September 23, 2010, Nashville, Tennessee, 10:13 a.m., D.S.T.~

Dear Journal~

Pastor Jones writing here.  I hope this finds each and every one of you blessed beyond measure with God's grace!

This will be my last entry before our church building reopens on Sunday, just three short days from now.  I cannot wait; I have seen the progress being made, and it is absolutely incredible!  Our church looks like a church again, and the sanctuary is naarly as good as it was before the building got flooded out back in May!

I am going to be busy visiting some of our church members who have family or friends in the hospital or nursing home, as a way of bringing them some encouragement.  Some are doing well; others, like Brother Hyman and his wife, are not.  I have been keeping our sick/infirm members in constant prayer.

Until then, I have time to write in here.  I am very excited about Homecoming Sunday:  I know the congregation will be blessed in seeing God's goodness in providing the necessary repairs, so our church can reopen!  We have had a lot of people praying for our church and our congregation, and we have appreciated each and every one!

Homecoming Sunday will be a day of celebration.  After our services, we will be feeding our family with a "Dinner-On-The-Grounds", as a way of saying thank you.  It is going to be a most awesome time in the Lord's presence!

Fall is upon us once again; fall arrived yesterday, at 10:09 p.m. Soon Harvest Festival time will be here, as will the annual feeding of the Veterans on Veteran's Day and feeding the homeless/hungry of our community come Christmas and Thanksgiving.  We also have our Christmas Cantata to think about, and auditions/rehearsals for members of the choir/worship team have commenced in full swing.  We are looking forward to not only the Cantata, but the children's Christmas presentation.  I am sure both will be wonderful!

We will need volunteers to help man the festival and to cook for our Veterans/homeless and poor.  We will also need more people to audition for the Cantata and children's play.  We never seem to have any problems in recruiting people to help; for that, we are indeed blessed!

This morning, when I awoke, I saw a gaggle of Canada geese flying overhead, honking loudly.  Guess they know that migration season will be upon them soon; they will soon be flying south for the winter.  Have seen a few woollybear caterpillars, and they are fat and fuzzy, with a lot of black on both ends.  Guess that means that we are in for a cold and wet winter.  Soon the trees will be blazing with bright colors.  Fall is a most beautiful time here in Nashville!

And the Grand Ole Opry house is getting ready to reopen soon as well.  We won't be there; too busy with church activities that will keep us hoppin' until Christmas!  Don't have much time to see the Opry or do much of anything else either, for that matter.

Well, I hate to run, but the phone is ringing, and then I will have to head on out the door, so I can visit those who need some comfort/support.  I will write in here again, probably in a few weeks or so.  Pray our Homecoming goes well without a hitch, and pray that people's lives are touched as they hear the Word!  May God bless you as much as He's been blessing us!

~In His Service,

Rick C. Jones, Associate Pastor, Christ Community Assembly of God Church, Nashville, Tennessee.