God Is Bigger

This morning as I woke, my mind was filled with a childhood memory. I remembered those nights when Mother & Daddy would get a quilt out of the closet and say, “Let’s go outside and look at the stars”. Sometimes it would be with a cup of homemade ice cream and sometimes with a glass of Iced Tea or Dr. Pepper. Most of the time it was just them, a quilt, and me. We would lay down on the quilt looking up at the beautiful heavens and start commenting on the beauty and wonder of it all. Inevitably Daddy would talk about heaven and how “of the increase of His government there shall be no end”. It always made me want to go there. I remember thinking that if God could speak all of this into existence then He can surely take care of me. Mother & Daddy was always quick to point out that this great God that made this incredible sky loved me and cared for me more than His creation. An aha moment indeed! I still believe the same today. Maybe that’s why the memory filled my mind this morning, to remind me that He hasn’t changed. He’s still just as great as He was when I was just a child! He still loves me and cares for me more than all of creation! If he can make that beautiful sky and put all the stars in place, He can surely take care of anything in my life that needs attention.

🎶God is bigger than all my problems, bigger than all my fears; God is bigger than any mountain that I can or cannot see. He’s bigger than all my questions, bigger than anything….!🎶

🎶Bigger than all the giants of fear and unbelief! Bigger than all the confusion! Bigger than ANYTHING! God is bigger! 🎶

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How Great is Our God!

The following thread is what has been happening on my facebook page the past few hours.  Someone suggested I copy and paste it here on my blog.  I thought it a great idea so here it is.  I hope everyone receives a blessing by reading the great testimonies posted here.

Ronda C Hurst

You just never know. One of the men we baptized on Sunday is a result of the very first park service we had where we baptized his children. He came in contact with some of our people this past week and he remembered them from the park a few years back. He was ready for salvation and came Sunday, was baptized and received the Holy Ghost. You just never know what your efforts will produce.

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  Tena Clark Valenti, Shelley Moore, Liz Corbin and 27 others like this.
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    Jason West Amen. My mom came to God by entering her name into a drawing for a Free Bible a the First Church’s Peanut Brittle Booth at the County Fair. 

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    Jason West ‎2 weeks later, a Family came knocking on her door downtown San Jose, and said she won the Free Bible, but she has to have the Free Bible Study that goes with it. 31 years later…here we are. I thank God for people that put time and effort of putting together that booth and sat that booth for hours, for a single mother to eventually push a 2 year old in stroller past it, and be drawn to it. 

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    Ronda C Hurst Bro. Jason, That is incredible! Those folks’ crown will be full of stars. Heaven will be such an awesome place, just to see and hear the testimonies of how many people are saved because someone set up a peanut brittle booth at the fair and offered a free Bible Study. 

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    Jason West You just never know who will be impacted. 

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    Tanya Hale Treasure Wow that was an awesome testimony!!! 

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    Elaine Long Totally awesome. Thank you Jesus. 

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    Ronda C Hurst 

    Okay, Jason got me to thinking……..When my grandmother (Layne) received the Holy Ghost way out in West Texas (Mountain Top), she was the only one to receive it in that revival. The Lord spoke to an old time preacher man (Wilkins) to go …out there and have a revival. There was no church. He just went out and started preaching. My grandmother was touched and repented. She was so desperate to receive the Holy Ghost that she began to fast because she said that food didn’t taste good. My grandfather was an incredible cook and a Southern Baptist. 🙂 He was so angry that she was under so much conviction and not eating that he fixed a meal of Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Biscuits, Cream Gravy, etc and set it on the table and called for the children (Dean, Scoper, Murray[my dad], Doug and I can’t remember if Don was born yet) to come to the table and eat. He called for Grandma too. They all came, ready to eat. Grandma approached the table but when she stood there and looked at the food she began to cry and said she couldn’t eat. “What do you mean you can’t eat”, Grandpa said. She replied, “I want the Holy Ghost”. At that moment, she fell to the floor under the power of the Holy Ghost, speaking in another language as the Spirit gave the utterance. She was ecstatic! Grandpa was furious! Eventually, he received the Holy Ghost too. My dad (Murray L. Layne) received the Holy Ghost in a hog pen that they had cleaned out and scrubbed to make a prayer room.
    Even though some may say that was not a successful revival, I must differ. If Bro. Wilkins had not obeyed the call of God to go then my Grandmother may never have heard the gospel truth. And, consequently my dad would not have heard the call of God on his life. Not to mention the countless thousands that his ministry has touched through saints and ministries that were under his. Including: Keith (his son), Linda (daughter) married to Wendell Elms (both sons are preachers of the gospel). Myself (daughter) married to Nathan Hurst (our son is a preacher of the gospel and our daughter is married to a preacher of the gospel). Karla (daughter) married to Gene Holley (both sons have a call of God on their lives). Like I said, Heaven will be an incredible place to see the many souls whose lives were changed simply because ONE man answered the call to go to West Texas and hold a revival and ONE lady received the Holy Ghost and this precious truth.
    Do you think I’m going to give up?! Well, think again. This Truth and my heritage is way too precious to me to allow anything in this world to stop me from entering Heaven’s gate!See More

    5 hours ago · LikeUnlike · 3 peopleTena Clark Valenti, Betty Cowen and Jason West like this.
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    Jacque Howell Oh Ronda. I am so thrilled to hear this story. I had never heard it before. I just read it to my parents and they didn’t know it either. Thanks for sharing it. 

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    Don Doran 

    Sister thank you for sharing with us this great testiimony…I am a product of your father’s ministry, received the Holy Ghost in his church 1965 and have been preaching the gospel for 40yrs. 

    Your grandparents were very good friends with my …parents when we lived in Fresno and I remember many an evening visiting with them. What wonderful people they were. I remember Pop Layne testifying of how God had saved him and delivered him from coca-cola, among other things. Precious memories and their finger prints are on my life. I too have a precious heritage…again, thanks! God Bless…See More

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    Felissa N Jeff Woods THAT IS WONDERFUL! 🙂 

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    Karla Layne Holley Wow!! Awesome stories all around. So thankful for my heritage and for what God is still doing today!!! 

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    Scott Sarria Incredible! GOD is awesome… 

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    Rene Brewster Oh how awesome!!! I love hearing stories like this. You are so right, you just never know what a word or act of kindness will mean to someone down the line. 

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    Rene Brewster 

    Ok so after reading the testimonies here goes. Thirty years ago the church I was saved into used to go out every Saturday and knock on doors and offer free bible studies. They each took maps of part of the city with their route in yellow …high light. The men who had our area felt as if God told him to go off his highlighted route and to knock on our door. That day he spent 3 hours with us, my husband and I, telling us of the one God message. We did take the bible study, got baptized and received the Holy Ghost and I will never turn back!!! The wonderful thing is I found out later that my grandpa was a oneness preacher in the UPC and that my mom was raised UPC but because she was backslid and estranged from her heritage she raised us Catholic. Still God remembered the prayers of my grandparents, that I’m sure they prayed and brought, eventually, all of the grandchildren to baptism and allowed each of them to receive the Holy Ghost.See More

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    Kelly N Debbie Howard That is awesome!!!! 

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    Ronda C Hurst ‎@Rene, That is so awesome! Holy Ghost Inspired witnessing is the best! What was your grandfather’s name? The Lord stored your grandparents tears/prayers in a bottle and when it was time He poured them out on you. Your testimony brought tears of thankfulness to my eyes.

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Just Thankful

•  Thankful for the man I married 33 years ago.
• Thankful for the children God blessed us with. 
• Thankful for our son-in-law.
• Thankful for my church!
• Thankful for our Sons and Daughters-in-the-Gospel! 
• Thankful for friends!
• Thankful that I live in America! 
• Thankful I have a warm place to sleep tonight.
• Thankful there’s food in my cupboard!
• Thankful  I have served the Lord for 45 years!  I don’t regret one day I have loved Him.
• Thankful for The Truth! 

          I am just….THANKFUL! 

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Thirty Three Years

Has it really been thirty three years?  I still feel like I’m that young blushing bride.  I was so excited for this day to come, 33 years ago.  As I was waiting to hear the organ play the introduction to the song I marched down the aisle on, “Here Comes Heaven”, I remember Daddy asking me, “Are you sure about this?  Are you sure you love Nathan enough to live with him the rest of your life”?  I looked him straight in the eye and said, “I’m sure”.  Little did I know at that time how much love can grow.  Looking back, our love for each other that day was nothing compared to what it is now.  All the things you go through together makes love grow deep.  One of the songs sung at our wedding was “Walk Through This World With Me” and that is what we have done.  We have walked together, flown high sometimes, crawled and sometimes just had to stand still, but we’ve had each other.  I’m thankful for the journey and I am looking forward to the future with the man of my dreams.

Our Wedding Party: September 2, 1977

Our Wedding Day September 2, 1977

On our Honeymoon, September 1977

Us Now!

Our Family: August 2, 2010

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The Grocery List

Louise Redden, a poorly dressed lady with a look of defeat
on her face, walked into a grocery store.

She approached the owner of the store in a most humble
manner and asked if he would let her charge a few groceries.

She softly explained that her husband was very ill and
unable to work, they had seven
children and they needed food.

John Longhouse, the grocer, scoffed at her and requested
that she leave his store at once..

Visualizing the family needs, she said: ‘Please, sir! I
will bring you the money just as soon as I can.’

John told her he could not give her credit, since she did
not have a charge account at his store.

Standing beside the counter was a customer who overheard
the conversation between the two. The customer walked
forward and told the grocer that he would stand good for
whatever she needed for her family. The grocer said in a
very reluctant voice, ‘Do you have a grocery list?’

Louise replied, ‘Yes sir.’ ‘O.K’ he said,
‘put your grocery list on the
scales and whatever your grocery list weighs, I will give
you that amount in groceries.’

Louise hesitated a moment with a bowed head, then she
reached into her purse and took out a piece of paper and
scribbled something on it. She then laid the piece of
paper on the scale carefully with her head still bowed.

The eyes of the grocer and the customer showed amazement
when the scales went down and stayed down.

The grocer, staring at the scales, turned slowly to the
customer and said begrudgingly, ‘I can’t believe it.’

The customer smiled and the grocer started putting the
groceries on the other side of the scales. The scale did not
balance so he continued to put more and more groceries on
them until the scales would hold no more.

The grocer stood there in utter disgust. Finally, he grabbed
the piece of paper from the scales and looked at it with greater amazement.

It was not a grocery list, it was a prayer, which said:

‘Dear Lord, you know my needs and I am
leaving this
in your hands.’

The grocer gave her the groceries that he had
gathered and stood in stunned silence.
Louise thanked him and left the store. The other customer
handed a fifty-dollar bill to the grocer and said; ‘It
was worth every penny of it.

Only God Knows how much a
prayer weighs.’

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It’s Time to Give Thanks

Count your blessings instead of your crosses;

Count your gains instead of your losses.

Count your joys instead of your woes;

Count your friends instead of your foes.

Count your smiles instead of your tears;

Count your courage instead of your fears.

Count your full years instead of your lean;

Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.

Count your health instead of your wealth;

Count on God instead of yourself.

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” I Thessalonians 5:18

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A Little Catch Up

Ok, so it’s been awhile. 🙂  Life has been crazy busy this summer.  I’m ready for the kids to go back to school.  I know, I don’t have any kids in school myself but somehow I think if yours will go back to school, my life will settle down too.

Since my last post we have flown to Houston for Jared and Jennifer’s wedding.  It was simply elegant.  Jennifer was a beautiful bride and Jared a handsome groom.  I nearly “lost it” when he and Nathaniel walked out onto the platform.  Then Nathan leaned over and said, “where did the little boys go”?  I made myself  stop crying because I knew I couldn’t stop if I got good and started.  Oh yes!  It was tears of joy and a few of good ol’ nostalgia.

We was able to spend a few hours with Wendell, Linda, Gene and Karla.  I’m so glad they came down for the wedding too.  It’s always good to be with my family.  Love them BUNCHES!!!

We flew home on Saturday, August 1st and then on Sunday, August 2nd, celebrated 5 years of being the pastor of The Pentecostal Church.  Wow!  Time really does fly!  Stephen and Susan Hill and Cherish was with us for this grand occasion.  Bro. Hill preached a great message.  We had a big church dinner and awesome fellowship with our friends and with our saints.

Then….Monday August 3rd, we packed up and went to Santa Maria for our Western District Camp Meeting!  WOW!  WOW! and WOW!  There will never be the right kind of words in the English language to describe the Camp Meeting.  The preaching of some of our district pastors was great.  The ministry of Dr. James Hughes and Rev. Brian Kinsey was highly anointed.  I wept before the Lord, worshipped, danced, praised, sang….until I couldn’t hardly move. 🙂  Heaven truly kissed earth last week in Santa Maria at the Western District Camp Meeting.

The fellowship at District meetings is always a blessing too.  It was good to laugh and talk and laugh and talk with so many of our friends. Oh!  And the strawberries were to die for! 🙂

Now we are home.  I’m washing loads of laundry and sending loads more to the dry cleaners.  My cupboards are bare so I will make a trek to the grocery store today so we don’t starve. 🙂  This coming week-end is our Back to School Bash and Kids Crusade.  I will go hand out my invitations tomorrow or Wednesday.  We are expecting about 500 kids at this event.  Giving away back-packs filled with school supplies and ipods and no telling what else.  I am expecting many to receive the Holy Ghost this week-end.

So….when I have another chance, I will set down and post another blog.  Until then…

I’m so thankful for the life of blessing that God has given to me.

Be Blessed!

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Happy Birthday, Danelle

 25 years ago today, you entered our world.  What a joy it has been to have you brighten our lives.  You are still our sunshine.  Love you BUNCHES!

  

Dedication Day with Grandpa Layne, Dad, YOU, Grandpa Hurst

and Nathaniel

A Little Older

A Little Older

On Graduation with friends Tiffany and Justin

All Grown Up 🙂

 

Beautiful Bride

       

         

Matt and Nell 🙂

 

 Happy Birthday,

Danelle! 

 

 

 

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"Friend Day"—Unofficially :)

 

The 12th Chapter of Romans, in the 14th verse says, “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep”.  The Message says it this way, “Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down”.

I love friends like this.  If you have a friend that something good has happened to, why not call them up (if you can’t be with them) and have a good ol’ rejoicing session!  You will be blessed as well as them.  If a friend is weeping now, sit down and cry with them. 

There is another scripture that I love and it is, Galations 6:10—As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.  We give and give to reach people that are not saved and this is right.  However, don’t forget your friends that are in the church.  The ones that work beside you in the gospel work.  As the scripture above says, “especially” unto those of the household of faith. Let them know you care today.

I am so blessed to have these kind of friends in my life.  Let your friends know that you care today, one way or the other.  Happy or Sad.  Up or down.  They are your friends and they matter.  Let’s just make this our unofficial “Friend Day”. 

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WD Ladies Conference 2009

There are really no words in the English language to describe the Western District UPCI Ladies Conference of 2009.  We had record attendance and record Spirit.  As we entered into the first service, you could already feel the excitement. 

I was asked a few months back to be the Praise and Worship Leader for the conference.  I accepted and knew it would be a big task.  However, with much prayer and practice my team of musicians and singers graced the platform.  When we began to sing our first song, “Glorify His Name”,  I knew all the practices and prayers were going to pay off. 🙂  “Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving.  Enter His courts with praise.  This is the day He has given.  Come on and bless His Name.  From the platform to the door.  From the ceiling all the way down to the floor.  Come on Judah, sing Hallelujah.  Let everything with breath shout to the Lord”.  And from there we sang and worshipped our way into the presence of God.  Then we got to Friday Night and experienced “FREEDOM”  in the Holy Ghost.  WOW!

Debbie Saiz and Donna Linville were extra anointed it seemed.  God just has a way of ministering to so many different needs in one setting.  I am always in awe of how He works. 

I want to give a huge thank you to Laquita Mulling’s and all the ladies team for your incredible work for this conference.  You guys are phenomenal.  It is because of your hard work and working together like you do that we had such a great conference.  I love you all and am looking forward to working with you. 

Major kudos are going out to my praise team today,

Singers: Amanda Silveira, Cassandra Silveira, Teresa Sarria, Tena Valenti, Patricia Hurst, Mindy Ybarra. 

Musicians:  Luis Lenzi (keys), Nathaniel Hurst (drums), Todd Valenti (bass), Kyle Valenti (electric guitar), Omar Iboa (acoustic guitar). 

Thank you all so much for being faithful to extra practices and for your attitude of praise and worship to the King of kings as you played and sang for the conference. You guys are the BEST.  All your praying and fasting paid off.  I love you all.

Last, but definitely NOT Least:  Danelle Layne Silveira.  I really don’t know how to say thank you.  You was my right arm at this ladies conference.  The anointing that you sang with was unbelievable.  I was blessed to have you by my side at this conference.  I  am proud that you are my daughter.  I thank God that you serve Him with your whole heart, mind and strength.   I love you!

Leading in Worship

Whew!

“FREEDOM”

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