Friday, October 26, 2007

The Job I Love that is not a Job, but a Joy

A lot of times you hear of guys that work in a dead end or boring job everyday of their lives. I am so glad that I am not such a man.

In September I made a trip to visit four or five churches in the state of Ohio. While there I saw a friend with whom I had gone to Bible college for a time. met his wife and family and rejoiced to see a friend from 27 years ago, still in the ministry and faithful to God. I had not seen him for 27 years. I get paid for that, it is my job while on furlough to visit new churches and faithful supporting churches. Seeing old friends is merely a fringe benefit.

I then traveled from Cincinnati to Zanesville, Ohio to visit another supporting church in New Concord Ohio. I stayed at the home of a High School buddy, We laughed , remembered discussing evolution with our biology teacher, His wife is his High school sweet heart and they are still faithfully and happily married. I know, because I stayed in their home for a three days and watched them. You can only fake happiness for one meal. It was great to be with them and share all the things that have passed during the years. Dale and Cindy Lewis have been my friends since 1975.

I drove by the RollerRink where I met the girl of my dreams. Her most famous alias is JungleMom! and she is mine!!!!! This is the building in which JM fell at my feet in LOVE!!!!!
Witnesses who were there are Pam and Kim!!!!!!


I also went to Tom's Ice Cream Bowl, opened in the late 40's it hasn't changed a bit. They still make their own ice cream and it is an icon of Zanesville. It was written up in USA Today as one of the top ten Ice cream stops in America. Be warned though before you make a special trip..... it is closed on Mondays!!!!!







I had my High School favorite!!!! Hot Fudge Sundae with extra hot fudge and crushed peanuts!!!
and yes it is even better than it looks!!!!!!!!


While in Zanesville, I played tourist and went to see the World Famous Y bridge!!!!! The only city where someone can tell you to go to the middle of the bridge and turn left and not be telling you to go jump off a bridge!!!! but that is not all!!!!









It seems they like the alphabet bridges in Ohio because I also saw one of the last remaining S bridges on the old national trail or Zane's Trace. It is about 5 minutes from the church in New Concord Ohio





I then traveled to Bucyrus and saw my nieces and nephews for a few days. Debbie had made a Texas sheet cake!!!! Totally awesome!!!!! Played a game of golf with my nephew and totally spanked him too!!!!! Put that pup in his PLACE!!!!!




My final stop in Ohio was Canton Baptist Temple, pastored by a longtime friend, Mike Frazier, His wife, just as a note of interest, is the daughter of the man who pastored the church in which I was saved at the age of 6 in South Carolina. (Small World!). While at CBT I was able to have a meal and spend an evening with Jonathan Reed, a young man who had worked with us for 2 months in the indian village and now had a wife with whom he plans to move to Brazil and begin a work among the indians of the Amazon of Brazil.

All of these things took place in the space of 14 days. God is good. God always brings us back together. He is a father who likes reunions!!!!!!

I wont even bring up what the girls thought of their trip on the Auto Train up the east coast! It was totally cool!!!!



I'll have better pictures next time!!!