Like the Marines, it seems like we are always looking for “a few good men” and women who will hear and heed the call to service.  Nowhere is this any more evident than in our Preschool Ministry. This area of church life is growing at a steady rate.  Don’t get me wrong.  That’s a great thing for which we are all thankful.  However, these wonderful “growing pains” bring with them some challenges that must be constantly addressed.  Laura Montgomery and Julie Young do an outstanding job giving direction to this ministry, but like every other area of service at DHBC, we are so very dependent upon VOLUNTEERS to help keep things running.  Laura and Julie both are only part time staffers, but even if they were full time they could not do it alone.  Parents of this age group are certainly stepping up to do their fair share.  However, I believe there are others of you who just might fit the bill by volunteering, if not every week, then at least once in awhile. (The minimum age is 15 for preschool helpers.)  Maybe your only connection to Preschool is that you know we have one.  But if you would be willing to volunteer your services, it would help spread the load.  We are committed to the ongoing process of providing the Preschool Department with all the resources it needs to make a lasting impression on the little ones who pass through.  However, one of our most needed resources cannot be purchased or built.  We need you.  Trust me, this is not a problem unique to DeSoto Hills, but I trust the solution will set us apart as a church who comes together shoulder to shoulder and heart to heart to teach a new generation about the wonders of a Savior whose name is Jesus.

I have thought about it, dreamed about it, complained about it, joked about it, talked about it, hushed about it, and prayed about it.  I have mentioned it from the pulpit, in the hallway, at home, with family, with total strangers, and with many of you.  I have been told how great it is and how there is nothing like it.  I have watched with envy as others have proudly announced their news.  Well, today the podium is mine and the time has arrived for me to shout this news from the mountaintop or at least the equivalent thereof – my “Nook” article.  I am going to be a GRANDFATHER!!!  Marc and Jennifer are expecting their first child, more importantly MY first grandchild, in February.  They shared the news with us around Father’s Day, but delayed a public announcement until now.  I have been bursting at the seams wanting to let everyone know.  Now that the news is out, it’s like hearing it again for the first time.  Sometimes I have to pinch myself to be sure that it’s real.  By the way, I am quite sure that although this is the first mention of my grandchild in this medium, it will certainly not be the last.   Hey, I have listened to, laughed about, and learned from your stories. Now I am going to have my own. So, buckle up and get ready.

Focusing on February,

Matthew 10:1-10

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A couple of days ago Kathy and I attended our very first estate sale, or should I say, sales.  Some friends invited us to go with them and we had a great time.  It was quite the adventure as we went from one end of Memphis to the other, pilfering through stuff.  I am talking all kinds of stuff… furniture, dishes, board games, tools, clothes, yard art, etc.   If you wanted it, you could find it at one of these places.  Some of the things looked brand new, while others were worn with time, but for a price you could make them your own.  I must admit that at first, going through someone else’s things in their own house was a little disconcerting.  We are not talking about a yard sale where people are selling off what they no longer want.  Estate sales are just that- selling off the estate.   Almost everything in the house, some of it no doubt someone’s prized possessions, are up for grabs.  Although the reasons for such a sale may vary, often the cold hard fact is that the owners are deceased and have no family or the survivors don’t want or can’t use all that stuff.  I jokingly came home and told Jami not to let people pilfer through my stuff after I’m gone.  But the truth is, it will not matter.  Things we spend a lifetime accumulating will indeed one day be left behind.  You truly cannot take it with you.   Regardless of your status in this life, death comes to us all and earthly things will not accompany us.  Remember the words of Jesus during his “Sermon on the Mount”:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:19-21

Stuffed full,
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Matthew 9:27-38

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It’s been a busy summer at DeSoto Hills and we are not quite through yet. This week we look forward to some great fun and fellowship at our annual “Salute to Summer” family picnic. This is a great opportunity to invite some folks to come and get to know us. There will be water slides for the adventurous, tents with fans for us adults, and as always, food for all. This year’s entertainment will be provided by Charles Ritchie who can crank out some fantastic music from an organ. It all takes place this Sunday, July 11 from 5-7 pm.

At the end of the month, we are looking forward to our second installment of “Summer Breezes”. On July 25, Wayne Marshall will be preaching here all day long and Chris Layton will be leading us in worship. We will finish out this series with Tom Richter on August 29-30. Don’t miss these opportunities for renewal.

We will soon be finished with our Wednesday night study of Ten Dumb Things Smart Christian Believe, but Grant will be leading us in a study on the Holy Spirit that will finish up our summer and move us toward another semester of “365”. The premise for this series will be the book by Frances Chan The Forgotten God (Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit).

It is great to have our mission team back from New York. We need to remember our students who will be headed out soon to staff a Student Life Camp, as well as our children who are going to CentriKid. Summer is on the downhill run, but we are picking up speed everyday.
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