WHY I USE SOCIAL MEDIA

 A lot of people take sabbaticals or stop altogether from being active on social media platforms like FaceBook, X, TruthSocial, YouTube, Rumble etc. I get their reasoning. Social media can take so much of our time and it can be very addictive. People with addictive personalities should avoid them. It can also be a cause of stress, fear, negativity and bullying. So much we see online is fake, false, and deceptive. Evil people use social media to spread their poison and rob, steal and kill. It can be a dangerous place. We must always be on our guard. I get why people try to avoid these platforms. 

 For all the reasons above and more I have also thought of removing myself from social media, but I hesitate to do so for these reasons:

1. People do not write letters anymore. In the old days, we kept in touch with family and friends through letter, cards and the United Postal Service. Today that method, though it still exists, is unpopular because it takes too long and postage stamps are outrageously expensive. People gave up writing letters a few decades ago. Now the best way to keep up with distant family and friends is social media. In fact, through this medium I have been able to rediscover some folks I had lost all contact with. 

2. The unreliable and untrustworthy news media has forced people to look elsewhere for accurate news. Though there are a lot of people lying on the internet, you can find trustworthy news sources and balanced reporting. 

3. Used to, we only needed to consult our daily local newspaper for recent obituaries to find out who died since yesterday. Now, our acquaintances are spread all over the world. Social media has proven to be an important source of current information about deaths, births and other milestones in the lives of people I know around the world. 

4. For me as a Gospel Preacher, I have found social media platforms as a way to enlarge my audience far beyond the walls of my local church along with bringing the ministries of others to me. 

I am therefore, reluctant to throw the social media baby out with the bath water. So to speak. As bad as it is, properly managed, social media is a powerful tool in the hands of mature righteous people. 

 

Have you ever heard the saying, "It will be alright"?  That is pure optimism or naivety.  Or maybe some of both. I have noticed that it can be an expression of faith or nervous hope or maybe even some denial. I want to ask, what do you base your optimism on? If you have a Word from God then it is a statement of faith and confidence. I like to base my "feelings" on God's integrity and the promises He has made.  I have found confidence in anything else is like building on quicksand. That's really not worth the effort. God can be trusted! Because of Him, EVERYTHING IN MY LIFE WILL BE ALRIGHT!

JULY 2024 WAS A SPECIAL MONTH FOR US BECAUSE WE WERE VISITED BY SOME OF OUR GRANDKIDS.  AARON & MARLEE CAME FROM ARIZONA  TO TOUR THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SO WE DROVE DOWN TO COCOA BEACH TO HAVE DINNER WITH THEM.  THEN WE HAD ELLA & ELI FROM POOLER, GA, FOLLOWED BY DAYLAN FROM JESUP GEORGIA. IT WAS A FEW WEEKS OF DRIVING BACK AND FORTH AND HOSTING THEM. WE WERE BLESSED!
 

 

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!!

 Well, I made it to age 73! October 24. I am to that place when every birthday is a big victory and worthy of celebration. I spent the day watching the "happy birthdays" come to me via FaceBook.     I received a few cards through snail mail too.  People from all over the world and the USA and from long ago to new friends.  I realize each year how blessed I am to have so many friends (quality people too!). 

Ruth and I drove out about 65 miles to Lake City to have lunch with Manuel & Mary Starling who drove up from near Mayo, Florida to meet us at the Country Buffet. Manuel turned 89 on the 26th and is still very active.  Mary will be 80 soon. I have known them since about 2001. She pastored our church in Branford for many years and now serves there as a Board Member and right hand to Pastor Jim Hurst. I love these two and what a joy to celebrate our birthdays together.

i spent part of the day getting my car started. The battery had to be replaced. $214! Amazing how much things cost nowadays. I have seen a lot of changes in my short life, but none as disturbing as what is happening in the word today. However, my faith in God is stronger than ever and my resolve to serve Him in this life is unwavering. God is faithful and Jesus truly gets sweeter as the days go by!

Thank you to my Mom and Dad who gave birth to me 73 years ago and and provided a safe home for me to grow up and meet Jesus. Thanks to them for encouraging me in the ministry their whole lives. Thanks to all my family and friends who have made me rich beyond words! 

I AM VERY PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT MY WIFE OF 15 YEARS HAS RECENTLY BEEN ORDAINED AS A GOSPEL MINISTER WITH KINGSWAY FELLOWSHIP INTERNATIONAL (KFI)

THIS IS A WORLD-WIDE FELLOWSHIP OF GREAT COMMISSION PREACHERS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO TAKING THE GOSPEL TO EVERY NATION.

THIS IS RUTH'S 2ND ORDINATION. SHE WAS ORDAINED BY CORNERSTONE CHURCH INC. A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. RUTH HAS PROCLAIMED THE GOOD NEWS ON MANY OCCASIONS IN THE U.S.A, HAITI, HONDURAS, KENYA, MYANMAR, NEPAL & ZAMBIA

A SEASONED PRAYER WARRIOR, SHE SPEAKS WITH PROPHETIC AUTHORITY AND IS ALWAYS READY TO GO!

 

JUNE 3-10 Ruth and I flew to Phoenix to spend a week with Aaron, Stephanie, Ethan (21) and Marlee (15). It was so good to be with them in their world. We went to church with them, ate out some and had some great home cooking as well. We even made smores over the fire pit. Yes, it was cool enough to build a fire. We took a road trip to Tucson to tour the Pima Air Plane Museum and then drove over to Tombstone for dinner at the Palace Theater. On another day we went to Sedona to enjoy the scenery. Aaron and I spent some time at the gun range, we all saw a movie and just had an overall fun time. Our flights went smoothly this time (Delta) and we got home around midnight Saturday.  I appreciate Aaron and Stephanie for taking this time off to spend with us. Marlee is out of school for the net two months and we even got to spend quality time with Ethan. Below are a few pictures. 

 

Sedona AZ

Sedona

Gun range

Streetside Cars in Mesa AZ

She makes me look good!

Aaron & Stephanie

The famous OK Corral Fenced off.

Pima Air Museum

My special Angel

My Sweetie Pie in the desert

ON MAY 25, 2023 I DROVE TO ORLANDO TO MEET UP WITH JERRY HOBBS AT THE NATIONAL RELIGIOUS BROADCASTERS CONVENTION. WE VISITED FOR JUST A COUPLE OF HOURS BECAUSE EVEN AT 86, JERRY IS IN MUCH DEMAND. WE HAVE HAD A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP FOR OVER 60 YEARS.  JERRY WAS A YOUNG 25 YEAR OLD EVANGELIST PREACHING AT SOUTHLAWN ASSEMBLY OF GOD CHURCH IN AMARILLO, TEXAS IN 1962 WHEN A 12 YEAR OLD RONNY THOMASON CAME FORWARD TO SURRENDER MY LIFE TO JESUS.  SINCE THEN, WE HAVE KEPT IN CONTACT. JERRY AND HIS WIFE LUCRETIA EVEN CAME TO JACKSONVILLE A COUPLE TIME TO HOLD MEETINGS.  LUCRETIA PASSED AWAY JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, SO IT SEEMED MORE URGENT FOR ME TO PAY HIM A VISIT.  THEY WERE MARRIED 63 YEARS AND HE MISSES HER SO MUCH.  JERRY AND LUCRETIA PASTORED, EVANGELIZED, DID MISSIONS WORK, TELEVISION ETC.  LUCRETIA WAS JAMES ROBISON'S SECRETARY FOR MANY YEARS.  EVEN NOW, JERRY HAS BECOME AN INVENTOR-BUSINESSMAN.  IT WAS A GREAT JOY FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO SEE HIM, EVEN IF IT WAS BRIEF.  GOD BLESS JERRY HOBBS!
 

IRENENORMA

RUTHETHELAMY

 

STEPHANIEANGIELYN

SOME OF THE AWESOME MOM'S IN MY LIFE

(COULDN'T FIND PICTURES FOR ALL OF THEM)

HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY!!!!