LOOKING FOR A GOD-AWESOME ADVENTURE FOR YOUR GROUP?? ...DATES FOR OUR SUMMER ADVENTURE TRIPS ARE NOW OPEN FOR REGISTRATION!!

  
Join us this summer for a God-awesome GTD Adventure Trip!! A 5-day trip is ONLY $249/person!! (plus rafting fees if you choose to raft)

2026 Summer Adventure Trip Dates:
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Lake Rabun in Clayton, GA
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June 1-5 (Mon - Fri) - [RESERVED]
June 6-10 (Sat - Wed) > Available
June 10-14 (Wed - Sun) > Available
  
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Chilhowee in Benton, TN
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June 15-19 (Mon - Fri) > Available
June 20-24 (Sat - Wed) - [SLAMMED]
June 24-28 (Wed - Sun) > Available
 
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Kuykendall in Brevard, NC
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July 6-10 (Mon-Fri) > Available
July 11-15 (Sat-Wed) > Available
July 15-19 (Wed-Sun) - [RESERVED]


Click here for more details &/or to register your group! (FYI: NEW WEBSITE IN THE WORKS FOR 2026!)

Click here to go straight to the registration page (FAST TRACK ADVENTURE TRIP PLANNER)

We can't wait to plan a God-awesome event for your group in God's amazing playground!!

 

 

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RETURNING BACK TO FUN DUG!

  

GTD's Mission Statement is: Glorify God. Love Man. Have Fun!

 

When I started GTD I used to be so much fun to be around... laughed all the time... joked around all the time with our participants, volunteers, & staff. Then as GTD grew the demands grew and I became overwhelmed (I started doing ministry in MANpower instead of Holy Spirit power). My "solution" was to work harder and work more hours. I became way to serious and way less fun. But God is reviving me... and reminding me of who I used to be (and am becoming again). We have a loving Father that says "Don't worry! Rejoice always! You are free indeed! Be full of joy! I came to give you abundant life! I made you to be very fruitful (not withered)! I've provided you with EVERY spiritual blessing! I made you to overflow!" What do I have to worry about when, in faith, I let God have complete control? That doesn't mean I'm blind to and don't experience the brutal aspects of a fallen world, but that quality of life is much more about what happens internally (& more importantly eternally) than what happens externally. Quality of life is when you care about everything that's truly important to God, but you worry about nothing. So all I have to say today is zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay! My, oh my, what a wonderful day.

 

 

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DON'T JUST STAND THERE, PRAY SOMETHING!

  

As we are preparing to relaunch GTD in October 2026, we are recommitting to a ministry that is bathed in prayer. All of our Directors & Coordinators are reading a phenomenal instructional book on how to powerfully pray & the importance of prayer. Before I ever started GTD I spent 5 years praying & preparing over every aspect of its development. Then in 1996 when we started running events I would not run a trip without putting in 5 hours of prayer (usually about 30 minutes at a time over a few weeks leading up to the trip until I hit 5 hours of cumulative prayer time). Five hours wasn't a "magical amount of time". It was a large enough amount of time that it forced me to be thorough and cover every aspect and every mile traveled. Back then we were running less than 5 events per year so it was more achievable. But once we got super busy running 30+ events per year each trip was fortunate to get 5 minutes of prayer. I have found that if the devil can't stop you then he will try to use your momentum against you... to make you so busy that you begin to neglect the most important aspects of running a ministry >>> close abiding communication with God. Ministry isn't about "MANpower"; it's supernatural! A human being can't save a soul or even change a soul. That's all supernatural. It's a God-thing. "Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain" (Psalm 127:1). "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty" (Zechariah 4:6). "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing" (- Jesus from John 15:5). As a ministry our main objective is to glorify God by bearing much lasting fruit ("This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit... I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last..." - Jesus from John 15:8,16). The enemy wants us to think that prayer is either optional, less important than work, or it's for the spiritually elite. None of those are true. Prayer is possibly the most important tool in the toolbox. It can literally move the hand of God, and the absence of it can cause us to miss out on things God is willing to do if we only ask ("You do not have because you do not ask." - James 4:2). So we are recommitting to an effective prayer lifestyle so we stay in-tune and in-step with God's plans for this ministry and yield to the movement of the Holy Spirit instead of trying to do it in our own efforts from our own ideas. We are preparing for a God-awesome relaunch of GTD on October 20, 2026! Now is the time! Revival is here! God is up to something very special!

 

 

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PRODIGAL DUG HAS RETURNED! ...FROM SURVIVAL TO REVIVAL!

  

About 2 weeks ago all my remaining grief, depression, doom & gloom, despair, pessimism, discouragement, negativity, "chip on my shoulder", lack of drive, lack of enthusiasm, lack of motivation, over emotionalism, feeble mindedness, rebelliousness, resentment, dismantling & long-haul exhaustion - all of this utter defeatism - was instantly gone. I have progressively been improving incrementally since I bottomed out last May (maybe 40% better overall) and seeking God for a personal revival. I still had a long road ahead of me, but I was making consistent progress. Then, out of nowhere, that remaining 60% was instantly gone... like one switch had been turned off and another switch had been turned on. Instantly hope, peace, joy, enthusiasm, optimism, drive, motivation, eagerness, strong mindedness, less overly emotional... it all was instantaneously back!!! I've been "remantled"! Glory to God!! Thank You Jesus!!! Thank You Holy Spirit!!! Revival is happening!!! One of the main worship songs I have been singing everyday is "I Thank God", and 2 of the main verses are "The devil lost another one! I am free! I am free!" and "Get up! Get up! Get up! Get up outta that grave!" Wow, I'm living that song right now. The devil came inches away from destroying me, but "The devil lost another one. I am free! I am free!". I spent 5 years digging my grave with the shovel of exhaustion, but as I was laying down in my grave my spirit could hear God's Spirit saying, "Get up! Get up! Get up! Get up outta that grave!" Now I'm dancing on that grave!! Actually those are some of the lyrics of the other worship song I have been singing everyday (called Goodbye Yesterday): "Again and again and again and again You rescued me out of the mess I was in. I traded my sorrow for something to sing. Now, I'm dancin' on the grave that I once lived in." All I can say is that I was dead, and now I'm alive again. I had never experienced a "Prodigal Son" type of crisis in my life. I've always been more like the Prodigal Son's brother - the "good son" - that loyally & faithfully stayed by his Father's side. But after 5 years of being dismantled I "took my inheritance" and was inches away from squandering it all when the fear of God brought me back to my senses, and I relented & repented. I'm beyond blessed that God is slow to anger, quick to forgive, and abounding in love. His kindness leads to our repentance. PRODIGAL DUG has returned! God is turning my survival into my revival! PTL! I tried to do my best to communicate my "train wreck" last year as it was happening. Even in my mess I tried to stay transparent & authentic. For all those who reached out to me and, like firefighters, ran into a situation that most people are running away from (and there were so many who reached out to me & prayed for me) >>> from the bottom of my heart THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! You helped save my life!! And to all those who gave up on me... I totally understand... I gave up on me too. I get it... who voluntarily wants to jump into a dumpster fire!! I totally understand. But for all those who ran in with whatever water you had to douse the flames (whether it was with gallons or the few sips you had in your water bottle) >>> YOU DID IT... GOD USED YOU IMMENSELY TO PUT THE FIRE OUT AND SAVE YOUR BROTHER'S LIFE!! I'M FOREVER PROFOUNDLY GRATEFUL!! By the grace & mercy of God - PRODIGAL DUG has returned. Revival is here ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ 

 

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"I'M COMMITTING TO BE A BETTER HUSBAND & FATHER"

  

As we launch into our 30th year of ministry we are evaluating what to keep, what to get rid of, what to add, & what to improve on. One improvement we have committed to make on EVERY GTD EVENT going forward is to give our participants an opportunity to ask Jesus into their hearts, rededicate their lives to Christ, and/or make any recommitments to better their lives or better their walk with God. Unfortunately we became inconsistent with doing this over the years. God convicted my heart to make this a regular part of every event we do. I grew up in a Baptist church where every week they gave an altar call at the end of the service for salvation and rededications. On February 4, 1979, at the age of 8 years old, I responded to one of those altar calls, walked down the aisle, and prayed with Pastor Hammond & asked Jesus into my heart! It continues to be THE BEST decision I have ever made!! Through my middle school years I "backslided" here & there and started drifting away from Christ. At a Christian coffeehouse in Savannah, Georgia my cousins gave a similar altar call at the end of their concert, and I walked down the aisle and rededicated my life to Jesus. Since that time I have rededicated my life to Jesus a few more times after seasons of drifting, and there have been many times through the years that I have committed and recommitted to a variety of Godly standards outlined in the Bible. Almost all of these - salvation, rededications, & recommitments - were a direct response to an altar call or invitation publicly given. As I reflect back as a believer in free will, I don't think I would have made many of those life changing decisions if I didn't have someone provide an invitation through some form of an "altar call". I'm a living result of God using an altar call. Because of this we are recommitting as a ministry to an "altar call" on every trip. On our swamp hike last week Pastor Justin supplied the altar call. A few of the men wanted to make recommitments to be better husbands, better fathers, and more consistent in their daily walk with Jesus. I know from personal experience that those kind of public recommitments often change the trajectory of your life towards good & Godly things. God is always ready to meet us where we are at - especially in the mess - and take us to a more abundant life in Him. The beautiful thing about camp ministry is that God uses them to cut through the distractions of life and quickly get down to the heart of the matter so that a sensitivity to spiritual things is authentically cultivated.

"for, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'” - Romans 10:13-15

 

 

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COMING OCTOBER 2026... RELAUNCHING OF GTD!!

  

There are a lot of things in the works! God is up to something very special! Plan ahead to join us on October 20, 2026 in Pinellas Park, Florida for an Annual Banquet like no other as we RELAUNCH GTD into our next 30 years of ministry! New logo! New website! New Directors & Coordinators! New Programs! Aaaaaaaaand So Much More!! We are keeping everything and everyone that made GTD so God-awesome, and we are saying goodbye to anything that is no longer effective or has become so antiquated that it is holding us back (oh how I want to do away with email hahaha!!). We are in a 2 year process of passing the GTD torch of CEO from Doug (me) to Carson as I take on new roles & responsibilities within GTD and clear the way for the next generation of leaders to take us into the Promise Land!! This is our Joshua moment! I can sense it... God is up to something very special!! The enemy tried to stop it, but God is about to RELAUNCH IT!!! I'm so excited to see what the enemy was trying so hard to stop! The young guns are coming... Regulators, mount up!!

 

 

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"YOUR OLD MEN WILL DREAM DREAMS" ... MID 60's AND HE IS DID THE SWAMP HIKE!!

   

One of our participants on the swamp hike is in his mid 60's. To all of us, that's inspiring! Something inside of him wanted to do this hike. Life is often made up of little and big dreams. I've found that the more God-given dreams you can pursue over a lifetime only enriches the quality of your life even if some of those dreams fail. He had a God-awesome experience, and he had so much Godly wisdom & encouragement to share. We were so blessed to have him on this trip! I'm so blessed to be part of a ministry that cherishes kids, honors older adventurers, and cares about every age in-between. Thank you to all our encouragers, volunteers, and supporters that help make even older men's dreams a reality =) 

 

“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions." Joel 2:28

 

 

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SUNRISE IN THE EVERGLADES! ...AND GTD!

  

"From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!"  - Psalm 113:3

 

It's a new day in the Everglades, and it's a new day in GTD! Each sunrise is a reminder of Thomas Fuller's famous 1650 writing, "It is always darkest just before the Day dawneth". That saying encourages us and reminds us that the most difficult or hopeless situations often occur right before a positive turning point or breakthrough. All I can say is God is up to something very special!

 

 

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THE ADVENTURE IS SECONDARY! ... SEEKING GOD IS FIRST =)

  
Adventure is what draws us together, but Jesus is what binds us together. If all GTD offered was adventurous activities we would be like a cup of sugar - empty calories with no sustenance. We would be sweet & give you an instantaneous boost, but leave you with a quick crash and a mouth full of cavities. One of the things I love most about GTD is that healthy relationships are the main objective... with God, others, & even ourselves. A lot of that happens around the campfire. On our swamp hike with Calvary this past weekend we all connected and bonded at a deeper level with God & each other (and even learned more about ourselves) as we read through Colosians 3, prayed, and had meaningful discussions & conversations. A supreme aspect of hiking is that you get to have so many meaningful conversations. Deep lifelong friendships are offened birthed. We came as friends, acquaintances, & strangers, but we left as brothers. That's the power of God working through outdoor adventures in His amazing playground called creation! That's what transforms a great adventure into a God-awesome adventure!

 

 

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OUR FIRST EVER PRIVATE SWAMP HIKE WAS AN OVERWHELMING SUCCESS!!

  
Carson, Stacy, and myself (Doug) lead up our first PRIVATE swamp hike over the weekend, and it was a big hit! We were blessed to outfit 20 men (including ourselves) from one of our favorite churches - Calvary Church of Clearwater - for this unique adventure to one of the rarest terrains in the world. God blessed us immensely in several ways (which we will share more about in upcoming posts). One of those blessings was the fact that on this trip Carson was the pilot, Stacy was the co-pilot, and I was the "flight instructor" which is part of our "passing of the torch" "building the plane as we fly it" 2-year plan. Carson & Stacy did a fantastic job! I couldn't be more pleased. (And this trip showed that for a 55 year old guy that God is reviving I still have many years of involvement remaining in this ministry in a variety of capacities as God allows... so for all our old school GTD'ers I'm not leaving... just passing on some key positions to the next generation of leaders as God expands GTD).

Special thanks to Kirsten (our Volunteer Coordinator), Andrew (our Equipment & Asset Coordinator), Laurie (our Missions & Prosperity Director), & Traci (our s'mores maker!) for all their help and hard work prepping for this event!! We could not have done it without you!!

Aaaaaaaaand, of course, a HUGE THANK YOU to all of our supporters, encouragers, & pray'ers for all that you do to help us to do what we do! We love you!!

 

 

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PREPPING FOR A BACKPACKING TRIP WITH 20 MEN!

  
What better way to kick off 30 years of adventures than a backpacking adventure with the Men's group from Calvary Church of Clearwater!! Special thanks to Carson, Andrew, Kirsten, Traci, & Laurie for all the help & hard work that has gone into preparing for this adventure!! It takes a lot of prep work & volunteers to put together events like this... thank you so much God-awesome people!!

 

 

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GTD IS "GETTING STURDY" AS WE TURN THIRTY!

  

2025 became the worst year of my life, but praise God for our Heavenly Father's character of grace, mercy, and long suffering. As Jonah 4:2 says: "...I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity". I believe that the devil didn't want GTD to turn 30... he wanted this ministry to die at the age of 29. I believe he was on a 5+ year campaign to dismantle me so that he could ultimately destroy this ministry. It almost worked. Almost. I was so exhausted, grieved, angry, & depressed that I had many moments when I didn't think I had anything left in the tank to run this ministry. I became a train wreck. But I serve a God that fixes train wrecks! God opened my eyes and woke me up. Like the Prodigal Son I "came to my senses". And from that point God started turning my survival into my revival! I'm thrilled to share that on January 1, 2026 GTD not only turned 30, but we are now actively working on the next 30 years of ministry. God is turning the devil's plans to decrease into God's plans to increase! Happy 30th Birthday GTD!! I can't wait to see what the enemy was trying to stop!!!

 

 

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BACK TO WORK! JANUARY DEADLINES COMPLETED 5 DAYS EARLY =)

  
Thanks to some great help (Lauire, Kirsten, & Kathy) we were able to complete our annual requirements 5 days before our January 31st deadline. Yayyy!! It's a small victory, but a great way to start the new year. Next up is a swamp hike in the Everglades =) 

 

 

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GOT THE BUG!

  
I ended up getting whatever bug has been going around... spent about 5 days in bed, but I'm getting on the other side of it now PTL. Sometimes getting sick mirrors an intense workout plan >>> nonstop coughing is a great ab workout, and I guess I'll call the week-long "loss of appetite" & large amounts of water intake as a new year "fast & cleanse" LOL. January is a HUGE month of deadlines so lots to get done by the 31st. Also, lots of good updates to share as well.

 

 

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SAME OUTSTANDING PERSON ADDS ANOTHER $1000 TO HER $1500 DONATION!!

  
About a week ago we received the 1st donation (for $1500) from an outstanding young lady that I posted about yesterday. On the same day as the 1st donation (about a week ago) that same outstanding young lady made a 2nd donation to GTD for an additional $1000!! WOWWWW >>> I'M TOTALLY SPEECHLESS!!! Pictured here is what she wrote with each donation. Talk about touching our hearts!! When I started GTD as a non-profit organization 30 years ago I never even thought that one of my responsibilities was going to be fundraising. I only made GTD a non-profit because I was NOT interested in making profits and I wanted to make God-awesome events as INEXPENSIVE as possible. I didn't realize at that time that I was going to have to raise funds each year in order for GTD to continually be able to function year after year. This was actually a big bummer to me because I'm not a fundraiser, I don't want to be a fundraiser, & I don't even like asking for help 99% of the time for anything... but ironically fundraising and asking for help is one of the main roles for anyone running a nonprofit lol!! So each year I awkwardly & unwantingly start asking people, if God moves them, to support this ministry and help us raise the needed funds to run the ministry for the upcoming year. I'm sharing all this because I'm not a natural fundraiser, but I would wish this experience upon everyone because it's a supernatural experience. I'm not a compelling fundraiser... it's all God!! If God didn't compel people to generously give we couldn't raise a single dollar. It's all God!! So for me asking someone to donate feels as awkward and unnerving as it does for an insecure high school nerd to ask the most beautiful & most popular girl that he's head over heels in love with out on a date that he is 1000% sure that she will either laugh in his face or totally ignore him. But still he has to summon the courage to ask her out while scared to death of her rejection. But to his astounding surprise she says yes!!! In that moment he experiences one of the greatest joys on earth... she said yes!!! He falls to his knees and thanks God for the greatest miracle he has ever experienced!!! That's sort of what it's like fundraising for GTD each year! I will never get used to it. I never want to get used to it. Any time someone donates any amount to this ministry I feel like the most beautiful & most popular woman just said yes to a date with this nerd 🤓!! Aaaaaaaaand then to get a note like this that's attached to each donation, well that really really touches the heart in a wonder filled way! It makes you celebrate and praise God! If He didn't move hearts to donate then we would not raise any funds... it's all God!! Thank you AGAIN to our outstanding generous donor! You have made us celebrate and praise God!! ...God is up to something very special!! As for our awesome Donor >> THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN!!!! We! Love! You!!

BTW, I'm matching this $1,000 donation with my own money (it was a good year in the stock market from inheritance money my amazing parents left me PTL!)!!

That brings our current total to $15,200 raised!!! Thank You Jesus!! Thank you Mom & Dad!!

Join me in raising $50,000 in one-time donations (& another 50k in monthly pledges) by February 28, 2026 as we prepare to pass the torch of this ministry to the next generation of leaders!!

If you want to donate to ("invest in") this ministry I'm going to match your donation dollar for dollar up to $25,000 (cumulative) or if you want to sign up to be a monthly partner I'm going to match your monthly pledge up to $500 per month (cumulative). This is all in honor of my amazing parents Jerry & Ann Garner (JAG) who believed so much in me & this ministry!! Our goal is to raise $100,000 by February 28, 2026!
 
Click this link to donate & support GTD: 
https://gtdbullhorn.blogspot.com/p/payments-donations.html
 
<> PayPal:
https://www.paypal.me/GTDadventures
 
<> Venmo (@GTDADVENTURES):
https://venmo.com/u/GTDADVENTURES
 
<> Send checks (made out to "GTD") to our mailing address:
GTD / PO Box 7523 / Seminole, FL 33775

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!

GOD IS UP TO SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL!

 

 

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$1500 DONATION RECEIVED!! ... UNBELIEVABLY GRATEFUL!!!

  

We are unbelievably grateful to a certain young lady who made a $1500 online donation to GTD towards our $100k goal by the end of February. She has been involved with GTD as a participant and a volunteer, and we are so fortunate & blessed to have her on our team & in our ministry family!! We are always both humbled & elated when we receive any donation of any amount knowing that it's God who steers each person's heart. We are getting very excited about what God's going to do! I mean, if the devil is trying to stop it while Godly people are compelled to support it then all I can interpret that as is that God is up to something very special!! As for our awesome Donor >> THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! We! Love! You!!

BTW, I'm matching this $1,500 donation with my own money (it was a good year in the stock market from inheritance money my amazing parents left me PTL!)!!

That brings our current total to $13,200 raised!!! Thank You Jesus!! Thank you Mom & Dad!!

Join me in raising $50,000 in one-time donations (& another 50k in monthly pledges) by February 28, 2026 as we prepare to pass the torch of this ministry to the next generation of leaders!!

If you want to donate to ("invest in") this ministry I'm going to match your donation dollar for dollar up to $25,000 (cumulative) or if you want to sign up to be a monthly partner I'm going to match your monthly pledge up to $500 per month (cumulative). This is all in honor of my amazing parents Jerry & Ann Garner (JAG) who believed so much in me & this ministry!! Our goal is to raise $100,000 by February 28, 2026!
 
Click this link to donate & support GTD: 
https://gtdbullhorn.blogspot.com/p/payments-donations.html
 
<> PayPal:
https://www.paypal.me/GTDadventures
 
<> Venmo (@GTDADVENTURES):
https://venmo.com/u/GTDADVENTURES
 
<> Send checks (made out to "GTD") to our mailing address:
GTD / PO Box 7523 / Seminole, FL 33775

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!

GOD IS UP TO SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL!

*In this picture one of our participants from Southeastern University is bravely laughing as she hangs over the edge of an 8 story cliff preparing for her rappel... some people cry when they get to the edge... this fabulous young lady laughs!!

 

 

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SAYING GOODBYE TO THE WORST YEAR OF MY LIFE... I'M DONE SULKING... I'M PROFOUNDLY THANKFUL FOR ALL OF YOU!!

  
God is up to something very special! As 2026 kicks off I'm profoundly thankful for my loving family & my dear friends, especially since I was more cause for concern than cause for confidence in 2025. I'm greatly comforted by the fact that the disciple Peter was also more cause for concern than he was cause for confidence in his "senior year" of following Jesus literally just weeks before Jesus was to pass the torch to him of this worldwide ministry of reconciliation we now call Christianity. But Jesus not only knew Peter was going to fail greatly right before "graduation" He even let him know it was going to happen. Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”.... "I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” There is probably no worse behavior that would get someone labeled as "unfit for ministry" than denying & forsaking Jesus when He "needed" someone's loyalty the most. Probably 100% of current church boards, church staffs, and the advice of church lawyers would have been to fire Peter for his insubordination & moral failing in Jesus' most anguished moments. But what does Jesus do??? Jesus restores Peter (John 21) then promotes him to the position of Head Pastor and commissions him to be the Keynote Speaker on The Day of Pentecost leading over 3000 souls to eternal salvation (Acts 2). Talk about failing forward! As humans we see great failures differently than God sees it. We see it as "I've fallen and I can't get up", but God sees it as "falling is how you learn to walk". We see it as baseball: "3 strikes and you're out", but God sees it as bowling: "10 strikes is a perfect game". My friends our failure is not the enemy and it does not threaten God in any way. The only thing it threatens is the illusion of human perfectionism. When we factor in spiritual warfare, the gravitational pull of our own flesh, a 24/7 worldwide environment of temptation to disobey God, and example after example of great followers of God failing in the Bible then we realize that our perfect streak of "not failing" won't last more than a few hours or a few days at best before we have our micro "Peter moments". The enemy isn't failure; the enemy is the enemy. Our greatest spiritual warfare oftentimes comes just before God unleashes His next wave of fruitful ministry. satan tried to stop Jesus in the wilderness, Peter in the courtyard, & Paul with an ever present "thorn". The enemy will always try to stop us from obeying God's call in our lives, and he will attack us through any means necessary. As one pastor said, "Next levels brings new devils". It's a brutal street fight with almost no rules. It took me many months to realize what was happening to me as I failed greatly in 2025. I thought I was going crazy... I was becoming a total train wreck... I was on the verge of a total implosion. Then I started realizing that I was in the greatest spiritual warfare of my life... and I had been dismantled over a period of 5 years that I was not only losing the battle, but I had given up the fight. I was too exhausted and too spiritually weak and not walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. I'm seeing a little more clearly these days PTL! That's why I'm profoundly thankful... even in my mess God encourages me, strengthens me, revives me, renews His call in my life, and He sends me amazing Godly people to lock arms with... men and women of God who don't wait for me to get better, but rather get down into the mess with me. I can't tell you how many people have reached out to me in Christian love & compassion and said they're not afraid of my mess... they are walking with me shoulder to shoulder. Just experiencing that kind of unconditional love & support makes the mess worth going through. And no one has been more gracious, loving, caring, & kind than God himself. When Jesus restores Peter in John 21 He asks him 3 times (once for each denial), "Do you love me?" Peter exclaims yes each time. To which Jesus replies each time, "Then take care of my sheep"... in other words, "Stop sulking. Get back to work on what I've called you to do. Follow Me and tell the world about Me." In my own prayer time when I talk to God about all the ways I failed Him in 2025 all I hear Him say to me is, "Stop sulking. Follow me. It's time to get back to work on what I've called you to do." As I close the chapter on an awful 2025 I'm failing forward into a new year and the Holy Spirit is starting a new chapter. Forgetting what is behind I'm straining toward what is ahead. But first I have to share that I'm profoundly thankful for you, for my amazing family, and my dear friends. I'm getting much better PTL... inch by inch God is fixing me. I'm done sulking - publicly & privately. For me, 2025 was the year of Survival, but I believe God is in the midst of making 2026 my year of Revival! Happy New Year awesome people!! Thank you for your love, patience, & grace with me. 2026: GOING FROM SURVIVAL TO REVIVAL!!

*My awesome Sister sent me this picture... it is like God made it specifically for us ❤️❤️❤️ 

 

 

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