CINCINNATI: BEFORE AND AFTER

How can I summarize what God did this weekend in Cincinnati?

As someone who makes a living as a writer, it's not often I find myself at a loss for words.

Not that the event itself was something so remarkable that no one could explain it. It was a simple gathering of people - around 20 of us - who came together to hear more about Jesus and His Kingdom and our place in that Kingdom.

Not that the connections we made with one another were so unusual or out of the ordinary that the universe had to stop and reorient itself. We simply reconnected with people we hadn't seen in a long time, and made new connections with people who were family all along, but we just didn't know it until this weekend.

For me, the focus was that three hour block of time on Saturday. That was what I thought I was there for. That's what I had prayed about and prepared for. All my energies were on the presentation, the conversations and the "results" of that time.

What God showed me was that I was really in Cincinnati for everything that came before and after that window of time.

The private conversations. The tearful testimonies. The sincere expressions of love and affection. The gratitude expressed. The laughter around a table where a meal was shared together. The prayers for one another around a quiet living room.

That's why I was there.

And I am so blessed, my friends. I am so blessed and so honored to be so very loved.

Thank you, everyone, for making the drive, for taking the time, for giving your talent, and your resources to surround me with your love and support this weekend.

I know the Lord is doing something truly wonderful in Cincinnati. I know that He is stirring people up and nourishing seeds - some of them planted long ago - to grow towards the light and break through the soil.

The Kingdom of God is advancing in this place. The life and light and love of Jesus is pouring down in great abundance.

People there can smell it, like the scent of a rainstorm on the breeze. They are opening like flowers to receive the waters of new life and transformation is at hand.

I cannot wait to see what the Lord is about to do in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Just wait and see.....