The Pastor's Desk

Wow is all Ive got to say!

2012-01-30T18:28:00.000-08:00

Today has been one of those days where God has had to show up, and as usual, He did it with some class. At lunch time we were informed that Patrick's grandad was in the hospital in serious condition. It wasnt long after that that we were informed that his grandfather had gone on to be with Jesus. At that point we gathered around our brother and friend and prayed our hearts out for him and his family. We immediately moved into "help get Patrick home" mode. That proved to be difficult. Airlines can be pretty crappy these days, and today they were. American Airlines really stuck it to us. But he will be on a plane tomorrow because God is great. We have a great mission team who really knows how to give selflessly.

On a side note, let me say the christian community has lost one of its giants today. Bert Owen was an amazing churchman who loved the Lord and sought to glorify Him by his service to the church.

It was difficult to maintain normalcy in a day that was far from routine, but we did work hard and make a lot of progress on our projects today. If everything goes as planned, we might actually begin to paint and start some finish work after lunch tomorrow.

Tonight we are playing Uno with Wilson and his daughter Andrea. I couldnt type and draw 4 at the same time so i yielded my hand to Jake. Our devotion was led by pastor Wilfried from Buenaventura. He shared a lot about the faith of his father that spread throughout his entire household. He, his 9 siblings and mother were all led to Christ by his dad! Dads, pastor your families!!!!! Nothing else you do matters if you blow it in this regard. We sang both spanish and english hymns, accompanied by Wilfried on his guitar. He is a master. It was a great time to praise God as we prayed for our friends and family and miss marie and miss sandy (please get better soon you two very special ladies!)

As i end my blog tonight i do so with my friend patricio on my mind, may God heal your broken heart and carry you home quickly!
Be blessed.
Jeff

An amazing day!

2012-01-29T17:06:00.000-08:00

TodaY has been one of the more interesting days of my life. We rose early to go to Buenaventura for worship. This is about a 2-3 hour bus ride down the mountain. We traveled through three different climate sytems, the coolest one to look at was the tropical rain forest. What a neat sight for those of us whove never seen anything like this before.

In Buenaventura we stopped at 2 mission churches before going to the big church. These were small in size, but they were HUGE in love. These exceptionally dark skinned believers hugged and kissed us all the way into the building. They stopped their service to applaud us as we all made a bee line for the bathroom. After introductions were made we posed for a photo at the church and then got back on the bus to go to the second mission point. The music at the second church could be heard a block away. They were certainly getting their praise on. From there we headed to the big church for worship and lunch. Buenaventura is a port city on the Pacific coast of Colombia. That being the case, it is exceptionally HOT! We sat with 250 of our newest friends as we worshipped and perspired together, all in the name of Jesus. We got up and sang a few songs them, then the pastor preached. Following the sermon, there were 8 or so ministerial candidates presented before the church!!!! Boyce called on me to pray over them. What a cool time.

Lunch was next on our list, and we scored big time. Fried fish! Red Snapper, heads still on, and it was without a doubt the best fish ive eaten, ever. The fish was seasoned with lemon and salt, and it was amazing. I know they sacrificed a lot to provide it for us and i am so thankful, but i wouldve killed for a couple more of those. I even ate the "head meat" which came out really easy if you snapped the head off and slurped real hard!

After lunch we went to a park at the ocean and took pictures and perspired. From there we went to a big store and bought snacks, coffee and Jet chocolate bars (Hunter & Baylee...daddy scored big time!). We were a complete freak show, as the entire mall stopped to check us out. It was here that a large number of kids surrounded the bus awaiting our return from shopping. I think they were begging for money, but they passed their time drawing phallic symbols in the dust on the bus. One boy extended his hand to shake, and when Julian, our reident sasquatch shook his hand the boy nearly passed out. He couldnt believe how big Julians hands were and proceeded to gather all of his friends to see the new spectacle.

The bus ride home was long and rough and uneventful. Thankfully as we got closer to the top of our mountain, the temperature began to drop. As always, the rapid change in altitude has given most of us excruciating headaches and we are preparing for bed early. We brought 2 pastors back to camp to work with us for a few days. Hopefully tomorrow will be a day of much progress as we have a lot to do before the week is over.

Many of us are homesick, myself included. I have to say, my wife is amazing for the way she supports my ministry. I couldnt be here if she werent so understanding and willing for me to do these trips. I love you darling! Keep us in your prayers.
Be blessed
Jeff

Smurfette is here!

2012-01-27T05:13:00.000-08:00

Buenos dias mi amigos! At this ver moment i am sitting on the porch looking out over a valley thats approximately 30 miles wide. These mountains are truly incredible....footprints of a mighty God that bring me to my knees in praise! I will post photos when i get home. Words caanot begin to describe the beauty of this place.

Last night for our devotion we watched the movie Courageous, and though we were all very tired we were inspired by the Word as it was portrayed on screen. It was unanimous...we all want to be better me when we return home. Pray for us. I believe Scripture says something like iron sharpening iron, and that is certainly what it will take. One of the things im noticing is that as i miss my wife and children incredibly, im actually able to prayfor them with the intensity that captures Gods fervance. To keep this intensity when i return has the opportunity to be life changing for our whole family.

Most of us had warmish showers last night. Julian and i were the last 2 to get a shower....needless to say, i squeeled like a little girl. I went in a man and came out Smurfette. I have never been so blue or so cold in my entire life. we all slept well and are ready to work today. However, there is a minor snag...100 students from the Colegio are coming out to the camp today. We will wind up visiting and letting them practice their english on us. That will be cool, but not good for our projects. But likei said the other day, the work really isnt the important part.

Oh yeah, before iforget, pray that we can find a few heaters. Temps plummetted last night and we like to froze. Damp and about 45 with lots of missing windows. Boyce lit a fire in the fireplace of his cabin, but the flew was inadequate. It would have been great for smoking hams! Thankfully, not my cabin. Weve got a busy day ahead, so i need to go. The question i ended our devotion with last night is what i leave you with today...."what are you willing to do for God?". I pray youre doing that today!
Blessings!
Jeff

2012-01-26T11:47:00.000-08:00

Today has started off very well. Work has begun and the steel framework of our project is about a fourth of the way up. Its taken a bit of work to figure out both the how and what, but now that we're in the know, everything is a go. The "skilled" laborers are on the framing, the rest of us carried sheetrock up the mountain. Its going to take a while to get over the burn of that!

Our Colombian friends greeted us last night with fresh coffee and homemade chicken soup....at 11 pm. We had a huge breakfast of eggs and arepas this morning, and we just ate a huge lunch of ajiaco soup with rice, salad, chicken legs and lolo juice. How on earth are we supposed to work in these conditions?

On a side note, upon our arrival to the camp, even in the dark we could tell alot of work had been here. Since our first trip, presbyterial interest in the camp has really grown. Itis not out of the ordinary for several people a week to come up and use or work on a project here. God has been using our previous trips in ways we never knew or planned for.

As you pray for us, please pray for our health as some of the guys are dealing with colds and exhaustion. Pray that we might be good witnesses and faithful servants. Pray for our families back home as they try to function without us. And finally, pray for each of the men on our team...jake, albert, jon, patrick, fred, freddy, reese, bill, julian, allan & myself. Our greatest hope is to return home better men. That we might be the leaders in our homes, our work and our churches that God desires us to be.
Be blessed
Jeff

We made it!

2012-01-25T20:57:00.000-08:00

Just a quickie to let you know we made it safe and sound. No problems. All is well. All of us are exhausted after 2-ish hours of sleep in 48 hours. More tomorrow!
Be blessed...we are!
Jeff

Last Things......................

2012-01-24T10:33:00.000-08:00

Bags are Packed!!!!
48.8 & 49.4 pounds. Here's hoping the bathroom scales are close to accurate. Just wanted to throw a shout out while I still had a full sized keyboard.

As it stands now, there are 7 of us from New Hope, 1 from Fredonia, 1 from Graves Co. and one from San Francisco...all headed to Colombia in less than 24 hours. Some of us can't wait to get there and jump into some old and dear friendships, some of us are pretty nervous. Some of us score somewhere in between. But all of us cannot wait to see how our Lord shows up and brings glory to Himself. I'm starting to learn its less about the work that we do and more about the witness that we bear. Dont get me wrong, we'll work like dogs (which is easy to say as my Yorkie lays here on my feet sound asleep), but the work is just a means/excuse to be there.

During our devotional time, we will be using the movie "Courageous" and the accompanying Bible Study. My hope is that the 11 of us return home ready to step up to the plate and be the men we were made to be...in our homes, our church, our work and our communities. For me, I deeply desire to be a better husband and father. God has blessed me with such an amazing family, for me to fall short in their lives is no longer acceptable. I hope others on the trip will echo that same sentiment as well. The great part about the movie is that it is also in Spanish...which means our host family will be able to be a part of times of worship. Who knows, they may want to call up their neighbors and friends and view it together. From what I gather, masculine spirituality is struggling in Colombia as much as it is here.

So for now, I ask that you pray for our faithfulness when we cross your mind. That we might know what to say and how to say it when the Lord opens up the opportunity. Pray that we will all get along and dress ourselves up in smiles and laughter every morning. Pray that the joy of the Lord would be our strength and our song.
Thanks, and be blessed!

Final Systems Check

2012-01-23T18:26:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to run a quick test and make sure everything works on this side of the ocean. Hopefully it will work on that side too. I am excited, nervous about all the things that could go wrong, and also feeling just a little guilty for going off and leaving the family behind. God, please watch over our team and all of our families while were away. Use us for your glory!

It's that time of year again!

2012-01-20T13:03:00.000-08:00

Next week I'll be leading yet another trip to Colombia, S.A. to ascend the Andes Mountains northeast of Cali, to the community of Dagua. Its mostly just a mountain top with several scattered homes and small business. But it is incredibly beautiful. The elevation is something like 90 jillion feet up...ok, not quite that high, but something like 7800 feet. More than a mile up. The oxygen is thin, and the weather is a little on the cool side. The 9 day forecast says Wednesday's high will be 66 and the low will be 64. I dont think I read that right because it seems to be much cooler than that at night. At that altitude, sunburns happen pretty fast during the afternoon when the sun is shining. Much of the time the clouds encompass us. Everything drips moisture...making it the most deep and luscious green place I've ever been.

The camp caretaker, Wilson, will fill our days with laughter...he is one of the most personable people I've met. I wish I knew more spanish than what I've learned off the menu at Los Amigos, because I'd love to sit and share stories with him. Mery, the camp director will be there supervising the kitchen...she will work way more than us...as we will eat like kings.

We will be building apartments in an upstairs dormitory to facilitate marriage retreats. Most of us have done drywall work at some point, but only a few in our group have worked with metal studs (Not a reference to Dee Snyder). It should be interesting as we figure this all out.

We hope to be worshipping in BeunaVentura on our Sunday. It is a coastal fishing/port city about 30 miles from the camp to the northeast. This will be a new twist to our schedule, and I am very excited about seeing a new part of the Colombian church. As always, we will be blessed more than we will be a blessing. I hope you will continue to check back and track our progress. Hopefully, all the high tech stuff I've arranged to work will actually work when I get there. It rarely works as I've planned and payed for, but who knows...maybe this time things will fall into place. If not, I will try and provide a review of our journey afterwards.

Keep us in your prayers, that we will be effective servants of Christ, giving Him all the glory He deserves, in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in.
Blessings,
jeff

No worries!

2011-01-31T10:18:00.000-08:00

Not sure what kind of news made it out, but last night several of the guys were awakened in the middle of the night by a little rumbling. It turns out that a LONG ways away there was a light earthquake. It was nothing big here, but didn't want anyone at home freaking out if it was mentioned in the news. Work is going well, but we are getting tired. Be blessed.
he Has Made Me Glad!
Jeff

Sorry.........again!

2011-01-30T10:24:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to take a minute to apologize to all of you. Internet connection isn't what I had hoped for. Therefore, it takes a huge act of God to do anything online. Work is progressing, but we have met several hindrances and obstacles along the way. Please continue to pray for us as we strive to accomplish our projects. I will do a huge update when we get home or I get wireless, whichever comes first.

He Has Made Me Glad!
Jeff

We made it!

2011-01-27T04:12:00.000-08:00

We have arrived at el Coro safe and sound. It was a long day...21 hours from start to finish! Upon our arrival we were greeted warmly and graciously at the airport by many of our Colombian brothers and sisters. At the camp, Meryl, Jeanette, and Adrianna had snacks and coffee ready.

I slept well.

It's time for breakfast so that's all you get for now.

He Has Made Me Glad!
Jeff

No Weapon Formed Against us Shall Prosper...

2011-01-25T14:43:00.000-08:00

It just seems like the weapon shop has been awfully busy manufacturing this week. I'm not sure why, but this trip has been met with quite a bit of opposition; from health to weather and everything inbetween, but I still stand on the Rock of Christ Jesus and I shall not be moved. Would you stand up there with me and the rest of the team on this trip? Would you support us with your prayers? With this much opposition, I dare to dream what mighty works my God has in store!!!

The next post you get should be coming to you live, from the top of the Andes Mountains! God is good.

He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

PS...you may be wondering if I did it. YEP! Both of my bags weighed in at 49.4 pounds each. That's .6 pounds under the limit, and that's close enough for me!

Have you seen my stuff???

2011-01-23T19:54:00.000-08:00

OK, its Sunday night. I'm watching Hawaii 5-O and being a slob. I have yet to begin packing...make that yet to begin assembling my stuff to get ready to pack. I'm fairly certain I should be freaking out about this, but I just cant muster the energy for that right now. I'm tired.

Tomorrow will be a frenzy! That's what I'm telling myself, but I bet I look more like the fat lineman from Green Bay who ran one in for a touchdown today...lots of action, but little progress. (Yikes, the dog just passed gas and its pretty bad!)

Tomorrow is also a special day...my lovely friend and helpmate and co-director of family affairs, celebrates a new decade. I dont know how she does it, but she is far more captivating and beautiful than she was 20 years ago when we first "hooked up." Without her support and encouragement this or any other trip just wouldn't be possilbe. I'm so thankful God has given me a wife that always wants and works to make me better at following the footsteps of Jesus.

If you have a few minutes in the next 2 weeks, check back in and hear about the progress we're making on our trip. We are returning to Cali, Colombia to ascend the Andes Mountains to camp el Coro to finish the wiring project we started last year and to replace at least one floor of a camp building. If you have a few more minutes, why not take the time to say a prayer for us too. Nothing worth doing can be accomplished without the prayers of God's people. Who knows, one of these days you may be on one of these trips with me and find yourself relying on the prayers of folks back home!

And speaking of folks back home, God has really burdened my heart with a project for us to do in Paducah. When I get back, I will be in contact with the Habitat for Humanity folks to see what we need to do to get a build going in our neck of the woods.

Time to go switch out laundry. By for now.
He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

Time for another trip to el Coro

2011-01-19T18:22:00.000-08:00

Well, we leave for Colombia in less than a week. As always, I will be trying yet another means of e-communication. Supposedly, the guy at Best Buy said my iPad will work there. So this is a trial post from home. Please pray for us, as already a few obstacles have presented themselves. Mountains Move! I have neither the time, energy or patience to go around!

He Has Made Me Glad!
Jeff

Home!!!!!!

2010-10-18T17:17:00.000-07:00

Well, we're home! And it sure feels good. Though I am completely exhausted, I can easily say that I'm so fortunate to have been a part of this trip. I went as a part of the Grace Team. You can check out the awesome ministry of Sam Suddarth at www.graceteam.org

There were tons of potential problems that developed over the course of the week, but God had every one of them covered. One of the coolest things was that God used my stammering and stuttering and blabbering attempt at a sermon during the youth rally on our Saturday Night to connect with a young lady who had been living out of fellowship with Christ. He never ceases to amaze me.

My son was taken by ambulance to the hospital on Friday, but after a trillion different tests, nothing was found to be wrong with him. Our church family surrounded my biological family in my absence, and things turned out well.

We had prayed for it not to rain so that we could get as much work done as possible. It clouded up several times, but there appeared in the sky something like a wall that stopped the clouds from approaching the site. The lightning flashed and the thunder rolled, but the rain did not fall. Coincidence....I dont think so.

God was so good to us, and I just had to tell somebody.
He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

Almost ready for cement!!!

2010-10-13T18:19:00.000-07:00

After a week of intensive labor, the sight is almost ready for cement. Because Popayan is very prone to earthquakes, building codes are much more strictly enforced. The top soil had to be removed, and then countless numbers of clay, chirt and rock had to be brought in and packed down. Today, while the Rebar Bender's Guild continued their work making materials for the baskets, the rest began to dig the footers and the holes for the floor foundations. Tomorrow, we should be able to complete all the digging as the RBG will finally be done with our work. It looks as if we will completely miss out on cement work, but who knows. We end our work early tomorrow...5-ish, so that we can return to our hotel and clean up for a banquet to be held in our honor. That should be fun, as many of us will share our testimonies and some special music. And then Friday, its back on SuperBus and up to Cali so that we can catch a plane home early Saturday morning. I love it here, and I love these people so dearly, but the thought of home just now made my heart jump a bit. Afterall, its DEER SEASON!!!!

Kidding...well, it is deer season, but I miss my family. I miss yelling at the kids and the occasional dispute with me esposa. I miss the 43 trips a day out to the yard with the new puppy. I miss driving. I miss being able to communicate with words. For those of you who've ever traveled south of Miami, I miss the proper disposal of the "paper." I miss tap water. I miss the convenient things that make life better...dependable internet, cell service, air conditioning.

And in the same breath I know that as I return home I will miss not having cell service. I will miss the adventure. I will miss the simplicity that is such a fresh breath to a busy life.

The good news is...I'll be bringing another group down in January to do electrical...If you are a professional electrician who wants to do something for Jesus, and happen to be reading this...give me a call, I'll be home Saturday Night!
He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

Church Ladies recieving sewing supplies...with mucho gladness!!

2010-10-12T19:22:00.000-07:00

Too tired to write much, here's the hand-tied rebar forms we've made.

2010-10-12T19:18:00.000-07:00

Downtown Courtyard of the 3rd oldest city in South America. Popayan, Colombia

2010-10-12T19:14:00.000-07:00

Church Life in Popayan

2010-10-10T13:12:00.000-07:00

So I said the other day I'd take a few minutes to describe church life in Popayan, so here's my attempt.

Like much of Colombia, the Payanese are very energetic and celebratory in their worship...much like the rest of their lives. One of the things that stands out to me the most is how deeply personal their worship is. Corporate prayers usually last upwards of 15 minutes...its embarrassing when us gringos cant even preach as long as the opening prayer...and you certainly don't call on a Colombian to pray before a meal!!! Much like contemporary worship in the states, repetition is a big deal. I would swear to it that we sang "Agnus Dei" in Spanish at least 25 times this morning...then we did it about 8 more in English. It was the same way with most of the songs. When the offering is collected, givers go to a designated location and place their money in a basket or some other such container. It is a much more active part of the worship. The sermon is longer....much longer than American sermons. Part of it is due to the fact that it just seems longer because you don't have a clue what's being said, the other part is that I think it takes twice as many words to say something in Spanish than it does in English.

Today, we worshipped at a mission church in a very poor village. The sanctuary was about 10 feet wide and 30 feet long. It felt like we were meeting in the back of semi trailer. But it was a great service and we were treated like VIP's. These folks who possess almost nothing lavished us with gifts and food and love. The Colombian people are the most hospitable people in all of the world, and they practice that gift to the extreme.

Following the service, we were taken to an elders home where all the furniture had been taken outside to allow room for us to eat within the house. It was a home of meager stature, but it oozed the love of Christ and we feasted on sancocho de pollo, rice with aji, and salad with 2 different kinds of very intense juice. Good stuff.

Following the meal, we got on the bus that seats 15...all 31 of us!!! I felt like the middle weenie in a can of Vienna Sausages!!!! and went into an artisan festival in the town square. It was a festival featuring the products of "Women Heads of Households" who were plying their craft skills with the hopes of selling their goods to provide for their families. I bought Miss Bert a really nice purse-thing (oops, there goes the surprise) and did not feel like bartering to lower the price, knowing that whatever profit the lady made would help feed her children today. Yesterday at the market place I was wheeling and dealing like Bob Barker, but my heart wouldn't allow it today. As we were leaving they announced over the PA system that there Americans in the city today....like that needed to be done. The city welcomed us and celebrated us like we were somebodies. Little did they know we're all just a bunch of average Joe's, most of whom drive mini-vans back in the States.

For those who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ, life is radically different from those who don't. Jesus is EVERYTHING. He is their focal point, their origin for all of the rest of life. I am likening it to a bicycle wheel. In this analogy, for the typical Colombian Christian, Christ is the Axle, the church is the hub and everything else radiates out from there. The addition I've made this trip to this analogy is that the tire on the wheel is the Mission of Christ. Their jobs, their hobbies, their recreational time...even their leisure time is designed ON PURPOSE to have some sort impact on the world for Jesus. In this, I think the Colombians understand the Gospel far better than most American Christians who insist on partitioning off a tiny segment of their in which to express their faith, all the while keeping the rest for themselves and their pursuits.

The element of the church being the hub is really impressive to me. When folks get off work, they go to church. Discipleship groups, small groups, planning meetings, choir and drama practice, church maintenance...everybody...every day. And everyone is smiling and humming or singing and they're genuinely glad to be there. Nobody complains about "having to do everything at church." Instead, they consider it pure joy to serve...to exhaust themselves...for the sake of Christ and His church.

Anyhow, this is just the little glimpse I can provide you of what its like here. It's wonderful. Come see for yourself.
He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

Sancocho de Pollo and fried Plantano...awesome lunch!

2010-10-08T19:21:00.000-07:00

Our work site...kinda. Gotta love the rebar!!!!

2010-10-08T19:19:00.000-07:00

This is the Sanctuary of "Jesus is the Answer" church

2010-10-08T19:16:00.000-07:00

These are our cooks!!!! es muy loco!

2010-10-08T19:13:00.000-07:00

Popayan, Day 2

2010-10-08T17:53:00.000-07:00

Today has been another good day of work here at "Jesus is the Answer" Church. We began with a good breakfast of eggs, coffee and some sort of flatbread that is out of this world good. The hotel we are staying in has a tiny cafe just next door with barely enough room to seat the 13 of us. Its a hoot. The hotel staff seems to enjoy our humor, at least everytime we look at them they are laughing...at us or with us, I'm not sure...but laughter doeth the heart good.

At the church we began with devotions and had a wonderful time of prayer for so many who are struggling and suffering back home. At 8 AM we began our work, only stopping briefly for food and beverages until 6 PM. I have become very skilled in the art of bending rebar. My right arm is going to look like Popeye's when I get home...too bad my left one will still look like it belongs on Homer Simpson.

Just after lunch, I was asked to preach at a youth rally tomorrow night. So now I'm freaking out a little. Say a prayer for me if you dont mind.

Tonight after supper, we returned to the hotel and went across the street to the Exito. It's the Colombian version of Wal-Mart. Just like I do at home, I picked the one cart in the whole fleet that has a perpetual limp to the left. We bought coffee to bring home and some snacks, as well as another pack of socks for me...I dont how I did it, but somehow I got down here with only 3 pair of socks. I'm still on my first pair, but i dont know how much longer I can keep recycling.

God has really done some neat things in our short time here already. They will make great sermons, so I wont let them out just yet. All in all, today was a day where I was once again reminded of how blessed I am. I have a 5 hour shift of rebar bending tomorrow so I will cut this short. Thank you for your prayers and support.
He Has Made Me Glad!
Jeff

POPAYAN!!!!!

2010-10-07T18:31:00.000-07:00

Well friends, it go like this.
We made it into Cali, Colombia about 8 PM last night. Once we fought our way through the airport and made it out of baggage claim we were reunited with an old friend...the BUS from the Colegio Americano. Alvarez was in his place behind the wheel. Life was good.

We dropped off several of our group at the Hogar Samaria seniors home for the night. They had all worked on the project numerous times before, and....they had to have a place to sleep.

Bob and I were taken to Boyce & Beth Wallace's home where we spent a lovely, but very short night. Today is "No Driving Day" in Cali. No personal automobiles could be used between the hours of 7 AM and 7 PM. That meant we had to be on our way out of town well before we were ready. I had the most awesome 4 hour sleep of my life!!!! Such a shame to have to end it so soon.

Back on the bus we headed for a final destination of Popayan. You really ought to google it. It is an amazing historic city. The road was similar to that going to el Coro...only 2 hours longer. As we came out of Cali, traffic was backed up and the policia were directing traffic. As we passed the situation, there was the body of bicyclist laying on the edge of the road dead. It was ghastly and for once, I will use some tact and not describe what we saw. It was bad.

I believe the trip was something like 87 kilometers. The bus ride was rougher than all get out, too. The good news is....I saved a fortune as I no longer think I will need the vasectomy. (I know, overshare)

We arrived in Popayan around 10, had a quick breakfast, viewed the work site and then came to the hotel to check in and drop off our luggage so that super-bus could get back to Cali and do its regular after-school route. We spent about 10 minutes at the hotel, and then went back to the church to to begin our work-eat-work-eat routine. I love this place, except for the working part. We have really made friends already here, as the people of the church are fun and thankful and generous and kind. Because Popayan is very prone to earthquakes, the codes here are very strict. That being the case, we are up to our eyeballs in rebar that must be cut and bent. I have no idea how many pieces we have worked with today, but it is a small sample of what is yet to come.

Our work was cut a little short this evening as the skies opened up and it poured like crazy. Sadly, we did not get all the dirtwork done that has to be finished before we can go much further. I'm expecting a giant mud hole tomorrow, but who knows. I am satisfied that we will eat 5 times, and that is good enough for me.

The church here is amazing and I will try on Sunday afternoon to compile what I've learned about it thus far and post it for you. Suffice it to say, there is a true hungering and thirsting for righteousness here that is seldom seen in the USA. Church is not just something you do, following Jesus is a complete way of life and from what I've seen, these folks are getting it right. 2 discipleship groups were meeting at the church tonight as we were leaving. There are 40 other small groups being led throughout the week in the homes of church leaders that average in attendance around 20 per home. Its no wonder this "young" church has over 400 in worship weekly.

As I've only slept about 7 hours in the last 50, I think I've shared all I can for today. Thanks for your prayers and support. Keep praying as we still have numerous obstacles to overcome. Be Blessed.
He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

Going to try this again..........

2010-10-04T19:17:00.000-07:00

OK, So I'm going back to Colombia again and I'm going to try blogging my journey once I get there. Unlike last time, I have left the so called "experts" at Verizon out of the loop. I've decided that I can serve as my own technical adviser, I know I can do at least as crummy as they did last time.

Hopefully, if all the info I've been given is accurate, I will have internet at my place of lodging as well as at the church. I'm taking my laptop, the new smart phone, as well as Bert's itouch thingy. With any luck one of these devices should be able to get me online. Who knows. Worst case scenario...I get a 10 day sabbatical from all the electronic junk that I dont know how to use but cant seem to live without.

Our group is going to the city of Popayan, Colombia to do some concrete and block work. Hopefully, you all will be able to follow along on our adventures. Pray for us daily...that we will be good witnesses for Christ...and pray for our families too. I know mine could use it.

Keep checking back...I hope there's more to come.
blessings

Family Day at New Hope

2010-05-16T20:18:00.001-07:00

As always...WE HAD A BLAST! Special thanks goes out to Kym Woley for eating the last hot dog...to Forrest Burchard for rapping...to God for homemade ice cream...to Bert for SPITTING...to the whole clan for a great day. Thanks for keeping around. I love you guys.

Cali, Columbia

2010-01-29T04:43:00.000-08:00

Well friends, this is the Pastor's wife signing in for him.
They have made it to Cali, reasonably problem free. The guys are amazed at the beauty of the place. I had reported to me "tropical pardise" about the scenery and it is much warmer than expected. 70ish instead of 50.
The camp has many electrical issues and other needs. On the first day of work, they felt like they made a lot of progress! It doesn't hurt a new water heater was installed either but Jeff repored he was blue from his cold shower prior to the heater. A trench was dug also- not sure for what??? And our "Lowes" man, Julian got to take a trip to the hardware store in Cali... I'm sure he compared prices!
Oh Jeff did say the caretaker family there has a 2 year old little girl that is cute as "poo" (is poo cute?) but that's what he calls our little Baylee, so I'm thinking he's gonna be missing a little one really bad!!!
There will be updates posted here, but not from the man himself. Verizon has moved to the naughty list because the told and sold him something that doesn't work outside of the U.S. Soooo he has no phone or internet service as promised. IF they find a place in Cali with access he may update us himself. I will report in when I know anything.
Thanks for your prayers and interest in this mission.... I believe (personal note) the mission is more for the men than the friends in Columbia, huh????

I love REO SPEEDWAGON...

2010-01-26T09:44:00.000-08:00

I really do. I've ditched the mullet that goes with my 80's rock affection, but my heart is still sporting one. The song was "Time for me to Fly" a total classic. Though the sentiment isn't the same, the time has come. Its time for ME to fly. My bags are finally packed. This morning I had 2 bags that weighed in at 55 pounds apiece. Were only allowed 2 at 50 pounds. After much consideration, I've left a bag snacks, 2 pairs of jeans, stuffed my Bible into my carry-on and gotten rid of a bunch of other little not-completely-necessary items. (The toilet seat being one of them...sorry Patrick)

I'm down to finishing up my little list of odds and ends jobs around the house and the church. Most of them are done, but Bert has made it clear that if I dont get the little hook put back up on the back of the bathroom door...dont come home!!! So I'm headed to the hardware store in just a minute.

Once I get that done, I will pick up the kids and we will spend our last night together before the trip. We're headed to Los Garcias for a Molcajete Azteca!!!! If I had another hand, I'd give it a 3 Thumbs Up. If you're ever in Paducah, let me know and I'll buy. Maybe.

I'm not worried at all about the trip. Colombia is an amazing place and the Colombian people are the bests hosts of anywhere I've ever been. My only nervous moments will take place just before the plane lifts off and right before it lands. It never fails that I remember: "airplanes are built by the lowest bidder" at these two times...every time I fly.

I'm sure I'll go through my regular routine tomorrow. here's how it looks:

1. I'll ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior one more time.
2. I'll confess every sin I can remember.
3. Remind myself how much I love my family.
4. Wish I would have taken the bus.
5. Talk myself into trusting JC one more time as I remember my life is in His Hands.

I know...I'm a freak.
Country mouse really has NO business going to visit city mouse, but I'm doing it anyway.

Keep looking here and I'll try to keep you updated.
He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

The Commissioning

2010-01-24T06:43:00.000-08:00

Today is the commissioning service for those going from New Hope as short term missionaries to Colombia. We are excited! We are apprehensive! We are faith-filled as we trust in God to bring to completion the good work that He is wanting to do through us. I pray, (and I hope you will too) that we will be receptive and responsive to God's plans. I pray that we will make the most of every opportunity that we are given. I pray that we make Jesus look desirable. I pray that we will grow more into the spiritual "man-clothes" that God has laid out for each of us to wear. I pray that we represent our families and our church well. I pray God will be glorified by everything that we do and say. Say a prayer for us today.

He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

Final Preparations...

2010-01-20T18:06:00.000-08:00

I am just about to finish up my preparations for next weeks mission trip to Cali, Colombia. Our trip will consist mostly of rewiring Camp el Coro. I'm sure I'll be about as useful at that as a bikini at a convent, I guess I'll be the photographer and gopher. We will be doing a few other things as well, so there will at least be the opportunity for me to get injured.

I am supposed to preach (my first bilingual sermon) in the Cali Central Church. I'm finding myself actually a little nerved out about this. But I'm sure I will survive. I have a sermon prepared already, I just hope I'm not offensive to my host culture...I'm told sometimes I'm a little that way in my own. YIKES!!!

Trying to get everything stuffed into two fifty pound suitcases is going to be an issue. I've got a tool belt, a circular saw and a rechargeable drill just to get things started. Toilet cleaner, TP, sheets and towels will take up the rest of the first bag. Clothes in the second one.

Went to 2 stores to get some clothes. I went to the used clothing store in Golconda, IL and bought t-shirts for a quarter a piece. The ladies there were really excited to know their stuff was headed to South America. Went to the Used Uniform Store(I think its called Wagoners) in Paducah yesterday to get some long sleeved work shirts. I got 2 Paducah Police Department shirts and shirt that used to belong to Tony and one that belonged to Bob. I'm really excited about becoming a Man in Uniform...I hear that the chicks really dig that.

Tomorrow I will try to figure out how to load about 20 movies on the ipod. I still dont have that stupid thing figured out yet. I need a 12 year old.

I also need about 8 pounds of beef jerky and I should be set to go.

I spent the better part of the morning at the Verizon store yesterday trying to make sure my phone and internet will work. If it does, I'll be shocked. But at least I tried. Derek at the Mall Store was a lot of help, and wished us Christ's blessings on our adventure.

We pull out next Wednesday Morning at 3 AM from the Lone Oak K-mart parking lot. If you're bored and awake, come on out and blow a party horn and wish us well. If you dont think you'll be up, let me know and we will call you on our way out of town.

Pray for us.
He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

Just making sure I dont get zapped from the system

2009-12-15T08:07:00.001-08:00

I dont really have too awfully much to say just now. I just wanted to post something so that I wont get deleted for inactivity. I'm not sure if that happens or not, but this way, I should be safe.

I have mostly used this site as a place to communicate with folks when I'm not around the ranch. Like when I went to Japan last year. I'm leading a group of men to Colombia on an electrical mission trip in January, so postings should be flowing again soon.

Please make sure you pay attention to Jesus this Christmas and while you're at it, have a merry one.

jeff

The "Deal" One Last Time...

2009-05-03T18:52:00.000-07:00

Under the picture you like the best, click on the "comments" and register your vote. Do it before 7 PM Monday Night for it to count. Sign your name, but click on the anonymous button so that it will register. Thanks.

Love Ya'll.
He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

Julian's Group

2009-05-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

Jon's Group

2009-05-03T18:49:00.000-07:00

Stan's Group

2009-05-03T18:47:00.000-07:00

Gerald's Group

2009-05-03T18:44:00.000-07:00

Brent's Group

2009-05-03T18:43:00.000-07:00

Glenda's Group

2009-05-03T18:41:00.001-07:00

Andy's Group

2009-05-03T18:38:00.001-07:00

Lance's Shepherd Group

2009-05-03T18:26:00.000-07:00

Where I Am....

2009-04-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd try and be true to this crazy blog thing today. Thought I'd give an update about where I am at this point in my 90 day blitzkrieg on the body, mind and soul.

Today was day 2 of week 2 of the P90X. It was one of the two especially hard workouts, and I've done it, nearly passed out, but feel great because of it. Especially now that its behind me. I'm really starting to get the hang of it and am seeing some positive results. I am still about as uncoordinated as a drunken stork with some of these moves, but I'm getting there. I'm about ready to kick it up a notch and go for some much heavier weights now that I've gotten my body used to doing something.

The BIND is going pretty well. I'm only one day behind and hope to make up for that tonight. I had to leave right after church Sunday and go up to central IL for my uncles funeral. After it was over Monday, I turned around and headed right back. That got me a day behind. That and the fact that I took Baylee with me on our first solo overnight outing. She was awesome, but things were so hectic that I just couldn't possible get the reading in. I thought about it a lot though while I was driving. I was able to come up, or maybe I should say, God was able to inform me of, a really great sermon out of some of the "least expect it to" material. This is a blast. Just imagine what all I've missed out on by not being this regular with this much biblical material for much of my life. I've been a pretty poor disciple, that's for sure.

That's where I am, and I can't wait to see where God is taking me. Crazy Days.
He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

3 Things

2009-04-17T07:10:00.000-07:00

Thing 1 I have completed day 5 and the pain has gotten somewhat less. I dont feel too bad physically. In fact, I'm starting to feel really good. I think I'm going to like this. There are already some small, yet noticeable changes. that's cool.

Thing 2 When I open my big, stupid mouth...Somebody please tell me to shut up!!!! I was saying the other day that the Bible reading part was going to be a non-issue for me. And certainly, the reading isn't a problem. However, since I have expressed my overconfidence in my abilities, my wonderful Lord has decided to see just how much I can handle. And so this week has been a barrage of "opportunities" for me to get to deal with. I'm going to make it, but I'm also learning to keep silent. There is a limit to what I am able to do. Might find myself in better shape relying on the Lord's abilities instead, eh?

Thing 3 Last night I became a soccer dad. What's more, I also became a soccer coach. What do I know about soccer, you ask...NOT A DANG THING. That's what. But the Lord gave me a bit of understanding. It went like this: THESE KIDS ARE 5. THEY DONT CARE ABOUT THE PLAN. THEY JUST WANT TO KICK THE BALL (and do a few cartwheels too). SO LET THEM KICK THE BALL AND HAVE FUN. And that's what we did. And it was fun. Sure, I was ready to throw myself under a train by the end of practice, but the kids had fun and I kinda did too. Our first game is TOMORROW!!!! I'll let you know how that goes.

He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

Milestone today.

2009-04-16T07:05:00.001-07:00

For whatever reason, I've had this hang-up in the past. Motivation has generally carried me through 3 work-out days. Today I have completed day 4! I'm proud of me. As painful and rigorous as these work-outs are, I woke up and actually was looking forward to doing it. Even though I am completely overwhelmed with muscle pain, I feel better on a much deeper level. I'm so glad I'm doing this. Even if I dont get totally buff, I'm glad.

From what I've heard, the BIND people are having a ball too. Several have mentioned how much fun it is, and its been great to see everybody unite for this common goal. God is up to something big, and I think He's about to let us at New Hope in on it.

He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

It has begun....

2009-04-13T17:38:00.000-07:00

Today was day one. And let me just say, its not as easy as I thought it would be.
With Easter Weekend and all, I was whipped before I ever woke up. I didn't get up early like I had planned. I just couldn't do it. My sinus cavities were killing me and I was up a lot during the night because of it. So when the alarm went off, I just rolled over and went back to dreamland.

To be honest, the p90x thing had me a little intimidated. But as soon as I dropped off the kids, I went straight to it. I've never worked so hard in my life. I did the chest and back workout, something in the neighborhood of 250 various push ups. Probably close to 100 pull ups and a whole bunch of other crappy exercises that made me want to cry. BUT I DID IT! And if I'm able to move in the morning, I'll start day 2. (I had to resort to doing the girly knees on the floor push ups after about 50).

As for the Bible in Ninety Days, that was more my speed. I could be a professional Bible Reader...oh wait, I am one. But it was really enjoyable. Mostly it was just reading Scripture for the sake of reading Scripture. No devotional to worry about, no stupid fill in the blank questions. Not even "future sermon" issues. I was just reading, and it was great. I actually read a few more chapters than I was scheduled to because I quit reading for the "goal" and just kind of got lost in reading. Good times. So I'm a little nerdy.

They say it takes 20 days to form a habit. Hopefully I can stick with the work-outs that long. I dont see the reading as problematic, but those workouts are cruel. Did I mention the 363 crunches I did in 15 minutes. Holy Cow, I miss my honey buns already. For those of you doing BIND, I am praying for you. And I expect you to do the same for me.

He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

90 Days to Change My Life!

2009-04-05T06:26:00.000-07:00

Ok, its Sunday Morning and the onslaught of ministry stuff is about to begin, but this was fresh on my mind and thought I'd get it out here before its gone.

One BIG number is looming on the horizon.

90

Its a terrifying number to me right now. At church we are going to begin the "Through the Bible in 90 Days." This is going to begin on the 13th, the Monday after Easter. Its part of a bigger plan to see and understand what the Lord's Vision for New Hope Church is really all about. To be honest, I'm not too concerned with this aspect of the number 90. I love to read and have no doubt that this will be a "walk in the Scriptural Park" for me. (I am praying for those of you who dont love to read so much, who dont read so well or are so busy that chopping out a half hour just for reading is going to be a struggle).

The part of the number 90 that has me a little concerned is the other side of my 90 Day Transformation. I was swept away by the allure of an infomercial. Yes, solid, stoic me was enticed. Its hard to believe, but I was. I am the owner of P90X body sculpting program. And from what I hear, its brutal. Beyond Brutal. But seems to work for most who stick with it. I need sculpting. Truthfully, I need more than an artists touch, I need body engineering. But they haven't made any infomercials for that yet, so I'll stick with what I've got.

For this, I could use your prayers. And I'll keep you updated on the journey, as if you really care. It should be an interesting 90 days.

Just some stuff in my head today.

2009-01-21T10:27:00.000-08:00

Just some stuff I've been thinking about today:

1. I took the family to see the movie "Bedtime Stories." I am not an Adam Sandler fan, I dont think he's all that funny and I hate to hear him make all of his ridiculous voices that neither compliment his humor or add to my enjoyment. I score Sandler right down there with Bette Midler when it comes to personal enjoyment. That being said, I had a great time at this movie and I enjoyed it (with a few exceptions directly pertaining to aforementioned actor). Here's why I enjoyed it:
*My kids loved it and laughed throughout.
*I liked the storyline (though predictable)
*No Profanity/nudity/violence.
*It was a good family day.
*I had a bunch of gift cards so I didn't feel like I was getting assaulted by the theater.

But here's what I really enjoyed the most. This movie engaged the imagination of my kids. Mine as well. And I think that is a quality that is lacking in so much of American life. Nobody has an imagination anymore. Im thinking about that 1978 song "Flowers are Red" by Harry Chapin. You look that one up for yourself. The point I'm trying to make is that we force kids to color inside the lines in acceptable colors...Hey Everybody!!!!! We have enough green grass and red flowers. Wouldn't the world be cool if we gave our kids the super pack of crayons and said "go make the world amazing." I dont know, maybe I'm weird.

2. The second thing on my mind the day after a new president has been inaugurated: What's Changed? President Obama campaigned on the promise of CHANGE, but I woke up in exactly the same world today that I went to bed in yesterday. He doesn't have what it takes to bring real change. No man does. That's why I will continue to put my hope in the only One who can bring true CHANGE...Jesus Christ. I hope you'll do the same.

3. I read a couple of interesting blog posts this week that help me deal with the whole presidential thing mentioned above. Pastor Scott over at www.folkslisten.blogspot.com on Monday and Tuesday of this week posted 2 prayers. One for our outgoing President and one for our incoming new President. Very insightful. You ought to go read them today.

Other than that, Deer Season is over. Waterfowling seasons are quickly coming to an end. Looks like its about time to get back to civilized life. Farewell caveman Jeff until the next hunter/gatherer season opens up.

He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

Silent Sermon

2009-01-09T20:48:00.000-08:00

I got the following in one of those forwarded emails that we all get. Somehow it managed to get through my filters and I'm glad it did. I was blessed by this and I share it today in the hopes that if you're one "these" people, maybe you'll find your way back to worship this Sunday.
Jeff

A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the preacher decided to visit him.It was a chilly evening. The preacher found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his preachers visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited.

The preacher made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, the preacher took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone then he sat back in his chair, still silent.

The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone ember's flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and dead.Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting.

The preacher glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave. He slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow,once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.As the preacher reached the door to leave, his host said with a tear running down his cheek, 'Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday.'

I am proud today.

2008-12-22T06:20:00.000-08:00

I am so proud today. Normally, that is my usual attitude towards our church. There are the occasional days when things get a little overwhelming, and pride isn't at the top of my list. But today isn't one of those days. Our choir performed their Christmas Cantata last night. It was good. It was better than good, it was awesome. I'm so proud of all the hard work that our choir put out. I'm proud of all the hard work the Drama group put out. The presentation they shared last night could have been done at any mega church with 20 times the resources, people and talents. But it wasn't, it was done at New Hope and It was that good. Next year, I'm going to figure out how to video the whole thing and post it either on this site or on the church website. I give God glory for all of you who worked so hard to help the rest of us prepare for Christmas.

Given my (ir)regularity at blogging (you'll notice my slacking coincides with the onset of hunting seasons) I better go ahead and say it today....MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope you all know the joy, peace and love of God this Christmas time. We'll be heading to the Mother Land on Christmas morning. (That's ILLINOIS for those who dont get it) God Bless You All. I look forward to sharing 2009 with you.

He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

Veteran's Day

2008-11-11T08:34:00.000-08:00

Well, I'd like to think of myself as a fairly big supporter of our veterans. My dad is a vet, my father-in-law is a vet, heck, many of my relatives have served in the American Armed Forces. I do my best to be as civil minded as I can be, I salute the flag, say the Pledge of Allegiance, you know, all that stuff. I love my freedom and I know it didn't come cheap, not in the physical realm, not in the spiritual realm. (Though the 2 cannot be so clearly separated, nor should they be). At any rate, today is Veteran's Day. My lovely is not teaching today because of the holiday. So she has found a new way for the family to "celebrate." (I'm using that term very loosely)

Our Christmas Decorations are going up at this very moment. We honored our war heroes by emptying the attic of 90% of its contents this morning, and dumping, piling, stacking and flinging it in the general direction of the living room. AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. What a mess. I love the decorations when they're up, but the taking out and putting back up part is the worst. Its worse than worst.

Yet the job is done. My part has been played. Nothing left to do but hide in the office for as long as I can.

Christmas is coming! And now with the decorations out, I can actually begin to look forward to celebrating the birth of the King.

He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

SSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHH!

2008-11-06T12:39:00.000-08:00

Hey, its me. I finally remembered my blogger password, so now I'm back! Actually, not really. I know it may seem hard to comprehend, but I just havnt had anything to say worth saying. You know what Mom always said..."If you dont have something worthwile to contribute to the conversation, just keep your mouth shut." (or something along those lines) It's not that I've got bad stuff to say, I just dont have much at all to say. Is that a bad thing? I think there's something fairly valuable in silence. Most of the time, the "still, small voice" has something to say, but my lips are usually going 90 miles a minute.

I have yet to master the art of learning to be silent, but when I do, I wont tell ya!

An interesting political platform, even if it is fictitious.

2008-09-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

O.K. I copied the following from another blog, but thought is was worth some attention. It is supposed to be Bill Cosby's platform for his supposed campaign to be a write in candidate in the presidential election this fall. HE IS NOT RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT. IT APPEARS HE DID NOT EVEN MAKE THESE STATEMENTS. But if anyone would run on the following, they'd sure get my vote. What do you think?

(1) 'Press 1 for English' is immediately banned. English is the official language; speak it or wait at the border until you can.
(2) We will immediately go into a two year isolationist posture to straighten out the country's attitude. NO imports, no exports. We will use the 'Wal-Mart's policy, 'If we ain't got it, you don't need it.'
(3) When imports are allowed, there will be a 100% import tax on it.
(4) All retired military personnel will be required to man one of our many observation towers on the southern border. (six month tour) They will be under strict orders not to fire on SOUTHBOUND aliens.
(5) Social security will immediately return to its original state. If you didn't put nuttin in, you ain't getting nuttin out. The president nor any other politician will not be able to touch it.
(6) Welfare - Checks will be handed out on Fridays at the end of the 40 hour school week and the successful completion of urinalysis and a passing grade.
(7) Professional Athletes --Steroids - The FIRST time you check positive you're banned for life.(8) Crime - We will adopt the Turkish method, the first time you steal, you lose your right hand. There is no more life sentences. If convicted of murder, you will be put to death by the same method you chose for your victim; gun, knife, strangulation, etc.
(9) One export will be allowed; Wheat, The world needs to eat. A bushel of wheat will be the exact price of a barrel of oil.
(10) All foreign aid using American taxpayer money will immediately cease, and the saved money will pay off the national debt and ultimately lower taxes. When disasters occur around the world, we'll ask the American people if they want to donate to a disaster fund, and each citizen can make the decision whether it's a worthy cause.
(11) The Pledge of Allegiance will be said every day at school and every day in Congress.
(12) The National Anthem will be played at all appropriate ceremonies, sporting events, outings, etc.

Granted, there are some flaws, and certainly the worlds poor would starve to death if we stopped sending aid, but...
As we approach the coming election, it would do all Christians well to do so prayerfully and thoughtfully.

food for thought
He Has Made Me Glad
jeff

Standing Ovation

2008-09-06T18:08:00.001-07:00

"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace, the mountains and the hills will burst into song before you, all the trees of the field will clap their hands." Isaiah 55:12

Many times during the course of my life, I have sensed that I had experienced this passage, at least the first part. Many a day have I watched the sun rise over the tree tops and heard the birds of the forest spring to life. Those are good days for sure. Today was a day much like all those others. A good day. It was the opening day of bow season in Kentucky. It was incredible as the mountains and the hills burst into song. But then something beyond my ability to describe took place. A breeze began to blow, and for the first time in my life I heard the trees clapping their hands. It was an unprecedented standing ovation, like nothing I have heard before. The Creation gave its praise to the Creator and for about 5 minutes I simply did my part too. It was a beautiful thing, if only for a moment, to get something...the only thing....right.

What will tomorrow bring? I dont have a clue. But I know that Creation will once again glorify its Creator, and hopefully I'll be found doing my part. Will you join me?

He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

FaceBook......what the heck??????????

2008-08-21T07:37:00.001-07:00

OK, so my wife tells me, "you really ought to do this." Like I really need one more thing in life to do. She says, "It's a great way to keep in touch with everybody." So I say, "OK, I'll give it a try." And that's what I've done. Now, it seems in the registration process I've done what I despise most.......I spammed everybody in my inbox. I'm sure I clicked on something that caused me to do that, but I'm an idiot. I didn't mean to do it.

So for all of you that got some sort of notice. Sorry. Remember, I'm an idiot.

That being said, this may actually be sort of neat. At least in a "good intentions" sort of way. I know that I need to be a better friend to those whom I call "friend." I know I do a horrible job at keeping in touch. I know I blogged sometime around the first of the year that I was going to make an effort at this. All that being said, maybe this network-thing will help me in that.

Of course, I barely know how to do this blog, so I'm sure I just jumped in way over my head, but I guess its not the first time I've done that either. Who knows. I may become Captain Facebook. But dont hold your breath.

On another note, howabout the Americans in the Olympics?
Michael Phelps? Women's Water Polo team? And my 3 favorites: Shawn Johnson, May-Treanor & Walsh? I was so happy to see Johnson go GOLD on the balance beam. She just looks like America to me. Thankfully, the games are almost over and I can go to bed at a decent hour. I'm as wore out as some of the athletes must be, just because I'm living on so little sleep.

Speaking of sleep, Baylee slept all night for the second time in her 26 months of life on Tuesday Night. Wow! Praise the Lord and all that Jazz.

This weekend is the big church trip to Holiday World. Over 100 people from New Hope will be loading up for a big day of fun in the sun (I hope).
Hope all is well with you.
He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

Perspective................

2008-08-14T09:42:00.000-07:00

Well, maybe I need to practice more of what I preach. Maybe I need to get off the cross so somebody else can use the wood. Not sure. But I have neglected to look at so many of the good things going on around the church. Let me take a minute to do that:
10 baptisms in the last month
6 of those in response to recent professions of faith
Back to School Blessing Sunday
5 Sundays with over 150 in attendance
2 Great weeks of Church Camps
A New Youth Minister on Staff
A Building Debt that is almost RETIRED!!!!!!
I am thinking I could go on at this for a while.

I guess that's the point. I have been a dufuss for letting a few small things get in the way of seeing the Glory of the Lord as it has been revealed in our congregation. And that's the way the enemy works. He's constantly trying to get us to take our eyes off of Christ.

On a personal note I just made myself wonder: In this age of politically correctness and inclusive language, how come those who want to make God more inclusive dont push as tirelessly for getting us to see the neutral Satan. It's still ok for feminists (for example only) to call Satan a "he," but its not ok to call God a "he." What gives? I dont get it.

On another personal note, following our baptismal service last Sunday Night, my son Hunter came out with a real funny. We were reliving the whole day and getting Jammies on and he said "Daddy, I'm so good I dont even have to be bap-a-tized!" Oh, to be a kid again. There's real truth in that if you choose to see things from the Lord's perspective towards our kids. Maybe we all need to be more childlike in our faith and not waste so much time being "mature."

He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

2008-07-28T20:08:00.001-07:00

ashamed

PCUSA General Assembly

2008-06-27T06:05:00.000-07:00

I have spent a little time this past week following the General Assembly of the PCUSA denomination. A good website that I have used to do that is www.layman.org . I think it is a site that more closely reflects my theological position and deals with the issues that I find to be of the most importance for the church. (Just for the record, I think many in the PCUSA heirarchy would describe this site as heretical and closed-minded.)

About the time I think God may tire of the half-hearted Cumberland denomination I find the PCUSA church is still here, which means we should certainly have more time left to turn our ship around.

As I went through the news stories on that site, I was heartbroken, outraged, disgusted and ashamed. I dont understand how anyone with half of a rational mind and Gideons Hotel Bible could align themselves with such nonsense. And yet they do. Sadly, I do. Not directly, but by association.

My denomination longs to experience reunion with our former "family." OK, maybe not the denomination as a whole, (and certainly not me!!!) but many of our denominational leaders and staff persons spend a lot of time pushing for joint projects and activities and opportunities. I heard a little nonsense about our "joint" projects at General Assembly. And for the life of me, I dont get it. WHY? I think the official numbers are something like 57,000 members left the PCUSA church last year alone. Why on earth would we want to align ourselves with a Church whose own members are grieved by their own behavior? Not to go all "Holy-Roller" or anything, but how many times does Scripture warn us about associating with the evil and godless?

Just my thoughts on a Friday Morning.
He Has Made Me Glad! (Though concerned)
jeff

Some quick observations

2008-06-25T08:22:00.000-07:00

The first is the Garden. All things considered the garden isn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. When I got home from Japan, none of the plants in the picture were visible. After a little weed-eating and a few run-throughs with the tiller, all is well again. I never really expected Miss Bert to get too much gardening done for me given the schedule she was going to be keeping.

The second picture is the best. Because of her STRONG personality, Baylee is usually the one that makes the blog. She's always doing something unbelievable. Hunter, is the more tenderhearted one of the family. He's seldom out there on the cutting edge of thrills. But yesterday, HE RECLAIMED HIS MAN-CARD! Mommy built us a "White-Trash Waterpark" in the back yard. At the end of the slide is a kiddy pool. The sprinkler is wrapped around the pool. It is indeed a festival of water fun. At any rate, Hunter thought he'd add a little action to the waterslide by taking it on a mini-bigwheel.

This could have been one of the most proud moments of my life. Reminded me of the time when I took my bike off the neighbors roof. Look's like the trips to the Emergency Room are about to begin. Awesome.

This week is VBS and maybe tomorrow I'll add a little about that. For now that's all I've got.
He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

2008-06-19T22:39:00.000-07:00

So here I sit, it's a quarter till ONE IN THE MORNING!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! I just want to sleep. My heart, my mind, my spirit and my soul all resound with a mighty "YES, GO TO SLEEP!" But my body, my old nature, my flesh...it just refuses to leave Japan and join the rest of me that is in the States. I have slept a grand total of something like 18 hours since I've been home. Almost a week. I can't take this any longer.

On a positive note, I have had plenty of time for doing other things. And so while I am personally reenacting "Night of the Living Dead," I am also starring in my own short film, "Mr. Get Everything Done!" I'm just afraid that a few weeks from now when I look over all that I've gotten done, I'm going to be embarrassed at the quality of my work. I have a new appreciation for people who live like this day in and day out.

Oh well, time to go read a book and watch a corny movie.
He Has Made Me Glad, Tired, But Glad!
jeff

Home at last, Home at last, thank God Almighty, we are Home at Last!

2008-06-14T16:23:00.000-07:00

We have made it back where we belong. Sometime around 1 AM Saturday Morning I pulled the rental van into the driveway. To my delight, there were a few folks gathered at the house to welcome me back. AT 1 AM!!!!!! While it's nice to be loved, I think ya'll need to get a night life.

We were supposed to fly into Nashville a little before 6 PM on Friday and drive home by around 8-ish. Well, United Airlines cancelled yet another of our flights. The only way we were going to get back to Kentucky from Chicago before MONDAY was to rent a van and take matters into our own hands. That's what we did. At 5 PM we pulled out of O'Hare Int. After 14 potty break stops for Reese, Sandra and Joey, we made it. Our luggage hasn't. And more than likely wont. Who know's where its at. All I know is that most of my clothes and all of my souvenirs are gone, for at least the time being. Hopefully we will hear something about them tonight.

At any rate. Thanks for your prayers and support and everything else while I was away. It was a good trip, but probably my only trip to Japan. 14 non-stop hours on the plane is way more than I care to ever do again. I am pretty wiped out. I took the van back to Reese today since I didn't return it to Nashville (Since we dont have luggage yet to pick up) and Reese's dad, who for all practical purposes is a stranger to me said, "Boy, you look bad!" So, I am looking forward to looking bad at church tomorrow and seeing all the folks who didn't want to wait around till 1 AM to welcome me home.

He Has Made Me Glad!
Dont fly United.
jeff

Mission Accomplished Miss Bert!!!!!!!!

2008-06-12T14:35:00.000-07:00

Here we go, from top to bottom:

The first picture is our delegation from Covenant Presbytery. This is about the only time we have all been in the same place at the same time all week, so we thought we'd better do something to document our presence.

The second picture is of a Traditional Japanese Drummer. That dude could get it on! In America, we beat our kids for doing the same exact thing this brother was doing in worship.

The third picture is so funny to me. Notice the lady is all dressed up. She's on her way to a very professional job somewhere. But look what she's wearing for shoes....Rubber Boots. Today was a rainy day in the morning, and everybody donned their golashes. It's Redneck Fashion at its finest.

The fourth picture is PROOF!!! I ATE THE YUMMY, YUMMY BABY FISHES!!!!!!!! They looked worse than they tasted. Not as good as the eel from the other day, not nearly as bad as sardines. All in all they were almost neutral in flavor. But I DID IT!

The fifth picture is what every school girl in Japan looks like. They are all required to wear the uniforms. These girls are so cute. They ride bikes, play sports, shop, do everything in these little skirts. And to date, there's only been one moment of impropriety that I've seen. (Which was too funny.)

All in all, Japan is a great place. The people are so driven to succeed that often they appear exhausted, sad, hopeless and distant. But the Japanese Christians are great. They have been set free from the chains of the culture of drivenness. And they show it. I was made aware of a tragic statistic that speaks volumes towards this drivenness. Japan has a suicide rate of something like 30,000 per year. I think we in Kentucky have gotten this one figured out. "It'll Keep!"

I have decided that I will miss this commuter-type lifestyle. I have been enjoying my long walks to and from everywhere. I have enjoyed the train. I have especially enjoyed not having to go nutso on bad drivers. I have really, really enjoyed not shelling out 145 bucks to fill up the F250 with gas.

In a few moments, I will head down to McDonald's, which has become my morning custom, and say farewell to my new friends behind the counter. They have been so good to us. As soon as we walk in the door, they turn over the counter mat and provide us with an English menu. We all laugh and exchange a few "thumbs up" motions. We all point to what we want and they smile in return. On the first morning, they would all peek around the corner and make sure we were still there and doing OK. Now, a week later, we are as normal to their day as rice. I think that other than being loud and gluttonous (compared to Japanese eating habits) the American people called Cumberland Presbyterians have been a very good witness for Christ.

Following breakfast, I will return to my room and pray that the suitcase not only zips, but also holds. That and a quick prayer that I am under 50 pounds. I have used up a lot of toiletries and tossed the containers in the hopes that I can free up a few pounds. I have cut the sleeves off of a couple of T-shirts and eaten (had a lot of help eating) my huge bags of licorice and jelly beans. I think I should be OK on the weight. But that may just be wishful thinking.

After that we will all check-out of the hotel and board a bus for the 2 hour trip to the airport. Because of all the time zones and the flying against the rotation of the planet, our trip will take

-30 minutes to get back to the states. And yet somehow, I will still be on the plane for 14 hours. Gee Whiz. I've forgotten how traumatic that flight was on the way over here. Yikes. If it weren't for my family, I'd just stay in order to avoid the "forever flight."

Speaking of my family, my wife issued the challenge or the double-dog dare or whatever, and I couldn't let it slide. So this morning, after much prayer and meditation, I approached the commode. With determination and drivenness and a bike helmet for safety, I used all the buttons on the control panel. JINKIES SHAGGY!!!!! That's creepy. Way past creepy. Whoever created that thing is a sick, twisted human being. It's just unnatural. But I did it. I'll try just about anything once. So there you go Miss Bert. Mission Accomplished!

As I close, I am sad to leave the experience behind, yet so glad to get back to the people who love me most. Say a prayer for the travelers today. Knowing that you're doing it, cuts down on my anxiety a little.

He Has Made Me Glad!

Jeff

Fish Heads, Fish Heads, yummy baby fish heads...

2008-06-11T03:47:00.000-07:00

OK, as promised here are a few pics from the most awesome restaurant in Japan. The top pic is the normal table set-up once the rice, soup, meat, tofu and accessories arrive. The second picture is just a plate of raw meat awaiting its place upon the hibachi. The last picture however is the one you really have to click on to appreciate. Do that now....those little noodle things are actually some sort of baby fish. Why, tell me why on earth, would someone think of putting those on food. Granted, its tofu underneath and I'm not planning on eating it, but why the little guppies? I dont get it. As for eating a mouthful, I chickened out tonight. Maybe tomorrow.

Today was a huge day. We toured Tokyo. Our tour guides name was Akiko. She was great. Her English was better than any of ours. She'd never been to America, studied Polish Linguistics in the university; yet somehow had great English and a huge vocabulary. Akiko first took us (by tour bus) to a very tall skyscraper that provided a 360 degree panoramic view of the city. This building was the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Observatory. That was cool, for about 10 minutes, and then I was ready to go. After that, we went to the Imperial Palace/Imperial Garden. It is a very historical location here in Japan. It was home to a Shogun and all of his Samurai warriors. It was interesting and there was a beautiful water garden there that has been maintained since the 7th century. It is now the home of the Japanese Emperor and his family. (None of them came out to meet with us today, I was disappointed at that.) From there we went to an authentic Japanese restaurant and had tempura foods (deep fried stuff) that was really pretty good. We had to take off our shoes, sit on the floor and eat with chopsticks. (I still cant hardly use them right, but if you hold your plate to your mouth, the sticks make nice little shoveling devices.) The eatery was located in the heart of downtown Tokyo. After that, we walked a few blocks to the Asakusa Kannon Buddhist Temple and the Nakamise Shopping Arcade. You can look them up for yourself on the net if you want, I'm too tired right now to link them for you. The temple was ok, if you are Buddhist, and I guess its historicity made it interesting, but I'll stick with Jesus.

My funny at the Temple...As we were listening to Akiko make her spiel about the Temple, I noticed a young couple at the incense location. The purpose of the incense is to purify yourself before going inside the Temple. If you have a particular infirmity, you are supposed to direct smoke from the incense to that spot on your body. Then, after your worship in the temple, you are supposed to be healed or restored or whatever. Well, this guy wafted smoke over his girlfriends hair. Then he turned her around and wafted smoke towards her chest. Then they giggled. I think he was making a joke about the size of his girlfriend and was hoping the Buddha could help them out. I laughed. Maybe not funny to you, but its my blog.

The path to the Temple is lined with shops almost like the old time farmers market which we have in Paducah. Only about 8000 times bigger. There were all sorts of traditional Japanese items available for sale. I happened into one little shop and the girl there spoke perfect English. Needless to say, I did quite a bit of business with her, and she was very helpful. I commented on her English and she gave me a big, big discount. I really wanted to get her picture, especially since she had been so helpful and was a tad cute for over here, but my camera battery was dead. I loaded up on souvenirs for the kids and headed back for the bus. We were only given 40 minutes here because we were behind schedule. Partially because Akiko took too much time explaining the history of everything, and partially because Dare Aden got lost earlier in the day and we had to kill quite a bit of time looking for him in the middle of Japan.

Tomorrow is our final day in Japan. We have a morning and an afternoon session as a body, and then it will be time to prepare to leave. Our bus will depart the hotel at 11:30 am on Friday. We will get to the airport in time for our flight. Hopefully, due to all the time change and what not, we should arrive in Chicago by 2 PM on Friday afternoon. From there, its just a hop, skip and a jump to Nashville. If all goes as planned I should be in the long overdue embrace of my family by 9 or 10 Friday Night.

I commented earlier today about the one thing I miss the most about home so far. The answer was easy. I miss hearing "DADDY" being yelled in my general vicinity. I've been able to at least type back and forth on messenger to Bert, but the kids dont get the typing thing yet. Hunter tried. It's not the same. I love being daddy. It's an awesome job and I'm glad I am blessed to get to do it. Thanks for checking out the blog and keeping me and this trip in your prayers.

Domo Aragoto.

He Has Made Me Glad!

jeff

Food, Fortitude and Finality

2008-06-10T04:07:00.000-07:00

The top picture here is my plate from lunch today. The next two photos are of displays in restaurant windows of the food that is offered within. I'd encourage you to click on the pics and look at a close up of this stuff. Absolutely amazing. I hope you can see the egg on the pizza in the middle picture. It's almost like a "Where's Waldo" puzzle. Spend a few minutes and see if you can identify how many things dont belong together in these pics. This place is crazy!

OK, now for the lunch plate. I let peer pressure get the best of me and I followed along with the crowd. Off we went to a Japanese Buffet for lunch. I knew better. I mean, I really, really knew better. But I had to go. The way the place works is, the buffet costs a set price, something like 7 bucks. And it is all you can eat (which isn't all that much!) But the kicker of the whole deal is that you get 70 minutes to eat what you can. Then you have to pay more. Supper meals are an even better deal, then you get 90 minutes. For the record, I was done in about 3 minutes if you dont count the time I spent gagging. You cant believe how nasty this stuff was. And it has got flavors my mouth has never encountered. NEVER! I did manage to think I was getting water chestnuts or something similar. In the picture its on the right side of the plate, almost in the middle. I think it has some yellow looking peas in it. That was my first bite and it ruined my mouth for anything else. I dont know what they did to that stuff, but its wrong. I ended up eating a bit of the fried pork stuff and the tomatoes in the middle were really good. But that's it. I couldn't get the rest down.

Today was also the Official Meeting of the General Assembly. I mentioned earlier in the week that my committee was presenting a recommendation that I thought would be an almost historical moment in the life of the church. Well, it passed. Let me share that with you now:

REPORT 2 OF THE COMMITTEE ON MISSIONS, MINISTRY AND MILITARY CHAPLAINS
Recommendation 2: We recommend that the General Assembly re-affirm the 5-year priority focus on evangelism, directing staffs of the Board of Missions, Commission on the Ministry, Board of Christian Education, and the Publication Board, or their successor entities in collaboration with any other General Assembly agencies necessary, to develop an integrated plan to lead presbyteries and the several churches to engage in evangelism focused on bringing new persons to salvation in Jesus Christ.
The plan shall include, but not be limited to, the Publication Board informing its readers with articles and research on evangelism; the Board of Christian Education identifying or creating curriculum to teach the Gospel to non-believers and to train disciples to reach out to non-believers; the Commission on Ministry offering training to equip pastors and lay leaders in the area of evangelism; and, the Board of Missions engaging the whole church in reaching new persons for the cause of Christ.
Special care should be taken in the development of the plan to include strategies for urban, suburban, rural and international churches.
Work in progress plans shall be submitted to the fall 2008 meeting of the Ministry Council and executable plans shall be submitted to the winter 2009 meeting of the Ministry Council and be posted on the denominational web site. Progress reports of the plan shall be submitted to each of the General Assemblies through the year of 2012.
The intended essence of this recommendation is to call all of the identified agencies and resources of the CP Church to a 5-year emphasis on evangelism focused on bringing new persons to Christ.

Pretty cool huh? The point being:
a. Conversion Evangelism
b. The directing of Boards, Agencies and Personnel to actually work together, at times, to develop a plan that incorporates every facet of the church, and gets them working together toward the common goal of reaching people with the Good News of Jesus.

Not that big of a deal you say? Well maybe not. But it seems to me that getting all of everybody working in the same direction, for the same cause is a big thing in our church. Let alone the fact that this "project" is the very thing that Christ created the church to be in the first place. Only time will tell, but it is an exciting move in the right direction with built in accountability to make sure that the job gets done. Last years assembly approved a 5-year emphasis on evangelism. But all that was done was saying something to the effect that "Ya'll need to do evangelism." This recommendation actually creates an expectation that something WILL BE DONE. Yipee!

Now, for the final meal of the day. Our youth advisory delegate, Noah Quinton, mentioned that he saw a pretty neat restaurant that was authentic Japanese food. I'm telling you, I THOUGHT I learned my lesson. But I decided to give it one last chance. Thank God I did! If I had to spend the rest of my life in Japan, I at least would not starve. Tonights meal was incredible. It went like this:
We walked in the restaurant and were greeted by a hostess. She spoke no English. No problem. We deduced that we were to remove our shoes and place them in a locker. Noah, however, wears a size 15, so he had to use 2 lockers. One for each shoe. Then we were escorted to a table by the window that appeared to require us to sit on the floor. It was actually a seating platform with a sunken floor, so we really weren't on the floor. Out the window you could see for probably 20 miles. Solid skyscraper type buildings the whole distance. This city just amazes me. Next, we were brought a bunch of bowls. One had Japanese veggies, one had some sauce, one had tofu with these miniature dead raw fish that looked like little white worms. We were then brought a plate of raw meat, a bowl of rice and bowl of egg-drop soup. In the center of our table was a recessed hibachi grill. You cooked your meat on the grill and then ate all the other stuff with it. It was awesome. Probably one of the best meals of my life. I made the statement that it was a shame I was eating this meal with 2 other guys, because this would be the ultimate date meal. It would be worth bringing my wife back here just to eat at this place once and then go home. I can't explain how awesome it was. At any rate, we all ate everything but the tofu and dead baby fishes. That was just wrong. I refuse to eat anything that still has its eyeballs staring back at me. The meal was finished with a stone cup of fishy tasting water and then a nice bowl of ice cream. I forgot my camera, so I intend on going back again tomorrow for another meal and I'll try and get some good pictures.

All in all, today was good. We used the train system without a guide. We endured a long day of Assembly business. And I finally found authentic food worth eating. Good times. Though I am missing my home, my family, my church and all things familiar. Ahh, but my time in Japan is running out. 2 more full days and then the long, long, long journey home provided our travel agent has gotten our flights properly arranged.

He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

Day 5 - Japan - A Day of Awesome-ness!!!!!

2008-06-09T04:57:00.000-07:00

Today was a full day of GA Business. At least for my committee. Most other groups got all of their business done early, but not us. While I would generally begrudge spending long hours at Committee Business, I was glad and thankful to be a part of the work of my committee. Should our recommendations be approved, a whole new course for the Cumberland Church will be set. It will actually be a very historical moment, but until it is presented on the floor of the Assembly I think I'll just keep it in my heart. I will share it at a later date, regardless of the outcome in Assembly tomorrow.

But on to other awesome stuff. The top photo is the Tama Center Parthenon. It's like a great big public building. It is where our meetings are being held part time. I guess because I got more sleep last night than any other night thus far, the next picture is ME AT THE TOP. Sort of Stallone-ish dont ya think?

The Third picture is of a the Lee's. Ji Eun (Sarah) and her husband David. Sarah is a pastor in Laos. I didn't even know the CP Church existed in Laos until I met them. They are really, really neat folks. And from what I have been able to gather, they have an amazing ministry. Though there are only about 30 members in their church, they are already sending out missionaries to other places. They work to convert a person and then once they are believers, they work to disciple them, with the final product being a mature Christian who goes out and repeats that process with another. Just amazing. Here, the American church dumps tons of money into evangelism studies and programs, and we're minimally successful at best. This one lady, following the example of Jesus, will be directly responsible for sending God only knows how many missionaries out into the world. Oh, how i wish we had the humility and the faith to simply trust in Christ like she does, rather than rely on all the wisdom of man.

The final picture is sort of my exclamation point on awesome for today. Bethel College's Renaissance Choir. These guys just never cease to amaze me. The picture was taken during a bluegrass number, I thought some of the folks at church would like that. The really neat part about Renaissance tonight was that everyone was showing up early for worship because it was threatening to storm. That meant that Renaissance' practice and warm-up time was invaded. Rather than get all huffy or ask everyone to wait outside, they just put on a "show." They did what they do best, they sang their hearts out to Jesus. It was off the cuff, unrehearsed and fantastic. My personal feelings are that at the present, Bethel College is one of the Big Bright Spots in the CP Church. I think a large reason for that is Renaissance. You can disagree all you want, but the proof is in pudding.

All in all, Japan has been a really good experience. This is the CLEANEST city in the entire world. There are 30 kajillion people who live here, and only one public trash can. And yet there's not any garbage anywhere. Not even a cig. butt. In fact if we get food to go, we often have to bring our trash back to our hotel room to toss it because there's nowhere out on the street to ditch it.

I do have one little complaint though. Somebody needs to show the Japanese people what real toilet paper is like. This stuff here is like a fraction of the thickness of American Kleenex'. It takes about 87 yards of the stuff just to get a good nose blowing wad that keeps your fingers snot less.

I'm going to bed. Still haven't got over the plane trip here yet!
He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

Sunday Worship---Day 4 of Japan

2008-06-08T13:05:00.000-07:00

From top to bottom, the first photo is Minister Yoshimasa Niwa, the second photo is of two young girls holding a smaller girl that wouldn't even acknowledge that I was alive. And the third picture is one of 6 other tables just like it loaded with Japanese "Pot Luck." (Emphasis on the luck part)

Our day began early at McDonald's again, (Just like today will soon begin) with a few McGriddles and hash browns. From there we were greeted by our escorts, Takishi Kanazashi and Tomoko Kasahara. They were really neat, neat people. Takishi is a very accomplished international musician. His wife is not a church goer, and you could see a little bit of sadness in his eyes as he shared that fact with us. Tomoko is a young lady who wants to come to America and see a farm. She's been formally invited to New Hope. The worship service was very much like our worship services, except the baby's yell in Japanese. Though Baby Japanese does sound a lot like Baby English.

Following the service we were asked to leave the church. That's not what they meant, but that's how it came out. So funny. While we were standing around outside, inside all of the pews were rearranged and wha-la, we were in the fellowship hall. There were 7 tables, (one of which is pictured above) loaded with food. Correction.....Japanese food. I loaded up my plate, returned to my spot and prayed the great missionary prayer that I learned on my trip to South America: Dear Lord, I'll get it down, if you keep it down. Remarkably, I picked good!!!!!!!! None of the stuff that I got was too un-tastey. Although one of the singers from Bethel took this sort of raw wan-ton looking thing, tossed it in her mouth and then gagged it right back up into her hand. That was nice.

Dusty, just so you know, I've tried about 14 dozen different Sushi rolls. I will never find one, that is to me, in the edible department. There is just something about that flavor that I can't get beyond. We were served those on the plain a few times, and have been served them at every meal so far here. I have been fair. I have tried and tried them. It just aint gonna happen.

We did have fresh cherries from a local cherry tree. Tokyo is very famous for the Cherry Blossom Festival that takes place in the spring. Those were the ticket. The fruit here is fantastic. Again, not quite as good as Colombia, but not bad.

Following lunch, an elder in the church served as MC for all sorts of fun and games. We all had to show on the Map where we were from. Then we had to tell about ourselves and all about our trip. Then we had the girls from Bethel sing again. Good stuff. I have never enjoyed a special music any more than I did during our "gong show." When they found out I was a minister they almost fell out. They thought I was a student at Bethel University!!! I am so young!!!!!!!Sweet!!!!

Committee meetings began at 4. I am on the Committee dealing with Chaplains, Missions and Ministries. We took a break at 6, and then resumed until 8:30 PM. I fell asleep 4 times after our supper break. Jet Lag Rules! Our committee generally is one that has very little business to attend. However, given last years proclammation that the church enter a 5 year period of Evangelism Emphasis, we are taking it upon ourselves to encourage all of the Church Boards and Agencies to work together to produce a plan that goes beyond "telling everybody to do evangelism." Part of me is excited, for this could truly be a great turning point in the life of the church. Part of me is heartbroken. Any church that has to make a special announcement regarding an emphasis in evangelism has obviously strayed far, far, far from the heart of God.

We will begin meeting in a few hours and will go until the wee hours of the night, or until we are through. Hopefully, we will all show up with a unified vision from the Lord for what is to take place. Assembly officially opens for business on Tuesday Morning. My committee is pretty neat. We have a minister and an elder from the Hong Kong Church, A minister and her husband (as translator) from Laos, and an elder from the Hispanic Church in Boston. Rather than the usual make up of Good 'ole Boys from West Tennessee. With the good sleep that I finally got last night, I should be a little more "into" what is going on today. Please pray that God pours out His Spirit on us. It would be so awesome for this Historic Meeting of GA to become historic for more than just the "Japan Factor." May this be the GA where the Church experiences a "pentecost" of sorts that drives us with evangelistic fervor into the future.

That's about all for now.
He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

Japan - Morning of Day 3

2008-06-07T13:37:00.000-07:00

Here's me and the two little girl scouts that were directing us to the location of the Koza CP Church. I was really missing my own kids about this time, so I'm chalking this one up to the Lord taking care of my "Daddy" needs. I am missing my home today. Have been on instant messenger since about 3 AM. I still cannot sleep over here.

I've talked to Drew and he assures me that all is well, as i I could do anything about it if it weren't. Have talked to Bert today as well. Sounds like she is doing well managing everything. I hope she has time to tend the garden, because it has got to be looking pretty rough by now.

I have seen the same spool on CNN at least 3 times this morning already. I was hoping I could watch American tv on the computer, but all of the main networks dont allow viewing from locations outside the US.

I will be going to worship in a few hours at a local church. That should be exciting. Then the business of GA committees begins in the afternoon and will hopefully conclude for the day around 9 PM. I have been so tired that 9 PM is going to be tough to get to. I am hoping that tonight is the night I get my sleep habits back. Who knows though. I think after all is said and done, Karaoke is on the agenda for this evening. I've been practicing my John Denver. "Life aint nothin' but a funny, funny riddle.......Thank God I'm a country boy." Ought to be a dandy, at least in my mind.

I do have a prayer concern that I'd pass along. My brother Jason told Bert that his wife, Kelley, may be headed in to the hospital to have their baby. She has been having some blood pressure issues, but that's all I know. The baby wasn't due to arrive until sometime around the 17th. Pray that all goes well for them. I was really hoping to be home for this, but....

At any rate, I will post more later. Keep all of us Americans in your prayers. This is a radically different way of living than any of us are used to.

He Has Made Me Glad!

jeff

Japan - Day 2

2008-06-07T04:04:00.000-07:00

Well, as expected, today was massive. The opening worship service was a good one. Renaissance from Bethel College provided one song for us. (Can you imagine the logistics of getting 37 people to Japan?) As always, they did awesome and I hit Peter up to make a return to New Hope this fall. A choir from Japan presbytery also presented special music during the serving of Holy Communion.

Following worship, Assembly business began. Rev. Jonathan Clark from Winchester, TN was elected moderator. Rev. Carrol Richards from Lincoln, IL was elected vice-moderator. We heard several presentations from different denominational representatives, and while it was informative, it was not very exciting. My body is struggling with adjusting to the time change thing. I have never experienced this before, it's like someone has set the parking brake on my life.

The most notable feature of my day was the train riding. I'm almost certain I couldn't do this in the US where I could actually read the signs. Here, the only thing to do is find someone who knows where they're going and tag along. That's a great plan unless the ding-dong in the front is just as confused as you are. It took us 3 different trains to get to Koza Church.

Upon our return from Koza, we stopped off at the "Grocery Store" and bought some things. I also got my gifts for the children at church. I'm excited about them and can't wait to pass them out next Sunday. Following that we went to supper. We decided to give McDonald's a rest and went to a local Italian eatery. I will not be back again. The 3 of us had the rib eye. It came served with cold potato wedges and mixed veggies. The food wasn't so bad, but the atmosphere was pretty tough. The only description I can give is that it was 5 times as chaotic as any Chuck E. Cheese I've ever been to. And there weren't any games. It is now 8:19 PM Saturday night in Tokyo. That makes it 6:19 AM Saturday morning back home in Paducah.

This has been quite an adventure. Thankfully, everyone in this monstrous city has been incredibly helpful, polite and kind. I am about to pass out from exhaustion, so I will end for today.
He Has Made Me Glad!

McDonald's and my Toilet

2008-06-06T17:51:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is as promised. The top picture is a general view of the toilet in my room. The bottom picture is the control panel on the toilet. Yes, I said control panel. I'm not sure what all these things do, and I certainly dont intend to find out, but it looks like some of the most fun a guy can have without a helmet, a fishing pole or bullets.

I'm getting ready to head out on public transportation and take the train to the Koza CP Church for the opening worship ceremonies of the Assembly. I and some other's just finished eating breakfast at McDonalds. The girls working there were funny as they would continuously peek around the corner to make sure we were still there. Reese got the "SUPERSIZED" diet coke with his meal. It was a grand total of about 4 ounces of beverage. They had to break out the English Picture Menus because of their recent increase in American Customers. I will try to get a picture of them sometime in the next few meals. They seem to be enjoying us as much as we are enjoying the fact that our systems are already familiar with the food.

Have a great day, night, or whatever it happens to me.
Missing home and the family like never before.
He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

Japan- DAY 1

2008-06-06T08:32:00.000-07:00

OK, I am here. It has been the most unbelievable, unforgettable, Hand of God sort of day. Let me explain.

I crawled out of bed just hours after crawling in on Thursday morning at 3 AM, Nashville time.
Went to the Airport and was told that our flight was cancelled. I thought the lady was joking, but quickly found out that joking wasn't a part of her nature. Thankfully, one of the sweetest ladies in traveling history spent about an hour getting our group of 8 folks rerouted through another airline. I was supposed to head to Washington, D.C. and then head to Tokyo around the world to the right. However, I went to Dallas and around the world to the left. Sort of. Now here's the crazy part. We wound up getting a shorter flight by about an hour. If you've ever spent 13 hours straight on a plane, that last hour becomes very important. But the cool part was, our new flight took us right over the Aleutian Islands and the Bering Sea------------You know, Home of the Crab Fishing Documentary, Deadliest Catch. Talk about a sweet little touch from the Hand of the Father. We didn't really see much because it was pretty cloudy, but we're able to see a little bit of the retreating ice pack. That was way cool.

I kept catching myself singing on the plain to Dallas. We were seated right in between the engines. "Yes, I'll sing the wondrous story." Apparently isn't everybody else's favorite tune. But it helped me get over the jitters

On the big plane we were served 3 meals. All of which would rank in the "close to Nasty" department. The first meal included a little sushi. YIKES!!! I wanted a new mouth after that one. The big plane was a 777 and here's the stats from our flight:
From Dallas to Tokyo it is like 6450 miles.
The plane hit a high speed of 600 plus MPH.
The outside temp was a toasty -78 degrees.
The Altitude was 38,000 feet.

Pretty cool. And when you think about how the bathroom on the plane is situated, you come away smiling and proud of the fact that you went to the bathroom in speeds of over 600 MPH. That is awesome.

Thankfully, on the big plane we had lots of movies available. I watched 4 on the way over:
The Other Boleyn Girl. A Crappy waste of time.
The Spiderwick Chronicles. OK, but borderline new agey.
Fools Gold. OK.
Second Hand Lions. WAY GOOD.

The Assembly doesn't start until tomorrow morning (Tokyo Time) Tokyo is 14 hours ahead of Paducah. That is making it hard to keep in contact with home. Especially since I was too tight to spend the money on the thing for my phone to make it work over here. I'm stupid. In the future, always pay to have your phone working when you go out of the US.

I'm Jet Lagged out as I write this, it is after 1 AM. Have only slept about 4 hours in the last 48. My hotel is very nice and I will try and get a picture of the toilet. That thing is more high tech than the space shuttle. McDonalds, Wendy's, Subway and a Donut Shop are within a block of the hotel, so, while Japanese food is NASTY, I will not waste away to nothing. My first purchase with yen in Japan was a meal at McDonalds

I've rambled enough for today. Hopefully will get my act together, get some sleep and do this right tomorrow.

He Has Made Me Glad!
Jeff

Oh, I forgot a big funny. When I finally found a restroom in the airport in Japan, I was doing my thing and felt the mop hit my foot. I looked up and there was the cleaning lady. Mopping away. While 20 men utilized the urinals. Talk about WEIRD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The stalls we're even crazier. I've been using the bathroom all of my life, and I still have no clue what your were supposed to do in those. They just had like a porcelain hole in the floor. CREEPY! They have certainly taken something that God made easy and upped the level of difficulty.

My Own Crazy Family

2008-05-29T17:47:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to post these to have them handy while I'm away. Up top is Hunter, Mommy and Baylee. I forget the occasion, but its obviously not going to be too formal. Keeping shoes on my kids is tougher than hoarding chocolate at the Biggest Loser Campus.

The Bottom picture could be one of my all-time favorite Redneck Family Foto's. Baylee has taken her potty on the "road" and moved it into Hunter's room. She is blowing a deer call and playing with Thomas the Train, all the while responding to nature's call. YES WE BEAT HER, but only after we got a great picture that she will cherish as she becomes an adult. This will be the first picture I show to all the boys that come calling on her. She is a strange child indeed. Every day with Baylee, if you survive it, is quite an extraordinary adventure.

He Has Made Me Glad!

jeff

Family Day 2008

2008-05-29T17:42:00.001-07:00

Found this picture while I was messing around and thought I'd go ahead and share it. It's from our Family Day a couple of weeks ago. This was "Good Times." Already looking forward to defending the Kick-Ball Champions Title next year.

The Garden Update, week 2-ish

2008-05-29T17:32:00.000-07:00

Well, there she is, not too much to look at, but she's all I've got. I have never pretended to be much of a gardener, green thumb or anything like that. From left to right there are 3 rows of beets beginning to make an appearance, 2 rows of Green Beans, a patch that I think might contain some carrots (Hunter's contribution) 8 Pepper Plants, 10 Tomato plants and then on the far end are several squash, cucumbers, cantaloupe and watermelons. As you can see, the weeds are about to get the best of me already, but its been so wet I haven't been able to get in there. Hopefully, upon my return from Japan, the family will have been busy keeping the weeds out and stuff like that. Time will tell. I'll let you know what I see when I get home.
He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

CREEPY!!!!!!!!!

2008-05-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

I am by no means starting a new trend in blogging by making two posts in one day. However, tonight is just too good to pass up. After church several of us went out for burgers. I had a fantastic double slaw burger, something that is more of a treat the farther south you go. In fact, tonight is the first time I've ever had a slaw-anything north of Alabama. Anyway, I digress, this isn't a blog about food.

On the way home I got a call asking if I was currently participating in some friendly hijinx at the church. Apparently, someone (who I will leave unnamed for now) thought they heard someone in the church, even though all the lights had been turned out and the doors had been locked several hours before. This particular unnamed elder was doing exactly what they do in scary movies...he was going in to investigate. If you've ever seen a horror flick the only people who survive are the ones that run away like scared little girls. The curious and the brave are always the first to be dismembered. At any rate, because this elder had pulled a pretty good prank on a neighbor recently, he was wondering if we were toying with him as payback. I assured him we weren't. A creepy dark church in the middle of nowhere is NOT THE PLACE FOR JOCULARITY. Especially after this winter's "Drunk-guy-athon" where this same unnamed elder and I were in a fairly dangerous situation with a violent, chemically impaired young man that ended with about half a dozen law enforcement officers struggling to restrain one guy.

At any rate, unnamed elder said that if we weren't trying to be funny, he was heading back in with his pistol to get to the bottom of things. I knew there was something "manly" I should do, though I really couldn't think of it at the time. "Run, Run, Run Like a Little Girl" is what I thought, but what came out was "Why don't you wait until we get there, that way somebody will know to call 911." In all truth, in situations like this I usually yield to the Shaggy in me. I wanted to volunteer me and Scoob to stay outside and guard the Mystery Machine. But against my better judgement, in we went. Unnamed elder with his pistol, Drew with a stick from the back of his truck, and me with a flashlight and a big pair of Channel-locs. Channel-Locs. What on earth would a pair of Channel-Locs do in a face to face confrontation that a pistol wielding elder and a youth pastor with a stick couldn't?

The first few doors we opened were pretty creepy, but after that, we couldn't help but laugh. By the time we got to the last few rooms, we looked like a 3 man Special Ops unit with a gun, some firewood and a tool to fix a broken chair. I even yelled "Clear" just like they do on NCIS every time I checked out a room or a closet by myself.

At the end of the night, the church turned out to be empty and we had a pretty good laugh. John, the now named, unnamed elder, was just hearing stuff. And I'm still scared of being in the church at night. I'm also fairly certain Drew won't be putting in many after-dark hours in the building by himself either.

Let the criminal element be warned: "Don't mess with our Redneck Church, cause if there's enough Scooby Snacks on the line, we'll be coming in after ya, guns, sticks, pliers and all!"

He Has Made Me Glad (yet again!)

jeff

Quick Update

2008-05-25T06:43:00.001-07:00

Well, I have not done the greatest job in the world keeping up with the blog. A few quick updates.

The Japan trip is getting closer and closer. June 3-13 are the dates that I will be away...I think. As far as traveling goes, I'm usually not your guy. I don't believe this trip is any different. If I cant get there in the truck, I usually don't feel like its necessary to go. Take away my shorts and T-shirts and I really get uncomfortable. So pray for me as I get ready to go. Pray for the planes I'll be on as well. I don't feel like being the star in the next season of "LOST."

The garden has finally started to grow like I intended. The weeds also. I will try and weed it this afternoon or tomorrow so that I can get a good pre-Japan picture up so that I can show you how well my lovely bride tends the garden in my absence.

Preparing to load the ipod up with songs for the trip too. Downloaded a new audio cd this morning that will certainly make the trip. For many who don't know, let me inform you that I'm not a very big music fan. It rarely moves me to worship. It rarely provides an escape. I'd rather read a book than hear a decent song. That's just me. Most of you aren't like that, I KNOW!!! Anyway, a few months ago, Bert got us tickets for a concert. It was Bethany Dillon, Starfield, David Nasser, and Brian and Brian or Ken and Ken or something like that. I guess you can tell that they didn't do all that much for me since I cant even remember their names. I think the real reason she got the tickets was because she knew I liked Bethany Dillon. Well, she wasn't given any time at all, so I don't know what my real take on her is just yet (A live show usually helps me see what kind of "artist" they really are). The big surprise was STARFIELD. They are awesome. They seem to lack that "I'm Somebody" attitude. They gave me the impression that they didn't care if they ever sold an album or T-Shirt. The image they projected was that their sole desire was to worship the Lord and have us join them in that process. Surprisingly, that's what I did. I am in no way a big "Praise and Worship" music sort of guy. I think I already said I'm not even a music guy at all. But these guys helped me exalt the Christ. Their new album is titled, "I Will Go." If you're interested in good tunes with great potential to help your personal worship, go buy this CD. By the way, they are Canadian. I hope that doesn't crush you. For the record, they are the best thing to come out of Canada...Wayne Gretzky included.

Go to www.starfieldonline.com to see a little more.

Have a great one.
He's Made Me Glad!
jeff

2008-05-22T05:43:00.000-07:00

Well, this morning I was awake around 5. Not sure why, I just woke up. Rather than go turn on the news, I decided I'd just lay there and think about all the great things I've got going on in my life. I am more blessed than I usually acknowledge. But today, I was taking notice. So in my head I was singing at the top of my lungs in my best Pavarotti voice. "Hallelujah, Let my heart song sing to You." (Hallelujah sounds a lot like yodeling if you do it right!) It was a great moment. I think my Lord was blessed by my intentions. I was blessed by His presence. And my sleeping family was blessed that this was all taking place WITHIN me.

Well, Miss Bert's alarm went off about a 5:40. She had gone to lay down with Baylee, so naturally, her alarm was only an inconvenience to me. But as the alarm came on, the song on the radio just continued the morning worship. The FFH song "Lord Move, or Move Me" is one of those rare, easy listening, adult contemporary Christian songs that I actually like. It was a great morning already, and I hadn't even gotten out of bed.

Little did I know that God had used this time of worship to prepare me for what came next. As the DJ came on the radio, you could tell something was upsetting him. He admitted his heart was heavy, and then went on to explain about the death of Steven Curtis Chapman's youngest daughter who had been hit by a car that was being driven by her brother. My heart absolutely broke for this awesome ministry family. I will continue to pray for them and I guess I'd ask you to do the same. SCC sings a song that breaks my heart almost every time I hear it. As the father of a daughter, I think the chorus explains why:

(Cinderella)
So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms'
Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh I will dance with Cinderella
I don't wanna miss even one song,
Cuz all to soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone

Whether it's prophetic or not we'll never know. So many have experienced this heartbreak that comes as the clock strikes 12. I hold my little girl tight this morning and pray for those unable to do the same. Lord, heal the broken hearted.
jeff

Reaping what you sow...

2008-05-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

Well, there it is. For better or worse. This year's garden has been planted. Hopefully, we will reap what we have sown. There are 3 rows of beets (because my kids eat them in 5 gallon intervals). There are 16 bush beans, 2 different varieties of peppers, 4 different varieties of tomatoes, squash, carrots, cucumbers, watermelon and cantaloupe. Once the carrots break through and I see how well or not well they are doing, I will more than likely add about 3 more varieties of peppers.

One of the things I've noticed about gardening is that there are many similarities between it and being a minister. Jesus constantly used agricultural images to describe His and His Father's activity. And if you enlarge the picture, you can see there are tons of weeds already. Already, and it's only day 2. What I've learned in the past is that weeding the garden is a great time to pray for church folk and the ministries that we have going on.

I'll try and keep updating the photos every week or so in order for you to see what kind of progress or lack thereof I'm having. Also it will help you know if you need to adopt me and mine. If this years garden winds up like last years, you'll be able to sponsor us through Compassion International. (for what its worth, I lost heart in the weeding department last year and gave the garden over to them.)

Hope you're having a great spring. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for all sorts of New Life.

He Has Made Me Glad!

jeff

Another Good Book

2008-05-13T07:44:00.000-07:00

Finished another pretty decent book this weekend. Deadfall, by Robert Liparulo was awesome. It is a fiction work that I couldn't put down. It's a story set in the Saskatchewan back country that involves a tiny out-village, 4 vacationing weekend warriors, and some very disturbed techno-gamers. He was a little weak in his archery-speak, but he mentions that in his acknowledgments, so I'll let it slide. I picked up his first thriller at the Christian Bookstore a year or so ago and have been hooked ever since. I just checked out http://www.robertliparulo.com/ and found out that there are some movies in the makes, at least movie rights have been purchased, for 2 of his 3 novels. That's pretty interesting, though I doubt Hollywood can make a great book a great movie. It's been done occasionally, but I think I'll cherish these books in my mind and not ruin what the author led me to create on my own. (I had the same struggle with the Lord of the Rings and Narnia. I eventually gave in bought the movies.)

Liparul0 is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. As of today and the completion of Deadfall, he has climbed into my second spot ahead of Frank Peretti. Here would be my list of favorite fiction writers in order:

Stephen Lawhead
Robert Liparulo
Frank Peretti
Ted Dekkar

I think what I like about these guys is that there is so much "Fact" in their fiction. While their story lines (maybe with the exception of Lawhead on occasion) are generally make believe, these guys put tons of effort into accurately recreating the environment in which the story takes place. Lawhead is a genius at this. His knowledge and understanding of the ancient Celtic world is fascinating. The best of both worlds; on the one hand, I am incredibly entertained, on the other, I actually learn a little.

I run into so many people who say they "just don't like to read." I cannot understand that. Certainly, there are those who don't read well, well that issue wont fix itself! Others find reading boring...put down the self-help mumbo-jumbo and find something that's exciting! Still others suggest they don't have the time...turn off the TV and its amazing how much more time you'll find! Start out reading for pleasure and get good at reading. I think then you'll find you can read for wisdom and knowledge. Then you'll be able to experience the transformation that comes from renewing your mind through the Word of God. Baby Steps, Baby!

He Has Made Me Glad!

By the way, why not hit the comment button below and tell me what you like to read. Maybe you'll open some new doors for me!!!!!

www.woot.com

2008-05-08T07:32:00.001-07:00

Just thought I'd share that today is a WOOT OFF. You might just find some pretty good deals if you check often enough.

...JUST LIKE JESUS

2008-05-07T16:44:00.001-07:00

That's Emily. She's a little more than the punk kid at church. She's a little more than my kids "WORLD'S BEST BABYSITTER EVER!" She's a little more than a great friend. She's a little more than the sloppy person who leaves her "underthings" all over the floor in my wife's camper. And She's a Heck of a lot more than STEVE'S DATE FOR THE PROM!!!!!!!SHE'S JUST LIKE JESUS! At least that's what all of her teachers at school seem to think. The way I understand it, Emily was voted upon by her teachers to be the Student who most resembles the Servant's Heart of Jesus in EVERYTHING that she does. DUH! I could've told them that a long time ago. For what its worth, during this particular time of year, students are given all sorts of awards. Most of those are probably OK things that would make your granny cry, but if there was ever one single award I would hope for for either of my kids, it would be the Bible Award that Emily earned by living just like Jesus. Way to go Emmy. She's gonna grow up and be one of those Proverbs 31 ladies for sure, and some lucky little puke is going to get way better than he deserves.

Speaking of "Just Like Jesus," tonight is the first night our new youth minister, Drew Gray, is meeting with the youth group here at New Hope. From what I can tell, he had a good crowd. Drew's job is to help our kids learn to live just like Jesus. Of course, for all of you parents, HE IS NOT TO REPLACE YOUR EFFORTS in this endeavor. (Just thought I'd provide that reminder)

Speaking even further of Just Like Jesus...I got to go to the hospital today and see a new baby. Talk about just like Jesus. Every problem in the world just falls away in the peacefulness of a newborn (that's asleep, anyhow). And this baby is a special baby. Her mother has already volunteered her to be the Baby Jesus in the manger scene of our Christmas Bethlehem Production. So its a good thing she's just like Jesus.

Taking it one step further with this "just like Jesus" spiel, it's just like Him to come through and prove Himself, when you're not sure you can take another step. There have been a number of "typical" ministry sorts of things going on that have really been burdens. In most occupations you can usually leave the junk at the office when you go home at night. The "Junk" pastor's get to deal with isn't "Junk" at all. It's people. Broken, hurting, in-need people. I guess on a normal day, those "people" are fairly manageable. It's when you take them home with you and there's another batch of "Junk" to deal with there. That's been our story for a while at least. Well, I guess its "Just Like Jesus," because today Jesus showed up and pulled the biggest burden off our shoulders and tossed it farther than we could see. Everything else seems bearable now, knowing that the love of my life will be around a while longer, encouraging me to be just like Jesus.

He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

A BIG PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!!!!!!

2008-05-06T12:07:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to post an update for those of you who check the blog with some regularity. The missionary couple that we have been praying for and supporting, M & HW are safe at the moment. Their names are abreviated for their protection, due to the nature of their location. While recent events in their area have caused a great deal of concern for their well being, the international Christian Grapevine reports they are doing well and finding plenty to do in the name of Jesus. They will not be able to contact home for at least the next 3 or more days. So in the meantime, everyone is asked to keep holding M & H up in prayer.

Thanks.
jeff

Slow going

2008-04-30T06:59:00.000-07:00

Well, its been a while since I've posted, but I was honestly waiting for something worthwhile to happen. It has yet to come to pass. Life has been sort of slow, and thankfully so. At the risk of scarring her for life, I will not call her hell-baby, but Miss Baylee has certainly been a treat to live with. She's kinda like having your own pet Dragon, neat to show off to your friends, but a real bear to live with.

I guess she's joining with others around the world protesting the travels of the Olympic Torch. She will be 2 this Sunday and so far, she has yet to sleep through the night. This past week has been exceptionally worse. I would bet my life that she doesn't give a flying rip about Tibet or its freedom, but as long as that torch is moving, so is she. AND SHE IS NOT PLEASED.

I think I saw on the news this morning that the torch has finally reached China or something like that, so maybe, just maybe her freedom fighting days are coming to an end.

On another note, I'll give a shout out to the Edwards Co. High School class of 1987. Seems a few of them have found their way here. Hope you enjoy your time, come back more often.

Turkey season is about to wind down for the spring. I have had a blast, this morning was probably my last morning for hunting in KY and while I didn't get myself another bird, I found an awesome deer shed. Funny thing is, I found it about 15 yards from where I had a treestand this year. If I remember correctly, I had this 8 pointer at about 15 yards the day before rifle season came in and I let him walk. He will easily be a 150 inch deer next year. That's exciting, at least to me.

Hopefully something interesting will come my way before too long. If it does, I'll be sure to share it.

He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

My family made it to the "Big Time"

2008-04-19T12:28:00.000-07:00

Well, my family finally made it to the big time. This is my mom, my dad and my brother being interviewed by a St. Louis News Station concerning the recent earthquake epicentered in my home county. (Which is really nowhere near St Louis)

The first part of the interview is in front of my family's store. It is the same building (Remodeled of course) that my family started a grocery store in in 1876. It's a pretty cool building. Much of the inside is still the original wood and furnishings. Notice the brick streets. My hometown of Albion was once famous for the bricks produced there. Many of their bricks made up the first Indianapolis Motor Speedway, thus the name "Brickyard."

The second part of the interview takes place in my brothers new taxidermy shop. Thank God none of them mentioned the UFO or the events that took place over at the trailer VFW closed down for the night.

KSDK NewsChannel 5 - Video Center

Glad they're OK.
He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

Stress Awareness Month

2008-04-17T20:01:00.000-07:00

In this weeks issue of the "Pastor's Weekly Briefing" an e-publication put out for ministers by Focus on the Family there is an interesting article about providing care and reducing stress in the lives of your loved one's (and your own life in the process). I share that with you in the hopes that you'll put some of that info to good use.

Stress Awareness Month
The Health Resource Network, a non-profit health education organization, has designated April as Stress Awareness Month for the 16th consecutive year. Health care professionals, health promotion experts and caregivers across the country will join forces to raise public awareness about the cause and cures for our modern stress epidemic.

For this reason Community Chaplains of America, which provides care for individuals during difficult and stressful situations, have offered 10 simple suggestions on how to provide care and essentially reduce stress, according to christianpost.com.

Provide a listening ear. Often, those who are going through stressful times simply need someone to talk to. Make an extra phone call or meet a friend for coffee and offer the opportunity for them to talk.

Send an encouraging note. Words are powerful. In the age of emails and text messages, handwritten notes show that you took time and effort to show you care.

Say "thank you." Offer your gratitude for people. Thank a coworker for his or her hard work or a waiter for serving you dinner. Everyone wants to feel appreciated.

Laugh with someone. A good hearty laugh can relax you both and mentally lighten your load.
Tell a joke or rent a funny movie with a friend.

Perform a random act of kindness. Surprise someone with the unexpected. It can be as simple as paying for a friend's coffee or offering to watch the kids so a mom or dad can have that extra time to relax.

Help someone organize. When the places and things around us are in order, we feel a little more put together. Take time to help a friend clean out a closet or scrub the bathtub.

Take a walk. Exercise releases endorphins and makes us feel better all around. Walk around the mall with a coworker on your lunch break or meet a friend at a park after work and enjoy the fresh air.

Share a smile. This contagious act can easily brighten someone's day. Smile to a passing stranger; it may make a big difference in his or her day.

Get away. Get away from the everyday circumstances that may be causing stress. Plan a weekend getaway or a day trip with a friend.

Pray. Say a quick prayer for your friend and put his or her stress in the hands of the Ultimate Provider and Healer.

Hope this helps you help others and yourself in the process.

He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

Reflections

2008-04-16T06:31:00.001-07:00

Had an interesting start to my day today. I had to make a quick trip to town before dropping the kids off at the sitters. I usually dont listen to John Boy and Billy, but for whatever reason, they were on in the truck when we headed out. On our way back, JB & B took a break and left us to listen to "Dirty Deeds" by AC/DC. As a result of that song, I have a few sad observations to make:

1. I have not listened to that song in probably 15-20 years. In fact, that was the last 8-track tape that I bought back when Metallica was still playing T-ball. Sadly, I still have the tape and a functioning player. That in itself is a fairly sad statement. I mean really, who still has functional 8-tracks? And while I havn't listened to that tape in particular, I still use that player pretty regularly. Sad!

2. I knew every word. To memorize that much scripture I would have to spend hours, but that song of pure garbage came out like it was nothing. I can't remember my name most days, but for some reason I remember that song, and there's probably tons of other trash music that's just waiting to jump out of me.

3. Probably the most alarming observation of the whole trip would be that my 2 year old daughter went crystal-meth on me. She freaked!!! Banging her head & howling like Ozzy. I looked back and she was smiling from ear to ear and lovin' every minute of it. Yet again more proof that this sweet little girl is highly likely to cause me headache and heartache for the rest of my life.

On a more positive note, last night was the premiere of the new season of Deadliest Catch. MY FAVORITE SHOW OF ALL TIMES. If you want to check 'em out on the web go to:

http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/deadliestcatch/deadliestcatch.html

Looks like its going to be an exciting season.

So there you have it, a former AC/DC fan who now spends his time watching men catch crabs on the Beiring Sea. Pray that I become cool. Please.
He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

I dont do requests, but............

2008-04-15T05:50:00.001-07:00

It's not often that I do requests, at least as it pertains to preaching. Granted, my preaching isn't quite the same as Air Supply and Lost in Love---in other words, the Groupies have yet to form a line. There have been a couple of times when someone asked, "Would you preach about___________?" On those rare occasions, I've done my best, but if memory serves me correctly, I still didn't say what they wanted to hear. Funny how that works isn't it.

Anyway, We have been studying a number of different world religions and cults and what nots during our Sunday Evening Services. My planning comes to an end this Sunday as we try to figure out Scientology and see it in contrast to Biblical Christianity. My question today is, "Have I missed one that you had hoped we'd talk about?" Hit the comment button below and leave your suggestions and we'll see what happens. I'm not making any promises, but........

Hope you have a great day. It's still pretty cool out, but sitting here in front of the window, the sun looks beautiful.

He Has Made Me Glad
jeff

Well worth your time.

2008-04-14T12:18:00.000-07:00

Since this subject matter has come up several times during the last few weeks, especially as it pertains to Matt & Heather and the new work which they have undertaken, I thought I'd share a website with you. Not only just for the information, but for the inspiration it provides. We certainly take a lot for granted. Check out:
www.persecution.com

Have a great one.
jeff

A Humorous Day of Firsts

2008-04-09T08:25:00.000-07:00

Monday, April 7th, 2008...a day that will live in infamy.

To be truthful, it began with all intensity about 2 weeks before, but lets not get too picky today. For quite some time my 4 year old son Hunter has been begging me to be included in this years turkey hunting adventures. Mom and dad both thought it would be ok, as long as dad didn't push him too hard. Dad didn't. Just the getting ready to go hunting has been an adventure. We've talked about it at bedtime, we've gone shopping together for our stuff, we've horded honey buns like a chipmunk with a pile of nuts, we've high-fived the approach of opening day for what seems like forever. This has been a father-son bonding episode of monumental proportions.

Our plan was to head to our farm after the evening worship service on Sunday. In his excitement he must have overlooked the "after evening worship service" part. We went to church Sunday Night and I began unlocking doors and turning on lights. Hunter said, "What are you doing daddy?" I said, "Well, I'm getting ready for church." He said, "But I thought we were going to Pope County." I said, "We are after church is over." His wonderful response was, "But I dont want to hear you preach anymore." To which I responded, "Neither does anyone else, but sometimes we have to be obedient, even when we dont feel like it."It was funny.

We did make it to the farm after church. We did get our hunting blind set up. We made it to bed, though neither of us slept very well. At 4:30 am I got up and got ready to hunt. I waited till the last possible moment to get Hunter up, but alas, it was still about 3 hours too early for him. I was proud of the fact that he woke up and got dressed. He wasn't whiny or crabby. My hopes were high and climbing.

We crawled into our hunting blind right as it was beginning to get light. Not as early as I would've liked, but given my companion, I was proud we were there at all. (The last time I tried to take Hunter's mommy, she rolled over and went back to sleep leaving me to be the Forestland Defender all by myself.) We did hear a few turkeys gobbling, but nothing very close. At minute 11 (ELEVEN!!) Hunter said, "Daddy, I'm ready to go back to the cabin." ELEVEN CRUMMY MINUTES!!!!!!!!!!!!And then the tears began to fall. I asked him if he thought he could make it 5 or 10 more minutes. I would at least like to make it until the sun came up. He said he could, and literally seconds later he was fast asleep in his chair. (That meant we were gong to make it till the sun came up...HOORAY!)

There were two different groups of turkeys coming towards us. I was starting to think we might actually get a bird. To our west there were several hens just inside the woodline who were responding favorably to my amazing calling technique. To our east there were some young gobblers directing another small group of hens right for us. Both groups were headed straight for us...A TURKEY SANDWICH and we were the filling. The stuff dreams are made of. This was going to be amazing. In my sons eyes I would become an immortal---the Greatest Dad to ever step foot into the forest. Mentally, I was already putting on my well-earned "Worlds Greatest Dad T-shirt and hat."

I turned to wake Hunter from his nap, but I was too late. He had already become alert. I tried to show him the approaching turkeys but he wasn't too interested. I tried to get him to use the binoculars, no avail. I tried to fill him up with Easter Basket M&M's---no good. I told him I'd buy him a dirtbike. Even that failed. Hunter didn't care about hunting, turkeys or anything but going back to the cabin and doing that RIGHT NOW!!!

I've promised myself for forever that I wouldn't be one of those dads who tries to staple MY desires, hopes and dreams to my KIDS forehead. No vicarious living, no reclaiming the glory days at the expense of my kids. Those people make me ill as they rob the creative genious of God by stuffing their kids in a box of their own design. So, with success a mere 150 yards away and coming, we climbed out of our blind and headed back to the cabin. Turkeys running everywhere, taking with them my awesome shirt and hat.

Of course I was disappointed. There was one really nice longbeard in the bunch that would look awesome as a pedestal mount in my office with a great picture of father and son beside it. But why ruin a good thing, why settle for a stuffed trophy when the real one---a thriving relationship with my son built on trust---was right within my grasp.

This weekend turned out to be the best I've ever had, just because my son and I were attached at the hip for most of it. It kind of reminds me of an old episode of the Simpson's where Marge is tempted to have an affair with her bowling instructor (Hows that for a stretch). She doesn't and the instructor isn't too upset by his failure to score. He says something to the effect that "Anticipation is greater than the deed."

That rings true for us in this hunting adventure. We spent just under AN HOUR preparing for each MINUTE Hunter was in the hunt. I thank my God for giving us such a great time and praying He gives us many more (that last a little longer).

MY OTHER BIG FIRST: I FINALLY WON MY OWN NCAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT BRACKET THINGY. I moderated the group and I actually won. I was the only participant in our whole group to pick Kansas to win. Holy Cow. I never win. Of course, it was all luck. I filled out my whole bracket in under 3 minutes. I know nothing about basketball and care even less than that. But I WON!!!! Scripture is true again...God uses the simple to confuse the wise, the weak to confound the strong.

Have a good one.
He Has Made Me Glad!

Ironman Fellowship

2008-04-04T06:54:00.000-07:00

Wow! What an incredible evening. Jon Paul Moody at Covenant Ranch in Buchanan, TN has got a good thing going. You can check out Covenant Ranch at: www.sonriseadventures.com

In the picture above, that's Steve Chapman, My son Hunter and Myself. Steve was the featured speaker at the Ironman Fellowship (Of "as iron sharpens iron..." fame). I have been a big fan of Steve Chapman for a long, long time now. I discovered his book "A Look at Life from a Deer Stand," and was drawn to his insight from there on out. By the way, I've used that book a number of times to reach out to many men and get them to start thinking about their relationship to Jesus Christ. It's a great tool to foster discipleship in a really non-threatening way. You can find it on his website listed below, or at just about any Christian bookstore. Anyhow, Steve's presentation was interesting to say the least. He talked about a number of circles in a man's life. Of course, there are more, but for the time we had Steve focused on 4:

Our Friends

Our Kids

Our Wives

Ourselves

For each of these, he simply made some observations and gave a lot of encouragement as it applied to each of these areas. If you'd like to learn more about the ministry of Steve Chapman and his wife Annie go to: www.steveandanniechapman.com

Following Steve's message, Jon Paul gave a sort of impromptu invitation to the crowd of about 150-ish. It must be God's way of entertaining Himself and reminding me of my past, because when the question, "Is there anybody here who wants Jesus to be their Lord and Savior" my son Hunter raised his hand. Of course, what 4 year old kid doesn't want that. For today, I'm so proud to say that Hunter and Jesus have already got a good thing going. There will come a day when his answer to that question will be a little more significant. Or maybe not. Maybe that's the way its supposed to happen. Could it be that our kids should be so saturated with the things of God from the second they're born that their "moment" of salvation isn't so much of a huge leap as it is simply the next step they take as they walk with Christ?

The funny part of that is, as he explained it to me, this was his way of trying to hurry things along so that he could go get a glass of sweet tea!!!!!

What's funny about that? Well when I was a kid, the Baptist Preacher and his family lived across the road from me. Every year they invited us to VBS. One year the child evangelist who came was kind of old school. He made the statement that "We would be there all night until someone finally gave in to Christ and accepted Him as their personal Lord and Savior." I wasn't too old, but I was old enough to know that somebody had to take one for the team. I slowly made my way to the altar where I was attacked by a crowd of deacons. I accepted Jesus so we could go home and go to bed. (As a side note, I had already accepted Jesus the year before). The story gets even better as the next night of VBS the same spiel was made by the same guy. Apparently my "sacrificial salvation" didn't start REVIVAL because that altar remained empty, so I drug my brother to front for the same reasons as the night before. I know, I know...probably borderline heresy, but...

The evening ended with a time of prayer, and if for no other reason than this prayer time, I was glad my son was with me. The room erupted in prayer as just about every man there was praying out loud all at the same time. That's a little different than we're used to in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. I looked over at my son during this time and his eyes were bugged halfway out of his head. He was totally amazed at all these godly men who were manly enough to bare their hearts before the Lord in public.

What a great night. Ironman meets on the first Thursday of every month at Covenant Ranch. You can be sure I will be there again.

Shattering the Silence!

2008-03-26T07:11:00.000-07:00

OK, maybe its cabin fever or or something a lot like it, but the image of these Struttin' Turkeys makes my heart beat faster than that one-armed guy in Def Leppard can pound his drums with both feet.

Here's how I recall it:

I was sitting with my back against a tree in the darkness, half shivering, half stoked about what is moments away from taking place. The wise old bird of the forest is roosted 40 feet up in an ancient oak only 30 yards away. As the predawn light begins to blot out the darkness, I notice the shape begin to move. He stretches his wings a little and begins to walk around on the limb upon which he spent the night. I know its coming. I try to brace myself for it, but when it finally happens I jump more than a little and mumble under my breath something about a stupid bird. The silence of the night is shattered by an ear piercing GOBBLE! It's one of the single most incredible moments in all of nature. Truth be told, more than once I've been content to watch these ol' Toms strutt off without ever firing a shot. I guess it was his reward for putting on such a great show.

Anyhow, what's the point to all of this? Good question. I said I had cabin fever. My legs have been cramped up under the desk for way too long. I'm ready to get out and stretch a little. That, and maybe the fact that the GOBBLE of the wild turkey speaks to the spirit of man as well (at least this man). The whole purpose for the gobble is to secure companionship for the lonely longbeard. It's his way of shouting, "Here I am." And when the turkey ladies hear him, theoretically, they are supposed to come running. (Too bad it never worked like this for me in high school, eh?)

At any rate, what I'm thinking today is that I'm wanting some companionship too. I'm longing to walk more closely with my God. I'm wanting to be near Him in order that I might become more like Him. My turkey friends dont mind shattering the silence to make their needs known. I on the other hand seem to be a little more reserved. It's not very proper; not very dignified to cry out to God. I'm wondering if there's a lesson in all of this for me. Maybe there's something in it for you too. Or maybe its just time to go huntin'. Maybe a little of both. This much I do know: Scripture bears witness to the fact that when God's people cry out to Him, He makes Himself known.

He Has Made Me Glad!

jeff

Holy Week Reflections

2008-03-24T08:01:00.000-07:00

Well, Holy Week has come and gone for 2008. My thought is holy ^^%#$%$!!!!! Is it possible to do any more stuff in one week? I'm sure for my minister friends, they all probably feel a little bit the same way. And I think that was my problem this year.

Easter was good, don't get me wrong. But my experience of Easter this year was that while it was crammed packed with all sorts of great things, it seemed less than filled with the presence of Christ to me. I found myself worrying about what I had to do, rather than focusing on what I was doing. We had great services, and I believe those who worshipped with us were drawn closer to Christ. For me I guess, I was more concerned about the "part" I was playing and making sure that I did a "good" job, than I was about my worship of the King.

Probably the high point for me in all of our services was our Maundy Thursday service. We did something that I'm fairly sure hadn't been done in a long, long time. I know I've never done it with adults before. We had a foot washing and Holy Communion service. The foot washing part was remarkable. Even though it was awkward and unnatural, it was authentic and genuinely worshipful. Especially with my awesome wife who brought along her guitar and sang "Captivate Us" (I think by WaterMark) as accompaniment to the "Sole Searching Service of Sanitation."

I think that's what's so captivating about Jesus. The downward mobility and servanthood of the King of Kings blows me away. Knowing full well that there is coming a day when "Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord," and yet He still stoops to my level, and then empties himself even further to get down on His hands and knees and wash my feet. Wow! What an incredible Lord.

Of course, the kids Easter Egg Hunt was pretty mind blowing as well. I think there were somewhere in the neighborhood of 1200 eggs hidden and found. We certainly had a lot more eggs than we did hiding places.

Sunrise service was followed by a huge breakfast. And that is always good. Our Main Easter worship service was a Cantata performed by our choir and they did a superb job. Our crowds seemed to be a little down this year, but as I pause to reflect on Holy Week, I'm sensing that my Experience of the Risen Christ was perhaps more than I had presumed when I began this post.

Hope your Easter was great and that you find yourselves more encouraged and strengthened today to utter those two little words that fly in the face of the natural order of things: He Lives!

The Need For Family.

2008-03-13T07:06:00.000-07:00

OK, for what its worth, the Walton's could be one of the greatest families in the world. Sure, they were make-believe, but their values, ethics and relationships created (and still create) for the viewer a strong desire to have what they have. At least that's what happens to me every time I sit down and happen upon an episode.

Good Family is kind of like your favorite pair of boots or your favorite pair of jeans or a really good dog. You dont recognize the value of what you have until its no longer there. 80's HairBand, Cinderella mythically nailed it on the head when they crooned, "Ya dont know what you got til it's gone."

For me, this is the real down side of life in the ministry. Very few ministers seldom get to remain in their home community and minister among their friends and family. Those that do have a hard time achieving success. The rest of us find ourselves humming Kansas'..."dust in the wind, all we are is..."

The first church I served full-time was in Nashville, TN. It was a fantastic church filled with all sorts of fantastic people. I am so thankful for those who took me in and made me a part of their families. I truly believe I'd be back home making oil filters had I not been authentically welcomed into several families there. And I dont just mean on Easter and Steak Night. Sitting in someone elses home eating hot dogs on the couch while watching the WWF meant more than "just being the youth minister of their church." It meant I was a part of their family and was welcomed in the mundane and not just the monumental. It wasn't family, but it was pretty darn close.

As we welcome a new Youth Pastor here at New Hope, I am confident that many of our families will open up their hearts and their homes to Drew. I just want to remind you of how important it is to his whole ministry that you do this. Not only will it bless him as he serves us, but it will bless his ministry 25 years from now wherever he will be at that time.

I still long for home on a daily basis. I hate that I'm not able to stop by and check on my parents and help them out from time to time. I sorely miss having that morning cup of coffee with my brother and best friend (both the same person). Thankfully, New Hope has made me family and they are so much more than substitutes and surrogates. They are mine and I am theirs. I hope we will do the same as Drew comes to minister among us.

Good Night John-Boy!

Feed Me, Seymour, Feed Me!!!!!!!!

2008-03-12T08:51:00.001-07:00

That's Seymour Krelborn (Rick Moranis) holding Audrey II ( A Mean, Green mother from outer space) in the 1986 Cult Classic, Little Shop of Horrors. I remember watching this film when it came out way back when. I'm pretty sure I didn't get it. I'm fairly certain I still don't. But the cast was awesome and funny and made me laugh. One of the scenes of the movie was Audrey II, a human blood-sucking flytrap, crying out "Feed Me, Seymour, Feed Me" (Insert the voice of Motown's Levi Stubbs of the 4 Topps).

When I ponder our new Youth Minister Drew, Audrey II is one of the first images that come to mind. Drew came up last week during his spring break to get a feel for what goes on here at New Hope on Wednesday nights. After supper he met with the youth group. After that he met with our current youth workers. After that he came back to our house for "Supper II." And man, can this boy eat. He knows what food is for and where it goes. I felt like Seymour Krelborn trying to gather enough forage for our new "mean, green mother from Outer Space."

Many folks in the church are already beginning to ask, "What can I do to help Drew out when he gets here?" As we welcome Drew to our church staff, please remember that Drew isn't going to be getting rich ministering among us. That's just part of the life of ministry. However, if you want to help him, FEED HIM. Whether you've got kids or not, invite Drew over to your house for a meal, not only will he be blessed, but it'll give you the chance to get to know what a great young servant of the Lord he really is. Take him a pie or some fried chicken. Give him a gift card to Wal-Mart so he can pick out some of his fave's, or a card to Cracker Barrel or some other restaurant. Just Feed Him! It's a simple, yet meaningful way to minister to one the Lord has sent to us. It doesn't sound very "spiritual" yet, look at Jesus. He spent lots of time feeding those who came into His presence.

(By the way Drew, if you are reading this YOU OWE ME!!)

Finally Found a SuperHero!

2008-03-11T08:09:00.000-07:00

Recently, I posted about my disappointment over the new Justice League Movie. I'm not going back there again. Here's a pic of another Super Hero from my childhood. Speed Racer. I'm not technically sure if he meets all of the "super hero criteria," but who really cares all that much; he's a cartoon. But these recent thoughts of superhero's has reminded me of another superhero that has recently entered the scene.

OK, maybe not a superhero, but we have hired a youth pastor at our church. I'm certain we'll expect him to perform with amazing skill, ability, and yes...supernatural ability. We have high hopes.

It was a fairly long and drawn out process for us. And I'll be honest, it was very difficult as well. Not only did we want to hire the best of the best, but we wanted that "one perfect fit." On top of it all, we wanted to be certain we were hiring God's Person in His timing. Talk about a tall order to fill. Those who applied for this position didn't make the matter any easier. I'm so thankful for the people who worked so hard on this "project." Many gave lots of time, not only in public, but in private as well, praying over this huge decision for us.

At any rate, I'm pleased to welcome Drew Gray to the staff of New Hope Church. Drew will begin his duties during the second week of May. In the meantime, I hope you will be praying for Drew and his ministry among us. Stay tuned to future posts where I will try and give some suggestions for welcoming a new minister into the church.

Famous Fishermen

2008-03-03T08:30:00.000-08:00

What an exciting day for my son. That's him and his buddy Alyssa in the presence of fishing greatness. From Left to Right that's Roland Martin, Kevin VanDam and Bill Dance. They ran into these guys while spending a day in Nashville. I had previously been told that some of these guys weren't always the friendliest. Boy was I misinformed. My wife said these 3 couldn't have been any nicer. Thanks guys.

As an aside, what amazes me is that while having lunch, my wife looked over and said, "Hey, those guys are famous fishermen." I wasn't there, yet in my absence she recognized them. I'll be honest, I wouldn't be able to identify any of the stars from HGTV. Just when you think you know just how blessed you are to have a great wife, she pulls something like this and lets you know that you've only just scratched the surface of how awesome she really is.

Wives are great. Pastor's wives are formed in the throne room of heaven. I thank my wonderful God for the gift he gave me in Miss Bert.

Justice League: The New Frontier Movie

2008-02-27T07:11:00.000-08:00

As a kid growing up in the 70's and 80's, one of the highlights of my week was watching the SuperFriends & the Justice League. As the name suggests, they really were Super and friends, and they were all about justice. Righting wrongs; being good role models; bringing hope to the hopeless and giving help to the helpless. Every week during the program there was always at least one segment that encouraged us kids to take care of our environment, befriend a new kid at school or some sort of health tip that made us take pride in ourselves.

In the last year or so, my 4 year old son, Hunter, has discovered the SuperFriends thanks to the Cartoon Network. It's been really fun seeing him enjoy some of the exact same stuff I enjoyed. We Tivo every episode to this day and sit down as a family to watch something positive together.

For the last week or two a new Justice League Movie has been advertised, and let me tell you, our house has looked forward to the release date about as much as we look forward to Snow Days. Hunter has been ecstatic as "Justice League: The New Frontier" became more and more of a reality. Well yesterday was the day. We were probably one of the first families in Paducah to watch the new movie. And now, I am going to be the first parent in Paducah to contact DC Comics and Warner Bros. to express my extreme disgust for this video piece of garbage.

Let me tell you what I saw:
1. The opening scene shows the future Green Lantern blow a Korean Soldiers brains out. It doesn't allude to the shooting, it graphically shows it, blood and brains and all. Explain that to a 4 year old.
2. It doesn't actually show the suicide, it fades to blood oozing over the screen, as an unknown person sticks a gun, which we do see, to his head and BOOM! Explain that to a 4 year old.
3. Tons, at least for the SuperFriends cartoons, of profanity. By the end of the movie I would not have been surprised if SuperMan dropped the F-bomb and flipped off Aqua Man. He didn't, but it wouldn't have shocked me if he did.
4. The sexual innuendo was pretty thick too. Granted, alien/mutant's wearing next to nothing is not a new scenario to the SuperFriends, but the New & Improved Justice League seemed to be pretty concerned with hooking up with one another.

To the films credit, after further inspection I notice it has a PG-13 rating for Violent Content and images. Here's my problem: I never dreamed it would be necessary to check the rating for the SuperFriends. I hope Warner Bros. don't get their hands on Peter Pan, because there no telling how low they might sink with Peter and the Lost Boys.

Final Comment: If you are a parent, don't buy this crap for your kids. The SuperFriends have always been a little New Agey, but now they're just downright disgusting and disappointing. For the same money, you can just cuss your kids out yourself and let them watch as you slaughter the family pet.

One Way...

2008-02-26T12:32:00.000-08:00

It was a cold day in 1993 when we first met. Larry had recently had a heart attack. His finances were drained, his recovery wasn't going as smoothly as he'd hoped; but he took a minute out of his time to stop and talk to me. What started out as an extremely humbling day became more and more humbling as it went.

I was living in Memphis and had written a bad check to the Zondervan Christian Bookstore in one of the Malls. (MY ONLY BAD CHECK...EVER!!!!) They called me on the phone and I just couldn't believe it. I told them I'd be there within the hour, cash in hand to take care of my mess. They were used to dealing with this sort of thing, but I wasn't. How embarrassing.

I made my way into the store and pathetically approached the counter to re-right my wrong. I guess they could tell by the way that I was trembling that I was embarrassed, ashamed and belittled by my mistake...they waived the "bad check" charge. I groveled for a few more minutes and headed towards the door. That's when I met Larry.

Larry Norman, the godfather of Christian Rock and Roll.

He spoke to me like we were old friends. I knew who he was and I was already a fan, but our meeting was void of anything that resembled "He's famous, I'm a groupie." I told him I was in Seminary and he told me not to lose sight of the real Jesus that had called me there. I had heard that statement before from pastors and from those on my Committee on the Ministry, but never from a dude with long hair and leather biker jacket. Larry was cool. He was burdened with the Gospel and somewhat grievous over the current state of affairs in the music industry, particularly the Christian side of it. Larry was natural. We could've gone to Sbarro's and had the most normal lunch ever, except for the fact that we only had about 20 bucks between the two of us. He gave me a copy of his current new release, "Stranded in Babylon" and that was that. My encounter with a hero of the faith.

I had forgotten about that encounter until learning yesterday that Larry's heart finally gave out on him. Larry Norman went to his reward and I praise God for him, his music and his relationship to Jesus Christ. Tomorrow, the pastor's office of at least one church will be reverberating the tunes of Larry Norman, God's Servant; and the pastor in that office will probably look towards heaven with a smile, right arm held high, finger pointing up, proudly agreeing, "ONE WAY!"

I went to Larry's website to find whatever details were available. These words, written by Larry the day before he died, are what greeted me. What a testimony:

I feel like a prize in a box of cracker jacks with God's hand reaching down to pick me up. I have been under medical care for months. My wounds are getting bigger. I have trouble breathing. I am ready to fly home.
My brother Charles is right, I won't be here much longer. I can't do anything about it. My heart is too weak. I want to say goodbye to everyone. In the past you have generously supported me with prayer and finance and we will probably still need financial help.
My plan is to be buried in a simple pine box with some flowers inside. But still it will be costly because of funeral arrangement, transportation to the gravesite, entombment, coordination, legal papers etc. However money is not really what I need, I want to say I love you.
I'd like to push back the darkness with my bravest effort. There will be a funeral posted here on the website, in case some of you want to attend. We are not sure of the date when I will die.
Goodbye, farewell, we will meet again.
Goodbye, farewell, we'll meet again
Somewhere beyond the sky.
I pray that you will stay with God,
Goodbye, my friends, goodbye.
Larry

For more info on Larry Norman, the Righteous Rocker, go to www.larrynorman.com

The Flu (Vomit Discourse Warning!!!!)

2008-02-25T10:58:00.000-08:00

Much has been said recently about the flu; every newscast, podcast, paper and periodical is saturated with information concerning this years flu epidemic. None of that means anything when you are face down in the commode, hoping against hope that you are taking you're final breath in this world. At least that is my current theory. Brian Williams & Matt Lauer have nothing to offer in the heat of the regurgitating moment.

For the first time in my 38 year life I have experienced the flu. It is perhaps the single-most, worst event of my life. I have only puked one other time, that I can remember. It was a sympathy barf when Miss Bert was pregnant with Hunter. Not one of my more manly moments, but humorous now. At any rate, puking being a sort of new phenomena to me, is unbelievable. Hands down, it has got to be the most violent action the human body is capable of producing. While I hope to never experience the throes of illness again, I am dismayed at that the fact that I didn't capture my "upchuck moments" on tape. For those of you more experienced barfers, objects (i.e. veggie soup) being propelled from the nostrils at light speed may be something you are familiar with, but not me. I still cant believe it. Surreal is about the best I can get to describing RNVSE (Reverse Nasal Vegetable Soup Ejection)!!!!

Oh, I despise the flu.

I did have a question that just revealed itself to me as I was face to face with the Tidy Bowl Man: Is it necessary to wash your hands after a bathroom experience when you've already got the flu? Antibacterial soap would seem, at least to me, to work against the processes of the immune system. Not only that, but if the germs are inside already, what good does it do to wash the outside. I think Jesus said, in my words "first clean the inside, then outside just needs a quick wiping down."

All foolishness aside, in my light and momentary affliction, I did have a more spiritual thought. My mind was directed towards those who undergo chemotherapy treatments. This sort of thing is a daily experience for them. I can't imagine trying to keep a positive mental attitude with a deep internal sickness. As a pastor in an ever increasing cancer-present world, I hope my prayers and my presence will communicate hope and encouragement to those in this state of being, in such a way that a little personal, daily revival might be kindled within them. My heart and my prayers go out today to all who fight cancer. May you draw strength from the words of Jesus Christ who said, "In this world you will face many troubles, but take heart, I have overcome the world." (And so will the rest of us who dare to trust in Him.)

Tired of feeling Queasy, yet on the road to healing,
He Has Made Me Glad!
jeff

The Blind leading the Blind.

2008-02-16T05:44:00.001-08:00

Dr. Ben over at www.benwitherington.blogspot.com in his Feb 15, 2008 post, has something fairly interesting to report about Oprah that speaks to where we are at in our Sunday Night Study. It's kind of long, but worth the read.

Not sure about Georgia, but the lights were out here!

2008-02-13T13:15:00.001-08:00

Just moments after I posted my last blog last night, the ice that we'd been playing in, the very ice that beat up my kid...wreaked havoc on the powerlines in the tri-state area. Our house was no exception. The lights went out. In the country, when the electric goes, so goes the water thanks to the electric pump on the well. Thankfully, we've got gas heat. But alas, it requires the use of an electric blower.

So long story short, our house looked like a cross between redneck seance and a scene from "The night before Christmas." The living room was wall to wall blankets and pillows and candles. The kids were acting out WWE raw, since the satellite was out. I was huddled around the battery operated TV hoping to find news of when we might expect our power back. And mom fell asleep. I dont know how, but she did. About 12:30 she woke up and asked, "did I fall asleep?" NO, YOU JUST TIME WARPED 3 HOURS INTO THE FUTURE!!!! I wanted to ask her to try it again and see if she could go find out when the lights would come back on and then warp back and tell me if I needed to be more conservative with the candles, but thought better of it.

Anyhow, it is now 3:20 and the lights are back on. We made it. And just so you know, it was really fun. Probably the best night the whole family has had in the last year or so. In fact, I'm thinking of flipping the breaker and doing it all over again tonight.