I envy those for whom summer represents a slight slackening of their workload, or perhaps even the chance to take a tiny vacation.

 

My summers are always the busiest time of my year (and that's saying a lot!). One measure of just how incredibly busy I've been is the fact that, until today, I haven't even had a spare minute to update my website since May 16 -- two months ago today!

 

And the last real vacation I had (i.e., a trip on which I didn't have to work by preparing and giving one or more talks) was my honeymoon, over 31 years ago! 

 

I do want to tell you about some new CD sets I have coming out on the 15 mysteries of the rosary and other topics; a new BlogTalkRadio weekly webcast starting in August that will FINALLY give me a forum to deliver my long-awaited "Riding the Train of Truth" 25-lesson apologetics course; my new multimedia website that I hope to publicly launch before the end of this month; and three other exciting new projects that I've been laboring on for over 12 hours a day, for weeks and weeks now.

 

But right now I've forced myself to take a short break from all that work and all those other matters to tell you about an important speaking engagement coming up in just two weeks.

 

God willing, I hope to be giving a brand-new talk in Chattanooga, Tennessee at 7:30 pm on Thursday, July 31. My topic will be "Three Little-Known Biblical Signs of the End Times: Have They Come True in Our Day?"

 

If you live within an hour or two's drive of Chattanooga -- whether in Tennessee, northeastern Alabama, northwestern Georgia, or westernmost North Carolina -- please consider coming out for what will be your last chance to hear me in person. If you have family or friends within driving distance, please let them know. And even if neither of these things is true, please nevertheless pray for the success of this speaking trip.

 

The talk will take place at the Homewood Suites by Hilton, 2250 Center St, Chattanooga TN 37421. Simply take exit 5 off I-75 and turn west on Shallowford Rd (i.e., left if you were traveling north on I-75 before you exited; right if you were traveling south), go two blocks and then turn left onto Center St, and the hotel is on your left. The hotel's phone numbers are (413) 241-2982 and (423) 510-8020.

If you wish to attend the talk I need to hear from you as soon as possible and have a way of contacting you regarding any potential changes to the program.

 

For example, if more than 45 people pre-register I'll have to move the talk to another location, and I don't want you to be uniformed of the change. On the other hand, if I receive less than 15 or so pre-registrations I will probably have to cancel the talk, and I don't want you driving to a talk that's no longer taking place. So please pre-register -- as soon as possible, but no later than July 24 -- by emailing me back the name(s) and number of those in your party who will be attending.

The talk is free, but a voluntary donation is suggested of $10 per person, $15 per couple, or $20 for the entire family, to help defray the cost of my travel expenses all the way from Scranton down to Chattanooga and back (gas, meals, hotel room, etc.).

In addition, regardless of where you live or whether you're attending, if it's been awhile since you've last donated to Biblical Foundations International, a donation of $100 (or more) would be enormously helpful to enable me to pay our July operating bills. Sales of our CDs and donations are our only source of income, which is at an all-time low. Anyone donating $100 or more will receive a free copy of the CD recording of my Chattanooga talk, as well as two coupons towards free purchases of anything else from our online store (www.gerrymatatics.org/shop).

As always, there are three ways to send your helpful and much-appreciated donation:

1) The fastest, simplest way to donate is to click on the orange-colored "Make a Donation" button in the upper right area of any page on my website (www.gerrymatatics.org) and use PayPal to electronically send me $100 (or whatever amount you can afford to contribute).

2) A second option is to call me at (570) 969-1724 and leave on my voicemail your MasterCard, Visa, or Discover Card's 16-digit number, expiration date, 3-digit security code from the back of the card, your name exactly as it appears on the card (including any middle initial), your credit card's billing address, and the amount you wish to donate (without all of which I cannot charge your card). Please leave a phone number where I can reach you if any part of your message is unclear or unintentionally incomplete.

3) A third option is to mail a check or money order to: Gerry Matatics, PO Box 569, Dunmore PA 18512. Please make the check payable to either "Gerry Matatics" or "Biblical Foundations International."

 

I pray that enough people will respond -- with both pre-registrations and donations -- to make this vital Chattanooga speaking engagement a reality. May Almighty God richly reward you, both here and hereafter, for whatever support you can send now.

 

After I return from this trip on Monday, August 4, I hope to post a new article -- on our brand-new multimedia website -- informing you of the many exciting CD releases and other new products and projects you'll be seeing in August, and throughout the coming weeks.