Sunday, July 29, 2012

Sunday Mind Dump - July 29, 2012


What a good day at PCC!  The energy in the room was high.  People seemed to be in a good mood and were full of enthusiasm.  It made the music, singing, and teaching a breeze.  I was pleased to see how long people hung around after service was over.  Gotta love the relational connections taking place.

Mike C. was amazing on guitar,  Philip P. was exceptional on the keyboard, and our guest singer Glenn S. added a very nice male tenor part to the vocals.  As usual, everyone  in the band/worship team was on top of their game.

Given the content of today’s message I was a little concerned, but the skids were well-greased by the time I stepped up to speak.  Either way, it’s God’s Word and if it’s in the Bible it’s something He wants His people to know.

We had a lot of visitors too.  One commented to me about the friendliness of our church.  I got the same response last week from another visitor.  As a pastor I love getting this kind of feedback.  It makes me very proud of our church family.

My two favorite parts of the message today were (1) assuming responsibility for your life and to stop playing the blame-game, and, (2) God does everything He can to get us to turn our hearts back to Him.

My favorite quote:  And you were the one who wanted that stupid cat.”

The new bulletin board in the atrium looked good.  Right now we have a lot of pictures posted there of all the happy faces in the PCC family.  If a picture is worth a thousand words then these pictures capture the essence of PCC – we are very happy to be serving God and we are happy with our church. 

I think Christ. C. took most/all of those pictures and her photography skills show.  She has the ability to even make me look good. 

This bulletin board is going to be used as an “information board” very soon to let people know about upcoming events and activities.  We are very excited about the plans we have slated for fall.

To give you an idea of what’s just around the corner:  August 19th is our second “Night of Worship.”  A new ministry called “The Commandment Projects” is about to launch (which is a local missions and outreach imitative).  Youth Camp is two weeks away.  In September we’re re-launching our Seminar system (Seminars 101 and 201) for all newcomers to take advantage of.  A few small groups are scheduled to start up again.  The PCC Riders Motorcycle Group is reactivating and will be involved in a Veterans event soon.  Another ministry called MOPS (Mothers of Pre-School Children) will be launch too.  All this and more.  Be sure to stop by the bulletin board to see what’s up.

A special shout-out to Paul W. (and others) for trimming ALL the hedges in the parking lot this weekend.  It looked very good and really appreciate this extra effort.  It did not go unnoticed.

And I really appreciate ALL the people who sacrificially serve the way they do at PCC.  Makes my job a joy.

Yesterday I went mullet fishing with Robert H., Donnie S., and Lou C. - otherwise known as the three desperados.  We had a good time on the water.  Caught a bunch of fish too – 25 mullet and two Red Drum.  One of the red fish was not within the slot limit, so we threw it back in.

Below are a few pictures I took.

I love living in this area. 

There’s no such thing as a bad day on the water.

Being around safe people and going to safe places is very good for me.  No questions.  Not critiques.  No probing for information. I was very glad that I could just hang out, do some recreation, and be a regular Joe for a day. 

I’m going to the mountains in October. 

I’m planning a message series on the books of 1st and 2nd Timothy.  This series will cover church government, elders, the role of women, the qualifications of pastors, and a variety of other misunderstood topics.  It’s sure to be an eye-opener.

I plan to build a teaching team after this series to assist me with Sunday mornings.  While I am the main speaker, I don’t have to be the only speaker.  My goal is to eventually give away 30%  - or about 17 Sundays per year.  With three former pastors and a handful of gifted teachers in the PCC family, this should be doable. 

About four weeks ago I resumed a strict workout routine.  It involves four days of weight training and one day of vigorous cardio each week.  For cardio I am riding my bike for an hour at my fastest speed possible.  I have discontinued running because of hip pain (bursitis).  My motivation level has remained high and I’m still committed – probably because I’m seeing rapid results.  My strength has increased quickly, I feel a lot better, and I’m sleeping better.  Although I have pain in most of my joints, the workouts seem to diminish the pain.  Go figure.  Most surprising is that my appetite has actually been curbed.  Funny how that works.

I have a brand new trailer that I carry my tractor on.  My dogs (that is, my five Jack Russell Terriers) got underneath it a few days ago and chewed all the electrical wiring.  Had to get it rewired.  Not a happy camper right now.

Renae and I talked to a Realtor yesterday.  We are considering our options as we make plans to build a new home.  Can’t wait.

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