One Pastor's Perspective

We talk about the Ebenezer graveyard, but do you realize there are MANY Civil War veterans buried there?? (And, at least ONE Revolutionary War vet that I know of). A man e-mailed me a few weeks ago wanting to know who from his list was buried at Ebenezer. About 60% of his list was indeed in our cemetary. He is doing research on his ancestry and needed all of the information we have on these men.

This happens a lot at Ebenezer and I think it is cool. If we can help someone looking for their family history, that is a great thing and a responsibility we have as a church about to celebrate her 230 birthday.

Too tired to write . . . Will just post this link to the latest sermon . . .

Excellence and Innocence

That is what the FLC looked like after Wed. Night Bible Study. There were probably close to 100 people setting up the 43 tables and countless booths in preparation for our annual Holiday Ladies Dinner. It was truly a sight to behold! They were all working hard and seemed to be working in rhythm . . .

Tonight there will be over 400 people (including the fellows, who wait tables tonight) in our FLC to hear Melodie Griffin. As always, TONIGHT will be the really awesome spectacle!

I had one of THOSE phone calls this weekend . . . One no pastor ever wants to get. No names, but a young lady called me to let me know her young husband was in the ER at one of our hospitals with a possible heart attack. Was this serious?? DIDN’T I SAY HEART ATTACK! Any time my phone rings at 3:30 in the morning, it is serious . . .

Headed up there to pray with them and do whatever I could do. This is not an unusual thing for any pastor . . . What I saw in the next hour was. As I sat there with her and her mother-in-law, slowly the men from their Sunday School class began to show up. AT 4 AM!!! By the time we got the news that he was doing well and they were able to take care of everything in the Cath lab, SEVEN men from their Sunday School class were there. On the spot. Praying. Just being there.

Where were all of the wives?? They were home with the kids, and I will guarantee you they were praying. We all have our warts and problems, but THAT IS WHAT SUNDAY SCHOOL IS ALL ABOUT. Brothers and sisters in Christ standing in the gap with each other for each other!

God just found a new way to pump me up. Today I am pumped up, honored, and proud to be a pastor.

Today I experienced something neat . . . I was visiting a church member at Commander Nursing Home when a little Latin American lady walked into the room. She looked confused and we didn’t quite know what to think. I stood up and turned around to face her and she started to speak Spanish to us. So, falling back on my solid college spanish class, I said: “No habla espanol.” She smile and kept talking, talking faster. I then said “Habla englais . . . No habla espanol.” She did not miss a beat: I could understand part of what she was telling me. She was telling me that she is very, very sick.

I smiled and for a few moments nodded my head. Then I remembered to say “No comprende . . No habla espanol.” She smiled back and kept talking. I tried to be polite, smiled, and shrugged my shoulders occasionally. I tried to tell her that I do not speak Spanish and that I did not understand. SHE did not understand, either. That might be a commentary on my Spanish speaking skills. Willard said he wondered if she could hear . . . Hmmm. Maybe so.

Either way, she spoke her peace and finally turned and left the room. She was not angry . . .She just had something to say. So, we just listened!

I really found this interesting . . . Worth a read!

http://www.perrynoble.com/2007/10/30/the-pastors-pain/

Now, it would be out of line for me to endorse candidates (even though I DO have personal feelings and feel that everyone should know their candidates and vote their convictions). But in my PERSONAL BLOG I do feel the need to express disappointment in the fact that the referendum for schools did not pass in Florence yesterday.

There was not a lot of publicity around it. In fact, I had NO IDEA it existed until I got a postcard this weekend. Honestly, as a pastor and as a father I am in our public schools in FSD1 frequently. I see their condition. I really have never felt as if any of the schools were neglected. In fact, I have been impressed at times by how clean and presentable those buildings have looked . . Many of those buildings are as old as me if not older. ALL OF THEM need improvements. All of them need help.

This is all a matter of priority and economy. Are the children of Florence a priority to us?? Yesterday, we said no in our vote. Do we want our economy to be stable and growing in this day and age, even though the national economy is in the dumper?? Yesterday, we voted no to that one, too.

Don’t be fooled . . . One of the first things potential employers look at before they move to our area is our school system . . . What message did we send to THEM yesterday?

Yep, you read it here . . . Pam Gaddy is a grandmother!! Bethany Robinson is a mom!! AWESOME! Little Luke made his entrance a little after 7 pm last night. I wouldn’t dare post any pictures . . . You will have to ask Pam!

I remember, as if it were yesterday . . . (Layered screen dissolve . . . Twilight-zoneish music)

Bethany was an eighth grader when I came to EBC. She and Erica Bedenbaugh always wanted me to come eat lunch with them at Sneed, which I would do occasionally. They were always the life of the party . . . Ted Rainwater would sit there and talk about hunting.

It is great to see Bethany married, doing well, and now a MOM!!! I always told her she would understand some day when she was a mom . . . Now she knows EVERYTHING! (Right??)

The Cost of Salvation