Work In Progress

African Ministry 2009 - Greg and Faith

2009-03-25T10:03:00.000-07:00

March 25, 2009

I write with great excitement as we prepare for our upcoming trip to the African continent. We plan to visit to visit two different works this July 8 through 26.

One part of our trip will take us back to Benin to encourage the Aja brothers and sisters. I had an extremely productive trip last year. We conducted a leaders’ seminar in which we studied through the book of James. We also had opportunities to visit with many of the leaders in their villages. This allowed us to talk and pray with them about the things that are going on in their churches. During these visits we were also able to visit with many other Christians. We spent time in their homes encouraging them and praying with them. We also visited other members who are no longer faithful. Our prayer is that those seeds will continue to germinate in their hearts until these souls are brought to repentance. The time spent in Benin this year will be spent much the same way.

We will also be traveling to Rwanda this year to visit our dear friends Murphy and Christine Crowson and Marty and Louise Koonce. They are the first wave of a team that has just moved to Rwanda to begin a new ministry. We want to encourage these former coworkers of ours. We are excited to see what God is doing in other parts of Africa!

I am extremely excited to share this trip with Faith. We have committed to exposing all of our kids to cross cultural missions. I am planning on taking a different child to Africa with me each year, and Faith has volunteered to be the first. She has thought about being a missionary when she grows up and this trip could be the next step in her efforts to discover God’s will for her.

I have included a list of expenses for our trip. We invite you to participate through prayer as well as financially, as God moves you. We might even be able to use some airline miles to get us to Europe. :) Let me know if you would like to help. Richest blessings on you,

Because of the Kingdom, Greg Bailey

Benin/Rwanda 2009 Expenses

Airline tickets $8,164
Visas $ 200
Food & Lodging $2,500
Medical $ 200
Transportation $ 500
Benevolence $ 400

Total $11,964

Still lacking $5964

50 Things about me

2008-08-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

Thanks Patty

Play along if you want.

1. Do you like blue cheese? It's ok

2. Have you ever been to Yellowstone Park? No, but it is one of my dream destinations

3. Do you own a gun? Several

4. What are your favorite songs? I'm gonna dance, dance, dance; Hosannah - both by Hillsongs

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? no

6. What do you think about hot dogs? love 'em
7. Favorite Christmas song? I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Strong black coffee

9. Can you do push ups? yes
10. What was the name of your first pet? Chumley

11. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? my wedding ring

12. Favorite hobby? raising Limousin cattle

13. Secret weapon to get the opposite sex? the grace of God (the only way I got my wife!)

14. Do you have ADD? no

15. What one trait do you hate about yourself? I hate home repairs!

16. What's your middle name? Gregory

17. Name 3 thoughts you are thinking at this exact moment? I hope this baby keeps sleeping (on me), I hope Melanie has fun on the boat, I can't stand the Disney channel

18. What did you buy yesterday? myself a cup of coffee and Melanie an ice cream drumstick

19. Favorite vegetable? beans - like pinto, black, etc.

20. Current worry right now? Will we ever move back to africa?

21. Current hate right now? Did I mention the Disney Channel? I don't trust it!!

22. Favorite place to be? Africa

23, What did you do to bring in the New Year? slept

24. Name three people who will complete this? Hmm?

25. Believe in God? He is my life!

26. Do you have an unusual skill? I can sing like a girl

27. What shirt are you wearing? orange Sonicflood t-shirt

28. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? I prefer cotton

29. Can you whistle? Very loudly!

30. Favorite color? black nor blue

31. Would you be a pirate? no

32. What songs do you sing in the shower? praise songs

33. Favorite girl's name? Grace (x2), Faith and Hope

34. Favorite boy's name? James
35. What's in your pocket right now? nothing

36. What made you laugh last? can't remember

37. Best bed sheets as a child? blue

38. Worst injury you've ever had? broke my neck

39. Who is your loudest friend? Melissa

40. Do you like where you live? some things about it

41. How many TV's do you have? 2, no cable, no satellite

42. How many dogs do you own? two

43. What would you do if you hit a deer while driving? call the insurance

44. What is your favorite book? Mark of the Lion series, Mittford series

45. What is your favorite candy? Hershey's Dark Chocolate
46. Favorite Sports Team? Dallas Cowboys
47. What were you doing at 12 am last night? sleeping

48. What was the first thing that you thought of when you woke up this morning? I need some coffee!

49. What songs do you want played at your funeral? Upbeat stuff from Hillsongs

50. Does someone have a crush on you? My wife and 3 daughters

He's Here!

2008-07-06T14:20:00.000-07:00

We are excited to let you know that he's finally here! James Gregory Bailey, Jr. was born July 3rd at 5:37 P.M. He weighed 7 pounds 11.5 ounces and was 20.5 inches long. He and Melanie are both doing well.

We reported to the hospital at 5:00 AM on the 3rd. The doctor induced Melanie and she spent the rest of the day working very hard to bring him into the world. She said this was the hardest labor of any of the 4 kids! I did very little, except pray!

We were so thrilled to have many friends visit us while we were in the hospital! Thanks to Andy and Rhonda Wilson and their boys, Larry and Melissa Mullins, Randy, Kelly and Tori Vaughn, Anthony, Maureen, Jeremy and Jonathon Parker and Chris, Cara, Autumn and Ethan Flanders for helping us celebrate his arrival. Thanks also to our parents Larry and Charlene Heil and Jim and Sonya Bailey for their presence and tremendous support. We also thank Jeff and Brenda Holland for blessing us with the use of their home while we were in Abilene.

Jessica Grace, Faith and Hope love their little brother! They have been a great help to us. We have had to remind them more than once that while we appreciate their enthusiasm and love, we are his parents! :)

Thanks you all for your prayers during the birth and delivery of James. May he grow into a mighty servant of the Lord!

----Greg

No News

2008-07-02T07:14:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to let you know that we have no baby news yet. Things are progressing. Melanie has been having some serious contractions, but nothing regular yet. We are scheduled to induce Thursday, July 3, at 5:00 A.M. We'll try to let you know as soon after that as possible, but I can imagine that we will be pretty busy! :) Blessings to you all and thanks for your prayers!

New birth!

2008-05-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

No, Melanie has not had the baby yet. However, we did experience new birth in our family last night. In fact we had three new births!

Jessica Grace, Faith and Hope were all baptised! We have been having ongoing discussions and intense study for quite a while, and recently the girls all decided that the time was right. We had a small gathering of both sets of grandparents and some of the girls closest friends. We were very excited that Melanie's folks could come in from Tennessee. We were also thrilled that the McKillup and McCoy families could be with us.

After the baptisms, we had a time of blessing and encouragement during which anyone who chose to could share a scripture, a word of encouragement, or a song. It was very encouraging.

We later celebrated the occasion with continued fellowship over food at Underwood's Cafeteria.

Faith had the one liner of the evening (Imagine that!). I asked her just before I baptized her if she had anything to say. She said "Bye!". Ha! I agreed that the old Faith was going to die and that she would be a new creation when she came up.

We are thrilled that the girls have taken this next step in their journey with the Lord. We encouraged them to seek continued growth in their faith and service to Him.

Please join us in praying that God will continue to work in and though these children of His. Thanks in advance for your prayers. May God be glorified in all we do!

I'll try to post pictures in the next few days.

Baby Update

2008-05-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

I wanted to give you the latest update on the baby. We went to see the doctor on May 19. He did another ultrasound exam. Right now, the baby is already over 5 pounds. He still says that the due date is July 14. He predicts that the baby could weigh between 9 and 10 pounds!

At first the doctor seemed a little concerned. He thought that Melanie might have gestational diabetes, but the blood work indicated that everything is normal. He wants to check her every 10 days from here on out.

Melanie still has periodic contractions, but they seem to be within the range of normal. She is swelling quite a bit, which is bothersome.

We are hoping that she will be able to take things a little easier after next week, which is when school will be out.

Thanks you for your prayers. Blessings to all,
----Greg

Contractions

2008-04-22T12:18:00.000-07:00

I wanted to update you on Melanie's pregnancy.

Saturday afternoon she started having regular contractions. They got as frequent as every 5 minutes. She followed the advice of a nurse on call and was able to get them to subside greatly. Last night (after work) they picked up again, but she was able to get more comforting advice from a nurse practitioner.

She went to see her doctor today. He has placed her on bed rest for the rest of the week. He also gave her some medicine to stop the contractions and some antibiotics. He also did another sonogram and said that the baby is definitely a boy!

Thank you for any prayers that you have or will offer up on her behalf. God bless!

Baby on board

2008-02-13T08:41:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

We had our doctor's appointment yesterday. We checked the girls out of school with the understanding that this was the day we would do the ultrasound to find out the gender of the baby. When we got to the Dr's office, we were told that Melanie was not scheduled for an ultrasound. However, they agreed to do one anyway.

The doctor is 98% sure that the baby is a boy. The girls are real excited. One of them kept saying that she couldn't believe that she had a little brother in there! The doctor had asked us what we wanted it to be, and our response was "a healthy baby".

I am fine with whatever God blesses us with. I certainly don't want to leave the impression that a son is the "grand prize". I already have three of the grandest prizes that I could ever hope to have! However, I am like the girls, in that I think that it will be neat to have someone to carry on the family name.

The baby is due around July 14. Since we live 90-100 miles from the doctor, he will allow us to pick out a date sometime before that and will then induce Melanie.

Thank you for any prayers that you have offered up on our behalf. Blessings,
----Greg

Baby news

2008-01-30T12:26:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

We just wanted to let you know that everything is going well with Melanie's pregnancy. She went to the doctor on January 8. Hope went with her. They had a great day together and a good Dr.'s visit. He did another ultrasound and the baby looked great. The baby was moving around a lot. He told Hope that the baby has long legs and is going to be a fast runner. Hope pointed out that it will be like her in that way! :)

Our next visit is February 12. We are scheduled for another ultrasound. He should be able to tell us if it will be a boy or a girl. EVERYONE assumes that I must really want a boy! Honestly, I could not love a boy anymore than I love my girls! (I think I said that in an earlier post. Did I mention that I love my girls?) It would be very different to have a boy. Melanie and I are just praying that the baby will be healthy. We'll be sure to pass on any new information. Thanks for any prayers that you have offered up on our behalf!

Good news

2007-12-13T08:58:00.000-08:00

We are so thankful that we had good news at Melanie's doctor's visit on the 11th. We were able to see our baby on ultrasound, complete with its beating little heart! Melanie was overwhelmed with emotion as she saw this child for the first time. Makes me understand why pregnancy couseling centers use ultrasound to help the new mothers understand that their pregnancy is actually a child.

We were also blessed to enjoy lunch with Jeff and Brenda Holland. I cannot explain the bond that exists between people that are totally sold out for God! The experiences that we have shared with our missionary friends have bonded us together in a beautiful way. I want to thank all of you (you know who you are) for the way that you continue to inspire and encourage us! Richest blessings on you!

Thanksgiving!

2007-11-23T07:44:00.000-08:00

Thanks for all of the encouragement! We have a doctor's appointment in Abilene on Dec 11. I think it would be cool if the girls went with us for the ultrasound! The girls are hoping for a boy. Apparently they have felt some guilt about the Bailey name not being passed down. Hope said, "It's all my fault!". Ha! I told them that I don't really care if it is a boy or a girl. I could not love a boy any more than I love my girls! besides, boys can't play softball or volleyball! Ha! Thanks again! Your encouragement means a lot to us! Blessings!

1, 2, 3, .............4!

2007-11-21T13:21:00.000-08:00

We are expecting our 4th child!

We are excited about this newest blessing to our lives. In the Old testament, God commands His people to "be fruitful and multiply", and in the New Testament we are commanded to "make disciples", so we are doing our best to carry out the Lord's will. :)

Our other girls are excited about the new addition. They keep saying, "I can't believe Mamma is going to have a baby!"

We haven't reached the Sarah and Abraham stage in our lives, but we are a little further down the road than most. Jessica Grace turns 14 in December, Faith will be 12 in February, and Hope will be 10 next week. Built in baby sitters. The way I have it figured, we shouldn't have to change any diapers! The Lord has perfect timing!

Join us in praising God for this blessing and all the others that we are thankful for. Blessings!

Picture from leaders meeting

2007-03-17T14:49:00.000-07:00

Here is a group picture from day 3 of our leaders meeting.

How many of you can recognize me in the photo? (answer below)

From left to right: Senou, Doto, Adrien, Mattias, Janvier, Ege (seated), Gregoire, Fiokuna and Yaovi

Please publish a comment to this post if you were correct.

Going Forward

2007-03-17T07:21:00.000-07:00

I was encouraged after a visit to the village of Eglime today to know that God's work there is "going forward", a common saying among the Aja. I was involved in the planting of the church in this village several years ago. I spent all morning with Kohoundo, the church leader and governmental Delegate in Eglime. I also visited with Anthony, one of his sons who is actively involved in teaching, both in his village and in others. They both gave good reports regarding the church in Eglime. They told numerous stories about the things that God is doing there and the victories that the Christians have gained over temptations.

They also gave some reports on some of the other churches in the area. As expected, some are strong while others are weak. They same could be said about the individual members and even the leaders.

I am in a unique position to be able to encourage these Christians in some areas that they have encountered difficulties. They were encouraged. Kohoundo said that it was really necessary that I come back and stay for at least 8 months! I tried to explain how difficult that would be, and he insisted that I needed to come back for at least 2-3 months. I told him that I would think about it.

I plan on spending the rest of the day staying at home. I am hoping that a few people will come by to visit me. Tomorrow we plan to worship in the village of Ayinahoue before going to Cotonou. I fly out tomorrow night.

I am very excited about seeing my family! Still, it will difficult to say goodbye to my friends here. I enjoy my ministry here a lot. I hope to come back regularly, Lord willing. Please be praying that God will provide they way. I am encouraged that I can continue to be a part of His mission here. I pray that you too will find your place in the mission of God! Blessings,
----Greg

Loving our Neighbor

2007-03-16T13:36:00.000-07:00

Today was the last day of our men’s meeting. Our topic for the day was “How do we love our neighbor?”. We discussed Mark 12:29-31, I John 4:7-21, John 13:34-35 Ephesians 5: 25f and Acts 4:32-35.

The meeting went very well and every one seemed to be really encouraged and challenged. I know that I personally was sad that it was over. We talked about the future and my desire to come back regularly to teach them and give them council.

Praise the Lord!! Randy just came back into the house and said that he had met with Joseph, my best friend that I wrote about in my last post, and that Joseph had confessed his sins and asked for forgiveness! Randy thought that he seemed truly humble and repentant. None of us know yet what the next step will be. There are a lot of people that both Joseph and Randy will need to talk to. Sin is very difficult to untangle! There are long lasting consequences. Regardless, this is a very significant first step! There have been so many prayers offered up on Joseph’s behalf! We praise God for this first step!!! (Kelly, Joseph asked me last night, when we were discussing this meeting and him asking Randy for forgiveness, if he should wait until you returned to talk to you together. He talked about the danger of putting it off, and therefore never doing it. I quickly advised him not to wait!)

On a day when we talked about loving your neighbor, it is so great to see the beginnings of repentance and then forgiveness with Randy’s next door neighbor, Joseph! Join us in praising God on this day! If we are to be like Jesus, we must love our neighbor. That involves not only ministering to them physically, but also Spiritually. We must share God’s word with them and do all that we can to draw our neighbor closer to Him. We love because He first loved us. May you feel God’s love and share it with your neighbor today!
----Greg

Ministers of Reconciliation

2007-03-15T16:52:00.000-07:00

On the second day of our leaders meeting (Wednesday, 3-14-07) we talked about sharing God's Word with people. I divided the material into three different areas. The first topic was "Why do we need to share God's Word?". I asked the question and then interacted with the men based on their responses (asking them for Biblical support). They brought up such verses as Matt. 28:19f, John 3:16, II Peter 3:9, John 1, and II Timothy 2:2.

The next section dealt with "What do people need to know?". I prompted them to try and remember how they thought while they were still worshipping other gods. They things they mentioned included: the need for people to know that they are sinners, the account of the fall of man in Genesis, forgiveness in Jesus, God's love, showing our love, giveing our testimony, God is creator, God is all powerful, and a few other subjects. They gave scripture references for these ideas when possible and we discussed them in length.

The third area involved lesson preparation and lesson presentation. These topics were covered using a handout that I had prepared.

I wanted these men to feel confident through these lessons that they really did know quite a bit about evangelization. I am sure that they shocked themselves and felt affirmed as they presented good answers to my questions. I know too that some of the less experienced evangelists (or those who hope to be evangelists) gained some new ideas about the endeavor.

I gave another effort this afternoon at being a minister of reconciliation. I met with a brother who was disfellowshipped from one of the churches a few years ago. Many of you may remember hearing about my best friend among the Aja, Joseph. Joseph was my language teacher, fellow evangelist, Bible translation partner and someone who shared my passion for God and for the Aja people. I also talked with Joseph at length 8 months ago, when I was last here.

I visited with Joseph at length this afternoon. Although his sin was complicated, I urged him to take the first step toward reconciliation with someone that he lied to a few years ago. He has indicated that he will have a meeting with that person tomorrow at 1:30. There is still much to work out, but this could be a very welcomed first step. Please pray for Joseph's courage, for a contrite heart and that he will truly repent. Pray also for Randy and I. We lack the wisdom to know how best to deal with the situation. We want to be true to God's word and to know how to advise both Joesph and the church in this matter.

Thank you for your prayers! May God be glorified!
----Greg

Leaders

2007-03-13T07:54:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of our leaders meeting. There were 8-10 guys there. Randy was a little disappointed that there weren't more. There were several younger guys that would have come if they didn't have school. I told the guys that although they were not many in number, to remember that Jesus spent most of his time working with 12 guys. I also told them that I realized that there were many people behind each one of them. In other words, these guys represent many other Christians who were not present.

We discussed leadership, using I Peter 5, I Timothy 3 and Titus 1 as our texts. These guys are hungry for any word from God! They have not heard much from these passages and they felt like they learned a lot.

I continue to be humbled that I could have much influence in a culture and language so different from my own.

My visit is really a trial run of sorts to help envision how missionary visits will look in the future, when there is no longer a full time missionary presence here. I am so thankful that Randy is here to follow up on my visit! He will be able to help them evaluate how well the meeting met their needs. Hopefully we will be able to plan meetings for the future that can help them continue to grow in their knowledge of and faith in Jesus.

May we seek to grow in these areas as well and may we minister to our families in such a way that they too will grow! Blessings,
----Greg

Busy Day

2007-03-12T13:21:00.001-07:00

I had a very busy and great day. The day started out with a surprise visit to my former worker and great friend Christophe. He was totally surprised that I was in the country! I had to go on quite a man hunt to finally locate him, but it was well worth it. We laughed together, got caught up on how everyone is doing and made plans to see each other again.

I was also priveleged to see our other former worker Louise today. She works several days a week for the Vaughns. I was able to present both Christophe and Louise with letters from Melanie, greetings from the girls and a promise from Faith that she is coming back. Louise wanted me to tell Faith that she would wait for her.

This afternoon I visited Jo, former Aja coworker from the village of Avedjin. He has since fallen away. This is the second time in eight months that I have visited him. We had a great time together. He was encouraged by Mattias, another Aja brother, to start meeting together to worship God. Jo acted interested. He also said that he would come to our leaders meeting tomorrow. I am not so naive as to believe evey promise that is made, but I am hopeful. This guy is a charismatic brother who could do great things if he would let God once again have control of his life. (Murphy and Christine, if you are reading this, we spent a lot of time talking about what your family and the Koonces are planning to do in Rwanda. They were encouraged and stated the need to pray for you.)

After that, Mattias and I visited the Christians is Djoumahou. This church also fell apart after our families departure in 2000. I visited them on my last visit and gave them a plan for starting to worship again. They have been faithfully attending church in Ayinahoue (where Mattias lives) since that time. There were plans to have a big evangelistic campaign out there last Saturday, but they were rained out. I am really encouraged by their renewed interest.

After Leaving Djoumahou, Mattias and I went to a village called Kojohoue and met a man called Severin and his wife. They are worshippers of God and would like to have a church in their village, but don't know how to see that happen. Mattias is hoping to evangelize in that village in the not too distant future.

I could tell more stories, but I need to prepare for a leaders meeting that starts tomorrow. I think that all men have been invited. It is suppossed to take place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Please pray that God will give me a message and organize my thoughts. I desperately want to give these Christains something that will encourage them in their walk! Blessing until the next time,
----Greg

Safe and Sound

2007-03-11T16:51:00.000-07:00

I made it safely to Benin Friday night about 8 PM, Benin time. The trip over was fine, although due to some technical difficulties and a strike, I missed out on some of the funner things on my AA flight (like movies, music and good food). However, the trip was good otherwise. I had a good amount of time for prayer, Bible study and brainstorming for lesson ideas.

It was really great to see my good friends Randy and Kelly Vaughn and their kids once I got here! They are terrific and generous hosts and they made me feel very welcomed.

After the first 24 hours with them Kelly said, well, we've talked about a lot of things, I hope you and Randy can find something else to talk about during the rest of your time (Kelly left tonight to be part of a Come Before Winter conference that ministers to missionary women). We all had a chuckle, but I assured her that we would have no trouble finding things to talk about.

As I write, it is 1:00 AM and Randy has just gone to bed. (I told you we would't have any trouble finding things to talk about Kelly! Ha!) We have been talking about the work among the Aja and what they might need as they continue on their journey with God. It is fun to dream about how God might use us in the future to minister to them. I think we have some fun and exciting ideas. Maybe Ill share more another time.

We are now back at their home in Aplahoue with their 4 kids. I am planning on going out into the villages tomorrow to visit some of the Christians that I know and love. Some of these Christians are still faithful and some are not. Please pray that I might be a "minister of reconciliation" ( II Corinthians 5:11 - 6:2) to help bring these fallen Christians back into relationship with God.

Please pray also for my family at home and for my businesses. I have placed them in God's hands. This has been a time when my faith has grown as I have relinquished these two areas of my life to Him.

May you seek to place your life in God's hands as well. May you live (and pray) as if you had no control over the course of your life and as if everything depended on Him (that's reality you know)! May you be blessed and may your faith increase exponentially!

(You may want to check out the Vaughn's blog at rkvaughn.blogspot.com for some pictures. Randy is better at posting pictures than I am, but he promises to teach me how to do it.)

Through the Wardrobe

2007-03-07T17:02:00.000-08:00

I am about to "pass through the wardrobe" once more tomorrow. Each time I pass through the wardrobe, I enter into a world that is vastly different than the one that I left behind.

I'm not sure which is the "real world". Both seem so real when I am there, but are hard to imagine when I am not there. I feel very much at home in both worlds. And yet, I long for certain aspects of my life in the "other world", no matter where I am.

Lately, I have spent most of my time in one world. My family is there. I have a couple of businesses there and activities that keep me far busier than I really care to be. I have some great friends in this world and a very large church family. God has given us meaningful ministry in this world.

The world that I enter tomorrow is also very real and very dear to me. I have a great ministry there. I have wonderful friends there that are consumed with ministry. Most of my friends in this world do not have running water or electricity. They live in mud houses and go to the farm on a daily basis to gather what they need. They often don't have enough money to take their children to the doctor when they are sick, and they struggle with severe health challenges. Despite these challenges, they have a faith that is real. They pray to God first when life's problems are too big for them. They have a vibrant worship style that encourages me greatly and they have a hunger for God's word that is refreshing.

Please pray for me as I pass through the wardrobe tomorrow. Pray that I will be able to bring the Aja Christians in Benin a message from God that will minister to them. Pray also for my family. We have never been this far apart for this long.

I'll try to post from time to time, so check back when you can. Until then, Mawu a yra mi (God bless you)!

Fort Woth Stock Show

2007-02-21T12:32:00.000-08:00

Our kids showed their Limousin heifers at the recent Fort Worth Stock Show. We took three heifers that we had raised. One placed 3rd in a very competitive class. Another placd 2nd in her class, and could have justfiably placed 1st. The third was in the youngest class and she won her class. She went on to be named Division Champion and was later named Reserve Grand Champion Limousin Heifer!

We were very thankful, and to be honest, a little surprised. We knew that we had some good heifers and we thought we might even have a chance to win a class or two. However, as we were standing in the waiting area, about to show for Grand Champion, I told Jessica that we had a good heifer but that there were some other good heifers who were further along the road. (It is rare for a heifer from the youngest class to be named Grand or Reserve Grand Champion.)

We beat some heifers that cost $10,000-20,000! We are thankful that we were able to enjoy a little success doing something that we love.

If you happen to raise cattle, we have other show heifers for sale as well as breeding females and some really high quality bulls.

Living on the Edge

2007-02-09T10:07:00.000-08:00

I like living on the edge! Back in the day, that brought about some pretty irresponsible behavior. Praise God, who mercifully allowed me to live through it all.

Today, "living on the edge" means something completely different. I like making decisions that stretch my faith, that leave me wondering if I will make it or not. Decisions that feel like they are based on the will of God, but that make no sense from a wordly perspective. Decisions that seem like they are destined to bring about hardship unless God intervenes according to His will.

I recently made such a decision. I don't know yet what the outcome will be. It has only been a few days since the decision was made. What I do know is that if it is the will of God, nothing will stand in the way of a positive outcome.

I also believe that the real benefit to me is not determined by the outcome, but by the fact that I made the decision with God's will first and foremost in my mind! It feels good to trust in God and to lay it out there for Him!

Lord I love you! May your will be done and may you continue to open my eyes so that I might understand your will for my life!

I encourage you to live on the edge! I encourage you to lay it out there for God and trust that His will will bring about what is best for the Kingdom and for your life!

Persevere in faith!
----Greg

Where's God?

2006-09-15T07:29:00.000-07:00

11:00 P.M. - Phone rings - Dog's eye has been knocked out of socket, needs help
11:15 - Arrive at clinic and take in patient
12:20 A.M. - Leave clinic
12:25 - Get home
2:00 - Finally get to sleep
5:30 - Alarm goes off - wake Melanie
5:40 - Turn on coffee pot
5:43 - Eat breakfast
6:05 - Leave to feed cows
7:30 - Get home in time to flash the "I love you" sign to family as they leave for school
7:40 - Shave, shower and dress for work
8:20 - Arrive at clinic
8:35 - Begin surgeries
11:00 - See appointments
12:00 P.M. - Write up surgeries in patient's files
12:40 - Talk to roofer about replacing roof at home and clinic
1:00 - Lunch
1:30 - Leave to feed show calves their "evening" meal
2:30 - 13 minute nap
2:43 - Alarm goes off
2:44 - Rise and dress for Jessica's volleyball game
3:20 - Melanie, Faith, Hope and Granny get home from school
3:25 - Much hurrying, encouraging and prodding
3:30 - Leave for Volleyball game 100 miles away
6:45 - Game over
7:00 - Gattiland for pizza with the team
8:00 - Leave for home
10:00 - Drop Melanie Faith, Hope and Granny at home
10:20 - Pick up Jessica at the Jr. High
10:35 - Last minute homework for Jessica and Faith, crying and "encouraging"
11:00 - Bed
12:20 A.M. - Sleep

Where's God in all of this? What am I doing for our relationship? Am I just expecting Him to keep up with me? Sure, there has been a few moments of serious prayer in the car and from time to time throughout the day, but am I really giving our relationship the attention that it deserves?

Please pray that I will rearrange my schedule to reflect my priorities. Pray that I will give my relationship with God the time that it deserves. Thanks in advance! God bless,
----Greg

Praise the Lord!

2006-09-05T13:34:00.000-07:00

It finally rained! We have had somewhere between 4 and 5 inches of rain in the last 7-9 days. You can not believe the transformation in the appearance of the pastures! What had the appearance of death just two weeks ago now looks alive and full of hope. The brown grass that crunched underfoot is now giving way to sprouts of fresh green vegetation.

I honestly don't know how anyone involved in agriculture could help but believe in God! It is so obvious that we have no control over rain and the new life that it brings. It would seem that farmers and ranchers would be the prayin'est people around. Without God we are hopeless!

We also have reason to praise God for Melanie's good report from the doctor. About three weeks ago she had a biopsy and we had never heard anything from the doctor. This did not surprise us, because his office has been very difficult to communicate with throughout our association with them. However, last week she had a follow up visit and he said the he did not see any signs of cancer cells in the tissue that was taken and that he felt like he had gotten the area in question.

As I have praised God in these good circumstances, the thought occurred to me that we also need to praise Him during the drought and at times when all is not well in our lives. He is worthy of our praise at all times! May you continue to praise Him, regardless of what circumstances you find yourself in today. God bless,
----Greg

2006-08-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

Drought

Well, it has been quite some time since I last posted. To tell you the truth, I'm not even sure how to do it. This is still in the expermental stage.

Our family is doing well. I'm sure you are aware, but Texas is in the middle of a terrible drought. Being a rancher I am very aware of the lack of grain. The pastures look worse than I have ever seen them. I have been forced to sell some of my cattle at much reduced prices because of the lack of grass. i have heard stories of ranchers who have sold out completely because they are completely out of water. The hay situation is also desperate. As I write I am waiting for a truck to bring me some large round bales from about 160 miles away. The price is high, but it may mean that I can hold onto my cattke for another year.

While we realize that there are many people in the world you a suffering worse than we are, we ask you to pray that creator God will bless us with the rain that we so desperatly need.

Thanks to all who commented previously. I hope to be able to post a little more frequently (In all of my spare time. ;) ).

God bless!

2006-08-06T21:16:00.000-07:00

Hey,

This is my first attempt at blogging. I am not sure this even works. If you are out there and happen to stumble on this, let me hear from you. Until the, God bless!