At a Semi-loss for words (from Douglas Poole)

Dear Cypress Family and Friends,

Have you ever felt something deep inside you that needed to get vocalized but you struggled to find the right words that could fully capture what was begging to be said?

Well, that is where I am this morning as I hammer away at this e-note. Earlier this week I spent some extended time working on “The Forgotten Path” message I will give at Cypress the first weekend in October. (The web page is finally up by the way...glitches and gremlins conquered! www.theforgottenpath.org) Anyway the material I was studying in prep for the series stirred some deep thoughts and deep emotions so powerfully in me that I finally had to just stop and pray, “Oh God please grant me the words your Spirit could use to do for others what You are doing in me right now.” Lights have come on for me as I have been studying. There have been some aha moments of: ‘Oh, so that is why things unfolded for that couple as they did...now I see why he is where he is...if she doesn’t chose a different path soon she will not like where she ends up’. To be forth-right here with you...I have had a few of those moments myself about myself. Anyway, as I pleaded with you last week, do more than come to ‘The Forgotten Path’ series yourself, bring others, by all means...bring others! Really. Beg, bargain, buy off...just get them here. Do anything short of sin to get them here.

Now those of you who know me realize I have a little extra octane in my plea with you. I just feel extra urgency on this and I think I’d be remiss to not challenge you hard on this one. I guess after 29 years of leading a church...some days I weary of seeing the levels of pain that could have been avoided, the heartache that was so unnecessary, the disappointment that was blindly self-induced....and some days I just want to plead with  other people don’t go down that path any further, it will only leave you with regrets...stop now while you can. I guess today is one of those days. So pick up invitation cards this Sunday and shamelessly invite.

Okay, I feel a little better having said all that...but I’m far from over it...you have been warned. This Sunday I’m addressing “Coming to Terms with God”, and this is for all of us who have tried to have God on OUR terms.

By the way, there is Saturday night church tomorrow at 6. If you are going to help us with the soft launch of the service in October...be there!

Blessings,

The Preacher at a semi-loss for words