6/14/12 It's been awhile, Lord. Baptizing someone in a place other than a church house baptistry. He asked. We said, "Sure!" That's what we did.

Thom came into my office back around the first of the year and after several God talks, prayer and Bible studies, he asked, "I want to get baptized." He hesitated after I said "Sure!" to ask the next question, "Would you baptize me in the Arkansas River?" It was January.

Thom said then, "I want to think and pray about it, repent and get my heart right with the Lord." Who can argue with that sober kind of thinking? Not me. It's his decision with You, Lord.

Fast forward to June 13.

Thom caught me outside in the warm June sun to say, "Remember me?" Inside, I was saying, "barely." We have so many people in and out of RCM Lord, I surely wish I could remember each like You know them.

"I was the one who asked you to baptize me in the Arkansas River when I was ready. Well, here I am!"

I asked, "Well how about now?" to which he replied that he would be at RCM the next morning ready to go. I prayed Thom would keep that commitment. "10:30am, I'll be there!" he smiled.

He was thirty minutes early this morning. Ready to go.

It's a beautiful day today. The water down by the riverfront across from the Clinton Library, not far from the bridges, was just the right temperature. We could see the Little Rock skyline in the background. Chase said, "We oughta be fishing!" and someone said, "We are, fishing for men!"

We immersed Thom while the small minnows and bream swam close and splashed around, in the gentle breeze under a bright sun.

When Thom came out of the water, he said, "I thought the Holy Spirit would come down on me like a dove." I told him, "He did."

I asked Thom, "So, why the Arkansas River instead of a church building ...?" I was just curious.

"Because of nature, it's closer to God, and it's how Jesus was baptized. You see, when I was a kid, a man told me that God is camoflouged —He's here, He's there, He's everywhere. If you look for him. I sure love that old song, bro. Anthony, "I see Him in the flowers ..."

When we arrived back at RCM, Thom and I were talking outside for a minute when I heard the call of a familiar friend and said, "Thom, hear that, there's your dove."

"I knew he was here." Thom is 72 years old. He's brand new in Christ.

At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him . . . Matthew 3:16-17, NIV