Gascony Conclave

This weekend I found myself in a secluded little town in Eastern Virginia known as Kilmarnock. I was there on official "send off" business in regards to the wedding of one John Brian Anderson whose single status ends Dec. 10th of this year. It was a rich weekend.
We stayed on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay at former senator Paul Trible's estate. The house (the one we stayed at) was built in the seventeen hundreds and is decorated with pictures of Paul and Ronald Reagan as well as family pictures from several generations. The room of main attraction is the den which includes a fireplace and a bay window that offers a view of windmill point and the Chesapeake Bay. The property is surrounded by fields and a refreshing sense of peace. (sounds and looks like a travel brochure...my apologies)
We, being Jake, John, Matt, and myself, arrived late Friday night after a stop in Tappahanock to gather supplies from Wal-mart and to trump each other's lack of dietary care as we ordered our meals from the local Wendy's. As we turned into the Gascony driveway, we were greeted with a fireworks display put on by none other than the host and John's best friend Barrett Peters. I have to take a moment to applaud Barrett for being a laid back yet thoughtful and organized host throughout the entire event. There was a short time of discussion before we each selected our beds and rested for the upcoming day.
The next day started with breakfast followed by prayer and worship. The rest of the participants began showing up around 11:00 am and soon after we were shooting skeet and grilling hamburgers. The culmination of the daylight events occurred as we migrated to a selected location for a one on one introduction to a M1 30 caliber and an AK-47 assault rifle. Target practiced ensued and we all developed a new respect for the weapons of war and those who wield them to protect our country. It was an empowering yet humbling experience simultaneously.
We returned to the house to shower and then we headed off into the sleepy town of Kilmarnock for dinner. We ate and laughed and shared stories of our families and of ourselves as well as some of John and Kiersten (his bride to be). The dinner ended and we headed back to Gascony for a final word given by George Madison and a time of prayer for our dear brother John. George's message came from Ephesians where Paul is describing the four types of people of the world; the natural man, the spiritual man, the newborn believer, and the backslider believer. The words rang true as the Bible always does and they seeped inside of us with challenge and conviction. The entire weekend was a call to action which included us understanding that we all are not only to be men of Jesus but also that we are responsible for John and Kiersten's marriage. As a community, we shoulder this responsibility together and should encourage and continually speak wisdom to these two and any others that we have relationships with.
This is an interesting point that we should all consider within our various relationships. Are we supportive or do we tear down and just as worse...do we do nothing? On a relational level, are these not the questions we have to consider. These are the very questions and dynamics we use when discussing our obedience to God and all of his commandments. We are to always be hot, but never lukewarm. My friend Sam and I discussed a similar issue recently and it seems the likely solution is a prayer for sustenance. Sustain us with your fire Lord. We wish to not be cold nor lukewarm, but burning with your Spirit so that it is light projected from us leaving no room for shadow and darkness. Burn within us gracious Father and burn within John and Kiersten.
I wish you two the best and hope and pray for many years of happiness and a neverending desire for God's kingdom. God keep and bless you both always.