WILD HORSES OF CUMBERLAND ISLAND

Wanda and I visited Cumberland Island, Ga., on Friday. It is a barrier island off the coast of Georgia just off the Florida state line. The only way to get there is by boat. We rode up to St. Marys, Ga., on "Big Red" and sailed over to the island with our friends Lou and Cherry Casey on their boat. I have wanted to make this trip for several years.

You can camp on the island if you choose or stay at a B&B for a minimum of $400 a night up to $800. We only went over for the day, but maybe some time later we might go over to camp. There are no paved roads, stores, or other conveniences. Don't think we'll ever stay at the B&B.

A few years back, John Kennedy, Jr., was married on a private part of the island on the north side. I guess money was no problem for him or his family. They certainly didn't camp there.

Another interesting part of the island are the wild horses and ruins. We got off the sailboat and enjoyed a picnic lunch. Then we went on a walk across the bay side of the island to the Atlantic side which is about .6 m. That took just a few minutes. Then we headed south on the beach for a mile and a half and crossed back across the island to the sailboat. Lou had moved it south to another dock where we met.

That hike was around 3.5. That was no problem except crossing the sand dunes heading back was tough. It was hot and the white sand was like a heater exploding the suns rays all over us. Whew! We made it.

I don't know what the ruins are all about. We saw wild horses and turkeys. There are some 150 horses that roam freely all over the island of about 17 miles around.

The wind wasn't blowing much so we didn't do much sailing. Maybe next trip we can do that.

SHARE FAITH

This week I have made an point to share faith more. People need the Lord. So many people are hurting and they need to know that God loves them. That He will help them and bless them.

I have had the opportunity over and over again to share a quick word of encourage, or a prayer, and just a kind word and smile. No one has resisted me yet. People need God's love and they need God's people to share that love.

We have the Gospel. It is Good News. That is what Gospel means. It means good news that God has sent His Son Jesus to be our Savior. He died on The Cross for our sins and rose again. He is alive and He is our helper.

Recently I prayed with my lady barber who has cut my hair for years. She and all those who work with her know that I am a minister and a Christian. She had a need in her life and the Lord impressed me to pray with her about it. Yesterday she told me that what I had prayed with her about that God had helped her. Praise God!

I am looking for more places to share faith outside the walls of the church. Amazingly, riding "Big Red" has opened uphold doors to share. People don't expect a preacher to ride motorcycles. I catch them off guard some and slip a word for the Lord into the conversation.

We need to be bold, be brave, and believe God. He will take our feeble efforts and multiply them. That is my prayer!

COUNTING CALORIES

I have a new way to help me get fit. "My Fitness Pal" is a program that helps you keep a log of what you eat and the exercise you do. It is a quick way to keep up to date and have a record. Once you set it up, which only takes a few minutes, it is really quick and simple to do. I have downloaded it on both my IPhone and IPad for useage.

Every meal and snack can be entered and it has an internal resource to count calories and keep a record of fat, sugar, protein, carbs, and sodium. After entering each meal and snack for a few days, it really makes you conscious of almost every bite and helps motivate you to exercise. Exercise and calories spent can also be entered.

Wanda is using it too. Yesterday, she came home with a Sam's chocolate shake. It was so tasty until we looked up the calorie amount. That shake was almost 500 calories. Wow! That is almost half of the calorie intact for Wanda for one day!

She nearly croaked!

But it proves the point of the program. Every bite or sip counts.

What is the point? It is all about health, activity, and being our best. We have done fairly well most of our lives, Wanda and me, on staying fairly fit and in descent shape. However, our line of work makes for lots of eating meetings with cakes, pies, and other sweets. That is lots of fat and sugar which is not good.

I am not leaving all sweets off altogether, but I am counting calories. I'm eating slower, drinking more water, and putting my fork down after each bite. That makes my food taste better and the meal more enjoyable. It also fills me up in a way that gulping your food down doesn't do.

Losing twenty pounds won't be easy, but that is my goal. My ultimate goal is to be my best and to glorify God. That is what really counts.

Did you hear about the faith preacher who believed anything is possible? One man took the preacher up and asked for prayer that he would lose weight. The preacher stretched his hand to pray and said, "Grab your drawers brother!"

Ha! Prayer helps, but putting the fork down is vital too!

TOTALLY HAPPY

I love the funny sayings of grandkids, especially our grandkids. Sometimes they make be cackle and other times grin real big and then some times laugh hard and loud.

Recently, I asked my daughter Jennifer if her kiddies had said anything funny or cute. They live in Puerto Rico so I don't get to see then often. We talk on the phone, but I long to know more about them.

Jennifer thought for a moment and then shared that recently little Claudia said, "Some times when I look into the mirror at me I am so happy that I am me."

I rolled in laughter at what she had to say. Here is the take-a-way. She was happy and content with herself. She loved herself and had joy. This isn't a selfish love or arrogant love, but a love of contentment and thankfulness.

In today's world, too many cannot find peace within themselves. They are not happy or content. They find personal faults and flaws. They are filled with condemnation. Satan, the evil accuser, puts them down and robs them of hope and peace. There is no joy in any of that.

When I look into the mirror, I see a man getting older with wrinkles and grey hairs. I am still overweight and need to shift some of the weight around, but that is life. I need a little of Claudia's idea in me.

Lord, thank you for life and thank you for all that I am. I can see, hear, walk, smell, talk, and think. Both hands and all my toes and fingers work. Thank you Lord for me. Amen!

CHANGE

Change isn't easy. It gets more difficult the older you get. I'm not old, but I am heading that way. Change is the one constant thing someone said. You can be sure of one thing and that is change. Change is going to happen. Today change is happening at ever increasing speed. It is hard to keep up. Often the change is confusing and initially slows us, but there is good side change too.

Today as I began this new post, Google had a new setup for me to use. It looks different, and I am not sure I will like it. But, that's life. It is change.

Most of the time I find that changes are a help and make things go smoother. I love my computer and can't imagine not having my beloved IPhone or iPad, or MacBook. Yet, each of them initially stretched me.

I strive to embrace change even though it hurts my head and stretches my brain.

Yet, some things shouldn't change.

God's Word is the sure, constant, guide for all generations and for all mankind. It does"t change. It meets all standards for all time. That is consistently constant.

I'm working on changes daily. Some hurt. Some bless. But the Word remains the same. It is solid and sure.

ERRANT EMAILS AND TEXTS

Have you ever sent or received an errant email or text?

I have both received and sent emails or texts that were inadvertantly misdirected. It can be both a hilarious or serious experience. Just ask me. I know.

Here is the key. Just pay attention to what you are doing. That sounds simple enough, doesn't it?

We live in such a rush, rush pace and information is so quickly sent, read, and shared. It isn't like the good ole days of snail mail or making a phone call. Now it is zip, zip and push, push and off the info goes.

What do you do when you send an errant message?

You follow it up with "Oops". Sorry! And then you don't do it again.

I haven't done that for some time, but it could happen again if I'm not careful. I did receive one today. I guess that is why I wrote this.

CAMPING, WEDDINGS, AND ICU

Can you guess what these three have in common? Or at least, what they have in common for me?

These are three things that a minister might find himself doing over a long weekend. I did. This past Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I was busy camping, performing a wedding, and visiting a dear church member in the hospital ICU. That is quite a roller coaster ride of emotions. From the excitement of boys running through the woods to the joy and happiness of a wedding to the hurt and shock of sudden critical illness, a minister's life can be a wide swing of joy and sorrow.

Ministering to people is a wonderful calling. It has lasting impact that will never be lost in God's records. I am very thankful for the privilege of serving in God's work. It is a wonderful work.

It is all about pointing people to our Lord. It is about helping them know that there is one who loves them and cares so very much about them.

I have had the honor of loving boys, counseling a couple, and encouraging a family in need. Thank you Lord for letting me serve in your work. Oh, and there were untold other acts of service thrown in the middle of all of that too.

WHO DO YOU TRUST?

Trust is a serious issue.

Just ask the Athletic Director for the University of Arkansas who just fired their very successful football coach. The married and father of four children football coach had an affair with a young woman half his age and lied about it. He had paid this woman $20k and also hired her to work for the University. The AD could not longer trust the coach so they fired him.

Trust is important in life, relationships, marriage, and work.

I read a book some time back entitled "The Speed of Trust". The point of the book is that a lack of trust slowed or stops everything in life. That is true. When we are trustworthy, then people rest at ease. They can know that they will not be deceived or damaged. Businesses, or people, or even nations cannot function well where there is no trust.

Do you remember the old hymn "Trust and Obey"? Its lyrics include "tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His Word...."

Jesus never fails, falters, or flags. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever more. Now that is total trustworthiness.

Another quote that really got me recently is, "Anger, worry, or frustration are signs that you are not really trusting God." Boy that stung me, because sometimes I worry or even worse get really frustrated. I am learning more and more that it is "sweet to trust in Jesus." I can take Him at His Word.

I choose to trust Jesus.

BEAUTIFUL FAMILIES

I love families. There are few things any greater than a dad and mom and children to follow. In all my years of ministry I have noticed that when God is at the center of a home then that home is blessed and beautiful. There is order. The relationships are good. People are blessed. Things go good.

The converse is to see the attempt to go through life without God. God is love. He is the personification of love. When God is present, then love is present. Life is good.

God's love is a respectful, patient, selfless, sacrificial love. It doesn't think, act, or offer evil. It is quick to forgive and forget. God's love doesn't return evil for evil.

I recently read through Genesis and was amazed at the story of Isaac and Rebekah's children, Jacob and Esau.

Esau married heathen women and we read in Gen. 26:35, "They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah."

In the next chapter we read that Rebekah said that if Jacob did the same thing as Esau and marry heathen women that her life would not be worth living. She had all she wanted from those godless women.

In the next chapter and the first two verses we read that Isaac got Jacob and told him in no uncertain terms that he wasn't to marry a heathen woman. Isaac knew that if Jacob did that then things would get worse at his house as Rebekah would not be a happy lady. Isaac knew that if she wasn't happy there was a very good chance that he would not be happy.

Ha! Happy Wife, Happy Life!

Not Happy Wife, not Happy Life.

Here is the point. Families that serve God are blessed families. Good comes their way because God's love is good. It is pure and it releases blessings!

THANK YOU MOM!

Mom celebrated her 85 birthday on Easter Sunday, yesterday.

She is the best Mom in the world. I know.

I wonder how many prayers she has prayed for me?

Or how many meals she has cooked for me?

Or how many pound cakes she has baked?

Or how many times she spanked me? Or corrected me? Or gave me a good talking too?

Or comforted my fears? Or read the Bible to me? Or took me to church?

Or sacrificed for me?

I know she is a self-less and always thinking of others including me.

She has always put God first, family second, and others next, and then herself.

She has set an incredible example for others to follow. I can only guess how many church services, or church meetings, or ministry events that she has attended or led?

She has always been there for us children. She still is. I feel her prayers everyday. I could not have made it this far without her love and encouragement. How am blessed beyond measure because of her and dad.

Thank you Lord for giving me such a wonderful, godly mother. I am thankful for her leading me to the Lord and training me in the knowledge of God.

I love you Mom. Happy Birthday and may God bless you with many more.

HOLY WEEK

Jesus died for my sins. I know He loves me. Why would anyone ever die for another without love. The Cross is all about love, forgiveness, and peace. Jesus died so I could have peace with God. I was a sinner. He died to save me. That is what Holy Week is about. He died for my sins.

But His death is not the end of the story.

He rose from the dead to live and to give me life. He lives and He lives in me. It is through His life that I can live. I can do all things through Christ who is alive in me.

Today I honor His death. I give thanks for what He did for me on The Cross. He paid the price for my sins. He made peace with God for me. Now I live through His resurrection power. He died but rose from the dead and He lives. He lives in my heart.

THREE WONDERFUL YEARS OF LOVE

Love is what love does. That is a true statement.

Daily Wanda tells me that she loves me, and after I tell her in return that I love her then I will say, "I know you love me because you show it every day."

Love is a verb. It is action. It moves. It stands. It gives. It is kind, patient, persevering, and thoughtful.

Love forgives, forgets, and forbears.

It comes in when everyone else goes out.

It understands. It waits. It listens. It is selfless. It doesn't' keep score.

These are just some of the qualities I enjoy as the blessed husband of Wanda.

Yesterday we celebrated three wonderful years of marriage. It has gone by so fast. That is what happens when you are having fun.

I read the funny about the man who's doctor told him he only had 6 months to live.

The man asked what he should do?

The doctor said, "Quickly, go find a woman with 17 children and marry her and move to North Dakota."

"Why would I ever want to do that," the man asked his doctor?

"Because that would be the longest six months you will ever live," responded the doctor.

Ha! That sounds like it would be true.

But, when you're having fun time flies, and I am having fun. These three years seem like only days.

I have enjoyed three wonderful years of love. I look forward to many more years of years of love with Wanda. God is good!

BRIEFLY FOOLED

I was working in our garage on Saturday and took a break to drink some gatorade and eat a banana. As I was resting for a moment sitting in a chair looking out the garage door, all of a sudden a hummingbird flew into the garage and hovered over "Big Red". It happened so quickly as the little bird look down on this big red machine.

After a few moments, he turned and flew out as quickly as he flew in. Hummingbirds are attracted to red and "Big Red" is really red. It also looks like a bird of sorts from the front. I don't think the hummingbird saw the front, but he definitely was drawn to the huge red machine.

I smiled at the birds slight confusion. Isn't it interesting what attracts and what can tend to deceive?

Most of us know what to do and we do well to do it. Let's not be deceived or mock God. What we sow we'll reap!

We have all been fooled, deceived, confused, or misguided. We would do well to do like the little hummingbird and fly away from anything that proves to be something other than what is first represented.