Here I am at my favorite place--with my feet in the ocean! Photo taken by Robert Burgett on Pensacola Beach, March 2005.

Welcome to my blog!

I am so glad you decided to visit my blog. If you are reading this it means you are interested in what's going on in my world. That makes me happy! An explanation of the title: A friend of mine once said that there is one way to solve any problem you find yourself in: "Keep loving, keep loving, keep loving...and Christ always wins." Ever since I heard those words, they have been a sort of anthem of mine, so I share them with you through this site.

I look forward to receiving your comments on my posts. It is my hope that they will bring you laughter and joy!

Peace!

I hope this message finds you doing well and enjoying fresh drinking water, electricity, indoor plumbing, petroleum products, the roof over your head and the dry ground under your feet! Knowing all of you, you are not only enjoying those things, but realizing how blessed we are to have them! I thought I’d send my periodic update on all things MC. Sit back, put your feet up and get ready for some fascinating reading!

I have to share with you all how God is moving among the teenagers here at Cokesbury UMC in Pensacola. Over the last seven days, I have witnessed such awesome divine movement, I can hardly translate it into words. But I will try. We had a terrific retreat with our high school freshmen last weekend. I think one of the most exciting experiences was hearing one of our girls explain how getting her lip pierced can be a part of her worship and witness for Christ and open avenues she otherwise wouldn’t have for sharing His truth and love. Praise Him for teenagers who make their faith a part of their lives. He is at work, and it’s fun to watch!

The excitement of the retreat has been all but overshadowed by the catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina. Our kids are still living among the devastation of Ivan, and yet they realize Ivan was nothing compared to this storm. The emotions the storm evoked are astounding. People in Pensacola are truly shaken and feel a sense of utter helplessness for the victims. Driving through blue-roofed neighborhoods and past piles of debris here everyday, we realize that these people will be recovering from Katrina for YEARS and YEARS. Their lives and world will never be the same…in more than the obvious ways.

But God does work in all things for the advancement of His Kingdom. I’ll explain one way I see Him working here. If you have spent any time at all around teenagers in a faith setting, you know that it is extremely rare and precious to witness genuine movement in their spirits. Tuesday night, I had the uncommon fortune of that experience. We used our regular Bible study time as a time of discussion and prayer concerning the hurricane. After we made a lengthy list of concerns, I asked the teenagers to take turns lifting up each request aloud. God’s Spirit was in that place! I listened as these youth spoke to God with both despair and hope in their voices. Teenagers not only prayed out loud without GIGGLING, but they actually prayed things that weren’t even on our list! They used their own words to plead with God for the good of His children! For a moment in time, these teenagers seemed to forget self and concentrate sincerely on the needs of others and God’s power to provide. I was blessed to witness that.

Then I invited them to Wal-mart yesterday for a scavenger hunt/shopping trip. They were out of school and had been calling since Tuesday morning to find out if I had any WORK for them to do after the storm. (They have come to expect me to put them to work cleaning the yards of our elderly church family members. Strange, huh?) So, I had them all called yesterday and gave them about three hours notice about the trip. I expected ten or 12 to show up to shop for supplies to send to the hurricane victims. Imagine my surprise when 32 teenagers stood before me waiting for instructions for shopping! Imagine my bewilderment when, at the end of the trip, we had actually attracted five or six more who I have never seen—who just happened to be in Wal-mart and begged to join us! These youth brought $300 to spend on cleaning and medical supplies. When we got to the register and our bill was almost $400, one of their moms added the $100 we needed. Outstanding! We are continuing our supply drive this weekend, asking the rest of the church to help us send the items to Mississippi and Louisiana.

Romans 8:28 says that God is able to use all things for the good of those who love Him and are called by Him. One of the things I draw from this passage is that God is able to use everything—anything—as a means of enlarging His Kingdom. I’ll testify to that! I believe I have witnessed His Kingdom grow this week.

In other news, my family is doing well. We celebrated (an I do mean CELEBRATED) Joy’s wedding to Cale Smith on August 6th at Frog Hill, Mom’s new home. What a JOY-ful event it was! We thanked God for sending marvelous weather just in time for the ceremony. And we enjoyed watching Cale, Robert and others “show us what they were working with” on the dance floor. I treasured the hours spent vacuuming the house with Mom after everyone else went home. Seriously, it was a blessing to clean up after such a blessed event.

Matt and Oana escaped Baton Rouge rather unwittingly when they headed to Pensacola for a visit last Friday. Once here, they couldn’t return to Baton Rouge, so they continued north after two glorious days on the beach and are temporarily living with Mom. They should be able to return to their home (three blocks from the levee) this weekend.

Anne Cumbie started her SENIOR year on August 18th. I know, I can’t believe it either. When I called her last night she was trying to decide which baby pictures to use for the yearbook and senior graduation video. (She was upset because there were too many adorable ones.) There’s nothing like watching a child grow up to remind you how quickly this life passes. Our precious Annie will move to Auburn in less than a year.

Mom was recently promoted at AUM. She is now the Assistant Director of the AUM Learning Center. She is still teaching composition and entertaining the masses. The new job means an extra trip to Montgomery every week, which is eating into the raise that came along with the new job. Pray for her safety on the roads and her continued ability to put gas in the car.

Mom is also dabbling in the antiques business. She is starting slow and will be using her new home as her shop. She and I are heading to Fredericksburg, Texas, in October to check out the antiques fair there. We can’t wait!

Robert and I are doing very well these days and enjoying repeated confirmation that our relationship is pleasing to God and others. Robert has just a couple more semesters before graduation. We are praying about his future employment, and he is looking for the “right” place to continue as a staff member for Young Life. The possibilities are thrilling, and Young Life treats its ministry staff incredibly well. He hopes to be on full-time staff by this time next year. His class load this semester is heavy, and he is working both for Young Life and at the mall, so please keep him in your prayers. I wish you all could get to know Robert—he is a wonderful and loving man and a testament to God’s creativity!

As for me, I am enjoying being a homeowner. My condo suffered no damage in Arlene, Dennis or Katrina. Every faucet leaks, though, so I’ll soon be getting to know a plumber very well. I am enjoying decorating (slowly) and dreaming of the profit I’ll make when I sell! My latest purchase was a Schwinn which cost slightly more than four tanks of gas. I live a mile from work, so I’ll soon be leaving the Xterra at the condo everyday. I am taking the first steps toward transforming my photography from a hobby to a business. God keeps opening doors for my work to be recognized, and Robert and I are researching art shows in the area. I hope to begin selling my work at shows in the spring. Keep me in your prayers!

I still love Cokesbury UMC and the people here. The friends I have made and the things they have taught me are amazing. What gifts I have been given through the people I have worked with over the last three years—Gordon, Diane, Marla, Young and all the people here in Pensacola. I consider my boss now, Dr. McVay, to be one of the best leaders I have observed. As with others I have admired in my lifetime, he is a man of genuine humility, great intellect and undying optimism. He and his family have become like a second family to me…God has truly blessed me.

Well, if you’ve made it to the end of my update your life is boring and you need to get a hobby. But I appreciate your interest! Each of you is dear to me, and I am grateful for the huge part you have played in my life! I would love to hear from you soon…you can even write as much as I did!!

Let me know how I can pray for you and how God is evident in your life!