Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Remembering "The River" Visit to Brazil!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
November... Reflections of a year gone by.
Today I heard a quote: "Every man dies, but not every man really lives".A year ago what was on my mind, and where did I think my future was taking me? It never occurred to me that I would face a year like this one that has past.
In spite of all the struggles and moments of difficult news, there has been good news, and moments of celebration. Life is funny that way, one huge roller coaster! I remember on the movie "Planet of the Apes" when they crash land on a lake and they escape into a raft and watch their space ship disappear into the water, "going - going - gone..." and as they row to land Charlton Heston says, "we're here now, you'd better get used to it".
So I'm here... Home, and yet "a strange place". Every man dies, but not every man really lives!
Eph.15 & 16 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Really Important Video... Please Watch!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmUWDzfyq6g
Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50Sv0o7BVcM
part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa5QzOikEow&NR=1
Part 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAcRB3OEETc&feature=related
Part 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqP1vUVoSFA&feature=related
part 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmQS_1J55jo&feature=related
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
How God Uses Bad for Good... Motorcycle Death Results in the Birth of a Church
Gus when he was in his younger years back in the late thirties, used to race old motorcycles around Pleasant Garden...
(The photo above is just to give you an idea of what the motorcycle looked like. This isn't the actual bike...)Gus was inside a building working and his friend Johny Gamble decided to take a joy ride on his friends bike, knowing that he wouldn't mind...
There was a tragic accident, and Johny Gamble died the next day. A man named Mr. Foster began to visit Johny's family members and friends. Interesting to note: Mrs. Gamble was not a believer and Mr.Gamble was an Atheist... With this being said, they were broken and their world was shattered, so they began meeting with Mr.Foster for prayer meetings. They gave their lives to Jesus and the future of this area began to change.
Meeting from houses to building small meeting places to their first chapel then to their current building today... But this old brown building has a special place in my heart... Its the place where back in 1992 I received confirmation to go to John Wesley Bible College.
Currently this church is struggling to not close its doors. Its sad to see churches struggle and close, and I pray it doesn't, but this church was already special to me because its where I received my "confirmation" to Ministry, but I didn't know its humble beginnings until Gus invited me to church and then saw that I was driving my motorcycle, and decided to share with me the story of how the church begun.Saturday, September 5, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Inside Bonnie Kay's Seafood
Me with Gus Oliver the owner of Bonnie Kay's. He is 93 years old and does whatever he wants... What great health, and what a sweet old man.
At my station, doing what I have done since I was 15...
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Back to work at Bonnie Kay's
I will post you more photos later...Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Cancer treatments...
When you have several family members pass through cancer and the treatments for it you have certain emotions that just "go with it". You wouldnt believe how many people are LINED UP at the check in desk, or how many are sitting in the waiting room waiting for their treatments! Literally, you would think that you would see this kind of line at the DMV or K&W, but when you realize just how many people are going through this dreaded disease, well it makes you "think about life" and how fragile it really is.Here in the pic above you can see my mom has done so Awesome! She is gaining weight and the doctors are so pleased with her progress!
My dads last treatment
When I look at the front of this building, I see my father back in 2003 standing at the door waiting for me to pick him up with his car that he no longer had the strength to drive, and as I had walked off to pick up the car in the parking lot, my father lost his composure, realizing that the doctors had done everything they could and nothing else could be done. He fought for me not to see him cry, but it was here that I remember my dad giving up the hope he had fought so hard to hold on to. As we arrived back home he moved slowly around to the passenger side of the car and opened the glove box to clean it out because he realized that he would never drive again.
The view from the basement floor of the cancer center out the window beside the radiation machines.
Some people have asked what the machine looks like... This is where I see people facing off with cancer and finding determination. The people change clothes in changing rooms and then one right after the other come in and lie down and the workers line them up and then close these huge metal doors that are more than a foot thick and give them their dose of radiation. Although the treatment is like an x-ray, the effects of the exposure come later.The good news:
Mom looks fantastic and I believe that she will not have any more problems after her treatments are over. The doctors give every indication that she is the model picture of recovery!
Thank you Jesus!
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
Back Home and getting back into life!
The gang at the Airport saying goodbye...
Arriving at the Greensboro Airport July 28, 2009 which I thought about how Keith Green died on July 28, 1982... It seemed somehow poetic that my time in Brazil was coming to and end on this very day.
Thank you very much Valerie even though our deal didn't happen, you were wonderful to me... Your bike was beautiful and it would have been a nice ride. I hope you sell it well... If anyone wants a beautiful Shadow Aero and is interested in purchasing the one I almost bought in the photo above, please send me an email and I will put you in contact with Valerie...
I was wanting to buy a Honda Aero and I met two really wonderful people through Craigslist.
Thank you very much Ricky for the Aero, I appreciate your kindness and for going the extra mile, even calling to make sure we made it home safe!My experience today was very interesting... Things fell into place so perfectly!
Driving this bike will be an adventure! I've dreamed about this for several years! Driving up to Pilot Mountain or to Mt. Airy to spend the day... It may seem so materialistic but there is a feeling of "loving up with nature" that I have not had the opportunity to do in years, so I say "Thank you" to Jesus for allowing this to happen, and thank you to the folks I mentioned above and to my mom for Just being with me to enjoy life together.
God Bless!
Saturday, July 25, 2009
FAREWELL BRAZIL
First trip 1993
Greensboro Airport June 14, 1997 with Pastor Mike Swoffard
Moving to Brazil and my family there to see me off June 14, 1997...
It is with great difficulty and sadness that I leave this Country…
So many dreams and the greatest love of my life: My two children I leave behind…
“If you have such a great love and a great calling why would you leave?”
It seems almost unanswerable, and I could try to create a list, that list would mean one thing to me and another to the world, the church and my children, so I will not make it public. I owe two little lives... To you Shalom & Theo:
Shalom... I am so sorry to leave you when I wish I could be with you to love you and play with you and watch you turn into a woman... To tell you how beautiful you are as each day passes. To be there when you need to hug or cry or play with...
Theo, I wish a thousand times over that I could be there for you to love you and comfort you when you need me. To play with you and let you know how proud I am that you are my son! To take you out for "father & Son" moments. To give you some advice about girls, (or maybe to ask you for some...) You are too young to have to be so strong. I am so sorry, and I will miss you and love you and Shalom as long as I live!
Recently, I read an article about a famous person that left
“The tabloids can pretty much write anything they want, and you have to sue to get them to take it back. I don’t need a retraction anymore. I don’t need to set the record straight. I’ve given up trying to explain myself, trying to get people to understand what I’m really like as a man, outside of my acting. I could talk for a whole year and people wouldn’t be that much closer to knowing who I am…”
(Amen Bruce! or is that Mr.Willis?)
One thing I can tell you, my love for Missions and for Jesus does not end here and it does not die here. I am sure I will soon be irritating some church or finding some Brazilian or Hispanic church to ease my burden for Missions…
Please, this one thing I ask… Don’t judge me too harshly, cause I have had the time of my life!
I’ve spent, not exactly a lifetime, but I’ve seen children become adults, brides, grooms, and parents, new life and death!
I have met some of the most beautiful human beings this side of heaven from many Nations, and I am thankful for what they added to my life! I’ve also met a few I’d like to forget…
When I arrived here, I was told that I wouldn’t last 2 weeks by a certain Evangelist… I now step away 13 years later from this place, and 17 years participating in missions in Brazil! Is it a better place because I came? I guess it depends who you ask, but if you were to ask Raquel, Leandro, Samuel, and maybe some kids out in a small village called “Waterfall of Souls”… Maybe there are some lives of people who will never know my name, but because of a group that came that I had the privilege and honor to help chaperone over the years… For their sake and for my children, it was worth the effort!
Thank you Three for showing me true friendship during my time in Brazil! I love you, and I am proud to call you my friends. I will never forget you. Each one of you have taught me about life in so many ways and I am thankful for knowing you.
The combined years of
Thank you for all your interest, and stay tuned here as I give an update from time to time to let you know how the process is going…
God Bless!
FAREWELL!