Steve Long and I have been friends since early 1984 (40 years). He and his wife Sharon (now in Heaven) shared many of our experiences while we lived in Amarillo and even beyond. They moved to Longview Texas and we moved to Broken Bow Nebraska. The Longs remained friends and visited with us regularly as well as traveled to Central America with us on missions trips. Since Sharon went to Heaven, Steve has moved to Marshall Texas. He continues to write and publish books and is very busy with various prayer meetings in east Texas. He is with us this weekend in Jacksonville and preaching at Cornerstone tomorrow. We visited Fort Caroline and the Ribault Monument today.

 The New Year has begun and we are already well into the 3rd day. It is true that our passage through our allotted time has accelerated to an unbelievable pace.  It won't be long now and we will all have left this world behind! What is becoming increasingly clear to me is the necessity for re-evaluating our priorities in order to focus on what matters.  Eternity seems to really matter. What we do now in this time serves only to position us for that great expanse known as eternity; forever, always, everlasting, etc. Our standing in the hereafter is linked to our relationship to our Creator Jesus Christ for "all things were made by Him" John 1:1-2.  John 5:22 says that "the Father has committed all judgment unto the Son". This makes clear who it is that we need to fear and whose favor we need to gain. Jesus, in the light of eternity to come, is truly the most important concern of ours in the here and now! (2024). As for me and my house, we choose to serve Jesus Christ. the Lord of Eternity, with all of our might!

New Year Blessings To All!!