Memorial Day Weekend...

Yesterday, as I have done the past three years, I cancelled our evening service at church and we moved venues to Biggerstaff. Biggerstaff is a 5 acre lake front retreat area. We grilled hamburgers and hotdogs and our church people brought all of the trimmings! We had a huge turnout!! I am not sure of the exact number but I know that it was much larger than our normal pm service. The kids played ladder golf while some of the men tried their hand at horse shoes. Most all the teens and kids were swimming and fishing. One family (who manages a rafting company) brought some rafts and we played around in the boats. We brought the crowd together after dinner and had a 15 min. devotion and singing service. After the service...back to the water, games, swimming, etc. We had a great time. Our church loves the Lake Service.

Today we have taken it easy. We went to the lake and hung out with Melissa's family. Nolan went "Fwimming" and almosted "brownded" when he slipped in 2 foot of water. He was fine considering he had on a life jacket. His jacket has a back flap on it that flips a child on their back so they can float and also serves as a pillow for their head.

I have lost 15 lbs since last Friday on my new diet. I am excited on this new journey. I am getting ready to put down the laptop and grab my bicycle for a short ride. Please pray for me as I try to take care of myself!

Indiana Jones...

The Last Crusade should have been the last cursade!!!! While it was nice to see some familiar faces this movie was a let down! I am disappointed! If you have not seen this movie yet a better title would have been...

Indiana Jones: National Treasure meets E.T. !

Top Ten Things About Pastoring in the Country!

10. One dozen of farm fresh eggs given by a church member every Wednesday night.

9. Fresh Chow Chow! Goes great with pinto beans, greens and corn bread.

8. Fresh jars of honey given by a 93 year old church member who still robs her own beehives!

7. Warm pound cake given by members...chocolate, vanilla, lemon, etc.

6. Fresh (muscadine, apple, grape and peach) jelly/jam given by members durning autumn.

5. PEAR PRESERVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

4. Garden fresh vegetables given by members from late May to early October!

3. Hot loaves of bread freshly baked by some of our senior citizens

2. Fresh meat given by a cattle farmer in our church! He pays tithe on the slaughter!

1. Freshly picked and baked strawberry pie (which I am eating now) from members!

Here we go!!

I am not sure about this blogging stuff but I thought I would give it a try. I am not a man that is full of wisdom but I am rarely speechless!

I have been studying today for service tonight. I have been using the old book "He Chose the Nails" by Max Lacado and digging some awesome sermon material out of it. I am building my own sermons/teachings off of some of his ideas. But today I was reading and had a thought come to mind and I just put the book down!

Think on this...IN this life we all have had someone who "paved the way, cleared the path" for us. Be it on a job, in the church...somewhere along the way, someone walked the road we are on before we got there. Many pastors and members built the church that I pastor now, my parents paved the way for me into adulthood, etc... Somewhere someone did the same for everyone.

The path that Jesus took, from Pilate's Court to Calvary, (the Via Dolorosa) was the way that Christ whispers to us, I am clearing a path for you. If you need hope, healing, love, mercy, joy, or whatever...Christ has already cleared the path, paved the way and now all we have to do is walk in His footsteps and it (0ur miracle) can be found!. Just a thought! HE PAVED THE WAY!