Sometime last week I woke and felt like I “slept wrong”.  You know, the ole crick in the neck thing?  Well, the pain is behind my shoulder blade and actually seems tied in with my tricep and elbow.  Weird.  My trip last weekend to Tuscaloosa was very difficult.  It seems that sitting more upright causes more pain.  Seems to “pull” causing the pain to be more consistent.  Best I can figure, it is a strained lat muscle but, after this week, I have made an appointment with my orthopedic doc to make sure.  I’m not really looking forward to the drive to Marietta, GA, on Saturday but we’ll do what we can to do the work.  Appreciate the prayers!

This Sunday will be busy, for sure.  Crossview Baptist Church in Marietta is a young church looking for new and innovated ways of reaching the surrounding area.  This Sunday is a “Back to School” celebration.  Of course, the senior adults that saw me last year insisted on their time so I’ll begin the day with a breakfast for them at 8:30.  Following that time I will work with the kids during their Sunday School at 9:30 and the church service at 10:30.  Whew!  It’s a wonderful opportunity and a busy one to be sure.

Following the service and lunch with the pastor we will head back home.  Next week is busy enough so I’ll have to get started first thing Monday morning on those things!

Thanks for checking in.  You are a blessing,

John

It was a good trip to Tuscaloosa. The kids got a little tired toward the latter part of 2 hr service but all in all, things went well. Yeah…2 hr service.

As you are aware, ValleyView Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa was celebrating 25 years yesterday and they wanted to have a special service for the kids simultaneously so I was called in. I coordinated with the Kids Minister to work out details.

It was the first time in a new building so there were extra folks there like reps from the Audio/Video Co. that installed all the equipment, obviously to make sure everything was functioning properly.

We began at 10 a.m. and went for 50 min. After a 30 min break where some workers did some things with the kids, I came back and finished up.

Gotta tell you one thing. Sometime this past week I pulled or strained a muscle on my left side in my upper back. The drive to Tuscaloosa was uncomfortable to say the least. Unloading, moving, and setting up equipment was difficult. Then packing up and driving back home has assured me time with a heating pad.

Just as well. This will keep me around the house to prepare for my upcoming weekend in Marrietta, GA!

Blessings,
John

Tomorrow morning we will head to Tuscaloosa, AL, for the 25th Anniversary of ValleyView Baptist Church.  We’ve been with the church a number of times over the years and always look forward to working with them again.

This time I will be doing kids worship while the “big church” service is going on.  We would appreciate your prayers for our safe travel as we drive over tomorrow, set up tomorrow afternoon, do the service Sunday morning and head back Sunday evening.

Blessings,
John

It was a quick turn-around trip when, on Sunday, I left and drove to Baton Rouge for a Monday presentation.  Patty did not go due to a continued sinus affection but she is much better now.

The event was a teacher’s retreat for Parkview Christian School.  There were 140 teachers/administrators present as we had a period of worship followed by some words from the host pastor and testimony from the president of the school board.  After a brief break, I was to entertain and close out the morning session with an encouraging word using my “friends”.  I did my best.  I felt it did not go as well as maybe it could have but that just happens sometimes, unfortunately.

I’m grateful to my friends there who offered their home on Sunday night and came Monday to help me move in the necessary equipment then stuck around for support.  Thanks!

I’ll lead worship tomorrow night at Hillcrest then we will leave Saturday for Tuscaloosa. Thanks for checking in!

John

Pulling out in just a bit for Baton Rouge.  I will be setting up early in the morning for a Teacher’s Teambuilding Retreat for Parkview Baptist Church.

It looks, as of right now, that Patty will not be making the trip.  I’m scheduled to pull out in a couple of hours so there’s still time for that decision.  Although she is taking the antibiotic given to her on Wednesday, she is just not feeling well.  That sinus stuff has really thrown her for a loop.  We would appreciate your prayers on her behalf.

My part of the retreat finishes by lunch tomorrow and I’ll/we’ll be heading back.  I would appreciate your prayers not only for Patty but for safety, vehicle reliability, and that I will be effective in both encouraging and challenging the teachers to do, to their best, what God has created them to do.

Blessings,
John

It’s been a week at home.  A good week at home.  The pace has been a great deal slower as we try and regenerate from an extremely busy summer.

Patty has simply not been able to shake the sinus condition that hit her on our first week out in July.  We thought that as soon as we got home she would be able to take it easy, not answer to anyone else’s schedule, and rest that she would snap back.  Finally yesterday, she called our E.N.T. again and he has determined it to be an infection so an antibiotic was administered and now hope we’re on the right track now.

I’ve spent time on my upcoming programs and some yard maintenance.  And of course, I did slip out to the golf course once.  Tonight I will be at a wedding rehearsal, playing my horn.  It’s special for me.  When we moved to Enterprise in 2001, we began thinking of using the church’s summer music camp for kids to record a kid’s worship c.d.  We recorded Kid’s Celebration in 2002 and the bride, Brittany, was a soloist on that project.

We would appreciate your prayers on our behalf as we enter this phase of the year’s ministry.

Blessings,
John

Praise the Lord!  We’ve arrived home safely after a great 3 week, 2500 mile road trip.  We finished everything up this morning at our host church, Clear Branch, with a wonderful service and some movement during the invitation.

Now it’s time to, first, rest.  Second, get my horn out and work on wedding music for this Friday/Saturday and thirdly, begin preparation for an event next Monday in Baton Rouge.

I’m really planning some down time as I am exhausted after “giving it all”.  Thank you for all your prayers on our behalf.  There is no doubt God honored your requests and we saw many decisions for Christ.

Blessings,
John

Clouds early again then breezy throughout the afternoon made things tolerable so again I have to thank you for your prayers. You are a blessing.

Speaking of blessing, we saw 8 decisions for Christ tonight and we thank the Lord for the victory and thank you for the prayer coverage.

One other thanks needs to go out to the Mystery Mower! I got word today from my next door neighbor, that someone with a black, black, mustache, a flowery hat, and a blonde wife, mowed my yard yesterday! You know who you are and I have my suspicions, but that doesn’t matter. God knows who you are and I pray Gods richest blessings on you and your family. That is a tremendous blessing for me and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Finall, here is the plan. We will wrap p in the morning, pack up, and move to a hotel in Brookhaven. On Sunday morning we will conduct the morning service at Clear Branch Baptist (the host church of this camp. Immediately following, we will point east and drive home, completing at 3000 mile road trip.

Pray for strength and safety. Thanks again and I will blog whe we arrive home Sunday night!

Blessings,
John

Hi friends,

First, let me thank you for your prayers on behalf of the weather.  Yesterday I asked you to pray that God would move in clouds or at least have a break from the oppressive heat so the kids would be more attentive during worship.  It was at 4 p.m. when the kids headed to the dorms to shower from the day’s activities and ready themselves for dinner and worship when a huge thunderstorm moved in.  For 40 minutes we had a heavy downpour with wind then it moved out.  The temps went from 93 to 79.  Although it was humid, it was GREAT!  Thank you for your prayers.

Our request tonight is on behalf of one little fellow.  He has come to camp as an experiment from his parents.  He has Aspergers. (austism) The experiment is not working well.  He is having a rough time as is the children’s minister so pray that the right “end” comes to pass, whether his parents come to pick him up or God calms his little spirit.  It’s pretty rough right now and of course it affects the rest of the kids, some more than others.

Tomorrow we will lead toward the invitation tomorrow night. So obviously we would appreciate your prayers to this end as well.

God bless you for checking in and thank you again for the prayers for the weather.

Blessings,
John

Opening night of camp here in south MS brought temps that finally dropped to 92 around 7 pm. The kids hung in there pretty well buti think I’m going to have to step up my game if I’m going to keep their attention through this camp.

Thanks for the prayers! We will press on. Our next service is at 10:45 in the morning. I’ll keep you posted.

Blessings,
John