"40"

40 years.
480 months.
This is the length of time Israel wandered in the wilderness after leaving Egypt.
Freedom had been granted them by God through the defeat of Pharohs and the false gods of Egypt.
Moses had led them out to begin the journey to what God referred to as the promise land, but a funny thing happened along the way.
The people begin to complain. "It's too hot." "I'm thirsty." "It would have been better to remain in Egypt rather than to be led out here in the desert to die."
God had had enough. He deemed that the children (because that was how they were acting) of Israel wander in the desert for 40 years until all who had come out of Egypt had died.
40 years.
I have a good perspective on this length of time because tomorrow night I will go to join my fellow classmates in celebrating our 40th anniversary of graduation from Etowah High School.
So what has happened lo these past 40 years?

1969 - Graduated High School in May / Took a trip with youth group to Geneva, New York / that fall started at Gadsden State Junior College.

1970 - Joined National Guard in April / Left in May for Basic Training and A.I.T. at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

1971 - Vicki Campbell and I start going steady / We become engaged later that year.

1972 - Vicki and I are married September 1st.

1973 - We move to Hanceville / Blountsville

1974 - Our first son, Chad is born in March

1975 - We move back to Gadsden

1976 - I work for Independent Insurance Company

1977 - Our second son, Joshua, is born / My wife's father, Eldred, dies of a heart attack.

1978- I become manager of Pizza Boy in Anniston

1979 - We move back to Gadsden from Anniston / Vicki and I begin to attend Central United Methodist Church where I meet up with a group called Christian Brothers.

1980 - We come back to God after a long journey in darkness

1981 - My mom dies from pancreatic cancer

1983 - David Finlayson and I begin to play under the name DREAMER

1985 - My dad dies from cancer

1986 - 1988 - I begin to play with a band / Son's & Brother's. We play all over the state. Mostly original music. I begin to write more songs.

1989 - I attend my 20th anniversary High School reunion / Brook Finlayson, David Finlayson and I play under the name THE GUISE.

1991- I go to the Vineyard for the first time / July 15th, invited by Brook Finlayson to play bass with the worship team. I am taken by the worship.

1992 - What was the worship team at Vineyard Gadsden becomes PERMANENT WAVE BAND. the name comes from the description of what God was doing at the time as the renewal was beginning to be raised up. We were given the title of 3rd wave evangelicals. SO we took that and made it Permanent Wave.

1993- I leave Western Sizzlin to go to work for the Electronics Department of Mid-South

1994 - May 20 God speaks to me to start a home group for worship, sharing, and learning how to minister. I contact Jim Bentley, Pastor of Gadsden Vineyard. He offers me a place to learn how to conduct a home meeting.

1997 - I am ordained as a minister on July 6th / I take over the Sunday morning service at Vineyard. I call it "NEW COMPASSIONS" based on the verse from Lamentations Chapter 3 which states that the Lord's Compassions are made new every morning. Vicki and I celebrate 25 years of marriage by renewing our vows.

1998 - I begin full time ministry on August 1st. / Later that month I begin to go to Rapha Ministries as a volunteer worker. (Rapha is a Christ Centered Drug and alcohol rehab)

1999- August 21st we begin a Saturday night service at the Vineyard for people in recovery or still trapped in their addiction. My oldest son, Chad, and his fiance', Robin, are married.

2000 - We move to an every Saturday night service.

2002 - I begin a Sunday morning service as well as a Wednesday night meeting. My grand son, Tyler, is born

2003 - We close down the Saturday night meeting.

2004 - I continue to pastor at Vineyard Gadsden, but now also work full time as staff Pastor at Rapha. My youngest son, Josh, and his fiance', Heather, are married.

2005 - Later part of the year, God reveals that my time with Vineyard Gadsden as a staff member was coming to an end.

2006 - My time ends as a staff member of Gadsden Vineyard. I preach my last sermon at Gadsden Vineyard on April 28th. That same day, I preach my first sermon at Rapha. We being a Sunday Morning service with Rapha. My grand daughter, Ashley, is born.

2008 - We move the Sunday morning service to Saturday night and see an increase in what God is doing.

2009 - 40 years have passed. Here I am today, August 21st / 57 years old. / I continue to see the hand of God at work. I am humbled that he continues to work through me and in me. I pray that God would give me 58 more years to serve him. No matter what happens, I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have entrusted to him until that day.

God on you.....
mb