A Glorious Time in the LORD!!

tonight's service was wonderful...just victorious!
God was moving from the start, but when it came time for me to preach, I just felt that God was still moving on someone, working with them. There are always needs present, so I try to always be open to letting the Spirit move at His pace. So I sang. And sang. And sang some more. I noticed that several of the people were being blessed, but I felt so strongly in my heart that someone was carrying a burden and that God was ready to lighten their load! Finally, after singing all I thought I could sing, I decided that I would try preaching a little while...I knew immediately that it was still not time. We prayed some more and I noticed two different young ladies with their heads down, as if praying. I started us in an accapella chorus of "I'll say Yes, Lord, Yes". I felt the Holy Ghost immediately so as soon as the congreagation were singing along strongly enough I began to say some things over their singing, and at one point I closed my eyes, and said If you have any burdens, or you need to talk to God, the altar is open, Will you please come forward?" As it came out of my mouth, I opened my eyes and saw a young girl of about twelveor so hitting the altar with her cousin, her aunt, and her grandfather right on her heels! From there we all just began to get loose! The Holy Ghost began to move strongly on every one present. The young lady was already a Christian. In fact she had recieved the Holy Ghost a couple of years ago at Youth Camp. But she evidently was just really needing some touch from the Lord TONIGHT> I'm so glad that God is aware of our needs. He knew just what she needed! Before long we were all shouting and praising God and the Holy Ghost was speaking all around the place...the young girl got up and was dancing and speaking in tongues, and she eventually wound up right out in the middle of the floor. It was all just such a blessing to every one involved. it was a beautiful sight to see the power of the Holy Ghost move upon her, her aunt and uncle, her cousin, and her grandparents...yeah, her pastor and his wife got in on the good blessings as well. We were truly blessed by the presence of God tonight. Thank God!
May God bless you each is my prayer...
Brother Donnie

Good Sunday Morning...

We had a good service this morning. It seems that God has really been blessing us lately...a good spirit in every service. We are currently a small crowd, and it has been my experience that sometimes when the crowd is always small, people can get a little discouraged, maytbe even a little complacent. I've been very pleased with the way that the folks here are seemingly determined to get a blessing, and be a blessing in every service. The Lord has been dealing with our hearts as a church, I believe that He is getting us to a place where we can say, wholeheartedly "not our will, but thine, O Lord..."
We must come to the place where if God wants it, we want it. If God does not want it, we do not want it.
We are looking forward to another good service tonight. We will be praying for all of you out there, and for the General Assembly. We're praying for UNITY in The Church of God.
God bless you all...
Brother Donnie

Random thoughts...

So, yesterday I'm at work (I run a delivery route), and one of my customers offers to feed me lunch. It's the manager of CiCi's Pizza, one of my favorites, 'cause one can pig out on a budget. The Assistant manager offers me lunch, so I sya, "Sure, can I get it in a box, to go?" She was happy to oblige. I didn't overdo it, but just got three slices of BarB-Q pizza and four or five breadsticks. At any rate, the purpose of the to go box was so I could eat but not necessarily sit still and stop working. Efficiency is very important at my job. Well, I ran into a problem. I couldn't decide whether to eat a slice before each stop or wait and eat one after each stop. It was a real tough decision, but finally I decided to do both...
My customers have been real good to me lately, by the way. Thank God. Pizza Hut has fed me the last two weeks runnig; buffet and salad one week, then last week they offerd me something. Once again I asked for a box, thinking I might get a slice or two for the road. The girl disappeared, talked to the Assistant Manager Kelly for a minute, then I saw Kelly put an entire medium pizza she had just brought from the oven and put it in a box. Then the first girl brought it to me. I offered to pay, but they wouldn't hear of it. Then there are the Arabic guys at Subway. I can't remember the last time I left that stop without a free sandwich with drink and chips. Occasionally even one of my Burger King managers will offer me a sandwich. No wonder I keep such a trim fugure. It ain't easy looking like this, I tell you.
Anyways...
Taylor has been a litle sick the last few days. (as opposed to a BIG sick?) She is so pitiful when she feels bad. I think she is doing some better today. She has been a walking mucous factory for the last few days. Delicious...
Well, I got to get outside and work on my truck. Brakes went out the other day.
Have a good evening, and good church tonight...
God bless...
Brother Donnie

Hey...Check it out...I got a Flickr...

Well, my wife is learning how to spruce up our blogs a bit. She was good enough to get me some photo's on a flickr thingy. Mostly of my baby girls and wife. Man, are they some beautiful girls...all three! I am reminded of how just completely head over heels I am for all three of them. I am so blessed.
In other news...
Yesterday evening my wife and I were sitting at the kitchen table together having a snack. I was looking at the back of a box of Kleenex that we had just brought home from the store. It was one of those deals where one half the box had a product related message written in English. The other side was written in French. Good thing, seeing as we have such a huge and growing community of, um...
French Kentuckians? But anyway, I thought it would be fun to have my wife read the French out loud. I figured, after all, the closest she'd ever been to anything French was vanilla. Okay, maybe fries...or maybe the replica of the Eiffel Tower at King's Island in Ohio...or maybe Paris. Kentucky, that is. With her adorable Kentucky accent, it was cute. I enjoyed it. She actually did pretty good, though.
Our baby Taylor has been kind of sick. She has had a sinus infection, and now pink eye. Yes, my daughter has a livestock disease. But not a bad case. Thank God it's not mad cow, or something. I think she has occasional breakouts of Mad Baby disease. It's amazing the temper that baby has. Couple that with the fact that she is a ninja, and man can it get hairy around here sometimes.
Well, that is all for tonight, but I will talk more maybe tomorrow night.
God bless you all...
Brother Donnie

Saturday night...

...and I'm beat. I attended a meeting in Elizabethtown, KY last night. Brother and Sister Smith, and Brother Dupre were there. The General Overseer and Field Secretary came to speak with the ministers and members of our area concerning the situation in the region. It went pretty good, overall.
Anyway, enough about that for now. I think I'll post light hearted tonight. lol.
I didn't get home until after 2 am this morning. In bed after 3. Laid there thniking, unable to get to sleep 'til 4 something...oh, yeah...light hearted. Anyway, I slept in today. Highly unusual. Went outside around 10-ish to do some yard cleanup and a l;ittle bit of weed eating. My garden and flowers have been so neglected this year. I was sick so much of the spring and summer, not to mention preoccupied...uh, in a light hearted sort of way.
I managed to clean off and wash down the front porch of our house, and sprayed down the vinyl siding. Later in the year I'll get some vinyl cleaner and really wash it down. Cleaned my charcoal grill. Swept the walk. Pretty productive couple of hours. Then I came in and decided to pitch in and do some laundry. Marsha has been working so hard. She is such a good wife. I wanted to try and help a little.
Tonight we went on a "family date". We all four got in the van and went to and old style drive-in restaurant. Like Sonic, only an original, locally owned one with the real old timey atmosphere, and the best burgers, fries, tater tots, and onion rings around, honest. The Parkette. Tonight, they were having an Classic Car Cruise In. Itwas fun to look at the old cars. I love the classics. Then I went and bought two new suits for the Assembly. Enjoyable night all around. I love to be with my girls. BTW, the little one tore up jack in the S and K suits store tonight. I don't know what came over her, but she had a short spell of complete rambunctiousness.(huh?) She had a big day. Her Mamaw Jpy took her to the park to feed the ducks. I don't know what all she got in to, but I know that she came home in different clothes than she left in, and her mamaw washed the original clothes. I didn't bother to ask.
Well...gotta go. God bless you...
Brother Donnie

I wish I were more like...

...Jesus. I wish I were more like Him. Full of love, and compassion, and Godly wisdom. I am recognizing more and more lately how weak I am. Frail, really. In my mind, a failure. I do wish I were more like my Lord. I never seem to know what to do, but He always knew/knows.
This has been a difficult day for me, but God has been so good. I've been looking around on some other folks blogs. There seems to be some stir among some out there to really try and get close to God as we prepare for the upcoming General Assembly.
God, help us to get ready!
In other news...Brother Terry and I went to the chjurch tonight and hung the cross that he built and also the new attendance board that the Gleaners raised money to purchase. They are working on money for a good set of flag poles now. Our flags are hanging on the wqalss, but we really want to get a set of good poles for them.
Then returned home where my mom and sister were watching the girls. A dangerious combination, the four of them. The house is still standing, and I don't think anything was broken beyond compare. I had to perform a minor surgery to remove a splinter from little Taylor's heel. She is tougher than pig iron. Barely whimpered. She was mostly mad because we were holding her down. Fiesty, that one.
I gotta get in bed now.. long day tomorrow.
God bless you all...
Brother Donnie

Tired...excited...hopeful...

Hey, everybody...
I am such a bad, bad blogger. It has been well over a week since I have taken the time to say anything. I have thought about it several times, but keep putting it off. The last week has been an emotional roller coaster ride. But, then, at this point, who is surprised by that? This has, beyond a shadow of a doubt been the craziest year ever. So much has happened to us all. But I must say, that in the last couple of weeks, God has really been doing some major work on me. So much of the hurt I had been feeling has just disappeared. He has literally changed my heart about some issues that I have been struggling with, and my whole outlook has changed in many ways. I am very thankful for that. I needed it.
I had a very interesting weekend. Friday night, the church in Lexington, KY, which is pastored by my wife's grandfather, Brother Clarence Wilcox, held a gospel singing. their church is made up of a lot of her family, as well as a number of people who can legitimately claim to have known me for ALL of my life. Some of them carry the embarrassing pic's to prove it. (Can you imagine? I am thirty one, and some of them have pictures of me as a very small child [yes, a very small child]I am so loved...) As it happens, this church is a part of Brother Danny Carter's region of IN/KY/OH. This makes it compolicated. The two "groups" which have been created by the turmoil up[ here have had very little association, most of it on individual levels. Anyway, I was invited, and so were some of my members at Winchester. We decided it would be a good gesture to attend. Five of us went (my wife had to work). We were very well received, and sang some songs, and worshipped with them. I felt the fellowship was enjoyable, and throughout the night no one seemed to feel it necessary to make any needless comments, or take any jabs. I had a few very meaningful exchanges, privately with some people that I believe may represent some open doors for reconciliation. The following, day I received a call to come a drive Brother Wilcox down to Pineville, KY, in the mountains. He also pastors a small congregation there which meets on Saturday nights. I prayed it over and decided to go. When I went to his house to tell him I'd go, he asked me if I'd like to preach. I was quite surprised, but pleasantly. SO I went and preached. I felt such a strong anointing, I thought I'd preach myself silly. He and I spent nearly four hours on the road together, and had a very pleasant discussion on a nymber of topics, including the turmoil in the Church, and our region in particular. We don't necessarily see eye to eye, but man am I hopeful. This whole last two weeks, the Lord has dealt with me about reconciliatiuon for our region. I want so much to reach out to these people! I have worked in this region my entire ministry. I have seen many of their children from their first year at youth camp, to being Senior campers, and even camp staff! I have preached at many of their churches and alot of them have preached in mine. They have been, and are my friends, my brothers and sisters... I know reconciling this problems that have happened here will be a tough process, but I pray God will help us to see it through. We need it. This region needs to be healed. Our families need it. Broken relationships need mending and healing. It's been a long year, and we're all tired, and so many are hurting...but I am also very hopeful, and a little excited. God is in control. Thank God, He is in full control.
God bless you all...
Brother Donnie