Just as I am

Wanna blessing... watch this video

Pastor Appreciation

Today at our Harvest festival, a few people gave me cards and said some really nice things about me... For that I am thankful.

My wife even got me this cake to celebrate my graduation from the School of Christian Studied...

More pics from the State Convention and our way home

I DID IT!!!

After 12 yrs, I finally graduated from the WVBC School of Christian Studies!
In 1996, Rev. Paul Fulks, my area minister encouraged me to enroll in the school.
If I would have kept at it, I would have graduated in 3 years, but I took a couple classes, and then couldn't afford it. So I didn't take anymore until I became youth pastor at Sutton Baptist. I then started taking them sporadically... sometimes I couldn't afford to take the class, other times the one day classes were scheduled on a Saturday that was already busy for me in youth ministry. As a youth pastor, Saturdays are prime days for monthly activities.

So, I picked up a class here and there, and 12 years later with a lot of help from God, I graduated....

Next stop... Palmer Seminary.
I am now ready to begin the process of getting my Masters in Divinity degree.

But for now... tonight... I am celebrating!

Pics from the Convention

Still More pics from the convention

More pics of the convention

Some pics of us at the convention

First Day of WVBC Annual Meeting

Well, we arrived! Actually the Convention starts in the morning, but we are already checked in to our hotel..
I have already ran into Max Hill, and Jim and Pat Ash. There is nothing like a bunch of WV Baptists converging on a town!!!

The leaves on the trees through the mountains were beautiful, and we enjoyed our trip down yesterday to Tabatha's mothers.. (Although we were ran off the road by a guy between Elkins and Buchannon!.... Tried my Christian patience!!! lol)

We stayed all night at my MILs and then spent sometime this afternoon with Tabatha's Grandmother, Freda, who is in the nursing home in Charleston. After leaving there, we found the two churches we will be attending, and then found our hotel.

Justin is wanting to go to Dollar tree, and then we will have dinner this evening. (Probably order in Pizza from Papa Johns... my favorite pizza)

Justin is having a time... he saw a map of the hotel on our hotel door and he started freaking out! He said.. "This place is bugged... this map says, "YOU are here!... Then he read the instructions on what to do if there is a fire in our room.. Step 1... Call 9-11 and tell them where you are.... Justin said, "How will they know I am here?!!!"

Then he grabbed all the coffee, creamer, little bottles of soap, and shampoo and is trying to sneak them into Tab's purse!

He really has to get out more often!

"JUSTIN... put that alarm clock down.. you can't take that home!!!
NOW! Put it back! ...and that remote won't work on our TV at home!"


After a good night's rest, (IF I CAN GET ONE!!!") He now thinks the ice bucket is a bed pan!!!........... we will be ready to go again.
Please pray that my mother can come to the graduation... she doesn't have a way to get here. I will update this blog tomorrow night after services...

Tim.

Getting ready to go

Only 4 days left...


I have been looking forward to the Annual meeting of the WVBC for a few weeks now.
Besides getting to graduate from the WV School of Christian Studies, the gathering of over 500 WV Baptists together from all over the state is something that lifts my spirit.

This year the Annual Meeting will be held at St. Albans First Baptist Church. There will be awesome worship, sermons, and music. Getting to see friends that I haven't seen for a year is always a blessing. And this year our convention has hired a hispanic strategist to help church's and associations to start hispanic ministries throughout the state. I had the privelige of meeting him last evening at our local association meeting. His testimony is powerful, and I am convinced that God is going to work through our association in a mighty way.

For a couple yrs now, I have felt some sort of call to hispanic ministry, but the call has never came in clear. It is like God is saying, "prepare yourself" so I have been. For the last few years, our association has been planning a hispanic ministry, but all our plans get shot down. We know God wants it, but we didn't know the timing... until now.

As I type this, Juan, our hispanic brother is on a fact finding mission with another local pastor. He will assess our area, which happens to be heavily populated with hispanics, and will set up a strategy for our association and churches to start a ministry.

Anyway, back to the convention... We will be leaving on Sunday Afternoon. We will stay Sunday night with my Mother-in-law, visit my wife's grandmother Monday, and go on to the hotel near St. Albans Monday evening.

Tuesday morning, we have a minister's council meeting that morning and early afternoon, then the 1st session of the annual meeting around 3 pm... dinner, then back to the church for the evening service at 6:45. It is in this service that I will graduate from the School of Christian Studies.

Wednesday morning and early afternoon will be spent in workshops. Then the business session of the meeting will be held in the afternoon. We will go to dinner, then back to the church for Wednesday evening service... ending in communion with our brothers and sisters.

Then wake up Thursday, have lunch, and head home.

Hopefully, I will be re-energized by the time I get home. I love these conventions.
Pastors need to be fed too. And it is during these times that I am fed.

Please pray for our traveling safety.

Another Sunrise

God is good!!!!

This morning when I woke up, and sent my boys to the bus stop, I noticed the view that God painted a portrait just for me.

So I took out my camera to capture it, and share it with all my readers...

Don't take nature for granted. Everytime you look at a sunset, or sunrise, or a mountain stream, or the ocean, you see something beautiful that God created just for you at that moment in time. Imagine, the creator of the universe caring enough for you to produce something of beauty just for you.

Have you thanked HIM today? YOU should... I should... We all should shout out to God, "THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME!"

A tribute to a brother in Christ

Last week I received the news that a friend of mine had passed away.



I met him when I was only 6 yrs old. My family started going to a new church, and Ralph and his family was members there... Ralph and his wife, Leonna were a couple singers in the church's quartet. And I was always amazed at his ability to play the guitar. As a matter of fact, Ralph was the one that inspired me to play the guitar.



Last week Ralph passed away. He was 74 yrs old, and as I look back on my childhood and teen yrs, and even early in my marriage, I can see the influence he had on me.

Here is his Obituary:

Ralph C. Morris

Ralph C. Morris, 74, of Adonijah Community, Lizemores, died Sunday, Oct. 5, 2008, at home after an extended illness.
Born Oct. 24, 1933, in Crosby, he was a son of the late Esmond L. and Maggie Alice Morris. He was also preceded in death by a sister, Janet Fisk; and brothers, Dale, Merle, Edward and Norman Morris.
He was a retired carpenter, a member of Laurel Fork Missionary Baptist Church, Lizemores, and an Army veteran.
Survivors include his wife, Leona McGraw Morris; a daughter, Regina Bass of Lizemores; sons, Jeff, Bruce and Jamie Morris, all of Lizemores; sisters, Marie Johnston of Glen and Doris Summers and Evelyn Mitchell, both of Lizemores; and seven grandchildren.
Service will be 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, at Laurel Fork Missionary Baptist Church, Lizemores, with the Rev. Earl Elliott and the Rev. Naaman H. Moore officiating. Burial will be in the Morris family cemetery, Lizemores. Military graveside rites will be conducted by Clay VFW Post 4419.

Here is a song he wrote that I have sung a few times.
It is called "The Little Ol' Church By The Road"
Little ol’ Church by The Road…
By Ralph Morris

Often times in my memories I wander again
to the Little Ol church by the road
I can see the dear people and hear them so plain
singing songs of the blessed abode.
I can hear my dear mother as she fervently prayed
blessed Jesus help me carry my load.
She was never downhearted or never dismayed
in the little ol church by the road.

There my mother was prayin,
while the preacher was sayin,
“sinner come and repent of your sins..
There the people all crowded,
while the sisters all shouted,
and the brethren were saying “amen”
It was there I met Jesus,
and gave Him my life.
It was there he took the weight of my load”
And he freely removed all my sorrow and strife,
in the little ol church by the Road.

I remember the preacher so gentle and brave
as he told of the father above.
gave his only son Jesus all the lost ones to save
such wonderful, wonderful love,
I shall never forget how he spoke when he said
come to Jesus he will carry your load,
and so often he told of the life giving bread
in the little ol church by the road.





My sister and I at that little ol church by the road... Click on the picture to enlarge it.

I am a Soldier

I found this a few yrs ago, and I wanted to share it with you.. I have never found out who wrote it.. if anyone knows, let me know, so I can give proper credit...

I AM A SOLDIER
I am a soldier in the Army of My God.
The Lord Jesus Christ is my Commanding Officer.
The Holy Bible is my code of conduct.
Faith, Prayer and the Word
are my weapons of Warfare.
I have been taught by the Holy Spirit,
trained by experience,
tried by adversity,
and tested by fire.
I am a volunteer in this Army,
and I am enlisted for eternity.
I will either retire in this Army at the rapture
or die in this Army;
but I will not get out, sell out, be talked out,
I am faithful, capable, and dependable.
If My God needs me,
I am there.
If He needs me in Sunday school to teach children,
work with the youth, help adults, or just sit and learn.
He can use me,
because I am there!
I am a soldier.
I am not a baby.
I do not need to be pampered,
petted, primed up, pumped up,
picked up, or pepped up.
I am a soldier. No one has to call me,
remind me,
write me, visit me,
entice me, or lure me.
I am a soldier.
I am not a wimp.
I am in place, saluting my King,
obeying His orders, praising His name,
and building His kingdom!
I am a soldier.
No one has to send me flowers,
gifts, food,
cards, candy,
or give me handouts.
I do not need to be cuddled, cradled,
cared for, or catered to.
I am committed!
I cannot have my feelings hurt bad enough to turn me around.
I cannot be discouraged enough to turn me aside.
I cannot lose enough to cause me to quit.
When Jesus called me into this Army,
I had nothing.
If I end up with nothing,
I will still come out even.
I will win.
My God will supply all my needs.
I am more than a conqueror.
I will always triumph.
I can do all things through Christ.
I am a soldier.
Devils cannot defeat me.
People cannot disillusion me.
Weather cannot weary me.
Sickness cannot stop me.
Battles cannot beat me.
Money cannot buy me.
Governments cannot silence me,
and Hell cannot handle me!
I am a soldier.
Even death cannot destroy me.
For when my commander calls me from this battlefield,
He will promote me to a captain
and then bring me back to rule this world with Him.
I am a soldier in the Army,
and I'm marching, claiming victory.
I will not give up.
I will not turn around.
I am a soldier,
marching Heaven bound.
Here I stand!
Will you stand with me?