A grateful man.....

Yesterday was the first day in 3 months that I felt the invisible weight off my shoulders of the cumbersome regular doctors visits, testing, sickness, lack of energy, and pain that went along with my recent health related issues. It was a day in which I just felt filled with joy and I even had a zeal for doing some of the most mundane tasks in life (even went to Loew's and replaced a shower head!...if you know me that's BIG!...I mean huge!).

Along the way, people have encouraged and challenged me as I've sought to listen to God for what He would have me learn during this journey. Today I share with you one of these challenges from a brother in Christ:

"OK, here’s my challenge for you…ask God to never let you be the same given He has spared your life. Be curious about that and remember it often so that you remain a grateful man!"

Good words...no...Great words! But what do they mean and how do they apply to my life as a follower of Christ? So this of course got me to thinking, asking, praying and reading.... What are the characteristics of "a grateful man?" What does the Bible say about being grateful? Teach me Holy Spirit about what it means to be a grateful man of God in the days ahead as I have been spared battling cancer and perhaps even my life? Being "a grateful man" should impact my life for the cause of Christ how?

Any thoughts, comments or lessons learned from your life experiences in this area, or your reading from the Word or convictions from the HS are absolutely welcomed, as I take time to understand it's application for my life. Thank you brothers and sisters in Christ.

UGLIER THAN NORMAL.....

Well after Mohs surgery on the side of my face and a biopsy on my lip which required several stitches I was looking uglier than normal. Ugh! Today I received the report back on my lip and the biopsy tested positive for scimus cells. So next Thursday they will dig away at my lip to remove all those cancer cells and two other spots on my back. I'm very grateful for the outstanding job the nurse and surgeon did last week and I'm almost looking forward to seeing them on Thursday Am...almost!

Tomorrow Chris and I leave for Charleston where we will visit a cancer center on Wednesday morning. I will have some more Cat Scans and possible needle biopsies done as well as a consultation with a head & neck specialist by the name of Dr. Lentsch. This will serve as our second opinion. Boston got cancelled after I had purchased tix. Did some RDM instead!

On this trip I'm looking forward to seeing a former Eagle player, friend and partner of ours in ministry Josh Farrar, who currently is in residency at this hospital. In fact, Josh set all this up for me. Josh was a terrific player with a tremendous competitive fire who I enjoyed coaching so much........I'm trying to remember if there would be anything I did to him where it might incite him to want to stick a needle in my neck just for the fun of it! Let's hope not!

With shoulder rehab on Friday it's a busy week of doctor visits. Praying for a conclusion on the root cause of all the issues in my neck area, continued improvement with the muscles in my shoulder and positive minor surgery for the removal of skin cancer cells on my back/neck area & lip . Pray with us for these requests will you. thanks, bd

Note from Kenya leader who attended SF Africa Vision Trip last July

*Sports Friends is partnering with the Charlotte Eagles/MAI on a project in a M***** region

on the coast of Kenya. David and Mitch Sanford have been working on training leaders in

this area for several years and planting the seeds for the development of sports ministry. Last

year they invited us to partner with them to assist them in the training of sports ministry leaders and the establishment of strategic initiatives. We agreed only after bringing in their top leader to see the work in Ethiopia in our Arsi Negele region and to share with him the SF long term approach to developing ongoing sustainable CCSM led by nationals. We wanted to be sure he bought into this approach and believed a similar approach could be used effectively in Kenya among the unreached groups. This former Iman now strong Christian leader who is radiant with Christ sweet spirit and love strongly felt a similar approach could bare Kingdom fruit in his region and beyond. A brief note from this leader after a recent training for Pastors and level 2 coaching leaders is below:

Mama and I do hope that all is well with you and your family, and God is blessing you and your ministry. It was good that you came at this time of the year, and ran the training with the key Pastors of *Blank and Blank* Districts. More fire is lit and Pastors have gone back to their respective Churches with fire for starting sports ministry teams!

This month of April, I have visited 4 Churches in the bush and these Pastors have started sports ministry teams– many people gather outside the Churches to watch. I am excited about your returning trip in August for the first ever Football Camp.

Thank you for all the s[ports equipments you sent for all the teams, every team/coach had something to take back home. Our Lamu team is registered for this season’s league – I will make sure we keep you informed….. I went to the boarder of Somalia and Kenya, and started a preaching point (seeds of a church plant) of 39 people by using the ball – we left a missionary there.

***PRAY FOR THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF THIS MINISTRY AND FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE PASTORS, COACHES AND YOUTH FROM THE EVIL ONE!

^OUR FUNDING INVOLVEMENT WITH THIS SPECIAL INITIATIVE IN AUGUST FOR 70 YOUTH IS $3500. IF YOUR INTERESTED IN INVESTING IN THIS MINISTRY INITIATIVE OF $10 OR MORE THEN PLEASE SEND TO SIM PO BOX 7900 CHARLOTTE, NC 28241 WRITE IN THE MEMO OF YOUR CHECK AFRICAN EXPANSION PROJECT 99803

For just $39.....

YOU can provide an incredible life memory for a young african child by assisting with the expenses of a one week camp experience. These youth are part of an ongoing Sports Friends church centered project somewhere in the country. They come to camp with their trained SF coaches who have often times been investing into the lives of these young people for at least a year. $39 bucks (avg. cost between our camps) will help send one child, between the ages of 11 to 15, to either our Ethiopian, Nigerian or new Kenyan Sports Friends camp location. It's a dynamic camp environment from the moment they step off the bus. Singing, cheering, games, team building, ping pong, foose ball, swimming, soccer training, individual and team competitions, drama's, teachable moments, daily talk times, reflection times, cabin inspections, SF awards daily, interaction with Ethiopian staff and Western Guests, a bon fire, goat roast, cultural dancing, wacky wednesday dress day, and informal one on one chats along the path headed to the field or to the dining hall. It's a GREAT ADVENTURE, one that these kids will remember forever. It's an experience that is often times life changing for many of these young people. To Donate Please send to SIM PO BOX 7900 Charlotte, NC 28241-7900 and PUT IN MEMO LINE: SPORTS FRIENDS PROJECT 92764

3 Little Puigs....

For those of you interested in getting funny little updates from our daughter Danielle during her pregnancy I'm making this link available for you. http://3littlepuigs.blogspot.com/ To get to this link via a shortcut just scroll across my blog and look at the blog link on the right hand side of my page. Click on Three Little Puigs and you will be taken instantly to the blog.

Danielle cracks me up and following her blog keeps me laughing. If you need a good laugh I highly suggest checking out her always "interesting" blog once in a while as she gets closer and closer to her July 30th due date. Her DAD!

We got the results from Brians surgery back already.........

No CANCER! I repeat NO CANCER!!!!! Much to the amazement of the medical team here in Charlotte my results came back showing NO SIGNS of CANCER! Needless to say, we are thrilled and rejoicing in the fact that we will not have to endure radiation and/or chemotherapy.

It was on March 2nd that the doctors were believing that all the symptoms I was showing and the large mass on my throat and unusually large lymph nodes pointed to cancer. Was it scimus carsinoma or one of the thirty five different types of lymphoma. More tests were completed and finally surgery took place to remove the HUGE nodes and biopsy the throat tissue directly. The conclusion was NO CANCER!

I am grateful for the literally thousands (examples: a church of 800 in Brazil, a couple hundred brothers and sisters in Christ living at the Community of Jesus, friends in India, several congregations and friends fasted and prayed in Ethiopia, staff in Nigeria and Thailand, SIM teammates around the world, hundreds of people in Charlotte, hundreds more in small groups, Sunday schools and supporting churches around the US) who interceeded on our behalf.

On Friday I will meet with doctors to determine our next steps. All tissues and lymph-nodes taken from the biopsy have been sent to a micro-biology testing facility and results from these tests could take up to 8 weeks to complete before they know something definitive. Man oh man what a blessing not to have to go through radiation or chemo in the coming weeks. Chris and I are celebrating and "jumping" up for joy. Africa here we come? We are listening to God to Hear and Know His plans for us in the coming months and years. God has been purposeful in slowing me down through physical challenges in the last 16 months. Therefore, I want to be sure to listen intently to His directions for our lives as we move forward with summer and fall plans. We desire to be in Africa for the summer but Our lives are not our own. We absolutely submit to serving the Kingdom of God however and where ever he calls us to serve.

To God be the Glory for shocking the doctors with these results! THANK YOU FOR WALKING WITH CHRIS AND I DURING THIS INTERESTING TIME IN OUR LIVES. SORRY IT'S BEEN SUCH A SAGA! GRATEFUL FOR YOUR PRAYERS AGAINST THIS NASTY DISEASE called CANCER.

BD

Great Drops of Blood.

March 23rd am Spurgeon Devotional: Great Drops of Blood.

Read at 6ish before going into surgery with my good friend Breck Bolton and Christine.

"His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground." Luke 22:44

The mental pressure from our Lord's agony forced the pores of His body to sweat great drops of blood. What a tremendous weight of sin crushed the Savior! What a demonstration of the mighty power of His love."

Isaac Ambrose observed that the sap which flows from the uncut tree is always the best. This precious tree yielded sweet spices when it was wounded by whips and pierced by nails. But it produced it's finest spices preceding that, when there was no whip, no nail, no physical wound.

Christ suffered willingly. Without being lanced His blood flowed freely. No need for a surgeon to use a scalpel; His blood flowed spontaneously. No need for Moses to cry, "Spring up, O well" (Numbers 21:17). Of itself His blood flows in crimson torrents.

When people suffer greatly, apparently the blood rushes to their heart. Their face becomes pale and frequently they faint. the blood has gone inward as if to nourish the inner being. but look at our Savior. He is so utterly oblivious of self, that instead of His agony driving His blood to His heart to nourish Himself, it flows outward to minister to us. the agony of Christ, as His blood is poured out on the ground, pictures the fullness of the offering He made for us.

Can you perceive the intensity of His suffering? will you hear its voice as it speaks? "You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin" (Hebrews 12:4). Let the great Apostle and High Priest be our example. Sweat blood if you have to, rather than yield to the great temper of you soul. "

I had to share a little of what came to my mind about Spurgeons words and my experience at the hospital today for this blog entry on March 23rd. So here goes: blood....hmmm.... I'm reminded of a couple of pre-op "happenings" today - 1.the nurse putting in my IV this morning missed numerous times leaving blood all over my left hand... 2. then the next nurse did get the IV in on the right hand and a couple of other medical procedures completed, but not without, in her words, "making a real big mess that had blood all over my right hand and arm." 3. of course during the surgery there was blood all over the doctors and nurses and the tools they were using to fix me up. 4. Tonight, the evening of the surgery, as I reread the devotional I have a bag of blood that hangs over my right shoulder right now collecting the blood which is connected to the tube that is located in the right side of my neck where the surgery took place earlier this morning. Blood is critical to sustaining life. When i got pricked and poked before the surgery the blood came out of my skin and made a mess. It didn't hurt, but if that bleeding had continued for a long time I would lose too much blood and death would follow. In my case the nurses easily took care of business and a small mess on my arms and gown was the only issue. In surgery, well that was quite the procedure. The cutting out of the very large lymph nodes in my neck caused lots of bleeding. But the doctors and nurses managed the blood loss well and my life was never in danger.

Jesus loved you and me so much he literally spilled his blood, without being numbed or knocked out with "sleep" medicine for the forgiveness of our sins. Not his sins but for our sins! Yours and mine! He suffered this blood loss so that we might have a personal relationship with our HOLY HOLY HOLY Heavenly Father. This in turns enables us to have eternal life, so that we could be participants in the the GREATEST Celebration (party) ever.....what an INCREDIBLE COST that was for Jesus to pay. My blood was spilled so that I would be made physically better. Jesus blood was spilled to for the sake of others. That's real love!

If you don't know Jesus as your personal Savior today recognize the cost of GREAT DROPS of BLOOD spilled for you so that you might find the forgiveness of ALL your sins, true joy, life abundantly and genuine purpose to real life living today. Secondly, if you have such a relationship with Christ, think of having a bag of Christ blood slung over your right shoulder everyday as a reminder of Christ blood spilled for our well being. Let's remember the cost Jesus paid for our sins, for our lives, by living our lives in such a way that in everything we do and everywhere we go we will live as His wittness to what He has done for us.

A reality of the greatest truth from the Word of God..we are WASHED in the BLOOD Of JESUS..the redemption of mankind is found in the GREAT Drops of Blood spilled from Jesus Christ body for the atonement of our sins so that we might live out His righteousness and share this good news with others so that EVERYONE (regardless of past sins committed, race, gender, age, physical or mental state, or position in this world) who embraces this truth might have life everlasting. If you love Jesus, think of these GREAT Drops of blood daily so that you will be reminded of the cost that took place for our Spiritual freedom.....then..... with a grateful heart that pounds with passion, zeal, and compassion for HIS Kingdom purposes serve others. Serve those who are hopeless, lonely, and searching for fulfillment and significance in this life. Tell them in all humility and gentleness of spirit, of Jesus who spilled his blood for them so that they may live a purposeful life with great meaning & fulfillment.

To God and God alone be the Glory. I count it a PRIVIlege unlike any other to serve the Kingdom of God and His purposes on this earth. Thank You Jesus for all that you have done for me...it's simply amazing. I'm so GRATEFUL for the GREAT DROPS OF BLOOD you spilled on my behalf.

the Glory of the Impossible.

brian