Break time

Its a rainy Thursday and I am in my office " better called a dungeon" located in our church basement.
So its time to break from getting my sermon done. I have this thing that it needs to be done and printed out by Thursday, none of this Saturday night stuff for me.

Breaks like this are good I think - they give me a chance to check out what church's are opened for pastors at my denomination's site or to look with in Canada for open church's at another site.
I do this out of curiosity and because there is a small part of me that would like to move .

Why Move ? Well I am at that point in life where I am not sure if a rural church is where I want to stay. Sometimes I feel that I could due more on a different playing field.
I know the old saying that a person needs to bloom where they are at and the grass isn't as green
as it looks on the other side.

But isn't it possible that as I am here for a season in life to be this church's pastor and help them , and that this church is here for a season to help me develop as well.

Or I am beginning to discover life at 40 ?


Well back to work
and so far this week no fish to tell off

Later

Finally

ON a very cold Friday afternoon I finally hooked and released my first smallies for the season !!!!

But my week had more to than just those few hours freezing on a lake .

I finished reading a book titled fresh faith which is excellent in my mind.

But no sooner was that book on the self I started reading a book on the cross which has helped shape what my sermon for this Sunday on the cross - taking it up daily.

I also spent an hour on the phone with my Leadership coach which is always inspiring for me.
And to add even more positive fuel to my life I had a morning meeting with fellow ministers discussing the hazards of ministry.
And I just forgot about the pastoral prayer time I shared in as well.
All very positive events for sure or as I like to call positive fuel.

Later

Strange friends

We have a family pet that is a cat. She never goes outside and so it's left to create its own entertainment and make its own friends. Which it has done with my daughters beta fish. And with her new friendship The cat spends hours around the betas tank chasing this fish and even moving the tank around just to see it better.
And its kind interesting watching that cat chase the fish.

Seeing how people and animals respond is a curios sport for sure.

I watched our people this Sunday leave again with out any movement towards the altar for help from God , I had just preached on prayer and challenged the people that through prayer(and faith) they could see what ever mountains that might be before them cast into there sea By God.

But not a move. Now either my church is full of Super Spiritual Sanctified people or else the devil has got them super glued to the pews or ?

Why do you think we no longer see people respond to an altar call any more ?

I have some ideas but I'll post them after I hear some of yours ....

Later

Losing the art off...

Its Wednesday which means there is a bible study tonight that I need to prepare for, I am not complaining because I like studying - and teaching our people. ( we are doing a serious on the Apostles Creed )
many years ago I made the decision that I liked studying deciding this helped a lot with school and the ministry. Now I need to get my son to make the same choice for life that he likes to study but in grade 5 its hard to see life more than a day at time. Sadly we are losing the art off excellence in (this) school when teachers are letting kids drift by with average grades instead of helping them go to the next level.
So long as (this) teacher covers what the gov't says he must - he does his job even if kids ( this class ) are still trying to figure out what was taught in the last grade. ( and no one fails )

But not only are schools losing something - our under 35's are losing the art of common courtesy when dealing with people. Yesterday I went and had blood work done ( 10 vial's full ) and the young girl doing this would have easily taken my blood and never once spoke to me if I had not made the effort to talk with her.
surely a " How are you today" would be ok to say.

Getting dinner at a well known fast food restaurant chain - a young lady slammed my food down and not a smile or how are you, she was more interested in the drive through than me.

This Bugs me - pay them to do a job or fire them !
Be it teachers / lab tech's or counter people.

later

Monday

Mondays mean that I get to attend our Church Diet group at night and face the Scale !
This week I don't agree with the scale at all and I don't even like it at this point but there it is and it speaks with didgital authority that I am up !

I am glad that there is more to Monday's than that Scale !

(Like ) This morning I went and saw a guy who pours his own baits and sells them locally and on the internet so He's an Inventor an Artist ( his stuff sure is colorful ) and of course an expert on catching bass.

Growing up with Sesame Street I well remember the little song "who are the people in the neighborhood "

There are a lot of interesting people in our neighborhoods, for sure.

And this guy I saw today is one of them - and not only is he a invents, Artist, Expert on bass fishing he is also a philosopher !

I am glad for the people in my life - it sure makes life interesting.

Later

Finally !!

This afternoon I was finally able to spend time on the water how relaxing it was !
While we had nothing it was great just to be out there !
Winters Gone and the best seasons are here Spring and Summer !!
Now we just have the get the fish bitting!

Later

TGIF

You might think that I mean Thank God its Friday but really I mean Thank God its Fishing(season)

This past week I finished reading a book by Andy Stanley titled " 7 practices of effective ministry"

Though I have not meet the Author I really like what he writes about on leadership - its more light hearted or more my style perhaps.

Last winter I read another of his books titled " The next Generation Leader "
and it impressed me enough to write on the inside cover a must read for every year.

As I read his books and others I have asked myself is " the world ( where we live) ready for a leader {ex. Pastor}who is styled like Jesus " or do they just expect as we have been duplicating over the past leaders who are styled in the newest trend of leadership practices that have no biblical foundation and are applicable to all types of leaders.

In talking to fellow pastors - they are amazed that I have not signed up to attend a Church growth conference scheduled for our area by one of the big Author/Pastor from the States.
Look out Atlantic Canada for all the clones about to be released as result of this conference !

Back to my thought of is the world being ready for a leader styled like Jesus - those who write on Leadership must not think so or else they would include more about Jesus teachings than there own.

Or maybe I am not reading the right books ?

So I will pass on this conference - I'd rather stay home and read their book anyways - than attend.

And Do some fishing !!!

And arrive to the pulpit Ready to Preach Rested and Ready to see God at Work through His Word and Worship.


Later

What a sight!

In the past Two months I have been at the Funeral home about every other week with funerals (including today) , which is draining at times, but its a part of the job as they say.
But not to let this becoming depressing -- its on with life.
Like today following the funeral I finally took down my Christmas lights.
Next will be time to rake the lawn. But that is another blog at another time.
While I have yet to wet a line I did tonight check out my favorite lake and what did I see but a beaver swimming across the Lake what a sight he was just doing what he was meant to do - get trees and carry them to his home.
and so I ask myself from time to time what am I suppose to do as a minister - and its rather simple just like that beaver spend time in prayer / spend time in the word / and encouraging our people .
I just have to do what I am meant to do...

later

It's Here !!!

Finally the 2005 fishing has started !
I have not yet wet a line yet - but from now till Oct. 31 there is the freedom to Go Fishing !!
I haven't gone because April 1 is also my wedding anniversary so I wait to get my Lic.. After that ...
( I think this is wise on my part )
But What really has got my attention and that of the world is watching and waiting for the announcement that the Pope has passed away.
My life has never been affected by this man but somehow in these last days there is a connection to him for with all the news tidbits that are being broadcast on the t.v. screen ,he really was a great man.
A Hero a Religious Hero. Who are the hero's of our day ( religious ones)
Not hero's because they have best selling books or mega church's.
But in my thinking because they choose to be different and go unnoticed so God gets the glory,
hero's because they would rather speak to God than to promote their ideas.

Later