Love More

Yesterday, Caroline and I celebrated our 42nd anniversary.  I have known Caroline for 59 of the 64 years I have been on this earth, and I can say for sure that those 59 were SO much better than the first 5.   We waited a few years before starting to date, but we only waited 3 weeks after graduating from UGA to get married.  We then waited for 3 days before conceiving our son Michael, and 3 years after that Lizzy.  Now, we are thrilled with this crew of grandchildren that absolutely provide us with more joy than we could possibly have imagined.  Thank you Caroline for putting up with me all of this time.  I look forward to learning how to love more for years to come.  I love you.

Precious Memories

 

I'm up early this morning because something precious was stolen yesterday, and we need to see if we can recover it.  Captain Hook stole a treasure chest full of candy and took it to a deserted island, as he has every summer for the last 10 years.  Together with some friends, we host all of our grandchildren at the lake (without their parents) for three days to help with the search.  The first year we had four pirates.  This year we have twelve, and unless our kids decide to adopt, we believe twelve will be our max number.  We love that our 14 year old pirate still wants to come.  I say this every year: the preparation, execution and clean up from this event is one of the most exhausting things I do every year, but also the most important.  We love making memories with our grandchildren and hope they continue to love being with us, even if it does take a treasure to lure them.  For a video summary of yesterday, check out my facebook page and start from the bottom up.

Reaching The Unreached

 

In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus says, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."  Most of us have heard or read these verses.  Some ignore them.  Many believe it is best for them just to focus on the people they run into on a daily basis, recognizing that there is plenty of work to be done right around us.  A precious few take the words to heart and dedicate their lives to taking Jesus to the people that have never heard his name spoken.  Carole Ward is one such person.  Her parents were missionaries, and she has dedicated her life to spreading the Word of Jesus to the people, beginning in Africa's Sahel region.  The region has extreme climates and is dangerous with more than half of the world's terror-related deaths happening there.  She is now serving in Chad, ripe with residents immersed in ISIS and Al Qaeda.  Why would she choose this area to spread the word of Jesus?  Because so few others would.  Digba Katsala was baptized in the first missionary training school offered there, along with 202 others.  He now travels into towns on his motorcycle sharing the good news of Jesus.

Caroline and I have friends who are leading a ministry that helps young adults figure out if they might want to be long term missionaries by providing training and extended visits to the least reached areas of our world.  While the areas are not generally considered dangerous to Christians, spreading the word of Jesus to the local people is illegal - and if caught, they would be asked to leave the countries where they are serving.   While we have not felt the calling to travel there ourselves, we have felt called to support their ministry, and will continue to do so as long as we are able.  I pray that you will listen for and hear God's voice as we attempt to fulfill The Great Commission.

This post was inspired by this article at CBN.

A World Away

In 2013, 9 year old Sokny Tauk sat patiently in her home in Cambodia with her siblings sharing a half bag of rice, which is all the food they had at the time.  When Mike Meierhoffer visited their town on a medical mission trip, Tauk and her siblings were seen eating the scraps of food off of the missionary's table.  Tauk's parents had passed away, and the primary source of income was from her 16 year old sister.  Meierhoffer was moved with compassion, and partnered with a native, Sokhum Hun, to start the Cambodia Bible School on the campus known as The Jesus Village.  The Jesus Village also includes an orphanage, well-digging ministry and medical services and is planned to serve 240 orphans in 12 houses.  One house has been built so far.  Tauk and her siblings were adopted and became the first members of the orphanage.  Tauk, now 22 years old, works with the ministry and hopes to become a teacher in The Bible School soon.  Praise God for the vision and desire of Meierhoffer and Hun to help these children in the name of Jesus.  For more information about the Jesus Village or to learn how to support the ministry, click here.

This post is a summary of an article written by Audrey Jackson at The Christian Chronicle.  

Memorial Year

 

I registered for the draft when I was in college, but I feel fortunate that I was never called to serve.  Most of my friends that are my age are in the same boat.  My dad served in the army, but did not face combat.  It's interesting to me that many of those that have served see it as one of the most important things they have ever done, and wouldn't trade the experience for anything.  I recognize that others had their lives ruined by the trauma, or worse, gave their lives.  On Memorial Day especially, I am overwhelmed by the sacrifice that all of them made for me and for every person who enjoys the freedom that their service bought.  I hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend and had some time to reflect on what others have done for us.  I want to reflect on this more all year long.  I found this short video which captures my sentiment. 

The Fair Way

I played some golf in my younger years, but I never played enough to be good enough to enjoy it.  But I do still enjoy a lazy Sunday afternoon watching the final round of a professional golf tournament on TV.  If you are a fan of professional golf, you are also likely a fan of Scottie Scheffler who is currently ranked number one in the world.  His golf skills are hitting on all cylinders right now, and this past weekend, he won the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in Charlotte.  Beyond his incredible skills, I love watching his demeanor on the course.  He is steady and humble, and even when he puts himself in a tough position, he seems to keep his wits about him.   Scottie's countenance on the golf course reflects what he hopes for in his life off the course.  In an interview last Thursday he said, “I feel like I’ve been given a gift to play golf, but at the end of the day, the golf tournament is over,” Scheffler said. “You take your hat off, shake hands, and you move on. And so, my faith is such an important part of my golf game because it’s not only an important part of my life but it’s what helps me kind of realize that it’s not that big of a deal. I’m called to compete; I’m not called to go win every single golf tournament. Do I want to win every single golf tournament? Of course. But at the end of the day, that’s not what’s gonna satisfy my soul.”  I love seeing people in the spotlight that are not ashamed to share how Jesus has changed their life.

Ear Witness Account

I was introduced to Jesus as soon as my parents could get me through the church doors as an infant, and I accepted him as my Savior when I was in middle school at a church camp.  I never really questioned his existence.  But there are people all over the world that have never even heard of Him, and there are others who have heard of Him but don't believe that He was the Son of God or that He even existed.  The most detailed accounts of Jesus' life, death and resurrection are in the New Testament, but those that don't believe those accounts say that they could have been made up by fanatic followers of the day.  I recently learned that one of the first non-biblical accounts of Jesus was written by Flavius Josephus just a few decades after Jesus' death.  Josephus was a Jewish historian and military leader, and was not a follower of Jesus.   While all of the details do not match exactly with the accounts in Scripture, scholars believe that fact actually contributes to the authenticity.  If the writings were by someone promoting a supposedly concocted Jesus story, they probably would have made the details match.  Here is the text from Book 18, Chapter 3.3 of Josephus' "The Antiquities of the Jews":

Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross,^[9] those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day;^[10] as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.

If we choose to accept that Jesus is the Son of God, then we have no choice but to fall on our knees and worship Him.  And that begins a lifetime of trying to know Him more and live according to His instructions.  If you aren't a believer, I would love to talk to you about what He has done for me.