It is hardly worth mentioning in light of the devastation that hit the gulf coast, but it now appears that the Lewis household did suffer one casualty as a result of Hurricane Katrina. The winds from Katrina that made their way this far north were still so strong that they partially uprooted a wax myrtle tree in our backyard. The roots were not exposed, but they were sure out of place the morning after the storm. We tried pressing them down and sometime later even prune the tree back to give it a chance to recover, but to no avail. It is on it’s way out. At first there were no visible signs that anything was wrong. However, over time the branches stop spreading and the foliage that is still on it is turning yellow. I have been slower to accept it than Kathy, but he verdict is now in, it will have to be replaced. The tree will soon be gone but the lessons it can teach us should remain for a long time. One lesson this incident definitely teaches us is that ROOTS ARE CRITICAL. I would even be confident in saying that if you are a tree, roots are everything. Without roots a tree can not support itself ,and to sustain the storms in life the roots must run deep. Be sure today you are firmly rooted in Christ. If you are not is only a matter of time until some storm will take you down. (more…)

If you missed the Youth Choir last Sunday night you missed a real blessing. However, I did not want you to miss the compliment that was paid to them while they were on their Spring Break tour. I received the following e-mail before they ever got back home.

Your youth group sang on their “Love Tour” in my church, Ebenezer Baptist in Florence, SC, yesterday, Sunday, March 11. They were awesome! What a wonderful testimony they were to what God is doing in the lives of young people! I was so impressed with not only their talent and dedication, but also with their love for God which was shining on their faces! Too many times we hear only the negative remarks about what teenagers are doing and fail to recognize them when they are doing something to make a difference. Your kids are a wonderful reflection of what God must be doing at DeSoto Hills Baptist, as well. Be very proud of them.

M. Humphries
Ebenezer Baptist Church
Florence, SC

Thank you students for representing the Lord and your church family so well while on tour. We ARE proud of you.
A Grateful Pastor,
Bro. James

P.S. Kathy and I are away today enjoying a few days of R & R. Have a great day.

Video Footage by Don Parker

 My heart was stirred over and over again several weeks ago as I witness Dr. Gore transforming that lump of clay into the head of Christ right before our very eyes in less than 20 minutes.  For me the most impressive thing was not the final product, but rather the process that shaped it into a work of art.  At times there seem to be no real rhythm or reason to how he was working on it.  He pulled and pressed and remove clay from one spot only to place it somewhere else.  When he started the strokes were big and it was as if he was pounding the clay into place.  However, the longer he worked the more subtle and the less obvious his touch became.  Several times to my untrained eye I thought he was through.  But the master sculptor continue to work bringing a greater beauty to the piece with each touch.   His work is a reminder for all of us today that the MASTER SCULPTOR wants to work on each one of us.  You may not always understand or even like the process.  And at times you may feel like little or no progress is being made at all.  But trust me, if you will yield yourself to the MASTER today He can transform your life (more…)

 In the process of  moving to this new location we ask committees (which were are now calling teams) to stay on board and continue to function during and beyond the move.  They graciously did so and it is now time to thank them for their work and begin to form our teams for the particular needs of DeSoto Hills.  To accomplish this we must first elect a Leadership Nominating Team formerly known as the Committee on Committees.  They have an awesome responsibility as they recommend to the church individuals who make up our teams.  The Leadership Nominating Team is made up of three men and three women, two of which rotate off every year.  However, because of this new start we have four members whose terms have expired.  Our two remaining members will rotate off this October so they will have to be replaced in September.  During our regular Business Meeting after the evening service on March 18 you will be ask to nominate two women and two men to serve on this team.  A list of eligible individuals is available on the Welcome table in the Grand Hall.  If you have in questions about the process or need further information please to not hesitate to contact the church office.  Please make this a matter of prayer.  Great teams are critical for the continued health of DeSoto Hills.

Moving Ahead,

Bro. James