Quickie...

It has been a crazy month with the passing of my Grandfather and the family reunions that ensued.  So glad to see everyone, but it carried an emotional toll.  That covered our Thanksgiving week.

That was quickly followed by the Annual Treelighting Ceremony here in Orange that we partner here with our City.  THEY GAVE US TWO BLOCKS this year for bounce houses and trains and crafts.  It was a lot of fun and total success.

We launched our new ministry plan in March of last year and we have seen God move in ways that make it seem like we are on slippery ground.  Hard to keep up!  God is so good. Pray we are wise with the blessings He is giving us.

This last weekend, 30 HS Choir students and their families joined us for worship and lead us in two songs. It was beautiful! They came to say thanks for our ladies repairing their robes "better than new."

Praise God the Body of Christ seems to be gathering in Orange. More pastors are joining us for prayer and the discussions we have now tagged on the back of the meetings on issues like homelessness and recovery.

Pray for our partners: School principals, city officials, etc.  We lost two more key partners to job loss and family illness last week.

Pray for our finances.  We are basically brooke, but somehow able to operate.

Please pray for our family health...

• Nathan twisted an ankle that revealed a greater problem.  He has had several MRI's and xrays.  We will discover the results next week.
• Carolyn and Keziah are fighting off strep.
• I am still dealing with my hand and trying to decide what to do.

Also pray for our Christmas Eve services in a week or so.

Please keep the Israel trip in prayer as I need to give final answers to the agency on January 3.

Thanks for keeping us in prayer.  lots of plates in the air.

Love

Ric

NEW September 2012

TWICE IN ONE MONTH!  There are two parts to making this happen... 1. Having my day to pray and 2. Taking the time to type the results of that day to you.  So, I am becoming more consistent on my prayer days (yeah!) and trying harder to write them down, so without further ado...

PRAISE:

1. We are on a great vision path for the Fall.
2. Super responses from the Elmo principal about partnership.
3. New families are visiting us.

Prayer requests:

1. I found out my wrist is broken.   I have had two opinions on it and looking for a third.  I t doesn't look like surgery can do much, but I am losing my ability to do some things (like handwriting) as i am write handed.  Pray for wisdom as I would be in a cast for up to 9 months with only a 50% chance of success.
2. I have some terribly emotional situations that I am dealing with right now involving marriages going bad.  PTL none at the Beacon right now.  It is taking its toll on me and Carolyn.
3. Finances at the Beacon are not dire, but have hit rock bottom. This too becomes emotional since we none of our staff can afford a reduction in pay.
4. Membership covenants are being collected now for the Fall drive.
5. Wisdom about invitations to speak outside of the Beacon.
6. Israel trip preparation.
7. Pray we finish our 2011 taxes.
8. Team lead openings: Advent, Resurrection, Connection team (overseas life groups)
9. Restructuring of all church retreat to day retreat (due to Beacon financial situation) and response from our people. 
10. That I can organize a pastors day retreat for orange pastors.

Schedule:

1. Teaching Awaken on Tuesday nights in October.
2. mayors prayer breakfast on 18th

Lots happening as you can tell,  thanks for praying.  

ONE FINAL NOTE: It is September and I want to free you or re enlist you for another year of praying for our family.  

1. Nathan and Keziah are more involved in lacrosse and dancing this year which tightens up our schedule.  Pray for rest.
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3. 
   

September 2012

Good morning to you all.

I can keep apologizing and promising to do better, but that seems repetitious and meaningless.  So I will move on and do my best.

This fall is looking promising.  I am excited about the momentum we are feeling as things prepare to launch this fall.  Please pray that I am able to present a compelling vision of the future.  Orange Sunday is this weekend and I will layout the strategy for this year.

Specific prayer would be appreciated in several areas...
1. I broke my wrist a few years ago, but just found out a few weeks ago.  I need surgery and will be in a cast for 6 months.  It is my writing hand.
2. I am swamped with marriages falling apart lately.  No Beacon ones PTL, but still significant relationships.  It has been emotionally draining.
3. The trip to Israel is on the books and we will be announcing it soon.  Lots of work to do to prep for that.
4. We need to finish our taxes for 2011.
5.  School has started and we are trying to find our rhythm as a family.
6.  The Beacon just ran out of cash.  Give us wisdom Lord.
7.  We are in the process of electing new elders and a new constitution.  Not easy.

I know this is shorter than usual, but I wanted to post something for you.

Blessings and thank you!
Ric

I am sorry!  I have not kept my end of the bargain.  It has been hard enough to schedule the prayer days, but even more so to sit and write these updates.  I am so sorry!  I made a commitment to you and I broke it.  I do so appreciate your prayers.  Ironically, the time I need them most is when I haven't been giving you prayer requests.  I have to trust the Lord leads you with groanings beyond words in your efforts on our behalf.

It has been a very full Spring...

• Keziah participated in her first musical- Flat Stanley, and did a great job.
• She also served as assistant Conductor for her school orchestra, while also participating in Violin.
• Nathan also participated in the Orchestra playing Cello.  
• Pray that their love of music doesnt become performance driven, but that it becomes a way for them to express worship.
• Nathan is in Cubscouts - Webelos 1, and they asked me to teach them through the requirements for their faith emblem.  Over 6 meetings, I get to lead families and sons to discover some foundational truths of Scripture.  Pray for these families.
• I have been teaching from Genesis to Revelation, scrunching God's Never Ending Story down into 9 months of messages.  Whew.  We finish in 2 weeks.  It has been so rewarding. 
• I am finishing a 2 year coaching network with Church Resource Ministries that has been 1 full day once a month.   I will be gone this Friday as well.  We finish in August.
• We launched our 3 year vision plan in March.  It has been very exciting to reinvigorate our people on a focused vision for the future.
• We had a friend visiting from Romania.  We hope to take the Tru Curriculum to Romania.
• We started meeting with other churches in Orange for prayer every 3rd Wednesday.  So good.
• My car broke down during a retreat with the elders.

I did get my monthly Summit/Prayer this month (last Thursday), though it took a lot of wrangling with my calendar to do so.  Please pray I can keep that commitment.   Also, please pray for...

• Kid to finish well at school (June 15).  They are both straight A's, and mostly A+'s.  We are grateful for their hard work.  
• Our vacation from June 22 to July 6.  We will be along the Mississippi coast and Nathan doesn't like Alligators.
• Keziah heads off on her first mission trip without us.  She will join the Beacon Youth on a Navajo Nation project from July 8-13.
• Nathan will be heading to Camp Pondo with our Children's Team from July 9-12.
• Carolyn has conferences related to work this summer.
• I am trying to get my head around the messages sequence for 2012-2013.  I hope to publish that calendar for our teams by September.
• Family members who need prayer: Ric's Grandpa John, Carolyn's Mother Bonnie and Brother Gary.
• My regular meetings with the Men that keep me sharp have been cancelled lately.  I am not fond of that.
• Pray for my Men's Discipleship group.  I have 5 great guys that meet twice a month.
• Pray for the Elder choosing process at the Beacon.  We have 4 men and their wives in the process right now.
• Pray for our current Elders as we are trying to make sure we lay a solid foundation for the future.
• Pray for our Elders as they interview new member prospects.

My next prayer day is supposed to be June 14.  Thanks again for your prayers.  Is there anyway we can pray for you?

Leaping...

Boy, today is leap day, but this year has truly kept us leaping. 
We have had some back to back appointments, all good stuff, but keeping us on our toes.

Praise report, I spoke at the CPC conference yesterday to a packed house.  I had low expectations since the AC unit outside my room kept me up all night, the printer from the hotel for my message was broken, the Starbucks I got to pep me up was so bad I couldnt drink it and the video and audio systems were having issue.  I started to laugh.  Then they told me the seminar I was teaching on Spiritual Foundation was for credit for some of them.  Yikes!  By the time it started they had turned over 50 people away and people were sitting on the floor.  They were very forgiving as well and we had a really good time.  One guy came up to me later in the day and said that he had come to the conference feeling confounded, but the seminar gave him a clear path and he was excited!  God is to good!

Home again!  I am excited for this spring!  God is changing lives right in front of us and I am excited to see where it will take us.

Keep praying.  I will post some more in a few days!  Anything I can pray for you about?
Ric

New Year, New Prayer Effort...

Sorry I have not been as active on this as I had promised.  I am making an effort to get back on track.  I  had my prayer day today, but it took 3 weeks of rescheduling to do it.  That is my first prayer request.  Things have been very busy.

This month...
1. 10-11 Leadership Retreat for Beacon Leadership to cast vision for the future.
2. 19 Wedding for Fire Department
3. 24 Wedding for a former student
4. 28 Speaking at the National Children's Pastors Conference in San Diego on Spiritual Formation.

We are teaching several new classes: Financial Peace University, Discover the Beacon
I am involved with Boy Scouts with Nathan.
I have several leadership teams meeting to prep for the Spring and Resurrection Celebration.
I am working on this message series that has a chance on getting published.
I am still trying to get time with the guys at the fire department.  One of them recently decided it was time to give his life to Jesus!  Yes!

Pray that I can put some margin back into our family life and into ministry time. We are trying to plan vacation time for this summer.  Not an easy task.
Pray that I use my time well!

Thank you for praying!  Normally, my prayer days are the 4th Thursday of the month, and you can expect updates after that.

How can I pray for you?
Ric