Happy New Year!!

Just wanted to say Happy New Year to everyone before I leave. I want be back until the new year has begun. McKenzie and I are going on a hunting trip with my dad and my brother back in my hometown of Clinton, SC. I am pretty excited and she is too. I haven't been hunting very often (once or twice a year) since we moved to Beaufort (2003) and this will be McKenzie's first time ever. I have made a fishin' buddy out of her and now I am going to expose her to hunting. She knows that I hunt and knows what it's all about. I make sure to let her know the reason I hunt is to put food on the table and not for trophy reasons. I have gone through the stories of how God has provided the plants and animals for us to take care of on earth and that He also has provided them to us for food. She is really excited and I hope she has a great experience and grows to have an appreciation for the outdoors as I have.

Christmas Summary

Christmas was awesome, and Christmas Eve was tiresome. On Christmas Eve, after church, we had a jolly old elf visit our house and give all of Jessica Grandmas's grandchildren and great- grandchildren reindeer food to coax the deer to come to their house. Then we had all of Jessica's siblings, dad, step-mom, and grandma over for dinner. Then Santa had to get busy assembling the things that the elves forgot to do (computer desk, computer chair, computer, wagon). Mr. and Mrs. Claus didn't go to bed until 2:30 and when they did they had sugar plums dancing in their heads from all the caffeine they got from the sodas. McKenzie crawled in our bed about 5am saying that she was scared of Santa and oh by the way there was a computer in her room. At 7:15, Jessica started to wake McKenzie as I discouraged her ( I wanted to sleep in). McKenzie popped up and said "the suns up!!" That was it for sleeping in. We each stuck a single candle in our stack of french toast and sang Happy Birthday to Jesus. Then we read the Christmas Story and said a prayer. Then we opened presents and relaxed the rest of the day.


Wednesday Night

I shared my testimony Wednesday night at church and it was an awesome experience. Polly recorded it and gave a copy to Bernie and if you want to heart it I bet you could borrow it. There was so many messages that could have come from my testimony, but God directed my path that night and I was able to take my "mask" off in the "Stained Glass Masquerade" that we sometimes seem to participate in when we go to church. Last night their were no secrets about who I was and what my struggles were. At the end so many came to me and told me how they appreciated me even more and loved me even more because of what I did. That was great, especially after I told them that I didn't care what they thought of me after I was done sharing. I was giving God the glory that night for what He had accomplished in my life.

Love you all. Be ready to share your testimony, your time may be sooner than you think.

1 Peter 3:15-16
"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander."