NEWSLETTER - FEB 2009

Greetings, dear partners in the Gospel,

What a blessing it is to know that people like you are walking with us in prayer, ministry and financial support. Please know that we know you are a vital part of the CSR team.

In January, Anne and I attended the annual gathering of the Charismatic Leader’s Fellowship in Jacksonville, Florida. We have been meeting with these Spirit-empowered leaders for over twenty years. It is always a blessed time of fellowship, spiritual feeding andhaving input. While in Jacksonville, we visited with our dear friends, Richard and Ray Martin and their family. The Martins are long-time friends and supporters. It was also good to visit with Ellen Cavert, Ray Martin’s mother who is a part of the Ray Sutton McGehee family who supported us during the Campus Evangelism decade of the 1960’s. While in Jacksonville, we met with the Martin’s house group. We shared about Marriage and the Family.

Following the time in Jacksonville, we attended a Disaster Training Seminar in Nashville sponsored by Hope Force. Hope Force is led by our friends, Jack and Sherie Minton, formerly with Mercy Ships. One of our good friends, Dan Sneed was one of the resource leaders in the Seminar. We are now qualified to be deployed to a disaster area. This experience was made even more special by the opportunity to stay with our dear friends, Bob and Mamie Mason.

Back in the Shoals, I have begun a thirteen week study of the subject,”What on Earth Is God Doing?” Kevin Creekmore is co-teaching the class with me along with several guest lecturers including Carl Turner, Alfred McCroskey and Leif Hetland. We are dealing with various challenges that confront us in these troublesome times and how we as Christians are to respond to the times.

Anne and I are glad to report that we are a part of the founding of a new church, Grace House, led by Eddie Lawrence, the former pastor at Faith Church. We are excited about what God is doing with this “new wineskin.”

Anne and I celebrated our 49th Wedding Anniversary on January 23. It was a wonderful occasion and ours is a precious union. We love each other more with each passing day.

We are already looking forward to the “Big One” next year, the 50th Anniversary. This will be the Jubilee year celebrating 50 years of marriage and ministry. We’ll keep you posted as plans develop.

On Thursday evening, January 29, Anne and I hosted a Parlor Meeting in our home for AIPAC – The American Israel Public Affairs Committee. It was a wonderful gathering of over thirty of our Jewish and Christian friends. Arlene Samuels from the AIPAC office in Atlanta made a powerful presentation. AIPAC is the organization that sponsored my Strategic Briefing Tour to Israel in 2007. Anne and I attended the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. in 2008 and hope to attend again this year.

On Saturday, February 21, CSR will host the Discerning the Times Conference sponsored by the International Christian Embassy – Jerusalem. It will be an intensive, half-day study of the times in which we are living. Our featured speakers will be Susan Michael, U.S. Director of the ICEJ and Ron Cantrell, minister and author of Shalom Jerusalem Ministries. See the enclosed card for all the details. We would love for you and yours to attend this event. It will be a great investment of $10.00 and one-half day. Call us if you have questions. (256) 718 3775 or (256) 718 0738.

We are disappointed to report that one of our four pillar/support churches has decided to discontinue their support of CSR. We are thankful for the support Faith Church has given us over the last decade. Their $300.00 per month constituted about 25% of the donor support we receive. They gave as their reasons for dropping our support, “a change of leadership and a re-assessment of their financial expenditures.” Would you pray about helping to make up the difference in our monthly support?

Thank you for your continued willingness to partner with us in prayer. Here are some current prayer needs:

Holly, our youngest, continues to be challenged by her latest knee surgery. She is making progress. She goes back to the surgeon this month.
Continue to pray for our health. We are experiencing progress in dealing with our problems. We are continuing on the weight loss journey.
Pray for all of our daughters, Melody, Robyn, Amy and Holly and their families.
Two of our grandchildren, Amelia Baker and Blake Balcom will be graduating from high school this summer and we will be participating in the weddings of two of our grandchildren, Maegan Johnston and Max Poe.
Pray that God will continue to open doors for us and that we will hear His voice and obey Him in all things.