Good friends

Rachael and the kids and I are so blessed beyond measure with dear friends. Blanchard Box is one of the most encouraging, enthusuastic and positive-minded people we have ever known. He always lifts us up, even when we are trying to encourage or help him. God bless you brother!

Still looking...

We made another "college tour" trip this week. This time it was to North Greenville University, just north of Greenville, SC. Heather and Rachael stayed home this trip and Austin and I drove down and back in a day. NGU is a great school and we really liked the atmosphere and strong Christian emphasis. I have to admit that we also really liked the possibility that Austin may be able to get a full tuition scholarship because of us being MSC Missionaries with NAMB. Austin still hasn't decided for sure, so we are still looking. Pray for him next Saturday (12/13) as he will be re-taking the ACT to see if he can improve on his score for better academic scholarship opportunities.

We MISS Family Robinson

On the way back from Alabama last month we stopped off for a visit with our dear friends, the Robinsons, in southern GA. It was so good to see them and to see how much the kids had grown in just a few short months. Westin was looking good too, but he decided to take a nap when we took this picture by their "new" house. :-) You can go to their family blog at http://www.justgottalaugh.blogspot.com/ to see how you can help them get in it soon by purchasing hand-painted canvasses by Kitty.

Fast track to AL and back

Well, it's official. Thanks to our good friends Gil and Debbie, and Paul who made the journey from AL to KY, we actually made a very quick trip to Montgomery and back. We had not been down south since February, so we were a little past due. We had time for a short visit with family, visited with our home church Thorington Road Baptist (http://www.thoringtonroadbaptist.org/) on Sunday AM and our "second home church" Mountain View Baptist (http://www.mvbaptist.info/) on Sunday PM, Rachael had a yearly check-up and Jamie took in part of the Alabama Baptist Pastor's Conference and State Convention Annual Meeting.

The next thing we knew, we were on our way back to KY and it felt like we had just gotten there. If we missed seeing you, we are sorry, but as you can tell, it really was a "down and back" kind of trip. We hope to come back for a little longer visit in January or February and maybe we can see you then. Meanwhile, just know that the road between here and yon goes both ways and you are welcome to come see us as well. Call us and "we'll leave a light on for ya."

Making the rounds

Our next stop on the "check out some colleges" tour was Alice Lloyd College in neighboring Knott County. This is a small (600 students) Christian school that is actually one of only 6 work-study colleges left in the country. Austin liked the closeness to home and church, and the atmosphere of a smaller campus. No strong feelings one way or another yet, so we have a few more schools to check out. We'll keep you posted.

Best of Friends

As we walk through this life, there are those people who make a lasting impact on your life. Our good friends, Jeff and Louann and Keith and Brenda (and their families) have done just that. Thanks guys and gals for a great visit and wonderful fellowship. You are the best!

Apples and sunsets

You have probably heard the saying "The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree." That is certainly the case between me and Heather. While unfortunately she inherited some of my weaknesses, she also inherited some good things from both sides of the family. One is her love of photographing beautiful scenery. I have no idea how many pretty pictures she has taken, just this last week, but I am sure it's very many. Nothing wrong with that. I like to take pictures like that myself...always have.

This past week when I took the mission team up to see the elk, she wanted to go, but could not because of a prior comittment. As we were leaving the mountain top I looked out the side window and noticed something that I just couldn't pass up. The guys were ready to get going and go warm up and eat supper, but I stopped the truck one more time so I could "take a picture for Heather". I knew she would love it. Personally, I think it was worth it...

Elkview Road

Yes, once again we have visited Elkview Road in Knott County and had a great time watching these magnificent animals. We counted around 50 last night, although it certainly looked like more than that. This was my favorite picture from the evening.

Prayer Request

We are much closer than we were on getting the gym opened back up. Please pray with us that the State Fire Marshall will come today (or early this week) and be lenient on what has to be done before we can open the gym.

Looking up...

Last week we had a great group of guys from Roebuck (SC) Baptist that came and got started on a new ceiling in the gym. The original plan was to just patch, but as you can see from the picture, the new plan is to cover the entire ceiling. They got one section finished and it looks great! Thanks guys! Now who wants to do the other 5 sections...? :-)

Mountain Heritage

As you may know, the first couple of years we were here, we hosted a Fall Festival here on Campus. Last year the team that was coming to help us do that (Ivy Creek Baptist - Buford, GA) could only come on the same weekend that the town of Whitesburg was having their Mountain Heritage Festival. Not wanting to try to compete with that, we decided to try having a booth at Mountain Heritage instead. We gave away popcorn and bottled water and had spin art and bead bracelets for the kids. We had a great time and said that we wanted to try it again.

Careful what you ask for! :-)

This year's booth was a HUGE success. Yes, we gave away bottled water and popcorn (about 4 times as much as last year), but we also had coloring books and crayons, free Bibles, spin art and... ta da! CRAZY HAIR! Yes, CRAZY HAIR! Now if you are like I was, and don't know what that is, I'll include a picture below. Basically it amounts to a crazy hairdoo made with everything from colored ribbons to hair-sprayed color to glitter to baloons to tiki umbrellas to... well, you get the idea. This was a huge success. The ladies from Ivy Creek were swamped from the moment they opened for hairdoo's each day until the festival closed that night. Folks were lined up and waited patiently so that they could sport their own personally and uniquely created "doo".

One of the ladies that works on the committe to organize the festival said she had never seen anything like it and begged Ivy Creek to come back next year! She said the Festival had the best atmsophere she had ever seen and said she felt it was because of the spirit and attitude of the folks in the Calvary Campus booth! I think we have a long running egagement in the works.

All of this was wonderful, but it was not the primary purpose we had the booth. All the give-away stuff was intended to help everyone have a good time - yes, but also to help get the word out about all the things that are going on at Calvary Campus and all the different ministry opportunities. We also took prayer requests and even had the opportunity to pray with folks right then and there. What a great weekend this was. Thanks so much to the folks from Ivy Creek and everyone else who helped make the Calvary Campus booth a success. Pray with us that the seeds that were planted through the Bibles given away, the coloring books, the prayer times, words of encouragement spoken and many other ways will reap a bountiful harvest in people's lives.

View from our front porch

Yes, Fall has arrived. The leaves are turning, the air is crisp (at the moment-43 degrees), and we've only had to cut the grass once in the last 2 1/2 weeks. Every time the seasons change I have a new favorite, it seems (although Spring really is my personal #1). I love this time of the year, when a campfire is about the best thing you can do with your leisure time, a fleece pullover feels really good and stew or chili "hits the spot" better than anything. We hope you are enjoying this time of year and remembering the Creator who made it all and made it possible for us to enjoy it. Have a great day!

Really?!?!

It's hard to belive, but it has been 17 1/2 years since we brought a 4lb baby boy home from the hospital. Austin is a Senior this year and the task is upon us (mostly him) to decide where he will be going to college next year. This last week we drove over to The University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, KY and got "the tour". We all really enjoyed it and were duly impressed. We have 2-3 other schools that are in the initial consideration phase, so pray with us that the Lord's leading will be clear to Austin and us and that He will make a way.

New Friends

One of the greatest joys that we have experienced since moving to KY has been how the Lord has brought so many new and wonderful friends into our lives. Back in July we were introduced to a couple from SC, Gil and Debbie Thomas. They have been sensing for some time that the Lord may be moving them into doing some kind of ministry, but just have not been sure of where that would be or what that would look like. Gil's background is in construction and operating heavy equipment and both of them have been very involved in missions and missions leadership for some time. Last week they came and spent a week with us here at the Campus, praying and seeking God's will.

Praise the Lord, they will be back Monday or Tuesday of next week and at this point in time, we are not sure how long they will stay. We do know that it looks like they will be spending a lot of time at the Campus in the next few months, helping out with construction and renovation and different ministry activities and events. Pray with us and them as we all seek God's will for our lives and the ministry here.

The Greater Work

Many years ago, the author of "My Utmost for His Highest", Oswald Chambers, wrote these words:

"Prayer does not prepare us for the greater works. Prayer is the greater work."

We subscribe to this wholeheartedly. We often remind folks that while they may not be intimately acquainted with our daily needs, challenges and issues, the great God that they lift us up to is. He alone is aware of all these things (even better than we are ourselves), and He alone is able to meet those needs, conquer those challenges and deal with those issues.

We thank you for lifting us up to the Father. We pray for you as well. Thanks also to the ladies of Sandy Springs Baptist for prayer-walking the Campus while you were here. May we all be engaged daily in The Greater Work.

Kentucky Elk

You may know that the state of Kentucky has been repopulating the mountain areas with elk for the past several years. The herd is healthy and doing very well and is estimated to be around 6,000 in number. This past Thursday night, our good friend and neighbor and Lieutenant with Kentucky Game and Fish, Frank Campbell, took us and the team from Walton, KY up to an elk viewing area in Knott County, about 35 minutes from the Campus. Homer Pigman with Kentucky Game and Fish also came and drove several folks in the group.

We drove around the area for a few minutes and saw a couple of elk from a great distance and then Frank took us to another spot where we saw at least 58 elk! It was so awesome to be able to watch these gorgeous animals in this wild habitat. There was a great mix of bulls, cows and loads of calves and even Frank commented on how great this particular herd was looking. We sat and watched them until almost dark, enjoying the cool mountaintop breeze and the beautiful sunset. It was an evening we won’t soon forget. Come visit us and we’ll be glad to take you up and try to find some elk.

New stalls

While our dream has long been to be able to have an equestrian ministry here, there are several things that needed to take place before that can happen. One was the need for additional horse stalls. While the barn that we have is great, it was a dairy barn, and all the floors are concrete and the ceiling is just high enough for people and cows. Casey built a great stall for Rolex, and we were able to make a stall in the dairy barn for Fred (since he is vertically challenged), but that was basically all the room we had.

A few weeks ago a friend of ours who owns a septic service and sand/gravel business offered the services of a backhoe/front end loader for the day and he was able to grade the pad for extending the barn, and dig a french drain culvert to pull the water away from the existing barn and new pad. With the help of some great mission teams (1st Evangelical Free, Rockford, IL; Forks of Elkhorn Baptist, Frankfort, KY; and Calvary Church, St. Peters, MO) we are now well on our way to having a total of six full-sized horse stalls! We still have to get the rest of the roof on and finish the walls and doors, but we are certainly well down the road toward completion.

Thanks so much to everyone involved! Now if whoever the Lord is calling to be the Equestrian Ministry Director would just go ahead and answer the call...

View from the top of Pine Mountain

On July 4th, we were able to go over to Shekinah Village (http://www.meridzo.org/) and have a great cookout and afternoon of relaxation. On the way back, we stopped off at one of the lookouts on top of Pine Mountain and we were reminded of just how much we enjoy living here. I decided it was time to venture into the world of putting videos on the blog, and so, with Austin's technical expertise and assistance, here it is. Enjoy...

Out of the comfort zone

A lot of people know that my comfort zone has long included only those places I can go with my feet on terra firma. Yes, I have this thing with heights. I don't really like 'em. I know that many of the places you can go "up there" really are safe, but I just have this lack of balance thing going on when I can see lots of air between me and the ground. Needless to say, when Bill asked for the 3rd time out of four mission trips about painting the barn roof (which badly needed to be done), I was once again reluctant to pursue this goal. He was determined that it would be done, and since I was the only available help, I had to elect myself as his assistant.

Two days later the roof was painted and I was actually walking around on that roof with some degree of confidence. I have to admit though, that as much as I was pleased with how it looked, I was equally plased to have it over and done with, even though it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

Isn't that how it is when the Lord asks us to do something that is outside our comfort zone? We are comfortable with out feet on the ground, but that's not how roofs get painted. What is he asking of you today? Go on... climb the ladder.

Happy 18 Years!

Yes, yesterday was our 18th wedding anniversary. Sometimes it's hard to imagine that it has been that long since we were wed. The Lord has been so faithful and we have grown so much... we have grown together and grown in our relationship with Him. Thank you Lord for 18 wonderful years.

This was our 5th time to celebrate our annivesary here on the Campus, but only the first time that we weren't crazy-busy with mission teams, etc. Austin and Heather cooked and served us a delicious dinner, complete with candle-light, soft music and flowers on the table. Of course it was the romance food of all times - spaghetti!

We finished out our "date night" by watching the classic John Wayne movie, The Fighting Seebees with the kids. Not your idea of a date? Well, it was a wonderful evening for us.

Best Friends Forever...

Yes, we got back from our trip to D.C. and the next day was a happy/sad one. Happy, because we are excited about what the Lord has in store for the Robinsons in this next phase of their lives, but sad because we are parting company with 8 of the best friends we have ever had. As they begin their new adventure, we wish them all the happiness and richest blessings of the Lord. We love you guys and miss you much already!

"Mr. Smith Goes to Washington"

A few months ago we got "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" on our NetFlix rotation. If you have never seen this movie, please do. It was wonderful. Anyway, as I was watching the movie it kinda reminded me that "someday" I would love for us to be able to go see all these places that we have read about and heard about and seen pictures of all our lives. Someday...

Well, the "someday" has arrived for the Reynolds Family! Rachael's parents asked Rachael a few weeks later if we would like to go on vacation with them to Wahington DC. Well, of course we would, but we certainly can't afford it. Well, what if we paid for it?

Let me give you a hint...don't ever offer a free vacation to a missionary unless you really mean it, because, chances are, they will take you up on it. And of course we did.

So, here we are in Washington DC. We have seen 3 of the Smithsonians, most of the monuments, the International Spy Museum, Arlington Cemetary and the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and taken nearly 1,000 pictures! We have had a great time and we aren't even going home yet. The first of this week still holds the Capital, the White House, The Library of Congress... Well, you get the idea. Below you will find a few pictures.

Please don't misunderstand this post, we certainly aren't bragging. We just wanted you to know about the opportunity we had to "get away" one last time before the summer started and to be thrilled and motivated by all the sights and sounds and experiences of our great nation's capital...all due to the graciousness and generosity of Rachael's parents, Earl and Jan Heath. (Thanks also to the Robinsons for holding the fort down at the Campus!)

We hope and pray you are doing well, and we look forward to seeing or hearing from you soon.

Happy Mother's Day!

For Mother's Day, Rachael's sister, Catherine and her son Brian came up for a weekend visit, along with Rachael's parents, Earl and Jan. We all went to church together this morning, which was really great, and we even managed to talk a friend into taking a few pictures.

The first picture is all of us together, and the second is of Catherine and Brian.

Next is a picture of all the ladies together... all that beauty in one place. :-)

The next picture is us at dinner, and the last is all the men together.

i AM smiling...

Yes, as you can tell, we went for it at one of those silly "old timey" picture places. Rachael and I had always wanted to do it and the kids were game, so the next thing we knew, we were putting on the costumes and doing our best not to laugh while he took the picture. We took several poses and bought a couple and the guy was nice enough to give us the extra poses on my flash drive that I happened to have in my pocket. Really a nice day over all. We were on our way back from speaking at a church in western NC and decided to come home through Cherokee, NC and Gatlinburg. One last "hurrah" before the summer "rush hour" hits us. Times of family relax and enjoy time are few and far between so we try to take advantage of it when we can.

Up, up and away...

There's no picture to go with this blog as I am currently sitting in the Atlanta airport, waiting for a connecting flight home. My day began today at 3:30 AM and will end somewhere around midnight thirty. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining. Although I admit it has been a long day, it was well worth it. A very dear friend of ours in Montgomery passed away Saturday after a courageous battle with cancer. I had the Delta miles to get a "free" flight (you still have to pay a small fee), and it just seemed like the right thing to do. I jumped online Monday after we found out the funeral arragengements, and a miracle occurred.

The Lord worked it out where, not only did I get the flights I needed to make the "down and back" trip, but it only took the minimum number of miles to redeem to get the tickets. Dear friends picked me up at the airport, we squeezed in a visit to the hospital to a friend recovering from a motorcycle accident, they bought me lunch, we went to the funeral, and they deposited me back at the airport in plenty of time to catch the first leg of my flight home. What little "trouble" the day was, was inconsequential to being able to hug my buddy and tell him how sorry I was that his sweet wife was gone. She is completely healed now, standing whole in the presence of Christ our Savior. Up, up, and away...

Happy "day after" Easter!

SNOW AGAIN?!?

I’m sure glad that I listened to the wise person who said “Don’t put up your winter clothes until after Easter”. Well, Easter was yesterday and as you can tell by the picture, it looks like we’ll need to keep out the winter clothes for a little bit longer.

The forecast called for snow last week while our mission team from Texas was here. Although the team may have been a little disappointed that we didn’t get any snow, they were excited to see all of the kids who showed up for the after school Kid’s Club. The Lord provided most of the days with plenty of sunshine for all the activities to be held outside. He provided a little rain one day, but it didn’t stop all of the fun inside. Between games, Bible stories, crafts, snacks and more games, all the kids seemed to have had a great week. I know we did.

With the help of Pastor Bruce, we were also able to do several home visits to some home-bound elderly. As it often seems to turn out, the Lord used them to bless us. I know that I thoroughly enjoyed being able to hear about them and their families. I learned a lot about “who is related to whom?” Making home visits was something that I considered way out of my “Comfort Zone”, but once again, the Lord gave me courage to do it. I look forward to visiting again. (It didn’t hurt at all.)

I hope that the Lord will place it upon your heart to do something today that you normally would feel is out of your “Comfort Zone”. I’m sure you will be blessed richly for your obedience to Him.

Rachael

Happy Easter!

We hope you had a joyous celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! We did. Part of our celebration was three arrangements of flowers that Rachael's parents sent us, the Robinsons and the Hawkins. As you can tell, they were gorgeous.

Good shape for an older model

No, I am not talking about myself. I am talking about Austin's "new" truck. A couple of weeks ago Austin and I were running right on time for an appointment when we spotted this little Ford Ranger being driven into the Food City with a For Sale sign in the window. I told Austin that if it was still there when we came back, we would have to check it out. A couple of hours later when we came out, it was still there and we stopped to take a look. It almost seemed too good to be true, because if the odometer was correct (67k) and the condition of the body and interior were good indicators of what kind of shape it was in, it was a remarkable deal, especially for an '84 model.

We called the number on the window, and long story short, three days later we were exchanging cash and the title. The price was...well, let's put it this way; we were able to make the purchase without putting any undue strain on our budget, which isn't exactly overflowing with extra cash waiting to be spent.

We realize that this probably won't be a vehicle Austin can depend on for a really long time or lots of long trips, but for a first vehicle (that we can afford the insurance for), we think it fits the situation perfectly. This was a great deal, and we are surely thankful that it came into our path and the Lord blessed us in this way. Keep on truckin' Austin!

Happy Valentines Day!

18 years ago this week I got down on one knee and asked the prettiest and sweetest girl in the world if she would consider spending the rest of her life with me. She said 'yes' and we have been together ever since. I didn't deserve her then, and I still don't, but God gave her to me anyway. The picture to the left is from a couple of years after we married at a convention we attended.

Our two wonderful children and thousands of cherished memories are the result of our marriage.

The picture to the right is from a banquet we attended in February '04, right before we made the move to Kentucky. Both pictures are of a thorn and a rose :-)

We are looking forward to many more years together as we walk through this life hand-in-hand.

Happy Valentines Day sweetheart!

The Before and After

Last month Heather went for her regular orthodontist appointment. Things were going like usual, with the assistant replacing the wires and rubber bands. The Doctor came in to check things out and then dropped a bomb. "It looks like you will be ready for us to take these off next month." WOW! After almost three years it was time for Heather's braces to come off?!? You can just imagine how excited we all were for Heather, but not nearly as excited as she was for herself.

We didn't share the news with anyone, because we didn't want Heather to have to explain it to everyone if something happened and they weren't able to take them off for some reason. But now, as you can see, the proof of the pudding is in the smile. Needless to say, Heather's first request was that we have corn-on-the-cob for supper. She'll probably spend the next few days experimenting with apples (without slicing), fresh carrots, popcorn and a few other things. Congratulations Heather! Your smile is as gorgeous as ever!

Off again...

Yes, we are off again, this time to a missions conference in South Carolina. Please pray for us as we travel that the Lord would bless us with safety. Pray that we would have opportunities to be a blessing to those we come in contact with this weekend, from the gas station attendant to the waitress, to thos we talk with at the conference. Pray that God would continue to help us see what He is doing around us so that we can join Him in it, and pray that as we share at the conference that He would use us to help others see and hear the call that God has placed on their life.

Thanks so much for your comittment to pray for us. Know that we lift you up daily as well. God bless and have a great weekend!

I'm BACK!

Wow, that's a new record for me! I haven't posted anything here since last year! Actually, it has been 22 days! I have to tell you, though, things really have been a little hectic. Between travel to churches and keeping up with what has to be done here at the Campus on a regular basis, things have been pretty busy.

We enjoyed our "down and back" trip to Montgomery, even though we were only able to stay for about a day and half. Our time with our home church, Thorington Road (http://www.thoringtonroadbaptist.org/), was a great blessing for us. Thank you all so much!

The next few weeks should give us some more time to get things done around here, with just a few speaking times and a couple of missions conferences and a couple of teams. Mission teams will start coming back pretty regularly in the middle of March and then before you know it, summer will be here.

Hope you are doing well. Let us hear from you when you get a chance!