A Glorious SONrise

I can see the evidence of Easter and spring all around me.  Daffodils, caladiums and petunias are bursting open all around my yard with radiant colors of pinks, yellows and lavenders. It’s a beautiful experience watching the green earth erupt with new life, feeling the warmth of the sun and smelling the fragrances of aromatic flowers. The death of winter has once again given way to the new life of spring, just as a spectacular sunrise pierces through the darkness of night to bring forth the radiance of the morning. I love to watch the dazzling show of radiant colors of a sunrise just as it begins to break through the horizon. Think for a moment of the most spectacular sun rise you have ever laid your eyes upon. For me, the most memorable sunrise that stands out in my mind came, like all sunrises, after a period of darkness in my life.  No, it wasn’t while I was vacationing abroad, at the beach or in the mountains but rather in a cold dark hospital room in Baltimore MD. It was during an intense 5 week battle against a life threatening infection, that I undeniably felt God walk through those days with me and reveal Himself to me like never before.  The following is an excerpt from my journal during the period after my kidney/pancreas transplant from the day things first began to turn around for my health:


“This morning I was awakened as usual at 5:30am for my daily lab work. I couldn’t go back to sleep so I decided to open the curtain and look at the skyline. At that moment, I witnessed one of the most spectacular sunrises I have ever seen in my life. The Sun was barely in the horizon and was emitting just enough light for me to be able to see the beautiful morning sky bursting with streaks of lavender, amber and burgundy. I had traveled to many places, the mountains, the country side, the beach but who would have ever believed the most beautiful sunrise I could remember was in downtown Baltimore, a city filled with crime and poverty made up of nothing but concrete and tall buildings. It is a scene that will be forever etched in my memory, a scene that could only be created by God. These past few weeks have served as a turning point in my life. A time that has taught me to appreciate things that for so many years I have taken for granted. As the glare of the sun burst into my room, the light was almost blinding but I distinctly remember how it warmed my entire body. I haven’t been outside in weeks and the warmth was a welcome reminder to life outside the 4 walls of a cold hospital. As I basked in the light, I pictured myself standing in the presence of Jesus with the brilliance of His Glory reflecting and filling me with the warmth of His peace and comfort.  I believe it was God’s reminder to me that He has “RISEN” to give me a new life both physically and spiritually. It was a reminder of His promise that the worst part of the transplant was over with and although the five weeks may have seemed like the darkness of night, to remember Joy always comes in the morning. This was my morning to begin my Joy...”


Perhaps that particular sunrise is so memorable to me is because although it may have been the fall of the year, it was springtime in my life both physically and spiritually. Perhaps it was because it was the first time I truly felt what it was like to have the Risen Son rise up in my heart! The only way I was able to fully appreciate the beauty of the message God gave me that morning through an ordinary, everyday sunrise in Baltimore MD was by first experiencing a period of darkness that had left me desperate for some little glimpse of light.

 Easter is the day we celebrate the most Glorious SONrise in history; the day Our Lord, the SON of God arose from the darkness of death. The Risen Son is the most spectacular gift we have ever been given. But to fully appreciate the beauty of the brilliance of The Risen SON, we have to remember the period of darkness that led up to such a Spectacular SONrise. Spring only comes after winter; sunrises only come after darkness and the resurrection can only come after death. I often speak the phrase “Jesus died on the Cross for our sins”, but this week I have made a conscious effort to sit down and actually reflect on what that dark death entailed. After doing so, I am saddened that I have ever used such an meaningful phrase so loosely. You see the death of our innocent Savior did not involve a lethal injection leading to a humane and quick death. Crucifixion was the most humiliating death sentence during Jesus’ time consisting of hours of torture, suffering and finally being physically nailed to a cross. I would prefer to think Jesus bypassed that part and went straight into eternal life but that is not how it happens; not even for God. Having faith does not equal an avoidance of pain but rather a demonstration that somewhere, somehow and in some unexpected way, the darkness of pain fades into the light of God’s grace and love.

As I reflect on the Passion and Resurrection of Christ I wonder if I will ever fully grasp the significance of what really took place on that day, what it actually means, why it had to happen and how it changed the course of our eternal destiny? The hours before Jesus’ Resurrection were terribly dark not only physically but spiritually. Yes, He could see ahead the suffering He was about to endure and literally began to sweat drops of blood. The Son of God could have easily saved Himself but as He looked ahead He also saw you and me loss in our sin with no way out. He knew He could not save Himself and save us too so He moved forward with His Father’s plan. During the hours leading up to His death, He was betrayed and denied by His disciples whom He loved deeply; by Judas for 30 pieces of silver and the others out of fear.  The Son of God who only spoke the truth was put on trial and falsely accused of blasphemy. The Roman Guards then mocked and beat Him without mercy and beyond recognition with a barbed whip at the pleasure of the boisterous crowd who were crying "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” They shoved a crown of sharp spiked thorns upon His head then repeatedly drove it into His head by striking it over and over again; piercing it deeper and deeper into his flesh.  Weak from the brutal beatings, frail from the loss of blood and dehydration, all bruised black and blue; Jesus started his long trek up Calvary Hill where he was forced to carry a heavy cross while again being whipped, ridiculed, and spat upon. He was later nailed to that same cross with 7 inch iron spikes that were driven though his wrists and feet. While He hung on the cross, the torture and ridicule continued by the Roman Guards, Religious Leaders and unruly crowd who never once realized the reason Jesus  was up there dying was for them.

But despite all of this torture, pain and humiliation Our Savior was experiencing, He still showed compassion and love for others. He had compassion for His followers as they wept for Him. He comforted and warned them saying “Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but for yourselves, and for your children.” His first words from the cross were, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” He saw His mother standing by the cross weeping, and asked His disciple John to take care of her. There were two thieves executed on each side of Jesus and when one of them accepted Him as Lord, Jesus had mercy on him saying, "Today you shall be with me in paradise." That day, the Son of God took the weight of the whole world’s sin; past, present and future upon Him. I can imagine that must have felt like the equivalent of the world’s largest tidal wave surging down on one small human being.  And because of this, for the first time in time in all of eternity, Jesus felt what it was like to be separated from His Father as God had to look away from the sin Jesus had took upon Himself. Darkness came over the land from noon until 3:00pm and at the end of that period, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli Eli lema sabachthani?” (Which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Finally, Jesus expressed his complete surrender to the will of God as He said, "It is finished;"  "Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit."  THAT... is what it means when we say “Jesus died on the cross for our sins.”

 Yes, that was a very dark period but if that was the end of the story, if Jesus’ life ended there on the cross, then that would have meant our lives would have ended there as well. We would remain dead in our sins with no hope of eternal peace and stand before God condemned to eternal darkness. No, Jesus dying on the cross was not the end of the story. No, the climax of the greatest story in HIS-story was still yet to come… For very early on Sunday morning, after three days and just as Jesus foretold, there burst forth a brilliant and intense crimson light as red as His blood that was shed for all humanity on the cross. The light pierced through the darkness of death that overshadowed the horizon and the SON began to rise. Inch by glorious inch…the SON victoriously rose that first Easter morning, overcoming darkness and forever removing the sting of death.  The Resurrection of Jesus Christ guarantees that all of God’s promises are true. Our sins have been forgiven; we have been set free from the fear of death and the impossible burden of pleasing God by our own works and good deeds. On that morning; night gave way to the day, darkness gave way to the light, and death gave way to life.  “The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." Matthew 4:16.

That glorious morning the Son came out to stand atop an empty tomb; and has claimed  victory over death. God’s brilliant light has come to give hope for all people. Yes, Jesus knew what lay ahead of Him on the cross, but because of His great love for mankind, He willingly stretched out His arms to die just as if He was demonstrating to us how far He has removed from us our sins; as far as the east is from the west; all sins past, present and future. He paid a tremendous debt owed by each and every sinner who has lived yesterday, today and tomorrow in order to offer us hope of eternal peace and life. Our debt cost Jesus the ultimate price; it cost Him His life and it was paid in full. The cost for us to enjoy the hope of eternal life is extremely small in comparison.He has given us free will and we must choose to accept His gift of salvation. We must realize we are all sinners and our sins separate us from God.  We must then repent and turn away from those sins. We have to believe that Jesus died for our sins and that his cross is the one and only bridge that connects us back to God. We have to invite Him into our hearts and lives and we have to live for Him alone. That may seem like a high price for some people but just look at what it buys you – a glorious SONrise in your heart that can never set or fade away and the right to live eternally with Jesus and Our Father in paradise.

 The rising of God’s SON marked the start of something new for us all…a chance to be a new creation through the blood of Christ. There may have been a great darkness during the night but there was an even greater joy that came on Sunday morning!  So this beautiful Easter morning, and every morning yet to come for that matter, as we look to the eastern sky to watch for the SON rise in the horizon, let it be a reminder of the most glorious SONrise in history given by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that not only brought forth to us a new day, but a new ETERNITY!

Bless the Lord o my soul, may I never forget all your promises. You forgive me of all my sins, you heal my diseases and you have placed your Glorious SONrise forever in my heart!

All That I’m Cracked Up to Be

               ^"Yet we who have this spiritual treasure are like common clay pots, in order to show that the supreme power belongs to God, not to us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7 GNT

            “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” Corinthians 2: 8-9 NIV

            The Apostle Paul considers us as fragile pots of clay; ordinary, run of the mill, weak pieces of earthenware susceptible to being chipped, cracked and even shattered at times. If you are living and breathing right now, chances are the sting of adversity has at some point left you feeling like a broken and useless pot of clay.  Perhaps your clay pot came crashing down by the death of a precious loved one or maybe it began during the difficult time of caring for them as they battled a horrible illness.  It could have been when you yourself were diagnosed with a debilitating disease (or maybe even 2 or 3) and realized how many limitations you would endure. Perhaps it was when you lost your job which you were good at, loved and thought you would have forever; taking along with it, your sense of financial security and self worth. Maybe there was a crack that started from a broken relationship, a troubled child, an addiction, a financial hardship, a never ending battle with weight, or even on the day you stepped back to examine your life and realized it looks nothing like the one you had so carefully planned out.

             Dealing with trials, disappointments and challenges sometimes make us feel as if we are simultaneously watching all of our hopes, plans and dreams go crashing onto the floor. The mayhem left behind barely resembles the pot we once envisioned ourselves to be; worthless at best.  A vessel unfit to hold worthless items of a lowly peasant and certainly not the treasure of the Most High King, yet the Bible tells us the opposite.  God chooses to place His most valuable Precious Treasure in a clay pot…hard to comprehend, but the very Presence of the Almighty God is placed inside of US! The King of all Kings is surely worthy of a flawless vessel of gold and silver to hold His Divine treasure yet He chooses us instead; feeble pots of clay that easily crack during the tribulations of life. Why in the world would He do such a thing?  So that He and He alone will receive the glory by making it evident the work being done is by the Power of God and not by the power of the vessel. He wants us to know our container is only made valuable by what it contains.

            You see, when a clay pot gets cracked they begin to pour out their contents. Likewise, when a weak human filled with the light of Christ, is hard pressed; perplexed; persecuted or struck down, they begin to pour out Christ.  On the other hand, if the vessel is never disturbed, the contents inside will just sit there. So that being said, if you have the light of Christ inside of you, being called a “CRACKED POT” is not a bad thing after all. Having cracks doesn’t mean God has forsaken us at all. Rather, it means that has trusted us to pour out His Treasure so that others may experience Him. God used Gideon; the least member of the least tribe of Israel to lead 300 men to triumph over 135,000 Midanites so there would be absolutely no doubt that the victory was God’s alone. However, the victory came to God’s people only after Gideon and his 300 men broke their clay pots allowing the lights held inside to brightly shine forth.  (Judges 7:20)

             As Christians, we shouldn’t be ashamed of our cracks or try to cover them up because doing so, could likewise cover up a ministry that God has planned for our lives. God’s glory is not revealed in spite of our human weaknesses but rather through them! As I live in a culture that is driven by high self esteem that was a hard concept for me to grasp and to be honest, something I still easily seem to forget.  I spent many years of my life trying to hide my illness from people because I didn’t want my weakness to automatically be equated with being damaged, useless or my all time favorite…“a high risk”.  I spent an endless amount of energy trying to prove that I was strong and “had it all together” but the truth is, the charade sucked up every last bit of energy I had; multiplying my cracks and thus making me sicker.  Eventually, my charade came to a screeching halt the day I was found unconscious on the floor at work and woke up in a hospital emergency room. My secret was out but to my surprise, as more people learned of my weaknesses; struggles and challenges they would come to me, not to pity or to belittle me but rather to find hope, support and encouragement with their own illness.

           The day my patch of pride was ripped off was the day that God initiated a new ministry for my life.  Through my exposed cracks, the hope and the light of Jesus was able to shine through on to other people who really needed a testimony that God will strengthen the weak, comfort the brokenhearted and heal the sick; a testimony that human weakness is opportunity for God’s Divine strength. Oh how it saddens me to think of the missed opportunities to be used by God to minister to others because my pride filled patch prevented me from doing so. Now there are people of this world who still look at me and see nothing but my weakness and brokenness but that’s only because they are choosing to look at me and well, if you choose to only look at my vessel, then I can guarantee you will be disappointed.  If you choose however to look beyond my cracks to see what is seeping out, you will understand that everything that I am able to do in this life is by the undeniable Power of Christ and not my own.

             As I watch my uncle battling Lou Gehrig’s Disease struggle and fight for His life, I see a clay pot  with more cracks right now than I can ever begin to count.  Yet God is showing me that every single leaking crack in His vessel has a purpose. They are watering seeds with Living Water and fertilizing them with the light of Christ; glorifying Him in ways we may never know of on this earth. In order to know this, you only have to speak to the people who surround him every day and stay at his bedside every night. The light shining forth from my uncle’s cracks are reflecting off of his family and I see them growing spiritually in a way that only comes from being exposed to the light of Christ.  

            Each of us has our own unique flaws so that God can use us to minister to each other. I need yours and you need mine. We are all “CRACKED POTS” but if we allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to bring Him glory and honor. I am not saying in any way that is an easy thing to do, but I have to believe that God has a purpose and plan for everything; often far beyond what I can see.  I have to believe that in God’s economy, nothing goes to waste as long as we depend on Him and not on ourselves. Not one single tear, not one ounce of pain, not one minute of suffering – NOTHING IS WASTED – that is what helps me plow through. You may look at your life today and say, “I am a ruined mess with too many flaws, too many hurts and way too many cracks.” You must remember that “cracked pots” become great weapons in the hands of God! I want to encourage you to not stay in pieces on the floor.  Allow the God of All Comfort to pick you up, mend you and use you as a portal for light that reveals His power at work to others.

            I pray I can boldly live my life knowing that no matter how severe my cracks may be that God’s grace is sufficient and His power is made perfect in our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)  I want God to use my imperfect, flawed, “cracked pot“ to become a beacon for His light so that other broken people will see and be drawn to Him.

 …I want to be all that I have been cracked up to be!

Celebrate Life

With modern day medical technology and God 's merciful miraculous grace, 9 years ago today, I received a kidney and pancreas transplant from an anonymous hero. After living 20 years with juvenile diabetes, no longer do I take shots, no longer do I test sugars, and no longer do people find me unconscious on the floor. These past 9 years have brought about a whole lotta "no longers" and a whole buncha "now cans". This 2nd chance at life has been surreal for me. I have learned life is filled with valleys and mountains, laughs and tears, trials and triumphs...wonders, miracles and grace ; GOD's plan and GOD 's timing - definitely not ours. No matter what we go through. If we look beyond ourselves and up to God, we will see that they are opportunities to strengthen, to grow, to learn, a time to reach out and a time to reach up! And when it's all said and done, to quote my surgeon, we can say, ""thank you Jesus, we have prevailed!"

Won't you be my neighbor? Prayerwalking Part 2

Blessings to all of my FC family who have “stepped up” and “stepped out” to take the Fellowship Church prayer-walk challenge. I have heard many great stories about prayer-walking experiences and I just love the way entire families are coming together and neighbors joining neighbors to walk and pray. What a great way for us to fellowship with other Christians while making a difference with every step we take. This blog is dedicated to sharing real life prayer-walking experiences that I pray will be a blessing to you and give you some ideas of when and where to prayer-walk as well as demonstrate the impact it can have on the lives of other people.

Stepping out INTO the neighborhood

We sometimes forget that inside the 4 walls of even some of the most “picture perfect” homes, there are real people living some pretty “UN-picture perfect” lives. When we "step out" into neighborhoods, we "step into " lives of neighbors, and become more in tuned to how we should pray for them.

My mother was out prayer-walking in her neighborhood and gave a friendly wave to a woman whom she had seen before but never had the opportunity to meet. As she slowed down to say hello and to comment on the beautiful weather, the woman stopped my mother and asked if she was a praying woman. My mother told her that she certainly was and as a matter of fact, that was what she was doing at that very moment. The woman then told my my mother about a huge battle she was going through with nicotine addiction and asked if my mother would pray every time she walked by her house for God to give her the strength to quit smoking.

Can you imagine the desperation this lady must have been feeling that would bring her to share her struggles with a stranger and ask for prayer? My mother later met another woman who was widowed and another who was suffering from a chronic illness. My mother has walked past these women’s homes countless times before, but never gave it a 2nd thought once she passed them by. She now feels as though she has a small connection with each of these women and as a result, can be very specific in her prayers for them. These are jus 3 needs my mother discovered while simply “stepping up” and “stepping out” to prayer-walk. I can only image in a subdivision with over 70 homes, how many more needs for prayer are in that neighborhood alone.

Stepping out PAST the neighborhood

I would like to encourage you to continue your prayer-walking outside your neighborhoods and into your everyday lives; past the area you live in and into the places you work, play, go to school, travel, shop, etc. Make a conscious effort to speak to the people you encounter and as you converse, be attentive to their needs and pray for them accordingly.

I am blessed to have met some pretty amazing people who belong to a fellowship group at Biltmore Baptist. Their group participated in a “love loud” outreach project before the new school year which allowed them to go out into their local community and “be the church.” They could not get permission from the school board to prayer-walk the schools so they opted to “prayer-work” instead. Apparently, budget cuts have prevented the school grounds from being adequately maintained during the summer break so volunteers armed with weed trimmers, blowers, rakes and brooms spruced up the school play-grounds while silently praying as they worked. After the job was complete and the equipment loaded back into their vehicles, the volunteers joined hands in a circle and prayed for the school, children, parents and faculty. A passer-by stopped on the side of the road, rolled down her window and thanked the crew for praying over the school. She stated that public prayer was very rare these days and that it touched her heart to see them with joined hands, praying in front of a public school.

We should remember to ask God for divine appointments as we are out praying. Be prepared to speak to the people you encounter and listen to them attentively. Be prepared to pray with them or minister to them if necessary BUT…you just never know, YOU may be the one who is ministered to that day…

While sitting in the Baton Rouge airport waiting to board my flight, I decide to pass the time by prayer-walking the waiting area. I specifically asked God to send me a divine appointment that day and he certainly did not disappoint me. As the time came and passed for my scheduled flight, it became quite evident I was going to miss my connecting flight. As I stood in the long line to change my ticket, I began talking to a lady named Wendy who was standing in front of me. Wendy loved her family deeply and began telling me about her daughter Mandy who she said was just about my age and just about my size. Mandy has suffered with kidney failure since the age of 6, had 2 kidney transplants which have since failed and is currently on the waiting list for a 3rd transplant. Mandy’s story and mine were incredibly similar having the same struggles that have us spend way too much time in the hospital (both with wonderful moms glued to our bedside) and to top it all off, we both had our transplant surgeries in Baltimore, MD.

After we had our tickets changed, she shared her story of her family moving to America when she was a small child and how she later made the decision to leave the Islam religion and accept Christ as her Lord and Savior. She told me of her daughter’s numerous near death experiences and how her family prayed for hours over Mandy pleading with God for his healing touch. They even had the doctors and nurses join them as they came in and out of the room. Well, by this time, just about the whole waiting area was trying to listen in to our conversation. As I started looking for something to write with for Wendy’s phone number, an elderly woman handed me her pen smiling and told us her daughter was a chaplain at the University of Maryland Medical Center (where I had my transplant surgery). She said as she was listening to our conversation, she began to thank God for her good health and for the long life He has allowed her on this earth, Next thing you know, it was 1:00pm – 5 hr delay but well worth the time.

As we said our goodbyes to go our separate ways, Wendy tells me that our meeting was certainly a “divine appointment.” I now have Wendy and her daughter Mandy in my heart and know specifically how to pray for them. I have had a tough year with my health but now if I get discouraged, I remember Mandy and her determination to fight past the infections, past the dialysis, past the transplant failures, past he months in ICU and I praise our Father in heaven for the health that I do have.

Stepping out into the WORLD

Prayer-walking an area before a mission is a form of strategic prayer used to prepare the soil for the word to be planted through the Gospel; paving the road for divine appointments and soul encounters. My friend Ronda who is in the mission field has a great testimony of how prayer-walking can impact an area, village or community. FC has announced upcoming mission trip opportunities later this year. If you are considering a future mission trip, I hope Ronda’s story will encourage you in your preparations. Remember to pray for the people living in the area as well as the missionaries who are going in to serve them, for hearts to be opened and eternities to be changed.

2007 China Mission
By Ronda Corn

In April of 2007, with the miraculous provision of the Lord, I set out with 4 other ladies on a 3 day journey by air and land bound for Kunming, China. I have visited several countries in my lifetime, but never have I imagined this small town mountain girl would ever find herself in a place as vast and densely populated as East Asia. This trip proved to be not only a venture of a life time, but also a spiritual awakening that was for me, as huge as the country I was visiting.

We were there to hold medical clinics for the Hani people who live in the high elevations of Yuanjiang, China which is located about 60 miles north of Laos, Vietnam. We traveled by van each day up mountains that had peaks so high they disappeared into the clouds and valleys so deep; they seemed to appear as bottomless pits. All around were rice terraces as far as the eye could see; too numerous for me to possibly count.

The views of this beautiful country were breathtaking but at the same time, the spiritual emptiness of its people was heartbreaking. It made me feel as though the life was being drawn out of me. You see, as I walked the streets of China, I realized that it is totally void of hope, joy and love The eyes of the thousands I passed daily on the streets were empty, dark and sad; very sad. Their faces had no expression, no smiles; no sign of happiness. Only hopelessness that was so vast it made me feel as if my chest was going to cave in. I have to be honest, with eyes wide open, taking all that I could in, my mind could only focus on the emptiness. I truly believe that through this mission trip, God revealed to me what total hopelessness looks like.

As we worked the medical clinics, crowds of people had to physically be held back to prevent them from bombarding us for help. We had only minimal supplies such as Ibuprofen, Tylenol and antibiotics and only a few interpreters, but even so, we managed to see 1500 patients in 5 days and to physically exam 500 children for malnutrition. During this time, we prayed continuously. We cried out to the Lord for these people; silently screaming to God for help. Help for the lost who have never heard the name of Jesus. We “Prayer-Walked” in a sense as we worked the clinics; praying over each child as we weighed and measured them. The beautiful faces of these children will be forever etched in my mind and heart. I wanted to bring each one of them home with me to love, nurture and care for them. After we finished our work in the clinics, we found time to “prayer-walk” throughout the different villages.




We returned home by way of Hong Kong for debriefing. A thirty year veteran missionary stated that when “prayer-walking” teams walk and pray in areas prior to mission teams coming in, there is a fourfold increase in salvations. This statement was huge for me because it brought home the fact that we all need to be prayer-walking, no matter where we are and who we are with. At the stop light when we look over and see the sadness of the person in the car next to us, when driving into our subdivision, at the grocery store, at the ballgame, at the bank…WHERE EVER we are!!

God, please HELP us get this….PRAYER is our greatest tool to fight the enemy of Satan! We MUST understand this, I must understand this. Thank you Father for allowing me this journey to open my eyes and may it work in opening up the eyes of others!

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I pray that you have been encouraged to join in mission with Christ to save a lost and dying world. Take the prayer-walking challenge to “step up” and “step out” INTO your neighborhood, continue PAST your neighborhood and right out into the WORLD. Walk, pray and talk to God about the people you see and encounter; YOU just may be the first and only person to ever say a prayer for them.

sdg

Won't you be my neighbor? - Prayerwalking Part 1

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood……..

I, for one, was very happy when Pastor Kirk chose to use the childhood classic Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood as a theme for our current series at Fellowship Church. My little sister and I loved watching Mr. Roger’s neighborhood because he was truly a caring neighbor; always making us feel welcome and special. He is often remembered as the world’s best neighbor and well, I have to admit, his theme song was pretty unforgettable as well. Wouldn’t it be great if every day was a beautiful day in our neighborhood…just like his? – happy, peaceful and safe. The reality however, is that even if there are any neighborhoods that exist in this world just like his, they are very few and far between. Sometime there are no solutions for the needs in our neighborhood and the only thing we can offer them is prayer.

Besides being a teacher and television host, Fred Rogers was also a man of faith described as “an example of a Christian man who made a conscious choice to live his life as a Christian layman.” In the book, The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers, Spiritual Insights from the World's Most Beloved Neighbor, author Amy Hollingsworth states that before each show he prayed, "Dear God, let some word that is heard be Yours." So I wonder…do you think that maybe, just maybe, one reason why every day was such a beautiful day in his neighborhood was because after changing into that groovy cardigan sweater and styling blue sneakers, he physically left the comforts of his picture perfect home to prayer-walk his neighborhood?

Who are the people in our neighborhood?

Well, if you leave Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood and take a right on Sesame Street, you will find the answer from another classic children’s song – “…they are the people that you meet when you’re walking down the street. They’re the people that you meet each day.”

Jesus commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves. He describes a neighborly neighbor as the Good Samaritan who crossed cultural boundaries by showing compassion and mercy on a Jewish man who was beaten up by bandits and left injured on the side of the road. (Luke 10:25-37) This teaches us that the people in our neighborhood are not determined by culture, race or creed, but consist rather of all who are in need made in the image of God. Life is hard and beats people up. We must remember that there are many hurting people outside the walls of our church who, just like the Jewish man, are painfully looking to us for us to bandage their wounds with compassion and mercy asking us, “Won't you please, won't you please? Please won't you be my neighbor?”

Let’s make the most of this beautiful day… Since we’re together we might as well PRAY….

If we as Christians are going to have any kind of meaningful impact in a lost and hurting world, it not enough for us to simply “BE IN CHURCH” every Sunday; we must go out into our neighborhood to love and “BE THE CHURCH” each and every day of the week. Prayer-walking is a powerful way to be the church and love our neighbors. I first learned about prayer walking from my dear friend Ronda who works in the mission field. I discovered that even though the term prayer-walking was new to me, the concept was something I have done before not realizing the powerful impact it could have in other people’s lives. Ronda has certainly been a wonderful neighbor to Fellowship Church; first serving in the relief efforts that helped our community in the aftermaths of hurricane Gustav. While working the disaster, she was able to meet and encourage some of the hurricane victims to join FC and then returned to FC earlier this year to train our ladies about the powerful tool of prayer-walking. She has an amazing testimony of prayer walking in China which will be featured in my prayer-walking blog part 2 about the different places where we should prayer-walk and prayer-walking experiences from these places.

So what exactly is prayer walking you may ask? Prayer-walking is praying “on-site with in-sight.” It is a method of intercessory prayer for the people and circumstances you observe while out walking, jogging or driving to or near a particular location. Of course we could always pray at church or inside the comforts of our home for our neighbors, but by physically going out to pray on location, we are better able to visualize what God wants to do in the lives of the people who live, work and play there. When we leave our home to pray for our neighbors, it opens our eyes to their pain, hurt, and emptiness. The things we see, hear, smell and feel help connect us to their world enabling us to gain a greater understanding of their needs so that we can become more specific in our prayers for them.

We are ALL called to be on mission with Christ. Prayer-walking is intentional prayer toward the Great Commission and is focused toward specific nations, cities, locations and people that need Jesus. When prayer-walking, we should not only pray for the needs you see but we must also ask God for salvations and be mindful of what death without Christ means for every person you encounter. Always remember while prayer-walking you not only have the ability to change your neighbor’s lives but also change their eternities. (I will be posting a 3rd blog in the prayer-walking series that will discuss how to help our neighbors know for sure they will spend eternity in Heaven.)

Where should I prayer walk and what I should pray....

God’s Word calls for us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) basically, you should prayer walk everywhere you go while staying in constant communication with God about everything you observe. This takes a lot of practice at first but eventually becomes second nature. Ronda has been a great mentor for me in this as she truly lives a life of unceasing prayer. She has a high spiritual perception of her surroundings praying as she notices different people and certain situations I may have otherwise over looked. I have seen her pray for people she encounters in restaurants, grocery stores, at a traffic light, she lets the Holy Spirit guide her and every time she sees a need, she reacts in prayer at that very moment. As prayer-walkers, we need to train ourselves to be more perceptive of needs and react in prayer.

Before you can pray for others, you first must be right with God yourself. Confess your sins to God and accept His forgiveness. You will then be a clean vessel ready for God’s use in prayer. “Search me, O God, and know my heart ... ” (Ps. 139:23-24); “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1John 1:9).

The very first place where I would suggest you start prayer-walking is your own home. Have your family join you and prayer-walk from the front door through the back door, all the rooms in-between and out onto your property praying blessings, over your family, home and all the possessions God has entrusted you with, Every time I have guests, I prayer-walk my home asking God to use my home as a peaceful haven for them, that they feel His presence as they enter my house and for opportunities of conversations about Christ.

Next, get your feet wet by walking out your front door and take part in Pastor Kirk’s challenge to prayer-walk in your very own neighborhood. Look around and ask the Lord to show you what he wants you to see and how you should pray. The idea is to be the eyes, ears, hands and feet for Jesus. Use all your senses and rely on the Holy Spirit to direct your actions and prayers. For example, when I see a For Sale sign, I pray for a quick sale and a fair price. I pray for the people who will buy the new home; that this home will be a blessing for their family. If I see an overgrown lawn, I pray for healing of the circumstances that may be the cause of the family from not being able to tend to their lawn. If I see new neighbors, I walk over to introduce myself and offer information about our community. Toys and bicycles on the front lawn prompt me to pray for the children; that they start a journey with Christ early in life. Now is also a great time to pray over them as they start a new school year. When I hear or see an ambulance with flashing lights, I pray for physical and spiritual healing. I also pray for the paramedics, nurses and doctors who will care for this person. Pray when you see broken automobiles, stray animals, vacant house, etc. The possibilities are limitless; just look around and let the Holy Spirit guide your prayers. Pray silently and/or quietly, pray God’s Word, pray blessings and claim God’s love, compassion and mercy for everyone you pray for. The more you become conscious of this, the easier it will become.

Other places you can prayer walk are: government buildings, churches, locations for possible new-church starts, schools, hospitals, business areas, and disaster areas, locations of mission work or sites of other and false religions. I will discuss some of these areas in the prayer walking part 2 blog but our first challenge from Pastor Kirk is for us at Fellowship Church to go out and “be the church” by prayer-walking in our local neighborhoods. Check out the Fellowship Church “Won’t you be my neighbor” guide part 3 for more information about prayer-walking and about our challenge.

I’m so excited to see what God is going to do in Prairieville, La. Can you imagine the impact it would have in our city if every single person who lives here is prayed for? Take the challenge, do your part, love your neighbor, pray for your neighbor and maybe, just maybe there will come a day when every day in Prairieville, will be a beautiful day in the neighborhood and everyone will want to live in a neighborhood just like ours!

Mission Possible

Back from another great adventure in the Blue Ridge mountains where I had the honor of attending the annual Missions Global Impact Celebration at Biltmore Baptist Church in Asheville, NC.

My dear friends Randy and Ronda Corn are Mission Service Corp Missionaries who have hearts for Jesus like none I had ever met before. Over the past year, they have been my spiritual mentors, and the driving force behind my decision to deepen my relationship with the Lord. If I was just to have one friendship like this in my entire life time, I would be tremendously blessed. But as usual, God doesn’t like to stop at just one blessing. No, He went even further by using that rare friendship as a means to introduce me to and bless me with multitudes of great Christian people in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. Great Christian people I am honored to now call my friends as well.

During this past year, God has also used our friendship as a means to introduce me to a whole new world that I have never been exposed to before – The world of missions - A world where people not only LIVE their life for the Glory of God but willing to DIE for His Glory as well. One of the greatest spiritual adventures I ever experienced was my most recent trip to Asheville, NC when Randy and Ronda invited me to attend the Biltmore Baptist Church Global Impact Celebration.

This celebration is an annual event where many of the local, national and international missionaries and ministries gather together at their home church in an effort to bring the world to the church; educating and allowing the congregation to experience missions first hand while celebrating how God is using the missionaries to impact people all over the globe. It was truly amazing to hear the many testimonies of God’s work through these missionaries. From a single mother in the local community, to a family in small town Louisiana, to an entire village in the most remote areas of West Africa…eternities are being changed each and every day.

The celebration was kicked off with a Wednesday night service that left me knowing I was right smack in the middle of God’s presence. Imagine if you can, a full brass orchestra filling the entire sanctuary with sweet, soul felt music and the gospel choir belting out the powerful song Mighty to Save; all while hundreds of youth march down the aisles carrying the flags of all the different countries represented in the celebration. Next, the Zambian vocal group took the stage and no orchestra or band was required as the rich; jubilant sounds of this 5 member group poured into our hearts as they harmonized joyful songs of praise and worship to the Lord in their native language. The band, orchestra and Choir returned to end the night with a heart moving song with words that will be forever ingrained in my mind and heart…

Take my hands, Lord
And my feet
Touch my heart, Lord
And speak through me
If You can use anything Lord
You can use me

I tell you I was ready to pack my bags and go wherever God needed me. God’s presence was surely felt throughout the church that night.

There were a variety of different events planned throughout the 5 day celebration for the church congregation to participate in; giving them a unique perspective of what mission work is like. There were luncheons and dinners with seniors, church leaders and staff members, presentations to smaller connect groups, pot luck dinners in people’s homes, a women’s hike and a men’s golf tournament; all of which were opportunities for the church to hear testimonies, ask questions and learn the intimate details of each missionary’s work.

The best way, however, for someone to learn about mission work is to simply roll up their sleeves and get dirty with “hands on” experience. On Saturday, each missionary teamed up with a connect group for their community outreach project “Love Loud”. Nearly 1,000 members of Biltmore Baptist stormed the city of Asheville to love on the people as they served schools, hospitals, nursing homes and families in need. What an awesome demonstration of Jesus’ unconditional love!!

The 5 day Celebration ended on Sunday with a Festival of Cultures where each missionary “dressed the part” in their perspective national costumes or uniforms and had their own booth with pictures, displays, pamphlets and cultural items allowing them one more chance to showcase their ministry and give the congregation a small glimpse of mission life.

I feel tremendously blessed to have had the opportunity spend the week in the company of some pretty amazing people. I got email addresses, phone numbers, invitations to visit in the mission fields and even a few offers to help me start some of the community based ministries right in my own church here in Louisiana. I will never forget the love and hospitality I felt from these people. It was nothing short of amazing.

These dedicated people who serve here in North America, Haiti, Kenya, Liberia and Mexico deeply love the people they are serving. I heard countless stories of missionaries who set out on a mission to bless people in need but in the end, they were the ones who received the biggest blessing of all. All these missionaries believe they need the people they are called to help more than the people need them.

I walked away from this experience feeling deeply encouraged. I have the upmost respect and admiration for these amazing angels in disguise who for their love of the Lord, selflessly leave their family, friends, familiar surroundings and comforts of home and in some case, risking their lives so that others may have the opportunity to know and experience the power of God’s love and grace.

Although God may never call me to plant a Church in Guatemala, care for orphans in Haiti or minister to tribal areas in the African bush, I do feel He is calling me to have that same faithful obedience, compassion and sacrifice as those who are serving in those areas.

I now have a new theme that has been placed on my heart and it’s called Mission Possible (Just look around - the possibility to join in mission with Christ is all around you.) You don’t always have to travel to foreign countries to find people who need to hear the Gospel and experience God’s love and mercy. Many can be found right here in our own country, in our own community and sometimes, they can even be found in our very own family.

-sgd-

Perfect Number SEVEN

The number seven is considered “God’s perfect number”. Starting from the book of Genesis all the way through the book of Revelation, the number seven appears in the Holy Bible more than any other number and in almost all references, symbolizes God’s perfect completion. God uses the number seven not only to reveal the beginning of time as the seventh day marks the completion of His creation but also uses it to reveal the end of times as the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet will mark the completion of the mystery of God. In the Bible, you will find seven days of creation, seven churches, seven spirits, seven stars, seven trumpets, seven seals, seven plagues…well you get the picture – The number seven is a very significant number to God.

The number seven is pretty significant to me as well as it was 7 years ago today that I received a 3 am wake up call that would change my life forever. After living 20 years with diabetes, 4 years with kidney failure and after 13 months on a pancreas transplant waiting list that resulted in 6 calls that were false alarms, the nurse on the phone was notifying me that call number 7 was the “real deal”; I was the best match for a pancreas that had become available and I needed to get to the University of Maryland Medical Center as soon as possible.

By 6am, I was on a plane with my brother Mark bound for Baltimore Maryland. The plan was to receive a simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplant where I would get a pancreas from a cadaver and a kidney from my brother. I knew my life was about to be dramatically changed physically but I had no idea what was about to happen to me spiritually.

I remember my mom saying she prayed during the entire trip to Baltimore asking God not for one miracle that day but many miracles. Well all I can say is God certainly heard her prayer that day because He kicked started the day with an incredible miracle and has never stopped since. Yes God’s perfect number is seven and in the past seven years, He has given me seven perfect miracles.

Miracle 1:
My brother was prepped to donate the kidney and just as he was taken to surgery, my surgeon received a call that John Hopkin’s Hospital had received the matching kidney for my pancreas; they decided they couldn’t use it and was offering it to me. My surgeon accepted it; I got both organs from the same donor and my brother was spared at the very last moment. (BTW I have nicknamed him Isaac)

Miracle 2:
After the transplant, I developed a staph infection on the pancreas which caused a serious threat to both me and the pancreas. After a 5 week battle and after a tremendous amount of spiritual self-discovery, God healed me; the pancreas survived and I got to take him home with me from the hospital.

Miracle 3:
In 2004 I experienced a serious bout of acute pancreas rejection and once again found myself in an intense battle to save the pancreas. After a week of an aggressive therapy treatment, the rejection was overturned and the pancreas survived.

Miracle 4:
The 20 years of diabetes had caused the nerve endings in my stomach to become paralyzed; I was no longer able to properly digest food and was suffering from malnutrition. In 2005, I was told I would need a feeding tube indefinitely but after only 7 months, I was able to start eating on my own and the tube was removed.

Miracle 5:
In 2007, both my transplanted kidney and pancreas went into chronic rejection and failure. I was told the damage was irreversible and I needed dialysis, would need another kidney transplant and would have to start taking insulin again. Then just after completing a training class for dialysis, both organs began rejuvenating itself and all the levels of my blood work came down. I was able to come off of insulin and didn’t have to undergo dialysis.

Miracle 6:
The many years of diabetes had also caused me to lose most of my vision. In 2008, my vision was restored from 20/200 to 20/25 in my left eye allowing me see more clearly and drive for the first time in 4 years.

Miracle 7:
(And the best miracle of all) I was able to finally find a church to call home, rededicated my life to the Lord and was baptized in the name of JESUS!

The past 7 years has been a roller coaster ride with lots of peaks, steep drops and loops in-between requiring me to hang on with a tight grip and keep my seat belt buckled at all times. God has used the falls in my physical health to cause a rise in my spiritual health as I have learned to seek and trust Him like never before. I have learned that there are times when God will break me down but it is only so He can build me up stronger than before. He allowed me to reach a point where it was absolutely clear to me and everyone around me that no doctor, treatment or drug could help me and then stepped in to “show off” in a way that only He can. I have learned that when I am helpless, I am certainly not hopeless; that when I am at my weakest, He will be at His strongest. God has blessed me with the opportunity to experience Him as my JEHOVAH-ROPHE -"The Lord Who Heals. "

In the Bible, the number seven means perfect, complete; finished. I know these past seven years have been perfectly planned by God allowing me to become more spiritually complete but somehow I get the feeling that God is not finished with me just yet. My prayer is that God will use me seventy times seven to be a testimony of His amazing grace, unconditional love, and miraculous healing power.

SDG

The True Cost of Our Freedom

Today Americans will gather together for parades, fireworks and enjoy picnics of hamburgers, hot dogs and apple pie, all to celebrate something that is truly valuable to us all - our freedom. I thank God for the many freedoms I have while living in this great country. Freedom to worship Our Lord, vote for our government’s leaders, freedom to live and work where I choose and when I need to get away, the freedom to travel from sea to shining sea and visit the purple mountain’s majesty. Freedom, however, is definitely not “free”. We place great value on our freedom and everything that has a value has a cost.

America did not start out as a free country. Over 200 years ago, Our forefather’s paid dearly to purchase this nation’s freedom from the bondage of English oppression and experienced first hand the tremendous value of freedom. However, the battle to protect our rights and freedom did not stop there as our precious freedom is continuously threatened. Ever since the first bullet was fired in the early Revolutionary War to the current war in Afghanistan, countless men and women have paid and are still paying the price for our freedom.

I have many friends and family members who have served in Japan, Europe, Korea, Vietnam, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. My grandfather, Donna Dieu Aymond, was a decorated veteran of World War II, Last year, I had an amazing opportunity to visit France and with the research of my uncle, we where able to track my grandfather’s path from where he landed on D-Day at Utah beach in Normandy down to Paris where he participated in their liberation of the city and where Nazi Germany ultimately surrendered to the Allied Forces. Just like many soldiers who are called to defend our freedom, my grandfather had to leave his bride, baby girl, home, and everything that was constant in his life to fight in a war on foreign soil where everything was unfamiliar and his future was unknown - he didn’t know whether he would live or die, if he would ever see his family again or if they would even win the war making all of their sacrifices in vain.

As a walked the shore line of Utah beach in Normandy, I remember standing in the water and looking up to the bluffs above where the German bunkers still remain to this day. I tried to imagine the terror and fear that must have consumed my grandfather as he was dropped in cold, choppy sea water trying to fight his way up the shore dodging sniper fire and cannon fire while bogged down with wet and heavy military gear. I cant even begin to imagine the horrible living conditions and atrocities he faced and endured as he battled the Germans liberating each town one at a time along the coast of France up to Belgium down to Paris. As I walked the Avenue des Champs-Elysees in Paris and saw the famous Arc de Triumph, I imagined the pride my grandfather must have felt after the liberation of Paris as the American and liberated French soldiers marched together in a victory parade while crowds cheered them on waving flags and banners of thanks.

Like many others, my grandfather served his country with great pride and honor. My grandfather came home to a hero’s welcome but there were many others who didn’t come home at all. I was moved to tears as I visited the American Cemetery located on a bluff overlooking the English Channel where the remains of over 9,000 American soldiers lie in graves all pointing westward to their homeland of the United States. The blood of these brave soldiers was the ultimate sacrifice for their country. To every man and woman who have ever made a selfless sacrifice to help pay the high price of protecting our freedom, our rights and the rights of others, I honor and thank you.

Although I thank God for the freedom we Americans enjoy all over this great land, there is an even greater freedom that I give thanks for today. Over 2000 years ago, our Father in heaven came down to this earth as a man and made the most immense and important sacrifice known to mankind. With his blood, Jesus Christ paid the price in full to purchase our freedom from the bondage of sin. Just as my grandfather and the men who served on D-Day knew the invasion was inevitable, planned and was the only way to defend man’s right to freedom, Jesus Christ knew the crucifixion was an inevitable part of Gods plan and was the only way for His people to have spiritual freedom once and for all. The death of a soldier is usually the result of a mission that went horribly wrong but the death of Jesus Christ was the result of a greater mission that went exactly to plan.

Jesus was in such anguish over what He knew He was to endure that he physically sweat drops of blood out of His pours. Most soldiers knowing they will die if they advance any further may either retreat or surrender. Jesus did neither. Knowing exactly what fate lied ahead, Jesus advanced where He knew the Roman Soldiers were waiting for Him. The soldiers mocked Him and beat Him mercilessly beyond recognition with a barbed whip until His flesh peeled off his body. He was forced to carry a 300lb cross up a mountain and was later nailed to that same cross with 7 inch iron spikes that were driven though his wrists and feet. God’s very own son who was both innocent and sinless died one of the most slow and disgraceful deaths ever known to mankind - all for the sake of our spiritual freedom. Can you imagine any greater love than that? Jesus loved us SO much that He thought our souls were worth all the horrible suffering He would have to endure.

Jesus paid the ultimate price for us to have spiritual freedom and in order for you to enjoy that freedom it will cost you something as well. You will have to realize you are a sinner, know that your sins separate you from God then repent and turn away from those sins. You have to believe that Jesus died for our sins and that his cross is the bridge that connects us back to God. You have to invite Him in to your heart and then live your life for Him. That may seem like a high price for some people but just look at what it buys you - A freedom that can never be taken away, and the right to live eternally with Jesus and Our Father in paradise.

Just as the Statue of Liberty stands tall in New York Harbor and serves as a reminder to all Americans of the sacrifices made for our right to freedom, the cross that stood tall on Calvary Hill serves as a reminder to all Christians of the ultimate sacrifice Jesus Christ made for our right to spiritual freedom. Lady Liberty stands with her right hand stretched out holding a torch to light the way welcoming visitors to a land of freedom where Jesus Christ stretches out BOTH arms and IS the light welcoming all His people to an eternity of freedom. The generations that came before us valued God’s role in achieving our freedom so much that they founded this nation on the great principles of “in God we trust” and “one nation under God.” My hope and prayer is that my generation along with all future generations will also come to know the true value of God in our lives and to always remember that the sacrifices of our forefathers gave us the rights FOR religious freedom and not the rights FROM religious freedom.

Catching A Little Glimpse of Heaven

Blue Ridge Mountains - South Carolina


Looking Glass Falls - North Carolina

Trunk Bay - St. John, USVI


Sapphire Beach - St. Thomas, USVI

It seems like I've been caught in a whirlwind these past couple of weeks, living out of a suitcase, meeting myself coming and going. In case you haven’t figured it out by now, I love, love, love to travel and anytime I have the opportunity to venture outside of this little house on the Prairie(ville), I do so. My most recent venture began Memorial Day weekend where I got to spend 5 days in the beautiful Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains for some R&R and quality time with two dear friends. I flew home on Monday and went straight from the airport to visit a sick friend to give my love and final farewell before he went to be with The Lord. I was home for 4 days and for 3 of those days, I managed to book a stay at my favorite Bed and Breakfast AKA Our Lady of the Lake Hospital forcing me to cancel a flight I had scheduled to the Caribbean. (guess my body just felt the need for a bit more R&R at the old B&B). Check out time was 3:00pm on Friday which gave me enough time to go home, reschedule the flight I missed the day before and finish packing for my next big adventure. Mom and I left at 3:00am on Saturday, boarded a plane at 6:00am and flew to St Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands where we arrived just in time to witness my handsome cousin and his beautiful bride exchange wedding vows as the sun set over the Caribbean. I then spent 5 incredible days with my family on the Island of St Thomas surrounded by an amazing view of God’s most beautiful artwork. During my stay in St Thomas, I received the call that my oldest nephew became a father to a beautiful baby girl, my first “great” niece, Oakley Rose.

From sitting on a deck gazing at the mountains of the Carolinas to standing on the beaches of St Thomas, the scenery was truly majestic, reminding me of God's infinite creativity. It was amazing to see so many different shades of the brilliant colors God used to paint the earth. It was as if He dipped a paintbrush on every color on the paint palette and splashed it across His earthly canvas. Every day He would take the time to start over and paint a completely different masterpiece for us all to admire. In the evenings, the sky would turn marvelous shades of red, pink, lavender and gold and then the sun would disappear behind the mountains in the Carolinas and would seem to just sink into the ocean in the Caribbean. The beaches of St Thomas were covered with white sand glistening in the sunshine and lush coconut palm trees swaying in the breeze The water, oh my goodness, the water took my breath away as it sparkled with every shade of blue imaginable just depending on how the sunlight hit it. Each morning I would awake to chirping birds as if tiny little angels were singing “wake up and see that God is all around you.” At one point, I remember thinking WOW, I am right smack in the middle of His divinity and just think, all of this is just a mere glimpse of what heaven will be like. I can’t remember the last time I was able to clearly see such brilliant colors. How awesome it is that God has chosen to restore my vision and allow me to see such radiant beauty that only a year ago would not have been possible.

As I sat on a ferry boat crossing the waters from the island of St Thomas to St John, I looked out onto the seemingly endless blue ocean and it immediately became apparent to me just how BIG God really is. I got a reassuring feeling that I am indeed sustained by a mighty God with infinite power greater than I can ever imagine. Our Father, who spoke the entire universe into existence, is much greater than the deepest waters of the Caribbean and the highest mountain peaks of the Carolinas. There is nothing too big or too small that we can bring to our Father. Our circumstances in relation to God are like grains of sand on the beaches that can be washed away by the mighty ocean.

It was rather intriguing to watch the brown pelicans as they would hover overhead then dive straight down into the water like a torpedo, creating a loud splash and coming up with their beaks filled with an assortment of fish. It reminded me of how God provides for my every need. Why do I worry about the stability of my career, my health and my future when I know His hand of protection is always upon me? He is always there besides me, and has never failed me. If He provides the pelicans with an entire ocean filled with fish, how much more would he provide for us if we only trust Him completely to do so? Those pelicans have no worries as they are completely dependant upon God. That is how we should all live our lives. Worrying about our future is like standing on a beach and seeing enormous waves in the far distance. As we trust and remain near God, the waves break down becoming smaller and smaller as they approach us and if they ever do reach the shore, they merely brush over our feet.

These past weeks have not only been a physical journey but also an emotional journey taking me straight up to the mountain peaks then way down to the sandy beaches as I experienced a bunch of amazing waterfalls, incredible sunrises and majestic sunsets in between. I have been awe struck by the beauty of this earth, experienced the joy and love that only family and friends can give, felt the pain of illness, the mercy of healing, the bliss of a wedding, the sorrow of a life ending and the elation of one just beginning. I have cried until I had no more tears left inside and laughed until my side ached in pain. I am thankful for both the physical and emotional journey because in the midst of it all, I got to experience God’s glory, grace and tenderness. He showed me that in a world filled with trials, pain and suffering, there is simultaneously a world filled with God’s beauty that can soothe our souls, calm our fears, and heal our pain.

Whether we are boat riding on a mountain lake with friends, strolling on an island beach with family or simply sitting in our own backyards alone, God’s glory is evident in everything and everyone around us. No matter where you are or what your circumstances, take the time to reflect on the beauty of God's glory. Always look at the scenery around you as if it was for the very first time and spend each moment with your loved ones as if it was the very last…you just may catch a small glimpse of heaven for yourself.

Touched By Angels

Many of you remember the Disaster Relief teams that helped our community after Hurricaine Gustav. Over the past nine months I have grown to be dear friends with a couple of very special angels God sent to Prairieville, La to help our community with the recovery efforts. It is with the highest honor and greatest privilege that I now call these people my family. Here is a story I wrote about how the teams impacted our Church and community. It was published on the North American Mission Board website. Click on the link below to read the article on the NAMB website:
http://www.namb.net/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=9qKILUOzEpH&b=5183849&ct=6994591