our 27th wedding anniversary

Proverbs 18:22 NASB

He who finds a wife finds a good thing And obtains favor from the Lord.

Twenty seven years ago today. That was the day we said “I do” and made our commitment to each other. There have been a lot of changes since then. We have gone through, gotten through and been blessed many times through it all.

I am grateful for Julie and the life God has given us.

It was in December of 1992 that I believe God began to open my life to prepare me for marriage. I had met Julie the month before when I began to pastor my first church in Georgia. In early January we began dating. We actually got engaged in February and were married the following September.

Some have said we are that family with the perfect kids, the best marriage and the home with the white picket fence. That could not be further from the truth. We have had our struggles in so many areas. We still struggle. We have dealt with sickness and death. With poor finances and bad decisions. With lean times and abundance.

What we do have is the grace of God he has seen us through. He has told us to keep on. In fact we have heard God speak in our devotions as a couple and as a family. We have experienced miracles. Yes, the lows and the highs have been ours. But God is bigger and better than any of the lows or the highest highs.

That is another reason today I choose to celebrate Julie. She is a gift to me. Neither of us are perfect. But our God is perfect and perfectly directs us. Without challenges life would be void of meaning. We have learned and will continue.

I love Julie. Today we celebrate love. We celebrate the love God gave us first, and then we celebrate the love He gave us for each other.

Honestly, we believe that the years to come are going to be greater than the ones that have gone by. We are grateful for the people who have poured in to our lives, but most of all we are grateful to God’s unending mercy and love.

Happy anniversary, Julie. I love you very much. More today than yesterday. I will always be here!

Have you heard of EDITH BURNS?

Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas . She was the patient of a doctor by the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle doctor who saw patients as people. His favorite patient was Edith Burns. One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart and it was because of Edith Burns. When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her. Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way: "Hello, my name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Then she would explain the meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved. Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse, Beverly. Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood pressure. Edith began by saying,"My name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Beverly said, "Why yes I do." Edith said, "Well, what do you ...

wash feet, sharing hope

John 13:4-5,14 NLT So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him… 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. Jesus set the example we follow. He served. He valued and gave value to others. That is why we choose to serve. For 18 years our church has shared an outreach called back2school, and for 16 of those years we have chosen to give students brand new shoes and socks as well as washing their feet. It is one of the most important parts of this event. Washing feet is a humbling experience where both the give and the receiver learn how to share some moments that might change their lives. Jesus said we should do this. See the verse above. Follow His example, do what He did, and give far more than you will ever know....

Catalyst ticket arrived

My ticket to the Catalyst Conference, in Atlanta Oct 8-10, just arrived. I'm excited!

Michael Harrison's e-devotion

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