Meet the Boyd Family!

Today, Greg Boyd is heading to Gateway. His family will follow sometime at the end of the year. It has been a long journey searching the man that God has for Gateway. It has been a journey of faith for us as well as Greg. Over the past two years we have interviewed many individuals, but for one reason or another God would shut the door. Then one day recently, Bill Jones (a long time member of Gateway and President of CIU) called me, he said he had a name to share with me for our Adult and Family LIFE pastor. That one phone call began the journey that led to this day.

Meet Greg’s family: Josh (13), Breanna (12), Megan (16), Patty and Greg

Here are a few facts about Greg:

• Born in Clovis, New Mexico
• Has a B.A. from Auburn University (okay, so you may have to wait until after Saturday’s game to decide if you like him or not.)
• At Auburn, he was President of Fellowship of Christian Athletes; active in Crusade for Christ; lettered in Cross Country and on the Track team
• Has a Master of Divinity Degree from Mid America Baptist Theological Seminary
• Has a Doctor of Ministry Degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
• Has served and ministered as a Church planter; Youth Pastor; Senior Pastor; Pastor of Spiritual Development
• Enjoys riding his motorcycle and jogging
• His favorite quote: “You do what you believe. Everything else is just religious talk.” – Peter Lord

Be on the lookout for Greg this Sunday!

Ask Yourself

I have two questions for you to consider:

• Are you tired of living like someone who does not know Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior?

• Are you desperate for the Holy Spirit and His power to be unleashed in your life?

“Do not stifle (grieve) the Holy Spirit.” 1 Thess. 5:19 (NLT)

How’s Your Heart?

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Prov. 4:23

The Bible tells us that God searches our heart. He examines our secret motives. He examines the “why” behind our actions. If that is true, and it is, then I must invest the time and energy necessary in order to accurately examine my heart, my motives.

First Samuel 16:7 states “the Lord looks at the heart.” The Hebrew concept of the heart embodied four areas of: emotions, will, intellect and desires.

• Emotions = joy, sorrow, fear, hate, love, all kinds of feelings
• Will = deliberately choosing or deciding upon a course of action
• Intellect = to know and understand, to think
• Desires = to wish or long for

All four are wrapped up in your heart.

Jesus states “For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart.” (Matt. 12:34-35)

The BIG QUESTION: “What are you storing in the vault of your heart?”

It seems to me that the key to the heart is the will. In other words you deliberately choose and decide upon a course of action.

Look at these verses:

(1 Chron. 16:11) “Search for the Lord and his strength; continually seek him” – Searching is act of the will.

(1 Chron. 22:19) “Seek the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.” – Seeking is an act of the will.

(2 Chron. 7:14) “Seek my face and turn from your wicked ways.” – Seeking and turning, an act of the will.

(2 Chron. 12:14) “He was an evil king for he did not seek the Lord.” – To not seek the Lord is an act of the will and leads to evil.

(Ps. 10:4) “The proud are too wicked to seek God.” – Choosing to not seek the Lord leads to pride which is the source of multiple sins.

(Ps. 14:2) “The truly wise seek him.” – Choosing to seek the Lord leads to wisdom.

(Matt. 6:33) “Seek the Kingdom above all else, live righteously and he will give you everything you need.” – Again, it is a choice to seek and to live in a manner that allows God to bless us and work through us.

Once you make a decision of the will, then the passion and emotions will follow.

My Prayer: “Lord as I choose to seek you, let my passion and desire become a laser-beam focus on you. Show me your ways. Show me your heart. Let my choices and actions reflect the decision of my will to seek you. As I seek you, let the manner in which I spend my time, talent and treasure honor you above all else.”

Medical Update

Mary and I finally arrived home on Tuesday. We have discovered, though no surprise, that God has answered many prayers. You have overwhelmed us with your prayers and words of encouragement. I cannot imagine going through the challenges of life without a church family. God has directed our steps as we have walked this journey of being a cancer patient. There have been moments of questions; moments of uncertainty; even moments of nervousness. But at each of those moments, God’s presence and peace was overwhelming. There was always calmness.

I spent the morning reading through each prayer note and email that I have received the past two weeks. I was overwhelmed with gratitude.

Here are some highlights of my surgery:

• The surgery itself went very well. No complications. Dr. Patel said that my surgery was his most difficult case of that day. (A guy likes to be first in something)
• He was able to completely remove the prostate and save all of my nerve bundles. He was the only surgeon who told me he felt confident that he could accomplish this.
• I had some infection from one of the incisions, but it was quickly cleared with antibiotics.
• The tumor involved 25% of the prostate.
• He removed two lymph nodes for pathology as a precaution because of the size of my tumor. Both were clear of any cancer.
• There are five patterns of prostate cancer. My biopsy showed that I had patterns three and four. The pathology report of my prostate showed that I actually had pattern five as well. Pattern five is the nasty cancer. It is the most aggressive and deadly form of prostate cancer.
• A major God praise is that if I had chosen radiation as my first treatment, radiation cannot kill pattern five cancer when it is in the prostate. Therefore I would have still had cancer growing in my body. When you have radiation as your first form of treatment it is nearly impossible to surgically remove the prostate.
• Clean margins are what you want to have in the pathology. That means all of the cancer is contained within the prostate. There was one area that the pathologist could not say for certain that I had clean margins. Cancer cells were on the edge but he was not sure if any had escaped the gland. This will be my faith journey… trusting that there is no cancer left.
• My surgeon does not want to do any other treatments at this point. I will have PSA testing done every six weeks for awhile, then every three months. When the prostate is removed, the PSA testing is more reliable. This will determine if any cancer was left behind and is growing.
• If that does occur, then I would most likely have radiation treatment. The good news is that pattern five cancer can be destroyed by radiation if it is not within the prostate gland.
  

For right now I have another five weeks to full recovery from the surgery. I can return to work at the end of next week and then return to full activities in five weeks. God has directed every step in our journey. Dr. Patel is literally the best in the world in the robotic prostate surgery. I am thankful that God opened that door.

My focus is now fully on being the pastor of Gateway. Many people of prayer at Gateway have been saying the same thing… “God is doing something at Gateway.” I believe this is true. He is going to do many things that will amaze us. So get ready!!!

Thank you for loving Mary and me with your prayers, notes, words of encouragement.

Not the kind of Doctors that can fix you

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. (Heb. 10:24-25)

I am constantly reminded of how important family is. We must not be flippant about our personal family or our church family. We must nurture, encourage, care for, pray for and build up our family at every opportunity. I am a blessed man in my personal family and I am a blessed pastor in my church family.

The Gateway family has gone overboard in praying for and encouraging me. Your sensitivity and tenderness towards Mary and me has been beyond words. I love you deeply. It's hard to believe I have been your pastor eighteen years this month.

I am also blessed by my immediate family. Mary is the love of my life. She has been the biggest blessing the Lord has granted to me. As anyone who has met her knows, Mary is not the typical pastor's wife. She is a very unique individual who I have always appreciated for her fearless spirit. She is not afraid of tackling the largest mountain. I use to be wound very tight - too tight. God used Mary to loosen me up!

God has blessed us with two wonderful kids, Katie and Mack. And then he gave us a second daughter with Meredith.

Today, Monday, August 9th, we are celebrating our daughter, Katie. Mary and I are at Auburn University for her graduation with her Ph.D. Like her mother, Katie is an amazing person. She has such an adventurous spirit. As a 29 year old, she has completed two undergraduate degrees from Clemson in Bio-chemistry and Visual Arts; completed two master's degrees from Auburn one in Fashion and the other in Business Administration; and now she has completed her Doctor of Philosophy. She was a finalist for the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships. She is currently the Director of Operations and Admissions for the MBA degree program at Auburn while teaching undergrad and graduate classes. I have to give a big thanks to District Five and Dutch Fork High School for doing a great job preparing Katie for college.

But with all of these accomplishments, without a doubt the biggest day of her life was the day she adopted Caleb from Ethiopia. He is now a year old and the joy of our family. He is the happiest kid you will ever meet. People tell us, "Caleb is a blessed kid to be adopted into your family." Our response is always, "We are the ones who are blessed!"

In addition, Katie is the evangelist in the family. She loves engaging college students who are seeking spiritual truth. One time she had a group meeting in her home called the Heathen Bible Study. Only non-believers could attend.

Over the years, there have been many key individuals that God has used to influence Katie's life. One specific individual was her small group leader as a youth at Gateway. Cynthia Johnson lived out Hebrews 10:24-25 with Katie by motivating and encouraging her. She has been a faithful friend of prayer; a person who personally lives out her faith. Katie still uses the lessons and insights Cynthia bestowed upon her during her youth.

Thanks Cynthia for investing in my little girl.

By the way... whose life are you investing in? Have you considered being a LIFE group leader? You never know how God will multiply your investment in others.

O Ark, Where Art Thou?

I remember when Raiders of the Lost Ark hit the theaters in 1981. I loved the movie. I actually met the archeologist on whom the character Indiana Jones was loosely based. The movie encouraged a great deal of interest among Christians. I remember being asked, “What if they did find the Ark?” I remember saying that it really wouldn’t matter if the ark were found. Yes, it would be the archeological find of the millennium, and, yes, it would give additional credence to the Old Testament, but for the believer, it would not change anything. Why? It no longer contains the presence of God, nor His power.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church claims to possess the Ark of the Covenant of the Old Testament in Axum, a town in northern Ethiopia. However, they will not let anyone verify their claim.

Orthodox Jews believe it is buried somewhere underneath the original location of the Holy of Holies in Jerusalem. However, the Muslims control the temple area and will not allow any excavation.

We do know for sure that the Ark will be seen again. After the seventh trumpet is sounded in Revelation 11, the Bible says:

Then, in heaven, the Temple of God was opened and the Ark of his covenant could be seen inside the Temple. (Rev. 11:19)

But is this the original Ark that was in the Holy of Holies? No. The OT Ark was a piece of furniture that symbolized the presence of God. It expressed God’s atonement and covenant. It was only a shadow or picture of the heavenly Ark. When sin was paid once and for all by Jesus on the cross, the earthly Holy of Holies was opened up by God when he ripped the curtain. Now at a future date, the heavenly Holy of Holies will be opened and the heavenly Ark will be revealed.

But in the meantime, let me share where I believe the Ark is currently located.

After Christ’s supreme sacrifice something significant took place. Actually, “significant” cannot begin to capture the magnitude of what took place. Momentous, huge, major… none of these capture the depth. How about “this event changed everything about everything for eternity!”

God’s presence is now in the believer and the church. In a way, we are the Ark.

Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit. (Eph 2:20-22)

Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? (1 Co 3:16)

Nothing in the Bible is insignificant. Everything in the Holy of Holies had a purpose.

1. The Ark was made of wood – that’s you – and covered inside and out with pure Gold – that’s Jesus. Without Jesus, we are just rotten, dead wood.

2. The manna in the gold pot represents the spiritual sustenance given to us daily by the Holy Spirit. He provides us with all that we need to face the day.

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. (John 14:16-17)

3. The tablets with the 10 commandments represent God’s Word.

God’s word lives in your hearts, and you have won your battle with the evil one. (1 John 2:14)

4. Aaron’s rod that bloomed represents your resurrection in Christ.

For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. (Rom. 6:4)

If Indiana Jones is still looking for the Ark of the Covenant… he only needs to talk to a believer.

How are you dealing with your cancer?

I get this question a great deal. It’s a great question because the answer reveals a great deal of how I view God. In fact when you answer this question about any major issue in your life, you are revealing your view of scripture and your heavenly father. To get to my answer of this question, I have to step back and look at the bigger picture.

Now I don’t know when Jesus is coming back, but I do know that as of today, we are one day closer. When it comes to life after death, the Bible is very clear that there is an exclusive alternative. Either you go to heaven or you go to hell. It is one or the other. There are no other alternatives.

Once a person accepts Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, the choice is made. They are bound for heaven.

According to the Bible there is a major event to take place in heaven.

“Praise the Lord! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear. For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.” (Rev. 19:6b-8)

This future event seems to be a “what it is all about” event. It’s called the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. It will be the eternal union of Jesus Christ and his Church, his bride. What that means is you and I, along with all believers, will become the eternal companion of the Lord Jesus Christ. We will have a queenly role serving alongside of Jesus. WOW!!! What an incredible privilege awaiting us.

With that in mind, for me the bottom line is this – God is preparing you and me for eternity. If you want to know the purpose of something, then look to the desired end result. God’s ultimate purpose for us is to be Christ-like. God’s ultimate purpose is for us to become the eternal companion of his son. God’s ultimate purpose for us is to be joint-heirs with his son.

If this is true, then this life is on-the-job training. God is using this life to prepare us for our eternal role.

This is why I am interpreting my current health issues as simply on-the-job training. God is teaching me. God is growing me.

Late last fall, I took a two-week break for the purpose of spiritual reflection. The first week I was alone at the beach. Mary joined me for the second week in the mountains. When I returned from the two weeks, I shared with the staff that God spoke two words to me. Prayer and Faith. God told me to focus on these two things. It was not what I was expecting. I was expecting God to reveal some crucial items concerning Gateway. I thought I would return with a clarified vision. That did not happen. God simply said, increase your prayer and increase your faith.

At the time I thought he was talking about Gateway. In a way he was, but he was speaking more to me personally.

This past spring, I did a forty-day fast. Again, I thought God lead me into the fast in terms of Gateway, but it seemed it was more about my personal walk with him.

When news came about the prostate cancer and then later the skin cancer, it all came together. God was preparing me for this period of my life. He was preparing me for the journey.

Because I interpret everything in my life in terms of eternity, I am confident that God has allowed the cancer in my body to teach me more about Jesus… to shape and mold me more into the image of Jesus. He is preparing me for my eternal role as a bride of Christ.

Are you going through a tough time right now? How would it change your attitude if you interpreted the tough things in your life in light of your eternal destination? We are destined for a throne, a queenly throne. We are destined to be the eternal companion of our precious Lord Jesus Christ.

For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. (Rev. 19:7)

What are you doing to prepare yourself?

For Men Only

I recently read an article by John Piper entitled Why I Don’t Have a Television and Rarely Go to Movies. After reading the article… well, I think I am going to take a break from television for a period of time. Here is an excerpt of the article:

“I think relevance in preaching hangs very little on watching movies, and I think that much exposure to sensuality, banality, and God-absent entertainment does more to deaden our capacities for joy in Jesus than it does to make us spiritually powerful in the lives of the living dead. Sources of spiritual power—which are what we desperately need—are not in the cinema. You will not want your biographer to write: Prick him and he bleeds movies.

If you want to be relevant, say, for prostitutes, don’t watch a movie with a lot of tumbles in a brothel. Immerse yourself in the gospel, which is tailor-made for prostitutes; then watch Jesus deal with them in the Bible; then go find a prostitute and talk to her. Listen to her, not the movie. Being entertained by sin does not increase compassion for sinners.

There are, perhaps, a few extraordinary men who can watch action-packed, suspenseful, sexually explicit films and come away more godly. But there are not many. And I am certainly not one of them.

I have a high tolerance for violence, high tolerance for bad language, and zero tolerance for nudity... that lady is really naked, and I am really watching. And somewhere she has a brokenhearted father.

I’ll put it bluntly. The only nude female body a guy should ever lay his eyes on is his wife’s. The few exceptions include doctors, morticians, and fathers changing diapers. “I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?” (Job 31:1). What the eyes see really matters. “Everyone who looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). Better to gouge your eye than go to hell (verse 29).

Brothers, that is serious. Really serious. Jesus is violent about this. What we do with our eyes can damn us. One reason is that it is virtually impossible to transition from being entertained by nudity to an act of “beholding the glory of the Lord.” But this means the entire Christian life is threatened by the deadening effects of sexual titillation.

All Christ-exalting transformation comes from “beholding the glory of Christ.” “Beholding the glory of the Lord, [we] are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Whatever dulls the eyes of our mind from seeing Christ powerfully and purely is destroying us. There is not one man in a thousand whose spiritual eyes are more readily moved by the beauty of Christ because he has just seen a bare breast with his buddies.

But leave sex aside (as if that were possible for fifteen minutes on TV). It’s the unremitting triviality that makes television so deadly. What we desperately need is help to enlarge our capacities to be moved by the immeasurable glories of Christ. Television takes us almost constantly in the opposite direction, lowering, shrinking, and deadening our capacities for worshiping Christ.

One more smaller concern with TV (besides its addictive tendencies, trivialization of life, and deadening effects): It takes time. I have so many things I want to accomplish in this one short life. Don’t waste your life is not a catchphrase for me; it’s a cliff I walk beside every day with trembling.

TV consumes more and more time for those who get used to watching it. You start to feel like it belongs. You wonder how you could get along without it. I am jealous for my evenings. There are so many things in life I want to accomplish. I simply could not do what I do if I watched television. So we have never had a TV in 40 years of marriage (except in Germany, to help learn the language). I don’t regret it. “

--John Piper

Last Thursday was a busy day...

I spent the morning at my physician’s office going through a slew of tests in preparation for my surgery. I got a green light on every item. The results are being sent to Dr. Patel’s office in Orlando.

I left Dr. Fravel’s office to head to the airport for my flight to Texas to go to Corpus Christi to perform a wedding for a dear friend.

On the flight to Texas, I sat next to a Marine Lieutenant General (3 stars). We talked non-stop for the 2 ½ hour flight. It was fascinating. He invited me up to DC as his special guest for a VIP event at the Marines Barracks. I’m going to make it happen!

Now for a whole new twist in my life.

While waiting at the airport, my daughter Katie sent me a text with a passage of scripture. She said, “I thought of you when I came across this verse today.”

Joshua 1:9 in The Message Bible: “Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take.”

Katie’s text came at 3:21 PM.

Fifteen minutes later at 3:36 PM, I was on the phone with Dr. Clemenz’s office, my dermatologist. Over the past several weeks I had developed a sore on my nose. I thought it was no big deal until it started bleeding. I knew I needed to see Dr. Clemenz. With Mary’s skin cancer issues from the past, we both faithfully go to Dr. Clemenz every six months to have our skin checked. Usually she can catch cells when they are very pre-mature and simply freeze them off. This one was different. In my spirit, I knew it wasn’t going to be good. She took a biopsy of my nose: you may have noticed the bandage this past Sunday.

Now back to the phone call. At 3:36 PM I was informed that the biopsy had come back positive for cancer. As I understand it, there are three basic types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma; squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma. I have the second level – squamous cell carcinoma. It is cancer, but it is treatable.

Katie was totally unaware of the nose biopsy. She was simply being faithful to the prompting of the Holy Spirit to encourage her Dad.

Later this month I will have surgery on my nose to remove the cancer cells. The procedure I will have by Dr. Chow is called Mohs Micrographic Surgery. Basically, Dr. Chow will give me a shot in the nose and remove a layer of skin. I will wait while he exams the skin tissue. If there are cancer cells on the edges of the removed tissue, he will give me another shot in the nose and remove more tissue. He will continue this process until he has “clean margins.” The Mohs surgery is the most exact and precise method of skin cancer removal. It minimizes the chance of re-growth and lessens the potential for scarring or disfigurement… which is very important to me since I have such a pretty nose.

Dr. Chow is trained in surgery, pathology, and reconstruction. The best option would be that the cancer is completely removed in the first step. If multiple steps have to be taken, as happened to Mary about 10 years ago, then I will go to a plastic surgeon. He will remove skin tissue from my neck and graft it onto my nose.

All of this will happen prior to my trip to Orlando for my prostate surgery.

I have to say… for someone who has never had a surgical procedure other than my wisdom teeth being removed and has never been sick with anything more than a bad cold… I am making up for it in 2010.

In my quiet time this week, God gave me these verses:

You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depths of the earth. You will restore me to even greater honor and comfort me once again. (Ps. 71:20-21)

God has given me the privilege of facing these challenges. He has given me the blessing of growing in my faith so that I can please Him even more. He has given the joy of facing two unrelated cancers so that I might be able to teach you more effectively the truth of God’s word and the His glorious promises. I want you to see the truth of God’s word lived out in my life.

As for this moment, there is one thing I know for sure…

“Jesus loves me this I know. For the Bible tells me so.”

That’s enough for me…

Medical Update

Over the past few weeks Mary and I have talked to multiple surgeons, medical centers, radiation oncologists, prostate cancer patients and friends who are physicians. Mary has read every medical book she has gotten her hands on dealing with this issue. After much research and prayer, Mary and I have determined that God is leading us toward surgery, with prayer, as the plan of attack for the prostate cancer. The two go hand in hand. I believe God can completely heal me without a physician. But I also believe He may choose to heal me through a physician. I will be praying for the Lord to guide the hands of the one who is doing the cutting. Also that God will guide his eyes to not miss anything.

Of the three options of surgery, we have chosen robotic surgery. My urologist recommended Dr. Patel in Orlando, FL, stating that he is the best in the country. In fact, Dr. Petel was voted the top Urologist in America last year. Here is his link:

http://globalroboticsinstitute.com/en/urology-robotic-prostatectomy/why-dr-patel

Because of his reputation it was not surprising that the earliest appointment available was the end of June. But the Lord knew that the end of June would be too long of a wait for me. He never puts more on you than you can handle. On Tuesday of this week, I felt I should call Dr. Patel’s office to ask if there had been a cancellation. The receptionist told me, “I just now had a cancellation. Can you come in the morning?” Mary and I were out the door. It took us seven hours to make it to Orlando.

One side note: I went online to book a hotel. I thought I would try Travelocity’s new section called “Top Secret Hotel.” It is their answer to Priceline. Basically you book a hotel knowing only its rating and general location. I was able to book a 3 star hotel for $35 that was less than 5 minutes from Dr. Patel’s office. On top of that, Travelocity gave me a $30 rebate for using their new site for the first time! OK… this is starting out to be a great trip.

We were at Dr. Patel’s office the next morning at 8:45. I spent an hour filling out paper work. Then we spent the next six hours meeting with five different medical associates. They were thorough. In the waiting room, we met people from all over. We met one couple who were in our church in North Augusta when I was a youth minister… small world.

I discovered that people were coming from all over the world to have Dr. Patel perform their prostate surgery. He told me that he has personally preformed over 4,000 robotic procedures. I like that kind of experience.

During our meeting with Dr. Patel he told me some great news and some challenging news. First: I have most likely had prostate cancer for 5 years, maybe longer. The only symptom was a slight elevation of my PSA blood test in year five. My PSA has been perfect prior to this year. Second: the tumor is large which will make the surgery more difficult. (Now I know why God sent me to the best.) Third: My cancer is aggressive. Fourth: I have a 90% chance that the cancer is all contained within the prostate. That was awesome news. The research data at John Hopkins Medical Center suggested that I had only a 47% chance it was contained.

Because the surgery is going to be difficult he said it is best to wait twelve weeks from the date of the biopsy. This gives my prostate time to completely recover from the biopsy so that he will have clear vision of the nerves which will increase his chances of saving the nerve bundles. I found it humorous that he wants my prostate to get better before he kills it…

My surgery is scheduled for August 16th. I will spend one night in the hospital after the surgery. We will need to stay a total of ten days in Orlando for all of the post-surgery test and check-ups. (Another blessing: Mary’s sister has a time-share condo in Orlando and is in the process of setting it up for us to use.) Once I am home, I will need one more week of recovery. By the end of August I should be back in my normal routine.

I want you to meet my Da Vinci Robot who will be putting 4 small holes in my abdomen to cut out my prostate. I’ve named him Eddie after the movie icon Edward Scissorhands.

Edward Scissorhands is the one with the hair.

Medical Update

Mary and I had a thorough meeting with my urologist today. We met for ninety minutes. Let me give you a basic summary:

• We have confidence in my urologist/surgeon. He is a believer. He has a great reputation. God gave me a great peace about him.
• We are very thankful to my family physician (who is also a believer) in that my symptoms were very minimal. That is, there was very little evidence that something was going on. I believe the Holy Spirit prompted him to be aggressive instead of a “wait and see” attitude.
• The cancer (adenocarcinoma) is more advanced than we originally thought.
• The surgeon believes the cancer is still contained within the prostate.
• The stage of cancer that I have eliminated a few of the treatment options.
• At this point Mary and I are moving towards surgery which will completely remove the prostate.
• The surgical removal can be done by laparoscopic or robotic. (DANGER WILL ROBINSON!! – That’s for those of us who grew up on “Lost in Space”. And if I have to explain it to you, then it’s not funny.)
• The surgery will probably be scheduled for early June.
• Recovery will be 2 to 3 weeks.
• If the pathology report shows clean margins, i.e. the cancer is contained within the prostate then no other procedures will be needed.

Mary and I feel very blessed. We are thankful for our great community of fellow believers who are praying for us. We are thankful for the excellent health care available in our community. We are thankful for the direction of the Holy Spirit.

Who are those who fear the Lord? He will show them the path they should choose. Psalm 25:17

The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” Psalm 32:8

The dreaded “C” word…

Last Friday, Mary and I were enjoying a rare day of golf – just the two of us. It was great. Afterwards, we stopped at the Waffle House across the interstate from the Mid Carolina Golf Club. The only time I go there is when I have a deep need for a Texas Cheese-Steak Sandwich (no onions). It’s the only thing I order when I go. The only reason Mary goes is to watch me eat a Texas Cheese-Steak Sandwich. Half-way through my sandwich I got the phone call I had been waiting for. My physician had called the evening before, but we were out. It didn’t take long to put two and two together from his voice mail. He called, not his assistant. He didn’t leave a result, but said we needed to talk on Friday… I knew it meant that I was not going to get the news I was hoping for.

Two weeks prior to all of this I had my annual physical. EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE AN ANNUAL PHYSICAL!!! I was thrilled with my physical. My blood pressure was 100 over 66; I had lost 25 pounds; my blood work came back great with one exception. My PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) was slightly elevated. My family physician wanted me to see an urologist as a precaution. He said the elevation was minor and was probably nothing more than an infection. Within a few days I was seeing the urologist. That led to another exam. My urologist said there was enough evidence to warrant a biopsy on my prostate. It still might be an infection, but he wanted to make sure.

I am not one to sit around and wait, so we scheduled the biopsy as soon as possible. It was last Monday. Twelve samples were taken from my prostate. By the way – I can now sing soprano with the best of them! Barry and I are planning a duet.

Now back to the phone call on Friday. The best result would have been that it was nothing more than an infection. If that had been the case, there would have been a simple message from my physician’s nurse – “Great news, it’s an infection. A prescription has been called in for you.” Instead it was “give me a call first thing on Friday.”

So Mary and I knew immediately what the results were… cancer. Now it was only a matter of how much, how bad, how contained.

The urologist confirmed our suspicion. The good news is we have caught it early. On Tuesday, I will have my follow up with my urologist. He will explain all the details of the biopsy report and the treatment options.

I have kept this process very private. Mary and our children knew. No one else in my family has known until last night. I did keep Ronald Flynn in the loop because of his role at Gateway.

I have just shared everything with the staff and now I am sharing this with my favorite people in the world – you! We are family. I love the Gateway family and appreciate your support and love. You have stood by me in the good times and in the difficult times. You have stood by me when I have been right and when I have been wrong. You have stayed the course with me as we seek to reach our community for Christ. You have been faithful to pray for me and encourage me.

In the scheme of things in the cancer world, this is not a big thing. I have walked with people through very serious cancer – multiple myeloma; colon; bone, kidney, liver, and on and on. I have watched close friends face death with courage, dignity and faith. What I am dealing with is a minor cancer.

Let me make some things very clear – my urologist said that the cancer has been discovered VERY early, is VERY treatable and is NOT life-threatening. My heart goes out to those who have been told just the opposite – “we did not catch it in time; it is advanced; it’s a death sentence.”

Let me share a few thoughts:

• In the scheme of life, this is just a bump in the road… a very small bump!
• I’m fine with you sharing this with others… especially people of faith that will pray.
• I do not want to hear about some doctor in Mexico that I should go see.
• Do not email me something you found on the Internet. I appreciate the thought, but I have intentionally avoided the Internet.
• I’m fine with discussing it with you, but I would rather talk more about winning people to Jesus.
• I will keep you informed as anything significant occurs.
• I will continue my role as Senior Pastor. If anything occurs that requires my absence, you will be informed.
• I’m praying that God will make me a better pastor through this.
• I pray that I will be able to minister to those who deal with cancer at a different level.

Mary and I are completely trusting Jesus. We are fine emotionally. God can do what ever He desires with me. I gave Him the deed to my life when I was a teenager. I belong to Him so it is His business. We want God to be glorified with every aspect of our lives.

Here are some verses that have taken on new meaning to me:

Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. (1 Peter 4:19)

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. (Job 13:15)

Just so that you will know

Sometimes I get comments about a blog from an anonymous person. Usually their comments are condemning and judgemental. Usually their comments demonstrates their inability to understand my humor. But that is not the reason I do not post their comments. Although it is interesting to me that it is usually a weak person who hides behind the "anonymous" label that writes the strongest, judging words. It is a coward's method.

Just so that you will know, I will never post comments from "anonymous" people. (You actually criticized me for not publishing your comments.) I am not afraid to publish comments from someone who disagrees with me as long as they are willing to take ownership of their words.

My preference would have been to share these thoughts with you in a private email. But since you do not take ownership of your words, I have no method of responding to you except by this blog.

Also, consider this my one and only response.

My Dad...

My Dad directed many people to the Lord. He was the evangelist in our family… just as Katie is the evangelist in our family today. There are two events that I am most familiar with. Both were during the last few months of his life… one was when he actually died.

Story number one. Dad was at Duke Hospital at Duke University. Chemotherapy was in its early stages of development so the only treatment available to my dad was cobalt radiotherapy. At this point all of his medical team was in agreement that he would not survive much longer. The lead physician was concerned that my dad did not understand, or at least was denying the reality of his impending death. The team asked the medical resident in Psychiatry to speak to Dad. The psychiatrist visited with Dad and it was a life altering time.

Obviously, the words my dad spoke to the resident caused some soul stirring. Later that evening, the psychiatrist called my Dad. He asked, “Mr. Brock, do you mind if I stop by after my rounds and visit with you again? I have a few questions. You see, you have something I don’t have and I want to know what it is.”

The psychiatrist came by Dad’s hospital room. They talked; the doctor asked his questions… “you have such a peace about your death. Where does that come from?” By the end of their conversation, my dad led him to Jesus. The last I had heard, that resident had developed a wonderful Christian-based psychiatric practice.

Story number two. About two years ago, Mary and I were south of Raleigh in N.C. visiting some dear friends. While there, I asked Mary if she would mind stopping to visit a close family friend who lived in the same area. Her name is Trudy. Trudy will always have a special place in my heart. She was the chief technician in the radiology department of High Point Hospital. Because of her position, she had gotten to know my parents very well and had taken a keen interest in my Dad. There was something about his faith that drew her.

When we stopped by her house, it was great catching up on old times. Finally I asked, “Trudy, were you with my dad when he died?” “I was,” she said. “Your mom and grandparents were there as well.” I asked her if she minded sharing the story with Mary and me. By her own admission, Trudy was not a believer at that time, but the event that took place that night gave her a deep desire to know Jesus Christ personally.

Everything was very quiet in the room. It was Saturday evening. From her experience, she knew death was near… the deep, shallow breathing, the lowering blood pressure, the slowing heart rate. The body was shutting itself down. My Mom was crying as well as my grandparents. Grandpa always told me that my dad was his very best friend. Grandma told me that they were more like brothers than father and son.

Trudy then said “All of a sudden, I saw Jesus! He was literally standing at the head of Mack’s bed.” The way Trudy tells the story; you wouldn’t doubt her for a moment. She continued, “I literally saw Jesus standing before Mack, ready to take him to heaven. The peace and presence in the room was indescribable.” She looked around at everyone else… they were all crying. “No one saw Jesus but me… and of course Mack.” Trudy didn’t understand why no one else was looking at Jesus.

At that moment, my Dad’s heart stopped. His physical body was dead. Trudy escorted the family from the room. Then she said, “I rushed right back into the room to see Jesus again… but he was already gone.” Forty-three years later and it was just like yesterday. I cannot do justice to her description. But my heart and mind believes everything that she experienced that night.

Trudy later gave her heart to Jesus and has been following him every since. She loves the Lord dearly and will always have a special place in my heart. And one day, Jesus will be standing by her bed… ready to take her to Heaven.

My dad left a legacy of changed lives. Even when facing death, he was thinking of others.

Live your life in such a way that when you face your darkest moments, the only thing that people see is Jesus.

“The death of one that belongs to the Lord is precious in his sight.” (Psalm 116:15, NCV)

“The Lord cares deeply when his loved ones die.” (Psalm 116:15, NLT)

Experiences

I haven’t written a blog lately for a specific reason. I recently finished a forty day fast with two wonderful brothers at Gateway. We embarked on this journey not knowing what God was going to teach us. All we knew was that God was calling each of us to an extended fast.

It all started back in January. I had begun to sense from the Holy Spirit that I was to enter into an extended fast. I tried to put it off… coming up with plenty of excuses. Then I received an email from one of my friends saying he was feeling directed by God to a forty day fast. He asked me if I had some information about an extended fast. He ended his email with “… and why don’t you join me on the fast?” Well that settled it. We agreed to meet for chicken wings (always begin a fast with chicken wings!). He invited a close friend and we all agreed that God was calling us to this endeavor.

Over the next forty days we encouraged each other and prayed for each other. We each had different experiences on the journey. But that’s how God works. He always personalizes our journey with him.

During the fast, I decided to refrain from writing. I didn’t want to be diverted.

Now as I reflect on my time during the fast, let me share just a few thoughts. Keep in mind that these thoughts are incomplete…

• God revealed to me that I had slipped into replacing faith with experience.
• God reminded me that he was not impressed with my experience.
• God desires faith… it’s the only way I can please him! (Heb. 11:6)
• It’s easy to allow your experience, education and knowledge to supersede God’s word.
• It’s easy to spiritualize your experience beyond God’s truth.
• Not all experiences are valid. Just because I experienced something does not mean that it is truth.
• All of my experiences must be measured, gauged and interpreted by Scripture.
• Ultimately I learned that I must be passionate, enthralled, captivated by God’s compelling purpose for my life.
• I’m the only person who can live God’s purpose for my life! (Ps. 139:16)
• I must live to please God, not people. I live to serve people, but I exist to please God! (1 Thess. 2:4)

What has God been teaching you?

Pastor Don

Easter Sunday Reflections

• Worship was inspiring. Barry, the choir and praise team lead us in wonderful worship in the first service.
• Congratulations to Barry and Cheryl Cavin for faithfully serving Gateway since 1986. They celebrate 24 years this Tuesday. Give them a BIG THANKS!
• Thanks to Judd and his worship team. They were hitting on all cylinders in the second and third service.
• Thanks to Judd, Alan and the band members for working long hours to complete the worship CD you used as an invitation for Easter.
• I love the passion of those that lead us in worship!
• I appreciate each of our worship team members. They spend hours every week getting ready for Sunday worship. They learn their parts individually. They give up an evening from home to rehearse at church. They come in as early as 7:00 on Sunday morning for one last rehearsal. Be sure to thank them for leading us with heart and passion.
• You did your part! You invited your friends. We had over 1,400 on campus.
• Thanks for making our visitors feel at home.
• Thanks to Barry and his team for having the grounds and buildings well prepared.
• Thanks to Sam Reynolds for having the parking lot re-striped and cleaned in time for Sunday.
• Thanks to David Gold and his team of 50 volunteers for each aspect of welcoming our guest.
• Thanks to Marie Boozer for preparing the gift baskets for our guest.
• Thanks to our team who prepare the connections week after week.
• Thanks to Joseph Gold for washing down the sidewalks from all the pollen at the last minute.
• Thanks to Paige and Cretia and their extensive team of volunteers who work with our preschoolers and children each week.
• Thanks to our coffee team. They come very early to get coffee and refreshments ready for you!
• Thanks to our entire church family for loving your Savior; his church; and this community.
• Thanks to our entire staff for their prayers, hard work and passion to make Sunday happen.
  Thanks for your faithfulness in giving.
• One last thought… I am praying that there will be Krispy Kreme doughnuts in Heaven!
  
  I love being your pastor!
  
  don

A Fifth Grader Who Wanted to Make a Difference

Eli Goodwin is in the 5th grade. He literally started attending Gateway nine months before he was born. He is just one of those kids you instantly fall in love with.

Eli and three of his friends from Lake Murray Elementary School decided they needed to do something to help the people of Haiti. Their first thought was to set up a lemonade stand. Marty, his Mom, suggested that lemonade might not sell very well in cold weather. So they settled on a bake sale. They asked their parents, friends and anyone who would help to bake items that would be sold to raise money.

This past Saturday, they set up shop on the corner of Wessinger and Dutch Fork Road. Eli’s sister and brother (Callie & Nic) were there to help as well.

As the day progressed, a steady flow of cars would stop and make purchases. There were a few times when no one was stopping so they would start packing everything up. Then another steady flow of cars would begin to stop.

At the end of sale, with all the goodies sold, they counted their money. They were hoping to raise about $100. Imagine their excitement when they realized they had raised $1,020!!! WOW!!!

By the way… a certain company is probably going to match their money. If that happens, that will translate into a small group of 5th grade students who dreamed of sending a $100 to Haiti to actually send over $2,000.

We dream big for God… then God shows up and makes it HUGE.

Hey Eli, this verse is for you and your friends:

“Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12, NLT)

Lessons from Noah

Hebrews 11:7 tells us that Noah had a “holy fear” that led him to build the ark. A holy fear of God is a great thing. It is an essential element of a believer’s life. In fact it is impossible to go on a Journey of Faith if it is missing. Here are just a few of the multiple verses that speak of the “fear of the Lord”:

Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts. They have no fear of God at all. Psalm 36:1

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge… Prov. 1:7

Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. Prov. 2:5

Fear of the Lord lengthens one’s life… Prov. 10:27

Those who fear the Lord are secure… Prov. 14:26

Fear of the Lord is a life-giving fountain…Prov. 14:27

Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor. Prov.15:33

Fear of the Lord leads to life, bringing security and protection from harm. Prov. 19:23

This holy fear does not imply that you cower away from God or hide in your closet. Otherwise, why would he say, “… we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus.” in Hebrews 10:19?

Noah treated God’s word with tremendous respect and reverence. He was awestruck. And the ultimate expression of his faith was obedience… obedience at any cost!

Jesus puts it all in perspective when he boldly tells us:

Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28 (NLT)

The Bible also reminds us that Jesus himself had a deep reverence for God the Father:

While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. Heb. 5:7

How did Noah stay the course for 100 to 120 years (that’s how long it took to build the ark!) and finish what he started? How can you finish your Journey of Faith?

1. Remove any and all distractions

Obviously this would include sins, but it also includes good things. What good things are part of your life but in reality are a distraction from the best God has for you?

2. Remember the reward from God

Your ultimate reward is heaven… being with God in his Most Holy Place!

All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 1 Corinthians 9:25-26 (NLT)

3. Resist all discouragement

I’m the first to admit that this one is not easy. Satan will use anything to discourage you. Past sins and mistakes; close friends; critics; circumstances that are not of your making… you name it, Satan will use it.

So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Galatians 6:9 (NLT)

4. Renew yourself daily

This means that you care for your body, your emotions and your spirit. You renew your body through proper rest, exercise and a good diet. You renew your emotions through friendships and healthy hobbies. You renew your spirit through worship, time alone with God (prayer and scripture study), and other followers of Christ. These are just a few methods of renewing yourself.

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 2 Corinthians 4:16 (NLT)

In closing… we are on a Journey of Faith. If you have been derailed from this journey, then resume the journey

Then the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and resume the journey, and lead the people to the land I swore to give to their ancestors, so they may take possession of it.’ “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. And you must always obey the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good. Deuteronomy 10:11-13 (NLT)

Buying a Car

I hate buying a car. So much time and effort is required. It’s never easy… at least not for me. I tend to over analyze. That is why when I buy a car, I drive it until it dies! I loved my 2003 Ford Explorer. It had over 135,000 miles. My mechanic said it should last for another 100,000. Now that gets me excited.

Last September 22nd, I was driving in North Carolina. I remember thanking God for my car and even said, “I wonder how long it will last?” As most of you know, I got the answer that same day. It would last for about 6 more hours when it met its demise in an accident.

So began the new process of finding a car. I decided I wanted another Explorer. I found one from an individual in Charlotte. Sounded like a great deal. I emailed him and he responded, “I just sold it, but I’ve got another coming this week.” I made arrangements to drive it. It was a 2007 with 39,000 miles and priced under the blue-book value. Sold!

I made arrangements to transfer the car. The seller would drive it to Columbia and meet me at the bank. Then I would drive him to the airport to rent a car for his return home. I offered to drive him back to Charlotte, but it was his choice to rent.

As we were driving to the airport, I turned on the radio. It was tuned to WMHK, our local Christian radio station at CIU. I asked, “You were listening to this station?” He said yes. “I listen to their sister station in Charlotte, WRCM, so I tuned to WMHK when I got closer to Columbia. They helped to save my life.” “Wow, can you tell me about it?” I asked.

Then he began to share his story. He told me that on 9/11, both his brother and brother-in-law were working in the World Trade Center in NYC. Neither survived the attack. I was very quiet for a moment. Finally I asked, “Did anyone get to talk to them?” “Yes,” he said. “They both talked to their wives. They were on floors above the impact of the airplane and they already knew that they would not survive. Between the two of them, they had 7 children.”

My head was spinning. Finally I said “I can not imagine your pain or the pain of your family.”

He went on to share how God spoke to him and brought him to Christ. WRCM ministered to him during that time and continues to do so today.

You never know the pain someone is living with. But I do know that the power of our Lord Jesus Christ can overcome any pain, any experience, and any tragedy in your life.

This experience gave me a deeper appreciation for the words of Jesus: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NLT)

Are you Ready for a Great Journey?

God has called us to be a part of His story. If we want to be part of God’s story, then we must begin with a journey of faith.

Jesus said “Because of your faith, it will happen.” (Matt. 9:29).

Faith is like a muscle – it has to be developed. You strengthen it by using it. Did you ever have a broken arm? If so, you most likely had a cast on your arm for a month or more. Remember when you had the cast removed and surprised that your arm was actually smaller? Because of their lack of use, the muscles in your arm lost their size and strength.

Faith is like that… if you don’t use your faith; it loses its power and scope of influence.

God tells us that without faith we cannot please Him. (Heb. 11:6)

So what is faith? It is choosing to believe God. It is having confidence in God. And just as important, it is acting on that belief and confidence. God’s word tells us that faith – (that belief and confidence in God) – without works - (our action) is dead. In other words, without acting on our faith, we will have no impact.

God has placed a dream into the heart of Gateway. It is our dream to connect with the people of our community so that they have the opportunity to experience LIFE in Christ.

Rick Warren taught me the six phases of a journey of faith.

1. God always starts with a DREAM.
2. You have to make a DECISION to do something about the DREAM.
3. God will DELAY the DREAM in order to test and grow your faith. God operates on his timetable, not yours.
4. While your DREAM is DELAYED, you can expect DIFFICULTY. If you don’t have critics, you are not doing anything.
5. God will even allow you to reach a DEAD END while pursuing your DREAM.
   
   Read what Paul said when he reached a dead end:
   We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. 2 Corinthians 1:8-9
   
   
6. Once Paul stopped relying on himself, God brought DELIVERANCE. God does things in such a way that everyone will know that he did it!
   
   Our Journey of Faith in Ballentine began as a dream. We made a decision as a family to act on that dream in faith. We faced delays. We have encountered difficulties and we encounter difficulties even now. We have a choice of either experiencing a dead end or responding to God and relying on Him for deliverance. As the Gateway family, let us “rely” only on God!

A Journey of Faith

GATEWAY FAMILY: We will have a special prayer time for Haiti during our worship services on Sunday
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A Journey of Faith

Ask yourself: “What would my life look like if the Holy Spirit was completely unleashed in me?” Would it be different from what it currently looks like? Most likely.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. (Hebrews 10:19)

When Jesus’ body was torn for our sins, God tore the curtain in the Holy of Holies that separated us from Him. We are no longer separated from God. Through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, we have access to the “Most Holy Place”… God Himself. All the power of the universe is in this Most Holy Place. The Ruler, Creator, the Lord Jehovah is in this Most Holy Place. AND He invites us to enter, to join Him! We do not enter because of self-righteousness, nor because we desire it. We enter because of the precious blood of Jesus.

If you want the power of God unleashed in your life, I challenge you to begin with the following steps:

1. First and foremost without any doubt, know that Jesus Christ is your personal Lord and Savior. The saddest words you could possibly hear from Jesus would be “depart from me… I never knew you!” (Matthew 7:21-23)

2. Simplify your life! Why? So that you can become a laser-beam for Jesus. When you are not focused, then your life is blurry.

3. Fully engage yourself into the community of Gateway Church. How? Come to worship; join a LIFE group; volunteer in a ministry; give. Stop sitting on the side-lines.

4. Ask God to make your life count for what matters to Him. This means you pray (and pray constantly) as you take this journey of faith. This means you don’t set the agenda for your life – God does. This means that you hold nothing back from God.

A word of caution, in fact, it is a promise. If you get on God’s schedule and agenda, you can expect attacks and challenges. Satan will not give up his hold on a person’s life without a fight.

God has not called us to create heaven on earth. If the goal of Gateway were to create heaven on earth, it would fail. God calls us to get people into the real heaven, not to build our own.

Gateway is on a Journey of Faith. We want to see the power of Holy God unleashed in our fellowship. This is the time for Gateway to go on the offensive. This is the time for us to place our confidence fully on Jesus. This is the time for us to lift up Christ in this community. People who are far from Jesus matter to God!

I Can Not Begin To Comprehend

I was eating dinner tonight with some friends at a local restaurant. We talked, we laughed and we shared stories about our lives. I was a good time with my friends… but there was uneasiness in the deepest part of my heart. I found it difficult to enjoy the fellowship as I normally would. It had nothing to do with my friends. The food did not satisfy; it had little taste. It had nothing to do with my taste buds or the restaurant’s chef… it was my mind and heart.

The deepest part of my soul could not stop thinking about Haiti. Try to imagine that within a 30 to 40 seconds window, thousands upon thousands of people lost their lives… we may never know the number. I was also thinking about the thousands who are still trapped… many of whom will die as well.

One of Katie’s friends who does mission work in Haiti arrived at the main airport just prior to the earthquake. He was on his way to his hotel in Port-au-Prince when the quake hit. He hasn’t been heard from since.

I can not begin to comprehend the pain, the suffering… being without water and food. The not knowing of where your child is or trying to comfort your child who is badly injured and there is no medical help. Can you imagine hearing the cries of a loved one under a pile of rubble and there is nothing you can do to get them out?

Many ask “Where is God in all of this?” Not an easy question. An article written by Albert Mohler, the President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville helped me to gain some perspective. To read the article, follow the link: http://ow.ly/WA7p. It’s excellent.

If you want to do something tangible, you can do something immediately through our Southern Baptist agency – Baptist Global Response. BGR is already at work in assessing the best way to assist Haiti in their immediate time of need.

You can give directly via the internet. Please go to http://gobgr.org and click on Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund. One hundred percent of your donation will be used to provide relief in Haiti. No funds will be used for administration or promotion.

Keep praying…