Sorrento, God of creation, saying Goodbye for now, but not forever

We took a ride around Sorrento, where my mother grew up and where she currently resides in a 12x16 house that I built for her a few years back. We will be staying a few days, visiting my father nearby in Gouldsboro, and taking a bit of a break and catching up with some family needs.

Today, we plan to visit "Birds acre" in Ellsworth, with its walking trails and serene surroundings, we hope to get a good close up look at God's creation and spend some time thinking about the Creator God that made all things and wants a relationship with us individually, what we should be doing for His glory every day of our lives.

Yesterday we went to a beach in Sorrento to pick up shells and play in the ocean water. The kids gathered
shells, and my mother took the kids into the water to see what they could find. Maine's coast is full of cool rocks, shells, and it seems mussel shells are still as plentiful as I remember from my childhood. Nathaniel found a little tiny crab crawling around, you can see our pictures  linked below for more of our discoveries.

Our time on the beach was a good time to relax, but we were drawn to think about some people that mean so much to us. Gerald and Pamela Scarbrough are dear friends from McDonough, Georgia that hold Bible studies in their home and have a vision of "doing church" according to the pattern in the New Testament of the Bible. Now, most churches feel that they are doing just fine, and my point is not to pick on any methods, rather to encourage everyone to look into God's Word without the tainted vision of tradition and ritual, finding the true pattern that God put in place 2000 years ago.


Gerald is a passionate man, passionate about his family and friends, but mostly passionate for his God, for his Savior, Jesus Christ. Gerald has been a great help in my life, encouraging me to look at God's Word with fresh eyes, seeking not just to see the "how to" of the Bible, but challenging me to see why the church in Acts 2 met daily  to pray, to fellowship, because they loved each other. Now I am not talking about just being nice and shaking hands on Sunday morning, but being there for each other in the middle of the night when we are struggling with depression, holding a brother accountable in his Christian walk, opening his home to strangers so that he can share the love of Christ with them.

Of course, a story about Gerald would be incomplete without his wife, Pamela, and their children. Our time on the beach made us think of how Pamela would react to the scenery, joyously praising the Lord of all creation for His marvelous handiwork. Pamela is excitable, and loves life, a  good example to us all and an encouragement in the hardest of times. Pamela is the textbook model of Christian hospitality, one who loves to serve, humble, and whose loving and gentle way could help heal the most broken of hearts. This family truly loves the Lord their God, and seeks to live out an example of Christ-likeness in every part of their lives. We surely miss our friends and pray for them often, as we believe God will do great things in His name through faithful servants like the Scarbrough family.

Gerald's mother, "Granny Sue" lived in their home the past few years, as Gerald wanted to care for his mother and keep her close by as she suffered with many illnesses. This past week, Sue passed away and the Scarbrough family is dealing with their loss. We have been praying for them more lately than ever. While it is hard for us to let go of our loved ones, it is so much easier when that loved one has been born again, saved by the blood of Christ.

You see, Granny Sue's body was not the whole of her existence. She is now in Heaven, with no more sickness or pain, sadness or grief. What a blessed hope we have if we have chosen to accept Jesus Christ, and His sacrificial death on our behalf. If we repent of our sin, turning to God in obedience and humbly asking Him to forgive our sin, we will be born again. That is, we will have eternal life after this mortal body gives out. As we enjoy our visit with family in Hancock County, we take comfort in knowing that some of our family knows Jesus Christ as their Savior, and that we will be with them praising God in Heaven for all eternity.

Sadly, we also have family and friends that we will visit this week who have decided that they either don't believe in God, or believe that Jesus' sacrifice was not one they would like to accept. Some would rather die and spend eternity in Hell than to submit themselves to God's plan of salvation. For anyone who dies in that state, they will bear the punishment of eternal death and Hell for their sin. Now, this is not what God wants. That is why He sent Jesus to the earth, to suffer and die in our place. We can't pay for our own sin by good works, giving money to the churches, or anything else. The Bible says that our righteous acts are just filthy rags compared to God's holiness and righteousness. It is only by claiming the righteousness of Jesus Christ that we can be saved.

So as we go through our week here, we continue to tell people of the eternal  hope we have in Christ, of the love of God in sending His Son, and the promise that we will see Granny Sue and many others that have chosen to trust God and seek His forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ someday in glory. Our hearts break for those that have chosen man-centered religion and humanistic philosophies that lead people to think that they can please God by their good works, or that God doesn't even exist. I am reminded of the first chapter of Romans in the Bible, "Professing to be wise, they became fools"

I pray that God continues to open doors for us to show the love of God in practical ways, to share the Gospel message, speaking boldly and with authority from God's Word, knowing that this message offers hope and life, and that there is no other way. I pray that as we look around at God's creation, we keep in mind the fact that this whole earth will pass away some day, but that God has prepared a place for those who will trust Him. As you look at our pictures, keep in mind that the vastness of Creation is in God's hands. Your life is precious to God, it is short and vanishes away all too quickly, but that eternity is life eternally or death eternally. We only have so much time to choose, and after we die it is too late to turn to God. Trust Him today!

Some of our pictures from the past few weeks- Family pictures 2010