Swimming Pools

Growing up I always dreamed of living in a house with a swimming pool. Now, much later in life, we actually have one. Last year we replaced the pool liner and converted it to a saline pool. Lots of folks don't realize what a saline pool is.
There is a special converter that converts the sodium cloride (NaCl- or salt) into chlorine, and this part is the main component of the switch. What I heard about reducing the upkeep is true, and my chemical bills have gone way down. I have had to add calcium, and stabilizer and salt. No longer am I ruining good clothes by getting chlorine on them. And, gone is that heavy chlorine smell. Oh, I forgot to mention how much better on your skin the salt water is. I still have to maintain it, but it is now much easier. I check the water every two weeks and make sure the right balances are there. Now, if it would just warm up enough to swim. We usually start when the water temp gets to about 80 degrees, and it's almost there. Splash!

Two Deaths

Today I learned of the death of two friends. The first was my colleague, John Long, who was serving as the Director of Missions for the Madison Baptist Association in Huntsville. John died this morning of a heart attack. I am deeply saddened. John was a long time friend and colleague. We were at Southern Seminary together for a brief time before John transferred. We really got acquainted in Huntsville where John was a pastor and I was the campus minister. I even tried to employ his wife, Robyn, as a graduate assistant to work with internationals at Alabama A&M. We moved to Montgomery in 1979 and John and Robyn came shortly afterwards. John served in "Discipleship Training" with the State Board of Missions for several years. I remember John was the first person who introduced me to "DiscipleNow" weekends for youth. Evidently in those day John and I looked a lot alike. We both were about the same height, wore glasses, had moustaches and had the same color hair. One day when I was in the Baptist Building, one of the new secretaries said to me, "Good morning, Mr. Long." We moved to Troy and did not have as much contact. John served as interim pastor at Dalraida Baptist Church. Later he became the Director of Missions for Baldwin Baptist Association, and then move back to Huntsville to be DOM. I saw John last week at the state Evangelism Conference. I am told he was in town in Montgomery Monday for a special meeting. What I can say about John is that he was deeply committed to God and to the ministry God had given him. He was solid, insightful, and steady--a good friend. Our sympathies go out to Robyn and the family.

The second death I learned about was the death of Dr. David Browning. Dr. Browning, who served as pastor of FBC Troy and Valley Park Baptist, befriended me after I moved to Montgomery to be campus minister at ASU where, after leaving Troy, Dr. Browning taught philosophy. While teaching there, he served as bi-vocational pastor of the Mountain Hill Baptist Church in the southern part of our county for about 14 years.. I preached there several times after he resigned. He did a very good job at Valley Park and after retiring again, moved to North Carolina. They relocated back to the Auburn/Opelika area a few years ago. I bumped into one of the former Valley Park members in Sam's a few minutes ago and he told me about Dr. Browning's death. He lived a long and productive life, and would have been effective as an Episcopalian, a Presbyterian or something else, but he chose to remain a Baptist.
Thank you for your contribution, Dr. Browning.

Visiting Fort Deposit

One of the churches in the association where I serve is Bethel Baptist in Fort Deposit. It is one of the oldest churches in our association, and geographically is one of the southernmost. It takes about 45 minutes to drive there from our house. One of the side attractions while visiting there is the opportunity to visit Priester's Pecans on I-65.
Helen and I got caught in construction traffic in Montgomery and were a few minutes late for the service. Eric, the pastor, was a student involved in our BCM while he was a student in Troy. His wife, Vickie was also a student during those years. They have done well at Fort Deposit. After church one of the deacons and his wife took us all (Eric and Vickie, daughter and son) to eat at Priester's, an unexpected but certainly appreciated gesture. We enjoyed our meal.

Eric is the director of the River Region Chaplain Service, a newly formed 501-c-3 ministry that originated as a police chaplaincy ministry in our association. Now they have launched out on their own with our blessing. Nine volunteer chaplains serve the Montgomery Police Department, Montgomery Sheriff's Office, Emergency Communications, Montgomery Fire Department, and now have spread across the river to Prattville and Millbrook. Say a pray for Eric. He has a lot on his plate and is doing a great job.

Eating at Red's

Just south of Montgomery on AL Hwy 94, between US 231 and Ramer, sits Red's Little School House Restaurant. Locals know all about it. Others need to know, so I am telling you.

Here's the story as I understand it.
Red wanted to open an antique store and his daughter, Debbie, wanted to open a barbeque restaurant. They decided to try both for a short while and see which one did better. (I don't know if this is really true or not, but it sounds good!) The Barbeque won. My first taste of Red's was back in the early 1980's when we ordered some Ribs for a staff party. I don't remember my first trip to the old school house, but it has been repeated many times over. Helen and I had lunch there on Sunday. (In case you are going, it's open Wed - Sunday). They have a menu but most folks enjoy the buffet. The fried chicken is the best, the barbeque is very good, and the apples and cheese are out of this world. There are usually a number of vegetables, and most of the time the peas are home grown. Don't forget the pies!!Chocolate Meringue, Pecan, and Coconut Meringue are outstanding.

Last year when I preached a revival at the church Debbie belongs to, we got a bag of those fresh peas put in our back seat. And, when the church has a pot luck dinner, those pies from Red's tend to show up. I have taken a whole one home with me before.

So, friends, stop by and see Debbie some time, and tell her I sent you!

Peas and Cornbread

When I was growing up we would occasionally have "peas and cornbread" for supper. Of course, most of the time we had a meat and some vegetables, but every once in a while it was "peas and cornbread." Well, when I got in from work this evening, Helen said she was cooking some black eyed peas. "That's all I have cooked," she said. "Well," I said, "do you want me to cook some cornbread?" And of course I got started. It was really close because we almost did not have enough cornmeal mix. (I use Martha White self-rising corn meal mix!) My recipe uses non-fat yogurt in the mix instead of oil, but of course I put a little oil in the iron skillet. It turned out great!!! Maybe it was the best cornbread I have ever made! It sure was good!
The peas were great, too! Helen cooked them with onions and they tasted super!

All you cornbread conniseurs, I have a question. When you hear the word "cornbread" what do you think of. For me, it was always baked in an iron skillet or in iron muffin or corn stick pans. When Helen and I were dating, I learned about fried cornbread. I did not like it as well as baked. Her mother, and all the friends down in the Wiregrass call my kind of cornbread, "eggbread." I had never heard of the term "eggbread." To me it was just cornbread! I will have to admit that when we go to Red's Little School House Restaurant in Dublin, south of Montgomery, I have to eat their fried cornbread. It's the best ever made.

Walking Early in the Morning

I finally have gotten back in the habit of taking that early morning walk. For the past few years, I walked with a neighbor or two very early in the morning. My Indian neighbor moved away from the neighborhood in May and away from Montgomery in August. I continued to walk until I suffered a severe sprain of my ankle in August. This has resulted in pesistent foot pain, usually aggravated by the particular shoes I wear. A few times I have walked with some other neighbors, an older cute couple who walk religiously every morning and whoever happened to be with them.

Last week I got back in the routine with one of my former collegiate ministry students, Luke. We walk 2.5-3 miles each morning beginning around 5:25 or 5:30.
Luke was a student in my earlier days at AUM and served on our leadership team. He owns a business and serves as a bivocational pastor in a neighboring town. We get to talk "shop" when we want to, something my Hindu/professor did not really enjoy.
Not only are the walks good for my body, they do my mind and spirit good too. This morning we made the 3 mile route. Maybe some day I will return to jogging. See you in the morning, Luke.

Yard Sales

Saturday I held a yardsale in Enterprise to try to get rid of some stuff we had accumulated. I did not know how it was going to go, because the weather was very cold early, and I did not put an ad in the paper. I did put up seven signs around at some busy intersections, and the overall traffic was good. I sold most of the stuff and came out pretty good. I sold zero books, even at $1 or $2 for hardbacks. I had an almost new Mr. Coffee in the box and it did not sell. THere were some clothes that did not sell and one Angel from Christmas that a lady offered me 50 cents for. I was insulted. Those unsold items were donated to the Christian Mission. I even sold a pair of my old shoes and one man came back at five and wanted the shirt he had not purchased that morning. Of course, it was gone, and it was not one I gave to the Christian Mission. I gave my brother-in-law the corner desk for his bedroom and my mother-in-law took three little left over items. I was glad for them to have those things.

Two of the best sales were the washer bought by a young lady and the apartment stove bought by a man whose other one had stopped working. I also sold an old window air conditioner.

The man who came back for the missing shirt wanted me to have another sale next month. Ha! That is just way too much work. I would have to accumulate more stuff to junk up the house I am working on, and I certainly don't want to do that. But if I do, I will let you all know so you can come buy some stuff.