I have added Forest Grove Christian Academy in Alachua, Florida to my schedule. I will be speaking to the students during the weekly Chapel Service on Thursday, September 14, 2006. Please be in prayer for this service.
A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20.00 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?"
Hands started going up.
He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this."
He proceeded to crumple up the $20 dollar bill.
He then asked, "Who still wants it?"
Still the hands were up in the air.
Well, he replied, "What if I do this?"
And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty.
"Now, who still wants it?"
Still the hands went into the air.
"My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who DO LOVE you.
The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE and WHOSE WE ARE. You are special- Don't EVER forget it."
My good friend, photojournalist Jon M. Fletcher, has just completed a multi-media presentation about the first year following Hurricane Katrina in DeLisle, Mississippi. The presentation, produced by Dave Cone, is part of a major story that ran Tuesday, August 29th in the Florida Times-Union newspaper in Jacksonville, Florida. The Times-Union sent Jon (on right in picture) and a reporter, Rachel Davis (on left in picture), to cover the aftermath of the storm in DeLisle for the past year. I must say, the story, photos and audio are very moving. You can view the online versions by clicking here.
Jon made two trips to Ghana, West Africa with our ministry team in 2003 & 2004 to photograph and write about our crusades and other ministry efforts. Click here to read Jon's story about the 2003 trip and view a multi-media presentation.
A passenger in a taxi leaned over to ask the driver a question and tapped him on the shoulder. The driver screamed, lost control of the cab, nearly hit a bus, drove up over the curb, and stopped just inches from a large plate glass window.
For a few moments everything was silent in the cab, and then the still shaking driver said, "I'm sorry but you scared the daylights out of me."
The frightened passenger apologized to the driver and said he didn't realize a mere tap on the shoulder could frighten him so much.
The driver replied, "No, no, I'm sorry, it's entirely my fault. Today is my first day driving a cab. I've been driving a hearse for the last 25 years."
Our Daily Bread
LISTEN TO ODB RADIO: Real | MP3 | WMA
READ: Psalm 17:1-9
Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings. —Psalm 17:8
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina’s devastation of the southern United States, displaced families and individuals were often referred to in the media as “refugees.” For some, this term was viewed as insulting, so it prompted reporters to scramble for another word that would not be perceived as negative. They decided on the word evacuees.
In actuality, the word refugee is filled with hope. One dictionary defines it as “one who flees in search of refuge, as in times of war, political oppression, or religious persecution.” Refugee comes from the word refuge, which speaks of safety, protection, and care for the hurting. It speaks of a safe haven in a storm-filled world.
For those who have been battered by the storms, tragedies, and disasters of life, refuge is what they long for most. They may seek shelter in the arms of God, who alone can give us refuge and who longs to cover us and protect us and preserve us.
Jesus said to the broken people of His day, “How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings” (Matthew 23:37). He continues to offer refuge to the hurting hearts of our day if we will but seek His care and trust His heart.
O Rock divine, O Refuge dear—
A shelter in the time of storm;
Be Thou our helper ever near—
A shelter in the time of storm. —Charlesworth
We need not fear life’s dark shadows when
we rest under the shadow of God’s wings.
This is another one of those games that will test your skill & patience and will eventually "drive" you crazy! Click here to try your hand at "Parking Perfection".
This site is updated on a daily basis, but you may not always think of checking the site daily unless you subscribe to the RSS feed with a newsreader. Well, now you can be notified by e-mail each day that a new item is posted. To be placed on this list powered by FeedBurner use the form in the left column of this page.
The same service is also available for my ministry Podcast, "Walking with the Giant". You can find the e-mail notification form for the Podcast by clicking here.
Have you checked out the monthly Podcast
The photo story about me by photojournalist Jarrett Baker is in today's Gainesville Sun. You can view the online photo gallery "Sense of Place" by clicking here.
Evangelist Raphael Adjei Kingbi will be preaching a youth service at Bethlehem Presbyterian Church in Teshie, Ghana tomorrow (Sunday). A similar service, dubbed "Gents Night", was held Thursday night at the same church. This service was also led by Evangelist Ralph and drew a large number of youth. Please be in prayer for tomorrow's service.
Evangelist Ralph serves as Ghana Ministry Coordinator for the James Croft Evangelistic Association. He also gives a monthly report during the "Walking with the Giant" Podcast.
A photo story about me is tentatively scheduled to appear in the Gainesville Sun newspaper (Gainesville, Florida) this Sunday, August 27, 2006. I was told that the story will feature five photos and a brief story, all by photojournalist Jarrett Baker and it will be one full page in the paper.
If the story is on the paper's website, I will post a link to it on this site Sunday or Monday.
For info about how this newspaper story came about, click here.
| LISTEN TO ODB RADIO: Real | MP3 | WMA |
Let each one of you . . . so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. —Ephesians 5:33
Nancy Anderson says she grew lukewarm in her faith and thus believed the world’s lie: “I deserve to be happy.” This led to an extramarital affair that nearly ended her marriage. She wrote her book Avoiding The Greener Grass Syndrome to help keep her painful story of infidelity from “becoming someone else’s story.”
In her book, Nancy offers six action suggestions on how to build “hedges” to protect your marriage and to help make “a good marriage great”:
Hear—give a listening ear to your spouse.
Encourage—build up your spouse by focusing on positive qualities.
Date—celebrate your marriage by playing and laughing together.
Guard—establish safeguards by setting clear boundaries.
Educate—study your mate to truly understand him or her.
Satisfy—meet each other’s needs.
The grass on the other side of the fence may look greener, but faithfulness to God and commitment to your spouse alone bring peace of mind and satisfaction.
When you avoid the greener-grass syndrome by loving and respecting your spouse, your marriage will be a picture of Christ and His church to those around you (Ephesians 5:31-32).
When you look at someone else’s life,
Thinking that it’s better than your own,
Just remember what God’s given you
Was designed for you alone. —Hess
Jesus Christ is the only third party in a marriage who can make it work.
I will be preaching at Sampson City Baptist Church on Sunday morning, August 27, 2006. The morning worship service will begin at 11am. Sampson City Baptist Church is located at 13797 SW County Road 227 near Starke, Florida. Please be in prayer for this service and for the church as they search for a pastor.
Evangelist Raphael Adjei Kingbi will be preaching youth services at Bethlehem Presbyterian Church in Teshie, Ghana tonight and Sunday. The services, being dubbed "Gents Night", are expected to draw 100-150 youth. Please be in prayer for these services.
Evangelist Ralph serves as Ghana Ministry Coordinator for the James Croft Evangelistic Association.
Check out this 58 second video.
It is absolutely awesome!
If you like it, share it with others.
I will be preaching the mid-week service at First Baptist Church of Lake Butler tonight at 6:30pm. The church is located at 195 East Main Street in Lake Butler, Florida. The service will be held in the fellowship hall due to remodeling of the sanctuary. Please be in prayer for this service.
Babs Miller was bagging some early potatoes for me. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas.
I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr.Miller and the ragged boy next to me.
"Hello Barry, how are you today?"
"H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas. Sure look good."
"They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?"
"Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time."
"Good. Anything I can help you with?"
"No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas."
"Would you like to take some home?"
"No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with."
"Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?"
"All I got's my prize marble here."
"Is that right? Let me see it."
"Here 'tis. She's a dandy."
"I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?"
"Not zackley. but almost."
"Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble."
"Sure will Thanks Mr. Miller."
Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said, "There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, perhaps."
I left the stand smiling to myself, impressed with this man.
A short time later I moved to Colorado, but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering. Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his viewing that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them.
Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer
whatever words of comfort we could.
Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts...all very professional looking.
They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the
casket. Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.
Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and mentioned the story she had told me about the marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket.
"Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim "traded" them. Now,at last,when Jim could not change his mind about color or size....they came to pay their debt."
"We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world," she confided, "but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho "
With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.
Moral: We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds.
James 2:26 (NKJV)
26For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Don't just talk about your faith, live it.
I served as co-auctioneer recently for the Bradford County 4-H Foundation (Starke, Florida) and the Union County 4-H Foundation (Lake Butler, Florida) annual auctions. It's always a lot of fun and raises money for a worthwhile program. To read about the Bradford auction click here and for the Union auction click here.
I was in 4-H for four years during my days at Baker County High School (Macclenny, Florida) and learned a lot about a lot of things including leadership, public speaking and raising quail. As an adult, I have served on the Baker County 4-H Advisory Committee since the mid 1980's; judged countless county, district and state events; and received several awards including: Florida 4-H Alumni of the Year (1995), Bradford County 4-H Supporter Award (2000) and induction into the Florida 4-H Hall of Fame (2002).
I will be preaching in supply for Pastor Lowell O'Steen at Bethlehem Baptist Church on Sunday. The services will begin at 11am & 6pm. The church is located on SR100 east of Lake City, Florida.
Please be in prayer for these services and for the O'Steens as they are traveling on vacation.
I have been asked to preach Homecoming Service at Bryceville First Baptist Church on Sunday, November 12th. The service will begin at 11am. The church is located at 7732 Highway 301 in Bryceville, Florida. For more information call Pastor Richard Fish at (904) 266-4169.
This is one of those stories that has floated on the web for several years. According to Snopes.com and TruthorFiction.com it is a true story.
A cold March wind danced around the dead of night in Dallas as the doctor walked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing. Still groggy from surgery, her husband David held her hand as they braced themselves for the latest news.
That afternoon of March 10, 1991, complications had forced Diana, only 24-weeks pregnant, to undergo an emergency cesarean section to deliver the couple's new daughter, Danae Lu Blessing. At 12 inches long and weighing only one pound and nine ounces, they already knew she was perilously premature. Still, the doctor's soft words dropped like bombs. 'I don't think she's going to make it'" he said, as kindly as he could. '"There's only a 10-percent chance she will live through the night, and even then, if by some slim chance she does make it, her future could be a very cruel one.'
Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctor described the devastating problems Danae would likely face if she survived. She would never walk; she would never talk; she would probably be blind; she would certainly be prone to other catastrophic conditions from cerebral palsy to complete mental retardation; and on and on.
'No! No!' was all Diana could say. She and David, with their 5-year-old son Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they would have a daughter to become a family of four. Now, within a matter of hours, that dream was slipping away.
Through the dark hours of morning as Danae held onto life by the thinnest thread, Diana slipped in and out of drugged sleep, growing more and more determined that their tiny daughter would live - and live to be a healthy, happy young girl. But David, fully awake and listening to additional dire details of their daughter's chances of ever leaving the hospital alive, much less healthy, knew he must confront his wife with the inevitable.
David walked in and said that we needed to talk about making funeral arrangements, Diana remembers 'I felt so bad for him because he was doing everything, trying to include me in what was going on, but I just wouldn't listen, I couldn't listen. I said, 'No, that is not going to happen, no way! I don't care what the doctors say Danae is not going to die! One day she will be just fine, and she will be coming home with us!'
As if willed to live by Diana's determination, Danae clung to life hour after hour, with the help of every medical machine and marvel her miniature body could endure But as those first days passed, a new agony set in for David and Diana.
Because Danae's underdeveloped nervous system was essentially 'raw,' the lightest kiss or caress only intensified her discomfort - so they couldn't even cradle their tiny baby girl against their chests to offer the strength of their love. All they could do, as Danae struggled alone beneath the ultra-violet light in the tangle of tubes and wires, was to pray that God would stay close to their precious little girl.
There was never a moment when Danae suddenly grew stronger. But as the weeks went by, she did slowly gain an ounce of weight here and an ounce of strength there.
At last, when Danae turned two months old, her parents were able to hold her in their arms for the very first time. And two months later - though doctors continued to gently but grimly warn that her chances of surviving, much less living any kind of normal life, were next to zero.
Danae went home from the hospital, just as her mother had predicted. Today, five years later, Danae is a petite but feisty young girl with glittering gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life. She shows no signs, whatsoever, of any mental or physical impairments. Simply, she is everything a little girl can be and more - but that happy ending is far from the end of her story.
One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in Irving, Texas, Danae was sitting in her mother's lap in the bleachers of a local ball park where her brother Dustin's baseball team was practicing. As always, Danae was chattering non-stop with her mother and several other adults sitting nearby when she suddenly fell silent. Hugging her arms across her chest, Danae asked, 'Do you smell that?'
Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, 'Yes, it smells like rain.' Danae closed her eyes and again asked, 'Do you smell that?' Once again, her mother replied, 'Yes, I think we're about to get wet, it smells like rain.' Still caught in the moment, Danae shook her head, patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced, 'No, it smells like Him. It smells like God when you lay your head on His chest.'
Tears blurred Diana's eyes as Danae then happily hopped down to play with the other children. Before the rains came, her daughter's words confirmed what Diana and all the members of the extended Blessing family had known, at least in their hearts, all along. During those long days and nights of her first two months of her life, when her nerves were too sensitive for them to touch her, God was holding Danae on His chest - and it is His loving scent that she remembers so well.
I will be preaching at 6:30pm tonight at First Baptist Church of Lake Butler. The service will be held in the fellowship hall due to construction in the sanctuary. The church is located at 195 East Main Street in Lake Butler, Florida.
I have just received my first preaching assignment for 2007. It will be at Lake Forest Baptist Church in Gainesville, Florida on Sunday, January 21, 2007. It will begin with a men's breakfast at 8am. I will be preaching during the 11am morning worship service.
Lake Forest Baptist Church is located at 5121 East University Avenue in Gainesville, Florida. For more information call Pastor Charles Biggs at (352) 378-1100.
The annual Zion Evangelistic Ministry Campmeeting will begin the end of August in Ghana, West Africa. The campmeeting is a time for believers to take a trip together for a few days of intense Bible study, prayer and praise & worship.
The camp will begin on August 3oth and run through September 3rd. The estimated number of participants is 100. This year the campmeeting will be held in the Eastern Region of Ghana in a town called Swedru. The group will be camping in one of their secondary schools.
The estimated cost for the campmeeting, including transportation, lodging and meals is a total of $550 USD. This is a total cost for all participants combined.
I'll post more information as I receive it from Evangelist Raphael Adjei Kingbi, JCEA Ghana Ministry Coordinator, You may also e-mail Evangelist Ralph with questions or comments at ghana@jamescroft.org.
I have been scheduled by Wayne Harvey with the Santa Fe River Baptist Association to conduct a training session in November. The session will be on the topic of "preparing the church for revival", a part of a series on evangelism being conducted by the SFRBA. I will share more details as they become available. Please be in prayer for me as i prepare for this session.
Have you checked out the monthly Podcast
My nephew, SFC Preston Ring, was featured on First Coast News in Jacksonville, Florida last night. Preston just completed his second tour in Iraq and returned home to Lake City, Florida for a visit with family & friends before returning to Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
To view the video of the story click here. A printed transcript can be viewed by clicking here.
The Lake City Reporter and Lake City Journal also have articles about his return home.
Please remember to pray for all of our military around the world.
Pictured with Preston (in uniform) are (left to right); Curtis Bethea, USCG (brother-in-law), Krystle Bethea (sister), Fred Ring (dad) and Melissa Ring (mother).
I'll be preaching at my home church, First Baptist Church of Lake Butler, tonight at 6:30pm. The service will be held in the fellowship hall due to construction in our sanctuary. The church is located at 195 East Main Street in Lake Butler, Florida. Please be in prayer for this service.
Here's a story with a GREAT lesson.
During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"
Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name?
I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.
"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello."
I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.
1 Samuel 16:7 (NKJV)
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
Acts 10:34-35 (NKJV)
34Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.
35But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.
I have schedule a third reival meeting to begin in October of this year. The meeting will be at First Baptist Church of Lacoochee, 21012 Bower Road in Lacoochee, Florida. The services will begin on Sunday, October 29th at 11am and will continue at 7pm nightly through Thursday, November 2nd. For more information you may call Pastor Eldridge Parrish at (352) 583-3445. Please be in prayer for these services.
I will be speaking during a Sunday School Promotion Service at Elim Baptist Church on Sunday, September 3, 2006. The special service will begin with breakfast at 9am. For more information call the church at (386) 497-4686.
Elim Baptist Church is located at 6855 SW Elim Church Rd. near Fort White, Florida.
I will be preaching in supply for Pastor Lowell O'Steen at Bethlehem Baptist Church on Sunday, August 20, 2006. The services will begin at 11am & 6pm. Please be in prayer for these services and for Bro. & Sis. O'Steen as they enjoy a few days away.
Bethlehem Baptist Church is located on State Road 100 east of Lake City, Florida.
The August 2006 edition of the ministry Podcast of the
I will be preaching the 11am worship service at Bayless Highway Baptist Church this Sunday, August 6, 2006. The church is located at 11798 NW County Road 225 near Starke, Florida. Please be in prayer for this service and for the church as they search for a pastor.
This site is updated on a daily basis, but you may not always think of checking the site daily unless you subscribe to the RSS feed with a newsreader. Well, now you can be notified by e-mail each day that a new item is posted. To be placed on this list powered by FeedBurner use the form in the left column of this page.
The same service is also available for my ministry Podcast, "Walking with the Giant". You can find the e-mail notification form for the Podcast by clicking here and looking in the right column of the page.
This is one way to stay up on all of the latest happenings of the James Croft Evangelistic Association.
I will be preaching the morning worship service at Sampson City Baptist Church on Sunday, August 27, 2006. The service will begin at 11am. The church is located at 13797 SW County Road 227 near Starke, Florida. The church is currently searching for a pastor, so please keep them in your prayers.
I will be preaching at 6:30pm tonight at First Baptist Church of Lake Butler. The church is located at 195 East Main Street in Lake Butler, Florida. The service will be held in the fellowship hall due to remodeling of the sanctuary. Please be in prayer for this service and for the church as they continue to search for a pastor.
"Walking with the Giant", the Podcast of the James Croft Evangelistic Association, continues to be regularly downloaded from the web. Here is an update on the number of downloads for each episode since the stats became available.
| Episode | Guest | Downloads |
| January 2006 |
| 136 |
| February-March 2006 | Dr. Harold Hudson | 122 |
| April 2006 | Jack & Ali | 163 |
| May 2006 | Dr. Sterling Huston | 184 |
| June 2006 | Evangelist Bobby Brindle | 126 |
| July 2006 | Howard Butzer | 98 |
| Total Downloads | 829 | |
I have added Bayless Highway Baptist Church to my preaching schedule for this Sunday, August 6, 2006. I will be preaching the 11am service in supply for Interim Pastor Jerry Gesell, Sr. The church is located at 11798 NW County Road 225 in Starke, Florida.
