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It's no secret that Patty and I have been huge American Idol fans through the years. We love to see young talent take the stage and watch them develop as the weeks pass. I am not like so many Americans that love watch American Idol's opening weeks where they showcase all of the horrendous singers. I cringe as I watch knowing that those awful singers have been lied too by their parents or their friends.
My excitement develops as the show transitions to Hollywood. It is in Holly wood that you start to see the potential. It is also at this time that I like to read blogs and bios to see if there are any passionate Christ followers in the mix. The 2009 season featured several worship leaders with the winner, Kris Allen, being the worship leader at Rick Bezet's church, New Life Church, in Little Rock Arkansas.
As the 2010 season developed, I knew that there were a few potential worship leaders in the mix. In fact, I was with one of them two days before he flew to Hollywood. Jermaine Purifory, a Lee University student, was a groomsman and soloist in J T and Brittany Black's wedding. After the wedding, Jermaine boarded a plane for California. He made it through several cuts and was highly touted in the trio with Casey James. He has been seen several times on the Ellen Degeneres Show. In the end, Jermaine did not become a finalist but was encouraged by Randy Jackson to try again in 2011.
When the finalist were revealed, a Pastor's Daughter from Amarillo, Texas, Lacey Brown made the Top Twelve. I was thrilled for Lacey. She did a great job on the Idol stage. When her time there was over, she made the media circuit appearing on The Ellen Show, Wendy Williams and David Letterman and so forth. A few weeks before she sang on the American Idol Finale, I attended the All Access 2010 Conference at Healing Place Church in Baton Rogue, LA. As I walked through the atrium at Healing Place, I ran into Lacey. She was there attending the conference. I asked her if she would come to Stevens Creek. She was very kind and told me to contact her with some potential dates. We eventually landed on Sunday, July 18th.
So, make sure to invite your friends to come and enjoy one of our services at the Augusta campus on July 18th: 8:30, 10:00 or 11:30. Now, if you do not have a friend coming with you, would you please consider attending the 8:30 AM. Let's start the day off with enthusiastic worship and open hearts so that we can hear what the Lord is saying to us.
This Sunday I will be starting a new series call DECIDE. This series will feature messages that will help you determine God's will for your life. This will be a great series to invite your friends.
As you go through the week, begin praying that God will be present with us this Sunday and that people will take their next step spiritually.
~ Marty
On December 8th, one of our Stevens Creek families had the phone call that no parent wants to hear and that is, their only daughter had a very serious accident. Courtney Claxton was a student at the Medical College of Georgia and was returning home from studying with some classmates when she lost control of her SUV on a rain slicked Stevens Creek Road. They rushed her to the hospital to discover that she had severed her spine and was paralyzed from the neck down. Her parents, Charles and Gail Claxton, called me and Pastor Dave and I made our to the trauma center. We prayed and asked the Lord to heal her.
At times God heals instantly and at other times healing is a process. We see an example of the process healing when Jesus touched a man that was blind. After the inital prayer, Jesus asked him if he could he. His reply was, "I see men as trees walking around." In others words, I can see but everything is blurry. So, Jesus prayed a second time and he was healed.
We prayed for Courtney and God started a healing process. This process has been very long and it is very difficult. A few weeks after her accident, Courtney was transferred to the Shepherd Spine Center in Atlanta. This is a wonderful facility that helps people learn how to live with spinal cord injuries. Over the next four months, they worked with Courtney. At times, it seemed like she was getting worse instead of better. In fact, she "coded" and was revived on more than one occassion. Throughout those trying moment, Charles and Gail, through their tears continued to pray and believe.
Patty and I visited Courtney five times while she at Shepherd. At times, she looked like progress was being made and at other times things looked bleak. Each time, however, whether good reports or bad, Charles and Gail, stood in faith praying and beleive the best for their daughter.
Courtney moved home on April 7th. When she arrived she found that friends and family members had taken the initiative to renovate her bedroom and make it wheelchair accessible. Since coming home, she has been in the care of Walton Rehabilitation Hospital and has received great care.
Last night, we stopped by to say hello and found that Courtney has made so much progress. We were surprised. She is breathing on her own. She can turn her head and has some flexibility in her shoulders and the biggest surprise was that she can now move her arms. The arm movement has come as a result of aquatic theapy. Practically speaking, if a strand of hair falls in her face, she can move it. That's a huge blessing.
Like I said, she can move her arms, but still does not have control movement in her hands. That's the specific prayers that I am asking you to pray. If hand movement is restored, then her possibilities are multiplied. Courtney looked so good last night. Patty and I left so encouraged at her progress.
Charles and Gail are still believing that miracles will continue. They realized that in Courtney's case that healing will be a process and they are taking it day by day. In the coming weeks, Courtney will be cruising into The Creek....hmmm...I guess that means that we have another "holy roller".
Keep praying.
~Marty
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