The NEW High School Worship Service

For a couple years now, I have juggled the idea of starting a high school worship service on Sunday nights. Last night I was reminded that God's timing is perfect! It was very exciting to see the looks on many student's faces as they walked into the youth room for the first time in several months. You could feel the fellowship swelling as students began to trickle in. Some were playing pool and others were sitting and talking. Across the room you could hear the voices of competitive girls playing fuseball. I felt that the Lord wanted me to allow them some "fellowship" time before we began our worship time. At a little after 6 we began singing praises and lifting the name of Jesus. It was beautiful to see our high school students raising their hands in praise to our Lord. After our praise time and a short video, we divided the guys and girls and had small group prayer time. God is truly working to strengthen and grow our high school youth spiritually and numerically! Praise God for His faithfulness! There were almost 50 of us last night at our new high school worship service and I believe God to go "above and beyond all that we can ask or imagine". Will you believe with me? My God is always faithful!

I'm a Fiat Junkie!

If you have not already heard...I have a serious addiction! I love working on my little Italian sports cars, Fiat Spiders. My very first car was a candy apple red Fiat Spider convertible. I actually made weekly payments on the '75 Fiat for about a month before I actually bought and owned my first car. I paid $650.00 dollars for it, and was proud to have paid for it in full before I drove it home. I never thought my job at Hardee's would afford me the ability to purchase my first car...but I guess $4.50 an hour was a pretty good pay rate! Not really, but $650.00 for a cool little sports car was a pretty good deal.
Who would have known that 14 years later I would still have a fondness for little Italian sports cars? I sold my red 1975 and black 1976 in college to help pay for tuition, and I am currently finishing my white 1979 spider to help pay for Madelynn and Kelli's hospital bills. Isn't it amazing that God will use even our hobbies to provide for our needs? I look forward to sharing more about my Fiats in the near future!
One more thing, this is a picture of a 1981 Fiat that I saw on Ebay, but I plan to restore my white '81 to look very similar.

Can you really KNOW if you are going to Heaven?

The answer is a resounding...YES!!!

In my 22 years of being a Christian, the Lord has given me many opportunities to share my faith. I believe that the moment the Holy Spirit of God came into my life He gave me a desire to share Jesus with others. There are many different styles of witnessing, but there is only one message! The message is the good news (gospel) that God loves us, sent His son Jesus to die on the cross, Jesus was buried, he was gloriously resurrected, ascended into Heaven, and is returning for all those who have put their faith in Him! WOW! What better news can one have? Jesus paid the price for our sins, and if we repent of our sins and put our trust in Him we can be saved from sin, death, and Hell. 1 John 5:13 says, "These things have I written to you who believe on the name of the Son of God, that you might know that you have eternal life?" (italics added) Why do so many live life wondering if they will truly go to Heaven? I have had numerous people say that they hope to go to Heaven, or they think they might. I know that I am, do you?

This past Tuesday I had the privilege to share the gospel with a man who almost died last Friday due to complications in a routine check-up. This 67 year old man knew that his life was spared and was hopeful that he would have gone to heaven because he was a good person. I assured him that his good works would never be enough to go to heaven (Ephesians 2:8), but that he could know he was going to heaven if he confessed with his mouth and believed in his heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. (Romans 10:9) With tears in his eyes, he humbly prayed and was radically saved! A sixth grade student made the same decision last night at the Greenhouse. These two now know that they are going to Heaven when they die...do you?

WHAT??? I'm going to be a big Sister?

It's true!!! We are expecting again! I think the expression on Madelynn's face pretty much sums up our surprise. The new baby is due on September 10th, which will put Madelynn and her little brother or sister at 13 months apart. I guess we should say that she will be an older sister, because she won't be that much bigger yet. It is hard to imagine that 2 years ago, Kelli and I were not sure that we could have children. After months of testing, many tears, and many prayers, God has truly blessed us! The Oliver family is growing and we are excited to have so many babysitters! Hint...Hint... we will be calling all of you who have offered to watch Madelynn very soon!