Out Here Hope Remains

NEW BLOG LOCATION

2006-10-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't noticed, I've moved my blog to: http://johndobbs.wordpress.com I invite you to surf over there and bookmark it! john

Moving On Up

2006-09-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

Thanks for being a faithful reader here at my blogspot blog. Unfortunate changes in Blogger's performance has sent me seeking new ground. Out Here Hope Remains can now be found HERE. C'mon over to my new home and leave a note letting me know that you'll still come by! Blessings to blogger Blessings to you.

KINGDOM COME: CHAPTER TWO

2006-09-27T20:18:00.000-07:00

Shadows of the Second Coming is the title of the second chapter of Kingdom Come. Here we are introduced to the apocalyptic vision that drove Lipscomb and Harding's vision of the Kingdom. You can purchase the book HERE. At the turn of the 19th century there was a strong sense of American patriotism that was embraced by evangelical religion. Lipscomb did not embrace patriotism, and even regarded civil government as a tool of Satan to draw our full devotion away from God. Harding was in agreement. "With one foot in the primeval age and the other squarely in the shadows of the second coming, Harding believed that only God's government reigned from the first and only his will reign in the end" (p. 29) So how are Christians to live in a world ruled by the kingdoms of men? They accept the role of being foreigners in a strange land, with ultimate allegiance to Jesus Christ. H & V describe a kingdom vision that draws its purpose in being distinctively devoted to God in a world that will ultimately be ruled again by God's will. This apocalyptic vision was the driver of life decisions and doctrinal understandings of both Harding and Lipscomb. H & V do a superb job of leading us through the world view that begins with the "paradise of shalom", tracing it's loss in the garden, and leading us to our day that is "characterized by death, anguish, lust and violence. But God purposed to restore creation to its original blessedness, to restore shalom upon the earth." Using Scripture and descriptive terms, a beautiful picture of the intended kingdom is presented through these pages. A danger that is presented is our willingness to conform to the world rather than live counter culture. Our ammunition against such seduction is to keep in view the second coming of Christ. "To live in the shadows is to live in anticipation of God's ultimate victory" (p. 35). And so God calls us to the life of aliens...Foreigners on a sojourn. But this is often rejected by Christians of today. "Through the years, however, this kingdom vision was lost through the instituionalization of the church. Church, here, does not mean the people who have been called out of this present age by grace into covenant with God. Rather "church" became concern for proper doctrine, and rather esoteric doctrine couched in Greek philosophy. "Church" became involved in power struggles within itself and in time even secular government became enmeshed in what was once a small brand of rag-tag believers in a Messiah who was killed by that very government" (p. 39) That paragraph alone deserves a book. If we are to embrace this apocalyptic kingdom vision, we will face taking unpopular stances, resist the temptations of materialism, and sink our hopes deep in the power of prayer. The questions, challenges, prayer, and resources listed at the end of this chapter are very valuable. What stood out to you as you read the chapter? What are your observations?

Late Tuesday Night on the Coast

2006-09-26T21:11:00.000-07:00

Today I was to be found yet again in the pages of The Mississippi Press. You can read the story HERE. It's not so much about me this time, but they did print a full color picture of me. This time they put it on the back page. I guess I wasn't too good for sales. I think I'll get a break tomorrow unless there's some surprise! I spent most of today resting off of my leg and trying to keep it elevated as much as I could. I saw Dr. Paul Fineberg this afternoon and he was able to give me something to help. He is a good doctor, but you only see your doctor when you're sick. So it's hard to say, 'nice to see you'. Anyhow, I hope to have rebounded from this in a few days. It is not as severe a case as the one in May, which took a month to overcome. Jeff Campbell left for Nashville today. I understand he has an appointment to talk to someone tomorrow about the work we are doing down this way. He hopes to recruit skilled workers to come and spend time with us rebuilding the community. Watch HIS BLOG for updates that I hope will be coming soon! I heard through the grapevine that a friend of mine has accepted the preaching ministry at a new church, but he hasn't called me to tell me. Some friend! So what's up with that, James? Thanks, Charlie, for contributing to the KINGDOM COME discussion... the first post netted one comment. And it was a mighty good one! The next installment is coming soon. Hurry to John Alan Turner's Blog to get an early copy of his new book Hearts and Minds. Hint: This is the next book in John's Book Club! Get your copy now! Patrick Mead offers up some morbid humor just for fun. You MUST read Gary Kirkendall's post on the Cat in the House! Robbie Woods updated his blog with further insights into his life.

KINGDOM COME: Chapter One

2006-09-25T22:11:00.000-07:00

Introducing A Spiritual Legacy: Strangers At Home is the title of the first chapter of Kingdom Come. It is here that we are introduced to the two title characters and the perspectives that will be compared and discussed throughout the book. You can purchase the book HERE. Hicks & Valentine (H & V) offer a critique of the contemporary churches of Christ that is accurate, as far as I can see. "For the most part, we are historically blind. We don't know our history and our sense of spiritual heritage is distorted. On the one hand, some believe the Churches of Christ have been bereft of spiritual vigor since their emerence in the early twentieth century. ... On the other hand, some find their spiritual identity in church practices. They believe this is their spiritual heritage. Their spiritual life is shaped by debates with 'denominationalists.' Their spiritual vitor is found in their exclusive identity as the one true church." (p. 15) It is a big mission to take on both of these perspectives and try to help bring light to the mistakes each makes. However, it is through the lives of Lipscomb and Harding that H & V hope to bring some perspective. History is offered of the Nashville Bible School and Potter Bible College, as well as Harding and Lipscomb themselves. Other names of the day are mentioned as well, giving notice to the prominence of R. L. Whiteside and R. H. Boll in particular. Lest anyone think that Lipscob and Harding are being held up as perfect specimens of Christianity, admission is made that both men had significant faults. "Indeed, we regret that they both embraced the 1906 division between the Churches of Christ and the Christian Church as a lamentable good..." (p. 23). Other failings are mentioned as well, but it is pointed out that these men were attempting to follow Jesus Christ in their lives. This introductory chapter did what all good introductories do; it makes me want to read the rest of the book. Comments of others reading the book are welcome. For this first post, I think it would be good for those who are reading along to leave a note letting us know that you are going along with us. Bobby Valentine will be checking in after his preacher's retreat is over later in the week. I do not know if John Mark Hicks will check in or not. But it will be good to read together and to discuss the ideals of this important book. Thanks for reading!

Monday on the Coast

2006-09-25T15:22:00.000-07:00

We had a good worship time Sunday morning and the podcast should be up in the next few minutes. You can hear this week's message, "An Open Door Church" by clicking HERE. Sunday afternoon brought unexpected illness. I had tremors, nausea, and fever. I've had this before so I knew what was next. Sure enough this morning my left leg was bright red from the knee down...phlebitis. I just suffered an attack of this in May. Anyway, I'm trying to stay off of my leg for a while and keep it elevated. This morning brought quite a surprise in that my picture was on the front page of The Mississippi Press. You can read the story HERE about my podcast, blog, and website, and how they are used for mininstry. Also friend Al Sturgeon is mentioned a good bit. I also know Johnny Beavers, as he is a pastor around the corner at Calvary Baptist. I thought it was a good article by newcomer to the Coast, Veto Roley. If anyone in Jackson County is reading my blog for the first time today, thanks for stopping by! Come back often. I am supposed to start my book club reading of Kingdom Come today. The book club posts will be in separate posts. Watch for KINGDOM COME: CHAPTER ONE. There are no real rules, but posts may be deleted if they start off with, "I haven't read the book, but..." The point of the book club is to read the book! Tonight many will be watching the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints play the first post-Katrina game in the Superdome. Things like this may be more symbolic than anything, but they do remind us that we are coming back little by little and progress is being made. Saints fans are excited about the comeback. Real "Saints" are Fixing Homes in Mississippi. The person interviewed for that article suggests that people in Seattle do not know that Mississippi was hit by Katrina as well as New Orleans. That may be so, but interestingly I talked with a construction worker from Seattle today who called to say that he wanted to come down and work. He heard about our work from someone who had been to New Orleans. Word of mouth is great advertisement! Thanks for reading. Hope your days are going well.

Change Is Good ... And Sometimes Painful

2006-09-23T19:29:00.000-07:00

Things have changed at my house. A month or so ago my daughter got married and I guess she felt that the had to move in with her husband. That means she took her daughter, Claire, off with her. Thankfully they live in the same town as we do and we get to see them often. But when you remove an eight year old from the house, the noise level goes down quite a bit. And my son is about to turn 17. He has a job and is quite independent. Independent. I don't like that word. He is often occupied away from home these days with friends and work and school. That leaves me and Maggy in a house that's pretty quiet. I understand that this is the way of life and that nothing unusual has happened. In fact, Maggy and I spend more time together now than we used to. Change is good, and sometimes painful. Today Maggy and I drove over to Mobile and had a late breakfast with Chris and Susan Lockhart, and Hayden (who is quite an entertainer!). As it usually goes when Chris and I are together, the talk is non-stop. The waitress thought we were brothers. Well...we are! It was a great breakfast made even better when Chris picked up the bill! Thanks, Chris! I hope they had a safe journey back to Atlanta and will have a great Sunday at their church. After breakfast we went over to Old Time Pottery. I had never been there...wow... tons of items for home decor. Maggy picked out some items to place in our home. It's so big I think we spent about 2 hours there! Then we stopped by the Book Rack (used books) and looked around for a few minutes. We decided then to go see a movie.

Jude Law and Kate Winslett from All The King's Men

This afternoon we watched ALL THE KING'S MEN. ATKM stars Sean Penn, Jude Law, Kate Winslett, Anthony Hopkins, among others. Kathy Baker (Picket Fences - one of my favorite TV series) also has a role. This is a fictionalized account of a Louisiana politician (Penn) rising from small town roots to become the Governor of the state. He begins as an idealist promising to defeat the back-room deals of the rich elected officials that only work to appease the affluent. Penn does an oustanding job of delivering rousing political speeches and also of portraying the slow but deliberate slide into the very kind of politics he once despised. The story is told from the point of view of a reporter, played by Jude Law. Law is excellent in this dramatic film and helps string together a tale involving generations of corrupt politicians that culminates in a predictable but just ending. I enjoyed the movie very much, in spite of the fact that it is a tad too long, running a full 2 hours (plus 20 minutes of previews today!).

After the movie we had supper together and then came home. It was a good day spent together.

A Reminder: Monday we will begin John's Book Club! (original name, huh!) We plan to read and offer some thoughts on one chapter a day (probably five a week). The first book I want to read in this way is Kingdom Come: Embracing the Spiritual Legacy of David Lipscomb and James Harding by Bobby Valentine and John Mark Hicks. If you can join with me, let's read it together! If you are from Central, let me know and I'll get a copy for you - but you have to read it!

Thanks for reading today. Just a few links ...

Robbie Woods' New Blog.

Jeff Campbell receives the support he needed!

American Churches Exporting Conflicts? God forgive us.

Storms in Mid-West Leave At Least Ten Dead.

Final Boat Now Removed From Trees at Bayou La Batre.

Texans Still Cleaning Up From Hurricane Rita.

Friday on the Coast

2006-09-22T19:12:00.000-07:00

I spent most of today getting things ready for Sunday. Bible class, power point, bulletin, sermon ... it was a quiet morning and I was able to get a lot of it done. This evening Maggy and I are watching a few movies at home and just relaxing. Will Collins and Brittany Fish are in town working with our teens. They are both students at Faulkner University that helped us during the summer. They plan to come back 6 or 7 times before the end of the year to follow up and keep things going. Tonight they are cleaning out the youth classroom and tomorrow will paint it...along with the teens. They also plan to pass out several bags of groceries and invite people to come to worship Sunday. They do need some funding for these trips down, if that is in any of our reader's interest. I appreciate so much their interest that extends beyond thier summer mission. Our teens love them and appreciate them as well. Tomorrow Maggy and I plan to have breakfast with Chris and Susan Lockhart. They are in Mobile to finalize some business left from their move to the Atlanta area. It will be good to see them. I have missed my friend Chris very much, although we do stay in touch via telephone. I will never forget his weekly trips over to help me during the height of the recovery effort. David Kilbern Jr has had significant health problems from his childhood. David Sr and Elaine have taken him to doctors across the country to ensure that he had the best care and the most effective treatments. In spite of his illness and missing enormous amounts of school, David Jr was able to graduate with his class. He went on to college at Mississippi State, and ended up working for Northrup Grumman. I think it is fair to say that without David Jr, the computer systems of that company would be in jeopardy. David never did find the right girl to marry. There was no way he could have predicted what would have to happen for that girl to walk into his life. It actually took a 'girl' named Katrina to come in and destroy the lives of everyone on the Coast. Volunteers started pouring in, enabling the recovery effort to operate at full steam. I received a call from a college student in Oklahoma named Karen Potter. She wanted to come down and spend the summer volunteering, and she would write a paper about her experience for college credit. Karen didn't back down from any job that was placed before her. She toted sheetrock. answered the phone. helped with deliveries, ran orientation for new groups, and fell in love. With David Jr. And even better, he fell in love with her. Tomorrow David and Karen are going to be married. Both of them have been on quite a journey through life to get to one another. I rejoice with them that God has brought them together, weaving together an intricate answer to prayers spoken long ago. Larry James leads the compassionate from relief to renewal. John Alan Turner talks about the top five shortstops. Danny Sims contemplates Starbucks. Not Only Jail, But A Beating Too! Some people just deserve it. Tornadoes Destroy Homes, Kill One Person in Arkansas and Missouri. Pascagoula Shows South Misssissippi How It's Done! Manatees in Mobile! God's Kitchen May Be Moving. Robbie Wood's New Blog.

Hanging Out ... or Ministry?

2006-09-21T21:24:00.000-07:00

Today didn't really turn out at all like I planned, but I think it turned out better. Before I got to the office Mike called and wanted me to go with him and give him some moral support with an errand he had to run. I realize that we are all going to die, but when a doctor tells you that the end is immanent, I'm not sure what you do about that. Mike is handling his illness with a beautiful spirit of faith. He believes that God can heal him, but he is prepared to accept God's will in the matter. After running a few errands we went to Waffle House and imbibed on hot coffee, omelets, and hashbrowns. While going to get gas, I asked Mike if he wanted to accompany on some stuff I had to do, and he agreed. We went to the hospital and visited Keith for just a short moment. They came to get him so that he could walk down the hall a bit. His knee operation seems to have been a success. We then went to Fred's and got a few pictures for Mr. Milligan's room. He is the man I wrote about yesterday. We found a couple of masculine prints and cheap frames and bought them to brighten his room. We were nearby Robbie's place and so we stopped to pick him up. He needed a pick-me-up. I won't go into the details here, but some things haven't gone well with him in the past week or so and we decided to spend the afternoon with him. I think he welcomed the company ... and we headed to the nursing home. Though it was a short visit, we left Mr. Milligan's room a little brighter. I told him I would be back soon. I think I would like to get to know some of the other residents there ... it's like stepping into a third world country. Mike, Robbie and I headed over to Hudson's Treasure Hunt (my idea) and we spent an hour or so looking around, laughing, enjoying each other's company. I was able to pick up some children's classics for Claire, some cologne and Tony Tiger sleep pants for JR, and a few other items. We got Robbie something to eat and headed over to Dough Joes, because Mike wanted a smoothie. My friend Danny says I mention Dough Joe's about every other post. Perhaps I need to get an advertising fee! While at the coffee shop Robbie attempted to set up a blog, but I'm not sure he was successful...the firewall made it difficult. Then I took Mike to the church building so he could help a few other people, and Robbie and I ran an errand and I dropped him off a little later. I don't know what your estimation of my day is. I suppose some would say that it was a day of loafing. It was enjoyable! I tend to think of it as ministry. I spent some time with two people who have significant hurts in their lives. We talked about these things seriously at times while we were driving from place to place. We encouraged one another in heart. I love these two brothers and I hope that our time together was a blessing to them. Tonight we had a birthday dinner for our daughter Nicole, who turned 30 yesterday. For dessert we had a cake from Dean's Cake House in Andalusia, Alabama. Now it would be worth it to drive to Anadalusia to get one of these delicious seven-layer cakes, but we can buy them in Moss Point at Four Seasons. Wynona Harris introduced us to these cakes, and they make a special occasion even more so! I'll have to get back to watching my food intake tomorrow! Later we watched BE COOL with John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Vince Vaughn, Cedric the Entertainer and a bunch of other well-knowns. There were some funny moments, but it was much too long and it moved much too slowly. One of the highlights was a music video segment in which Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in cowboy gear singing Loretta Lynn's "You Ain't Woman Enough To Take My Man." I'm sure that wouldn't play well on a WWE stage! Meanwhile back at the ranch.... Mrs. Betts and Mrs. Bowers have been volunteering at the front desk, greeting people and accepting their paperwork. David and Elaine are in Oklahoma for David Jr.'s wedding and will return in a few days. We look forward to having more voluteers as a result of Jeff Campbell's recruiting trip, which begins Sunday. He will be spending a month in the Nashville area, and is still looking for accomodations. And Monday we will begin John's Book Club! We plan to read and offer some thoughts on one chapter a day (probably five a week). The first book I want to read in this way is Kingdom Come: Embracing the Spiritual Legacy of David Lipscomb and James Harding by Bobby Valentine and John Mark Hicks. If you can join with me, let's read it together! If you are from Central, let me know and I'll get a copy for you - but you have to read it! What about preachers doing blogs? My friend Paul says that preachers can reveal too much about themselves and create friction in the church. My philosopy is that it isn't a sin to 'think out loud' and for people to realize that preachers are real people who are not all cookie-cutter. On the other hand, Danny Dodd's latest blogpost suggests that preachers can use blogs for sermon preparation, discussion, and discipleship. I think that's useful, but I prefer for my blog to be more personal than academic in nature. I tend to think of this as a kind of conversation around the table while we drink coffee. Of course it's pretty one-sided if you do not comment! As I have said before, these are my thoughts and do not represent the Central Church. In addition, I reserve the right to be wrong sometimes! I may not even agree with myself at a later date. We usually call this 'growth'! I noticed that Dee Andrews has a similar theme in a recent blog. Twentysomethings put faith on the shelf. Scot McKnight turns to the Barna Research Group for answer. Much of the ministry to teenagers in America needs an overhaul – not because churches fail to attract significant numbers of young people, but because so much of those efforts are not creating a sustainable faith beyond high school. It's a long post, but worth the time. The question is, what do we do about it? Thanks for reading!

Cool Morning On The Coast

2006-09-20T05:07:00.000-07:00

We woke up to cool temperatures along the Gulf Coast this morning. I am grateful for the cooler temps and looking forward to the Fall, my favorite time of year. I did a lot of small and uninteresting, though important, errands today. Tonight we took a look at the beatitudes in our Wednesday night devotional. We had a good number present and I was thankful for each one. This morning I thought for a while about how many books I have that I want to read, and how I let a lot of things get in the way of reading. One solution I thought of is to start a new blog (surprise) and use it as a book club type thing. Then I came to my senses - who has time for yet another blog? But this is what I'm going to do. I will invite you to join me in reading a book. I'll give you enough time to get your hands on it. Then I will present a few ideas and thoughts from one chapter a day until it is read. Then we'll start another one. There's nothing to sign up for, and if you choose not to do it, there's no worries there. This will help me! The first book I want to read in this way is Kingdom Come: Embracing the Spiritual Legacy of David Lipscomb and James Harding by Bobby Valentine and John Mark Hicks. I know I'm behind and several have already read it, but I haven't. I hope by Monday or Tuesday to begin posting some thoughts from one chapter a day....right here on Out Here Hope Remains. If you can join with me, let's read it together! I just have a couple of links for this post: UMCOR's Spiritual Care in Disaster Response online. DVD: Mormonism - Has Anything Changed? Have a great day!

8 x 6

2006-09-19T19:55:00.000-07:00

She called me yesterday because of her concern for her brother. After a long life of living away from God, he is dying and wanting to ask God to forgive him. I got the information from her and set out this morning to make the visit. He lives in a nursing home that I have never had opportunity to visit before today. This home is, unfortunately, sub-par even for nursing homes. The hallway was narrow and the floor dangerously uneven. The residents stared off into space for the most part, except for one man who was anxious to help me find my way to the right room. In a small room that I estimate to be 8 x 6, was a small bed, a broken down dresser, a night table, and a chair. There was one picture on the wall, and a ceiling with two different textures, reflecting a poor renovation job at some point. The bathroom is in the hall, shared by everyone. I walked in and introduced myself to my new friend. I think he talked for close to two hours, with only a few words from me to let him know I understood what he was saying. He didn't try to hide his life without attention to God's will. I reckon there's no need to go into his lifestyle on this blog. In a sorrowful moment of reflection, this 80 year old said, "I never thought I would end up here....Now that I want to go to church I can't go." Physically he is simply not able to do much more than sit up on his bed for short periods of time. We prayed together and I promised to return. He was on my mind the rest of the day. ********************** Clay Aiken's New CD is Released Today! Yes, I am an American Idol fan, and Clay is one of my favorites! My birthday is coming if anyone needs an idea! New Modular Homes Going Up in Pascagoula. Larry James Receives A Special Thank You! Gratitude is a beautiful gift all by itself. Minnesota Cleans Up After a Deadly Tornado. 28 Habitat Homes to be Built in Gautier. John Alan Turner's Thoughts on Joe Beam's Controversial Remarks about S-E-X.

Visit to Grand Bay

2006-09-18T18:16:00.000-07:00

Grand Bay Church of Christ Yesterday at Central we had a good crowd with community visitors - including some who were there for the first time. We also started a series of Bible classes on the subject of discipleship. A highlight of the day was when eighteen of us joined the Grand Bay Church of Christ for an evening worship time. They were kind enough to provide refreshments. Anita Riley Anita Riley is a member of that congregation. She owns and operates Hendrix Trophies in Moss Point. The Rileys became members of the Central Church of Christ in Pascagoula somewhere around 1952. Over the years they moved over to Grand Bay. My special appreciation for Anita is that for many many years she supplied trophies to every session of Gulf Coast Bible Camp and would never send us a bill. Her children and grandchildren enjoyed the ministry of GCBC over the years, and we are all thankful for her contribution to the camp. Grady Weston David Kilbern Minister for the Grand Bay church is Grady Weston. Brother Grady was the preaching minister for Central in the ten years prior to my arrival. He is known throughout this area as a man of conviction, fairness, love, and devotion to Jesus Christ. He is also on the faculty (or has been in the past, I'm not sure about currently) of Mobile Christian School. More pictures of our trip to Grand Bay can be found HERE. Today I uploaded both my Wednesday night devotional and Sunday sermon on the Podcast page located HERE. Tonight I'm #112 on the Godcast site. Click me! I had both jail and hospital visits to make today. This afternoon we had a torrential downpour - just as I was coming out of the hospital. Ah well, I guess it didn't hurt anything to get soaked! We have no relief workers scheduled for this week. People of Pascagoula (and elsewhere on the Coast) continue to need help. If you can get a crew together to come down and work, get in touch with me as soon as you can! Ok... let's take a run through the blogs... Jeff Campbell declares some lessons learned from the military that help him in his Christian life. Gary Kirkendall illustrates how to chase your dreams. Al Sturgeon shares some home-grown poetry, but it's not frilly and nice. It's gritty and real and about his dad. Bobby Ross celebrates long term marriages. Read Danny Dodd's homage to Balance. Danny Sims offers some ideas on how values play an important role in our success. Mark Elrod asks excellent questions about 1 Timothy. Bobby Valentine Continues His Vision of the Kingdom.

Weekending On the Coast

2006-09-16T11:59:00.000-07:00

Well, it's the weekend and that's a great time to take in a movie. Maggy and I went to D'Iberville yesterday to the Grand to see Invincible. We both wholeheartedly recommend this as great family entertainment and inspiration! This movie stars Mark Wahlberg, Greg Kinnear, and Elizabeth Banks. It is an account of the true story of Vince Papale, a 30 year old substitute teacher, part time bartender who finds his way onto the desperate and losing Philadelphia Eagles in 1976. He still holds the record as the oldest rookie in the NFL! He played for three seasons for the Eagles before a shoulder injury ended his career in 1979. Now I have to be honest, I'm not a sports fan. If I didn't admit that, several of my friends would point that out in the comments! However, this is not so much a sports story as it is a tribute to the vitality and success that come when we give our hearts to a great task. I know, it sounds schmaltzy, but I promise it doesn't come across that way in the movie. I found the movie entertaining and inspirational, and I would also mention it has a fantastic soundtrack. Maggy's sensitive ears didn't detect any profanity, at least none that we could remember. Mark Wahlberg does an excellent job portraying Papale. He's come a long way since his Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch days. According to the Wikipedia, the new HBO series Entourage, is loosely based on Wahlberg's experiences in Hollywood. I don't have HBO, so I can't personally attest to that! Greg Kinnear once again proves his versatility as a character actor. At first I wasn't sure he was going to be able to pull off being a football coach. I remember him from his Talk Soup days and as Jack Nicholson's homosexual neighbor in the outstanding movie, As Good As It Gets. Of course he's played many roles since then. So take a break from your busy schedule and enjoy this movie - but do it quick. It had a great start at the box office, but competition is tough. Maggy and I were the only ones in the theater - a private showing! This one probably won't be at the movies much longer. Below: Real Life Papale and Wahlberg. What else is happening? We picked up Jeff and Shari today off of the Holiday cruise ship. Is that the one that was a FEMA rental parked in Pascagoula? I think so. They had a great time and encouraged us to take a cruise sometime. We'll see. (That's man-code for "I don't think so.") We are having the parents of our church teenagers over tonight to talk about some Fall plans. So we're busy getting ready for that. Mobile is now home to the tallest tower on the Gulf Coast, except for buildings in Houston. I hope there will be some video placed online of the spire being put into place. The Pope made the Muslims mad. I'm sorry, but I do not think this is very hard to do. The ones we see on television are always yelling and looking angry. I'm ignorant of their culture I guess. I often wonder why they don't just go back to work or home and love their families? Instead they scream and shout and carry flags in the street. Do they not have anything to do? I know, that's insensitive and not very politically correct. But it's the weekend edition of Out Here Hope Remains and we're all just relaxing around the keyboard. I'm sure there are many more Middle Eastern folks who are trying to raise their families, earn a living, and keep from being killed by extremists... we just don't see them on television. That sounds like a good project for Katie Couric in her new role. Can they do that 'slimming' thing on Al Jazeera? Nevermind. Spinach is making people sick. E-coli is very serious business and one person has already died, 94 others seriously ill. That is really bad. Don't worry about me, though. Any ingestion of spinache on my part is totally accidental. Never liked it. Mike King wants to prepare some dish with spincahe in it for me. Now I have a reason to say no. Just Say No! (Thanks, Nancy.) No More Talking On the Cell Phone ... in California. Everywhere I go people are cutting in front of me, making illegal turns, stopping when they should go and going when they should stop. And all the while one hand is holding that little communications device closely to their ear. I seem to be the only person who can talk and drive at the same time. Just ask the woman who honked her horn at me this morning on the interstate. I interpreted it as a honk of appreciation for my driving skills. Gas is going down. I bought gas for $2.47 a few days ago. I saw it in Mobile for 2.43 this morning. What are you paying for gas where you live? Another Columbine-type shooting planned, but foiled. This time in Green Bay, Wisconsin. This one included the use of NAPALM. How do high school kids get napalm? Adolesence is a time of anxiety all alone, but add into the mix the fear for their very lives and things are getting scary for teenagers in the United States. Wisconsin has had it's share of creepy teenagers in the news lately. Well, dear readers, it's that time again. Thanks for wasting a few minutes with me. If someone asks if they can use your office to film part of a movie, Just Say No! Gallatin, TN Mayor Don Wright decided to say 'Yes!' To his surprise the title of the movie was 'Thong Girl 3' about a superheroine who flies over Nashville in a thong saving country singers who are in danger of turning into rappers. I think that's one movie Maggy and I will decide NOT to review! Have a great Sunday. Let's all learn to relax and smile more. God has been good to us!

Do You Believe In Love

2006-09-14T21:39:00.000-07:00

It's late night Thursday night and I'm blogging to the groovy tunes of Huey Lewis and the News. I digging into some older CDs and remembering why I enjoyed this music so much! Today was a full day and a good day. I tried to visit a friend in the local jail, but I haven't done all the paperwork they require. My thanks to Garvis Seymore, President of Magnolia Bible College for helping me get a letter that will help. It seems I have to be 'ordained' and show proof! Well, I think a letter from the President of my alma mater did the job. I have not talked about MBC very much on the blog. Garvis is doing a great job as President. They have a lectureship coming up in October. You can check on the schedule HERE. I'm pretty sure that I can say that my thoughts about some things do not match what I was taught at MBC, but even so whenever I am on campus I have been treated with warmth and kindness. (I don't want anyone to blame MBC for my ideas!) And if you desire a fully accredited four-year degree in Bible, be sure to check into MBC as you consider which school you are going to attend. I have many wonderful memories of my years in Kosciusko. A group of students came down and did a lot of work in our community last year, and fellow alumnus Danny Dodd spoke several nights in a row. I hope the school does well and the work done there leads to many lost souls finding their way to the Kingdom of God.

Mike King and David Kilbern

I spent the afternoon with Mike King. Mike is a Pascagoula resident for many years. He really has an incredible story to tell of being raised in various foster homes, facing nightmarish adversities, and ending up in Pascagoula. I think Mike knows everyone in town. He has the kind of personality that reaches out to people and blesses them with joy. After Katrina Mike's life, like so many others, was moved into a FEMA camper. Mike's health is very poor at this time and he faces each day with considerable pain. When he was in the hospital a few months ago for a week, his camper was regarded by inspectors as abandoned. They removed his belongings (he still doesn't know where they are), and removed the camper. Mike spent some time staying with the Salvation Army, but he worked with us all day long. After a few weeks we invited him to come and stay at Central. He has proven to be an invaluable helper, in spite of his illness. We also rejoiced to witness Mike being baptized into Jesus Christ one Sunday morning. I took Mike to the doctor today in Biloxi to see a specialist. He was one of those doctors who doesn't want to spend much time with you, and gave Mike a pretty bleak report. We spent the rest of the afternoon in America's Thrift Store, visiting Keith in the hospital, and going to Wal-Mart. And walking around Wal-Mart with Mike is an adventure. Like I said, he knows EVERYBODY in town! He also invites everyone he sees to the Central Church of Christ. I left Mike in pretty good spirits this evening. During the day today I said, "Mike we can get on the internet and do some research about your illness." He said, "Let's do some research about the Lord, that's what I'm interested in." An overcomer, an optimist, an encourager, and a hard worker. I admire this man very much.

And about Keith, well, I know this post is getting long but I know he needs your prayers. Keith came down a few months ago from South Carolina to find work. The "friend" who brought him dropped him off at the church buildng, left, and didn't come back. We at first agreed to give him housing for a few nights, but we found out what kind of man he was and he stayed with us longer. He got a great job and was saving his money to get his own place. With no motorized transporation, he rode his bike to work each morning. Earlier this week while riding across a parking lot a young man driving too fast in a pickup truck hit him. He is still in MICU, but is recovering well. He will have surgery on a broken knee this Monday. He is in good spirits and gives thanks to the Lord for his life. I think I counted 17 staples in the back of his head, and he has a fractured backbone. The first thing on his mind? "When can I go back to work?" And also on Keith's mind is a desire to see the young man who hit him so that he can release him from his guilt. He is concerned that the driver may be carrying around a burden that Keith does not want him to bear. I'm impressed.

I believe in love. I've seen it today in a man with a terminal illness that wanted to spend his afternoon visiting his friend who is in ICU. I've seen it in a man suffering at the hands of another, who wants to offer forgiveness for the pain inflicted. I've seen it from ages ago on the hill of Calvary. There an injured man prayed for those who were killing him. May our hearts be filled to overflowing with sacrificial love for those in our surrounding communities.

ON THE BLOGS...

Look Who Is Watching. Gary Kirkendall reveals that other groups are watching our unity efforts between Christian Churches and Churches of Christ. What they see could lead to quite a revival of the restoration ideal ... or it could lead to a sad testimony to the reality of sectarianism. Read the post and leave Gary a shoutout!

Bewitched! is the title of Danny Dodd's new blog post. You can even get involved in a theological debate in the comments!

What was your conversion to Christ like? John Alan Turner wants to know.

What if your church could no longer meet in their building? Les Ferguson, Jr. would like to share that experience with you.

Can't Get It Out Of My Head

2006-09-13T21:04:00.000-07:00

I'm writing this at the end of the day on Wednesday, relaxing and listening to some ELO just a little too loud in my headphones. I have to say I enjoyed the humor and support in the comments to yesterday's posts. Sometimes we just have to grin and move on. God has surrounded my life with wonderful people and I appreciate you. I enjoyed a good conversation on the phone with David and Elaine this morning. They have enjoyed their visit to Kentucky so much. They were able to visit with our friend Elsie England while up there. On the way home they hope to connect with a former elder from the Central congregation, Hugh Lee Lauderdale. Hugh Lee and Carlene were here for less than a year after I arrived, almost fifteen years ago. Carlene has already gone to be with the Lord. I've missed them for a lot of reasons. One of those reasons is that their absence has robbed me of one of my favorite sayings: Ask David. Anyway, they have been able to relax some and see plenty of deer, which makes David's trigger finger spasm. Today was also marked by a special visit from L. T. and another brother (I'm so bad with names) who have both been here working in the past year through Hope Missions and the Cogan Station Christian Church in Pennsylvania. L. T. has my deepest respect and admiration as a hard worker and a devoted man of God. It was great to visit with them both and hear about some of the places Hope Missions is involved. They placed a Hope Missions flag in our foyer several months ago and it still hangs there as a tribute to the volunteers who have made their way to the Coast to give so much of themselves. We had another afternoon thunder boomer and heavy downpour like we did yesterday. Unfortunately Jeff had planned a nice cookout and bonfire on the beach to thank the Americorps and Project Recovery people with whom he has been working closely. He did get to cook for them, but the rain prevented the activities he wanted to do. He did bring some of the Project Recovery folks to worship tonight, so that was nice. I was happy to thank them publicly for their excellent work. I would say that the rain was justice for Jeff's linking my name with a clown and a poor elvis impersonator on HIS BLOG today. But, given the fact that I laughed at both of those references, I doubt any justice was served. You know Jeff, it's easy to catch him trying to be funny. LINKS & COMMENTARY Montana Wildfire Doubles in Size. TD8 Becomes Tropical Storm Helene. Likely no threat to the U. S. if Dr. Jeff Masters is correct! Mother of Missing Boy Commits Suicide after being grilled by Nancy Grace on her nationally viewed cable news program. Ms. Grace is the same woman who allowed the churches of Christ to be labeled as "cults" on her program. Perhaps some inner searching is in order for this over-the-top program host. "Toxic Soup" In New Orleans Less Serious Than Initially Believed. Still, the situation whether toxic or not is an awful mix of bad politics and helpless individuals. North Carolina Volunteers Build Habitat Home in Pascagoula. Two Dead, 19 Injured at Montreal College Shooting. FROM THE BLOGS Bobby Valentine proposes a splendid vision of the Kingdom. Ben Overby reminds us to Rejoice because we are in Christ! Charlie Whitfield reminds us to think about how we talk about ourselves. more later...

Rain, Fire, Clouds, and Sunshine

2006-09-12T16:41:00.000-07:00

This afternoon brought big thunder booms and heavy rain to Pascagoula. The picture is taken from the front porch of the Central Church of Christ about 5:30 p.m. - long before dark. I'm reminded of the old positive statement that the sun is always shining above the clouds, and that is an encouragement. It is an encouragement in church work and relief work as well. We certainly face our fair share of 'dark clouds'. Misinformation, gossip, half-truths, and outright lies have been told all along the way. It is fairly disheartening to hear from someone a statement that begins with those awful words, 'I heard ....'. Or even worse, 'We will not come down and help you because we heard ...' I think there is a dual responsibility here. The first responsibility is that we should not be passing along this kind of misinformation based upon faulty observations. Scripture is clear that the tongue is a fire that needs to be tamed. The other responsibility is upon the hearer. I do not have to receive gossip as true. In fact, I think it is probably our responsibility to the bearer of gossip to reprove them and let them know that we do not care to receive that kind of information. Recent "I heard ..." statements that have come to me are: "I heard that Central uses instruments in the assembly." (Never have.) "I heard that Central has a female song leader." (My son would beg to differ! He did have really long hair for a while, but no one mistook him for a girl!) "I heard that Central's relief effort is being operated by a non-profit organization and cannot even spend their own money." (Now who would agree to an arrangement like that?) There are others, but those serve to illustrate the point. When in question, call. As this relates to Central and the operation here, it is very easy to find out what you would like to know. A call or an e-mail is very simple to accomplish. Both my phone number and David Kilbern's are to be found on our website located HERE. As this subject relates to this blog, please understand that this blog was not created as a source of hurricane relief information. It BECAME that after Katrina, but ultimately it was my take on what was going on. The opinions expressed here are not the opinions of the Central Church of Christ. In fact, given the diversity of our congregation I doubt that anyone could claim to speak for every person's beliefs. But I do maintain the privilege to 'speak my mind' here on the blog. It's a voluntary read, and everyone reads it willingly! It is easy to make leaps of 'logic' when we feel critical toward another group of people. It is always best to clear up these kinds of things with a call or a visit, rather than simply believe the words of someone else. Sometimes that someone else seems credible and trustworthy, but that does not mean they know what they are talking about. As I said, the sunshine is there. I will always say that we have met the best people in the world. We continue to be blessed with work crews coming down (and we could use some more skilled workers, honestly). We have recieved funding. Gifts have come in at just the right time. Souls have been saved. The assembly is populated each week with guests from our community. We have seasoned evangelists who will make their way to Pascagoula in the coming months to help us reach the lost. I have friends who tell me that they read the blog every day, and that makes me feel good. I do not think there is any way to squash all rumors. They are more interesting than the truth sometimes. There will always be those who live in a fantasy world who like to make up things and pass them on as truth. And God will take care of everything in the last day. But on this rainy afternoon I just wanted to point out one of the many difficulties that we face from time to time. Sometimes these kinds of things have big consequences. At other times they are simply a nuisance. But in all, God's will cannot be thwarted. 'There is sunshine in my soul today!' LINKS Tropical Depression Eight a Hurricane By Friday? Washington Wildfire Threatens Rural Community. Florence Weakens, Gordon Gains Strength. Neither are a threat to the U. S. mainland. Most Katrina Evacuees In Houston Plan To Stay There.

Friends

2006-09-11T20:02:00.000-07:00

This morning began in the company of old friends. Yesterday Jeff and Shari Frank came to visit us. They live in McComb, Mississippi and go to the same church as Maggy's brother and his wife. I first met Jeff when he was in high school and I was a recruiter for Magnolia Bible College. We had an event on campus and he attended. Believe me, he was just as loud and hilarious as he is now. Jeff did not attend MBC right out of school, but eventually our paths did cross again. By that time I was Campus Minister at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. Jeff enrolled at DSU and spent a few semesters in the music program. He later transferred to MBC and I reminded him that I could have saved him the trouble of skipping from school to school if he had only listened to me way back when! Our paths crossed once again when Jeff served as a youth intern with Central several years ago. Ten years ago I had the privilege of marrying Jeff to his young and beautiful bride, Shari. Now a decade later they have three beautiful girls and are heading to Cozumel on an anniversary cruise. We took them to the Port of Mobile this afternoon and said 'bon voyage'! It was a joy to see my old friend. This morning also brough a special joy as I was able to spend some time with Don Yelton and his wife Harriet. The Yeltons have spent a lifetime being a blessing to others in ministry. Their work with the AMEN program is a blessing to Christians in the military. Their extensive work with Whites Ferry Road Disaster Relief has also blessed an untold number of people. This organization was instrumental in helping Central maintain its ministries for 2006 and allowing me to stay on board as minister for the year. I have corresponded with Don over e-mail, and always enjoyed gaining his seasoned perspective. I appreciate so much their work, but especially so since I have experienced firsthand the effects of a disaster. I would have enjoyed spending the entire day with them, but it was not possible this time! This afternoon I was able to stop by my favorite coffee shop for a nice English Toffee flavored coffee. I did a little reading on the front porch and watched the storm clouds pass by. There was a very pleasant cool breeze. I enjoyed the quiet moment and took advantage of it to speak with my Father. I saw one of our young people, Haley, who we have nick-named 'Lil Sis' because she is the youngest girl in the group. Then I went back to the office and had a long talk with Jeff about some of the things he wrote in his blog yesterday. It was a good conversation and made even more enjoyable when Robbie came in after his day of work at Signal. I appreciate the spiritual progress made in the lives of these young men. Today the TLC Volunteer Center opened. Now there is room for 150 relief workers to be housed in Pascagoula. This facility will accomodate people from all of the various relief groups. Housing is essential to having skilled labor come to the Coast to work. In the ribbon cutting ceremony, they thanked several industries and also the Central Church of Christ and Jeff Campbell and David Kilbern in specific. It's great to know that the community appreciates our efforts. Margie Kieper Describes the Katrina Surge in Pascagoula. The surge in this coastal area ran from 18 feet on the west to 16 feet on the east, with wave runup fairly far inland. This area, like many areas along the Mississippi coastline, was completely inundated almost up to Interstate 10. Surge ran up the river estuary, with bayous of Gautier receiving a maximum of fifteen feet on the west, and areas of Moss Point and Escatawpa receiving from nine to fourteen feet. Flooding was extensive well up the river basin, and also along the Escatawpa river and the many bayous. Pascagoula and Moss Point, which are surrounded by water features on all sides, were almost completely inundated, except for small areas of high ground. Larry James Remembers 9-11. Rare Earthquake Stirs the Gulf of Mexico. A strong tropical wave with impressive rotation and plenty of intense thunderstorm activity has emerged from the coast of Africa today. Several of the reliable computer models are forecasting that this will develop into a tropical storm or hurricane that heads westward across the Atlantic. - Dr. Jeff Masters A Teenager's Katrina Story. 100 Year Old French Tiles Exposed by Katrina Used by High School Students to Create Labrynth. The Rent Goes UP on The Coast. TROPICAL DEPRESSION EIGHT FORMS. A strong tropical wave with impressive rotation and plenty of intense thunderstorm activity that emerged from the coast of Africa yesterday is now Tropical Depression Eight. ... this should be Tropical Storm Helene by Wednesday night. America's Religious Beliefs - new report from Baylor University. New Homes For Pascagoula Residents. Governor's Storm Fund May Cut Checks In Next Two Months.

9-11 Tribute Videos

2006-09-11T05:53:00.000-07:00

World Trade Center Memorial Site

The Spirit of Freedom

Can't Cry Hard Enough

The Sacred Heart of Jesus

Sunday Afternoon on the Coast

2006-09-10T15:24:00.000-07:00

We had a lot of people out of town this Sunday, so our crowd was down a bit. But, it was a good service and class following. It was great to have our old friend Dot Killingsworth with us. She brings sunshine wherever she goes. Last night Margaret and I went to see The Wicker Man. For some reason I do not understand, she is a real Nicolas Cage fan! It can't be his looks! (I'm glad Maggy doesn't have a blog to response to this!) Anyway, we both thought the movie was pretty good, though surely not the best we've seen. Ellen Burstyn is appropriately creepy in her role. There were a few tense scenes, but in it, which is good for a thriller. I did not like the ending at all. More later... some friends just came in to visit! Well, we had a delightful visit with old friends...ate together...played Phase Ten, and watched TV and talked. It was great. I'll tell you more about them tomorrow. I thought an Earthquake in the Gulf of Mexico was pretty big news! Well, it's late so I'll blog some more tomorrow. Thanks for reading.

Saturday on the Coast

2006-09-09T07:01:00.000-07:00

It's a rainy Saturday on the coast. I thank you for taking a few moments to read on your day off. Saturdays are usually busy days for preachers. Well, let me say SOME preachers. There are some preachers who manage their time in an excellent manner, have well thought-out sermon series, are able to have their messages completed by Tuesday, and they probably are doing something fun on Saturday instead of scrambling to pull it all together. That's not me. I keep thinking that one day it could be me, but after fifteen years of this I'm beginning to accept who I am. That doesn't make me a procrastinator! A procrastinator is someone who puts off things they should do now and leaves them for later. I have simply located the time slot to do some things at the last minute. On purpose. That's not procrastination....is it? Tomorrow I will be speaking from Acts 8 about the power of faith to survive and thrive under pressure. By the way, do preachers always have to have words that rhyme, or points that spell out a word, or nifty puns in their titles? No, but they try. I do not have a title for tomorrow, so I'll try to think of something cool and attention getting that no one will remember. I take the word of God very seriously, and preaching is also very serious. Myself? Well, I learned to laugh at myself a long time ago. Anyhoo, the message will be posted on my podcast sometime early in the week. If you came to find hurricane relief updates, I will remind you that the relief center is closed for the week. But we continue to field requests to come and work and we have a nice lineup of workers coming. I received a call from a Dallas couple that have planned to spend their vacation week helping out here on the Coast. Bravo! We really have met the greatest people in the world. LINKS OF INTEREST CENTER TO HOUSE VOLUNTEERS TO OPEN IN PASCAGOULA. "Until now, volunteers have slept in churches and homes throughout Pascagoula, Damazio said. Church members, including David Kilbern of Central Church of Christ in Pascagoula, will continue to provide meals for the volunteers...Funding for the Operation TLC center comes from the Mississippi Hurricane Recovery Fund and the generosity of area businesses and groups." Dr. Jeff Masters says that El Nino is Coming! Bermudans Prepare for Florence. Sixty Active Wildfires in the West. 33 Million People Displaced Due to Violence. Mississippi Drought Conditions. 40 New West Nile Cases in Mississippi. Al Sturgeon has a fun experience at the library! Jeff Campbell's New Blog. Charlie Reminds Us of Three Things God Has Called Us To. Bobby Valentine posts positive and negative reviews of his new book.

Temporarily Closed...No, not the blog!

2006-09-07T21:46:00.000-07:00

There are a few minutes left of Thursday, so I decided I better get in a blogpost! A lot of things have happened over the past few days, and I often think "I need to blog about that." But by the end of the day they are just dusty memories that I am unable to retrieve. I've been to two funerals in the past several days. One was an elderly lady in our church, Leola. She was a dignified lady who always had a smile on her face, even though she faced significant health problems. I was able to share a few thoughts at her funeral, and was grateful for that opportunity. Her husband is suffering a great loss after 60 years. I cannot even imagine what he must be feeling. Today I attended the funeral, a son-in-law of one of our members. He suffered tremendously over the past few years with dibilitating health problems. I really did not know him, but I was moved to tears by the tribute of his step-daughter during the service. Also, I had never met the preacher, but I could understand how his church must love him, from the message he delivered today. Central's hurricane relief effort is closed until around September 17th. Volunteers have slowed down quite a bit, but we are getting calls daily about those who are planning to come and help soon. We have not outgrown our devastation here on the Coast, but recovery is slowly happening with the help of volunteers and the grace of God. We are temporarily closed, but have a crew from Hope Missions to get us kicked off when we open back up on the 17th! Out Here Hope Remains ... the podcast ... has slipped to #9 at Godcast! Now I really do not have any great interest in this, but it is fun to watch it happen. To out-run the competition I need to have 9 visitors tomorrow. Right now I have my Sunday sermons on there, but I hope to do more with it as time goes by. The tropics are quiet, and I am thankful. I know, there's Florence, but it looks as if she will be no threat to land. There are tropical waves, but so far no other named storms. Well, it's getting late. I really do thank you for checking in. I'll have something new tomorrow...probably! Links for Today: Please Be Sure To Read This Post from Larry James. He is calling upon the community of bloggers to help him with the Central Dallas Ministry. We can all do a small part....and if enough of us do, we can accomplish a big dream. Read about it! Several Hundred Illinois Homes Flooded. Montana Fire Burns Homes. Florence Nears Bermuda. New World Trade Center Plans Unveiled. Shrimp Boats Pulled Out of Bayou La Batre after One Year. 9-11 Reflections. DRUGS: 17 Drug Pushers Arrested. Drug Problem Growing. Ruleville High School Football Player Paralyzed. Faith Stronger After Katrina. Jim Martin ponders the importance of replenishing ourselves. John Alan Turner contemplates religious experiences. Keith Brenton turns out a poetic post with plenty to think about. Dee Andrews posts about inspirational lives that change our lives.

My Katrina

2006-09-05T20:24:00.000-07:00


Photos of Gulfport and Biloxi before, during and after Hurricane Katrina. Set to 3 Doors Down's Away From the Sun. www.seawitch.observationdeck.org

Interrupted Or Not

2006-09-05T18:47:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days when I went to the office with certain things in mind to do, and didn't get a one of them done. I might say I was interrupted continuously, or I might say that God had other plans for my day. I might say I didn't get anything done, or I might say that I was blessed to spend some special time with special people. You know, the things I intended to do were not nearly as precious to me as the people God has put in my path. Thank you for the encouraging comments both on the blog and privately about my work here with Central. I really do believe that God will open doors ... I'm just not sure which doors. How do you get a sneak preview of your life? I guess you can't do that. I had a good phone call today from Sarasota, Florida today about a group that wants to come help in October. I also had long talks today with Mike King, Robbie Woods, and Jeff Campbell. Robbie begins his new job with Signal International on Wednesday. I am so happy for him, because it represents an awesome chance to get his life on track in a great way. Jeff Campbell is looking for some churches to visit and give a slide show and appeal for workers. If you would like to have him come, let me know. He is about to head back to Virginia at the first of November and wanted to use the time in between to tell others about the work here. I encouraged him to do a blog about his plans. If he does, I will point you that way. It was also a joy today to visit with Ralph Coles and his wife as they travel across the Coast. They are associated with Churches of Christ Diaster Relief Effort, Inc. He told me that they have visited 13 other church relief efforts, and none of them had volunteer groups present. I think everyone needed a break, and the peak of hurricane season looked like a good time. But one thing's for sure, we cannot stop now. There remains more to do than we can imagine. In The News.... Florence is born. Huge Montana Wildfire far from contained. September is National Preparedness Month. FEMA Aid Tops $9 Billion. In the Blogs... Margie Keiper's latest blog on the destruction in East Ocean Springs and Gautier. Patrick Mead Offers One Idea As To Why We Are Afraid. Mike Cope Asks Why We Have A Hard Time Finding Refreshment...Sabbath. How Deep Can You Go? Try Bobby Valentine's Recent Reading List! Steve Thurman ponders the verbs of the Great Commission. If God Wrote a Poem...Rusty Peterman contemplates. Rick needles us by pinpointing God's desire to have what we do not want to give.

Prayer Matters

2006-09-04T05:39:00.000-07:00

We had a good Sunday with about 90 in attendance, including a team of 10 or so from the Hillsboro Church of Christ in Nashville. Will Vance, one of the elders of that church came down with the team, led us in a prayer during our worship time. After worship and class we had a great fellowship meal together. A funeral for one of our members was in the afternoon. In the evening we had a Sunday night fellowship together. It's been a busy day, but a good one. IMPORTANT. I've decided that today is a good day to tell you a little about our history, and one of our current needs. Before Katrina was ever a named storm, our church was facing some difficult decisions. Two families retired and moved away from Pascagoula. It so happens that these were some very generous givers, and between them we lost $700 a week in our contribution. In a church our size, this is a serious shortfall. The elders at that time gave me permission to seek employment in the community, as they were forced to slice my salary in half in order to make budget. It really was the only thing that we could do. I began applying at various places, and then came Katrina. I do not have to tell anyone who has been reading this blog what a catastrophe that was. But thanks to two grants - one from Whites Ferry Road Disaster Relief and one from Gateway Church of Christ in Pensacola, the church was able to pay my salary during 2006. As 2007 approaches, I again face the same situation from a year and a half ago. My salary will be cut in half as of January 1. If the church continues to pay me fully, they will be outspending the contribution in a significant way. None of us wants to see this happen. My strategy for dealing with this situation is to simply let this need be known. If anyone would like to contact our elders, I will be happy to provide their phone numbers. I may write a few specific congregations and let them know of this situation as well. The "plan B" part of my strategy is to get a job in the community after the first of the year and become a bi-vocational missionary here in Pascagoula! At this point, moving to a new church ("plan C") is not on my radar, although one never knows what God has in store for the future. He may have all of those plans in different order! So, that's our situation, and we ask you to join us in prayer about that matter. If you choose to share it with the leadership of your church, I would be appreciative. I hope your Labor Day gives you a needed rest. That's what I plan to do after a very busy weekend! NEWS THAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION Tropical Depression Six. Florence on the way? No Electricity in Apartment Leads to Tragedy in Chicago. I do not know why this family did not have electricity, but no doubt they could not afford it. With the cost of living rising but wages remaining low, should we look for more of this? Church Services Pay Tribute to Kentucky Plane Crash Victims. Kentucky Churches Packed After Air Crash. Kentucky Church Members Killed in Crash. Ernesto Drenches East Coast. 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin killed by manta ray. 180,000 Acre Montana Wildfire. Five Years After 9-11: Could It Happen Again? Teen Suicide. One mother's attempt to use her daughter's suicide to help others. Katrina Missions Put Faith Into Action. BLOGS THAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION My Friend Al Sturgeon Begins a New Blog! Even he wonders if he has time to do this! An important matter was brought to my attention by friend Margo Reed. You can read about this matter HERE. That's from a blog called GOD BLESS MISSISSIPPI. I didnt know about that blog, so I'm thankful that Margo pointed it out to me! Experiences from the Count gives us a peek into the plight of the homeless, and those who are reaching out to help them. Bobby Cohoon draws some spiritual lessons out of his encounter with Ernesto. Brian Neal begins his second mission in China. Charlie and Linda celebrate an anniversary. See what he wrote to her! Wow! Jim Martin Contemplates The Importance of a Name. Preacherman asks, 'What Are We Trying to Restore?' Scot McKnight contemplates the value of Bible Camp.

Saturday On The Coast

2006-09-01T21:56:00.000-07:00

I know that my weekend readership goes way down, so I especially thank you for reading today. This morning I prepared the Sunday bulletin and power point for this coming Lord's Day. I spent a good bit of time this afternoon with Margaret. We enjoyed running a set of errands that had accumulated, lunch and, later, coffee. We took Claire, along with her parents, to the movies tonight and saw Barnyard: The Original Party Animals. I really thought it was funny and enjoyed it. When we got out of the movies, I checked my cell phone messages and was saddened to learn that one of our elderly sisters had passed away during the day at some point. Greg Williams and crew from Hillsboro Church of Christ in Nashville were to arrive last night. They will meet David Kilbern at Central this morning to get their assignment and get to work. I'm looking forward to seeing these good folks! I didn't know it, but Tim Archer pointed out that OUT HERE HOPE REMAINS: THE PODCAST is #6 on the Christian Podcast Directory called Godcast 1000. These are currently my Sunday sermons, but I hope to do more with it later. Pascagoula today: Partly Cloudy, Hi: 92 Lo: 67 NEWS THAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION Hilltop Rescue Mission, New Orleans, Shifts Mission. Announcement in .pdf format. System has the potential to become a tropical depression by Sunday. Dr. Gray Predicts 2 Intense Hurricanes in September. Ernesto Drenches Mid-Atlantic. BLOGS THAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION Tim Archer ruminates about women in church. John Alan Turner poses a sports question. Jim Martin wonders if you've ever felt taken for granted. Bobby Valentine invites you to consider Hebrew Grace. Dee Andrews' Blog Moves. Chris Lockhart now has a podcast from Calvary Christian Church.

Friday Morning on the Coast

2006-09-01T05:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I ate lunch with Al Sturgeon at La Fiesta Brava in Gautier. For those who do not know, Al Sturgeon is the minister for the Ocean Springs Church of Christ - still active in hurricane relief in their community. In the old days (pre-Katrina), we met every Thursday for lunch. I am unsure how many years we had enjoyed this ritual. When the storm hit and our days became filled with new adventures, we couldn't maintain this weekly meeting (although I'm sure it would have been beneficial to both of us). Four months after the storm, in January, we decided it was time to start meeting again. And we met once. Yesterday we met the second time. It's always a joy to spend time with Al. We are alike in enough ways that we are comfortable talking to one another about the important issues of life, and we are different enough to keep things interesting! He's a good friend and that is always a gift from God. I think we can start those weekly meetings again. We'll see. I also spent a few hours making some visits with one of our elders, Jim Ingram. Since Jim retired, he has spent a good deal of his time working with the church. We meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays to visit, and we have a great time. On at least one of those times, we usually end up at Dough Joe's for extended conversation and beverages. He usually gets a smoothie (which he drinks too fast and gets a 'brain freeze'). But I'll lose my visitation partner for a month as Jim heads to New Zeland and Australia with his brother for an extended trip. I wish them well and they will remain in my prayers as they travel. Around Central. Thanks for any prayers offered for Mike King. He is now out of the hospital and healing up pretty good from that spider bite. Robbie Woods was helping out around the church yesterday and put together a filing cabinet I had bought for my office. Jeff Campbell is set up in the office next to mine, attempting to put together a travel itenerary to speak to churches about the relief effort. One of our newer helpers is Sherry Betts. She stepped right into place as Karen Potter stepped out. I'll try to get a picture of her soon. She is a wonderful volunteer and friend. Speaking of Karen Potter, I hear through the grapevine that she may not be a "Potter" very long. Tonight a group from Nashville will arrive to work for a few days. We look forward to this return visit from the Hillsboro Church of Christ. Paul and Elsie England are back in town, and it's always good to have them back. Both of them have struggled with the health concerns of their parents, and it seems have made some progress in that regard. Please remember them in prayer. Today is Elaine Kilbern's birthday! Happy Birthday Elaine! I really think one of the heroes of our effort has been Elaine. She has been a steady volunteer, an essential part of the team making things happen. This has not been easy for her, but she has shown exceptional strength. Before the storm, Elaine spent her time caring for the elderly and sharing Jesus Christ with strangers through our correspondence course ministry. After the storm, she found ways to care for the elderly affected by Katrina and to minister to them in the name of Christ in a beautiful way. It is her leadership that has kept the kitchen going smoothly now for months. At times when it is down to just a few people, Elaine is always one of those people. Her steady devotion and love for David, her husband, is a tribute to what the partnership of marriage is all about. I am often inspired by the tenacity of Elaine Kilbern, and I hope she has a wonderful birthday! WHERE HOPE REMAINS Bobby Valentine writes on how to use Scripture as Prayer. Bobby and Tamie Talk About The End. Wade Offers Tulsa Workshop Audio for IPods. Ernesto Has Now Moved Inland. We are thankful that at neither landfall had Ernesto reached hurricane strength. 46.6 Million US Residents Do Not Have Health Insurance. Evidence in Oklahoma City Bombing Goes on Display. Casinos Bringing In Almost Same Revenue They Did Pre-Katrina.

An Assortment

2006-08-31T04:32:00.000-07:00

We only had about 25 at the assembly last night for prayer and study. I spoke from 1 John 2:15-17 on Falling Out of Love With The World. Our elders meet every Wednesday night at 6. We had a good discussion about several items, and our hopes to have a church meeting soon to update the congregation on the progress with the building. We hope to begin repairing our building very soon. There will be challenges that come along with that, but they are not as big as the challenge we have faced over the past year. We look forward to a group of workers coming in this weekend from Hillsboro Church of Christ. They will be here through Monday. I'm sure David Kilbern has some good things ready for them to do. Sunday is our Friends and Family Fellowship Day, so we will all enjoy eating together following worship Sunday morning. The next crew coming in will be a Hope Missions group from Pennsylvania, arriving on the 16th. FAMILY STUFF. We have enjoyed watching our granddaughter Claire grow up in our home for eight years. Recently her mother married and she is now a part of the adventure of a new family. I'm happy for our daughter that she found a good man to marry. And even though they live less than two miles away, things sure are different around here without Claire here all the time. I had such a funny feeling in the grocery store the other day when I was reaching for some Diet Pepsi and heard, "Poppy!" Of course I knew that voice and there she was. Bumping into my granddaughter in the store was sweet and wonderful, as you might guess. But I almost cried right there in the grocery store because I had to go home without her! I'm thankful that she lives here and that we get to see her some most every day. Pray for her, and her new family as they all get adjusted to living with one another in a new home. While it isn't easy on our hearts, it is a good thing. Our son John will turn 17 in October. He is in his Junior year in High School and I expect that he'll be graduating before we can turn around. Does it sound like I have empty nest syndrome before the nest is empty? Just think, Margaret will have to live with me without the distraction of the kids. Pray for her! WHERE HOPE REMAINS. For some time now I have been cultivating a blog that reflects my interest in, and information about, crisis and disaster response. It has been located HERE. I knew when I started it that I would be time challenged to keep it up. For now I'm going to merge some of that over here on Out Here Hope Remains. At times I may update the daily posts, rather than just create a new post. If you check back you may need to refresh the page to see any changes. In each of the stories we must look beyond the struggles to see that no matter what happens, Hope Remains because God is present. Larry James Reflects On Lessons Learned About Faith As He Wages War on Poverty in Inner City Dallas. Ernesto has reemerged over the Atlantic waters near Cape Canaveral and has already wasted no time strengthening into a tropical storm. Ernesto, John, and Ioke. Dr. Jeff Masters reports in his blog from yesterday that, "The incredible Category 4 Supertyphoon Ioke continues to rumble towards tiny Wake Island in the Pacific. The entire population of the island has been evacuated to Hawaii. ... It is expected that Ioke's storm surge may completely submerge the island. Ioke has a significant wave height of 50 feet, meaning that 1/3 of the waves in the storm are higher than that. Wow!" Big Plans for Pascagoula! Severe Weather Rips Roofing Off of Grand Bay Middle School. Gulfport Carjacker Meets His Match!

Today in Pascagoula: Partly Cloudy, Hi: 91 Lo: 65

FEMA Gives 505,000 To Rebuild Long Beach Firehouse

ERNESTO NEARLY HURRICANE STRENGTH!

Carolinas Preparej

Wilmington Radar

Looking Up...For Hope

2006-08-30T07:18:00.001-07:00

by jedobber Jeff Campbell gave me a disk of pictures from the dining hall a few days ago. For some time now we have been asking groups that come in and work to design a ceiling tile to place in the ceiling of the dining hall. I now have a picture of 63 of them located in the picture album linked above (click on picture). They are a great tribute to the spirit of volunteerism and love of Jesus Christ that brought the groups down to help strangers. I want to thank Jeff for this great idea! I wish we had thought of it earlier. I have no idea how many churches have been here and no way to contact them all. As I have communicated previously, we had no idea what was about to happen to us in those first few months! Now when we walk into the dining hall, we're looking up! Margie Kieper's 13th installment of her account of Katrina's impact across the Coast is by far the most personal and the most difficult (for me) to read. The piece ends with a chilling description of ghost 911 calls from empty slabs: One of the odd things that has occured since the storm, probably due to continuing issues with bringing the phone system back online, is that the sub station regularly receives 911 calls from locations that currently are nothing but slabs, from these areas. Answering the call, there is only static on the other end. There is a list of addresses, numbering about 20 in total, hung up on the wall for the dispatcher, noting these locations. We think that possibly the last calls from these locations were 911 calls, and are somehow still electronically in the memory or database of the phone system. I wrote earlier about the three unidentified ladies who perished in Hurricane Camille. They are buried in Biloxi under the names Faith, Hope and Charity. Yesterday two men, one black and one white, who are both unidentified were laid to rest. Their names are 'Will' and 'Strength'. Will and Strength: Unknown Victims of Katrina Buried. Al Sturgeon, in his daily hurricane update today wrote, "It is strange how you still learn things so long after the fact. One of the tragic news stories I remember just after Katrina was of a gentleman wandering the streets physically and emotionally lost after the storm had ended. He told the reporter he had lost his wife in the storm; after hours of holding on, they just couldnt hold each other any longer, and he lost her to the powerful surge. Her last words to him were, 'Take care of the children'. I remember the young female reporter crying with the man, helpless. I remember watching that report and the nauseous feelingthat came with it. Until last night, I thought that story came from New Orleans. Instead, it was just next door to Ocean Springs in Biloxi. The follow-up report last night said that Hardy Jacksons wife's body has never been found." These are haunting times on the Gulf Coast. I think the combination of the anniversary of Katrina and the emergence of Ernesto were really difficult for us. We are hearing from people who are looking for hope, and finding none. One would think that after a year, we would not have people coming to the church building daily looking for help. Such is not the case. In the past few weeks we have met a man who still lives in an abandoned van, with no FEMA camper in sight. We have encountered people who are ready to end their lives. While some are back in their homes and there are monuments going up in the park, there are still 100,000 Mississippians living in campers. I talked to a lady yesterday who wistfully mentioned that she hopes to be back in her home before Christmas. That will be here much more quickly than we would like. She is still waiting on an electrician just so she can get power to her home - a home that was flooded but survived the storm. No power to her house yet ... 12 months later. People are reflecting on their losses, some who lost mates, some lost property, most lost their dignity. Many lost their jobs, and many lost their dreams for the future. The housing crisis is just now getting cranked up, and there are starting to be media reports about it. So we continue to work here ... not just rebuilding ... but listening and hugging and praying. Pray for Mike King. Mike is one of our new members, and a dependable volunteer. He is very ill, awaiting a liver transplant. Sometime in the past week Mike was bitten on the leg by a spider, likely a brown recluse. He has an open wound on his leg and was put into the hospital last night. He has a great spirit, though ... and he's always looking up. Keep him in your prayers! I'm about to go see him. Likely he will bless me more than I bless him. Don't forget to check out my other blog on Crisis Resources. I attempt to update it daily. Also, if you didn't take time the other day to read Bobby Cohoon's article about what we're doing here, please go HERE and do that today! Have a great day wherever you are.

2006-08-29T16:46:00.000-07:00

Year One

2006-08-29T08:36:00.000-07:00

Today marks the end of year one. The first year of our lives that Katrina became a reality, a milestone, a nightmare, and a blessing. I struggled to know the best way to mark this time. The news is full of retrospectives and information about current status. My good friend Clif suggested I interview people and make an auido blogpost for today. I liked the idea, but didn't do it. So it's almost lunch time on this day when we revisit what happened to all of us here on the Coast...and rippled across the country. My friend Al Sturgeon decided to commemorate this day by releasing his 150 page e-book called Katrina: A Spiritual Journal free of charge. I'll be happy to send you a copy via attachment if you request it by writing me HERE. It is in WORD format. Thanks, Al! I decided that I would share with you what you shared with me. In the days following Katrina, I was so blessed to have the blog readers send me so many messages of encouragement. I think it will be a blessing to see those encouragements. These were from the days when data was scarce, cell phone connections were non-existent, and we were still dazed by the nearly knock-out punch we received from nature. But you wrote ... and I will never forget the way you supported me then, and continue even now. Here's how they read: **** Tommy said... I feel for you brother, and I'll say I hope it's better than expected. Chris said... Glad you made it through. We've been praying... Raymond Fleming said... Good to see that you posted and that you and your family are ok. Sorry to hear about your home. My prayers are with you still. BR-549 said... I've been checking your blog about every hour, it seems. So, I'm glad to see that you are OK physically and so sorry to hear about what you may have lost. My prayers are with you! JD said... Thanks for your swift responses. I'm at my brother-in-laws at the moment...cannot check again until tomorrow afternoon if then. Knowing that you are all praying and wishing us well means a lot. Anyone heard from Kenny or Dee? Take care, everyone. k2 said... jd, i am praying that you will be comforted. (that sounds so bland, but what else can i say.) i, too, am not able to see my home. i am in fredericksburg, va, for business, and d1 and my daughter are at the house. they stayed with 'family' while i had to go to work. i can just about bet that our cat is smothering them right now. i will be returning on friday. God kept them safe, and you. ....i am not sure what else to say, other than, you and your family are in my prayers. Falantedios said... Praise God you're alright, JD. You WILL get through this. Prayers rise to the Father for you and yours, continued safety and comfort. Nick DJG said... JD, I have been praying continuously for you and yours. I am so glad you are OK. All that physical stuff can be replaced, but you know that. Praise God you are OK. Bobby Cohoon said... Hey John; Like you I love on a coast; I have seen devastation many times, but never on this scale or magnitude. I am praying for you brother. God be with all y'all. If anyway I can help contact me. Bobby Soren said... JD, I've been trying to call you, but I can't get through. I know you're busy. Just wanted to give a word of encouragement. Praying for all of you. Soren GerryParker said... We as a family have been praying for you and other folks we know know down in the Mobile area. We love you brother! Good to hear from you! In HIM,Gerry Keith Brenton said... Dee hasn't checked in since Sunday, but has a desktop with her; not a laptop. JD, you and yours remain in my prayers. LVM said... I join all the others in prayer for you and your family. James - Biblesays said... John,Got your e-mail. Do you know how I can contact Les? I know "it's just stuff" is supposed to be comforting, and though it is true that "stuff can be replaced" and "it could be worse" and all that, it does not take away from the fact that things like this are difficult to deal with. I do hope it turns out to be better than you anticipate, but if not, please let us know what we can do to help. I mean that. Brothers and sisters in Christ are here for each other, and we will be glad to do whatever is needed we can do. For now (and later) you are in our prayers. Hoots Musings said... JD,God has you in the palm of His mighty hand. You and yours have been prayed for and we will continue to do so. You have NO idea how relieved you are to see a post and to know you and yours are safe. Dusty said... JD,May the Lord bless you with peace and faithfulness in the moment. I'll be praying. Dusty john alan turner said... Devastating. Shocking. Horrible. And yet ... somehow ... out here hope remains. Bill Denton said... JD,Hey, if you're still in Cleveland, give me a call! Bill Denton Auntbee said... My Dear Pastor John,I am so saddened to hear of your lost. Please know that you are not alone. God is there and He will sustain and my prayers are there with you,Maggy and your family. If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it. When you only have God, you have enough to get you through!Love & Prayers to you and your family, Auntbee (Betty) Brian Burkett said... JD, you and everyone down there are in my prayers. I wish there was something I could physically do to help. Keep us updated, and stay strong. There are a lot of people that are going to be looking to you in the coming weeks and months. I know God will give you the strength. TCS said... JD,Glad you posted. I had heard you were in the Delta. If you come east call me. You have of course been in my thoughts and prayers. I am worried about Dee's husband Tom. I think he stayed at the paper. Seriously call or email of what we can do when we are able to get down there. I know it will be a while before they will let us in. I will gather a group to come and help. my number is six one five five five eight eight....maybe that will not get mined. I assume you know the area code. I really mean that we will come do whatever. So let me know. Jim Martin said... So glad that you are ok...What a nightmare...I have prayed for you. Jovan said... JD. I'm glad to hear you are ok. I tried calling Steve Martin in Ocean Springs. Have you heard from him? TCS said... JD, I don't know if you are checking your email... so I will post this here. I have a contact with Bread for a Hungry World who would like to get in contact with you. Karen said... Dear John...I have been so worried about you and your family. It wasn't until just a few minutes ago that I thought to check out your blog to see if you had "reported" in. How relieved and happy I was to see that you had!!! :) I am deeply saddened to hear of what you may have lost...but praise God that you are safe!!! You are in my thoughts and prayers, my friend. Sending great big, warm, comforting Canadian hugs your way. Take care and God bless!!! Love and hugs,Karen :) Olivia Christine said... John,I was so sad to hear your news, but glad that you and your family are safe. Dad was trying to get in touch with you, I hope he was able to. You have his email at crossties, right? If not I'll send it to you. We've been praying so hard out here for all of you. I am so sorry. I can not imagine how hard it is to lose your home like this. I just don't know what else to say. We love you, man. We'll kep on praying. DJG said... I didn't think about you not being able to access your e-mail...If you cannot just know that I am with Tommy, I really want to help. You know how to contact me. Still covering you with prayers.Donna 3:25 PM Jason Retherford said... JD, Know you are in our prayers. Tommy said... Good to hear from you again JD. I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers over the days to come. Any way I can help please let me know. Hoots Musings said... Ditto what Tommy said.I am awestruck at the devastation in Mississippi and how so many of the refugees thank Jesus Christ for sparing their lives. Please let me know if you need anything... we are praying for you and your family and your church family. TCS said... JD,I am at home now and don't have the name of the guy from Richland Hills who wanted to get in touch with you. They are looking for contacts locally in order to help with food distribution. I understand that the gas shortage here is due to panic, but non the less there is NO gas here tonight. I spoke tonight after bible study to a old college friend who is an engineer in Picayune. He has civil defense clearance but was afraid to go back due to being advised by another fellow college friend who works for MDOT that Hattiesburg and south are suffering from desperate people, looting, robbing anyone with gas, water, etc. So even if he could carry enough gas to get back he might loose it. So be careful. It looks like they are calling in more guard troops. We are expecting swarms of refuges here. I don't know about from all locations but for anyone interested, the red cross is taking teams from here on a 4 day committment. You are gone 4 days and then brought back. I will know more tommorrow. Hang in there John! Oh and cellular south said they expect to have some signal in each county on the coast by tommorrow. So IF people's cell phones are arround and charged then you can try to contact them. They recommend text messaging. trophydave said... John, This is trophy man in Oxpatch. You are in my prayers. My partner and his family were in Long Beach. Have not heard from them. Very scarey. Please know you are in my prayers. Dave dwhitetn said... Dobber, this is David White, formerly of Orange Grove. Have anyone that you can reach to contact Disaster Relief at 615-833-0888. Our prayers are with all who have felt the effects of this storm. Danny Sims said... JD... Shoot me an e-mail at dannySims@altamesa.org if you can or call me at my church at 817-294-1260... We're praying for you. BR-549 said... You continue to bless me with your faith and perseverance! Olivia Christine said... Thanks for your update JD. Just know that there are a ton of people out here in California and around the world that are praying for YOU by name. Please let me know what people are needing, our church womens group wants to send care boxes. We love you. Dee O'Neil Andrews said... Dearest John - I just now for the first time (it's Thursday afternoon at 2 p.m.) have had time to come read your blog to get updated with you and your family. I have been all OVER the country since Saturday evening and have ended up here out in hot, dry, blessed (!) Abilene with my mom. Probably for the duration, which may be two or three months or longer - who knows????? NO ONE can make plans or know WHAT to do beyond one day at a time. I am keeping everyone informed about Picayune and Mandeville and the church with all information I get in on my blog, "Finding Direction, as you know. I am beginning to be in contact with a lot of people and groups who are coming to the disaster areas of Mississippi to help. However, as you all know, the situation is dire and seemingly beyond hope for so many thousands of people across Mississippi and Louisiana. Yet, we must keep our hope and remain calm. I understand completely how you feel in not knowing what to do or how to act next or where to go or what. I feel exactly the same way. But I am being uplifted by all of the many prayers I know have been sent to our Father on our behalf and rest assured that all of our blessed brothers and sisters in Christ in other places will do everything in their power to help us all out any way they can. I personally send all of my love to you and your family and have kept you continually in my prayers as I have endured the past five days, wondering where you were and how you were. I'm glad to have word you are safe. May God show mercy on all who are so terribly suffering and dying. Jon Mark said... John,What can be said?! We are praying. We've got 160 people living in our church building classrooms and are continuing to take in more...so if anyone you know needs any extra help, let us know. I've been in contact with the Kosciusko church and they are trying to be a 'financial distribution point' for anyone looking to donate money for the hurting church members on the coast. We are blessed enough in the Desoto County area to have a Superintendant who is a Christian and is allowing all of the children displaced by this tragedy to enter the school system without shot records or proof of residency. If we can bless you, John, or anyone you know, come our way. Jon Mark SmithWorship & Involvment MinisterGoodman Oaks Church Southaven, MS Allen Coker said... John, it was good to hear from you today. I wanted to call but was afraid that you were getting a lot of calls from a lot of places. I love you and your family. I want to help in any way that I can. Our prayers are with you. dwhitetn said... Jon Mark and John Dobbs, have the evacuees come to Nashville that can make it. We will find a place for them to stay. The Mayor has pledged to help in whatever ways possible. Les Jr. has my phone number. LC said... We are with the Churches of Christ Disaster Response Team out of Somerset, Ohio. We've been wondering how to get ahold of you. We are currently at the Creekwood COC helping them set up a relief effort. We are wanting to help you in any way we can. Some of the things we do are: help and guide local congregations in setting up a relief effort, bring in volunteers. (we have many volunteers who have signed up all across the US), we bring in tool trailers loaded with generators, chain saws, shovels, etc. We would be glad to send volunteers your way. Our email is disasterrelief@hotmail.com website: www.churchesofchristdrt.orgYou are in our prayers Russ Sharp said... Hello there again, Brother!Thank you for taking the time to reply to my E-mail earlier. My wife didn't realize that one of the very areas that was hit the worst was where I actually was in March of last year. Having witnessed firsthand how intertwined the congregations are in the Mississippi Gulf coast area--and how quickly you draw in someone who is only a visitor, as if I were a permanent resident, it just breaks my heart even more to learn of the widespread disaster, and the effects felt in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Ocean Springs area. All of your congregations are in my thoughts and prayers. This weekend, I plan--along with my wife--to explain to our 6-year-old daughter about what's going on there, so that we can begin to pray as a family for you. It's amazing what comes out of a child's mouth when she hears how much people are hurting...and to know that her daddy was among you and brothers you are acquainted with during that time I was away from her and her mommy last year. If I EVER forget to mention you in our bedtime prayers, I am confident that she will interrupt to remind me.Please remember that I will be praying for your strength as you go through times when you feel as if you don't have time to go through your own grief, because of being there for your brothers and sisters.I hope to connect with members of the Rodenberg congregation during all that will be happening. If you communicate with Brother Roger Mills, please tell him to pass on our best wishes in this trying time.God bless you, Brother!As Paul said to the brethren in Philippi--"I CAN do all things through Him who gives me strength. Neverthless, you have done well that you shared with me in my distress..." He experienced firsthand the fact that Christ is not the only thing God sent to us--he sent us each other!Take care, Brother! Your Oklahoma brothers and sisters are with you in spirit! yayaJill said... My heart cries for all who are in need at this time, Thank You Lord for this servant and His family May You Lord Keep Pastor, and his Church family in You'r Loving arms.As you know Brother John, my Husband is a Trucker, and some of the Drivers are offering place to stay in Miss.. I am just now learning of this. When I find out more I will be sure to pass this on to You.Your sister in Christ Jill DJG said... Thank you John for giving us specific ways to help you and yours specifically! Please do post the pictures and keep us updated. Hoots Musings said... JD,Please continue to let us know what we can do to help. You are loved dear brother! BR-549 said... I'll be praying for you -- or I should say, I'll keep praying for you -- as you go back "home." May God be bless you and your work. I know your presence -- not to mention the physical goods you're bringing along -- will bless many people. Thurman8er said... JD, those of us way out here on the west coast hardly know what to do or say to help. Of COURSE you and your church are in our prayers. Thank you for keeping us informed. evonne6kid said... I am from Tn and am looking for a church that needs our help with immediate needs, food, water, etc. Please email me if there is a known church in crisis. Dawn said... Brother, our hearts and prayers go out to you and the rest of our hurting church family right now. I am the preacher for the Northside church of Christ in Butler, AL, about 3 hours NW from Biloxi. We would love to help a family in need by accepting them into our home until they can get back on their feet. Please, e-mail us if there is any way we can do this.mamadp@cheerful.comGod bless,James and Dawn Pasley TCS said... JD,Just now had a chance to check in on you. I know tommorrow will be tough. That is a hugh understatement. We are praying for you and everyone displaced by this. We are headed that way soon not sure where yet. But so glad that you will be there for others. Falantedios said... Dear John,Thank God for positive news. Carly and I are praying for you, as is the congregation at Myrtle Avenue. One of the other blog comments asked for information about affected churches. Here are a few that I have gathered so far. Ocean Springs Church of Christ 1116 Washington Ave. Ocean Springs, MS 39564 Slidell church of Christ994 Old Spanish TrailP.O. Box 130Slidell, LA 70459(985) 643-4826 church(985) 641-6383 fax Chalmette (New Orleans) church of Christ Assistance being routed through:Cordova church of Christ7801 Macon RoadCordova, TN 38018(901) 754-9893 (Office)(901) 751-2117 (My home number)Website: www.cordovacoc.orgemail: office@cordovacoc.org Pam Dobbs said... We've been praying for you all day knowing how difficult today would be. I am sure you are exhausted and overwhelmed. In the midst of all this, God is good. May we share God with others as we go through this ordeal. Let me know if you hear any news about Charlene and the kids. I am worried sick. My love to you and yours, Pam Dobbs k2 said... jd, give me a call if i can help. you got my number. i mean that! k2 BR-549 said... Met your good friend Paul Franks in Baton Rouge yesterday. He spoke highly of you, which of course did not surprise me. (I posted a picture of Paul on my blog.) TL said... I've thought of you often. I'm very glad to have my bed. I know that God will get all of you through this and I'm hoping it will go quickly and as painlessly as possible! k2 said... OH!!! i wish i knew you were coming! i would've liked to see you and maybe even come to life group with you! i wanted to come with cl and the rest of our church group, but my boss had other plans for me that day. i still want to come and help. sorry, but my family is not in a place to help financially right now, maybe in the near future. i'm prayin' for ya'!!! Cecelia said... I still pray for you and yours daily, John. I love you guys so much my heart hurts. Just know, you know where we are should the need arise. Your sister in Christ.... Dee O'Neil Andrews said... John I have been thinking about you and your family SO much because Tom and I have flooded twice (in 1995 and 2001) and had to do all you're doing (nearly) in your home and move out the first time for three months and the second time a month. It was extremely difficult for us and especially with me being diabetic and having so many medical needs. But, both times we were just one of a few neighborhoods, at most, who suffered the losses, so were able to get all the help we needed from church friends at first and then a home builder out of Picayune to come down with his crews and complete all repairs in an effecient and timely manner. This time, as with you, it will all be a completely different story for everyone involved. I am still out in Abilene at the moment with my mom, but we were extremely blessed this time in that our home did not flood and only received minor water damage from overflowing commodes and AC drain pipe in one bedroom, where Tom was finally able to rip out the carpet today for the first time in the past two weeks. He called me this afternoon to tell me of the even more wonderful blessing that our power is now back on to our house in Slidell, so I can COME HOME!!!! He was bringing all of his stuff down from his office in Picayune, where he has lived since the hurricane, and bringing a "house guest," a young reporter from Oklahoma helping him out for a while, to live with us for a while and he was very happy to be doing so. I am planning on getting a lot of odds and ends done and together tomorrow (like some Rx's I need, etc), my stuff all packed in the car and my mind together so I can get up very early Tuesday morning to start the long 10-11 hour trip home from Abilene back to Slidell. I want to ask you (when you see this) and all your readers to pray for me as I do all these things and head out on the road because I am not well, as you know, and it is going to be a very long, grueling trip at best. Please pray that I will feel well, can travel well and safely and arrive home safely where Tom is waiting (impatiently, I might add) for me to get back. It has been a very hard two weeks and will be a hard drive home, but I'm just thankful, as you, for all the blessings we have experienced thus far and hope that we can share a generous portion and measure with so many around us less fortunate than we. I just wrote down your cell phone number and will call you really soon to see if we can be of help. Tammany Oaks in Mandeville is engaged as a staging area for everyone else and has undertaken a huge effort to warehouse supplies and to "house" workers in our building to help others. So, if y'all need anything more in Pascagoula, let me know and I will get word to them. Much love to you and your family and may God continue to give you peace and rest as you toil so hard to restore all you've lost. DJG said... Still in my prayers. I am glad you have a place to go to get away from it all... I hope you feel all the love and prayers being sent your way. LVM said... Often I gripe and groan over absolutely insignificate little problems that are just normal and that all of us face daily. What you and others in the path of Katrina are enduring at the present time certainly gives me a different perspective of what real problems are, and how ridiculous it is to worry over small stuff. Like you mentioned; most of us take for granted that our lives are safe and we have a pillow to lay our weary heads on at night. While I'm ever thankful to God for His care and abundant gifts on a daily basis, I too often forget it's possible to wake up to total chaos and confusion. God bless you in these difficult times. Armaedes said... I think it's great that you are keeping up with the things that are important to you even in all of this badness, like continuing church services and this blog. That's very inspirational. Amanda said... Hey, JD. I got word yesterday that Otter Creek is going to start sending some groups down to southern MS. Are they working with your church? I'm so bummed I can't go--classes are in full swing and I can't afford to miss any. I do send prayers your way. Raeann said... JD,I just stumbled across your blog as I was looking for further information to share with my home church. I just returned from Ocean Springs last night. I was blessed to be a part of filling grocery / supply orders at the Chruch of Christ there. I came home with the same feeling, the supplys are much needed but the manpower is in desperate need. I am on a mission to motivate our church and hope to return to continue to provide support for those in need. I will add your blog to my daily read and your family and church to my prayers. Miss Angela said... John and family,My heart goes out to you all, I know you are tired...every day is filled with more cleaning, it seems it will never end. I do appreciate you taking the time to blog, as those of us who know you and know the area are most concerned for all who were affected by Katrina.I have sent money to Gateway for Central, and sent an email to everyone I know asking them to help in the same way. When I was younger, my house flooded, not once but twice. A large section of Tulsa was affected, but of course, nothing of this magnitude. I'll never forget total strangers showing up at our door to help, volunteers bringing food and water and medicine. They are answered prayers. I'm sorry I can't be there to help you, the USAF has other plans for me at present. I'm certainly with you in prayer and spirit. My parents are in Slidell, LA helping with the church there. I told them to come on down to Pascagoula and help YOU.Much love, Angela BR-549 said... I will thank God for the blessings we take for granted! Thanks for reminding me. John, if phone service is working well again, would there be a good time when I could call you Wednesday? I would like to interview you if possible before the Chronicle's October issue goes to press this week. Please e-mail me at bobby.ross@christianchronicle.org if you are up for an interview. Thanks, Bobby Well Woman said... Thanks for the reminder to never take for granted the many blessings we have from hot water to a roof over our heads to a place to call home. Praying for all of you,Layla Danny Sims said... We're praying here. I hope to come see you and help soon. DJG said... John, I tried to call you but I guess the service is sporadic. I will be back in office on Monday. Take care till then. Donna ***** Thanks again, my friends. Every word is precious to my heart. john

Community Thanks

2006-08-27T20:16:00.000-07:00

We had a good number at worship this morning as we focused on the blessings that were ours because of Katrina. The grieving and mourning will have their fair of time, but so should the blessings. I'll post the audio of that message Monday sometime on my podcast page. Tonight many of us went to the Community Worship Service at the high school football stadium. People from several different churches in town participated. Although it was quite different than what we are used to, we appreciated the opportunity to offer thanksgivings to God along with our neighbors and friends. I left a little bit early because I had an elderly friend with me and he needed to get back to his camper. The speaker tonight did more than suggest that God sent Hurricane Katrina as a discipline for his people. I think this is an open question...not something we can afford to be dogmatic about. In the Scriptures, God has brought about disaster upon people. I know and affirm that He can. I am just not certain how anyone can be SURE that this is what Katrina was. It seems to me that if we start assigning disasters to God, then we must look at each disaster and ultimately claim that they are all "acts of God". God then becomes the God of Disaster, which I do not believe is true. I tend to believe that we live in an eco-system that produces hurricanes during the same season each year. I think that in each case, there are people who realize their own weakness and need for the Lord when recovering from these disasters. It could be that God did send Katrina. But I think the lessons learned either way are the same ... and that we can avoid making God out to be the king of disasters by just recognizing His sovereignty within the system he created. But no one asked me. As a smile for tonight, one of our city officials referenced a teaching of Jesus in the Bible by saying, "we all know that old story that ends with 'where two or more are gathered, God is there'." Now either he did not want to mention the Bible out of some form of political correctness, or he just didn't say it like he planned. Either way, I got a grin out of it. No harm done. It reminded me of Al Gore misquoting that Bible verse, and the one he actually quoted seemed a prophecy against him. But I do not want to get into politics. Those things are much better discussed over at Desperate Houseflies, a multi-contributor blog created by my friend who is not ashamed to be a Democrat. There are a lot of things in the world I do not understand. But lest anyone in Pascagoula thinks I'm being negative about the event, I'm glad we had it. I'm glad several of us went. If I had one suggestion to make, I think it was too white. Other than a choir from the Missionary Baptist Church, there wasn't enough color in this event. I would have loved to hear a word from some of the African American, Hispanic, and Asian believers in this area. Overall, I enjoyed it. My favorite moment was the singing of "Blessed Be The Name" by the Church on the Rock Praise Team. I would love to have had one of our wonderful acappella groups in the mix. I think it would had added a lot to the night. My thanks to those in charge. They worked hard and it was a joy to spend the evening with neighbors and friends. I'll post my pictures soon and leave a link here. Before I go, please do me a favor and head over to Bobby Cohoon's blog for today. It can be seen HERE. Bobby went back into the archives of this blog to assemble a beautiful piece that had me in tears. Thank you, Bobby. My mother is going to love it - and if she knew how to leave a comment, I'm sure she would. Thanks for reading and I hope your week is a great one. We will be keeping our eyes on the Gulf. No one can afford to take the current direction of this storm for granted at this point.

Just Me and the Lord

2006-08-26T18:12:00.000-07:00

by jedobber Recently I visited with one of our new friends who attends Central frequently, Miss Nellie. At worship, Nellie is quiet and friendly with a big smile. I didn't know quite what to expect when we visited with her in her home - and I certainly did not know the blessing she would be to us. What a joyful woman she is! I talked to her about her experience with Katrina. The flooding in her neighborhood, north of Hwy 90 in Pascagoula, was minimal. She said that water kept coming in under the front door and she just swept it back out. Only that room suffered damage and some furniture had to be replaced. We sat on a couch and chair that was provided by the Central Church of Christ. Nellie said, "It was just me and the Lord here...and we swept that water back," and then she let loose with a giant laugh and hands clapping with joy. This grandmother faced a giant by herself and lived to laugh about it. A tree did fall in front of her door and she was unable to escape without being let out, but that all turned out well. Nellie also told us that alcohol killed her husband almost 20 years ago, and she figured that she was next. So, she laid all of her sinful ways aside and gave her life to the Lord. The old van she has been driving has finally died on her. Nellie has been ill recently, so I hope she's feeling well enough to be our guest tomorrow at services. *** Thanks for your comments (both on and off of the blog) yesterday. I hesitated a bit on that one, wanting to be sure that everyone knew that I did not suffer a sour disposition because of the troubles we have faced. I hope that was communicated. *** Remember! We are bombarded now with remembrances of Katrina. Specials on all of the major networks are sure to be available via DVD in a few weeks, for a price. New photo books showing current progress are sure to hit the market. Sunday night there will be an interdenominational service at the War Memorial Stadium with all of the churches in town. The stadium will be filled with grateful people who are bound together by one common bond: Katrina. I'm sure there will be many thanksgivings offered for the volunteers who have helped us, the God who has blessed us, and the spirit of our community that wants to help each other rebound. As for Central, this Sunday I intend to celebrate. God has turned our mourning into dancing. Joy was to be found in the morning, and we now know that God has been working through the tragedy to redeem lost men and women and bring them unto himself. Yes, there are plenty of things to feel down about ... lots of work yet to be done ... but it is never too early to say THANK YOU, GOD! When the ocean swallowed our city, God was immovable. *** About the landfall of Ernesto - the irony is not lost on anyone on the Coast. August 29, the infamous day of Katrina's landfall now may be revisited in a traumatic way for some Gulf Coast Community. Prayers and preparation need to be made at this time. Water, food that doesn't have to be cooked, flashlights and batteries, blankets, and other supplies can be gathered now and taken to the storm landfall site. Right now Ernesto is simply too far out to know where he will go. The computer models have him going anywhere from Southwest Louisiana to Pensacola, Florida. But time will remedy that. Anywhere in the Katrina/Rita zone will be twice the disaster it normally would have been. Thousands of campers will likely be destroyed - the temporary homes of those stranded without homes from a year ago. Even this week we found out about a man who still lives in an abandoned VAN. No FEMA camper yet. Emotionally, it's tough. Phyically, it's devastating. The next three days are going to present a significant challenge for someone. *** On a personal note, our son John Robert, has been diagnosed with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. He was bitten by a tick when on a rafting trip in Tennessee a month ago. Thankfully, the antibiotics are working already and the spotting is disappearing. Gary and Pam Dobbs are my brother and his wife in Bay City, Texas. Their son, Garrett, had a hernia operation yesterday. All went well, and we are thankful. He is four years old. Since our daughter married and moved into her home with her husband, along with Claire, we have missed having our grandaughter around. The Hollands (Nicole and Robert) left this weekend to retrieve some furniture from Atlanta, so we get to be real grandparents this weekend. That has been fun. We took Claire to see MONSTER HOUSE... a cute movie even I enjoyed (and I am a movie snob!). *** I'm ready to start scheduling another road trip for "thank you" and "update" type message, along with slides. It will be toward the end of September, early October timeframe. If you would like for me to visit your congregation, I will have a limited amount of slots open ... contact me at my e-mail address HERE and let me know...I'll see what we can work out. *** I hope you have a great Lord's Day. I look forward to sharing more of our story in Pascagoula with you, as we approach the anniversary of Katrina...and beyond. Thanks for reading.

Coming Soon To A Gulf Coast Location

2006-08-26T09:45:00.000-07:00

Ernesto is gaining in strength and is forecast to become a hurricane about the time it enters the Gulf of Mexico. A report from Gulfport this morning is that the water has disappeared from the K-Mart shelves. People are preparing...but will panic set in?

More later....

Dangers Within Disasters

2006-08-25T06:55:00.000-07:00

I look back upon the past year and reflect upon the adventure that has been ours to pursue. We have made more friends than most people make in a lifetime. We know people in over 25 states and a few foreign countries. We have seen the look in a person's eye when you give them something with no strings attached. We have watched the tears of joy, frustration, grief, anguish, and Spirit. Volumes will be written about this experience, and we will tell these stories when we are old men and women to anyone who will listen. Only after the regeneration of all things will we know if Katrina was the evil result of a cataclysmic spiritual war, a punishment from a righteously angry God, or simply the result of nature's currents.One thing that we will remember is that there were dangers within the disaster. Beyond the winds and the waves, there were dangers of epic proportion as they related to individual lives. They were disasters of human making that did not have to exist, but caused additional pain and suffering. 1. The Federal Government Moved Too Slowly. I don't know where the communication breakdown really was. I do not know who is truly responsible. I just know that for weeks on end people lived in tents and had very little with which to survive. I know that some people had two and three FEMA campers in their yard, while elderly people slept on their porches or under tarps for months. I remember Debbie that we visited many times, bringing supplies to her and her twelve year old daughter. She resorted to flagging down the trucks hauling the campers, hoping they were looking for her. I remember a ninety year old grandmother sleeping on the floor with only a sheet between her and the mold infested wood. I talked with a lady who had a camper in her yard for three weeks, but no keys to get inside. There was an elderly lady near our church building who had to have a handicap ramp to get into her home. In her 90s, she was unable to use the camper that was placed there for her. These are not uncommon stories, but they tell the story of the disaster of the bloated behemoth that could not move quickly enough to save its own. 2. The Dishonest Contractors / Workers Took Advantage of Victims. Like vultures descending upon a carcass, greedy 'contractors' and day workers descended upon the Gulf Coast. Promises were made about what kind of work could be done and how quickly it could be done. Still dazed by the storm and impatient to get back into their homes, many elderly people ignored the warnings and paid for work before it was done. Thousands of dollars were paid to unknown and unscrupulous thieves who worked a half day, left for supplies, and never returned. Just this week a man was arrested in Mobile for putting up hurricane shutters...with velcro. Bids were made for jobs, huge amounts of money were requested to do mundane things. The cost to have work done increased significantly on August 29th, another punch in the stomach after losing our homes. Hispanic workers who came to work, but who spoke very little English, were worked hard and paid nothing. Even this week a church was exposed on the Coast for hiring Hispanic workers and shorting them their pay. Lies were told by amateurs, suggesting they were professionals. One lady paid someone to hang sheetrock in her home, and later discovered that the sheetrock was falling off of the wall it was so poorly installed. As most people have no idea how to rebuild their homes, they were at the mercy of others. And some of those others took advantage in sickening ways. 3. "Experts" and Relief Organizations Made Their Way To the Coast. They sought to tell everyone how they ought to be organized and what methodology to use in serving the community. Perhaps they had been in other disasters in other places. Maybe they had specific training, and they knew that we were doing things the wrong way. Many of these 'experts' embedded themselves within existing organizations and took on an air of authority. The trouble is that they made the ordinary giving of service into a bureaucratic nightmare. Many of them sought funding for their advice and 'work'. Organizations were formed and had meeting after meeting after meeting, while many Christians were in the streets distributing supplies and on the phone calling for more. Some who came and presented themselves as 'friends' actually worked against us in significant ways. Why? I cannot even begin to know that answer. Misinformation was spread. I know of situations where Christians who were at a distance became discouraged about relief efforts on the coast because of the intentional spread of misinformation. Christians told lies about other Christians, hoping to accrue financial support and exalt themselves. Some Christians told half-truths about what they were doing and how much they were doing, so that supporters across the nation would keep the dollars flowing. In a crisis situation, it's hard to tell what's actually going on - even while you're here. The chaos is an excellent cover for sinful motives. 4. Post Traumatic Stress Robbed People of Their Marriages, Friendships, Jobs, and Life. Marriages began to suffer as everyone dealt with this disaster in their own way. The suicide rate in Jackson County went up 200%. Things we were able to cope with before the storm suddenly became huge obstacles to us. Hospitals filled up with heart attacks and strokes, and other stress-related diseases. The police were kept busy with domestic disputes and an out of control homeless population.Church members grumbled against one another, making accusations and complaining about mundane things. Some quit church altogether. Long lines and short supplies at stores gave us a huge level of frustration. Businesses tried to open, but they couldn't hire enough workers to make it work. Parents had hard times keeping their children encouraged, and teenagers suffered depression along with everyone else. The use of illegal drugs and abuse of alcohol became the choices of escape for many who were hurting, which only brought more hurt. 5. The Post-Katrina influx of 'permanent' volunteers. People came to the Coast with bright visions of making a fortune doing day work. They arrived at our church building with no tools, no transportation, no identification ... just people who wanted to work ... and be paid. Of course we do not pay - this is a volunteer effort. They had no where to stay and no food to eat. Sometimes we 'adopted' them and tried to help them get back on their feet. Sometimes they didn't want to get on their feet, but would rather just make it through one more day. Often they were involved in drugs or alcohol abuse. No doubt many of them had criminal backgrounds. They were unable to get real jobs due to background checks and drug screens. I see people walking the streets here every day that once worked with us a short time - until their situation became obvious. I also see people who came in with big problems in life, but we were able to help because they were open to the help. My advice when someone came to the church and had no tools, no transportation, no job? Go home. We have a lot to do here, and taking care of those who come without the ability to survive is not on the list. Maybe that sounds cold. 6. Service with Strings Attached was another danger in the disaster. We had all kinds of people coming in to help us, from every faith family ... and some of no faith. Through it all Central maintained her identity, but some questioned that. At least one group of volunteers went home because a brother from the Christian Church spoke one night in a devotional. We also had churches that decided to back off from helping us because we had a variety of denominations coming in to help and work with us. The joy of having all of these various groups here is that they were able to see who the church of Christ really is ... and perhaps outgrow some of the stereotypes we have earned. The tragedy is that the way some of the churches of Christ from other places behaved about the matter only served to further those stereotypes. When is it ever wrong to work together to serve and help someone who is hurting? These disasters were largely alleviated by the volunteers who just kept coming to work. We didn't have much time to think about these things because there was always something to do, though they were hurtful. And God will set all things aright in the last day. This post is simply to illustrate some of the struggles we had over the past year. There is a positive side, though! The Federal Government did place thousands of campers in Mississippi and many people still live in them - for which they are grateful. There were honest contractors and workers who came and truly blessed our communities. There were organizations who truly stood by us every step of the way. There were those who learned to thrive in a very stressful post-Katrina world. Some of the 'permanent' volunteers are now people that we love dearly as brothers. And there were many more churches of Christ that served with us, than those who withdrew their help. I'm not sure how to avoid these things in another disaster, but it might help to be aware of them if we face future disasters. I have not offered solutions in this post, but simply observations.

Late Nite Tuesday

2006-08-22T21:24:00.000-07:00

by jedobber It is so important that young people are impressed with the message of serving the helpless and poor. This has been ... not a spark, but a wildfire this summer on the Coast. Hundreds of young people have come to give of their time and energy for the sake of others. I told you a few posts back about Janelle and Emily from State Center, Iowa. Soon after Katrina hit, they went to New Orleans to help out with the Red Cross. There, they met Alice and her daughter, Christina, from California. Last week Janelle and Emily were here helping out, and decided to call Alice and tell her about the work. Alice and Christina came from California and took up where Janelle and Emily left off when they went home. Today Alice and Christina went home, but promised to come back around Thanksgiving. These wise women are teaching their daughters lifelong lessons they will never forget. Any of you parents of teenagers out there want to plant the seeds of service in their hearts? We have work you can do side by side. It is a great experience. Alice and Christina's picture is the one above. I think if you click on it, you will get a nice big picture. I'm trying something new with the pictures. Blogger is sometimes stubborn about importing pictures...this Webshots function makes it pretty easy. Larry has lived on the Coast for a while, but his "luck" hasn't been all that good. After the storm he found himself in a FEMA camper park where he reported there was rampant gunshots, drugs, prostitution, and theft. Three days after he moved there, he came home to find everything gone from his camper. Sometime after that his car was stolen, leaving him without transportation. Someone (the police?) took Larry's car to a stockyard where it was impounded at $37 a day (including Saturday and Sunday when they are closed!). Larry now owes over a thousand dollars and is not even allowed to retrieve his keys off of his keyring, some clothes out of the back, or any possessions. He owes more on it than the car is worth. To me, this is just another form of injustice - a situation where one has no recourse. Today Larry got on a bus and went back to his home town. I prayed with him this afternoon in my office ... but the words are hard to come by. DANGERS within DISASTERS is an upcoming post on the blog! Watch for it! Remember to check out the Crisis Headlines blog. Feel free to post any thoughts or engage in any conversation about the news there. Thanks for reading today. I hope your week is going well. Below: David and Elaine in a RARE moment of rest and relaxation. by jedobber

By The Numbers

2006-08-21T09:42:00.000-07:00

From the FEMA News Release Website: Hurricane Katrina's One-Year Anniversary From Disaster Toward Recovery 3 Hurricane Katrina was the third strongest hurricane to make landfall in the United States . Hurricane Wilma was the strongest and the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 was second strongest. 12 At the peak of the disaster, 12 mobile DRCs were operating. 32 Currently, 32 families are living in hotels/motels. 59 At the beginning of the disaster, there were 59 f ixed DRCs. 150 Currently, 150 housing inspectors are in the field to assess damage to homes. 12,400 U.S. Small Business Administration has approved more than 12,400 disaster assistance loans to businesses and non-profit organizations. 72,360 SBA has approved 72,360 loans to renters and homeowners. 418,000 More than 418,000 Louisianians currently hold National Flood Insurance policies. 950,000 DRC staff has provided, in-person, assistance to more than 950,000 households. 1 million More than 1 million inspections have been completed to date. $1.3 billion SBA has approved a total of $1.3 billion in loans to business owners. 1.4 million More than 1.4 million applicants have registered for housing and other needs assistance. 45.6 million The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, along with private contractors working for some Louisiana parishes, have removed more than 45.6 million cubic yards of debris under a FEMA-funded mission assignment. $725 million FEMA approved $725 million in Community Disaster Loans to help keep essential services operating in communities hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina. $4.7 billion More than $4.7 billion in SBA loans has been approved for renters and homeowners. $5.1 billion More than $5.1 billion have been provided to applicants in housing assistance and other needs assistance. $13.2 billion More than $13.2 billion has been paid under NFIP to policyholders in Louisiana . FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003

Weekend Notes

2006-08-20T21:15:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a good one for our family. We had several people in for Robert and Nicole's wedding. Maggy's mom and dad and sister came from the Delta. Her brother and his wife came from South Mississippi. My mom and dad came over as well. We had a housefull, and enjoyed every minute of it. The wedding went well, there was very little to complicate it. It was nice to meet Robert's family also. Pictures can be found HERE. I thought we had a good crowd this morning and I was thankful for the kind comments about my lesson. Lord willing, I'll post it on my podcast page tomorrow. Margaret prepared a giant feast for us for lunch including Roast, rice, gravy, baby lima beans, carrots, english peas, corn, bread, key lime pie and cake. We were happy to have the Conerlys join us for lunch. Tonight we had a fellowship at the Boswell's home - including more food. I think I should fast for a week. I'll see how long that resolve lasts. We enjoyed lots of visiting, with about 30 present for the night. We had a devotional and afterwards Gary Boswell and I played guitar for any who could endure my singing. His guitar skills are way off the charts. I'll upload pics on the picture page tomorrow. I did manage to get a two hour nap today, so all in all it was a great weekend. It looks like a quiet week ahead in the hurricane relief department. David Kilbern is finally going to find some time to go fishing for a few days toward the end of the week. He certainly deserves it. Let's just keep on praying that the tropics remain as quiet as they have to this point. Of course I'll keep you posted as time goes by! Thanks for reading. Hope your weekend was a good one as well. Don't forget to stop by Christian Crisis Resources blog.

Heading Into the Weekend

2006-08-18T06:34:00.000-07:00

Things are moving right along at Central with the hurricane relief effort. I always hesitate to mention people by name because I know I'll leave someone out. But I did notice Jean Holliman serving at the front desk at the church building yesterday. She and Frances Sublett have been doing a lot of visiting, and I believe Carolyn Neal has also done some visiting with them as well. It is an inspiration to see these older sisters caring for and loving others. I also noticed that Alfred Hill has been working on someone's house for a while and is wanting another one to work in. As our members' homes have been repaired, it is great to see them reaching out to others who need our help. We have been very blessed by our new friend Sherry Betts, who has been working the front desk for the past few weeks. She has also attended Central's worship assembly a few times. Also Mike King has been working very diligently in the effort, even though he has significant health problems. And I haven't even started lauding the hard work of Stella Prince, Elaine Kilbern, Kathy Garrison, Debbie Seab, Mrs. Simmons, and others in the kitchen each day! They all deserve trophies (but would probably rather have a few days at a spa to receive massages and be treated with great care! And they deserve it!). We also have workers here from Huntsville, Alabama. I really haven't had a chance to meet them. Janelle and Emily from Iowa are working hard this week, as is Keith from Wisconnsin. They have been tearing out sheetrock and pulling nails from the studs in a home this week. I know they also delivered some sheetrock as well. Even a small team can get a lot done. On a personal note, our daughter Nicole Willingham will marry Robert Holland tomorrow afternoon in a small family ceremony. We will have lots of houseguests from our families, and we look forward to meeting Robert's family. We will miss Carol and Johnny Moore, Margaret's sister and her husband. They are faithful blog readers and I wanted them to know that we will be aware that they are with us in spirit. I'm sure lots of pictures will be taken and we will post a link to them here when they are up on the internet. I hear that our friend Tex Nolan from Monroe, Louisiana is faring well after a heart attack a few weeks ago. I'm glad to hear that. He is a source of joy and friendship for all of us here on the Coast. Yesterday I talked with David Kibler from Southern Acres Christian Church on the phone. He is so energetic! They are gearing up to bring 80 or 90 people with them for Spring Break 07. He has also been talking to their Minister of Missions about sending small teams of 8-12 skilled workers down for three-four day short-term work projects. That's the kind of thinking that will keep our mission going long term, and get people back into their homes. I also talked with Tom Hixson, who is working on two trips down in the near future. Tom is one special brother. He is from Pennsylvania and usually offers a communion meditation on Sunday mornings when he comes down to visit.

When you get a chance, check out my blog on crisis relief located HERE. Thanks for reading.

Tagged!

2006-08-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

There was some interesting information in today's THE MISSISSIPPI PRESS, our local paper. Of the 68,729 single-family and other housing units destroyed by katrina, 23,250 were in Jackson County. Since Katrina, the suicide rate has increased 200 percent. Emergency Room visits at Singing Reiver Hospital and domestic violence cases have increased significantly. 9,000 residents are still living in a FEMA camper. Drug use among teenagers is up. Mental health officials who assisted victims after the September 11th terrorist attacks said major mental health issues did not peak for 24 months. All of that helps to paint the picture of our continuing struggle here on the Coast. We are far from being through with this project. The Christian Standard reflects this week on the Christian Church's response to Hurricane Katrina. Wade Tannehill 'tagged' me, so here is my list! 1. One book that changed your life: Brennan Manning's The Ragamuffin Gospel will fit well into several of these categories. It truly is a masterpiece. 2. One book that you've read more than once: My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers because it is a daily devotional. Don Everts' Jesus With Dirty Feet because it's short, to the point, and challenging. 3. One book you'd want on a desert island: The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard because I would finally have time to finish it. Also I would have time to go back and consume it like I want to ... one paragraph at a time. 4. One book that made you laugh: A Marriage Made In Heaven or Too Tired For An Affair by Erma Bombeck. 5. One book that made you cry: He Still Moves Stones by Max Lucado 6. One book you wish had been written: How To Think Up Hard Questions For Bloggers To Answer! 7. One book you wish had never been written: The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown. Not that we should feel threatened by it ... but am I the only one tired of hearing about this book? 8. One book you're currently reading: Soulguide by Dr. Bruce Demarest 9. One book you've been meaning to read: Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places by Eugene Peterson and Kingdom Come by Bobby Valentine and John Mark Hicks. 10. Tag five others: Danny Dodd, Gary W. Kirkendall, Les Ferguson, Ken Harris, Chris Lockhart

Sporadic Blog

2006-08-15T16:32:00.000-07:00

I have been a bit more sporadic about blogging lately, a malady which I intend to improve. I doubt that I can catch up with everything that has happened since my last blog, so I will not try. One of the things, though, that happened last weekend was the visit of folks from Brentwood Hills Church of Christ. It was delightful to see Frank and Linda Shelton again. It was equally delightful to meet Jesse and Andrea Clayton. They spent much time with us, Orange Grove, and Picayune talking about mission needs. We truly appreciate their interest. Before I forget, the podcast / audio of my Sunday sermon can be found HERE. The title is, "Qualities of A Spirit-Filled Church". Currently we have a grand total of three workers present this week. Keith Verdan came this past Spring with his group from Titan Christian Fellowship in Wisconnsin. He is down for a week working until school starts back up. Also we are glad to have Janelle and Emily here from State Center, Iowa. They are the ones who organized Tony the Trucker's trip down to the Coast several months ago. They are all three working hard delivering sheetrock and making visits in homes. On a personal note, Maggy's birthday was yesterday. Sunday afternoon we took off for an overnight get-a-way, saw a few movies and relaxed. I had an eye appointment and finally got new glasses after breaking mine in our first visit to Nashville. Monday afternoon there was a thunderboomer, and I sat on the porch of Dough Joe's and watched the rain, read Discipleship Journal, and had a peaceful time to think for just a little while. Last night we had an important board meeting at Gulf Coast Bible Camp. I am President of the Board, and we had some big items to cover. Tuesdays are mostly visitation days, and I visited some friends and members with Jim Ingram, one of our elders. And here I am at the end of the day with much left to do. I would like to direct your attention to a few items: You simply must read Margie Keiper's chronicles over the next few weeks as she details the destruction of Katrina across the coast. She will be featuring the places no one has talked about. She started about three days ago in Grand Isle, LA, so you're not too far behind to enjoy the entire series. It is already a fascinating read with awesome pictures. Her blog is located HERE. Also Larry James only needs $85,000 more to reach his goal to fund Central Dallas Ministries. I'm just going to be bold enough to say that if you read Larry James' incredible blog and your conscience isn't feeling some pain, you are either already very benevolent or awfully cold. Read him HERE and bookmark it! Wade Tannehill has tagged me, so in a post coming soon, I'll participate in the new round of blog tag. Who will I tag? That remains to be seen! Below: Frank & Linda Shelton, Jesse and Andrea Clayton at Central Sunday Morning.

A rainy day on Beach Boulevard in Pascagoula.

Catching Up!

2006-08-11T21:39:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I haven't posted anything since Monday. I guess it's just been that kind of week. The groups from Arkansas and Pennsylvania are through with their work. They worked in the house of a lady who hired a renegade contractor who did shoddy work and took a lot of her money. The sheetrock he hung up with nails was falling off of the wall. It was the Christian youth to the rescue as they stripped and rehung sheetrock in four rooms. They were rewarded when the sweet lady prepared them a couple of meals. But they were mostly rewarded by their love for Jesus that motivated them to do such hard work. Thursday I enjoyed a rare lunch with preacher friends Al Sturgeon, Les Ferguson, and Danny Dodd. We had a great visit. It was good for us to get together and share what was going on in our lives. We spent a lot of time talking about hurricane relief, and remembering those early days. I'm sure I've forgotten most of it. So many things that happened in those first days after Katrina is now a blur. But I remember clearly riding across the coast with Danny and the crew from Gateway to see Les and Al and to deliver supplies. Today was a day of meetings. Frank Shelton and Jessie Clayton are here (along with their wives) from Brentwood Hills Church of Christ in Nashville. They met today with our elders talking about the work here and how BHCOC can get more involved. The love shown from brothers and sisters far away continues to inspire and encourage us. Margaret and I ended our day by dining with the Sheltons at the Lookout 49 restaurant in Gulfport. It is a marvelous place to eat if you are in the area. Larry James is attempting to raise $100,000 in his ministry to the poor of Dallas. Not all disasters are weather-related. Larry's fight against poverty and the spiritual influence he brings to inner city Dallas is nothing short of heroic. I hope you will read his blog often. He is challenging in so many ways. The heart of Jesus is evident in his work. I've been trying to do better at keeping up the blog for Christian Crisis Resources. I invite you to check it out often and leave pertinent remarks! I hope your weekend is full of God's wonderful surprises. Keep your eyes open. He is working in ways that would amaze all of us!

Off To A Great Start

2006-08-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

Our week got off to a great start with the baptism of Michael King. Mike has been an awesome person to have around - he is a lot of help. Mike has quite a story to tell. The passing of his wife several years ago led to years of grief and pain that were numbed by alcohol. This path in life led to predictably bad consequences, including a severly damaged liver. Mike is currently living with the Salvation Army and working with us during the days. Before his baptism, Mike looked up all of the passages in Scripture about baptism and read them. It was a joy to immerse him into our Savior Jesus yesterday! I saw him first thing this morning and asked him how he felt. In his words, "I'm glowing". In the picture above is Mike with David Kilbern. David has been a strong influence for God in his life and he has talked to him several times about becoming a Christian. He is so excited to be a Christian, and has already been bringing others to hear the good news about Jesus. I met a friend of his named James today, and hope we will be able to establish a good relationship with him as well. Following morning worship we had a wonderful fellowship meal together. We had a good crowd to stay. There was so much food - it always amazes me. I especially enjoyed Mrs. Tyler's home made banana pudding - the kind that has to be cooked and is baked at the end with meringue on top. I'm getting hungry again! Enjoying the morning with us was the senior high group from the Hillsboro Church of Christ in Nashville. They worked hard this weekend and headed back to Nashville today. Two new groups were in today. One from Gassville, AR and another from New Salem, PA. Both groups will work together this week to accomplish all they can. The group from Pennsylvania had a rough trip down, with two tires blowing out in the middle of the night. At first opportunity they stopped and had all the tires replaced. They made it, though, and with a great story to tell! The last group from Pennsylvania had a hard time getting here...are we seeing a pattern develop? Nah! I spent some time talking with David Kilbern today and he suggested that I mention the need for donations to continue the work we are doing. Monetary donations to the relief effort go directly into buying materials for people to repair their homes and supplies for those doing the work. As we approach the one year anniversary of Katrina, many have given so much. We know that interest continues, however, and any donations would be put to good use over the coming months. We do hope to be able to receive some funding from some available sources, but sometimes these can take a long time to come through. We've had some e-mails with people wanting to come work on Fall Break and Spring Break 07, and that is excellent! At this point the greatest need we have is for skilled workers to come and help us with home repair. We can always use unskilled labor to do many things that are helpful and good - but what people want more than anything is to be able to get into their home again. Tomorrow Mrs. Mildred will have a birthday. I wouldn't dare guess her age, but if she were a tree she would have over 80 rings! What a neat lady she is. On her birthday she will move back into her home. I know she couldn't receive a better birthday present than that. Speaking of birthdays, my dear friend Bill Collins of Gulfport turned 50 today. I hope he will stay in touch as he heads down the hill. As we face a housing crisis here on the Coast, my friend Daved Baker's organization helped one person regain their home. The news story can be found HERE. Our week is off to a great start with many neat projects ongoing. Thanks to all for the prayers, gifts, calls, e-mails, and other means of support we have received over the months.

Late Saturday Night on the Coast

2006-08-05T20:58:00.000-07:00

It's been a pretty quiet weekend in Pascagoula, with lots of thunderstorms along the way. I'd like to tell you about one really cool thing that happened this week. The group from Taylors, South Carolina had a special task, one that was different from most of the relief work we are doing. The Eastside Church of Christ in Grand Bay, Alabama (20 miles away) was suffering following Katrina. Their building was in somewhat bad condition before the storm, and after the storm things just got worse. They have about 15 members, and not much hope of getting their building back in shape. Larry Wages, an elder at the Vancleave Church of Christ, called David Kilbern to talk about helping the Eastside family recover. Vancleave agreed to purchase the materials if we could send some help over. The group from Taylors took on the project and wanted to complete the work within the week. They got to work early on this week, tearing out the damaged areas. By the end of the week they had replaced all of the sheetrock, mudded, and painted the building. They took out the pews and chairs and cleaned them off and brought them back in. The ladies of the church cooked food and even sang a song to the workers. Tomorrow (Sunday) they will worship in a building that looks 100% better than it did last week. We need to get some carpet into the building to complete the task. Pictures of the work are located HERE. They will also need some outside work done, if someone would like to adopt that work. Isn't it wonderful when God's people band together to help each other out? The Taylors crew will worship with Eastside tomorrow before heading back to South Carolina. I would guess it will be a joyous assembly! On a somber note, I would like to request your prayers for the McCaughan family of Gulfport. Carl McCaughan suffered a fatal heart attack today while helping his neighbor recover from Katrina damage. Carl was an elder and long time member of the Orange Grove Church of Christ in Gulfport. He leaves behind three children and a wife. His youngest son is Andrew, who is 17 and still living at home. Pray also for Les Ferguson, minister of the congregation, those who will be leading worship tomorrow, and those ministering to the family in the following days. I am going to be more consistent with updating CHRISTIAN CRISIS RESOURCES BLOG, so if you would, check in there and participate when you can! As a flood victim, my heart goes out all the more to those who are suffering life changing disasters. Thanks for reading!

Wednesday on the Coast

2006-08-02T08:43:00.000-07:00

As we begin this Wednesday morning, all eyes are on Tropical Storm Chris, which expected to enter the Gulf of Mexico Monday morning as Hurricane Chris. I am attempting to keep these events documented at Christian Crisis Resources and the associated BLOG that goes with that site. As Hurricane Chris makes landfall somewhere along the gulf, I would like to be able to place information about local relief efforts on those sites. Keep me informed! Yesterday we were blessed to have a visit from Larry Sims and his wife from IDES. This organization has truly stood with us in hurricane relief, and we are very thankful for their financial help as well as the encouragements we receive from them. We gave them a tour of the facilities, including the dining hall. While there we ran into Gene and Robin Barrett. Gene is an elder at the Port City Church of Christ in Mobile. They were bringing some supplies for us to use in the dining hall. I also drove them through some of the disaster area that still exists here in Pascagoula. It was a joy to meet the Sims' and hope this will not be our last visit with them. Also we went to visit Mrs. Regina's home. Many of the relief groups have worked in this wonderful ladie's home. It had about three feet of water in it. I think Ms. Regina is in her late 80s and cares for her daughter, who is mentally challenged. Chief on her mind is getting back into her home (she currently lives in a FEMA camper in her back yard), and also the long term care of her daughter after she is gone. I had not been in her home in a while, so I was quite surprised yesterday to see how far things had progressed. Her home is only two blocks away from our church building. In neighboring Ocean Springs, a heartbreaking event happened earlier this week. The Kenneson Family, a household of ten people, had been flooded out of their home during Katrina. They were recently able to move back into their home, but it burned to the ground on July 28. The oldest daughter has just been diagnosed with cancer, and missed her surgery due to the fire. They are now living in a hotel room and, I'm sure, reeling from the loss. This family has been a source of encouragement to the community, having been involved with Habitat for Humanity. The Ocean Springs Church of Christ is starting a furniture / appliance drive for them. If you would like to help with donations or talk with someone to find out what they need, contact Shannon Lawlwer on his cell phone at 228-239-9025 or by e-mail at shannon.lawler@ngc.com. Interestingly, Shannon and his family returned after Katrina to find thier home totally gone. Nothing left. He is living in a house while a new home is being constructed. But isn't it awesome to see this brother working so hard for someone else, when he is also a victim? God is working in His servants. Looking forward to a great time of worship and praise tonight at Central Family Devotional. If you're in the area, come on in!

New Shepherds for God's Church

2006-07-30T19:11:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day for Central, as four men were appointed to serve as elders. In front of a auditorium full of members, visitors, and relief workers, Jim Ingram, David Kilbern, Jim Wetherington, and Gary Boswell were entrusted with the leadership of the Central Church of Christ. Jim Ingram was serving as an elder before the storm, and has now resumed those duties. His leadership, however, continued to remain strong in the intervening months. Jim's father was an elder in the Memphis area many years ago. Jim is an excellent Bible Class teacher and has been in charge of our Correspondence Course Ministry for several years. Jim recently retired from Northrup-Grumman Ship Yard. David Kilbern has established himself as a man among men, a brother with strong leadership skills, a compassionate heart, and a willingness to serve. No doubt tales of David Kilbern's work with hurricane relief have spread across the land with each group that returns home. David and Elaine have, for many years been known as people of service, bringing food to the ill and visiting the elderly. David retired from over thirty years of work at Cable One. He now owns a charter boat business that he hopes to return to one day, when Pascagoula has recovered from Katrina. Jim Wetherington is the youngest appointee. He has served as a deacon for several years. Jim was converted to Christ here in Pascagoula and has been a faithful member for many years. He is a martial arts teacher on occasion. Jim and his wife Julia have served as Sunday School teachers. Though his work schedule keeps him busy, he is involved in many facets of church life. Jim works at Northrup-Grumman Ship Yard. Gary Boswell has also served as one of our deacons for many years. Gary has distinguished himself as our worship leader, a Bible class teacher (as well as his wife, Loree), and someone who works with young people in an exceptional manner. Gary and Loree are excellent hosts, often housing relief workers and others in need of lodging. Gary has been guitar player for the Band of Faith / The Rochelle Harper Band for the past several years. He composed a song honoring the relief workers called, "They Came". Marvin Phillips heard that song, took it to Tulsa, and someone up there put pictures with it and we now have a DVD that we share with those who come to work with us. Gary is employed at Seemann Composites in Gulfport. This morning we read several scriptures that relate to elders and their work, as well as our responsibility to the elders. Then the elders and their families came to the front of the church and we prayed for each of their families by name. The church expressed their apprecation with 'amens' and applause. It was a wonderful time of affirmation. I'll try to get a picture of the new elders asap. This afternoon I spent some time catching up on some lost sleep, reading, and watching TV. It was a nice change of pace! It was also very cool that CMT was running a Hee Haw marathon, and I was able to catch several country music superstars performing in earlier times. The corny humor did make me laugh a few times, which I hate to admit! One of the groups was unable to come down to the coast, so we have about 80 workers here now, with 20 going home Tuesday morning. Our last relief workers on schedule will head home on August 18th. That's not too far away. It's a funny feeling to look down on the work crew report and see that there are times with no workers. This is the first time that I recall since workers started arriving on our Coast after Katrina. I know God will provide, and so many tell us that they are coming back. This is not a hand-wringing session at all ... just noticing and thinking. Mary will go home Wednesday. She has been here cooking for about two months. What a great attitude she has. Such a hard working woman. We will miss her - especially the ladies who work so hard to feed our work crews. Margo, her partner, was here at different times during the summer as well, and she is also a great lady. We call them the "M & Ms", and we feel blessed to have them partner with us in this ministry. Please keep us in your prayers as we face new challenges, and each new day brings new surprises. I personally feel so blessed to have shepherds once again leading the congregation. This operation has evolved every step of the way since day one, and this is a great and significant step for us. God bless you, and thanks for your comments ... they mean a lot to me!

Riches From the Dumpster

2006-07-29T19:21:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since 4:00 a.m.! But here I am at almost 9:30 p.m. and haven't taken a nap - unless you count that stretch of interstate on the way back from Gulfport. Ok, I'm kidding. Mostly. We got all of the workers to their flights on time and it was great to have that last few minutes with them. John Sanders and Gary Boswell helped me drive, since our church bus was at Six Flags in Atlanta this weekend. John Sanders has recently gotten an excellent job and will be staying here in Pascagoula, Praise the Lord! He is a very genuine young man with deep faith. Gary Boswell has been one of our deacons for a long time. His band played last night on the riverfront at Moss Point and he didn't get to sleep until after midnight, but he still got up and helped me drive the folks to the airport. We enjoyed steak and cheese omelets at Waffle House afterwards and as always, our conversation lasted long past our meal. Please say a prayer for tomorrow, as we appoint four new elders for Central Church of Christ. I hope to tell you all about that tomorrow ... but for today ... your prayers are coveted. The group from Brentwood Hills Church of Christ are doing several things this weekend, and with a great spirit. There was a big thunder boomer this morning, and we saw lots of lightning, and finally a downpour. That held us up a bit, but it did cool things off. We need the rain, as does the rest of the country. How valuable is your Bible to you? Did you read today's news story about a man who retrieved a Bible out of a dumpster - in three pieces. He took it home and put it together. It had obviously been near a fire, and had some water damage. But it was printed in 1818, and there are only six known copies of this particular printing left. So far he's been offered up to $900 for the find, but he feels that is not enough for his trash that became treasure. Almost a thousand dollars for a Bible in three pieces, burned and waterlogged? So, when's the last time you picked up your Bible? Have you actually read what it says, or simply relied on what others have said? Are you soaking in His word daily? Today I walked around Lifeway bookstore. I always enjoy looking around in there, although the 'Christian' merchandising is really silly and lame. There's a new book out about Swashbucklers...trying to gain off of the Pirates of the Carribean franchise. I saw "christian" books that used Superman and other movies as takeoffs on Christian thought. I can see doing that on a blog, but do we really need to print that? People might see it. Shiver. Anyway, I'm losing my point here ... all of these books flood the bookstore and we gobble them up. I'm guilty as anyone! Are we reading more McLaren than Matthew? Are we turning the pages of Elderidge more than Ephesians? And yes, N. T. Wright is brilliant, but much less important than THE N. T. That's a silly way to say to all of us, let's keep THE BOOK open at all times. Please remember our need for at least one more fifteen passenger van. I know that not everyone can do this, but I believe in asking. Sometimes, as Scriptures say, 'ye have not because ye ask not.' I hope you have a wonderful weekend and that tomorrow's time of worship will touch your heart and move you to become more like Him than you already are.

It's Later Than I Think

2006-07-28T19:55:00.000-07:00

Charlie asks in a comment if I got the paperwork done on that grant, and the answer is YES. I actually felt like I had kicked a field goal. It was a real accomplishment! One of the challenges was getting a letter from the Secretary of State that says that we really are a church. A wonderful lady let me fax in the information. She then got to the legal department in doubletime, and in just an hour or so my information was e-mailed to me in an attachment (and mailed in hard copy). Hopefully our paperwork will arrive on time in the office in Pennsylvania where it belongs on Monday morning - the deadline. Really, this is the product of procrastination, but kindly let's not point that out. After the storm one of our first partners in outreach was the Prattville Church of Christ in Alabama. They have a great pictorial of the work in Pascagoula from the early days located HERE. They were with us in big ways in our neediest hours. One of the ways they offered a great assistance to us was by donating a 15 passenger van. I think that van has seen more action in the past eleven months than most of it's life. Unfortunately, what is commonly known as "the Prattville van" has bitten the dust. We ran the poor thing ragged. We did have a mechanic work on it a few weeks ago and we thought we had it all worked out, but today it broke down on some workers who were returning from Gautier. First, I want to say THANKS to Richard and all the fine folks at Prattville. Then I'm wondering if there are any other churches out there that would like to follow in their footsteps? With the number of workers we have in town at any given time, we are truly strapped for transportation. We do not need anything new, just reliable people movers. The weekend is always a bittersweet time for me. Tomorrow three of the groups that have been here for a week will head back to their homes. They have grown to love us, and we have grown to love them. The homes that they served are occupied by people who stand amazed at the heroes who came to their rescue and did it in the name of King Jesus. Homes are closer to being fully restored. And tomorrow there will be tearful goodbyes. We may never see one another again, even if there are plans for future trips. We all hope to see one another in that beautiful resurrection morning, but we would like to see one another sooner. In the morning about 4:30 a.m. I will be picking up the crew from Tri-County Church of God in Pennsylvania and delivering them to the airport in Mobile. This group had a terrible two-day trip down facing lost luggage, cancelled flights and tickets, and other obstacles. I pray they have a safe journey home. This is a second trip down for some of them. Later in the morning we will take the crew from Hillside Christian Church, also in Pennsylvania, to the airport in Gulfport. The Church of Christ at South Yukon, Oklahoma will begin their long journey home in the morning. The group from Edgemere Church of Christ in Wichita Falls, Texas should be home now. The folks from Robinson Avenue Church of Christ in Springdale, Arkansas are also now home, safe and sound we hope. In all of these sad goodbyes we realize that all of this work, the many providential meetings, the factors that fell into place were all the work of God. Nothing but divine providence could explain the way impossibilities became possibilities. The two greatest impressions I have from the time Katrina came ashore until now are: God Has a Big Family That Cares and God Has Orchestrated His Will Magnificently Through Tragedy. And even as people head home, a new group is here from Brentwood Hills church of Christ in Nashville. Also a couple is here from the Starkville, Mississippi Church of Christ. More are on the way for next week's outreach. One of the couples that came from Pennsylvania spent their entire week visiting people we have served. I think I have 50+ reports of the visits made - in one week! They have some stories to tell, I'm sure. George and Gloria touched some lives in special ways, I know. Perhaps some of you retired couples would like to come down and just talk to people and pray with them? This is as vital a ministry at this point as carpentry and electrical. At this time I'm having some initial e-mails with a brother from Hillsboro church of Christ in Nashville about doing some of this kind of work in November. This coming week will be a fairly heavy one with 120 + workers here to help out. After that, the volunteer group size is much smaller for the rest of the year. This is a good time to begin planning trips to the Coast, if you've been thinking about it. Well, I have to get up about 4:00 a.m. ... and it's after 11:00 p.m. ... it's later than I think! I better get some shuteye. Thanks for reading, and thanks for your comments.

Thursday Night on the Coast

2006-07-27T21:35:00.000-07:00

Today was a day of unplanned, but welcomed, interruptions. Jim Ingram and I have a standing appointment to visit on Thursdays, but we are doing our best to get the paperwork in for the Bush-Clinton Foundation Grant. So, I made it a goal to do this today, instead of visiting. I called and left a message for Jim and went to my office. There were many interruptions - and I do try not to worry about them. God has a way of putting his nose in my business, which I need and appreciate! Mike came into my office today, nervous about a visit to a governmental office to check on some benefits to which he may be entitled. We prayed together about his anxiety ... and a serious health problem he is experiencing. He then told me he would like me to accompany him on this appointmen, which I agreed to do. I learned a lot about Mike on this trip ... more than I feel comfortable sharing here ... but he is quite an interesting man. One of the brothers from Hillside Christian Church (Pennsylvania) had spent some time explaining the gospel to him yesterday, and as a result he is considering being immersed. At first you might think he is taking it too lightly, but I think Mike is on to something. He said, first, that he would like to be baptized in a river, even though he knows there is no special significance to it. He also would like the whole church to come, and for us to celebrate with hot dogs and chips and cokes. I really do think Mike is ready to celebrate his new life, don't you? Sounds like a scene from Luke 15. On my way to deliver Mike back to the church, David Kilbern called. It seems one of the teenagers who had left the night before left some very important prescription medicine in the refrigerator at Pascagoula. They had made it as far as Baton Rouge, LA. So I agreed to meet them in Slidell, Lousiana. Maggy and I took a road trip over and delivered the medicine. Of course we had to stop at Schaeffer's in Slidell for some seafood and bread pudding. I do not promote it a lot, but I do own a Yahoo Group called "John's Journal". It is an e-mail list that is made up of positive, encouraging materials, prayer requests, and sharing of our burdens. There are no debates and we do not allow anyone to put down another. If you would like to be a part of a list like this, you can check it out HERE. Not all disasters are on the Gulf Coast. Consider what the Modesto church is doing in response to the Heat Wave in California. Buddy Davis is doing an awesome job in coordination. Check it out HERE. I hope you won't be too critical of Danny Dodd's newest post, found HERE.

We'll Be Back

2006-07-26T22:13:00.000-07:00

Tonight we had a good crowd for Central Family Devotional. Will and John Robert did an excellent job of leading singing. We had four different prayer leaders lead us before the Father. I spoke about how offering service to others brings them life, light, and praise (from Matthew 5). Then we had a sharing time, and two relief workers shared what the week here in Pascagoula meant to them. We closed out by viewing Gary Boswell and Rochelle Harpers' DVD called "They Came". "We'll be back." That's what I keep hearing from relief workers from all over the country. I think it's awesome that they come in the first place! They work hard, but never complain. They serve with no strings attached. They give up life at home ... probably time at work ... vacation time ... summer break ... and then they say, "We'll be back." That is so encouraging. One of the older couples from Pennsylvania has spent the week visiting those we have served. They are a true blessing, having a heart of compassion to visit, pray, and love the people of our community. Today I updated my blog page, taking off some dead links, re-linking some blogs that had moved, and adding a few new ones. My mother must be looking over this list and reading some blogs occasionally. She keeps bringing up things from one blog or another. She's been reading John Mark Hicks, Bobby Valentine, and L. V. Mouser....and who knows who else! Of course she reads this blog as well. If she ever figures out how to leave comments, look out! I've noticed lots of people moving their blog over to Word Press. I have noticed that the blogs there look mighty nice. But if a blog isn't on blogger, is it still a blog? Wouldn't it be a faux blog? I'll have to think about that one.

Through The Fire

2006-07-25T21:11:00.000-07:00

Both Donna and Ken have asked about some signs in my most recent posts. No, those are not real places. I made a mention a few blogs back about the Generator Blog. In the column to the right you can find all kinds of customizable stuff ... not all pictures. But anyways, I'm just having some fun with some generated graphics.

Things went smoothly today. One group of kids emptied out our church library, boxing up all the books and getting it ready for renovation. We'll take all the shelves out, clean them if need be ... place flooring, and then replace the shelving and books. It will be a very nice resource room. We will do a classroom down the hall next. Maybe David Hazelwood and his awesome flooring crew from Fulton, Kentucky are ready to make another trip down. (Is that a shameless hint? Yes it is.) This afternoon Jim Ingram and I made a few visits. I always enjoy our times together in talking to brothers and sisters. We ended our afternoon making a final visit at Dough Joe's Coffee Shop. Ok, I know this barely qualifies as an official "visit", but we did visit with Daved Baker and enjoyed it! I was disappointed today to find out that the Blur The Lines tour had been cancelled. I had just bought tickets yesterday. I almost never go to concerts, but this one looked like a lot of fun. The Crabb Family has a great song called Through The Fire that really encourages me. I'll share the lyrics with you and say goodnight. Through The Fire So many times I've questioned certain circumstances Things I could not understand Many times in trials, weakness blurs my vision Then my frustration gets so out of hand It's then I am reminded I've never been forsaken I've never had to stand the test alone As I look at all the victories the spirit rises up in me And it's through the fire my weakness is made strong (chorus) He never promised that the cross would not get heavy And the hill would not be hard to climb He never offered our victories without fighting But he said help would always come in time Just remember when you're standing in the valley of decision And the adversary says give inJust hold on, our Lord will show up And he will take you through the fire again I know within myself that I would surely perish But if I trust the hand of God, He'll shield the flames again Featuring Jason Crabb and Angie Hoskins Gerald Crabb. © 1999 Lehsem Songs/BMI (admin. by Music & Media International, Inc.)

Rainy Days and Mondays

2006-07-24T21:33:00.000-07:00

Today was a catch-up kind of day, after being gone most of last week. One of the people we have gotten to know better since the storm is Mr. Free. I met Mr. Free several times over the years as he would come by the church building for a bag of groceries from our pantry. I always enjoyed talking to him, but never really got to know him. He is at nearly every service at Central since the storm, and in the limited way he is able, has helped as he could. Having suffered some strokes over the past months, his doctor is suggesting that he take up residence in a nursing facility. As an objective outsider, I can see the benefits of this arrangement. Three nutricious meals a day will be healthy. Medical care nearby. There can be further observation for what are almost certain to be complications from his strokes. Physical therapy could restore some of his movement. It's a practical - but heartless - view. Because in spite of all of those things, the loss of dignity, independence, and his current lifestyle will all be lost. And his FEMA camper will be lost. If he is assigned to a home for a certain period of time, they will move someone else into his camper. This is a terrible decision to have to make. Of course Mr. Free does not want to live in a nursing facility. But would that be a better choice? It's tough to think about. David Kilbern told me today that we have given away almost 40,o00 sheets of sheetrock. Isn't that awesome? That's a lot of homes being made new. We have a large crowd here this week, and they are staying busy. My friends in Yukon, OK are Richard and Jeanna Lynn May. Their son Brad is here, and I talked to him today. This high school student spent the morning hanging drywall, and in the afternoon helped wire a house and place recepticles. This will be a great experience for Brad and for the 150 other high school kids here this week. My granddaughter sat in my lap this evening and kissed me on the cheek and said, "Poppy, would you go to Block Buster and rent a movie for me?" Well, we have rented that movie enough to have bought it four times. So smart Poppy said, "Why don't I just go down to Wal-Mart and buy it for you?" She was very happy. Maggy got in on the conversation and started writing a grocery list. So I head out to Wal-Mart. Oh Boy, my favorite place! (Thanks, Charlie!) There was a big rack of those movies right inside the door last week. Now, of course, they are gone. I looked in every bin of DVDs in the place. No sign of the movie, or the second-best movie request she made either. So I picked up Maggy's items and got in line. The 20 items or less line. Now I have to tell you that I NEVER get in that line with 21 items or more ... I am a stickler for this 20 item law ... but no one else is!!! A lady who clearly had 40 or more items was at the front of the line being checked out. Now directly in front of me was a little old lady, nervously glancing around me. She finally told me she was awaiting her daughter and figured she'd be back by the time she got to the register. But she didn't make it. (She was looking for a DVD, I bet!) So the nice little old lady, who had some things in her hands, said, "I'll just let you go ahead of me, and I'll take your buggy to put my items in." OK, sounds reasonable ... but as I'm checking out I'm thinking ... yes, I have less than 20 items, but some of my items are heavy and I no longer have a basket! Snookered by a little old lady. It's happened before...it'll happen again. So I carried my bags out into the parking lot where there was a new rainshower blessing the earth. Well, the asphalt where I was. It was one of those drenching rains ... not a deluge, but big drops that make you soaking wet in the first ten steps. So I laughed in the rain about the woman with 42 items, the lady who thoughtfully took my basket, the movies that couldn't be found, and Big Poppa soaking wet walking fast to his van in the rain at Wal-Mart. All for the love of a beautiful eight year old. Hope your Monday was a good one, and that your Tuesday will be beautiful.

New Arrivals

2006-07-23T23:02:00.000-07:00

We had a full house for worship this morning, and it was a great assembly. We had at least three different relief groups with us, which always adds lots of energy and excitement to the time we enjoy together. Today's message can be heard or downloaded HERE. After lunch I went to the church building to wait to hear from Bobby Ross. Carla Calhoun had driven Bobby to Ocean Springs this morning where they worshipped and and enjoyed lunch with the Logan family. By the time I heard from Bobby, the plans that I had set in place had been changed and I realized that I was not going to have the opportunity to show him around the Pascagoula relief effort and introduce him to David Kilbern. Do I hear the Rolling Stones singing, 'You can't always get what you want?' Ah well, it was out of my hands. I did enjoy spending a lot of time with Bobby yesterday.... very much. Tonight we enjoyed a great fellowship time at the Wetherington home. We have been organizing some fellowship times to get our local family back in touch with one another. It has been rewarding to see so many people gather together and share in each other's lives. The last crew from Pennsylvania arrived at the Mobile airport at almost 11:00 p.m. tonight. Doug accompanied me on the journey over, and he was so enjoyable. You wouldn't believe the story of how it took two days for them to get here ... cancelled flights ... cancelled tickets... re-routed destinations ...lost luggage .... awful. But they are here now and we look forward to a great week. We have people here from several states ... and I look forward to the week of service and mission. We also have another crew or two coming in this week. Well, I'm so sleepy...I'm going to end this now ... and look for you tomorrow!

Across the Coast and Back and then Back Again!

2006-07-22T22:56:00.000-07:00

This late night blogging has evolved into an early morning blogging now! I've got to reverse the trend. It's been a long day - but a great day. The first really important thing I did was drive to Gulfport to pick up a crew of workers from Hillside Christian Church in Pennsylvania. This little church has done big things for us over the past months. One of the sisters in the church told me today that we have met most of their church. Incredible! When I got home, I jumped in my van and drove to Bay St. Louis. There I visited with Carla Calhoun, Charlie Buckley, and Bobby Ross. Johnny Hayes, who runs Picayune's relief effort, had just left. He had given Carla and Bobby a view of their work in Poplarville. It is always good to see Charlie. He has the heart of an evangelist, he is dedicated to the bone, and he is full of the love of God. Charlie would never hesitate to tell me if he disagreed with me on some matter we were discussing...but he would never cease to love me as we searched the Scriptures together. After a drive through some Bay St. Louis neighborhoods, Carla went her own way, and Bobby and I went to Biloxi. There were severe storms in the area today. We saw four cars that had hydroplaned off of the road. When we got to Biloxi I called a member of the Division Street church of Christ to come and meet us, and he was willing. He brought their disaster relief coordinator with him, brother Tony. I am so terrible with names...I will tell you more about this church and get the names right at that time. This church is in need of significant help with skilled workers to get them moved ahead. Tony reported that there are still Biloxi residents living in tents. The church members and the church building are still in disrepair. They mostly need funding for warehousing. They cannot receive supplies because they have no where to place them. It was an encouraging visit, as these brothers were loving their community through service, just as Christians should. Bobby had an offer to stay in Ocean Springs, where he will worship tomorrow, but it got very late and the weather deteriorated. He decided to stay at Central. So he accompanied me on the next leg of my trip! Another group was flying in from Pennsylvania, but this group was coming into Mobile, Alabama. So Bobby Ross and I drove over to the airport. It seems the group never got out of Pittsburgh due to a problem with the plane. So they will arrive tomorrow (Sunday). One of their crew, however, flew through Atlanta, and he arrived tonight. His flight was delayed for an hour and Bobby had not eaten all day, so we went to Chili's and enjoyed a meal together. Doug arrived on time, and we brought him back to Pascagoula with us. I enjoyed every minute of today, and look forward to a busy day tomorrow.

Midnight Again

2006-07-21T22:12:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am up late again. Oh well, it does give me a chance to check out today's WOOT! first thing, in case I want to order it. I have never ordered anything from WOOT, but anytime I have wanted to, I was checking it at 8:00 a.m. and it was already sold out. The item of the day changes at midnight, CST! But I didn't want today's offering. Today I enjoyed long conversations with several people. Having been gone all week there was lots to catch up on. David Kilbern and helpers cooked catfish, boiled shrimp and crabs tonight. I enjoyed seeing some of the groups before they head for home this weekend. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day as two groups arrive from Pennsylvania, one in Mobile, one in Gulfport. Also Bobby Ross from the Christian Chronicle is coming in to do a survey of the situation here on the Coast. It's great to have so much activity and interested individuals showing concern. A few new blogs were added to my blog page today. A few of them are ... David Crowder - Christian Rocker's Daily Blog. Most recently, a movie of someone stealing his mailbox. Generator Blog - for those who want to generate mindless little graphics for their blogs and websites. Not a Christian site, and not everything on there is what I think it ought to be. Think MySpace. Scot McKnight's Jesus Creed - why am I the last one to know about this? I also plan to do a blog-like entry once a week on our church website HERE. Thanks for reading...even at times like these when there isn't much there. I maintain, though, that a lite post is better than no post! Good night my friends!

Late Thursday Night on the Coast

2006-07-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

I've got some catching up to do, now that we've arrived safely back on the Coast. Thank you, Lord. Wednesday morning we picked up the kids at the campsite and headed to Nashville. While traveling through the mountains ... Monteagle, I think ... my phone rang. In typical fashion I answered, "This is John." "Hi John, John Turner here. Where are you?" "I'm in Tennessee." "I know, I'm in the van right in front of you!" We had a good laugh at running into each other (not literally) on the road and arranged to meet later that night. Our teens stayed at the Antioch Church of Christ. This church sponsored an event Wednesday night called 'UNITED' on the Lipscomb University campus. It was a devotional / singing time followed by an excellent message from Landmark Church of Christ Campus Minister Nathan Capps. Following a break, there were three musical presentations. The first one was our summer youth intern, Will Collins. The other two were good, but we enjoyed Will the most, of course! Nashville Friend who used to live on the Coast, David White, was present with his wife and son. They are expecting another son in the coming months! It was a fun night. They sold concessions and accepted donations. Proceeds were to go to Katrina recovery missions. During the last few musical presentations, I had a great conversation with my friend John Alan Turner. John Alan and I firt met at Bear Valley School of Biblical Studies, taking a few classes together in the graduate program. His dad, J. J. Turner, was President of the school and I enjoyed getting to know him as well. They are now both in the Atlanta area, although involved in different churches. One of the things I like about John Alan is that we do not have to warm up our relationship after being apart for a long time. We just start talking and time starts flying. John is brilliant, but doesn't let that keep him from being real, funny, and keenly observant. He spoke for our Coast Teen Revival a few years ago and that was a lot of fun for me. I've been trying to get him and his dad on the same Sunday for a while...maybe that'll happen one day. He and Kenneth Boa wrote a book on The DaVinci Code that has done very well. He was in Nashville to teach a class for John Mark Hicks at Woodmont Hills Church of Christ. It was a joy and a blessing to talk him last night. He also brought me and Margaret a Krispy Kreme donut. I think my brother in law and blog reader Johnny Moore just got a craving for one of those! Sorry, Johnny, I already ate it! We had a safe journey home, although it sure did take us a long time. We ran into some severe weather south of Montgomery that slowed us down significantly for a long time. Well, I'm glad to be home. I was looking through some newspapers that came while I was out of town. Because of a conversation with a friend, I decided to look at the houses for rent. Get this: a 3 bedroom 2 bath house, 1300 square feet, $1500 per month. Our next biggest crisis is low income housing ... there won't be any....and there will be thousands of people who cannot afford to live here anymore. By the way, thanks, Charlie, for the comments and pictures of Charlene's house before it was repaired...or as it was being demolished. Well, it's midnight and I'm beat. I'll write again tomorrow, Lord willing.

Wednesday Morning from Tennessee

2006-07-19T05:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's excursion to Sevierville was a lot of fun for us. We ate at the Applebarn restaurant and visited the shops there. We also visited an Antique store while in that area. We didn't buy anything but sure enjoyed looking at all the items available. I talked with my son late last night and he said that everyone had enjoyed a great day. I think they are ready to sleep in some air-conditioned space! In a few hours we will pick them up and head over to Nashville. Will Collins is playing and singing tonight in a concert on the Lipscomb campus tonight called UNITED (at that link click on EVENTS, and UNITED). A collection will be taken up for Hurricane Katrina victims. We will head home Thursday morning! Alan Way and a large group from Burnt Hickory Church of Christ in Marietta, Georgia recently came to Pascagoula to help with the relief effort. Below is his report, slightly edited, from their weekend on the Coast. ********************************** Extreme Home Makeover God Style Our trip to Pascagoula was grrrrreat! I just wish that everyone had the opportunity to go with us and be God’s hands for a few days. Their were seven of us that went to help, Jan Sessions, Maria Tallbridge, Debra Stephens David Reed, Jeff Randol, Lamar, Cyndi & Kevin Burnham, Andrew Way, and myself. We had the opportunity to help serve God’s people and those around us that need God’s light and Love. Jeff, Andrew & I were the first to arrive on Sunday evening. We staked out a good spot to sleep and got ready for the next day. Our first project was to make bunks for the overflow crowd that was going to be there that week. All totaled there were about 170 people descending on Pascagoula. People came from Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and the great state of Georgia. It was a full house. David Kilburn had his work cut out for him that morning getting all of those people moving in a positive direction. He did a great job. There were people hauling sheetrock to homes, delivering furniture and cabinets, painting, cooking meals, making home visits and doing yard work. Along with all of this activity he was meeting with local, state, and federal leaders trying to plan how the clean up will continue in Pascagoula. He has even been requested to go to Delaware as a consultant to help start similar projects after the floods up there. That afternoon we got our house project. This was a little four room house with a bathroom attached to the back. This poor little house somehow survived a horrific storm but it was left desolate. The owner’s name was Charlotte and she was very discouraged. She is 30ish and single with no kids. She is staying with her grandmother and has been passed over by many programs. In fact she was thinking about bulldozing the house and selling the lot. This is where we came in. With the help of David, Andrew, Jeff, Lamar, Cyndi, Kevin, Maria, Jan, and Debra, we went to work on the little house in Pascagoula. We replaced rotted siding, caulked windows, ran new electrical wiring, put down flooring and sub-flooring, hung sheetrock and insulation. But I think the greatest thing happened on Thursday. That was the day some of our kids from Burnt Hickory got to help us with the little house. Somebody came up with the idea of writing scripture on the studs before the sheet rock went up. This is what I think will lift Charlotte spirits for years after we are gone. Charlotte said “My house has been blessed!” I wasn’t there but some say that there were tears of joy in her eyes when she saw all the progress we had made this week. We didn’t leave with a brand new house in our wake, like they do on TV, but we left a house with God’s word in the walls and God’s love in the heart of a lady that needed a little light in her life. God tells us in the parable of the sower to plant God’s word. I feel that is just what we did. I ask that everyone who reads this article prays for Charlotte. Pray that God’s love will germinate in her heart, and that she will become one of God’s servants with the deep roots nourished by God’s love producing those fruits of the spirit, love, joy, peace, patients, kindness, goodness, meekness, gentleness, and self control. Finally, I want to encourage anyone who wants the opportunity to be God’s hands for a day or a week to GO to Pascagoula. All you have to do is get there. They will feed you, give you a place to sleep, and provide you with the opportunity to ask God someday “Lord, when did we see you homeless and build you a home, when did we see you hurting and give you encouragement? God will answer “When ever you helped the least of these my children (like in Pascagoula), you have done it unto me.” Just let David know your coming, 228-217-8530, and he will leave the light on for you, so you can shine a little of God’s light into someone’s life. God bless, Alan Way Marietta, GA

Tuesday in Tennessee

2006-07-18T05:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a relaxing day and we enjoyed it. We slept late, tired from our trip up the previous day. Then we ate ate lunch at one of my favorite places, Applebees. This, by the way, breaks a cardinal rule of the road for me. I have a rule that you do not eat at a restaurant that you can eat at back home. I think Paul Franks or Danny Dodd introduced this road rule to me, but I'm not sure. Anyway, Paul's in Lithuania and can't defend himself at the moment if I'm wrong! (Prayers for Paul, please, as he leads a week of Bible camp with Lithuanian children.) We enjoyed lunch, followed by a walk around a big nice clean K-Mart. Our Pascagoula K-Mart closed a good while back before the storm, and I miss it so much! That other well-known Mart is so crowded and all the aisles are so jam-packed with merchandise that you can barely get around in there. Maggy and I decided to rent a car and on our anniversary (today) drive over to Sevierville for a visit. We rented a Dodge Stratus which is perfect for short people. I keep banging my head when I get in. Maybe it's better for skinny people. Or short skinny people. Anyway, I won't be purchasing one anytime soon. My Chrysler minivan is much more suitable to me. Am I being grumpy this morning? I'm blogging before coffee...that's the reason! There are 17 people in our group at the camp - 2 more than will fit in the Ocean Springs van safely. So we drove out yesterday evening and picked up three of our kids and followed them to the place Trent picked out for us to eat. He chose Outback. Evidently he doesn't know that road rule! Nonetheless, we enjoyed a meal at our table with Trent, Will, Brittany, and John Robert. Trent then needed to stop at that other Mart (the crowded one that is Charlie Whitfield's favorite place - you'll have to search HIS BLOG of April 3, 2006 for that reference). Afterwards, we followed them back to the camp and enjoyed our trip back to the hotel. Especially the part where we got lost. This morning we are going to get some breakfast and drive over to Sevierville. I'll report on our trip either tonight or tomorrow. The kids had a blast on the white water rapids rafting yesterday. They were all very excited. They all managed to stay in the raft except for one, and she was perfectly safe with helmet and life jacket. In fact, she'll have a better story to tell than the rest of them! They later swam in a lake, and they enjoyed that also. The heat index here for today is 111, so I hope everyone stays hydrated and takes breaks along the way. We certainly will!

Monday Morning From Tennessee

2006-07-17T07:47:00.000-07:00

We had a good Sunday at Central with some new community visitors. Shane Ellett and his group from Springfield, Ohio were able to be with us. We presented the names of four men to the congregation to serve as potential elders. Please be in prayer along with us as we re-establish our eldership at Central. I will update you on that in a few weeks. After lunch we joined up with the Ocean Springs Church of Christ youth group for a big trip to Tennessee. Trent Bryant is the youth minister at Ocean Springs. He has mapped out a great trip for the teenagers. We arrived at Big Frog Expeditions around midnight last night. After helping get all the gear out of the bus and making sure all the kids were accounted for, Margaret and I headed back to Cleveland, TN, where we will be staying for a few days. Outside of our hotel window this morning I enjoyed a misty mountain view. We are to meet the kids for supper tonight, and then pick them up Wednesday morning for then next leg of our trip. Keep us all in your prayers - these teens are not used to white water rafting, mountain biking, hiking and such! We are surrounded by friends in this area. Ross Jordan is in Dalton, Georgia. Rod Tate is in Chatsworth, Georgia. My old friend David Mellor is in Chatanooga, and I haven't talked to him in ages. Tim Gunnells recently moved to Athens, Tennessee. I do not think I know anyone in Cleveland, but my friend Richard May used to preach here. We had an uneventful and safe journey here. As we traveled through Alabama up Interstate 65, I was continually reminded of the grace we are receiving from people all over the country. Vans, busses, trucks towing trailers ... all emblazoned with the names of various faith groups that are heading south. Only God knows how many believers have come to help the Coast, and how much they have sacrificed to do so. Amazing! Ninteen years ago my life was in a confusing flurry. The old Highway 8 church building in Cleveland, Mississippi was being decorated. Food was being prepared by friends Donna Meadows and Carolyn Harrison for a dinner that night. Friends Gary Kirkendall, Danny Dodd, and my brother Gary Dobbs were making their way to town to stand by my side. Minister Eddie Lewis had his part all prepared. My soon to be nephew, Chad Givens, was plotting how he would get live crickets into my car the next day while I was distracted. And a thousand other details were being attended to in order to prepare for a wedding. Tomorrow Maggy and I will be reflecting on that time nineteen years ago when the doors to the sanctuary opened up and she walked down the aisle with her father at her side. Back home on the Coast Shane Ellett's group continues to work. David Kibler arrived last night with his group from Lexington, Kentucky. David will speak in my place Wednesday night. I wish I could be there to hear that, he does such an excellent job. Trevor Cox from Altus, Oklahoma should arrive today with his group. Tomorrow Jeff Shocklee and crew from Southaven will arrive. I pray for all of these groups safe journeys and great ministry opportunities as they come to the Coast. I did not know until this morning, but the Hillsboro Church of Christ has a portion of my message there up on their website. You can read it HERE. Thanks for reading and I hope each of you has a wonderful week.

The Landscape of Destruction

2006-07-14T21:35:00.000-07:00

Today we spent the day at my parent's home. They live just upriver from New Orleans. The shortest route to their home leads you through New Orleans. The complete devastation of this city is still as aparent as it was on day one. It is a chilling experience to drive through and see the miles of abandoned homes, cars, and businesses. I thank God for the work done through the Carrolton Avenue Church of Christ with Operation Nehemiah. Hilltop Rescue & Relief are also doing an outstanding job of bringing relief to the area. Others who are working include Tamany Oaks Church of Christ and Mandeville Christian Church. IDES is working through the Slidell Christian Church in Slidell and Pearlington, and elsewhere. I'm sure there are hundreds of others as well. And yet there is so far to go, and so much to do. We took the time to drive down Highway 90 from Gulfport to Biloxi - it was our first time to see this area in person. The pictures are stunning, but in person it is more meaningful. I realize that there have been 10 months of debris removal, but so much evidence of Katrina's power is still visible. On our way back I noted with interest the sign to Bay St. Louis, where my friend Charlie Buckley has preached for three decades. He has such dedication and strength in his faith. In a recent e-mail he requested prayer for his wife Olive. I do not know the details, but it looked as if a member of her family had passed away. The Picayune church continues to do outstanding work in Pearlington and other places. I appreciate the efforts of Johnny Hayes and others there as they continue a long-term recovery effort. Recovery efforts continue at the Long Beach church of Christ where Mark Hodges is minister. He was hired just three months before the storm. I thank God that his home was not damaged heavily, and he has been able to minister continuously in this situation. David Austin is minister for the Gulfport Church of Christ. He and a brother who has been converted since the storm have been helping people non-stop. The Orange Grove recovery effort is continuing under the leadership of Rick Rogers. Having sold their building before the storm, they are enduring some special circumstances that are making this a difficult effort. Pray for the leaders and minister Les Ferguson, Jr - who has been a lifelong friend of mine. Ocean Springs church of Christ has been a major player in the recovery of the Coast in their area. Katrina robbed 29 families of their homes, but now they have helped 27 return. Many of the members have been instrumental in the effort, under the leadership of minister Al Sturgeon. Al is a good friend who I know will take no credit - but it belongs with him. They are blessed with a house on their property which can house 15 or so volunteers. The Eastside Church of Christ, also in Ocean Springs, has also been a benefit to their community. Though small, they have a big-hearted minister named Quarderick Brumfield. I know that they have been steadily involved in helping people repair their homes and housing volunteers. The Vancleave Church of Christ is farther north in Jackson County, but they have taken hold of the opportunity to bless others in crisis. Minister for the congregation is veteran gospel preacher Buck Hall. Vancleave has steadily delivered supplies, housed volunteers, and sought to help everyone they could. They have constructed a storage facility to prepare for future storm recovery. They are also working with a church of Christ in Grand Bay, AL to help restore their facilities. The Creekwood Church of Christ in Mobile has steadily been involved in helping, in association with the Churches of Christ Disaster Response Team. I believe that the Regency church of Christ has also been involved in disaster response. Communication with the Mobile churches needs improving so that the greatest benefit can be gained from all of the work done. Still, I praise God for every person helped, and for every volunteer. The Port City Church of Christ, also in Mobile, has been so helpful to us in many ways. Our neighbors have certainly come to our rescue ... including the Pleasure Island Church of Christ in Gulf Shores, Prattville church of Christ and Hunter Hills Church of Christ, both in Prattville, AL and the Gateway Church of Christ in Pensacola. There are so many more...but these are the ones along the Coast that come to mind. I know I have probably left some churches out, not knowing their particpation in the effort. But driving across the Coast today, I was mindful of the work of faithful Christians throughout the Coast who have often put their own needs aside in order to help show the love of God to the communities in which they reside. And of course I cannot leave out the Central Church of Christ and the work going on here. We had a great week here with almost 175 workers from several states. Many will head home in the morning, and others will come in their place. I can tell you that they do not go home and forget us ... they go home and plan to come back and bring more help. That is not only rewarding to our community, but it stirs within my heart the truth of the power of service. It is more blessed to give than to receive. That truth needs to be lived out now more than ever, across this landscape of destruction.

Never Homeless

2006-07-13T20:21:00.000-07:00

Most often, I do not go to the dining hall during meal time. We usually have so many mouths to feed, that I feel the cooks shouldn't have to feed me also. But I do recognize that by not going up there I am missing out on some great fellowship time with those who have come to help us out. I talked with David Kilbern some today about the struggle to do both my ministry work and to be available to serve in the hurricane relief effort as well. So today I went to the dining hall at lunch time and offered to help serve lunch. I wasn't needed for that, so I got a cup of coffee and visited with John Loper and Tex Nolan, and ended up having some discussion with Shane Ellett - who had just arrived. I'm glad I went, and I'll try to get up there more often. One of the things that David and I have observed is that we never know where God is working in all of this effort. He shows up in the oddest ways ... connections are made when there seem to be no connections. Things happen that we could never have predicted! The story I'm about to tell you is one of those. The names have been changed because this story isn't over, and there are parts of it I really cannot divulge here. And the truth is there is much more to this story that I do not even know. A week ago I was hearing about a lady in really bad shape, and her son was with her. We had allowed them to spend a few nights at our church building. Because of various circumstances, it was a couple of days before I set my eyes on her. I've known Sharon for a long time. She has come to our building for years to pick up a bag of groceries. I have enjoyed talking to her and consider her a friend. But I didn't know she had a son. Sam is 19 but he looks 14. Sharon was really in bad shape. She has always had a respiratory problem, but now it was much worse. She had been evicted, she wasn't taking the medicine she needed, and she wasn't herself. I spent some time talking to her and praying with her, but it became obvious that she needed more help than we could offer. Sam had been labeled as mentally disabled when he was just a child. He was not raised by Sharon, but by his grandparents and an aunt. Not too long ago his grandparents passed away and he was sent to a school in North Mississippi. Sharon was recently hospitalized and he came to the Coast to care for her. As it became more obvious that Sharon would have to be placed in the care of a facility, there was much concern for Sam. In discussions with him we did not find a mentally disabled young man at all. He is even conversant in calculus. I never had a class in calculus! He is a hard worker, and has worked shoulder to shoulder with the teenagers who came in to do work this week. He started off very quiet and sober, but now has a big smile on his face. And Sam caught the attention of one of the famlies here from Ohio. The heart of a Christian is a wondrous thing. This family began to inquire what would happen to Sam. If his mother is in a care facility, what would happen to him? A man stood before me today and asked, "what if Sam could come live with us?" This is not just wishful thinking, it was the heart of a servant wide open to the will of God. After some discussion we recognized that his school situation was a good one, and would last the next seven months. The Christian man said, "On breaks you can come stay with us, when school is over you can come live with us. We'll help you get going in a Christian college if that is what you want. As long as we live, you will never be homeless." Never be homeless... I can only guess that these words were powerfully beautiful in Sam's ears. An Ohio family comes to the Coast to rebuild a home and in addition offers a home to someone they just met. Again I have to assert that we have met the grandest people the Family of God has to offer - those who would give up their time and money and energy to help people they've never met. In case you didn't know, God has whispered the same message in your ears. As long as I live, you will never be homeless.

Spending Money

2006-07-13T05:46:00.000-07:00

When you are working with the public and trying to do all the good you can, you inevitably run across those who are less than honest. Yesterday I mentioned a lady who was living in a tent - a situation which really touched my heart. When we contacted local officials about this situation, they knew all about it. Turns out there is absolutely no record of these people being in Pascagoula before the storm. They are drifters attempting to take advantage of the situation. There is also a drug issue with this situation as well. I'm very gullible when it comes to these kinds of situations! By the way, did you know that the word "gullible" isn't in the dictionary? The phone call of the year might have come yesterday when someone called to ask if in our relief effort we gave people "spending money". I guess someone had a hankering to hang out at Dollar Tree. My friends Danny Dodd and Gary Kirkendall are back from their respective mission trips. Gary has a report on his blog, and I'm sure Danny will also as soon as his jetlag gets some relief! Both report a great trip, and I'm thankful for what God does through these two brothers. Last night was a special treat at Central as Brittany and Will shared with us some of their experiences on their mission trips to Africa. Will also talked about his trip to Scotland. I think it is great when young people travel across the world to share the good news of Jesus Christ. I also appreciated during the question and answer time that Jim Ingram was focused on what kinds of food they ate in the various locations! Will ended up with a devotional thought from Matthew 19 and how we sometimes forget that we are the rich people of the world. Even in our hurricane-torn Coast, we are living far above many people in the world. We ended our night by viewing the DVD presentation of Gary Boswell's song, "They Came". It was great to have Will's parents, Bill and Sabrina Collins, with us last night. They came over to hear the reports on the mission trips and to visit. After our Wednesday night services, several of us went to the Boswell's home for tacos and talk. As I type this I'm drinking my morning coffee and watching the news. There are disturbing reports as fighting between Israel and Lebanon escalates with the threat of war. I'm not a big "sighns of the times" kind of guy, so I do not regard these events as signaling the end of the world. Nor would I say that they are not a part of the end of the world. But to me, they are reminders of the promise of the regeneration of all things. One day Christians of all nationalities will walk streets of peace, greeting neighbors who have had tears wiped away by our Father. We will reign over His creation without the deception and destruction of our enemy. Praise and worship will erupt from our hearts unhindered by our own inhibitions. We will enjoy these blessings without a second thought, knowing that they will never end. Thank you, Jesus for your precious and sweet promises! Maranatha!

Out of Africa

2006-07-11T21:15:00.000-07:00

I hope you've had a good day in your part of the world. I was able to talk to my friend Dusty Rush for a while today. I always enjoy hearing his thoughts - and he's a good listener also. It was great to see my friend Tex Nolan, who is in town for the week. Also it's always a pleasure to get to visit with David Jordan, when you can get him to sit down and rest for a minute. Jim Ingram and I made a visit together this afternoon, and spending time with Jim is never a dull moment. I did see David Kilbern a time or two today, but only for a moment!

David Kilbern's birthday was yesterday and I should have mentioned it then. Not that he has time to keep up with this blog ... but I let it escape me. I'll catch up. Anyway, you can wish him a happy birthday by sending him a belated wish HERE.

Today I met a lady who brought her son with her. She will lose her electricity in a few days. We simply cannot pay electric bills. She has a new job, but the first paycheck won't come in time. I feel really bad to turn her down, but how can we begin paying electric bills? We have tons of requests each day for these kinds of funds. We did bring her some food later in the afternoon. She said she may come Sunday. She visited before the storm and did not see any other African Americans in the crowd and she felt uncomfortable and left. I praise God that we are now worshiping in technicolor! We are a church with a wide open door that welcomes everyone. We do not meet anyone at the door with a litmus test or a checklist, we just choose to love all.

As the day was winding down I sat down and talked to a tired looking lady in our foyer. She had not heard of us helping storm victims until yesterday. During Katrina she stayed in her trailer. She has a paralyzed son, and it was his floating hospital bed mattress that kept them from drowning in the trailer. After the storm she rented a P. O. Box and had her mail delivered there. It turns out that this is a bad move ... FEMA can't seem to find her physical location. She hasn't received a camper yet. Where's she living? In a tent in some woods off of a road here in Pascagoula. For over ten months. Her son received a camper, but she can't live there. There are restrictions on who can live in the FEMA campers so that someone can't get a camper and then load up 20 other people in there. I don't know all the circumstances, you understand. But this poor woman is living in a tent. This is happening in other areas as well but it should not be happening in Pascagoula, as far as we have come.

We have a lot of people here at this time. I know that many of the teens are doing yard work. Several of our teens worked on my street today, cutting several yards. I saw a lady I know at the post office, and she told me that some wonderful teens from Georgia cut her grass today. She was so happy. I saw some of those teens tonight in Walgreens. They didn't know me ... and I have to say that they were very polite and well behaved. Good thing!

I mentioned our youth intern yesterday. Will Collins spent part of the month of May in Africa doing mission work. His girlfriend, Brittany, just returned from Malawi, Africa this week.

Tomorrow night we will enjoy a presentation of their work on the "Dark Continent" - a place where the light of Christ is growing more and more bright with each passing day. I hope that the message they bring will encourage all of our young people to be involved in missions in one form or another. I believe that out of Africa the message of Christ will come loud and clear in the coming decades.

Monday Night on the Coast

2006-07-10T21:00:00.000-07:00

I always hate it when I miss a day on the blog, because I'm sure there was something I wanted to tell you about - but it's buried deep in my memory bank now. Our daughter and grand daughter, Claire, came for the weekend, so that changed some other plans we had. It was a joy. Claire is staying with us this week and it sure is good to have her here with us. Sunday was a day filled with good things. We had about 25 community visitors with us Sunday morning for worship. Will and John Robert did a great job leading worship. My lesson was from Acts 2 and has been posted on my podcast located HERE. You do not have to have an IPOD to listen, you can hear it right from that site or download it to your computer. Following worship I taught the first part of a class on the qualities of an elder. I will finish that, Lord willing, next week. Then we had a church meeting where I shared with the church the details of my trip to Louisiana, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Sunday night we had a get-together of just the Central folks. I didn't want to offend our hurricane relief workers, but we need some time together just as a church family. We met at the Boswell's and had some fingerfoods and lots of conversation. Later we gathered in their living room and shared with each other what was going on in our families. There were tears and laughter. Jim Ingram's bird story is awesome...he could go on the road with that one. There were many shared hearts that night. We will do this again next Sunday night. This morning was typical Monday morning chaos at the church building with everyone getting work assignments and starting to their duties. We have a lot of people here this week. It's awesome! My friend Daved Baker came in and was needing to talk, so we headed over to Dough Joe's. There's something great about that place that makes it the perfect place to talk and share. Then I had lunch with Will at Scranton's. Will is very mature for his age, and his faith is also very mature. Being friends with his mom and dad, I just sat there so impressed with him as he shared some of his thoughts and ideas. Tomorrow some of our teens will join the work crews and work alongside the volunteers. I appreciate Will heading this up and particpating himself. I have already learned some things from Will that have helped me. I look forward to the next six or seven weeks with him. This afternoon I worked in my yard, cleaned off my carport (most of it), went to Lowe's, and in general tried to catch up with some of the things I've been neglecting. I let all the flowers in my planters die while I was out of town, so I bought some more. I'll plant those in the morning early before going into the office. Tonight a group of eight of us went to the Port City Church of Christ in Mobile to see New Reign sing. They are from Oklahoma Christian University. We enjoyed their performance. I enjoyed seeing friends such as Kenny (a faithful blog reader), his daughter Kristin, and Josh Moore and his wife. I also enjoyed a very positive conversation with one of the elders, Gene Barrett and it was good to see his wife Robin. I learned that his father recently passed away after an extended illness. I also had a short visit with Bruce Stewart, minister of Port City church. He is an old friend. Pray for his wife, Tammy, who has multiple health problems. So it was a busy couple of days, but we are blessed with so many good things happening. I even managed to call my mother today, which I try to make sure I do each day. Thanks for reading!

Friday Night on the Coast

2006-07-07T22:08:00.000-07:00

Our week 'off' is coming to an end quickly. Sunday we expect a crew of 22 to come in, and then more in the next day or two. So the relief effort will take off again, and we look forward to offering a blessing to our community. Margo and Mary are back and ready to run the kitchen for us. The many people who have come to Central to offer service to the community have made a huge difference. Thank you for your prayers, your trips down, and your love for strangers. It was a serious surgery, but a full recovery was more than expected. Assurances had been given by the surgeon and doctors. A two hour operation became an eight hour operation. Now several days later it looks as if she is not going to make it. They are talking about putting her in a nursing home. Her prospects seem dim. She is in her mid-40s. Her husband is going out of his mind trying to understand ... figure out what to do ... comprehend how his world has been turned upside down. Living in a FEMA trailer park in a camper, there are very few reminders of life before the storm. But there are enough reminders of the wife he loves who now lies in a hospital bed that he can barely stand to stay in his camper. This is not someone to whom we can offer sheetrock or hang up some doors and help them make progress. This requires that hearts meet and that encouragements and prayers are offered. Pray for Johnny in his struggle, and for the comfort of his beautiful wife. As we head into the weekend I am mindful that in the past two weeks we have had two young people to perish in our community. One, a young lady in a horrific automobile accident. The other, a young man I met a few years ago. Joe was one of those kids who was street savvy, even though there was no street. He lived out in the county. He had a swagger and a confident presence that made all the teenage girls like him. I liked him because we had talks about keeping life on the right track and making good decisions. Joe was baptized and had a bright flame ...for a time. But the same old friends and the same old habits caught up to him. We would see Joe occasionally at church ... coming a few weeks here and there .... then disappearing for long periods of time. Some of those times he was in jail. Some of those times he was in a program for troubled teens. But every time I saw him he affirmed to me that he was going to turn his life around. In today's paper I read Joe's obituary. The word is that he died from a drug overdose. I don't know if that's true. I do wish Joe had one more chance to get his life turned over to Jesus. He was 17. Every day we are surrounded by the Joes and the Johnnys of our community. The hurting and the helpless ... the addicted and the left behind. They are often overlooked either because their pain is so great or because they seem not to care. Lord open our hearts to the people around us who need you so desperately. Remind us that our need for you is a desperate need.

Rainy Days on the Coast

2006-07-06T16:52:00.000-07:00

We've had two rainy days on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, but we're not complaining. This rain is much needed, as we have had quite a drought for the past few months. With no volunteers in town, we have enjoyed some quieter days, but that doesn't mean that the ministry has ceased. Carla has been working to help a couple of people make some connections to get the help they need. David helped a man today who is facing some major decisions in life. Will helped me get my office in better order and visited a young man who has expressed great interest in the church. I had several things on my plate today as well. According to Dr. Jeff Master's Weather Blog, one reason we have had a calm hurricane season thus far is a large cloud of African Dust in the Atlantic. I'll take dust over a hurricane any day. Just a pet peeve here, but a certain cellular phone company is claiming to have the fewest dropped calls of all of the providers. As a customer of that phone company, I have been wondering ... how can anyone have more dropped calls than I have? So should I feel sorry for you guys who do not subscribe to that cell phone company's service, or should I disbelieve this audacious claim? I'm slowly making my way through Thomas L. Friedman's The World Is Flat. It really is fascinating. Friedman has a section on the new phenomenon of blogging and it's effects on the worlds of journalism and news reporting. In describing what a blog actually is, he wrote: "A blog is your own personal virtual soapbox, where you can get up every morning and, in the form of a column or a newsletter or just a screed, tell the world what you think about any subject, upload that content onto your own Web site, and then wait for the world to come check it out.... A new blog is created every seven seconds." I consider Out Here Hope Remains an opportunity to share what is on my heart for the day. The function of the blog has expanded, as it has become a source of information about the hurricane relief effort here on the Coast. Still, it is mostly a reflection of what's on my mind on any given day. I know, some days it isn't much! I appreciate you reading and checking it out. Your comments are encouraging and your prayers are keeping us afloat here on the Coast.

Freedom

2006-07-04T20:27:00.000-07:00

We slept a little later than usual today, and enjoyed the rest. I was greeted with a surprise large cup of coffee left at my doorstep. The coffee was from Dough Joes, but it was my friend Carla Calhoun who made the welcome delivery! The rest of the day was spent cleaning, getting groceries, and catching up on mail. I am thankful for the freedom we enjoy in America. It is the freedom to learn, and practice, our faith as we understand it. The same freedom that we enjoy allows others to practice their faith as well. That doesn't make everyone right in what they do, but it is the protection under which we all worship freely. Freedom in Christ is a wonderful thing, and it is tempered by our slavery to Christ. Independence in living for the Lord is a blessing; dependence upon Him is our power. Identity as individual children of God is glorious; comprehending the joy of relating together as His family is our strength. The freedom with which we have been privileged in America has given birth to any number of movements that are stretching forth to bring the Word of God to the world. Yet under the tyranny of oppression, the Kingdom is as strong as ever throughout the nations that attempt to control faith. A great price was paid to give us the kind of country we have today. While we can find many things wrong with our country, we owe a great debt to those who have gone before. And to those who defend our freedom even today. We have much to be thankful for... so let us never forget to say thank you to the One who rules the universe with His sovereign will.

Home

2006-07-03T18:07:00.000-07:00

Just a note to let you know that Maggy is feeling much better. We are now home. On our way we decided to stop in Mobile and eat at Cracker Barrel. While there, my old friend Garrett Irby called and left a message saying he was in Mobile and would like to come see us. So, I called him up and he came and ate with us. Then we all decided to go see a movie. The movie I WANT to see wasn't even playing, but X Men III was, and it was an awesome flick! That is my kind of movie. As I arrived home, the crepe myrtle in front of the house has blazing white flowers. The hibiscus, rose, and other assorted plants are dead. A forgotten detail I should have tended to. It's been so dry here, as throughout the South. Yesterday was my friend Chris Lockhart's first day at Calvary Christian Church near Atlanta. I will miss my dear friend so much, but I know we'll be in touch. I wish him well as he presents the Gospel of Christ in a different context. His first Sunday went well, by the way. Below: John Robert, Maggy, Lynda and Robert Lingle at Fourth Avenue Sunday Morning.

Below: Garrett Irby and John Dobbs

Unexpected Stop

2006-07-02T22:10:00.000-07:00

Our visit to Franklin, TN was exciting and full of great experiences. The Robert Lingle family has been a part of our lives since 1992. It was then that Robert, serving as one of the elders, called me to ask me to come to Pascaogula to be the preacher for the Central Church of Christ. It broke my heart when they moved to Franklin, but I am so glad they could move to such a beautiful place. And I'm thankful for their hospitality this weekend. They attend the Fourth Avenue Church of Christ in Franklin. Fourth Avenue is among the more progressive churches in Nashville. They were hosting worship leader Ken Young's annual event called STREAM. JR and I attended the Saturday afternoon session, hearing great praise and worship with Hallal and Chris Seidman speaking. Saturday night we all went back to the church building for a wonderful night of instrumental praise and worship with some of the best known Contemporary Christian songwriters and musicians in Nashville. The building was packed and the songs were awesome. I heard some new songs that I'm sure will be popularized as acappella selections in the near future. Joe Beck put together the ensemble of writers and musicians associated with Spring Hill Music. Spring Hill Worship is a new series of great new worship songs that are being written. Very fresh and exciting. Joe is a multiple award winner and was recently Contemporary Christian Song Writer of the Year. He is a member at Fourth Avenue. One especially touching moment was when Joe presented Ken Young's fantastic song FAITHFUL LOVE, and as a surprise to Ken he had written music to it. It was so beautiful. I love that song any way we can sing it! Anyway, it was a great night and I bought a couple of CDs. Sunday morning worship was led by Ken Young and Hallal. A most touching moment was a soloist singing the story of the sufferings of Christ in the song The Via Dolorosa, while we watched scenes from The Passion of the Christ. Chris Seidman had a great message, there were multiple responses and a baptism. This growing church practices some things that make some uncomfortable, but at the same time they are reaching a large number of people who are hungry for a contemporary worship experience. I praise God for the traditional churches and the contemporary churches ... every church has it's own flavor. Every church will reach someone that another church could not reach. May we all do everything we can to lift up the name of Christ in a way that is authentic to us, and be thankful for others who reach out in different ways. After worship, we ate at Carabbas in Franklin ... delicious. We were very late getting away from the Lingle's, but we just enjoyed it so much. Unfortunately, Maggy was sick on our trip ... I'll spare you the details ... but we had to stop about ten times between Nashville and Montgomery. TL, we did pass by Cullman, but Maggy was so sick, we were just trying to get home. We made it to Greenville, AL, where we finally gave up and checked into a hotel. She is sleeping now and hopefully that will help her to feel better. We will try to finish our journey home tomororow, after our unexpected stop. Home. I like the shound of that. Thanks for all the comments and those who read every day.

Back To Tennessee and Then to Mississippi

2006-07-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we spent some time just relaxing. Driving around Louisville is not for the faint of heart! For example, yesterday we wanted to see some movies. So I located a theater, did a mapquest, got directions, and we headed out. In about 45 minutes we were back downtown, never saw the theater, and went back to the room to regroup and start over! The lady at the front desk told us about a new theater across the river in Illinois. So I guess if you live in Louisville you have to go to Illinois to watch a movie! We found that place easily and thankfully! The first movie we watched was SUPERMAN RETURNS. It runs long, at 2 hrs and 40 minutes. I thought it was good. Not great, but good. I did nod off during a very quiet slow scene. We also say THE LAKE HOUSE which my wife loved and I did not like at all. It was very postmodern, metaphysical, and impossible. Of course so was Superman, but I didn't mind those things in that movie. The next movie I want to see is THE PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION. I'll let you know how that one is if I ever get to it. This week I finished reading CHANGING THE WORLD THROUGH KINDNESS by Steve Sjogren. Although there are some things (as in every book) that I would toss out, most of it is excellent. So much so that I bought his first book, CONSPIRACY OF KINDNESS from the College Press booth here at the NACC. I have now started George Barna's REVOLUTION. I recently finished Ben Brewster's little book called TORN ASUNDER. I was happy to meet him here this week at the NACC. Ben has done a great job with describing the circumstances leading to division in our brotherhood during the Civil War. College Press has picked up this book and I'm sure they will be advertising it soon. Last night in the hotel lobby we ran into Fred Franke of Operation Nehemiah, New Orleans. We had a long talk and I really enjoyed that. Fred is an elder of the Carrolton Avenue Church of Christ in New Orleans. They have put together an exceptional DVD of their work that I really enjoyed. Our next move is to get everything packed up and head to Nashville to stay with our friends Robert and Lynda Lingle. Robert was one of the elders that hired me when I came to Pascagoula over 14 years ago. They both offered friendship and leadership, advice and love when it was most needed. I think of Robert as a father in the faith, and I look forward to spending an evening with them. We will attend a concert at their church tonight, and then attend worship tomorrow morning with them at the Fourth Avenue Church of Christ in Franklin, TN. The Lingles are not too big on technology, so I will not have internet access again until late Sunday night or Monday. Pray for our safe journey home. God has led us in so many wonderful ways on this extended trip. We have met some outstanding people, made some excellent contacts, and been able to find some additional resources for the work back home. In the meantime at Central, Will Collins will speak in my place Sunday morning. He will do an excellent job, I'm sure. This week is a rest week, as we have no volunteers from out of town for the week. This will be a needed time of refreshment and rest for our folks who need to take a breather. I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed and being back in Pascagoula. Even though our city has its struggles, Pascagoula is home. God bless you and help you with the things going on in your world. Thank you for being interested enough in my world to stop by and say hello. I appreciate the kind comments made by many of you!

Brotherhood

2006-06-30T05:12:00.000-07:00

Several years ago I joined an e-mail Bible discussion list called Berean Spirit on Yahoo! Groups. The list was started by Al Maxey and has had nearly a thousand subscribers. I began to make acquaintences via e-mail with people all over the world. I met ultra-liberal brothers and I met ultra-conservative brothers. We have had people on the list that we do not consider brothers at all. Over time I even owned the list for a while, before giving it to my friend Gerry Parker, who used to live in nearby Grand Bay, AL several years ago. Anyway, on a list like that, one can bring up just about any topic and get a flurry of e-mails containing opinions on the matter ... from just about every perspective. Sometimes that leads to good conversation, and sometimes it leads to an argument. I'm telling you all of this to help you know how I came to know Mike Kjergaard. I first noticed Mike in a discussion on baptism. He was at the time preachingfor a Christian Church in Virginia. He is now at Leo, Indiana at Cedar Creek Church of Christ. In this discussion on baptism I noticed this Christian Church guy and I were hanging in there together on the necessity of baptsim for salvation, while some others were downplaying it's role. Thus began some of my education about the Christian Church. Like all churches, some congregations are different than others. There are Christian churches everywhere on the spectrum from the most liberal to the most conservative. Someone told me yesterday about a Christian Church that used to write up a local Church of Christ because they had a watermelon feed. You get the idea. We in churches of Christ have congregations everywhere on the spectrum as well. Mike and I have been friends now for several years - basically through e-mails and phone calls. One of the joys of the North American Christian Convention was to meet Mike in person and have some great conversation with him. He is just as fun ... and just as devoted to Christ ... in person as he was online. In fact, I was surrounded by people who were joyous, devoted, Bible-loving, God fearing, disciples of Jesus Christ. There were many of them, and I didn't meet all of them. I am sure I do not agree with all of them on all of the nuances of faith practices. However, we all agree that Jesus Christ is the risen Lord and we agree on how one comes to follow Christ. Last night's message and worship time was an experience I will never forget. Jeff Walling offered a marvelous lesson on God's grace. He then invited Dave Stone, the preaching minister for one of America's largest churches, Southeastern Christian Church, to the stage. Through tear filled eyes Jeff read the dedication page of his Bible - it was given to him by his mother in memory of his deceased father. He offered that Bible to Dave Stone as a symbol of brotherhood - of being part of the same Family of God. Then both Dave and Jeff called two of their mentors and heroes to the stage. I don't remember the names of everyone called. Marvin Phillips and Alan Dunbar exchanged Bibles. Presidents of four Christian Colleges - two from each fellowship - exchanged Bibles. The two leaders of the worship teams exchanged Bibles as well. All in the audience who were in agreement with this expression of brotherhood stood, united in the intent to tear down walls of division and know that God's Family has been divided far too long. We ended the evening by singing The Lord's Prayer together. I wasn't anywhere near my friend Mike when all of this was happening, but I called him on his cell phone after it was over and expressed my love and appreciation for him. We are brothers, no doubt. Born of water and spirit into God's big Family, we both preach the same saving message of the gospel. I know that not everyone is comfortable with this recognition, but comfort is not the goal. Acceptance of brothers is the goal. Putting down or picking up instruments is not even in the discussion - it's been in the way for so long. I have heard several Christian Church brothers say that they hope the churches of Christ never start using the instrument ... the vocal music we produce is beautiful. At the NACC there were acappella selections in the mix of music ... expressions of love and acceptance from the Christian Church towards their Church of Christ siblings. It is my opinion that most people in the pew are accepting of this recognition of brotherhood. I think it is the preachers who have continued to keep the fires burning on these issues. Some have been kind, some have been unkind. We've probably all been unkind at one time or another as we have tried to grapple with the history we have inherited. This is not a discussion about who worships in the most correct form. It is truly a discussion of the most basic part of our faith. Do we believe that God saves sinners when in faith they repent and are baptized? Do we believe that God continues to save sinners as they live for him and honor him in their lives? Do we believe that God will save all his children, who by virtue of His grace have been born again into the Family of God and kept in His favor? I've never really ever known anyone from the Christian Church, until I met Mike. In a post-Katrina world, I have met hundreds of them. I have talked with them about their churches back home. I have had them pray for me and I for them. I have heard them preach the Gospel passionately. I was glad to attend this convention. I am happier, though, to realize the beauty of our wonderful brotherhood. Note: I have several pictures up on my picture page. Note: The Christian Chronicle has posted a story on the NACC. Below: Mike and Me at the North American Christian Convention

North American Christian Convention

2006-06-28T19:46:00.000-07:00

I am now in Louisville, Kentucky and have internet access again. We spent the past two days at Lake Barkley, as guests of Frank and Linda Shelton. We enjoyed the restful and serene setting so much. While I was talking to my mother Tuesday morning, a deer ran across the hillside in front of me. The picture above is from the deck, and you may be able to detect the rainbow in the sky. In addition to the rest and reading, we had a wonderful visit with Cecil and Patti May, who live just an hour from where we were. They picked us up and we went to Grand Rivers, KY to eat at Patti's Settlement. We had a wonderful meal, which included their specialty: a 2 inch thick pork chop. I will confess that we all had dessert. I had the coconut cake, and they all laughed at me - it was a full fourth of a cake! No, I didn't get it all down, but what I did eat was very good! Cecil, Patti, Margaret, JR, and I laughed ourselves silly as we enjoyed each other's company. It was a night to remember. We were especially thankful on the way home that Cecil narrowly avoided running over a big ole skunk. The night ended much too soon. Today we traveled over to Louisville and checked in to our hotel. JR and I went on to the North American Christian Convention. As was the theme of Tulsa Workshop this year, there is a recognition of the division between the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ that has existed since 1906. The message that we heard tonight from David Stone was a healing and unifying message of trust in Jesus and hope for tomorrow. We also enjoyed a "Welcome to Kentucky" message from the Governor. There are thousands of people here. The service tonight was reverent, positive, and uplifting. I did talk with a representative from Hilltop Rescue mission in New Orleans, and Keith Wood from IDES, and I also saw Alan Robertson and Mike Kellet from West Monroe, LA. I look forward to tomorrow, and will offer some reflections on the theme. One thing JR and I did not enjoy was trying to find some place to eat after the evening service. We drove all around downtown Louisville for about 45 minutes, but to no avail. We finally ventured (inadvisably) into a place called LaBamba which claimed to have a burrito as big as your head. This, of course, appealed to both of us. I would just like to say that no one should believe a claim that anyone has a burrito as big as your head. It was plenty big enough, but it was filled with grease and simply AWEFUL. I have a picture of JR's plate with all the grease, but it is unappetizing! We ended up at McDonalds. That's pretty low on my list, but gourmet compared to LaBamba. Back home at Central David tells me that the teenagers there are delivering sheetrock. What a blessing to receive the needed sheetrock ... thanks to those who continue to give and bless us in our work. Miles Mayo spoke tonight, and I bet he did a super job. Will Collins is busy planning some youth trips for our teens, and preparing to speak this coming Sunday. Pray for Gary Kirkendall and Danny Dodd, friends of mine that head out for foreign missions this week. Thanks for reading! I appreciate your comments.

Sunday in Tennessee

2006-06-25T21:08:00.000-07:00

Frank and Linda Shelton have been marvelous hosts, and I will hate to say goodbye to them tomorrow. Somehow it feels we are old friends already. They are fairly new to Brentwood Hills Church of Christ and are still introducing themselves. Of course that's not hard to do with 1800 members! This morning I taught two Bible Classes and gave a short talk and prayer at the three morning services at Brentwood Hills. They are a delightful congregation and I feel I have made many friends. Of course several of them have come down to help on the Coast, and I think more will. Credit needs to be given to David White for pressing this meeting and making it happen. David is a transplant from the Mississippi Gulf Coast...so our work is dear to his heart. He has kept our plight before the people here, and I appreciate him so much for the way he has continued to support and encouraged the work we are doing. To the right is David and Janelle White. Janelle has also worked for Open Churches, which continues to offer support and help along the Coast. One of the people I enjoyed meeting is Associate Minister Clarence Dailey. Brother Clarence has been a part of this church for many many years. He has a sweet spirit and is someone I enjoyed meeting as soon as we shook hands. In fact, everyone I met at Brentwood Hills extended a smile and gracious attitude. This speaks well for their leadership. Walt Leaver has been preaching here for many years. Walt maintains a sweet spirit, a deep conviction, and a passionate message. No wonder so many people assemble here each week to hear his message from the word of God. After the last morning service, Joe Dudney took us out out eat a delicious lunch. Joe was once an elder at Brentwood Hills. His current work keeps him busy as executive director of the Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Effort. Words cannot express what good has been done in our community through this wonderful organization. Joe was delightful to visit with, and is full of stories of the people he has known across his lifetime. Millions of dollars worth of materials have been flowing through COCDRE for the past two years as people have responded to disasters in our country. Joe was featured in a picture in The Tennessean this past Sunday and everyone enjoyed giving him some good natured kidding about it. Joe took us to the COCDRE warehouse and operation and gave us a tour. It was simply a wonderful visit. As some of you know I broke my eyeglasses a few days ago and it has been a nightmare trying to restore them. I finally had my optometrist fax the prescription to Lenscrafters here in Nashville. They were ready, but I didn't have time to pick them up yesterday. So today after the tour of the warehouse, I went to pick them up. They looked great. I put them on ... not right. I think they were John Robert's prescription, not mine. Bah. Frank did borrow an arm from another pair of glasses and screwed them onto my frame. Mismatched, but functional. We got back to the Shelton's just in time to leave for Hillsboro. Another great experience with a very warm church. James Waugh is the minister for the past three years. He is an OC graduate who is very friendly. I enjoyed great 'preacher talk' with James. After worship all of the people who have helped on the Coast had a potluck at the home of Lynn and Diane Griffith. What a fun time we had with great food and a very joyful remembrance of the work on the Coast. It's getting late...it was a long but wonderful day ... tomorrow we will rest by Lake Barkley, visit with friends Cecil and Patti May, and head for Louisville, KY on Wednesday. I will likely have no internet connection while at the lake. So, this will be the last post for a few days. I hope you'll come back again later! There are several pictures from the weekend on my picture page (linked on right).

Franklin, Tennessee

2006-06-23T21:01:00.000-07:00

Because I dedicated yesterday's post to Cheryl's passing, I did not mention a neat thing that happened. On the trip from Bossier City, LA to Ruleville, MS, we stopped for lunch in Vicksburg. Maggy wanted to eat at Garfield's, so that's where we went. After ordering I looked across the room and there was Terry Rush and friends eating at a table. Isn't it something that he was traveling from Tulsa to Pascagoula, I was traveling from Bosier to Ruleville, and we ended up eating at the same place at the same time? What a trip! It was good to see him, though. I know he will have a great message at Central this Sunday morning. Today we drove from the green flatlands of the Mississippi Delta to beautiful central Tennessee. We stopped in Memphis and ate Bar-B-Que at Neely's - apparently featured by Al Roker on one of those morning shows. It was good. We arrived at the Shelton's home in Franklin about 6:00. Frank and Linda prepared a wonderful supper for us and we began the time honored tradition of seeing who we all know ... and found mutual friends indeed! Frank grew up at Union Avenue in Memphis, thus he knows the Cecil May family, who are dear friends of ours. He attended Harding Academy and met one of our elders, Jim Ingram, as a child. He is acquainted with John Mark Hicks through one of his children. Frank is a retired hospital administrator. One of our former elders at Central (Robert) is a retired hospital administrator. Both Frank and Robert moved to Franklin, TN less than a year ago. Neither of them knows each other, but I think a meeting is in order! I think there were other connections, but I've forgotten now after an evening of great conversation and hospitality. We have a wonderful and comfortable room in their home. Tomorrow morning Frank and I will go to a breakfast meeting, and then he will help me find someplace where I can get some new glasses. Yes, I broke my glasses. That's a pretty brief report, but I'm glad to have some new friends ... and look forward to getting to know them better over the weekend!

Goodbye Cheryl

2006-06-22T18:47:00.000-07:00

Four or five months ago I received a call from an elderly woman who said she used to be a member at Central. She now lives in Arizona with her husband. His daughter lived in Pascagoula. Like many people her home had been washed away in the storm surge Katrina pushed ashore on August 29, 2005. His daughter's name was Cheryl, and she has cancer. In fact, she had been given only 6 months to live. We began to visit Cheryl and to send compassionate visitors to her side. Cheryl lived in a FEMA camper in the parking lot of a strip mall that no longer housed any businesses. It was an eyesore and a haven for drug use and abuse. Her camper was brightly decorated with Coca Cola stuff ... all kinds of stuff... you name it, Cheryl had it. Some of the volunteers who visited Cheryl really fell in love with her ... some ladies from Missouri in particular. They continued to write her, text her cell phone, and bring her joy. She called them the "M Girls". Robbie was especially close to Cheryl, bringing her something with the Coca Cola emblem on it most every time he visited. Her eyes would always light up whenever he brought her something she didn't already have (which was hard to do!). Brooke and Twila visited with her in the past several weeks, and she really loved them as well. The first time I visited Cheryl, we spent some time getting to know one another. Her one desire that was stronger than all others was to see her father. She had not seen him in 20 years. Unfortunately, he also was dying of cancer in Arizona and there was no way he could travel. Cheryl always cried when she spoke of wanting to see "my daddy". With neither of them able to travel, it seemed impossible. We tried to keep Cheryl supplied with Ensure, because that's all she could keep down. Still, she didn't drink very much of that. The last time I visited Cheryl, Robbie went with me. She had been moved to a much nicer FEMA park and into a camper that she liked better. Robbie had found an old Coca Cola ashtray in a box that belonged to Daved Baker. Daved gave it to him to give to Cheryl, and he did. She smiled so big and was just taken with it - it was very old and she did not have one. I watched as Robbie sat on the edge of the bed and held her hand. He is so good with people. Cheryl cried as she told us that she only had a few weeks to live. Her cough and the pain she was experiencing told a different story. She told us her wishes for her arrangements. We met her daughter and some friends. Cheryl surprised me when she told me that her daddy was on his way. Somehow he had regained enough strength and was coming to see her. She cried again, this time with expectant hope. Then we held hands and prayed for her comfort, strength, and healing. We left, wishing we could do more for this lively strong woman. Early this morning, about 3:00, Cheryl passed from this life. Before she died, she did get to see her Daddy one more time. They were able to hug after a 20 year separation. He is so thankful for the Central church and those who went to visit Cheryl. I'm so glad he got here in time to see his little girl. She was 49. Cheryl is not the first Katrina victim to which we have said goodye. There was one of our elders, Al Holliman. Terry, a man who volunteered and worked hard, and died much too young. A young widow who took her own life in her grief and the drugs that clouded her mind. But we had more time with Cheryl. We knew she was dying. And we knew that it was very possible that every visit was our last. A vivacious woman who died too soon, she was a Katrina victim who never got to live in her own house again. Goodbye, Cheryl. I pray you have peace and comfort in the gracious arms of God.

Friends In Bossier City, Louisiana

2006-06-21T19:55:00.000-07:00

We had a safe journey to Bossier City, Louisiana this afternoon, arriving about 3:30. We have this appointment because a group from Airline Drive heard me speak at Memorial Drive Church of Christ in Tulsa earlier this year. I remember some of the people we met there ... including Carrol Floyd, who has a ready smile and a word of encouragement. A brother did a great job leading worship tonight before I spoke. While we were visiting with several before church, in walked Bill and Flo Green. The Greens were members at Cleveland, Mississippi during my early youth ministry years. Their daughter Renea was also present with her husband and beautiful daughter. One of the first people we met was Troy Freeman, who introduced me for the message tonight. After the services there was fried fish and fixin's to eat. We enjoyed so many great conversations. We sat across from Michael Keyes, who was visiting from Tulsa. He has a ministry with prisoners helping them transition back into society. I enjoyed very much our discussion on that matter. Sitting next to Michael was ADcoC member Gary Hatcher. After talking a bit, I found out that his dad is Weldon Hatcher. I have met Dr. Hatcher a few times. He was one time director of Sunnybrook Children's Home. He is still very active in serving others and helping them with their problems. We also met a lady who is a cousin to June Franks, wife of Al Franks who both edit the Magnolia Messenger. She asked me if I had ever heard of "Booger Branch", where they were all from. Of course, I have! I have also heard from Margaret's dad about a community in the Mississippi Delta named "Booger Den". This might be a record for how many times the word "booger" has appeared in any one post in this blog. Anyhow, I also met a lady from Cotton Valley who knew Dorice Mitchell WAYYYYY back when. Dorice preached at Central for over 30 years. Needless to say, it was such an enjoyable night and the message was received well ... though it challenges even some of my own comfort zones. In the morning we will have breakfast with the Green's and then head for the Mississippi Delta. Maybe I'll get a picture of Booger Den! Maybe not. Below are a few thoughts from my message tonight. Thanks for reading. WE BELONG TO EACH OTHER Romans 12:3-5 I will confess that I did not grow up knowing the size of God’s Family. I was taught to limit the members of that family to one particular group. I was taught that it was easy to step out of God’s Family. I was given the impression that growing churches merely provided entertainment - and that's why they are growing. While working for Magnolia Bible College in the early nineties, I preached once a month for a church that sprang from the non-class sect among churches of Christ. I realized that there was an entire Family of believers I would have never known. It dawned on me that the body of Christ has been robbed because we did not know how to love one another beyond our differences. Through e-mail groups I began to be more familiar with the Independent Christian Churches. By e-mail, I made friends with men who stood firmly on the gospel. More and more I realized that there are wonderful Christian men - another brotherhood I never knew about. Then a storm named Katrina destroyed our Coastal communities, and people from every faith family came from all over the nation to help us. Churches with whom we have vast theological differences stood by our side to help us recover. Why? Could it be that other groups are more aware than we - that we belong to each other? Some of my own brothers rejected us because we were serving arm in arm with those we normally would not have known much about. In many cases, and the only thing keeping us from one another is a matter of interpreting a very few verses of Scripture. It’s hard to know where to go from here. Much of this division was created by other people and handed down. Aside from the Gospel, the most pressing message of the New Testament is how we ought to live with one another. The words "one another" appear together 58 times in the New Testament. It is crucial that we function together as God’s people, treat each other with the love of Christ, cooperate in the work of the kingdom, and recognize our inability to do these things without each other. It does not mean that we always agree nor that we abandon our convictions. Romans 12 shows those who would be divided in spirit, how to maintain unity! It moves us to overcome the northside / southside mentality! We move away from a "they" to a "we" concept! We move away from dividing kinds of Christians in our minds. We move away from individuality and into collectivity! 1. SERVE TOGETHER IN SURPRISING PARTNERSHIPS (3) Watch how God will partner you up with others to serve! Look for opportunities to serve alongside those we traditionally may not. You may have to rebuild bridges that were torn down by others. Do not thwart the purpose of God by thinking you are better than another believer! You think too highly of yourself when... -You feel you have accomplished more in the faith than someone else. -You think you are more qualified for the prize than someone else. - You don't want to serve alongside someone in the Kingdom! Galatians 6:3 "If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself." Our cynical and dark world doesn’t believe our message because they do not see our Messiah in us. 2. SERVE TOGETHER IN IRRECONCILABLE DIFFERENCS (4) Serve together in your differences! There are great differences among us. We do not all have the same function! Two things in which God’s Family is alike: We belong to Christ and We belong to each other. Don't discount your brother, he may be the leg that you need to stand on one day! Do not let differences keep you apart. In churches of Christ, most of the divisions I have seen are personality driven. Within the Christian community at large I see a lot of political posturing, territorialism, jealousy, and walls of division that keep people apart. We do not have to ignore differences, or even agree - but we can all act like Jesus while we serve together to make a difference in the world. Our differences only make us different, not disinherited. 3. SERVE TOGETHER WITH CONFIDENCE (5) Our confidence is in Christ, not in our theological depth. Romans 1:16; Galatians 3:27-29; Colossians 3:11. Conclusion: The Bible is specific when it comes to the family atmosphere of the kingdom. We are a Family when we worship and serve as a family! We must get beyond rote religion, which is dead and dull, into living, vibrant, happy family life. That's where we find support through the storms. That's where we learn to treat one another. That's where we really can let our spirits loose to worship God. That's where we see the potentials that are available to us. Have you brought the Family of God closer together by your attitude, or driven in wedges of division? Are you committed to God as an individual so as to bless the whole? Ephesians 3:14, 15 "For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name."

Busy Days on the Coast

2006-06-20T17:18:00.000-07:00

There was lots of activity around the church building and community today as groups from various places got to work. I'm adjusting to being back in the office after an extended time at home and then Bible Camp. It still just amazes me to see the people scurrying around from job to job doing all they can to help as many people as possible. Jeff Smith is the preacher from Shelbyville, TN. He arrived with the knowledge that one of their members may pass away at any time. Unfortunately, this did come to pass, so he had to go home. But I did enjoy a great conversation with him before he had to go home. Above is Rod Lindsey and another brother from Shelbyville. Rod is a real go-getter who likes to see things happen. I bet he is hard to keep up with! His son Chris is the lead singer in Watershed Worship. Rod also reads the blog (which puts him up a notch in my estimation!). He knew when I came in with a cup of coffee this afternoon that I had been to Dough Joe's!

Will Collins is now here at Central working with our teens for two months. I appreciate him getting them involved in service right away. Spending some time painting today were John Robert Dobbs (my favorite son), Ashton Spivey, and Lanni Harris. That's Will in the orange shirt. Will and Joel Jordan were going to participate in open mic night at Coffee Fusion tonight in Ocean Springs, so they headed over there not long after this picture was taken. Tomorrow night (Wednesday) Bobby Smith will speak at Central. He is the Youth Minister at Memorial Drive Church of Christ in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He has only been married nine months and is missing his beautiful wife. I know he'll do a great job. This coming Sunday we will have a double blessing as Terry Rush and Craig Hicks bring the morning message and Sunday school lesson, respectively. The following Wednesday night Smith Street Church of Christ (Fulton, Tennessee) minister, Miles Mayo, will bring the message. These are some great opportunities to recieve some wonderful spiritual food! Remember that if you are in the area, I'd love to meet you at the Airline Drive Church of Christ Wednesday night at 7:00. After the service they are going to have a fish fry. I wonder why they are eating AFTER I speak? Think they've found a way to get me to quit on time? I think it will work! One our new brothers since Katrina hit is Robbie Woods. Robbie is a wonderful young man that I admire. He recently received his 6 month chip from AA for being clean and sober! Awesome! Robbie has had a strained relationship with his father for most of his life. Last week his dad had a severe motorcycle accident and nearly died. During that uncertain time his dad called him for the first time in a long time and they had a long talk. Robbie is going to fly up to West Virginia to see his father. His ticket is just over $600, half of which is being contributed by a visiting church group. If you would like to contribute the other half, let me know. Also, we have now established a building fund to refurbish our church building. Donations are being accepted and must be specifically earmarked for that part of our mission. All other funds go directly into the hurricane relief fund and are used to minister to our community. The seed money for this account was a $56,000 gift from www.ides.org, and a $1,000 gift from a Methodist church that wanted to help us get our church building back in order. The address to send gifts is on our website, www.123Jesus.com. Click on the icon for the KATRINA page. Pray for our safe journey over the next week and a half. I will do my best to keep you informed and let you know how things go! Thanks for reading. It is a blessing to me that you have such an interest in my world.

Sunday on the Coast

2006-06-18T17:29:00.000-07:00

We had a good number this morning with great singing. The group from Shelbyville, TN are great singers and they added a lot to our worship. Their preacher, Jeff Smith, was here today and I enjoyed meeting him. Our summer youth intern is here. Will Collins will be working with us for the next few months. Will is a talented singer and musician. I'm looking forward to having him around. This morning I preached from Psalm 103 on What The Fatherhood of God Means to Me. After that I taught a class from some notes by Norman Bales on the subject of Overcoming The Obstacles to Happiness. Both were well received as far as I could tell! Margaret hasn't been feeling well so the kids and I ate at La Fiesta Brava for a Father's Day lunch. Now I like to eat there often, so in one sense it wasn't special...but to be with them was special to me! This afternoon I went to the hospital and visited a 96 year old man who fell through his ceiling to the floor. He is in bad shape but good spirits. I also visited a lady whose house we are working on. She was especially appreciative of the prayer we had together. Then I went to Wal-Mart. I bought some tires a few months ago and one of them lost a segment of tread recently ... so they replaced it. I ran into the Boswells there, and we enjoyed an hour of conversation while we blocked an aisle. I got a haircut also ... and the stylist was upset about an unruly customer. Let's just say that I was a bit nervous at her anger and she was bearing down with that buzzer a little harder than usual. I just finished TORN ASUNDER: The Civil War and The 1906 Division of the Disciples by Ben Brewster. Ben preaches for the Airline Drive Church of Christ in Bosier City, Louisiana. I am speaking there Wednesday night and wanted to read his book before getting there. I picked it up at Tulsa back in March. I really enjoyed this small volume (133 pages) and learned some things I did not know about our Restoration Movement history. Of interest to me was the difficult relationship between J. W. McGarvey and David Lipscomb, and the failed effort of T. B. Larrimore to get those two to find common ground. I recently was sent a very old copy of Larrimore's Letters and Sermons in a volume that is barely hanging together, but still readable. I would encourage you to purchase a copy of Torn Asunder and give it a read. I recently ordered and received in the mail new books by John Alan Turner and Dallas Willard. A certain author who reads my blog promised a book via mail, but I haven't received it yet. :) Of course if you are in the Shreveport / Bosier City area, I would love to meet you Wednesday night at 7:00. I'll be speaking on the subject, "We Need Each Other" ... and I'll tell you more about that later. Sometimes people who come to work choose to stay in a hotel rather than in the warehouse bunks we offer. That poses no problem to us. While talking with Loree Boswell today, she mentioned the Moss Point Oaks Bed and Breakfast. Now I know it sounds like an oxymoron to say to your friends that you went to the Coast to do hurricane relief and stayed in this wonderful bed and breakfast! Stop laughing! I will say this, it is a beautiful place, they have a breakfast included in the price, and it is less expensive than the hotels in the area. I promise not to laugh at you if you stay at the B&B, but I wouldn't tell your friends back home. Well, that's all the news here that I know. I hope to give you some more thoughts tomorrow. This will be a busy few weeks ahead with lots of travel... but I will have to give you that info in a post very soon. I will say that if there is a church in Western Kentucky or Central-Western Tennessee that would like me to come and visit and report on our work on Sunday, July 2, let me know as quickly as possible. Thanks!

Home From Camp

2006-06-17T06:15:00.000-07:00

I am now home from a wonderful week at Gulf Coast Bible Camp. From a human standpoint, we really should not have had camp. Many of the staff were storm victims, and taking a week out of town was a struggle. Some do not yet live back in their homes. Most of the campers were storm victims, with many still out of their homes. Three on our staff are transitioning into new jobs. Some staff had work duties they could not escape and had to leave at various times during the week to accomodate the expectations of their employers. Pulling together a camp session is never the easiest thing to do, but this year there were so many things working against us. However, we cannot leave God out of the equation. He had a plan to pull together this group of people for the week, and it was a time of growth, fellowship, and love. We studied The Beatitudes during the week and challenged the kids to live revolutionary lives. We rejoiced with two young men who placed their lives in the hands of Christ in baptism. Three of the 'best camper' awards were kids from Central! Yay! There are, of course, a thousand camp stories. I will not try to tell you all about them. Over 300 pictures from our week of camp are on my picture page linked to the right. The hurricane relief effort, of course, continued on steadily while I was gone. We had groups here from several places, including a couple of returning groups. I was glad that Dusty Rush, University Church of Christ Conway AR, came over to my house last night and visited for a couple of hours. I hated to be out of town while he and Jason Turner were here leading a group of teens from Arkansas and Texas. They worked hard, according to all accounts, even taking sheetrock to my neighbor during the week. Dusty spoke Wednesday night to a crowd of about 150 or so - mostly volunteers. His group was bedded down at the Vancleave Church of Christ, which has been a wonderful partner with us in providing housing for volunteers. So, after our visit, I took Dusty to Vancleave and was able to see Jason and also meet the youth ministers from Texas (one of whom says he reads this blog!). The time flew by too swiftly, but I was thankful for the moments we had. David Kilbern called last night to say that the group from the First United Methodist Church in Lebanon, IL left us $1,000 to assist in refurbishing our church building. I never cease to be amazed at the generosity of our friends who come to help us from all faith families. This is even true locally. The First Presbyterian church just a few blocks away from us has offered the use of their facilities for weddings and funerals and other occasions. They even offered to forego the usual charge for the facilities. God has certainly used people from all faiths to bless not only our community, but our church as well. Today I'll spend getting ready for tomorrow at Central. There are some dark clouds in the sky and the wind is blowing steadily. Perhaps we'll get some needed rain today. Thanks for reading and for your prayers.

Return to the Coast

2006-06-10T22:30:00.000-07:00

We had a great supper at Johnny and Carol's home Friday night. Johnny and I got to have a long conversation. Johnny and I were friends long before he was my brother-in-law. He reminded me that he was part of the moving crew that brought me from Ruleville to Cleveland so many years ago. He really liked my description of the people we knew as "characters". We decided that every church and every family has a lot of characters, which keeps things interesting. Johnny and Carol's lives were changed dramatically when a drunk driver with no drivers license ran into Johnny while he was on his motorcycle. In all of their struggles, though, I have seen nothing but faith and determination. I'm sure they have had their moments, but they do like all great people do, they keep going. I love Robert Schuller's book, Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do. Dr. Schuller should meet Johnny and Carol Moore. They also read this blog every day, which gives me a great opportunity to honor them and let them know how much I love them. Family reunions offer so many opportunities to catch up. I have about 60 pictures on my pictures page (link on the right). Many of the people at this reunion are folks I only see once a year. I didn't grow up with all of them, so it takes me a while to figure out who everyone is. It's a great bunch of people. I found out that there are others in the family who are reading the blog daily, which encourages me and I'm thankful. Dick and Ollie Sue Willingham are my wife's parents, and they love me, but they do not read the blog (except occasionally when they are at Johnny and Carol's). I enjoyed our visit to their home and hope to visit again soon. I think it has been Thanksgiving since I was there. That's too long. I also need to get over to visit my mother very soon, she reminded me today that I need to give her a weekend. I agree. It's been too long. I know that every family in this busy generation struggles with visiting their parents and children - but it's important. Tomorrow I'm off to Gulf Coast Bible Camp for our yearly week out there. I have a great staff and am looking forward to a great week. I will not be posting for the rest of the week, unless I sneak away for a short time to come home. If I do that, you know I'll have to post to tell you how things are going. In the mean time, we will have upwards of 150 workers here at Central. Thankfully, the "M & Ms" will arrive back in town this week. Margo and Mary were here before, and they're coming back to cook. Good timing! Margo reads this blog as well, and I appreciate the many notes of encouragement she has e-mailed along the way. This coming Wednesday night Central will have a special treat as Dusty Rush will speak. Dusty is minister for the University Church of Christ in Conway, AR. This church has been one of our major support systems during the crisis. They will conduct services for us and I know they will be awesome. Dusty's dad will also preach later this month. If I have time, I will post the Sunday sermon on the Pod-o-matic page (link to the right). I had time last week, but I wasn't as pleased with the sermon as I wanted to be, so I declined to post it. Now... do you think I am going to post on this early Sunday morning without mentioning Tropical Depression One ... which will soon be Tropical Storm Alberto? Well, there's the mention. What can I say? It's going to be a long summer.

From The Mississippi Delta

2006-06-09T08:43:00.000-07:00

Ruleville, Mississippi is the kind of place you never have a reason to visit unless you know someone who lives there. That's why I'm here. It is the place where I spent two years in my first full-time ministry work. I think God will give them extra grace for what they endured under my youthful tenure. This is the place where I first met Margaret and Nicole, a beautiful young single lady and her daughter who comprised the youngest people at the Ruleville Church of Christ. It would be a few years before our eyes would catch each other's in a different, more romantic way. The Ruleville church was full of characters. As David Kilbern describes it, people with "dynamic personalities". That's not a negative description, by the way...just the truth...and a delightful truth at that. Every small town in America has churches full of characters, and they are much more interesting than anything you see on television. I am blessed with wonderful in-laws. The Willinghams adopted me as a son from the beginning. I have always felt welcome in their home. I'm sitting at my in-law's dining room table at this moment. My internet connection is leeched from the doctor across the street who, thankfully, has an unsecured wireless connection. He's a friend of the family so he won't mind, I'm sure. The Willinghams (my in-laws) are in the process of painting the kitchen and everyone's doing something but dad and me. Margaret's dad can't paint because of his dizziness ... I can't paint because I can't paint. Margaret's brother, Dickie, is directing the effort. Chad, our nephew, is removing cabinet doors and working on those. Ollie, Margaret's mother, is up on a chair painting (is this a good idea? Dickie told her to get down!). Even Margaret is painting ... I'll have to get her to do that at our house! I think I will make myself useful by getting lunch. That I can do. We are scheduled to have supper with Johnny and Carol Moore (Margaret's sister and husband) tonight in Cleveland. Tomorrow is the Chandler family reunion (Margaret's mother's side of the family), and then we will head home after lunch. It's ok to wake up now. Back home in Pascagoula work crews are heading home today and tomorrow, and then new crews will come in. Next week will be especially heavy with up to 150 workers. It is thrilling to see the work progress and continue. I am just amazed that people are still coming! God is so good and His Family is so awesome! Before we go, please keep my friend Ben Overby in your prayers. If you don't know what he's been doing at Fort Benning the past few years, you have missed out on some news about real ministry. The chaplain at the base has now discontinued Ben's ministry there and he must find a new ministry job soon. He has a great family and I recommend him highly. You can read some about it HERE. Ben stands unique in many ways in our brotherhood ... he is a treasure house of spiritual knowledge and I hope some church will adopt him soon either as minister or in some other capacity. Ben's blog is located HERE.

Wednesday Night on the Coast

2006-06-07T21:10:00.000-07:00

The last few days have been an odd combination of getting ready for our session of Gulf Coast Bible Camp, relief work, visitation, and organizing the office. Since the office is semi-functional at this piont, my availability to people will increase. I have already had several great conversations with people and look forward to more. Tonight was just awesome. We had a full house for worship with groups from Lexington, Kentucky, Vernon, Texas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma filling our pews. Chris Robey, youth minister for the Wilbarger Street Church of Christ in Vernon was our speaker. He did an outstanding job. Then a lady from texas and a teen boy from Lexington shared their thoughts about the mission experience with all of us. One of our deacons, Gary Boswell, wrote an awesome song called "They Came" about the hurricane relief workers. He and his friend Rochelle Harper recorded the song. When Marvin Phillips was here last, Gary and Rochelle played and sang the song for him at Gary's house. He took the recording back to Tulsa and someone made a DVD with the song and images from Katrina ... it was awesome. We played it tonight and everyone sat speechless when it was over. What a stirring presentation. I'll talk to Gary about getting that song on the internet somewhere so that you can hear it. I hope by now that everyone has heard Third Day's song "Cry Out To Jesus". It's playing on my computer right now... beautiful....stirring....heartbreaking....hopeful. Tomorrow we will head to North Mississippi for a few days with Maggy's side of the family having a reunion. A couple of prayer requests before closing... Marvin Phillips will have surgery on a coratid artery that is 90% blocked this coming Monday. Susan Carter is having tests run and may have cancer. Her husband, Ron, is an elder with the Hunter Hills Church of Christ in Prattville, AL. Ron and Susan are well known throughout the brotherhood because of their tireless efforts in Honduras, their work as church leaders, and their interest in knowing and loving all people.

No Peg Leg For John....Yet

2006-06-05T20:34:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed this morning as I arrived at the building to meet some of the workers here. The past month I've been pretty much out of the scene, missing entire groups, sitting in my chair. Mondays are always so crazy as we get work orders together and try to get the teams organized. A few of the teenagers helped bring books and other materials from upstairs to the church offices. The office area is starting to look like an office again. However, placing the books on the shelves is really a big task - I have a lot of books. I'm culling through the books, and trying to cut down on the number of books. It's hard for me to do, though ... I always think that the book I get rid of will be the one I need next. I believe we were putting sheetrock in three houses today with about 100 workers here. Awesome! I went to the doctor today and let him take a look at my leg. He and I agree that the phlebitis is essentially gone, but there is a great deal of fluid being retained in the leg. There is some discoloration because of blood in the leg or something like that. Anyhow, he gave me a diuretic and thinks that this will end the problem in a few days. As a precautionary measure (and so that the insurance company can be billed), they will do an ultra sound of my leg tomorrow to make sure that there isn't a clot hiding in there. So, no peg leg for me yet. The medicine he gave me has a warning about being in direct sunlight while taking the subscription. Nice. I'm off to Bible camp next week. Guess I can be like Dr. Moreau and come out dressed wrapped in rags and wearing a big hat and whiteface. Chris Robey is here from Vernon, Texas. He will bring the message at the Central Family Devotional Wednesday night. I look forward to hearing this dedicated young brother bring the Word to us. Thanks for reading. I hope that your week is off to a great start and that you will see God's handiwork in your daily routine.

From Alabama to Mississippi

2006-06-04T20:45:00.000-07:00

This morning we began our day with the family of God that worships at the Pleasure Island Church of Christ in Gulf Shores, Alabama. This interesting church is host to an enormous number of visitors each Sunday, because of the vacation setting in which they live. I spoke during the morning class time on the work in Pascagoula. During the worship hour I spoke from Luke 17 about the ten lepers. I enjoyed seeing many faces of people who had been over to help us during the early days right after the storm. A group from this church video taped our home and showed it to the congregation. They have offered us a great deal of support and we are so appreciative. It was great to say "thank you". As an unexpected bonus we ran into old friends there. Toby Hunter and his wife from Belle Chase, LA were there. The Belle Chase church is still meeting, although there are only a few of them at this point. I also saw Allison Jordan and her friend John. I regretted that members Jim and Melody Davis and kids, and Brian and Angel Lamar were at other locations. Maybe I'll catch them on another visit. I did enjoy seeing John Ash and his wife. John serves as one of the elders of the church there. Also Buster Herron and his wife Barbara were there. Buster also serves as an elder of this church. Frank Hughes led energetic singing during worship. Frank has been over to Pascagoula several times and has always been an encourager. He didn't even make fun of me when I accidentally called him "Jack" from the pulpit. I'm not good with names these days! We enjoyed lunch at The Oyster House with our hosts to the right. That's Buster and Barbara Herren with granddauther Katherine, then Monte and Carl Shellenberger. We enjoyed a great meal and great company. Barbara and Monte are very involved in helping the hurricane relief work at Bayou LaBatre. One of the unique features of the Pleasure Island Church of Christ building is the murals that line the hallway of the education wing. Someone with real talent painted these murals depicting Bible stories. What a great way to implant the truth of the gospel in young minds. Mark Jamieson is the minister of this congregation, and Eric Gray is the youth minister. Both are doing an outstanding work. This morning at Central Ron Webb was the preacher. Ron has for many years willingly served the congregations of our area as a fill-in preacher. He preaches a positive and truthful message with great conviction and humor. I hear he had some things to say about me today. I'll have to investigate further. Ron is beloved by Christians in every congregation on this Coast. Church leaders would be remiss to pass up an opportunity to have Ron address the congregation. He has served as a deacon at Central in the past. Ron's health is not as good as he would like it to be, but he continues to serve when he can. His wife Kathy is a friend of many and has a great Home Interiors business. If you are within driving distance of Pascagoula and need a preacher, I can put you in touch with Ron and I will promise you that your church will be blessed. He has performed the weddings of many people, and eulogized the deceased both in and out of the church. Ron has been a friend since the first day we arrived in Pascagoula. That doesn't mean that Ron agrees with everything I think (an endorsement by me is not a favorable thing in some places!), but in expressing himself you can expect kindness and the love of Jesus Christ. We arrived back in Pascagoula this afternoon. For more than nine months my personal library has been in a big stack piled upstairs where I cannot get to it. Tomorrow, Lord willing, we will begin moving them downstairs and into the church office. On a personal note, I'll give you a report on my leg tomorrow. Things are not what I wish they were at this point.

Jeanie's Blessing

2006-06-03T19:23:00.000-07:00

Today we mostly rested. We drove down the beach strip to Perdido Key and ate a late lunch at The Reef. John Robert swam in the pool. We could have gone to the beach, but I can't really stand around or walk around there for a long time. The water is beautiful blue-green today and there are lots of people out enjoying themselves. The weather is perfect for a day at the beach. Tomorrow we look forward to meeting with the church here and then heading home. Back in Pascagoula, all of the out-of-town groups left this morning. A new group from Florence, Kentucky came in this afternoon. Crews from Lexington, Kentucky and Tulsa, Oklahoma will arrive tomorrow afternoon. It'll be a pretty busy week on the Coast. Tomorrow Ron Webb will be speaking at Central during morning worship. If you haven't been receiving Al Sturgeon's daily hurricane update, you've been missing a treat. Al is the Preaching Minister for the Ocean Springs Church of Christ. For years before the storm we met weekly for lunch and encouragement and talk about ministry. I miss that more than he knows. Maybe one day we will be able to get back in the groove. But the following story from Al is not only a glimpse of the recovery effort in West Jackson County, it is also a reflection of Al's heart for people. At the end of that story is information on how to subscribe if you would like to do so. This is a great eye-opener about how hurricane relief work touches hearts. **************** Jeanie Gray is just plain sweet. My wife became friends with Jeanie when we opened a business several years ago now, and my wife instantly fell in love with her. Jeanie has a big heart, and it is a good heart. Jody couldnt help becoming her friend. Along the way, we discovered that Jeanie cleaned the house of Hal & Lou Ann Baugh, some of our good friends from church, too. We thought it was ironic the connection that existed there; Jeanie spoke so highly of the Baugh family. When Katrina came, Jeanie and her husband, Scott, decided to stay in the Ocean Beach Estates neighborhood (where my family lived before the storm). They started the storm in a brick house, but when the floodwaters rose, they waded/swam back to their house which was up on pilings. They watched helplessly as their neighbors homes filled with water all around them. As they watched, Jeanie received a text message from a friend about a mile away that they were climbing into their attic as the floodwaters continued to rise. Instantly, Scott and a neighbor got in his boat, and in the middle of a stinking hurricane, took off to rescue their friend. I forget the final count, but Scotts heroics saved the lives of many people (and animals!) during Katrina. When the storm subsided, the entire neighborhood was stranded. Every car had been flooded. When my wife and I drove out on Tuesday to see our house for the first time, we dropped by Scott & Jeanies and heard their story. We went back to the church and loaded up supplies that had miraculously arrived Tuesday morning from Taking It To The Streets ministry in southwest Florida and carried them out to the Grays. Over time, Scott & Jeanie got the shaft from both FEMA and their insurance companies. Eventually, through the generosity of many of you, our church was able to get some financial help to this sweet family. And as we would have suspected, Jeanie was trying to take care of their whole neighborhood, too. So we were also able to help just about her entire neighborhood as well. Scott & Jeanie came to our fellowship night last night with their two sons. They brought desserts. Jeanie had never come to church with us before last night, though she is a religious person. Scott had never been to church in his life. When the slideshow was just getting good and started, Scott had to leave. He just couldnt handle it. But Jeanie stayed. And after the show ended, Peggy Shaw (one of Jeanies new best friends) asked if Jeanie could get up and speak. And she did so in such a powerful way. She told us all that this was the first time her husband had entered a church building, and that it was because of the love he had seen since Katrina. She was so thankful for the seed that has begun to sprout there. And as she cried and thanked us all, she simply said some of the most profound and wonderful things anyone could have ever said. One thing I remember in particular. She told us all that not everyone would thank us for what we might do for others, but the reason is that many do not know how. I thought that was so very true. And I also thought that Jeanie knew how to say thank you better than just about anyone I had ever met. To subscribe, send an email to: OceanSpringsChurchofChristHurricane-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

From Gulf Shores, Alabama

2006-06-02T20:37:00.000-07:00

I'm blogging tonight from Gulf Shores, Alabama. Margaret, John Robert, and I have come to the Alabama Coast to share the story of what is happening in Pascagoula and to thank some people who have helped to make it possible. This Sunday morning I'll be speaking at the Pleasure Island Church of Christ at 9:00 and 10:00. This church was among the first responders to Pascagoula. I remember a group walking through my house with a video camera to show to the congregation. I met minister Mark Jamieson and (I believe) his mother. I talked with his brother on the telephone. Elder John Ash made a visit to Pascagoula, along with his lovely wife. Buster Herron came over and worked not long before he became an elder of the Gulf Shores church. There were others who came, as well, and I will likely recognize their faces long before I will remember their names. It is impossible to mention the wonderful support we received from this congregation without thinking about J. V. Lamar and the crew he brought over. Brother Lamar did an incredible amount of work for many people. His son Brian also did a lot of heavy work. Brian is now a deacon at PICoC. J. V. In cooperation with F. L. Crane and Sons from Fulton, MS, J. V. led the effort to restore six homes. Brother Lamar has since moved his efforts to the helpless community of Bayou LaBatre, Alabama and has made a significant impact in that area. Bayou LaBatre is a fishing village that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. The church of Christ had closed its doors some time before Katrina made landfall. (How long? I do not know.) Through his efforts, the church has started meeting again and dozens have been baptized. Hundreds of workers from around the country have worked in that small community. The Pleasure Island Church of Christ - a church that felt the wrath of Hurricane Ivan - was able to sympathize with our plight - and were moved into action. As a matter of prayer, Marvin Phillips was scheduled to speak at Central this Sunday. His doctors have ordered him to cancel this trip due to a blocked artery. He will have surgery Monday and has great prospects of recovery. Please keep him and his family in your prayers. One of our members, Ron Webb, will speak this Sunday at Central. For years Ron has blessed almost every church in our area with messages from the Word of God. I will share more about this brother in an upcoming post. A few sites to check out ... Klay Hall has a blog that's been going since March. He's hoping to come to the Coast and lend a helping hand when he can. Brennan Manning's "The Ragamuffin Gospel" is one of the books that will truly lead you to a turning point in your life if you will read it. He has come out with a "visual edition", which I bought today. You can learn more about it HERE.

Interrupted by A Mocha

2006-05-31T05:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I spent most of the morning at the church building at the front desk with Karen Potter. Karen is just a delightful young woman who has thrown herself into the hurricane relief work in a big way. We are so happy she will be with us all summer. Late in the morning Shane and Jody Ellett from Springfield, Ohio came into town. They are on an exploratory mission, taking a look around. He will be bringing a group of teens in July via Teen Missions. In our interesting conversation I learned that Shane had family at Johnson Grove Church of Christ near Brookhaven, MS. This church used to be a "non-class" Church of Christ, meaning that they did not believe it was Scriptural to divide the church into classes on Sunday morning. They do have classes these days and my friend Otis Bowman is their preacher. Shane's journey, however, led him to the other side of the keyboard as he now serves a Christian Church, the Springfield Church of Christ. He remains committed to the Gospel, and is doing a great job with the youth group there. We look forward to their July trip. Shane bought our lunch at Monica's Restaurant. As always, it was a buffet full of great Southern fare. The fried green tomatoes are always a favorite. Just a few tables away Senator Trent Lott enjoyed a meal with his wife. Shane wanted us to go up and talk to him, but I thought that he probably seldom gets to enjoy a quiet meal with his wife, so I wanted to leave him alone. By the time we got back and I ran an errand, I could feel my leg starting to tell me to rest. My ankle was a bit swollen when I got home, so I spent most of the rest of the day in my chair. Things are better each day, for which I am thankful. Last night David Kilbern and David Baker and I spent some time talking about our organizations and the things we are doing. Operation Love Thy Neighbor is David Baker's organization. He is mostly focused on housing and development of resources. He is actively recruiting and scouting locations to do some work farther to the West, while maintaining his work here in Pascagoula. Of course Central Church of Christ is focused on the Pascagoula effort. Both "Davids" have done a great amount of good, and cooperated quite a bit. Still, it is important to note that these are two distinct operations. It is good to work together and cooperate in reaching the helpless in hurricane relief. Robbie Woods is one of the special people I have met since the hurricane. He is an overcomer and a survivor. Having left drugs and alcohol behind, he has now been sober for six months. Robbie is a carpenter by trade. He is going to be working with Operation Love Thy Neighbor for a while and is in need of some support. If you are interested in helping support Robbie to do mission work in hurricane relief across the Coast, let me know and I'll put you in touch. Daved Baker just brought me a 20 oz White Chocolate Mocha from Dough Joe's Coffee House...so I'm going to go for now.

The Heat Is On

2006-05-29T10:35:00.000-07:00

As I write this, just after noon on Monday, we are sitting on 92 degrees in Pascagoula. The workers who are here from Elkton, Kentucky and Rolla, Missouri are feeling the heat as they work in homes with the outdoor temperature reaching into the 90s. The summertime is here. And it will get warmer with the coming days. It is interesting to me that it is so warm so early. The water temperature in the Gulf is always of concern, as the warm water is a big contributor to the tropical systems. We had a good number at worship yesterday at Central, though I do not know the number. The singing was great and we enjoyed worshiping with friends from Nashville and Memphis. Lynn Griffith led our opening prayer. He is a coach at Lipscomb and a member at Hillsoboro church of Christ. I hope everyone had a safe journey back to Tennessee. Today started off with an orientation meeting at Central with David Kilbern informing the groups of the kind of work they will be doing. I hope all the workers drink plenty of water in this heat. It's probably a good idea for all of the workcrews to start bringing bottled water with them on these trips ... staying hydrated in this kind of weather is a challenge. Today is Memorial Day and we remember those who have fought in wars to give us the freedoms we take for granted in the United States. Yes, even the right to dissent and to be critical of the wars being fought. A discussion of justifiable war verses pacificism is touched upon in Danny Dodd's latest blog and comments located HERE. Mike Cope shares some good thoughts as well, though they are brief. I want to say to our veterans, "THANK YOU"! I am thankful for the great freedoms and blessings of our country. We will never know the sacrifices that were made - and are being made on our behalf. What will all of you 24 fans do tonight? And the American Idol fans will be bored tomorrow night. Maybe we should fill that time with something really excellent. Ideas?

Friday Night on the Coast

2006-05-26T21:26:00.000-07:00

It's hard for me to believe that I haven't posted a blog in a while. Wednesday night Ross Jordan from Dalton, GA spoke at Central. I hear he did a great job. I was sitting in a chair (blah blah same old story about me). My leg is somewhat better each day, but still not fully healed. How can it take this long? Everyone seems to be very understanding that I cannot do a lot of the things I'd like to do. I'll have some catching up to do. Thursday evening Carla Calhoun arrived and we had some great conversation about disaster relief. She spent the night at our home. Margaret made a great breakfast for us this morning and we all spent the day together. Carla is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to information dealing with FEMA and disaster relief. Of course disaster visited her backyard ten years ago when the Alfred P. Murrah building was blown up by a domestic terrorist. We skipped lunch today, so we went to Seaman's Cove for supper tonight. I was out and about for an hour or so, then back to the chair. We enjoyed a long visit with David and Elaine Kilbern tonight as well. Of course the ministry to the community continues ... *Brooke and Twila visited with an elderly lady and her grown son who are living in a house with mold from floor to ceiling. They are still wearing the shoes they were wearing when the flood came on August 29. They only had a few sets of clothes. They were embarassed to ask for help. *FEMA helped us acquire some couches and chairs from a hotel chain in Florida. David Jordan and others have been a part of a massive effort to get the furniture into the homes of those who an use them. *We have four loads of sheetrock on the way, which will go a long way in enabling people to make progress in their home. *Tonight there were about a dozen who arrived from Nashville (Hillsboro church of Christ) and two from Memphis (Highland Church of Christ). Lynn Griffith (Nashville) and his wife and others associated with them have been here several times. Andy and Kelly (Memphis) have been here twice. It's great to have friends come back again to help us. We have enjoyed establishing some ties with these special people. June will be busy with speaking engagements, Bible Camp, family reunion and other stuff. If you are in the area when we speak at places, please come and visit! *June 4 - Pleasure Island Church of Christ in Gulf Shores, AL *June 21 - Airline Drive Church of Christ in Bosier City, LA *June 25 - Brentwood Hills Church of Christ in Nashville (early service) and Hillsboro Church of Christ (evening service). *June 28 - Available in Tennessee - give me a call! Of course all of this will be pre-empted in the case of a ... umm... intense tropical system in the Gulf of Mexico.

Take Time for Now

2006-05-23T21:14:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed the morning with Chris Lockhart, Trent Bryant, and Steve Martin as we planned out the week of Bible Camp that is coming up. We are a bit short on some kitchen help, and would love to have an older lady or two on board. I'm not sure we have a nurse secured at this point (we will have a nurse on staff - but in a cabin). I would like to have a couple of older men to attend. I think older people are great at camp, and add a mix that is often missed when we fill up with younger counselors. We ate lunch together and then I took Chris to the Tat-O-Nut Shop for potato flour donuts. I have a picture with him in front of the shop, if we need evidence. This afternoon I helped make some phone calls to give couches and chairs away - the ones that are coming in tomorrow. We need some muscle badly tomorrow ... and I sent out a big e-mail request. I haven't heard much in reply as of yet, though. We only have one youth group here now. I think over the next several days we have some trucks to unload and not as much manpower as we would like. This happens, though. I like to let it be known - there might be someone waiting for a good time to show up to help. Now is good. I had a delightful visit with Brooke and Twila Michael tonight. They came over to the house to talk about some things on their hearts. What a wonderful couple. They love the Lord and want to help people know how to put their trust in Him so that they can experience freedom from addictions, failures, regrets, and traumatic events. I think they are going to bless a lot of people here on the Coast over the next several months. The following comes from a Doctor - a friend of a friend of a friend. Really. I think he captures the mental state of people on the Coast, and our need to seek out ways to help and bless those closest to us. There is much wisdom in this. Thanks for forwarding it to me, Fred. Well I don't write many emails, but I decided to pen this note to several of you guys in my address book and hope you forward it to any one you like. It seems those of us here on the Gulf Coast are entering a critical period of time in our lives. As some of us fold up our blue roof tarps, drag our last piece of storm debris to the curb, or remove the last piece of plywood from the windows, others of us are watching the last remnants of our homes bulldozed into a pile of rubble, even the foundations are being crushed and removed. Some of us are playing phone tag with FEMA, SBA, MEMA, Allstate, State Farm, Nationwide, Farm Bureau, and all the other letters of the alphabet. Still others are living with relatives, living in trailers, living out of town, even living in tents. Some lucky ones are dealing with contractors with new construction, sheetrock, electrical, carpet, cabinets, furniture deliveries, either one at a time or all at once. All this is taking place while life goes on all around us. Football season came and went. Basketball season came and is going. Baseball season is in full swing. Hockey came and is dwindling. School happened for our kids. Graduation happened for some. Births and deaths continued. But in the background one looming thought occupied our minds no matter what else was going on---June 1--the beginning of another Hurricane Season. I have written more prescriptions for anti-depressants, anxiolytics, sedatives, and hypnotics in the last several weeks than at any other time in my career. I have hugged more, cried more, laughed more, and I am sorry to say LISTENED more, than at any other time in my career. All this is reaching a fever pitch now that we are approaching another season that promises to be as active as the previous.one. This brings me to the point of why I am writing this letter. I have used more cliches in the last several days also but none more than "take one day at a time". If possible take one minute at a time. Before anyone makes a decision that will affect your life and the lives of your family Stop. Breathe. Pray. Ask a friend for help. There is nothing too small to ask for. There is nothing too trivial to ask for. No Real Friend is too busy to help. Take a day off to spend with your family. Go somewhere that is Normal. Take your kids to a park, a movie. Don't discuss the past or even the future, but discuss the PRESENT. The past is gone and to continue to dwell in it the way some people are doing is not healthy. The future is going to happen. Preparation is appropriate,but not everyday. Today is a gift from God and that is why it is called the PRESENT. Talk to your spouse, find out if he/she needs to talk. Then talk. Talk to your pastor/priest. Talk to your doctor. Talk to anybody that will listen and you have confidence in--but talk. Please don't seek solice or respite in a harmful chemical substance that only wears off and has to be replenished regularly. There are obviously some who will need meds and this can be arranged also. Volunteer to help your neighbors, learn who your neighbors are. Get back to your normal activities, hobbies, recreational/exercise routines. Learn new habits or routines. Read a book, maybe even the Bible. Don't forget your health. Get back into your regular checkups. Don't be neglectful of even small things or they will get bigger. Look around and appreciate the beauty of spring and notice all the new things that are appearing. Please don't forget to thank all the volunteers in the area. I know I have rambled. I realize I have spoken in short and broken sentences. But let's face it doctors can't write anyway. If I can be of help to any of you let me know. Love you all. (signature omitted for confidentiality)

Monday on the Coast

2006-05-22T20:08:00.000-07:00

I'll just get the personal stuff out of the way. Yes, I sat in my chair all day today. The leg seems a bit better, but it still has a ways to go. Just when you think you're invincible.... I've been answering e-mails and working on things I can do from my computer. In some of my time off I've been watching DVDs of the first season of The X Files. What a cool show. I remember not liking it when it was on the air. I like the slogan that appears on the screen during the opening music: The Truth Is Out There. Yes it is! You 24 addicts now have to wait for another season to find out what someone is going to do with Jack Baur, kidnapped again. (oops... you haven't seen it yet? Sorry!) This guy should have a built-in homing device or something. No, I didn't watch it ... but the family does. Tomorrow night we will know who the next American Idol is... but if you're like me, it's kind of a snore at this point. Not what they intended, I'm sure. Enough TV talk. I don't even have a TV in the room where I'm in my chair! Today David says it was a hectic day at the church building with a lot of people coming in for help. He tries to meet with each one and have a talk with them about their life and letting God be a part of it. I think the youth group that's here from Cordelle, OK did some lawn mowing today. Tomorrow I have a meeting with some friends to get our camp week together. We are way behind on this, so I cannot put it off any longer. We go to camp on June 11 for the week. I also promised David I would make some calls from our work orders to see who can receive some couches and chairs that are coming in Wednesday. We want to get them placed so that we do not have to store them. These are slightly used, but we are told they are in great shape. This will be a great addition to the flood victim's homes. Just a few notes on iPod and Podcasting that relate to the comments left yesterday and today. Tommy, I think you can right click and save the file as an mp3 on the podcast pages...but I'm not sure. Steve, my recorder is an Olympus 240pc and it fits right in my pocket while I'm preaching. I just have to tether it to the computer, download it there, upload it to pod-o-matic and there ya go. Patrick, I will be downloading your sermons. Thanks for the information. Tonight I sent out a hundred or so e-mails detailing some of our needs here (these can be found at www.123Jesus.com). I always feel like a reminder is a healthy thing. I'll end up tonight telling you about my friend Norman Bales' new blog. I Love his introduction: My name is Norman Bales. I'm an old guy. I remember houses without electricity, gasoline that sold for less than 3o cents a gallon, and hot weather without airconditioning. I'm trying to keep up with the changing world of the third millennium. This blog is my latest attempt to adjust to change. His blog is located HERE. I recommend you bookmark it!

Sunday on the Coast

2006-05-21T20:05:00.000-07:00

We had a good attendance this morning with members and visitors present. I wasn't thrilled with my sermon, but maybe it helped someone! We had a very positive church meeting following the worship our. We are working on our organization, having lost our eldership and we were down to one trustee. So, little by little we are regaining some of our pre-storm stability. After worship our family went to La Fiesta Brava for lunch. I have been craving some mexican cuisine all week long in my chair. It was very good. Then we needed a few things from Wal-Mart and went there. By the time I got back in my chair it was 3:00 and my foot was starting to swell up. Guess I'm not ready for this running around yet. I'm getting too impatient I suppose. I rested the rest of the day. I called my parents. My dad is home and feeling some better. He has doctors appointments tomorrow. Tonight a youth group from Cordelle, Oklahoma arrived. They, and two brothers from Dalton, GA, will be the only folks in this week. The group from Wichita Falls, Texas is headed to Pensacola tomorrow for a fun day before heading back home Tuesday. I was able to visit with this group a little today for the first time. They had scheduled a Senior trip to Cancun, Mexico, but decided to come to the Coast and work instead. Isn't that inspirational! This afternoon David Kilbern took them out into the Gulf for some fishing, which I know they enjoyed. I know he enjoyed it, also. He doesn't get to do nearly as much of that as he would have liked. His charter boat business is basically stagnant as he devotes his time to hurricane relief. David and Elaine have made many sacrifices for this work, but they do not talk about that much. I haven't read The Da Vinci Code, and probably won't. But I know a lot of people have read it an are interested in the ongoing discussion. A great page full of links with information about this can be found HERE. I'll probably get interested in this about the time everyone else is getting bored with it. And now for a survey. I've become very interested in the PODCAST world ... how many of you listen to podcasts, and which ones do you like to listen to? Maybe I'll make a podcast page similar to my blog page. Do you have a podcast? I have one, linked in the column to the right. Today there is no new sermon to upload, because I forgot my recorder - and I also forgot my camera, and even my cell phone. I was a bit late and a bit frantic this morning before worship. Thanks for reading!

Around the World in Eighty Blogs

2006-05-19T16:46:00.000-07:00

Here's some things that are going on in the Blog World, and a few extra things as well. Check them out as you have opportunity! Of course if any of these guys decide to post a blog, you might have to look at the previous one to see the one referenced! Memorial Day is coming up soon. Remember the purpose of Memorial Day with this awesome video presentation found HERE. Patrick Mead gets to the root of how to deal with church members who simply quit because they are not getting enough attention HERE, in his post called "Leave a Hole." Steve Puckett gives a little encouragement to those having a rough day HERE. Bobby Valentine challenges our thoughts on what "salvation" means HERE. Danny Dodd asks an important question HERE. Buddy Gray helps me spread the word about the need for spiritual workers here in Pascagoula when he wrote THIS. Dee Andrews wants to know what kind of tree you are, find out HERE. Donna helps our hearts to identify The Greatest Love HERE. What should be the Christian response to The DaVinci Code movie? John Alan Turner knows, look HERE! Gary Kirkendall reflects on graduation and the challenges that lie ahead for young people HERE. Mike Cope offers a short reflection on turning 50 HERE. Mike Kjergaard reflects on a significant event at Dodger Stadium HERE. Welcome Wade Tannehill to bloggerworld with his new blog located HERE. There are lots of great blogs out there....more than are listed here ... and I'm SURE you read each and every one, right? Riiigghhhhht! I keep a list of blogs HERE. If you'd like your blog listed there, let me know! Have a great weekend!

Setting the Trivia Straight

2006-05-19T05:42:00.000-07:00

In my humorous post about my plane ride home, I mentioned the movie "Airport" and Karen Black. I turned this over in my mind and I decided that maybe Karen Black wasn't in Airport. Then Bobby Valentine said he had never heard of Airport - which was really the first 'diaster movie'. So I did a little research ... and it turns out ... Karen Black was not in Airport. Airport was a 1970 release of a movie based upon a novel by Authur Hailey in which there's a bunch of personal drama, and toward the end of the movie some nut blows up a bomb in the plane. The movie was full of stars, including Burt Lancaster, Dean martin, Jacqueline Bisset, George Kennedy, Helen Hayes, Maureen Stapleton, Barbara Hale, Gary Collins and others. BUT ... Karen Black was in Airport '75, one of the sequals to this movie. In this disaster something hits the plane and kills the crew. She teamed up with Charlton Heston, George Kennedy, Gloria Swanson, Efrem Zimbalist Jr, Helen reddy, Linda Blair, Sid Caesar, Myrna loy, Nancy Olson, and Larry Storch. What a cast! This was probably the pinnacle of her career, although she still has roles in movies (even in 2006) and television (from The Big Valley and Adam-12, to Law and Order). And while we're at it, Airport '77 has the plane landing under water in the bermuda triangle. Jack Lemmon, Brenda Vacarro, Lee Grant, Olivia de Havilland, James Stewart, George Kennedy (who is in all of them), Darren McGavin (Nightstalker!), Christopher Lee, Kathleen Quinlan, and Gil Gerard (Buck Rogers!). The last movie in the series was The Concorde: Airport '79 in which George Kennedy (again) has to contend with nuclear missiles, the French Air Force and the threat of the plane splitting in two over the Alps! Susan Blakely, Robert Wagner, Sylvia Kristel, Eddie Albert, Charo, John Davidson, Martha Raye, and Jimmie Walker (JJ, Good Times) join the cast. The cast this time around is straight off of a Love Boat episode. Thankfully this series was over and George Kennedy would not have to solve another air disaster. A year later the Airplane! movie franchise would begin, making fun of the whole Airport series - which is justified in my opinion! I feel like going to Blockbuster, don't you? Anyway...this mindless and useless trivia brought to you free of charge ... a diversion from the task at hand ... and without apology!

What Sort of Man is This?

2006-05-18T15:54:00.000-07:00

How well do you know Jesus? That really is a question that ought to stay close to our hearts. I don't know about you, but even reading the familiar stories about Jesus I am sometimes surprised at things I notice about Him. After Jesus calmed the storm, the disciples asked, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?" At this point the disciples had not spent a great deal of time with Jesus, but it is still a great question. What sort of man is this? We must answer that question so that we can ask, "What sort of man am I to be?" or "What sort of woman am I to be?" All of our actions ought to pass through this filter. We usually act too quickly to consider this important question ... but I would encourage us all to ask it often. Well, that's what's been on my mind in the chair today. The leg is a little better each day I suppose, but it's not setting any records. My stepdad remains in the hospital. That's the sickness update. I did receive a call today from Cheryl. I have written about her before. She lives in a FEMA camper. We first met her through her mother in Arizona, who called to ask us to go and see about her. The first week some wonderful ladies from Missouri visited her every day. They still keep in touch with her. Cheryl has emphysema, pneumonia, and cancer. She just got out of the hospital. The chemotherapy she endured a few months ago robbed her body of any strength she has left. With a few months to live, hospice is coming in to assist. She called today to say that she really needs a friend right now. She really just wants to talk to someone. I told her I couldn't come now, but I would try to get someone over there. She had moved from one camper to another and we didn't know where she was. Now we do. Cheryl is one of many Katrina victims who will never know what it's like to live inside a real house again. Her father in Arizona is dying of cancer at the same time. Both are unable to travel to see the other. This breaks Cheryl's heart...and mine. Today I did have a visitor ... Diane Carroll, Secretary for the Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma. I had talked with Diane on the phone, and it was just delightful to meet her in person, along with one of the students. This is their second trip down to the Coast. Diane's parents live in the St. Andrews area. An article about their first visit here can be found HERE. There are 9 or 10 in the group and they will be headed back to Oklahoma overnight tonight. We appreciate the work they did so much. Also the college group that Seth Simmons is leading will head back home tomorrow. I have talked with Seth on the phone but haven't had a chance to get to see him this trip. He's been busy with all of the work to be done here on the Coast. They will head back tomorrow. Kirt Hunt was able to come by to see me for a while today. I enjoyed seeing him so much. I have known Kirt for most of his life and I am so impressed with the spiritual focus for his life. He is the Youth Minister for the Lee Acres Church of Christ in Tupelo, Mississippi. Well, you American Idol fans, we've been shocked the past two weeks (or I was anyway) by who was voted off. So who are you hoping will win the contest? The brassy sounding Katherine McPhee or the spasmodic Taylor Hicks? With over 5 million votes this week, there are lots of people watching for sure.

The Bible Disclaimer

2006-05-17T15:28:00.000-07:00

Ian McKellen recently stated on NBC's Today Show that the Bible ought to have "a disclaimer in the front saying this is fiction." This famous British actor stars in the movie based upon Dan Brown's best seller, "The DaVinci Code", a fictional work that casts doubt upon the account of the life of Christ as presented in Scripture. I can understand why some view the Bible in skeptical ways. After all, the magnificent accounts of the workings of God in miraculous ways do sometimes leave us scratching our heads. Burning bushes, giant fish swallowing and spewing men, walking on water, resurrections, and weather-controlling prayers all exist apart from our experience. In today's culture, experience and feelings determine truth. Long treated as a constitution or law manual, the Bible is no longer regarded by many as a standard of authority. Fanciful fictional tales carry as much weight as the accounts of God's work in Scripture. Fables and stories are replacing long lists of what we can do and cannot do and still have God smiling upon us. It would be easy to simply dismiss this and stick to our guns, professing that this generation just doesn't get it - and too bad. Or we can try to engage them on their playing field, which can be threatening to all of us. It is hard to talk in the postmodern vernacular. It is hard to attempt to understand the view that there is no absolute truth, and there is nothing in the Bible that our culture will accept at face value. The approach to win the new generation to Christ must be philosophical in nature. One first step is to acknowledge that the Bible is a mysterious book that contains wisdom embodied in stories. Yes, I believe these are much more than stories - they are as true as anything can be true. But my friends at the coffee shop do not recognize such truth. So, we present them with a truth they can warm up to. This book is an ancient document, filled with the wisdom of the ages. Hebrews 4:12-13 says, "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." This passage is about revealed truth. We regard that as the Bible. Our culturally driven friends may see God’s revelation in several different venues. But there is a chance for a discussion on how the Bible is more than just an old dusty book. Here is a book that penetrates the soul, judges the heart, and professes to uncover before us the God who knows all. But we do not know all, and we ought to brag about it. In fact, part of the angst of our age is the desire to know coupled with the acknowledgement that we cannot know. Even the Bible writers did not know everything. 1 John 3:2 says, "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." Still, we search for God in both common and unfamiliar territories. I have a theory that 'postmodernism' is not all that new. I think we talk about it a lot, but ultimately man seeks to be self-directed, is often in angst about his purpose and identity, and is moved by his own perceptions and feelings even when they move him away from obvious truth. But whatever you want to call it, we cannot just toss aside cultural icons such as "The DaVinci Code". The buzz over the code may be a passing fad. If the first movie reviews are accurate, the film may be a failure, disappointing those who were unwilling to take the time to read the book. Or maybe we'll be talking about it in ten years. Either way, the cultural rejection of the Bible as the inspired Word of God is complete and the embracing of fables as new and exciting truth is our cultural reality. Our job as Christians is to find ways to turn people's minds to Jesus Christ, and ultimately to the Scriptures to find out all we can about this paradoxical Savior. We cannot do this by simply pointing out how wrong everyone is. Instead, the light of real Christianity must shine brighter than ever before. Service, love, sacrifice, and compassion must characterize the Christian community. Perhaps while we were busy fighting one another the world grew tired of us, and looked for something else. Have you ever thought that maybe WE are the reason The DaVinci Code is so intriguing to our culture? That may be true in some cases. Overall, we must live in our culture, share the gospel within the context of our culture, and use every tool at our disposal to bring the life giving message to the lost.

View from the Chair

2006-05-16T20:54:00.000-07:00

Well, the view from my chair hasn't changed much. Work continues on at Central...without my help! I did have a delightful visit today from Chris Lockhart, who was in town to speak to the college students tonight. I think things are going well with the group headed up by Seth Simmons from University Church of Christ in Conway, AR. Randy and crew headed back this morning for North Carolina. I enjoyed meeting him. I talked on the phone today with my friend Tex Nolan from Monroe. He called to ask about my leg. It is always a joy to talk to Tex, and I look forward to seeing him next week. We have some new work going on around the church building. These are some first stages to getting the building back in shape. I'm thankful to everyone who is helping with this effort. International Disaster Emergency Services told us several months ago that they would make a significant gift toward refurbishing the church building. They have done what they said they would do, and we are thankful. I may give more details on that later. I feel that I ought to share that news with the church first, but just rejoice with us. The needs are not over, but a big step has been taken toward renewing our building. I hope the church offices will be operational again very soon, which will be a huge help. David Kilbern said from the beginning that we were facing two-three years to rebuild Pascagoula. From all indications, he is right. There is a lot of progress here, but there is still much to do. It is great to have the work crews come down. Often they will leave a donation to help cover the cost of food or supplies. I think most of the workers in the past few days have been delivering beds to those who are moving back into their homes. I know they've been toting sheetrock some as well. Mrs. Redding is in her 80s and has come here from Vermont to volunteer. She works at a school for disadvantaged and troubled children. She is here as an emissary to witness first hand the work going on. She will report back to the students and school when she gets home. She is an awesome lady. You don't see too many elderly ladies helping to tote sheetrock! And now we have a giant pile of papers. Each paper represents a home that received sheetrock, or an appliance, or a bed, or some other help. These people need someone to knock on their door with the good news of Jesus Christ. I have appealed often on this blog for ministers to come down and help to reach these people. Early on some came, and we ended up doing other kinds of work. I think the timing was off. Now I think we could easily start touching these families with the Gospel. They need to hear the good news of Jesus. Will anyone come to help with this kind of 'relief' - relief from guilt and sin? Maybe you're not a preacher, just a soul winner! Come on over! These are some of the best potentials for teaching you will ever have. Call me or e-me about it if you are interested. I'd love to have a team of 10 or even 20 ministers working in this community. Why not band together with the other ministers in your community and come down? I will have a plan in place when you get here. That is, when I get out of this chair. Prayers for my step dad are solicited. He is in the hospital with a collapsed lung, ephesema, and maybe some other problems. Pray for my mother, also. First, because she is my mother. Second, because this puts a lot of stress on her. Third, because she reads this blog! (Love you, Mom!) I hope you're having a good week and thank you for reading.

Sunday Afternoon Blogation

2006-05-14T14:50:00.000-07:00

I hope your Sunday has been a good one for you. We had a good number of people present today for worship. I didn't do a typical Mother's Day sermon, but instead opted to talk about something that has really been a big burden for all of us since the storm: Guilt. You can hear it on my podcast, HERE. After services, I headed back home and elevated my leg and placed a heating pad on it. Things have not seemed to progress over the past few days. I'm ready for that leg to heal up! Of course, we don't have a choice in these matters. It's great to have workers from North Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee here. The crew from Kentucky/Tennessee are on their third trip down. This time they have done some work around the building. They placed a wood floor in the church offices and covered the outside steps with an indoor/outdoor carpet. I'm not sure what they'll be doing next. Late late tonight Seth Simmons and crew will arrive for a week of work. They will also have a devotional every night at the church for themselves and any who would like to attend. I think after the devotional they want to hang out at the dining hall and play guitars and drink coffee. Sounds like a bunch of college students, doesn't it! I hope I'll get to join them some of the time. Yesterday Allen came by to cut my grass. I didn't ask him to, but I was thankful for his service. I took a picture from inside. It's not all that great, but I'll share it with you anyway. I'm really proud of the progress Allen is making and I hope you'll join me in praying for this young man who has so much to offer. Brooke and Twila Michael are here to help us for several months. They have already proven themselves to be outstanding servants of God. They have been involved in a special ministry for a long time. They work with churches in need, and they do all they can to lift people up and bring them closer to God. I know that over the months we are going to enjoy getting to know Brooke and Twila more and more. Another visitor we had this morning was Veto Roley from Birmingham, Alabama. I only know Veto via some e-mail lists such as the Berean Spirit yahoo group, and I think he is also on the Spiritual Formation yahoo group. For the uninitiated, Yahoo Groups are e-mail lists where people can communicate on specific matters. Over time, the people who are sharing e-mails back and forth get to know one another. Veto is relatively new to me, but I appreciate much of what he writes. I was glad to put a face with the name. His brother from Austin, Texas, was also with him this morning. Veto is the one in the white shirt! I have been on the phone the past few days with Esther. You might remember the lady from Israel that I talked about a while back. She is near Cherokee, SC and has been ill with a big virus over the past week. I'm trying to locate some help in Raleigh so that she can spend a few nights there. If you can help me, call me ASAP. She is pretty much over the virus, but left weak and trying to get to a friend's house. I appreciated the preacher at Cherokee who helped her a little today. There is also a lady who runs the hotel where she is staying, who has helped her some. But Esther is in bad shape and in need of our prayers and help. I hope you have a good Mother's Day. My mother has a sore throat, and my stepdad is recovering from a lung biopsy. My brother and his family are there visiting, so I know they are taking care of them for the weekend. Wish I could have been there, but just couldn't be. As Jerry Cook says in his new book, The Monday Morning Church, the church is more about Monday Morning than it is about Sunday. As we enter the world tomorrow, let's bring Christ with us!

Friday Night on the Coast

2006-05-12T20:12:00.000-07:00

Today I was able to meet Karen Potter for the first time. Karen has come to the Coast for the summer to volunteer her time and to help all she can. I can tell by her happy spirit that she is going to be a great addition to the team here at Central. Somehow I didn't take a picture of her, but that'll come in another post. Karen will be here until August. Allen came by with her when she visited. Allen is talking more and more, and I think one morning he'll wake up and just talk like he used to - before Katrina hit the Coast. He brings so much happiness wherever he goes, I can't imagine what a great influence for the Kingdom he will be when he starts talking again. Randy Gore is here from North Carolina with some college students. I was glad he came by yesterday for a visit. Also visiting today was Julia Wetherington. Julia has a ready smile and is always on the go. She and Jim are both very hard working people with two beautiful daughters. Jim has served as one of our deacons for a long time. Margaret really enjoyed Julia's visit. They talked out in the yard for a long time ... hope they weren't talking about me! David Hazelwood came to visit this afternoon. David and crew put in most of the floors in our home. David is here with his father, his brother, and three other Christians. They live in either Fulton, Kentucky or South Fulton, TN - which is essentially the same place. They just drove in today and will be here for several days working on floors - their specialty. I enjoyed speaking at David's congregation - and that of his brother - a few months ago. The last time David visited he brought a big bag of Valentine gifts from several in their church to Claire, which made her so happy! The Hazelwoods are among the people that have come to have a special place in our hearts. The update on my leg is that there is no update. It's about the same today. Which is a lot better than it was five days ago! My stepdad had a biopsy on a lung this morning. After the procedure part of his lung collapsed, but all is well now. They are waiting on the results and any prayers are appreciated. My brother and his family are at my parent's, but because of my leg I can't travel over there. I hope to go to Bay City, Texas this summer sometime and thank them for the help received after the storm. There are so many people to thank... which is an awesome testimony to the Family of God! WLOX, a local television station in Gulfport, produced an excellent video called Katrina: South Mississippi's Story. I've had it for about a month, but I hadn't taken time to watch it. Since I'm sitting in this chair I thought it was a great opportunity. I cried all the way through it. It is very well done, and very thorough. It was very interesting to watch the news crew carry on even as the studio ceiling gave way under the pressure of the storm. The catastrophic damage, the stories, and re-living the event really made it an emotional video to watch. But it was worth it. If you order one, you won't be sorry. We are nineteen days from Hurricane Season 2006. All work crews that are planning to make trips this summer must make it a part of their preparation to keep an eye on the tropics. There are several other things on my mind tonight, but I'll let that be the post. Thanks for reading. It is good therapy for me to be able to express these things and to know that they are read by others.

The Hidden Kingdom?

2006-05-11T18:19:00.000-07:00

Eddie and Judy Lewis should be home in Germantown by now after spending several days spreading encouragement and joy around Central. I believe Judy spent about 16 hours in counseling with various individuals. Eddie preached some sermons from Nehemiah that (I hear) really spoke to the issues that we are dealing with here. I am so grateful for their willingness to jump right in and be a blessing here. This Sunday we will have a large number of college students descend upon us for a Kickoff To Summer Workcamp that is being planned by Seth Simmons of Conway, AR. Seth has done a great job of lining up several campus ministries to pariticipate together in relieving the hurts and needs of the people of Pascagoula. They will have a service each night at Central that anyone can attend. I'm so thankful for this effort and look forward to the week. My leg is somewhat better, but only slowly healing. Margaret is doing a great job taking care of me! I have reflected a good bit on my trip to California. At first I regarded it as a total waste, but I did make a few connections that I feel good about. To the right is Buddy Gray, Disaster Coordinator Minister for the Davis Park Church of Christ. This church has been doing disaster response for many years. Next is Carla Calhoun, who has a degree in Missions from Oklahoma Christian University, worked for FEMA, and Red Cross. She worked tirelessly before Katrina came ashore helping churches get coordinated for the needed response. She is helping network Christians who need help with volunteers at Christian Crisis Resources. Keith Brenton (red shirt) is at the Pleasant Valley church of Christ in Little Rock, Arkansas. This is the home of the Luke 10:37 ministry that responded so quickly to the tornadoes in Marmaduke, AR. Keith is also a fellow blogger, with his blog located HERE. This is just the short list of disaster-relief-minded Christians that met together at Pepperdine. I also ran into a few old friends. Danny Dodd was there along with two of his elders Bud Meyers and Jim Caples. I saw Bobby Valentine and John Mark Hicks who have a new book out called Kingdom Come.: Embracing the Spiritual Legacy of David Lipscomb and James Harding. I neglected to get my copy, but I will certainly pick one up. Dan Smith from Nevada is an old e-pal from the Berean Spirit e-mail list. I've been reading Dan's posts for years and am so happy that I got to meet this dear brother. I was able to meet Robert Machen, President of Hilltop Rescue and Relief, that has a massive effort going in Chalmette, LA. I was able to meet briefly with Dr. Stan Granberg, the President of Kairos church planting effort. It was a joy to meet Dr. Jerry Rushford, Director of Church Relations at Pepperdine. There were many others, but I was thankful for these encounters. The two worship times that I attended were very uplifting, even in my sickness. So, in reflection, there were some high points to the trip that I hold very dear. It is my hope to speak at Central Sunday. It is Mother's Day, which is a special day. There's nobody just like your own mother! I'm not sure we will have a 'mothers day' sermon, though. All Christians everywhere must guard their longings. What is it that your heart truly longs for? I've always been amazed that the children of Israel even considered for a moment going back to the torture and hopelessness of Egypt. Yet, when faced with hardship they did want to retreat back into slavery. We must replace our own longings with the longings of God. The kingdom pushes us outward, not inward. Where are the lost? Where are the opportunities? Where are the thirsty souls that we have always invited to drink at the Fountain Free? Yet at the same time we have Scriptures that teach us to nurture, help, love, reprove, and serve one another. The Kingdom is a one-another / bring-along-others place. Perhaps the kingdom is hidden? Jesus said that unless we are born again we cannot see the kingdom of God. Can we return to a state where the kingdom is hidden from our own eyes? To see the kingdom, we only need to see Jesus. I think most of any troubles in the Christian community has to do with replacing Jesus with another god, i.e. tradition, doctrine, my way, philosophy, culture, etc. What do you think?