I'm sitting on the front porch reflecting on Vacation Bible Camp, "Rock of the Ages", which ended yesterday. It was an amazing week. The theme centered on the decades of the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s, with the music, the fashion, the quirky culture of each. But mostly, the overall theme was about the true Rock, Jesus Christ, who crosses the ages. Hence, the double meaning- "Rock of the Ages."
We've done many fun VBS/VBC themes over the years- "Amazing Space", "Rescue 91:1", etc, but this one was especially fun to prepare for, and to conduct. Each day, kids and leaders dressed in clothes looking like each decade, and daily rotated through themed rooms for Bible story times- a 50s diner, 60s surf shop, 70s record store, and 80s arcade. I think our adult leaders got into this one more than any in recent memory. I think it was because the majority of them grew up in one of those decades, and jumped at the chance to dress like those eras again! Our teens who served were incredible as always, really running with the themes as well.
The best part of the whole event was impacting the lives of so many kids and families, esp. those kids from the community who attended. We had one of the largest numbers in many years, excluding "Amazing Space". That one was in a class by itself. We averaged 1876 for the week, with 136 salvations by week's end. That was the whole reason for VBC- to make God's name great in our church and community, and reach as many children for Christ as possible. VBC Family Night, which was Friday evening, capped off an incredible week with fun VBC music, highlights, awards, recognitions, and great giveaways. We concluded with an ice cream party and car show in the front parking lot, and everyone said they had a fantastic time.
As I drove home after clean-up, I was exhausted, but full of praise to God for all I had seen Him do in young lives during the week. I prayed, "Father, all I wanted this week was to make Your name great, and extend Your kingdom among children. I pray You are pleased with our feeble efforts." I glanced to the west, and saw the most spectacular sunset I've seen in a long time- the sky was awash in the colors of pink, orange, gold, red, purple, and blue, reflecting off and through the clouds. God spoke in my heart, "I am well-pleased, and this is for you." I rode home in thankfulness and praise.
It really was a great week.

This past Saturday, Harold Camping of Family Radio Ministries had predicted the Rapture and Second Coming of Jesus Christ. With millions of dollars spent on billboards, rallies, RVs painted with the date, planes pulling long banners, he had confidently predicted, "Judgement is coming!", even saying "the Bible guarantees it." Saturday came and went, and once again, Camping was proven to be a false prophet, just like when he claimed Jesus would return in 1994. He says his math was off back then. Now, he is saying that again, stating Jesus is returning on October 21st, not May 21st. And the cycle of insanity begins anew...
In recent years, there have been other predictors of the end of the world, such as the Mayan calendar alleged prediction. According to these proponents, the Mayan calendar runs out on December 21, 2012, so the world will end then. Cult leaders such as Jim Jones, David Koresh, etc., and cult movements such as Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons, to name a few, have all claimed divine revelation of a coming Messiah and/or doomsday, none of which have come true.
And they never will. Apparently, none bother to read what Jesus Himself said of His return- "No one knows the day or hour, not the angels in Heaven, not even the Son. Only the Father knows." (Matthew 24:36, Mark 13:32, Luke 21:8) I figure, if you want to know when a certain someone is returning, ask them! So anytime someone predicts the date of Doomsday, Judgement, the Return of Christ, you can be sure of one thing- He ain't coming then. "The Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not think he will." (Matthew 24:44)
Jesus did give us signs to look for, to show the time is near. The above chapters in the above Gospels quote Jesus extensively about what will be happening in the world when His time is drawing near. There will be an increase in false teachers and religions, an increase in wars and the threat of wars, natural disasters on the rise (sure has been a lot of that over the last decade), persecution of Christians will accelerate worldwide, signs in space, and the Gospel will be proclaimed globally, on a scale never before possible. In many ways, the signs sure seem to indicate the time of Jesus' return is drawing close.
So I conclude, rather than fret about details and dates, I'm going to live each day as if He is coming tomorrow. I'm going to love others, and give myself in service to reaching as many for Christ as I can. And I'm going to look at the world around me, no matter how dark and scary things get, and be hopeful, not despairing. "But when these things begin to take place, look up and be watchful, for your redemption draws near." -Jesus, in Luke 21:28
That's good enough for me.

I was sending off my tax stuff at the Post Office earlier this week, and a young mom with 2 small kids was in front of me. When I left, she was out at her van, putting her kids in car seats, and had her hood open. I pulled over to offer help, and she said her engine wouldn’t start, wouldn’t even turn over. I pulled in my truck next to her, and said, "Let me see if I can help." Turns out, her battery terminals were full of corrosion, and the negative cable popped right off. I cleaned up her battery connections, tightened everything down, and it started right up. She was very grateful, and tried to pay me $10, saying, “No one stops to help anymore, I am so thankful for you. And I don’t carry a cell phone, so I didn’t know what to do.” I gently refused her $$, so she said, “Well, can I give you a hug at least?” which I said was fine, and said, “I’m just glad I could help. God bless you & your family.” I left, as did she, but I was thinking, ‘I wish I had said more, shared my faith more.’ So I prayed for her and her family, that they would somehow come to faith in Christ if they did not already know Him.
Here’s the Paul Harvey “Rest of the Story.” I pulled into the parking lot at Hebron, and she pulled in behind me, a few spaces down! I got out, and asked her, “Are your kids in our Preschool program here?” which she said they were. When I introduced myself to her, her eyes got wide, and she exclaimed, “I’m Patricia Mason*, my husband Ben* has been playing telephone tag with you for a couple of weeks about Cade*!” (their son, for our new Christian class). We talked as she brought her kids in, and they told me they’ve been visiting here for awhile. I walked to my office feeling overwhelmed that God had me there to help her at just that moment, and that they were a family I’ve been trying to connect with for some time now! Penny, one of the ladies in our business office, had been at the Post Office too, saw the whole thing, and told me later that morning, “I saw you help that young lady, and thought, ’Oh, there’s Rob, doing a random act of kindness!’ I guess it wasn’t so random, was it??” Definitely an unexpected opportunity.
God works in mysterious ways, we've always heard. Amazingly, He'll use us to touch other's lives in "divine appointments" like this, if we will just be open and available. May I always be ready to respond to these "unexpected adventures."
*Names changed for privacy.

Wow, I'm getting real sporadic with this lately! Much has happened since my last entry. Kevin has been voted in as our new Pastor, and we couldn't be happier. I'm excited about the days and years ahead.
We've hired a high school pastor as well, but he is not due to join us until mid-April. Kevin and a few other pastors have been teaching the high school Bible study on Wednesday nights, and about a week ago Kevin asked me if I'd mind covering for him and teaching it March 30. "I'd be happy to," I told him. In the 11+ years I've been at Hebron, I've preached in front of the church, the middle school ministry, various adult ministry events, HCA, etc., but never the high school ministry! I was looking forward to the opportunity, but also a little anxious about it. How would they receive/respond to their old children's pastor speaking? We'd soon find out...
I got Awana started, then joined the high school worship time already in full swing. The worship band was fantastic, really brought the students into God's presence.
Then it was my turn. They had already told the crowd that "Mr. Rob is speaking tonight", so I just walked up with my Bible stand to begin. While walking up, a guy shouted from the back, "Go Mr. Rob!!!" then everyone clapped and yelled. Whew, I felt welcomed. I spoke on "Hypocrites & Traitors", using the Matthew 23 & 26 passages to talk about Jesus' attack on the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, and Judas' betrayal of Jesus into their hands. We looked at the definitions of a hypocrite and a traitor, and how sadly, our churches are full of both. There are four kinds of people in churches- nonbelievers, hypocrites, traitors, and Christ-followers. I challenged the students to examine where they are, and confess & surrender to Him as Lord. I stepped down, took a seat, and the band led in a final worship song. The students, one-by-one, started coming to the stage, falling on their knees, and soon the stage area was flooded with them. It was an amazing sight. Some students sought out adults in the room, for salvation, prayer, help. God was moving.
A girl named Morgan came up to me, and asked to talk. We sat down over to one side, and she told me she had come to my children's ministry as a child, and remembered my teaching. I was thrilled to hear it. She confided that she had prayed silently once when I gave a Gospel explanation, but was never baptized and never went through our new Christian class for kids. She told me she had struggled over the years with whether or not she really understood what she was doing, and wanted to make sure. She said, "I don't want to be a hypocrite, or a traitor. I want to follow Jesus completely. Will you help me?" We bowed our heads, she confessed her sins, confessed Jesus as Lord, and surrendered her whole life to Him. It was a wonderful, sacred moment. She opened her eyes, and I could see a peace and assurance that was not there moments before. I shared some verses to help her take the next steps of following Christ, and told her I'd be honored to baptize her when she was ready.
I talked with several other students before I left that wanted to be baptized, wanted to get more serious about walking with Christ. It was the perfect end to an amazing evening.
I drove home thinking about it all, and thanking God for the special opportunity to open His Word with these high schoolers. It was exciting & humbling to see so many on their faces before God, in brokenness and worship, then to talk with a young lady I had influenced as a child, and now allowed to influence again. Why God chooses to use me, I'll never understand. But I'm so thankful He does.

Its been nearly a month since I penned anything here- and a time of whirlwind change right now at Hebron. Larry Wynn, our senior pastor of 33 years, announced his resignation last week, accepting a position at the North American Mission Board as VP of Evangelism & Church Planting. We are excited for him, but sad as well. An era is coming to an end. When Larry came to Hebron, there were barely 100 members. Now, the church has over 12,000 members and runs about 5000 in attendance every Sunday. And that's not counting all the ministries that meet at various times throughout the week! God has used Larry to build a great church here in Gwinnett County, that reaches locally and globally with the love of Jesus Christ. Larry is much-loved, and will be much-missed.
We are all hoping and praying that the pastor selection team will nominate Kevin Miller, Larry's executive pastor, to be our next senior pastor. Kevin grew up here, served for years as one of the student pastors, served a church in Florida for 5 years, and has been back home for the past 4 years. Kevin is known, loved, and trusted by all of us on staff, and I believe by the vast majority of the church. We want him to take over and keep leading us, as our new pastor. Lord willing...
I was reminded this morning in a prayer time with Kevin, of the story of Joshua in the Old Testament. Moses had pulled together the Israelites from across Egypt, fought for their freedom, led them for 40 years in the wilderness, but when the time came for the people to move in and possess the land of Canaan, God took Moses home, and Joshua, his 2nd in command, took over. Big shoes to fill! But God told him, "Be strong and courageous... The Lord your God is with you, wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 Joshua stepped up, led the people across the Jordan River (in a similar scenario to the Red Sea crossing 40 years prior), and battled on to conquer the land. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Although hopefully Larry isn't going to die like Moses did, Kevin is definitely our Joshua here at Hebron. A new day is dawning in the story of this church, and God is preparing us for a whole new chapter. We are one in our purpose to reach our community and our world for Christ, and are hopeful for the days ahead.
Onward and upward!

The new year has begun with a near-record winter blast. We have been snowed in since Sunday night. A huge winter front came through and dumped between 5-7 inches of snow on us beginning Sunday around 9:30pm, on through the next day. Its truly become a "winter wonderland"! Its been all the more enjoyable, given the fact that we had our first Christmas snow in over 100+ years, then just 3 weeks later we get another big snow. Roads were iced over, snow blanketed everything, schools & businesses were closed, and have been for 2 days now. In fact, now we have an arctic cold front coming down from the Midwest, and night temps will dip into the teens overnights. We could be stuck for another few days, since the roads will refreeze every night. The girls are out in Athens and Kennesaw respectively, so its been Lisa, me, 4 dogs, and 2 snakes. And I've completely enjoyed my time with her.
We've made a snowman (more like a snowblob), carved snow angels, had several snowball fights, attempted to sled our driveway (unsuccessfully), took a long hike out through snow-covered woods behind our property, and enjoyed watching our dogs play in the snow until they were shivering and soaked. Indoors, we did a lot of cleaning and a few home repairs, put on a roaring fire, got in a lot of good reading in a lot of good books, baked some cookies, watched some TV, and dipped in the hot tub. Been a great time, just my baby and me.
I've gotten a taste of what life will be like when we are officially "empty-nesters". Our girls are scarce when college is in session, and with the storm, its been just Lisa & me, all day, every day, neither being able to even get to work. And I can honestly say, I have not gotten tired of spending time with her. The past few days have been very special with her, and I have loved every minute together. Lisa is truly my wife, my love, my best friend. More than even before, I know the years ahead for us will be joy-filled and intimate, as we grow old together.
Marriage is a love story set in a great war, ordained by God to be a picture of our life with Him, as John & Stasi Eldredge state in their new book, "Love & War". I'm all the more thankful to be journeying this life with Lisa, and a snowstorm has made me all the more convinced. God bless our road ahead.

I'm sitting here reflecting on this wonderful, memorable Christmas we just enjoyed. Its been a holiday I'll not soon forget. I enjoy the whole Christmas season, which for me begins on December 1, and runs until New Years day. And its been quite a month- unseasonably cold for the deep South, lots of sickness going around, and I've been sick about half the month myself! In fact, I was pretty miserable in the two weeks leading up to Christmas Eve, with flu, sinus infection, and bronchitis symptoms all rolled together. Yuck. Then after a fever-filled night, I began to mend by the Eve, finally. It all left me pretty exhausted, in an already hectic, exhausting season.
Driving to the church early to help get ready for the Christmas Eve service, I was about to ask God, "I really need something to get me back in the Christmas spirit, Father," when He stopped my thoughts mid-sentence, speaking into my heart, "Its not about you, and working up some feeling. Its about My Son, and your worship of Him. Just choose to worship." I smiled, and I did, all the way there. I sang Christmas carols while driving, specifically "Come & worship, come & worship, worship Christ the newborn King" among others. And I worshipped all through the service, focusing on Christ, not looking for a feeling for me. But the feelings came anyway, in the form of a deep, satisfying joy.
This joy has sustained me all through the wonderful weekend! We joined up with some old friends out in Athens for a midnight candlelight service at their church, then home for Christmas with just the four of us. Christmas morning brought gift-unwrapping, Christmas music, smiles, laughter, and packing up for the trip to Christmas with Lisa's side of the family.
While down in Fayette with the Brown family, something happened that has not occurred in Georgia in about 119 years- snow on Christmas Day! It snowed all afternoon, on into the night, leaving 1-2 inches of white on everything. It was the most amazing sight for Christmas we had ever seen. Finally, all the "Winter Wonderland", "White Christmas" and other songs, we could sing down here in the heart of Georgia! Even today, there is still snow everywhere, 2 days after Christmas.
There's been a fair amount of adversity this Christmas, with my illness, then Ansley was sick, then we had issues with some gifts that didn't work right, a ticket while driving to Athens, to name a few. But really, these didn't affect the joy of Christmas, for me or my family members. We had plenty to laugh about, to enjoy, to worship and be thankful for. In the midst of the chaos and rush of the season, the heart of Christmas remains-
"God, who knows no before or after, entered time and space. God, who knows no boundaries, took on the shocking confines of a baby's skin, the ominous restraints of mortality... Little wonder a choir of angels broke out in spontaneous song, disturbing not only a few shepherds but the entire universe." -Philip Yancey, "The God I Never Knew", p.45.
God bless Christmas.

I recently found an old Dr. James Dobson book on our shelves that I had never read, so I decided to open it. It is a collection of stories from Dobson's life, or folks he has known over the years. I found one in particular that gripped my heart, and have been sharing it since at every opportunity.
Dr. Dobson recounts how much his father was always a dog-lover, and enjoyed a special friendship with a toy terrier named Penny for 17 years. When Penny's health failed and they had to put him down, Dobson Sr. grieved for nine years, refusing to replace his little companion. Finally, he opened his heart to the possibility of another little toy terrier, but for months had no luck in finding one. Finally, answering an ad in the paper, Dobson Sr. and his wife drove across town to see the pup at a pet store. With a strict set of parameters in mind (pedigree papers, good temperament, six weeks old, all shots, etc.), they instead found the pup to be nine months old, no papers, in poor health, malnourished, and traumatized in a filthy, over-crowded kennel. Astonished that anyone would offer an animal in this condition, Dobson Sr. tells of the encounter with the pitiful little pup-
"He followed me about the room, meekly, his tiny tail clamped tightly down, a picture of dejection...He seemed to be saying, 'You look like a nice man, but I know you will be like all the rest.'..he put out his warm pink tongue and licked my hand, as if to say, 'Thanks anyway, for coming to see me.' They drove off, but suddenly turned around, not able to leave that little pup in there. Bringing the pitiful animal home, the Dobsons bathed him, got him all the proper medical attention, and put him on a healthy diet coupled with heaping helpings of TLC. Benji, has they named him, became a wonderful little addition to the family. As Dobson Sr. writes- 'He thinks I am God Almighty when he comes to meet me in the morning, twisting and wiggling like he will tear himself in two. It is as though he will never allow himself to forget his private hell in the pet shop!'
I found this story to be a beautiful picture of why God Himself came into this world over 2000 years ago. I found this Bible verse, that really relates well to the above story-
"When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, that He might redeem those under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons." Galatians 4:4
The word "redeem" meant to "buy out of the market", specifically a slave market or an animal market. And everyone knows what "adoption" means. Together, these words tell us that God came for us, "entered the door" of this world, bought us with the precious blood of His Son Jesus, and adopted us as His very own. Dobson Sr. is a picture of God in the above story, except of course God came for us, fully knowing our condition, and in compassion reached out to us. We are "Benji" in the story, except of course that we have a choice- we can gladly receive our adoption as Benji did his, or we can say, "No thanks, I like it here in the 'pet shop.'"
This Christmas, every time I see a Nativity, I want to remember Benji's adoption, and rejoice in my own. And may my response to my Master be the same as Benji's response to his master- brash, unhindered, whole-hearted worship.

A couple of years ago, I wrote about an old high school friend who serves as a missionary/church planter/orphanage director in the North Mexico city of Matamoros. We reconnected on Facebook, and have been corresponding ever since. Tony and his family have been there for a number of years, laboring under difficult circumstances to reach people for Christ and improve the lives of the people in that city. They have sacrificed so much in the name of the Gospel, and they count it all joy.
Back in high school, Tony's nickname was "Mumbley" by his friends. He was shy and quiet, didn't talk much, but when he did, he had this deep, low voice and southern drawl. And he always has a smile on his face. Hard not to like him. I never would have pictured Tony as a preacher/teacher, and a missionary in a foreign land.
But Tony is my hero.
Over the past 4 years, around 30,000 people have died in Mexico in the drug wars between the cartels, the Mexican police & military, and innocent civilians. It truly is a war zone down there, along the border between the U.S. and Mexico. Whether you are for or against amnesty for illegal immigrants here in the U.S., it hard for us to imagine the hellish nightmare and fear people live under down there every day. Little wonder so many want to flee across the border.
Tony lives and serves right in the middle of all this in Matamoros. He sees not only poverty, disease, and despair daily, but he also witnesses the crime, the death, the destruction of the drug war. Mexico is a country suffering a slow, painful death, and Tony is right there, reaching out to those in need, touching one heart at a time with the love of Christ. He sometimes sends out messages to us back here in the States, simply asking, "pray for peace in Mexico" and "pray hearts will turn to Christ, the only hope for Mexico."
Sometimes when I reflect on the fears we face back home here, I think of the uncertain economy, rising prices, rising taxes, job loss, healthcare issues, and so on. All very real concerns, no doubt. Then I'll get a message from Tony, and I'm reminded of how he, his family, and those they minister among fear for their lives, daily. Sobering thought.
And so I pray for my friend, serving Christ by serving "the least of these", in a war-torn border town called Matamoros. May God protect him, provide for him, multiply his work, and richly reward him one day.

I don’t watch it very often, and the few times I do, I really have to be in the right mood. I hate what it does to me. I’m talking about the TV show, “Extreme Home Makeover” with Ty Pennington. If I sit through an entire episode, I know what will happen at the end- in the show, and to me. After watching their heart-gripping story, the featured family is bused back from an all-expense paid vacation, during which their house was being remodeled or completely rebuilt. With Ty and his crew present, and surrounded by the entire local community, Ty shouts to the bus driver, “Move that bus!!” The family gasps, screams, cries, falls to their knees in utter amazement, joy, and thankfulness.
And I am undone.
I always choke up, my chin quivers, and I get teary-eyed. That moment grips my heart, every time, especially when I see the children’s reactions. Their wonder is priceless. I love that show, I hate to admit…
I think the reason each episode grips me so much is because each family has a unique story, told at the beginning of the show. Some are single parents, some out of work, some living at or below the poverty line, most barely getting by. Yet they always are doing the best they can, where they are, with what they have. And they often are very giving and selfless, from what little they do have! Then suddenly, their homes are transformed, and so are their lives, beyond their wildest dreams. It’s beautiful.
I am reminded of Jesus’ poignant promise in John 14:2-3, when He states, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you…” As Ty and his team work hard to prepare a new home for each family, our Lord is hard at work preparing a beautiful new home for each of us who have believed in and loved Him. As we live out our own stories in this at times difficult life, He gives the hope and promise of a much better life to come, filled with wonder, splendor, beauty, discovery, adventure, intimacy, joy- beyond all of our wildest dreams. And I’m sure our reactions will exceed even those on “Extreme Home Makeover”.
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived, what God has in store for those who love Him.” -1 Corinthians 2:9
I think we often have misconceptions of what Heaven will be like. We often think of it as a place of clouds, white robes, harps, choirs singing, etc. And when you read Scripture, there certainly will be all of those- especially at the beginning, like a universal Olympic opening and closing ceremony before the Throne of God. It will be colossal, magnificent. But that’s only the beginning. Everything we have ever been amazed by, awe-struck over, and dearly loved in this life, will be magnified and multiplied a million times over in eternity.
Life however is full of hardships as well as these joys. I know friends who have lost their jobs, families who lost their homes, had children who ran astray from the faith, had to hospitalize or bury loved ones. Marriages have fallen apart, lives have crumbled. We all have experienced these, will sometime in the future, or know some who has. And yet as Christ-followers, we have promises like this from our Heavenly Father- “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” -Romans 8:18
Those who have gone before us can’t wait to see our faces, watch our reactions, when we get there ourselves. Talk about the ultimate “Extreme Home Makeover”! It makes me want to bring along as many as I can, share this Good News with as many as God brings across my path.

I was captivated by the dramatic rescue of the 33 Chilean miners, who had been trapped 1/2 mile below the surface in a collapsed mine. History unfolded before our eyes, moment by moment, on the TV screen. Amazing- these men had been trapped for 69 days, and every one of them survived. For the first 2 weeks, no one was even sure if they were alive, having no contact with the outside world. When communication was established, they were found alive, organized to survive, and in good cheer. Companies, governments, and individuals from around the globe rallied to aid Chile in reaching and recovering their men.
With the 1/2 mile shaft drilled, and the specially designed capsule in place to bring them up one by one, I was enthralled with the anticipation, the excitement, and the unbridled joy as cameras below and above captured each man's return to the surface. Upon stepping out, each man was greeted with cheers, chants, song, clapping, hugs, and kisses. It was glorious. Many dropped to their knees and prayed, holding Bibles, giving thanks to God before anything or anyone else. It never got old, watching each man's rescue and the joyous response from everyone.
What struck me as I watched was how similar the whole scene was to what is found in Scripture. First of all, the joy people expressed is a picture of the joy in Heaven when "one sinner repents" and comes to Christ (Luke 15:7). All of Heaven cheers and celebrates when a soul is saved, and brought into family of God. Amazing. Second, in the same way that those above could watch the men below via cameras that had been sent down, the Bible teaches that we are "surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses" in Heaven (Hebrews 12:1). They are cheering us on, from the halls of Heaven! That can either bring an "Amen!" or "Oh me...", depending on how one is living. Third, The rescue images speak to me of what awaits Christ followers when we leave the confines of this earth, "ascend the shaft" to our real home, Heaven, and breathe the free air of eternity. The sheer joy and exhilaration of the miner's rescue is a little hint, a picture of the grand celebration that awaits us when we each arrive home ourselves. "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived, what God has in store for His children (1 Corinthians 2:9). The hugs, the kisses, the cheers and chants, the singing and celebrating, will be unlike anything we've ever known or seen. And we will party for all eternity, with the Creator, Lover, and Rescuer of our souls.
I am filled with anticipation. May my life cause celebration in Heaven- for others I point to Christ, and when I arrive home myself one day. Amen.

Saturday morning, Sept. 18, my friend Mike Hinton & I rode out on what we called, "Rob & Mike's Excellent Adventure"- a motorcycle road trip out west and back. We planned to get as far as Arizona, possibly see Sedona, Grand Canyon, and Winslow, as well as visit the Big Texan Steak Ranch and the famed Cadillac Ranch, both in Amarillo, Texas. Other than those places, we would travel and see what we could find. The journey was what would be important to us, not just the destinations.
So we set out first north out of Georgia into Tennessee, travelling up through Chattanooga and Nashville, over to Memphis, then out to Arkansas by day 1. We then crossed Arkansas through Little Rock, and rode on into Oklahoma, getting past Oklahoma City by the end of day 2. We awoke on day 3 to discover we were in the rolling prairies of what had once been buffalo and Indian nation country, and were following the original Route 66! Crossing Oklahoma into north Texas was both a thrill and terrifying- the country on both sides was breathtaking as far as the eye could see, but the driving winds made riding a white-knuckles experience. We found old Route 66 towns all along the way, such as Weatherford, where we saw our first "Route 66" sign, Elk City, home to the National Route 66 Museum, and McLean, a town all but dead, but with a Phillips 66 original gas station and a 10 Commandments monument. Each town along the route had its own flavor and tales to add to the Route 66 legacy. We arrived in Amarillo, and spent a day discovering other gems- Palo Duro Canyon, 2nd largest canyon in America, and rode through it on our bikes; a steak dinner at the famed Big Texan (not the 72oz challenge!); the quirky Cadillac Ranch, where we painted our names along with the countless others; and the Route 66 Midpoint Cafe in Adrian, Tx, which had closed but reopened for us and 4 other travelers. That place was special. We met the owner and manager/cook, who served up their famous "Ugly Crust Pie", and met Rick from Toronto and Alan from England, both travelling across America by motorcycle and had just met each other in Amarillo, and a couple from Massachusetts, travelling by small camper van, heading to San Fransisco so their son could ride the dad across the San Fran Bridge by motorcycle! We stayed there for over an hour, enjoying rich conversation with all these wonderful people.
We traveled on into the canyonlands and mesa lands of New Mexico, tent camping in Tucumcari at a KOA. Beautiful place. Then disaster struck. My wallet was stolen, and we didn't discover it until we were past Tucumcari. We searched town, the KOA, the frontage road, finally finding it on the side of the KOA frontage road with my ID's intact, but all money and cards gone. After filling out a police report in town, we doubled back to Amarillo, fighting wind and rain all the way. Lisa wired some money to us, and we set out the next day southeast for Ft. Worth to my brother's house, passing through Wichita Falls and many quaint little Texas towns. We spent 2 nights with Rick, Robyn and the kids, due to heavy rains, enjoying their hospitality, then rode on to Gary, Tx, to Mike's sister's place. Their home is a remodelled train depot, and was really cool. After doing a live audio broadcast back to our children's church hours about our trip so far, we set out for Louisiana and Mississippi, riding all the way to Meridian.
Waking up to reports of heavy storms all along our planned route home, we decided to ride south for Mobile, Alabama, and on to Perdido Key, Florida. Lisa's sister had arranged for us to stay at her condo on the beach for a night, and we had a great time sitting in the sand and walking down the beaches. Who would have thought we would end up in Florida?? As Mike said, "We may have lost Arizona, but we gained Florida." From New Mexico to the Gulf of Mexico- not a bad diversion!
We rode for home the next day, riding up through Montgomery and over into Georgia, arriving home at nightfall. It had been a grand journey- 10 days, 10 states, 3300 miles, one "Excellent Adventure"! We missed some places we would like to have seen, but gained many more in their place. We were never "Standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona", but we definitely could say we "Get your kicks on Route 66" and so many other places.
I think even more memorable than the places we visited and the things we saw, were the people we met. There was the lady travelling from Florida to Utah, whom we had met at a gas station in Arkansas; the girl at Palo Duro Canyon, driving from Rhode Island to California by herself; Rick, Alan, and the Massachusetts couple at Midpoint Cafe, who I will never forget; Fred from Phoenix, travelling to Vermont in his SUV with 5 large dogs; the mom outside Clarendon, Tx, who offered to top off our gas tanks; the little old man at a gas station in Vernon, Tx, who said he would pray for us; our family members, who loved and cared for us on the journey; Julie on the beach in Perdido Key, her life broken in so many ways, but with a hope in Christ that shined in her eyes. Everywhere we went, we met people with unique stories, and who were interested in ours. We enriched each other's lives. From the hills of Tennessee and Arkansas, the rolling prairies of Oklahoma, the "fruited plains" of Panhandle Texas, to the mesa lands of New Mexico, and the Gulf coast of Alabama and Florida, we rode in wonder and worship. So it was an "Excellent Adventure" indeed, shared with a great friend, following the leading of our great Lord. To Him be all the thanksgiving and glory.

British physicist Stephen Hawking is getting all kinds of press the past couple of days for statements in his forthcoming book, "The Grand Design", asserting that no God created the world, its systems, or the universe. One article uses phrases such as "God did not create the universe, and the "Big Bang" was an inevitable consequence of the laws of physics" and "God no longer has any place in theories on the creation of the universe due to a series of developments." What developments, one might ask. The book apparently recounts "a series of theories that made a creator of the universe redundant." Hawking is quoted from the book as stating, "Because there is such a law as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist."

Think about his statements for a moment- even the wording and language he uses are contradictory. Let's start with a definition of the word, "theory." Simply put, a theory is someone's ideas and assumptions on something, based on their interpretation of existing evidence. The theory of evolution is a way to attempt to explain the universe apart from God. So, those are the "series of developments- "a series of theories", i.e. ideas, assumptions??

Next, Hawking calls upon the law of gravity to prove "spontaneous creation." Any law, to even come into being, has to be created by an outside source/force. Adding that the universe can and will create itself out of nothing- how ridiculous is that?? How could the universe create itself, if it didn't exist? Crazy reasoning here. Bottom line: nothing + nothing= nothing. Always has, always will. There is no way for nothing to create something, to create itself. That's lunatic science at its best...or should I say, worst.

Hawking again is quoted as saying, "that makes the coincidences of our planetary conditions- the single sun, the lucky combination of Earth-sun distance and solar mass, far less remarkable, and far less compelling that the Earth was carefully designed just to please us human beings." Note his use of "coincidences" and "lucky." Is that what he thinks created the infinite complexity of everything in the universe? Coincidence and luck?? Wow- how scientific of him. To me, it takes far more faith to believe that "gazillions" of accidents, "lucky breaks" and chance occurrences over billions and billions of years created all we see and know, than to simply accept, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth." (Genesis 1:1)

Like all evolutionary theory, that's all Hawking's not-so-humble and inaccurate opinion. He's saying nothing new, nothing any different than every other atheist-evolutionist has been trying to assert for years. Creationist Ken Ham has often said that we all look at the world and universe around us through the filter of our belief system. So true. If one believes, as Hawking does, that God does not exist, then they will interpret all the evidence they see through that lens. If however, one begins with God, or at least is open to the existence of and creation by God, then the evidence will clearly point to Him. Hawking sees all the infinite complexity of the universe and says, "random chance." I look at the same evidence and conclude, "Divine Design."

My old friend Billy Britt once said, "You'll find what you're looking for", meaning, if you don't want to find God, you won't, plain and simple. You'll come to whatever conclusions you want to come to. But if you do want to find Him, you indeed will. Even God has said, "If you seek Me you will find Me, if you seek Me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)

Hawking and many others in science, education, news media, politics, and entertainment, all assert it is foolish to believe in God. But God says of them, "Only a fool says in his heart, 'there is no God.'" (Psalm 14:1)

Let God's Word be true, and every man a liar...

Yesterday I spent some time both at a NICU ward in a hospital, and a funeral home. A day of hellos and goodbyes. I first visited the neo-natal unit at Eastside Hospital to celebrate the birth of a friend's new son, born somewhat premature but doing well. The parents had stepped out, so I missed them, but was allowed to scrub up, robe up, and visit little Caden, barely 2 pounds. He was so tiny! His head fit in the palm of my hand, and his fingers were too small to wrap around one of my fingers. Yet he was getting larger and stronger by the day, hopefully going home in a couple of weeks, once he puts a little more size on. I gently covered him with my hands and prayed over him, for his health and growth, for his family, and for his salvation one day. It was a wonderful few moments with this tiny, new life.
By the end of the day, I rode over to a funeral home to pay my respects to another family friend, who lost her father over the weekend. Vicki and her husband Daryl told me her father, who had recently hit 79, had been a life-long follower of Christ, and had always been a godly example to his kids, his grand kids, his church, and everyone he had influence with over the years. What a rich legacy to leave behind! The place was packed- and had been all day, I understand. Daryl told me that he had woke up about 3am Sunday morning, checked his blood pressure, read a little in his rocker, then apparently slumped over and went home to Heaven. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." Psalm 116:15
So, one man's sunset is another man's dawn. I reflected on the day later that evening, swinging on the front porch as the sun fell beyond the treeline. Here I am in the middle- miles & years away from birth and youth, and hopefully miles and years away from my end here as well. And I was reminded of another Bible passage, for the road ahead- "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12
God bless the road, from cradle to grave.

As I sit here preparing for tomorrow's morning of children's Bible study classes and our children's worship services, I'm amazed at how quickly the summer flew by. Here we are, school starting back on Monday (began last week for Barrow County), and its barely August! I remember summers as a child/teen myself, when school would let out the first week of June, and wouldn't resume until after Labor Day in Sept. The summers feel so short, because they are so short!
Its been quite a summer too- VBC was huge in June, followed by day trips, "MythBusters" series in RockiTown, an unforgettable family vacation in the Bahamas, our annual 2-day 5th Grade Adventure Trip, then most recent, InFocus Middle School Camp up in North Carolina, where I brought about 30 of those graduated 5th, soon-to-be 6th graders in preparation for promoting them up & out of my ministry. Summer break is exciting, but its no "break" for us in children's ministry! And tomorrow, we say a final "goodbye" to the new 6th graders, and welcome the new kinders into our ministry. A bittersweet day, every year.
This summer is marking changes for our family as well. Kelsey graduated high school back the end of May, enrolled in Georgia Gwinnett College, and has been working her first job all summer. Her classes begin in a week or two. I no longer have a child in county schools. Both girls are college students. And Ansley has been accepted in transfer to UGA, moving out this week into an apartment with 3 other Hebron girls already living in Athens. The slow, steady march toward the "empty nest" is taking place.
Is it me, or do the days, weeks, months, and years seem to fly by faster, the older I get? It seems only yesterday the above events were still in the planning, anticipatory stages. In fact, it seems the past decade just flew by! The 2000's were a blur. A busy, productive decade, but a blur, nonetheless. The '90's now seem like another lifetime, when you realize Y2K was almost 11 years ago. Wow.
There are so many memories over the years of family, friends, ministry, that I wouldn't trade for anything. Even more, there are those I wish I could have stopped time in, lingered over, maybe even had the chance to have done a little better. But "time marches on", "time waits for no man", and so on. So I can either live in the past, relishing the victories and regretting the losses and shortfalls, or chalk them all up to experience, place my family, friends, and ministry in the capable hands of my Lord, Savior, and Father, and take hold of His hand myself, continuing to journey on with Him. I choose the road with my Heavenly Father.
A poem by Tolkien comes to mind-

The road goes ever on and on,
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

Last week my family & I enjoyed a once-in-lifetime week in the Bahamas, at the amazing Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island. This place is unlike anywhere I've ever been- all the buildings are designed to resemble what the "Lost Kingdom of Atlantis" might have looked like, at least in folklore. The place also boasts one of the largest array of aquariums in North America, definitely in the Caribbean. As you walk through the resort, you can pass through several aquariums, with overlooks, tunnels, tubes, etc. all passing through the giant tanks. There are over 50,000 fish between them all, with sharks, sting & manta rays, sawfish, barracuda, and countless others to be seen.

The resort also has a massive water park, AquaVentures, with the large Mayan Temple often seen on TV, which has slides passing through tubes in a giant shark tank. So many slides, tube rides, and "lazy rivers", one could spend every day just enjoying the water park.

What I enjoyed most were the times we actually spent in the ocean. The place is so vast, to get to one of their beaches, you need to be willing to walk for what seems like miles, or take a shuttle to one of the beachfront hotels then walk through to a beach. Can a resort be too big, when its difficult to find the beach??

We snorkeled several days offshore, and around some nearby shallow water reefs, and the abundance of underwater life was astounding! I never got tired of swimming around and just taking in all the amazing signs of life under the waves. I took a friend's underwater camera along, and took some great pictures above and below sea-level.

One of the highlights of the trip was a day we spent on Salt Cay, at a place called Blue Lagoon, where we spent several hours swimming with trained dolphins, observing sea lions, sea turtles, and snorkeling around in the bay chasing fish and catching crabs. I must say, swimming & playing with dolphins was an experience none of us will ever forget! These wonderful creatures are truly a tribute to the incredibly loving & creative God who designed & made them.

Another day, we took a bus ride to the southwest end of the island, and went out with Stuart Coves Excursions on a snorkeling trip. We dove on a coral reef, then a sunken airplane, and swam with sharks! The sharks were down about 30 ft below, but it was both thrilling and unnerving to be in the water with them. When some of them began to come to the surface, we all got out, and took lots of pics as the crew held a bait box near the surface to let us all get a good look at them. Large reef sharks, about 15 or so, all between 5-8 ft long. Unforgettable.

The trip was an experience my family (& my niece) will never forget. More than the incredible resort though, the beautiful islands, the incredible underwater life, and the wonderful people all made it most memorable for me. Our girls are getting older now, with Ansley 20 and moving out to UGA in August, and Kelsey beginning college herself next month as well. The memories we made together Lisa & I will cherish, and I hope the girls will too.

We just finished our annual Vacation Bible Camp yesterday, our version of the traditional VBS. We had a fantastic week in "Rescue 91:1", averaging 1820 in attendance, and saw over 70 kids make decisions to follow Christ. The event far exceeded our expectations. At the very least, the week can be summed up as nothing short of FUN!

Its crazy, I've been doing VBS events since 1991, when I first entered children's ministry, and even used to assist with them for years when I was a youth pastor. Over the years, I've become so used to pulling these off that I almost dread them, both because I've done so many, and also in the weeks leading up to them, because I get stressed over all the details to pull them together.

And yet, the morning we begin, and the campus is filled with the smiles and laughter of children and leaders, I remember why I love VBS/C. The enthusiasm, the joy, the activity, the many kids who come to know Christ. By Thursday, a parent asked me, "So, how are you doing so far?" to which I replied, "I'm tired, but man, I'm having fun!"

By the time we finished yesterday, and the clean-up was done, I just walked the campus, reflecting on the week. I was sad it was over. So much planning over so many months, so much preparation, so many people recruited, trained, and supplied- and suddenly in a few short days, it was over. But hopefully, in many kids' lives, this would spell the beginning- the beginning of a lifetime of loving and following Christ. That's why I keep doing it year after year. That's what motivates me.

Its been said of bikers, "the urge to ride can override reason." Well, that was true of me today.

My bike had been in the shop for almost 10 days, so when I got it back Saturday, I took the long way home. Sunday, after church, I had to meet Lisa & the girls down at the lake for Kelsey's and my niece Tori's family graduation party. They had left earlier in the morning, but I didn't get on the road until almost 1:30pm. I love the ride through the countryside to Lake Oconee, and despite the threat of thunderstorms, I went against sound judgement and took off on my bike.

I was in and out of rain within the first 10 miles. Stopping to get my rain gear on at a gas station, I rode on, storms all around me. The sky was dark, there were thunderheads that looked miles high, and sheets of rain split by lightning, on all sides it seemed. I was honestly a little unnerved, wishing I had taken 4 wheels instead of 2. As I rode, hoping to dodge as many bursts as possible, I was grumbling, complaining, bad words floating around in my head. As I got south of Bostwick, my bike began to sputter & skip, like water was affecting the ignition. I thought, "Oh great, I'll stall out in the middle of nowhere, with no cell service, and no shelter from the driving rain." But the bike kept chugging on, albeit in protest. South of Madison, I finally prayed, "God, why don't you stop the storms from hitting me for awhile??" To which I felt Him reply, "Why don't you learn to praise Me in the storms??" That struck like a lightning bolt to my soul. I rode on, contemplating what He spoke. As I thought about the situation I was in, with all this awesome, fearful wonder on display all around me, I felt very ungrateful, untrusting, and self-centered. The God who had given me life, given me new life, given me all I've ever needed for life, was telling me to enjoy Him, trust Him, praise Him in the storms. Its easy for me to ride and worship when the weather is beautiful- Why can't I ride and worship when the weather is not so beautiful?

Then I thought back on all the times in my life when things have went well for me. Its easy to love, to worship, to trust in God then. But all too often, when adversity hits, when difficulties and trials surround me, I find myself grumbling, complaining, inwardly letting the bad words float around in my head, forgetting the God who gives the good days is also the Lord of the bad days. Like the song by Casting Crowns, I need to learn to "praise You in the storm."

I had to ride back this evening the same way, dodging storms and occasionally getting pelted with heavy rain. But my perspective was different. As I rode toward thunderheads filled with darkness, driving rain, and lightning, I chose this time to follow the example of Paul & Silas in prison in Acts 16:25, and began to sing praises to God. As a storm would loom in front of me, I lifted up a song on the road, and pressed forward.

By the time I arrived home, I had only been in one heavy shower on the return trip, and God had caused me to literally dodge every other one. Amazing. But whether I had been in storms or not, God had gripped me with the need to trust and not fear, to praise and not complain, to focus on Him and not on my plight.

A Heavenly perspective changes everything. He doesn't promise to clear the storms out in front of us, but He does promise to get us through them, and be with us in the midst of them. Ours is to trust and praise.

I was reading this morning in 1 Kings 11, about King Solomon's final years. It was a sobering read, to be truthful. When people typically think of Solomon, they usually recall the following facts about him- his father was King David, the greatest king in Israel's history; he succeeded his father to the throne; Solomon was offered anything his heart would desire by God, and he (wisely) chose wisdom to lead; as a result, God gave him unsurpassed wisdom, but also blessed him with vast wealth, power, and influence across the world. What fantastic potential and promise!
Solomon penned most of the Proverbs, some of the Psalms are attributed to him, and scholars believe he wrote Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs as well. Solomon was given the privilege of constructing the first great Temple, built up Jerusalem up as well as other great projects across the country, built up a vast navy to sail the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, and beyond. His wisdom, fame, and wealth were beyond any of his time. All because he started well- he dedicated himself to follow God, to walk humbly before Him, and to lead God's people with wisdom and compassion.
But something happened along the way. By chapter 11, Solomon began to waver and weaken.
His wealth, power and fame began to go to his head, as he accumulated more and more for himself, and began to treat his people as servants rather than God's people, taxing them heavily and pressing them into slave labor. He gathered for himself literally hundreds of wives and concubines, to feed his lusts. And he allowed for the worship of false gods among all his wives, and ultimately among the people, eventually participating himself. He short, rather growing into wise old man, he became an old fool.
The sad final years of his life can be summed up in these verses- "Now the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the Lord,... he did not observe what the Lord had commanded." (v.9-10) In fact, his final recorded act as king was a plot to kill the man God was going to give part of his kingdom to upon his death. He fought against God while near his own death!
His story startled and shook me. I had not looked at Solomon this way before. He did not finish well, but in shame.
I hopped on my bike and rode to work, enjoying the cool, clear morning, but praying that God would protect and preserve my heart, wholly for Him. I never want to make choices that would bring shame upon myself, my family, my people, my church, and ultimately, my God. I want to finish well, finish strong, and leave a legacy of love for God, love for people, and love for life. I want to hear God say, "Well done, welcome home!", not "What were you thinking?!" I know I'll not be perfect, I'll make mistakes sometimes, but may I never destroy God's work in and through me. May my life, overall, bring Him glory and honor.
May my epitaph one day read- "He walked with God, and brought others along."

I'm reflecting on Mother's Day yesterday, and all that the mothers in my life have come to mean to me. In our children's church hours, I spoke on Mothers from Proverbs 31:10-31, and since we had invited moms to join us in children's church for what we called "SuperMom Sunday", we had a packed house both hours, both places. It was a wonderful morning, and I hope all the moms who attended had a great time and left encouraged.
I spoke about my own mother, who was the first one in our family to come to Christ. When we moved to Georgia in 1972, my mother attended a women's conference at the invitation of a new friend, and she gave her life to Christ. A year later, my father came to Christ himself, in no small part due to the changed life and verbal witness of my mom. Within a few years, as they grew in their new-found faith, I came to Christ, as did my younger brothers. Truly, salvation came to the Brooks household largely because of my mother. And she has always been the prayer warrior and encourager in the faith that a godly mom is meant to be.
Over the years, I've come to love and appreciate my mother-in-law, Brenda, for her godly character and influence as well. Lisa is the youngest of 3, with an older brother and sister. As the "baby" of her family, Lisa was sheltered and cherished by her mother, and grew up in a loving, godly, secure home. I can truly say, after nearly 23 years of marriage to Lisa, her mother Brenda is like a second mom to me.
I spoke about Lisa, and the tremendous influence she has had in the lives of our 2 girls, Ansley & Kelsey. She has always given of herself, sacrificed without complaint, and loved unconditionally, as we have tried to raise our girls to know, love, and follow Christ. Children will always have to grow up and make their own life choices. But in our home, Lisa's influence with them, in her words of wisdom, how she pushed them to excel, and lived herself what she taught, has hopefully given our girls plenty of ammo to make wise, godly choices in life. I am forever grateful for the godly woman I am privileged to call my wife.
"A wife of noble character, who can find? She is worth far more than rubies." Proverbs 31:10
I know three- my mom, my mom-in-law, and my own precious wife. All three are priceless.