Birthday Parties for Courtney and Keyante

This past Saturday Karen and I were so excited to be with our grandchildren for a Birthday party for Courtney Hall (our oldest grandchild and granddaughter) and Keyante' Holman (our oldest grandson). We enjoyed being with them at Chuckey Cheese and having a great time of fun with them.

Courtney celebrated her 10th birthday with us. She was born on November 19th. Courtney is riding the range for Jesus. She makes A's in school. We love you Courtney. . .

Sarah (our youngest daughter) holding Caleb Hall. Chris in the background must be bashful and Keyante' is surprised about something. We love you Caleb and Keyante'.

Keyante' Holman and Papaw. Keyante' is 7 years old and likes Transformers, so Mamaw and Papaw responded with two.
Caleb and Aviana riding in the race car. . .What a joy to see them laugh.
Gety up horsie. We love you Aviana and Caleb. . .

Update

Sister Susie Reynolds reported that there were 10 ladies at the ladies Bible study this past Tuesday. They will meet each week at 10 am at the R. B. Wilson apartment complex. Any lady is welcome and occasionally I will be dropping in to greet them. Also Sister Susie has asked that I assist her with any questions that the ladies may bring up that she wants help with.

Sunday was another great time of worshipping the Lord. The Holy Spirit was very present as the power of God moved among us. Several were in the altar seeking the Lord. Thank God for his presence.

Thanksgiving

Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

This has been a great Thanksgiving week for our family. I am so thankful for family and for our time together. This past Sunday after Youth Convention at Camp Hickory Hills, Karen, Sarah and little daughter Aviana and Jason were at the Crossroads Church of God of Prophecy Thanksgiving Meal after church Sunday. They enjoyed being together with their Granny (my mother) and two of their cousins, Hannah and Kelsey.

Yesterday and today has been a great day to be with family. Yesterday, Karen and I traveled to White Bluff. just across the highway from Crossroads Church of God of Prophecy to be with my mother, sister and her husband. After a great time together and a fabulous meal prepared by my sister, mom loaded her things for me to take her back to Crab Orchard, Tennessee. I enjoyed a great time with my Brother Tony, wife Pascha and twins Carrie and Anna. Mom's brother Denver was also there.

Karen and I have done something a little different this year on Thanksgiving morning and since we don't have children that we carry with us where we go any more, we decided to be with our aging mothers this year. Karen enjoyed a great time with her 80 year old mother, her oldest brother and family as they had a meal out at Golden Corral in Clarksville, Tennessee. She said it was great being with her mother and some of her family. We both got back to Nashville together around 2:30 pm today.

I called Shane on the way back from the mountains and wished him a blessed Thanksgiving. He was visiting friends in Franklin, Tennessee. He told me that he spoke to Danita (our oldest) who is in Africa on a mission trip and that she is doing well and boarding the plane back for home tomorrow - with some great stories to share, I'm sure. I also called Heather and family and wished them a blessed Thanksgiving. They were having Thanksgiving Day and meal with Sammy's parents Bishop Wayne Hall and Sister Wanda and the grandchildren.

As I drove down I-40 from Cumberland Plateau, I began to think of the blessings that God has bestowed upon this land and upon many of our families across this country. Yet, as I came back into Nashville, I wondered how many did not even have a meal to eat or place to be out of the weather. I wondered how many children need someone to love them and care for them. I saw a short clip on the news where a young man (his last name was Gordon) had stolen from the Salvation Army contribution container. He was weeping as he told that he and his girlfriend are homeless and that he stole the money so they could have a meal and a place to stay overnight. As he wept, he said, "I don't even know where she is now and I'm worried about her." I wondered about this as I saw tears coming down his face as he wept openly. I don't know why they are homeless and I am not his judge but I know there are many who are in need, not only in this land, but in other countries too.

Tonight, Karen and I are in a warm place with food to eat and one or our granchildren (Aviana) with us. We are truly blessed. . .Let us not forget in our blessedness to "remember the poor" (Galatians 2:10). Not just in our thoughts but in our "bowels [heart] of compassion" (1 John 3:17) to share and give to those in need - not just so the giver can feel good but that being thankful can be truly manifested.

If we are truly thankful - we will truly give. . . .Colossians 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

GREAT EXCITING NEWS!

About about year and a half I went to the R. B. Wilson apartment complex and got permission to have prayer service and Bible study in the front living area. Over the past year and a half we have had about 4 or 5 prayer meetings and Bible Studies there. This week Sister Susie Reynolds had her monthly ladies night service there at 7 pm on Tuesday. When she first kicked the meeting off, there were just a few there but as the service continued two or three would come in and by the time the meeting was over the area was full of ladies. After the meeting, several of the ladies asked if she would have a Bible Study there each week and one person had gotten a key board to help with music. Now Sister Susie and Sister Josie have scheduled a weekly Bible Study there at 10:00 am each Tuesday. THATS EXITING NEWS TO A PASTOR! I pray this will be the beginning of reaching out to others with the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the beginnings of a great time of revival for our community. To HIM be GLORY!

Youth Convention

The youth are now back from the Youth Convention. Jason tells me it was great! He is at the chruch now practicing a couple of new courses that he picked up therre. We are glad that He, Montana, Karen, Sarah and Aviana got to attend.

Tennessee Youth Convention

Karen, Sarah, Aviana, Jason and Montana are at the Youth Convention by now. My prayer is that God will empower them with a greater measure of his grace, love and Holy Ghost fire. Thank God for our youth and the vitality they bring to the local church and work of the kingdom of God.

Update

Karen and I enjoyed a visit with Sister Jennie Sanders this past Saturday and also stopped by Sister Peggy Heath's apartment.

Today was a great day of worship, however, several were out with flu-like symptoms and others were attending funerals.

We continue to seek the Lord for revival.

Tribute to Pastor Glen O'Kain

I was saddened recently but rejoice as well that fellow pastor Glen O'Kain went to be with the Lord. Pastor O'Kain was a friend and faithful fellow Pastor. He Pastored the Dickson Church of God of Prophecy for at least 15 years to the best of my knowledge. His funeral was November 6th. Time, distance and ministry hindered my wife and I from attending.

Brother Glen and his brother were born with a rare kidney disease that causes death at a young age in most people. His brother died at a very young age. There was little hope for Brother Glen to live beyond his early twenties. However, Brother Glen was blessed to live until the age of 54 and was the oldest surviving dialysis patient in the Southeastern United States. Brother Glen lived to get married, have children and grandchildren. Thank God for men like him who live on for the Lord regardless of the suffering, the many trips to the doctor, the hospital and being on dialysis three or four days a week for several hours each day. Brother Glen not only Pastored a smaller church, he worked at times to provide for the needs of his family.

I remember stopping at McDonald's in Dickson on one trip and Brother Glen was there working to provide for his family. He greeted me with a smile and said, "why Brother Milton, it is good to see you." He waited on me and then we chatted about 10 minutes. His conversation was focused on the Lord and his family. After we shared together, we shared prayer needs in our families. His thoughts and desires were to please the Lord and see his family provided for and serving the Lord.

When I Pastored my first church as a young man of 25, Brother Glen's father, Roy, gave me some part-time work as a carpenter's helper framing houses. I'll never forget this, since it was a time of financial need in my family.

Thank God for Pastor Glen O'Kain. O how that heavenly realm must be glorious compared to the sufferings he went through. He will be missed. . . . but "go rest high on that mountain (heaven's mountain) son [of God] your work on earth is done, go to heaven a shout'n love for the Father and the Son."

Where Is My Heart? Where is my energy?

For the past several months my thoughts and contemplations have been on 2 Timothy 4:5, the last part of that verse mostly, "do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." Sometimes as a pastor, business can take the place of the passion that is overarching and the compassion to be moved for that overarching passion. Our Savior's passion was to seek and save the lost and he was moved with compassion to fulfill that passion. Meetings and administration becomes the major part of a pastor's life, if the pastor allows it. Confessing, that has been a struggle for me and the passage keeps coming to me, "do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." I feel, that no one is less gifted as an evangelist than I am, but that does not excuse the call of the Lord for evangelization in my ministry and the local church where I pastor.

Just now, as I write this, I long for the Holy Ghost (or Holy Spirit if you prefer) to come among us and manifest as He chooses and to bring a freshness to our services beyond what we could even think or believe. Yet, I strongly believe "doing the work of an evangelist" must become the major focus in my life, and seeking God first must be first. "Do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." It was sound admonition and instruction for Pastor Timothy and it is sound for me today. . . Where is my heart? Where is my energy? Milton Gordon

GREAT DAY IN THE LORD

What a great day in the Lord! Thank the Lord for a great day. We were thankful to have visitors today. Casey Duncan's mother, Patsy Bell and Grandmother, Edna Bear joined us today. Thank the Lord for a great time.

We boosted our world missions offering today and thank the Lord for the giving in our World Missions. We pray for our Harvest Partners, Uganda and Sudan.

At 3 pm we met at the church property and enjoyed a great time of kick ball and the grilled out burgers and hot dogs with all the trimmings. The property on Northwood is looking better and better. After a time of food and fellowship we gathered around the fire that Brother Paul and his brother-in-law, Homer, built. We had a great time of singing, testifying and a time of writing each one's struggles, battles, failures and sins on a piece of paper and throwing them in the fire - as a symbol of putting those things in the fire of the Holy Ghost. It was a defining moment in time for many of us as we felt the presence of the Lord. We staying close around the fire as the cool night air came in but the presence of the Lord kept us warmed just as the campfire kept us warm outwardly. Thank God for his presence. We are praying and believing for a great time of revival and evangelization in our church.

Brother Paul's Sister Mary and her husband, Homer, enjoyed cooking the burgers and dogs. Homer has roofed for 15 years and and he and his family have moved here and are looking for work and a place to live. He is going to finish our roof (the outside edges and gable) on the pavilion.