John and Yvonne Wagner's Blog

Visit To The Outer Banks - Day Two

2010-11-11T19:49:00.065-05:00

Saturday morning we got up to a beautiful sunrise. We had breakfast at The Dunes Restaurant in Nags Head, which by the way, has an outstanding breakfast buffet!

After breakfast we drove down to Hatteras Island and caught the Hatteras-Ocracoke Ferry over to Ocracoke Island. The ferry ride, was ssoooo nice! A very relaxing way to spend 40 minutes.

Some of the houses along the coast were beautiful, had wonderful architectural character, and were enormous! Joan explained that most of them are rental properties that groups of people rent during the summer.

After our visit to Ocracoke Island we were sitting in line waiting to get back on the ferry when I heard what sounded like saxophone or clarinet music coming from behind us. I got out of the van and sure enough there was a man playing an alto clarinet. I struck up a conversation with the musician giving the impromptu concert and discovered he was from Telluride, Colorado. Yvonne and I lived in Grand Junction, Colorado before moving to Virginia so we had an instant rapport. He and his fourteen year old daughter were spending some "father-daughter" time together sightseeing. On the ferry ride back to Hatteras Island we were treated to another impromptu serenade.

But, I'm getting ahead of myself. Back to Ocracoke Island. Several local legends have Blackbeard the pirate operating out of these waters and frequenting Ocracoke Island. Have you heard how Nags Head got its name? The pirates would hang a lantern around the neck of a horse, a "nag", and walk it back and forth along the beach as if it were the light of a lighthouse, to lure unsuspecting ships to run aground along the rocky coastline. The pirates would then plunder the ships' cargo.

In all of my study of World War II I never realized that there was so much German submarine activity right off the eastern coast of the United States. Hundreds of ships were sunk by German U-Boats. One of which was the British ship HMT Bedfordshire. The bodies of the crew members that were found were buried here in a small British cemetery cared for by the Coast Guard Station Ocracoke.

Joan told us the story about a group of students from Bedfordshire, England who she brought to the island on a tour. Their visit took on a whole new significance when they saw the cemetery dedicated not only to their countrymen, but to men from their home town.

Our next stop, Ocracoke Lighthouse. What a beautiful white litehouse! The red roofed house next to it made an awesome picture opportunity, even though the house is now privately owned.

Marguerite Henry made the wild horses of Assateague Island in Maryland, and Chincoteague Island in Virginia famous in her children's book "Misty of Chincoteague". The movie "Misty", based on Henry's book, popularized them even more. Legend has it that these horses survived the shipwreck of old Spanish galleons.

The Maryland horses are owned and managed by the National Park Service, who have carefully followed the population over generations. In Virginia, the Chincoteague ponies are owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department. Once a year in July, the local "salt water cowboys" round them up and sort a number of animals to be removed from the island, which are put up for auction on Pony Penning Day.

Some of these wild horses are also on Ocracoke Island. So we made our way to see some of them. Larry told us the horses used to roam the streets freely until some of them were hit by cars. Now they are fenced away from the streets for their safety.

From there it was just a short walk across Highway 12 to see the Atlantic Ocean. The ocean, the dunes, and the beach were pristene and beautiful! Did I say that the weather was absolutely gorgeous?

Before I knew where she went, Yvonne was on the beach collecting sea shells to bring home. She is so cute. I love her!!!

Next it was back up to Hatteras Island to see the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.

Our first view was across the dunes. It's quite a scene when you juxtapose the starkness of the black and white stripped brick lighthouse against the soft, cream colored sand and marsh grasses.

Then we drove around to the visitor's center and walked right up to the lighthouse. It was an impressive structure! A structure that had been cut loose from its concrete foundation near the ocean, and moved intact, half a mile inland because the ocean was encroaching on it to the point where it would have eventually been destroyed.

By then the hour was getting late, we all agreed we were hungry, and headed up to Nags Head for dinner at the Western Sizzler. Don't let the name fool you. Though many of the restaurants in this chain have closed around the country, this one is definitely worth going to. Their dinner buffet was excellent and very reasonably priced. But the real surprise was the quality and flavor of their steaks. In my opinion, the steak I had rivalled many of those I've eaten at regular steak houses. I highly recommend this restaurant! After a good meal we drove back to Virginia Beach and our Outer Banks excursion came to an end. But we'll definitely be back. There is just too much left to see and do not to come back for another visit (or two).

Visit to the Outer Banks - Day One

2010-11-05T18:19:00.026-04:00

The last weekend in October Yvonne and I went to the Outer Banks with Joan and Larry Kerns. Had Joan not initiated the idea and planned the trip I'm not sure we would ever have gone there on our own. But Joan grew up going to the Outer Banks as a little girl, so it became an opportunity for her to share some childhood memories with us. It also gave both Joan and Larry a chance to see the Outer Banks through the eyes of someone who had never seen them before, and was enjoying them for the first time.

The trip was absolutely fantastic! The weather couldn't have been better with the sun shining, and the sky a bright blue after several days of rain in Virginia Beach. The morning air had a bit of a bite to it as fall was just making itself felt. But the temperature soon warmed comfortably and our jackets were shed.

After a leisurely breakfast at the Cracker Barrel we made our way to our first destination - Corolla and the Currituck Beach Lighthouse, the most stunning red brick lighthouse I've ever seen (we saved actually going up into it for another visit).

On the way to Corolla we drove through the little town of Duck and "ducked" into one of the stores to do some shopping and take some pictures by the water.

On the way back I almost "quacked up" when, in a scene reminiscent of "Honey I Shrunk The Kids", Yvonne got swallowed up by a huge Adirondack deck chair!

From there we drove south to Roanoke Island and went to the Christmas Shop and Island Gallery. I warned Joan that getting Yvonne out of there would be an impossible task! The shop seemed to go on forever with room after room after room of Christmas ornaments, island art work and photographs, and finally, a candy shop. Uh oh! My downfall. An hour and a half later we emerged - and the sun was still shining!

By then we were all hungry and ate dinner at Darrell's Seafood Restaurant. We were fifteen minutes too early for the evening baked potatoes and couldn't sweet talk the watiress into fudging, so we had mashed potatoes instead. As you can see, we survived!

The Roanoke Island Marshes Lighthouse was our next stop after dinner. A beautiful little gem on the end of a pier that was highlighted by the sun just perfectly for a great photo opportunity.

We ended the day, after checking into our motel in Nags Head, with a trip to Belk's Department Store. Now, you have to understand, I'm not much of a shopper. But it turned out that I was the only one who found anything, two pair of dress slacks. Yea!

Todd Williams Comes To Visit

2010-10-14T20:09:00.003-04:00

Tod Williams, one of our adopted military "sons" came to spend the weekend with us last week. He was home on leave from Japan. He drove down from Ohio to see us. How cool is that?! He made breakfast for us on Saturday morning (and even did the dishes)! We spent Friday evening together and then he joined us for our Saturday evening activities. He ev en taught us a new game. It was really nice having him here again.

The Beginning of a New Phase In Our Lives

2010-10-14T15:38:00.004-04:00

September 26th 2010 I was set apart by Azalea Garden Church of God as an Ordained Bishop. This Tuesday I successfully passed the Ordained Bishop's written examination and subsequent oral interview with the examining board in Ashland, Virginia. This is a big step of faith for us. Lots of thoughts and emotions swirl around inside as we take this step. It's been thirteen years since we've been part of a denomination. We've spent hours and hours in prayer seeking the Lord's leading concerning this move, and sense that He has new things in store for us. We want to be like Caleb and Joshua in the Old Testament on the brink of entering a new land; a land flowing with "milk and honey"! I believe the Lord knows the plans He has for us. Plans to prosper us and not to harm us. Plans to give us hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11).

Jacob Benjamin Lentz - our grandson!

2010-08-25T18:09:00.006-04:00

It's hard to believe that next Monday we'll celebrate my grandson's first birthday! The days and months go by so quickly. I'm glad we've taken lots of pictures! What a cutie he is and always ready with that big smile. I love it when he sees me come in the front door from work and crawls as fast as he can toward me and then climbs up my leg. It does a grandpas' heart good. :)

New Greetings

2010-08-19T16:11:00.002-04:00

Well, It has been sixteen months since I updated this blog. A lot has happened in that time. As I start blogging again I'll share some of the things. This post is just to let everyone know I'm still alive and coming back. :)

These are funny - enjoy!

2009-04-02T14:41:00.001-04:00

1. The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.

3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.

4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption.

5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.

6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.

7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.

8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.

9. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

11. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.

12. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

13. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, 'You stay here, I'll go on a head.'

14. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then, it hit me.

15. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said, 'Keep off the Grass.'

16. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, 'No change yet.'

17. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

18. The short fortune-teller who esc! aped fro m prison was a small medium at large.

19. The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran..

20. A backward poet writes inverse.

21. In democracy, it's your vote that counts. In feudalism, it's your count that votes.
22. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.

2 Timothy 1:7

2009-02-05T18:24:00.005-05:00

Jesus is so faithful! When He wants to remind you of something He often does it through a variety of ways. I guess repetition is the key to learning.

In my last post I forgot to include the way Yvonne encourages me to push aside the fear that pops up. She quotes 2 Timothy 1:7 to me...

"For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

She told me that last night again and I said, "yea, but I know too much about that verse. It doesn't apply in this situation. That applies to timidity in witnessing." She came back and said this verse applies exactly, because you're trying to encourage others to call for the elders of the church to pray for them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord when they're sick. You're trying to share with them what Jesus did for you. If you let fear stop you then this verse applies directly to you! I admitted that she was right.

I just came back from the bank and post office and on the way had the local Christian radio station on. Guess what the preacher was preaching about? You guessed it - 2 Timothy 1:7.

In your prayers for me please pray that I will keep my eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of my faith, and to remember the words of 2 Timothy 1:7!

Update on my condition...

2009-02-05T15:41:00.004-05:00

When it comes to spiritual things I always try to be absolutely clear, precise and honest. I want to always glorify Jesus Christ my Lord so that He gets all of the credit and praise. I also don't want to overstate anything that would create confusion. So I want to give those of you who read my testimony an update on what's going on with me.

First off, I slept through the night for the first time Tuesday night! Thank you Jesus! Yesterday when I got up I was feeling great and wanted to share my healing with everyone. I first made a "status update" on my Facebook account and then proceded to write the story here. As I began to write my left hip began to hurt, not bad, but it still hurt. That went to my left thigh and to my left knee. and then down to the left ankle.

I really struggled with whether to publish the testimony at all or not. I also struggled with whether I had been healed or not. I began to experience fear that the whole horrible pain would return. I didn't want to look stupid for saying something happened that didn't, but I pressed on and finished the story and published the post. Amazingly enough as soon aa I published it the pain went away again. I can't explain that.

Last night I again slept throgh the night, but this morning my left hip, thigh, knee, and shin hurt. Not the excruciating pain I was feeling before my healing, but nontheless, it is painful. I can walk and bend and don't have the debilitating pain I had before, but nonetheless, it does hurt.

I am still following my doctor's advice and taking my meds, icing my back, doing the stretches, and resting. I am also still believing that the Lord healed me of the excruciating pain I was feeling the other day and I praise and thank Him for that!!!! I do not know why I am experiencing the pain I am at the moment. But I would like those of you who are reading this and who care, to please pray for me that the Lord will heal the rest of this problem for His glory.

I tried, by faith, to push past the discomfort I was feeling today to attend a clergy/pastor conference at the Norfolk Naval Station, but could only sit there for an hour before the discomfort became too much. I didn't want to disrupt the procedings by constantly getting up and going out and coming back in, so I left. That was disapointing.

Tomorrow morning I have an appointment with a chiropractor to see if there is anything he might be able to do. Then on Monday I have a follow-up appointment with my primary care medical doctor. On the 21st I have an MRI scheduled at Portsmouth Medical Center to actually look inside and see what's going on.

Again, I believe Jesus healed me of whatever was causing the excruciating pain I was experiencing the other day in answer to the prayers of the elders. I give Him all of the praise and glory for that! I still believe it was a miracle! The fear of that coming back does pop it's ugly head up from time to time. Yvonne helps me to push it away, and I keep trying to believe and trust the Lord that it will not.

So, I am asking for your prayers for my complete healing from this back and sciatic nerve problem I am having. It makes it hard to focuas on anything else, although I am trying. Thank you and I will keep you updated on this spiritual journey...

Calling for the elders of the church - divine healing!

2009-02-04T11:13:00.011-05:00

My friends, I believe in miracles! Jesus is alive and is my healer! Here's the story as best I remember the events...

About a month or so ago I felt a little "twinge" in my left hip while sitting in my office working on my computer. Nothing significant, but I noticed it. A few days later when I got up from my office chair it felt like my left leg sort of "gave way" and I had to catch myself. I thought, "That's weird" but went on about my business. It happened another time a few days later but then didn't happen again.

But over time, my back and left leg began to hurt. This isn't the first time this has happened so I wasn't too alarmed. The last time the doctors took x-rays and diagnosed me with degenerative disk disease in my lower back. The disk had "collapsed" (more so on the left side) and decreased the pathway for the sciatic nerve to exit my vertebrae. When the sciatic nerve is impinged (pinched) it creates pain all the way down the leg to the ankle. Basically the doctors said it would be a matter of maintaining the pain with medication when it occurs. The best remedy they said was for me to lose a significant amount of weight, and exercise (especially the back and abdominal muscles). I was able to control the pain by just taking Excedrin and exercised regularly. I did that for quite a while and the pain became minimal (and I lost 25 pounds).

But with working on my dissertation and rebuilding our web site I sluffed off going to the gym and exercising. And I confess, my posture for hours at a time in my office chair was bad. I have a tendency to slouch to the left and lean on my left arm while working the mouse with my left hand. I am guessing that that is what may have triggered this most recent bout with my back and left leg. I can't think of anything else I did that would have caused it.

So, I went back to the gym to exercise. I worked out on the Nautilus machines focusing on my back and abs and hips and rear end. but the pain didn't go away, it only got worse. So I scheduled an appointment with a chiropractor last Wednesday. I regularly iced my back and performed some rudimentary stretches he recommended; but my pain got so bad that when I went in for my next appointment on Friday I could barely walk. The doctor was surprised at the pain I was in. He gave me my adjustment and then said I should probably go to the clinic to get some medication for the pain, which I did on Saturday. They examined me and gave me Vicodin. It helped me sleep, but did almost nothing for the pain. Every time I tried to change position or roll over I would wake up in excruciating pain!

The pain got so bad that I could barely walk. At first the only relief I got was when I put ice on my back, or got into a kneeling position by a chair, or laid on my right side in bed with my legs drawn up (kind of a fetal position). Once I did one of those things I felt better for a little while.

Sunday was Yvonne's birthday and we planned to have Sarah and Brian over for dinner. I didn't want to spoil Yvonne's birthday so we decided to have them come on over. We ate dinner with me kneeling at a chair to eat by the table. And then we played a game of Settlers of Catan, again with me kneeling by a chair. What a sight that was. As a matter of fact, they got a picture of me...

Brian won the game!

Sunday night the pain got so bad that nothing I tried made the pain subside. Many times all I could do was cry out to the Lord for mercy and that he would relieve the pain! Often it got so bad all I could do was scream and beg God to help me! I also tried worshipping and praising the Lord and telling Him that I loved Him even in the midst of my pain. After a while the ice and the kneeling position didn't help any more. I only slept a couple of hours at a time out of sheer exhaustion! The thought occurred to me a few times, during times of less intense pain, to call for the elders of my church and have them come and anoint me with oil and pray for me according to James 5:14-15, but I didn't.

By Monday morning I was hurting so badly that Yvonne called Boone clinic and made an appointment for me, and we went in. Sitting in the car was excruciatingly painful, my only comfort being that I knew it was only a ten minute drive. I hobbled in as best I could and knelt on the pillow I brought in front of the chair in the waiting room. When the nurse called me in, I could only kneel in front of a chair to have any sort of relief from the pain while waiting for the doctor. The doctor gave me a shot of pain medication in my hip, but after an hour it had absolutely no effect! They prescribed three other muscle relaxants and pain medications for me that Yvonne went to the pharmacy to pick up. When she came back, the medical staff said they had done all they could for me in that setting and recommended Yvonne take me to the Portsmouth Medical Center emergency room.

I couldn't sit in the wheelchair they provided because it hurt too much. So I leaned on it and pushed it as I hobbled out the door, accompanied by three nurses. The staff at Boone Clinic were wonderful to me!

I dreaded the 40 minute ride in the car to the hospital. I laid on my right side in the back seat of the car, which was tolerable as long as long as Yvonne didn't hit any major pot holes. When we got to the hospital a very nice African-American gentleman (not one of the hospital staff) told me to lean on him and he helped me into the hospital. Again, I kneeled on my pillow on the floor in front of a chair while Yvonne checked me in. They took me into triage and took my vitals with me still kneeling on the floor. What a sight I must have been!

Not long after, two young hospital corpsmen came and let me lean on them as they took me to a bed. Laying on my right side again immediately reduced the pain I was feeling. The doctors and nurses came in, checked me over, and said they would try to alleviate the pain I was feeling. They gave me two percoset pills (sp?) and two Valium pills and let me lay there for a while (I don't remember how long). Then they said they had done all they could and sent me home. They gave me a prescription for Valium that Yvonne went to the pharmacy to fill. I laid in the back of the car to wait for her; a wait that ended up being 2 1/2 hours long!

Finally we got home. I took the medicines, but it didn't seem like they touched the pain. I hobbled around, I iced my back, I cried, I screamed, I prayed and prayed, and begged and pleaded with the Lord to take away the pain. I think I went to bed then and slept for an hour or so, but woke in the same pain. No position I got in seemed to alleviate the pain now. The verse went through my mind again to call for the elders of the church to come and anoint me with oil and pray for me. But by now it was midnight. But I had Yvonne make the call for me.

Pastor Maye had just driven 600 miles from meetings in south Georgia and had been asleep for half an hour, but he agreed to call some of the other elders and come and pray for me. They arrived at about 1:00am. Pastor Maye read the passage of Scripture in James 5 and he and Dave anointed me and prayed over me that the Lord would heal me and take away the pain I was experiencing.

I felt like I had been obedient to the Lord and His Word and called for the elders of the church and they were obedient to come and anoint me and pray for me. Now the rest was in the Lord's hands.We talked for a short time and they left.

Yvonne and I went to bed, but the pain was still unbearable! I cried and begged God for relief, I screamed and pleaded for His mercy. Yvonne was in tears and suddenly, through her tears screamed out "Satan I rebuke you, get your hands off of him in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth!"

By that time I was so exhausted I climbed in be and fell asleep. The next time I woke up I think it was about 6:00 or so. My side hurt so I got out of bed and tried walking to our other bedroom where Yvonne was getting ready for work. I gingerly got out of bed and tried to walk and noticed that it wasn't hurting as much as the night before and the more I walked the better it was feeling. I laid back down again and my leg hurt, so I got back up. The more I walked the better it felt and better I was able to walk. I felt like the blind man in the Bible that Jesus healed and when he opened his eyes he said he saw men as trees walking. In other words, it was part of the way there. I asked the Lord to please continue the healing.

Yvonne went to work about 9:30 and I took my medicine and went back to bed. I slept till 3:30. That's the most sleep I had gotten throughout this whole ordeal. When I woke up and tried getting out of bed I noticed there was no pain!! I got up and I could walk, bend, sit, and everything. Wow, did I worship and praise the Lord for that! Jesus had done the work! He had answered prayer and healed me of that excruciating pain.

I got up and walked around the house, praising and worshipping Him. I took a shower and got dressed so that I would look good for Yvonne when she came home from work. I felt really good! Later Marian, Pastor Maye's wife called to see how I was doing and I was able to give her the great news! I also called Dave to let him know what had happened. I believe that was a miracle in answer to being obedient to His Word. I thank Him for His faithfulness.

Sarah came over to the house and when she saw me standing there feeling good she was shocked. A few minutes later Yvonne walked in from work and was also shocked! We all praised the Lord Jesus for His healing!

I wanted to write this story as a way of encouraging you to believe in the Word of God and obey it. James 5:14-15 says,

"Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven."

If you're sick, call for the elders of your church and have them come and anoint you with oil in the name of the Lord Jesus and pray for you. Don't wait. And if you're an elder of a church, please be willing to obey the Word and go when someone calls. This is all about loving and following Jesus and loving each other. I can't tell you how much it meant to me that my pastor and Dave came to pray for me in the middle of the night!

Monday Evening...

2009-01-28T18:19:00.007-05:00

On Monday Andy and his parents loaded all of his stuff from Andy's storage unit and packed it into their van and a U-Haul trailer hooked behind Andy's truck. The night before we planned to get together again for dinner and another game in the evening. Andy placed his order for Yvonne's Lasagna for dinner and to play Attack Uno afterward. He liked the game the first time he played it here a few weeks before. Mike and Ruth had never played it before.

This is Mike and Ruth Davis

I don't like all these cards in my hand...yuck!

Mike won four rounds out of five to win the game!

Then on Tuesday morning the Davis's pulled out to drive back to Illinois. The worst winter ice storm of the season was moving east and they were going to try to outrun it up north. everything to the north of the ice band was supposed to be snow. Mike felt that would be all right as long as it wasn't ice. andy will spen the next three years as an instructor at Great Lakes Naval Traiing Center teaching recruits how to use small arms.

Sunday with Ruth, Mike, and Andy...

2009-01-28T18:14:00.002-05:00

Sunday afternoon about 3:00 o'clock Andy came in with his mom (Ruth) and dad (Mike). Yvonne was preparing lunch for us all but found out they had just eaten lunch, so Yvonne slowed the process down and we visited and got to know each other. We decided to eat later and make it an evening meal instead of noon (Yvonne is so flexible!) For those of you interested in the menu, she made terriaki chicken and rice for dinner, and apple crisp for dessert.

This is the mouse eye view of us at dinner

After we ate we played Settlers of Catan. Andy, Ruth, and Mike had never played it before. But, they caught on really quick!

We had a lot of fun together!

Yvonne won

Saturday Night RISK Battle!

2009-01-28T18:05:00.003-05:00

Saturday evening Nichole Thomas came over and Andy Davis joined us. We had pizza for dinner and played RISK! Nic and Andy took Yvonne and me out of the game (I've never seen anyone roll as many six's as Nic did!). Then at 9:00pm they decided they had had enough and split up the world and called it a draw. Andy controlled North, South, and Central America, and Nic had the rest of the world. We closed the evening praying together.

Azalea Garden Church of God 2009 Missions Banquet

2009-01-19T11:14:00.016-05:00

Sunday evening Yvonne and I attended the annual missions banquet at Azalea Garden Church of God. What a fun night that was! We went to the church at 5:00pm to the Prayer Center and had a time of prayer with the missionaries. There were missionaries to Honduras, Nicaragua, The Native American Tribes in New Mexico, India, Benelux, Fiji, Columbia, Spain, to the Seafarers, and a whole bunch of other places. All week they had been sharing stories about their ministries around the world. The banquet was the high point, or culmination, of the week.

The food was really great! I was told that the fried chicken was Church of God chicken. I wondered if that meant that the chickens got saved and filled with the Spirit before they were cooked??? Anyway, the cooks did a terrific job!

Terri Goodin - Missionary to the Native American Tribes in New Mexico

After just a few minutes with Terri, Yvonne and I felt like we'd known her for years!

Dr. Charles Dewing and John

Dr. Dewing and his wife Joan minister to the crews of the international cruise ships.

Kuulei - missionary in Fiji

Kuulei is from Hawaii. That created an instant connection since we spent six years minsitering in Hawaii. We had to compare some notes and places we knew. Yvonne is showing her a picture of someone we thought we both knew (it wasn't the same person).

Some of our local folk:

Steve and Bonnie (Children's pastor)

Ralph and Jim

Gene and Linda

Kathy - she and the mission board were responsibile for putting this all together. They did a great job too!

Rodney and Angela Vickers (Rodney's the executive pastor of the church)

Larry and Joan

Hamburgers, Chips and Settlers of Catan

2009-01-19T10:47:00.011-05:00

Saturday evening Todd Williams and Andy Davis joined us for hamburgers and chips.

Then Todd, Yvonne and I played played Settlers of Catan (Andy just watched because he wasn't feeling well). We played two games.

Can you tell who won the first game?

So, guess who might have won the second game?

Finally, guess who I had to coax to give me a big, friendly, smile...?

Todd the Sunday Baker

2009-01-12T16:12:00.011-05:00

On Sunday Yvonne made Lasagna, salad, and Italian bread for dinner.

Todd Williams made the dessert - a Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake. It was really good too!!

Evan and Brandon had to drive down from Petersburg so we ate late - about 3:00pm. So it gave Todd plenty of time to make it. You all should have seen his concentration. Actually, you can see his concentration - just look at the pictures. :)

No sooner had we sat down to eat than Evan and Brandon showed up. Evan opened the door, stepped in, and let out this high pitched, spine chilling scream that caught Yvonne totally by surprise. She almost came three inches up out of her chair! (We all had a good chuckle out of that).

The lasagna got polished off in a hurry! Everyone liked it.

After dinner Todd's dessert was a huge success too!

Finally, Evan led us in a really awesome "hymn sing" led in his own unique style. We had a good time worshipping the Lord together!

Pizza and a Movie for Saturday Night

2009-01-12T13:40:00.016-05:00

This week we ordered Pizza from the Pizza Hut and watched a movie for our activity. YN2 Todd Williams and GM2 Andy Davis started the evening with us and then SPC Evan Bunch called and said he was coming over too! He was in town from Ft. Lee in Petersburg and joined us. He brought a friend with him who he went to high school with and who is stationed at Oceana Naval Air Station - AT3 Brandon Justice. Yea!!

The movie we watched was called "The Perfect Stranger." it is based on the book Dinner with a Perfect Stranger by David Gregory. In the film a skeptical lawyer (Pamela Brumley) has a conversation with a stranger (Jefferson Moore) who claims to be Jesus of Nazareth. In the discussion that followed, they touched on a variety of thought-provoking topics, including the meaning of life, the accuracy of the Bible and the divinity of Jesus Christ.

The film really gets you thinking, both about how Jesus would present Himself if He were alive today, and about the issues that they discussed. I highly recommend it!

As always when Evan comes over, we closed the evening singing a couple of Christian songs and then prayed together. :)

Sharing a Christmas Tradition

2009-01-12T13:19:00.005-05:00

There's one tradition Yvonne and I enjoy sharing with others at Christmas. We have real candles on our Christmas tree instead of electric lights. The visual effect and the ambiance in the room is totally different with real candles.

Friday evening pastor Aubrey Maye and his wife Marian came over for dinner. We had dessert and coffee in the living room and lit the Christmas tree candles. Pastor Maye said it was the first time he had ever seen real candles on a Christmas tree, a comment I like to hear because it means we're sharing something new and unusual with someone.

All of us enjoyed it even though it was after Christmas. Although in Germany the Christmas season doesn't end until January 6th. We left the tree up just to share this tradition with the Mayes and now it will go the way of all Christmas trees...

NAB Little Creek Coffee House Ministry

2009-01-05T13:24:00.003-05:00

Sunday evening Yvonne and I went to the Coffee House at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base. Stephanie Parker, the Religious Education Director at the chapel invited us to come and share about our ministry and give a short devotional.

After a time of eating together, and praise and worship, Stephanie introduced me. Yvonne passed out our ministry flyers and I shared my testimony about how I came to know Jesus Christ at a servicemen's center in California called the Port O' Call where Yvonne was a hostess. I explained how Yvonne wouldn't date me because I wasn't a Christian. But over time, realizing that the kids at the Port had something I didn't, and together with Yvonne's and the center director's explanations, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior.

Then I shared four passages of Scripture that we base our ministry on. The first was Matthew 25:35-36, and 40

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in...'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" NIV

Yvonne and I feel that what we do for the servicemen and women who come into our home we are doing for Jesus Christ.

Then I talked about 1 Thessalonians 2:7, and 11-12

"we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children...For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory." NIV

I explained that our ministry is like a home away from home for servicemen and women and Yvonne and I feel toward those we minister to like a mother and father.

Finally, the last passage I talked about was 1 Thessalonians 2:8 that says:

"We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us." NIV

Love is the motive for what we do. As a result, what we do isn't just about sharing the Gospel with young military men and women, but about sharing our lives with them as well.

Attack Uno!

2009-01-05T13:13:00.004-05:00

This weekend Andy, Todd, Yvonne and I played Attack Uno. Andy had never played it before and decided it was more fun than the old style Uno. At first the Attack Uno machine was only spitting out a few cards once in a while. We thought it was the batteries, so Andy volunteered to go to the store and get some new ones.

It didn't help. So we cleaned the rubber rollers that grip the cards to spit them out, using rubbing alcohol. That didn't help either. Then cleaned the rollers again using a damp towel. Wow! Did that make a huge difference! It started spitting out all kinds of cards after that. Way more fun!

Yea! Todd's Home!!

2008-12-30T15:51:00.005-05:00

After a week of leave in Ohio for Thanksgiving, four weeks on temporary duty in Falon, NV, and then another week of leave in Ohio for Christmas, Todd Williams finally decided to come back home! Todd flew in yesterday and Yvonne went to the ariport to pick him up. Then he hung out with us for the afternoon. It's really nice to have him back home.

Elizabeth, our younger daughter flew in from California to visit Sarah and Brian. She came over yesterday and hung out with us for the afternoon too. It was nice to have her here too!

To top off the day, Andy came home from work and cooked his personal chili. We all dove into that with great gusto - and it was delicious.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-27T14:56:00.015-05:00

We had a really neat Christmas! It actually started early. Andy gave Yvonne several of the attachments for her Kitchen Aide for Christmas. They made preparing our Christmas Eve dinner much easier.

Sarah (our daughter) and Brian (our son-in-law) came over and we had butternut squash soup and bread and cheese for dinner. Afterwards Andy participated in our family gift exchange and then baked cookies for us (last post).

Here Sarah's taste-testing the cookies!

Finally, we lit the candles on our Christmas tree and watched them for a while.

On Christmas Day Nicole Thomas (USS Carl Vinson) came over and joined us for Christmas dinner. We baked a ham, and Nicole helped with the preparations by making the mashed potatoes. Nic jumped right in and did the dishes after dinner! What a help these two were.

We went into the living room and lit the candles on the tree again. I asked Nic if she had ever seen real candles on a Christmas tree before, and she said she had. I was surprised and asked where? She said at her grandmother's. Her grandmother had been from Germany and brought the tradition with her from there. When I asked Nic if her grandmother was still living she said no, she passed away in October. It made me feel good to think we shared a family tradition with her that was a pleasant reminder of her grandmother and actually part of her own family tradition.

I read the Christmas story from Matthew and Luke and then shared the Four Spiritual Laws Tract. Then we prayed. Yvonne made a cheese cake for dessert, and before she cut it she had us all sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus. It is His birthday after all!

Nic had to go back to the ship because she had duty, while the rest of us watched the movie "It's A Wonderful Life!" with Jimmy Stewart.

NavyforMoms.com

2008-12-27T12:50:00.006-05:00

We've also discovered NavyforMoms.com which is an online support community for moms who have sons or daughters about to join the Navy, or in the Navy. When we were told about it and checked it out it too became a means of making contact with sailors and their families. Now, I realize I'm not a "mom" and neither Yvonne nor I have any biological children in the Navy. But we have hundreds of "sons" and "daughters" around the world in the Navy, the Army, and the Marine Corps. So, I thought we met their qualifications :)

I've really learned a lot about moms who have adult children in the military. They worry. They have tons of questions. They pray. They cry. They miss their sons and daughters. They hope that they are safe. And, they search for information and answers to their questions. The more information they obtain the more it eases their anxiety.

So, Yvonne and I try to help by providing what answers we can. But we also try to let moms around the country know that we are here to provide a home away from home for their sons and daughters in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area if they are interested in participating in our activities.

We had one mom contact us and let us know her son was coming to Norfolk for a month and needed a place to "crash". We invited him to stay with us. So, as I write, Andy is here with us. He was even able to spend Christmas with us! On Christmas Eve we had dinner together with my daughter and son-in-law. Andy made some of his famous chocolate chip cookies. I took pictures of him doing it and emailed them to his mom right away. So they were included in our activities almost as they were happening.

I know there are other moms who are trying to encourage their sons and daughters to check us out too. This seems to be a tremendous door that the Lord has opened for us to make contact with sailors who are in the area or are coming to the area. Hopefully we can help them so they don't have to feel so alone in a huge, strange area. And, maybe we can provide some level of comfort and support to the moms of the sailors too.

Birthday greetings via telephone...

2008-12-27T12:27:00.002-05:00

Yvonne and I try to call the people who have been part of our fellowship on their birthdays. Being human, sometimes we forget, sometimes no body's home and sometimes, eureka! we succeed. This month we've done pretty good. It was fun to catch up with Randy and Nikki Mayzak in Camp LeJeune, NC. Since their birthdays are a week apart we thought it would be clever to called them right in between their birthdays. :) We talked with Amanda Coots in Ft. Lewis, Washington; and with Danielle Neitzke who was home on leave in Cason City, NV. And, we got in touch with Melissa McCausland in Imperial Beach, CA. Cell phones are so awesome! You can call the same number and wherever the person is, they still get the call.

American Media Version of Throwing the Shoe

2008-12-16T13:43:00.002-05:00

This post was originally a comment I made on NavyforMoms.com but I wanted to include it here too.

It's interesting. For many people the original reasons we went into Iraq have become so clouded that they don't even know what they are anymore. Our own media does the American version of "throwing the shoe" at our president. They distort his words and spin everything we've accomplished in Iraq in the worst light possible. If there are two possible ways to report a story they will opt for the negative one every time. The media in this country goes out of its way to maintain a deafening silence regarding anything positive and screaming incessantly about everything that is "wrong" in Iraq. According to our journalists we have essentially lost the war and have accomplished nothing.

Unfortunately, it is their incessant drumbeat that people, over time, believe - even if it is not true. It's like the old adage that "a lie repeated often enough, and loud enough, soon becomes the truth."

What breaks my heart is that I believe this incessant negative media coverage contributes directly to the post traumatic stress disorder which so many of our young warriors struggle with when they return home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Shoe Thrown At President Bush

2008-12-16T12:52:00.002-05:00

I was shocked when I heard about the journalist that threw his shoes at President Bush! I read it inthe newspaper first. Then I saw it on the television.

In America this just looks funny. But in the Arab world throwing your shoe as someone is a tremendous insult! It is an act that can lead to fights between people in that culture.

I was shocked at the journalist's behavior. It was a grave insult coming from a man representing another nation as a journalist. I think it reflects shame on the country he represents as a journalist.

But, having said that, I was so incredibly proud of President Bush's response. For our nation's leader to simply shrug off and dismiss an insult such as that, with his usual wry humor, brings great honor to our country, and to George Bush as a Christian. I believe this is an example of the difference between the concepts of "an eye for an eye" and "turning the other cheek".

To me, this was another of many occasions where President George Bush has revealed his gracious character both as our nation's leader, and as a Christian gentleman. This makes me think of him even more as a Christian Statesman.

Fort Lee Army Band Christmas Concert

2008-12-08T15:21:00.015-05:00

Sunday morning Yvonne and I drove to Petersburg, Virginia to listen to the Fort Lee Army Band perform their annual Christmas concert. It was really nice! SPC Evan Bunch, one of our soldiers is a percussionist with the band. What we didn't know, was that he was also going to perform as a vocalist in a quartet. They all did a great job!

The children in the audience were treated to the First Sargent reading the story "Twas The Night Before Christmas" set to the band playing.

And, of course, what Christmas show is complete without a visit from the fat bearded guy in the red flannel suit?

After the concert Evan had to help tear down the equipment and take it back to the band hall, so being the Civil War buff I am, Yvonne and I went to see "The Crater" in Petersburg. It was the place during the Civil War that the Union engineers dug a tunnel under the Confederate line and detonated a huge amount of explosives to cut Lee's supply line from the south. I had read about the Crater years ago, but have never seen it. I have to admit, it wasn't as big as I thought it would be.

This was the entrance to the tunnel (512 feet long).

This is the crater itself.
Finally, we went back to the base, met up with Evan and, after a tour of the band hall, Evan took us out to dinner at a Chinese Buffet. Yum! By that time we were all hungry, but especially Evan!

We prayed together and then drove back to Virginia Beach. Yesterday turned out to be a really special day...

Prayer Meeting Time

2008-10-21T16:22:00.002-04:00

Pastor Maye has been mentioning the Sunday evening prayer time for several weeks now. I've been thinking about attending and then planning to attend, but just never doing it.

This past Sunday evening Yvonne and I went for the first time. And, I'm gad we did! It was a real blessing. The church has a prayer room set up with little benches to kneel at and even provided cushions for the knees :)

One wall has a huge map of the world. on other walls there are groupings of pictures of missionaries, military, church members, etc. The lights were turned low, and there was soft music playing in the background. It was the nicest prayer meeting experience I've ever had at a church.

I spent considerable time laying my hands on different parts of the global map praying for the different servicemen and women that have been involved in our ministry that are now stationed around the world, including those deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq.

That prayer meeting was definitely worth attending!

The Peace of God that Passes All Understanding

2008-10-21T16:00:00.002-04:00

This past Sunday morning Pastor Aubrey Maye preached an excellent and very passionate message about the "peace of God" in the midst of difficult times. His text came from Philippians 4: 4-7.

Phil 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. NIV

He talked about the different kinds of peace, but focuses most of his comments on the kind of supernatural peace that comes from the Lord in the midst of difficulties. It's easy to have peace when everything is going well. It's also easy to have peace when we get our prayers answered the way we want them to be answered. But it's another kind of peace all together that is needed when things are chaotic and the answers to prayer are not coming the way we'd like them to. That is the supernatural peace that comes from an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. It's a peace that passes human understanding.

Especially in uncertain times like those we are going through right now, with the economic crisis we're experiencing. Anxiety, worry, and stress can dominate and preoccupy a person's mind and heart and steal away faith, joy, and trust in Jesus.

While he was preaching I thought of the passage of scripture in Habakkuk 3:17-19

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. NIV

Jesus does not change with the circumstances. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He can be trusted, even in dark, troublesome times. It is only as we go through the valleys in life that we can come to know Jesus as the Lilly of the valley.

Revival Services at Azalea Gardens Church

2008-10-21T15:51:00.002-04:00

Yvonne and I attended the revival services at Azalea Gardens Church (Church of God) last week from Sunday evening through Wednesday evening (Oct 12-15). Cliff West was the evangelist that spoke each evening. He was a good preacher. The Lord spoke to Yvonne and me several times through what he said. It's been a lot of years since I've attended a series of revival services like that. Pastor James the minister of music did an excellent job of leading worship, along with the choir and the instrumentalists. It was spiritually refreshing!

We just watched the movie "Fireproof"

2008-10-04T21:57:00.002-04:00

I haven't written anything for over a month now. But, coming back home tonight I couldn't wait to post my take on the new movie called "Fireproof." Our Saturday night activitiy this week was to go to Fudruckers Restaurant for dinner and then to see the movie.

My recommendation: go see it! It's an excellent movie! The action scenes are gripping, the acting is great and really believable, and the message is powerful.

If you're married and having a hard time right now, this movie is worth seeing because it contains a possible alternative to getting a divorce. Anyway, that's my take on the film. I enjoyed it!

The Last Three Weeks!

2008-09-02T09:16:00.009-04:00

Just in case anybody thinks I fell off the planet, I thought I'd add a new post today to bring interested readers up to date. But...where to start??

Part 1:

My most time consuming project, since completing my doctoral dissertation has been updating our web site. The tech support people at Network Solutions suggested I get rid of the "frames" on our pages. So, I had to go through and update 135 pages one by one. That felt like it took forever! Then one of the tech support people suggested I use CSS instead of simply HTML. That would enable me to make one change on one style sheet that would affect every page on my web site. Instead of having to manually change each page. He made it sound easy!

So, I began hunting for information about CSS (Cascading Syle Sheets). I found a "template" for a three column web site using CSS at Matthew James Taylor's web site. Wow! That was overwhelming! I laid it back down several times, thinking it was just beyond my ability. I emailed him and he wrote back and told me I needed to use "PHP includes" for what I wanted to do. Now I had to try to learn PHP as well as CSS. Surprisingly, learning about PHP includes was not very hard. But now I needed to go back to the three column CSS layout. I just couldn't seem to put it all together.

But then I stumbled on a tutorial that explained HTML, CSS, and PHP simply enough for me to understand at Tizag.com. You have to know, I'm not a computer programmer, I'm a minister. I look at my web site as my pulpit. I look at the interaction I have with people through it as a very significant part of my ministry. My heart's desire is to lift up Jesus Christ and help people come to know Him personally. And, to help people who know Him, grow in their relationship with Him. So, that's why I invest all of this time in learning to develop the best web site I can, so that people who visit our site will have the best experience I can provide.

Anyway, it all finally "clicked" for me! I learned it, and now I'm involved with redesigning our pages using these new languages. It's actually becoming fun now as I see what these languages can do.

Part 2:

Three weeks ago, on Sunday morning, Yvonne and I visited Azalea Gardens Church in Virginia Beach (the church is affiliated with the Church of God - Cleveland, TN). The worship service really blessed us! The water baptism of one individual, and a whole family was scheduled as part of the service. But, as the baptismal service went on, more and more people came forward to be baptized! There must have been about 15 people who were baptized before it was over. Many of them were children. That was really neat to see.

Sunday night we attended Churchland Assembly of God to worship, and reconnect with some friends we hadn't seen in a long time. That was good. Afterwards, several of us went to IHOP for food and fellowship.

That night I got really sick! I woke up with a 102.6F fever that lasted for three days. I was in bed the whole time. Finally, I went to the doctor and he gave me some antibiotics that worked. Thank you Jesus!

During the week Marian Maye, the pastor's wife of Azalea Gardens Church called, she also sent us an invitation in the mail to come back the following week and attend their "Guests Luncheon" after the worship service. We thought that was really nice! So, we decided to attend again. We brought Josue Torres (one of our sailors) with us. We all enjoyed the worship, and the food afterward was really good. During the worship service, the Lord used Yvonne to give a prophecy. After the service, a man from the worship team came up to us and said the Lord had given him almost the exact same message the week before, but there was no place to give it. He said the Lord obviously meant it to be given this week. What a powerful confirmation!

When we came back to the house we had a Bible study about why we lift our hands and clap in the church during worship. Josue challenges me every time I tell him something, to show him where it is in the Bible (an excellent practice). He's a new believer and is really hungry to learn and grow in his new faith!

This past Sunday Josue, Yvonne and I all went to Azalea Gardens Church again. There was a prophecy and two messages in tongues with the accompanying interpretation of tongues given during the service. You could really feel the presence of the Lord!

Pastor Aubrey Maye preached a powerful sermon from Nehemiah Chapter 1 about getting a vision from the Lord that's bigger than we are. His message really spoke to me. I felt like the Lord renewed my vision to reach young, single, servicemen and women between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five for Jesus Christ, and helping those who already know Him to grow in their relationship with Him.

My heart cries out to the Lord for the multitudes of young men and women around us who don't know Him; for those who don't have any desire to grow in their relationship with Him; and for those who are seriously backslidden. I spent yesterday fasting and praying for the young military people in this area.

So, I guess that's the update for the past three weeks. God bless.

The Breastplate of Aaron the High Priest

2008-08-07T13:26:00.008-04:00

A few weeks ago I felt the Lord laid on my heart that we were to begin praying regularly for all of the servicemen and women who have been through our home over the past eight years. We have prayed for many as they've come to our mind, but not very regularly, and not for everyone, I'm afraid. So I've taken our guestbook, which pretty much everyone fills out the first time they come over, and started using it as a prayer list. That includes about two hundred and fifty people. My plan is to pray for every person, by name, on a rotational basis. I've actually gone through the whole list once already and am on my second time around.

I noticed that after a few days of praying like this, when I went to the commissary or other places and saw someone who reminded me of one of the people who have been in our home, I would say a short prayer for them, right there (and no, I didn't get down on my knees).

A few days ago, as I was praying, the thought occurred to me that I was actually beginning to carry the people I was praying for in my heart. The image of the ephod of the high priest in Exodus 28:15-29 came to my mind:

"Fashion a breastpiece for making decisions — the work of a skilled craftsman. Make it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen...Then mount four rows of precious stones on it...Mount them in gold filigree settings. There are to be twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes...Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the Lord." NIV

I felt the Lord was applying this to us. That just as the high priest carried the names of the sons of Israel over his heart as a memorial before the Lord when he entered into the Holy Place, so we are carrying the names of the servicemen and women who have been in our home into the Most Holy Place as a continuing memorial before the Lord.

On another day I was driving to Office Depot and heard a song on the radio entitled: Throw Out The Lifeline by Edwin Ufford:

Throw out the Life-Line across the dark wave,
There is a brother whom someone should save;
Some-body's brother! oh, who, then will dare
To throw out the Life-Line, his peril to share?

Throw out the Life-Line with hand quick and strong;
Why do you tarry, why linger so long?
See! he is sinking oh, hasten today
And out with the Life-Boat! away, then, away!

Throw out the Life-Line to danger-fraught men,
Sinking in anguish where you've never been;
Winds of temptation and billows of woe
Will soon hurl them out where the dark waters flow.

Soon will the season of rescue be o'er,
Soon will they drift to eternity's shore;
Haste then, my brother, no time for delay,
But, throw out the Life-Line and save them today.

The majority of men and women who have been through our home are no longer in contact with us. So we have no idea what is actually going on in their lives, for good or bad; we may never hear from them again. But, whatever they are experiencing in their lives, I will trust that our prayers will be one "Life-Line" thrown out for them.

The Final Fairwell...

2008-08-04T18:11:00.016-04:00

Sunday afternoon the Fragata Greenhalgh was scheduled to leave about 3:00pm. Yvonne and I went to the pier at 2:00pm to see the ship off. Rubem, Daniel, Camillo, Tiago, Italo, and Renato, came off the ship to see us.

Italo and Renato had come to the house once. Renato's wife had a baby last month while they were underway. So he's really excited about getting home to see his new son! We visited for a while, hugged, and took pictures. Camillo presented Yvonne and me with "mission t-shirts" as souvenirs.

We stayed on the pier and watched as the cables and lines were all detached from the ship. Paulo and Edivaldo couldn't come off the ship because they were working to get the vessel underway. But while we waited Paulo came up on deck and waved to us.

While we watched the crew preparing the ship to get underway we were so intent on the activities on deck we didn't even notice that one of the crew members had walked up to us with plastic cups and a pitcher of ice water. Camillo motioned that he had sent him down. That was so thoughtful (and refreshing too)!

Finally it was time for the ship to back away from the pier.

We went all the way to the end of the pier and watched until the ship was under away.

I'll say it one more time, this was a great group of men! I know they ministered to us as much as we ministered to them.

Our Last Saturday Night Together

2008-08-04T16:36:00.021-04:00

The last weekend of the visit of our new "sons" from Brazil finally arrived. It was time for Rubem, Tiago, Camillo, Daniel, Paulo, and Edivaldo to head back home to their families in Rio de Janeiro. We've all became really close in a very short period of time!

As is to be expected in the military, schedules change. They had been out to sea for the past montt, and we thought they would be here through the whole weekend. However, Saturday we found out because of a weather system approaching the Carribean, their ship would leave early - Sunday afternoon.

So when they were given liberty on Saturday I went to the base and picked them up early Saturday afternoon (2:00 pm) and spent the day together at the house. We had a bar-b-que in their honor - grilled rib-eye steaks, baked potatoes, and salad for dinner; and home-made ice cream sundaes for dessert. Paulo did most of the grilling for us!

Since we were not going to be together at the house on Sunday, we spent the evening singing and worshipping. We had a great time! They even pulled me into some of the Portuguese worship choruses - with motions. We all laughed a lot! It was fun.

Then they asked if they could pray for Yvonne and me. So the two of us knelt in the living room and the guys all gathered around us and took turns praying for us. That was powerful!

I shared two passages of Scripture with them that were on my heart:

1 Thessalonians 2:7-8

"...we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us." NIV

1 Thessalonians 2:11-12

"For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory." NIV

By that time it was about 1:00 AM Sunday morning! So I drove them back to the ship. Before we left the house Yvonne hugged them all and said goodbye. I did my hugging and saying goodbye when we got out of the car on the pier.

Mrs. Carolina Wren and the Flowerpot

2008-08-04T11:54:00.024-04:00

This story starts with a white plastic flowerpot stored on my back porch. It had really just been tossed into another pot to get it out of the way, and was sort of lying on its side.

This spring a pair of Carolina Wrens decided it would be a good place to set up housekeeping. So, Mr. and Mrs. Wren built a nest in the pot.

When my curiosity got the better of me, I went out to take a look. At first I couldn't see anything. The nest was built with the opening on the side so it was hard to peek into it.

So I bent down and got closer...and closer...and...

Suddenly this tiny little bird streaks past my face and flies away! It startled me like you wouldn't believe! I decided I wouldn't bother her any more. But, as time went on I wondered if she had abandoned the nest or if she had her young. Because I didn't see them any more.

One morning while sitting at my desk I heard a noise, as if something hit the screen on the window next to me. I turned to look and there was a Carolina Wren clinging to the screen! As I pulled back the sheer curtains it few away. But, on the ground outside the window was a second Wren - feeding two babies! It was adorable!

I watched for a few minutes, and when I looked up, there was the original Wren that had been clinging to the screen, sitting on a limb of the tree, right at my eye level.

It seemed as if she was watching me watch her mate feed her young. She would turn her head and look toward her young on the ground, and then look back at me. After a few minutes she flew down to the ground and started feeding the babies too.

It was as if Mrs. Carolina Wren had knocked on the screen to show me her new babies, and to say "Thanks for the use of the flowerpot!"

What Would Jesus Look Like If He Appeared Today?

2008-07-29T10:40:00.014-04:00

Have you ever wondered how Jesus would look, or how He would interact with people if He were alive and on the earth today? Since I watched the two videos I talked about yesterday I've been facinated by the idea.

After I watched both of them, and as I sit here writing this, my mind goes to Luke 24:12-35 where Jesus walked and talked (after His resurrection) with two men on the road to Emmaus, and they didn’t recognize Him.

"Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?" They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?" "What things?" he asked. "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see." He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?" They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread." NIV

Then He appeared later (Luke 24:36-40) to the twelve in the upper room. They were terrified and thought He was a ghost. It wasn't until Jesus revealed Himself to them that their fears were assuaged and they believed.

"While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet." NIV

What kind of Jesus do we present to the world? Why would a person who is not a Christian want to come to the Jesus we present. We may "say" the right things. But, what do people see when they watch us? Do our actions and behaviors negate what we say? These are all thoughts that the films brought up in my mind. I just thought I'd share them with you. What do you think?

There is also an excellent interview with Jefferson Moore at Christian Cinema.

If you get a chance, get the videos and watch them. I think you'll like them. They will definitely make you think!

Saturday and Sunday Activities July 26-27, 2008

2008-07-28T16:17:00.006-04:00

Well, this week it was Saturday that Todd had duty, so Yvonne and I just relaxed.

Sunday she made scallopped potatoes with ham for dinner and bannana nut bread and ice cream for dessert.

After dinner we did something a little different. We watched a movie called Another Perfect Stranger. It is the sequel to another film called The Perfect Stranger.

So, let me ask you a question. Have you ever wondered what Jesus would look like if He were to come to earth today? How He would interact with people in 2008?

Both films, are based on the book Dinner with a Perfect Stranger by David Gregory. In the first film a skeptical lawyer (Pamela Brumley) has a conversation with a stranger (Jefferson Moore) who claims to be Jesus of Nazareth. In the discussion that follows, they touch on a range of thought-provoking topics, including the meaning of life, the accuracy of the Bible and the divinity of Jesus Christ. In this second film the story picks up ten years later as the lawyer's daughter, Sarah (Ruby Marie Lewis), is debating whether to attend art school. On her way to look over the campus, she befriends a fellow traveler (Jefferson Moore) whose scorn for religion matches hers.

These two films will really get you thinking, both about how Jesus would present Himself if He were alive today, and about the issues that get raised during the conversations in the films. We rented them from Netflix. And I highly recommend them!

CAPT Al Hill CHC, USN Retires

2008-07-28T15:49:00.003-04:00

Friday morning, after 30 years of commissioned service as a Chaplain in the United States Navy my friend, colleague, and field mentor, retired from the military. Yvonne and I attended the ceremony (which was beautiful!) and I was privileged to offer the benediction.

So, what does one do after 30 years as a Navy Chaplain? You move to Pinehurst, North Carolina, one of the golfing meccas of the United States, and serve as an associate pastor of the Village Chapel. A beautiful interdenominational church in a pristine woodland setting. But, lest you think this is all golfing and lying in a hammock drinking sweet tea, think again. The "chapel" has three worship services on Sunday morning!

That will keep Al more than a little busy! So, as is usually the case with those of us who "retire" from active duty in the military, it isn't really retirement. It is actually a transition from one phase of life to another. Instead of being called chaplain, now he'll be called pastor.

God's blessings on you my friend.

Bye, See Ya At Lunch!

2008-07-28T10:19:00.005-04:00

This morning I just couldn't resist taking this picture!

Yvonne has been working at Kinder Care, a preschool about a mile from the house, for about two months now. Teachers have to wear a uniform of sorts: a blue shirt and khaki pants. Since the preschool is so close to our house, Yvonne walks to work. So, every day she straps on her blue and khaki back pack, wearing her blue shirt and khaki pants (and the sunglasses), and goes out the front door. I think she's really cute! But you'd have to be here every day to get the full effect.

The weather has been in the upper 80s and low 90s here for most of the summer; so when she walks home for lunch her face is almost as red as the front door (ok, well maybe not quite, but you get the idea).

We've been married for almost 36 years (September 14) and she is still the love of my life!!

Saturday and Sunday - July 19 - 20, 2008

2008-07-24T17:06:00.003-04:00

Yvonne and I drove up to Newport News on Saturday to help Brian and Sarah move some of the furniture around in their new house. We thought we left early enough, but with three accidents and the slow down in the tunnel, it took us two hours to get home! It's only supposed to take about 30 minutes...Yuk!!!!

Todd was coming over for the evening, but had to work late, so we got home before he got to the house. It was hot dogs, baked beans, and chips for dinner. Then on to a game of Settlers of Catan for the three of us. Now that is one fun game! Of all the times I've played it, this was the first time I've ever won.

Todd had duty on Sunday so Yvonne and I spent the time praying together for some of the servicemen and women who have been through the house in the past; and just spent the rest of the day relaxing. I have to confess though, when you're a Type "A" personality like I am, I took some of the time and went into my office to work on our web site. Which, if you take a peek, is coming along pretty nicely, if I must say so myself.

Brian's mom and dad flew in from Colorado and were staying with Brian and Sarah over the weekend. They came over Sunday evening for a visit; it was nice to see them again. Yvonne put together a chocolate fondue for the evening. Yummy! I even tried chocolate coating a Spanish Olive. It was an interesting flavor (not recommended!). Dick and Janet tried one too. Hey, who knows, it might have been good...you never know until you try...

Sunday Activities - July 13 2008

2008-07-17T13:31:00.005-04:00

We had a really nice time on Sunday! Yvonne fixed Todd's favorite meal: meat loaf and mashed potatoes. Cinnamon coffee cake was for dessert. Then we watched Matthew 25:1-13 and discussed it.

It was the parable of the ten virgins. Two groups of five people were represented: one wise and one foolish.

The story was about a Jewish wedding.

The virgins were with the bride and were to keep "watch" (a pretty familiar word for military people). The groom was at the bachelor party with his friends. After the party they would come and get the bride. The bride's friends, who were on "watch" would announce his arrival; they would all go out and meet him and then process together carrying their lamps to light the way, singing and celebrating, to the wedding banquet.

There was only one distinction between the two groups of virgins: one group was "prepared" for the possibility that the bachelor party would run long and brought extra oil for their lamps. The other group did not. So they were "unprepared" for the bridegroom's return.

As expected by the five virgins who brought extra oil for their lamps, the bachelor party ran late. The bride's friends got tired and fell asleep. But finally, the bridegroom did arrive, and the call rang out to go out and meet him.

The virgins all got up and cut off the burnt part of the wicks of their lamps. The lamps were almost out of oil and the lights were going out. The wise virgins, it can be surmised, simply refilled their lamps, while the foolish virgins had to go and get more oil.

However, while they were gone the bridegroom came, and the celebration procession went out to meet him, and escorted him into the wedding banquet hall. Then the door was shut.

When the five who went to get more oil arrived and asked to be allowed into the banquet hall the bridegroom denied knowing them, and refused them entry.

That's the story.

The lesson Jesus conveys in this story is simple: we must be ready for Jesus' physical return to this earth! No one knows when He will return, but we have repeatedly been told in the Scriptures that He will return!

The question is: "How can we know we are ready?"

I believe the key is in the bridegroom's response to the foolish virgins when he said: "I tell you the truth, I don't know you."

Whether we enter into the kingdom of God or not has always been based on one criteria: whether or not we have opened our hearts and invited Jesus Christ in (Rev 3:20). That moment is the beginning of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. And it is that personal relationship that Jesus will either acknowlege or deny when He returns.

Are you actively keeping watch for His return? Will you be prepared for His return? Or will He say, "Sorry, I never knew you?"

Saturday Activities - July 12, 2008

2008-07-15T19:08:00.010-04:00

Saturday turned into a real work day! My daughter Sarah and her husband Brian moved into the new townhouse they bought. Todd Williams, Yvonne and I went up to Newport News to help them move. It was hot and tiring, but it was fun too.

After moving all of the big furniture, and the truck got taken back to U-haul, Brian and Sarah took us all out to Red Robin for dinner. The hamburgers there are HUGE!

By the end of the day Todd, Yvonne and I were exhausted! We came back to our house and prayed together, and called it a day.

Sunday Activities - July 6, 2008

2008-07-07T18:48:00.017-04:00

The Fragata Greenhalgh crew was having an all hands cookout on Sunday, so we thought none of our Brazilian friends would be able to come over. But as it turned out, they called about 12:30 and said they were free to go and wanted to come over. I jumped in the car and twenty minutes later I was pier side, picked them up, and was on the way to the house. Yea!

Yvonne was preparing Martha Stewart's Macaroni and Cheese Casserole for dinner, and cream cheese brownies and ice cream for dessert.

After dinner we went into the living room for our worship and Bible study time. Paulo and Edivaldo led us in worship; Paulo with his flute and Edivaldo on the guitar.

What was different about today was the way we sang. We just kept on singing! Instead of watching the Matthew video I felt led to talk about what was going on among us. The love that we felt for each other in such a short time has been nothing short of divine. It was Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection that made this kind of fellowship and love possible. We were sharing our gifts with one another: Paulo and Edivaldo were giving us their gifts of music. Yvonne was sharing her gifts of cooking and hospitality. Jesus said He came that we might have life, and to have it to the full. When we can come together and fellowship and love one another, it is a small taste of what He meant!

We sang the chorus "Open The Eyes Of My Heart" several times. We all felt like we were "seeing" Jesus. Jesus made it possible for six sailors from Brazil to come to America and share their gift of music and love with us in our home. He made it possible for a man and his wife to open their home in America and love six sailors from Brazil. And in just four short weeks, He made it possible for us to love each other deeply from the heart (1 Peter 1:22).

After I talked about our love for one anther we went right back to singing. It was great! Then out came the laptops and it was time to phone home.

Paulo showed us a worship DVD from a church in Brazil. Though we couldn't understand the language, we could participate in the worship because of the Spirit. We could all focus on Jesus, the one being worshipped.

The Brazilians' stay in America is coming to an end. The Greenhalgh will go out to sea for a month. Then they will be back for one more weekend at the end of the cruise, and then they sail back to Brazil.

We all stood and I anointed each one with oil individually in the name of the Lord Jesus and prayed for them. It was a bittersweet moment, but the presence of the Lord was so very real!

Finally, about 11:00pm I took everyone back to the ship. I stayed on the pier until they were out of sight because I knew that would be the last time I would see them for a month.

Saturday Activities - July 5, 2008

2008-07-07T16:58:00.021-04:00

This week's activities started with an all you can eat buffet at the Pizza Hut on General Booth Blvd. It was unanimous, everybody liked the idea of pizza for dinner! The guys were quick to point out that they have Pizza Hut in Brazil too. However, it took a little convincing to get them to eat it American style (with their fingers instead of a knife and fork)!

Our waitress was from North Carolina and was nice enough to talk to us for a while so the Brazilians could hear her "Southern" accent, and then she took our picture!

From Pizza Hut it was on to a rousing game of miniature golf at the Lynnhaven Golf Park. We all hoped and prayed that the storm moving in would wait until we finished our game! We also prayed for Camillo to get the ball into the cup. The guys even lined up their golf clubs to make the ball go straight.

It was the first time our Brazilian friends had ever played miniature golf. Between an American baseball game, croquet in our back yard, bowling, and miniature golf, we gave them several new experiences to talk about when they get back to Brazil.

In case you're curious, the balls all landed in that pattern on their own, so we posed ourselves around the balls.The rain did hold off until we finished our game. It started raining just as we got to the eighteenth hole. That nixed our plans to go to the Dairy Queen after golfing, but hey, flexibility is the name of the game - right? We finished the evening at our house, praying together. All in all, I'd say it was a great night!

Sunday Activities - June 29, 2008

2008-07-04T17:12:00.014-04:00

Sunday was another awesome day! I went to the Norfolk Naval Station to pick up Rubem and the other sailors from the Greenhalgh. Camillo, Daniel, and Tiago all had duty; and Paulo had other plans for the day. But, Rubem and Edivaldo had invited two other sailors from their ship to come over. So, Renato and Italo joined us for the afternoon. Todd Williams was here too!

Yvonne made Italian Crepes and vegetables and a spinach salad for dinner. Once a month she also has a little birthday party to celebrate everyone's birthday for the month. It's one way she tries to make everyone's day a little bit more special. Sunday she made a Decedant Fudge Cake that everybody liked! Ice cream topped off the dessert.

We went into the living room to worship after dinner, and celebrated communion together with all of us kneeling on the floor around the coffee table which serves as our altar. I emphasized the two reasons we take communion: to remember what Jesus did for us on the cross to purchase our salvation; and to acknowledge that we are looking forward to His physical return to earth one day (1 Corinthians 11:26).

Our video for the day (again in Spanish with English sub-titles) was Matthew 24, which was about the signs of Jesus return to earth. We talked about it in both English and Portuguese. That was an awesome connection with our communion service! Gloria Deus!

After our time of worship everyone's laptops came out, and surfing the Internet and calling home to Brazil began. Everyone uses Skypes as their phone service and so the international rate to call Brazil is only about 2 cents a minute. During the evening Rubem called his mother. She spoke to us in Portuguese and Rubem translated. Then we talked back in English and he again provided the translation. Then we began to try to find hymns that we knew in both countries; and we began to sing together! What an awesome worship experience!!!

Rubem's God-father was going to have to go to the hospital because of a tumor on his leg. So I suggested we pray for him. We began to pray, and the Holy Spirit filled the room. What started out as a simple prayer for Rubem's God-father turned into an old fashioned Holy Ghost prayer meeting that spanned two continents! We prayed in human languages - English and Portuguese. And we prayed in angelic languages - Glossolalia (1 Corinthians 13:1). The Spirit of the Lord filled our living room!

Saturday Night Bowling

2008-07-02T19:32:00.007-04:00

We celebrated another first on Saturday. Rubem and Daniel from the Brazilian ship Greenhalgh went bowling with us. They had never been bowling before. It was a lot of fun; Daniel won the first game with a score of 122! I won the second game at 116, but Daniel wasn't far behind, coming in at 108. That's a great score for never having bowled before.

Afterwards we went to the Coldstone Cremery in Town Center and had ice cream. Yum!

We came back to the house for prayer and laid hands on Josue and prayed for him. He left Sunday for a six week detachment in California. Josue is the one in the middle.

Before You Go - Thank You!

2008-06-27T07:46:00.005-04:00

I received an email from a friend this morning, who was one of the hostesses at the servicemen's center (Port O' Call) where I received Jesus Christ as my Savior. It contained a link to a video of pictures and a song called "Before You Go" thanking World War II and Korean War veterans for their service and sacrifice. Click on the title of this post to watch the video and listen to the song. It will stir your heart. Maybe you know someone who you can say "Thank you" to from that generation, before it's too late.

The video also made me think of the sacrifices that the young girls (hostesses) who served at the Port O' Call made to reach young sailors like me with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To all of the young women who served there from 1942 until 1995 I want to say "Thank you!"

But, just in case we lose sight of the present in all of our nostalgia, I want to say a special "Thank you" to all of the brave and wonderful young men and women who are serving in the military today, and the sacrifices they are making right now. The men in the pictures associated with the song were young when they served too. There are thousands of young men and women who are coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan, who will also carry emotional and physical scars for the rest of their lives. To them, I say "Thank you!" too.

Sunday Activities - June 22

2008-06-23T15:08:00.008-04:00

Paulo's wife wanted him to video an American worship service. So I picked up the Brazilian sailors from the Greenhalgh at 10:30am this Sunday. We attended the worship service at Glad Tidings Church (Assemblies of God) in Norfolk. But it turned out that Paulo was the only one who couldn't come. He had duty on the ship and had to work. Daniel did the video taping for him.

Rubem got all dressed up! He had on a black suit, white shirt, and red stripped tie. He looked really good, like a real pastor! He said that is his dream - to be a pastor.

Tiago, Camillo, and Edivaldo, Daniel and Rubem all came to the house after the service. They all relaxed while Yvonne finished dinner and I went to pick up Josue Torres and Joshua Johnson at Little Creek. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and home made wheat bread were on the menu for the day. That was followed by chocolate chip pie with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge sauce, and coffee and tea for dessert.

While we ate we all practiced new Portuguese and English words and phrases. But this week we had a new twist. Josue is from Puerto Rico and speaks Spanish. All of our friends from Brazil understand Puerto Rican Spanish. So Josue translated some of our English into Spanish and then translated some of the Brazilian's Spanish into English. All the while, Josue was also learning some Portuguese. It was a riot! We talked and laughed and had a wonderful time together.

After dinner, for our worship time, I brought out our contemporary chorus books. We found several songs that everyone recognized and we sang, again in Portuguese and English. I think the angels in heaven must have rejoiced. I know we did! Again this week the Lord spoke to us through the Gift of Tongues and the Interpretation of Tongues.

We watched the video of the 23rd chapter of Matthew (in Spanish with English subtitles) and then discussed it. Jesus really focused on the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law in this chapter. We applied the point of the chapter to ourselves. It is vital that as Christians we make sure we are not hypocrites! Especially in the military, where we live in such close proximity to one another, on ships and in our ground units. When we call ourselves Christians our shipmates' eyes will be on us to see how we behave. Our witness and our testimonies can be damaged or destroyed by claiming to be Christians and then living sinful lives. Whether other people want to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior or not can be impacted by our behavior. If we are going to claim to be disciples of Jesus we need to walk the walk as well as talk the talk.

The end of our video showed Jesus agonizing and weeping over Jerusalem. His heart was breaking because He wanted them to come to Him, but they refused. We have to be really careful, because we can cause Jesus' heart to break if we live hypocritical lives! Everyone was really quiet at the end of our Bible study. You could really feel Jesus' presence in the room.

Then we went around the room and prayed for each other.

We finished about 5:30pm and then just hung out together for the rest of the afternoon and evening. The Brazilians are becoming more and more confident in their ability to speak English. I keep trying to encourage them, because they really can speak English much better than they think they can. I remember the first time I visited Germany, and had dinner with Yvonne's cousin. He encouraged me in my attempts to speak German, and that encouragement helped me speak more.

I brought out my bird book and asked Rubem if they had Cardinals in Brazil. He didn't know. Later Daniel recognized the picture of a Robin, and said they had Robins in Brazil. I showed them the Robin's nest on the side of our house. Then I showed them a picture of a Carolina Wren, and showed them the Wren's nest in the flower pot on our back porch.

On the porch Daniel saw the Croquet set and said they play Croquet in Brazil too. So we set up a game of Croquet in the back yard. That was fun! Then of course we hammed it up for the camera (Josue played too, but he had to leave before we took the picture).

I drove them all back to the ship at about 10:30pm. I love these guys! They are a great group of men.

Saturday Evening Activities - June 21

2008-06-23T13:11:00.008-04:00

Todd Williams came over from Oceana Naval Air Station. And I went to Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base and picked up Josue Torres. Josue brought a friend of his - Joshua Johnson, a sailor from one of the ships at Norfolk Naval Station. Our plan was to go bowling at the Little Creek bowling alley, but someone had rented the entire bowling alley for the evening. So we had to be flexible and made a quick change of plans. We all drove to the Pizza Hut on General Booth Blvd and enjoyed their all you can eat pizza buffet. After we ate, we played 18 holes of miniature golf at Lynnhaven Golf Park (Todd won)! And finally, ice cream - Dairy Queen style - was the last stop of the day.

Josue is a new Christian and really excited about his new faith! Everything people tell him, he says he wants to be shown in the Bible. While we ate our ice cream, one of the things we talked about was "church." I explained that what we were doing that evening was church. Church, isn't about a building, sitting in a pew and simply listening to a sermon. The Bible says that where two or three are gathered together in Jesus' Name, He is there in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20). Church is about us...people, relationships, family...love.

We topped off the evening, while sitting outside at the Dairy Queen table, in front of God and everybody, and prayed together. I must confess, I peeked and saw some people watching us. I hope it was a good witness to them.

Fragata Greenhalgh Visits Norfolk Naval Station

2008-06-17T08:59:00.033-04:00

What a fantastic weekend! To watch a slide show with the pictures we took this weekend click on the title of this post.

Friday

Several months ago a young sailor in the Brazilian Navy (Rubem) found our web site and emailed us asking if he could participate in our activities while his ship was in Norfolk. Of course, I said YES! We told him he was welcome to bring his friends too. We maintained contact via email until this past Friday (June 13) when his ship arrived.

The Brazilian ship Fragata Greenhalgh F46 pulled in at 0800 Friday morning. Yvonne and I were pier side to meet it, holding a sign with Rubem's name on it, hoping he would see it. Sure enough, as the ship tied up to the pier Rubem saw us and waved.

After the ship was secured we were brought on board and met Rubem and a friend named Camillo. Rubem only speaks Portuguese. His friend, who spoke a little English, served as our interpreter. Since this was a work day for the crew, we made arrangements to come back at 6:00pm to bring Rubem to the house for dinner. Rubem asked how many people we could accommodate, and we said we've had as many as 15 servicemen and women before. We had also invited Todd Williams (YN2 - Oceana), and Shaun and Wally Clark to join us (Shaun is one of our board members).

My attempts at finding a Portuguese speaking interpreter failed. So Yvonne and I felt we were in for a real adventure! I bought a Portuguese/English dictionary so we could at least look up individual words.

When I came back at 6:00pm Rubem was ready and brought four of his friends - Camillo, Paulo, Edivaldo, and Tiago. None of them spoke very much English. But we made hand gestures, pointed, and laughed a lot. Their spirits were so buoyant and happy that it was easy to communicate even if we didn't know all the words!

I know from experience with my family in Germany and Austria, who also speak no English, that when they speak German slowly I can understand them. But when they speak at their normal rate I have trouble understanding them. So, I tried to speak as slowly as I could to help our new Brazilian friends understand me.

Yvonne was making spaghetti, salad, and apple crisp for dinner. I looked up those words in the Portuguese dictionary, and told the guys what we were having to eat - in Portuguese. They actually understood me! Some of the sailors then said some things in English. Wow, I decided this was going to be fun.

Edivaldo was the first to say that pronouncing English words made him feel like he had a potato in his mouth. That phrase got repeated so often that it became my first Portuguese phrase: "batata na boca". Whenever we said it, we laughed!

Camillo was the translator for the group. But, as time went on, Tiago also began to translate more and more from English to Portuguese. We began to joke every time I reached for the Portuguese/English dictionary that we were going to "the book." Camillo also got called "the book" because of his translating. And, you guessed it, Tiago also got that label. Pretty soon we were saying the dictionary was book one, Camillo was book two, and Tiago was book three. It was fun, and again, it made us laugh.

We ate dinner, talked as much as we could, and enjoyed getting to know each other. I discovered that they could all understand English fairly well. And, as the evening went along, I also discovered that some could speak English better than they professed. It suddenly dawned on me that this was the same thing Yvonne and I go through when we go to Germany. It's hard to get over the initial fear of speaking a foreign language, lest we speak it incorrectly and get laughed at. That's what keeps most people from wanting to talk in a foreign language. So, we tried our best to be helpful and encouraging. They were patient with our attempts at learning Portuguese words too.

During the evening our guests pulled out their laptops and showed us pictures of their wives and children. Yvonne and I learned Portuguese words and they practiced their English. All of them were happy when they learned I have a router on my computer. They quickly went online and called home to their wives.

Paulo is the musician in the group. He saw our guitar and began to play, singing Portuguese praise choruses. When he hit on a familiar melody that we also knew, they would sing in Portuguese and we sang in English. I explained how we take turns praying for one another's needs and everyone joined in during our prayer time. Again, they prayed in Portuguese and we prayed in English.

We wrapped up the evening about midnight and I drove everyone back to the ship. I explained they were "guests" in my home only the first time they come here. If they come back they are part of my "family."

Saturday

Todd volunteered to take the sailors around to different stores in the area to do some shopping on Saturday. So, in the morning he drove over to Norfolk Naval Station, picked them up, and spent the day letting them buy things for their wives and children at different stores in the area. When they took all their purchases back to the ship, they gave Todd a guided tour. They even took him up to the bridge where he sat in the helmsman's seat. He said he had fun with them all day!

Cpl Randy Mayzak, one of "our" Marines in the 2nd Marine Division Band in Camp LeJeune, North Carolina called last week and told us that his band was going to be playing for the pre-show entertainment at the Norfolk Tides Baseball game this week. Randy was an active part of our fellowship while he attended the Navy School of Music at the Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base. So, we decided to go to see him and take the Brazilian sailors to a real American baseball game at the same time.

At 4:30pm Todd brought everyone to the house for our evening activity. Everyone except Rubem; he had duty on Saturday. We ate Sloppy Joes and French Fries, and had Klondike Bars (ice cream) for dessert.

While we were standing in line to purchase tickets for the baseball game I saw the Marine Corps bus in the stadium parking lot. I went over to say "Hi!" to Randy, and took some pictures of him all decked out in his dress blues. He really looked sharp! When they performed on the baseball field they sounded really good too! Randy had to leave on the bus with his band right after their performance. But Nikki (his wife) came over to where we were seated and visited with us for a while.

During the game Paulo asked me to explain what was happening so he could understand the game better. I explained it to him, and then he explained it to the others. This was the first time any of them had ever been to a baseball game! I think everyone had fun. Unfortunately, the game was really lopsided; the Norfolk Tides lost 9 to 0.

After the game, we all went back to the house, and everyone hooked up to the Internet to call home. The guys had us talk to their wives too. It was interesting because the laptops had built-in web cams, so we could see each other as we talked. Granted, they didn't understand us, and we didn't understand them, but it was fun anyway.

Paulo asked us to pray for his wife. She had been to the doctor because she was ill. That is one of the hardest things a serviceman or woman has to face while on deployment; having a loved one back home get sick, not being there, and not being able to do anything about it. But, we serve a God who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above anything that we can ask or think. Distance is not a limiting factor for Jesus. We all took turns praying for each other, and for Paulo's wife.

We wrapped things up again about midnight and I drove the guys back to the ship.

Before we left the house Daniel translated something Comillo said that he wanted us to know. He said in Brazil Camillo had stopped going to church. But since being here with us he decided to come back to the Lord again. What a blessing that was to know! The way Jesus works in the hearts of people is truly awesome! I simply give Him all of the glory.

Sunday

I went to Norfolk Naval Station and picked everybody up at 12:30. Everyone except Camillo that is; he couldn't come over because he had duty. At the house, some of the guys worked on a puzzle, while others talked to their families back home on their laptops, while Yvonne finished cooking dinner. I loaded pictures from every one's cameras onto my computer to use in our slide show.

Dinner included a pork loin roast, spetzle, peas, and home made bread, and a raspberry creme jello for dessert. While we ate I learned how to say "thank you - obrigado" and "you're welcome - de nada" in Portuguese. Todd chimed up and said, "That just goes to show you that you can teach an old dog new tricks!" We spent the next half hour trying to translate that expression, because it wasn't just translating the words, we had to explain the idiom itself. But when everyone finally got it, they all laughed!

Paulo brought his flute and led us in worship; playing songs that were worship songs known in both countries. It took some time to find songs we all knew, but we did find a few, and sang in English and in Portuguese at the same time. It was a really a neat experience.

We watched the Matthew video of chapter 22:15-46 in Spanish with English sub titles. All of the Brazilian sailors said they understood it. What a blessing that was! After watching the video I explained a passage in English, and one of the other guys would translate. Then they would discuss it among themselves in Portuguese. The Bible study went really well!

As we started our prayer time the Lord spoke to us through a message in tongues and the interpretation of tongues. It was so personal. The Lord said He would protect the sailor's families while they were away from them; and that He would also protect them on their ship, and use them among their shipmates. We closed the service after praying for each other. We specifically prayed for Paulo's wife again. Three of the sailors have small children. I felt led to pray for each of them by name - Carolina, Iago, and Gabriel.

The rest of the afternoon we sat around the house fellowshipping. Everyone was plugged into their laptops talking to their families. It was a awesome time!

Rubem and Tiago talked with me outside for a while, and shared that Tiago had also been away from the Lord in Brazil, and had decided to come back to the Lord since being here this weekend. I believe it was Jesus Christ that brought Rubem to our website in Brazil, and gave him the desire to make contact with us. The Lord orchestrated this whole weekend.

Yvonne then fed everyone again, and about 10:30 I took the sailors back to their ship. As we were getting ready to leave, Paulo said his wife was feeling much better. I could only lift my hands and praise the Lord! Jesus is so faithful!

2007 Army Suicides Highest On Record!

2008-06-12T12:06:00.010-04:00

Many of you saw the stories on CNN and Fox News, or read in the newspapers, about the increase in suicides among United States Army personnel in 2007. The stories indicated that suicides have risen to record levels in the Army during the past three years. The story caught my attention while I was working out at the gym on base. But, skeptic that I am, I wanted to read the report for myself if I could. So I downloaded the Army Suicide Event Report (ASER) and read it. I also read other articles and blog entries that were discussing it online. The Army Times article, "Army Suicides Hit Record in 2007" is probably the most balanced presentation of the numbers I read in the ASER.

From my perspective of ministry to young military men and women, the most significant statement made in the executive summary of the ASER, was: "Suicide behaviors were significantly more common for young, Caucasian, unmarried, junior enlisted Soldiers." That hit me like a ton of bricks! This is precisely the military demographic that Yvonne and I focus our ministry toward. I was overwhelmed by the thought that this age group of young men and women (18-25) was at such high risk for suicidal behavior.

My doctoral research revealed, through interviews with young military men and women who had been involved in Open Bible Ministries between 2000 and 2007, in this age group, that the safe comfortable home and family environment, the planned weekend social activities, and the close interpersonal relationships that were developed, helped them avoid unhealthy activities. They also acknowledged that participating in the ministry helped them handle loneliness, isolation, boredom, homesickness, stress, anger, depression, and frustration more positively. Some of these emotional issues were identified in the ASER as the stressors that were motivational in sucidal behavior.

All of this highlights my belief that the Pentecostal church needs to develop a significant, intentional, and sustained outreach to the military community. This includes ministry to military spouses and military families, but also to single military men and women in this age group.

Sunday Activities - June 8

2008-06-11T16:16:00.005-04:00

YN2 (how does that look Todd?) Todd Williams and SPC Cheryl Thomas came over on Sunday afternoon. Yvonne made a shrimp quiche, a spinach quiche, and a salad for dinner. And a home made cheese cake for dessert.

After dinner we went into the living room and sang and worshipped. Then we watched Matthew chapter 22 and talked about it. We only discussed the first 14 verses.

This section of Matthew 22 was Jesus' parable comparing the kingdom of heaven to a wedding banquet prepared by a king. When the king sent servants to tell those who had been invited to the banquet that everything was ready, they refused to come. They went about their business as usual and couldn't be bothered. They even mistreated and killed the servants. Jesus said the king killed the murderers and destroyed their city. It was not long after this that the city of Jerusalem was actually destroyed.

Then the king sent out other servants to invite anyone who would come to the banquet. And come they did, and the banquet hall was filled with guests. From what Jesus said next it can be inferred that those who came were given wedding garments. We talked about the wedding garments: white, clean, linen garments (Rev 3:5) "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels." KJV

Rev 7:9-10 says "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." NIV

Rev 7:13-14 goes on to say, "Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes — who are they, and where did they come from?" I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." NIV

Finally Rev 19:14 says: "The armies of heaven were following him [Jesus], riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean ." NIV

The way a person comes to wear a white robe is by receiving Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. That's what it means by "washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

We talked about the passage in Isaiah 1:18 "'Come now, let us reason together,' says the Lord. 'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." NIV

Without faith in Jesus Christ our "robes" are as red as crimson because of our sin. Only by believing in Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross for our sins can we be forgiven and made clean. Clean so that our "robes" are white and clean instead of stained red.

After we talked about this it was interesting to go back to our passage in Matthew 22 and read the verses where Jesus talked about the man who was cast out of the kingdom because he did not have the right wedding garments on.

This whole parable was similar to the parable of the tenants in Matthew 21. In this passage (Matthew 22) Jesus was still addressing the Jewish chief priests and elders of the people as He was in Matthew 21.

Those who had originally been invited to the "banquet" were the Jewish people. But they refused to come to the banquet, to the kingdom of God. They stoned the prophets and killed many. They would be responsible for having Jesus put to death. They refused to believe. Yet the sinners and prostitutes and tax collectors and outcasts of society believed in Him and entered the kingdom.

I think it can safely be inferred that the man without the wedding garment represented the Jewish nation who had rejected Jesus, and yet "claimed" to belong to the kingdom of heaven. They believed that they could get into the kingdom apart from faith in Jesus. That man was cast out into the darkness. This parallels what Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the Jewish people in Matthew 21:41 "Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit."

The message is clear: apart from Jesus Christ there is no possibility of getting into the kingdom of God (the kingdom of heaven). It is only through faith in Jesus that we can have our sins forgiven and our "robes" washed clean. There is no other way!

After our study we shared prayer requests and prayed for each other.

Saturday Activities - June 7

2008-06-11T15:14:00.006-04:00

With most everyone transferred to other bases, and no new servicemen coming to the house right now it looked like Saturday was going to be a day Yvonne and I were going to simply veg out. Then, about 6:00pm we heard the door bell ring - it was Stanley Laskos!

Stanley's in the Navy and is involved with special ops. So he can never tell us when he's going to be in or not, or when he leaves he can't ever say when he's coming back. Then on most long weekends he is up in Ohio spending time with his little girl, Faith. But, we're always glad to see him when he comes in!

So we shifted gears, and Yvonne fixed sandwiches and baked a batch of cookies for dessert. I am so proud of the way she does that! She NEVER lets a serviceman or woman go away hungry.

We decided to play Uno Attack, but when we got it out we realized there were no batteries in the card shooter. Ooops! So we pulled out a puzzle and began working on it. With temperatures in the mid nineties and above here for the past few days, the snow scene looked pretty good. We talked, and put the puzzle together, and before we realized it, it was 10:00pm! We usually stop our game about 8:30pm. That shows you how engrossed we were in the puzzle.

When we realized what time it was we also realized we were all getting pretty tired. So we went into the living room, shared prayer requests and prayed.

But life is never dull with Stanley. He always has adrenalin rush stories to tell. This last trip home to Ohio, at about 4:00 in the morning he was driving a little too fast, and got pulled over. But when the police officer approached the car she saw what looked like weapons in the back of his vehicle (they were paintball guns). She had him throw his keys out of the window, get out of the car, and handcuffed him. Then she called for "back-up." When the other police officers arrived they searched through everything in his vehicle and patted him down. All they found was the paint ball guns. He heard the very young back-up officers say to each other that they were disappointed; they thought they were in on a big weapons and drug bust.

After getting home he and his daughter and little nephew were sleeping out under the stars, about 50 yards from their house. He woke up when he felt something hard hit his head. When he sat up his dog was barking, Faith was crying, and his nephew was not next to him.

He looked around and saw several deer running away. They had jumped right over the sleeping trio! Stan thinks one of the deer's hooves hit him in the head. He said, "Now who else can say they were kicked in the head by a deer!" About that time his mother, a nurse, came home from work and everyone went inside. His nephew was asleep in the house.

Feeding the Birds

2008-06-07T08:01:00.000-04:00

I just came in from having my devotional time in the back yard. In the spring, before it gets too hot and after the cold weather has abated, I love sitting in the hammock swing in the morning to spend time with the Lord. Those of you who know me know I'm an avid bird feeder. I have bird feeders hung all around my yard. And the bird activity is relaxing and fun to watch.

While I sat in the swing this morning, praying and worshipping, I watched and listened to the birds. They were singing and chirping all around me. I've learned to recognize some of their calls. So I know when there is a cardinal coming into the yard to feed. They always announce their arrival. And, sure enough, shortly after I heard him I saw the bright red bird streak past me to one of the feeders.

I have a pair of Carolina Wrens nesting in a flower pot on my back porch. It's amazing how loud the song of that tiny little brown bird is! She was busy darting back and forth around the yard. Stopping on the lattice work around my patio gathering insects.

When I walked out to the swing I almost got run over by a robin that was flying through the yard gathering material for the nest she is building in the elbow of one of the drain pipes on our gutters. I watched her fly back and forth with her beak filled each time with long strands of dried grass she got from the neighbor's yard behind us.

The house finches, four or five of them at a time, sat on the feeders eating, flew into a nearby Crepe Myrtle tree to eat the seeds, letting another group of four or five get to the feeders, and then that group would fly away and the original group would come back.

Finally, there were the little black capped chickadees. They come to the feeder, take one seed, hold it in their claws, and tap tap tap it with their beak until they crack the husk open and get the seed inside. It almost gives me a headache watching them jack hammer the shell with their beaks.

Psalm 84:2-3 says, "My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young — a place near your altar, O Lord Almighty, my King and my God." NIV

And I think of Luke 12:6-7 "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." NIV

I thought about those of you who have been through our home, and those of you who are in Iraq. And I prayed and sang to the Lord. I thought about sharing this on my blog and wondered if anyone would even care about my talking about my birds. Then the thought occurred to me, what if a soldier in Iraq were to find this post and read it. Perhaps reading about my birds would bring back memories of home, and provide just a little bit of peace in the dessert. So I wrote.

School of Music Graduation

2008-06-06T16:14:00.005-04:00

This morning Yvonne and I attended SPC Cheryl Thomas' graduation from the Navy School of Music at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek. This was the culmination of six months of intensive study and practice. Cheryl now moves on to Fort Drum in New York and the 10th Mountain Division band. Her mom, sisters, and a "special friend" came for the graduation.

Are You Ready To Pay Your Final Bill?

2008-06-04T10:07:00.000-04:00

Credit card debt. Most of us have it. Add that to the mortgage debt we have, the car payments, and the list could go on and on. It all amounts to bills we have to pay...and pay...and pay...

But there's another debt we owe. And it's a debt we have to pay before we die or we will be in a lot of trouble! Often we live our lives as if there were no tomorrow. "Eat drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die" is the old adage. We have to grab all the gusto from life that we can. We all want to be happy. As a matter of fact, the Dalai Lama says that happiness should be the ultimate aim of man.

However, what is actually happening is that we are living on credit, racking up a huge debt. In Romans 6:23 the Bible says we are earning wages for our lifestyle. The wages we are earning is death. And don't be deceived, we will all get paid! Then we'll pay for our purchases. The bills we racked up. We'll pay...for eternity!

So, after all that gloom and doom, my question is: "Are you ready to pay that final bill?" There is a way that you can. If you're interested in finding out how, read the article on our web site by clicking on the title of this post.

Sunday Afternoon - June 1

2008-06-02T16:13:00.000-04:00

Wow! Where has this year gone?

Todd Williams and Josue Torres came over this afternoon. Yvonne made pot roast and carrots and spetzle (a German noodle/dumpling). And, if you're into dessert like I am, she made a Strawberry Whipped Sensation (sort of like home made strawberry ice cream with an Oreo cookie crust topped with cool whip). Are you hungry yet?

After dinner we worshipped together.

We were going to be taking communion, so I talked about the two reasons we take communion, according to 1 Corinthians 11:23-30: (1) to remember what Jesus did on the cross for us to purchase our salvation; and (2) to proclaim that we believe Jesus is coming back to this earth again. We took the communion elements while kneeling together around the coffee table.

While we were around the table praying, the Lord spoke to us through a message in tongues and an interpretation. Two gifts of the Holy Spirit. Essentially, He said He was pleased that we were remembering what He had done for us and that we were looking forward to His return. He said He loved us and that we were His sons and daughter. It was a very encouraging message.

Josue said he had heard a message in tongues and an interpretation before, in a Spanish Pentecostal church he attended once, but he didn't really understand what it was all about. So, I took the time to explain from 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 about the Gift of Tongues and the Interpretation of Tongues. I try my best to help those who participate in our worship times, understand from the Bible what's going on when the gifts of the Spirit are manifested.

We watched the video of Matthew 21 and discussed the various segments of the chapter in context. Let me summarize our study for those of you who might be interested.

The triumphal entry into Jerusalem was the first section. We discussed why Jesus, as a king, rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. Normally, a king would ride into a city on a huge white horse. We tied it back to His teaching on humility and being a servant in Matthew 20. And then we compared it to Revelation 19:11-16 where it talks about Jesus coming back to earth riding on a white horse! His first coming was as a suffering servant, while His second coming will be in triumphant power. This whole discussion tied back into our communion service and the reasons we take communion.

In the next section Jesus went into the temple and overturned the tables of the merchants. The priests and elders had allowed the temple to become a religious shopping mall rather than a place of prayer! He referred to two verses in the Old Testament (Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11) where the prophets rebuked the Jewish people and their leaders for their corruption and sin. He was equating what went on hundreds of years before with what was going on in His day.

In the passage in Matthew He referred to the temple as "My" house. Jesus was implying that He was God and that the temple was His house. He then validated His claim by healing the blind and the lame.

We discussed the story of the fig tree that Jesus cursed. The disciples were amazed that the tree withered so quickly. This was another object lesson. The tree looked beautiful outwardly, but bore no fruit. The Jewish religious leaders, and the system they represented, looked beautiful outwardly. But, like the tree, they were bearing no fruit. Jesus' cursing of the fig tree was an indirect judgment of the Jewish religious system and its leaders. By rejecting the salvation Jesus was bringing, they were no longer capable of bearing fruit.

Later, when He was back in the temple the chief priests challenged Jesus about His right to do the things He was doing. They challenged His authority. Jesus' question in reply to the chief priests and elders highlighted their own hypocrisy.

The religious leaders discussed among themselves what their response should be. If they acknowledged that John the Baptist's baptism was from heaven, Jesus would ask them why they didn't believe him. John the Baptist said they should repent, pointed to Jesus as the Savior come from God, and said they should bring forth "fruit" suitable to demonstrate their repentance. They had refused to believe John the Baptist's message.

But the chief priests and elders politically savvy enough to know they couldn't say it was only of human origin because then the people would turned against them. Because the people believed John.

This story was followed by the one about the two sons. The chief priests and elders knew that the son who actually went into the field was the one who did what the father wanted him to do, not the one who "said" he would and then did not go.

Jesus then spaid plainly that John the Baptist came to show the way of righteousness. He came to point to Jesus as the Messiah and the means of Israel's salvation. The outcasts of society believed John, and Jesus said they were getting into the kingdom of God, but the Jewish religious leaders refused to believe, and as a result, were not getting into the kingdom.

Finally, in our study we talked about Jesus' parable of the landowner and the tenants. The landowner was God the Father who entrusted the means of salvation to the Jewish nation and its leaders. The servants that were sent by the landowner were the Old Testament prophets sent by God the Father. The Jewish religious leaders treated the prophets shamefully and killed many. Then the land owner sent his son as God the Father sent His son. Jesus was predicting what they would do to Him.

The chief priests answered correctly when Jesus asked them what the landowner would do to the wicked tenants. It was interesting to note that the passage in Matthew says they also knew Jesus was applying those things to them.

The significance of this parable was in what Jesus said after the chief priests responded. He quoted Psalm 118:22-23 referring to Himself as the stone the builders rejected that would become the capstone. He pronounced the same judgment or curse on the Jewish religious leaders that he pronounced on the fig tree. He said the kingdom of God would be taken away from them, and given to a people who would produce its fruit.

Those people would be the Church that Jesus would build, and that consisted of the people who believed in Him. Jesus' followers were to bear fruit - the fruit of the Spirit according to Galatians 5:22-23: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

But let the Church beware! I believe if the leadership of the Christian church becomes corrupt and hypocritical, it too will be judged in the same way the Jewish religious system and its leaders were judged. This is not about Christians versus Jews. It is about receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, having a personal relationship with Him, that reveals itself in the fruit of righteousness.

What do you think?

Are You Ready For God's Final Air Show?

2008-05-30T11:02:00.000-04:00

Every year Oceana Naval Air Station puts on a huge air show. The Blue Angels are always here and put on a spectacular performance! When the jets race past just over our heads it's enough to take your breath away. The speed and suddenness of their appearance, sometimes from directions you don't expect, is awesome. You can practically snap you neck trying to see where they are and where they're going. There have been several times their appearance was so quick and unexpected that it startled me.

When I attend an air show I'm reminded that Jesus Christ is coming back to this earth again one day. And for some it will be just as unexpected! The Bible says in Matthew 24:27 "...as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man."

Revelation 1:7 says, "Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him."

Jesus is coming back to earth one day. His coming will be sudden and quick, and for some, unexpected. The question is: "Will you be ready when He does?" I hope so! If you would like to know how to be ready click on the title of this post and read my article entitled: "Are You Ready For God's Final Air Show?" And, let me know what you think.

New Lilly In Bloom!

2008-05-26T14:35:00.000-04:00

O.K. so you won't think I'm only intense on this blog, I want to share a picture of the new lilly that just bloomed in my back yard. Yvonne got the flower as a gift in a pot last year. After it died down and we were going to throw it out, I decided to plant it instead - just to see what would happen. It lived and has made a beautiful debute! That's not bad for a flower that was going to be thrown out in the trash!

Sunday Afternoon - May 25th

2008-05-26T13:51:00.000-04:00

On Sunday there were five of us. Todd, Marybeth, Josue, Yvonne and I. Yvonne made meat loaf, mashed potatoes, and green bean, and home made garlic bread for dinner. Dessert was chocolate brownie pie and cool whip – yumm!

After we ate we went into the living room and worshipped. Everyone shared their testimonies about how they came to know Jesus. Two were raised in Christian homes and were in the church all their lives. As a result they felt like their testimonies weren’t anything very special.

I’ve heard that often from young people who grew up in the church and never got into a lot of sinful behavior. I think that is largely our fault, as pastors. We parade people who were “horrible sinners” across our platforms, to share their testimonies about how they were “gloriously saved!” Those testimonies are important and need to be shared. But, if they are the only ones we highlight, and allow to get up to share their stories, we make the good kids in the church, who stay true to Jesus, and live good clean lives, feel like they aren’t worth much and their testimonies aren’t worth sharing. I often wonder how many kids go out and get involved in sin just to have something to share?

We talked about their testimonies being really important too. Their stories are a testimony of the power of Jesus Christ to keep them from sin. In a day and age where temptations abound for young people to get involved in drugs, alcohol, sexual immorality, rebellion against parents, etc. to grow up without getting involved in the darker side of life is a powerful testimony! We ought to be giving our young people frequent opportunities to get up in front of the church and share their stories.

Then we watched the Matthew video (chapter 20) and talked about it. Everyone realized Jesus’ point in verses 1-16 that we should be happy whenever someone comes to know Jesus; whether a person gets saved early in life or an hour before they die. We even discussed the fairness or unfairness of a person like Hitler or Osama Bin laden getting into heaven if they repented and accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior right before they died. Everyone agreed that it would be fair. It would show the mercy and grace of God.

We talked about Jesus’ prediction of His flogging and death (the ultimate example of serving others by God Himself), followed by His coming back to life in verses 17-19.

Then we looked at the request of the mother of Zebedee’s sons. She wanted to get the most exalted position in heaven, next to Jesus, for her sons in verses 20-28. Jesus said it wasn’t His to give. After the other disciples found out what they had asked for, they got upset. Jesus tried to teach His disciples a lesson from this experience.

He said that in the world people often try to “lord it over” or have power and control over others. Jesus said it wasn’t to be like that among them, among His disciples. His disciples were to serve each other; and gave Himself as an example. Unfortunately, when you look at the church today, that teaching has largely been ignored!

Then we talked about the reason Matthew included the story here of the two blind men calling out to Jesus and His healing them. It was an object lesson. The crowd followed Jesus because He was famous. They wanted to be seen with Him and be around Him. When the homeless beggars called out to Jesus they told them to shut up. But Jesus heard them, had compassion on them, and served them. Jesus illustrated in His own behavior what He wanted His followers to be like. Lots of stuff to think about!

After our Bible study we shared prayer requests again and took turns praying for each other’s requests.

Croquet In The Back Yard

2008-05-26T12:49:00.001-04:00

There were six at our Saturday evening activity this week: Todd Williams (Oceana Naval Air Station), Cheryl Thomas (School of Music), Marybeth Weathington (School of Music), and Josue Torres (Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek), and Yvonne and I. This was Josue’s first time with us. Marybeth brought him.

Philly steak sandwiches and chips followed by ice cream and chocolate cream filled cup cakes was the menu for the evening. While we ate we got into an interesting discussion about whether we were children of God because, as human beings, we were all created by God; or if we “become” children of God when we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior. Lots of people in the world believe we are automatically God’s children because He created us.

We looked at John 1:11-13 where the Bible says: “He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”

Those verses are talking about Jesus Christ. Everyone knows He came into the world and was rejected by the very people He created. But, according to verse 12, it was only those who received Him that were given the right to “become” God’s children. That automatically implies that those who do not receive Jesus Christ are not children of God.

At that point we all went into the back yard and had fun playing croquet. Then we came back in and played a game of Hot Dice.

Finally, we went into the living room and shared prayer requests and prayed together.

Church of God Military Ministry Conference

2008-05-26T11:54:00.000-04:00

This weekend was busy. Yvonne and I attended a Church of God Military Ministry conference in Heidelberg, Germany (o.k., o.k. so it was via web cast). Taking into consideration the time difference from here to Germany the first session was at 1 o’clock in the afternoon. But the next sessions were at 3 o’clock in the morning on Saturday. So we dragged ourselves out of bed and watched until 6 o’clock (then promptly went back to bed). Then there was another session we watched on Saturday afternoon.

The opening Scripture was Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

The conference speaker was evangelist Jacque Smith. In her first message from Judges 6:1-14 she focused on the idea that God is not intimidated by the darkness, because that is where He does some of His very best work. It was a good message! All of us go through times of “darkness” in our lives and often wonder “why.” But God is still there even in those times.

She gave examples from Abraham’s life when God told him to sacrifice his son; Joseph when his brothers sold him into slavery; in Mary and Martha’s lives when Lazarus died; and even in Jesus’ life when he was in the garden of Gethsemane. She asked the question, “How can God give us songs in the night if the sun is always shining?” She concluded with the thought that God doesn’t always expect us to understand; He does, however, expect us to trust!

The speaker for the session we watched in the wee hours of the morning talked about Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” He talked about nothing happening by accident. And, sharing from his testimony about experiences he had when God called him to Germany, he said the Lord is able to provide from His abundant storehouse.

It was cool to be able to participate in a military ministry conference being held thousands of miles away in Germany (in our pajamas)!

Is Jesus Exclusive?

2008-05-22T15:32:00.000-04:00

In many ways, military ministry is unique. Not many of us in our day to day lives have to face the prospect of being killed in the line of our work. The young men and women who serve in our military, however, put their lives on the line for our freedoms, and for the freedom of people around the world, every day. One thing they may not even think about, unless they get sent to Iraq or Afghanistan, is the possibility of being killed in combat. The questions that burn in my heart are: "Will they be spiritually ready to face Jesus Christ as their ultimate judge if they die?" and "Where will these young people spend eternity?"

What message are we sending to them? The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 14:8 "if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?"

For years there has been a raging debate within the chaplain corps about the use of Jesus' name as the salutary ending to prayers by chaplains. This always seemed like such a trivial issue to me. In my mind the larger issue was the concept of evangelism within the military. The debate has indeed now moved Christian evangelism in the military to center stage.

Fr. Thomas P. Rausch (T. Marie Chilton Professor of Catholic Theology, Loyola Marymount University) wrote an article in the Christian Century entitled, “Postmodern Jesus: the Vatican’s quarrel with Roger Haight: in seeking to do theology in dialogue with modernity, Haight has perhaps conceded too much to contemporary culture”(1) critiquing the Vatican’s Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith’s finding that Fr. Roger Haight’s book entitled, Jesus: Symbol of God had “serious doctrinal errors” and prohibiting him from teaching as a Catholic theologian.

The area of dispute in the book was Fr. Haight’s Christology. Fr. Rausch suggested that Haight may have “gone too far to accommodate a culture that flourishes only in the rarified atmosphere of the contemporary university” and summarized the issue with Haight’s book as follows:

Haight’s book insists from the beginning that theology must be done in dialogue with the postmodern world. He argues that in a postmodern culture with its pluralistic consciousness one can no longer claim the superiority of Christianity to other religions, or Christ as the absolute center to which all other mediations of salvation are relative. This means that the dogmatic statements of faith, particularly in the area of Christology, need to be rethought and reinterpreted in a cultural and linguistic context different from the one in which they were first formulated.

Rausch went on to say that, “A particular strength of Haight’s book is the effort he makes to rethink the doctrine of salvation.” And then agrees with Haight saying, “I think Haight is correct in arguing for other mediators of salvation, including both non-Christian religions and secular realities – something recognized by mainstream Catholic theology.”

He was quick to point out, “At the same time, few Catholic theologians would want to move so far as to suggest replacing a christocentric theology with a theocentric one.” However, in spite of Fr. Rausch’s disclaimer, his endorsement of Haight’s position rejecting the universal efficacy of Jesus Christ’s atonement, from a Pentecostal position, is unacceptable and a direct contradiction of 1 Timothy 2:5-6 which says, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men - the testimony given in its proper time.”

Highlighting the controversy involved in the military concerning “evangelizing” and “proselytizing” by military chaplains, Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly ran a story in 2006 entitled, “Military Chaplains Controversy”(2) and asked the question, “Should evangelical Christians be allowed to proselytize while serving as chaplains in the U.S. armed forces?” In the story, a number of people who are involved in the current controversy were interviewed.

One of the discussion participants on the program was Archbishop Edwin O’Brien, the head of all Roman Catholic military chaplains. Quoting the Archbishop the moderator said: “O’Brien says some evangelical chaplains are now telling servicemen that the only way to salvation is through Jesus Christ.” To which Archbishop O’Brien said, “This is not accommodating the needs of others. Some people don’t believe that, and it’s not my position as a chaplain to require that of them. I must respect who they are and what they are. Some evangelicals have stepped over that line.”

His last comment raises significant difficulties in my mind. For a priest of the Christian church of Archbishop O’Brien’s stature, to say that it is “stepping over the line” for a Christian chaplain to tell another person that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation contradicts the very heart of the message of the Christian Church.

Two pertinent questions arise in my mind stemming from Archbishop O’Brien’s remarks. First, if he, as an Archbishop and the head of all Catholic military chaplains, says it is “stepping over the line” for an evangelical Chaplain to tell a serviceman or woman that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation, what is he telling Catholic chaplains? Even more to the point, what then are the Catholic military chaplains under his command telling young servicemen and women – Catholics, Protestants, and non-Christians who come to them for spiritual guidance - that the way to salvation is?

Several years ago I wrote a short article on our web site entitled "Is Jesus Exclusive?" to address this question. Click on the title of this post if you want to read it. But in closing this post I return to Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 14:8: "if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?" I believe it's imperative that as Christians we articulate clearly the Biblical message of salvation in Jesus Christ and no other!

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1) Rausch, Thomas P. 2005. Postmodern Jesus: the Vatican’s quarrel with Roger Haight: in seeking to do theology in dialogue with modernity, Haight has perhaps conceded too much to contemporary culture. Christian Century. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1058/is_9_122/ai_n14839505/print. Internet accessed December 24, 2005.

2) Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly. 2006. Military Chaplains Controversy. Episode number 921. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week921/feature.html. Internet accessed January 27, 2006.

Are We Marginalizing Jesus?

2008-05-21T14:56:00.000-04:00

I started surfing some of the blog sites on the internet the last couple of days, especially ones associated with Pentecostal churches. There are a lot of excellent blogs out there! But one thing that I've been concerned about for over a decade is how we've begun to replace references to Jesus with the word "God." Several years ago I wrote an article on our web site asking the question: Is Jesus Being Marginalized In The Church? If you're interested in reading it click on the title of this post. My point in bringing this up here is that I'm seeing the same thing in some of the blogs I've visited. When a long post is written and contains the word "God" a dozen times, and "Jesus" is never used, or maybe only once or twice, it makes me wonder why? Are we really being Jesus' witnesses on our blogs if we only refer to "God?"

My concern is that an entire generation of young people have now been raised focused on God rather than Jesus Christ. Granted, He has not been eliminated entirely, but I feel the momentum is shifting increasingly away from being Christocentric to being Theocentric. As a result, the Gospel message that is being proclaimed is being changed away from bowing the knee at the cross of Jesus Christ, making Him the "center" or Lord of our lives, and calling people into a loving and personal relationship with Him.

As Pentecostal believers we are supposed to be Spirit empowered witnesses for Jesus Christ according to Acts 1:8. Jesus said in John 12:32-33 "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." My challenge is this: What does it mean to lift up Jesus and be a witness for Him? I hear so many people talking about God today. Are we supposed to be witnesses for "God?" What God are we talking about? Buddha, Krishna, Jehovah, Allah, Vishnu?

The Bible says that the Holy Spirit draws people to Jesus Christ for salvation when He is lifted up. If we talk about God we are not necessarily lifting up Jesus. The Jews of Jesus day were already lifting up "God." Their difficulty was in the fact that the disciples were proclaiming salvation was only obtainable in Jesus Christ. The Bible says that the devils believe in God and they tremble. But that doesn't make them Christians. If you do a word study of the New Testament you will find that we are commanded repeatedly to "love" Jesus. But we are never commanded to simply love "God."

My prayer is that as Christian bloggers we will focus on and lift up the One who should be our "first love" - Jesus Christ.

What do you think?

Blogging Churches

2008-05-20T18:11:00.000-04:00

Yvonne and I went to the monthly Tidewater South sectional Assemblies of God minister's meeting this morning. Yvonne picked up a copy of the latest Today's Pentecostal Evangel (the denomination's magazine) on the way into the meeting. While talking with one of the ministers, I mentioned that I set up a new blog on our web site. He said he was too busy to blog, which I can understand. I was surprised when we got home and discovered the entire issue of the TPE magazine that Yvonne picked up was about blogging in the Assemblies of God! I checked out some of the blogs they mentioned in the article and found some really nice looking ones. I feel like I'm just on the outer edge of this whole blogging thing.

Yesterday I checked out Jenny Brown's blog at The Ancient of Days where she describes her experiences from boot camp through her training at the School of Music at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base and on up to Newport, Rhode Island.

I also enjoyed reading Matt Cyr's story about his first cruise aboard the USS Blueridge on his blog at trumpetmc's Xanga Site where his descriptions made me remember some of my experiences on board the ships I've been on.

I think this blogging thing is going to be a lot of fun!

The beginning...

2008-05-19T09:18:00.000-04:00

This is the maiden voyage of our blog. I'm hoping it will be a way of staying in touch with the military men and women who have been through our home and involved in our fellowship, and friends that are interested in us and in this ministry. It'll be a fun way to share the stories of what's going on in our lives, news, prayer requests, and answers to prayer. I'll be posting occasional summaries of what we do in our weekly activities and devotional thoughts and ramblings. I hope you'll join the conversations...