Pretty much only if Nora has just eaten, being pushed on a swing or Cooper is playing at her…she smiles.  Other than that you really have to ‘work’ at getting a smile!  Dinner time is chaos.  Cooper asking relentless questions in different forms with no right answer given by us & yelling at Nora to maker her smile (only the way he can do it!) then Nora screaming her sweet little head off…yet they still have my heart!  She’s adorable & so perfectly made by the hand of the Almighty God.  It blows my mind that before the beginning of time (that blows my mind alone), she was known.  I pray that as she grows & develops that her identity would be found in what God says about her, not her surrounding, not some boy or the screwed up

lovin' the hair in the wind

media representation of a performance-made woman.  By the way, any boy should be scared for the process to date her…wait… to even talk with her!  They’d first have to get past the first line of defense…her protective brother then her daddy.  Don’t think I’m joking either!  It’s normal when someones is trying to say “hi” to Nora, that Cooper gets really upset…he stays next to her in childcare for an hour, pulls down the car seat shade so people can’t see her & has hit a little girl who was trying to play with Nora!  If this continues, watch out boys for Cooper, “your worst enemy!”

Adorable, precious & a treasure.  God has plans for this life.  The author of her life & loves her more than Jessi, Cooper or I could ever imagine.  She’s affirmed, accepted & adored by the Creator of it all.  Recently a friend said, ” stay connected to our children.”  By staying connected I help process life, decisions, boys, sexuality, God, emotions, etc.  I’d be a person she can talk with & not grow separated.  God help me be a daddy who protects, cherishes, points her Jesus, walks closely, models a Godly man, grows in holiness, confesses when wrong, demonstrates unconditional love, makes knowing God fun, is physically/emotionally present & communicates her beauty, worth & significance to this child you’ve placed in our family.

Former Porn Addict, Michael Leahy

After 6 weeks of publicizing the PornNation event on campus, last Thursday over 700 UT students crowded the Student Union Auditorium to hear Michael Leahy, a former porn addict, (www.bravehearts.net) give a multi-media presentation on how pornography and media has impacted our culture.  The event was covered by the university paper, The Independent Collegian two times on the front page! After collecting the comment cards, we learned that 23 students indicated giving control of their lives to God & 330 students wanted follow-up on the topic!  God was working!

Leading up to the event, 997 UT students participated in a sex survey that asked them about their sexual history and current activity.  **LISTEN UP, 41% of 990 students (18-21yrs) surveyed spent up to 5hrs a week searching for sex online and 85% believed that this was normal behavior!

CLICK HERE to download the complete summary results from Toledo

700+ UT students crowd the SU Auditorium

Prayer: Pray for our follow-up with about 5 weeks left for the semester for these 330 students, that students would search for intimacy found in God, more would start following God by faith.

CLICK FOR PHOTOS OF EVENT

1,140 gathering to be the presence of Christ

Let’s face it, we hate being graded at our job or collecting numbers that seem so impersonal.  I agree it’s very hard for me to do it and much more remember what happened.  (ask Jessi, I forget things so quick!)  My guess is that God, who at the right time in eternity spoke the galaxy into existence and, as I talked with Cooper in Panama City Beach, FL (PCB), knows every piece of sand on that beach.  Numbers are important to God.  You are a number, yet you are significantly more important than just that tick mark on paper.  You have a story.

Over five weeks 3,086 CRU students from around the US gathered in PCB to be trained and equipped to share the Gospel to people around them effectively has come to an end.  Praise God that over 3,000 students who are/or want to follow Jesus are trained to tell others and help others communicate their God story!  In five weeks 10,731 spring breakers heard the Good News about Jesus.  1,673 of them indicated a decision to trust Jesus!  They packed 1,009,368 meals for Haiti Disaster Relief as well!

John

You read in our Feb Update (below) about John, a disciple of mine.  Two night ago he got a call that his dad, age 46, had pasted out and was at the hospital.  At school, he drove quickly home and later that night his dad died of a heart-attack.  Hearing about this news shocked everyone.  Jessi and I have heavy hearts and are grieving with John although never meeting his dad.  John’ relationship with his dad was okay (distant though), but just a few weeks ago John had stepped out in faith and had a spiritual conversation about God, talking about Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People.  I guess John’s really not sure of the eternal state of his dad’s heart and I’m assuming itmakes it even harder.  It’s tough and he’s coping, but needs help.  It’s been sweet to witness the rallying together of our CRU movement to go and be with him. On Sunday they gathered together at 7pm to pray for him.  Today is the showing and compassionate students are organizing rides to support their brother in Christ.  I will be attending both the showing and funeral.

We are reminded this semester how we are involved in the whole life of students and not only the spiritual life.  We have the privilege to be the presence of Christ to each area of their lives.  From seeing a family who loves God together, finances or grieving with the loss of a loved one…we are there.  And we are thankful we are here.  Although you don’t know John or the students we minister too, you are speaking through us and touching the lives (whole) of thousands.  Keep John and family in prayers for now and as people forget and they’re still grieving the loss.

Nate, a Big Break student, found a new testament on the beach! He picked it up, put it in his pocket and kept walking. He ended up sharing the gospel with a guy who became a Christian! Nate gave him the Bible.

Two Big Break students met Mohammed, who declared himself a Muslim. Half way through the conversation, he revealed that he is actually wrestling with Christianity and Islam because his mom is Christian, but dad is Muslim. Our students clearly presented the gospel to him and Mohammed said he is going to make a decision one way or the other in the next day or two. Pray for him!

Two Big Break guys are hesitant about approaching a girl on her own on the beach. We generally recommend that the guys talk to guys and girls talk to girls. However, they felt God prompting them to talk to her. She tells them just 5 minutes before they come up to her, she had been praying to God for help. They shared the gospel and she came to Christ!

Two of our Big Break guys find a sober guy on the beach. WOW, that’s a surprise! They start talking to him, share the KGP (Knowing God Personally booklet–a simple gospel outline) and say he was literally changing before their eyes. He wants to pray tonight and will come tomorrow for Haiti Relief.

A guy on the beach approached on of our student girls.  He says, “there’s gotta be something more to this life.” She replies, “There is! Let me tell you!” She went through the KGP, which contains scriptures and illustrations. At the same time, God was giving her additional verses to share she didn’t realize she even knew. She shared her testimony, and he understood that there is “no condemnation”—we have freedom in Christ! Then he accepted Christ!

Austin and Dan walk up to some guys on the beach and ask, “Can we talk to you about God for awhile?” They reply, “Yeah, me and my buddies have lots of questions. I want to know God more and I have lots of questions.” They went through the KGP and the prayer, and talked for a long time.

On of our Big Break guys sees two other guys on the beach with a soccer ball. Since he also likes soccer, there was an instant connection. They are from Germany and they talked for 20 minutes and one accepted Christ on his second day in America ever.

Two guys and two girls from Big Break end up talking to an atheist on the beach. He said he didn’t believe anything in the New Testament, but they shared their testimonies of how God has worked in their lives. He was really impressed with this and says he is going to be thinking more about God.

One guy of the Big Break guys was having a tough day. He was trying to ask people to do help make meals for Haiti relief, trying to talk to people, but was just having a tough time. He went to the hot tub to relax ended up talking for 2-3 hours with guys about deep theology, and had some great conversations!

Robert, talked to a guy who was Baptist. Robert asked, “So what do you believe?” The guy didn’t really know. “Well, let’s talk about it. I have this booklet that explains it.” After going through the booklet he was really understanding. He told a little of his story and said his dad just left, then his girlfriend broke up with him. It seemed like everyone who loved him has left. Robert told him “Jesus is always with you and loves you.” He had no idea. He said he couldn’t believe he came to PCB to realize that what he needed was already with him.

Two Big Break girls walked up to some girls on the beach and after talking to them for a bit went through the KGP. The girls had actually heard it before. Campus Crusade Summer projects students had shared with them at North Myrtle Beach last summer. When the Big Break girls shared, they accepted Christ. What a great example of someone planting seeds and another harvesting!

John had accepted Christ at Big Break last year. This year he is attending the conference and sharing his new faith. He has seen God use him and help him grow a lot in the past year and he saw someone accept Christ yesterday on his 1-year spiritual birthday!

As we’ve been here in Florida being the presence of Christ to spring breakers & equipping followers of Jesus to clearly communicate their faith, we’ve sent other students to the world this week too!  In Southeast Asia Jenny, Tim, Danny, Tiffany & Samantha are telling of the love of God there & in the most dense sex-slave trade areas of the world (estimated 40,000 women in a 2 mile radius).  In Chicago Inner City, we’ve sent 12 Toledo CCC students there to do the same & serve in tangible ways to display God’s love.

Jessi & I love love what we get a chance to be a part of.  Thank you for your investment into ALL these lives through your support.  I believe it’s a worthwhile partnership in the Great Commission.

Food to package 1 million meals

Students helping package the meals

Today students crashed the beaches & invited drunk spring breakers to join us in packaging 1 million meals for 1 million people in Haiti.  We are trusting that we’ll reach this huge goal by the end of March with this conference lasting till then…each week in March.  Hundreds of students lined the halls in an assembly line, including me!  It’s was tons of fun & fun interacting with spring breakers that came to help, developing natural relationship to share the gospel.   Keep coming back for more updates on what God is doing & click on the Photo button on top to see more pictures.

I’ve been greatly encouraged by God. Last night in our Villa, Jessi & I hosted 47 Toledo students to a pancake dinner! A sweet time & Cooper loved it! Men gathered together & shared transparent stuff that bonded them together as a group, then yesterday we all (1,100 +) students crashed the sexually immoral beaches & engaged in spiritual conversations. Later last night, students lined up in front of the stage to display what God had done in their hearts & the hearts of spring breakers on the beach. Wish you could of been here to hear.

Outreach: 1 Million Meals for 1 Million People

Today through Thursday is something unique. GAiN (Global Aid Netword), a ministry of Campus Crusade, is helping students not just tell the Good Word, but also participate in doing a Good Deed. We will be helping package “1 million meals for 1 million people” in Haiti. So this afternoon, we’ll invite spring breakers, as an outreach to them, to help alongside of us to package these meals.

Continue to pray God would open the minds/hearts of spring breakers in the midst of immorality & drunkenness.  Also that CRU student’s hearts would be engaged & bold then excited about making evangelism a lifestyle.

1,150 eager students are packing into the conference room to be the presence of Christ in a dark place…Panama City Beach, FL on spring break.  It’s fun & exciting, yet many are scared to death.  Keep coming back to hear more.

MERRY CHRISTMAS  

“ How’s Christmas different than what I see on the commercials? or are Santa and Jesus the same?” These are a few investigative questions Internationals are asking on campus through students developing relationships with them. Seems to many like obvious answers, yet as I look at my own heart I have to wonder, “ Who’s Jesus to me or will I allow Christ to be at the center or other things?” On Wednesday Cory, a CRU freshman, and I interrupted five freshman guys (Franklin, Travis, CJ, Eric & John) in Carter Hall playing XBox and naturally had an awesome spiritual conversation. For over 2 hours days before they’d been talking about spiritual questions. Confronted with their own unreligioushypocrisy and inability to live up to their own standard of good, the dorm room was silent as I described my spiritual journey & how they can have a relationship with God. Spiritual conversations are happening all over & people are restless for what’s true! Following Jesus can quickly become habitual while our hearts become numb to what God wants to do in our lives. We, just like the spiritually searching students we’re taking the Good News of Jesus to are the same…we are in desperate need of a Saviour. Give thanks and take the opportunity to engage in a spiritual conversation this December!