New Seasons and Life Transition

God so often does as He will do and takes us all on amazing journeys if we are willing to take the ride! Almost 8 years ago, I took a ride with God that required me to step out of the restaurant business that I'd known for so long and to go back to school to get finish my education and work in full time ministry.

I had no idea then that I'd ever have the opportunity and privilege to teach and baptize dozens and dozens of people and share Jesus with many others. I never dreamed then that I'd plant a new church and oversee an aggressive evangelistic ministry and a congregation at the same time.

In my early days of ministering to the poor and to the broken and to the unchurched, I never dreamed of the hardships and struggles that serving God in such a capacity would have on me and my family. I never realized the sacrifice a minister/missionary must go through if they are truly committed to reaching lost as well as to God's people who are members of the body/church. I plan on trying to be a help to younger men in the future who may impart on such a journey--to make sure they pace themselves.

I look back on so many big moments during my time as a full time minister and local missionary. A wedding at a hospital bed of a man dying, who him and his fiancee wanted to make their 16 year relationship right with the Lord. Many one on one Bible studies of people seeking something better. Midnight baptisms of those ready to turn their life over to Jesus who did not want to wait! I remember baptizing a couple and their two teen age sons one night at midnight and then marrying that couple a week later. Hugging, loving on, and singing with many hungry people at our Tuesday morning food pantry. I remember so many funerals I preached, some of Christians--some of non-Christians. The non-Christian funerals were so painful, but nonetheless important for the planting of seeds for those loved ones remaining alive. I remember late night visits to an apartment where a loved one just died of a drug overdose or some other gut wrenching, awful tragedy. Many hospital visits when my encouragement seemed almost feeble compared to what those folks were going through. Leading worship times with a bunch of kids that I loved deeply, but wanted to whip everyone of them for being so rowdy and wild when I thought they should have known better. I remember the years we had our two apartments next to one another at Allenhurst--and so many of our members and Allenhurst residents feeling like those apartments were their special refuge where they could feel closer to God. I remember all kinds of local Christians as well as Christians from congregations as far as Lincoln, Nebraska coming to help us share Jesus at places like Allenhurst and Peachtree Apartments. I remember many children over the years that Christi and I came to love as our own children! I remember many classes I taught and sermons I preached--where I was so hoping some would "get it" and understand how much God loved them asd wanted a closer relationship with them! Some of those messages I preached, I remember preaching them out on the grounds of Allenhurst or Peachtree Apartments with all kinds of people either out there with me or standing outside their apartment doors or windows curious about all this "Jesus" talk! :)

But of all those memories, I am most encouraged to remember so many people who were once in full rebellion towards God--who are now living faithful for the Lord--who have undergone supernatural changes because of the living Jesus Christ within them! I CAN ASSURE YOU, SUCH MOMENTS AND THERE ARE MANY--MAKES ALL THE WORK AND SERVICE WELL WORTH IT!!!!! GOD DOES SUCH WONDERFUL THINGS!!!!

However, a few months back I could tell that perhaps the Lord wanted to do some different things and we were not able to keep our funding at the church for me to be able to continue to draw a full time salary. I began to work part time back at CiCi's Pizza South Mesquite--where I first became a Christian back in 1996 developed so much as a man, a leader, and a Christian over the years. And just recently, I became the General Manager of that restaurant.

While I am still the senior minister overseeing At The Cross Church, there is much I am no longer able to do in terms of time with people, time to go out and fundraise, time to spend just getting to know new faces at the apartments or other parts of Mesquite where we try to take and introduce the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ! Fortunately, it appears like God is slowly but surely sending more good workers and leaders to help carrying things forward!

While in some ways I am sad to no longer be in that full time ministry role, I know its also much better for my family! I have three teen aged kids who need more and more of my focus and they and my sweet wife must now be my first line of ministry! I'd love to say that as a minister working hard to bring many lost souls to Christ--I often failed at giving my own family what they needed! I am enjoying the new challenge of running a business again and being more focused on my family.

So I will still be preaching some, helping to over see the flock, and other ministry duties--but I won't be able to give that work the time I once did.

However, I will continue to be a tireless fighter for encouraging churches to get of their pews and go take the Gospel into all parts of Mesquite where the children living there will have little hope for a better future. I will continue to be an advocate for the poor, the hurting, the sick, the broken, and the little guy! I will continue to speak out loudly about things I know are bad for Mesquite and for the Christian Community as well. I hope to be able to one day help other men who feel called to go take Jesus to the rougher parts of Mesquite or in their respective communities--SO NO ONE IS LEFT BEHIND SIMPLY BECAUSE NO ONE TOLD THEM OR SHOWED THEM THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST! Lord willing, we will one day be able to rebuild Mesquite as Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem!

I hope to be able to help other churches strengthen their evangelistic efforts and maybe assist new church planters on some of the "dos and don'ts" of such works.

I hope to be able to develop a closer relationship with God that I may have sometimes missed out on the past few years because I was too worried about everyone else's relationship with Him but not my own or my family's. But we all learn as we travel down the road. I have learned much. It has truly, truly been a great honor to serve God in the capacity I have these past few years. I look forward to new ways of serving Him in the future!

Special thanks to so many who have helped financially or with boots on the ground in our work these past few years! Special thanks to my sweet wife and our children for all they have endured and sacrificed with me and the service they have rendered to Jesus the past few years!

Now we move forward and the dream of many lost souls finding Jesus continues and a better life while disciples of Christ are here in this world.

Come have lunch or dinner and see me at CiCi's Pizza. Or come worship with us at At The Cross Church on Sundays at 1pm. Either way, Heaven is sure gonna be awesome!

Grace and Peace,

Bruce

Thank You Highland Oaks Church of Christ!

I took a break today from my home church to go visit my wonderful brothers and sisters at the Highland Oaks COC congregation and was so filled full of good spiritual feeding and felt much love!

When you work in mission work--and I believe my work the past few years has been primariliy local mission work--its often easy to forget what we once knew in our former church lives of being surrounded by at least fairly mature Christians who long to grow in the Lord and who have a certain amount of understanding of God's word. So often missionaries can feel alone. But Highland Oaks, who has been a strong partner in our work in Mesquite--has always done such a wonderful job of making me, my family, and our mission work not feel alone! But instead the Highland Oaks family has done so much for At The Cross Church of Christ--and the mission work we do at places like Allenhurst and Peachtree Apartments! Not only have the HO family helped us over and over with needed funds--but many of their members have helped us with kids and youth, our weekly food pantry, and other mission work needs!

The HO family has also been such a blessing to my family personally. Any time my family has gone through a crisis since I've been in ministry, their elders and other members have surrounded my family and loved us through that time!

Whenever I visit and worship with the HO family, they make me feel as if I am one of their members!

I thank God for the HO family! I believe one day--a number of people just in our area of mission work in Mesquite--will drive by that congregation--and tell their children--those people at that Highland Oaks Church played a big role in our family serving God today!

What a legacy!

I thank God for the Highland Oaks family!