Grace Walk Experience - Part One

This video is the first of a five part series on "It's A New Day" in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Willard Thiessen is a friend who is excited about God's grace. I'll put up the other segments as I have the time to upload them to the Internet.

My Dad's Graduation

My Mom and
Dad








This past Thursday morning, our loving Father granted the desire my Dad has expressed and allowed him to step across the boundary from time into eternity as he slept in his bed. My Mom went home two years and six weeks ahead of him. As Dad approached the boundary between heaven and earth, he often told me that he sensed my mother's closeness in such a real way that he would sometime reach over in the dark to feel the bed and see if she was lying beside him.

I told him just last week, "Dad, very soon you are going to reach over and feel for Mom and you will find that she is really there. The Lord will have allowed you to die in your sleep, and when you open your eyes, you and Mom will join hands as you step across the boundary line." My Dad choked back emotion and answered, "I hope it happens that way. I can't think of a better way to go."

I believe that's what happened on Thursday morning when my Dad passed through the thin veil that separates the temporal realm from the eternal one. My recent blog about the movie "March of the Penguins" explains my viewpoint.

My Dad has now left what C.S. Lewis called “The Shadow-Lands” and moved into the direct light of his glory.

At the conclusion of The Last Battle, (by C.S. Lewis), Aslan (the Christ figure) reminds the Pevensie children that, despite the pain of this world – the Shadow -Lands – the holidays have begun. Your father and mother and all of you are – as you used to call it in the Shadow-Lands – dead. The term is over; the holidays have begun. The dream is ended; this is the morning.


All of their life in this world and all their adventures in (the land of) Narnia had only been the cover and the title page; now at last they were beginning Chapter One and the Great Story, which no one on earth has read, which goes on forever, in which every chapter is better than the one before.

John Owen, an English pastor/theologian who lived in the 1600's lay on his deathbed. A friend had written to ask about his health. Owen instructed his secretary to write to a friend, "I am still in the land of the living. " Stop," he suddenly said. "Change that and say, 'I am yet in the land of the dying, but I hope soon to be in the land of the living.'"

Today I find myself still in the land of the dying, but my Mom and Dad are in the land of the living... a land where "the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."

One day, I will join them and again we will laugh and love together. Until then, may God grant me the gift of living up to the legacy they leave behind by allowing me to finish well.

March of the Penguins

I watched this movie on the Hallmark channel a few nights ago and loved it. The film is a documentary which follows a flock of emperor penguins in the Antarctic for a year as they journey 70 miles in harsh winds and freezing cold temperatures by foot, going through the harshest conditions in the struggle to survive - all to find true "love" and to find a mate and reproduce.

There is a particularly poignant scene at the very end of the movie where, after a brutally hard winter, the baby penguins come to the ocean for the first time. Narrator, Morgan Freeman described it, saying:

It is now December and they are ready to leave the place where they were born. And although they have never known the ocean, nor touched it -- they, like their parents, are of the sea . . . and so . . . one day . . . they'll take the plunge . . . and go home for the first time.

When I heard those words, I backed up the Tivo and listened to that part three more times. I found my heart being stirred as I recognized my Father's voice in the experience of these penguins.

You and I come into a world where we often encounter harsh storms with cold winds. Like the emporor penguins, we seek out our mates, bear our children, and brave the storms of life for the sake of those we love.

Then December comes ...

One day we all will leave the place we were born. Though we have never known heaven, nor touched it, we, like our Father, are of heaven. We're all on a march through time. Along the way, there will be occasions of loss and grief, but we march onward, knowing at a level deeper than our human consciousness that one day we will take the plunge, reach our final destination . . . and for the first time . . . find ourselves at home.

Grace Walk International Leaders Training

I have just returned from Guadalajara, Mexico where 14 of us representing 6 countries met together to discuss strategy for reaching the world with the message of the grace walk. It was an exciting time together.

During our time together, we discussed the message, methodology and mission of Grace Walk Ministries around the world. The following videos are short testimonies of our team in Latin America. We have a great group of guys there working to spread the message of God's endless grace and unconditional love.

Grace Walk Mexico


Grace Walk Argentina


Grace Walk El Salvador


Pray for our Grace Walk team in Latin America as they spread the message of the grace walk.

Grace Walk Canada Launches

It was exciting to be in Canada on November 5 for the official launch of Grace Walk Canada. The photos here are of Mike Zenker as I prayed for him and presented him as our new National Director for Grace Walk Canada.

Five years ago Mike called me after reading Grace Walk. He shared with me how his life had been impacted and expressed a desire to meet in person. He traveled to the U.S. when I was speaking up north one weekend and it was there that our relationship began. In the years that followed, we have spent many hours discussing the message and ministry of Grace Walk. As I grew to know Mike better and better, it became clear that God was raising him up to lead our ministry in Canada.

Mike, Lori and their children live in Elmira, Onatario. You can find out more about them and our ministry there at www.gracewalkcanada.org. I am convinced that our Father is going to use Mike mightily to further the message of the grace walk across Canada. He has all of my materials available so that our friends in Canada can avoid the costs associated with ordering from the states. Mike is available to speak in your church as our Grace Walk Director for Canada. I encourage all Canadian Grace Walkers to get to know Mike!

Karen Carpenter and Perry Como

Here's a video that evokes strong feelings of nostalgia in me when I watch it. I suspect others in my age group might feel the same. I was completely hooked on The Carpenters when I was a teen and I never hear Perry Como that I don't think of Christmas as a child. (He always had a Christmas special on TV.) One of my earliest music memories is my mother singing his song, "Catch A Falling Star" to me as a very young child.

No profound spiritual truth here - just the early morning musings and nostalgic feelings of days gone by. Does this video affect you that way too?

Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas

I was watching Bono on Larry King this week and was impressed with a lot of what he said. Even if you're not a fan of his music, you've surely heard of him. Bono is the lead singer and occasional rhythm guitarist of the Irish rock band U2. In December 2005, he was named by TIME as a Person of the Year, along with Bill and Melinda Gates. He has won a boatload of grammys and even been nominated numerous times for the Nobel Peace Prize.

I find people like Bono interesting and believe they enrich the church. If you want to find fault with the man, it's not that hard. He is transparent - very tranparent. Some Christians have questioned the validity of his faith. While he couldn't be more different from the Christian world I grew up in, there's no doubt in my mind about the sincerity of his faith.

Yeah, I know there are those who will point out his foul language, but honestly, I get just as sick and tired of the language of hyper-churchy, mean-spirited, legalistic types. At least, Bono comes across as "real" to me, unlike some I've heard who speak KJV Elizabethan English with great skill.

Here's an excerpt from the book, Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas. I haven't read the book. I found this excerpt on the web.

Assayas: I think I am beginning to understand religion because I have started acting and thinking like a father. What do you make of that?

Bono: Yes, I think that's normal. It's a mind-blowing concept that the God who created the universe might be looking for company, a real relationship with people, but the thing that keeps me on my knees is the difference between Grace and Karma.

Assayas: I haven't heard you talk about that.

Bono: I really believe we've moved out of the realm of Karma into one of Grace.

Assayas: Well, that doesn't make it clearer for me.

Bono: You see, at the center of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics—in physical laws—every action is met by an equal or an opposite one. It's clear to me that Karma is at the very heart of the universe. I'm absolutely sure of it. And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that "as you reap, so you will sow" stuff. Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff.

Assayas: I'd be interested to hear that.

Bono: That's between me and God. But I'd be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge. I'd be in deep s---. It doesn't excuse my mistakes, but I'm holding out for Grace. I'm holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don't have to depend on my own religiosity.

Assayas: The Son of God who takes away the sins of the world. I wish I could believe in that.

Bono: But I love the idea of the Sacrificial Lamb. I love the idea that God says: Look, you cretins, there are certain results to the way we are, to selfishness, and there's a mortality as part of your very sinful nature, and, let's face it, you're not living a very good life, are you? There are consequences to actions. The point of the death of Christ is that Christ took on the sins of the world, so that what we put out did not come back to us, and that our sinful nature does not reap the obvious death. That's the point. It should keep us humbled… . It's not our own good works that get us through the gates of heaven.

Assayas: That's a great idea, no denying it. Such great hope is wonderful, even though it's close to lunacy, in my view. Christ has his rank among the world's great thinkers. But Son of God, isn't that farfetched?

Bono: No, it's not farfetched to me. Look, the secular response to the Christ story always goes like this: he was a great prophet, obviously a very interesting guy, had a lot to say along the lines of other great prophets, be they Elijah, Muhammad, Buddha, or Confucius. But actually Christ doesn't allow you that. He doesn't let you off that hook. Christ says: No. I'm not saying I'm a teacher, don't call me teacher. I'm not saying I'm a prophet. I'm saying: "I'm the Messiah." I'm saying: "I am God incarnate." And people say: No, no, please, just be a prophet. A prophet, we can take. You're a bit eccentric. We've had John the Baptist eating locusts and wild honey, we can handle that. But don't mention the "M" word! Because, you know, we're gonna have to crucify you. And he goes: No, no. I know you're expecting me to come back with an army, and set you free from these creeps, but actually I am the Messiah. At this point, everyone starts staring at their shoes, and says: Oh, my God, he's gonna keep saying this. So what you're left with is: either Christ was who He said He was—the Messiah—or a complete nutcase. I mean, we're talking nutcase on the level of Charles Manson. This man was like some of the people we've been talking about earlier. This man was strapping himself to a bomb, and had "King of the Jews" on his head, and, as they were putting him up on the Cross, was going: OK, martyrdom, here we go. Bring on the pain! I can take it. I'm not joking here. The idea that the entire course of civilization for over half of the globe could have its fate changed and turned upside-down by a nutcase, for me, that's farfetched …

Bono later says it all comes down to Jesus:

Bono: … When I look at the Cross of Christ, what I see up there is all my s--- and everybody else's. So I ask myself a question a lot of people have asked: Who is this man? And was He who He said He was, or was He just a religious nut? And there it is, and that's the question. And no one can talk you into it or out of it.

His observation on religion:

"Religion can be the enemy of God. It's often what happens when God, like Elvis, has left the building. [laughs] A list of instructions where there was once conviction; dogma where once people just did it; a congregation led by a man where once they were led by the Holy Spirit. Discipline replacing discipleship."

I know little about Bono, but what I have seen and know of him causes me to marvel again at the way our Father uses diffferent types who are different places in our journeys.

Ministry On Barbados

Melanie and I were on Barbados this week, where I spoke at Barbados Grace Fellowship. (The photo on the left was taken at our hotel.) It was the first time we have visited this beautiful island. The church is only a few years old and the people are excited about the message of grace. Their goal is to be a church that makes the truths our identity in Christ and walking in grace their foundation. The people of Barbados are friendly, warm people.

The congregation began with a few ladies who were excited about learning who they are in Christ. The group grew and finally officially established themselves as a congregation. They meet in a local school. This spoiled American was reminded of how much I value air conditioning since the building there didn't have it. If the old-timers from my childhood were right about sweating when you preach being a sign of "the anointing," it was Pentecost all over again for me.

I believe that this group of people will be a great witness of true grace on their island and may well be a gateway to impacting that part of the Caribbean with the message.

The Tipping Point

If you enjoy books that examine the sociological aspects of human nature, you may find The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell to be an interesting book. I finished it on my way back from California this week. The book explores the way that ideas can become contagious until they reach “epidemic level.” Gladwell discusses everything from the success of Paul Revere’s famous ride to the resurgent popularity of Hush Puppies shoes to the phenomenal success of the children’s TV program, Blues Clues.

The words "tipping point" comes from the world of epidemiology. It's the name given to that moment in an epidemic when a virus reaches critical mass. It's the boiling point. It's the moment on the graph when the line starts to shoot straight upwards.

Gladwell does a great job analyzing and explaining why certain ideas catch on to the point that they reach critical mass. It caused my mind to start whirring, thinking about how Gladwell’s observations might relate to sharing the message of the grace walk. Since I established Grace Walk Ministries in 1996, there has certainly been a steady increase of interest in the message and I’m thankful for that, but what I pray for is that there will be a sharp, spiked increase among people who are hungry to know the message so that whole denominations, mission agencies and para-church organizations are transformed.

The book isn’t what most would call a “Christian book,” but it is filled with great information that can help Christians. The author calls it “an intellectual adventure story, that draws from psychology, sociology and epidemiology and uses examples from the worlds of business and education and fashion and media.” This type book isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, but if you like books rich in helpful and interesting information, I recommend this one as a good read. After reading it, I find myself praying that the spread of the message of the grace walk will reach the tipping point and that the church of Jesus Christ will begin to live in our full inheritance.

Dealing With A Smart Donkey

One day Balaam was on his way to take care of some business he thought was important. As he made his way there, the donkey he was riding suddenly stopped. Balaam nudged him onward, but the donkey wouldn't move. He kicked him harder and the donkey still wouldn't budge. Finally Balaam tore into the donkey, showing him no mercy.

It was at that point that the donkey turned around and spoke to him, asking "What's your problem, man? Have I ever acted this way before? Get a clue. There's a reason this is happening." Okay, maybe he didn't say those exact words, but it was something like that.

As I recently read this story again, it made me think of my own frustrations with "smart donkeys" (if you use the King James Version, it reads differently), I sometimes encounter in my own life. Sometimes I find myself growing impatient with people's behavior in certain situations - the things they might say or do or not do.

Recently I had an experience where somebody didn't do something that I thought they were supposed to do. I felt frustrated at first, then felt myself becoming agitated about their failure to do what I thought needed to be done. Then I read the story of Balaam again.

God can use the stubborness or even the irresponsibility of other people to make sure we stay on the right path. If Balaam had been allowed to go on with his plan, he would have died in the process. God used a donkey to stop him.

So the next time you have to deal with a "smart donkey" who won't do what they're supposed to do, don't be so quick to judge. It may be that God is using their action to ensure that you don't do what you aren't supposed to do and that instead you walk the path He has planned for you. "Smart donkeys" can be frustrating, but even they are tools in the hands of our Sovereign Lord.

Until We Have Faces

Something that the Holy Spirit is teaching me lately has to do with the importance of choosing how to interpret the circumstances of life. In my August 25 blog (A Matter or Perspective), I wrote about how I was growing in my understanding of how our focus on a situation will greatly affect the way we respond to it. It was a picture that spoke to me then. (It’s the one of the old/young lady that I posted with that entry.)

I’ve recently come across something else that God is using to reiterate this point. It works this way for me often – the Lord has to tell me something several times in various ways to cause it to penetrate my thick skull. Anyway, the message comes to me again now through a scene C.S. Lewis describes in Until We Have Faces.

Lewis tells the story of two sisters – Orual and Psyche, who are princesses in the Kingdom of Glome. To get to the point that spoke to me in the story – everything is going well until the Priest of the goddess Ungit comes to the king to tell him that Psyche must be sacrificed to the goddess. Psyche is drugged and chained to the sacred tree, where she is left to be eaten by the Shadowbrute.

A few days later, Orual returns to the tree to give her sister’s bones a proper burial. When she arrives, Psyche’s bones are nowhere to be found. She wanders over to the river, crying, when she looks up to see Psyche standing on the other side of the river. Orual is shocked. She doesn’t know what to think. How is it possible? She knows that Psyche is dead. How can this be true?

Orual crosses the river and she and Psyche embrace. Psyche then tells her sister the story of how the god of the west wind saved her from the shadowbrute and brought her to his palace to be his bride. Orual think Psyche has lost her mind. To humor her, she listens to Psyche’s story as if she believes it.

Psyche leads Orual a short distance away to sit in the heather. There she serves a glass of wine to Oural – the choicest of wine in an exquisite goblet. She asks Orual if she likes the goblet and the wine. Orual goes along with her and nods, but what she actually sees is her sister cupping her hands in a pool of water. She is sure Psyche has lost her mind.

Psyche goes on to tell Orual stories of gods and palaces and how she wears the most beautiful gowns. Orual sees no palace, only woods. No gowns, only Psyche dressed in rags. After awhile she can bear it no longer and demands that her sister show her the palace.

Orual is dumbfounded when her sister nods with a smile and says, “Of course I will. Let us go in.” Orual asks, “Is it far?” “Far to where?” Psyche responds. “To the palace,” Orual shouts, “to your god’s house!”

Psyche starts to tremble. “Orual, what do you mean, is it far?” “Mean?” Orual asks. “Where is the palace? How far have we to go to reach it?” Psyche starts to cry. Through her tears and cries, she stares into Orual’s eyes and answers, “But this is it, Orual! Can’t you see it? You are standing on the stairs to the great gate!”

Two people in the same situation. One saw a palace. The other saw only trees. One tasted expensive wine while the other tasted only water. One saw a beautiful gown. The other saw rags. One saw great pillars at a palace entryway. The other saw only trees.

Orual was right on the steps of the palace, but she couldn’t see it. Her perspective was skewed by a faulty paradigm. What Psyche saw was real, but Orual just couldn’t see it.

Faith doesn’t create anything. It simply sees what is there. It looks beyond superficial senses and sees supernatural reality. I wonder how many times I taste brackish water when I've been given fine wine; how often I see stumps instead of ivory pillars; how often do I see rags when I've been given riches? I certainly want to continue to grow in this area of the grace walk. It would make the awareness of victory in life’s circumstances so much more real.

Last Holiday Movie

Last night we watched this movie with Queen Latifah. Melanie picked it out and brought it home. It wouldn't have been my pick, but I was pleasantly surprised. The movie actually has a positive message that anybody would benefit from who takes it to heart.

Georgia Byrd, the lead role played by Queen Latifah, is working a dead end job as a sales clerk, when she is told by her doctor that she has a rare disease and only has three weeks to live. She immediately confronts her heavy handed boss, quits her job, cashes in her savings and IRA and leaves for her dream vacation.

She goes to the Grandhotel Pupp in the spa city of Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. There, Georgia makes extensive use of the hotel's spa. She attempts snowboarding and base jumping off of a dam, enjoys succulent meals prepared by the world-renowned Chef Didier, occupies the presidential suite, and otherwise enjoys herself.

She wins over the hotel's staff with her direct manner and kindness, with the exception of the cantankerous floor valet Miss Gunther, who eventually becomes a friend too. She meets Matthew Kragen (Timothy Hutton), the businessman who owns the store where she worked. Also at the resort are his assistant/mistress Ms. Burns, a pandering Louisiana senator, and a prominent congressman.

Since she is dying anyway, she speaks the truth to each of these people, helping them in the process. She comes out of her shell and lives life to the fullest.

In the end , Georgia finds out that the machine used to test her at the hospital was broken and that she is, in fact, not dying. The movie ends with her opening her own restaurant, a lifelong dream.

Tracy Allerton of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reviewed the movie and said, "Almost makes you want to cash in your IRA and live it up." I agree. The strength of this movie is that it shows how much we all allow fear to hold us back in life. It encourages the viewer to live every day as if we only had three weeks to live.

Fear was the immediate result of man's fall in the garden of Eden. "I heard your voice and I was afraid, so I hid myself," Adam said. Mankind has been doing that every since then. If God is Sovereign and He does indeed love us, why don't we live more boldly? That's what I want to do, don't you? Let's do it.

A Mattter Of Perspective

I was wresting in my mind lately about a situation that troubled me. I prayed and asked the Lord to change the circumstance for months and nothing changed. One morning this week, with a troubled mind and heavy emotions, I asked the Lord, "Why won't you do something about this?"

Then a thought came into my mind. "What if the situation doesn't need to be changed? What if the problem isn't my circumstances right now, but my trouble is caused by the way I'm looking at it?" The thought stayed with me throughout the day. As the day progressed, slowly, but surely, I began to understand that those thoughts had been the Holy Spirit showing me the truth. It wasn't the details of my circumstances that was the problem. It was the way I looked at the circumstances.

Once I changed the way I looked at the situation, I began to experience a genuine sense of peace about it. Nothing had changed in my circumstance. I had changed.

Look at the picture above this note. Maybe you've seen this before, because it has been around since the late 1800s. What do you see in the picture? An old, haggardly looking woman? A young, well dressed woman? How you look at it will determine what you see there.

I can see either the old woman or the young woman in this picture. I choose how to focus on it, and what I choose determines what I see.

What do you see when you look at "your situation?" It's your choice.

(If you're having a problem seeing both the old and young woman in the picture, the old woman's nose is the young woman's jaw and chin.)

A New Ministry: Grace Walk Video Devotionals

Isn't modern technology wonderful? Using my video camera at home, and some movie editing software, I put this short devotional video together. My plan is to produce and upload five of these each week. THEY WILL NOT APPEAR ON THIS SITE, but can be found at www.gracewalkdevotionals.blogspot.com.

I put the first one here just to make you aware of it. It remains to be seen if producing and uploading five per week will be too much of a demand, but I think I can record all of them at one time, so I'll give it my best shot.

Let me know what you think of them. The problem with blogs like this is that you don't know if anybody is reading/watching.

One Of My Favorite Songs

Andrea Bocelli is by far my favorite male singer. Melanie and I went to hear him in concert in Atlanta a few years ago and it was one of the most transcendent experiences I have ever had.

This song is The Prayer with Celine Dion, another great singer, though my favorite female singer is Sarah Brightman. This performance was at The Grammys in 1999.

I have all of Andrea Bocelli's CDs. My favorite is Romanza. The man is amazing, as evidenced by his worldwide popularity.

Winstons And Grace Walking

Here's a commercial that was on TV when I was a small boy. Nowadays, everybody knows that this kind thing was just wrong. I mean WRONG! Back then nobody knew any better though. Everybody thought there was no harm in smoking, so why not market it to kids in an attempt to line up customers for generations to come?

Have you ever considered that there might be other things that you were taught growing up that were wrong? I grew up in church and am thankful for my heritage. No family is perfect, but that doesn't negate the value of the nurture and love we received there. The same is true of our childhood church families. I am thankful for mine.

Having said that, I learned some things there that were just wrong. Things like "We are saved to serve." "You should rededicate your life to live for Christ and try harder to do better." "To become holy, you need to read your Bible and pray every day, come to church every time the doors are opened, etc."

Everybody in church believed that kind of thing back then, just like the general population believed smoking couldn't hurt you (though that was an unpardonable sin at my church). Folks were sincere about a variety of subjects about which we now know they were dead wrong.

Just as we learned that the message that smoking Winstons was not a good idea, there must come a time when we learn that other messages we received growing up were off base too. Nobody meant to do us any harm, but there comes a time when we need to rise above our upbringing and respectfully say, "Wait a minute. That's WRONG!"

A Great Fiction Trilogy

I've never been a big fan of reading fiction. I'd rather read nonfiction books, but a friend recommended these three books to me with such enthusiasm that I decided to give them a try. Am I ever glad I did.

These books are in Ted Dekker's series called "The Circle Trilogy." Once I was a hundred pages into Black, I absolutely could not put them down when I had a single free moment. I consumed these books and enjoyed them more than I've enjoyed anything in a long time.

Black hits the ground running and never lets up. The hero, Thomas Hunter, is living an insomniac nightmare. Every time he goes to sleep in one world, he awakens in another. Hunter learns, in one world, of a plan to unleash a deadly virus by a pharmaceutical company that owns the only vaccine; from the other world he tries desperately to prevent the annihilation. When I finished this book I picked up Red, as if I were turning the page to the next chapter. I couldn't help myself.

In Red, Hunter finds himself again torn between two realities after a 15-year respite from his dreams. Pitted against the New Allegiance, which has intentionally spread a deadly virus known as the Raison Strain that threatens to destroy the modern world, he launches a desperate search for the scientist who can provide the vaccine. In Hunter’s other world, the savage Horde with its loathsome skin disease is on the brink of overpowering the Forest People, who hope for Elyon’s deliverance. But the Forest People’s "Great Romance"-love of Elyon-has degenerated, and when the controversial, messiah-like Justin proposes a truce, things quickly disintegrate.

In White, Thomas Hunter has only days to survive two separate realms of danger, deceit, and destruction. The fate of both worlds hinges on his unique ability to shift realities through his dreams.

Now leading a small ragtag group known as The Circle, Thomas finds himself facing new enemies, never-ending challenges, and the forbidden love of a most unlikely woman.

Enter the Great pursuit, where Thomas and a small band of followers must decide quickly who they can trust--both with their own lives and the fate of millions. Dreams and reality quickly bleed into each other as time runs out. And neither the terror of Black nor the treachery of Red can prepare Thomas for the forces aligned against The Circle in White.

If you like fiction, or even if you don't, I can almost guarantee you will love these books. They are filled with metaphors that communicate spiritual truths in a unique and powerful way. I found my eyes filling with tears when I read about the crucifixion of Christ in Red. The amazing thing is that neither Christ nor the cross and crucifixion are ever mentioned. You just know what you are reading.

You can get the books at almost any local bookstore or buy them online.

Growing To Know Less

When I was a young man, I knew everything. At least I thought I did. I have often said that back then I held the office of “Doctrinal Deputy.” I policed what others believed and stood ready to indite them if there was as infraction of the law. When it came to doctrine, knowing truth from error was a simple thing. The truth was what I believed. Otherwise, why would I believe it? If anybody needed to know the definitive answer to any theological question, all they had to do was ask me. I had the answers. I even had answers to questions that nobody asked.

As I’ve grown older something has happened that I never expected. I think I may have as many questions as I do answers. If you had told me when I was a young pastor that this would be in my future, I would have argued with you outwardly and inwardly would have hoped and prayed it wasn’t true. I would have seen your prediction as a prophecy of my own apostasy. After all, I would have reasoned, a person knows more and more as he gets older, not less and less. Boy, was I wrong.

I could make a long list of things I was sure of back then which I ultimately came to learn were dead wrong. I discuss many of those false beliefs I held in Grace Walk. Some of the things I built my life on were as far from biblical truth as a person can be.

In 1994, when I left the pastorate and began traveling, it didn’t take long for me to realize that not everybody grew up in the denominational world I did or held as common knowledge the doctrinal specifics I had been taught. I discovered that, within the body of Christ, there was a tremendous difference of opinion about many things. Spiritual gifts, when and how Jesus is coming, the place of women in the church, what a Christian can wear, drink, say, think and where we can go and not go, forms of church government, styles of worship . . . the list goes on and on.

The amazing thing about the diversity I saw was that people who held firmly to beliefs that stood in stark contradiction to the things I had always been taught were as sincere about their beliefs as I was. Some of them believed what they did for the same reason I had – because they had been taught that all their lives. Others, though, came to their viewpoints after open minded study of the Scriptures.

I’ve always loved lively discussion and debate, so I found myself engaging with these people about a variety of topics. As I did, to my surprise, I found myself changing my mind about some of the things I had always believed. I saw myself holding a looser grip on my opinion about other matters that I had been completely convinced about in the old days. There were even some biblical questions that I just had to put on the shelf, with the attitude, “I don’t know what I think about this anymore.”

Some of my friends and colleagues from the old days still think I have compromised. I’ve learned that there is a sense of stability in thinking you have it all figured out. Take away absolute certainty and people become afraid. Don’t misunderstand. I’m still certain about many things – the finished work of Christ, my heavenly Father’s love, who I am in Him – I could make a long list of the things I’m certain of too.

It’s just that, as time has passed, I’ve realized I don’t know as much as I used to think I knew. I find myself learning to live with questions which may or may not be answered in this life. When asked what I believe about specific topics, I often answer, “I don’t know. I haven’t studied that subject since I got my grace eyes.”

To my surprise, I’m completely comfortable with knowing less, not more, as I’ve grown older. Being willing to admit that I don’t know some things causes me to be teachable, allowing me to grow. People who already (think that they) know everything can’t learn and, consequently, can’t grow. I hope I spend my lifetime learning and growing.

When I began to understand my identity in 1990, I turned in my Doctrinal Deputy badge. I’ve decided I’d rather be a disciple than a deputy.

My Dad's Journey Toward Home

Sometimes the journey home to heaven seems like a long and trying road. Our family has experienced that fact in the past week. This past Thursday my Dad fell and broke his wrists. He scrapped and cut his face too. He was carried to the hospital, where he was admitted.

On Friday, his heart stopped and the emergency room team resuscitated him. Dad has had a long standing "Do Not Resuscitate" order, but they didn't know it. Before my sister realized what had happened, they had him on a respirator. When he woke up, he wasn't happy at all about what they had done. He indicated that he wanted it to be taken away from him immediately.

Because he had a living will ordering that this type procedure not be done, they removed the respirator on Monday morning. To everybody's surprise, he didn't die. On Tuesday, because there was nothing more for the hospital to do, they released him and he was transferred to a nursing home.

"I never wanted the last chapter of my life to be like this," my Dad said yesterday. Dad told me a few weeks ago that he so much wanted to go on to heaven. "I'm ready to reach my destination, he said. "I'm not looking forward to the trip (dying), but am ready to get where I'm going."

Dad has been a Christian since I was a baby. Even now, his faith sustains him as he travels what appears to be a final hard stretch of road leading to the boundaries of heaven. His faith is strong. His sense of humor is solidly intact. (When they took him off the respirator he said, "How am I supposed to go to yard sales like this?") His love for his family is evident. In what he has called "the last chapter," he exemplifies the qualities I hope to show until my final breath.

Pray for my Dad. Pray for our family. He wants to go home to heaven. Not in a morbid sort of way, but in a good way -- like a man who has finished his course and is now ready to go home. We love my Dad and will miss him greatly when our Father grants him the desire of his heart. Ours will break, but his will be more full of joy than it has ever been in this world.

Back Home From Norway

After a long trip, we arrived home last night shortly after midnight. The trip to Norway was wonderful for us. Here are a few of the bullet highlights of the trip:

Olso Christian Center - Our time at the church was great. The pastor and people there are so excited about God's grace. They are perhaps the most influencial church in Scandanavia. Their generosity and hospitality to us were as great as I've seen anywhere.

Bergen - Paul and Haley met us in Olso the day after I finished speaking at the conference. (You can read about who they are in the "Photos From Norway" blog. We left Oslo and went to Bergen, a six hour train ride to the west. Shortly after arriving there, Melanie came down with strep throat. We had to take her to the doctor. After 2 days on medicine, she improved greatly.

The folks that owned the flat we rented (Karine and Van)were strangers we met only after arriving. We called them to ask about how to find a doctor. They came over and took us to the hospital so that Melanie could get help. While waiting for her to see the doctor, their son "happened" to call on her cell phone. When she told him where she was, he said, "Mom! That's the guy whose book you are reading right now and who I heard speak in Oslo this week!" As it turns out, she was reading the Norwegian edition of Grace Walk. Until we met, none of us knew each other or that we were all Christians. It was one of those times when we all saw the fingerprints of God all over the situation.

The Fjords - You can see the photos under the other blog, but this was an amazing experience. National Geographic Magazine calls the fjords of Norway the number one unspoiled nature destination in the world. I can believe it.

Breakfast on our last day in Norway - On the day before we left to come home, we were at breakfast in the hotel. A man came up to me and said, "Steve McVey! I no speak English." He then put his hand on his heart and pointed to me. I assumed he had been at the conference at church and was thanking me.

The next day, when I went to breakfast, just before we left for the airport to come home, the man rushed up to me again. "Steve McVey!" he said. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a note that he obviously had somebody write in English for him. The note said how much my books had impacted his life. I smiled at him. Tears filled his eyes and he pointed to himself and said, "Free! Free!" We embraced in a hug, unable to say anything to each other, but understanding and sharing the oneness of two people set free by God's grace. It was one of those "Kodak moments" that remind me why I'm in this ministry.

I want to thank those who are partners with us in Grace Walk Ministries. All of us together are making a real difference in places all around the world. The support of those who have a passion for this message reaches further than they could possibly know.

Photos Taken In Norway

The photos in this slide show were those I took after we ended our time speaking in Oslo. Our friends, Paul and Haley Anderson-Walsh met us in Oslo and we took a 6 hour train ride to Bergen. Paul is the head of The Grace Project in London, England. He and Haley have become good friends over the past few years since I first spoke there at The Grace Project. We plan to partner together on some ministry projects in the future that I'll tell more about when the time is right.

We spent two nights in Bergen, then took the train to Vosss where we spent a night in a hotel built it 1888 and perfectly preserved. The next day we took a bus ride to Gudvangen, where we boarded the boat that took us through the Fjords to Flam. From Flam we took another train through the mountains to Myrdal, where we caught the train back to Oslo.

Click on the picture in the slide show to see the captions I've added. Click on the + or - at the bottom left side of the slide strip to speed it up or slow it down.

Report From Oslo, Norway

I have spoken for the past three days at Oslo Christian Center, the largest church in Norway. The theme for their meetings has been "Celebrating Our Freedom." I have spoken from the book of Galatians in each session about how we are free from performance based living, free from religion, free from struggling for victory, free from the control of public opinion and free to finish well.

The congregation and pastor have been extremely receptive to the message. I spoke here last year, but have enjoyed this trip even more. The people of Norway are loving and generous people. Oslo Christian Center is grounded in the message since their pastor has been teaching it for three or four years.

Since arriving, I learned that A Divine Invitation was released last week in the Norweigan language. That makes the third of my books published in this country. What an encouragement to see such a hunger for God's grace here!

This is a picture of me with Pastor Age' after the service. He is a gentle man with a deep passion to share God's grace in Scandanavia and across the world.

I'll share more with you via this blog as I am able. It could be after I come home before I am able to post more. In the meantime, thanks for your prayers! Beneath are a few pictures I have taken in Oslo since we came on Saturday.







I'll put up more photos in a slideshow format after we get back home.

Joshua

A friend recently recommended this movie to me so we went to Blockbuster and rented it a few nights ago. Within ten minutes after the movie was over, I had gone online and bought it. This movie really was great.

Joshua was initially a novel written by Joseph Girzone. It is a story which projects what it might be like if Jesus were to have come into the world today instead of 2000 years ago. (The name "Joshua" is Hebrew and is translated "Jesus" in Greek.) The story shows how Joshua affects the small town where he comes. He is a simple wood worker who shows love to everybody. He raises the ire of the priest of the local church in the same way Jesus did with religious leaders 2000 years ago.

The movie is funny at times -- like the scene when Joshua is trying to open a CD and becomes obviously frustrated with it, showing that even God can't easily open one of those things. There is another scene where the priests asks him what he thought of the sermon. Joshua replied that it was interesting. "In what way?" the priest persisted. Joshua answered, "I've never heard anybody describe the love of God in a way that would make people afraid of Him." Finally there is a great scene in the movie where Joshua reaches out and touches the priest's chest and the priest, feeling his love, begins to weep. It is a powerful, moving scene.

So if you're sitting around one evening, wishing there were something better to watch on TV, pick up this movie. If your local Blockbuster store doesn't carry it, believe me, it's worth buying. I got mine on amazon.com. I'd say it is one of the best Christian films I've seen. Until now, "The Hiding Place" has been my favorite, but this one gives it a close run.

A Compelling Book

Now and then I pick up a book that I have a hard time putting down until I finish it. I recently read one that fits that category. It is Left To Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza.

You probably remember the Rwandan holocaust that took place in 1994. I remember it, but am embarassed at how little I knew about it. Either it didn't get as much news covergage as it should have or else I must have had my head buried a mile deep in responsibilities at the time. Othewise, I can't imagine why I don't remember more about it. In a three month period, nearly one million Tutsi Rwandans were killed in an attempted genocide sanctioned by the government.

Left To Tell describes the mass genocide through the eyes of Immaculee. She and seven other women survived by hiding together at a pastor's house, in a bathroom so small they couldn't all sit down at the same time for 91 days. The house was searched again and again by Hutus wielding machetes that were used to hack Tutsis to death. The people who had been Immaculee's lifelong neighbors and friends were now determined to ruthlessly kill her. In the introduction, she writes:

I heard the killers call my name. They were on the other side of the wall and less than an inch of plaster and wood separated us. Their voices were cold, hard, and determined.

"She's here ...we know she's here somewhere...Find her. Find Immaculee." There were many voices, many killers. I could see them in my mind: my former friends and neighbors, who had always greeted me with love and kindness, moving through the house carrying spears and machetes and calling my name. "I have killed 399 cockroaches,' one of the killers said. Immaculee will make 400. It's a good number to kill."

I cowered in the corner of our tiny secret bathroom without moving a muscle. Like the seven other other women hiding for their lives with me, I held my breath so that the killers wouldn't hear me breathing. Their voices clawed at my flesh. I felt as if I were lying on a bed of burning coals, like I'd been set on fire. . . I wondered what if would feel like when the machete slashed through my skin and cut deep into my bones. I thought of my brothers and my dear parents, wondering if they were dead or alive and if we would soon be together in heaven.

When Immaculee would leave the bathroom after 91 days, she was to discover that her whole family and nearly every friend she had ever known had been killed. The amazing thing about this book is her description of how she came to know God intimately while hiding and how she found the strength to forgive those who killed her family. In fact, at the end of the book she confronts the man who was directly responsible for her family's brutal murder. It was a man they and she had known as a friend for most of their lives. I won't describe it. You'll have to read it for yourself. It brought tears to my eyes.

This book left me thinking, "If she can find the grace to forgive, anybody can." I was deeply moved by her story.

Like many books, you'll have to filter some things you read here. If you're the sort of person who gets offended when you hear or read things you don't agree with, this one isn't for you. But if you are wired so that you are willing to eat the meat and spit out the bones, I think you'll love this book. In other words, this isn't a theology book. But whatever weak theology you'll find here is overshadowed by Immaculee's description of how she encountered God and how she came to love and forgive those who inflicted such savage brutality on those she loved.

Audio Files From Preaching In Mexico

It is such an encouragement to me to work together with others who share the same passion for the grace walk message. This is Gerardo and Gloria Vazquez. Gerardo is the Executive Director for Grace Walk Latin America. He is not only a partner in ministry, but a dear friend.

In 2000, I was preaching in the Mexican state of Chiapas. The crusade was being held in a bull fighting ring and there were thousands of people there. My translator was a 14 year old girl who could hardly understand what I was saying. God blessed despite the language struggles.

On the last night after the service ended, I was lying in the bed in my hotel. I prayed, "Father, you know I'm in Mexico because you led me to establish the ministry here. I printed Grace Walk in Spanish before I even knew anybody here. You have led me here, but Father, I need somebody to work with in Mexico -- a man who is perfectly fluent in Spanish and English. And Lord, if you'll make him be, not just a translator, but a preacher -- that would be great."

The next day I went to Guadalajara, where I was to preach for the week. That day I met Gerardo Vazquez. He is a Mexican who lived many years in California. He tells how that the first night he translated, he thought I was preaching heresy. By the second night, the Holy Spirit was speaking to Him and by the next night, he had seen and understood the grace walk message. On that night, he literally wept with joy as he translated. Before I left Mexico that week, I knew beyond any doubt that he was the man God had sent.

We have traveled to many places preaching together. You can click this link and hear us preaching in a big crusade in Mexico. Steve & Gerardo Preaching This is a page on our Spanish web site. Scroll down the left side of the page until you see "Steve McVey y Gerardo Vazquez." Click on any of the topics under that and you can hear us preaching together.

If you are curious about our Spanish site, you can check it out at http://www.caminandobajosugracia.com

This is Craig Snyder, the Director of Missions for Grace Walk Ministries. Craig and I have shared our lives and hearts together for many years. God is using him in a tremendous way to reach out in missions through Grace Walk Ministries. He is preaching today in Mexico with Gerardo. They were in Chetumal training pastors for several days, then went to Cancun yesterday where they will speak today and tomorrow.

I am so thankful to be able to work together with such good friends. But right now I'm jealous that they are preaching together in Mexico while I'm here! :)

Sailing Down The Intracoastal Waterway

Melanie and I spent three days this week with our friends, Roger and Jan Dean aboard their sailboat, Grace Upon Grace. Roger and Jan are sailing from Hilton Head, SC to Ft. Lauderdale, FL. We met them at St. Augustine and went as far as Daytona Beach onboard their boat.

They live in Atlanta and have been good friends for years. They and we have traveled with a group to the British Virgin Islands for a number of years, where we sail from island to island on two or three boats. We always spend a week there and I usually speak to the groups about sailing as a metaphor for the grace walk. I have outlined a book on this subject and plan to write it at some point. Because of our ministry trip to Norway next month, Melanie and I won't be able to make the trip with them to the BVI this year.

The pictures in the slideshow above are a few I took as we traveled along the Intracoastal Waterway between St. Augustine and Daytona Beach. The three days passed quickly.

Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship

On Monday night I spoke at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas, where my friend, Dr. Tony Evans is pastor. The church is celebrating their 30th Anniversary this week. I have enjoyed speaking there several times in the past and always enjoy preaching there. This time I spoke from Revelation 4 on the topic, "The King And His Throne."

Anthony Evans sang a "mini-concert" that was the most powerful worship experience I've had in church in a long time. (Anthony is Tony Evan's son.) If you haven't heard his music, trust me, you need to go online and buy one of his C.D's immediately. Tears came to my eyes as I listened to him worship through music and, in the process, lead us all into a powerful awareness of our Father's presence and love.

Kirk Franklin is also a member of that church and I had the chance to visit with him for a little while. I so admire Kirk. He has sold more gospel albums than anybody in history, won Grammy Awards, and has a worldwide ministry through his music that is mind-boggling, yet he maintains a humilty and evident passion for Christ that is rare.

Kirk's testimony is that God used Grace Walk to set him free from pornography by teaching him his identity in Christ. You can read his story in "Contemporary Christian Music Magazine" by clicking this link. His is an amazing story of grace.

Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship began in the Evans' living room with 10 people and now has over 7000 members. The church is reaching out to the Dallas area in many creative ways, such as adopting over 70 public schools. The ministry is called "Project Turnaround." You can learn more about it by clicking this link.

When they dedicated their 172,000 square foot Educational Building used for youth and children's ministry, Preident Bush spoke at the church and called Oak Cliff "a model for the nation." I agree. What God is doing through this group of Christians is amazing.

More Sunrise Over Tampa Bay Photos

I took these at dawn one morning this week. I used a Canon PowerShot S2-IS.These were straight shots with no special lens. Such a beautiful place at the perfect time of day.

Your Father's Heart (from Psalms)

"YOUR FATHER'S HEART" is a short video I did using Movie Maker. It is a selection of verses, all from Psalms, which I think paint a beautiful picture of our Father's heart toward us.

Anyway, I'd like to know if you enjoy the video. I'm thinking of doing more from other books of the Bible.

Ministry With Florida City & County Managers

It was a pleasure for me to be in Panama City Beach to speak on Wednesday evening to participants at the Florida City and County Managers Association. Randy Reid,the County Manager for Alachua County (Gainesville), invited me to be a part of this event. He and other Christian City and County Managers in Florida began this event as an opportunity for those who are interested to learn more about and be encouraged in understanding how faith is a viable aspect of public service.

I spoke about Nehemiah, who seemed to assume the role and responsibility of a City Manager, as he oversaw the rebuilding of the broken down walls around the city of Jerusalem. My topic was "Grace In The Marketplace." I specifically showed how understanding the divine purpose in our work and acting with dedicated passion in the workplace are expressions of grace in and through our lives.

It was a pleasure to speak to this group and to find such interest among them concerning how faith relates to their own work in the public arena.

I am in the process now of recording a three part series called "Grace In The Marketplace," which will be available in June. I am convinced that one of the most effective roles a Christian can have is to be light and salt in his work environment. How it encouraging it is to know that we have leaders in our cities and counties in Florida like those I met this week.

Ministry This Past Weekend

The Family Church in Gainesville, FL is one of my favorite churches where I speak. I first met this congregation about four years ago. Three years ago, before their current pastor, Max Wilkins, came to the church I spoke there every week for several months. They were generous enough to offer me a place to stay during the week, so I would stay and work on my book, The Godward Gaze, during the week and then preach in the church on Saturday night and Sunday morning. I have developed a genuine friendship with this congregation.

The church ordained new elders yesterday and asked me to speak in the service. I spoke from Acts 20, where Paul called the elders of the church at Ephesus together and gave them a final word before his leaving them. As always, the church warmly received the preaching.

These two guys are Steven Jones and Pat Callahan, both dear friends with whom I had breakfast before church yesterday. Steven is on the Board of Directors for Grace Walk Ministries and is a member of The Family Church. Patrick is the Associate Pastor at the church. Everybody in ministry needs a few close friends to whom they can pour out their heart. Steven and Patrick are those kind of friends. I have shared personal burdens and matters with them and have benefited from their advice many times over the years.

It was good to be back at The Family Church again. I always feel relaxed and sense a complete freedom to preach without reservation when I'm in this church. God's hand is on these folks in a unique way.

Sunrise Over The Bay

This is a picture I took of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge (between St. Petersburg and Bradenton,FL) at sunrise. Since we moved to Florida, I often begin my day at Desoto State Park watching the sun rise on the other side of Tampa Bay.

I love the early morning hours. When I was young you couldn't drag me out of bed by dawn, but the older I've become the more I enjoy the stillness right before dawn. Then, as the sun begins to creep up out of the water and into the sky, the terns, seagulls and sandpipers all start hurrying around like they're excited about it being morning. I never see it that I don't think how much it looks like a celebration. (I suspect it is.)

I pretty much follow the same routine every morning. As I watch the sun rise from my car, I listen to the songs "Come Rest In Me" (Heritage Singers), "A Mighty Fortess" (Steve Green), "Beautiful Savior" (The St. Olaf Choir), "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" (Maranatha), and "Oh God, Our Help In Ages Past" Lately I've often listened to "You Raise Me Up" - sung by Celtic Women, not a "Christian song," but it has become a worship song to me.

People sometimes ask me what my favorite Christian music is. Truthfully, I don't care much for contemporary Christian music. It all sounds the same to me. I love the old hymns I grew up singing. My favorite singer these days is John G. Elliot, who I first heard and met when I spoke at the Billy Graham Training Center (The Cove) a few years ago. His music can (and often does) bring tears to my eyes. Check him out at http://www.johnelliott-music.com/.

The Theology of Goober Pyle

I love The Andy Griffith Show. I have watched it since I was a small child. I suppose it has remained popular with so many people all these years because of what it stirs up inside us all -- feelings associated with the innocence of simpler times. The show is a Norman Rockwell painting put to drama.

I was watching an episode last night that revolved around Goober Pyle. (You know, Gomer's cousin?) Goober had participated in a discussion group on American history. In typical Goober fashion, he couldn't get anything right. His comments about the historical events the group discussed were the bumbling, disjointed, self-conscious ramblings of a man who didn't know what he was talking about. He embarrassed himself in the group.

The next day Goober left Mayberry to go hunting. When he came back a few days later, he had grown a beard. Andy told him it made him look like a deep thinker. Aunt Bea said, "It makes you look like a scientist or ambassador or something." When he went into the barber shop to have it shaved off, Floyd (the barber) absolutely refused. "Shave it off? Never! I'll never be a part of that. It's magnificent! Makes you look brainy!" From that point on, Floyd began to oooh and aaah over every word Goober spoke, despite the fact that his remarks were completely silly. (Example: "My theory is that we all carry our weather right in our own body. That'll give you something to think about." and "Even great philosophers can be wrong. A man's best friend is not his dog. It's people. Of course, I still love dogs.")

As Floyd continued to affirm Goober's newly discovered wisdom, Goober waxed more and more "eloquent." It was at that point that he spoke the line that jumped out at me. It was a statement about identity. He said, "The me that is really me was being held back by the I that I am, [but now] it's coming out all over my face." "The me that is really me was being held back by the I that I am." Deep, huh? :) His statement reminded me of a statement made by the comic strip character, Pogo, who said, "We have met the enemy and he is us."

The thing that struck me as really funny was that Goober's statement reflected the theology I held for a lot of years. It is the mind set that who I am is what has been holding me back in life. For a long time, I looked for something to change myself so that I would see myself differently. Just as Goober believed that growing a beard had made a new man out of him, I believed that there must be something I could do that would cause me to become the person I wanted to be. When we don't know our true identity, we are always on the lookout for something to change us and make us become a better person.

I'm glad I finally became comfortable with myself. It's tiring to try to remake yourself when you feel like you don't have much to work with anyway. Trying to act like somebody we aren't defines the meaning of hypocrisy. It was a real release to me to find out that my Father adores me just like I am. I still act and feel like a Goober at times, but I'm pretty much okay with it now. There are things I don't like about myself, but I can't change them. Maybe, in time, God will do it. Maybe He won't. Either way, I'm encouraged to know I can just be myself without worrying about how to improve myself. I am learning to become comfortable living with my weakness.

The me that is really me is not holding back that I that I am. That's a Goober theology. I am God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works. I think I'll just hold on to that truth and relax.

The McVey Family

Sometimes I've been in a group setting where one of those ice-breaking exercises intended to help people become better acquainted is done. It's the one where folks are asked to tell something about themselves that would surprise people. I love to tell this one:

My wife, Melanie, is the only girl I ever dated. My first date with her was when I was 16 years old and she was 15. She was on the Homecoming Court at her high school and I would have run a stiff campaign for "Class Dweeb" at my school across town. We met at church one Sunday. The next week, with perspiring palms and a pounding heart, I worked up the nerve to ask her out. To my surprise and delight, she said yes. We went to see a Barbra Streisand movie (On A Clear Day You Can See Forever) and ate at Pizza Villa afterwards.


Melanie and Steve in high school . . .

I thought The Beatles and Hermit's Hermits were really groovy!





AND PEOPLE SAY THERE IS NO GOD!




We dated only each other for three years, then I married her on July 28, 1973. For the untitled Class Dweeb in one school to end up marrying a Homecoming Court Beauty from another demonstrated abundant grace in my life even then!

Just short of two years later, we had our first son, Andrew. Then came Amy, David and Amber. They all were born within a seven year period. Today, all of them live in the Atlanta area while Melanie and I live in Florida. Only Amy is married. Her husband, Cliff, is a wonderful son in law who isn't hard to love and respect. They have three children -- Hannah (8 years old), Jonathan (6) and Jeremy (4).

Andrew, Steve, David and Cliff




Amy, Amber and Melanie



Our grandchildren: Jonathan, Jeremy and Hannah

Well, that's the short version of the McVey family! We love and adore each other and thank God for His blessings in our family.

The Reason For This Personal Blog

Ocassionally, friends and family will say to me, "We miss reading about your personal life in your newsletter. We used to enjoy finding out through it how you and Melanie were doing, what was going on with your kids, some of the details of your personal life, etc."

When Grace Walk Ministries started, the only people on my mailing list were those who knew me personally. Today over 10,000 people receive "The Grace Vine" each month. Many on our list are those who have read my books, heard or seen me on radio or TV, or attended a conference I taught. They aren't acquainted with my family or my personal life. I've assumed these folks aren't really that interested in the kinds of things that my friends would want to know. Nonetheless, family and friends have continued to express their interest in hearing more personal info. So -- it hit me one day that a blog would be a great way to do just that. It allows me to talk about personal things, without putting information in front of people who may not care about it.

So, the fact that you're reading this blog causes me to assume you have at least some interest in what's going on in "McVeyLand." This blog format allows me to feel more comfortable about sharing personal, day to day stuff without feeling presumptous in assuming people want to know. My thoughts are, "if they don't want to know, they won't be reading my blog."

So, in future posts, you'll be reading about whatever interests me or is going on in my personal life at the moment. I'll probably do the next blog with a little info on myself and my family for the sake of those who do care about that kind of news, even though they may not know me personally. After that, I'll write about whatever the mood strikes me to write about. This will be a sort of freestyle type of thing, from my heart and head, without edits.

This may be good for me too. My personality is an extroverted, sociable one, but at the same time I tend to be fairly closed with people about personal thoughts and feelings. I served as a pastor in local churches for almost 21 years and pastors often learn to be guarded about personal matters as a sort of self-protective mechanism.

I'd love to hear your responses to the blogs I post here. This is the first time I've done this sort of thing, so we'll see how it goes.

Anyway, thanks for caring enough to read this first post. I'll try to stay on top of it and write new postings regularly. If you aren't familiar with me, you can visit my web site at www.gracewalk.org to learn more.