Inside Out

July 15, 2015 thebigsteve66@gmail.com Leave a comment

Big Steve and I love going to the movies. We’re always looking for something to entertain us, but also for the occasional deeper message that we can relate to real life. So when Steve wanted us to go see this new, animated movie “Inside Out”, I have to admit I wasn’t thrilled. He said, “it’s gotten great ratings and I think you’ll enjoy it.” Steve has been known to pick some “not so good” movies based on critic reviews, but I must say with this one I was pleasantly surprised. Not only was the movie entertaining with great animation and comedic interaction between characters, it was also very thought-provoking. So much so, it prompted me to put together a few thoughts about some topics from the movie. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, I will try not to spoil anything for you.

The movie involves a happy little girl named Riley who receives news that her father is moving their family from the Midwest to San Francisco. Of course, this is upsetting news to her. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions and the majority of the movie takes place in a fictional “headquarters” in the control center of Riley’s mind. The emotions running her headquarters are Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness. The story progresses showing how each of these emotions come into play in situations throughout Riley’s day, affecting her and those around her.

As Steve and I left this movie, his previous Psychology teaching brain kicked in and he said, “you could write a whole psychological thesis on that movie”. We continued to discuss several ideas from the movie, even several days after seeing it. We talked about how our emotions were working in certain situations. I even caught myself imaging those cute little animated figures going around in my brain. So, I decided to put some thoughts together about the concept of this movie and hope that as you read it you can gather something from it that will help you to understand your mindset or someone else’s a little better.

In the movie, each emotion had a specific job to play in a situation and a certain emotion would emerge as the predominant one that characterized the personality of the person. In Riley’s case, her predominant emotion was Joy, at least up until the time of her move. In our lives, we too should strive to have Joy as our leading emotion. In Romans 15:13, the Bible states “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” As Christians we are called to be joyful and we can obtain that joy through the peace and hope we receive from the Holy Spirit. We’ve all known people who just always seem to be in a good mood and always find the best in every situation (my friend Jenny Diamond comes to mind). This is an endearing personality and definitely beats letting your other emotions (sadness, anger, disgust, fear) determine your demeanor. However, there may be times when these other emotions need to take over the control board.

In the movie, Joy finds out that every now and then, it’s better for a different emotion to take the lead in a situation. In Riley’s case, this emotion was Sadness. Joy realized toward the end of the movie that Riley needed her emotion Sadness to come to the forefront so that she could deal with her sadness and work through it to move forward. One of the things that struck me about this concept is that we were created with all these emotions for a reason. Emotions, when applied in the right quantities in the right situations, aren’t inherently bad. They all play a part in the makeup of our character. We are who we are because of the part each of these emotions has played in our lives. They allow us to deal with the joys and sorrows we experience in life. It is because of Sadness we know the meaning of Joy. It is because of Anger we can experience Peace. It is because of Disgust we can know the value of Contentment. It is because of Fear that we can experience the thrills of life or avoid certain risky behavior. However, too much Fear might keep you from pursuing a dream or goal that God has in mind for you. We need all our emotions to experience life as fully as God intended us to.

Steve and I have spent this summer helping his dad care for Steve’s mother who is nearing the end of her journey on this earth. We believe God had this specific mission in mind when planting a seed in our minds to travel the country serving others. Each day presents a series of challenges and each day is full of a range of emotions. Like Riley in the movie, our mind’s control center is operating at full capacity. It’s interesting how so much emphasis and advice is given on to how to raise children when, at least in our experience, issues with aging parents have been more challenging for us. This summer, there have been moments of deep Sadness as we see Peggy’s body and mind continue to deteriorate, and as we watch Steve’s dad and the rest of the family mourn as we say our long goodbye to her. There are moments of Fear and Doubt as we question whether we’ve made the right call related to her medication, care, comfort, dietary requests, etc. At times there is Anger that cancer exists and that it is winning the battle against her physical being. There are moments of Despair when we can’t seem to find a way to acceptably comfort her. We have felt some Frustration with God, asking him to either heal her or bring her home to the room He’s prepared for her.

On the other hand, there are moments of Thankfulness…that God gave her a long life, that I had many years with a wonderful mother-in-law, that the family is all working on this together, and for all the cards and prayers that have been offered on her behalf. And just like in the movie, we are finding moments when all the other emotions are pushed aside and Joy emerges. There was Joy when Steve’s mom laughed as he sang Old Man River to her with his belly exposed and then she said “put that thing away”. There is Joy when she is able to recall a distant memory from her past or sing the song “Climb Up Sunshine Mountain” that she sang to every grandkid. There is Joy, and a little Sadness, when we see Steve’s dad curled up next to her in her hospital bed in their bedroom. Before too long, we know Sadness is going to come barreling through the door again and take center stage in our emotional control centers. In a sense, it will always remain with us as we will have a hole in our hearts that no one but Peg can fill. And yet, we’re hopeful that, like in the movie, Joy will triumph at the end of the day. There will be Joy that Peggy is in a much better place and that God “will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4) Joy will fill our hearts as we reflect on the incredible love she showed us and all the wonderful memories she gave us. We’ll be Joyful knowing that, as Christians, we will see her again some day.

Back to the movie…we hope that you’ll see this “psychological thriller”, and that you’ll use it as a teaching tool with your children and others. It’s a fascinating look at how we allow certain emotions to take center stage in certain situations. How we handle these emotions influences how our friends and others view us. May we all strive to handle our emotions in a way that others can see God in us.

– Lil Jan

P.S. For an even deeper look at lessons from this movie, I recommend Joseph Lalonde’s “17 Leadership Lessons And Quotes From Pixar’s Inside Out” which can be found at this link… http://www.jmlalonde.com/17-leadership-lessons-and-quotes-from-pixars-inside-out/

Devotional Thoughts

The Least Among You

July 12, 2015 thebigsteve66@gmail.com 6 Comments

On our journeys down long stretches of road, Lil Jan and I sometimes pass the time by playing “3 Questions”. We ask each other three questions, with the goal being to learn something about the person not already known. When you’ve been married 27 years, this is no easy task.

We recently traveled to our alma mater, David Lipscomb University, to attend Summer Celebration…previously known as the Lipscomb Lectures. It involves three days of praising God, hearing great speakers, attending Bible classes, and fellowshipping with other Christians. There’s also a variety of concerts, games, food, and merchandise, along with early morning yoga, fireworks, prayer sessions, and the showing of not-yet-released Christian movies. I will have more to say about what we learned there in a future blog.

On our journey to Lipscomb, Lil Jan was put in time-out by Candy Crush and decided to launch a round of 3 Questions. One of her questions to me was, “If you could meet any living person and talk to him or her, who would it be?” This should have been a softball of a question given the 7 billion people alive on Planet Earth today. But I struggled with it. In my mind, I changed the question to, “Who are the greatest people living in the world today?” I then rationally came up with some categories to think through this question (because that’s what ENTJs do). I’m sure there are some great living scientists and researchers out there, and I would like to think one of them is on the verge of the next great scientific discovery. But sadly, I couldn’t think of any of their names. I thought of the greatest sports stars and imagined what it would be like to meet and talk to them.

Big Steve: “Hey, Lebron, I can’t tell you how excited I am to meet you!”

Lebron: “Hey, what’s up?”

Big Steve: “My son, Kyle, loves you. He defended you even after the disastrous TV special, The Decision, where you announced your intentions to sign with the Heat. Can I have your autograph?”

Lebron: “Sure. You play any ball?”

Big Steve: “I made the All-Star team in 5th grade at Reily Brown Elementary School in Dover, Delaware. I started at forward and scored 4 points per game. Then I moved on to Caesar Rodney Junior High but didn’t make the basketball team. According to the coach, apparently I was “not good enough” and “lacked skills” and should consider “focusing on academics”. More recently I played a time or two at the school playground with church friends, but had trouble posting up Cliff Latimore.”

Lebron: “That’s a lot of information, perhaps too much. Where do you live now?”

Big Steve: “In a van down by the river.”

Lebron: “Sorry, bro, times are tough.”

My imagined conversations with other “great” people…Bill Gates, Sting, and Tony Romo…turned out just as awkwardly. Actually, the people I most want to meet…the Lewises (C.S. and Meriwether), Steve Jobs, Ronald Reagan, and various biblical characters…are already dead (like our dog, Mandy…moment of silence). I ended up passing on Janet’s question, which felt like striking out in softball.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Lipscomb…running into old friends, marveling at how the campus had changed, and reminiscing on our time there two-plus decades earlier. But the highlight for me was on Thursday night, when keynote speaker Dr. Kent Brantly took the stage with Randy Harris to present their thoughts on Revelation 6-11.

Dr. Brantly is impressive in every sense of the word. He had the willpower, intelligence, and dedication to become a medical doctor. More importantly, he has a heart that called him to use his medical training to serve those in the worst situations and conditions. I’m not sure there is a greater medical need or more desperate situation than what is faced by suffering Ebola patients in West Africa. During my military career, there was a common expression that we were expected to “Run to the Sound of the Guns”. Although the natural response is to run away from gunfire, or to remain in your foxhole, we were held to a higher standard. We, like first responders, were expected to leverage our training and courage and run toward trouble…in order to do something about it. I suspect Dr. Brantly’s training, courage, servant heart, and love for God called him to run to the sound of the guns…a poverty-stricken, dangerous part of the world full of suffering people whose very lives are on the line. Dr. Brantly answered the call and served faithfully. He saved lives and changed lives. And then he contracted the Ebola virus himself and nearly died from it. God heard the prayers of many and spared Kent Brantly’s life. Since then, Kent has prayed at the National Prayer Breakfast, spoken to the President, Congress and at various other forums, and been named (along with other Ebola-fighting doctors) Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. Dr. Brantly didn’t become a hero by contracting the virus, surviving the virus, or winning an award. He became a hero the moment he decided to risk his life and focus his considerable talent and energy on serving the less fortunate.

In Mark 10, James and John let their egos get the best of them and asked Jesus if they could sit at his left and right in heaven. Their jockeying for status and prominence upset their fellow apostles, and probably broke Jesus’ heart since he had just explained to them that he was about to be mocked, spit on, flogged, and killed. Rather than rebuke them, Jesus used the situation as a teaching moment. In verses 43-45, he says, “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Similarly, in Luke 9 we have an argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus responded by placing a little child beside them and saying, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.” In both instances, Jesus reminds them that greatness is not about status, popularity, wealth, or any of the other things that society values. Rather, greatness is a designation reserved for those who serve others.

When Dr. Brantly took the stage, he spoke about his experiences in Africa and related them to the text in Revelation. He made a lot of great points. Allow me to paraphrase a few of them…

1. As Christians, we shouldn’t pretend to have all the answers. We don’t. We can explain some things, but we can’t explain everything. We can tell people the future…you’re going to get old, and sick, and then die…if you’re lucky. That’s an appointment we all will keep.

2. Revelation teaches us that God’s people…Christians…ultimately win because God has already defeated Satan. However, that doesn’t mean Christians (and others) won’t experience hard times and suffering while here on the earth. In fact, we should expect difficulty and suffering. Kent knew his time in Africa would be difficult, and he closely identifies with Paul’s sufferings discussed in 2 Corinthians 11. In Africa the locals believe Ebola to be a curse. In a sense they are right because we live in a world which is cursed, as a result of what went down in the Garden of Eden.

3. The low point in Revelation occurs in chapter 11. The powerful, faithful witnesses of the Lord are destroyed, and their enemies gloat over their dead bodies and refuse to bury them (see verses 1-10). Sounds pretty desperate for the faithful, but you have to keep reading. Starting in verse 11, “But after the three and a half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on. At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.” So, yes, being a Christian…God’s witness…doesn’t mean everything will be okay in the here and now. We are surrounded by chaos. But the happiest of endings awaits those who remain faithful, even in the face of suffering and chaos.

4. We are called to bear witness and have hope in God in the face of chaos. Kent’s hope didn’t magically make any of his patients recover. Rather, his hope is in a God who is who he says he is and who will do what he says he will do. He will one day set everything right. God indeed reigns, not through technology or political majority or Supreme Court decisions, but through and as a slaughtered Lamb (Revelation 5:5-6). Powerful words, my friends.

After the program ended, Lipscomb sponsored an alumni reception and Janet and I had the wonderful privilege to meet Dr. Brantly. He was kind, unassuming, and humble. He told me that his wife would love to travel the country in an RV like Janet and I are doing. He had no “handlers” and no entourage. He is just a quiet, introspective, normal guy. But make no mistake, he is a “great” guy. I know that not because of the things Kent said to the audience or to me that evening, but by the way Kent chooses to live his life. I know that because of the words Jesus gave to his apostles in Mark 10 and Luke 9. Knowing Kent the little that I do, I suspect he would want any talk of “greatness” directed not toward himself, but rather toward the God that created and sustains him. So, we praise God for Kent and for everything that God has done through Kent.

“Just warning you…you may appear in our blog.”

I look forward to future rounds of “3 Questions” with Lil Jan. And next time around, I hope she will give me another shot at the question concerning a great living person I’d like to meet. If she does, I will answer, “I already met him, and his name is Dr. Kent Brantly.”

– Big Steve

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Family Time In Franklin: Flatulence, Fireworks, and Finances

July 9, 2015 thebigsteve66@gmail.com 5 Comments

We sit in the mud… and reach for the stars. – Ivan Turgenev

When a Big Steve and a Little Jan love each other very much, a Bigger Steve is brought into the world. I, Steven Kyle Johnson, 21, am that Bigger Steve. That’s right- this blog post was penned by the youngest member of the Johnson clan, and I can only hope that the title alliteration will keep you around long enough to hear me out as a guest writer.

I was able to spend 4 days with my RVing parents in Franklin, TN (outside of Nashville) this past weekend, and wanted to share with you three of the many memories we forged together during this brief visit.

Flatulence

Growing up in a household where Janet raised three male children (Steve, Jason, and myself), I am no rookie when it comes to flatulence. Passing gas was just as much a part of my childhood as boxing tournaments against Jason officiated by Steve when Jan was not home; as developing low self-confidence as a young, overweight soccer player referred to as “The Great Wall of Germany”; and as proclaiming “Heil Hitler!” mid-day in a German town square as my parents watched in horror. Every family member in every family holds his or her own unique flatulence role. In our family, Steve was the most consistent tooter, Jason was the most deadly tooter, Kyle was the most-expected-to-be-the-worst-but-in-reality-tooted-the-least tooter, and Jan was the tooter who would never own up to the fact that she too, as a human being, was indeed a tooter. Jan, after this weekend, will never be able to say the same.

Monday morning comes, and it’s time for a hike, which my parents have made their custom during this new stage of life. The trek across a grassy field and along a river in the forest quickly turned interesting, as the mud on the trail was so thick that at any given point we were at high risk of slipping in the muck, sliding down into the mighty river, and never again being able to taste of Uncle Vin’s exquisite cereal collection. After about 15 minutes of slowly maneuvering, almost slipping multiple times, and Jan asking if we could abandon this newfound mud crusade, the inevitable happened: The Janetor took a major tumble. I had a front row view of my dear mother losing her balance, yelping as only Jan can yelp, and slamming down her rear end right into the mud. If that was not already humorous enough (she was not injured, of course), one of my all-time favorite Janny Boo moments occurred– she starts ripping some powerful wind. I mean, some major air tulips were being planted right there in the mud. In ten years, Jan will completely deny flatulating and I will likely accuse her of ripping about 10 squeakers, but in reality it was a solid 3 or 4 ground rumblers released. It was beautiful- Dad and I laughed and cried for a solid minute, before we proceeded to actually help up Miss Toots-A-Lot.

Why, then, did I just write this long-winded (pun intended) story about my mother falling and tooting? 1) To prove I can also write verbose stories like Big Steve. 2) To enjoy the opportunity to write run-on sentences. 3) To show that it is memories like this one- unexpected, strange, even embarrassing memories- that you cherish forever. Reminisce on your favorite family moments, and recall if any one of them was planned in an agenda or was even supposed to happen. Plan for the future, plan an awesome vacation, plan a game night with the family- but don’t be surprised when the memories you value the most happen after a tumble on a muddy trail in Franklin, TN. Embrace, and celebrate, unexpected memories.

Fireworks

When it pours down rain on July 4th, July 5th becomes a much more exciting day. In the Franklin neighborhood where we were staying, they were unable to shoot off their thousands of dollars of fireworks due to the weather. So on the 5th we sat outside in our chairs at 8:50pm and prepared for the 9:15pm show. But… 9:15 came, and there were no fireworks. We were growing tired of watching punk teenagers shoot baby fireworks at each other and at our dog, we were being bit by bugs (Jan would find a tick on her the next morning), and we were worried that they had already started and we were just not looking in the right spot. As patience was dwindling, and some of us were considering turning in, our poor attitudes were smacked in the face with the sweet sound of the legendary 2010 pop song, “Firework”. I glanced over at DJ Big Steve and the lit iPhone in his lap, and saw a sly smile growing on his face, as he slowly mouthed the words along with Katy Perry. Caught in a moment of growing tension and disappointment, Big Steve did what Big Steve has always done- something small to lighten the mood.

The decision to play this song might seem really insignificant to you, and even lame in comparison to Jan’s tooting story, but it represented something I have always valued in my dad and in all people who practice this principle: Make the best out of every situation. If you’re trying to watch fireworks on July 5th and it’s not working out, make a really lame DJ move that makes everyone smile. If tensions are running high at work, school, church, home, etc.- make a joke and make others, and yourself, laugh. e.e. Cummings once wrote, “The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.” No matter how hard a day or week has been, I believe there is always something to take joy in and chuckle at. I believe God created us with a sense of humor to help us get through this tough life a little bit easier. Take yourself a little bit less seriously, and I think you’ll find you can take serious things a little bit easier. And oh, by the way, the Franklin fireworks show started by the end of the song, and it was well worth the wait.

Finances

I’ll make this last one quick- because this whole Johnson thing where I talk too much is catching up to my word count. Over the course of the weekend, I spent probably 4 hours talking to Stevie-Boy about finances, which at first sounds, well… awful. I will graduate from college in 10 months, and know very little about how to responsibly manage money, so I was asking a billion questions and he was patiently answering as many as he could. His wise approach was basically this: “Do what you want, but this worked for me so maybe do this, and that didn’t work for me so maybe don’t do that.” It struck me how similar an approach we all have to take when sharing wisdom or sharing our own personal stories. None of us are perfectly wise…Big Steve doesn’t know everything about money, Lil Jan doesn’t know everything about marriage or hiking in mud, I know very little about everything, and you are not omniscient, either. But God works through our lives and graces us with a fair understanding of certain things, and ultimately God co-authors the story each of us is writing. I think one of the best things we can do is to share wisdom with a child, friend, stranger, or whoever based on the story God has written for each of us. My favorite author Donald Miller wrote the following: “I asked God to help me understand the story of the forest and what it means to be a tree in that story.” I hope and pray you find your role as a tree in God’s forest. And when you do, I hope you will tell other trees about your experiences. As for me, this weekend I was grateful to God for being the son of two tree bloggers who live in an RV down by the river.

– Kyle Johnson

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A Bridge to Racial Harmony

July 4, 2015 thebigsteve66@gmail.com 18 Comments

“You’ve got to go where the fish are,” Clarence said as we headed across Greenwood Lake in his fishing boat. “And the fish are likely under that bridge, so that’s where we’re headed.” He steered the boat toward the bridge as Raymond (my father-in-law) and I sat in the back finishing off our sausage biscuits.

I’ve heard a lot about the sad state of race relations in our country. I’ve taught United States History to high school students, with subjects ranging from slavery to civil rights to economic disparity. I’ve seen news reports about protests and rioting following real or perceived acts of police brutality. I’ve seen commentaries either for or against the display of the Confederate flag. I’m aware of “black churches” and other churches which are entirely white. Same goes for neighborhoods. I’ve pondered why a Black History Month is a good thing while a White History Month would be frowned upon. I have been shocked by racial stereotypes and at other times have been guilty of them. Race can be a complicated thing.

As we approached the narrow gap between the water and the bottom of the bridge, Clarence told me to get as low in the boat as possible. When I considered the narrow passage, clearance height, and my own size, I lay back in the boat as far as I could, quietly said my goodbyes, and prepared to die. As we passed under the first beam, I looked like Neo dodging bullets in The Matrix movie. I was close enough to kiss the beam, but chose not to because it was covered in spiders and my fellow fisherman might have considered that weird. We miraculously cleared the first beam and I proudly sat up just as two fleeing pigeons buzzed me. Clarence told me to get back down because the next beam was approaching. As I quickly lowered myself into the narrow gap between the two seats and placed my head on the tackle box, I reminded myself that fishing is fun. I regretted eating two sausage biscuits that morning, and not having taken Mrs. Whitley’s yoga class during Teacher Appreciation Week earlier this year. But I managed to clear the second beam and, as cars roared by on the bridge above us, Raymond said, “Alrighty, let’s catch some fish.”

I don’t know whether race relations are getting better or worse in our country. The optimist in me says things have certainly improved since the times of slavery and even since the incredible racial strife of the 1960s. The pessimist in me notes that, too often, people choose their friends and perhaps even their politicians based more on skin color than on the content of their character. Clearly, we still have a long way to go.

As for Raymond and Clarence, my fishing buddies under the bridge, allow me to give you their back-stories. On the surface, these two men have very little in common. Raymond, an 81-year-old white man, was born in Roellen, Tennessee, and attended college at Freed-Hardeman University. He served in the Army for two years, but spent most of his life preaching the Gospel at congregations in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and the Carolinas. He also served for many years as a missionary, primarily in India. Clarence, a 61-year-old black man, was born in Whitmire, South Carolina, and pursued a career teaching Health and Physical Education and coaching baseball and football. He was quite a talented pitcher himself, having been drafted by the Chicago Cubs, but chose not to accept their offer because they wanted to use him as a relief pitcher. While pitching for South Carolina State, his roommate on the road was none other than Donnie Shell, who would later become an All-Pro NFL strong safety and member of the Steelers famed Steel Curtain defense of the 1970s.

It would seem Raymond and Clarence have little in common. They are twenty years apart in age. They are different races, pursued different career paths, and were blessed with different talents. If that weren’t enough, they live in South Carolina, home of the Confederate flag controversy and its fair share of racial strife. And yet, in spite of all that, Raymond and Clarence are not just good friends…they are best friends. For the past fifteen years, they have formed a friendship that is as deep and strong as any you will ever run across. Like an old married couple, they can anticipate each other’s actions and finish each other’s sentences. They would do anything for the other, to include donating an organ or taking a bullet. Their friendship is a special thing to witness. Everyone would be blessed to have at least one friendship as deep and fulfilling as this one.

So how do we explain such a close friendship in a society so torn apart by racism? I would attribute it to two things:

1. They share a common bond as brothers in Christ. They share a love for God first and foremost, and then a love for their fellow man, regardless of race. Acts 10:34 tells us that God does not show partiality, and Galatians 3:28 reminds us that we are all one in Christ Jesus. While many can read and understand these verses, Raymond and Clarence seem to have taken them to heart.

2. They share a common passion for fishing. Rather than focus on the potential issues or activities that could divide them, they choose to focus on an activity that brings them together. When they are together under the bridge reeling in fish, all is right in the universe.

After clearing the beams, we threw our lines in the water and began a great day of fishing under the bridge, ultimately hauling in 27 fish. We engaged in some friendly banter over the relative sizes of fish that we caught, and shared some stories about fishing and life. I learned that on their weekly fishing trips, Clarence prefers catching a lot of fish while Raymond prefers hooking “the big one”. I learned about the time Clarence made a prank phone call to Raymond, disguising his voice and asking Raymond to marry him and his girlfriend “because that girl loves me a lot!” (Raymond politely refused.) I learned about the time there was a water moccasin on the shore near the boat and Clarence asked Raymond to kill it. As Raymond wildly swung a paddle at the snake, Clarence was sure he was going to either fall out of the boat or hit Clarence in the head with the paddle. According to Clarence, the snake wasn’t phased a bit. Each story seemed to have two versions, and I suspect the truth lay somewhere in between.

The realist in me says we will always have racial problems in this country, just like we’ll always have crime and poverty. Racism and prejudice are not just problems that get solved and then we move on to something else. But I do believe race relations can improve, and I believe it begins not in big government programs, but in individual relationships like the one between Raymond and Clarence. These men overlooked whatever differences might have divided them, and forged a friendship based on a common bond in Christ and a love for fishing. This is not just an ordinary friendship but a friendship for the ages…the kind each of us should get to experience at least once in our lives.

A lot of good things can happen under a bridge on Greenwood Lake in the middle of South Carolina. Not all of them involve fishing.

Big Steve

One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. - Proverbs 18:24 — One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. – Proverbs 18:24

Devotional Thoughts

45 Ways to Enhance Worship

July 1, 2015 thebigsteve66@gmail.com 4 Comments

One of the benefits of full-time RVing is getting to worship God in a variety of settings and getting to hear God’s Word preached from many different perspectives. We also get to see the unique, creative, and innovative ways that different congregations accomplish the different elements of organized worship. We hope to occasionally share some “best practices” along with inspirational, challenging, or otherwise helpful lessons that we come across on our journey.

On June 14^th we worshipped with the church of Christ at Cedar Lane in Tullahoma, TN. Steven Hovater, their preacher, spoke that morning about 45 ways to enhance the worship experience. Ideally, worshipping God would always be inspiring and meaningful…and we’d always give it our all. But, like everything else in life, it’s possible to sometimes lose our focus a bit and begin going through the motions. What should be inherently inspiring can become routine.

Here, then, are 45 ways to give your organized worship a booster shot. Some are more useful than others. Some you’ll reject outright. But hopefully a few of Brother Hovater’s suggestions, as paraphrased below, will be helpful.

Come with a listening spirit. Have ears ready to hear what will be offered from Scripture. Have an attitude that God is about to communicate something important to me and I need to be listening for it.
Come early. Give yourself time to settle in and prepare for what is about to happen. Rushing in at the last minute or arriving late sends the wrong message.
Stay late. Give your conversation with people time to breathe. Have more to say than “hi” and “good to see you”.
Unplug. Leave your phone at home or turn it off. You can check the news and weather and send texts when you are through.
Plug-in. Yes, this contradicts #4; but, rather than be distracted by technology, use it to engage others. Tweet/Facebook/Instagram things that thoughtfully struck you about the service/lesson.
Move. Sit closer to the front or further back, or on a different side of the building. This will help you to meet new people and have a different vantage point of the service.
Sleep well/long the night before. Come rested and ready to worship.
Expand your scope. Think about other Scriptures, Bible stories, and songs that might support the lesson theme.
Receive a song. Don’t sing a song, but let the family sing it to you. Hear their hearts. (Of course, don’t do this for every song!)
Turn up the volume. Sing louder than you are comfortable. This encourages others around you to sing out.
Be hospitable. Welcome people, especially visitors, like they are guests in your home.
Read ahead. Meditate on the sermon text (possibly found in the bulletin) or some other Scripture before worship begins.
Take notes. Take notes about everything, not just the lesson…communion devotional, favorite song, prayer list, etc. Writing in general helps disentangle our thoughts.
Be physical. Worship with your body. Consider your posture.
Stretch. Intentionally wake your body for worship beforehand. Get the blood flowing.
Talk in church. If a particular song or sermon point or something else had an impact on you, lean over and share that with your neighbor. This doesn’t mean carrying on a 20-minute conversation.
Talk back. Appropriate responses at the appropriate time (Amen, Yes, Alright, That’s right, Come on, etc.) Most preachers appreciate the feedback and encouragement.
Pray for God’s Spirit to work. Pray for yourself and pray for others that have heard the lesson. Pray that you or someone else will be touched by the service in some way.
Smile at children. Learn their names. Help them know that this place is home to them; that they belong here.
Write at least one thing down. Something significant about the sermon, a song, communion, or a conversation you had. What’s the one biggest thing you took away from this experience?
Don’t be a critic. Worship is not the movies, not a show to be judged or rated. We are there to worship God, not be entertained.
Sing to someone. Give the song to someone else. Think about someone else as you are singing a song.
Sing the words. Pronounce the words; understand the words. Don’t just regurgitate lyrics.
Fast. The huge breakfast just prior to worship may not always be the best approach.
Sketch. Capture something meaningful with an image.
Commune with intent. Seriously think about each aspect of the communion with the Lord and the worship service.
Attend to the absent. Notice who wasn’t present. Send them a card or call them to let them know they were missed. Give them a short synopsis of the sermon.
Debrief. Talk about the service and lessons learned with others (not critically). Ask your spouse or children what was the most important thing they learned.
Practice. If there was a song you didn’t know, work on it throughout the week.
Recreate the text in your memory. Try to write down or verbalize what the main Scripture reference was word for word. Then decide what’s missing that you didn’t recall.
See anew. Enter the worship assembly as if it was your first time to worship God. Reflect for a moment on what it means to be in the presence of God.
Pick a hymn. Take one of the hymns that was sung and sing it throughout the week.
Pre-pray the order of worship. When you arrive, look over the bulletin worship schedule and pray for those presiding.
Seek the Lord. Think about how God has been revealed through the worship. As you depart, ask yourself, “Where did I see/feel God today?”
Free your worship tone. Allow your worship to have a range of emotions (laugh, cry, reflect, nostalgic, etc.)
Surrender. Come in and allow the lesson or worship experience to create problems in your life. Let it convict you of something awry in your life.
Explore the places of worship. Think about each act of worship and its significance.
Shift perspective. Worship with someone else’s mindset. How might my son/mother/friend be receiving this message?
Consider God’s character. Encounter a God who is love.
Own worship. Don’t let somebody else worship for you. Don’t think worship is just for those leading the worship service.
Keep a worship journal. How is worship shaping you?
Connect the dots. How is today’s worship service connected to your past, present and future?
Prepare to be prepared. Become malleable. Allow the worship experience to change you.
Accept the sending. Imagine each week is your missionary send-off.
Fully engage. Leave all outside thoughts at the door and fully focus on what is happening.

We are called to worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). We hope you can find a few items on this list to enhance your worship experience. If you have additional suggestions, please post them in the comments section.

Lil Jan and Big Steve

Campground Reviews

Campground Review: Old Stone Fort State Park, Manchester TN

June 27, 2015 thebigsteve66@gmail.com 4 Comments

More than just a river nymph…she’s my soulmate

Dates: June 13-25, 2015

Campsite: 30

Overall Score: 3.7 (out of 5)

Summary: We chose this state park because it’s just a 20-minute drive from my parents’ home in Tullahoma. We’re spending a significant amount of time with them this summer as my mom has advanced bile duct/liver cancer and is under hospice care. Our typical morning was spent hiking/jogging/exploring the park and then we headed to Tullahoma to have lunch with my parents and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening with them. The park has excellent hiking trails, waterfalls and swimming holes, along with some Native American history. We definitely plan to return.

Recreation/Amenities: 4.5 – The 7+ miles of hiking trails feature some waterfalls, swimming and fishing holes, and elevation changes. To reach the best swimming hole, take the Old Stone Fort Enclosure Trail clockwise from the museum ¼ mile, and then descend the second set of steps and follow the path to the river. The best hiking trail is the Little Duck River Loop Trail which features a beautiful river, a moderate climb, and a ridge. I caught (and released) 4 bass and 11 blue gill where the Duck River meets the Little Duck River along the Forks of the River Trail. Lil Jan sat near me on the cooler, reading her Christian fiction and occasionally looking up and calling my attention to a large fish that should be caught.

Hookups & Connectivity: 3.5 – electric, water, and dump station (partial hookups). No Wi-Fi, cable TV, or sewer connection at site. (We managed to go all 13 days on a single black tank…which ultimately resulted in what could only be described as a massive dump upon exiting the park.)

Local Vicinity Things to Do: 3 – aside from the huge annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, there’s not much happening within 15 miles of the park…aside from small town festivals, antique stores, etc. In fact, the “9th best” thing to do in Manchester according to TripAdvisor is the movie theater…and there isn’t one! However, the park is built on/around the “Old Stone Fort” which was built (by Brian Williams) 1500-2000 years ago during the Middle Woodland Period. Native Americans used it as a ceremonial gathering place and eventually abandoned it. When the European settlers arrived, they didn’t know what the area was used for and mistakenly named it a fort. According to the park brochure, it is considered the “most spectacularly sited sacred area of its period in the United States and the largest and most complex hilltop enclosure in the south.” (narrowly edging out Graceland, I presume) The park museum contains photos, dioramas, an orientation film in the theater, displays of prehistoric Native American replicas, and a gift shop.

Cleanliness: 3 – while the campsites are well-maintained and the bathhouse showers had hot water, the bathhouses themselves were fairly rustic and showed signs of wear (to include some moldy shower curtains).

Intangibles: 4.5 –

Pros – proximity to Steve’s parents and Arnold Air Force Base. We got to spend an awesome father’s day with them and Steve’s sisters and some of their families. Quiet campsite. Museum on grounds. Saw several deer, possums, rabbits, and squirrels while hiking. Good spacing between campsites, which are fully shaded. Golf course next door. The staff offers guided nature/historical tours on the weekends. . $22.20/night.

Cons – rustic bathhouses are adequate but could use some sprucing up. Couldn’t pick up any local tv channels with the antenna, but then we’ve pretty much weaned ourselves off of tv. Didn’t catch any of the fish Lil Jan pointed to.

For more information… http://tnstateparks.com/assets/pdf/additional-content/park-brochures/old-stone-fort_brochure.pdf

Big Steve

Devotional Thoughts

Masterpiece on a Mission

June 19, 2015 thebigsteve66@gmail.com 5 Comments

One thing that derails some well-intentioned Bible study programs is a focus on quantity (reading the entire Bible in one year) rather than quality (doing a “deep dive” on a particular story or a specific verse). Both approaches are beneficial, but lately I seem to get more out of going in-depth on specific stories or verses.

One verse that has meant a lot to me this year is Ephesians 2:10, which reads “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” I’ve always liked this verse, but after studying it in more detail, it now amazes me. Meditating on it has changed my life. God’s word has a way of doing that. So let’s take a closer look at the words God, through Paul, had to say to the church at Ephesus, and to you and me…

We are God’s handiwork… Some translations use workmanship in place of handiwork, and the Greek word used here is poíēma which means “that which is made” or “workmanship”. The idea here is of an artisan designing and creating a product. It is from the Greek word poíēma that we get the English word poem. So when God created mankind…when God created you…he was a poet writing his very best poem, a sculptor creating his very best sculpture, and a painter painting his life’s masterpiece. Let that sink in for a minute. The creator of the universe…the all-knowing and all-powerful entity that created everything…was at the top of his game when he created you. Ever struggle with self-esteem? Remember that you are God’s handiwork. Feel like you are not up to the task before you? Remember that you are God’s masterpiece, made in his own image (Genesis 1:27). It’s no wonder that when God looked over all that he had made, including man, he knew that it was very good (Genesis 1:30). I hope that makes you hold your head a little higher and walk with a little more confidence in your step. You’re not patting yourself on the back; rather, you’re giving God all the credit for having written such a beautiful poem when he wrote you into existence.

Someone may ask, “But what about the sorry state of mankind? What about all the crime and corruption and hate in the world? What about all the people who live a life that sure doesn’t look like the masterpiece of an all-powerful Creator?” Those are fair questions. I guess my first thought is that some choose not to become Christians, but instead remain in their old selves. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” Those who are in Christ, then, seem to have ripped the packaging off the product and are daily being transformed into the full masterpiece that God intended. That’s simply not going to happen if you haven’t turned your life over to God. My other thought is that some masterpieces never reach their full potential. Someone can sell an old painting for $5 at a garage sale, not realizing that it’s a famous work of Picasso. Someone can allow an original Shakespearean manuscript to crumble away by not properly preserving it. There is no telling what masterpieces waste away through indifference and neglect in attics around the globe. That doesn’t change the fact that they started out as masterpieces with great potential for good. It’s also possible that, with a little effort, a neglected masterpiece could be cleaned and restored to its original, wonderful condition (in the spiritual sense, a process called repentance). Regardless of what condition you and I are in, at our core we are something amazing created by God.

Created in Christ Jesus to do good works… So why would God create his masterpiece known as mankind? Why do you and I exist? What’s our mission? The answer is simple…to do good works. Our purpose is not to accumulate money, although money can be used for good works. Our mission is not to attain high-ranking positions in a profession, although those positions might give us a larger platform from which to do good works. We are not here to be the most talented or best looking or to die with the most toys. Our mission, rather, is to do good works. As Christians, we don’t do this to get saved, to somehow earn our salvation. Rather, we do good works because we are saved. These works are the natural outpouring of someone who realizes what God has done for them. If you miss that point, you miss everything. As God’s handiwork, you and I were uniquely and wonderfully created to do good works, both big and small. Your good work might be helping a stranger fix a flat tire. Or perhaps it’s building a house for a poor family in Honduras. Or maybe God needs you to mentor a troubled teenager, or buy Christmas presents for a family that has none, or build a well or a clinic for a poor village in Haiti. Or perhaps your mission is to spend time with a loved one dying from cancer, and to encourage her worn-out, caregiving husband. No matter how big or small the work, it all matters. It all counts. And God gets all the glory, because he made you, his masterpiece, with the skills and abilities to accomplish these good works of service. So, we’ve established what you are…a masterpiece…and we’ve covered why you’re here…to do good works.

Which God prepared in advance for us to do… This is where things really get interesting. Because all those good works we just mentioned, along with all the ones not mentioned, were put there by God with our name on them. Let that sink in for a moment. Before you were even born, God had in mind some good works for you to do 10, 20, 30, or even 70 years later. There is something God wants me to do later today that I don’t even know about yet. But God has prepared it for me to do. When that moment comes, it won’t be by chance or luck. God is intentional, not random. I no longer believe random stuff happens. Even when bad things happen, based on our poor choices or natural disasters or whatever, God is right there preparing the opportunities for good works that will follow. The question, then, is whether we will seize the opportunity and accomplish the good work prepared by God in advance for us to do, or will pass on the opportunity with some lame excuse like we’re not good enough, or someone else will surely do it.

Several years ago some missionaries headed out into the Honduran countryside to bring a bus full of food to a women’s prison. Their driver ended up getting lost, and the team ended up on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere. At the end of that dirt road in Nowhere, Honduras was an orphanage called Didasko that had literally just run out of food. In fact, the director had just said a prayer asking God to work a miracle as they had run out of food along with the money to buy more food. The bus pulled up, the missionaries distributed the food, God answered the prayer, and missionaries (including Lil Jan and myself) have been going there ever since. It’s a great story, but I don’t believe chance or luck or randomness were involved. Rather, God was very intentionally at work throughout. He might have even confused the bus driver just enough to get lost. I believe God saw to it that a bus full of food-carrying gringos (his masterpieces) would have an opportunity to fulfill their mission by doing a good work. And I bet he prepared another good work which involved the women at the prison being fed as well.

I suspect Paul’s words in Ephesians 2:10 were a great encouragement to the Christians at Ephesus. They lived in a big, bustling city full of people who frequently did wrong, to include worshiping at the Temple of Artemis, among other temples. The Christians there were known for their deeds, hard work, and perseverance, and yet apparently some of them had forsaken their first love (Revelation 2:2,4). Paul encourages them and challenges them by reminding them that they are God’s masterpieces, uniquely and wonderfully made. He tells them what their purpose is…to do good works. And he reminds them that God has already prepared the works for them to do.

To sum it all up, we are masterpieces on a mission. God is counting on us to do good works in order to fulfill that mission. Whatever the opportunity is that you will face later today or tomorrow, God put it there. And as his masterpiece, you are uniquely qualified to perform the good work and accomplish your mission.

Big Steve

Campground Reviews

Campground Review: Alafia River State Park, Lithia FL

June 15, 2015 thebigsteve66@gmail.com 1 Comment

We plan to do reviews on the various campgrounds and state/national parks where we stay. We hope these posts are as useful to future visitors to these locations as existing reviews have been to us. The reviews will also constitute our personal note taking of things to do or avoid doing when we visit again. We will update the ratings as appropriate as our travels give us a better basis for scoring and making comparisons.

Caveat: The things that matter to us heavily influence our scores. So, for example, we won’t be deducting much if a campground lacks a playground or doesn’t allow pets since that currently doesn’t matter to us. (Mandy, our dog, is dead.) We will, however, deduct if the location lacked good hiking trails, as that is a priority.

Our Categories:

Recreation/Amenities – hiking, gym, rec room, marina, pool, beach, etc.

Hookups & Connectivity – electric, water, sewer, Wi-Fi, cable, etc.

Local Vicinity Things to Do – cultural, historical, or otherwise fun things to do within 15 miles

Cleanliness – of bathrooms, showers, and grounds in general

Intangibles – friendliness, cost, wildlife, noise, things that really stand out, etc.

Overall Score – the average of the above 5 scores

So then, here we go…

Campground: Alafia River State Park, Lithia FL

Dates: June 9-12, 2015

Campsite: 30

Overall Score: 3.8 (out of 5)

Summary: We had a great time at this state park and would definitely return. I had been here a couple years earlier to run a half-marathon with my friend, Clare DeBoef, and had high expectations. The campground definitely lived up to those expectations.

Recreation/Amenities: 4.5 – Fairly high score based on 20+ miles of outstanding hiking/biking/equestrian trails. In fact, the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA, of which I am not a member) gave it an “epic” designation. To see a sampling of what makes it epic, check out this link… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbDVzLemjmQ

To see why I will not be riding a mountain bike at high speeds through this park, see this link… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MVVTEmFHI8

We did, however, hike two long hikes and enjoyed the views and exercise. There is also a nice fishing pond (with alligator), pavilions, and horse stables for boarding campers’ horses.

Hookups & Connectivity: 3.5 out of 5 – electric, water, and dump station (partial hookups). No Wi-Fi, cable TV, or sewer connection at site.

Local Vicinity Things to Do: 2 out of 5 – not much happening within 15 miles. Nearest restaurants are at Fishhawk. Awarding 2 points for the abundance of things to do within fairly easy driving distance (Tampa, Ybor City, Orlando, beaches, etc.)

Cleanliness: 4.5 out of 5

Intangibles: 4.5 out of 5 –

Pros – quiet, especially during the summer. Saw several deer every morning and evening throughout the campground. Good spacing between campsites. Friendly staff – a ranger spent several minutes explaining the various trails to me. Cool bat house by the lake. Our friends, John and Laurie, joined us for Chinese take-out and a final round of cards before leaving the state. $24.64/night.

Cons – several campsites were partially submerged following a heavy rain—we saw a couple of tent campers having to relocate to higher ground. Each campsite has a few trees providing shade, but only a few. Water had a bit of a rotten egg smell (hydrogen sulfide, maybe?)…I first noticed it while in the camp shower and thought, “Was that a frog?”

Big Steve

Uncategorized

Was that a Frog?

June 13, 2015 thebigsteve66@gmail.com 7 Comments

Family traditions are important. They provide continuity between generations. They involve things said and things done. They are part of the bond that holds families together.

We have a family tradition that goes back for generations (I’m told), but I first learned about it from my Uncle Phil while on family vacation as a young child. My uncle had eaten something that disagreed with him. I don’t recall if it was Mexican casserole or noodles or perhaps some combination of the two. I do recall that in the middle of watching a golf tournament on TV, he raised his leg and, well, pooted…tooted…broke wind…let one rip…made noise…whatever you want to call it. It happens. We all do it. And my uncle had just done it. Without hesitation, and without apology, he simply glanced up, looked me in the eyes, and said, “Was that a frog?” Despite only being five or six years old, I was pretty sure what had happened and that it wasn’t a frog. I knew what frogs sound like and what I had heard was similar and yet different…more like a frog that smoked cigarettes and had a very bad cold. But Uncle Phil was insistent, and the other males in the room all affirmed that the noise was indeed most likely attributable to an unseen amphibian in the room. So I went along with the deception, nodded that I too had heard the frog, and by doing so became a part of the family tradition.

Last night we parked our RV between two semi trucks in a Wal-Mart parking lot in Perry, Georgia. Full-timers do this on occasion (it’s called boondocking or living off the grid) on their way to the next destination as a way to save money on campsites and make the lifestyle more affordable. So we pulled in around 7pm, I went for a run, and then we played Cribbage and Sequence. As first-timers spending the night in a Wal-Mart parking lot, we were a little nervous about the truckers nearby, the safety of our tow vehicle, local gangs, and that sort of thing. But we’re on an adventure…and this is part of it.

About midnight we were just about asleep and I made a medium-sized noise. It happens. We all do it. Not only did Lil Jan not scold me, but she further secured her place in family tradition with these little four words: “Was that a frog?” I smiled and affirmed that it was indeed a frog and nothing to be alarmed about…aside from the fact that the frog needed to quit smoking.

Twice during the night something happened that you may not believe, but it is 100% true and one of the weirdest and funniest things that’s ever happened to us. At about 1:30 a.m., Lil Jan was awakened by something cold landing on her arm. She gasped, flicked her arm, and sat up but didn’t see anything. I, of course, didn’t notice her agitation and if I had, would have dismissed it as just a dream. But an hour later, I was awakened from a deep sleep and startled by what felt like a cold, wet paper towel hitting me in the right thigh. I rose up in bed, took a swing at my right thigh, and hollered, “What was that?” Equally startled, Lil Jan quickly sat up and turned on the light. We look around and discovered a two-inch long tree frog on the wall next to me…the kind with the sticky legs that can climb anywhere. We laughed for a solid five minutes and she told me the same thing had happened earlier to her. We wondered where the little fella had come from. Did we carry him in a storage compartment all the way from Florida? Was he a Perry, Georgia, frog who lived in the Wal-Mart parking lot and was just checking on us? Or is it possible that he was from a nearby swamp and, two hours earlier, had heard a noise that he thought was a mating cry from a fellow amphibian?

We may never know the answers to these questions. But it made for a rather exciting first night boondocking in a Wal-Mart parking lot. As I released the little fella with a toss out the RV door, I decided to name him Phil in honor of my uncle. Because maybe Phil had been right all along, and the noise that had been heard in our RV at midnight was indeed just a frog.

Big Steve

Uncategorized

The Next Rodeo

June 11, 2015 thebigsteve66@gmail.com 2 Comments

I’ve been called out by a few of my family and friends for letting Steve do all the blogging about our journey. So, here goes my first shot at putting some thoughts together about this whirlwind adventure we’re undertaking.

I am accustomed to packing up my belongings, purging unnecessary things I’ve accumulated, saying goodbye to friends, and leaving congregations where I’ve been involved. I guess you could say this isn’t my first rodeo! Each time I feel nostalgic and realize I will miss seeing those friends on a regular basis. But mostly, I’m excited about what lies ahead. Growing up as a “preacher’s kid”, we moved 5 times…3 of which were before I started grade school. The toughest of those was when we moved to Tennessee from Spartanburg, SC, after having lived there from 1^st grade through the middle of my junior year. When I learned of the move, I was devastated! As a young teen, I went into full “Little Miss Drama” mode. I was certain life would never be the same and I would never make as good of friends in Tennessee.

Well, God in his infinite wisdom always knows best. I can see clearly now (the pain is gone) that the move to Tennessee changed the course of my life. Being a social butterfly, I quickly made new friends and packed a lot of great memories into that year and a half before leaving for college. Speaking of college, this is where moving to Tennessee had the most impact. Several of my new friends were interested in going to David Lipscomb College in Nashville, TN. This is not a school that was anywhere on my radar before moving to Tennessee. Yet I would not be sitting here today in this beautiful pavilion at the Alafia River State Park in Florida if God had not made me aware of David Lipscomb College. You see it was there (during the first hour on campus) that I met the love of my life, Steve Johnson. (He says I fell in love with him instantly, but that’s not quite how I remember it.) His adventurous spirit has taken me to places that I would have never dreamed of. As a military couple for 23 years, we had 8 moves around the globe, including a 2-year tour in Germany. If you had asked that young teen from Spartanburg what I would be doing 18 years later, I would’ve never guessed living in a foreign country! I thought I needed to stay right there in SC. In fact, the farthest west I had ever been was Memphis. There again, God always knows what’s best!

The military lifestyle brought so many wonderful experiences for us. We have friends scattered all over the country thanks to God and Uncle Sam. Leaving each assignment was always difficult and I always wondered how the next stop could possibly be better. But God graciously looked after us and made each assignment a blessing in its own way. People always ask, “How do you handle all the moving and leaving friends so easily?” My answer is, “I know that right around the corner is another blessing coming my way. “ Do I miss the friends I’ve made at each stop? You better believe it! Just about every day I think of someone I’ve known at some point in my life and wonder how he or she is doing and recall some of the fun times we’ve shared. But then I remind myself that if I had stayed in Spartanburg, SC, just think how many people I would’ve missed out on knowing.

As we start out on this RV adventure, we hope to stop by and see many of those friends that we’ve made and make some new friends along the way as well. We look forward to reconnecting and catching up. I hope that each of you that read this “rambling” will think back on our friendship and look on it as pleasantly as I have. Thank you all for being a part of who I am and for playing a role in my life’s adventure!

Lil Jan

Big Steve & Lil Jan's XL Adventure

Inside Out

The Least Among You

Family Time In Franklin: Flatulence, Fireworks, and Finances

A Bridge to Racial Harmony

45 Ways to Enhance Worship

Campground Review: Old Stone Fort State Park, Manchester TN

Masterpiece on a Mission

Campground Review: Alafia River State Park, Lithia FL

Was that a Frog?

The Next Rodeo

Not All Who Wander Are Lost