As I write this first entry,  I write with gratitude that we get to take this trip along with Dr. Scott Caldwell & John Grigson, Louisiana State Rep. for Celebrate Recovery Inside.  We are headed on Wednesday to Russia to teach a group of churches how to start a Celebrate Recovery ministry.

Mac & I were in gorgeous weather, sunny California last week with over 3000 people at the Celebrate Recovery 12th Summit.  We were celebrating recovery with people who either wanted to start a CR or ministry leaders who wanted to take their groups to the next level by attending Advanced Leadership Training workshops. What an exciting high we came home from of hearing extraordinary stories of changed lives, reuniting with old friends and making new ones for eternity!

I hadn't been keeping up with world news while we were gone.  Then the day we arrived home I checked the headlines for Russia:

Noxious smog from wildfires returns to Moscow
Poisonous smog envelops Moscow
Russian wildfires may reawaken Chernobyl cloud
Moscow's deaths double amid smog and heatwave
Russia's heatwave worst in 1000 years
Flight are being cancelled and diverted from Moscow

I started to question,  "What in the world are we doing?  Is this the right thing to do?  Are we really supposed to go?"

I recalled a verse I've said many times throughout my life, "I will trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding. In all our ways we will acknowledge Him and He will direct our paths.  Prov. 3:5-6

One dear friend who is praying for us wrote to me, "God knows what lies ahead. Imagine walking in amongst the flames singing praises to God with no harm whatsoever. That's the kind of faith you and Mac have."

Sometimes all it takes is someone reminding us that because of faith all things are possible with God.  I now feel the peace that passes all understanding.

We have a mission to accomplish!  There is more than poisonous smog looming in the world…people are dying daily without hope…people filled with dark clouds of all sorts of hurts, hang-ups, and habits.

So it's time to start packing. I'm taking my iPad with me.  Hopefully I'll be able to keep up this blog.  Our friend, Bobbi, created it for us.  Thank you, Bobbi, it is beautiful!

So join us on this journey through our blog as we are on a mission to share the good news of redemption & restoration!

Shining like a city on a hill ~ Celebrate Recovery