The Florida Files (My Ministry & Stuff)

With a heart for missions (more on that in upcoming posts) I am part of a team leaving this morning for Highgate, Jamaica. When Karen and I came to Florida and found the church that we were called to be at I never expected to be going on a mission trip a year later. River Run Christian church supports/partners with a ministry known as RAISE International.  They work with the local community and church in Highgate to provide sustainable farms. Their goal is to work alongside the farmers in order to lift them up and out of poverty. Sound familiar? Very similar to Compassion's ministry with the local church. Of course I was all in. As we leave this morning we have members that have been there before, some that this will be a new experience and others who have never been on a mission trip at all. We are all from River Run and have prepared for this day. Though we are not sure what God has planned we know we will be working on one of the farms probably doing concrete work. One day...

The one lesson learned in 2018 was to fully trust God and know the plans He had for us were in His hands. It was just about late December of 2017 when we first got the inkling that our dream of coming to Florida may prove to be a reality. Right before Christmas, Karen was approached about an opening in Melbourne and was encouraged to apply. The holidays came and of course people were on vacation. In early January Karen had her interview and things literally began to roll along. In two months, from mid January to mid March we would totally change our lives and make that move to Florida.      The one thing we learned through out that two month journey was that it was not our doing. Everything was orchestrated, planned and laid out by God. Our transition was perhaps one of the easiest things accomplished and where we are is indeed where he wanted us to be. Let me present a few facts to prove this point: -Karen's TS clearance that she would need was pro...

A long long time ago, in a state far far away I had a blog. It was primarily about my ministry with Compassion but covered other things. As time moved on the blog became stagnant and untouched. Earlier this year I attempted a restart with all good intentions. However, the timing was not right and I basically got my feelings hurt when someone I considered a mentor mentioned that I was just looking for validation. Honestly I am not sure what that meant. Aren't Facebook, Instagram, and other social media sites just a way to publish those things we consider important in our lives? Do we not often post to keep others informed. In this age of "disconnect" isn't it a way to make a connection?      Anyway, this year is rolling right along and I decided to get back in the game. 2018 was a year with numerous changes from moving south, changing jobs and increasing my ministry focus. It now seems the right time to sit down and collect my thoughts. Hence- "The...