I just got back this past Tuesday (1 week ago) from Israel. It was an awesome trip. I don't know if it was what I expected, but it was definately incredible! The Sea of Galilee was amazing, and likely the hillsides look much like they did in the day of Christ, so I figure the same sunrises I saw coming up over the mountains next to the sea look the same as they did in Jesus time.
I got baptized in the Jordan by pastor Johnny, which had no necessarily spiritual context, other than a repeat of the public display of my commitment to Christ, but was really cool! You can see a video clip of it here. I'll see if I can upload some video clips, either here or to youtube. Newsong singing "Arise my Love" at the tomb was awesome!
Memorial Day weekend was fun. We had some friends over and cooked out, then while the women and children went to the pool, the guys hit the lake on my Waverunner. It was fun! We did a little tubing, skiing and wakeboard attempting (except for Kris, who actually can wakeboard). Tons of fun!
We are getting my oldest daughter registered for Kindergarten. She did well on her assesment today, so hopefully she will do well around the other kids-she has her moms mean, mischevous streak! (or mine, I'm not sure which).
I'm getting ready to go to Indianapolis to the SBC Convention. Pastor Johnny is going to be nominated for president. It's funny seeing the fight errupting around his nomination. The Calvinists are attacking him-which is wierd, because he's either predestined to be the president or he isn't. Also, the die hard "cooperative program" people are attacking him because he doesn't throw away millions of dollars for the convention paper pushers to waste, though he still gives tons to them. I believe the SBC is in a critical time right now. Most of the guys I know that are church planters, pastors, etc..., could really take or leave the SBC. Let the politicians fight for it while we go do something significant for the Kingdom! Scott White brought up a good point today in staff meeting. If the SBC expects us to tithe to the convention (which isn't Biblical in the context of a church tithing to a denomination), who do they tithe to? Good question, Scott! I haven't found anywhere in the Bible where we are commanded to give money for others to carry out the great commission. I know that many great missionaries are supported through the CP, but I know that in the context of church planting, from multiple church planting friends, that the North American Mission Board and Georgia Baptist convention do very little to help church planters, and expect a lot more back than what's given initially. I would like to see the numbers of how much money is kept in house for office and personnel (including associational missionaries) vs. how much is out in the field to the vocational missionaries. I would also like to know the ratio of office workers/directors/etc...to field missionaries in the SBC and NAMB and state convention offices.
Southern Baptists are becoming ineffective in this country and people are going to hell while we argue that people don't give enough money to a financial institution that is nearing the end of it's usefullness if the right leadership isn't put into place.
Bunch of controversial stuff to think about!
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