Thursday! Ashley Day! I really enjoy having my sweet Ashley Angel riding with me!

I’m not sure if you read Ashley’s blog, but you should! The shots yesterday at her Easter party were awesome. I especially liked the shots of the kids on the floor reenacting the crucifixion. Very powerful stuff.

We started out at Lowes this morning getting more white trim paint. Seems like I’ve spent HOURS at Lowes this week. There’s always some little thing we still need to get. My guess is that before it’s all said and done I’ll spend more time there next week. I had a good talk with the manager at Huntington Ridge this afternoon. Looks like everything will come together before the Palmers arrive next Friday. They’re coming in for a weekend visit. Pray that they’ll be able to get everything that they need done completed.

My team from FBC Salado, Texas did SUCH a great job at the apartment. It really does look like a different place. They put their hearts and souls into the job, plus a LOT of elbow grease! They were a blessing to the kids and parents at the apartment complex and their Bible story today was exceptionally good. I was really impressed that they did a Spanish version of the visual aids so the Mothers could participate.

Ashley shot pictures for me while I manned the video camera. I need to load the editing program on my new computer and figure it out before I put what I shot on line. Pray that that will go smoothly! New programs seem to always be loaded with stuff you really don’t need as well as making it more needlessly complicated. Have you noticed that, or is it just me?

Ashley and I got back to Stone Mountain and we went over to the KG store so I could pick out a new suit. It’s charcoal gray. One of my favorite families gave me some money to buy me another one. My old one really smells of smoke even after the expensive dry cleaning procedures. It’s hanging out side under a tree right now. I figure in a week in the sun SURELY the smell will be gone and I’ll get it dry cleaned again. What a stinky hassle. Ashley also helped me pick out some new shoes! All black and shiny!

I went for a 4 mile run this afternoon. K rode her bike around twice while I finished one lap. 4 miles seems plenty to me! I’m still sore from working out on weights a couple of days ago. All that pain. . . surely I’m doing something right! At least my runs don’t hurt! And I haven’t had a headache in two days. PTL for that too. I was eating Tylenol like candy.

This evening K and I went over to visit with Roxy Kendall–Ashley’s boyfriend Miles’ sister–had her baby two days ago. Her baby is named Isabella and is just gorgeous! I got out my camera to take a picture and my camera didn’t work. What? Then I remembered I’d taken the battery out to charge it up. Brilliant! You’ll just have to imagine a really, beautiful dark haired baby. Congratulations to Roxy and John!

Ash and I also bought Miles a new hat. Cute couple, eh?

We didn’t catch a coyote–but we did get a possum in our live trap last night. Edwin just let it out of the cage. Did you know that the opossum is the only relative to the Kangaroo we have in America? They’re pretty cool. I’m glad we can let the animals go. Coyotes will have to be taken care of by the county animal control because they kill pets and carry rabies.

Pray for our family!

Love you guys!

Man! Talk about torrential rain! What drought? I got soaked this afternoon loading up clothes from a partner of mine in Clarkston. I appreciated her generosity, but the timing was less than the best.

This morning I went over to Lowes to pick up a couple more gallons of Winter Wheat paint for the Palmer’s apartment. The place is looking a LOT better already. The team from Texas may go back to work there this afternoon since all the rain will drive the kids inside.

I had lunch with some new friends from Tennessee. They know a lot of my buddies from East and Southern Africa. It really is amazing how many folks I know. We fed them roast goat at Madinas in Clarkston and shared with them a bit about our ministry with refugees here in Atlanta. Bennett Ekandem came with us to share his take on ministry opportunities here in town. Pray for Bennett. He’s been having neck & back issues for weeks now. Major pain. I’m glad he went to the doctor today. Pray for his sweet wife Idong. She’s been having medical issues too. They so want to have a baby! I was reading in Luke recently where Zecharias and Elizabeth had a baby, even though she had been barren. Pray that God will do a miracle and they can be blessed with a child!

Kathy and I will see Jesse this evening. He tried to call me today! I talked with one of the sargents to set up the visitation time. He told me, “The inmate is supposed to set that up.” I told him, “How can he do that when he can’t call us and doesn’t have stationary to write us?” About two hours later he tried to call! I have it set up now so he has an account to accept a collect phone call. A month in jail and this is the first time he’s had access to a phone. This “justice” system is seriously messed up.

And if you don’t have someone as your advocate on the outside . . . I don’t even want to think about what most of those inmates must be going through.

Sure love you guys! Pray for Jesse and send him a note of encouragement: Jesse Cummins–9935-7554, Gwinnett Detention Center, 2900 University Parkway, Lawrenceville, GA 30043.

Kathy and I just got back form the Detention Center and Jesse is doing a lot better and is able to interact with other people now. Thank you, Lord for answering our prayers. We still hope to get him out of there soon!

Thanks!

I got some sad news this morning. My Mom told me that George Simms, my Dad’s Associate Pastor passed away this morning at 2:30am. Sure was sorry to hear that. George was a great guy and a huge help to my Dad. I’ll see you again in Heaven, George!

My team from Texas continues to do a great job! They are really making a dent in the remodel of the apartment. They have two of the bedrooms painted and the ceilings are done. It’s a pretty big place, but they’re making progress.

I had lunch with one of my favorite partners today, Jason Pope. He’s one of the leaders at the Salvation Army. He’s led the ministry at our mission at Hamptons at Lenox. I helped him get a new mission started in downtown Atlanta and he is just doing an AWESOME job there. It’s one of my favorite things to see a young guy catch a vision and just go for it!

After lunch I checked on my team at Highland Gardens. They did fine, but they had this crazy Bulgarian family cuss them out about playing with the kids in the field near the parking lot. They handled it just fine and the manager told them, “We have problems with that family all the time. We’re really happy you’re here. Don’t worry about it at all.” I was afraid that one of the Muslim families had raised an issue with Christians sharing their faith with their children. That happens from time to time even though we’re careful not to be offensive. We’re still aggressive with the Gospel and that can cause issues. It’s a fine line we walk. We don’t want the parents to ban the kids from coming!

I went over to the church to work on email and had another of my best partners show up for a surprise visit. Drew Grubbs is the Director of Youth Outreach United and is just a great guy. We had a good time sharing together. We tend to fire each other up. I dig that about him!

Then went back to the missions to check on my teams. I love to see them sharing the Gospel with all the kids. It’s a great feeling!

I helped one of my Bengali kids, Mustak, with his grammar homework for over an hour. Any of you know how to find the simple subject, compound subject, simple predicate and compound predicate? How about adding fractions with uncommon denominators? Some of these kids have so much homework it’s incredible.

I came on home and worked out on weights. This thing with Jesse really stresses me out and I find that exercise really helps me to relax and be able to sleep. I get so wound up!

K and I hope to see Jesse tomorrow. Pray that we’ll find out about getting Jesse out on bond this week so we can get him into Peachford. Pray till something happens!

Love you guys!

It was great to see the team from Salado, Texas in action today. They’ve done a terrific job of working with the kids.

They have already made a major dent in cleaning the apartment at Huntington Ridge.

I spent a lot of time at Lowe’s today picking out more paint and getting other supplies that the team needed. Bill Hickey and I kept seeing things that needed to be worked on. Best to get the stuff done now while we have the help!

I had fun at the mission at Azalea today. It’s great to see all the smiling faces. I did a “Candy throw” which is my version of throwing bread to ducks–except they’re kids. Listen, if someone was throwing free Snicker bars in my direction I’d lunge for them too!

I think most of you have heard us talk about Ashley’s boyfriend Miles. His sister Roxy is in the hospital now dilated to 4 cm trying to have a baby. Pray that the delivery will go well. I thank God I don’t have to have babies!

Pray also for my Dad’s Associate Pastor George Simms. He’s still SO sick and in the hospital in Austin. God is still in the miracle working business–I’m living proof of that!

Kathy and I had fun this evening. I ran a 4 mile loop racing after her bike. I did pretty good going uphill, but those down hills she’d just shoot on by! It was still fun. Absolutely fantastic weather!

I heard a couple of days ago that McAllen, Texas (where one of my best friends lives near the border of Mexico) had 100 degree weather already! Ay caramba!

Pray that we can get Jesse bonded out and into Peachford Hospital this week. It’s such a burden on me. I can’t sleep well thinking of him in that cell. I think I finally crashed out around 2am. I was working at my computer till after 1am. Then my brain is like the Energizer Bunny, it just keeps going and going and going. Pray that I will rest.

I don’t think I took a single Tylenol today. That’s progress! I have really suffered with headaches the last couple of weeks.

Love you guys!

I have a great team in town! They come all the way from Salado, Texas! They flew in to Birmingham last night and drove cars on into Atlanta. I had a great time briefing this team of college students.

I picked up my buddy Bill Hickey who will help supervise the construction of the mission apartment for Tim and Cathy Palmer who will be coming into town next month!

We took the team on a tour of the missions where they’ll be working and then to two shopping centers in the International Village. I like for them to see Carniceria Hispana #1 and Asian Square–in particular Ranch Market 99. They got a kick out of traveling all around the world in just an hour! What a trip! I especially enjoyed watching Kelsey try on and wear her new Vietnamese hat with such obvious delight. That was a lot of fun!

After taking the team around, Bill and I went over to FBC Doraville to check on the supplies that we had in stock–paint brushes, rollers and tape stuff. We also swung by Azalea Mission where I also keep supplies. Then we went to Lowes to get what we were missing, lots more cleaning supplies and the new paint–Winter Wheat–a lovely shade of yellow that Cathy Palmer picked out.

I really want our new missionaries to be happy in their new home. I really appreciate the financial support that you give to our ministry so we can repaint and fix up so they have somewhere cozy to call their home.

I finally got home around 9pm this evening. I enjoyed watching a movie with Kathy this evening. I was a good one, Fracture, with Anthony Hopkins–one of my favorite actors. Not a happy movie, but a good one.

Pray for our team working in town this week.

Pray especially for Jesse–that the DA will grant a bond so we can get him out of jail and into Peachford Hospital where he can actually get treatment. Please also pray for George Simms. He is a great friend and is my Dad’s Associate Pastor. He is in the Hospital in Austin and is at death’s door. Pray that in this time of resurrection, God will do a powerful miracle and heal George and my son.

Sure love you guys!

 Sunday, March 16th  11:59pm

Today Kathy and I went to FBC Mountain Park, which is MY church. I hardly ever get to attend there because I usually am speaking at another church or out of town. It was a real blessing to me. A very special spirit. The waves of love for me and for my family just poured out towards me. It was really quite overwhelming. Kathy said I went through a whole package of kleenex. The music in particular affected me. Songs of love for the Lord.

In my One Year Bible during this part of the year there’s a lot of talk in Leviticus about sacrifices. Most of them deal with fire. On February 20, the day after the fire, while I was in the hospital I circled the word “fire,” “burnt sacrifice” or charred bodies FIFTEEN times. I know, because I just got up from the computer, went to my Bible and counted them. I was the burnt sacrifice! And I thought my son was dead. The horror and the sorrow I felt . . . . and still feel when I think of my son in that cell, all by himself with no one to talk to. It breaks my heart.

I’m not sure why all this had to happen. But I believe one thing, “In whirlwind and storm is His way.” My son had wandered from the path. I talked with a friend of mine who is a chaplain at the Detention Center. David was the first person to see my son after he was put in prison. I called him today and begged him to go by and visit Jesse again. He asked me, “Do you think Jesse is at the end of his rope?” “I think so, David. He seems broken and forlorn.” “That’s when God can raise him up to the heights.” Pray that this will be a prophecy that will be fuflilled.

When I was in church today, during the music, I become full of His spirit. The waves of love pouring down from the Father, I raised my hand in adoration praising Him. Waves of love. He loves us so much.

And then I thought back on Leviticus. “What he demands of us is not burnt bodies of bullocks, but a true sacrifice of praise.”

Although I couldn’t sing, the muscles in my throat were clenched, as I raised my hand in adoration, I had a true sacrifice of praise.

Paul talked about being a living sacrifice. I’ve thought about that a lot in the last month. I think about the Father, sending His only son, a living sacrifice. . .the pain He must have suffered to watch his little boy die. When I thought my son was dead, and I knew in my heart nothing could survive the heat of that blaze, when I rode in that ambulance on the way to Grady. . . .the complete sorrow I felt was a pain much more severe than charred flesh.

I never really understood the depth of the Father’s love for me, until I really realized what He did. He sacrificed his Son, for me.

Life is so fragile. I covered news for years. I’ve seen SO much sudden death. We are but a wisp of smoke and we are gone.

Make your life count for something more than what can be burned up in a single moment!

I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced really severe grief. Try and call up those emotions again. Re-experience them. Now transfer those feelings onto the Father and get a glimpse of what He gave us for us! He only had one little boy. That is great love, my friend.

I had a fun day with Kathy today! We enjoyed a good omelette and pancake breakfast together then went over to Stone Mountain. Even though it was sprinkling a little we still hiked up to the top of the mountain. Round trip is about 2.8 miles. It was gusting to over 40 mph at the top! I was afraid it was going to blow my hat clean off my head. Fortunately, it hung on!

We came home and I helped Edwin rebuild the gate to his dog pen. His son Kevin got a new lab puppy named scout. What a cutie! He’s really a craftsman and I thought it turned out great. It also reminded me how important having a partner is. Sometimes just holding the end of a board can be a huge help. It’s the same with missions. Sometimes just showing up and sitting with a kid is all that’s needed to make the whole day a success!

We just got back from seeing Jesse this evening. He’s been there for nearly a month. He seemed really forlorn over the fire. He also said that he’s been thinking about what happened a lot. He said that he’d been playing with that rubbing alcohol and as he was pouring more onto the plate the fire went up the stream and lit the bottle on fire like a rocket. He said he was so freaked out that he just ran out of the house. He feels it was totally an accident. He is off all the medication they’ve been giving him. He seemed really clear eyed and sadder. My guess is that the sleep deprivation also played into this feeling like it was just a dream. I hate that we can only see him twice a week. We hope we can get him into the hospital for therapy and bond him out of the jail this week. Please pray that will come to pass this week.

I’ve had a headache nearly every day for the last two weeks. Pray for our health. Kathy’s stomach was really bothering her this evening.

Love you guys!

I enjoyed time with Ashley and Miles this morning. After going through our email and making initial phone calls, we went to eat gyros at Metro Cafe Diner. The folks there are all Greek. It was cool to eat an authentic gyro.

I’m still figuring out the stuff that was ruined in our house fire. We went to Walmart, Office Depot and Mattress King to take pictures to see what needs to be replaced. I figure that’s better than just writing the stuff down.

Then back to the office at the Lamb’s house to write thank you letters for the gifts that have come our way. THANKS to all of you for your prayers!

Worked on the financial report and took that over to our treasurer’s house. Also posted the letters I wrote.

Kathy got back from teaching school and we went over to the Park to watch Miles and Ashley throw the ball around. They’re both great athletes. I couldn’t believe how much Ash has improved–especially with catching. She used to be kind of afraid of the ball. Not any more!

We also enjoyed feeding the geese that hang out at the Lamb’s lake. I love geese, even though they wake me up in the morning.

K and I watched Fantastic 4 on DVD. I liked it. Kathy fell asleep. Not her kind of movie I reckon.

If all goes well we get to see Jesse tomorrow. Yeah!

Love y’all!

Ashley day today! My daughter ROCKS!

I spent most of the morning working on admin stuff at my office at the Lamb’s house. Always something. Email, phone calls with teams coming in . . . good thing I love what I do. It’s nearly midnight now, and I’m back at the computer working on admin stuff. It’s a way of life, baby!

My trusty Canon 600 is finally being retired. I’ve been having problems with it over the last month or so. Kept going into video mode when I was shooting pictures and the zoom was acting weird. So I’ve upgraded to the SD 750. I took over 15,000 pictures with my last camera! Surprisingly, the first pictures I took with it were of ME! Ever seen me with glasses? I use them for close up work. Lord, may this new camera serve YOU!

Ash and I went to Northlake Mall for lunch and to spend a little time looking for clothes for her. Most of her stuff was badly smoke damaged. We got them clean (thanks to Kathy’s brothers and sisters!) but especially the light colored stuff still looks a bit off. Hopefully they’ll get better each time they’re washed. Ashley’s a really good shopper and very cost conscious so I think it’s a good investment for her. Sort of like me buying computer programming books for Jesse.

I’m really sad that I can’t see him every day. It gives me a heavy heart. Pray that God will work it out for us to get him into Peachford Hospital asap.

We spent most of the afternoon at Azalea working with the kids at the missions. We went to check on Jemillin who is one of my favorite little girls. She’s like another daughter to me. I spent time helping her with her homework and going over their practice tests for the CRCT (whatever that is.) We also helped a couple of the Bengali kids.

I enjoyed hanging out with the boys too! They were having a good game of soccer. They are some sweetheart kids. It’s hard for me to believe how fast they’re growing up.

It was also fun to spend time with the Lamb family this evening. I call them the “Lambs of God.” They sure have been kind to us!

We also went over to the baseball field to meet up with Jessica, one of Ashley’s dearest and long term friends. She has a beautiful 6 month old baby named Tyler. Kathy really enjoys babies!

Love you guys!

Did nearly 120 miles of driving today.  That’s a lot of time in the car!

Started out at the North American Mission Board HQ up in Alpharetta.  Every month I give a short seminar on how to mobilize volunteers.  There have been years where nearly 10% of all the volunteers for N. America came through our missions in Atlanta!  It’s always a fun time for me.  After I spoke they had me sit down and gathered around me to pray.  I just started weeping again over the situation with Jesse.  I really don’t know how people that aren’t Christians cope.  No support group must be just horrific.

Most of the afternoon I spent at Huntington Ridge apartments with my partner Bill Hickey.  You may remember him as a man that reminds me of my Grandfather, even though he’s only 10 years older than me.  I reckon people will start seeing me as a grandfather type soon!  Did I mention I turn 50 this year?  Ay caramba!

My partners Tim and Cathy Palmer will be moving to Atlanta from Missouri in a month or so.  The District Manager who is a good friend asked me to move into a different apartment because they can rent the two bedroom town home pretty easily.  They’re giving us a THREE bedroom to replace it.  It’ll be one level which I think will be better in the long run.  Bill and I went through seven apartments on the property.  They were all pretty bad.  The best one had gang graffiti all over it and the flooring, sinks and cabinets were awful.  I left to talk with the manager with a really heavy heart.  I just couldn’t see the Palmers moving into it.

I talked with Marion and said, “I don’t know.  It’s pretty bad.”  She said, “Wait a second.  Carlos just told me that they found another apartment vacant.  The tenants must have skipped out yesterday!”  After some calling around on the radio, Carlos met us over at the 2500B.  It was perfect for our needs.  In MUCH better condition than the other seven.  It had had a family with small children living there.  You could tell that a Mother had been taking care of the place.  The other apartment had obviously had a bunch of single men living there.  MAN!  What a relief and perfect timing.  I really dig working for the KING!

I tried to go visit Jesse tonight.  The cops said I couldn’t because even though I’m a pastor I’m still his dad and it wouldn’t be fair.  That really sucked.  I was pretty upset and got home, threw on my running clothes and did a 4 mile loop.  Felt better after that.

And if you’re wondering . . . . still no coyote in the trap.  Maybe tonight!

Love you guys!