Be Still and Go?

Five years ago, as we stood by watching our boy as he lay unresponsive in the ICU, not knowing what the outcome would be, we spent many hours in prayer. Each morning I would open my Bible and read out loud with Garren, his motionless body being kept alive by machines and bags of medicine. One day as I was reading through Exodus, I came across Exodus 14. It's the account of the Israelites being led by Moses out of Egypt into the wilderness. After leaving Egypt, the people came to what seemed to be the end of their journey - the Red Sea. There was no where to go! They were trapped, and the Egyptian army was closing in on them quickly! You can imagine how confused and terrified Moses must have been. After all, it was God who had led them to this point, and it all seemed to be ending rather unexpectedly.

In the midst of his terror Moses cried out to God, and God's response is found in verse 14 "The Lord will fight for you, you have only to be still." What an amazing promise and reminder that God is in control. It's God's fight! We have only to trust Him - to be still and know that He is God - He will fight for us!"

I've rested many times in the promise of that verse over the past 5 years. But this year, as I read that verse, as if reading it for the first time verse 15 jumped out at me. The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward."

I understand that God is sovereign, that He is in absolute control of everything. He leads us where He needs us, and we are to trust His ways. God's plan is always better than our plans. But in this verse we are confronted with yet another truth. It is not a contradiction, but a completion of our relationship with our God. "Go forward." God says to you and to me "Be still, I will fight for you. But you must do your part as well. Go forward." This may seem like a contradiction, but it's not! While God is in absolute control, you and I are given a responsibility to do our part, to go forward in the way that God is leading.

What is your struggle right now? What are you dealing with? First, commit that situation to God. He is in control, the battle is His, and He will fight for you. Then go forward. What are you responsible for in the midst of this situation? What should you be doing in partnership with God as you struggle through your current circumstances?

To God be ALL Glory

Thomas Ken was orphaned as a young child when both of his parents passed away. His sister took him into her care, eventually enrolling him in an all-boy’s school called Winchester College. Several years later he ended up returning to the same school as a chaplain to the students there. In an effort to motivate his students in their devotions, Thomas wrote a three-part hymn - one verse was to be sung when the students woke up in the morning. One verse was to be sung at night before going to bed. The third verse was to be sung at midnight if for whatever reason the boy was having trouble sleeping.

One of the verses of this song has come to be known in church history as the Doxology. It is possibly one of the most well known choruses in recent church history.

I can remember singing this chorus in church from the time I was a young boy. Some churches would sing it every week. Every time I’ve heard it sung, everyone would stand in tribute and recognition to the glory of God. It is a simple yet absolute reminder that God and God alone deserves all the glory.

"Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost."

1 Corinthians 10:31 says

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 

There is so much we can learn from reading our Bibles about how to live our lives to the glory of God. We need to first understand what it means to glorify God. Glory is that which makes something impressive, radiant with splendor. Our God certainly is impressive. He is certainly radiant with splendor!

There are three things to keep in mind when it comes to glorifying God:

1. We were created to glorify God

In Genesis 1 we read the creation account. God created everything - out of nothing. He arranged the oceans, He placed the stars and the planets, and on the sixth day He created man.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” So God created man in his own image, ... And it was so. ... And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. (Genesis 1:26-31) 

To say that we were created in God’s image doesn’t mean that we look like God physically...God is spirit. It means that we were created to reflect the attributes and characteristics of God. We were created to glorify God.

God created you - just the way you are - with a perfect plan and purpose for your life. That plan and purpose primarily has to do with the way you live your life - not with the job you have or the school you go to or even the person you marry. God is Primarily concerned that we reflect His glory. He certainly does care about those other things - whom we marry, what job we get - but God is primarily concerned with our holiness, with our desire to obey and follow Him.

First and foremost we were created to glorify God in all things.

2. We have a responsibility to glorify God

Having been created in the image of God, we have been entrusted with a tremendous responsibility. We’ve been given the great responsibility of representing God to the world around us. We have a responsibility to glorify God in all things.

Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 6:20 that “you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

If you are a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, you are not our own. You weren’t created for your own personal gain. You weren’t created for your own personal enjoyment. Your life is not your own. You were bought with a price, you belong to God. As a result we are responsible to live our lives in the way that God our Creator intended for us to live our lives - for His glory!

We have a responsibility to God, and we also have a responsibility to those around us.

We have a responsibility to ensure that we protect our weaker brothers and sisters in Christ, in everything we do and say. We are all at various stages of spiritual growth and maturity There are non-essentials in life that are not clearly or directly prohibited in the Bible. There are some activities that are considered questionable by some, yet are non-issues for others.

Warren Wiersbe said:

“We cannot glorify God by causing another Christian to stumble. To be sure, our own conscience may be strong enough for us to participate in some activity and not be harmed. But we dare not use our freedom in Christ in any way that will injure a fellow Christian.” (Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 597)

We have a responsibility to protect our fellow brothers and sisters.

3. We are destined to glorify God

One of the characteristics we receive as those who are created in the image of God is that we will continue to exist for all eternity. Our physical bodies will die, but our souls will continue to exist forever. We were created to glorify God in all things, and we must realize that we are destined to glorify God in all things for all of eternity.

There are some who will do this gladly and willingly. There are others who will refuse to glorify God, yet the Bible tells us that

“at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:9–11)

It was C.S. Lewis who said

“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’” (C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce)

Some will bow the knee willingly. Some will not. But in the end every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. We choose our final destination. No matter where we end up, we share the same destiny. We are destined to give God the glory.

We were created to glorify God; we have a responsibility to glorify God; and it is our destiny to glorify God.

Are you faithfully fulfilling your purpose? Are you living your life to the glory of God the Father? Pray right now that God would help you to remember to give Him the glory in all things.

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.” (1 Cor. 10:31)

Treatment #40

Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment has been a long and steady journey. Each day, 5 days a week, Garren and either I or Nancy have been sitting in that chamber for 90 minutes, while Garren breathes 100% oxygen. We have had lots of time for reading, napping, and watching the minutes tick by. We are often asked "How's Garren's treatments going?" I'd love to have a definite answer, but the truth is, we don't really know for sure.


Originally the doctor recommended 40 treatments, followed by a reassessment to determine whether or not to continue. As treatment #40 approached, we were able to discuss things with the doctor. He relies very much on our observation of Garren. Has anything change? Do we notice anything new? What does Garren think?


We have seen some improvements, small but profound. I mentioned earlier the healed lip which had been unable to heal for almost 2 years. The left side of Garren's face has lifted, making his smile more symmetrical. Garren says he feels more energy, and that he can tell a difference in his balance. Small things like this tell us that something is happening. But it is difficult to determine how much.


Our biggest prayer for Garren is that he would regain the ability to swallow. A close second is the ability to balance and walk by himself. We are setting up an appointment with Garren's speech therapist to perform a swallow test. It's been over a year since we've had this done. The last time we did this, his therapist had seen some small changes over the previous swallow test. We are hopeful that there will be more improvement this time.


Garren 40th treatment was today.  We have decided at this point, per the doctor's recommendation to take 3-4 weeks off from the oxygen therapy. This will give Garren's body a chance to "catch up" to the treatments and continue to heal. After that we will probably continue with 20 more treatments.

We want to thank you all so much for your continued support, prayers and encouragement. We are so blessed to have you in our lives. Thank you!

Garren's Walk

Yesterday Garren took the walk he's been waiting to take for 18 years: high school graduation! We are so proud of him! We are so thankful that we were able to witness what we saw yesterday.

There was a time when we didn't know if it would even be possible. Garren has spent his 4 years of high school in a wheelchair. Freshman year it was a motor chair, controlled by moving a joystick with his right hand. By his senior year Garren was able to move himself around in his manual chair. In class he often transferred from his wheelchair into a desk like everyone else. He even took weightlifting, bench pressing up to 200 lbs by the end of the year!

Garren has been using his walker more and more around the house. He has really seen improvement recently. We are certain that the hyperbaric oxygen treatments are having a positive effect. Garren even said that he can tell that he has better balance.

A couple of months ago when we had a conversation with the school about how to get Garren across the stage for graduation, we told them that Garren wanted to walk. Of course they were elated at the idea. The staff at Piedmont High School has gone above and beyond to make sure Garren has had everything he needed to complete his high school career. They wanted to see him finish big.

As the graduates lined up to receive their diplomas, Garren rolled his chair to the bottom of the stairs. With the help of Mr. Capers (Garren's assistant throughout high school) he made his way to the top of the stairs where his walker was waiting. Garren grabbed ahold of his walker and paused while the vice-principal announced his name - "Garren Michael Janes." Then he started his walk, one step at a time, until he reached Mr. Tyson, the principal. After about 3 steps, people began clapping. Then more joined in. One of the seniors sitting on the front row stood to his feet. Then several more joined him. By the time Garren reached the center of the stage where he would shake hands with Mr. Tyson and receive his diploma, every person in the arena was on their feet!

It was an amazing moment, a moment that could not have happened apart from the generous grace of our God in heaven.

Thank you for all your continued prayers and support. We would not be where we are without you.

Hyperbaric Treatment Update - Day 16

We are continuing our journey of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. We just completed day 16 today. Garren is adjusting well to the treatments. We are now consistently at 2.0 atmospheres (equivalent of approx. 34 feet under water) for 1.5 hours (up from 1 hour when we first started). We are experiencing very little issues with ears clearing.


We are not expecting to see any significant changes until after at least 20 treatments, but to date here are some observations:

• Garren had a split in his lower lip from a fall 2 years ago that just would not heal. Since beginning the treatments his lip is completely healed. 
• Garren said that he has noticed more awareness of his balance (or lack thereof).
• We see more symmetry in his face, blink and smile. His left side used to droop slightly and the blink was slower on that side. 
• He has noticed his energy level and stamina have increased.  

We thank God for this progress and wait expectantly to see what's next. We continue to be so thankful for your continued prayers and financial support.

Week 1 Complete

We made it through the first 5 treatments. After taking one day off, the doctor felt like the twitching was not even related to the treatments, and was comfortable with allowing Garren to continue. On day 5 (yesterday) Nancy was introduced to the chamber for the first time. There are a couple of days that I will not be able to get in with Garren, so yesterday was Nancy's opportunity to get in and start getting used to it.

While in the hyperbaric chamber, air pressure is increased in order to simulate being under water. The deeper you go under water, the greater the pressure (remember your high school physics class?) For the first 4 days they took us to a pressure of 1.3 atmospheres, which is the equivalent of about 10 feet underwater. Yesterday they took us to a pressure of 1.5 atmospheres (about 17 feet). Tomorrow we are going even deeper, to 1.75 atmospheres (about 25 feet). The deeper you go, the greater the pressure, the more effective the treatment.

They say it usually takes 15-20 treatments before we will begin to notice any significant changes. So we will continue to go through the treatments, trusting that God will use this to bring healing to Garren's body. So far we are thankful that we are able to tolerate the pressure and have had no issues with the treatments.

Thanks for your continued prayers and encouragement!

Good Twitch? Or Bad Twitch? - Day 2

Day 2 in the chamber went according to plan. That is until we got out. As we were leaving, the technician who has been working with us noticed Garren's left cheek was twitching. (You know how sometimes your muscles will spasm? It was doing that).  Not constantly, but enough that she saw it and started asking about it. Nancy and I had noticed it after the first day. We assumed it must be something happening as a result of the treatment.

The technician wanted the doctor to see it, so he came it to take a look. His first response was that it could be the onset of a seizure. After talking some more, he decided that it could possibly be a nerve responding to the treatment (good news) or it could be the result of a nerve being damaged (bad news).

The doctor wants to review some more of Garren's medical records before we continue with the treatment. We will skip today, and hopefully resume tomorrow.

Thanks for all you continued prayers in this.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy - Day 1

Yesterday we began Garren's newest therapy: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). We had heard about it a couple of times over the past several of years, and recently we came across it again. Nancy looked into it, and found a place in Matthews that offers this treatment.

HBOT is the use of oxygen under pressure to facilitate healing. You can read more about this amazing treatment here. While the treatment looks promising, there is a cost, as insurance companies do not yet cover these treatment for brain injury recovery. God is good, and through the generous gifts of many, we have raised the funds needed to cover the first round.

After an assessment a couple of weeks ago, Dr. Speight determined that Garren is a good candidate for the treatment. So yesterday we began with the first of 40 treatments. We will go every day, 5 days a week. After the first 40 days the doctor will re-evaluate and determine whether or not more treatment will be beneficial.

Here are a couple of pics from our experience yesterday.

The Hyperbaric Chamber

Ready for liftoff!

Garren wears an oxygen hood while he is under pressure.

We both crawled into the chamber, and got as comfortable as we could. They sealed the door, locking us in. Then they began pressurizing the chamber. As we are "diving" we have to continuously "clear" our ears, as the air pressure is constantly changing. Once we are at our target level, I then put the oxygen hood on Garren. This hood allows Garren to breathe 100% oxygen for the time we are in the chamber.

The reason I ride along is to assist Garren when he has to clear his secretions. As you know, he is not yet able to swallow, and in order to spit we have to remove the hood. During our 1 hour dive yesterday we only had to remove the hood 1 time.

Thanks for your continued prayers for Garren. We are excited and hopeful to see how this new treatment works for Garren. We continue to pray for swallowing, as well as progress in his walking.

Another Step In Our Journey

Over the past several years I have come to understand more and more that life is a journey. We take steps down a path that leads us onward into the future. Our paths are not always easy. We rarely see what is beyond the next bend. But if we are following and trusting our God to lead the way, he is always faithful and will always lead us through - he leads us beside still waters, he makes us lie down in green pastures, he leads us through the valley of the shadow of death - no matter what our circumstance, we serve a God who is in control.

These past 8 months, as Nancy and I have been walking down the path on this journey of life, we have been seeking and praying for God's direction in our lives. Even though leaving our family at Southbrook was not easy, God has used this "in between" time to mold us into the people He wants us to be as we take new steps down a new path. This week, God has opened a new door of ministry for us at Lee Park Church in Monroe, NC.

Today I start in a new ministry position as the Associate Connections Pastor. I will be working with an amazing staff, under the leadership of Pastor Chris Justice, to help people get connected and stay connected throughout their time at Lee Park.

We know that God is guiding us on this journey. We are so excited to have been welcomed into a wonderful and loving church family. We are looking ahead with anticipation as this next chapter in our lives begins to unfold.

"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in need." - Psalm 23:1

Why Do You Doubt?

In Matthew 14 we read the story that many of us have heard or read many times - Jesus walks on water. In the middle of the night, while the disciples are out on the boat, they look out into the stormy waters, and they see a figure walking on the water. At first, as would be expected, they are afraid. But then Peter makes a bold request "Jesus, if that is you, then command  me to come out on the water with you."

Jesus replies "Come." So Peter steps out onto the water in faith.

Peter steps out in faith. He steps out of the boat, and he walks on the water! This is an amazing moment. It's a real miracle. It's a miracle moment with Jesus. How many of us long for a miracle moment with Jesus? Wouldn't we all love to have a story to tell like this? That we experienced a moment with Jesus where we are standing in His presence doing something absolutely and incredibly miraculous?

I bet more of us have had miracle moments with Jesus than we realize. If we truly stop and consider our lives - the things we have seen, all that we have accomplished, the places we have been - every one of us can point to a moment and say, "There, that's a moment when I trusted Jesus, when I took a step of faith, when I overcame the odds, through His miraculous power and accomplished something amazing." Maybe you haven't walked on water - but what are some of your miracle moments with Jesus?

The next thing we know, Peter is sinking. Why? Because he took his eyes off of Jesus. He looked around at his circumstances. He let the stormy waves distract him from the miracle moment he was experiencing with Jesus. His faith in Jesus turned to trust in his own weaknesses. His miracle moment began to fade into the background.

Just this week I was enjoying a miracle moment with Jesus. Something amazing and miraculous was happening. I was so happy! I was amazed at the circumstances I was walking into. Things were coming together in such an amazing and incredible way. But then, just one day later, I felt like my entire world was sinking. One email was all it took to distract me from what God was doing. Suddenly, instead of enjoying the miracle moment, I was looking around at the stormy waves, questioning, trying to solve the problem on my own~

Haven't we all been there ? We are probably much more likely to recognize our failures. It's much easier for us to remember the moments when we doubted, when we took our eyes off  of Jesus, when we allowed the storms of life around us to bring us down.

Do you have a miracle moment with Jesus? If you can't remember one, think back to your last doubting moment, and then rewind just a bit. There it is! There is your moment of faith! There is your miracle moment with Jesus! Don't allow the doubt in your life to bring you down. Keep your eyes focused on the One who controls the storms. Keep your faith planted firmly in the strength and power of Jesus.

Just as Peter stepped out in faith, and moments later was sinking in his doubt, you and I have very similar opportunities. We must not allow the circumstances of life to bring doubt into our miracle moments. What is Jesus doing in your life? Focus on that. When something comes along that doesn't seem to make sense, don't try to over analyze your situation, keep your eyes on Jesus. Keep your focus on His promises to you.

"Oh you of little faith, why do you doubt?"

Waiting and Wandering

A couple of friends and I decided to go backpacking earlier this week. It seemed like a good idea when we made our plans a couple of weeks ago. And while I love being on the trail, the cold weather really has a way of putting a damper on things. We knew it would be cold, but we didn't expect the wind, fog, mist and ice that we encounterd…after the first night we were done. We headed back to the car and went home.

I continue to wonder what God has next for me and my family. Waiting is difficult. The hardest part is being sure that we are supposed to be waiting. If I knew how long I had to wait, it wouldn't be so bad. I could easily sit back, fill time, and anticipate the day when the next step, or phase of our life, is revealed. But that probably would not be healthy. If we had known our backpacking trip would be cut short, would we have even gone? Waiting with anticipation, not knowing when or what, prompts me to stay alert, stay on my guard, always looking for what might be the next opportunity. Take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself, not knowing whether or not it is the destination. Life is not so much about the destination as it is about staying the course.

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." (Ephesians 5:15-17 ESV)

It's all a part of the process. The waiting. The wondering. All the while preparing, or being prepared, as we continue down the trail of God's plan for our lives. I have no doubt that God has something for us. My biggest fear is that somehow I will miss it.

Things don't always go according to our own plans. Sometimes the weather of life forces us to go in a different direction. Sometimes we are forced to rethink and reevaluate the trail we are traversing. Sometimes we may even wonder what it would have been like further down the trail, if we had not been forced back!

"Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." (Ephesians 5:17)

God has me here, right now, to accomplish His purpose, here and now. Rather than wondering what might have been if things had gone according to my plans, I must trust God's plans.

The Sacrifice of Thanksgiving

"The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me." - Psalm 50:23

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration. I hope you were able to celebrate with loved ones, spend some time with good friends, and reflect on the abundant blessings in your life. We are blessed, far beyond what we even realize most of the time. Thanksgiving is a good time to reflect on those blessings.

Psalm 50:23 says that "the one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me." When's the last time you offered thanksgiving as your sacrifice? But what does that even mean?

Thanksgiving equals gratitude. Gratitude is acknowledging appreciation for something someone has done for you. What kind of sacrifice does that really require?

Sacrifice implies surrender, suffering, giving something up.

When's the last time your thanksgiving was a sacrifice?

Here are three things to keep in mind as we consider the sacrifice of thanksgiving:

1) The sacrifice of thanksgiving is to be a lasting sacrifice.

Hebrews 13:15 says "through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God." Through Jesus Christ, we are to continually, without stopping, offer our thanksgiving to God. It is to be a continual offering, a neverending thanksgiving. More than one day a year set aside to eat turkey and watch football, our thanksgiving is to be lasting, non-stop, continual praise for all that we have received from God.

But how can we offer thanks even when we don't feel like it, when things are going all wrong, when there is so much to complain about all around us? The answer is simple, yet extremely difficult. "Count your blessings. Name them one by one. And it will surprise you what the Lord has done." When you're feeling down, lonely, sad, as though everything and everyone is against you, stop, think, count your blessings and thanks God for each and every blessing in your life.

That requires surrender. That means looking beyond yourself, beyond your self-pity, and being thankful for all with which you have been blessed.

2) The sacrifice of thanksgiving is to be a living sacrifice.

Romans 12:1 says "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."

As we continually offer our thanksgiving to God, we are to live our lives in such a way that we reflect the God we are thanking. Holy and acceptable means that we surrender what our flesh desires, instead chasing after our holy God with everything that we have. To be a living sacrifice requires that I offer myself completely to the Lord. I give Him total control of every area of my life. Everything that I say and do and think and desire ought to be holy and acceptable to him. That takes sacrifice. That takes surrender. This requires that I continually check my heart and my motives, that I continually monitor my thoughts and desires. Live your lives as continual and daily worship to God.

3) The sacrifice of thanksgiving is to be a loving sacrifice.

Hebrews 13:16 says "Do not neglect to do good, and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God." This is where our sacrifice of thanksgiving intensifies. It goes beyond ourselves. It requires that we lay not only our thoughts and desires on the altar of worship, but our actions as well. 

It's easy to say "Thank you" with our mouths, but to actually get out of our comfort zones and say thank you with our actions is tough. Do not neglect to do good. Share what you have. How many times do we pass on opportunities to help someone who needs a hand? How often do we neglect to share our finances with someone less fortunate? It's not enough to say "I love you." It's equally important to get out and show your love to others.

When's the last time you offered thanksgiving as your sacrifice? 

Are you offering yourself as a lasting, living, and loving sacrifice?

"The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me." - Psalm 50:23

Guest Blogger: Kelsey Janes

Kelsey went with me on this trip to Mexico last year. She had a really amazing time, and is looking forward to going again.

Here are Kelsey's Top Ten "Reasons why I want to go back to Mexico:"

These are the reasons I want to back go to Mexico:
1. I want to go to Mexico because I want to help the people there.
2. It will be a good opportunity to learn another language.
3. The food and fruit juices are delicious.
4. Sleeping in a hammock is fun.
5. Its fun to see the different villages and how they live.
6. Meeting the people is fun because they are very different.
7. Its a good way to make new friends and try new things,.
8. The fruit there is really good and fresh.
9. It will be fun to do all the different things in all the different places.
10. Last but not least, being with my family.

Thank you to all of you who have helped us by financially supporting this trip. What seems impossible with man was made possible by God working through you. Our family is fully funded, and then some - Praise the Lord!

Our team is still short, so we appreciate your continued prayers as we look to our God to provide the rest. If you'd like to support the team, you can give online here: http://southbrookchurch.com/missions-giving.

One Week To Go!

Time flies! I am blown away that 1 week from tomorrow we leave for Mexico! It seems we've been talking about it and planning it for so long, and in just 7 days we will be boarding a plane heading out on this Family Missions trip together.

There are 23 of us going. 7 families. What an opportunity to see God work in the lives of each of these individuals, and in each of these families. The thing is, God is going to work in our lives. He is. He always does. What I love about trips like these is that it forces us into a deeper reliance on Him. We are removed from our comfort zone. We are removed from what is familiar to us. New language, new food, new sleeping conditions, new culture. Some may feel unprepared, even scared. But it's ok to have these feelings, as it leaves us with no choice but to trust God and His plans for this week.

For some on this trip, this is the first time leaving the country. For some it may be the first time on an airplane! For all of us, it is a new experience, no matter how many times we may have traveled overseas, or even to this very same location. God is planning an amazing adventure for each of us. And I cannot wait to see it unfold!

Please be in prayer for our team as we make our final preparations. Pray for us as we finalize shots and other travel needs. Pray for us as we begin packing, that we will have what we need (which usually turns out to be a lot less than we think!)

And please be in prayer about our finances. I have led over 17 missions trips over the past 3 years, and I have never seen a trip come up short financially. I fully believe God will provide for this trip as well. As of today, as a team, we have raised just over 50% of our financial need, leaving us about $15K short. If you would like to make a donation to the team to help make this trip a success, you can give securely online here: http://southbrookchurch.com/missions-giving.

Thank you again for your faithful prayers and support.

Guest Blogger: Garren Janes

As I mentioned earlier this week, our family is heading to Mexico for a Family Missions Trip. We are all super excited. God's provisions have already started coming in amazing ways! We are over half way to our goal of $7250 to cover the costs of this trip.

Today, Garren is going to share why he is looking forward to going on this trip with us:

I'm looking forward to this trip for multiple reasons:  

1. Experiencing new things is fun - Why stay in your same state or even town your whole life? The adventure of going out of your comfort zone and learning about how others live is fun and can be eye-opening if you travel to countries with critical poverty.  

2. To prove doctors wrong -3 years and 5 months ago I was laying in a hospital bed without my loved ones having the security that I would wake up from my coma. I did. But, even then, the doctors told my parents to start looking into nursing homes because based on my MRI, I should not be sitting up, typing this on an iPad, or going into 12th grade next year. My dad and two sisters went on this trip a summer ago. I can remember thinking how awesome it would be to go on this trip. When they arrived back in the states my dad mentioned that it was pretty manageable and he thought my wheelchair would be able to get
around fairly easily. So when he finally asked if I wanted to go excitedly I responded "Definitely!".  

3. To spread what God has done in my life and so many others -This, by far, is the most important part. I've recently come to like Christian Rap. The rappers that I like most are part of a group called '116 Clique'. 116 simply stands for Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." (ESV). Because I do believe that The Bible is 100% true, I am not ashamed of the gospel. Period.   

4. God works -God can take a stone cold heart and open it up to do anything. My prayer is that God will take mine and the families hearts and open it up to whatever needs to be done to further His kingdom.  

Thank you for your continued prayer and financial support as we quickly approach the date of our departure. If you are able to help financially, you can give online right now at http://southbrookchurch.com/missions-giving.com.

A Family Missions Adventure

God is good. He promised in Scripture that He would supply all our needs. And He continues to faithfully do just that. Having recently been laid off from my position as Missions Pastor at Southbrook Church, it would be easy to question God's plans for our life. It would be a natural response to question God's provision in our life. Even though we have struggled emotionally with this decision, we continue to trust God's sovereign plan for our life.

As a family, we had committed earlier this year to participate in a missions trip to Mexico, coming up in August of this year. We are still fully committed to this trip, and I am blessed to be leading this trip. We are looking forward to working with 6 other families from Southbrook as we travel to Xcan, Mexico, for 5 days of ministry. We will be partnering with local Mayan Christians and The Message of Mayans to evangelize and help out with some light construction and painting projects. We are really excited about this upcoming opportunity, for several reasons.

First, we love serving together as a family. Eight years ago we had the privilege of traveling to Ethiopia together as a family where I was able to teach in a local Bible college, while Nancy and the kids helped out with a VBS at the local church. This is a trip that has been eternally imprinted on our hearts.

Second, we are so grateful to God for allowing Garren to progress in his healing to a point where he will be able to participate in this trip with us. From watching Garren fight for his life in a hospital bed 31/2 years ago, to getting on a plane to fly to a foreign country for a missions trip is truly a miracle. We are so thankful, and are looking forward to seeing God work in and through us.

As I mentioned above, we serve a God who has promised to supply all our needs. As we prepare for the trip, one of the biggest hurdles we will have is finances. The cost of the trip is $1450 per person. Multiply that by 5, and we are looking to raise $7250. While that seems like an enormous amount, we believe that God will supply. We would love to invite you to partner with us to help make this trip possible.

Southbrook Church has a link available where you can give online securely toward our trip. Simply click this link http://southbrookchurch.com/missions-giving, scroll down and click on our family name, and follow the instructions from there.

Thank you for choosing to participate with us in this trip.

A Difficult Announcement

This past Sunday we had to make a very difficult announcement. After 8 years of ministry service at Southbrook Church, I have been let go due to organizational restructuring. While I understand the purpose of this decision, and while I trust God's Sovereignty in the midst of this time, it is a very painful and difficult time for both Nancy and myself.

You can watch the announcement here:

6.22 Announcement SD from Southbrook Church on Vimeo.

Southbrook Church is planning to host a reception and take a love offering this coming Sunday, June 29, at 6pm. If you are in the area, we'd love to have you join us for this time.

What a Great Week!

This week has flown by. At the same time, so much has happened, it's hard to believe it's only been 1 week! We were so blessed and humbled to be able to participate in just a small way in help TWR with a few projects. While this missions organization is located on one of the most beautiful islands in the Carribbean, it is perfectly positioned to broadcast the message of Jesus Christ to millions throughout the Carribbean and South America. And although we did not come into direct physical contact with any of those millions of people, we did have a direct and significant impact on the continuation of this ministry.

TWR Bonaire is in the process right now of preparing to celebrate their 50th anniversary. In August many former missionaries will be visiting, and we got to help prepare for that by cleaning, painting, and renovating some offices and work spaces. TWR Bonaire is also in the beginning phases of uprading their power in order to be able to extend the reach of their broadcasts, reaching many more with the message of hope. Our participation this week helped lay the foundation for this future exapnasion.

It was great, not only to see some of our projects get started and completed, but to see our team work together so well. Ross and Jeff had just the skills needed to move these projects forward. James was able to lead the charge in replacing toilets and pipes in the bathrooms. Clint and Dave were the paint crew, repainting the offices and hallways. Nancy and Brandy are now experts and cutting and replacing ceiling tile. Everybody found their place and we got quite a bit of work accomplished.  

Another really cool thing for us was to see the staff's excitement as we made progress on these projects. These men and women who live and work here have given up a lot in order to serve our Lord as full time missionaries. We were able to encourage them in what they are doing, and they were truly thankful for our part. And we are truly thankful to have been used in this way.

What's next? There is already talk amongst the team about going back next year. I am sure that once word gets around, many more will want to join in the future as well. Thank you to all who made this trip possible through your financial and prayer support. Without each of us playing our God-given parts, this trip could not have happened.

Hard at Work

Monday and Tuesday have been very full and productive days for the team. We meet each morning at 7am for breakfast, team devotional, and debriefing from the previous day. Then at 8am we meet at the transmitter site with some of the staff there. We have a short devotional and prayer before the work begins.

Our team is blessed to have Ross and Jeff, who have the experience needed to run several of the projects we are working on. We've been rerouting electrical cables, reparing drywall, painting, cleaning, replacing toilets, adjusting and replacing ceiling tile, and much more. We are helping TWR prepare for two major events: one is their 50th anniversary celebration in August, the second is the transmitter power upgrade project, which will allow TWR to broadcast further, reaching more people with the good news of the Gospel.

Today we have another full day ahead of us. Thank you for your continued prayers for safety, team unity, and that we will get a lot accomplished.

Island Tour

Sunday we were priveledge to worship our Lord together with fellow believers at IBS (International Bible Church). It was quite a different style than we are used to at Southbrook, but it was worship. We learned about what it means to be a member of a church. Each member has a unique contribution, but at the same time, we all have common responsibilities that we are supposed to contribute to the body. Namely, we are to spur one another on to love and good deeds.

Afer church we went into town for lunch at a nice little restaraunt on a pier. The food was good. The view was amazing. After lunch we went on a tour of the island. The island of Bonaire is only 25 miles long, and about 5-7 miles wide, so in an afternoon you can drive around the whole island, and see many amazing sights. We learned some history, some culture, and saw parakeets, flamingos, goats, donkeys, and iguanas.

After the tour we headed back to the guys' duplex for dinner - leftover pizza and sandwiches.

Today we start working. We are all anxiously looking forward to the ministry God has planned for us.