Being here in Tucson, I have seen some very pretty golf courses.  And if you know me very well at all, you know I am about to go crazy because I don’t have time to stop and play one of them.  I so desperately want to stop, forget everything else that is going on, or anything else in life, and go out and and hit the little white ball.  And as I was thinking about that, God spoke to my heart.  He said, and I paraphrase, “Donnie, why don’t you want to spend time with me with that type of desperation.”  UGH, it hit like a ton of bricks.  As I thought on that, several thought came to mind.

1.  I look at my time with God almost like a chore.  Like it is something I have to do, almost like doing dishes or taking out the trash.  How sad and pathetic.  The creator of this world and of me.  The one who has saved me from myself and the pit of hell.  A chore?  I am ashamed to admit that as a truth in my life.  I asked God to change my heart and my mind.

2.  Just like those golf courses, it looks good but I just don’t have time.  In reality, if I would not have slept in or if I would use my time a little wiser, I could have had time to play at least nine holes.  The same holds true with my time with God.  If I did a better job of time management, I wouldn’t feel the urge of other things trying to pull me away.  For time reasons that is.  Which brings me to another thought.

3.  Other things “seem” to look so much more attractive.  But the reality is, there is absolutely nothing better than spending time with my Heavenly Father.  I have heard it over and over again, in order to get better at golf, you have to play more and you have to practice more. In order to draw closer to Christ, you have to spend more time with Him.  James chapter 4 verse 7 teaches us that if we draw close to God, He WILL draw close to us.  That is a promise.  All we have to do is make a conscience effort to spend time with Him. 

Even more than those golf courses were calling my name, God is calling to me to draw close to Him.  Can you hear Him calling you?

I am a long way from home, tired and a little sick. But God did a great thing tonight in Tucson, AZ.  We had a packed out crowd and most importantly there were 133 decisions tonights.  WOW!!!  Unbelievable.  I never get used to seeing the Holy Spirit move the way He does.  Praise God.

I just wanted to let everyone know how cool our God is.  I have to go to sleep now.  I have to catch a plane back to Atlanta early in the morning.  Good night all.  Thanks again God.

Just got into Dallas and into my hotel room.  Staying at the Fairmont, pretty nice hotel right across the street from famed First Baptist Dallas.  I can feel the spirit of W. A. Criswell.  JK  Had a good drive today. Listened to John Maxwell talk about Lid Lifting.  What a great reminder.  And then Ed Young, Jr talking about creativity.  Unbelievable.  And I don’t use mine.  I should be, no, I am ashamed.  I asked God to help me to use the gifts and abilities He has given me to there fullest and to be a lid-lifter of other people as I seek to have the lids lifted off of me.

Maxwell also talked about his prayer partner who in 2000 had been praying for him since 1981.  I want a prayer partner like that.  I am asking God to send me a man that is at least 10-15 years older than me that is very wise, and most importantly, Godly.  I need someone who is willing to cover me, my family, and the ministry that God has given me in prayer.  I know that God is going to answer my prayers.

I am going to bed because I have a meeting at 8am and then I get to drive 14-16 hours tomorrow to Tucson, AZ.  Praise God for the opportunity to present His Gospel all over this country.  Good night.

I am leaving this morning to head to Tucson, AZ.  I have an event there on Friday night.  It is a two day (or more) trip.  I am looking forward to being on the road because I am going to listen to Catalyst cds and dvds, Rob Bell’s Nooma dvds and a lot of kicking worship.  Will post as I am on the road to let you know what God is teaching me.  Stay tuned.

I just finished watching Rob Bell’s Nooma called Rain.  It had me do a real check in my spirit.  He talks about crying and how that shows a broken heart.  I hate to cry.  Just in the past couple of years I have allowed myself to show tears.  I don’t know if it was the man thing, or more likely the cause, a big case of pride.  Rob talks about crying being a way of showing brokeness.  This is where I struggle.  I think that my life as a whole has caused me to be guarded in this area.  From being married at such a young age and having kids so quickly caused me to think that I couldn’t show any signs of weakness.  That is what crying is right. Weakness.  In a lot of ways it is.  When my kids would cry when they were young, it was because they were not able to do something or get what they wanted.  They were to small or to weak to get what they needed.  I know that this can sound like a stretch but go with me.  My wife, myself or some other adult was always there to meet the need.  See, in their weakness, they would come to me in tears and let me know what was needed.  Our God wants the same out of me.  I hate to show weakness.  But when we are weak, He makes us strong.  He said, “Come unto me, all who are weary and heavy laden.”  Anyone in this boat?  I know that when I get in this place, I try to do what the world says and pull myself up by the boot straps and be strong.  And God calls me to do the opposite.  When will I learn.  I need to be weak so my heavenly Father can show His grace and mercy in my life.  After all, when I am weak I am no longer in charge of my life, I must let Him take over; where He should be all the time.

My day started very early when I got an email on my phone, which woke me up at about 5:45am.  I answered the email and tried to go back to sleep.  My stomach wouldn’t let me sleep so I got up and ate an orange.  Finally got back to sleep about 6:45 and then my phone rang at 7:15.  Didn’t get back to sleep until about 8.  Slept till 9:45 and then got up.  Did I tell you I didn’t get to sleep until about 1:30am.  But I did get good sleep while it lasted.  Got up at 9:45 and got a little work done for home but then got ready to go to Peace Community Church in Frankfort, IL to do a KidzBlitz event.  I started set-up at 12 and then did the event at 6:30.  Unbelievable event.  Saw a bunch of kids get saved and a few adults.  Peace is a great church with wonderful people.  I hope God continues to bless them as they seek His vision for them.

Got a day off tomorrow so I guess I will try and get some of my taxes done.  I have an event in Dyer, IN on Sunday.  Looking forward to seeing what God will do there. 

Well it is now 12:15 and I need to get to bed.  Thank you God for allowing me to be a part of what you are doing.  Thank you for a great family, great kids and a perfect help-mate.  And also thank you for my mother-in-law who is helping while I am out of town.  What a blessed man I am.

Right after I posted my first blog, my computer started to mess up.  I had contracted some kind of virus.  Thank goodness I have a good friend by the name of Jeff Corbin.  He is awesome.  I took him my computer yesterday afternoon and he had it fixed last night.  Thanks Jeff.

Since I posted last, I have been to St. Augustine, Fl and West Palm Beach, Fl and had two great events.  I then flew to Las Vegas to see my daughter, Taylor, compete in her first international gymnastics meet.  Taylor injured her foot in her first event but finished strong and came in eighth place overall.  It was not her best meet but she left happy because her team finished in first place.  We had a great time.

I am now right outside of Chicago in Frankfort, IL.  I will be doing an event tomorrow night and then I will be in Indiana on Sunday.  I will be home for a day and then I head to Arizona.  WOW.  When I began to pray the Prayer of Jabez a few years ago, I didn’t realize what terrritory God was going to allow me to see.  He has definitely extended my territory.  Thank you.  My prayer is that I stay faithful to the call.

I told you in my last blog that I was reading 1 Thessalonians chapter 4.  Well, Paul is with Silas and Timothy and they are writing to the Thessalonians.  They tell them that they are pleased at how they are living but tell them to be even more Christ-like.  I live my life thinking that way.  I feel like I can never measure up.  If I am “doing good” spiritually, I always feel like I should be doing more.  Not out of guilt, but because I want to strive to be more like Christ.  The problem is, it does take a toll on my mind and I tend to give up in a way.  God has called us to be HOLY.  This is where I have trouble.  My thoughts and my actions (things I say and do) don’t always add up to holiness.  Verse 4 is where I have camped out.  God wants me to learn to control my body in a way that is holy and honorable.  One version of the Bible says I need to learn to “navigate my vessel.”  What a picture.  I must first learn what my vessel is all about before I can control or navigate it.  Just as a captain of an ocean liner or a skipper of a sailboat must learn about his ship in order to control it.  Each has to control his particular ship differently.  Just as I am different than any other person, I must learn who God has made me so I can navigate my life through the trials and tribulations of each day.  So that I may be holy and honorable.

I hope this makes sense.  What is your vessel like and are you navigating the waters of life in order to be holy?

January is a very busy month for me.  I am in Rome for only 6 days.  It is great that God is providing events for our family but it is very tough to be gone for so long.  I miss my wife and kids when I am gone so much.  But, Christy and I did get to go on a trip by ourselves. (Thanks to my mother-in-law)  We had a great time and I am already looking forward to our next trip together. 

It can be tough on the road, trying to stay spiritually healthy.  I wish I could say that I am always successful at this, but unfortunately I am not.  Spiritual displine is a weakness of mine that I am trying to get a grip on.  My study time gets interrupted with phone calls or other things that I let take precedent over Him.  On a side note, does anyone else have the same problem I do. I can’t let my phone go to voicemail.  I have to always answer it.  I am trying to do a better job at that as well.  But discipline is what I am striving for.  I will let you know how I am doing.

I was speaking to a buddy of mine about this and he told me that I should read 1 Thessalonians chapter 4.  So I did.  My next post will tell what I am learning, stay tuned.