THINGS CAN CHANGE SUDDENLY

On Friday, March 29, 2019 we were expecting guests for dinner. Ruth asked me if I would make a quick trip to the grocery about a mile away and get a few things. No big deal right? After I picked up just a few things and headed back to home, a lady in a Toyota Corolla turned in front of me. I had no time to stop so I ran into her car, spinning her around. I pulled over to the side and rushed over to her car to discover two young boys sitting in the back seat, wide-eyed and scared, but not injured. The driver was not hurt either. For this I thanked God out loud! As in all situations like this, you play the event over and over in your mind in attempt to figure out what went wrong and how might you have prevented the accident. I do remember it happening and how I felt like a protective shield was all around me. It did not hurt. I was not injured. I know this was God's protection! The fact that the three people in the other car were not hurt either did not escape me! The aftermath of filling out police reports and pulling the bumper off so I could drive home took time and required patience, but I made it home in time for dinner with my praying friends. We spent the evening in the Presence of God who watches over His people with loving kindness and tender mercies.

As I reflect back on this incident, and other such events in my life, I am reminded once again how quickly things can change. A sudden accident, illness, act of crime, etc. can altar a person's life abruptly and often set them on a permanent course change. It could and often does end a person's life on this planet and sends him off into eternity. It then reminded me that I must at all times be ready for change. I must have my house in order and secure. I must not fear change, but meet it like any good Boy Scout---PREPARED! It is also important to listen to the Voice of God when He tries to give warning of things to come. I remember while at the grocery store thinking why did I get out in 5:00 traffic for salad dressing? Could it be.....was God trying to warn me? He is so faithful to help us if we will let Him.

People talk a lot (in my circles) about how Jesus is coming very soon. I believe He is definitely, but He could come for you even before the Big Event! Are you ready?

NORMA JOYCE PRATT 

became my wife on March 26, 1970 in Panhandle, Texas. That was 49 years ago. 33 years and two children later, she was promoted to her Eternal Home in Glory at the young age of 52. I will always be thankful for the time we shared together and for the way she loved, lived, and laughed. Only 18 when she married me, but so mature and wise. I thank God for giving her to me!  

I am truly a blessed man, because 5 years after Norma's departure, God blessed me with Ruth. We have been together now for ten years. She is nothing like Norma, but everything I need at this time in my life. I could feel guilty being blessed twice by great wives, but the Lord knew how spoiled I was by Norma that I could not do well with less. Ruth is certainly a blessing.

RUTH

A GREAT EVENT IS ABOUT TO TAKE PLACE

April 10-20 Pastor Ronny Thomason, John Armour, Pastor Donald Byrd, Adam Culp (and Hannah) and Pastor Suan Go Khai will meet in Yangon, Myanmar (Burma) for ten days of ministry to Youth Camps, Bible Colleges, Churches and Children's Home. This will be the Third trip for Pastor Thomason and John Armour. This ministry was greatly established by Adam Culp and Pastor Khai over 4 years ago and is now doing very well. This year the Bible School graduated it's 4th class! Alumni are serving in ministry all over Asia and beyond. We are returning to strengthen and encourage the workers and students there and to tweak the two water purification systems that we placed in the Children's home and in a Bible School.  Pray for a successful and productive time. April 10-20.

Pastor Robert Slaton passed away on Feb 21, 2019 at the age of 83. He was the Pastor of First Assembly of God in Amarillo, Texas (my home town) for many years while I was growing up. He later became the Superintendent of the West Texas District of the Assemblies of God. He was my Presbyter in 1974 when I was ordained at age 23. Brother Slaton was a true mentor and very important  in my early development as a Minister. He was an awesome preacher, teacher, pastor, and friend. He was a steady, godly example and very worthy of his position as a leader in the community and in the Assemblies of God. He was always very kind to me. I loved him and his precious wife Ann. People like this don't come into your life every day. I know his reward in Heaven is great and he had a glorious home coming.

Today, February 20, 2019, we launched a new church app using customchurchapps.com. It is intended to help us communicate more effectively with church members and friends of Cornerstone Church using computers, smart phones, tablets, etc. It is linked to our church web site and all the information available there. It also has it's own Bible and offers a Bible reading plan. There is a journal for your Bible Study as well. To download this app, go to either Apple's App Store (for Apple devices) or the Google Play Store (for Android) and search for the CustomChurchApps app. Once you download that, search for our app using Ronny Thomason or Cornerstone Church Jacksonville, Fl. I trust this will be a blessing to you and assist us in communicating with you better.

2019 Arrived and January is now already half over. We are still getting used to the idea and trying to finish out 2018 so we can close the books on it and look ahead.  The past year was a year of blessing and opportunity. Ruth and I were blessed to preach the Gospel in Kenya, Africa again with our friends of Burning Plow Ministries (Don & Becky Cameron). We are really bonding with the Kenyan Believers and love going there.  Christmas found me going back to Amarillo to be with my daughter, Heather and to have a brief visit with my son Aaron and his family. I was also able to see a few "old" friends during my short time there. Ruth stayed home to host some of her family who came for Christmas from Tennessee. We had a great Christmas celebration with our Cornerstone Church family and Drs. Robert & Glenyce Doorn. 

After the New Year, Ruth and Daylan (her 12 year old granddaughter) flew up to Knoxville for a week with family. Ruth was blessed on her birthday with a tour through the Vanderbilt Mansion in Ashville, NC. This was the fulfillment of a 20 year old dream. Thanks to her daughter Angielyn, she had a wonderful birthday.

As I get older, it seems truly as though the sands of time have sped up and we are running out of time to make our mark on this world. I am determined to fight for good health and mobility so I can keep going to the nations and to places here to preach, teach, exhort and encourage people in the Lord. I am excited about this year's opportunities from the Lord. Ruth is teaching, preaching, writing, blogging more and more. It is a joy to watch her go! I am also blessed to be able to mentor several younger men and women who are doing awesome things all over the world. God has given me favor to be allowed to speak into their lives the wisdom and insight that I have gained in over 50 years of ministry. These younger ministers cause me to believe in the generation that follows me and have high hopes for the Work of The Kingdom!
Many have asked if I have a fresh word for the new year. All I can say is that God has not changed! All around us we see changes, many for the worse, but this one thing remains true, our God is an unchanging God! Jesus and His Word endure forever, and of His Kingdom there shall be no end!

"You can't lose with the stuff we use!"

@ Grand Canyon

A lot has happened over the past year and as I reflect on it all, I can only say "Thank You Lord" for your mercies shown to me and my loved ones!

Just to recap some of the events Since last August:

It has been exactly one year since our good friend, Gary Hines, received a liver transplant at the Mayo Clinic here in Jacksonville. He and Kathy came by last Sunday to celebrate with us and the Cornerstone Church Family. What a time we had!!! Gary is doing great!

It was a year ago this month that we said "bon voyage" to both of my kids as Aaron took his family to Mesa, Az where he got a new job. The same Sunday, we said "bon voyage" to Heather who moved to Texas to her new assignments from the Lord. She spent most of the year in Early, Texas with Pam & Jim Fitzgibbon, teaching and winning souls. Now she is in Amarillo with Jim & Debbie Loper and Amarillo's Cornerstone Church.  

It has been very strange for me to not have either of my children in town with me. Ruth and I both miss our times with Ethan and Marlee and the weekly family meal after church on Sunday. It has been a big adjustment for me.

We did manage to go to Arizona last March during Ethan's Spring Break. Aaron took the week off work and we had a wonderful time with the family.  We took a tour of Ethan's school; Visited their church (Hillsong Phoenix) and took a trip to the Grand Canyon. They are doing great in school, church, work etc. We are happy for them! Stephanie has started her own business taking care of pets (dogs, horses, goats, etc.) while their owners are away. She has a growing clientele. 

Ruth and I went to Honduras last September for missions with Luis Sorto and his family and this June we went to Kenya for a time of ministry with Don & Becky Cameron and the Burning Plow Team. What a time we had in both countries!

In between those activities, we did normal life as Pastors of the great folks of Cornerstone Church and kept ourselves busy in the Work of the Lord. God has been very near as we live as large as our faith will permit.  What the future holds, only He knows, but we know He has us in His Grip and all we have to do is hold on and enjoy our life in Him!

This is my way of catching up on this blog. I will try to post more often. God bless you all!

Ruth and I are making preparations to join Don and Becky Cameron and their Burning Plow Ministries Team in Kenya (East Africa) in June 2018. This is just a couple of months away! This will be our second trip to Kenya.  Pastor Jean Charles of Believers' Gathering Place, will be going with us for his first trip to Kenya.  We will be ministering in First Baptist Church of Kawaida (Near Nairobi) where Pastor Vincent Mokaya is building a new church facility and in Kibwezi (midway from Nairobi to Mombasa) for the First Annual National Conference of Kingsway Fellowship Int'l Ministers. We will joining Pastors Michael and Jennifer Criner from Dallas, Texas who also serve on the Board of Directors for Burning Plow Ministries. These are all wonderful people of vision and passion for the Great Commission. We look forward to our time with them and the Beautiful People of Kenya! Please pray for our safe travel and for effective ministry.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the News of His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles to confirm His deity, love for the lost, substitutionary death on the Cross, and resurrection from the dead.  This week, starting on Palm Sunday, we recall His Passion week which culminated in Resurrection Sunday. It is all Good News to those who believe!!!

A couple weeks ago, Ruth and I went to Arizona to visit with my Son, Aaron and his family for the first time since they moved there from Jacksonville, Fl. last August. It was the longest time I can recall being separated from them and we were excited to be there to see them and to experience their new world with them.  They live in Mesa, AZ and Aaron works in Scottsdale.  They love the outdoors, so they have already explored the surrounding area (which they were more than excited to share with us). It was Ethan's Spring Break, so after we attended church with them on Sunday (Hillsong Church, Mesa) we rented a Suburban and drove north to Sedona, then on to Flagstaff for the night. The next day, we visited the Grand Canyon! It was my first time back there since Aaron was a teenager. It was Ruth's first time as well as for Ethan and Marlee.  It was a great joy seeing the splendor of one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World with these two grandchildren. Though at times I had to turn away for nervousness of watching them scamper out on the cliffs.  We enjoyed our brief vacation and really enjoyed seeing how God has placed them in their new life (Job, Schools, Church, etc. Plus their new friends are great too!)  Ruth and Stephanie enjoyed shopping and decorating.  Aaron and Ethan and I went to a nearby outdoor gun range to shoot some paper targets. And then there was Marlee, about to be 10 years old, but still able to love on Grandpa and play silly games with me. We came home refreshed in the love of family with great memories to cherish for a life time. 

Marlee with Ethan in the background out on a ledge.

Ruth and Ronny at the Grand Canyon