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Don Blackwell Family

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

GBN…Praying it’s the Next Right Thing!

For the past 22 years, my husband, Glenn, has preached from the pulpit of the West Huntsville church in Huntsville, Alabama. For ten of those years, he had the great blessing of serving as one of her shepherds. I don’t know, for sure, how many classes he’s taught there and how many lessons he’s preached, but, conservatively, we would have to know it’s been well over a thousand messages—maybe two thousand, all told. That’s a bunch of his life’s words that have been spoken as a part of the work of this great church. 

The work he has agreed to take now is full-time work with the Gospel Broadcasting Network. We do not believe he will preach less (probably more), but he will preach in a different and broader venue. He will continue to hold seminars and gospel meetings around the nation, but he, along with other men, will also be developing tools for use in churches around the English-speaking world. His first two projects will be developing an elders’ seminar to be presented both live-and-in-person, and digitally for churches to use to strengthen leadership;  and, a digital series for congregations to use to teach and nurture new converts. Glenn will get to do Q&A sessions for the network. He’s excited about these and other projects that will follow, Lord willing. Maybe best of all is the fact that GBN now has many people at any given time, who request Bible study as they search for the path to knowing God and salvation. Glenn will get to study with lots of those people. He will potentially get to lead more people to the Lord than he ever has before.  We are already praying about these souls. 

With GBN director Don Blackwell (center) and Alan Highers

We both believe in the work of GBN. We already love her director, Don Blackwell, and have enjoyed a long and effectual relationship with the board of directors of GBN and those faithful people who make up its staff. We are amazed at the great work done by GBN and at the fact that it is funded entirely by donations from the people of God. On top of this, the programming of the network never contains advertising of any sort or solicitation of funds. There are lots of GBN products—digital books, commentaries, podcasts, etc…from which people benefit, but they are almost always free products and they are never sold sold by GBN. (The GBN digital commentaries are sold by Logos, by agreement, but the monies collected from those goes to the writers; not to GBN.)  GBN is completely supported by contributions and there is never any pitch made to those who are not members of the church of Christ! The available free GBN resources are found here:  https://gbntv.org/ This is amazing evidence of the generosity of Christians. We are excited that the network is blessed to be stronger today and to reach more people than ever before. Many have been led to obey the gospel and claim the hope of an eternal inheritance as a result of the work of GBN. The work is phenomenal in lots of ways. Glenn will continue to serve on its board of directors. That board is under the guidance of the elders at the Southaven church near Memphis, Tennessee.

We are thankful that we will get to keep working, as members, with our family at West Huntsville. We would have had a very hard time taking this new job with GBN, had the West Huntsville elders thought it best for us to worship elsewhere. We love them and we think it’s important for our grandchildren to be a part of the West Huntsville church. We know of no greater eldership to be watching for the souls our family.   I’m especially grateful that our Digging Deep podcasts will continue to come to you from West Huntsville. I hope you will keep  thanking the elders at West Huntsville as you have opportunity. 

SO, here are the short answers to the questions folks have wondered and/or asked me in the last few days. These are pending, as always, that our Lord is willing. 

No. We are not moving from the red house on Powell Street. 

Yes. The GBN work is a full-time job. 

Yes. Glenn will still travel and hold seminars and meetings, and I will get to do ladies days and PTP and camps, etc…as the schedule allows

No. We will not be leaving the West Huntsville church. We will be active and working.

No. Glenn will no longer be filling the local pulpit at West Huntsville. We are praying for the best man God has for that pulpit!

Yes. The new edition of Digging Deep will be coming out next summer. 

Yes. The podcasts will still be coming from West Huntsville. 

Yes. I hope Jennifer Benavides will keep helping me for as long as we both shall dig and we hope to dig for a long time to come! 

Yes!  I hope to get to travel some with Glenn in this new job. I love getting to be with sisters, and I may have a grandchild or two along for some of the adventures. 

Please keep us in your prayers. We want to “do good and no harm” as Glenn often admonishes his friends as he tells them good-bye. The good we crave in our lives is for heaven and His glory.

 

                       

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Sister to Sister: Keep Praying for the Blackwells

Stop and pray again today for the Blackwells. Their faith is a great example for us all. I think the family of God in the U.S. has been holding its collective breath for some good news. I know we have at the Colley house. We love them dearly and now there’s much for which to be thankful, but much for which to pray. This family is deeply good and deeply devoted to the Cause. They’ve done lots of good vicariously through your donations of encouragement and funding to GBN. Now, we have a chance to do something more personal for Don and Sheri. First pray and pray, for any possible developing improvements on Don’s prognosis, for the most effective rehabilitation possible, for encouragement as the new physical normal begins, for his ability to soon resume his work at GBN and Southaven, as is his full intent, and for Sheri as she recovers and stands and works and ministers by Don’s side. Then, if you’d like to contribute financially to the large expenditures coming their way, here’s how: https://fundrazr.com/a1V5q6?ref=ab_4w911e33gOq4w911e33gOq

 

If you read this, Sheri, I know Glenn’s been in touch with family. But I want you to know that, although fully understanding and honoring every reason behind your needing some privacy and respite with God and Don and family alone (besides you’d surely be overwhelmed with the number of people who love you!), you’ve not been far from my heart’s center since Monday. Your sisters in several states, and even countries, have contacted me to say “We’re praying and praying.” I know I don’t need to tell you this, but we love you. I love you and am thankful for the many times you have encouraged me…even as recently as last week. I would love to be able to repay your encouragement if there’s anything a helpless mortal can do. A helpless mortal can pray to the infinite and resourceful ONE and a band of women are doing that for your sweet meek and quiet, but courageous self! He is able to do abundantly, exceedingly above all the we think or imagine. I love those three words abundantly, exceedingly and above. Don’t respond, Sheri….Just know!

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

May 16th: Digging Deep Podcast from the Sea of Galilee!

The live podcast from Israel will occur on Thursday, May 16th, from the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee. I hope you can plan to join us, as Kate Hudgens and I discuss Authority from this beautiful seashore where eminent authority was so often demonstrated during the ministry of our Lord. He calmed this sea (Mark 4). He directed a huge draught of fish into the nets of doubting disciples in this place (Luke 5).  He placed a coin in the mouth of a fish, so he could pay his tribute (Matthew 17). He put unclean spirits in a herd of pigs and that herd of swine ran violently into this sea (Matthew 8). This paragraph could be a book! I’m extremely excited about discussing His authority from this place and about our blessing of technology that allows our sisterhood to do this from several corners of the earth—together! 

So, Lord willing, the podcast will be May 16th, at 10:30 am CST. (Our time in Israel will be 6:30 pm). I know that some of you will be working and unable to watch at that time, so it will be quickly uploaded and available on the Digging Deep in God’s Word page for viewing at any time. The live podcast will be here: https://livestream.com/whcoc/for-women.

I’m thankful to Jennifer Benavides, Louis Benavides, Glenn Colley, John Moore, and Kate Hudgens for making this possible. The family of God is wonderful. 

And about that family, please keep the prayer vigil fervently before the throne for the Don Blackwells. A good and faithful family has been hurt. We have all benefitted immensely from the materials, broadcasts and lectures that Don has delivered around this country. He is very dear to my husband and I consider Sheri to be a close friend to me. She has encouraged me countless times. This sister has lost her parents in recent days, now her mobility for a time, and her  husband now faces long and arduous challenges. She’s a faithful digger and encourager. Let’s lift them up! You may send cards ℅ Southaven church of Christ, 1483 Brookhaven Dr, Southaven, MS 38671. 

And, finally, please pray for calm along the Gaza strip as our Digging Deep group travels to Israel. Our guides tell us that we are not at any safety risk. However, it would be comforting to know that the unrest along that border is at a low point rather than an escalated one as we enter the country. 

May he bless all of his pilgrims through this land of uncertainty till we cross over Jordan and assemble at the throne.