Back Home Again

Once again, back home but already looking forward to next weekend. We had a great time in Calhoun, Georgia this weekend. We left on Saturday and had the opportunity to share a home-cooked meal and fellowship with a very special couple in Calhoun. One of the best things about our ministry is building relationships with fellow Christians we meet along the way. No matter how many miles may be between us, the bonds are strong and it's refreshing to spend time in conversation (especially around a table of GOOD food!) with our brothers and sisters. Thanks George and Joan, for your love and graciousness this weekend.

We had a fairly long discussion tonight about God's Grace and His working in our lives to bring us to where we are today. Only because of His power are we able to go out and serve in the way He's called us. 1 Peter 4:11 says, "If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God, If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ." Our sole purpose is to point the way to Jesus Christ, using the gifts He's given us. Our prayer before each and every service is that God will use us to accomplish His will.

We cherish our relationships with each of you, and we consider you to be a part of our ministry. We know that many of you pray for us regularly, and we thank you for lifting us up to the Father. We also know that you are genuinely concerned for us, and want to know more about what we're doing and what our prayer needs are. With that in mind, we would like to ask you to join us in prayer as we seek God's direction in the coming days. We're extremely blessed to have a bus to travel in. We have room for equipment, comfort on the road, and many other benefits not possible in any other type vehicle. However, it's not always the ultimate in comfort. As many of you know, our generator went out a couple of weekends ago and we drove almost 4 hours with no air conditioning. God amazingly provided a solution to that problem, and we've had no more trouble with that. But we do get diesel exhaust and heat in the cabin any time we're moving, and that causes throat and mouth irritation (actually my lips are still burning as I type this), and many times we don't feel our physical best when it's time to sing. Our bus is a 1978 Eagle, and any major repair could end up being costly as parts are getting harder to find. We stopped and looked at a newer bus today on the way home. All 4 of us feel that this is a good opportunity, but it's also a huge step for us financially. There is no doubt in our minds that God will provide what we need. But we're going to be in serious prayer over this, because we want God to lead us, opening or closing any doors in our path. I'm sharing all of this with you, because we want you to pray with us for God's direction. Please pray that He will light the path for us, that we'll know without doubt that He's leading, and that we'll be obedient and faithful to His direction. He knows our needs, and He's able to do exceedingly abundantly more than we could ever ask or think to ask.

We love you, we thank God for you, and we thank you for your prayers as we continue on.

Chuck

We Are So Blessed!

We're back at home after a long (for us, anyway) weekend. We traveled 750 miles, singing Friday night at Lakewood Campground in Myrtle Beach, SC, Saturday night at First Presbyterian Church, Loris, SC and Sunday morning at White Plains Baptist Church in Jefferson, GA. We really do appreciate your prayers for us as we travel and minister. We serve a truly awesome God, and He always, always supplies our every need.

I just want to share a little of our weekend, as a testimony of how faithful God is and how He worked in our midst these past few days. Just outside of Columbia Friday afternoon, our bus generator stopped working, among other things we lost the use of our air conditioning. It doesn't take very long for a bus to become a 40 foot convection oven. We arrived at Lakewood soaking wet, to set up our equipment and sing outside. Although we knew we had a long, hot night ahead of us on the bus, we all had a gentle peace that assured us that everything was going to be alright. After we sang, and loaded everything back in the bus, our bus technicians (Phillip and Stephen) analyzed the situation. (Of course, Joe and I were there for them to consult with!) They were hoping to find the main breaker, but in all their years of experience with this bus, inside and out, they'd never seen one. By an unmistakable touch of God's hand, the main breaker was discovered. We slept like babies in some of the most beautiful air conditioning we've ever experienced.

We experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit among God's people at every location along our way. And we felt a true spirit of worship each time. We shared some joys and we shared some burdens along the way. At some point along the way, each of us experienced a special touch or a prick of the heart that gives you the assurance that God is moving in your midst. I can assure you, man cannot manufacture what I felt in every service this weekend. It is exciting to be a part of what God is doing, and I can't wait to get back out there to see what He's going to do next!

God has blessed The Carolina Boys in so many ways, both as a group and as individuals. The past few months have been amazing. We are very aware that Satan will do everything he can to prevent the Kingdom's advance. I ask you to pray with us and for us that we will continually seek His face and that we'll do only those things that glorify His name.

Chuck

Reassurance...

Sometime when you least expect it (but need it the most), God lets you know that He is in full control. Last night was one of those times. I really didn't know how many people would come to a concert on Wednesday night, but I knew the 4 of us were going to have a good time. We've had some great fellowship recently, having fun in rehearsal, meeting at different places, really just getting back together after a "tax season" hiatus. Last weekend, we sang in Thomasville, NC, which was fun, although quite interesting.





I got to the church earlier than our 4 pm set up time, and started praying for the service. I was really praying hard for myself, because I needed strength. We had the easiest setup I can remember, and we had time to sing some a capella stuff and some things with Phillip on piano. We had a worship service before the regular service ever started. We needed that. I believe it made a difference in our singing.





We walked into the sanctuary a little before 7, and were met by a large crowd. That excites me, and I could sense that this was going to be good. We had our group prayer and got ready to sing. You could see joy all over the place. At times there were hands raised in praise, there were tears. What struck me most was that I felt peace. I felt freedom to worship. We had an awesome time. I couldn't tell you what all we sang, or how it sounded, but I got the reassurance that God is in control no matter what Satan tries to tell you.

We've been blessed, and we're excited about what God is doing through the ministry of The Carolina Boys. May is a busy month, which is good. 2010 started a little slow, but that gave us time to get the new CD "Free" completed, and we're having some great response to that project.

Time for bed, so that's all for now.

Chuck