Monday, March 18, 2024

MORE MINISTRY PARTNER GIFTS MAILED OUT!! ...IF YOU HAVEN'T GOTTEN YOURS LET US KNOW!

 
We have been getting caught up with mailing out & delivering Ministry Partner Gift Packages to our AWESOME SUPPORTERS from the past 5 years (& beyond). If you have EVER donated to GTD a $100 or more then you qualify for some free GTD swag!! If you did not receive your GTD shirt(s), knit cap(s), etc at our last banquet (or have not received anything in the mail - recently or EVER) and would like some GTD merchandise then let us know because we want to get our slick & comfy shirt(s), knit, cap(s), etc out to you asap!! Jan has been working diligently to follow-up with everyone, but please let us know if you haven't received your swag yet... or if want some more!!

GTD office phone: 727-394-9483
GTD email: info@goingthedistance.org
Or comment below 😀
 
 

Sunday, March 17, 2024

HAPPY 2nd HEAVENLY BIRTHDAY MOM!!


Happy "St Annie's Day" to my extraordinary Mom whose birthday falls on St Patrick's Day each year! This is a long distance birthday as she spends her 2nd birthday in Heaven in the majestic presence of our Savior (it's hard to top that venue & that guest list!). Mom, you are my hero! Thank you for every ounce of love, laughter, and sacrifice you poured into my life!! As selfish as it sounds, 91.75 years was not enough... soooooooo I'm overjoyed knowing that God actually makes our future reunion last for all eternity (with a slight separation in-between). I'm at peace and greatly comforted knowing you are basking in the fullness of joy, fullness of health, and fullness of love in your eternal mansion surrounded by a great Heavenly host of amazing people and cherished loved ones. Not gonna lie, I'm kind of jealous hahaha!! Enjoy your absolutely divine birthday cake & endless ice cream that never melts!! HAPPY BIRD DAY BIRDDOG!!!! I LOVE YOU ❤️ ❤️ ❤️!!! ... or, as you would say, I LOVE YOU MORE!!!

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“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” - 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLT)
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"In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." - John 14:1-3 (NKJV)
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Saturday, March 16, 2024

THE TOMATO MAN HAS A THEME SONG!!

 
Our cousin Kurt (Dad's nephew) found a song called, "Homegrown Tomatoes" by Guy Clark and mailed the lyrics & a really nice letter to Dad. Well, Dad LOVES THE SONG (understatement)!! He is telling everyone about "Homegrown Tomatoes" hahaha!! Everywhere he goes he tells people to "play Homegrown Tomatoes on YouTube". Last night we went to Country In The Park in Pinellas Park (where Dad worked for 21.5 years) and he immediately hobbled over to the sound guy who was preparing for the night's live concerts and asked him to play Homegrown Tomatoes by John Denver (Dad's favorite version)... you can hear the results in the video LOL! It's the PERFECT SONG for The Tomato Man!!
 
 
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Friday, March 15, 2024

MORE PROGRESS!! Tabernacle Church of Tampa Bay Makes BIG Impact In 1 Day!!!


One of my dear friends (who would karate chop me if I gave him credit for saying this) once said something to the effect of, "The Body of Christ (AKA: the church) is the greatest force for good on earth that God has ever created." I couldn't agree more! HUGE THANKS AND A STANDING OVATION for Tabernacle Church of Tampa Bay who came out a couple weeks ago to serve & bless GTD. About 20 members from that church (several of which were kids) swarmed the GTD Storage Container and the area around it and did more work in 1 day than I could have done by myself in a month!! They finished 80 ft of the exterior insulation, attached 80 ft of siding, trimmed hedges, moved building material, raked up 2 truckloads of leaves, and so so so much more!! We kicked off the morning with breakfast and devotions and then jumped into the projects. This group came to work hard (including all the kids) and in a matter of about 6 hours they made a HUGE IMPACT while at the same time having a whole lot of fun & authentic fellowship. I'm so very grateful for all their love for Jesus & hard work, and I love that their church puts a monthly emphasis on serving their community. Check out the pictures to see the progress. So far 2 churches, a few families, and our GTD Staff have helped with this project. It has been such a blessing to watch God work through the Body of Christ! Thank you & God bless you Tabernacle Church of Tampa Bay!!! You blessed us more than I could ever articulate!! 
 
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Saturday, March 9, 2024

ALL DECKED OUT!!

  
ALL DECKED OUT!!  ....WE ADDED A MAMMOTH 12'x40' DECK TO THE TOP OF OUR STORAGE CONTAINER!
  
A few months ago one of out dear friends along with his daughter-in-law volunteered to help Carson & I add a deck to the top of the GTD storage container while thicken the insulation to a whopping R-20 plus adding a radiant barrier. We all had a blast cutting, drilling, placing, & fastening each section as we worked our way down the length of the container. They knocked out a ton of work in about 6 hours, and blessed us immensely with their fun-loving can-do attitudes and skilled labor! Carson & I finished the rest of the deck over the next few days. We attached the remaining 3/4" plywood, caulked it, & applied water sealer stain as the temporary finish to the deck (once complete we will apply a silicone for flat roofs). The end product is a heavy-duty mammoth 480 sq ft deck that can hold a ton of weight (can you say "deck party!!"). It also supplies a 4ft overhang that will help cover 8 future mini-sheds. Special thanks to our dear friend (who likes to stay anonymous... that's why you can't see his face in the pictures 😀) and his amazing daughter-in-law!! You guys decked us out!! We are forging ahead with Operation Insulation & Deck Party USA 😀 😀 😀
  
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Wednesday, March 6, 2024

IGNITE IS 6 WKS AWAY!! (APR 19-21) ...ONLINE REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

 
One of our most popular events of the year is only 6 weeks away!! The GTD IGNITE Camping Retreat registration is open! And at only $55/person it's less expensive to go to IGNITE than it is to stay home! 
 
As stated, this is one of our most popular events so register ASAP to lock in your spot(s)!
 
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- IGNITE Camping Retreat
- April 19-21, 2024 (Fri night - Sun afternoon)
- Word of Life (Hudson, FL)
- Costs starts at $55/person
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INCLUDED ACTIVITIES:  
- Camping
- 2 Morning Devotions
- Climbing Wall
- Zipline
- Team Sports (such as volleyball, ultimate, basketball)
- Camp Games
- Swimming Pool
- Nightly Campfires, Bible-Based Messages, Smores... a perfect combination!
- Outdoor Movie (with family friendly editing)
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ADD-ON OPTION (EXTRA COST):  
- Bunkhouse Cabins (Optional Add-On).... Add $40/person ($20/night per person)
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IGNITE Link & Registration:
https://gtdbullhorn.blogspot.com/p/ignite-camping-retreat-2.html?m=1
 
 
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Tuesday, March 5, 2024

INTRODUCING OUR TUE & WED YOUNG GUNS WORK CREW!


Having worked with youth groups & young volunteers for over 20 years I can tell you that if you need a lot of good work done then give me an army of God-loving pure-hearted teenagers! They'll get it done while having fun! This is our Tue & Wed work crew that are helping renovate Jerry's living space... I just call them: "Jerry's Workers". We kicked things off today and they got a ton done!

"Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." - 1 Timothy 4:12

PS: The power tools are only a photo op... the under 17 youngsters aren't using power tools.

PSS: No animals were harmed while making this picture.
 
 

Monday, March 4, 2024

LOOKING FOR MORE VOLUNTEERS TO HELP WITH SEVERAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS OVER THE NEXT 3 MONTHS!


We've set aside about 20 hours each week over the next 3 months (March, April, & May) to tackle several work & construction projects (personal & GTD), especially renovation projects for my Dad's living space.
  
Our work schedule is:
Tuesday: 10a-3p
Wednesday: 10a-3p
Thursday: 10a-3p
Most Saturdays: 9a-2p

Location is in Pinellas Park, Florida.
 
Comment below, FB Messenger me, or text me if you want to help!

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization your volunteer work may qualify for school & work volunteer requirements (if applicable).

(*pictured here is one of our construction projects... a shipping container used for ministry storage that's being insulated on the exterior to protect the gear stored inside.)
 
 
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MIGHTY TIDY!! ...WHAT'S ALL THE RAGE?? IT'S GTD'S stoRAGE!


Jan, Faith, & I spent 2 weeks at the end of January & beginning of February tackling the GTD stoRAGE container (it's a 40' shipping container formerly referred to as "The Green Monster" that was donated to GTD by the amazing Wilder family!). We house over $20,000 worth of quality backpacking, camping, & banquet equipment in this 320 sq ft x 8 ft tall "monster". Over the past few years it has gotten a bit cluttered and was in dire need of some tidying. I'm thrilled to share that the ladies took care of business and made it more than tidy... they made it MIGHTY TIDY! Everything has a place, and there is a place for everything! It's a big step in the right direction as we strive to get back on top of everything that had to be put on the back-burner during the past 5 years. IT FEELS SO GOOD to not have to search for an hour for an item we have, but can't find... as well as not have to climb over or trip over things while navigating down the aisle!! It's a big win for us! YIP! YIP!!
 
 
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Saturday, March 2, 2024

4 WEEKS TILL LIQUID!!

 
It's our annual Day-Before-Easter FREE Kayaking Day Trip we call LIQUID, and everyone is invited! Join us for a fun day of yaking at Weedon Island!
 
To claim your spot all you have to do is register on the link below.

Click on the LIQUID website link for all the details and show up ready to paddle March 30th!
 
Location: Weedon Island Preserve
City/State: St Petersburg, Florida
Date: Saturday March 30, 2024
Time: 12:00pm - 4:30pm
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Website:
https://gtdbullhorn.blogspot.com/p/liquid.html?m=1
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Registration Link:
https://gtdbullhorn.blogspot.com/p/registration-liquid-canoeing-day-trip.html?m=1
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Join us on another God-awesome GTD event that we hope blesses your day & your soul!
 
 
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It was a month ago, but...

 
It was a month ago, but we had a great time making pizzas and watching Groundhog Day on Groundhog Day! We had 30 fun people participate in our last Movie Nite of the winter at BIRDDOG CINEMA :)
   
  
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Thursday, February 29, 2024

2024 IS OFF TO A VERY GOOD START... 2 MONTHS IN & IT'S ALL "THUMBS UP" PTL!!

   
February flew by... even with an extra day! (Happy Leap Year everyone! We have so many joyous things to leap for! ...which is a far cry from a year ago or even 5 years ago) There are many small & big steps of progress, especially in February, that I haven't had a chance to post about yet, but I'm going to do my best to post about them over the next few days & weeks. God is restoring the years that the locust hath eaten (Joel 2:25)! The TAKEback ATTACK has been going strong, and I look forward to sharing about the progress. There are still many mountains ahead, but not a problem if I have faith as small/big as a mustard seed... in faith I go from being crushed by mountains to moving mountains... in that moment I become a "Mtn Dude"... and Mtn Dude's stop seeing mountains as an oppression and start seeing them as another opportunity to watch God supernaturally work! On a journey from surviving to THRiVING... More to share 😀 
 
 
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