I wish I would have blogged last week so that I could have a visual to look back on and see God's handiwork. Today my family went to church with me and for that alone I praise God. If that would have been all that happened with them today I still would have been grateful and whispered a sweet thanks to my Father because for a while now I have been the only one in my household pressing through. However, today that wasn't enough for the Lord. The pastor prayed for my mother and they talked a lot and there was some prophecy that went forth that came to pass before we left the church building. I don't know what all the pastor said to my mom because it was obviously between those two, even though I would really like to know. One of the things I assume they talked about is something my mother and I have been praying for: to send a man of God into our lives to be a spiritual father to my brother. Today God did just that. Actually he just revealed to us who that man of God would be. Apostle. Additionally, Apostle told me that he had been praying (or simply prayed) that the next time my mom came to his church that she would leave with a new insight and be changed. Well, the prayers of the righteous availeth much. My mom looked at him, shok her head, and spke a few words to which he told me had been an answer to his praise. For all of this I PRAISE the Lord. During church... For the first time in a really long time the teens that were in the church got to go to the back and have their own seperate service (with Apostle). They called the teens to the back and my brother was the first one on his feet to obey the order. That touched my heart. Anway, they finished up before we did so they just joined us for the rest of service. At some point after that the church entered a time of praise (which can be categorized as chrasmatic, radical, or what-I-like-to-call unconventional). The majority of us began to march around the sanctuary clapping, singing, and dancing. When that ended some people started running. We got my brother to come out in the aisles and run too. Just to see him moving around in church brought a smile to my face and I couldn't help but encougage him and say "GET IT BOY!!" I understand that running around the church may not I mean anything to some and most Christians might actually find it foolish HOWEVER running in church symbolizes something greater than what the natural eye can see. I don't view running in this context in simple way. I believe that God operates both in and outside of religion and convention. I also believe that things happen in the natural that correspond with the spiritual Having said all that seeing my brother run around the church gave me a greater hope in his running the "Christian race" and that he would eventually be able to walk in freedom and truth. All of this happened before the apostle spoke to the youth in front of us, but even before he did that I could tell that he saw something in my brother and had taken a particualr liking to him (the way that several men in the past have) by the way he called my brother's name to encourage him to join us in the festivities at hand. Whenever Apostle spoke to the youth while he was in the congregation he prophesied over them and said that the Lord would continue to use their gifts for His glory as well as other things. He publically told them that he would support them especially those who didn't have their fathers in their life. There was one kid that lived four hours away from the church and he told her that he would come down and see her play sports. He told my brother that he (apostle) was in place to serve him (my bro). ANSWERED PRAYER Can someone say hallelujah!? He also told the men that it was time for them to step up and be men. He also said that today he found out where his heart was...with the youth (the same place that my heart is). He said that by being back there with them for such a short period of time he had been impressed and was proud of them. When I was talking to him after church I smiled and said "You see I have the crew with me today." He smiled back and told me that he saw a lot of things in my brother that reminded him of himself when he was younger but that another man had took from him the same way my brothers old coach and other people have been trying to take from my brother. The best thing that happened with the youth today though, was the fact that one young man gave his life to Christ and received salvation and my brother came to the understanding that he had received salvation in Hawaii (which I didn't know; and the apostle told him to start listening to the Holy Spirits unctioning). The young man's (Joshua) family grabbed him and hugged him. My bro's not like that so I just smiled and tried to contain my joy and refrain from punching a hole in the wall or flipping over a chair. I am so excited. All this time I didn't know that my brother was fully my brother (in Christ) and now my prayers for him have not changed but instead of being prayers of petition they are prayers of thanksgiving. I get so excited when I think about my brother walking in the fullness of the God's Word. Lastly, I stood next to my mother for the second time this summer as she praised and worshipped God. Oh, what an honor! So for the second week in a row my voice is hoarse because I thought about his goodness and invoked in me a praise from the inside! Praise the Lord, thy God! | 
