Scott Plesha, Baby Beau's dad, sent this out yesterday through a post on the caringbridge website regarding the passing of his son, Beau Samuel Plesha. Hear the heart of a great dad. BTW - the Memorial Service will be this Sunday, at newhope church at our temporary location on Garrett Road, at 2:30 pm. Everyone is welcome to attend.
--------- I am sorry that it has taken so long to update everyone on Beau. I am struggling a little with exactly what and how to express how we are feeling. It is hard to capture in words how difficult it is to lose the sweetest and purest child you could ever know but I will try my best.
We were fortunate to spend many hours holding Beau since Friday night. Sunday morning they performed an apnea test on him to see if he would breath on his own and also additional Neurological assessments. Both tests indicated that the damage to Beau's brain was extensive and that he would not survive without life support. We knew in our hearts since Saturday morning that the Beau we knew had passed away in our house in his crib on Friday night. We spent many hours praying with our Pastor, Benji and his wife Amy Lynn. Pastor Benji is dedicating his blog this week to "Baby Beau". The website is www.benjikelley.com if you would like to visit it. He has already posted on it once and he has shared amazing thoughts and guidance on Beau.
We decided at around 5:00 pm it was time for Beau to leave us. Beau passed shortly thereafter and I have to say that it was very peaceful and calming. We removed all of the lines, tape and machines that we possibly could from Beau. I am biased but he is even more beautiful without all of this extra stuff. We then bathed Beau and placed him in a new outfit that we gave him for Christmas. We then spent another hour or so holding and loving on him. It is hard to leave your child like this but we know that he is in a better place where he is body is not broken and he is free.
Beau has tested our stamina, our faith and ability to make the right decisions. He showed us that we can endure more than we could ever imagine. We have learned many lessons from Beau and we know that we were given him for a reason. We will never forget the will to live and the amount of fight he displayed.
I think there are two things that Noel and I will always take forward in our hearts and they are the look he always had in his eyes and after all he had been through the ability to be so sweet and forgiving. His eyes always seemed to say, "I Love you unconditionally and I still have something to show you."
Thank you for all of the support and love that we have been shown through Beau it has helped us through our journey with him.
GO BEAU!
{Written by Scott Plesha, Dad to Beau Samuel Plesha}
This week, I will designate this blog and any posts to a one such Baby Beau. If you are not a regular attendee of newhope, you might not know Beau. In short, he has become the church's boy, deeply loved and admired by our church family.
In sixteen months of life, he has undergone over 5 major surgeries. He is a fighter in the truest sense of the word. His parents, Scott and Noel, knew Beau would have severe difficulties from birth but chose to keep him in pregnancy and deliver this gift from God. I am so proud of them as parents. Scott is an amazing man of God and dad. Noel truly embodied the heart, compassion, and love of a Godly mother. Together, they beautifully represented the Father who gave them this amazing son. Moreover, they chose to name him Beau Samuel.
Beau means, "Beautiful Boy."
Samuel means, "God listens."
This naming was appropriate on many levels. Baby Beau was a beautiful boy and God indeed listened to our prayers every step of the way. The Lord God used this little fella to move hundreds and hundreds of people toward Christ and the Plesha family. I am so proud of our church and the biblical community we are experiencing.
In short, Beau had a severe brain hemorrhage Friday evening. When I returned from Charlotte Saturday evening and walked in the door, I saw the look on Amy Lynn's face immediately. We rushed out to Duke Medical Center and by Saturday night Baby Beau was declared brain dead. Amy Lynn and I went back over to Duke yesterday after church and at approximately 5:26 pm, Beau Samuel Plesha went to be with the Lord forever. Please remember the Plesha family in your prayers.
After the chaos of monitors, tubes, medications, doctors/nurses, and Beau’s passing, a divine sense of peace settled on the room as Scott, Noel, Amy Lynn, and I had the privilege of bathing Beau and putting him in clothes while weeping, praying, and celebrating his 16 months of life. The picture above is from yesterday afternoon, right before Beau passed on to be with his gracious God forever.
If you would like to keep up with the plans for the Plesha family this week, and possibly attend the Memorial service, stay tuned to this blog for more details as the week progresses.
We covet your prayers and praise God for His grace and peace and the gift of this boy who has so richly blessed our lives.
As I woke this morning at 4 am, I was keenly aware that Baby Beau was in a far better place today than he was yesterday. I spent some time reflecting on what Revelation says about heaven and the Word blessed me. I thought you might like to enjoy some verses, as well.
Peace and much love - Pastor Benji
1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
5He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."
6He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. (Revelation 21:1 - 7)
Christmas Eve IS ON AT SOUTHPOINT AT 4:30 PM! God is so good. The temps are rising to over 60 degrees tomorrow and we are all set for our first Christmas Eve at the Souhtpoint Campus! (Directions can be found here)
It is going to be GREAT. The chairs are already set up, the manger and animals are ready, the stage and equipment are arriving early in the am and we are starting the Worship service at 4:30 pm sharp. Please try and arrive at 4:15 pm and follow the luminaries and lead of the Pathfinders. Remember to dress in casual clothes - this is a work site, after all.
Remember to bring your favorite verse(s) of Scripture! Following Worship, we will invite everyone to enter our new church building and write your favorites verse(s) of Scripture on designated areas of the floor. This is our way of declaring to God that we want this church firmly grounded on God’s Word.
Speaking of God's Word, here is a little humorous, yet painful, vignette I recently heard about and a great Word from the prophet Isaiah.
A woman and her daughter were out Christmas shopping on the day after Thanksgiving. Just as everyone had predicted, the crowds were awful. They had to skip lunch because they were on a tight schedule. Toward the end of the day, Mom was hungry, tired and her feet were killing her. She was getting more and more irritable. As they left the last store, she turned to her daughter and asked, "Did you see the nasty look that salesman gave me?"
Her daughter answered, "He didn't give it to you, Mom. You had it when you went in."
Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and the next day is Jesus' Birthday. Will you let that story and the message of this season plant an eternal seed of joy and hope deep within your heart? God's Word put it like this so long ago:
1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan-
2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.
3 You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder.
4 For as in the day of Midian's defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.
5 Every warrior's boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:1 - 7)
Notice the first verse - there will be no more gloom - I love that.
May the peace of Christ, the One who is a Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace, dwell deep within you this season. May the gift of Jesus place upon your face an expression of love and joy because Jesus has been born in your heart.
I am stinkin stoked to celebrate our Christmas Party with many of the folks in this picture and their spouses. Tonight, we have our Senior Staff Christmas party with spouses and the Personnel Team of newhope church. In my humble opinion, this is one of the most amazing pastoral and staff teams around. For a Senior Pastor, they are the DREAM TEAM! I truly love doing life and ministry with these leaders.
We will start right at 6 pm tonight. We have all kinds of games planned, lots of fellowship and laughter, and Christmas carols on the piano. I think I will play the piano tonight. :-) if you believe that, I also have some ocean front property in Arizona I will sell you!
Here is our menu:
Shrimp cocktail Crab Cakes Stuffed Mushrooms Baked Brie Kalamata Olive Tempenade and Crackers Cocktail Sandwiches - Some London Broil, some Turkey Procuitto Wrapped Asparagus Fresh fruit Salad
Tiramisu Mocha Brownies
Punch Coffee Iced Tea
Can you say, "YUMMY!"
At any rate, I have to do a few more things to get ready.
I sure hope you are doing well and caught up in the season. From our team to you and yours - Merry Christmas!
I can't believe I just typed, "Christmas Eve is a Week Away, let alone that it is true! Accept it and move on, right? I have to tell you, I am stinkin stoked about Christmas Eve this year!
Check this out - Christmas Eve Worship will be Wednesday, at 4:30 pm at our new Southpoint campus. You can get directions here.
BE EARLY! We will worship outside our new building and conclude with candlelight and my favorite song for this night, 'O Holy Night.' During the service, our hopetown children will sing, our Worship Arts Ministry will sing, I will bring the Word, and Holy Communion will be offered!
When that is done, we will move our Worship inside the building to write our favorite verse(s) of Scripture on the floors of our church home! In the weeks ahead, the builders will lay carpet and we want to make sure this church is ALWAYS grounded on God's Word!
Please dress comfortable and warm. We will serve delicious Ethiopian hot tea to help with the chill! As always, INVITE YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS - this holy night could make all the difference!
Though I am trusting the weather will be nice, we do have an inclement weather plan. In the case of rain, ice, or snow we will have two Worship celebrations at 5:00 and 6:30 pm at the Garrett Road location. We will send a mass email and post any cancellations to our home page at www.newhopenc.org by noon on December 24th.
Yesterday I had the privilege to speak of the incarnation. I preach almost every Sunday of my life but I still consider it a privilege to open my mouth and utter anything of God dwelling among us. I spoke about heavy hitters in the Christmas story who simply missed Jesus. For example, King Herod missed Him because he was wrapped up in himself. The innkeeper missed Jesus because he was wrapped up in his business or busyness. And the shepherds missed Him because they were wrapped up in fear. The Spirit was moving yesterday as the invitation was given and people were encouraged to NOT miss Jesus like those mentioned above, but rather invite Him into our hearts to dwell up close and personal as Lord. There was a thickness in the air as the Spirit of God moved among us and sins were forgiven and lives changed.
Toward the end of a the message, I showed this video titled, "Emmanuel - God is With Us."
I challenged us to remember that while many people were wrapped up in many things and as such, missed Christmas, God was wrapped up in flesh - epidermis! Think about that for a moment. God had entered the world as a baby.
Yet, were someone to chance upon the sheep stable on the outskirts of Bethlehem that morning, what a peculiar scene they would find. Make no mistake about it this scene was earthy. Max Lucado writes masterfully about the Christmas scene in his book, "God Came Near."
Lucado says, "The stable stinks like all stables do. The stench of urine, dung, and sheep reeks pungently in the air. The ground is hard, the hay scarce. Cobwebs cling to the ceiling and a mouse scurries across the dirt floor. A more lowly place of birth could not exist.
Off to one side sit a group of shepherds. They sit silently on the floor; perhaps perplexed, perhaps in awe, no doubt in amazement. Their night watch had been interrupted by an explosion of light from heaven and a symphony of angels. God goes to those who have time to hear him—so on this cloudless night he went to simple shepherds.
Near the young mother sits the weary father. If anyone is dozing, he is. He can’t remember the last time he sat down. And now that the excitement has subsided a bit, now that Mary and the baby are comfortable, he leans against the wall of the stable and feels his eyes grow heavy. He still hasn’t figured it all out. The mystery of the event puzzles him. But he hasn’t the energy to wrestle with the questions. What’s important is that the baby is fine and that Mary is safe. As sleep comes he remembers the name the angel told him to use … Jesus. “We will call him Jesus.”
Wide awake is Mary. My, how young she looks! Her head rests on the soft leather of Joseph’s saddle. The pain has been eclipsed by wonder. She looks into the face of the baby. Her son. Her Lord. His Majesty. At this point in history, the human being who best understands who God is and what he is doing is a teenage girl in a smelly stable. She can’t take her eyes off him. Somehow Mary knows she is holding God. So this is he. She remembers the words of the angel. “His kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:33)
He looks like anything but a king. His face is prunish and red. His cry, though strong and healthy, is still the helpless and piercing cry of a baby. And he is absolutely dependent upon Mary for his well-being.
Majesty in the midst of the mundane. Holiness in the filth of sheep manure and sweat. Divinity entering the world on the floor of a stable, through the womb of a teenager and in the presence of a carpenter.
She touches the face of the infant - God. I am sure He reached up and touched her face, as well. How long was the journey!
This baby had overlooked the universe. These rags keeping him warm were the robes of eternity. His golden throne room had been abandoned in favor of a dirty sheep pen. And worshiping angels had been replaced with kind but bewildered shepherds.
Meanwhile, the city hums. The merchants are unaware that God has visited their planet. The innkeeper would never believe that he had just sent God into the cold. And the people would scoff at anyone who told them the Messiah lay in the arms of a teenager on the outskirts of their village. They were all too busy to consider the possibility.
Those who missed His Majesty’s arrival that night missed it not because of evil acts or malice; no, they missed it because they simply weren’t looking.
Little has changed in the last two thousand years, has it?
This has kind of been my underlying theme the past few weeks. Don't miss it, newhope, and anyone else out there in blogosphere. We only have slightly over a week and Christmas will be history. Please don't miss it. Slow down and seize the sacredness of the season.
(Thanks to Max Lucado and his writings over the years regarding the incarnation of God)
People who know me best know that I am crazy about my children and my role as dad. Those who know me personally and those at newhope who watch my ministry and life know that God and family ALWAYS come before ministry and my role as a pastor. Sorry if that disappoints you but that it just the way it is in my calling. If you are looking for a pastor to put church work over family, I "ain't" your man." :-)
When you have 5 kids, you seem to always be celebrating a birthday. If we have a few more, and time these puppies just right, we might be able to have all 12 months covered with at least one Birthday party! Well, tonight and tomorrow we are celebrating our youngest. He turns three and his name is Joshua Hunter Kelley.
He has the most amazing personality and sweet spirit. Truthfully, he is his mother all over. He is the most tactile kid of all five. He loves to touch. He loves to hug. He loves to cuddle. Last night, as he was about to go to sleep, I walked into his room to say "nite - nite." Caleb his brother was already asleep so it was just the two of us. With Christmas lights casting a soft glow on our faces, and very few words, we laid face to face in one of those most tender moments, and he just softly rubbed my face for about 10 minutes. It was one of those times if you know what I mean.
Joshua wanted to know every detail of my face. He longed to look deep into the eyes of his dad. He loved the fact that I was right there with him, up close and personal!
As Christmas rolls around, you have to know that is the message of this season. God the Father so wanted us to know Him, up close and personal, that He sent Jesus. The creator of the universe so longed to have you look into His face, into His eyes and experience a divine moment that will carry you even into eternity. That longing was at the heart of why He sent the Baby Jesus! The Bible puts it like this:
“Since God did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won’t God, who gave us Christ, also give us everything else?” Romans 8:32 (NLT)
Like Joshua, may you find that time with your dad, your Heavenly Father, and may that touch and experience be rich with Emmanuel - God with us!
We just dropped Joshua off at hopekids preschool. I can't wait until he gets home later today and we can celebrate his 3 years of life. I can't wait to see him light up and long to look into my eyes and feel my touch. And then later, when he is asleep or preoccupied, I can't wait to have my own time with my Father. I hope I am as sensitive and passionate about His touch as Joshua is about mine.
I love this church. You are looking at a group of newhopers who came out on a cold cloudy, rain threatening day, to reach out in the name of Jesus to over 1,000 homes around out Southpoint post! These people and our church as a whole, GET IT!
When Jesus said, "Go into all the world..." He was referring to people like those in this group who are willing to get out of our little Christian enclaves and reach out to others in the name of Christ.
As a result, on Sunday I spoke with 3 families that were at newhope for the first time solely because they were impacted by the invitations given on Saturday. They said things like, "We will be back..." and "I think we have found our church home..." and I heard some children asking their parents, "Can we come back to this church next week?"
It is all about extending the invitation. It is all about inviting people to a relevant church where together we partner to create awesome and engaging environments whereby the Worship is real, the Word is pure, and the grace and love of God overflow! Like I said, I LOVE THIS CHURCH!
Kuddos to those in this picture. You were the hands and feet of Christ this weekend and as such, there are some parties taking place in heaven. Luke 15 puts is like this:
"Or imagine a woman who has ten coins and loses one. Won't she light a lamp and scour the house, looking in every nook and cranny until she finds it? And when she finds it you can be sure she'll call her friends and neighbors: 'Celebrate with me! I found my lost coin!' Count on it—that's the kind of party God's angels throw every time one lost soul turns to God." (Luke 15:8 - 10)
NOTE: Notice the cross towering over them in the back ground - only appropriate!
“Since God did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won’t God, who gave us Christ, also give us everything else?” Romans 8:32 (NLT)
Let that verse sink in. I know you have heard it before, but marinate in that Good News once more on the eve of the Christmas season. Breathe deeply. Say it over and over again. That is Gospel Good News!
This Sunday we begin our Advent sermon series titled, "Searching for Christmas." A lot of work and preparation has gone into this series and I am sensing that God is going to do a mighty work in the life of our church.
For that to happen, though, we have to keep our hearts, minds, eyes, and even our mouths fixed on the baby Jesus. In fact, I plan to talk about just how we do that this Sunday in worship. If possible, please try and come to the first or third Worship Celebration as the second is way beyond slammed.
Ravi Zacharias, in "Questions I Would Like to Ask God," writes:
"I have often referenced the quote by the talk show host Larry King, in his response to a particular question: "If you could select any one person across all of history to interview, who would it be?" Mr. King’s answer was that he would like to interview Jesus Christ. When the questioner followed with, "And what would you like to ask him?" King replied, "I would like to ask him if he was indeed virgin-born. The answer to that question would define history for me."
Ravi Zacharias then writes that when he requested permission through a common friend to quote Larry King, King sent word saying, "And tell him I was not being facetious."
Here is that verse again: “Since God did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won’t God, who gave us Christ, also give us everything else?” Romans 8:32 (NLT)
After 20 years of bowing at the baby Jesus during this sacred season, that divine reality still blows my mind! There are many reasons God saves you: to bring glory to Himself, to appease His justice, to demonstrate His sovereignty. But one of the sweetest reasons God saved you is because He is fond of you. He likes having you around. He thinks you are the best thing to come down the pike in quite a while…. If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If he had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He’ll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart. And when you think about the Christmas gift He sent you in Bethlehem, there is no denying that God is crazy in love with YOU!
One story and I am done. Evangelist Luis Palau tells of a wealthy European family that decided to have their newborn baby baptized in their enormous mansion. Dozens of guests were invited to the elaborate affair, and they all arrived dressed to the nines. After depositing their elegant wraps on a bed in an upstairs room, the guests were entertained royally.
Soon the time came for the main purpose of their gathering, namely the infant’s baptismal ceremony. But where was the baby? No one seemed to know. The child’s governess ran upstairs and returned with a desperate look on her face. Everyone searched frantically for the baby. Then someone recalled having seen him asleep on one of the beds. The baby was on a bed all right—buried beneath a pile of coats, jackets, and furs. The object of that day’s celebration had been forgotten, neglected, and nearly smothered.
The baby whose birthday we celebrate at Christmas is easily hidden beneath the piles of traditions and cultural observances, and business of the season. In other words, we need to enter every Advent season asking, "Where’s the baby?" In fact, as you come into church this Sunday, why not come asking that one question, "Where is that Baby?"
Around Thanksgiving a few years ago, radio commentator Paul Harvey shared a true story of a woman and her frozen Thanksgiving turkey. The Butterball Turkey Company set up a telephone hot line to answer consumer questions about preparing holiday turkeys. One woman called to inquire about cooking a turkey that had been in the bottom of her freezer for 23 years. That's right-23 years. The Butterball representative told her the turkey would probably be safe to eat if the freezer had been kept below zero for the entire 23 years. But the Butterball representative warned her that even if the turkey was safe to eat, the flavor would probably have deteriorated to such a degree that she would not recommend eating it. The caller replied, "That's what I thought. We'll give the turkey to our church."
That kind of mindset will destroy a faithful and vibrant church. At newhope, we have a Core Value of excellence that asserts, "We are convinced God deserves excellence that honors the Lord Jesus Christ!" I loved how Kevin and Linda Routhe put it last Sunday in the video testimony, "You can look in any corner of this church and nothing communicates that we are here temporary." (Or something like that, Kevin :-)) You can watch that powerful video here.
This Sunday we begin our new series entitled, "Searching for Christmas." You do not want to miss it and I encourage you to invest and invite a friend. In worship, we come before God, in all of our imperfection, but we offer to God the very best we have because God is worthy!
As we gather to celebrate the Christmas season, keep in mind we do so because Almighty God sent and delivered His VERY BEST! As you come to church this Sunday, don't bring any "left-overs." Instead, let's gather offering God our very best - all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength!
May the peace of Christ dwell deep within you this sacred season...
Yesterday was the first Sunday of Advent, which as you might know, is the beginning of the Christian Calendar and the season of preparation for Christmas. As such, our up-coming series starts this Sunday and is called, "Searching for Christmas." If you are a regular newhoper, I am sure you will be around for all our Christmas Worship Celebrations and our Christmas Eve service on the land as we worship the Christ child together and then write our favorite verses of Scripture on the floors of our new building!
Today, though, I want to ask you about your friends?
* Who do you plan on inviting to our Christmas series? * Who are you praying for right now? * Into what neighbor, friend, or family member are you investing and planning to invite to, "Searching for Christmas?"
If you were in church yesterday, you heard some powerful testimonies of brand new newhopers coming to our church and finding incredible community, support, and faith through this movement. It is rising up like never before, newhope, because we are investing and inviting people into our church family and faith in Jesus Christ!
As we move into a critical season in which people are VERY OPEN to visiting a church, I want to invite you into a kind of contagious Christianity. In a word, I am talking about love. The entire mission of the church is summed up in one word, "love." I Corinthians 13 says, "And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." (I Corinthians 13:13)
A Hasidic story puts it like this, "A father complained to the Baalshem that his son had forgotten God. “What, Rabbi, should I do?” he asked. The Baalshem answered, “Love him more than ever.”
The reason the church must always remain focused on loving people, even those who are not even among us yet, is because it is at the very heartbeat of God. When God's children forget about the Lord, God continues to love them even more and uses the church to communicate radical love to a lost world in need of God's grace and redemption.
There is a groundswell movement of excitement and passion taking place in the life of our church right now. There is palpable buzz circulating around our up-coming move to the Southpoint Campus. As I have watched this building rise, I have been aware of how the groundwork is critically important. If the foundation is faulty, the whole building will be unstable. If the foundation is solid, the building will be stable and stand firm through the ages.
The truth is, the same can be said for the church! We need to have a solid foundation on which to build. If we don't, the whole structure of our relationships is in danger. If we have a solid base of love, we will experience deep and meaningful relationships and the world will be a different place because of you and God's Spirit living in you!
As we continue trusting God to build the life and ministry of newhope, let's remember that the foundation of this church is radical love for God and all His people. That my friends is the message of the incarnation and Christmas!
Who are you going to invite to Christ and newhope this Christmas season? I can't wait to see you there, with your friends on your side!
