~FALL on me~

It is fall praise GOD! I love the fall season. The weather becomes cool, the leaves change color and Pumpkins Spice becomes the smell day to day from the Coffee at Starbucks to the plug-ins placed in my office to the candle I burn in the bedroom. Even as I type this I am drinking my last cup of lemonade for the summer season. There is just something off about drinking a lemonade in the fall and winter months that seems wrong in all ways.
     For the past week I have been listening and really hanging on to the the words of  Chris Tomlin's song "Whom shall I fear" It says "I know who goes before me, I know who stands behind...." It goes on the say "My Strength is in Your Name For you alone can save, You will deliver me, Yours is the victory Whom shall I fear. Whom shall I fear!" I think my life right now this song is what I need to hear each day. Its everything I feel I am currently facing put in one song to let me know He is greater, He is bigger and He is all I need. I love knowing that He has gone before me to the place I fear the most. and He knows whats on the other side of the cliff. I guess the hard part is wanting to take that step into not knowing what will happen or not knowing what I will do, who I will meet, or how I will survive. Over time I think I will get more into why I have the subtitle of "where the rainbow leads" but I will hold off on just that. But before the rainbow comes the rain, and sometimes a storm. I feel like I have been in the storm way to long. But what happens in the storm seems to cause us to grow the most. It goes back to the breaking of the bread in 1 Corinthians 11 I have preached on in years past. We must be broken before we are blessed. We must withstand the storms of life before the rainbows come. Who said life was going to be full of peace and unrest.
    Speaking about the promises of the Rainbow God gave I am sometimes reminded as a child I would come to find a random Bird feather laying on the ground. My grandmother would also tell me pick it up and always remember when a father is found. It's a remember that Jesus Loves You! I think that stuck with me even today. Besides the horrid germs I am sure that are on those things. (Note: I don't think I was so much a germaphobe when I was young as I am today) Even today when I find a father laying on the ground I reach over to pick it up and remember that no matter where I am in life. Jesus Loves Me! I know it might sound odd and even corny but hey what can I say. Whom shall I fear!

In His Grip,

-JD

~Fresh Beginnings~

A Fresh start...You will notice that it’s been one year from my last post. You will also notice a lot of changes to this site as well as new domain name. This is due to a new focus of where I hope to take this blog. For the past many years this site has become one for church and ministry leaders and follow pastors. It’s been a place of training, discipleship, encouragement and place of healing for leaders facing the hardships of ministry and life. Well after many months of praying and seeking a new direction for this site and blog. It’s time to embark on this new journey and chapter in life. Over the past year we have had a lot of changes from leaving our friends, church family, places of ministry and employment and setting off across the state to a new place of ministry, met new friends, tried to settle into a new environment. It has had both its challenges and blessings, its ups and downs. But more importantly I think we as a family have grown in Christ. I hope at some point I am able to share some of those challenges and blessings during this new chapter in this blog.

                Why the new domain name? Well it’s not a new name at all. The original name for this blog was “Southern Coffee”. After a few years of blogging I wanted to come up with a name that was outside of the box but still kept to who I was as a person. So I changed the name to “Southern Kafes” as the Greek word for coffee is Kafes. The Name comes from this: “Southern” as I am from the South and a Southern at heart, “Coffee” as I love Coffee with a passion. And “Kafes” as I am Greek by tradition. I wanted to bring this back this title as its best fitting to what I want this site to become, a place of random ramblings. Please note I am not leaving ministry nor my call as a pastor but instead digging deeper into my call as a Shepard and Missionary to my country and community. I think this will become clearer over time. It’s hard to tell what the whole picture is when I myself only have a snapshot of it. Many things during this journey are uncertain however I do know my strength in Christ and pea size Faith will get me through to His coming Promises.

                The Old and New! You may be a new reader to this Blog and I welcome you. You may be a past reader and came here hoping for some encouragement or for a new ministry training post. I understand and do hope that maybe want is say at times will be able to encourage you and maybe something I say at some point will be able to bless you in your ministry however at this time this blog is about me and for me. It’s where I can focus on my journey and walk in Christ. It’s where I can come meet with The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit and we can have a party. It’s where I can allow my words to go unjudged by the world. If you do wish to follow this blog with all this understood please know it’s my hope I am able to keep updated however due to life happening I may not always update daily, But will try to post at least once a week or more. If you are looking for ministry posts and encouragement only feel free to get out my Twitter account instead.