Still Missing Henley

This is the top of the Tupperware container that holds our hot dogs. Henley LOVED hot dogs. he probably considered the day he grabbed this off the counter as one of the best events in his life.

He left his mark on the top. And he grabbed a place in our hearts forever.

I'm trying to move on, talking to dog people about Airedales, Irish Wolfhounds, even Great Danes. Taking way too long to make a decision when any of them would probably bring us a wonderful dog (or two).

But there will never, ever, ever be another Henley.

I miss him so much.

We Know Enough

"If there is any meaning in the life of Jesus of Nazareth, it is this: that there is a God who created us, and who loves us so much that He would stop at nothing to bring us to Him. And I really suspect that of all the things we think we want to know, the only thing we really want to know is that we are loved. And if Jesus means anything, He means that you are loved. I hope you know that. And I hope you stop worrying about all the stuff you don't know, because I don't think it amounts to a hill of beans." -Rich Mullins

You Can't Hold On To Summer

November on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Sunny and 77 degrees. Earlier today I was reading on Facebook where one of my pastor friends up north was freezing because he couldn't get but one of the space heaters in his office to work. Well, it was tough down here today too. Couldn't decide whether to open the windows or run the A/C.

Folks that know my beloved and me know that we are not cold weather people. We've quipped many times that we're hoping for a transfer to Key West one day. People around here seem to think we're kidding. :) So summer is our favorite time of year, and it's over. You can't hold on to summer.

I try every year to console myself with what fall brings. No, there's not really a gorgeous change in the foliage. But there are daisies that only show their yellow beauty in October, and our butterfly friends, the Monarchs, pass through in their luminous orange and black splendor. But we're into November now, and I noticed this morning that the daisies were fading away.

Life is lived in movement. The earth is spinning around as it orbits the sun, and the seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years keep moving on.

So why do so many people try so hard to make everything stay the way it is?

And why do so few run with the Wind as it blows?

Younger families are constantly in motion, rushing here and there - taking the kids to this activity and then the next. Older people with all the time in the world, instead of running to the finish line - trying to hold back time.

Solomon in his wisdom wrote:

7 Seize life! Eat bread with gusto, Drink wine with a robust heart. Oh yes—God takes pleasure in your pleasure! 8 Dress festively every morning. Don't skimp on colors and scarves. 9 Relish life with the spouse you love Each and every day of your precarious life. Each day is God's gift. It's all you get in exchange For the hard work of staying alive. Make the most of each one! 10 Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily! This is your last and only chance at it, For there's neither work to do nor thoughts to think In the company of the dead, where you're most certainly headed.

Eccl 9:7-10 (MSG)

You only get one chance at this life on earth - don't try to hold onto yesterday - make the most of the moment for God's glory!

Mondays With Allan

Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters 1 John 4:21 (NLT)

When we lost our big friend Henley the Great Dane to cancer last month, we found ourselves with a house that seemed very empty. Then up walked our friend Allan. On every single visit to our home previously, Allan had never been able to come inside because of his fear of Henley. No matter what we told him about how the worst that could happen would have been some slime if Henley licked him, and maybe some boofing, Allan wouldn't come past the threshold and even asked us to step outside.

But on that day, he came in. It was the first night after we lost Henley and it was a quiet house. Allan fixed that right away. Then he surprised us by staying for supper. After he had eaten he looked at Bunny and asked "when can I come eat with you again?"

Bunny said "How about Monday night?"

And every Monday night since, we've had Allan as a guest at our table.

Allan's a great guest. He'll keep the conversation going, and ask to take your plate to the sink along with his if you are through. His presence and his attitude are that of a servant, and his job is to make you feel better.

He'll never know how much he has done for us in helping us past our grief and reminding us that God uses all His servants in His care for those He loves.

I thank God for His servant of love - our friend - Allan Hill.

Call us if you want to come next Monday night too. :)

Grace and peace,

David Wilson

It's Been Three Weeks Today

We miss him so, so much.

We've been searching for another dog, but it will not be a replacement for this guy. It's hard.

Sunday Recap Nov 1 2009

After a great time with the Halloween outreach movie bash, we gathered to celebrate God's goodness and learn more about how to follow Jesus.

Our music reflected the message to come:

Come, Now Is the Time To Worship
God of This City
It Is Well With My Soul
Jesus Paid It All

In hindsight, it was noted that there was a mix of older and newer songs. Frankly, that was not a consideration when they were chosen - it just worked out that way. We have a list of all the songs we do, and what the song says - not what style it is in - is why we choose them. In my opinion the moment you have to satisfy a need to "blend" songs based on when they were written you can find yourself having to say no to what God would have you do in favor of satisfying people's preferences. It's great when it happens because you do have several generation's "heart music", but if we set our goal toward moving toward God in worship, that sort of thing will happen supernaturally.

Continuing in the "Chase the Goose" series based on Batterson's "Wild Goose Chase", we tackled the "Cage of Guilt." The basic idea was that we have been conditioned over a lifetime to have our past keep us from experiencing the best that God has for us in the future. We have to learn to put our past in its place and follow the life-giving Spirit forward.




The first part of the message was establishing the truth of behavioral conditioning. Then we dove into the Scripture to see just how God calls us forward.

Long Day

It is like herding cats. Even when your goal (unlike that of the dog above) is worthy, beneficial, and biblical with the best interest of your friends at the center of what you do.

Pastoral work - all of it - is tied to the relationships you have with the people God has placed you on mission with. There's no "work friends" and "real friends". You begin each week praying for them to God. While you study the Bible and listen to what the Spirit is saying they are on your mind and heart. The message is crafted (just as all the teaching is - just as the music is - just as the events are - just as... everything is) to the glory of God and the building up of the faith in your fellow believers.

You will experience resistance. (BIG GRIN - and all the pastors reading this go "duh")

You will be disappointed when people you thought were farther along trip over things they should long since picked up and moved aside.

And there will be times when you just want to run into the woods. Or to the beach. :)

These Are Not the Dogs You Are Looking For

The family are giving me grief about how slow my search for our next number 1 dog is going. But I'm telling you, there are a lot of ugly dogs out there.

The Anguish of Job

22 Innocent or wicked, it is all the same to God.

That’s why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
23 When a plague sweeps through,

he laughs at the death of the innocent.
Job 9:22-23 (NLT)

We are studying the book of Job on Wednesday nights, and when we got to these verses last night there seemed to me to be a real chilling effect apparent on our group.

"He laughs at the death of the innocent." - yeah, that'll do it.

Further word study didn't help.
Hebrew Strong's Number: 3932
Hebrew Word: ‏לָעַג‎
Transliteration: lāʿag
a primitive root; to deride; by implication (as if imitating a foreigner) to speak unintelligibly :- have in derision, laugh (to scorn), mock (on), stammering.
—Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary

But other scholars shed some light.

One may think that here Job spoke wrongly about God (9:23), for is it true that God really "laughs when a plague suddenly kills the innocent"? But the meaning of the word "laughs" must be understood in the context of 9:23-24, where Job was speaking of times of calamity or when wicked persons were in power. God destroys both the guiltless and the wicked in military or natural disasters (9:22), and in that sense he does mock the despair of the innocent. Innocence is no plea against suffering in this world. That sentiment is of one piece with the teaching of Ecclesiastes, which shows that being either good or bad is no guarantee of prosperity in this life because death mocks everyone.—Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary

And Spurgeon wrote some very helpful words when he opined:

"As one is startled by a shriek, or saddened by a groan, so these sharp utterances of Job astonish us at first, and then awake our pity. Physical sufferings had placed a strain on Job's mind, and he sought relief by expressing his anguish. Like some solitary prisoner in the gloomy keep of an old castle, he carves on the walls pictures of the abject despondencies which haunt him. His afflictions are aggravated by vain efforts to alleviate them: he wounds his hand with the rough hammer and nail with which he is engraving his griefs.

Of such tortures many of us have had a taste." - Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Yes we have.

And if we are not careful, our experiences can twist our view of God and place us in error. Job was not describing God as He is. He was describing God as He appeared to be based on Job's knowledge of Him and his situation at that time.

Remember this.

35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” )

37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:35-39 (NLT)

Amen.