RIP Dory
RIP, Dory. Got home yesterday to find her on the floor behind the aquarium–an apparent escape gone terribly wrong. She had made the move swimmingly and was doing great. Guess I need to get a screen for the top of the tank.
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Parent Child Dedication Celebration
Parent Child Dedication Celebration @FBCBelleGlade #AdvanceTheGospel #futureisverybright #glades
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Brian “BJ” Jennings, Example of Good Samaritan
I remember when I first met BJ. He was volunteering in the student ministry at Crestmont Baptist Church in Burleson, TX while I was attending Southwestern Seminary. Yes, that Burleson, home of Reba McIntire (or owned a huge mansion up on the hill anyway–or so I understand that to be the case. You know how rumors get started, right?), and American Idol’s first ever winner, Kelly Clarkson. Kelly was a high school student at the time and was actually at the event that I first met Brian–a DiscipleNow that my buddy, Rick Murray and I did together with his church, Crestmont and my church, Cedar Ridge Baptist Church (right down the road from Alsbury Baptist Church where BJ was on staff.)
I got a text last night from my buddy last night that he had just attended BJs funeral. It had been almost 11 years since Rick had been in Burleson. After Rick left Crestmont to go work for Student Life Camps, BJ became the student pastor at Crestmont. I graduated from Southwestern and saw him at a conference when he was at Crestmont. I honestly had lost track of BJ over the years. I thought that he might be serving in another church, but not necessarily a church right around the corner from Crestmont. But honestly, that makes a lot of sense–he was a Burleson boy ministering to Burleson kids. Pretty cool, really.
I think that you can see what kind of leader, believer, husband, and father BJ was from just reading the articles about the accident he was involved in on Father’s Day night. You can also see it in his son, Evan, at a press conference that was held at Alsbury Baptist Church where BJ was on staff. Amazing young man! Pray for Evan.
BJ had stopped late at night on a two lane road to help a lady with a flat tire. He was headed home from a graduation party for his son earlier that evening. He was hit and killed while being a Good Samaritan. That is what I remembered of BJ, a good samaritan. A great guy that would do most anything for anyone that needed help. He will be missed terribly in the Burleson community and especially with the Alsbury Baptist Church youth group and his dear family.
Please be in prayer for the Jennings family and friends there in Burleson, TX as well as Alsbury Baptist Church and the other churches in the area that were very well connected with each other “contending as one man” for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/06/19/4948320_son-of-minister-killed-on-fathers.html
http://www.wfaa.com/news/At-least-four-people-killed-in-crash-near-Rendon-211722701.html
Egg Drop 2013
Wow, what an awesome day for our church and the Glades community! Our first ever Easter Egg Drop was a HUGE success!
We had several hundred kids come through and EGGchange their plastic eggs for a big bag of candy at The Great EGGchange! (Get it, EGGchange?! Pretty pun-y, huh?) Our children’s pastor, Tim, says that by his best count, we gave out 1153 bags of candy! (That’s a LOT of candy!)
We think we had close to a thousand kiddos who attended the event for sure. (There may have been a few that made a couple of “EGGchanges,” if you know what I mean.)
A HUGE thank you to everyone who helped us pull off this massive event!
A HUGE thank you to Phil and Sugar Cane Golf Club hosting us.
A HUGE thank you to John Kandel and his piloting skills.
A HUGE thank you to our church staff who served for weeks in planning and implementing the vision for this community event.
A HUGE thank you to all of our volunteers who gave up their time and energy to show the love of God to our community!
YOU ALL are the BEST!!
Here are some pictures and a very short video taken by Chuck from the helicopter as they were dropping eggs.
[tentblogger-vimeo 63014700]
Washington D.C. – Day 4
- Lincoln Memorial
- Vietnam War Memorial
- Korean War Memorial
- Washington National Cathedral
- Newseum
- FDR Memorial
- MLK Memorial
Washington D.C.-Day 3
- Photo stop at the White House (no tour because of the sequester…com’ on man!)
- Group photo at the Grant Memorial
- Smithsonian Air & Space Museum
- Tour of the U.S. Capital
- Tour of the National Archives
- Canadian Embassy stop (Our tour guide did an awesome job explaining to the kids that they had “been to Canada” by standing on the embassy property.
- Carmines for dinner.
Washington D.C.-Day 2
Continuing to have an awesome time in the Nation’s Capital!
- Got up really early to drive to Gettysburg. Spent the entire morning at the battlefield. It was awful cold for these South Florida kids! (See weather app screenshot)
- Then we headed to Arlington National Cemetery. Taylor and three of his classmates took part in a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns–very cool experience.
- U.S. Marine Corps Memorial. The kids were amazed at how big the statue is compared to on TV or magazines.
- U.S. Air Force Memorial
- Jefferson Memorial at night.
Washington D.C.-Day 1
Taylor and I are in Washington D.C. with the Glades Day School 6th Grade class. It has been a great trip so far! A very full day yesterday with flight, and then immediately hitting the ground running of seeing all the sights.
We left the airport and headed through Alexandria, VA to Mount Vernon to see George Washington’s place. Very interesting tour and video presentations. We closed the place down and then headed to dinner. After dinner, we went to the World War II Memorial. It is very beautiful at night. Wish we were here a few weeks later in the year to have the water in the different memorials.
Tried (to no avail) to teach Josh and Taylor how to iron their shirts and pants for the wreath service during the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery. These guys are definitely needing to work on their domestic skills before they are marrying material!
On our way to Gettysburg this morning. Then to Arlington National Cemetery. Will post more pics later.
Here are some from yesterday. Enjoy!
