Amy’s Funeral Today

Today Vanessa and I will go to Bethany North to participate in Amy’s funeral. It’s going to be a bittersweet day. I’ve watched Amy grow up from a child into a young lady. I remember one time Randy and Beth asked me to go with them on a trip to Colorado and I ended up babysitting for Amy and Angie when they were just real young. Talk about funny, a 20 something young man babysitting 2 young girls. We played Connect Four and they would cry because I wouldn’t let them win. Early in their lives they lived next door to my sister and her husband and we watched her grow tall into a young lady. I remember that once we were in Dallas where she was interning at a ritzy women’s boutique and several of us met her for dinner at P.F. Changs. She was always into fashion and style that was Amy. I watched as she and Joel began to spend time together that of course ended in their marriage. We were honored to be a part of that ceremony in St. Thomas. I remember spending time with the Stockstill family and thinking how blessed she was to be moving from a great family into another great family. I watched from a distance as she and Joel stepped into ministry and it was awesome to see God take a girl and see her become a woman of God. She always honored us even though we only pastored her for a short time of her life. She loved Vanessa and Vanessa loved Amy. We were blessed that she was a part of our lives and rejoice that she is with the Lord. At the same time our hearts go out to Randy, Beth, Andrew, and Angie as well as Joel and his family.

National Prayer Breakfast

I had the opportunity to attend the National Prayer Breakfast last week in Washington D.C. Gene Mills asked if I would attend in his place with Senator David Vitter and of course I’m grateful to both of them for the opportunity to attend. I always enjoy D.C. and Vanessa and I had a great time in the city. The speaker this year was Ward Brehm, chairman of the Africa Development Fund. His message was one of helping the poor in their poverty. Some of his main points were:

· Don’t lead thinking of you, but for 7 generations after you.
· God is often all the poor have
· We need to cross the street and cross the ocean.
· Attend to small disasters at home and huge ones across the sea.
· One million miles from my comfort zone but just 5 miles from my house.
· Jesus said, when you’ve done it unto “ONE” of the least of these, you’ve done it unto Me.” Look for one.
· Poor are not a group or a demographic, they are “1” individual.
· Africa awakened me and I didn’t even know I was asleep.
· God’s strategy for letting the poor know He loves them is US.


A host of who’s who were there from the political world, in fact I had a seat better than Chuck Colson but not as good as Rick Warren’s. Michael W. Smith sang a couple of his powerful songs and led us in worship. The whole message of using our strength to help the weakest among us was right on target for me. God has continually spoken this to me and challenged me to live it daily. What a privilege, thanks Senator Vitter, and thanks Gene Mills.