One Pastor's Perspective

Yesterday was jam-packed with about everything you could imagine for a Sunday . . . And what a day it was!

We had some powerful music in morning worship (which really jacks me up to preach), a discipleship preview at 5:30, deacon ordination at 6:30 (where Andi set a RECORD for longest continual organ music), and then a “brief” deacons meeting that was supposed to last 5 minutes and probably lasted for 30 or more.

I just wish more people would come to a deacon ordination. It really is a meaningful event in the life of our church. But, all in all, it was a great day!

If you’ve been watching the Olympics, perhaps you saw the highlights of the US men AND women both dropping the baton in one of the relay races. Neither team, therefore, even qualified to run for a medal. And EVERYONE is turning up the heat over this unforgivable faux pas.

WHY?? WE EXPECT PERFECTION. Yep, in EVERY competition, we expect our athletes to excel and win gold. Nothing less will do. So, in the same vein, we are disappointed in our softball team for losing the gold (and the first game since Sept, 2000).

Don’t get me wrong . . . There is NOTHING WRONG with stiving for perfection. I believe the problems ensue when we slowly convince ourselves that we should be perfect, and nothing less will do. Because we are not. Being around athletics all of my life have taught me two things: GOD ALONE is perfect, and I am NOT HIM. Neither is Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, Brett Favre, and the list goes on . . .

Am I happy about the dropped batons?? No. But, just proof again that they are human. Will those athletes remember and regret that for the rest of their lives?? Probably. But they are not perfect.

And, last time I checked, neither are YOU.

I don’t think a single one of my decrees actually came true yesterday. That is all I have to say about that.

I decree, on August 19th, that certain things SHOULD happen on my birthday. Here is the list, comply as you are able:

– I will immediately lose 50 lbs.
– Every problem and fire I had to deal with yesterday will not only be completely OUT, any signs of those fires WILL BE GONE.
– Every employee issue on my desk will be resolved without me having to do ANYTHING.
– There will be NO squabbles today that I will have to referee.
– The Braves WILL WIN today.
– In a miraculous move, somehow the Packers will reacquire Brett Favre and all will be forgiven.
– My cholesterol medicine WILL NOT bother me today.
– The new TV season WILL BEGIN TODAY, and not around the 1st of October.
– The Batman tv show WILL BE on the new network lineup, with brand new episodes.
– The Honda dealership will call me, insisting on an even trade between my Accord and a new, beta version of the Pilot that gets 25mph in the city and 32 on the highway. It WILL have a nav system.
– Apple will decide to give us four MacBook pros with everything we need to get into plenty of trouble with them. Deano will be so humbled with the gift that he will renounce Windows Vista and put one of those apple stickers on the rear window of his truck.
– The bank will decide that I have paid on my mortgage long enough, and in light of the fact that it is my birthday, they will FORGIVE all debts.
– Having recognized my coaching prowess, Roy Williams will call and BEG ME to join his staff at UNC. I will politely decline, but will somehow finagle a full ride for Krissy even though I declined.

This list could go on and on, but you get the idea, right????

It is hard to believe Krissy starts her senior year today . . . What is NOT hard to believe is that she has dealt with West Florence SIX times since registration and her schedule is STILL screwed up!! But, that will be corrected.

I am finding it hard to believe that the four year old girl we moved to Florence with is about to drive her brother to Sneed and then herself to the first day of her last year. All of those people who told me I would blink and she would be grown WERE TELLING THE TRUTH.

WOW.

Finally! I am ready to be home for a while. We had a great week, but it is great to be home. Since we had the condo until this morning, we stayed LATE last night and came home. Of course, when we got home and ran by to pick Krissy’s car up (which had been in the shop) it was dead as a doornail. Haven’t figured that one out yet, because we jumped it and it seems to be charging . . . Maybe a light was left on????? Time will tell.

After unloading, watching Michael Phelps win ANOTHER gold medal, and winding down a little, I got to bed around 12:30. Way too late for me. Good thing I don’t have to preach this morning.

As if it never happened, today is sunny, warm, and clear (so far). I guess we are about to go out and set up the tent . . . Ruskie the LG has already set his stuff up, but since it is later in the week, he is not setting as many up . . . He knows better.

I think I have just talked Krissy into walking to the pier. Later!!

No, I did NOT scrap with the lifeguard yesterday OR today. It is POURING rain right now, and at 9am the beach is deserted. Yesterday, if you were not down there by now, you did not get a spot. There is NO sign of life on Garden City Beach this morning, not even a Russian lifeguard.

There is something therapudic about watching the ocean churn and spray as the storm looms. I definitely would not want to be out in a boat on it, but it is good to watch from the couch of the condo.

Okay, I did the SAME thing this morning that I did yesterday. YES, once again Krissy just grunted when I tried to get her walk with me. So I went down, set the pop-up on the beach again (by myself) and went about my morning walk. When I set the tent up, there was NOTHING else on the beach. Coming back I realized I set the tent up too far back. The lifeguard was about 100 yards away from me setting umbrellas up at the other end of the condo. I thought I would move the tent a little forward (to prevent an umbrella from being set up in front of us). I moved it and realized I would need some help. As I was walking back up, I saw him come RUNNING down the beach with his t-bar. He started his first tent hole RIGHT IN FRONT of our tent. SHENANNIGANS!!!

I went upstairs and got Drew and Diana to go back down with me and move it. I got a little ill with him, but Diana said he must have been yelled at yesterday to have reacted that way. She is probably right, but if he keeps doing stuff like that, I will HAVE to mess with him a little.

If you go to our truthcasting channel and click on Events (BELOW Sermons and Youth on the left of the screen), you will see an entry titled BAPTISM and dated 8/10/08. THIS IS YESTERDAY’S BAPTISM!!! A little tricky to find if you are unfamiliar with Truthcasting, but worth a watch!

That link is:

http://truthcasting.net/player/truthcastingplayer.swf?channelID=100000030

Happy watching!!