Tybee Island Last Supper

Today was blazing hot. The sun scorched our flesh, a tsunami soaked our towels and tent but our woes quickly vanished after steak and shrimp at Spanky's restaurant. Perhaps there is an underlying theme of corporal punishment between Tybee's two best restaurants; Spanky's and Fannie's. I was proud to be seen with Steph, she looked mighty good tonight (disclaimer to prevent future implications and argumentations; as she always does).

It is hard to imagine that a week has already passed. Just this time last week, we were staying with my sister after eating out with Landon and Teresa. Let us have a week in review. There was shrimp, shrimp, and more shrimp. I ate it sauteed, fried, steamed, grilled...I guess that's about it. There was plenty of sun and waves. Boogie boarding and Batman.

perhaps the worst part of a vacation is cleaning up and unpacking. I am not looking forward to that. Nor am I looking forward to our trek across the Peach state. No offense but the drive between Macon and Savannah just made my top 3 in worst travels routes (next only to any drive in Arkansas and Mississippi). And the worst travel routes are my all time most hated rankings that I keep up with.

Time has flown by, fun has been abundant, and exhaustion is prevalent. I hope you have enjoyed my first ever vacation blog from good ole Tybee Island, Ga. It has been a memorable week. What location awaits next year is yet to be seen. I will resume normal textual gems sometime in the near future. Ironically, the counter indicates that more people care about my random experience on vacation rather than the textual gems. Perhaps there is something to think about for yours truly. Adios and God bless.

Vacation Day Tango Roger

The clouds were out pretty thick this morning, so Ryan and I decided to go to the movies and watch Dark Knight. I have been an avid Batman fan since childhood. After a couple hours of reflection, this might be the best movie I have ever seen. It has all the marks of a legendary film. It has subtle humor and wit, a terrific soundtrack, one tough character, great lines, a very intelligent and thrilling story, great fights scenes, and non-stop action. Heath Ledger blew me away as the Joker. His character was filled with a twisted intellectual perspective of everything that is terrifyingly evil. The movie was also very deep, full of psychology, philosophy, and ideology. It was one of those movies that you can't stop thinking about.

After we got home the sun was out and we went to the beach. I only stayed for a little while. I have grown a little bored with the beach, so I decided I would actually try to work on a sermon since I do have to return to work Sunday (the work of the Lord is never done). I knocked down 8 chapters of Isaiahic text (deutero-Isaiah as those dirty liberal scholars would call it) in just a few hours. This is the first day that I have had coffee since, well college. The caffine really had the neurons pumping.

We ate at Fannie's again. This time the ladies and children accompanied us. I had, you guessed it, shrimp, this time fried. The best ever, not too much breading and the perfect seasoning. There was also a live band. The kids loved the music. Defintely made my top 5 restaurants after tonight. It was my turn to pay. For an instant, I thought about pulling a Loyd Christmas and telling the waitress that another person would pick up my bill, then I would leave. I even had the person picked out. Then they announced that it was her 89th birthday and I felt it might be inappropriate. Well my mind is tired from exegesis and a great movie. My skin has soaked up plenty of vitamin D. Now it is time for the body to get some rest. It is hard to believe that the week is almost gone. From Tybee Island, Ga; over and out.

Vacation Wednesday

Today was a fun day. Robbie flew back home today because he has to speak at a summer youth series. The girls took him to the airport so the guys hit the beach. Ryan and I spent the morning riding the waves. We swam with the dolphins and avoided the sting rays. At first, I thought I would scoop a stingray onto my boogie board until Chris reminded me that it was a stingray that brought down the 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin. The thought of death is probably the one thing that has kept so many people alive in the face of a dare.

The girls left us alone so we went to eat. Today I found a restaurant that easily made my top 5. It is called Fannie's. It is located on the strip in Tybee Island right in front of the pier. We ate on the 2nd story open porch. It was great to view the Atlantic while eating shrimp and crab legs. Today I tried steamed shrimp. Not bad.

This is the first time that my tan line has extended beyond the boundary of my shirt sleeve (commonly known as a 'farmers tan'). I haven't had this kind of sun since I was a lifeguard. This afternoon it was really windy. We had trouble setting up our tent. If it is that windy tomorrow, I am going to make a parachute with the tent fabric and try a new invention; wind boogie boarding. In theory it works, we'll have to see how it does in trials. I think I will depart because the Cards are going to be on ESPN. Naps were scarce for the young'uns so maybe we will all get some sleep tonight. Until tomorrow, good day.

Vacation Tuesday

After two splendid feasts, I have decided that the best decision God ever made came on the 5th day, when God made shrimp. No wonder God said, "It was good." I see why Forrest Gump's friend Bubba was obsessed with them, they are delicious. I had them for lunch, fried and for supper, sauteed. Since we are in Savannah and Steph has become a cult follower of Paula Deen, we decided to eat at her restaurant. Unfortunately, we could not get reservations so we ate at the next closest thing, Paula' s brother's place, Uncle Bubba's Oyster House. If you ever go there I recommend the shrimp dinner with your choice of fried, sauteed, blackened, or grilled shrimp. I also recommend Paula's recipe, Shore is Good Seafood Dip. Robbie and I drew attention to ourselves eating it. Luckily, I have the metabolism of a hummingbird or I would have gained 20 lbs. today.

I have realized how much of a priority that people have placed on tanning. I thought that since it was so popular I would give it a try. Robbie (Ed) and I put our i-pods on, stretched out the beach chairs, put on the sunglasses and immediately the sky grew cloudy. It is a good thing. I am pretty sure we have ADHD and would never be able to just lay there while growing ever hotter. Boogie boarding was a washout today. The tide was too high and the current was really strong, but I did manage to swim with a couple of dolphins for a bit. I am amazed at how much the tide goes out in 2-3 hours. The beach level must drop at least 50 ft. in that period of time.

Addie is a water dog. That little girl absolutely loves the water. We made a sand castle today. It's life span was not long because Addie decided to eat it. A few mouthfuls of sand quickly stopped that train wreck. Steph's tan really makes her glow. She is absolutely gorgeous. All this food has left me exhausted. As the sun sets over the Atlantic, I bid thee farewell. Today's verdict: vacations are not half-bad, hot sand is!

Vacation Day Two

Today I discovered another great to add to my life. Next to steak, sweet tea, power steering, and wireless internet, I have fallen in love with "boogie boarding." This morning my brother in-law, Ryan, and I spent several hours riding waves. I think it waqs divine intervention that I discovered this great art. Two boogie boards just happened to be in our house when we got here, so Ryan and I decided to give it a try. My only regret is that I have not discovered the boogie board earlier. I have always wanted to try surfing, but for now this will do. Addie is having a blast playing in the ocean. She has no fear which gives me great fear for an ever present eye must be with her.

Today we managed to get 3 of 4 kids down at the same time for a nap. I waited all day for that moment only to fall asleep myself. Taking naps in a bed are far better than my office chair. My chair is rather slick and I tend to slide out of it.

Savannah has a really neat river walk area. You can watch giant ships come in, take in a random sax player, and enjoy some fine dining. Tonight we chose the Pirate House an authentic, really old building near downtown. The seafood was delicious.

I have learned that I am probably more exhausted from my first day of vacation than weeks of work. But I don't get to visit the ocean very often. We have had several cuts and sunburns among the group. Ryan even got stung by a jellyfish but it is all part of the price we pay for time away. This is Andy Walker, 10-4 and out.

Vacation Day One

Andy Walker reporting from beautiful Tybee Island, Georgia. This is day one of my first ever vacation (I grew up on a farm and we couldn't leave animals unfed). Our internet service is a little sporadic but I will try and post when I can.

Check out the picture view from my bedroom balcony. Beyond the trees is where the Savannah River meets the Atlantic Ocean. I am on vacation with my in-laws. There are 4 children, age 2 and under; that should be fun! We began today by worshipping with the Central Church of Christ in Savannah, Ga. They are looking for a preacher at the present time (Dale Jenkins take note) and my brother in-law and I got immediate job offers when they learned we were in the ministry.

This afternoon we swam in the ocean and played on the beach. After attending services again at 6 p.m. we enjoyed a fine cuisine from Taco Bell. Tonight I plan to watch the ESPY’s since my childhood buddy Ty Rogers wins an award for his last second shot in the NCAA tournament. My connection is fading. Until tomorrow (if the internet connection allows) blessings to all.

Review of Recently Read Books

First, I will be on vacation next week in Savannah, Ga. I have never been on vacation so I plan to blog everyday on how the vacation is going, what books I have read, etc.

Second, I have been to several luncheons lately and amazingly, the topic has been "what are some of the books you have read in the last few months." I will give some good, bad, interesting, etc. Here goes:

Commentaries:

• Isaiah by John Oswalt (really good)
• The NT use of the OT commentary edited by Greg Beale (a must have)
• Handbook on the Prophets by Robert Chisholm

Political:

• Rules for Radicals (survey of Saul Alinsky's plan for advancing socialism) (good to learn how radicals think, bad for practice)
• Power to the People by Laura Ingraham (good)
• An Inconvenient Book by Glenn Beck

Preaching:

• From Exegesis to Exposition by Robert Chisholm (great book)
• Preaching and Teaching from the OT by Walter Kaiser (good recommendations)

Other religious books:

• What does the Bible really say? (this is a guide to Jehovah's Witness doctrine that I have been reading through as I study with one of their people) (I learned that Jesus became king in Heaven in 1914 as Daniel 7.13-14 taught ha ha!)
• The Free Church and the Early Church by Williams (not one of my favorites)
• Evangelicals and Tradition by Williams (again not a favorite)
• Walking with those who weep by Ron and Don Williams (very helpful book)

This is all for now. Look forward to hearing others' suggestions of good books. I will try to have another post from the beach by Monday.

Jacob’s dream (Genesis 28)

Dreams are often vehicles for revelation in the OT (Gen. 15.1, 12; 1 Sam. 28.6). This leads us to ask, what is being revealed in Jacob’s dream. First, it is possible to be linked to God. Jacob sees a ladder that is being used by angels as a path between heaven and earth. For Jacob, this path leads to God who renews the Abrahamic covenant with Jacob. Second, God desires to have a relationship with man. He renewed his status as Jacob’s God, he promised possession of the land and innumerable descendants, and he promised security. Thirdly, God is not removed from man. Jacob went to sleep thinking he had the place all to himself but he awoke realizing that he was in the presence of God. He understood two things about “that place:” it is Bethel (“house of God”) and if it is the house of God, it is also the entrance point (gate) of heaven (28.17).

Perhaps Jacob’s dream can give us more insight into Jesus. In John 1.45-51, Jesus references Jacob’s dream in his discussion with Nathanael. Jesus convinces Nathanael that he is the Son of God. Recognizing his divine omniscience, Nathanael confesses belief in Jesus. Jesus promises to display greater things this. "Yes indeed! I tell you that you will see heaven opened and the angels of God going up and coming down on the Son of Man!" (1.51). Jesus is the place of much greater revelation, such revelation of which Jacob could only dream about.

Using Jacob’s dream, Jesus asserts: First, it is possible to be linked to God. Jesus is the ladder. He is the means by which heavenly realities will be brought to earth. Just as Abraham and Jacob mediated God’s blessing to the earth, Jesus will be the seat of blessings to mankind. Second, God desires to have a relationship with man. As Jacob’s dream revealed God’s plan to renew the covenant with Abraham, so God would bring a new covenant with man through Jesus, based also on faith. Finally, God is not removed from man. Jesus is the link between heaven and earth, the gate to heaven, the new Bethel (“house of God”) (John 2.19), and the new Israel. Not only is it possible to have access to God through Jesus, it is possible to see God through Jesus. The best part of it all is that it’s no dream!