Gone Fishin!

Joshua 14:10   So now ,  look ,  the  Lord   has preserved   my life, just   as he promised , these   past forty-five   years   since   the  Lord   spoke   these   words   to   Moses ,  during which   Israel  traveled   through the wilderness .  Now   look ,  I am   today   eighty-five   years   old .   11   Today   I am still   as strong   as   when   Moses   sent   me out .  I can   fight   and go   about   my daily activities with the same energy   I had then.  Half a century ago my mom Sarah struggled through a really long labor in a hospital in West Allis, Wisconsin and my walk on this earth began. (Thanks Mom and Dad!) I must say it out loud, I am 50. There, that wasn't so bad. Its an odd thing to say. Its days like today where men sometimes reflect over thei...

If you are a dad you have all kinds of hopes and dreams for your children. Some long for scholarships for athletic prowess, others want their offspring to succeed financially. No matter the dream we all want those little ones to grow up well. I made up my mind a long time ago that I wanted my kids to first be followers of Jesus and second be difference makers in this world. Both my children became followers of Christ at a young age and we continue to develop that walk even today. There are also markers along the way where you notice growth spurts in their lives. Maybe it's that first time away from home, or the first job. My son Jack had a growth spurt in his life Friday night. Next month we are doing a GORUCK event together and he has been training for this the past few months.  In case you don't know a GORUCK event is a team building endurance challenge put on by current/former special operations soldiers with the center piece being the whole event you are wearing at ...

Back in the 80s as a teenager I worked summers driving a delivery truck for Tarheel Lumber company here in western central NC. It was a great job for burley teenager, carrying hundreds of pieces of Sheetrock, plywood and every other building product known to man. My family was steeped in the building business, both my dad and grandfather were general contractors. Taking raw materials and producing a home for someone to live in still intrigues me. It's very american! My delivery job took me all over our county and to numerous job sites. The most coveted delivery were the simple ones. A bundle of OSB sheathing was my favorite. 60 pieces of 4x8 plywood all wrapped in a bundle. Easy delivery for the driver. Wrap a chain around the bundle, secure with a "dog" come-along, raise the bed and watch drop off the back of the truck....then pull away and head back to the shop, too easy. However, sometimes things go awry. One day I delivered a bundle of this stuff to a contractor ...

Saturday was a celebration, on March 22nd of 1994 while listening to Dr David Jeremiah teach the Gospel of Jesus, God invaded my life, rescued me from sin, set me free and put me on a new path. Every year I celebrate it. Most times I head to the mountains to be alone, this year I headed next door to help  my neighbors cut trees from our last ice storm. I thought it fitting heading into my 2nd decade with Jesus to serve others on the day He saved me. But also this was my first weekend serving as the reader/chalice bearer at the Anglican church we attend called Church of the Good Shepherd in Davidson. I haven't broadcast this much but I am in the process of seeking ordination in the Anglican church. A part of that process is taking part in the liturgy.  Public reading of the Bible is something that Paul emphasized as good in 1st Timothy 4:13 " Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching." One of the passage...

Periodically I get asked to speak at small churches around the southeast. Some are in big cities and others in little hamlets. Last Sunday Tammy and I drove to Maggie Valley NC to speak at the 1st Baptist Church there. The pastor is a humble and genuine man named Ricky Mason. Its a small church with hard working members. They asked me to speak for Baptist Men's day and I always love being able to encourage the men in any group. Being a veteran myself I love meeting veterans as well, especially men who served many years ago. I also love the stories that folks tell, stories from their lives. Stories that will never be in a movie or famous in history books but stories that give us a glimpse into the journeys that people have been on, sometimes for many years. Sunday was one of those days. In the receiving line as small baptist churches do, I met an older gentlemen name Luther Sutton with a wide smile and booming voice. He told me of his days with "One Oh One Airborne...

Coming to Colorado Springs to work has some great fringe benefits. One of my favorites is tackling a climb known simply as the "Incline". It's an old cog railbed that climbs straight up one of the mountains below Pikes Peak. There are no turns, or switchbacks...just straight up and up and up. It's only a mile in length but you start at around 6500 FT and finish at 8500! If you've never gained that much altitude in a mile, it's not one you'll ever forget.  The air is thin and for a flatlander it's a daunting challenge to make it in under an hour. What amazes me the most are the locals. I met a guy today that hikes it almost every day with his parakeet riding atop his shoulder. I also met a gentleman named Greg that went to the top 610 times last year and today I caught him going up for his third time....today. And his 3rd ascent he did in 38 minutes. And oh by the way....Greg is probably 60 years old. Pretty amazing.  Special Forces teams climb it in bo...

I recently had the honor of welcoming home a group of soldiers returning from a combat deployment. I stood at the bottom of the stairs of their transport aircraft shaking hands with a cadre of tired men who had been gone for nearly 9 months. There were no days off for them, no long weekends, just hard dangerous work every day. Their eyes spoke volumes, weariness, relief and many other emotions. Also along with us were several Vietnam vetereans that come to greet every single flight that returns. They simply offer a quiet thank you. Before our guys landed I spoke with some of those older vets and they told stories of how they came home back in 69 and 72. As you might imagine their story was much different than today. They came home to vitriolic abuse, people protesting and spitting on them. Shame on us as a nation.  In recent days you may have read of budget cuts for military retirees and I'm afraid that this is just the beginning. Then this morning I see the headline below that inc...