Phil, I think I know who you mean.  His name starts with J, and he 
has a wife and a whole passel of kids.  A very nice man and 
quiet.  Doesn't sound like he wants to talk with you.  I never knew 
his parents but H C used to visit them.

earlier, Phil Scovell, wrote:

>This is a true story.  My best friend told me about three years ago, he
>lives in another state, that based upon what his church was giving him to do
>as far as ministry expansion was concerned, he wouldn't be able to talk to
>me as often.  I wasn't certain what that meant because we had only been
>talking about once or twice every two years at that time.  When we did call
>each other, after a year, or more had passed, we would often talk for hours.
>A couple of days would pass, and one of us would call again and we would
>talk for hours once again.  Then another year, sometimes two, would go by,
>and we wouldn't talk at all by phone.  Once and awhile we would exchange
>emails but otherwise, it was quiet between extended periods of time.  When
>he told me three years ago that he would be working on a special project for
>his church and that he wouldn't be able to call like he used to, even back
>then, knowing what the project was, I couldn't understand why he was telling
>me he wouldn't be able to talk as often when we weren't talking all that
>often in the first place.  No, I have not called him in three years either.
>Why?  Because he said he would be busy and when I have thought, and prayed,
>for him, I have not felt the Lord telling me to call.  On top of that, I
>have emailed him probably a half a dozen times, and once, I got a reply, but
>it was very short, like a single sentence and had no information concerning
>what he was doing, his family, the ministry, or anything of a personal
>nature.  His message simply acknowledged he got my message.  That was
>perhaps a year ago.  Now, what would you think by this point?  This man and
>I have been closest of friends since bible college days when we were
>roommates.  We did everything together.  We even traveled together and
>preached in churches together for a couple of years back in the seventies.
>We have always kept in touch and spent hundreds of hours on the phone
>talking about the Lord.  He is one of the most faithful men of God I know
>and He has the gift of evangelism and probably wins more people to Christ
>than anybody I personally know.  It is natural for him.  So, without knowing
>the ministry he was asked by his church to do, what's your best guess about
>this situation?  We used to call each other and discuss personal things we
>were facing.  Now, for three years, nothing.  Dead.  No, if he were dead,
>his wife would call me.  So, it has really confused me to think about it
>because it just isn't like this friend of mine who is a pastor.  It seems
>very mysterious to me for some reason.  Why would you tell your best friend,
>someone you only speak to once or twice every other year, that you wouldn't
>be able to talk as much because your life was going to be taken up by the
>new ministry you were in.  What, by the way, do you think we always talked
>about during those hours on the phone?  Jesus.  We talked about nothing but
>Jesus, the ministry, winning people to Christ, theology, the Holy Spirit,
>and never about anything else.  Jesus is what my friend and I have slept,
>dreamed, eaten, and talked and walked about our entire lives.  It is all we
>cared about period.  Even when we traveled, we talked hour after hour about
>the Lord and His Word.  Like I said, it is very strange but I feel no
>leading to make contact.  Any ideas?
>
>Phil.
>
>
>He's ready when you are.
>www.SafePlaceFellowship.com
>
>
>
>
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John


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