the horses mouth

10/13/08 Straight from the horses mouth is another way of saying to tell the truth. It seems the older I get the less tolerance I have for lies, half-truths or falsehoods. My beautiful wife would probaly say i get a lil' grumpier with age as well! She's probaly right.

I would like to give glory to God for all of his blessings. They are so undeserved! It is so nice to know we serve a God of second chances. ( even though it is ALWAYS better to take the first one and run with it) I often feel like the psalmist when I think of God's mercy/grace ........ Such knowledge is to high for me!

In Reeces blog she give an update on me and the rest of the Hollenbecks so at the risk of being redundent - I met my wife in Depew, ok where I was working as an asst. horse trainer. She brought her horse in for some retraining and God helped me in my lost condition to realize this could be my last chance to choose life. She dated me on the condition I would go to church with her. In a little over a year we were married. Approx. year later RickyIII was born, three years later Benjamin Neal was born. God answered prayer and brought my oldest son (17) Cody home this fall. he will spend his jr./sr. year with his dad - all 6'7" of him. Thank the Lord.

During the past 6 years God renewed His call on my life and annointed me to preach His word..." Though the least of all...." He allowed me to be involved in the starting of a new church here in Bristow,Ok. I feel such a burden for the church at large! I think of a quote by the late Leonard Ravenhill - The world isn't looking for another definition of Christianity but another demonstration! How true! Oh that the we could wake the sleeping giant that is the church.