08.14.08
Posted in Random Musings
at 9:29 pm
Dawna and I just arrived in Houston, having been on the road
in our coach for 6 days. It was, for the most part, a nice ride,
although we had an unnecessary breakdown in Hammond, LA
that cost us a day and too much money. It’s wonderful to be
back here again with her youngest son, the doggies, and to
be in the southern homestead again.
We traveled through a number of states this trip, and it always
hits me that no matter where you go, people are mostly the
same. We all laugh, smile, worry, wonder, and love. Most of
us have the same aspirations, many of us share the same code
of morals, and so on. Our accents may differ, but when you
travel a lot, you really come to realize that we’re all a lot more
alike than we are different. Regardless of differences, those of
us in America are Americans, folks who live in Canada are Can-
adians, etc.
One of the things that I enjoy doing is studying Google Anal-
ytics regarding my little website. I’ll check them at night, at
times daily, sometimes after a couple of days. This evening,
for whatever reason, I just decided to check the last month,
to try and get an overview of those who access my website.
In the last 30 days, people from 32 of these United States
came by for a look. North Carolina led the list with 73 visits
in the month. Five Canadian provinces showed up, and the
thing that led me to write this was the following:
Venezuela, Brazil, Benin, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Germany,
India, Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, N. Ireland, Scotland,
Republic of Ireland, England, Wales, Bahamas, Malaysia, and
Israel were the other countries represented in the list. In one
month, this was amazing to me. The English folks led the in-
ternational list with well over 100 hits. So far this year, the
total of countries represented is nearing 100. This totally
humbles and amazes me. Yet, completely apart from any-
thing to do with this website, it’s a thrilling thing to see
just how small our world has become.
And it hit me - since I have to assume that the majority of
people who visited this site are Christians, this shows what
a global community the church has become as well. One man
from Australia e-mailed me a while back to tell me that he’d
listened to a series of messages that I’d given on I Peter. I
wrote him back immediately to ask where on earth he had
gotten the series, and he pointed me to several websites
where messages of many of us can be found, and can be
downloaded free of charge. I went to the first one that he
had mentioned, and there were more than 200 messages
that I’ve given through the years. I was stunned. The in-
ternet that has brought the human race together in ways
we couldn’t dream of ten years ago, has also brought the
church together in unprecedented ways. Especially since
there’s so much junk on the internet, the fact that we in
the church are a community here is pretty neat, don’t
you think?
It got me to thinking of a coming day when, from every
tribe, tongue, people, and nation, we’ll be gathered in a
brand new home; knowing as even now we’re known -
perfect in every way, an eternal community occupied
with one glorious purpose. There will be no language
barriers then, no separation, no differences in any way.
One church, no spots, no wrinkles, millions of souls who
make up the bride of Christ. This is just a tiny foresight
of that grand day.
It has me thinking “Maranatha!” I cannot wait!
Summer blessings….
Alan
Permalink
08.04.08
Posted in Random Musings
at 3:04 pm
Right up front, allow me to say that I’m not much of a movie buff.
My family knows this well. If I’m going to watch anything, it will
either be news or the occasional sports program. But lately, we
have a new system going in our growing household, and they’re
calling it Friday night movie night. We’ll order pizza or someone
will cook, and we’ll watch a movie that one of them has chosen.
Everyone knows that while I love having everyone here, I’ll prob-
ably endure whatever it is we’ll watch. Having said that, some
of the movies have been pretty remarkable. Just don’t tell the
kids that, okay?!
Last Friday night we watched a movie that I wouldn’t neces-
sarily recommend, but it was touching. Two men - who were
total opposites - were told that they had 6 months to live, and
in the most unlikely of circumstances, they formed a list of the
things they wanted to do before they died. Like too much out
of Hollywood, there were words that I wish hadn’t been said,
and scenes I wish hadn’t been included. But, while the two
men were sitting gazing on the ancient pyramids in Egypt,
one of them remarked that the ancient Egyptians had this
belief; that when a soul stood outside of Heaven, they were
asked two questions. Their entrance into Heaven was based
on their answers. Admittedly this was from a pagan system,
and in no way whatsoever is this the basis for my little essay
today. But the questions reformed themselves in my mind, to
the point where from a Christian perspective, I’ve given them
some thought.
First, “Have you found real joy in your life?” Secondly, “Has
your life brought joy to others?” Interesting, isn’t it, that a
positive answer to but two questions gained a soul their
entrance into Heaven? I dare say that many in the world
today are basing their eternity, sadly, on even less than
that. And yet, those are cogent questions nonetheless…
So I ask you, as I asked myself, “Have you found real joy
in your life?” Anyone who has accepted Christ as personal
Savior can instantly smile and say yes. But it’s deeper
than that, isn’t it? I remember reading a book once, and
a chapter of it focused on how many days of our lives
we’ve really lived…not just existed, or gone through the
motions of another day, but really been alive. Some call
these “defining moments”; when every cell of your being
felt gloriously alive. The times that you’ll never forget, or
forget when it was or where you were when you lived it.
I imagine that most of us are alike, in that most of the
days of our lives just blend into each other, only broken
up by those too-rare experiences of living. I think that
we would all do well to make each moment try and count
more. Even little things that don’t cost a cent - going to
the beach, dropping whatever we’re doing to just have
fun with our loved ones, late-night conversations where
we forget the clock and just talk. These are what we
remember, and the memories bring joy.
Question #2 - “Have our lives brought joy to others?”
Ah…this one may make us leave our comfort zones. We
do live in a very selfish and self-centered society, don’t
we? Inevitably, it’s bound to filter down to the family of
God, and, I think it has. Remember the One Who said
“I didn’t come to be served, I came to serve”. Obviously
we hope that our lives bring joy to the ones who we love
the most, but that usually comes easily. A life well-lived
is one that’s missed when it’s over. I’ve been asking my-
self how much I’ll be missed, if my life ends sooner than
I’d prefer. Have I sown the seeds necessary to really be
missed? Not just by Dawna and my kids, and my very best
of friends, but everyone that crosses my path? Have I
invested the time, talents, spiritual gifts, humor, and
the caring in others that will be necessary for my life
to have brought joy to others? Introspection need not
be overly self-centered, and these thoughts can be a
healthy exercise.
And who would have thought…it was a movie that
got me thinking of these things! Maybe I just need
a better attitude about these Friday night gather-
ings. 
Be well, and happy….
Alan
Permalink
07.04.08
Posted in Random Musings
at 8:34 am
Hey, everyone!
Dawna and I are sitting outside under the awning, watching a beautiful
new day unfold. It’s July 4th, and with apologies to our friends across
the pond in England, today celebrates the 232nd birthday of the USA.
I made eleven trips out of the the country last year alone, as well as
many more through the years; I’m well aware of the anti-USA rhetoric
in many countries. It’s not new, and, I suppose, tied to some degree
to the fact that we’re the world’s last remaining superpower, for now,
at least. But, I always pause on this holiday to give thanks that I live
in this great country. We may have gotten our start in rebellion, just
as another grand country - Australia - began as a penal colony. The
passing of decades tends to blur much of our beginnings, after all. I
appreciate this country for a multitude of reasons. Here are a few:
In the last century, we finally entered two wars “to end all war”. Our
brave men and women went to fight in lands far away. Many died on
foreign soil, and their remains are buried there. Many of the parents
of those soldiers never got to see their graves. I know (or knew) a
few of those parents, and their sacrifice was enormous. Our nation
hadn’t been attacked, but our allies had been. Stable democracies
and monarchies were being threatened, and the US went to help in
their preservation. And frankly, regardless of personal animosities, I
think that’s one of the things that characterizes my nation’s history.
I respect that. We’ve gone abroad to help nations remain nations
that today, claim to despise us. We send billions of taxpayer’s dol-
lars each year to nations that consider us enemies. We do so from a
position of knowing that regardless of whatever we send, those who
receive the funds won’t change their opinion of us. We also “loan”
untold sums to countries around the world, and continue to do so
despite the fact that supposedly only two have ever bothered to
repay the loans. We stand united in our support of Israel. And yet,
when our nation was attacked on 9/11, and we’ve finally fought
our own battles in Iraq and Afghanistan, the world claims to hate
us, and our current President. Honestly, I don’t understand it for
a moment. But, it doesn’t bother me very much…very little that
we’ve tried has worked anyway, as regards world opinion. Today,
I give thanks for my country. God has blessed us richly, and no
matter where my travels have taken me, I’m always happy - and
proud - to come back home.
On a personal level, God has also blessed me in Dawna, in ways
that are too numerous for an essay like this. Alan Jr. has moved
back home, at least for the summer. When Devin’s lease runs out
at the end of this month, he’ll also be moving home. Shannon is
at the house most days when she’s finished work, and to watch
my kids interacting with Dawna is amazing to me. She’s already
filling our lives with amazing love, humor, wisdom, and grace. She
impresses everyone wherever we travel, and it’s just no wonder.
We purchased a pre-owned motor coach for our travels. When I
finish this blog, I’ll put a link at the bottom to show you a photo
of it. For you who RV, it’s a Fleetwood Discovery, 38′ long. Built
on a Freightliner XL chassis, it has a rear Cummins diesel engine
and a 6-speed Allison World transmission. Yes, diesel fuel isn’t
exactly cheap these days, but that enabled us to buy the coach
for a whole lot less than we’d have been able to, had diesel fuel
been as reasonable as it was two years ago. We’re averaging
all of 10.6 mpg with it in the first 2500 miles of travel. Folks who
know say that’s wonderful for a coach that weighs over 13 tons.
Having almost every comfort of home as we travel is a real joy.
We won’t take it on every trip, of course, but we did the math;
and with airline travel also rising dramatically in cost, buying two
tickets is often a lot more expensive than driving this rig. It is a
dawn of a new era for us, and we’re really loving it.
Life is good again. So good. So many of you prayed this for me,
as so many of Dawna’s friends prayed the same for her. We both
thank you - more than words can express. We’re together at a
magnificent RV campground in North Carolina, overlooking a lake
with geese and ducks. Soon I’ll head back inside and turn on the
satellite TV and catch up on some news. We’re relaxing, and just
loving being together in our little home away from home.
To all of our fellow Americans, Happy Independence Day. My hope
is that all of us who are Christians - in every country - pause this
day to give thanks to our God for our ultimate independence, born
of enormous pain, when our Savior purchased our eternal redemp-
tion on Golgotha. My dear friend Neil Enloe said it best, in his song
The Statue of Liberty. This song garnered him two Dove awards.
In New York harbor, stands a lady,
With her torch raised to the sky.
And all who see her, know she stands for
Liberty for you and me.
I’m so proud to be called an American.
To be named with the brave and the free.
I will honor the flag and our trust in God,
And the Statue of Liberty.
On lonely Golgotha, stood a cross,
With my Lord raised to the sky.
And all who kneel there live forever,
As all the saved can testify.
I’m so glad to be called a Christian!
To be named with the ransomed and whole.
As the statue liberates the citizen,
So the cross liberates the soul.
Yes the cross is my statue of liberty.
It was there that my soul was set free.
Unashamed I’ll proclaim that old rugged cross
Is my statue of liberty!
Blessings, my friends…
Alan and Dawna
Our “New” Coach
Permalink
06.06.08
Posted in Random Musings
at 11:40 am
Hey, everyone!
I’m writing this from hot, steamy Texas. We’re back from our wedding,
which was on a beautiful cruise ship, and our honeymoon cruise. All of
it is a bit of a blur still, but I wanted to thank you for your prayers, and
for all of your e-mails and phone calls of congratulations. We appreciated
every single one of them, and the cards.
My brother Lin performed the ceremony, and Dawna and I have both told
him that not a single word could have been improved on. There were a
few tears, and some laughter, and we both still can hardly believe that
we’re “here”. God is so good. The cruise was fantastic, and I think the
kids will be talking about it for a long time to come. We had only one day
of rain, in Grand Cayman, that interfered a bit with our shore plans; but
it sure didn’t ruin the day.
Our plans are still incomplete, but we’re planning to leave here for SC in
a week or so. We’ll be driving our big diesel motor coach home; a trip that
just two years ago, would have cost about a quarter of what it will now.
Traveling these days has just about become painful, but there isn’t a lot
that we can do about it!
Here’s a picture of Dawna and me from our first shipboard dinner. Again,
all I can say is that God is just so, so good….In Dawna, He has given me
a gift that I can’t describe. She’s everything that I thought, and every-
thing that I ever dreamed of, and a whole lot more. I can’t wait for you
all to meet her!
I’ll be back in touch here once we’re in Myrtle Beach, and trust that this
finds you well, happy, and enjoying a good and safe summer!
Blessings…
Alan
Mr. and Mrs. Alan Parks
Permalink
02.28.08
Posted in Random Musings
at 8:53 am
Alan and Dawna
My dear friends,
It’s with a really happy heart that I announce that I’m engaged to be married!
A great friendship with a Texas beauty led to a whole lot more as last year
unfolded, and by early Fall, I began to realize that I didn’t want to continue
life without her in it. Over the holidays, I asked her if she would marry me, and
to my wonderful surprise and delight, she said yes!
Her name is Dawna Dickens, and she has come in to our lives, winning us with
her always-happy disposition, her incredible capacity to love, an infectious wit,
and her very real spirituality. Dawna’s the type of girl who wakes up happy,
lives that way through the day, and says goodnight with a happy smile. It’s
so wonderful to be in love again, to be loved, and so happy again. Dawna’s
husband was a fair bit older than she was, and died in his sleep after many
years of heart disease. She has two wonderful sons, 20 and 24, and they’re
already my sons too. My family has welcomed her, and love her…I thought
I’d never see Shannon so happy again, and to hear her call Dawna “Mom” is
an amazing thing.
We plan to be married on May 25th in TX, and will make our home base here
in Myrtle Beach. For now, we’ll continue to keep Dawna’s home in TX, as her
sons and her parents are there. Her parents are older, and rely heavily on
her. They’re so happy for us, but scared for themselves, as they need her
so much. We’re hoping that we’ll be able - or at least Dawna will be able -
to fly back to her home one week per month.
This August 15th will mark 40 years since the first time that my brother Lin
and I stood in front of a large crowd, sang, and received compensation for
it. Hard to believe. I write that, to say that I’m very used to “life in the fish-
bowl”, but it’s all new to Dawna. She’s gladly entering a whole new arena,
and I feel very protective of her. Dawna will be traveling with me on most
of my trips, possibly almost all of them, and when you meet her, you will
notice her warmth and people skills…I’m in awe of how amazingly well she
meets people. Everywhere we’ve been, she just wows the folks. Please
make sure that when we’re in your area together, you come up and say
hello to her, will you? I’m so anxious for her to meet all of my friends!
Many of you have told me that this is an answer to your prayers. I can’t
tell you just how humbling this is, that you would be praying for this, when
I couldn’t dare to. Thank you, my dear friends…
A couple of picture links are below, so you can view the beautiful lady who
has filled our lives so wonderfully. When the picture comes up, click on it to
make each one of them somewhat larger.
Blessings,
Alan
alandawna2.jpg
alan-and-dawna.jpg
Permalink
12.23.07
Posted in Random Musings
at 6:27 pm
I started writing this on Friday, sitting in the New Orleans airport, en route from
Houston to home. But, as usually happens, I didn’t finish it. And so here it is, the
Sunday before Christmas. A busy, but nice day is winding down, and it’s time to
wish everyone a blessed and Merry Christmas.
Despite all of the commercialism, this is still my favorite time of year. I didn’t get
into the decorating mood this year for some reason, but then, I wouldn’t have
been here to see them much anyway! This year, I’ve been thinking a lot about
Mary, the mother of our Lord.
We don’t worship her, of course, nor do we venerate her to the level that some
have. After all, she recognized her own need of a Savior (Luke 1:47) If she knew
that people prayed to her today, I’m confident that she’d be aghast at such a
thought. So no - we don’t worship her, but we sure must honor her.
Chances are that Mary was very young when the angelic messenger gave her
news that would rock her little world. She might have been as young as 14….
Imagine how you’d feel at being told that God had chosen you - a virgin girl -
to carry, and deliver, His only begotten Son. To be unmarried and pregnant
in her day was a desperate scandal. She and her betrothed husband, Joseph,
had to flee to an unknown land, right at the time she needed the love and
support of her family the most. This was no light task that God had asked
her to do. But the God Who had watched her, knew her; He knew her piety
and her purity. And yet, read Luke 1:38 - Mary showed obedience in her
Identification as God’s handmaiden. She showed it in her obedience to the
desire of almighty God - “So be it…” And, she showed obedience despite
the solitude forced on her, as the angel, after leaving the message with her,
departed. This was no ordinary young girl, this Mary. But that shouldn’t be
any surprise to us. God wouldn’t have chosen any ordinary girl, would He?
Mary’s song, or Magnificat, found in Luke 1:46-55 is a lesson in maturity at
a young age. Wisdom beyond years. To read it is to be left in awe. I think
it would be a good series of lessons for us, to read this section again.
But, what has hit me the hardest this Christmas season, has been the story
of godly Simeon, as the little family came to him on Temple Mount. A man
whose life had been lived to see the Messiah, got his wish, and actually
held God in his arms. Did he truly realize that while he was holding that
eternal baby, the baby was actually holding him? In Luke 2:34-35, Simeon
addressed Mary, ending with unusual words: “Yes, a sword will pierce through
your own soul also”. This was a prescient prophesy, without doubt.
Imagine raising the perfect child in your home. I’ve often thought that it
must have been hard to have been one of Jesus’ brothers, or even his
sister. How many times do you think Mary or Joseph must have said to
their other children “Why can’t you be more like your brother?!” Imagine
a child who never went through the “terrible two’s”, adolescent rebellion,
who never needed correcting, never talked back. The perfect child, the
perfect son. When it appears that Joseph died, Jesus would have taken
over the carpentry shop, and was the principal provider for the family.
No doubt, He was a grand worker and provider. Those would be heart
strings hard to cut, but the day came when Mary had to cut them. It
had to be a soul-piercing. So would it have been when she watched her
Son begin His ministry, only to be largely rejected. I’ve thought a lot
this week, of His last week…a triumphant entry to Jerusalem, for the
One whose face had been set for the events there like a flint. And yet,
within days, betrayal, rejection, a mock trial, a rabble crowd crying
“Away with this man - we will not have this man to reign over us.”
(But oh - He will, one day. He will) Every event of His last week, a
sword to the heart. But God wasn’t nearly finished yet.
We all know that Mary had to have waited through that last night,
heart shattered, for the first sight of her eternal Son, when he was
released from the soldiers’ cruelty. How must it have been for her,
when she first saw Him, her unrecognizable Son? Battered, bruised,
beaten unmercifully, wearing a man’s spittle, beard torn out. A crown
of thorns, a scourged back. I’m already writing in tears, but God was
not done yet….
How many mothers have to witness their Son’s execution? No matter
how many times that promised sword had pierced her soul already, it
was time now to turn the hilt. And so, He was led out to Golgotha;
considered not just a common criminal, but the worst of three who
would die that day…the one on the center cross, “Jesus of Nazareth,
The King of the Jews”. Mary had to hear the hammer’s blow, and the
thud of a tree trunk as it seated in its socket. For three hours, she
listened to the taunts, the mockeries, and had to stand in desperate
wonder, how anyone could say such things about her perfect son.
And then, for three last hours, the Light of the World was covered
in a darkness blacker than any midnight. I have much that I want to
learn from Mary in Heaven one day, and if I ever get the chance to
ask her but one question it will be this: “Mary, as the darkness came,
did you inch your way to the cross? Did you stand underneath Him,
and did you ever reach up to touch his nailed feet? Did you ever
whisper softly up to Him ‘I’m still here, Son’?” How could a mother
ever reconcile sinless perfection being made sin? Did God give her
a little window into eternity, to allow her to see all of the sons that
one day He’d bring to glory through His vicarious sacrifice? I wonder.
She heard His selfless cries, and the interchange between her Son
and a dying thief. Did it help to ease her pain? I think about these
things so often. We do know this - she heard His triumphant cry,
and with a mother’s intuition, she probably knew the instant that
her Son dismissed His spirit. The sword had done its damage, and
couldn’t hurt her anymore than this. Her Son…born to die. And
now, He was dead. To quote the hymn writer, “Say while lost in
holy wonder; why oh Lord, such love to me. Even me.”
Had Mary’s story ended there, ours would have never begun. But,
as He’d prophesied so often, He arose. Hallelujah!! Mary got to see
and hold her grown baby Son again, to see the wounds of the nails,
and to hear His eternal voice. The last time we read of her, in Acts
1:14, she’s in an upper room in Jerusalem, with the disciples - and
her formerly unbelieving younger sons - as they meet for prayer.
Her Son was ascended, and like us today, she - and we - await
that moment of final triumph and victory.
A long journey from girlhood, and a manger. A long time since the
angels proclaimed “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace,
goodwill to men.
In two days, we’ll celebrate again the birth of God’s Son. The One
Who was born to die, that we might live. His birth was solitary and
in the most humble of surroundings. His life was one of relative
obscurity. His three years of ministry changed the course of human
existence. His death was one of ignominy and shame. But His resur-
rection was a thing of eternal triumph. So will His coming be to the
air. And this year, even before 2008 rolls around, we might be in His
very presence! Maranatha!
From my family to yours, Merry Christmas….
Alan
Permalink
11.18.07
Posted in Random Musings
at 7:58 pm
My post on Thanksgiving was easy to write, actually. This won’t be
as easy. And here’s why…
If you go back and read a post called “Catching Up” from August,
you’ll be introduced to an amazing work that takes place every July
in Newcastle, Northern Ireland, known as the Northfield Bible Weeks.
When I was there this July, I was at the 21st annual convening of
the most effective Gospel campaign that I know of.
Northfield is the vision - primarily - of one of my dearest friends on
earth, Austen Alexander. He would be the first to tell you that he’s
only been one of a team, and this is true. I take nothing from the
yeoman efforts of the men who share Austen’s vision, as well as their
wives and families. Their individual and collective rewards are the talk
of Heaven. Their vision, put into reality over 21 years of desperately
hard work, have caused a great number of angelic eruptions, as they
burst into song over so many who found the Lord under that huge
tent roof, or after hearing the Gospel there.
Austen’s wife Heather needs our prayers just now, and in a massive
way. As well, Austen needs our prayers, as does their son Neil and his
most lovely wife Sara. Neil and Sara had to say goodbye to an infant
son last summer, and will soon be blessed with the birth of a new baby.
Austen and Heather’s daughter Esther, as well as Alan - her fiance -
will need your prayers, as will Jemma…their youngest spitfire of a very
amazing daughter. I’m asking you to please band together - everyone
who reads this - and remember this wonderful lady and her family, as
you pray. Will you do that?
Heather is undergoing chemo right now, for what seems to be a very
aggressive cancer. Their hope (and ours) is that the chemo will shrink
the tumors enough so that the surgeons can remove everything affect-
ed. Her first course of chemo left her desperately weak, and sick. I’m
pretty convinced that you have to have watched and lived with a loved
one undergoing that poison, to fully understand the havoc it wreaks…
The latest reports are that given the circumstances, she looks well,
and that their spirits are high. She’s to undergo another round of chemo
this week.
So, friends, a couple that have been hugely used by the Lord are now
in need of your prayers, and I name them again for you - Heather and
Austen Alexander, their son Neil and his wife Sara, Esther and Alan, and
Jemma. My dear, dear friends. Will you join me in storming the Throne
on their behalf?
Thank you….
Alan
Permalink
Posted in Random Musings
at 7:15 pm
Well, too many of you have written to me, gently chiding me that it has been over
two months since I last posted anything here. I am sorry, I really am. Several
times I’ve started to write, and like now, I’m not entirely sure what to say. But,
I’m stuck in the Charlotte airport with more than a three-hour layover, I’ve
finished the book I was reading, and called those I wanted to call. So, I’m stuck,
and really tired. Another 6-flight weekend; home to Charlotte, Charlotte to
Newark, NJ; Newark to Charlotte, and then to Atlanta last night. We landed at
11:40 pm, and I walked into a room at the airport Hampton Inn at 12:45 am.
Another glamorous 19-hour day in paradise. And now, five flights down, one
more to home. This day will be easier, though…only 16 hours. And so will end
another weekend. The Lord - as He always is - has been so good to me and us
over the weekend. Safety, so far, fellowship with wonderful people, help in a lot
of meetings. This terribly busy catch-up year is winding down, and while it has
been a wonderful year, I’m glad it’s winding down, and looking forward to my
first long break in months.
Thursday, of course, is an American holiday that we call Thanksgiving Day.
I love this day. Of all the holidays, it seems less commercialized than most.
There’s no Easter bunny, no Santa Claus, no surrogate mascot that takes the
place of the reality of the day. It’s just a simple holiday set aside to be thankful.
And here’s my partial list of things that I’m so thankful for. I’m thankful above all,
to be in Christ. A child of the King of Kings. I’m thankful for the grace and mercy,
the kindness and love of the God of the universe. I’m thankful to be just one
member of the greatest family on earth; the family of God. I’m deeply thankful
for my family…Shannon and Chris, Alan and Devin. My immediate family. I’m
thankful for my only sibling, my brother Lindsay, and his wife Diane and their
family. Also for my extended family…so many of Carol’s relatives in Wisconsin,
and for my loved ones from Virginia to Ireland. Dozens of them. I am continually
thankful for friends. Some who are my dearest friends…the ones that no matter
how much time passes, we pick up where we last left off. For friends too
countless to number, who come up to me when I’m in their town, and we also
catch up on life. I have a loving thankfulness for those who I know are praying
for me, and us, every single day. I have a beautiful home, cars that work,
comfortable furniture, clothes to wear for every single situation I could imagine.
Heat in the winter, and air conditioning in the summer. Running water, indoor
plumbing. I’m extremely thankful for all of these things. We take them for
granted in North America. But I’ve made 11 trips out of the US this year, and
I’ve filled numerous passports over the years, visiting areas of the world where
these luxuries are unheard of. I do not take them for granted. I hope I never will.
I’m thankful for the protection of the authorities, and the freedom to meet with
Christians. Many of the family of God cannot say this, and I’m thankful for these
freedoms. I just ate dinner at the airport here. Frankly, it wasn’t all that delicious,
and it was definitely overpriced. But I’m full nonetheless. And in a world where
they say that 58% of the world’s population will fall asleep hungry tonight, I’m
very grateful to not be. I could taste that food. I can hear the announcements
over the P.A. system, I can smell some pork barbecue in the air where I’m sitting.
I can see the pre-Thanksgiving crowds hustling to their gates. For all of the
senses to enjoy life, I’m extremely thankful. As time passes, so will they,
perhaps. And maybe only when they’re diminished will I be as truly thankful
as I should be. But for now, I’m really grateful for them. For everything. I am
loved as I write, and I love. I am cared for, and about. And, I care in return.
I sit here aware of one pressing thing: If I’m not thankful right now, then who
has more right to be than I? Thank You, Lord, for your blessings on me. I am
entirely unworthy of them all, but You shower them on me, and us, in willing
love and gracious kindness. Thank You….
And to all, Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy the day, count your blessings, and for
a special day, be so very thankful.
Blessings…
Alan
Permalink
09.13.07
Posted in Random Musings
at 9:19 pm
How nice…I’m sitting in my bedroom, Fox News Network is on, and I’m in the
place I dream of every day when I’m away. Home. It always amazes me that
God would call a man who treasures the little routines of life, and is such a
homebody, to this life. For 16 years, I averaged 268 days of each year away
from home. I wasn’t apart from my family all of that time, of course. We spent
all of our vacation times together, and when I was home, I was really home.
But still, there were a lot of times when we were separated. Maybe that’s why
I treasure the simple routines of life - going out for breakfast to my favorite little
locals hangout, drinking coffee and reading the local newspaper, watching news,
puttering around the house. Just little things that many take for granted. I never
take them for granted. I treasure them. This has been my “catch-up” year; 271
days away this year, like old times, trying to visit as many of the places that I
can, after several years of a reduced schedule. My treasured routines have been
continuously interrupted, and I feel it these days.
I’ve had a couple of real prayers in the last two years or so. One is that God will
give me back the joy of what I do; not the joy of my salvation, as I’ve always had
that. But, the joy of traveling, meeting new people, speaking and singing…all of
the things that I once had, but which frankly, had slipped away. A second prayer
has been that He will allow me to actually be happy and contended being single,
since that’s what He’s called me to be. And, He’s answered both of those
prayers. Very gradually this summer, He has. And it feels so good.
I just flew back home again this past Monday night, from a second trip to the
UK in seven weeks. It took 23 hours from when my alarm went off in Dublin on
Monday morning, until I laid down in my own bed that night. A long day, but it
was actually a happy trip home. A concert in Ballinamallard, Co. Fermanagh, N.
Ireland, went so well. My dear friends Sam and Louise Balmer had been working
their area hard, and keep trying to find outreaches that work. Estimates are
that about 1/3 of the folks who came to the concert in an elementary school,
were non-believers from that village, and that was really encouraging. I’d
flown through the night before, and my luggage hadn’t arrived; I was tired
and felt grubby wearing the same jacket and slacks that I’d flown in, but the
Lord stepped in and gave us a really good hour and a half. The next day I was
at a conference in Carryduff, outside Belfast, which I was privileged to share
with my friend Alan Gamble, from Glasgow. Alan’s a judge, who is an extremely
gifted speaker. And that was an encouraging experience. I stayed to speak in
Carryduff for the next 8 days and/or nights. I took up “Lessons From The Infant
Church”, a series from Acts. God gave enormous help and encouragement, as
well as the times that I sang. The fellowship with, and comments from, all of
the wonderful people who attended, continued the process of healing me, and
gave me enormous comfort and strength. My host in Carryduff, Jim Gilliland, has
been through an enormous life-changing experience himself over the same time
period as my struggles, and I think we were both good for each other. Well,
maybe that’s presumptuous on my part…I know that being with Jim was good
for me.
The lesson here is that whatever I’ve needed, God has provided. I needed
the joy of what I do to be restored, and God has taken me to places where
the entirety of the experiences have solidified why I do what I’ve been
called to do. I needed some encouragement, and He’s provided it overwhelm-
ingly. Having experienced too much death, I yearned for souls to find new
birth, and He has granted me the honor of being there when a nice number
have been saved. And, since I’ve struggled with the aloneness of this new
single life, God has graciously granted me acceptance and peace in it all. I’m
reminded of the lyrics in Sara Groves’ most wonderful song that I chose to
close my new CD with: “Morning by morning, I wake up to find, the power
and comfort of God’s hand in mine. Season by season, I watch Him amazed,
in awe of the mystery of His perfect ways. All I have need of, His hand will
provide; He’s always been faithful to me./ I can’t remember a trial or a pain,
He did not recycle, to bring me gain. I can’t remember a single regret, in
serving God only, and trusting His hand. All I have need of, His hand will
provide. He’s always been faithful to me./ This is my anthem, this is my song;
the theme of the stories I’ve heard for so long. God has been faithful, He will
be again. His loving compassion, it knows no end. All I have need of, His hand
will provide. He’s always been faithful to me.”
Even when we don’t see it, feel it, or acknowledge it, His loving hand is
always there…ever guiding, protecting, comforting, shielding, and supporting
us. And then the day dawns, when everything comes into focus, and it hits
you that He has been there, all along, providing us what we needed in each
moment. When things seemed too dark to see, when we’d changed or been
changed through circumstances, He who has always been, has always been
there, the Great I Am.
He’s indeed always been faithful to me. To all of us. His compassions never
fail, and are renewed with each sunrise. Still Faithful. And all the time.
Keep moving forward - in His shadow, and in His strength.
Alan
Permalink
08.13.07
Posted in Random Musings
at 3:27 pm
Well, it has been a long time since the last posting. I apologize, but I just haven’t
had the time to write much of late.
I spent 18 wonderful days in Northern Ireland. The centerpiece of the trip was a
15 consecutive-night series of Gospel services in Newcastle. This is a unique work,
called the Northfield Bible Weeks. It was the vision of 4 men, primarily, 21 years
ago, that came to be known as “Northfield”, named after the Maine farm of D.L.
Moody, who had two weeks of Bible studies on his farm each summer. The current
Northfield campaign is multi-pronged; teams each week from around the UK and
occasionally beyond, made up of serious young people, work hard inviting people
to the tent, holding open-air services, assisting in two daily VBS services, and a
host of other activities. One of my great delights is to visit them at the house
they live in, on certain nights. We sing, either have devotions, something to eat,
and question and answer sessions. There’s an active young people’s and children’s
work as well, and after the tent service each night, many will head down to down-
town Newcastle, and hold an open-air service on “The Promenade”, singing and a
series of short Gospel messages given by gifted men. This is a beautiful walk along
the Irish Sea, where “The mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea”. Best of
all, God blessed in the salvation of a number of souls; from a boy of 5 to an older
man of 77. In the first week, a delightful girl named Jenny Armstrong accepted the
Lord, and the next week, her fiance, Tyrone Winter, was saved. God is so good. I
told them that theirs was one wedding that I’d better be invited to! This was a real
exhausting journey; lots of long days and very short nights. Every night I’d try to
download my e-mails, and respond to the most urgent ones. Two nights, I made it
to bed by 1:30 am, but most nights were 2:00 or even after 3:00 am. I think I’m
too old for this!
I wasn’t home for very long before heading up to the Ottawa Valley of Ontario, to
Galilee Bible Camp. I spoke in the evenings, sharing with the morning speaker, Jack
Baker, formerly a missionary to the Philippines. We had a super week. It was great
to renew friendships with some old friends, and meet many new people. The week
ended with a concert last Friday night after I’d spoken. Talk about a raspy voice!
I flew back last Saturday, landing at 9:30 pm, and made it home here by 10:30. I
looked through the collected mail, repacked a small bag, and was in bed by mid-
night. My alarm was a rude wakeup call at 4:00 yesterday morning, and 45 minutes
later, I was driving to Charlotte, NC for the day at Believers Bible Chapel. Again, it
was a super day, and I made it home by 11:30 last night.
Today is day one of my catchup. I’m engaged in the glamorous chores of dropping
off drycleaning, going to the bank, getting groceries, and doing laundry. Such fun!
But, I’m home…always a marvelous experience. God has been so good…a lot of
flights, many thousands of miles in a month, souls saved, and kind comments from
the people I’ve had the honor of speaking and singing to.
I hope your summer is going well, and that you’re enjoying His daily mercies…
Blessings,
Alan
Permalink
