8 Years

Eight years ago today God gave me the special gift of a wonderful son-
in-law. Nathan Williams is as good as it gets. He is kind to my
daughter and grandchildren, plus laughs at my jokes at least half the
time.

Nathan and Rebekah are a model couple. Their finances are under
control, their house is flawless, their marriage is strong, their
children are perfect.

Rebekah, on her award winning blog www.yeebird.blogspot.com, has
become the archivist, photographer, and chronicler of our family.
Maybe someday she will post a picture of Jake, Millie, and Sophie.

Green Beans

Ate green beans for breakfast. A neighbor brought them to us out of
his garden. I cooked them. Yes, you read that right. I cooked
them. Fried bacon and then poured it on the beans. Life is good.

Friends gave me a cake last night, inscribed "John the Fire Marshall"
in honor of my fire bucket sermon. I was also given a booklet of fire
engine stickers.

I am wearing my oldest tie today. It was given to me on the
bicentennial July 4, 1976. It is too thick for a Double Windsor. I
had to humble myself and do a Single Windsor, a fashion misstep for
sure.

Yesterday's patriotic services were excellent. Thanks Kevin, choir,
orchestra, Second Act, and media. I love being the Pastor at Second.

Here We Go

I am having to learn a new way of blogging. I've learned technology
has a middle name--change.

I am exhausted and exhilarated, trying to sort out this last week. I
think I experienced this past Wednesday a life event. I'm glad Mom
and Dad lived long enough to see it.

The choir and orchestra matched everything else I heard at the
convention. They were professional and humble. No showboating. Amen.

Be careful in the heat. It is dangerous. I love you. See you in
church tomorrow.

Stuck in Traffic

Ruth and I are 60 miles from St. Louis, stuck in road construction
traffic. This is not good. We want to be past St. Louis before rush
hour. At this rate, we won't make it. I look forward to sleeping in
my own bed tonight.

John and Amanda closed on their house this morning. They have
purchased Brad and Janet Bennett's house.

I am incredibly sleepy. I'm going to sleep on the floor of the van
while we are stopped. Good night.

Relieved

Extremely glad I did it. Extremely glad it's done. Thanks for praying.

Now

Choir is singing. I am next. Pray hard.

Family

Platform seating is good. Four generations of my family are here.
Ruth, parents, siblings, children, grandchildren, cousin, aunt.
Several church members drove on their own to be here.

Platform

The choir and orchestra just finished their first sweep. It is an
understatement to say they brought the house down. Ruth and I have
the best seats in the house. We are on the platform.

Up and at it

It is 6:30 here, 5:30 in Springfield. Ruth and I are heading to
breakfast with my Large Church Roundtable buddies.

Preaching Zone

I have been told our choir and orchestra have passed St. Louis on  
their way to Louisville.  I have heard great music here at the SBC.   
Our people will be able to hold their own, and then some.  Pray for  
their safety.

After this morning's session, I mounted the platform to view the  
pulpit area.  It is obviously designed by preachers.  Excellent  
situation.  Definitely conducive to feeling relaxed in the pulpit.   
Keep praying.  Thanks.

Schmoozing

It's fun to hobnob with folks at the convention.  We spent time with
Ben and Shauna Pilgreen this afternoon, and then ate supper with
Daniel and Emily Hood.

Saw John M. Edie's predecessor at Second, Gary Bearce.  He is enjoying
his ministry in Alaska.

Governor Mike Huckabee preached this afternoon.  Ruth and I later had
a chance to visit with him personally.  I met him years ago when he
and I were pastors in Arkansas.

Ruth gave me three dog charms for a tie chain for Fathers Day.  Jake,
Millie, and Sophie (Amanda's dog) will be puffed up with pride.

Santa in June?

Yesterday Ruth and I worshiped with Second via the Internet.  Amazing,
isn't it?  Anywhere in the world, people can tune in to our services.

We drove from Mt. Vernon IL to Louisville.  On the way we passed the
town of Santa Claus IN.  No kidding.  It has a suburb named Rudolf.  
Just kidding.

Edited more sermons.  Perused my convention sermon.  I'm feeling
okay.  Keep praying.

Some of the preliminary SBC meetings are already underway.  You can
enjoy them at www.sbc.net.

On The Road

Ruth and I are on our way to Louisville.  We stayed at Mom and Dad's
Friday night.  Tonight we are at a hotel in Mt. Vernon, Illinois.  I
edited three Gospel of John sermons this afternoon and evening.

Ate lunch with a large number of extended family.  Enjoyed a gourmet
meal at a fast food place.  They are happy about my preaching the
convention sermon.

Watched the SL Cardinals beat the KC Royals.  Pujols is a joy to watch.

Ruth and I intend to worship with Second in the morning via the
Internet.   Keep praying for us.

Geegling

I’m at the office taking care of last minute details before the convention. I sense in my spirit a readiness to go. Your prayers are making a difference. Thanks.

I learned the verb form of Twitter is tweeting. Thus, the verb form of facebook is facebeeking, and if you google more than once, you are geegling. Oh well. A great thing about being 57 is, no one expects me to know these things anyway.

Helped watch Lilly Ruth (age 2 soon) while Ian practiced T-ball. She was bent on walking atop a row of railroad ties by the play area. She would fall, stumble, and lose her balance, but with bulldog determination she refused to quit trying. By the time we left, she mastered it. Way to go, Lilly Ruth. I liked the grit I saw in her.

Caleb and I tried to convince Jake and Millie to stay on the deck while our lawn was being mowed. No way. Too hot for them. Remind me to install air conditioning for them. Good grief. You should have seen them while Caleb gave them a bath. They hated it. Wow. I never knew cleanliness could be so painful.

Twittering

Every direction I turn, people mention to me the convention sermon I will preach next Wednesday in Louisville. We will broadcast the sermon live in our auditorium. You can watch it live on the internet at www.sbc.net. I am scheduled to preach about 10 a.m. our time. You can begin hearing our choir and orchestra at 7 a.m. our time.

I will be away from my desk top computer for a while. It’s hard to post blogs from my laptop or cell phone, but our crackerjack computer guy, Sam Arthur, and I are hatching a plan whereby I can stay in touch with you while I’m away.

I will email him snippets of what I am experiencing on the trip. Sam will then transfer them to my blog. It will be our own personalized version of Twitter. This will provide you a blow by blow description of what’s happening.

Thank you for praying for me. It is an honor to be your Pastor. I love you.

Old as Jess-Jess

Had salsa and soup for breakfast. Salsa should be on everyone’s list as a staple breakfast food.

We should do away with the concept of salsa and chips, and replace it with salsa and straws. I think we should suck salsa in. This would reduce calories, and also reduce the number of stains we get on our clothes from the ridiculous gesture of trying to balance salsa on a flat chip.

I played with Ian (age 4) on the trampoline. He wore me out. When he asked why I was resting, I said I was old. He thought a moment and said, “Grandpa, you’re as old as Jess-Jess.” Ouch. Jess-Jess is Ian’s great-grandpa. He’s 93.

Some of our friends have a new dog. I said, “It’s a Jack Henry.” Ruth said, “No, it’s not! It’s a Jack Daniel.” Ian rolled his eyes and muttered, “Jack Russell.” We were howling. Ruth wouldn’t know a Jack Daniel if she saw one. Come to think of it, I wouldn’t know a Jack Russell if I saw one. I think it’s one of those nervous dogs. Jake and Millie could tell me.

Red Stain

Remember that new suit I said I was not going to buy to wear at the Southern Baptist Convention? It fits me real well. Ruth is pleased.

Speaking of Ruth, yesterday I spilled a big bowl of macaroni and tomatoes covered with salsa on our living room carpet. Ruth saw it happen and immediately sprang into action. We cleaned, scrubbed, sprayed Resolve, and prayed for a miracle. Red soaks into beige real bad.

When we were all done, Ruth kindly said, “Don’t worry, Honey. Every time I look at it I’ll think of you and remember how much I love you.” I thought, “Half true.” I hoped Resolve would do its magic, but this morning as I was walking and doing private time, I saw a red circle on the carpet. I was crushed. I remembered Ruth’s quote. By mid-morning I should know whether or not she really meant it.

My new computer comes today. Sad. Sad. Nevertheless, I am determined to try to keep pace with technological advances. My goal is to always be no more than 10 years behind where technology currently is.

Feeling Human

I slept later today. O blessed sleep! I actually feel human. This is the good news.

The bad news is, my new computer is in and will be installed on my desk Monday morning. Our computer guru, Sam Arthur, is “loading” it as we speak. Sounds to me like he’s putting bullets in it to fire at me. It might as well be shooting me, for all the pain it’s going to cause me. I promise you, tears will be shed next week.

At least one friend is true blue, trying to understand and sympathize. My friend Bruce Chesser, Pastor in Little Rock, texted me words of comfort. “I just had to get a new computer. I will pray for you. I slept with my old one last night. It is just so hard to let it go. It knows me. It accepts me.” I agree. Thanks, Bruce. The pain is lessened a bit.

I’ll soon go to High Street to see grandson Ian (age 4) play t-ball. Thursday night at practice the team started kicking and throwing dirt a bit too much. Coach had to call them in for a huddle and encourage them to keep their focus. One boy hit the ball and took off running for first base. The child on first base got confused. Instead of running to second base, he took off straight for home. In the middle, the boys collided head on. This caused another break in the action.

I Woke Up

Yep, it’s early again. 6:08 a.m. Something has gone haywire with my internal clock. Something foul’s afoot. A new me has suddenly awakened (pun intended).

My assistant Angie asked me if I was worried about preaching the SBC annual sermon. I told her I don’t think so. As the date draws nearer, I sense more of the weight and gravity of it, but I don’t think I’m real nervous about it. Keep praying.

Ruth and I went to see a movie last night. It was touted as a family kind of movie, a romantic comedy. I do love romantic comedies, but this movie was too vulgar for me. Speaking of something foul afoot, there seems to be a deep seated, immoral problem in the Hollywood movie scene these days.

I have now finished six of the ten articles on Missouri Baptist history. Number seven may be done by the end of today.

My first task today is to finish Sunday’s sermon manuscript. I’m preaching about how the gates of Hell will not prevail against Christ’s church. Exciting stuff.

Omni-awake

Office, 6:30 a.m. 63 degrees. Yep, I’m up in the middle of the night again. I think sleeplessness gets a bad rap sometimes. Why do we always refer to it in the negative? Insomnia–non-sleep. Let’s try a positive spin, and call it omni-awake.

Some good things can happen in the middle of the night due to sleeplessness. Many of the ancients would read and write in what they called the midnight watch. In my insomnia, I mean omni-awake, this morning I planned out the introduction to my next Missouri Baptist Convention history article for Pathway. By the way, I’ve completed five of the ten articles. I love history, even in insomnia–uh oh, I mean omni-awake.

I’m a nervous wreck. My computer has been officially declared a tyrannosauras rex. A new one is on its way. I hate change. I have no doubt I will cry at least four or five times over the next few weeks. I can feel the sweat popping out on my brow. This is not good.

Wanting to emphasize comfort rather than style, I had said repeatedly I was not going to buy a new suit to preach in at the Southern Baptist Convention. Wrong. Ruth voted otherwise, and her vote is the only one that counts.

Family History Mystery

Had wonderful staff meetings this morning. It always makes for a better Monday when we have additions at all four worship services on Sunday. Yesterday was a heaven-sent day. I needed the uplift. I went home feeling everyone had been blessed by having been in church.

Thank you for your kind comments about my preaching the annual sermon for the Southern Baptist Convention. When you chat with a choir member or orchestra member, please take time to thank them for going. They have a huge part of the Wednesday morning session. I think they have been allotted more time than I will have for the message. Amen. Let them raise the roof.

I’ll spend the next 30 hours involved in a huge family history project. I’m not going to tell you what it is. I’ll wait till it’s done and then give you a report on Wednesday. Mysteries are fun. I know the suspense will kill you.

Humor helps. Comments on patient charts. Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year (I assume her right side is tougher). The knee was better yesterday; today it disappeared completely (a sad loss indeed).

Rebekah's Blog Award

Office, 8:36 a.m. 66 degrees. Slept later this morning. I needed it. I am not a morning person. After getting up early two mornings in a row, I have to pay the piper. I’ll leave soon to watch Ian play t-ball. Herding cats.

I was the first blogger in my family, but am not the best. My over-achiever daughter Rebekah has a scrapping web site www.yeebird.blogspot.com that won a big award this week. She won the Patter Cross Punch Organizer award. You can read about it at www.triplethescraps.blogspot.com. Maybe I could win a dog blogging award based on what I’ve written about Jake and Millie. Better yet, maybe I should compile my writings into a book for dog lovers.

Speaking of Jake and Millie, last night at the Bellwether, one of the paintings was of a dog. The artist, acquainted with my blog, hung the piece in honor of Jake and Millie. They will be available for autographs after I return from Ian’s game.

D-Day was 65 years ago today. Hitler believed his fortifications on the beaches of France would last 300 years. Our soldiers took them down in one day. God bless our veterans and servicepeople.

Old Bethel Art

Arrived at the office ten minutes later, 6:14 a.m. Temperature was five degrees colder (49). It feels like March out there.

Melvin and Ella Gateley, from Cape Girardeau (the center of the cosmos), came through Springfield on their way to Branson yesterday. Melvin was the heart and soul of the Old Bethel reconstruction project. He did not take a vacation for over two years as he oversaw the rebuilding work. They brought me an artist’s painting of the Old Bethel site. When our church purchased the original Old Bethel logs for $5000, we gave Missouri Baptists a gift they will cherish long after it is forgotten that Second bought the logs.

Speaking of Missouri Baptists, I submitted two history articles for the Pathways newspaper people to examine. They liked them, and asked me to write two more. Hurray for the home team.

My grandson Caleb is playing in a strings ensemble at the Bellwether Art Gallery for First Friday Artwalk tonight, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. He’s good. He ought to be. He practices incessantly. I’m proud of him.

Living On Louisville Time

Arrived at the office early, 5:54 a.m. Temperature was 54 degrees. That’s cold, only 15 degrees above the thirties. Why am I up this early? I have no earthly idea. I even had insomnia pretty bad last night. I came on to the office so as not to wake anyone up. Today is Sam’s first day with no school. I wanted to let everyone sleep as late as possible. I was not the first person here. We have custodians and housekeepers who arrive early to have the building ready for the rest of us.

The biggest conversation starter these days seems to be the annual sermon I will preach at the Southern Baptist Convention in Louisville this month. We are working on a bulletin insert to tell everyone the times they can hear the choir and me on the internet live that morning. Out of the blue, someone asked if Louisville is on eastern time. We said no, but then looked at each other askance. Googled it. Guess what. Louisville is in the eastern time zone. Our bulletin insert would have listed all the times one hour off. What a disaster that would have been.

Humor helps. This year USA Americans will spend $31 billion on pet foods, supplies, and toys. I hope Jake and Millie don’t sue me for neglect. San Francisco has added the word guardian to the designation of pet owners. Wow. I’m a guardian. Thanks, Jake and Millie, for giving my life meaning.

Who is the strongest?

After Sam (age 10) caught the bus to school yesterday, I took the other three grandchildren to McDonalds for breakfast. Ian (age 4) and I got into a bit of an argument. He said he believed Spiderman is stronger than Superman. Well, having grown up with Superman as my number one super hero, I had to disagree. Neither of us was willing to let it rest. I never convinced him. I guess some lessons the younger generation just has to learn on their own the hard way.

Ian asked for ice cream. I told him McDonalds does not serve ice cream for breakfast. I asked Caleb (age 12) and Ian to throw our trash away. A moment later Caleb came rushing back and whispered in my ear, “Grandpa, a boy standing next to the trash can was eating an ice cream cone.” At almost precisely the same instant Ian conveyed the same info. I was dead.

The ice cream was worth it when on about her third bite, Lilly Ruth (age 1) yelled, “Yummy! Yummy!” loud enough for the whole restaurant to hear. A train passed by. Hearing the horn, Lilly Ruth said, “too too tain.” Ian said, “No, Lilly, choo choo train.” She said, “Yeah, too too tain.” He said more vociferously, “No, Lilly, c-h-o-o c-h-o-o t-r-a-i-n.” She said, “Yeah, too too tain.” In that moment I realized how I should have handled the Spiderman/Superman debate. I should have stated my opinion, pretending I was actually agreeing with Ian.

The Real Enemy

Jake and Millie woke us up at 4:30 a.m. again. John and Ruth went outside to see what was amiss. Remember our fear that birds were preparing to invade the ground? The danger has proven to be worse than we thought. We were wrong about the little birds. The real culprit is a huge animal of dread. Yes, the enemy is a squirrel. We have decided it might be best to protect Jake and Millie at night by putting them in their shed. That way the rest of us can get some sleep.

John and Amanda will learn today whether or not they will receive loan approval on a house they want to buy. Pray.

Staff is trickling in. Monday morning is staff-togetherness time, otherwise known as staff meeting. I’m anticipating a good meeting. Things seem to be going well these days at Second.

Humor helps. Helicopter insights. Don’t push your luck; it will run out soon enough. If all is well on your helicopter, consider yourself temporarily lucky. Planes by nature want to fly, helicopters don’t. Remember the fighter pilot’s prayer: “Lord, I pray for the eye of an eagle, the heart of a lion, and the courage of a combat helicopter pilot.”