Sunday, August 12

Wow! God is so awesome!

We had 25 people show up! Whoo hooo! We had some "regulars"
come....which is so cool that we have regulars....I mean this is such a God thing, and we had a buncha newbies. Our musician, Hosea, called in sick. When we realized he wasn't coming, we made a big deal to our new church family that we needed to pray for him. They all seemed genuinely concerned and missed him terribly (as did all of us). I was kinda worried the people wouldn't stay cause we didn't have music, but we played a little on a CD player, and it took awhile, but finally some of the people got into it. And "Lucifer" showed up today and stayed for the entire service....even the preaching! Pretty amazing for a self proclaimed "devout heathen." And we stayed more than an hour afterwards just fellowshipping with the people.

We had a new guy named Willie who came that collects aluminum cans for a living. I make it a point now to bring a bag full of cans each Sunday that we have collected from our soda addiction at the Strausser house, so Willie was the lucky recipient of the cans this week. After we fed him and gave him the cans, he sat down and got comfortable, pulled out his own Bible from his duffel bag and totally got into the teaching! Later Frank talked with him and Willie said he had a desire to preach at the Marina. So
Frank told him he should just go for it. He seemed surprised that someone
would believe in him and encourage him to just do it. Wouldn't that be so cool? A homeless man reaching out to other people on the Marina preaching the Word and minister to people? And earlier when Frank went to shake his hand, he said he didn't want to shake Frank's hand cause he had dirty hands. (Willie had dirty hands, not Frank) Frank said he didn't care about dirty hands, and then Willie shook his hand. You could tell he just felt accepted and loved....dirt and all. Yay God!!

We did have one probable salvation. She was a first timer and showed up about a third of the way in the service. She told me she didn't know we had this down here. She sat and listened and was really absorbed in the presentation of the Gospel. I wondered if she was a prostitute, another man had later made a comment that led me to believe she might have been. She was pretty messed up looking, but we loved on her anyway. Thank God for germX!! She seemed sort of shy around us, but I could tell God's love was piercing the darkness within her.

When Frank asked if you weren't saved to look up at him,
she looked up, but she didn't come forward. He did lead the group in a
prayer and she seemed like she might have repeated it to herself kinda under
her breath. If she comes next week we'll talk to her. I think she was embarrassed to come forward. That's ok. We can be pretty patient. We were bombarded with all the people wanting to come give us a hug or tell us about their weeks or pray for them for this and that so she left before we got a chance to to talk to her one on one.

God is so good!!

We are thinking about trying to rent a conference room or something for
Thanksgiving Day at one of the down town hotels. I'd love to have a
congregational Thanksgiving dinner with them all, just like a big ole family
dinner or something. You know, make it real special. Paige was asking what we were going to do when the weather gets cold because she still wants us to be her church, but she wants us to get a building for the cold months because she gets sick easily. So if you think of us, pray that God would lead us to the right area and that everything will fall into place for the winter months. It will be here before we know it. I know it will all work out, because He's just that kind of God and He's been putting this whole thing together all along...Wow!

Oh, oh, oh.....cool......as anyone from Augusta knows, we have been experiencing record heat this month....my face melts when I go outside. The temps have been above a hundred for about two weeks in a row. I was wondering how we were going to be able to handle 95 degrees at 9 a.m on Sunday and I was praying and asking God to just give us a cool day. Well the forecast
certainly wasn't calling for cool temps today, but would you believe that it was only 77 degrees this morning? Awesome! And we had a nice breeze for the time we were outside, the clouds were also covering the bright sun. And the gnats weren't as bad as usual. God gave us a special gift in that whole temp thing this morning. Thank You God for that relief in temps! You totally rock!

Chinese, anyone?

Well, what started as a meeting of some old friends at a Starbucks on Wrightsboro Road, ended in four hungry chicks at a Chinese restaurant. The funny thing about God is that it's never really about going out to eat. It's always about a Divine Appointment.

I met up with an old friend that was visiting from Texas named Sherri, who had come for a three week visit with another old friend named Melony. As I sat with these two godly women, sipping on what amounts to a $5 chocolate milk with ice, I was listening to them relay stories of recent "God Encounters." This subject naturally has me enthralled, but the really cool thing is that another lady in the store sitting nearby had over heard Melony proclaiming the goodness of God, and the next thing we know, we have asked her to pull up a chair and join the conversation. Her name is Seleste...with an "S". What a sweet woman! And just to show you that God doesn't do anything by accident, it turns out that Seleste just so happens to have been strongly desiring to get involved in some sort of street ministry or a ministry of working with the poor. How fun! So the four of us sat there for the next 5 hours discussing the unbelievable power of God. Finally, we moved our power talk to a restaurant up the street.

Now I love Chinese food. And this was a buffet, so even better. As we sat eating our very late night dinner, we continued talking about our beautiful Saviour and the good things about Him. Probably about 11, Seleste had to go home to be with her children and the restaurant was getting ready to close. So Melony, Sherri, and I resumed our conversation in the parking lot, and eventually in Melony's van. And a night full of Kingdom conversation and good fellowship culminated in a healing/deliverance service right there in the parking lot! The three of us sat in the van praying, praising, singing, and fellowshipping with our sweet Jesus. As we all confessed strongholds to each other that the enemy had in our lives, we felt the cleansing power of His love just pour over us while we were praying and ministering to each other in the spirit of love.

Well as we are enjoying the Power of the Holy Spirit consuming us, Sherri mentions that she needs healing for a goiter that is very apparent on her neck. So we start praying for healing on that thyroid and as we are praying and commanding her body to line up with God's Word and be healed, right there before our very eyes, that lump on her neck began to shrink and shrink and shrink. Both Melony and I sat there with our mouths wide open! I don't know why I always get so amazed when God does something like that, but I do, it is us just amazing, nearly unbelievable! So we eventually had to tell Sherri we were going to stop praying because pretty soon she was going to have a pencil neck...LOL! What an awesome night! God's healing power reaches EVERYWHERE! Go lay hands on the sick...they shall recover!!!

By the way....Seleste ended up coming to A Church Without Walls the very next Sunday to be a part of God's work. Is that just not the coolest thing?

From the Archives of 2006 - A story of Faith and Healing, and ministry along the way

I'll tell ya, I have countless stories I could share with you, and every now and then I find 5 minutes where I can sit down and go through my files and pull up an older story. This one is from last year starting in July 2006 and involves a time when I had some medical testing done, as well as some faith testing, and how God brought me through some fearful times, as well as lead me to continue the "as you go"ministry of reaching out to people I meet along the way. I'm going to just copy and paste the emails I had sent to my best friends (the Dolls) concerning this particular story. I hope it encourages you to see that God is STILL the Great Physician and is still a Mighty, Mighty healer. Sorry it's so long, but hey, it's me writing here....LOL!

July 18, 2006
Hey ya'll! I have a doctor's appointment that I'd like you to keep me in prayer over at 1pm. I have been having some leg and back pain for a week or so, and my right leg hurts a lot, kind of like when you have sciatic nerve pain in pregnancy. A few days ago I was moaning and groaning about my lower back and leg hurting and I went to kind of rub my back when I got out of bed and noticed a lump resting deep on the bone. It's about the size of a walnut. The lump itself doesn't hurt, but it does make me think that its location is the cause of the leg pain. So I'm going to get it checked out. It's probably a ganglion cyst, although I don't think they normally show up on pelvic joints.......but I'm not normal. So we shall see.

July 19, 2006

Hey ya'll! Man it is hot today.

I had to see a new doctor today because our doctor (of 13 years) has moved to another clinic and our insurance doesn't have her name on the card yet. So this gal is about my age, which makes me realize that I could be a doctor by now. Oh well.

The bottom line is.....she doesn't know what it is so I get to have an ultrasound on the 28th. And a mamogram. Yay.

Time to turn my cups into saucers.

After I moon her (the lump is near my bum) and she examines me, she asks me to bend this way and that to see if it hurts, and to bend and touch my toes, which I can't do. So she asks me what is it that is keeping me from touching my toes, is it painful, is it uncomfortable, and I tell her, "No, it's my belly." :)

She does use the word "tumor" while she's "guessing" what the problem is. She is a rough doctor, her exam has actually left a few bruises on my chest. I did not like her at all. Not exactly getting an A+ in bedside manner class. Anyway, as you can imagine, I'm feeling a little less than comforted at the possibilities of illnesses and diseases that have started running through my mind.

Meanwhile, the reason I need a mamogram is because I also have some very swollen lymph nodes on the same side as the lump in my back. The lymph nodes are mostly under my arm but do extend into the breast tissue just a bit, and they are quite painful. I didn't really think much of it, but decided to mention it to her while she was already battering my body. So as she was pushing on my nodes hard enough to feel my scapula, she said I definitely needed to be further checked out.

So after the appointment and gingerly dressing myself as to not further injure the hematomas caused by her abuse, I scooted off to the hospital gift shop where my old boss from 20ish years ago works. I usually stop in to see her, and another girl, Alice, who worked for me about 18 years ago. I love her. She's a lady that is about 10 years older than me, so she's uh, ahem, 39 , and she's a strong Christian to boot. Anyway, while I'm visiting with her there is a young lady, 18 years old, named Cierra, with a 6 month old baby in there talking with Alice. Alice tells me that Cierra's baby was born with heart trouble, only has function of one kidney, etc. And she was just released from the hospital this week from rota virus. But now she looks really, really good, and has come through all of that really well.

So then Cierra says she's really having a hard time right now and Alice says, "Don't say that, speak life into your day, girl!" So she tries to explain, "I'm having surgery next week on my breasts, they think I have cancer. I'm going up to my appointment right now to have a biopsy to see what kind of surgery they want to do, either a lumpectomy or a mastectomy....both breasts. My grandmother, aunt and mother all have had breast cancer and I have 3 hard knots on this side and one on this side."

I coulda just died. EIGHTEEN years old! How unfair. Frank and I have been doing this study recently and it challenges you to take a risk with people and pray for them. I'm not so very good at risk taking but I decided to die to my flesh (so hard to do.....I have a LOT of flesh, and proved it today on the scales) and I said, "C'mon Alice, Let's take care of this." So Alice said she couldn't right now cause she was on the clock and could get in trouble for praying right now. So she took the baby and I took Cierra toward the back part of the store and just prayed healing over her. When I opened my eyes, she was crying. Bless her heart. She was very receptive. Actually, I ended up praying for her one more time before she left.

What's really interesting to me is that I have been praying healing over this lump thing in my back and Frank has prayed over me, anointed me in oil, and my sister prayed over me, and nothing has changed, and last night I felt like there was a bigger plan here. I really feel like no matter what this lump in my back turns out to be, it is merely the enemy picking on me, and I do feel equipped to take authority over him and tell him to take a hike. So while I was there today I just knew that God was going to order my steps and all day I JUST KNEW I was supposed to pray for someone. So I'm hoping to hear a good report from Cierra. And I'd love it if you would pray for her as well.

July 26, 2006

My appt for the testing is the 28th.... starting at 1. They are letting me do the back thing before I have my mammies grammied, so I don't have to lay on 'em after I've been through the torture chamber.

I'll have to share this declaration I made yesterday, only because I need accountability, (and support). And I'll take another risk at trusting ya'll with my deepest darkest fears. When that doctor mentioned the word "tumor", naturally, because I'm Tammy, the first thing that went through my mind was Arnold Swartzen-however-you-spell-his-name in Kindergarten Cop saying, "It's not a tooo-ma". But I really got a little bit fearful, thinking that this thing is growing into my sciatic region and all that. It's amazing how our minds can really invoke so much fear. And like Annie, I went to nursing school, so I know too much -- well, enough to be scary. LOL!

So after I prayed with Cierra and left the hospital, I was thinking how I was believing for that girl - or on behalf of that girl, what *I* needed to have faith enough to believe for myself. And then I was thinkin' how scared that girl is, and how she is trying to grasp on to something to help her feel OK, and how young she was, and I thought, "Oh no, I should have prayed for her about her fear. I should have rebuked the spirit of fear from her. I'm so stupid." And God just spoke to me in my heart and said,"No, you prayed exactly what I wanted you to pray." Which is good He said that cause the devil was actually sitting in the passenger seat beating me up for being so inadequate. Don't ya just love univited guests?

And I kinda thought, yah, but she was so frightened that she coulda used a little extra prayer in the fear department. And God spoke to me again, and He said, "Nope. I am able to meet Ceirra where she is at.....even in the midst of her fear." So I stuck my toungue out at the devil. Then God said ever so clearly in my spirit, "But I will not put up with the spirit of fear from you." Grrrr. I know what He means though. That is one of my many, many weaknesses, and I realized that He was waiting for a purpose. And He has taught me very recently about that exact thing. So He must figure I know better. (pouting going on here)

None-the-less, yesterday was kind of a....I don't know, a really, weird day of weird thoughts and all that about it. My dad had Luekemia, and cancer runs on my moms side of the family so it's perfectly NATURAL to be concerned about it, except God has been asking me to believe in the SUPERNATURAL recently, in things of His world, and not of things of this world. Kinda sucks. So after a lot of wrestling going on in the space between my ears, I finally sat down and made a declaration, printed it out and am working on following through on it. And I wasn't going to bore you with my crazy insane stuff, but I really need you guys. And if you all have loved me this far, then I know I can trust you with really personal struggles. (crap, now I'm crying) So, here goes:

Lord, You said in Your Word that You would heal me. And I believe you, with every fiber of my being. I KNOW You can not lie, and I KNOW You WILL heal me, and I will claim this promise daily. The spirit of unbelief creeps in because my body is not lining up with Your Word, therefore, I decree that from today until the day of my sonogram, I WILL NOT touch my back in the area that the lump was found. Each time I touch it, the enemy tells me that You won't heal me, and I have to struggle with him for a few minutes. This is making me tired, so today I have decided to no longer come in agreement with what the enemy says. My body is lining up with what he says, and I will no longer listen to it! Today and until my test on the 28th, I will not touch that area, but instead will believe BY FAITH that You are working. I noticed that today I had no pain in my back and leg from this lump. I rejoice in that and claim victory in Christ Jesus who provided healing for me with His stripes. If I touch that spot and feel a lump, the devil will likely try to convince me that I do have pain, or that I just forgot about it, or that I will have pain, or that the pain doesn't matter, it only matters that the lump is still there. I will not have a conversation with the one who has come to steal, kill and destroy. I will not listen to him. I will not! I will not! I WILL NOT! I will only have communion with the One Who loves me and gave Himself for me, the One Who came so that I might have LIFE, and to have it more abundantly, the One Who knows the plans He has for me, to do good and not harm me. Praise Your Name! I accept Your healing in my body and I WILL NOT listen to what the enemy is telling me through my body!

PS....God, You know I am believing You for something bigger, so I don't appreciate the devil picking on me and sidetracking me, so I say to You today, that I believe for ALL things promised by You! In my weakness You give me strength.....You ARE my strength!

Do you know how HARD it is NOT to touch that lump? UGH! And to not whine about it? But I will tell ya, that after reading that a couple times yesterday, last night I slept better than I have in a few weeks. I didn't have hardly any leg discomfort and pain during the night. In fact, it was more just an ache from laying on that side than it was from pain. So that's a serious deal. Now, during the day has been a little different, but I did spend two hours at the grocery store, and just being overweight is what I am going to attribute this lower back ache to, but the good part is that my leg is not hurting at all! So I will keep reminding myself that God is healing me, and I'm going to believe God for this to go away! And I will not fear! I will not fear! I WILL NOT FEAR!

July 27, 2006
Hey Ya'll. I had a doc appt for one of the boys this morning so I popped in at the little gift shop and talked to Alice. Cierra was scheduled for surgery this week, they just needed to decided which kind to do, she said a lumpectomy or a mastectomy.... Anyway, Alice said Cierra came in Monday or Tuesday for an appt for her daughter and told her the doctors said they were not going to do the surgery because they didn't see the need for it!! They said the problem in her breasts was not as bad as they thought (no cancer!) and they would just let things be. Isn't that so amazing??!?!!? Yay God! He's still in the healing business! This girl totally experienced a miraculous healing from God!!!!!

July 29, 2006

Hey ya'll! Sorry I didn't to post yesterday. I really wanted to. It was a long and emotional day and by the time I get the kids home, bathed and in bed, Frank was working on a video edit for a church project on the computer and I fell asleep so I didn't get a chance to post. Then today was Angel Food and I just got home. I'm about to drop!

It was truly a disappointing day yesterday, but God was with me all through it. I was just SO sure that lump was going to be gone by the time I got there, and it wasn't. So while she was doing the sonogram on it, I kept praying for God to just make it disappear miraculously, ya know, right in front of the sonographer. Well, He didn't. Then she said she wanted the Radiologist to come in an look at the pictures and at the actual sonogram in real time and to palpate the lump for himself. He had very cold hands, btw. He said it was likely a lipoma, which is a fatty tumor, but he said he was going to recommend to my doctor to have an MRI just to be sure. He also said that these things are always benign and if this is a lipoma, that would be good news. He said it would be a candidate for surgery only if it was bothering me or causing pain, which as it sits on that sacro-illiac region, it does cause pain. BUT, since I didn't play with it all week, the pain was fairly non-existent. But after she was done prodding me, I was pretty uncomfortable and in a little pain down the leg. He said lipomas can have degrees, so it depended on what degree it was as to whether we would want to pursue surgery as an option as well. So all in all, not a great report, but not a bad report ether, since he's not certain 100%. So we keep praying. And believing.

I was truly bummed about it and and disappointed, but I had that mamogram to do so I headed downstairs for that exhilarating experience. Everyone down there was really nice and the actual Breast Health clinic looked like an upscale spa instead of a clinic in the midst of a medical college. Very impressive. Anyway, this is where it gets scarey. I wasn't even worried about this, since I was having breast pain on one side and it was just, in my mind, routine. But after the torture chamber, she told me she didn't want me to freak out but they will likely call me back to do it again because my lymph nodes were enlarged. I knew they were, or suspected, anyway, I just was so concentrated on the lump I didn't give it much thought. Lymph nodes can get swollen for many reason. She said my breasts looked good (well, aside from being deflated, droopy, and pathetic) but the lymph nodes were concerning. So as you can well imagine, since I'm not fighting an infection, as far as I can tell, it's pretty scarey. She said I could expect to get some blood drawn and all that as well. So that's that. And that's when the tears started to flow. But it's OK. I'm still walking in faith and believing God for a good report when I see the doctor on the 3rd. I don't have time for the devil to pick on me right now. Darn it. And I will not fear, I will not fear, I will not fear! (I'm going to keep confessing this until I believe it! LOL)

So today my mom told the ladies that help with Angel Food, and they all prayed for me/with me. I did explain to them that I needed them to just come into agreement with me in prayer about this, but I didn't believe, nor wanted to hear, that God is doing this to me to build character, or teach me a lesson, or prove He is God or whatever, and that I don't believe that scripture teaches this. I believe based on the Word that this is an outright attack from the adversary, as the Bible says he comes to kill, steal and destroy.

August 23, 2006
I have only a quick second before I have to run off to get Frank from work. We are down to one vehicle and it's not even ours! It's my mother in laws.....thank God she is still letting us borrow it....but runnin' here and there is SOOOOO exhausting! Who knew sitting and driving could be so draining??

Anyway I got to see my regular doctor at her new practice and it was a much, much nicer visit. She wants an MRI on the lump in the back, so I have to wait til they call me with the appointment for that. She has no diagnosis, just wants to wait on the tests... As far as the lymph nodes - she diagnosed me with something I can not even pretend to try to pronounce, and knew what it was right away and was able to palpate the nodes with a very gentle touch. Basically it needs (or needed in the first place) to be treated with a strong antibiotic. It is swollen and she said this usually can cause absesses in the lymph tissue, breast tissue including the ducts and etc, and the area close to the sternum (cleavageish area) and no wonder I have pain. Yes, I'm TRYING not to be bitter at the other doctor for letting me suffer this long. The infection is in the lymph nodes themselves and probably in the breast tissue at this point. Easy enough to fix with antibiotics and warm compresses. Meanwhile, she said this thing can come and go and usually comes when you are eating a diet high in fat. SOOOOOOOO, no more Atkins type stuff for me. I gotta go low fat - no flavor. Can't wait.

And that's that. And let me tell you, she was soooo gentle and wonderful. And sad that I saw Dr Psycho Pants.

Ok.....on the road again!!!

September 23

Hi Ya'll! Sorry I didn't get a chance to email yesterday. I got home after 8 and was pooped. And today was Angel Food. Phew!

I have nothing to report though. They wouldn't tell me anything. boo hoo. He was just the tech and said the radiologist wasn't available. Have you ever done that MRI before? It has made the top ten things I never want to experience again. I didn't know they were going to give me an injection of radioactive stuff, or whatever it was and they ended up stickin me three times! OWE!. Well, that's par for the course, I have tiny veins. That's pretty much the only tiny thing I have.

Anyway, that's that. I have my appointment with my doctor on Monday afternoon, so hopefully it will be all good news!

September 25, 2006
Good News!!

Whoo-Hoo!

Nothing to worry about!

Just a benign pain in the toushy. If I want to have it removed, I can, but if not, it's ok.

So yay God! It will stay put for now. Motrin works well enough on the pain as does lounging around on the couch wearing fuzzy slippers and eating bon bons.

I was in the office with my doctor for an hour. Found out my passing out episode is something to do with a vaso vegal nerve thing. My sister has that. It's treatable and not a big deal....unless you don't like laying on the bathroom floor.

Anyway, the past couple of months has been a sincere testing of my faith and I am just about spent! The enemy has exhausted me, but I will rest in the Lord and wait on Him and be renewed like the eagles! Whooo hooo~~~ But it does make me think that most of this trial, while it was certainly a time of growing for me, was more for Cierra.....that one Divine Appointment. I just found out that she and her husband are very newly pregnant with their second child. A new life....one that would not have been possible had God not supernaturally reached down and healed her like He did. Yay God! You are the Giver of all life!!!

After my doctor's appointment I ended up seeing an old friend and the whole time was spent with her talking to me about her spiritual life. It was so awesome how God worked today. I have known this lady for 14 years and we have never had a converstation about God. She's always been really funny about that subject with us, like she was trying not to bring up God ever or whatnot, to be politically correct and such. She just really opened up and cried a little and we talked about her relationship with God and she ended up giving me a HUG and thanking me for encouraging her! How cool is that? God works in cool ways.

Then I left and the devil just beat me up all the way to the book store about how stupid I sounded and how I didn't give her enough talk about Jesus and all that. You know how he can be. I kept wanting to ask her if I could pray with her but I just never got that open door. So of course the devil beat me up with the fact that I could have opened the door myself and all that. And I was all bummed and feeling low and stuff. Does anybody else ever go through this mind game? Spirit of condemnation? What a pain in the butt.

So I get to the bookstore and get them to look for the books I need and a girl comes out to help me and she's got like this big ole nose ring and this scratchy voice and is just all around frightening. HAHA. I mean like goth looking. So I follow her to the books and notice she is limping. She gets my books and I ask her why she is limping. She tells me she was in a car accident 9 months ago and had her knee crushed, was in a coma for 3 weeks, had her aorta severed and her vocal cords nearly destroyed. So I'm like, wow, you survived that? And she tells me the doctors said she was a medical miracle. And of course you know what I'm thinking. So I tell her that God has His hands on her and we get to talking and find out she used to be a singer at church a long time ago, but isn't in church now or has she been for a long time. So I ask her if I can pray for her (see how I got the devil back? LOL!) So she says yes, and I put my hand on her shoulder and pray for her and totally feel the Holy Spirit's presence (WOW!) and then when I open my eyes she grabs my hand and she's crying and tells me that it meant a lot to her and asks me my name and all that. It was a good time in the Lord. I know He was speaking to her.... too cool.

Which brings me back to my original thought.....all of this lump thing and scary lymph node stuff....how much of it was for my benefit? How much of it was for me to be in God's path all along to meet up with His Divine Appointments? How humbled I am that He chose to use me like that, to bring me through frightening possibilities and still put people in my path to show His love to. I love our Great Big Healing Wonderful Powerful GOD!!!

Sunny Sunday

This is Sam and Paige. Paige is one of our regulars. She is always the first one to arrive to church each Sunday morning. She told me that she had been reading the pretty purple Bible we gave her. She is just the sweetest thing. I loved her pink hair bow and shiny shoes!
The man in the blue came two weeks ago, then was arrested and put in jail last week and spent 8 days in there. He was arrested for being homeless. Every now and then, the city will come through and arrest all the homeless people they can get their hands on. This clean-sweep usually proceeds a big event that brings tourists. I imagine this time it was the river races. Well, he came back this week and this time he brought a friend, the man in the purple. He really enjoyed Frank's preaching. When we told him we will only be down on SUNNY Sundays, he said if it rained, we need to put a sign up to tell him where we are meeting....in other words....he wants to keep coming no matter where we meet....and we should not let a little rain keep us from coming down. He was totally eating the Word today!


One of the men today said that when he stays at one of our local homeless shelters, he is forced to go to church. That's how it works there, they make 'em go to their church services. I think that's a good idea, and we have seen fruit from those efforts in the countless homeless men who are well versed in the scriptures. However, this man, he is no doubt lost. But he did say today that what he liked about coming to our church was that he wasn't forced to come, he could come if he wanted to. And he said, "I wanted to." Kinda a big deal here for a man who wouldn't ordinarily enter a church somewhere. Bless his heart, he even apologized for being dirty.

This morning we had about 20 people for church service. Even "Lucifer" showed up again. I think that's super cool. God is after this man's heart. We fed McDs sausage biscuits and donuts to lots of hungry folks and prayed for a lot of hurting people. I just love how God loves on people through his people. I'm so proud of our team and their ability to express the LOVE of God to the poor. This is God's heart.

August First Friday

Is it August already? Wow! The summer is flying by! We had a great night and the temperature wasn't too miserable either. Frank had to work, can you even believe that? They wouldn't let him off to come down for his ministry night. So....Frank commissioned Frank Peterson to be in charge of the night, and Peterson did a great job! He really stepped out of his box (actually, he's been stepping out all along, this was just a really good time for him to see how much of a leader he truly is). It was another awesome night with lots of praying for healings and deliverances, and lots of love, a total Love Revolution! And guess who came again? "Lucifer!" But this time we found out his real name. LOL! And he actually was apologetic for not coming to church last Sunday! Can you even believe that? He told us he overslept, and let's face it, when you're homeless, you don't have an alarm clock.

Worship on the streets.... Our AWESOME and anointed Praise Band! Unashamed...
More of A Church Without Walls' ministry team....



Maxine and Sharon. What blesses me so much about Maxine is her lack of mobility does not hinder her dedication to street ministry. And although she is often-times fearful of being down-town in an area that is considered dangerous, she still makes an effort to come out and be a blessing to others. And Sharon is a fire-cracker evangelist and sent from God to help. She has a very out-going and bubbly personality who is on fire for God!
This is a sweet couple that came to one of our Sunday Services on the street, then came down for First Friday to hang out with us.
The reason we come.
Frank Peterson totally lit up the darkness with the power of prayer. He was the bomb!

Sunday Sunday

WOW! It's just amazing what God does when you go for it. We had an awesome street service again today. The weather held out for us, even though we had scattered thunderstorms in the forecast. Since we know THE Forecaster, we had Divine Favor. Today was a good day. The message was great (he taught on Who You Are, and gave practical applications for how to combat the enemy when he comes along and reminds you of who you once were) and Frank and I were also told by a 54 year old "member" that she had adopted us as her mom and dad. :) Very sweet.

I was listening to a few messages by Todd Bentley a few weeks before we decided to "just do it" on the street church deal. He was talking about it costing you something when you follow hot after God's anointing for your ministry. I thought, in all honesty, that I was prepared for whatever the cost would be, and at this point I figured the worst part would be my time and money, and hugging people who don't smell nice. Actually, this HAS been a huge factor in the "cost".

But today I encountered a price-tag I was unprepared to pay. Our middle child, Caleb, was in a day camp all week at a church in Hephzibah, and today was the grand-finale and parent's program. This is a big deal and not something I wanted to miss, however, I was torn. Should I go down-town to minister and love on the addicts and ex-strippers who are trying so hard to follow Jesus --- and DESPERATELY need someone to gently prod them along in their journeys, or should I go to Caleb's show. Everything within me wanted to go see Caleb, but something else deep inside me was compelling me to go to the streets today.

And because God is a God Who honors obedience, I went down-town AND to Caleb's performance. He just worked it out for me! Isn't HE just so awesome! Initially, I was unsure if I was willing to pay the price, if I was willing to let this thing that God is putting together in front of our very eyes cost me THIS event, or any other event related to my boys. But when I decided to make that move toward obedience, God gave me both for the price of one! LOL! My dad was able to pick up the boys while we were down-town and get the kids to the church in Hephzibah on time, and we were able to finish up down-town and get to Hephzibah just a few minutes after the program started. And the way Caleb's face lit up when he saw us come in....a very heart warming moment indeed.

Yep, it will sometimes cost us something we don't want to give up to pursue after His calling, but when we offer our obedience to Him, He comes through for us. And I'm thankful that my dad was willing to make a sacrifice for us today, which ultimately became a sacrifice for A Church Without Walls.

Follow hard after the anointing over His calling on your life and see how He automatically pulls things together for you. Go after Him. Pursue Him. Then go after the things that are dear to Him......people. Be the Light in the darkness!

ACWWs ministers in down-town apartment building on Monday night

Awesome stories to come....


Things are just happening so fast that I can't keep up the posts! Wow!! God is awesome!

I'll get them posted as soon as I can. I think you will be inspired to hear what God is doing among the poor of Augusta!