Review of Thomas Locke's newest book, The Merchant of Alyss

If I were a mage and had an orb, I would point it at Thomas Locke and blast him right now half way across the world!

Not because I am disappointed in the writing of the second book in the series, The Merchant of Alyss, but simply because he hasn’t finished the last one yet and the ending of this one is just not right! I won’t give up the ending, but let me just say that I don’t think you will be happy either for the same reason. The anticipation is too much to endure. The story is too great, we must have the conclusion!

The Merchant of Alyss picks up the story of the hero Hyam after the conclusion of the first book Emissary. In the second book in the series the reader meets some new characters and continues to learn the stories of many of the characters in the debut book. As usual, those characters are well developed and contain complexities that make them lovable and intriguing. The plot is woven delicately through their stories or maybe the intersection of their life stories forms a perfect plot.

There is romance, adventure, magic, and intrigue to be found by the reader in The Merchant of Alyss. If you really engage in good fiction, then I doubt you will be able to put this book down for long. Each chapter leaves the reader longing for the next and to discover what is just around the next ridge or beyond the next vale in the journey.

The thing I like most about the writing style of Thomas Locke is that I don’t read the book, I imagine the story. I see the colors, feel the air, cower in fear, and relish in the life that is described on the pages. I read The Hobbit when I was in high school a long time ago and wondered if they could ever capture that on film. I was not disappointed when it finally was released. I feel the same way about the series being released by Locke. I know how I imagine the characters would look, but I hope one day that I will be able to compare my vision with the realized image on the big screen.

There is no need to read the first book in order to understand the journey the second takes the reader on, but if you haven’t read it, I think you will want to after completing The Merchant of Alyss. I would be willing to bet that if you read this one, you will be pre-ordering the third in the series as soon as you put down The Merchant of Alyss.

Oh, and Thomas if you don’t hurry, there might be more than one orb blast coming your way!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell in exchange for my honest review.

2015 Gator Football down the stretch

So as we move into November, it sure doesn’t feel like it here in Sunny Florida, let’s take a look at my football predictions for our Gators. Here’s what I wrote after the first four games as an update to what I wrote before the season.

But let’s look at the next four predictions. I said we would lose at home versus Ole Miss and I still stand by that prediction. I do think we have a better chance than I thought at the start of the season, but I don’t think our o-line can block well enough to give the run game any chance and Grier will have to be running for his life back there. Our only hope is that the young QB from Ole Miss will get rattled by the swamp and the hits from our defense and throw a couple of picks and maybe a pick-six!

The Missouri game is one that could change depending on the status of Maty Mauk. If he’s back from the suspension, it’s a toss-up and the loss on the road is still a definite chance. If he’s not, then I think the Gators will win that game and the chance for the magical season of 10-2 drastically increases. A lot hinges on what he did to get kicked out for one game!

Nothing has changed about my prediction for the LSU game. Well with the exception that unless #7 gets hurt, he’ll run for 200 yards against our weak Linebackers. They still win the game and now the next game against Georgia becomes huge!

I still think we can win against Georgia, but I must admit they are better than I thought they would be. However, they haven’t played the toughest of teams yet and this week we will know if they are for real or if they are the pretenders that they usually are. Also a tip of the cap needs to be given to the entire Georgia Athletic department for the class they have showed to the family of the young man injured in the game. They didn’t have to do what they have done, but they have demonstrated how to be a class organization for sure. With that being said, I still think they lose in Jacksonville.

So after the month of October I think the Gators will be 6-2 or 5-3 depending on the QB situation at Mizzou. That will mean the critical games for Coach Mac and the young Gators will be the ones in November. Fortunately three of those are at home. At 6-2 they will still be in the hunt for the SEC east but if they are 5-3 well then they are playing not to go back to the Birmingham Bowl. And that ought to be enough motivation to finish the season strong!

I have never been so glad to be wrong, even if it is only by a game! But you have to give me credit for laying out the plan for the way the Rebels would lose to the Gators, scary how accurate that prediction was, isn’t it! And that is without knowing that Will Grier would make an unfortunate stop at GNC.

So let’s take a look at November and the end of the regular season.

Homecoming against Vanderbilt will be back to the game a few years ago. Back before Vanderbilt hired a good coach. It will be closer than many expect because I don’t think they will turn the ball over 5 times like they did last Saturday, but I expect the Gators to win this one by 21 with ease. That will mean that Gator fans can book their tickets to Atlanta for the SEC championship game. I sure didn’t see that one coming this year but I am so glad it might happen!

The Gators then travel to South Carolina. If the Old HBC was still there, I’d stick with my pick from earlier, but this is a bad Gamecock team right now and it’s going to get worse before it gets better for Cocky fans. The Gators need to pay attention but if they take care of business, they should win this game as well. However, watch out because this could be the infamous letdown game that will follow the clinching of the SEC East. Gators win going away late to wrap the SEC portion of the year up with just the one loss at LSU.

The annual sacrificial game in November with the FAU owls should see the Gators play a lot of second and third team guys. The goal of that game is to get ahead early, rest the starters and get ready for the big post turkey game with the college out west. Florida wins big and starts to move up the Playoff ladder.

The Game with the Clowns may be the biggest game of the year if they can get by Clemson this week. I don’t think they will but Clemson has a way of laying an egg every year and so far the clutch has been empty. If they do win at Clemson, then get ready for Gameday and the hype will be over the top. If they don’t, then they would like nothing better than to beat the Gators and kick them out of the Playoff discussion. I still think the Gators will win this game, but it would have been a lot easier without the GNC issue. Treon is an ok quarterback and a great athlete. His struggles against good defenses will continue and the Gators will win it late with a defense stand!

So my prediction is the Gators will be sitting at 11-1 going into the SEC championship game in Atlanta. The chance for the magical 12-2 season remains. Who knows, it might even be 14-1 and that would mean this generation of Gator fans could learn to experience the ultimate celebration in Title Town. Nobody's seen that in a while!

2015 Gator Football at the quarter pole

So let’s update the Gator football prediction through the first quarter of the seasons. To see the full blog, click here. So I predicted an easy win in game one, check. A tougher win but comfortable in game two, check. A close win on the road in Kentucky, check. And a very close win against the Vols, check again. That puts me four for four and I think I hurt my arm patting myself on the back!

But let’s look at the next four predictions. I said we would lose at home versus Ole Miss and I still stand by that prediction. I do think we have a better chance than I thought at the start of the season, but I don’t think our o-line can block well enough to give the run game any chance and Grier will have to be running for his life back there. Our only hope is that the young QB from Ole Miss will get rattled by the swamp and the hits from our defense and throw a couple of picks and maybe a pick-six!

The Missouri game is one that could change depending on the status of Maty Mauk. If he’s back from the suspension, it’s a toss-up and the loss on the road is still a definite chance. If he’s not, then I think the Gators will win that game and the chance for the magical season of 10-2 drastically increases. A lot hinges on what he did to get kicked out for one game!

Nothing has changed about my prediction for the LSU game. Well with the exception that unless #7 gets hurt, he’ll run for 200 yards against our weak Linebackers. They still win the game and now the next game against Georgia becomes huge!

I still think we can win against Georgia, but I must admit they are better than I thought they would be. However, they haven’t played the toughest of teams yet and this week we will know if they are for real or if they are the pretenders that they usually are. Also a tip of the cap needs to be given to the entire Georgia Athletic department for the class they have showed to the family of the young man injured in the game. They didn’t have to do what they have done, but they have demonstrated how to be a class organization for sure. With that being said, I still think they lose in Jacksonville.

So after the month of October I think the Gators will be 6-2 or 5-3 depending on the QB situation at Mizzou. That will mean the critical games for Coach Mac and the young Gators will be the ones in November. Fortunately three of those are at home. At 6-2 they will still be in the hunt for the SEC east but if they are 5-3 well then they are playing not to go back to the Birmingham Bowl. And that ought to be enough motivation to finish the season strong!

Russell Moore’s recent release Onward is a very engaging read. Dr. Moore has managed to write a book that challenges those inside the church who are fighting the culture wars and those on the outside with whom those wars are supposedly fought. I doubt that either group would be totally comfortable with what he writes on the pages of this new book.

The challenge to engage the culture without losing the Gospel is the subtitle of the book and the main premise of it. I found the ideas presented by Dr. Moore to be both refreshing and surprising. I don’t know what I expected when I began to read the book late in the summer, but I definitely didn’t think I would find so much common ground. However that common ground definitely looked a little different because he forced me to see it from a different angle.

The centrality of the Gospel is not new nor was it surprising as this has been a focal point for Dr. Moore for many years. The surprising point was the idea of fighting the culture war with kindness and the call to remember that we can’t share the message of Jesus without sharing it with the tone of Jesus too. This has been the experience I have had with many cultural warriors in the pulpits of our churches. My context of ministry on the college campus tends to put me in contact with a majority of people who don’t agree with the street preachers and pundits of moral majority. Dr. Moore advocates a different approach that if followed just might win a few of them into the kingdom of God instead of pushing them further away from actually hearing the voice of Jesus.

Culture continues to change and that change will increasingly make it clear which side we are on. Dr. Moore is not advocating backing down on our moral positions or making concessions to the culture on Biblical truth. Instead he suggests that we present the truth while remembering that the persons on the other side of the arguments are not the real enemy. That thought alone is worth reading the entire book!

I highly encourage you to read this book if you are serious about the influence of the church on culture or you are worried about the influence of the culture on the church. It’s not necessarily an easy read. You have to stay with it and you have to engage your mind as you read. That may be what made it a great book in my opinion!

On Guard for Students by William Lane Craig

On Guard for Students by William Lane Craig is a well thought out response to several questions students may face as they interact with other students on the high school or college campus.

Some of the arguments were a bit overstated and repetitive. Some would be challenged as fighting against straw men by others who are not believers in Jesus. But overall this is a very valuable resource for serious students of the faith who want to be able to give a “reasonable account for the hope that is within them”.

The writing is deep enough and has enough technical information to be useful to any student and is simple enough that most students will be able to use the arguments themselves. That fact is the best thing about the book for me as a practitioner of ministry to and with college students.

I will be recommending my students read this book and highly recommend others do the same.  

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Gator Football 2015 Prognostication

So let me start out by saying I have not seen any secret practices nor do I have a crystal ball! These are my guesses as to the year that will be Florida Football year 1 under Coach McElwain. I predict that the Gators will go 8-4 on the season and will finish unfortunately third or fourth in the SEC east. Now if things go perfectly and they have a better offensive year than most expect, they could go 11-1. If they turn the ball over and bad things happen in a couple of close games they could end up 5-7. How’s that for covering all the bases. Here’s how they get there.

Opener against New Mexico State

Barring another lightning delay and cancellation, the Gators should win this one easily. I think the coach’s dog could play quarterback in this one and the Gators should still win. If this one is close, there is trouble in the swamp and the fire McElwain site goes up by midnight!

Home against East Carolina

The repeat of the Birmingham bowl should have a similar result. I think this is a good test to see where the new Gator offensive will be going into the season. It’s not a pushover game and the Gators better come fully prepared for a battle. I think they will have enough with the home crowd to overcome a good ECU team and win a closer than some would want game.

AT Kentucky

The Cats will be looking to end that impressive streak of losses to the Gators and this might be their best chance since last year to do so. I just don’t think they have the talent to do it even though the game is in Lexington. The good part for them is the game is a week earlier than usual so Basketball startup will not be on the calendar for a couple of weeks yet. I think the Gators win this one too but Gator fans will not rest easy at any point during the game.

Home against Tennessee

This one is the make or break game for me. If Florida wins this game I think they have a good shot at 8-4. If they lose this game they have a great shot at 5-7. This will be the first game where the talent is equal or the balance may be in Tennessee’s favor. The Vols have a tough time in Gainesville and it wouldn’t be the first UT team to come into the swamp and throw up on themselves before leaving hot, humid, and unfriendly Florida. This one could go either way but given the track record of the pansy orange in the swamp, I’ll give the nod to the Gators in a close win.

Home against Ole Miss

This is the first swing game that has to go well for the Gators to have the magical 11-1 season or 10-2 season and win the SEC east. I don’t think it will. I’m just not convinced that the Gators have enough playmakers on offense to make a significant dent in the stout landshark defense. The first team to 10 points could win this one. That’s why it could go the Gator’s way. Ole Miss will have a new QB and a gift score from him could turn the tide and give Florida their first upset of the season. I’m saying they have a chance, but I don’t think the Gators will avoid their first loss of the season.

AT Missouri

The Gators second road trip to an SEC east opponent will not end well. I think the defense will keep it close this time unless the refs call a flagrant foul on the first deep ball again. Maty Mauk may be the best QB returning in the SEC, so the defense will have to have a standout effort to keep it close. This is another game where a few breaks that go the Gators way could produce an upset in Columbia. How far the offense has progressed will also be a factor in the Gators coming away from the farthest west team in the east with a victory. I don’t see that happening and the Gators are 4-2 on the plane home.

At LSU

The annual battle with the bayou bengals will live up to the billing. The Gators will play well but come up short in Death Valley once again. Some way, the grass eating Mad Hatter will find a way to pull another victory from the jaws of defeat and the slide will reach three games. All the rhetoric about who has the best defensive backfield won’t matter because the Gator front seven will not be able to stand up and the offensive line will get pushed around against the Tiger defensive front. The tough October continues to cause depression in Gator land and the team comes home on a three game losing skid.

Georgia

This game is another benchmark game for the Gators. Georgia will be good, but I’m not so sure they are that much better than the Gators. The only problem will be the Gator’s confidence will be pretty low if my predictions are correct. But if the breaks fall the Gator’s way and they were to come into this game at 6-1, I think the old pucker factor for the Dogs would return when they cross the St. John’s River. This game could go either way as most of the games in the rivalry do. In the end, I think the Gators get it done in Jacksonville and Georgia fans drive back north disappointed once again.

Homecoming against Vandy

Vandy will return to Vandy. The Gators should win this one easily.

At South Carolina

The HBC will have some tricks up his sleeve for the NBC. I think this continues the trend of close games that could go either way for the Gators, but I don’t believe the offense will have enough to overcome the Gamecocks on the road. But if the moon is full and the ball bounces right, watch out for the upset. This will be the game that decides the East and anything is possible!

Home against FAU

The offense will look great against the Owls. For the first time in two months the fans in the swamp should be able to breath easy from the kick. This might be the first game in Four years that Gator fans can breath easy about in the swamp. The first game will be full of emotion and this team will have to build some momentum before fans go back to the swagger of the Tebow era days of feeling invincible in the swamp.

Home against FSU

The clowns will be good again. I don’t think they will be great. As much as I dislike Winston as an off the field disaster, he was great on the field. His presence held that team together and his absence will show that the Noles have a few holes in them this year. I think the Gators have a good shot at beating them at home but they will have to play their best game of the year. They could lose this one too especially if they are on the track to finish 5-7 after losing close games to TN, GA, and the other predicted losses to Ole Miss, Mizz, and SCar.

So there you have it. Gator fans will be on the edge of our seats all year long. It will take McElwain some time to get the right kind of players in here to make his offense go. But with a little luck and some guys stepping up this has the potential to be either a horrible or magical season. My gut tells me to split it down the middle and prepare for another season of just being outside the top 25 and a trip to a mid-major bowl. 

Later Summer Reading Thriller!

Trial Run is the latest fiction work by Thomas Locke. It is just in time to enliven your summer reading. It’s the perfect book for that vacation at the beach, or the mountains, or just to read in your home over the weekend. Wherever you take it, I think you will find it hard to put down until you reach the last page!

The plot for this work will require you to suspend your beliefs for a little while as all good science fiction. The gap is not that wide however between what you read and what you know that you can’t make the leap safely. You just have to make sure you can come back safely. That’s a little inside insight that you will get when you read Trial Run. The story makes you totally believe in the possibility of the research being done and the settings allow you to identify with both the possibility and probability of these types of experiments being done at a facility near you!

The character development in the story is exactly what we have come to expect from Locke. They are rich, deep, and slightly problematic. They don’t always measure up to what you hope they would be and yet they surprise us in ways that makes us smile as we read. The imagery is detailed and delightfully laid out so as to elicit an almost tangible mental image of the settings of the story.

Locke and the publisher have remedied one of the issues I had with the story prior to its release.  They have released a free prequel to Trial Run. Here’s the promotional copy for that as well as the link where you can download it for free:

            Discover how it all began in this explosive prequel to Trial Run…

There isn’t much that can throw Charlie Hazard off balance. But the mystery woman with the striking eyes and the intense request to follow her—now—just might accomplish it.

Knowing little more than her beautiful name, Charlie leaves his post as a guard at the Satellite Beach community center for what he thinks is just another risk-containment job.

But Gabriella, an experimental psychologist, has far more in store for him than protection duty—if the two of them survive the test.

Leave behind your perceptions of what is possible and race into the unknown corridors of human consciousness in this breakneck prequel to Thomas Locke’s Trial Run. Click herehttp://tlocke.com/fault-lines/ to download “Double Edge,” free from your favorite online bookseller.

I was most displeased with the ending of the book. Not because of the content, or the writing, simply that it was over. Without giving away the plot, I can’t wait to the next volume in the series. I think you will as well when you finish reading this summer thriller!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell in exchange for my honest review.

What I learned from watching the Facebook discussion of the Confederate Flag Issue

There are several things which have become clear from reading my Facebook news feed over the past week. Now before I dive into those things let me make a couple of things perfectly clear. One I have a diverse group of friends on Facebook from around the world. Two, not all of them would agree on just about anything. Three, if we can’t be civil and disagree, let’s just agree that we probably shouldn’t be Facebook friends. Facebook and in some sense all social media sites are great places to engage in social discussions. That’s why they are called social media right? But these days posting your thoughts on social media can get you ostracized, castigated, and even fired. I get that we have to be willing to take the heat for what we say, but when did it become a reflection of my employer when I say something on my personal time? Well that’s a thought for a different blog.

So what have I learned from this week on Facebook?

1.      You can find someone who seems intelligent to back your position on the history of the Confederate flag no matter what it is.

I have seen an article claiming that the history of the flag is steeped in racism and the desire to subjugate black people written by a white guy from LA via Harvard University. I have also seen an article claiming that the flag should be respected because black southerners fought to repel the northern invaders written by a black professor from a school in Virginia. There are articles postulating most everything about the flag, so pick your position and you can find something to back it up.

2.      More people have cared about the Confederate Battle Flag this week than I have witnessed in my entire 54 years prior to this week.

I grew up in the south. Born in Alabama, reared as a southern man, never lived north of Kentucky, proud of my heritage, and yet I have never owned a confederate flag. Well unless you count the one on the General Lee car that I had once as a toy! I know that some have misused the flag over the years and the tragic, senseless, racist act of the shooter in Charleston made that crystal clear again this week. But the truth is I never saw that many people who cared about whether the flag was sold in Walmart or anywhere else until this week. If you don’t want it, don’t buy it. There are plenty of things that are sold that are offensive to somebody. If it doesn’t sell, it won’t be there long!

3.      People seem to be more easily offended these days.

That goes for people on both sides of this issue. I had relatives that fought in the civil war. They didn’t die thankfully but they fought. I am not offended if states do not want to fly the confederate flag over their state houses. I can understand why some would be upset if their relatives did die and someone removed the markers of their graves because it bore the flag. I can understand black Americans who lost loved ones to slavery or during the civil rights movement not wanting the flag to fly over their homes and capitals. If you say one thing you offend one group, if you say something else you offend the others. We can all find something that we are offended by if we look hard enough. I think some look harder than others to find them!

4.      Not everyone who lives in the south is a racist, but all of us, regardless of where we live have been infected by racism.

To ignore our history is to be doomed to repeat it. I cannot help that I was born in the south during a time of social unrest and civil rights battles. I never put out a sign that said “Coloreds only” or “Whites Only”. I never went to a segregated school. But I had parents that lived through those eras and passed on some of those things to me. I have stereotypes of people imprinted in my mind and heart. To say I don’t is to lie. But the gospel of Jesus challenges me to leave those thoughts and to learn to see all men and women as brothers and sisters. It’s not always easy to break free from those thoughts that have been a part of our heritage no matter where we are from. Although I cannot know what others from the north or black men and women experienced growing up, I image that they too have stereotypes and prejudices that they have to battle.

5.      Who we were doesn’t have to define who we can become.

The images of black and white men and women from Charleston coming together in the wake of the tragedy reminds me that we are not required to repeat history. We have the choice to help love overcome hate. There will always be those who want to remind us of our past failures. We didn’t always do the right thing in the south. But I don’t think any region of people or nation for that matter has a spotless history. We can continue to work hard to bridge the gap between the races so that dream of Dr. King can truly become a reality. A dream by the way that originated in the heart of God for His kingdom long before it was so well articulated by Reverend King. The dream of the Father is to see people from every tongue, every tribe, and every nation, living and worshiping as one people. And that dream will one day become a reality!

6.      The gospel of Jesus Christ remains the only hope for effective change in people’s lives.

Taking down the flag of the confederate armies from the SC state buildings may be a symbolic step, but it won’t change the heart of a white supremacist or a member of the Black Panther party. It won’t help heal the hearts or lessen the grief of those who are attending the funerals of their loved ones killed while praying in church. It won’t really bridge the gap between whites and blacks in SC or anywhere else for that matter. The only way to change is to change from the inside. I know that the gospel message of love has changed me. It has changed the way I look at people who are different from me. We are all sinners in need of a savior. We all have the opportunity to have our sins forgiven because of the shed blood of Jesus on the cross. We all have the right to become sons and daughters of the King because the Father resurrected the Son on the third day. We have the opportunity to live together because Jesus tore down the wall separating us so that there are now no divisions based on race or gender or nationality. We haven’t arrived yet, but with the grace of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit we have the call to press on. We gather not around the confederate flag or the American flag, but around the cross of Jesus Christ as our symbol of hope and unity. I hope you will join us there!

New Historical Fiction Release from Davis Bunn, The Pilgrim is a must read!

The summer is a time when I traditionally try to catch up on my reading. Currently I am working on 5 different books. So when I was invited to read Davis Bunn’s soon to be released book entitled The Pilgrim, I agreed thinking that I would get to it sometime in later June. But once I downloaded the copy, I couldn’t help taking a sneak peak. That was a huge mistake!

While I did manage to read a few chapters of the others, the story of The Pilgrim captivated my attention from the first page. Bunn certainly didn’t disappoint those who are his fans with his latest work. The characters are rich with detail and emotion. The settings are meticulously set with vivid detail and imagery. The plot of the story is both open and hidden at the same time. The only real problem with the work was that I was finished way too soon!

Without giving away the plot, the story is a blend of historical and Christian fiction involving Helena the mother of Constantine the Great and her documented pilgrimage to the holy city of Jerusalem. True historians may take some issue with Bunn’s interpretation and somewhat loose play with the dates and events. Although I must confess I had to look up the background of the story to check and see if the main characters were historical or fictional. Some of the characters you meet on the pages belong to both of those categories as is the case with all good historical fiction.

There is drama, action, character development, and the gospel woven intricately within the story lines of the novel. Each chapter draws you further into the story and the plot turns will make you want to continue to read even when you need to put the book down to do other things with your life. There are moral messages of peace and reconciliation found within the pages. The author has managed to craft several sermons within the story that the discerning reader will find as delicious food for the soul.

The Pilgrim is set to be released on July 17, 2015 from Franciscan Media. I would advise you to pre-order your copy or kindle version if you prefer. You will thoroughly enjoy this work and if you are like me, it may even make you do a little historical research to find out what all is fiction and what all is history in the newest great work from my friend and author, Davis Bunn.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Franciscan Media in exchange for my honest review.

Link to The Pilgrim page on Davis Bunn’s website

http://www.davisbunn.com/book/the-pilgrim-by-davis-bunn.htm

Thank you God for letting me know Wassie Griffin!

As a sports fan and serious, well somewhat serious, golfer, this was one of the best experiences of my life. People ask you , “Have you ever been to the Masters?”, and you can say yes! Well at least I went to the practice round once!

This photo is several years old now. The person standing on my left is Eddie Houk. He and I once flew in his Piper Cherokee airplane from Gainesville to Great Falls Montana for a mission trip. I learned how to navigate in a three hour cram session the night before we took off. That’s only one of many adventures that he and I have shared. And no, I am not at liberty to say what the rest are! He’s retired now and still lives here in Gainesville.

The man on my far right is Bob Halfacre. Bob has been and continues to be a mentor and confidant and dedicated prayer warrior for me. His two boys were just youth when I became the youth and college pastor at Westside way back in 1987 when the dinosaurs roamed the earth and I had permed hair! He later taught college Sunday School for me and is one of the few people I know personally who has the true gift of evangelism. If you don’t know Jesus, better stay away from Bob if you don’t want to! There are hundreds if not thousands who are glad they didn’t follow that advice. He’s retired now and lives over in Crescent Beach. I miss seeing him on a regular basis because I always feel better and a little more like Jesus when I do.

The other man holding the flag is Wassie Griffin. He’s the real reason for the post, the photo, and the change on my facebook cover today. He’s the one who got the tickets for the practice round. He’s the one who invited the young guy, me, to come along with them. He’s the guy who organized the trip, booked the hotel rooms along the way and the golf outing on the way back. He’s also retired for many years and today, he’s pain free and home with Jesus.

Wassie was many things during my time on staff at Westside back in the day. Back then he was an administrator at North Florida Regional Hospital. He loved playing golf and he allowed me to come with him on many occasions. He has always had a keen mind. He was a thinker, a deep thinker, about business, family, politics, religion, and whatever else might be on the front page right up until his death. Wassie was generous with his time, his money, and his wisdom. He was one that you wanted to talk with before you made a major decision. You might not like what he told you, but at least you knew it was for your benefit.

Wassie and Mary his wife are the kind of people you want as neighbors, family, and friends. You smile when you see them and you sigh when you have to say goodbye. It has been hard watching Wassie battle the disease that finally set him free from these earthly bonds, but through it all, he never wavered. His smile remained, his joy endured, his faith grew even stronger. Like so many others before him, his body gave out but his soul remained forever young.

And so those of us who were fortunate enough to know Wassie Griffin sighed this morning and maybe cried a few tears to hear of his death. Those of us who know Jesus await the chance to see his bright smile again when we go to the place where he is today.

I am thankful for the many things Wassie shared with me. I am a better man today because of the opportunity to hang out with men like those pictured above. My prayer is that one day, other younger men will remember me the same way and in so doing I will have honored the legacy of Wassie by pouring my life into those who come after us.

Living Letters of Appreciation!

 

Pastor David Chauncy, Dr. John Sullivan, Pastor Gary Crawford

2You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, recognized and read by everyone. 3It is clear that you are Christ’s letter, produced by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God — not on stone tablets but on tablets that are hearts of flesh. 2 Corinthians 3:2-3

The man on the right in the picture is Dr. Gary Crawford who has been my pastor at Westside Baptist for almost 21 years during two phases of our lives here in Gainesville. The man in the center is Dr. John Sullivan who has been my boss as the Executive Director – Treasurer of the Florida Baptist Convention for the last 20 years. Gary was also my boss for the 8 years that I served on Staff at Westside Baptist from 1987-1995. The man on the left is Dr. David Chauncey who is my new pastor at Westside.

Over the last few weeks I have been at several events to mark the re-deployment of these two men. Dr. John doesn’t mind the word “retirement” but for some reason Gary doesn’t want to use it! Probably because he is looking forward to the next season of ministry and he is a bit younger than Dr. John! There was a chance for people to submit letters of appreciation to mark their end of their current ministry assignments for each of these men. I chose not to send it letters to each of them because I didn’t want mine to be one of many. Instead I wanted to let them know that just like Paul who didn’t need a letter from the Corinthians or to them to show his significance, they didn’t need a letter from me to show the significant impact their lives had on my own.

These two men have had the most influence on the kind of minister I have become over the years and thus they have influenced every student that I have worked with as well. Their influence has produced students who are currently serving in many positions around the world, some inside the church, some on the mission fields, and some in the world of “secular” employment. Although there is no such thing as a secular job when a believer is using that job as a platform for sharing the love of Jesus every chance they can!

Both of these men have demonstrated the highest integrity and character for me during trying times as leaders. They have remained steadfastly committed to the truth of the Bible. They have loved their families well and loved mine equally well. They have set the bar very high for me in my desire to serve the Lord with skillful hands and a gentle heart in the place where the Lord has me until He calls me somewhere else. They are both men who have a passion for loving Pastors of our local churches. They are both heroes of the faith to me and to many others! They have laughed with me, cried with me, comforted me, counseled me, and corrected me when needed. They have provided me a safe and secure place from which to utilize my gifts in service to the Lord for almost 30 years!

No they need no letter of recommendation from me, for their letter of recommendation continues to be read daily by those who see me and those who see the students that I have been fortunate enough to influence for the Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are their letters!

Thank you Dr. John and GC for allowing the Lord to use you to mold and shape me into the man I am today! I hope that you are proud of the letter you have written to the world through my life. The process hasn’t been easy. The parchment and the writers not perfect. But I can’t imagine that my life without your influence would have been any better than it is today with it. Thank you for modeling how to finish well or in Gary’s case to transition well!

May the Lord bless and keep you!

Eddie Gilley