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It is a difficult thing for folks to understand just how blessed we are as a country without spending 6.5 months away. I can say that I even become complacent and forget during the times I'm not overseas. Now that I'm back from my second Afghan tour I have a renewed sense of just how much I love this country.

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Happy Birthday, Rachel

On June 9th, 1993 I attended the birthday party of my brother’s girlfriend’s best friend at Mt. Paran Church of God.  My brother and my brother’s girlfriend agreed that we would get along pretty well.  They were right!

Eighteen years later we are well into our eleventh year of marriage with the three most fantastic children in the world.  Since that blessed Wednesday night, when Rachel wrote down her number on a torn off sheet of wide-ruled notebook paper, I was hooked.

Besides mesmerizing me from day one, she has been a light to me and others in what is now our circle of friends and she has provided a firm foundation of love and support when all else seems awry.

I am humbled to be her husband and I am richly blessed to have her as my wife.  Today is her birthday and it grieves me to be 7,000 miles away though I know she is proud of my efforts.  There is no doubt that I stand tall at the gates when recognized as her husband.

I love her with every fiber of my being and I miss being with her, certainly today, not only her birthday, but the anniversary of the evening when she took a chance and gave me her number.

Birds of the Gulf Coast

The first two pictures are of a Little Blue Heron. It's a lovely bird, as you can see. A Little Blue Heron couple have been enjoying breakfasts in the ponds behind my house and across the street. I was pretty happy to get these shots. The third bird was pretty elusive, as it kept diving only moments after it would surface. It is either a Clarke's Grebe (which would be pretty significant to find it this far east as it's range is not well known) or a female Anhinga. Maybe I'll get another chance to get some better shots of it!
Other birds we see or have seen include Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Green Heron (have seen only once), lots of Ospreys, Hooded Merganser, Double Crested Cormorant, Male Anhinga, Black Vulture, several varieties of Turkey, and we do see Bald Eagles fairly often. I think there must be a couple with a nest nearby. It is both neat and scary to live in a place teeming with so much life! I clap my hands and yell, "Better watch out! I'm comin'!" every time I have to go to turn the sprinkler off on the side of the house after dark, for fear a bear or racoon or deer (mostly a bear!) will be ambling up in between mine and my neighbor's house!

"I'm a natural on the stage," Elizabeth seems to say.
Andrew looks skeptically at his certificate of promotion.
Elizabeth is very tickled to have all eyes on her to listen to her as she plays "The Wishing Well" in which the first seven notes are exactly the same as the notes beginning the phrase in the song from Les Miserables "Do you hear the people sing?"
"I see you taking my picture, Mom! And I'm gonna getcha for it! But not right now. I have to settle down and play "The Zoo"."

Promotion Ceremony and Talent Show

Our Andrew has been officially promoted to the third grade, and our Elizabeth has graduated from Kindergarten and been promoted to first grade! First of all, we know they aren't really ours (they're God's), but they are our responsibility for now. Our Homeschool Group (The Fellowship of Christian Teaching Homes or FCTH) had a promotion ceremony and talent show for those students who wished to participate. It was really lovely. Andrew and Elizabeth played a short piece they had learned on the piano--Elizabeth shyly, but confidently; Andrew with gusto, yet great care. This is a picture taken afterward in front of a kumquat tree.

God-less? Introduction

There are only two books of the Bible out of 66 that leave out any mention of God – Esther and Song of Songs.

What is the intent behind their God-lessness?  What theological gains can be had from studying a book that fails to make a single mention of the “Theo” from whom that particular science investigates? 

The answer is: Huge.

The authors of those books, though maybe not fully cognizant of the messages they were about to convey, did not “slip up” by accidentally leaving out the Creator of the universe.  In fact, God used them in this regard to send a message to His children.  The message is simply this – “Through the darkest and brightest moments of your life, I am working through you, and I love you with a passion that rivals that of the greatest of lovers – essentially, I AM when you least expect it!”

This may be THE central theme of the entire canon.

I hope to prepare an exposition of Esther first, and then when the time is right, one on Song of Songs.  Don’t worry, the header will give you plenty of warning in the event your kids read our blog over your shoulder (Song of Songs’ significance is diminished to the immature reader).

Until then, take some time to read through Esther and Job.  Job may be long, but I believe the books are connected such that understanding of one builds greater understanding in the other.  Take a week and I’ll try to convert the Word that has been laid on my heart into digits and we’ll meet again.

He is Risen!

Easter morning was an early one this year! I really wanted to go to the 6am sunrise service on the beach. Then, I remembered that everyone had nice, new Easter clothes and had second thoughts! But to God's glory we got all dressed up and made it with no stress! It was cool and breezy and then got cooler and breezier and rather damp, as the cloud that had been over the water in front of us was blown onto the land on top of us! Some sweet parishioners at the chapel with us provided the kids with blankets to keep warm. I reveled in the joy of the morning, the moist cool air blowing over me, the knowledge that my Savior was raised to life for me and that His Grace is enough.

We then had a blessed time of fellowship at the base Marina, while a hot breakfast was served to us. Then, when we got home (at about 8:30am!) and changed our clothes, I gave the kids' their Easter baskets, er, I mean Easter lunchboxes. (Despite cleaning out my closet, the guest room closet and half of the garage, I never found their baskets!) Well, they had not remembered that part at all! They were so touched by the book they each got along with their tiny, hollow chocolate bunny and a few eggs with candy and a couple of pencils.

Saturday morning was to be the designated "egg hunt" time. Go get the silly eggs and then go home. Well, leave it to the Tyndall AFB Youth Center to make it a huge production! It was a blast for the kids with bouncy houses, crafts, free cookies and lemonade and an age appropriate hunt for each kid. Again, I was touched at how much fun the kids had! Sometimes, I feel we give them too much. They all were so thankful and expressed that this was one of the most fun things they've ever done! Of course, it was one of the 25 most fun things they've ever done, but the fact they said thank you made me feel like the kids and me and the world were a little closer to center than I sometimes think. Then, our neighbor hid eggs with prizes for our three and three other kids nearby. They had such a great, fun couple of days. AND, they still get that Easter isn't about the candy and eggs, but about Jesus rising from the dead after He saved us from our sins! Thank you, Lord, for your sacrifice and for loving us and the world every day!

He is Risen Indeed!

Why did He become flesh?

Why did He teach?

Why did He surrender?

Why did He die?

Why did He rise?

 

Because He

loves.

 

Happy Easter!