Gifts

Suzanne is my gift.  She presented me with the best gift that I have ever received at my Master's graduation.  She had this painting done by an artist in Nashville, Laura.  I have to say that when I saw it, I was overwhelmed with emotion.  Suzanne had given Laura some idea of what she wanted and Laura put her creative brush to the canvas.

My life was spent on the wide road and thank God I ended up on the narrow road. Laura explains the painting and my life this way . . .

I played with the concept of the wide and the narrow road and how they aren't necessarily different roads...but one in the same. We become more and more refined, and on the narrow road we begin to grow and have life. Thus...the tree. It's new life.  It's life abundant. It's life to the full.

Though we have a beautiful life, we have roots that go down into our old life and even wrap around on the wide road.  These roots are what bring us wisdom, though.  At the very bottom it gets scaly...because that's the death to self part.  We have had to die to self on the wide road and the further we travel down the narrow road the more we grow. 

The  red could be symbolic of grace and the blood of Jesus. It goes into our roots to heal us and grow us...and it manifests itself as grace in our leaves that we show to the world and share as our fruit.

Suzanne added Romans 8:28-30:

 28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

and then she concluded with:

 As Romans 8:28-30 shows, even though Christ saved you from the wide road, you were always going to end on the narrow one.  And when you were plainly in the mire of the first one, look at the blood of Jesus that had trailed all the way to where you were stuck. His grace was there, just waiting.  This painting represents your personal road. It started out wide and became narrow.  It's an interpretation of your walk.

Even now, a year and a half later, I still get choked up when I look at this painting hanging in my office.  I am so thankful for the grace of Christ and the grace of my human picture of Christ, Suzanne, for she offered me the same grace as Christ. I love them.

The Great Commission

The greatest video of my life thus far.  God has blessed it.  Please watch and pray! Be encouraged! Carve out 74 minutes of your life andbe changed.


http://vimeo.com/9602983

Shooting Deer with a Lens in the Off-Season

My eyes began to get full. I turned off the paved road into the field and counted and counted and counted until my ears heard my lips finally voice "eighty-one."

Shattered Dreams

This is the face of a seven-year-old boy who worked non-stop for 6 1/2 hours to build his dream Lego Star Wars Republic Attack Ship that he received for Christmas.  He asked to stay up until it was completed and I granted him the time requested.  He finished it shortly after midnight. It has over 1000 pieces and he built it all by himself!

A few nights later, I heard a sickening crash of over 1000 Lego pieces.  About 3 seconds later, Holt emerged in the door frame looking like his world had just been shattered. It had.

Lottie Moon

So some have questioned of late . . . does Pastor Birch have a sense of humor?  Click the link below for your answer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCrhpLGTkOI

My Personal Christmas Eve Service

So on Christmas Eve my family went to our home church. The program was really geared toward worshipping Christ.  I worshipped, most of the time feeling like Christ and I were the only ones in the room.  One of the cool things that our church does at the service is the Family Lord's Supper where the Patriarch gives of Christ's body and blood to his family (talk about worship).  This year was special because Holt took from Christ  (for the first time) in rembrance of Him.

Because we lost another son, Josiah Birch, this year, I anticipated some sadness. I did well.  However, I didn't at all expect that Away in the Manger would emote such heaviness.  I was really worshipping my Christ-child when the following verse spoke to me in a very personal way . . .

Be near me, Lord Jesus,


I ask Thee to stay


Close by me forever


And love me I pray






Bless all the dear children


In Thy tender care


And take us to heaven


To live with Thee there



I held my little fella in my hand the day that he was born. The intense tightening of my chest began again as I recalled the extreme pain of holding another dead child with my wife in tow.  But, strangely, as I sang and listened to these lyrics . . . maybe for the first time . . . I realized that Anna Kay, John Crawford and Josiah Birch are in the DIRECT care of my Rescue.  Never to endure a heavy burden in an earthly life. 

For the first time in my life, for the first time since their deaths . . . I sang to my Lord with passionate meaning as I chokedback tears:

Be near me, Lord Jesus,

I ask Thee to stay

Close by me forever

And love me I pray

 Bless all MY dear children

 In Thy tender care


And take us to heaven


To live with Thee there

My Lady

For some reason, I was just reminded that the only time in my life that I was absolutely smitten by the sight of a girl . . . nearly twenty-one years ago . . . Knoxville Cherokees hockey game . . .

I was 18 years old.  I remember thinking . . . "WOW! Outa my league ... but I gotta try."

I got her.   How about THAT! (looking off in the distance with a silly smile because I am still smitten)