Thanks, Doug. We love your heart for God, you passion to help us grow, and we love your humor! Thank you for your honesty, wisdom, and guidance. Unfortunately, I had to rip out a couple of paragraphs about procrastination and clutter, but the rest of the book is great!

Hey Pastor Doug... great job today. I was at 11:15. :-) I loved what you said about finding those little moments throughout the day to connect with God instead of feeling guilty that I can't get up at 4:30 in the morning like "every other good Christian." LOLWhen my kids were little, having a "regular" quiet time was so tough... no matter what time I got up or how quiet I was, I would be up no more than 3 minutes and he'd somehow sense that I was awake and start calling for me. I got so frustrated because I was anxious to and intent upon seeking God earnestly. I used to pray and tell God that if he wanted me to spend time with him the right way then it was up to him to make my son sleep 30 more minutes. Yeah... that didn't work. I finally figured out that my kids tended to fall asleep in the car. So... when they were little, I would drive around til they fell asleep, then go park at Target and pull out my Bible. I could read, listen to worship music and pray... and it was quiet. I think the freedom to connect with God in the realness of our day to day life makes it so much more attainable.Second I loved what you said about practicing the presence of God. Learning to be aware of God in the ordinary moments of our lives is not only necessary, it's a lost art. When I teach in Foundations, the women are often startled as I remind them that he is there in every conversation, he's with you when you're watching television (even the things that we KNOW offend him)... he's there all the time... whether we acknowledge Him or not, whether we realize it or not. I remember my Jr. High small group leader trying to get this through our heads. She said... next time you get a new cassette tape... imagine yourself listening to it with Him first. What would he think of the lyrics? Would he be offended? Should you be? At the time it felt pretty extreme. But as I've gotten older I've realized that it is THAT level of awareness that not only causes us to feel more connected to Him but also in tune with him. Practicing his presence leads to seeing through his eyes... it helps us connect to his heart and begin to live out his love in and through our lives.BTW - is there a "way too long" length for blog entries?? I don't really blog either. O well. One last thing... While I didn't remember what the coins meant this morning, I do still have my Faith/Control card on my desk. That was one of those "hey has he been hiding in my house watching me" moments. Every day I see it and it reminds me that (1) when I feel the need to control things I'm not exercising faith and (2) [based on the examples you shared in your sermon] sometimes my need to have everything perfectly ordered and clean is not as much a function of a desire for a hygenic household as much as a symptom that I feel that something else in my life has fled the boundaries of my ability to control it and I need to stop cleaning house and start cleaning heart. Thanks for hearing God and communicating His word with such authenticity and compassion. I have learned so much from you over the years. :-)

Wow! My husband and I were two of the 750ish that were baptized. Although we were unable to wait for Pastor Rick (that line was unbelievable!) we were baptized in one of the other pools. Yesterday was mind boggling...a day I will never forget!

Hi Doug, Best discussion ever in our small group this past week. One of our members told us a story of his 18mos.daughter-who ran around their new house exploring new rooms, etc., and how she constantly came back and connected with them throughout her discovery. Busy unpacking in another room, they heard her small gibberish, then all of a sudden "help" and ran to find her trapped in a closet. What a picture for us to connect to God!Everyone of our group immediately identified with little Ella how we need to "connect" throughout our day!

Hey Doug, I was there to watch a member of my small group get baptized. She was at the front of the line. My wife and I went to go eat some lunch and one hour and half later we came back to watch our other friends get baptized. The line was still like Frye's the day after Thanksgiving, but great that people were standing in line for a baptism instead of a useless toy in two months.

What an incredible moment that must have been. I wish I could have been there to see the 'fullness of life' that was on Rick's face up on stage. Even reading this blog has REFULELed me. Thanks for triggering this connection moment! (I just signed up for texting connections, too !)