The month of November is here and it marks exactly one year since I started at NCFC. Not only that but this past Monday, my wife and I, celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary. We also celebrated Andrew’s first birthday yesterday. So November will always be a special month for me. How appropriate that Thanksgiving is also in November. So the three things I love most (God, family, food) are all in this month.
I shared this at the Back to School night for VA Timothy in September, but I really felt like a redshirt freshman this past year. In college football, usually the freshmen take the first season to learn instead of play. They study the play book and watch how the other players execute. Then they start to play in their second year. I could relate to them because I was busy trying to learn the NCFC way of doing things and getting to know the people this past year. This is not to say that there was nothing going on. I believe there has been progress for Timothy. We’re moving in the right direction and I’m looking forward to this next year.
I’m also thankful to have such great pastors to learn from. Seeing how they do ministry and handle different situations that come up has really stretched me as a leader. It made me widen my focus so that I can see how the different ministries work together to better the church and give God the glory. God showed me how important it is to see the big picture and take a step back to see the direction that God is leading rather than being so focused at the task at hand.
As a second year husband, I have to admit that there’s room for improvement. I do have a little bit better understanding of what it means to be a godly husband compared to year one. God has been showing me what it means to be the spiritual leader of the household. He’s been showing me what it means to love my wife as Christ loves the church. I thank God every day for giving me a wife who loves and supports me despite my weaknesses and shortcomings.
As a first year father, I can say that I truly love my son; no matter how many surprises he has left for me in his diaper or the countless sleepless nights. It brings me great joy to see him grow and do new things as his brain is developing. Right now he knows to wave good bye when I leave the house. He should be walking soon as he’s been getting good at standing and balancing himself. The time that I cherish most with him is when I’m trying to put him to sleep. There’s something really intimate about being in a quiet dark room as I pace back and forth with him in my arms. He rests his head on my shoulder and drifts off to sleep while I pray for him. Then I lay him down and put the blanket over him. Just seeing how peaceful he looks puts a smile on my face.
As I reflect upon this past year, I am thankful for God’s faithfulness. What an awesome God we serve! I’m reminded of what it says in Deuteronomy 7:9 “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.” Getting to this point in my life hasn’t been an easy road. There have been many bumps along the way, but God has been faithful. Each and every bump was used to stretch me and shape me. What a great ride it’s been so far. I look towards year two with great anticipation. I look towards His faithfulness.
From Pastor Eugene’s Heart
November 8, 2015
As Reina is getting older I am often faced with challenging questions that leads to meaningful conversations with her. Reina had a Halloween party scheduled on Friday at her school and we didn’t let her stay for the party because we don’t celebrate Halloween. So on our way back home from picking her up early from school Reina was telling me how the party is not anything scary or weird but just eating yummy treats and having fun. She was definitely disappointed that she was missing a good party. So I had to explain why we don’t celebrate Halloween and that I will make sure that she has more fun and better food at Fall Festival. I’m sure I will have to remind her and make sure that she fully understands as she gets older. For parents who are dealing with same issues, here is helpful information that we used to give out to the congregation.
NCFC does not believe that Christians should participate in the celebration of Halloween due to its origin and practices, which are contrary to the teachings of the Bible.
The custom of Halloween is traced to the Druid festival of the dead around 100 A.D. Samhain, a Druid god of the dead, was honored at Halloween in Britain, France, and the Celtic countries. Druids believed that souls of the dead returned to their former homes to be entertained by the living. Bonfires were built atop hills so they might find their way. Suitable food and shelter was provided for these spirits(“treat”) or else they would cast spells, cause havoc, destroy crops, or create terror as they haunted the living (“trick”). Many witches and Satan worshippers gather to continue the traditional practice of worshipping evil spirits on Halloween day even today.
When children dress up and knock on doors and ask for treats, they are mimicking the dead! The Bible instructs us to have nothing to do with the occult practices, the deeds of darkness (Deuteronomy 18:10-11). Some may say, “but we only do this for fun... we don’t practice witchcraft.” That which represents Satan and his domain cannot be handled or emulated “for fun”. Such participation places the participant in the forbidden enemy territory.
That is why NCFC insists on having our Fall Festival on Halloween night. We do not just tell our children not to participate in Halloween, but we offer them an exciting alternative to celebrate life and the Giver of Life, not death. So I hope you brought your entire family to this wonderful family event, and showed your support. If you missed it this year, make sure to plan ahead so you can attend next year. You will have so much fun, and your children will love you for it!
From Pastor Brian’s Heart
November 1, 2015