Reflections on the weekend

As you know, Beth and I traveled to Kansas and Oklahoma this past weekend. It was a really good trip, although it was very busy and tiring. Here's what we did (adapted from our weekly email last week):

Thursday:
- Flew to Wichita, picked up rental car, drove to Pratt (trivia: Pratt has been home of the Miss Kansas pageant since the beginning of time and my mom was the "voice of the Miss Kansas pageant" for many years, broadcasting the event live on the radio.)
- 7 PM - gathering of old friends at Pratt United Methodist

Friday:
- Breakfast with friends who couldn't be there Thursday PM
- "Pop-in" visits on friends throughout the day
- Drove over to Greensburg to see the devastation from the tornado
- Visited my parents graves

Saturday:
- Traveled to Tonkawa, OK to my sister Dianne's home
- Set up for Sunday AM
- Had a nice time with our niece, Stacey and her two kids

Sunday:
- Shared at early service (more of a Bible study type gathering)
- Main service - we led worship and I preached
- Did a workshop that afternoon with Dianne's worship team at her church
- In the evening - dessert party at Dianne and Ken's with a few of their friends to share about our ministry in greater detail

Monday:
- Drove to Tulsa to meet with friends there and shot some video footage to be used in our own videos (our friend does that sort of thing professionally)
- Drove back to Tonkawa in the evening

Tuesday:
- Drove to Wichita to fly home, stopping through Winfield, where I went to college a couple of years. (trivia: the character Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island was from Winfield)

So that's why we're so tired!

Heading home (the current one)

In the Wichita airport, getting ready to return to Gulf Breeze. We've had a good weekend and I'll give the highlights in the next day or so.

I've been saving up quarters and I only need about 792 more to get that iPod out of the machine in ATL.

Hmmm

Home

Yeah, when I travel home to Kansas, it just feels so comfortable. As we drive through the countryside (this may sound really weird) I hear music. Maybe it would be more accurate to say I feel music. It's a deep expression coming from within me that's hard to explain.

BTW - I thought I might buy a new iPod or set of headphones from that vending machine in ATL, but I didn't have enough quarters. Oh, well...

Traveling again...

So we're sitting in ATL waiting for our flight to beautiful Wichita, KS. Tonight we are going to be in Pratt, where I grew up.

We're going to be meeting with old friends to tell them about the work we're doing in Ireland and trying to raise some financial support. We'll hang around Pratt until Saturday morning and then make our way to Tonkawa, OK.

Sunday morning we'll be leading worship at my sister and brother-in-law's church and I'll be preaching.

After visiting friends in Tulsa on Monday, we'll make our way back to Wichita and home on Tuesday.

Whew!

We just saw the craziest thing. A vending machine in ATL that sells iPods and all sorts of accessories. It's a new day. Nothing stays the same.

If you're into art...

Came across a really cool website. It's a place where missionaries who are artists can sell their artwork to help benefit their work.

I get somewhat frustrated with the whole "Christian art" scene, in that much of what's out there is - pardon me - crap. Unfortunately, there is a whole slew of Christians who think they are artists, but really don't have that gifting. I respect the fact that they are doing it for the Lord and trying to use their art as an evangelistic tool, but sometimes I wonder what non-Christians who view their work think of their substandard attempts at art.

What I've found at MissionArt.com is anything but lame. Truly gifted artists using their talent for God's Kingdom. Check it out.