Fun of Teaching SS

 Last Sunday 6 March was my turn to Teach Matthew in Sunday School. I had been prepping to teach since Jan. I love to teach SS, and love the prep. And I loved teaching the class last Sunday.

I was scheduled to teach Matt 14-16 in 45 minutes!  Wow!  We made it half way, which surprised me. I teach next week too, so we'll catch up a bit.

What made this lesson special? So many folks in the class contributed great observations. I had invited people to share at the start, and told them we might not get too far, but as the old saying goes, "We teach people, not information."

I had prepared and prepared, but still the new insights were surprising and delightful.  I loved it and I think my joy was apparent to the group. They seemed to enjoy it too.

To me, this is a great illustration of Biblical community. We all contribute out part for the good of the whole. We talked about the feeding of the 15 thousand+.  And that's what happened Sunday too. G^d multiplied our little contributions.

I love to teach--especially the Scriptures.

Blessings,

Life Review: Breaking the Law

 One of the most dismal, remorseful times of my life happened in November, 1997. My family and I loved living on the post at the US Military Academy from August 1997-June 1998 whilst I taught there.

I am an inveterate deer hunter, and there was some good deer hunting right on the USMA land near our quarters there. I started hunting deer as soon as archery season opened. I managed to harvest a doe with my bow during the early season, but spent most of the gun season hoping for another deer. My kids ate a lot of venison, and it was a key, economical meat source.

On the last day of deer season, I still needed to harvest one more deer. And, sure enough, G^d provided another doe broadside at under 50 yards right as the sunset--the end of the season. I squeezed the trigger and the deer dropped. It was a pretty good way away from my vehicle, so I had to drag it out by myself and somehow get it loaded up into our big old van. I hauled to deer into the check station whereupon the game manager declared my deer illegal. You see, in AL where I did most of my hunting, and still do, the end of shooting light is 30 min after sunset. In NY, the day ends right at sunset. I had shot my deer within a minute or two of sunset, but the game manager took the position that I was too late.

I was overcome with remorse. I couldn't sleep, couldn't get past my mistake. The law enforcement, the Military Police called me about my "crime". I called them back and they said forget it, and I never heard any more about it.

Eventually I got over my shame and guilt and we ate the deer. I was most shocked that I took my honest, innocent mistake so very seriously. I have done much worse stuff, so my remorse is still a bit surprising.

Thanks be to G^d for His Mercy and Grace. They are unending and freely available.  Thank you L^rd!

Life Review: Fasting

 Two Sundays ago, our sermon was on Fasting. The Scriptures seem clear--fasting is an expectation for Followers of the Christ. And, for a great many years, Wednesday was my fasting day.

We were encouraged in the sermon to establish a weekly fast, and having done it so many years, I thought, yep, I'll do it. So now, every Thursday from daylight until dark, I eat nothing and drink only water. It seems much easier now than it did when I was younger.

What has fasting produced?

Nothing  that I can tell. It is tempting to focus on results rather than obedience. Let us not do that. Let us focus on obedience.

Maybe G^d will do something spectacular--maybe not. But let us focus on obedience.

Stay tuned.

Life Review: Hearing from G^d!!

 Have you ever heard directly and personally from G^d? I have on several occasions. But, before I talk about that, let me outline some principles for verifying G^d's voice. He never contradicts Scripture. He speaks mostly to the benefit of others, but we benefit by hearing and obeying Him.

My most remarkable word from the L^rd came one day, many years back, as I ran East on University Blvd.

Another memorable word from G^d came whilst I was in Australia.

Another time, G^d spoke to my greed.

My all-time fav G^D-speak story happened in 2005. I had just previously filed my retirement for my Delayed Retirement Option. I was about to leave the house for a hunting trip in central AL. I looked at the mail and there was a letter from the Retirement System. It was a copy of a letter they had sent to the UA President, Bob Witt, complaining that my extra pay from grant support was artificially inflating my retirement. I knew that Pres. Witt wouldn't be too bothered, but I was a bit troubled and started contemplating what I should do to right an unintended/unexpected wrong.

I was the first one at camp, and I would be spending the night there, out in the middle of the woods, with total quiet. I went to bed early, to hunt the next day, and when I did I heard a voice,

"And thus they plundered Egypt."

I knew that was a reference to the Children of Israel asking their Egyptian neighbors for their gold and silver jewelry before the Exodus.

I thought, "that's strange" but proceeded to doze off, when I heard the same words again. This time I got up, got my Bible and turned to EX. 12, searched around and found this in verse 36, "And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians."

G^d then spoke again, "This is My doing, not yours." I smiled quietly to myself, and never worried about it again.

You see, years earlier the University had prohibited me from speaking about Christianity on campus, which led to 3.5 years in federal court. But in the end, as always, G^d won!

Life Review: Churches Over Our Lifetime

 We have always been engaged in local congregations  No matter where we live, even if only for a few months, we find a congregation with whom to participate.

Here is our current list and locations:

First Bapt Canton- Oakdale, Canton 

College Ave Bapt. 

Fairfield Drive Bapt. Pensacola, FL 

American Bapt Newport RI 

Baptist in Corpus Christi, TX 

Lexington Park Bapt, Lexington Park, MD 

Grace Pres, Lexington, VA 

Faith Pres, Athens, GA 

First Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa 

Bay Area Presbyterian in Clear Lake TX 91-92 

Grace, Tuscaloosa, AL

Washingtonville, Conservative Bapt, NY 97-98 

EFS, Ostersund, SW 

Open Baptist, Gabarone, Botswana

Mercy Pres, Forest (Lynchburg), VA 

We have been closely associated with 15 different congregations. Each one has been different. G^d has used them all, and we have pleasant memories.

Thanks be to G^d for His people.

A Special Lemonade

 

What do you see here? 

This was a delicious lemonade I saw in Puerto Rico. I love lemonade, so it caught my eye.

What's so special? Look closely.

Yes, this is a bottled water to which someone has added a dry lemonade mix (I'm guessing it was dry.)

Of course, someone had to pop the top and add the lemonade mix. I am pretty sure that wouldn't be legal around here. But, it is pretty simple, pretty creative, and I am guessing pretty profitable.

See what great things I learn traveling.

Random Photos for Your Consideration

 Here's some random photos from my phone. I just downloaded these. I hope you can find a couple that please you.  Good luck.

A small coffee-- I mean really small.

A church's ministry right off the U of PR Rio Piedras campus.

Sanding the sail boat. Turn a little blue--not sad, just blue.