My dad always told me to keep this secret in my shirt. All these years, you haven't known the real me. Well, it's a secret no more. I have blue skin. (Except for on my hands and face, of course.)

Janet and I took a trip to Uchee Pines, in Seale, Alabama. It is 1,600 miles one way. We decided to drive just to have a little time together. I brought along four audio books -- the biography of Albert Einstein, John Adams, and Colin Powell, and the story of a woman whose mother was an SS guard in a German concentration camp. They were excellent. The best were of John Adams and Einstein.

We attended Uchee Pine's 40th anniversary, their grand opening of the new lifestyle center and I was the chairman at their annual board meeting. All went well. They are doing great.

At Eden Valley we are planning an agricultural seminar to start February 7, 1010. We may have started too late for some people. Right now, we are praying the Lord will send the students that need to come. All is well besides. I am still planning to transition from EVI to Africa by August or September 2010. I have many requests for me to speak and I have had to deny more than usual.

Jason is in Livingston, Zambia, building One-Day churches with Alan Knowles and 178 American tourists. Antionette is in South Africa visiting her parents.

Our Lifestyle Center is full for February. So full in fact, that the overflow is in my house.

God is the praise of my heart. I am altogether blessed.

Take the Risk

Life goes on. Last week Bill Bosko, our farm manager, and I flew to St. Louis, Missouri and drove to 3ABN to do a one hour interview with C.A. Murray. The whole trip was enjoyable. It was suppose to be about the-up-and-coming Agricultural Seminar. The problem was, our interviewer, C.A. Murray, focused on our Lifestyle Center and we had the hardest time getting him to go where we wanted him. Ah well, maybe that is what the Lord wanted after all. Who knows?

At home, our Lifestyle Center is full with very sick cancer patients. My heart goes out to each one. Because we've received so much publicity about our successes with cancer, nearly all of the people that come lately have cancer. They come expecting miracles for themselves. I don't blame them, but we cannot command miracles at will. I told my staff this morning that if I had to determine whether I would fail or succeed, I would succeed every time. Wouldn't you? The problem is, success is not in my hands to determine. All that is mine to determine is whether I will be faithful in doing the right thing or not.

We all are doing our best at the Lifestyle Center to cooperate with God in His approach to healing disease. If it was in my power to heal anyone, I would heal everyone. But then, would that be right for everyone? No. Only God knows what a person needs. Everyone does not need to by healed, tho' everyone would want it. Argh! One Lifestyle guest asked me to come and pray with him two nights ago. I did. He is middle aged with a young wife and three small children. He is in so much pain he can't stand himself. He will die if God doesn't save him. All I could do was agonize with God. When I left to walk between the lifestyle center and my house, I wept. Being helpless is so frustrating.

Janet and I leave for Uchee Pines tomorrow morning. It's their 40th anniversary, plus it's their grand opening of the new Lifestyle Center, plus we will have a board meeting and I am the Chairman. I am choosing to drive because the tickets to Atlanta are $500 each. I can drive there and back for less than $400 and that includes motels and food. Besides, I don't relax so much as when I drive long distance. I will go to the library and borrow audio books and I will just let someone tell me a long story. No worry, no stress.

Book Recommendations:

I read tons of good books. Right now, I am reading Dr. Ben Carson's "Take the Risk." I recommend it highly. He gives an excellent formula in that book on how to make decisions and to evaluate risk. If you have decisions to make that involve risk, read the book.

Just one thought from the book:

Some people (perhaps most) avoid risk at all cost. They base that decision on what advantages or disadvantages them. But friends, what I want or prefer is not the criteria for making decisions. Whether I work in the North Pole or the South Pacific is not decided by which I prefer, but by what will best glorify God and help others. Jesus didn't come to this world because He would be advantaged in any way. He came to seek and save sinners thereby glorifying His Father. He risked all eternity for our sakes. We should not be afraid to risk something to help others.

So says the Preacher to his tribe.

New Years Resolutions, yuk!

I give no thought to making New Years resolution. Usually, until I read our "Recovering Malcontent's" blog this morning. Here is a girl who says she gives no countenance to New Years resolutions either. "What's the difference between New Years day and any other day?" she asks. Then turns around and establishes a whole bunch of goals for the year. Hmm, what is that?

"Success in any line, demands a definite aim." Education 262. I believe in it, but . . .

I am not like our little Malcontent. I am like she says she is. I don't set goals. Well, I think I don't, anyway, unless I do it unconsciously. Hey, I have a mission statement, does that count? Here it is: "I live at all expense to myself for the honor and glory of God and for the good and happiness of others." That's the overall direction I want my life to take. Outside of that, I am neither goal or task oriented. I am relational to the extreme, especially when it involves the management of people. Getting people to perform means less to me than winning their confidence and helping them heavenward.

I also read something else on resolutions today: "We don't hesitate to tell our kids to reach for the stars: 'The world is yours, you can make and do and become anything you want.' So how come when it comes to our own 'grown up' aspirations, we extinguish the stars and set limitations instead?" That's a rebuke to my approach to life. That's how I am. Oh, who shall deliver me from this body of irresolution?

So now I'd like to make a resolution. Ya, right! . . . Blank . . . blankety blank . . . blank! (Maybe I'll try next year.) Hey, I know, maybe I'll write a book, maybe.

Do you see where this is going? Some people work their tails off to attain a goal. Others work their tails off for those who have a goal. Which are you? Which is best? In the end, if you don't have your own goals, you will be at the disposition of those who do.

So says the Preacher to his tribe.