Destination-Wedding

 

I missed posting last week for the first time in quite a while, but I had a good reason.  Caroline and I were celebrating our 39th wedding anniversary in Boseman, MT.   The son of some of our good friends was getting married there, and we took the opportunity to spend a week exploring the area.  We got to see Jackson Hole, Big Sky, Yellowstone, Grand Teton National Park and some of the parks around Boseman.  If you haven't been to the area, we highly recommend it.  The mountains seem to spring up out of the plains.  I have never seen anything like it.  The week was capped by one of the most Christ-centered weddings I have ever attended.  (Photo: wedding venue)  It warmed my heart to see the young couple loving each other almost as much as they love Jesus.    It gives me more hope for our next generation and inspires me to continue trying to love Caroline more.  Happy Anniversary, Caroline.

Pirates Sighted

 

Every summer, Caroline and I and another couple host Pirate Camp for our grandkids at Lake Hartwell.  The campers need to be 4 years old, so this year we had 10.  On the first day, Captain Hook steals our treasure chest.  That starts three days of fun where the kids are navigating the lake on a pirate ship trying to find the treasure.  This year, we actually spotted Captain Hook from a distance on the last day before finding the treasure.  There is quite a bit of work preparing for and executing the camp, but the quality time with the kids is invaluable.  I count it as one of the most important things I do every year.  I hope you can find quality time with the people that are most important to you.

Making Room

I was introduced to Niclole Serrano this morning - not personally - just in the media.  I was interested in her story.  She is from New York, has served as a worship leader and moved to Nashville to explore her music career.  She is currently attending Spero Dei church in Nashville and recorded a couple of her music videos there.  She tried out for The Voice, but didn't get selected to be on the show.  I listened to Make Room for the first time this morning.   I'm not sure what was wrong with those judges.  I can't find much wrong with her voice, and the message is spot on.  I want to find ways to make more room for Him.

M.I.A.

Those of you who know me well are probably aware that I am not a huge fan of rap music.  So when I saw an article about M.I.A., I fully assumed that it was about a service person that was missing in action.  I quickly learned that M.I.A. is also the stage name for Maya Arulpragasam.  Maya was raised in Sri Lanka but moved with her mother to London when she was 11.  While attending art school in London, her cousin was reported to be missing in action in Sri Lanka, and she felt guilty that he was fighting for something important while she was enjoying an easy life with her friends.   After Maya began performing music publicly, she later elected to use the stage name M.I.A. in honor of her cousin.  The "A" also stood for Acton, which is the area of London that she lived in.  In 2017, Maya saw a vision of Jesus that changed her life, turning it upside down.  She saw Him and wanted Him at the center of her life.  She recently revealed this in a podcast and recognized that it could have a huge impact on her acceptance by her fans, many of which were not Christians and some of which don't like Christians at all.  I thought it was interesting in the interview when she said, "Christianity just seems so basic."  Some might see that as a slight, but I see it as her recognition that Christianity is the foundation, or basis, for our purpose on this Earth.  Praise God for a celebrity that has the conviction to get people who might not know Jesus, talking about Jesus.  For an excerpt from the interview, click here.