I hope you had a great Christmas and that the new year will be full of God’s presence and blessings for you, your family, and your church.
I want to thank all of you that responded to my request of some personal information about you, your family, and your ministry in order to pray more intelligently for you. I was overwhelmed and humbled by the numbers of you that responded so quickly and shared so openly with me. It confirmed to me that what I have experienced in my ministry is what many of you desire as well – to know that there is a trusted friend who understands the hazards of our vocation and is praying for me and for my family. You have my promise that your information is confidential and will be lifted to God on a regular basis.
I was also humbled by those of you that asked for the same information about me and my family so that you could pray for me. I look forward to our future meetings together as we share updates and answers to prayer.
Here is my information:
1. Birthdate - October 29 
2. Spouse’s name and job - Karen, 1st grade teacher
3. Children’s names and information
Ben (28), married to Beth, son, Tucker (our first grandson!); Ben is a Baptist Campus Minister at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, TX.
Katie (23), single, lives in Cumming, GA; works at Cobb Chamber of Commerce
Jacob (20), single, junior at Shorter College (all three kids attended/graduated from Shorter)
4. Personal Request
I need to give a little background on this one. My son, Jacob, was born with a severe heart defect that required a series of life-saving surgeries in his first two years of life. Throughout his life, he has endured numerous hospitalizations, tests, and surgeries. Four years ago, his heart gave out and Jacob received a heart transplant (on 12/21/04). Then a year ago, that heart experienced rejection by Jacob’s body and he received his second heart transplant (on 11/15/07). He is now back to his “normal” college life.
My personal requests are these:
- Jacob’s fragile health be preserved (as well as the health of all my children & grandchild)
- The strain of these twenty years of emotional (and, at times, spiritual) struggles has done a number on my wife and me. Karen, as all mothers are prone to do, has taken the brunt of the emotional baggage and now her body is showing signs of breaking down. Please pray for Karen and me as we struggle under this cloud of fear we constantly walk under. Your prayers are valued on our behalf as there are times when it seems that we and God are not on speaking terms. (I hope it’s OK for me to be so transparent with you)
5. Profession related Request
- Pray for my traveling safety and alertness as I spend many hours on the boring ribbons of concrete and asphalt that cover Georgia.
- Pray that I can be a source of encouragement and help to you and your ministry for God.
Again, thanks for your pledge of prayer for me for the future. And you can count on my prayers for you. I look forward to our times together as we experience 2009 together in ministering to God’s Great Georgians.
YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN THESE THINGS ....
GBREA Annual Workshop, January 22-23, 2009 at First Baptist Church, Centerville - special guests, Josh Hunt & Kenn Kington: see details at http://www.gbrea.org/templates/System/default.asp?id=39977
Essential Church Retreat, February 26-29, 2009 at Ridgecrest, N.C. : designed for church staffs to go, listen, learn, and plan http://www.lifeway.com/ev/events_detail_mainpage/0%2C2232%2CE%25253D235%252526M%25253D200752%2C00.html
NEXT 2009: Saddleback Small Groups Conferences (Norcross, GA)
http://www.lifeway.com/ev/events_detail_mainpage/0%2C2232%2CE%25253D256%252526M%25253D200989%2C00.htmlAnticipated Workshop Titles: http://www.lifeway.com/ev/events_detail_mainpage/0%2C2232%2CE%25253D263%252526M%25253D200989%2C00.html
NEW! Seven Words of Worship: The Key to a Lifetime of Experiencing God (8 Sessions, Mike Harland, Stan Moser) DVD Leader Kit http://www.lifeway.com/e2/shop/?R=828532
Avoiding Attitudes that Hinder Sunday School Growth: http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page/0%2C1703%2CA%25253D168518%252526M%25253D200839%2C00.html
