The Great Smokies and God's Glory

I am back! I wasn't gone for very long, but I am back at Fresh Grounds. I took a small vacation with my family. First, off to Lynchburg, Va to see my sister graduate from Liberty University. What a great day that was for the whole family! Then we spent little time filling her vibe to the maximum carrying capacity of her entire past year. My brother, my uncle and myself stayed the night at my sisters house so we could get the opportunity to go to her church the next morning before we left for the next leg of our trip. Her church is called One Community and the church gathers in this awesome warehouse that has been transformed into a place of worship. The front operates as a coffeehouse during the week. The pastor was a carbon copy of my previous pastor when I was attendingYoungstown Metro Church. The message was on Luke Chapter 14, and it was exactly what I needed to hear, to meditate and pray on for the rest of the vacation. It's a story I have heard before, many times, but fortunately the Holy Spirit knows exactly when to reveal things to you and reveal it did. I was just so struck by the three men who turned down the banquet and their reasons for turning it down: Money, Fun and Work. And when it says, "Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, "Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame." And the servant said, "Sir, what you have commanded has been done, and still there is room." And the master said to the servant, "Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, non of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet."
This really made me think. I have been invited, do I turn it down because of worldly things that I think in the moment are more important than God? This was really great to hear!

Quickly off to The Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. We rented a cabin and spent the next couple days enjoying God's creation! We did some great hiking and getting to spend that time outdoors was therapeutic as I took deep breaths of the clean mountain air and admired His wonderful work. This was exactly what I needed to fill me up again so I can continue to serve God and serve Him well at Fresh Grounds. Now that I am refreshed, it is great to be back!