Man it’s been a busy summer. We have had so much going. I used to think Summer would be a time to relax with my kids…too bad we just fill our lives so we can’t enjoy each other. That’s not right…we have enjoyed each other…we went on a great vacation..we spent a week at Camp Blue Haven together and had an incredible time but since we’ve been home, it’s been one thing after another. Some times I just like to settle down and enjoy being a dad and a husband. Some day, I’m gonna look back and miss these days. Even next week, when the kids start to school and all of that starts happening…I’m gonna miss this.

Although, I do look forward to school starting. I like the routine. I like knowing what is going to happen next. That’s why walking as a disciple of Christ is sometimes so hard for me. I like routine and knowing what is going to happen. Being a disciple is an adventure. I do love the adventure too!!!

Yesterday in my adventure I preached a funeral for a baby. Stillborn at full term. MAN THAT STINKS. The good thing about this is that the mom was a member who is not “faithful” (most of you know what I mean by that). She was baptized at Southwest about a year ago but has been back and forth so much…so, when she lost her baby, she called the only family she could trust that would love her through all of this…her church family. I was so proud of our family…we did. Even though she wasn’t a member who is at every event or even any events. Even though she has more tattoos than I have…well she has a lot. Even though she lives a life that we don’t agree with or condone, we loved her and are loving her like Jesus would and does. Yeah, it was a hard funeral to preach…but when you have good news to tell people, when you get to tell people that there is more to life than what they see going on around them, when you get to talk about Jesus…it makes it so easy. I love that I have a message of hope. Who else has this…who else? No one!!! No one has good news like we do!! Why aren’t we all telling everybody we know about this great news? Probably because we are so much like “them”…we only remember our hope…we only look to God for strength…we only look up when we are knocked down.

Father, thank you for using me to speak good news yesterday. Father, I pray that you use word or hugs or just that we are available to turn this entire family to you. I believe you can use this tragedy to bring them to you. Father, I pray that if it takes breaking us down to get us to remember what you have done for us…that you break us down. I want to speak your good news as passionately to a rich “got it all together” guy as I do to the hurting. Just use me to speak your good news.

Thinking…maybe this is why Jesus said he came for the blind, sick, imprisoned, enslaved, etc. They are the ones that will listen to a message of hope. Hopeless people need hope. People who think they have it all together…I don’t guess they need hope. Father, open our eyes to our sin and to our hopelessness without you.

Big things have been happening in my life over the past couple of weeks. God is working in my life and there may be some big changes on the horizon. I feel more dependent on God through this than I ever have in my life. I’m scared…I’m excited…I’m dependent…I love this adventure!!!

Father, I am Yours…use me as your will. I’m totally depending on You. I can fail….YOU CAN’T. You are sovereign and holy. You can’t mess up. So, if I depend on you…no matter how hard it is, I won’t fail. Thank you for the confidence I get when I follow you. Forgive me when I seek confidence in me and do it on my own. Forgive me often because it happens often. THANK YOU FATHER!!! YOU ARE MY ROCK!

Your Son,
Doyle