Just a day now and The Gathering and it's pastor, our son Bobby, will be in their new home on South Lemon Street in Old Town Orange, California. If anyone had told me just one year ago that Robert would no longer be at the Crystal Cathedral and that Bobby would be right behind his dad in his exit, I would have said "no way!" After all, we were all committed for many, many years to come! Interesting how change can come into our lives so suddenly and so unexpectedly. As you read this I bet you can think of a time when you were taken off guard and you ended up having to make significant and uncomfortable changes in your own life. In fact, you can probably think of this happening more than a couple of times. I know I can. We can and will be blown around by the winds of change. Sometimes we might even feel like we are about to be blown to bits in hurricane or tornado force winds. When we feel this way we need to take cover quickly! Hopefully we know where our shelter waits and we always take refuge there. If we can remember to run to the loving arms of Jesus and hide in his presence until the storm passes, our comfort will come from knowing that through faith in God we can survive anything.
Yes, change is difficult and we may have to experience the shock and disappointment of having our dreams shattered, or our relationships broken. Here's the great news... once we allow God to begin the healing process we become open to using the lessons learned through our pain. We can see that God provides justification through it all and just as He has promised, "All things work together for good to those who love God and who have been called according to His purpose" Romans 8:28
Thank you for continuing to pray for Bobby, his wife Hannah, and their unborn child as they lead their church through the doors of a new beginning! I also pray for you that you would see the opportunities in your new beginnings, whatever they might be!
Until then, remember, God is blessing you, Donna
Donna I will pray for Bobby/Hannah, Robert and you. - I know when one door is going to close a next will open. If it cloes and the people behind do not love us anymore, I do not care. Somewhere else we are aked and loved for our abilities, talents and for whom we are. Anyway we are God's children and our havenly father loves us. - May you all be blessed richly. - Rosemarie
ReplyDeleteCan anyone recommend a church program on television for us to watch? We are not happy with the very latest change in the Hour of Power. Very sad changes. Our choices are rather limited in that we live in the rural area of northern California. Any suggestions will be appreciated.
ReplyDeletePatty
I'm not happy with the CC/HoP changes as well.- But look into the future and you will find a church your comfortable with! I can recommend you www.joelosteen.com . On his homepage you can find out on which chanel you can watch his sermons. Or watch the whole service online. I love his church services and read his and his wifes books. - Blessing Rosemarie
ReplyDeleteHello Donna, Robert, Bobby and
ReplyDeleteHannah. To-day is Sunday in Australia and I went to church
this morning. We had a time for
private prayer and I said a prayer for you all and for your
first service.
Donna I love your comment saying
that "Our comfort will come from
knowing that through faith in God. We can survive anything" This means such a lot to me. As this is what happened to me just
recently when I discovered that I discovered that I had breast cancer. I made a comment to one of the ladies after church this morning about seeing my surgeon
Her response was "Sorry I didn't ask you how you were. You look so well that I forget that you have had a health problem. Love to you all
Barbie M Australia
Donna,
ReplyDeleteMy prayers are with you all. I had to stop supporting HOP because I did not like the direction it is going. I can not give much, but is there some way I can send Bobby or Robert a little through PayPal?
God's continued blessings on you and your family.
Sandy
Hi Sandy,
ReplyDeleteI am not sure about giving through Paypal. Both Robert and I do have accounts because we occasionally buy or sell on Ebay. I'm not sure how to do that but I will check it out. It sounds like The St. Patrick Project should set up an acct. since this is an offering from you. I will look into it. God is blessing you, Donna
Donna and family,
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful "spirit filled" new beginning for Bobby and Hannah. The message Bobby gave was wonderful and the "hall" that it was held in was very comfortable.
GOD has opened a new adventure with an energy filled group of people supporting and volunteering to make "The Gathering" better than ever.
I could feel the "Holy Spirit" in the place, rejoycing and putting a feeling of PRAY and WORK ~~ WORK and PRAY in our hearts for each and every day.
Because, GOD does close doors so the new doors HE opens and we walk through will be bigger and better. If only we only believe, show thanksgiving, ~~ remember to love and respect others.
What a wonderful day.
Love, M
Donna,
ReplyDeleteI believe there is a way to set up PayPal for donations. I've seen it on other sites, even some blogs. I'll keep an eye open for it.
Sandy
"M said...
ReplyDeleteDonna and family,
What a wonderful "spirit filled" new beginning for Bobby and Hannah. The message Bobby gave was wonderful and the "hall" that it was held in was very comfortable".
Thank you "M" for letting us know how inspiring and wonderful the 1st service at the new location was for "The Gathering".
I am anxiously waiting to get the Podcast of that service! Currently out of town away from home I got access to a computer and was really pleased to read your comments!
I also have seen others looking for ways to support St Patrick Project and for me I just sent cheques after I did not renew my Eagle membership at CC/HoP. I wanted to support and knew it would take a bit of time to set-up a donation process. I can tell you I am in Canada and sending cheques to St Patrick Project has been smoothly handled over the last few months.
Obviously Donna and supporter "Sandy" are going to come up with a procedure but I wanted to assure from my experience, sending cheques to St Patrick Project has been easy and Bobby & Hannah have acknowledged receipt. It all has been very efficient.
As with Donna's comments I never would have believed when I visited CC last October and heard RAS and RHS at the service that so much would change! But God has opened so many new doors for me and obviously others including RAS Donna Bobby & Hannah. And it has been goog in the end, really. In fact I guess it is in many ways better. CC/HoP was comfortable and good but for me the new possibilities and positive spirit of St Patrick Project, The Gathering and the connection of RAS and GodTube/GoodTube ALN is going to be so exciting, well, you can read how positive it has become for me. Yes, I am sad that CC/Hop is not a place I can go to or watch comfortably but I have new connections new friends on-line and more positive energy so for me God's doors opened a great opportunity for me.
Thanks be to He who never is walking away or leaving us behind but is always guiding us to where we can honour His name and follow His teachings best!
God is blessing us all!
Jan-Michael
we are so happy for Bobby and Hannah and the baby to be. They are giving out so much love that good things will happen for them and their project. It is so nice to come on to your Blog and hear about you and your family. I do not feel any tension or power struggle just everyone wanting to help everyone. Bless you all as it carries over to me and my family. Cysradill
ReplyDeleteJust listened to The Gathering podcast of 1st service at The Legion!
ReplyDeleteI felt like I was almost with The Gathering. How great that all helped and another Church pitched in to help set up at 6 AM!
And that speaker who lost 2 sons and her husband to Pulmonary Hypertension starting a Golf Tournament to raise funds for research? Having Bobby and RAS agree to pair up and play the winner of an auction to be in that foursome//Wow! If I were there I would be bidding. Anyway I will read up on the rare illness and see what Canada is doing.
It was awesome...that service! A great start at the new premesis. Bobby's sermon was really inspirational as were others but especially Bobby.
God is so blessing us all
Jan-Michael
Donna: Glad to hear things are on the upswing. Evidently God had other plans for your family where he feels you can be used to help others in a different way. Keep up the good work. Lynn
ReplyDeleteThank you everyone! Yes, the service was awesome! In case you don't know you can download all of Bobby's sermons via itunes. (OCGathering) I think he is going to try to put the last one on YouTube, if it is not too long. We feel the love and support, thank you!! Donna
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that I found your blog & that your family is doing well. Our family began watching the HOP after my 90 yr. old MIL raved about RAS's sermons; once we heard one we were hooked. (Even to the point where we would TIVO HOP so we wouldn't miss it when we were @ our own church). Suffice to say, we no longer watch. However, I’m super-thrilled to see that you are in a good place & that another TV ministry is in the works. God doesn’t close a door without opening a window. Blessings to your family.
ReplyDeleteThe Gathering videos came in my email having signed up for The Gathering news etc. Bobby did well to figure a way to put two 10 min segments out of the one hour first service at the new location. I cannot fwd the segments but here was what I wrote back to let you know the positive scene from my perspective on the YouTube videos:
ReplyDelete"THIS was so good! Thank you thank you thank you for putting on the 2 segments!
I loved the setting; the growing tree-like plant, the candles, the Communion Table,the mural or painting on a stand. But mostly, the sunlight shining it seemed through the opening doorway beside Bobby! Well done. God is so blessing us!
Jan-Michael (in Canada)"
I'm sad that I will not be at the "Gathering" tomorrow ~~ physically ~~ Yet, my mind and thoughts will be there as "Father's Day" is celebrated. Family matters to take care of so I will be out of state.
ReplyDeleteI must find out how to sign up to get the videos ~~ as Jan-Michael has done. Then, I will never miss another service.In addition, I can then share the messages with my out of state relatives that do not have access to a computer.
Happy Father's day to all of you that are reading these comments and are fathers.
GOD is blessing us all!
M