Teach Me to Number My Days

Last Sunday (1/4), my Pastor allowed me to present the Children’s Sermon. As always, I tried to connect the message of that morning’s sermon to the Children’s Sermon. The sermon’s central message was the stewardship of time and the central passage was Psalm 90:12, which reads:

So teach us to number our days,
That we may present to You a heart of wisdom. (NASB)

The subject of stewardship is often difficult for children to grasp—especially since many of them do not have much of anything to manage besides toys. However, my mind quickly jumped to how I could demonstrate to them the concept of managing their time. I (with the help of my parents) gathered pictures depicting typical daily activities (praying, eating breakfast, playing, doing school/home work, etc.) and was going to ask the children to help me put them in order of a normal day. This activity worked as I expected and the children seemed to understand that “we can’t wait until lunch to eat breakfast because we will get really hungry”—there should be some order to the day.

As I studied the Scripture, though, I think I got a giant lesson in God’s Will. While at times it seems like I am just waiting for God to open opportunities for me to be in ministry, God is using this time to prepare me for that ministry. It seems so simple a child could understand, but this was just the message that I needed to hear and in just the way I needed to hear it. The message was: Jonathan, use your time while you are not in vocational ministry to learn and gather knowledge so that when God begins to use you in vocational ministry you may present Him a heart of wisdom by knowing, understanding, and doing His will.

Since this time, I have been asking God what I should do that I could number or order my days to honor Him. What should I be doing during this time while I am working in a secular job that will present Him a heart of wisdom when I become the pastor of a local church? I believe He is showing me how what I am doing now will benefit His kingdom and what I could be doing to grow into the pastor He wants me to become. I believe this lesson and this prayer is great for every believer: “Lord, teach me to order my time so that I may present You a heart of wisdom.”

South Kakalaki Christmas

I spent Christmas this year with my brother, Chris, sister-in-law, Patti, and their son, Cashlin. My parents and I traveled to South Carolina on Christmas Eve and returned this afternoon.

After we arrived on Christmas Eve, we immediately went to eat at Sho-Gun’s, a hibachi restaurant in Spartanburg. Chris and Patti made this their Christmas present to us and it was a good gift because the food lasted a couple of days. After dinner, we went back to Chris and Patti’s house for the evening. After Cashlin went to bed, we assembled some of his “Santa” gifts then went to bed. Christmas morning was good. Everyone awoke when Cashlin walked out of his room and started looking at all the presents. The presents were quickly distributed and opened and everyone had an opportunity to rest before lunch. Chris fried a turkey, made bread pudding, and baked cheesecake. Patti and Mom cooked the side dishes—cornbread dressing, mashed sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce. Shortly after noon and after Patti’s mom (Lisa) arrived, we all had lunch. Then it was off to resting again. Finally, to end the evening, we played a game of Monopoly, which Chris won.

On Friday, everyone took it easy in the morning. We did not stay awake too late on Christmas day, but it was later than normal for Patti and Cashlin. Around lunch, we decided to venture out on the town! We had lunch at The Beacon Drive-In, which serves more tea than any other single restaurant in the country, then went to Falls Park in Greenville. It was not a great day for walking the park along the Reedy River, but we did it anyway. On our way back to Chris and Patti’s house, we drove through the campus of Furman University—the first Southern Baptist University. The campus was beautiful. We played another game of Monopoly on this evening and this time I won!

Here are some pictures:

Cashlin Tearing In

Browning

The Beacon Drive-In

Dad's Beacon Burger A'plenty

Patti and Cashlin at the Falls

More Christmas Ideas!

I thought I might share a couple of more ideas for Christmas gifts for those who have not already purchases something from my previous list. I intended to put some of these on my initial list, but forgot. Others I just realized the need/desire for the item so decided to put them in this post when I made this edition. So here are some more Christmas ideas:

Carolina Cider—When I took a trip with Chris, Patti, Cashlin, and Lisa to North Carolina we passed a guy on the side of the road selling this cider. I though this guy made the cider in the hills and this was his way of bringing it to market; however, after reading the label, I realized it was made near Charleston, SC. Anyway, I really enjoyed the Peach Cider and the Black Bing Cherry Cider!

A Valet—This is a really cool piece of furniture. It allows a gentleman to set-out his clothes for the next day, as well as store all the items that should be in his pockets before he leaves. It also provides a place for him to put all of those things when he empties is pockets in the evening. This would be really helpful since I started working dress clothes to work instead of scrubs!

Camera Lens—I saw this lens as I was perusing bestbuy.com. It’s a cool—it has the shift and tilt built into a wide-angle lens. It is cool, but it is expensive.

And for the “Anonymous” poster who said I should ask for a wife. Obviously, that individual is more interested in me finding a wife than helping me find one! After all, I did post a description of the kind of girl I’m looking for (it’s like a job description)! Maybe Santa will bring me a wife—just not Mrs. Clause, she seems like she is past childbearing age.

My Christmas Wish List

This is the gift giving season—the time of year you can either (a) tell everyone what you would really like to have by this time next month or (b) not tell them and get a lot of lame gifts, like socks. I have opted for plan (a) and decided that I would use my blog as the forum for expressing my desire for those gifts. I hope there is a gift for all of my friends to give whatever their budget. Hey, I’m looking after you during these difficult economic times.

• Shave Cream—I really like this shave cream from Jack Black. A 7 oz. jar usually last about 6 months, so this gift could last half of next year. Other Jack Black products that I use are the Face Buff and the Post Shave Cooling Gel.

• UL Shirt—I have been trying to purchase one of these at the football games this season but the guys from the bookstore seem to bring every size but the size that I wear (XL). You can purchase on-line or by visiting the bookstore on the University of Louisiana campus (it's item MA17).

• Kevin Harvick Jacket—I am not that big of a NASCAR fan, but I have followed the races this past season after a trip last fall to Daytona, where I visited the Daytona International Speedway. I chose a favorite driver (Kevin Harvick) because he drives a Chevrolet and because Shell is his sponsor—two products with which I identify. Also, because other people I know had already selected other drivers like Dale Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, etc.

• Steaks—I gave these steaks from Allen Brothers last year and heard they were great. I’m thinking that I would like to try them also.

• 007 DVD Box Set—I’ve not really tried to watch all of the James Bond movies, but I have thought about it lately. Many of these movies were made before I was born, but I think it would be interesting to watch the movies in order of release and see both the evolution of the plots and characters throughout the series.

• Hat—Every gentleman needs a hat. It completes both his business and casual attire. mrhats.com has an array of hats they sell from a downtown Memphis shop. I have identified this hat as the one I would like to begin my collection. I think I would like it in black and 7 ¾ size.

These are the gifts that I would like. If you want to get me one of these and don’t want others to duplicate your gift, post an anonymous comment and let everyone know that you have decided to get me this gift. Don’t see anything you want to give me here, then get me a tie or some socks.

Me, Intimidating?

After a conversation with someone today, I began to wonder whether or not I intimidated others, particularly those that I do not know well, especially when it relates to spiritual matters. I know that some who read this blog may just think of me as the kid they have seen grow-up before their very eyes (which is definitely less exciting than it sounds); however, there are some I meet that know some of my background (especially the part of graduating from a Baptist seminary) and seem intimidated. Are they really intimidated or is my perception incorrect?

I know there is a persona that people expect of individuals who are ministers. They expect them to have solid answers concerning many spiritual concepts and I believe that I understand the fundamental elements of my faith and can assist others in comprehend these concepts. But should that mean that I have answers to all things spiritual or that I should be confident of all things spiritual. Presenting the notion that I have all these spiritual matters ironed out would seem a little presumptuous on my part, I think, and be borderline arrogant.

Caedmon's Call says it this way in their song Thousand Miles:

I have stolen, Lord, let me give
I have left Your house a fugitive
I have wandered in my own way
Squandered everything You gave
But my dying heart You saved and let me live

I have cursed the air and clenched my fists
I have hungered for Your righteousness
I have tried to walk the line
I drew between Your heart and mine
But You forgive me every time the mark is missed

So take my broken offering and make it whole
And set my feet upon the road that leads me home
Let me walk as one fixed upon the goal
Even though I've got a thousand miles to go

I have sought Your grace in my defense
I have plundered Your magnificence
Until my journey is complete
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
That I might sow what I have reaped
From Your great love

As I struggle for Your hand
You use me in ways I can't understand
You take this sinful man and renew me
Working through me

Like Paul, I think of myself as not already having attained this level of spirituality or understanding, but I on the path (Philippians 3:12-14). Though I am constantly growing; I am with everyone else—on the spiritual journey, struggling to make sense of it all. Ministers are not any different than many of the individuals in their congregations and they should not pretend as though they are not!

Back Home!

I'm finally back home. Work has been really busy and really exhausting. At the hospital, we never lost electricity. While we were really busy, it did not seem overwhelming, but it was tiring working more than 12 hours each day. Now that I am home, I will probably sleep late tomorrow morning, stop at the post office on my way out of town (to pick up a package that I was not able to retrieve before Gustav interrupted postal operations), and head back to St. Martinville to rest for the weekend. I'm due back at work on Monday, so now I can enjoy a long weekend!

Ready for Gustav?

Well, work was fairly smooth today for a long day at work. As an organization, we seem ready to both meet the needs of our patients and community whil taking care of our employees. Though it is not a fun time, it is exciting because I am seeing fellow workers pull together to get their work done and our patients care comes first. While a couple more long days are definately instore (and more if there are any problems), hopefully we can resume normal operations and a normal schedule pretty soon. The next time I get an opportunity to update this blog will be after the storm has passed, so until then...

Going to Work

Today I was alerted by my leadership at work that our essential personnel have been called in to work in preparation for an impending disaster—Hurricane Gustav. I know that I am not essential in the sense that the hospital could not function without me, but I am considered essential and will report for work tomorrow morning.

For more information, you may check in regularly as I will try to post updates as long as I have time and as long as we have internet at the hospital. Our public relations department has a blog and the hospital’s website will function to get important information disseminated. Stay in touch!

Hilton Head Vacation: Home

I arrived at my apartment a couple of hours and it was empty. I was a little confused because I expected my roommates to be back from summer break and ready to start classes tomorrow. I guess they will return this afternoon.

I don’t know about you, but after traveling I get a feeling of boredom—almost as if I am thinking “Now I am back home and I have got to go back to work. L” At the same time, I get the feeling of being overwhelmed because I have to catch up on so much—personally and at work. It’s a really confusing feeling.

Our travel today back to my apartment was not bad, but there was a lot of wind and rain. Dad and Mom are traveling back to St. Martinville now, so hopefully their travel will be uneventful and good. I am certain that Dad will take his Sunday afternoon nap!

I had a great trip! Hope you enjoyed the journey through pictures and narrative. Thanks to Dad, Mom, Chris, Patti, and Cashlin who made this a very fun vacation! (Sorry, but I there were not many photographic moments today.)

Hilton Head Vacation Day 8: On Our Way Home

Today we began our journey home. After waking up and packing the car we were ready to tell Patti and Cashlin good-bye and begin our drive back to Louisiana. Our plan was to evaluate the weather and Tropical Storm Fay and determine our best route; however, after the initial evaluation it seemed that rain and wind during the journey was inevitable. Our best option would be to drive the shortest/quickest distance and just bear the weather.

We had relatively good weather until we stopped for lunch in Dublin, GA at a Zaxby’s (which is a lot like Raising Cane’s but has a little more variety, including wings). After lunch, we drove through rain and wind pretty much the entire afternoon, though the weather calmed enough while we were driving through Fort Valley Georgia (near Warner Robins) for us to take a break at Lane Packing Company’s Peach Café (read a review here). There mom and I shared a serving of peach cobbler topped with peach ice cream. It was very good!

While driving through Alabama, we thought of stopping early; however, we thought the drive through the rain today will provide clearer skies and easier driving tomorrow. We drove to our original destination: Mobile. Hopefully we are correct. After we eat supper, hopefully we will have a restful night of sleep. Here are the few pictures that I took today.

Brown is not quite ready to leave!

Granny, Cashlin, and Patti

Bye Bye Granny

Bye Bye Grandpa

Cashlin Strapped In and Ready to Go!

Ominous Weather Ahead

The wind is blowing traffic signals.

Hilton Head Vacation Day 7: Turtles

Today was another relaxing day—we did not try to do too much. For breakfast, Patti prepared some awesome omelets. Then, we relaxed a while until me and dad decided to take a little trip off the island back to Bluffton. This time we found the poster shop we were looking for on Tuesday. It’s called Old Town Vintage Posters and it was quite a good experience. On our way back from the poster shop in Bluffton, we visited the Coastal Discovery Museum where we learned more about the island.

While dad and I adventured off the island, Patti, mom, and Caslin visited the mall. While there, Cashlin got the opportunity to play at an indoor playground. After everyone returned and while Cashin was napping, mom and I took the doggies to the beach. After supper, we took Cashlin to feed the turtles.

It was a good day of rest for travel tomorrow. Surprisingly, we have a lot of pictures for such a short day. Here are the pictures!

A View of of the Water from the Museum

Cashlin at the Playground

More Play!

Checkout the look on his face!

Browning's Action Shot

Cashlin Feeding Turtles

One of the Turtles

Granny, Grandpa, and Cashlin

Hilton Head Vacation Day 6: Harbor Town Lighthouse

This morning we decided to go to the private area of Hilton Head Island—Sea Pines. We learned that this area was planned as a secluded seaside resort where both residents and guests could enjoy the surroundings with a small environmental footprint. There are no buildings taller than the tallest tree around and all the buildings are painted in very earthy tones. It is a really nice area.

Once we arrived, we planned on taking the trolley, which would prevent us from having to navigate the area, search for parking, and get Cashlin in and out of vehicle. It also gave Cashlin an opportunity to ride the trolley! However, it took the trolley about an hour to arrive for the first pick-up, which was only supposed to take 20-30 minutes, and the only reason we stayed was that it was raining very hard.

It was still raining when we got to the Harbor Town shops, but it seemed as though it was soon to stop. Once it stopped, we toured the lighthouse. It was interesting and provided some good views of the harbor. We did not feel like going to any more shops, so we decided eat lunch and go back to the condo, where we watched a couple of movies and hung out the remainder of the evening.

Here are pictures from Harbor Town!

Waiting for the Trolley

The Trolley

The Harbor Town Lighthouse

If you know Cashlin, patience is...

Grandpa and Cashlin scoping it out

Mom and Cashlin...Cool

Long Way Up

The Harbor

Cashlin was showing mom a boat

Long Way Down

Hilton Head Vacation Day 5: Greenville & Mermaids

This morning I awoke early to bring Chris back to Greenville so he could get back to work. He wanted to be back in his truck by 8:30, so we left Hilton Head at 4 a.m. When we got back to Greenville, he had to stop at his house for a few moments. He also needed to run an errand, so after the errands he got back on his truck.

After dropping Chris at his truck, I went and had breakfast with my friend Rachel. She has just started school, so it was cool to hear how her classes were going. Once we finished breakfast, I was back on the road to Hilton Head.

When I returned, the weather was bad so we just hung out around the condo until Patti went to Curves and we brought mom to a quilt store. The weather cleared in the evening so we decided to go to Coligny Plaza where there are shops, restaurants, and a nightly show. This evening it was the Mermaid Review—a children’s show. It was really a kid’s show. I think everyone was exhausted so we left at intermission. Back at the condo, everyone went to bed pretty quickly.

Here are the pictures!

Cashlin with a Flamingo

The Mermaid Review

Cashlin is Chillin'

Hilton Head Vacation Day 4: Family Trip

Today we awoke earlier than usual to get a jump on the day’s activities. We were going to eat breakfast on the road, but most of us were impatient and ate while the others were getting ready. So we just went ahead and began our journey.

We went to Beaufort with plans to just see what there was to do. We stopped at a quilt and embroidery shop where she searched for more fabric to add to her collection. We found a seafood restaurant for us to have lunch. Chris had something called Lowcountry Frogmore Stew—which was like boiled seafood with sausage and potatoes.

After we went to the Lowcountry Estuarium where the curator gave us a tour of local wildlife from the estuaries around the Hilton Head area. After our adventure at the estuarium, we began a trip to Bluffton. We knew there would not be much in Bluffton, but we were worn out and did not even get out of the truck. In fact, I think today was more of a get close to family trip because we spent more time in the vehicle than anything.

After our trips, Chris grilled some chicken sausage, hamburgers, and chicken tenders. Then we took Cashlin and the dogs to the beach to get some playtime in the sand. We thought about playing monopoly, but everyone was too exhausted. Chris and I are waking up early tomorrow so I can bring him back to get his truck—he has to go back to work.

Well, I didn’t find much that was worthy of pictures, so here are the few pictures that I took.

Chris eating Lowcountry Frogmore Stew

Chris, Cashlin, and Patti

Browning exhausted on the Beach

Cashlin Wearing Uncle Jonathan's Hat