Vacation - Cleveland, TN (USA)

This entry comes to you from the kitchen/apartment of my host and long time friends Jerry & Diana white in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I lived in Cleveland, Tennessee from 8/01 to 3/08 while receiving my formal education, thus this area is a “home” to me as other places are such as Hiawassee, GA.

I was picked up on Thursday (10/15) in Pigeon Forge by Jerry and driven to Chattanooga. But prior to arriving we decided to drive to the new South Cleveland Church of God location and give me a tour. It was my home church during my days as a Clevelander. But they are in a new facility I had not seen. They are wonderful people who I miss often. During the tour we were both hoping to run into Pastor Chris Moody and we were fortunate enough to do so. He asked what was going on with me and I informed him of my work at victory, I also meat the new secretary of SC as we entered the building. We then came to the apartment cleaned up and went to dinner at Cracker Barrel. Upon arriving back home we watched the UC football game but I think I feel asleep before it ended

On Friday (10/16) we got up and went to the local YMCA as a guest so I could use the handicap accessible shower facilities to bath. After talking to Crystal their “director of memberships” (I think) she let me know that I had very away membership visits available to me as an “away” member when I am traveling which is the type of thing I was hoping for. Praise the Lord. I also had a funny experience happen while in the hot tub with two Senior aged ladies, but because this is able to be read world wide it will not be discussed here but if your are interested in a funny, self-deprecating story about me all you have to do is ask.

In the afternoon, I as blessed to be able to eat at one of my favorite restaurants (mostly for the food which is not like me because atmosphere means more to me then food), and go to one of my favorite places The American Café inside Hamilton Place Mall here in Chattanooga. I love it because it has one of the largest numbers of nice clothing stories under one roof, the only one better that I have been to the Mall of Georgia located in Lawrenceville. While there we meat up with Lexi and Deon and Jerry’s wonderful grandchildren and both enjoyed trying out some of the wonderful messieurs and sleep mask at Brookstone as well as Jerry’s first experience at looking inside a BR (Banana Republic). Can you believe it? After grabbing a Pizza on our way we went home.

Saturday (10/17) was a lazy day I did nothing but watch college foot from the recliner in the living room while reaming in my PJ’s all day and being wonderfully severed my meals throughout the day and not leaving the chair once, thank you Jesus, Jerry, and Diana for a great day. By the way, how about the two horrible calls the helped Florida defeat Arkansas? With officials helping Florida like that Arkansas did not need to loose because the officials will make sure of it for them, in other action, Texas over Oklahoma and Purdue over my Buckeyes to break their Big Ten road winning streak.

Yesterday (10/18) was two services at SC. The worship was wonderful in typical SC style under the leadership of Jay Garcia. He is new since I left, although I had meat him prior to that service. Pastor Moody read from Isaiah 43 and then laid hands on people including me for at lease 1½ or longer. It was wonderful and something that I miss greatly. In the afternoon I watch NFL football (Pitt vs. Cleve, Pitt wins) with my mind on the Bengalis and u am said to report that they fall to 4-2 with the loss. The Evening services at SC was preach by Jason Sharp the SC youth pastor. He preached from Hosea 11 which was the passage he choose for his OT paper in his OT class at the Church of God Theological Seminary of which I helped. It was really cool to hear him preach from that text because of that fact. Keep preaching Jason Sharp and know that God is with you. After service I talked to a few friends, went home ate cereal, watched the Bears and Falcons of the NFL had a “disabled moment” as I like to call then, watched stuff on Wal-Mart as a company and Sam Walton as a person (two separate programs) and went to bed.

This morning (10/19) I woke up early came into the kitchen, surfed the web and began witting this blog

Well Jason Brothers Ministries International Inc supports and world that is the latest in my vacation, what a wonderful visit I am having with Jerry as well as a vacation overall. I love you South Cleveland very much and I covet your prayers as I continue my international ministry I have never nor will I ever forget about you. Keep me close to your hart. Thanks Sister Philips for your complement

Until Next Time

Louisville Update

(This entry was started in Louisville but finished and posted while here in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee)

Well its time for a Louisville update. I have had some wonderful surprises, but in my usual melancholy way I will present it to you in the order in which they occurred in am effort to maintain some sort of order. I will not tell you everything but those things that I believe you would find most interesting. This will more then likely be my day ups o during domestic, (non planned) ministry trips. However, when it comes to international trips I hope to give a day-by-day account even if the day-by-day account is not actually posted daily.

The first Sunday (10/4/09) I was at Eastside Praise Ministry Center sanctuary, the church where Brooks serves as youth pastor that I attended while in Louisville, I was told from the pulpit by Senior pastor Mike Smith that I would testifying in the evening service. I was extremely & presently surprised. Therefore during the evening service I did share my personal testimony. As usual it was enjoyable and well received. Praise God. Pastor Smith enjoyed it because he made a few references to it during his sermon which fallowed. I did not see that blessing coming but it was wonderful to be able to minister at Eastside. Gracen and I laughed way too much during Sunday School/focus group, but it was soooooooooooooo much fun.

Thursday was Daniel’s day off so that was the day that he had chosen to show me Louisville. Our first stop was at Cracker Barrel and I had a healthy breakfast.

From there we went to Southeast Christian Church. It is one of the largest churches in the nation. They have about 20,000 people attend churches on a given weekend because they have services on both Saturday & Sunday. We first visited “920” it is a coffee house located near the entrance of the church. Then we visited the bookstore and I wrote down titles of books I would like to pick up later own down the road of my financial plan. Next, we went by without going through the children’s “wing”. It was a hallway or two with rooms designated to certain grade or group of grade levels. Next was the ministry recourse center. It was the churches library. Yes, I said library. You could check out books, music, and even surf the web. As a former seminary student, the idea of a church having a library absolutely fires me up. I know that my close friend Harry (from my days at Lee) would feel the same way, right bro? Then we went to two different fellowship halls which were big enough to be most churches main sanctuary. In fact, Gracen told me after the fact, that she attended a Beth Moore Bible study in one of them that had at least 300 women attending it. From there, I went to a series of rooms where regular small groups are held. Each room is uniquely decorated, posses a small kitchen, seating area, a flat screen TV, and looks like small modern studio apartment. Next was the prayer room. As you might expect it was no ordinary prayer room. Not as large as either one of the fellowship halls, but not small by any stretch of the imagination. It had lots of space, several places to sit with corresponding tables. Then came the big one, the sanctuary, it was huge. To say to was big is actually a gorse understatement. It did not feel like a sanctuary as much as it did an arena or stadium. The closest thing to it that I have seen is Phoenix First Assembly of God. It possesses four levels of seats as well as a baptistery that is not on it own high level as I have seen in most churches, rather it was location in its own section of the platform. I hope that given you an idea how big the platform is. Next I saw their chapel. It seemed to be close to the size of the sanctuary of the Eastside Praise Ministry Center sanctuary. Then we visited the forth floor, yes I said the forth floor of the facility and after stepping off the elevator we finished our pleasantries with the older women who road it with us and quickly turned around and went don to the main floor and after grabbing the churches free business phone book and saying hello to someone we both left the facility. However, that was not all there was to it. Although we did not go into any of them we drove by their youth building known as “the block” and I think the other building is used as an exercise facility. My simple reaction to all that I saw there is WOW.

Our next stop was the Louisville Slugger Factory & Museum. As a sports fan I loved this experience. The factory & museum offers a $10/appox 30 min tour. It was so worth it. It tells the history and method of production of the bats via a series of videos that you view while walking through the factory on a predetermined path. How cool. Professional players can have a bat made at whatever specifications they desire and the specifications are stored in the memory of the machine. Of course, the factory did not do this in its early days but is now possible do it technological advances. To that end, when first walking in, prior to going on the tour you are able to see some of the oldest most nostalgic, and valuable bats in baseball history. As you might expect, these bats are all store behind Plexiglass. Again, how cool. There were also life-size wax figure of former and current players, Babe Ruth and Ken Griffey Jr. to name as few as well as being the only two I can recall off hand. Not to my surprise, there was a gift shop where many things other then bats can be purchased. Although you can purchase bats ($65 for the top quality bats). There is a very, very tall, cool looking fake bat located outside the museum. They give all participants in the tour an authentic Louisville Slugger mini bat with the official logo on it. The only problem I have with it is that is has the factory and museum logo as well as the official Louisville Slugger logo. This is wonderful must see place to visit for all sports fans who find themselves in Louisville Kentucky.

The next stop was Churchill downs. For those of you that do not know it is the horseracing track where the annual “Kentucky Derby” takes place. It is the biggest horse race in the sport. However, it was raining at this point was we decide d to not get out. But I think this will likely not be my only trip to Louisville, KY so I will try to go inside on my next visit.

We then sent to Southern Baptists Theological Seminary. The goal of the visit was to visit the bookstore. Daniel told me in a joking manner to not take money because if I did I would buy something. But to his disappointment the store was closed because we arrived after 5.
We drove through/bye the University of Louisville (U of L) campus. From the outside the facilities looked cool and went on for blocks. We decided to eat at the U of L Fall of Fame Café. The only thing I had I was a non-alcoholic combination of fruit juices and various types of teas. It was awesome.

The next day (10/9) I was granted the privilege of speaking at Carrithers Middle School to a group of Christian students for 10-15 minutes. I have to thank Daniel and those at Carrithers Middle School for the opportunity. I simply share an age appropriate version of my testimony. But that is not what is memorable and noteworthy but one of the questions was. The first was “why is your chair purple”? Of all the questions that could be asked, that is what they chose to ask. That is children/young people at that age for you. After all they think in simplistic concrete pictures. It was a blast answering such a question. FYI, the second question was “how old were you when you got your first wheelchair?” Answer: 5

Saturday was collage football & youth group rummage sale prep. Sunday was another Bangles win with a late minute forth quarter game winning drive by Plummer and company with a TD pass to Coldwell (I think). Sunday night was fun because it was a church-wide fellowship dinner where we laughed long and hard.

Monday we drove from Louisville, KY to Pigeon Forge, TN. When we were an hour from our destination we got caught in a traffic jam do to a tractor trailer being turned over. Please say a prayer for those involved, I just did. We did not move for an hour or more and moved very few feet for about three hours. Once arriving I was able to make the second half of my nephew Austin’s last home game of the season. We saw him have an interception and score a touchdown. Way to go man.

It has been a great trip and there is more to come.
Please stay connected to the blog and leave feedback as well. I do not know who is reading this unless you interact with me. I look forward to hear from all of you. My apologies for any and all present and future typographical errors but after all it is ministry/personal blog and I am also anxious to submit posts and get dialogue going.

Until Next Time

Louisville, KY (USA)

I am writing this entry from the living room of Dan & Gracen Brooks in Louisville KY. He is one of my direst friends from my undergraduate days at Lee University this is the first of several stops on a 3 ½ week vacation from now until 10/24. It has been three years since I have seen either one of them, the last being their wedding which I was in. I will be writing as I go along on this fun journey. Who knows what is going to happen but one thing is for sure it is going to be a blast. FYI tonight I ate at Mark’s feed store