Prince Caspian

Don't miss this movie when it is released in May! C.S. Lewis is one of the greatest writers of all time, and this film will captivate you and challenge your mind through fantasy (in its proper use).

Sorry We're Late!

I'm finally getting around to updating this blog. As you can see, we are finally settled into our new apartment. On the left is my office, which accounts for the reason I am working to get caught up. For a long time, I had no office and wandered from room to room with my laptop computer. We'll also put a shot of the kitchen on here, too, so those of you who have been asking for pictures can see it. You can also go to our web site, www.visionfoundation.net to see further pictures. Thanks for all the prayers during this long period of construction and general upheaval. Our house has been sold to Renee and Jeremiah, so we are no longer "homeowners." We are in a "retirement apartment," so to speak. It is good to get back to some routine. I will be speaking the entire month of November at Cedar Springs in the Emmaus Class, so we need your prayers. I have also been asked to assume leadership of the Prayer Room ministry at Cedar Springs, which is a fantastic opportunity to pray for wholeness and healing for those who come in week by week.

Time to Update the Construction Photo

Several folks have asked for a more recent picture of the progress of our apartment. So, I have taken an inside shot of the great room, focusing on the almost completed kitchen area. We are supposedly three-four weeks from completion. We are certainly hoping that is accurate. We need to get on to other things. I (Gordon) am working on our support income, which is down significantly, and I am not doing much direct ministry beyond the Forums because of this and the construction. We have been blessed with some incredible speakers in our Foundation Forums this year. Last month we had Doug and Jeremy Floyd take us into the "innards" of the internet, helping the businessmen find tools that would aid them in the conduct of their businesses.
We would ask you to pray with us about our funding. For the first time in many years, we are having to “hit the trail” and actively recruit new donors. Some of you reading this may want to consider joining our donor team. Contact me if that is the case.

Back From Phoenix and Back to the Grind

Marylyn was unable to travel to Phoenix with me due to the demands of the construction project. I spent a week there with Tim Smith, who directs the Ripe For Harvest World Outreach, a small mission with about 130 missionaries in over 30 countries. I serve as an advisor to the Board of Directors, and usually I am the keynote speaker at the bi-annual Staff Conference (Phoenix in June? Are you crazy? 118 degrees!). We had nearly 80 in attendance (couples and singles), representing many different types of ministries and many different countries, including the U.S. It was a great time to minister to some very tired, and sometimes wounded servants. The worship times were great, prayer times powerful, and the interaction among the staff was rich and edifying. Thanks for praying, and thank you to those who support our ministry, thereby enabling me to continue to serve the Body of Christ in this way. Pictured here are some of the senior leaders of the mission, including the Director on my right and the Associate Director on my left. Now I'm back in Knoxville, and we are back to the building project. Painting is underway and floor installation has commenced. It looks like we are three to four weeks from possibly moving. Pray, pray, pray!

We're living in a war zone!

Here is the latest photo of the house: completed on the outside. Siding, new windows, shutters, new roof. With the addition, and the remodeling of the old house, it ties it all together to look like one great big house (which it IS!). However, it is TWO houses: one for the Harris' and one for the Adams'! On the inside, dry wall is up and about to start finishing; trim has been selected, paint has been selected and floor coverings have been selected. SO.... we are done with choices for a while.

MEANWHILE, Marylyn and I take off for Phoenix on the 20th to speak at a Missions Conference. We will be gone a week, during which a lot of things will be taking place here on the house. Continue to pray, particularly that I can function, write, think, prepare Forums, etc. We're trying to function as best we can. It looks like the end of July before we can think about completion.

Another Construction Progress Report

On Easter Sunday, our family gathered in our home for time together to celebrate, as all of you did, the Resurrection of our Lord from the dead. We have life because He suffered death. He gave us reason to reject the fear of death. After our meal, we gathered in our “new” apartment to dedicate it, before the dry wall is in place. We got this idea from some friends many years ago. In the Scriptures we are encouraged to “write on the door posts” His Word. So we did that! Verses like “...as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Then we formed a circle to pray over the space, asking God to protect it from enemy attacks, grace it with His Presence, and use it to fulfill Kingdom purposes. Thanks to all who continue to pray for us during this process.

Foundation Forum Retreat

Thank you for praying for the Forum Retreat this past weekend. This forum of CEOs and Owners met in the Townsend, Tennessee, area for a time of interaction, prayer, worship and planning for the development of the Forum ministry. We are presently recruiting for Forum II, and we solicit your prayer support as we speak with potential members of this new group. When eight to ten have committed we will launch. Meanwhile, Forum I continues to meet once per month for a half day. Our speaker in April will be Dr. Eric Leake, from Greater Warner Church in Knoxville, who will challenge our thinking on touching the poor in our communities, and how businesses might be involved.

Construction Progress

Many have asked about the status of our construction. After the slab was poured, the framing has gone extremely fast. Within a few days that phase will be completed. Then on to the roof and beyond! Also many have wondered about our rationale for this decision to make this addition to our home. Our family has decided that we want a return to the nuclear family; a solution to caring for aging parents (that would be US if we by any chance grow older) is to simply live "next door" to Renee and Jeremiah. So... we have two separate homes that "happen" to be connected. When the time comes to "check on mom and dad" the commute is only seconds, not miles and many minutes. That may not make total sense to everyone, but as we prayed, sought counsel and discussed it among ourselves, we felt the Lord moving us in this direction. Please pray for the safety of the workers and a timely completion. We have had many spiritual discussions with those who are working on our house. Hmmmm......

Amazing Grace

Run, don't walk, to see this "amazing" film. Acclaimed director Michael Apted ("The World is Not Enough," "Coal Miner's Daughter") is the driving force behind "Amazing Grace," a moving (should I say "passionate"?) historical epic about the life of antislavery pioneer William Wilberforce. The movie follows Wilberforce's career through his 20's and 30's, as he and his fellow humanitarians make the issue of slavery a talking point, not only in political circles, but also throughout the country. They wage the first modern political campaign, using petitions, boycotts, mass meetings and even badges with slogans to take their message to the country at large.

When I viewed this movie with my wife, many in the audience were visibly moved to tears. The issue of slavery in humanity's history, cannot be forgotten, and this re-telling of an important milestone is worth the investment of time. Take your children!

InJesus Newsletter

Periodically we send out a newsletter to over 300 people on our cyperspace newsletter list. We have just posted one, so if you are on that list, you just received it. If you did not, you can go to our website and click on the link in the "Contact Us" page and it will take you to the sign-up page on InJesus to join that elite community. We also send out snail mail newsletters at least twice a year (or whenever I get around to it--definitely at year end).

New Web Site

The new Vision Foundation web site is up and running. Check us out at: www.visionfoundation.net. If you have comments (good or bad), please let us know. We will update it periodically, but not as frequently as this blog. Much of the information on the web site is static, but we do have PHOTOS!

Links

Notice on the left I have listed some of my favorite links. Especially you will enjoy Doug Floyd's writing on his blog, and some of John Wood's sermons (our pastor at CSPC). My Utmost For His Highest is a tremendous devotional book, and you can click on this link and go directly to that web site (be sure to come back!). Movie reviews are there, too. The books you see are listed randomly from the library I have posted to my library. These are volumes I highly recommend. I will be adding to this list. Each time you access this blog, the list will change (displaying five at a time).

Welcome!

Welcome to our new home! This will be our "conversational living room" on the net. Here, we'll discuss Vision news (upcoming events, etc.), devotional thoughts, family stuff, books, movies, or whatever. We want you to enter your comments and make this a dialog.