A Word from Joy

April Love is a most enchanted scene.

Well, that was the truth for Bob and me. As students at Bob Jones University, Bob told me he loved me for the very 1^st time in 1967 and now many years later we are still in love even more than ever!

Loving someone special is so very satisfying.

It was when I was 8 years old that I accepted the love of Christ into my heart as my personal Savior and I have never gotten over that decision. My love for my Lord also continues to grow every day.

Do you know you have someone who loves you more than you could ever imagine and nothing stops His love for you. If you have not accepted the Love of Christ, please do not wait.

We are to make Christ our example of love. Why is it that if someone disappoints us or does something that has hurt us, we want nothing to do with them. Let’s remember our example of love – who is Christ, and LOVE year-round!

Here’s The Latest News!

“What We’ve Achieved Together!”

God has been so good to us! 

April has already been a time of blessing for us  

• On our last prison outreach to see our son, we experienced what we love to call a coinkedink.  That’s a “coincidence” with God’s fingerprints on it .  The Sunday before our visit, we remarked in the car that we really needed to buy some gift cards for our parking lot outreach where we hand out an envelope with our ministry information enclosed and some kind of gift card to be a help and encouragement to the family of a prisoner.  So, we arrive at church and as we make our way to our seats, a dear widow woman approaches us that tell us that she was just at krogers and the Holy Spirit specifically told her to buy gifts cards for Outside The Walls.  She tells us the story and hands us some Gas cards.  Well, we tell her that 20 minutes earlier we had discussed that we needed more gift cards.  Coincidence?   Ok, so we go to the prison on Tuesday and have a wonderful visit with our son.  We always pray that God will lead us to certain people in the parking lot after out visit to give one of our envelopes to.   As we left the visiting room, a lady passed us and we asked her if we could give her a gift?  She replied excitedly in the affirmative.  We then just gave her to God.   A couple of days pass and we got a message on our Outside The Walls website.  It was that lady!  She told us that she had driven from South Carolina to visit her husband that day and she really needed help with gas!!   She thanked us for our ministry and asked if we would pray for her and her husband.   A relationship has been established, and we are following us with her.   We had other gifts cards in our hands, but we gave her the gas card that God had just miraculously provided!!  Yep, clearly a Coinkedink!     
•  Bob’s podcast is being received with very positive reviews and a growing number of followers.   He is posting 2-3 podcasts a week and you can find them at www.bobtalk.com   Help us spread the word.    
•  Our son is doing well and God continues to work in his life.  Prison life is extremely difficult, and the “system” is very broken – which impact the families as well.   We are more burdened than ever to expand the outreach to these families.    
•  We continue to be blessed by the small group Bible Study in our home.  Sweet people who love God and His Word.   We thank God we can share our home with others. 
• We continue to pray for new open doors to reach families of prisoners. 

Where we’re Headed!

Here’s what’s on the immediate horizon for CrossPower. 

• We will continue to post new podcasts and blogs for Outside The Walls and The Word on The world.
• We once again have the privilege of ministering in a Church plant in Caldwell, Ohio.  What a blessing to help this young church.  
• Joy will be speaking at a Women’s Lunch in Reynoldsburg in May. 
• We continue to pray for new contacts at the prison as we visit our son.

“Partner with Us”

PRAY:

• Pray that God will give us clear direction for CrossPower and Outside The Walls.  We are asking God for new doors to open for both – and a full calendar.  
•  Continue to pray for our “parking lot” ministry at our son’s prison.  
•  Health and safety in our travels. 
•  Planning of additional Weekend Retreats and CrossPower Home Bible Studies
•  Pray that God will fill our calendar for 2026
•  Pray for Bob’s podcast
•  Pray for direction in new podcasts on the Outside The Walls website  

SUPPORT:

Last month we shared a somewhat desperate need for new and continued financial support.   God answered and we are praising God.  We, however, need support for each month.   This is a continuing need and each month we are totally dependent on God’s supply by speaking to our supporters.   We are absolutely confident that God will continue to sustain us.  He always has and we believe He always will.   To be totally transparent, we have some HUGE needs coming up in the next two weeks. Thank you in advance for your help.

Gifts can be sent to CrossPower Ministries at PO Box 1804 Westerville, Ohio 43086.   If your gift is for Outside The Walls, just mark that on your check. You can also give online at www.crosspower.net

Share our ministry with your church leadership and ask them to reach out to us about scheduling a CrossPower meeting

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A Word From Bob

Joy and I absolutely love Spring!! Everywhere you look there is new life!  Leave on the trees, tulips popping up from ground that was recently frozen and barren.  We mowed our grass for the first time this week and even put out a few flowers.  Spring is a vibrant testimony of the reality of Easter.  If you’re looking for evidence of God’s power over death, every tree is preaching the good news!  Every tulip, daffodil and even dandelion proclaims that life comes after death.   The Cross was earth’s darkest day but three days later earth experienced it’s greatest light at the resurrection of Jesus.  Look around and marvel and the message God is giving to the world once again.  As the old song says, “Death cannot not keep his pray, Jesus my savior.  He tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord.  Up from the grave He arose”.  Easter has once again come and gone, but the evidence of the resurrection remains for all who want to see it! 

Closing Thoughts:

           We’re Not Finished Yet

The above was the headline on last month’s closing thoughts, and we continue to proclaim that truth.   We want to be busy.  We want to be out every weekend ministering to local churches.  Nope, not as young as we were, but we ain’t done yet.   As long as we are able, we will serve the Lord and proclaim the message of The Cross.  You are a vital part of that and your prayers and support keep us going.  Thank you for being there.   We love you all and once again, we encourage you to let us know how we can pray for you.   God bless you all!