Christian/Christ-follower (Mac/PC parody) #2

Christian/Christ-follower (Mac/PC parody)

Full Memorial Day Weekend!

It's over! Memorial Day weekend was a busy one for us as it probably was for you. But it was a very good one too.

Last Friday the kids went to their last day of school for this school year. They are literally ecstatic. No more school for about 3 months. I remember the days...it was a complete sigh of relief. Great days of summer and sun are ahead for them.

Saturday two of my boys were involved in our missions walk-a-thon. Two of my boys worked at Pizza Hut. Tammy was at home cleaning up the house for the F2G ministry on Sunday night. Plus I was finishing up for Sunday services!

Sunday was a fantastic day of ministry. Lots of friends and guests joined us for service. It was great to see Mike & Candy Taylor and their family in service while Mike was down here on business. I love this family - great people! The message I preached touched many hearts that morning. God was so good to us. Then Sunday night we hosted one of our Focus 2 Group Fellowships here at our house after a brief service and devotional at the church. We grilled hotdogs and hamburgers, shared some terrific fellowship out on the deck and in our home, and also played some doubles in ping pong too (gotta have a little pong!!).

Yesterday on Memorial Day we just plain took it easy. Tammy and I went to the store for some groceries. We grilled out again. Painted some end tables. Then Devon, Ashlyn and I ventured out on a bike ride about 4:45 pm. We got on the bike and people trails and enjoyed ourselves as it was a cool evening. We ended up journeying all the way downtown and then out to Mill Race Park. Threw some skipper rocks in the river and searched for treasures. Then to Noblitt Park, Donner Park, and over to Lincoln Park and then we rested under the viaduct at 25th and National Roads while it was raining. We finally got home around 7:45 pm, which was about 11 or 12 miles and 3 hours later. Amazed at how far we went...the kids really did super, but it sure did tire us out. Man I'm pooped!!

Trust you enjoyed the weekend as much as we did!

God bless you!

Surprised on 25th Anniversary in Ministry Celebration!

Surprised. Shocked. Stumped. Yes, my church was able to keep the secret hid (as well as everyone in my family!) of the celebration they gave to me for my 25 years in ministry yesterday morning! Wow!! I was deeply humbled by the presentations that each board member made to me...

• Plaque of the Mayors' Proclamation for a Pastor Donald Andreasen Day here in Columbus.


• Posting of the Proclamation placed in The Republic newspaper.


• Cards from the congregation.


• Letters from family members.


• Picture power point presentation of my 25 years in ministry, along with some really great family pictures and awesome memories!


• Special gifts and mementos.


• Kind and encouraging words spoken.


• Money for a CRUISE that we will be taking sometime this year. Can you believe this? My church rallied together to fulfill a dream of my wife and I for taking a relaxing cruise together (we were dreaming to do this on our 25th wedding anniversary - which is 3 1/2 years away - but I had no idea that this would be accomplished for my 25th anniversary of serving in full time ministry). Not sure where Tammy wants to go, but I know one thing, she can't wait to depart on the big boat with her husband and some good sun tan lotion!! It really was a mind boggling presentation. To grasp that so many precious people gave from their own finances to make this dream become a reality. This was over the top. Totally awed by the favor and goodness from God's people!!


• Plus a file of potential cruises with price listings and possible destinations.

I sat there in the front pew while the tears flowed down my cheeks and my wife stood by my side. I somehow managed to get up to the front and address the congregation. I'm not sure that I made much sense because I was blown away by the honor and love that my church bestowed upon me. Thanks CFA for your kind, generous, amazing and "beyond all limits" recognition of your pastor's 25 years of ministerial service to the body of Christ! I love you all.

Lord, thank you for allowing me to serve you these last 25 years since graduating from Central Bible College. It has been an incredible and fascinating journey. So many spiritual victories. So many changed lives. So many prayers prayed. So many miracles witnessed. So many messages preached. So many lessons taught. So many hearts touched by your love and grace. So many churches that shared together to reach their communities for Christ. So many dollars raised to reach our world for Jesus. So many wonderful families. So many wonderful associates, board members and servant leaders. BUT I could not have reached this milestone in ministry without the love, support and encouragement from my wife Tammy and my four wonderful children. Together we have served. Together we have loved. Together we have reached out to minister God's love and compassion to those that God brought us to. God, you are so good to us!!

If our paths have crossed during these last 25 years in ministry, would you take the time to write a little comment and post that here on my blog. I would love to hear from you.

Blessings!

My Redeemer Lives - Team Hoyt

Powerful Wind!

Mother's Day was powerful! It all started early Sunday morning with the storms blowing through Columbus. It was the same storm that ripped through Oklahoma and Arkansas with severe tornadoes and deadly devastation. We didn't have near the intensity of what other states experienced, but we did get some unbelievable winds. In fact, it was so strong that it lifted the steeple right off of our church and set it down neatly along the green medium in our parking lot.

Looks like another project for us to work on...when will it ever end??

Back to Mother's Day. My wife did a super job of ministering to our church on this special occasion. The Lord gave her a message about "On His Side" back several months ago. It blessed every mother present, as well as the entire congregation. Every heart was touched by her ministry!! You can hear the entire message @ http://www.columbusfirstassembly.org/RESOURCES/SermonPodcast/tabid/6533/Default.aspx

We had a great attendance as well with family members and guests joining in. We presented special gifts to mothers who won the specific categories that were present, such as the "mother with the most generations present"...that winner was 4! Special music was given by Shawn Sylvia, complete with a video powerpoint presentation. Gifts were also given to every woman in attendance. What a great service: powerful worship, strong teaching ministry, great fellowship, anointed times in His presence and special music. Let me invite you to worship with us if you live anywhere within 30 miles from our church. You'll be glad you did! (Tell me you read my blog when you shake my hand!)

Have a blessed week!

Mother's Day Weekend!

Looks like the start of a busy weekend...Mother's Day weekend! Tonight our ladies from CFA are planning a special Mother/Daughter Tea. Tomorrow we have a Spring Work Day here at the church with lots of projects planned and Sunday my wife will be speaking for our Mother's Day Service. Got to love it!

Take the time to honor "mom" this weekend. Moms are totally awesome...blessed beyond measure!

My wife Tammy is an awesome mother to our four children. A fantastic and hard worker. Wonderful cook. Unbelievable home decorator. Talented crafts designer and worker. Deliberate cleaner and tidier of the home. Creative genius. Amazing communicator. Gifted speaker. Loving teacher of children's ministries. Out of the box VBS planner. Clever eye for a great sale. Unbelievable organizer. Trusted assistant in kid's school projects and papers. Garage sale queen!! (Just to mention a few of her many titles!!)

My mother is an amazing mother to my two brothers, two sisters and me. Loving. Generous. Kind. Smart. Discerning. Wise. Farsighted. Discipler. Teacher. Giver. Organizer. Shopper. Chef. Hospitality queen! Planner. Helper. Pristine home. Happy. Joyful. Supporter. Encourager. Prayer warrior. Lover of God!

My mother-in-law is a gracious mother. Loving. Compassionate. Liberal giver. Thoughtful. Sensitive. Supporter. Encourager. Game player. Reunion organizer. Helper. Great big heart for babies and children...yes, grandchildren too! Brought six children into the world - one of which is the best woman of all - my wife Tamara!!!!

Happy Mother's Day Weekend Moms!

Love you all,

Don

Hosanna!

Hobbies and interests!

Everybody has special interests or hobbies. I've been thinking about the special things that interest my kids. Ashlyn is a pet lover. She loves her cat very much, but now she has a new interest: a guinea pig named Butter Finger (you can figure out where that name came from!). Devon is my game boy child. You will find him with his game boy playing games constantly (I can remember when astroids and galaga games were hot in my day!). Trenton loves soccer and is very good at it (he just finished up the city rec league on Saturday and notched 9 goals in 6 games...that's awesome!). Jordon is our computer whiz kid (he has his own custom-built desktop computer with an unheard of amount of gigabytes, plus a laptop too!).

God has gifted us with special interests, as well as abilities. We are drawn to some things more than others. I am constantly amazed at the spiritual gifts that our new members discover when they come through my membership class here at church. Each one has strengths in different areas. Some score high in administration, others in areas of craftmanship, others in music, still others yet in prayer, teaching or exhortation. Each person is unique and individual. In other words, God didn't set us up in a cookie-cutter mold...we are custom crafted and designed...for His glory and honor!

Listen to this: "God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God's many kinds of blessings." - 1 Peter 4:10 (TLB)

Are you passing on to others? I hope you are!

Have a wonderful Monday!

Ready to fly

Last Sunday night I shared about "Hannah." This is a little robin bird that has four little children in a nest on our front porch. We've been watching her for the past couple of weeks. Over that time, the eggs have hatched. Hannah has patiently fed each one with worms from our lawn. Hannah's tiny little kids have grown up quickly...I mean super quick! In one week of our observation they went from tiny to ready to fly solo. They got big real quick and the nest was too small for the four of them. Yesterday my wife was looking out the dining room window and said, "Don, come quick!" When I got to her she said that Hannah was teaching two of her kids to fly. It was amazing!

Think about it...one minute you're crammed into a little nest with three other bodies pressing for room all around you as your wings and body grows...and the next you are flying solo with your mom. This morning two of the baby birds remain in the nest, awaiting their test flight. I wonder if they will pass mom's flight examination or be sent back to retake the course. So far, I haven't seen the other two - they must have passed with flying colors!

Our God is an awesome creator. Listen to these verses: "Don't you yet understand? Don't you know by now that the everlasting God, the Creator of the farthest parts of the earth, never grows faint or weary? No one can fathom the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the tired and worn out, and strength to the weak. Even the youths shall be exhausted, and the young men will all give up. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:28-31 (TLB)

Little birds...fly, because that is what God created you to do. Friend, God prepared you to "fly" as well. The sky is the limit. The training for your flight school is a personal one. God will take you by the hand and lead you out to exciting territory. You were called to greatness. You were called to succeed!

Just remember Hannah and her little birds: They were born to fly! And fly they have...with a little help from their mom.

Flying high,

Pastor Andreasen