News & Updates

[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”] This morning I was still looking for the best that was yet to come. It didn’t. Lucy walked by at 7:15 this morning, but this time without a smile. I sprung up from my chair and gushed, “Lucy, we were so sorry you couldn’t make our dinner last night.” She said sternly, “I was here on…

The ocean was calm this morning. It has remained still most of the day, and the breeze has even been a bit easier on my normally strained umbrella. All day there was a sun-dulled sense of anticipation that the best was yet to come. Hmmm. Ephesians chapter five was a great study this morning. I’m thinking, at this point, we’ll take CCC through Ephesians in 2011. God, let us be in awe again of the Bride of Christ. Paul’s analogy…

[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”] What a great morning. I got out on the beach around 6:30 and breathed in the calm waters. A glassy gulf coast usually makes for some great sights in the morning… particularly dolphin. I never tire of seeing the majesty and glory of God through dolphin. So very cool. I was also intrigued by a very…

Guess what the number one topic among beach walkers is these days? Yep. Tar balls. Exciting stuff. Even in central Florida where there are no signs of invading BPeeps, it’s what everyone is talking about. You can hear all about tar balls and rumors of tar balls all up and down the beach. Someone said this whole mess was caused by a critical error not to install a $350k shut off valve in the controversial oil well. It was a…

thought I’d do a video blog for a study break saturday update. have a GREAT Sunday everyone. click on the below link to watch video blog… Movie on 2010-06-05 at 23.05

Sherry likes novels with at least a five inch girth. Like a toddler’s unrelinquished blankie, Sherry doesn’t put her cherished novels down until the last page is coddled and absorbed. I lose my wife for a few days, and then I get the summation. Oh the summation. You can’t get a quick summation when a novel boasts thirty plus chapters, and a back cover touting something about “love, compassion, and self-discovery.” Ugh. On the other hand, I read books about…

Someone built a huge, detailed sand castle close to where I usually camp my beach chair and umbrella. I was undeterred by the many gawkers, and camped out in my usual place. It really was an impressive sand castle. The morning walkers were all a buzz. I heard someone say they’d never seen anything like it. I looked to see if that person was also wearing a yellow radio headset to pull in their favorite FM station. One onlooker glanced…

There was a young family who plopped their beach necessities in front of me this morning. Chairs were placed, umbrellas were set, floatation devices inflated, suncreen applied, baby with big floppy hat propped up on bamboo mat, and just like that — another vacation was up and running. The baby started to cry. Sherry leaned over and interrupted my reading. “Who would bring a baby to the beach?” she whispered. “Yeah, people would have to be nuts to hit the…

I hit the sand early this morning. 6:30 a.m. I was immediately curious if Lucy would walk by. I wrote about her last year. http://alansstudybreak.blogspot.com/2009/06/her-name-is-lucy.html 6:30 turned quickly into a beautiful sunrise and 7 a.m. The shadows were giving way to the blue and orange invasion of the sun. The morning moon captivated me, but looking upward seemed to untether me from earth. I wondered if Lucy had literally done the same. Was she still alive? In her eighties last…

We pulled into our Florida hideaway around 10:30 last night.  After a great Sunday at CCC, the eight hour drive made our beds seem all the more comfy. Sherry and I talked a bit about the privilege of having a study break over the years. We’ve been doing this summer routine for about ten years. It has helped our family, marriage, and ministry remain vital and connected. It’s incredibly reassuring to be a part of a church that values the…