This week I have jury duty, so I can’t set any appointments up.  I just called the number again and I have to show up at the Justice Center in Lawrenceville tomorrow at 8:30am.  Can’t wait.

This morning I worked on admin tasks and watched the Obama inagauration.  It was interesting!

Pray for the President!

This morning I worked on the Dove cage.  I installed a light and two handles so I can carry it.

I took Ashley and Miles out for lunch and we stopped at Pet Smart and I picked up some bowls for the doves.
We enjoyed visiting Yellow River Game Ranch this afternoon.  Miles and his sister Roxy and her daughter Izabella also came.

Sleepy sheep.

My favorite was feeding the squirrels peanuts from my hand.

I’m not sure, but I don’t think these burros floss.

Super cool.  It was $1 day a YRGR.  Lot of people there taking advantage of the discount.

Came home and cleaned up my room.  Sawdust and stuff on the floor that I wanted to get up.

Fun day!  And tomorrow–a new President!

Pray for him!

Kathy went with me to check on the team from Central Baptist Church in Douglasville. 

We went by Huntington Terraces, H. Creek and Azalea Place.  The kids were doing great!

Then we went for a walk around Peachtree DeKalb Airport.  We walked over 4 miles!  We brought Sugar dog with us. 

She had fun too.

Pretty much finished up the Dove cage. Fun project.  Looking forward to putting the last stuff in.

I had a fun day today with I think the youngest group I’ve ever worked with. 

The kids were elementary and middle schoolers from Douglasville.  They’re the same age as the kids they were working with.  Seemed to go well!

We worked at Azalea Place, Huntington Terraces and Huntington Creek. 

HC is where Ian and Ruthie North are moving into. 

I wanted to have the team there to immediately jump start the North’s ministry at that location.  Ruthie had already made a list of the kids that were there, their brothers and sisters and where they live!  Good start!

I met them at the church to do a briefing of the International Village and tell them to:  Take the Church, To the People!!

I took them around the Village to see the Latino and the Asian shopping centers.  The kids were goggle eyed by the idols and the different foods.

Of course the high point of the day was working with the kids.  They seemed to really enjoy themselves.  The team was made up almost entirely by girls. That, and the age of the team, made them really unique.

God always has his plans, and they always work out!

It was another super cold day.  My bedroom never got above 54 degrees.  Pretty chilly!  Outside I saw it get down to 13 degrees.  Ouch!

Had a fun day today!
Ruthie and her Aunt Laurie came over to my house to pick up three beds we have for her house and for Bill Hickey.

Went to Staples and Walmart to pick up supplies. I’m in the market for a video projector.


I’m building a bird cage for a pair of ring neck doves.  I’m looking forward to having doves in the house again.  Ashley had a tangerine dove we called Tango.  He was super cool.  Cat got him.  I really don’t like cats any more.

I went to Lowes to get wood and wire mesh.  Jesse is helping me put it together.


He’s good with tools.

Kathy and I walked to the park.  Cold.  I think the high today on my gauge was 34 degrees. Ouch!

Early morning for me!  I’m more of a midnight than a dawn kinda guy.

I was part of a panel discussing the role of the Faith community in the Latino population.

The meeting was hosted by the Latin American Association.

I had a lot of good buddies there including Carlos Salaverria, Tito Ruiz, Marco Solano, Kelly Durant. . . . the list goes on!

I sure am lucky to be working with such a great team!

Spent extra time with Eduardo Zamora, our new missionary at Huntington Ridge and Jose Ayala–the Latino Liason Officer for the Dekalb County Police Department.  We went over to to Huntington Creek along with Marco and Tito to meet up with Ian and Ruthie, welcome them to the neighborhood and have a prayer time with them. 

It was a very moving prayer!

Ruthie’s Aunt Laurie had her big truck that she brought down from Virgina to help the Norths move.  She helped me get a dresser, file cabinet and microwave from my partners at Perimeter Church.

What a big help!

Ian and Ruthie, Tad, Laurie and Bill worked on the apartment at Huntington Creek. It’s looking great!

Went by Lowe’s to pick up another gallon of paint.  One coat didn’t quite cover.

Dropped off Bill’s dresser and a file cabinet to Huntington Terraces.  A lot of my day is taken up with haulin’ stuff around.

Came home.  Email & Blog.

Then I’ll work on my financial report.

Cold!  Below freezing last few nights.  Wild after that super warm weather a few days ago!

J and I rode up to Alpharetta so I could do my seminar with the candidates for the North American Mission Board.

Cute group!

We went to the bookstore which is near NAMB, then over to Chamblee to meet up with Ian and Ruthie North.

I’ve known these guys for years.  They are terrific missionaries and I’m very excited to have them back!

We’re working on getting their apartment repainted in the colors that Ruthie picked out.  I think it’s important that the team has input on things.

Keeps people happy.

We went to Lowes to pick up the paint and other supplies that we needed.

I’m glad that Bill Hickey is around to help them get settled in.

It was dark by the time J and I got home.

Finished up my email.  Jesse and I updated the web site.

Here’s another story from my Dad. This one is about fishing in Naivasha. Wild!

I had a restful morning.  I enjoyed watching the birds.  I have a team in town this weekend so I’ll be working the next couple of weeks in a row.  Gotta rest when you can!

I had another profusion of birds at my feeders.  I counted over 50 Pine Siskins.  I sit on the ground near the seeds and I’m just surrounded by birds.  I sit completely still and am an accepted piece of the forest.

Can you imagine me sitting still for an hour?

This is a Northern Flicker. Don’t get to see many of those.
I’m trying to learn how to shoot a picture through my binoculars. Not entirely successful.

I got some new binoculars.  They’re 16X.  They’re nice and light and very compact.  They really bring the birds in.

I read in a book recently that birds are attracted to running water, so I’ve been looking into getting a little water pump to put in a fountain.  I went to Lowes that they’d marked down a prefabricated little three foot running fountain.  They’d been selling them for $120.  It was marked down to $30–which was the price of most of the pumps!

So I bought it for my garden.  It’s like adding a portable waterfall to your yard.

Went in to Norcross to talk to my partners at Concept 21–the Corners.  They had our lease ready to sign so I went over and took care of that.

Also went by Azalea to check on the kids.  I also took a bike to Jimmy.  I hope he likes it.  It looks pretty good, but it’s a chick’s bike.  Not sure he’ll go for it.

My friends from Dunwoody Baptist Church got a donation from Publix: some grills and goodies.  They brought it on over to us.  THANKS!

Beautiful wispy Cirro Stratus clouds today.

Here’s some stories by my Dad about hunting in Kenya!

I spent over an hour in the grocery store this morning. Do what ya gotta do.

With the addition of our new directors at Huntington Ridge, we’re also remodeling the classroom.  Bill Hickey is following a painting scheme that the Zamoras designed.

I think it’s going to really look nice.  Bill fixed all the holes in the wall where the rats were getting in.

This afternoon Jesse and I went to see his psychiatrist.  J’s doctor is really pleased with his progress.  We’ll go back in three months to make sure his medicine is still ok.

We went to the office to check on the mail.  Deposited a check to the Whirlwind Missions account.  THANK YOU for your support!

The kids at the mission were doing fine.

Jouvens got some bad news about his status at his college.  He’ll have to wait another semester.  It was good to see him at the mission today.

The computer internet wasn’t working.  I fooled around with it for ten minutes couldn’t get it to work.  The Juno program would open and then close.   Eventually I just called my tech guy.  Jesse uninstalled and reinstalled the program and it did fine.  Sure am glad to have him around.

Beautiful sunset.

Saturday, Kathy and I hiked half way up Stone Mountain.  It was kind of sprinkling, but still beautiful.  Very peaceful.  Nice restful day.


I also thought that the Snow Mountain attraction (new this year!) was really cool. K and I want to go down it once it’s open.

I taught the kids how to shoot a rifle yesterday. I’m a real pro-nature, live and let live, bird feeding kind of guy. But when I was younger I used to hunt and shoot guns a lot.

Sunday morning we went over to see our friends at Truth Tabernacle of Praise church with Pastor Bobby Atkins.  He did a great job.  We especially enjoyed the music.

This afternoon we went to see the First Emperor exhibit of the terracota soldiers from China at the High Museum.  It was awesome. 

The only downside to the exhibits is that I’m not allowed to take pictures.  Part of me doesn’t feel like I’ve really seen it unless I also see it through the lens of a camera.

It’s also the final year of the partnership with the Louvre/High.  This final year is the Masterpiece editions.  I especially enjoyed the painting of the Astronomer by Vermeer.  I also saw a piece of pottery from Mesopotamia that was over 4,000 years old!  Kathy said, “Doesn’t that make you feel young?”  Have to admit, it did.