Hulsizer Christmas Letter 2013

Dear Family and Friends,

It seems like only a few weeks ago I was sitting down to write last year’s Christmas letter! But I counted, it’s been 12 months! As I begin thinking back over the happenings of the last year I only have to go back to last month for the year’s highlight. Jessica is cancer-free! She and Matt went back to Omaha for her one year out scans/tests and everything came back negative. Praise God! They said to see her local oncologist in six months and go back there in a year. Whew, what a huge relief! We thank God for Dr. Mahzer and Dr. Vose, all the nurses, lab techs and everyone and everything else that God used to bring about this healing. We also thank everyone who prayed for her over the last couple of years. Last Thanksgiving we ate hospital food in the Lied Transplant Center at the University of Omaha Medical Center. Jessica was going through a stem-cell transplant and things were scary. But it’s all good now and we praise God for His healing. She is back at work and doing well (promoted even!). Matt is still steady as a rock and always there to do what a good husband does. We are thankful for the loving devotion he has shown our little girl.

Jennifer is in her senior year of college, WHAT!?! That’s right, she elected to take the Special Education block which will extend things one additional semester, so this time next year our baby girl will be a college graduate! She is doing very well with her grades and loves being with the children at the schools at which she has had internships. She is still a great kid and we love to have her home on the weekends that she can. Jennifer and Shelia ran the Soaring Wings Half Marathon together last month, but she still loves riding on the back of dad’s motorcycle too! She loves Pinterest and is always trying out new recipes on us…Dad likes that!

Shelia still loves working in the registration hub with her friends. It’s hard work but the people you work with can make or break the situation for sure. She continues to run and has also tried some various fitness classes at the Jacksonville Community Center. She loves to visit with Matt and Jessica but we really think she especially loves to visit with their dog, a Corgi named Scarlett. Shelia has already enjoyed a few snow days and continually watches the weather in hopeful anticipation of another, she’s worse than a kid!

Ole’ Jeff just keeps on trudging along. Over the last year our church hired a Pastor of Family Ministries and a Worship Pastor, this makes Jeff very happy. All four pastors work together well and things are going great at Faith Baptist Church in North Little Rock. Jeff has gone back to playing the drums in the church orchestra and enjoys every minute of it. When he’s not at church he does’t have any problems staying busy. He and Matt have redone completely both bathrooms at their house and he’s just finishing installing new ceramic tile in the laundry room of the Hulsizer Hacienda. After this we’re stripping the wallpaper out of the hall bath to make way for a fresh coat of paint. Ah, home ownership, your work is never done!

We hope you and yours realize just how precious life is and how important family is. We pray for you and yours and wish for you a very Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year. Come see us when you can!

With the hope and joy of the Season,

Jeff, Shelia and Jennifer Hulsizer; Matt and Jessica Petty (and Scarlett)

Lessons from Luke 1 & 2

I love Christmas! The real Christmas that is, the hope that Jesus brought to a world that needed a Savior, the long awaited Messiah. Reading through the account of the birth of Jesus should be a prominent part of every family’s Christmas celebration. The difference that Jesus makes in the lives of those who receive Him are such an encouragement and even a challenge to me. Let’s take a look.

In Luke 1:11-17, Zacharias, the man into whose family God had chosen to bring John the Baptist, should have received the news with “joy and gladness”, but instead questioned God about His plan. For his doubting he was rendered speechless until John’s birth. Lesson? God’s plan is a good plan. No matter what we may think, trust God—He knows what’s best!

In verse 37, in the discourse between Gabriel and Mary, the messenger of God reminded Mary and us, “For with God nothing shall be impossible”. The words to the great song by Don Moen come to mind, “God will make a way, when there seems to be no way.” Lesson? Trust God, for with Him nothing is impossible!

In verses 29-45 Mary has gone to visit Elisabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist. When Mary, who was pregnant with Jesus, was greeted by her cousin, John the Baptist leapt in Elisabeth’s womb. The baby John recognized the presence of the baby Jesus and leaped for joy in his mother’s womb! Oh how the presence of Jesus should fill us with joy! But how many times do we meet together, in the presence of Jesus, and come away unaffected; or worse, affected negatively by things that should enhance our worship but instead we allow to distract us from worship. Lesson? The presence of Jesus should make a difference! The methods are not as important as the Messiah!

In chapter 2:8-18, the angels appear to the shepherds. At first, the messenger of God informs the shepherds of the birth of Jesus. The angel did not appear to Caesar Augustus, or to King Herod, or Governor Cyrenius; the angel appeared to shepherds. What a beautiful way of showing that the Messiah Jesus had come to all the earth and that He is no respecter of persons, but that all are loved and have access to Him. Then in verse 13, a multitude of the heavenly host appeared live in concert to these men, deemed insignificant in the eyes of other people, singing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” How powerful is that? Lesson? It’s not who we are that grants us access to Jesus, it’s who HE is! Receive Him now!

Let me quote Luke 2:17, And when they had seen [it], they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. When the shepherd met Jesus, they immediately wanted to tell others about Him. Lesson? The presence of Jesus in our lives should make us want to share the good news about Him with others? I believe this is a proof of salvation, that our soul’s desire is to share the difference Jesus makes in us.

In Luke 2:25-38, two people are mentioned, Simeon and Anna. They had both been looking for the Messiah, trusting God’s promise that He would come, and when Jesus was brought into their presence they recognized Him and spoke freely about the fulfillment of God’s promise of a Messiah. Lesson? We too are looking for the coming of Jesus, the second time. It is promised and we should anticipate His coming by preparing! Tell this lost world of the difference Jesus can make, for indeed one day His presence will be felt mightily all over the world. [Philippians 2:9-11 KJV] 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; 11 And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Amidst all the celebrations and gift-giving that goes with this holiday, may we be faithful to give the greatest gift for which there is so great a need, the gift of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the hope of sinful mankind. “Joy to the world, the Lord has come!”

May the joy and peace of Jesus be with you this Christmas (and all year long!)

Bro Jeff

All In The Family!

A New Life Lesson

Even at 51 this old dog can still learn some new tricks or, shall I say, some new lessons. Let me tell you what I mean. Father's Day is coming up. My mother called me for some advice on something in which my dad had shown some interest. As he doesn't usually give any clue as to any gifts he'd like, she remembered it.

I researched the item, we discussed it, and we decided I would get it for her. An internet purchase seemed the easiest way; after all I'm in Arkansas and she's in Alabama, but they're planning to be in town on Father's Day. She insisted on giving me her credit card number with which to purchase the item. I would either have it shipped to me or, as the case would be, have it held for me to pick up at the local store that sold the item.

I tried to purchase the item on their website but ended up wasting over half an hour trying to get the data to enter so I could order it. No joy, so I called the customer service number on the website-- on hold for 20 minutes. I finally spoke to a human being, one who could actually speak English, and began the arduous task or ordering the item.

We identified the item in question, make, model, features, etc., agreed that I would go to the local store to pick it up and got to the actual purchase. I told the operator I would be the one picking up the item, that my mother was paying for the item, but that I had all her pertinent information. She took the information then informed me that she would have to speak with my mother. Well, that's not necessarily a problem but as my parents are retired, they are often together--a beautiful thing unless you're trying to surprise your spouse! Anyway, my mother happened to be alone and able to take the call giving permission for me to use her card to make a purchase for her that I would simply be picking up. When the operator got back to me I clearly remember asking if it would be any problem for me, not the cardholder on record, but the son of the cardholder, even with same unusual last name to pick up the item from the local store. "Oh no sir, not at all. I've noted all the information you'll need to pick up the item at the North Little Rock location." Cool, all I would need to do is be able to provide my personal i.d.

Upon entering the store I felt a pall come over me and I knew this wouldn't be as easy as it should have been. Sometimes I hate to be right. I went to the pickup desk, gave the clerk my name, showed her my i.d., and told her what the item was I was there to retrieve. She found the item, set it down in front of me, and then asked me if I had the credit card with me that was used to purchase the item.  [Let me pause for just a moment and let you know that at this stage of my life, I have experienced some shortening of my fuse. I can become easily agitated with the smallest of stimuli, something like, exactly like this exact experience.] I sighed and long, deep sigh and began to explain the clerk the transaction from the day before on the telephone. I asked if there were any notes on the invoice that could prove that I had actually had a discussion with, and made previous arrangements, for there not to be this very problem. Of course there was nothing on the ticket! I asked what would need to happen for me to take possession of the item that had already been paid for. She said that the cardholder (mom) would have to call 1-888-the store name and explain the problem to a totally different person with no knowledge of the transaction and that somewhere between one hour and 3 days the item would be released. I asked if they could call the cardholder (mom) and have her share proof that indeed, she had used her card and that it was in her possession...300+ miles away. Uh, no, that's not our policy. [Oops, too late, agitation!] I swallowed my anger and the words that had come naturally to my consciousness, did an abrupt about-face and began to walk away. I called my mom to explain the situation to her and have her jump through the necessary hoops to satisfy their company policies. The more I talked to her, the more agitated I became and I asked her to just hang tight, that I was gonna take one more shot at a reasonable solution and then call her back.

I asked to speak to the highest ranking member of management on the property, the door manager called someone on his walkie-talkie and told me someone would be with me in just a few minutes. This gave me time to take some deep, cleansing breaths and try to get the rage to subside before I began to run roughshod through the store destroying merchandise and inflicting much harm upon innocent bystanders. After a moment (really too many for my liking) a round little man with fat little hands walked up to me and extended one of the  Vienna-sausage looking appendages for me to shake. I was all too eager to give him the grip of death. He then made the mistake of asking me what the problem was and what he could do to make me a satisfied customer. (insert another very heavy sigh to blow off accumulated pressure.)

Attempting to remain calm, I went through the whole story with him. He explained to me why the policy was in place that the clerk had explained, but that he said some leeway as a manager. He would be happen to look at the transaction on the computer and see what he could do. So he and I walked back to the counter where the clerk was standing, wondering how soon I was going to lose it and jump over the sales counter. Manager dude looked at the ticket, asked a couple of questions, then asked if we could call my mother to try to straighten this out, once and for all. "Sure," I said. Hoping that dad had not come back into the house and was close enough to mom's phone to spoil the surprise. Thankfully dad was still at a safe distance and mom could talk, she answered all of his questions, "who she was, how she spelled that, was that German, and what was the credit card number"? After being satisfied with her response, he thanked her for providing the information.

It was then that the lesson became clear. I heard ole' sausage fingers say, "Well, no ma'am, he didn't tell me that." He laughed his fake manager laugh, told her have a nice day and hung up my phone. He smiled and told me my mom was 'precious' and that she had asked him if I had said anything ugly because "he's a preacher you-know?"

After I quickly rewound and played back all related conversations in a nano-second, I just smiled at him. He asked where I ministered, I told him. The poor clerk who heretofore had shrunk back against the back counter said that she lives very close to the church. Trying to gather my quivering self I invited both of them to come visit us with their families anytime, gave them the times of our services and left them each one of my business cards. They handed me the little box that had started all this hoopla, we all exchanged thank yous, and I quickly exited the facility.

How quickly I could have brought reproach upon my reputation and that of the church I am blessed to  serve? How quickly could I have reinforced the stereotype of what the world thinks of Christians, how quickly could I have soiled the beauty of my Savior?

From now on, I will try to remember to ask the question. How would you proceed with this conversation if you knew the very next person they speak to will be your mother? That will change your whole attitude, at least it will mine!

Lord, please help me to always guard my heart, my tongue, and my composition, so as to never bring reproach upon You, Your church, or me--Your servant. Amen.

Regarding Boston

Yesterday’s unbelievable tragedy at the Boston Marathon is a terrible reminder of the evil that exists in this world. As I watched the video images and heard the news reports I couldn't help but remember how many finish lines at which I have stood with friends and family members cheering Shelia on to a great finish.  We, just like those people in Boston, never expected a bomb to explode, much less two bombs—and if the news reports are correct a third unexploded bomb was located as well.

As Christians there are several messages we need to remember.

First, this world is not our home, it is an evil place full of adversaries. 1 Peter 5:8-9 NKJV - Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9-Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.  There is an evil force at work in the world and his sole purpose is to destroy anything connected with God and those He loves (everyone!).

Second, there is hate in the world. Was this the work of religious extremists, foreign terrorists, or some sick individual that wanted to spread fear and destruction? We don’t know yet, but for someone(s) to set off bombs in a crowd is not an act of love but of hate. We are told that America is hated by other countries, and that may be so, but there is a deeper hatred.  John 15:18-19 NKJV - "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before [it hated] you. 19-If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

Third, and most important, God is still in control! We are not hopeless, this evil will be avenged, and the suffering will be comforted.  John 16:33 NKJV - "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

So what should be our response? Look to the Word of God.

1.       Love and pray for those who did this evil. The only hope is for the hearts of those who did this and those like them is to be turned to righteousness, the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Matthew 5:44 NKJV - "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you…”

2.       Love and comfort one another. 1 John 3:11-19 NKJV - For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 12-not as Cain [who] was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous. 13-Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. 14-We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love [his] brother abides in death. 15-Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16-By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down [our] lives for the brethren. 17-But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18-My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19-And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.

3.       See the world the way God does, lost souls in need of a Savior. No one expected yesterday’s events but the harsh truth is that death is certain, its timing is not. We will all die and after death, the judgment. May we see yesterday’s tragedy as a clarion call to be salt and light to a dying world. To reignite our love for the lost and to ignite our passion for the Gospel and to share the love of Christ boldly with souls bound for an eternal destiny! 

     

     These borrowed lyrics are from a Brandon Heath  song,

“Give me your eyes for just one second
 Give me your eyes so I can see
 Everything that I keep missing
 Give me your love for humanity
 Give me your arms for the broken-hearted
 Ones that are far beyond my reach.
 Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
 Give me your eyes so I can see.”

May we see the need for salvation and then see opportunities to share the good news! The time is here, the time is now! People need the Lord!

Sidelined

One week ago today, Saturday, Feb. 9, I was returning from a very nice morning with my youngest daughter in Conway. We had gone out to a special breakfast, then up to a beautiful scenic overlook of the lake, it was a great morning. I then rode toward home and decided to stop at the church to look at the progress my oldest daughter's Sunday School class had made in fixing up their new classroom. Everything was looking good when my son-in-law mentioned that it was starting to sprinkle. I didn't want to get wet so I got on the bike and headed for Jacksonville. I hadn't gone far when I started seeing lots of brake lights all of a sudden. The car three in front of me had suddenly decided to turn left which sparked a chain reaction of people stomping on their brakes. The only problem is we were rolling pretty good since there is no stoplight for another couple of blocks, and the road was slick. I hit my brakes and started to skid. I got off of them and looked for a way around, but no love. I had to decide to either hit the back of the pickup or ditch it. Realizing that if I hit the back of the truck and he then hit the car in front, etc. etc. I would, most likely, receive a citation for causing the whole mess. The cheapskate I am, I decided to ditch it and pay for my own repairs!. On the way down I remember going into Matrix slow-motion mode and thinking, "Man, this is gonna hurt!"

I remember hitting and bouncing once on my left side. I don't know that I remember a crack but I instantly remember not being able to breathe and the weight of the bike on my legs. In no time at all some good Samaritans rushed up and picked the bike up off of me, called 911 and saw about my welfare. The man in front of me knew exactly what happened and felt bad, but it wasn't his fault. He gave me his name and number and asked me to check back with him.

This all happened on Camp Robinson Rd. between the fire station and the back of First Baptist Church. The firemen said that they would park the bike in the fire station until I could get it picked up. Against some advise I wanted to stand up so I grabbed a couple of hands, got up and stood against a light pole trying to catch my breath and call my family as the police and EMT's arrived. A cop showed up and asked for my license, the EMT's showed up and started packing me into the back. The cop told me since it was a single vehicle accident there was no need for a report or citation. We then sped off.

This was my first ride in a ambulance, and hopefully my last. Here I am, a big guy, lying on a small gurney, in a large truck with little or no suspension. At one point I asked if I could just get out and walk! We backed into the hospital and I instantly began to dread the trip from the rig to the ground when the driver came around the back of the truck. He was bigger than I was, so when he said, "I've got you bubba" I felt better. It was a good trip.

I was quickly rolled into the ER, and was quickly joined by my daughter and son-in-law. My wife soon followed since I had called her from the "crime-scene". They took my vitals and some blood and called for a CAT scan. I finally got some IV drugs and was taken for the CAT scan which showed 3 broken ribs, up high in my back. No punctured lungs or any further damage. They were concerned about my neck since I had a fusion a couple of years back, but no worries.

During all the hub-bub Matt called my best friend Grumpy and told him about things. He offered to go get my bike and take it home for me. The firemen were very nice. I appreciate them! He was able to ride it home, it appeared the only damage was the highway peg on the left engine guard had been broken off. No other damage. It appears I had protected the bike with my body!

At any rate, the people at the Springhill ER took good care of me and sent me home with a page of prescriptions. We pulled up to the Walgreens in Jacksonville and found that there was no pharmacist in right them so no go. We drove over to Walmart and found the window closed, but there was an angel in sight. Kristen Killebrew, one of our friends from the Landmark days and one of Jennifer's dear friends, is a lab-tech there and was still in the pharmacy. Shelia stuck out her bottom lip and Kristen opened the window. Shelia explained the situation and Kristen said she's take care of it. What a blessing!

It's been a long week, full of pain and frustration, but I'm learning my limitations. People have been so gracious and I've received lots of prayer support. I guess the worst part of the accident, besides the broken peg, the ruined boots, and the broken ribs, was the missed opportunity to go to WhoDats in Bald Knob for dinner. But, we've made plans to make up for that opportunity tonight with Grumpy and Vicky! I'm gonna be sure to stay away from anything that could hurt me until after we get back! One more thing, I never got my driver's license back from the officer! I didn't realize that 'til Wednesday. They're supposed to be looking for it! :)

Thanks for your prayers, love ya'll

I think I'm too old for this!?!

The first 4 days of January for the last several years, Louie Giglio and other Christian leaders hold what is called the "Passion" conference. It is designed for high school seniors and college-aged students and their leaders.  Since our Youth Pastor recently left us to join the staff of a sister church that left me with the opportunity to be that adult leader. No problem, I thought, my youngest daughter Jennifer has attended the last 3 years or so and really enjoys it so this should be good. The first downside was that we leave on New Year's Eve so I would have to miss one of the real highlights of the holiday season, the New Year's Eve party at the Parmers. Oh well, Shelia would represent us and have a great time.

Departure day arrived and the group began showing up promptly at 7 am to start loading "new blue", a 30 passenger Chevrolet bus our church had just recently acquired. This would be her maiden voyage as the "Faith Bus". A few minutes into loading and I got a phone call that two of our number had overslept and would be about 30 minutes late. Oh well, no real worries, we'll go top of the tank, eat another doughnut, and wait it out.

At 7:45 we were on the road and all seemed to be well except around Hazen I began noticing that the voltage meter was beginning to slip. By the time we got just past Forrest City it had dropped down to about 9 amps. Not good I thought. It was beginning to act sluggish so I pulled off at the Earle, AR exit and slid into a parking place (or 4) at a truck stop. As soon as I killed the engine I tried to start it again, I had my fears and of course they were realized. Nothing. So I go into the truck stop and start asking around for a auto or truck repair place that might be close and might be open on New Year's Eve. Also around this time I contacted Bro. Tim Eubank, our super mechanic/deacon/friend and rescuer, as he was the one who had found this vehicle at an auction. Needless to say, he wasn't very happy and his brain began to work. I told him just to hang loose and let me see what I could do.

I got nowhere with the local truck stop so I went iPad on them and found some local numbers. The first was a bust, but the second shop said they could bring us a battery that should make it so we could get to the shop. Between Tim and I we had already decided it was most likely an alternator problem, but until we got the old one off there wasn't much we could do. We waited and waited for the guy to show up, finally after about an hour and a half I got impatient and thought I'd try the impossible and see it she would start. To my surprise she did, and about that time the dude showed up. We followed him to his shop, hoping the battery had recovered enough to get us there.

It did, we pulled into the front yard of a very small automotive shop in downtown Earle, Arkansas. Early tests confirmed, the alternator was dead. Now to find a replacement. One would think that being a Chevrolet van with a 454 engine that the alternator that it would call for would be the same as any other 1997 Chevrolet van with a 454. Well after about 6 hours of trial and mainly error it was discovered that since the van had been accessorized with an electric door, extra lights, etc. that whoever customized the bus put a Ford alternator on it. Finally, late that afternoon in a light rain, the new alternator was installed and we pulled out of the quaint little town of Earle, AR.

One little adventure that bears mention, about noon or so the troops were beginning to get hungry, so I asked the shop owner where we could get something to eat. He told me about a barbecue joint a few blocks away, so I ventured out to check it out. First, it was open...good so far. When I popped my head in there was seating available....good. The man behind the cash register assured me that they could handle 17 for lunch, so I went back to gather the troops. Their eyes widened as we walked around the corner at the Mom and Pop barbecue stand, but everyone enjoyed what they got and memories were made.

As we left, darkness fell as did the rain, and the electric door had been disengaged to let the students get on and off the bus, so we had to stop at a gas station, buy a screwdriver, have super Tim tell us what to do and fix the door so it would fly open with every corner.

But we were on the road! We stopped for supper, and for fuel every now and then, and at around 4 am we pulled into our hotel in downtown Atlanta. We got unloaded, I checked us in and passed out the keys and told the students that we would meet up at 10:30 the next morning, go grab some sleep. (Personal note: these kids had been asleep most of the way but good ole' Jeff had driven the whole way!). When I asked the  hotel valet where we needed to park the beast he told me about a AAA lot a block and a half away. When I got there the height limit was way less than the van, so Joe and I drove around until we found a public commuter lot with space available. We look two, paid the computer kiosk and walked the 3 1/2 blocks back to the hotel, in the rain. When I finally laid down, the clock said 5:30 am.

Eight seconds later, or so it seemed, I woke up at about 9:45 am. I quietly showered and ventured out into the hotel's catacombs to find breakfast options. Luckily there was a sky bridge to a mall of sorts that had lots of different little restaurants, so I went back to the hotel to meet the students and have breakfast, which by this time had to be lunch...yaay!

After lunch I needed to go to the Georgia Dome to pick up our tickets/wristbands. The only problem was, it was almost a mile away and it was still raining. Suck it up buttercup, let's get this done. So my trusty helper Joe McDaniel and I ventured through the mean streets of Atlanta til we got to HQ and planted ourselves in line. We were wet and the line was long, but everything worked out and we headed back to the hotel...yes, in the rain.

After a quick supper we all headed down the street to the Dome (again, in the rain) to stand outside (in the rain) until the doors opened. There were 60,000 people wanting to get into the Dome, so even when the doors opened, this just took awhile.

I don't have time or space to go into all the adventures, so I'll just say the first night of the conference was awesome. Lights, music, the speaker, everything was awesome. Then we were separated into our community groups and off we went. After the group meetings were over, we all met up for the trek back to the hotel...yes, that's right...in the rain. When we got back, Joe and I had to go back to the parking lot to feed the meter for the bus's parking spots. When I finally got into bed, the clock said 2:00 am and I had blisters from walking 4 miles in wet shoes, oh well. Tomorrow will be a brighter day.

Well, the next four days of sessions and meetings were great. Really enjoyed them all, and even got to see 60,000 box lunches from Jason's Deli distributed in 24 minutes...twice! The only downside was the long walk to and from the Dome, with blisters, and arranging meals for the group.

On Thursday, I needed to attend a staff meeting back in NLR so our pastor, Techno-Bob had found some software that would enable me to attend the meeting on my iPad. The trouble was the wifi had all been claimed by the Passion people, so I had to go back to the hotel and pay 15 bucks to download and connect.
As good as the conference was, I never got in bed before 2:00 am all week long, so on Thursday night, knowing we had to check out, load up, eat breakfast, and get to a 9:00 session the next morning. I told the kiddos I'd meet them at the front doors with the bus, get them loaded, then send them to the conference. I was gonna grab a nap if I was gonna drive all the way back to NLR from Atlanta.

So early Friday morning I woke up, walked the 3 1/2 blocks to the parking lot (the same one I walked to every night to feed the meters), started the bus and drove to the hotel. We loaded up uneventfully, I instructed the kids of my plan, and where I would try to be parked to meet up after the conference and away they went.

I had arranged with the hotel to park under the canopy for 3 hours while I grabbed a nap and loaded my stuff up, at no small fee! I parked, went to my room and passed out...for 30 minutes until housekeeping banged on my door. I explained to the nice lady that I would be using this room until about 10 am and wouldn't require anything, thank you. Could I go back to sleep? Of course not. So I showered, packed up, loaded up, checked out, and headed out in search of a parking spot closer to the Georgia Dome. What was I thinking!?! Anyway, after much consternation, I asked the valet at the Holiday Inn if I could park on his lot for a couple of hours. Well kids, everything has it's price.

Eventually the conference was over and I found the students and we headed out of Atlanta. We found a Cracker Barrel and chowed down to be able to make the long trip ahead. As we got onto the interstate, Old Blue (the bus) began bogging down on any incline. This made the trip home quite agonizing as we could get up to about 70 mph on a long hill downward, but going up some hills we went as slow as 26 mph. But we drove on through the night. We had to stop every so often for fuel, meals, and to let the bus recover from her fits.

Finally around 1:00 am we pulled into the church parking lot, unloaded and I parked "old blue" in her new spot, letting Jennifer drive me home. When I went to bed Saturday night (the next night) that was the first night in the last 5 that I had been in bed before 2:00 am. This from the guy who watched Channel 16 news because it comes on at 9 pm!

Again, let me say Passion was a great conference, and the kids were great. No grumbling or fit-throwing. But looking back, I think I might have gotten too old for things like this!

Sunday morning I bragged that I had a great time and obviously was still "hip", Bro. Bob's comment was, "Yes, you're hip, but it's an artificial one!" I think you may be right, my friend. I think I'll go lay down and take a nap!