New York - Phoenix,

Hi, Will here:
20/30

Jet Blue
Flight Deck:Dale, Jay
Cabin Crew: Rene; Amy, Virginia

Fellow Travelers: Stu and Eileen

We had a great discussion all the way over. Renee was running like the "Energizer Bunny". Like all Jet Blue crews she served with great enthusiasm and a great deal of positive personality which put everyone at ease.

Stu was a very enlightened gentleman who was investing in real estate in Phoenix.

[ BTW let me interject that I don't use the actual names of the people I meet, and in some cases these characters are a composite of more than one individual I've shared The Word with, but their story remains intact].

Stu was New York raised and bred in the tough street smart setting of the Big Apple. He had a keen sense of right and wrong, and he could pick out "real" from fake better than anyone I've met.
He is a strong and well disciplined man who told me briefly his story.
It seems at a young age he had a lot of anger and need to express himself physically. He had
always played street ball with older guys, and only when they found out that he had guts and gumption did they let this "Kid" in their game. Yet they never cut him any slack.
Because of this, Stu became toughened and self disciplined.
Apparently he still had anger problems that required fixing or re-direction. In school he had a coach who directed his anger and physical prowess in a positive direction.
Stu was channeled into sports: football in particular. He excelled, and played High school ball and then went to College on a scholarship playing Football in Virginia.
He must have been very good because he was picked to play semi pro football after college.
I got the distinct impression Stu had picked up on more than just physical discipline. I saw in this Young man a genuine interest in fairness and right living. In discussing God, we went over the chapter headings in Tim Donoho's "Arguing With God". I could tell Stu was genuinely interested in the way Tim describes how people view God and their relationship with Him. I shared my blog info with Stu, and told him if he would write me, I would send him a copy of Tim's book. We shook and left with a smile and a small seed of hope that Stu follows up and reads the book and receives the blessings of God's powerful testimony as laid out in Tim's book.

I will be here visiting my good friends Sam and Lourdes until tomorrow evening. Friday evening I am off to Aruba for the weekend. I have to confess that part of the trip is a personal reward, but I never know who the Holy Spirit will bring me into contact with. I just know I am ready and energized by His Holy Power to proclaim the message of Hope from Jesus to all the innocent by -standers I meet.