Neil Smith to speak at Men’s Christian Fellowship on November 7.
Larry Gleason
At their November 7 meeting the Men’s Christian Fellowship is delighted to have the opportunity to hear Neil Smith present “The Great Debate: Special Creation vs. Spontaneous Generation.”
A PebbleCreek resident, Neil retired with over 40 years in law enforcement. Beginning as a patrol officer, his notable assignments were as Program Manager for Fraud and Economic Crimes, US Army CID; Special Agent in Charge, Northern Region, Office of Inspector General, Department of the Interior (DOI) and Director, Indian Country Investigations. DOI. Neil’s investigative experience has led him to the conclusion that the Biblical account of creation is true and that faith can and should be both reasonable and logical. Neil serves on the board of directors for the Twin Cities Creation Sciences Association and is a member of the Arizona Origins Science Association. He and his wife Trish have lived in PebbleCreek for ten years.
The November 7 meeting will be held at 7:30 a.m. in the Eagle’s Nest Palm Room. Coffee will be available for purchase in the restaurant prior to the meeting. All men residing in PebbleCreek are welcome to attend the meeting; membership in the Fellowship is not required to attend.
At the Fellowship’s October 3 meeting, Tom Chapman presented “An Upward Climb.” His presentation provided some background on his life and in particular how the Lord has helped him face very challenging issues over the past few years. Raised in Indiana, Tom was led to Christ at the age of nine. After graduating from Wheaton College, he received an Army commission and spent the next 21 years in the service. This included two tours in Vietnam flying in troops and supplies along with various other interesting assignments. After the Army, a series of events led Tom to AZ where he married his current wife Inge. The ensuing years provided Tom some interesting employment opportunities. In 2002 he and Inge moved to PebbleCreek. For the next 12 years things went well for Tom until a series of health problems began, including contagious pneumonia requiring months of treatment. Then in 2017 he fractured his left femur requiring surgery. Tom felt the Lord’s presence as he was recovering nicely, until blood clots were discovered in his lungs. By summer’s end he was almost fully recovered but a fall in mid-September fractured his other femur requiring a difficult surgery and then an extended period of pain. Subsequently, multiple issues surrounding the need for a pacemaker arose and along with the slow recovery of his fractured leg, Tom’s spirits were very low. During this time Tom felt Satan’s presence through what Tom describes as a frightening message suddenly popping up on his computer screen. Soon after this while reading he had “shock” go through him, resulting in memory problems for the next eight weeks. As a result, he stayed away from church and had no fellowship with other Christians, which ultimately caused Tom to become severely despondent. He begged the Lord for forgiveness, which he ultimately found when the Lord directed him to Psalm 107. With his spirits rising, Tom had the feeling there was more work the Lord wanted him to do. He now is feeling much better physically and spiritually. Through these challenges, Tom knows there is nothing God can’t take care of, if we ask Him. He reminded MCF members that each of them also has a personal testimony which can be an important tool in sharing one’s own salvation with others.