300 miles

Yesterday I put another 300 miles on the car driving up to Huntington Beach to visit a young man who, with his wife and two little boys, are preparing to go to Kenya, Africa as missionaries sent out by Refuge Calvary Chapel and supported thru Shepherd's Staff. What a joy and an education it is listening to the heart of one called to leave it all and follow the Lord's leading to serve a people so different and far from anything familiar. Pray for Jonathan and Adrienne as they make ready.

From HB I then headed up to the San Fernando Valley to spend some time with another Calvary Pastor in Encino. David Cuff has been pastoring the church there for 13 years. We had a great time of fellowship, sharing ministry joys and sorrows, and prayer.

I have written in past posts of my desire to be an encouragement to other pastors in this new season of my life. After more than 32 years in full time pastoral ministry there are a lot of stories to share - and not much that I haven't experienced in church life. So it's such a blessing to connect with other brothers in the "trenches" and watch God at work!

Then after Encino I drove a little further north to have dinner with my daughter and son-in-law in Valencia. Got home around 11:00 pretty tired but grateful for a good day full of ministry and serving. Thanks for praying!

In His Arm's,

Pat

www.shepsstaff.org/kenney.aspx

New addition

As I was closing the book on my 59th birthday happenings yesterday, a brand new life began. At 11:40 pm on the 25th little Ethan David was born to Andrea and Miles DeBenedictus! Baby and mom are fine - not sure what shape Miles is in but I'm sure he's just ecstatic with his firstborn son. I and my family wish them all the best blessings God can give!

On a ministry note, Yesterday I was asked if I would be able to minister at a small church in Tahiti for a couple of months beginning around Christmas! I had to decline due to my health and responsibilities with Shepherd Staff. At another time, in another season, that could be a very exciting thing to do. That's the kind of thing Joyce and I would have loved to have done together. But honestly, I just couldn't imagine going to a place like Tahiti to minister for an extended time without a helpmate.

Attended church at CC Escondido this morning and, as always, it was such a blessing to see and hug so many good friends. Josh gave a great message out of Ro. 12. Listen to it if ya missed it.

This coming week I have several meetings with local pastors and of course the Harvest Celebration - only this year I'll be hanging with all my grandkids up in Menifee at Revival Christian Fellowship's Harvest bash.

Hope your week just overflows with His peace and goodness!

In His Arm's,

Pat

www.shepsstaff.org/kenney.aspx

Docs

Yesterday I had a couple follow up visits with my docs concerning that recent hospitalization a few weeks ago. Basically, I'm changing my diet and need to have an incisional hernia repair surgery in 4 to 6 months. They want to give me a little more time to heal from the last surgeries before going in again. How do I feel about all that? God has a plan and whatever He wants me to do is in His hands. And I have peace in that.

In the meantime, I have lots to do! I'll be meeting with a bunch of pastor's over the next couple of months to share more about Shepherd's Staff and learn how we can assist them in the care of their own missionaries as well as help them in preparing more folks for the mission field.

I'll be in town for the next couple of weeks before heading out to Chicago to visit my family, followed by another trip to Albuquerque for the annual Shep. Staff board meeting. That journey will be from Nov. 7 thru Nov 19. Then home for Thanksgiving and, as of now, staying local thru December.

Love you guys and hope you have a blessed and joy filled weekend!

In His Arm's,

Pat

www.shepsstaff.org/kenney.aspx

Supporting Cast?

Happy Monday Good Friends!

What a whirlwind past few weeks! With travel, speaking, hospitalization, more travel and more speaking it's time for a few recuperation days :-) Which simply means I'm staying in Escondido for a little while. I'm really blessed that God allowed me to do so much the past month in spite of my ongoing medical issues. I think about the many people with much more serious handicaps and disabilities who are pressing on in living full and fruitful lives and I want to do the same. God uses us in spite of our weaknesses, trials, or fears. He's a great loving powerful God who can and will do with us plenty beyond what we could even ask or think!

Sharing at Calvary Chapel Vista's three morning services yesterday was an awesome privilege and I was so blessed by the warm welcome from the staff and congregation. I taught on "The Walk of Love" out of Ephesians 5:1-17. You can get a link to the audio on CCV's website.

So on with the show - to God be the glory great things He has done (and will continue to do!)

I'm now officially on board working with Shepherd's Staff Mission Facilitators and would appreciate your continued prayer for my new responsibilities in building relationships with the Sr. Pastors and Missions Teams of the 20 or so sending churches on the West Coast that have missionaries serviced by Shepherd's Staff. As with most mission agencies, I'll need to raise most of my own support - so, if you'd like to help financially, you do so by making your check out to Shepherd's Staff Missions Facilitator's and reference #515 on the memo line, then mail it to the address below or you can also donate online at http://www.shepsstaff.org/give.aspx

By mail: Shepherd's Staff, PO Box 53640, Alburquerque, NM, 87153-3640

Raising support is something very new to me. I've helped many missionaries over the years raise their support but never had to do my own. So I'd appreciate your grace in receiving this unpolished request.

Love to hear from you if you need more info and, of course, I will be continuing to post details of what I'm doing here on my blog.

In His Arm's,

Pat

Home safe.

Made it back to Escondido this afternoon and am now preparing my message for the services at Calvary Chapel Vista tomorrow morning. Services are at 7:30; 9:15; and 11:10. I'll be talking about "The Walk of Love" in Ephesians 5:1-21.

God has graciously gotten me thru this last week of travel and conferences and meetings. I'm grateful for His mercy and strength. Your prayers were answered!

In His Arm's,

Pat

Santa Rosa 2

Starting to wrap up my whirlwind week. After meeting with Shepherd's Staff Missions Facilitator Bryon Mondok for a few hours it's time to get ready to head home. Had a good time talking with Bryon about the ministry of Shepherd's Staff and how we can more effectively assist sending churches in caring for their missionaries. This is such a wide open field.

For nearly 25 years, Calvary Escondido has been sending out, supporting, and encouraging missionaries on the field as well as helping them when they return. I've been privileged to be a part of that good work over the years and hope to bring some of that experience to help other pastor's and churches as they seek to develop their foreign mission outreaches. In the process, I'm already getting to meet some wonderful men of God who have a passion to make Christ known around the world.

As bleak as the political, financial, and moral state of the world is, there is a fresh move of God shining His light into a very dark age...and we get to be a part of that! As you go to church this weekend, look for opportunities to support your missionaries. Pray for them and ask God to use you and your gifts/resources to help further their work. And as you do, God will be stirring and preparing your heart and life for greater service.

Ps 85:13 says "Righteousness will go before Him and shall make His footsteps our pathway."

Get involved with the work of the King and and He will craft your path thru this crazy, sinful world. Prov. 3:6, "In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path."

In His Arm's,

Pat

Santa Rosa

Flew into San Francisco this afternoon and drove up to Mill Valley to have dinner with Pastor Dan Fusco, a New Jersey boy planted by God in Marin County to grow new churches. Awesome conversation about the thrills of building a congregation from scratch in an area known for gobbling up churches and pastors. Dan pastor's Calvary North Bay a church less than 2 years old and already one of the larger churches is Mill Valley.

From there I drove further north to Santa Rosa where I'll be meeting with Pastor Bryon Mondok who has been representing Shepherd's Staff in Northern CA and the Pac NW. We're meeting for a few hours tomorrow to talk missions and how to help churches develop and/or improve their mission ministries and their care for their missionaries.

Then back to SF for my flight home to SD Sat afternoon. Whew! A great trip. Tuesday eve. my stomach issues began resolving and I feel really good this evening.

Here we are at another weekend. Use it for Jesus!

In His Arm's,

Pat

Day 3 Vegas

Starting the second day of the missions conference at CC Spring Valley. Gayle Erwin spoke a couple of times yesterday as did Ken Ortiz. Terry and Nancy Clark are leading us in worship.

Today, K. P. Yohannan of Gospel for Asia, will be the keynote speaker along with Pastor Bob Caldwell from Boise, ID.

I've had the opportunity to reconnect with a bunch of folks I've known over the years and worked the Shepherd's Staff table for a while. Been also battling some intestinal stuff again - but not as debilitating as last week.

Hope and pray your day is blessed!

In His Arm's,

Pat

Day 1 Mesquite

Hi All,

I arrived safely into Las Vegas Sunday afternoon, rented my car, and drove up to Mesquite - about 90 miles NE of Las Vegas. After a brief stop at the Dorado's, we headed over to Rick and Marie Jackson's home for dinner and fellowship. Rick (Jeff Jackson's brother) pastor's the Calvary Chapel in Mesquite. We had a good time hanging out with him and his kids, their wives and all their grandkids, plus Juan and Karen, Jeff and Helen and Crystal Rider and her son, Luke, who has quite a ministry in Mozambique, Africa. Great to see old friends - and especially old friends who are still on fire and serving Jesus!

Spending the nite at Juan and Karen's and then in the morning Jeff and I, Rick and Marie and Crystal and Luke head back to Vegas for the start of the annual Send the Message conference at Calvary Chapel Spring Valley. Looking forward to an awesome and challenging next few days.

I'm just blessed to be here - when this time last week I was laying in a hospital bed being fed and medicated thru an IV. God is good and is faithful to raise up those who are beat up and weary.

Ask the Lord to use you mightily for His name sake this week!

In His Arm's,

Pat

on the road again

Hi folks! Hope your weekend is going well and filled with faith in Jesus. Whatever you may be doing this weekend, seek to glorify the Lord and make Him known!

I'm packing today for a week of travel - first to the Send the Message missions conference at CC Spring Valley in Las Vegas and then to meet with a couple of pastors up in the Bay area Thurs. and Fri. before heading back home on Saturday and preparing to teach at the morning services at CC Vista on the 19th. I'd appreciate prayer for the conference, meetings, and next Sundays teaching.

So far so good since the hospital drama last weekend. Pray my health holds up with this coming week of a ton of activity.

In His Arm's,

Pat

Trust and Endure

These are the two words the Lord gave me during my recent hospitalization. Trust and Endure.

These certainly are "faith" words that apply to many different circumstances for all of us. But for me, they meant simply, "Trust Me! I'm using this setback for your good," and "Endure this patiently; don't panic - there is still much ahead."

I was reading in Ps. 34 last night. "I sought the Lord and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears." vs.4 "This poor man cried out and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them." vss. 5-6 "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him." vs. 8

We all have fears assaulting us daily. Health fears, financial fears, career fears, relationship fears, for some - safety fears. Complex problems in confusing times call for renewed trust in the One True God Who knows us and loves us and is able to see us thru whatever comes against us.

"The righteous cry out and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit." vss. 17-18

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all." vs. 19

Teach us to trust you Lord in everything that we might endure with joy!

In His Arm's,

Pat

grandkids

Granddaughters! The best! Two of my four granddaughters - Brooklynn 2 and Kaylee - almost 6

Home sweet home!

Thanks for praying! I got home from Kaiser Hospital earlier this afternoon. The tests showed no blockage in the stomach and small intestine. Whatever was kinked when I went in was now unkinked. Due to random scar tissue and adhesions from all the past surgeries, I am more subject to occasional attacks as I had last Friday. So now its time to learn how to treat my body better that I might lessen the chances of this happening again. And with the increasing of responsibilities and travel, the challenge to eat right and properly care for my own health is mine to take or ignore...

Special thanks to Pastor Miles for coming over to my home just before I called 911. He graciously met the paramedics, helped them with information concerning me and secured my house when they took me to the ER. Later in the day he also covered for me at a graveside service I was to officiate at Oak Hill. With all that's going on in his life he took the time to help and serve and minister comfort to me and the hurting folks who I couldn't minister to. Made me proud of our new Sr. Pastor at CCE. Pastor Richard also stayed with me for several hours at the hospital on Friday - he ministered to me more than he knows.

I also want to thank my dear sister-in-law, Nancy, for staying with me at the ER at Palomar and Kaiser and being my advocate when I was really hurting and out of it. She also spent many hours sitting with me in my hospital room each day and I'm so grateful for her care and company.

So now it's back home and time to refocus on what's ahead. Keep loving and serving one another!

In His Arm's,

Pat

Hospital

Despite my plans, God had other plans and Friday I ended up in the hospital with a possible obstruction in my bowel. I have tests scheduled for Monday and will know more after talking with my surgeon. Presently, I feel fine and hope to be discharged tomorow. My travel schedule for next week is still a go, assuming everything is ok medically. As always, I appreciate your continued prayer.

In His arms,

Pat