The Sailors Family

Would you be willing to support:

• The discipleship and mentoring of young men and women?

• The counseling and guiding of men going through sexual addictions and then the restoration of their lives and families?

• The training of pastors in Nicaragua as well as the training of men as Christian guides to lead others to Christ, disciple them and help them find their place in God’s Kingdom?

IF YOU WOULD THEN READ ON!

YES LINK

Greg is currently working for and employed by a ministry called New Wilderness Adventures as a missionary.

Through NWA Greg and Kryssy have had the opportunity to go on the international and home mission field to disciple, train pastors, mentor young men and women, and lead families of all ages into serving God through missions. Greg has also had the opportunity to go into 2 Texas Prisons where NWA gets to lead services for over 400 men and women. Two units; Beto Unit in Tennessee Colony and Hobby Women’s Unit in Marlin. Barry Strickland, our missionary in Dallas TX has the privilege of going weekly. Greg also leads NWA’s Guide Network initiative where we are training Guides. Through this, Greg daily walks with men who want to disciple and mentor other men. In essence, Greg gets to mentor the mentors. Moreover, Greg daily walks with men going through sexual addictions. Daily counseling and leading them in the restoration through Christ’s work of healing. Lastly, Greg and Kryssy walks with men, women and their families; simply being their for them in the “fox holes of life,” day by day!

NWA exists to build the family by introducing men to Christ, the ultimate man, and to introduce them to a life of adventure as His followers. NWA believes that God intends men to be strong and noble. We seek to reach men in all walks of life through adventure, marketplace ministry, discipleship, and counseling.

Here’s what Mark Folk, founder and director of NWA says: “I am passionate about inspiring men toward a lifestyle of ongoing transformational intimacy with Christ, so that they might fulfill- both in life and personal ministry- all that God intends for them as His image bearers.”

We have already sponsored ourselves and are participating as Golfers in this event. All we need you to do is to sponsor (Greg or Kryssy) with either a pledge to be paid after the event, or you can sponsor one of us with a secure on-line gift by clicking on the “yes” link below.

We will be golfing 18 holes and need sponsors for each hole at the level of your choosing. We are hoping for $100.00 per hole but please feel free to give whatever you feel God telling you to. We have sponsored ourselves for hole #1 at that level, and are asking you to sponsor one of us for one of the remaining 17 holes. All gifts are appreciated! Last year, some folks gave a few dollars a hole and we had a few that were able to give $500 or more on pledges. Once again, all gifts are so appreciated.

We really are thankful for your willingness to stand with us in our passionate support and investment in the ministry of New Wilderness Adventures.

Please respond by clicking on the YES link below. Your gift is tax deductible. You will receive a receipt for that purpose as well as a “Thank-You” note and report from me on how the day went.

So, can you help us with the rescue and discipleship of men and their families by sponsoring one of us in this golf tournament?

It is NWA’s ONLY MAJOR FUNDRAISER FOR 2009!

Thank you so much, this really means a lot to US!
WITH LOVE, Greg & Kryssy Sailors

PS.. corporate sponsorships are also available. A corporate sponsor will have their name on a hole, in the paper and on the T-Shirt! For more information on that, email me.

Click here to learn more about New Wilderness Adventures

YES LINK

Put in Greg or Kryssy’s name on who you are sponsoring or you can email us and we will manually log you in at:

Greg: greg@newwildernessadventures.com

or

Kryssy: kryssy@newwildernessadventures.com

and lastly, you can give directly by making a check out to:

New Wilderness Adventures (memo Greg or Kryssy) and send to:

1050 Sam Lattimore Road

Shelby, NC 28152

Tags: Fundraiser, Love, New Wilderness Adventures

Continuing my guest series, I recently emailed Cathy Cheshire from Arizona, friend and founder, of Discipleship Ministry International about a discipleship and counseling opportunity I just had in Green Bay WI over the last several days. She shared with me about a lady she has been walking with in an email and I asked her if I could share it here in the blog. It’s a great opportunity I’d like for, you, my readers to pray about as you pray for the men and women we are walking with at NWA.

This is the rich reward of being in ministry.

Last night I sat at Starbucks with a lady I have been walking with over the last three years. She heard my oldest son and I speak at a women event and said God told her to call me; that her life was going to change. Unfortunately her life has not changed yet. Her husband is an every day pot smoker, her two sons are on crystal meth and her daughter has disowned her. She is a former crystal meth addict, clean for 21 yrs but now drinks. In the three years we have been together and working on so many things and she has made some huge strides but keeps coming back to some of the same way of doing things. Her drinking is not to get drunk and it consists of an occasional glass of wine but she uses it to medicate instead of going back to hardcore drugs. It is a mask. I work with a women’s rehab center (Teen Challenge) and I had suggested to her last yearr to check in. It is a one year commitment. She thought she could make the changes with meeting with me and staying accountable. Last night we talked tough love. She is making an appointment to talk with the director of the rehab center and is planning to check in. She is a sophisticated professional woman and this will take everything she has to do something like this. It is amazing how her husband has learned to mask his issues as well and put up such a good front. No one knows their secrets. They are well hidden.

I know God has a passion for her just waiting for the right time to reveal her heart to her, but there is too much pain and seduction from the enemy and she can not see it. She is beautiful in face and gentle in her spirit. Please pray for her to accept God’s grace and make this huge decision to check out of this world for one year and check into what God has for her. This is a familial spirit as her sister, who I have met with, also has the same problems but with prescription drugs. They both want out of their cycle but do not know how to get out on their own. I pray this sister will make the right choice. I asked her where she will be in one year from today if she does not check in to rehab? She agreed she would probably be doing the same things. We prayed together and left. My heart hurts for her.

Meeting with women like her has changed my life. To help them walk through life, offering God’s Word as a solution and then watching God work in them is so rewarding…rich is the word. Life fulfilling. And I do not get it! All believers…followers of Christ, are called to do this and yet only a few understand and walk it out according to 1 Tim 2:2 and Mat 28.

The Great Commission

16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

This is a powerful command….Christ’s last instruction.  Sounds like you get it…

Tags: addictions, discipleship, Love

This past weekend, Kryssy and I were really blessed to have the opportunity to go to Bonclarken Conference Center in Flat Rock NC. It definitely was God’s blessing because they provided us a place to stay in their new Lodge as well as a meal. We really had a restful time. This was not something I had planned. I was out doing some scouting for a Marriage Conference for NWA and while talking with them on the phone, they invited us to stay as their guest. It was a cool and God sent invitation.

It was an Invitation to Life!

Christ says in John 10:10b that, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Go and search scripture, over and over we see an Invitation to Life. However, many people choose the opposite and many people think that Christianity is not about life, joy and happiness but a set of rules and regulations that will take life away and make things miserable. On the contrary.

This seems to be a constant conversation I am having with non-Christian friends. They will say to me, “Greg, how are you and Kryssy so happy?” With the assumption being that because we live off of little to nothing and that they assume that being “devout” means boredom and hellacious rules… Once again, on the contrary…

Kryssy and I are so happy because our hope is in the Lord and we believe contentedly in his promise that he “will never desert you (us), nor will I ever forsake you (us).” Hebrews 13:5 And he hasn’t!

Kryssy and I are extremely blessed and happy. Yes scripture has “rules” as one might say. But as I tell people that ask me about this, it’s not about the “rules” it is about the “relationship,”  because when you know that God’s heart toward you is good; that he is not trying to squash you or throw lightning bolts at you, the “rules” are really not “rules” at all but rather like a highway map leading you to your destination. “Rules” are not guilt or condemnation but rather instructions for a happy and good life! Romans 8:1 says, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Recently Kryssy and I started dieting. I have always hated dieting. It was like hell to me but I knew it was time. Back in the fall I weighed myself and I was up to 250lbs+. Wow.. I am only 5′10″. Which the book says I should weigh like 165lbs. (I’m shooting for 190lbs) 250lbs was too much and I had been feeling bad, sick and not good. No energy and depressed. I really felt like it was time to do something about it. So I turned it all over to God and asked for help. As Christ helped me through the pornography addiction I had many years ago, I felt Christ say, “take my hand and we will walk through this together.” It was an invitation. “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

As I look over my 31 years of life, I see it full of different invitations. They come daily. Many are competing. Many bad invitations (especially competing for my heart and time in the morning) Some are good, some are great but I think God is in the business of inviting us into His Holy Best. That is what I desire for me and my family. His Holy Best!

The only way to experience His Holy Best is through relationship with Christ. To begin the journey of saying no to the invitations that will hurt you, take you away from God and saying yes to the invitations of life. Your heart matters to God. It needs to matter to you. Do something for your heart! Do it today. Walk with God into it.

I invite you to contact me about this invitation. I’d love to sit down and talk with you about it or talk on the phone and tell you about all the life, grace and love God has brought me into and all of the pain, hurt and distress he has brought me out of!

Tags: Invitation to Life, Love, Salvation

I want true intimacy. I want a full measure of love! I do. Really! I am not talking just about sex here either. I am talking about my heart. God’s heart and mine with a life lived loved.

Tonight I went to see Australia. OK, it’s not Braveheart or Gladiator but once you get past some of the bad acting, the 40 endings and it being like 18 hours long, it is really good. Lots of good themes, one of which is love. There is especially one moment that really spurred this thought on tonight. Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman’s characters share a kiss. Before they kiss they pause and breathe each other in before savoring the touch of lips first meeting. It is a very good kiss.

Scripture often likens one’s relationship to God as the husband and wife relationship. Usually we see this being referred to as the Bride and Bridegroom. For example Isaiah 62:5 says, “As the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoices over thee.” You get the picture.

Now back to the kiss. For those of you having the privilege to have experienced what I am talking about in its purest form understand the feeling. The elation of love. Now, just for a moment allow yourself to think about that in reference to God. Think about the sharing of intimacy. The embrace of your lover. The warmth and boldness of love shared between what God put together in a marriage is like no other feeling save one. That one is the truest relationship. That being the intimacy, the true intimacy only experienced as you experience God’s heart’s love for you in a personal relationship.

I am really passionate about everyone realizing the depth and breadth of God’s love. Now, I do not pretend to understand it completely but I do know that God’s love is meant to be poured out on you. Beloved, many think over and over that we must serve God. But what He really desires is our hearts. He wants you to live a life of love. Think about Mark 1:11 which says: “And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’” Before Jesus really did anything he set out to do, the Father told Him that He was loved. Only those who live loved of God can truly experience a life of service.

Boil it down friends. It’s about you and Him (or them) the Holy Trinity. It’s about a life of love. A life of the heart!

Beloved, let God love you. Let Him pour out the fullness of love on you and embrace Him as a lover embraces his desire. Quit trying so hard and invite Him into every aspect of your life. Once you are His, as Romans 8:35, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” Nothing Beloved..

Go with God and be saturated in His love!

Tags: Australia, God, Intimacy, Kiss, Love

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (NIV) Romans 8:35-37

I have been so challenged as of late, moment by moment, by the thought of: “Am I living a victorious life?” Do I live life like Jesus is on my side or do I wake morning by morning with my image of God being a ruler sitting on a throne ready to smite me?I am glad that God’s heart toward me and all Christians is good. It is so good my friends. So, lets consider the question: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Paul answers this in a resounding way. Take a look:

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NIV) Romans 8:38-39

Or, all the verses together, from the Message:

So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:
They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.
We’re sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.
None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. (The Message) Romans 8:31-39

WOW… now if this is true, which I believe it is, why do most of us walk around so defeated. So bogged down. Most of us live without hope. I can say this because I have lived it over and over for most of my life. However, several years ago I choose to begin walking in the truth. I began to trust that Romans 8:31-39 was completely true. I saw other men living this out. And to be blunt… it worked for them. I needed it!

God’s heart toward me is good and it is full of love! He wants me to live an abundant life! (John 10:10)

With Christ, we are victorious. So in every moment, believe and choose God’s love and His heart toward you. Whatever the case may be, choose God and choose a supernatural life!

Friends, when you are in the crux of temptation, or pain, or depression, or in need of life and healing remember:

None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

Tags: Christ, Conqueror, Love, Teaching, Victory

Luke 19:10 says, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost!”

I’ve been looking at the screen for several minutes just feeling and sensing the enormity of this statement and I am just so touched and really overwhelmed by God’s love for us.

In Luke 4:17:19 Jesus says:

The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

or as Isaiah 61:1 says:

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners

Oh my friends… I pray that you are incredibly hopeful because Christ has come to seek and save what was lost and has also come to bind up our brokenness!

But is that it? Is there more? Sure God wants to save us but then what? There’s heaven but are we just biding or time here? Are we just to have a life of servitude under the finger of a dictator that wants to steal all our fun or run our life?

The reality is that God is about bringing us life…

John 10:10 tells us that Christ came to bring us life to the full but with a cunning warning to be aware that there is an enemy set against us that comes only to steal kill and destroy.

So yeah…there is more…there is an intimate walk with Christ…a co-creator-ship…a co-heirship and desire oh wonderful desire. There is joy, fun, victory, restoration, redemption, truth and a place of sanctuary where we can run to our Heavenly Daddy and dwell with Him!

That’s where I want to be. I’ve tried the alternative and it is no good!

What’s your worldview? Go to Epic Reality

Need scripture for what I’ve said? Email Me!

Tags: Love, Rescue

I enjoy night time at our house. The family sort of settles in and prepares for a good time of love and attention. I chase Jackson around and we get to wrestle about while Kryssy cooks or vice versa. We usually eat supper around 6:30 and then Kryssy or I will give Jackson a bath, which he loves, and then on to some sort of Hermie or Elmo video etc..

It’s a good time of snuggling and blessings… Kryssy and I really enjoy it and enjoy admiring our son. If he is not snuggling, he’s walking around saying all types of things, from Meemees chu =s Mommy Too to Dada Too. Sometimes it’s Wee Poo =s Winne the Pooh or Re Boo Pees =s Read Books Please.. we love it, what a good time in life this is.

Well tonight we asked Jackson what he wanted to watch and he went over to the videos and said, Wee Poo Pees. Wee Poo Pees. So we put it in (I know, this is boring for some..lol.. bear with me.. finally Spiritual Truth coming..I need to admire my son some) and began to watch it.. he was so precious, he was only half way interested and walked around pointing out things and looking to see if we were watching him. Walking around saying Wee Poo, Jack Meemees Pees.. Cute Cute..

After the video, we brush Jackson’s teeth and we help him pick out three books to read before bed. He picked out 3 then wanted another one, although Kryssy is only gonna let him read 3…we persisted some but come on…the boy wants to read… so anyhow we at least let him carry it in and Kryssy started into the bedroom. Jackson was a little behind and turned around and got another book and was like..wee wee thig, wee wee thig =s Where the Wild Things Are..lol.. so off they go down the hall and Jack is saying wee wee thig, wee wee thig..lol.. I was admiring them. My family is beautiful.

I want to not say “out of the blue” on this because I want my heart to hear this all the time, but kinda out of the blue I hear God say, “I admire you my son!” I was like.. whoa.. really God? “Yes, I adore you! You are my son!” Wow.. it’s been a good day.

God added a lesson too. As you can see above, Jackson is in a routine. Kryssy has been on a mission since he was little to get a routine with this precious one. Jack does not like it when we stray from the routine…and, really we do not like it either.. Now I know this may sound like we are old fogies or something…not spontaneous etc…but there is not really anything in this world that I would rather do than to spend time with my precious ones and love on them.

Well God feels the same way.

1. He wants our routine to be with Him in a daily conversational relationship and

2. He wants us to experience the love and closeness that our family feels on a daily basis and finally

3. He wants us to know that He admires us and adores us.

Tags: Cartoons, Family, God's Love, Jackson, Love

I’ve always wanted to be heard. I am learning more and more that a lot of my life has been focused around that; sometimes with my actions, like playing baseball, performing, or being creative and sometimes with my words, like preaching, teaching or writing. Now being heard is not necessarily a bad thing. But for many years I had not earned the right to be heard and most importantly I had not learned to listen.

God has been changing my life. He has done a mighty work and taught me (once I became teachable) to listen and to speak when He wants me to. It’s funny now, like today in home church; someone was sharing about their life and I was doing an inventory in my head about what I could say. I wanted to say something that would sound smart, sound insightful and meaningful, something that would bring change (none of these things bad) but I in no way had God’s permission to speak. So, unlike other times in my life, I kept my mouth shut and listened. Near the end of home church God finally gave me something to say and I was able to contribute in a meaningful way.

Friends this has been a hard lesson to learn. I was sitting in front of this computer screen tonight thinking, “I need to blog something.” I began to go through the same emotions again as above at home church. I started to surf the net, to facebook and chat on aim. I was still thinking. I felt like I should pick a scripture or something and explain it and I began to chuckle. I was thinking- JUST SAY SOMETHING.

I am blessed to be able to work around people that say something without saying anything. Mark, Jamie and Barry, not to mention many other friends and family, are great listeners. I might spill my guts and then I’m screaming, “JUST SAY SOMETHING!” It is really funny now, but they listen and listen and after sometime they might ask a simple question or just say something like “well, I think you have your permission!” Bam.. that was all I needed to hear.

God is an amazing God and I want to be more like Jesus. No more idle words. Now I’m not talking about joking here. Joking around is good so don’t take this out of context, but I’m talking about saying something just to be heard. Christ was heard. He was to the point and was not swayed from saying the truth in love. I don’t want to beat around the bush or put icing on something. I want to say something from a quiet strength that comes from my powerful God.

I have something to say now. God has done such a restorative work in my life. He still is changing it daily and I welcome His shaping. I want to tell what God has done in my life, for really what else do I have to say?

Tags: Being Heard, Life, Love, Speak