With My Whole Heart...

"The faces of men and women who walk and work with God express the peace of heaven.

They are surrounded with the atmosphere of heaven.

For these souls, the kingdom of God has begun.

They have Christ's joy, the joy of being a blessing to humanity."

Just one more reason...

One more reason to give my whole heart.

Here's to all my friends from the Northeast Youth Retreat--

Your hearts and lives are forever bound with my prayers. My heart is with you, because your victory, your success, your confidence and your happiness, are my treasures.

And where one's treasure is, there one's heart is also.

Let's pray for each other on the 17th.

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Every Time!

I've seldom seen a sky so blue, smelled air so sweet, felt the sun so perfectly warm... and been perfectly oblivious to it. That is, until I saw the light...

I was on the hillside airing my brain with prayers and a journal. Hours of work behind me, hours still ahead... The snow still 8 inches deep in spots around me, my mind 1,000 miles away. One word kept coming up... Impossible.

For a time, I prayed and prayed... And then I walked off of the hillside, ready.

That's when I stepped in the entry door to find Tasha in the final stages of lunch prep.

"I've just got one question, and my question is this: When irresistible power meets immovable object, who wins?"

She stopped mid-step and looked at me. (I love that look...) Silence. One hand on the Vita-Mix, the other on a bag of frozen tropical fruit. Then, a smile...

"Irresistible Power."

Now it's my turn...
"Every time."

"Oh, that's awesome..." (in the true sense of the word)...


Yes. I'm thankful...

Nobility

Nobility...

Today’s prevalent interpretation of that term lands us on a set of actions. To be noble is to be gentle, honorable, worthy, generous, sacrificing... It’s about character. And indeed, a noble person is loved, esteemed and respected because they are few and far between... Everyone wants to claim them as a friend.

I read this morning that “The highest evidence of nobility in the Christian is self-control.”

“Self control??” Yeah... I’ve read it before. Perhaps you have too.

But wait, there’s that other meaning of nobility... Not the description of actions, but the state of being. Recall our word comes from an old French one, which in turn came from a Latin one meaning “highborn”. We're not just talking about what you do, but who you are.

So is self-control is the highest evidence of our kinship with the King? An attestation of royalty?

That's what I read...

So Many Faces...

From a conference dripping with miracles I return a stronger man, a more exuberant Christian, a humbled, baffled, incredulous, encouraged, inspired child of the God Who never tires of giving... As if I really deserved anything from His hand in the first place!

There were so many faces... Thousands of windows to souls I know nothing about... But then there were probably 1,000 that I did know... and do love. So many smiles! So many transformations... And then there were a few faces that told special stories I'll long remember... Like the one that smiled through tears when I talked about heaven. And the one that laughed and cried at once. And the one that flushed undiluted earnestness and devotion while praying for a miracle...

Yes, Jesus gives... Jesus loves! And never has my heart loved His more.

And shame? Yes. Shame on being afraid to own Him! Shame on trying to walk without Him! If any will glory, glory in the cross...

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Here are a few more faces... from around this big country we call our home. Some think "Oklahoma Family Campmeeting," some think "Youth for Jesus 2009"...

We think--

"Reunion"