Happy Golden Anniverary!

Two very dear people to me … long-time friends and co-workers at Calvary Chapel Monterey Bay … wonderful servants of the Lord Jesus Christ … are celebrating their 50^th (“Golden”) wedding anniversary this coming Friday!

I met Steve and Nora when Steve was just 39 years old, back in late 1979. It seems like just a short time ago that he and his family marched into the 7^th Day Adventist facility in Pacific Grove, anxious to find out about the Calvary Chapel located on the Monterey Peninsula. They were moving to our area, and wanted to check us out.

Right away, it became very obvious to me that they would be HUGE blessings to our fellowship, and to me personally. I desperately needed a glass half full kind of person in my life back then. With Steve and Nora, I got two! And I’d say that their glasses are usually at least 3/4 full! For over 26 years, they faithfully served Jesus right alongside of me, and I thank God for them.

Not long ago, Steve “retired” from his role as an assistant pastor at CCMB, and Nora stepped down from her many roles in the church and her staff position with the Compassion Pregnancy Center in Monterey. You’d think that they’d be content just hanging out, enjoying their grandkids, ministering within the local fellowship, and accepting various speaking invitations.

But nope! Not them!

They got a fire in their hearts for an obscure East African country called Malawi. (Before Lana Lynn and Skip Joannes filled us in on Malawi, I’d never even heard of that place.) Yet, Steve and Nora were called to go. Called to minister to widows and orphans. Called to train pastors. Called to be glass half full people to African pastors and to the Calvary Chapel in Lilongwe. And they obeyed that calling. They’re in Malawi right now, serving their hearts out, loving on the Malawian people in their typical Christ-like and Braseltonian manner.

Steve and Nora are now heroes of mine. I think about them, pray for them, read about them, and try to keep up with them. The last part is not easy. They are often busier than a one-armed wallpaper hanger.

It would be awesome if you’d be willing to do several things for the Braseltons:

1. Learn about their ministry. Go to http://www.calvary.com/missions-pastors for a good overview of what’s been going on. For their blog, go to http://theroadtomalawi.blogspot.com. To reach them on Facebook, just log into your Facebook account and do a search for Steve Braselton.
2. Pray for them whenever the Spirit puts them on your hearts. Don’t worry about your prayers being longs ones … some of the best and most effective prayers are pretty short. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous person accomplishes a lot.
3. Consider supporting their ministry financially. Again, it doesn’t have to be spectacular or huge. After your tithe to your local church, even a small gift will be a blessing. To do that, contact Calvary Chapel Monterey Bay (www.calvary.com), their supporting church.
4. SEND them a Happy 50^th Wedding Anniversary email! They’ll be blessed, and believe me, will read and re-read them many times over. Proverbs 25:25 says “Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.” You can email them at snb1959@gmail.com.

God bless you all, and thank you for reading!