The Power of Joy

Our family rolled back into Austin about 9:15 last night after a four-day whirlwind trip to upstate New York. It was incredible to be so encouraged and blessed on a trip that we almost didn't take.

We were last-minute tag-alongs with Ed Young and his family as Ed spoke at a youth conference in Utica and then at the weekend services at Northway Church, pastored by Buddy Cremeans and his wife Debbie. Northway Church has two locations in the Albany area, one in Malta and the other in Clifton Park.

The conference in Utica was sponsored by Mt. Zion Ministries--a church in an economically challenged community led by Pastor Mike Servello and his son, Pastor Mike Jr. These people are picking 'em up and putting 'em down. Not only does this church of 1,500 offer a conference for 3,500 students, offering them teaching from Ed Young and Joyce Meyer, they have the most incredible compassion ministry I have ever seen or even heard of.

Under Mike Sr.'s leadership, they invest about $100,000 a year in a ministry that creates $5 million worth of social services for a community that has been economically devastated by a military base closure and the departure of all the industry that supported the base.

Over in Malta/Clifton Park/Saratoga Springs, Buddy Cremeans is absolutely kicking it. Northway Church is all about one thing: seeing one more person discover how much God loves him/her. In four years, they have led Nortway from 0 to over 2,000 people. Buddy and his wife Debbie and their staff put on a How-to-Host-Guests clinic, not just for us, but for visitors and tire-kickers who come through their doors every single week. They are two of my favorite people on the planet.

I will be back in Upstate NY--it's a beautiful place and the people are unbelievable.

When we asked our kids what was the biggest thing they learned on this trip, my daughter thought for a second, and said, "The power of joy." Thank you, Mt. Zion Ministries and Northway Church, for giving us that.