I almost did it again. Most of my posts seem to start of with, "So here..." I suspect that my suspicions are true. Yet that is not what I am afraid of.
I remember Saturday afternoon. The Game was over. Our team lost. Again. That is ok. Sometimes failing is the best teacher. Sometimes. This time. Yet moving along. We were on our way back, having had the boys eat already because they were not going to enjoy the BBQ. So anyway, we are heading to the Leppin Ranch for the Harvest Festival. Carol was selling her soap. We made a few.
So where is the fear? I am a preacher. I have sons. I know many boys who are sons of preachers. They for the most part, do not like listening to sermons. Not their dads, not those on the radio. I do not look forward to that day. I pray it never comes. I have faith that as long as I look up, they shall never utter the words that I heard many preachers' sons utter, "I hate the ministry" or "I hate sermons". Yet most of them seem to be fulfilling a sence of family tradition. (That is another post.)
So as I was heading back to the festival, I was running a bit dry on Dr Pepper in my Mug. Seems that the Shell station happened to be on the way. So I pulled in. To expedite the errand, I turned the radio on, rolled the windows down and had the boys stay in the car and wait. (Relax. This is NOT Yuma. We are nice a cool. And I parked in the shade. Come warm or cold, I do not leave the kids in the car.) And to my shock, there was no music. Just preaching.
I tried to make it as brief as possible. I run in, fill up. Go to pay. Oops. The clerk wants to visit. So I take a few moments extra. Forgot that I left the radio on to sermons. Ok, just one sermon. I was only inside for 10 minutes. I could see the car from the register as well as from the soda fountain. Kids were fine. After I pay up, I head back out.
Arriving at the door, I hear the preacher's MC making a plea for support of the ministry. The boys had 15 minutes of sermon. I began to apologize. Then Precious Ricky, my real PK (His name is Patrick Karl, after his grandpas, and I loved that his initials are PK. Yet Another post,) interrupts the beginning of my apology.
"Papa, the sermon was about King Nebednuzzar. I like listening to sermons." WOW! Talk about a natural high!! That was to keep me soaring. But I decided to save this for the blog. Sorry Carol. Ricky made my day. He likes listening to sermons. My sermons. (Sure the radio is not playing my sermons, yet. But mine are what he hears the most.)
I pray that I continue to look to the Father so that I can be the papa to my boys. Instill a faith in them that moves greater mountains that God has used for me, whether they be preachers, or farmers, or perhaps both.
Yet it is also humbling. My boys are watching me, listening to me. I am not always the best. I don't always keep my cool. I want to break the cycle that has been handed down to me. By God's grace, that cycle is still broken. But by His Grace, His Strength, His Love.
Thank you, Father, for the boys you have blessed me with. May I continue to teach them to trust in You.
Thanks for reading. (Notice, this is a SHORT post. Not bad for a Giant. LOL) --smh
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Another Sinker
The sky was a beautiful, slight overcast. One would say it was shaping up to be a rather nice, warm, mostly sunny day. Driving through the city streets, if one can call Winslow a city being that she is only 3 miles wide and but a mile deep. Yet this Sunday morning, the streets were normally vacant. (This is but a topic for another post. Remind me.) At thie church building, I pull up into the shade of the elm that over hangs the sidewalk. Why not? If it were to be a warm day, then I would want my truck to be rather cool to sit in at the end of the Worship Service.
Sunday School teacher was a bore today. I nearly fell asleep during the discussion-less lecture. I hate when the Sunday School teacher lectures us. Reminded me of sitting through a few of those dry lectures in Bible College. Class ended on time, thankfully. I wasn't sure I could endure a moment more. (Yet this is another topic for another blog. But you all gotta remind me.)
As typical of my duties preparing for the start of the worship service, I jump up to the stage, fire up my old Pentium 1 computer. (Yeah, it still works, and works well with the projector.) It was time to start the power point. Once I had the first of the slides for the morning displaying, it was time to head to the fellowship room.
The people who prepare the fellowship time do a good job at providing rather questionably healthy snacks. (OK so they aren't healthy at all.) I do enjoy them. Today was a Turkish pastry type with raspberry jelly rolled up inside, and nice sugar crystals coating the outside. I quickly downed 4 of them while looking for the new couple.
I missed them last week. They took the holiday and explored Lake Powell and the Grand Canyon. They had a successful fishing trip. Of course all of this was still not known to me. For I did not see them. They usually stop by the Fellowship Room as they enter the building. It was almost time to start. Where could they be?
I decided that since I was needed up front, I would just poke my head out. Excellent. Their 4Runner was parked across the street from me. Still a mostly clear day, but they snuck in. I called them on it. We enjoyed talking about their trip, their fish fry and their relaxation.
Then all of a sudden I hear our guitarist beckon me from the stage. We were now running late in our starting time. Carol already had the boys situated in the pews. So I bound up, accidentally turning my wireless mic on in front of the speaker. Now all who were put to sleep by the Sunday School teacher are full awake. (Note to self...wait until you are at the pulpit to turn the mic on, or ask the local audiologist for a referral fee.)
Being late, and usually being the one waiting for the worship team, I was flustered. I apologized for the late start. "I was busy fellowshipping down below." Did I just say that? Should I clarify? 10 seconds that lasted 10 minutes... Panic started to set in.
"I mean down off the stage." Maybe I should have kept my size 13 mouth shut. The congregation erupted in laughter at the connotation of my original statement.
BOOM! RUMBLE. RUMBLE, BOOM!
Wait! Where did that thunder come from? While I talked, it thundered. People were reminding me of the sanctity of the pulpit. Were they enjoying the timing of God's thunder? Were they talking tongue in cheek? Were they serious? Was God serious?
We began our song service. After the initial set of songs, it was time to greet one another. During this time, I take our chair bound lad next door for Children's Church. It was raining quite hard at this time. (20 minutes ago, it was mostly sunny, remember.) I lay my glasses aside so they would not get soaked as I took the kids next door. That went without much incident. My suit is charcoal grey so it was hard to see how wet it got. That is a blessing.
As I was walking back the the Sanctuary Building, I looked. Across the street, it was sunny. Across the other street, it was sunny too. Across the alley was also sunny. Oh the Baptist church next door was sunny too. But it was sure raining hard, and thundering over our church. Hmm.
The rest of the song service was going well. Then it was time for the sermon. Today we are looking at judgment from 1 Corinthians 4. 1-5. The sermon was not the usual 3 point. At least not how I planned it. There was only 2 points. The only judgment that we need to be concerned with is God's. And His judgment is sure. (2nd coming from 1 Corinthians 1.8 from a couple of weeks ago.)
I had good passion. I do like the letters to the Corinthians. They are a church not much different from the typical American church today. Then as I built the transition from point 2 to the application, I advanced on the slide. There was point 3, the one I deleted on Friday. Originally the 3rd point was all other judgment is distraction. I had decided that the point was distracting so I tucked it away in point 1. And there it is on the screen.
Talk about a fumble. Another peel of thunder followed by the pelting of hail stones. Father forgive me for such a delivery today.
Afterward I was surrounded and encouraged. It was a good day. I pray that it did bring glory to the Father. I pray that this note brought a smile to your face.
For me, next time I see have to hear a Sunday School lecture... Well I am not sure what I will do. Maybe grit my teeth and bear it. God bless, and thank you for reading. --smh
Sunday School teacher was a bore today. I nearly fell asleep during the discussion-less lecture. I hate when the Sunday School teacher lectures us. Reminded me of sitting through a few of those dry lectures in Bible College. Class ended on time, thankfully. I wasn't sure I could endure a moment more. (Yet this is another topic for another blog. But you all gotta remind me.)
As typical of my duties preparing for the start of the worship service, I jump up to the stage, fire up my old Pentium 1 computer. (Yeah, it still works, and works well with the projector.) It was time to start the power point. Once I had the first of the slides for the morning displaying, it was time to head to the fellowship room.
The people who prepare the fellowship time do a good job at providing rather questionably healthy snacks. (OK so they aren't healthy at all.) I do enjoy them. Today was a Turkish pastry type with raspberry jelly rolled up inside, and nice sugar crystals coating the outside. I quickly downed 4 of them while looking for the new couple.
I missed them last week. They took the holiday and explored Lake Powell and the Grand Canyon. They had a successful fishing trip. Of course all of this was still not known to me. For I did not see them. They usually stop by the Fellowship Room as they enter the building. It was almost time to start. Where could they be?
I decided that since I was needed up front, I would just poke my head out. Excellent. Their 4Runner was parked across the street from me. Still a mostly clear day, but they snuck in. I called them on it. We enjoyed talking about their trip, their fish fry and their relaxation.
Then all of a sudden I hear our guitarist beckon me from the stage. We were now running late in our starting time. Carol already had the boys situated in the pews. So I bound up, accidentally turning my wireless mic on in front of the speaker. Now all who were put to sleep by the Sunday School teacher are full awake. (Note to self...wait until you are at the pulpit to turn the mic on, or ask the local audiologist for a referral fee.)
Being late, and usually being the one waiting for the worship team, I was flustered. I apologized for the late start. "I was busy fellowshipping down below." Did I just say that? Should I clarify? 10 seconds that lasted 10 minutes... Panic started to set in.
"I mean down off the stage." Maybe I should have kept my size 13 mouth shut. The congregation erupted in laughter at the connotation of my original statement.
BOOM! RUMBLE. RUMBLE, BOOM!
Wait! Where did that thunder come from? While I talked, it thundered. People were reminding me of the sanctity of the pulpit. Were they enjoying the timing of God's thunder? Were they talking tongue in cheek? Were they serious? Was God serious?
We began our song service. After the initial set of songs, it was time to greet one another. During this time, I take our chair bound lad next door for Children's Church. It was raining quite hard at this time. (20 minutes ago, it was mostly sunny, remember.) I lay my glasses aside so they would not get soaked as I took the kids next door. That went without much incident. My suit is charcoal grey so it was hard to see how wet it got. That is a blessing.
As I was walking back the the Sanctuary Building, I looked. Across the street, it was sunny. Across the other street, it was sunny too. Across the alley was also sunny. Oh the Baptist church next door was sunny too. But it was sure raining hard, and thundering over our church. Hmm.
The rest of the song service was going well. Then it was time for the sermon. Today we are looking at judgment from 1 Corinthians 4. 1-5. The sermon was not the usual 3 point. At least not how I planned it. There was only 2 points. The only judgment that we need to be concerned with is God's. And His judgment is sure. (2nd coming from 1 Corinthians 1.8 from a couple of weeks ago.)
I had good passion. I do like the letters to the Corinthians. They are a church not much different from the typical American church today. Then as I built the transition from point 2 to the application, I advanced on the slide. There was point 3, the one I deleted on Friday. Originally the 3rd point was all other judgment is distraction. I had decided that the point was distracting so I tucked it away in point 1. And there it is on the screen.
Talk about a fumble. Another peel of thunder followed by the pelting of hail stones. Father forgive me for such a delivery today.
Afterward I was surrounded and encouraged. It was a good day. I pray that it did bring glory to the Father. I pray that this note brought a smile to your face.
For me, next time I see have to hear a Sunday School lecture... Well I am not sure what I will do. Maybe grit my teeth and bear it. God bless, and thank you for reading. --smh
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
A Glimmer of Hope?
Once again I am sitting here at the computer, reading stories after stories, status updates upon more. I am trying to see more and more of what I can. Dr. Ogilvie posted a tidbit about HR 45. Sure we can keep our arms. But we will be taxed to exercise one of our God-given rights? Hmm.
Saw another article. It is the link that is associated with this. GW passed a law giving the government even MORE power. Obama has staffed the office that this bill created. Seems my church for holding a VBS Yardsale could be fined, and I arrested, for selling stuff that I didn't know was even recalled. Hmm.
So where is the hope? Read that article. At the bottom of the page, click "NEXT" so that you may finish the article. Then read the comments. At this time, there are about 6 pages of comments. ALL of them are against this. No one likes this. One man (Shadfurman) summed it up this way: "There goes a little more of my right to "pursue happiness", especially if I'm a toy collector... which I'm not... but it's my right to be if I want it."
Am I seeing people starting to wake up? Are we starting to cling to our rights, and letting our voices be heard? Is there hope?
YOU BET! There is hope if we first bend our knees in praise to God for allowing us to be born in the United States of America, and secondly, if we stand up and speak for our rights. Let us reclaim our great Nation. For me, it starts in Navajo County, the Great State of Arizona. (I just love how "Great State of Arizona" looks. What can I say? I am a proud son of this State.) Where does it start for YOU, my readers?
Mr McCain, Mr Kyl, Ms Kirkpatrick, Mr Obama, do you hear us, yet? We are getting louder, just for you.
Thanks for reading... Keep the Fight, and keep the FAITH!!! Godspeed, and God bless! -- smh
Saw another article. It is the link that is associated with this. GW passed a law giving the government even MORE power. Obama has staffed the office that this bill created. Seems my church for holding a VBS Yardsale could be fined, and I arrested, for selling stuff that I didn't know was even recalled. Hmm.
So where is the hope? Read that article. At the bottom of the page, click "NEXT" so that you may finish the article. Then read the comments. At this time, there are about 6 pages of comments. ALL of them are against this. No one likes this. One man (Shadfurman) summed it up this way: "There goes a little more of my right to "pursue happiness", especially if I'm a toy collector... which I'm not... but it's my right to be if I want it."
Am I seeing people starting to wake up? Are we starting to cling to our rights, and letting our voices be heard? Is there hope?
YOU BET! There is hope if we first bend our knees in praise to God for allowing us to be born in the United States of America, and secondly, if we stand up and speak for our rights. Let us reclaim our great Nation. For me, it starts in Navajo County, the Great State of Arizona. (I just love how "Great State of Arizona" looks. What can I say? I am a proud son of this State.) Where does it start for YOU, my readers?
Mr McCain, Mr Kyl, Ms Kirkpatrick, Mr Obama, do you hear us, yet? We are getting louder, just for you.
Thanks for reading... Keep the Fight, and keep the FAITH!!! Godspeed, and God bless! -- smh
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