10
Apr 2017
When you hear the word “bar,” what’s the first thing you think? Is it a bunch of sad mopes overpaying for drinks? Well, color me greedy, but what comes to my mind is a selection of goodies in a glorious line. A kaleidoscope of colors, the brightest of all being green (and if you’re envisioning Appletinis, brothers and sisters in Christ, that’s still not the kind of bar I mean!) I’m talking about a SALAD bar with all the fixings so fine (and if my Yankee family heard me say that word, they’d snatch me right back across that Mason-Dixon line!) But can’t you just see it? Lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese… Oh, my! Olives, carrots, and mushrooms, and enough......
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27
Mar 2017
They say a picture says a thousand words, and this picture does not disappoint. This day, 9 years ago, I had taken the kids on the annual MOPS pumpkin patch trip. After a hayride and picking out pumpkins, we ate a picnic lunch and then I let them loose on the playground. Honestly, Fall has a way of making you feel like a Super Mom if you have a few picnics and take your kids on a hayride. Throw in some Fall decor and BOOM! Super Mom. Back to the playground with me feeling pretty Super. Garrett, my youngest, was toddling close by while Matilynn and Cole climbed up this pile of hay off to the side of the......
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23
Mar 2017
The bird also has found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, … even Your altars, O LORD of hosts. Psalm 84:3 I heard the story recently of a couple who, by their tenth anniversary, had been unable to conceive any children. Those of you who have experienced this heartbreak can readily relate to the frustration they felt, the void that remained so senselessly empty in their lives. On days when they allowed themselves to think about it, they’d ponder what they might name a child if they were ever to have one. They had always been able to settle on a boy’s name, but they both had a different favorite for a girl. The wife liked......
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09
Mar 2017
Why would anyone ever do that!?! I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy!!! We’ve all seen those scenes in the movies. The one you thought was their best friend…their closest ally, ends up being the one to cause all the problems. Everything goes up in smoke and the deepest wound came from behind (et tu Brute)! Have you experienced this in your own life? Have you ever felt betrayed by those closest to you? Have you felt like the ones you knew the best were the ones plotting against you the whole time? So what are we to do with that experience in our lives? How are we supposed to pick up the pieces and move on when......
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29
Jan 2017
Yesterday, we concluded the “Woven” series with some special guests from the City of Hampton. Dr. Kelli Cedo (Principal, Forrest Elementary School), Councilman Will Moffett, Vice Mayor Linda Curtis, and Assistant City Manager Steve Bond all came to share their appreciation for New Covenant’s partnership, especially our recent involvement with Forrest Elementary School. Beneath their long lists of credentials and accomplishments, we got to see their heart – to serve the region we live in. What has been unusual about this Woven series has been it’s diversity. We heard from Dale Sexauer, our missionary to India who preaches in large open-air meetings where people are healed and thousands of lives are touched. We hosted Mountain Mission School, who brought......
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18
Jan 2017
It was our privilege to be at Forrest Elementary tonight to participate in the 'Spotlight on Reading' event for their kindergarten and first grade students! Thank you to everyone who came!...
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08
Jan 2017
Sunday services are cancelled Jan. 8 due to SNOW and a lot of it. So, stay inside Sunday morning and join our pastors on Facebook Live for three devotionals at 8am (Jay Bowen), 9am (Tyler Kelce) and 10am (Stephen Deane)....
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07
Jan 2017
I attended the Grief Share group last September when it started here at New Covenant because my sister had recently passed away. It was a safe place where I was able to share my grief with others who were also hurting, and they understood my pain. My sister lived in Michigan and because of the long distance, my family here didn’t know her well. When I returned home from her funeral, I felt like I grieved alone. At Grief Share I listened to others share their experiences through loss and it gave me the courage to share mine. Talking about my sister with others helped me so much. My sister’s death took me by surprise. I didn’t realize that......
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09
Nov 2016
We recently began an exploration of one of God’s abiding covenants, given to Noah and extending to the present. God made the rainbow to be a sign of this covenant, that no more would “all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth” (Gen. 9:11). The covenant is made with Noah and established for not only Noah’s offspring, but “every living creature of all flesh” (Gen. 9:15). There is then a covenant between the Creator and all of His creatures, large and small. An integral aspect of this covenant is the role that humans, as one of the creatures, play in walking out the agreement.......
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09
Nov 2016
“Everyday Marriage” Part 2 Not too long ago I received a call from a young lady wanting me to officiate her wedding. Unfortunately, I was booked and I had to decline. Before I ended the conversation, I asked her if she and her fiancé are going through pre-marital counseling. She reluctantly told me that she saw the importance of counseling but had not made a commitment to follow through. I encouraged her to make time for the counseling and make sure it was not theologically based. You could hear a pin drop. “What did you say?” I repeated my statement and again, silence. I told her that almost all of the challenges they will face in marriage would......
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