Intentional Encouragement

      I was looking back for a post from early on in my blogging activity that very few people viewed.  I found one that only 4 people looked at.  I must have been having an off week. :-)  At any rate; I am aware of numerous situations right now in which people are suffering.  One friend with double knee replacement surgery, one family struggling with their daughter's health and spending a lot of time in the hospital recently.  Many other situations are very troubling.  Of course; there always seems to be a list of my friends or family members who are struggling with the emotional and relational difficulties of life.  I know my tendency is to want "out."  This post was a good reminder to me that "out" isn't always what God will use most effectively in my life to accomplish His glory.  Maybe it will help you a little also...      “To keep me from becoming conceited… a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me. Three times I p

     If you follow my blog, or read it occasionally, you probably know that I was a pastor for most of my ministry life.  In addition to that, I spent 5 years serving with a mission agency and have had 2 seasons during that time in which I was not being paid to be in active ministry.  I was waiting for God to show me what he wanted next.      In the first instance, I was selling office furniture because we had endeavored to move to Australia to plant churches and the door closed.  When I switched to serving at the home office of the mission agency, my support quickly dried up and I sought out "secular" employment.  The second of those times is right now.  In July, I resigned my pastorate of nearly 9 years in Virginia because I became fully convinced that my time there had come to a conclusion and that God was done using me in that particular church.  I'm still convinced that it was true, but God has permitted me (and my family) to stay in this interim period for a much m