Amazing!

I'm looking forward to an amazing 2010! Don't have any clue as to where we are going, who we are meeting or what we'll be seeing, saying or doing but...I know this one thing...everywhere we go, we acknowledge God!

Scripture tells us that when we acknowledge God, He directs our path. Psalm 91 says God protects us when we acknowledge Him. That means my 2010 is going to be protected and directed by God! Now that's amazing!

Made

A couple days ago we made our Christmas trees. Lucy has one and I have one. We make them out of green construction paper and then cut ornaments out of different colored paper. On each ornament we put the names of friends and family members. It reminds us of all the people we love and who love us. We always have a great time together doing this.

Shoes are always an ongoing expense when you're in the "walking for CHRIST business" and we're always looking for comfortable and durable footwear. We made the decisions to try a new style shoe put out by Skechers. It's suppose to help you get in shape and lose a few pounds. Invested in a pair today and they are amazing comfortable for "new" shoes.

We made plans to go to Fort Valley, Georgia on Christmas Eve. Calvary Chapel Heartland invited us to share the Innkeeper on Christmas Eve. We are so excited about going. Pastor Steve and his family are headed to California to spend time with their family whom they haven't seen in a few years. They trusted us with their congregation on one of the the most magnificent nights of the year and we are very honored.

Lots of things get made this time of year...plans, presents, good food and, of course, cookies! But the best thing to be made by anyone at any time of the year is a decision to make Jesus Christ Master of your life. It's not about going to church or following rules...it's about having a new Best Friend. Christ cares for you and wants the best for you. He will never leave you or let you down.
He's the missing piece in your life...You were made for each other!

Dog Day Afternoon

They came out of nowhere and if they hadn't barked I would have been lunch! It was the classic good dog/bad dog set up. One was black and he was trying to circle around me while the mangy white one was on the frontal attack.

I was walking against traffic on route 380 east on our way to Greenville, Texas. It was a busy highway plus it's Christmas time and everyone was in a hurry to get somewhere or get back from somewhere. The dogs were both about the size of an Irish setter. I generally don't worry about dogs on a busy road. Dog owners normally keep their animals confined in yards or in the house. I don't think anyone owned these two.They were not well kept and they looked hungry! These were neighborhood renegades.

It's a good thing I travel with a staff...No, not a group of people, a big stick! I was taught to never use the staff in an aggressive manner but to raise it to make myself bigger than my attacker or to keep the animal at bay. This white dog was aggressive. I was walking backward down the highway, against traffic with a five foot stick between us. In the meantime, I tried to keep my eye on the black dog far to my right. Now my first line of defense against aggressive dogs is to get to the other side of the road and let the traffic be a natural line of defense. The speed of the cars and the sound of the engine generally discourages any canine pursuit. This day there was too much traffic and I was walking backward!

I've learned that dogs are territorial. They bark to protect their living area and once you have left their area, they return home hoping their master will reward them with a biscuit for staunchly defending the homeland. These two seem to think the world was theirs and I was intruding!

Then it occurred to me...call Jesus! So I stopped, looked my adversary in the eye and said in a loud voice "Stop! In the Name of Jesus!" He looked at me for a moment, blinked and continued to bark and move forward. I thought, "What happened? Did I say it the wrong way? That should have worked." In the next moment, a little red car...I don't know the make or model, whether the driver was male or female, young or old, black or white....a little red car darted in between me and the dog. It honked it's horn again and again and drove toward the dogs running them off. I waved "Thanks" and it sped away.

As I turned around to face the traffic, I asked God why the Name of Jesus hadn't stopped the dogs...I asked why my faith didn't work...doubts began to fill my mind and then God asked me a question.... "Nicholas, my son, Who do you think sent that car?"

A Wonderful Week Followed by Waiting

We had two opportunities to share The Innkeeper of Bethlehem...one in the high desert at Silver Lakes Community Church and another just outside of Los Angeles at Emmanuel Reformed Church. We made our travel arrangements from DFW to LAS so we could see the family and check in on son-in-law Alex at the hospital before and after our storytelling.

Everything went wonderfully...The Innkeeper of Bethlehem was very well received, Alex seemed to have made some progress and sons, Chris & Frank, took us out to a fantastic dinner at Wolfgang Puck's (they knew the chef...a definite plus!) In between all of that, we got to spend some time with a few of our very good friends in Orange County!

Had put the RV in the shop for some maintenance and had hoped the work would be completed by the time we got back but....nothing seems to work out the way we plan. Needed the shock brackets welded plus we needed new shocks (a special order item...of course!) and so here we sit...still waiting. The good news is that we should be able to pick up the RV tomorrow...or the next day :)

A Touch to the Heart

Her name was Amy. I saw her at a Keith Miller Conference in Dallas. She was a lovely woman, tall and thin and sat stately in her wheelchair. I looked around the ballroom and just about everyone had their hands raised praising God. Amy caught my eye because I had never seen anyone raise their body to praise God! She pushed herself up on the arms of her wheelchair, straightened her body and joined in the worship.

She deeply touched my heart...it took me three days to get up the courage to tell her so. It's important to share with people how they impact our life. Most folks think no one sees them; no one notices. Yet each of us continually teach the other.

Who touched you today?

Update

Thanksgiving for Lucyah and I was spent at Cracker Barrel! It was a good meal and in the Thanksgiving tradition, we stuffed ourselves! We even had some leftovers to take home and when we got home...which was the RV sitting in the parking lot, we took a nap! Tradition!

No sooner did the day pass than did our thoughts turn to Christmas. The rapid transition for us was due in part to our upcoming trip to see our family. It's funny how God works things out...we had two requests to do the Innkeeper of Bethlehem in California...one on December 6th and the other on the 7th. After our son-in-law got injured, we decided to fly into Las Vegas rather than Los Angeles, visit the family, drive to California do the two presentations and re-visit the family. That takes us off the road for nearly a week!

Shortly before Thanksgiving, some friends invited us to a conference held at the Sheraton at DFW. Bill Johnson, a pastor that we like from California, was going to speak and our good friends were going, so we said "Yes." In the middle of all this, we had some plumbing issues with the RV that needed to be tended to. We decided to see if we could get the RV into a shop and leave it there for some maintenance while we were in California.

God set up everything for us....1) We're going to the conference 2) we'll stay in the RV until Wednesday 3) Take the RV into the shop just before we go west 4) visit the family 5) do the presentations 6) pick up the RV 7) resume the walk without any additional loss of time. WOW!

I love my God!

Stand

I had crossed the road and was watching for signs of Lucyah and our motor home. It was meal time!

As cars passed by, people noticed me just standing there. Some gawked, some waved, some honked and it dawned on me that sometimes we don't have do anything...just stand our ground.

They could tell I was dressed in Biblical attire. They saw the cross around my neck. If I just took my two square feet for God, the Holy Spirit would do the rest. He would make them think, to examine themselves, to question. He would lead them to The Answer.

God tells us in 2 Chronicles 20:17 to ...."stand firm, hold your position and see the salvation of the Lord." In Galations 5:1, we 're told we are free and to stand firm. I Cor 16:13 tells us to "stand firm in the faith." When we hold our position as followers of Jesus Christ, when we acknowledge Christ by our stand, The Father will honor our obedience and bless our land and our people.

We are all called to go and share the Gospel and sometime that speaks the loudest when we simply stand firm in our values.

Let's Talk About Money

He pulled on to the side of the road...."Do you need some money?" "No,I'm fine," I replied. "So you got all the money you need?" "I'm fine but I do have something for you." With that I gave Hobson a DVD of Zacchaeus. After that we had a short but pleasant time together. I liked him. He had a good heart...you could tell.

After we parted, I thought why is it that folks think people in any type of "street" ministry are broke or hurting financially? Now, Lucyah and I don't have a home, that's true. We don't have a stash of cash or a bulging retirement fund either but we have something better.

We have hope and hope is the positive expectation that God is doing something good in our life today! Now some people wonder why we turn down money offered to us. The answer is we don't always but sometimes God just puts it on our heart to say "No, thank you." It's not that we don't want the money. We just don't want folks to think that we're out here begging for money when we're really begging for them to accept God's love. Hobson insisted on giving me $20 before he left and gratefully, I took it.

God is our Provider. We know many wealthy people who do not contribute to our ministry. God hasn't touched their heart to support us. Many of them support other good ministries. They are still our friends. When someone donates to Christ's ministry through us, we know God touched their heart to do so. When we get an opportunity to speak and a love offering is taken, we know it's because the Holy Spirit touched the pastor.

Ministries, businesses, families and governments...all need money to function however, money is a by-product of loving, serving and building. God is the Source of all provision. He never leaves us, forsakes or fails us. With Him, we lack nothing!

Sweet Serendipity

We ended Saturday's walk about 10 miles north of Durant, Oklahoma. Since there was no parking around we drove into town to find a church to go to attend Sunday. After settling in at Wal-Mart parking lot, we pulled out our GPS and searched for a place to worship in the morning.

We found one that appealed to us. It had fellowship at 9:00am, Sunday School at 9:30am and worship at 10:30am and it wasn't more than a half a mile away from where we were parked. The next morning we followed the GPS directions faithfully ad couldn't find the church! Grrr! Technology!

It did lead us past the First Assembly of God in Durant and so decided to go back and worship there. There was no sign outside to tell us when the service began or if they had Sunday School but people were starting to arrive and we thought we'd better park the bus.

As soon as we walked in, it felt like home. Everyone greeted us warmly and went out of their way to say hello. The music was right up our alley...oldies but goodies....Look What The Lord Has Done, I'll Fly Away, and Nothing But The Blood of Jesus. We were all praising God with energy and enthusiasm! Pastor Mike's wife Jill was preaching from the pulpit and one of her points was how God re-routes us just like our GPS does when we make a wrong turn. Boy, are we glad we were re-routed!

After service, Pastor Mike invited to do a presentation at the evening service. Now whenever God gives us opportunity we say "Yes!" but this invitation took us by such surprise. We had not done Zacchaeus in several months and rarely does a pastor ask you to preach that day. Pastor Mike said he was open to whatever the Holy Spirit wanted to do. I remembered Isaiah 41:13.

The service was at 6:00pm and the church had nearly as many people for the evening service as they did in the morning. They sang a few songs and then it was Zac time. About an hour later, it was clear that God had touched some hearts. New friends Kenneth and Dorothy invited us out for a hamburger and we spent another hour or two spending some time with them and others of the church at Braum's. When we have experiences like this...sometimes it's tough to move on and yet it's what we're called to do...go...love...and encourage.

What a wonderful day it was! God takes wrong turns and makes them right. I use technology but I depend on Crossology!

Beautiful Daughters of God

Continued my journey south on route 69. Traffic was heavy and no one stopped for a long time and then a car passed me, stopped and then circled around in an open area and came up from behind me. A woman called me over and handed me a $20 dollar bill and to my amazement I heard myself say, "No, keep it but I have something for you." The jaws dropped on Jeannie Lee and Devon. They probably never had anyone not want their money before! In fact, Devon, a twenty-ish young woman with beautiful big eyes seemed to be in shock most of the time Jeannie and I were talking.

I asked them if they had a DVD player and when they said "Yes," I gave them a Zacchaeus DVD. They told me they were on their way to see Jeannie Lee's mama in the hospital. It was expected to be a time of passing. Jeannie asked for prayer and so I took her hand. When we finished, Jeannie squeezed my hand, closed her eyes, kissed it and pressed the $20 bill into my hand..."Please," she said. As I glanced at Devon I noticed her eyes were brimming with tears.

As I left I felt exhilarated! God had done something beautiful. Those two women were touched by His majesty and I got to play a small part. As I walked along the road I began to shout "Yahweh" and sing loudly in a cadence that reminded me of American Indian chants. It lasted for a few minutes and then I stopped. My spirit was quiet and I felt like I had entered a sacred place.

Thank You, God, for sending your beautiful daughters to touch my life. Though they may think they were blessed...allow them to see what a blessing they were to me.

Why

Everyone knows the phrase “Stop and smell the roses.” To us that translates “Walk and love the people.” Today businesses and churches alike put an emphasis on touching as many people as they can as quickly as they can. Although this is not a bad thing, our focus is different. We seek to linger, listen and encourage people across America. To us touching someone is different than just speaking to them or hugging them. We want to give their heart a deep loving massage for Christ.

Some folks have asked us, “What’s your point?

You’ve already walked across the entire United States twice.

Well, Cal Ripken played in 2632 baseball games. Michael Jordan played in over 245 games for the Chicago Bulls. Surgeons…movie stars… politicians…athletes and architects…. No one asks them why they do what they do or why they did it the first, second, third or fifteenth time!

They do what they do because that is who they are.

I can only give God what I have…I can only be who I am. I walk and talk for Christ!

Today go and be who you are...Do what God asks of you.

And please....don’t go changing to try and please Him… He loves you just the way you are!

Another Day on the Road

Cameron was on his way from his dad's in Dallas to the Dakota's. He said it would have bothered for the whole drive if he didn't stop and find out what I was doing. I had to smile...it's working!

I do...what I like to call responsive evangelism. I create a situation that causes people to think and ask a question like..."What in the world is he doing?" "Why is he dressed like that" "Who is that guy?" Then all I have to do is respond! When they stop to ask, I tell them "I'm doing a 3300 mile walk for CHRIST and I get to talk to them about God. Imagine that! Talking to a stranger about God within the first few seconds of meeting them!

Even if they don't stop, the questions stimulate conversation....in the car or truck or when they get home. I imagine Charley walking in the kitchen saying, "Honey, you'll never guess what I saw today?"

Some will think I am crazy. Some think I am religious. Others think I am a holy man but they all know by my attire, it has something to do with God. We want God to be back in the thought life of America. It is God who blessed our country and God who made the United States a land of free and brave people.

Everybody notices when you take a stand for your values. Clay Mitchell pulled his 18 wheeler over this afternoon. He turned off the engine, got out of the cab and started walking toward me. As I approached, he stopped, folded his arms in front of his chest and widened his stance. "My, My" I thought, "Another adventure with God."

It is my custom when I walk down the street to make the sign of the cross and bless people as they drive by. You've heard of drive by shootings...well, this is a "Drive by Blessing! Clay said that when I blessed him he felt a touch of God. He stopped to give me a gift...two small bottles of anointed anointing oil. He also gave me some country gospel songs that his wife Marsha had recorded. He told me he went to church one day and liked it so much he married the preacher!

Left McAlester, Oklahoma this morning and walked 13.9 miles and God blessed me with two new friends. Sometimes you wonder if your life makes a difference....well, these two made my day a whole lot brighter!

People on the Road

He stopped me on the road. “Are you a prophet?” “No” I replied, “I am just a small man trying to serve a big God.” His name was (still is I suppose:) Thaddyeus Thompson, pastor of St.Mary’s Christian Church. I liked him right off. Not many pastors stop me as a rule. He gave me his card and I told him that Lucyah and I would be worshipping at his church Sunday morning. Not sure if he viewed that as a promise or a threat but he did drive off in a happy mood.

It took a little doing but we found St. Mary’s. As we were driving in, Pastor Thompson was headed out. He has a 30 minute radio program every Sunday morning before church. We got there in time to take in Sunday School at 10:00am though. Worship started at 11:00 and ran to 1:30pm…..there was some great worship. I can’t tell you the name of the songs or the tunes but the thoughts behind the words still sing in my heart. Give glory to God, you saints, give glory to God! And always remember to never forget what Jesus has done for me!

There were a couple things I liked about Pastor T’s church. The music, the straight forward preaching and when it came time to take the offering…the ushers stood at the altar and the people got out of their seats and brought their offering to the altar of the Lord! Do I hear an “Amen!”

***

She walked up to me as I was walking through town and put some money in my hand. She said that Jesus told her to give it to me. I am always amazed when folks do that…not because of the money. God always provides for us in some amazing way but because of their obedience.

Angela was a young woman in her twenties. She told me that she wanted more of God than just an hour on Sunday morning. For the last three years, she was working on a more intimate relationship with her Savior. When she saw a little guy dressed up like some guy in the Bible walking down the main street of her town, instead of getting away from the crazy little dude, she obeys an impulse that says, talk to him; sow some seed into his work.

When I asked her if I could pray for her, she said she’d like a prayer for her mother. I inquired if the need was for something physical. She looked down and slowly shook her head. “My mother is lost” she replied. After we prayed and Angela wiped away a solitary tear, we talked. She was so young and yet so sensitive to the nudging of the Holy Spirit; wise beyond her years. How blessed am I to walk the back roads of America and find God’s children disguised as ordinary people.

New People Group Discovered!

In the Old Testament, we've read of the Amalekites, Moabites and the Midianites. Many of these cultures were wicked and worshiped lifeless idols carved of wood, stone, bronze or gold. History has volumes on various societies and their belief structure.

Yet today there exists a people who no one seems to categorize. In fact, I did not know that my own heritage was intertwined with theirs until I spoke with Rev. Cork Walden from Shiatook, OK. Even though these people go about feeding and clothing people who are in need, giving medicine to the sick and shelter to the homeless, their deeds are seldom reported. In fact their beliefs are often made fun of. They are a people of love, joy and positive influence. These are of a culture that societies across the globe either ignore or persecute and yet today their population is greater than at any time in history.

These are the followers of Jesus Christ; they are the Favor-ites. They do not profess to be better than anyone else nor do they suggest that God loves them more than any other. While other religions and belief systems believe in luck which always runs out, the Favor-ites live in a state of blessing and favor that never ends. Unlike tribes of old, you don't need to be born of a certain lineage or in a particular locale to be a Favor-ite. A Favor-ite simply embraces the Christ that embraces.

I invite you to investigate this new people group. It's time for your life to be filled with blessing and favor. Let God wrap His arms around you and become His Favor-ite.

Fragile

The body is capable of tremendous feats of strength. It can be pushed to extremes of hot and cold; stress and strain and...through it all, it grows stronger.

Life can be good; full of opportunities, adventure and beauty...and in a moment, it can all change.

People are a paradox; strong like steel and yet fragile as a flower.

My son-in-law lies in a hospital heavily medicated with a badly broken back and a ventilator helping him breathe. The family's feelings range from anxiety to fear to confusion. All of us are thankful. Thankful that Alex is still alive; thankful that we'are not the ones in the hospital. As we move our hands at will, turn our head from side to side and walk across the room, we are grateful to God. It could have been us. Life is so fragile. It can change in a moment.

There's good news in that thought "It can change in a moment." If your situation is not very good, know that with Christ it change in a moment for the better. Talk with Him. Seek His counsel. Listen to His guidance and do what He says and no storm can prevail against you.

If your circumstances are good...you can see and hear and think and feel and have love in your life...be grateful to God for what you have. Use your arms to hug someone you love. Speak a blessing into your child's life. Take a walk with your spouse. Be very grateful... life is fragile ... it can change a moment.

Do What You Do

We were delighted and surprised to find ourselves mentioned in the newsletter of That Christian Parody Band...Apologetix. It seems we have a good friend who is a good friend and fan of theirs.

ApologetiX gets their unusual name from the word "apologetics" which means "the defense of the Christian faith." They are a band that appeals to kids and parents alike and they travel all over the United States sharing Jesus Christ through their music. Besides their on-stage performamces, they stop at schools to talk to kids, answer questions and are a terrific role model for all of us. Make sure you check them out!

It's another wonderful example of how when each of us uses our gifts for God, God uses us. The Body of Christ is intertwined and interdependent. The dream is to get everyone to know, love and serve God and it takes teamwork to make the dream work!

Whether you pour concrete or pour cookie batter, play the cello or play golf, sew or sing...God wants you! He designed you to share your life and we need you. Apologetix educates and entertains. We walk and talk. Just give God what you have....it's enough.

When you use you talents, it makes Him smile and the world shine.

No Debt....for... Nobody!

Got a piece in the mail yesterday from Capital One credit card and it really bothered me.

They wanted Breath of Christ Ministries to design a credit card with our logo and our image and encourage our friends and family to use it. In exchange, the ministry would earn 1% of supporters' purchases. So if you spent $1000.00 using your credit card, we would get $10.00 and you would get in debt!

The big advantages touted were:

1) our cause is displayed every time they use their card
2) gave people a creative way to support us
3) could support us without an extra dime coming out of your pocket.

Lucyah and I want you to stop using credit cards!

We do not want to profit from your use of credit cards in any way! The advertisement and lopsided reasoning may sound good to some...but life happens! You may tell yourself you are going to pay the balance at the end of the month but... when you don't make the entire payment and interest is charged and a liability is created.

If you can't afford to pay cash for an item, don't buy it. Think about whether you need it or not ...If you aren't able to donate to us at this time, don't send us anything! Get your family's finances in order first.... Need help with getting keeping your money in your pocket check here.


Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another....Romans 13:8

Giving + Receiving = Life

God gave us good weather and Arnold was able to put the finishing touches on the inside of the door. Captain Arnold also spotted a small leak in a line attached to the water tank and he’s using his fix-it skills to get that mended.

This man is blessed with knowledge plus the ability to apply his knowledge plus a servant’s heart. We’ve worn ourselves out saying “thank you” for all the work he has done and all the work he has overseen. Sometimes words just aren’t enough. We trust God will pay our debt…He’s done it before, you know.

Someone emailed me asking how we were doing and if the waiting to leave starting to get us down. We have our moments but how can we get upset over people looking out for our comfort and safety. What are we suppose to say? “Stop! We can’t handle another second of this! Stop loving us right now!”

Solomon tells us “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” This is our season not just to wait; it is our season to receive love and so we will sit and receive this blessing from God. We will enjoy it knowing that those who are giving are enjoying it as well.

Don't Lose Your Joy!

No matter what words come out from the pulpit, everyone hears something different. What I heard this morning from Elder Bill Russell was don't let expectations and circumstances steal your joy.

As many know, our plans have gone awry and our timetable has been overturned. Every once in awhile I feel the joy leaking out of my spirit but then God sends someone like Bill along to remind me of God's goodness to Lucyah and I. Yesterday was a prime example.

"Captain" Arnold has been working his buns off trying to get the water pump to empty our tank. The hours he has put in the on the RV has saved us thousands of dollars! In the afternoon, Bob & Ginger Leavitt drove about fifty miles to see if they could help. After emptying the water tank through some "Marine" ingenuity, Bob was able to locate the problem (a clogged filter...looks like a cigar in the photo below)) and together he and Arnold put the tank back in. Water is flowing freely from the faucets and shower. Next on Arnold's "fix-it" agenda is our door. The lower inside section is rotted out and needs to be replaced.


The effort, teamwork and love of so many people is like caulking to my spirit. It prevents joy from leaking out. I look at these people and I see the Hands of God at work and I am filled with joy once again!

Lord, we speak blessing into every life that has helped us, supported us or prayed for us. We speak increase and favor on every hand that has reached out to us. Please help them to understand, Lord, that they are important, that You are using them and that their life is pleasing to You....and, Lord, don't let anything steal their joy!

Sometimes

Although our friends are doing their best, we're still in Kansas City, still have a water pump situation and still don't know when we're leaving to resume our walk for Christ.

Sometimes it's hard to wait.

My mind equates speaking, writing and walking with movement. It associates movement with being productive. The world says that being productive is a good thing.

My mind also links waiting with being still and doing nothing. Doing nothing paints a picture of sitting around and not contributing. When I am waiting, I get fidgety and sometimes that leads to a case of the "shoulds"..."I should be doing this" or "I should have done that." Should often leads to self-depreciation, a place God does not want us to live

God's Word (Ps. 46:10) tells us to...

"Be still and know that I am God"
Be still and know that I AM
Be still and know
Be still
Be

The world tells us to go, move, get busy but two thousand years ago Jesus knocked the "L" out of the world and left us with God's Word.

Sometimes it's hard to wait but... just for today...I'll stand on God's Word... and Be.

Out of the Church...Into the RV!

Southwest Community Church in Olathe, KS is finally back to normal!

Today we got the last remnants of our stuff out of their facility. My friend Don and I acted as the burros and carried things out while Lucy, Cherril and Pat worked the last two days finding a place for everything. There is more room in this unit than the last one so some of the items could be placed in outside storage.


Captain Arnold was busy as usual. He was replacing batteries and windshield wipers and fixing the trim of the roof. He said he figured we'd be ready to ship out by noon Friday. Woo-HOO!

Had a little rain off and on today. The weather is suppose to be getting a little chillier in the next few days. Glad we're headed south. On the upside, the colors of the trees are magnificent! How anyone can live though the colors of autumn and doubt there is a God amazes me.

America; an Ocean of Generosity

What a great time in history to be alive!

I remember as a kid sharing a phone line with the neighbors. The phone would ring in four houses at the same time. Each family had the same number but a different ring to let them if the call was for them or not. Today we can share messages, pictures and videos around the world in a matter of minutes and direct to one person or a million. WOW!

It's been great to share our RV adventures (the good, the bad and the ugly) with you. For me it has been a testimony of the goodness of people. Sometimes we don't know how good folks can be until we have a hurt or a need. In this ocean of generosity called America, we have experienced more hugs, smiles and love than CNN has viewers! We have experienced kindness, not just in the Midwest, but throughout these United States...literally from sea to shining sea!

The American people, work, give, help, support and pray to help each other and others everyday. We see it happening everywhere we go. God is the thread of goodness that runs through this nation. That's why we're united and that's why we stand!

Dedicated!

Sunday after worship we dedicated the 94 Winnebago....Lucy and I went inside the RV (She took the driver's seat!), the church circled the RV and Arnold led us in prayer. It was beautiful!

As anxious as we are to get back on the road, it's going to be very tough to say good-bye to our wonderful family.

It Won't Be Long Now!

The finishing touches are being put into the RV. Captain Arnold says we should be Oklahoma bound by Wednesday. Woo-Hoo! Here's some pics of the Captain putting his best foot forward and our Thursday night prayer buddies. Love you guys!

Acknowledge God in All Your Ways

And….

God will direct your path….(Proverbs 3:6)

Acknowledging God is my job description. When people ask me what I do for a living. I tell them “I Acknowledge God” and whenever I describe my job, I‘m doing my job!

In return for that, the Lord cares for me as He cares for the birds of the air. He feeds, clothes and shelters me but because I am His child, He also fills my life with love. You may be thinking I’d like to have a job like that! Well, you’re in luck….God is hiring.

I recently saw this ad in The New Beginnings Gazette:

Wanted: God Almighty is looking for an administrative assistant in your city. Applicants must have a willing heart, a teachable spirit and be flexible (things change fast here). Daily duties include looking for the good in people and telling them about it. Encouraging is only done as long as it’s Today. You are required to use the name of Jesus (Power flows through that name) to open doors to healing and abundance and to close doors to illness and lack.

Benefit package: All of your sins are forgiven and all your diseases are healed. Your life is redeemed from the pit, you are crowned with love and compassion plus your desires are satisfied with good things (please note that this last benefit will be different for everyone).

The job of acknowledging God is one that everyone can do and even though I move around a bit, relocation isn’t necessary. My friend Don Knepp was just hired as an admin assistant in the Prayer Division and if you watch the Kansas City Marathon, you might just see ‘ol 92 flying by and praying as he goes.....

Do what you love and acknowledge God as you do it!

God Likes You A Lot!

It doesn’t matter how you and I got into debt; our own choices or life’s circumstances. The bottom line is that we’re still in debt and God doesn’t want us there! Scripture tells us that we should owe no debt except for the debt of love. (Romans 13:8)

Recently Breath of Christ Ministries and Nick & Lucy became debt-free! I’d like to tell you that it was because we are such great money managers. I’d like to tell you that but I can’t. It was all God.

In December of 2008 we were debt free and by May of 2009 we were stuck $40,000.00! Accident, illness, RV repairs all played a part. The details of our debt are not important but the details of our deliverance is, because often we think God doesn’t care about the details of our lives.

Lucy turned fifty in March and believed with her childlike faith it was her year of Jubilee and God would forgive our debt. I asked God to help my unbelief. I’m a number’s guy and I didn’t see any way out. In June, the hospital discounted the amount we owed them from $22,200.00 to $2,200.00! Twenty grand wiped off our bill! Lucy was beside her self with joy; laughing, crying and praising God. I was stunned. Despite her happiness, we still had a lot of red ink to deal with and the world was crying recession.

God whispered to me “There is no recession in My Kingdom.” I felt the Holy Spirit nudge me to invest in two specific stocks. They were in the worse segment of the economy; automobiles and housing! Yikes! Over the course of the next several months, I invested in Ford and Fannie Mae…and prayed. During all this time, we continued to pay down our bills to the best of ability.

October came and God nudged me to sell. I didn’t want to. Stocks were going up. If I held them for another month or two, we might have a very Merry Christmas. God said “Sell.” I said, “But God…” He said “Sell.” “But” “Sell!” We still owed $11,000.00 and I sold the stocks and received…want to take a guess?....$11,000.00. Now I’m telling you this story for two reasons.

One…God has no favorites. What He does for us He will do for you. Do your best to pay off your debt (go ye and buy only with cash incurring no more debt), ask God to help you and expect Him to act on your behalf. God is real and He likes you a lot.

Two…God worked in our lives in a way that Lucy could understand. She simply stood on His Word and believed. God also worked in a way that I could understand…investing and numbers. We are different people with different personalities and comprehensions and yet He took the time to speak to us in a way we could each understand.

Christ came to set the captives free;

from darkness,

from destruction,

from death and

…..from debt!

Because of the RV

A few days ago, Lucy & I had the pleasure of reconnecting with our good friend Paul Davis. Paul is one of those mystical, magical guys who understands computers and technology. He is also a staunch defender of the Christian Faith; an Apologist. Besides strongly encouraging Lucy & I to blog daily (he actually threatened us!), he also gave us an interesting perspective on our old RV. I believe he called it one of God’s tools.

Sometimes an item, vehicle, person or circumstance is introduced into your life and the result is anxiety, aggravation or frustration. Often times we too quickly brand it “bad.” These “additions” sometimes cause us to do things we’d rather not do or experience things we’d rather not encounter or meet people we ordinarily wouldn’t meet. There are many times, we travel roads we would not have traveled had “something” not happened. God always…yes, I said always…uses these happenings to teach us something. The question, of course, is do we learn? Sometimes, yes…sometimes, no.

Our good friends Al & Gloriah gave us the original RV. They are wonderful people with great hearts and had no idea the vehicle was going to have as many problems as it did. Instead of feeling bad in any way, we hope they feel honored. God used their generosity to bless people as we hiccuped along the road.

Because of the RV, our rapid rate of travel and mechanical mishaps, we met exactly who God wanted us to meet at exactly where and when He wanted us to meet them. Because of the RV, they blessed us with their stories. Because of the RV, we got a chance to pray for and with people (including 13 Kansas policemen in 17 days!) Because of the RV, people got to use their gifts to replace, repair and upgrade. Because of the RV, you and I saw...the beating heart of Body of Christ!

Just like the Hebrews muttered after Moses led them out of Egypt, I moaned and groaned about the Yellow Submarine a bit…okay, a lot! Because of the RV, I got to look back and remember. God has taken me across a lot of desert. He has pulled me through many a valley. My sins are forgiven. My health is restored. He supplies all my needs AND.... satisfies my desires with good things…after all I'm married to Lucy!

Little by Little

We're inching our way back to walking miles....

Our 1994 Winnebago is getting upgraded every day! Besides a new floor and linoleum, we have a new bathroom sink, a new water pump for the bathroom (shower pressure) and today we're getting a new toilet! It's for important people on the go...

Friends Richard and Jacque snatched up Lucy early in the day and took her to buy two new blankets! Later Lucy and Cheryl put in drawer liners while Arnold & Pastor Harold made another trek to the RV store for some plumbing fixtures. We already have new faucets in the bathroom and kitchen. I think they just like to poke around at the RV store! Our buddy Bill treated some drawers from the other RV unit with Kilz to prevent mold (remember, we had some water issues).

Our friend Pat is working on removing the decal on the outside so we can put up a new "3300 Miles for CHRIST" sign Friday morning. Even though taking time to put on the sign will delay our departure from Olathe, we feel it is very important. Scripture tells us to acknolwedge the Lord and He will direct our paths. The Bible says it and we believe it!

I once heard an advertising man say that a product has to be seen or heard at least six times before it registers in our brain. When they see CHRIST on our RV, hear you say CHRIST and another puts CHRIST on his tee-shirt and so on, it won't be long before "our product" of Hope and Love will register in their brain.

You know, if you see a Pepsi sign often enough, the first time you get thirsty you'll want a Pepsi. If you see or hear CHRIST often enough, the first time a person feels lost, lonely or hurting, they'll reach for a drink of Living Water....and thirst no more!

People Are The Heartbeat of God

A "beat" is the contraction and expansion of our heart. I believe God placed this vital organ in us to remind us that we need to come together regularly with others and then separate, come together and separate.

We need to be hugged and helped and then left alone to grow and expand. It is this pattern repeated that we call life.

Our spirits become smothered if we are held too much. We do not fully develop if we are helped too much. We need to stand a bit on our own, wobble like a child and fall forward. Those that love come and stand us up and encourage us to try again....then they move away and give us room. The circle of love contracts and expands. When we feel safe, we grow and as we grow, we recognize God in others...and the beat goes on and God smiles.

Body of Christ

We arrived at Southwest Community Church on Wednesday at noon and "the church team" was already working on fine tuning our newly acquired home. The floor had a weak spot in it so they decided to replace the old wood and lay down a linoleum floor.

The weather was changing and a storm front was fast moving toward us. Arnold, the RV team captain, suggested we empty the old RV and store our "stuff" in the church before the wet weather came. Lucy and I used muscles we didn't know we had and got everything inside just in time. Pastor Harold is so laid back. He took our invasion with a smile and a wonderful hearty laugh.

Since we were without a car, our friend Pat came over, and after helping us unload the RV, gathered up some of our clothes and whisked us off to her house. She lent us her car for the next few days so we could run errands (check mail, buy meds, register the vehicle etc).

Bob Leavitt had built an "office" for us in the '77 and I mentioned that it really worked well so Engineer Arnold (he really is an engineer) suggested we try to disassemble it and install it in the "94. So I did my best to unscrew and unbolt so the big guys could come in and lift it out.

Arnold, Pastor Harold, Bill Russell and his son Mike worked like crazy to remove this, put in that, tear out and upgrade. There is no doubt in our minds that these guys were, and still are as we speak, working "unto the Lord." One night Mike and Arnold stayed til about 2:30am putting in the linoleum and they laid it as one piece! There are no seams!

Now while the men were working so were the women. Bill's wife Cheryl took the curtains and cleaned and pressed them. She and Lucy washed down the walls and God only knows what else Cheryl has been in to. Jacque took Lucy out to get some sheets and towels (our bed is a different size in this unit) and was so generous, Lucy cried when she told me about her day.

The weather really took a turn. It got cold and it looked like it could snow at any minute! Jeanne, a Thursday night prayer partner, went home and made a bunch of sandwiches and a big crock pot of potato soup. It was appreciated by all! (Pastor Harold to the left; Mike & Arnold below) Good job, Jeanne!

God Cares For His Children

We thought we would drive into Olathe, take all our stuff out of the old RV and put it in the new RV and drive off into the sunset to resume our walking.

Then I heard the whisper of the Holy Spirit.."Not so fast, Grasshopper! What are you going to do with the old RV? You need to register the new RV and in order to register it, you have to get it insured! Plus, Eager and Impetuous One, you must learn how everything works on the new vehicle. Some changes occurred between 1977 and 1994! You must read the instruction manual!" Read the instructions? Yikes!

Now before we could leave Oklahoma, there were a couple things to do. First,we had the honor of being on KOKL radio for forty-five minutes. KOKL is an Oldies/Country Western station and has many listeners who may not grace the doors of a church. It was great to bring encouragement & hope of Christ into their homes, cars and trucks.

Next we wanted to fix the starter on the generator. Pastor George said he would provide the labor once we got the armiture repaired. We were expecting to pay over $200.00 but a Jewish man who owned a starter repair business provided the repaired housing for $65.00! Yeshua has connections everywhere!

Before we left, Bob Leavitt solved the problem of what to do with the RV. He simply told us to drop it off at his house and he would put it in his garage and tinker with it as he could over the winter. You never know, we could sell it to Hollywood as a vintage piece to be used in a movie...did you see Surrogate? There was an RV in it just like ours!

7 Days Later

What a whirlwind of blessing this past week has been....fasten your seat belts and watch the Hand of God move!

After being overcome by propane fumes, we slept on the altar of the church, got up in the morning and put in a call to Pastor Harold at our home church in Olathe, KS and asked him for prayer. We then called our friends George & Brenda Shafer in Bixby, OK . I said "Hi, Pastor! You said if we ever needed a place to stay to call you...well, here we are!" They opened their home to us, listened to our tales of woe and loved us.

For the next few days we just sat, talked to God and our friends and wondered what was going to happen. Sunday afternoon Pastor Harold called to inform us that they found an RV that might work for us. He gave us a link to check it out. He and his elders were physically looking it over as I pulled it up on my computer. I noticed the price was $20,000 and gulped. The pastor said, "We're going to get it for you. How soon can you be back in Kansas?"

"We are going to be radio guests on 'Good News Behind the News' in Okmulgee Tuesday morning so we could be in Olathe by Wednesday I suppose." I hung up the phone stunned. Lucy said she had to lie down. I put on my jacket and went outside to take a walk (hey, it's what I do!)

As I looked over the farm lands and into the vast blue sky, I felt the heart of David... who am I, O God, that You would be mindful of me. I thought maybe I had been dreaming and so I called Pastor Harold and asked if he had really called me about an RV. He laughed his hearty laugh and said yes, he had indeed called. Then he went on to tell me the rest of the story...

The church felt they needed to stay within a budget of $10,000 but couldn't find a RV in good condition for that price. Pastor Harold started to look in a higher price range when he came across an ad for this vehicle at $20,000. When he called the owner, the owner said he had sold this unit two years ago!

The pastor apologized for bothering him and then the man told him he sold it to one of his neighbors and that the fellow didn't use it very often; perhaps the neighbor would be interested in selling it. He gave the pastor the gentleman's number and the call was made.

The short version...The man decided to sell. The church wanted to make an offer but...how much did he want? He said, "I'll take $10,000." Of course, he would! God is soooo good!

We arrived back in Olathe on Wednesday, entered the driveway and pulled the old RV(1977) nose to nose with the newer model (1994). . Lucy took out her camera and we saw what we should have known all along; Christ is in the center of our lives.

There's more blessings to tell....will write more tomorrow