Several stuffs
It’s one of those days that I have more blogs posts floating around in my head than you would be interested in reading. I wonder, if I posted 5 in one day if anyone would read more than one of them...so I hold my pearls back, ye swine (did I just call my readers, family, friends and all, pigs? It’s gonna be a good day :)>.
I thought I’d take a few minutes to sort of update you all on some stuff...just stuff. Feel free to “weigh in” on any of them.
- My youngest son, yes youngest son, graduated from Freed-Hardeman Saturday. It was a good day. He did not graduate with a lot of letters after his name, but he graduated loving the Lord and true to Him. As far as I’m concerned I could die in peace. I sometimes think I’ve done one thing good in my life - married Melanie. And from this day forward, anyone who wants to introduce me and make me feel, good, just say, “Dale has two sons, who love God.” (Cue the music - “...it is well, it - is - weellllll - with...my soul”). I am not bragging, I hurt deeply for my friends who are better people than am I who’s children have not followed their faith - we are free moral agents. I am just thankful. In our culture, it seems so much can go wrong seemingly beyond our control. Andrew will be working with the Zion Rest congregation in Booneville, Mississippi. He and they are excited, but not as much as me. As Mel has said: “He goes off the payroll.” Amen, wife :).
- Sunday was a normal day at Spring Meadows, it wasn’t a big holiday like Easter or Mom’s Day, it wasn’t a homecoming or a goal day or such, just a normal Sunday in May. There were 532 present. I continue to be overwhelmed. We have been blessed, and those blessings continue to multiply. I’m not really sure where to start. We have our challenges and “issues” and struggles, but this congregation, like Caleb of old “hath another spirit”. What seems different here is, one, the joy in this place and among this people and, two, the reaction to problems we face. I’m not sure what we will face next, we know at some point we will have to buy more seating and we know we at some point may have to go to two services - shhhh - don’t tell any of the Spring Meadows people, I almost got stoned last time I mentioned that. But to be honest it doesn’t make me that nervous FOR we have handled every other obstacle around and we will, with God’s smile, handle this one too. satan is out for us and for our families and for our peace and for our spirit and for our job and for our outreach and for our attitudes toward each other - BUT God is for us!
- I’ll be leaving Sunday afternoon for a three day trip with Mel to the mountains. I can hardly wait. It will be our first time away like this in a long while. I want to, I want to, I think I want to, disconnect for a few days. No phone calls, limited emailing - maybe two times a day. We are renting a little two bedroom chalet and I am hoping to write. Could I ask you to pray for me? Will you? I have some sort of block when it comes to writing a book. I’ve been trying now for 21 years. I edit, I write sermons, I’ve written nearly 2000 articles in my life, hundreds of blogs and chapters in many books but never written a book with my name as author. And I have four or five books in mind, but it just hasn’t happened. Now I feel I need to write the story of what God has blessed us with here and maybe some will benefit from it. I’m told over and over they will. So I hope to come back with a pattern and with a lot of words :). Maybe more.
- I’m really enjoying iPreach the Podcast these days. You can hear it at http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=41961&cmd=tc or you can go to iTunes and subscribe free to it. Let Adam and I know at ipreach@edge.net what you think if you will. We’d like to know who is listening.
- Andrew is in Colorado hiking, Philip and Laura in Honduras leading a mission trip, Mel on her way to her mom’s for her birthday, dad and Mona in Belize on a mission trip (Dad’s been there over 50 times), I have must to pray over and to be thankful for.
- I’m on my diet again. This is a life long battle that some of you understand perfectly and some of you don’t have a clue about. I can shed the weight...but I can put it on as quick as anyone you’ll ever meet too. I lost 72 pounds about 6 years ago, then put about 40 back on, lost about 20 and then put 35 back on, lost 59 then put 69 back on. I’m down about 30-35 right now. I have no excuse. I love to eat! I am in no way a glutton in the true sense of the word, I just love to eat with friends or by myself. But I’m still in the struggle. Don’t pray about this - pray about lost souls and world peace and influence and impact and the church and your family - there are much more pressing needs to take before the Father than Dale’s weight. Just love me at 200 pounds or 300 pounds and in between. I don’t see people I know and love as fat or skinny, but as people and I love them. Thank you.
- I could go on, and I have a lot of articles to post but I’ll cut it off here. I hope you have a wonderful day worshipping the Lord of Life!