Twenty-two Year Old Walking Man

Today, this guy turns twenty-two! Chase is working for a local paint contractor, living in the apartments the church owns that serves as our student housing for CLC and looking forward to his next adventure. Last year at this time he and one of his best friends were backpacking across the British Isles. Every once and a while I can see that far away look in his eyes and I imagine he is dreaming of his next journey. Chase's full name is Chase Walker Ables, after my grandfather - John Walker Russell. It seems the name Walker was a suitable selection! 

Twenty-four

Today is my daughter Robin's 24th birthday. This is a picture of her in Uganda with one of her sponsor children. I love this picture because it captures so much of what is uniquely Robin: Her compassion, her sense of adventure, her love for God and people. We are very proud of this young lady! 

My kids have never bought in to a lot of the music artists I love, but one group we have always enjoyed mutually is the group Switchfoot. One of my favorite songs of their's seems wonderfully appropriate today. It's called Twenty Four.

I'm a Great Uncle

No, I'm not bragging on myself. My nephew Jordy and his wife Lindsay just welcomed their beautiful little boy Judah into the world! We're so excited for them. 

My sister Holane and her husband Danny had their boys, Jeremy and Jordy before our kids were born. Donna and I got to practice our parenting skills on our nephews. Now they are married and having kids and we're getting to practice our grand parenting skills! (No pressure Robin and Chase - We're in no hurry!)

I remember what an impact my Great Uncles and Aunts had on my life when I was a young boy. I sure hope to provide Judah with the same kind of encouragement and example they gave to me.  

Back to Uganda

We put Robin on a plane back to Uganda this week. You might recall she spent five months there in 2013 working with the Watoto orphanage. That season captured her heart for the nation of Uganda and she is returning for a nine-month stint this time around. 

She will be laying the groundwork for a new ministry called The Wajumbe Initiative. A ten month immersion program for aspiring young missionaries. The concept is, before one commits to four years of Bible College and Language School, they can spend ten months immersed in a third world country daily doing the things missionaries do. This year Robin will connect with all the established missions organizations that Wajumbe will work in tandem with once it's started. She is also writing curriculum. Next year she will travel and recruit students for the school that we hope will begin in January of 2017. 

We are very proud of Robin and can't wait to see how this will all turn out! God has been so good, providing everything she needs for this year of preparation. 

Son travels, dad prays!

Yep, that's Chase. And yep, that's Stonehenge!

Chase and one of his best friends, Konner Arnaud, are on a two-month backpacking trip across the British Isles. When he first told us his plans, I was instantly elated and terrified all at the same time. 

Chase turned twenty-one in February. When I was his age, I would have never dreamed of taking such a trip. We grew up in two different worlds. I took my first international trip when I was thirty-six. He took his first international trip when he was thirteen. 

He checks in with us daily and sends us amazing pics of Castles and other iconic landmarks. He seems to be having the time of his very young life. I'm excited for my boy - And doing a lot of praying! 

Twenty-one!

My little boy is all grown up! Chase turned twenty-one today! I'm so proud of the incredible young man he has become. He and one of his best friends are getting ready to do a backpacking tour across the British Isles soon. It would have never even occurred to me to do something like that at his age, but he is an adventurous spirit! Here's a shot of him considering a manly mustache at twenty-one! What do you think?

God's Promises for Our Kids

1. Salvation

Acts 16:31, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your household.” 

2. Faithfulness to God

Proverbs 22:6,Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from  it. 

3. Peace

Isaiah 54:13, All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children.

4. Submission to parents

Proverbs 29:17, Correct your son, and he will give you rest; Yes, he will give delight to your soul. 

5. Health

Psalms 91:10, There shall no evil befall you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling. 

6. Blessing

Proverbs 20:7, The righteous man walk in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.

7. Wisdom

2 Timothy 3:15, …from infancy (they) have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make (them) wise…

8. Doing great things

Psalm 112:1-3, His descendants will be mighty on earth…

9. Safety

Isaiah 49:25, I will give safety to your children…

10. Prosperity

Psalms 115:14, May the LORD give you increase more and more, You and your children.

My nephew the model...

Birthday Girl

Just got back home from this little girl's birthday party! She is Kennedy Lane Davidson, my Great Niece. My sister Holane's first grandchild. She has stolen our hearts! Donna keeps her on Thursdays and most Thursdays I don't make it to work on time. I think you can see why! She turned one yesterday and in just twelve months has managed to completely wrap us all around her little finger! So thankful for her and proud for my nephew Jeremy and his wife Stephanie! 

Chase: Our Twenty Year Old Evangelist

Chase turns twenty today! My little boy is all grown up. A man. I'm so proud of the young man he has become.

Chase went through two years of Master's Commission, the discipleship training school we have at our church. He graduated with a General Studies degree from West Coast Bible College and believes that God has called him into evangelism.

He has just completed a five-month internship with our youth ministry at Crossroads and will be leaving March 2nd to spend three months with an evangelism team in Eastern Europe, traveling and preaching the gospel!

The Graduate

We are celebrating back-to-back graduations with our son Chase these next two weekends. Chase's High School graduation will be today at 2:00 PM. He and seven fellow Home Schoolers will be honored in a ceremony at Crossroads Church. Last year, after completing his Junior year, Chase only needed two more credits to graduate. After attending the "Experience Week" our Master's Commission program puts on every year, Chase decided he wanted to complete his school work early so that he could go ahead and join Master's Commission. That explains his second graduation, which will be next weekend when he crosses the stage to receive his diploma for the nine month discipleship school he has participated in since September. Chase plans to enroll in a second year with the program which will allow him to earn a Bachelor's Degree from West Coast Bible College. He believes God has called him into the ministry.

We are so proud of Chase. He has been an excellent student and an absolute joy to have in our home. In preparation for his graduations, we have looked through hundreds of photographs we've taken of Chase through the years. After looking at all the pictures, Donna and I came to two conclusions: 1. Our son has always been a really fun and interesting kid! 2. He's had a really fun life. We love him so much and thank God for him! 

Africa

On the morning of my fiftieth birthday, my family and I, along with seven other team members from Crossroads Church left for a missions trip to Kenya. It was my first visit to Africa and the most authentic mission experience I've ever had.

We stayed at a base camp, miles from civilization in the bush of the Maasai Mara. We were surrounded by African wild life - Zebra, Giraffe, Elephants, Gazelle, Wildebeest, you name it! We slept and dined in house tents, spent our mornings and evenings around a blazing campfire and used the bathroom in a cho (My least favorite part of the trip!)

Every morning we packed into our vans and traveled across the Savanna to visit the Maasai in their bomas (several dung huts in a circle where the families live). We spoke with people who have never heard the Name of Jesus or been presented the Gospel before. We met children who had never seen white people before and they tried to wipe the color off our arms! We would share the gospel with them through the most simple presentation and they received it with gladness. Dozens were saved!

We visited an outreach in Nairobi where every day, our tithe dollars from Crossroads Church feeds children and give them an education. Many live in the orphanages because they have been left on the trash heaps to die in the slums of Nairobi. The children are beautiful and I can't get their faces out my mind!

We did an open-air crusade in the slums, setting up a stage and a sound system, preaching the gospel in one of the poorest places on the earth. Many responded, some literally hanging out of the window of the block they lived in to pray with me.

We were allowed to share the gospel with hundreds of children in the schools. Every child who could read was given a New Testament! They were so excited to receive those Bibles!

In addition to all the incredible outreach, we got to visit one of the largest game reserves in existence. God gave us favor and we stayed in the hotel where US Presidents stay when they visit the reserve! He also blessed us with the opportunity to see what the Africans call the big five: Elephants, Cape Buffalo, Rhinos (which are endangered and rarely seen) a leopard (again - rarely seen because they are nocturnal) and lions! Going on safari was such a wonderful treat!

The scheduling of this trip was totally out of our hands and arranged by our missionaries, Mike and Marigold Cheshier. It just so happened that they booked us to leave on a Tuesday (I've never left on a Tuesday for a missions trip before) and that Tuesday was my birthday. The Sunday before our trip the Lord reminded me we were leaving on my birthday and He told me He arranged that. He said, "I wanted you to spend the first few days of your fiftieth year in one of the most exotic places on earth so you would know that this next era of your life will be a great adventure!"

How exciting!

Dedications

Last Sunday we held our dedication service for the new worship center. It was our opportunity to celebrate what God has blessed us with. We had a ribbon cutting ceremony that was aired in the main auditorium through video while Donna and I, with our Board of Directors and their wives, our Architects, Steve Oubre and his wife Sarah and Jeremy Durham with Architects Southwest, our Properties Manager, Rhett Wyatt and his wife Tiffany and our District Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Doug Fulenwider pronounced the official dedication. Later in the service, we had the opportunity to recognize all these folks that were so instrumental in the building of this new expansion along with our Special Systems Venders: Gerald Broussard with Intermedia Technologies, Ray Zeigler with RZI Lighting and Paul McCasland with Show and Tell Productions. Our church was congratulated through a video greeting by our General Superintendent for the Assemblies of God, Dr. George Woods and our local City/Parish President Joey Durrell. Several of our district officials with the Louisiana Assemblies of God attended the dedication service and our Superintendent, Doug Fulenwider brought the message. It was a great day and everyone was really excited. Now that we've been in the auditorium for a couple of months, it's really beginning to feel like home!

On another note, the same day of the dedication (January 8th) was my daughter Robin's birthday. She turned twenty that day. Her  mom and I are so proud of her. She has such a great heart for God and ministry. We dedicated her to God when she was just a baby. I couldn't help but think as we were dedicating the new worship center that she (and all who commit their lives to Christ) is the real temple of God. It is the act of dedicating our children to God that is the most important kind of dedication we could ever carry out! 

Nephew & Niece / Youth Pastors

I was so blessed last Sunday evening to officiate the wedding of my nephew Jordy Davidson and his lovely bride, Lindsay Kiely. Jordy and his brother, Jeremy are my sister Holane's boys. They were raised here in Acadiana and were around Donna and I all the time as they were growing up - Giving us plenty of parenting practice before our own children were born. We've always been very close with the boys.

Lindsay came to us by means of Master's Commission. She hails from Canada. She is a wonderful girl who, although we didn't know her name, we have been praying for since 1988 (The year Jordy was born.) It was so good to get to know her family this past week leading up to the wedding.

I was so thrilled to bring Jordy on staff as our youth pastor here at Crossroads back in August of this year. He and Lindsay are loved by the students of our church and I can't wait to see how God will use this dynamic duo in the years to come as they reach the young people of Acadiana to the glory of God!

Their wedding was as unique as the bride and groom - An eclectic outdoor celebration with a vintage theme that was enjoyed by all!

Amy's Skylight (Sally) 1984-2011

Sally came to us in 2002 - A beautiful 18 year old Sorrel AQHA mare. She was a gift from a wonderful friend and our first horse here at the farm. She was the horse our children learned to ride on. She was so patient with them: Gentle enough to be a teacher, with just enough spunk to keep it fun. In her earlier life she had been a barrel racer and even at 18 she could fly! Robin entered her in Western Pleasure and Trail the year after we got her. We worked for months at these disciplines that Robin or Sally had never participated in. She was smart and a fast learner, so before long she was flawlessly side-stepping on cue, changing leads on cue, backing up, crossing hazards, allowing Robin to enter through gates mounted and the other things Western Pleasure and Trail disciplines require. That is, until she got to the show ring. At that point everything we had been working on for months went out the window and Sally completely reverted to her Barrel Racing days. As far as she was concerned, she was there for one thing only - to run as fast as possible! We knew we were in trouble when, while Robin tried to pass though the gate mounted, Sally finally got frustrated enough to push the gate closed herself. The crowd got a big kick out of that one.

Sally loved children and was always our go-to mount when families would visit us with kids interested in their first horse back ride. Few things gives me more pleasure than that, but I think Sally enjoyed it even more. She also has given us some wonderful memories of family rides when the kids were young. I'm so thankful for those times.

A few weeks ago our precious 27 year old Sally (that's 81 in human years) called it quits. She'd been losing weight for months despite our best attempts to keep it on. A few weeks before she started losing her hair and she finally laid down and wouldn't get up. I went out and pet on her for a while and we had a good talk, like we have so many times before. She's been somewhat of a therapist for me these past few years. I could tell her anything and she'd always keep it to herself. That day I told her how blessed we were to have her as a part of our family. How many great memories she's left us with and how we'll never forget her. I called the vet and asked him to come put her down, but he didn't have enough medicine to do so. He encouraged me to let things happen naturally and assured me she wasn't suffering. The next morning she was back up! I laughed and told the kids she must have overheard my conversation with the vet! We were thankful she was back up and moving around, but we knew the writing was on the wall and it was just a matter of time.

Wednesday, while we were in Alabama at a conference, Sally laid down for good. I'm going to miss her greatly. Her registered name was Amy's skylight. I don't really know who Amy is, but if you're reading this I'd like you to know what an incredible blessing your skylight was to me! 

Another New (Used) Car

Today we blessed Chase with a new (used) 2006 Jeep Liberty. I found an incredible deal on one in Chicago (around $2,500.00 under Blue Book value!) and flew there Monday night and drove it back on Tuesday. He had been with Master's Commission in Mobile for over a week working at House of Horrors and had no idea I had made the purchase. He was aware I was looking at a couple of vehicles when he left and, although I spoke with him every day while he was away, he never asked me about it! (He is one laid back kid! I would have been bugging my dad every day about it!)

They arrived back yesterday and Donna and I arranged to have lunch with he and Robin. Afterward I told them I needed pick up my vehicle at the oil change place (where I had left his Jeep to be serviced) and when we arrived, I went inside and paid then drove his Jeep around where they were waiting. He was ecstatic!

As I wrote in a previous post, it has always been our desire to bless our children with their first vehicle for their senior year of high school. Since Chase graduated early to attend Master's Commission, we were so thankful to be able to provide him with a good vehicle. He is a wonderful young man and we are so proud of him!

1st and 2nd Samuel

Last year, when we brought Robin to Master's Commission on opening day, we told everyone we were dropping our little Samuel off at the temple. It was a tongue-in-cheek reference to the wonderful Old Testament story of Samuel and his mother Hannah's promise to dedicate her child to God. This weekend we brought 2nd Samuel and dropped him off at the temple too. (There are two Samuels - go check your Old Testament!)

Chase, who would have been a Senior this year, finished his remaining credits this summer so he could go to Master's Commission early. (He will still participate in our local Home School Network Graduation ceremonies in May.) We are very proud of him and we can't wait to see what God will do both in and through him this year!

Robin is doing her second year at Master's and will earn her Bachelor's Degree in Missions from the West Coast Bible College. Afterward, she plans to spend a year in Kenya assisting with planting a Master's Commission program there. We plan to all go to Kenya in January on a missions trip to see where she'll be working. Just thought I'd catch you up on what's happening with 1st and 2nd Samuel!

Families Reach Cities

A while back I attended a service where my friend Rich Wilkerson was preaching. He shared an incredible message about how families reach cities for God. His premise was that the Levitical Priesthood is a trans-covenant reality. Just like God chose a family in the Old Testament to serve as His priests, He also chooses families today, in this New Covenant hour to do His work upon the earth. He pointed out the many examples we see around us like Franklin Graham following in the footsteps of his famous father Billy, Joel Osteen taking over for his dad John, the list goes on and on. Rich pointed out that, growing up as a pastor's son, he was raised with the idea that you never attempt to persuade your children to follow you in the ministry. He confessed that he ignored that advice and told his four boys everyday of their lives that, although he wasn't sure what they would do for a living, he believed that they would preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth! Today, all four of his sons are involved in ministry. At the end of the service he invited all the pastors in attendance to come forward and dedicate their families to God. I was there by myself, but as I stood at the alter I took my iPhone and I held pictures of my children up to God and cried out to Him to use them in His service anyway He sees fit!

I am so proud of my kids and so thankful that both of them are in Master's Commission this year following the will of God for their lives! In addition, we just hired my nephew Jordy as our Youth Pastor here at Crossroads Church and it was one of the most thrilling moments of my life! Rich is right - Families reach cities! 

Excited about Master's Commission

Twenty years ago, when we launched a program called Master's Commission here in Lafayette. I knew God would use it to lay a strong discipleship foundation for young men and women in our church as they moved from their teen years into being an adult. I knew it would help them discover the call that God has on their lives and prepare them for ministry in whatever capacity God had chosen. What I didn't know was that it would be my own children that this program would serve. This weekend, Robin graduated from our Master's Commission program and we are so proud of the way she has embraced everything this program was designed to accomplish in a young person's life. She is more mature, more Christ-like, more bold and confident in her faith than ever and has heard God's Holy Spirit calling her into the ministry He had in mind for her before the world began! Robin has always known she wanted to go through Master's Commission and it's been such a joy to see her dream realized. She'll be attending a second year to complete her degree with West Coast Bible Institute and prepare for work in Africa.

Chase has never really expressed an interest in attending the program. In fact, he went as far as to say he didn't think he would. However, a couple of weeks ago, XMC hosted their annual Experience week, where Juniors and Seniors can spend a week experiencing what it's like to be in the program. We let Chase know we wanted him to attend. He reluctantly agreed. By the end of the week, God had really got a hold of his heart and, to our surprise, he asked us to allow him to graduate early (he only lacks two credits to complete his High School education) because he wants to go through Master's Commission this year! We have decided to allow him to do that and he is very excited! As are we.

Fine Arts Winner

This past Friday, Chase competed in the 2011 Louisiana Fine Arts Festival - A talent competition put on by the Louisiana Assemblies of God Youth Department. He competed in two categories: First Person Essay and Short Sermon. He did an incredible job with his short sermon. The boy is a great presenter! The theme of this year's competition was "Compelled by Love." His message was from the story of Jonah and was very insightful and inspirational! I might have to start letting him fill in for me at Crossroads every once-and-a-while! He rated a Superior and advanced to nationals in this category! His First Person Essay won Merit, which means his essay was first in State. He scored a perfect 40 and of course advanced to nationals in this category as well! Nationals will be held in Phoenix, AZ in August and we can't wait to see how he will do on the national stage! For all my pastor friends - If you're interested he's available for weekend and Wednesday night preaching engagements! Here's the essay he wrote:

My dear friends, 

     I would like to tell you all something that God has put on my heart. There are certain things which I notice Christians have been largely neglecting for a long time. I believe the solution to these problems can be described in one word – misfit.

     Misfit: a person poorly adjusted to his environment.

     When taken at face value, most people would not want to be described by that word. However, Christians should not want to fit into the environment of this world. My dear friends, I see a vision of us choosing to forget the fears of our past and focusing on the call of God to reach into the world’s environment to create more and more misfits for Christ. Anyone who has the love of our Father in them will feel compelled to spread that love into the world. It is the strength He has placed in our hearts to break the bonds of fear of rejection and persecution. It is the Great Commission of Mark 16:15. 

   Now don’t misunderstand me, I’m not suggesting we all become freaks or critics. Weird and judgmental people attract no one. If Christians only accomplish being awkward and untactful, we will just repel people. In being different, we should be showing a love, grace, and justice which this world is unfamiliar with.

   No longer can we be content to fail once and give up, saying “I tried.” Until I have accomplished what my Lord has compelled me to do, I will continue to go beyond what I tell myself I can do. If we forgot all our excuses and charged this world for our God’s sake, nothing would be able to stop us. 

     When I look back on my life, I see that even when I felt He had utterly abandoned me, God has never left my side. His blessings have been on me even when I had failed him in the worst of ways. With so much evidence of His unfailing love for us surrounding our every move, how could we refuse when He compels us to be misfits for Him?

     We need to get back to where we should be in our lives, especially in growing in our spiritual gifts. For some of us, this could mean discovering what our spiritual gifts are and how to use them. For others, it will mean breaking out of our shells and finding areas where our gifts are needed and using them to the glory of God. 

     We all need to remember that these gifts are to be used for God’s glory, and not our own. Trying to use them for our own ends with no regard for Christ, or taking selfish pride in our gifts is a sure way to lose them sooner or later, and usually sooner. Many people, even within the church, will scoff at us for embracing these gifts out of fear of something new and different. However, if we will take a step of faith and accept being misfits in this way, God will shine His love and glory through us and compel His lost children back to Him.

     Most importantly, we must be compelled to pray for each other. In Mathew 18:19, Jesus tells us that “if two of you will agree on earth concerning anything they will ask, it will be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.” Staying in prayer for each other and will give support to our brothers and sisters in Christ, and ensures victory in any matter, which is in accordance with the Word. 

     If we embrace being misfits, seek out God’s will for us, develop our spiritual gifts, pray for ourselves, each other, and our world, then this movement will not stop with us. It will affect our churches, jobs, schools, everywhere else that God has placed us, and far beyond. You are there for a reason, even if you cannot see it yet. Trust in God. 

Sincerely,

C. Ables