Steering Through Chaos Review

In Scott Wislon’s “Steering Through Chaos” he clearly identifies the:

Awareness of the present state of the church and its leaders,

Anticipation of what is required to bring about significant change for leader and the church,

Ability to make recommendations and adjustments in current vision/purpose for effective growth and discipleship.

All The Leaves Are Green....

Have you taken a good close look at the trees recently? Bare! I mean - nothing! The leaves have all come off and the picture you have is a big stick with a bunch of little sticks attached! Sort of like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree!

How is it that the same tree which looks so bare - almost "dead," can be such a thing of beauty by the end of April showers? How the beautiful green of the leaves push themselves out on those naked limbs. How the collection of all those leaves cover bare limbs and give form and structure to the collection of sticks!

When anyone is new - in Christ (Jesus living inside), the old goes away. A new thing - a thing of beauty develops from that old nature that cannot be so easily explained. Except that Jesus in me - in you - makes all the difference. Jesus in me - Jesus in you - adds the richness of the green color that illustrates life! And, how form and structure develop to push back the nothingness of empty limbs.

Just about the time you see the little buds on the tree in early spring you begin to anticipate a full, beautifully formed tree.

And, that's what happens for anyone who allows Jesus to take over their life (their tree)! When He does - it becomes springtime - when all the leaves are green!

Davidson's Christmas Newsletter

Come As A Child!

Children are wonderful. God blessed us with 3, and then blessed us with 3 more! In addition, he blessed us with 9 grandchildren. Children are wonderful and when we all get together at Christmas it is beautiful chaos! Excitement and suspense. Joy and wonder—the love of Christmas.

Seen through the eyes of a child it IS pure wonder and joy as a young child catches his first glimpse of Christmas—lights he can see, presents he can open, carols he can “sing” - not to mention the cookies he can taste! And as much of Grammi’s fudge as they can stuff into their mouths without choking!

Can WE, as adults come as children to the Christ of Christmas? No, not to the manger—but to the Cross and to the Empty Tomb of our Saviour and Risen Lord. Come as a child today—eager to learn, eager to laugh, eager to live, eager to love. You see, HE is the Master Teacher, the Author of Joy, the Giver of Life and the Lord of Love—and He awaits our worship this day. “O COME, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!”

Our Family

We wanted to update you on the happenings in our family this year.

Lisa and Allen live and work in Springfield. Allen is a realtor with Keller Williams Agency. Lisa is Academic Advisor, Professional Studies at Evangel University and working on her Master’s in Organizational Leadership. Lisa and Allen along with their children, Tara-12, Emma-10, and Adam–8, are involved in ministry activities at their church, James River Assembly in Ozark, MO.

Kristi and Tim, Mason—12, Evan—9, and Jordan—8 are looking forward to the arrival of the long awaited and much loved addition to their family. Mia ShyAn Xin Singer, 20 months, will join them in the next couple months. You can help them pray for speedy travel approval to bring her home.

John, Lynette, Breanna-5 and Brant-2, live in Red Oak, Texas. They attend The Oaks Fellowship. John is the Spiritual Formation Director for the Dallas Master’s Commission. He received his Master’s in Theological Studies in May and God is using him to teach young adults to be leaders in churches across America.

We are grateful God has chosen to use our children to bring honor and glory to Him. We are blessed.

God, in his favor, gifted us with a new home this year. We are grateful for this unexpected and unmerited blessings in our lives.


Merry Christmas
From Our Home To Yours!
Ken and Linda

Many Thanks!

So much to be thankful for this season! Family, food (more than enough), home, the hope of Jesus to bring us ultimately to our eternal goal - heaven.

This year brings added "thanks". Few experiences in life equal the news and the ensuing arrival of a new baby. This year our new baby is "Mia"! (Even though she is already 19 months old).

Tim and Kristi and their boys have been preparing for this experience for over 2 years. They now have a face and they have their pre-approval. Which means that, except for a couple more documents and probably several more weeks of waiting, everything is in place for them to travel to China to bring Mia home.

I'm a grandfather again - for the ninth time! Call me Ken. Call me honey. Call me Dad. Call me son. Call me friend. Call me pastor. Call me Grampy and I'm ready to go!

So - when you see me - if it seems that my head is a little higher, that I seem a bit more 'giddy', it's just thankfulness oozing out of this 'grampy'. Just bring 'Mia' to me so I can hold her, play with her, spoil her - and, in time, I'll be okay! In the meantime, I'm thankful - very thankful!

Post Election Blues

Can you find a cure for it? Do they prescribe a medication for it? What to do for "post election blues"?

Here's the cure: Shout - out loud - three times - "Hallelujah, it's over!!!"

No matter your age or political persuasion - you and I are living in historic times:
**first black President
**most electoral votes since Bill Clinton
**most popular votes by a Democratic President in recent history, etc.

Can Barack Obama bring our troops in Iraq home sooner? I don't know.
Can Barack Obama bring an end to the economic slump we're in? I don't know.

If confidence and charisma alone are enough to make a great president - Barack Obama should be the greatest president the USA has ever had.

What I do know is this - our source for strength and wisdom and encouragement and help and hope and healing for our lives and for our land is "God" and "God alone"!

So - shake those "election blues" off. How? PRAY!

Pray for leadership.

1 Timothy 2.1,2 - "...I urge that prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all holiness and godliness."

Barack Obama, come January, will be your president. If you cast your ballot for him you need to pray for him.

If you did not vote for Barack Obama - you still must pray for him. For Bible believing Christians - you have a great responsibility to pray.

I'm convinced that my prayer should be for the Holy Spirit to guide the thinking processes of all the "thinking" and "talking" heads. Why? Because, prayer and the Holy Spirit can go where you and I cannot go! I believe that the Holy Spirit can cause godly and ungodly men and women to make decisions they would not have otherwise made when the Holy Spirit gets involved!

"People of the Spirit" - rise up! "People of the Spirit" don't quit! "People of the Spirit" don't back down! "People of the Spirit" - be led by the Spirit, walk in the Spirit, talk in the Spirit!!

I feel like singing!! What a mighty God we serve!!