JUNE 2009

"But my life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus - the work of telling others the Good News about God's wonderful kindness and love" (Acts 20:24 - The New Living Bible).

This is the way I sign off on all my e-mails. This is also what I consider my true life’s calling and mission statement. I honestly want everyone I encounter to know how much God loves them and wants to have a relationship with them. I know I do fail many times in accomplishing this goal. I am often hesitant to speak up. Often my life and my words do not match up. However, I still strive to show God’s love to others.

You know, in a way, I want to be a “pitchman” for Jesus, not with hype and shouting, but with a quiet, loving spirit and an explanation for the hope that I have. Yesterday, a famous television “pitchman”, Billy Mays, died suddenly. It was an apparent heart attack. You never know…..

Folks, your relationship with God is serious business. It is so easy to blow off any religious talk as irrelevant to daily life. “I am too busy “trying to keep my head above water” in this economic environment to think about God. But, folks, we are not promised tomorrow or even the next minute. If something were to happen to you today...an automobile accident, a heart attack, an aneurysm…God forbid…are you sure, without a doubt, where you would spend eternity. We are all going to spend eternity somewhere. Do you know where? O.K. that may be too abstract for you. Let me ask you this. Is your daily life one of peace, hope and contentment? Would you like to have those things? You can, you know.

Right now, you may be thinking, “Oh brother, another religious nutcase!” “I have heard this all my life!” A couple of things…one, most of you know me better than that. You know I am not a “religious nutcase”, a nut case, maybe, but not some “foaming at the mouth” radical religious nut. Also, you may have heard this all your life, but did you really give it an honest intellectual investigation or did you just blow it off.

Folks, I care deeply about you. I want to spend eternity with you. I also desire that each of you would find “the peace that passes all human understanding.” in your daily life. Let’s get together. I would love to have breakfast or lunch with you, my treat! We could discuss what I have been talking about in my newsletters. Give me a call at 678-986-4814 or drop me an e-mail at peggyandbuck@yahoo.com (my personal, confidential e-mail)


MINISTRY NEWS:

Our Friday Morning Men’s Group met at the Cobb County Grand Jury Room for the June First Friday Meeting. One of the members of our group, Pat Head , who is the District Attorney for Cobb County, gave a fascinating “behind the scenes’ look at one of Cobb County’s most famous trials…The Lynn Turner Antifreeze Murders Trial. There were seventeen of us in the group. We have a “guest” speaker on the First Friday of each month. Next Month, on July 10th, Dr Paul Payne will speak about growing up in China. If you would like to join us, guys, give me a call at 678-986-4814. We would love to have you visit and join our group.

Our “Tuesday Night Lights” group has been going very well. The three men are all young fathers; in fact, one of the men celebrated the birth of his first child earlier this month. Another one of the men is in training to climb Mt. Rainier in early August. After a few get-to-know-you sessions, we began a study of the book,” Man In The Mirror.”

I am meeting weekly with a young friend who played football at Marietta High in the mid-eighties and was involved with my Young Life club there. He is seeking to make some changes in his life and sought my counsel.

I continue to help manage the affairs of a disabled man who I knew from my early days at Marietta High in the late 70’s.

I continue to meet daily with individual men at breakfast or lunch for counsel and encouragement.

I am blessed by the friendship, support, and encouragement of each of you.

May God bless each of you and your families with an ever-increasing knowledge of God’s love for you. May you and yours experience an ever-deepening sense of His presence and peace.