New Heights

The day every father waits for

2009-04-25T14:49:00.004-05:00

Today was a huge day that marks a new era in the Buckley family. Faith was finally ready to take over the yard mowing responsibilities! After mowing grass for the last 35 years, I am more than ready to let someone else have the blessing. She not only mowed like a pro but she didn't even mow over any fences or run into the house! The good news is I can watch her mow from the shade of the porch...the bad news is that her allowance is about to go up. The priceless part had to have been the smile on her face and grass in her hair. Maybe by the end of the summer she will be ready for weed eating and edging!

Faith's first mowing experience from Richard Buckley on Vimeo.

Another adoption!

2009-04-15T12:57:00.005-05:00

This past Christmas as part of a ministry event called The Advent Conspiracy we willingly chose to do four things to focus on Jesus at Christmas. We worshipped more fully, spent less on ourselves, gave more to others, and loved the people God has placed in our path more fully. One exciting thing we did was allow each of our daughters to sponsor a girl from their native country (2 from China and 1 from Korea).

Joi's child was named Mi So and she was sponsored through Holt International. Joi has fervently prayed for Mi So. Every meal time and every bedtime prayer have included a special mention of her name asking God to watch over her. If I forgot to pray for Mi So, Joi made me "do it over" or she added her own "PS" to God after the prayer. The amazing thing is that Mi So has the very same foster parents as Joi did!!!! How cool is that. It's tempting to say "it's a small world after all" but it's much better to say "What an awesome and huge God we have!"

Joi is a new Christian and I love to see God affirm new believers as they grow in Him. This past week we got a letter from Holt International noting that Mi So has been adopted and has a forever home in the United States. You should have seen Joi's face when it sunk in! Amy and I had the honor of telling Joi the Lord not only heard her prayers but He has acted on them and placed this special child in a family where she will have the opportunity to hear the Gospel and understand unconditional love.

As we read the letter at the dinner table, we came to a paragraph noting that we had been assigned another Korean baby girl to sponsor and pray for. Let me introduce you to Mit-eum Song. She is the latest addition to our sponsorship family. Please pray for her to have a forever family soon...and remember, if you don't, Joi will be there to remind you!

Spiritual Retreats

2009-04-13T12:57:00.009-05:00

Every month or so I like to get out in the middle of nowhere and have a spiritual retreat. For me there is nothing more refreshing than getting in the mountains or at least somewhere in the wilderness where the only sounds are crickets and flowing streams. Solitude and lack of the daily distractions ushers me right into the presence of the Lord. I have found this practice to be essential when I am in the process of making major decisions.

I am grateful for a wife and daughters who encourage me to go on these retreats. They know I come back a better husband and dad as God speaks to me about family and ministry matters.

I find it refreshing to sit up late into the night under the stars by a crackling fire seeking God through prayer and His Word. I always come back changed. I may not have all the answers I want by the time I leave but it is enough to know that I have been pleasing to my Father by practicing Ps. 46:10.

I am currently planning my next retreat. I've done Monte Sano and Sypsey Wilderness and but I'm currently looking for something a little more remote. Here's a video from one of my favorite retreats at Sypsey.

An Amazing Easter

2009-04-12T16:16:00.002-05:00

We were sitting at the dinner table a few nights ago and I started a debate by asking "do people prepare their hearts more for Christmas or Easter?" Faith loves a good theological debate as is becoming quite the apologetics expert. My point was to show that most people spend the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas thanking the Lord for the celebration of the incarnation but don't spend as much time preparing their heart for the celebration of the resurrection. We have tried to be extremely intentional with our family by doing some special events such as:

celebrating a Messianic passover so the kids can see how Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection is clearly prophesied in the Old Testament.
Pulling out the Resurrection eggs and taking turns opening the eggs telling the story of Passion Week.
Preparing a tomb cake (a bunt cake chopped in half and laid on it's side with a cookie that represents the stone that was rolled away). While we make the cake we are talking about different aspects of Christ's sacrifice for us.
making resurrection buns on Sunday morning (biscuits with a marshmallow inside)...once you bake it the marshmallow expands and it looks like an open tomb).
We also have tons of books we read with the girls (especially for Joi since she is a new Christian). We are currently going through her "Now that I'm a Christian" book and she is really looking forward to being baptized soon!

On Easter Sunday we attended our new home church of Capshaw Baptist Church. It was a great worship service where the Holy Spirit moved in a powerful way as we worshipped our hearts out and received an inspired message that was mightily used of the Lord.

Amy and I hope to live our faith out in such a way that our girls are inspired to do the same thing.

How was your Easter? Do you have any special family traditions that help you prepare your hearts for Easter?

No more sting!

2009-04-11T10:25:00.002-05:00

Yesterday as we were eating lunch I saw a red wasp buzzing around the window right behind Joi. I knew if she saw the wasp she would go full throttle into drama queen mode. Our girls are extremely fearful of anything that stings...probably because they saw the effects of my encounter with a swarm of African bees in the D.C. area...just imagine my face swollen to three times it's normal size...very freakish!

So as not to alarm her, I nonchalantly got up to get my trusty wasp killer. I slipped in behind her and swatted the life out of the wasp. Of course this got the girl's attention. I showed them the dead wasp and told them they didn't have to fear it's sting anymore. You would have thought I had slayed a ferocious lion. They were extremely grateful...daddy to the rescue! The biggest impact was that they knew I had come to their rescue while they had no idea how close they came to a painful sting.

I immediately thought of what Paul said in 1 Co. 15 about the victory we have as Christians. So we had an impromptu discussion family devotion. I described that there was a time when we were completely unaware of what our adversary was doing to bring damage and destruction in our lives. But there came a day when each of us realized how messed up our lives where due to sin and Satan and we cried out to Jesus to rescue and save us. He took the sting of death away and has given us a new life free from fear. Tomorrow we celebrate that truth on Resurrection Sunday at Capshaw Baptist Church. I am grateful for the timing this wasp encounter for it reminds me of what Paul was led to write in the following verses.

54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." 55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Cor 15:54-57 (NIV)

What consumes me this Good Friday

2009-04-10T08:18:00.005-05:00

See you at Capshaw Baptist Church this Sunday to celebrate His Resurrection!

A glimpse into the future

2009-03-26T17:56:00.004-05:00

Somehow Joi sweet talked me into taking her on the "Speedway" track at Disney World. I remember doing this for the first time with my dad at Astroworld in Houston, TX. There's nothing like that feeling of actually driving a car for the first time. Granted we were only going about 5 miles an hour, it was still a thrill. As Joi drove I was REALLY grateful for that metal strip that kept her from getting off-track. That three inch strip was a the only thing between us and a scary off-road experience. Yet I know that someday the safety guards will be removed and she will be driving on her own in the real world...an even scarier thought!

In the meantime, our zig-zagging driving adventure reminded me that I have the awesome responsibility of keeping her on the straight and narrow spiritually so she takes the path God has marked out for her ( Pr. 22:6). What a ride it's been so far. To know that she loves Jesus and is growing in Him daily means the world to me. It is truly humbling to know that God has entrusted Amy and I with raising up three incredible daughters. I pray daily that they see Christ in us and that they see us continue to grow in Him as well.

Oh yeah, the ride also reminded me that my car insurance is going to go through the roof one day soon! Better start saving up...

Are you teachable?

2009-03-26T13:51:00.009-05:00

While we were on Spring Break we did a "behind the scenes" tour of SeaWorld's dolphin training area. I was blown away by the relationships between the trainers and the dolphins. At one point we were ushered into an observation area where we were introduced to 7 dolphin trainers. Each trainer had 3 dolphins they were responsible for. The trainer we worked with knew each of his dolphins by name and could identify them from the other 18 dolphins. It was amazing how these animals responded to his call and how they recognized his face. They also took great pleasure in showing how well trained they were. Check out this video and see if you don't see some spiritual correlations.

Here's what this video reminds me of:

1. In John 10 Jesus said "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-- John 10:14 (NIV) As I admired the relationship between the trainer and the dolphins, I couldn't help but be amazed that out of the billions of people on the planet, God not only recognizes me but knows me intimately, He cares for me by meeting my needs in ways that are amazing, and He is always training me as I am conformed to His image.

2. Jesus also said "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
John 10:27 (NIV) Although we don't hear His audible voice, His Word is clearly heard as the Spirit gives us understanding of the Scriptures. His commands are clear and compelling and a joy to carry out. I was reminded of this truth as our dolphin trainer gave a series of commands. If he waved the dolphins would wave back with their flippers. If he twirled his finger, they turned in circles. If he patted the wall, the jumped up on top of the wall so we could pet them. My personal favorite was the gesture that made these graceful animals do a back flip that drenched us all. Amazing, all those responses with a simple hand motion with no words.

3. We were only given 30 minutes to give commands and feed the dolphins. We were warned that sometimes the dominant male dolphin would interrupt the show just to show his dominance. Sure enough, he did everything he could to disrupt our time together with these amazing creatures. It reminded me of how many times the devil tries to disrupt our time with the Lord. He has all kinds of tricks to get us distracted. I asked the trainer how he dealt with the constant interruptions from "bully dolphin". I thought his answer was very Scriptural. He said, "We are aware of what he is doing and why and we stay focused on our most important relationships". It reminded me of what the author of Hebrews said: "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Heb 12:2-3 (NIV)

4. One other amazing thing. Each of these dolphins was rescued by SeaWorld. These animals would have died without intervention, constant care, and ongoing nurturing. The same is true of us. Paul put it this way: "For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."
Col 1:13-14 (NIV)

For me this 30 minute encounter was a great reminder to stay focused on Jesus, be hungry to learn/grow from Him, and never forget what He did for us. If a dolphin would do so much for the reward of a couple of cold, dead fish, how much more should we be willing to become for the One who gave His all so we could be redeemed!

Hang on Baby!

2009-03-24T09:20:00.029-05:00

While we were on Spring Break our family really enjoyed Orlando. Of course we did Disney but we also spent a day at SeaWorld because it's Amy's favorite place in the world. We had a blast feeding dolphins and even took the behind the scenes tour where we got to work with the dolphins and their trainers. Very cool! One unexpected thrill at SeaWorld was a roller coaster called Kraken. Everyone knows I am a roller coaster junkie. Faith wanted to test the waters to see if she had what it took to ride shotgun. I told her my goal was to break my personal record of riding 6 coasters in a row (accomplished at Hershey Park in PA).

While we were standing in line Faith remembered that she needed to do a research paper when she returned from Spring Break. I asked her what it was about and she said it was on "Living out your faith". She asked if I would give her a couple of bullet points for her outline. I told her that after the ride she would have all the points she needed!

She jumped in the front car with me and I took my video camera out to film the whole thing. Then I realized that there was a very good chance I might drop the camera and Amy would pretty much kill me on the spot. Then I thought "surely someone else has attempted to video this coaster". Sure enough, I found a video online with no innappriate language and some great shots.

Check out this video. I think I could be really good friends with the adventurous guy that shot this amazing ride!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znQ6kRkzU50

After the ride, I asked Faith if she had enough material to write the paper and she cracked up and said "more than enough". At the risk of sounding like Forrest Gump, living out our faith is really like riding a high flying roller coast in that:

1. You sometimes wonder if God will keep you safe when life seems to be plummeting straight down and it feels like you are about to crash and burn. Yet God is faithful...He is our ever present protector and provider.
2. Even though you don't know where the next turn will take you and it seems like your life is turned totally upside down, God already has the perfect path prepared for you.
3. True faith is trusting God to the point where we let go, raise our hands in praise and enjoy every twist and turn along the way! What a ride and what an adventure it is to have a front row seat to what God is doing!

"Whatever You're Doing"

2009-03-13T11:31:00.004-05:00

This song by Sanctus Real has some amazing lyrics that really define what we all go through as we seek God's face in making decisions that honor Him. These words have driven me to The Word to surrender to whatever it is God desires...even when it seems chaotic and isn't "what I signed up for".

Paige Patterson, President of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, once said "The only thing that matters in life is that you are pleasing to God". That statement and my life verse (Phil. 1:27) are crucial to me when taking that next step in my spiritual journey.

The amazing this is that God is ALWAYS doing something in our lives as believers. The transformation process continues and His next chapter is always more amazing than we could ever imagine!

Check out these lyrics or click on the link above to listen to this song.

It's time for healing, time to move on
It's time to fix what's been broken too long
Time to make right what has been wrong
It's time to find my way to where I belong
There's a wave that's crashing over me
And all I can do is surrender

(Chorus)
Whatever You're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but somehow there's peace
It's hard to surrender to what I can't see
but I'm giving in to something Heavenly

Time for a milestone
Time to begin again
Reevaluate who I really am
Am I doing everything to follow Your will
Or just climbing aimlessly over these hills
So show me what it is You want from me
I give everything I surrender...
To...

(Chorus)

Time to face up
Clean this old house
Time to breathe in and let everything out
That I've wanted to say for so many years
Time to release all my held back tears

Whatever You're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but I believe
You're up to something bigger than me
Larger than life something Heavenly

Whatever You're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but now I can see
This is something bigger than me
Larger than life something Heavenly
Something Heavenly

It's time to face up
Clean this old house
Time to breathe in and let everything out

YouTube - Sanctus Real - Whatever You're Doing Music Video

Shadow in the snow

2009-03-01T17:33:00.006-06:00

It hardly ever snows in North Alabama, but we got maybe a half inch on the morning of March 1st. Since we lived in Maryland for 3 1/2 years our kids were not impressed. They were used to getting a good 6 inches and hitting the parsonage hill for amazing sledding. This year was our dog Shadow's first snow and she loved it. Here's a funny clip of her trying to run around with a piece of rope in her mouth trying to persuade Faith to come join her in the snow. Shadow is hours of entertainment and definitely part of the family. Enjoy!

Shadow in the snow from Richard Buckley on Vimeo.

What if all Christians lived like this?

2009-02-25T10:17:00.003-06:00

No more Blogger's Block!

2009-02-23T16:17:00.003-06:00

I haven't blogged since December 10th for one simple reason. Amy and I took a part time job working for a Big 3 auto maker auditing area dealerships. With the economy being what it is, it soon became necessary for us to spend more and more time with certain dealerships. I warned Amy when we started that any job title that has the word "auditor" in it always finishes dead last in the "Congeniality Contest". Let's face it...no one likes the auditors at first. Eventually we were asked to carry out some very tough orders and our popularity plummeted into the negatives bigtime! One day when I asked a sales manager for keys to get into a building one day, he tossed me his car and home keys and said "here, just take everything I've got...you've taken everything else!" He wasn't smiling then but we have since become friends which is a really good thing because he is a pretty big dude.

Long story short, we are still auditing and as time has passed, people have seen "the real" Amy and Richard. Actually what they see is Christ shining through an ordinary couple. In the midst of carrying out some pretty unpleasant tasks, we have treated people with dignity and respect. We have shown that we cared and we were willing to take the time to listen.

I have had many opportunities to share my faith of lots of different ways. Most of the opportunities came with little or no warning. Good thing I memorized 1 Peter 3:15 ("But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. ALWAYS be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.")

The people God put us in contact with come from all walks of life. Some are believers and some are not. They all share one thing in common...a very uncertain future. The crazy economy, the uncertainty of the job market, the consequences of living over one's head have all been topics of discussion that have seamlessly ended up in opportunities to share our faith. Every day people let us into their lives just a little more. Walls are going down and real questions are being asked about real dilemnas these people face. I don't know the "when's or how's" of the outcome but I sure do look forward to what God does next.

Today was a classic example. As Amy and I have traded places in this shared ministry...I mean job...no, it's really a ministry...our giggling girls have graced the hallways of this establishment. It's pretty easy to tell they are adopted unless you are totally blind. I never cease to be amazed at how people keep asking how Faith, Grace, and Joi came to be part of our family. Seriously, I get called into people's offices all the time and my first thought is always, "Oh, no...who is ticked at whatever auditor decision I had to make today?" Then they smile and ask me to sit and tell me the whole story of how the girls came to live with us. Today was no exception. The owner dropped by and I got to tell him our story and how it reflects the ultimate Adoption story of God adopting us into His family through the precious sacrifice of His son Jesus. What a great opportunity! Funny thing is that he had intertwined two conversations and thought we were adopting another child over the week end! Amy and I have been pretty busy lately...maybe we should have a talk when I get home just to make sure we're all on the same page:)

Beware of what you buy your wife this Christmas!!

2008-12-10T09:19:00.002-06:00

This entry is really a public service announcement for all husbands who are "gift challenged" or suffer from "gift practicality" at Christmas time. I am offering this FREE service to help you have a Merry Christmas and a healthier marriage. You can thank me later!

http://bewareofthedoghouse.com/videoPage.aspx

Living Water

2008-11-26T14:24:00.001-06:00

So the Brook is doing this thing called Advent Conspiracy in December. I’ve been blogging like a mad man on this topic because I’m passionate about it. Why? Just read the email string below from a friend of mine who lives in Sierra Leone. He and I met in the D.C. area. Our church sent some mailers out to promote a series and Ayodele showed up at church. The next night Amy and I sat down with him and heard his story. When he left I looked at Amy and said, “now there is a man who has truly walked by faith”. Read his notes below and I think you will draw the same conclusion…

--- On Wed, 11/19/08, Richard G. Buckley wrote:
From: Richard G. Buckley
Subject: Greetings from your former pastor!
To: "Ayodele Warburton"
Date: Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 3:51 PM
Hello Ayodele,

I hope this is still a good address for you. How are you doing my friend?

I thought of you this week because our church is going to be taking up a special offering for people in Africa who live in places where the drinking water is very bad. This Christmas season we are challenging our church to step up and give above and beyond to help people have safe, clean drinking water.

We are working with an organization called Living Water International. You can read all about the project at
www.adventconspiracy.org

I noticed on the website that one of the countries LWI was focusing was Sierra Leone! Our church will be adopting this country to help. Since you are from there I was wondering if we could talk or get a short video of you telling our church what life is like in Sierra Leone. Let me know if you are interested in working with me on this project.

Where are you working now? Have you passed the BAR exam? I hope to hear from you soon!

Your friend,

Richard Buckley

Hi Pastor,
I am presently in Sierra Leone as i lost my only brother. He was buried yesterday. I am very much interested in doing the video or talk to you about the condition in Sierra Leone. I can be reached at 011 232 33 31 10 46.

I have not yet taken the bar exams as in February i had to bring my dad back to Sierra Leone as he was serious sick and my younger and only brother was the one taking care of him. But Pastor, it is well.

LIFE IS A JOURNEY

In the end, each of us will be judged by our standard of life, not by our standard of living;
by our measure of giving, not by our measure of wealth; by our simple goodness, not by
our seeming greatness.

Good day Pastor:

I want to thank you for your thoughts and prayers. I will try to get a short video from a camcorder and send it to you but let me but first let me answer the questions.

1. To God be the glory, my family went unscratched throughout the 10 years civil war. On the other hand, i lost some friends from college especially during the student demonstration when members of the military regime in collaboration with the rebels fired gun shots at students from close range.

There was also the economic hardship, when the rebels took over the city in January 1997 together with the military, there was hardly anything to eat, no form of transportation and no electricity at all.

2. The quality of drinking water is abysmal. There is water shortage in the capital city let alone the provincial areas and villages. In the area that my mum lives, water does not come to the house at all. Around midnight, my cousins will have to get up and to the public tap and queue for water. When the water is brought back to the house they have to fill out containers and barrels which they will use for the rest of the day. This is in the capital Freetown. The water that they will have to drink, will be put in a strainer to get rid of any dirt. I have been drinking bottled water since i arrived.

3. The people of Sierra Leone will welcome access to clean water. If wells are drilled and clean access to cleaning water is made available, it will go a long way to prevent diseases and sickness due to lack of clean water.

4. Please pray for those in power to have the fear of the Lord, as corruption is the order of the day. It is only when you have leaders that fear the Lord that they will be afraid to do certain things.

May God bless you.

What if this were your family?

2008-11-24T15:16:00.002-06:00

This video is not for the faint of heart...in fact it will break your heart. The good news is that thousands of Christians are conspiring to celebrate Christmas this year in a different way...by giving clean drinking water to physically help those who also need the Living Water.

Join the Advent Conspiracy and watch what God does through your simple act of obedience.

Advent Conspiracy from Gary Evans on Vimeo.

How will you worship more fully this Christmas?

2008-11-10T10:31:00.002-06:00

Check out this link Jan Owen set up to help The Brook church family share how they will be celebrating Christmas this year by embracing the four aspects of "The Advent Conspiracy". Feel free to add your story. We'd love to hear about how you will honor Christ this Christmas!

http://aworshipfulheart.typepad.com/the_brook_advent_conspira/2008/11/share-your-ideas-and-stories.html?cid=138539562#comments

What if...

2008-11-07T15:48:00.001-06:00

This video will challenge you to the core. Advent Conspiracy...are you in?

[AC] Advent Conspiracy from Jon Collins on Vimeo.

Supporting those who stand in harm's way

2008-11-03T14:17:00.001-06:00

Vote your convictions. I did.

Advent Conspiracy

2008-11-02T15:07:00.003-06:00

Check out this intro video for the Advent Conspiracy. This is a great opportunity to truly celebrare Christmas in a Christ-honoring way. The Brook Church will be taking part in this mission opportunity that will both help us focus on the real reason for Christmas as well as partnering with other churches to bring clean drinking water to people who desperately need it.

Advent Conspiracy Intro - 2008 from Robert Terrell on Vimeo.

Sipsey Wilderness Adventure

2008-10-31T15:32:00.015-05:00

Once a month I try to find the time to spend at least 24 hours in a remote location so I can have a one on one personal retreat with God. I love to backpack and be in the mountains or at least the woods. I’ve always heard Sipsey Wilderness was a great place to hike so I tried it. I usually go with another person but this time I really needed to be alone in a quiet place to pray and get into the Word. About 5 miles into my hike I found a great place to camp. It already had a primitive rock fire ring and a great place to hang my Hennessey Hammock. I knew it would be cold at night so I built a roaring fire and carried an additional eight pounds of winter gear with me. I’m glad I did because it was bone chilling when the sun went down. The best part about it was that the only sound I could hear was crickets. Talk about solitude. I sat by the fire and just prayed and listened to God. Last night was one of those times when I felt very compelled to read the book of Ephesians. It is my favorite of Paul’s letters because it reminds me of who I am in Christ and what He has done for me and how I can be victorious even in uncertain times.

Something else I really enjoy about backpacking is the correlations between walking with God and walking along a wilderness trail. Here’s what God spoke to me as I hiked and camped:

1. There were times when the trail seemed to just disappear and I had to rely on my map and orienteering skills. What a picture of life. Just when we think we are going in the right direction, the trail disappears. It’s in these times I have to rely on His Word as a spiritual compass/map to help me continue in making decisions and moving in the right direction.
2. You have to see the immediate and the big picture at the same time. When I first started hiking I was way too focused on my next step…probably because my next step was somewhere in West Virginia or Western Maryland where I stood a good chance of toppling off a cliff if I didn’t keep focused on the trail. As I gained more confidence in hiking I learned to look the next step and also enjoy the big picture. I was reminded of the delicate balance of that yesterday. I had been eying a huge rock outcropping in the distance and was trying to figure out how to get up there. But something told me to look down and I’m so glad I did. Nothing like a water moccasin to get your attention. He had been laying in the sun next to the Sipsey river and I interrupted his nap. He saw I had a couple of trekking poles and wasn’t afraid to use them and he slithered off. Another picture of life. I love to dream of God-sized things the future may bring but I have to stay focused on today as well. The serpent is always looking for a chance to strike!
3. There will always be things that go bump in the night and scare the “you know what” out of us! When I got ready to call it a night, I climbed into my hammock and crashed for a few hours and was rudely awakened by something rummaging around my campground. There is nothing like the sound of a buck snort to get your heart racing…especially since I heard a friend’s story of being chased by a black bear the day before. I had tons of things going through my mind like “do I turn on my head light to get a few of whatever this animal is”, “do I reach for my pistol?” Whatever it was it left and I went back to sleep only to be awakened by the occasional sound of a fox or screech owl in the distance. Talk about some freaky sounds in the middle of the night! I decided that I really want a set of night vision goggles so I can get a better look at whatever is checking me out next time. The cool thing is that I know God is my protector. When unexpected things come up, I know He is there. He has never left me and never forsaken me…even in my darkest, scariest moments.
4. Baggage…we’ve all got it. Since it was so cold at night I had to pack some extra winter gear. My pack weighed 43 pounds. That gets pretty heavy about mile 8 and it feels great to take the backpack off. It’s funny because you get used to walking a certain way with all the extra baggage and once you shed it, it takes a few minutes to adjust to a walk with no baggage. I’m so glad that Jesus is continually showing me how to shed the extra baggage that is weighing me down. I want my walk to be free from all the junk that weighs us all down!.

Here’s a few pics of the trip. Who’s up for a wilderness adventure that comes with lots of God moments that will refresh your spiritual life?

You haven't lived until you have climbed one of these on a windy day! OK...I know your not supposed to...and I didn't climb this one...but I have climbed several in New Mexico and Maryland and the views are amazing! Where do I sign up to be a forest ranger!

Fasting and Prayer

2008-10-26T19:22:00.002-05:00

I have practiced the spiritual discipline of fasting on numerous occasions. God has always been faithful to give me direction in the midst uncertain situations. Once again, I find myself in the position of needing to fast and pray in making some huge decisions. This morning we called the entire Brook Church to pray and fast for almost a month concerning every aspect of the transition the church is going through. We will be praying and fasting together until November 23 (Vision Day). Check out this video of how and why our staff will be fasting. After watching let us know..."how will you be fasting and praying?

Fasting from Jan Owen on Vimeo.

I'm watching you!

2008-10-25T20:50:00.002-05:00

The girls and I used this quick video as a discussion starter this evening as our devotion time together:

After watching it, I asked what kind of stuff they were watching for and what made them feel loved and secure. See their answers below the video.

Here's their answers:

1. Watching how daddy treats mommy.
2. Daddy works out so he can walk us down the aisle and live long enough to see his grandkids.
3. Daddy protects us from evil things.
4. Daddy takes us on dates to show us how ladies are supposed to be treated.
5. It's nice to hear daddy say "I love you."
6. You read us stories and tell us about God.
7. You take us on hiking trips to explore God's creation
8. You let us eat junk food when mommy is out of town and let us stay up later! ;)

Advent Conspiracy

2008-10-22T14:07:00.004-05:00

If you are like most people, you will soon be fully immersed in all the major decisions that go with the Christmas season. The checklist of "to do's" includes:
1. The delicate act of balancing time at your parents and the in-laws without slighting anyone.
2. The super-human effort it takes to work all the extra events into your already crowded schedule.
3. If you are one of those super organized people, you will also carve out time to write one of those "here's what happened in our family" letters chronicling all the exciting blessings of the past year.
4. Due to the sagging economy this year we will also have the extra added stress of thinking through flying or driving, getting everyone a present or drawing names, etc.

If we were really honest, I think we would have to admit there are just some things about the holiday season we pretty much dread... like warp speed schedules, spending time in over-crowded malls (I don't do malls...Thank God for Ebay.com and Overstock.com!) and a little too much focus on giving stuff that will be broken or forgotten by next Christmas.

If you serve in ministry, you get the "double whammy" effect. On top of all the regular person stuff, you have an incredibly crowded December schedule that Superman himself couldn't keep up with. Think about it. Extra rehearsals, the adult musical, the children's musical, the special event that nobody even knows why we do it, and of course the feeling of obligation to make it to as many Christmas parties as possible. Church people are really good at saying stuff like "if you would come to our special event it would really say so much about how important this ministry is to our church". Nothing like a little church peer pressure to make the holiday festive!

Sometimes I think we automatically shift into "Christmas season overdrive" in ministry. As much as we want everyone to have a special Christmas season, I wonder if we don't over program ourselves to death and leave ourselves and our church family thinking "This schedule is over the top and I can't wait until all this insanity is behind us. I actually know minister's children who absolutely dread the month of December!

Before you think I am the world's biggest Scrooge, I want you to know I am all in favor of celebrating Christ's incarnation. What Paul said in 2 Co. 9:15 echoes my exact sentiments for Advent (the first coming of Christ). "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" What a perfect declaration for the miracle of the virgin birth, God dwelling with us as our Immanuel. My commitment to my family each year is to make sure we truly worship the Lord vs. getting all caught up in the Christmas chaos that engulfs so many Christians. We limit our activities in favor of carefully selected and meaningful events. We limit our gifts in favor of special family moments and giving to our favorite missions.

This year The Brook Church is going to be encouraging all our families to do four things:

• Worship fully (Giving God our presence vs. just focusing on getting presents)
• Spend less (Not defining a "good Christmas" through material gifts)
• Give more (Giving your time, talents, and treasures in honor of Jesus)
• Love all (Getting involved in missions through a financial offering and a family project)

I will be blogging about this quite a bit from now through the Christmas. So will other Brook ministry staff. I hope you will check out the link below and see just how far reaching this Christmas could be if we all committed to the "Advent Conspiracy".

http://www.adventconspiracy.org/

Puppets Rock the House!

2008-10-20T08:13:00.010-05:00

Check out this video of The Brook's children's ministry puppet team in action for the very first time. Amazing stuff for their debut!

Vision = a comprehensive plan

2008-10-16T12:10:00.002-05:00

This is a great post comparing schools and churches and who has the better plan to promote growth. The point is that the church should have a clear and compelling vision that is not just kept before people in words but actually carried out with results.

The Brook staff has spent several months working on a comprehensive vision. We are sharing part of it with our ministry heads tonight and will be sharing the whole thing with other leaders and the rest of the church in coming days. I think you will be pumped about how everything fits together and how this vision helps us keep the big picture in mind.

Check this out: http://swerve.lifechurch.tv/2008/10/14/guest-blog-gina-mcclain-2/

What legacies will we leave?

2008-10-15T19:25:00.006-05:00

I wonder if times got really tough in America...would our children have stories like this to tell?

Check out this amazing story of how one man's faithfulness has touched so many lives.

Rachel Davidsaver - Testimony from McKinney Church on Vimeo.

Rick and Bubba Day

2008-10-10T12:12:00.000-05:00

We all got up at 4am this morning and headed to Birmingham to sit in the golden ticket seats to watch the Rick and Bubba Show. It was totally worth getting the fam up so early! We made a quick McDonalds stop before entering the studio and enjoyed a couple of hours of the show. We met Rick, Bubba, Greg, Speedy, and several interns. Everyone was super nice and of course Rick and Bubba were hilarious! The funniest part was when they did our "shout out". Rick misread Joi's name as "Jay" so now we have a new nickname for her. We also got our official "Rick and Bubba for President" shirts.

Just in case you ever wonder what they do during commercial breaks, they go chow down on guest-brought food, come talk to the studio audience, Bubba throws a tennis ball against a window, and Rick plays a set of drums that are there for when they have musical guests in studio.

It was a great trip and one I highly recommend as a family friendly outing!

Another breakthrough

2008-10-06T14:47:00.003-05:00

Conversation Club was a blast today. We had two new visitors from Taiwan and Macao (I had to look this one up!)

We started today with three games that all dealt with thinking on your feet and spontaneous conversation (Concentration, Story round about, and Memory game). It was a good educational tool and it was also hilarious which breaks down all kinds of cultural barriers.

Lunch consisted of sticky rice chicken, Asian veggie salad, sesame rolls, tofu something and some lotus leaves that I tried to eat but found out it was just a garnish. Sorry, but if it's on a plate, I will try to eat it! I'm pretty sure I could give Andrew Zimmern of "Bizarre Foods" a run for his money.

Our study of Joseph has been a huge hit. Our group totally relates to Joseph's move to another country, going through trials, learning a new language and culture, etc.
Our text today (Gen. 42) led to a great discussion of how Joseph's brothers felt guilty for their sin and that led to some classic questions like:
1. Does this story have a happy ending?
2. How can there be a good God when there is so much tragedy in the world?
3. What do you do with feelings of guilt and regret?

It is totally amazing that God has allowed us to come to the point of praying and studying the Bible together each week. Not only does it help our group with word definitions, grammar rules, reading skills, story comprehension, but it also helps the group see their very real need for God's love and provision.

Several of us had the chance to share our stories of how we came into a relationship with Christ and how we no longer fall under condemnation and how our faith in Christ helps us lead lives that are full of peace vs. guilt.

I had to leave after 2 1/2 hours and the group was still talking and having a blast. This ministry is truly an amazing gift from God. Each week brings incredible experiences. Please pray for us that we would be sensitive to God's leadership and that we would truly see lives changed through this God-given ministry.

Cletus take the reel

2008-10-05T21:26:00.001-05:00

Here's a video dedicated to all my fishing buds...and a special dedication to Phil.

FALL BREAK IS HERE!!

2008-10-04T21:05:00.004-05:00

This is my (Faith) first time blogging, as a guest blogger, for daddy. (I hope I do well so he'll let me to it again!!) Finally, fall break is here!! We have been waiting for a whole 9 weeks for this one week. Several families from school are going to be out of town, but we're gonna be different and chill at home. This week, we'll watch some of our favorite shows like Survivor, Amazing Race, Biggest Loser, America's Toughest Jobs, Tougher in Alaska, and some good ball games. So far, we've stayed up late, slept in late, and we went shopping and watched Beverly Hills Chihuahua. We all thought it was a very intriguing and funny movie. It's a good family movie that we recommend.

Wednesday, Grandma and Grandpa Buckley are coming from Oklahoma!! We are very excited!! They'll be here for my 13th birthday, too (I'll be an official teenager)! I'm growing so fast that my parents have to buy me new clothes! For our birthdays, the birthday person gets to pick which restaurant she/he wants to go to. I'll probably pick Nothin' But Noodles because I absolutly LOVE noodles!!!

We have been dog-sitting our friends dogs (Rascal and Abby) for a week now. I really like to dog-sit. It's fun for me and Shadow!! Shadow (a huge labradoodle) considers Rascal (a tiny boston terrier) a little play toy. She wants to carry him around the house and show him off.

And finally, we hope to go on a couple of hiking or fishing trips. Hopefully, you've enjoyed my very first guest blog!!
P.S. Tell my daddy I did a good job so he'll let me do this again!)

Fireproof

2008-10-04T08:04:00.004-05:00

Last night Amy and I enjoyed a night out at Bridgestreet. We hit Cantina Larado where I totally annialated the Fiesta dinner (ribs, quail, chicken, shrimp). We then saw the new movie Fireproof. It is a must see. You should take your spouse. It will remind you of what marriage is supposed to be all about.

Watch the trailer below and read Focus on the Family's review, then go have a date. You'll be glad you did!

Fireproof the movie

Plugged in online review from Focus on the Family

Greatest Wife in the World

2008-10-03T08:22:00.004-05:00

After being married 20 years, Amy knows me inside and out. She continually amazes me by thinking of fun stuff we can do as a couple and as a family. Next Friday we will take an early morning trip to Birmingham to watch the The Rick and Bubba Show. I cannot believe she scored us such sweet tickets! We actually get to sit in the coveted "golden ticket seats" and be part of the in-studio audience. Since it's fall break we get to take the girls as well. They are hooked on the show because we listen every day as I take them to school. The show always leads to some interesting discussions of current events from a Christian perspective...and get some laughs at the same time. If you are in the Huntsville, AL area make sure you listen to The River (100.3) on Oct. 10. We're hoping to get a shout out and extra props for bringing Rick and Bubba's favorite dessert of the day! Let the countdown to Rick and Bubba begin!

Overwhelmed or overjoyed...your choice

2008-10-02T05:52:00.004-05:00

I am really being challenged reading through the book of Exodus from a leader's perspective. Today I read Exodus 6:1-9. Be encouraged as you read these insights!

1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country."

2 God also said to Moses, "I am the LORD. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them. 4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they lived as aliens. 5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.

6 "Therefore, say to the Israelites: 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.'"

9 Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and cruel bondage.

Ex 6:1-9 (NIV)

Things to remember when eveything around you seems chaotic, unpredictable, and generally "not good":

vs 1: God is still speaking...are you in listening mode or too freaked out to be still and listen?

vs. 1: God knows how to deal with our adversary(satan). God's mighty hand will cause our adversary to "let us go"

vs.2: We live under an forever covenant made with God through Christ. No matter what my emotions say or what the situation may look like, we are in a covenant relationship with God and He will keep his part of the covenant by protecting us and helping us.

vs. 5: God hears your groaning...He knows what enslaves you.

vs. 6: He will bring you out of all that enslaves and redeem us through an outstreched arm (what a great picture of the cross!)

vs. 7: Never forget...as a believer you are part of His own people and He is your God.

vs. 8: If you trust Him and cooperate with Him, He will bring you to the place He has prepared for you and you will possess what He already has in mind for you

vs. 9: Huge warning: don't be so jaded and spiritually out of tune that you don't listen to God's promises because you are overwhelmed by discouragement and cruel bondage. He is our Encourager and Liberator.

The God who sees our misery

2008-09-30T05:42:00.004-05:00

7 The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey--the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."

Ex 3:7-10 (NIV)

When you find yourself in difficult situations that seem to be hopeless, remember:
1. God sees your misery. It doesn't matter if it's misery you brought on yourself or misery someone else created. He sees your misery.
2. God hears when you cry out. He knows what enslaves you and He loves to deliver the helpless who humble themselves before Him.
3. God is concerned about your suffering. He is so concerned that "he came down to rescue us..." What a great picture of what Jesus came to be as our Rescuer.
4. God wants to bring you into a good and spacious land. God's ultimate desire, even in the midst of trials, is that you live an Exodus 19:4 life where you allow Him to bring you to Himself. So don't just seek His hand for what He can do for you but seek His face for who He is. Then it won't matter if He delivers you now or later. You will be in that good and spacious place with Him.

Coming close to the fire

2008-09-29T05:37:00.003-05:00

I've been reading through the book of Exodus lately and getting some much needed leadership insights. If you are a leader of any type, I hope the Lord encourages you through these words.

1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight--why the bush does not burn up."
Ex 3:1-3 (NIV)

1. A good leader tends to those God has given him. He spends time with them and leads them into the very presence of God.
2. A humble leader understands that those that God has given him to shepherd are God's and he will stand before God one day and be accountable for them.
3. A pesistent leader is willing to lead God's flock to the "far side" instead of settling on the closest place of comfort.
4. A leader with a sense of spiritual curiosity is always seeking to find where God is at work.
5. A growing leader understands that fire represents God's desire to cleanse and refine a leader so he will be useful to the Master. Clean hands and a pure heart are an imperitive for God to use a leader.

I Believe...

2008-09-25T08:11:00.003-05:00

Check out this amazing video done by Gregory Jones from The Brook. It truly captures the excitement of what God has done the last 10 years and it clearly shows that there is a sense of expectation and momentum as we look towards the future!

I Believe - 10 Years at The Brook from Jan Owen on Vimeo.

The Brook Cardboard Testimonies

2008-09-22T22:18:00.002-05:00

The Brook's 10th Anniversary cardboard testimonies. This is only a glimpse into what God has and continues to do! Astounding!

Cardboard Testimonies from Jan Owen on Vimeo.

Blown Away!

2008-09-21T15:03:00.006-05:00

I was totally blown away by what the Lord did today at the Brook! It is such an honor to be a part of such an amazing church. The Lord really used our worship time today. The place really exploded with powerful expressions of worship. It's fun to be part of a church that isn't afraid to celebrate by shooting off confetti cannons, dance, raise our hands in worship, etc. You could feel the Spirit moving even before the service started. It was great to have everyone in one big special service...although I wouldn't want to do it every week because I know God is going to bless us with tremendous growth!

It was fun to tag team with Josh and Jan. We have had some good times planning for this special day and knew God was going to do something really amazing, but we really didn't anticipate some of the special reactions before, during, and after the service. I met tons of people, got to pray with several people with people who are sincerely seeking God, and just really had a great time hanging out at the picnic afterwards pigging out on some awesome hamburgers!

I can't wait to get the video of our cardboard testimonies. Even though we had walked through it several times before this morning it was still extremely powerful and emotional. I hope to have some video posted very soon! As I watched the crowd it was obvious people were overwhelmed because of the picture of lives changed for all eternity. It was so great to have so many families from our Conversation Club there today. Thank you Sue Ann for taking the time to personally invite these wonderful families! I could tell they were really impacted by everything that happened this morning. I bet it will make for some great conversation tomorrow!

So what's next? We start a brand new series called "Momentum". This series is being designed to cast vision for our next steps at The Brook. We strongly believe that God has greater things in store and we want to fully embrace His plans. I think you will be greatly challenged as we look at things that cause us to take steps forward as well as things that cause us to lose momentum as a church. Come ready to be challenged and changed by our Awesome God who never fails to amaze us!

The Brook 10 Year Anniversary

2008-09-17T14:27:00.003-05:00

As we celebrate The Brook's 10th anniversary on Sept. 21st, we will be sharing our "cardboard testimonies". Here is an example of what it will look like. It has great potential to be one of the most powerful God-moments we've ever experienced!

Watch is here or check it out on my Facebook page at:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1473690734

Why I still date my wife

2008-09-11T15:02:00.002-05:00

Amy and I celebrated 20 years of marriage this year! As newlyweds we agreed that we would continue to go out on dates on a regular basis. I truly believe that making this a priority has tremendously helped us keep our relationship close and fresh. We take turns planning the dates and put a lot of thought into each date. We have two rules: we can't talk about kids or work. It really helps us focus on us.

Here's a few of our favorite dates...

Huntsville, Alabama area
1. We love concerts. We recently saw Kathleen Carnali and have plans to see Toby Mac in December. Can't wait!
2. Picnics in unusual places. My favorite place is a spot on Rainbow Mountain overlooking Madison. Great view and very romantic place on a huge rock.
3. We are coffee fiends and love the simplicity of talking over a Vente Caramel Macchiato at Starbucks. It never gets old.
4. When we run out of money before we run out of month, we have "in dates". We pretty much banish the girls to their side of the house and we enjoy snuggling up and watching movies. I have grown to appreciate chick flix and Amy has grown to appreciate movies about Alaska!
5. Sitting alone anywhere and making each other laugh. My favorite sound in all the world is Amy's laugh.

When we lived in the Washington D.C. area, we had tons of places explore. Our most memorable ones were...
1. Jumping on the Metro and stopping at ethnic restaraunts. There were so many to chose from. The food was amazing and the environment was always memorable.
2. Exploring all 14 Smithonian museums. It never got old.
3. Touring the first president's home (Mt. Vernon) and the sitting president's home (White House) in the same week was an amazing experience.
4. Wolftrap in VA. A great outdoor venue for concerts.
5. Taking walks in the snow and sledding down the parsonage hill.
6. We took ballroom dancing lessons. It was hysterical. We're not quite ready for "Dancing with the Stars" but we really enjoyed the moves and laughing until we cried!

Our big celebrations (anniversaries, birthdays, etc) are usually something over the top. Here's our favorites:
1. Taking a dinner yacht cruise on the Potomac at night. Great food and views of the monuments all lit up at night.
2. Kidnap dates. This typically involves packing a bag and saying "just trust me" and driving to the airport and flying to another city for a night on the town and a stay in a nice hotel.
3. King/Queen for the day: This is an all day date that where you get to do whatever you want all day long. Its a great chance to serve your spouse for an extended period of time and makes it fun to return the favor.

Our dream date
1. For Amy it would be anywhere there is a beach.
2. For me, it would be anywhere there is a mountain.

I'm thinking we need to move to Hawaii so we can enjoy both!

Future Preacher! Get ready to laugh!

2008-09-09T12:41:00.002-05:00

Fishing Fiasco

2008-09-06T13:44:00.004-05:00

I took Grace and Joi fishing this morning...scratch that...I fished and they did everything but...

It's not that they didn't want to fish. The desire was there but their casting capabilities still leave a little to be desired. Too many backlashes, tree bass, near misses in almost hooking the " daddy fish" left the girls thinking it would be more fun to nap fish and climb trees. I must admit...I wasn't on my "A" game today. In one cast alone I lost my favorite lure and half a Walmart fishing pole. Don't EVER buy one of those cheapo two piece rods. Half of it will end up in the pond! Next time I go after the big bass I'm bringing my graphite ugly stick and a bunch of worms so the girls can catch crappie all day long. Grandpa, hurry up and move to 'Bama. We need your help!

It's all good though. We had a blast! I do have to fix one thing. Amy is going to kill me for not noticing that Grace wore her new school shoes and got them REALLY messed up! Gotta go clean some shoes!

Amazing Grace!

2008-08-31T23:31:00.002-05:00

Sept. 2 is Grace's "Gottcha Day" when we celebrate the day Grace came into our family 9 1/2 years ago. Here's some amazing stuff about Grace...
1. She should be an Olympic gymnast. She can pretty much turn herself into a pretzel whenever she wants. I wish I had her flexibility.
2. She loves staying up late and IM'ing her friends. Why in the world did I ever tell her about the whole IM'ing thing!
3. She loves being in third grade and is making straight A's at Providence Classical School.
4. She loves any dessert ever created. I am amazed at how much sweet stuff she can consume.
5. She is extremely adventurous. She once hiked with me up the side of Cunningham Falls in Maryland.
6. She just learned how to bass fish with a plastic worm and loves it.
7. Her smile lights up the room!
8. She has an amazing imagination.
9. She is in training for the Presidential Fitness Award...and making daddy work out with her daily.
10. Her love language is gifts. She loves to get a gift no matter how big or small.

We love you Grace...you are so amazing!

Me and my peeps!

2008-08-31T21:07:00.002-05:00

This Labor Day Weekend Amy flew to Dallas to spend a few days with her mom. The girls and I planned a special week end that was a blast. We started Friday night with the "stay up at late as possible contest" followed by the "sleep in as long as you can contest". Faith won both contests hands down. I wimp out by 10:30pm.

I am getting ready for a three day Appalachian Trail hike so I took the girls to Rainbow Mountain on Saturday. They are now able to complete the entire Rainbow Mountain trail loop. It's taken a few years but they are now hooked on hiking. Faith and I are doing an overnighter to celebrate her 13th birthday. Can't wait!

Saturday night we grilled some salmon followed by roasting some marshmallows. I don't recommend that combo but the girls like it so it's cool! We topped off Saturday night by watching the Crimson Tide beat the stew out of Clemson. This may be my first year in a long time to truly savor Alabama football!

Sunday we attended The Brook. Grace and Joi were pumped about going to Big Church followed by Faith Factory. Faith enjoyed keeping track of my mispronounced and newly created words! I have no idea why I cannot say the word "statistics" anymore! We finished off Sunday night by going fishing. I found a primo fishing spot not too far from the house. I'm slowly teaching the girls to fish. On my second cast tonight I caught a large mouth bass. My girls were very impressed and they kept casting in the same spot all night. No more fish were caught but the girls didn't hook each other with their new and crazy casting skills so I considered that a victory!

An interview with the Conversation Club

2008-08-26T06:01:00.018-05:00

We recently had our Conversation Club participants interview each other to get to know each better and to practice their writing skills. Check out the interviews below and enjoy. Also, if you know someone from a different country that is looking to gain confidence in speaking/writing in English or wanting to spend time with people from their native country, please invite them to the Conversation Club!

THE BROOK - CONVERSATION CLUB NEWS – Special Interviews Edition

Dateline August 18, 2008

INTERVIEW WITH BARBY
By Laura

Today I spoke to Barby.

She came from Colombia eight years ago. She lives here in Harvest, near The Brook.

Barby’s favorite athlete is Juan Pablo Montoya, who is a Formula 1 auto racer. He is from Colombia, too. Barby says Juan Pablo is a goal achiever.

I also asked Barby about her most memorable vacation. She remembers with joy traveling with her family when she was 12 years old from Bogota to Sta. Martha. With her parents, brothers and sisters, she greatly enjoyed going to the beach.

Barby’s dreams for the future include traveling to Paris, Italy and maybe China.

INTERVIEW WITH LAURA

By Barby

Today I interviewed Laura, a lady from Ecuador. She has been in the USA since 2006. We talked about her favorite Olympic athlete, her most memorable vacation, and her dreams for the future.

Laura admires Michael Phelps, a famous swimmier in the 2008 Olympics going on right now in Beijing. She believes he is an achiever, and he is a young man who is working hard to reach his dreams.

Laura’s dreams for the future is to be a missionary. She wants to preach and teach about the Bible in areas surrounding Ecuador.
The final topic we talked about was Laura’s most memorable vacation. She traveled to Niagara Falls with her sister, brother-in-law and niece. She was very happy, but at the same time she said she was sad because she was without her immediate family.

INTERVIEW WITH KAI
By Tomoko

Today I spoke to Kai of Madison, who is from China. She talked to me merrily about her most memorable vacation. This July, she went to the Grand Canyon with her family.

She saw nature, which God made. She felt the strength and the power from nature. She thought God is the strongest, and beyond our world.

INTERVIEW WITH TOMOKO
By Kai

Today I interviewed Tomoko of Huntsville, Alabama, who came here from Japan. We talked about her favorite Olympic player, a Japanese swimmer -- Kitajima.

Tomoko says that in this Beijing Olympics, Kitajima got two gold medals, and in the last Olympic games he also won two gold medals. That means he kept his record this year in the 100 meters and 200 meters breaststroke. Tomoko likes Kitajima because he can outdo himself and overcome pressure.

INTERVIEW WITH LI-PING

By Toshiko

Today I spoke to Li-Ping, who now lives in Madison, Alabama. She came to Madison 25 years ago from Taiwan.

Li-Ping’s favorite Olympic athlete is Michael Phelps, who had just won gold medal #8 in the Beijing Olympics.

Li-Ping admires Phelps because of the effort he put forth to reach his goal. (Go, USA!)

INTERVIEW WITH TOSHIKO

By Li-Ping

I spoke to Toshiko today, who came from Japan three and one-half years ago to live in Madison, Alabama.

Toshiko’s favorite Olympic athlete is Kosuke Kitajima, because he won the Beijing Olympics gold medal for the breaststroke. Kitajima was also the gold medalist in the Atlanta Olympic games.

(Editor’s note: Another fan of Kitajima is Toshiko’s friend Tomoko Takahashi, whose interview is printed above. Go Japan!)

INTERVIEW WITH MEGUMI
By Wei

Megumi is a nice, world-traveling Japanese girl, who lives in Madison, Alabama, USA. In her traveling history, Australia is Megumi’s most memorable country, because she likes nature and enjoys living with the animals.

It was summer when Megumi visited a big Australian zoo, which was a quiet and beautiful place. She saw many kinds of animals – for example, kangaroos, emus, and koalas – which she had never seen before. In her opinion, they are so nice and special.

Megumi especially liked the koalas, because they look warm and calm. She held a little gray koala and touched its fur, which was rough, warm and thick. The feeling was calm and close. At that time Megumi suddenly felt how great God is, and because of her strong feeling asked a person to take a picture for her.

Even today Megumi misses her time in Australia. She often brings out the photo of herself and the koala bear, and remembers the feelings of peace and closeness with nature.

INTERVIEW WITH WEI

By Megumi

Today I spoke to Wei of Madison, Alabama, who is originally from China.

Wei traveled to Quebec City, Canada, last winter, where she stayed at the Emperor Hotel.

In this hotel, Wei enjoyed seeing many paintings and sculpture, because she is interested in European art.

INTERVIEW WITH AUGUSTA

By Sue Ann

Today I had the privilege of interviewing August. We spent time talking about her most memorable vacation, when she and her family went to St. Petersburg, Russia.

The year was 2001, and Augusta was only ten years old. Her mother, who is originally from Russia, wanted to share with her family the country where their roots came from.

Augusta said the country was so beautiful! It was winter, so there was a lot of snow, and it was very cold.

Her most memorable memory of the trip was that the food was so different than food in her home country France, and that the people were very poor. She said that the Russian church was beautiful, as was the Hermitage Museum, where the Princess Anastasia lived in the early 20th century.

For Augusta, it was very interesting to see how her ancestors had lived in earlier days.

INTERVIEW WITH SUE ANN
By Augusta

Today I interviewed Miss Sue Ann about her most memorable vacation, which took place in Orlando, Florida, during the summer of 2000, with her family.

Her family was all together in Disney World for six days. It was very hot, but SueAnn was happy to spend time with her family, enjoying a new adventure together in fun places like the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, MGM, Epcot and others.

The only long and boring moment was the travel to go to Disney World, eleven hours of driving! But actually, SueAnn says, it was wonderful, too. They saw a lot of different landscapes and different states.

So, to sum up, SueAnn would say that vacationing in Disney World is a good idea, to spend time with family, when you have young children.

EDITOR’S NOTE:

The ladies of Conversation Club at The Brook Church in Madison are a diverse, interesting and talented group, with many fascinating stories to tell and ideas to share. It is a privilege to be part of that group, and to get to know these dear people from all parts of the world.

I am sure that each of them would extend a warm and cordial welcome to anyone seeking good friendship, delicious lunches, challenging conversation, and lots of laughs, as we practice English language skills, learn about each other’s lives and cultures, and use the Bible to improve our vocabularies and enrich our lives.

COME AND JOIN US!

Bibles Unbound

2008-08-24T19:21:00.002-05:00

Tonight we watched the closing ceremonies of the Olympics in China and afterward we had an incredible family moment. We pray for and support persecuted Christians in places like China through an Oklahoma based ministry called Voices of the Martyrs. VOM has a ministry that sends Bibles to Christians in places were it is illegal to have a Bible.

We sent 10 Chinese language Bibles for $90 (including postage) and also received the specific names of people who will be receiving the Bibles.

Check out www.biblesunbound.com for more info on this incredible ministry. Our girls were so excited to take part in this mission project!

Wii-retreat: the video

2008-08-20T14:18:00.003-05:00

We bought our kids a Wii for Christmas but I must admit I enjoy it just as much as the girls. Our staff enjoyed Wii tennis last night after a day of intense staff planning. Good team building stuff! I'm getting better...no ceiling fans were taken out during this match!

wii-treat 2008

2008-08-20T06:58:00.001-05:00

Staff Retreat 2008 at Henry Horton State Park in TN. Very good sessions to start the day followed by awesome BBQ ribs. We have also found a great stress reliever in playing Wii to end the day. Thinking about making wii-treats mandatory!

Working on uploading the video. It's hilarious...stay tuned!

Go with me Daddy!

2008-08-16T18:14:00.003-05:00

I love Saturdays! It's our family day where we rest, unwind, and make some memories. Today we went to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. We've been there before but our children we all preschoolers. There is so much more to do when they get a little older. We loved the rockets and the rides.

What I love about our girls is that they are willing to be adventurous as long as Amy or I are there to cheer them on. Grace was pretty nervous about climbing the rock wall today and had talked herself out of it. All I had to do was say "let's to it together" and she strapped on the harness and away we went. With me by her side she was strong and courageous. We talked the whole way up the wall and had a blast repelling back down. The look on her face afterwards was priceless. It reminded me of the time she and I climbed up the side of Cunningham Falls in Maryland. As long as I was there, she was willing to go places she would never go by herself.

What a great picture of how God goes with us. He gives us strength and courage for the journey and He allows us to have victory in areas where we would be fearful without Him. Deut. 31:6 says "Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid of them! The LORD your God will go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you."

Hopefully Grace will remember more than a fun climb today. My prayer is that every time she remembers today she will be be filled with courage to be the adventurous Christian God has called her to be and that He is right there with her encouraging her on the journey. I hope she knows that with the Lord's strength she can climb the El Capitan of challenges and stand on top of every challenge knowing God's ability to continually take her to new heights!

15 Facinating things about Faith

2008-08-13T19:04:00.003-05:00

This past week we celebrated Faith's Spiritual Birthday by going to her favorite restaurant, Nothing but Noodles. She is about to turn 13 but she is 7 years old in the Lord. To be honest I was somewhat surprised when she started asking so many spiritual questions at the age of 4 1/2. Not just simple questions but deep stuff. Every evening at bedtime was like a systematic theology quiz for me. I knew early on that God had given her a tremendous appetite for the things of the Lord. I remember how intently she would listen to Christian radio and ask what the lyrics meant and how she loved to act out the story of David and Goliath every night. I must have been nailed in the forehead a million times with whatever she wanted to use as a rock. While I hurt myself a few times falling off the bed, I must admit it was worth it because she learned "the battle is the Lord's" at an early age! To celebrate Faith's Spiritual Bday, here's a few of my favorite things about her...

She loves to listen to Rick and Bubba with me on the way to school. We have upcoming tickets to sit in the golden ticket seats but that is a whole other blog!
She has a dry sense of humor just like me.
She likes hiking with me and is pumped about a new rite of passage for our daughters. When they turn 13 they will each get to go on an overnight backpacking adventure in a special place. I'm thinking she will like the waterfalls at Sypsey Wilderness.
She loves to listen to Wally on Total Axxess every night.
She has already taught our 5 month old labradoodle how to sit, shake, stay, high five, and lay down.
She is like her "Robo Rev" dad in that she loves anything to do with technology.
Her favorite subjects in school are math, latin, and science. She wants to be a librarian/teacher some day but I'm wondering if she's got some engineer in her?
She has totally got me hooked on watching Hannah Montana. I'm sure I'll need counseling for this, but it's worth it.
She makes really crazy faces when we make her eat veggies. She claims she is allergic to all veggies but we aren't buying it.
She has amazing dreams every night and is able to tell us in great detail the most hilarious dreams every morning. It's always a great way to start our day!
She loves a good mystery and is all about puzzles.
She gives the world's greatest back rubs.
She never grows tired of hearing me tell her "growing up" stories.
She likes practicing Jujitsu with me. Sometimes it gets pretty rough but I try not to cry.
She is turning into a young woman way too fast for me but I'm pumped that she still likes to sit on my lap and snuggle.

Happy 7th Faith! I love you lots!

Humility

2008-08-11T06:55:00.002-05:00

I've been reading James in my QT and James 3:13 really spoke to me this morning...

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom
James 3:13 (NIV)

I desperately need God's wisdom and understanding. If I ignore what He is trying to say to me if impacts my life and those around me. It also shows that I am self-sufficient vs. dependent on Him.

Tony Morgan had a great post on our need for HUMILITY recently. It really spoke to me and to the root of so many unresolved issues in families and churches. Get ready to be toe-stomped!

http://tonymorganlive.com/2008/08/07/humility/

Can you imagine how different things would be if we were all truly as humble as we should be!

Out of nowhere

2008-08-06T09:17:00.003-05:00

When I work out I typically require two things: an element of risk/adventure and my ipod blaring my favorite tunes. I've had lots of great adventures lately learning about some pretty amazing bike trails around our house. So far I've learned most country roads have a mean dog as a security system and they will chase you and try to bite you. I've also learned what gear to put it in when you accidentally ride through a bumble bee swarm and what to do when you come face to face with a rattle snake on the bike trail.

This morning I attempted to have a "normal person" work out. I rode my bike through a new neighborhood and was enjoying looking at houses in various stages of construction. I was even listening to mellow music on my nano. I was thinking through some things God spoke to me this morning and worshipping on this "normal person" work out.

All the sudden, everything changed. As I was minding my own business I saw two construction workers in the distance. As soon as they saw me, they dropped their tools and started running. Being the observant person I am, I thought "This cannot be good!" I could hear them yelling something but I knew they weren't yelling at me. I had my tunes cranked so I couldn't hear their exact words but I can read lips pretty good and I recognized some verbage I used to use. Again, I thought this cannot be good!

Then I saw what all the commotion was about. One of the guys took his dog to work. Both these guys were yelling at the dog telling it to stay still and not attack me. At first the dog stayed in the yard but the thought of biting me was just too tempting. So the dog bolted straight for me and he was all teeth.

In a fleeting moment I considered my options. I could:

Peddle faster to try to get away. I knew that wouldn't work because he was huge and already biting my shoe.
Kick him or mace him. Probably not the best idea since construction workers don't take kindly to people messing with their dogs!
Start humming a new song I learned from my friend Phil. I really wasn't into humming at the moment though.

So I did what seemed extremely counter intuitive and slowed down and talked gently to the dog. It took a couple of phrases and some direct eye contact but it worked. He totally backed off and walked away.

As I was riding home to change my shorts, I was reminded that that "out of nowhere" experience is alot like our most intense exchanges with people. That dog was simply trying to protect his turf. He felt threatened and did what came naturally.

People do the same thing. We all have go into protection mode at times. In certain situations we tend to feel threatened or scared and we start baring our teeth. It can get pretty ugly at times, but I am reminded that just like this morning, the Word says "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Prov 15:1 (NIV)

A gentle answer this morning spared me the pain of being bitten. A gentle answer in my next volatile discussion with someone will not only spare the pain but will go a long ways towards helping someone see that words are either weapons of destruction or encouragement. The choice is ours.

Notes to self: don't ride down that same street until the houses are done. Check into this "Dog Whispering" thing. It might make for some good reality TV!

What a mess

2008-08-05T12:31:00.006-05:00

My brother in law and I decided we would go mountain biking the other day. I have a couple of routes close to home that take me through some incredibly beautiful places. While they aren't really bike paths these places provide an intense workout.

Everything was cool until we hit an area that was really muddy from all the rain. We were too far into this muddy adventure to turn around and mud was getting caked into our gears and brakes. It didn't help that Billy had brand new white tennis shoes on! We finally made our way back to a road and when we hit the pavement all that mud on our tires started flying up on us. By the time we got home we looked like we had been mud wrestling.

As I was washing my bike off and pulling hunks of mud from my brakes it hit me that our muddy adventure is alot like ministry. God has called us to minister to people that are in some pretty messy places. Ministry often takes some unexpected turns and we get immersed in all kinds of "stuff".

Solomon said it well in Proverbs 14:4 Ministry is messy stuff. but God has a way of blessing the mess. He has called us to come alongside all types of people who have all kinds of hurts. It's impossible to keep things nice and tidy. But just like our muddy bike ride, the adventure is well worth it. Investing time, effort, and energy in people's lives means we pretty much get covered with stuff (painful experiences, hurt feelings, misunderstandings, conflict, etc). Ministry isn't a smooth ride with perfect conditions, but God's promise is that in the end those who live a Gal. 6:9 life will know the joy of an abundant harvest that only God can bring.

Daddy Daughter Dates

2008-08-03T21:05:00.004-05:00

We have a long standing tradition in our house called "Daddy Daughter Dates". It's a pretty simple deal. One of my daughters gets to choose where we go eat and then we take it from there. This week end Joi and I had our date and she brought up the idea of going to Dreamland. I know you think I coaxed her into it but really...she loves BBQ. She and I are the carnivores of the family and we threw down on a half slab of ribs and some nana puddin'. It was good stuff. Joi really got into making shish-kabobs with the meat, bread, sauce, lots of salt and toothpicks. It was hilarious watching her eat ribs with five teeth missing.

As we enjoyed our date I realized I have a full out tomboy on my hands. She wears her Dallas Cowboys hat backwards with her cowboy boots, loves transformers, just had to have a batman birthday cake, and she uses the word dude ALOT...plus she likes to wrap knuckles and wrestle. She even gave her missions money to the boys in VBS this year! The real kicker is that she insists on putting her own worm on her hook when we go fishing...much to the dismay of her older sisters!

We finished our date my going to a favorite sporting goods store where she tried on every helmet in the store. She even tried on shoulder pads. Talk about some great pics!

We had a blast but more importantly we made some great memories that will last forever. It's hard to believe they are growing up so fast and I want to treasure every moment with them. Hopefully I can set an example of how a godly man should treat them in the future.

I'm thinking our next date might be to a tractor pull followed by some practice skipping rocks across the pond and how to properly spit sunflower seeds!

The Purpose of the Journey

2008-08-02T06:37:00.004-05:00

4 'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself
Ex 19:4 (NIV)

I've been reading through Romans in my quiet time but recently the Lord drew me back to a key verse (Exodus 19:4). I love divine detours because they are God's way of refocusing me on His priorities over my own selfish desires. What a great reminder to know that our journey here on earth is not just about the next destination or project or even what we consider successful. It's all about being drawn to Him. While the Israelites focused on getting to the Promised Land, God focused on getting to their hearts. While the Israelites whined at times about their circumstances, God used those circumstances to draw them to Himself. I have been reminded in a fresh way this past week that no matter what the situation, if we are looking for God in the journey He will reveal how He is bringing us to Himself.

My times of greatest joy are a reminder that He is bringing me to Himself
My times of confusion require me to seek His face not just for an answer but to be drawn to Him
My times of disappointment reveal that He is bigger than my circumstances and even in the midst of hardship He is building character, He wants to draw me to Himself.
My journey takes unexpected turns, but that is alright. He has taught me to embrace the journey because He is drawing me to Himself.

I will make it to the Promised Land, but in the meantime the most important part of the journey is being drawn to Him.

Conversation Club dance

2008-07-28T10:46:00.005-05:00

I'm thinking of making this our official Conversation Club dance and song! I've got to work on my moves first!

Numa Numa from realifeonline on Vimeo.

Gottcha Day!

2008-07-26T19:12:00.003-05:00

Today is Joi's "Gottcha Day". If you are unfamiliar with that term Gottcha Day points back to the day we added Joi to our family. Each of our daughters has a special day we set aside to remember the miracle of God adding them to our family. Since God chose to put our family together through adoption, we make a really big deal out of the day we first saw each of our daughters. We also celebrate birthdays and spiritual birthdays (the day they became a Christian).

Today was all about going Joi some choices to celebrate her special day. She got to pick her favorite restaurant (Rosies). Actually her first choice was McDonalds but after a little coaching she soon felt the need to some Tex-Mex. We got to play the game of "Life"...the longest board game in the history of board games...but it was fun!

Another fun thing about Gottcha Day is that we got to pull out Joi's Life Book. It's a book with lots of pics of what her life was like in Korea, info about her foster mother, and great pics of our cute little "hooten-tooten". Next time you see her make sure you call her by her nickname!

On Gottcha Day we all remember some of the "firsts" about one of our daughters. Here's what we remembered this year about Joi's first 24 hours with us:

We traveled to Atlanta meet Joi for the first time at the Atlanta airport. Faith and Grace were given cameras and they went crazy. They were like preschool paparazzi's! Unfortunately most of their pictures were of the floor or someones thumb.
Joi was almost a year old when we adopted her and she was severely jet lagged the first night with us. Amy and I took turns staying up and entertaining her. Her favorite game was banging on the hotel window and smiling. It kept her pretty occupied but we didn't get much sleep.
Joi was a great snuggler from the very beginning. To this day she sits in my lap every evening I'm home. I'm secretly hoping she will keep this habit into her teens!
Joi's first American food was an Arby's curly fry...it sure beat the squid chips she was gnawing on when we first met her.

Joi has really lived up to her name. She has brought incredable joy to our family. This has been a great year for her. We have recently celebrated her becoming a Christian and daddy is looking forward to baptizing her pretty soon!

Tonight the celebration continues. Her request was grilled hot dogs slathered in ketchup. Hopefully we can get her to the Korea House restraunt on her next Gottcha Day. I've got a hankering for some more of those squid chips.

Simple Summer Pleasures

2008-07-25T14:41:00.005-05:00

It finally happened. Our family actually went on vacation and witnessed a first for me. I chilled the whole time and loved it. That may sound like a weird statement but you have to understand that it has taken years to get me to this point. Up until very recently, vacation (in my adventurous mind) was all about how much of an adrenaline rush I could get in a day. For me, it just wasn't a beach vacation unless I para-sailed, boogie boarded, ocean kayaked, snorkeled, and deep sea fished...preferably all in one day!

Ask Amy about the time we rode jet skis. We got a brief lesson on safety and all I heard was "these things will go 60 mph". I didn't hear the part where the instructor said, "Don't go that fast because the water is too choppy today". Amy jumped on the back and we took off. She enjoyed it all until I turned a little too sharp. Nothing scarier than seeing your bride launched from the back of a jet ski. Amy was a good sport though. She landed and laughed and laughed. She broke her toe but was very forgiving (a quality that is required when living with me!)

To prove my point of being a full throttle, adrenaline junkie, our family went to the OBX (Outer Banks of North Carolina) one year. Mr. adventure actually signed up to kayak in an alligator reserve...complete with live gators in the water. I was the only person to show up for the tour. Imagine that! When I saw the first gator, I asked my guide how close I could get before the gator got ticked. The guide said "You'll know". I drifted toward the gator until he started slapping his huge tail in the water while laying on the bank. I now know this is a gator-speak for "get out of my space". Yes, I would do it all again but that's not the point of this blog.

What's the point? To celebrate the fact that I have come a long way from the "cram as much as you can into vacation" days. I know this because I didn't need a vacation after we got home from vacation!

Seriously, the biggest lesson I have learned is to cherish every moment with my family. I was extremely content this year making sand castles and taking the girls out on floats in the "big waves" at Destin. I was content to sleep on the beach or read the paper. If you know me at all, I hardly ever read anything that doesn't have to do with ministry so this was a biggie for me.

I used to love to get up really early and go for a long run on the beach. This year I tried to win the "sleep in" contest with the girls. In the past I have had a really hard time sitting through a whole family movie. This year I fully embraced all the movies we watched.

You wouldn't think I would have to "work so hard" to chillax, but trust me, if you are a really driven, results-oriented person like me, vacations can be a challenge.

I knew I had made it over the hump when I was content to leave my Treo in the car or hotel room. I am rarely without my "office in my pocket" and I really don't like to disconnect from technology. I typically get severe technology withdrawal. This year on vacation, I can honestly say I didn't send a single email, didn't twitter at all, and wasn't even tempted to jott or blog. That was a defining moment for me! Hopefully it will stick and I will learn the beauty of just doing nothing but soaking in the blessings of those God has placed around me...even on vacation.

Stuck

2008-07-24T06:29:00.005-05:00

When we first got Shadow as a puppy, it was fun to watch her pick her favorite places to take a nap. Like most puppies she picked a small place where she could be protected and feel secure. That place was usually under my chair. It was cute at first but it has now turned into a pain. You see, she really doesn't fit under my chair anymore. She can physically crawl under there but after a good nap she wakes up to realize she is STUCK. She starts to whine and someone typically has to pull her out. I keep telling her she needs a bigger place but it hasn't sunk in yet.

We are all like Shadow. We want things to stay the same. We get used to certain patterns. We prefer our ruts. We get STUCK. To be honest God has bigger and better things for us.

Col. 2:7 says it well: " Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness."

As God brings growth in us, he calls us to new places and experiences. We simply cannot stay where we are and go with God. I'm willing to sacrifice the comfortable and familiar in exchange for what God has for me. No more getting STUCK. How about you? Be honest...where do you get stuck?

Multicultural ministry

2008-07-21T16:14:00.009-05:00

I am blown away by what the Lord is doing through Conversation Clubs. Who would have thought that after a year we would have people from five different countries involved in weekly meetings on a church campus. Each week we have new people coming into the group. This past week, three ladies from China, Korea, and Japan joined. All the group participants speak English but they want to learn how to speak it more conversationally, learn more about American culture, and increase their reading comprehension skills.

We start our time each week with word studies and grammar skills. OK, grammar is not my strong suit. Thank God for Susan and Sue Ann and their innovative ways of helping the group in these areas!

One of my favorite times each week is enjoying a home-cooked meal with the group. The group members typically bring something from their native country. Our lunches consist of food from Columbia, China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and the U.S. Not only is the food amazing but it really opens up great conversations as we show appreciation for different cultures. I must admit, I have a very adventurous taste for food and really look forward to this time every week.

After our meal we work on reading comprehension skills. We felt led to use the Bible to study the life of Joseph. After all, Joseph was a person who moved from one country to another. He had to learn a different language and culture. In the midst of so much change, the Bible says over and over that God was with Joseph. Our goal is to help our group participants know and understand that God is with them and has a plan for their lives as well.

Another area where I'm grateful for Susan and Sue Ann is their ability to pick up on the subtleties of group interaction. Not only do they pick up on group dynamics that sometimes sail right over my head, they also help explain all my southern expressions. Conversation Club has taught me to communicate much more clearly. That's probably a really good thing!

Take a Hike!

2008-07-18T16:11:00.009-05:00

If you know me very well you know I love to get to the summit of a mountain. While in Maryland I got to spend a day on the Appalachian Trail. My hiking buddy and I hit a famous outcropping in Maryland called Annapolis Rocks. Great view!

It was a blast to see Jeff again. He got me into backpacking a few years ago and since then we have seen some incredible summits in W. Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and our favorite, Yosemite in California.

I can't explain it but God speaks to me in the mountains. He put a deep desire in my heart to hang out with Him in what I consider the most amazing places on the planet. I love to round the next corner on the way to the summit and have God blow me away by something He created followed by something He speaks to me while I am enjoying the journey.

A spiritual hero

2008-07-18T09:12:00.001-05:00

On July 4th I received a call from friends in Maryland. They let me know that one of my spiritual heroes had gone home to be with the Lord. The family gave me the tremendous honor to do my friend Peggy Fagan's funeral. As I jumped on a plane and began to pray about what to share, the Lord began to flood my mind with memories from Peggy's life. She is one of my spiritual heroes because she taught me how to face adversity and uncertainty with great faith. During my time as the pastor of Germantown Baptist Church in Germantown, MD I routinely saw Peggy face the trials and tribulations with amazing faith. She taught me how much God can do in a person even when their circumstances are not what they want. The Lord led me to use 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 as the text that best described her life. Here are a few things the struck me as I thought about Peggy's life:

1. Her perspective was right. Her provider was always bigger than her problem. She reserved one word for God alone. The word "awesome" was only used when she was speaking of God.

2. Her perseverance was amazing. As her sister commented during the funeral: "She had cancer but cancer never had her!"

3. Her painful experiences were used to reach others for Christ. Every time she went to the hospital for treatments she always asked for prayer for her doctors and nurses...not for herself. She was determined to let her situation lead to the salvation of others.

4. Her prayer life was an amazing example. Peggy allowed God to wake her up every morning at 4am. Sometimes she would tell me, "I spoke to the Lord about you this morning". Those were always the times when my heart was heavy and God was using Peggy to help me through a difficult time.

I enjoyed meeting many of her friends at the funeral. Peggy was a true inspiration to many. After the graveside service I saw people from all walks of life, from various religions and countries. It was obvious that Peggy's life had a major influence on many people. She was instrumental in helping our church celebrate the ethnic diversity of over 30 different nations. I wish everyone I know could have witnessed the spontaneous worship that erupted after the graveside service was over. No one wanted to leave and we all worshipped the Lord for giving us such an amazing example of what God can do with a person's life.

I will miss Peggy but know God used her to help me face adversity with courage and conviction. The life lessons I learned through her are priceless! I only hope to be such an example to others.

Let's start this blog with a BANG!

2008-07-05T15:46:00.000-05:00

OK, I've been lurking long enough. I've finally decided to blog so let's start this thing off with a bang! There's nothing like a good July 4th fireworks show. This year at Bridge Street was amazing! We saw tons of friends, had a bite at the Chocolate Croc, got a primo spot to watch all the action. The girls loved watching the show from the top of the van. Check out the video and enjoy! Amazingly our youngest child slept through the grand finale!