Do prayers ever go unanswered? Does God ever let us languish in the anxiety of waiting for an answer to a prayer we have been praying for days, or weeks, or months, or even years? Is God obligated to answer our prayers according to our timetable, or according to our desired outcome?

This is perhaps one of the most difficult theological conundrums Christians face. Why does God not answer our prayers the way we hoped He would? Why does He allow the illness to linger? Why does He allow the suffering to persist? Why does He allow the wayward child to continue down that black hole of depravity? Why doesn’t He salvage the marriage? Why? Why? Why?

Some would even raise the question as to why we should pray at all. Is there any reason to maintain a consistent prayer life? Is there any hope to receive the answer we desire when we have seen so many prayers end in a most undesirable way. We pray for the healing of the disease, but it not only lingers, it actually worsens. The suffering grows more intense. The pain continues its debilitating work on our frail bodies. The wayward child continues to walk down that path of self-destructive behavior. That marriage partner continues in his/her infidelity.

If we believe the Bible’s clear and consistent teaching about the power of God, and if we embrace the Bible’s emphasis on the immensity of the love of God, then why is His power not motivated by His love to intervene? Does the Bible not teach that He does indeed have the power to heal all manner of disease? We have so many explicit examples of healing in Scripture. If He could do it for one, could He not do it for all? In the Old Testament we have examples of God intervening on behalf of His chosen people Israel by defeating nations that were out to completely destroy them. Could not He intervene today to alleviate the tensions that exist between nations?

This is one of the great mysteries of the Christian faith. And it is nothing new. This matter of grave perplexity has been around from the beginning of creation. Ever since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, humanity has suffered the ravages of the horrific effects of sin. Sickness, suffering of all kind, murders, rapes, wars, are all results of the fall. God has brought about the plan of redemption which gives sinful man the opportunity to be saved from the penalty of sin, but not from the products of sin. We live in a sinful world, filled with sinful people, who commit atrocious sinful acts.

But still, could God not circumvent the ravages of sin, and right the wrongs of the world? There is a classic answer to that question found in the prophecy of Daniel. Those three young Hebrew boys – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego – knew the answer. When told by the king that if they refused to bow down and worship a golden image the king had ordered to be worshiped they would be thrown into a raging, fiery furnace. Their response to the king gives us some insight in how we are to face the difficulties and dilemmas life might throw at us along the way.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, Of king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

Daniel 3:16-18

Their faith was in the power of God, and undoubtedly in the love of God. They trusted that God would do what was right. Their faith led them to believe that God could deliver them, and that He would deliver them from the hand of the king. This faith led them to entrust themselves to His care and keeping, regardless of the outcome.

Prayer is the vehicle through which we give our requests to God, believing that He does indeed have the power to remove the problem, while at the same time resting peacefully in His loving embrace knowing that His will is best, and our lives are to bear testimony to His grace and goodness as we lay our requests at His feet and trust Him for His desired purposes to be fulfilled.

Until next time:

Blessings!

For those of us who are avid football fans – whether high school, or college, or pro – excitement is in the air as we contemplate the beginning of a new season. We have our favorite teams which we hope will make it all the way to the big game. We watch with keen interest as the prognosticators give their predictions as to which teams they think will have the best chance of making it to the championship. Every week we watch, hoping that our team will be one of the few that will be true contenders.

I remember when I was serving at Lochwood Baptist Church in Dallas, TX, years ago that every Sunday afternoon we would have a house full of young men who would gather to watch the Dallas Cowboys play. It would be an afternoon filled with tension as we watched the game. It was during the years of the Cowboys dynasty, the decade of the 90’s, when the ‘Boys won three Super Bowls in a four-year span. Those were exciting times, to be sure. But, alas, those were the last years of the ‘Boys days of glory.

There was one Sunday afternoon when, for some reason, the usual crowd did not gather at our house to watch the game. Teresa and I were home alone. That afternoon, Teresa did the unthinkable – she actually took a nap during the game! The audacity; the unmitigated gaul! How could she? So, I was left to watch the game alone. It was a game filled with lead changes, as the teams’ offense ran roughshod over the opponent’s defense. It became obvious that the team with the final possession of the ball would in all likelihood win the game. The Cowboys were down by four points with under two minutes left in the game. They received the kick-off after the opponents scored to take the four-point lead. Troy Aikman began the methodical two-minute offense, with passes to Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin. The clock had trickled down to only a few seconds, just enough time to try for one last pass to the end-zone. The ball was snapped, Aikman dropped back, Irvin ran down the sideline, taking a healthy lead over the defender. Aikman threw the ball – a long, high spiral that fell over the shoulder of the defender, right into the outstretched arms of Irvin. It was a thing of sheer beauty. Irvin craddled the ball in his arms, doing all he could to secure it as he made his way toward the endzone for the game-winning touchdown.

However, he did not realize how dangerously close he was to the sidelines when he caught the pass. As he brought the ball down and cradled it in the crook of his elbow, his left foot slipped out of bounds on the five-yard line. The clock ran out. Game over. Cowboys lose!

Without realizing what I was doing, I found myself standing in the middle of our living room, screaming to the top of my lungs, “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” I was distraught, sickened, stunned, shocked.

But a short while later, as I contemplated my childish behavior, a thought came to my mind. How could I let myself get so caught up in a football game? How could I be so excited about a football game? And then, the question came to mind, “Are you as excited about your relationship with Jesus Christ as you are about a football team?” Pretty much everyone who knows me knows that I am an avid Cowboys fan. I enjoy talking about them with my family and friends. I enjoy rehashing game highlights with those who share my love for the game.

But, am I as excited about Jesus? Am I as quick to tell people of my love for Him as I am to share my commitment to a football team? I want people to know that Jesus Christ is my first and foremost priority in life. I want to be a vocal and visible witness for Him every opportunity that comes my way.

Yes, I am going to keep pulling for the Cowboys – I’ve been doing it for over 60 years now and see no reason to stop at this point. But Jesus Christ came into this world to die in my place, to pay the penalty for my sin, to provide redemption through His shed blood, and to secure for me a home in heaven through His victory over death, hell and the grave.

So, I will tell people about Him. He deserves my total allegiance, and I pray that I will always be faithful in sharing His love with others.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Fifty days, 9676 miles, 23 states, seven national parks – an amazing journey as we celebrated our 50th anniversary with this 50-day trip. We have been blessed with unbelievably good weather – only one episode of rain while driving as we made our way across the panhandle of Texas and one hailstorm while stopped and set up at one of our many camping locations. We have seen so many beautiful sights as we have witnessed the changing terrain across our great nation. For us, it has truly been a trip of a lifetime.

Again I would like to thank all those who have followed along with us through the pictures I have posted on Facebook, and through the blog posts I have published over these seven weeks of travel. You have truly blessed us as you have “liked” and made comments of my photography. Teresa and I will have all these pictures to look back on in time to come, and through those pictures be able to relive, to some degree, these days of travel.

We have traveled across some of the flattest land imaginable in the states of Wyoming, Montana, North and South Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota. We have seen the towering mountains of Colorado, Wyoming and Montana, and the lush rolling mountains of West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. And, so very much more.

As I think about what we have seen, I am also reminded of people we have met. I have introduced you to several of these in previous posts. People from all walks of life, from all parts of the globe, speaking many different languages, their skin tinted with different shades of brown, white, yellow, black, and red.

All this reminds me of what an awesome God we serve! There is such diversity in every aspect of His majestic creation, and yet, at the same time, there is such amazing consistency. There are stark changes in the terrain as one crosses from one region of the country to another. For example, consider this picture of the flowing sand dunes of the Great Sand Dunes National Park, with the towering Rocky Mountains looming just behind.

And yet, in the midst of all this diversity we see the amazing consistency with which it remains the same. When we gaze into the heavens on a star-lit night, we see stars that have been, and continue to be, in a locked pattern in the skies. When Teresa and I gazed into the depths of the Grand Canyon, we saw what evolutionists describe as a marvel which has been millions, if not billions of years in the making. But for the one who holds to the Biblical account in Genesis, he sees a marvel of God’s creative activity.

Consistency. Things remain the same. Yes, the earth has gone through periods of change, but in the broad spectrum of things, it has remained consistent. Let me close by making one final observation. As mentioned earlier in this post, we have met many people, from many places, with many observable differences, such as skin color, language spoken, cultural distinctions, etc., but in all of my observations I have noticed only two biological sexes – male and female. I have never seen an “other”. Biologically, we are all born either man, or woman. There is a consistency to God’s creation.

When Teresa and I visited the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, KY, and saw the representation of animal life on the ark, I was reminded of the diversity of species of animals, but I also witnessed the amazing consistency of those species of animals from then until now. A dog then is the same as a dog now. A cat cannot choose to be something other than a cat – it is what it is. And in the cat family, a cat will always be a cat. And, remarkably, God instructed Noah to take a pair, male and female, of each animal for the purpose of procreation. Had Noah decided to take a pair of males or a pair of females, then, well, that particular animal would no longer exist. It takes a male and a female to keep the species going.

I have said in many previous blog posts that I respect anyone’s right to choose whatever lifestyle they desire, but I also have suggested that we all accept the fact that we were born as a male, or a female. We should not try to come up with an alternate explanation for our personal preferences and desires by insisting that we are an aberration to the natural birth assignment of our sexuality.

Instead, let’s all praise the God of all creation for His amazing work of diversity in the midst of His continual work of consistency. The Apostle Paul says something very interesting concerning this matter. I will close with this quote from his letter to the Colossians.

For by Him [Jesus Christ] all things were created that are in heaven and earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

Colossians 1:16-17, NKJV (emphasis added)

Thanks for reading! Until next time…

Blessings!

Teresa and I have now traveled over 7200 miles. We have approximately 2000 more to go before we arrive at home in about 10 days. We have seen so much, and have been blessed so greatly to have made this once in a lifetime trip, celebrating our 50 years of marriage.

One thing we do as we begin each day is to pray that God would bring us across the path of individuals with whom we can share our faith. We ask that He would help us let our lives shine for His glory, and we have been amazed and blessed to see how He has answered those prayers.

But yesterday, while enjoying our last day in Glacier NP, I was sitting by the lake at Many Glaciers Lodge waiting for our time to ride the boat across the lake, at which point we would catch another boat to tour a second lake. I was practicing my action photography as boaters and kayakers made their way around the beautiful lake.

There were six adults sitting at a table next to ours, and one of the gentlemen asked me what I was photographing, to which I replied, “Nothing in particular. Just practicing.” But, I had just a few minutes before taken a few shots of a moose across the lake. He asked if he could see the photo, to which I gladly shared with him and the others with him a photo I had taken.

This led to a conversation that started with a photograph, and ending with a great discussion of our mutual faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We discussed the plight of the church in America, and our desire to see God do a great work of spiritual renewal. This conversation went on for quite a while, with Teresa and I sharing with them the reason for our journey, and some details of where we had already been and where we were yet to go.

But then, Teresa and I were blessed to hear one of the gentlemen say, “Could we pray for you?” Then, right there in front of those sitting around at other tables and benches, as well as those passing by, he prayed the most beautiful prayer, thanking God for the 50 years of marriage we were celebrating, asking for God’s continued safety as we would continue our journey, and asking for God’s continued and consistent blessings on the future of our life together.

Needless to say, we were truly touched and blessed. Just as we had been trying to be a blessing to others, God decided to turn the tables and let us be on the receiving end. Now don’t get me wrong, we have been blessed beyond measure on this trip, but that was a special kind of blessing that God surprised us with.

Let me close this post with a heartfelt thank you for all the kind words many of you have shared about my photography. It has been a joy to take all those pictures (many, many more than you have seen!), and Teresa and I will enjoy them for years to come. But please know that every “like” and every comment have meant so much to me and Teresa.

I will share some more of the pictures of our last day in Glacier, and hope you enjoy them. Until next time…

Blessings!

This has been an absolutely amazing journey. We have now traveled almost 6000 miles, have now seen so many sights that I honestly cannot remember all that we have seen and done without visual or written reminders, and have experienced so much more than we could have ever dreamed. This country (and we have only seen a fraction of all there is to see) is a beautiful place, with so much diversity. Even inside Yellowstone NP there are mountains and valleys, canyons and cauldrons, hot springs and snowcapped peaks. All that, and more, within the confines of one national park.

Teresa and I have dreamed of taking a trip of this nature for years, and now that we are well over halfway through this trip of a lifetime we are truly astounded by what we have seen, the people we have met, and the truly majestic beauty of the parts of our nation we have been blessed to travel. As I write this post we are in West Glacier, MT, where we are visiting Glacier National Park.

But an even more amazing journey is the journey of life over these past 50 years. Teresa and I have been blessed beyond measure as we have traveled the road of life together. There have been times of great joy, and seasons of deep sorrow. There have been moments of sheer delight, and moments of overwhelming distress. We have shared times of exuberant happiness, while chapters of our lives have been filled with days of darkness and despair.

We have been blessed with three children – Bryan, Joshua, and Charity. They have now blessed us with six grandchildren – Gaige, Trinity, Jayden, Luke, Levi, and Luna.

We have known so many who have not made it as far as we have in this journey. Some of our acquaintances from our high school days have seen their marriages end by some means. Many have been divorced, others have lost a spouse through death. Then, there are others who have traveled this path of life for much longer periods of time than we have. We have met several couples on our anniversary trip who have been married for well over 50 years, and we celebrate with them just as they celebrated with us.

Fifty years seems like such a long time, and I guess in many ways it is just that. But, as we now celebrate that milestone, looking back over those many years of marriage, it seems like a blink of the eye. Where did all that time go? And as we look ahead, wondering what the future holds for us in this journey of life, we know that the time we have left is much less than the time we have already experienced in this journey of life. And we want to make the most out of the time we have left.

So, that brings me to the main emphasis of this blog. As amazing as this 50-day journey has been, and as amazing as our 50 years of marriage have been, the most amazing journey began on September 13, 1977: the day Teresa and I were gloriously saved by the grace of God.

At that point of our marriage, we had decided to part ways. Divorce seemed to be the only way out of our misery, as I had made the decision that I simply wanted to play the drums in a rock band. Nothing else mattered to me. Being married did not seem to fit very well with my personal dreams and desires. So, we were discussing how we would part ways.

It was at that point of our lives that God graciously broke through the mess I had made of our marriage, drew us unto Himself by the working of the Holy Spirit, made us realize that our only true hope in this life was a relationship with Jesus Christ, and saved us by His amazing grace. And since that day, almost 46 years ago, we have been traveling the most amazing journey of all. We have served in ministry together for the majority of those years since being born into the family of God.

As we now draw closer to the end of this 50-day journey, we also realize that we are drawing closer to the end of our journey on this side of eternity. As much as I hate to think about it, there will come the day when one of us will stand beside a freshly dug grave, saying good-bye to the mate we have shared life with and now leave behind. But, since becoming children of God we know that this journey will not end with physical death. This journey will continue on, forever!

May I end with a word of encouragement? If you are not already a born-again child of God, then this life is really all you have to look forward to. Eternity, for you, will not be a place of fellowship with a loving Savior, Jesus Christ, but will be a place of eternal torture, separated from God in hell. However, if you do as Teresa and I did those many years ago, on September 13, 1977, then you, too, will enjoy the most amazing journey of all.

Blessings!

We now have been on the road 28 days – four out of seven weeks are now behind us. We have traveled over 5000 miles, and the memories already made will be cherished for the remainder of our lives. We will have pictures to remind us of the details of this amazing journey, along with an assortment of refrigerator magnets that will be a constant reminder of places we have been and sights we have seen.

Today we will travel a little over 200 miles from Etna, Wyoming, to Gardiner, Montana. We will move from one national park – Grand Teton – to another – Yellowstone. We will marvel at the sights we will see as we go from Wyoming, into Idaho, and finally into Montana. As much as I hate to leave the Tetons, I am so excited to see the sights of yet another national park.

As I mentioned in my last post, I would like to share with you yet another encounter we have had along the way. At one of our camping spots, we were privileged to meet two gentlemen who were traveling around the country. They are avid bikers, going on two bike rides in two days in the rugged terrain of the Rocky Mountains. One evening, as we were having a casual conversation, one of them asked if he could speak with me privately. After we moved to a secluded area, he began to share with me some personal struggles he was having. That day he was celebrating six months of sobriety – a personal milestone in his ongoing struggle with alcoholism. But he was experiencing some intense struggles on that very day of celebration.

At this point I was able to share with him how God had graciously saved me from the many struggles Teresa and I faced many years ago and set our lives on a new path of spiritual freedom in Christ. He told me about his desire to be a better husband and father, and how his life had changed so drastically over the past six months. But, for some reason, he was having a time of intense struggle that very day – the day of his six-month sobriety.

He asked me about my relationship with Jesus Christ, and God opened the door for me to share with him my own personal faith journey. It was a most amazing conversation that ended with him being encouraged in his own walk with God.

Divine appointments come in so many different ways. This particular appointment was orchestrated by God because this gentleman needed someone to talk with, to share his burdens with, to seek spiritual and emotional encouragement from. He ended our conversation with a most encouraging word for me: he asked that Teresa and I pray for him, that he would remain strong in his commitment to sobriety, and that he would be a better husband and father. Teresa and I have prayed for him many times since that encounter and will continue to do so.

In my next post I will be sharing more of our amazing journey, and the personal encounters we are having along the way. Until then:

Blessings!

Does time really drag by? Or, does it speed past with reckless abandon? Seems to me that both are true. As I spent endless hours in researching, planning, making reservations, deciding on a route that would take us to places we really wanted to go, revising, re-revising, etc. etc., it seemed that time was dragging by so slowly and the day of our departure would never arrive. But now, 25 days in, with only 25 days left, it seems that time is flying by. It really does not seem possible that we are at the half-way point of our 50-day 50th anniversary journey.

But here we are. I got out of bed at 5:00 this morning, fixed my first cup of coffee, got my Bible in hand, and watched the sun rise over Riverton, Wyoming. As the light of day began to lighten the morning, I watched prairie dogs begin their morning routine just in front of our camper. I marveled at the silhouette of the mountain range some distance away, and once again was moved with a sense of worship and praise of One so mighty as to create such beauty, grandeur and majesty.

Teresa and I have been reminded in so many ways of just how wonderful God is. We have marveled at the many different types of terrain we have seen as we have now driven over 4500 miles. We have seen land so flat that we were able to see vast distances ahead of us, literally miles and miles ahead with no obstructions to hinder the view. We have also seen canyons so deep it was difficult to see the bottom because of the dark shadows hiding the depths below. We have driven over mountain passes that are so high, with roads that were so dangerously close to the edge with no guard rails for protection, that I was literally terrified to take my eyes off the road. We have seen wildlife – deer, antelope, elk, big horn sheep, moose, prairie dogs, pronghorn antelope, golden eagles, blue heron, snake – in abundance, and will see many more as we go into Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.

We have met many people, from so many different walks of life, and from so many different places. Interesting people, with stories to share of their own exploits in their travels across the vastness of the United States. We have been able to share our stories, and most importantly, our faith, with these that God has graciously given us the opportunity to meet.

We are looking forward to meeting more on the remainder of our 50-day journey. At this point, would you pray with me for those with whom we have already been privileged to share the Gospel? Would you pray specifically for their salvation? Thank you for your willingness to do that. And, would you also pray for those that we are yet to meet? Would you pray that we would be sensitive to their spiritual needs as we engage in conversation with them? Again, thanks for lifting us, and them, to the Lord.

In my next blog I will share still yet another conversation with a gentleman we met in our travels. Until then:

Blessings!

Teresa and I have now traveled about 4000 miles, crossing 8 states and seeing more sights than I can now even remember. We marvel at the beauty of God’s creation, and wonder how anyone could see such majesty and not realize that there must be a powerful and great God who created it all.

Yes, we have seen much (which I am trying to chronicle in pictures posted on Facebook), but the truly remarkable thing so far has been the people we have met. God is not only allowing us to marvel at what we are seeing, but to also engage in conversations with individuals and families we are meeting along the way. I have spoken in earlier blogs about tours guides, Jason and Eddie. As I sit here at 4:30 am, watching the first glimmers of light rise above the towering mountains surrounding me, I am thinking particularly of two families we have met on our journey.

We met these two families in two different places, and both are from Denmark. The first was a delightful couple who were quite intrigued by our small camper, and simply wanted to know about it and how we were able to take a fifty-day trip in such a small bed-on-wheels, as we have dubbed it. This led into a conversation about life in the US compared to life in Denmark, with a discussion of churches in both countries.

The second family from Denmark we have spent some time with was a family of four who were taking an 18-day tour of the western United States. We shared a delightful meal with them at our host boondocker’s home, and once again the conversation gravitated toward the church in both countries. They were amazed at the many different denominations we have in the US, and shared with us that the church in Denmark is a state church with the queen of Denmark being the head of the church.

We were given the opportunity to engage in conversation about the church in general, which led ultimately to a discussion of the fact that no one is saved through the church, but rather through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. It is not church attendance that saves – even though church attendance is essential for spiritual growth and development after one is saved – but it is by the grace of God, through faith, that one is saved.

This was all so strange sounding to our new acquaintances from Denmark. Teresa and I hope that our discussion with them will cause them to look more deeply into the matter of individual responsibility and accountability to God. Both families were truly delightful, and it was such a joy to share with them, and now we pray for them to come to an understanding of their own individual need of a Savior.

The first three weeks of our 50-day anniversary trip has been amazing. As I write this blog on Monday, July 3, we will be preparing later today for the next stop along the way – Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. We have now visited Grand Canyon, Great Sand Dunes, and Rocky Mountain National Parks. We’ve taken five train rides, two guided tours, and have seen so much in our own personal sight-seeing expeditions.

As we prepare to take the next leg of the journey to Wyoming – we’ll actually take a couple of days to get there from Estes Park, CO – but there are adventures along the way. Can’t wait to share with you more of the excitement we are enjoying, and pray that you are being encouraged as you read these words and as you view the pictures. Every picture, as they say, is worth a thousand words, but sadly no picture can capture the true beauty of what we have seen. The pictures will simply be a reminder to us in the future of the joy we experienced along the way.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Teresa and I are almost three weeks into our 50-day anniversary celebration. It has been absolutely amazing to this point. We have already seen so much that it takes a few minutes to think about all that we have seen and done. I would love to tell you about everything, but it would take far too long to rehearse all the wonderful things we have done in the short space of a blog. So, I will share one of those divine encounters God has given us along the way.

I shared with you in a previous blog about a tour Teresa and I took of the Grand Canyon, and of a conversation we had with our tour guide, Jason. He gave a very intellectual discussion of the theory of Darwinian evolution, to which God gave opportunity to share the Bible’s teaching of divine creation.

We have now taken another guided tour of the Rocky Mountain National Park, and our guide for this trip, Eddie, spent a great deal of time discussing his understanding of philosophical existentialism. He told several interesting stories which all ended with the same conclusion: nothing is good, nothing is bad, all serves the purpose for which it exists. His understanding of humanity is that we are just one of the multitude of forms of animal life, and nothing of any significance separates human beings from any other animal.

Eddie is a great storyteller. His entertaining stories filled the time when we were traveling the 1 1/2 hours from our starting point in Denver to the entrance to the park. After listening to him share story after story, each reaching the same conclusion as the previous ones – that life is meaningless, nothing good, nothing bad – I shared with him that the Bible presents a totally different view of all that exists. It gave me the opportunity once again to share with our tour guide, as well as the rest of the group taking the tour. the Biblical view of creation, and the sanctity of human life being created in the image of God.

As we all marveled at the beauty of God’s amazing natural creation, Teresa then went on to share with our group the amazing story of God’s gift of supernatural re-creation when one places his faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ, who died to pay the penalty of our sin. No one, as far as we know, embraced the presentation of the Gospel, but they did hear it. They are now accountable for what they do with it. Our prayer is that the Holy Spirit will continue to bring that conversation to their minds and bring them to saving faith.

In my next blog I am going to share still yet two more divine encounters that God has brought across our path on this amazing journey. Until then:

Blessings!