Restful Sabbath!

Yesterday, we had the opportunity to spend most of the afternoon with some really good friends. They had been here for some of the conferences which had been running in conjunction with our school so we met up with them for an afternoon at one of the little beaches close by. They took care of boogie boards so he and I could hit some waves and in essence have the waves hit us back.

We don't have the pictures at this time, since Lesa does not like to use the digital camera but we do have some action shots of us on some of the biggest waves I ever been pounded by.

It has been great having these guys around at the same time we are here, since we only get to see them when they travel back to the states. It is always fun to catch up with old friends and spend time hearing what God has been doing in all of our lives.

The kingdom of God is truly built on relationships and we a grateful for the good friends God has put in our lives over the years, which have been a part of building His kingdom in us and others around us.

It was a restful time to sit with friends and enjoy the massiveness of God's creation (ocean swells and waves bigger than any I have seen before in person). We loved our sabbath rest and enjoyed some quality time with friends. Time spent with people, is time spent with God and we finished our day with them around the table in our room enjoying dinner together.

Thanks Lord for friends who will stand with us in prayer and friendship.

Aloha and thanks for reading;

Hard Days

Though this is a life Lesa and I have chosen to live and we feel we are being obedient to what God has been asking us sometimes the days are still hard. Jesus never told us it would always be easy, in fact He said we would never be given more than we could handle. This essentially says we will go through the hard stuff but it will not be too much to walk as long as we walk with Him.

This being said and understood as truth, sometimes the days are just hard and we need God's strength to make it through. We are in such days and have been for a little while now as we have walked back into a life and community where we have not been for several years. We want to be obedient to all things God has laid down for us and this is our intent, along the way however things can begin to seem unbearable so we learn to trust in His faithfulness more each day and event.

Though we are walking through hard days and needing to see God's provision in so much right now (especially a home of our own), we are grateful for His love and care for us in the midst not just from a distance.

Adam & Eve chose to disobey choosing death over life, the serpent didn't lie about being like God when he spoke in the garden he twisted the truth of what had already taken place. They had been created in the image of God (being like God) and God being full of truth had given them the truth of life; he twisted the truth to making them believe God was holding out and not being honest. From that day forward we were given the option to obey or disobey, it is still our choice. Though we don't always understand, we choose to obey and walk in the truth we have been given.

God is faithful and though sometimes it feels we have no hope, the truth is He is our hope. If He cares for the sparrows and even the 5Th sparrow (this has more meaning being the 5Th) I can trust that He cares for us to.

Space of our own #2

Hey everyone. I just wanted to update those of you who read our page on the house situation. We are still looking at and praying for the house we checked out about 2 Mondays ago where we would be able to stay for 11 months. It would be temporary, however we would have some room of our own and breathing room giving us time to settle and discover what God is wanting us to do for the future. The home would also offer us space to bring not only people but also our dogs.

As you know, we believe God has put the desire in our hearts for community building within the people we know and others who we will meet and in order to have place for this to happen we need some space to invite people into. We believe community is discovered and relationships built in homes and around the table, this is one reason why we continue to cry out for a home of our own. Rather than look into buying a house or signing some contract on an apartment we believe this is a better option at this time. It gives us a home within walking/riding distance, room for guests and a place for our dogs to be with us again.

As of right now we sent out many requests for people to join us in this step of faith having gotten some response we are still short by about $800 per month. We need to raise $1250 per month above what we have at this time and have raised only $450.

We are believing God for the rest and we are asking those of you who want to pray with us to join in our requests. We need to have some answers for the owners soon as we have talked with them and they are not pursuing anyone else as of yet, however we can't continue to keep them waiting.

The move would take place at either the end of July or early August.

Please pray and if you want to participate in the support, please let us know.

Until later

A Space of our own!

For those who read this and are married you will understand the need for space of your own; not away from your spouse necessarily, but away from everyone else so you have alone time. Also if you read this as a single person you may need space away from roommates our whom ever. This is the place where we find ourselves these days and we have been praying for several months for God's provision. Coming back into YWAM meant selling all we had to make the move and of course one of those things was our own home. Since getting back here at the end of February we have lived in three different basements and have had little privacy. Though we are extremely grateful to our friends who allowed us to stay with them the first few weeks (we know it disrupted their lives as well) it has been hard to move from one place to another over the last few months.

We are currently living in a basement which is smaller than our family room in Georgia, however we do have our own kitchen and bathroom; this is a lifesaver for us since we enjoy spending time together cooking and preparing meals. It is small but it's a kitchen.


As of right now we are looking at a place to rent for 11 months starting in August. We would have our own space so we could have friends as well as guests and it is set up for our dogs to be there as well. Right now we are trusting God for His provision and praying for enough support to pay the housing cost and need it to take place by Friday. We know God is concerned with our needs and HE takes care of sparrows and us.

We are grateful for the provisions we have seen thus far and are praying for God to open this place which has been placed before within the past few days.

If you pray please join us in our journey.

Until later

Happenings

Well spring has sprung and the snow is gone (as for right now at least). We actually had some falling 2 days ago after having had 82 degrees the day before. Anyway welcome to Colorado weather.

We are really enjoying being back in what we both consider home. We live and work within a ten mile drive to Downtown Denver and about 20 mins into the hills. We love the sunshine which brightens our day more than 300 days a year and being around people who love life. This has been a very good move back and we are looking forward to many years ahead.

We are currently praying for a place of our own to live and have been asking God for a house within walking distance of the base, with a fenced backyard and plenty of room for guests. Our desire is to have a place for our dogs (which we need to pick by the end of the summer) but also a place close enough for people to visit from the YWAM base without needing to find a ride or go so far to get there. We have a heart to open our home for hospitality and need something which will enable us to do so.

We are excited to see how God will work this out and look forward to sharing His provisions along the way.

If you pray, please join us in asking God for wisdom and guidance; along with these we need to see His provisions for the needed finances and such in order to have the home we believe He desires for us to have.

Hope all is well with you and we look forward to sharing more later.

The Journey Continues!

As we travel on, the journey continues! Having been back in Denver for about a month now, we are still acclimating to community life and adjusting to living in someone's basement and not our own place. There is an excitement in our hearts and we are expectant of the things God wants to do in our lives as we continue to follow in HIs steps.

We will try to keep this updated for the purpose of people catching up.

We would love to hear from you as well, so if you have time jot us a note sometime.

The Journey!

Well if you are actually reading this, you have probably been following our steps in the sell of the house and move back to Colorado. As of Wednesday of this week, we closed on the house in Georgia and are now back in Arvada (which is indeed home for us).

We spent several days in Estes Park with all the staff and this was a great retreat for Lesa and Me. As we sat in our meeting room, we could see the views of God's mountains with white caps and blowing snow outside of our door. We are now preparing to get started in the positions we will be working in for the next quarter and we are excited about this.

It is our hope that as you read these blogs, you will be able to take part in what God is doing in and through us.

The journey continues and we invite you to walk with us as we go.

Until later

I will deliver you !

Stand still and see what I will do! Many months back, we felt God sharing these words with us and just about a month ago Lesa and I found ourselves asking once again for what we saw as a miracle. After having lost the sell of our home at the end of January, I asked God one day to provide a buyer within the next three weeks. People had shared with us, from the very beginning of putting a for sale sign in our yard what the market was like; neither of us went into this blindly, however we were stepping out into what we had in our hearts God was leading us to do.

At the time (in September) we didn't have the next step or know why we were going back to Colorado, but we felt we were to make the changes to simplify our lives in many different ways. As we have walked once again into the unknown; trying to obey what we see and hear, this has been a journey in and of itself. It has not been without great emotional trials and we have had our days of doubts and wondering "what are we doing" types of questions. Yet in the midst of those days, we have seen God's provision, guidance and care as we are trying to walk.

"Be still and see what I can do" As we continued to pray for a buyer (which is not the only thing we have been seeking God about but it's one of the big things for us right now), Lesa had been reading in Exodus 12 concerning the deliverance of the Israelites, the fasting of yeast for the festivals and such. Having read this together, we felt there was a significance of the 14Th and 15Th day of the month we were in. We didn't know what it was, but we were praying for a buyer for our house on the 15Th. Not really thinking of the fact the 15Th was the Friday ending the 3 week period I had asked God for at the end of January.

After reading, praying and believing for a buyer we had 2 back to back showings on the house in this same week (Tuesday & Wednesday) and an offer was made on the house on Friday the 15Th. Having seen God's provision and feeling these were the people we wanted to have in the home, we accepted the offer.

We are now trying to close by next Friday or early in March. I find it hard to think we have sold the house until the papers are signed and we hand over the keys. It is evident to us God is moving in our lives and on our behalf, yet we know things can sometimes get in the way.

Stand still and see what I will do! Be still and I will deliver you! These are not idle words given to a group of people thousands of years ago, God still delivers today. Not everything is about financial deliverance, many times it is the heart being set free from bondage or heartaches. Wherever you find yourself in need, cry out! David (in the Psalms) said; "I cried out to you and you heard my cry and answered me; my cry reached your ears"

He still hears our cry and answers; this doesn't mean everything we are crying out for is going to be answered the way I or you want, be when we are asking with seeking hearts and right motives God will answer.

This is our story and the stories of many who came before us, and I am sure some who read this will have there own as well.

"Be still and see what I can do!"

Grace & Peace!

Grace and Peace to you! These are the words which Paul, the writer in the New Testament so often started or concluded his messages. Grace and Peace?

This morning, I heard a definition of this word grace which seems to convey the heart of God best (in my opinion); absolutely free expression of the love of God; finding its only motive, in the bounty and benevolence of God.

This is good right? We need this type of grace! We live in a world where people do things for another person, only to be recognized or have something done in return. This is happening around us all the time. I scratch your back you scratch mine; however Jesus' way is different. Grace; joy, pleasure, acceptance and favor; favor done without expectation of return.

This is grace!

Peace~shalom~ (complete/wholeness) even in the midst of strife. Peace is not the absence of strife, yet understanding God is with me in the strife.

We all want world peace, yet what this means for most people is having all wars cease, no fighting in the schools etc. etc. How would it change our world, if we all chose to live with grace and peace in our hearts and on our tongues?

Grace for our enemies, people who have wronged us and everyone else who seems to fit this criteria.

Just something I was confronted with and thought I would put out there!

Until later

Fighting!

As we sit here on January 30, 2008 we are fighting many feelings. We are having to fight against the feelings of anger towards the situation we now find ourselves in. Just last week at this time, we were finalizing the date of closing for our home and less than 48 hours later the buyer reneged on the contract. We were shocked and overwhelmed with the fact he has done this and it was not until a few days later that some aftershock of his decisions came to pass.

So here we are (for a lack of better words) back at point A again. Though we know God was not caught off guard or surprised, we were. This being the case, we are the ones walking through waiting and praying for God to show His provision once again. We are fighting the anger because, though we know the buyer chose to break the contract and in breaking it, also chose to make a few other decisions which highly effected us and the agreement we both signed; God is in control. We are not sure what He may be doing right now and what was started before the news was broken to us. One thing which makes it even harder, is having no one to walk with us through this time. We have a few friends at a distance but no real community here. This is one reason we are so encouraged and ready to move back to Denver, and yet we also know God has been teaching us things as well.

The tension and stress gets higher on some days, as we are both having to walk through our own personal feelings of what has and is taking place. These days are hard and though we know God never promised obedience would be easy, we have to be real with what we are going through; not only with Him but with others.

So we are fighting! Not only the feelings; we are fighting for the passion we have in our hearts and not willing to let it die. Not willing to allow circumstances to overcome the very desire we believe God Himself put into us. We believe He is our provider, not was sometime in the past, or for someone else; HE IS OUR PROVIDER and He is trustworthy!

Though we feel as if we were punched in the stomach, we have not and will not stay doubled over. We are pressing on and praying for blessings on this city as we prepare to leave.

We will keep fighting and if you are ready to fight alongside of us; we welcome you to the battle!

Shooting at YWAM Denver !

Since returning from Denver back in late December, we have spoken with many of you concerning the shooting which took place at the YWAM Denver base where we had spent many years and are now preparing to return to. After getting to Dublin where we currently live, we realized hardly anyone seemed to even know the shooting took place. This being the case, we wanted to post the press release which YWAM international sent out after the tragedy. As we are close with the leaders and many staff at the base, we ask for you continued prayers for God's healing and restoration here. Not only were we there for many years, we were also visiting the base during the time of the shooting and had the opportunity to watch God start the healing process for many. They have just started new schools at the beginning of this week (1/7/08) and have been trying to move along in the things of God. Thanks for your support for us and our YWAM family

Official Press Release from Youth With A Mission concerning the YWAM Denver shooting December 9th, 2007

A lone gunman entered a Youth With A Mission training center in the Denver, Colorado suburb of Arvada early Sunday morning, opening fire and hitting four members of the staff. All were taken to local hospitals and two later died of their injuries.

The two wounded remain in serious condition. The gunman has not yet been apprehended, and police are continuing their search for him.

The deceased have been identified as Tiffany Johnson, 26, from Minnesota, and Philip Crouse, 24, from Alaska. Both served as staff members at the Youth With A Mission Arvada campus. The third victim, Dan Griebenow, 24, has a bullet in his neck and is listed in critical but stable condition. The fourth victim Charlie Blanch, 22, suffered gunshot wounds to his legs.

Peter Warren, the Director of Youth with a Mission Denver says they had just finished a Christmas banquet when the suspect arrived and asked a 22-year-old woman from Minnesota if he could be housed for the evening. When she told him they could not house him, that's when, Warren says, the suspect opened fired with an automatic handgun, hitting four people. Police say they do not know whether the shooting was random or if there was a motive.

Warren says, "The young man – I don't know who he is; I don't think [the victims] knew him – but he must be going through a lot personally in his own life to do something like this. Our belief is that only God is the judge and our place is to forgive and that's a difficult thing to do, but really, I think it's the right thing to do," said Warren.

There are about 80 people living on the Arvada campus and they have been transported to the group's mountain campus near Golden, Colorado where they will stay while the murder investigation is processed at their residence. Warren says they are trying to deal with this situation as best as they can.

"There's no blueprint for this," said Warren. "You know, we're just going to be honest, we're going to pray with one another and cry with one another. These kids were like our kids, you know. It's just such a tragedy, but who knows what's going on in this young man's life."

Youth With A Mission (YWAM) is an international and interdenominational Christian movement with operating locations in 171 nations. Launched in 1960 as a means for young people to get involved in short-term missionary service, it now has over 16 000 staff working in 1180 centers and trains over 25 000 people each year to be involved in the organization’s primary goal – to know God and make Him known. YWAM is hugely varied in its approach, operating such ministries as drop-in centers for street children in South America; hospice care for AIDs victims in Africa; literacy and job creation programs throughout Asia; and is well known for its quick response and long-term commitment to global disasters, such as the 2006 tsunami.

YWAM International Chairman Lynn Green released this statement: "We feel a deep sense of loss today and we grieve with the families and those who were very close friends of the victims. Our surviving students and staff are being well cared for and we have total confidence in those who are responsible for the training program in Arvada to care for those who have been subjected to this assault.

"Those who lost their lives had dedicated themselves to serve and we feel the sorrow of their absence. Yet we take comfort from the assurance of everlasting life for those who follow Christ in loving service to others.

"It is a great tragedy that our culture seems to produce so many deeply troubled people who express their frustration in violence. We forgive the assailant and we rededicate ourselves to serving young people in the hope that we might bring healing to other needy youth."

House closing

Well hello once again. If you are reading this, you know we have been in much transition over the last several months; really the transition has been for a few years but who's counting.

Anyway with this current transition, we are waiting for a closing date to come in from the lawyer. We have been in contact with him, as well as the buyer and everything is being sent where it needs to go, but now we are waiting.

In order for all of this to go smoothly, the buyer has to get the inspections done and such and then everything has to be completed. It can go very quickly but we are asking mostly for all to go well with inspections. Please pray with us, nothing would hinder the purchase due to problems being found or nit picky items which inspectors sometimes come across. As far as we know, things are structurally sound and in order, however we would appreciate prayer.

Also as we look at the closing coming down the line, we are still unsure where we will be living after arriving in Colorado. With many friends in the area, we fell sure we will have a place to lay our heads, but we need a place for our dogs to lay theirs as well. (Insert picture Max and Maggie)

It has been our desire to take them along and we believe God brought them into our lives so He cares about them as well. Though it is harder to find a rental allowing dogs, it's not impossible; so we continue to pray. Not only are we praying for a rental, we have also been praying for God to provide some way for us to buy a home there as well. In no way do we wish to limit God; so we are believing Him for more than we can ask or even think; but we are also asking for things as well.

Please pray with us for God's provision and timing, as we expect and believe Him to do greater things than we can imagine. Lesa and I are excited to continue walking in the journey we are in and look forward to what God has in store.

We know where God leads, He will provide for our needs . It is not His promise to give us everything before we need it, but He does promise to take care of us as we walk. We will continue walking in obedience and His provision will come when we need it.

Thank you for joining with us and we pray God will direct you in your journey as well.

Until later

Another New Year

Here we are in 2008! Can you even believe how time seems to fly? Another year also brings many changes for us as we have said in the past muse and as of now we are in the middle of getting things together for the change.

As we look outside from our windows, we see dead grass and dying flowers; yet in the back of our minds we know it's only a matter of months when spring will come and life returns. In the same way, we feel life has returned to us; our hearts are filled with excitment as we prepare to take yet another step in our journey with God.

The places we have been, seen, served and followed so far, have not been our inheritance but only part of the inheritance. Together we have been in full-time ministry since 1995 and separately even longer. Those years have taught us much about God, others and especially ourselves; we have learned things within our hearts; likes/dislikes, gifts we have and some things we are just able to do which we don't neccessarily enjoy but have done for a season.

The question that many people like to have answered is "What is your dream/vision?" For us the dreams are many and cannot be taken down to simply one goal or 10 year plan; however, for right now our dream and vision is to discover community with others who love the nations and give of ourselves, in the experience we have to benefit the greater Body of Christ. We long to effect the nations of the world with the Love of Jesus and this can not be put into a 10 year plan. However this is a lifetime plan which we have been living and will continue to live.

For us, this means stepping back into a ministry where we live by support of friends and family who love and believe in us. For others it means flying planes, operating a business, caring for people as a medical professional or working in a factory. We believe God has a place for all of us in the fulfillment of His hearts desire; it is our desire that all of us find the part we play and it may be more than one. Whatever we are doing we should be doing unto the Lord and not just to get a paycheck or pay bills. These are things which have to be done, yet when our lives are consumed by the job only to make ends meet, life will seem much more meaningless. God's desire is to show us how we can bring glory to Him, as well as bringing heaven to earth with the way we live, even (if not especially) in the work place.

We are grateful for all the experience we have been able to gain, whether through being in a full-time ministry poistion or in the marketplace. God is still God and we depend upon Him in each thing, not just while we are in missions raising support. All of us have the opportunity to trust God more as we lay everything down to Him, realizing it's not the customers, business, or some other person who provides; it is God! God's call to us is total dependance upon Him, no matter the geographical or occupational setting we find ourselves in. Total dependance; with desire to answer, "yes Lord I will go!"

Missions and ministry are not just being done overseas or in established local churches; but in backyards, living rooms and around the tables of the world everyday. Our cry and desire (Vision if you will) is to see the "Body of Christ" be the Church God had in mind. Our longing is to see missions organizations working alongside of local churches (as we know it) as the Body of Chirst. It has been said "the local Church is the hope of the world", rather we believe "the Church is the hope of the world" when we are joining together to bring "heaven to earth rather than hell".

Another year and more changes, so many things have happened in our hearts and much more will be done in the future. This is the God we continue to serve with, a God who has so much in-store, we can't get it all at one time but He keeps showing us new things as we walk in obedience.

May this New Year be the starting of new things for you as well.

8 "I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. 9 See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare;before they spring into being I announce them to you." Isaiah 42:8 & 9