Author: Gee Sprague

    This is a great question and I hope my answer will help guide and direct your life, which is the purpose of a motto! Quite frankly, I don’t remember having a motto or let’s say having one statement guiding my life until I was about 22 years old. My parents instilled in me a lot of values and positive thoughts about how to live my life and to grow to become a loving, kind and productive human being. There was, however, no one statement which was my focus on a daily basis until later in life.

    One of the great mottos which comes from the Old Testament is Deuteronomy 6 NRSV 4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. [a] 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. My family lived by this and I was taught this! What also makes this important are the verses which follow.. 6 Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. 7 Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem[b] on your forehead, 9 and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. God’s Word encourages us to keep this motto in our hearts, speak it to our family and friends, make it our first thought when we wake in the morning and our last thought before falling asleep at night. It should be written down in clear sight to see throughout the day to remind us! This scripture has always been a guiding statement for my life, and I would hope it will become a part of who you are! I did, however, discover another scripture in my early 20s which would become my motto, my purpose statement!

    By now, you have probably come to the understanding how my faith in God’s Word and in Jesus as the Son of God has been the main influence in my life. It was not always! As a child and into my early adult years, my faith in the Bible and Jesus were always a part of my life, but there were other interests. By the time I had graduated from college my faith was best described by the title of a popular song by the Doobie Brothers: Jesus is just alright by me! Following Jesus was up there with a lot of other great options!

    Gotta Love the 70’s!
    After graduating from college and now supporting myself, I began to find a lot of things I had been seeking really weren’t bringing me a joy or fulfillment. On the outside, everything in my life was great! I had accomplished some pretty big goals and though I wasn’t wealthy, I had more than enough money to do the things I enjoyed. Most humans enjoy being the center of their universe and I was certainly doing my best to rule my little world! It wasn’t like I was miserable, but I knew deep down there might be more to a fulfilled life than what I was pursuing.

    During this time, some college acquaintances invited me to come and be a part of a group of friends who were studying the Bible together. These weren’t my closest friends from college, but they were people I always liked and felt were genuine. I began meeting with them. At first, I thought I was going to know all the answers. I had a minor in religion and had completed a semester in Old Testament and a semester in New Testament. I thought I was an expert! It didn’t take long before I realized there was a big difference between them and me. I knew the book. They knew the author. When I read the Bible, it was like a textbook. When they read it, it was like a letter from a wise and loving friend.

    At this time, I was teaching 9th grade math. I was also singing in a restaurant in Lakeland and filling in at other venues when I could. I was the proverbial big fish in a little pond, but it provided extra money and was a part of my social life. When the group met, they always sang a few songs. I thought for sure they would ask me to help with the music, but they already had some pretty talented people leading. It was awkward, because they were singing some new and great songs about their faith which I didn’t know. It was good for me to sit on the side lines and just listen.

    There was a song they would sing which really caught my attention based on Matthew 6: 33 But seek first the kingdom of God[a] and his[b] righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. NRSV I was familiar with the scripture, but somehow singing it brought out a feeling in me I hadn’t felt in a long time!

    Over the course of several months, this verse began to really impact me. As I look back now, over 47 years later, this is probably the verse which has been my motto. Embracing it has affected all the decisions of my life. To be honest, I have made a few decisions when I didn’t embrace this motto which probably didn’t turn out so well. It really is simple. Is what I am doing seeking God’s Kingdom first or am I just seeking what is best for me. Quite frankly, seeking God’s Kingdom first has prevented a lot of bad decisions in my life.

    If you chose to be the center of your universe, your life will always be small. If, however, you choose to let God be the center you will be a part of an amazing kingdom which goes beyond even what we can see in this life.

Gee Sprague, October 05, 2022

In previous notes I have shared about the adoption of your mother. Hopefully, it has given you a snapshot of how she has impacted our lives. I am happy to have an opportunity to share a little more in depth about the situation and circumstances leading to her adoption and how it felt when she became our daughter.

Your Grandmother and I were married in July of 1979. She had two more years of undergraduate school and I had one more year of Seminary. When she graduated, we moved to Jacksonville in June of 1981 to serve part time on the staff of Lakewood UMC and to further our ministry to youth and young adults as we developed Cross and Crown Ministries. Sassy was 22 and I was 28, so we were not in a big hurry to begin a family, but by 1985 we were ready. It was not a simple process for us. After two years we realized we should seek some medical advice. Not to go any to any great detail, but after two years our chances of getting pregnant seemed to be very slim. Around 1989, we began to consider adoption while we were still going through infertility treatments. As we learned more about adoption, it seemed as daunting as our futile efforts at getting pregnant. 

These were dark and sad years for us! We sat on the sidelines as we celebrated the birth of our family and friends children! Probably the happiest and hardest days for me were baptizing the babies of families and friends. Your grandmother and I grew very close during those days. There was a point; we even started to become resolved to the fact we were just called to be aunts and uncles, God parents to friend’schildren and to continue to minister to the lives of teenagers and young adults. During the process, we never lost our faith in a loving God and learned a lot about trusting God. Up until then, it had been pretty easy to trust God. Things had been going pretty well. Real faith comes when you have to walk in darkness, through hopelessness and helplessness.

Through God’s providence, we received a call from an attorney friend who had adopted his first two children. We had mentioned to him our interest in adoption a year earlier, but nothing had materialized. We were surprised to receive his call informing us a woman had expressed her interest in putting her unborn child up for adoption and he remembered our conversation.

In a few previous notes I have shared about the birth of your mother Hannah, so it might be good to go back and review those. Even though we first held her two days after she was born, legally we were not her parents. Over the next few months we were in limbo while we went through the process of being evaluated as parents. It has always amused me how difficult it is to adopt a child. No one interviews or certifies you are able to birth a child naturally, though it probably would be a good idea. LOL! There is a waiting period during which a birth mother and biological father can actually contest the adoption reclaim a child. Those days were filled with a lot of mixed feelings of Joy and Anxiety. The real day of celebration was the day the adoption was finalized legally. Mostly family and few friends gathered together in a courtroom and declared Hannah Elizabeth Sprague was the daughter of Sandra and George Sprague. Even now I am tearing up a bit as I write this!

Six years of waiting! Six years of monthly disappointments! Six years of hopelessness! It was behind us! A new journey started on May 23, 1991.

In the judges office.

Don Kaltenbach was our attorney.

The judge gives out these gavels to the family to symbolize that the adoption is final!

Your mom, holding the gavel September 2022. She looks pretty joyful!

This is a great opportunity for me to share something very special with you. It would seem obvious your mother is a gift to us, but I have to acknowledge the anonymous giver, her birth mother. She made a choice to be responsible for the child in her womb! She made a choice to inconvenience her life and give birth to a child for whatever reason she was not capable of parenting. She chose adoption. Let this sink in, if she had chosen to end her pregnancy, you would not be here and I would not be writing this! Even now, my heart is over flowing with gratitude for a woman who didn’t put her Rights first, but accepted her Responsibility to protect the Right for your mother to live. For you to be born.

The value system I have as a follower of Jesus and was taught and practiced by my family puts Responsibility before Rights! This is how the apostle Paul described Jesus and his relationship with Him: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:5-11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Jesus had a choice to give His life for humanity. He could have claimed His rights as the Son of God and never came to earth. Instead, He gave up His rights! He became Human, taking on the responsibility to reveal the great depth of His Father’s love for humanity. He knew there would be suffering. He knew He would be sacrificing His life. He was obedient to His Father God.

My point is, God is glorified when we give up our rights and accept the responsibility for our actions. Certainly God will forgive when we hold onto our rights and don’t act responsibly, but it certainly pleases God when we surrender to Him.

The pictures I included in this note show the joy of Sassy, your great Aunt Linda, the Judge, the attorney who arranged the adoption and me. The missing person in the pictures, made all our joy possible. She actually made you possible!

Gee Sprague, September 26, 2022

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To be totally honest, I really can’t think about any strange events in my life. There have been twists and turns, ups and downs, but all in all things have been pretty ordinary.

Now don’t get me wrong, there have been some very special events in my life, many of which could qualify as extraordinary, some even strange! Today is September 21, 2022. I am well into my 69th year of life and I am in my 5th year of retirement. Once again, I wouldn’t say there’s been anything strange about my life, but it has certainly been filled with a lot of unexpected blessings. I am at the age I now have time to reflect on my life and it has been a great blend of expected and unexcepted blessings. Actually the unexpected blessings are probably the best!

One of Jesus’ disciples, Simon Peter, reflected on his life and the impact of following Jesus and being a witness to Jesus’ resurrection. 1 Peter 2:9 King James Version 9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light,..Peter describes those who follow Jesus as peculiar, we might substitute strange.

When I was young, I had a fear of being thought of as strange. I had heard people whisper, even sometimes talk loudly about the strange person in my class, grade, school, church group, team or whatever social circle that mattered to me or to which I wanted to belong. As much as possible I avoided those conversations because I was pretty sure once I was out of listening range I could be the next topic of strange or weird! Don’t get me wrong, belonging matters, but as I gained more confidence in who I was and could embrace what others thought was strange about me, I worked to make my circle as large and as inclusive as possible. It was a great life experience that certainly helped me as God called me to be a pastor.

It was a bit liberating, but also convicting when I read Peter’s words. Would following Jesus actually require me to be peculiar, strange. It was liberating to know that Jesus wasn’t whispering behind my back that I was strange. It was convicting because I was committing to follow the leader of a bunch of peculiar people. The bad news is the church is a body of peculiar people, the good news is I am one them!

As I read the letters of the Apostle Paul, I discovered another attribute of those who follow Jesus! 1 Corinthians 4:9-11 New International Version 9 For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. 10 We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! 11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 

Wow, not only was I joining a group of strange people, I was also going to be thought of as a fool. Yes, I have done some foolish things, but I was not taught to be a fool. I was encouraged not to be foolish. What kind of a commitment was I making.

Let’s go back to Peter. The translation which I quoted describes the believer as Peculiar. The word can also be translated “to describe something or someone that “belongs exclusively to some person, group, or thing” or to refer to “a property or privilege belonging exclusively or characteristically to a person.” (Got questions.org)

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter‬ ‭2:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬. Maybe what makes us peculiar, strange; is as a follower of Jesus Christ we are God’s possession. We have given God the ownership of our lives. We live in a world where people think that is strange. Most people live as if they own their lives. It is peculiar, strange, maybe even foolish to confess that God is acutally the owner. It requires us to seek God’s will first, and not our own desires. Sometimes those will align, but I have learned that when they don’t, seeking God’s will and kingdom first is always more satisfying and fulfilling.
A friend once told me, we are all fools for something, whose fool are you? I committed to be a fool for Christ and as strange as that has been, there is nothing else that could have produced the wonderful fruits in my life i have enjoyed. My relationship with Jesus Christ has sometimes made me feel a bit strange and peculiar. There are some social circles where being a follower makes you strange and people will think you are foolish to surrender your life. By the time you are reading and comprehending this, the culture may even be more antagonist towards those who embrace a Biblical world view and believe in the resurrected Jesus as Savior and Lord. My prayer is that you will embrace the words of Paul : 1 Corinthians 4:9-11 New International Version 9 For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. 10 We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! 11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 

So I guess the strangest thing that has happened to me was deciding to join this group of Peculiar People! I hope and pray that one day you will join! 

This is good company!

Gee Sprague, September 23, 2022

    After several weeks of being in the hospital, my mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She had been plagued with several health conditions, but the cancer would prove to be the most serious. After the surgeon tried to remove the cancer, he informed us it had spread to other parts of her body. What appeared to be a routine recovery led to almost a week in intensive care and when she was finally able to receive chemotherapy she was so weak, and the cancer was taking its toll.
    For almost two months I would spend at least one or two days a week in Orlando with my parents. My sister Sarah was a great care giver during that time and she was able to spend longer periods of time.
    Even in the almost 40 years since her surgery, there have been so many advancements in the treatment of ovarian cancer. Hopefully, by the time you are reading this no one will be dying from it.
    She, however, would die on Wednesday June 18, 1985. We had a memorial service for her in Orlando, then a graveside service for her in Jacksonville on Friday. Saturday morning, I was exhausted. I was also mourning her death and getting up to face the day was not happening very quickly. The window in our bedroom was filled with late morning light and the sound of Saturday lawn mowing could be heard as I rolled over again and tried to ignore the reality of morning.
Outside our window, I could hear our neighbor mowing his lawn. It was getting harder to ignore the sound, because our lawn hadn’t been mowed for two weeks and I was dreading the task. Mourning creates denial. I was doing my best to delay coming back to my normal routine and was not looking forward to mowing our grass. It was the time of year grass really needs to be cut about every 5 days and mowing our two-week growth drove me into deeper mourning.
    As I listened to the symphony of mowers, blowers and trimmers I realized the sounds were really close to my house. For a while I just ignored the sounds and let them lull me back to sleep. When I finally woke up, I looked out our bedroom window and realized our lawn had been mowed. I went to our front door and as I opened it. I saw a truck pulling a trailer of yard maintenance equipment driving away. It didn’t take long to recognize it!
    Justin Landers was an enterprising teenager. He started a lawn mowing business even before he could drive, and he had built it up quite well. We had known Justin since he was in early middle school after his family joined Lakewood United Methodist Church. He was active in the youth group and sometimes he seemed to prefer hanging out with the adult counselors even more than his peers. He was a helper. After events, he often would hang around when others had left and would help with clean up and set up for the next event. In some ways, I wasn’t surprised Justin had showed up on this Saturday morning and gave our lawn an overdue haircut! It’s the kind of person he is. Even today, the remembrance of his Random Act of Kindness warms my heart and makes me glad to have a friend like Justin Landers!
    On Sunday morning, my main objective was to find Justin and to let him know how much I appreciated his act of kindness. It is currently popular to refer to this as a Random Act of Kindness. Though it is a catchy phrase, Justin’s action was not random. It was intentional! I think the use of the term Random may not be totally accurate. Humans rarely act kind randomly. It is something we have to will ourselves to do. I do believe, there is the spark of the divine in each human capable of more kindness than we actually produce. Most of us need to exercise our kindness muscle a little more.
    Maybe what people refer to as Random actually means Secret or Private.
    Here’s what Jesus has to say.
““Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Matthew 6:1-4 NIV
    Humanity needs more intentional acts of kindness done just because it’s how God made us to be! God’s plan for humanity was for kindness to happen naturally, I pray Jesus will be alive in your heart and you will live a life of Naturally Intentional Kindness.
    Justin graduated from college and moved away from Jacksonville. Over the years, he returns to Jacksonville, and we see other. I look forward to seeing him again and letting him know I have shared this with you!
Thanks Justin!

Gee Sprague, September 08, 2022

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    For the most part this is an easy question to answer. It would be good for you to reread week two where I shared about happy times in my life and how I view happiness. This does give me a chance to expand on one of those happy, memorable days for me.

    In week two, I shared about the adoption of your mother. This week is a great opportunity to share a little more about this period in our family’s life. After about 3-4 years of trying to get pregnant, we also began to pursue adoption as a means of having a child. Her adoption was the culminations of over 6 years of hoping to have a child in our life.

    Adoption is a tedious process. It requires a lot of paperwork and attention to detail as well as a lot of waiting and hoping. So, when your mother was born on February 13, 1991, we were starting a process which would change our life forever and would be the start of a lot of great memories. Actually, without that process, I would not be writing these notes!

    When your mother was released from the hospital, your grandmother and I were waiting in the office of our attorney who had arranged and facilitated the adoption. As we sat there, our anticipation and excitement were growing. A knock came on the door and the attorney’s assistant entered with a beautiful baby girl bundled in a pink blanket. We stood as she entered the room, and she placed her in my arms. The rest of the day was quite a blur. We were surrounded by family and friends who would help us celebrate and begin our great adventure. My father was there that day as well as Sassy’s parents and all of her family. It was a day we will remember and celebrate forever!

    It may have been later in the day or possibly a few years later when I remembered an interesting thing about it which has some great significance in my life. Your mother was placed in my arms first? I don’t think this was intentional. It was probably because I was closest to the door. Over the years I have thought about the irony, I held her first and not your grandmother. She was certainly more qualified to hold a newborn (I am sorry if this is continuing antiquated parenting roles, but in our world, it was the truth)! Though your mother and I share a great bond, she and your grandmother share so much more. Sometimes I am a bit jealous! I was, however, the first to hold her! I know, it’s not a contest! It’s just a happy moment we always will treasure. I would still be happy if your grandmother held her first, but I cherish the moment and I have learned from it!

Your mother was a great gift to us, no matter who held her first. By the way, You are a great gift as well!

    Here are a few things I have learned from that day and hope you will always remember.

    The best gifts are undeserved. I didn’t deserve to hold your mother first. I was the least deserving, but as undeserving as I was, I was given a gift! I didn’t earn it; she was a gift. It is the way God’s love is. There is nothing we could ever do to earn or deserve God’s love and forgiveness through Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Keep your arms open!
    The best gifts inspire hope! As I have remembered the day throughout my life, having held her first inspired the hope that I might actually be a good father. Remembering the event inspired me to become the best father I could be. Not sure I accomplished it, but Hope increases a person’s confidence and self-belief. It gave me hope! Jesus sacrifice on the cross gives’ humanity hope. God took an amazing risk on humanity! People rejected Jesus and still do, yet God still gave, and Jesus was obedient! The fact God would let his only Son die on a Cross for my sin and brokenness builds hope in me. What a risk God took! His gift still inspires hope in humanity! Keep your arms open!

    The best gifts are eternal! You will receive a lot of gifts in your life. Most, however, will only be temporary. Without that day, you wouldn’t be here! Every event that led to your mother’s adoption has been a part of God’s larger plan and only God knows the final outcome. Don’t settle for the temporary! Keep your eye on the eternal. Always trust God’s eternal plan is probably better than the temporary plan you are making! Keep your arms open!

    Finally, all of Life is a gift. Even unexpected and unplanned things may become your best gifts.
Celebrate the gifts you are given! Celebrate the gifts others receive! Keep your arms open!

-John 3:16 NRSV Updated Edition 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

Gee Sprague, September 01, 2022

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    You may be surprised by my answer to this question, because deep down in my soul I do not feel like I have any great achievements. Don’t feel sorry for me or try to boast my ego! Let me explain why.
    Certainly, there are some mile markers in my life I have reached which do mark some significant achievements I have accomplished. Let me share a few.
1. Getting the education I would need in order to become the person I felt God was calling me to be. In my own self-assessment, I probably was an above average student. For the most part Math came easy to me, but other subjects demanded work and extra attention. I decided to put in the hard work, even in the areas where I fell short. Though I may not have excelled in certain subjects it felt like an accomplishment whenever I put in the hard work! Don’t shy away from your weaknesses, while embracing your strengths!
2. At a pretty early age, it became clear how much I loved music. There was a song children sang when I was very little titled “How much is that doggie in the window.” My mom would sing it and there was a part where the dog would bark. Guess who got good at barking. I became infatuated with the guitar at an early age. There was a TV show titled Ozzie and Harriet. It was a classic 1950s and 60s family show. It actually was a real-life family of actors and their two sons, Rick and David. As Rick Nelson became a teenager, he was often featured playing guitar. As I watched the show with my family, I would pick up anything resembling a guitar and begin to imitate Ricky!

My imitation would actually lead me to take guitar lessons and began a lifetime of singing and strumming. For years I would come home from school and practice for several hours just because I loved it so much. In reality, I consider myself just an average singer and musician. With my passion and encouragement from a lot of people, I began to actually begin to sing and play and people would listen. It was quite a surprise. Your grandmother and I were attracted to each other in a large part because of our love for music. She is actually the more talented, gifted and trained. I do think my drive brought out the best in her as a singer. Music for us became a wonderful way to share our faith and love for Jesus Christ. We never achieved any kind of great success, but we have sung all over the United States and some other countries. We wrote a few songs and recorded a few albums. Have your mom dig them out sometime.
3. When I felt the call to go into the ordained ministry of the United Methodist Church, I knew it meant going to Seminary. As I shared earlier, getting an education is a great achievement and Seminary was a bit of a challenge, because math and seminary don’t have a lot in common. I knew how important it was to the calling, so I worked hard to achieve a Master of Divinity. I actually surprised myself and graduated with honors. You will know more of what that means should you decide to pursue a college education post high school graduation.
4. Probably the most concrete of what I might consider an achievement was being the founder of CrossRoad Church, watching it start in a rented commercial building and then to a permanent location where I would be the Lead Pastor for 22 years. I won’t share much now, because I am sure in weeks to come there will be opportunities to write about those years. Your mom will remember many things about the years there. Hopefully positive!
5. During my active years in the ministry, there were two times I was recognized for achievements for which I feel very blessed. The first was the Denman Evangelism Award in 1998. CrossRoad Church was two years old and the majority of people joining were either new to the faith or were reaffirming their faith. It was humbling to receive recognition from the Florida Annual Conference.

A year later, I was asked to serve on the Billy Graham Jacksonville Crusade Board. (You will probably need to search the internet and learn about this faithful Christian leader and the impact he had all over the world). Of the pastors and leaders on the board, I was probably the least well known and serving the smallest church. I am still not sure why I was chosen, but I accepted. It was a great experience to serve with so many committed pastors and leaders from all over Northeast Florida. CrossRoad Church rose to the occasion and was very involved. A few days before the Crusade started, one of the fulltime Crusade workers invited me to say the opening prayer for one of the night meetings. I still get nervous thinking about that night. Before the service, I did get to meet Dr. Graham. It was brief and ceremonial. The real memory was getting to meet the Special Musical Guest Charlie Daniels (your dad may be able to tell you about him). We actually had a brief chat! Who knew!
    Now, let’s go back to the beginning. I wasn’t exercising false humility in my reluctance to describe any achievements as great. One reason is none of these achievements were accomplished alone. So many family members and friends were instrumental in achieving these milestones in my life. I hope I have been instrumental in helping others with their achievements. It would be satisfying to know!
    Also, whatever I have achieved, it really does not matter unless it has brought glory to God. Of the examples I have shared, I feel pretty confident they were a part of God’s plan for my life, and it is easy to acknowledge God’s Glory in them. There were achievements I pursued though noble, may not have been a part of God’s perfect for my life. God was gracious enough to allow me to pursue those things. Some were successes, some were failures. As I look back, I should have tried to use more discernment. Let me say it again, God was gracious.
    Here’s a story from the New Testament which reminds us of the need to seek God’s will and Give God the Glory for our achievements.

Acts 12: 21 On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. 22 They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” 23 Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

    Herod thought his accomplishments were a pretty big deal and believed the roar of the crowd. As you can see, God had a different view.
    Contrast this with the Apostle Paul. Before he became a follower of Jesus, he was a pretty big deal in religious circles. After encountering the resurrected Jesus, his life was changed. He lived to glorify God!

Galatians 2:19-20 NRSV 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ, 20 and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, [a] who loved me and gave himself for me.

My prayer for you is to know Jesus Christ in this way and live to bring Him glory. Give Him the praise for your achievements and may be even some failures.
    One last thought. There is one achievement I am pretty sure pleases God. Your Grandmother and I were married July 21, 1979. This year we celebrated 43 years of marriage. We have had a great life together. There are several factors which have enabled us to be happy and keep our commitment. The most important has been our common faith and desire to see God Glorified. Living that way has helped us not to take ourselves too seriously! It has helped us to overcome. selfishness and to put the other first. She has done a better job than I have.
When you are committed to glorifying God, it reflects how you treat people. Not just family, but all those around you. At the end of the day, relationships are a person’s greatest achievements!

PS. Your mom gave me this when she was young. This may be my greatest achievement!

    At an early age, I became very conscious of material possessions, or “things.” This led me to be a bit selfish and sometimes too overly concerned about my possessions. My parents were very good about helping me become less concerned about things, but it wasn’t always easy. Ultimately, when I became a follower of Jesus in my early teenage years, my love for material things became a little less and I began to care more eternal matters. I am sure later notes will address this, so for now let’s look closer at this question.
    My mother played a big role in helping me understand and temper my possessive nature. Her guidance would help me gain a perspective I still appreciate. My parents made certain my sister and I had everything we needed, even though my wants may have been greater. As I entered adolescence, I became very aware of my appearance and I wanted to dress in fashionable, name brand clothing. When Mom took me shopping, she let me know there was a budget. Her budget would cover the more generic brands of clothing. If I wanted to buy the more expensive name brand (it usually had a logo to let everyone know it was a name brand), I would have to pay the difference out of my allowance, birthday, lawn mowing money, etc. It was a good way to help me actually understand the value of money and possessions.
    Like I mentioned, I had everything I needed, but like most of us, our wants exceed our needs. As I began to earn money, my dad agreed to match every deposit I made into my savings accounts. He actually underestimated my ability to save, and I think he was surprised at how my bank account was growing and surprised when I asked for the matching funds. It was a great incentive to save and to set goals to help me purchase some of my wants!
    After playing guitar for several years, it came time when the entry level beginner guitars were not allowing me to improve. I worked and saved all summer long to buy my first, hand crafted guitar. It was a Gibson J-45.

In 1968 the purchase price was a little more than $400. As I am writing this in 2022, the price is around $2800. I kept that guitar for over twelve years and it brought me a lot of pleasure and helped me to improve my playing.

    The next major purchase of a guitar was in August of 1974, a Martin D35.

That guitar suited the style of music I was playing at the time. I still have the receipt and I still have the guitar.

Its value today is about $3400. Because of my love for playing and singing, the greatest possessions in my early years were my guitars. These possessions matter a lot to me, because they are a great part of who I am. I value them, because I also worked very hard for them and have put them to use. Over the years, I have owned several guitars each serving different purposes. My expertise was mainly playing acoustic guitar, but there have been a few electric guitars in the arsenal, though none of any great value. As the value of my D35 began to grow and the ability to replace it became harder, I bought a very generic guitar that I would use because it could be replaced easily if something happened to it.
    Christmas of 2005, there was an odd shaped gift under the tree. When I opened it, it was probably the biggest surprise gift of my life. One of our friends had just purchased a guitar a few months earlier. After playing it, I commented on what an amazing sound and feel it had. Somehow, my enthusiasm was communicated to Sandy. She and her parents, your great grandparents joined together to give me that guitar. It is a very special guitar and complements the Martin D35 well.

    What is really special about this guitar is of all my guitars, it is the only one I didn’t earn or deserve. It was a complete gift. Though I value the lessons I learned as a teenager and the discipline it took to purchase those guitars, my dad was not very supportive of my musical gifts. It was almost 25 years later; when he actually shared his regrets he hadn’t been more supportive. In fairness to my dad, I probably am a better person for earning those guitars. Both of those guitars represent a lot about how I value material possessions. Some come with hard work. Some are gifts. Learn to appreciate both.
    While I was saving for guitars, my parents were saving for my college. You have probably heard my father grew up on a farm. His father actually had a college education. He had majored in horticulture, and he applied his education there. My father went to college and later earned a Masters Degree from MIT. My parents made sure I would have the opportunity to go to college and though my dad didn’t invest a lot in my musical interests, my parents paid all my tuition, room and board. I value education as a great possession. It matters so much; your grandmother and I already have a college fund for you!
    There are several possessions I think are very important. Transportation and a place to live are a priority in our lives. Don’t get caught up in the prestige of a particular automobile or the number of square feet you own. Our home has always been a big asset for us. We would sacrifice other things to have a comfortable home. We have hosted a lot of special events. We have had people live with us rent free while they were in some sort of transition. I do, however, consider these great privileges and hope you will also.

Here are a few insights into possessions and some warnings!
1.Love people, use things. Many people have this reversed. They love things and use people. Get this right and you will truly be happy!
2. Be careful about what you desire to possess. Most things own you. Fancy cars, boats, vacation homes etc. All require a lot of time effort.
3. The greatest possessions usually require some type of sacrifice; it may be yours or someone else’s.
4. By now, you probably know the gifts I value the most are your time. The memories we make are my greatest possession. You are my greatest gift!!

    Finally, what I have learned from Jesus has guided me and I hope will guide you!

Matthew 6:19-21 NIV 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Luke 12: 22-28 NIV 22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life[b]? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?27 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 13:44-46 NIV 44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

    It would be a lie to say that possessions and material things don’t matter to me. They do! My prayer for you is that you will embrace these words of Jesus of Nazareth, our Savior and Lord. Seek His Kingdom first. It’s the greatest treasure you could ever possess. It is the finest most valuable pearl. The Kingdom is worth all of your effort!

Gee Sprague, August 18, 2022

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This is an interesting question and there are a lot of ways for me to write about it!  One thing I have noticed is over the years I have seen emotional and physical characteristics of both of my parents appear , disappear and then reappear.  Often, I have noticed the things I thought were unappealing about my parents appear in me.  Fortunately, their strengths have benefited me more than their weaknesses, but observing their weaknesses has also helped me to grow to be a little more complete as I try to improve on  my weaknesses.  I am grateful both of my parents were loving and kind.  Their lives were very instrumental in the person I am, warts and all!

From an early age, like most boys, I wanted to be just like my father.  When asked what I wanted to do for a job I always responded, an Engineer.  Your great grandfather was a highly skilled mechanical engineer who would gravitate towards aeronautical engineering, working most of his career with a major company designing defense systems for the military.  He taught me a lot about how to use tools, to design and to build things.  Even at an early age, I liked to take apart things and see if I could put them back together.  I like to repair broken things.  I like to take a tool or piece of equipment and see if I can find other uses or somehow tweak it a little to make it better.  Because of this propensity, I did major in math in college.  His mathematic and engineering mind definitely formed me.

My mother was very organized and smart, but her strongest areas were in her outgoing personality and her sense of humor.  These areas were lacking in my father, but mom had it covered!  Most of my emotional make up came from her.  She loved music and encouraged me to sing and to play guitar.  Though my dad didn’t discourage this, she was the one who inspired me to pursue the talents and desires of my heart!

Sometimes, during my life, I felt like I got all the annoying traits of both my parents and it felt like my sister got all of their great traits.  As I have grown older, when I saw some of those traits, I took steps to not let them produce negative results and I have tried to concentrate on the strengths. 

Overall, my parents were incredible influences in my life and I thank God for the gifts they gave me!  Embracing their strengths and recognizing their weaknesses definitely influenced me and I am grateful for both!

Already, we notice characteristics that resemble your parents.  We see their strengths and weaknesses in you and the effort they are making to influence you to become the person God created you to be!

This is an opportunity to share about your mother.  By the time you are reading this, you probably know she is not our biological child, but our child by adoption.  Nothing about your mother came from our gene pool!

Throughout her life, people would comment, “she has your eyes or she has her mother’s smile.”  We never tried to inform people she was adopted.  We would just smile at each other and think how amazing God was to give us a child who would actually grow to have some resemblance.  Any physical resemblance to us is really just accidental.  Some adopted children are from other cultures and may never have a physical resemblance to their parents.  There are, however, some strong resemblances which go way beyond outward appearances.

Your mom and grandmother, share a love for entertaining, decorating, shopping, shoes, and a whole host of other things.  Not exactly sure what traits she has of mine, probably determination and grit. These really are just our ability to be stubborn.

In our family, adoption is a very special thing. Our faith is formed around the New Testament and teachings of Jesus and His early followers describing how we are adopted into the family of God.  People will often say we are children of God, but it is not totally accurate.  We are actually creations of God, created in the image of God.  Jesus, in a sense, is the only true biological child of God.  The New Testament proclaims Jesus provides a way for each human to actually become a child of God.  That method is through adoption.

John 15:16 NIV You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

Romans 8:15 NRSV For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!”

Romans 8:22-23 NRSV We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 

Galatians 4: 4-7 CEV But when the time was right, God sent his Son, and a woman gave birth to him. His Son obeyed the Law, 5 so he could set us free from the Law, and we could become God’s children. 6 Now that we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. And his Spirit tells us that God is our Father. 7You are no longer slaves. You are God’s children, and you will be given what he has promised.

Ephesians 1:4-6 CEV 4Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us to live with him and to be his holy and innocent and loving people. 5God was kind and decided that Christ would choose us to be God’s own adopted children. 6God treated us with undeserved grace because of the Son he dearly loves, and so we should praise God.

1 John 3:1 NIV See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Each of these scriptures describes how we were chosen by God to be His child.  Just as your mother has taken on traits of her mother and father, as an adopted child of God, we begin to grow into the likeness of Jesus, the only true child of God.  Through adoption, we become a part of God’s family.  It is quite a gift.

When you were baptized as infant, it was the first step in God’s adoption process to bring you into Jesus’ family.  At some point in your life, you will have to make a decision whether you want to accept or reject God’s  adoption.  It is your choice.  If you accept your place in Jesus’ family, you will grow and start to take on the family characteristics.  Some will come naturally.  Some won’t.  At the very core of this is it is a gift.  You didn’t earn a spot or deserve a spot in Jesus’ family.  Jesus died for you to have.  Even when you stray from the family tree, Jesus will not leave you or forsake you!  You are family!

So, I am not sure I really answered the question.  What is important, we are formed by our family!  Who we become is a product of who loves us and who we love.  Jesus loves us more than we can even imagine.  My prayer for you is to grow into His likeness!

Notes to my Grandchildren 6: What is one of the bravest things you’ve ever done, and what was the outcome?
Before I answer this, it’s important to differentiate between being brave (or courageous) and taking risks. Quite often we see people who will risk their life because they are seeking an adrenaline rush or just because they are risk adverse. These people rarely turn down a dare and are always pushing their physical limits and are refining their abilities to defy gravity.
While I don’t consider myself a dare devil or adrenaline junkie, I have done a few things pushing the limits of gravity. There’s a lake in Opelika, Alabama several of us visited one summer with a 50-75 foot cliff you can climb and jump off into the lake. Yes, I jumped. Once! I was, however, bruised from my left hip to my knee and didn’t sleep well that night. You know how much I love snow skiing and by the time you are reading this we will have shared several trips. I like pushing my limits a bit and have skied a few steep pitches. One of the scariest was at Big Sky, Montana. There is an area you hike called the Headwall (see picture). It was probably the scariest and most tedious physical accomplishment of my life. Let me repeat, I do not consider myself a dare devil, but I am glad I have pushed a few limits.

Having said that, risking your life does not make you brave! Risking your life for someone else makes you Brave!
Fortunately, I never had to serve in the military. I do, however, have great respect for those who have served and sacrificed their life or their physical well being protecting our freedom. Nothing I have done comes even close. That’s brave!
These words of Jesus have guided me: John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
My bravest moments have been when I have stood up for the underdog. My bravest moments are when I have decided not to make fun of people because of their limitations, their social status, their culture, their race. My bravest moments are when I have intervened when I felt like someone was being threatened. Many years ago, I was at a restaurant with some friends. As I was preparing to get in my car, I noticed some men gathering around the car of one of the women who had been with us. They were sort of bullying her and yelling at her not to hit their truck. I got out of my car, and fortunately one of our good friends, Wade Thigpen, got out too. We just walked over and stood by her car and helped guide her out of the parking spot. We didn’t challenge the men. We didn’t bully back. We just were present. I do remember getting back in my car and feeling my heart racing and being very glad Wade was there!
For me, bravery means not cheating people out of what they deserve. It means serving and sacrificing for your family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, etc! Standing up what for you believe. Almost every week for 40 years, I stood up and proclaimed my belief Jesus was the son of God; he lived and died so I could know I could have a personal relationship with His Father. Though I am not in the public eye proclaiming that any longer, I still stand up for my belief. It really is the basis for how and why I serve and sacrifice. If you do the same, you will be brave!
Don’t live in fear! Get on the merry go round! Ride the roller coaster. White water raft. Ski the Black Diamonds! Navigate the bumps. It’s good practice which will one day enable you to do really Brave things, like laying down your life for other!
As I write this, there is one risky activity I still am considering! A tandem skydiving jump! I am 69 writing this. Maybe I will do this on my 70th birthday. To be continued…

Notes to my Grandchildren 5

What is one of your favorite trips you have taken? What made it great?

As a young child, I wasn’t always the most adventuresome.  I was often reminded by family I sat at the bottom of the Washington Monument and the Empire State Building with my mother, while my dad and sister made the journey and memory of seeing the world from those great heights. Granted, I was only 5 and Sarah was 8 at the time, but as I grew older I always had a feeling of missing out on a great adventure!

It’s hard to say at what point in my life I decided to never sit at the bottom and hear other people talk about their adventures.  I am not saying I decided to become the next great explorer, but I did decide to take advantage of every opportunity to explore and to make my world as big as possible.

At the end of the summer before I started college, my future brother in law rallied a group of guys from the church in which he was working as youth pastor to hike 5 days on the Appalachian Trail in the Great Smokey Mountains. I had always loved being outdoors and our family had done a little Camping (more like Glamping) so this sounded like something I would enjoy.  Living in Florida, the North Carolina Mountains seemed like a whole new world for me and I was excited about the opportunity.  

The trip was a major influence in my life.  It was harder than I expected and exposed some weaknesses in my fitness level and how much I relied on modern technology (this was 1971 so what I missed was Air Conditioning, a mattress, clean drinking water, a refrigerator, etc.).  After completing the hike, many of my attitudes would start to change.  I began to treasure God’s creation even more.  I valued modern technology, but also valued the ability to live without technology.  It was good to live out of a back pack for a few days.  It was good to sleep in a sleeping bag, in a tent, on the ground.

Over the course of my life, I would make about 20 hikes and covered close to 800 miles of Appalachian Trail.  On several occasions I considered going off on my own and trying to hike large sections of the trail by myself.  It just never was appealing.  I realized what I valued most was the people with whom I was sharing the journey.

My brother in law, your Uncle Rob, would create a ministry which would hosts several hundred people a year and introduce them to the hiking experience.  Through Wilderness Trail, he provided primarily youth and young adults an opportunity to grow in their love of God by experiencing God’s Creation and even more important to grow each person’s love of others as they shared the journey together.

A key scripture which has guided Wilderness Trail and my life is Galatians 6: ² Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.  

One of the reasons I am writing these notes for you is to help equip you for life’s journey.

Don’t miss the opportunities which are presented to you.  Push yourself to climb to the top!  If you need to rest, stop for a moment, but give it your all.

Value the people with whom you are traveling.  As I look back at my life, I am so amazed and grateful I was given the opportunity to travel all over the world. I have stayed in tents and I have stayed in all inclusive resorts.  I don’t have enough time to describe all those experiences. Memories and people matter the most.  They are the most important!

Below is the logo for Wilderness Trail.  It illustrates Galatians 6:2.