Catching y'all up

Well, 

Much has happened in my life since the last time I blogged.  

A few weeks ago we had a friend of mine come to share with the people at South Bay what God is doing around the world.  He is a missionary that travels all over, and while he was speaking, I felt a pinprick in my spirit that was very real, but very unfamiliar as well.

I felt like God was telling me to go on a trip!  Please don't miss the power in that statement, I am totally the guy who would have said that missions is great, but there are people who need love and Jesus here locally, why on earth would I waste money and time to go somewhere else?

Obviously, God had not yet stretched me to the point of understanding who He is and what He means when He says that we are to go to the uttermost ends of the earth!

So, I went up and talked with David, and he shared with me one of the trips coming up, was to China, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam.  It was going to be a pastor's training conference and a vision casting trip - and that I was welcome to come if I would like.

I spent a couple of days thinking about it, praying about it, and I attended one of the trips meetings, and all I can say is that God showed up in a powerful way.  He sent confirmation that this was what I was suppose to do, and that I needed to continue pursuing this trip.  

The next day, I woke up, went to the clerk of the courts office to try and get a passport, and didn't realize you are suppose to make appointments for those kinda things!!  But, the lady showed me favor, and blessed me with ignoring my lack of planning and rushed my passport paperwork, took my pictures (gave me extra pictures that I needed for FREE) and got me out of the office in less than 45 minutes! 

I sent out some support letters, and more will be going out soon - the trip is going to cost about $4000, which I don't really have right now (or ever), so I am believing and proclaiming that God is going to provide!  I am already praising Him and asking that He bless those who are faithful to respond to His prompting to give.

Katie and Micah and I then went on vacation for a week in the mountains of North Georgia (may blog on that later), but there was no internet, no cell phone service, just me and the family for 6 days!  Let me just say, that should be how it is all the time.  It was awesome.  And I will continue to ask the question "What are any of us doing living in Florida???"  It is so pretty in other parts of the country and we live in the freaking swamp?  Makes no sense to me.

But, it was a great time to get away, spend time in the Word, pray, be in His Creation, pray, praise, be alone, meditate, pray, worship, pray.  It was good.  As I was praying, God gave me some direction and ideas for some opportunities and different things He has placed before me, so I was excited about that.

We got back late Saturday night, to find my passport already delivered to the house (it only took 4 days to get here!!!) and all the paperwork I need to fill out my visa's for the countries we will be in, was ready to be filled out and mailed away.  

We woke up and went to worship on Sunday with our family at South Bay -and God rocked the house apart, it was great!  We then had small group on Sunday night and all I will say about that is, if you missed it - you missed out!

We had our first preseason softball scrimmage last night, and thanks to errors - I HIT AN INSIDE THE PARK HOMERUN!  Our team may have lost the game, but I consider it a moral victory (not sure why, but I do)

I woke up this morning, went for a run, came home, and I was checking my email really for the first time since we have been back and a friend of mine shared a really encouraging story of how something God blessed me with, blessed him!  It was awesome!

Jesus is awesome, He is powerful, He is mighty to save, He is our Savior, our Redeemer, our Sustainer, the author and perfector of our faith - and I love being his bondslave!