The Good Shepherd

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.--Psalm 23:4 (NKJV)

These words from Matthew Henry have always been a great comfort to me as I meditate on Psalm 23.

The valley of the shadow of death may denote the most severe and terrible affliction, or dark dispensation of providence, that the psalmist ever could come under. Between the part of the flock on earth and that which is gone to heaven, death lies like a dark valley that must be passed in going from one to the other. But even in this there are words which lessen the terror. It is but the shadow of death: the shadow of a serpent will not sting, nor the shadow of a sword kill. It is a valley, deep indeed, and dark, and miry; but valleys are often fruitful, and so is death itself fruitful of comforts to God's people. It is a walk through it: they shall not be lost in this valley, but get safe to the mountain on the other side. Death is a king of terrors, but not to the sheep of Christ. When they come to die, God will rebuke the enemy; he will guide them with his rod, and sustain them with his staff. There is enough in the gospel to comfort the saints when dying, and underneath them are the everlasting arms.

Grief, Sadness

Early this afternoon, I was notified that the father of two members of FBC Leakesville died. He was in hospice care and died at home. My heart hurts for the family. He had a long illness and was always gracious to me when I visited him. They are in my prayers.

Later in the afternoon, I went to visit a lady in the hospital who was just diagnosed with cancer a few days ago. She is already in the final stages. The family is in shock.

For me, there is an image that always comes to mind when I am in situations of loss. I see Jesus not far from the tomb of Lazarus. In John 11:35, the shortest verse in the Bible, the Gospel writer recorded that "Jesus cried."

I'm encouraged by the fact that Jesus, the all-powerful Son of God, did not discount his human emotions or those of his friends. He wept. He does that with all who grieve the loss of loved ones.

VBS: Day Four

This morning I went back to the Bible Story area and, two students, expressed a desire to be baptized. I'll contact their parents and set up a time to talk with them. That is why we have VBS.

VBS Parents Night

Last night was Parents Night for our Vacation Bible School. A high percentage of our children were present and many of their parents/grandparents were in attendance. The kids did a great job singing the songs and doing the motions they've learned during the week. After our time in the sanctuary, we gathered in the Activities Building for refreshments. It was a lot of fun talking to some of the parents I had never met.

Selina Smith has done an incredible job in directing our VBS. This is her third year.

VBS: Day Three-Parents Night Tonight

Today, we had a few less students than yesterday, but our attendance continues to be strong.

I spent the entire time sharing the Bible Story, which was based on the crucifixion of Jesus and his resurrection. Furthermore, I shared the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus and following his example in baptism.

Tonight is family night. We will have refreshments following the service. I look forward to meeting some of the parents who are prospects for our church.

Didn't have a chance to eat refreshments today, but I heard the cookie flip flops and chicken nuggets were delicious.

VBS: Day Two

Our attendance is up from yesterday and we continue to have several volunteers exceeding all expectations.

Tomorrow, I will be leading the Bible Story Time. I can't wait.

Since I've been so busy this morning, I haven't made it over to sample the refreshments. So, this is a short post. I must go and do my duty as First Class Snack Taster.

Visit With Michael Perry

Yesterday, I traveled to Pascagoula, MS to visit one of our members in the hospital. On the way back from the hospital, I stopped by FBC Moss Point and visited with Pastor Michael Perry.

Bro. Michael was the pastor here at FBC Leakesville from 1985 to 1993. The activities building was building during his ministry here. He and is wife are deeply loved by the people of our church.

Jane, Michael's wife, was diagnosed with cancer at the beginning of the year. In April, they traveled to Houston for several days of treatment. Although she has some sickness, she is home now and doing fairly well. In two weeks, the Perrys will return to Houston for surgery. Please pray for them.

Michael is always so encouraging. I can see why the members of FBC Leakesville continue to love him so much.

Vacation Bible School Begins

We've had a great start to our VBS. 47 children are enrolled and we have 34 volunteers. The number of volunteers is substantially more than last year. I believe God is answering our prayer, which is based on Matthew 9:38, "Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

The kids are having a lot of fun and they are learning that God loves them. The church is decorated beautifully.

I just returned from refreshments: Cinnamon Pretzels, Chips, and Cherry Kool-Aid. Yum!

Father's Day at First Baptist

Family Dedication

This morning, we held a time of family dedication. Seven children were dedicated to the LORD. Traditionally, many churches observe Baby Dedications on Mother's Day. However, I wanted to place an emphasis upon the importance of Christian Fatherhood. Compared to past Father's Day, our attendance was much better this year.

Gift to the Men

Each man received a copy of a devotional book by Patrick Morley, Devotions for the Man in the Mirror.

I preached from Romans 8:28. My message was entitled a "Godly Father's Perspective."

Mission Trip Report

In the evening service, Bro. Jimmy Holcomb gave a super presentation on his recent trip to West Africa. He shared some of the funny and unusual happenings on his journey. Also, he shared how challenging such a trip is. When traveling in that part of the world, there are a lot of surprises and few creature comforts. He, along with Brian Henderson, traveled deep into the bush. They were even given a goat.

Bro. Jimmy exudes a joy of serving that is rare. The only thing I could say after his presentation was "Wow!!"

Playground Dedication

At the conclusion of our PM Service, we gathered on our new playground and dedicated it to the Lord. After I made a few comments, we sang "Jesus Loves Me." Then, we held hands, circled the equipment, and prayed. This was a great time in the life of our church.

Our goal was to have the playground equipment in place before Vacation Bible School. VBS starts tomorrow. Praise the Lord!

Home

Well, after traveling 1800 miles, we made it home this afternoon at 4 Pm.

We left Indianapolis on Thursday morning. Then, we traveled to Dayton, Ohio to visit my Aunt Martha. We had a great time seeing her. From there, we traveled through Cincinnati, Louisville, Nashville, Huntsville, and spent the night just south of Birmingham.

On Friday, we traveled to a campground near Atmore, AL, to spend the night with Terri's folks. This morning Jared, Abbey, and I went tubing on a beautiful creek. For lunch, there was a family reunion. For the first time, I met many people related to Terri.

Great trip, but I am glad it's over.

Johnny Hunt is SBC President

Surprisingly, while six men were nominated for SBC President, Johnny Hunt won on the first ballot, receiving 52% of the votes. I thought he would win, but thought there would be a run-off. Frank Cox came in 2nd, capturing, I believe, 16%.

I enjoyed hearing the North American Mission Board report tonight. Many NAMB missionaries were introduced to the convention.

Terri attended the Ministers Wives Conference. Gary Chapman spoke. She really enjoyed it. They gave away a nice purse and over $200 worth of materials to each wife. She paid $12 for the meal I think. This was a great bargain. Also, a sheer coincidence was that she happened to sit with our good friend Tracy Vanlandingham. Her husband, Jeff, worked with me at Central Hill Baptist Retreat back "in the day." Tracy attended William Carey when I was matriculated there. Jeff pastored in Cintronelle, AL a good number of years ago. Presently, he pastors in Birmingham, AL.

Important Election Today

The SBC will elect a new president today. Frank Page has done an excellent job as president for the past two years.

Supposedly, six men will be nominated for the position. My prayer is the man elected will continue to involve many different people from churches of various sizes. Pray for the election today.

Blessed by Pastors Conference

I attended the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists yesterday morning. At the COSBE event I had the first of two Ronnie Cottingham sightings (One at 8:58 AM and the other at 4:28 PM at the Registration Booth.) Tony Nolan preached a great message. Newsong sang a moving arrangement of How Great Thou Art.

At the SBC Pastors Conference, I heard sermons from Johnny Hunt, Daniel Simmons, Tom Eliff, Jimmy Draper, Hayes Wicker, George Harris, Ed Litton, James MacDonald, and Kerry Shook.

Ed Litton's wife was killed in a tragic automobile accident in August 2007. He shared his personal reflections on Psalm 23 in light of his grief. By far, this was the most touching sermon for me.

James MacDonald's message can be summarized in one word--REPENT. Preachers need to repent. This preacher needs to repent.

Tony Dungy made a surprise appearance and gave a brief testimony. He is a member of a Southern Baptist Church in Tampa. His pastor introduced him.

Fireproof Screening

Prior to the Pastors Conference, Abbey and I attended a screening for the movie Fireproof. This movie is produced by the same folks that created Facing the Giants.

The movie focuses on the importance of viewing marriage as a covenant. I really believe this movie can be a great outreach tool, which can springboard many Marriage Enrichment Events for churches.

Fireproof is to be released in September.

In regard to entertainment value Abbey gave the film an 8 of 10. I gave it a 9. Kirk Cameron starred in the movie. The other actors were all amateurs from a church in Georgia.

Heard Great Things About Sunday at FBC

Many folks have told me Boo did a great job preaching yesterday morning. I knew he would.

Dennis, who preached Sunday PM, said that service went well.

Decoration has begun for Vacation Bible School. I'm praying we will reach many families in our community as a result of this outreach.

I'm looking forward to this Sunday, which is Family Dedication Day for us. We have several children that will be dedicated in the AM Service. Traditionally, Mother's Day is chosen by many churches as the day for such an observance. However, I believe Father's Day is just as appropriate. We have a great gift we will give all of the men present.

The scripture passage for the sermon Sunday is Romans 8:28-30. Probably, this is not a common passage for Father's Day, but I feel it is very applicable to the lives of all men.

Detour

Well, we did not leave Cave City, KY until 11:00 AM. We saw a line of severe thunderstorms moving through Indianapolis, IN, which is where we were headed for the Southern Baptist Convention. So, we decided to delay our departure.

As were entered Indiana, we saw signs warning that Interstate 65 was closed. That was hard to believe, but we stopped at the first rest area and this was verified. No one at the visitor center had any advice on how to proceed. Apparently, 6 to 9 inches of rain deluged the area.

We decided to press on, but when we made it to about 70 miles south of Indy, traffic came to a complete halt. We sat for about 10 minutes and decided to turn around.

Terri did a good job of picking an alternate route and we made it safely to our hotel--just 90 minutes later than expected. The strange thing is I never turned on my wipers.

We came in on I74 and saw standing water everywhere. I am glad we didn't not decide to drive in early this morning.

I plan to attend the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists event in the morning (Stay Tuned: There may be another Ronnie Cottingham Sighting.). In the afternoon, we are going to attend the preview of the new movie FIREPROOF. This is produced by the same folks that filmed "Facing the Giants." I am looking forward to seeing this film.

I am praying for Boo White and Dennis Cochran who will preach at FBC Leakesville tomorrow. Tonight, I talked to Min. of Music, Mike Smith, and told him that we made it. We are blessed with a great staff at First Baptist Leakesville.

Seeing Caves and Cave City

Today, we spent the morning in the Mammoth Cave National Park.
We rode on the Green River Ferry, which was a unique and free experience. The drive was beautiful on both sides of the river.

Also, we took the Frozen Niagara Cave Tour. All of the family was able to complete the tour. We moved from 92 degree temp. to 54 degree temp. Jared was scared at times. Charlee walked part of the way. I had to carry her down 48 stairs, which was easy. However, going up was a little challenging, but, we made it.

The "Drapery Room" was amazing and beautiful in its own way. At one point they turned off the lights, which revealed the darkest "dark" I've ever experienced. I could not see my hand in front of my face. Yet, the park ranger flicked a small lighter, which illuminated a large area. There's a sermon illustration there somewhere.

After the tour, we checked into another hotel with a pool. Jared was feeling a lot better today. He had a blast swimming.

After dinner, I took Jared and Abbey to the Jesse James Fun Park for bumper cars. go carts, lifts to the top of a mountain. Also, Jared jumped on a trampoline and climbed a rock climbing wall. This was a lot of fun.

We plan to arrive in Indy tomorrow. Hopefully, we can avoid the severe weather which is further north.

Great Travel Day & A "Ronnie Cottingham" Sighting

Today, we drove 519 miles to Mammoth Cave National Park near Cave City, KY. We made great time--leaving at 5:30 AM and we made it to our destination by 2:00 PM.

Our only problem was that Jared became nauseous and vomited while we we driving through Nashville. After settling into the hotel room, he slept all afternoon and is sleeping now.

Around 7:30 PM, Abbey and I went exploring Cave City. We have decided to spend another night in the area, since bad weather is expected in Indianapolis tomorrow. So, while we were in Cave City, we stopped by a hotel to check out the rate.

When I was walking into the hotel, I saw Ronnie and Beverly Cottingham. What a small world. The Cottinghams are on their way to Indianapolis for the Southern Baptist Convention. They well participate in Crossover, which is an evangelistic outreach this weekend.

The Older Woman

My dad is married to an older woman. She is 8 hours older than he is.

On June 2, 1939, just before midnight, my mother, Joanna Harris was born. Eight hours later, my dad, was born in New Hebron, MS.

So, there has been a running joke in our family for years that dad looks and acts a lot younger than mom, since he is younger.

Today, we met them in Hattiesburg for a meal. I can't believe my parents are 69. Someone is getting old and I don't think it is them.

Terri and I are both blessed to have our parents still living--still spoiling our kids. My parents have supported throughout the 43 years I have lived.

I, too, married an older woman. Terri is 15 months older than me.

Happy Birthday Mom and Dad!!

Late Monday Recall of Sunday

Yesterday and Today have been productive, but busy.

We started with a productive Deacons Meeting at 8:00 AM. Joe Glenn Errington facilitated the meeting in the absence of our Chairman, Woody Rustin, who was returning from Brazil with the rest of the Association's Mission Team.

The team landed in Gulfport, MS, just before Noon. Thanks to Freddy Hight for driving the van to pick them up.

In the Morning Service, a couple who has been attending our church for quite some time, joined. Avery and Pat Champagne are the parents for April Levine, who is the wife of the former FBC Youth Minister, Patrick Levine. They moved to our area approximately 5 months ago. The Champagnes were very active in Lemoyne Boulevard Baptist . This church has been incredibly active, and continues to be, in helping their area recover from Hurricane Katrina.

Significant increase in our attendance from last Sunday, which was Memorial Day Weekend.

At the close of the AM service, we prayed for Malcolm Eubanks who is going on the mission trip to North Dakota later this week.

I preached from Romans 8:18-25 in the AM and Romans 8:26-27 in the PM.

In the afternoon, I met with Roger Gilbert, pastor of New Hope Baptist, to discuss their upcoming Mission Trip to North Dakota. Members of our youth praise band, No Regrets, are going on this trip later this month.

I visited with a family at the funeral home just before 2:00 PM.

Following the Evening Service, our Stewardship Committee met. The meeting was fairly long, but a lot was accomplished. This ministry team is fully supportive of missions. They continue to freely support the mission trips our association is sponsoring.