A Different Take on the BP Oil Spill

Here's something that caused me to chew on it for a while. It made me pause to consider that we live in a country where a gallon of milk is more expensive than a gallon of gas, and we still have a tendency to fret about the price. Hoe much does our concern about the price of the commodities we use affect the companies that produce them and how they accomplish their goals? Are we willing to pay more for a safer environment?

This is an excerpt from a very provocative article about Corporate responsibility and the demands of the market. It was posted at "Don't Eat the Fruit", a blog about how Christianity is affected by technology.

If we’ve ever complained about rising gas prices or the cost of air travel, we are participating in the world that drives companies like BP to cut costs. We want them to. We need them to. We don’t really want to know what BP is doing as long as it keeps our vehicles fueled and our computers powered. Not unlike Al Gore, who talks about the environment from the comfort of his personal jet, we love to talk about BP’s problems while consuming the product they provide at every opportunity.

You can, and should, read the entire article here.

Our Trip to Greece

Things are falling into place nicely and God is blessing mightily and, in many cases, miraculously.

Let me get you caught up on what's happening.

For me, I'm in uncharted waters. I've never, at any point since I started working at 15 years old, had a break this long. At first, In some ways, it was great. In others, it was not so great. I realized, shortly into the break, that I didn't really like being disengaged. There was something about being in town and not being with our family at WBF that was a little frustrating. All that...and the summer loomed ahead looking sooooo looonnnngggg!

Then, our vacation in Florida with the family was wonderful. I realized the purpose of the break was to rest and restore. I immediately shifted into "full vacation" mode and thing shave been fantastic! After we got back from Orlando, I made a few stops by the church (trying not to get in the way or interfere with the excellent job Bob and the staff are doing) and that helped me get my bearings too. I realized I needed some time to slow down and relax and the last few days have been, in spite of all the activity to prepare for the trip, really great as far as relaxation is concerned. Still..we miss everyone!

We heard from our new friend and short term landlord, Julian Genov of Bellevue Apartments (pic right)earlier this week. He may have a car we can use from time to time, saving us the price of a rental. He's been extremely helpful in making our plans. We're looking forward to meeting him and his family.

We had the great and generous blessing of having a small group of people buy our airplane tickets to Rome. Needles to say, this took a lot of the financial pressure off. We leave on Wednesday, June 30 at 5:25 from Dulles, fly to Amsterdam for a short layover and then arrive in Rome early the next day. I've been accumulating American Express Reward points for over 20 years now. We're using some to get a hotel room right in the middle of Rome at the Bettoja Nord Nuova Roma for four days, allowing us to see the sites (Coliseum, Sistine Chapel, etc) before moving on to Keramoti, Greece for the bulk of our stay. We're hoping to do much the same thing at the end of our trip by spending a week or so in Athens and visiting Corinth while we're in that part of the country.

We're both excited. We have been resisting the urge to over-plan and allow God to usher us through the next two months. We so deeply appreciate the prayers of our brothers and sisters at church. Obviously, they have had an amazing impact. We've been praying for all of you as well. Please keep us updated via email and allow us the honor of praying for each of you while we're away.

I've put together an interactive map on Google Maps. I'll be updating it as we travel and sending links out to the group. Here's the latest version. If all you see is blue, zoom out using the + and - boxes near the upper left. You can also see the entire map if you click on "View Greece On A Larger Map" in the lower left or you can simply click here.


View Greece in a larger map

Worship Team Says, "Goodbye!" To the Scruggs

The worship team had a small surprise party for Ron Scruggs as they gathered to practice for Ron's last Sunday leading worship at WBF before they leave for California and The Master's Seminary. Even more surprisingly, the evening was filled with mystery and intrigue. Follow along......

Things started out tame enough, everyone friendly and nice....

Even though some were on a supposed "sabbatical", they showed up anyway. "You taka my peechure?" he said (in a menacing but very bad fake-Greek accent)

The team had gotten together and presented Ron and his family with excellent (in my opinion) going away presents....Hawaiian shirts & dresses for all! Fine gifts indeed! As a matter of fact....so fine that.....

During what should have been a warm moment of joy and friendship....it was discovered that someone had stolen some of the gifts!!!! Who could have done such a dastardly thing?

Could it have been Candace, the allegedly "nice" one?

Or, how about Gary and Sheri? They look pretty devious...don't they?

Here's a likely candidate, Mark. He claims he's a mandolin player. But we've heard rumors that he's known as "Mark the Knife" in some shadier and more questionable circles. Careful Ron! That hand on your back could just be stabbing you or...just maybe...stealing the shirt off your back!

Watch out, Ron. Don't be fooled by Bob's "quiet" demeanor. There could be a cold-hearted thief lurking under that "friendly" veneer.

Being an old-time 'Columbo' fan, I've learned that it is frequently the one who tries to appear so "helpful" that is the real criminal. Is Diane the treacherous felon?

Wait! What if it's *gasp* the Pastor and his wife????...striking when the opportunity arises and then making their getaway to a distant and foreign land!!

Well...thanks to the investigative expertise and computer skills of our intrepid secretary (albeit operating under greatly cramped and less than ideal conditions due to the renovation)....we have an answer!

The miscreant was nabbed with irrefutable evidence

By the end of the evening, the gifts were returned, apologies were made and grace was extended. Just in time to wish Ron (and his family) a warm and loving farewell.

We love you Ron, Robin, Sierra and Savanna! May God bless you as greatly as you have blessed us!

The Difference Between Condemnation and Conviction

This from The Blazing Center today:

Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” This scripture is a wonderful, freeing, life-giving promise for all Christians. But it raises the question:

What is the difference between condemnation, which is wrong, and conviction of sin, which is good?

Here are a few differences that I hope you find helpful:

Condemnation is either from Satan or our sinful hearts. Conviction is a gift from the Holy Spirit.

Condemnation causes us to turn away from God in fear, dread, and shame. Conviction causes us to come to God and freshly place our faith in the perfect life and death of Christ.

Condemnation causes us to wallow in despair and self-pity. Conviction leads to God-centered hope.

Condemnation leads us to believe that we’ll never change. Conviction gives us hope that, even though we sinned, God is still at work in us.

Condemnation is inward, self-focused, and always dwelling on the fact that I have sinned. Conviction is outward, God-focused, and always dwelling on the fact that I have sinned against God.

Condemnation sees God as an angry judge who could strike at any moment. Conviction sees God as a loving Father who disciplines his children.

Condemnation can actually cause us to forget repentance because we are so inwardly focused. Conviction leads to quick (but not hasty) repentance.

Condemnation feels like a black, oppressive cloud. Conviction feels like a sweet, though often very painful, interaction with the Lord.

Condemnation is useless and sinful. Conviction is fruitful and pleasing to the Lord.

The Holy Land Experience in Orlando

I have to be honest and admit that when I first heard about this "attraction" amid all the other theme parks in Orlando, I was not impressed. All I could think was, "Hmm...a cheesy knock off of key sites in Israel." Once I read over the brochure, my interest was piqued. Kelly and I went today and, once again, I was pleasantly surprised and even blessed to be there.

We saw a re-enactment of the last supper in an exact duplicate of what is now called "The Little Church", the location believed to be the original site of the Upper room. Then we went to the Scriptorium where they had an amazing array of ancient writings from clay tablets to papyrus to original scrolls to very early Bibles to replicas of the Guttenberg press to some of Spurgeon's original writings to modern day texts. We saw an absolutely astounding scale model of Jerusalem in Jesus' time and heard two excellent lectures on the city and then on the Tabernacle (with an almost life-size replica) and the Temples. All in all, it was a beautiful, interesting and educational place (in spite of some commercialization, as noted below) and turned out to be one of the highlights of our stay.



The Holy Land Experience is now sponsored by TBN. We were surprised to be asked to guest host one of their shows, using the original TBN chairs. Here's a few shots of Kelly and I in action :

.
We asked if we could come back again. they said, "Don't call us......"

Since we started out by documenting our trip with pictures of South of the Border and their gift shops, we thought it might be a good idea to end our vacation in Florida with pictures of the gift shops in "The Holy Land Experience". Vastly different......yet in many ways.......



Tomorrow morning, we will worship at the Sovereign Grace Church in Winter Garden. Then we head home! We'll be back in town sometime Monday evening.

4 Generations

One of the sweetest days of our stay in Florida was when Kelly's mom. Rosemary, came to the resort to spend the day with us. Not only is she a joy to be with, but it was her first opportunity to meet Sammi, her great grand daughter ("Big Gamma" in Sammi-speak). We took the opportunity to document the day in a few photos.

Here's Ruth, Sammi, Rosemary and Kelly

And here's the whole family together

A Day at Disney

We spent the entire day at DisneyWorld yesterday. We arrived at 10 Am and stayed until almost midnight! We rode rides, saw sights, ate REALLY expensive foods, stood in long lines, watched shows, ate REALLY expensive foods, drank REALLY expensive water, met Micky, Minnie and Goofy and ended up exhausted and spent but having had a wonderful day.

This first two slide shows chronicle most of our day. As you will see, Sammi was a major player in almost everything we did:





No trip to Disney would be complete without seeing The Magic Kingdom at night. Not only are the fireworks over the Castle spectacular but Disney's Electrical Parade is excellent as well.



And what would a stroll through Disney be without spending some time in the shops?

Florida Day 5

Fantastic day yesterday just hanging around the resort. After dinner, we took a walk and the men practiced some of their 'tough guy' poses (wearing their jaunty new hats) while the ladies giggled and a spectacular sunset put on a show for us. The Liki Tiki Village a is a beautiful, family oriented resort with a lot of fun things to do.

Today....DISNEY!

Florida Day 4

Jason joined us at Todd and Ruth's time share yesterday. It's really great to have the whole family together. It happens so rarely and we always have such a great time. We spent a good part of the evening at the water park in the resort. Sammi REALLY likes the slides. One of us takes her to the top of the slide while the other waits at the bottom to catch her. The ride down is accentuated by a lot of goggles and shrieks of delight and inevitably ends with a resounding "Again!".

Memories In Orlando

Great morning, chatting and hanging out, a getting caught up on some reading. At lunch time, it was 93 degrees but Mom's place has a nice breezeway and we ate outside...with a couple guests....Mr Very Large & Ugly bug and Mr. Chameleon








Even with our unexpected guests, it was a relaxing morning.

Later in the afternoon, Kelly and I decided to tour some of our familiar spots. I met her at Wendy's in 1978 and we wanted to go see if the store was still there. The afternoon turned into a stroll down memory lane as we began by stopping at the IHOP where we had our very first date and afterward shared our very first kiss in the parking lot. We managed to locate the place my motorcycle was parked at the historic moment and took the opportunity to recreate the memory (less the motorcycle, of course). Here are pictures of us standing on the same spot!

We left IHOP, driving down Colonial Drive to see if there was still a Wendy's at Colonial and Orange Blossom. There was! We went inside and just stood there for a few seconds. It has been remodeled, perhaps a number of times, but it was the same space with the same basic floor plan that was there the day we met.

I remember the moment vividly. I was brand new and had just been promoted to "Co-Manager", the second one in charge (no more mere Assistant Manager for me! This was the big time!). The Manager at the time met me out in the parking lot and after chatting for a few minutes, he brought me in to meet the crew. We started in the back of the store and worked our way forward. Finally. he introduced me to the cashier for the lunch-time rush. Her name was Kelly. I don't think I'll ever forget the look on her face when we met, she blushed! I thought, "She's pretty cute!" I don't have a picture of that moment, but we talked to the current Manager, Billy, and he let us get a snap of Kelly standing in the same spot she was standing in when we met.

It was a sweet moment...32 years ago and again today.

Here's another picture (below, left) at another significant location in the store. This is the exact spot Kelly "fell' for me . (I'll let her tell you the story about that one!) Many thanks to Billy for graciously allowing us behind his register for a few moments.

Time In Orlando!

We got to Kelly's Mom's place last night and have had a great day of getting caught up with her and her sister, Aunt Delores. These two godly women are an encouragement to talk to and precious members of our family. We don't get to see them nearly as often as we would like so, each visit is special as it gives us the chance to catch up with what God has been doing in our lives. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of Aunt Delores but I did manage to get Kelly and her Mom together (above).

Mom lives in a trailer park in Orlando. They're different in Florida than what we are familiar with in Virginia! Her's is very nicely landscaped and well maintained with a fantastic swimming pool and some very nice and helpful neighbors. I've included some shots of the homes and lots near Mom's in the slide show below. She lives in the one where that sharp PT Cruiser is parked *smile*

It's pretty hot down here...I LOVE it! The skies are bright blue and the clouds, when there are clouds, are so low and fluffy you almost feel like you can reach out and touch them. The tropical climate lends itself well to some pretty unique plants and animals. As I snapped the pics of the ladies, I decided to get some of the scenery as well (like the Florida hottie above and to the right!)



Needless to say, we are in full relaxation mode. We'll spend a few days with Mom. Then Ruth, Todd and Sammi arrive on Saturday. We'll pick them up at the airport, then we'll all go to The Liki Tiki Village Resort (I am not lying) in Winter Garden, just to the north of us. A few years ago, they signed up for a great time-share program and have had some truly fine vacations since then. This year, we get to share their time-share!

We'll go to church with Mom this Sunday but we'll miss everyone back home. Blessings to all!

South of the Border!

Kelly and I stayed at South Of The Border on the second night of our honeymoon, 30 years ago. That, in itself, is an interesting story for another time but suffice it to say that the honeymoon suite and a homeless cat who gained the ability to fly before the evening was over played key roles in our brief stay.

For those who are unfamiliar, South of the Border (SOB) is just inside the South Carolina border between the Carolinas. SOB has somehow made itself a destination of sorts with no real reason to stop there other than it is "South of the Border". SOB sports, for some unexplained reason, a heavily Mexican theme with a character known as "Pedro" as their mascot. Pedro used to be a short, chubby, Mexican guy but has morphed, over the last 10 years, into a more politically correct image of a Mexican man. The East Coast (Rt 95) is dotted with seemingly millions of billboards encouraging travelers to stop because "You never sausage a place!" or "Pedro says you are a wiener!" (Accompanied by a large picture of a hot dog).

We pulled in about 8 PM and walked around, taking in the sights, all of which were accentuated Mexican themes. The whole place is absolutely amazing in its content of kitschy and tacky memorabilia, none of which anyone would ever consider purchasing....unless you were at SOB! They must have thousands of magnets, hats. t-shirts, beach balls, fake snakes, magnets, key chains, coasters, place mats, mugs, shot glasses and...did I mention magnets...all of which proudly proclaim "South of the Border".

After touring the premises...and buying a few magnets....we checked into the honeymoon suite. I don't really know if I'm pleased or sad to say that not much has changed in 30 years. It was everything you might expect a roadside hotel in the 70's to look like from the San Antonio decor to the fiberglass doors on the shower.

In any event, we had a great time...and this time there were no flying cats! we both decided to do it again....in another 30 years!

Here are some slides of SOB. The music is "Montana" by Salvador.

Update on Nicholas Hunt's Miracle

Nicholas is a little boy in our congregation that was accidentally and horrifically run over by his Dad who was pulling in the driveway from work. In God's great mercy and grace, He not only spared Nicholas (and his sister who was injured as well) but He worked a mighty miracle as the family watched God turn tragedy into praise for Him and His glory. Nicholas' story continues to impact people in our church, the hospital and throughout our community. Here's an update from his Mom, Kimberly;

"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul will make its boast in the Lord; The humble will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together." Psalm 34:1-3

Just wanted to give an update to all of you who have been faithful to pray for our children...

I took Nicholas to the trauma and orthopedic doctors today for follow up. They took an x-ray of his pelvic area... it showed no more signs of the fractures (children's bones heal so rapidly). He has been cleared for all activity (even including football this Fall).

I also wanted to share something that the trauma doctor said to me today - at the end of the appointment, I asked him if this was a typical recovery for a child who had been run over by a large truck (I guess it is still so hard for me to believe). He said, "Nicholas' case was discussed by the team of doctors and was a huge topic of conversation." (He told Nicholas he was quite famous... making him smile) He said, "we are thinking that there is no possible way that the truck tire actually ran over him... it must have bumped him or something." As if we really did not know what had happened. I told him... Nicholas remembers every detail and can tell you exactly where and how the tire ran over the mid-section of his body - and how it felt... also that his brother and sister witnessed it... Gary felt it!! He just smiled at me and say "hmmm." (kind of like... yeah right lady - in a very nice way) The orthopedic never denied this... as they had the x-rays and CT scans to show the internal damage and fractures from the weight of the truck rolling over his little body (I did not realize that the pelvic bone is the strongest bone in our body).

It just made me smile... because he must not know MY God and the power He has to save. Believe me... I am fully aware that sometimes He chooses not to (in the way WE want) and sometimes we don't understand why things turn out the way we do. But, I know I can trust Him either way. He has always been faithful to our family - we always see His hand move mightily (whether HE chooses to give or take away)!! I must trust that His ways are far beyond anything I can comprehend.

So, for today... I am so thankful for His mercy and His mighty hand that lifted that truck over both of our children. I will "boast in the Lord"... "O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together."

Today was just another remider of the true miracle that happened almost 4 weeks ago! A remider of how awesome God is... how could I not share this conversation I had with the doctor today with all of you. We prayed together and God heard... now I just want to "exalt His name together!!"

Update on Hannah: She is still seeing the wound care doctor every Friday until healed. She has 3 areas now that have had crushed tissue that died, that had to be cleaned out so new tissue can grow. It will be a slow, long process of weekly appointments. However, we are praying for God to continue to give her patience and comfort... and to help the wound to close up quickly. She just started walking tonight without her crutches (she is so tired of them). She is such a trooper!! So, thank you for your continued prayers for her healing - especially so she can swim in time for our trip to the beach in July!!

Love and blessings,
Kimberly

A Note From Thassos, Greece

I got this in my email yesterday. It is from our new friend, Pastor Dimitris Pelidis of the Thassos Christian Fellowship. They had a conference/outreach in May that many of us were praying for and he wanted to share the results. Kelly and I will be joining them for worship while we are over there.

Dear John ,together with our fellow labourers in the USA warm greetings from sunny Greece an d in The name above all names of Jesus Christ.

Sorry for not replying promptly . So many things have been happening that my email correspondence has been pushed back terribly.

Thanks so much for standing with us in spirit and in prayer . I am fully convinced that the success of the conference was greatly due to all those anonymous prayer warriors who warred with us in intercessory prayer for God's Kingdom to come amd God's will to be done even on the small island of Thassos.

The preaching was anointed and sharp the prayers fervent and the the praise and worship uplifting and healing . Wish you were here with us too yet we are looking forward to seeing you in the near future and that will probably be better in that we can share more time and mutually edify each other . After the conference we went to the villages and touristy places of Thassos and the Lord arranged some really wonderful encounters . Some repented and asked Jesus into their lives , others inquisitively engaged in conversation and many took away with them bibles and tracts .

All in all, a good fishing expedition which shows that there is a shift in the spiritual climate in Thassos and that God is opening doors and challenging us to think and act big .

Now we are following up with those who responded eagerly and are determined to continue reaching out to the people of Thassos with the love and the truth of the Gospel .

As for the dress code in our Sunday services it is nice and casual . No suits or ties since it is summer and we like to keep it simple and light .

Again please convey our appreciation to the team of prayer supporters in your church and know we love and appreciate you for your stand on His holy word .

Really looking forward to seeing you soon .

Love in Christ from Dimitris and the saints of Thassos Christian fellowship.

Andrea Bocelli on Aborton

Simply beautiful testimony.....

Book Review - "A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards"

George Marsden did an excellent biography of Jonathan Edwards a number of years ago. It was well researched, written and received but it was also very large. Totally engaging throughout and highly detailed, it was not a casual-read-at-the-beach type of book

I ran into one of Edwards' direct descendants at a conference two years ago. He spoke very highly of Marsden's book, noting that Marsden worked closely with the family in his research. He gave the book their endorsement as one of the most accurate biographies done of this pivotal figure in the Great Awakening.

While Marsden's original book "Jonathan Edwards: A Life" is entertaining and informative, at 640 pages, it can be intimidating to the reader who may be merely curious about Edwards. In an effort to provide something more accessible to Edwards less rabid fans, Marsden has penned "A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards" keeping it to 160 pages.

Much to his credit, Marsden has not merely produce an abridged version of the first book. He has included a lot of material that did not appear "...A Life". In doing so, he has effectively augmented and enhanced the detailed story of Edward's life told in the original offering.

Marsden parallels the early developmental years of both Edwards and Thomas Jefferson through the dawn of the Great Awakening, the concurrent Age of Enlightenment and the period just prior to the Revolutionary War.

Throughout the book, Marsden demonstrates the integrity and influence of both men on their culture as they mature and gain influence. His detailed but brief survey of Edwards rise to prominence and his fall from a fickle public's grace is riveting and revealing, poignantly demonstrating not only Edwards' amazing faith and commitment to His Lord but his love for his wife and family as well. For well balanced objectivity, Marsden discusses Edward's human weaknesses and frailties as well.

A great read and a must for anyone remotely curious about one of America's greatest theologians.

The Photography of Meagan Farmer

Meagan, daughter of Gary and Sheri, took these beautiful photos and her proud Dad shared them with us. Now I get to share them with you. For me, I get excited when I see God's creative blessings rise up in our church family. Enjoy!