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MY DAUGHTER, KRISTEN ON MISSION TRIP TO BRAZIL

Pictured is my daughter, Kristen pointing to Ribeirao Preto, Brazil.  She is traveling there with the Free Will Baptist E-Team.

Her mother and I left her on Tuesday at the Free Will Baptist Bible College for a week of training.  She will then be in Brazil until the end of June. We are anticipating the Lord to do great things in her life!

Free Will Baptist have had a ministry presence in Brazil since the mid 1950's when pioneer missionary Thomas Willey visited Brazil. His findings prompted the FWB Board of Foreign Missions to send missionaries to share the good news with Brazilians.

Click here to read the history of FWB ministering in Brazil.

KRISTEN CANNON SELECTED TO SERVE ON 2010 E-TEAM Ribeirão Preto, Brazil

My daughter, Kristen Cannon has recently been selected to serve on the Free Will Baptist E-Team to Brazil in June 2010!  She is very excited and grateful for this opportunity to serve on the mission field.

Free Will Baptist have had a ministry presence in Brazil since the mid 1950's when pioneer missionary Thomas Willey visited Brazil. His findings prompted the FWB Board of Foreign Missions to send missionaries to share the good news with Brazilians.

Kristen will be traveling with seven other high school students to Brazil.  They will begin with a week of training at the Free Will Baptist Bible College in Nashville, Tennessee, then travel to Ribeirão Preto, Brazil for two weeks of ministry.

Kristen needs to raise $2,990.00 to go on this trip.  We are working now to get her scheduled in as many churches as possible to share about her opportunity and ask for a prayerful and financial partnership. 

If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to her account, please contact the Victory Church office 618.622.9360.  Please keep Kristen in your prayers.  Thanks and God bless! 

Click here to read the history of FWB in Brazil.

OPERATION SATURATION II

This afternoon we had another "Operation Saturation." We placed 2000 doorhangers on the doors of homes in O'Fallon inviting them to Victory Church. Pictured is my wife Debbie after just placing a doorhanger on a home.

FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL (CHEERLEADING!)

Are you ready for some football? I mean cheerleading! It's that time of year again. Pictured is my wife Debbie and our daughter Kristen after a Friday night high school football game. It's fun watching her cheer, she has a blast!

Oh yea, I took this pictured and posted this entry from my Blackberry phone!  Pretty cool, huh?  Gotta love technology.

FIRST WEEKEND @ FREE WILL BAPTIST BIBLE COLLEGE

This is Tyler's first weekend at Free Will Baptist Bible College.  We just got out of the Sunday morning worship service and decided to take a few pictures around the campus.  We then went to lunch and afterward brought him back to the campus to say good-bye.  Wow, that was hard!

Anyway, after touching base with him yesterday, he seems to have settled in well.  Please keep him and his mother in your prayers!

Below are some pictures from the weekend.

TYLER MOVING INTO HIS DORM ROOM AT FWBBC

Yesterday eas an exciting day for Tyler.  He is pictured here moving into his dorm room at Free Will Baptist Bible College.  You can tell from the smile on his face he is already enjoying his new found freedom.  Do you know what he likes the best about his room?  The air conditioner!  His room has a great A/C and it is ice cold in there!  He loves it.

MY SON TYLER LEAVES FOR COLLEGE

Wow!  It's hard to believe that my son, Tyler, is 18 and going off to college this weekend.  My, how quickly the years have passed!  It seems like yesterday that Debbie and I were in the hospital room giving birth to Tyler, and I can remember laying back in a recliner with him lying on my chest. (Pause -  while I brush away a tear!)

Well, this is one of the biggest weekends of our lives - our son moves out of our house and into his own dorm room at Free Will Baptist Bible College in Nashville, TN.

Congratulations Tyler!  We are proud of you and we love you very much! 

WE ARE MARSHALL!

While traveling to our Free Will Baptist National Convention in Charleston, WV., Debbie and I passed through Hunington which is the home of Marshall University.

You may have seen the movie "We Are Marshall" which was released in December 2006.  The movie is a documentary of the tragic November 14, 1970 play crash of the Marshall football team, coaches, staff, and others. 

Below are a few pictures of the memorial the university has made in remembrance of those who lost their lives.  The fountain stops flowing every November 14th.  Also, there is a memorial at the football stadium.

 

WEIGHT ROOM CONVERTED TO "PS3 - MADDEN '08" ROOM

After a long day of shopping at Mall of America, then after taking in a Twins game, Tyler and Tyler (Cannon on left - Lauderdale on right) feverishly looked for a place to play Madden Football '08 on their PS3.  Well, they found it - the workout room in the hotel!

These boys sat up that night, long after we all went to bed, and played Madden '08 until about 3 AM!

These two were hilarious!  They had fun.

THE GUYS TAKE IN A MINNESOTA TWINS GAME ON JULY 4TH

On July 4th the guys (Tracy Lauderdale, his son Tyler Lauderdale, my son Tyler Cannon and myself) carried out the American tradition of watching America's greatest sport - baseball!  We took in a Minnesota Twins game and watched them beat the Cleveland Indians 12-3.  The Twins were knocking the ball all over and out of the park all night!  It was pretty exciting.

While the guys took in a ballgame, then ladies continued their great American tradition of shopping at the Mall of America!

FIELD OF DREAMS MOVIE SITE

For our family 4th of July mini-vacation, we are traveling with the Lauderdale family through Iowa to the Mall of America in Minnesota.  The featured stop yesterday was to visit the site for the movie "Field of Dreams" in Dyersville, Iowa.  I kept asking my family while driving through Iowa, "Is this heaven?"  They would reply, "No, it's Iowa!"

I knew we would be stopping here, so before we left we had a "movie night" in the theater room...guess what we watched?  You guessed it - Field of Dreams!

Of course, we had to run the bases and play a little tag in the outfield.

You know, it looked just like it did in the movie!

My son Tyler, and his long-time friend Tyler standing on the mound.

Sitting on the bleachers waiting for the game to begin.

A VISIT TO DUKE UNIVERSITY - DURHAM, NC

On our way back from the outer banks of NC, our family stopped by Duke University in Durham, NC to visit Cameron Indoor Stadium.  Pictured is my son, Tyler and my daughter, Kristen with the Duke Blue Devil Mascot!  Directly behind the kids is "Coach K" signing autographs!   It was an awesome experience to watch the excitement of my kids as they toured the Duke campus.

 

Good News - Bad News!

Well, I've got good news and bad news. The bad news is that the MRI confirmed that I did tear the MCL (Medial Collateral Ligament) in my right leg. The good news is that I will not have to have surgery at this time! Ya-hoo! I will begin physical therapy next week.

Oh yea, there is more bad news, I will not be able to play for our church basketball team this year. That may be "good news" for the rest of my team, it depends on who you ask! Oh well, life goes on. Thanks for your prayers.

Ouch! Knee Injury!

Last weekend the Victory Church basketball team had a practice in preparation for our season opener this Saturday. It was at practice that I re-injured my right knee. It's an old football injury that has haunted me for years. I had to go to the doctor yesterday, then for x-rays; today I had a MRI on my right leg. I should know the result of the injury Friday.

I injured the medial collateral ligament (MCL) which connects the thighbone to the shinbone, and provides stability to the inner side of the knee. Injuries to the MCL are usually caused by contact on the outside of the knee and are accompanied by sharp pain on the inside of the knee.

I was searching the internet for articles on knee injuries and I found a good article at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Upon reading this article I ran across an acronym RICE:

R - Rest the knee to give the ligament time to heal.

I - Ice can be applied two or three times a day for 15 to 20 minutes each time.

C - Compress the injury to limit swelling. You may have to wear a bandage or brace for a while.

E - Elevate the knee whenever possible.

Let's pray that the MRI and x-rays return with good reports; and rest and therapy will be all that is needed!

Just Returned from NC Mountains!

Debbie and I just returned from our weekend trip to Bryson City, NC. What a beautiful part of the country! When God created this world I believe He took a little more time in the Great Smokey Mountains than He did here in the MidWest! (Debbie and I lived in Bryson City, NC and ministered at the Mt. Vernon Free Will Baptist Church for 5 years before moving to Mascoutah, Illinois to plant the church we are currently ministering in.)

We were there for a wedding of one of our teens in the youth group that we ministered to years ago. It was great to see everyone again. I really started to feel "old" when I saw young men and women, which at one time were teenagers in our youth group and are now married with children of their own! I am really proud of them and it was good to see many of them again. They are turning out to be fantastic young adults. Keep up the good work guys. We love you all!

I'm Back.....

After an extended period of sporadic posting I just wanted you to know that, "I'm back!"  I needed to take a break from daily posting to focus on some other areas of my ministry.  To be perfectly honest, I really did miss blogging and I'm looking forward to posting again on a regular basis. 

Christmas Eve--Totally Awesome, Two Thumbs Up!

Christmas Eve Sunday services at Victory were totally awesome!  Actually, I'll give it "two thumbs up!"  Our Sunday morning worship service was standing room only.  I was completely taken back by how many people we had in our service, especially since I knew of many in our church family that had already left town for Christmas.  I really felt the presence of the Lord in our service and I believe He spoke to many hearts.  We had about 15 local visiting families at Victory, and many of them told me upon leaving that they would be back...that was an early Christmas gift for me!

Our Christmas Eve communion/candlelight service was great also.  There was such a sweet spirit as we all slowed down from the hustle and bustle of Christmas to just focus on the Lord.  We had an awesome time of worship by singing, taking communion, and then closed with everyone lighting their candles and singing Silent Night.  It was totally awesome...I loved it!

I trust you had great Christmas services at your church also.   

Check Out the Sales!

You gotta love it! It seems like every store we stop in we are finding great sales. Oh well, just praise the Lord and keep shopping--it is that time of year you know. Happy shopping and maybe I'll see you at the mall.

By the way, I'm posting this from my cell-phone while my wife is trying on some clothes!  Now, that's called "multi-tasking!"  Pretty awesome, huh?

Pretty Awesome Experience!

Just last week one of our church members Special Agent Timothy Allen returned home after serving 6 months in Iraq with the United States Air Force.  Upon returning Tim came by my office and presented me with the flag you see and a certificate that reads:

"Let it be known that this American flag bears witness to the capture, prosecution, and/or destruction of terrorist forces threatening the freedom of the United States of America and the world.  This flag was carried by Special Agent Timothy Allen of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations during combat counterintelligence missions in hostile territory specially for Jon Cannon in support of "Operation Iraqi Freedom" in Kirkuk, Iraq."

Wow!  What an honor!  Thank you Tim!  And a special thanks goes out to all of our military men and women for sacrificing their lives to defend freedom at home and around the world.  We do support you (in spite of what you see on TV from the liberal media) and we do stand behind you 100%.  All of you are in my prayers!  May our God, Jehovah richly bless you, protect you, and bring you home safely to your families!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  You are loved!

My Son Camping Out at Target

Saturday night my son Tyler camped out with his buddies at Target in order to be one of the first 60 people to purchase the new Nintendo Wii. He was actually number 9 through the door. He and his friends had a blast! I took them my camping heater and they huddled around it all night and even roasted marshmellows!

One more thing...this is my very first post from my Treo phone. Pretty cool! You gotta love technology.

Typical "Fat Friday" Football

Well, last Friday night was a typical "Fat Friday" football game in Burke County, NC.  In other words, it went down to the final seconds of the game before a winner was decided. 

Pictured on the left is my family (from top, left to right: my daughter Kristen, my nephew Nic, my sister Jennifer, my dad Jim, my mom Beverly; bottom left to right: my sister Angie, me wearing the Duke cap, then my wife Debbie.)  Boy was it cold sitting in those concrete stands!!!

For those who even care (it's going to be really hard for me to even type this) Freedom won over East Burke 7-3.  The score was 0-0 until about 2 minutes left in the 4th quarter when East Burke kicked a field goal to go up 3-0.  After the kickoff, Freedom drove down the field and scored a touchdown with about 40 seconds left in the game.  East Burke made a valiant effort to score in 40 seconds but came up short.

Overall Freedom wins the yearly rivalry with 18 wins to East Burke's 15 wins; which brings the "original" Fat Friday football games to a close.  That rivalry will certainly be missed 1000's of Burke County residents (and those who have moved and live outside Burke County--like me!)!

It was pretty cool to have the Army Para-Troopers (five of them) fly in the game ball.  Check out the photo...it was an awesome experience!  Kudo's to all of our military personnel.  Thanks for all you do!  I'm praying for you all!

The Last "Orginal" Fat Friday

I am back in my hometown for the last "original" Fat Friday Football game between two rival high schools: East Burke Cavaliers (from which Debbie and I graduated in 1983) and the cross county rivals Freedom Patriots.

For 32 years this rival has been the highlight of each schools football calendar.  The current standings are: Freedom 17 wins to East Burke's 15 wins.  Tonight will be the 33rd annual meeting of these two rival schools.  It will be played at East Burke in Cavalier Country at the Danny Williams Stadium.  This stadium is one of the best in high school football.  The East Burke Booster's Club has done a fantastic job in building and maintaining this awesome facility.  The reason this will be the last "original" Fat Friday is because the county are in the process of building two new high schools which will somewhat change the rivalry.

This is the first Fat Friday game that I have been able to attend in about 15 years and I am really excited about being at the game tonight.  I traveled up to Freedom HS last night for the Junior Varsity game in which East Burke won over Freedom 21-14.  Let's just hope the same can be said for the varsity team in tonight's game. Be sure to check back and I will post the outcome.  Go Cavaliers!

An Unbelievable Evening!

Wow!  You will never guess what a blessing I received yesterday around 3:00 PM. Yep!  You guessed it!  World Series tickets for Game 4 St. Louis Cardinals vs. Detroit Tigers!  On top of that, we had great seats (middle deck right above first base)!  And to make it even better, the Cardinals won 5-4 taking the series 3 games to 1!

I received a phone call from my good friend Tracy Lauderdale and he said something like this, "Are you ready for your 'pastor appreciation' gift?  I've got you a ticket to the World Series game tonight!"  I graciously received his gift and flew out of the office to get ready for the evening, which included buying a new red Cardinals cap with the World Series logo on the side--just like what they wore in the game.  I was (and to be quite frank...still am) on cloud 9!  That was one more awesome event.

As the game was unfolding, there was somewhat of a David and Goliath event that was happening right  before my eyes.  David Eckstein, which is the smallest guy on the team at 5 foot 7, became the greatest threat going 4-5 batting with 3 doubles!  But in the bottom of the 8th inning there he stood again in the batters box, game is tied, Aaron Miles is on second base, there are 2 outs, and he is facing his Goliath--Joel Zumaya, the Tiger's 100(+) mph flame-throwing pitcher, and "POW" all of a sudden David belted the ball into left-center field for a double, thus scoring the go-ahead, game winning run.  David won again!  He conquered his Goliath!

Oh well, needless to say, I, along with 46,000 other fans jumped to my feet, waving my rally towel (which they gave us as we entered), shouted to the top of my voice, and high-fived everyone around me.  Flashing on the screens around Busch Stadium the famous saying of the late-great Jack Buck, "Go Crazy St. Louis! Go Crazy!"

That had to be one of the most exciting events that I have ever attended.  Thanks Tracy for an awesome evening that I will cherish the rest of my life!  Go Cardinals!  With a win tonight we can clinch the 2006 Word Series Championship!

Happy Anniversary...22 Years!

Wow!  22 years of marriage!  22 years ago today, 08.04.84 at 4:00 PM Debbie and I said, "I do" at the Connelly Springs Free Will Baptist Church in Connelly Springs, NC.  Our pastor, Leonard Lindsey must have tied that knot really, really tight!

Debbie and I were destined to get married on this day, because without evening planning it we got married on 84.84 @ 4 (August, 4, 1984)...guess what my football number was all through high school?  That's right...#84!

Our small group purchased for us a gift certificate to the "Melting Pot" in St. Louis, MO and we are going to cash that in tonight on our anniversary date.

My Greatest Joy - Being a Dad

My greatest joy in life is being a dad.  Pictured on the left is my son Tyler (16) and my daughter Kristen (13).  I love being their dad and I find great joy in just watching them live life and develop into young adults.

But, just yesterday I was reading several chapters in Scripture from the book of Numbers, when I ran across this verse in chapter 14, verse 33: "Your children will be shepherds here (in the wilderness) for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness."  Wow!  Did you hear what the Lord said to the parents of Israel, "Because you were unfaithful to Me, your children will suffer for forty (40) years!"  I immediately started looking at my life and questioning my faithfulness to our God.  I do not want my children to suffer and not enjoy the best that our Lord has for their lives because I have been unfaithful.    

Parents, are you faithful to the Lord?  If not, your children may suffer the consequences.  What a responsibility we have as Christian parents.

Happy 4th of July!

The Cannon Family (with the exception of Tyler which was hanging out with friends) along with our "small group" celebrated our independence by attending the fireworks in St. Louis.  We were standing on the Eads Bridge over the Mississippi River watching the fireworks by the Arch.  They were spectacular!

Freedom!  The good ole USA just celebrated 230 years of freedom, but that freedom did not come cheap.  Our military men and women have committed their lives, made tremendous sacrifices, and many have even shed their lives blood just so we could be free.  Living just outside of Scott AFB has given me a completely renewed appreciation for our military members.  These families are great.  They are inspiring, courageous, extremely patriotic, and many of them have a very strong faith in their Lord (Jesus Christ).  To all military persons and family members that may be reading this, let me say 'thank you for giving your life to protect our freedom; family members, thank you for the sacrifices you have made that most Americans are clueless about' -- you guys are awesome!

There is another freedom we are celebrating--over 2000 years of spiritual freedom!  The one Person I would like to commit about that gave His life for our freedom is Jesus Christ.  He shed His blood, gave His life on the cross, took our sins upon Himself, died, was buried, and after three days rose again...all so we could be spiritually free!  Do you know Him?  Do you have a personal relationship with Him?  Have you asked Him into your life?  If not, why not pray this prayer, "Dear Lord, I believe you died for me, was buried and rose again.  Right now I ask you to forgive me of my sins, come into my life and be my Lord and Savior. Amen."  If you just prayed that prayer please contact me. 

Water Ballon Ambush!

Some of the teens in our student ministry, along with our student leader Matt Hampel, decided to fork our yard this past Sunday afternoon.  Little did they know...there was an ambush waiting for them!  It was great!

It was all preplanned.  The teens thought they would pull a fast one on us, but several adults were anxiously waiting for just the right moment (actually when Dave Hornyak honked the horn of his truck) to come out of hiding and attack.  And, attack we did!  Debbie (my wife), Mike Collins and I were responsible for the "air attack."  We carried out the first phase of "shock and awe" by bombing the kids with water balloons from the top of my house!  Cotton, Carlos, Dave, Kat, Sandy, and Matt carried out the ground attack with "super-soakers and water balloons." 

The kids did not know what hit them!  They were actually running around in circles trying to get away, but there was no place to run or hide.  In the end, everyone was completely wet and the raid was a success.  We finished out the event with a group picture along with three buckets of water poured over Matt's head. 

That was one to the most awesome events that I have been involved in; needless to say, we adults enjoyed that way too much.  Anyhow, enjoy the pictures!

         

It's Summertime...Are You Going On a Family Vacation?

Ah!  Vacation time!  You gotta love it!  The Cannon family is anticipating some "get away time" with family and friends this summer?  We are taking some mini-trips this summer which will include trips to Branson, MO, camping at Rend Lake, IL, Chicago, IL, and Myrtle Beach, SC; not to mention a lay over at "our original home" to visit with family in Hickory and Valdese, NC. 

Remember what Jesus said in Mark 6:31, "Because so many people were coming and going they did not even have a chance to eat.  He (Jesus) said to them, 'Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.'"

What about you?  Are you planning some vacation time this summer?  Where are you going?  Even if you are staying around the house this year, remember...get some rest!

Happy Mother's Day

(Pictured are some of the treasured "moms" in my life.)  Mother's Day in America began with the   efforts of Miss Anna Jarvis of Pennsylvania when she conceived the idea of setting apart the second Sunday in May as a special day in which members of her Sunday School class could honor their mothers.

In 1914, Congress recommended that the president designate a day as Mother's Day. President Wilson stated, "On the second Sunday in May, the stars and stripes would be displayed publicly and in homes as a tribute to mothers."

There is no love on earth, except the love of Jesus Christ for the human race, that equals the love of a mother for her child. Someone once said, "The hand that rocks the cradle has the power to change the world." 

Therefore mom(s), I love you and please enjoy your day!  Happy Mother's Day!

It's Riding Time!

Check it out!  This is so very cool!  Sunday, right after our morning worship service, Mike Collins had his bike parked out back.  When I saw it, I just stood there and thought, "How sweet!"  Okay!  Okay!  I must admit it because it was written all over my face...I was coveting just a little.  So, I decided to sit on it and really get a feel for how cool it would be to actually OWN one.  The next thing I know, Mike comes over, gives me the keys and tells me to take it for a spin.

Well, I certainly did not want to rob Mike of his blessing to be generous and share with me what the Lord had blessed him with, so, I took him up on his offer and took it for a spin! What a smoooooooooth, I mean smoooooooooth riding machine!  I really believe that I could do the "ministry thing" on a bike like this.  Check out a couple of photos of me leaving and returning on "Mr. Temptation!"    

Thanks Mike!  Now I just have to get my wife on the back and take her for a spin.  That day will come to pass, therefore, be sure to check back as the saga continues!

The Most Important Thing

This is my family just before I preached this past Easter Sunday.  When I see this I am reminded again and again that life is all about relationships.

Someone once asked Jesus, "What is the most important thing God tells us to do?"  Very quickly He replied in short, "Love God and love people."  Wow!  What a concept.  Notice that He said it's all about relationships and not religion.  I wonder how many people live their entire religious lives and never understand this concept?  Just think of all the religious activities that take place week after week.  I can't help but think that the Lord is saying, "You just don't get it!"

Now we know that relationships can be messy.  Therefore, why not take some time this week to evaluate your relationships with your spouse, children, parents, extendend family and friends.  See if there are areas that you need to go deeper in.  Areas you need to work on.  Maybe you need to quit being so "task oriented" and think about becoming more "relationship oriented." 

Remember, it's all about loving God and loving people.  How are you doing in these areas?  

Another Milestone!

Wow!  Debbie and I have reached another milestone in our lives.  Are you ready for the announcement?  Here it is: "We now officially have two teenagers in our family!" 

Our baby girl turns "13" today!  Happy Birthday Kristen!  It really seems like just yesterday that we were pushing Tyler (15) and Kristen (13) around in strollers through the mall.  My how time just keeps clicking by.

Okay. One last time...here it is again...this is really just for me, but here it goes..."My babies are now teenagers!"  Thanks for allowing me space to vent.

Our son Tyler is now driving!

Wow!  I can hardly believe the day has come when my son is now "legal" to drive.  It seems like it was yesterday that I stayed all night in the hospital with Debbie the day Tyler was born, and while there, he slept on my chest most of the night and now he is driving me around town!  My, how the days, months, and years just go by!  Oh well, if you are driving around in the Metro-East of Illinois...LOOK OUT...my son is on the road!

Here are a few pictures of Debbie, Tyler and myself.