All That I Need

In my personal daily devotions the other evening, I read Psalm 23 (among other passages from the one year Bible...check it out online.)in the New Living Translation. It reads: The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything that I need. As I ponder that thought, it has hit me, that I spend way too much time concerned about my needs, and not nearly enough time thanking God for meeting those needs. Like many people who live in Florida these days, we are having to find a new homeowners insurance company. We got non-renewed by Lloyds of London, I guess because of our hurricane damage claims from 2004. We were paying about $1,200 a year for insurance three years ago. It went upto $3,900 for 2005 and 2006 with a wind damage deductible jumping from $5,000 to $7,500. Today, the best deal we can find has an annual premium of $4,400, and a wind deducible of $12,000! I have sweated bullets over this, but after shopping around, this was the best deal wecould find. So, if another hurricane does hit us and we sustain the kind of damage we did after Francis and Jeanne in 2004, well, I know that God will provide. I just have to have faith. I still believe that God wants us here in Vero Beach. Our work here is not even close to being done, so, I have to believe that God will provide our needs. Of course, I am praying that we have no morehurricanes hit us. But, even if we do, and even if our damage is $12,000 (or $11,999), God will provide for our needs.

I don't write this to try to come off as some spiritual giant. I have struggled to getto this point. I simply write this to publicly proclaim that God is able to do more than I ask for or even imagine, and I trust that God will provide for all my needs, just as He has done all of my life.

Cats Blow Out the Vols!

Well, hopefully our Cats have come out of their two game slump. They certainly did it in style on Sunday, January 28th, defeating our arch rivals, the Tennessee Volunteers 76-57. Now, I realize that the Vols didn’t have Chris Lofton, and that we still have to go to that pagan land of Knoxville later, but let us celebrate our blow out victory today, okay? This win tops off a great weekend here at the Fabulous Blount Mansion as Elliott & Abi were in for an early birthday celebration for Dude, and Nanny & Papaw made it in for a nice visit, too. There are new pictures up on our flickr site, so check them out. Things are going fairly well with my voice, and I go to the E-N-T again on Friday to get the scoop there. Hopefully, I will be back on the radio next weekend, and back to more “normal” activities vocally before much longer. Thanks for the continued prayers, and no, I haven’t exploded because I had to be quiet during ballgames, etc. over the past month. Ha!

Go Cats!

Go Cats!
Originally uploaded by blountman.

The only thing better than watching Kentucky win their first bowl game since 1984 is watching it in High Definition!

Yeah, satan really is skating today with Kentucky's thumping of Clemson. The final score was closer than a true reflection of the game, since the Tigers scored with less than a minute to to go in the game to bring it that close. What a great game for Kentucky football fans. What a great picture on my hi def TV! Yeah, baby!

Abi and Elliott Blount

The Vows
Originally uploaded by blountman.

Friday, December 22nd has now come and gone. Abi is officially Mrs. Elliott Blount, and we are recouperating from the frenzy that is a wedding. I am sitting here in the very nice home of a family from Christian Church in the Wildwood, who graciously allowed us to live in their home for three days. Such Christian hospitality is just one of the small marks of a fantastic past few days.

We had plenty of those last-minute tension builders, like the programs that had to be reprinted on Thursday afternoon, and the tuxes that didn't arrive until five minutes before the ceremony was supposed to start, but the wedding was beautiful and went off without a hitch. Well, except for the fact that Elliott and Abi got hitched!

I have posted several pictures from the wedding, the rehearsal and some of the home in which we stayed on my FLICKR SITE so you can get a better idea of the beautiful time that was this wedding from those pictures.

It's Saturday morning, and I am getting ready to roust Ian and Emily from bed, send them to the showers, and hit the shower myself. We have a breakfast to attend with Abi's family (Elliott and Abi are long gone, heading to the Bahamas for their Honeymoon), then I am driving Abi's car back to Kissimmee for them, and then we will finally head home later this afternoon.

May God bless Abi and Elliott as they start their life together. We are truly blessed to have another daughter and we love Abi dearly. Poor girl, she still has no idea what she has gotten herself into!

Happy Birthday, Dad

Dad
Originally uploaded by blountman.

I know he will never see this, because he doesn't even have a computer, much less visit cyberspace, but today is Dad's birthday, and I just wanted to wish him a very happy one!

Christmas Tree '06

Christmas Tree '06
Originally uploaded by blountman.

I love our family Christmas Tree.

Christmas Trees mean different things to different people. For the Blounts, the tree is a family history and an expression of our love for Jesus. Numerous ornaments depicting the manger can be found. Red birds that once adorned Mama Thelma’s tree are there. So are those ornaments that twirl around from the heat of the lights that used to hang on Mama Stella’s tree. How about the cross-stitch ornaments that my Mom made for us? The Angel topper once was on Mae Mae's tree. The hand-made ornaments from each of the kids loving crafted during their early childhood years always bring smiles to our faces as we decorate the tree. We have ornaments reflecting high schools and colleges we love, sports teams about which we are passionate, ornaments given to Peggy as gifts from her students over the years, and that egg ornament made for me by...well, I've "Ben" trying to remember who made that one (an inside joke, sorry). We have ornaments reminding us of family vacations, and we have family ornaments with all of our names on them dating back over the past decade! This year's family ornament includes the newest member of the family: Abi, who becomes Elliott's Bride just before Christmas this year. Being a Trekkie, we have several starship ornaments on our tree; being a Veggie Tales fanatic, we have Bob, Larry and the gang hanging out on our tree as well. We have ornaments that remind us of Christmas books we have read as a family, and we have hand-made ornaments from church family over the years. Every ornament on our tree tells part of the story of our family.

Now, I know that people decorate trees in many different ways, with different themes and different schemes. However, I like seeing our family story played out on our Christmas Tree. The reflection of our shared love for Jesus warms my heart. The fact that many ornaments on this year's tree will move to Elliott and Abi's tree next year is part of that process. It is time for them to start making family memories to be represented by various ornaments. Ian and Emily will soon follow in Elliott's footsteps, and then Peggy and I will have fewer ornaments hanging on our tree, but we will still have the memories of the family love we share.

I love our family Christmas Tree.

Happy Birthday, Lil Bro

Trust me, I could have done much more damage picture-wise than this one. Here is the gang, skinny Scott, Tim with hair on his head not his chin, Ed with the 'fro, and Donna when she was cute. Wink, wink. Oh for simpler times, eh?

Christ Follower

While reading my dear brother in Christ Arron Chambers' blog today, I saw a parody video that is one of those "hmmmmm....." deals. Produced by Community Christian Church in Naperville, IL, this series parodies the Mac comercials on TV these days. This is #2 in the series, and is my personal favorite. Thanks Arron, for turning me onto this series of thought-provoking messages.



Be God's,
Scott

Senior Recital

Belting It Out
Originally uploaded by blountman.

Friday, November 10, 2006, Elliott had his Senior Vocal Recital at Florida Christian College. This is the culmination of his Music Ministry Degree at FCC. The first half of the recital included a collection of classical music and spirituals sung by Elliott while accompanied on the new Grand Piano the college has just gotten. Those selections included:
Caro Mio Ben

Vittoira, Vittoira, Mio Core

Ich Gro Le Nich

Windmung

Zeignung

Deep River

Somebody's Knocking At Your Door

Elijah

The Trumpet Shall Sound

All of Me

Despite his sore throat, Elliott nailed this part of the recital. Especially on my favorite song from this collection: The Trumpet Shall Sound from Handel's Messiah. We could not have been more proud.

Then, came the worship set portion of the recital, where Elliott was joined by Abi and Tyler to lead the 30-to-35 of us gathered there in a time of praise and worship. Those songs included favorites such as Your Grace Is Enough, Forever, Enough, and Take My Life (Her Am I) among others.

Afterwards, we had a great meal with Abi's parents, Peggy's parents, Emily, and Tyler. Unfortunately, Ian had to work, so he couldn't join us for the evening. What a fantastic evening.

Number 18

Balloon Time II
Originally uploaded by blountman.

It is way too mind-boggling to think that Ian is now 18 years old. As I think back on the many fond memories; on the triumphs over adversity; over the laughter and tears that Ian has produced in his Mother and me, I am overwhelmed with a sense of pride and joy. When I see the man of God that Ian is developing into, I am blown away by his faith and his trust in our Lord Jesus. His sweet spirit and his giving heart are just two of Ian's numerous wonderful traits. Ian is the quintessential Middle Child, and we have had our fair share of struggles in areas I won't go into on this blog. The bottom line is this: Ian can do all things through Christ Who strengthens him. My prayer for Ian continues to be that he will allow Jesus to mold him into the man Jesus wants him to be. My prayer for Peggy and me is that we can be the best parents possible given our human frailties. I just don't want to mess my kids up too badly.

Thanks to Amber and Jonathan for sharing in the evening's festivities with us as we celebrated number 18 for Ian. He is a special dude to us, and our lives are so much better because he is a big part of those lives.

Thank you, Ian for being "my man." My love for you grows stronger each day, and I am so proud to be called your Dad. Keep those big eyes focused on Christ, and on His plan for your life.

Elliott's Testimony

Elliott's Testimony
Originally uploaded by blountman.

Words do not adequately express my feelings as I reflect back over the weekend. On Saturday, several of us from VCC went up to Florida Christian College for Round Up. That is a major fund raising event with a western theme to it. The college had a couple of alumni give testimonies about what the school has meant to them, and Tommy Oaks preached one of his usual fantastic messages. Then, I saw Elliott make his way to a front row in the Chapman Center. I could feel the tears welling up even before he made his way to the podium to deliver his testimony. I had no foreknowledge of this and I can't even remember much of what he said because I was so emotional. I do remember him saying that he only came to FCC because his Dad told him he had to do at least one year at a Bible College. I lost it at that point. Elliott has grown so much as a man and as a Christian while he has been at FCC over these past 3 1/2 years. When he graduates next month, he won't just be getting a degree, he will be fulfilling a ministry prayer of his mother's and mine. He will go into full time Christian Ministry as a worship minister! You can see pictures of his ordination service held at VCC on October 29th by visiting my flickr site. You'll also see pictures of Ian's 18th birthday celebration which we started two days early. I am so proud of the young man Ian is becoming! God has blessed me beyond measure with these two sons, and I won't short change my darling daughter, either! How God could allow me to take care of these three kids for Him is beyond me, but I am a blessed man for sure! To have my salvation in Christ, to be married to the most beautiful woman on the planet, and to have three kids who love Jesus more than life...well, of course I am the most blessed man on earth!

What A Report Card!

It has been a long, "interesting" journey, but yesterday afternoon Ian's report card made me happier than I have been at report card time in the past four years! He has seven classes, and he got six A's and one B+ (in weight lifting)!

Thank you to those who have prayed with us and specifically prayed for Ian. As I told him yesterday, keep up the great work!

Oh, Emily's report card was good, too. Not as good as Ian's. Haven't been able to make that claim in the past four years, either!

Resign, Senator Dumb Guy!

I don't usually get political on my blog, but I cannot stay silent on this one, folks. Okay the three of you who ever look at this blog, anyway. John Kerry should resign after his totally ludicrous remark insulting the intelligence of our military forces, and the intelligence of the American People in general. Others have been forced to resign from public office for "botching a joke" (Trent Lott for example), and those jokes neither attacked our military forces nor the American Public in general.

I'm glad to see that our soliders in Iraq can show a sense of humor as they take a jab at the Senator as pictured above. However, this lousy excuse of a public servant has called our military forces rapists and murderers in not one but at least two different wars. I am not saying that there aren't individuals who wear the uniform who don't cross the line, but John the Donkey Kerry has crossed the line more so than any of them could ever hope to. To give aid and comfort to the enemies of this country has a name: treason. Resign, Senator Dumb Guy.

What A Weekend!

Natural Position
Originally uploaded by blountman.

Elliott and Abi came down from Kissimmee for a bridal shower on Saturday and for Elliott's ordination service on Sunday. We were so blessed to have not just them, but Nanny & Papaw, and Lil Bro come in for the weekend!

Abi closed at work Friday night, and apparently ate some "bad chinese food," so she was ill upon their arrival at 2:30 a.m. Saturday. We let her sleep in until 8:30 before awakening her so she could get ready for the 10:00 a.m. bridal shower hosted by Cathy Aldhizer and put on by the ladies of VCC.

Lil Bro arrived about 8:20 a.m. Saturday, having chosen to stay home with the kitties on Friday night. Only Nanny and Papaw were "brave enough" to get here Friday night.

We (and by we, I mean Elliott and I) had planned on going to the beach while the girls were having their shower, but God had others plans. It was a stormy, rainy Saturday morning, so we chilled in the living room waiting for football to start so we could enjoy the hi def football experience. It was quite nice.

Our male bonding time was rudely interrupted by the girls returning bearing many gifts. Of course, Elliott was obligated to look them all over and at least feign excitement. He was genuinely excited by most of the gifts, we just had to give him a hard time.

More football, followed by card games, naps and the coveted Fall Back night of extra sleep followed. It was a truly good day.

On Sunday, we ordained Elliott into Christian Ministry. He has now been specifically set apart by the elders of Vero Christian Church for full time Christian Service as a music minister. That was a cool thing, if I do say so myself, and I do. I had the privilege of preaching the message that morning (check it out at our web site - www.verochristian.com and then go to the sermon page). It was an emotional and beautiful day.

We had Nachos for dinner Sunday in honor of the release of the movie Nacho Libre, and by four o'clock everyone was gone. Peggy and I caught our breaths and got ready for youth groups. We had about 25 in our house that night for our study in the book of Acts. What a weekend!

Bluebird of Happiness

Bluebird of Happiness
Originally uploaded by blountman.

Emily spotted this bird hanging out in the Palm Trees in our mulch bed next to the house. The bird was quite calm and relaxed perched in the Palm Tree, enabling both Emily and me to take several close-up shots with the camera. Guess it is a sign, eh? The Bluebird of Happiness pays us a visit just before we have Elliott's ordination service on Sunday, and just after what he described as a very good day of interviewing and leading worship at a church that is interested in brining him on board. He describes that as his "dream job." We also will have a house full of family this weekend as Peggy's parents, my Lil Bro, Elliott, Abi and Tyler will all be here for the wedding shower/ordination weekend. Now, THAT, truly makes me happy.

Mom: Nov. 2, 1939-Oct. 17, 1993

This is my favorite picture of my Mom. I caputred her, despite her protestations, ironing! It was the summer of 1983, and she was up for a visit. She snuck out back at Grandpa's house hoping no one would notice, but I did! Mom hated to iron clothes. As I approached her with the camera, her finger started wagging and she commanded that I cease and desist. I disobeyed. The result is the picture you see above.

My Mom was one of my best friends as well as being my Mother. I tried to be the obedient eldest child, even though I had my lapses, like taking this photograph. I miss Mom more than words can express. You see, about ten years after this picture was taken, Mom found out that she had pancreatic cancer. She hadn't been sick, and by the time the docs diagnosed the cancer, she only had a few months left. I was in the position to be able to travel to Alabama on several occasions after her diagnosis, and did an extensive video interview with her. It is one of my most prized possessions to this day. I recently converted the tape to dvd. I still have never been ableto sit down and watch the entire thing in one sitting, but it is a comfort to beable to see Mom and hear her sage advice as well as her funny stories over and over again. My Mom was taken from this earth far too early for me. At 53, she was a young woman to have to battle a terminal illness. Seems like that has been the case for several women in our family.

So today, on the 13th anniversary of her passing, I just wanted to say: I love you, Mom, and I miss you so much. I long for the day when we are together in the presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus.

Reflections on the Weekend

Chilli Willi's menu
Originally uploaded by blountman.

This past weekend, Peggy and I had the privilege of returning to the Tri-State because I was officiating the Whitney Bowe-Chris Ward wedding at Old Orchard. That was an honor beyond description for me. Whitney has stayed in close contact in the six years since we left KY for Florida, and she told me about 18 months ago that she wouldn't want anyone else to do her wedding ceremony. I gladly told her that I would be honored to officiate her wedding, and when the date was set, airline tickets were bought and the deal was sealed! The ceremony went well, a mixture of the seriousness of the ceremony along with a few little wise cracks from the minister (would you have expected any less?). It is so cool to see your "kids" growing up and staying focused. Lord knows there are plenty of our "youth group kids" who have not maintained that focus, but Whitney is doing great. Peggy and I love Chris dearly as well. He wasn't in our youth group, but he is one of our "kids" in every sense of the word.

I also got to see Alex, who is the kid of one of my youth group kids. I had the privilege of baptizing Alex into Christ a couple of years ago. Now, that is when you know you have been in youth ministry a while, when you baptize the children of your youth group kids! Anyway, Alex is doing well, actively involved in his church (Westwood Christian Church), and actively involved in his community as a junior volunteer fireman. That is way cool to see!

Oh, we saw plenty of family and friends over that whirlwind weekend (not everyone, but it just wasn't possible), including some that we just had no reason to expect to see. We continue to pray for our dear friend Tom Coomer who had suffered congestive heart failure earlier last week, and was in ICU while we were up there. We spent some time with Barbara in prayer at the hosptial, and we even got to see two more of our favorite youth group kids: Stacie and Kristen! Yeah, Stacie, now you'll even have to comment on this blog entry, eh? The joy of seeing our girls was an icing on the cake kind of deal for the weekend. And Tom? Well, the girls told us in church Sunday that he has improved greatly. Our prayers are that he continues on the road to recovery and gets home soon!

And finally, the only thing I really wanted to do on this trip other than the stated business for the trip, was to eat at Chili Willi's. It is by far the BEST Tex-Mex I have had since I left the state of Texas as a teenager. Ron Smith captured Peggy's and my taste buds 23 years ago when he opened the place, and a trip to the Huntington, WV, area is not complete without a stop at Chil Willi's! The Super Chicken Burrito and a cup of black bean soup just made my day and my weekend!

Of course we had one more stop to make in Huntington on that Friday afternoon: Glenn's Sporting Goods! Yes, we got our "We Are...Marshall" shirts and a hat for me among some other Herd regalia to bring home with us. We can't wait for the movie to come out on December 22nd, it's not like we have something else going on that day or anything...

Memories

I've been converting old home videos to dvd lately, and this morning I started working on the tape I made of my last couple of visits with Mom before she succumbed to pancreatic cancer. Bittersweet, for sure. It was heartwarming to see Mom interact with Elliott, Ian and Emily. It is always good to hear Mom's advice. I miss that more than words can adequately express. It will be 16 years this month since Mom passed away. That is mind-boggling to me.

Today would have been Mike Wilson's 48th birthday. My childhood best friend, and Best Man at our wedding was buried in Danville back in March. I miss not getting to call him today and remind him that he caught back up with me in the old age department.

The time period from mid-September to mid-October is pretty tough for me. In addition to Mike's birthday, I spend time remembering Granny and Grandpa Johnson both of whom passed away in that time period. I remember Barb whose birthday falls in that time period. I remember Mom who passed away in that time period. I remember the good times, the pleasant conversations, the advice given (some of it even taken), the prayers lifted up for those we love, and the prayers that God would give the strength needed to let go and say "see you later" to those loved ones. It is with mixed emotions that I go through this time of year. Much good has come from these tragic times, and for that I am eternally grateful. Much loss was suffered and is still felt from those tragic times. I praise God that He is there with me always. I praise God for the memories that bring a smile to my face even in the midst of the tears in my eyes.

Because of the hope I have in Jesus, I can get through the tough time period of mid-September through Mid-October. I can hear the old Geoff Moore and the Distance song, Listen To Our Hearts** and not cry too much. That was my theme song and prayer during Mom's illness. I can watch that video of my last several visits with Mom in small doses. I have never watched the entire hour and 42 minutes of footage in one sitting because it overwhelms me. I still believe that Jesus carried me through that most difficult time, as He has when my grandparents, Peggy's grandparents, two great aunts, Barb, and Mike all passed away.

I know this post has been kind of a "downer" overall in tone, but I am also here to say without hesitation that without Jesus, I couldn't have survived those difficult times. How people can traverse this life without Jesus is beyond me. The fact that I don't have to is something for which I give praise to God every day.

Memories. May Jesus inhabit them all. May His love in your life be so evident that even the toughest of times become an opportunity to give Him praise. He will be there for you and with you. Sometimes He Calms The Storm and other times He calms His child.

** Yes, I know the URL is for a different song title, but the lyric source I am using has the lyrics for "Listen To Our Hearts" on the "Live and Learn" page. Figures!

Hi Def, Baby!

Let me just say that my Bride Peggy is the BEST EVER!

Back in June, our TV in the living room died. We got a 50 inch, High Definition TV, our ultimate Youth Group Television. Now, the TV has worked well in our living room, but this week, we stepped it up a major notch. We now have a high defintion package from DirecTv. May I just say that watching a football game in hi def is DABOMB!

As I type this, I am watching Miami and Houston and flipping over to OSU and Iowa, both of which are in hi def. YEAH, BABY!

The hi def package costs $10 extra a month, but I got a call from DireTv after I had scheduled the installation and they offered me a $10 per month discount if I would stay with DirecTv for another year. Well, duh! So, for the next 12 months, I get hi def for FREE! C'mon over and watch some football with me, won't ya?

Banner Day

Emi After
Originally uploaded by blountman.

September 12, 2006, is a banner day for the Blount household! First and foremost, Emily got her braces off. Since she has been wearing braces for 4 1/2 years, it is a monumental moment for us all.

Secondly, we shed ourselves of the Ford Windstar (the last vehicle that made the trek from KY with us), and picked up a Nissan Altima and an Acura Legend. Yes, we now have three vehilces in our driveway and four vehicles on our insurance (Elliott is still on our insurance until December when he weds and is kicked out on his own)! You can see pictures of the new vehicles joining the Blount fleet on our flickr site. That is a banner move for us as well, as we now have a fleet of vehicles I am not afraid to have out on the road. The Acura will primarily be the kids' school and work vehicle, but will also be used for general running around town. The Nissan will carry Peggy to and from Ft. Pierce every day and take us on the in-state trips (like this weekend to the Florida Christian Convention), while the Caravan (Pistin) will take me back and forth to the office and be our main long road trip vehicle. This arrangement should help us keep milage off the van (finally).

Yes, indeed. A banner day for DaBlounts!