Allen Crews, our one-year-old Great Grandson by way of Ruth's youngest daughter, Ashley and her daughter Daylan.  Allen's parents came to stay with us for a few days recently and we got to know this little guy. He is one of the best behaved one-year-olds I have ever seen. Very sweet little boy with a lot of energy and curiosity. He ran all over our house testing everything and experiencing life to the fullest. We fell in love with him and have high hopes for his discovery and fulfillment of Divine Destiny.

MARCH 26, 1970

FIFTY SIX YEARS AGO, I MARRIED NORMA JOYCE PRATT ON A SNOWY THURSDAY EVENING IN PANHANDLE, TEXAS AT THE FIRST ASSEMBLY OF GOD CHURCH, REV. R C HOPPER OFFICIATING.  '

 Due to the poor weather conditions there were only maybe fifty people there to witness our vows, but close family and friends were all there to celebrate with us.  Norma and I enjoyed our life together for more than 33 years before she left for Heaven. I was blessed to be her husband. She gave me two wonderful children, Heather and Aaron. When she passed, I thought my life had ended and I felt so alone. But God, in His mercy, sent me Ruth five years later. We have been married 18 years this October. I am twice blessed with two wonderful marriages! It all began one snowy night 56 years ago.

                                                                OCTOBER 12, 2008

First Half 2025

 2025

 

Mary Ann & Gerald

 

The first half of 2025 has gone by so fast that I have not kept up my blogs very well.  March was all about our annual mission to Nepal for Kingsway Fellowship Conferences in Kathmandu, Gurkha and Pokhara. It was a fruitful yet tiring trip. Ruth went with me this time. We arrived back into the USA on the 24 th of March only to learn that my Brother Jerry passed away that morning. After a few days of rest, I flew to Fayetteville Arkansas and rented a car to drive to Stilwell Ok for Jerry’s funeral. It was supposed to be a graveside but got moved to the chapel due to thunderstorms. Gerald and Joshua Thomason came also. We went to Jerry’s house and looked the situation over. He did not have many possessions of any value so we got a few things that had sentimental value. I drove his pickup truck home. I did some repairs on it (a/c, brakes, etc) now I am deciding whether to keep it or sell it. 

In May I went to Medellín Columbia for a few days with evangelist Joshua Heines for pastors and soul winners training. 

Gerald’s wife Mary Ann has been fighting cancer for over four years. She turned worse this spring and passed away on June 6. Ruth and I drove from Jacksonville to Amarillo for her Memorial Service on June 12th then drove to Tennessee for Ruth’s grandson Aiden Donohue’s wedding to Grace. Then Fathers Day at the Donohues with Bobby’s family, Bobby and Amy Jenkins and their family and Bobby’s Brothers and Sisters from Savannah. It was a house full. We make our drive back to Jacksonville on Wednesday. All of this plus pastoring our wonderful Cornerstone Church family in Jacksonville. 

https://www.kesterfunerals.com/obituaries/Jerry-David-Thomason?obId=40085091

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/mary-ann-thomason-obituary?id=58592996

BROTHER JERRY

MY BROTHER JERRY PASSED TO HIS ETERNAL HOME ON MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2025. HE WAS 77 YEARS OLD. RUTH AND I GOT THE NOTICE WHILE ON OUR WAY HOME FROM NEPAL AFTER TWO WEEKS OF CONFERENCES IN THE UTTERMOST PART OF THE WORLD. HEARING OF JERRY'S DEPARTURE KIND OF HIT ME HARD. YOU ARE NEVER REALLY READY FOR SOMEONE TO DIE WHO HAS BEEN A FIXTURE IN YOUR LIFE. HE BEING THREE YEARS OLDER, HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE. ALWAYS WITHIN REACH BY TELEPHONE. THIS CONSISTENCY DEFINES JERRY WELL. HE LIVED HIS LIFE FAITHFULLY AND DEPENDABLY. THIS EARNED HIM PROMOTIONS ON THE JOB AND THE TRUST OF EVERYONE IN HIS WORLD.  ALTHOUGH WE LIVED A THOUSAND MILES APART, I TALKED WITH HIM BY PHONE OFTEN. HE WAS ALWAYS EXCITED ABOUT GOING TO HEAVEN. WELL, HE IS THERE NOW! I AM HAPPY FOR HIM. MY RECOLLECTIONS OF GROWING UP WITH JERRY AND BEING BROTHERS AS ADULTS COULD FILL A WHOLE BOOK. LET ME JUST SAY HERE THAT HE WAS A GOOD BROTHER AND A BIG HOLE IS LEFT THAT NO ONE HERE CAN FILL. LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR REUNION IN HEAVEN.
 

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!