Dear Friends:                                                                                                                          

Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has informed him?  With whom did He consult, and who gave Him understanding, and who taught Him in the path of justice, and taught Him knowledge, and informed Him in the way of understanding?   Isaiah 40:13-14   For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.  Isaiah 55:8-9 

            There are times when I try to figure out God's ways.  I cannot.  His understanding is inscrutable.  His ways are beyond anything I can ask or think.  But there are times in my sinful, human, finite condition that I just want to know.  What is God thinking? What is God doing right now?

Recently I have had a rash of people, dear friends that are suffering with pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, bone cancer as well as damage to the spinal column.  I have friends that have lost jobs or their children can't find one.   There is corruption and lack of leadership in government and business.  Plus I am being bombarded by an immoral and a perverse agenda by my own country, that I believe God wants to use for His Glory.  What is happening? 

The Christian life is a never ending quest to know God better.  We seek to be faithful men and women who serve Him.  We seek to please Him by our faith.  As a friend before he died with cancer said, "I always wanted to go with God through the deep waters."  God knows we get to know Him better, we glorify Him more, and our relationship with Him becomes sweeter, when all the supports are taken out.  I don't like it.  I am not comfortable with it.  But when God strips away the things we cling to or depend on, it causes us to depend on Him. 

What has amazed and motivated me is how these friends have responded to these crises.  One friend said of His Savior, "You are the only solid rock on which I can stand, You are the only real security I have, You are the only One who can deliver me from this or through this.  And He is doing that.  My strength is not my faith, but His faithfulness."  What a response to our great God and to His gracious dealings with us even in the midst of difficulties, trials, disease, hurt, economic downturns, loss of jobs, victories and joys.  I pray I will respond as gratefully as he has.

Here is an update on our last few weeks.  We had a very successful fundraiser with our Sporting Clays even though the attendance was down.  People still gave and we are very grateful.  We have started two new studies with twenty or more men as a result of our last banquet.  Plus we are still getting with people who came to the Mike Gottfried Banquet.  Many will be in future studies. 

Our mentoring program is doing well and we continue to match men one on one.  We are gearing up for our Golf Tournament November 9^th with close to eighteen teams. 

Our Couples Banquet will be one of the highlights this year with Spike and Rica McRoy.  Rica was born and raised in India.  It will be quite a story.  And we are adjusting our 5 year plan in light of where we are as a ministry in this economy.        

As always I am so grateful and thankful for you my prayerful supporters and friends.  Thank you for your response this year in praying for us and giving to us.  Pray for men in our cities, their families and their careers as we seek to minister to them. 

Let me close with a quote from the book When Grace Comes Home by Terry L. Johnson.  "What practical difference does God's sovereignty and grace make?  The first one is vital to all the rest.  It will make you into a worshiper.  When you come to realize that the God who is there is not subject to your desires, that He is sovereign over your eternity, when you come to realize the greatness of His mercy and grace, you will begin to long for genuine worship - worship that prostates you and exalts God."  May you and I humbly worship this great God.