Busy Week

It was a very busy week.  I was involved in three Doctor of Ministry defenses.  John Taylor defended his Prospectus for his doctoral project.  He is pictured here with his wife Faye.  They were charter member of New Covenant.  On Thursday we inducted Dr. Douglas Slocumb into the Seminary's Hall of Prophets.  He is pictured with his wife, Joyce.  James and Virginia Beaty were there as were former students Leah, Kelley, Carrie and Michelle (Carrie and Leah are members of New Covenant).  Our dear friend Stanley Lane was up for a weekend visit.

Calhoun, Georgia

Last evening I drove down and Mike and Shirley drove up to Calhoun, Georgia where we met an had a meal at the Longhorn Steakhouse.  It is always great to be with them. 

P.S. Mike my apologies about the picture.  The sun was irritating.

Guest

It was good to have Larry McQueen visiting Thursday evening through this morning.  He is well into his doctoral program.

Trip to South Carolina

Yesterday I went to South Carolina to see Cheryl's mom.  I had lunch with Josh and Bethany.  For more on that visit see my other blog.  Because Highway 64 is closed due to  major rock slide I had to take a suthern route: Chattsworth, Elijay, Dawsonville, Gainseville, I-85.  It is a lovely drive through the southern foothills of Appalachia exept there was a heavy fog going and thunderstorms coming.  I have driven by this church near Dawsonville several times but never noticed it is a Church of God.  The sign out front just says "New Life."  On the return trip I noticed the Church of God logo above the door and the American flag beside it.  I turned around to take some pictures.  I am always troubled to see a national flag flown at a church. In Christ we have only one banner and it is the banner of His Kingdom.  Flying the national flag at a church blurs the distinction between the sovereignty of Christ and the sovereignty of the nation. Ultimately this blinds us to the sinful patterns of our society. I think everyone should be patriotic, just not at church.  The interesting aspect of this picture is that the Church of God logo with the cross at the center is higher than the flag.

Beautiful Sights

I love taking pictures, but I seldom have the camera handy when I need it.  I wish you could have seen three things at my house this week. First, the three calves were chasing each other around our pasture for five to ten minutes.  I should have gotten the movie camera, but I have grown weary of trying to catch such scenes;  they always stop to look at me as soon as I open the door.

Second, last evening when I drove on to our driveway and stopped to get the mail there were two young Mallard ducks on our pond.  Third, as I walked back from the mailbox I looked up and saw two young deer in our pasture.  They ran around a minute pausing at the electric fence before jumping it.  They came around the barn just a few yards from me, jumped the fence and ran into the pasture in front of our house before disappearing into the woods.

Leaving Minneapolis

It has been a good SPS.  We are headed to the airport in a few minutes where we will board planes for different destinations.  We have completed five weeks of Chery's sabbitical leave.  So many more to go.

SPS 2010

Cheryl met me at my gate when I arrived in Minneapolis yesterday.  That doesn't happen often in today's world. My flight was delayed four hours so that I arrived ten minutes after her.  Sweet reunion.  We had a powerful opening session: phenominal worship, great paper.