I spent Thursday morning of our vacation with my sons Jesse and Jeshua duck hunting at Randy and Denise's home.  If you ever need a good laugh, come and watch a 'city boy' like me trying to act like a 'county boy.'  It's making me chuckle just typing this out!

In all fairness I think I'm kidda getting the hang of it.  This was my first time duck hunting and I got it with the first shot.  I had to rely on some avid hunters to tell me that it was a small wood duck that I shot, because all I knew is that it looked like a duck and quacked like a duck. 

It took about an hour to track it down and retrieve it.  It sure would have been nice to have a dog trained to fetch.  There were a couple of times I thought I was going to sink into the mud past my hip waders.  Those who have gotten stuck in the mud almost up to your waist know that it's completely exhausting trying to get out. 

My boys enjoyed themselves a lot when it came to retrieving our duck, but especially when it came  time to stop  at Chance's Country Store on Rt. 331 for a scrapple and egg sandwich and a HUGE piece of coconut creme pie to celebrate.  Yummy!!!

-Pastor John

One of my favorite re-occuring dreams is that I can fly.  I dream that I can fly at least a few times a year ever since I was a young boy and I always wake up totally refreshed.  It's amazing!  There are times that I also dream that I have the ability to jump hundreds of feet into the air at will and without getting exhausted.  That would be pretty cool!!!

Anyone who knows Joshua Rice knows that he likes swords and so we saw it fitting that he would be knighted for his 18th birthday.  No longer is he a 'young' man, but a man in my eyes.  Be sure to look for ways to encouraged him to be a 'good soldier of Jesus Christ' (2 Tim 2:3), that he would live his life to bring honor to the King of kings.

Of Course it was his birthday and so we had lots of fun to celebrate the occasion. In fact later in the evening Joshua brought out some floaty noodles so that everyone who wanted could engage in a combat in a fun and safe way. It was exhausting and definately got the heart pumping!

A birthday just wouldn't be a birthday, at least in my family, without some cake in the face. Joshua was such a good sport about it all. When it was Jesse's birthday he picked Joshua to smush cake in his face, so Joshua felt that it was only fair that Jesse get a chance to return the favor. BIG MISTAKE!!!! You see Jesse has had lots and lots of oppotunities over the years to perfect his technique. I think the frosting went so deep up Joshua's nose that it tickled his brain. Congratulations Joshua!

-Pastor John

In my family we had a tradition that started when my oldest sister, Carmen, turned 16 years old.  What was the tradition?  You got a whole cake shoved in the face!  YUMMY!!!!

When Joanne and I began having kids we added to the tradition by celebrating every birthday with a piece of cake shoved in the face.  For my fortieth birthday that person was our youngest son, Jared, who is two.  He was so excited.

-Pastor John

Simply said…A DREAM COME TRUE!!!  On August 9th, 2008 I had the opportunity to go skydiving for my 40th birthday.  It was AWESOME!!!  I had lots of people say I was nuts to do it, but I had no fear whatsoever.  I am already looking forward to the next time. 

Wally had expressed his desire to go skydiving months and months ago for his 50th birthday and thought I might be interested.  "YEAH!", was my very quick reply.  It ended up where Wally, Greg and I were going to go.  To make a LONG story short, because there wasn't enough wind both Wally and Greg couldn't jump.  We were disappointed at the news.  They are looking to go sometime later in September or October. 

:) I am starting a new fund called "Pastor John's Skydiving Fund."  If you would like to give toward this fund please let me know.

-Pastor John