“And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” Acts 13:52

I am certain that this could be the testimony of most everyone that has experienced an Emmaus weekend; that we were so immersed in the Holy Spirit and the Gospel of Jesus Christ that a divine JOY filled us.

I am excited and humbled to serve the Llano Estacado Emmaus community as lay director for the next year, and I am honored to do so because of what Emmaus has meant for my journey towards Christ. If you will for a moment think back to your pilgrim walk, and more specifically, about the joy and other emotions you felt as you spent 72 hours in Mercy Center waist deep in the Holy Spirit. Think of the path God set you on over that weekend, and where He has led you since. Isn’t it exhilarating to remember how the Lord worked and is working in you? Praise God!

I took on this position as community LD just on the heels of the April Men’s walk being canceled because of a lack of sponsored pilgrims. I must admit, it is heartbreaking to me every time a Walk is cancelled, not just because of the preparation that has gone into it, but because I know firsthand (you too know firsthand) of the blessings that God had in store for all the people who would have attended it. Every candlelight service you attend, the eyes of the pilgrims and caterpillers tell the story of how God sets his children free through Emmaus! Every closing ceremony you attend, and each testimony given on them heralds that God is still doing mighty things in the hearts of his people through Emmaus! God is faithful and sovereign and Emmaus is one of his instruments that He continues to use to build His church, glorify His name, and set His children free!

I’d like to share another verse out of Romans-

“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them? Romans 10: 13-14

Now clearly, this verse is God showing us the need for us, His people, to herald the Good News. But I’d like to put it into the context of what God is laying on my heart here. Hopefully, you recalled all of the blessings of your Emmaus weekend a moment ago, and with that I would like to ask the questions in Romans like this-

Those that attend a Walk to Emmaus are blessed with joy and the Holy Spirit. But how can God bless them this way if they are not in attendance? And how will they attend if they are never invited? And how are they to be invited without boldness in the hearts of the community?

The June Women’s walk is weeks away and there is plenty of room to sign up pilgrims. I am excited to see all that God will do in the hearts of the women on that walk, and for all that he has in store for this community in the year ahead! This is YOUR community, and God has given YOU the call to invite people into it – be bold in Christ Jesus!

Blessings,
B.J. Schilling

“If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:22

Prayer…..that is what the Walk to Emmaus is founded on. I feel that we as a community have gotten away from that a little bit. I think we have all gotten busy and have allowed ourselves to become a little lackadaisical in this area. Ok, maybe not “we” as in “all” of us….let me just say me, I am guilty of that for sure. How many times do I sit back and think about a prayer request someone has made and think to myself, “ah, somebody will pray for them.” I have done it more than once for sure. Now make no mistake, if I tell you that I am praying for you, it is happening, but oftentimes I say nothing and then do nothing.

I am pleading with all of you to please be in fervent prayer for our community. I do not understand the decline we continue to have in our monthly meetings, our walks, etc. We had to postpone the April men’s walk until September for lack of participation. That means there will only be 2 men’s walks this year and January wasn’t full either. This troubles me deeply and I have no answer other than to believe that I, as your community lay director for the past year, failed miserably in my job.

All of my life, growing up in scouting then continuing on with my son’s scouting, I learned to always leave things better than you found them. I honestly do not feel that I am leaving this community better than I found it. I think there have been some improvements made, but overall I do not believe it is better. I began my term with this question and I will end it the same way. What can we as your servants do to make our community better? What can we do to get it back to a thriving, healthy community? Feel free to call me 806-781-6809 or email mrogles@sbcglobal.net. Any and all suggestions are welcome.

Having said all that, please welcome and be in prayer for B.J. Schilling as he takes over the role of community lay director. My prayers are with you B.J. and I look forward to seeing what God does through you this year!

Love and blessings,

Chad Oglesby

19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
~ Luke 22:19-20

As we began this season of Lent, I considered whether or not to give something up. This is not a practice that the Methodist church (in which I was raised…mostly) prescribes to. I began to pray and ask God if He wanted me to give something up for 40 days. His answer was a bit surprising. He pointed out some things, some of which I have mentioned before to all of you, that He wants me to give up for good, not just 40 days. So here I am still procrastinating about those very things that I know I need to give up, just not wanting to.

How selfish I can be sometimes. I can very easily think to myself, “but God, I have given up so much already….” Then I get a not so subtle reminder of what Jesus gave up, willingly, selflessly and most importantly I think, obediently. Once again, I will travel the path the Lord has placed before me and make attempts to be better at all He has called me to be. Enjoy this Easter season with your family!!!

A couple of things to inform you of. One, we still do not yet have a new community lay director so you are stuck with me for at least one more month. Two, we have a men’s walk beginning April 10th and only have 4 pilgrims signed up so please, please get those men signed up now. Don’t wait until the last minute, do it TODAY!! Three, I hope to see all of you at Wolfforth UMC on Thursday April 3rd at 6:30 for our community gathering.

Love and Blessings,
Chad Oglesby

“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” Genesis 8:21-22

The earth must indeed be enduring because we have had all of the above it seems in just the last 2 weeks. As I sit here writing this it was 82 degrees yesterday and now 18 with freezing rain. Crazy weather we have had for the past two weeks. It has been much like our worship can sometimes, be hasn’t it? One day we are on fire about to burn up then just as suddenly we are freezing cold or even worse, lukewarm.

I want to encourage everyone once again to plug in at your church. Find a small group or even just another person that you trust and be accountable to them and they to you. That is what helps fuel the fire that Emmaus builds in each of us. I want to again thank Marilyn Hampton and Darris Linder for leading women’s walk #128. It was such a terrific time of testimonies at closing. So obviously it was the BEST walk ever!

This is usually the month where I would be saying goodbye and you would get to hear from and/or meet your new community lay director. Alas, you are stuck with me for at least one more month, maybe even two as we ask God’s guidance for the person to fill that role for the upcoming year. With inclement weather for two of the last three community meetings, we were not able to get that filled. Please pray with us as the board seeks to get that done and also follow God’s plan and vision for this wonderful community.

DeColores!
Love and Blessings,
Chad Oglesby

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.  And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.  ~ 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

Surrender, freedom and strongholds are three words I have heard a lot about in the past month or so. Ryan Smallwood led us through a series about breaking through strongholds, surrendering ourselves to God and finding freedom. I made a statement in last month’s newsletter about the “old” me still being in there and coming out sometimes. I know the reason that is true is because I haven’t fully surrendered that part of myself in obedience to God’s word and will for me. That is one of my strongholds.

Why do I continue to hold on to something that takes me to a place that I don’t want to be? Why can’t I just let it go and move forward? If I am being honest with myself, I believe it is because I am afraid to. See “that” guy keeps me from being hurt too deeply. “That” guy is the “tough guy” who can handle anything and give it back, in spades. “That” guy is who I have been hiding behind since sometime in the second grade to cope with bullies, rejection, etc. “That” guy is the devil sitting on my left shoulder while the angel sits on the right.

I am trying very diligently to make some more changes in my life to completely erase “that” guy. I am trying to learn to completely lean on Jesus and live out the scripture that tells me I am a NEW creation, the old is gone, the new has come! So, here is the “new” me, again, ready and willing to step out of my old shell and old self to continue to become who God is calling me to be. Praying that some of you will join me. Let’s all take off our masks and be real with one another. This is me doing that for you. Who’s with me?

DeColores!
Love and Blessings,
Chad Oglesby