So what's going on?

Well, that's a great question. Here's the answer.

Etta still doesn't have a job yet and I haven't found one closer to home. We are okay if nothing changes but so many things would improve even if only one of us would get a job in Humble. Also, as I said and Etta said, Etta working presents us a great opportunity to greatly expand and move forward in our efforts to plant Summerlake.

If Etta does not get a job, we have some other ideas on the table (do you know how expensive store-fronts are? OMG!!), but our first choice is the apartment. As Etta said in her post, we now have the finances to rent the apartment for three months. That will allow us to begin some heavy outreach, get a small group going, and (hopefully) increase our funding so we can keep it. Now our prayer is that they have a three month lease at the complex.

I don't know what our location will be in the coming months, but I feel very strongly that it's time to start. We have affiliated with our state convention (SBTC) and will soon be able to register for our non-profit status. We are oh-so-slowly getting the foundation laid, but the progress is forward. The strongest tug I have is to start the Bible study. D-Day is Sunday, September 7th at 9:30 AM. I pray it is at the apartment, but only God knows.

Pray with us as we continue to seek His will. We want to be bold, strong in faith, but not stupid. We've done that way too much in the past. It's not all that beneficial.

Another video, but I think it's important.

What's your testimony?

Please pray...and give if you can.

Please pray for Summerlake Baptist Church. We are looking at renting an apartment in Summerwood to serve as our first meeting place. This will be much cheaper than renting a store front. Rent and utilities on the apartment will run about $1000 per month and we don't have that kind of money at the moment. Pray with us that God will provide, if it is truly His will that we take this next step.

Below is an outline of some things we have planned but need financial support for. If you would like to be a financial supporter of Summerlake, contact me and let me know. Anything you give is a great help toward starting this church.

Summerlake’s financial needs for outreach
Apartment for first meeting place $1000 mo.
Park giveaways/BBQs: $150 ea.
Backyard Bible Clubs: $500 ea.
Manuel’s: $100 mo.
Website: $150 mo.
Phone outreach plan: $3000
Direct mail marketing: $4000

Please give generously as you have opportunity. I know the economy has not been favorable but I am confident that God, “who is able to do more than we could ask or imagine.” will bless your liberality. Your prayers and financial support are what enable us to continue toward the vision God has given us for Summerlake.

Oh conservative, where art thou?

Greg Davis, a republican in Mississippi up for reelection to Congress lost on Tuesday to a conservative democrat. All I know of the democrat is that he is pro-life and pro-2nd Amendment. All I know of Davis is that he was republican and a lot of republicans campaigned for him. I don’t know any of his stands.

If Davis was like any of the many republicans the Republican Party tells us vote for (i.e. moderate, big-spending, pro-choice, pro-illegal immigration, pro-global warming insanity, pro-pointless gun laws) then I would have voted for the conservative democrat as well. I’m tired of having moderate republicans shoved down our throats and being told that we have to vote for them to keep a republican majority. No, I don’t have to vote for them.

I will vote for the most conservative candidate running for whatever office is on my ballot, no matter the party. I am a registered republican, but values are thicker than registration cards. Instead of crying about losing majorities in both houses (and they will probably lose more members this November) they should be returning to the values that got them the majorities to begin with. They need to return to the conservatism of Reagan and have the same will to fight for those values that Newt Gingrich had. Remember, Gingrich pushed for (and won) Reagan values during the Clinton presidency with his Contract for America.

Some other problems with republicans—I’ll let Sean Hannity say it. “Maybe if they can’t live up to the basic standards of honesty and integrity and character and decency and morality, maybe they should put aside their ambition and get their personal lives together.” Or maybe they should not get voted into office and they'll realize the error of their ways.

So this November, I, an evangelical Christian, will vote Republican for president. I am not voting for McCain; I am voting against Obama. However, were there a democratic candidate more conservative than McCain, I would vote for that person. Were there a third party candidate that was truly viable, and also more conservative than McCain, I would vote for that candidate. I will vote for the most conservative candidate available, but I will also vote to keep extreme liberalism out of any political office. And, frankly, I believe that is the responsibility of all Christians—that is, to vote Biblical values first and foremost and let them guide the rest of the political decisions we make.