Whirled Views with Dan Burrell

I’ve been getting some emails and messages about the blog lately.  This is the longest I’ve gone without updating my blog in the since I started it quite a few years ago.  I just want to assure everyone that I’m alive and kicking.  I recently made the conscious decision not to shut down “Whirled Views” when I renewed my domain names, so the blog will be around in some form for the next couple of years, I guess.

I’m not one to “pretend” that I, nor any other Christian, lives a carefree life that’s always rainbows and buttercups.  In all honesty, 2010 has been a rough year and a series of rough years.  I had the worst employment experience in my life last year — something I’ll write about later when I have enough perspective to let me be rational and objective.  As a result, we lost our house in South Florida — thankfully, we secured a short sale right before foreclosure hit, but we lost our entire lifetime of home equity in the process.  We have relocated to what was to have been our “retirement home” in Lake Lure until we decide where the Lord would have us settle next.  I have a pretty narrow range of employment fields I am considering after my more recent experiences and let’s face it, in this economy there just isn’t a lot available of any kind of jobs.  I’m thankful for the adjunct professorship work I’ve been able to snag which has kept us afloat since January.

But I’m not losing my perspective either — I have a long-time friend who is fighting a debilitating disease at the age of 51 and he has 3 small children, our dear friend and my personal assistant for 17 years just finished chemo a few months ago after a serious cancer diagnosis, a sweet young lady and mother barely in her 30’s that used to call me Pastor is fighting off a recurrence of an aggressive form of cancer and a dozen more similar stories remind me that the consequences of man’s fall are no respecter of persons and it’s only God’s grace that can give us hope in any circumstance.

But in all honesty, I just haven’t felt like writing at length lately.  The reasons are to some extent probably personal and to another extent just a phase.  I’ve often joked that if I didn’t write, I’d simply explode — but for now, the muse seems to have taken a break and so better to be silent than write something that is nonsensical.  If the mood does hit me to write or stir something up, I often throw an impolitic bomb on my status on Facebook and enjoy the brief tempest that such an action often causes.

So, for now, that’s the latest….we’re all doing fine.  The two older kids are at Liberty University sharing an apartment and working their jobs and going to classes.  The younger two are adjusting to a life where the nearest WalMart is 45 minutes away and we haven’t been able to find a church with a youth group within driving distance.  They started homeschool today.  We love the Blue Ridge Mountains and Western North Carolina and this is a wonderful time of the year.

If you know of anyone who needs someone to do some teacher training in a school or church setting, a missions speaker, a family or marriage conference speaker, etc… — give them my name as I’m doing quite a bit of that ministry these days.  I have nearly a hundred popular workshops, speeches and sermons for those occasions and I’d love to share them with groups.

Keep checking in here and who knows….maybe inspiration will strike sooner rather than later! 

We gave up trying to keep up with all our friends and family via a Christmas card list several years ago, so if you’ll indulge us, we use this blog to give an annual ‘report’ on the comings and goings of the Burrell clan.

2009 was our first full year back in Florida since 1999.  Florida really is a paradise this time of the year and we watched with interest the reports of heavy snow in many parts of our country recently while we enjoyed temperatures in the 80’s.  This has been yet another interesting year in the ministry and we continue to learn to trust in the Lord and not in man as we serve Him.  Dan remains as the Executive Pastor of the New Testament Baptist Church with campuses in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale and the Vice-President of Dade Christian Schools (Miami) and The Master’s Academy (Ft. Lauderdale).  Due to a tough local economy, He is now find also serving as the COO and CFO for the ministries on about 50% of the pay he was making last year.  In addition, he is also doing most of the preaching for our ministries as our Senior Pastor resigned in October and left in November to become the full-time president of Davis College in Binghamton, NY.

Anyone who knows how these things work realizes that at whatever point a new senior pastor is called for this ministry, I will need to move to have found another place of service as there is the potential for confusion and unclear lines of authority that can arise as the new pastor comes on board if the “interim” pastor remains.  Therefore, we are currently actively searching for our next place of ministry.  We are in a position where we must try to get out from under a house that has dropped by nearly 40% in value and which we can no longer afford, so pray that we can find someone who will attempt a short-sale with the bank.  We are facing personal and financial challenges that we did not anticipate, but are confident that the Lord will unfold His plan for our lives in the coming months.  Stayed tuned to this blog as we find out what our next assignment will be.  We’ll keep you posted.

Dan is blessed with a wonderful team of pastors and department heads at the ministry where he currently serves and even though the church is in transition, it is great to see people coming together for the good of the church and the work of the ministry.  He also became a full-time contracted associate professor with Liberty University (formerly he was an adjunct) and he teaches Discipleship, Leadership and Bible Teaching for Liberty University Onlines graduate program through their seminary.  It adds 20-30 extra hours to his work week, but he really enjoys this and would be quite happy to land on a college campus in the future.  He also continues his work with Boston Baptist College where he serves as an adjunct each January and where he also serves on the Board of Trustees.  He also serves on the board of Davis College and is part of a new speaker’s bureau that features men like Marvin Olasky, Warren Smith, Alex McFarland and Eric Metatexas and specializes in apologetics and worldview.  He took two trips to Cuba where he continues to work with a wonderful team of national pastors.

Julie helps Dan with his Sunday adult Bible fellowship class on Sundays and keeps the kids organized and on task at home.  Katie is now continuing her education at home and Josh keeps a pretty busy schedule as an active middle schooler.  She spent a week in Charlotte over Labor Day to be with our dear friend and Dan’s former administrative assistant, Cindy Smith, who had major cancer surgery.  They talk frequently as Cindy continues her regimin of chemotherapy and experiences the joys of being a grandmother in the midst of her health journey. She enjoyed a couple of months in Lake Lure with some of the kids as well and we also all went to Missouri to be with Dan’s family over the 4th of July with a couple of days spent in Branson.

Nathan has been working as a system administrator for the church and school IT department for the last 18 months, but made a big announcement recently and has decided to return to Liberty University this January to complete his bachelor’s degree.  He’s rarely at home for any extended time as he has an active social life and is a major gym rat with his daily workout and basketball games.  Dan has really enjoyed working on the same campus with him and they have regularly grabbed lunch together a day or two each week.  As the family has realized that big changes are ahead, the time seemed right for him to head back to Lynchburg and finish off that degree.

Megan graduated from Dade Christian School in May and enjoyed a wonderful senior trip with her classmates to Washington, DC and New York City.  Dan was able to be a chaperone for the trip, so they had a great father/daughter time for a week.  She is quite the photographer and did quite a few photo shots ranging from senior pictures to publicity photos to weddings.  She has a Facebook page of her work.  After working this fall as a school photographer for Lifetouch, she is also heading to Lynchburg to begin her studies at Liberty University in January.  Too bad dad doesn’t get a tuition break as a professor for having his kids there, but student loans and side jobs will keep them going.  She is looking forward to having a college experience with her big brother — they are very close.

Katie is working on her schooling at home these days.  She hit the big thirteen this fall and will be taking her 13th birthday trip with mom before long.  She enjoys cooking and texting her friends and collecting Bella Sera cards.  She takes PE with a great home school group each week and has been taking some art classes as well.  She loves to sing and is a member of the school choir at The Master’s Academy and has enjoyed singing at local stores, church and a nursing home.

Josh is in 7th grade at The Master’s Academy and is a constant cyclone of energy.  He’s the early riser of the family and loves the trampoline and anything with a trigger.  He’s recently expressed an interest in taking kick-boxing lessons and so we’re looking for the right program to offer that outlet.  He and dad have a weekly breakfast “date” at a local restaurant for discipleship and hanging out time.  He’ll be turning 13 this spring and is already planning his 13th birthday trip out west to do some hiking and exploring.

All of our kids are maturing physically and spiritually and in the midst of turmoil and uncertainty, having a strong family, good health and kids that are making you proud and giving you joy is a tremendous blessing and more that we could ever desire.  Please drop us a line at our regular email addresses and let us know how you all are doing.  Dan, Julie, Nathan and Megan are all on Facebook and we enjoy that network sight to keep us in touch with hundreds of friends.

We look forward to 2010 with a sense of anticipation and confidence and our prayer for you is the best of God’s blessings on you and yours in the year to come.

Expecting His Best!

Dan, Julie, Nathan, Megan, Katie and Josh (and Zoe the dog)

Well, to all of you who thought I’d died or quit or both, I’m back.  June and July were a wonderful mix of getting some work and projects done and taking some time off.  In a nutshell….

• I had a great trip to C uba where I spent several days with my friend and ministry leader there.  He has been going through a tough few months and I went specifically to see him and be a friend to him and encourage him.  God is doing great things there and Satan is fighting it big time.

• I took Julie and the kids back to my hometown of Moberly, Missouri for a week the first part of July.  I hadn’t been home in 2 years and the last time I was there, life wasn’t all that great, so it was good to be back to with my crazy clan.  We went to Branson, MO for a couple of days of Silver Dollar City and White Water.  Then we hung out at my sister and bro-in-law’s place where they have lots of room, a beautiful lake and plenty to eat.  The kids (even the big ones) love going there and shooting fireworks and catching turtles and swimming and doing “country things”.  My mom and sisters cooked up a storm and the weather was just perfect.  I don’t remember a better time.

• I’ve been fighting a minor health issue for the last six weeks.  (Diverticulitis)  That has forced me to slow down a bit in some areas, but that’s been good for me.  I’ve got some tests coming up in the next few weeks to decide what they want to do with me.  On another health-related note, I went back to my Charlotte doctor for my annual physical.  Two years ago, he told me to make some major changes to my life and stress level or to start planning my funeral.  Two years later, my “numbers” are back to near sanity.  My cholesterol, which once had hit nearly 400, is back down to 144.  Sugar and blood pressure — formerly elevated, are now in the normal range.
• I spent a week with Julie and three of the kids at our lake house in NC and again, the Lord gave us incredible weather.  I really miss living in NC in the summertime — what a beautiful part of the world.
• I was privileged to officiate at the wedding of Richard Houser and Samantha Hicks a last Saturday.  It is a wonderful reward of ministry to see young people grow up to serve the Lord and start a home for the Glory of God.  Richard and Samantha are both students at Boston Baptist College where I serve on the board and am also an adjunct professor.
• Speaking of “professor” issues, I was blessed last month, to be invited to join the faculty of Liberty University (Seminary) as a full-time Associate Professor.  I work in the Distance Learning division, so I don’t have to relocate to Lynchburg and I obviously still have my other full-time job.  I love interacting with students and teaching, so this is a real blessing on several levels.
• My pastor/boss, Dino Pedrone, underwent a hip replacement surgery earlier this month.  During his absence from the pulpit, I’m honored to be filling in for him in the pulpit of the Miami and Broward campuses on Sundays.  This week, I’ll be at all three morning services.  I’m preaching on  “Avoiding the Loss of What Might Have Been” from Matthew 25:14-30.

So, that’s where I’ve been lately and what I’ve been doing.  I hope to get back to regular blog posts in the next week or so.  I’m going to post one of my most popular humor articles as a repeat in a few minutes.  Enjoy!

Tonight, I will watch my oldest daughter and second child cross the stage to receive her High School diploma.  She is the apple of her daddy’s eye — probably more like me than either she or I would care to admit.  She’s a reader, thinker, brooder.  She can laugh uproariously one moment and be in a dark corner of contemplation the next.  She’s beautiful and generally seems oblivious to it.  She’s conservative — not prone to spending money, wearing expensive “big name” clothes or demanding what is impractical or frivolous.  She sees things that others miss –whether it’s through the eye of her beloved camera or as she considers God.  She’s my baby and I’m so very proud of her.

I love you, Megs!

Several have asked when and where I am preaching this Sunday and there was a schedule change this week.  I’m preaching the 8:30 service at our Dade Campus and the 11:30 service at our Broward Campus.  We had three wonderful Good Friday services at all three campuses of New Testament Baptist Church.  We have a total of thirteen services scheduled for this Three-Day Easter Week-end.  Come join us!

We’ve got a busy week-end planned visiting some family and friends in Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties in addition to the Easter schedule.

If you want to keep up with me and enjoy the occasional 160 character rant via Twitter, you can link with me @DanBurrell.  If you aren’t on Twitter yet, go to www.twitter.com.

He is Risen!

I haven’t been able to blog for the last couple of weeks and wanted to check in and let you know that I’m alive and well and to offer some pathetic explanations or two.

This is a beautiful time in South Florida and before all the heat and humidity bears down on us in the next couple of months, I’ve been trying to do some “family things”.  When I made a decision, just under two years ago, to change some things about how I approached ministry, one of the things I determined was that I would spend more time with my children.  In the end, people that demand you sacrifice your children and family time for the ministry won’t be there for you when you need them, so it’s important to keep your priorities in order.

So…we’ve been to the beach, we go to breakfast, I take my kids on “dates”, we visit Florida sites on day trips, Julie and the girls enjoy “girl days” and the boys and I enjoy hanging out as well, we go to fairs, we hold alligators and you know….at the end of the day, I still have plenty of time for ministry, extra work and even watching “24″ on Monday nights.

So….if you notice a little bit of a break in the blog from time to time, just assume I’m spending some time with one of the kids and that we’re walking along a gorgeous Florida beach, or buzzing across the everglades in a airboat or sitting in our backyard with a fishing pole in our hands and watching the parrots fight at our bird feeders.  I’ll be back at the blog soon…just maybe not that day.

For excuse #2, I had a nasty virus or something hit my harddrive and it had to be reformatted, so I lost all my passwords, etc… and it took me a little while to get everything re-book-marked and reconnected.

But all-in-all, life is good and God is gracious.  My fairly new Sunday School class is booming and we’re hitting new record attendances about ever 3-4 weeks.  They are a super group and we have great discussions.  Right now we are studying the Seven Churches of Revelations and you’d be amazed at how our class discussions go all over the place as we look at these churches.

We’re going to take a week and enjoy North Carolina during Spring Break at our lake house in the Blue Ridge Mountains.  We look forward to seeing some friends and I have a little business to conclude in that neck of the woods.  I’m hoping that the dogwoods will be blooming while we are there.

I’m teaching seven courses for Liberty University’s online program right now and loving every minute of it though it means an extra 3-4 hours of work every night when I get home.  I meet some really wonderful students from all over the world through this venue and I often learn as much as they do.

We’re winding up our school year in ministry and as a family.  Megan is graduating in nine weeks and I’m looking forward to being a chaperone on her Senior Trip in a couple of months.  Nathan is getting his certification from Microsoft in a series of classes over the next few months which means he’s having to cut down on his basketball time significantly.  Josh and Katie will be thrilled for summer break to arrive and have been working really hard in school this year.

My “boss” and pastor, Dr. Dino Pedrone, very graciously allows me to preach quite frequently and I appreciate the opportunity to “scratch that itch” from time to time and occasionally filling the pulpit here and speaking in other places for conferences and special events is a helpful “outlet” for me.

I’m hearing from some of you asking about my annual “March Madness Bracket Challenge”.  I’m not going to use the ESPN hosting site this year, but am doing one on my Facebook page instead.  So if you aren’t on Facebook, get with it and get on.  If you are and haven’t received an invite.  Hit my page and join or send me a message and I’ll send you the link.  I’m giving out a copy of “Disciplines of a Godly Man” to the winner this year.

I’m behind by about 200 emails as of today, so I hope this post will let those who think I’ve dropped off the map know that we’re doing well, keeping busy and enjoying life.

I’ve got several things to blog about in the coming days, so keep checking in.  I’ve noted with gratitude that even when I take a break, several thousand of you “check in” each week to see what’s going on.  So, keep doing that and I’ll rattle your thinking from time to time with whatever is on my mind.

More soon…

Everywhere I go, folks are talking about the global economic crisis that engulfs the planet.  I’m asked virtually every day where I think this is headed, what I’m doing in the midst of it, etc…  I’m certainly no expert on finances and while I’ve experienced some personal fallout due to the current economy and have to make some adjustments in our current lifestyle and future plans, I’m not nearly as bad off as many are who were less prepared or are having to deal with poor financial choices that are no coming home to roost.

What follows is just some “home-spun” thoughts on what I think folks should be doing during a time such as this.  Quite frankly, I think that most of this should be done whether it is the best of times or the worst of times.  Biblical principles of stewardship are always in play and as with every other aspect of my life, a Biblical worldview impacts the counsel I give to folks on financial matters.  For me personally, the extent to which I am personally struggling financially is directly related to the extent I have willfully chosen to ignorethose Biblical principles.  Simply put — Scripture always works and that’s the best place to look for guidance in any crisis.

So here’s “Part 1″ of my counsel on surviving an economic meltdown…

1. Tithe — Always.

I know, I know….people are going to hit me on their thoughts that tithing is an Old Testament practice, etc., etc….  I think I can make a pretty sound case that not only is tithing Biblical in these days, but giving even more than the tithe is the way it should be under grace, but that’s not what I’ll try to do today.

Bottom line is this…if you have enough financial discipline to tithe, you’ll live better on the remaining 90%.  Tithing forces you to set Biblical priorities (just how important IS it to have cable TV, but not give to the Lord’s work).  Tithing forces us to be thoughtful (which is why the tithe check is the first thing that comes from my income — including taxes.)  Tithing acknowledges our dependence on God and requires that we live by faith (there’s no faith or gain in tithing when we have more than enough…it’s when it hurts that God shows Himself able and we trust in Him.)  I’ve never, not one time, in 26+ years of ministry, ever had someone come to me for financial counsel who was in trouble financially because they tithed.  For those who say they can’t afford to give to the Lord’s work and in doing so help others who need help, I say that you can’t afford NOT to tithe.

2. Live below your means.  

You have two ways to get to this point.  Spend less or make more.  It’s very simple.  Too many of us use credit cards, second mortgages and delayed payments to give us permission for buying things that should wait until we have the money for them.  As a result, we may extra in interest, buy things we really didn’t need and develop a pattern of materialism that is neither healthy or Biblical.  If you are routinely carrying a balance on your credit card, spending more than you can take in in a month, are paying your bills late, the time is NOW to cut back on your expenses or find a way to increase your income.  Doing nothing is not an option unless you want a disaster.

3. There is no shame in seconds.

Buying a new house will always cost more than a pre-owned house (you have to put up window treatments, landscape more, add things that are missing, etc…).  A new car loses 10-15 percent of its value as soon as you drive it off the lot.  The best-seller you buy at the Barnes and Nobles store for full-price can be purchased off EBay for as little as a buck and it will take you about 3 extra days to take possession of it.  Consignment shops are filled with decent clothes — some nicer than you might be able to afford if you bought them new.  Garage sales, Craig’s List and Ebay are filled with items from people who are moving, estate sales and people who are down-sizing and you can save LOADS by buying second hand.

4. Practice a Financial Fast

Go six months without buying any new clothes and insist on wearing only what you have.  You won’t die, I promise.   Only shop once a week.  Everytime you go to the store, you are likely to impulse buy stuff you really don’t need.  Decide to drive your car one extra year than you had planned on driving it.  Don’t go out to eat even one time for an entire month.  Pack your lunch, clean out your pantry, be creative — but no eating out.  Don’t spend money on movies and ball games for 3 months — play table games, go to free community activities, watch old movies on TV, read a book, invite friends over.  Not only will you save money during the “fast”, but you’ll find that you’ll be “leaner” and more disciplined about spending in the future.  A family of 4 will routinely spend 40-60 bucks at a movie.  Do that only once a month for a year and you are looking at $500 or more.

5.  Shop with a list.

Strategically plan how you will spend your money when you must go shopping.  Put a rule in place….if it’s not on the list, I will wait for at least one week until I do my shopping again.  This will help develop a personal discipline and strategy for spending and planning and buying that will serve you well in the long-term.  Keep a shopping list on your fridge to assist you all week long, but then stick to it once you head to the store.

I’m out of time for now….but I will continue this list later on this week.  Until then…feel free to add your own ideas in the comment section!

Several years ago, I received a modest inheritance after the death of my grandfather which made it possible for us to get a family retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina in the community of Lake Lure.  This is very much an “old Carolina” community that is charming, small-town, simple and drop-dead gorgeous.  Located next to the stunning Lake Lure, Chimney Rock Park and, near the Biltmore estates, near Asheville and Hendersonville and loads of other great things to see and do, it is in a fantastic setting for resting, relaxing and exploring.

Our house is not a “rustic cabin” but a lovely 3 bedroom home fully-equipped with nice furnishings, satellite TV, things for the family to do, nice master suite with a king-sized bed and jacuzzi garden tub and more.  It is perched above beautiful Mirror Lake and is five minutes from Lake Lure, all the resort amenities, two breath-taking golf courses, 3 pools (one indoor), mini golf, a marina, white-water rafting, horse-back riding and more.  Go in the fall and pick apples, hike the Appalachian Trail, visit the site of the place where “Last of the Mohicans” was filmed and more.  Winter offers quiet, year-round golf, a full-spa and even better mountain views.

We used to use this as a regular family retreat location when we lived in Charlotte, but obviously, it’s a bit longer drive now that we are in Miami.  We have placed this house on a nightly and weekly rental plan through Wyndham Resorts.  You can get booking information HERE. (Click on Vacation Rentals and then Click on View our Vacation Home Rentals and then click on “more information” for Burrell’s Paradise Cove).  If you are in full-time vocational ministry as a pastor or missionary, email me at dan@danburrell.com and I can get you a special rate.  It’s a great place to go for a private retreat if you are a pastor and I used it to do long-term planning, studying and writing on a regular basis.

It is less than an hour from the Biltmore Estates, two hours from Charlotte, less than two hours from Greenville and Spartanburg, SC, less than an hour from Hendersonville and about two hours from Pigeon Forge, TN and Dollywood.  Fantastic day trips are in every direction.  It will sleep 7 comfortably and you can use blow-up mattresses (as we have done) and fit even more in comfortably.  Two full baths, a wonderful kitchen and a 2,000 square foot unfinished basement with scooters and ping-pong or a finished loft with TV/Video and fooseball will give you a place to send the kids on rainy days.The house is fully-equipped, linen and towel service is provided, a maid cleans after you leave.

So if you are heading to Western North Carolina in 2009, consider this house as an option for your family! Write me if you have any questions.

We gave up on sending Christmas cards a few years ago and have since resorted to using this blog to update friends and family on the goings and comings of the Burrell gang on an annual basis.  If 2007 was a year of change for us, then 2008 was even more so.  Last year we were Carolinians and this year, we are once again Floridians back in South Florida — even further south than we used to be.

After a lot of prayer and thought, Dan accepted a position serving with Dino Pedrone and the ministries of New Testament Baptist Church in Miami.  He is the Executive Pastor of the three church locations (Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and Opalocka) and the Vice President of Dade Christian Schools (Dade Christian, The Master’s Academy and His House Academy).  In addition, he is in charge of establishing a South Florida campus for Davis College which recently installed Dr. Pedrone as President.  Dan started full time on July 1st.

Thanks to the housing collapse in South Florida, we were able to buy a beautiful house in Pembroke Pines which had previously been owned by latina Christian Contemporary singer, Julissa Arce.  Miraculously, we were able to sell our house on the week we moved from Charlotte and just before the housing market went south there.

June was marked with our first ever cruise as we joined all of Dan’s family for a 5-day cruise through the Caribbean.  We had an absolute blast and are looking forward to our next one.  It’s great to have a family with whom you enjoy spending time and we all made some great memories as we celebrated cousin James’ graduation from high school.

Following the cruise, we rushed back to Charlotte, got everything packed up and headed south.  It was a busy month of unpacking and learning our way around.  Pembroke Pines is a lovely community and we are located halfway between the two primary campuses of the ministry where we serve.  We live on a small lake, have over a dozen green parrots who like to hang out in our trees, are located across the street from our community pool and playground and are within minutes of all kinds of shopping and restaurants.

Nathan took a break from his studies at Liberty University to get acclimated to South Florida with the family.  He is working in the IT department at the church and school, plays in a praise band and with the church band, works in the youth department and plays a lot of basketball in his spare time.  Next month, he is planning to get his Microsoft Certification before finishing up his college program.

Megan is a senior at Dade Christian High.  She misses her northern friends, but still enjoys her writing and music.  She also has developed quite a skill in photography and has a fairly extensive portfolio she has built.  She is undecided about her plans for the fall and may take a “gap year” to do an internship or some volunteer work before heading back to school.  She is active in the youth group at the Broward campus of our church and helps with the praise team there.

Katie turned twelve this year and attends The Master’s Academy in Ft. Lauderdale.  She has made some

very sweet friends in school and loves going to school every day.  She is our resident Wii expert and can pretty much beat the rest of the family in many of the games.  She loves listening to her music and cooking and is our “domestic goddess” in training.

Josh turned eleven this year and is in 6th grade at The Master’s Academy.  He and dad have a standing weekly breakfast appointment every Saturday and they have very deep conversations about all kinds of topics.  He is still interested in all things military and the History Channel and Discovery Channel are two of his primary resources in learning about his favorite topics.

Julie has been very busy getting everyone settled into their new surroundings and routines.  She is helping Dan with his new Sunday School class and enjoyed a visit in October from some of the ladies in her former Bible study in North Carolina.  She took some of the kids to the lake house for a few weeks this summer and got it ready to put on the nightly rental market.

Dan took two trips to Cuba this year and is very active in the ministry there that has exploded since he first started visiting that nation six years ago.  He has made many very dear friends there and enjoys partnering with them in the work that the Lord has established there.  As the Executive Pastor, he over sees over 350 employees and a budget of over $17 million.  He was appointed to the board of directors for Davis College this year and still serves on the board of Boston Baptist College.  He gave the commencement for BBC at historic Faneuil Hall in downtown Boston.  He serves as an adjunct for BBC each January and also teaches numerous courses for Liberty University.  He also delivered the keynote address for the FACCS Convention in Orlando this fall.

The entire family is looking forward to a few days at the house in Lake Lure over the holidays after a Florida Christmas.  We appreciate the many friends who have kept touch with us during this time of transition in our lives.  We don’t always understand or even anticipate the seasons of change that the Lord orders for our paths, but we trust in His sovereign design and rest in the security that only He can provide.

Our prayer for you this year is that 2009 will find you closer to the Lord than ever before.  We’d love to hear from you — our regular email addresses haven’t changed — Dan’s is WPBDoc@aol.com and Julie’s is RPBJulie@aol.com.

As always, we are Expecting His Best….

Dan, Julie, Nathan, Megan, Katie and Josh

In the State of Florida, proponents of Gay Marriage are viciously distorting a constitutional amendment which would add the historic state-held position on marriage to the Florida constitution.  All across the country, renegade activist judges are turning over the will of the people forcing them to recognize gay partnerships by classifying them as “marriages” with all the legal, social, cultural and practical benefits and privileges pertaining.

Passage of this bill would simply codify as part of constitution the historical and legal status of traditional marriage between one man and one woman in this state.  It would not impact social security, the ability to visit friends or partners in the hospital, change insurance status or any of the other ridiculous allegations that gay rights extremists are using to elicit sympathy.  It is important to note that while a majority of Floridians support traditional marriage, Florida law requires a super-majority of 60% vote for the passage of a constitutional amendment.  This is a difficult threshold in a state as diverse as ours.  Please copy and paste and email or simply send the link to this blog entry to all of your Florida friends asking them to vote: YES on Amendment 2.

Dan

Below are some facts to consider about Amendment 2:

Amendment 2 does one thing and one thing alone.

It defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman, but it does not prohibit the government or private companies from extending benefits to whoever they wish. The Florida Supreme Court has ruled that Amendment 2 concerns the “single subject” of marriage and simply takes the existing state marriage law and places it into the constitution having similar effect. Most amendments do something new. Amendment 2 does nothing new but simply protects something longstanding, something precious, and something beautiful.

Amendment 2 allows the people of Florida and not activist judges to decide how marriage is defined.

In Massachusetts and now in California, activist judges have re-written marriage laws and ignored the will of the people by legalizing same sex marriages. There is a national movement to do this all over the country which is why 27 states have passed state constitutional amendment to protect marriage. In the next six months, four of the seven members of the Florida Supreme Court will be replaced by Governor Charlie Crist completely changing the make up of the Florida high Court. What happened in California could easily happen here in Florida over the next year. Amendment 2 protects the definition of marriage from activist judges.

Amendment 2 will not take away any existing rights or benefits from anyone.

Amendment 2 does not take away any rights or benefits from Florida’s domestic partnerships or any other shared living arrangement. Homosexuals already have full contract rights under Florida law and access to estate planning tools just as every other citizen. Amendment 2 does not affect these existing rights.

Amendment 2 protects our children.

Amendment 2 protects our children from being taught in public schools that same-sex marriage is the same as natural marriage. If same sex marriage is legalized in Florida, public schools will be forced to teach your children and grandchildren that homosexual marriages are equal to marriages between a man and a woman. Since homosexual marriage was legalized in Massachusetts, public school teachers are now being forced to teach this very thing. NPR Interview, Massachusetts Schools Weigh Gay Topics, September 13, 2004.

Amendment 2 gives children the best chance for both a mom and a dad.

While we will always have death, divorce and other circumstances that may prevent the ideal, the best arrangement for children is to have both a married mother and a father. Single parents do the best job they can but a vast body of social science research clearly tells us that children are always happier, healthier and better adjusted when raised by a married mother and father.