Civilian child vs Military child

Thought that is was very true and appropriate to share with you regarding the students that we have the privilege of serving!  Hope that it gives you as new sense of appreciation for what we do with Cadence Student Ministries and an insight in our students and their resilience!

1. A civilian child usually dances around or talks during the National Anthem. A military child stands quietly with his hand over his heart.   

2. A civilian child sees race. A military child sees diversity.   

3. A civilian child has a best friend in his hometown. A military child has a best friend on almost every continent.   

4. A civilian child sees only the plane flying over. A military child not only can identify the type of plane flying but knows someone who works on them.   

5. A civilian child sees a person in uniform. A military child can tell you what branch he's in and what his rank is.   

6. A civilian child thinks home is where the heart is. A military child knows home is where the military sends you.  

7. A civilian child lives for tomorrow and what it might bring. A military child lives for today because tomorrow, Daddy might get called away again.   

8. A civilian child gets to kiss mommy and daddy goodnight each night. A military child sometimes has to kiss a picture of daddy or mommy goodnight.   

9. A civilian child talks on the phone for fun. A military child lives for the 15 minute phone calls once a week.   

10. A civilian child can read and write in English. A military child can read and write in acronym.   

11. A civilian child says "good-bye". A military child says "see you later" (don't we know it, there's never GOOD BYE).   

12. A civilian child gets to see things other kids would love to see. A military child gets to see things world leaders would love to see.   

13. A civilian child will probably go to the same school his entire life. A military child will probably change schools every 2 years.   

14. A civilian child might rarely leave his hometown for anything other than vacation. A military child will rarely see his "hometown" for anything other than vacation.   And finally...a civilian child supports our soldiers. A military child IS a soldier. The next time you say a prayer for our troops, please say a prayer for their families, especially their children back home that are trying to be strong. (They need your prayers, more than you'll ever know)

Reposted with permission and edited from Because sometimes military wives need to vent.

What is happening...

to us has been incredible!  It has been an incredible summer and the Lord is blessing and directing.  With candidacy and orientation over, we have begun to focus on the financial needs of our monthly support as well as closing things down here in Gresham.

We served for our last time in awhile at Camp Morrow where we have been serving for 30 years and we watched God do some incredible things.  Julie was the head cook for Jr High camp where we served record number of students and staff...200 mouths!!  I had the privilege of being one of two speakers and saw God doing incredible things in the hearts of staff and students that week.  Sharing my heart about the WORD and missions, God was definitely prompting students!  Heaven will tell the rest of the story!  Also, I got to help Julie with cooking that week and on the following weekend for Family Camp!

 Julie's homemade cinnamon rolls!!!  Would love to have one now!

 Working with my favorite gal!!! 30 years of making these!!  What a joy!!!  And tasty too!

Julie, Rick, Cara, Teresa and Mishawna praying as they start their day in the kitchen!

We are now focused on our ministry team as well as serving in our local church.  Also, looking for opportunities in churches to share our ministry and with individuals! Let us know if you would like to consider being a part of our ministry team!

Thanks for praying, loving, encouraging and sharing in our life at this time! We are truly blessed to have you on our TEAM!

What is next?!

It has been a bit since I posted on our ministry blog...sorry!  It has been a bit of a whirlwind after being in Colorado and South Dakota for over three weeks.  What a good time and yet, tiring.  The time there was rewarding and yet, it is great to be home!

As you recall, I spoke at Galilee Bible Camp in Tennessee.  There were about 40 high school students and 15 staff serving the Lord!  It was my privilege to open the WORD and share my passion about Jesus to the students and the staff!  God did some great things in all of our lives.

Then, I flew to Denver, Colorado where I met Julie and we went through the official process of candidacy for ministry with Cadence International! We were officially accepted and then entered into a week of orientation and then followed by a week of visiting team members in SD and CO!!!  What a great time!!

Then we came home and began to process the events of the month of June and began to pray as we seek the Lord for His timing in our live.  We are now about to embark on a week of ministry at Camp Morrow where we have served the Lord together for almost 30 years!! Julie will be the head cook for Jr High camp and I have the privilege of being the missions speaker!  Then we will cook together for more than likely our last time there in a while.  Bitter sweet and yet it has been rewarding to serve there all of these years!!!  God is good and faithful!

After camp, July 17-24, we will begin focusing on selling our home and raising the remaining $2200.00 monthly support we need to get to Germany full time.  Our return date is not set as we wait direction from the Lord and the leadership of Cadence.  Pray as we seek Him for this!

We are blessed that each of you are a part of our team and ask that you would join us in praying as we seek Him.  Also, PLEASE pray for Julie as she injured her left arm while traveling after orientation.  She has little to no use of it and she is the head cook next week and the weekend after!  Thanks team!!

It is Official!!!

On Saturday afternoon the 18th, Julie and I were officially accepted for full time ministry with Cadence International serving in Cadence Student Ministries.  We are so EXCITED!!!  We are also very thankful that each one of you have been praying for us and also being a BIG part of this process!

We are thrilled to now be officially appointed to ministry.  We still don't have a set time line nor do we have a lot of clearly defined direction but that will be coming in the next few months.

We want you to know though that your partnership in our ministry is crucial to the success and longevity of our ministry!  We are unable to do what the Lord has called us to if we don't have team members like you that are involved.

As you know, we have three types of team mates.  The first are those that "PRAY" for our family, life and ministry,  The second are those that "PAY" by giving sacrificially so that others may know about our Savior and have relationship with HIM!  The third are those that "PLAY" in ministry by participating in a physical way on location, with our family or meeting needs we have physically to do ministry!  All three areas are VITAL and CRITICAL to the ministry we are called too!

THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF THE TEAM!!!

Ten day's and counting...

It is hard to believe that in such a short time as three months, so much has happened!  Some incredible things have happened and some strange things.  Time and space here may limit my ability to communicate with you the depth of it all but we would love to personally connect with you on this when we return home.

Highlights of our time in Germany:
- God provided incredible housing for us from the first day to our soon to be last
- Our apartment is fantastic and our neighbors are a real blessing to us
- We have been provided some great new starts to friendships with fellow CSM staff, chaplains, family members of our students and new friends as well
- We have been involved since day one in the lives of people that need or love Jesus and we have been able to challenge them right where they are
- We have been able to be involved in two different chapels and this has been a real joy and blessing
- I have been able to preach three different times here in the three months
- I have had the opportunity to lead several Bible studies with our middle school boys...great time!!!
- I have taught the WORD at youth group on several occasions and small groups at a week long camp
- While at spring break camp, we were in the ALP's of Garmisch...what a great place for camp!!!
- Julie and I have enjoyed many walks in our town of Kusel we live in and have been blessed by those
- Julie has ministered to the wives' of many deployed soldiers here in Baumholder
- Julie was able to attend PWOC Bible study on Tuesdays and connect there with women around the WORD
- Julie has loved, cared and fed our students on several occasions and as you know, she is good at all three of those
- We have developed relationships that will grow when we return in the fall full time...Lord willing!
- I have been able to build strong and growing relationships with our chaplains in Baumholder
- I had the honor of attending a memorial service for one of the four soldiers we have lost during our time here...an humbling and sobering experience
- We have encouraged, taught and prayed with students on a weekly basis
- I had the opportunity to runs games for youth group several nights
- We have had the opportunity to me involved in a big way in the GREAT COMMISSION!!

There are more to share but as you see, we have had a full schedule and with only ten days left, they to are packed with opportunities to be involved in lives, ministry and the future of students here in Germany.

Julie and I would like you to know how much we appreciate your love, prayers and support for our ministry to the students of our US Military families!  They are the present and future of our society!  We know that you would be blessed to know that they are resilient and responsive to the things of the Lord when you simply reach out in love and show them you care!  We have done that...may the Lord bless our time here and bring us back quickly to continue this ministry for His glory.

Hear the bells ringing...

As I reflect back on the weekend just past, I am reminded that here in our little town of Kusel, the bells of the two churches were ringing almost non stop.  You would have thought something big was happening in town.  Well, there was but it really took place over 2000 years ago.

It was in the town of Jerusalem where the miracle of the rebirth took place.  After the first original Black Friday, Passover, Jesus of Nazareth took the entire worlds weight of sin and shame on His shoulders.  There He paid the price for the debt that none of us could ever pay for the things that separated us from Him.  There, the payment was made and there the Eternal King died only to change the course of history.

After He died, His body that was broken for you and I was taken off the cross, laid in a borrow tomb where His body was wrapped in swaddling clothes and washed in frankincense and myrrh for the entombment.  Only thing is, His reservation for the grave had been made in eternity past that He would only stay there for three days.  You see, Jesus rebuilt the temple, His Temple, in three days!

His resurrection from the grave made it possible for us to have a rebirth of our own temple so that He would have a place to reside in us for His glory!  The key, we have to accept the fact that He gave up heaven to come to earth to pay for my debt with His death and was buried in a grave and then, ROSE FROM THE GRAVE!!  Thus, gaining victory over sin and death!!!  Praise be to Him for His Glorious work!

So you see, although the bells rang continuously here in Kusel, they were marking the event of Resurrection Sunday...they thought Easter, I know better!! It was marking the anniversary that my Lord and Savior gave me the ability to have a rebirth and to enter into a relationship with Him.  It also was to invite those that don't usually come to church to come.

I trust that they did but I pray that the Gospel was shared and that one or some came to a personal knowledge of their need for a Loving and Merciful Savior to be their Lord.

The next time you hear bells ringing, stop and wonder, "What are they ringing for?"  Maybe they are announcing a worldwide event like the event of Resurrection Sunday!  What an event!

Church in the Rock in Idar - Oberstein, Germany

In the presence of a King...

I had the most incredible privilege and a great opportunity yesterday to preach at the Gospel Service on our post we serve at.  It was as you know, Palm Sunday and I shared from the Word the story from Mark about the triumphal entry of Jesus into the city.

I unpacked the  context of the passage as well as the historical importance that we see there.  When you understand the context, the text becomes alive and fresh.  We see there that the King to be, Jesus the Son of God, came into Jerusalem not to take over as earthly king that the people wanted but He came into town to announce His plan to complete the assignment that the Trinity had in place from eternity past to secure the possibility for you and I to enter into a personal relationship with Him.  He then, becomes my King, my Savior, my Master, my Lord and my Friend!  With all that in place and having happened, I now am in the presence of a King.

In addition to the preaching at the service, I also had a unique privilege and honor to have in our service in the front row, a modern day king.  One of the worshippers with us on Sunday is a king in Africa.  When I was preaching, I realized that not only was I sharing about the King of Kings, but, in my presence was a king,

I was humbled by that fact.  The reality of serving our Eternal King and now I serve alongside and worship with a king.  What an honor!

How is it, we don't treat our Heavenly King with the honor and respect He deserves?  When you talk with our friend that is a king, he is so humble, focused on Jesus for himself, his family and his people and it is an honor to know him and together, we serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lord.

Next time you begin to worship at church, remember that you are in the presence of a King.  We are to honor Him, love Him, worship Him, serve Him and be low before Him.  The question is how often do you and I realize and recognize this?