It has been 1 year to the day tomorrow since leaving Celebration Church. What an incredible season of time it was from 2003-2007 as we saw many people reached for Jesus. From humble beginings in our home on the old blue couched we were participants in an incredible explosion of evangelism and service that lasted 3+ years and continues on today as 1000′s of people came to make that community of believers their home church. We are so excited about their continued success in reaching people and furthing the gospel and were so privelaged and humbled by the fact that God gave us an opportunity to be a part of that.

Much time has been given over the past year to prayer, reflection, and understanding – especially with relation to God’s plan for our life. Shortly after leaving God birthed the Integrity Consulting Group which led us into the most prosperous year of our life financially. In June God birthed Journey church and we now stand at one of the most exciting times spiritually in our entire life. I remain more excited about the state of the church and the opportunities before us than at any time in my life.

During the year we lost some friends and gained many more. We learned a great deal about ourselves and even more about my leadership and communication style. I’m learning to listen more for understanding and trying not to advocate the positions I believe in so passionately as I believe sometimes that had a way of turning others off instead of firing them up towards the next steps on the Journey.

Some years ago in AA I learned about taking a fearless and searching moral inventory. It’s not a pleasant process, but it is a very rewarding one. Through the business of life sometimes that self examination in light of God’s word slips to the side. I am proud to say that I’m trying to be more reflective in this regard than ever before. There is much work to do in continuing to understand what it means to love God, Love Others, and serve the world.

There is one huge debt of gratitude that needs to be expressed to my loving wife Mary Jo for hanging in there through all the ups and downs of life, ministry, work, and me just being me. Mary Jo, you are the best most loving, most creative woman I have ever met in my life. As we approach the 20th year of our marriage I love you even more than the first day we met. Your very presence exceeds my wildest dreams. I stand in awe of you at every turn and am proud to tell the world about it. You are the love of my life. I love you with all my heart and thank you for being on this journey with me.