With The Lord

Our blogging buddy Claire (Pilot Mom) posted the following news on her blog yesterday. Please keep Claire and her family in your prayers as they grieve the loss of a mother and grandmother. Leave a comment on her blog to let her know that you're standing with her. Let her know that "the Fisher connection" really cares because WE DO.

Claire writes:

"Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His godly ones." ~ Psalm 116:15

"Nana went to be with her Lord at 3:45 p.m. MST. It was peaceful and we were all with her. Thank you for all your love and support and all the prayers which have been lifted up on her behalf over the last several months. You are precious in our sight!"

Dear friends, what blessed assurance we have as believers that the moment we take our last breath we are "absent from the body and present with the Lord." Hallelujah, what a Savior!

I'm still having trouble linking sites with BLOGGER but you can go to Claire's site @:

http://www.pilotmom.blogspot.com

Bristol, Here I Come

Dreams DO come true. I'm just a click of my mouse away from booking my long-awaited trip to England. It's been a dream of mine since I was a young boy. I learned about George Muller and his life of faith when I was in Sunday School and have looked forward to the day when I would get to see Bristol first hand.

My passport is being expedited quickly and, Lord willing, I will fly from Toronto to London on February 27th. My plan is to spend a couple of days in London, go up to Oxford University where my friend Nathan Betts is studying and then spend several days in Bristol with a side trip to Bath.

Please pray that this will be a fruitful trip. Although the buildings that housed the orphans are not longer owned by the Muller Foundation, I can't wait to go up to Ashley Down and see them.

"Delight thyself also in the Lord and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart." - Psalm 37:4 (KJV)

Nathan's Project

Nathan has to design a brochure for a transportation company as a school project. He has always loved trucks so this is our first attempt at a logo for his company. If you've got something to haul, give Nate a call.

Just Like Jesus

My blogging buddy Claire (Pilot Mom) posted this picture on her site. What an incredible story! The picture says it all.

Note: Please keep Claire in your prayers. Her mom is close to "going home". THANKS!

Comforting Embrace

Caption reads:

Air Force Chief Master Sgt. John Gebhardt, of the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group at Balad, Iraq, cradles a young girl as they both sleep in the hospital. The girl's entire family was executed by insurgents; the killers shot her in the head as well. The girl received treatment at the U.S. military hospital in Balad, but cries and moans often. According to nurses at the facility, Gebhardt is the only one who can calm down the girl, so he has spent the last several nights holding her while they both sleep in a chair.

Friends, isn't that just like Jesus!

Spurgeon Preaches

Wow! Wouldn't it have been an experience to sit under Charles Haddon Spurgeon's ministry!

Father, raise up men who love the Master and are committed to preaching Biblical truth. AMEN!

And remember, dear fellow pilgrims, we're closer home than we were yesterday!

Stay strong in His strength.

David

Ketchup On Your Reading

Here's another old photo I unearthed while going through my archives. Years ago when I owned and managed the Ambassador Bible Book Store in Peterborough, Ontario we had a special promotion called "OPERATION KETCHUP". We encouraged our customers to ketchup on their reading and by doing so it would help us to ketchup on our accounts payable.

Those were the good ol' days. A book lover's delight! Owing a Christian bookstore. Perhaps my greatest fault was that I gave away more than I sold. You know how it is! We emotional, compassionate types end up letting our hearts rule our heads. That's not always bad.

Fond memories!

Maybe Brodie should ketchup on his posting and then Terry could tell me off for getting on his case.

P.S. At the end of the promotion we had a draw and the winner took home this hamper filled with HEINZ products.

Reminiscing...Again

Long before those Toronto Blue Jays days I was preaching and playing the organ on Sunday evenings at Pine Street Gospel Chapel in Norwood, Ontario. I praise God for the opportunity that was afforded me in those days. This photo was taken in October 1974.

I guess they didn't mind if long-haired, short & wide-tied, knock-kneed, bespectacled red heads looked after the service in those days. The words "geek" and "nerd" hadn't come into vogue back then but I certainly was one. Don't laugh too hard!

"I have been young and now I am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor His seed begging bread." - Psalm 37:25 (KJV)

Reminiscing

It's hard to believe that almost a year has passed since I resigned from BASEBALL CHAPEL after serving as the Toronto Blue Jays chapel leader for 29 seasons. Memories abound! I've captured many of those happy moments on camera over the years. Over the last few days I've been rummaging through some old photos and found these. Interesting...

From top to bottom:

• The good ol' days of Carter, Fisher and Alomar
• Big Fish with a big fish. Actually Blue Jays' radio broadcaster, Jerry Howarth, caught it. I just got to hold it.
• Toronto Blue Jays' minor league Baseball Chapel leaders at a get-together in Toronto at the ball park. Front row, left to right - Terry Hoke - Hagerstown Suns, Jeff Raub - Syracuse Chiefs, Vince Contessa - Knoxville Smokies. Back row, left to right - Jack Scruton - St. Catharines Stompers, David Fisher - Toronto Blue Jays, John Fitts - Dunedin Blue Jays
• John Olerud signing an autograph for a young man during a hospital visit
• Pete & Barb Metzelaars (Buffalo Bills) and their sons. Pete spoke at a Blue Jay chapel service that day.
• Honoring Detroit Tigers radio broadcaster, Ernie Harwell, just before his retirement.

Thank you, Father, for the opportunity to touch many lives over those 29 years of baseball ministry. I'm a blessed man and God gave me many lifelong friends.

We Doth Deliver

Art thou in need of thy daily bread? Thou shouldest giveth us a call. Dost thou need a new, black Holy Bible? We art here for thee. We doth deliver 24 hours per day.

KING JAMES BIBLE BOOKSTORE & DISCOUNT GROCERIES...faithfully providing food for body and soul since 1611.

Meat and milk, for the King James ilk.

Whithersoever thou liveth, we delivereth!

Which Way?

Which way do I turn? The signs can be confusing! Life can be disappointing! Full of choices. Decisions must be made. When we come to forks in the road we must determine which way to go...unlike the legendary Yogi Berra who said, "when you come to a fork in the road, take it!"

Which way will you take? Which road will you travel?

Jesus Himself said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me." - John 14:6 (KJV)

Sunrise Sampler

Saturday morning I enjoyed my favorite breakfast at the Cracker Barrel in Buffalo, NY. I usually order the Sunrise Sampler with eggs over medium, a sampling of breakfast meats, hash brown casserole, fried apples, biscuits, grits & maple syrup, juice and coffee.

This morning I had another Sunrise Sampler as I paused on my way home from work at Christian Horizons to catch some shots of the sunrise. What a spectacle it was! Here's a sampling!

"The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork." - Psalm 19:1 (KJV)

Nathan Is Framed

My dear friend Terry (Canadian Blogger) has taken my previously posted sunrise picture by our son Nathan (10) and nicely framed it, adding a picture of the artist in the corner. Nice work, Terry!

We waved to you as we drove over the Skyway in St. Catharines. Did you see us? We had a good time away although we were disappointed to see our nephew Bud (the goalie for the Quinnipiac Bobcats) lose to the Niagara University Purple Eagles last night.

Have a great weekend, dear friends!

Reflection of the Sun by my Son

Our son Nathan brought home this masterpiece from school today.

It's a reflection of the sun on a lake. The teacher had the students mount their pictures on an angle on the black background so it was too big for me to capture the entire picture on my scanner.

I guess we could call it either a sunrise or a sunset. For weeks our blogging friend Terry was looking for a sunrise and finally found one to
send to Julie. Do you like this one Terry?

Great work Nathan!

32 Years

Please keep EPISTLE SPORTS MINISTRIES in your prayers.

We are into our 32nd season of ministry to professional and amateur athletes and we are trusting God to do great things this year.

We depend on the prayers and financial support of the Lord's people.

Last night we had 21 of the Peterborough Petes in attendance at our bi-weekly MONDAY WE HAVE FISH Bible studies.

Thanks again, dear friends!

Sweet Hush of God

My friend Pauline Stringer penned the following masterpiece of prose and passed it along to me. I previously posted the poem, Sweet Hush of God, that Pauline refers to. I'm adding it to this post for those who didn't read it before. Great work, my friend!

ENFOLDED IN LOVE

Taking a stroll down memory lane can often lead a person into the nooks and crannies of their most favourite places. For me, that journey back in time is graced with the pleasure of settling down into an old, cozy wing chair nestled into the farthest corner of my family room. I am transported back over a decade to a much younger, (and thinner, I might add) me. No longer is my hair speckled with gray; nor does my face harbour any wrinkles. I am a young mom. The old chair is an oasis, a resting place from the unending activity of raising five small children close in age. It is a place where that which is simple delights the soul. To slowly sip a cup of coffee in the early morning light, to read a treasured portion of Scripture, as if seeing it for the first time or to daydream of exotic places yet unseen are the gifts the chair offers me.

The most prized moments come, however, when one of my little ones sneaks downstairs to crawl onto my lap just to be alone with me as the sun rises. In my usual custom, I wrap them up under my housecoat, cocooning them in my love. There they lie, relishing the warmth of my arms around them, sometimes drifting back to sleep to the rhythm of my heartbeat. Such precious remembrances are those cuddling times shared between mother and child, where hugs and kisses flow. Pure bliss!

At eveningtide, that priceless, old chair would once again be my refuge after the whirlwind of another day. Tucked away in my corner, I would sit longing to talk to God, yet far too weary to formulate the words I knew He was longing to hear. It was at this point, when the house echoed of quietude, my babies fast asleep, that God would visit me right there in my chair. Only now, it was I who would climb upon His lap where He would tenderly enfold me in His robes of righteousness, drawing me close to Himself. Often, feeling the need, I would make another deliberate attempt to articulate something, anything in the form of prayer. Then I would hear God’s gentle “Shhh.” Closing my eyes, I knew no words were necessary, only His embrace. The sweet hush of God! In this intimate bond, I knew I was His child. Once more, the old chair offered to me its simplistic joy. I loved God and He loved me.

The following poem was penned many years ago to capture the essence of these precious moments. As you might have guessed, it was written in the blessed solitude of my favourite chair.

SWEET HUSH OF GOD

In the stillness
Where I find You
There I know You
And I love You;
In the stillness
Of Your presence
Where I find
My hiding place.

Sweet hush of God,
Sweet hush of God,
Breathe on me now
Sweet hush of God.

In the stillness
I will listen
To Your heartbeat
I surrender.
In the stillness
I will trust You
As You enfold me
In Your love.

Moments

My dear blogging friend Elizabeth Natalie has completely reworked her Cedar Chest and it's looking great. Check it out. I'm reproducing her Moment By Moment post. It's excellent! Keep up the great work, my friend.

MOMENT BY MOMENT

A new year of moments.
Of promise and blessing.
Of struggles, uncertainties, doubts, and fearing the unknown.
Moments for examining my heart, and seeking God's heart.
What moments do you look forward to in 2007?
The start of a new job, new courses at school, a new relationship?
Moments when you will have to say goodbye?
Moments when your life and gifts will impact those around you?
The moment when you step through an open door onto a new path with a glad heart?
The moment you are stopped in your tracks when a gateway is unexpectedly shut and locked before you?
Moments when you need to wait patiently, and let your heart be content. To rest in the peace of God which always seems to pass our human understanding, but somewhere deep inside still knowing His promises are true?
Moments when you can't bear a burden by yourself, and a friend comes along side you and holds you steady for a while?
Moments when God's supernatural strength is revealed in you, because you reached out to your Creator, the God of the universe, your Messiah who knew you before you were born and stepped out of paradise to pursue your heart?
Moments to realize God's Spirit dwells within each one of us who believes?
Moments to use the breath we're given simply to worship God and to dwell in the beauty of His holiness?
Moments when you are freed from your clouded perspective, His light shines brilliantly, bringing focus into your life and suddenly you're aware that His perfect plan is unfolding for you......?

moment by moment.

A Great Story

Dear friends, have you checked out the STRENGTH FOR THE JOURNEY link on this site? It's worth the visit. I hope you'll go back often and get strength for your journey through the inciteful thoughts of Joseph Stowell. In today's devotional he shares one of his favorite stories. I'm not going to go any further. Drop over for a visit. Be thrilled by this account of God's intervention! Enjoy!

To make it even easier, here's the link!

God's best to you today!

NOTE: If you are checking out the STRENGTH FOR THE JOURNEY site on any day but January 16th, 2007, go to the archives and enter the January 16th date. You'll be directed to this wonderful story.

Ridin' the Rails

Oh the marvels of modern technology! I'm sitting here on the VIA rail train on my way to Windsor on a cloudy January Sunday morning. Tonight I will attend a special retirement banquet for my good friend Chuck Congram. Chuck has pastored Lakeshore St. Andrews Presbyterian Church near Windsor for 35 years as is "hanging 'em up", so to speak, after all these years of faithful, God-honouring ministry.

I'm connected to the internet, have my faithful SONY digital with me and I'm actually relaxing as we rumble along!

God is good and He has blessed me with wonderful friends like Chuck over the years. I'm looking forward to the festivities later today!

Makes a Chaplain Proud

David Shantz, a committed Christian, quickly became a great friend of our whole family last year, his one and only season with the Peterborough Petes. He graduated and went on to play in the ECHL with the Florida Everblades, an affiliate of the Florida Panthers who drafted him. Every day we pray for David and check on his progress via the internet. He is doing very well, alternating with another goaltender, and will be going to the ECHL All Star Game in Boise, ID later this month.

Here's the headline on the Everblades web site after last night's contest against South Carolina:

Everblades stay hot, edge the Stingrays 2-1 in shootout!

"The Florida Everblades (24-10-0) picked up their fourth straight win thanks to the goaltending of David Shantz, edging past the South Carolina Stingrays (19-14-3) in a 2-1 shootout victory Friday night at Germain Arena in front of a crowd of 5,831."

It makes a chaplain proud to see his understudies doing well. Reminds me of the apostle John's comment in his 3rd epistle, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." - 3rd John verse 4

Photo Ops I Wish I'd Missed

It's amazing what you can find when you go looking for something. Here's what I mean...

I guess you can tell which ones are baby pictures. Then there are those two pictures where Big Fish is tall and skinny. There are two photos taken in Pine Street Gospel Chapel after I had conducted baby dedications. A shot with my brothers Jon and Dan with our hockey sweaters on. The black and white head and shoulders shot with all the hair was taken when I owned the local Christian book store. The other head and shoulders shot was taken at The Peoples Church in Toronto when I was on staff there. Then there's the photo in the Winner's Circle after winning the Senior Championship in the Soap Box Derby back in 1959.

I thought you needed a good laugh, fellow pilgrims!

Lists Unlimited

Rebecca over at Rebecca Writes is looking for lists this month...any type of list. I passed along my list of stores that I'd have in my mall (if I had one). Check out her site (see below) and then go to her comments to find a selection of various and sundry lists.

And, speaking of lists, here's another one. Some of the best known authors, preachers, missionaries and Christian leaders over the centuries have been known by two initials and then their last name.

Here's a list of a few of them:

A. W. Tozer

F. B. Meyer

D. L. Moody

C. H. Mackintosh

J. N. Darby

A. P. Gibbs

J. C. Ryle

W. E. Vine

J. B. Phillips

H. A. Ironside

R. A. Torrey
A. T. Robertson

W. H. Griffith Thomas

A. B. Simpson
W. T. P. Wolston
C. A. Coates

R. C. Chapman

C. T. Studd

A. W. Pink

R. C. Sproul

B. B. Warfield

R. T. Kendall
C. S. Lewis (pictured)

G. K. Chesterton
C. H. Spurgeon (although often refered to by his full name, Charles Haddon Spurgeon)

Go ahead, add some of your own. This is my "initial" list of initialed Heroes of the Faith.

D. W. Fisher

Note: I'm still having trouble adding links using BLOGGER. Are you? Check out Rebecca Writes at: http://www.everydaymusings.blogspot.com

Thursday Thirteens

Greetings, friends! Today we drove to Erie, PA from Buffalo. The kids and I went to Splash Lagoon, an indoor water park, while Carol went to Millcreek Mall to spend some of the money she received for Christmas.

I'm different from most guys in that I love shopping. I was wishing that it was me shopping instead of Carol.

Here's a little game that I've been thinking of for quite some time. Here's how it works. You are given a strip mall or one of those big box malls and you can decide which stores go into it. If you had your choice (on this Thursday...or Friday by the time most of you read this) which thirteen (13) stores would you include in your mall? You can have any mixture of retail stores but you need to have two (2) restaurants and eleven (11) retail stores. Which of your favorites would you include?

Here are my lists. One is Canadian, the other is American.

CANADIAN:

Chapters

Future Shop

Staples

Christian Book Store

Mark's Work Wearhouse

Hallmark

National Sports

Best Buy

The Bay

Winners

Homesense

Kelseys

Swiss Chalet

AMERICAN:

Target

Family Christian Stores

Hallmark

J. C. Penney

Marshalls

T. J. Maxx

Office Depot

Best Buy

Wal Mart

Eddie Bauer

Timberland

Chilis's

Applebee's

O.K. Let me know what your choices would be! THANKS!

P. S. I'll be home Friday evening!

Blogging Sabbatical

Hi friends! I'm sitting in the lobby of a hotel in Buffalo, NY writing this post. Posting will be sporadic for the next few days while we're getting a much-needed break.

Have a good and godly day, my friends!

The Pilgrim

Books & Friends

I certainly agree with the renowned theologian Ziggy on this subject...books and friends. My most prized possessions outside of my relationship with God and my family are my books and friends.

Ministry responsibilities take me away from home and family but I always have friends with me. Friends I can read...books, good books, life-changing books. I always try to keep some in the car...just in case. Thank God for books and friends!

Under His Wings

Today I listened to an old favorite song entitled Under His Wings. I played it over and over again, thrilled with the old melody AND with the very meaningful lyrics.

Under His wings I am safely abiding;
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,
Still I can trust Him, I know He will keep me;
He has redeemed me, and I am His child.

Chorus:

Under His wings, under His wings,
Who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
Safely abide forever.

Under His wings--what a refuge in sorrow!
How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
There I find comfort, and there I am blest.

Under His wings--oh, what precious enjoyment!
There will I hide till life's trials are o'er;
Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me;
Resting in Jesus I'm safe evermore.