Things Are Heating Up

Things are heating up here in the South. Yes, I know it's Fall, but you have to know this is football country down here. We live in a football crazy state and we certainly have a deal deal of fun with it all. Alabama is our team of choice! Roll Tide! They look like they are headed to a showdown with Florida in the SEC Championship game the first Sat. in Dec. It could be a war.

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Things are heating up at the church & we have seen some excitement. We have had visitors almost every week for the last 6-7 weeks and had 2 saved. Pray these that trusted Christ recently, a young man & woman. May the Lord help us with their Christian growth. The second week of Nov. we have our Fall Revival with Dave Noffsinger & Dan Boatman. I'm looking for a refreshing from the Lord those 4 days.

Infantry Museum

Last week Jeremy & I went down to Ft Benning, GA with some fellows from the church. The Army just opened the new Infantry Museum a couple of months ago. We got down there early, right at opening time. The infantry man here is saying "Follow me!". A volunteer greeted us at the entrance of the exhibits, retired military, and explained that the last 100 yds belong to the US infantry. It gave me goosebumps to think of all the men that have charged across fields and forests in the face of bullets and bayonets to insure my freedom. Thank you to all in the service or are prior service.

There were more things than we could see in 3 hours. This soldier to the left is from the Korean War. My father-in-law was in Korea while serving in the Air Force. It all was informative, stirring and well worth the trip. In the near future we are going to plan a men's trip here.

Jeremy and I had a great time together. The museum had displays for every era of American history. There were some neat interactive things, films, tanks, helicopters, guns, on and on... All of the models of these men were based on actual soldiers that were stationed at Ft. Benning. Jeremy is sitting with another Korean War era soldier. He's writing a letter home no doubt. These men sacrificed a great deal but their families also sacrificed much.

Not every soldier is squared away. Some still have a few rough edges to be knocked off.

This is the Infantry School on the post. If you watch the movie "We Were Soldiers" you can see this building in the background of one of the shots.

Encouragement

One of our newest members is a sweet senior citizen. She make me smile & often tells me she is praying for me. I really believe she loves her new pastor.

It's funny how an encouraging word has such a powerful effect on all of us. My doctor said I was doing a good job with my weight loss & my blood pressure was doing super. That pat on the back meant quite a bit to me. It made me want to keep at it & do even better.

Think how few people ever get any kind of positive message from family or friends. As much as I enjoy the "atta boys", I want to be an uplifter. Someone who builds not a person that is always tearing down. "Keep at it." "Your doing a great job!" "Hey, I thought of you today." "Hang in there."

If you haven't thought of it yet, our Savior is the greatest encourager of all. Many times the only thing that has kept me going is the thought that I will hear a message from Him. "Well done thou good and faithful servant." Yes, that will keep you headed in the right direction.

The Empty Nest is Coming

Shame on me, it has been 5 months since my last blog. Plenty is going on but I have just neglected getting up to date here.

Last week, I was on the campus of Crown College for the annual Pastor's College. This is always a highlight of my yr. & the Lord deals with me for which I am thankful. We were challenged all week about the Truth, Friendship & World Evangelism. These things are all connected.

Before I checked in at the college, I spent several hours out on a trail in the Smokies. Great fun & I can't wait to do it again. My hike was around 8 miles over what they said was a moderate trail. I can hardly imagine what a diificult one would look like. The last day of the conference, Pastor Sexton handed me a $1 that he had signed for Brett's schooling there worth $1000! No doubt this is the first answer of many prayers that will be offered to get him through school.

Both Jeremy & Brett will be in school this fall. Brett will check in Aug. 21st & Jeremy will be gone by the 1st week of Sept. Donna & I are not sure how we will adjust to the fact that both our boys will be out of the house. (I believe I've seen Donna thumbing through cruise brochures though.)
Pray for them & us as we make this transition.

Iron Sharpeneth Iron

While at the church planting conference in Okla. City, we were privileged to be around some of God's choice servants. One of those was Col. Tyler Ryberg, a man dedicated to helping reach America's service men and women. What a ripe mission field! He promotes church plants near military bases and can direct service people to a sound work in their area. Col. Ryberg is a retired Marine that flew attack helicopters and also spent some time in the Pentagon. Semper Fi! (We were able to have him spend a week end with us when we were in Hanover, IN.)

Here is a partial list of some of the other preachers I got to meet for the first time or renew old acquaintances with: Sam Davidson (President of Heartland), Matt Wilkerson (Medicine Lodge, KS), Dean Herring (Kuna, Idaho), Adam Zamora (Buckeye, AZ) and Larry Clayton. Bro. Clayton has started or helped start churches all around the world. He is a remarkable worker for Christ and a treasure trove of info. on how to get things done in church planting.

Let me encourage those that are in church planting to visit this conference at least once. You won't regret it. It is strange how meeting one person, or hearing one message or even one phrase can have a profound impact on your ministry. Use these tools to keep your heart on fire for reaching America and the world. The USA needs more churches as we face some challenging days ahead. God bless.

Oklahoma Report

Donna and I got to spend two days at the Heartland Church Planting Conference. This is a one of a kind event where there is preaching, encouragement and giving in an incredible way. Sounds like your run of the mill conference I can hear you say. Not so! Pastor Davidson calls church planters to the platform each session and they can give their testimony, explain their ministry goals and also lay out the needs they have. (Ministry related and personal.) Then in an enthusiastic way people begin to give. Hands across the audience begin to go up. $100 here. $200 there. This goes on until a specific or maybe all of their need is met. Praise the Lord. Probably the most exciting is seeing the students get involved in the giving. Numerous times these Bible college students gave, some $20, $50 or even $100.

We were challenged about church planting again. It is plain to see that God is calling families to raise up old fashioned Bible preaching churches all across our Nation. There truly is a need every where. When we saw how God was still on the move we both were stirred and encouraged.

When we got to Oklahoma City, our church and family had several needs. We had to leave a day early and missed out on getting to the platform. God worked in different ways and provided for the last of Jeremy's school bill. Our church does not have a sound system yet but is trusting that this will be taken caare of also. Our Savior has never let us down.