Friday, July 29, 2011

Still an Author, Still a Songwriter

Well, it’s done. We’ve completed our 9th book and it’s going to be an eye opener. Carol and I talk about our mistakes and bad choices as we shed light on a few things that we did, that no one has ever known. I actually published it on Carol’s birthday, July 15th and the official release was July 27th.

I’m sure that some of the things we shared in this book are going to be very uncomfortable for many people. However, we are living in perilous times; desperate times. We feel that people need to know that God can bring you back from the depths and make something beautiful out of your life.

We are the least of the least and the last of the last, but God still chose us for this unique assignment. I don’t know how many people will even pick up this book. We are in the unenviable position of being like the voice of wisdom that is portrayed in the book of Proverbs. She goes around calling out to everyone to listen to her, but most people don’t. It seems I’ve always had the task that no one wants. I have to keep remembering that I’m still an author even if no one reads my books and I’m still a songwriter even if no one sings my songs. I just had to be faithful and release it here on the earth.

So, we fight discouragement and keep releasing the books anyway. Like anyone else, we’d love to have a respectable following who read our material, but we don’t have the distribution and the networking right now. Not sure we’ll ever have it. It doesn’t matter though. As long as our sons get it and our little church family receives it, I’ll be satisfied and fulfilled.

In fact, I sense a great deal of fulfillment in just knowing that we have been able to complete so many books at all. We're just a couple of ghetto kids that God touched. It’s hard to believe; nine books. There’s at least one more book in me to complete and then it’ll be time for my sons to carry on the assignment. I always tell our sons that they must be prepared for the once in a lifetime opportunity that will come their way. I tell them to prepare, prepare, prepare. It may feel crazy to write things and draw things that no one will ever see, but it’s preparing them for the one thing that will launch them forth into their purpose for being born.

Monday, July 4, 2011

A Dream Come True

Seven years ago we moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Ever since we've been here, we have desired to connect with our family here. Carol left home 32 years ago and due to various divisions and barriers between various family members, there has been a lot of lost years.


After being sent here to start a ministry, our top priority was to get acquainted with family. Yesterday, our house was filled with family. From our ULC family, to Carol's relatives, our home was filled with people. Kids were running around, conversation every where, a movie was rolling, teenagers playing video games, laughter, fun, fireworks, a little bit of serious discussion, more jokes and laughter, brief UNO battles, made plans to attend the upcoming family reunion (to meet more of Carol's family), and a late night departure.


One cousin said, "We really needed this." But if the truth be known, We needed it just as much. Now that we look back over the past seven years, we realize that we needed that time to get healed and prepared for what lies ahead. This July 4th holiday season is the beginning of a new era for our family.


We are declaring our independence from all of the generational curses and sins that have dominated our family. We were so excited after everyone departed that as we cleaned up the kitchen and living room, we just kept saying, "I'm so excited, I don't know what to do." It took a while to go to sleep last night even though it was about 1:00am when we went to bed. We could hardly believe how wonderful the day had been.


It was a dream come true.