MY TREE FELL ON PAUL'S CAR!

Last night, after a couple of late meetings after Awana at the Liberty Baptist Church of Van Wert, Ohio, My wife and I turned out the lights, set the alarm, and locked the church doors. We faced rain and severe wind as we jumped in our Dodge Mini-van, went through the McDonald's drive through, and drove home. As we entered our alley drive way, Coletta hollered out, "Jim, stop! There's a tree down!" I nearly hit the electric line, pulled out, parked in front of our house and went in our front door. I looked out our window and noticed that our tall pine tree between our house and the alley had snapped, blew over and landed on my neighbor's Buick. Part of the tree was also on their back porch. Sorry Paul and Linda.

The good news is that this morning a church member and three friends and neighbors helped Paul and me get the tree off the car, and cut the wood up with two chain saws. Paul's car is scratched up and dented, but thank the Lord, no broken glass. The city was quick to free the power line (it ended up being a large phone line), and cleared the alley, as the phone line was stretched across Main Street, and one pole across Main was so bowed I thought it would break. The police closed our block of Main Street until the phone line was raised. Thanks for the help every body! Thank God, no one was injured or killed.

Jim C. Burns

AN AMISH PLACE TO REST!

"And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat." (Mark 6:31)

Above is a photo of me and our Scottie Dog, Cabbie in front of the Glenhaven Cabin near Sugar Creek, Ohio. (Cabbie stayed in our mini-van in a cage. No pets allowed)! Coletta (my wife) took the picture. We were first introduced to Glenhaven Cabin by Dr. Jim Anderson from Kansas City, who stayed here for a week while preaching a Bible Conference at The Valley View Community Church. The cabin was built about 12 years ago and is owned by a fine Christian couple, Glenn and Esther Troyer. The Troyers live at their nearby farm, and Glenn has also driven a truck. They have become dear friends to us. Although we live in N. W. Ohio, my wife and I love to visit Amish Country in Eastern Ohio. Experiencing a sample of the slow peaceful lifestyle of the Amish and the area's Mennonites and seeing the beautiful rolling hills, farms, and trees near Sugar Creek is tranquil as well as breath taking. Our most recent trip here was blessed with our oldest son and family, Matt, Jenny, and Miley coming to join us for one night and the next day at the cabin.

Glenhaven has become our "home away from home." When Coletta and I become mentally, emotionally and spiritually drained in helping people who are hurting or struggling in their lives, or when we simply become physically drained from the demands of the ministry, we often go to Glenhaven. After visiting Ohio's Amish Country usually two or three times a year over the past 12 years, we have discovered some of our "secret and favorite places" off the main beaten paths that have become great "memory making spots" for the two of us. It is just a peace of Heaven. Both Holmes County, the Sugar Creek area, and just hanging out and relaxing at Glenhaven has always drawn Coletta and I closer to the Lord and each other. So whether you are in the ministry or not, give Glenn and Esther Troyer a call (877)852-4039 and do as Jesus commanded his disciples. "Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while."

I'm Jim Burns, Pastor of the Liberty Baptist Church in Van Wert, Ohio, and that's something to think about! Email: jimmycburns@aol.com

Three Special Church Friends

Page Kittle holding her two little buddies, Lottie Shartzer with our granddaughter, Miley Burns. I snapped this photo just before the strike of midnight at our Church's New Year's Eve Party at 501 E. Third Street in Van Wert, Ohio. What a trio.

I'm Jim C. Burns, Sr. Pastor at the Liberty Baptist Church in Van Wert, Ohio, and this is something else.

jimmycburns@aol.com

SO LONG SON, THANKS FOR COMING!

Jan. 7, 2009 - For the 5th time, I put my youngest son on a plane for him to return to the other side of the world. Aaron Burns has served in Southern China now for 5 years. It never gets easier, but, God gives Coletta and I special peace in the midst of our sadness. We know this is where God wants Aaron, and where Aaron wants to be. He loves the people and the culture of China. He flew today from Indianapolis, Indiana, to Denver, then L. A. then Tokyo, and will land in Hong Kong. As I write this, Aaron Burns is 30,000 plus feet somewhere over the Pacific. Some might ask, "How can he have the strength to do this and how do his parents give him up?" First let me say that with Email, free phone calls and an occasional "web cam" that certainly makes it better! Secondly, God's will is always the very best place to be, and yes, even though it's always hard to say "good bye," it is a joy knowing that Aaron is right where HE KNOWS God wants him to be. He has tons of Chinese and American friends in Dongguan City, and also in Hong Kong. Being single, he is free to travel more than if he were married, and Aaron has been places that most people would only dream of going. He has friends around the world, literally, and is as happy as any married man with a dozen kids could ever think of being! You can click on Aaron's blog (upper right corner of the screen) and keep up with his work in China. Please pray for him as he travels and ministers in a city of 7 million people. "Aaron, it was so good having you home for the Holidays. Thanks for coming. Great to have your Brother, Matt and his family home also. Love ya man!"

As painful as going to the Indy airport was for me this morning at 4:45, I can honestly say by the grace of God, "It's all going to be O.K."


I'm Jim Burns, Pastor of the Liberty Baptist Church in Van Wert, Ohio, and that's "Something to Think About!"

2009 A GREAT NEW YEAR

2009 is going to be a GREAT NEW YEAR! I just sense that God is really going to be good to us this year. Of course, God is GOOD all the time! Above are three special guests that blessed our church and home for our New Year's Celebration. From left to right, our youngest son, Aaron flew in from China, and two of his special friends Eric and Laura Arnason from Lake Orion, Michigan drove down for the Holiday. Yesterday, the Arnason's treated the Burns' family to a special lunch at the Main Street Ice Cream Parlor here in Van Wert. Aaron has been busy helping us design a "coffee shop" in part of our new church lobby for fellowship in between services, and Eric played his guitar and led our songs and testimonies at our Watch night service here at Liberty Baptist on New Year's Eve.

I'm horrible with New Year's resolutions. I start out running the "sprint" with them and fizzle out before the end of January! So, why not make some New Year's Goals this year? See it big and keep it simple. As a Christian and a Pastor, my New Year's prayer and some goals are for me to: a. Have a greater passion for Christ, b. A renewed boldness to share Christ with needy people every week, and c. Honor my wife, family, and church with a renewed dedication. Put your goals on paper and pray over them regularly. Let's bind together to do this, and ask God to give us the strength and endurance to follow through with whatever His will and plan is for each of our lives. Please pray for me as I desire to fulfill my three goals for 2009.

I'm Jim Burns and that's Something to Think About!

Happy New Year!

jimmycburns@aol.com

Tonight is Christmas, 08!

One could not ask for a better Christmas. For our family, we had Christmas at our house on Main Street in Van Wert, Ohio. Our son, Aaron flew home from China, and our other son and his family, Matt, Jenny and our granddaughter, Miley were all with us for Christmas Eve and all day Christmas. We opened a lot of presents Christmas Eve, opened our stuffed stockings Christmas morning, and watched our 16 month old granddaughter open up her "big ones" under the tree this morning. In a time of recession and economic lows, God was faithful to us as He always is!

We slept in today, drank a lot of coffee after we got up, and ate turkey and the trimmings in our family room about 12:45. After a tour of our new church building, Matt and Jenny went home, leaving Miley with Uncle Aaron and Grandma and Grandpa Burns for the night. After eating left overs tonight, Uncle Aaron and I treated the girls (including Scotty Dog, Cabbie) to a tour of Christmas lights at the Van Wert Co. Fair Ground sponsored by our local 4 H Club. It was real pretty. If you click on the address below, you can see our son, Aaron's Face Book page of even more Christmas Pictures.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=196331&l=0bc74&id=610120649

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

This is Jim C. Burns, Pastor of the Liberty Baptist Church in Van Wert, Ohio

FIRST SUNDAY SUCCESS!

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. (Galatians 6:9).

God did it!

Yesterday was one of the most victorious days I've ever experienced in 33 years of ministry. Our church people and even a couple of guest volunteers worked tirelessly last week to move "stuff" from our old church building into the new building. Many took vacation days to help, and others worked some nights till midnight to make things ready. I was so excited, I got up at 5:45 Sunday morning, drove "up" to our new building and called Travis Kittle at 6:28 am to see if he could clear the snow off the parking lot. (Sorry Travis). I then walked into our new building and broke down. With nearly a year from the purchase date and seven months of hard work from our wonderful church family, we are now "in!"

On our first Sunday in our new building, we saw our Sunday School record broke with 102 in Sunday School, and we were blessed with 162 total for our morning worship hour. It was so "awesome" having all the extra space! I could stand at my new pulpit from our big blue adult classroom we are using for our make shift sanctuary and see kids walking to their new classrooms with big smiles on their faces. And, the teachers were smiling too! For the first time in 15 years, our children's Sun. School Teachers got to use a classroom with real walls and real doors! We had ample parking space on both sides of the building, and a new lobby about three times the size of our old one!


God has been so good to us, and we are just praising His name for how He gave us such a tremendous first day in our new church building!

That's Something to Think About!