While walking Honey Rose today at Twin Lakes RV park in Cumming, GA, I met a young couple also walking their dog. I learned their interesting story. They are in their late 20's or early 30's. They had a large home in Alpharetta. After returning from a mission trip to Kenya, Africa, they sold their home, bought a motorcoach and are now full-time RVers, spending their days coordinating church mission trips. We keep meeting the most interesting people. The world is full of them. Everyday brings surprises.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Special Young couple I Met Today
While walking Honey Rose today at Twin Lakes RV park in Cumming, GA, I met a young couple also walking their dog. I learned their interesting story. They are in their late 20's or early 30's. They had a large home in Alpharetta. After returning from a mission trip to Kenya, Africa, they sold their home, bought a motorcoach and are now full-time RVers, spending their days coordinating church mission trips. We keep meeting the most interesting people. The world is full of them. Everyday brings surprises.
Flowers from the Past
In 2007 we sold our property in Cumming and moved into an apartment. In July 2008 we began our RV travels. The property we sold is part of a 40 acre development, but though the streets, electricity, sewer, water and paved streets are in, nothing has been built. The development is dormant. Today I drove to our old property and walked down to where our three story home once stood. Picked up a vase I found in the dirt, one I used for flowers from the yard. My old grape orchard is still there, though the vines have died. Many items on the back side of the property are still there. However, they cut down most of the trees, shrubs, etc and leveled all the land. Several years ago I planted lots of dafodils and one batch was still producing. I picked what was there. Here they are. 
I enjoyed some good memories as I walked the property, looked at the great trees, strolled the creekside and took some pics. Life goes on.
I enjoyed some good memories as I walked the property, looked at the great trees, strolled the creekside and took some pics. Life goes on.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
EASTER SUNDAY, April 4
EASTER SUNDAY, April 4
“A Footrace to a Miracle”
Scripture Lesson: John 20:1-18
Reflections on the Lesson:
Finally, Easter morning! And the disciples cannot believe what the women tell them. Alive? You have to be crazy. He’s dead. We saw him die. We know he is in a grave. Peter must see for himself. So he and John take off running to the cemetery. John wins the footrace, but stands outside the tomb, peering in, staring in unbelief at the grave clothes neatly folded where a body should be. Peter arrives, panting, and races into the grave. Finally, John goes in, also, and his Gospel records these words: “He saw and believed.”
Friday was bad news. Sunday brought the Good News we have wanted to hear: HE IS ALIVE! Now everything Jesus said, taught and did comes back to us with power! What we sinners needed so desperately, God has given us in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah! Praise God!
One final question:
Are you living in the resurrection power of our Christ?
Prayer;
Risen Lord, thank you for your life, death and resurrection. Thank you for my salvation. Thank you for conquering death. Grant me grace to live in the power of your Holy Spirit. This I pray, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
“A Footrace to a Miracle”
Scripture Lesson: John 20:1-18
Reflections on the Lesson:
Finally, Easter morning! And the disciples cannot believe what the women tell them. Alive? You have to be crazy. He’s dead. We saw him die. We know he is in a grave. Peter must see for himself. So he and John take off running to the cemetery. John wins the footrace, but stands outside the tomb, peering in, staring in unbelief at the grave clothes neatly folded where a body should be. Peter arrives, panting, and races into the grave. Finally, John goes in, also, and his Gospel records these words: “He saw and believed.”
Friday was bad news. Sunday brought the Good News we have wanted to hear: HE IS ALIVE! Now everything Jesus said, taught and did comes back to us with power! What we sinners needed so desperately, God has given us in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah! Praise God!
One final question:
Are you living in the resurrection power of our Christ?
Prayer;
Risen Lord, thank you for your life, death and resurrection. Thank you for my salvation. Thank you for conquering death. Grant me grace to live in the power of your Holy Spirit. This I pray, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Huachuca City, AZ., RV Park (WA-CHEW-KA)
The filling station in the pictures is the Office for our rv park. K & N RV Park here in Huachuca City, Az. Price of gas has changed a little! One of my brothers' has a restored Cheverolet the same vintage as this one.
The owner of K & N RV Park lives in this beautiful home which looks like it could be in Provence, France. It has statuary and gardens surrounding the home. Others in the park say the inside of the home is absolutely beautiful.
View of the snow covered mountains around us.
This nice home is For Sale just across the street from the owners' home here at the rv park. It is a very quiet corner and spacious lot with a two car garage and swimming pool.The next town from Huachuca City is Sierra Vista right at the gate of Ft. Huachuca. There is a Target and Lowes' in Sierra Vista plus many restaurants and other services available. Larry has the choice of several golf courses near here. Ft. Huachuca has been existence since 1872 and is still U.S. Army Intelligence Headquarters.
A friend recommended this place and we love it. It is 20 miles below Benson, AZ., where we parked last year. It is 20 miles to Tombstone and 60 miles to Tucson. And, we are 30 miles from Nogales, Mexico. There was a shoot out yesterday at the Nogales border. We have to go thru the Border Patrol to get to Benson.
View of the K & N RV Park where we are parked. There are many retired military people in this small park. They knew where to revisit when retired.HAPPY VALENTINES DAY TO ALL.
Larry is taking me to a Greek restaurant in Sierra Vista Sunday evening just outside the gates of Ft. Huachuca. It is 75%, sunny and dry air here today. Larry is playing golf at Ft. Huachuca right now.
I am sure Huachuca is Apache. Cochise was all over this country. Helen
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Marinated Cajun Shrimp
Shrimp in the shell, deveined, marinated in olive oil, Tabasco, lemon and pepper, and seafood spices. Here cooking with buttered and garlic salt bread. 
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
PIMA AIR & SPACE MUSEUM, Tucson, Arizona
What an overwhelming experience...1000s of airplanes, past and near-present...in hangers and out in the arid Arizona air. Probably more than 5000 aircraft. Inside were hundreds of airplanes, space aircraft, choppers, small and large. My favorite was this ... the Blackbird, an enormous 2300 mph airplane:
One display honors Commander Dick Scobee who piloted the Challenger space ship that exploded shortly after liftoff, killing all the crew. We met Commander Scobee and his wife June at the Air Force Academy where our sons were roomates.
Here are other interesting airplanes among the 1000s we saw:
One display honors Commander Dick Scobee who piloted the Challenger space ship that exploded shortly after liftoff, killing all the crew. We met Commander Scobee and his wife June at the Air Force Academy where our sons were roomates.
Here are other interesting airplanes among the 1000s we saw:
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
What Did We Do...He Asked
A pastor friend I met during our last year of travels wrote asking what contributed to the rapid growth of my last pastorate. I’ve thought about his question for a few days and the following is what I replied to him.
Dear (friend),
Your congregation is not a NCD, but some of these ideas might work for you, though it’s difficult, often, to convince an established, traditional church to change its ways. But here are the ideas you asked for. Good luck, and more to the point, may the Holy Spirit guide you.
GRACE AND TRUST. Because my last pastorate was a new church development I believed then and still believe that it was important to establish a mantra which would eventually saturate the church family’s life and communicate the foundation of our individual and corporate relationships. Grace – that quality of Christ which we experience in his unconditional love toward us which we must offer to others, even with those with whom we disagree. Grace sees each person as a child of God and loved infinitely by God in Christ. TRUST – an intentional attitude toward another, saying, “Until you prove otherwise, I will trust you, trust what you say and trust what you say you will do about an issue we are debating.” If a pastor demonstrates grace and trust toward his/her congregation the people will eventually get the message and begin to behave in a similar manner. Grace and trust enable a people to be, as Bonhoeffer encouraged, “little Christs to each other” and thus avoid the ugly scenes which, sad to say, sometimes characterize a congregation.
EMPOWERING THE LAY LEADERSHIP. We instituted a management approach wherein the lay leaders were empowered to plan and implement the ministry of the congregation without being micro-managed by the hierarchy of elected officers. The elected officers, the elders, who in turn were charged to be the spiritual leaders of the church and cast the vision of what they believed God wanted us to fulfill. The lay leadership, in turn, was expected to plan and implement ministries which drove the church toward the stated goals. Empowered leadership enabled us to move much more quickly toward a fuller life together in Christ.
EQUALITY OF WOMEN AND MEN. We insured from the beginning of the church that men and women would be equally represented in the decision-making and leadership of the congregation. Each gender brings invaluable experience and insight to the life of the church.
STAFF RELATIONSHIPS. It is essential that grace and trust are daily experienced in the ‘staff team’. No congregation will grow spiritually if there is mistrust and acrimony among members of the staff team. We worked hard as a staff team to support and encourage one another, shouldering burdens and work responsibilities and being absolutely loyal to one another. I believe a church will suffer immensely if such a relationship does not exist and fostered among staffers. Every staff member was seen as an invaluable resource to other staffers. My philosophy was – find the best person for the staff position, pay the person well, trust him or her and get out of the way and let them do the work. Constantly looking over a staffer’s shoulder does not foster a healthy work presence.
MISSION ORIENTED. Mission drives a church’s life. Without a genuine and eager sense of mission given by God, a church turns inward and loses its life. The more a congregation gives itself away in mission to others, within and without the church, the more that congregation thrives and is blessed by God.
ANONYMOUS GIVING. Many persons are fed up with the local church begging and manipulating the members to ‘give money’. On the other hand, when a people are treated like adults and responsible disciples, given honest information about the needs of the church’s life and ministry – they will give as they are able. Therefore, we instituted ‘anonymous’ estimates of giving upon which we built the church’s budget, plus trusting God to provide additional funds as needed. God will provide if a people are faithful in the mission God gives them.
A CLEAR STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND PRINCIPLES. We stated publicly and often, from the beginning our life together, what we believed the purpose of our existence to be … and fleshed that purpose out by stating the principles by which we managed our worship and ministry. Many new members stated the ‘purpose and principles’ were what led them to join the church.
Many faithful and effective church leaders can give you, my friend, other examples which helped their church grow literally and spiritually. Blessings! Larry
Dear (friend),
Your congregation is not a NCD, but some of these ideas might work for you, though it’s difficult, often, to convince an established, traditional church to change its ways. But here are the ideas you asked for. Good luck, and more to the point, may the Holy Spirit guide you.
GRACE AND TRUST. Because my last pastorate was a new church development I believed then and still believe that it was important to establish a mantra which would eventually saturate the church family’s life and communicate the foundation of our individual and corporate relationships. Grace – that quality of Christ which we experience in his unconditional love toward us which we must offer to others, even with those with whom we disagree. Grace sees each person as a child of God and loved infinitely by God in Christ. TRUST – an intentional attitude toward another, saying, “Until you prove otherwise, I will trust you, trust what you say and trust what you say you will do about an issue we are debating.” If a pastor demonstrates grace and trust toward his/her congregation the people will eventually get the message and begin to behave in a similar manner. Grace and trust enable a people to be, as Bonhoeffer encouraged, “little Christs to each other” and thus avoid the ugly scenes which, sad to say, sometimes characterize a congregation.
EMPOWERING THE LAY LEADERSHIP. We instituted a management approach wherein the lay leaders were empowered to plan and implement the ministry of the congregation without being micro-managed by the hierarchy of elected officers. The elected officers, the elders, who in turn were charged to be the spiritual leaders of the church and cast the vision of what they believed God wanted us to fulfill. The lay leadership, in turn, was expected to plan and implement ministries which drove the church toward the stated goals. Empowered leadership enabled us to move much more quickly toward a fuller life together in Christ.
EQUALITY OF WOMEN AND MEN. We insured from the beginning of the church that men and women would be equally represented in the decision-making and leadership of the congregation. Each gender brings invaluable experience and insight to the life of the church.
STAFF RELATIONSHIPS. It is essential that grace and trust are daily experienced in the ‘staff team’. No congregation will grow spiritually if there is mistrust and acrimony among members of the staff team. We worked hard as a staff team to support and encourage one another, shouldering burdens and work responsibilities and being absolutely loyal to one another. I believe a church will suffer immensely if such a relationship does not exist and fostered among staffers. Every staff member was seen as an invaluable resource to other staffers. My philosophy was – find the best person for the staff position, pay the person well, trust him or her and get out of the way and let them do the work. Constantly looking over a staffer’s shoulder does not foster a healthy work presence.
MISSION ORIENTED. Mission drives a church’s life. Without a genuine and eager sense of mission given by God, a church turns inward and loses its life. The more a congregation gives itself away in mission to others, within and without the church, the more that congregation thrives and is blessed by God.
ANONYMOUS GIVING. Many persons are fed up with the local church begging and manipulating the members to ‘give money’. On the other hand, when a people are treated like adults and responsible disciples, given honest information about the needs of the church’s life and ministry – they will give as they are able. Therefore, we instituted ‘anonymous’ estimates of giving upon which we built the church’s budget, plus trusting God to provide additional funds as needed. God will provide if a people are faithful in the mission God gives them.
A CLEAR STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND PRINCIPLES. We stated publicly and often, from the beginning our life together, what we believed the purpose of our existence to be … and fleshed that purpose out by stating the principles by which we managed our worship and ministry. Many new members stated the ‘purpose and principles’ were what led them to join the church.
Many faithful and effective church leaders can give you, my friend, other examples which helped their church grow literally and spiritually. Blessings! Larry
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