The Lord gave us a good day. Katie has enjoyed having Adele's help in Sunday School this year.  Mark and 3 of his children were also with us.  Alec and Connie joined us for the morning service.  Everyone but Alec and Connie were back this evening.

This morning I preached on "God's Woodshed" from II Chronicles 33; How Manasseh went from Rebellion to Revival. Tonight we looked topically at the subject of fear.  It was a good study.  We also observed the Lord's Supper.

There was a really sweet spirit in our services today for which we thank the Lord.  

We got to see all that and more today as we went to Loanhead Gala days.  This is a big community event.  The weather really hampered them this week but the show went on.  We enjoyed a parade with many pipe and wind bands. There was a stunt show which lit a person on fire. Another man did a free fall from a cherry picker onto a blow up landing pad. Two other guys ran around in a huge double hamster wheel that went about thirty feet up in the air.  

The dog show was really fun.  The finale was all of them running and jumping through 4 separate flaming rings.  We also enjoyed candy floss (cotton candy) and chips (fries.)  No we didn't eat them at the same time.  Loanhead does a great Gala days.  It was good fun for our family despite the 30 mph wind and temperatures in the low fifties. 

The Lord gave us some encouragement through divine appointments the last two days.  Yesterday morning I bumped into a young man who I led to the Lord about 8 months ago.  He was with his mum whom I have chatted with as well. Dawn's father just passed away.  Please pray that God will work in Ben and Dawn's hearts and that they will find His comfort.

Last night we saw the Adam's family.  We've enjoyed getting to know them.  Lord willing, their kids will attend some of our HBT. We also saw Jordan's dad, Graeme, just as I was saying I hadn't seen him in a while. (God's timing was perfect.)

We saw Michael at the parade.  He said that he has been very busy lately.  Please pray for God to continue to work in his heart.  We also saw Gordon (Connie's husband) at the parade.

God is faithful.  He is working. Thanks for praying.

(Here are some pics from the parade.)

Thanks for everyone who sent Benson a birthday card.  My kids love opening each one of those.  His birthday was Wednesday. It was a fun day.  Alec and Elizabeth came over that evening and joined us for cake.  We hid Benson's birthday present *(bike) in their garage and they brought that with them.  Please pray for God to continue to do His good work in their hearts.

Last night we were encouraged to see Ellie back with us.  She and Skye plus our family made up our group last night.  The Hikins have had their van in the body shop for the last 10 days.  The replacement vehicle only has room for 4.  So, they will be thrilled to get their vehicle back on Monday.

Timothy's brother's surgery went very well.  But, his grandma (dad's mum) passed away on Wednesday.  Please pray for comfort for the family and that we can reach out to them during this time.

We had our first thunderstorm of the summer this morning.  We rarely get thunderstorms - so, it is a special treat. I love weather excitement! 

The Lord gave many good opportunities today as I went into Edinburgh. It seems everyone was in a good mood because of the fair weather.  It was a really nice day. It is almost hard to remember each person I chatted with because the opportunities to chat were abundant.  I gave a flyer to the most pierced lady in the world.  I was glad to speak with her briefly and let her know that I had prayed that I'd get a chance to talk with her.  Her face is covered with piercings. Please pray that God will work in her heart and that I'll have a future follow up opportunity.

I chatted with a mother and two daughters from Maryland.  We talked for 20 minutes. I spoke with Mark next (after a brief chat with a man from Germany).  Mark is born again but not currently attending a church. He lives in a village about 20 miles from Loanhead.  He could come to our church if he wanted to.  Please pray that God will work in his heart.

Neil (22) and Robin (17) were sitting on a park bench a little ways from there. Neither of them had ever though much about eternity or God. We had a fun chat and I hope the Gospel will take root in their hearts.

David (16) is open and thinking.  He chatted with me for about 20 minutes and allowed me to show him some passages of Scripture.  I took him to Psalm 22 and showed him what the Bible said about the crucifixion 1000 years before it happened.

There were other opportunities that God gave.  I spoke to atheists, agnostics, catholics, evolutionists, theistic evolutionists, etc.  Please pray that God will guard the seed that was sown in these hearts. 

After 3 days of rain and clouds, you get pretty excited to see the sun shining.  Now if it would just get up into the 60's we'd really be smiling!

I finished putting out flyers in Rosslyn this morning.  It took about 2 hours to complete and I didn't have a good witnessing opportunity until close to the end.  Bobby lives in Loanhead but was sitting in his work vehicle in Rosslyn. He knows Alec and told me to greet him.  Please pray that God will put a spiritual thirst in Bobby's heart.  Like many here, he just doesn't think about spiritual things.

The very next house I approached after talking with Bobbie was my next opportunity. Alistair was working on his door frame.  He stopped and chatted for about 20 minutes.  I'm glad to have had those opportunities.  I sensed the Lord leading in my morning but every person I tried to talk to was a closed door (until I met these two men.)  God's good.  Please pray that we will continue to plow in hope.

Nobody other than our family attended last night but the Lord gave us a good service as we studied God's faithfulness.

Katie and I have now been married for a dozen years.  Wow!  It just keeps getting better and better.  I'm very thankful for the wife that God has given me.

The Vogelpohl's watched ALL of our children yesterday while we went on a date. We enjoyed lunch overlooking Edinburgh's Famous Forth Rail Bridge and toured Hopetoun House which is a 300 year old mansion. It was a great day despite the weather. (We've had a particularly rough start to the summer.)

We had Mark and 4 kids, Adele, and Alec in church this morning. I preached from Romans12:1-2 on, "A Man for the Lord." The sacrifice we are to give the Lord is our "self, soul, sinlessness, satisfaction (His) and service." I was reminded how much our understanding of God's will for our lives is dependent upon our surrender. "Present your bodies....that ye may know what is that good and acceptable and perfect (complete) will of God."

Yesterday I put out about 250 more flyers in Roslynn.  One more time there and that area will be finished.  I had a few good witnessing opportunities.  I prayed before I started that I would take whatever time needed on any opportunity.  I talked with a Jehovah's Witness couple for half an hour.  I don't believe it was wasted and the Lord reminded me of that prayer.

I've shared this before, but want to share it again because I believe it is effective.  I always ask them if they believe the ten commandments.  One of the ten is a command not to bow down to false gods.  I then ask them why people worshipped Jesus?  (Wise men, those who were healed, Mary after the resurrection, disciples at the ascension, and in Revelation.  In Hebrews God commands the angels to worship Jesus.) I also point out that men who were worshipped in Scripture always said that they were just men. Jesus never did. I also showed her John 1 and  Colossians 1 where it clearly says that Jesus created every single thing and pointed out that in the beginning God created.

Please pray for this couple.  I don't doubt their sincerity. The Lord guided in our conversation and I'm thankful that He gave me that opportunity.

It was our family and Skye last night at church.  The community centre was very busy with lawn bowlers last night.  I know that some of them heard us singing and trust that God pricked their hearts. We are doing what the Lord wants us to do. He will build His church.  Keep praying.  God is working.

Well, we had a once in a lifetime experience this morning as the Olympic Flame Relay passed within 100 feet of our home. London is hosting the 2012 Olympics and the flame has travelled throughout the United Kingdom.  We enjoyed seeing it. I'll put some pictures below.

The Lord gave us a divine appointment yesterday as we had a picnic on Calton Hill in Edinburgh.  Sanjo (sp.) is from Japan. He is 22 years old and will be completing his last year of studies in Glasgow next year.  His family worships idols that have "spirits" in them.  I don't think anyone has ever explained Christianity to him before.  We talked for close to 20 minutes. I took a picture of him with my kids on his camera.  Hopefully, he will email me and we will be able to keep in touch.  

Enjoy the flame pics.  We have an Olympic flag that we are going to use with our HBT (Holiday Bible Time.)  Thankfully it arrived in time for today.

(You can see the torch bearer in white just in front of the car.)

(There he is!)

We saw the flame that will burn at the olympics!

Today I went to Rosslyn and put out flyers for a couple hours.  Rosslyn is less than 2 miles from Loanhead. Rosslyn Chapel is the supposed location *according to the Davinci Code - where the Holy Grail is located. (....or so I have been told.)

I enjoyed listening to Pastor Tony Slutz on my ipod as I walked.  I witnessed briefly to a man named Alec. I didn't feel like I did that great of a job in expressing the Gospel but he was a good listener.  And I'm reminded that God can use simple things to awaken men's hearts.

Michael texted me. It was good to hear from him.  Please pray that God would meet the needs in his heart. Lord willing, we will see him back with us soon.

The Lord gave us an encouraging day today.  We had the Hikins and Adele with us in Sunday School. Timothy and Alec joined us for the morning service.  I preached on, "When God Fills Your Net" from Luke 5:1-11.  One point that stands out to me is that "When you see God as He is - you see yourself as you are."  The disciples were confronted with the glorious power of God and Peter cried out, "Depart from me for I am a sinful man."

Tonight it was the Shore family.  We looked at what the Bible teaches about faith. Timothy's mum peaked in just before the service and invited us over after church.  Her cat just had a litter of kittens and she knew the kids would enjoy seeing them.  She was right!  We had a good time with their family.  Please pray for Timothy's younger brother.  He is having both hips replaced next Monday.  Obviously it is a major surgery and he is a bit scared. We have let him know that we are praying for him and trust that God will show him His grace through the surgery.

Onward...forward!  Thanks for your prayers.