Chimney Point

Over a decade ago, I got a call from a gentleman in Texas looking for 100 acres on Lake Hartwell.  I had been working as a REALTOR in the area for several years and was happy to assist.  That gentleman was Bill McKenzie, founder of Pine Cove Camps in Texas.  Many of his Texas campers came from the Atlanta area, and he wanted to establish a camp in the southeast.  I took him to the Cleveland Plantation property in Westminster that I was very familiar with, and that property worked for them.  Today, Pine Cove Camps is hosting Family Camps at the new and improved Chimney Point.  Family Camps are for parents that get jealous of all the fun their kids have going off to camp.   The whole family attends with joint activities and separate activities for adults and kids.  Take a look at what Chimney Point looks like today and praise God for the lives he is changing.

Max a million (145)

 

I was looking for some new books to read and began researching authors that I have read in the past.   I found Max Lucado's website.  Max is the pastor at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio and is known for his poetic storytelling.  His books have been purchased over 145 million times, and I have read several, but I had never listened to him speak until today.  Here is Max's telling of Jesus with his disciples calming the storm.  And if you don't have 12 minutes, Max also has a one minute daily devotional that I have just signed up for.  Prepare to be inspired.

Old Friend

I may have written about C.S. Lewis in the past, but it has been a while.  I would guess it has been over a decade since I last read one of his books.  We studied The Screwtape Letters in one of our church small groups.  My first introduction to him was around 1995 when I read Mere Christianity for the first time.  I fell in love with his ability to describe truth through allegory.  Mere Christianity originated as a series of radio shows for the masses, so his words are simple, but the way he assembles them is a work of art.  I have since read most of his major books, but somehow I have not yet read his most commercially successful series, The Chronicles of Narnia.  That series is appropriate for children, but the timeless message is for adults, too.  I am starting with The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe today.  Let me know if you want to read along with me.

Boat Church

 

15 years ago our family had a great tradition of attending Boat Church at Lake Hartwell on Sunday mornings.  Boat Church is an informal meeting on Sunday mornings mostly for families that have full time churches in metro-Atlanta, but wanted to worship on Sunday's without driving back to town.  Someone would bring a guitar, and someone would prepare a short message for the group.  We were pretty consistent for about 5 years, but when grandkids started to appear, it became harder to orchestrate.   My good friend, Luke Crawford, recommended we have Boat Church this past Sunday at our dock, and we ended up with 36 in attendance.  People arrived by car, pontoon boat, ski boat, fishing boat and kayak.  Luke's dad, John, and his brother, Jon Jon, led music and another good friend, Stephen Byerly, brought the message.  It was so much fun seeing old friends, making new friends and worshiping together.  I am not in a position to commit to this for every Sunday, but I sure hope we are able to do it more.   "For where two or three are gathered in his name, there am I in the midst of them."  Matthew 18:20.

Making Life Count

Caroline and I hit a milestone in our marriage this week.  We have now been married for 40 years.   I met Caroline in kindergarten in 1966, but we didn't start dating until 1977.  We dated on and off through our junior year of college, but got engaged that year and married two weeks after we graduated from UGA.  We got pregnant with Michael on our honeymoon, so in that year, we graduated from college, got new jobs, got married, got pregnant, moved to a new city and had our first child.  I think we maxed out the stress meter based on major changes in your life, but apparently, we were able to manage it.   2 kids and 7 grandkids later, we are fortunate to have all of them nearby so we can do life with them.  I can't imagine sharing the last 40 years with anyone else besides Caroline.  The word I think of when I think of her is nurture.  She is amazing at nurturing her relationships with God, her family, her friends and still finds the energy to love me and take care of me.  Thank you for making my last 57 years worth living.  

The photo was from our recent trip to Victoria on Vancouver Island.

Pirate Booty

 

Caroline and I feel like our life revolves around our faith, our family, our friends and our work.  We are fortunate to have our kids and grandkids nearby, so we get to see them regularly, but 3 days out of the year, we have exclusive access to just the grandkids.  They come to stay with us at Lake Hartwell for Pirate Camp - and no parents allowed!  We spend those three days searching for buried treasure, chasing Captain Hook and having cannonball wars (water balloons).  We share the week with another couple and their grandkids, so this year we had 11 pirates.  Click here for short videos 

Bread Sticks

 

I have been leading a small group from church for the last several years.  There are two sessions per year with breaks in between.  I am pretty good about daily bible study and preparation when the groups are meeting, but I have been viewing the time in between sessions as "taking a break".  A good friend of mine challenged me recently to read every morning - not just a book someone had written with their perspective, but the best book ever written, the Bible.  I  have read through the Bible a couple of times in my lifetime, but I asked my friend where I should start.  Without hesitation, he said the Book of John.  I had forgotten how packed with truth this book is.  In the first five chapters, Jesus has been teaching and performing miracles.  Jesus' followers knew that their ancestors had been provided manna from heaven when they were wandering in the desert.  In Chapter 6, Jesus is teaching a large crowd, and the people are hungry.  A boy has two fish and five loaves, and the food is multiplied so that 5000 are fed.  On the next day, people were following Jesus, not for the teaching, but because they were hungry again and wanted more food.  Jesus explained to them, "I am the bread of life,  whoever comes to me shall not perish and whoever believes in me shall never thirst."   If Jesus is the bread of life, one of the best ways to taste it is through reading His words regularly.  I am so grateful that my friend challenged me to start reading the Bible regularly. I challenge you: if you haven't read the Book of John in a while, start today.