How important are birthdays to you?

I grew up in a home where we did not make a real big deal out of birthdays. I have some vague memories of my third birthday, but clear memories of my seventh birthday. We took a trip to Moundville, and I remember climbing on those mounds, seeing the burial sites, and enjoying a picnic there. I remember the Bible my Aunt Mary gave to me, a red-letter KJV with a zipper. I still have it. I also have memories of an earlier birthday party for my brothers who were twins, and the little boy who wanted to take the presents he brought home with him. Then there was the special surprise party given by a girlfriend and the guys who totally misled me about the event, telling me we were going to play putt-putt, but first they had to stop by Jana's to get some record albums(the CD's of our era). When the two guys went in, Don and I remained in the car. After several minutes, he said he thougth we should go in. I agreed. Little did I know that all those people were there for me! While I was in seminary, surprise parties were the going thing, and Helen surprised me and sent me off to the library to study for a while. I remember walking up the sidewalk and seeing a car that looked like one that a friend drove. Still, I was too dense to recognize what was happening. I tried to reciprocate the next year and took Helen to Lexington to get her out of the apartment while friends decorated. The problem was we got through early and I tried every delay tactic possible. We still arrived 15 minutes early. Feigning a rush to the bathroom, I managed to get in the apartment to get everyone to be ready for her entrance. IT worked. She was surprised.

Other than these, birthdays haven't been that big of a deal. I remember my 40th because I had to preach that day and was in the process of relocating to Troy.
I thought that was old, then, but little did I realize the real truth.
Forty is YOUNG!!!

This is birthday week for a special lady in my life.
I won't dare say how old, but not very old. Happy Birthday, Helen!!!!

Three Dozen Years

Most of you don't know it, but on this day thirty-six years ago, Helen and I were married at the Westview Baptist Church on Damascus Road in Enterprise, AL, Helen's home town. It was a sunny day, not quite as warm as today. The whole wedding event was fun, but I was certainly nervous. As far as weddings go, it was pretty big for a small town church--I had a best man, and three brothers and three friends as groomsmen. I am thankful to say I have kept up with each of the friends and see them from time to time. Helen had the comparable number of attendants. Several members of my family were able to come. One cousin and her husband arrived as we were exiting the church after the ceremony. We went to great lengths to hide our car, so much so that it took a long and circuitous route to retrieve it from the friend's garage. I just knew my three brothers would do it up badly if they found it. We left the church going the wrong direction to avoid followers, and actually had to come back by the church to get to the car's location.

Helen was a beautiful bride. We took most of our photos before the wedding. That eased my nerves considerably. So much for the tradition of bad luck seeing the bride before the wedding. We had 36 good years, not without challenges, but we have been richly blessed. Happy Anniversary? You bet!

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.