January

January 7

1984 - Did Art to Heart as part of leading retreat for Prince George Baptist Association January 6-8 in Laura, MD. Thank you, Jim Stone.

January 10

1975 -Did Art to Heart as part of a weekend revival January 10-12 in Louisville, KY. I'm not 100% sure, but I think I made this trip with good friend Mike Catlett when we were both Furman students. If so, this revival may have been at Mike's home church, maybe Crescent Hill Baptist Church. If this trip was with Mike, we almost didn't get back to Furman because of a huge snowstorm. We called friends and asked them to tell our professors why we were missing class on Monday, but then we ended up pressing on all night through a blizzard and horrible driving conditions to get to class (late) after all.

January 11

1981 - Sunday evening Art to Heart at Cathedral Church in Mauldin, SC. Had no way of knowing that 24 years later the pastor's future grandson, TJ Cofield, would become a part of our Seesalt staff and family.

1992 - Led program for Lexington Baptist Church ski retreat in West Virginia January 11-13. Calendar says I spoke one night and did a presentation one night. Not sure if that presentation was Art to Heart or a three-screen screen media presentation. Thank you, Todd Nelson.

January 15

1983 - Led program for Georgetown Associational youth rally January 15-16 but don't know where. Did Art to Heart but don't know when.

January 18

1986 - Did "Crossroads" Art to Heart as part of leading a youth retreat for Spartanburg First Baptist Church January 16-19 at Ridgecrest Conference Center. Theme was "On The Road." Thank you, Sam Davis.

1987 - Sunday evening "Crossroads" Art to Heart at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Camden, SC. Also preached there that morning. Thank you, Jimmy Atkinson.

January 19

1985 - Did Art to Heart as part of leading Hamilton (TN) Baptist Associational youth conference in Gatlinburg, TN January 18-20. Thank you, Eddie McBroom of Bateside Baptist Church in Harrison, TN.

This was maybe the coldest weather ever for any of our ministry. The conference was held at the round hotel (Park Vista? Sheraton) up the mountain overlooking Gatlinburg. The temperature, not counting wind chill, got down to minus 6. Things like steel speaker stands were sticking to my hands through my gloves when we unloaded them from the van. Because of the snow, road conditions, and frigid temperatures, the churches ended up staying in Gatlinburg for additional days. They asked us to stay and extend the retreat, but because of other commitments we had to try to get home. Our van heater was no match for the cold and we were especially concerned for our one-and-a-half year old son, Christoher, so we put cardboard over the front grill to block some of the cold air. We battled the cold and road conditions, but when the sun went down, the van quit running in Tuxedo, NC. A mechanic checked it out and told us that gas was freezing in the fuel line. I didn’t know that gas could freeze. He poured warm STP through the carburetor to thaw the gas and we got back on the road. The van would periodically shut off and we had to again pour warm STP into the carburetor several more times before finally getting home around midnight. We were ready for a warm house and bed, but out of concern for all the equipment, we first unloaded everything out of the van before calling it a long, cold day.

1986 - Did Art to Heart for Sunday evening service at First Baptist Church in Spartanburg. Who says you can't go home again?

January 20

1983 - Did Art to Heart as part of leading ski retreat January 20-22 in Beech Mountain, NC for Green Street Baptist Church of High Point, NC Also preached that Sunday morning at Green St Baptist. Thank you, Bob James.

1984 - Exactly a year later, came back to Green Street Baptist in High Point, NC to lead a weekend conference January 20-22 Did Art to Heart but not sure which day(s). Thank you again, Bob James.

January 21

2024 - Sunday morning Art to Heart at Palmetto Community Church in Charleston. Beefed up our sound with a new mixer and floor monitor and broke in a new congregational song (a contemporary arrangement of “How Great Thou Art”). Thank you, Traci and Paul Zerbst.

January 23

1977 - Did Art to Heart at Furman University in Greenville, SC for Campus Crusade for Christ.

1989 - Monday evening "Lighthouse" Art to Heart at First Baptist Church in Hartsville, SC Thank you, Ed Quattlebaum.

January 24

1988 - Sunday evening Art to Heart at Sandy Level Baptist Church in Blythewood, SC. Thank you, John Swindler.

January 25

1987 - Sunday evening Art to Heart scheduled for Easley First Baptist Church was snowed out. Thank you, Gary Ward, for trying.

January 26

1985 -Did Art to Heart as part of leading Carson Newman College (now University) Fellowship of Christian Athletes retreat January 25-27 in Gatlinburg, TN. Thank you, Mike Collins.

1989 - Did Thursday evening "This Little Child" Art to Heart for an "associational meeting." I assume it was a Baptist association, but I have no idea which one.

January 27

1992 - Did Art to Heart as part of the North Carolina Baptist Convention youth ministers retreat at Beach Cove Resort in Myrtle Beach. Thank you, Hal Melton.

January 28

1982 - Did Art to Heart as part of leading a youth retreat for Shandon Baptist Church of Columbia, SC January 28- 30 at Camp Broadstone in Boone, NC. This was one of those rare times when Kathy was in a cabin with the girls and I was in a cabin with the guys. We both have vivid memories of very loud rats fighting in the walls throughout the night. And of course one of the guys in my cabin got sick and threw up impressively for good measure. All a part a great youth retreat. Thank you, Jerry Long.

1989 - Did Art to Heart as part of leading DiscipleNow weekend January 27-28 at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Hudson, NC. Thank you, Steve Crouse.

January 29

1984 - Life on the road was and is often challenging. I actually have no memory of doing a Sunday evening Art to Heart as part of leading Friday through Sunday revival services January 27-29 at Turkey Creek Baptist Church in Plant City, FL. After doing a program for youth Sunday school and preaching during the Sunday morning service, we picked Christopher up from the nursery and he was limp and burning up with fever. We asked how long he had been that way and were told since shortly after we dropped him off. Have no idea why no one let us know during those 2+ hours. We rushed our nearly lifeless seven month old to a "7 day-a-week/24 hour-a-day clinic" - and it was closed. When we got to a hospital emergency room, Christopher had a fever of 106+. He was treated for an ear infection. Taking care of Christopher was our priority for the rest of the day, but somehow we still managed to still get ready for and do Art to Heart that night.

January 30

1993 - Maybe did Art to Heart as part of leading youth retreat January 29-31 in Eunice LA. In addition to speaking I did a presentation one night, but not sure whether it was a chalk drawing or a three-screen nine-projector multi-media. Did retreat for Garry Harper, who had been a quarterback at South Carolina leading the Gamecocks to back-to-back 9 win seasons (along with Heisman trophy winner George Rogers). As a star player, he was very open about his Christian faith and became much in demand as a speaker. I was doing a lot of youth rallies in those days, and it seemed like everywhere we went, somebody asked me if I thought Garry Harper (or "that USC quarterback") would be a good speaker for their next youth rally. We joked that I was Garry's agent. We eventually became good friends with Garry and his wife, Karen. Kathy sang in their wedding, which I missed because of being camp pastor at Centrifuge. Garry left a successful business career to go to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, which is when we led this retreat for the church he was serving while a student there. Years later their son, Daniel, served on our Seesalt staff and daughter, Kara, was in our cast of "A Peace of '72" at Concoxions Cornerstone Theatre.

January 31

1988 - Did Art to Heart Super Bowl Sunday evening as part of leading Sunday morning through Wednesday night revival services January 31- February 3 at Chapin Baptist Church. The plan was to watch the second half of the game in the fellowship hall after the service. Washington fell behind 10-0 but scored 42 unanswered points including a Superbowl record 35 in the second quarter to win 42-10, so by halftime the game was basically over. At least Art to Heart went well. Thank you, Ken Kelly.

I just now went to Ken's Facebook page and realized that I had somehow missed that he passed away a little over three years ago. Among those who have allowed us to share in their ministry through Art to Heart over these 50 years, there are obviously many who are sadly no longer with us. I'm grateful for the privilege we've had and continue to have to minister alongside so many wonderful men and women. I do not take them for granted.