Great Christmas!

Thought I would leave you with this picture of the lights on our beautiful house. Our last Christmas in this house was one of the best Christmases ever. Less gifts, less spending but more relational. Here are some highlights:

• Christmas Eve breakfast with all of our kids and grandkids.
• The band playing Mannheim Steamroller's "Carol of the Bells" with images of prophecies fulfilled by the birth of Christ at the Christmas Eve service at His Hands was worth the whole trip.
• Christmas morning with Pattie, Ben, Joe, and Rayanne. Some of the gifts: Broncos shirt, new camera, tickets to GA Aquarium, jigsaw puzzle, movie tickets, books.
• Spending Christmas afternoon with Pattie's mom and brother Doug. We never get there on Christmas Day but this year it worked out. I love my mother-in-law and it was a joy to spend this day with her.
• Going to my Mom and Dad's is always fun and relaxing. Got there Christmas night and stayed until Monday. My niece, Kathryn, and her husband, Ben, came in from Wichita which was an added blessing of being there.
• Spent Sunday back at Pattie's mom's where Kris, Rachele, Camille, and Joe joined us. It was a good day.
• We all went back to Mom and Dad's that night. First time Rachele and Kris had been there in awhile. We had a great time. They brought their new game "The Last Word." I don't think I have laughed that hard in a long time.
  
• Went by the grave site of Walter Raymond Conway, Pattie's father in the Chattanooga National Cemetery. I missed out in meeting this man but I have a love for him. Pattie speaks very fondly of him and I enjoy hearing his story and of his love for his children. It will be good to meet him on the other side of the grave.
• Good to be home Monday night. Looking forward to a good New Year's!
  

Merry Christmas!

What a great day! All of our kids and grandkids came over for Christmas Eve breakfast and gift exchange. Jenny brought a delicious hashbrown casserole, Rachele fried a mound of bacon and pot of equally delicious grits, and we made the pancakes, scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy. We cooked together in the kitchen for about an hour and listened to Bing Crosby Christmas. I love my family. They are all wonderful people. Had to add this picture of Camille. She is a joy! I hope that your Christmas will be as sweet and wonderful as ours.

When Wants Become Needs

I need a laptop computer. There is no way around it. I no longer have a church office. My home office is not conducive for work. I am still kicking myself for being talked out of a laptop when we needed a new computer at Axios and now I have a desk top that feels like an anchor. My office needs to be where ever I am. I will not have the luxury of a church office in Denver (at least at the start.) Not only could I keep up with this blog better but it allows me the freedom to do valuable work now. I used to want a laptop but now it is definitely a need. I specifically want a MacBook. It will be the system that we will be using in Colorado. I currently do not have the means to purchase one but maybe someone who is reading this blog wants to partner with us in ministry and provide this essential tool for our ministry. "You have not because you ask not." I have been asking God and now I am asking you. God has chosen to provide for His ministries through the generous giving of His people. Maybe you will be an answer to my prayer.

I'm a Grateful Man!

I know that I have been whining about not being in Denver yet but today, as I sat on our front porch and had a tea party with just me and Camille, I had to thank God for not moving us as quickly as I wanted and for giving me these cherished times that I would have missed if God would have answered my prayer quickly. I had to dismiss my feelings of urgency, my desire to get on with it and my need to perform and just rest in the fact that God loves me and cares about every aspect of my life and wanted me and Pattie to have one more Christmas in our home near all the family and friends that we love. I am thankful to be here and feel more love this season than I normally do. I am a grateful man! But, Lord, can we please get on with it in January? This waiting around is killing me.

Great Weekend!

• Began Friday night watching The Fourth Wise Man. Stars Martin Sheen and even has an appearance by his son, Charlie. Good story, good message, acting was not great, but still I would recommend it.
• Spent Saturday morning working in the yard. Mowed, raked, blew, etc. It looks good. Mowed the yard twice to mulch up the excess leaves.
• Spent the afternoon and early evening putting lights on the house. We didn't expect to have Christmas here this year but now I'm glad we are. Its nice to decorate the house one last time before moving. It looks good.
• Took a break from decorating late afternoon and went to the Holly Springs Christmas Parade. It wasn't as good as last years. It was missing our great float and the Clydsdale team.
• Hated to see the Gators win Sat. night even if my best friend is an avid fan.
  
• Went to His Hands this morning with Jim and Donna. Got to worship with Brian and Jenny. That was nice. They have a great building. Music was great. Had three songs that I hadn't heard before but spoke to me in different ways. One was on the cross, one was on freedom in Christ, the last was on fire. I have actually been thinking about fire a lot lately so this song jumped out at me. Bob needs to learn it.
• Don't worry! I'm not planning to burn down anything anytime soon.
• Went to lunch with Jim and Donna and then the VA hospital to see our friend, Dennis. Keep praying for him.
• Did Christmas shopping after that. Made me miss the Falcons game which isn't all bad since they lost.
• Camille has been very sick so we bought an early Christmas present and took it to her to make her feel better. It was a Santa that sings and dances to "I Want to Move It, Move It" from one of her favorite movies, Madagascar. She loved it.
• The present was actually from my mom and dad. Thanks, mom and dad, for the great gift! She loved it!
• Got home in time to see the Cowboys lose and then watched the Amazing Race finale. In both cases the best team won.
• Decided to grow my beard out. I'm trying to convince my Elementary School kids that I am Santa Claus.
• Love this cold weather!
• I miss preaching.
• I have to sell this house!
• Have a great week!
  

Cheaper Than Gas

A church in our area recently had the following message on their sign, "Try walking with Jesus, it's cheaper than gas." I often disagree with the messages on this particular marquee. Their short, pithy statements targeting travelers often fall short of biblical accuracy and cheapen the message that they are desperately trying to convey. This message, in particular, bothered me because of things that God has already been stirring in my heart and mind. The account of the rich young ruler found in Luke 18 has troubled me a lot over the past couple of years. Until reading The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne, I had never heard anyone preach that Jesus might actually be serious and expect us to sell everything that we have and give to the poor. Why did Jesus require this of this young man and not of others? I know what I have been told: that Jesus knew his heart and that this man was relying on riches and valued them above following God or something close to this explanation. But who of us would have passed this test? I could imagine a seasoned, "mature" follower of Christ selling everything for a Savior they have grown to love but who of us would have done this at the beginning of our relationship with Christ? Would you have chosen to follow Christ if it meant selling everything that you have? Would you have exchanged personal wealth for a personal relationship with Christ? Would you have walked the aisle, prayed the prayer, entered the baptismal pool if it meant giving up everything that you own? But the reality is that following Christ requires such sacrifice. It is true that salvation is free and grace is a gift and righteousness is bestowed but following is costly. Jesus' own words in Luke 14:33 were "any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." What does this mean to you? Does this picture your life in Christ? This was not an isolated statement. Luke records several similar accounts that the other Gospels leave out. Luke 12:33 tells us to "sell our possessions and give to the poor." He also tells of Zacchaeus who, after embracing Christ, gave half of his possessions to the poor and more than compensated for those he had cheated. The first disciples understood this sacrifice also. After the rich, young ruler refuses to sell all, the 12 Disciples point out to Jesus that they had left everything (vocations, homes, family, etc.) to follow Him which prompted a wonderful promise from Jesus. The first converts at Pentecost sold all that they had and had all things common and a strange thing happened - "there were no needy persons among them." But what does Jesus really expect from us? From me? What are we to do with these verses? One solution would be to just read the other 3 Gospels and leave Luke alone. But where is the integrity in that? In Amos 3:10, God says that Israel did "not know how to do right who hoard plunder and loot in their fortresses." Are we guilty of this also, hoarding God's blessing and wealth in our homes while many go without? I don't know how this all plays out in my life let alone in yours but I do know that we ought to learn how to do what is right with what God has given us. We are selling our home and have an opportunity to change things. An opportunity to live on less (I didn't say "without" just "less") and give more. A time to imagine what it would look like to give 50% instead of 10. A chance to accept the risk of caring for the need of others before fulfilling our own wants. Again, I use words such as "opportunity" "imagine" "chance", to show that the time to rethink how I use my wealth is now but what that will look like is still a mystery. I just want my heart to care beyond the end of my driveway. I want my wealth to spill out beyond the walls of my home. I want my faith to cost more than gas.

I'm Back!

• Sorry for taking so long to post. Definitely took the week off.
• Had a great Thanksgiving week that started last Sunday with dinner with all of our kids at Jenny's house.
• Got all of our Christmas up last weekend before leaving for the holiday. It was nice to come home to an already decorated house.
• Finished painting Ben's room last Monday. It definitely needed it. We have some water leak issues in that room. My friend, Justin Dildine, is coming this Thursday to repair or replace our water heater and fix the leaks coming from the bathtubs.
• Left Tuesday for TN. The Sequatchie Valley, just on the other side of Chattanooga, is one of the most beautiful places you will ever see. We never get over coming down the mountain and seeing the valley below.
• Spent Wed. with Pattie's mother. I really enjoyed our visit with her and I'm grateful that she looks healthy and seems to be doing well after a rough Summer. We also stopped in on our way home on Sat.
  
• Thanksgiving Day at Mom and Dad's was great as usual. My mom is a great cook and I enjoy being with my sister, Pam, and her family. We missed Penny and David in Ukraine but got to talk with them on the computer. Their sons, Nathanael and Andy, were with us. Missed my sister, Nancy, and her family in Indianapolis also.
• Could the football games on Thanksgiving Day been any worse?
• When we all get together, we are a game playing family. It's a lot of fun. Andy, Nathanael, Rayanne and I played games one afternoon and sang along to the Carpenter's Christmas album. We should take that act on the road!
• Camille joined us Thursday night and warmed up quickly to her great grandparents especially my Dad. She is too sweet. She was no trouble and we thoroughly enjoyed her being with us.
• Our dog, Sadie, also made the trip and even the cold weather couldn't keep her out of the pond. Camille got a kick out of her jumping in the water.
• It was a little hard coming home on Sat. with Camille, Rayanne and Sadie in the back seat.
• Went to the Pointe Church on Sunday morning. It was a great service and we partook of the Lord's Supper. It was very meaningful to me.
• Visited our friend, Dennis, in the VA Hospital on Sunday afternoon. He is doing better but still in ICU. Keep him in your prayers.
• Can you believe the Falcons won again? You have to love that!
• Back to bus driving Monday morning. The week off was nice but I enjoy my route so it is not a drudgery. It snowed off and on all day but nothing stuck.
• I'll post some more this week but this is enough for now. I have a lot of thoughts going on in my head and I hope to get them down on paper.