I'm Back Refreshed and Ready for 2007

I'm back after a long silence. To be honest December was a real difficult month for me. I had no idea when I moved away from family what it would be like going through my first Christmas away from them. Needless to say both Cary and I were being attacked by Satan on all fronts. It doesn't help that we are still waiting for someone to buy our condo in Ohio. So Satan used these pressures to put ablanket of depression over us. That is until we woke up to his schemes. The pressures are still there but we are giving them daily to the Lord.

Another helpful change Cary and I made was to begin daily devotions together along with prayer. We both realized we needed to fight the devil and his schemes together. We were each meeting with the Lord but were not fighting together in a spiritual way. So on January 1st we began reading through the Bible (We purchased similar One Year Bibles and Journals) and we take time each day to share what the Lord is showing us and then pray together as a couple.

We are so grateful for our growing family in Salisbury! Without you we would really feel so alone. We feel so loved and supported and thank God for each of you. We were able to spend both Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day with families from the Church who allowed us to be part of their family for the day. That meant everything to us!

Let me share a special blessing I experienced last night while visiting one of our groups. This was Neighborhood Life Group ministry at it's best. I went to visit the Jamie Hammond group (young couples) last night and as always feel like the grandfather of the group when I sit and look around the room. I am so excited about what God is doing espechially since this group just birthed out of the J.D Schroen group in December. After arriving Jamie the facilitator told me that that he received a call from one of the group members husbands saying his wife was admited to the hospital with contractions. This is a challenge because she has had previous miscarriages and her due date is months down the road. So after his group arrived and they covered some calendar items. He asked his group if they would be open to a field trip to the hospital to pray for this family.

The group knew that this was the right thing to do and after prayer and worship we all got into our cars and headed to the hospital. With ten of us we wondered how we would all get to see her and pray for her. We thought we would have to go in to the room two at a time. But God is awesome and after arriving to labor and delivery two of the women asked if we could go in as a group to pray. Much to our surprise they allowed all ten of us to go in the room together.

What a powerful time of prayer we had as we gathered around that hospital bed together asking for God's protection and help. Then we prayed the prayer after the prayer, for God to be Glorified! The young woman we were praying for was visibly moved and so were all of us. Our only regret was that her husband had just left before we arrived. Friends I am so proud of Jamie, who moved his group into action and ministry together. This is cell ministry at it's best!

I pray daily for our Neighborhood Life Group faciltators and ask for an increased measure of God's Presence and Power to be released in the group. Last night God clearly answered that prayer. I want to encourage all group faciltators who are reading this entry. Pray is foundational to your ministry. I hope you'll begin to pray daily over the families God has entrusted you with. He wants to do amazing things through you and your group! Until next time "Be Blessed!"