My friend Bill

If you're in Augusta, you have probably heard about the accident today between a dump truck and a Honda Helix. My friend Bill was on the Helix, and did not survive the accident.
I knew Bill from our work together as Chaplains at a local hospital. He was a gracious, caring man, who loved and served God in many different capacities. He would often call to tell me he was on his way to Canada, or Florida, or a church camp, to do missions work.
Bill loved the "old time Gospel hymns and songs", and made several CDs singing and playing his guitar.
He loved God - he loved his family - and he loved ministering to people.
When you pray today, please pray for Bill's wife Marian and his family.

Testing, 1, 2, 3...

Apparently some of the readers of this blog have tried to post comments, but have been unsuccessful. We're (and by "we" I mean our Webmaster, Mike!) are working to resolve this issue. In the meantime, thanks for checking in on "The Eagle's Nest."

"I did not know that!"

April 19 we are beginning a new series called "Heroes." We'll be studying the lives of many of the characters in the book of Genesis. As I've started preparing, I've thought that I need to subtitle the series, "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly"! God was honest in making sure we understood that Biblical "Heroes" were human, just like us.

We are beginning our study with Abraham. As I've been researching his early life, I've been channeling Johnny Carson - "I did not know that!" Come Sunday - 11:00 a.m. - and I have an idea you'll be echoing those words!

Thank you, pray-ers

"Blessing" is such an over-used word in Christian circles - there's an idea for an upcoming blog - a "Christianese Dictionary!"
Having said that, I can think of no better word to describe those of you who pray for me than "blessing." It's one thing to say we believe in the power of prayer - it's another thing to actually pray!
I am blessed to have a group of people at Open Door who pray - not just for me, but for anyone who contacts our prayer chain. (There's a link on our church website you can use to submit a prayer request to me. If you want it to be private, let me know. Otherwise, I'll let the Prayer Team know, and they'll be praying!)
Throughout my week at hospitals and long-term care facilities, I am often asked to "put me on your prayer chain." I love being able to tell them about the Prayer Team at Open Door!
Prayer Team, I depend on your prayer support. Thank you for your faithfulness. And thank you for praying for me this week - keep it up!

Good Friday

>From time to time my wife Donna will be contributing to this blog. I'm sure it won't be long until she'll have her own! This is from her:

On this day about 2000 years ago, your friends must have been so devastated. Their dreams and best hopes for deliverance were crushed, their hearts were broken by the death of their best friend. Certainly, they were confused. They had seen you raise a man from the dead, give sight to the blind, walk on water. Yet you did not use this power to prevent your capture, torture and death. How could you save the world if you were DEAD? Peter must have felt particularly awful, thinking about how he had fulfilled your prophecy by betraying you three times. And the others had just slunk away not knowing what to do.

How sorrowful your poor mother must have been. She must have recalled your miraculous birth, the angel that TOLD her that you were the Messiah. Could she have been delusional when she had those angel visitations? How could you be the Messiah if you were hanging there DEAD? And if it were all just a dream, how could she have become pregnant? She knew that she had not been with a man before she was pregnant.

There were so many ways that she had watched you and KNEW that you were special.

She had seen you turn water into wine, heal the sick. How could those things have happened if you were not GOD’s son? But how could God’s son be dead?

You had always been so kind to her, so considerate. And now she would have to bury you. NO mother should have to bury her child.

This was the darkest day of her life- the darkest day in the history of the world. Her hopes and dreams of yearning for the Messiah were crushed.

They had been so cruel to him- those soldiers. How could any man withstand such a beating? She shivered thinking about it. It was so cold without him. Even the sky had gotten pitch black in the middle of the day.

How could she manage to go on? This was such a dark day this Friday- such a bad day.

And what do we call this day today? Good Friday!!!

What transformed this horrible day—the worst in the history of the world into a day that the world celebrates as “Good Friday”?

Mary woke on Sunday perhaps exhausted from too little sleep. There was something she must do. She must anoint the body. Who would go with her to move that huge stone? His disciples were hiding. They may not want to be seen near the tomb. But one last time she simply MUST do something for him. It was the last thing she could do for him.

The man asked who she was looking for. “He is not here. He has risen”.

Risen? What did he mean – risen? Just like he woke up and got up? That would mean he was alive? How could that be? Surely someone was playing a trick?

And then she saw him. “Mary, it is I.”

He had overcome death. That changes everything. EVERYTHING.

She must tell someone. She must tell EVERYONE. He was dead and now he is alive.

That changes everything.

Friday changed everything. GOOD Friday.

Sunday's Coming

It's golf tournament time in Augusta. The eyes of the golfing world are fixed on our world-famous golf course. The final day of the tournament is Sunday, and some of the most exciting golf ever played is played on "the back nine at Augusta."
But the most exciting and life-changing news ever heard is being celebrated Sunday in churches throughout Augusta - and the world. It's the news that "Jesus is alive and well!"
If you're in Augusta - whether it's your home, or you're in town for the golf - I welcome you to meet with us at Open Door Community Church Sunday at 11:00 a.m. as we celebrate Easter.

Look out, PK's blogging!

It had to happen sooner or later. I have now entered the blog-osphere! I'm sure I won't be blogging daily, but I hope to give you something worth reading and thinking about at least 2-3 times a week.