#15 Mid-week & a video

So last tuesday, no one was home when I got off work.  Both daughters were busy and Colleen was helping our sister-in-law paint.  Now, I was tired from the 10-hour day and hadn't slept that well the night before.  But as I pulled out of the driveway from work, I got that familiar nudge from the Creator to head over to the beach and I was immediately energized!  The evening was beautiful and there were a lot of folks walking around.  I prayed that God would bless all those folks who would hear His Word and would use it to draw them to Him.  I read for awhile, talked to some folks and was, as usual, blessed by Jesus with a feeling of joy and purpose.  My voice was a little funny from the sinus infection and respiratory junk in my system, but I don't think I scared anyone off.  I think I'm going to start putting my table of tracts and booklets across from where I stand so people will more readily take them.  Having it next to me is not working so well.  I'm looking forward to this 4th of July weekend and hope to get down to the Virginia Beach boardwalk one day.  Please continue to pray for me and that God will use my efforts.  God bless!

The video below is stirring!  It has helped to clarify the direction for the next chapter of my life.

#14 Savannah!

Colleen and I went to Savannah, GA for a week and fell in love with the city. The people are warm, the sites are cool and the history is rich. The downtown area, where we stayed, is filled with marvelous squares (or parks, as the locals call them) that are lush and green and have a monument or statue celebrating some person or event. The Live Oak trees covered in Spanish Moss coupled with the Palm trees make for a beautiful scene. There are a bunch of folks who have mastered the art of palm branch weaving - that is, taking palm branches like churches give out on Palm Sunday and fashioning them into flowers, hearts, butterflies, etc. They do a beautiful job, but one gentleman also creates Dragonflies. He says he's the only one in Savannah that does and, truth be told, I didn't see anyone else making them the entire time we were there! We befriended Jerry (pictured above at left) the first day we were there and visited with him part of each day thereafter. He's been at his craft for 10 years. In the picture of Colleen and I , on my hat is the Dragonfly he made me. Cool, huh? Anyway, Jerry has staked out Johnson Square as his territory and all the craftsmen and women respect each other's location. Johnson Square is about a block from the Savannah River and features a lot of folks walking through it on their way to wherever. Everyday a well-dressed gentleman walks from Forsyth Park to the River (about a mile) and back. He carries a sign that talks about fighting for freedom and staying close to Jesus. His name is Mr. Moody and he and Jerry are good friends. I was introduced to him one day and really enjoyed how he would yell out his message and stop to talk to people along the way. So, naturally, I thought this would be a good opportunity to do some street-reading.

On Wednesday morning June 10th, I met Jerry in his park and asked if would mind if I did some reading - he thought it would be a great idea. Come to find out that Jerry is a Bible scholar and previously had trained for 8 years. I had already prayed that God would send those who He wanted to hear His Word, set up my stuff and started in. Mr. Moody was there, too. People passed by on their way to work or meetings and one fellow stopped to give us an impromptu Bible study about the Lord's Prayer. It was different reading in this beautiful but unfamiliar place. I got into a good rhythm and read for about an hour, and then sat down to talk to Mr. Moody some more. What a wise and compassionate man he is. No one spoke to me, either positively or negatively, so I just trust that God was using His Words to reach those walking by.

I plan to be back to OV Beach next weekend and am working on going to the ocean front in July. Praise the Lord our Redeemer for constantly drawing us towards him! God Bless - and please keep praying for the lost and hungry souls we meet every day!

BTW - my article 'Only One' was published in the June edition of The Church Guide of Hampton Roads. I will be working with the owner and of that great paper, Ray Boetcher, on expanding the street-reading ministry. Please pray for us - thanks!