June 5 -- Friends -- Toronto, Canada

Good Morning, I started to type this about an hour ago just as I took my first sip of coffee for the day.  I was only awake enough to figure out what date to type then I ran dry.  So after a bit of checking out Facebook and LinkedIn and such stuff and processing that first cup of coffee, I am back with my second cup and a bit more functional mind.

This is Sunday morning.  As I look ahead to today's schedule, I will speak at three different gatherings today, busy, busy, busy.  Many people think that the times I speak to large groups of people are the most important parts of what I do.  As near as I can figure things out, however, the primary reason why  the Lord puts me in front of such groups is to give a very small part of the group a chance to lose their fear of talking with me and receive hope for the transformation that God wants to work for them.

Saturday, by contrast, was a day filled not with groups.  It was a series of times with friends.  Times of more listening than talking.  Times of relationship not instructorship.  

After a I had good sleep and a chance to write to you, my friend Louise came by to have laughter and lunch with me.  She knows her spiritual Father is in the heavenly realm dwelling in the person of Jesus.  But as we chatted she realized that having a gray haired brother care about her life was Jesus' tool to bring healing to emotions damaged by a biological father who simply did not have the grace to pour into her all the pure love and grace and approval needed by every healthy young woman in her formative years.  It was a marvelous time.  We could quietly celebrate her great growth and development since I met her back in February.  She has begun to take possession of her 'Promised Land', her own identity and personality.  It was such a joy to see how much she has matured toward being ready for healthy relationships.  It was more joy to help her see her own growth and the next steps on Jesus' path for her.

In the mid-afternoon, Dave and Sarah came by to take me out for coffee.  We just had a relaxed time of fun together as Dave ate a McDonald's snack because he had skipped lunch.  As we chatted it was fun to see their abiding love for each other and for Jesus.  As the conversation unfolded Dave began to share about the challenge tossed at him.  One of his co-workers and friends is more aggressively religious and evangelical than Dave is called to be.  Dave was challenged with the question:  What is he worth in his work place ?  It was such a delight to watch Holy Spirit speak to Dave about the value of who he is; to see him realize that troubled people do not turn to the religious person for help, they turn to the safe person. Moreover, it was fantastic to see Dave recognized that his work place now is the training ground for the apostolic ministry that Jesus will establish for him in the later years of his walk on the Earth.

After coffee time we returned home to find that Pierre and Melanie had prepared a sumptuous, expensive feast for us.  This was a true celebration of the goodness of God and the joy of friendships.  After dinner, you will be delighted to know, Pierre and I began working on the process of up-grading the web sight and the technical system behind this blog.  I am hopeful the entire reworking of these communication tools can be completed for you before the end of the year.

His, thus Yours,

  Stuart