On my mind today

My favorite part is when the ball skips. null - Watch more free videos

I know this is a crazy week with much on everyone's plate - but I'm going to ask anyway! :-) For a sermon illustration, I'm looking for some family pictures taken this year. Not the kind you put in a pictorial directory but the kind you put in a photo album. Pictures from vacations, birthdays or anniversaries or even Christmas! So long as it has you in it, I'm looking for it. If you've got one or two you'd be willing to send, please send it via email to my email address (you can find it at the church website). THANKS!

Christmas week is here! If you missed yesterday, you missed one of the best musical services we've had since I've been here. Our choir's special, Jennifer Rhoades song and the music of Hank and Todd Hinkie was awesome! I was only half joking when I suggested letting the music continue instead of preaching! The Christmas choir / cast party last night was great! Thanks to Kern and Barbara for hosting the party and to each of you who brought the wonderful food! It's a quiet Monday here at the office - while some of our normal activities roll on (like sermon prep!) but it's "Holiday" quiet. Most everyone is either on vacation or soon will be. It's my prayer you'll enjoy a wonderful and worshipful Christmas. May the grace of Jesus bless your day and your celebration.

I heard on the weather forecast they're predicting ice and freezing rain for our area this week. Hmmmmm. I've done enough driving on that sort of surface to know that I shouldn't do any more! :-) I've always harbored the misconception that people who live where it freezes regularly get used to driving on ice and therefore are better prepared than we sun-baked southerners. Such a theory has been blown apart as the video shows. Taken in the Portland, OR area, check out these vehicles in classic examples of what not to do when driving on ice.

That's me - your pastor. I'm a mean-spirited angry bigot. Why? Because I believe the Bible speaks for itself and doesn't need to be a "living" document (whatever that means) to be authoritative for our lives. I believe the Bible is clear on the plan and expectations for humanity and provides an avenue for obedience if we choose to accept it. I believe the Bible expresses marriage clearly as one man-one woman for a lifetime. I believe homosexuality is an affront to a Holy God who doesn't "understand" such sin anymore than he "understands" any other sin. The Bible teaches acceptance, grace, mercy and love - qualities we all need - but never backs down from calling evil and injustice out. Furthermore, those who want to read the Bible as all grace, mercy, forgiveness and acceptance have missed much of the Bible's teachings about justice and righteousness. Finally, I believe there are many who will use the Bible for their own ends, ...

Sent to me by one of my smart-aleck staff members, this lighthearted video is a great example of what I try NOT to be. And no, I don't have a picture of Billy Graham on my bedstead. :-)

Some of you asked me what happened to the guy I referenced a few weeks ago in "A role model we need!" Here's the skinny - Myron Rolle was named a Rhodes Scholar on Nov 22. He is set for a three year scholarship to Oxford University beginning this next May ( here's a link to a blow-by-blow account of the day - well worth your time, I assure you ). Furthermore, his team plays highly ranked Florida today. Maybe he'll win the game, but he's already won. Here's to finding more men like this one.

As readers of my mad ramblings, you deserve some gratitude. I know many of my readers don't get to come on Sundays. You use this site to keep up with us. This Sunday, I'll be doing a Thanksgiving message discussing how many times we're not ungrateful on purpose but rather just because we're busy. So busy, in fact, that many times we miss the beauty God puts before us. Sometimes, in our rush to be busy in God's kingdom, we miss it! Our video, seen below, reflects that. World-renowned violinist Joshua Bell took part in a social experiment. If he dressed as a street performer, took out his instrument and played in the atrium of a busy subway station, what would happen? Would people stop to listen? Would the beauty of his music draw a crowd? The incident was captured on video - watch it a couple of times. The thing you'll notice is that few if any even took notice. Almost 1,100 people passed him in the 45 minutes he played. Most were so consumed with th...

I had the opportunity to visit with Frankston PD Officer Jason Ward this week. You'll be pleased to know Jason is in good spirits and is scheduled for surgery to take place on Friday. He's doing well although he's still in ICU. Please continue to pray for Jason, his wife Leslie and their two children. Here's where you come in. This Sunday, we'll be partnering with the churches across our area in taking up a love offering for Jason. This Sunday and the Sunday to follow will be your two opportunities to give a love offering for Jason and his family. Yes, they have insurance and yes, it will cover his medical costs, but there are things not covered like holiday things and school clothes, incidentals of the sort you and I give no thought to - we just do it. Prayerfully consider making a contribution to the fund for Jason. If you want to make a gift but you can't get here either of the next two Sundays, call the First State Bank of Frankston (903-876-2212) an...

I've had the opportunity today to visit with Frankston Mayor James Gouger about the well-being of Officer Jason Ward (for those who aren't already familiar with the incident on Thursday of last week, here's a link to the whole story ). He informed me Officer Ward's family needs some help - quickly. Officer Ward and his family have worked here only a short time, essentially just since school started. Their 6 yr old daughter and 10 yr old son are in school, but need additional clothing immediately. At the church office and at City Hall, you can obtain the children's sizes and needs - please call to assist with this pressing mater. Not a clothing purchaser? With Thanksgiving and Christmas upon us and the likelihood Officer Ward will not be coming back to work anytime soon (although he will be moved to a private room soon), they also need some financial assistance. Our own First State Bank of Frankston has set up an assistance fund for Officer Ward and hi...

Perhaps you've never heard of Florida State University's football starting cornerback Myron Rolle - but I bet you've heard of the Rhodes Scholar program. Mr Rolle is up for the scholarship - literally, a once in a lifetime opportunity - but it's on the same day as his football team plays against the University of Maryland. Normally, at least nowadays, the football player would skip the interview and forgoe his opportunity. Not Myron. He's chosen to try for the scholarship and I say good for him! Even his head coach, Bobby Bowden, and his teammates are all for him. The NCAA is still trying to decide if they'll allow the university to charter him a flight to get to the game, but it doesn't really matter - he's already chosen well, win or lose. Link to the full story.

I'm proud of our team - our guys tried hard and gave a solid effort, winning the game against Elkhart. Although we didn't make the playoffs, I'm still quite proud of how our boys played. Here's the last regular highlight reel. We'll do an end of season one later.

Perhaps you've seen the ad campaign beginning in the D.C. area soon - "Why believe in a god?" Their emphasis is to help people who don't believe in any god to feel better at Christmas time. Fred Edwords, spokesman for the humanist group putting out the ads says this: "Our reason for doing it during the holidays is there are an awful lot of agnostics, atheists and other types of non-theists who feel a little alone during the holidays because of its association with traditional religion." Link to the full story at Foxnews.com. HELLO! CHRISTMAS EXISTS BECAUSE OF CHRIST! I can't help it if some feel left out, but they're welcome to come in from their agnostic viewpoint. There's no reason for them to feel alone. If their viewpoint brings them grief or sadness, then why not abandon it for something that doesn't break their heart. This is what you can expect when we allow others to define (or in this case, re-define) a holiday, event or tradi...

Since I was quite young, I've had a fascination with the military. Perhaps its because my father was an US Army Drill Sergeant when I was born and a Vietnam Vet. My dad was in the US Army and served in post-war Germany in the 1950's. My grandfather was a member of the US Army Air Corp in WWII. I've got a cousin in the Navy and another cousin in the Marines. I was taught a perspective that sees the power of our veterans service, a respect that runs deep within me for their hard work and sacrifice. With that in mind, I offer you a pair of links on this Veterans Day. The first link features the Gray Eagles Foundation. A group of P-51 fighter pilots from WWII who are refurbishing some of the P-51s they used to fly. The link I'm providing is specifically about a grandfather fighter pilot. His grandson was a part of the group to renovate the grandfather's P-51. Wonderful story. The second link I'm providing is the story of an infantryman f...

Our beloved FHS Indians won last Friday night over the visiting Elkhart Elks by a score of 28-10 but it didn't matter. We needed Troup to lose to gain access to the playoffs and they won pushing us out. While we're saddened to not get to keep playing, we're pleased at the season we had. Now, we turn our attention to basketball! Here's a warmup of NBA bloopers to get you in the mood!

Romans 13:1b says this: "The authorities that exist have been established by God." Later in the same chapter, verse 7, it reads this way "Give everyone what you him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes. If revenue, then revenue. If respect, then respect. If honor, then honor." Clearly, the Apostle Paul was fully convicted about the role of government in his life and his response to it. Such words might be surprising when you consider Paul lived during the reign of the Roman dictator Nero - an man of insanity by every account. Yet Paul stands by his statements that all authorities are established by God. Those words still apply today. Perhaps you voted for President-Elect Obama. Pray for him fervently as he prepares for the first steps of his historic presidency. Pray for his protection and for his family. Pray for God to bless him with wisdom far beyond his years. Perhaps you voted for Senator McCain. Pray for him as he returns to the Senate. But I admonish you...

FHS Indians 48, Garrision Bulldogs 35. Here's this week's installment on the FHS Football Highlight Reel. Our boys played well and it showed! Now comes the biggest game of the year. Friday night's game at home against visiting Elkhart will determine what happens next for us. If we win (and a series of other things come together), we'll advance to the playoffs. If we lose, our season is over. Come out and join in supporting our boys this Friday at Austin Stadium at 7:30 PM. In the meantime, enjoy the highlights from last week. (BTW, for those of who aren't a part of FHS Football, please ignore the last few words!).

Once in a while, I get an email with bulletin mistakes. Invariably, I find them more than slightly amusing considering that they are published and handed out on Sunday mornings when "good" people wouldn't dare laugh at such a thing. Personally, I believe the Lord has a great sense of humor as reflected in these outtakes. Enjoy! ~ During the absence of our Pastor, we enjoyed the rare privilege of hearing a good sermon when J.F. Stubbs supplied our pulpit. ~ Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person(s) you want remembered. ~ Attend and you will hear an excellent speaker and heave a healthy lunch. ~ The church will host an evening of fine dining, superb entertainment, and gracious hostility. ~ This afternoon there will be a meeting in the north and south ends of the church. Children will be baptized at both ends. ~ Tuesday at 4:00 pm there will be an ice cream social. All ladies giving milk will please come early. ~ Wednesday the Ladies Lit...

We played the No. 1 team in the state last week, the Arp Tigers. Although we lost 34-6, the boys fought hard and gave a solid effort. You'll see some of that in the video below. We still control our own playoff destiny - win out and we're in. We'll know soon!

With regard to leadership and coaching, one of the most influential characters in my life has been the timeless Coach John Wooden. I keep a copy of one of his books close to my desk as a reminder that sometimes, nice guys don't finish last. There's a great article on today's ESPN website about Coach Wooden you ought to read. Here's the link.

Yesterday, Julie and I spent an hour or two signing papers and finalizing our deal on the house we've bought. After all that signing and signing and signing, we're done! We spent last night sleeping in the living room so we (truthfully, Julie) could steam the carpet in our bedroom. By so doing, we're enabling Duane and Mary to move in right behind us. So we're all set and plenty excited about it. Our dog, Dodger, is a little confused. He seemed genuinely concerned last night about why we were sleeping in the living room! Keep praying for our move. The process has been great and the people we've worked (Myriah our realtor, Derek our mortgage guy and the Boren-Scott Title Company) have been awesome. Best of all, the people we bought the house from have been great. So good in fact, we're getting in early. We'll begin moving tomorrow morning with the knick-knacks and tchochktes. The movers will be there first thing Saturday morning and by Saturday af...

Despite our boys best efforts, we lost last Friday vs a salty West Rusk Raider team. 28-10. Nevertheless, our boys played hard and made some wonderful plays. Here's evidence to that effect.

This is probably NOT the way you want to handle getting a speeding ticket. http://view.break.com/584896 - Watch more free videos

Sent to me this week from some kind people in Austin - and I thank them!

Welcome Steve and Wendy and their children. Steve is the new pastor at Hilltop Baptist Church here in Frankston. Voted in this past Sunday, Steve is already on the field. I had lunch with Steve today and have found him to be a wonderful man of God with a passion for reaching people with the Gospel. Pray for Bro. Steve, Wendy and their children as they begin their new work at Hilltop!

HOMECOMING - Frankston, 24; Troup, 12 - Final Score.

We welcome our two newest members! Kathy Parrish, wife of our own Dwayne Parrish, has recently gotten married and come to be a part of our fellowship. Welcome Kathy! Bertha Newman is no stranger to us - she's been a part of Ruth Dark's Esther class for several months now. She came forward to rededicate her life! Praise the Lord! Pray for these decisions and others that need to be made - the series we've just finished is as hard-hitting as any I've ever done. Pray for the next series - "The Dangerous Arts!" We'll begin that Sunday, October 26.

I owe a BIG thanks to the people in the picture (except myself, of course!) and the photographer. From left to right, Sally Bradley (husband Bob is taking the picture!), Jerry Hinkie, Julie Wood, Ann Thomas, Flo Bussey (kneeling), Billy Bussey and on the back row, Will Hinkie, myself and Franchot Thomas. Also not picture, mascot Dodger who barked away all the threats. These folks took on the tough job of setting up our Square Fair booth Friday night. Thanks! Another BIG thanks to Duane NeSmith for supervising the tear-down Saturday afternoon. He took that job to allow his pastor the luxury of watching the Texas-ou (otherwise known as "o-who?) game. Thanks D- I owe you.

Weddings are not a part of my job that I find fun. The best part is seeing the bride come down the aisle. The worst part is running the rehearsal with five hundred bosses telling the pastor what he needs to do. (BTW, I listen very politely and nod accordingly - then when I do the service, I do it how I like!) At any rate, I found this video and found it more than a little amusing.

For those who haven't already heard, the children who've been in our care since June have returned to their biological parents. Please join us praying for them and their future as well as their parents. Indeed, they were a blessing to us for their time spent here. Thanks to each of you who loved on them while they were here. As for us, we're doing well. We have spent the last two evenings in our quiet house. We've decided foster parenting isn't for us, so we're now pursuing adoption. Please ask the Lord to lead us to children who need a home.

Here's this week's video. Frankston 28, Hemphill 12.

Here's your reward for making your visit to my site. The team won't see this until tomorrow morning but you see it now! (at least as soon as YouTube finishes processing it - it should be ready by 7 PM Thursday night).

Like most of you, I've watched the events of the last several days with great interest. The wild fluctuations of the stock market do more than lead newscasts - they're a de facto consumer confidence poll. People will make long-standing financial decisions based on the latest reading on the Dow Jones. No wonder so many people are worried about their futures! Wouldn't it be great to live without that kind of worry? Wouldn't it wonderful to find peace in the midst of all this turmoil? We're offering a couple of things to help. (1) The peace of God that can only come through a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Your hope doesn't need to be in the stocks - they'll always let you down! Instead, place your hope and trust in the compassionate nature of the only one to die for you - Jesus Christ. In him, you'll find the peace you need. (2) Recognize your role as a steward. God delights in us taking good care of his blessings (1 Corinthains 4:2). A stewa...

After much deliberation (there were only two houses that met our criteria) and many times of name signing, we've got a contract on a house! It's in a great neighborhood - 11 children live there, most of them under 10. The Bizzells live there as well as the Ramseys (both families church members). It's a great place and we feel like we got a great deal on it. They wanted to sell and we wanted to buy! One of it's best features is a the high ceilings throughout! I've always wanted that! We're closing on October 22nd with a targeted move-in date of Saturday, October 25. Some of that is tentative since Heather Bruton is getting married that day, but it's our best option. Keep that day open for us!

I've just received word that Mr James Lade of Lade Ford here in Frankston has passed away. This comes fast on the heels of his son's murder last Thursday night in Longview. Please pray fervently for this family. We've been in touch with their church and offered our services and promised our prayers. Ask the Lord of mercy and comfort to carry this family forward.

Man's best friend indeed!

Okay, I've got a challenge for you. I just got a call from my buddy Dr. Chris Moody, pastor of FBC Beaumont. He's extended an invitation and a challenge. The invitation is come to Beaumont - now! They need help and need it in the form of people who are ready to work. Mud-out teams are desperately needed. If you'd be interested in going, call me at the office or on my cell. The challenge Chris offered was simple: get as much bleach as you can gather and haul it Beaumont for distribution. We need someone to take the bull by the horns here. Anybody feeling called by God to lead this? Call me! For more info, go to http://relief4ike.org/

Here's this week's video - don't tell anyone I posted it before the kids saw it. I usually premiere it for the coaches first, then the kids, then let you in on it. However, tomorrow is insane and I was worried I wouldn't be able to get it posted. Here it is early. FHS 21, Quitman, 7 - Final.

Our prayers are needed for two families with connections to our church. Yesterday afternoon, Mrs. Bobbie Swearingen passed away after a lengthy illness. Her services have not yet been scheduled but they will be at the First Baptist Church of NOCONA, TX. After speaking with the family this morning, they've requested in lieu of flowers, a memorial gift in Bobbie's name be made to the Kinsman Hospice of Gilmer, TX. Around midnight, Mrs Adelaide Milner passed away. For most of her life, she has had a connection to our church and she was my across the street neighbor. She had been suffering from various maladies in the last several weeks and had been in and out of the hospital several times over the last month. Her services are scheduled for Saturday afternoon, 2:00 PM, here at First Baptist in Frankston. Please pray for both of these families during this time of loss.

Now that Hurricane Ike has passed, we've had some time to consider his impact. Did you know, if you're a resident of our county, you live in a disaster area? My mother used to tell me that when she wanted me to clean my room, but now it's really true! It's almost embarrassing to say we didn't receive any damage from the storm to our home or our trees - hardly even any branches fell - but we're grateful to say no serious injuries occurred as a result of the storm. The worst of it was in north Frankston where a stately old oak was pushed over and a roof on a mobile home was lost. We're working with the family in the mobile home, in concert with Roy Brown, mayor of Berryville and the Frankston ISD to help those folks as best we're able. What is really needed right now is a chain saw crew. Is that your specialty or do you know someone who does that? We need you! Another home has a tree leaning near it and, left unattended, it could fall on the home. ...

Sorry I forgot to post this yesterday. I had it ready on Wednesday but I like to show the coaches and athletes first. Not to worry - I'll continue to link here.

I found an amazing video today when I was posting the newest FHS video (can't post that here till tomorrow - gotta let the kids see it first!). It's about 10 minutes but here's to America's Team!

Getting back to work after a long weekend can be a drag. It's nice to come back and have some good news! Some was waiting for me at the office today. Our church received recognition for last Christmas' Lottie Moon Foreign Missions Offering. You'll remember the Lord really blessed that offering in our church, so much so it surprised almost all of us - not the Lord of course. Really, we don't need a pat on the back to keep us going in the right direction or to continue giving, but it's reassuring to know our gift to the Lottie Moon Offering was a part of a greater effort for mission across our nation and around the world. It's amazing - the money we gave goes to places most of us will never go and to many places we've never even heard of - but the Lord knows them all well and blesses His work whether we know it or not. Thanks for being visionary people who see the Kingdom of God in a stark light.

Most of my work as pastor is a joy. I love what I do, most of the time. That said, when I have to lay a friend to rest, like we did today with Luther Ray Doughty, it's a difficult and sad duty. Luther Ray was one of the first visits I made when I got here. He and I became fast friends, esp given that he reminded me so much of my dad. I never told him that, a fact I wish I could change. As Luther Ray's health deteriorated, the once strong, independent man who loved to fish and mow his yard got to where breathing was difficult. When I saw him last on Friday of last week, quietly I asked the Lord to let him come home. Mercifully, the Lord answered that prayer the next day. Luther Ray's passing was sad and a difficult part of my job - but made much easier in knowing he's no longer suffering and no longer sick - he's at home with the Lord and all the other fishermen. Please pray for his wife, Lorraine, his daughter, Cindy and his son, Todd as well as their famil...

We're calling a mission trip meeting for this Sunday afternoon to get our heads together about Mission Frankston for this year. It'll be here before we know it! We've got five potential projects to choose from and at least one them is a matter of urgency. I hope you'll consider taking part in Mission Frankston this year. We're scheduled to work from Friday, Nov 21 until Wednesday, Nov 26. Check your calendar! In honor of mission work, here's the video (can't remember if we ever showed it before) from Mission Trip 2008 to Harlingen. Make sure to stick around for the end with the footage of Hurricane Dolly!

Church persecution is something many people think is dead and gone. According to this story , you'd better think again.

For those who aren't aware of it, I'm an Apple "Mac" Computers guy. In 1995, I started a job that demanded I use a Mac. I've not been without one since then (except for a short time when Mac was struggling in the late 1990's). I've soared recently as they've done better and better with the iPhone, the iPod and, of course, our beloved Mac laptops and desktops. Is there anything more comforting than sitting down to a Mac? Not to me! It's come as no surprise, therefore, as Mac has taken more and more market-share from iconic Microsoft that they're battling back and spending big bucks to do it, even hiring Jerry Seinfeld as their spokesperson ( here's the link to the full story ). What's their selling point? We're cheaper! When I was growing up, my parents taught me that cheaper isn't always better. Sometimes, it's worth it to purchase something that costs more to get the quality you need. In my estimation, Apple Computers ar...

Many of you have inquired as to Mr. Doughty's well-being. He's resting comfortably at the Home Place Hospice Center near the UT-Tyler campus in southeast Tyler. I spent about an hour with he and his family yesterday and found him to be alert sometimes despite the medication they're using to keep him comfortable. His illness will be his gateway to the presence of the Lord, but clearly the Lord isn't ready for him yet. I've heard a rumor the family doesn't want visitors. I'm not sure who started it, but it isn't true. They welcome friends, new and old, to share time with Luther Ray. If you go, however, please refrain from speaking about people who have died from the same kind of illnesses (yes, I've known people who are that insensitive). Go and show love to Luther Ray, his wife Lorraine, their daughter Cindy and their son Todd. Pray for this precious family during this difficult season of life.

That's my response to the previous post "What to do?" Speaking strictly for myself and not as pastor, I would take the $600,000 offering and put it WORK for the glory of God. The heart intent is God's greatest concern and clearly the giver in that story was trying to express his gratitude to God for the financial windfall. My thought is that I don't want to be the Pharisee who tells him God doesn't want his dirty money. Furthermore, as someone noted in one of the comments, if we begin asking questions like that, do we have to keep asking them? Where did this money come from? How did you get it? Was it legal? At the same time, it seems to me the Apostle Paul encountered this question in 1 Corinthians 8 dealing with meat sacrificed to idols. Paul employed what we now call "the weaker brother" principle meaning don't act in ways that might cause another to sin. With this in mind, I'm not sure what I would do. Would accepting the money be condoni...

A church in Florida has created quite a stir recently. It seems one of their church members won a $6 million dollar lottery. Being a good church member (other than playing the lottery of course), he wanted to tithe on his winnings - a tidy $600,000.00. The church declined. ( Here's a link the whole story ). What do you think? Should the church take the money and use it for benevolent purposes? Or do you agree the church should refuse it? Lemme hear you on this one. I'll tip my hand later.

The funeral services for Mrs. Bettye Bitz are as follows. Visitation tonight from 6:00-8:00 PM at Autry Funeral Home here in Frankston. Her services will be held here at FBC tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 PM with myself and Bro. George Folmar officiating. There will be a funeral luncheon for the family at 12 Noon. If you didn't sign up to bring something, bring it anyway. We'll be ready for you by 8 AM tomorrow.

Mrs. Bettye Bitz, longtime member of FBC and friend to all in our community, went home to be with the Lord last night. Please pray for Ben, her husband of nearly 62 years and their three children, Ken, Stephen and Becky as well as their families. I spent some time with the family this morning and they are doing well. May the grace of Christ rule with peace and comfort over their hearts today.

Yesterday, the first Sunday of the month, is, as always, furiously busy. The morning service - I struggled all week with that message. I was concerned I might be misinterpreted or misread. I finally decided to let the Holy Spirit do the leading. I'm glad I did. The freedom I felt from the Lord to speak was a wonderful thing! Our nursing home service was a blessing! Special thanks to Chuck Goocher for his admirable leadership in our song service. Janelle Morris did a pair of specials and did an amazing job with both. My personal favorite was her song "Wore Out." Last night's service dealt with the Authority of the word of God. I love teaching about the word of God and especially when it's so clear!

Sorry it took me so long to get back with you. It's been a busy weekend and you know how it is when you've been gone a week - everything just sort of piles up on you. I finally got back to my blog. To say last week was an adventure would be an understatement. We posted a few pictures on our website, but even that doesn't do justice to the events of the week. Even though our plans got altered by Hurricane Dolly, I don't believe the plans of God were altered. He knew exactly what He was doing when He sent us there. Any regrets? Only that we didn't get to finish what we started.

Dolly has come ashore and is rolling hard! She's poured down rain on us all night and will continue all day. Her winds are flirting with Category 2 (96 mph) but we're doing fine. We're in an exceptionally secure building and living on the second floor so we're fine. We're to be joined tomorrow by the Texas Baptist Men Disaster Relief Team here at FBC Harlingen so we'll either leave tomorrow or we'll work with them. Pray for our work. Pray for a safe trip home. Pray for the Lord's blessings over our day spent here at the Family Life Center. It's not what we planned - we came to work - but it seems clear that the Lord's wisdom is here for us. On a humorous note, it's nice to know the Lord has a great sense of humor. Sarah Thacker just read her devotional for today: Psalm 69:1-4 - "Save me, o God, for the waters have come up to my neck.. . ."

Today we spent the day finishing the painting we began yesterday. We framed an addition onto a house desperately in need of more space. Effectively, we doubled their square footage in a single day. Our VBS went off as planned and was a wonderful experience! The kids were excited to have something other than the storm to talk about. Now - as for the storm - subtitled this "Hello Dolly!" For those who might be worried about us, don't be. We're doing fine. The storm is rolling off-shore and we can feel it's effects - increased wind, clouds and slightly sprinkling. But it's not here yet. We're staying on the upper floor in the FBC Harlingen Family Life Center and have a plan in case it floods. We've prepared our vehicles and got our plans together in case we lose power. We're just waiting with plans to sit the day out tomorrow here at FBC. They've closed their offices tomorrow as has everyone else around here. We've got a problem ...

A fast and furious day! We began early, painting a house in the Mercedes area. We're all set to finish it up tomorrow. Part of our crew then went to work another house nearby. We'll probably finish it too tomorrow. VBS ended our day. We had planned to have about 30 students. We had 45. Great problem, but we had to scramble up a new plan of action to provide for it. No problem! It was awesome! Now - to answer the question I've been asked about 100 million times today - What about Hurricane Dolly? Our plan right now, by consensus, is to ride it out. It'll probably mean a whole day lost, but we'll be able to connect with people on the clean-up side that we might have missed otherwise. We still plan to leave for home on Friday, but we'll see. Check back soon for pictures - it's too late for those tonight.

A troll is someone who lurks around anonymously commenting on blogs, usually with insulting or off-topic comments. In recent days, one has surfaced here. I'm serving notice, troll - whoever you are, that I'm ready to turn comments off. I love letting people respond, but correction of my grammar or style, off-topic remarks or links to other sites will not be tolerated. This is private property I allow you to share with me. In other words - GO AWAY TROLL! I don't have time to keep deleting your comments so go find someone else to bother.

Friends who read this blog - please pray for Julie and I. Health-wise we're fine and the children are too. But the fact remains we need your prayers for Lord's counsel, wisdom and passion. That's all I can say right now.

While feeding the baby last night, I turned on the Home Run Derby on ESPN. I'm not a big fan of the event, especially since the era of steroids and such has struck, but I wanted to see Josh Hamilton of our own Texas Rangers. Wow - did he ever reward my dilligence. If you didn't see it, Josh took 54 pitches from his batting coach and bashed 28 of them out of the ballpark. Some of them, he literally nearly hit out of the ballpark. His story is one of redemption and grace and worth reading. Here's a link to a great recap of last night and Josh's story overall . One last thing - Go Rangers!

You might have seen the article over the weekend about the pastor in Frankfort, KY who was arrested by wildlife officials for illegal possession of snakes ( Here's a link to the full story ). The pastor was gathering them for a worship service in what we call a "snake-handling church." Based on Mark 16, some churches believe you can handle deadly snakes, and even get bitten, and not suffer the consequences. Although Scripture does indicate that as a possibility, it mentions only the Apostle Paul as having taken advantage of this (See Acts 28:1-6). I'd rather not take unnecessary chances - snakes are easy enough to find when I don't want them! Rather than tempt the Lord, I believe I'll simply believe His word and rest in His promises instead of testing them out with snakes.

Early this morning, a friend (I'll let the guilty remain nameless!) and I got up and left our families at home in a the primordial search for the newest gadget! Chockful of the latest technology, I've long pined for this device! After scratching nickels and pennies and not playing golf for a whole month in preparation for today, we left my house before 7:45 AM, a time I usually only get up to go play golf. But today was different. Today, we were in search of the newest iPhone, released at 8 AM this morning. We drove to Tyler, arriving at the AT &T store just as they opened. Taking our place at the end of the line, we were numbers 86 and 87 respectively. We waiting until about 10 AM when they warned us we might not get a phone today but we waited anyway. About 11 AM we got into the store and were told we had missed it by two people! If only we'd left thirty minutes earlier! It's just as well - we were given the opportunity to do orders for them and we'l...

My great-aunt Helen passed away today. She was 79 yrs of age and suffered from a number of ailments, each limiting her body more and more. She as a kind, tender lady with a gentle smile and a soft word for all whom she knew. She had a deep love for Jesus and is, at long last, home. In the fall of 1999, she came to the church I was pastoring, cornered me, and said "I'm not going to live much longer and you're going to do my funeral!" She was not a bossy or pushy lady, so I was a bit surprised. When I agreed to do so, she reverted to her sweet, gentle temperment that I had always known growing up. She knew what she wanted and was so certain of it - I really respect that. We'll honor her life at her home church tomorrow in Hubbard (east of Waco). Please pray for that important time as we celebrate her new home.

Shelley White, daughter of Judy and Johnny Burks, is in need of our prayers today. Shelley, suffering from MS among other ailments, passed out at work today and has been taken to the hospital near her home in Dallas. Please pray for Shelley, her husband Greg and their children. Pray also for Judy and Johnny as they travel to be with their daughter.

A father and son running a tri-athalon together. Did I mention the son is a quadrapledgic? Take a look.

Officially, I'm on sick leave today. After church yesterday morning, my fever began to shoot skyward. It finally topped out at about 8 PM at 104. Sometime last night, it finally broke. I feel much better today, but I'm not getting carried away. I'm home today - Julie and the children went to Tyler to do some shopping. It's the first quiet I've had at home since they arrived three weeks ago today. Pray for an end to all this sickness, won't you? I know I'm ready for it to end.

Okay - we hit the ground running this morning with the crank-up of our annual Vacation Bible School. This was the first major event I was here for last year, so it seems right to get it back up on it's feet this year! A special thanks is due to Katrina Holmans, our VBS Director. It's hard work to put all the pieces in place and then hope you've hit the right combination. We'll be posting pictures on our website so check there to find your kid!

I've always been told it's difficult to get an act of Congress done. While I've enormous respect for work our lawmakers do and the difficulties involved, I wonder if they've lost connection with those of us who live in the "real world." Little things, like the lightbulbs I use in my home, are now issues Congress wants to dictate. Hmmmmm. I'm not sure the framers of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence had this in mind. Watch the video below from Rep. Poe, proudly serving the state of Texas with a good health dose of common sense.

When I was a student at Southwestern Seminary in Ft. Worth, TX, I was privileged to sit under the instruction of Dr. Jack MacGorman, longtime professor of New Testament. A man of passion for Christ and his kingdom, his class made me want to serve Christ more fully as opposed to some classes that just filled my head. He was a learned man with two earned Ph.D.'s. Why someone would need two, I don't know! Unfortunately, Dr. MacGorman informed us, he earned those degrees at the expense of family time. He was quite an old man by the time I knew him and here's what he told us - "Gentlemen, I would gladly trade both of my PhD's for the opportunity to go back and be a better D.a.D." I've thought often of Dr. MacGorman and his wisdom - and I appreciate it more now than I ever have. I've been blessed with the educational opportunities the Lord has provided me. I've been trained in 5 languages and picked up a couple more along the way. I spent more t...

Under the heading "Now THAT looks like fun" I present my Rangers at Shea Stadium in NYC. During a rain-out on Saturday afternoon, Ian Kinsler, Josh Rupe, Michael Young and Milton Bradley decided to have a little fun. Using the infield tarp for a giant slip-n-slide, they got down and soggy!

I'm a techno guy, in case you hadn't already figured that out. One of the things I enjoy about tech stuff is the constantly changing face of it. There's always something new coming out or a new way to think about things. That's almost always good - except when technology is used by the unscrupulous to carve deeper into your wallet. Take for example the recent decision by the Associated Press. You remember them - newspapers across the country have bought their stories and published them for decades. With the advent of the internet and technology, however, fewer people are purchasing newspapers since people now typically get their news online. The AP decided getting their slice isn't enough. Now, they desire to get paid if you link to their stories no matter of you're a news service or a blogger (like me! It's reminiscent of the Recording Industry and Movie Industry, but that's a blog for another post. )The Washington Post has a response to this...

My sisters, Karen Cotter and Winona Wood, are amazing ladies. Each quite successful in their fields - Karen in nursing and teaching and Winona as a medical trainer. I'm so proud of the lady each of them are and will be. Recently, Karen was honored for her teaching work at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, OK where she's an assistant professor of nursing working toward her PhD. Here's the link to the story . Congrats, Karen, and keep up the fine work! Winona, on the other hand, just returned from a medical conference in (get this) Hilton Head, SC. For those of you who aren't golfers, let me just tell that where golfers hope to go when they die. At least this golfer hopes Heaven is like that! Welcome home Winona and keep up the good work!

Sgt Morvant was deployed to Iraq this past Saturday - for the second time. His mother is a member of FBC and quite proud of her son. I'd like to honor him today for his service. There's a great article about him in this week's news. Here's the link.

I've reflected all week on the message I presented Sunday - about allowing the Calling of God to guide you, even if you don't think you're properly equipped. Moses certainly felt that way - ill-equipped for the calling God had placed before him. Aren't you glad it's not about you? Aren't you glad it's not about how qualified you are or how gifted? It's not a matter of performance as it is a willingness to be used by the Lord. This has been an interesting week for me, challenging me on a number of levels. It's funny when you commit to following the Lord's plan - you never know where he's going to take you. Pray for us as we seek the Lord's direction as a church.

Meet Adam Bender, an 8 yr old little leaguer from Lexington, Kentucky. Adam plays catcher and hits - all with only one leg. You've got to read the whole story for yourself. Here's the link to it . An unbelievable inspiration to all of us! I coached High school basketball for three season and I'm coaching T-Ball this season and I've enjoyed it throughly. But a few of the kids I've coached in the past have been a little weak in the work ethic or passion department. I'd take an army of Adams and whip the lot of you! If you're an FBC member, I can promise you this is a kid you'll be seeing as an illustration.

Generally speaking, I leave politics alone. I was always told growing up don't meddle in politics or religion and since my job is religion, I try to leave the other alone. BUT, this is too much! I read this morning an excerpt from Scott McLellan's book on the White House and President Bush. While I'll readily admit he's made more than his share of mistakes, the excerpts I read make him sound down-right treasonous (It looked all the world to me like someone trying to sell books!)! If there's information to make McLellan's charges true, then impeach Bush! If there isn't, then., at least by virtue of his office, respect him! While I'm singling out McLellan, I see it all over the place - comedians, political talking heads on TV, the news media. All of them ridiculing the President. You may not like him and may wish we had another president - I understand that. But according to Scripture, by virtue of his position, God has at least ALLOWED him to be...

We bid a sad farewell to our vacation and came home yesterday. We got home about 3 PM - 30 minutes ahead of our scheduled arrival time. That's never happened before! Honestly, Continental Airlines had lost me up till that point. I still don't think I'll fly with them again (their planes are just too small! Easily smaller than American or United with regard to leg room) but they did a great job in getting us home. I highly recommend Nashville as a "family-friendly" city to visit. We roamed the streets and saw some amazing sites, all in a quite clean city with loads of people who were helpful. We'll go back! I want to see a show at the Grand Ole Opry! Standing in Ryman Auditorium was really a thrill. They have a video loop that plays over and over with clips from their glory days with Roy Acuff, "Cousin" Minnie Pearl, Flatt and Scruggs (pictured) and the myriad of special performers. It made the Auditorium "ring" with their sounds, m...

After we left Asheville, we decided to go through the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. I've driven around them in the past, but I never (to the best of my knowledge - I don't remember all the routes we took when I was a kid) drove straight through it. It was unbelievable! The above pictures is a mountain stream we found - it was FREEZING but the water was so clean and fresh, we took some of our old empty water bottles and filled them with water from the streams. I loved it! To celebrate our recent anniversary, Julie and I agreed to wait until our trip to have our "special meal." Once we got to Nashville, we went to Opry Mills Mall - one of the biggest malls I've ever seen. There was a wonderful restaurant there - "The Aquarium." Here's a couple of shots from our anniversary meal last night. It was good food - if you like seafood. I'm not such a fan, but my wife definitely IS! She loved it and that was the point. Today (Saturday) we wen...

It's 10:00 AM our time, and we're about to leave Asheville. By 1 PM, we'll be on our way again, having enjoyed our conference and our golf. Read Julie's blog for info about the conference and you've already read my comments on the amazing golf. But as I got ready this morning, I couldn't help but think about home. To be honest, ever since we left, I've done considerable praying for our FBC family and where we're headed. I've thought about the last year and how crazy it all is that we came to Frankston at all. I've considered how the Lord's leadership, putting us together as he did, and what the Lord has in mind for us to do. I know those of you who read this are those who are those most interested (or tech savvy) - please know how much I covet you prayers.

I'm flipping through my latest "Golf Magazine" issue. I turn to the "Travel Golf" section just to dream a bit when I spot "Mt Mitchell Golf Resort - 1 hour from Asheville." I called and set a tee time as soon as I found out how much it cost (cheaper than a round at Pine Dunes back home). What the ad didn't say was the path to get there. It's not neccessarily hard to find - it's just that you have to cross three mountain ranges (one of them twice) to get there! I never gotten motion sick when I was doing the driving but I was near that today. It was like a stinkin' driving test. You know - the kind where they test your driving acumen: turning, braking, speed, etc. As I drove, I thought to myself "this had better be darn good." I wasn't disappointed. The picture you see here hardly does it justice. This was Hole #14, their signature hole. What you can't see are the mountains framing this hole. I gave up tryin...

I checked the weather yesterday and noticed it was hovering near triple digits. Sounds tough. I was gloating in the fact was 72 degrees and PERFECT here! I should've known I'd regret that. I got my work through this morning, so I snuck off to play golf at the same local place I played yesterday. While the temperate was just about the same, it was WINDY! Wow. My pants legs sounded like flags flapping in the breeze. There was a storm brewing somewhere and it did rain right around supper time - but I did get my round in! Shot a 90 today. Playing it twice helped enormously!

Today is a stunningly beautiful mountain Monday here. As such, I couldn't stand the thought of not playing golf today. So I slipped away and found a gorgeous little course hidden in the hills here - Black Mountain Golf Course. LOTS of hills and water on numerous holes. Their signature hole is #17; Par 6, it's 747 yards long. I got an 8 on that bad boy and I was proud to have it. I hit my longest drive of the day on that hole and a decent second shot and I was still more than 200 yards out! I didn't think I was ever going to get to the green! Fortunately for me, I played the back nine first (due to a senior men's tournament this morning) so that was #8 for me. I shot serviceably well - 96. For me, that's pretty good. If I could shoot that consistently, I would be delighted. I started to go another round, but then I remembered why I'd come, so back I came. We'll bring pictures back with us, but I don't think they'll do justice to the beauty ...

For the first time since I came to be pastor at FBC, I wasn't in the pulpit this morning. It always feels strange to not preach on Sunday morning - it's a part of me I can't turn off. Yet it is strangely refreshing to have the opportunity to take a short Sabbath rest - even the Lord rested (Genesis 2:1-3). But resting doesn't mean we didn't attend church today. We try to go to churches different than our own. We found one in Asheville that just fit the bill. "The Rock of Asheville" Church was where we attended today. In fact, because worship started at 10 AM our time (Eastern), we began worship before you began Sunday School and finished before you started worship! I firmly believe that taking a vacation OUGHT to include worship. Find a church, wherever you are. As I've been told, we've got branch offices all over the place! Vacations are coming soon for many of you - when they come, and if you can't get back to FBC before Sunday, fin...

Today we took a day to just rest. Our conference begins tomorrow - we'll have a schedule to keep. But today was all ours so we took it. After sleeping late, hanging out at the hotel and a leisurely breakfast (included in our room was the best "free" hot breakfast I've ever had a hotel!), I looked up the local municipal golf course and went to play! To describe it as "hilly" would be to denigrate the hills. The famed golf architect Donald Ross (designed of the famous Pinehurst #2 here in North Carolina) designed this municipal course in 1927 - it's still in use. It beat the hound out of me and fooled me a number of times with it's visual trickery - like #18, pictured here below. The tee box is on the same plane as the green but everything else is set at about 15 degrees. At 210 yards, it's not long - but I still made a 5 because I out-thunk myself. It was a great time and I made some memorable shots but mostly forgettable ones. I'll ...

We arrived here in Asheville Friday morning after a quick stop in Mt. Airy, home of Andy Griffith and the basis for his fictional "Mayberry." Mt Airy isn't the small quaint place we had envisioned - even less so with so many trying to profit from the popularity of Andy's shows. We hadn't planned to stay long and believe me we DIDN'T! It wasn't long until we were back on the freeway headed for Asheville. When we got to Asheville, we drove stright to it's most famous landmark, the Biltmore Estates. It's that little shack behind Julie. 250 rooms, 43 bathrooms, indoor swimming pool, two lane bowling alley, 15 foot ceilings - all of it built by George Vanderbilt (yes, that same one as in Vanderbilt University, Health Center, etc) before 1896. Stinking unbelievable. I'd show you pictures from the inside, but they don't allow indoor photography. 45 bucks a head and you can't take pictures. Hmmmmm. Ah well. It was a pretty exceptional...

Sorry I didn't get posted yesterday - it's a long story! We spent Wednesday morning at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and I gotta say it was amazing! They were supposed to be doing track practice in preparation for the Memorial Day weekend Indy 500 Race. That's me kissing the 1 yard of bricks that marks the start-finish line. It's supposed to be good luck. I knelt down to the cold ground in the pit area of the track. I'd seen it on TV all my life but it's MUCH bigger than my mind envisioned it. We parked on the infield, walking Gasoline Alley and the pits, strolled the Hall of Fame Museum and watched the trucks go round the track drying it out from the morning rains. They ran the track dryers and they were LOUD!!!! Fortunately, my lovely wife had brought ear plugs for both of us. It rained out practice and it was stinking cold (50 degrees, maybe, with a stiff breeze.) but overall a wonderful experience. Next, on to Cincinnati where we saw the Reds-Mar...

We left Louisville this morning after we visited the Louisville Slugger Baseball bat museum. It was really exceptional! We didn't take the whole tour since they had some wonderful windows into the factory. We checked the place out (they had numerous bats you could handle copied from the bats of well-known players like Babe Ruth, Alex Rodriguez, Jackie Robinson and Brooks Robinson (the last one only for TRUE baseball fans!). It was great! I've always loved baseball and had a great respect for those who play it well. We left Louisville and headed north into Indiana, land of the Hoosier! We drove into Indianapolis and visited the home of Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd President of the USA. Wow! Nice shed! And the house was nice as well. After seeing the President's home, we toured downtown Indy, seeing the RCA Dome (past home of the Indianapolis Colts), Lucas Oils (future home of the Colts), Conseco Fieldhouse (home of the NBA Indiana Pacers and Victory Field (home of th...

We got up in Bowling Green, bought a camera and headed out! We visited Western Kentucky University (the Hilltoppers!) and rode the Duncan Hines Expressway (the original corporate headquarters for the baking giant is now a funeral home). The highlight of the day was definitely the visit to Mammoth Caves, the largest cave system in the world. We took a 2 mile walking tour plunging us more than 300 feet below ground and causing me to hunch over due to low ceilings (even Julie had to hunch over!) It was one of the coolest things I've ever done. We had a blast. After we left there, we visited Abe Lincoln's birthplace and boyhood home (not the same site - his father had a meandering spirit that ultimately took he, Abe and the rest of the family to Illinois.). Julie and I both hold President Lincoln in such high regard, it was only natural to make this a part of our trip. Here's a shot from the memorial at his birthplace. So we finally arrived in Louisville this evening wher...