bobgsmith

Fletcher- needed help!

  I know this is a terrible picture.  It was taken at night as we were driving down the main street of Ft. Lauderdale.  I almost hit a man who was laying in the bicycle lane.  As you can see the sidewalk was closed and when Fletcher tried to maneuver around the construction he fell out of his wheelchair and both landed in the street.  I circled back around and placed my car between him and the traffic so that I could help him.  He was drunk, cussed, and went back to sleep.  We called the police, who knew Fletcher and together we got him back in his chair and on the sidewalk.  I wanted to help him more BUT he didn't want our help.

I share this with you to remind all of us that ministry everywhere.   We need to reach out when we can.

bob

The Quest!

THE QUEST!

 

Linda and I went to the Century Village Clubhouse recently to see selections from the musical Man of La Mancha.  Once again, I was inspired by the music and its words.

 

  When the kitchen maid, Aldonza, asks the feeble Don Quixote, “Why do you do the things you do?”, he responds “...because I want to spread a little grace in such a tainted world.  It is my Quest!”

 

This past year has been a kind of ‘quest’ for Linda and I as well.  Leaving our home, family, friends, church of thirty-two years, raising support instead of providing support, serving a church of 75 instead of 2,000 and working with a staff of 3 ½ instead of 30 was a bold 'quest' we accepted. Residing in the 2^nd least churched city in America instead of the heart of the Bible Belt brought new, unexpected challenges for people our age, so set in our ways.

 

Our quest this year found us meeting with a Jewish Rabbi, a Messianic Rabbi, hosting several Bible studies in our home and my accepting a co-leadership role as teacher of the weekly CV Bible study that meets at the clubhouse. Over a year's time, the attendance has doubled at that study and the spirit of evangelism is moving among the faithful few.  God is blessing! Linda and I continue to build relationships inside our community. January plans include offering two new studies in our condo with the hopes of expanding to one or two satellite studies out in the Village. Linda has organized and will be directing two new Village choirs for the purpose of developing more relationships and continuing our efforts to earn a measure of trust and goodwill in the Village.

 

While we aren’t certain of the exact path God has planned for us, we are commited to the "quest" He has laid out before us, “No matter how hopeless, no matter how hard”.

 

Thanks to all for your support and desire to partner with us in this "glorious quest"! 

 

Bob & Linda Smith

Kin u spail?

Linda and I were talking about our blog and she, being the former school teacher, commented that when I get in a hurry I don't proof- read and let some spelling and grammatical errors slip through.  Well, I have checked this blog out and didn't see a single mistake.  Can you see any?

Have a GREAT day in the Lord!

bob

For Your viewing pleasure!

Sunday was a weird day!  Yanice, one of our members decorated the building for Christmas and it was beautiful!!!!!!  The building is feeling more like home every day. 

During the service I took a picture of us watching a video that Alex shot while he was in Indy for Thanksgiving.  The video contained lots of winter scenes and snow.

Then we announced our participation in our city's "Snow Fest."  On a beautifull, sunny  day they truck in 45 tons of artificial snow for the kids to play in.  It's a hoot to see kids in boots, mittens and shorts rolling around in the snow and making snowballs.

After church Linda and I went to Applebees for lunch and to watch the Colts game.  Can you believe that they don't televise EVERY Colts game.  Talk about sacrifice! 

So being 'real' fans, we cheered them on over a long lunch.  It was ugly BUT they won!

Go Colts!

God's Sense of timing!

Imagine--- you are a single guy, hanging around a bookstore, when a beautiful girl comes up and asks, "Do you know anything about this book?"  It was The 40 Days of Purpose by Rick Warren.  If you have read it you know why is was a best seller for over a year.  What's so providential (isn't that a great word) about this meeting is that the Pursuit was doing a series on the book and studying it in our Community Groups. 

Lliana is the lady on my right in the white tee. 

The rest of the story!  Lliana came to a Community group before she attended our Sunday service.  After attending the services, we began to teach her and here we are at the beach getting ready for her baptism.

Doing baptisms in the ocean is kinda cool.  She is a sweet young lady who is on a God journey!

Makes me want to go to the bookstore!  But then some old, bearded, guy might ask me about a book.

Blessings,

Bob & Linda

Karaoke!

Every Tuesday eveningfor the last ten years, Benny G has been hosting a Karaoke Nite at Marcella's Italian restaurant.    Benny is in his eighties and sings very well.  Linda and I have joined this merry band of minstrels several times.  Benny has become Linda's advocate in recruiting members for the "Young at Heart" choir she plans to start. (It's the old knees and hips that I worry about.)

   ????? brought the house down with her rendition of "Second Hand Rose".  She is eighty-seven and can still belt if out. 

This couple couldn't resist the urge to trip the light fantastic.

        Of course , my favorite of any evening was Linda singing, "Somewhere Over The Rainbow."

That's  amorie!

Cool Pics!

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about my new camera, Cool Pix S60.  Well here is a 'Cool Pic" that I took with it. Yuleima was immersed by Janie MeHaffey in the MeHaffey's hot tub.  We have had a baptism each of the last four Sundays!  Yeah God!

Praise Man - Praise GOD!

   Last week I took Linda out to a special place called the Rusty Pelican.  We were celebrating that we sold our home in Indy.  The restaurant is special because it has a wonderful view of the Miami shore line.  We both were amazed at how they can build these huge buildings right to the waters edge.  The ingenuity and creativity of man was awesome. 

Then we loitered awhile and observed the the sunset over the city.       

WOW!!!!!!!!!!! What man has done didn't begin to compare with what the Creator has done.

"God, my God, how great you are!           beautifully, gloriously robed,       Dressed up in sunshine,                      and all heaven stretched out for your tent.                                                             

YOU built your palace on the ocean deeps,                                                  Made a chariot out of clouds and took off on wind-wings.

YOU commandeered winds as messengers, appointed fire and flame as ambassadors.                                                                                                                      What a wildly wonderful world. GOD!  You made it all, with Wisdom at your side.

The glory of God------let it last forever!    Psalms 104:1,2,ff

God's Biggest Fan!

"COOL" PIX that is

Guess what I got for my birthday!Linda gave me a Nikon S60.  What's cool about it......first it takes great pictures (that's important in a camera.)  Next, it has this amazing touch screen -no buttons to push, just touch the screen.  When you want to see your pictures - you just move your finger to the left or right (you don't even have to know your left from your right.)  It fits into my pocket.  Lastly, it's red - now that cooler than the one in pink.

What's not cool - reading the Manuel, figuring out how to get the pictures out of the camera and into  my computer, seeing a great picture and having it disappear while I'm looking for the right symbol to hit.  Trying to adjust the composure of the picture in the computer using a new photo program.

IDEA TO SELF:   try and get the whole camera industry to standardize the size of batteries!

Come on down to visit and I'll take your picture. Cool! Or I use crayons and paper and draw a picture of you.

"Friends are friends forever"

One of the great things about living in Miami is that many people like to visit.  This week we enjoyed having one of my college roommates and his wife, Gary & Cindy Stanton, visit with us.  Gary and Cindy have served the Lord in a variety ways and places.  We have been blessed by them and their friendship for almost forty years.  

They currently live in Centerville, OH and attend a great church there.  Cindy teaches school and Gary is a part owner in the Christian Blue Pages.  It offers advertising for Christian companies.

They were very complimentary about the Pursuit.

It was good to  have old friends here so that we could introducece them to our new friends.

bob