Family vacation...YEAH!!

I am so looking forward to going back "home" to Indiana to visit both my family and Holly's family!! Most of them haven't seen our son Silas yet, so I'm sure he'll get kissed, pinched, and squeezed more than he ever has! It will be a good break from the daily stresses here, as Holly and I both need some R&R.

I will be speaking at First Mennonite Church in Berne, IN on Wednesday, June 30th, at 7:00pm. If you live in the area, I would love to see you and for you to hear about what God doing through Stronghold.

Also, pray for Silas to have a good flight home. We've never traveled with him yet, so we pray that he is content the whole time.

Talk to you when I return! Thanks for your prayers....

Heading to Texas...

I'm heading to Texas this week to spend some time discipling an individual from the bodybuilding industry. He is going through alot right now but really has changed his life completely over the last few weeks, growing close to the Lord. Please pray that I am able to encourage him in the Lord and help strengthen his walk with Jesus. Also pray for safety for Holly and Silas while I'm gone...thanks!

Serving the Homeless in Studio City!

This past Saturday, our Thursday evening Bible Study group came together for our monthly "community serve" event, which this month consisted of feeding the homeless in our area (Studio City/North Hollywood). We were able to assemble and pass out 38 sack lunches and pray with numerous individuals. Each time we do these outreaches, we learn more about how to effectively reach the people in our neighborhood because we are out there physically seeing the needs. There is nothing quite like putting our faith into action!

Please continue to pray for me and Holly as we lead our group - wanting to challenge, encourage, and equip them in their faith. We always want to keep moving forward! Thanks...

Big faith-based meeting in LA...

On Tuesday, an amazing Faith-based collaborative meeting took place in down-town Los Angeles concerning the issue of homelessness in our city. Many city and national leaders came (including the keynote speaker from the Obama administration), and the call went out to the church to help the government with this growing problem in our nation's cities. Los Angeles is the homeless capital of the United States, so it was encouraging to see over 200 people from 50 organizations attend the event. I learned alot about homeless solutions, so it will be very beneficial information for me to put to use in leading the Hollywood homeless outreach that the Hollywood churches are pursuing right now. It is definitely exciting to see that God is moving in many believer's hearts on this issue. It will take all of us to help correct this problem...

Also pray this Saturday night for a meeting with a few people from our Bible Study. We will be discussing the direction that God has for our small group - whether it is to develop into something more formal or not. We desperately need God's direction in this.

Thanks for all of your prayers and support!

Orlando great! Big prayer request...

The Orlando, FL trip was so powerful as God seemed to bring about divine encounter after divine encounter. I was able to have some really deep conversations about Jesus with a number of people, challenging them to grow in their faith. It was also great to spend time with my friend Jeff and his family. They are very dear to my heart, so being able to have quality time furthering our relationship was such an encouragement to me.

A big prayer request for Stronghold Ministries is that we are looking for a small office space/warehouse that can serve as a "hub" from which we can serve the community where God has placed us. Our Thursday evening Bible Study group really has a heart for reaching out to the poor and needy to help meet both their physical needs and their need for Jesus. To put it simply, our desire is to put our faith into action in our community. This office space would not only allow me to move my office out of our of apartment to an adequate space, but also provide storage space for food and clothing donations that can be dispersed to those in need. Please be praying that God shows us the right space at a price that we can afford. We are definitely stepping out in faith, but it is a step that God has commanded us to take. Thanks for your continued prayers!

In Orlando, FL this week...

I will be traveling to Orlando, FL this week - Tuesday through Sunday - to both speak at a men's luncheon and minister at the Europa Pro Bodybuilding Show. I will also be spending alot of time with my good friend Jeff (above). It will be my first trip away from home since our son Silas was born. It will be so hard to leave Holly and Silas, so pray not only for them as I'm gone, but also for me! May God move mightily in and through me this week! Thanks for your prayers...

Bible Study resumes tonight!

After a month of break due to the birth of our son, we are again resuming Bible Study at our apartment here in Studio City. It has been exciting to watch the Bible Study grow in the weeks leading up to our break. Please pray for tonight, that God's Spirit would lead us and change our hearts to become more like the Jesus whom we serve. Thanks!