A friend's big news

You remember how on Sunday I said "Some days are bigger than others"? The truth is I've been keeping a secret for a deeply trusted friend. While I was beginning here Sunday, he was about to begin the weirdest journey of our lives.

Meet my friend James Lankford. That's Cindy, his lovely bride, and Hannah, their oldest daughter. They have another daughter, Jordan, as well. They live in Edmond, Oklahoma. James and I have been friends for close to 20 years now. We came to Southwestern Seminary together in 1990. You ever met someone and it's like a long-lost brother? That's how James and I felt. We've served the Lord together through Youth Evangelism and through church ministry. He has a passion for ministry and an even greater passion for people. I've found him to be a man who can be trusted implicitly without fear of reprisal. We were in each other's weddings and have carried our friendship forward despite the distance between us.

About a year ago, James called me on my cell. Nothing unusual there - or so I thought. He was calling to ask me to pray with him about a change in career path, a path he now begins pursuing.

Effective today, James is running for U.S. Congress, 5th district of Oklahoma. It may seem a strange choice to some - a minister running for Congress? - but the reality is that we NEED men who are willing to follow the Lord to that snake pit in D.C. and straighten out that mess! I know we have many who read this blog who have family all over the place. If you have kin in Oklahoma (specifically, Oklahoma County, Seminole County or Pottowatomie County), encourage them to vote for James. If you don't have family there, pray for James, Cindy and their daughters as they begin this journey to Election Day 2010.

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