Whenever I travel to the south I think of one of my all-time favorite actors, the Duke, John Wayne. God I miss him! Especially when I look around at Hollywood today. There is so much activism, and sadly that activism is a MESS! But as I think back to my youth I remember John Wayne. He was wholesome, he was patriotic……he was American. His movies expressed to an entire generation to be proud of who we were, to stand up for what was right, honorable, and true. Things have devolved unbelievably far from those days. Yep, I miss John Wayne.

Tonight just before midnight I will land in Dallas and be there for three days. Though I am an Indiana boy through and through, I enjoy Texas very much. It’s different in many ways, such as climate and terrain. But the Texans are much like Indiana folk…..they are hospitable, generous, and proud of their home.

I will be at a conference of Anglican Church planters for my visit there, so we will be around people from all across the country….but the hosts will be the Texans! John Wayne types my guess, in collars, sans hats, but dedicated to spreading the Gospel through the planting of orthodox churches throughout the country. I am looking forward to it.

I may never ride the range with my heroes, John Wayne or Ronald Reagan, but I can walk among some modern day ones. The work done by the people with whom I will meet is vital. There will be no horses, no dogies or gunfights at all. But I suppose all that was pre-crazy Hollywood anyway. What we share is a lot like the Duke of old…..a common, vital and noble vision of of what the world should be.

I intend to saddle up and ride, not into the sunset, but into the very place God is calling me to be!

Goodnight from under the Texas stars……incidentally, they look big and bright.

God Bless!

Tommy+ (a real Duke wannabe!)