Sermon Sunday in a nutshell

When I was in high school, and even sometimes in college, it used to bother me to no end when some of the ladies in church would say, "Well Lauren, where have you been?"  This would be after I missed a Sunday or two, but just the way they asked it was like I had been gone for years.  I know it should not have bothered me, they were sincere and wanted to know if everything was ok (physically and with my spiritual walk) but I just always assumed they wanted to know the latest gossip in my life and "prayerfully" share it with the rest of the church or their Bible study group.  I know you know what I am talking about.  However, these women were just following their called duty.  In James 5:19-20, he tells us, "My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins."  (James 5:19-20 ESV)  They were just making sure I was not "wandering" and that if I was, they wanted to make sure I was steered back on track.  Oh how I wish I could go back and thank them.  I was never rude to them; just always bothered and politely said, "Here and there, busy with school.  All is ok though.  I love Jesus!"  As Bill reminded us this morning, it's hard to miss church that first time.  You do all you can to always go, diligently going Sunday after Sunday.  Then that first time you miss, it is a little easier to miss the next time, and easier the next time and so on and so forth.  Same with reading our Bible or prayer time.  We miss that scheduled quiet time because you are tired, then the next day something else comes up, and then you just completely forget about it. Beware, this is when the devil pounces.  As Christians, we are to hold our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ accountable to their walk with Christ.  I urge you, though, to do so in a loving manner and not a judgmental way.  Make sure that if someone does confide in you with sin in their life that you keep it between you, them, and God.  Don't "prayerfully" spread the word.  Christian women have a bad habit of that.   Bad.  Hold each other accountable in a loving way.  Save each other from the road to destruction.  Pray for each other.  If you notice someone missing from your church a few times, pray for them.  The Lord knows what is going on; just lift them up in prayer.  We are also to pray for those that are unsaved.  Invite them to come.  Never give up.  The best feeling in your life will be that you had a part in someone choosing Heaven over Hell.  Who in your life do you want to make sure goes to Heaven?  Who do you see on the path to Hell for eternity?  Their soul will live somewhere forever and ever, let's make sure it is Heaven.

And onto Kirby 

 Kirby is getting a little bit more hair.  It is so fine, though, so it is hard to get into a "ponytail" for a bow.  I pulled some together, twisted, and then stuck on bow.  It stayed for our entire morning walk!  The reason I was prompted to put bows back in her hair, no matter how many times she takes them out: I was at HEB the other day and Kirby was wearing a dress with flowers on it.  No bow in her hair.  This lady in front of me turns around and says, "Oh, what a beautiful baby boy.  How old is he?"  I said, "Oh, she is 13 months." The response?  Get ready, no cooth these days remember.  "She, she?!!  What did you do, give her a buzz  cut?"   

 Check out her shoes.  So you know how I said her feet are too wide for the shoes we have?  Target sells these "socks" shoes.  They are socks, but have a rubber bottom with traction nubs.  Kirby wasn't too sure of them at first, but she is wearing them longer and longer each day.  They help some, but she still tippy-toes when she walks.  

This video is about 3 minutes long, but Kirby was having so much fun playing with her barn last night.  She was talking and laughing away at her animals that she would put in there.  I didn't want to scoop her up to take her to bath time and bed.