Category Archives: Family

Sep 19
0

I Like New!

By | Family, Just Thoughts, NewSpring | No Comments

Now, don’t get me wrong, I treasure my heritage and I’m thrilled to look back on all the wonderful things God has done for me. I can be very sentimental about my memories. When Mark and I visit Texas, one of our favorite things to do is drive by the houses we lived in during our childhood, we go by houses where my grandparents lived, churches and schools we attended and even shopping areas in the “old” part of town. All of these places bring back treasured memories but we don’t live there anymore. We aren’t children anymore, we’re grandparents! … and we’re busy making new memories for us and for our children and grandchildren. God was so faithful and good to us in the past, but I’m glad our God is a God of the future as well. He has such wonderful plans for today and tomorrow and I’m anxious to be in the here and now, with an eye toward the future. If we fail to think about the future, we will fail. After all, this life we are living is just an investment in eternity — that’s where we will spend the “bulk” of our existence.

As a matter of fact, we are commanded to “set our sights” on Heaven — our future.

Colossians 3:1-3
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.

Heaven is what we are talking about on Wednesday evenings at Powerlines. Join us next Wednesday, September 24 at 6:30 in the East Building and our discussion will include a special guest from Scotland.

Have you ever heard the phrase “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” ? I came across that just recently and it really made me stop and think about the logic of that oft-quoted mantra. It might sound reasonable when we are struggling to learn a new process that seems to take more time and effort temporarily, but what if we go back and apply that to all those “new fixes” that we now enjoy every day.

For example…

My legs get me where I need to go just fine… why do I need wheels?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it..

I enjoy hauling water to our house from the creek nearby. It works for us to use that water for cooking, cleaning, and bathing and we’ve always had an outhouse – it works just fine… why do we need indoor plumbing?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it..

I love the glow of oil lamps in our house… why do I need electricity?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it..

My mother taught me how to dip our clothes into these tubs for washing and it’s so much fun to use the wringer… I think my clothes smell extra fresh hanging on the line outside… why would I want an automatic washer and dryer?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it..

My mother gave me this cast iron manual typewriter, it works just fine… why do I need a computer?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it..

My rotary telephone works just fine… why do I need one with buttons… and I surely don’t need a phone to carry with me!
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it..

My vinyl records have all my favorite songs and they work just fine, why would I want to use CD’s?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it..

I love shopping for stationery and writing long letters to my friends. They don’t mind waiting a few days to hear from me – that’s so special and it works great. Why would I want to use email?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it..

Maybe since Mark and I have been talking so much about Heaven lately, I was thinking about those who don’t like change … don’t like new. It may be a difficult adjustment in Heaven, because God has announced to us about our future….

Revelation 21:5
And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”

Which brings me back to….. I Like New!!

Aug 01
0

Ready for School?

By | Family, Just Thoughts, Message Series, NewSpring, Next Step | 2 Comments

This summer is almost gone — not the hot weather, but summer vacation. Our youngest son, Stephen will be attending band camp this coming week and the following week classes begin. It’s always sad to see summer vacation come to an end even though I’m not in school. I’m also still trying to get used to the fact that my youngest child is starting high school. At my age, four years go by so fast that I’m trying to prepare myself for the empty nest that’s coming all too soon.

As we prepare for this fall, we are very excited to anticipate what God is going to do at NewSpring Church. Even though summer attendance is usually down, the last two weekends we have had over 2,000 and from those two weekends, 15 people have let us know that they prayed to receive Christ. Last weekend, KidzWorld had their highest attendance (472) since Easter and as of last Monday, 103 people have registered to be baptized at Watermark on August 24. Forty-two people have signed up for Discovery Reception where we will introduce our leadership team and ministry opportunities. Discovery is also the place to find out how to become a member of the NewSpring Church family.

This weekend begins a new series and I have gotten some previews, so I can say that you won’t want to miss it. The first message is called “Filing Jointly.” Mark and I were sitting at the lunch table when he was telling me how he was still struggling with the illustration he needed. A minute or two went by and I saw the light come on! God gave him just what he had been asking for. Although I got a small sample, I’m very anxious to hear the whole message this weekend.

I can’t imagine a more exciting life than what God has given me. Even with another summer coming to an end, the best is yet to come!

Jul 05
0

4th of July

By | Family, Just Thoughts | No Comments

We were sitting on the back porch with our bowls of homemade chocolate chip ice cream and enjoying the fireworks displayed all over our neighborhood. It was an amazing site to see! It seemed that each neighbor was alternating in such a way that it almost seemed choreographed. There were multiple concussions followed by spectacular explosions of light that turned the dark night into what seemed like broad daylight. This went on for hours. (I’m glad I didn’t have to clean up after all that this morning.) Our area must have been quite a sight because we saw several private planes circling around above us. I wonder what it looked like from up there.

Anyway, it was a wonderful Americana experience. Like all our other holidays, it brought back many memories, but also created some new ones.

I had to chuckle a couple of times and if I thought about it, I’m sure I could figure out what these things might illustrate, but for now I’ll just put them into my mental file cabinet for future reference.

When Stephen came out onto the porch, he commented that it sounded like a war out there. Of course, as I understand it, that is sort of the whole point, or at least it started out to be. The fireworks celebration is commemorating our fight for independence. It should remind us of the fact that there was a war here on our soil that cost many lives in order to gain our freedom from foreign rule.

Then there was another moment I will remember for a while. In between the bright and loud series of fireworks, I kept thinking I saw a rather faint glow flashing off and on down below us. At first I thought I was just seeing a reflection in a neighbor’s window — maybe reflecting some fireworks behind us, but then I was sure it couldn’t be a reflection. I asked Mark, “Do you see a little firefly down there or is that just my imagination?” He then confirmed what I thought I was seeing — it was a little firefly — glowing away, joining in this wonderful celebration (it would seem). It just impressed me, I don’t know why exactly.

Isn’t summer wonderful?

Jun 17
0

Summer Stuff

By | Family, NewSpring, Next Step | 2 Comments

Our family is enjoying a great summer this year, mostly at home, but with a few “away” adventures sprinkled in. Stephen is participating in junior golf and also getting ready for camp coming up next week. Mark is preparing to speak at a church in the great state of Texas, however it will be in West Texas which is very different from northeast and south central Texas where our roots are. West Texas is a little more like the wilderness the Children of Israel wandered through — or at least that’s my opinion. When I visited there as a young girl, my cousin Carolyn and I went out to explore and I remember looking for a tree (of any size) or even a small patch of grass to get some relief from the hot summer sun, but to no avail, there was none to be found. It was a hot, barren desert.

Speaking of grass.. we’re trying to grow some in our yard. It’s one of the projects that goes with a new house. We are watching the weather patterns and looking out at our partial crop with great interest daily as we chose seeding over sodding. It’s definitely a long-term project.

In my world at NewSpring, we had a wonderful Discovery Reception on June 8 with a room full of people who want to be part of what God is doing here. This last weekend, we had a Starting Point orientation and will begin a new group this Sunday that will meet through the summer. I’m so thankful that God has now given us six couples to lead Starting Point groups, so at the present time, with two groups just concluded last weekend, we have three active groups going even through the summer months — awesome! AND we will plan to begin at least three new groups in the fall. What a great joy to get to know everyone that comes through Discovery and Starting Point!

Jun 03
0

Holiday Weekend

By | Family, NewSpring, Next Step | 2 Comments

It’s hard to believe that almost a week has gone by since we returned from Oklahoma City where we visited our son, Jonathan and his family. We were able to attend church with them, enjoy some local attractions and just hang out. I love my son and daughter-in-law, Wendy, but I particularly enjoy getting to visit with our

Cheyenne Hoover

granddaughter, Cheyenne. She is not only beautiful (see picture), but is also intelligent, well-mannered and articulate. In short, she is a delight! I treasure all the time we get to spend with her.

This particular picture was taken during a boat ride on the canal in Bricktown, which is in downtown OKC. She is great to pose for her Dad who is becoming a great photographer along with his many other talents.

Our daughter-in-law, Wendy is also muti-talented and is very involved at their church in several different roles. (You can see by the picture on the right that Cheyenne’s beauty comes from her mother.)

As we return to our ministry here at NewSpring, I’m very excited to be hosting our next Discovery Reception this Sunday, June 8. This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to meet NewSpring ministry leaders, find out about volunteer opportunities and/or how to become a member of NewSpring. Questions are welcome. In fact, there is a little fun with the ministry leaders who compete to answer the most questions. (Usually, Lance gets the most. )

We are also beginning a new Starting Point group on June 15. If you are interested, now is the time to get signed up!

Apr 24
0

The Nest

By | Family, Just Thoughts | One Comment

It was a couple of weeks ago that we discovered her presence. Our little dog, Fred was going outside first thing in the morning as is his custom and I was startled to hear a lot of commotion outside. When I looked through the front window, I saw a duck with her wings fully spread flying straight out from our house and little Fred running out ahead with terror on his face.

Apparently, Fred had inadvertently discovered a mama duck sitting on her nest right in our front flower bed. She must have felt safe up against the house, but she was also very visible to us as we have a large window right over that bed. As I looked down at the nest she had flown from I discovered four eggs carefully arranged and cushioned with a bed of feathers and other nesting materials. When mama duck felt safe again, she came back to the nest and I have been watching each day and waiting for that big moment.

During the last few weeks, she has endured some difficult weather. When hail came our way, I watched as she sat there with hailstones landing right on top of her, never leaving the nest. She stayed through cold nights and long days. I had to wonder when she ever got a break. How did she eat?

Then a couple of days ago, I glanced down as I was going by the window. There they were! The ducklings had arrived! I grabbed my camera and tried to get a couple of shots of the ducklings who were waddling around the nest. As soon as mama duck spotted me, she had them all come back into the nest under the safety of her wings. I did get one shot that shows the watchful eye of the mama and one of the little ones.

Apr 23
0

Spiritual Warfare

By | Family, NewSpring | 2 Comments

Sorry I’ve been slow posting, but these last few days have been really challenging. Do you believe in spiritual warfare? I do. I know it’s real because it has a particular quality to it. I make that distinction because life always has its challenges, and I don’t want to get to the place where I think there’s a demon behind every tree. But when you’re under attack you know it. It’s not just normal run of the mill “having a bad hair day” kind of stuff.

Three weekends ago, I brought the second installment of the “How Life Works” series, and we wound up talking about Satan and how he subtracts from us. We stripped his disguise off, and showed him for what he was. It wasn’t a talk I enjoyed, but the response was deafening. God worked at NewSpring in a way that surprised the daylights out of me. I couldn’t believe the excitement that weekend as I heard from so many people who woke up to what was really going on, and determined that the thief was through carrying off their valuables.

I think I knew it was coming. I’ve learned that when the Enemy is exposed and precious lives are wrestled out of his clutches he doesn’t take it lying down.  Soon after that, stuff just began happening. Especially heath issues in my family. Hey, I’m quick to make the point that health issues aren’t always an attack of Satan, but these were just too obvious. It was like they pancaked on top of us.

Could I tell you something? I’m totally excited about what’s coming next. There have been many times of desperate prayer, which I’m sure, served to deepen my walk with God. (By the way, if I was the devil the thing that would make me mad as, well, you know where, is that when he sets out to damage God’s child, and that child runs to the Father, all Satan succeeds in doing is making that Christ-follower more dangerous to the powers of darkness.

I don’t profess to be spiritually strong. I don’t enjoy these battles. If it were up to me, I’d bypass every one. But experience has taught me this. If I don’t cave, if I don’t capitulate, If I don’t get mad at God and check out, even if I emerge from the struggle pretty well torn up, on the other side of the attack is SOME KIND OF HUGE PRIZE. And just as the attack has a kind of peculiar quality to it, the prize has God’s clear signature on it as well. If you’re feeling under attack today, remember, Jesus has already triumphed!

I believe!
Mark

Mar 29
0

Moving and Easter Weekend

By | Family, NewSpring, Next Step | 5 Comments

The big moving day finally came last week. We have now moved into a lovely house and it is wonderful! Lots of windows looking out at beautiful scenery, lots of cupboards, my own little TV in the kitchen that has HGTV and Food Network instead of news and sports… (although, I will say that Mark suffered through my favorite programs on many occasions while we were confined to the apartment) and the all-important laundry room — I love it!

After three long days of signing papers, packing, moving, cleaning, unpacking, etc. I was quite exhausted when the weekend came. Since it was Easter, my schedule for the weekend was a little unusual. One of the Starting Point groups that I’m in on Sunday chose to cancel for the weekend because several group members would be out of town. The other Starting Point group I’m in on Sunday chose to meet on Saturday evening before the worship service in order to help make room for our special guests on Sunday. So, on Saturday I participated in a Starting Point group at 5 and then attended the worship service at 6.

If you were in that Saturday worship service, you know it was absolutely awesome! I’ve never been in a service quite like that one. I left that night feeling I had truly been in God’s presence in a very special way.

Since I didn’t have an SP group on Sunday and I had already attended an absolutely awesome worship service, I decided to exercise my option to stay in on Sunday morning. It felt very strange, but after I got Stephen and Mark off to church, I really enjoyed having this wonderful, quiet house all to myself. Totally comfortable in jeans and my NewSpring hoodie, I relaxed with a cup of coffee and unpacked a few more boxes.

As I contemplated lunch and my still mostly empty refrigerator, I decided I really needed a little trip to the grocery store for a couple of things, but it was almost time for Mark and Stephen to get home, so I decided to wait until they arrived to let them know where I was headed. (That was my first mistake.) When they arrived, Mark decided to go along with me to the store, so he, in his dress slacks, sweater and dress shoes and me with no make-up, in my jeans, sweatshirt and sneakers, drove to Wal-Mart on this beautiful Easter Sunday.

As soon as we stepped out of the car, someone called out to Mark and wanted to tell him about how much they love NewSpring. I kept moving forward, hoping they would not realize we were together. As soon as we got our shopping cart, someone else spoke to Mark about the service as I moved straight ahead to my task. It seemed like with every aisle there was someone else, dressed for this wonderful day, who wanted to greet Mark and speak to him about either the broadcast or the weekend services. As I quickly turned around the corner of one aisle where another conversation had started, I heard Mark say to this couple, and I want you to meet my wi……., his voice trailed off as he looked and realized I wasn’t there. How embarrassing!

When he caught up with me he had a grin from ear to ear. I told him I just thought of something I needed from the other side of the store and could he please go get it for me and meet me at the checkout. While he was gone, I grabbed the last couple of grocery items I needed and made a dash for the express lane. I met Mark there and as the gentlemen scanned my items, I began to feel I was “home free.” Just as I swiped my card, the checker looked up at Mark and asked “Have you had a chance to relax a little since the service this morning?”

It’s a good thing I’m a good sport, because Mark was very amused at my self-consciousness and had to laugh out loud on our way home. Then, after I dealt with my embarrassment, we were both excited to realize how many people in our community are being blessed by the ministries of NewSpring. We are both so thankful and excited to be a part of what God is doing here! And next time I go to the store with Mark, I’ll make sure he’s in jeans too!

Mary Alice

Mar 27
0

Finish Never

By | Family, Just Thoughts, Next Step | 3 Comments

It was 31 years ago that Mark and I were planning our wedding. In 1977 personal  computers were not available to create wedding invitations, so we went to a printer to choose ours. As we looked at different poetic messages, I caught sight of one that said we were pledging our love forever. Now, at the tender ages of 18 and 20, even the concept of 15 or 20 years was difficult to really grasp, but I wanted to communicate that this young man I loved was so important to me that I couldn’t ever imagine us being apart — even in eternity.

I was so excited that day that he put that ring on my finger and changed my name to his. At that moment, we became a family. In 31 years together, we have experienced many wonderful times and many difficult times — sometimes simultaneously. During the most difficult times, I believe our commitment to one another, made before God, helped us to weather the storm together.  

As I talk with new believers, so often I am asked about my relationship with the Lord. How does it work in my life? Are my prayers answered? Do I have doubts? It’s a little difficult to describe a life time relationship in a few short sentences, but what it boils down to is that my relationship with Jesus Christ has grown over the years in many ways just like my relationship with my husband has as we’ve lived life together. Each day I know Jesus a little better. As I pray, I talk to Him about my life and through reading the Bible, He shares with me more about Himself and what His plans are for His kingdom and my place in it. He works in my life in such a way that I am constantly aware of His presence. It gets better and better everyday and I always look forward to tomorrow knowing that He will still be with me and He always has plans.

As I was reading “My Utmost for His Highest” today, Oswald Chambers was talking about our personal relationship with Christ. He concluded with “Begin to know Him now, and finish never.” That’s what’s really wonderful about my relationship with Jesus — it really is forever!

 Mary Alice

Mar 15
0

Texas Our Texas

By | Family, Just Thoughts | One Comment

If you’re not from Texas, the title probably doesn’t ring a bell, but growing up in Texas, we sang a song by the title Texas Our Texas. It just popped into my mind this morning as I’m sitting here at Panera enjoying a cup of coffee. Mark and I have been talking about the conference he just spoke at earlier in the week. It is a joy for me to see how God is using NewSpring and Mark to encourage and inspire other pastors around the country to take a fresh new look at what God is doing through His church today and how we can all be a part of it.

Later today, I’ll be taking notes for Mark in another meeting. It’s great to be here! But, we’ll be glad to get back home shortly. We are Kansans now, even though Texas still calls to us sometimes.

We’re also talking about Easter weekend coming up. It’s very exciting to anticipate what God is going to do at NewSpring this Easter!

Mary Alice