Not Just an Aviator

The sun dips down, inch by inch, toward the horizon. The brilliant colors, tints and hues change right before your eyes. First, you see the blazing red sky then it changes to a gentle orange, until finally, the colors melt into soft, wispy lavenders. Airport sunsets are art galleries in motion, and airports are where you’ll find Mark Edmonds. Whether it was overseas in England or in the Mojave Desert of Edwards Air Force Base in southern California, he was there, but those are days long gone now. Those were the days of tank-busting A-10’s and T-38 Trainers.
These days you’ll find Mark at the Shelby Regional Airport working on and flying single-engine Cessna 172’s. He has traded the glory of working on Air Force jets for the thrill of piloting the little Cessna Skyhawk. Mark is an aircraft mechanic with years of experience under his belt, in both military and general aviation, but he is also a pilot. He says that getting his pilot’s license was a big day for him. He joined the Air Force to become a fighter pilot but never quite accomplished that dream; however, he did become a pilot. Mark says, “Being a pilot makes you a better mechanic, and being a mechanic makes you a better pilot.”
Mark is an attractive, stocky, slightly graying man, who is nearing middle age. Whether he’s in his tattered work gear or his brown leather pilot’s jacket, Mark carries himself with pride. He takes what he does very seriously and doesn’t distinguish between being a mechanic or a pilot. Both aspects of his job are important.
Sometimes, he’s the aircraft mechanic, who reeks of hydraulic fluid and aviation gas, as he climbs in and out of the stripped-out belly of an airplane. With his hands blackened from the oil and grease, he reaches for his cell phone as he hears the “air-ratchet” ring tone. As he answers in his trade-mark fashion, “Hello, this is Mark”, he exudes the confidence that is so important to the aircraft owner on the other end of the phone. It’s all in a day’s work for the Director of Maintenance at Compass 21, Inc.
Other times, though, this strong, quiet man, just needs to get away. At the end of the day, he walks out across the ramp, wearing his leather pilot’s jacket and sunglasses, and heads towards the little Cessna. He does his walk around, and he checks the plane for safety. He carefully moves his rough, worn hands across the skin of the plane. Everything checks out, and he’s good to go.
It may not be an Air Force fighter jet, but the beautiful artwork high above the Shelby airfield, with its stunning array of colors, is reward enough. For Mark, there’s nothing quite like seeing an airport sunset from the sky. As for me, there’s nothing quite like seeing an airport sunset with my husband, the aviator mechanic, because he’s not just an aviator to me.
By Tina Edmonds

The Camera

Proverbs 11:27

"He who seeks good finds goodwill, but evil comes to him who searches for it."

People get what they look for AND what they give. If people are always sad and gloomy then sad and gloomy is what comes their way. If they always focus on the bad, the evil, the negative, then that's exactly what they'll see.

God has given us eyes, a heart and a mind to use to see this world.

Think of using a camera. You put it up close to your face, you make adjustments to it, then you move your head all around, sometimes even turning your whole body in order to see just exactly what you want to see. When you find that perfect scene, you take your shot.


Most of the time, we are taking pictures to preserve a memory. Usually it's a good and pleasant memory. Other times we are forced to take photographs of not so pleasant things, like damages to a home after a fire or a car after an accident, but we usually don't go looking for those kinds of things to put in a scrapbook.

I believe that the verse in Proverbs is telling us to be wise where we aim our camera.

Look for the good in yourself, your family, your friends and all the other people that God brings into your life.

Because, whatever you are looking for,
whether good OR bad, chances are...
you'll find it!

The Song of My Hearrt

As we were traveling home the other day, Mark and I sang along with the radio. I so enjoy singing but have always felt that my voice just wasn't cut out for letting anyone else hear me. As some people sing in the shower, I sing in the car.

When Mark and I are traveling together and a song comes on the radio, I instinctively begin to sing. Sometimes it dawns on me that maybe I am singing out of tune. I immediately lower my voice or stop singing all together.

That very thing happened on the way home the other day. As I lowered my voice, this thought rushed through my mind...."I will be so glad when I get to heaven because then I will be able to sing like an angel."

Just as quickly as that thought rushed in, the Lord so sweetly spoke to my heart. He said, "You already sound like an angel to me. I love to hear you sing. The angels sing to me because that is what I created them to do....but you...you sing to me because you love me and because you want to praise me. It is an act of worship and I really enjoy it when I hear your voice."

It brought tears to my eyes because in that instant, I was reminded that God is attentive to my every thought and that not only is He attentive to it, but took the time to speak to my heart in response to it.

Our God is an AWESOME GOD! He not only hears the cry of our heart, but also the Song of our Heart!

Walking on Water

Matt. 14:22-32
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.
But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."
"Come," he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"
And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

Walking on Water

When we are "of little faith" and start to doubt, we need to climb into the boat and then the wind will die down......
The disciples were feeling the effects of the storm when they were in the boat. They saw and watched Jesus walking on the water. The storm was all around Him, but He wasn't bothered by it.
Peter got out of the boat and walked on water with Jesus. He joined Him in what He was doing. Peter and Jesus were in the middle of things; exciting and scary things, but the storm was still swirling around them.
We, too, can join Jesus where He is or we can stay in the boat, our comfort zone. Only, what we perceive as comfort is really getting tossed all around by the wind and waves. We see it as comfort because we have gotten used to it.....desensitized!
It is actually safer out on the water with Jesus! It's all in our perception....how we look at things, how we see life situations.

What will you do? Be "comfortable" in the wind and waves, or join Jesus and Walk On Water!

Learning to Float

Do you remember learning to swim as a child? Did your parents teach you?

When learning to swim, you must first learn to float. You lie on your back in the water, suspended by your father’s arms. You can feel his arms underneath you, strong and wrapped securely around you. Then he tells you to lay your head back in the water. As you do, the water comes rushing into your ears. It’s uncomfortable at first, but you adjust. He tells you to relax and just breathe naturally. As you follow his instructions, you think, “Wow, this is great!”

Then, suddenly, you feel his grip loosen. You panic and very quickly begin to sink. “How could he?” you think. You trusted him. Why would he let you sink? Doesn’t he know you can’t swim? Doesn’t he know you could choke, drown….DIE! Why, why would he allow this to happen?

Isn’t that how we are as Christians? Each day is another lesson…in something. A new adventure, another first. As we listen to and follow God’s instructions, we feel secure, we feel His strong presence and we are fine. But as He begins to loosen His grip, we panic and begin to sink. We think He has forgotten us, just walked away or even worse…doesn’t really understand us or know what He’s doing. We may not say that, but isn’t that what we are thinking?

We ask ourselves, “Does He really CARE?” We ask Him, “Why!? Why did you let this happen? Why did you let me sink? You know I can’t swim…….or preach, or….teach, or…..sing, or….do foster care, or….adopt, or….move away from home, or….go to college, or…be a missionary, or, or, or….you knew I couldn’t do it, Lord!”

As our father quickly elevates us from what our minds perceive to be our watery grave, we say, “Daddy, don’t let go, I’ll sink.” Dad begins to tell us that in order to swim we must first learn to float and to float we must relax.

In time, we get better and better at relaxing, even though we are still nervous. Daddy takes a step back and watches as we lay suspended atop the gentle ripples of the water. We learn that he really does know what he is talking about and we trust him when he says, “I’m right here, baby. I won’t let you drown.” And he never did!

Before long, we are swimming, then diving and sometimes even skiing in the water. It’s fun, even if we sometimes take a fall or get choked on the water. We know it was worth it. The fear of the unknown, the hard work, the patience and practice, was all worth it to be able to enjoy the water. So here I am…floating, swimming, diving and skiing. There are dangers though, and I must follow the rules in order to stay safe.

The Christian life is very much like learning to float. It’s about trusting and relaxing and breathing. We must rest in our Savior’s arms, trust that He knows best and breathe in the Word of God. God wants to stand back and watch us float atop the water of His love and then send us out into the ocean of life to swim, dive and ski for Him. In following His instructions and obeying His rules, we will be kept safe from the dangers. From time to time, we will be tired and weary. It is in those times that our Heavenly Father will elevate us from what our minds perceive to be our watery grave and tell us, “Its ok, I’m right here, just rest for a while.” He takes us in His arms and we float, secure in His grip of love.

In Spite of Me

In Spite of Me

The way you love me, Lord is amazing!

It’s not who I am or who I’m not.

It’s not who I was or who I’ve become,

You love me, Lord, you love me!

The way you love me, Lord is amazing!

It’s not because of me, what I’ve done or haven’t done.

It’s not because of the way I look or the way I pray.

You just love me Lord, you just love me!

The way you love me, Lord is amazing!

Even before I was born, you loved me.

Even though you knew everything about me,

Lord…what I would do and what I would say,

You still loved me, Lord, you still loved me!

The way you love me, Lord is amazing!

In spite of me, you love me, Lord, in spite of me, you care!

It’s by your Blood, Lord, by the Blood of the Lamb.

It’s by your Blood, Lord, that all was laid bare.

In spite of me, you came Lord, in spite of me, that cross to bear.

Not who I am or who I was or who I want to be, but who I am in you,

Lord is why you died for me….why you came and why you care!

The way you love me, Lord is SO Amazing!

Baby Jack's 1st Year

Reflections on Jack’s first year

The days have come and gone, now, and the trips to the doctor,

Fewer and farther between.

We rejoice in the accomplishments and revel in the joy you’ve brought us all.

Your first year with us, Jack, has flown by. And as we watch you grow, we are still amazed at the awesome power of God.

We are blessed by you, our gift from above.

And the hopes and dreams we once held in our heart, we now hold in our arms,

For YOU are the reality of those hopes and dreams.