testimony: we’re debt-free (well, almost)….

This July marks an amazing testimony of how the Lord has been meeting us and working in our lives. We can now say that we are totally debt-free in the realm of credit cards. We’ve been working on this area for several years now and through the Lord’s recent financial provisions (wedding photo jobs and selling a guitar) we are no longer tied into either of the 2 major credit cards that we have owned! …that’s right $0 balances on both statements! …no more balance transfer games :) …its such a great feeling to be free from credit cards…but its even a better feeling to know the Lord’s delight is over us as He has been faithful in the area of financial provision. Our prayer is that we’ll continue to diligently pursue His will with the finances that we receive!

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matthew 6:26)

just wrapped at the Pursuit conference…

we’re hanging out here on a beautiful Sunday afternoon after a weekend of ministering in Albuquerque, New Mexico! we’ve shared our hearts, met new friends, and been blessed immensely by the wonderful church family at New Life City!

check out the poster that was made for the conference weekend. we’ve had the privilege of hanging with Kenny who co-founded SumAgency.com. He hooked up this poster for the weekend. very cool…

ministry trip: Albuquerque, NM…

well…we headed out today from one hot place (KC) to another (New Mexico). we’ve had a string of 90+ degree days this week with high humidity BUT I hear that Albuquerque is one of those “dry-heat” type places!

we’ll be visiting good friends Ben & Kristin Shaffer who spent about 1 year in KC and moved back to Albuquerque, NM to serve the local church and facilitate a city-wide prayer and worship ministry believing God for redemption and revival in New Mexico. I’ve had the privilege of planning and leading this ministry trip and I’m thrilled to be bringing along Luke Wood, Caleb & Rachel (keys/vox), and our former drummer Zach Wood (Luke’s brother) to minister as a team down in Albuquerque.

pray for us as we will be ministering Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at the Shaffers church. I’ll be speaking at the main session on Saturday evening to potentially 200+ people about encountering Jesus through prayer and intercession! what an exciting time we’re anticipating as we yet again get to be a touch point to local churches across the nation and encourage them to continue to press on pursuing Jesus as our beloved Bridegroom, King, and Judge!

funny…im on the new onething CD cover…

yup…that’s me and my brown SG from the onething conference back in December 2007. we (Luke Wood’s team) have 1 track on the CD called “Set Your Seal.” Other favorite worship leaders that have tracks include Misty Edwards, Matt Gilman, Cory Asbury, and Eddie James. great CD…purchase it here

oh my gosh…we haven’t posted in 2 weeks!

…but i assure you all is going well. we’ve been busy preparing for Emmaus to arrive. Last week we took a day trip to St. Louis as one last get away before Emmaus joins our family. we had a great time searching out Forrest Park, the Zoo, Science Center, and the Landing down on the Mississippi river! I just got back from a wedding photo job in Houston, TX and had a great time with the newly married Chris and Cristina Batz!

in the midst of travel, ministry, and preparing for Emmaus…I’ve been reminded how important steadiness and wholeheartedness in God is. At times I’ve felt weak, empty, and strained as I’ve slipped away from a heart that’s alive and abounding in love, exhilaration, and joy in Jesus. im realizing freshly again that its one thing to go through the activities of study and prayer and its a totally other thing as God breathes life on our times of study, prayer, fasting, and devotion and our hearts move because of Him. So moving forward my recent prayer is that I’d be one that doesn’t just “get by” but one that “overcomes” the mundane of life…that we’d always be looking for the excitement of knowing and loving Jesus with an expectation that God who is all-consuming fire desires to set our hearts ablaze with love for Him, each other, and the lost in the earth.

Amanda at 32 weeks…(8 weeks to go!)…

well, we are looking at 8 weeks to go until we expect baby Emmaus to show up on the scene! amanda is doing well and Emmaus is kicking stronger by the week!

baby girl has a first name…

Emmaus comes from Luke 24:13-49
Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called

Emmaus

, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.
And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?” Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?”
And He said to them, “What things?” So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.” Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them. Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another,

“Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”

So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.

Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”
When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?” So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in their presence.

Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”

And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.

Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”