Our New Website is Up

I have put this blogsite to sleep and have transferred a lot of new content over to the Radius website. www.radius-group.org

Join me over there!

A Personal Update

We are writing to give you an update on our journey in life and ministry since our last letter in February. As you probably know, I (Michael) had the opportunity to work at Rhythm Engineering over the last 3½ years and helped to launch that company from a start up to a multi- award-winning company. The reason for its rapid penetration into the traffic engineering world is due to a brilliant breakthrough technology that changes the fundamental way that traffic signals operate, are optimized and are coordinated. It was a great learning/personal growth experience to enter the marketplace for the first time in my adult life after over 30 years of vocational ministry.

However, it became very clear at the end of February that God was calling me to make room in my schedule for more ministry and to integrate our ministry with some new kinds of business endeavors…a hybrid of ministry and marketplace…so to speak. After leaving Rhythm, Terri and I were able to go away to a beach house in TX on the Gulf for two full weeks to get re-centered and seek out our Heavenly Father’s heart and will for this next season. It was a remarkable time in our lives and many confirmations came to us, both directly and indirectly, that we were being divinely led. Our ministry opportunities both in the US and beyond are many and we are very active in serving a number of leaders and faith communities. As one of the first new steps we are taking in this season of recommissioning to ministry, we have joined a great young church in the urban center of Kansas City. The church is called Bridgeport (www.bridgeportchurch.org) and we have decided to make it our home base. Another development is my new book coming out this month via amazon.com that I am very excited about. I will tell you more about The Romance of Romans: God’s Big God-Story very soon. Also our new website will soon be developed by my company, SIS, www.radius-group.org. We’ll let you know when that is up and ready to roll. We are carefully choosing our steps as we renegotiate life and ministry in this new season, making sure the things we are doing are really in alignment with our callings.

On the heels of our retreat I had it in my heart to come home and talk to a friend who owns both a snow removal company and an internet marketing company about a possible employment opportunity. He and the CEO (another old friend) agreed to hire me to help develop the internet business and also afford me more flexibility in my schedule than I had before. They are both wonderful brothers in Christ and are creating a culture of honor in these two kingdom-minded companies. I have been on board for about a month and we’re off to a good start. Internet marketing is a growing industry as you probably know. We are experts in search engine optimization, search engine marketing and website development. It’s a very sweet and sophisticated science, friendly to driving more people to our clients’ websites so increased leads and sales result. Feel free to check out the SIS website at:www.strategicinternetsolutions.com.

Finally, another wonderful opportunity has landed in our laps that we are excited about. Some old friends contacted us about a relatively new company they are in the center of, Max International. We are convinced, after doing both personal research and personal experimentation, that it represents another genuine scientific breakthrough—only this time in the health/wellness industry. Believe it or not…it revolves around a new nutritional supplement. (We recently met the amazing and brilliant top executives of Max out west. Each of them had the same initial skepticism we did…and our friends do…given the less-than-sterling reputation of the world of food supplements and many people’s experiences with buying/using them!)

Terri and I have been doing the best we know how to seek God’s kingdom and righteousness as a priority throughout our years.(Matthew 6:33) Jesus promised us that if we do this then all things we need will be added to us according to our loving Father’s will. We believe that this nutritional supplement is one of those timely things that God has “added unto us” that we were not looking for…but were truly in need of. (After just being on one of the products for two weeks, my acid reflux has disappeared, I am not reacting to pollen, I am sleeping better and I am off all of the medications I was taking! Terri is also successfully weaning off of her prescription medications with very positive results.) We are convinced that investing in remedies that build up overall health and wellness are the way we want to go as much as we possibly can. The past 10 years have taken an enormous toll on our health for sure. These products are helping us “get our lives back". Strength is returning to enable us to “run the race with endurance” and finish the race well.

Max GXL and Max One, the two doctor-formulated products marketed by Max Int’l, may be very beneficial to your health as they have already been for us. 40% of the revenue of Max comes from people who buy, but do not distribute, the products…we like that fact. This is not a typical supplement and it is not your traditional network marketing company or some kind of get-rich scheme. Given some of the humanitarian goals of the company, we also believe it holds promise for the development of both better health and greater wealth among the sick and needy of the world via innovative micro-business models that are already being designed. We’ve posted some links below with doctor’s interviews and info regarding the products and company.

As always, we want to express our love to you and so appreciate you following our storyline through the seasons of life. God is telling a story through each of our lives and sometimes we can find something for ourselves in the stories of others. We believe that the story God is rewriting in our lives now will be the best yet. Here’s a Scripture our daughter Lisa gave us as we left for Texas, it was very much on target and inspired us to open up our hearts fully to God and each other during that time. The verses are from 2 Samuel 22:21-25 in The Message:

21 God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him. When I cleaned up my act, he gave me a fresh start.22 Indeed, I've kept alert to God's ways; I haven't taken God for granted.23 Every day I review the ways he works, I try not to miss a trick.24 I feel put back together, and I'm watching my step.25 God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.

Please drop us a line if you’d like to connect with us more.

In the service of our beautiful Lord Jesus Christ,

Michael and Terri

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAj-3tiuGCM&feature=player_embedded - 6 minute video infomercial/interview with Dr. Robert H. Keller, creator of Max GXL, explaining glutathione's role in health and healing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WckCCcxiLro&feature=player_embedded - 15 minute video clip of Steve Scott, co-founder of Max Int'l.

http://youtu.be/w5CDBXkN_pA - 7 minute video clip of Dr. Keller speaking to medical professionals

A Dream About Carrying the Cross

In a spiritual dream this morning I saw a man...a Jesus-follower...going about the normal course of his life. He was riding his bike in a town, like on a college campus, and at one point he felt compelled to ride to a certain point at the foot of a high and rocky hill. It seemed that the city was preparing for a gathering at a large meeting place on the other side of the hill. He then felt led to hoist his bike on his shoulders and hike up the hill to this gathering rather than riding around to it. As he did, his bicycle transformed into a cross like the one that Jesus carried. It was very heavy and he strained and strained to get his footing and climb the hill. The rocks were loose and he was slipping.

As he was looking down, he noticed that there was a little ledge near his right foot. Moss had grown over it but as he cleared it just a bit with his foot, he realized that it was a "foot-sized" step that had a number 1 chiseled into it. It gave him the foothold he needed and he simply placed his foot there and then looked for the second step for his left foot. Sure enough, there was a series of ancient chiseled-numbered steps that led up the hill to its top. It was still very strenuous to do so, but he managed to make it to the crest. He then intuitively understood that Jesus had somehow created and marked these steps in his wake as he ascended to the site of his execution long ago. This man was called, but also willing and desirous, to follow in his Lord's footsteps.

He approached the gathering site from the backside of the building that was built into the side of this hill. As it turned out this building was a cathedral. Some people were entering it for the gathering and others were walking past it with no intention to enter. No one would have normally approached the cathedral from the back side as this man was doing. People began to notice him and the cross he was carrying as he was walking toward the entrance in a direction that was against the flow of all the human traffic. He was a witness raised up to bring the cross of Christ back into plain view of all kinds of people...the "churched" and the "unchurched".

His presence created the social tension that always attends a move of God's Spirit. At the same time, there was a rather sneaky and compelling effect of his presence down deep inside the hearts of all the people despite their various reactions. They wondered if Jesus might be "more real" and "more alive" than they had considered before. Moves of God's Spirit always unsettle the status-quo and create a sense of urgency for people to truly come to Christ and follow him. Climbing this hill in this way and approaching the cathedral from this angle had prepared this humble servant of Christ to look beyond various the human reactions and remain at peace with both God and people in his counter-cultural mission.

A Personal Update

Hello,

I'm writing today to catch up with you about some changes in our life and ministry. Three and a half years ago, I was led into the marketplace for the first time in my adult life...that was quite a surprise to me after over 30 years in vocational ministry. It turned out to be a blessing for me in many ways and I am really grateful for the experience. Helping a "start up" engineering firm come to market with a breakthrough technology, growing from 3 employees to over 40 and leading the way for the sales thrust of the company was an exciting ride! I discovered some gifts God has given me that had never before been tapped and I grew stronger both spiritually and personally. I also had the opportunity to be a witness for Jesus to my rapidly growing number of co-workers and clients around the country. Terri and I are convinced that the break from vocational ministry was part of a God-ordained plan for our lives.

Though we were able to keep Radius active doing various kinds of ministry all along the way, we had to significantly curtail our ministry activities to make room for all of the intensive work involved in my job. (I did, however, carve out the time to author my latest book...a commentary on Romans...that should be published through Amazon later this month. It’s called The Romance of Romans: God’s Big God Story. I believe it is the most important book I've written up to date.) Just about a month ago now, Terri and I suddenly began to sense that God might be calling us to take steps that would lead us to more active ministry day to day and week to week. We did some serious soul-searching and praying and came to a clear conviction that I should resign from my position. I did resign from Rhythm Engineering on February 22 with expressed admiration, moral support and gratitude from my leaders and co-workers.

As a first next step, Terri and I were able to immediately leave for a two-week time of solitude at a secluded South Texas beach house thanks to the generosity of some friends at a church in Houston where we have ministered regularly through the years. We needed a time of re-centering and rest. We dialed way down and engaged in much prayer, Scripture reading, prayer walking, journaling, deep conversation and listening. It was simply wonderful and we were greatly refreshed and renewed. We also received much confirmation that we had made the correct choice in setting this new course. Some of the unsolicited confirmations we have received have been very specific and timely. We know that we are called to work toward creating a "hybrid" of both ministry and business that will allow us and our family to bear even more fruit for the Lord Jesus and his kingdom for years to come.

I am presently pursuing business opportunities that would allow me the time and flexibility of schedule to also ramp up my work on the ministry front. Terri is also moving forward in her Life Coaching practice. Her website is worth a look! (www.fullyalive5.com) We are beginning to re-engage leaders here in Kansas City and around the country to let them know that Terri and I are now more available to serve them and their networks with our gifts. This transition is going to take a bit of time, but we are full of faith and joy in the process.

We will write again to tell you more about some specific things that we are being called to do in ministry through Radius....there are a number of possibilities and opportunities pending here at home, across the country and in other lands. We are praying these things through in a serious way. We ask for your prayers too. Our new website will be up soon with more info about what we are offering and how to contact us.

Thank you for your love and encouragement through the years. We love you back!

Michael

Radius Ministries
2800 W. 131st St.
Leawood, KS 66209
Tel:(816)-509-6709
mwsullivant@gmail.com
(tax deductible contributions can be made out to "Radius")

Happy 2011 to All Our Friends

From left to right: Mike & Jeri; Lisa & James Hoskins; Terri & me; Steve in front center; Sam & Caitlin; Luke & Beka and Jonah (10 months)

Wow did we make some memories during Christmas 2010! Our whole clan gathered in Kansas City and camped out at our place for two nights and three days. Great time of reconnecting, playing games, feasting and loving on each other. This was the first Christmas shared with our great new daughter-in-law, Jeri (Mike's wife), and of course...our new grandson...Jonah, Luke and Beka's truly beautiful boy. We posed for the picture at Union Station that was snapped by our good friend, Mano Boussage. (You can see his work at www.rockonphotography.com)

Everyone in the family is working hard, loving well and continuing to develop our gifts and talents. Everyone is passionate about following Jesus and always looking for and finding ways to express his great love to the people in and around our lives.

One of the great things we experienced was for Terri and me to renew our wedding vows in front of our kids on Christmas day. Terri got a new ring for Christmas and...as a new era of life has come upon us now that we are "empty nesters"...we thought it was an opportune time to celebrate 33 years of marriage and plant our feet firmly again in the rich soil of our marriage covenant to inaugurate the coming, hopefully, golden years.

We wish all of our friend God's blessings throughout 2011.

P.S. I heard a little whisper from God's Spirit the other morning in a dream: Self-confidence is over-rated...but..."Christ-within consciousness" is a secret of true success.