TRÉSOR

Hello, everyone!  Welcome back to my blog!  For now until my website is up and running this is where you can pre-order the new album 'Trésor' which is due out in the middle of May.  I'm so excited about releasing my first album of French and English worship songs!  Keep your eyes out for the new website which will give you all the information.
The blue button will work if you are in the USA. (There is more info just under the blue donate button.)  If you want to use PayPal just click on the yellow donate button.  (Again there is more info just under the button.)  I'm asking just $10 for the album if you pay through NCL and $11 to cover the fees if you order through Paypal.  Thank you for buying 'Trésor' and for you financial gifts!!  All donations will help me finish this project and make Trésor a reality!

Bonjour !  Bienvenus !  Voici pour maintenat le meilleur moyen de faire un pré-commande de l'album 'Trésor.'   Bientôt je vous donnerai le nouveau site web.  J'ai hâte de partager cette collection de chants de louanges françaises.  Pour faire un commande avec PayPal merci de cliquer sur le button jaune à votre drote.  Le prix de l'album et que 11 euros.  Merci pour votre commande et vos dons !!  Vos dons m'aideront à finir ce projet de coeur !!

New seasons

Hi, everyone.
As you can see I no longer post on my blog really.  I have am now sending out regular newsletters that serve the same purpose.  If you are someone who reads my blog but is not receiving the newsletter and you would like to have the newsletter just let me know and I will sign you up!

Something new on the blog is located to the right.  It is now possible to donate online to help support me.  If you are in the USA then you can click on the blue "donate" button.  This will take you to the NCL website.  There you go to the "Fund" field and click on my name.  All donations made through NCL are tax deductible.

If you live outside of the USA you can give using PayPal.  Just click on the YELLOW "donate" button and that will take you to that PayPal link.

Si vous voudriez faire un don pour me soutenir avec PayPal, cliquez sur le buton JAUNE "donate."

Sorry about all the money talk.  Not my favorite thing to do but oh so necessary for a missionary.

In the newsletter that I wrote just today I talked about rest in God.  After 6 days of work, He rested on the 7th day.  But it's not just about a day off, which is really important, it is also about a way of living where even when we are active we are at rest.  This is something I'm learning about.  What a gift to be able to rest in the middle of our busy lives.  There is also value in just stopping everything from time to time.  Often we feel the need to keep moving so we don't seem lazy.  Maybe that is why God gave us the example of stopping to rest from the very beginning.

This photo is a way to represent rest in an image for me.

Just a little something for the blogger faithful.
Thanks for reading!

The Wave ~~

There are so many good things to catch y'all up on. (letting my southern show) So I'd better get busy...

So in April there was the LAM conference. Thanks so much for your prayers it was a great success! There was a lot of fruit and healed relationships during this week, even testimonies of marriages being saved from ending completely. The Sunday after the conference I remember there was such a sweet presence of God unlike any other time I had experienced. I am sure it was fruit from the hard work the couples had done that week. Now a couples group is being put in place for the autumn to continue the process of healing and freedom.

In May the Alsace-Arkansas connection continues and continues and continues... Andy and Christie Moore came to visit and have ended up staying to help out! Yes, I know. I have awesome friends.

In May, the Moores got to know folks here the first weekend when we had a conference with Martin Scott and his wife Gayle. What Martin shared was very encouraging. He talked about needing a Peter conversion. It took God showing him 3 times the vision of the sheet descending with all types of animals and telling Peter, "rise up and eat," before Peter would agree to it. Peter had to have a conversion to be able to line up with God's will. Interesting. I had never seen it like that. The other thing that really sticks with me from that weekend was Martin saying that there will be a movement in the arts that will change society and the culture. I hope Christians will be the instigators and not imitators.

OK, back to Andy and Christie... Nadine, Andy, Christie and I were able to stay with one of Nadine's friends in Brittany and see some of western France. We had a great time. We visited the Normandy beaches and we were really touched by the history there and the sacrifice that was made to free a continent. There is nothing like being on the land where such history was made. I was proud of what my country gave to set men free. Thank you to the veterans and their families. Words can't express... Even just this week we ate with an Alsatian family and the mother thanked us for the part our country had in liberating Alsace. It's humbling. Our country is not perfect, no country is, but there are moments where the USA has really shone brightly.

During this time I mentioned to Andy and Christie that there were some camps in July to work at Daniel School doing lots of fixing up to get classrooms ready and a need to cook for the teams. It didn't take long before they decided to change their tickets (which was expensive) so they could stay and help. They have been working hard for three weeks, Christie in the kitchen and Andy painting,etc. Everyone tells me how wonderful they are to which I whole-heartedly agree. This is the last work week and we will get to chill and see some more sights next week before they head home. It's been so great to have a piece of Arkansas here this summer. I forgot to mention that in May they also did a songwriting workshop and 2 dance workshops and Andy has been adopted by several of our worship bands as you can imagine. They have fit right in and WE, not just me, will miss them when they leave.

Another benefit of their visit is a stronger FOC connection with the school and church here. Greg Burns and Andy have been in touch and I have the impression that Andy has been spying things out and continuing what Greg started on his brief visit here. Thanks guys for looking for God's heart in this connection on how to serve Daniel School!

DON'T MISS THIS BIT!:
OK, so here's one of the most exciting bits of news! Christie had been gluten free for 5 years because of a gluten allergy. Well, we had dinner with some friends one evening and Roland told her that God was going to heal her and that she would feel heat in her stomach when God healed her. One night during our trip to Brittany, Christie woke up in the middle of the night and she said she felt like she was on fire so she threw back the covers and eventually cooled back down enough to go to sleep. Andy said "maybe God's healing you" but Christie didn't think any more about it until later. So a week or so later there were the Healing Rooms here in Guebwiller. The Healing Rooms are made up of believers from several different churches in the area and Nadine leads the team. I went with Christie to translate and a team of 3 people prayed for her for maybe 20 minutes. It was peaceful and the team never even laid a hand on Christie but they were certain that she was healed. Andy and Christie were full of faith and that morning they had bought some lovely French pastries called 'pain au chocolat' before she even came to the Healing Rooms. That evening Christie ate 2 pains au chocolat!! And she's been eating bread, pastries, pizza, pasta, tartes flambées and all types of gluten rich products since without ANY side effects! SHE IS HEALED!! Praise be to God for this gift and the timing of it so that she can fully enjoy being in France with its wonderful cuisine!

That's not the end of the good news. Haha. I'm having fun writing this!

We have had a 'House of Prayer' or 'Prayer Room' at Joshua Church of a couple years now. The Leighs, Emilie Pierre-Elien and Rusty Richards have set the stage with faithful 'watches' over the years. In May, the 'Tente de la Rencontre' (the Tent of Meeting) got an infusion of the Swiss variety. The Tendon family have moved to Guebwiller and we are happy to have them. They have spent 2 years at IHOP in Kansas City soaking in all that God had for them and now they are Swiss missionaries in France. Of course their heart is for the house of prayer. I have also decided to take a watch and there are others who have watches that are not musicians but they bring their color to the prayer and intercession times. My watch is from 7-9 a.m. on Thursday mornings! (Yes, all of you that know me well can now pick yourselves up off of the floor.) It's been really encouraging to see what the Holy Spirit wants to do during each of these times. I'm also getting some great calluses from playing guitar for 2 hours straight. So the expanded hours have made the watch times accessible to more people and has made us get more organized in general. Growth, gotta love it!

On July 6th, a team of French, Germans, Alsatians, Swiss and Americans lead by Rusty Richards participated in a prayer initiative to repent for an act of treachery of the Louis the Pious' sons. The sons, grandsons of Charlemagne, decided to publicly humiliate their father and take his power. This lead to many iniquities that still effect Europe and countries that come from Europe. We prayed and prepared prayers of repentance and blessing beforehand and then spent a whole day repenting and cleansing history and releasing blessing over Europe. We expect big changes to come in Europe because of the repentance that has been done! Jesus blood even redeems history!

The image that I've had for this season is of a wave of God that has come ashore in our community here in Guebwiller. There is a lot of power in a wave and at the same time in churns things up. Since the wave is from God, it's all good. That's the reason for the picture of the wave that goes with this blog.

I will not be in the States this summer. I am saving my trip to go to my niece's wedding in Oklahoma in October! It's my first full summer in France. I am coming up on my fifth anniversary in France and fourth in Guebwiller. Where does the time go? It's been a great adventure. I thank all of you for being a part of this adventure with me through praying, encouraging and all types of support! It wouldn't happen without you. "We are family...all my brother, sisters and me..."

Here are some prayer requests:

~Even though a lot of work and progress has been done this summer at Daniel School there is still a lot to do and the need for the finances is always there. Thanks to all the teams and individuals who have helped out this summer!
~Continued growth and development of the 'Tente de la rencontre' (house of prayer) at Joshua Church.
~Blessings and safe travels for Andy and Christie as they finish working and prepare to travel home to Arkansas.

Where's spring?

So, I knew it had been a long time since I last wrote a blog...but I was a little surprised that it has been since October! Oh well, at least I've sent out a few e-mails to keep folks up on what's going on.

In the last post I listed my activities and jobs so I won't repeat that here. I will just say that things are going well. In the music schools most of my students are from 7-9 years old. This is a big change for me. I'm used to starting students around 11 years old. So it has been a bit of an adjustment but I like it. I am thankful for my 3 groups at church where the youth are from 15 to 21 years old. And then at Daniel School I have the ages in between. It balances out nicely. Doing a variety of groups and types of music keeps things interesting.

At the end of February we had 3 friends from FOC come to visit. It was a great time of discovery, building connections and releasing God's goodness for one another. Greg, Bobby and Amanda came ready to give and receive. There has already been a lot of fruit from what they released during their time here and from the relationships that were started. It was clear from the beginning of the trip that God had great things prepared because they had a lot of trouble getting here! Chris Abington, who had organized the trip, was unable to come because his daughter broke her arm the day of the trip. Then the three missed every flight because of delays, etc. But they got here and they were in a good mood when they arrived after all of that. Thanks guys, for going the extra mile! I am very grateful to see my two homes becoming more and more connected. I think we will see relationships grow from here on out as the bridge from Arkansas to Alsace gets bigger and wider. One of the people that will be continuing that connection is Deborah Beck. She is a young French woman who will be doing an internship in webdesign in Russellville starting sometime in April. You folks in Arkansas be sure and give her a warm southern welcome and help her feel at home. I know you will. That's who you are and what you do! Deborah is great and she's going to fit right in and have a blast discovering Arkansas and it's culture.

I am happy to say that we are seeing progression in the areas of the school that I asked you to pray about. There have been several financial gifts to the school. It is amazing to see God's provision and His timing. Please continue to pray for a steady stream of financial blessing for Daniel School. Also, we see God's order coming in the leadership and organization of the school. It is a process but things are moving forward. Please keep praying for the school and for Christian education in France and French speaking countries.

Another important event coming up in April is the Love After Marriage (LAM) seminar that our church will be hosting. LAM is a ministry of Bethel Church in Redding. The couple that leads it is coming to teach and two couples from our church are helping to organize and lead. The Leighs and the Becks have both already done the seminar and will be counted on for translation and leading small groups. Thanks for all of you who have already been praying because of my e-mails. Please continue to pray for these couples and for all of the couples that will attend the seminar. This is the first time this seminar will be held in France. It is a powerful tool to heal and equip couples for strong, happy marriages and families.

Personally, I've been feeling the urge to get 'out of the four walls' a bit. After talking with others I think there might be several of us who would like to do Treasure Hunts or just get out and pray for people and see God speak and heal people. I'm not looking to start a program. We just want to see the Kingdom grow and the miraculous in our town.

Like many of you, we are waiting on spring to reveal itself. Winter doesn't want to let go. It may be a little slow in coming but when spring hits it's going to be splendid. I have this same hope to see the presence of God manifested in my church, in my town, in my country and on my continent. Let's go, people of God, let's love God and release heaven on earth!



Prayer requests recap:

~That God continue to grow the Alsace-Arkansas connection according to His desire and plans.
~Prayer covering for Daniel School in all areas and for French Christian education.
~The Love After Marriage seminar the week of April 22nd and the Leigh and Beck families.
~God's Kingdom come, His will be done in our lives and that we can take it to the streets.

A call

It's autumn time once again. The colors are changing slowly here but it is beautiful. The vineyards are gold and green and the trees are like fire. I love this time of year.

I will give you a quick update on Carolyn. The last post she was in the hospital but she has been out for a while and is doing much better. In fact, she is doing a bit of traveling and visiting friends in Russellville. God is good. She still needs complete healing and mobility in her legs. Thanks for all of your prayers for her.

This school year has at least doubled my work load from last year. I am now teaching at the music school in Guebwiller (like last year) and I've added classes in a nearby town called Meyenheim. In addition, we have started an 'orchestra' at the Collège Daniel the Christian school where I volunteer. We are continuing to build with the choir as well and I have a worship group of 'high school' students. I am continuing English with the missionaries' daughter, Olivia, as well. I have also added another worship group at church. That makes 3 youth worship groups at our small church! Needless to say, I am staying busy and enjoying it.

I would like to take just a minute to share my heart and vision with you once again for why I am in France. My heart is to see revival in France and in Europe. I am definitely not alone in this. I want to be a part of what God is doing and is going to do here. Teaching is one of the ways that I can share God's love and hope with people. I know there is more to do and be a part of. I am also involved in teams that go and worship and intercede in different places. It's all about expanding the Kingdom of God.

Another thing I can do is be a connection between France and the States. For example I would like to send out a call to prayer to all my American/anglophone friends for the Christian school Etablishment Scolaire Daniel. I have talked about the importance of Christian education in the francophone world. Daniel School is a flagship for Christian schools in French speaking countries. Currently, there is a lot of pressure spiritually, practically and financially. The school has been operating from a financial deficit for months now. This means that several teachers are not receiving any salary as well as the fact that bills don't get paid. Can you imagine continuing to work in a job if they can't pay you!? The teachers and staff are dedicated to the students and the vision of Christian education. Also, prayer is needed for the order of God to come in the organization and leadership of the school and the association the governs it. In the midst of the difficulties God is doing great things in the lives of the students, teachers and staff of the school. God is at work! We just need to partner together in prayer for this school to push back the enemy and see the provision of God in all of these situations.

I pray that the Holy Spirit speaks to many of you to pray for Daniel School so that we can stand together to see the school fulfill it's destiny for the Kingdom in the midst of the darkness!

May God's joy and peace flow in your lives in abundance!!

Prayer requests:

~COMPLETE healing for Carolyn!
~God's provision in all things for Daniel School (Etablissement Scolaire Daniel)

**The pics are from a fun time with Olya (our sweet Russian friend who takes great pics). I thought they went along well with the Clarion Call name. And they're just fun.

Plenty

Have you noticed that God's economy is not the same as the world's economy? I hope you have all had the chance to experience God's economy and His generosity from two angles, the side of the giver and the side of the receiver. It's so important to be active from both sides. We all have SOMETHING we can give no matter how little we have. Often the giving releases God's provision. Then to the often more difficult part...receiving. As Americans, and I think as French as well, we have been taught to be independent and self-sufficient. It is often hard to receive and it's even harder to ask for help. It is humbling. When we begin to understand how God has created us to live in community and to be interdependent giving and receiving becomes normal life. It is honoring and it brings freedom. Acts 2:44-47. This is a stark contrast to the world system of acquiring things to gain happiness and power and then to rule and sometimes oppress those who have not. Who is really happy? Who is really free?

I thank God that He has blessed me with an Acts 2 kind of life. Even though I may not always have plenty in the bank, I live a life of plenty and I lack nothing I need. I have the joy of being able to bless others and the family of God blesses me. Thanks to all of you who are a part of this family and God's economy. What a great model of God's Kingdom come on earth!

Before I launch into my news I just want to ask again for prayer for Carolyn and her kidney. She went for a check up on her kidney and was admitted to the hospital for further tests because they suspect that the kidney is rejecting her body. Please pray for complete healing from the inside out for Carolyn and for complete kidney function.

The May elections brought a new president for France, François Hollande. This brings a big change from Sarkosy. I've heard a few people say they have felt a difference in the atmosphere since Hollande took office. What is certain is that it is time for the church to rise up and take its place by praying for the president and the government. The people of God always need to see that we can shape our world and our society through prayer and action. We need to hear the Father's heart for our nations and then imitate that heart and release it in prayer and declaration. We heard very clearly that we needed to release peace and joy over France. This is God's heart which is completely opposite of the reaction of fear and worry that was produced in many. Martin Scott also wrote in his blog that peace and joy needed to be released over France. God is speaking the same thing to His people in different places.

The legislative elections are coming up this Sunday. I have heard many say that 2012 is a year of shifting and changes. There are big changes already. Please pray for France and the elections this coming Sunday. Please release joy and peace over France when you pray.

A group of 9 youth from Joshua Church is planning a mission trip to the Philippines this July. A project like this is much more complicated than in the U.S. They have been working hard to raise funds and to get all of the paperwork in order. I think most of you understand the difference a trip like this can make in their lives and in the lives of the people they will go to help. Some of you from FOC will know several of these youth which includes a young lady from Moscow who will join the group when they pass through the Moscow airport. Please pray for Vincent, Elisabeth, Claire, Séphora, Jérémie, Benjamin, Uriel and Olya and their intercessor Timothée. Feel free to contact me if you would like to support them. You can check out a short presentation of their trip by watching this clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFsk3oxIHKw&feature=youtu.be

June is the last month of school in France so we still have a few weeks of class left. I get to play trumpet with a group (rock band) from the music school on July 21st as a part of the Music Festival that is held all over France every year. I am really looking forward to it!

I think that's it for this entry. Thank you all for reading along and for praying along. I discovered that people from several countries are reading and that is encouraging. However, I don't know anyone from several of the countries and that makes me think they were searching something and came on my blog by accident. So, whether you be a friend or whether you are here by a happy accident, be blessed into the fullness of all that God has for your life!!

Prayer requests:

~Continued prayer for Carolyn Gore who is currently in the hospital waiting for tests results to see the condition of her kidney. Pray for complete healing!

~Pray for the youth who are going to the Philippines on mission this summer. Pray that all the paperwork and finances will come in as well as good health, protection and divine appointments.

~Pray for France as another round of elections approach. The legislative elections are next Sunday. Please pray and release peace and joy over the country during this time of change.

**A picture of one of the many poppies in bloom in the vineyards. One of the symbolic meanings of the poppy is 'resurrection.' Yes, Jesus, your resurrection power for France!!

Joy

The Holy Spirit is doing a new thing in me...and I like it. He is at work in our church body...I like that too. I am looking forward to the fruit. His touch is releasing joy, singing and strange sounds! More, Holy Spirit!

Last week I went with a team to Labeshuus near Thun, Switzerland. We took a few days to just pray and worship and enjoy the presence of God. It was a rich time and God birthed something and touched us deeply and brought refreshing. We also spent time praying for several European nations, some individuals and some people groups. Labehuus is beautifully situated and gives a spectacular view of the Swiss Alps. The view in itself inspires worship of the Creator!

I am very happy to report that the government aide that I was waiting on came through in a timely matter. Thanks for all of your prayers! God is good and faithful!

Carolyn is at home and doing good and getting better, especially concerning her kidney. She still has a lot of pain with her leg and has been told it could be months before it returns to normal. Please continue to pray for her.

Nadine has been named the Director of Sozo Ministry for France by Bethel Church in Redding!! She has been working hard training a team here in Guebwiller and traveling to do trainings with Janet Richards all over France. This is a big step toward God spreading inner-healing in France. It is much needed. Of course, new titles come with more authority, responsibility and pressure. She has already experienced some spiritual resistance. Nadine is definitely the woman for the job but she could use all of your prayers for provision and spiritual protection as she walks in this new dimension. She and Janet have two trainings coming up quickly in May. You can keep these in mind when you are praying for her.

I am thoroughly settled into my new home and thoroughly enjoying it. I am reminded daily of God's goodness.

I am happy to say that my dad is still doing well and enjoying life.

French elections are May 6th. As in the States, this will be a very important election during a difficult and pivotal time in France and in Europe. Please pray that God's choice to lead France is elected. A disturbing trend that has been seen is that because of the difficult times people are voting more for the extreme right, the fascists. The good news is that they didn't make it past the first round but they had way more votes than they should have. Now there is the current president, Sarkozy, who is the most moderate who is facing the socialist Hollande. It is a very important moment for France. Please be praying this week for France and the upcoming elections this Sunday!

Thanks again for reading along and taking this journey with me!!

Prayer requests recap:

~France and the upcoming elections this Sunday, May 6th!
~Spiritual protection, traveling safety and provision for Nadine in her new role as Sozo Director for France.
~Complete healing of Carolyn's leg.
~That the Holy Spirit continue to pour Himself out on us and accomplish His purposes in this time.

**This picture was taken from Labeshuus near Thun, Switzerland. It's beautiful isn't it!?