Encouraging yourself

I love words. I don’t think in pictures and so am terrible at Pictionary. I think in words. And I love etymology or the origin and history of words. I’ve been thinking about the word ENCOURAGE. It means “to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope: to hearten.” It is obviously from the word courage, which is from Middle English corage, via Old French, cuer and Latin cor — heart. Cor or heart is a common metaphor for inner strength (just for fun - it seems to have replaced the Old English word ellen, which also meant "zeal, strength."). To have courage is to have heart; to be encouraged is to have your heart strengthened; to be discouraged is to lose heart. Here is a picture (ha!): Courage is standing straight, your lungs full of air, braced for whatever is ahead of you; Encourage is the taking in of the air, straightening yourself; Discourage is letting the air out and dropping the head, no longer ready or prepared.

Well, the other night, I was discouraged. Just like I described it above. Went to work discouraged. And while there I thought about David.

1Samuel 30:3-4  So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, [it was] burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.  Then David and the people that [were] with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

David, in order to keep away from Saul, had joined himself to the Philistines. He had offered to fight in one of their wars and been turned down. And this is what they found when they returned home. They lost everything. How did his men respond to this?

1 Samuel 30:6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

He is in a real tight spot! Not only has he lost everything as well as them, but they want to kill him! How did he respond to this? He was distressed and grieved, but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. When everything around him was falling apart, his loss of his goods, his loss of his family, and now the threat of death, he took a deep breath, stood up straight and went forward.

It’s nice when we are down to have someone come alongside and encourage us. David had no one. All the people standing next to him wanted to throw stones at him. So he had to encourage himself. We are in a good spot spiritually when we can encourage ourselves in the Lord. So, how do we do that?

As I thought about that I thought of what we do when we encourage someone else. How do we do that? I thought of three things we can do:

First, our Presence. Sometimes when someone is going through a trial or tribulation it is good just to have someone there. Consider Job 2:11-13: Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz…and Bildad…and Zophar…for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him….So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.
This is one of the blessings of visiting the sick, those in prison, the struggling and the wayward: just being there encourages them.

Second, reminding them of the Promises of God. Not simply mindless cliches, but recalling what God says about where they are, why they are there, and what God says he will do for them.

Third, Prayer. Praying for strength, grace and mercy, and claiming the promises of God.

What a blessing to have someone encourage you when you are in a trial or tribulation, when you are distressed, depressed or even defeated! What a greater blessing to be that person. But David had nobody. Apparently, not even the priest. So he encouraged himself in the Lord. And that could only be by focusing his thoughts on the Lord, reminding himself of God’s call on his life, remembering the promises God had given him, then praying himself and calling on God to hear and to help; taking in a deep breath, standing tall and choosing to believe God and go forward.

OK. So what happened? You really should read the whole chapter but to cut to the chase: v 18-19 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives. And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any [thing] that they had taken to them: David recovered all.

Now back to me. I am not David. We could debate whether David was slightly compromised by dwelling among the Philistines, but since there is no word of reproach from the Lord, I will not even go there. He was waiting on God for the fulfillment of the promise and this happened. I’m in a different boat. But can I still encourage myself in the Lord? Just reading what I wrote about how he went about encouraging himself encouraged me!

I've got to get to the place where it can be said of me, Jeff was greatly distressed but he encouraged himself in the Lord. Amen

How I Listen To Music

The other night Mary and I were playing a game of pool and I put on a new CD I had just made. A song was playing and I asked her what she thought about the chorus. She said she didn’t understand the words so I explained the song. She thought it was sad (Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow Tree by the Carter Family; it is a sad song). Another song came on, I said I really liked that one too (obviously, I like all the songs on the CD, after all I made the CD!) but she couldn’t understand the lyrics to that one either. It was the first time she had really heard the songs and my pool playing skill is so high that one has to really concentrate when playing me (HA), but something interesting was revealed that night. Mary said, “It’s too much work to try to understand the words.” She likes the sound and the rhythms. (Praise & worship music is different.)

I was mildly shocked. I don’t listen to music the same way. Let me explain.

First, I do listen to the melody. In fact, the older I get the more I like purely instrumental music. But when I am listening to this I am picturing in my head the score, what that would look like on paper! Seriously, I try to determine if this is 3/4 time, 6/8, 4/4 or cut time. I love the theme music for the old TV show Wings. It is “a short version of a Franz Schubert piece, Piano sonata No. 20 in A Major, D. 959, IV. Rondo. Allegretto.” But as I listen to it, and I am listening to it now (the whole piece), I see the time, I see the notes. I love the sound of it, but part of the joy for me is seeing how it all flows together, how you would lead it – yes, with my hand . . . 1 2 3 4, so I can count it and know when everything comes in and how long that note was held. There is an Allman Brothers song, Revival. It begins with an instrumental introduction, then the drum does this little thing right before they begin to sing. I almost always back it up several times to hear it and picture the timing! There is a Dick Dale song that has this piano run that comes in about halfway through. It is emphasized the first time then falls into the background for the rest of the song. Yep, I back it up repeatedly to hear that as well!

Second, I listen to the words. The lyrics, even the title of the song, is so important. Obviously, I can overlook this since I love Hawaiian and Irish music and am not particularly fluent in either language. But it is the words that attract me to a song. I will listen to it till I know them. I will look them up. I have untold numbers of files of lyrics to the songs I have. It bothers me when I can’t understand the lyrics. A simple song like Johnny Cash and June Carter’s Jackson. She is gonna wait for him behind a “Jaypan fan”. So I looked it up (a “Japan fan”). Now the song means so much more to me because I know what she is saying!

Waking Ned Devine is a great movie. And right after I watched it I ordered the CD. Awesome! There is one song on the CD that is not in the movie, Hear Me by Shaun Davey (see, the title, the author, and the performers are all important to the pleasure I derive from a song). He begins in Gaelic then switches to English. The song is beautiful by itself, but the words just magnify the beauty:

   There's winter on the islands
   The hearth is cold as stone
   Like a house deserted
   I'm roofless and alone
   Where is your voice, where is your touch,
   Your breath, your guiding flame?
   Where is the light I miss so much
   In this gently falling rain?

"Like a house deserted / I’m roofless and alone.” What a picture he has painted!

And that Carter Family song I mentioned?

My heart is sad and I'm in sorrow
For the only one I love
When shall I see him? oh, no, never
Till I meet him in heaven above

Oh, bury me under the weeping willow
Yes, under the weeping willow tree
So he may know where I am sleeping
And perhaps he will weep for me

I like the sound (I love the Carter Family), but knowing the lyrics makes it truly enjoyable. Such pathos!

I could go on and on offering examples of the lyrics and how knowing them improves the song for me. That’s how I listen to my music. Title, lyrics, author, band so important to enjoying the song. And I confess again, I see song sheets and notes in my head when I listen and I always try to find the time of the song. I am not saying that one way is better than another, just different. Mary finds pleasure in all sorts of music, which made it great for her when she was working with young people - they listened to all kinds of stuff on their road trips. And it surely helps her in living with me, as I listen to a great variety of music, most of it NOT mainstream!

Ho, every one that thirsteth

I was searching for a particular verse and found it in Isaiah 55. I read the entire chapter. What a blessed chapter! I have been thinking about the whole chapter and want to talk about ALL of it, but decided to simply offer the chapter (arranged as Hebrew poetry, like Isaiah wrote it) with a few notes.

1  Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, 
and he that hath no money, come ye, buy, and eat; 
yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2  Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? 
and your labour for that which satisfieth not? 
hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, 
and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
I love the Ho, every one that thirsteth! I can see Isaiah standing in the public square and earnestly calling out, Ho, every one that thirsteth, come...
How this speaks to our society – we pursue all these things and they don’t satisfy. But the Lord says, hearken unto me and be satisfied.
And, hearken is one of the most powerful words in the Old Testament. It means to listen so as to hear and obey. “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”

3  Incline your ear, and come unto me: 
hear, and your soul shall live; 
and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, 
even the sure mercies of David.
4  Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, 
a leader and commander to the people.
5  Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, 
and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee 
because of the LORD thy God, 
and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.
The invitation continues - “your soul shall” live if you: incline your ear, come unto me, and hear (same word as hearken).
everlasting covenant / sure mercies of David – this is the Messiah. You cannot be satisfied without Jesus.
verse 5 is the church; I love it when I am in the Bible!

6  Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, 
call ye upon him while he is near:
7  Let the wicked forsake his way, 
and the unrighteous man his thoughts: 
and let him return unto the LORD, 
and he will have mercy upon him; 
and to our God, 
for he will abundantly pardon.
The invitation is repeated for the third time. The call is for a thorough repentance. The promise is abundant pardon, but without this repentance there is no forgiveness. Seek the Lord while he may be found. When can the Lord be found? “behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” No wonder Isaiah is sometimes called the fifth Gospel!

8  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, 
neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, 
so are my ways higher than your ways, 
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10  For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, 
and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, 
and maketh it bring forth and bud, 
that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: 
it shall not return unto me void, 
but it shall accomplish that which I please, 
and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
This passage has a double significance. We must forsake our thoughts and ways because they do not agree with God’s. But then this morphs into assurance – “I said I will pardon you and I will most certainly do it.” You can bet your life on God’s Word!

12  For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: 
the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, 
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13  Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, 
and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: 
and it shall be to the LORD for a name, 
for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
Consider the things God has promised those who hearken to him: your soul will delight itself in fatness; your soul shall live; he will abundantly pardon. Now he speaks of the joy and fruitfulness of those who hearken to the Lord, who seek Him, who forsaking their way return unto the Lord: ye shall go out with joy…
And another note of assurance – it shall be to the Lord for a name. His reputation is on the line, he will certainly do this! Amen!
I tell you, I’m hungry for my soul to delight in fatness; I want my soul to live; I need abundant pardon. You may not be surprised to learn that I can sing v 12; but I want to be able to live it, not just sing it.

-----
We used to also sing a hymn based on this chapter, Ho, Every One That Is Thirsty!

Habakkuk: A dynamic spiritual life

“Won't you feel silly when you talk with Habakkuk in the next life and you have to say to him, 'Uh, no, I didn't read your book! I didn't even know it was in the Bible!'” This, in a Chick tract, was my introduction to Habakkuk.  I went home and read his book!

This book doesn’t tell us anything about him, but it does reveal that he had a very dynamic spiritual life. He gets right to the point:
2  O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!
Habakkuk lived in a day when the spiritual life of Judah was bad. He was walking with God and was concerned about what he saw around him. He prayed for his people. And it appears he had been praying about this for some time. How bad was it? the law is powerless, And justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore perverse judgment proceeds. There was iniquity, spoiling, violence, strife and contention. So Habakkuk prayed boldly, O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! The Lord loves this kind of violent praying. As Tertullian wrote in the 2nd century, “We meet together as an assembly and congregation, that, offering up prayer to God as with united force, we may wrestle with Him in our supplications. This violence God delights in.”

We know Habakkuk was on the right track because God answered him in 1:5-11.

5  Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.
And what will God do that is so unbelievable?

6  For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs.
7  They are terrible and dreadful . . .
10  And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take it.
11  Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.
God tells Habakkuk the Chaldeans (Babylonians) will carry out His judgment in Judah. They are unrighteous, unruly, unstoppable (they shall deride every strong hold . . . and take it);  and ungodly (he shall then impute his power unto his god). Have you ever prayed and received an answer totally different than you expected? Well, Habakkuk was shocked.

12  Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One?
13  Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?
“How can you, so holy and pure and righteous, use such a wicked people? You should judge them, not use them to judge us.” He is offended. But he is honest. And he takes his problem back to the Lord. So often we pretend we have no problem with God, I guess thinking that if we don’t say anything He won’t know it. HA! Or, we get mad and refuse to talk to God anymore. But Habakkuk went right back to God.

2:1  I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me . . .
Since this was too much for him, he determined to wait upon God for an answer that made sense of this. Isn’t this interesting? God told him he wouldn’t believe it and he doesn’t! He can’t bring himself to believe what God has just told him. This is usually a bad thing. But he believes in God, so he will wait for more light. It is OK to wrestle with God about things you don’t understand, as long as your foundation is faith in God.

And behold the mercy of God – He answered Habakkuk in 2:2-20!
2  And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
3  For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
But this simply tells him that what God had told him in chapter 1 will happen, it doesn’t address his question. Verse 4 does that:

Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
What is God’s answer for Habakkuk’s confusion? “Trust me.” The sad truth is, this is often more offensive to us. “Trust God? All you can say to me is, Have faith?” This is the very core of our problem with God – He is God and we are not. And He dares to do things we don’t understand, in ways we don’t understand! Oh how this grates on our souls. This is probably why faith is the key to walking with God. “Trust me.”

As an encouragement to faith, God assures him that He will reward the wicked Chaldeans. They are not going to “get away” with anything. God speaks of 5 woes (v 6, 9, 12, 15, 19) that will befall the Chaldeans. In the midst of this God offers comfort to those who live by faith:

14  For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. Amen! What a future the righteous have.

Habakkuk asked God “How long?” and God told him something that shocked him, something he didn’t understand. And when he asked about that he was told to live by faith. So how did Habakkuk respond? Chapter 3. This is his prayer or song, his expression of faith.

By faith he will continue to pray (2  O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy) and by faith he sees Christ coming with salvation (13 Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed [Messiah / Christ]). But 17-19 is the climax of the chapter:

17  Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
18  Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
19  The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. 

Habakkuk is living by faith. And such faith! This is the dynamic of his life: he lived righteously in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation; he interceded for them; he heard from God, and though he did not understand, yet he trusted; and by faith he could rejoice in the Lord even in the most dire circumstances. By faith God was his strength. By faith he saw that God would make him walk upon the high places. By faith he saw Christ coming with salvation. This is impressive. It is also convicting – am I walking in a faith like this? Am I living like Habakkuk in the midst of my generation? Am I praying for the church in Rock Hill like he prayed for Jerusalem? Do I rejoice in the Lord even when the fig tree does not blossom? Is God my strength? Do I see Christ as my salvation in all things? How vital and dynamic was his spiritual life!

We used to sing 3:17-19. I hope this is more than just a good song for me, but a true expression of my faith in the Lord.

Though the fig tree does not blossom
And there be no fruit be on the vine
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food
though the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD 2x
I will joy in the God of my salvation
God, the Lord, is my strength.

My week at Edisto Island

A summary and recap of my week at the beach. There is no significance to the order, I just wrote things down as I remembered.

I read two books. “You had nothing else to do, only two?” I had a lot of other things to do and 12 other people to interact with!

Went kayaking twice. You can read about them in previous posts.

Explored Botany Bay Beach. I took pictures of that trip. Anne and I went the day before but at high tide so we couldn’t see much.

Played catch with Ryan and Chase. On another day played catch with Dave and Chase.

Hung out with Aimee. We walked to the beach together, surfed together, and watched Remington Steele together.

Wooed Scarlett all week. Got to hold her a couple of times and by the end of the week she would play with me.

Beach. Of course. Broke Drew’s board. Then he and I went shopping for a new one.

Enjoyed Lucca K. Before long she would shout out, “Gandaddy” when she saw me.

Watched Soul Surfer, My Favorite Wife (Cary Grant), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Carole Lombard).

It was great to spend the week with the Meesters. It is always fun to go to the beach with them. Mary K and Lucca came on Tuesday and stayed the rest of the week. That was sweet.

Didn’t get to spend as much time with Mary as I had hoped. There were so many other people that she felt like she needed to spend time with them. We thought Sarah and Keith were coming down for the first weekend and we were disappointed that they didn’t make it. I did finally get Tiernan down to Edisto with us and he enjoyed it but was sad that he had to go back so soon.

Missed Erica. I don’t think she even asked for any time off so she could join us for at least a couple of days!

Drew celebrated his 9^th birthday on Friday.

Dave’s Mom came to visit one night, I think it was Monday.

On the way back my trailer fell off! Yep, I was driving along, keeping an eye on the trailer when I heard a sound and it was bouncing erratically behind me!! I thought I had a blown tire and wondered how long this would take to repair. But all I had to do was put it back on the hitch.

We got home at three different times and unloaded the car. Dave’s Dad came by for a brief visit. Sarah brought her children over (Keith was busy watching the USC game). Then Steve and Brenda came and brought the quizzing benches. (Aimee and Drew are involved in Junior Quizzing up in Ohio. Bible Covenant donated the benches and Steve and Brenda brought them.) They hung out for a while and we enjoyed the visit. Chad and Lisa Parker and their 6 children came by to visit with Anne and Dave. If I have counted right, we had 24 people running around the house last night!

Found out this morning that despite all the information I had provided them, I was still scheduled to work last night – HA! I do return tonight.

What marked the end of vacation? Leaving the beach? No. Going back to work tonight? No. It was Anne and Dave leaving for Ohio this morning at 6 am. That was sad. I am happy that their move to Ohio has been so positive for them, but I sure miss them.

On the way back I decided, to no one’s surprise, that I could easily and quickly go local on Edisto Island. It is a bit touristy and populated with some stinkin’ rich people and does get ridiculously hot in the summer. But give me an island with access to both beach and sound and I would be happy. If only I could find a place like that close to my girls and their families!!

But for now it is a return to the mundane world of work.

The week went something like this:

Saturday          arrived; brief trip to the beach

Sunday            beach in the morning; that night we took all the kids

                        to the beach to look for crabs – didn’t see a single one!

Monday           beach in the morning; took Tiernan back in the afternoon

Tuesday           surfed in the morning; kayaking with Mary in the afternoon

Wednesday     not sure about the morning!

                        Anne and I drove around in the afternoon

Thursday         breakfast with Mary, then I went back to Botany Bay Beach.

                        Went kayaking with Anne in the afternoon

Friday              beach all day; late afternoon drove around with Mary K

                        celebrated Drew’s birthday that night

Saturday          family picture on the beach, departed

Vacation – Thursday

Yesterday Anne and I visited Botany Bay Wildlife Management Area. We went to the beach and it was high tide. This morning I went back at low tide to explore and take pictures. I originally planned to take Mary but she wanted to go to the beach with the grandchildren.

It was awesome! I drove up to the parking area and there were plenty of cars. I was kinda bummed at that. But, while I did see a few people, I don’t know where all the others were. It was wild and desolate. There were mounds of shells everywhere, and driftwood. The sign said you could see Edisto Island from the end of this island, so I walked to the end of the island. I passed the last of the people. But I noticed there was one set of footprints going in the same direction. I am not sure where that person went, but eventually the prints disappeared. I made it to the river that separates the islands. I crossed it and stood once more on Edisto Island. What a wonderful morning. I didn’t make it to the beach with the family yet I spent all morning on the beach! Shoulda brung my swim suit soze I coulda swum in the ocean and river.

In the afternoon Anne and I went kayaking. We went to the beach by the river because I thought that would be an easier trip. This was Anne’s first trip. We went up river just a bit then turned around and aimed for an island just offshore. At least, it looked just offshore. We paddled and paddled and seemed to get no closer to the island. I mean, we were halfway between the beach and island but seemingly getting nowhere. Then suddenly the ocean changed. The waves picked up as did the wind. I was a little concerned so we turned around to head back to the beach. But we paddled and paddled and paddled and made no progress. I spotted three houses on the shore to our left to gauge our progress. After some more paddling we were making none! My concern level rose a little more, How are we going to get back? I realized the river’s discharge must be greater than I thought or could tell – and to top it all off, the tide was rushing in. So we aimed for the marsh on our left (on the right was open ocean). I thought we would feel better if we could make noticeable progress. And we made it! Then a few more little steps and we were at the river’s mouth. I told Anne, “This might be difficult; we want to be there (pointing at the beach we launched from, on our right) but to counter to river’s current we will aim for those people there (pointing to them, a little on our left).” So, with a deep breath, we took off. But the going was not hard at all and we made it, no trouble. So, on her maiden voyage, after potentially endangering my first-born, I got her back to shore safely. Later than we had promised, but safe. Praise the Lord!

After we had carried the one kayak back to the car, we returned for the second one. Lo and behold, dolphins everywhere! There must have been 10, 12, 15 maybe. They came out of the river and were swimming and splashing about. What a sight!

Another good day at Edisto. Tomorrow is the last day. Trying not to dwell on that.

Vacation – Wednesday

Tuesday was a really windy day, so I drove around and took pictures. But in the afternoon Mary and I went kayaking. Had a great time. Mary wasn’t real fond of paddling against the wind and the incoming tide. But she did it. At one point I told her, “I forgot to tell you that part of the joy of paddling is the joy (arm pump) of beating the current.” But the wind was rough, so on the way back we looked for and found a shortcut through the marsh grass. Mary amazes me every time we go out.

Today was a great day. Went to the beach this morning and it was beautiful. The ocean was 1-2 ft with the occasional 3 ft wave crashing in. Mary had bought the kids boogie boards and Aimee wanted me to work with her on catching waves. So I did. Then Drew got wiped out and went in. So I asked if I could use his board. You could not get me out of the water then! After a while the board cracked – they are just cheap styrofoam boards - but with a special twist it still worked. Then Mary got her kayak and she went out and I helped Aimee ride a couple of waves on it. Then I went out but it was too much work for too little reward (translated, I didn’t catch enough waves) so I went back to the boogie board. Sometime later the leash broke, but I kept on. A little while later the waves sort of lost their punch, the tide was coming in, and I came back to the house worn out as well.

After lunch I took Drew to get a new board, since I sort of rode his to death. I was looking at nicer boards and asked the lady at the surf shop about the chances of tomorrow being 1-3 ft as well. “Not too good.” Well, I’m not gonna spend $60 for “not too good”!

When we came back I offered to take Anne out exploring the island. I planned to show her some of the pretty sites I had seen. And we did some. But we also discovered some neat areas I had never been to before. One was at the Botany Bay Wildlife Management Area. I had been there before and even went kayaking there with Dave last year. But Anne and I found the beach. Undeveloped beach. Amazing! As was the walk to the beach. We believe we saw a small alligator in the water. I want to try and take pictures, but no camera can really capture the vista. Gotta go back at low tide so we can walk along the beach. That’s right, at high tide there is no beach – the trees and vegetation grow right to the water’s edge! Beautiful is not a strong enough word. And the drive out there captures the essence of what I like about this island. Maybe I will get some pictures tomorrow.

I also finished my book, Into the Wild (about a young man who died in Alaska). I may write about that later.

Enjoying my vacation!

Vacation

I worked Friday night and we headed off for Edisto on Saturday morning. I made it halfway and Dave had to drive the rest of the way. I was falling asleep at the wheel.

We have a nice house. Dave thought is was on the beach. I thought it was on the marsh. We were both wrong although it is closer to the marsh. It is a really big house. But alas, no internet. We have to go to the Jungle Shack for free Wi-Fi. Woe is us!!

Tiernan came with us on Saturday and had to go back today. So I arranged to meet Sarah halfway. Th traffic going up I-26 reminded me of the freeway in California. I didn’t know that many people lived in South Carolina!

I used Mary’s GPS for the trip. Still not sure how to get here and back. On the way up to Columbia it took me through Charleston. That was OK. But it brought me back a different way. And not the way we usually come down. I went through parts of South Carolina that haven’t been discovered yet! I will admit, it was a real pretty drive.

On the way back Mary called me and told me the waves were real big while I was gone. Should have been here . . . . . . today! Hurricane seems to be affecting the water – really rough with riptides. Real windy too. ‘Course that could just be the coast :-)

Been a good week so far. Enjoying hanging out with the Meesters. Even though Scarlett still won't let me hold her much. Mary K and Lucca arrive tomorrow!

We’ve been too busy to take any pictures. Ha! And we are staying in a big pink house.

Watched Soul Surfer last night – the movie about Bethany Hamilton , the young lady from Kauai whose left arm was bitten off by a shark. Pretty good movie.

Gonna start kayaking tomorrow.

Thinking about my early days in the faith

The other night I began to think about the people who influenced me when I was growing up in the faith.

I was living in Nashville when I became a Christian. The dear saints at First Baptist Church Donelson prayed for me to be saved and then welcomed me when I believed in Jesus. I remember Bro. Baker a little, but I remember Bro. Harris more. Funny, I only remember parts of two of his sermons. One Sunday night he recommended R.A. Torrey’s book on the Holy Spirit. Another Sunday, I had an encounter with Jehovah’s Witnesses and was shaken in my faith. That night he spoke of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and really re-established me. What I do remember is visiting with him. I asked him if I could go visiting with him on Saturdays. What a privilege to do personal work with the pastor! I learned a lot about spiritual warfare before I ever heard anything about it. One day, he was talking to a woman who was rather anxious for her soul and her baby began to cry so that conversation was impossible. I began to silently but earnestly pray and the baby stopped crying. The power of Jesus.

I also remember a retired pastor, Mr. Livingston (that’s the name I recall!). He was my Sunday School teacher. I recollect two of his sermons, one on Justification and the other on Propitiation. So clear. I loved it.

There were three authors that I discovered that really helped me a lot: Watchman Nee wrote The Normal Christian Life. R.A. Torrey wrote The Holy Spirit: Who He Is and What He Does and How to Pray. (He wrote a lot of other books as well!). And then Hannah Whitall Smith, The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life. These were the beginning of my introduction to a positive Christian faith.

I became a believer in 1973 and in January of 1974 I went to the University of Tennessee at Martin. I started attending Southside Baptist Church and got involved with them – I was teaching on Sunday nights (church training) and going out on visitation. Then we discovered a campus ministry called Maranatha Ministries. Such Bible studies! Baptist preaching then tended to be so negative and even though they preached the new birth, no one knew what it was - it was a synonym for getting saved. At Maranatha Ministries we learned what it was, what it meant to be born again, how to live as a part of the new creation, how to pray, walk in the Spirit etc Great Bible studies.

I mentioned that Baptist preachers then were so negative. They were always emphasizing what you were NOT supposed to be doing. I suppose they were trying to produce conviction, since the main sermon topic was usually salvation. I can recall one pastor telling us strongly, “Don’t even pretend you have victory, ‘cause I know you’re lying.” Maranatha Ministries and the people I began to listen to on the radio taught positively. They believed in victory, in overcoming, in the abundant life, in experiencing the promises of God. It was amazing. I determined to preach like that.

While in Martin I became friends with John & Melanie (they have a last name but it escapes me!). Anyway, John and I used to do a lot of evangelism. It was so cool, we visited everybody. We went all over Martin. We used to go room to room through the men’s dorm telling people about Jesus. It was awesome. He was a good brother.

I met Mary in Martin - we were both attending UTM. We married, she graduated and we moved to Memphis so she could work and I could go to Bible College. We began to attend Cherry Rd Baptist Church and once again I was actively involved in teaching and outreach. I started a children’s church ministry and then began teaching the young people. It was at Cherry Rd Baptist where I encountered the intense conflict between Baptists and the Holy Spirit. They clamped down hard and eventually I left the Baptist church. But while we were still there, I remember Mrs. Lynn Stennett handing me a tape series by a man named Derek Prince. It was called, Exchanges at the Cross. Such powerful teaching! After that I read and listened to everything Derek Prince had. He was deep, thorough, spiritual. He taught about prayer, fasting, the authority of the believer, deliverance, healing, the gifts etc.

As I mentioned, we moved to Memphis so I could go to Bible College. And I did. Go to Bible College, that is. Mid-South Bible College. I got a good education at Mid-South, a theologically oriented education. But by the time I got there I was already fairly well versed in the Bible, spiritual experience, and service. I remember, right before our class on the Book of Acts, a fellow student said, “I have never read Acts." I was shocked. I had been through Acts many times: because it came after John, for salvation, baptism, the Holy Spirit, church elders and more. All as a consequence of my witnessing encounters.

I was listening to a lot of people on the radio and then I discovered this guy in the late afternoon. Loren Calkins. He was pastor of Alliance Bible Church. He was going through the book of Acts and I was really impressed. It was simple, verse by verse teaching and if the Bible said it he believed it. He even told stories of modern day miracles. Then one day he introduced what he called “the four-fold gospel.” What is the four fold gospel? Jesus Christ our Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and Coming King. I was so excited. I came home and told Mary all about it and said, “We need to go visit that church.” And this was my introduction to the Christian & Missionary Alliance (and 25 years of ministry with them) and a brother named A.B. Simpson.

I came at the tail end of the Jesus movement. “You need Jesus, man.” Well, let me tell you, A.B. Simpson was a Jesus person. Oh, he wasn’t a long-haired hippie (he did have a big bushy beard!), but he was a big time Jesus person. I was impressed by his faith, his openness to God and all of God’s promises, and of course his focus on Jesus. His life verse must have been, “They saw no man save Jesus only.” I devoured his books.

To sum it up, those who strongly influenced me taught the Bible, preached the whole Gospel, believed in and encouraged a dynamic spiritual life; and they all believed that if God said it it was true, and if He promised it you could experience it. Amen! It is exciting recalling those times and those folks. I tried to follow their example.

All in all forever, Jesus will I sing

Everything in Jesus, and Jesus everything