Bernd

Bernd Nullmeyer is my good friend from Germany. We met last summer when he came to visit his friend Heiko who was studying here at WVU in Morgantown (who has graduated as far as I know!). Bernd stayed for almost 3 months and really enjoyed our community at h2o; he even considered staying here if possible! He went back to his hometown of Bremen, Germany, however, and though I and others missed him a lot, he feels confident that God has him there for a reason, and so do I.

He loves Morgantown, WV, USA enough though to have come back twice for a few weeks each time! He came in November and is here again now for his third visit. He is really one of the most joyful people I've met, and it is truly inspiring being around him. Plus he's a GREAT guitar player and, being a lover of music myself, we've had many impromptu jams (and a few planned ones as well, which resulted in the collaboration Of Things to Come).

Bernd has been teaching me a lot about the power of God in the life of the believer each time he visits, and he's got some amazing stories of a 'revival' of sorts in Germany that has seen the true Kingdom of God advanced in the hearts of many. He talks about how they not only 'share their faith' with others, but that they 'impart life' TO others. It's made me think a lot about what the Christian faith is all about. It's not just about gathering knowledge from the Bible. It's about USING that knowledge to truly LIVE, the kind of lives God meant for us. The Kingdom of God should be so present in our lives that people sense, in their spirit, the deepest part of them, that we have something they can't help but desire, something they somehow know they've been waiting for all their lives.

I hope to continue learning from Bernd, but also to continue using what God has already given me, the God who has 'blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ' (Ephesians 1:3).

bob the dog

This is Bob the Dog, the awesome companion of my brother Christopher and his wife Alice in Knoxville, TN.

This picture was taken at my brother Duncan and my wife Sarah's joint birthday party, which we were so glad that Christopher and Alice and their dogs (the other one's Ellie, I think that's the right spelling) could attend.

Bob is an amazingly human dog, as I think this photo captures. I had one of his toys in my hand to get him to look at the camera, but his masters were off to my right giving him instructions as well. As you can see, he was torn as far as which way to direct his attention. He's hilarious.

Anyway, I hope my brother and his wife eventually live closer to us, and this dog is as much a part of that longing as they are (just kidding - sort of).

old (not necessarily in age) friends

My mom (in the middle) recently turned the big 5-0, and her loving and scheming husband Drew planned her a great surprise party (as he did on her 40th) which included many old friends coming, unbeknownst to her, to celebrate.

The two you see here with her are quite amazing people, both in my mom's life and in mine. The lady is Linda Roberts, and she was my first crush. I was just a little blond-haired (not curly, interestingly) boy, and Linda was on staff at First Baptist church in Elkins, WV. I was so enthralled with her that I used to just walk into her office and stare at her from in front of her desk. She remembers that my eyes just barely could be seen over the edge. She has been a close friend of the family all these years and every time we get to see her I love that her twinkly-eyed smile has remained the same.

The gentleman is Cyril Johnston, the pastor who baptized me. In fact, both he and Linda were on staff with mom (she was the youth director) at First Baptist when we Kings were kids. Cyril was born in Ireland and moved to the U.S. when he was 12. He became a preacher but I always wonder why he didn't become a professional singer (actually, he does have a few recordings that are great!) because he sings in probably the most soulful and heartfelt manner that I know. He bellows out old hymns, and every time I hear him sing it takes me instantly back to those days that are on the edge of my earliest memories.

Anyway, I guess this picture represents somewhat of a First Baptist staff reunion. It also represents some of the most influential people in my young, formative years.