On Friday, I was out of the office early to spend some time at the campground praying and seeking the Lord for several appointment changes. When in these moments of seeking the Lord, I am so blessed to be able to retreat to Camp Hickory Hills for a time of peace, quiet and reflection. Late in the evening, I heard a knock on the door of my cabin and found several of the men from the Keith Street church. They were using the campground for a weekend Father/Son time. I was so happy to see our local churches taking advantage of such a wonderful place, but when they invited me over for ribs (and the trimmings) cooked on a wood fire, I was even more happy!
Early Saturday morning, I left the campground and traveled to Big Sandy, Tennessee to visit with the family of Vernor Evans. Many of you may know Vernor's wife, Ruby, who was the Post Mistress for the U.S. Post Office in that city, and her son Gary is a retired Federal Agent with the Immigration Service. Our families go back many years, and while there I learned that Ruby's sister was taught in Sunday School by my grandmother. I love this family, and am so blessed to know them and to be welcomed in as family. Brother Vernor passed away earlier this week. It was amazing to see the large crowd of visitors, including the County Mayor, the Tennessee State Representative for their area, other dignitaries, and of course the WONDERFUL people of the Church of God of Prophecy.
After visiting for about a half an hour, I let and traveled to the Curtis Hill church near Bethel Springs (West Tennessee) to participate in the funeral services for Sister Sarah "Louelle" Jones, the wife of Bishop Alvin Jones. There was such a large crowd, that the fellowship hall had to be used for the overflow and chairs had to be set up in the back of the church. A fitting tribute to such a wonderful woman of God,, and her family. The services were conducted by Pastor Richie Horner, myself, and Londa Richardson. As I sat on the platform and listened to Pastor Horner and Sister Londa, I was again reminded of the high calibre and quality of ministers we have in the Church of God of Prophecy in Tennessee. They conducted themselves with dignity and respect. I was so proud of them.
After the burial service and a nice meal prepared by the church folks, I returned to the highways and made my way back to the campground to spend the evening and continue to seek the Lord for direction for much of the work in the State of Tennessee. Arriving after dark, I was able to fellowship for a few minutes with the men from Keith Street, and then retired for the evening, with my heart full of thanks for the blessings of our Lord who loves us so much.
As I write this blog post, I've stopped by a McDonald's to get a fresh cup of coffee (to wake up) and am on my way to the Burns Church of God of Prophecy, where Pastor Terry Bear serves for Homecoming services.
My love for the Lord and for each of you grows each day as I realize how blessed I am to serve such wonderful people!
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