The Beauty of Today

Tonight, when I hugged my baby Bella goodnight, I held on just a little longer than usual. As I was holding her, the thought came into my mind that before I knew it, she would be grown and I needed to hold on for as long as I could. Right now, she tells me "daddy, I lo loo...sooo much" and my heart melts. Before I know it, she will be embarrassed by me as I tell her I love her...perhaps in a moment of teenage angst. I don't want things to change, but I know it is inevitable. For some reason we tend to blow through life, stressing about the days and sweating out the hours and seconds. I think we tend to forget how short life really is and we need to really search out the beauty of little moments...like holding our children. James 4:14 reminds us that our lives are "a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." I'm not guaranteed tomorrow. I must make a choice to see the beauty of today. So, I am resolved to love harder and hold on just a little tighter for a little longer. What about you?

From the Frontlines

The following is part of an email from a close friend who just spent a few weeks serving in Haiti with a disaster response team:

"Hey man!! I'm finally back in CR (Costa Rica). It was rough man...really bad. Jesus was there....just really hard to see. When you're overwhelmed with the destruction and despair in a place that was already hopeless, its hard to find (or hard to WANT to find) Christ. But, praise God for the opportunity. There's still a lot to do. There's a chance I'll be going back to lead follow-up teams. Thank you so much for praying for us. Your prayers mean the world to me. We flew back from Haiti on a plane donated by Hendricks Motorsports into south Florida and we had a chance to get down to Miami. The memories were incredible. I drove by your old apartment on the way down to South Beach. I drove by all the old places we used to frequent (had sushi at Yummy!). It was quite an experience to see Miami and all its wealth just 24 hours after experiencing the poverty of Haiti. But, you know, God used that moment to show me that no matter the circumstances, wealth, poverty, cleanliness, or filth, the human condition is the same....without Christ there is no hope. The people of Miami have no more hope than those in Haiti at this very moment....apart from Christ"

Please take some time this week and pray for the people of Haiti, and anyone really, who may be living life in ruins and despair...and remember, yours is the voice of hope to a world in desperate need of a Savior. God bless.

Compassion Haiti Relief

On January 12, 2010, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck just outside of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, leaving the nation devastated. On Sunday, January 17 & 24, ACC will take up a special love offering at the beginning of the service that will go to the Compassion International Haiti relief efforts. All funds raised in response will be used immediately to provide for Compassion-assisted children and families affected by this crisis. Join us as we pray for the nation of Haiti and as we work to extend compassion to those in need.