LifePoint Church of Ruston: 2008

Wouldn't you know that the coldest night of the year, December 6th, was also the night we held our OUTDOOR Christmas singing? That's right, about 97 people braved the 29 degree temperatures at Railroad Park in Ruston to get an early start on celebrating the Christmas season. We celebrated by sucking down gallons of hot chocolate and coffee, eating cookies, shamelessly accepting door prizes, and enjoying singing by both Ricky Houck and Hodge United Pentecostal Church.

I do apologize in advance for the very pedestrian quality of the pictures. To be honest with you, it was so cold that most of us were focused way more on self presevation than taking pictures to post on some guy's blog. Nevertheless, we did manage to snap a few pictures.

Each coffee cup came with a custom "LifePoint Church of Ruston" sleeve

Thanks for being our coffee cup model, Kensie

I'm up there mumbling my way through something, wishing that I was standing under one of those heaters behind me.

We didn't have a problem moving the coffee and hot chocolate as is evidenced by this very anxious recepient

I don't think they were actually worshipping the heater...but...well, let's just say it was pretty cold

Crazy people under the coffee tent

Anytime Alan works we like to capture images of it

A very lame picture of the audience

A very lame picture of the stage...also, that's Ricky Houck singing beneath the heater

Hodge UPC Choir...they were troopers lemme tell ya'!

A view of the audience from the stage

Any picture of Ashlyn is a good one

Well, there you have it ladies and gentlemen, our last big event of 2008! Many thanks to all of the hard workers at LifePoint Church that made this possible. Also a big thank you goes out to Mike Houck and the Hodge UPC under the leadership of the Stroud's for providing stellar entertainment. Finally, thank you to all of the local businesses that donated door prizes for the event. They are as follows:

Karen's Hallmark

L.A. Design Company

The Corner Drug Store

Ruston Restaurant and Catering Company

Merle Norman

The Children's Shoppe

Hair Studios of Ruston

Bath Junkie

HR and Associates

The Frothy Monkey

Ruston Florist

All That Jazz

Wing Stop

Sundown Tavern

El Jarrito

Ponchatoula's

Piney Hills Music Superstore

First National Bank

Monjouni's

God Bless,

Jathan Maricelli

Myth #3: I'm Falling Too Far behind the Field in the Waiting Place

The final myth that I want to unmask is one that says that we have wasted so much time in “The Waiting Place” that there is not enough left to become who we’ve dreamed of becoming. This myth is a result of our minds being programmed to think about things in a non-supernatural and purely linear fashion.

A few months ago, the PGA's Open Championship was held at Royal Birkdale Golf Course in Lancashire, UK. It was an extremely interesting professional golf tournament, mainly because 53 year old Greg Norman not only came out of retirement to play in the tournament, but played well enough to be in the lead going into the final day. I was rooting hard for "The Shark" because he's had such hard luck in big tournaments throughout his career. I felt that a win in this big of a tournament, especially at his age would give him redemption from so many tough losses. I think most of the golf world felt the same way, judging by the high T.V. ratings. All who tuned in on the final day hoping for a bit of drama were not disappointed as Greg Norman played well enough to still be leading the tournament going into the final 9 holes!

The back 9 was a different story, however. Over the course of the last several holes, "The Shark" began to fade. He fought hard, but at the conclusion of Hole 16, the point of inevitability was reached. Even though there were two holes to play, Greg Norman, was simply too far behind to catch eventual Open Championship winner, Padraig Harrington. Greg Norman had lost another Major Championship. I was dejected, millions of viewers were dejected, and Norman was dejected.

If you and I are not careful, "The Waiting Place" can begin to feel like Greg Norman's back nine in that we lose a little ground, then a little more. Summoning up our mental strength, we right ourselves and resolve to make up the ground only to see our best efforts result in the dreaded double-bogey. It's at this point that the feeling of inevitability kicks in. We feel as if we have simply fallen too far behind in life to ever catch up. The good news is that our walk through life with God is not analogous to a professional golf tournament, just ask Joseph.

Joseph’s Strange Path to Success
Joseph, as a young man, was given wonderful dreams of prosperity and success by God only to be promptly be sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. (Where is Dr. Phil when you need him?) By maintaining both a good attitude and his faith in God, Joseph was elevated to the "head servant" position in his master's household. This promotion meant that, even though Joseph was still a ways from reaching his dreams, his hard work and integrity and brought him significantly closer to that end.

Enter his boss's wife who, after failing to seduce him, falsely accused him of sexually forcing himself on her. Not having any witnesses to prove his innocence, Joseph was convicted by a kangaroo court and thrown into prison. All of the ground that Joseph had worked so hard to make up was lost in one felled swoop. This Joseph, son of Jacob, was one resilient fella' though.

Once in prison, by staying true to his moral compass, Joseph earned such favor with the warden, that he was elevated to a position of leadership and authority.

The LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. (Genesis 39:21)So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. (Genesis 39:22)The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. (Genesis 39:23)

To add to Joseph's positive momentum, one day he got what he thought was the break that would lead to his legal jailbreak.

As it turned out, Pharoah's butler and baker both fell out of favor with their master in such a way that caused Pharoah to throw them in prison. During their stay in prison, on the same night, they each had dreams that while seemingly prophetic were equally as confusing. Seeking someone to interpret these dreams, they happened upon Joseph, who was the go-to-guy if you needed a freaky dream interpreted. Upon receiving the details of the two nocturnal visions, Joseph interpreted that the baker would be executed by Pharoah, while the butler would get his freedom as well as his job back. The following day, Joseph's interpretations proved to be 100% accurate

Before the much relieved butler was released Joseph was able to ask of him a favor in return for his interpreting the his dream.

But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. (Genesis 40:14)For I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon." (Genesis 40:15)

Finally, Joseph's big break close! It's almost within his very grasp. If he was anything like you and I, he probably waited with baited breath that first day for the warden to bring him the good news from Pharoah. "Joseph, it is my pleasure to be the one to deliver to you the news that you've been waiting for these past 11 years. Joseph, you are a free man." Days turned in into weeks, however, weeks to months, and months into two full years of hearing nothing from his new best friend, the butler. Genesis 40:23 gives us succinct but capable explanation of the butler going dark on Joseph.

The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him. (Genesis 40:23)

At this point, Joseph had spent a grand total of 13 years in "The Waiting Place." Not only was he was not getting any younger, he had to have felt as if he'd lost too much ground to make up. In the words of ESPN College Game Day's Lee Corso, "Not so fast my friend." On the contrary, God was about to make up 13 years of wasted time in one day.
At some point in the two year mark it was Pharoah’s turn to have one of those baffling dreams. The dream troubled Pharoah to the point that he became desperate to know its meaning. Pharoah sought out every dream interpreter on his payroll to give him its interpretation, all to no avail. The most powerful man in Egypt could find not find one stinkin' person to interpret his dream. Then, coincidentally some would say, a funny thing happened. The butler got off of his duff and remembered his long lost inmate Joseph and his mad, dream discerning skills.
The story ends happily with Joseph being summoned from prison, delivering the proper interpretation of the dream, and being elevated from inmate to Secretary of State by Pharoah, all in one day.

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. (Genesis 41:39) You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you." (Genesis 41:40) So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt." (Genesis 41:41)

Joseph did not have to climb any corporate or political ladders once he was freed from prison. Instead, God took him from the cellar to the rooftop without his feet touching a single rung.
If you have been faithful to God, don't let discouragement engulf you when you feel as if you fallen too far behind to catch up. In much the same way that God was able to give Joseph a by-pass to the Promised Land, He can do the same for you and me if we've been faithful. Whatever you do, don’t give up on your dreams. After all, “The Waiting Place” is designed to be just that, a waiting place.

God Bless,

Jathan Maricelli

This past Sunday we held a pot-luck lunch after morning worship. Therefore, we had to turn our house into a church, then to a dining hall, then back to a house again, all in a matter of a few hours. Church planting is so much fun!

This past weekend, I was able to sneak off to my home church's leadership retreat in Orange Beach, AL.

Dad kicked off the retreat by delivering a message of vision called "Reinventing Yourself for this New Season."

Mom, me, Maurisha Lejeune, and Malinda Trentacoste

The "Food Team" for the retreat is underpaid...that's all I'm sayin'

This is a snapshot of a "church planting" session. Pictured here is me, who is planting a church here in Ruston, of course and representatives from the two other daughter churches that are being planted out of my home church. Also pictured is mom, in the middle, telling us all what to do.