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Dear Friends,

Below is a song called LORD I WANT TO KNOW YOU by Steve Fry. It was a song I learned long ago at Shocco Springs summer camp in Talladega, AL. God brought these to mind lately during some testing.

Just the time I think I’m at peace with the world that’s mine,

I feel at ease, I feel at home, and I know I’m not alone.

Then in my rest, there comes a test that shakes me ’til again I know

That what I had is not enough, and again I’ve got to grow.

Lord, I want to know You more

Deep within my heart I want to know You

Oh, I want to know You.

And I would give my final breath

To know You in Your death and resurrection,

Lord, I want to know You more,

Lord, I want to know You more.

The full supply I find as I move closer to the heart of God,
To strengthen me, to nourish me, and to fill my mind with Him.
I’ve truly grown, but even so my hunger hasn’t gone away
Still I long, still I thirst, to know Him more each day.

When we first came to NC, Ashley went through Boot Camp here with the Morningstar School of Ministry. They were put through various activities to push them to their limits–mentally and/or physically. It was a phrase that I used often during those early days. “It’s Boot Camp!”

Whenever I (or we) faced hardship, it gave me the courage/push to keep going and face those trials because I knew that it would make me stronger on the other side and really–sometimes I didn’t have the choice whether or not I wanted to. Those precious trials taught me to lean on Him, cling to Him, and to know Him in ways that I never would have known Him otherwise…and I rest assured that all of this is for my good.

For that, I am truly thankful.

K

“The opportunity of a lifetime has to be taken during the lifetime of the opportunity”

Two years ago this month, Karen and I came to the Charlotte/Fort Mill area to visit the newly renovated Heritage International Ministries Facility for the ‘06 Holy Spirit Conference. Sammy was 11 months old. Before he was born, we had become used to travelling to conferences several times a year, but with a little one in tow, we decided we must be a little more selective in how much we could travel. We had been asking the Lord, and felt strongly that we should attend this particular conference instead of flying out to IHOP for a different conference around the same time. Life was normal…going as planned, and we had no idea that we were on the verge of being thrust out into a new season of life.

At the conference, the Lord interrupted our comfortable lives, and shocked us with the sense that we were supposed to drop everything and move to Charlotte to attend the Morningstar School of Ministry. I came home, applied for the school after a short period of seeking clarity, and was accepted. We moved to Charlotte 3 months later in September 2006. It was surreal leaving the family and friends who love us, quitting a wonderful government job, and downsizing our lives from our 2500 sq ft house to a tiny 1000 sq ft apartment with no job or income. This transition was one of the most difficult moves I had ever made in life. I remember countless days of smells, daydreams, and fleeting thoughts reminding me of the comforts of home…the familiarity. I was amazed at the clarity and peace we experienced in our hearts which verified that we were just where we needed to be. And yet, such pain and longing to return to loved ones and familiar settings….and a steady income!

We have survived the transition, and the Lord continues since that time to dig into the deep recesses of our lives and meddle with our comfort zones and lead us on what seems to be our very own personal version of the wilderness experience that the Israelites experienced in the Exodus. Today I see more clearly the destiny that God has intended for our family, and I often wonder how life would have been if we had not quickly responded to God’s invitation. Our time here has been vital to instill in us the framework and understanding to begin moving forward in our destiny. We are only taking little baby steps at this point, but we are moving forward.

Sometimes the leadings of God are more subtle than we realize, or sometimes they simply seem absurd. For sure I’ve missed other invitations to follow the Lord into other experiences, but in His grace, we were able to follow this time. What subtle leadings do you suppose you have been putting off from the Lord lately? He is speaking to us all the time, and there are many ways in means in which he speaks. But probably the easiest way to not miss those subtle leadings is to just stop and ask the Holy Spirit to show us what we’ve been missing. It seems too simple…to childlike, but this is the nature of God’s kingdom. We must come as little children. Who knows…you might be on the verge of your own life-changing experience with God.

Dear Friends,

We’ve had our hands full lately, but we wanted to let you know that we are still here. Our house is being built, and today we took a visit (forgot the camera). The roof’s finished, the windows are in and at least one door is up…

We’ve posted some new photos, and the fun is just beginning! Samuel and little Miss Alabaster are getting along, and it is so funny to see their reaction to each other. It’s getting more fun as she is learning to pull things towards her and try to crawl.

Today she and Samuel were sitting next to each other on the floor while we were playing with the blocks, and she had been gnawing on one. Then she decided that she wanted Samuel’s shirt and started to stroke and grab the fabric. Samuel would reposition himself just out of her reach or pull his shirt out of her grasp. But he was very nice about it and didn’t push her head to knock her down as he’s been known to do. She grabbed him with her slobbery hand, and he just gave me the funniest face: totally exasperated, blinking eyes and one solitary word “YUCK”. It was the perfect picture of ‘patient endurance’. But he was so nice about it, I just laughed and laughed.

She loves her big brother–he’s her biggest, most lively toy, and I’ll bet she’s plotting how to chase him and get back at him already. I love it. I am so blessed.

Ashley is putting Samuel to bed right now and reading the book we got from the library PEEK-A-MOO. A cow comes out of hiding in each scene with the words Peek-a-Moo! after the question is asked, “Do you see a cow?” or “I don’t see a cow, do you?” It gets old after the 20th (or more) time each day, and I wonder why on earth I ever borrowed that book… But I am glad to see him laughing and to spend that time with him.

Make sure you let your loved ones know how much they are loved today.
Good night,
Karen