Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
We have so much to be thankful for because of God's great mercy and blessings. We can face difficult times in life but the joy of the Lord is our strength! (Nehemiah 8:10) What an eternal promise! The complete verse says, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is our strength." Wow! What a verse!

Kinda sounds like an appropriate verse for THANKSGIVING. Enjoy time together with family and friends. Help those in need. Don't grieve but remember that the Lord has all in His control and He does what brings Him Joy! You've heard the old saying, "If momma ain't happy, nobody's happy!" A truer statement would be, "If the Lord ain't happy, nobody's gonna be happy." It is the joy and pleasure of the Lord that truly brings us happiness.

Strive to bring honor to the Lord and He will bless and be happy. Please Him and enjoy the fruits He provides. When I remember that the Lord is in full control and He brings Himself joy through my life, then I don't have to grieve.

I pray you have a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration with family and friends knowing that it brings Joy to the Lord!

From the Heart,

Pastor BR

Helping Others

One year ago I suffered a stroke which changed my life's direction. This past year has been one of prayer and searching for God's next step in my life. One thing has been for sure, I was not going to step away from ministry and helping others! For 40 years I have invested my life in discipling others in spiritual growth. It's the passion of my life.

I found myself seeking what would best equip me for this new chapter in my life. I had known of John Maxwell and his leadership training. He is a worldwide leader in leadership! I took major steps and became a Certified Independent Speaker, Coach, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team. The time spent in research, preparation and study has been awesome. I now have more tools from which I can help others.

As I put together my business plan for making a difference, I find that God is using my experiences over the last forty years to really ramp-up my ministry. It is different in many ways, but oh how exciting!! I now lead MasterMind groups, Lunch & Learns, DISC Assessments, and Coaching as well as being a keynote speaker. The bottom line is that I can really add value to individuals and groups!

It all goes back to my salvation experience in a small church when I was eight years old. A very dynamic preacher/pastor prayed with me to receive Christ as my Savior and Lord. I came asking to be saved because of the conviction of the Holy Spirit. I immediately fell in love with God's Word! His presence in my life has helped me navigate this journey called life. While I am not, nor ever have been, perfect, I do seek to please the Lord of my life.

Helping others is where God has brought me. I don't, and never have, seek fame or great fortunes. My great thrill is seeing lives changed for the glory of God. This is very hard for some to understand. But with God's grace and empowerment, I will forge onward.

I invite you to join me in this journey. I would love to connect with you and explore how God may use us together. I pray that you will seek and find God's next step for your life. It is an exciting journey!

From the Heart,

Pastor BR