Hot Summer

My brother, John, began writing his own blog lately. Totally inspiring. Well, it is to me, anyway. He is simply recounting stories from his past. Check him out at Wouldbemariner.blogspot.com. (Now I did that by memory and my memory is not reliable. So, if you have difficulty getting into his blog, let me know. I'll double check my memory.

With all of that, John doesn't say a word about the hole they drilled in his head last week. Janice, his wife, sent me a cute picture of him with his head partly shaved. I'd like to share it with you, but I'm saving it in case he ever blackmails me. In any case, he is recovering from a burst blood vessel on the brain. He must be doing well because  his blog makes sense, sorta.

Yesterday, I was at 3ABN being interviewed by Shelley Quinn. With me on the set was Dee Hildebrand and Judy and Clinton Bond. The three were lifestyle guests with a story to tell. Clinton came to us with bowel cancer metathesized into his lungs. When he came last October, he could barely walk from the car to the Lifestyle building. Within 18 days he was walking a mile and a half. They've kept up with the program at home, complete with fever therapy, and though the cancer is not gone, it hasn't gotten worse either. To hear them tell it, the doctors are blown away. They had given up on him totally. Even they say, "this is a God thing."

Dee Hildebrand actually works at 3ABN. She's lost 30 pounds since coming to EVI and is all excited about what the Lord has done for her. She looks great. I was scheduled to preach nine sermons at 3ABN in September this year. Unfortunately, the dates we had decided on collided with an appointment I have in Brazil. I left Dee and Shelley groaning and moaning over the fact that we must find some other date. This is the second time I fail them this way. Ugh!

The fire threatening EVI is now 75% contained. I think it is no longer any kind of threat.

Those are the three I get to play with this summer. 

Janet and Jason and family are visiting with Angie and her gang in Washington. I get to go to a wedding in Minnesota this weekend. I wish my wife was with me. But you know that with women family takes priority.

I should have gone to the wedding already, except that some representatives from some big company are on their way to scope Eden Valley. They wonder what we can do to help their work force become healthier and cost them less in insurance. (At least, that is what I think they are looking into.) I should find out shortly.

Hot More Ways than One

We are having a blast. Jason, Antionette and the kids are hear. It's a tomato feast at every meal. You'd think these Africans never saw a real tomato. Ah, but these are special. They are Eden Valley tomatoes.  Big and red and organic and yes, yummy.

The weather is sunny, hot and dry. We work and we look for some moments to play.

In the meantime, one of the worst fires ever experienced in Colorado is burning. It started relatively close to Eden Valley, but after a prayerful day, it decided to meander the other way. So far, 50,000 acres, 100 structures, and one person destroyed.

New York Adventure

I just spent six days one hour north of NewYork City. From the moment I stepped off the plane in La Guardia, and started north I was amazed. I've never seen so  much greenery anywhere. Everything north of the city is veritable jungle. I always thought that Tennessee was super green, but in my present estimation, it takes a back seat to upper New York.

Last year, you might recall, we had a seventeen year old come to EVI for treatments. He came with a bodyguard. The seventeen year old was baptized before he died and the bodyguard who had married the seventeen year old's cousin has since been going to church. He is the one who invited me to preach in NY. He also invited more than thirty of his friends and relatives. A dozen or so came to the Sabbath, 11 o'clock service. I believe more than fifty came on Sabbath.

The meetings were good (I guess) and those who started out with me attended to the end. Very interesting people. One lady was 97 years old. She was the organist. She played a little slow, but it was better than no music.

I'm home again and except for local appointments, I will not venture too far until June 26. I am to be interviewed on 3ABN again. My wife, son and his family will be home on June 4. I can't wait to see those little girls. The fun is about to begin.

I have been home only one weekend since sometime is February. I'm tired of traveling for now. It feels like I am forever putting out second rate material. I don't have time enough to really work something to a higher standard. People are gracious, but I need more time to download God's special messages to His people. I'm worried about the keynote address that is mine to deliver at the ASI Convention. There is but two months left and I haven't begun to think about it. I am also scheduled to do a series on the Holy Spirit in Spokane, WA, in August. That isn't prepared either. On the other hand, the Lord has never let me down. I've never been struck dumb, or have experienced such stage fright that I was paralyzed on stage. I assume my weariness is not wearying the Lord. Therefore, it is  up to Him to supply those needs.

It if wasn't for faith that God will see me through, I'd lose all hope of success. Life is so interesting, but way too busy. Martha, of Martha and Mary fame, was concerned with things that pass away--good things, necessary chores, a busy schedule. But Mary concerned herself with the "one thing needful." She sat at Jesus' feet and absorbed His word, that which alone will endure eternally. That's what I want, don't you?

Dom Rep

I'm sitting in a hotel restaurant in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It's the only place I can find WiFi for free. Barbara Taylor, Leasa Hodges and I are here to do a New Beginnings DVD training.

The training went well. Having never participated, I was kind of left to do my blind best. I made a couple of gaffs, which I can see and admit, but my self-justifying nature can argue quite effectively. I decided not to make things worse. The people, 500 of them, were super receptive. At the end of the program the great majority committed to use their new material to do evangelism within one month.

Today, we were suppose to have a board meeting with the Country Life project, but because Steven Leach is getting married this weekend, the board was cancelled and we are left to do next to nothing.  We have an appointment for lunch with the Conference President, Pastor Leher. He has new ideas in relation to the Country Life Ministry. Pastor Leher is the board Chairman. We will hear him out, but frankly, I'm not so encouraged with the Country Life prospects. I love Ydis and Maudlyn and Rebecca, but in my mind, it is beginning to feel like time to call it a day. We'll see.

Anyway, the weather is pleasant, the ambiance is soothing, the rest is welcome (I slept eleven hours last night.) I preached Friday night at a young doctor's baptism. I had prepared a sermon for it, but when the time came, which was exhausted by everyone else, I decided to preach from the top of my head on a totally different subject. (It was after nine.) I was surprised at what God will do with nothing.

I was suppose to preach at the eleven o'clock service on Sabbath, also. Again, I got squeezed out because we had more material than time. I was ok with it. Who needs the extra stress.

Next week I will be in New York doing a week of prayer. It's a great life, but what will the fruit be of all this "work." If feels like shooting in the night and hoping to hit something. In the end, I have no choice. I must leave it with God to do the aiming.

I will see my wife, Jason and his family in two weeks. What a blessing.

Prayers Answered

Last weekend, I preached at Copper Mountain, Colorado. From there we, Beverly, Hayley, Leasa and I, drove to DayStar Academy. We had a board meeting on Sunday. It wan't an easy board meeting. Unfortunately, the team was divided, not on the principles, but on the implementation of the principles. As a result, there was another change in the leadership of DayStar.

I truly appreciate Chris Anderson and his family. They gave 110% to making DayStar succeed, but in the end Jerry Harris was returned as the leader. I certainly do not appreciate Jerry any less than Chris. The pain that these changes generate tear me up, but we do our best with what we've been given. May the Lord help us.

You may be interested to know that my computer came home. In my last blog, I told of leaving my computer at the Atlanta Airport Security. For seven days, the tracking service reported that they did not find the computer. I assumed it was lost forever, but I must admit to praying agonizingly for that machine. On the 8th day, I rec'd a phone call saying it was found. On the 9th day it was on my desk. Isn't God good. Yes!

I have nothing but gratitude in my heart.

So says the Preacher to his Tribe.

Lost Times Two

Greetings to all. I'm back home one more time. Arrived last night from Chattanooga. I was at a Wildwood board meeting. I, and I assume many more, have been praying a long time for this board meeting. It had the potential for being an all out battle.  Praise the Lord, it wasn't.  It was long, it was stressful, but it was a great success.

I left Wildwood around 10:30 AM. My flight out of Atlanta was only at 4 PM. Plenty of time. Right! I figured it would take three hours to the airport and I should be there two hours ahead of flying. So I had a half hour of grace. I decided to pay Steven Grabiner a visit at OCI. I stayed a half hour longer than I had budgeted, but plenty of time. Right!

When leaving OCI, I thought, "I know a short cut to HWY 75. So I took the short cut, but instead of turning south on 75 I turned North. (That is not unusual. I am directionally challenged. Ask my wife.) I thought nothing of it. My mind is always churning over a dozen things at a time. One hour later, (notice, one hour later) I saw a sign that said 42 miles to Knoxville. "Oh no." I had been going in the opposite direction for one hour. That means (I know, you know what that means) that to get to the starting point, I had to drive one hour. I didn't have two hours to lose.

I turned the car around, prayed a prayer of submission and apology, and I asked for a miracle. Surrendered to the inevitable, I decided to do all I could thinking that maybe the flight might be delayed in answer to a knucklehead's prayer. I drove 80 MPH all the way. There were police everywhere, but they seemed preoccupied with some other law breakers. Now if you do the math, you know it was impossible to make my flight. I lost two hours, I had to stop for gas twice--once because I was running low, and once to fill the tank because it was a rental car, I had to return the rental car, I had to take a tram to the terminal, I had to go thru' security, I had to go to ticketing, and I had to find my gate . . . Guess what? I made it with eight minutes left before the flight. Except that the flight was delayed. I praised the Lord for the miracle, but really, the Lord didn't have to delay the flight too. That was a bit overkill.

That was "lost" number one. Lost number two is: I lost my new computer. The last time I saw it was in security. I only realized my loss when I got to work this morning. I made a claim from the airport security, but they haven't found it yet. Because the computer was a gift, I will wait to give the airport a chance to come clean, then I will go out and buy the same model. It was my fault. Bummer! You can pray with me if you care (no, no that's appealing with too much emotion) if you have time.

Talked to my wife this morning. She is in Africa at her project with three granddaughters and her friend, Laural Bates. All is well except that I fill sick at heart for losing my computer. God knows where it is. God can do anything. He can restore it to me if He wills. I submit. It was my fault and it would be totally of grace if the thing should somehow reappear. God is a God of grace, yes?? Yes. So, I hope.