Free Birds take Flight

In May 2005 Calvary Chapel Stone Mountain took a trip to Israel. In 2000 CCSM had also planned a trip but then Ariel Sharon decided to storm the Temple Mount and our trip was cancelled. I had planned on going on that trip also but I was not quite ready. I believe God used the next five years to prepare me for a Bible opening, eye opening experience. On May 5, 2005 my long awaited dream came true as I stepped off an airplane and stepped down on God’s favorite land, the Holy Land.

My wife had given me a small Bible to take on the trip, one that would be handy to carry while touring Israel. What a blessing this small Bible has been. I never was able to locate scripture quickly. My mind would go blank and I would have to look in the index to find certain books and scripture. When I got to Israel, when we came to a location, I would open my Bible and be exactly where I needed to be to study the events that are recorded for certain areas. During the day we would visit locations and take pictures and at night I would dive into that Bible and find out more of what I learned earlier that day and to read about where we were going the next day.

I came home from that trip blessed beyond any description. Many of the friends I had made on the trip were about my age and in about the same place in their lives as my wife and I are. I prayed that God would take what I experienced and use it in some way for His Glory.

Every night I would wake up with a desire to host a Bible Study of empty nesters. People like me and Ricki. Too old for couples studies, that had child care, but too young for a senior citizens group. After not being able to get rid of this thought I finally called Pastor Sandy and let him know of what I was being led to start.

I asked if he could send someone to lead the study and I would open my home and host it. He said he was OK with the idea but wanted me to lead the study. I felt I was not ready to lead a study but agreed to pray about it and let the Lord sort things out. First my wife said it, “God does not call the equipped, He equips the called”. Then a close friend, Mark Lawson said it, then someone else said it and I thought OK maybe if God wants it, I can fill in until somebody steps forward to take over.

The FREE BIRDS were hatched on July 6,2005 and four years later we are still meeting and are being blessed with a group of people that Love the Lord, Love studying God’s word and Love getting to know God better through our studies.

We take an in depth look into scripture in our studies and many times show pictures and describe the area that is being discussed in the Biblical stories.

If you are free to go and come as you please with no kids that have to tag along and love to study God’s word in depth you just might fit in.