Innocence

Pictures like this remind Lisa and me about how innocent children can be. Anna hugging John Arthur and John enjoying it is a sight that seems too infrequent. :) More like it, they seem to fight and bicker with each other. LOL. Thank God for the moments like this that remind us of innocence.

Blessings to you for a Happy and Safe 2009!

John & Lisa

Merry Christmas!

We want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We pray God's richest blessings for you and your families.


John, Lisa, John Arthur, and Anna Claire
2008 Christmas

Daddy's Little Girl

Last week was the Christmas Program at church. Here is a picture of "Daddy's Little Girl." Both John and Anna were in the Musical and they all did a great job.


Blessings-

John & Lisa

Visitors from The North and the South

Christmas in Wilmore is always a festive time of the year. In this "Mayberry" city, the celebration of Christmas is a daylong event ending with the city meeting at the United Methodist Church and singing carols together. This year we had my parents from the Pennsylvania join us and John and Celia Evans from Georgia. My Dad, John, and I watched John Arthur play in a chess tournament that the morning (he won 3 of 5 games) while the girls went to craft displays and Hobby Lobby.

A word about Chess tournaments. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy being supportive of John Arthur and his activities, but chess tournaments are boring. We started at 7:30a for registration and the first game started at 9:30a. The last game ended at 5:30p and the awards were at 6:30p. Now, when a parent goes to a chess tournament, it is not like other scholastic events. We don't sit in a stadium and cheer our players on. There is not a marching band nor are there cheerleaders. The players are called to go into a room of tables where there is not any talking. The parents are not allowed to go in this "room." They play their game and come out and wait for the next game. The spectators -- if you want to use that word -- sit in a lobby around tables and wait.

Chess is definitely not a contact sport -- I am not suggesting that it should be one. But maybe a little more cheering, pep-bands, and a halftime show would be nice. :D

My Thoughts...

John

The Atheist Uses the Bible

Over the last several weeks you have probably heard on the news or read in the paper about the “Anti-Religion” sign that was stolen from the Capitol Rotunda in Olympia, WA. This sign was placed next to the Christ Manger scene by the Atheists. This is what the sign reads:

“At this season of THE WINTER SOLSICE May reason prevail.

There are no gods

No devils

No angels

No heaven or hell

There is only

Our natural world

Religion is but a myth

And superstition

that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.”

The part that I just love is when the sign was finally returned, the Atheist group that put it up placed a small placard over the top Left Hand corner of the sign that read…“Thou Shalt Not Steal”! Now where do you think they got that line from? Huh?

---

The Longview Daily News, December 6, 2008

John and Anna at Boyd's Orchard

Here are some video clips from yesterday's trip to the orchard. Face painting, hay rides, petting zoo, and picking apples from the trees were all included in the activities. In addition - there was jumping from the hay stacks. Check out the videos and let me know if you can tell a difference between John and Anna. :)

John's Cautious Jump

Anna's Daring Jump

We hope that all is well...blessings...

John & Lisa

Anna - The "Go-Getter"

Hi All -

Sorry about the delay in posting recently - it has been a whirlwind of activities with work and school for me and the family. All in all, God is good and He has been faithful.

Here is a picture of Anna playing soccer. There is something absolutely wonderful about going to John and Anna's games. It is really a lot of fun. I am an assistant coach for John's team, so I have not had an opportunity to take pictures. But, I must brag. Last week he hit an "inside-the-park" homerun. Talk about excitement!

Anyway, be sure to share what is going on in your life. Continue to keep us in your prayers.

Blessings to all-

John & Lisa

Back to the Books!

Hi All!

I just wanted to drop you a note to say that we would covet your prayers! I started my Fall Semester today and Lisa and the kids have been in full swing for several weeks. With school for the family, baseball practice/games for John Arthur, and Soccer practice/games for Anna, our family is in full swing.

Here are the classes that I am taking this fall (if you are interested): Inductive Bible Study on the Psalms, Old Testament Exegesis on Wisdom Literature, Mentored Ministry (Contextual ministry class), Foundations of Youth Ministry Class, and Speech/Communication for the Pastor. With me working full time and the aforementioned schedule, your prayers are appreciated.

Please let us know how we can pray for you! We would be happy to add you to our family prayer list. Email me or Lisa and tell us how you all are doing.

Blessings -

John & Lisa

Ben Beck Comes to Kentucky

What a wonderful surprise! Ben Beck stopped by for a visit yesterday on his way to Indianapolis. For those who don't know, Ben is a Grad-Student at Georgia Tech with aspirations for a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering. I first met Ben when I was the Youth Director at St Luke Church in Columbus, GA. He had moved with his siblings (Katy, Anna, and Paul) from Eufala, AL. He was in the 9th grade when he first came and the first event that he was involved in was St Luke Summer Camp. (Oh, how I miss the days of St Luke Summer Camp!)

He has definitely grown into a mature and intelligent young man. I know that his parents are extremely proud of him.

Thanks, Ben, for stopping by and we wish you God's richest blessings in the future. Also, if you are in the area, we would be honored if you'd stop by and say hello.

Blessings to All-

John and Lisa

Sky Blast in Pittsburgh

What an amazing site! After the Pirates game this past Friday, John Arthur and I went with my brother and his family to see "Sky Blast" in downtown Pittsburgh. The fireworks are set off from barges in the Allegheny, bridges, and the tops of the buildings. It literally filled the sky. Pittsburgh may not be that good at baseball, but they sure know how to set off fireworks!

Blessings -

John

First Day of School

The summer has just flown by and now it is time for the kids and teachers to go back to school. It is no different for us in Kentucky. Today is the first day of school and our children are excited about it. Here's a picture of the two of them outside their school this morning.

As I asked them to pose for this picture, Anna wanted me to make sure that we got her new book bag in the picture. Look at that beautiful book bag! :-)

Well, our prayers are with you, your students, and your teachers.

Blessings -

John & Lisa

Definition of Calling...

When God calls us, what does this mean? Os Guinness in his book The Call writes, "Calling is the truth that God calls us to himself so decisively that everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have is invested with a special devotion, dynamism, and direction lived out as a respond to his summons and service."[1]

Here's the "nuts and bolts" of this--as I see it. First, there's a distinct difference between calling and vocation. The lines have been muddied, but the truth is that there's a difference between these two. (I will explain more later.) Second, every Christian is called by God. We must never forget that we are not called to a specific activity, rather, we are called to obedience to Christ. Third, the response to God's calling upon our life is our service. Whatever our vocation--whatever we do in life, should be a direct response to the call of God.

So, there's a primary calling and a secondary calling. [2] The primary calling is that all should follow Christ, that we should love God with everything we have and everything we do. The secondary calling is how we live in our lives in response to this primary calling. In other words, our every day lives should be a clear response to God's primary call upon our lives to follow Christ. Guinness writes, "The truth of calling means that for followers of Christ, 'everyone, everywhere, and in everything' lives the whole of life as a response to God’s call." [3]


It seems today that many have separated what they do--their vocation--from their faith. It's not too late to allow God's call in your life to infiltrate your every day life.

Blessings -

John

[1] Os Guinness, The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life (Thomas Nelson, 2003), 29
[2] Ibid., p. 31
[3] Ibid., p. 31

God Keeps that which He Loves.

I have found a new author that I absolutely love. His name is A.W. Tozer and the book that I have been reading lately is entitled The Attributes of God, Volume 1: A Jouney into the Father's Heart (Camp Hill, PA: WingSpread, 2003). He writes, "A fellow recently brought me a painting that he’d been working on quite a while, and showed it to me to see if I liked it. It’s inconceivable that he didn’t like his own picture. I liked it too, but it was because he liked it that he showed it to me. We like that which we make. And God loves that which He made. And because He made it, He loves it, and because He loves it, He keeps it."[1]

In error, I sometimes impose upon God human characteristics. Sometimes I think that God acts like me (Thank heavens he doesn't!) or even has the same reactions and emotions as me. But this is not the case! My emotions are broken. My reactions are broken, too. God's love is perfect. It is impossible for me to understand it--it's too mind-boggling! Even the love I have for my wife and children does not even come close to the love that God has for us. Why does he love us so much? Because He made us and we are His creation.

So, here is what I am trying to share with you. First, know that God loves us more than our minds can understand it. Just when you think you can grasp it, it is so much bigger. Second, remember that God loves you and He will hold and keep those He loves.

Blessings -

John

[1] A. W. Tozer and David E. Fessenden, The Attributes of God, Volume 1: A Jouney into the Father's Heart (Camp Hill, PA: WingSpread, 2003), 27.

Kevin Hudson comes to Kentucky

On his way to San Antonio, TX, Kevin made a stop in Kentucky to visit the Fugh's. He was with his Mother and his Aunt. We had dinner at a restaurant in Frankfort and needless to say we enjoyed our visit. Kevin, as most of you know, is a special part of our family ever since we worked together at St. Luke. Kevin just got back from a 6 month tour of duty in the Middle East and is moving from Kansas to Texas to work with the Chaplains Office for Airman/Airwomen in the Air Force. We love Kevin dearly and know that God will use him mightily as he serves Him and our country.

God Speed, Kevin and blessings to all -

John & Lisa

The Bat Factory

Today, the kids and I went to the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory while Lisa was at a meeting. We took the factory tour and saw all the bats that the factory makes. John Arthur-who loves baseball-was excited to see the Major League bats and even hold some of the bats that are sent to the players.

By the way, that large thing to their left is the world's largest bat. It leans against the outside of the building. It is 120 ft high and is 9 ft in diameter where the kids are standing.

We hope all is well with you and your family.

Blessings-

John

William Borden's Life

Please take a moment to read about the life of William Borden. Inspiring...

Blessings -

J

Anna at Horse Camp...

One of the things that Anna loves to do more than most anything else is take care of animals. They may be her stuffed animals, others' pets, or our puppy--Teddy. So, she has been in her element this week at Horse Camp which is housed on the campus of Asbury College. This is her horse Foreigner whom she has been taking care of all this week. She has to groom him, brush him, and feed him.

Needless to say, she is the youngest one there, but this has not hindered her one bit. Those of you who know Anna will appreciate her tenacity and determination to be the best and this has not been any different this week.

Enjoy the pictures and be sure to share what has been going on in your lives as well.

Blessings -

John and Lisa

How I know...

I was visiting with someone the other day and the topic turned to why I was so sure that Christ was resurrected from the dead. Well, I was not an eyewitness to the event, but one thing that I know for sure is the testimony of those who were eyewitnesses. Lay aside their verbal testimony, what strikes me as the most revealing testimony is the testimony of their lives. All of the disciples (with the exception of Judas Iscariot who committed suicide and John who was banished to Patmos) gave their lives for this fact: That Jesus was God and that He died and rose from the dead.

I am a passionate person; however, I will not give my life for a lie. I may lie about something, but when push comes to shove, I will not die for it. At the last moment I will recant and admit the truth. I have to believe that you would do the same thing. If this is true, then, why would we think that the disciples would be any different? If they were furthering a lie, they would not have given their lives for such lie. They would have also recanted.

Their testimony with their lives is a significant testimony that is hard to overlook. But, these disciples were not the only ones who gave their lives. Through the centuries, thousands of men and women did the same thing as recorded in Foxe's Book of Martyrs and church history. They lived their lives for God and they gave their lives for the Truth.

Without the threat of death here in the United States for our religious beliefs, it may be easy for many of us to say that we would die for Jesus. However, what God may want from us now may not be a willingness to die for Him, but a willingness to live for Him. Romans 12:1-2 is a passage that encourages us all to be living sacrifices for God.

With this truth in mind, let's not only be willing to die for Him but live for Him as well! What do you think?

Blessings -

John

Finally...Tomatoes

We have been trying to grow tomatoes for years and we finally got some ripe ones! Now, I am not a tomato lover but John and his mom are. You can see here John is feasting on his one, small, ripe tomato and he is loving it!

Blessings -

John

What does it mean to believe?

The late Dr. J. Vernon McGee had a radio broadcast called Through the Bible. The radio broadcast was centered on a five year, verse-by-verse, study through the entire Bible. During a broadcast on John 3, he came to the famous verse 16 and asked the question, "What does it mean to believe?" Is it a state of mind? Is it a one time decision? Or is it something more?

He defined "to believe in Jesus" as something more that an intellectual decision. When I believe in Jesus, I trust Him in such a way that if He were to let me go, I would helplessly fall. Dr. McGee went on to liken this to a chair. If I were to stand next to a chair and say that I believe that the chair would hold me yet do not actually sit in the chair, I am not placing any trust in the chair. It is not until I sit in the chair that I am "believing in" or trusting the chair. Standing next to it, I can say whatever I would like--it means nothing until I place my trust in the chair.

It is the same way with belief in Jesus. If I stand on the outside of faith and say that I believe in Jesus then I am placing no more trust in Him than I was when I was referring to the chair. It is only when we rest in Jesus' arms and place our trust in Him that we are believing in Him. If He were to let us go, we would helplessly fall.

The reality is that there is a God who loves us and will not abandon us (Hebrews 13:5). We must move past mere intellectual thoughts about God and fully trust in Him.

Blessings -

John

A Trip on the Allegheny

Hi All -

This is my first attempt at anything like this--a blog or anything similar. But, since we have several people asking about us, we thought this would be a great way to share what is going on in our lives with the people we love. I am not sure what will be included in this. Sometimes there will be some bragging about our children; sometimes there may be some pictures of trips we have taken; sometimes there may be prayer requests or devotional items. So, sit back and enjoy the ride.

This photo was taken this past weekend. My brothers and I (there are four of us) went on a canoe trip with some friends. It was a 30 mile trip down the Allegheny River in Northwestern Pennsylvania. This is a view from where I sat. Beautiful! We camped along the coast and rowed during the day. Luckily the water levels were high and the river was faster than normal, so we didn't have to work as hard.

Well, this is all for now. Be sure to keep in touch and leave comments as you see fit. Blessings to all!

John and Lisa