Comfort Zones

Everyone has a comfort zone, whether it is a specific routine, a close group of friends, or as simple as using the same shampoo to wash your hair. These zones occur in all aspects of life, including our work. I have been presenting the “Ancient War” four part series for a year now and as a result, I’ve become confident in communicating a truly exciting message. I have been invited to share the series at many events and have honed the presentation to where I have it down. It has become my Son Safaris comfort zone and I have been blessed because of the powerful message it sends.

But let me tell you a story…

 Back in 2003, when Julie and I were married, during the ceremony when we were exchanging our rings, Tim Hudson shared a story.  He began to explain that a goldsmith obtains gold first by extracting it from the rock. In order to do so, he heats it to melt the gold but it is not yet ready to be used. He then turns up the heat again, and carefully removes any impurities which float to the surface. The impurities are then scooped off the top and the heat is turned up again. This process continues until the gold becomes so refined that the goldsmith can eventually see his own face reflected off the pure surface. Now the gold is ready to use.

I have been asked to create a new series to present at Cornelia Christian Church, and the process has been stressing me out. The Lord has been turning up the heat in my life. Like the goldsmith, he has begun turning up the heat under my comfort zone in order to get out more of those impurities. This is happening and will continue to happen until, eventually, the Lord can see Himself in me.

Even though I may be a little anxious now, I know the Lord is blessing this ministry and my family. I welcome all the new opportunities the Lord has given me and ‘Thank Him’ for opening up new doors for Son Safaris to step through and present exciting and incredible messages where God communicates through His creation.

 

Here are a few of the events coming up on my calendar this weekend:


www.sonsafaris.com

When: Friday, 29 October, 11am – 12pm

Where: Chapel @ Atlanta Christian College

Son Safaris has been invited to speak at A.C.C.'s ''Friday Special Events' service.

Contact: whuxford@acc.edu


When: Friday, 29 October 4pm

Where: Apalachee High School

Fledge will be speaking before the football game with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.


When: Sunday, 31 October, 9:45am – 12:00pm

Where: Cornelia Christian Church, Cornelia, Georgia

Fledge @ Son Safaris will be speaking twice on Sunday, and once on Monday and again on Tuesday.

Contact: Barry Steiner

On the Subject of Plans...

With lists, deadlines, PDAs, and other scheduling devices to help plan our days to the last detail, there is often no minute unaccounted for. When traveling, scheduling is even more important. My family and I recently flew to Pennsylvania, and while the trip there went smoothly coming back had its difficulties, to say the least! We were supposed to fly back to Atlanta at 7:30pm on Monday but as a result of possibly snowy weather, our flight was delayed until early Tuesday morning but actually left later that morning. We finally made it to Atlanta on Tuesday but alas our boys’ car seats seemed to enjoy the flight and therefore did not arrive in Atlanta on our plane. We borrowed seats from the airline until our seats were later delivered to us at home.

Thankfully, Buzz Roberts and his wife Betty opened their home to us while we were delayed. Crista, who works for CSF, was a trooper. She picked us up at 5.30am and then carted us back and forth to the airport. She even sat with our kids and took us out to breakfast while we waited for our later flights. Thanks Crista for your servant-hood. A small miracle for Julie and I was how well Brody and Keaton behaved while being shuffled through the airport and sitting for hours. The entire experience got me thinking about how elaborate our plans for the day, and more broadly, life are and just how quickly they can change. God can turn our plans upside down faster than we can make them. While we can and should make plans for the future, it is wise to keep in mind that God is really in charge and everything is subject to change! Life flows according to His schedule and not ours.

Penn State Retreat

Buzz Roberts, senior campus minister of Christian Student Fellowship at Penn State for the past 28 years, invited me to lead their statewide campus ministry retreat Oct 1-3, 2010. What a great pleasure it was to travel to Pennsylvania to do a Son Safaris retreat for their students. Buzz and I met in August at the Association of College Ministries’ National Student Conference. I was there to teach a 3 day workshop and Buzz was there with his students. I want to thank Buzz publicly for the opportunity to speak to the CSF students of Penn State. Thanks Buzz!

The most wonderful part of the entire experience for me was having my family there with me. I view family as a ministry in itself, so I was extremely happy that mine was invited to come with me. Buzz and his wife Betty were the perfect hosts. Our kids had a blast! The 30 students present enjoyed playing football, Frisbee, and kickball with them. We all became one big family over the weekend!

Living here in the “Bible Belt” for the last 10 years, I have become used to Christianity being the norm here. It certainly is not the norm in the Northeast! I was struck by the hunger of the students at the retreat to find truth. The dynamics of living as a Christian are completely different there, and it was a real eye opener to see students seek truth with such passion. In fact, on the last night that I was speaking, a few students who had to leave before my final presentation the next morning were adamant that they wanted to hear how the series ended. So much so that they wanted me to keep speaking for another hour!

All in all, the Pennsylvania trip was a great experience! I got to share my love of Christ with even more people, to have my family with me and, by God’s grace, to bring these truth seeking students closer to the One who is “the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life.”!

Happy First Birthday, Son Safaris!

Son Safaris, Inc. is one year old! On Wednesday, September 23, 2009, Son Safaris was incorporated as a non-profit charitable corporation in by the State of Georgia. What a blessed, wonderful year this first year has been! As if to say happy birthday, the IRS granted Son Safaris, Inc. 501(c)3 tax exempt status retroactive to it’s incorporation. What a fine birthday present for a one year non-profit mission!

Thirteen months ago I stepped out on faith with no idea what the next year would bring. God rewarded my trust in Christ by bringing my dream of Son Safaris as a full time ministry come true. I have been blessed with so many opportunities this year. I will never forget the endless support I received from friends and family without which Son Safaris would not have survived to celebrate its first birthday.

My calendar is rapidly filling up as Son Safaris begins its second year. By all indications I am going to be busy, busy, busy! But I assure I will not be too busy to dream God-sized dreams! I cannot wait to see what God has in store for Son Safaris second year!

Check out my calender for upcoming events!

The Lord has Opened the Floodgates!

I’ve been so busy I hardly have time to think! My calendar for October is already booked solid with Son Safaris presentations at churches, retreats, and various other events. The first weekend of October, I will be heading up to Pennsylvania to speak at the state wide Campus Ministry retreat hosted by the Christian Student Fellowship at Penn State.

My typical day starts at 8:30am when I go to my “office” at Starbucks to take care of any Son Safaris related business until about 1pm. I take care of my boys while Julie is at work from 1 until 4. On a good day, both Keaton and Brody go down for a nap at the same time which gives me an hour or so to write letters and work on presentations. During the evenings, I go to work, bringing Son Safaris message to both groups and individuals.

The Lord has opened the floodgates of blessings! The future for Son Safaris looks even busier and more fruitful. Six years ago when I did my first Son Safaris presentation, I never imagined that Son Safaris would grow into the ministry it is today. I am grateful for the word-of-mouth advertising spread by the great network of people God has raised up. I’m fortunate that almost everyone I’ve met has been supportive and that most Son Safaris presentations have resulted in invitations to return again and again. I can only hope that as the Lord keeps opening up doors for me that I will keep stepping through them and sharing my mission with more and more wonderful people.

A Family of God

North Georgia Christian Camp invited me to speak at their Deeper Life Retreat. This weekend retreat on the campus of the North Georgia Christian Camp was held from Friday September 17th to Sunday September 19th. My family and I had the great pleasure of being there with 150 middle school kids from 11 different churches. The retreat seemed to be all about family especially since my wife Julie and our sons Brody and Keaton were able to join with me for the weekend. Brody had 150 babysitters who played with him non-stop throughout the weekend, and he even learned how to play some football!

I was struck, however, by the family that was created from the combination of the churches. Instead of one church hosting a retreat for members only, 11 different churches brought their kids together. Separate church families blended together into the larger family of God to give their kids this opportunity to experience a Deeper Life together in Christ. Especially because of my own emphasis that family is a ministry in itself, it was a true joy to see the family of God working together as a family towards a common end.

An Outpouring of Blessings!

At the end of September, Son Safaris will be celebrating its one year anniversary! The year has brought hard times as well as joys but at this point, the blessings just keep pouring in! My calendar is filling up quickly with events in Georgia and even a few in other states. For full details please go ahead and check out my calendar on the Son Safaris website because there is too much for me to list here! Check out the fan page on Facebook for quick updates as well.

More importantly, this year could not have been so wonderful and productive had I not had people who believed in me. I cannot possibly thank all of you now but you all know who you are. Thank you for making Son Safaris what it is!

This is why we exist...

One of the tiers of Son Safaris is for me to be invited as a guest speaker to speak at retreats, conferences, Sunday church services, or any other event.
My goal, after sharing stories of safaris and wild animals in Africa and combining this with God’s Word, is to draw people closer in their relationship with Christ.
The results are sometimes not instantly evident.
ALAS,
Midway Christian Church celebrated their 113th Homecoming & Revival this week. I was invited by John Birchfield to be their guest speaker. I spoke at all 5 events from Sunday to Wednesday. After the session on Tuesday, a lady from within the congregation, whom John had been mentoring for the past 4 years, approached me and thanked me with tears in her eyes. Her words:
“I have truly struggled making a concious decision to follow Christ. Tonight you have made it all make sense”.
Wednesday evening John had the honor of baptizing her and we were honored to hear her repeat these words:
“I believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and I accept Him as my personal Lord and Savior.”
-----------------
Thank you for your prayers for this ministry, and for me and my family to stay faithful to God’s calling. Your support helps life changes like this become real.
I am who I am, and I do what I do, because HE LIVES!!!

Son Safaris: On the Outside Looking In

Often times, we take for granted the interconnectedness of all life. We tend to forget that our lives are inextricably linked with those around us, whether they are human, animal, insect, etc. We forget that we are all God’s creatures, and that creatures other than ourselves may have valuable information for us.

On Wednesday night, August 25, 2010, I watched as Fledge Fiamingo was able to bring those messages to life to people who may have never considered them before. Fledge combines a strong faith with extraordinary experiences on safari, as well as the vast knowledge of wildlife needed to survive in the bush. Through the example of lions and hyenas, vicious predators and natural enemies of one another, he interwove a story that held the attention of the entire room. He challenges fellow Christians to take the final leap of committing fully to Christ by realizing that doing everything alone does not accomplish much for the Lord. The most moving part of the evening was when the congregation had the honor of witnessing the baptism of a member. A young woman had struggled for four years with committing herself to Christ but through Fledge’s message, was able to finally give her self over to Him totally.

We are all in this together.


Isabela Rzeznik

I love these guys

I had the great privilege of attending two reunions in the last week, one for the counselors of Woodland Camp, which I was a part of this summer as well as another one for 20 different men who have all served with me at one point or another.

The Woodland Camp reunion Saturday August 21st was great because I was able to see those wonderful people with whom I served over the summer, as well as getting to know their families. It is always great to see that people are progressing in their work for the Lord!

On Thursday August 19th, I met up with 20 people at the Taco Mac in Buford, GA, and the one thing all of them had in common was that they had been a part of my life and ministry over the summer. I regularly meet up with these friends every third Thursday of the month, this being our first meeting after summer vacation. We all come together because we understand that it is not about ourselves, it is about Christ, and realizing as well that there is no reason to serve Christ alone. Strength for the Lord comes in numbers, and having a group of people who believe in that is truly a blessing!

Starting the week renewed

This week, I’m going to be participating in the good ol’ Southern tradition of a Church revival! While I know that certainly there are revivals in the more northern areas of the United States, the South seems to have a claim on them that rivals any other. I really enjoy the idea of a revival because it serves as another way to wipe the slate clean for a church as well as for the people in the congregation. In a way, it serves as a rebirth of the church and a way to get back on track.

The particular revival I will be speaking during this next week will be held at Midway Christian Church in Winder, GA, about 20-30 minutes down 316. The event will be starting on Sunday, August 21st and ending on Wednesday, August 25th. I will be speaking twice on Sunday, and once every evening finishing on Wednesday. If you would like anymore information, please visit www.midwaychristian.net.
also see details:
http://midwaychristian.net/MCC%20Bulletin%2020100815%20Insert%20Homecoming%202010.pdf

Why we need to be like: a soldier, an athlete, & a farmer

I was reading and reflecting on 1 Tim 2: 3-7, in which there are three pictures painted by Paul of a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer. Paul connects these three occupations with being a Christian during Biblical times. I, however, saw a clear connection between those occupations pertaining not only to our modern times but also to myself and being a Christian today.

For me, the occupation of being a solider was the one which stood out to me the most, having spent time in the military. Paul shows that the obedience a soldier exhibits towards his commander should be the same that we as Christians should show Christ. When Christ gives a command we must follow it, just as a soldier must obey the commands of his superior, with no deviation and not listening to the rest of the world.

As an athlete, well, we have a fantastic example of UGA football here in Athens. While fans take great pride in the team, and we have a new season to start going for a national championship, half of the team appears to be in jail for not following the rules set out by the community, not to mention federal law. As Christians, if we do not follow the rules the Lord set out for us, how can we be expected to go out into the world and do his work?

While today farming is not as widespread of a job (in Athens anyway, but thank goodness we have farmers), we can still relate the work of a farmer to any work we do today. The farmer works hard in the field to reap the benefit of a good crop, and we work hard to reap the benefit of wages or salary. Working hard for Christ should come as second nature, and we know that we will reap the benefits when the ‘end of our day’ comes.

New Semester, New Start

While the first day of a new semester may not be quite as exciting as your first ever day of school, it is still an occasion to be celebrated. Why? College is challenging, especially for those students attending UGA, and comes with the myriad of different stresses. At times, students may not always have been able to achieve their academic goals at the end of the semester. With the beginning of a new semester, however, students have a shiny, new clean slate and get to start over.

When I was baptized in the Lord, I felt brand new. I had a fantastic and fresh lease on life, and felt like I could begin again, this time with a much better mission and reason for being. With the Lord in my life, I began to realize that with every new day, we get a second chance to correct any mistakes made yesterday. For that knowledge, I am thankful everyday.

Good luck to all of you college students on your first day today!

If 28 years of service was not enough...

My dear friend and mentor, Tim Hudson, is now a “walking miracle”.

As a pastor he baptized my wife and me as well as married us at the Campus House. He is also the supervisor and now chairman of the Son Safaris Board and an extremely important part of my life as well as my family’s.

On Saturday July 31, 2010, I found myself in a state of uncertainty and pre-mourning because Tim was not expected to regain consciousness after an emergency heart operation. I was finally allowed to visit with him the following day which did not help the situation because of my emotional state. I called for prayers from friends of mine as well as Tim’s and strangers. Together, we were able to manifest an unbelievable wonder.

Why not read about Tim's experience in his own words...?

http://shadowlander.wordpress.com/2010/08/10/what-happened-to-tim/

Oh Summer Where Have Thou Gone?!

6 weeks of camp food – $0
Sleeping in a tent - $0
Enjoying the outdoors - $0
Sharing Christ with almost 500 campers, and
Baptizing 4 teens into the Lord – PRICELESS!

As evidenced by my earlier blog, I have spent six weeks of my summer speaking at youth Christian camps. Let me tell you, running around behind those energetic teenagers has not only given me a great tan, but an opportunity to teach kids about Christ. In a non-school environment, away from the distractions of technology, I am able to get to know these young people in an intimate way, and really open up.

There is nothing that I love more than speaking at camps during the summer!
I have made many new friends and established incredible relationships with new youth ministers and churches. It only makes me love what I do more than ever.

I thank Christ Jesus, who has given me strength, that He considered me faithful,
appointing me to His service.

1Tim. 1:12

To top all of that off, I seem to have made quite the impression on at least one camper:

“FFLLEEDDGGEE!!!! I miss you friend!! I haven't been able to stop talking about the things that you have said! You really made an impact this week! All the things you are doing in the lives of young people is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! Hope you are enjoying time with your family!!! Looking forward to seeing you in the fall!!”
Katie Sparks-Woodland Christian Camp

I have to pay tribute to my amazing wife, Julie. Since I have been away at camp, she has been caring for our two children, Brody and Keaton. Every Friday I would come home for the weekend and on one of those visits she requested to go see a movie with a friend. “Sure “I said. Three hours later, upon her return, I ran up to her, kissed her all over her face and asked her why she in the world did she go off and leave the kids with me! I now have a wonderful perspective of what it takes to take care of two kids.The remarkable thing is she did it for six weeks all by herself!

Sweet Summertime

With summertime in full swing, its time for Son Safaris to go to camp! In fact, I’ve been at camp for about four weeks now, from the second I got off the plane from New York City. The camp I’m currently speaking at is North Georgia Christian Camp. As the motivational speaker I have to opportunity to interact with middle and high school students, about 60-100 during any given week. The week starts Sunday evening and goes until Friday morning, and I give presentations and speak in general about experiences on safari. My absolute favorite way to talk to these kids, however, is a night, around the camp fire. It is more one-on-one and intimate and the atmosphere provides for some of the greatest conversations and revelations. I can talk to them about my own journey to and through Christ, and give them advice or a shoulder to lean on in their own individual journey. Being able to be around wonderful young people who want to know Christ and are willing to come to a camp during a week of summer in order to be around others who want to know Him is special in and of itself, and I am incredibly grateful everyday to have been chosen as the guest speaker for these camps. Now, I am a little sleep deprived and I missed my family, however, the summer went swimmingly, and I’m happy to be home!

Maloof Money Cup: The Recap

Being in New York City is always a pretty awesome experience. When hosting a premier of South Africa, being able to speak your native language, as well as rubbing elbows with one wealthy, powerful, or just plain famous person after another, the experience is, well, even awesome-er.



First, a bit of explanation to questions I’m sure you are asking yourselves: What is a premier? What does any of this have to do with skateboarding? Who exactly were those famous people I mentioned seeing? And how did I factor into all of this?

A premier in South Africa is the equivalent of a governor to a state here in the United States. Hazel Jenkins is the premier of the Northern Cape in South Africa, and the reason for her being in New York City for the Maloof Money Cup, as mentioned in the previous blog, was to see how such an event would happen next year in South Africa and I was her host.

During the course of the weekend I was there, I was the premier’s “host”. I was responsible for taking her to interviews with CNN, FuelTV and other networks, making sure she enjoyed the local cuisine and was well hydrated, as well as chaperoning her around. Obviously, she did not come to New York by herself, and had twenty-two delegates with her.



As for the Money Cup itself, the occasion was exciting and full of energy. The reason we were all there was to donate the new skate park the Maloof brothers had built to the city, as well as to watch the professional and amateur skateboarding competitions, which had $10,000 and $100,000 rewards, respectfully. The park itself was also very interesting, since it features all sorts of iconic elements of skateboarding areas around New York. Of course, such an event brought out many celebrities, and not only did I get to meet some of the pro-skateboarders, I was also able to see big time Hollywood players, like Susan Sarandon.




The most important of the trip for me was being able connect with and speak Afikaans again with fellow countrymen and women and see how the new government in South Africa is progressing. I especially connected with Pat Seboko, the head of Department of Economic Development and Tourism in South Africa, and finding out that we had grown up not so far from one another. The entire event will truly put South Africa on the map, and encourage the world to take another look at my home country. The Maloof Money Cup will be held in South Africa in 2011, 2012, and 2013!

All in all, I was very grateful that Son Safaris was given such an incredible and wonderful opportunity by Limelight PR, and to be able to be around South Africans again. I am truly blessed!

New York, New York

So you thought the World Cup 2010 was the only sports event going down in South Africa. Well, I’m very excited to announce that this is not the case! Next year, Kimberly, South Africa will be hosting the world’s greatest skateboarding competition, the Maloof Money Cup.
The creators of the event, Joe & Gavin Maloof who own the NBA’s Sacramento Kings and the Palms Casino Resort, held a press conference over Skype with the premier of South Africa announcing the contest in May of this year from Durban, South Africa.

The Premier of the Northern Cape, Hazel Jenkins, who is probably the equivalent to being the ‘Governor of her Provence’will be arriving in New York City June 4, 2010 to celebrate this new launch. The Maloofs, are clients of Limelight PR in San Diego, California, I was invited by LimelightPR to host Premier Jenkins and her entourage during their stay in New York City from Friday, June 4th to Sunday June 6th.
What a great way to spend time with my fellow countrymen!

See http://maloofmoneycup.com for more details on the skateboarding tournament.

Also read the press release from South Africa
http://www.northerncape.gov.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=272:premier-ms-h-jenkins-to-lead-delegation-to-the-us&catid=43:pressreleases&Itemid=53

NYC here I come!!!!

Summing It Up

Imagine giving 28 years of your life to an organization. Imagine having married, baptized, guided, and counseled countless individuals in those 28 years. Imagine helping others achieve their dreams.

Now imagine summing that up.

Tim Hudson, the senior campus minister of Christian Campus Fellowship at the University of Georgia, my friend, mentor, and member of the Son Safaris board, will be leaving CCF this summer. While he will not leave ministry all together, as he has board duties with Son Safaris, he will be moving on from an organization which he ran for 28 years. Since Tim changed my life a significant amount and has been a huge part of my own dream, I volunteered to put together a 3-5 minute tribute video for his farewell dinner. While I am more than happy to do it, I did not realize how daunting of a task it would turn out to be.

How do you sum up 28 years of service? Truly, it cannot be accomplished because it would be impossible to measure the scope of such influence. We try everyday to “sum it up” or make it “short and sweet” and as a result, are more likely to remember the significant events that occurred rather than those small, ordinary occasions which mean just as much.

Even so, I’m still going to take the time to honor Tim in this little way despite knowing that I could never cover it all.

Being a Good Person in Christ

"I believe all you need is to be a good person"
"As long as you are a good person then that should be all that matters".

I couldn't tell you how many times in my travels around the world and in the conversations I have had with non or 'pre' Christians, I have heard them say, "If I'm good then why do I need Christ?"

Ok so if you are a good person and that is ALL you need, my question would be this: Then what? What happens after you have been that 'good person doing good things in your life? What is next for you?

If you are truly a good person, then you must not have any bad in you right?


If you honestly believe this then I think you are just fooling yourself.
I say this because there is no such thing as a 'good person' without Christ because we are ALL sinners. If all it takes is being good, then Christ is a liar.
If you can prove to me that you are always good without having any malice, hate, jealously, anger, ego, pride, conceit, etc, none at all, ever, then maybe, just maybe, you are a good person.


Can you really say that you have never felt those emotions, or done something that was not exactly within the realm of “good”?

Well, I believe that this CANNOT be the case because we have ALL sinned.

This is why we need Christ. He is the only one who can truly help close the gap as far as our sinful nature. Being good is good, and doing good is great, but you cannot live separate from the grace of our Lord and Savior.

V.F.T.

One awesome benefit from being married to a teacher is, of course, spring break! Since my job is flexible, I can also take time off to be with her and our sons, without the usual distractions of work. I call this particular type of time off V.F.T or Valuable Family Time.

I have always strived to dedicate myself to work and have time with my family, and it is a constant balancing act. I decided when I first started Son Safaris that I did not want to sacrifice my family on the altar of ministry. In Ministry there is ALWAYS something more to do, and another goal to be reached. Ministry will always be there. It is really hard for me to not schedule that new important meeting or move that one-on-one meet with a student, because these are all important to the ministry. SO is my family. It is therefore extremely important for me to sync my calendar with my wife’s and place dates and times for V.F.T.

Without Christ and the support my family, I would never have become the man that I am today. I have to provide for them but I also wish to set a good Christian example. Brody and Keaton will grow into men one day and the first model of a man, husband, and father they will have is me, so it is my job to steer them in a direction that will hopefully guide who they will become, and my goal for them is to know Christ, and let Him be known. My family is a gift that I cherish above all others and my time with them is precious and of immense importance.

On that note, see you next week as I enjoy my V.F.T. – Valuable Family Time…

Paintball vs. Airsoft

Before:

Can a paintball enthusiast play airsoft? Tomorrow morning, I will find out, thanks to my good friend Sean Paul who has been hounding me for quite some time to try it. A rivalry exists between the two games, mostly due to the different types of ammunition used—in paintball, paint pellets and in airsoft, small, plastic pellets. The guns used in airsoft also vary from those used in paintball, those use in airsoft being more like real guns. If you would like to know more, click here!

I have been playing paintball with the Renegade Ratels for 6 years, but I didn’t have any interest in pursuing another form of shooting people on a field, until I realized that nothing should hold me back from trying new things. While I’m no young gun, I can certainly seek out and be open to new endeavors, as long as they are in keeping with my values and beliefs. I cannot wait to find out if airsoft is the fresh sport for me! Let’s see how it goes.

The Verdict:

My first airsoft experience this past Sunday was highly enjoyable and when I have some more time (and cash) on my hands, I would like to start getting more into it. The game itself was fun and family-oriented, with kids 12 years old and up, and even moms were playing, as medics, and of course, older guys, such as me. The concept of the game is the same as paintball, with the same rush of adrenaline, though much cleaner, in other words, no paint splattering everywhere. Also, one of my biggest frustrations with paintball had to do with my full-face mask, which would always fog up while I was playing and the de-fogging procedure exposed my face which is quite dangerous while playing. With airsoft, I can wear a mesh mask, or even small goggles which makes everything easier and a lot more fun. I had a blast with Sean Paul, and I look forward to playing in the future, and may be even forming a team for men’s ministry as a healthy way to get out all that male aggression, and can pray together and glorify God in all we do!

The Ellijay Experience

Yesterday felt like a real safari all over again: I was up at 6 a.m. on my way to Ellijay, and I arrived to Pleasant Grove Baptist Church at around 9 a.m. I spoke first during the 11 a.m. service, and I was astounded by the incredible feedback I received. The different perspectives I heard on the relationship between lions and hyenas in terms of the human connection with God were truly eye-opening and always great to hear. After the service, I decided to spend some time in Ellijay, and came back to the church to speak to the youth and elementary children at 6 p.m. Man, do I love talking to children! Animals are always a hit with them, and with the “Yell if you know the answer!” format I have for the presentation, we had a fantastic time talking about God’s creations as well as His cleverness in crafting animals the way He did. Although the day was long, seeing as how I did not get home until 9:45 p.m., I felt great getting into bed knowing that I had shared my message with the good folks up in Ellijay.

I even got a positive review!

“We had Fledge for a one day event. He ministered to the whole church Sunday Morning and then ministered to the youth and children Sunday night. Let me tell you: His presentations were like a cool breeze on a summer's day. He helped us focus in on the beauty and greatness of creation. However, he didn't stop there--- he used creation to take us back to its majestic Creator and the wondrous Gospel message of Jesus Christ. I know that our hearts were touched!”
David Taffin - Youth Minister - Pleasant Grove Baptist Church

Once again, I would like to thank David for inviting me to speak, and the great congregation of Pleasant Grove Baptist for listening to me!

Speaking Engagment: Pleasant Grove Baptist Church

Son Safaris has the terrific opportunity, this Sunday April 11th, to speak at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Elijay, Georgia. I will speak during the main service at 11a.m. and again at 6 p.m. to the Youth and elementary aged group. I would like to sincerely thank David Taffin for inviting me to share my message with the congregation at Pleasant Grove.

If you would like to hear me speak or would like to know more about the venue, here is the website which will have some helpful information

http://www.pleasantgrovebc.com/

His Continued Love

In honor of Easter, I would like to share my own thoughts on Jesus Christ and His amazing gift to humanity with his sacrifice on the cross. The picture on the left is representative of the astounding relationship I have with the Lord, for truly I did not become a whole man until I found Him. I hold the hammer and the nail, and I know in my heart that I crucify the Lord every single day yet He continues to love me. Through that love, I have become a better man and person in countless ways. I truly was nothing before I found the Lord.

While we take the time to honor Christ during Easter for His sacrifice on the Cross, often times we fail to realize that He is still with us now. We see what He has done in the past, but my realization is what He is doing now in my life now, and most important for me is what He is GOING TO DO in the future.

(painting "Forgiven" by Thomas Blackshear III)

Helping Others

When turning on the news at the end of the day, the images of hunger, poverty and suffering are paraded before us. We can change the channel, or we can take charge, and that is exactly what the organizations that attended the Annual Global Mission Conference are attempting to do. I had the great pleasure of attending the conference at Atlanta Christian College this past Saturday, March 27th, and I was just amazed by the not only the amount of organizations there, but by the enthusiasm of the people who run them. One such group that stood out to me was HOBO 50/50, a non-profit whose mission is to get homeless people who do want to work jobs, and to expose those artists who live on the street.



Website:http://www.hobo5050.com

The vast outpouring of love and passion for the work those associations are doing truly gave me hope that no matter how tough and brutal life may be, there are still those out there willing to help others.

Mysterious, Beautiful Life

Last night, I had the pleasure of watching an episode of “Life” on the Discovery Channel with my family and a few friends. With Oprah Winfrey narrating (no comment), I was yet again taken into the beauty and harshness of life as the images on the show are truly breathtaking. One scene in particular stood out for me, that of a tiny one inch tree frog taking tadpoles individually from a puddle at the base of a tree, climbing 150 ft, and then depositing it’s offspring into another puddle on the tree. At the end of the day, the frog had climbed over a mile, but this was not the amazing part to me. I wondered how in the world did these tiny tadpoles know when to get on and get off the back of their mother. This got me to thinking…

While sometimes life can suck, there is an order to all the things we do, a plan if you will. The Creator does not arbitrarily throw trials into our lives; He has a plan for us, and there is nothing that happens that is not in controlled by Him. So on rainy days such as today, when the world is wet and weary, it is comforting to know that there is someone up there making sure that everything goes according to His will and understand that God’s way is not my way.

Praying and Paintball

While paintball and Christ are not exactly synonymous with one another, I was lucky to experience both this past Saturday, March 13 in Rome, Georgia.

Six years ago, Kevin Bradberry and I started a scenario paintball team as a part of the men’s ministry in order to show that having tons of fun and being Christ-centered can be achieved. Also, what a great way to get out all that male aggression! While I have not been directly involved with the Renegade Ratels in about three years, Kevin has kept it going, and the team has grown from six individuals to about fifty, all as a result of his hard work.

Not only was it wonderful to be a part of the Renegade Ratels again, I was grateful that the game, called Flag Wars, was family friendly and Christ oriented. About 200 individuals came out, of all different ages. We all were able to pray together before we started shooting one another, and the referees patrolling the field made sure that anyone using vulgar language or not in keeping with the rules were swiftly taken out. The game lasted from 9am to about 5pm, and our team managed to bring 8 people, including Kevin’s dad and brother. All in all, we just had a really fantastic time.

And one more interesting thing happened, and that had to do with the Most Valuable player (MVP) medal, awarded to one member of each team, in this case Red and White, at the end of the game. The generals on each side chose a player on their side to receive this medal. The referees too patrolled the field to observe how the players interact with one another, and if one from each team showed great sportsman-like conduct.These two players were voted on by the refs. Well, I could not believe my ears when they called my name. I was awarded the sportsmanship award and even though our team had been awarded with most valuable team twice before, it was a great surprise to be shown that individually I was great on the field. Honestly, I see it as a credit to the entire team-without them, I would never have received anything. Julie was also thrilled, since it seemed to justify me spending 100 dollars to get out there!

Truthfully I had no idea how they chose me or singled me out of over 200 other ‘masked’ players. Hmmm, isn’t this how a Christian should be? Impacting others around us without even knowing? Then at the end of the day being recognized by Christ as doing what it takes to Glorify Him, not that this is the goal of a Christian to be recognized, quite frankly, just go about being what Christ wants you to be or do and impacting those around you on the spiritual ‘battlefield’…

Christ can be truly present in everything, even paintball!

Never a Moment Wasted with the Lord

I was recently shown by the Lord that nothing He does is a waste of time-He always has a plan!

I had been invited to the Christian Youth of Georgia Conference on beautiful Hilton Head Island, SC, during the weekend of Friday February 26^th to Sunday February 28^th. The purpose of my attending was to have a display at the conference, giving me some great networking opportunities. I did have to pay my own way to get there, so I was hoping to meet and establish relationships so I could get my monies worth! My family was able to accompany me on this trip, which provided me with the support I needed to do my best.

About midday Saturday, however, I began to feel dejected. I felt that I had wasted my time, energy, and money on attending the conference. I did not feel like I was getting the experience I had come for, and the weekend was not turning out how I had envisioned. Then the Lord seemed to say “Oh really Fledge?” and set out to prove me wrong.

By the end of Saturday, I was able to establish three incredible contacts. I spent time talking with the guest speaker of the conference, Steve Geyer, a truly wonderful guy. I had dinner and spent time with the band members of “True Story”, a great Christian group. This interaction has opened a few doors for possible future opportunities together. I had a terrific conversation with Keith Wagner from Woodland Christian Camp, and he explained to me that their summer mission will be to put clean water wells in Africa. Wait-that sounds awfully familiar. That is a part of my dream too! The weekend turned around, from failure to success. I was able to achieve my goal of networking with great people and ended up having a great time.

Thank you Lord, You always know best.

Road to Radio

Well, when opportunities present themselves I see a need to take them. I have a friend, Russell, Wall, whom I have known fro over 10 years now who works as a DJ on the morning show - WDJC 93.7fm - in Birmingham AL.

He invited me over to visit him and his awesome family, and to see if the station he works for would be a fit for future Son Safaris advertising.

I made the trip out there this Wednesday and what a great opportunity it turned out to be.

Russell introduced me to the evening host - Jon Walden - what an incredible guy. Young and in tune with young listeners.

We chatted for a while before his 8pm show and got to know each other. He then got ready to do his stuff, but before I left the studio he asked if I would do his 5 minute 10:15pm devotion.

WOULD I? WOULD I?

Of course I would. I then had voice time on his show. Awesome.

But it didn't end there....

Russell invited me to be on his show in the morning - The Dave and Russell Show -

Yay, there I was, on the morning show in Alabama speaking to what.... over 100 000 people.

Dave and Russell pushed sonsafaris.com over and over and I had voice time just chatting with them on air....

Whether or not Son Safaris finds the budget to advertise now or in the future this was a great opportunity to meet Jon and Dave, and spend time putting a face onto the voice of the mission and goals of Son Safaris.... Thank you Lord.

TCTC - Gatlinburg, TN

What do over 5500 people, more than 7 States, and loads of Churches all have in common?

They all braved the truly Arctic winter conditions of -10f, snow, wind and closed roads to gather in Christ's name at the Tennessee Christian Teen Convention in Gatlinburg, TN

Son Safaris was invited to host four workshops.

Gary Welch was responsible for creating the workshop program. "Thank You" Gary for all the planning you did and allowing Son Safaris to be represented at this ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE gathering of students and adults.

What a great way to begin 2010.

One thing that happened while driving up, and I actually cracked out laughing was:

When driving on the Interstate doing 70mph in below freezing temperatures don't try to wash your dirty windows. I quickly found out that the water may very well freeze on your windshield - DUH!!!! Hey I'm from the SOUTH.

The conference was truly amazing.

I had great opportunities to speak to around 800 people within the workshops.

Alongside this I had great one-on-one interaction with students, parents, and ministers which allowed me to share the vision of being invited to speak at their next event.

This Convention was incredibly well put together, and I hope to be invited again to share the uniqueness of Son Safaris.