Anticipation

Right now we're anticipating a series of good things breaking forth on our behalf.

We're headed home to St. Louis, Missouri this weekend to be a part of performing the wedding ceremony for one of spiritual daughters. We've known her since 1992 and have watched the Lord mode and make her into a wonderful woman. We're so proud of her and cannot express how honored we are that she would ask us to conduct the bulk of the wedding ceremony. I hope I can get through it without breaking down and crying.

It's also a special time because my brother and Bishop has asked me to bring the Word of God to our home church congregation. I still remember my last message "Back To the Future" from June of 2004. So it's been six years since we stood in that pulpit to deliver a Word. The Lord has given me something very special to share. I find myself weeping as I prepare.

When I brought this word to our Urban Life Church family, I felt the message was also for my home church. I didn't know when or even IF I would be able to give the Word to my home church family. But God is faithful. I am humbled and I have no axe to grind or targets to hit. I just want to give the Word in purity, love, compassion and in the gentleness of the Holy Spirit.

Our church family has been hurting for a long, long time. We had been, too until the Lord gave me this Word. Ever since then, we have been watching God perform His word and fulfill His promises over our lives.

I also look forward to spending time with my family. My sisters and brothers, nieces and nephews, and of course, my mom and dad. I miss my family. To be in a community where families are so disconnected and distant, is sooooo painful and disturbing. Everything about this place is completely foreign from my life and upbringing. The first thing on that list is the lack of family connection. So I'm anticipating getting recharged with family.

Last, but not least, I look forward to seeing our spiritual sons and daughters. These are OUR kids. They know us in the Spirit and understand us. How we miss being with and working with people who already know our hearts and who aren't putting us through test to see if we mean what we say, or if we say what we mean. Looking forward to being able to laugh and relax for a minute.

We've Gone Global

What a pleasant surprise to learn that the website is being viewed from all over the world. It always gets a little discouraging when attendance drops, but the Lord kept nudging me to check the website analytics. So last night, I finally took a look and was absolutely astounded.

It seems the largest amount of hits and page views (outside of America) are coming from the Russian Federation. Now we have a little bit more solid proof that our ministry really is reaching an audience beyond the boundaries of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and America itself.

I shared this with my family and everyone was just as surprised. It was also a real boost in our morale. So I posted the good news for the intercessors and the church family. I pray that this is a real encouraging bit of news for everyone.

Going for it

We've officially launched our 'Fruitful Living 4-book Series', the 'What NOW' book, and the 'Love You Still' Book. I'm currently working on the first of at least three 'Kingdom Warriors' books and ready to get going on 'If You Hear Any Noise'.

Among the many reasons God sent us to Harrisburg, I can see that one of them was so we'd have time to write and release these publications. I feel the call and command to finish, so I'll be going for it all through the spring and summer months.

I wish my Bishop had this kind of time to write the scores of books that are inside of him. Man, if people only knew....

My life is in His hands

When I see my wife embracing her mother after so many years of crying because they couldn't even talk to one another, then moving to Harrisburg was worth it.

More and more I'm coming to realize that the primary reason God sent us here was about family. HE used the church planting strategy of our bishop to get us here, but the real reason was that HE was answering a prayer in my mother-in-law's heart.

She cried out to God to be in a church where the pastor had a heart after God. She asked God to put her in a church where she could experience the Bible in real life, in today's generation. She wanted to get to know her grandsons. She wanted to be reconciled with her only daughter.

So God set it up all along. There was a time when I would have been very discouraged that the church membership never exceeded 12 people. There was a time I would have been discouraged that the majority of people who show any interest in the ministry are the 200+ who watch us on line every week.

But the sovereign hand of God and the masterful way in which He guides us, has me in the comfort of knowing that HE knows what is best. My life is in His hands.

I wasn't exactly ready for that....

Right now we seem to be coming to a climatic moment for everyone associated within and without Urban Life. Decisions have been made and now they are following though on those decisions. It's the same throughout the city.

I used to wonder how missionaries or apostles came to a point where they knew it was time to go. Now I know that when that time comes, it's not when WE feel it's time to go. That time comes after a decision has been made by the people that God sends you to. The decision as to whether they will obey the voice of God or not, will determine if whether God tells His servants to stay, or to move on to the next assignment.

So we're hanging in the balance right now. We've already decided that we will stay if the Lord says stay. No doubt about that. We will obey the Lord until the last.

Somehow I wasn't prepared for this, though. What if the community and the people God sends you to says NO, we don't want it. What if their true response is "We're not ready to change yet." What if they look at God and look at you and declare: "We're tired of fighting and we're not gonna go into the Land of Promise."

Wow... I wasn't exactly ready for that....

Family Reconnection

Last couple of weeks was really tough, but we had a refreshing and fun time today in our Sunday Cafe to start a new week. We danced, we sang, we laughed, we ate, and then we spent some time in the Word. It was a good family reconnection moment. I told my wife that ministry is fun again. Even though it was a little cold outside, it was nice and warm inside. The week got off to a good start.

My Purpose In Life

I'm just a north St. Louis ghetto kid that God touched at 4-years old. My mom was pregnant with me when her youngest child died. I was born after that great loss. Now I know that my purpose in life is to declare life after death, victory after loss, grace after grief, and purpose after pain.