One Pastor's Perspective

Yep, we are BACK!!! And glad to be here. There is nothing quite like HOME!!!!! (and it is rare that I am away from home for EIGHT days)

And looking forward to tomorrow!!!! I HATE to miss a Sunday . . .

I am back on the face of the earth. For a little while. The wedding went great, which was a blessing from God considering the tropical storm that was skirting the coast this past weekend. Right before we started the clouds broke and the sun peeked through. It really was a God-thing.

Since then, Diana and I drove up the coast to Surfside Beach to spend some time with her family. Her sister, who lives in Brazil, is here with her gang and we are ALL in a beach house together. Fun, fun.

With Ed in Honduras, Mary in Charleston with Roy and his surgery, and Pam in the mountains, Justin, Andi, and Lisa are having to run the ranch . . . By next week they will all three be bald! And I am realizing just how burned out I really am while I am down here with my feet in the sand.

I thought that was Midnight, UNTIL LAST NIGHT. Last night in Mt Pleasant, SC, the Betwitching Hour lasted for EXACTLY 60 minutes between 3 and 4 am. That is when Diana and I were awakened to the sound of a herd of buffalo above our heads. Yelling, laughing, STOMPING, and then the air conditioner came on. Couldn’t hear it. Decided not to call. Then the air conditioner went off. AUGHHHHH! Caught between the realm of sleep and consciousness. And, for some reason, I couldn’t motivate myself to call the front desk.

All I know is the coyotes STOPPED howling exactly at 4. I am thinking about running up stairs, knocking on their door, and running . . .

What a night!! It began with Diana finding a shortcut from our hotel to the location of the rehearsal . . . WE GOT LOST! I have seen parts of Mt Pleasant that only a few have seen . . . We actually did find the church and beat Erica there, but barely.

Things went well, but there is much concern about the actual wedding tomorrow evening at 7 on the beach at the Citadel Beach House. Erica and Brian are great . . . Pray for the rain to go away!!!

More to come . . .

This weekend, yet another great privilege that I do not deserve . . . I have the honor of doing a wedding for another one of my “kids.” Erica Bedenbaugh was going into the eighth grade when I came to EBC. She and Bethany kept me hopping, and I loved every minute of it! A few years ago I got to do Bethany’s wedding, and now the circle is complete . . .

Tomorrow we go to the Isle of Palms for the Saturday evening wedding at the Citadel Beach House. I love it, and see it as a great honor. One of the most rewarding parts of ministry is knowing my youth in adulthood, and seeing them move into life with their heads screwed-on the right way (not that I had anything to do with it).

But, I DID teach Erica how to check the oil in her car and showed her how to change a flat tire!!! Maybe I will incorporate a demonstration of that into the ceremony . . .

Whats it gonna take for an electric car to be affordable and practical??? Olin Bullock says “A REALLY long extension cord.”

Seriously . . . Will it happen in my lifetime? I believe it will. Recent buzz also says that Honda has developed a hydrogen car . . . They already have some GREAT hybrids, but here is the problem: They are EXPENSIVE! So, what gives???

I believe Drew and Krissy will own an electric or alternate fuel source vehicle. I just hope a reasonable choice is out there for me SOON, cuz I don’t want to pay $10 a gal. for gas.

The Top Ten plays on Sportscenter today was a walk down memory lane . . . The Top Ten MLB All-Star Game plays over the ages. It was actually pretty good . . . Fun to see the old uniforms and some plays I actually remember. I had forgotten that John Kruk was the king of the mullet, but I remember now . . .

Makes me wonder if I could get away with a Top Ten plays at Ebenezer. The Top Ten things, done by EBC members, to build the kingdom of God. Well, first of all, those kinds of things are not really mine to judge. And, I would get into serious trouble with some of the people who think they are top ten material that wouldn’t make my cut.

SO, I guess I won’t do that for now, but it MIGHT just make it into the book I will write about this place one day . . . 🙂

No, I am not really a huge Garth fan . . . I leave that to Ed Self. Anyway, I DO have friends in low places, and if you will open your eyes and look around, you do, too.

I am not talking about the same thing Mr Brooks was singing about. I have friends who are really at low points in their lives, really hurting over relationships, disease, death, and some of the other more difficult facets of the journey we call LIFE.

What can we do?? Listen . . . Pray for them . . . Be there. . . IF I am their Christian brother, I will do all I can do to help. (Note I did not write PASTOR. Yes, as a pastor I WILL be there. How about as a brother and friend?? And, HOW ABOUT YOU??)

There are times when we can help shoulder the burdens of others. And, we should. Because there WILL be a day when EACH OF US will need a little help, too.

Jesus said, “They will KNOW you are My disciples if you LOVE EACH OTHER.”

Do you Ebenezerites ever wonder what the economic turns of late will do to our new facilities project?? I did, but God really is giving me peace about it. When we started this journey, the price of a gallon of gas was below $2. It is now approaching $5 in California, and who knows when relief will be in sight. And, the scary thing is, “relief” might just be the price stabilizing where it is for a while . . .

No matter how high the price of gas gets, God is in control. If He wants this project to move forward, it will. Our obedience to Him cannot depend on the price of a gallon of gas. And, I know things are tough . . . I am trying to keep cars on the road and prepare for a daughter who will go to college next August. And, yet, God really does give me peace about all of this. He knows I am a worrier and He gives me peace.

He really is AWESOME!

My pal, Dean, has accused me of drinking the Kool-Aid. All I can say is “Kerry Floyd POURED IT!!!”

Seriously, the MacBook Pro is great and is doing its job. HOWEVER, I have already toppled one old wives’ tale about Macs: I have always been told that you CANNOT LOCK THEM UP.

GUESS WHAT??? I have locked mine up four or five times!!! I guess it took at PC guy doing some REAL work on one to find the flaws . . .