He is RISEN! We have hope because Jesus conquered the grave! Hallelujah!

Kathy, Ashley and I went to Clarkston International Bible Church this morning. What a blessing! The choir was awesome and Dr. Phil Kitchin just flat preached it! I was really moved by a very powerful sermon. Thanks to the whole church for an inspiring morning.

After church we went over to Fuddruckers to eat a meal with our extended Doverspike family. It’s always fun to see Kathy’s family. They are a special bunch. I just wish that Jesse could have been there with us!

K and I rested for a while in the afternoon then we went over to Stone Mountain and climbed to the top! It was super windy! The temperature was in the 50’s so it felt pretty cold to an old African like me. When we got to the top it was great to see the cross that they had left there from the sunrise service. It was really special to see it there.

Jessica Horner and her baby Tyler got to come by and see us this evening. That is one sweet baby.

A fun day.

Keep praying for Jesse. I got a letter that he has a bond hearing on April 4th. We’re still trying to get him bonded out of there and into the hospital before then. Pray till something happens.

I shot a lot of video this weekend from my team from Pure Fun in Lawrenceville and my team from Texas in Norcross and Chamblee. I have all the editing software on my new computer. I’ll start trying to figure it out this evening and tomorrow. I need to get that edited and on line.

I also want to start doing more video blogs. I need to figure out how to do that on this new Sony Vaio. Everything takes time. Especially the first time.

Love you guys! Thanks for your prayers!

Had a great day today!

I got to work with one of my favorite partners, Todd Harrison. He’s the boss of Pure Fun, a company that provides snacks for day cares around Atlanta. He has given us TONS of goodies for the missions around Atlanta. This morning his staff gave all the goodies for an Easter Outreach Event at Greens at Hillcrest. We had at least 100 of the residents come to enjoy hot dogs, face painting, balloon animals and lots of games.

We ended the event with the Resurrection Eggs–12 eggs that each have a little icon inside to explain what happened the final days before the crucifixion. One egg had a crown of thorns, another a little piece of leather. The final egg is EMPTY to show that the grave was empty. It was great to be able to share the Gospel with so many people. Then we enjoyed an egg hunt and a candy throw to the kids. Great fun!

After the event I went over to Family Christian bookstore where I bought Kathy a new Bible: the One Year Bible in the New Living Translation. She seemed to really like it.

This evening K and I got to visit Jesse. When I called over at 2pm they told me we couldn’t come. I was really bummed out by that. But I called back after 5pm to another set of Sargents at the Detention Center and they said, “No problem.” Praise the Lord! Thanks for that! He seems to be in pretty good spirits overall.

Tomorrow is Easter! The SUPERbowl for Christians!

Thank you FATHER for sending your own son to die for ME! Love you, God!

And love you guys, too!

After more than a year, I finally got my permanent crown on my root canal. Dr. Friedman did an excellent job and now I can chew perfectly!

On the way to the dentist I saw something that surprised me. What do you think of this picture?Talk about a back seat driver!

Got to spend time with Ashley and Miles. We ate pizza then went to Best Buy and Walmart to pick up a few things for the mission. We also went by our house to get the mail, feed the birds and check on our sweet dog, Sugar. She was so glad to see us. Nothing better than pure love from a dog.

Went home to work out on weights then went for a run to my house to pick up my bike, then rode the bike about ten miles. While I rode I took pictures of the beautiful trees in the neighborhood. I love this time of year and I think Atlanta is one of the most beautiful cities in America.

Kathy and I enjoyed watching some baseball this evening.

Thursday! Ashley Day! I really enjoy having my sweet Ashley Angel riding with me!

I’m not sure if you read Ashley’s blog, but you should! The shots yesterday at her Easter party were awesome. I especially liked the shots of the kids on the floor reenacting the crucifixion. Very powerful stuff.

We started out at Lowes this morning getting more white trim paint. Seems like I’ve spent HOURS at Lowes this week. There’s always some little thing we still need to get. My guess is that before it’s all said and done I’ll spend more time there next week. I had a good talk with the manager at Huntington Ridge this afternoon. Looks like everything will come together before the Palmers arrive next Friday. They’re coming in for a weekend visit. Pray that they’ll be able to get everything that they need done completed.

My team from FBC Salado, Texas did SUCH a great job at the apartment. It really does look like a different place. They put their hearts and souls into the job, plus a LOT of elbow grease! They were a blessing to the kids and parents at the apartment complex and their Bible story today was exceptionally good. I was really impressed that they did a Spanish version of the visual aids so the Mothers could participate.

Ashley shot pictures for me while I manned the video camera. I need to load the editing program on my new computer and figure it out before I put what I shot on line. Pray that that will go smoothly! New programs seem to always be loaded with stuff you really don’t need as well as making it more needlessly complicated. Have you noticed that, or is it just me?

Ashley and I got back to Stone Mountain and we went over to the KG store so I could pick out a new suit. It’s charcoal gray. One of my favorite families gave me some money to buy me another one. My old one really smells of smoke even after the expensive dry cleaning procedures. It’s hanging out side under a tree right now. I figure in a week in the sun SURELY the smell will be gone and I’ll get it dry cleaned again. What a stinky hassle. Ashley also helped me pick out some new shoes! All black and shiny!

I went for a 4 mile run this afternoon. K rode her bike around twice while I finished one lap. 4 miles seems plenty to me! I’m still sore from working out on weights a couple of days ago. All that pain. . . surely I’m doing something right! At least my runs don’t hurt! And I haven’t had a headache in two days. PTL for that too. I was eating Tylenol like candy.

This evening K and I went over to visit with Roxy Kendall–Ashley’s boyfriend Miles’ sister–had her baby two days ago. Her baby is named Isabella and is just gorgeous! I got out my camera to take a picture and my camera didn’t work. What? Then I remembered I’d taken the battery out to charge it up. Brilliant! You’ll just have to imagine a really, beautiful dark haired baby. Congratulations to Roxy and John!

Ash and I also bought Miles a new hat. Cute couple, eh?

We didn’t catch a coyote–but we did get a possum in our live trap last night. Edwin just let it out of the cage. Did you know that the opossum is the only relative to the Kangaroo we have in America? They’re pretty cool. I’m glad we can let the animals go. Coyotes will have to be taken care of by the county animal control because they kill pets and carry rabies.

Pray for our family!

Love you guys!

Man! Talk about torrential rain! What drought? I got soaked this afternoon loading up clothes from a partner of mine in Clarkston. I appreciated her generosity, but the timing was less than the best.

This morning I went over to Lowes to pick up a couple more gallons of Winter Wheat paint for the Palmer’s apartment. The place is looking a LOT better already. The team from Texas may go back to work there this afternoon since all the rain will drive the kids inside.

I had lunch with some new friends from Tennessee. They know a lot of my buddies from East and Southern Africa. It really is amazing how many folks I know. We fed them roast goat at Madinas in Clarkston and shared with them a bit about our ministry with refugees here in Atlanta. Bennett Ekandem came with us to share his take on ministry opportunities here in town. Pray for Bennett. He’s been having neck & back issues for weeks now. Major pain. I’m glad he went to the doctor today. Pray for his sweet wife Idong. She’s been having medical issues too. They so want to have a baby! I was reading in Luke recently where Zecharias and Elizabeth had a baby, even though she had been barren. Pray that God will do a miracle and they can be blessed with a child!

Kathy and I will see Jesse this evening. He tried to call me today! I talked with one of the sargents to set up the visitation time. He told me, “The inmate is supposed to set that up.” I told him, “How can he do that when he can’t call us and doesn’t have stationary to write us?” About two hours later he tried to call! I have it set up now so he has an account to accept a collect phone call. A month in jail and this is the first time he’s had access to a phone. This “justice” system is seriously messed up.

And if you don’t have someone as your advocate on the outside . . . I don’t even want to think about what most of those inmates must be going through.

Sure love you guys! Pray for Jesse and send him a note of encouragement: Jesse Cummins–9935-7554, Gwinnett Detention Center, 2900 University Parkway, Lawrenceville, GA 30043.

Kathy and I just got back form the Detention Center and Jesse is doing a lot better and is able to interact with other people now. Thank you, Lord for answering our prayers. We still hope to get him out of there soon!

Thanks!

I got some sad news this morning. My Mom told me that George Simms, my Dad’s Associate Pastor passed away this morning at 2:30am. Sure was sorry to hear that. George was a great guy and a huge help to my Dad. I’ll see you again in Heaven, George!

My team from Texas continues to do a great job! They are really making a dent in the remodel of the apartment. They have two of the bedrooms painted and the ceilings are done. It’s a pretty big place, but they’re making progress.

I had lunch with one of my favorite partners today, Jason Pope. He’s one of the leaders at the Salvation Army. He’s led the ministry at our mission at Hamptons at Lenox. I helped him get a new mission started in downtown Atlanta and he is just doing an AWESOME job there. It’s one of my favorite things to see a young guy catch a vision and just go for it!

After lunch I checked on my team at Highland Gardens. They did fine, but they had this crazy Bulgarian family cuss them out about playing with the kids in the field near the parking lot. They handled it just fine and the manager told them, “We have problems with that family all the time. We’re really happy you’re here. Don’t worry about it at all.” I was afraid that one of the Muslim families had raised an issue with Christians sharing their faith with their children. That happens from time to time even though we’re careful not to be offensive. We’re still aggressive with the Gospel and that can cause issues. It’s a fine line we walk. We don’t want the parents to ban the kids from coming!

I went over to the church to work on email and had another of my best partners show up for a surprise visit. Drew Grubbs is the Director of Youth Outreach United and is just a great guy. We had a good time sharing together. We tend to fire each other up. I dig that about him!

Then went back to the missions to check on my teams. I love to see them sharing the Gospel with all the kids. It’s a great feeling!

I helped one of my Bengali kids, Mustak, with his grammar homework for over an hour. Any of you know how to find the simple subject, compound subject, simple predicate and compound predicate? How about adding fractions with uncommon denominators? Some of these kids have so much homework it’s incredible.

I came on home and worked out on weights. This thing with Jesse really stresses me out and I find that exercise really helps me to relax and be able to sleep. I get so wound up!

K and I hope to see Jesse tomorrow. Pray that we’ll find out about getting Jesse out on bond this week so we can get him into Peachford. Pray till something happens!

Love you guys!

It was great to see the team from Salado, Texas in action today. They’ve done a terrific job of working with the kids.

They have already made a major dent in cleaning the apartment at Huntington Ridge.

I spent a lot of time at Lowe’s today picking out more paint and getting other supplies that the team needed. Bill Hickey and I kept seeing things that needed to be worked on. Best to get the stuff done now while we have the help!

I had fun at the mission at Azalea today. It’s great to see all the smiling faces. I did a “Candy throw” which is my version of throwing bread to ducks–except they’re kids. Listen, if someone was throwing free Snicker bars in my direction I’d lunge for them too!

I think most of you have heard us talk about Ashley’s boyfriend Miles. His sister Roxy is in the hospital now dilated to 4 cm trying to have a baby. Pray that the delivery will go well. I thank God I don’t have to have babies!

Pray also for my Dad’s Associate Pastor George Simms. He’s still SO sick and in the hospital in Austin. God is still in the miracle working business–I’m living proof of that!

Kathy and I had fun this evening. I ran a 4 mile loop racing after her bike. I did pretty good going uphill, but those down hills she’d just shoot on by! It was still fun. Absolutely fantastic weather!

I heard a couple of days ago that McAllen, Texas (where one of my best friends lives near the border of Mexico) had 100 degree weather already! Ay caramba!

Pray that we can get Jesse bonded out and into Peachford Hospital this week. It’s such a burden on me. I can’t sleep well thinking of him in that cell. I think I finally crashed out around 2am. I was working at my computer till after 1am. Then my brain is like the Energizer Bunny, it just keeps going and going and going. Pray that I will rest.

I don’t think I took a single Tylenol today. That’s progress! I have really suffered with headaches the last couple of weeks.

Love you guys!

I have a great team in town! They come all the way from Salado, Texas! They flew in to Birmingham last night and drove cars on into Atlanta. I had a great time briefing this team of college students.

I picked up my buddy Bill Hickey who will help supervise the construction of the mission apartment for Tim and Cathy Palmer who will be coming into town next month!

We took the team on a tour of the missions where they’ll be working and then to two shopping centers in the International Village. I like for them to see Carniceria Hispana #1 and Asian Square–in particular Ranch Market 99. They got a kick out of traveling all around the world in just an hour! What a trip! I especially enjoyed watching Kelsey try on and wear her new Vietnamese hat with such obvious delight. That was a lot of fun!

After taking the team around, Bill and I went over to FBC Doraville to check on the supplies that we had in stock–paint brushes, rollers and tape stuff. We also swung by Azalea Mission where I also keep supplies. Then we went to Lowes to get what we were missing, lots more cleaning supplies and the new paint–Winter Wheat–a lovely shade of yellow that Cathy Palmer picked out.

I really want our new missionaries to be happy in their new home. I really appreciate the financial support that you give to our ministry so we can repaint and fix up so they have somewhere cozy to call their home.

I finally got home around 9pm this evening. I enjoyed watching a movie with Kathy this evening. I was a good one, Fracture, with Anthony Hopkins–one of my favorite actors. Not a happy movie, but a good one.

Pray for our team working in town this week.

Pray especially for Jesse–that the DA will grant a bond so we can get him out of jail and into Peachford Hospital where he can actually get treatment. Please also pray for George Simms. He is a great friend and is my Dad’s Associate Pastor. He is in the Hospital in Austin and is at death’s door. Pray that in this time of resurrection, God will do a powerful miracle and heal George and my son.

Sure love you guys!

 Sunday, March 16th  11:59pm

Today Kathy and I went to FBC Mountain Park, which is MY church. I hardly ever get to attend there because I usually am speaking at another church or out of town. It was a real blessing to me. A very special spirit. The waves of love for me and for my family just poured out towards me. It was really quite overwhelming. Kathy said I went through a whole package of kleenex. The music in particular affected me. Songs of love for the Lord.

In my One Year Bible during this part of the year there’s a lot of talk in Leviticus about sacrifices. Most of them deal with fire. On February 20, the day after the fire, while I was in the hospital I circled the word “fire,” “burnt sacrifice” or charred bodies FIFTEEN times. I know, because I just got up from the computer, went to my Bible and counted them. I was the burnt sacrifice! And I thought my son was dead. The horror and the sorrow I felt . . . . and still feel when I think of my son in that cell, all by himself with no one to talk to. It breaks my heart.

I’m not sure why all this had to happen. But I believe one thing, “In whirlwind and storm is His way.” My son had wandered from the path. I talked with a friend of mine who is a chaplain at the Detention Center. David was the first person to see my son after he was put in prison. I called him today and begged him to go by and visit Jesse again. He asked me, “Do you think Jesse is at the end of his rope?” “I think so, David. He seems broken and forlorn.” “That’s when God can raise him up to the heights.” Pray that this will be a prophecy that will be fuflilled.

When I was in church today, during the music, I become full of His spirit. The waves of love pouring down from the Father, I raised my hand in adoration praising Him. Waves of love. He loves us so much.

And then I thought back on Leviticus. “What he demands of us is not burnt bodies of bullocks, but a true sacrifice of praise.”

Although I couldn’t sing, the muscles in my throat were clenched, as I raised my hand in adoration, I had a true sacrifice of praise.

Paul talked about being a living sacrifice. I’ve thought about that a lot in the last month. I think about the Father, sending His only son, a living sacrifice. . .the pain He must have suffered to watch his little boy die. When I thought my son was dead, and I knew in my heart nothing could survive the heat of that blaze, when I rode in that ambulance on the way to Grady. . . .the complete sorrow I felt was a pain much more severe than charred flesh.

I never really understood the depth of the Father’s love for me, until I really realized what He did. He sacrificed his Son, for me.

Life is so fragile. I covered news for years. I’ve seen SO much sudden death. We are but a wisp of smoke and we are gone.

Make your life count for something more than what can be burned up in a single moment!

I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced really severe grief. Try and call up those emotions again. Re-experience them. Now transfer those feelings onto the Father and get a glimpse of what He gave us for us! He only had one little boy. That is great love, my friend.

I had a fun day with Kathy today! We enjoyed a good omelette and pancake breakfast together then went over to Stone Mountain. Even though it was sprinkling a little we still hiked up to the top of the mountain. Round trip is about 2.8 miles. It was gusting to over 40 mph at the top! I was afraid it was going to blow my hat clean off my head. Fortunately, it hung on!

We came home and I helped Edwin rebuild the gate to his dog pen. His son Kevin got a new lab puppy named scout. What a cutie! He’s really a craftsman and I thought it turned out great. It also reminded me how important having a partner is. Sometimes just holding the end of a board can be a huge help. It’s the same with missions. Sometimes just showing up and sitting with a kid is all that’s needed to make the whole day a success!

We just got back from seeing Jesse this evening. He’s been there for nearly a month. He seemed really forlorn over the fire. He also said that he’s been thinking about what happened a lot. He said that he’d been playing with that rubbing alcohol and as he was pouring more onto the plate the fire went up the stream and lit the bottle on fire like a rocket. He said he was so freaked out that he just ran out of the house. He feels it was totally an accident. He is off all the medication they’ve been giving him. He seemed really clear eyed and sadder. My guess is that the sleep deprivation also played into this feeling like it was just a dream. I hate that we can only see him twice a week. We hope we can get him into the hospital for therapy and bond him out of the jail this week. Please pray that will come to pass this week.

I’ve had a headache nearly every day for the last two weeks. Pray for our health. Kathy’s stomach was really bothering her this evening.

Love you guys!