Blessings

What a blessing it was to enjoy Christmas Eve with my church family for our annual Christmas Eve Celebration, and to enjoy Christmas Day with my family at our home. I am truly a blessed man.

Johnny

Christmas Plans

It's the most wonderful time of the year. For me, that really is the case. I love the Christmas season. Now that Christmas day is only a few days away, our lives will really get busy. But we love it.

We plan to travel to Louisiana this weekend to visit my family. We will enjoy great food, wonderful fellowship, fun gifts, and the warmth of being together with all the brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, parents . . . well, you get the point. We will be back on town Sunday evening.

I look forward to the Christmas Eve Service each year. It has become one of the most precious elements of our Christmas celebration. After that we will enjoy spending time with our family on Christmas Day.

As usual, our kids will enjoy the challenge of finding and securing their gifts. They simply call it "the hunt." Though they are grown, they still enjoy the fun and excitement. Over the years they have had go dig their gifts out of the ground, find them in A/C vents, under bridges, in trees, and in all kinds of other hiding places. They have had to work puzzles, answer questions and solve clues in order to get their gifts. This year will be no different. Though they have no idea what to expect Christmas morning, they know it will be fun.

The following weekend Jan's family will come to our place. They love to come and we love hosting them. When the Nichols and Millers get together at the Hutchison's the food is plentiful, the laughter is contagious, and we always find time for some shopping.

As you can tell, we are in for a grand time this Christmas Season. May the coming days bring you more blessings than you can imagine. And remember to spend some time honoring the one whose birthday we are celebrating.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Kids are the Best

Don't you just love kids? Boy, I do. I am so proud of the kids who presented The Mystery of the Manger last night. It was a great program. The kids choir Christmas program is always a highlight of my year. They are so full of energy, excitement, and enthusiasm. Thanks to all the parents who make sure that their children receive the benefit of our children's choir ministries. Thanks also to Sharon Wilson, Staci Gibson, Glenda Chamberlain, Dana McKinney and Theresa Phillips for leading these ministries.

Thanks

Dear HDBC Family:

Thanks so much for the positive response to the vision that I shared with you on Sunday night. The future looks great. I am so blessed to be your pastor. Have a great week. Remember to "build some bridges."



Johnny

Thanksgiving

With the Thanksgiving Weekend coming to an end, I thought I would share a few of the things for which I am thankful.

The precious gift of salvation from the Lord Jesus Christ.
My wonderful wife. In Jan, the Lord surely gave me more than I deserved.
Three great daughters who who still bring joy to their daddy's heart.
My son-in-law who is truly part of the family.
My grandson, Hutch. Watching him grow and learn is one of the joys of my life
The HDBC church family. After 15 years, my love for this church continues to grow.
My mom and dad. Jan's mom and dad. They have given more than we could ever repay.

On a lighter note, I am thankful for . . .
Tastebuds. Life would be so bland without this delightful gift from God.
Sleep. What a great friend after a long, hard day.
Seasons. Fall and Winter are my favorites. "Winning" seasons are also great. Go Bulldogs!
Calendars. They remind us that life is filled with "new beginnings."
Teeth. They not only help us eat, but sure make a difference when we smile. So, show those teeth. Smile often.

Blessings,

Home Sweet Home

"Home Sweet Home." It's a phrase we used to say whenever our family would get home after a trip. It was a signal that we were back in our comfort zone . . . a place where each of us could truly be ourselves. A place where memories are made and stored, where the furnishings are familiar, and the bed feels just right. "Home Sweet Home" what a sweet phrase.

I caught myself saying that as we arrived back in the U.S. after several days in the West African country of Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). Though God blessed us in more ways than we could share, though we were there because of a definite call from God, and though the Koyaka and Koro people welcomed us joyfully, it was just not home.

So, once more I gratefully whisper the words . . . Home Sweet Home.

West Africa

We are only a few days away from our trip to West Africa. Jerry and Armentia Adams and I will be working with the Koyaka people of northern Cote d'Ivoire for six days. This will be my second trip to Koyaka country. I was there in January 2002, but in-country fighting kept us from going back during the past five years. We are excited about discerning what the Lord is doing among these precious people and about how Highland Drive Baptist can do more to get the gospel to villages that have never heard the good news that Jesus loves them. We have heard reports that some among the Koyaka have trusted Christ. Hopefully we will find that to be true. Thank you for praying for us during the next two weeks.

In Calvary's Grace,
Johnny

Harvest Festival Success

I want to praise the Lord for a successful Harvest Festival last Saturday. We had over 600 people in attendance and had over 100 volunteers from HDBC working the make it a success. Special thanks to Shay Caldwell, our Children's Minister, and the children's ministry leadership team. You guys did a great job. This is simply one way that we are "Building Bridges" to Jonesboro and the surrounding community.

Rainy days and . . .

Fall has arrived. And with it the rain and cooler weather. I love the cooler weather, but have pretty much had all the rain I need, at least for now. Quite frankly I have been so busy inside that I have hardly noticed. I'm excited about some things just around the corner. Let me share a few of them:

Harvest Festival this Saturday afternoon, 3-5 pm. I can't wait. We should have over 500 children and other family members on our campus.

College basketball season. Yes, football is my first love, but college basketball is growing on me.

Cote d'Ivoire trip. I admit that it has taken some time for me to get excited about this trip. God is definitely calling me to go, and I have been committed, just not excited. In the past few days my excitement is growing. I look forward to seeing how God is working among the Koyaka people. By the way, thanks to all who are praying for us on this trip.

God Bless.

VIP Sunday

What a great day! Yesterday was VIP Sunday at Highland Drive Baptist. We honored our VIP's, those who are 70 years of age or older. As I shared in my message yesterday morning they truly are the backbone of our fellowship. Last night was also a great night, as we ordained Shay Caldwell to ministry. Be praying for Shay as he completes his seminary training in December. It is such a blessing to serve in such a wonderful church. Being with you on Sundays, makes Mondays so much better! Have a great week.

Football and Family

As many of you know, I am a Mississippi State Fan through and through. I guess it is in my blood. My dad was a student at MSU when I was born. I have grown up following the Maroon and White through good years and bad. And believe me, we have had our share of bad years.

You may also know that Jan grew up calling the Hogs. She loves the Razorbacks. That sort of makes us a divided family. Well, you may wonder how we do it. Fortunately we both know how to take a loss. And we usually keep the "smack talking" to a minimum.

There is one other thing that helps keep us together on game days. We both love the ASU Indians. It is a real blessing to live in a university town and to support our local school. Our grandson, Hutch, is also getting into the spirit. I am working hard to influence him toward the Bulldogs, and his Mama J truly wants him to be a Razorback. At this point, only the Lord knows which way he will lean. In the mean time, he has become a faithful fan of the Arkansas State Indians. He loves going to the games. In words that only Hutch truly understands, I am sure he is saying, "Go Indians."

Missed You

As I am writing this blog I am in a hotel room in Cleveland, MS. Actually it is a Holiday Inn Express. Who knows what I will be able to do after staying here for a few days. :)

I am preaching a revival meeting this week for Calvary Baptist Church. They are a loving, wonderful church, led by Pastor Mark Worsham. Though I am enjoying the opportunity to renew my friendship with Mark and his family, and to get to know some new Christian brothers and sisters, I certainly did miss the Highland Drive family on Sunday. I have already heard good reports from the worship celebrations and the picnic. I'm delighted that things went well. We are blessed to have such a great staff to lead in ministry when I am away.

I will conclude the revival meeting here on Wednesday night and will be back in the office on Thursday. Hope you all have a wonderful week. Keep your thoughts on Heaven.

Freedom

Aye, fight and you may die, run, and you'll live... at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin' to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take... OUR FREEDOM! (William Wallace in Braveheart)

We enjoy so many freedoms. Some are ours because we are citizens of the United States of America. We enjoy many others because we are citizens of the Kingdom of God. The Lord truly wants us to live in freedom: freedom from bondage . . .freedom from the penalty and power of sin . . .freedom from hopelessness. And freedom from financial tyranny.

I hope you have benefited from our recent 4-part series, The Road to Financial Freedom. For most of us, it marked the beginning of a journey to freedom in this area, not the end. So, let me encourage you to continue the journey by practicing the principles of finances found in God's word.

In Calvary's Grace

First Birthday

Saturday is a big day. Hutch will celebrate his first birthday. Well, actually, Hutch's mom and dad, aunts and uncles, grandparents, great grandparents, and others will do most of the celebrating. After all, when you are only one year old, how much celebrating can you do? Somehow I think he will surprise me, especially when he begins to dig into all those gifts.

I was thinking about starting him off right with a gift certificate to Lowes or Home Depot . . . the boy loves tools. Or maybe I should buy him a Mississippi State key chain or license plate. I know he is not yet driving, but at the rate he is growing, it will not be long. And with all the pressure he is getting from the Hog fans that surround him I will have to work hard to help him hear that inner voice that I know is calling him to be a Bulldog. Hey, it's in his blood.

So, let me be the first to say an early "Happy Birthday Hutch."

Go Bulldogs!

See you all on Sunday.

Great Day!

Sunday was such a great day. The Lord was so good to add three new families to our church. Join me in offering a heartfelt welcome to the Williams, Wilhite and Grubb families. I also want to thank our church for the generous love offering that you provided for the Gideon International Ministry. HDBC continues to be such a generous church. It is truly a blessing to serve as your pastor.

Have a wonderful day.

Changing Times

When I first became a pastor, almost 23 years ago, it was customary for pastors to write an article for the weekly (or monthly) church newsletter. So, I followed the trend and worked hard to come up with clever articles that would cause my members to be impressed with the depth of my theological acumen, and my broad command of the English language.

After months of laboring with the keys on the typewriter (yes, there was life before computers) and producing what I considered to be great works of prose I came to an utterly disgusting realization. Most people were more interested in the menu for Wednesday night supper and the softball schedule for the week than they were my articles!

I could have been scarred for the rest of my pastoral life, but decided to keep on keeping on, just in case someone decided to read. And besides that, I learned that jotting down my thoughts could actually be therapeutic.

A few years ago we discontinued our monthly newsletter. And with the death of the newsletter my therapy came to an end. After all, without a newsletter, who needs a pastoral article? I must admit that though I have enjoyed having one less item on my Monday morning list of things to do, I have missed sharing my thoughts with you.

However, there is good news. I am renewing my therapy. I have started a BLOG. My how things have changed. A few years ago the word “blog” did not exist. Even now my spell-checker is trying to get me to change it to a different word. Not to worry, I’ll just add it to my dictionary and keep on typing.

I hope you will check out my blog from time to time, just to read my thoughts and to see how the therapy is going. I will try to keep future entries a little shorter.

Blessings