Extreme Makeover has begun...

Three weeks ago I sent out an email to the Urban Life family and friends about the promise that we will experience an Extreme Makeover. Already I'm seeing the requirement upon me to surrender the disappointments of the past and to trust the Lord one more time.

After sharing a special word about Jacob and how he had to get past his fear of losing Benjamin since he had lost Rachel and Joseph, I have found myself in deep thought as it applies to my life.
For me, Benjamin is my wife and sons. I don't want to lose them by stepping out into what seems to be another risky effort. In fact, no matter what we do, it is the same step that Jacob had to make. If we move forward, it's risky. If we stay, it's risky. Lord, guide my steps!

We are faced with some real choices now. My job will end in January 2011, so I have less than a year to decide what to do. Shall we continue with the efforts in Harrisburg or shall we prepare to move on?

The Spirit of God has made it clear that something greater is in store for us. We have an opportunity to prepare and train our children, the young adults of Urban Life, for the next level. I'm delegating more to them to carry the load. I'm completing the books that I'm supposed to write. I'm completing the songs I'm supposed to release.

Something has already happened and I just sense that we're supposed to prepare ourselves for the manifestation of what has already exploded for us in the spirit realm. Our extreme makeover has begun. Demolition has started and we are preparing for a new structure for our family, life and ministry.

Coming to the end of an era....

We're coming to the end of an era...a long season of wilderness testing and dream preparation. Many years ago our bishop was given a vision and in that vision, God called out our names (Chris and Carol) regarding the aspects of the vision that involved multimedia.

God sent us to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to get us ready for that calling. We thought it was all about starting a church. We thought it was about so many other things. But as times goes by, we can see more clearly what this has really been about.

For one, my wife has been connected with her mom and given an opportunity to bring much healing into her life. For her mom, it's been the answer to a prayer to see the genuine and real work of the Holy Spirit in her life and in the church. She's been able to get to know her grandsons. All of that would be reason enough for packing up and restructuring our lives to move 800 miles away from home and to see this happen in her life. The restoration of this one relationship makes it worth it all.

Another reason has involved connecting with the Carter family. Out of all the people that have come and gone through the years, only they have remained. It has been a deeply trying time for them, but they have hung in there. God sent us here to connect with them and we have a united purpose as families who will join with other families like them...who want the will of God for their lives....who want more than religion and routines.

Another reason is that it's been a season of growth and development for our sons. God only knows, but we are certain that we would have lost them to the violence or some other negative influence of the big city. Instead, the Lord placed us in a small town and gave us quality time to spend together with our sons.

Another reason for the season was to preserve my very life. After years of living on adrenaline and caffeine, rarely eating, and flying at a high energy level, I would have been dead for sure. I mean that for real. I would not be here. God took me out of fulltime ministry, put me on a regular job with weekends off, slowed me down, and gave me a balanced pace of living. I could never go back to the madness and pace of yesterday.

It's been a tough era. We weren't able to do much for our 25th wedding anniversary or our 50th birthdays, yet, we discovered that life was more important than events.

So 2010 is the year for us to build again. We're about to close out this era, and move on into what we were put on this earth to do. I'm not sure what all of that will mean.

The Lord gave me a supernatural experience last week. I had the first "vision" ever in my life. It was no dream. I had a real vision. Something was restored regarding our original calling and purpose as it is connected with Raphael Green, and now we are preparing ourselves to step into it.

Our days may be winding up for Pennsylvania. It seems that when God sent us here, it was a move of preservation and preparation of a precious assignment. Now just like the winter slowly gives way to spring, so is our time here giving way to destiny as we look forward to the next step in our journey to purpose fulfillment.

Celebrating 29 years of marriage....

January 3, 2010

There aren't enough words to express how much I love my wife, Carol.
So here's a song I wrote to her:

SPEND MY LIFE WITH YOU

If I had a million dollars that I could trade for time and life
I'd buy a million years and share them all as man and wife.
And though some would take the funds and find a thousand things to do,
I'd take every cent and spend my life with you.