Wow.  God is doing great things at Manton Family Camp.  Having received a good 300+ texts in the past two days, I am encouraged by even this glimpse of how much the Lord is stirring us.  I count it a joy to see it all and be a small part of it.  And, as several people have pointed out during my time here, I’m very blessed to have a wife and a church who makes it so I can basically leave home for a few weeks to go play in my favorite kind of sandbox.  Not only have people been praying for me and for the camps, folks from church have been super supportive of the fam during my absence.  I cannot thank you enough, gang.  I am superbly blessed to be able to do this.  On behalf of my family, whom I love so very much and miss so deeply: thank you.

After 2 weeks steeped in solid Kingdom work, I can’t wait to get home to Portage and get back into the stream at pfm church.  Doing this — speaking once or twice a day, meeting with and praying with people who are going through all kinds of stuff, etc — doesn’t wear me down.  Not anymore than working at a candy factory would make me hate chocolate.  If anything, it helps me see just how much is possible when it comes to God’s grace and power.  Yikes.  I’m loaded down with amazing testimonies from these past two weeks that have me convinced, more than ever, that we are ready and looking for something new.

Of course, I know that I’m on the mountain right now and that coming down is the next thing.  But these two weeks will become a reference point, especially when it’s tempting to believe that God is aloof, unable, or that we should probably just give in and lazily float along.  I haven’t been to heaven, but I feel like I’ve seen a slice of it.  Hope.  Grateful.  Joyful.

I am so thankful to be able to do this.  Thank you, Jesus.  And I can’t wait to get home and hug my children.