Tuesday, December 5, 2023

HANS GRUBER UPDATE! ...20 DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS!!

  
After falling 5 stories Hans was last seen passing the 20th floor at Nakatomi Plaza where John McClane could be heard yelling the following question, "Hey Hans, how ya doin'?!" To which Hans yelled back, "It's Christmas... It's the time of miracles.” Well said Hans, but I've seen this movie before and all I can say is 20 more days till Hans Gruber hits the ground in front of Nakatomi Plaza and Christmas can be celebrated!! Long live DIE HARD as the greatest Christmas movie of all time!!!
 
 
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We had another great time at BIRDDOG CINEMA watching Home Alone!

 
We had another great time at our Outdoor Movie Nite this past Saturday night watching Home Alone with about 30 people at BIRDDOG CINEMA! Special thanks to Mark DeSantis for supplementing our pizzadillas with lots of delicious queso & chips from Moe's!! ...Aaaaaaaaand  my awesome Sista for all her hard work & help!
  
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NOTE - MOVIE SCHEDULE CHANGE: Our next Movie Nite at BIRDDOG CINEMA is changed FROM this Fri night Dec 8th TO Sunday night Dec 10th!!! (Friday night wasn't a good choice because of it being a work day and Saturday night is the City of Pinellas Park Christmas Parade)... more info to come, but the movie will be DADDY'S HOME 2 (absolutely hilarious!!) and the menu will be Tacos!!! More info to come!
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Friday, December 1, 2023

Let the countdown begin! 25 days till...

 
Let the countdown begin! 25 days till Hans Gruber hits the ground in front of Nakatomi Plaza and Christmas can be celebrated!! Long live DIE HARD as the greatest Christmas movie of all time!!!

PS: Thank you Carson for THE BEST Christmas countdown Advent calendar EVER!
 
 
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WOW x 100,000!!!! ...$100k RAISED IN RECORD TIME!!! PTL!!! THANK YOU DONORS!!!

  
I only have a couple of minutes, but wanted to get this VICTORY POST up immediately!!!! Late yesterday (Nov 30th) our AWESOME, PHENOMENAL, STELLAR, & AMAZING SUPPORTERS put us over the $100k goal line IN RECORD TIME!!!!!!!! Wow, I mean WOWWWW, JUST WOWWWW!!!!! Thank you doesn't even come close to describe the gratitude in my heart and all of our hearts at Team GTD!!!! You guys are launching us into 2024, and we even have 2 months left on our fundraising calendar to add "MORE IN 2024"!!! Our All-Time Fundraising Record is around $110k if anyone wants to help us break another record! But the BIG NEWS that we are celebrating right now is that $100,000 was raised in 1 month!!! That's amazing!!! That's RECORD SETTING TIME!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! God bless all of you awesome people!!! And most of all, ALL GLORY TO GOD!!
 
 
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Wednesday, November 29, 2023

DINNER #2 & ANOTHER OUTDOOR MOVIE THIS SATURDAY NIGHT AT MY PLACE!

  
We are hosting our 2nd outdoor Movie Nite of the 2023/24 holiday season this Saturday night (Dec 2nd) at in my backyard (in Pinellas Park, FL) at "BIRDDOG CINEMA" (named after my Mom)!
 
THIS WEEK'S MOVIE & MENU:
MOVIE: Home Alone 1
MENU: Pizzadillas, Salad, S'mores, Popcorn, & Snacks
DRINKS: Water, Soda, Lemonade (or similar)
  
Each Movie Nite is provided by GTD for FREE, and includes dinner, a campfire, s'mores, popcorn, and snacks. Some outdoor games like cornhole, ping pong, arcade style 2-player basketball game, connect four, and more will also be available.
 
"Doors" open at 4.30p if you want to arrive before it gets dark and play some games. Dinner will be at 6pm-ish. The movie will start around 7pm-ish.
 
Outdoor propane griddle, grill, & burners will be available for those that have special dietary needs or those who want to make something different than what's on the menu.  
We can comfortably accommodate about 40 people. We have 16 Adirondack chairs, 4 zero gravity chairs, an outdoor sofa, and plenty of camp chairs. Feel free to bring your own chair.
 
All movies are family friendly (movies have been edited to remove cursing & inappropriate content except fighting/violence when showing action movies like Die Hard, Mission Impossible, etc).
 
Since this is a family friendly setting and we have friends with various conditions including lung conditions smoking, vaping, & alcoholic beverages are not allowed.
 
Check weather and bring any comfort measures needed (blanket, jacket, pillow, bug spray, etc)
  
Currently we don't have a RSVP link set up so for now you can comment below, text me, or message me via FB Messenger or Instagram to reserve your spot.

MOVIE SCHEDULE:
Nov 25: >> Hoodwinked!
Dec 2: HOME ALONE 1 & PIZZADILLAS!!
Dec 8: Christmas movie (TBD)
Dec 16: Christmas movie (TBD)
Jan 13: New Year's movie (TBD)
Feb 2: >> Groundhog Day
Feb 11: >> Super Bowl
  
I hope you can join us for one of our upcoming GTD MOVIE NITES!
 
 
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Tuesday, November 28, 2023

IT'S "GIVING TUESDAY"!! ...97K RAISED!!! ...ONLY 3K TO GO!


The BIG news is that we just surpassed $97,000 for funds raised this month!! Glory to God!!! Thank you BIG hearted Donors!!

As a an official 501(c)(3) non-profit faith-based organization we raise funds each year to offset our operating & event expenses. This allows us to offer our outdoor recreation events at either a reduced rate, a greatly reduced rate, and some events for free!

Our goal each year is to raise $100,000 between Nov 1 - Jan 31 to help us run the next year's program. 2024 will be GTD's 28th year of ministry (PTL!!). I'm thrilled to share that our AMAZING SUPPORTERS have already enabled us to raise 97% of our goal in record time!!! That leaves us with only 3% left to go!! Wowwww!!!

No pressure at all, but if you would like to donate to the cause today on Giving Tuesday (or any day for that matter) here are some donation/payment links:

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Donation methods:
1) PAYPAL: www.paypal.me/GTDadventures
2) VENMO: www.venmo.com/GTDADVENTURES
3) MAIL IN A CHECK MADE OUT TO "GTD" TO:
   GTD / PO Box 7523 / Seminole, FL 33775
4) BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER: www.gtdbullhorn.blogspot.com/p/monthly-partners.html
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From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!

Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-Awesome Adventures Since 1996!

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What is Giving Tuesday?
"Giving Tuesday, often described as a global day of giving or a global generosity movement, is held each year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving."
 
 
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Monday, November 27, 2023

MOVIE NITE WAS GREAT!! ...NEXT MOVIE NITE IS DEC 2nd!

  
We had a great time kicking off our winter Movie Nites this past Saturday night at the Grand Opening of BIRDDOG CINEMA located within Shantytown Estates (aka, my backyard)! 30 fun-loving people showed up (and helped out) and enjoyed some games, fires & s'mores, the meatiest spaghetti ever made, and the hilarious animated movie - Hoodwinked!!

Many thanks to my awesome Sister Traci and our thoughtful Dad (The Tomato Man) for all their help leading up to Movie Nite! And huge thanks to the actual guests who showed up, rolled up their sleeves, and helped us finish setting everything up & preparing the food! And a very special thanks to one of our anonymous Ministry Partners who surprised us by sending us an outdoor propane fireplace to enjoy as cooler temperatures set in... it's the perfect gift that warms the hands, heart, & soul!!

I did a terrible job taking pictures, and missed most of the play time and several attendees... hopefully I'll improve at our next Movie Nite!

Did someone say, "Next Movie Nite!"?!?!... our next Outdoor Movie Nite is this Saturday Dec 2nd (2023)... as we kick off our Christmas movie mania with "Home Alone 1"!!!

- "Doors" open at 4.30p
- Dinner (pizzadillas) at 6pm-ish
- Movie (Home Alone 1) at 7pm-ish

These are family friendly events so we will have games & edited movies that are kid friendly.

Comment below, or text me, FB Messenger me, or Instagram Message me to RSVP to reserve your spot and so we have plenty of pizzadillas ingredients ready to gooooo!!

We hope to see you at one of our upcoming GTD MOVIE NITES at BIRDDOG CINEMA 😀
 
 

Friday, November 24, 2023

BLACK FRIDAY FEELS MORE LIKE GOOD FRIDAY!! WE JUST HIT $94,000 RAISED!!! TYJ!!

  
We continue to be absolutely floored by the support & generosity of you guys!!! We just hit $94,000 raised!! As you know, our annual goal is to raise $100k by January 31st, and we only have $6000 more to go... and it's only November 24th!! That continues to be record breaking & record setting!! Thank you to our amazing supporters! You guys are PHENOMENAL!!! Thank You to our Awesome God!! We! Are! Blown! Away!!! Have a great Black Friday!
 
 

Thursday, November 23, 2023

HAPPY THANKSGIVING & MORE!!

 
Happy Thanksgiving & an early Merry CHRISTmas (& an upcoming Happy New Year) from the staff of GTD!! We are so thankful for YOU, and we hope you have a God-awesome holiday season!!!
 
 
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Wednesday, November 22, 2023

UPDATE: $90,000 RAISED!!!

 
You guys continue to rock our world!! It has only been 1 week since our Annual Banquet, and we just hit the $90,000 threshold!! We've never hit that amount this quickly! Praise the Lord, and thank you PHENOMENAL DONORS!!! Our annual goal each year is to raise $100k by January 31st... it's only Nov 22nd, and we only have $10k left to raise to hit our goal!! BLOWN! AWAY!! Yayyyyy God!!!
 
 
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Tuesday, November 21, 2023

DINNER & AN OUTDOOR MOVIE THIS SATURDAY NIGHT AT MY PLACE!

  
We are kicking off our holiday outdoor movie nite this Saturday night (Nov 25th) at 6pm in my backyard (in Pinellas Park, FL) at "BIRDDOG CINEMA" (named after my Mom)!
 
Each movie nite is provided by GTD for FREE, and includes dinner, a campfire, s'mores, popcorn, and snacks. Some outdoor games like cornhole, ping pong, arcade style 2-player basketball game, connect four, and more will also be available.
 
"Doors" open at 4.30p if you want to arrive before it gets dark and play some games. 
 
Outdoor propane griddle, grill, & burners will be available for those that have special dietary needs or those who want to make something different than what's on the menu.  
We can comfortably accommodate about 35 people. We have 16 Adirondack chairs, 4 zero gravity chairs, an outdoor sofa, and plenty of camp chairs. Feel free to bring your own chair.
 
All movies are family friendly (edited to remove cursing & inappropriate content except fighting/violence when showing action movies like Die Hard, Mission Impossible, etc).
 
Alcohol, smoking, vaping, etc are not allowed.
 
An RSVP link will be set up this week (hopefully on Wednesday), but for now you can comment on my/our Facebook post, text me, or message me via FB Messenger to reserve your spot.
 
UPCOMING MOVIE SCHEDULE:
Nov 25: >> Hoodwinked!
Dec 2: Christmas movie (TBD)
Dec 8: Christmas movie (TBD)
Dec 16: Christmas movie (TBD)
Jan 13: New Year's movie (TBD)
Feb 2: >> Groundhog Day
Feb 11: >> Super Bowl
 
THIS WEEK'S MOVIE & MENU:
MOVIE: Hoodwinked! (Animated)
MENU: Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce, Salad, S'mores, Popcorn, & Snacks
DRINKS: Water, Soda, Lemonade (or similar)
 
ABOUT THIS WEEK'S MOVIE:
TITLE: Hoodwinked! (Animated) (2005) (PG) (1 hr 20 min)
- TOP CAST: Anne Hathaway - voice for Little Red Riding Hood; Glenn Close - voice for Granny; Patrick Warburton - voice for The Wolf ; Jim Belushi - voice for The Woodsman.
- SUMMARY: "Everyone knows the story of Little Red Riding Hood . . . or so they think. That's all about to change because no one has ever seen their favorite fairy tale quite like this -- turned upside-down, inside-out and reinvented as a computer-animated caper comedy that at last reveals the shocking true-crime investigation behind the legend. At last, the full story can be revealed of how Red, Granny, The Woodsman and the Wolf all came together as criminal suspects in a case that almost HOODWINKED the law. With inventive story telling, spunk and wit, filmmakers Cory & Todd and Tony Leech bring to the screen a story for the young, the young at heart and everyone in between."
- ONLINE MOVIE REVIEW: "One of my favorite movies as a kid... still stands as an adult. This movie has such great comedic points for both children and adults. First time I saw it I was in 6th grade at the ripe age of 11 and remember laughing so hard I almost peed my pants. Here I am now, 14 years later, and it still brings me such joy. I feel as though this is a comfort movie that provides an excellent twist on a classic fairytale (Shrek style, if I may) that brings joy and amusement. Great for all ages."
- LINK TO TRAILER: https://youtu.be/_WGv6Rgp72k?feature=shared

PS: This is one of Carson's favorite movies, and a very difficult movie to find via streaming services, cable, etc. We were able to purchase a new DVD on eBay.
 
I hope you can join us for one of our upcoming GTD MOVIE NITES!
 
 
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Monday, November 20, 2023

GTD's Highlight Video "Come Alive" has been uploaded to YouTube!

 
Come Alive!! Our 2023 God-awesome GTD Highlight Video "Come Alive" has been uploaded to YouTube! Thank you to everyone who participated and supported GTD in 2023... this video is for you (and because of you)!!

Special thanks to Carson for making this video!

Extra special thanks to God for making His amazing playground!!

2023 GTD Highlight Video: https://youtu.be/TkSpThfXP9s
 
 
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Sunday, November 19, 2023

DAD UPDATE... SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR!


As we enter into the week of Thanksgiving I will summarize my Dad's update in his own words. After a great night of sleep he woke up early this morning and wanted to cook a big breakfast. He said, "I haven't felt this good in a long time." We are so THANKFUL to hear those words! A few days ago he went grocery shopping and made a big pot of his famous delicious stew that my Sister and I grew up on. You can tell when the Tomato Man is feeling good simply by looking in the kitchen... when he is feeling his best he is cooking food for everyone! It's his love language. Thank you to everyone who has prayed for him, encouraged him, spent time with him, ran errands for him, taken him to Dr's appointments,  & helped him in various ways!! You did more than you may ever know. He is truly The Comeback Kid! Very thankful!!
 
 
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Thursday, November 16, 2023

Mt Dude made an appearance at the GTD Annual Banquet!! But who is he?!?!

 
Mt Dude made an appearance at the GTD Annual Banquet!!  I, oops - I mean "he", thought it was a costume party ;) ... will anyone ever be able to figure out the true identity of Mt Dude?!?!
 
 
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Wednesday, November 15, 2023

$80,000 RAISED!!!!

 
Thank you so so so so much to everyone who participated in our Annual Banquet last night - both near & far!! We had an amazing time glorifying God as we celebrated all the gains of 2023 while honoring those we lost... and preparing, Lord willing, for so much "MORE IN 2024"!! Thank you to every volunteer and staff member who worked so hard to make this event a great success!! Thank you to everyone who attended our special event when you could have let the rain keep you from venturing out!! Thank you to the City of Pinellas Park, Carrabba's, Flashpoint Productions, & all the vendors for making last night so delicious and special!! And thank you to every Table Sponsor, Ministry Partner, & Donor who rocked our world last night as well as the days & weeks leading up to our Annual Banquet!! Everyone blessed our hearts immensely with all the love & support!! I'm THRILLED to announce that our preliminary numbers are already in and we raised just over a $80,000!!!!!!! Glory to God!!! Thank You Jesus!!! We are jaw-dropped!! Our goal is to raise $100,000 by the end of January, and you guys already knocked out at least 80% of that!!! We had some very generous donations that came in from supporters outside of the area that helped us hit our Matching Gift one-time donation challenge!!! And several generous Monthly Donors at the Banquet that enabled us to hit our Matching Gift pledge challenge!! So far it's right at 50% ($40,000) that came in through one-time donations, and 50% ($40,000) pledged for 2024 as monthly donations. And we still have regular supporters who weren't able to attend last night that may enable us to knock out our entire $100,000 goal before Thanksgiving! Oh, it's fun to dream a little! Well, all I can say is, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to everyone who helped make our fundraising season already an overwhelming success!!! We are touched, humbled, and blown away all at the same time!
 
 
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Monday, November 13, 2023

DOUBLE YOUR DONATION TO GTD!!

 
DOUBLE YOUR DONATION TO GTD!!
...Matching Gift Challenge
....Turn $21,000 into $42,000!!

HELP LAUNCH GTD INTO OUR 28th YEAR OF MINISTRY IN 2024!

GTD has 4 different donors that will match all donations & pledges dollar-for-dollar up to a total of $21,000!!! That means that if our donors combine to donate/pledge $21,000 they will DOUBLE IT for a total of $42,000!!!

WHAT WILL BE MATCHED??
>>> $15,000 in One-Time Donations!!
>>> $500/mth in Monthly Pledges ($500 X 12 mths = $6000/yr)!!

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Donation methods:
1) PAYPAL: www.paypal.me/GTDadventures
2) VENMO: www.venmo.com/GTDADVENTURES
3) MAIL IN A CHECK MADE OUT TO "GTD" TO:
   GTD / PO Box 7523 / Seminole, FL 33775
4) BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER: www.gtdbullhorn.blogspot.com/p/monthly-partners.html
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From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!
 
 
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Saturday, November 11, 2023

One of the BEST aspects of being part of a non-profit organization is...

 
One of the BEST aspects of being part of a non-profit organization is that you get exposed to some of the most caring, most loving, most positive, most supportive, and most generous people!! Although my career path in a non-profit organization requires that I participate in fundraising, I'm not a fund raiser... I'll never be a fund raiser... it's not part of my DNA, and in fact goes against everything in my authentic self to ever ask for any kind of assistance, aide, help, or support - especially financially. Although I don't mind being asked to volunteer or being asked to contribute for any cause (in fact, I like being asked those things), I never like asking others to help. Some may say that's pride or insecurity. Maybe. I'm open to that. But what I've found it more to be is - like my Mom never liked to ask for any help, but loved to help others - is that it is an authentic thoughtfulness of other people's time & resources... it's the part of the heart that says, "I don't want to inconvenience other people or take them away from their priorities." That may be wrong thinking to think that way, but it comes from a place that genuinely respects people's time and resources. So why do I even elaborate on that?? Because I'm going somewhere with this... WE ARE SOOOOOO BLESSED WITH AN ALMIGHTY GOD AND AMAZING SUPPORTERS!!! We are strongly supported by both God & people!! They fill in for my shortcomings. Every year God moves the hearts of amazing people to strongly and generously support this ministry! I don't do that. I can't do that. God does it all! And you guys answer the call God puts on your heart! The beautiful thing from my perspective is that I can't ever get prideful about the yearly accomplishment & funds raised, because I didn't do a single thing. God does it all through you guys! He gets all the credit! You guys get all the blessings! And all it leaves me with is overflowing gratitude for both God & you!! God is at work AGAIN this year... our fundraising season began weeks ago, and it's off to an amazing start!! And I didn't do anything above & beyond to raise funds... God teamed up with you, and you're blessing our socks off AGAIN!! Soooooo from the bottom of my heart - my "don't want to inconvenience you" heart - THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR LOVE & SUPPORT!!! THANK YOU JESUS FOR MOVING SO MANY HEARTS!! Have a great weekend!
 
 
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE! ...HAPPY VETERANS DAY!!

 
A huge & heartfelt THANK YOU to all our military veterans (AND their spouses & families) who made all kinds of self-sacrificing choices in order to serve our country! We salute you!! Thank you for your service!!

Our Dad faithfully served 20 years in the United States Air Force including Vietnam & Iran, and our Mom spent many months & years by herself raising kids and managing all of the household responsibilities (not to mention uprooting and moving every few years). Traci & I lived on or near military bases in Georgia (before I was born), Florida, Texas, & Mississippi.

Interesting Side Note: If the military recruiter I met as a Respiratory Therapy (RT) student in 1995 had shown up to his office for our scheduled meeting there's a good chance I would have enlisted & accepted a $5000 signing bonus (I was going to use the money to send my parents on a nice vacation), and my life would have taken a different course. But he never showed up to our meeting, never called, & never followed up. I loved the military and had many times growing up when I wanted to follow in my Dad's footsteps, but that day I took the fact that this very zealous recruiter forgot our scheduled meeting as a "sign" to keep tracking on the course I was already on. Otherwise there's a good probability that I would have decided to enlist that day.

(*Image by pikisuperstar on Freepik)
 
 
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Friday, November 10, 2023

INTRODUCING The GTD S'mores Raffle Girlz!

Tuesday night we will be debuting "The GTD S'mores Raffle Girlz" at our Annual Banquet!! Who will they be??? Join us for a rip "roasting" time and buy some raffle tickets & 50/50 tickets from a walking Graham Cracker, a walking Marshmallow, and a walking piece of Chocolate hahaha! Nothing says camping ministry more than roasting s'mores over the campfire! Good times ahead!!

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ANNUAL BANQUET:
Nov 14th, 2023 (Tues Night)
6:30pm - 9:00pm
 
Pinellas Park Performing Arts Center
4951 78th Ave N, Pinellas Park, FL 33781
 
CATERED BY CARRABBA'S!!!!!
 
Website, More Details, & RSVP:
https://gtdbullhorn.blogspot.com/p/annual-banquet-pppac.html?m=1
 
 
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24 FREE BANQUET TICKETS!! ...COME JOIN US THIS TUES NIGHT!!

  
Each year we have a few generous Table Sponsors that live out of the area that want to offer their banquet tickets to anyone that wants to come to our Annual Banquet and enjoy a night of celebration along with a delicious Carrabba's dinner. This year we have 24 FREE TICKETS AVAILABLE! Yayyyyy!! Thank you generous supporters!!!

To claim your FREE TICKETS simply click on the GTD Annual Banquet website link below and complete the RSVP form (takes about 1 minute) so we have enough Carrabba's for everyone!! Super simple!
 
Come join us for a fun night as we celebrate 27 years of ministry as well as prepare for our 28th year!

Dress Code: Semi-formal / Business attire
 
ANNUAL BANQUET:
Nov 14th, 2023 (Tues Night)
6:30pm - 9:00pm
 
Pinellas Park Performing Arts Center
4951 78th Ave N, Pinellas Park, FL 33781
 
CATERED BY CARRABBA'S!!!!!
 
Website, More Details, & RSVP:
https://gtdbullhorn.blogspot.com/p/annual-banquet-pppac.html?m=1
 
 
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Wednesday, November 8, 2023

EVER WONDER WHAT WE LOOK LIKE WHEN WE AREN'T CAMPING & ARE ALL DRESSED UP??? ...FIND OUT AT OUR ANNUAL BANQUET ON NOV 14th!!

Join us for our BIGGEST event of the year - our Annual Banquet - on Tuesday night Nov 14th, 2023 at the Pinellas Park Performing Arts Center (6:30p - 9p) as we CELEBRATE 27 YEARS OF MINISTRY... Aaaaaaaaand prepare to kick off our 28th YEAR!!

To RSVP and/or read more details about our BIG EVENT click on the link below... we can't wait to see you there!!

GTD Annual Banquet website:

Saturday, November 4, 2023

WELCOME HOME DAD! ...DAD RETURNED HOME LAST WEEK!


After 6 weeks in the VA hospital & rehab Dad returned home last weekend! (I meant to post this last Saturday night, but we've been going pretty much non-stop since he got home.)

Special thanks to the awesome Zeitler family for making a cool "Welcome Home" banner for Dad to see when he arrived home!

Thank you to everyone who prayed for Dad, encouraged him, called him, & visited him while he was in the VA!! It all played a vital role in the healing process.

So what is the most excellent Tomato Man doing 1 week after returning home??? Well, he was back home for about an hour after doing his Saturday morning dialysis treatment and he just drove off to the City of Pinellas Park BBQ Fest with his "I Like Pig Butts & I Cannot Lie" shirt on hahaha!! Our cousins bought him that shirt earlier this year... absolutely classic!!
 
 
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Tuesday, October 31, 2023

SWEEP THE LEG!

Sweep the leg! We had a great time handing out candy tonight to the neighborhood kids. Dad returned home a few days ago and was a construction worker tonight. I was an older Johnny from Karate Kid. And Laurie stole the show by dressing up as Dad hahaha! Good times 😀
 

Saturday, October 28, 2023

On The TAKEback ATTACK... MOVING MOUNTAINS!

 
At the beginning of October I started my personal "TAKEback ATTACK" of taking back my life in Jesus name. (For more context you can refer back to my Oct 4th post, "This isn't a COMEback; This is a TAKEback!!"). Praise God, I'm off to a phenomenal start! The past 4 weeks have been 4 of the best and most powerful weeks I've experienced in the past 5 years (outside of GTD events). I'm strategically taking back areas of my life in the authority of Jesus name that have either been stolen, killed, or destroyed (“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” - Jesus / Jn 10:10). This was all due to the thief taking opportunistic advantage (like any disease does) of a "lower immune system" (spiritually speaking) caused from exhaustion and being overextended during a harsh season of caregiving for our parents and animals. Mom went to be with Jesus 10 months ago, both of the GTD Dogz passed away this year, Dad is doing better compared to last year and receives a lot of help from the VA & friends, and we have reached the off season of the ministry. All of a sudden I have a void of time that used to go towards taking care of of aging parents and aging dogs. I'd trade anything to have Mom & the Dogz back, but that's not how life works. So instead, I'm going to honor them by using the time that used to go towards their care to now go towards TAKING BACK my health, my fitness, my full calling, and my fruitful endeavors from a lousy thief that tried to hijack them. As God's Word says, "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.... Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day." (2 Corinthians 4:8,9,16). I have a mountain of important things that have either died prematurely or I'm years behind on. One day I will elaborate on this. OUTSIDE of the power, presence, & promises of God that mountain casts an ominous shadow of utter dread. But INSIDE the power, presence, & promises of God I realize I'm a "Mountain Dude"! I was created for this! That in the authority and name of Jesus my faith rises to the occasion to not just climb mountains, but more importantly to move mountains!! "Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, 'Why could we not cast it out?' And He said to them, 'Because of your meager faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.'” - Jesus (Matthew 17:19-20). So, in faith, I'm moving mountains! The very mountains the enemy wanted to crush me with. These mountains of dread have been occupying some very precious real estate in my mind, heart, body, & soul. They got inside of me and tried to mess me up! But not anymore! My faith in Jesus rises to the occasion, and day-by-day one-by-one I'm on the TAKEback ATTACK! The hunted has now become the hunter! Armed with the promises of God in Jesus name this Mountain Dude is moving the mountains from inside of me and casting them into the seas! And the precious real estate that those mountains temporarily occupied is now being filled up with the fullness of life that Jesus came to deliver. I'm in the restoration process! God is restoring the years that the locust hath eaten! (Joel 2). And this Mountain Dude is on the TAKEback ATTACK!
 
 

Friday, October 27, 2023

2 NEW GTD T-SHIRTS DEBUTING AT OUR ANNUAL BANQUET IN A FEW WEEKS!


A very HUGE thank you to our awesome friend Jason Lazzaro for designing 2 new GTD T-shirts that we will be debuting at our Annual Banquet on Nov 14th! Aaaaaaaaand an additional HUGE shout out to our great friend and Costa Rican interpreter Eduardo for coming up with the catch phrase, "A vacation for the soul!"

These shirts are not for sale... they are gifts for our donors. Anyone who donates $100 or more, sponsors a table, or becomes a monthly supporter receives 2 free GTD T-shirts (mix & match as desired). Actual shirt colors may be different than this picture.

We are kicking off our fundraising season on November 1st as we set out to raise $100,000 by January 31, 2024 to launch GTD into its 28th year of ministry!!

Annual Banquet and donation information can be found on the link below.

Anyone who donated $100+ in one-time donations (or became a new monthly donor) on or after August 1st of this year qualifies for these new shirts.
 
Thank you so much for supporting GTD!!

ANNUAL BANQUET / DONATION website:
https://gtdbullhorn.blogspot.com/p/annual-banquet-pppac.html?m=1


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Tuesday, October 24, 2023

HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY TO MY AWESOME NEPHEW & RIGHTHAND MAN!!

 
Carson, you are simply amazing! I praise God for how special and unique He made you!! You make everyone's day & life better! Here's to the years you have already lived and to all that God has in store for your future! Thank you for all you do to bless my life and GTD!!! All my love & respect "Old Man Carson"!
 
 
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THE FALL RETREAT WAS A VACATION FOR THE SOUL!

  
We were blessed to have 50 fantastic people join us for a God-awesome weekend of focus, freedom, fun, fellowship, & faith!! Our annual Fall Retreat was a vacation for the soul! 100 ft Slip'n Slide! Kayaking! Paddleboarding! Inflatable Platforms & Slide! Swimming! Bounce Houses! Hammocks! Outdoor Movie! Campfires! S'mores! Volleyball! Rest & Relaxation! Daily Devotions! And so much more! We had a blast!!
 
 

Thursday, October 19, 2023

DAD MAY BE RETURNING HOME IN A WEEK!

 
Traci & I are on our 3rd week of at-home Dialysis Training at the VA. We are hoping Dad will be discharged and return home at the end of Oct and start his at-home dialysis in mid Nov. His infected knee is healing up well and his morale is high. I only have 1 more week of having the house to myself and playing my 80's music as loud as I want haha!
 
 
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ALL PACKED UP & READY TO GOOOOO!! FALL RETREAT KICKS OFF TOMORROW!

  
Carson and I have been going nonstop the past 2 weeks cleaning up our backpacking gear from last month's trip, our camping gear from our trip 3 weeks ago, the kayaking gear from last weekend's trip, and preparing for this weekend's Fall Retreat. We are praying for a God-awesome camping trip over the next 3 days!
 
 

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

1 MONTH TILL OUR BIGGEST EVENT OF THE YEAR!! JOIN US ON NOV 14th FOR OUR ANNUAL BANQUET!!!

  
Come celebrate 27 years of ministry with GTD! Be a part of a wonderful night of inspiration, excitement, and celebration.

Help take GTD to the next level as we raise funds for next year's programs... and beyond!

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CATERED BY CARRABBA'S!!!!!!
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Dress: Semi-formal / Business attire
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**GTD MINISTRY PARTNERS (MP's) GET 2 FREE BANQUET TICKETS!

NON MP COST: $25/person or 2 for $40

Table Sponsorships start at $150 for up to 8 people
  
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Banquet Venue:
Pinellas Park Performing Arts Center
4951 78th Ave N, Pinellas Park, FL 33781

DATE: Nov 14, 2023
DAY: Tues Night
TIME: 6:30pm - 9:00pm
FUNDRAISING GOAL: $100k
ATTENDANCE GOAL: 200
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WEBSITE, RSVP, TABLE SPONSORSHIPS, & DONATION LINKS:
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https://gtdbullhorn.blogspot.com/p/annual-banquet-pppac.html?m=1

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MORE WAYS TO DONATE:
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<> PayPal and/or with a Debit or Credit Card (Add 3% to cover PayPal & credit card fees):
https://www.paypal.me/GTDadventures
 
<> Venmo (@GTDADVENTURES) (Add 3% to cover Venmo fees):
https://venmo.com/u/GTDADVENTURES
 
<> Send checks (made out to "GTD") to our mailing address:
GTD / PO Box 7523 / Seminole, FL 33775
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We Can't Wait To See You There!
 
 
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Friday, October 13, 2023

Friday The 13th Night Paddle w/ 33 Girl Scouts Tonight =O

 
All prepped and ready to go! We are taking 33 Girl Scouts out for a night paddle tonight! ...on Friday The 13th, mind you... what could go wrong hahaha!
 
 
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Dancing On The Head Of The Serpent!

  
My current WAKE-UP song this month has been an old 1987 song called, "Dancing On The Head Of The Serpent" by a Christian Metal Band called Jerusalem. This is a fast paced triumphant song about being victorious over satan and his schemes... I've always loved this song, and I love waking up to it now - jumping out of bed - and fighting in Jesus name to TAKEback anything & everything the enemy has stolen from me! I also love that it "takes me back" to my teenage years of 17 and following Jesus during my high school years... such great memories :)

If interested you can listen to the song here:
Dancing On The Head Of The Serpent
https://youtu.be/HGd1uS2wxy0?si=syDOeYHdUkvBp-HD
 
 
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Tuesday, October 10, 2023

On The TAKEback ATTACK!! ...REBUILDING MY MORNING ROUTINE!

  
I learned many years ago that an effective life is built upon an effective Daily Routine. I've been off of my Daily Routine for over 2 years (for reasons explained in my post last week). I'm on an OctoberQUEST to TAKEback my life in Jesus name, and my first TAKEback ATTACK was to TAKEback the morning part of my Daily Routine. I'm on my 2nd week of God restoring parts of my Daily Routine ("And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten..." - Joel 2:25). In 2017 I developed a very effective 10 point Morning Routine that I called A.R.I.S.E.&.G.R.O.W. and I wrote many posts about it at that time on social media. It was awesome! But after doing it for 4 years I had a few things I wanted to tweak. So I'm tweaking it this month as I'm taking it back from the enemy. My updated 10 point Morning Routine (MR 2.0, if you will) is now called R.I.S.E.&.F.I.G.H.T. . I'm phasing it in so I'm just focusing on the first 5 points (R.I.S.E.&.). The whole idea is that my Morning Routine is designed to get me up out of bed FAST and jumping into my day so that I give myself the best fighting chance to make the day as effective, efficient, and healthy as possible. A few things to note: (1) This is my Daily Routine for 5 days per week M-F when I'm not out-of-town running events. (2) The routine is designed so that if I do it correctly and thoroughly then I earn the WEEKEND OFF as my reward. (3) It's based on knowledge & wisdom I've acquired through research & life experience, and all of it is based directly on Scripture or Biblical principles of wisdom. (4) It's custom built for me, but may be a perfect fit for others or can be tweaked and customized for others. (5) Just a reminder, today's post is just the first 5 points of my Morning Routine (R.I.S.E.&.)... There are 5 more points (F.I.G.H.T.) to the Morning Routine plus a Daytime Work Schedule & a 4-point Nightly Routine I will share another day. (6) Much of the Routine is time-based on something called the Pomodoro Technique where you work or go hard for 25 focused minutes uninterrupted and then take a quick 5 minute break. (7) My Morning Routine is built upon the foundation of a good night's sleep. I personally hate going to bed before midnight, but for 5 nights per week I make myself go to bed at 11.59p so that I set myself up for success when the wake-up alarm goes off. It's called self control or self discipline, and it's the only path forward to living an intentional fruitful life that glorifies God and fills your life with meaningful important victories. (8) Without further ado, here's the first 5-points to my Morning Routine:

R. = ROUSE (like "rouse you from your sleep") The idea here is to "wake the dead" through a healthy overload of simulation to my 5 senses so that within 15 minutes I'm fully alive and ready to thrive! Here's what I do to ROUSE me from my sleep and hit the ground running: (1) 6.59a Loud Annoying or Super Inspiring Wake-Up Alarm. (2) Turn on a Bright Light. (3) Turn on a Fast Paced "Rocky type" Wake-Up Song. (4) A Sniff of Potent Smelling Salt or Citrus / Peppermint Aroma [I'm currently using something called "Rhino" smelling salt that would wake the dead!] (5) Lightly Slap My Face & Head to get the blood flow going towards my brain. (6) 1-Minute Cold Shower [this is my hated favorite thing that brings me fully alive]. (7) A Shot of Espresso [made the night before] &/or A Shot of Orange Juice. (8) 10 Push-Up's. (9) 10 Sit-Up's. (10) 10 Squats. /// All 10 of these things takes me 15 minutes to do and I'm fully alive and ready to thrive!

I. = INSTANT WINS (The idea here is to do 5 or 6 things that take about 2 minutes or less to get a successful momentum started as you build upon the fully alive condition you just established). Here are my 6 Instant Wins: (1) Avoid Derailment [Don't look at your phone, turn on the news, check your emails or do anything that could derail your momentum or allow others to set the course & agenda of your morning or mood]. (2) Get Dressed [I actually do this one after my 1-minute cold shower and in my case I get dressed to workout]. (3) Make The Bed. (4) Drink a Glass of Water. (5) Drink a Pre-Made Protein Shake. (6) Declare a Promise of God For My Day or My Life. /// All 6 of these things takes me 10 minutes to do and I've started to launch myself into a productive day! The ROUSE took 15 minutes and the INSTANT WINS took 10 minutes for a total of 25 minutes. Now I take a 5 minute break or transition time to the next part of my Morning Routine [remember the Pomodoro Technique referenced above]

S. = SEEK YE FIRST (Matthew 6:33 says, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."). I set my countdown timer for 25 minutes and shove as much prayer, declarations, Word of God, praise, & worship into that time as possible. If I need more time then I use part of my free time later to finish up. After 25 minutes I take a 5 minute break to transition to the next part of my Morning Routine.

E. = EXERCISE (Most people need more time than this and I used to also, but I'm trying to restrict my workout time to a super effective 25-minute workout that's nearly impossible to say "I don't have time to workout today." Studies show that 25 minutes of intensity is all you need to have an effective healthy workout. So far it's working great for me!). I then take another 5 minute break to transition to the next part of my Morning Routine.

&. = "POP-UP" (This may be the wisest part of an effective Daily Routine, especially if you are a Caregiver. We need to factor in up to 25 minutes for any unexpected urgent interruptions that "Pop-Up" & require your immediate attention. I usually average a "Pop-Up" once a week or sometimes once every 2 weeks. Factoring in this time can save my day and maintain my daily consistency. If I don't have a "Pop-Up" then I can use this time however I want or go ahead and transition to the next part of my Morning Routine.)

That takes care of the first half of my Morning Routine... I'll share the 2nd half with you soon.

Last week was THE BEST week I've had outside of a GTD Trip in a few years. I'm fighting to TAKEback my life in Jesus name!! Taking back my Morning & Daily Routine is literally snatching victory from the enemy's jaws of defeat! Thanks for your prayers & support!
 
 
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Monday, October 9, 2023

BIG TAKEback VICTORY! ...OUT WITH THE 7 YR OLD PHONE! .....IN WITH THE NEW S27 ULTRA!!

  
As I shared last week I'm on an OctoberQUEST to TAKEback my life in Jesus name! As I've shared many times I'm years behind on almost everything and nothing epitomizes that more than the 7 year & 5 month old cell phone that has been slowing me down everyday for the past 4 years. Technology is great when it enables you to be more efficient & effective, but it's awful when it actually makes you much less efficient & much less effective. I can't tell you how many God-awesome posts and uploads I haven't been able to make from GTD events because my old phone couldn't cut the mustard... so many encouraging things I longed to share that God was doing, but my lagging technology wouldn't allow me to because it would take hours (that I didn't have) to do basic tasks. Do you know how many people got saved this summer? Baptized? Encouraged? Rededicated their lives? No!! Because I couldn't post hardly anything. I was charging my old phone 4 to 5 times per day. My GPS was sometimes 8 miles behind where I was on the map. Forget finding a different Emergency Room when the one you prepared for has closed. I could tell you story after story where lagging technology created more of a challenge than no technology at all. Getting a new phone has been one of the most important things I've needed to do for a loooong time. This probably all sounds funny since I run a ministry based on taking people away from their technology to plug into The Ultimate Power Source, but thankfully I can run most of GTD off of a good smartphone when I'm away from the office. An old outdated lagging smartphone hindered me greatly. Soooooooo I'm beyond thrilled to be typing this post up on my BRAND NEW SAMSUNG GALAXY S23 ULTRA which is BLAZING FAST!! I'm not used to an app opening in less than 5 minutes, much less instantly!! I've had the phone for several days and it is immediately a GAME CHANGER!! My main mode of communication is text messaging and I often have to refer to past texts for critical business information so I was ecstatic to find out that I could import all my text messages from the past 7+ years into my new phone instead of having to start from scratch and keep referring back to my old phone. I had nearly 175,000 texts on my old phone that all transferred over. Anyways, instead of holding me back like an anchor like my old phone was doing, I'm thrilled at how much this new phone is already assisting me in my OctoberQUEST to TAKEback my life in Jesus name! This also means that you'll be seeing a whole lot more social media posts, pictures, videos, and updates from me & GTD... which may not excite you, but it sure makes me happy. There are so many important tasks I'm now able to do again from my phone instead of waiting to get back home to my PC. This is a big deal for me! That's a BIG TAKEback VICTORY for me! Thank You Jesus!!
 
 
 
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Sunday, October 8, 2023

FACE YOUR FEARS! AUSSIE STYLE!! ...1 OF OUR GR8 MOMENTS W/ SEU!

  
We not only had an amazing time - we had a God-awesome time - on our annual Adventure Trip to north GA two weeks ago with the college students from Southeastern University (Countryside Christian Satellite Campus)!! Here's just one of the incredible pics from our rock climbing & rappelling day on historic Currahee Mountain... here, one of the SEU students (Luke) rappels Aussie style (face first) down an 8 story slab of granite surrounded by majestic scenery.
 
No other activity we offer teaches the practical principles of overcoming fears while exercising faith established on facts more than rappelling. For those who fear heights it's a literal step by step guide to not letting fears, trepidations, or inhibitions rule your life and choke out your dreams & calling.
 
Luke happened to be fearless at the Aussie rappel and he did great!
  
  
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Saturday, October 7, 2023

OCT 2023 DAD UPDATE...

  
My Sister has been doing a great job of uploading updates about our Dad's condition on social media and tagging me in the post so hopefully everyone is in the loop. But in case you missed it (like I did LOL, because I was off the grid on a backpacking trip), about 3 weeks ago (just before I left and when our dog Courage passed away) the most excellent Tomato Man was experiencing severe knee pain in one of his artificial knees (go figure!). He went in to see his Primary Care Physician at the VA for a routine visit and mentioned his knee pain (good job Dad!). Long story a little less long, Dad had a bacterial infection related to his dialysis port or surgery and it settled in his artificial knee. A few more days and it could have been life ending! He went straight to the ER and was sent to the operating room soon after where they opened up his knee and thoroughly cleaned out all the plastic parts. He was placed on an antibiotic via I.V. and admitted to the VA hospital for 2 weeks then moved over to the VA rehab for 1 month. Currently he is scheduled to be discharged at the end of October. The VA is taking great care of him and his morale is high there as everyone is so respectful and constantly say, "Thank you for your military service!" Between friends and family he receives regular visitors every couple of days. While he is in there he, myself, and Traci are being trained at the VA every Wednesday to administer his dialysis at home when he returns to my house in a few weeks. While relatively simple, the at-home dialysis will be a bit daunting because it has to be done everyday 365 days per year for the rest of his life (or until he has to be switched back to dialysis at a Dialysis Center)... it has to be done using sterile procedures to prevent infections (no pressure LOL)... there is wound care involved... and it has to be done by someone other than our Dad (so either me, Traci, or a hired nurse) because he really can't do all the connections and procedures. I'd be omitting the truth if I didn't say my Sister and I are a little bit concerned with the infection part (I mean, he got a bacterial infection from the professionals they do this all the time) and the thought of the everyday frequency of the treatment is a bit hard to absorb. It's Peritoneal Dialysis which can be done at home and is gentler on the body versus the Hemodialysis which is a bit more invasive and has to be done with a machine 3x per week at a Dialysis Center. But we are moving ahead with the at-home Peritoneal Dialysis. Traci got to do the hands-on training last week while I watched and took pictures, and I get to do the hands-on training this week. That's the update! Thank you for all the love, prayers, texts, & phone calls checking in on our most excellent Tomato Man. If you want to visit him and play some checkers or billiards he is in Building 71 Room 7 at the VA in St Petersburg not far from Madeira Beach. His cell phone is 727-452-1001 ... he can receive text messages, but he doesn't know how to check them so you will have to call him to get in touch with him. Overflowing thanks and love to all of you!!!
 
 
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THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT! YAYYY REY!!

 
On our 17 mile backpacking trip a couple of weeks ago (with the Men's Advance Group of Calvary Baptist Church of Clearwater) Rey was baptized next to a majestic 3 tier waterfall deep in the wilderness near the TN/GA stateline by Associate Pastor Justin Facenda. Rey had hit some pretty heavy lows in his life a couple of years ago and found his way back to Jesus. Now he wanted to be baptized, and there aren't many places better to do that than in the middle of the wilderness next to a waterfall. We hiked 17 miles in 3 days and crossed (literally walked thru) the river 42 times on this epic adventure, but the best part wasn't the adventure... the best part was the authentic brotherly bonds we made thru Jesus as we adventured together, and, of course, Rey's baptism. That's what it's all about! Thank You Jesus!!
 
 
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Friday, October 6, 2023

IT'S PERFECT CAMPING WEATHER!! JOIN US IN 2 WEEKS FOR GTD'S FALL RETREAT! ....IT'S A VACATION FOR THE SOUL!!

 
• DATE & LOCATION: Oct 20-22, 2023 (Fri night - Sun afternoon) (2 Days / 2 Nights) - Umatilla, FL (Ocala National Forest)  

• START TIME: 7pm on Friday (Early Check-In: Participants can check-in as early as 10am)

• WEBSITE: https://gtdbullhorn.blogspot.com/p/fall-retreat.html?m=1

• ONLY $55/PERSON!!


SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS:

<> LOCATED ON A 71 ACRE SPRING-FED LAKE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA

<> PRIVATE BEACH AREA

<> INDOOR KITCHEN SPACE FOR MEAL PREP

<> HISTORICALLY RESTORED BEAUTIFUL 1930s DINING HALL

<> MODERN RESTROOMS W/ FLUSH TOILETS & WARM SHOWERS

<> PADDLEBOARDS & KAYAKS PROVIDED

<> 100 FT GIGANTI-SLIDE (GIGANTIC SLIP'N SLIDE)

<> INFLATBLE BOUNCE HOUSE & WATERSLIDE FOR KIDS

<> OUTDOOR MOVIE / TEAM SPORTS / CAMP GAMES PROVIDED

<> NIGHTLY CAMPFIRES WITH PRAISE & WORSHIP

<> DAILY DEVOTIONS... GROWING CLOSER TO GOD!

<> CHRIST-CENTERED FAMILY-FRIENDLY EVENT

<> TENT CAMPING PROVIDED BY GTD -or- BRING YOUR OWN TENT

<> COTS PROVIDED BY GTD FOR FIRST 100 REGISTERED

<> SLEEPING PADS PROVIDED BY GTD FOR 101st+ REGISTERED

<> RVs & TOWABLE CAMPERS WELCOME (No Electrical or Sewer Hook-Ups)

<> GREAT SPOT FOR HAMMOCK & CAR CAMPING

<> BRING YOUR OWN FISHING BOAT (25hp Max)

<> BRING YOUR OWN FISHING GEAR & LICENSE

<> BRING YOUR OWN HORSE (34 mile equestrian trail)

<> 5 MILES AWAY FROM JEEP, ATV, OHV, & DIRT BIKE TRAILS

<> 35 MINUTES AWAY FROM GREAT MT BIKING TRAILS

<> NEARBY HIKING TRAILS

<> SO MUCH MORE!!!

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ONLY $55/PERSON!!

YOU CAN'T STAY HOME WITH THE FAMILY FOR LESS THAN THIS PRICE!
 
 
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