impacted that we are going to do this again! Thursday, October 18 from 7-9 at the ROCK we will be having a "Think Pink" night. We will have some yummy snacks and decorating journals again. Please bring $2.00 with you to help cover the cost of materials as well as supplies for our bags:

Travel size Kleenex, Hand sanitizer, lotion
Medicated Lip Balm
Pens

Don't forget to wear pink as well! This will be a fun night to just hang out with the girls and serve the people in our community. Let's shine the love of Jesus and give these women HOPE!

Sign up today!

Loving Jesus together,
Morgan