Me and My Boy!

Just over four years ago, our family traveled to Guatemala City, Guatemala to meet an amazing little boy...Juan Jose! From the very first time I saw him, I had a sense in my heart of the uniqueness of this little guy. It wasn't just that he had more energy than the energizer bunny, but God had already been preparing our hearts to receive the newest addition to our family! Adoption had been very close to our hearts for several years and in fact, we had experienced many dissapointments as we pursued our passion to adopt.

I clearly remember sitting in a restaurant with my wife as we explained to our pastor that we were no longer going to push in to adopting a child. The pain of dissapointment was too much to bear! It wasn't long after that however, that the Lord made it very clear to us that even though we were exhausted, He wasn't finished yet. The door opened for us to consider adopting from Guatemala and when we both saw Juan Jose's picture, we instantly knew that God was up to something unique. Following our decision to once again, pursue what we believed was God's heart, we were the recipients of a very generous donation that enabled to move forward with great confidence!

Our time in Guatemala was extremely satisfying and we made a very quick connection with Juan...in just a couple of days, he was calling us Mami and Papi! Our hearts were full and we felt complete. Juan Jose was born to a young lady in the mountains of Guatemala City, who gave him up shortly after adoption, due to her inability to support him. For the first 3 years of his life, he was raised by foster parents who deeply loved him and had every intention of making him a permanent part of their family. His foster dad was a cab driver in the city and earned an equivalent of thirty U.S. dollars per month. His foster mother became pregnant with their second biological child, and were forced to make the decision to open the door to adoption. That's when God brought us in!

After our son came to America, we turned his name around and americanized it to a degree and he became Joseph Juan Scott Reece! Although he only spoke spanish, he quickly became an integral part of our family and the fact that my wife was hispanic minimized the language barrier. Even at that, it wasn't long until he was speaking english and giving us a run for our money! From the very beginning, he fit right into our family and none of us ever made a distinction between our three biological children and Joseph. His mother always told him that even though he may not have been born in her tummy, he was born in her heart!

When Joseph was only seven, his mother, my wife, Veronica, went to be with the Lord very unexpectedly. When I realized that at only seven years old, he had lost three mothers, my heart was deeply broken for this precious little boy. I have to admit to you that I questioned many things after the passing of my wife, among which was the wisdom of God in allowing us to adopt this little boy when in His sovereignty, He knew that I would ultimately be raising him without a mother. I had many times when I wondered if I was even up to the task. The initial days brought a lot of doubt and concern into my heart, but I have to tell you that in the almost nine months since Veronica went to be with the Lord, I couldn't imagine not having Joseph as a part of our family and my life. I can't begin to tell you the discussions that we have had about his mommy and about heaven and all that we have gone through. In the honesty and innocence of his questions, he has helped me see and understand things that I most likely would have missed.

As I write this, Joseph and I are in the mountains of North Carolina together, spending the weekend. We've been out to eat, we've been shopping and just spending time chillin, watching SpongeBob on TV and just having a guys weekend together! I know that I cannot fill the place in his heart that his mommy did, but I can be his dad and I can be the very best dad for him that I can be. I love the nights when he and I have devotions together and as I pray for him before he goes to bed, he reaches up and grabs my face with an adoring look...I love the pictures he draws of his dad and the stories that he writes and the stories he makes up. I love being a part of his world. The other night as I was sitting in my recliner watching the World Series, he asked if he could come up and sit with me...of course he could! He jumped up in the chair, took a look at me and pulled his arms up behind his head...just like his dad! I love that stuff!

As I consider where I am in life, where we have come from and all that is ahead of us, I know that God never makes mistakes and that He has orchestrated and ordained the fact that my youngest son is a part of my world and a part of our family. I have a strong sense of responsibility in terms of the spiritual destiny of this young man, who was born in Guatemala and brought into a ministry family in the state of Georgia. The word ambassador continually comes to my mind and I know that I only have a few short years to groom and mold the heart, soul and spirit of this amazing child who has an awesome call of God upon his life. I have every expectation that there will be a day when the national stadium of Guatemala is filled to overflowing and my son, Joseph Juan Scott Reece will preach the gospel! I plan on being there!

Finally, may I suggest to you that adoption is the perfect will of God! I believe that we could change the world if more people would open their hearts, their lives and their homes to children around the world. It is a fertile harvest field and is still largely untouched, not only in terms of international adoptions, but even domestic. I pesonally know people who have changed countless lives through being foster parents. May I ask you to simply pray and ask the Lord how He could use you to make a difference in a precious heart and life by opening up yours?

The Real Man!

After several years of being a participant of and actually leading a "Men's Fraternity" in my local church, there are some foundational elements that I have come to understand about being an "authentic man of God"! I would like to take the opportunity and share those with you in this blog. Listen to this interesting statement made by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:11..."when I was a child, I talked like a child, I reasoned like a child, I thought like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me." We live in a world that is largely populated by grown, males who have yet to become men. A real understanding of authentic manhood has been methodically stripped away, leaving us with a generation of gender-confused young men who have no role model to follow in life. They have largely been left without a true "north star" or a mentor that can or will provide them with a moral compass in their lives. The marketplace has sucked the heart and soul out of many men and television consistently paints a picture of men as nothing more than juveniles. We have been left without a significantly defined image of masculinity and end up with nothing more than "machoism".

There are only two biblical models of manhood. The first model is Adam, who according to 1 Corinthians 14:45 was a life-taking soul, who was led by his emotions and abdicated his role of leadership in the garden. The second model is Jesus Christ who is the only perfect man who ever walked the earth! Jesus, as opposed to Adam, was a life-giving spirit who was led by the Spirit and is the ultimate role model for what authentic manhood really is.

Men, may I say to you (in this blog) that it's time to stop talking like a child, reasoning like a child and thinking like a child and to become a real man who follows the ultimate man? So, that leads us to the question...what is a real man? According to the teaching of Dr. Robert Lewis, the national leader of Men's Fraternity, there are four specific things that mark an authentic man of God. They are as follows:

A Real Man:

1.) Rejects Passivity

2.) Accepts Responsibility

3.) Leads Courageously

4.) Expects the greater reward, God's reward

C.S. Lewis pointed out that there are two strands of manhood: fierceness and gentleness. When the two find balance, authentic manhood can be realized. In other words, if you have strength without godly tenderness, you end up as a brute. On the other hand, if you are full of tenderness and compassion, but lack masculine firmness, you end up as a man who will fail to lead or inspire others.

Since Jesus is the only perfect man, it will do us well to look at the life that He lived and the balance of manhood that He exemplified. In Him, we find the perfect balance of a man who understood His role as prophet, priest and king and became the perfect picture of biblical headship! Men, you are the "priest" of your family. In other words, you are the primary intercessor for your family, you have been given the responsibility to lead your family before the Lord and into His presence. You are the one who is to remind your family of God's mercy, His grace and His forgiveness. You are called of God to oversee the spiritual condition of your family. I know that sounds like a lot, but God never calls you to do anything, where He has not anointed or equipped you to do it. You have it inside of you!

Not only are you the priest of your family, but you are also the "prophet"! You are the one who speaks for God. You are the bearer of the Word of God...now, that doesn't mean that you have to be a biblical scholar or a theologian, but you are the initiator of releasing the Word over your family...you are a spokesman for righteousness and a declarer of hope! A prophet is the one who hears from God...you have to spend time with Him and in His word in order to hear from Him. A prophet establishes standards of convictions and develops a language of faith. In other words, not everything goes! Just because the world embraces it and it's the popular thing to do, doesn't mean that it's right or righteous for your family. A prophet also faithfully proclaims the truth and is willing to lovingly confront sin and call those you love back to repentance.

Finally, you are the "king" of your family! Now, before you get all excited, let me tell you what that DOESN'T mean. It doesn't mean that you rule and reign with an iron hand and everything is "your way or the highway". It doesn't mean that you come in and find your place on your "throne" (the Lazy Boy) and get a grip on your "scepter" (the remote control) and start dictating your will to anybody who listens! In fact, if that's your approach, nobody's gonna listen to you very long, anyway! The king's primary responsibility is to lead, protect and provide for the the safety of his family. He is to justly apply the law and the government of God and to not only be a warrior, but a representative of the "realm". He is to secure the infrastructure necessary for civilization and to plan the strategy's, negotiate alliances and apply the Word of God to daily conflicts.

As you can see, your job description as an authentic man of God can be overwhelming! Do not fear, you are not in this thing alone. God has gone before you, has provided the way for you and has promised you that He will never leave you nor forsake you in that which He has called you to do! It is His desire to steady you, to give you a vision and a passion for the job and the blessing that is before you.

May I encourage you, that if you feel like you have been falling down on the job, to rise up...get before the Lord, repent of where you have been and make your godly determination to be the man that you have been ordained to be. This is your season of leadership, of authentic manhood...get with other men of God and let them speak into your life. Allow the Lord to use other men to help shape you and fashion you into an authentic man of God!

Singles...this IS Your Season!

A Word of Prophecy for Singles!

Do not regret the season that you are in at this time of your life. You are not left out, you are not forgotten, but quite the contrary...you are part of a very unique Army that I have raised up in these times says the Lord! I have ordered and ordained the season in which you find yourself. There are those that are single and it is not of their own choosing, but know this, I am the redeemer of the days and I will not waste even one moment of your life and existence. These are not days of regret, but those of knowing me in the fullness of my power and anointing. What I am doing in you is done by virtue of your submission to my hand upon your life. Know this, I am working beyond that which you can know or understand in the natural - I am moving circumstances and situations on your behalf...do not stretch out your hand to steady the Ark. All that you have need of, I know of. Do not become impatient, but use this season of your life to allow me to both define and refine what I am doing in your life. Do not sit back in complacency and wait for a relational breakthrough, but press in to become everything that I have called you to be even when it doesn't seem to make sense. Be found faithful and be pure before me.

The one that I am drawing to you will be discovered as you know me in intimacy...do not attempt to open doors or go through doors that I have not set before you. Do not be tempted to become something that I have not called you to be in order to set yourself up. It is your faithfulness that will go before you and establish you in that which I have called you to do and become.

Do not get into fear, but stand steadfast in faith and give of yourself to serve my kingdom. This is the time for you, not to passively wait, but to avail yourself to the ministry opportunities that I will set before you. Lift up your head, open your eyes, prepare your heart, your emotions and your spirit. Your blessing has already been released and is on it's way, even now. Do not circumvent what I have ordained by becoming anxious and careless in your life. The days of your blessing have begun...it's a new season, a new blessing. Do not look at yourself as just single, but look at yourself as the servant of God, set aside for such a time as this!

Facing Life's Greatest Loss with the Anointing to Live!

In November of last year, my world was changed forever when my father passed away. The man that had shaped so much of my life and had a significant investment into the way that I lived and even processed life was gone from me forever. As many of you know, who have lost a parent; the pain was unlike anything that I had ever experienced. Little did I know that only three short months later, the unthinkable would happen.

The first weekend of February was an exciting time for our family. We would find ourselves at the supervisor's home at our beloved Camp Courtney, in the mountains of North Carolina. Camp Courtney is a place that has been a source of life and healing for me personally for many years. On this particular weekend, we would be with the youth of our district for the annual Winter retreat. As our older children participated in the events of the weekend, I was moving back and forth from being with them to being with my wife, Veronica who was nurturing our youngest son, who wasn't feeling too well. We had a delightful time sharing each other's company and relaxing in the atmosphere of a place that we love so much.

On Saturday, I kissed her and said goodbye as I made my way to a speaking engagement for the weekend and towards a fun week of playing golf with several friends of mine in the North Carolina area. The next day, Veronica and our children traveled back to Atlanta, Georgia. Throughout the week, she wasn't feeling well and even went to visit the doctor a couple of times, thinking that maybe she picked up something from our son. In the middle of the week, she started feeling better, only to relapse toward the end of the week. By Saturday, she was completely exhausted and her phone call to me that morning, caused alarm. So much so, that I had our children take her to the emergency room. As I rushed home from Charlotte to Atlanta, I could never have imagined what would lie ahead of us.

I found my family at the emergency room and from what the doctors told us, prepared myself for a short two to three day hospital stay as Veronica recovered from what we were told was the stomach flu. We would find out later that she actually had contracted the H1N1 virus and it had gone unchecked and untreated. After my arrival, just two short hours later, my precious wife of 24 years, went into cardiac arrest and before I could even imagine what was happening, she was gone from us forever.

Devastated, shocked and in disbelief, I went home with my four children. We sat and cried through the night and held each other, not knowing what to say or what to do. At that point, I wasn't even sure that the sun would come up in the morning, and I wasn't really even sure that it mattered one way or the other. The next few days would bring hundreds of people into our lives as we did our feeble best to not only attempt to make sense of what had just happened, but to say goodbye to the most precious person that I have ever known, the love of my life, and the mother of my children.

The first few days following Veronica's death really didn't make a lot of sense to me and I found myself quickly spiraling emotionally downward. I couldn't grasp what we were going through or why. Our family seemed so perfect to me, and so protected from this type of tragedy. We prayed together, and we believed God for health, healing and wholeness. The last week of Veronica's life; we prayed together every single day and stood on the Word, believing for her healing and believing and confessing long life on the earth. Now, it seemed that God had let me and my children down and had failed us in the worst possible way. I wasn't sure that I could recover from this. I wanted to pick up the Bible and find life, but I was afraid to. I had a deep sense that I would hear God tell me that everything was going to be okay, and quite frankly, I wasn't sure that I wanted it to be okay.

Thankfully, friends that were with me recognized what was going on in me and refused to allow me to go down the path that I was about to enter. I was quickly reminded of God's love, His sovereignty and His ability to carry us through this time. As I began to turn towards the voice of my Father, and to His Word; I also began to find life in the valley of the shadow of death. In the midst of our devastation, life and love washed over me and my children. Thousands of people around the world were praying for us and we started feeling the power and the effect of those prayers. One particular day, the Lord spoke very directly to my heart that while He had not done this to my Veronica, He had allowed it to happen. As I pushed into the heart of God to know why He allowed it, He simply told me that it was because He loved us, and that He was incapable of allowing anything outside of His love. Honestly, I still can't fully grasp that in the natural, but deep in my heart, I know that we are surrounded by His love and that He is walking every single day with us, touching us where we are most vulnerable and strengthening us for the journey that lies ahead without Veronica.

Throughout my life and ministry, I have sought hard after God for His anointing. I have come to know and understand the anointing as “the supernatural enablement of God that exceeds my natural capacity”. The anointing is designed to operate in every single arena of your life, not just when you are doing a ministry assignment, but in the way that you live out your life. Recently, I found myself asking God to bring healing and wholeness into my life and my family. I was absolutely surprised when the Lord spoke to me that what would sustain us through this season would be the anointing. He reminded me of the scripture found in John 10:10, that even though the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy, He has come that we might have life and have it in abundance! That's the anointing to live!! Even in the midst of the greatest tragedy my family has ever known, I stand on the promise and the enablement of God towards the abundance of life. Surrounded daily with reminders of 24 amazing years, with an amazing woman, I hear God say to me that my best days and the best days of my children are still ahead of us! Only God can make a promise like that!

I'm not telling you today that we aren't still hurting, we are. I'm not saying that there aren't tough times and moments of breaking down, there are. What I am telling you is that God is the strength of our hearts, He is our promise of tomorrow and He is the hope and the joy that better days are ahead. The anointing to live is a promise, it's a hope, it's a word of encouragement that no matter what we face in life, He will NEVER leave us or forsake us. Many reading this have been through similar times, many haven't. My prayer for you today is that no matter where you are in life, and no matter what you face, and no matter how difficult, that you will find the abundance of God's love, His grace, mercy, forgiveness and strength as you stand on His Word and walk in the anointing to live!