Its been over a month since I last wrote anything here, but much has taken place. Melissa Line, my long-time Director of Sunday & Summer programs, resigned after 15 years on staff at Hebron, accepting a position at a crisis children's shelter in Dahlonega. I knew this day would eventually come, since she has lived up there for almost 3 years now, and has a real big heart for kids in crisis. It's hard adjusting to life in the Children's Ministry without her, as she was so integral to everything we do. Not only that, she has been a great friend and little sister in Christ to me. We'll all miss her very much.
Now I face uncertainty in a few areas of my life and work, wondering what the future holds. Yet I know who holds the future, and I found comfort this morning in a passage from the Bible I happened upon-

23 The LORD makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

25 I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be a blessing. -Psalm 37:23-26

Through all of life's twists and turns, ups and downs, as long as I am walking with God, I am safe. He establishes me, He upholds me, He will not forsake me.
I'm in good hands.

After my big road trip last year with my friend Mike, I had looked forward to a new great adventure this year, whatever it might be. When plans to ride to Sturgis, SD with another friend fell through back in August, I was at a loss about what to do this year, or if I should even try a road trip at all. I still had plenty of time off, so Mike & I planned a short weekend trip together up to Asheville, NC, to visit Freedom Biker Church. He only had a couple of days, so I planned to ride back into North Georgia to tent camp an extra day or two by myself. Sounded like a plan.
We took off Saturday morning and rode out to Athens, then up 441 into NC. Hwy 441 is a beautiful road that I never get tired of riding, leading up into the mountains and beyond. We arrived mid-afternoon at a KOA campground east of Asheville, unloaded, then rode over to the location of the biker church, to ensure we knew where it was. After supper at a 50's style diner, we spent a peaceful evening around a campfire at the KOA with some wonderful people- Kevin & Linda from Hickory, NC, dedicated Christians and youth leaders in their church; and Jeremy & Serena from Greenville, SC, with their two cute little boys. Wonderful conversation for hours, and my first campfire of the fall!
Before turning in for the night, I posted a couple of pictures on Facebook of our trip so far, and within minutes got a message from an old high school friend, David Lunsford, inviting me over to Sevierville, TN for a couple of days. We had reconnected on FB about two years ago, but had not seen or even spoken to each other in the 30+ years since we graduated high school. I called the number he sent me, and he said, "Forget camping, I've got a nice, cozy bed up here in Pokeberry Hollow for ya!" This trip just took a turn into a whole new adventure, I thought to myself.
David and I had been classmates off and on throughout our elementary years, and had been skateboard bros throughout our junior high and early high school years. Our lives diverged in 10th grade, as he sank into drugs and alcohol abuse, and I gave my life to Christ. As I went on to college, seminary, and into marriage and ministry, David's life sank deeper over the years. After multiple rehab and detox stints, and two destroyed marriages, he found himself face down in his cabin on freighter ship he worked on down in Florida, and he surrendered his life to Jesus Christ in 1998. He stood up a new man, he told me, a "new creation" as 2 Corinthians 5:17 proclaims.
So here I was, spending a couple of days with my long-lost (literally) adolescent friend, now brother in Christ as well. He and his wife Donna welcomed me into their home like family- which spiritually we are now! We spent the next 2 1/2 days eating out, seeing sights around Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, and helping him with chores around their breathtakingly beautiful homestead in the hills. We even spent an afternoon playing in his creek like two school kids, building dams and catching crawfish. Every morning and evening was spent on their front porch, reminiscing and laughing, talking about Christ, while the sweet smell of his wild cherry pipe smoke floated through the air.
Finally on Tuesday morning, I packed up, we prayed together, and I rode south toward home. Running south on 441 out of Gatlinburg, I rode through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The morning mist was still rising off the mountains, and the sun cast brilliant beams down through the trees as I rode, like a scene in Rivendell from Lord of the Rings. It was captivating, almost holy. I would break out to scenic overlooks periodically, and could see out across the Smokies as the clouds still hung low in the valleys. Nothing quite like riding above the clouds. I rode and worshipped God all the way across the 40+ miles through the park.
Crossing back through a sliver of NC before returning into Georgia, the sun was brilliant and the temps were getting warmer. I finally arrived home around 3:30pm, to an empty house, with Lisa still at work and Kelsey at school. I spent some time unpacking, unwinding, and reflecting on the trip. No regrets, no disappointments. When God closed one door (Sturgis), He opened another (Asheville, Sevierville). And I still got to spend time with two close friends- Mike, one of my current best friends, and David, an old friend and new brother in Christ. God has blessed more than I could have imagined. I am filled, and my cup runneth over. (Psalm 23)

This morning I was thumbing through our bookshelves, and pulled out the copy I have of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. I hadn't read it in years, and its been a few years since I watched the movie trilogy. So I sat down and skipped around through the book. I remembered why I loved this particular part of the trilogy best, as well as the movie. Such beautiful, powerful images that evoke the message of the Gospels and Revelation. I particularly read the closing chapter, when Frodo joins Gandalf and the Elves on the journey out of the Grey Havens, leaving the shores of Middle Earth at last, to sail to the Undying Lands. Its a sad chapter of goodbyes, but then Tolkien gives a description of the first glimpses of their destination:
"Frodo smelled a sweet fragrance on the air and heard the sound of singing that came over the water... the grey rain-curtain turned all to silver glass and was rolled back, and he beheld white shores and beyond them a far green country under a swift sunrise."
I am reminded of the Scripture that promises, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him." (1 Corinthians 2:9). We can't come close to imagining the wonder of the splendor we will behold when the "grey rain-curtain" of this life is pulled back, and we arrive at our true home, the undiscovered country, the Heaven being prepared for us. Our "Undying Lands".
I read one of the sections at the end of the Tolkien book, in Appendix A, entitled "Here Follows a Part of the Tale of Aragorn and Arwen". Tolkien adds more detail to this romance that runs throughout all three books, and honestly, a separate movie could have been done on this tale alone! Without recounting every detail of this beautiful section, he recounts the early years of their love, their years apart, their reuniting and marriage, and their many years together. Yet Aragorn, being a mortal man, comes to the end of his days, and prepares to say goodbye to Arwen, eternal Elf. As he chooses to lay down his life and breathe his last on his deathbed, even in Arwen's grief, she witnesses something amazing:
"...as he took her hand and kissed it, he fell into sleep. Then a great beauty was revealed in him, so that all who after came there looked on him in wonder; for they saw that the grace of his youth, and the valour of his manhood, and the wisdom and majesty of his age were blended together...an image of the splendour of the Kings of Men in glory undimmed before the breaking of the world."
This description struck me like a thunderclap, as I realized what Tolkien was painting a picture of. This is the splendour that awaits each of us who love and follow Christ, at the end of our days on this earth. Just like a great glory awaits us on the other shore, a great glory will be revealed IN us as well- "I consider that our present sufferings are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18). I so often don't feel like there is much glory in me to revealed one day. I'm so often hobbled by sins, weaknesses, shortcomings. Yet God says, "Not only am I preparing an amazing place for you, I'm preparing an amazing new you, your true identity." I look forward to that day, before the new Heavens and new earth, made new with all the saints of the ages, forever.
That puts a spring in my step, as I walk this stuff of earth.
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him just as He is." 1 John 3:2

With the Discovery Channel's new series, "Curiosity", and the first episode being entitled, "Did God Create the Universe?" with British physicist Stephen Hawking, this older blog post of mine bears revisiting-
Stephen Hawking, who many claim is one of the great minds of our time, has received much press for statements in his latest 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 an 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...

Today was the final day with our 2011 graduated 5th graders in the Children's Ministry. Every year it is hard on me to say goodbye, and this year is no different. I've seen so many of these kids grow up at Hebron, from entering our ministry as wide-eyed kindergartners to becoming energetic, confident 5th graders. So many have trusted Christ in their time with us, in Sunday School classes, Awana, our childrens churches, and events like VBC. In fact, this was the first class that never had the experience of attending a children's camp with us, but they saw the changes that came as we moved from VBS to the VBC concept.
We have poured our heart and soul into these young people, hoping to help them come to faith in Christ, ground them securely in Him, and arm them to trust and defend their faith in a hostile world. Its a strange feeling for me, as I look in their faces, and remember when they were terrified but excited kindergartners. Now, they are moving on.
So many of them I know will one day be leaders in the student ministry, in the church, and in the community. I pray they all will live what they have learned from us, and continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. That's all that really matters. I am confident of the middle school ministry they are moving into. God is doing great things there, and they will have great leaders to build on the foundation I hope they got from us.
Its been a fun summer with them, from our "MythBusters: Season 2" in RockiTown, to the special 5th grade VBC we put on for them in cooperation with the middle school ministry, the 5th Grade Adventure Trip in TN, and the various day trips we've enjoyed. Many memories made, for us as well as for them. I hope they carry not only great memories, but great life lessons from the Word, on into their teen years. May all they learned and experienced with us be anchors for their lives to the Rock, Jesus Christ.
God bless and keep them, as they continue their journey.

Friday morning I set out on a two-day moto adventure with my old high school friend, Aaron Smith. We had planned this trip about a month prior, with Aaron wanting to ride some of the famous roads up in western North Carolina and east Tennessee that he had never ridden before. We would also tent camp up there, something I always enjoy. I was looking forward to the trip with him.
We met up at I-985 above the Mall of Ga at 9am Friday, and blasted all the way up to 441, and rode this beautiful road up into the mountains. We stopped off at Tallulah Gorge, a place he'd never been before. Deep canyon, looks to be a half-mile to the river below. We continued on into North Carolina, fueling the bikes and ourselves as needed. We decided to ride a route known as the "Smoking Dragon", which entails riding 441 through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park up to Gatlinburg, then west over to Cades Cove and Townsend. We then picked up the Foothills Scenic Parkway, and rode it south to 129 and the famous "Tail of the Dragon" section. None of which he had ever ridden before. The roads were not highly crowded, and we enjoyed beautiful views and exciting, curvy roads. In all, the "Smoking Dragon" loop was about 145+ miles, on top of what we had ridden to get there. We rode Hwy 28 over to Stecoah, to the Ironhorse Motorcycle Campground, and honestly, I've ridden the Dragon so many times, I enjoyed the ride on 28 over to Stecoah more than the Dragon, not nearly as twisty.
We arrived at Ironhorse around 5:30pm, checked in, made camp, and ate burgers with sweet potato fries they were serving. After a relaxing evening of a game of pool, time by a big campfire they started, and some good conversation, we turned in to our tents. I slept good, with the night sounds of crickets chirping, and the stream gurgling that we had camped by.
By morning, we were up, ate, showered, packed, and on the road by about 9:30am. We rode south to Robbinsville, gassed up, then rode over to the Cherohala Skyway, which he had never ridden either. I love this road, with its sky-high turns that skirt the tops of the mountains. The view of the Smokies is breathtaking, from nearly every overlook. We came upon a sport biker around a corner near the high point on the parkway, who had just slid out in a corner, and was picking up his bike. We quickly pulled over to help, when suddenly he hopped back on, fired it up, and took off. We looked at each other and I said, "I guess he was more embarrassed than hurt!" We followed the Cherohala into Tennessee, to Tellico Plains, and enjoyed a late lunch at the Tellicafe, popular with riders coming off the skyway. We then turned south on 68, turned onto 294 and rode through the Fields of the Wood, home to the world's largest display of the Ten Commandments. Again, Aaron had never seen this before. It evokes a definite "Wow" every time I'm there. We continued on back into NC, to 19/129 South, back into Georgia. Riding through Blairsville, we detoured over to Helen, which was ridiculously crowded with holiday weekend tourists. Couldn't get out of there fast enough. Riding on down to Cleveland, we parted company, he over to Ga 400, me south to Gainesville and on to home. I pulled in about 6pm, tired, sore, stiff, sunburned, but satisfied. It was a good two-day ride.
Aaron has only been a Christian now about 2-3 years, and spending the time riding, eating, hanging out, and camping together gave us plenty of time to talk, reflect, pray, and encourage each other. I hope it was as enjoyable and encouraging for him as it was for me. Motorcycling, mountains, a good friend, a still somewhat new brother in the Lord. Time well-spent.

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.