Fall programming starts Sunday the 12th with our first Awakening worship service.  If you’re in Spencer County and you’re looking for something different, The Awakening is definitely it!

For now here is a something that renders your argument invalid:

I first heard the song “How He Loves Us” a few years ago at a Saddleback Small Group conference in Atlanta Georgia.  The worship leader was singing songs and everyone in the crowd was gettin’ their praise on, and along comes this train wreck.

I’m standing there listening to this song trying to figure out where it’s going.  Our worship pastor Ben was next to me with is eyes closed, taking in the music as only a worship pastor can do.  Then it happened…

“When Heaven meets Earth like a sloppy wet kiss…”

Here’s the deal.  I saw the lyric coming…and all I could do was think to myself, is he really going to sing that?  Sure enough, he did.   The bad thing for Ben was that his eyes were closed and he had no idea.  Ben opens his eyes to look at the screen to see if he heard what he thought he heard.   He did.

He looked at me with a disbelief in his eyes and all I could do was shake my head.

Since then, this song has taken off.  I’m not knocking the songwriter here.  God inspired him to write it just how he wrote it, and I’m sure this song has done a great deal to change many lives and impact people for the better.  I’ve been in a room with thousands of students and adults who have no inhibitions and who have given their all in worship during this song…but it just…every time I hear it I…the song is just…

I actually enjoy much of the song…I just can’t get behind the sloppy wet kiss line.

Maybe I’m getting old…

My wife doesn’t understand why I need one, and I probably haven’t given her a good reason either…other then…I just do.

Ben & I have been Chappelle fans and we rock out the occasional “WHAT” and “OOOOOOOKAY” quotes to each other.  For an awakening this year we’re going to to a Lil’ Jon goes to church.  Ben is going to get a dreadlock wig and we’re going to set him up in church scenarios.  Such as:

Preacher: God requires you give back 10% back to Him.

Lil Jon WHAT?

Preacher: It’s a tithe…you give back to God.

Lil Jon: WHAT?

Preacher: God says you will be richly rewarded in Heaven…

Lil Jon: OOOOOOKAAAAAAY!

etc…

Should be mildly amusing…for no one other than Ben and myself.

I need to take more pictures of…everything. Students, events, Gali, Bethany, even Moses. I stopped taking pictures for some reason. Now when I want to take them, the battery is dead and the charger has ended up three levels deep in a dream and so heavily sedated that when it died it went to limbo and found his dead spouse trying to keep it there with her forever…

Whether it’s an idea for a cool video, or a sermon illustration, or a reminder to call a student that I haven’t seen for awhile…it makes my heart cave in…or something.   So I’m going to use this blog to help me document my ideas, and possibly become a resource center for myself to use for…myself?

That calling for the Starr family took place 24 years ago, when the Lord gave Rick a dream for missionaries.
The dream to build a home where missionaries coming home on furlough could stay, a place where they could relax, enjoy themselves and then go out ready for the challenges that lay ahead of them.  We moved from Clearwater, Florida to work with Team Expansion to fulfill that dream.  Team Expansion is currently building a Prayer Center, which will serve as offices once it is completed.  Their long-range plan is to build a Training & Retreat Center, but this is a goal that most likely will take many years to complete.  Rick was working with Team Expansion to help with this goal until January 2008.

We were all thrown a curve in June 2007 when Rick started having simple partial seizures, not realizing that they were actually seizures.  He had been hit in the head with a softball in May and at first they were attributed to that.  But, many doctors and MRI’s later it was confirmed that Rick had a brain tumor.  The tumor was located in his left temporal lobe, where his speech is located and after much prayer, searching for the best doctor and more prayer he had surgery on March 10th, 2008; Joshua and Jacob’s birthday.  The surgery was a success, with 90% of the tumor being removed.  The initial pathology revealed the tumor to be a grade II, but after another look was upgraded to a Grade III, dramatically changing the prognosis and the treatment.

Due to multiple doctors’ visits ranging from Louisville, Cincinnati, Rochester to Duke in Durham, N.C. plus his surgery & treatments, Rick had to completely stop his involvement with Team Expansion.  He has continued to preach and teach at Spencer Christian Church during this time (with the help and strength of the Holy Spirit) and the leadership was and continues to be very gracious in regard to Rick’s health.  Rick did stay in contact with Team Expansion in hopes that he would be able to go back and continue working with them.  When it became clear that he would not be able to continue in his role there, we decided to humbly remove ourselves from working with Team Expansion.

Since Rick’s diagnosis and subsequent surgery, the desire to build a house for missionaries has become such a burning desire within him that we know we MUST get it done.  This is a dream that we have carried with us into every ministry the Lord has taken us to. It is a dream that has never left us, and one that now the Lord is clearly saying, DO.  In our flesh, we see no way that we can do this.  But, we know that when the Lord says do something He also provides a way to do it.  It is our desire to build or buy an existing house, fill it with furniture, food and the love of God and then house as many missionaries during the years to follow as will come and stay.  There are hundreds of missionaries on foreign fields who would love a place to stay for a week or two to unwind, get acclimated to the US again, rest and then go back out into their world to minister.  Being in Louisville with the airport so close, there are many missionaries who fly here or through here.  This is an ideal place for “A Refuge”.

We will not be in competition with Team Expansion with this house.  Their dream is much larger than ours!  Their Retreat Center will house over 100 and will double as a Training Center.  It will also be used by businesses and other organizations once it is built.  According to their time-line it could be many years before this becomes a reality.  We are excited to be able to house missionaries from all Christian organizations as well as Team Expansion once “A Refuge” is completed.

We realize that there are many things that must be done to attain this goal.  The first step was to become a fully functioning Foundation with non-profit status (501(c)(3)) with the IRS.  The Foundation we formed is called “A Refuge, Inc.”(based on Nahum 1:7). It will function with a Board of Directors and will have to adhere to all the non-profit rules and regulations set up by the Federal government.  We have worked with a lawyer (through the generosity of a friend) who submitted a letter of application and has received approval from the IRS.  We are told by our lawyer that we can begin receiving donations for “A Refuge” now that we have received our non-profit status.  Since we have been approved as a non-profit  (501(c)(3)) foundation with the IRS, the monies received will be placed in an account where eventually it will be used to accomplish the purchase of land, building the home or purchasing an existing home for “A Refuge”.  The money can only be used for charitable purposes, and we intend that those purposes be the goal of purchasing and or building, maintaining and operating “A Refuge”.  There are very strict guidelines that we must follow.  Each person who gives toward this project will receive an account of how the money is being spent.

The need for “A Refuge”  is great…the need is great to help missionaries who give up more than we will ever know…the need is great financially to get the house bought and ready for use.  Many of you were supporting Rick and I financially before his tumor diagnosis and some continued after.  We thank you from the bottom of our heart for your love for us and for giving to us the way you have.  Our prayer was and continues to be that God will bless you beyond what you can ever ask or imagine.  But, once again we are asking for your help.  We desperately need your prayers as we begin on this journey the Lord has placed before us.  With so much going on in our lives right now, we feel very inadequate.  But, we know that when we are weak, then He is strong.  We have no choice but to allow Him to be strong…we cannot do this without Him.

We also need your help financially.  Homes are not cheap.  We do not want to spend a lot of money, but we want to purchase or build a home that will represent the Lord well and will last for many, many years.  One that is welcoming, warm and full of the love of God.  We know that much more than just housing missionaries will take place in this home.  We are praying for opportunities to teach, counsel, love and encourage all who stay at “A Refuge.” With 32 years (and counting) of experience in the ministry, we are asking God for the opportunity to bless others who need ministering to.

We are also asking you, once again, to come on board with us and support this work for “A Refuge”. With all of us working together, we know this dream will become a reality.  It is our hearts desire to get “A Refuge” done and ready by the end of 2009.  This is a lofty goal, but we know that it can be done with the Lord leading and all of us working together to get it done.  We are willing to do whatever it takes in co-operation with God to see it completed.

We are asking you to prayerfully consider making a one-time gift to support “A Refuge”. All checks should be made out to “Rick & Debbie Starr” and mailed to: 23 Carter Ct., Taylorsville, Ky. 40071.

We will also be doing a lot of research in the up coming weeks and months for “A Refuge”.  Contacting missionary organizations and individual missionaries regarding their needs and schedules.  We have and will continue to contact other denominations that have houses similar to what “A Refuge” will be used for.  We want to arm ourselves with as much knowledge as we can during this time.  Please pray for God’s guidance as we speak with people.

Thank you for all you have meant to our family.  We have been blessed to be part of your lives…God is good isn’t He?  We give Him praise!  We are excited about what He is going to do with such a simple thing as a house; only He knows what wonderful blessings will come through “A Refuge”.  We also ask that you continue to lift Rick up in prayer.  We are asking God for a miracle and for his complete healing. It will take God’s healing hand to do it.  May our loving Father keep you each in the palm of His hand and grant you peace through His Son Jesus.

Much love to you all,
Rick and Debbie

To visit the ARefuge website click here.