News & Updates

(Read Mark 9-11; 73% through “Simply Jesus” by N.T. Wright) In the early morning hours, I saw a man walking on water.  I was reading through Mark 6.  However, when I looked up from my wind-blown scriptures, there really was a guy walking past me on the ocean water!  At least in a brief second, it seemed that way.  When a deceptive wave had subsided, I could see that this was a mere paddle surfer.  Shoot.  I thought the scripture…

(read MarK 4 – 8; 36% of “Simply Jesus” by N.T. Wright) If shade is the goal of using a beach umbrella, the rules for effectiveness are necessary.  Tilting into the wind ensures stability.  Positioning your chair in the subsequent diameter of shade is crucial.  Repositioning your chair with changing sun coordinates is an ongoing mandate.  Attempting to use the umbrella when said sun is lower than the actual umbrella itself is futile.  It’s a lot of work, and there…

(read Mark 2 & 3; finished “The Explicit Gospel” by Matt Chandler) A public beach seems anything but.  It’s an oxymoron; a complete contradiction of terms.  What I see some people wearing at the beach is not what they would wear anytime, anywhere, and any place called public.  That’s a good thing.  How do loving family members turn a blind eye to such fashion.  What kind of friend actually says, “Oh, that looks good on you.” Prosperity gospel is another…

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] (read Mark 1 and first half of “The Explicit Gospel” by Matt Chandler) Last night we walked to a native drum circle just up the beach.   This wild and wooly sight unfolds every Sunday night just as the sun is sinking into the Gulf.  It’s a sight to see, and my kids won’t miss it.  Some…

This past Thursday night we finished off a week-long celebration of Lauren’s (my second born) high school graduation.  It was the official ceremony for Lauren receiving her diploma.  For lots of reasons, we were anxious to get this one in the books.  Primary on our list was leaving for study break the following morning.  Secretly, I had already gone into study break mode a few days earlier. I always want to hear Jesus on my study break.  That really is…

We didn’t “Face Our Fears” last night.  The lack of enthusiasm was disguised as sleepiness, but I know better.  I’m told we’ll face our fears tonight, with this being our last available night to do so. Who knew intentional displacement was so hard?  Sherry would even attach  words like suffering and death as her children and husband plunge their tenderized, baked bodies into a dark ocean where sharks and giant squids have caught wind of our aspirations.  All I can…

I think they call it intentional displacement.  Seems like I read about this somewhere recently.  Getting out of your comfortable life rut, and displacing yourself into a circumstance where something is bound to happen is the goal.  We did it last night, and we’ll do it again tonight. Our annual midnight breakfast was last night.  At 12:20 a.m. the Scott family was ordering from a Denny’s menu.  We’ve always had so much fun with these.  Last night was no exception…

Any new and brilliant idea is met with resistance.  Innovators make up a piddly 2.5% of the population, while strong resistors make up about 50%.  Such was my burden in attempting a new and different kind of family photograph to grace our Christmas card this year.  I like to capture our annual photo during study break.  This year I wanted an underwater portrait.  When’s the last time you’ve seen one of those come through your holiday mail?   An underwater…

I’ve been wondering why God has made this unique connection between Lucy and me during study breaks.  For the past several years, a vaguely familiar beach walker has become a good friend.  Why have I connected more and more with this 86-year-old beach dweller from Clarksville, TN?  Why do we talk about everything under the sun for about three miles each morning?  What’s the purpose of this? This morning Lucy seemed to stop and talk more than usual.  Maybe it…

  I walked the beach very early this morning and saw something I have never seen before.  Bursting out of the still ocean water was a huge, grey and white Manta Ray.  It jumped fully out of the water for a brief couple seconds, and then disappeared.  I took this as a God-gem designed only for my soul.  This day, I began thinking, would bring something new to my heart and thoughts about the church. The newness and smile of…