Today has been a day that reminds me always of the times I've spent in the Philippines where Catholicism is very strong.  There it is not so popular to get involved in Halloween though that trend is now growing there.  They actually celebrate All Saints Day in November.  It's actually quite morbid to me because they all go to the graveyards and have picnics there and in fact there are even small houses built there where they can party in the graveyards.  This as you can imagine is taboo to most Christians but I always wanted to see what it would be like.  Even Japan has now begun to swallow the Halloween fervor that they see the west partake of though they don't know much about it at all.  I'm actually not going to leave some facts about this holiday at all but I will say that I'm so glad that we have a God that's alive and not dead.  A God who has been so very good to us no matter how often we may fail.  There's a lot of people that obsess about the dead and the power of things that are very dark but no matter how you look at it there's more power with God.  He is always faithful to His word and is always able to bring to pass what He's spoken so rather than glorify those things which are evil and dead I say that we can live and not die and declare the works of the Lord!  I'm so thankful for all that He's done for us.  I've seen a lot of death in my travels...I've seen a lot of evil but never once has any of these things been able to win out over God.  I remember the festivals that I've seen in India where they worship many gods some of whom look very evil and terrifying, I've heard of rituals where I was in Ghana where the presence of demons is very evident but the bible boldly declares that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!  I have seen this power in every single nation I've visited.  Jesus is Lord, even on Halloween?  I say that He made a show of principalities and powers and triumphed over them so He's Lord every single day!  I read on a website about keeping hallowed instead of hollow...good idea!  There's not a day that doesn't belong to God so why would this day have to be hollow?

I was watching TV today and they were talking about a Navy Seal that died in combat and they had his mother talking about how proud she was of him and how she felt his sacrifice was worth something.  I was so blessed to hear this.  I grow so weary with people who disgrace the memory of their sons and daughters who serve by becoming anti-war protestors after they lose them in combat.  Personally I feel that if they went into the military they knew what this could mean and they served bravely.  Why dishonor them by coming against what they fought for now that they are gone?  I simply believe this to be immoral.  My son wants to join the military when he's old enough and I say God forbid that anything would happen to him but if it ever did I'd pray that I behaved in a manner worthy of the sacrifice if something did happen.  I say all of this to give honor to another type of hero...a hero of faith.  My grandmother on my mom's side is one such hero.  She always prayed for us and witnessed to us about Jesus not just with word but action.  I attribute much of the blessing we've experienced today to her.  My mom is another hero of faith who has sacrificed everything to walk with God and who has had a relentless pursuit of the things of God that is a witness to us all and has had a huge influence on me personally and my family.  I know others in our church that have done so much and they are also heroes to me because they've stood and stood and never given up on me, the church or their own families...I honor them today!  I have a scripture that I found so encouraging to me today because it shows the commitment of God to not just us personally but our families and our offspring for generations to come.  Genesis chapter 17 verses 7 and 9 say it best:  "And I will establish my covenant (promise) between me and thee and they seed (children) after thee in their generations for and everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to they seed after thee.  Here God is establishing the fact that He will be a God to not just Abraham but all the kids that would come after him in his family line.  Later on in the scripture we see that a true child of Abraham is one that believe (has faith in) God and walks accordingly...that's all Christians today!  This promise is extended to us though our faith in Jesus Christ.  I want this for myself and for my kids and for others who know the Lord and here this promise is sealed to us!  It goes on to say:  "And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations."  What a beautiful promise!  Contrary to many ignorant people today the blessing of God is a good thing for you and brings true liberty.  Religion has the pretence of godliness without the power of God.  This isn't talking about a promise of religion that tries to act like some misguided principles but rather is speaking of a positive, life changing relationship with God that has nothing but positive things.  This brings not judgementalism but rather mercy for our fellow man because we realize that God has mercy on us...why would we not have the same for others?  I am not talking about ever winking at things that are wrong but I am talking about considering what people are going through before throwing a stone in a house of glass.  I need mercy and have been granted it from the throne of God...why wouldn't I offer the same to my fellow human beings?  The blessings of Abraham are many and these things are realized in Jesus Christ who sacrificed himself on our behalf that we might come before God not with the weight of a sin conscience but rather standing in firm, confident belief that Jesus paid it all for me and therefore I stand before God as His son by Jesus grace not my own.  This doesn't bring liberty to sin nor does it encourage me to do so but rather causes me to have great respect and love for the one who paid it all.  This is the inheritance for myself and my children.  You heroes of faith out there...this is for you!  Don't give up on yourself or your family...this covenant is yours and your children's.  It may not look like it today but the future is your and theirs!  I salute the courage of our soldiers in uniform and honor their sacrifice but at the same time I honor the sacrifice of the heroes of faith whom don't see themselves as such.  We need people like you!  You will see the fulfillment of the promises of God!

Yesterday I was so happy to be able to enjoy my early morning walk with my wife.  There's nothing to match a great walk with a beautiful girl!  We changed our route to walk through an area that goes around the golf course.  The temperature has been just perfect so you can see the mist rising off of the water wherever it is.  It can give an effect similar to what you'd expect near the geysers of Yellowstone National Park but without the rotten egg smell.  We didn't see the usual groups of antelope around but none the less it was really great!  Love took some really nice pictures again.  Later on we were going to go on our long awaited outing to Lakeside Park to get some nice autumn pictures but they had shut it down for road repairs and God knows what else.  We decided to head over to Pioneer park with some pizza for a nice picnic and it was really very,very nice.  Some of the trees look to be nearing the end of their fall look already while others have a ways to go.  It was perfect weather too with the temperature resting near 70 degrees and there were high wispy clouds with a shockingly blue sky.  The kids were fun to have along as well.  We were finding leaves in my son's science book on the trees and identifying various trees according to their leaves or pine needles.  We had a nice walk and then let the kids enjoy some time at the playground which was a great treat.  Days like this make me see the blessings of God in a very personal way.  I don't understand how you can ignore the evidence of God's handiwork in nature.  I guess we sometimes see what we want to see but for whatever the reason I see God everywhere I turn.  I see him in my beautiful wife who's walking with me.  I see Him in my little girl's smile as she repeatedly goes down the slide.  I hear Him in my oldest daughter's laugh.  I see Him in my son's inexhaustible energy to explore.  He's everywhere and I appreciate that so much!  We ended the day at our little church where God was also evident in the people there who have become more than friends over the years.  There's a support structure there of people who genuinely seek God and pray for things not just in our little community but all over the world.  This was a day filled with the treasures of God to be sure! 

Mike was part of the kick-off for his Chi Tu Do class yesterday and managed more kicks than I thought was possible!  I want to thank everyone that was a part of supporting him to do that.  It's not that I think kicks are the most important thing in life or anything but I really am thrilled to see people stand up for him.  I'm very proud of Mike and love to see him becoming the fine you man I knew he would always become.  He's one of the best buddies I have in the whole world.  I hope to be there for him in every way possible and I trust that I'll always be one of his best buds as well as being the best dad I could ever be.  Lots of years have gone by now and I've watched these children of mine become just really excellent young people.  I have no idea what in the world I'd ever do without them.  Gabby even being as young as she is has a strong sense of family and loves her brother and sister with all her little heart.  I know that life can be difficult but if you look at your family and witness first hand the blessings of God you're about the most fortunate person on the face of the planet.  I'm so blessed with my wife who not only puts up with me but genuinely loves me...still a mystery to me!  Now we're approaching Gabby's second year of life and I'm more thankful than I've ever been for each and every member of my family.  Thanks to mom for ceaseless prayer for us and to the people in Eagle Ministries International for making this kind of a life possible.  I love ya all!

I was sitting here trying to get the kids schooling done and get ready to go to church tonight when I thought to myself I'd better get on here and say a blessing for Julie who's been a dear friend of our family for a long time now.  We've had people come into our lives that have made a real difference before but I think I can safely say that Julie and her husband RD have been some of the best people we've ever known.  I was thinking about all the things they've done for us and the prayers they've prayed and I am filled with joy to know someone like Julie!  I was reading the bible and this verse came to me in John chapter 12 where Jesus mentions that Israel doesn't have to fear because their king is coming in humbly riding on a donkey colt.  I had such a sense of this being the word for Julie today.  There are times when life has thrown some very hard knocks and it can make you wonder if you can take much else.  It also makes you cringe at the prospect of any big changes God has in mind.  The good news is that Christ is coming in humbly with His ability and He's ministering to us in deep and very personal ways but not harshly without a care for what we've been through but rather humbly and wonderfully as only He can move!  I see this as being a season of great promise.  I know this has been said before but really this has been the season of open doors and now I see the door not only open but flooding with God's great gifts.  A door standing open by itself doesn't mean that much unless we're willing to walk through it. Julie has always walked where God would have her to walk now there's God meeting her in that place and honoring her prayers with His blessing.  All the best to you Julie, not just this year but every year to come!

I have been told over and over again by my wife to write a book to relate some of the stories that I've gathered up over the years.  I have always really resisted this because I've felt that most wouldn't listen when I told the story live why would they pay to read about it in a book?  That being said I thought that maybe I'd throw some of it out here on my blog and see how that went...not for those that read or don't read but for myself personally.  My story really begins long ago...pretty much thirty-three years ago when I can begin to remember the earliest days of my childhood.  I remember that at the time neither my dad nor mom knew Christ yet but my grandmother on my mom's side was always praying for our family and witnessing to my mom.  The first thing I can remember is my mom speaking on the phone with my grandmother and hearing something about God who was interested in us.  I heard her talk about these things mostly through the questions my mom had about the whole thing.  From this I learned that all you had to do was believe that Christ is the son of God and that He died for my sins and receive Him into my heart.  This sounded interesting to me...after all we're talking about God here aren't we?  I remember going to our kitchen where we had stairs that led to the basement.  I sat on the first few steps and thought I'd give this whole thing a try to see what would happen.  I've heard some people say that they never felt anything when they received Jesus Christ others say that the whole world becomes brighter and more alive than ever before.  I remember two things very clearly:  The inrushing sensation of something huge and wonderful rushing into my life and the strange sense that God had been waiting for the longest time for me to say this little prayer.  Looking back this seems even more strange considering that I was so young, how could the Lord have been waiting for me and what's so special about me anyway that God would care so very much?  There was no sense of disappointment or condescension on God's part but a sense that He'd known me for as long as I'd ever been alive, longer in fact and He seemed so happy to have me be a part of His family.  This has become the cornerstone experience of all things that have since shaped my life.  How could I ever be ashamed of my best friend?  How could I ever walk away?  Life complicates this issue as we walk on...or is it we just make it more complicated?  No matter how far I've come since it all comes back to this moment.  I have had my ups and downs since but never can I walk away for long.  He has faith in me when there's nothing natural I've done to earn that.  Christ died for me and everyone else in the world...can you feel that expectation for you?  Maybe you don't but let me tell you it's there none the less.  The creator of this whole universe sent His very son to die before you were ever born.  Long before you took your first breath God had you in His mind.  He wants you, He needs you, He loves you!  You have potential that can never be reached without Him but beyond this great truth is the fact that He loves you right now for what you really are not for what you may become.  Is that awesome or what?  This is what it means in the bible when it says that the Goodness of God leads all men to repentance...it's not judgment.  The world says God is strict and judgmental...unforgiving but I have found just the opposite to be true.  He's given His very best that we might have life and have it more abundantly!

John chapter ten shows a very good example of the difference between Christ and Satan.  It also points to the difference to those of us that are under the influence of Christ as opposed to being under selfish motives.  One of the great misunderstandings of our day is that man can't seem to understand that we are actually meant to serve God and in doing so the world becomes a better place and we find the much sought after peace we've all been longing for.  It is actually our purpose to serve God.  Christ mentioned the two most important commandments as being seeking the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and then says that the second is like unto it:  love your neighbor as yourself.  There's a lot of trouble in store for us when we refuse to align or lives this way.  I don't believe that you can truly love anybody...not even yourself without seeking God first.  Many say that the bible is unbending and inflexible and incompatible with the world today but I challenge that point of view with one of my own.  Just saying you're liberal doesn't mean that you're filled with understanding any more than saying I'm a Christian makes me act like one.  Who defines these words anyway?  Propaganda changes the meaning of words while leaving the pronunciation of the word intact.  Christ is the one to define His word.  He states clearly in John chapter ten that His job is to save His sheep, that's those that would receive Him as their personal savior and to provide for us.  Sad to say this isn't always a million dollars that comes our way rather it often comes in the form of finding that bit of strength to hold on one more day or choosing not to give up on life when it's so tempting.  This is where trust comes in.  We have to believe that He knows what's best.  Ever see that movie "Bruce Almighty"?  He pulled the moon close to make it romantic for his wife and himself.  The next day as it turned out that caused terrible tragedies elsewhere in the world....also he answered every prayer with a "yes".  There was mass chaos and I don't think this is far from reality you know?  Raging against the things that you feel have been just wrong, wrong, wrong doesn't fix one thing.  Holding grudges doesn't hurt the person you're angry at half as much as you yourself...it's pointless.  Satan's job is to come over the fence so to speak...avoid the gate...the protection of Jesus and convince us he's looking out for us while encouraging bad behavior and habits.  It says that the sheep, again a reference to us as Christians, know His voice but experience shows that that doesn't always mean we follow Him when we should.  The Devil makes those other options look so good...it often sounds more like me being 'smart' than me being tempted by Satan.  Let me make it clear that Satan's purpose is not for your good.  He cloaks himself as an ungodly desire or making you feel that it's your right to do something you shouldn't...he fools us into defending bad behavior.  Christ's intentions are only good for us...He recognizes that our purpose is to serve Him, this is why we were created.  Satan breaks this natural order and convinces us he's offering us some kind of 'freedom' but what he is really offering is chaos that will bring us only pain and eventually death....notice that as Christ's job is to lay down His life for us and provide it is Satan's job to steal, kill and destroy.  I don't mean for this to sound simplistic but really making a turn for the better in life starts with a choice and from there God is well able to reveal the way we should go.  I know the difference between being hopeless and walking in faith that God is good and will help me be just where He want's me to be.  This is the faith that has brought me to many countries all over the world from a little town in Montana.  I've seen horrible things and wonderful things.  I've had my faith tried until I thought my sanity would break but in the end the only salvation has been to accept that I can't fix this planet or control it.  I can't even fix myself but to do all I can to follow God has always presented a path before me to walk that has brought me to good.  Christ is the shepherd I choose to follow!

It's been a long time since we've been able to enjoy a visit from Mrs. Anne Logan.  There has been a connection between her family and ours for many, many years.  She has been used of God to bring many blessings to us.  I literally owe her eternally for the life of my wife.  Back in 1995 she moved heaven and earth to get the ball rolling so the government would allow my very pregnant wife and I to come home to America.  Just barely we made it in time to see the birth of our first baby here in America.  A few years ago my wife suffered a terrible pain in the middle of the night.  We rushed her to the emergency room.  The doctor came out and asked me if I knew she was pregnant...I was stunned and had no idea.  Sadly after being rushed into surgery to stop serious internal bleeding we lost our baby.  It struck me now more than ever before with Anne's visit that should we have been in the Philippines where we were before that I would have not only lost our baby but my wife.  How can I thank Anne and those that have prayed for us enough?  Once again she comes at a time of crucial decision for us personally and the ministry.  We've prayed, had life changing meetings and talked about the future and I am very excited to see where we will end up next.  There's doors opening up all over the world now and everything seems possible again.  What will the future hold?  Churches we talked about in Sri Lanka or perhaps Mongolia?  A trip to North Carolina next spring will bring more I'm sure, I'm thrilled and ready to see what God has in mind next!