During the month of June, my Bible readings are from the Psalms. The Bible reading plan that I follow is laid out in the June Reflector in the prayer calendar. All types of human emotions are reflected in the psalms. A person learns what to do when trouble comes, as it invariably will. The truly happy ("blessed") person is one who meditates on the Word of God. Two ways of living are given in Psalm 1. When a person gets in step with the wise man, he is on his road to true happiness.

Time and tide wait for no man. That is an old saying that is 100% true. When I was a child, I heard my elders discuss how quickly time moved in their lives. I wondered about that perception and now understand it. It seems impossible that we have used up five of the twelve months of 2008. I can remember getting started in a new century with a prayer seminar at Shenadoah Boptist Church, Stephens City VA, a congregation I had the privilege of serving as founding pastor. It seemed strange to leave my home in beautiful Murfreesboro, Tennessee in the "20" century and return in the 21st century (2000). How much longer do we have on earth? The answer is that no one knows and we need to pray with Moses (Psalm 91)--"Teach us to number our days so that we apply our hearts to wisdom." I am thankful for another beautiful day and look forward to a new month in a few hours.

Martin and Andrew left Kenya yesterday for Rwanda to conduct a series of prayer seminars. Among the one million killed in the genocide that took place in Rwanda were many spiritual leaders. Consequently, we know that the prayer seminars will made a difference in the churches just now. I am praying for traveling safety for Martin and Andrew, for protection as they ministered, and for the power of the Holy Spirit to rest upon them as they teach. I am praying for their families while they are on the road.

   Watch and pray. Any work that we do for the Lord succeeds because of His hand working in us (Philippians 2:12-13). Therefore we must dedicate to Him the work that we do for His glory. Otherwise, we may become proud and the work will then become an idol that takes God’s rightful place in our lives and ministry (Deuteronomy 8:11-20).  To watch and pray means trusting God while at the same time being alert to what the enemy is doing. It is the way to be ready for Christ’s return (Mark 13:33). It is the way to be victorious over temptation (Mark 14:38) and Satan (Ephesians 6:18). It is the way to have open doors for ministry and make the most of  the opportunities (Colossians 4:2-6).

Today most of our time has been given to labeling the June Reflector, inserting response envelopes for the use of our Doorkeepers, and mailing. When I started the Reflector fifty-four years ago, I was blessed in preparing each issue. This has not changed. I've tried to include articles that are both inspirational and informative. The June issue has the theme of the place of the Word of God and prayer in the lives of believers--two basics. Now, as the paper wends its way into homes across America, I am praying for maximum impact. I hope to have a paper as long as I have a ministry. It is worth the time, effort, and resources required to produce an issue and get it into homes around the world.

When I began the prayer seminar ministry twenty-eight years ago, I was a voice crying in the wilderness as far as teaching about prayer was concerned. Actually, I knew of only one person in the U. S. conducting prayer seminars. Many of the seminars utilized a video-tape approach. For a live seminar, a minimum number was required. There was a registration fee. Now, to my knowledge, there are many prayer seminar movements around the world. In fact, many have been birthed by our own prayer seminar. Certainly, there are many who are taking prayer seriously. This is good because prayer is the work that must come before all other work.

During our recent meeting of the JGHM Board of Directors, one of the directors said that only etermity will reveal the lives/churches that have been impacted by the prayer seminar ministry. When I began to envision a ministry that would go to churches/groups and teach for six hours the fundamentals of prayer and the Spirit-filled life, Sue and I were aware we could not do it ourselves. We begin to ask God to touch hearts of those He wanted to stand with us and He has faithfully answered our prayers for a quarter of a century. Our Doorkeepers, who give regularly, are truly our partners in this work. We are grateful for the opportunities to touch lives.

One of the "traditions" that has become part of our quarterly meeting of the JGHM Board of Directors is the prayer time--which is how meetings are closed. After sharing concerns, the board members come into agreement (which is discernable) and begin to pray. My own heart is touched and encouraged each time. Our late pastor, Don Edwards, said that for him the board meetings were a spiritual highlight and a time of revival. It is good, also, to be back home after a hard day of travel. Sue and I share driving responsibilities and the 500 miles goes quickly. There is little stressful driving on I-40, I-81 or 460--our major roads. On Labor Day, both of us have chores laid out. Mine will center on the yard and Sue's on the house. We will get the labels ready for the June Reflector, which we will pick up Tuesday and get into the mail on Wednesday.

Today Sue and I are in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, for our quarterly board meeting. Murfreesboro is at the mid-point (north-south, east-west) of Tennessee. A large university sets near the mid-point marker--Middle Tennessee State University. The city has grown by leaps and bounds. Headlines in the local paper today is that population has now exceeded 100,000. In the county, there is 210,000. When we moved here from the New York City area, the population of the county was 80,000. One would think he is in New York City driving the streets of Murfreesboro today. A number of churches are thriving in Middle Tennessee. The Gospel is going forth. The board meetings are a highlight of each year. This board meeting was #97, which means we are starting our 25th year as a ministry. Some of the board members have been with me since we chartered on May 29, 1984. We could easily name a Virginia board since we live 500 miles from Murfreesboro. Due to the commitment and dedication of our board members, we do not intend to that. I think we have the best board possible.

Duyring the nineteen years the we lived in Middle Tennessee (Murfreesboro the geographic mid-point of Tennessee), there were a number of "perfect" days to which I looked forward. Today, we have had one of them in Virginia. The temperature is ideal (around 70), a little wind, low humidity--just nice. Other than giving the Reflector copy a final proof and paying bills, I have worked in the yard. I really enjoy mowing, trimming, watering and doing the things that are necessary to have a beautiful yard. Although there will probably come a time when we will feel differently, Sue and I have always wanted a house with plenty of yard. Mowing takes me around three hours. It has been a good day. I expect that I will be sore tomorrow! God is good.