thesingerschapel

I Love You, I’m Praying For You

Please accept our heartfelt gratitude for every handshake & hug, text & voicemail, every ‘praying’ reply & every private prayer closet moment spent on our behalf. We all know that we should pray, yea are commanded to pray but when life is a grind and Monday after mundane Monday cycles around we may find ourselves stale and stilted in our prayer life. Then, we get the news we did not expect or want to hear. The herald of heartache brings a racing pulse and paralysis in our thought processes. We take stock and realize what may have become at best an obligation over a plate and an ‘if I think about it’ aspect of our life is now all we can and want to do. But, though things seem to be over, don’t stop praying.

On this side of things I have learned a lesson for the remainder of my life. There are only two things that hurting people need to hear. “I love you and I’m praying for you.” That’s it. No personal experience no matter how similar really helps a hurting soul to hear. For good measure, if the Holy Spirit nudges, “I’m here if you need anything.” Those genuine words have done the most good. Be cautious about asking what happened. The wound may still be too raw especially if it is a sudden tragedy. 

Paul in 1st Thessalonians knew of the love of those dear folks (4:9). In the midst of his 7 principles of a Spirit filled life Paul gave his own version of Angel’s battle cry in 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.” King James language for ‘Don’t Stop Praying!’ And so that is our humble request to all of you who prayed us through these arduous days and nights. Don’t stop praying. 

Some Thank You’s are really necessary. We know the danger of naming names but we will take it for granted that our friends are strong enough to forgive a possible lapse in our public thanks.

Above all, our family; The Reynold’s, Borden’s, Turner’s & Tidmore’s. Words cannot express how thankful for your willingness to drop everything to be by our side and walk with us every step of the way.

Wahoo Baptist Church and Pastor Mark, Mrs Amy, Riley and Carter Stroud. There is no substitute for a loving church family.

Memorial Park Riverside Chapel funeral services, Mr Jerry Ward and all of the wonderful staff. Above and beyond. 

The expert medical professionals of the Northside Hospital system of Atlanta, Gwinett and Forsyth locations,.Advanced Neurosurgery Associates, Dr Evan Winograd, Dr Hazzard, PA Justin, PA Catherine, Nurse Amber. The NHG 6th floor Neuro-Intensive care nursing staff. Oncologist Dr Saloni Tanna. Radiation Oncologist Isabella Zhang, Nurse Jennifer. Radiation Oncologist David Yoo. Neurologist Dr Bashir. Cardiologist Dr Veoltz. Primary Dr Chennaraddy. Endocrinologist Dr Soares-Welch. Pain Management Dr Jae Yoo. Many of whom gave personal cell numbers to be there around the clock. We could not have asked for better, more professional, more compassionate medical care. 

The many friends who provided meals and enjoyable distractions for the girls, drove long distances for a breakfast with a friend, the visitation and home-going service. Thank you is not enough but it is all we have.

For the Pastors and churches who without fail lifted up the prayer requests, mailed a card, rescheduled meetings for us, and just loved us with the Love of Christ. We are without words. We love you 

For all who have given monetary gifts to help meet our practical needs, thank you. We are humbled by the abundant supply that the Lord has provided by your hands. Our pledge is that we will earn every penny in service unto the Lord for the sake of the Gospel of Christ Jesus. 

Finally, it cannot stop here. We press on. There are only a few things that we have rescheduled in the coming days for some family time, but we are not stopping, not slowing down, not giving up. We have too many reasons to go on with God. It is our responsibility to live out Psalm 119:74 “They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word.” We want you to know that your prayers and the abundant grace of God is what has gotten us through. Our prayers, your prayers were not in vain. God is Good and He is Right. His ways are above our ways, His thoughts are above our thoughts. We are not mad at the Lord. The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. 

DON’T STOP PRAYING!

thesingerschapel

13 Years In The Call

It was the end of the Jesus First meeting at Middle Tennessee Baptist Church November 9, 2008. The service had been saturated with the manifestation of the the Lord. Pastor Tony Hutson sounded the alarm, “It’s Preaching Time!” He called the late great brother Roger Henson to the stand to bring the message for the night. As the battle scarred warrior of the Word made his way to the pulpit he began to shuffle pages in his King James bible, comment on the hospitality of the church and the sweet presence of the Lord thus far. Then he paused, closed his bible and turned to say, “Preacher, I’m not sure what is supposed to happen but I’m not supposed to preach right now. Somebody else needs to do something.” He seated himself on the platform pew in perfect peace and waited to see what would happen next. Bro Tony called the pianist to the platform and called for a song. “Alright, we are going to give whoever it is the opportunity to obey the Lord.” The Holy Spirit of God climbed on top of my shoulder and shouted in my ear, “IT’S YOU! IT’S TIME!”

Since late December of 1994 I had been running away from the call to preach, all the while justifying my activity in gospel music as an honorable exercise of my talents and abilities in the service of the Lord. Good works but completely against the perfect will of God. His permissive will had allowed me go my selfish disobedient way, keep me safe, give me a bride and children, as He set my barley fields on fire, dismantled my childhood dreams, and kept my life in a perpetual state of turmoil hidden behind a placid persona of false peace. INDEED, IT WAS TIME. My running shoes were worn out, my spirit was spent, my excuses were exhausted, my facade was failing. I gathered my bride from the nursery and approached the altar where bro Tony met me.

“It’s me. I believe the Lord is calling me to preach.” “I thought so!” he said. Bro Tony called me to the pulpit and advised the audience that I had something to say. As I blubbered out my official surrender, bro Ken Elkins sitting on the front row not so quietly agreed, “It’s about time.” Though many offered their inclinations to the same effect that night, none of them had so much as hinted at my possible call. They allowed the Lord to do the work in me.

Bro Henson came to me after everything had settled down and asked me how all this had come about. As I explained the chain of events he asked me how old I was. 36. He said, “Don’t ever feel like you are behind. God has you right on time. Always be yourself. Don’t try to be just like any other preacher. God will make you the preacher He wants you to be.” I have pondered upon that wisdom all of my preaching life. And though I ran like I knew what I wanted for almost 14 years, I have known peace in the midst of the hardest trials of my life knowing that not only is God in control, I am under His control. In all humility, I bless the Lord for the call to preach.