Fully Flourishing Life

As part of the Spirit's receny teaching in my life, I have pondering the notion of Fully Flourishing Life. Especially in light of the numerous references to life in the gospel of John, it seems to me that too many Christians have an undernourished view of the gospel. They follow Christ "somewhat," perhaps with integrity but also a bit half-heartedly, with the result that their lives are "moderately touched" by Jesus, but not truly transformed. The question I would raise is this: are you experiencing the Fully Flourishing Life that God intends and desires for you? Or have you settled for less? This not only impacts you, but it also impacts the non-Christians in your life. If you do not understand and experience the Fully Flourishing Life that God-in-Christ makes possible, you won't be able to share that life with others. The Greek word for "gospel" means "good news." We might ask ourselves, therefore, what is "good" about the "good news"? "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10 ESV).

The Gift of the Body of Christ

Today we are grateful for the gift of the Body of Christ, the fellowship of believers. What brings this to mind is the experience we had over the past couple weeks. Two weeks ago we were planning to drive to Milledgeville, Georgia to visit for a couple days with our good friends Virgil and Jo. Through a phone call, however, we found out that Virgil's mother had been moved to the Serenity Room in her nursing home in Vidalia, Georgia, to live out her last few days. After thinking and praying, we decided to drive the next day to Vidalia so that we could support Virgil and Jo during this time. It was a great joy to be a part of their lives during this important phase in their journey, and we are grateful that God made this possible. We sat with them some in the nursing home, as they provided 24/7 care for "Miss Nell," talking, laughing, plus reading Scripture and singing hymns to Miss Nell. She went to be with the Lord last Thursday, and the funeral was this past Monday. Miss Nell's church (Tabernacle Baptist) was very supportive during this time, with pastoral visits, a covered dish meal, and a beautiful funeral service. Additionally, the local UMC helped find a family who could host us for four of our nights in Vidalia, which saved a lot of hotel money. So in the midst of this situation, two congregations, two pastors, a particular family, and untold numbers of invidual Christians, were used by the Lord to be an instrument of His love for Virgil, Jo, their family, and us. There is great room for improvement in how churches in the USA understand and live out the gospel of Christ, but there is also much to celebrate, and we experienced that personally over the past two weeks. Thank You, Lord, for people in the USA around the world who love You, and in so doing, are our brothers and sisters, who also love us. Thank You, Lord for the gift of the Family of God.

Passed the Quals!

Good news - Dan has found out this week that he passed his Qualifying Exams. Thank you for your prayers a few weeksk ago when he was in the midst of preparing for and taking the exams. His next big task is to write his dissertation proposal chapter, which is due in 20 days. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Our Abba God

Last night in my Healing class at the Seminary the professor asked if any students would like to receive prayer for direction, comfort, or to lay down burdens. I was one of the students who asked for prayer. A group of about 10 classmates gathered around me and prayed for several minutes. One of the students was given an image of a child's bicycle, with an accompanying thought concerning how I am God's son and that He, my "Daddy", will continue to take care of me. This was a precious gift from the Lord for me at this time our journey, and I am so thankful to be reminded of God's care and provision. No matter how uncertain the future seems, no matter how low our support fund gets, no matter how difficult the dissertation process appears to be, my precious Abba Father will continue to take care of me (and Nancy too, of course). If this is a message that resonates with you as well, I invite you to receive from the Lord a fresh measure of His love and of trust in His loving care, so that you can more fully abide in Him your
Abba (Daddy) Father. Much Love, Dan

Finished with Quals!

Gloria a Dios! Dan turned in the 2-day take-home portion of his Qualifying Exams at 5pm today. We are thankful for God's grace steering him through this stringent process. The next big step is his dissertation proposal chapter, which is due November 22nd. In the meantime, we each have upcoming ministry opportunities. This Wednesday through Sunday Nancy will be attending a Dunamis Conference, and Thursday through Sunday Dan will be serving as a table discussion leader at a Consultation on World Revitalization Movements. Busy times, but we are grateful to be allowed the privilege of sharing in God's passion to reach the lost people of the entire world with the good news of the full/vital life that is available in Jesus. "For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the Lord, so shall your offspring remain. From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the Lord" (Isaiah 66:22-34). Oh what a celebration that will be!

Nancy has recently had two trips that were blessings from God. On the first trip she participated in a 3-day advanced seminar on prayer and healing, followed by 5 days as a member of a prayer team that ministered healing to several folks. It was a joy to continue learning from the Lord as well as being used by Him. On the second trip she enjoyed a 2-day event in which she learned about a ministry perspective on wholeness through Christ that is called Sodzo (from the New Testament Greek work for wholeness/salvation). Dan was feeling puny most of last week, which was very bad timing, since he had to take Days One and Two of his Qualifying Exams. God gave him strength to make it through those exam days, and we're trusting His will concerning whether or not Dan passed. Monday and Tuesday of this coming week Dan has a 2-day take-home portion, and then his Quals will be over. Thursday evening marks the beginning of a consultation at Asbury on world revitalization movements, an event which lasts until noon on Sunday. Dan will be serving as a table discussion leader during this event. We continue to be amazed at the new opportunities for learning and ministry that God opens up for us, and thank you for your gracious and generous support. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Final Push Toward Quals

Dan is in the final study push before his Qualifying Exams begin on Monday. The next 3 days will be critical to his success with the exams, so we ask for these prayers: clarity of thought, energy, and excellent memory. The Exams will conclude at 5pm on Tuesday, October 13th. Nancy is still in North Carolina. Beginning yesterday, she will be engaged for four days as a prayer servant with other folks who will be praying with various persons for deep healing needs. Please pray for her protection, for her to be an instrument of Christ's compassion, and for God to be glorified. Thank you so much for your love and your support. We are so thankful to be part of the worldwide Body of Christ. Much Love, Dan and Nancy