Never Give Up on Your Dreams, Cause You're Never Too Old To Achieve Them

Several years ago I began to think that I would never have the opportunity to live the dream that God placed in my heart. I kept asking God to show me through my wife, Kat, what ministry He wanted me to do. I expected it would involve an inner-city ministry or even a water front church plant at the Lake of the Ozarks. What God revealed to me through Kat as our farm which we have named Restoration Farm.

Since moving down to the Ozarks Kat and I have been humbled by how God has blessed us here. It is interesting how God will give you a dream and after you surrender it back to Him will lead you to accomplishing the dream. We still can't believe how our dream has come together and how God continues to increase our dream.

Back in the fall we had the opportunity to lead a house group which still meets each Monday evening. Beginning in February we will be leading another group which we will call Discovery. Also on Mondays I meet with another guy and we hope to invite other men to join us.

We have set a goal of helping 30 people in the coming year to be restored. Restored emotionally, physically or spiritually. Restoration Farm is a place for wounded, broken and discouraged pastors, missionaries, couples and wounded warriors to come and get restored by the Master Healer. Kat and my job in all of that is to be here and provide a pace of safety for the Holy Spirit to do His work.

In May we have the honor to host Danny Daniels (http://www.danny-daniels.com/bio.html) an internationally known songwriter, worship leader & educator. Over the last thirty years he has had over 100 songs published & recorded by Maranatha! Music, Vineyard Music, Sony Music, TIME/LIFE and many more. He most recently contributed a song to Jeremy Camp's Billboard #2 Top Contemporary Christian album, "Carried Me: The Worship Project". Hope you enjoy the following:                                                                                                    

An Example of Unity

At the age of 23, Second Lieutenant Karl Marlantes was in charge of 40 marines during an intense battle in the Vietnam War. Marlantes had moved his men into the jungle as they waited for U.S. jets to bomb a hill that North Vietnamese soldiers had overtaken. Unfortunately, the jets came and dropped their bombs on the wrong hill. So when Marlantes led his men out of the jungle, they were instantly under fire from untouched machine-gun positions. Marlantes knew it would only take a few minutes before the enemy rockets and mortars found his troops. The entire mission ground to a halt as the U.S. soldiers ducked behind downed trees and huddled in shell holes. Marlantes knew what he had to do next. He writes: If I didn't get up and lead, we'd get wiped out …. I did a lot of things that day … but the one I'm most proud of is that I simply stood up, in the middle of that

If I didn't get up and lead, we'd get wiped out …. I did a lot of things that day … but the one I'm most proud of is that I simply stood up, in the middle of that flying metal, and started up the hill …. I simply ran forward up the steep hill, zigzagging for the bunker, all by myself, hoping [my own soldiers] wouldn't hit me in the back. It's hard to zigzag while running uphill loaded down with ammunition and grenades. 

But then in the midst of his solo charge up the hill to take out the enemy, Marlantes suddenly saw some movement in his peripheral vision: It was a marine! He was about 15 meters below me, zigzagging, falling, up and running again. Immediately behind him a long ragged line of Marines came moving and weaving up the hill behind me. Behind the line were spots of crumpled bodies, lying where they'd been hit. They'd all come with me …. Everyone was intermingled, weaving, rushing and covering, taking on each hole and bunker one at a time in groups …. 

We, the group, just rushed forward all at once. We couldn't be stopped. Just individuals among us were stopped … but we couldn't be …. I was we, no longer me.

Karl Marlantes, "The Truth About Being a Hero," The Wall Street Journal

The key words of this story are found at the last of it. "I was we, no longer me." In church unity we need to quit being me and become we."