Psalm 68

⁴ Sing to God, sing praise to his name,

extol him who rides on the clouds—

his name is the LORD—

and rejoice before him.

⁵ A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,

is God in his holy dwelling.

⁶ God sets the lonely in families,

⁹ You gave abundant showers, O God;

you refreshed your weary inheritance.

¹⁰ Your people settled in it,

and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor.

¹⁹ Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,

who daily bears our burdens. Selah

²⁰ Our God is a God who saves;

from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.

Matthew 9:37-38 (NIV)

³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸ Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

Latest News

I have a prayer request. I talked to Jino, the owner of the property where I want to put the Ministry, this Tuesday Jan, 14, 2003. And he has a buyer for the property. This may mean that I will need to find a new place for the vision to be carried out. I was very disappointed when he told me. I felt like I had just taken too long to get things going. But then I thought, maybe it's not over yet. The deal hasn't closed yet. So, something, like a miracle could happen! I'm praying that The Lord will bless Jino so much that he will just want to give the land to Psalms68 Ministries. And that the buyer will blessed with a place even better for his business plans. But, only if it is Gods will. I remember years ago, when I was looking for some land in the country to live on. I found a place that I thought was just right. I told the real estate agent I wanted it a few days after I saw it. But, it was too late, someone had already bought it. I was very disappointed then too. But soon I found another place. A much better place. It had a spring fed creek on the back and it was covered with trees. I love the woods, I grew up playing it the woods. And another thing. I had forgotten it. But when I was a teenager, I use to love to drive out into the country and explore. I use to tell the Lord, about this particular area. I said, that if I ever owned any land in Azle. I would want it to be right out here. Right after the two big hills. That is exactly where he led me, years later. I loved the place and lived there for nine years. So... as much as I have loved envisioning the ministry at the place on the lake. I know God can do something even better! I do still hope it is on a lake though:>) I think, kids who have been through allot of hard times. Should be able to heal in a nice place like that. Please be praying for us and wisdom for me too...

The Original Vision

The original vision. As I was driving near the lake in my hometown one day. I felt the urging of the Holy Spirit. "Turn down that road." What for, I thought, I don't know what's down there. "Turn down and see" the spirit urged me. So, guess what! I did it! I listened:>) I drove down this nice old curvy lake road, past a few nice homes. And then I saw it! A big Realtors For Sale sign! Out front of an old mobile home park. It had obviously been there for years. I grew up in this town. And I had never seen the place! "The spirit" was telling me, "turn in there". I’m thinking how cool! I could buy that place and fix it up and… I don’t have the money for anything like that! Yes, I’m a dreamer, a visionary sounds better. I can see any old thing, a car, a building, or an old trailer park and, immediately see a vision of what it could be! With just, a lot of work. So I started thinking, there I go again dreaming. But at the same time the Holy Spirit was just flooding my mind and spirit with all the dreams and desires of my heart, even since I was just eighteen years old. This is the place! I can see it all! A sanctuary, a place where abused and hurting kids could come and live and heal and even have fun! And be protected from people who had hurt them in the past! There are 14 Mobile Homes, 3 small Houses and 5 trailer spaces, and an old restaurant building there. I started working with kids in 1983. And since 89, I’ve been working with Christian Music Concerts. This place has it all! Places to live. A building just perfect for doing concerts. A place for local kids to come and hang out. And meet Jesus, in us. The Lord was just flooding my mind with the whole vision all at once! At first I was resistant. I began thinking of all the past failures in my life. I couldn’t do a thing this big! But the Lord just calmly said, "trust me and you can". I answered back to him, ok, ok, this time I will. I called the real estate co. The lady said it was owner finance! She even turned out to be a Christian. I talked to her about it all for a couple of weeks. I was very excited! But, then she just stopped returning my calls. The Lord told me to just drive by the place and see if the sign was still up. I did, it was gone. My heart sunk. I figured it was sold. But the Lord kept urging me to find the owner’s number and call and ask him. I asked The Lord, how can I do that? I didn’t even remember the owner’s name. "Call the City, after all it’s a small town" So I did it. And guess what! The lady on the phone not only knew who owned the place, but she knew him personally:>) She gave me his home number. I called Him and we talked. He still wanted to sell the place. I told him I probably didn’t have the down payment he wanted, but I had a dream for the place. He said he wanted to meet me and hear my dream. It took a few weeks to get together with him. He’s very busy as most businessmen are. He mentioned he goes to a Promise Keepers Breakfast here in town. I thought this is good. A good sign that he’s a Christian too! We met and he liked my vision. He smiled and said he liked it:>) He said he didn’t want to sell me the whole place right then, but he would lease the Restaurant building to me and then see after that. I was leery, about "we’ll see", but I thought, (by now I’m getting the message that God has his plan in mind and he can do it!). Ya, why not. I can do concerts there, live there and get the ministry started by doing what I know best. Concerts for kids. It will give them a place to come to have fun, stay out of trouble and if they will listen, we can lead them to Jesus! I decided that I could work full time and do the concert ministry on the weekends. Like I have done in the past ("in the past", what was I thinking!). I got a job with a telecommunications company installing equipment. This involved allot a travel. I was making good money. But being out of town left me no way to really work on getting the ministry started. I was praying about it all, allot. I really wanted to get the ministry started. I kept in touch with the owner of the property. It was still available. After almost a year at this company, we got laid off. I also have several health problems, which made it even harder. Most of the kind of work I use to do. I can’t do any more. I was sent home from the last job we did in Oklahoma. The Company was really supportive about it all. They even sent someone to drive me and my truck back home to Texas. I really thought they were going to get rid of me then. Too much of an insurance risk... But they didn’t. They kept me on until three months later, when the bottom fell out of the telecommunications industry. I was disappointed. And worried about my finances... I focused on finding another good job. To support the ministry. Things didn’t work out like I planned. Finding a good job was hard. Especially a good one here locally. So, after all this, I finally realized. I was trying to work my own plan for the vision God gave me. I told the Lord. I’m willing to trust you, whatever way you want me to do this. It’s hard for me. I use to be a very independent, self-sufficient person. I’m still willing to work a regular job until the ministry gets on its feet. But so far my health hasn’t improved enough to do that. It’s been almost two years since the Lord gave me this vision. And the Property is still available!:>) I’m finally open to what ever the Lord has planned. I have been working on an Internet business that I started, selling Bible Software and Audio-Video Equipment. And focusing on getting this ministry started. I’m praying for wisdom and direction, with Gods blessing on me to do this. This is where you come in. If you are getting the idea of the size of this ministry and the tasks ahead, it’s obvious, I can’t even really get started with this ministry alone. I need help!:>) I have a gift for music and music production. I have a gift to be able to talk to kids well and really communicate with them. It is my anointing. Kids are just drawn to me. But I need more than one person with the gift for working with kids. The ministry will need people with many different gifts. Someone, who is, good with money-bookkeeping, fund raising, concert promotion, promoting the ministry, musicians, teachers, and carpenters... As I said the place is old. Like, the trailers are all 70s models and the building was built in like, the 40s, according to the tax records. It needs remodeling and so do the trailers. Or else just replacing it all!:>) I figure go with the popular hang out. Coffee, Juices, Art and Best of all Rockin Music about, Jesus! This place is on the waterfront! With a boat ramp and a Dock. It’s a beautiful place! Just needs a "little fixin up":>) I believe that "Driftwood" (that's the name I have for the Music-Art-Coffee-Shop) can be a great way to minister to the local young people, while we build the ministry. I would like to shoot the concerts and produce a live Webcast of the shows. And a TV show about the ministry, focusing on spreading the gospel in an innovative way with new music, would be a great part of the plan. I have been talking to a TV network that contacted me about the possibilities. As we raise funds, through exposure from the concerts, internet, grants and perhaps TV and Radio. We will convert the Mobile Homes to Homes for kids in need. Who are abused, runaways, throw away's etc... With House Parents for each home. I would imagine we will do this one home at a time as God blesses us with the funds. Only he knows his schedule. I’m just trying to find out what it is and follow it. I'm ready to step out in faith and trust God and do it!:>) I have two Board members for the non-profit ministry now, three including myself. We have formed a Non-Profit Corp named Psalms 68 Ministries for running the ministry. The next step is to file for our 501-C3, non-profit status with the Government. When we get to buy the whole Mobile Home Park and the Restaurant Building (it’s a package deal). The mobile homes can pay most of the payments on the place from the rental fees we can charge for them. The place stays pretty full just like it is. But they need allot of work or just replacing the Mobile Homes, to make the living conditions nice. And as soon as possible I plan to use the mobile homes for housing. Each home will need house parents (or parent) to take care of the kids. One day I hope to see the whole place being used for the ministry. I hope that one day soon, we can have a full time staff and buy the whole place and build a big new house for a kid’s shelter. I would like to have an emergency shelter for kids in need of a short-term place to stay. To be able to get them off the street quickly. So pray for this ministry and me and pray about being a part of it any way you can, if God wants you to. Thanks for taking the time to read about my dream and vision. If you are interested in getting involved or donating to our ministry, please call or e-mail me.

Don Bishop at (817) 247-5769

Or e-mail me at Don@Psalms68.com

Or write to:

Psalms 68 Ministries

Care of Don Bishop

1012 Idlewood,

Azle, TX 76020.

God Bless,

Don

Don’s Resume

They say a Picture is worth a thousand words. Sooo…I took a thousand Pics of the place, just for you! Well, maybe not a whole thousand. But enough to give you an Idea of what "We"…will be getting in to. The owner of the building really wants me to be able to do this. So he is waiting for me to get up the money to do it!:>) So, don’t waste any Moore time! Look at the Pics and lets get to it!:>)

Pictures of the Dream Location!

To: DonSongs Home Page

  Read a wonderful Letter and Prayer I received

If you want a place to start a chat about your favorite Underground Christian Music.

Click to Chat

E-Mail Me at:

Don@Psalms68.com

Links To Christian Pages

Zillions on Christian Links!

(Christian Recorces)

http://www.NLNnet.com/xianres.html