This past Sunday, I had a couple of amazing animal encounters again. With spring in the air, and considering my previous entry, these were pretty incredible.
After returning from church, I changed out of my "Sunday" clothes, then took the dogs for a walk, up and down the driveway. I had left the door to the den open, to let some fresh air in. As we stepped back inside, I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. A small wren had flown into the house, and was buzzing around in the den, trying to avoid us. I chased her around the room, trying to catch her against a window, drape or something. She flew upstairs to the kitchen, right into the blinds of the breakfast nook. I gently trapped her and pulled her out, trying not to hurt the little creature. She squawked at me, very unhappy with being captured. I loosened my grip to adjust, and out she jumped, flitting around the kitchen again. She finally landed on a drape, and I was able to quickly snatch her in my hands again, still careful not to harm her.
As I walked back outside to release her, I was amazed at how tiny and fragile she was. She fit in the palm of my hand. As I opened my hands to let her go, she suddenly gripped one of my fingers with both little feet, and didn't let go. I held my hand up, this tiny bird perched now on my index finger, and she just looked at me, refusing to fly off immediately. Was she wondering why I didn't crush her, or eat her? Who knows. It couldn't have been more than 20 seconds, but she finally flew off, the dogs and I watching her departure.
Later in the afternoon, after a short nap, I was again outside with the dogs, this time sitting on the front steps, the dogs sitting on the front walkway. Birds were chirping and singing everywhere, all around us. Suddenly, in a flash, a large red-tailed hawk swooped down out of a nearby tree, and caught a small bird in his talons, tumbling into the grass not five feet from Johnny. Before any of us could even react, the hawk was off toward the woods, the little victim squeaking in his clutches. Shocking. My first thought was, could this have been the same little wren I released earlier? I concluded it was not, based on the pile of grey feathers in the grass where they had landed. Still, I felt sadness for the sudden demise of the little bird, although I understand it is part of life right now. Then I wondered, was this the same hawk I encountered at the end of the driveway last week? Very likely could have been. I see and hear hawks all around our property, fairly regularly.
God has created a beautiful, wild world for us to enjoy, and sometimes, we are given the opportunity to experience it up close and personal. The little wren in my hands, the large, powerful hawk in front of me. Both display the beauty and power of our God. For now, this is a fallen world, where attack and defense, tooth and claw, are a part of life. A day is coming, however, when "the wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together;" and the hawk will perch on my hand, next to the wren.

Today was an absolutely beautiful day for March. Sunny, wispy clouds overhead, temps in the upper 60s. I rode the motorbike to the office, praying and worshiping as I rode in. I had three amazing encounters during the day, that reminded me of the nearness of God. As I finished breakfast, I glanced out to our backyard, and saw four deer, grazing on our grass, with the sun rising through the woods behind them. I whispered, "Thank you Father, for this morning gift", and loaded up for work.
I came home during lunch to check on the dogs, and enjoyed a leisurely walk down our long driveway with them. The sun was bright and warm, a slight breeze was wafting through the trees, and I savored the moments before once again saddling up to go back to the office. As I rolled to the end of the driveway on the bike, I noticed a large red tail hawk right in front of me, perched on a telephone line over our mailbox. I stopped, watching to see what he would do, and he just sat there, moving his head from side to side, eye-balling me as I was him. I again whispered, "Thank you Father for this moment in time, shared with this exquisite creature you have made!" As I rode off, he remained, watching me pull away.
Later this evening, as I talked on the phone with my friend Aaron, I heard something unusual outside, so I walked out into the moon-lit driveway. I heard in the pines over my head the tell-tale "whoo-whoo, whoo-whoo, whoo" of not one, but three owls, calling to each other across the trees. Transfixed, I held my phone up for Aaron to hear, which he could, but barely. To my naked ear, they were up close and personal, almost right above me. It was awe-inspiring. I told Aaron I'd have to call him back, and I spent the next ten minutes, standing out front, under the moon and trees, listening to these three owls make music to my ears. Even the dogs sat in silence, looking skyward, listening as well. Again I whispered, "Thank you Father, for another indescribable gift tonight. I love you."
Life has become so busy it seems, and I have become so distracted, I have begun to lose sight of the little "hints of Heaven, glimpses of glory" God has placed throughout His creation, all around me. Even when I'm riding my motorcycle, which has always been a personal retreat on wheels for me, I've begun to focus on riding techniques I've been studying, practicing cornering, shifting, etc., all good things. Today reminded me to drink in the scenery all around, to get my "head on a swivel, eyes outside the cockpit" to use a fighter pilot phrase, and enjoy God in His creation again.
As we finish up our "Wonderful Outlaw" series in RockiTown this Sunday, getting to know the incredible personality of Jesus, I will communicate that we must return to simply loving Jesus- in worship, in His Word, and in His world. To quote John Eldredge from the book we based our series on, "I am making a practice of loving Jesus. Loving him for who he really is. The Jesus who gave us the oceans and rivers. Who gave us laughter. Who served up 908 bottles of wine to Cana."
And who gave me four deer, three owls, one hawk, and a couple of four-legged furry companions to enjoy it all with today.
Thank you Father. I love you too.

Since we have undertaken to lead our Children's ministry through a year-long reading of the New Testament (see the Jan. 7 entry), I've been struck by something I'm not sure I've ever really paid attention to before. We are currently reading through the Gospel of Mark, having completed Matthew. As I read of Jesus' dealings with people, His teachings, His miracles & signs, I'm fascinated by how He brings healing to people. It seems like He never healed two people exactly the same way, even if it was the same issue/ailment. One blind man, He would simply say, "Be healed!", and the man's eyes would be opened. Another, He might spit on some dirt, rub it on the guy's eyes, and tell him to go wash. Still another, He would spit right in the eyes, and heal him on the spot. He drove out demons differently, some very confrontational and face-to-face, others from a great distance, one even without directly addressing the demons. He commanded, they fled. He healed lepers by putting His hands right on them, He healed the mute by touching their tongue, healed the deaf by poking His fingers in their ears, and even healed some who just touched His clothes. Never the same way twice.

He was so personal with each circumstance, often so private. Sometimes He would even instruct them not to tell anyone, which usually didn't work! But each case was very personal, very intimate, very specific to the individual. I love this. Jesus Christ, King of all kings and Lord of all lords, God Almighty from age to age, walked the dust of earth among us. Not as some unapproachable holy man or mystic, but as "God with us", Divinity up close and personal, the Creator in clothes. And He touched. He spoke. He healed.

I love how He loved people. How He treated women. How He raised the dead, healed the sick and broken, restored health, hope, life. I think that was His real motivation. Physical healing was important, but Jesus saw deeper, to what each person really needed, and He healed there too.

May I see others as Jesus saw them, may I touch as He touched, may I love as He loved, may I be an instrument of His healing, in this lost, hurting, dying world.

Its been about a month now since my father's emergency heart surgery, and he has recovered remarkably. Off all pain medication, and mostly back to normal (he still has to be careful not to lift too much). We all are very happy with his progress. I look forward to some spring/summer/fall riding with him this year.
I'm also very proud of something he has recently accomplished, that he has never been known for. He wrote down an account of all he experienced during those days surrounding his surgery, things he thought and felt, words and Scripture God brought to him in the midst of the pain and uncertainty. My dad has never been much of a reader, much less a writer- I get those traits from my mother, a prolific reader and writer. But write he did, and below are some excerpts from his story, entitled "Out Of Control".
"Being a typical man I've always felt I was, or should always be, in control of my life, and what I did would determine how things would go for me. Most men feel that they are in control, and when things get out of control it’s a very disturbing feeling. So it was with me several months ago when I noticed increasing bouts of chest pain." Dad recounts the recurring problems, even though he had a heart stint installed three years prior. Thinking he could control it, he chose to wait until after the holidays to get checked out, writing, "Still thinking I was in control, this could have been a deadly mistake on my part."
He writes of being admitted, the emergency surgery being scheduled, and the feeling that everything was out of his hands- he no longer was in control. As my brothers and I rushed from all over to Augusta and be with our mother during the surgery, Dad recalls this- "I was handed a clipboard with paperwork for me to sign, giving them permission to operate. It was at this point things for me were 'Out Of Control'. I had signed my name and now had no control over what would happen to me." He recalled a verse from the Bible, Hebrews 13:5, which reads, "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you." Dad writes, "I know now that in moments of great stress, though we may not be thinking of God, He is always thinking of us."
As previously written, the surgery went great, and though there have been pains, feelings of helplessness, exhaustion, Dad writes, "Reflecting back on all of this, my first question might be 'Where was God in all this?' I believe I know. When I was waiting too long to get help for my heart, He was holding back a heart attack, keeping my heart safe for surgery." He recites part of Philippians 4:7, "and the peace of God...will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." God was in total control, the whole time.
Dad concludes by stating, "I will not be in control anymore, I’m not very good at it. It could have cost me my life. I will leave control to God now and do my best to trust Him daily for direction."
"I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or His descendants begging for bread."(Psalm 37:25)
Final footnote- the day my father had his heart surgery, my niece Rylee, Rick's daughter, prayed and gave her life to Christ back home in Dallas with Robyn her mother. Dad finishes with this-
"He gave two people new hearts on Jan. 11, 2012. Mine as He rebuilt my heart physically, and spiritually as my granddaughter Rylee prayed with her mom to receive Christ in her heart that same day. God is good, God is faithful."
Yes He is.

This has been a stressful week, in my immediate and extended family. My father had emergency triple bypass heart surgery this past Wednesday. He has been dealing with growing heart issues for several years now, with blood thinners for his arteries, three heart catheter procedures in the last two years, a stint put in one artery last summer. He has been experiencing chest pain and shortness of breath again since before Christmas, so my mother drove him to the VA hospital in Augusta, where his heart procedures have all been done before. They did blood tests, determined they needed to do another heart cath, then decided to send him to the hospital on nearby Ft. Gordon Army base. All this time, I and my brothers had been on the phone with Dad & Mom, keeping up with all that was going on. When they were informed that Dad would need a triple bypass, and it was scheduled for Thursday, I took off from work, packed a bag, and started for Augusta on Wednesday, so I could be with them that night and there as he left for surgery the next morning. Mark and Rick did the same, all arranging our schedules so we could be there.
While driving, my got a frantic phone call from my mom, sobbing heavily, unable to speak. I immediately thought the worst, that Dad had a heart attack before the surgery, or had died suddenly. But she said, "As soon as we got here, they took him right away into surgery. They didn't want to wait until tomorrow." I said, "Mom, that's a good thing! They are doing this BEFORE he has a heart attack." It had just caught her offguard, and none of us were there yet to be with her. I assured her that all three of her boys would be there, within a few short hours.
I arrived early afternoon, Mark about an hour after me, and we picked Rick up at the airport by 5pm. All of Mom's boys were with her now. As we all waited and talked, the doctor came out and informed us the surgery went fantastic, they would be sewing him up and calling us back soon. Within another hour, we were all allowed back to see him. He was still out, with wires, tubes, IV's, etc. all attached to him. He looked worse than he was, they said. His heart was beating strong on its own, he would be coming to and breathing on his own before the night was over, and likely ready to eat and sit up by the next day.
We all spent the night at local hotel, enjoying some much-needed laughter and downtime. The next morning, Thursday, we were back at the hospital, and he was conversant, but only a little. We took turns sitting with him and talking with him, until the nurses wanted to get him up and moving. We all took a late lunch, roamed a local mall, and when we arrived back at 4pm, he looked like a new man! Sitting up, eating on his own, joking with the nurses and doctors. What a change in just a few hours! It was good seeing him looking better.
Mark and I had to leave Thursday night, but Rick would stay until Saturday. Every day, I've been calling several times, to talk to Mom, and now even Dad, out of ICU and in a private room. They say he will likely go home Monday, and that he is recovering like a man half his age. He's a tough old turkey, and he has taken good care of himself over the years- eating right, exercising, staying active, and avoiding tobacco and alcohol abuse. Clean living has its benefits!
His mom, my Grandma Brooks, died of a heart attack at his age, 72, so Dad has beaten the odds. God is not through with him yet, as he and my mom touch many lives for Christ, everywhere they go. I'm not ready for him to go yet either- too much life left to live together, too many roads yet to ride together. And with this past him, and after what will be a painful recovery at times, the docs said his heart should be good for another 25+ years. I jokingly told him, "Your heart will outlast your mind now!" Not sure he thought that was funny.
Now, if we can just get everyone in my own immediate family well...

This year in our Children's Ministry at Hebron, we are embarking on a great adventure. We are leading our 3rd-5th graders through a reading of the New Testament. A chapter a day, Monday-Friday, all year long. It was an idea born out of a challenge from one of our 5th graders. Now its sweeping not only the Children's Ministry, but is taking hold among our leaders, our parents, and even the rest of the church.
I found a website back in November of 2011, called www.bibleplan.org, and felt like God told me, "Take the Children's Ministry through this next year." The plan was so easy to follow- a chapter a day, five days a week, easily accessed right from the website. So simple, but so needed.
We've decided to call it, "Bible Challenge 2012", and hundreds of our kids have taken the challenge. I told them, "If you will do this, all year, I can make you a promise- God will change you. You will know Jesus more, grow closer to Him, and be used by Him to touch other's lives. You will never be the same." God's Word never returns empty, but always does God's will (Isaiah 55:11). Its going to be a great year in the Word.
Join us on the journey!
http://www.bibleplan.org/nt/niv/

Its Monday, the day after Christmas Day, and I'm reflecting on the final Christmas song I heard last night, "Welcome To Our World" by Michael W. Smith. A fitting end to the Christmas weekend.
Thinking back over the Christmas season this year, I realize how exhausting and stressful this one felt. The rush to parties the last few weeks, the crush of shopping, the final days in the office, the cooking, the cleaning, the traveling, and to top it all off, Kelsey was horribly sick all this past week. She was miserable, and consequently, none of us got much sleep for close to seven days. She finally began to improve late Christmas Eve, but has been weak since.
We drove to Peachtree City to see Lisa's side of the family Christmas Day, with heavy rain pelting us all the way down. We spent a fun, laughter-filled day with the Brown family, then drove back through the rain and collapsed in fitful sleep until almost noon today. Well, Lisa and the girls did. I woke up about 10am, and enjoyed the solitude, the quiet, the sun-soaked morning with a cup of coffee and nothing on the calendar. Much-needed, for all of us.
Its been a day of rest, reflection, and returning the house to normal. And I wondered, what's left of Christmas? After the presents, the wrapping paper, the decorations and lights; after the platefuls of food and spiced cider; after the laughter of friends and family, the delight of children; after the sounds, the smells, the sights of the holidays; after the greetings and goodbyes of "Merry Christmas"-
What's left of Christmas?
Jesus.
"Welcome To Our World"- It was not the end, but only the beginning. The world He had made, that rebelled against Him; the world He quietly entered Himself in human form; the world He came to rescue, redeem and restore; we who truly know Him say, "Welcome"- in your world, and in our hearts. He is here.
"But in your hearts set apart Jesus Christ as Lord..." 1 Peter 3:15a

This past Sunday I taught "A Shepherd's Tale", a view of the Nativity through the eyes of sheep herders. I'm still amazed every year when I look into the Christmas story, at how God orchestrated it all. Take the shepherds for instance-
In studying them, you find that they were largely uneducated, transient, cheap labor. They possessed no skills such as masonry, carpentry, etc. Some were not even Jewish, but immigrants or foreigners. It was low-paying, hard work, often with long hours and far from home. They usually worked for a rancher who actually owned the flocks. Sheep herding was dirty work, feeding, cleaning, shearing, grooming, protecting, giving medical attention, and even helping birth sheep in the flock. Some sheep flocks were tended for the sacrificial rituals in the Temple in Jerusalem.
Yet for all their hard work, they were paid low wages, had a very low status in society, were generally not welcome in larger towns and cities, and sadly, not allowed to attend worship in the Temple. Tragic, that the very ones who kept the sheep flocks for sacrifices, were not allowed to participate themselves. Such was their status in ancient Middle Eastern society.
But God does not see as man sees, and God did not view them as worthless. Of all the people in the world who could have been the first to get the news of the Messiah, God chose to send word to a group of dirty, stinky, outcast sheep herders, working the night shift on a hill outside Bethlehem. And He did it in grand fashion- a brilliant, majestic angel, joined by an army of the Heavenly hosts, putting on a concert in the sky like never seen before or since. All for a handful of sheep herders. Herod and the politicians didn't get the word, the high priest and religious leaders didn't, the rich and powerful never got the message. I love it.
I'm reminded of all the times I've heard people say things like, "I hate my life" or "nobody cares" or "God doesn't love or know me". To those I say- if anyone had a human right to think like that, it would be those shepherds. But God proved otherwise. The Shepherd's Tale teaches that no matter what anyone thinks of you, no matter how you are treated, no matter what you think of yourself- you are loved, cared for, known, and hoped for. He came for you as well. Just ask the shepherds. They know.
"I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people..." Luke 2:10

I found this section in Max Lucado's great book, "In the Grip of Grace", and had to share it-
“Can anything make me stop loving you?” God asks. “Watch me speak your language, sleep on your earth, and feel your hurts. Behold the maker of sight and sound as he sneezes, coughs, and blows his nose. You wonder if I understand how you feel? Look into the dancing eyes of the kid in Nazareth; that’s God walking to school. Ponder the toddler at Mary’s table; that’s God spilling his milk.
“You wonder how long my love will last? Find your answer on a splintered cross, on a craggy hill. That’s me you see up there, your maker, your God, nail-stabbed and bleeding. Covered in spit and sin-soaked.
“That’s your sin I’m feeling. That’s your death I’m dying. That’s your resurrection I’m living. That’s how much I love you.”
Wow. I'm stunned into worshipful silence.
I was thinking today about the tremendous, life-changing experience the birth of Christ was to His earthly dad, Joseph. Here he is, a simple construction worker in Nazareth, getting ready for his upcoming marriage to his bride-to-be, Mary. Nothing extraordinary about him- just a regular, working class guy. Then he finds out his fiancé is pregnant, obviously NOT by him! I can’t imagine the horror, shock, anger, fear, and sorrow he must have felt. But being a good guy, he was just planning to break everything off quietly, try to pick up the pieces and get on with his life- until the night an angel came to him, with some incredible news…
I found that, in the book of Matthew, an angel spoke to Joseph a total of 4 times, from the first revelation that Mary was carrying the Messiah, to the final word that it was safe to go back home from Egypt. No matter what his circumstances looked like, no matter what anyone might have thought, no matter how crazy it all seemed- Joseph trusted and followed God, and reaped the benefits of helping raise up God in human flesh.
Imagine- those rough, calloused hands cradling Divinity; those worn-down fingernails tickling holy infant toes and nose; those thick arms playfully wrestling with the toddler God; stopping the cart, because his 10-year old son, who also happens to be the Lord of all the universe, wants to ride to the supply store with him. It must have been amazing almost every day to think that, “this cute little kid running around my house is the Lord God Almighty in human skin. And I’m teaching Him to fish and play ball and swing a hammer without smashing His fingers.”
We don’t hear anymore about Joseph after Jesus turned 12. All we know about him we find in the first few chapters of Matthew and Luke. But I know one thing- he was a man blessed by God, no doubt. And I look forward to meeting him someday, and hearing his stories about being “dad” to the Son of God. I’m sure he has some incredible stories to tell…
The Word became flesh, and made His dwelling among us. John 1:14

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!