Jeff Garza : Worship Minister, 1st Baptist of Worland, Wyoming

Our Great God!

2012-02-10T15:37:00.000-08:00

I am here to say that our God is Greater! What do I mean by this? Recently we started to sing a newer song in our church written by Chris Tomlin called "Our God". In the lines of the chorus, it goes like the following: "Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other."

These words are truly biblical and inspiring to our Christian walk because of the fact that God is greater! He is stronger! He is higher that any gods that we have struggled with! If you have ever struggled with putting anything before God in worship, please know that He is greater! If you may be struggling with any hang-ups, addictions, sin in general that's trying to take over as a god....little "g"....Our God is stronger! Solomon saw the greatness of God when he was preparing to build the temple. Take a look at 2 Chronicles 2:5-6a

"And the temple which I build [will be] great, for our God is greater than all gods. But who is able to build Him a temple, since heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him?" Solomon was EXACTLY right! Who can contain our GREAT God?!!

Another example of this is written by the Psalmist in Psalms 135:5... "For I know that the LORD [is] great, And our Lord [is] above all gods." I am SO thankful that we serve the LIVING GOD! My prayer is that you serve Him too!

You see, Satan is prowling trying to get us to serve him. He loves to distract, deceive, destroy...the horrible reality... he wants us to serve other gods before our Mighty God....BIG "G". However, we have a promise that is written in 1 John 4:4 - "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." Aren't you glad that our God is greater than he who is in the world? Again....Our God is greater...stronger...and higher

The other powerfully biblical part of the song that we sing in church, "Our God" written by Chris Tomlin, is in the bridge:

“And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us? And if our God is with us, then what could stand against? And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us? And if our God is with us, then what could stand against? What could stand against."

Wow! This whole section of the song is based on the verse that comes from Romans 8:31...and what a promise it is! Romans 8:31- "What then shall we say to these things? If God [is] for us, who [can be] against us?"

I am so thankful that as a child of God through Jesus Christ, He is for me. My prayer is that you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. He wants you to be his child and be for you! He is our Great God!

I could go on and on about the biblical message of the song, "Our God", and explain the miracles of Jesus Christ at the beginning of the song, but, I'll leave that to your Bible reading. God bless you. It is great to worship with you.

Let's Rejoice In the Lord in this New Year!

2012-02-06T11:17:00.000-08:00

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" -Philippians 4:4 (NIV)

Wow! It has been a long time since I have entered my last blog post! Time really has flown by! Anyway...as I have been watching the news in our world, I know it can easily depress a lot of people. I'm not saying that keeping up to date with current events is a bad thing, it's just, we as Christians need to remember that nothing compares to the promises that we have in Jesus Christ, the Good News!

We read, watch, and listen to stories like our failing economy, death, destruction, starvation, greed, etc., but the Bible tells us that no matter what we may be going through, we are to look to the Lord Jesus Christ and rejoice! When we look around us in this world, as Christians, we need to remember that everything is temporary. Just like a lot of bumper stickers that I have seen, NOTW, we are "Not Of This World".

In the book of Philippians, Paul wrote to encourage the Philippians to rejoice even though they were facing hardships. They faced hardships, and so do we. Thank the Lord that living in this fallen world is as mentioned above, temporary. You see, we have a hope in our salvation, in the Good News that God is faithful and that He never changes!

My prayer is this....that as we live and grow further into 2012, that we may be filled by his joy that will strengthen our hearts! Let's strive by the Holy Spirit to rejoice in the Lord always! I guess I will say it again....REJOICE!

Pandamania - Vacation Bible School!

2011-07-15T09:36:00.000-07:00

Wow! What an exciting event occurred in our church! Several of our church members have been involved with putting on a Vacation Bible School for the children in our home town of Worland. Over 70 kids were taking part in worship, bible stories, crafts, snacks, games...all in the name of Jesus Christ! The wonderful thing about it, several kids accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior! And, on the last night, several parents of the kids came to see for themselves what was being taught about Jesus Christ!

I was amazed how our church was decorated with bamboo, leaves, etc. There was even a large whale in one of the classroom that was used in the telling of the story of Jonah. A lot of time and effort was put into VBS, and it showed!

A big thanks to Gail Carver and Wendy Compton for their leadership in this huge effort. They truly did an amazing job with this project. There were about 35 people in all that were involved, and the Lord truly blessed it! I know my wife, Sandra, really enjoyed being in charge of snacks. My son, Caleb, enjoyed working with his group of kids. I could tell all the other workers were just as excited about serving the Lord.

Super job everyone! I'm sure that the Lord is super pleased with your efforts of spreading the gospel message. With the involvement of the parents, I am praying that the families that were invited will return to First Baptist and will be fed by the Holy Spirit. We truly want to see lives changed in Jesus Christ.

I just loved the theme of VBS this year....God is WILD about you! Isn't that truly incredible? There is a special place in my heart for Vacation Bible School. I was saved at one! Amen!

Summer is here?

2011-06-06T14:21:00.000-07:00

I know that it's not quite summer according to the calendar, which actually starts June, 21, 2011. It is beginning to look and feel like summer here in Worland, Wyoming. It never ceases to amaze me how weather changes so rapidly here. Over Memorial Day weekend, it was raining like crazy and even started to snow. Today, the temperature is in the 90's. Amazing!

School is out, and it's good to see some changes around the community of Worland. I'm seeing kids from First Baptist Church working summer jobs around town. Projects and contruction are being done to our church. Baseball and softball lights have been turned on allowing the games to be played in the evenings. Lot's of people are out and about walking and biking the trails. I love the changes in the seasons.

Here's what the Garza's are doing this summer (Lord willing). Sandra is helping the summer school program here in Worland in the office, classroom, and giving the swimming lessons to the kids. Caleb is working for the Washakie County School District #1 with grounds and maintenance. He is also wrapping up Shrine Bowl week for football and taking a college summer class. Jacob is working for his uncle Marc at the gym this summer, taking driver's ed. classes, and umpiring baseball games. Josh is playing baseball and being a kid. Me? I'm teaching summer school and leading worship at First Baptist. Busy summer.

Yes, I see that it may be a busy summer, but we hope to get some breaks from time to time. I hope to get some fishing in and of course, some camping done. Maybe I can catch up on some summer projects too?

Anyway, from the Garza's to you. We pray that you will have a safe and wonderful summer, enjoy family and friends. Don't forget to worship with us! We will see you this summer at Worland First Baptist Church!

Jesus Was and Is, and Is to Come!

2011-05-31T08:41:00.000-07:00

Many of us, as Americans, remember the fallen soldiers that have served our country on Memorial Day, and we are so thankful and blessed. Many of us remember loved ones that we cherished while they were with us in our lifetime, many that we hope to see in heaven some day. Still others get together for fun social gatherings on this occasion, even marking the beginning of summer vacation.

One that we should always remember is Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross for us. He paid the penalty for our sins on that old rugged cross. Even more, He died and rose again! Remember, according to Acts 5:42, "the good news that Jesus is the Christ."

In my devotions today, the stress is on the word IS. Jesus IS the Christ! Of course we want to remember that Christ saved us, but we also need to remember that He IS working today in us, through us, and around us! He is alive and well!

In the Bible, in the New Testament, in the Book of Acts 5:42, the apostles were not holding back their faith, knowing that Jesus Christ was working! They risked their lives, "Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ."

We may not be risking our lives, but are we doing enough for Him? Let's continue to serve Him and see what He continues to do in our lives and the lives of others.

Another thing to remember is Jesus was and is, and is to come! Jesus is coming soon! He's the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last! Jesus is not through with us yet!

End of the School Year!

2011-05-18T09:48:00.000-07:00

Wow! I am amazed on how quickly this year went by! It just seems like the school year just got started. For you parents out there, you may be thinking the same thing.

In my family there are lots of "firsts" that are about to happen. My oldest son will be graduating this week in the Class of 2011. Congratulations graduating seniors! My middle son will be completing his freshman year, looking forward to being a sophomore and driving!!!! My youngest son will no longer be in elementary school, becoming a middle-schooler, leaving that chapter in his life behind!

I've got a lot to pray about with my own family. How about you? Let's pray for our kids as they wrap up their school year. Let's pray for those that are working summer jobs or playing sports. Overall, let's continue to pray for their safety as they start their summer out of school. I know that it's always a big adjustment for families too. Pray for our families.

Before you know it, it will be time to send them off to school again!

The Lord's Direction

2011-05-02T14:02:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 16:9 – "A man's heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps."

Have you ever looked back on your life and think about the choices that you have made in your life? Were they good choices? Were they bad choices? Think about it....we should be praying for God's will in the choices that we make, because God is ultimately in control. Life can be a mystery of what God wants for us, at the same time, it is amazing when He does reveal to you what He wants you to do.

I often look at what the Lord is having me do right now, and I also look in my past of how God has taken my past experiences to use for Him today. For example...I used to be a music major...He is having me lead praise and worship at church and at the Wyoming Boys' School. I taught for 12 years in the public school.....now God is allowing me to teach the boys at the Wyoming Boys' School and also allowing us to minister to them by the Holy Spirit.

The point is...I'm not boasting on what God is doing with me, but what I'm trying to say is, just like the verse above, we may plan on what we want to do.....we make decisions, but GOD directs our steps. It is amazing how God can use our past experiences for His glory! We just need to pray and watch what the Lord does.

I also think of the story of Joseph, after he had been thrown into a pit by his brothers, after being sold into slavery, God finally put him into a position of great power in Egypt. Joseph had gone through all kinds of tough experiences, some that he had no choice in at all....but again, ultimately God is and was in control. The Lord directed His steps, and ultimately his people were blessed. Furthermore, look at the attitude that Joseph took, when his brothers that sold him into slavery were afraid for their lives when they found out that Joseph was still alive and an authority in the Pharaoh's courts...Quoting Joseph, Genesis 5:20 says, "But as for you, you meant evil against me; [but] God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as [it is] this day, to save many people alive." You see, God can make any situation into one that is good and glorifies Himself.

So what do we need to do? We need to continue to pray for God's will in our choices and decision making, and know that the Lord directs our steps. Here is an example of what I'm praying for right now:

My oldest son, Caleb, has just finished up registering for his fall college classes. He has made some decisions on what direction that he would like to take, planning his way. I pray that with all of the experiences that God has given him, including the ones that he has planned for college, that the Lord will direct his steps. I pray that God's will be done in his life for the Lord's glory. I am sure that God has plans for Caleb.

Let's continue to pray that the Lord would direct our steps, seeking Him each day, relying on His sovereignty. Let's continue to pray that the Lord will direct the steps of our children in the way that will be pleasing to Him. One thing that we don't have to worry about is the fact that God's will, will be done regardless. I don't know about you, but I want God in control of my life and the steps that I take.

God's Word is Truth!

2011-04-08T09:47:00.000-07:00

1 Thessalonians 2:12-13- "that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe."

I'm sure you have read different accounts of newspaper articles. Each one seems to have it's own twist of the story, even embellishment. Why? Most likely, to make sure that the newspaper sells to it's readers.

Even today, I taught in my U.S. History class about the Great American Newspaper War that was happening during the 1898 Spanish- American War. The type of newspaper war that was raging was between Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst over the selling of newspapers, REALLY embellishing and stretching the truth about the Spanish-American War. This type of journalism was called "Yellow Journalism". Of course, the American people ate it up, many fanned on with smoldering anger favoring U.S. Military intervention in against Spain in Cuba. Why? because "truth" was not being completely kept. A lot of people didn't know what to believe. As a matter of fact, many historians believe that the newspapers actually caused the war to be worse then it would have been without the articles.

I thank God that His word is truth! It is not embellished. It is not twisted with lies. The word of God comes directly from Him and is of Him. As the verse in 1 Thessalonians above says, the word of God was "not welcomed as word of men.." The verse goes on to say that "it is in truth, the word of God".

I am also thankful for the last portion of the verse, knowing that the word of God works in us who believe! This is why it is so important that we read God's word each day. It is important that we learn more and more about His truths. His truth surely does set us free! The more that we learn about the truth of God, our faith will grow deeper and deeper in Him. The Holy Spirit will truly bless our lives.

Just think...when we accept Him, obey Him, and follow the truth of Him, we walk worthy of God who calls us into His own kingdom and glory!

Wow! How awesome that is!

Pray for Our College Bound Kids!

2011-03-29T13:53:00.000-07:00

Over the many years, I have watched many of our friends and family sending their kids off to college. In Wyoming, the reality is.....when you send your kids off to college....you send them OFF to college. Even a community college can be several miles away!

Well...I guess it is our turn. Sandra and I are preparing to send our oldest son off to college in the fall, and it's not an easy ordeal. The writing for scholarships is crazy...The waiting for acceptance letters can be stressful....all of the roadtrips to visit different colleges. Whew! And....is their enough money to cover ALL of the expenses???

All of the stress has one good thing about it....it drives us as parents to our knees to pray and cling to the Lord. I have to remember that it is now Caleb's turn to be really tested in his faith. I pray that he will remember what we have taught him and what he has learned in his Christian walk. The verse, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." - Proverbs 22:6, keeps running through my head. The main thing that we are praying about is that Caleb will stick to his faith no matter what.

Let's all join together in prayer for our students that are getting ready to head off to college. Lord, please remind our students that they are to be in the world but not of the world. Strengthen them even in these early preparations before high school graduation to prepare them for their future. We pray that You will provide all their financial needs on and off campus. We pray that You will keep them safe. Most of all, Lord, we pray that you will bless them by the Holy Spirit to rely totally on you in everything that they do. In Jesus' Name- Amen.

Blessed are the Peacemakers....

2011-03-16T11:22:00.000-07:00

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." - Matthew 5:9

We live in a dying and decaying world full of sin. Often times in society, people argue, fight, and even go to war. Sometimes we have differences with our peers and neighbors, even arguing that can cause pain, stress, and strife. You know, God loves a cheerful heart, and He doesn't like to see us hindering our worship of Him by having bitterness towards our brothers and sisters.

First of all....we can thank God that He brings peace and hope to our lives through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. Second of all, God also sent His Son to live a sinless life as a model to us all.

Before we, "fly off the handle" at someone, allowing sin to reign free, let's seek godly wisdom, and seek how the Lord would handle the situation. God tells us in Matthew 5:9, that we are to be peacemakers, and that we will be blessed if we are. If we are peacemakers, we will be called His sons.

You may be thinking, well..."Nobody is perfect"....humanly speaking...you are right, but God is perfect, and He draws us as Christians to Him, wanting us to be more like Him.

Dear Lord, when friction arises between ourselves and others, help us not to sin against You. Help us to pray. Help us to listen attentively to all parties in a heated situation. Lord, help us to always seek to be peacemakers as you would have us do. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Congratulations Worland Warriors!

2011-03-14T11:39:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to write and say congratulations to the Worland Warrior basketball players! It was a fun season to watch this year. Both the boys and the girls team were able to qualify for the state tournament this year, with the boys only having one loss in the games, but allowing them to take 5th place over all in the state for 3A. The state tournament took place last Thursday through Saturday at Casper College.

Two of my sons played basketball this year. Jacob played on the freshman team, and Caleb played varsity for his senior year. Both tell me that they had a lot of fun this year. I'm excited that Jacob wants to play all four years of high school for the Warriors.

My youngest son, Josh, is still in elementary school, but loves to play basketball and can't wait until he is able to play for the Warriors!

Keep up the great work Worland basketball players and coaches. You have made our community proud of you! We hope that there will be many more exciting years to come for the sport!

Blessed are the pure in heart!

2011-03-07T11:35:00.000-08:00

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." - Matthew 5:8

We are not called just to seek knowledge of what the Bible says. We are to seek to live a life of worship in which the Bible describes to us. The Lord is searching for our heart of worship, a pure heart that is seeking the ways of God. If we are worshiping the Lord with our heart, soul, mind, and strength we will be gaining more knowledge of Him, as we read His Word.

Knowledge is important but it doesn't take the place of a pure heart that worships our Lord Jesus Christ. I want to have knowledge of our God, but first, I want to have a pure worshipful heart for God, being humble before Him. Another verse that applies here is James 4:10- "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up." If we live a life that is pure in heart, we truly will see God.

Blessed are the merciful!

2011-02-17T11:32:00.000-08:00

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." – Matthew 5:7

When I see this verse I immediately think of the story of the Good Samaritan who nursed and cared for the down-trodden traveler that was left for dead by the side of the road, while others even crossed to the other side of the road to avoid the man that was so desperately in need.

We are all guilty of being busy...so busy that we tend to forget others that are in need. My prayer is that we....I...can be a lot more merciful toward others in need. I'm not just talking about writing a check to give to those in need, even though that can be good in and of itself.

I know there have been times where I should have given my neighbor food..or clothing. I should have written that card to encourage. I should have given that phone call, or made that visit to one in need.

Jesus calls us to be merciful to our fellow man. As Christians, he tells us that we too will be rewarded with mercy! After all....we all deserve death and separation from God, but because of His mercy, we have eternal life for those who believe in Him!

A lot of people talk about how our American culture has gotten so insensitive and self-centered. Can you imagine what a change we could make if we were a lot more merciful toward each other? Let's pray that we can be more loving and merciful with a pay-it-forward mentality. God bless you! Blessed are the merciful!

Wow! What a quick football season!

2011-02-08T06:44:00.000-08:00

What a fun football season it was this year! It always is for me.

I enjoy watching my youngest boy, Josh play "rec" league. The "Scouts" recreation league is well organized and will really improve Worland's football program in years to come. It's always fun to see these little guys knocking each other around on the gridiron!

I really enjoyed watching my middle boy, Jacob, play on his freshman football team this year. No longer in the middle school green this year, it was fun watching him play in the Worland orange and black. He really wants to lift weights early to get ready for next year's season.

Caleb finished off his senior regular season playing in the Worland orange and black. He is now looking forward to playing the Wyoming State Shrine Bowl coming up this year.

As for college football, I was able to catch a few great games. I love watching it too, but not nearly as much as I do watching my kids and NFL.

Speaking of the NFL, it was a disappointing season for my Dallas Cowboys. Every time they are picked to go to, or win the Super Bowl....they choke. I know....I know....a lot of you are thinking... that's okay... because you don't like the Dallas Cowboys...but when a majority of your family is from Texas and you are raised with the Dallas Cowboys....you get the picture.

Congratulations to the Green Bay Packers! You played a great Super Bowl game. It was great to see Aaron Rodgers get the win as the new franchise quarterback! Favre...I believe is now in the past for Green Bay. What a good young team the Packers are. As for the Pittsburg Steelers...good season.

Well....it's tough to see football go for another season....can't wait for next fall!

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness..

2011-02-04T11:09:00.000-08:00

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." – Matthew 5:6

Have you ever felt so hungry that you thought you could eat a horse? Maybe you have craved a huge cheeseburger? Have you ever been so thirsty after working hard out on a ranch, or after a long mountain or desert hike in the wilderness that you want to drink a huge big gulp of water? These may be physical needs for food or water, but that is not what Jesus is talking about in this verse.

Jesus is talking about the spiritual hunger and thirst that we have inside. Only God can satisfy that hunger. First to overcome the spiritual hunger and thirst that every man lacks, we must come to Christ and believe in Him, being baptized by the Holy Spirit. As God allows us to grow in Him by praying each day, and by reading His word, He has the desire for us to seek His righteousness! We should have the hunger...the thirst..and desire for His righteousness too! He wants us to be more like Him as His children. As we hunger and thirst for His righteousness, we will be filled and satisfied.

In the world's eye view, people are hustling and bustling, hungering and thirsting for THINGS: money, power, prestige, fame, glory, success....passions, that ultimately won't satisfy.

How many of the world's most famous and wealthiest people have you come across, that are truly happy? It seems like they are always searching, searching for something or someone. There is a missing piece...a void in their lives. The missing piece that they are looking for is Jesus Christ and His righteousness. Christians, we will eventually receive all of His riches in glory when we are with Him. I know that He is building me a mansion in heaven!

I'm thinking of the old hymn, "I'd Rather Have Jesus". Here is just one verse that sums it up for me, "I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;I’d rather be His than have riches untold;I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands;I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand

Refrain: Than to be the king of a vast domain, And be held in sin’s dread sway; I’d rather have Jesus than anything This world affords today.

Great words, huh? I don't know about you, but I don't want to be in sin's dread sway. I'd rather be filled by his righteousness.

Thank you Lord. Amen.

Blessed are the meek.

2011-01-31T09:33:00.000-08:00

"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." – Matthew 5:5

A lot of people would probably define meekness as weakness. This is not what the Bible is trying to say here in the beginnings of the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 5:5. I learned from my devotions that meekness in this particular scripture means gentleness. I for one know that being gentle takes a lot of discipline!

Jesus tells us that His rule on His earth is to be a gentle one. Jesus teaches us that we are to show restraint over our own passions, stubbornness, anger, and all of the other ungodly actions that are in our sinful nature. If we can have this restraint and be gentle, showing the love of Jesus Christ, we can be rulers over much!

Lord, I pray that I can be faithful, and be more gentle towards others. It's not easy. I know that we, as Christians, are not of this world. Help us, oh God, to be gentle and show that Biblical meekness that you are talking about in Matthew 5:5.

Amen.

Blessed are those who mourn.

2011-01-25T09:46:00.000-08:00

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." – Matthew 5:4

After reading my devotions this morning, which dealt with the "Beatitudes" from the Sermon on the Mount, I learned and realized that mourning is not talked about much or even shown as much in our culture as it was in Jesus' time on earth.

Often times, in our culture, people think you need to be happy all of the time which is not always the case. Instead of avoiding pain or trying to cover it up, we need to cling to the Lord Jesus in our times of trials, which includes mourning loved ones. Death is a reality of life. Death is all around us...but we as Christians know that one day in heaven, there will be no tears, there will be no sorrow, there will be no sting of death. That is our hope in Christ. Those who may be facing these realities that we all face, please remember that Jesus is waiting to comfort us and strengthen us.

Just recently a friend of mine lost a little granddaughter, and she is handling her situation as well as she can, but as a follower of Christ. She is mourning her loss with her family. The one thing that I truly see in her is the fact that she is leaning on the everlasting arms of Christ to comfort and strengthen her. Even in mourning, what a powerful witness for Christ that can be. Please keep this lady and her family in prayer.

God bless you.

We ALL need Jesus!

2011-01-19T11:46:00.000-08:00

"And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." – Matthew 5:1-3

I recently learned more in a devotion, the truth about this passage. Especially in American culture...and even in children's programming, we are constantly being told, "You just need to believe in yourself! Pick yourself up by your own bootstraps....and get'r done!"

The truth is, we don't have what it takes, and Jesus reminds us that we need to be humble, poor in spirit, relying on Him if we are seeking the Kingdom of Heaven.

Being poor in spirit means that we need to be humble and go to Jesus in all things. Just like the old children's song says, "They are weak, but He is strong..." "They" meaning us, are His children....and we are weak vessels.

Yes, God has given us many different talents and abilities, but we are to rely on Him, to be used by Him, to give of ourselves to the best of our abilities for Him.

We must rely on Him for our every need.

Lord, in our weakness, you are strong. Help us to rely on you and seek you for everything. Lord, may we be your humble servants, allowing you to guide and direct our paths. May we truly seek and desire Your kingdom. - Amen.

Random Thoughts! Again?

2011-01-14T08:28:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while I get in the mood to just make a list of the things that are going through my head.....through the whirlwind of my life!

1) I am so thankful for the salvation of Jesus Christ...my Savior....my Lord...and my God!

2) I am extremely thankful for my wife...she has to put up with a lot with a house full of boys!

3) I am thankful for my boys...they're growing up quicker than I can handle! Lord please let me be patient and do a good job as a parent. I want my boys to grow up to be Christ like and have Christian homes as well.

4) Wow! What a fun rehearsal last night with the worship team. I am praying that God has many super things in store for the ministry this new year. Who knows what He has in store...but we are looking forward to it.

5) Wow! It is sure fun watching all the basketball games. Caleb is playing varsity his senior year. Jacob is on the freshman team, and Joshua is playing rec and traveling basketball! Fun..Fun...Fun......

6) Uhhh...gasoline is expensive.

7) I'm sure enjoying the sunny / winter days....with highs above 0 degrees! Thanks Lord!

8) Got to get a lot of work done in the barn. Lots of old alfalfa to get picked up...not to mention manure to get out of there.

9) Gotta get my tools back in order after working with my friend Rick on the Volkswagen bugs.

10) It's nice to be able to drive my baja bug around for the last couple of days without having to scrape the ice off the INSIDE of the windshield!!!

11) Dreaming about fishing without ice....coming sooner....rather than later?

12) Hoping that the Worland Basketball Warriors get wins against Evanston and Rock Springs this weekend! Go Warriors!

Thanks!....and Happy New Year! We pray God has great things in store!

2011-01-11T09:37:00.000-08:00

Wow! What a whirlwind of activity! Christmas is over and the New Year 2011 has begun.

First of all, I would like to thank all of those that were involved in the Christmas Eve service. You did a beautiful job! The kids did a super job singing under the direction of Vicki Ley. The costumes were perfect for the occasion of celebrating Christ's birth! The Christmas choir presentation with narration was beautifully done, sharing the clear gospel message, portraying why Jesus came to this earth. Hannah Compton did a fantastic job singing her solo. Tim McGee did a super job with the narration. Thanks to Jess Rollema and Rod Woodbury for covering sound. Thanks Wendy Compton, for helping with the risers...along with the rest of your family!Thanks Becci Kalfell for gluing it all together with media. Also, thanks to Pastor Jess Rollema for the Christmas message.

So, what do we have in store for FBC Worship Ministries now? We are praying that the Lord has wonderful things in store for First Baptist. Pray for us as we continue to learn new songs to praise Him, as we look for new venues to spread the gospel, but also, continue to pray for those ministries that are already in place. Please continue to pray for the team going into the Wyoming Boys' School. Also pray for the opportunities that we have had in community outreach like Praise in the Park and Celebrate Recovery this year.

Pray that the Lord will be pleased with our service. God bless you First Baptist, Worland.

Jesus is Our Prince of Peace!

2010-12-14T14:06:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

As I sit here at my desk wrapping up my day, I am listening to a beautiful Christmas CD with a fantastic combination of classical guitar and violin. The soft tones, melodies, and harmonies bring a calm to the end of my working day. It is so peaceful in my office, alone.

However, I am not alone. The Spirit of Christ is with me. He dwells within. Christ is truly my Prince of Peace. Any discouragement, any pain, any attack by the evil one, I know I can go to Jesus Christ. He truly is Wonderful, the Counselor. He is the Mighty God! Thank you Everlasting Father! Thank you for bringing peace into my life, Oh Prince of Peace!

During this Christmas season, Dear Lord. Help us not to forget, that you are with us. Help us not to forget the reason for the season! You were born to us, you died, and rose again! What a gift! Thank you for the gift of salvation! Thank you Lord and Savior! We praise and adore you!

Blessings as we draw closer to the celebration of Christ's birth.

Come and join us for "The Saints and Angel's Song"!

2010-12-09T14:07:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe how quickly this year has flown by. It's Christmas time once again! You know what that means? We look forward to worshipping together, on Christmas Eve.

This year, at First Baptist, we look forward to putting on a mini-production for Christmas called, "The Saints and Angel's Song". In addition to this production, we will be blessed to see and hear our children's choir sing a couple of Christmas favorites. This then will lead up to hearing God's word of the true meaning of Christmas, following by a candle lighting with a congregational sing.

We want to invite you for this special Christmas Eve Worship Celebration on December 24, 2010 at 6:00 p.m., here at First Baptist Church of Worland, Wyoming. Come early to find good seating! God bless you and Merry Christmas!

Wow! First Baptist.....Thank you!

2010-11-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

First of all I want to thank all of you for your special gifts yesterday. I appreciate all of you. It is my pleasure to serve the Lord in the capacity of Worship Minister for 1st Baptist Church of Worland. I was completely speechless when I was called down in front of the church to receive your appreciation along with my wife. You folks really made my day. I really couldn't do the job that I have been called to if it wasn't for the Lord. I also want to point out that my wife, Sandra, is so gracious in allowing me to serve in this way. Yes, worship ministries can take a lot of time and effort, but it is all worth it when we can all praise our Lord Jesus Christ together as one.

I would also like to thank Pastor Jess Rollema and his wife, Heather. Not only has Jess been teaching the youth as our Youth Pastor, but he has been picking up the slack in this time without a lead pastor. Keep him and his wife in your prayers.

Thank you for your encouragement, your prayers, and support as we work for Jesus Christ. He is our only hope. He is our life. He is our salvation. We look forward to continue in service with you. God bless you First Baptist Church.

Appendix Adventure and Thanks!

2010-10-21T13:43:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a month of September and into October! What am I talking about? Who would have thought that after worship team practice, on a Thursday night in early September, I would have to go to the emergency room to get my appendix taken out? Not a very pleasant experience.

I knew that I felt really tired that day. So much so that I wasn't sure if I had the energy to conduct worship team practice. I went anyway and set up everything for the rehearsal. After prayer time with the team, I made my way home, had a late dinner...relaxed with my family for a little while and then went to bed.

At about 10:00 pm I started to have pain in the lower right abdominal area. I thought... maybe I just ate my enchilada dinner too late? At 1:00 am in the morning when I was trying to alleviate the pain by taking a hot bath...I had a feeling it wasn't the enchiladas. At about 2:00 am I found myself trying to crawl back to bed in pain. After going through the medical books with my wife...I finally had to tell her, "Take me into the hospital!"

The Worland Hospital's staff was incredible and very helpful, and by 8:00 am, Friday, I was having surgery. It was a very long process in the recovery afterward. I'm thankful to Dr. Weaver that he caught the appendix right before it burst. He told me that I was one sick boy.

So...what did God teach me this time? To be thankful to Him. To be thankful for a wonderful caring wife. To be thankful that we have loving and caring people in our church that are willing to step up when you are in need. To slow down....in my time of need.

Thanks goes out to the following: My God for being my strength and Healer. My wife and family for helping with everything until I recovered.....Roger Pomeroy for taking care of worship along with the rest of the worship team in my absence....The youth in worship ministries on Wednesdays covering for me....My boss, Steve Wake, for helping me to get coverage during my absence at the Wyoming Boys' School....all the prayers, visitations, and cards from all of the people, especially from First Baptist Church.

God bless you for all of your help, patience, and prayers. We serve a Mighty God, and I am so glad to be back.

Great Chamber Barbecue! Go Warriors!

2010-08-26T13:54:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time as a family, getting out of the house, and going down to the Worland Community Complex for the annual Chamber Customer Appreciation Barbecue- 2010. This is something I look forward to each and every year! Instead of being on the grass in front of the Washakie County Courthouse this year, it was held at the WCC for the first time. There was a lot more room for Worland citizens to sit and enjoy a hot served meal by chamber members which included, juicy hot roast beef sandwiches, great hot dogs, tasty potato salad, thirst quenching Pepsi products (of course!), and sweet desserts.

As we enjoyed laughing and visiting with family and friends, and eating our meals on the sidelines of the youth football field, the athletic directors, coaches, and teachers, introduced our student athletes and band members from Worland High School. Of course, the Worland High School Marching Band played a few tunes for us too. It is always a proud moment for us parents as our Worland kids are introduced to the community. I was also thankful that the sound system was adequate for all to hear the announcements; it is usually difficult to hear when you have over half of the town present. I was also thankful that most of the little kids, including my youngest son, had plenty of room to run around and play, especially in the playground area across the street at Sander's Park.

Thanks Worland-Ten Sleep Chamber for having this event each year. I look forward to meeting and greeting our friends and family each year at this event, kicking off the new school year, including all the athletic events. Thanks for supporting our kids! Thanks for the good food! Thanks for making our community a safe place to raise kids!.....and GO WORLAND WARRIORS!

Lord, please direct the paths of our children!

2010-08-19T05:47:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 3:6 "In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths."

This is the first day of school for our children in Worland, Wyoming, and not just my children, but the children of our community. Let us, as Christian parents, pray for the well being and direction of our kids. Let us pray that our kids will acknowledge the Lord in all that they do in worship, because we want to see the Lord direct their paths. My prayer is that they will make good godly choices in every activity in class, in sports, and in travel; before, during, and after school. My they be the "salt of the earth" before their peers!

I pray that people who see them will see a glimpse of Jesus Christ Himself by the Holy Spirit. We all know the worldly influences that are out there. I pray that our children will stand firm in their faith in Jesus Christ.

Paul writes in Philippians 1:27-28a, "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you."

Our kids do face opposition to their faith, whether we realize it or not. My prayer is that they too will have opportunities to share their faith in Jesus Christ and invite fellow classmates to church. I also pray that our youth ministries will continue to grow, discipling our young people. I pray that God will bless Pastor Jess Rollema, his wife Heather, and the rest of the First Baptist Student Ministries Team in this new school year, 2010-2011.

Kids, have a great year at school and all the activities that are involved with it. Parents, may God give you peace as you send them off. Be actively involved in their education...remember the TRUTH has been revealed to us! It is our responsibility as Christian parents to raise our kids, not the schools.

Have a safe and blessed school year!

Shout to the Lord!

2010-08-16T14:03:00.000-07:00

Psalm 98:4 "Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises."

Thank you for allowing my family and I to lead singing and praises in worship at the Nowoodstock Music Festival in Ten Sleep, Wyoming yesterday morning. I was approached by Frank and Vicki Ley earlier this summer and asked if I would be willing to lead a short worship service at the festival. We are so glad that we did. My sons Caleb Garza and Jacob Garza, and also, Hannah Compton joined me as we drove to the festival, getting there at 8:00 am.

After an extensive setup and practice, we started singing worship music and sharing scripture at 10:00 to 10:30 am. Thank you Lord for allowing us to lift up your Name! You are the Creator of music, and how fitting it was to lift You up at the beginning of the day on Sunday at the festival! I was blessed to see many folks clapping and singing to the music about our Lord Jesus Christ. All glory goes to the Lord! I was also able to speak to several of the people afterward. We hope to partner with them and start an outreach using praise music in the future.

A big thank you goes to Roger Pomeroy for leading worship yesterday at 1st Baptist, filling in in my absence. We are blessed to have Roger on our worship team. He is a good man of God!

Thank you Frank and Vicki (Shaffer) Ley for providing the invitation and clearance to be able to lead the worship service. Congratulations on your new marriage! May God richly bless you!

A special thank you to Hannah Compton for all of your extra help setting up equipment, tearing down, taking pictures, and your sense of humor!

Finally and getting all of the credit, once again. Thanks again Lord for this event. We were truly blessed by it. We pray that you were also blessed and glorified.

I pray that You will continue to allow us to "shout joyfully to the Lord"! Amen.

Husbands Love Your Wives!

2010-08-02T09:36:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 5:25 "Husbands love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her"

This is so important, men. Do we really understand the importance of this in marriage? Do we really understand how much we are to love our wives? Christ demonstrated his love towards us even by giving His life. Here in Ephesians we are to love our wives by Christ's example. This verse tells me that I need to give 100% in my marriage. It's not a 50/50 compromise. Marriage is not for just what "I" get out of it.

Marriage is not something that we do one time in a ceremony and then put it on a shelf somewhere. We need to build our marriages and nurture them in the Lord each and every day. No matter how busy our schedules get, it is important to spend time with our spouses.

Lord, thank you so much for my beautiful wife, Sandra. She means so much to me. Life would be pretty tough without her. I thank you that she is also a believer in Christ. How special that is! Help me never to forget our vows that we took so many years ago. I thank you for the 20 years of marriage that we will celebrate this Thursday, August 5, 2010. Wow! August 5, 1990 seems just like yesterday!

I was so glad that we could spend some time together over the weekend. It was great being able to take her and the family to Mexican food over the weekend in Thermopolis, Wyoming to Las Fuentas. We were also able to do some shopping, which she enjoys, even if we don't spend any money. After church on Sunday, it was nice to just be able to talk and then watch a movie together later. Although, I need to work on talking and communicating a whole lot more.

Lord, please bless our marriage and the other marriages of your people. Protect our marriages, dear God. Grant us the ability to follow and listen to the Holy Spirit as we work on our marriages. You are a Holy and just God. Please grant us peace, love, and safe keeping. In Jesus' name, Amen.

A Dark Dreadful Place!

2010-07-19T09:09:00.000-07:00

Psalm 119:105 "Your word [is] a lamp to my feet And a light to my path."

I will never forget, back in 1981, my father took us on a road trip to visit our family in southern Texas. On our way back home, we went by way of Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico, seeing one of the largest underground caverns in the world. I enjoyed the underground hiking trails and the automated speaker phones, explaining the various limestone formations. "Stalactites" and "stalagmites" quickly became a part of my vocabulary as I gazed at the wonders of it all.

We decided to follow a guided tour by a National Park Ranger who led us down elevators, twists and turns, pointing out scenic passageways,etc. At one point, the ranger gathered us all around in a group and warned us that it was soon going to get very dark in the underground, man-made lit cavern. He then proceeded to turn out the lights while continuing to speak to us. The lights went out.....and I've never been in such a physical darkened place in all of my life. He asked us to put our very own hands in front of our faces and asked if we could see anything. It was so dark that I could NOT see a thing, even with my hand right in front of my nose, total darkness! Without any light, the cavern could be a very dangerous, dark, dreadful place, with not a chance of escaping.

I think of how non-Christians are in a very dangerous, dark, and dreadful place.......but with only ONE chance of escaping sin and death. That one and only chance of escape is not chance at all, but the submitting of one's heart to the one and true God, Jesus Christ. As Christians, we were once in sin's grasp, in total darkness, and destined to total darkness and destruction, being eternally separated from the LIGHT, God's presence. Pray that we would be able to tell others, by His Spirit, and speak of His truths.

If you are not a Christian, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ that He is God's one and only Son, that he was raised from the grave on the third day after dying on the cross for our sins. Jesus is alive and well! Do this and you will be saved and live eternally with Him when you die.

I thank God that He allowed me to escape total darkness and that I am walking in the light. I am a believer of Jesus Christ, God's one and only Son! I also thank Him for His word, that it is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path! I read His word ,and He reveals our lives to us much like when the ranger finally led us along the path with a flashlight after being in such intense darkness. I want to live my life step by step in Him...in the light!

1 John 1:7 "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."

Random Thoughts Ending the Week!

2010-07-16T09:09:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a week. It all seems to be a blur. I am sure that a lot of you can relate. Here are the top 10 things that come to my mind randomly at this time.

1) Lord, thank you for a good productive week in the ministry. We had a good rehearsal Thursday night, and we can't wait to sing praises to you with the rest of the congregation this Sunday.

2) We are gearing up to hear what Pastor Shaun Matako and his wife Jodi have to say to our congregation at First Baptist, via Skype this Sunday morning. We are looking for a quorum for July 25th, for a vote to see if they will be called to pastor our church. Please keep this in prayer.

3) I have enjoyed a time of Bible study with our friends and church members, Vicki and Frank.

4) Thank you for what you have been teaching me, Lord, about living and worshiping you in obedience. Thank you for showing me from the book of Ecclesiastes, that life without you is meaningless!

5) I love my wife, Sandra, with all of my heart. When I was really sick with vertigo, Wednesday night, she really helped me get through it. The Lord shows me more and more how much she cares for me. I love and care for her too.

6) Worland Babe Ruth Baseball is winding down this summer. My son, Jacob, has played catcher and pitches for the All-Star team playing in this weekend's district tournament. Good luck to all of our ball players. Play hard, and may the best team win!

7) Our Pembroke Welsh Corgi (dog) had puppies, six of them, a week ago. We are receiving so many phone calls about them already. We hope to sell them, when they are old enough, to help Jacob get his braces.

8) Hopefully my wife and I will be able to get some yard work and gardening done over the weekend. Being gone a lot can take a toll on us trying to catch up on "whacking down the jungle"! At least I don't need to use a machete.

9) It was great having some of our family from California staying with us and visiting. I enjoyed the walks, talks, barbecues, and laughter around the house. I especially enjoyed the visit to the mountains, picnicking and fishing!

10) The Wyoming Boys' School ministry team was invited by the WBS superintendent for an appreciation barbecue for all of those involved in connection with this institution. It is an honor to be a part of it. Thank you, Lord, for allowing this open door of ministry throughout the year for the boys that are incarcerated.

I hope that you all have a great weekend. I hope to see some of you soon. God bless you!

Jeff

Worship in Obedience!

2010-07-12T06:47:00.000-07:00

A lot of people think that worship is just singing songs on Sunday mornings during a "worship" service. Unfortunately even some mainstream Christian artists give the impression that worship is just singing. This simply is just not true. Worshiping our Lord is how we live our lives in obedience to Him. Yes, giving of our tithes, offerings, service, studying God's word, listening and the application of the teaching of God's word, etc. are all acts of worship, but it is in our total walk and reliance in the Lord, led by the Holy Spirit, that we call true worship of our Lord. Let me add that it isn't just on Sundays either. It's each and every day.

We love Him by our obedience to His Word and by the direction of the Holy Spirit. We are to obey His commands. When we do this, we show that we love Him in loving worship. On top of that, the great thing is that our faith is the victory that overcomes the world:

1 John 5:3&4 "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith."

The Lord gives us life. We want to constantly be in worship for Him. Without Him we can do nothing!

John 15:5 "I am the vine, you [are] the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

We want to know Him, and know Him more! We want Him living in us. How do we know that He is living in us? By the Spirit!

1 John 3:24 "Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us."

Let's read God's word. Let's pray each day. Let's fellowship with Him and each other. Let's serve Him. Let's give to Him. Let's live in obedience. Let's worship!

Fun 4th of July for the Garza's!

2010-07-06T09:47:00.000-07:00

What a fun time for us this last 4th of July weekend. I just wanted to write down the "goings on". I was so thankful to get a day off making it a three day weekend in order for us, as a family, to be able to spend time together. Here is a list of things we did this last weekend:

1) We got up early on Saturday morning and drove to Cody, Wyoming to see the Cody 4th of July Parade. It was very entertaining to see all of the horses, cars, floats, marching bands, etc. A highlight was seeing the Wyoming State Marching Band. I was excited to see so many kids from First Baptist Church represented in the band. I hope I didn't miss any of them, but congratulations in a performance well done to: Hannah Compton, Garrett Compton, Marshall Blom, Joe Mitchell, Shailee Michaels, and Mikala Michaels. There may have been more, but I didn't see them. Wow! Great job!

2) Enjoying a time of cruising over to McDonalds and then to Wally World (Walmart) in Cody was fun.

3) Sunday morning we got down to the church early, getting ready to worship with our First Baptist Church family. It was wonderful, once again, to sing songs of praise and learn from God's word.

4) Then it was time to go home, eat left-overs, and then get a short time of napping in before the evening festivities with family.

5) We headed over to Sandra's parents ranch in Manderson for dinner and fireworks! Cousins from California joined in on the fun with food, laughter, and fireworks!

6) All the members in the family chipped in for fireworks with, by far, the most fun display I have ever been to. We even had a few sky rockets fall over before takeoff and coming right at us! One blew up right at my feet as I leaped to the left as fast as I could. I should have been on America's Funniest Videos! And then came Pastor Jess Rollema's FINALE! Great job Jess! You outdid yourself! We as spectators lived to tell about it once again! HIGHLY EXPLOSIVE!

7) Our cousins from California, the Randalls, stayed the night at our house Sunday night in preparation for the next morning, Monday the 5th of July. The kids all played and talked until the wee hours of the night....about 1:00 a.m. in the morning. I'm still exhausted from trying to get some sleep.

8) On Monday morning Sandra and I got up at 6:30 in the morning to get all of the farm chores done, letting everybody else sleep in. We then got quick breakfasts and got ready to head up to the Big Horn Mountains for a Subway picnic lunch and fishing at West Ten Sleep Lake and Creek.

9) After driving up the West Ten Sleep Lake, we had a great Subway sandwich, chips, cookies, fruit salad, and pop. We then headed toward the lake with fishing poles in hand, gear, and bait. Fishing was a great time, especially helping our youngest son Josh break in his brand new fishing pole that he purchased a few days ago. With the combined efforts, all the family caught fish, including brookies from the creek. Fun! Fun! Fun!

10) We then headed back to our house, ordered Pizza Hut pizza, and had a big family chow-down meal. The boys then played the Wii video games, then did some more fishing in the canoe at the Worland Pond, and finally ended up playing on the trampoline back at our house until dark. The adults enjoyed conversation and trying to keep up with the little ones.

All-in-all, it was a great 4th of July celebration! We had a great time. Lord, thank you for the wonderful time with family. Thank you for the freedom that we have. Help us to remember that freedom isn't free. Thank you for our troops that fight for our freedoms in America too. God bless America.

Dear Lord...remember us. Bless the USA.

2010-07-02T08:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Lord,

You are my Lord and my God. My prayer is that you continue to bless the United States of America. I realize that the entire country has not been obedient in worship to You. However, I know that many of us still worship you in obedience. We are Christians first and Americans second. Lord, I am proud to be an American...but first and foremost I am a child of Yours, dear God.

I am proud of my American heritage, and I know that our country was established on the foundation of Your truths. Our founding fathers built this country recognizing You, and trusting in You. However, even in my lifetime, I have seen many changes in America that I am not proud of. It is seemingly getting worse as time progresses, corruption in our government, lies, murder, stealing, murder with abortion, rape, sexual impurity,..the list goes on and on. I know this is a sinful world. Dear Lord, I know that the time will come when you return...and I want that to happen, and I know that your word does say that it will happen.....

At the same time, I pray for hope for our country...to be able to rise up once again as truly one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Lord, your word says this in 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning [His] promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."

I believe this is exactly what our nation needs to do...our nation needs to repent. I don't want to see anyone perish, dear Lord. Give us the strength, determination, knowledge and wisdom, as Christians and guided by the Holy Spirit, to be used by You to help others receive Jesus Christ, and repent. I pray that there will be a true revival across our lands.

God, please bless America as you have done in the past. Lord, I came across this verse earlier today from the Old Testament:

Exodus 32:9 "And the LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and indeed it [is] a stiff-necked people!"

Often times I see our nation of The United States of America being "stiff-necked", looking in the wrong direction. Loosen our necks, Lord, that we may look to you, seeking Your face.

God, I want this verse to be my prayer for America, much like in Exodus 34:9 "Then he said, 'If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we [are] a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.'"

God Bless America, Lord. God Bless America.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen.

Keep the WBS in Your Prayers!

2010-06-28T09:40:00.000-07:00

Acts 16:25- "But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them."

Not by any means is the Wyoming Boys' School ministry team from First Baptist locked up and bound as Paul and Silas were, but God has allowed us to worship with the young men at the WBS in prayer, singing, and teaching every 4th Sunday of each month. The team consists of several members of our church body: Steve Craft, Nic Craft, Kaleb Craft, Caleb Garza, Ben McMillan, and myself, Jeff Garza.

God has allowed this ministry to be strong, led by the Holy Spirit for almost 3 years now. The worship consists of a time of sharing personal testimonies with the boys, singing praise songs, prayer, and the teaching of God's Word. Ben McMillan has been doing a wonderful job teaching each time we go out to the WBS and clearly presenting the gospel message.

If you find it in your heart to pray for the young men at the Wyoming Boys' School, we would appreciate it. I shared this passage of scripture at "Praise In the Park" recently:

Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it."

A lot of these young men have never even heard of the truth about Jesus Christ. They have not been trained up in the way they should go. It is our responsibility to present the gospel, teach them, and make sure they have the opportunity for discipleship. Our prayers would be that they would receive Jesus Christ as their Savior, read God's word, and be trained up to not depart from the truth. Will you join us in our prayers?

Blessed by "Praise In the Park"!

2010-06-21T13:59:00.000-07:00

I just had to write and tell about how "Praise in the Park" went. It all started with the raising of a tent in Sander's Park, just in case of thunder clouds coming around and dropping rain on us. Some of First Praise and elders helped in the efforts of staking up all the posts and ropes early in the morning, Saturday, June 19th. Steve and Sally Craft made all of the arrangements of getting us the tent, and we found that we did need it later in the day.

First Praise then met down at the church at 1:00 pm and even earlier to load up all of the equipment into trucks and hauled everything down to Sander's Park. Almost every wire, monitor, mic, stand, speaker, both upstairs and downstairs that the Lord owns was loaded up and taken down to the park. Thanks Pastor Jess Rollema, for lending us a hand as we hauled all the portable equipment. Thanks also for making all of the main sound equipment even more portable over the last several days. It really worked out well.

When we got down to Sander's Park, there were already set up, two large flat-bed trailers to be used for the praise band to be set up for worship. I am really proud of the team for their efforts setting up all of the sound equipment. It took about two hours to get everything set up before our sound check at 3:00. Everyone stepped up and helped. It was great.

The whole time we were setting up, we were keeping an eye on a very dark thunder cloud coming our way. We even saw some lightning coming down out of it. We had been praying for great weather for a long time for this event. Right at 4:00 pm when we were going to start, the large black cloud went over us....the sun started shining and it rained even with sunshine at the beginning of worship....but we were able to continue and it turned out to be beautiful weather for the rest of the evening.

We were able to praise and worship Jesus Christ with several families sitting is various locations, under trees, under the tent, on the grass, in lawn chairs. First Praise was able to lead worship for an hour. Then Ben McMillan gave his testimony and about his involvement with the Wyoming Boys' School ministry. The WBS ministry team then led worship for an hour. We were blessed, and I hope that the Lord was too. After that Caleb Garza, Kaleb Craft, and Nic Craft did a wonderful job leading with special music!!! Thanks guys for letting me play saxophone with you! It was fun!

Continuing in worship, Interim Pastor Dale Bascue gave a very good message of our Lord. When he was done, people from out of nowhere came to praise and worship as we were getting ready to wrap up the evening......but God had another plan. We were able to worship and sing praises for another 1/2 hour.

Thanks to all of the people that helped tear down and take things back to the church. You guys were great! It made this event for the Lord SO much easier!

We were truly blessed with the evening of worship. Jesus gets the spotlight though. We praise Him alone. We look forward to doing this again soon.

A big thank you of course goes to God. We would also like to thank Steve and Sally Craft for all of their help setting up the event, of course the other members of the worship ministry team, Brent and Becci Kalfell, the hospitality team, and of course your prayers. God bless you!

Successful Practice!

2010-06-18T08:45:00.001-07:00

Wow! What a busy Thursday night that First Praise had! We are gearing up for the worship event, "Praise in the Park", that we are holding tomorrow at Sander's Park from 4-7 pm. The event will be a great time to lift up the name of the Lord together in praise and worship. We then are looking forward to hearing Pastor Dale Bascue bring a message from the word.

The team worked hard last night, putting together about two hours worth of music. The first set will feature the Sunday morning worship team, which will lead the congregation with familiar praise songs and a few hymns. The second set will feature the Wyoming Boy's School Ministry Team, which will be kicked off with a testimony by our own Ben McMillan.

The third set is actually some special music, featuring a few of our youth that have been very instrumental in the ministry, Caleb Garza, Kaleb Craft, and Nic Craft. You might even see a saxophone player in their set. All in all the teams are set to praise our Lord Jesus Christ right along with you. We hope that you will be able to join us.

The weather looks like it will be great for "Praise in the Park". Please pray that all will go well. We are planning on having a very large "revival" type tent set up, just in case the weather turns. Bring plenty of sun-screen just in case....and it wouldn't be a bad idea to be armed against mosquitoes.

If you would like to help set up and haul equipment from the church to Sander's Park, the effort will begin at 1:00 pm., tomorrow, June 19th, down at First Baptist. The praise band is planning on having the starting of a sound check at 2:30 pm, so there will be lots to do.

Praying for Sunshine!

2010-06-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

I am sooooo thankful for the bright sunshine here in Worland, Wyoming.....at least in between storms! As many already know, we have had record rainfall and snow melting at the same time, causing a tremendous amount of flooding in the State of Wyoming. Please keep the people, especially in the Hudson and Lander, Wyoming areas in your prayers. They have had to deal with a lot of water and destruction.

We have had a couple of days now, that have been absolutely gorgeous....and then....just like right now....as I write this, there is a huge black cloud coming our way. We are praying that the good weather will come our way and stay, especially for our praise event, "Praise in the Park", set for this Saturday, June 19th, from 4-7 pm at Sander's Park.

Anyway...I am actually excited and hope that I will be able to mow my lawn and do some yard work, to catch up with all of the GREEN growing around my place. I am also excited for my sons, that they will be able to play on dry baseball fields if we get more sunshine.

The summer has been the coolest in temperature that I can remember in Worland. I even witnessed some snow flurries going over Powder River Pass going to Buffalo, Wyoming a couple of weekends ago. Wearing jackets and sweatshirts in June has sure been different! I still chuckle about the goofy argument about global warming!

Anyway....I hope all of you are doing well. God bless you and enjoy the weather.....rainy or sunny! Remember....God is in control!

Hosanna! Praise and Worship!

2010-06-07T13:54:00.001-07:00

This is just a report on how worship is going at First Baptist Church. I am excited with the direction that First Praise is taking. I continue to pray that our unity will continue in leading worship with our congregation. We strive to keep Christ our primary focus at all times. Eternity with Christ is our prize...and we strive to please our Lord and Savior.

As you may have witnessed, we introduced a new song again this month called, "Hosanna". You can hear a sample of the original version on my playlist below. Right now it is the last song on the playlist by Hillsong. I am so proud of Wendy Compton, Ben McMillan, and Kaleb Craft for their over the top contribution to learning this new song. I love the drum part that Ben played. Wendy did great singing the lead on the song. And.... Wow! I hope you liked the guitar solo that Kaleb Craft did! We look forward to playing this song again next week.

I am so pleased with the blessings that the Lord has poured out upon the worship at First Baptist. So far the blended service of traditional and contemporary worship music is working out well. Our goal this year has been to learn at least one song a month to teach the congregation. So far we have been able to meet that goal. I hope that this will continue on.

In a couple of weeks on Saturday, June 19th, we look forward to worshiping with you further at the event, "Praise in the Park" from 4-7 pm at Sander's Park. The Worship Ministries Team has been meeting regularly working towards making this event for the Lord a special one. Read further below in my blog about "Praise in the Park" on what to bring.

Please keep worship ministries in prayer. We want to serve the Lord diligently by the word of truth!

2 Timothy 2:15 "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

Reasons I Love Baseball!

2010-06-04T08:28:00.000-07:00

I know that many people are disappointed that there is no longer a Legion Baseball Team in Worland, Wyoming. I for one would love to see the team get built back up again. I just wish it would get built back up in time for all of my sons to be able to participate. I am not sure that my oldest son, Caleb, will get to play anytime soon though. With that aside, I still love the game of baseball, and I'm glad that my son, Jacob, is playing Babe Ruth and my youngest son, Joshua, is playing Little League. Here is a list of reasons why I love the game:

1) Practicing with my boys in the big side yard when I can.

2) Seeing my boys excited to get to practice with the team and telling me afterwards how well they did with the red clay soil all over them. I'm not sure their mom likes that part.

3) I love traveling with the boys to other towns in Rusty the Bug, especially for night games with lights.

4) I love seeing the boys improve their game throughout the season.

5) Seeing games going into the final innings as "nail-biters" and seeing the boys win!

6) Great defense and offense played by both teams, especially when I see my boys both playing catcher and throwing the runner out at second! Yee haa! I don't always like seeing the Home Run either. To me... it's all about the strategy of scoring!

7) I love sitting in the stands with family and friends... talking about the game and everything else...you know the game is America's Pastime.

8) Baseball games are great excuses to drink pop, eat popcorn, eat hot dogs, and spit sunflower seeds. Usually I feel like my lips are turning inside out after all of the sunflower seeds I eat and spit during a game.

9) I love it when the opposing team has a great player hit a "long ball" and one of our teams' players catches the ball making the other team gasp for air.

10) Home games during the week to relax with, as cheap evening entertainment!

These are just some of the things I love about the game. I just thank God that He allowed someone to invent the game for all of us to enjoy.

Nice Get-a-way!

2010-06-02T06:19:00.000-07:00

I know that it's already mid-week, but I was just thinking about the wonderful time that my wife and I had last weekend, Friday and Saturday. It isn't often enough that Sandra and I get a chance to get away and spend some good quality time together. This time she and I decided that we wanted to go exploring in Casper, Wyoming. I know of nice places to eat and places to see in Casper due to the State of Wyoming sending me there for conventions all of the time.

First of all...."Thank you" to our boys for staying at home and taking care of all of the chores. We are blessed that our boys are old enough to take care of all of the animals, and making sure that things are okay while we are gone.

Well...Sandra and I enjoy having Chinese food, so we were able to have a great buffet at a place called the Dragon Wall. The place isn't that fancy by the looks of it on the outside, but the inside is nice with lots of choices of Chinese cuisine. Yum! I can't wait to get more egg rolls! Good food. Good visit.

After a peaceful night's rest, we got up early and had a mouth watering breakfast at the hotel's restaurant, eggs, sausage, pancakes, etc. It's not very often that I get a full breakfast, because I'm always on the go. Good food. Good visit.

After breakfast, Sandra and I decided that we wanted to look at home improvement items, so that's when we then discovered....Menard's. Have you seen that place??? If you are looking for that hard to find item...look no more. They have everything!...lighting, lumber, tools, showers, tubs, clothes, plants, doors.......We spent about 3 hours in that place. It makes Lowe's and Home Depot look puny. We can't wait to go back.

Of course Sandra and I did a lot of walking and talking throughout Walmart and other places, but then it was on to lunch. One of my favorite places, and she'll agree with me now, is Sanford's. Great food with a Cajun flare! The other great part of the restaurant is seeing all the nostalgic collections they have on walls, hanging from the ceiling....you name it..you may find it there. Lot's of old motorcycles, gas pumps, tin signs, hanging airplanes, tricycles, bikes, neon signs, etc., all done up from the 1930's, 40's, and 50's. Great family atmosphere, along with good food. Good food. Good visit.

All in all, Sandra and I had a great time to talk, reflect, and just spend some good sharing time together. I am very thankful for my wife. She is so special to me. I thank God for her very much. The Word of God tells us that we are to love our wives as Christ loves the church....knowing that, we all need to spend quality time with our spouses.

Praise in the Park!

2010-05-28T11:17:00.000-07:00

I would like to invite you to be a part of an event that we are calling "Praise in the Park". On June 19, 2010, "First Praise" of Worland First Baptist Church will be hosting this praise event for our Lord. "Praise in the Park" will be held at Sander's Park from 4-7 pm. Our focus will be to praise and worship our Lord Jesus Christ. Our interim pastor, Pastor Dale Bascue, will be bringing us a message after our time in worship and singing. Please remember to bring the following to the event:

1) Bring your family and friends, especially those that may not be saved.

2) Bring your Bibles for the message, and voices to sing praises.

3) Bring a picnic dinner for your individual family and friends (Beverages will be provided.)

4) Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, sunscreen.... normal stuff you would take to a picnic.

5) Children, bring your favorite park entertainment: football, frisbee, baseball mitts, etc.

We at First Baptist hope that you will be a part of this event. We pray that you will be blessed and that the Lord over all will be blessed. We look forward to seeing you there.

Congratulations to All Graduates!

2010-05-25T06:48:00.000-07:00

It's been 25 years since I graduated from high school. Okay....you can do the math! Anyway, I want to extend my warmest congratulations to all of the graduates this year. It is so hard to believe that the school year has gone by so quickly! Congratulations Class of 2010!

In my own family, my son Jacob, will be graduating from 8th grade tonight from the middle school. He is looking forward to high school next year as a freshman.

I am looking forward to having both a freshman and senior at Worland High School next year. I am so excited especially for all the high school games, namely football! Wow! Varsity football on Friday nights and Freshman football on Saturdays!

To all our graduates....my God richly bless you! Be safe and trust in the Lord!

Where is this year going?

2010-05-05T13:12:00.000-07:00

I sit here just wondering where the year has gone. It is so hard to believe that we are now in the month of May. There have been so many things going on, including changes. Here are 10 thoughts that come to mind:

1) God is still with us. He never changes!!!!!

2) We are gathering the search committee together, and praying that the Lord will show us the right pastor with the right fit for First "B" to be revealed to us soon.

3) The ending of another school year is now quickly approaching. My son Caleb will be a senior next year. Jacob will be a freshman. Joshua will be in his last year of elementary school as a 5th grader. Sandra will be glad to end her school year of swimming all year. Me? I will be ending my 20th year of teaching. God is so good!!!

4) It so good to see green grass growing again. Not the dandelions though! I hope I can get my sprinklers working again correctly. Winter can really be harsh on them, even after blowing them out with a compressor! Almost ready to plant some flowers with Sandra too. I will be planting trees today.

5) Baby goats and baby lamb are finally starting to get weaned, almost ready for sale.

6) Baseball season is starting up in Worland again. My boys are gearing up! I just wish we had Legion ball for Caleb. He may do some umpiring. I can't wait for the crack of the bat, ground in clay in the uniforms, yelling for the team......spitting sunflower seeds and drinking pop during the games.

7) Time to rototill and prepare for planting the garden.

8) It's about time that I get my fishing license. I can't wait to start slaying the trout again!

9) I hope to get out a lot more and get some more exercise. The weather is starting to warm up slowly...just can't wait to see more 70 degree weather. It's the best in Wyoming!

10) I hope to do more exploring in the mountains....The Big Horns with the family!

Well spring is here....with summer right around the corner! Thank you Lord. We'll see what tomorrow brings!

Thank You Pastor Shaun and Jodi Matako!

2010-04-20T11:39:00.000-07:00

Well...it has been a great five years that Pastor Shaun and Jodi Matako have spent with us in Worland, Wyoming at First Baptist. We will truly miss Shaun and Jodi as they depart from Worland, and return to Ohio.

I am very fortunate and thankful that I have had the privilege to work side-by-side with Shaun and Jodi in ministry, and that my wife, Sandra, has had the opportunity to work with Jodi in children's ministry. We were and still are truly blessed by them. We love you, and thank you for all that you did in our church, our community, and our lives, all in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I know that we are deeply saddened by the fact that Shaun and Jodi had to leave Worland, but I know that the Lord has new things in store for them. They are leaving Worland in tremendous standing. I venture to imagine that the Lord is already saying, "Well done faithful servants," about Shaun and Jodi's work in Worland.

Shaun, we love you like a brother, and Jodi like a sister. Please keep in touch. We would love to see you again in the future. I do know this...we will see you Heaven!

Okay Shaun.....and Jodi you are a part of this too! Thanks for the following and then some:

1) Your faithfulness to Christ.

2) Teaching and mentoring me about Christ.

3) Your support of Worship Ministries.

4) All that you did to help us to grow in God's Word.

5) Your support of all ministries.

6) Your support of the Worland community and it's families.

7) Your involvement with youth sports of all ages.

8) Football! Football! Football!

9) A better appreciation of Ohio State Buckeyes.

10) Baseball!

11) The Warriors!

12) Announcing!

13) The chain gang!

14) Football games in person or at your house!

15) Great Football FOOD while following the game!

16) Fantasy Football!....well, "I" have good memories anyway;-)

17) Laughing so hard (especially about inside jokes-i.e. "shrapnel") that I thought my head and gut were going to explode.

18) Seeing you laugh so hard you turn purple!

19) Making fun of my VW Bug, Rusty.

20) Offering me a can opener.

21) The birthday EXPLOSION!

22)............The list could go on and on!

Thank you, my brother and friend. Thank you, my sister Jodi. We love you guys. You will always have a special place in our hearts. Until we meet again. So long. My God richly bless you. You will be in our prayers.

From my family to yours,

Jeff, Sandra, Caleb, Jacob, and Joshua Garza

Thankfulness in a Septic Situation!

2010-04-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

Praise God that it turned out not as bad as we had originally thought. The first prognosis was that our septic tank went bad with it's baffles and that our whole leach field would have to be replaced. My wife and I immediately started praying. This can be a huge financial burden on anyone.

I am so thankful for my neighbors Ed and Janine Barnes. Ed suggested that he take his back-hoe and help me dig down to the leach pipe at the septic tank and see if we could find the problem. After digging down, we discovered that right at the septic tank, an iron pipe had broken and caused a blockage before reaching the leach field, at what looks to have saved thousands of dollars $$$ by finding the problem! Thank you Ed and also to your boy, Ben.

After getting our tank pumped, I am also thankful for Jeremy Carver, for being available to come out and help recover and fix our problem, including fixing a new baffle for the tank. He is a very hard worker and is very good at what he does as a plumber! He is very highly recommended in my book!

Thank you God for taking care of us. This situation could have been a whole lot worse. Jeremy told me that this was a blessing in disguise by catching it the way that we did. It wasn't luck, chance, or coincidence. I believe that God had His hand in this dilemma. Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness. I trust in You!

Blessed Easter!

2010-04-07T09:42:00.000-07:00

I pray that all of you had a wonderful and blessed Easter to celebrate our Risen Savior, Jesus Christ. At First Baptist Church of Worland, we were able to have a wonderful Good Friday service with a time of intimate worship, communion, and message. Of course on Easter Sunday, we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ! He is risen! He has risen indeed!

I am so thankful that my family and I were able to spend time in celebration of Easter with both my wife Sandra's family here in Wyoming, and my visiting family from Idaho. We not only got to worship together, but we were able to have some fun activities together. Here are some of the things that I am thankful that we could do:

1) Brunch at the Bennett Ranch- (Sandra's folk's)

2) Easter Egg Hunt for all the little kids- ( I love hiding all of eggs...This year some of us were eating the eggs as we were hiding them...and we were losing count of them!)

3) Of course we had to keep our tradition going at the Garza house by putting together a scavenger hunt to find the Easter baskets. My little Josh never let's us get through an Easter without the tradition.

4) I was able to spend some time with my mother and her husband Larry. A highlight was introducing them to Butch's Place. It was great food!

5) I was thankful that I was able to take Monday and Tuesday off from my day job, teaching at the Wyoming Boys' School. With that time I was able to spend some more time with Mom and Larry. We worked on projects around the house. Larry likes to keep himself busy...and he kept me busy catching up on household odds and ins.

All-in-all it was a great Easter. Even with the family fun, I'm glad that we were able to keep Christ as the center and focus of the Easter weekend. I pray that you were able to do the same.

Come Lord Come!

2010-03-23T08:56:00.000-07:00

James 5:7-8 "Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near."

As many of us have heard or witnessed, we are faced with difficult times in the United States. Many of us are saying or at least thinking, "What in the world is going on with the decisions that are being made for the American people?" That is just it. "What in the world?" You see.. the decisions that are being made, are OF the world.

We as Christians are to look for those things that are OF God. I don't want to see our nation pulling away from God more and more, and I will do all I can to help America get back to what it once was (e.g. praying, voting..etc.), but I was reminded of these verses today with my "Daily Verse" post, James 5: 7-8. I will need to be patient until the Lord's coming. Yes, I will need to be patient and stand firm because the Lord is coming soon! Oh to be with the Lord...there will be no more pain, suffering, sin, darkness, evil....the list goes on and on....by the way, God is our ultimate health care....He knows what is best for us and the things to come! Come Lord Come!

Have you given your heart to Jesus Christ? Accept Him as Lord and Savior.

This Little Light of Mine!

2010-03-15T14:05:00.000-07:00

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16

I noticed this verse in my daily verse online. It immediately made me think of the worship song that we sang in our worship service yesterday, "Mighty to Save". This is so true. Our Lord is Mighty to save, and as the song that we sing says....SHINE your light! It is directly referring to this verse that we are to shine our light before men. Let them see Him in us, and that we would also glorify our Father in heaven.

Let's also remember to remind our children that we are to be good witnesses for our Lord Jesus Christ, shining our light. I am also reminded of the song that I was taught many years ago in Sunday School called "This Little Light of Mine":

Verse 1) "This little light of mine...I'm gonna let it shine..."

Verse 2) "Hide it under a bush..oh NO!...I'm gonna let it shine..."

Verse 3) "Don't let Satan blow it out!...I'm gonna let it shine..."

God bless you, and let your light shine!

Little Dairy Miracles!

2010-02-23T14:03:00.000-08:00

Wow! It's that time of year again when you see little miracles being born. Last night three brand new baby Nubian goats were born in our barn to our oldest dairy goat, Adrena. I know it happens every year at our place, but it never stops me from being amazed by God's creation. Two little males (bucks) and one little female (doeling) were born. (This picture is of some of our baby goats last year.)

Of course we are anticipating more to be born in the coming weeks. My wife, Sandra, really takes all of this seriously and is always right there like a nurse, putting her veterinarian skills to good use.

Now comes the early morning and evening ritual of milking the goats. Sandra is very fast at it. Jacob is very fast too. Me? I guess I do alright, but I wouldn't enter a contest. I'm glad I'm just the alternate milker.....I'll work on the other chores while they take care of filling the pails.

I guess we loaded the oats up in the barn just in time last Saturday. The oats really help our dairy goats to produce more and better quality milk. I can't wait to pour the milk over my cereal each morning before I take off to go to work.

Thank you God for these little miracles.

Prayer requests and random thoughts!

2010-02-19T09:03:00.000-08:00

I come to the point again where I just feel like sharing some prayer requests and some random thoughts. I hope that all of you are doing well, and that God has been a blessing to all of you.

1) Please keep my son Josh in prayer as he is getting over pneumonia.

2) Please keep my nephew Trae in prayer...he is getting over pneumonia too.

3) Please keep my brother-in-law, Chisum Bennett, in prayer as he is anticipating back surgery and is having quite a bit of pain. Please pray for Amber as she is still trying to be a loving and caring wife and mother in the situation.

4) I am so thankful to God for my wife, Sandra, for being such a wonderful wife and mother during these times of sickness in our family.

5) I am thankful for the team members of our First Praise. We often forget they volunteer each week to bring us a time of worship to our God each and every Sunday. Thanks team for all of your hard work. We look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday.

6) Keep Pastor Shaun in prayer for traveling mercies as he is visiting his grandfather back in Ohio. At the same time, pray that the Lord will continue to heal Shaun after he had his surgery.

7) I am so thankful for forgiveness. Thank you Lord for your mercy, grace, and strength that we learn about from your word!

8) I am looking forward to the weekend. Hopefully we will be able to get healed up and have some rest and relaxation. Oops. Gotta clean out some pins to get ready for kidding. No lambs this year.

9) We are probably going to have some baby goats born out in our barn this weekend. I can't believe that it's that time of year again. Spring is right around the corner!

10) I gotta work on my car this weekend. I'm struggling with rusty bolts. I guess that's why I have named my VW, Rusty the Bug!

Have a great weekend. Thanks for all of the prayer! We will see you for worship this Sunday! God bless you!

Not So Super Bowl Weekend!...but...

2010-02-09T11:24:00.000-08:00

As some of you may know, I had the stomach flu bug heading into the weekend. It was not fun. I missed work last Friday. I missed a family birthday party and dinner on Saturday. I was very weak in the knees leading worship on Sunday morning and left after church to go home and rest, missing the church's Super Bowl Party. In short, I missed all of the things, except worship, that I was looking forward to over the weekend. Why Lord? Why?

Well, today it dawned on me.. some blessings that the Lord taught me from it all. It's just amazing how God does that! Here are a few:

1) I have a loving God that knows that I need rest to be able to continue in ministry, serving Him, providing for my family, and teaching the boys at the Wyoming Boys' School.

2) I have a beautiful wonderful wife that cares for me "in sickness and in health".

3) God has blessed me with my sons that were able to continue the farm chores, including hauling and stacking alfalfa hay bails when I was down.

4) I have a wonderful church that I attend with people that support and pray for me.

5) I have a great pastor, Pastor Shaun, who encourages me spiritually and prays for me not just when I'm sick.

6) I have a great boss at my day job, Steve Wake, that makes sure that I can get coverage when I'm not feeling well on the bad days...but also supports me when I need a day off for the good days. I am so thankful that the bad days have been few and far between.

S0...there you have it. Leave it to the Lord to show the good, even when things look bad.

Super Bowl Sunday!

2010-02-02T07:44:00.000-08:00

Okay...It's official! Even though I had several players from the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints that got me to the fantasy football championship this year, I have to go with the New Orlean Saints in the Super Bowl. Yup...I'm rooting for them to win!

I figure...Peyton Manning has already had several opportunities to get to the Super Bowl and has a championship ring. New Orleans has never been to a Super Bowl, and I think that it would be great for New Orleans and the surrounding area to win...especially after Hurricane Katrina. I also think its funny that Peyton Manning's father, Archie Manning, was the quarterback back in the day, for the Saints. So, I'll root for Archie Manning's old team. Well, there you have it...my reasons that I would like to see the Saints be Super Bowl Champions this year.

Good luck to Drew Brees, Robert Meachem, Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush, and the rest of the New Orlean Saints! Represent the NFC well! I'm hoping this Super Bowl will be a "shootout" rather than a "blowout"!

By the way...First Baptist Church, Worland is setting up a Super Bowl party with surround sound, prizes, food, and you guessed it fellowship! We hope to see you there! Come before kick-off!

Wow! Our Children Can Worship!

2010-02-01T06:31:00.000-08:00

I was so blessed and almost in tears, beaming with joy as our youth praise band led the 1st Baptist congregation yesterday in worship. Their voices blended so well, especially with the large group that we had! The instrumentalists did a great job as well, keeping the chords and the rhythm going in sync. Over all, the Name of the Lord was lifted up and greatly praised. I am so pleased with the youth wanting to praise and with the fact that they are learning what worship is all about!

A special thank you to Ben McMillan for playing drums on the new song that my son, Caleb Garza, wrote and introduced as the special music. I'd be lying if I told you that I wasn't proud of my son. I am very proud and thankful that he and my son, Jacob Garza, are both pursuing their gifts in music and giving it back to the Lord. It is my desire that our youth continue to use their gifts for the Lord, whether it be music, acting, writing, etc. and to really strive to discover their spiritual gifts as well.

Please continue to pray for our youth, that they may gain greater knowledge of our Lord God. Please continue to pray for our Pastor in Student Ministries, Jess Rollema and his wife Heather, as they continue to minister and enrich our young people and enhance what we should be teaching our children from the Bible. Please pray that the Lord will continue to guide me as I teach our kids about worship too. Thanks for all of your prayers and support.

5th Sunday Celebration!

2010-01-26T09:06:00.001-08:00

Hello everybody. I just want to invite you to our 5th Sunday Celebration, this Sunday, January 31, 2010. This celebration will consist of baptisms, inducting new members into our church, communion, etc. This is a very special time to celebrate the great things that the Lord is doing at 1st "B" and in our community of Worland.

Then at the 11:00 service, a rotation of our youth praise band will lead us in worship. Our own Caleb Garza will sing and play the special music that he wrote in praise to our Lord. Pastor Jess Rollema will be bringing the message this Sunday. We are all looking forward to it. We hope to see you all there!

The Garza Couple Retreat!

2010-01-25T09:51:00.000-08:00

Sandra and I had a wonderful time up in Billings, Montana over the weekend. We decided to go up last Friday night, stay the night at a hotel, and then spend the day together on Saturday. We weren't sure that the weather and roads were going to cooperate with us going up, but we decided to give it a try, driving up after work last Friday. A big thanks to Amber and Chisum for watching our boys while we were gone!

I'm glad that we went when we did because we caught the weather "just right" before a big snow storm hit our region. As a matter of fact, before we got to Billings, a huge snow storm hit and the roads got pretty icy. Thank God for having four-wheel drive! Right before Bridger, Montana, we were going over a ridge and we came upon about 8 deer just standing in the middle of the road. I had a difficult time slowing down, so I started to honk my horn and the deer parted like the Red Sea as we went through the middle of them! Whew!

My wife and I finally got to Billings and it was then snowing like crazy! The roads were full of snow as we got to our hotel to check in. After checking into the hotel, we went on the town for dinner, window shopping, etc. It was fun having the roads to ourselves with no one around. Yes, I enjoyed spinning around corners....and in the parking lots!

The next day was great too. The weather was keeping people at home! No traffic! No waiting in lines at stores. We walked into the Olive Garden for lunch and we didn't have to wait at all like you normally do. Sandra and I had a great time going to Lowes, Walmart, the mall, Berean Books, Michael's, and even an antique store!

Sandra and I decided to leave to go home a little earlier than we normally would, just in case the roads were getting bad. The roads were nicely plowed and not too icy. The Lord gave us a great time together and a safe trip home.

Thank you, Lord, that my wife and I were able to spend some nice fun quality time together over the weekend, and we were able to be at worship on Sunday morning!

Thank you for your strength Lord!

2010-01-21T06:40:00.000-08:00

"But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head." Psalm 3:3 NIV

No matter what I may be going through, whether it be good times or bad, I know that the Lord is near me. This holds true to all believers. I saw this verse today during a stressful week, and what a PROMISE that the Lord has given! First of all, He is my protector....a shield around me! I thank Him for his glory...not for me to be glorified....but for Him to be glorified! I am so glad that when I am down...He lifts up my head and comforts me. Thank you Lord for being who you are. I am also reminded of the old hymn..."trust and obey..for there's no other way..to be happy in Jesus....but to trust and obey."

Amen.

Random Thoughts!

2010-01-20T14:11:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone. Hope you are having a great day! Just thought I'd share 10 random thoughts as I wrap up my day on a break. God bless you!

1) I just realized that two more quarters of teaching school...and I can say that I have taught for 20 years! Thanks for the blessings, Lord, over all these years.

2) We are starting up the boys' school ministry for 2010 this Sunday. I'm looking forward to it. The boys enjoy worshiping with a full worship band from First "B".

3) Still thinking of the fun time that I had with the youth at the hockey game.

4) I finished all of my semester report cards today! Yippeee!

5) I'm still waiting for parts to fix Rusty the Bug.

6) Oh well.....the Dallas Cowboys are DONE!

7) My family and I have played a board game together two nights in a row! Fun! "Wits & Wagers"

8) We've got youth worship and the James Bible study tonight!

9) Yum! This cherry Jolly Rancher candy sure is good!

10) I'm listening to NEW worship music.....pondering which ones would be the best to teach the congregation.

Yellowstone Quake Hockey Game!

2010-01-19T16:40:00.000-08:00

I had a fantastic time helping Jess and Heather Rollema take the youth from First "B" up to Cody, Wyoming for a Yellowstone Quake hockey game last Sunday afternoon. We (the high-schoolers and I) had a great time cruising up in the Explorer, listening to tunes on the stereo while the middle-schoolers road the First "B" bus!

When we got to the arena in Cody, it didn't take long to get our tickets and storm into the arena for some FUN hockey action! As always, the ice from the rink makes you appreciate sitting in the heated seats of the bleachers. Another thing I appreciate is getting to the rink early to watch the Zamboni smooth out the ice. I'm going to drive that Zamboni someday!

The action on the ice was great, plenty of hockey players slamming each other into the plexi-glass and falling all over the place trying to get control over the puck. It was also great to watch the Yellowstone Quake score several times to win the game over the Butte, Montana team, 4-0! While we were watching the "whipping" of the Montana team, of course the youth and I had to eat all of the junk food available! Not the greatest pepperoni pizza and pretzel, but the atmosphere must have made it taste better. It was also great catching prizes thrown to the crowd after each goal...3 prizes out of 4 isn't bad!

After the win and on our way out to the parking lot, I realized that I couldn't find my car keys. We had to head back into the arena to try and find them. I soon got a cell-phone call letting me know that the keys could be seen on the front seat of my car.....all locked up inside! Great...it was time to call .....AAA! These newer cars are hard to break into! Thank you Lord...a locksmith was there in about 5 minutes and took care of us...while the kids got a head start at Wendy's getting burgers and Frosties! I got my Frosty later. We got home on schedule!

It was later determined that the keys were left in the car in order for the kids to listen to the stereo while we were getting the tickets sorted. When we were ready to go into the arena.....I locked the keys in the car....too excited about the game. Oh well. Thank you Lord for taking care of us and allowing us to have a super time!

Youth Worship!

2010-01-14T13:20:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

I just have to say that I am very proud of our kids singing and playing in the Youth Worship Team for student ministries. They took a brand new song last night for worship, learned all of the parts, and then taught it to the other kids in the youth group, all within about a half hour. They are really doing a great job!

I am pleased with the worship they are doing, but I also have to say thank you to the Worland music teachers, both the instrumental and vocal departments. Our kids are really learning how to read music and are applying it in worship to our Lord! Way to go guys! A special thanks to Wendy Compton and Rod Woodbury for all their hard work in the Worland district! The fruits of your labor are really showing!

My prayer is that our kids will be trained up to worship God with the talents that He has given them, and when they are old, that they definitely will not depart from it!

Posting #100 with Random Thoughts!

2010-01-12T06:44:00.000-08:00

Wow! It is hard to believe that this is my 100th posting. I enjoy occasionally posting the "goings on" in the 1st Baptist ministry, about my family, and just about anything including my random thoughts. There are NO gossip lines on this blog.

Here are some of my random thoughts for today:

1) Lord, sometimes I really wonder why you love me and saved a wretch like me.

2) My students at the Wyoming Boys' School are working hard and are making academic SLAM DUNKS lately! Yee Haa!

3) "Rusty" the Bug is parked in the barn waiting... for some new parts. I can't wait to zip around Worland in the buggy again.

4) Why does technology have to advance so quickly? It seems like it's really trying to take over. Sometimes I long for the old days of the land-lines and pay-phones.....uhhh...but not typewriters!

5) Wow! Did you see the playoff game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Green Bay Packers? It was all offense! Where was the defense? Congratulations Kurt Warner and keep witnessing for Jesus!

6) Go Cowboys! I wish the fantasy football league was still going this year. I had a fun season!

7) Man!....those boys' school enchiladas aren't bad at all!

8) Mmmmm....which new song will we work on next for worship???? Lord, please direct my path on this.

9) Gotta lose some more weight! Thanksgiving and Christmas meals really took a toll! ;-)

10) I think that I need to take my dogs for walks more...that way we all win!

11) Thanks, dear Lord, for the warmer and sunnier weather in the middle of January! We made it 37 degrees!

12) Can't wait to be with my family tonight! Maybe we'll play a game???

Growing Ministries at 1st Baptist!

2010-01-11T13:42:00.000-08:00

John 15:5 ""I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. "

I am reminded of this verse when I see the great things that are happening, and are about to happen, in the name of the Lord at 1st Baptist Church. After having a leadership meeting yesterday afternoon, it is wonderful to see how many ministries are being sustained by God and the new ones getting ready to kick off! My prayer is that we would truly remain in the Lord...because quite frankly...we can't do a thing without the Him.

Why do we go to church? To worship our God! To have fellowship in Him! For discipleship! It's all about God! I am excited to see what the Lord will do in 2010! My prayer is that the Lord will continue to bless the worship ministry that I am involved with in church and in the community. I also pray that the Lord will bless all of the other ministries at 1st "B"...from the nursery, to the seniors...from the hospitality, to student ministries and all those in between. I pray that we will all be able to bear much fruit remaining in Him as branches to a very strong and living vine, our God!

Thanks for your birthday wishes and prayers!

2010-01-06T14:10:00.000-08:00

So... what is so special about the 43rd birthday in a person's life? Well, for me, I've never had so many people wishing me a Happy Birthday. Thank you so much for making this birthday a fun one! I received tons of e-mails, a birthday party at work, and got home and had a relaxing birthday evening with my family. I was even blessed by having Nic and Kaleb Craft surprise me by knocking on the door and singing "Happy Birthday"....guitar and all. (Thanks you two!)

I've got to tell you...your lead pastor...Dr. Shaun Matako, really got me good. He knew that I was downtown in Worland having tires put on my VW Bug. Sandra and I were waiting for my car to be finished. Shaun walked in and told me that I needed to get down to the church quickly to check my office, because the "heater had been turned up too high, and he wanted me to see if everything was okay" ;-) Yeah...right...I finally got down to my office to find an EXPLOSION of ribbons, Pepsi, and Pringles potato chips all over the place....not to mention the football balloons and Dallas Cowboys mug. Thanks Pastor Shaun! You really know how to take care of your friends and staff for their birthdays. You are the man, Shaun!

Anyway... God bless all of you, and thanks again! I hope and pray that when it's your birthday, you will be blessed like I was.

May God Richly Bless You in 2010!

2010-01-04T10:46:00.000-08:00

Ephesians 1:3 "Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly [places] in Christ,"

Dear 1st Baptist,

The Lord truly has been a blessing to us all. My prayer is that the Lord will richly bless you in the year that we have started, 2010. It is my pleasure to serve the Lord by being your minister of worship at 1st Baptist. Thank you for all of your encouragement and prayers through the years. You have truly been a blessing to the Garza family.

My hope and prayer is that Jesus Christ would be glorified with our praises this year and forevermore. I look forward to worshiping with you and teaching you new worship songs as the year progresses. One example of new songs was the one that the worship team did during the offering last Sunday. The song is called "Come Lord Come". We are looking forward to teaching it to you even more this month of January.

God bless you. I'll see you soon.

In Christ,

Jeff Garza

Great Pastors Retreat!

2009-12-31T16:07:00.000-08:00

Thank you 1st Baptist of Worland, WY, for allowing us to enjoy a pastors retreat in Billings, MT last weekend with our wives. We really had a wonderful time as a staff to reflect,plan, joke, laugh, enjoy each other's company, and of course worship together.

On Saturday of last week, we all piled into a Suburban SUV (courtesy of Mike St. Clair, thank you Mike!) and drove off to Billings. Of course the ride was rowdy with conversation and with Pastor Shaun at the wheel. Mike, Shaun did take good care of your car! After we got to the hotel, The C'mon Inn, we relaxed a while next to the koi fish water ponds and waterfall in the lobby. It was off to take a stroll on the town after that. We also were able to enjoy a wonderful dinner as a staff at the Olive Garden. Then it was back to the hotel. Uno was a fun game to play at the tables next to the pond. We played until late....laughing just about the whole time.

The next morning, Sunday, we were up, got ready, had a nice breakfast at the hotel, and then we were off to worship together at the Harvest Church. What a huge congregation! But you know...we were all commenting after worship on how we really missed our congregation back at 1st "B". Of course...I'm not just saying this...I prefer our worship at 1st "B" too, not to mention Pastor Shaun's teaching. Worshiping away from our congregation did make us appreciate our home church even more! I can't wait to worship at 1st "B" again this Sunday, starting off the new year right!

After worship, we enjoyed a great burger in town down the street, a stretch from the church we went to. Then off course, we had to go to the mall, courtesy of the wives.

All in all, we had a wonderful relaxing retreat as a staff. I feel refreshed and ready to start the new year of worship to our Lord. I believe the Lord will bless 1st Baptist richly in 2010, and that we will see the Lord do great things. The staff is rejuvenated, and ready to serve. Thank you once again for the opportunity that you gave us after Christmas.

Thank you once again to the St. Clairs for allowing us to use their vehicle. It was very comfortable. Thank you, Dan Hart, for teaching in place of Pastor Shaun to allow him to get away. Thank you to the Craft family for taking over leading worship to allow a break for me.

I look forward to worshiping with you this new year. God bless you!

Wonderful Christmas and Christmas Eve Service!

2009-12-30T16:43:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone. I hope that all of you had a wonderful Christmas, celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ! I hope that Jesus was truly the reason for the season in your house.

As a family we really enjoyed each other's company in celebration. Besides opening presents, all of the Christmas lights, and all that is a part of Christmas, it was great to sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and have a cake for Him too. It was truly a great Christmas time with our family and of course our church family at 1st Baptist.

If you were in attendance at our Christmas Eve Service, it was wonderful! The 1st Praise Christmas Choir brought worship for us in presenting "Light of the World"! The choir consisted of several of our congregation's members. It was an honor to bring praise to our Lord! Pastor Jess led us in the meaning of the advent candles as he, Heather, and little Kyston lit the candles in remembrance. Pastor Shaun brought a fantastic Christmas message. I don't know how a person could not accept and know Christ after hearing it! We then sang "Silent Night" as each of the 300+ in attendance raised our lit candles. We pray and hope that Christ was honored that evening.

I thank the Lord for blessing the Christmas Eve service. I also want to thank Wendy Compton for her ideas and assistance in "Light of the World". A special thanks goes out to Keith Compton for stepping up and narrating the Christmas story in the production. Hats off to Roger and Jane Pomeroy for organizing and feeding all the hungry musicians for the production as we prepared to serve in this Christmas cantata.

Blessings to all and have a wonderful New Year!

Wow! Fridged Temperatures in Worland, WY!

2009-12-09T13:22:00.000-08:00

Wow! I am truly amazed at how the temperatures and changes in our weather have happened so quickly! We have had some pretty frigid, icy, snowy weather hit us hard in Worland, WY! This morning I left the house with the temperature at -27 BELOW zero! It sure is different from the "sweatshirt" weather from just a week ago. The cold is early this year!

You know that it's cold when:

1) The hair in your nostrils crystallize when you breath.

2) Your mustache freezes with icicles when you are walking across campus at work at the boys' school.

3) The heater in your 1962/1965/1968 Volkswagen Bug starts to work (a little) when you get to work AFTER your commute.

4) The condensation from your breath freezes on the inside of your windshield as you are driving down the road and needs to be scraped.

5) You drive to work with layered clothing, an arctic jacket, gloves, etc.

6) The coffee pot is already empty before you arrive at work.

7) You about break your neck in the parking lot slipping on ice trying to reach warmth.

8) Your hands are burning when you take off your gloves to try to get your keys in or out of your front pocket.

9) Not a complete list....but just my experience today.

Hey.....I know that the temperatures are cold outside....however...let's remember to be warm hearted to one another with Christ's love. Winter is here even before the season actually begins! Please be careful! Here we go! Merry Christmas!

Welcome to December!

2009-12-02T13:22:00.000-08:00

Wow! December already? I hope that all of you had a pleasant and joyful Thanksgiving. Now we turn to all the activities, programs, etc. of December. I just can't believe that the Christmas season is finally here....AND we really want to remember the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ!

First of all, I am pleased with the progress of the Christmas Eve Worship Service music at First Baptist. We have a good group of folks from our church that have been participating in our rehearsals each Sunday evening. We're not quite ready for the program, but I am very excited with the quick progress that we're making....and I know that the program will bring glory to God!

Student Ministries from First "B" will be heading out this Friday to Billings, Montana for "Acquire the Fire". The kids will be charged up with a challenge to share their faith in Christ and also enjoy being a part of worship with several bands. They will also get to see Sanctus Real in concert among other great Christian performers. My sons Caleb and Jacob are really excited about going this year. Me? I'm staying home this year to spend time with our youngest son, Josh. I will enjoy this time!

Speaking of the my family.....I can't believe we found our Christmas tree already this year. Last year was a goofy Christmas tree search. We were so busy with all the Christmas activities last year that Sandra and I never found the time to get a tree until the last minute. We ended up getting a very small artificial "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree. It was pretty pathetic looking. And then we got... Jess and Heather's "used" Christmas tree when they left to California for Christmas break. After all was said and done... I thought, "Number one.....the season is about Jesus! Then I remembered my own father was so poor that when his family celebrated Christmas in Texas, they cut down some sagebrush and then decorated it with aluminum foil...some from chewing gum wrappers!" You know....we all have so much to be thankful for. Remembering this really taught me a lesson.

This brings me to a conclusion...even though I could write a whole lot more. As we enter deeper into December and the Christmas season, let's not forget what Christmas is all about. We can get caught up in all of the hustle and bustle. We can get distracted by the decorations, commercialism, and even the fact that we may be struggling financially because of the economy. Ultimately...let's remember JESUS CHRIST...Son of God! Let's not take Christ out of Christmas! He came, born as the Christ child. He grew into manhood, spreading His Gospel message and performing miracles. He died on the cross for our sins! He was raised from the dead on the third day! Praise God! He's coming again!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-24T07:29:00.000-08:00

Psalm 100: 4 " Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, [And] into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, [and] bless His name."

Wow! I can't believe how long it has been since I have written on my blog. It has been a very BUSY fall season, but I must slow down enough to reflect on how thankful I am. First I must say Happy Thanksgiving to all! We need to all remember what Thanksgiving is all about. It's more than just eating great food with family and friends and football. We need to reflect on the many blessings that our Lord had poured upon us. He provides all of our needs. He is our SALVATION! He is our COMFORT! He is and always will be! Thank you GOD! Let us rejoice in Him and bless His name!

Here is just a list of things on my mind that I am truly thankful for:

1) My God: The Father. The Son. The Holy Spirit

2) My wonderful wife, Sandra.

3) My family.

4) My church family. Thank you for all of your blessing 1st "B"!

5) My Pastor. Thank you Shaun and Jodi for all of your love and leadership!

6) A roof over my head: housing

7) Food and clothing.

8) Wonderful Wyoming- Especially our community of Worland.

9) Music!

10) Football!

11) Fishing!

12) THE LIST CAN GO ON AND ON! I missed some.....friends...jobs...

Thank you God for your many blessings.....at this Thanksgiving may we reflect on each and every blessing.....and continue the reflection beyond the holiday.

Amen.

Light of the World!

2009-10-14T14:17:00.000-07:00

Wow! I can't believe that Christmas will be here before you know it! You know what that means....we look forward to taking part in the Christmas Eve program at 1st "B". In order to have another very successful program to honor Jesus Christ, we need your help. If you like to sing and would like to be a part of the mini-musical, called "Light of the World", we would love to have you. We had well over 20 people involved last year and would love to go beyond that number this year.

The first rehearsal will be Sunday, November 1, 2009 at 6:00 pm. The rehearsals will be every Sunday at 6:00 pm after that until the Christmas Eve program in December. You will receive a practice CD and book. The practices usually last no more than an hour.

We look forward to singing with you in this exciting Christmas musical. It is always a blessing to be a part of it. What an opportunity to present the Gospel message...the TRUE reason for the season!

One Month to Live!

2009-09-08T13:47:00.000-07:00

What an incredible campaign! What would you do if you had one month to live?

Well, there is no time like the present to be challenged by Christ! Please join me in this great effort to live a life for the Lord with no regrets! The challenge of "One Month to Live" is to live passionately, love completely, live humbly, and leave boldly for the Lord Jesus Christ.

I know I can pray more, study more of God's Word, tell others about Him, show more of God's love, and leave a greater impact and legacy in this world for Christ when He calls me home. Lord God, give us the strength by the Holy Spirit to do so. Amen.

Colossians 1:9-12
"For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing [Him], being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light."

Student Ministries at First "B"!

2009-09-02T13:19:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way that he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

A lot of us as parents have read and heard this Proverb from the Word of God. How important it is to teach our children about God. I totally agree with many others that it is the parent's responsibility to train up our children and teach them about God from His Word, to pray with them, and to model our Christian walk before them. It is also my prayer that each parent has the opportunity to help lead their children to the Lord. I am so thankful to God that I have had that opportunity with my own boys.

On top of that, I think it is very important to have our children involved with youth group. I am so thankful for Student Ministries at 1st Baptist Church. My brother-in-law, Pastor Jess Rollema, is doing a terrific job with our youth, grades 6-12. When our children are involved with Student Ministries, they are taught even more about God's Word. They are able to fellowship with other Christians and also invite students that may have not made a decision for Christ yet to Wednesday Night for worship/fellowship/ Bible study.

Tonight kicks off the new Student Ministries Wednesday Night youth group called "The Well". We come to the well to help quench our thirst for Jesus Christ every Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. I am looking forward to seeing the youth and being able to participate with them again this year in this worship venue.

Please be in prayer for this ministry again this year. God has been so good...and we are looking forward to what He has in store for the youth and staff again this season.

Arena Football Championship!

2009-08-19T07:30:00.000-07:00

Back-to-School shopping was great last Saturday in Billings, Montana! Why? I didn't have to be a part of it!!! Instead....my wife let me off the hook, and my pastor and good friend Shaun Matako and I went to the Indoor Football League Championship between the Billings Outlaws and the River City Rage...instead!

At Rimrock Arena in Billings, the crowd was going nuts ranting and raving over the Outlaws! Horns were blowing! Guns were going off! About 8,000 people were in attendance! The game was great, with a lot of fast paced football action! Hard hits....football players going over the walls....forget the pads.....Yeah!!!! In the end..the Billings Outlaws won the championship, 71 to 62.

It was great for Shaun and me to get away a little and blow off a little steam! Thank you Jodi and Sandra for letting us get away! We had a great time! Ask Shaun if he will be chewing gum at the next sporting event;-)

A Big Thank You!

2009-08-14T11:42:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know.....Sandra, the boys, and I got back from our Idaho vacation with family. While I was gone I truly missed our congregation and of course worshiping with everyone.

I want to say a special thank you to Roger Pomeroy for taking over, and leading worship last Sunday while I was gone. I also want to say thanks to the rest of the 1st Praise Worship Team, for working hard to keep things going while I was gone on vacation. I heard that you did great last Sunday. You are incredible to work with, and I know that the Lord has truly blessed you and given you many gifts and talents. I am so proud of the fact that you have chosen to give back these gifts to the Lord.

I am encouraged to know that worship can and will continue regardless of who leads. God is our Leader. God is in control. We worship a Mighty God. It's not about us.....It's all about the Lord! Thank you once again, team, for allowing my family and me to go on vacation. You are so wonderful!

Thanks For Your Support!

2009-08-01T18:47:00.001-07:00

Thank you so much for coming out to the Washakie County Fair and supporting the young people in our community, including my sons and the other kids from 1st Baptist Church. It was great to see everyone out and enjoying themselves.

It was especially great to see the involvement and support by those that are apart of 1st Baptist Church. Several of our 1st Baptist Church kids placed and won awards in many different categories in livestock, arts and crafts, woodworking, photography, baking, etc. Great job kids and thank you leaders for lending your helping hands in this effort each and every year. God bless all of you! See you in church!

Washakie County Fair!

2009-07-23T13:59:00.001-07:00

It's so hard to believe that it is time for the Washakie County Fair again! The weather is hot. It's summer time. I guess that's the sign that it's happening here in Worland again.

My sons are walking their 4-H projects (goats and lambs). Sandra is busily assisting my sons as they get their animals all show clipped and polished. I don't know how my wife does it all .....what a support....especially when I'm at work. However, there is so much more that needs to get done. Sometimes there's just not enough time in a day.

There are many kids in our community that are hard at work in their preparation for this big event. I truly hope that each and every one of you will go and support our kids as they present their 4-H and FFA projects for this worthwhile event that we call the Washakie County Fair. It truly teaches responsibility and sportsmanship. If you get the opportunity, go out and support them at their event shows. The Garzas would love to see you there...especially mid-week, next week.

I Love the Fall! Can't Wait Until It's Here!

2009-07-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

You know...I love the way that the Lord created the seasons! It is amazing how the changes happen in each one of them...the weather, temperature, plants, animal migrations, etc. I like the summer time, don't get me wrong, but my favorite time of the year is the FALL! Especially in Worland, Wyoming! Here is a list of things that I love about my favorite season....and I can't wait until it gets here!:

1) Football Season! NFL, College Football, High School Football, Middle School Football, and now Youth Rec. League (Full Contact) Football!

2) Fantasy Football League!

3) My kids excited about school getting started.

4) Getting to meet my kids' new teachers.

5) Student Ministries kickoff!

6) Sweatshirt and jacket weather!

7) Hayrides!

8) Harvest and harvest festivals....especially the get together playing music at my in-laws' ranch! Good food! Good friends! Good music! Good times! Thanksgiving being around the corner......mmmmm pumkin pie!

9) Surprise early snow!...especially in October!

10) Getting a preview of the Christmas music that will be in the Christmas Eve event at 1st Baptist!

11) MLB Baseball playoffs and the World Series!

12) Sitting and goofing around a fire on a chilly evening!

13) Bundling up and watching Worland Warrior Football on Friday nights!

14) Hot Chocolate!

15) Saving money on cooling bills, but not really using the heater too much yet.

16) The changing of the leaves....not having to mow the lawn....not really having to shovel snow yet either.

17) People returning from summer vacations...and packing out the church!

18) I could go on and on!

Lord, thank you for the seasons! I love what You do with summers, but I can't wait to see the next FALL! Until then....it's okay to dream about it right?

Rocks Springs Student Ministries Mission!

2009-07-12T18:01:00.000-07:00

Well, the Student Ministries Team is on the road again. This time they are on their way to Rock Springs, Wyoming to help a congregation build a church in that community. Led by Jess Rollema, our Student Ministries Pastor, the team is on the road as I'm writing this. They have a wonderful opportunity to not only build this church building, but to also minister to others in the community about the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am excited that my oldest son, Caleb, is also a part of this team. He and Marshall Blom were excited to take their guitars and worship music from our church files to lead worship while on this missions trip. I am very proud of these guys for taking the initiative to want to worship with the rest of the team during their week.

The rest of First "B" was blessed by a spaghetti lunch fund raiser for this mission trip, today after worship. The kids did a great job of serving the congregation with the leadership of Pastor Jess Rollema. Pastor Shaun and Jodi did a wonderful job cooking and serving up the hot and delicious meal. I was also impressed with how we all were able to lend a helping hand with the clean-up afterward. It was just a great time of fun, fellowship, and a great cause to raise money for the this important trip to Rock Springs.

Please pray for our youth leaders and kids as they spend this entire week with this project, working for the Lord. I have a feeling lives will be changes on this mission trip. Give all of the glory to the Lord Jesus Christ!

Gotta Get Rid of the Clutter!

2009-07-09T13:59:00.000-07:00

Have you ever looked in the storage areas in your home and realize, "You just don't need all of this junk!" Sandra and I are trying to get ready for a big yard sale. We have so much stuff that we need to get rid of: toys, tools, clothes, odds-and-ins, etc. I am amazed at all the accumulation over the years.

After thinking about the clutter in our storage spaces, I thought to myself, "Is there any clutter in my life that doesn't allow even more time to spend in reading God's word?" I am really praying that I can MAKE more time to spend in God's word. Oh...I'm reading it....but I just need to "feast" on it some more!

Christians....let's challenge one another to get rid of the clutter...push it away...and make more time for diving into God's word. Let's read His word and worship!

Great start!

2009-07-07T14:01:00.000-07:00

Lamentations 3:22-23

"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

I thank God for these words that I found on the Daily Bible Verse today. The last couple of days, Sandra and I have been struggling with sickness, lack of sleep because of it, and just wanting to feel better! Poor Sandra is having a horrible time getting rid of her cough, and I am now getting my strength back after a bout with heat stroke. With these struggles I was really concerned about being in front of my class at school and being able to handle the day to day stresses this week, but great is God's faithfulness!

My students that I am working with right now are really clicking into gear and doing well with their studies. I just thank God that they really have started off their week very well. I give God all of the glory. I really needed it. Sometimes we all fail and think that WE are not going to make it. We cannot be consumed. Why? Because God is in charge! I thank the Lord for his compassions and his faithfulness. I just know that when I am weak...He is STRONG! Be encouraged. The Lord is our strength!

Our Freedom!

2009-07-04T08:21:00.001-07:00

Dear Lord,

I thank you for the freedoms that you have given us in this country, the United States of America. I pray for your guidance and direction for us as Americans. Use us as Christians, oh Lord, to be witnesses of your TRUTH to those around us. We all need you Lord. For true freedom is found in your TRUTH. It sets us free!

Jesus said in John 8:31 and 32, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

Freedom if truly found in Christ Jesus. He is eternal life.

Redemption is a free gift that he gives to those who believe!

Everyone can be saved through faith and belief in Him.

Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!

Deliver us from evil.

Oh Lord Our Lord how majestic is your name in all the Earth.

My Savior and My God...Jesus Christ!

Baseball Season!

2009-06-30T14:13:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's hard to believe that the Worland baseball season is starting to wind down. Jacob is playing a few more Babe Ruth games, but Joshua's little minor league team plays their last game tonight. It was a tough season for their team, but I hope that he wants to continue playing next year. We really enjoyed watching the kids play! The league is a lot different being pitched to by another kid instead of by the coach or by using a tee. If these kids really enjoy the sport, they have to get the experience. So, Sandra and I will go out tonight and cheer on our youngest boy.

Once thing is for certain....we really want baseball to stay alive in Worland, Wyoming. Unfortunately, we are seeing the trend that baseball is not drawing the youth like it once did. It broke my heart to see that Worland didn't have a Legion team for my oldest son Caleb to play on this year, and Worland has had a Legion team in this town for almost a hundred years!

I pray that baseball will continue in this town and that there would not be a loss of interest.......I just can't spit sunflower seeds at any other event!

Thanks for your prayers!

2009-06-29T06:28:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to tell everyone, thank you very much for all of your prayers for the Wyoming Boys' School ministry. The ministry has been very fruitful for the Lord. God has blessed this ministry very very much. In the last months, with changes in policies that came from Cheyenne, we were having some difficulty with our clearance paperwork to even get in to present the gospel message.

We praise God that He was faithful, and our paperwork has finally been processed and cleared. Yesterday we had no concerns about going in to minister! The Holy Spirit was moving, the boys really were a part of the worship, and Ben McMillan preached a great sermon on creation and the presence of God. A invitation was given by Ben to accept Jesus. We were thrilled to see about 10 of the boys raising their hands to accept Him as their personal Savior!

Again, thank you for all of your support, encouragement, and of course prayers. God is moving at the boys' school. Remember, when ever good things are happening for the Lord, the devil is on the prowl. Pray for the protection of this ministry. I pray that the door will continue to be kicked wide open!

Pray for these boys....please.

2009-06-23T06:54:00.000-07:00

As I sit here writing while my students at the boys' school are reading....the thought came to mind that I need to continually pray for these young men. They come from all over the state with all kinds of backgrounds and "baggage". I am thankful that they are allowed to read their Bibles in their rooms at night, but I often wonder if they are actually understanding the Word of God.

We have the opportunity to present the Gospel to these boys again this Sunday with our team from First Baptist. Please pray that the worship would go unhindered, that the message would be clear, and that the boys would be receptive to the Gospel truth. Pray that the Holy Spirit would really work on the hearts of these young men. I pray that they would accept Jesus as their Savior and that their lives would be changed.

Pray that we will be good witnesses as we enter into the Wyoming Boys' School this next Sunday. Acts 5:32 "And we are His witnesses to these things, and [so] also [is] the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him."

I Love Fishing!

2009-06-22T14:02:00.000-07:00

One of the best creatures that God created was the trout! I love fishing for them, and they taste good too! I had a great time with my family up a Meadowlark Lake in the Big Horn Mountains this last Saturday. I just can't wait to go fishing again! Thank you Lord for the quiet relaxing time. I sure needed it!

Fishing is the greatest relaxing outdoor sport.

Into the water sails my hook with bait, ready to grab some trout attention!

Shimmering water hides the fish as I wait to feel a bite!

Heaven......is going to be better than this? Wow! I can't wait!

In God's creation is where I love to be... under the blue sky....fishing!

No other feeling like catching that trout on the hook and reeling it in!

God knows I'm hooked on fishing.....better yet...I'm hooked on Jesus!

Weekend Reflection Again!

2009-06-15T14:01:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. I hope all had a great weekend. Here we go for another round. Can you believe that we are halfway done with June? I can't believe that time is passing by so quickly. Well, here is what the Garza family did over the weekend.....

1) Friday...yard work after work....still dodging rain drops.

2) The boys, Sandra, and I took the puppies for walks a few times over the weekend. The Corgi puppies and 2 year old Hank-n-stein did great on our 2 mile course.

3) We enjoyed talking with people as we visited a few local yard sales in Worland. We enjoy, not only the deals, but getting out and seeing bunches of people that we know doing the same thing.

4) We drove to the "big" town of Otto, Wyoming to watch our son Jacob play baseball. The weather cooperated with us...Thank you Lord.

5) When we got home from the baseball game...I thought..."Hmmm. Weather looks nice...guess I'll finish mowing our yard." While I was finishing up, the wind picked up...black clouds were next...and the downpour came. I was completely drenched finishing up our yard!

6) We wrapped up Saturday relaxing and watching movies together. I like that on a rainy day. Wow what a light show God put on! The lightning storm was incredible!

7) Sunday was great worshiping our Lord. Down at the church at 7:30 a.m...I was excited to worship. The 8:30 service went very well. Shaun's message was fantastic as usual, speaking on how we are to lift the Lord's name in prayer! Great teaching time! The 9:30 Sunday School time was great. Dan Hart is teaching from the book of 1st John. He taught on the assurance of salvation. At the 11:00 service...worship really broke loose! I pray that the Lord was pleased with our worship because we really enjoyed singing and praising! Days of Elijah! Pass Me Not! Shout to the Lord! Open the Eyes of My Heart! Of course we got a great second dose of Shaun's message. Praise the Lord! We serve a risen Savior!

8) The rest of the day.......I just got some needed rest.....enjoyed it too. It's great to get some ZZZZZs on a nice cool Sunday afternoon.

Have a great week! I hope that the Lord blesses you!

God's Winning Team!

2009-06-10T12:33:00.000-07:00

I love everything there is about the game of baseball. I love the strategy to force a runner from first to second. It's not about hitting the home run every single time. I love watching the runner ready to steal a base while the pitcher tries to hold him on the base, and at the same time, the pitcher's trying to let his pitches do their work against the batter up at the plate. Of course....you're always looking for the double play! Oh yes...don't get me wrong....it's always good to see someone hit the "long" ball. And of course...there's always the foul balls one after the other and the "three strikes" you're out!

Watching the game with my sons playing is great. It brings back memories of the days when I played as a kid....the dirty floored dugouts....spitting sunflower seeds and eating rope licorice in anticipation for it to be your "ups".... the disappointment that 3 outs happened right before your turn up at bat, and that you want your team to make quick work of playing defense out on the field. I can remember the tie games in a late inning knowing that anything could happen, and you could either be the winning team or the losing team.

One thing is for certain, when you are on God's team and you have made a commitment to Him...you are always on the winning team. Oh, being a Christian is not always perfect. Life in this world isn't always great....as a matter of fact, it can get down right tough and even painful at times. But...we as Christians have a hope and truth that has set us free from the pains of this world. Ultimately in the end, when Christ returns, our Champion of Champions will prevail over Satan and his demons. He has already paid the penalty on the cross for our sins.....but at the end of our Holy Bible...we are told..He wins and we win with HIM!

Revelation 22: 3-5 "And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever."

Accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. Believe that He is God's only Son. Believe that he died on the cross and was raised from the dead on the third day after being crucified for our sins. Believe in Jesus....I believe, and I am on God's winning team.....please be on this winning team too. Accept Him today...right now. He's our only hope. We will reign with Him forever and ever in His light for eternity. In heaven there is not pain, suffering, death, or destruction.

John 3:16-17 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."

The Lord is everything!

2009-06-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

Psalm 34:10
"The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing."

I am blessed by today's verse that came up automatically on my blog. There is nothing that the Lord lacks. He is strength. He is power. He is comfort. He is healing. He is truth. If we seek the Lord...He lacks nothing!!!!

Lead me to the cross, Lord. Lead me to my knees. You are always faithful. Help us not to forget that. I am so thankful that we can call you Father. In our weakness you are strong. We worship You! Strengthen our hearts of worship.... Amen.

God is Good!

2009-06-02T09:37:00.000-07:00

Psalm 147:1
"Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!"

Wow! God is good. We have been blessed with many things over the course of the last four days.

1) The Lord allowed our family to have some overdue and much needed time together away from home. We were able to get away and visit Yellowstone. It was a beautiful time to be in God's creation, the lake...the trees...the mountains. I was amazed with how He created geysers, wildlife, and the amazing scenery full of rich color. We enjoyed hiking around and taking in everything. We camped near Cody, Wyoming Friday evening, and then enjoyed each others company all day in Cody. We were refreshed and ready for worship Sunday morning.

2) Worship was great Sunday morning the Student Ministries worship team did a fantastic job leading the congregation once again on a "5th" Sunday. Then Pastor Jess taught from the Word about being content in the Lord...and being happy with what the Lord has given us.

3) Baptism happened. More people joined our church. We are so thankful at First "B"! "To God be the glory...great things He hath done!"

4) Sandra, the boys, and I were able to get our house cleaned up and ready for some friends that we haven't seen in about 15 years. Steve Spalding, friend, old college roommate, and my best man, and his family came to visit and stay at or place yesterday and evening. We had a wonderful time of fellowship, a barbeque, and a time of worship together. Steve, his boys, my boys, and I set up the music room for a great evening of praise and worship. It was great singing new and old songs to the Lord together....just like old times. The last time that we worshipped together was at a youth camp years ago. I am happy to announce that he is now an associate pastor to the seniors at Calvary Chapel, Fresno, in California. He is a good teacher! Pray for him and his family as they make their way back to California by way of Yellowstone National Park.

5) It was back to work at the Wyoming Boys' School early this morning starting the summer session with the students. They were ready for school. Keep praying for these boys and their salvation.

6) Thank you Lord for the many blessings! Please use us according to your plans and will. In all things, help us to continue to sing praises to you, for it is pleasant and fitting to you. Amen.

Another Great Weekend!

2009-05-25T09:28:00.000-07:00

What another great weekend this has been! Here's a rundown.

1) Friday...did some yard work and watched a movie with my wonderful wife, Sandra.

2) Got up early and drove to my father-in-law's ranch to get with the family and brand all of the calves. FUN in the sun! "Get along little doggies"...

3) Recuperated for the evening after branding Saturday night. Oh my aching everything!

4) Had a wonderful time worshiping the Lord at church Sunday morning. The Memorial Day service went very well. Thank you to Mat Grenier for playing "Taps" on the his trumpet for the service. Those of you that were at the service, I am so glad that you were in town and a part of it.

5) Thanks for your prayers for the Wyoming Boys' School service. We were able to get a small team into the chapel and minister to the boys. We lifted the Name of Jesus in worship. Shaun did a game with the kids and then presented the Gospel message tying it all together. About a dozen boys accepted Christ as their Savior yesterday! Woo Hoo!

6) Sandra and I spent a quiet evening together relaxing while the boys were a friends' houses. It sure is great to have chances to talk to one another.

7) Had fun adding "branding" pictures and video to Facebook.

8) We had two late baby Nubian goats born last night....always a miracle to see!

9) Got up early this morning to do chores. Baby goats are doing great and being bottle fed.

10) Looking forward to having a barbecue at Pastor Shaun's house today to celebrate Memorial Day.

11) Got a haircut today. Wish I could grow more of it back.

12) Have a great week everybody.....looking forward to what God has in store next.

Youth at the Park!

2009-05-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

It's here. It is so hard to believe that the Student Ministries Team and the youth are meeting at the park tonight for our final Wednesday night worship of the 2008-2009 school year. It is amazing how fast the time flies by!

I am so glad that Jess Rollema and his wife have summer plans for our kids this summer. In the past we have had "Sports League" set up for the youth to have summer fellowship and fun. I am anxious to see what is "up Jess' sleeve" for this summer. I am sure that everything that the kids do will be fun and bring honor to Christ!

Yes, the time is flying by, and our kids are growing up. I am just so thankful for our youth ministries to assist us as parents in raising our children to follow Jesus Christ. Before you know it.. the 2009-2010 year will be here. Keep this ministry in prayer! God is doing great things!

Protection From Attack!

2009-05-19T09:53:00.000-07:00

2Timothy 4:18
"The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

Whenever good things are happening for the Lord's sake, be on the watch. The devil is on the prowl. We need to constantly be in prayer for God's will sake.

Please pray that the ministry will continue strong in the Name of the Lord. We should not be ashamed of the Gospel. It is TRUTH! For example, lately we have had to jump through some paperwork hoops to be able to continue the ministry at the Wyoming Boys' School. Please keep this in your prayers. Pray that the door to deliver the gospel message to those young boys will continue to be kicked open in the Name of Christ!

Please pray for our leadership at First "B". Pray that our church will continue to grow and thrive in our community so that Christ will be honored and glorified. Lord, rescue us from any attack we may receive. We want to give you glory forever and ever!

Student Ministries!

2009-05-13T09:58:00.001-07:00

What a successful year for Student Ministries at First "B". My hat's off to Jess Rollema for his leadership for our kids, not only at our church, but in our schools and community. I had the privilege to work with Jess and the SM staff another year, leading worship with our kids. We finished up our last "on-campus" session together this week. Next week we are heading to the park for worship and fun together before the summer break begins. Wow! The 2008-2009 school year is about over!

Keep praying for Jess and the leadership of our youth. Our youth program is really growing and shaping into a vital ministry in our town. Our youth need the Lord. The great thing that I'm seeing is that our kids are starting to reach out more to their peers and getting more involved with missions projects to show the love of Christ. I'm praying that more lives will be changed to follow Jesus.

If you are searching for a place to be used by God, and you feel that God is calling you to witness to our youth, contact our Pastor of Youth Ministries, Jess Rollema. Remember...we can't just say that the youth is the church of the future.....they are the church TODAY!

Weekend Relection!

2009-05-11T13:56:00.000-07:00

What a busy weekend....sometimes it seems that going to work on Monday...I get more rest then what I got on the weekend. Friday...got home and started mowing the yard. With the lawn tractor down..it's taking a bit longer with the push mower. Oh well, I've got to get exercise!!

Saturday was nice for Sandra and I to get away a little. We got to go up to Billings, Montana to spend some time together shopping for needed goods. I tell ya...with all of the traffic and people at stores, you would never know that the economy is bad in America. Sandra and I finally were able to pick up our stove/oven that had been stuck in Cheyenne for a week, late in delivery. Our old one had seen it's better days...we've replaced burners, heating elements, etc......it was just time to get a new one, especially after it was going out again.. I was happy just to be able to get my guitar from the repair shop. By the way....Hanson's Music treated me very well with the repair..They definitely have my business! Overall the "best" was just being able to spend time with my wife.....we even had a nice lunch together at Applebee's. Thank you Lord for my wonderful wife. I always cherish my time with her.

Sunday was a wonderful day of worship with 1st "B". We always look forward to Sundays with our church family, but like many others, I had to make sure that I called my mother in Idaho to see how she's doing and wish her a Happy Mother's Day. Praise the Lord she's doing well with her husband, Larry. I pray that all the MOMS had a wonderful Mother's Day. We don't just appreciate you on the holiday. We thank God for all that you do.

God bless you. I hope that your week goes well.

Weekend Reflection!

2009-05-04T11:29:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. I hope all is well. The Lord provided such beautiful weather over the weekend. Even the early Sunday morning rain wasn't bad, especially when it cleared up to sunshine.

I am in awe of the Lords creation. It was nice to get out in the sun on Saturday and doing some yard work. With the snow gone and the warmer days here, it is good to get out even if it was to battle the dandelions that are multiplying by the thousands in my yard!!!!

After Saturday's work...my youngest son Josh and I went and took the Baja Bug out to the badlands on Saturday while Sandra went shopping, Caleb was working, and Jacob was at a track meet. Josh and I had some great father-son bonding time. We took Rusty the Bug on all kinds of dirt roads and hills. We also got out and hiked around chasing rabbits through the sage and rocks. We want to go again!!

Sunday we were blessed by Sunday services and being a part of the worship. For the afternoon, local teens, including my son Caleb Garza, and I met to lead worship for the graduating senior's baccalaureate service at Worland Middle School. The teens were led were Kelci Schaal, Rachel LeBoeuf, Samatha Compton, Nic Craft, and of course Caleb. They did a wonderful job leading the worship for the service. The worship was well received and I believe the Lord's Name was lifted up!

Jess Rollema also did a wonderful job speaking at the event, and Pastor Shaun Matako introduced and concluded the service under the ministerial association. It was great to see 1st "B" so well represented at the event.

Have a great week. God bless you!

Hear My Worship!

2009-04-28T11:31:00.000-07:00

Jeremiah 7:2 "Stand at the gate of the Lord's house and there proclaim this message: " 'Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the Lord.

When I read these words that were to the people of Judah... to hear the word of the Lord and to go through the gates to worship the Lord, I think of how our people come into our church sanctuary to hear the word of the Lord and worship each Sunday morning. We have been so blessed from the Lord to be able to have the freedom to do this. I pray that we as Christians would not just limit our worship to Sunday mornings. We ought to worship our Lord each and everyday. We cannot lose sight of our Lord Jesus Christ.

On the same hand, when we gather together in worship and fellowship as 1st "B", let's give up our best worship that we possibly can. As we sing a new song this Sunday called "Hear My Worship", and as we sing some of the other songs, let's truly ask the Lord that He may really hear our worship! As we worship God, we can call out to Him, we can cry out to Him, we can lift up our hands....LORD HEAR OUR WORSHIP! We worship the Rock of our salvation.

WOW! Busy Weekend!

2009-04-27T06:49:00.001-07:00

This was a good weekend, but a busy one! It started out by having our boys having friends over and being at friends' houses...making sure they got where they needed to be and back on Friday night. Saturday morning was an early start making sure that Caleb and Jacob got on their way to Riverton and Thermopolis for their "away" track meets. Of course Sandra and I took care of yard work for most of the day.

The highlight of Sunday was being part of a huge ministry day! The Lord is so good. Of course we were blessed to be a part of the early service and the second service. Pastor Shaun did an excellent job of teaching from Romans 9 in the early service and about Rejection in the second service for his "Survivor" series. The church was packed, and it was wonderful hearing so many people lifting up the Name of the Lord in worship and song. The worship team introduced a new song that we are looking forward to singing again next Sunday. It's called..."Hear My Worship". You can listen to a version of the song on my playlist below on this page.

After a quick lunch downstairs at church, Pastor Shaun, Ben McMillan, Kaleb Craft, my son Caleb Garza, and I loaded up and headed out to the Wyoming Boys' School to present the Gospel message and worship the Lord with the kids out there. Everything was well received. The Lord did some mighty work out there. Please pray that this door of opportunity stays open for our team.

When we were done at the boys' school, we then headed back to the church, of course after a quick "pop" break at the local Cenex Station.....Thanks Pastor Shaun! My son and I then got ready and set up equipment to have some local teenagers rehearse for the upcoming Baccalaureate. The kids were a little nervous going over the music, but it's going to work out well for the service.

I wonder what the Lord has in store for us this week? Anyhow....busy but great weekend! God bless all of you! Have a great week!

Is this the year for the Cubbies?

2009-04-22T14:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, Chicago Cubs! I have been waiting for a long time! Is this the year that you go all the way to the World Series and win it? Baseball 2009 is just a young season, but the Chicago Cubs are showing some promise to have a great season. Will I be able to wear my Cubs hat without hanging my head this year? Well....I guess I'm just glad that it's baseball season!

Also....I'm praying that Worland will have a legion team this year! Go Worland Indians! IT'S BASEBALL SEASON!!!

What a Weekend!

2009-04-20T11:27:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone....What a fun weekend we had with several church members. Friday night was the greatest. Jess and Heather had Sandra and me help with the youth "Bunko" Night. What a fun rotating dice game to play with the group. I wasn't too sure about playing it at first, but once we got started...it was a blast! We were laughing so much along with the kids as we played....we almost forgot that we were the adults. Those that were winning rolls of the dice were being wrapped with toilet paper. We had all kinds of snacks....and the winners and "not so winners" received prizes. I can't wait to play again.

Saturday evening was great too. If you are not a part of our church's 4X4 fellowship, you need to get connected. We had some folks from our church and their children over for a Bar-B-Q. You should have seen Ben McMillan sporting his basketball skills with the kids! It was a riot! The kids were climbing all over the playset. We adults enjoyed each other's company while the kids ate their dinners outside at the picnic table. We can't wait to get together again soon!

Sunday, after a wonderful worship service at First "B", Sandra and I finally got to rest at home while the boys went and spent time with their friends. It wasn't long, though, because it was off to Jess and Heather's house for a Student Ministries meeting and fellowship with the team, The Rollemas, Andersons, and the Garzas. Great barbequed bacon burgers Jess! Food, fellowship with friends, a meeting in there for a little bit, and playing a word game, it was a great Sunday evening to wrap up the weekend. Thanks Jess, Heather, and Kyston for having all of us over for a great time.

If you are looking for great fellowship with fellow Christians, First Baptist is a wonderful church family.

We All Need Prayer!

2009-04-15T13:37:00.000-07:00

What a Blessed Easter!

2009-04-15T11:27:00.001-07:00

What a wonderful Easter we had last Sunday! I am so happy about how many people were in church and a part of our worship service, especially the 3rd service! I truly believe that the Lord was pleased with our worship to Him, celebrating the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! It was great to hear all of the voices as we lifted them up in song.

I want to thank our 1st Praise Worship Team. They did an incredible job covering both services. I was so proud of Kaleb Craft and my son Caleb Garza for stepping up and adding an extra special touch to the worship by being able and willing to play guitar and harmonica solos. I was truly blessed and so were many others.

Pastor Shaun had an incredible message with the Gospel clearly taught! Thank you Pastor for all of your hard work and also encouragement. My wife Sandra and Shaun's wife Jodie worked hard in preparation for our kids at church...I'm proud of them too! Also...thank you Pastor Jess for all your hard work, backing up the praise team, getting prepared for it all.

After the Sunday services we raced home had a scavenger hunt for the Easter baskets and had a quick lunch. Then my job for the State of Wyoming sent me to Casper for a conference. I just got back last night, Tuesday. I am just so glad that I could celebrate Easter with Sandra and the kids and with my church family!