The Hands that Caught Him

The hands that caught Him
Limp before her Son

The feet that chased Him
Frozen before her Son

The heart that cherished Him
Torn before her Son

The eyes that adored Him
Pained before her Son

The Mother that Bore Him
Broken before her Son



The Son that loved her
Died before her

By Marcus McDaniel

written for Mothers Day 2003 (or 04 I can't really remember)

A Dream Come True

Well this is it! Our Dream Come true. I say our Dream because Rachelle sees more blue sky than grey. Madison, Ashton and James have a playground in their back yard. And me? . . .Well I got to follow the Lord's call to a great church. For those who know me you realize that the Desert is not high on my list of places to live. For those of you who know me even better, you know what kind of church I dreamed of wroking in. God lead me to just such a place.

God planted in me this desire to work in a smaller church with the promise of growth. I really wanted to go to a youth ministry that I could build from the ground up. I wanted to be in a place that fealt more like a family than an organization. I have found that place and I love it!

When I left my last church (the Evangelical Free Church of the Conejo Valley) I was heart broken (and I still miss you all). I had no desire to leave behind all the great friends and families that God had brought into my life. I looked forward to touching the lives of the upcoming generations. I wanted to see young people embrace a real and genuine faith in Jesus Christ. But God wanted to move me. He wanted to use me to touch the lives of other youth.

God has a plan for the Youth of Yucca Valley and I cannot wait to see what God wants to do in and through me while He has me here. It isn't about what I want but what He wants. Isn't that the lesson we learn from the Garden of Gethsemene. When our Lord and Savior cried out to His Father. "Not My will but Your will be done", He said. He showed us the way. It is not always easy and the path is not always clear but in the end if we obey He promises to bless us. If not in this life He will certainly bless us in the next.

Check out my complete profile for contact info If you want to drop us line.

In Christ,

Marcus, Rachelle and the kids

In the Desert of my dreams

I am in the land of Yucca trees, Snakes and sand. None of those things are on my life long list of loves. The desert may be the climate farthest from my dreams but after all I didn't ask God for a climate. I asked God for a hand full of things but none of them outlined exactly where I wanted to go.

For those who aren't up to speed on the speediness of my life, here is the run down.

• July of 2006 - God called me out of Thousand Oaks California. With great heart ache we left but that heart ache was tempered by an assurance from the Spirit that we were following the Lord's will.
• September 2006 - Our family departed from Southern California and moved to Washington state.
• September 06 through May/June of 07 - Our family of five has been living in great blessing. Rachelle's folks opened their doors to us. Living out on their small plot of land has been a great place for us to rest, relax, and search for the next place God would call us.
• June 2007 - Well that is the rest of the story . . .

I want to pause and thank God for His faithfulness over this last year. At times we struggled. At times we weren't sure where the next pay check was coming from. But throughout this time God has shown himself faithful. Thank you Lord for your love that has called us out of darkness and into your marvelous light!

Here we are in Yucca Valley. Today is the 1st and it marks the first of three interview days. At the end of these three days we will know for sure whether or not the Evangelical Free Church of Yucca Valley is the church that God is calling us to. My heart is already convinced that this is the place. The opportunity to minister is undeniable. The provision for my family is perfect. The facility of the church is right near a needy community. All of these things I have longed for and God has given me the desires of my heart.

Now I am scared. No really. I see many of the needs in Yucca valley and God has called me to walk with the rest of the body of Christ. But I don't just walk with them but to lead. I am here to help lead the youth of this valley to a deeper and abiding walk with Christ. I know that I cannot do this. That is, without the Lord I cannot do this.

Have you ever done something you were scared to death to do? Jump from a cliff, talk to that special someone, or any other gut wrenching activity you can think of? I have and it is exhilarating! I feel like God has once again called me to step out on the edge and jump. There are so many unknowns but they are far out-weighed by the known. God has called us to be His light in this world. It is a great privilege. I want to encourage you to jump. What is God calling you to do that turns your stomach into knots? JUMP! And feel the exhilaration of walking by faith!