Leaving for Tampa...

Please pray for me as I'm heading out the door for the airport to fly to Tampa, FL. There is the Tampa Pro bodybuilding show that Stronghold will be ministering at as well as speaking to the Tampa Boys and Girls Club on Thursday afternoon. Please pray for a powerful weekend where the Holy Spirit moves mightily and changes many lives! Thanks!

Exciting times in Vegas...

I love it when God surprises us! And that is exactly what happened in Vegas over the weekend when Stronghold ministered at the USA bodybuilding championships. Our outreach in the bodybuilding industry focuses mainly on the professional athletes, so at an amateur event like this, we meet with the pros who come to watch or work for their supplement companies to sign autographs. However, with the economy, many of the supplement companies are choosing not to spend the money to fly their athletes to the events if they aren't competing; instead, they use locals to work their booths.

Well the first night we were there, we were able to minister to a few of the industry people we knew, but overall, it was a relatively quiet night. Naturally, I thought Saturday would be the same, but it was totally different! God just started sending people our way - some that we knew, but also some that we didn't! From noon Saturday until 11pm that night, I don't think Fred Krause (a Stronghold team member) and I stopped talking! It was simply amazing how God showed up and allowed us the opportunity to speak into so many people's lives. God is definitely alive and moving in the bodybuilding industry!

And on another note, today was the first meeting of local pastors in the San Fernando Valley (northern LA) to pray, and it was such a joy to be a part of it! Now there have been prayer meetings and gatherings started in 3 major areas of LA - the West Side, Hollywood (the one I organize), and the Valley. Unity is a very difficult path, but God is proving faithful to move powerfully if we unite and begin to act like the unified body of Christ. Please continue to pray for direction and more pastors to join together...

Heading to Vegas...

Please pray for me and Fred Krause as we head to Las Vegas for the USA bodybuilding championships. It is the largest amateur bodybuilding and fitness show in the U.S. We will be there Friday and Saturday praying with the athletes, reading the Bible with them, encouraging and counseling them, and simply showing them love. Please pray for the love of Christ to be evident in us and that we would have the exact right words to speak to everyone we come across. As always, thanks for your prayers!

Back to LA...

It was a great time of being home in Indiana, spending time with family and friends. It always encourages me so much when I hear of all the people who are praying for us and this ministry! It truly is what gives us the strength to press on, knowing that we are not alone in this journey.

One of the highlights of the time was being able to perform the wedding of my best friend Andy Steiner. His wife Deby is from Bern, Switzerland, and she is such a blessing to Andy. I pray that God gives them many wonderful years together in serving Him.

While I was home, I made a brief trip to Tampa, FL to speak to Team BodyTech. It was amazing to see and hear the responses of the athletes as I talked about Jesus our Savior who washes away our sins and gives us Life! I believe that God changed, encouraged, and strengthened many lives that night. Praise God!

Please pray for me and Holly as we jump right back into work here. We ask for wisdom for our tasks and power from our God to carry them out. Thanks!

Family Vacation!!

Holly and I are so excited to be heading back to Indiana to see our families! Every year over the 4th of July, we go home and celebrate with loved ones. Thanks for your prayers for safety and rest...Los Angeles is a great place, but there's no place like home!

Please pray for me as I do have a little work on vacation (I know, you're not supposed to do that!). I will be flying down to Tampa, FL on July 8-9 to speak and then returning to Indiana to finish our vacation. I am excited to see what God does while I'm there...

This will be the last post until I return from vacation....love you all

Back from Austin, TX...

I just got back from Austin, TX on Monday evening after spending a weekend with a dear friend from there. Not only was I blessed by spending time with my friend, but the church that he and his wife attend named "River in the Hills" was simply amazing. A missionary from China shared, and to hear his stories not only about amazing successes but also about times of frustration and weariness really hit home in my heart. A quote that I will always keep with me: "If you hit a rock long enough and hard enough, it will eventually break." Sometimes the work here in LA seems really frustrating and hard, but this weekend made me really think about Galatians 6:9 = "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." I know God is working right now in this city and that foundations for great things are being laid. We can't be discouraged in laying foundations, because the stronger the foundation, the higher the building can go.

A prayer request for healing would be much appreciated. I have a sinus infection and feel wiped out right now...thanks!

Our 3rd Anniversary!

Holly and I just got back from having an awesome day together for our 3rd anniversary! It's hard to believe that we've been married for that long already...A big thank-you to all you who pray for us and our marriage! Ministry can be very difficult on a marriage, but God has blessed us in so many ways and continues to guide and protect us. I look forward to celebrating many more anniversaries with the love of my life...

Please pray for the Hollywood Pastor's Unity Prayer meeting we are having on Thursday @ noon. So much has happened over the last 6 months in regards to unity among ministry leaders in this city. But we must keep the momentum going, and summer can be difficult for that. Pray that men show up and that the Spirit leads us in how we should pray...thanks!