Further Response to Much ado About Nothing

A rare occurence this morning happened this morning, the sun was shining. All it really means is that I'll have to mow the grass. There is nothing like waking up to the sound of the city truck going by spraying for mosquitos. Ah yes, summer in South Texas.

A report on the Wagon Wheel Restaurant. I had the Chicken fried steak. Real Meat, not that processed stuff, gravy guaranteed to fix leaky tires and once hardened would make great glue. I almost forgot, homemade rolls that stand about 4 inches tall. You walk into the place, and there is a deer head with at least 6 points over every table, along with an autographed John Wayne picture. to add to the atmosphere there was even a pencil drawing of a mountain man with his horse. It's a real romantic hotspot. Oh yeah, they have signs on every table saying we don't credit cards, debit cards, or checks, cash only!

A perspective to think about:
It times we argue over a lot of things, most of which don't amount to much. Before I waste to much effort here is the principle I try to remember to use( about half the time I forget)
"Is it temporary or eternal." If it's temporary, does it really matter? If it's eternal, then let's put the boxing gloves on duke it out and come up with the right solution. Not mine or yours, but the right one.

In Response to the response

Response #1
The Weather is still the weather. It's wet and going to get wetter they say. I was coming out of the church office and saw tree frog perched on the top hinge of the door, maybe he knows something I don't. The mosquitos are the size of nickels and if you smash one you will leave a red mark the size of your fist. Typical south Texas weather. Here's a picture of a water spout that touched down Wednesday. Picture is not real good, but I was in a hurry.

Response #2
God and voting. Well, as I remember, in the Old Testament, Moses sent a committee over to check out the promise land. It was just like God said, but it did have a few giants, pagans and such. not much to worry about really, with God on your side. The committee came back with a split vote. A couple of guys, Joshua and one other fellow held out and said it could be done. The children of Israel took the committees advice and decided not to go. God said, ok you voted, now you get to wander around for 40 years until all of you who didn't vote the right way die off. My point, we got a lot of churches wandering around in the wilderness, because they didn't do what God wanted. Hopefully some people will allow God to change them before they die off. I don't want to be on the wrong side of a vote.

Thoughtful Say:
I heard this said once, " I have never really been wrong, but I have been a little weak on being right."


Ok, I am sure I will have more later, but I've got to go. I am taking my bride out to a place called the "Wagon Wheel." It's my kind of place, so greasy you can slide out of the seat.

Summertime Fun

We are right smack in the middle of Vacation Bible School this week. For the second year in a row I was able to delegate most things out and be floater and put out fires. After 3 years plus of me being here, they are finally starting to do it the right way. We had our backyard Bible club the week before, right in the middle of town where all the drug deals go down. We didn't really have all that many kids come, but we had a lot of comments and drew a lot of attention from those folks around there. Picture this in your mind, bible school is going on in a city park, and around the edges of the park are some of the drug dealers and a drunk or two. Momma's with their baby's and little ones, and of course red snow cones. We did serve hotdogs two nights, and that did draw crowd. I had some interesting conversations with some of these folks. The police even ran an extra patrol car through the area. Why, I don't know? I wasn't really worried, although some of my church ladies were.

So this week, we have VBS at our church, and guess what all those folks are sending their kids over here. I love it! Attendance is up, I've had to break up a couple fights with some 4th grade boys, cookies and red kool aid being ground into carpet and we almost run out of everything last night. Some of my dear old church folks are getting a good dose of real world Christianity, and I am just sitting back and smiling, and thinking to myself God just might like this.

Oh yeah! Church on the go hi dee ho.

Why? Or , It makes me wonder?

I have been ministry now for 20 years, yet I am amazed sometimes at what people will say, or the attitudes they have. Can you tell I am about to vent or worse get on my soapbox?

Well, I had a couple of older ladies, (always a sign of trouble) come by to see me. They were mad because in their opinion we were not singing enough hymns, and we weren't using the piano and organ enough. One went on to say, that at her age she had the right to say whatever she wanted. The other complained that the organ wasn't loud enough. Let's see, on yes, the flowers were being moved around too much, and the lady that does the flowers is hurt because of it. And oh yes, one of the ladies doesn't read the Bible all that much, but gets from the hymns.

I smiled and acknowledged their complaints. I made nice in other words, and told them we were in a period of transistion, and that they needed to remember the pastor and staff in their prayers.

You know, I get sick and tired of this nonsense. Don't the Bible, gimme a break, I'm old I can say what I want, flowers! organ too soft! not enough piano! We are just playing church while all around people are dying and in need. Yet, we have made it about us. One day, if I don't jump off the cliff first, I will be old. I hope do not become of of these complainers who has lost focus of what the real purpose of a relationship with God means. And no, the organ stays the same, I am breaking out the tambourine to replace the piano, I am going to hide the flowers, and sing little diddys all the way ot heaven.

Church on the go hi dee ho!

Church- sometimes a good place to take a nap

It was kind of like re-living the past. I was at my mother-in laws this past week end, who lives in Cameron. I had the tv on, on Sunday morning, which I never so at home. A Church from Waco was broadcasting their church service. They sang the slowest version of “All Hail the Power of Jesus Name” I have ever heard. It just about put me to sleep. Then the camera panned the congregation and caught at least two people asleep. I was glad , I thought maybe it was just me. Then, the camera moved back to the poor preacher, and there were two guys on the back row of the choir taking a nap also. It brought back memories of Groesbeck and hiding flowers, and such things . Of Course, back then, there was this Cole fella who was a bad influence on me, at the time.

Is it just me, or most of the good sleeping church found in Central Texas

Vapor gets a seat

I got the trailer up and working for the boat. It works great. The Vapor only weights 58 pounds, so the trailer carries no weight really at all. As a matter of fact, if I need to I can pick up the trailer with the boat on it, and move it around.

I got the sliding seat designed and installed, put a thwart or brace in, just off center, and put the final touches of paint on. I took it out for an extended paddling session today. I can tell that I 've got to perfect my paddling technique to really get the hang of it. It paddles real easy. I did notice however, that when I got through, my back was hurting and stiff. I had some adjustable footpegs given to me, and I think I will install them, so I can get my whole body into the paddling stroke. This, I am told, will relieve the tension put on my back. All in all I am more than pleased, and once I get used to it, I will outfit it for fishing with some rod holders and such. But for now, I am going to use it to help get this old body of mine back into some kind of shape, or maybe I'll just paddle out away from shore and just set there, and watch the sunset. Who knows, maybe I can rig some sort of sail on it.

"Vapor" is launched!

I got the boat trailer ready to go, and got a break in the weather this evening and took "Vapor" for a test run. I needed to figure out how far forward or aft I needed to put the seat, and high the seat needed to be. Becky took some pictures of the test run. She paddles great, with very little effort. It is not like some of the plastic ones that really take some effort. I had the seat too tall about 4 1/2 inches and she felt a little tippy, so I lowered it to 1inch and that feels really good. As can see in one of the pictures I filled it up with water to try to sink it and couldn't. My watertight compartments work.
So now the adventure can continue, as I begin to explore places I can paddle to, and hopefully can find some fishing too.