Seeking Bloggers For This Site

I am looking for a few individuals to work with me as a team in this new ministry from the ground floor up. Part of the ministry is writing, contributing to this blog column.

I am an experienced blogger and know how to get peoples attention, but writing a daily and sometimes weekly story can be difficult, besides with several eyes and hearts working on a project the quality can be improved.

Voice of Truth Ministry is about overcoming hardship, and through Christ finding hope, grace and healing on the other end.

Requirements:

• Be a sinner who has found healing through Jesus Christ. Your hardship(s) may include, but are not limited to substance abuse, overeating, immorality, victim issues, etc.
• Be willing to share your story with others. Your anonymity will be protected.
• Have some writing ability, and be willing to have others look at your work and make constructive comments. (a challenge for me!)
• Be willing to write stories/columns, from 100 to 400 words with a single point in mind, Biblical reference, ending in a message of hope.
• Be willing to get together as a team in person if possible, is not a requirement but would be nice.

Email me if interested, then we can talk about it on the phone. I'd like to see a sample of your work if you are truly sincere about helping.

by Andrew

When Christ healed people he forgave them of their sins.

The scripture we studied today was in the Bible, Mark chapter 2.  I found it interesting that when ever Jesus healed someone, he didn't say anything like "you are healed", instead he forgave them of their sins, and then they were healed.  That's my interpretation anyway.

NIV Mark Chapter 2:1 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Read the chapter. 
by Andrew


It's amazing that once we start to straighten out our life, things start to get better.  God bless you in your recovery and healing.

Sea Turtle Nesting Has Begun In Florida

This is a natural follow-up to my Florida's Best Beaches article I posted yesterday! 

According to the research scientists and biologists and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Sea Turtle nesting has begun.

One of the most memorable times in my life was when I was on an official Sea Turtle Walk with a trained biologist from the Sea Turtle Preservation Society, in Melbourne, FL.  It was late in the nesting season as I recall (mid-July) and right in the middle of watching a Mama Loggerhead lay her eggs, a nest started hatching just six feet away, and all these little turtles were scrambling around us!

FWC says, Florida’s sea turtle nesting season started this month and continues through October.  FWC is asking beachgoers to be careful and watch out for sea turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs. Leatherback turtle nests already have been documented this year on beaches in Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties.

Please respect Florida’s sea turtles by leaving them alone and staying at a distance when you spot them moving across the sand or laying eggs,” said Robbin Trindell, who is responsible for sea turtle management at the FWC. “Sea turtles are resilient species, having been on earth for millions of years, but the turtles and their eggs and hatchlings are especially vulnerable whenever they appear on our beaches.  For the full article click here.

I hope you all will look around for similar awesome natural events like this in your area and make some memories for a lifetime.  When you go, please take a kid!

Photo credit - Thomas Dunkerton  and The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

5 of the Top 10 US Beaches are in Florida

You know, I have to venture away from my shooting, fishing, hiking stories for this one!


Trip Adviser just named five of the top ten beaches in the United States right here in my home state of Florida.  Of the top ten, they named: St. Pete #1, Miami Beach #2, Daytona Beach #6, Fort Lauderdale #7 and Key West #10.  Personally my favorite is Playalinda Beach which is part of the Canaveral National Sea Shore, just 30 minutes south of Daytona in Brevard County.  I'm sure it was just too small (or not commercial enough) to name.


So, next time you need to relax on the sand with the waves lapping the shore, practice your surfing or throwing in a fishing line consider coming to visit us in Florida.  For the full article on Trip Advisor, click here.

The Springtime Has Been A Flurry Of 4-H Shooting Sports Activities

The springtime has been a flurry of 4-H shooting sports activities in and outside of Brevard County. In February, the University of Florida / Brevard County Extension hosted the 2012 4-H Muzzle Loading tournament in Mims, and in March back-to-back was the state rifle match, the state 4-H shotgun tournament and the state archery match.

Of all the tournaments the muzzle loading rifle or black powder tournament is the least conventional match students participate in, shooting a number of strange and unique targets. Not only do they shoot at paper targets but they also shoot at steel silhouettes, and sometimes candles or charcoal hanging on the string to see if they can make it go “poof”!

The state rifle match, open to all kids eight and above is probably the most conventional shooting sports activity, similar to Olympic style shooting. In this match the kids shoot three position (prone, kneeling and standing) air rifle at distances of 10 meters and .22 long rifle at 75 feet.

The state shotgun match coming up this weekend, is a fun filled day of trap and skeet, shooting at bright orange clay targets traveling away from them at 40 miles per hour! At this tournament, kids 12 and above participate in 50 rounds of each game, trap and skeet and scores can be as high as 95 percent! We haven’t had a perfect score yet. Some kids may shoot low or medium range scores, but that’s okay! In 4-H we compete mostly against ourselves, trying to Make Our Best Better (the 4-H motto).

This year at the Eastern-Newberry Sports Complex in Newberry, Florida nearly 200 children participated in the state archery match. At this tournament the kids shot 3-D animal targets, field targets and Olympic style targets. It was a great day with beautiful weather and Brevard County came home with two major awards in First Place Intermediate Team (age 11-13) Unsighted Recurve, and First Place Junior Team (age 8-10) Unsighted Recurve. All of the individual shooters did very well.

If you would like to see 4-H shooting sports in action, join us at the Brevard County Fair! For more information, please contact Gus Koerner at 633-1702 or by email at gkoerner@ufl.edu.

NSSF Urges Support of Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Act in Senate

This article appeared today from the National Shooting Sports Foundation...

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry, is encouraging all sportsmen, gun owners and firearms enthusiasts to contact members of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works today and urge them to support the Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act (S. 1249 / H.R. 3065). This bi-partisan legislation will give states greater flexibility in using their Pittman-Robertson.  (Money received from fishing and hunting licenses, guns and ammo)

A recent survey by the Responsive Management Company has shown that the biggest obstacle to participation in hunting and the shooting sports is access....

 In addressing this concern, the Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Act will not only help sportsmen and target shooters, but wildlife and conservation efforts as well. Active participation in hunting and the shooting sports means increased production of firearms and ammunition....

By allowing the states more latitude in determining how excise tax dollars are used to enhance and develop public shooting facilities, wildlife conservation funding will increase....

Read the entire article 

Photo credit above: Crook County School District, NJROTC 2007.

What sign am I?

About two or three years ago our church did the What sign are you? message in worship service.  See this link for another congregation.  I couldn't do it.  I think I really was sick that day, but even if I wasn't I still wouldn't have done it.  I didn't want to air my dirty laundry in front of my friends.  I'm big on anonymity.

This sign to the left could have been mine.

My Mom told me when I was a kid that my Dad stopped drinking beer when my sister took an open one in the fridge and drank some of it when she was a toddler.  It just dawned on me this morning that I used that as permission to drink later in life.  My Dad drank, but had to quit because of my big sister and not for any other reason could have been my reasoning.  My first time to get drunk was when I was 15 or 16.  I had my one and only DUI related accident when I was 17, but no one knew it besides me and my Mom.  I drank in college and pretty much was obsessed with alcohol from then on.

Skip forward 25 years and I found myself drinking way too much.  I knew how bad that was (in my head) so I went to one of those confidential Employee Assistance Program counselors for substance abuse and he sent me to an AA meeting.  AA was just what I needed, and I picked up my white chip and did about 85 meetings in 90 days.

I am still in recovery.  It has been about a year since I had my last drink.  For the longest time I would stay sober for a year and then drink constant for two months.  The wasted time, damaged relationships and squandered money is a huge part of that period of my life.

Today by the grace of God I have no desire to drink, and my family is still healing.  I'll talk to you another day about guilt and regret, because today I am filled with gratitude over my sobriety, my family and all the blessings in my life.
By Andrew

The Prayer of Jabez

A few weeks ago, I was looking for something inspirational in the house to read, and my wife handed me this book; The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life, by Bruce Wilkinson.  Published in 2000, it is based on the Old Testament passage 1 Chronicles 4:9-10

Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request. (NIV)

In the book, Wilkinson encourages Christians to invoke this prayer for themselves on a daily basis: "I challenge you to make the Jabez prayer for blessing part of the daily fabric of your life. To do that, I encourage you to follow unwaveringly the plan outlined here for the next thirty days. By the end of that time, you'll be noticing significant changes in your life, and the prayer will be on its way to becoming a treasured, lifelong habit."

I have to admit I didn't pray this prayer for a month, only a couple of weeks (prior to this blog starting).  Humm, I wonder if they're connected??  I urge anyone to read this book who wants to expand the circle of influence of their life, in bringing others to God.  To find it, search your favorite book seller with the title or ISBN-13: 978-1590524756.

By Andrew