Preparing for the Birthday of the Prince of Peace

We're visiting Jonathan, Heidi, Kai, Salem and Faith in South Carolina. Last night Jonathan and I went to the airport to pick up Marisa. The traffic was mayhem! Today, Jonathan and Heidi had to go to a "doc in the box" because Heidi needed an antibiotic - she hasn't been feeling well. Just before supper time (that's the evening meal when you are from the south) Debbie and I decided to brave the great unknown and go to the grocery store. Again - mayhem! Tomorrow (the eve of Christmas eve) there are still more gifts to purchase. It seems strange that the celebration of the birthday of the prince of peace had become an exercise in ... ah ... um ... shall I use the word yet again? ... MAYHEM! What's even more strange is that I am one who is supposed to know better, and yet I seem to be contributing to the problem. I have always tried to teach others to be part of the solution and not part of the problem. So once again, I must pray "Lord Jesus, be born in me today!" Amen.

Just In Time For Christmas

"Christian Gaming" has just reached a new low. There is now a game available at WalMart, endorsed by Focus on the Family, that allows "Christian Crusaders" to kill people who won't convert to Christianity. Here is a part of the article I just discovered.

Aimed at conservative Christians, the game's story line begins in a time after the "rapture," when fundamentalist dogma contends that Christians will go to heaven. The remaining population on earth must then choose between surrendering to or resisting "the Antichrist," which the game describes as the "Global Community Peacekeepers," whose objective is the imposition of "one-world government."

"Part of the object is to kill or convert the opposing forces," Simpson said. This is "antithetical to the Gospel of Jesus Christ," he said, adding that he was dismayed by the concept in "Eternal Forces" of using prayer to restore a player's "spirit points" after killing the enemy." In the game, combatants on one side pause for prayer, intoning, "Praise the Lord." A player can lose points for "unnecessary killing" but regain them through prayer.

I want to encourage you to read the entire article, "Death To Infidels Via Video Game," by William Fisher. Just click on his name to go to the article.

A Complicated (and JOYOUS) Christmas Season

This year is the most complicated Christmas season we have ever had. We knew the complications would come - they come for all families. When I was growing up, my mom and dad and us kids joined my uncle, aunt and cousins at my grandparents' house. It was all great! Then the kids started getting married and having their own children. Suddenly, my parents and my uncle and aunt became the grandparents. We tried for a while to keep things ever the same, but it got complicated. Children grow up, get married, have children and move to different parts of the country. Not only do we become grandparents, but the parents of our "kids-in-law" also become grandparents and they want to spend time with their children and grandchildren at holiday times. I completely understand why we stopped meeting at my grandparents' home and they began to alternate between their children's homes each Christmas. That brings me back to our complicated schedule. Jonathan and Heidi just had a new baby - so it is impossible for them to travel this year. Hence, we are going there - South Carolina. Alicia and Ashley will spend Christmas with his parents. Then on the 26th, we fly back home to greet the "A Team" (get it? A-licia, A-shley, A-ria) when they arrive on the 28th. Then we get to open gifts AGAIN! In the midst of it all, we get to help out at the One Thing Young Adult Conference sponsored by the International House of Prayer (Dec. 28-31).

I've been pretty negligent in my blogging lately anyway, but I don't expect it to get better over the next couple of weeks. However, I'll try to give updates as often as I can. I hope you all have a blessed (and less complicated) Christmas!

Christmas Cards

We love to get Christmas Cards! Now I don't say that in order to goad some of you who read this into sending me a card - but should the thought occur to you .... One of the most fun cards I have gotten so far this year came by way of email today. Check out the link. You get to tell the "singing chins" what Christmas carol you want them to sing, and after a moment of "thinking" they will either sing it, or tell you that they don't know that one. It isn't a big deal, but it was fun, and it reveals just how easily pleased I am. Enjoy!

http://www.sundog.net/carolofthechins/flash/index.html

Useless Information

You can file this post under the category of useless information. I was scanning my latest issue of "Men's Health" and ran across the following article. I submit it for your consideration. Should the days of snow ever come again, some of you may want to try this and let me know how it works.

WHEN YOU'RE BUILDING A SNOWMAN
DO THIS: Watch the clock. Sculpt your snowman between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and "the sun will warm the snow so it's wet enough to stick," says Mark Mason, a member of the professional snow-building group Team Snowtastic. "If you wait until later, it could be too slushy."

NOT THAT: Don't roll up half of the woods. Rake the yard clean the night before a big snowfall, or try to harvest snow from driveways or patios, where twigs, sticks, and rocks won't clutter your creation. "Leaves and rocks absorb more sunlight and heat, and make it melt faster," says Mason.

Ok - that's it. May your snowman building project be the best ever!

Faith!

Need I say more? Probably not, but I will. She was born Thursday morning (Dec. 7) at 12:30. She weighed 6 lb. 14 oz. (That's 3.1 kg for you metric folks). She was 19 inches (48.26 cm) long. We can't see it because of the cap, but Jonathan says she has dark hair. I got to hear her cry on Thursday morning, and she sounded like she has a future as a prophetic singer! Debbie and I are looking forward to meeting her on Dec. 19. What a great little Christmas present -- this truly is the gift that keeps on giving.

Announcing the Arrival of Faith Adelaide!!

We were awakened at 1:15 this morning by the ringing telephone. It was Jonathan telling us that our newest grand baby - Faith Adelaide Mills - had made her appearance. Heidi delivered her AT HOME (these kids have more courage than me) with the help of a midwife and everything had gone well. I'll give more details later - but I'm excited because Debbie and I get to fly to South Carolina on the 19th to meet this beautiful new granddaughter. Congratulations Heidi and Jonathan!

Cool Beans in Madison

Well, here I sit at "Cool Beans" coffee shop in Madison, WI - I feel so much like Randy Bohlender that it terrifies me. My biggest problem is that I'm sitting here with a cup of coffee that I can't identify with the eloquence of RB, but I must say that it's pretty good stuff - almost as good as the Maxwell House I see advertised on TV - I'm resisting the urge to stand and sing, "Our house is a very, very, very fine house!"

Anyway - we came to do a teaching session with the interns at the All Nations House of Prayer on Monday. In the mean time, we get to see Aria, Alicia, and Ashley. So what am I doing in the coffee shop alone at 2:15 pm on Saturday? Well, Ashley is working at the Princeton Health and Fitness Club; and Debbie, Alicia, and Aria are at the Mall with 5 billion other Christmas shoppers. So this seemed like a great place to hang out until everyone is back together.

I wonder if I'm the only one to notice this, but .... IT'S COLD UP HERE!!! I'm not a fan of the cold. I think I've mentioned that before. But I am a fan of family and the prayer movement - so a little cold will not get in my way of promoting both.

For those of you (at least 2) who have read this little blog lately, there is quite a debate raging of the identification of "The Emerald Isle." Check out the last couple of posts for details. Perhaps you will want to enter you expertise into the mix. Feel free. I love the suspense.

In the mean time, I'm headed back to my cup of unidentified coffee (I hope Randy will not be too disappointed in my lack of java knowledge) and then home to catch a few minutes with Aria before her pm nap.

Thawing Out

I said yesterday was an interesting day. I also said yesterday that the weather was turning nasty here in Kansas City. Well today, when I was ready to get out, run some errands and head for the prayer room, it took me ONE SOLID HOUR to thaw out my car. There was so much ice on the car that the doors were frozen shut. I knew better than to tug on the door handle in order to free the stuck door - that only results in a broken handle. So I bumped the door a few times (gently) with my hip and my shoulder. I (gently) hit the top of the door with the palm of my hand and finally I was able to get the door open. Key in the ignition - turn - the engine roared to life and I was on my way. I sat inside for a long time as the motor warmed up. Finally, the defroster began to blow warm air - and I waited - and waited. There was no reason to begin the scraping process, yet. That would have been a lot of wasted effort - the ice was too thick. Finally, I was able to see little circles forming above each vent - signalling that progress was being made. I continued to wait - the circles grew larger. Mind you, these were not breaks in the ice, these little circles were just places that the ice was no longer stuck to the glass. Finally, I was able to begin scraping. It was a long slow process and since it's impossible not to see the obvious spiritual analogy in this, I'll go ahead. Sometimes our hearts have grown so cold that it takes a long time for the warm breath of the Holy Spirit to break through - and the best thing to do while that warming process is going on is to just sit and let Him breathe on you. Don't rush ahead and attempt to scrape away all the icy veneers created by sin and complacency. Just wait. Don't help the Holy Spirit - don't resist, but don't help. Just sit and wait. There will come a time when you can take an active role in your freedom, but that won't come for some time. It's important to just sit and let the warm breath of the Holy Spirit work on your cold heart. Before you know it, He will ask you to join the process and in no time, you will be back in His service. So how do you sit? You stop everything and pray. You shut it all down, and give yourself to God's Word and prayer. It may seem that you are wasting time, but you aren't. You are actually saving time and preventing much frustration and in the end, you will be much better for it. For you will realize that you had nothing to do with the thaw - it was all - and I mean ALL - the work of God.

A Strange Day

Do you remember the children's story - "Alexander's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day"? Well, mine wasn't quite as bad as all that, but it was one to remember - or forget. The more I think about it, it wasn't really all that bad - it was just hectic. OK - OK - so get on with it! Anyway, on Monday of this week, our heater went out. And that was really not so bad at all because the weather was really quite pleasant in the first part of the week. But we had been watching the weather and Gary Lezak was telling us that Wednesday was going to be a day of dramatic change. We have one of those home appliance repair insurance policies so we decided to go ahead and call. The repairmen came (which cost us $50) and discovered that the main circuit board was fried - that means it was not working and it wasn't going to work! The bad news was that they didn't have one in stock so they had to order it, and it would take 2 days for it to come in. Now remember, this was Monday, and Gary Lezak had been telling us on the TV weather that cold weather was on the way by Wednesday. I could envision us spending one cold night on Wednesday before they would come and put in the new circuit board on Thursday. Anyway, we told them to order it.

Now, for today - Wednesday. I came downstairs early this morning only to discover that my computer screen was telling me that something had gone wrong - terribly wrong! I tried to re-boot - nothing. I frantically looked for the windows disc (of course it was nowhere to be found) - and so I tried to boot again - nothing. More searching. More frustration. I took a break for a bowl of cereal and went back and tried to re-boot again. Have you ever noticed that we think that we can somehow sneak up on a computer and catch it off guard and it will do something that it has refused up to that point to do? Well, my computer is MUCH smarter than that and again - nothing. By now, it's 9 am. I called the in home computer repair people - no answer! I called again - no answer. It's 9:15 and I called again - no answer. So I found the phone number for another in home computer repair company. I called them and got an answer right away - a technician would be at my house between 12:00 and 1:00 pm.

That isn't the best news, but it's a start. I was scheduled to teach my preaching class at 4 pm and I still had some preparation to do. This was going to be interesting! I pulled out my laptop and did as much as I could (and that was very good!). Finally, at 1:20 the computer guy that was supposed to be here between 12 and 1 showed up. He worked and worked and couldn't figure out what was wrong. After running many diagnostic tests, he reported, "Your memory is bad."

I could have told him that, but then I figured out he wasn't talking about me, personally, but instead about the computer's memory. Then he followed up with, "The bad news is, I don't have a memory card with me (and he thought MY memory was bad!)." He said he would have to go by one and come back. Now mind you, I'm paying this guy 30 bucks an hour for him to drive all over looking for a memory card! He offered to let me go, but it was going to cost the same if he sat here and waited on me or if I sat here and waited on him. I opted for the latter, because in the mean time (while he was discovering the problem), the heating guy (remember him?) called and said that he wanted to come and put in the new circuit board (good news at last!), so I had to stay here and wait on him.

So the computer guy left, and the heater guy came. While the heater guy was working, it was really beginning to turn nasty (weather wise - that's ice on the camera lens) outside. I was glad we were going to have heat tonight. Now remember, the clock is ticking (at $30 per hour for the computer guy), and I need to get ready to teach class. I have to leave by 3:30 to be ready for a 4 pm class. Finally, the computer guy comes back - part in hand (and a bill for 80 bucks!) Oh, by the way, remember that home appliance insurance thing? Well, the circuit board and the installation are covered in that so the heating guy is down there working and I don't have to worry about paying him another dime!

Computer guy installs the memory - then discovers that the bad memory had created problems with the configuration of the computer - I have NO IDEA what that means other than my computer still didn't work and the clock was ticking and the weather was quickly deteriorating. To bring this to a close - the computer guy finally got my computer up and running and the total bill came to just under $300!! He left the house at 3:30. I left the house at 3:31 - leaving behind all the papers I had spend hours grading - papers I needed to give back to the students who had worked so hard on them.

I arrived at the school and the sleet or freezing rain was beginning to make things seriously dangerous. I parked went into the school, found my students, and promptly sent them home before the driving conditions became even more hazardous. I turned around and headed home. The trip that normally takes about 10 minutes took closer to 30 - but the computer guy was no longer on my clock so it really didn't matter.

Now, I am contentedly sitting at my newly configured computer with a good memory - at least the computer's - and writing this blog. I think I'll stop and get some rest.

Going On To Perfection

I heard a great message this morning. The basic content was that we are called to be perfect because our heavenly Father is perfect. Now there is a lot or explaining that would be necessary to get everything out of that phrase that we could, but the reality is that we do our best to explain it away. However, there is nothing in the command that gives us that latitude. When God calls us to be perfect as He is perfect - He means it! As a Methodist pastor, I had to answer two questions or else I would not have been ordained. In fact, every Methodist pastor from the time of John Wesley has had to answer "yes" to these two questions. 1) Are you going on to perfection? And 2) do you expect to be made perfect in love in this lifetime? 30 years ago I answered "Yes" to both questions and today - even though I was not asked to reaffirm those answers aloud, I did so. It was good to be reminded that my goal has been to go on to perfection. My goal has been to be perfected in love in this lifetime. The "in this lifetime" part of the question is important. Too many people think that being perfect is something that doesn't - even can't - come this side of death. However, that is my goal - to be perfected in love IN THIS LIFETIME. If I set anything less as my target, I will certainly hit that lesser goal. I want to challenge you to set your heart to answer "yes" to both questions:

1) Are you going on to perfection?
2) Do you intend to be made perfect in love in this lifetime?

Woefully Unprepared

In the Spring semester, I will be teaching 1 & 2 Peter. I'm just now beginning to read through the two books and I am struck by a couple of things. 1) The writings of Peter have been sorely neglected in the Church. There has really been very little interest in the approximately 2000 years these little letters have been floating around. In fact, there has been such little interest that such Christian Hall of Famers as Martin Luther and Jean Calvin wondered why 1 & 2 Peter were even in the Bible! I hope to be able to remedy that neglect (at least in my little corner of the world) in the next few months. 2) The subject matter (just from my initial scanning) presents a part of Christianity that the Church in America would just as soon ignore. Peter focuses much of his attention on the subject of suffering - and he isn't talking about suffering through a terrible disease or suffering because you have to drive a Yugo. He is talking about suffering for one reason and one reason only - because you are a follower of Jesus Christ. Now let's face it, most American Christians have no idea what that is all about. Our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world understand it. There have been more martyrs for the faith in the last part of the 20th century and in the first few years of the 21st century than in all the centuries prior combined. But that kind of suffering has not made it's way to America, yet. However, it is on its way and we are woefully unprepared. My goals in teaching 1 & 2 Peter this next semester are to get a a better grasp of what is coming so I can begin to get my heart ready, and to help prepare this generation of young people to stand firm in love no matter what comes. So as not to end on a note of doom and gloom today, let me point your attention to 2 Peter 3:13 - "Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."

Kinda Makes You Smile

I get a "thought for the day" from a friend of mine. On Friday, it's usually something funny. He sends them out each evening so that people will have them in their mail box first thing each morning. So I got Friday's installment just now. Are you ready? Here goes:

What is the scientific name for an animal that neither runs from its enemies nor does it fight its enemies?

Lunch.

Michael Friedman made that contribution and I don't know why, but it kinda made me smile. I hope it made your smile a little, too.

On other fronts, I noticed something today. I am beginning - just beginning, but it's a start - to influence my little world for the better. I even have hope that a tiny little crack in the hardest of hearts is beginning to form. Another person showed up today with a portable computer stand! Now there are two of us. Soon, I am confident, there will be three and then four and before we know it - the entire room will be filled with portable computer stands. And that hard hearted one who may be beginning to crack? Until now, it was nothing but ridicule and scorn. Today however, he made an excuse. It wasn't a big victory. We're not on the brink of instantaneous conversion. But instead of a mocking remark (which by the way, I know is just a cover up for extreme jealousy), he made some kind of lame excuse that his computer was "too big" for some dinky little stand. He may not have said it exactly that way, but I know that's what he meant. So the question now is, "Why not go ahead and make the leap?"

Of course, a guy like you will want to go one rung up the the ladder and get the rolling model.

Or perhaps, the hooded "voting booth" style is more to your liking.

Whatever you do, don't put it off any longer! You'll kick yourself later for wasting valuable time you could have had enjoying your portable computer stand.

Phone Calls From The Kids

Well tonight must have been catch up night for the Mills kids. I got a call earlier this evening from Alicia. She and her husband and our granddaughter, Aria, live in Madison where they are part of the All Nations House of Prayer. I have been invited to come and speak to the House of Prayer interns, and Alicia was calling to confirm the invitation and give me a few more details about the event. In the background, I could hear Aria making baby noises and trying to talk. It was great!! We will get to see them next week when we meet in Dallas for Thanksgiving with my family.

Then, not too long after that, Jonathan called to talk to Debbie. (What is it about dads and daughters, and mothers and sons?) Then after he finished talking to her, he talked to me for a while. Jonathan and Heidi, and their two sons (our grandsons) live in Ft. Mill, South Carolina where they are part of the Zadok House of Prayer. I didn't get to talk to or hear the boys, but I did hear Heidi tell Jonathan that he was talking too loudly, so that must have meant that the boys were already in bed. We're looking forward to Christmas because we get to fly to SC to see them all. They don't get to come here for Christmas this year, because their new baby, Faith, is scheduled for arrival sometime around the 12th of December.

When we return right after Christmas, Ashley, Alicia, and Aria will be heading to KC for a few days. Well, now you know about our schedule for the next few weeks. Anyway, I just had to let you know how much I enjoyed the phone calls from the kids.

Consistency

Consistency is not a word that has described me lately. I've been inconsistent in getting papers graded for the classes I've taught. I've been inconsistent in completing my commitment to the prayer room. I've been inconsistent in lots of areas of my life - blogging included. But I'm back. It seems that this is something I need to do pretty often in my life. I just need to re-examine what I'm doing and what I'm not doing - how I'm progressing and how I'm digressing - areas that need attention and areas that seem to be in pretty good shape (at least for the moment). However, I know that consistency is much like riding a bicycle - it's easier to stay on it if you are moving forward. Standing still on a bicycle can be done - but it takes a lot more effort - and when you think about it, why would anyone want to stand still on a bicycle? That's not what they were made for. Bicycles were made to move forward - and nowadays - bicycles were made for jumping and spinning and riding down the face of a rock on a grand adventure. And that's what I signed on for in life - a grand adventure. So my new quest is consistency. May I not be writing this same thing in just a few months as I struggle to get back up on the bicycle after having let my consistency come to a standstill.

A Follow-up Thought on Ted Haggard

Well, it turns out that our brother Ted Haggard has, in fact, been involved in the things for which he was accused. We are sad - we are disappointed - we are hurt - we are grieving. We continue to pray for Ted and all those who are directly related to him - especially his wife and children. And we pray that Ted will be open to correction and healing and restoration.

One of the things we in Western Christianity need to learn to embrace is corporate responsibility for sin in the Body. Paul indicates in 1 Corinthians 6:15-16 that when a Christian joins his/her body to that of a prostitute, that the entire Body of Christ becomes involved. Now, I'm certain that I don't understand all the intricacies and implications of that, but I do understand enough of it to know that I have a responsibility to all other Christians on the face of the earth to avoid that sort of thing. For too long, we have made Christianity an "individual sport." By stressing personal salvation (which needs to be stressed!) we have also de-emphasized corporate salvation. When we are saved, we become part - literally - of the Body of Christ.

I think of Achan in the book of Joshua. The people of God were told to leave everything in Jericho alone. But ol' Achan just couldn't keep his hands off some of the nice shiny trinkets that were left unattended after Jericho fell. He looked around and nobody was watching so he took some of the things God said not to take. Soon, the people were getting ready to battle the city of Ai. God had promised to give them victory, but this time they got their tails kicked! Joshua said to God, "What's up? Did you lie to us? You promised to give us victory and now men have died and people are frightened!" Then God reminded him, "I didn't give you a blanket pass to victory. I told you that only as you did what I told you to do would you win battles." Joshua argued, "But we have done everything!" And God replied, "No, not everything. One of you took something I said not to take." You can read the whole story in Joshua 7, but I want to show you a couple of verses specifically (7:10-11).

The LORD said to Joshua, "Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings."

Notice all the plural nouns and pronouns! "Israel" (the whole nation) has sinned. "They" have transgressed... "They" have taken... "They" have stolen... And yet, the truth is that only one guy was guilty. What we learn from this - a lesson the American Church needs to understand - is that while only one may be guilty, we are all responsible!

Now what does all that mean? I'm not sure, entirely. But I do know that I must be more careful in my behavior, because it isn't just MY life that is on the line. Whatever I do, I take the whole Body of Christ with me - even when they are unaware of it! And not only that - God's reputation is open to ridicule and disdain. I'm not wagging my finger at Ted - the last thing he needs right now is more accusations. The Accuser of the brethren is already screaming in his ears. The media and lots of others are doing plenty of accusing. I'm wagging my finger at me and telling myself that every time I'm faced with a moral decision that I'm deciding for a whole host of other folks. I am no longer my own - I am no longer on my own - I am part of the Body of Christ and it's time I started to remember that! Whether I like it or not, that's how it is.

Oh God - help us. We need divine revelation, power, and love to walk this out!

A Few Thoughts On Ted Haggard

This must be devastating to him, his family, his friends, his church staff, his congregation, and the people of Colorado Springs. The news media has had a field day and of course we know everything they say is absolute truth. Sure Ted sinned. His first knee jerk reaction was denial. Duh! Ever since Adam and Eve headed for the bushes in the Garden of Eden we've been in denial. But immediately after that, he owned the sin - at least the part he actually committed. And folks, I'd say that a brother in Christ deserves for us to believe his testimony over an accuser whose "credentials" are less than impeccable. C'mon, now, God set a standard of two or more witnesses! Deuteronomy 17:6 says, "At the testimony of two or three witnesses they must be executed. They cannot be put to death on the testimony of only one witness." And Deuteronomy 19:15 says, "A single witness may not testify against another person for any trespass or sin that he commits. A matter may be legally established only on the testimony of two or three witnesses." Then Matthew 18:16 follows with, "... at the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be established." And finally, Paul makes it very clear what our response is to be: 1 Timothy 5:19 - "Do not accept an accusation against an elder unless it can be confirmed by two or three witnesses."

There you have it. Ted admits some wrong. And for that, he must face not only human judges, but he must stand before a much higher court - the court of heaven. But for anything beyond what he admits, we the Body of Christ must follow the mandates God established and not accept the accusation of a lone accuser. We need to be in constant prayer for Ted and those closest to him.

Furthermore, does anyone else find it just a bit curious that this accusation comes just days before the state of Colorado votes on the issue of homosexual marriage? For people who might be undecided on the issue, hearing that a well known opponent of the measure has been living in the sin he condemns might just cause them to vote in favor. However, it may just be that the accusation will back fire, and those who didn't care one way or the other will react to the obvious political agenda behind these accusations and voters across Colorado (and other states voting on this issue) will rise up against the measure.

Intentional Spelling Error

I wondered if anyone was actually reading my blog, so I intentionally misspelled Arkansas in the title of my last post. If you buy that, we need to visit about some property I'm trying to sell in New York Harbor. Thanks, Randy, for helping me save face and whatever else might need saving after making that kind of error. Even more interesting is the fact that the "R" and the "N" are nowhere near each other on a keyboard - don't even require the use of the same hand! My sincere apologies to Arkansas - in spite of the fact that I messed up, it really was a great trip.

Ankansas Was Beautiful

Debbie and I just returned from Van Buren, Arkansas and I just have to say that the colors of fall were amazing. I don't think I have ever seen anything like it. I've been in Kentucky in the fall, Colorado and New Mexico in the fall, Missouri in the fall, but nothing prepared me for the absolute beauty of the landscape painted with every shade of yellow, red, and orange imaginable. As we drove along Interstate 540 between Bella Vista and Ft. Smith, I would point to the right and exclaim, "Look at that!" Then Debbie would point to the left at almost the same time and say, "Look there!" We were just silly -- kind of like now! I sound like an ad for the Arkansas Bureau of Tourism or something, but I just had to get the news out that fall in Arkansas can't be overstated.

As for the reason we went - we were equally amazed at the kindness of the Lord in His ministry to the people of Heritage United Methodist Church in Van Buren. On Saturday evening, we had a wonderful time with a group of leaders as they learned how to flow in worship and prayer together. One woman confessed that she had her doubts at first, but as we moved into combining worship with prayer and as she heard the singers actually sing what she had just prayed, a rush of warmth engulfed her. She was hooked.

Then on Sunday, I preached three morning services (same message) related to enjoyable prayer. I showed them that Luke 18:1-8 is a contrast between a wicked judge who doesn't like people, who considers people a bother, and who doesn't care whether people get justice in their lives or not; and God who is just the opposite. He cares infinitely about people. He wants the best for people. He will do whatever is necessary to get justice for people. The whole point of Jesus' story is to challenge the human image of God. People have created a God in the image of the unjust judge and as a result, they really don't want to go to Him in prayer. But if they would learn who God really is -- loving, caring, seeking to get justice for the oppressed -- then prayer would be enjoyable.

That afternoon, Debbie and I worked together to create for the people a model healing prayer experience. We walked them through the kind of experience they might have if they came to the healing prayer rooms at the International House of Prayer. Then we asked if anyone wanted healing prayer. A young woman raised her hand and said she had been plagued by migraine headaches since she was 9 years old. The team of intercessors began to pray for her and in a matter of minutes she said that she felt a warmth begin to build in her head. She said that she felt similar to the way she feels when a migraine is coming on, but then it melted away. The next day, she had not had even a hint of a migraine. We continue to pray for her as she walks out this healing.

Then Sunday evening, I continued the message I began on Sunday morning and walked the church through 4 elements necessary for enjoyable prayer. Perhaps I'll share those over the next few days.

On Monday, I met with a group of area pastors to talk about establishing a house of prayer for the purpose of advancing the prayer movement in the Arkansas River Valley. On Monday evening, I preached again and challenged the people to become discontent with their current definition of "The Presence" of God. I shared with them several passages of what really happens when the presence of God breaks in. Then I shared with them several current experiences of what is happening in places like Fiji and Guatemala when the Presence of God shows up. I told them not to be content until they know that same Presence of God in their midst.

This morning, I preached again at a men's breakfast and challenged them further to learn to seem themselves the way Jesus sees them - to see themselves the way Jesus created them to be.

I'll share more this week, but for now - Arkansas was beautiful in more ways than one!

Van Buren, Arkansas

Debbie and I are off to Van Buren, Arkansas for a few days. I will be leading a "Prayer Encounter" weekend at Heritage United Methodist Church. I'll try to check in periodically just to let you know how things are going.