36, Day 49 (Written Sunday January 29) ~ Songs I Cannot Sing (Volume 2)

Let me preface this by saying, I am not a Kenny Chesney fan. As a Jimmy Buffett fan, I see Kenny as a cheap imitation of the king of the parrotheads himself. That simply proves how great this song is to me, when an artist I am predisposed to dislike, sings a song that so moves me, I can't sing it. The song is "There Goes My Life."

If you haven't heard the song it is about a man who finds out when he is a teenager that he is going to be a father. In the song he has a daughter, but for me it was a son. The song begins with the words, "All he could think about was 'I'm too young for this, got my whole life ahead, I'm just a kid myself, how'm I gonna raise one.'" That's about as far as I can get in the song before the tears well up. In the interest of full disclosure, I'm actually getting emotional just writing about this song, which is especially embarassing since I am in the public library.If you know me at all, you know that from there it only gets more autobiographical. "All he could see were his dream goin' up in smoke, so much for ditchin' this town and hangin' out on the coast. Oh well those plans are long gone. There goes my life, there goes my future, my everything.'" If you don't know me well, let me explain.

I have known what I wanted to be when I grew up since I was about thirteen. I wanted to be Jimmy Buffett. I guess you can blame my cousin/surrogate big sister Denise for playing me my first Buffett song and taking me to my first concert in 1989. I saw Jimmy Buffett in Nashville that night and then every summer in Nashville for the next decade, along with Atlanta, Chicago, New Orleans. I was hooked from the beginning. That night after the concert I sat in her room all night reading his book of short stories, Tales From Margaritaville, about exotic locations and eccentric people. I knew from that moment that I had to leave this town and see the world. Also about this time my uncle/surrogate big brother Ryan was commissioned in the Air Force. My walls were covered in posters of figther jets, and I kept notebooks full of details about jets. I wanted to be an Air Force pilot. Naturally the two dreams melted together into one plan: I was going to be a pilot in the Caribbean, flying tourists from island to island. I spent the next four years pursuing this dream and then........I fell in love. Totally out of the blue, unexpected, didn't see it coming, blindsided, head over heels in love. A year later I learned I was going to be a father.

Back to the song. The second verse fast forwards a few years, "A couple years of up all night and a few thousand diapers later, that mistake he thought he made covers up the refrigerator, oh yeah, he loves that little girl (boy). There goes my life, my future, my everything." At this point in the song I am in full blown bawling. And then, Kenny kicks me while I'm down. "She had that Honda loaded down with Abercrombie clothes, fifteen pairs of shoes and his American Express. He checked the oil, slammed the hood, said 'You're good to go', she hugged them both and headed off to the West Coast. And he cried, there goes my life, there goes my future, my everything, I love you, baby goodbye. There goes my life." At this point I am officially sobbing.

I should not have written this in the library. People are beginning to stare. I better wrap this up. I love this song so much I hate it. I hate it because I can't even listen to it without being reduced to a big ole crybaby. That 18 year old boy whose world was turned upside down with the news he was going to be a daddy, now looks eye to eye with a soon to be 17 year old son who looks, acts, sounds and thinks just like his daddy. He'll be a senior in high school this fall, the same age I was when I met his momma and created him. I have never been more thankful that I didn't join the Air Force to fly planes or get to move to the Caribbean, because now I get to board planes with him and preach the Gospel side by side with him in the Caribbean. That's my life, and this is the life.

36, Day 48 (Written Saturday January 28) ~ One Last Look

Today was a tough day emotionally. I emptied out the last of my belongings from my office at Fairview and turned in my keys to the building and office. No one was in the building but me, so I took one last, long stroll through the building. I went in the classrooms, looked at the shirts hanging in the teen class, and yes, I stood in the pulpit one last time. The place was dark and empty, but I stood there for a good three minutes, feeling the wood of the pulpit under my hands, and looked at every section of the auditorium. All alone, I quoted a Scripture, and then with some heaviness in my heart, walked down from the pulpit. I strolled back to the office and stood in the doorway for one last look. I reflected upon all of the hour spent in that room studying or talking with people about things they were dealing with in life. I remembered all of the good and fun things we did in the back during O.A.S.I.S. or the Progressive Dinner. I smiled when I pictured those little faces on the front pew during I.O.U., beaming with enthusiasm for the chance to talk into the microphone. Great memories.

I hope you don't get the impression that I am second guessing my decisions. I am not. I have never been more sure of anything I've ever done. I am where God wants me to be, and though others may not understand or agree, I have no doubts. However, everything comes with a price, and for me, the price for chasing my dreams, is leaving home. During sad times like today I turn to my faith to help me with my feelings. In order for Abraham to receive the promises God had given him, he had to leave Ur of the Chaldees. In order for Israel to inherit the Promised Land they had to leave Egypt. In order for David to assume the throne in Jerusalem, he had to leave his father's pastures in Bethlehem. In order for the Brittons to receive whatever blessing God has in store for us, we have to leave Pulaski.

Pulaski.

36, Day 47 (Written Friday January 27) ~ I Have Found Me A Home

I have always had a theory that my iPod has great intuition. It always seems to know what kind of mood I'm in and what I need to hear. All I have to do is plug it in and put in on shuffle and the iPod handles the rest. Tonight was one of those nights.

The drive from Valdosta to Pulaski is about eight hours long, so I listen to a lot of music on the trip. Things have been a little unusual lately. We've been living in two different worlds: one in Pulaski and one in Valdosta. Tonight, about the time I got to the Giles County line, my iPod played a Jimmy Buffett song that seemed very appropriate. The song is called, "I Have Found Me A Home." In the song, he describes finding a new place to live that immediately captures his heart, so much so that he doesn't even want to bother with going back home to pack up his stuff and move it there. "The days drift by, they don't have names. None of the streets here look the same. And there are so many quiet places. Smiling eyes match the smiling faces. I have found me a home. You can have the rest of everything I own. 'Cause I have found me a home."

That describes how I'm feeling right now. We spent all day Thursday at the new house. We painted, changed out faucets, put on new cabinet knobs, hung shelves, walked around the lake and drove all around town. We gazed at the palm trees, felt the warm eighty degree breeze (in January no less!!!), smelled the salt water in the air and looked out over the lake. We looked at so many houses and then found the perfect one for us. Although the church is in Valdosta, we will actually be living in Lake Park, Georgia, a small town fifteen miles south of Valdosta. It's a town about the size of Lynnville, just five miles from the Florida state line. From my mailbox I can look to the left and see one of the dozens of lakes filling the town, and look to the right and see the golf course. Jade can ride her bike to the grocery store, public library, post office, fabric store and Chik-Fil-A! When this morning came, we didn't want to return to Pulaski. I debated whether or not to write that last line because I was afraid it would sound harsh to our friends and loved ones who are here, but I said when I started to write this blog I was going to be honest and tell the truth about my feelings. This town has been good to us, we have always loved it here and it has been home for many years, but not anymore. I will still treasure my opportunities to come back to visit Pulaski, but I have found me a home.

36, Day 45 (Written Wednesday January 25) ~ Closing Time

At three o'clock this afternoon I sat in a room with a lawyer, a real estate agent, a mortgage broker, a seller and my family and committed myself to thirty years of payments in exchange for a house. Sitting here I can't help but think of the words to the song "Closing Time" by Semisonic. "Every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here."

As the previous new beginning comes to a close, a new one is, well, beginning. In between were months of stress, hours of labor, mountains of paperwork and an ever changing closing date. But finally, as of today, I am once again a homeowner, or at least Envoy Mortgage is, but they've agreed to let me stay in their house in exchange for most of my money each month ;)

36, Day 44 (Written Tuesday January 24) ~ Songs I Cannot Sing (Volume 1)

Throughout my life there have been a number of songs that, although I love them, I simply cannot sing. It's not that I don't like them, in fact I may love them too much. I can't sing them because they make me too emotional. So emotional in fact that I can't sing them because I get so choked up I can't sing. On the way to Valdosta today one of these songs came on the radio. The song was "He Walked On Water" by Randy Travis.

If you're not familiar with the song it's about his grandfather and their relationship when he was a little boy. He sings of him being very old, knowing how to do thing that are cool to a little boy (shooting a gun, handling a rope) and not having teeth. When he thinks of his now deceased grandfather he sings the chorus, "I thought that he walked on water."

I love the song, but I can never get through it once I start singing. It just hits too close to home with me and my Grandaddy Sam. HIs full name was Samuel Washington Hood (what a cool name). He was my mother's father and by the time I came along he was already retired so we got to spend a lot of time together. He was in his seventies when I was a kid and had spent decades working hard as a farmer and at a service station. He couldn't do much, but what he could do was pretty amazing to an eight year old boy. He could take out his teeth, play a banjo and ring a spittoon from five feet away. Talk about impressing a little boy. Our hobby was sitting together in his chair and watching the Braves on television.

I didn't know it at the time, but here was a man in his seventies who had seldom been out of town and never stayed in a hotel. In the Summer of 1984 my parents, my aunt and uncle and me, took Grandaddy Sam and Big Mamma (his wife) to Atlanta to stay in a hotel, go to the zoo and watch the Braves game. Nearly thirty years later I treasure the memory of finally getting to sit by Grandaddy Sam and watch a Braves game in person. That fall he suffered a heart attack and spent a few days in the hospital before dying. My last memory of him was peeking my head in the door to intensive care and him waving at me (I was too young to be in the hospital). Even to my little eight year old mind, I knew when my parents showed up to pick me up from school early, that Grandaddy Sam was gone.

Today I have that old Atlanta Braves hat that he got at the game and it is one of my most treasured possessions. For me that hat might as well have been a halo because I thought that he walked on water.

36, Day 46 (Written Thursday January 26) ~ Lessons In Lyrics (Volume 1)

Music has always played a significant role in my life. One of the things I enjoy most are the lyrics that, are to me, profound. Some of these lyrics strike such a chord with me that they are almost like prayers because of their honesty and vulnerability.

Tonight I heard a line from a song that fit this description for me. The song is "Make Glad" by The Black Crowes and it includes a chorus that is fit for a prayer request for what I hope will be my children's outlook in life.

Make glad, find the beauty in the broken.

Make glad, may your heart always be open.

Make glad, keep an eye out for your brother.

Make glad, I will see you in the other.

You never know when or why a certain lyric will strike a chord with you, but tonight, this one did with me. I hope they can learn to be glad in their journey rather than miserable or merely apathetic. I hope they can see that even things that are "flawed" or "broken" can still contain beauty if you choose to look for it. I hope that they will have an open heart that is always willing to let more people in. I hope they will look out for one another and their fellow man. And mostly, I hope that I will be reunited with them when we get to the other side.

Sorry, got cut off last night.

Sorry that the entire post didn't get put on last night. Anyway, where was I. Oh yes, the real reason I am moving to Georgia. It is because they finally took sun drop nationwide. I can actually go into any store in Valdosta and get a good ole ice cold sun drop just like I can here in Pulaski. Since this is now possible I am now willing and able to move away. ;)

36, Day 43 (written Monday January 23) ~ The Real Reason I Am Moving To Valdosta

I know many of you are dying to know the real, whole story of why we are moving to south Georgia. Well here it is: they fi

36, Day 43 (Written Sunday January 22) ~ Last Supper?

One of the things I love and enjoy the most about my wife is that when we are alone there is no topic off limits. Our conversations can range from the most serious of topics, to the hilarious, to what if. I love talking to her for hours when we travel, when we stay up way too late or when we go out to eat. It’s this last one that I’m thinking about today. The nature of our lifestyle is such that we have to eat in restaurants often. We prefer a good home cooked meal at our own kitchen table, but frequently we are on the road and that’s not possible.

One of our conversations has been an admittedly weird discussion, but it serves as a backdrop for our love of food. Once we had the conversation asking, “If you were on death row and being served your last meal, what would you want that last meal to be?” I know it’s a morbid topic, but hopefully I’ll never be on death row to begin with, so it’s just a good excuse for me to talk about my favorite places to eat and what to get there.

Option #1 - Steak Fajitas from Rosie’s in Huntsville, Alabama. To start with, they have the best chips and salsa I’ve found (other than my mother’s homemade). What sets their fajitas apart from others is that they use actual ribeye steak, not skirt or flank steak. Second, it is marinated in something awesome. It is served with freshly made, warm, soft, tortillas. What puts this over the top is the spicy butter dipping sauce it comes with. It’s so good I would lick it off the floor if I spilled it.

Option #2 - Chicken Bryan from Carrabba’s. I love the break and herbs with olive oil dipping sauce they bring to the table to get you started, but we don’t eat too much because we love an appetizer of crab cakes with red pepper remoulade and a bowl of tomato basil bisque. After this, it’s time for the guest of honor, the Chicken Bryan which introduced me to sun dried tomatoes and, I can’t believe I’m saying this, goat cheese. That stuff is magic. Add a side of fettucini alfredo with grated Romano cheese and you have a meal worthy of your last.

Option #3 - Ribeye Steak from Ruth’s Chris. I’ve only eaten at this restaurant one time, but once is enough. Truthfully, I’ll probably die without ever eating there again, so I might as well make it my last meal. Everything you’ve heard about Ruth’s Chris is true. The steaks are like butter, savory, juicy and tender. If you are a steak lover, and I am, it would be hard to find a better one. I like mine cooked medium and served au poivre, with a side of garlic mashed potatoes. It is fancy, it is pricey, but it is the best steak I’ve ever eaten.

Option #4 - Louisiana Ooh La La from Henry’s Louisiana Grille in Ackworth, Georgia. I stumbled upon this delight by accident. While traveling back to Pulaski from Valdosta a few months ago, we passed through Atlanta and were ready for some food. I just happened to see a sign for Henry’s Louisiana Grille on the interstate, and being a sucker for Cajun food, swerved across five lanes of traffic to make the exit. Once we got off the interstate we had to find our way around town until we located Henry’s. A word of advice, just because it says Cajun on the sign, doesn’t mean it is actually Cajun food. This is not the case with Henry’s. He’s not just a Louisiana boy, he’s also a bona fide chef. The dish he calls Louisiana Ooh La La is angel hair pasta in a white wine sauce, topped with flash fried oysters, shrimp and crawfish (all fresh), spinach and roasted garlic. I’ve eaten at every Cajun restaurant I can find outside of Louisiana (Blue Orleans in Chattanooga, Papa Boudreaux’s in Santa Fe, Tim’s Cajun Kitchen in Huntsville, Chappy’s in Nashville, and half a dozen others) and none of them can compete with this dish. The only rival I’ve found is the New Orleans Market Restaurant in Birmingham (crawfish eggrolls to die for), owned and operated by New Orleans royalty the Brennan family. Sadly, it is now closed down. This leaves Henry’s at the top of my list and my must stop meal when traveling between Valdosta and Pulaski.

In lieu of the previous entries what I’m about to write is culinary blasphemy, but I love garbage food as much as gourmet. In the fast food category the choices would be between: Sbarro’s pepperoni pizza, Papa John’s pepperoni pizza (love that garlic dipping sauce), Sonic Supercheeseburger (cheese and mustard only), Chicken plank dinner from Long John Silver’s, and the simple, but perfect, Chik-fil-A chicken sandwich. I know this is already a long list, and I’m sure I will add to it in a future blog, but I’d like to know what would be your choice of a last meal?

36, Day 42 (Written Saturday January 21) ~ My Bucket Runneth Over

There is a difference between contentment and complacency. Contentment is a good thing. More than that, it is a godly thing. If we have food and clothes we should be content (1 Timothy 6:8). We should not be covetous people, but content with what we have (Hebrews 13:5). It’s not always easy to become content, even Paul had to learn how to be (Philippians 4:11). Content means, if it never gets any better than it is right now, I am fine with that, and even if it gets worse, I’m ok with that too. Just because I am content doesn’t mean I want to be complacent. Complacent means uncritical satisfaction with one’s self or achievements. That, is not good or godly. Paul was content, but he also said, “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14).

I live a life of contentment because I am blessed beyond measure. I have my health, family, friends, a home, my faith, plenty of food, a job. I have a good, blessed life and I know my cup runneth over. I am content, but I am not complacent. Last year my wife put together a bucket list (a list of things you want to do/see/accomplish before you kick the bucket), and within a few months marked several things off that list (like running a half marathon). She inspired me to think about things that I wanted to accomplish before I kick the bucket. I realize this list in itself may seem silly to some, and that some of the things on this list will seem silly to some of you, and some of this may be nearly impossible, but this is a glimpse into my heart and my dreams in no particular order.

1. I want to attend a College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. 2. I want to travel from New York to Los Angeles and then to Jacksonville (coast to coast and back again) in an RV. 3. I want to live in New Orleans. 4. I want to learn to speak Cajun. 5. I want to watch a football game at all 14 SEC football stadiums (I’ve already been to 4). 6. I want to attend culinary school (or at least take cooking classes). 7. I want to watch a major motion picture being filmed. 8. I want to watch a song be recorded in a studio. 9. I want to watch a football game from a skybox. 10. I want to spend a week on a sailboat. 11. I want to build something that will last a long time (I actually did that recently when I built Jade a coffee table from). 12. I want to own an old Mustang (1965) and/or and old Toyota pick up. 13. I want to publish a book. 14. I want to learn to play a song on some instrument (guitar or piano) and perform it publicly. 15. I want to write a song and finish it completely (instruments included).

So there it is. Nothing epic like climbing Mount Everest or running a marathon, but it’s what I’d like to experience and accomplish. I’d love to know what you think of these and what you have on your bucket list.

36, Day 41 (Written Friday January 20) ~ Under The Influence

Everyone of us are in so many ways the product of the people who came before us. This can be a good thing or a bad thing. This isn’t to say that we aren’t responsible for our own actions, but that are under the influence of those who contributed our DNA and then raised us. I am fortunate enough to be the recipient of some good ingredients from my ancestors.

My two sons are the ninth consecutive generation in my family to be Christians. It begins with Matthew Spivy in the 1830’s and has been passed down from generation to generation ever since. I am sure there are several times when this has been in jeopardy, but I know of one time when it seriously was. In the late 1950’s my grandmother Dale Britton had married, had children and moved to Pulaski from Lynnville. She was baptized and attended worship at the Robertson Fork Church of Christ, but wasn’t attending anywhere since moving to Pulaski. Tom Holland, then preacher at the East Hill Church of Christ in Pulaski, came to visit her and encourage her to begin attending East Hill and bringing her little boys. That visit led her to make a decision that, not to sound too dramatic but for our family it’s a big deal, changed the course of history.

Fifty-five years later, she, her husband, all of her children, their wives and her grand children and great grandchildren who are of age, are Christians. Two of her sons have served as deacons, one of her grandsons is a preacher/missionary and her granddaughters and daughters in law are/were Bible class teachers. I can name nearly 30 people (our family) that have ever reason to expect to be in heaven eternally as a direct result of the decision of my grandmother (i call her Memaw) over fifty years ago.

In between that visit and today, she taught Bible school for years, worked on the bus ministry and sat with children and grandchildren on her lap during worship services for countless hours. When I was a child she kept me and read to me and taught me, helping to create in me a passion for learning that is with me to this day. Unfortunately, Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma has seriously hindered her ability to do the things she loves, like teach, keep children and attend worship regularly. Her body may be weak, but her faith, and her memory are still very strong.

Because of the public nature of the work I’ve done these last 15 years, I have been in a position for positive feedback from people. My purpose in writing this today is to explain that any good I have been able to accomplish in my life is because I have been under the influence of my Memaw.

36, Day 40 (Written Thursday January 19) ~ Man Card vs. Love Bank

I realize what I’m about to say may result in deductions from my man card, but that’s ok because I know it made deposits in my love bank. If you are confused, let me explain.

Man Card = an imaginary scoreboard used to determine how much of a man you are. The man card is a means of tallying all of your manly acts or unmanly acts. For example, if you stop and help change a tire for a lady on the side of the road in the cold or rain, you get points added to your man card. If, however, you watch a movie based on a Nicholas Sparks book (The Notebook, Nights In Rodanthe, etc) you lose points on your man card (your card will be revoked if you watch it and cry).

Love Bank = a scoreboard that exists in the heart of your loved ones that keeps track of every loving thing you do (a deposit) and every hurtful thing you do (a withdrawal). When you do something that warms someone’s heart a deposit is made, make enough and you are love rich. When you do something hurtful to them a withdrawal is made, make too many of them and you become love bankrupt.

Back to the events of the day. I spent today at the Royal Brush in Columbia painting pottery. I know some of you guys just turned away in disgust, throwing up your hands in protest of my unmanly offense. However, I need to point out a few facts in my defense. One, before you decry doing pottery as not masculine, ask any woman in your life how she feels about Patrick Swazy helping Demi Moore with pottery in Ghost. Sissy or sexy? Two, the most manly thing a man can do is anything that shows his wife that he loves her enough to do, and enjoy, the things that are important to her. Whether it be pottery or painting, a day at the mall or date nights that end in watching a Nicholas Sparks movie. This is where the love bank comes into play.

My wife told me that she wanted us to spend a day painting pottery to give to friends and family for Christmas gifts this year. We were supposed to be in Valdosta today for our house closing, another story for another time, so we had a free day on the calendar. We took off this morning for Columbia. Six hours and six pieces of pottery later, we headed for home. If you haven’t done this before, it is amazingly relaxing. I put on my iPod, start painting and any stress just disappears. That’s one great benefit, but the icing on the cake is that I got to spend the day with my wife and one of my sons doing something different and fun and sitting around talking and laughing all day. As if that wasn’t enough, my love bank is full, and whether or not you guys revoke my card, my wife thinks I’m the man!

36, Day 39 (Written Wednesday January 18) ~ Getting Over The Hump: A Day At The Dentist

Call it an occupational hazard, but I always see the world through sermon tinted glasses. Fifteen years of having to prepare multiple sermons, bulletins, radio programs and classes weekly, will do that to you. So it should be no surprise that at 8:30 yesterday morning I was sitting in the dental chair at the office of my good friend and brother in Christ, Dr. Nathan Owens, thinking about how I can make this experience the focus of one of my getting over the hump blogs.

The parallels are overflowing and obvious.

Sin = cavities: Think about how you get cavities in the first place. You get them by eating or drinking things that are sweet/sugary/syrupy, in other words, things that taste good but aren’t good for you, and then failing to clean them from your teeth. In time, these substances lead to tooth decay which leads to pain and, if ignored, destroys the tooth. Sin works the same way. It is appealing and tempting to us because it is momentarily sweet and pleasurable. When allowed to remain in our lives, it leads to decay in our lives, which causes pain and if ignored, will destroy us. Just as we should brush regularly to keep these potentially destructive substances off our teeth, we should daily practice prayer and repentance to keep sin from building up in our lives.

Christ = dentist: Granted, this is an oversimplification of Christ, yet no disrespect is intended, simply a comparison. We go to the dentist because we are in pain and cannot fix the problem ourselves, even though we try. Our attempts to fix ourselves are temporary at best. When it’s a tooth we might take a Tylenol or use some Orajel, which numb the pain briefly, but it always returns. Too often we attempt to alleviate the pain of sin with more sin (alcohol, drugs, sex, spending money, putting others down, losing our temper). It might make us feel better briefly, but the pain always returns. The only way to make it better is to turn to someone who can help. The dentist drills out the decay and then fills the tooth. When you think about it, stabbing a needle into your gums, using a high speed drill to grind away your tooth and then fill it in with epoxy is a pretty drastic action. It is, but it’s necessary to fix the problem and still save the tooth. Once a cavity develops, it will never go away, it has to be removed and refilled. Similarly, God allowing His Son to be nailed to a cross to die an excruciating death is a drastic and extreme act as well, yet it was necessary to fix the problem of sin. Once we sin, it will never go away, it has to be removed, and only Christ can remove it and save the sinner. Not only will He remove our sins, He will fill our hearts and lives with love, grace and blessings. The whole process can be painful while enduring it, but in the long run it leads to healing. You’ve got to make the decision to go to the dentist, but once you get there you have to turn it over to him and let him do his work, and the same is true with Christ. You have to make the decision to bring your sins to Him, but then you have to trust Him to do His work in you.

(P.S. - Thanks Dr. Owens for your usual wonderful work in fixing my teeth, and thank you Jesus for making me whole again).

36, Day 38 (Written Tuesday January 17) ~ Pray Without Ceasing

I know we have a lot of friends who keep up with us through this blog and I want to ask you to do us a big favor. Over the next few months we will be extremely busy and traveling A LOT! Each weekend we will be at two different congregations on Sundays, most of which within an hour of Pulaski, but we also have some pretty long trips as well. We will be going back and forth to Georgia several times, we will be heading to Louisiana and up to northern Indiana.

I’d like to ask you to pray for us for some specific things. Pray that our many hours on the road will be safe, that our vehicle will be able to handle the many miles (she's already got 138,000), that our bodies will hold up the travels, that my voice will remain strong and that brethren will be receptive and willing to support us. Those of you who know us well, know that for many years Jade’s health has been a struggle, but that we have also been enjoying a few years of unprecedented good health. I ask you to pray that this continues and that she will be able to physically hold up to what would be a vigorous and taxing travel schedule for a person with great health.

We know that what we are doing is a good work and necessary one, and we are thankful to be given to opportunity to serve in this way. We also know because of this that Satan would love nothing more than to prevent this. Pray that this won’t happen. The Bible says the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much, which tells me the fervent prayers of dozens of righteous people will be unstoppable.

36, Day 37 (Written Monday January 16) ~ Monday Morning Manna: Jesus Loves Thumbsuckers

Last night after worship a little girl approached me with one of my Latin American Missions catalogs in her hand. She told me that one day she wanted to be a missionary too. I told her that was fantastic and that we needed more missionaries. I told her when she got to be a teenager (she was probably between 8 and 10) she could go with us on our Y.E.S. II Campaign (a missionary VBS week conducted entirely by teens). She was excited for a moment, but then a very concerned expression began to pass across her face. She leaned in a bit closer and said, “There’s just one problem. A lot of people laugh at me because of it and I’m really too old for it.” At this point I have no idea what she is talking about, so I cautiously ask her, “What is your problem?” Her reply melted, and relieved, my heart at the same time. She said, “I still suck my thumb.” It was obvious to me that this was a real source of embarrassment, shame and fear for this little girl. At this point in my Sunday I had already taught a Bible class and preached two sermons, but the best opportunity I was going to have to do something really important and helpful was standing right before me. I’ve thought of dozens of things I could/should have said to her, but trying to think fast on my feet, the best I could come up with was, “That’s fantastic. We don’t have any missionaries who suck their thumbs so we could use you. I bet their are little kids in other countries that suck their thumbs too and you could really help them. And whenever somebody laughs at you or picks on you, you just remember that God loves you even if you suck your thumb, and that’s all that matters.” Her face lit up and as quickly as she approached me, she was off again.

I’ve thought about that conversation several times since last night, and it caused me to learn some lessons of my own. Namely, that God loves everybody, flaws, habits, weaknesses and all. He loves the people who make fun of me, and the people whom I’ve been guilty of making fun of, and He loves me too. The pain that this little girl was feeling, is the same pain that God was feeling when others made her feel this way. Remember, good or bad, Jesus says, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40). And it should be the same for us, one to another, “whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26). Remember this before criticizing or mocking others.

We all have weaknesses, faults and flaws that we struggle with, and that others could easily criticize or make fun of us for. Even Paul. He wrote, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Remember this when you are mocked or criticized by others.

I’m glad I met this little girl, and I hope I helped her to not let the “haters” get her down, because I know she helped me. She helped me to remember, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, THEY ARE WEAK BUT HE IS STRONG!” Jesus loves me, and He loves thumbsuckers too.

36, Day 36 (Written Sunday January 15) ~ Pray For This Money

I should have known that the thirty-sixth day of my thirty-sixth year would be a special day, and it truly was, because of the most humbling, sincere and honored gestured I’ve ever experienced, and it came at the hands of a young man I’ve never met.

His name was Austin Gaston and he died on Wednesday at the age of 26 due to complications from cystic fibrosis. He was laid to rest yesterday. Austin was a member of the Salem Church of Christ in Salem, Alabama. He aspired to be a chef, knew the Bible very well and had gone on mission trips with his father. In his last days he had commented to family members that the one thing he had failed to accomplish in life that he wanted to accomplish was, not becoming a chef, but influencing his younger sister to become a Christian. She was baptized into Christ this morning.

It was a very emotional day for his family, parents, grandparents, church family. After Bible class his father Richard approached me in the aisle and put a wad of money in my hand. It was three twenty dollar bills. He told me, with tears on his cheeks, that this was the money in Austin’s wallet when he passed away and that he couldn’t think of a more fitting thing to do with it than to give it to me in support of our mission work. I still don’t know what to say about this gesture. I know it was difficult for him to part with something that belonged to his son, but I also know that he was filled with a sense of pride in using something of his son’s to do something he knew his son would want to do. I’ve never been so humbled and honored in my life. It was to me as intimate an act as that of the lady who broke the alabaster box to give to Jesus, something that He said would be told forever in the kingdom as a memorial to her (Mark 14:3-9).

This is where you come in. An act of generosity, sacrifice and selflessness like this deserves to be used for more than buying gas or paying for a meal. It deserves to be a memorial to this young man, his faith, his family and his influence. I have already begun to, and I ask you to begin praying for this money and asking God to give me the wisdom and opportunity to use it as a seed for something great to His glory. I don’t feel worthy of such a great honor as being the steward of this money. I don’t know how I need to use it, but I want to put it in God’s hands to do something significant. I want to be able to walk up to Austin in heaven, and meet him for the first time, and be able to say, “Look what you were able to do, even after you were gone from the earth. Even though you were dead, like Abel, you continued to speak.”

36, Day 35 (Written Saturday January 14) ~ Pickin'-n-Grinnin'

Usually when you read those words they apply to a joyous group of folks on their guitars, banjos and mandolins, just pickin’ around makin’ music. Sometimes it refers to a two year old who has realized for the first time that the hole in his nose is exactly the same size as his index finger. For me, at least today, it meant spending some time with good friends doing something really cool.

This morning Kase and I took a trip with our friends the Yap family. Both Kase and Callum (who is so much like Kase it is amazing) are big fans of the television show “American Pickers.” Recently we all found out that they have a shop in Nashville, called Antique Archaeology, so we decided to make a trip and take the boys. We had a really fun day doing something we all said was “different.” How many times have we gone to the mall or the movies? This was something unique and interesting. The shop was smaller than I imagined, with fewer things for sale than I imagined, but about as expensive as I expected.

The best part of the whole trip was the company. We have so many really great friends that are such a pleasure and a blessing to be around and today was a demonstration of that. Here are my two highlights of the day: getting handmade, personalized luggage tags as a gift for each of us, and learning that most all white, blue eyed cats are deaf :)

36, Day 34 (Written Friday January 13) ~ Campaign Season

Get ready. For the next ten months we will be in full blown campaign season. Every night on the news there will be reports about those who are campaigning for the office of President of the United States of America. On the radio and television there will be commercials nonstop for those campaigning. Before long the signs will go up in peoples yards and at every intersection.

It is campaign season, but I want to talk to you about a different kind of campaign season, as in Latin American Missions campaign season. For 2012 we have a total of 18 campaigns scheduled throughout the year and all over Central and South America. For those who are curious, a campaign is a week long trip to a country, wherein, we offer free medical care, provide benevolence, build, have Gospel meetings, Vacation Bible Schools, door knocking and home Bible studies. Every campaign is unique, but they all share similarities.

If you have any interest in going, or if you would just like to know a little more about it before you consider going, I want to encourage you to do one of two things (or both). Visit www.forrestpark.org and click on the icon/link for Latin American Missions. Take some time to read all about the work and then click on the campaign schedule link to see where and when we will be going in 2012. The second thing you can do is contact me and we can talk personally about the different options. I love the start of football season (and am sad it is coming to an end), I love when strawberries come in season (which, apparently in south Georgia is even in January!) and I love campaign season.

36, Day 33 (Written Thursday January 12) ~ Pack Your Bags

Lately the Britton family has been better packers than the football team in Green Bay. We packed up, loaded, unloaded and unpacked my office is less than four hours. Now moving that office to Valdosta took about 9 hours, but hey, we can’t control that. Today we continued our packing extravaganza, to the extent that our house is starting to look, as Reese said, “Weird.” Wall are becoming bare, decorations are scarce and shelves are empty. Now on the flip side, the garage is stacked to the ceiling with full boxes. Our fingers are crossed, or rather our hands are folded (in prayer) that we will be closing on our house a week from tomorrow. If so, we want to be prepared to move as much as we can as quick as we can. We’ll still be living here until the first of May, but we don’t want to wait until then.

My favorite part of all of this is the opportunity to throw stuff away or give it away. Another part that I’ve enjoyed is the reflecting upon things that have been given to us through the years by friends and family alike. So many times lately we’ve had a conversation that began with “Didn’t ...... give this to us?” And then we’re off, talking about good times. So many of you have been a blessing to us through the years and we are going to miss you so much. The only remedy I can think of is that you will have to promise us that you will come and see us/stay with us. We will be within a three hour drive of Orlando, Tampa, Destin/Panama City, Savannah, St. Simons/Tybee/Jekyl Isand, Jacksonville and Tallahassee. Not to mention that Valdosta has a theme park itself (Wild Adventures) and is home to some of the best fishing anywhere. What are you waiting for? Pack your bags!

36, Day 32 (Written Wednesday January 11 ~ Getting Over The Hump: The Great CO-MISSION-ARY

As you might imagine, I’ve spent a great deal of time thinking about and studying about mission work in the past few months. One of the things that clicked with me recently was the origin of the word “mission.” It’s actually a contraction of the word “commission” as in “the Great Commission.”

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, ‘All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:18-20). That is the Great Commission, and it dawned on me tonight that it was given by the very first Christian missionary, Jesus.

What is a missionary? A missionary is someone who, having heard the Great Commission, makes it their mission to seek to fulfill it. In so doing, they leave home and go anywhere they can to preach the Gospel to the lost. Jesus left His home in heaven to come to earth, where the lost were, in order to preach the Gospel so that we might be saved. He said, “The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Jesus was God’s original missionary and He then gave this mission over to His disciples when He returned to heaven.

There are all different kinds of missionaries. There are those who move to far away foreign lands, their are those who frequently visit far away foreign lands, there are those who take the Gospel to places in their own country where it hasn’t been taken before and there are those who work right at home taking the Gospel to those who haven’t heard it. If you are a Christian, you must be a missionary. The only question is, which kind are you going to be?

36, Day 31 (Written Tuesday January 10) ~ Heading South For The Winter

I am not happy today. Not. Happy. At. All. (That’s not entirely true, I got to watch Alabama win a second national championship in three years tonight and that makes me pretty happy). When I got up this morning it was 70 degrees and I was looking at blue skies, sunshine and palm trees. The rest of my week will be spent with gray skies, cold rain, possible snow and ice, wet leaves from bare trees and 30 degree weather. One thing about moving to Valdosta that I hadn’t really given much thought to is the fact that winter there and winter here are very different. It is the second week of January and I am wearing a t shirt and jeans outside and perfectly comfortable. I bet the Britton clan said “The weather is so nice” a hundred times this past week. Now on the flip side, I’m sure in August we will be panting like a dog and begging for a break from the heat, but I can deal with that. I have worked outside in the heat most of my life and I can deal with it much better than I can cold. The good news is, I will only have to suffer for a few more days. Lord willing I will be heading south for the winter (or at least a few days), next Wednesday! I’ll send you a postcard ;)

36, Day 29 (Written Sunday January 8) ~ Sitting The Bench

From the time I was 5 years old until I graduated high school, I played some kind of sports and usually a few at once. One thing I didn’t have to do very often, but hated with a passion when I did, was sit the bench. I hated being in the dugout or on the sideline watching everyone else in the game. That always motivated me to work hard so that I was in the game instead of sitting the bench.

Admittedly, today was a little bit of a weird day. We stayed in the Comfort Suites in Valdosta with my parents and when my alarm went off, I hopped up, got in the shower, shaved and dressed for worship. Normally at this point I would begin going through my mental checklist of things to do: what are we talking about in Bible class, what am I preaching, who is sick, what do I need to tell the elders? But this morning it dawned on me, I’m done until time for Bible class. I don’t have anything to do except get everyone in the car and to the building in time for Bible class. It was weird, I will confess, but it was also AWESOME! Sorry if that was a little too enthusiastic, but it is the truth. I love preaching and I know I will miss it, truth is I already do a little, but as one of my favorite Jimmy Buffett songs goes, “I must confess, I could use some rest, I can’t run at this pace very long.”

For those of you reading this who have a preacher, I hope you understand that he has a tough job. He never really gets a day off, because at any given moment someone can die, get very sick, be in a terrible accident or have a family crisis and then it’s so long day off. It takes a lot of time to really study the Scriptures and prepare four lessons per week, in addition to any television, radio, bulletin, etc, work that the church is involved in. People call him everyday, and at all hours of the day, with everything from Bible questions, to family drama, to complaining, to help with a copy machine or how to get into the church building, you name it. He’s also got a wife and kids and everyone of us know how much time and attention a family requires. I’m not asking you to feel sorry for him, as one of my MSOP instructors used to say, “Nobody asked you to or made you do this, you chose it.” But I am asking you to cut him some slack when he has an off day, a boring sermon, or if he forgets something that you consider important. He does what he does because he loves God, he loves the Lord’s church and he loves you, and the people who can’t stand him too. He’s trying, but he’s human. Here’s a secret too, the better you treat him, the better job he will be able to do serving your congregation. I recently heard of a congregation that threw a thank you dinner for their preacher AND HIS FAMILY, and gave them $500, season passes to an amusement park, gift cards to restaurants and keys to a members cabin in the mountains and told him to take his family and disappear for a week and to turn off his phone. I know of another congregation that told their preacher that every three years they wanted him to take a one month sabbatical (this was in addition to the vacation or being gone time they regularly allowed him). Great ideas.

Today I got to do some things I haven’t gotten to do very often or in a long time. I got to sit through a Sunday school lesson, and listen to two sermons, and I got to sit right beside my wife through them all. Sitting the bench isn’t so bad after all.

36, Day 28 (Written Saturday January 7) ~ Making My Nest

For me, my office is like a glimpse inside my brain. I fill it with the things I like, that are important to me, that I feel define me. It is also where I like to spend a lot of time and I like to work. I always joke that the house belongs to Jade (and why wouldn't it since she's the one who is domestic artistic) but the office is all mine. I put things where I want them. It is "organized" in a way that makes sense to only me. I love the feel of my old wooden desk. I love to be surrounded by all of my books, and yes I prefer real books to iPad or Kindle books. I want to hold them in my hand, smell that musty old book smell and feel the paper turning under my fingers.

Today, with the help of my family (who I might add worked hard and harmoniously like ants), I got my office set up, unpacked and operational in just under an hour and a half. My name is on the door, my business cards are in my desk and I am typing this blog post from my new sanctuary. For me, this is an important step. It symbolizes the new beginning and the new work I will be engaged in. I am happy to say, that I've got it like I like it.

36, Day 27 (Written Friday January 6) ~ Under Pressure

Today was not a fun day. Before telling you how it began, let me tell you how it ended. I came to Ryan's house (we are staying with our friends the Tuten's while in Valdosta) kissed my family, took some Tylenol and went to bed. If you know me, you know that's not normal, or a good sign. I was so stressed out, tired, frustrated, confused, had a headache and a painful knot in my neck/shoulder.

What caused all of this? Trying to buy a house. We found a perfect house for our family and we are all so excited about it. Unfortunately, the process for getting this house is lengthy and tedious. LOTS of paperwork and red tape. I have been cutting through the red tape for a couple of months and today it cut through me. I was literally on the phone all day. It is too lengthy and boring to explain, but when the last hurdle was cleared, I only had enough gumption to crawl home and into bed, which I did.

As I write this I am feeling a lot better, which had given me the ability to reflect on a few things. Mainly that I should just be thankful that having a safe, secure home is an option and that we have the ability to get a nice one that we all like. In the meetings with the LAM team I have been reminded of the terrible conditions (by our standards) that so many of the brethren in Central and South America live in. How can I complain about the inconveniences I must go through to have a nice home? Shame on me.

36, Day 26 (Written Thursday January 5) ~ New Kid On The Block

Today felt like it was the first day of school. I came in to the LAM offices and all of the staff were gathered together for meetings. There were seven guys crammed into a meeting room, laptops, iPads and notebooks scattered everywhere, and then there was me. This was something they had all been through many times each, but for me it was a new experience. It has been a long time since I have been part of a staff, and when I was, it wasn't anywhere near this large. I guess you could say this was really my first office experience, and it was different, but I liked it too. Here were the eight of us in this room all day just hashing out problems, making plans and preparations and trying to figure out the best ways to accomplish our goals of evangelizing and helping the people of Central and South America. I have been on a LAM campaign before, but I had no idea, until now, all of the planning, preparations and problem solving that precedes the missionary teams leaving the states. Wow! If you've gone on a campaign in the past, or if you ever plan to in the future, thank your missionary coordinator for everything he's been doing for months in advance to make your trip safe and successful. Today it felt very real for the first time. I'm really here, I'm really doing this, and I'm really thankful.

36, Day 25 (Written Wednesday January 4) ~ Getting Over The Hump

I mentioned on Monday (http://www.brandonbritton.blogspot.com/2012/01/36-day-23-written-monday-january-2.html) that I would be using Mondays and Wednesdays as a way of scratching my preacher/Bible class teacher itch (Monday Morning Manna and Getting Over The Hump), so here we go.

Trust and obey. Those two words begin the song with that title. We frequently sing it, but how often do we do it? We acknowledge that Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10), and know that He leads us in the path of righteousness (Psalm 23), but too often we are stubborn as a billy goat rather than compliant like sheep. There have been so many times in my life when I knew where the Lord wanted to lead me, but I resisted. It wasn't where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do. I liked where I was just fine, I was comfortable and content and where He wanted me to be was going to be a challenge, difficult and unknown. Sometimes I came but I would drag my feet and walk as slowly as possible. Other times He would have to use the rod and staff to drive or drag me where He wanted me. Can you relate?

The Lord is in control, He knows what He's doing and He knows what is best for me, all I need to do is learn to trust and obey. When I go along willingly, I not only end up where I need to be, but I get to enjoy the ride along the way. When I "do it the hard way" I end up where I need to be and He wants me to be, but I struggle, worry and dread the journey. I am exactly where my Shepherd wants me to be and for once I've been able to take in the scenery. Hope this helps you to get over the hump.

36, Day 24 (Written Tuesday January 3) ~ Is There An App For That?

Yesterday started out just like any other day. We got up, did some cleaning, did some packing, made some phone calls. I had made an appointment to eat lunch with Paul Sain at Legends at 11:30. When I showed up, it was Paul and his wife, Robert Hatfield and his wife and two of the elders. It was a pleasant surprise and very enjoyable lunch filled with lots of funny old stories and tales of things that had happened to us as preachers. Before they brought out the food, Paul ran over to the Christmas tree in the corner of the room and brought something out from under it. He sat before me a brand new, very nice, leather briefcase. I was ecstatic. Just the day before Jade and I had been shopping for one. As I sat admiring it and thanking them, Paul told me to open it up and check it out. In side was a 64Gig iPad 2 3G, along with money for a case, iTunes cards for apps, car chargers, adapters, everything you could want and need for it. I was so stunned I didn’t even know how to respond and it didn’t register in my mind what they were doing so Paul explained. The congregation at East Hill had taken up donations from the members who wanted to contribute and they took the money and bought all of these things for me to have to use in my travels and work as a missionary.

There is so much that I could say about this as appreciation and thanks, but I want to focus on something else. I know some of those who read this blog aren’t Christians or aren’t faithfully serving Christ or have been hurt/jilted/burned/frustrated by members of the church. You are who I am talking to. Please know or be reminded, that you will never meet a more giving and caring group of people than the church of Christ. I grew up at East Hill and preached there for many years, but I have been gone for five years. The congregation is already supporting me heavily as a missionary, yet they still chose to do this also. They went above and beyond. They have never been content to do just enough, but always strive to make your “cup runneth over.”

I’m issuing a challenge to you today. In the next couple of days, give to someone(s) in an overflowing way. Don’t just give some or enough, but overflow. It doesn’t even have to be money. It could be time, an act of service, a gift, words of praise and encouragement, just make a priority to give a lot of something to someone and make their day, their week. Surprise them with something good that they didn’t see coming. There’s an app for that, it’s Galatians 6:10, “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” They didn’t just do good, they did grrrrreeeaattt! Thanks again by the way.

36, Day 23 (Written Monday January 2) ~ Monday Morning Manna

Since I won't be in the pulpit or teaching Bible class weekly, at least for awhile, I decided I needed a studying/teaching outlet, and you are it! Each Monday I will put some devotional thoughts on the blog entitled Monday Morning Manna. I also plan to put something else up on Wednesdays (Getting Over The Hump). Hope you will check in to read it, enjoy it and that your faith will be fed by it. Because of internet access limitation, I may not always have it up on Monday/Wednesday, but I will write them on those days and put them on as soon as I have internet access. In the interest of honesty, the following was taken from a preacher I was listening to on the radio on my way to Chattanooga this weekend (it was the only station I could pick up, but I'm glad I did).

While the children of Israel were stranded for four decades in the wilderness, unable to enter the promised land, God sustained them daily with manna from heaven. This food was necessary to keep them alive, it was provided by God and they had to go get it themselves. The parallels to our spiritual lives are overflowing. Have you ever felt like spiritually, emotionally, you were lost in the wilderness, just wandering around, getting nowhere, accomplishing nothing? If so, perhaps this will help. Look in your Bibles at Exodus 16.

#1 - The help you need in the wilderness is not available from man. Apart from God they would have starved. God fed them, daily. God gave them food to survive. No one had the ability to meet the food needs that they had in the wilderness. Have you realized that yet? Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, Oprah, the president, no one can help you with the food for thought and food for the soul you need. Only God has the answers to the questions you are asking. Only God has the guidance and direction you are seeking.

#2 - The held you need in the wilderness is not attainable without your cooperation. God did it, but He wanted them to be a part of the process. They had to choose to bend over, pick it up and eat it or walk on it. They could get no nourishment from manna on the ground. God is wanting to nourish you, feed you and sustain you, but He will not force feed you. He will provide the manna for your soul, but you must get it and take it in.

Additionally, they were only to get what they needed for the day, use it that day and it could not be carried over to the next day. Many of them ignored this and it bred worms and stank. The exception was the day before the sabbath when they gathered for two days and it kept without spoiling. The application to us is profound. If you think you can come to worship on Sunday and gather all of the manna you need for an entire week, you are going to have some stinking manna by Wednesday.

#3 - The help you need in the wilderness is not accessible in large doses, but bite size daily doses. What they took that day, they had to take in that day and come back for fresh manna the next morning. It wasn't enough to collect it, they had to live on it throughout the day. What they gathered in the morning they ate all day. It gave them strength through the day. They could not eat enough today to have strength for days to come, but one day at a time. Your daily time of devotion with God is necessary to keep you strong enough to overcome temptation and respond with godliness in adversity. You can't get enough on Sunday to keep you strong on Friday.

36, Day 22 (Written Sunday January 1) ~ Man On A (co)Mission

In a post last week (http://www.brandonbritton.blogspot.com/2011/12/36-day-18-written-thursday-december-28.html) I talked about the fact that I am no longer a local preacher. Today I'm focusing on the future, not the past. To quote one of my favorite Jimmy Buffett songs, "Yesterday's over my shoulder, so I can't look back for too long, there's just to much to see, waiting in front of me, and I know that I just can't go wrong."

I may no longer be a local preacher, but I am missionary. I haven't always known that I would be a preacher, but since I became a preacher, I always knew I'd be a missionary. In the summer of 1997, my first semester at the Memphis School of Preaching, Larry Callendine, a missionary with Latin American Missions, came and spoke to us in chapel about the work they were doing in Central and South America. I knew right then, that this is what I want to be doing. For various reasons I wasn't able to go on a mission campaign with LAM until April of 2010. That trip only confirmed what I had always known. The last day, sitting on the runway waiting for the plane, my wife, without even looking at me, leaned over and said, "I know what you're thinking, and if you want to sell it all and move, I'm ok with it." I didn't respond verbally, just nodded, and put that in my mental filing cabinet. In June of 2011 I spoke on a Wednesday night summer series at the Forrest Park congregation (overseers of the LAM work) and got to see it all firsthand. Then in late July came the offer to become a missionary with LAM.

In the fourteen years since that day in chapel at MSOP, I haven't once pursued this desire, I've just served God and trusted that if this was how He wanted to use me, then my Shepherd would lead me to the pasture He wanted me in. This new venture begins the way I anticipate most of this year will be spent: in a hotel room, far from home, getting ready to go and talk to a congregation about the work. I may not be a local preacher anymore, but I am now a missionary.