Resume part 2

I finally have completed updating my resume ( actually my wife typed it and edited ) !!

And while we worked on my original resume draft did we ever laugh...
at How way back in my post college days at how I described my self.
It was full of the 90's language of success.
I described my self as Highly Motivated and a Visionary leader.

Well in updating the resume those words have been omit ed , not that I'm not to a degree its just they are not a part of the fuel that drives me.

Perhaps what word works best is Passionate.
What am I passionate about.
My passion isn't in creating a new vision, that will carry my current church beyond the mega church realm...
My passion I think isn't in the new but doing what God wants Done.
Helping his people to be conformed to the image of HIS Son.

I have to wonder if in this current church age is this preaching wanted anymore ?
Because the more I see being conformed to His image means giving up all of me.... Not hugging a tree.

Conforming means calling things for what they are... sin instead of a sugar treating it.

So here is where I appreciate our doctrine that we can be cleansed of our old nature so we don't always have to let sin reign in us causing us to sin every day.


Later

Today's Quote

He that serves God for money will serve the devil for better wages.
Roger L'Estrange

Today at the beach

Thursdays

On my last Blog I mentioned that I was on a 3 day quick fix lose 10lb diet.
It worked !

This is Thursday my day to visit ...
It started with a great breakfast with a buddy . then running into another buddy at staples and off to the the hospital .. I don't mind hospital visits as long as there is no blood or exposed parts poking out ... One of my visits requires me to put on a gown, gloves ,smock and a mask to see this person. The first 100 times is cool but now its very depressing to the patent to be locked away from the world.

I wonder what I would do locked away from life, csi reruns can't make a man entertained forever.
While I love reading after awhile I think I would get board with that.

While I am glad I am free to roam.
Here is what I have observed with this situation...

The simple act of putting on a few extra articles of clothes really stops people from going in to see a person which show who really is and isn't a true friend.

While I am amazed at this lack of " Christian love "
I am convinced there is one man that would and He is the very one I due it for and that is Jesus.

Tonight I started reading

A WOMAN RIDES THE BEAST by Dave Hunt.

Its csi Time and its not a rerun :)

Later

Wednesday means Bible Study Night

Tonight's meeting had a bit of excitement with it because we had somebody new with us.
This lady took part and read her bible which was a little different.
then after the meeting she proudly told me she attended the Church of Scientology.
But she isn't the first to be in a service we had a married couple in with us this summer who as well told me they attended the church of Scientology..
I with both sets of people never pursued them , they just came to church and liked it.
Now I am not sure how that should make me feel.
* Hopefully we are so loving that all feel welcomed.
* Hopefully our people are so like able they create a warm and comfortable place to come to.
* But what are they Hearing in the message and songs ?
* Do they view the Wesleyan church as a potential mission field ?
* And what do I Know about them ?
* I have my assumptions but are they right ?
* Could God be working in their lives and we for the hour are a part of God's plan ?
* or Should everyone wear a label that identifies the church they attend so if they come into my church I can tell by their label if they are or are not one of us then preach right to them against them if they are not a Wesleyan ?
* Should we have guards at the door so we can protect ourselves.
* Maybe the best answer is too , just not make a big deal about it,
and be more convinced that I am right and they are wrong.
So many questions ??

Here is what I do know
Tonight will conclude my three day "lose 10 lbs quick fix diet" that is put out by some group.
I know I am not good for the 10 but I hope at least 8 lbs . Because I have given in to my dark side of snacking upon cookies the odd time in the last three days.... and I even had the odd " Social Tea " cookie .

Well I must Go and fight over the t.v.Tonight its either gonna be " dancing with the stars " or Glenn Beck followed by csi reruns.

later

Quote of the Day: The Lonely Preacher
"The Old Testament prophets were lonely men. Enoch walked alone in a decadent society as he preached judgement. His compensation was the presence of God. Jonah was alone in vast Ninevah, a heathen city of a million souls. The loneliest preacher today is the person who has been entrusted with a prophetic message ahead of the times, a message that cuts across the temper of the age." J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership pg. 118

A new look has arrived !!

I hope every one likes the new look here on my blog.
With all its new features .

So now its Nov. 13 and today I have hunted up my resume.
I think its time to update it ( with my wife's typing help) to see how it looks after not needing one for 8 years.

But this hasn't been my only challenge of the day I have also been rewriting my personal calling statement .

Its interesting to me that I am the easiest person I know to criticize
and the hardest to praise at times.

I have an example of a Personal calling statement that is long compared to mine and wordy which is cool.

But I am not all that complex I am what you see. (I think)

So Today while working through Calling statement I have sensed a need emphasize more about my life's role as Pastor .
So I love preaching ! With a goal in mind that what is heard will be applied and lives will be transformed.

Also I like working as a team in the church because I am no dictator.
I have no problem in letting people talk and do as they are gifted.


But now I need help on what kind of leader am I ?
I did a little search and found kits that will help me starting from 89.00 - 129.00 or more .
So who do I ask ? For such wisdom ?
Leadership is so important these days as i see now church's are looking for lead pastors.
And Leaders to do so much that I wonder if Jesus could fill their request.

But until now I have never really had to think a lot about my leadership style before.

But here is what I do know for now....

is there a name for doing what needs to be done!
is there a name for promoting a revival in the church!
is there a name for visiting people in the hospital?
is there a name for making and folding bulletins ?
is there a name for shoveling snow?
is there a name for knowing how to operate a sound board ?
is there a name for answering phone calls to lonely people ?
is there a name for worrying about church fiances ?
is there a name for knowing secrets no one else will know?
is there a name for spending long hours writing sermons?
is there a name for arriving first and last at church?
is there a name for remaining cheerful when life stinks?
is there a name for inviting new people to church?
is there a name for fixing broken pipes, leaky basements, overhead projectors ....?
is there a name for telling someone who needs money sorry ?
is there a name for someone who has to hear the same old stories repeated?
is there a name for some one who hopes more will come out to mid week
and some days do it all...
what do you call a person who does all this a Leader ? or a Shepherd ?



well must go watch csi reruns

later

November 11

Today is the day we Honor Our soldiers of Both World Wars and our Peace keepers in various ways.
In my community the local legion has a a short service and over the past badly organized ones but this year some what better :) and then a march to the local cenotaph where every one lays a wreath on behalf of a business or church like me.
Then its time to eat and talk to the Vets which is cool. And even more cool to see them talking because they share a bond that only they know.

Then its home to what ever my wife has planned for me. And today it was yard work in preparation for the annual stinging of the Christmas lights.
It was such a great day here my son mowed the lawns.

This week I was asked to join the local legion which is a dry one. So now I have a wonderful opportunity to play darts or pool once a week . Already the local Baptist Pastor is a member and their chaplain and another Baptist Pastor is getting ready to join. So there is some pressure on me ( self imposed) to join to get my two cents in there.

While I like to Remember our vets . Where I like to put my energy is in remembering those who are being persecuted for Christ on the 12 of Nov.
As I cleaned the church tonight and thought of how people in persecuted places would love (maybe)just once go to church legally anywhere.
While our people are abandoning church, maybe the tide of persecution is turning on us here in North America as I read an article titled this week "Persecution is coming to the west" which the author says is coming in the guise of tolerance.
I have a sneaky idea he is dead on.

Tolerance is killing us ! And we are letting it kill us because no one is saying anymore what sin is and isn't sin only reducing sin to dark areas in our lives .

And in the guise of tolerance when someone like me steps out and says Thus says the Lord..... Then I am a bad guide for not tolerating people and thus setting my self above them. This reasoning is a cop - out to me I think.

Well must go and finish my order of service.

Later

The first Sunday back after vacation

What a great Day. Now that its almost over.

Saturday I was excited to learn that the song service would be lead by someone else on Sunday which meant a little less pressure so I thought.
I knew the reason buddy was going to lead the service was because our piano player was under the weather.

so Saturday night comes everything is ready to go in the morning till 10:15 pm when I learn that buddy was in the Hospital with a heart attack. So I went immediately in town to see him.

I knew that by 12:00 midnight I couldn't call in anybody so I left it with the Lord.
knowing that in 8 years here if we had one Sunday with no music it would be good.

So now its 9:00 Sunday and I need to call the lady who normally plays and let her in on what happened to buddy.

So I wasn't sure how under the weather she was - but I knew she couldn't be any worse than him.

So I said right off the bat I didn't want her to feel guilty but buddy was in the hospital.

And she said without a word from me that she would play the music for me !!

Yeah... But my music is always ready by Saturday and put on the pulpit and piano and sound board. But not today.

Well I got the songs picked and We had church !

And I preached on the Highway of Holiness !

And God Blessed us with a great service.

Later

Vacation time is over !!

Well I arrived home today after a week away in NOAA for vacation.
What a great week it was!
We spent the time between my parents and beulah camp!
My Parents even kept the kids a couple of nights so we had some kid free nights.
So what did I do on vacation?
I went for my very first go-cart ride against my son and lost.
But it was a life time dream come true to ride one of those go-carts. Although early I had our car over 140 km to pass a car so these seemed slow.

I also did some used book shopping at frencys and got three great deals.

And a couple of visits to a tackle shop.

And I stocked up on some coffee beans to grind and enjoy.

Plus I did a lot of reading.

Thought I might get some over due journaling in but it didn't happen.

I picked up a book I read a beulah camp in a book store called the Heavenly man. which was a real life changing book.

I also took in via the T.V. 3 bluejays games with my dad that was cool.

And today we traveled home via the mall route getting ready for the expensive start of school.

While waiting for my family I sat on a bench and listened to the 80 + crowd discuss life. Which was really interesting especially when Religion came up.

While these men were not religious (church -goers) they had church figured out -
and I was sad to hear their comments about those who go to church because they didn't see any difference in them at all - they were not doing anything more or less than they were with out going to church.

Maybe what that area needs are some Wesleyans to go in there and set up church and show them what real Christians are or its time that we really start no matter what church we attend to start being like Jesus - instead of re-inventing the gospel if
we could live the one Jesus gave us - people would be changed !
Hey it worked in the book of Acts it can work again!

Later

Turning 12

My son this week turned 12 !
And for his birthday he wanted a mp3 player.
No problem with friends like wal-mart!
So now we are in the mp3 down loading thing.

Now to spare him one of those "talks" I'll post it here.

I remember when I was 12 that stereo's not mp3 players were Big.
I can even remember our family's floor model stereo complete with 8 track storage space. That thing as I think about it now was the size of a coffin.

Big Speakers -- Big stereos -- meant big out put...

But Not now... Its gotta be small.

So we are now entering the age old argument of turn it down.
And putting Christian music in his head not worldly stuff.
But at 12 the radio tunes sound better than my (praise)music that I listen to.
Even the groups I liked years ago are like me "old men" now and "un-cool."
So what are some groups that are Christian and rocky or Rappers ??

I wish at 12 Barney still sounded cool with his sing along tapes but if they were then there would be different kind of worries.

Turning 12 means Jr. High this year....
Now we need to get him interested in a youth group to attend.
Sadly our church doesn't have one and he has learned its boring with the seniors crowd a long time ago.

Turning 12 means I think that there will be some new challenges ahead that make handling board meetings a picnic.

But I will Remain Faith to being a father and see him through it.

Later

still here!

Its the last sunday of July and I have been absent from my blog for a while.
my life has included these last fews days... funerals, Beulah camp, life,reading books, Pastoring, being glued to cnn as its covering the mid-east crisis, trying to get a grip on my own mid life crisis, school being out, and fishing plus a million more things.

This morning I preached on being ready for the lords rerturn...and now as I am preparing for tonights service I am wishing The Lord HAD COME.

Tonights topic is willfull sin. My inspiration for this came from tossing a snake out my boat this week as big as the one that tempted Adam And Eve in the garden from the book of Numbers 21:1-9


Later

Monday at the office May 8

There were a lot of smallies who came calling while I was at the office making the morning FLY..

the season has BEGUN !

Sunday was A great day to start the BBQ tradition....

our new car

The red car is our old car Hyundia XG 300 that we traded yesterday for a brand new golden brown 2006 Sonata.

todays catch

I wish it wasn't true

Maybe you have read this report somewhere this week that....
i am taking it from the associated baptist Press here that

Survey results: Church not important for spiritual growth, Americans say

By Hannah Elliott

Published: April 21, 2006

DALLAS (ABP) -- Almost three-fourths of Americans claim to be Christians, but only a small fraction consider church the place to deepen their faith, a new survey says.

Less than 20 percent of American adults believe participation in a congregation is critical to spiritual growth, and just as few agree that only through participation in a faith community will they reach their full potential, the Barna Research Group reported April 18.

I wish I could say it was different for the church I pastor but I think we are amongst the surveyed...
and here is why I make this sad claim .
last Night was our Night of Prayer for revival in the church. We have been having two nights of the month just for this concern.
And Guess who showed up ?
Just Me.

Thats It. Just Me.
So we really do need a revial , but not the kind that closes down all the taverns and like but one that gets people who come to church back in church.
I hope that God uses my time here to see such an event happen.
But when only one comes out for prayer it tends to put Me in the vally of despair....
Later

todays catch

He was one of 5 !!

Monday

What a Weekend...
Friday: A combined GoodFriday Service with 2 other church's !
Saturday: Setting up our church for a Easter Sunrise Service and Breakfast with a community Baptist
Sunday: gGot up at 5 a.m. turned on heat and lights and unlocked doors.
Had Combined service and cleaned up after wards
then got ready for the 10:30 service....
then enjoyed a coffee and a chat following the service
and went out for lunch with 12 people for clams.....
then off to the hospital and vising a shut in ....

And somewhere in there on friday I got my first Bass of the season !!!!!

Before I leave the picture on this page is of a unplanned Pancake face tell me who you think it might be?

Later

todays pics

Took these today of the beach in my 'front yard'