As many of you know, Vicki and I are currently in a transitional state as we head back into the local church. We are no longer with Adventures in Missions and are in communication with some churches for pastoral positions.
So in the transition time we have started Pine Designs back up. We had the business about 15 years ago when we were in Petersburg, IN and did well with it. So, since we have all the tools, we thought we would start it back up. We have gone to a few shows trying to get our name out.
One of the things Vicki and I decided when we started this was that some of the proceeds needed to go to missions, particularly to orphans in Swaziland. So, we're making a commitment to donate 10% of our RETAIL SALES to the ministry in Swaziland. If things grow, we're hoping to be able to donate more.
We are not loosing our focus of ministry and where God is taking us. Our hearts are still with ministry in the local church. However, it is something which Vicki can continue to run once we get into a church.
You can check our products out on www.pinedesignsonline.com. You can also "like" our facebook page - "Pine Designs". But most importantly, we appreciate your prayers for us as we seek the Lord as to where He would have us serve.
I got a call last week from Dad letting me know that Mom is nearing her end here on earth and ready to be in the presence of Jesus. It's been a tough road for her over the last few years and especially over the last couple months. Today, she was transferred into Hospice care. I doubt if she'll make it through the week.
Mom has suffered with Parkinsen's disease for nearly 30 years. Dad has been by her side every step of the way. She turned 82 this year and they celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary in August. However, the past 2 months her health has gone downhill rapidly. She's been in and out of the hospital, going back and forth between the nursing home and the hospital. She had a mild stoke, then an e-coli infection, then pneumonia, then another infection and now internal bleeding. With the bleeding the only treatment is surgery, so the decision was made to not do anything further. Soon she'll be in the presence of her Lord and Saviour. As Paul said, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8).
I am so thankful for Mom and her life. She is an example of a Godly womam and always pointed me to Jesus. She loves Him, she loves her family and she will be missed. I'm thankful for the way she raised me and I'm who I am today because of her and Dad's faithfulness and commitment to Christ.
Sometime this week we will probably be heading up to New Jersey to celebrate her life. Mom loved the Lord and loved singing for Him. She will shortly be singing full voice in the presence of Jesus. Something she hasn't been able to do for a long time.
Wait, it's a simple word used in many different ways. It can be used to describe someone waiting in line at the store (boring) or waiting the arrival of a close friend (exciting). One is a mindless, inactive state, whereas the other is actively anticipating the arrival. I would take the second one over the first any time. Waiting in line is something many of us are not good at, we want to be taken care of right away. Waiting on anything is hard, but some of the waits have greater reward.
Many of us like to do things while waiting, it helps pass the time and it gives us something to do so we don't get as frustrated by the wait. The wait is so much longer when we simply sit or stand and aren't actively doing anything. I'm currently waiting on the Lord for His leading, but that doesn't mean I'm going to be inactively waiting. I'll continue to serve and do what He has for me here. As the song by John Waller goes,
"I'm waiting
I'm waiting on you, Lord
And I'm peaceful
I'm waiting on you, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord."
The hard part in all this is that when we are in the waiting process, we want to move or make things happen, and we sometimes jump ahead of God. The other day I was at the grocery store and the lady in front of me was a dollar short, so she sends her son out to the car to see if he could find a dollar in change. I was about ready to pull a dollar out of my wallet when she decided to have the cashier take something out so I wouldn't have to wait (I wasn't in a hurry, I just don't like to stand & wait). I wanted to take the matter into my hands and speed things up. I'm always trying to do that and Vicki is always reminding me to relax and be patient, especially when I can't do anything about it.
We know God is moving us on, but we must wait. We feel called to go back to the local church, but until that time we will continue to serve where He's placed us. As we serve, we also appreciate your continued support, both through prayers and finances. Our support account is getting low so we appreciate you sticking with us in support of our ministry here at AIM. It's a vital ministry, and God is using it to impact many lives for the Kingdom. So we will continue to serve, to worship, to wait and to trust.
Well, we made it through all those crazy days and are still in one piece. We got back from band camp only to have Vicki and Jeremy get sick, but all are healthy now as we are on the last week of the summer break. They head back to school on Monday, Aug. 10.
It's really been a good summer for our trips. There have been some incredible stories of God working in and through individuals, both on the trip and those they were ministering to. The trips have been very fruitful.
Josh and Jeremy had a great experience on their trip to New Orleans as well. They saw God direct the team as they went out and ministered to the people in the city. They were out on the streets in the morning and running a VBS for the children in the afternoon. For many on the trip it was their first opportunity on a mission trip and were amazed at how God used them.
One of the cool things at band camp this summer was the church service they had for the kids. This is a public school and the camp ran from Friday - Wednesday. So the band director (who is a strong believer) always likes to have a church service on Sunday for anyone wanting to come. Last year I volunteered Josh's worship band from the church to lead in worship and it went great. So this year, the band director asked if they could come back and it went even better. They had the largest group ever attend, the music was great, and both Josh and Jeremy were playing, leading their high school peers in worshiping the Lord! Vicki and I were thrilled at seeing them both involved and taking that stand. Jeremy just learned to play the bass a few months ago and did a great job.
In the middle of everything, Vicki and I were able to get away for a few days while the boys were on their mission trip to celebrate our 25th anniversary. We took a few days off and went up to Asheville, NC. It was great just to spend some time together and reflect back on the last 25 years. We are blessed in many ways!
Tomorrow is the start of our Ambassador training camp, our high school participants going out for a month. We have about 120 high school kids going out at two different times. There are over 60 coming in tomorrow and will be heading out to Swaziland, Peru, Guatemala, Dominican Republic and Ireland. The second group comes in on June 30 and will be out for 2 weeks to Puerto Rico, Costa Rica and Guatemala.
So Vicki and I will be involved in this camp beginning tomorrow, but then Josh and Jeremy will be working with a youth group trip coming to Atlanta starting on Saturday, where the two of them plus two of their friends will be leading the group in worship each evening. So we'll be with the camp during the day and then drive to Atlanta for the evening (about an hour's drive).
After that camp leaves on June 24, we have volunteered to go with the church youth group to the Forward Conference at the Gwinett Arena from the evening of the 24th to the 27th. Josh and Jeremy are both looking forward to it as there will be great music and great speakers (David Crowder Band, Fee, Louie Giglio, Chris Tomlin, and others). So for the next 9 days we'll be with teenagers all day long! I don't know if I had a stretch that long when I was in youth ministry full-time!
But it doesn't stop there, because a couple days later on June 30 our next high school group comes in (that's also our 25th anniversary) for a 3 day camp. Then Josh and Jeremy leave for a mission trip their own to New Orleans (we're not going on that one), followed by Marching Band camp July 16 - 22 in which Vicki and I will be chaperoning (I know we're crazy!).
Crazy or not, we're thankful for the opportunities we can have in influencing these kids for Christ. We'll have opportunities to influence kids in all stages of their walk with the Lord. Some are very solid and some will have no relationship with Christ. We have an opportunity to influence all of them whether they are going on a mission trip or coming in as a lost freshman trying to find his way around, we want to be Jesus to them. That's our responsibility and our privilege.
Oh and by the way, during the week that Josh and Jeremy on gone on their mission trip, we're going to take some time to get away and celebrate our anniversary.
Here's a video of Josh's Worship Band leading worship in church for their senior recognition Sunday. Josh loves to play in the band and lead in worship. God has gifted him with the ability to play. He is pursuing a college in which he can get a music ministry degree with a guitar emphasis.
A couple weeks ago our church had a Disciple Now Weekend. For those who aren't familiar with Disciple Now, it's a weekend youth retreat at the church. The kids stay together in homes of church members, there's large group teaching and small group discipleship. It's a great weekend and God worked in many kids hearts.
The weeked was capped off with the Youth Band leading the worship time in the church service. What a worship time it was. God's presence was felt and the band did an excellent job. Josh has been playing in the band for 4 years now. Someone took a video of one of the songs which is below. Josh is on the left and is not always in the video. But anytime you hear a guitar soloing, it's Josh.
We are thrilled that both Josh and Jeremy are involved in the ministry at Lanier Hills Church. Jeremy is the sound guy for the band and Josh is trying to teach him how to play the bass because the current bass player is a senior. Both are growing in their walk with the Lord. We are blessed.
If you enjoy it, find Josh on Facebook and let him know what a great job he did!
Last week we took a vacation over Josh and Jeremy's spring break. Vicki's mom had reserved a week on her timeshare down in Pamama City Beach and invited us to come on down. We left on Saturday and on Sunday received a phone call about an accident involving 3 of our FYM participants in South Africa. Tragically, one of the participants, Sarah Buller, was killed in the accident.
As Seth Barnes, our founder and president, mentioned in his blog entry, "Her passing reminds us that God has called us to a road that is sometimes more than we can bear. Sarah set an example by following God's call in her life and ministering to the poor in South Africa. She loved Jesus and died serving him. We can't help but praise God for her life."
Her parents had just visited her just a couple weeks before. Her last blog entry gives us a picture into her life: "We work with kids in the townships and I work with babies. Life is good here. some days are more crazy then others!!! My parents just come to see me! And it was GREAT! They got to see the whole team. We went to Swaziland a country with in South Africa. I LOVED IT! My Dad got to see old friends. I'm in love."
Sarah died serving the Lord, loving what she was doing. We will miss Sarah. Please be praying for her team and her family. It's hard to move on when tragedy strikes. The team has about a month left before they return on May 13.
I got a call last week from Dad letting me know that Mom is nearing her end here on earth and ready to be in the presence of Jesus. It's been a tough road for her over the last few years and especially over the last couple months. Today, she was transferred into Hospice care. I doubt if she'll make it through the week.
In the middle of everything, Vicki and I were able to get away for a few days while the boys were on their mission trip to celebrate our 25th anniversary. We took a few days off and went up to Asheville, NC. It was great just to spend some time together and reflect back on the last 25 years. We are blessed in many ways!
As Seth Barnes, our founder and president, mentioned in his