Here is a higher jump from Noah… again, video was shot by Dan Roberts… If you need a photographer – check him out below!

Buy some of his pictures here.
Visit Dan Roberts’ Photography here.

If you listen closely to the video you will here me count 3-2-1 and Faith replies… “Dad, I’m waiting for her to count…” Her was Alyssa. Alyssa is 15 years old and Faith sure is appreciative of Alyssa’s help. Alyssa held Faith’s hand as they navigated around some of the more dangerous spots on the side of the mountain. It sure is good to have a hand to hold when you navigate through some tougher parts of life.

What a beautiful place.

Again this is a video by Dan Roberts.

Buy some of his pictures here.
Visit Dan Roberts’ Photography here.

…tomorrow I will share a video of my 6 year old girl taking a bigger jump! While at the falls we met a great guy, Daniel Roberts and he actually shot this video. If you need a photographer for a wedding or any other event, give him a call. I have placed his web address and facebook page below.

Buy some of his pictures here.
Visit Dan Roberts’ Photography here.

I’m not sure what exactly is going on with John’s case. I was at the courthouse Monday evening when (if I understand correctly) his case was dismissed. Now while some of John’s friends and those who have been praying for John will assume this is a reason for celebration, it actually isn’t. See, they only decided to drop his case because they charged him (if I understand everything right) incorrectly.

If I properly understand this situation they (I’m not sure who they is) charged him with misdemeanor stalking but under and old law. They wanted to change the charge yesterday but the judge wouldn’t allow them to do so without permission from John and his attorney. John and his attorney decided for various reasons to not allow that change and as a result the prosecution dropped the charges. They fully intend to press charges again under the new law.

Something doesn’t add up. I’m not thinking our legal system should be this crazy. I was talking to a lawyer friend the other day and I said “It sounds like you were trying to get your client off on a technicality.” He seemed a bit offended and said “It (the law) is all technicalities.” I used to think that I would enjoy the practice of law, but now I realize that practicing law would be very bad for me. I would get way too hung up on various technicalities and I would not be able to control myself when technicalities were ignored.

Yesterday the Hickory Daily Record published this story. I hate to be a jerk, but it seems to me that they (the Hickory Daily Record) read the news or something, but they certainly didn’t report the news, because unless I totally misunderstood what I saw and heard at the courthouse… that story is terribly inaccurate. I know that print media moves slower than internet, but some sporting events don’t happen until late into the evening and the paper is usually right about it in the morning… in John’s case Monday – the case was dismissed before 5 O’clock – why couldn’t the Hickory Daily Record report that correctly the next morning? Maybe they did and I am totally confused… either way I would like for the public to get the true story.

Truth is… the HDR probably has to focus their energy on what the people care about reading…. but wouldn’t the people who read the paper want to know if someone’s life is being destroyed?

As I read John 14 I found verse 23 especially interesting.

When Jesus says that if we love Him, meaning Jesus, then we will naturally keep His word. Then Jesus adds that We, meaning the Father, Son, and the Spirit will come to him (meaning me if I love Jesus) and make Our abode with him (meaning me if I love Jesus).

The Creator of Heaven and Earth, has wanted to live in my presence since the beginning of time. He wants fellowship with me, and it is ultimately for me. I’m amazed at this… God walked in the garden with Adam and Eve, came to the earth to die for me, and now wants to make His dwelling within me…. to ultimately mold me and bring me to His dwelling place so that we can be together for eternity. INCOMPREHENSIBLE.

So does this passage support the idea of Jesus living in me if I believe and love Him?

Then comes chapter 15 about abiding in the Vine.

I can’t say that I know where the phrase originated “Invite Jesus into your heart..” but I do know that we have been taught this over and over and over. We’ve encouraged children for years to invite Jesus into their hearts.

What do you think about this?

Was it a mistake to teach this theology to children?

For quite a while, especially during my days as a children’s minister I taught that we should ask Jesus to be the boss of our lives. We should ask Jesus to take over and lead and guide our actions.

Anyway, tomorrow I’ll share another word or two on this idea… but between now and then I’d like to know what you think.

Something about this whole situation doesn’t make sense. I wish I knew exactly what to say today. I’m afraid to say too much, because I certainly don’t want to make John’s situation worse.

John and I have become friends over the last four months. I haven’t known John for very long, but my gut says he isn’t guilty of stalking this young man.

I have some questions that I wish more people would ask.

- Why has it taken so long for John’s case to go to trial? Before you say his lawyers have asked for continuances… check and be sure, I don’t think they’ve asked for – but one. The others were for some other reason.

- Where is the accuser and what exactly is he accusing John of?

- If John gave him clothes, did he wear them?

- What is the legal definition of stalking in North Carolina? Did John even come close to breaking this law?

- MISDEMEANOR STALKING – Why would misdemeanor stalking have a jury trial? Especially if it is the first case? I think I could understand if there was an initial trial and it was appealed to a court where a jury was used but something sound fishy about a jury trial.

On the other hand, I want our schools to be safe. How do we ensure that our schools are safe, without ruining the reputation of every teacher who is accused of anything by a student? By the way, this student didn’t really accuse John of anything that would be considered evil or sick… this is misdemeanor stalking. What is stalking? I know this… my oldest son is becoming a teenager, and I could easily see him accusing me of stalking, because I look over his shoulder to see what he is doing on the internet, and his mother reads his text messages to see if he is behaving… Sometimes as parents we have to invade a bit into a teen’s personal space. If we don’t we’ll never know when they begin down a wrong path. I don’t know the alleged victim in John’s case but I know this… there are certainly some kids attending public school who need some teachers to take a special interest in their lives because mom and dad aren’t.

By the way, some of you are going to google John’s name and consider me a creep for even befriending John… but remember if everything you read online is true, then there is that wife of the dead billionaire in some country who has chosen you to receive his billions… you better follow up on that.

Monday was a hard day for my father, because he lost his dad. I’m not sure this society fully understands the importance of a father. As I think back on my grandfather’s life I pray that I’ll be remembered and loved by my children like Ray was loved by his. I feel bad for this, but I felt incredible relief for Ray on Monday when I heard that he had died. See the last time I saw Ray he wasn’t able to be himself. In the hospital at Frye, every time I saw him he was in pain and having a tough time, but he was still Ray. Back in June Ray talked to me about how to care for my newly planted garden, I tried to plant a garden this year and whether I knew it or not when I was planting I realize it now – it was his influence in my life that caused me to want a garden in the first place. There’s a house that Chantae’ and I have been considering – and now I also realize that one of the primary reasons I like that property is because of Ray’s influence in my life. This property has a barn, and many times I remember going with Ray up to the barn because he had heard about something that I needed. Whether my dryer had blown up, my mailbox had been stolen, or my dog had gotten loose there was usually something up in the barn that would fill my need. Usually Harvey, or sometimes Harvey and Scott would harass their dad all the way to the barn and back as we would look for whatever. They’d gripe and harass him about all the lawnmowers and his flea market or 6th Street (that’s another story, I may tell someday) finds. Ray would simply laugh or reply with a long drawn out shhhhhhhh. It’s too bad that we don’t think about what people mean in our lives until their lives come to an end on earth.

Well yesterday was the funeral. I personally had only really cried once prior to the funeral, and that was driving home from Baptist Hospital in Winston. While there I found myself angry at the nurses and doctors, certainly not because they were doing a bad job, but because I hated seeing Ray unable to be himself. I wanted to hear him talk, and with tubes in his throat and in both sides he was unable to do or say much of anything. The straps that held his hands to the bed probably bothered me the most. He did know who I was, and that (knowing he was aware) made me want to fuss at someone for his situation. I almost unstrapped his hands without asking. I guess I could complain to no one but God at that point. On the ride home I had a few moments to cry, so I quickly stopped to get something to eat to change my thought process.

So yesterday at the funeral my sister Lauren sang, Amazing Grace – My Chains are Gone and I think for the first time I heard and listened to the lyrics. As I heard Lauren sang “My chains are gone, I’ve been set free, My God, My Savior has ransomed me…” I wept, so thankful that those chains (the tubes and Velcro straps) from the hospital beds were gone. Harvey Ray McDowell, Jr my dad’s dad, Scott’s dad, Merita’s husband, Kay and Teresa’s father-in-law, Logan, Nickolas, Lauren, Mic, and my grandfather, and Noah, Adam, Elijah, and Faith’s great Grandfather was set free… free from any chains and with His eternal Father.

Thank you Ray for everything, we’ll see you again,
Joshua McDowell

We have people over every week, we like company and we (Chantae’ and I) love hanging out and talking with friends. When people are over, and the kids are too loud… I walk down the hall and ask the kids to be more controlled. Sometimes; I’ve had to threaten to give them a spanking, but when company is over I almost always figure out how to do the discipline orderly and in a kind and caring manner. But sometimes when it is just family, (Chantae’, myself, and the kids) I yell across the house telling the kids to come to where I am. Then I sternly warn them that if they don’t calm down they are going to receive a belt from the pits of hell! When I’m in a better mood I explain in a calm but stern voice that if they can’t behave I am going to rip their leg off and beat ‘em with it…. lol. While that doesn’t sound at all humorous and some of you are considering a call to social services – I promise the kids laugh, because they know I don’t usually follow through with the whole ripping off of limbs. In fact, that threat doesn’t seem to be taken nearly as seriously as the flaming belt of sulfur.

When I’m at ap2t getting ready for the Sunday morning conversation, it seems be pretty easy to ask Chantae’ to help with something and keep a good, kind, and sweet voice… but when I’m replacing the clothes rod in the master bedroom closet (like I did this past weekend) I seem to be nearly unable to ask for anything with grace and a calm voice. I DEMAND the hammer and scream for the drill. I sometimes bark when one of the boys or Chantae’ can’t hold the wood right before I screw it to the inside of the closet.

Truth is… the more I think about this past weekend (considering the mess in that closet) I really did pretty good not making a mean or angry comment, but I don’t always function with such patience. Sometimes I turn into the Incredible Jerk. I would be so ashamed if someone heard some of my complains or outbursts of anger. By the way, I have grown in this… but there is still work to do.

I want to be the exact same person @ home, @ work, and @ worship. What about you? Are you the same on Monday and Sunday mornings? Here is a guy, who is exactly the same at home or in public as a Wedding DJ… I’m assuming that this his wife, and hoping he simply forgot that he was in public. I also assume that he totally forgot that there was a camera running. We never will, enjoy…

my grandmother and “paw”.

(EDITED: 7/21/2010 – 10:12am, I had set this article to publish today… but I set it to publish not realizing that I would be having a receiving tonight for another grandfather. Harvey Ray McDowell Jr. died Monday evening just moments after being transferred from Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem to the Hospice in Valdese. Please pray for the family; Ray had two sons, 5 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. I’ll try to share more about Ray’s life in upcoming blog entries. The receiving will be this evening @ Heritage Funeral Home in Valdese and the funeral will be in the church I grew up in, Mt Hebron Baptist Church in Connelly Springs, NC, tomorrow.)

I read an article today that reminded me of my grandfather. Both of my grandparents seem to be in good health and I am very blessed and happy about that. In fact Chantae’, the kids and I had dinner with them last Thursday night at Texas Roadhouse.

Anyway when I read an article about Coach Dean Smith today, I remembered being really scared at the hospital with paw one time, actually I know it was February 18th, 2001. I know the date because of Wikipedia… and a simple search of Dale Earnhardt. On that day, Paw was having some serious back pain… of course because of his history with kidney stones he knew he was having a kidney stone attack. While kidney stones are quite common, and easily dwelt with… they aren’t so easy for Paw. See Paw has only had one kidney all my life. Now that didn’t stop him from skiing, doing back-flips off the diving board, and skating with the youth when I was a pre-teen… but anyway you see how a kidney stone in a one kidney man is a bit more serious.

Anyway, Paw is tough… and that day I was worried, but I was doubly worried when my grandpaw… who rarely acted like anything was wrong… began to… well I saw one tear running down his cheek. I immediately hollered for nurses or doctors… because something was obviously badly wrong. He stopped me quickly and then I discovered that he had been paying attention to the little tv in the corner of the room and it, not the terrible pain in his back and side, was the cause of the tear moving slowly down his cheek. Dale Earhardt had just died…

Anyway, I just read a letter from the family of Dean Smith. Coach Smith hasn’t died, by the way, but his health has damaged his ability to remember. Anyway the article is worth a read… and no a tear didn’t run down my cheek when I read this article, but that could certainly happen when he dies.

PS – I remember watching the 1982 National Championship with Paw… what a game, what good memories.