Good get-away!

We got back from Gatlinburg Wednesday night...had a great time with Holly's family. I'm always amazed how much I enjoy going to Gatlinburg. Been going for years...even honeymooned there!...it's always the same stuff every year, same stuff in the shops, same carmel apples, same food, etc. etc. get the idea? relate? But I love going to watch people and being with family.

We did some swimming...shopping...lot's of eating...played some serious cards (texas hold'em)...and a tradition that we have done every year...pranking my father-in-law. I'm not a huge prankster...but Holly, her brother and wife and I love to prank on Lloyd.

We've done a variety of things over the years. Bug in the ice cube trick (worked!), turning coke into "sludge" (worked), my personal favorite...the exploding toilet! (really worked)

Two years ago we got our hands on the "World's Largest Underwear", we tried to secure them to the back of his car on the way home...he caught us red handed.
So this year we brought them out of retirement...almost worked! The pics can somewhat explain. We laughed.

I want everyone to know that I have the "Worlds Greatest Father-In-Law"...I really mean that, he is one-of-a-kind and enjoys the pranks...usually afterwards, but he enjoys them. Love ya Lloyd...until next year!

Update on Shane

My good buddy George Campbell and I went and visited with Shane last night. We had a good visit...looked a whole lot different than last time we saw him :)

He is still a little slow in some of his motor skills and is having some memory loss (long and short term). His mom said the memory issues should come back in time. He didn't know who we were and for that matter didn't recall going to a camp...he did have a good sense of humor, but was also very tired.

We prayed with him and his family and will come back to visit next week. Shane is a guitar player (even had his guitar in the room)...I told him I'd bring mine along next week and we could play together.

Please continue your prayers for Shane and his family. They all looked very tired and emotionally drained, but in good spirits.

Some R & R

Some random thoughts...

-Here's a great update on Shane Noakes. He's improving daily, word has it he even ate some McDonalds the other day in the hospital. The plan that I have heard is he will be moving to a Lexington hospital on Tuesday...that's really good news.

-I can't begin to type the words to say how incredible God has been through all of this. My continuing prayer has been that He will receive all glory for Shane's recuperation. Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be your name.

-This past week I took my middle school group to a week long camp to Crossings at Cedarmore. A great week was had by all. I must admit, I was a little anxious about going on Monday, but by Tuesday that all changed...again because of God's great strength and power through prayer.

-Tomorrow, my family and I are headed to the hills of Tennessee...good ole Gatlinburg. We'll be there for just a few days, but I know it will be a restful time with Holly's family...break out the cards!

-Hey, our house is still up for sale...anybody interested? Give ya a good deal! We had an open house this afternoon...had two very interested folks...I'll keep ya posted.

-Do me a favor and please continue your prayers for Shane Noakes and his family. God has and will continue to use this young man's story to bring people to Him.

Answered Prayer!

Here's an update on Shane...

He is awake, trying to talk, all tubes, etc. have been taken out...God is good and answers prayers, please continue to pray for Shane and his family.

A very surreal past few days

Sunday morning our high school group set out for Camp Willow Falls in Blue Ridge, GA. for a week long camp experience. Everything was going pretty well despite a flat tire on the way down. Had a great Sunday night worship service…again, good stuff and a great group of teenagers. We have been linking up with a friend of mine’s youth group at Pleasant View Baptist in Waynesburg, KY. the past five years.

A long story short...one of Pleasant Views youth, Shane Noakes, drowned in the lake on Monday. He is in a hospital in Chattanooga, TN. still unconscious and in critical condition.

Several guys were playing in the lake at the camp after we had just got back from tubing. They weren't in deep water, but Shane had gone under and didn’t come up. We're not sure for how long ...he was found and pulled out and we immediately started CPR until the ambulance arrived and took him away.

They took him off the respirator on Tuesday and he is breathing on his own...he is somewhat responsive to some stimulation. So far all of the reports that we have gotten have been positive.

We decided to leave our camp on Tuesday and come home…wasn’t sure how effective we could have been throughout the rest of the week and I know that parents were wanting to see there babies and vise versa.

Please continue prayers for Shane and his family and for our each of our youth ministries. Tonight we had a bon fire at our house for our youth who were there. We just wanted to be together…we talked about how we have been feeling after two days of being home…shared some thoughts and read some passages from scripture. I think it was helpful in processing everything.

Lot’s of lessons have been learned and will be learned from this. Maybe in the weeks to come I’ll blog about them. I know one thing is for sure…as James 4:14 says "For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” Make the absolute most of everyday of your life…what’s really important? What are we investing our lives in? Who are we investing our lives in? I pray that God will receive glory from all of this.

A vast amount of random things

Okay just a few random "what's going on" stuff:

-To elaborate from my last blog just a bit. Last week's class went very well and very quick. After the last day of class I met with my advisor and we got the ball rolling on the whole graduation process. So glad to be finished with my degree...thanks to Holly and Bryan for their patience, especially the last year! Graduation will be in December...I promise to show the pics!

-Tomorrow morning I'm leaving for our high school camp week. We've been taking our high school students to Camp Willow Falls the past five years. It's always such a special week...it's really amazing how in tune you really hear God when you totally get away from everything…so not much blogging the next week or two. I'll be getting back on Friday and then packing up again on Monday to take our middle school group for a week long camp.

-Oh yea...our house is up for sale. Anybody interested? We've had it on the market for about three weeks now. Several lookers, but no offers as of yet...some folks are coming on Monday from Virginia to check it out. Man, I pray it will sell. Below is pic of where we are building. They should be starting sometime in the next week or two. We've always have wanted to build a place...so this is where she'll sit. We're going to document the whole build process with pics and stuff...again we'll keep you informed.

-Life is good! God is so good...actually life is good because God is so good. have I told you how STOKED I am that I'm finished with school?? Maybe I'll start my doctorate???

I'm done!

Done deal as of yesterday...happy days are here!

So far so good...

Two days down and two to go! So far my class has been flying by...lots of data being thrown out, but good stuff.

I'm sitting here at one of my favorite "havens"...Barnes and Noble. I've got some internet access here and I've been able to work on some of my projects as well as check e-mail, etc.

Tonight I'm meeting up with my sister (and her family) and mom for dinner. We are going to "Smokey Bones"...that sounds like a good place to eat.

One more time!

Tomorrow following our evening worship I'll be heading to the 'Ville (that's Louisville). I'm taking my FINAL seminary class at SBTS and then you can "stick a fork in me...cause I'll be done!" My degree requirements will be complete and come December I'll be "walking" in the graduation ceremony. I wish SBTS had a summer graduation, but they don't...I guess that will make the Christmas season that much sweeter.

The class I'm taking is called "Bible Teaching: Principles and Practice” So far the class prerequisites have been reading three text books. So far, great reading! I'm halfway finished with the last book. Here are the books, in case you are interested:
1. Creative Teaching Methods by Marlene D. LeFever
2. Design for Teaching and Training by LeRoy Ford
3. Creative Bible Teaching by Richards and Bredfelt

So there you go! Probably won't be able to do much blogging next week...the class goes Monday - Thursday 8am-6pm...I'll be staying with mom, which is always a great bonus of going to Louisville.

I would appreciate your prayers...I really strive to be a creative Bible teacher and I pray this class would help refine me into a more effective teacher of the most incredible book ever penned. Talk to you soon!

Burning down the house

Well, today was the day of my birth...June 1st, 1968. I did go out and play 9 holes of golf, went to Lexington with Holly and Bryan, went to the Fayette Mall, Came home to a little b-day cake that was loaded with wax from all the candles...a good day!

Alright...here's the gift from Holly, Bryan and my mom. (a little history to this gift first) I am a sunglass nut...I like sunglasses and it seems I go through several pair each year. I really like Ray-Ban sunglasses! I had a pair in college...the aviator "Top Gun" style...wore them for years and they literally fell apart. Well, I don't want to fork over the cash it cost for Ray Bans today...but I'm always eyeing them when we are out and about. Sooooo....

Holly and mom made it easy for me...they gave me the cash to get a pair of Ray Bans (or any pair that I wanted) We went to the Sunglass Hut in Fayette Mall where I tried on many pairs...this is what I decided on and I am happy with the decision. They're even polarized!