Well, it's only been a year since my last post! 
These are some pics of our vacation 2012 in Blue Ridge GA.  Zack came home and he brought...a girl!  Andrea is a sweet young lady who loves God and somewhow loves Zack too.  We had a great time in a large cabin up in the north GA mountains for a week.  God has been so good to us.
I loved my 'hair style' here but alas my wife did not so I'm growing it back.  We're in the awkward fuzz stage right now.   I miss not having any hair but Beth even likes the fuzz that is finding its way back.
Go figure:)

Vacation 2011

Brunch the last morning of the Focus on the Family Clergy Conference
This is in "Whit's End" at Focus - my children love this program

H.B. London - a Great Man of God - A Pastor to Pastors

30 degrees & very windy/...loved it!

I love this pic. The contrasts in color, texture, & space is interesting

Two Big Horn Sheep near the top of Pike's Peak Odd to see snow in June

On Top of the World

I lost my head in Kansas...We left steamy Macon Georgia at 9:55 pm June 1st. We pulled into my in-law's drive around noon the next day. Not a bad trip but we were beat...all of us. Emma did the best. She was nothing but a delight. An amazing gift of a baby. God knew that we'd need a sweet content baby in our old age.

I was able to preach at Liberty Baptist Church that Sunday then we left Monday morning for Colorado Springs for 5 glorious days - just Beth & I. We attended the Clergy & Spouse Conference at Focus on the Family. It was tremendous! Every thing there was first class but not in a showy way but in a God honoring way. The purpose of the conference was rest, relaxation, & encouragement. They pulled that off in spades.

The other wonderful aspect of Colorado was the time alone together. It has apparently been a very long time since we've been together for several days alone. It reminded me of how much I not only love Beth but I 'like' her too. We 'fit' each other & that is the grace of God & His working to make us 'One' over the past 23 years. It took 11 hours to get to Colorado Springs from Kansas City. We didn't talk for the first 10 hours. We literally just enjoyed the quiet...which is a rare commodity in our home. On the way back to K.C., Beth began reading an excellent book that I highly recommend - "Give them Grace" by Elyse Fitzpatrick. It is really the only 'grace/gospel' parenting book that I've ever heard of. We had some excellent discussion, repentance, & laughs. We got back into Kansas on Friday evening. Ben didn't do well in our absence. That night when I put him to bed, he wouldn't let me leave because he was afraid I would go away again. Even now, over two weeks later, his still gets a little panicky when I grab the keys.

We traveled over 3,400 miles round trip. It was a great time & one of the best vacations in recent memory. Thank you Lord.

Where Does the Time Go?

Seems like yesterday that I got a call from Elizabeth to tell be that the baby she was carrying was a girl. "You got your girl!" were the words I distinctly remember hearing. What a day that was. Anna was born on Mother's Day after a long night of unproductive labor. She was stubborn even before she was born!

Anna turned 15 a few days ago. She wanted to take her driving permit test. Anna has only driven once...in my old beater truck on my hunting land a couple of years ago. Well, I had to go to the DMV to renew my drivers licence last month. I asked for the book so she could begin to study it. The lady behind the counter informed me that they were out. I took that as a sign from God & told Anna as much. A few days later she had the book from a young man in our church who took his earlier in the year.

Well, she passed it...amazing! I let her drive my current - not a beater - truck home from the church. She did well in light of her nearly complete lack of experience.

I'm still trying to figure out where the time went. She & I were headed to the church yesterday & I came out to see her in the driver's seat with the engine running. She gave me a 'deal with it Dad' look & I prayerfully climbed into the passenger seat.

The way the 'Speed of Life' is going for me, Emma will be driving soon!

I was asked to read the theme scripture & offer the opening prayer for the NDP event on the steps of Macon's City Hall today. Below is the text of my prayer:

Psalm 91:1-2
1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust."
Father God,
We come boldly before your throne of grace seeking help in our time of need. We’re in trouble Father & we finally know it. We’ve gathered today as your sons & daughters by your grace though faith in your Son Jesus Christ. The scripture for this National Day of Prayer is Psalm 91:2 where David said, “I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.’”
A Refuge & a fortress are places of Rest, Relief & Protection. We – your people – have no concept of You as our Refuge & Fortress. We have the government for that, we have 401ks, IRA’s, & fat bank accounts for that. We would never say it with our lips but our lives loudly declare, “Who is the Lord that I should need Him?”
Help us Father! We come to City Hall today the way we should come every day – not with hands out but with hands up. Not looking to GET something but coming to GIVE something. Not looking for HELP but rather GIVING HOPE.
David also made his statement personal – He called you MY GOD, MY Fortress, My Refuge. That’s what our country so desperately needs today – Citizens who’s first allegiance is to your Kingdom & your will & your righteousness. A nation who’s God is unashamedly – Jehovah.
David also concludes his bold declaration by stating that His trust will be in you. The prophet Isaiah echoed that in 31:1 when he said, “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, And rely on horses, Who trust in chariots because they are many, And in horsemen because they are very strong, But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor seek the LORD!”
That’s exactly what we’ve done and are continuing to do as the church – your called out ones. We’re looking to Egypt for help instead of Heaven. We’re looking to capital hill for answers that can only be found in Calvary’s Hill.
We’re trusting in our Military might to execute the Bin Ladens of our would & keep us safe while the real terrorist of the World, the Flesh & the Devil laugh in victory. There is only one execution that holds the answer & it happened at Calvary’s hill not Capital hill.
We are an unfaithful people who are so prone to wander from the God we love. So today we gather to seek true repentance – a changing of the way we think & act. The hope for America is standing here today but we must turn from our Idolatry & truly trust in you again as our forefathers once did at the miraculous founding of this great nation. Change our hearts that we may declare with some level of integrity, “We will say of Jehovah, ‘He is our refuge & our fortress; Our God, in Him & Him alone we will trust.” Help us Father in Jesus Name

A Family Seder ~ 2011

The Passover Table is set!

Oh No! Leaven! Let's get it out of the house!

When are we ever going to eat!

Bitter Herbs aka - romaine dipped in horseradish sauce - sin stings Samuel

Parsley dipped in salt water-life in slavery to sin brings many tears

Daddy tells the story of God's covenant faithfulness to His people...Past & Present

I'm not drunk on Passover wine...really I'm not. Breaking the Afekomen

Enjoying the choroset dessert - Apple salad that looks like the mortar used in the bricks
It represents the sweetness of God's deliverance
Lots of Wine for everyone (Fruit of the Vine - in case my Mom is reading this)

Clean Hands

Pure Hearts

God is up to something. Seems that so many of us 'Gentiles' are being wooed back to God's holy days & festivals. As a father I find myself forever trying to 'clean up' the holidays for my kids. Ever get tired of trying to strip the holidays of meaningless fable, carnivoristic consumerism, & theft of God's characteristics bestowed upon Scandinavian saints who break into homes, leave gifts...and steal the glory of Jehovah?

Well, I feel your pain. God has a much better idea. Imagine a holiday that still has much fun & story for all ages to look forward to it months in advance. The whole idea of "Spring Cleaning" comes from preparing for Passover. The Jewish Mommas would deep clean the dwelling to get every trace of 'leaven' out of the house.

Then, just before the Passover Seder could begin, the Jewish Papas would take a candle & search the house with the little ones. Momma would leave a little bit of "Chametz" by the stove. One child would have a wooden spoon & the Dad would sweep the leaven onto the spoon with a feather. Another child would wrap it in a linen cloth & then they would take it outside of the house & burn it. You don't have to be a biblical scholar to get the symbolism: Candle - God's Word, Wooden Spoon - the Cross, Feather - the Holy Spirit, Linen cloth - grave clothes, Fire - Christ's sacrifice - a burnt offering.

We retold the story of God's delivering the Children of Israel with an Outstretched arm. When God stretches out His arm - you don't want to be on the receiving end of it...just ask Pharaoh.

We talked about the bitterness of life, the wages of sin being death. We remembered our baby who we will see in heaven one day. Salty tears still flow at the thought of him or her. But out of that sad valley came three beautiful babies - Samuel Isaac, Benjamin Robert Anthony, & Emma Grace. The blessings & the bitterness - through it all God is faithful.

We've never done this at home before. I've wanted to for years. We almost didn't do it this year but I felt an urgency to celebrate this 'Moed' with my family.

We're going to do it again this Friday with our Church family. The Seder at home was a bit of a dry run. We're going to scale things back & loosen them up a bit for Friday. But we are still going to remember, recount & retell the story of God's covenant faithfulness to His children.

Let me encourage you to give it a try. God knows how to have a holy holiday. It beats the fire out of thinly veiled pagan festivals. Let's get back to the book & back to Celebrating the feasts of the LORD.

The Gospel Stairs

Our Church, Lake Wildwood Baptist, began a journey through Romans this past Sunday. I came across this poem in my studying & I have to confess that I wept when I read the last line. It is my story & that of any & all who have been drawn by the Father & effectually called by the Holy Spirit to Justification by faith alone - vacant of ANY work on my part. May we all be reminded that God has done it all...We are merely the blessed recipients of the His gracious gift through our Lord Jesus Christ. Enjoy...

The Gospel Stairs

O long & dark the stairs I trod

with trembling feet to find my God

Gaining a foothold bit by bit

then slipping back & losing it

Never progressing; striving still

with weakening grasp & faltering will

Bleeding to climb to God, while He

Serenely smiled, unnoting me

Then came a certain time when I

Loosened my hold & fell thereby;

Down to the lowest steps my fall,

As if I had not climbed at all!

Now when I lay despairing there

Listen...a footfall on the stair!

On that same stair where I afraid,

Faltered & fell & lay dismayed

And lo, when hope had ceased to be,

My God came down the stairs to me!

Ellicott Wilderness: A Great Teacher

Drying my shoes by the fire Going fishing the second day

My 'barely one person' tent

Beautiful Waterfall

My pack complete with crickets for fishing

A Black Bear track right outside my tent!

Necissity is the Mother of invention

Smoking Trout...Its what's for dinner!

I caught the big one & 2 of the smaller ones! Panther martin spinner knocks em dead!

I recently had the opportunity to take a hiking trip with some fellow Pastors. We went to the Ellicott Wilderness for a 3 day 20 mile hiking/fishing/camping trip. I've shed, by God's grace-the moringa tree & Zija, 60 pounds since July of last year. I figured the 40 pound pack would be no problem! I may have lost weight but I have yet to gain cardio shape! The 3,000 foot elevations really challenged me to the max. My partners gave me the 'trail name' of 'Grunt' because I made noise with every step.

We hiked 7 or 8 miles the first day. By the end of that hike I figured out how to & how not to wear the backpack. It is supposed to rest on your 'saddle' aka top of your butt. Let me tell you, my 'saddle' was sagging by the time we made camp that afternoon!

The second half of that first day found us in some very steep mountainous country. Nearly vertical ravines on a foot & a half wide dirt trail made for some hairy hiking. At one 'hairpin' turn there was a tree growing up over the path & a 300 to 400 foot drop off on the outer edge. I watched my partners grasp the trunk & 'swing' under the tree. No problem. I didn't factor in my 40 pound pack. In the middle of my swing my left hand slipped off the tree trunk & my swing started swinging down & not over! That was a wake up call to be sure!

The hiking wasn't so fun at first...or in the middle...or on the last day really. What was fun was looking back & realizing you did something hard & you persevered!

We camped along the Chatooga river where deliverance was filmed. I kept a sharp ear out for banjo music!

We caught 6 trout the first afternoon & I caught 3 more the next day. Nothing like fresh trout smoked over a fire. The big trout bumped my spinner on 3 successive casts. On the 4th cast I reeled that spinner as fast as I could & instead of 'tasting' it - he inhaled it!

After our trip I figured out why my Pastor buddies so enjoyed this kind of get away. It is the polar opposite of what we do every day. No cell phones, people, or problems other than physical ones to be overcome. No dressing up, meetings, or fires to put out - only ones to start.

It was so quiet except for the sound of the river which lulled us to sleep each night. We carried everything we needed to sustain us right on our backs. We were miles from civilization & we not only survived but we thrived.

I can't wait to go back & take Paul Jr. with me. He would love this kind of adventure!