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 th...

     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...