Save Someone's Life - Maybe Your Own

A friend of mine is battling colon cancer. My doctor told me that colon cancer is a horrible disease. My friend has had chemo and radiation and surgeries to remove parts of her colon.

Her original prognosis was that she had no hope for survival - that she was at stage 4. God stepped in and she is cancer free right now, but she still has to go back for another round of chemo after a quick vacation.

The thing about colon cancer is that it is easy to detect and VERY easy to treat in the early stages. The problem is that no one wants to take the test. I've found that the test really isn't so bad. I blogged about it last year. If you or your friends are over 50 you need to read about my Big Adventure!

It's fun reading and might save someone's life - maybe your own.

A New Adventure
Preparations for the Adventure
The Adventure Continues
The Adventures Exciting Ending Hahaha - no pun intended

Friends Are Friends Forever

No, I'm not going to sing Michael W. Smith's song, but I do want to mention again the wonderful bond we have as followers of Jesus Christ. Last May I posted about this.

http://hilldaleworship.blogspot.com/2008/05/blest-be-tie-that-binds.html

Now these friends that I blogged about last year are in town! They are headed over to my house even as I type. It will be fun catching up with each other and laughing together again.

One of the things this reminds me of is that we are making these kinds of friendships now at Hilldale. As we share times of worship and rehearsal and big productions like "the Tree" and the Passion Play, and as we invest in each others' lives - spending time together through the joys of new babies and the sorrows of funerals - we strengthen those bonds of Christian love.

Many of you do that with your LifeGroups. That is a wonderful thing. If you're not in a LifeGroup you need to find one. You can also do this through other groups - singing in choir, playing on a ball team, etc.

Well, I could probably go on about this, but they will be here soon and I need to put some dishes in the dishwasher.

Call up a friend today and tell them how much you love them.

Friends - Old and New

Day 6 of a week of Thanksgiving.

Philippians 1:3 - Show Context
I thank my God every time I remember you.

2 Thessalonians 1:3 - Show Context
We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.

I put up one of my Christmas trees yesterday. (Cheryl says I can only put up one since we are trying to sell the house.) I have so many wonderful memories that I'm reminded of each year as I hang the ornaments on the tree. And I'm reminded of all the friends I have been blessed to know and love.

One of the joys of being in full-time Christian vocation is that you get to meet a lot of wonderful people over the years at a lot of wonderful churches. As I hang ornaments I'm reminded of friends who gave us ornaments.

This snowman playing the violin is a brand new ornament I got from Brenda. I hung it first.

These pines in front of the Rockies was hand-painted by Alan in Denver.

Here's another hand-painted one by Ruby in Spiro, Oklahoma. We had chickens in Spiro. Ha! The big city kid had moved to a small town and those cute little chicks you used to be able to get your kids for Easter grow up! Who knew?!

These Lyndel and Cheryl snowmen were given to Cheryl by friends at LifeWay.

So Christmas and Thanksgiving are times I am reminded over and over again of how blessed I am - not just with things (house, car, clothes, food, etc.) - but mostly with wonderful relationships: family, old friends, new friends, co-workers... by YOU!

I thank God each time I am reminded of you.

Friends at the SBC

A lot has happened at the Southern Baptist Convention. Too much to put here. Besides, you can read good news reporting about the convention here http://www.bpnews.net/ .

Cheryl, Bro. Larry, Beth and me.

The convention is for doing business of course and for hearing reports of the great things God is doing through our seminaries, churches and SBC agencies. There is great music and preaching too. But the things that makes the SBC great, and our churches great are people - relationships.

We ate supper with Bro. Terry and Bro. Mike and Judy, but I didn't have my camera with me.

Ken and Diane

So it is tons of fun seeing friends from all over the country. Cheryl and I saw friends from many places in TN like Collierville, Columbia and Dresden, (and of course all of the co-workers from LifeWay) and friends from many other states including Oklahoma, Virginia and Kentucky.

Me, David and LeAnn

I thought - too late - to take pictures of everyone, but I got a few.

Andrew, me and Ashley

Where's Waldo?

Wellll..... it's not reaalllly "Where's Waldo?" and I guess it's not really that hard to find me, but I had tons of fun taking my picture with all these great new friends during Vacation Bible School.

Can you find Bro. Larry?

and Bro. Tim?

It's hard to miss me in my red Hawaiian shirt! If you didn't know, you can see me every Wednesday in choir and every Sunday in worship. I'll be looking for you.