Ernesto Weakens

We are thankful this morning that Ernesto lacked the power forecasters predicated. We experienced mild wind and rain during the night, but nothing like forecasters warned. Ernesto continues to move through South Florida and we are expecting rainbands throughout the afternoon. It was wonderful as we drove through town last night to see that members of our community heeded the warnings and were prepared for the worst. People whom still have damage to their homes from Hurricane Wilma or live in mobile homes sought shelter at the Middle School or local hotels. As our neighbor said yesterday it's much better to prepare for the worst and nothing happen than to be unprepared and regret it later. Thank you for praying for us.

Tropical Storm Ernesto

Ah yes, we are 4 months into Hurricane seasona and once again Clewiston is including in the warnings and watches. We have been blessed thus far with only 5 named storms, this being the first to threaten the US. Tropical Storm Ernesto (Ernesto means earnestly). I earnestly pray Ernesto would just vanish. Maybe if I just pretend it's not out there it will go away. I'm not in the mood to deal with Ernesto. I've had my fill the past 2 years. Alas, it's time to go fill the van, stock up on hurricane supplies, and prepare to flee if it goes to a status of 2 or above. Ah the joys of living in South Florida during Hurricane season.

Where Does Your Help Come From?

~ Psalm 121~

I lift up my eyes to the hills -
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
Themaker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip -
He who watches over you will not slumber;
Indeed, he who watches over Israeil will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you-
The Lord is your shade at your right hand;
The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm-
He will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

My Space Awareness

As parents we need to be aware of the dangers our children are facing by creating blogs, personal ads, etc. It's all the rage now. One of the biggest websites being used by kids today is MySpace.com . Understand I am in no way saying that this website is wrong. However, I am saying as parents we need to be monitoring our children's use of the internet. We need to be aware if our children have a blog, a myspace profile, etc. It's not even a bad idea to check out their friend's profiles. In trying to monitor my own children's use of the internet more effectively I came across this article that I found to be quite helpful.

For all the sad words of tongue and pen,

The saddest are these: "It might have been."

- John Greenleaf Whittier

I thought I would share some thoughts from the book I'm currently reading, "Lost in the Middle - Midlife and the Grace of God" by Paul David Tripp. I currently finished reading Chapter 4, where Tripp talks about living with regrets. As I read this chapter I realized that I too live with regrets. Those regrets may be things like my relationship with God, my relationship with people, how I have raised my children, or my job. The list could go on and on. But it hit me as a read this chapter that God did not create us to live in regret. In fact, as Tripp says "God made a world of remarkable unity, harmony, peace, and love, where no regrettable thing would interrup the tranquility he had created. There was work, but it was never done begrudgingly or irresponsibly. There were relationships, yet they were never marked by selfishness, disloyalty, or anger. There was a heartfelt worship, service, and obedience to God, but never a moment or rebellion or idolatry. Imagine with me for just a moment what it would be like to live in such a place. What would it be like never to feel regret, never to experience remorse, and never to lug around the heavy weight of guilt? Don't let yourself think that what I am describing is totally unrealistic. In fact the world was once this way." (pg.107)

So what happened? Satan entered the Garden and the beauty of the regretless world was destroyed. There is no longer unity, harmony, peace and love. However, as Christians we are not without hope. In the midst of this fallen world in which we live there is a deep and abiding longing for a better place, a place where failure gives way to victory and sin gives way to righteousness. Where is that hope? That hope is found in Christ. Look at the words of Paul in Galatians 2:20 ; "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Paul is essentially saying that he is a child of God and being a child of God he is victorious. Paul's potential is as great as Christ's grace and Christ's power. The same is true of me! I have no reason to live a life of regret.

By living a life celebrating eternity I can continue to live in this fallen world. It is only the hope and promise of a resurrection out of this life and of an eternity to follow that makes it possible for me to continue to live in this fallen world. May my life echo the words of Peter. . .

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,

who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

Shopping, Doctor's Appointment and More Shopping

Angela had a follow up appointment with her orthopedist yesterday in Fort Myers. Since we were going to be over there, I decided to shop for her some school clothes as well. One of her close friends, Cheyenne, went with us as she needed to get some school clothes as well. We went to Old Navy and then went to Edison Mall before going to her doctor's appointment. Unfortunately, we had no luck finding what we needed prior to her appointment, so we returned to the mall after her appointment. We ended up with some shirts and one pair of pants and a pair of shorts and Angela a pair of new tennis shoes. However, since we didn't find everything they needed to start school we will be going to Wellington Mall today to finish our shopping. I was proud of the girls as they looked for sales, appropriate fitting styles, and were joyful in their attitude.

Her doctor moved into their new office which thankfully I found without too much trouble. Their office is beautiful and it's nice that they now have an office to themselves and not sharing it with 2 other practices. Dr. Cardone thinks she is progressing wonderfully considering the type of injury she has (ACL tear). He gave her some exercises to do at home which will improve the strength in her quad mucles. We have to schedule an appointment in four months to have another X-ray done of her growth plate. This will show how soon they can do surgery to repair the ACL.

While we were shopping, my doctor (Dr. Murray) called to discuss with me the results of the tests that I had done back in June. All my blood work was fine. Which was surprising to hear, since I thought my cholestrol level or something was sure to be out of whack. My mammogram was negative! However, the ultrasound showed a small cyst on my left ovary. Dr. Murray said the cyst was about 1.5 cm and that unless I started having more trouble than I was having now he would not suggest that we do anything at this time. He said to contact him if the pain got worse or I started having irregular cycles. If not, he would see me in a year for my regular check-up. I was relieved to find out all is okay.

Happy 17th Birthday David!

My how time flies! Today, 17 years ago God blessed us with you at 11:00 a.m. You are such a blessing to our family. We are proud of your accomplishments and your sweet spirit. Your love for your family and fellow man shines through. You have grown into such wonderful young man whose love for the Lord shines through.

We are celebrating David's birthday tonight with his favorite meal. . . Steak, Baked Potatoe and Salad. He never has liked cake or ice cream for his birthday so he'll have cookies instead. He opened his presents this morning from us.

Happy Birthday David! We love you!!!!

Rejoice in the Lord

On Sunday morning, a good friend of ours sang a solo entitled "Rejoice in the Lord" by Ron Hamilton. The lyrics are:

God never moves without purpose or plan,
When trying His servant and molding a man.
Give thanks to the Lord, though your testing seems long;
In darkness He giveth a song.

O rejoice in the Lord.
He makes no mistake.
He knoweth the end of each path that I take.
For when I am tried and purified.
I shall come forth as gold.

I could not see through the shadows ahead;
So I looked at the cross of my Savior instead.
I bowed to the will of the Master that day;
Then peace came and tears fled away.

Now I can see testing comes from above;
God strengthens His children and purges in love.
My Father knows best and I trust in His care.
Through purging more fruit I will bear.

Jonthan has been teaching on Wednesday nights from 1 Peter. He teaches by doing an inductive Bible study as we look at a verse or two each week. I have been blessed through his teaching and as I listened to the words of the song on Sunday morning I was reminded of 1 Peter 1:3-9. It is only through a living hope in Jesus Christ that we can rejoice!

3-Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4-to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,
5-who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6-In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,
7-so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
8-Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,
9-obtaining the outcome of your faith,the salvation of your souls.

A Week at Know Sweat

Angela and the rest of the youth group arrived home safely this morning at 1:30 a.m. She had a great week doing service projects and spending time with everyone there, including the new friends she met during the week. Her favorite part of the trip was being at the work site where she painted the inside of an entire house, edged a sidewalk, and witnessed to people in the neighborhood. Some of the group helped paint the house, painted 2 playgrounds and tilled 3 playgrounds to lay new mulch. When they weren't at the work site they were at worship service and spending time on their own swimming in the creek just down from the college and eating. One day while out swimming in the creek some of the boys had to run a water mocassion out before they got in. That's the difference between she and I. . . I wouldn't have gotten in the creek after the snake had been spotted for fear that he would return. They departed from camp on Friday morning and spent the afternoon in Cherokee, North Carolina. Once back at the cabin they swam at the lake. On Saturday morning they started their long trip home. It's great to have her home and listening to her tales from the week.

Angela and Jeri Lynne

Martin & Angela

Kristin & Angela

Game 3 - State Tournament

Game 3 of the Florida State Pre-Majors Tournament was the final game for the Okeechobee team. After a 2 hour rain delay Hernando County won 9 - 2. It seems that baseball games are now a thing of the past, at least until the spring. Now we await soccer and football season to start.

We Were Lost

Angela called this afternoon around 4:30 to let us know that the group arrived safely at Milligan College. After telling me that she was there, she then asked if I happened to know where her tolietry bag was. Seems that she had not been able to locate it after unpacking the van and extra truck. I assured her it was in Tennessee with her and a few minutes later she called back to let me know she had found it. During the second conversation she told me that she managed to leave her tennis shoes at the cabin in North Carolina and will have to purchase some from Wal-Mart. I'm glad her head is attached or they might be trying to find that for her. When asked when they got to the cabin last night she said it was very late since "we were lost but now are found." Seems they got lost somewhere in Georgia and spent most of the day in that state. Hopefully the trip will go smoother now that they have arrived and unpacked.

Defeated

Yesterday afternoon, the Crawford's and I drove up to Avon Park to watch Beau's game against Marion County. Marion County had slaughtered Melbourne the previous night, so we were unsure of how our team would do. Nonetheless, the Okeechobee team were not nervous just prepared to play the defense as well as the offense. Sadly, Okeechobee didn't do as well as the night before and lost 9-0 in 7 innings. We hit the ball, but Marion County played as well defensively as they did offensively. Brock and Vicki were able to come watch Beau's game as well. Brock had just returned from camping at Ginnie Springs with his Uncle Bill and Aunt DeAnne, so it was great hearing about all the fun he had. He told us about all the animals he saw while there. After the game, we headed to Diary Queen for a Blizzard before driving back to Clewiston.

This afternoon at 2:30 p.m. Okeechobee will face Hernando County. If we win today's game we will play tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m. If we lose we will be out of the tournament. Good luck guys! Wish I were there to cheer for ya'll.

Know Sweat

Anglea is on her way to MilliganCollege for a week of Know Sweat Service Projects with First United Methodist Church in Clewiston. Milligan College lies nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains in the Northeast corner of the State of Tennessee, U.S.Located between Johnson City and Elizabethton on the Milligan Highway, the campus is just minutes from the Tri-Cities (Johnson City, Kingsport and Bristol) region and an hours drive to historic Asheville, North Carolina. Know Sweat teaches students about being servants by providing them with opportunities to serve. Students and sponsors serve the down and out as they do things like yard work, repair work, simple roof work, and painting.

Thirteen youth and 4 adult chaperones met at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday morning to load the van for departure and then attended the early morning service before pulling out. They will spend the night at a cabin in Asheville, North Carolina and then drive to the college on Monday morning. Below is an idea of what their week will consist of:

Monday
2:00-5:00 pm
Check-in
5:45
Dinner
6:45
Sponsor Meeting
8:00
Welcome and Worship
9:30
Group Time
10:30
In Rooms
11:00
Lights Out


Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
6:30 am
Rise and Shine
7:00 am
Devotions: On your own with God
7:30 am
Breakfast
8:30 am
Work Sites
Noon
Lunch at Sites

12:30 pm
Work
3:30 pm
Clean-up, turn-in tools, and free time
5:45 pm
Dinner
7:30 pm
Worship, Message, Group Time
10:30 pm
In Rooms
11:00 pm
Lights Out

Friday
6:30 am
Get up, Devotions, and Pack up
7:30 am
Breakfast
8:15 am
Clean-up and Depart

Ten Run Rule

Last night we drove to Avon Park to watch Beau play with Okeechobee in the 2006 Florida State Pre-Majors Tournament. There are teams from Marion County, Swannee, Melbourne, Sebring, Avon Park, and Okeechobbee competing for the State title . Which ever team wins the tournament will go on to compete for the National title. The game was scheduled to start at 5::30 p.m. however due the Marion County - Melbourne game before ours we didn't start until 6:30 p.m. Marion County clobbered Melbourne 49 - 0. Okeechobee and Avon Park took the field at 6:30 p.m. Okeechobee scored 7 runs in the first inning and Avon Park zero. By the 4th inning it was Okeechobee 13 - Avon Park 0! In the 5th, Avon Park scored 2 runs. Due to the ten run rule Okeechobee took the win 13 -2! Okeechobee will face Marion County today at 5:30 p..m. After the game we went with the team to eat at Pizza Hut. We all had a great time sharing a meal with friends (Kenny & Becky) from Okeechobee.

Birthday Rap

Friday, July 14 was Jonathan’s birthday and wedding anniversary. David has celebrated his birthday with the youth group for the past two years since they have been at camp during that week, but this year it was Jonathan's turn. Each year Jonathan has given David his birthday licks so I thought for sure David would repay him for it. However, he didn't! Instead he got together with the guys in his room and they wrote a Happy Birthday Rap Song for Jonathan and presented him with a T-shirt that read "Old Guys Rule - Aged to Perfection". The lyrics to the rap song went like this:

Today you turn 28
Oh boy I bet you feel great
But wait we didn’t forget your anniversary date
It’s been 5 years thru struggles and tears
God is with you and you have no fear
Back to the birthdays you’re getting pretty old
28 is the age we been told
We know you’re 64 so you don’t have to lie
found any hair remedies or false teeth you might buy?
This shirt says it all "aged to perfection"
I mean look at this wrinkly complexion
You mean a whole lot but a shirt is all you got
What more could you ask for I mean it took an hour to come up with this plot
So in respect to you on your b-day
We are gonna party like 1970, YAY!

I know it's belated, but Happy Birthday Jonathan & Happy Anniversary to both of you!

A Week at Student Life

David is back from a week at Student Life @ the Beach in Daytona, Florida. All the youth had a great time worshiping with 6,992 other people. You read right there were 7,000 in attendance! How awesome that must be to worship with that many people. Here's the highlights from his week:

• Having the opportunity to hear Louie Giglio speak each day.
• Watching Chris Tomlin lead worship.
• Being on beautiful Daytona beach and knowing that the God he serves created it.
• Seeing youth accept the Lord.
• Attempting to find a place to eat that the line wasn't out the door.
• Realizing that he didn't know if he was coming or going ("Is this elevator going up or down?").
• Having a nice bus to ride in.
• Surviving a week without television.
• Being home where Mom is!

Daytona Beach

Worship

Louie Giglio

Shane & Shane

Lori & Hannah

A Cup of Coffee

This morning I took some time away from the office to meet a friend at Common Grounds. Before you think I was slacking off, let me say that this was an outreach as well as a personal meeting. Jennifer Piedra, her husband, Alex, and their two children, Mason and Mia, started coming to our church about a year ago and this is the first opportunity I've had to actually spend any amount of time with her. I throughly enjoyed getting to know more about her, her husband, and children. She is a lovely woman that just has a loving, down to earth spirit about her and her love for the Lord just overflows. I pray that this is just the beginning of many more opportunities of being with her.

Baseball, Baseball & More Baseball

This week we have traveled out of town twice to watch Beau play baseball with the American Legion Team in district games. On Monday, they played in Wellington. After the first two innings a thunderstorm came through delaying the game for about 30 minutes. Once the storm passed the game resumed. They lost 7 - 1. On Thursday night we traveled to Royal Palm Beach to Seminole Park to watch them win the game 7 -3! It's fun watching these boys play and display their talent even though they don't win every game. Their love for the game displays itself each and every game.

Rainy Days

It's that time of year again where it seems to rain everyday. I enjoy the rain but when it rains everyday for a week I begin to grow tired of it. Nevertheless, I don't control the weather so I guess I will just have to deal with it for at least another 10 days . At least that is what the weatherman says. With it raining every day it has caused me to think of how many songs have the word "rain" in their title.

1. Smoky Mountain Rain" - Ronnie Milsap
2. "I'm No Stranger To The Rain" - Keith Whitley
3. "Purple Rain" - Prince
4. "Bring on the Rain" - Tim McGraw
5. "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" - B.J. Thomas
6. "Listen to the Rhythm of the Falling Rain" - Tory Barnett

My all time favorite and the one I'm singing right now - Rain, Rain Go Away!

Student Life Camp

David along with 7 more teenagers and chaperones traveled to Daytona Beach yesterday for a week long Student Conference.The theme for the week is To Phroneo Christou. “The attitude of Christ”, taken from Philippians 2:5 which reads “your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” Chris Tomlin is leading worship and Louie Giglio is the teacher for the week. David was excited to have the opportunity to worship with these wonderful men of God and to hear Louie Giglio bring God's Word. Student Life has provided a website for each camp so that parents and friends may share in their experience by listening to a live audio of the nights worship service as well as seeing pictures from each day. You can check it out at by clicking on the link above. Once David returns I will have him share his experience and his photos from the week.