It's a New Dawn, It's a New Day, It's a New Life....

You ever have a song that just won't leave you?  Every once in a while I will get a tune stuck in my head that I just can't seem to shake.  Well, that happened to me this week with a classic song that popped into my head earlier this week.

See, the last several weeks we have all been passing around a virus at the house and we have been a bit out of sorts.  We've taken turns with sleepless nights, coughing, sore throats, etc...  Overall, just feeling a bit yucky in general.  Sunday morning we got up to go to church and Ken and I prepared to talk to another Sunday school class at our church.  We have had the privilege of speaking to an adult class each week at our church, Ridgecrest Baptist Church.  We have about 20 adult classes with class sizes anywhere between 15-50 people in each class.  Well, we were running late (I really should have had some caffeine), and in the midst of rushing around we forgot some papers, and then I felt a bit flustered just trying to get ready.

We got up and spoke to the class, and feeling a bit off our game, Ken and I just shared our hearts. We talked about what God is doing in Honduras and how people at our church could be a part of that work.  When we were done with the presentation, we went to the service and I really got a lot out of the topic Pastor Ray was preaching.  He spoke about endurance and commitment and how important it was to our spiritual health, even when we felt those hardships and struggles that would certainly come.

Well, we went home and I laid down for a few minutes just trying to rest and find some energy to teach youth Bible drill that night.  I decided to check email and what I found got me good and energized!  I received an email from the Sunday School teacher from the women's class we had spoken to that morning.  She had written me that the class had really been inspired to partner with us in the work in Honduras.  Apparently after we left the class, they had a discussion and every single one of those 20 women said they wanted to be a part of the work God was doing in Honduras!  And even more amazing, they wanted to start right that minute!  Altogether these precious ladies have committed this year to investing in what amounts to 8% of our overall need.  Amazing!!!  The teacher was overwhelmed.  Ken and I were overwhelmed.  God really showed up and showed out for sure!

And so this song by Nina Simone has been stuck in my head.  The lyrics may be familiar to some of you.

Birds flyin' high, you know how I feel
Sun in the sky, you know how I feel
Breeze driftin' on by, you know how I feel
It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me.
Yeah, it's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me, ooooooooh...
And I'm feelin' good.

So I'll leave you with this song, and hope and pray that even in the midst of struggles and hardships, that the Lord reminds you in Him there is a new dawn, and a new day, and a new life!  And that you are feelin' good!