Monday, November 2, 2015

Dangerous Distraction

Nov. 2, 2015

Please......PLEASE be oh so careful about how consumed you become with the current political situation in our country.  This is a dangerous distraction that can hinder your growth and harm your spiritual health!  It is so very easy to get caught up in all the hype and noise, all the causes and proffered cures.  It's fun ans exciting but it is also a trap.  Becoming overfly consumed by all the hooplah and yeehaw can severely and adversely affect your walk with the Lord.

Certainly we need to be concerned but our concern must be moderated by the priorities of our faith and not by the so called crisis in our country.  Our priority is and indeed must be our faithfulness to our calling in Christ and the service He lays before us.  This service knows no political affiliation even though is may acknowledge a political preference.  We may care and even support "causes," but we may never allow those causes to become the be all and end all of our service to the Lord

Perhaps our forefathers in the faith had it better under the oppressive power of the Roman empire.  The (as under so many dictatorships and monarchies) we, (believers) had a clear choice.  We either served the king or we served the KING.  When there was no participation in the political process things seemed to be a lot clearer.  Now, however, with our ability to take a part in the process we face the danger of confusing our Christian duties with our political rights.  No, I am not advocating some kind of withdrawal from the process.  We do have a responsibility to responsibly use the right we have.  What I am pleading for is a prayerful moderation of our involvement..  We can and should voice our views and even our preferences BUT not to the harm of our priorities in the faith.

We are engaged in a battle of dark  (even grey) against the light.  Christ against the world, the flesh and the devil.  But it is a battle that is His to win,   ours to endure.  Our weapons are not signs and T-shirts, and hats and slogans but rather our weapons are prayer and His power/sovereignty.  This is where the greatest part of our effort needs to be placed.  Sure you can join a political party and even endorse your choice of candidates BUT don't make the mistake of thinking your party of your candidate is the answer.  They are just as much a part of the problem as "the other people."

We are living more and more in a lawless time.  The boundaries of civility, justice and righteouseness become more and more blurred every day.  We must hold the center - the core of our faith and not be drawn out into the devils ground to try and fight him on his turf by his rules.  We must become more clear as to our "gospel" priorities and duties and less draw by the allure and excitement of the world and its political shenanigans.

God has appointed that men should govern men.  But that permission came with a warning that the :king" would oppress and use the governed for his own ends.  Though we don not suffer under a king we do suffer under the rue of the elite and powerful whose ends are not the common good and certainly not the glory of God.  We have to keep this in mind - in the front of our minds!   Every inch we allow the "world" to encroach upon ur lives and energies is and inch the deny Christ and His calling.

Please,,,,,PLEASE give very serious through and prayer to how deeply you become entrapped but he wiles and ways of the world.  Yes the issues are serious - very serious but that should drive us further into prayer than it does activism.  PRAY for wisdom and innocence is this time of crisis and assault.   Do not - please do not - allow the perception of the need for activism override the truth of the need for deep and meaningful prayer.  Your candidate is not not a messiah - not a prophet - nor the answer to the ills of the age.  Your candidate is simply a man - limited by sin and as vulnerable to the allure if power and position as any other.  He/She is also limited by the sovereign will of God and it is Gid's agenda and timing that will prevail.

To close - we should be even more given to prayer and service now than ever - in view of the powerful distraction - the dangerous distraction of the current political rodeo.  We cannot allow the perceived "crisis" to detract on little bit from our Christian duties both private and public. This is the time to seek His direction and power.  Now is the time to clearly define what it means to be "in" the world and not "of" the world.  Now is the time to choose.  Not a party, not a candidate but rather to grow ever more faithful to Him or to allow the world's priorities to infect the faithful discharge of our Christian duties and obligation.

God is utterly sovereign --- utterly---utterly.  What do we have to fear?  What do we have to expect from the world except the hatred and vilification Christ told us to expect?  We may have to live on their turf but we do not have to play by their rules.  We have the power of prayer and we must use it as we rarely use it.

Support your party - endorse your candidate - wear your T-shirt  BUT do not forget whose you are, the price paid for you and the gracious expectation He has for our role in His world.  The only "hope" we have is His return - pray more for that than for the success or failure of any political agenda.

And remember - do not be surprised if (and it will) the word hates you!

Friday, October 30, 2015

Troubled times....powerful prayer.

Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; Fight against those who fight against me. Take hold of buckler and shield And rise up for my help. Draw also the spear and the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me; Say to my soul, "I am your salvation." Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life; Let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me. Let them be like chaff before the wind, With the angel of the LORD driving them on. Let their way be dark and slippery, With the angel of the LORD pursuing them.
(Psa 35:1-6)

David presents us with a sterling example of one type of prayer we should avail ourselves of in these troubled times.  Jesus made it plain that He was sending us out as sheep among wolves and that we should be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.  Easy to say, hard to do.

But if we will regularly pray in the manner we see here I believe our hearts and minds will be encouraged and strengthened.  Such prayers are both wise and innocent and will facilitate and calmness of mind and body when we are in distress - when we must contend with the world, the flesh and the devil. 

Don't think in terms of some extraordinary event or circumstance.  Contention with the world the flesh and the devil is the norm for our lives not the exception.  Sure, it may be that at times the contention seems exceptional BUT we must remember that we are engaged in a war 24-7-365,  When we only "notice" the exceptional times of contention  we allow the enemy to gain just a little more ground on the battlefield.  We must keep the battle we are engaged in before us at all times.  There is no truce, there is no cease-fire, the battle rages even if it does so quietly and just out of sight.

In some corners of the world they are killing us.  In other corners of the work they are marginalizing us.  In still other corners of the world they are vilifying us - dehumanizing us so that we will have little value and our passing will be acceptable.

We must pray, seeking God's intervention.  Yes, there is much we can still do to address these issues that we must contend with.  But our options grow fewer and opportunities more limited.  And so we call upon our God, our defender, to do as He has promised to do and fight this fight as we never could.  We must pray for the destruction of His enemies, our enemies - which means in the end we must pray for His prompt return and His might in the mean while.

Take all such troubles to Him and call upon Him to engage the enemy.  We can only do our little part.  We can only armor up and hold the line.  We can stand and pray and David's prayer here is a good example of how our prayers should be concerning these troubled times.
 


Tuesday, October 6, 2015

When considering the providence of God, October 6, 2015

October 6, 2015

When considering the providence of God . . . .

Too vast the ocean, too many the grains of sand.
Such is the providence of God

Such is my reflection and consideration.

Trying to "count one's blessing" is a most frustrating endeavor.

Too vast, too many.

Neatly woven like a web, God's providence touches all, all the time.

There are no loose ends no blind courses

God's providence is a whole - complete and entire.

There are no "great" blessings there are no "minor" blessings.
,
They are all of one value, great beyond grasping.

Though not always in our view they are utterly purposeful and directive.

Those past are our guides and instructors.

Those present are our comfort and consolation.

Those future are our hope and joy.

Our perception of them, often sullied by indwelling sin,
causes us to rate them on a skewed scale feeding our self consumption and yet rebellious wills.

Surrender brings peace and comfort.

Trusting, when trust is hard, brings strength and growth.

We need be patient with ourselves as we learn to appreciate His providence and to see the value in the whole of it.

We need to see the whole of it.  Though hard and demanding we need to do the work that helps us see the whole of it.

One does not look at a part of a portrait and see its beauty, one must view the whole.







Monday, August 3, 2015

Eph. 5 Part 4

Ephesians 5:15-17 Part 4

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (ESV)  Eph. 5:15-17

"Not as unwise but as wise,"

As we examine ourselves it is wisdom we must seek in our walk.  Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord.  Do we fear Him.

The fear of the Lord is often a tough concept for believers.  Surrounded and sealed by the love of God they struggle with the idea of fearing Him.  But fear cn be a healthy hing.  We need to remember God's judgement and wrath and much as we remember His grace and lovingkindness.  One is meaninless without he other.  We must never lose the awe and fear of the Lord because if and when we do we weaken the effects of grace in our lives and blunt our gratitude.

We also lose the aility to have a real and tangible hope of heaven when we forget hell.  Yes, we are saved from hell and for heaven but they both have to stay in our minds and hearts for us to be whole in our thinking.

The wisdom we must have is well described by James in James 3:17

"The wisdom from above is furst pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocracy."

This is the criteria for wise self-examination.

The Psalmist writes, "So teach us to number our days.  That we may present to You a heart of wisdom."  Psa. 90:12

Solomon admonishes us, "The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way.  But the foolishness of fools is a dedeit."  Prov. 14:8

We need desperately to be willing for God to shine His light into all the cracks and crannies of our lives and to show us the dust-bunny sins we so easily overlook.

This is not an examination for condemnation but rather an oepn hearted willingness to see our deep need for Christ's continued redemption of our lives.                                                                                                                                                                                            

We hear calls today for a revival in the church but the a revival in the whole is dependent upn a revival in the parts.  It is personal revival, individual revival that must take place.  We must reclaim and re commit to our fist love and to the Lordship of Christ (which of course means our servanthood as well0.  It is my revival and your revival that must happen and not some quirky general enthusiasm in the body that we are in need of.

Wisely and pryerfully consider your walk.  Is it straight?  Does is seek to glorify and honor Him.  Is it a grateful walk?  Is it a dependent walk?  A wise man knows it is not as straight, honoring, grateful of deppendent as it can be if we but give it due ans prayerful consideration.

Monday, July 27, 2015

Eph. 5 Part 3

Ephesians 5:15-17 Part 3

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (ESV)  Eph. 5:15-17
"Look carefully then how you walk . . . ."
We have lost the art of self-examination.  We have ignored, except when it is "in our face," the motivation and desire to look deeply and seriously at our lives in the light of the Gospel.  We have neglected one of the most critical disciplines of the Christian walk.
Not much else needs to be said, does it?  When was the last time you called out to God to examine your heart and show you if (if?) there is any wicked way in you?  When was the last time you really sat and challenged your activities, priorities and pastimes in light of God's call to live holy lives?  When was the last time you earnestly sought to mortify (kill) the sin that still abides in each of us?
It is so much easier to look at the "evil" around us and be consumed by it and its growing effect on our world.  It is so much easier to examine outside than it is to examine inside.  It is so much easier to just go with the flow than to fight the current for His sake.  It is easier to just rely upon His cross and not bear our own.
It's plain why this is a problem for us.  If we were to really examine our walk, we would clearly see how we are caught up in the world and the concerns of the world over and above the priorities of heaven.  I know that when this self-examination happens, I feel a compulsion to radically alter my lifestyle and life habits.  And yet, I find that I resist that urge because I don't want to be weird or radical or appear to be nutz.
We want to "fit in" and fitting in demands that we stay just on the fringes of the Biblical mandate to live holy lives.  If we commit - really commit - then we are going to find that we are outside the flock as it exists today.  We are going to find that we are anachronisms and oddities.
We walk, too often, in those sins that seem little.  They are sins of preference.  We would rather watch TV than read the Bible.  We'd rather nap than pray.  We'd rather smile and wink than boldly state and hold to any unpopular biblical position.
They are sins of preference - preference evidenced by our choices.  We spend 40 hours (at least) at work and 2 to three hours at church.  We pour our energy into causes instead of Christ.  We worry more about acquiring and keeping than maturing in Christ.  We are more of the world than we are willing to admit.
So self-examination is something we either avoid or only pursue as long as it's comfortable.  Yet we cannot avoid the Biblical mandate of self-examination.  But not just self-examination.  Self-examination will bring conviction, and conviction must result in repentance, and repentance is by its very nature change.  And change we must for the sake of His honor and glory and the sake of our souls and sanity.
What are your priorities and preferences?  How many of them are God honoring and conducive to your being conformed more to His likeness?  How many of them would you dare seek to justify before God (and not just other people)?  How many of them are wise (God fearing)?
The monistic movement was certainly an attempt to get out of the world and away from its temptations.  But, it was also a means to commit one’s self to Christ, move out of the herd and live among a community that was clear in its purpose and commitment.  No, I am not advocating a return to a cloistered monastic lifestyle living behind high walls of stone avoiding the world.
But I am advocating that we examine ourselves and have the courage to change as the Spirit and the Word direct us to change.  As far as the world goes, we will be odd anachronisms and irritants.  But as far as the Kingdom goes, we will be brightly burning candles providing light, heat and guidance to a dark, cold and lost world.
We are to be "in" the world and not "of" the world.  How much "of" the world is your walk, your lifestyle?  I don't have to look very deeply to see that my walk is far, far too much "of."  Are you willing to look - to examine - to see and to change?

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Eph. 5 Part 2

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (ESV)  Eph. 5:15-17

I have not been able to get this passage out of my head lately and I believe there is good reason.  It seems to me that these verses set critical boundaries and expectations that the believer needs to take seriously in these troubled times.
What stands out to me is the admonition to make the best use of our time BECAUSE the days are evil.
Now the days have been evil ever since Paul penned those words (and before he penned them as well). We need to KNOW, UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE this critical truth.  The days have been, are and will be evil, THEREFORE, we must make the best use of our time.  So, the questions are,
Are we making the best use of our time?
What wastes our time?
What distracts us from the "main things" of the faith?
What should be filling our time?
What should NOT be filling our time.
These are just a few of the questions that are raised in my mind and laid on my heart when I think on this passage.  I don't mean they are laid on my heart for you as much as they are laid on my heart for me.  It's just tooooooo easy to allow other things to crowd out or overwhelm what we should be about most of the time.
We have to remember that we are called to holiness - individual - depending on the Holy Spirit - holiness.  It's not just a Sunday thing or a "part of the day" thing but a 24/7/365/12 thing.  WE are to be being conformed to the likeness of Christ and we are to be being transformed by the renewing of our minds, in which we are passive.  We are to be actively and diligently involved in those activities and practices that are conducive to the conforming and transforming we are called to see and allow and have in our lives.
If anything is to pre-occupy us, it should be Christ and His claim/call on the entirety of our lives.  There is no weekend in the faith and there are no vacations - no time-outs!  We are to be His all the time, everywhere.
If we are to be obsessed with anything, it should be the faith and our faithfulness.  There is no place in our hearts and lives for anything else - at least there shouldn't be.  Why do we not understand that when Paul talks about "suffering the loss of all things for Christ, he is setting an example for each of us?  Why do we so conveniently fail to follow Paul as he follows Christ?  Though none of us have been called to fulfill the same role that Paul and other apostles were to fulfill, we ARE all called to serve and demonstrate the same faithfulness and diligence that they did.  We are all to consider "junk" anything that distracts us from the MAIN thing, which is a plain thing.
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me."  Really?  Really?  Are He and His Way the central issues in our lives?  They're not in mine. I have to confess I struggle with all the distractions but I struggle most with this idea/attitude in the church that we are entitled to things other than being conformed to the likeness of His Son.
WE are all caught up in our culture and its permissions and priorities.  We have to pray for a convicted heart and repentance.  We have lost the primacy of being in and not of the world and I fear it will cost us much in the days to come.  I fear it has led many to think they are of the faith who are mere pretenders.  I fear it has led many believers far from the faithfulness they need to have in their lives.  I fear it has caused the Church to be maligned among the Gentiles.  I fear that we have marginalized Christ and His call on our lives - pushing Him into a little neat box where He causes us the least distress and discomfort.
What do you think?

Monday, July 13, 2015

1 Peter 4:12&13

I Peter 4:12&13
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share in the sufferings of Christ, keep rejoicing so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.

Most of us are far from "suffering" any but the most mundane and common ordeals.  We have to admit that we have it pretty good when it comes to suffering for our faith.  I even think we have to admit that  a lot of the "suffering" we do experience is more the result of our pride and fears than it is from any sort of oppression.
But take heart, things are changing.  I believe we are beginning to see a concerted effort on the part of the godless to oppress, harass and persecute those who hold to a sincere and biblical faith.  I don't believe that we will experience the type of persecution our brothers and sisters in China experience but rather we will experience an attempt to shut our faith up within the doors of the church (meeting place) and make it all but impossible for us to make choices contrary to the culture without dire consequences.
It is our religious liberty that is being slowly reduced so that we seem more and more like a small fanatical hateful and ignorant group of people.  "They" (meaning Satan and all his little human helpers) want to silence and bind the church in our country.  They have no problem with us being believers as long as it's between four walls and not in the marketplace or general culture.  They want to isolate and in that way silence us.
Preaching in public will soon subject the preacher to accusations of hate speech and general meanness.  There will be little chance for public witnessing or teaching as we see believers being marginalized to a greater and greater extent.  All "they" have to do is make the claim that they are offended or somehow distressed by an open exercise or expression of our faith and we can and will be subjected to as great a level of persecution as "they" can possibly achieve.
We have no one but ourselves to thank for this situation.  We have been so busy opposing things in the culture that we have failed to preach the Gospel.  We have tried to snuggle up to the culture and be its "friend" which has led us to compromise the message into a meaningless jumble of "feel good," and "don't worry, be happy," commercials.
We have allowed false teachers to thrive while we smugly winked at each other.  We have failed to call the faithful to holiness.  We have even failed to make plain that obedience is the main consequence of belief or that belief can be legitimately called into question.
In short we have tried to accommodate and placate unbelievers into believing.  This is a sin from which we must repent and for which we are now paying the price.  We have offered "cheap grace" to the world and the world has called us on it.  We have tried to "make nice" for so long that we've all but lost the right to call men and women away from the fires of hell and to the Lord's feet.  We have "specialized" in opposing certain select sins until we have lost the right to be heard on the one most critical sin, unbelief.
We can "oppose" all kinds of pet sins in our culture but if we are not nailing the one fundamental sin, unbelief, to the wall then we are doing little - very little for the KIngdom and the glory of God..
In "The Christian in Complete Armor," William Gurnall makes the critical point that men and women will not be sent to hell for the numerous individual sins they have committed.  They will be sent to hell because they do not believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and Lord of all.  It is unbelief that we have failed to address directly and powerfully.  We have failed to present a holy God who has the right, the obligation, to sit in judgment of His creation.  We have been so busy addressing sinful issues we have failed to address the core sin, unbelief.
And so now we are reaping what we have sown, the results of a cheap gospel with cheap grace that only applies to our pet issues.  We have so diluted the message of the cross that men will not have the true message of the cross preached anywhere but the confines of the "church."

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Missing the Point?

July 7, 2015
Midland, Texas
It is obvious to all of us that our country, our culture has moved into a sin spiral the likes of which we have never seen before.  Romans 1 stands out as do many other passages as warnings and harbingers of where we are and where we are going.
What concerns me is that there seems to be, among many believers and especially those who are of some note and reputation, a greater concern of the policy and politics than for the individual holiness God calls us to.  It seems that the battle is misplaced, at least to me.  Where many seek to "reclaim" America for Christ they ignore the primary mandate to be holy as God is holy.  We, I fear, are missing the point!
Though people in our country make a claim to Christ, the country itself was never intended to be a "Christian" nation.  Is that not the whole point of the First ammendment.  Are we not prohibited from establishing any religion, even if it is Christan?  But that's not my true concern nor my point.
My point is that admidst all the hoopla and fuss over the recent legal and cultrual changes we have experienced we have lost sight of our prime directive.  We are to be holy as He is holy.  You will find no "cultural mandate" beyond proclaiming the Gospel in all of the New Testment.  We are to proclaim  HIm and His death and resurrection until He comes again.
I am not, by any means, a theological giant.  For me the simplicity of the Good News is critical.  But man likes to take the simplicity of the Gospel and twist it into some geo-political, cultrual cause.
As C.S. Lewis notes in the Screwtape Letters we are little satified to simply be Christians.  We have a tendency to attach some cause or secondary calling to our faith and we make it the litmus test for believers.  Whether it's abortiion, education, gay marriage or gun control somehow we raise these issues to a level they little deserve or meriit.  We make them a criteria by which we measure the health and viability of the faith.  We do this both on an individual and collective level.
I am tired of srmons dealing with "issues" when I should be hearing sermons on the Gospel.  I am tired of this misdirected war against a sinful culture when we should be fighting the sin that lies within us.  I am tired of "causes" being hung on the Gospel like ornaments on a tree.
I am tired of a lack of an expectation of holiness in the individual life and the ife of the church.  I am tired of the fear that is growing about persecution and a denial of our religious liberty - especially our iberty of conscience.
When will we e accept that the world hates us?  When will we accept tht tribulation and persecution and trials are actually the "norm" of the Christian life?  When will we place a greater emphassis on personal holiness than we do on whether or not we fly a Confederate flag?
I know many will take issue and claim that our battle is for the culture - for the country but that is not what we are called to in the Scriptures.  I fear that these diversions and additions are draining the energy and resources that are better aimed at proclaiming the Gospel and facilitating the conforming of believers to Christ-likeness.
Am I wrong?  I fear we have lost our "first love," and have ceased, as the Body of Christ and individuals, to do the first works, the prime works, the works to which we are called.

Monday, July 6, 2015

Too long - too dry

Greetings -

I'm wrting, as many of you knw, in Midland, Texas.  Patti was called to serve a ministry here last August and we we packed it up and mocved out here.  Things are going very well for Pat. She is happy and flourishing in her position and is joyously serving Him in serving them.  I am very proud of her and for her.

I, on the other hand, am working a minimum wage type job far below my abilities and skills.  It seems that God has a diferent plan for me now and it's tough waiting to see how He willwork things out.

However - apart from missing our "family" back in Greensboro very very much we are doing well and being blessed.

I thought of writing about the "trails" involved in our move but time has numbed many of the aches we went through.  What seemed so major at the time has shrunk to a more realistic perspective as time has passed.  But none-the-less, our move has not been without its moments.

We have learned a great deal about ourselves and about others as we have worked to settle into Midland.  WE have learned many of our strengths and a lot of our weaknesses,  /we have earned where we are in need of extra grace and where we have a super-abundance of grace.

WE have also learned how dear our famiy back in Greensboro IS to us and how we never really realized that until now.  We have learned, threough the move, that God's people are incredible sources of means and strength and courage in our lives.  We have also learned how ti "miss" people in a healthy was, celebrating the connection without getting all morose about the distance between us.

This is my second "start" on the blog from Midland and I hope it is a true start.  Last time I startedI found I didn't have anything to say.  Hopefully God has taught me things I can share with you as I begin again.

Greetings of all our frinds and famiy out there and we hope to be a blessing to you and be blessed by you in the coming days.

Michael and Patti

Friday, January 2, 2015

A new beginning

Greetings!  It's been far too long since I have sat down and banged out a blog and since it is a new year I am making a new start.

First I want to communicate how you can be a bessing to us in this new year.  as most of you know the Lord led us to relocate to Midland, TX. Patti was offered a wonderful opportunity with a ministry called China Aid and we both believe that the Lord was and is this.  So we pulled up stakes and moved to Midland.

As you can imagine it's tough being in a place that's new and where you have aquaintances but no real friends.  Our social circle is really each other right now.  It's lonely and at times the home-sickness is overwhelming but we persevere!

You can ray for Patti in her job.  It is wonderfu to see her bloom and all the years of those "tough" jobs has really prepared her for working for and with some wonderful people.  serving our persecuted brothers and sisters in China.  It's an wonderful and worthy work that she is doing and I could not be prouder of her and more grateful to Him.

On my side I am looking for a new job.  I have been working with a not-for-profit here in Midland but am growing more disappointed with the job and organization.  Of ocurse I know that my past consulting experience influences me a lot but I would not recommend anyone take the position I have.  So, trusting Him, I am looking for a new job - a better job that will not be as frustrating and oppresive as the one I have now.  Yes, I am trusting Him to keep me here if that is His will but we both suspect that it is not although it did seem like a good opportunity in the beginning.

We are living in a nice little appartment on the back of a house belonging to some wonderful folks and are getting used to life in Midland.  Midland by the way is flat and brown and, well, boring and there are at least 5 traffic fatalities a week - fun pace to drive!!  Patti was hit on Oct. 1 and her car was totalled so we are praying about how to get another car.  Right now, one car is more than enough but not knowing what kind of job I may find we may need a second vehicle - just pray about that for us.

I hope to share with you our journey to Midland.  it was a 2 year odessy in which, ooking back, we see the Lord's providence and the love of the Body working to aim us at Midland and then get us here.  We are beyond grateful to Him, duhhh< but we are also greatly grateful to all of you who let Him use you to get us here.  It is plain that many of you either saw His hand in this and wanted to supprt it of you just wanted to get us out of Greensboro (hahaha).  But really we are overwhelmed with gratitiude to all the friends and family who supported, encouraged and admonished us along the way.  Thank you all.

Gonna run apply for some jobs - Oh - one kind of selfish thing.  I am usiing an android tablet to write and apply for jobs which is kind of awkward.  So please pray that I can find a used computer that has windows (not windows 8 ) to faciitate and speed up the process.  Keeping my eye on some local pawn shops - all i use the computer for  is blogging, email and job application - just simple word processing so it does not have to be very complex computer - just pray - thanks

May God richly belss you in this new year.  Thank you all for your prayers, suport and love!

Michael