Some Of The Friends I Do Life With

Here are some of the guys that I do life with. I am fortunate to be called their friend and I admire each and everyone of them very much. They are in no particular order, and just random as they pop into my head.

Wayne Austin:
I have worked with Bro. Wayne on and off, and at different ministries for over 20 years. He is one of the godliest men I have ever known and he makes you feel like he is your number one fan in life and he truly has a "Barnabas Spirit" which means "son of encouragement".

Dino Rizzo:
I have also worked with/for Pastor Dino Rizzo, on and off for over 20 years. He never ceases to amaze me with how thoughtful, generous, and kind he is to me and my family. It is like I am always on his mind. He is one the greatest communicators I have ever known and he is wise beyond his years. He is a great visionary and his love for Christ is second to none. Dino believed in me and saw my potential way before I ever did. He is a great man of God.

Robert Buquoi:
Robert and I have been friends, and Hunting/Fishing buddies for many years now. For some reason, he puts up with my last minute cancellations of hunting/fishing trips when I have get called to minister at a funeral or emergency. Robert has forgotten more about marksmanship/hunting in thirty minutes than I will ever learn in a lifetime and he always encourages me when I blow a simple shot when skeet shooting or bird hunting. He is the best shot I have ever seen and taught me everything I know about shooting shotguns and handguns. He is a firearms instructor with a local sheriff's department. More than all of these above things, Robert has always got my back no matter what. He is always there for me anytime, day or night and expects nothing in return. He has taught me many things about faith and perseverance. I am proud to be his friend.

Mark Berger:

Mark is one of the most joyful guys I know. He just loves life, he loves God, and He REALLY loves bass fishing. Mark has taught me so much about bass fishing and about living life in the moment at the same time. Mark is genuinely interested in your life and he makes it more than words. Mark has taught me many things about perseverance and faith and when we are sharing a bass boat together, he let's me be a friend and fellow fisherman first, and minister next. Mark is a great friend.

Sheriff Jeffrey Wiley:

Jeff Wiley is the Sheriff of Ascension Parish and he is a great leader and communicator. He has given me the honor of serving him at his pleasure and all of the Deputies. Sheriff Wiley is what I call a "Man Magnet" because he draws people to him with his leadership capabilities. He has been so kind and gracious to me and I am honored to be called upon to serve as his Deputy Chaplain. I hope one day to be as effective in leadership as he is.

Chief/Constable James Leblanc:

James Leblanc is the Ascension Parish Constable and Fire Chief for St. Amant Fire. James is a great leader and a great friend. I admire his dedication to the community and his self sacrifice is second to none. His wife Hope, is a great lady as well because she puts up with him being gone from the house serving his community. I am so honored to serve with James as his Chaplain.

My Boys

These are my two boys, Andrew and Aaron. Andrew is 21 and Aaron is 17. Andrew works at a fabrication shop and Aaron is a Junior in High School and both of them were raised hunting, fishing, and playing sports.

They were also raised in a Christ-centered home where they were taught about the things of the Lord at an early age. I always told them that the Holy Spirit is a "tattle tale", so mom and dad would always find out if they were doing something wrong. They are great sons and I am very proud of them both. They have brought much joy to their mom and I.

Psalms 127 says it best: "Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate".

Proverbs 18:22 "A man who finds a wife, finds a treasure and he receives favor from the Lord"

On June 1st, 1985 I married the love of my life. Amy Christine Heisch. Words could never describe how much I love her and what she means to me. She gave me two great sons and has put up with me, ministry, late nights and early mornings, and she has sacrificed more than any wife should ever have to in a lifetime.

She is the daughter and grand daughter of ministers and her life exemplifies her love for the Lord. She is so smart and beautiful inside, and out. She is a great mom to our boys, and our six dogs! In God's goodness and providential wisdom, He blessed me beyond my greatest imagination when He gave her to me. I could not imagine my life without her beauty, charm, humor, and knowing she is always watching my back.

In Proverbs chapter 31, there is a description given of what a Godly wife should be like and it fits Amy perfectly. Here it is:

A Wife of Noble Character

Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

She finds wool and flax and busily spins it. She is like a merchant’s ship, bringing her food from afar. She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.

She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard. She is energetic and strong, a hard worker. She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night. Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber.

She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy. She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes. She makes her own bedspreads. She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns. Her husband is well known at the city gates, where he sits with the other civic leaders.

She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants. She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness. She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness.

Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!”

Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

Amy, I love you more than anything. Thank you for loving me even when I am unlovable.

Added Note: Amy does not like this photo, so I had to sneak it to post it. After she saw it, she promptly recommended that we find another photo! HA! After 22 years of marriage, I somehow knew she would say that!

Freedom or Security in this Post 9-11 World

I saw this poster on the internet and I began thinking about living in the post 9-11 world. Our founding fathers would spin in their grave if they knew what was going on today. Every day, people of the United States are so quick to relinquish individual freedom and liberty in the name of security. Freedom that was fought for, bled for, and many thousands of men and women died for.

Don't get me wrong, I am a "security" man. I believe in being prudent. However, when my wife, who is a blond haired, blue eyed, middle class business woman has to be violated at the airport before boarding the plane by being felt and patted down, or a little old lady has the same thing done to her, I have to say it does not make me feel safer. This is why I believe in doing away with "political correctness" and profile! You know, it is a proven fact that Terrorist do fit a certain profile, and it is not a blond haired, blue eyed middle class American, or a frail, little old lady.

Also, it is no secret that I am a proud defender of the 2nd amendment. Law abiding citizens should be allowed to carry and defend themselves with a firearm. That is exactly what our forefathers meant when they wrote it. Firearm free zones like schools and other places do not make me feel safe. If anything, they make me feel vulnerable and unable to defend myself. Demonically controlled, and crazed criminals that see these signs know that it is a safe harbor for them to shoot people at will like fish in a barrel. They know that un-armed, law abiding citizens will not be able to defend themselves, and another proven fact is that these criminals do not obey gun laws. That is why they are called criminals. Thank God for Law Enforcement Officers (I am one of them), but by the time they get there, scores of people will be dead. This has happened over and over again like at Columbine and Virginia Tech. One moderately trained and armed person could have saved so many lives. Still, we just keep posting those signs and passing new gun laws and taking away the ability for law abiding citizens to defend themselves. Don't you feel safer knowing that sign is there? This is the sign they should post instead. I saw this on a web-site the other day. "Gun Free Zone......In case of emergency, call 911, crawl to the nearest exit, and if help is delayed, kiss your defenseless behind good by".

A couple of days after 9/11, I was chosen to go to New York and minister to Law Enforcement and Firefighters. I was amazed at their resolve. I serve not only as an Associate Pastor at a local church, but as a Sheriffs Deputy Chaplain and Fire Chaplain. I have received specialized training and credentials to deal with crises situations. I have attended hostage negotiation training.

I love the first responder and have utmost respect for those that put their lives on the line for me and my family daily, and I love my country. Even though their are things that I strongly disagree with,this is the greatest country in the world and God has blessed us. One of the reasons the United States is great is that we have the right to openly share our differences without fear. I hope that you will join me in praying for our President, his Administration, our congressional leaders, our State and local government, and our Soldiers who are really sacrificially putting their lives on the line so that we can enjoy the freedoms we have. All of them are heroes.

She aint nothing but a Hound Dog!

This is a photo of my Yellow Lab Gabby. She is a magnificent dog with personality plus! We have three Labs. Gabby (Yellow), Lily (Chocolate), and Maggie (Black). You can learn allot from a dog. Obedience, loyalty, heart. Gabby amazes me with her eagerness to please. She is a great retriever and very smart. She is also very patient with me! By the way, did I mention that she is a very accomplished guitarists? That is her on the left, with one of her many guitars. You will find us most Thursday evenings at the church pond doing retriever training or when I get a Monday off, she is usually my fishing partner and is sitting at my feet on the front of the boat expecting me to catch a bass every cast. I let her down allot! The first few times I took her fishing, she thought she was supposed to retrieve my lure when I made a cast, so when it hit the water, she would jump out of the boat and into the water. God did a wonderful thing when He created dogs. Oh by the way, I read a quote a while back that made me think. It goes "Just when you think you are a man great influence, just try giving commands to another man's dog". My favorite dog quote comes from a bumper sticker I got from Doug's Duck Lodge in Klondike, LA. It says, "Lord help me to be the kind of person my Dog thinks I am! Amen!

God is Trustworthy

I assisted in officiating a funeral yesterday for a great man who had just turned 40 before he past away. He died from cancer. I officiate a lot of funerals (20 in 2006), and they all bother me, but this one really hit me.

This man was a police officer, with a wonderful wife, and three young children, and I never heard a derogatory word come out of his mouth when I would visit him in the hospital. He loved life, and he loved his family. As I was speaking to those in attendance at his funeral, I looked over to his wife and children who were crying, and made the statement that "God is Trustworthy". "We can trust Him with our lives and the lives of our loved ones", and this got me to thinking.

Everyday is a gift and every moment is precious. We do not know how long we have on this side of eternity, so we should strive to make each day count. I have a tendency to "sweat the small stuff" too much and I need to stop complaining so much.

Death was not God's original plan, but entered the world when Adam sinned. Now the second we are born, we begin to die. It's hard to understand sometimes, and I have to admit, I battle these thoughts sometimes.

God is Trustworthy, and He loves us.

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