Merry Christmas!

Tomorrow, Sunday, we have our yearly Christmas celebration at the church. Our children and youth will exhibit some of the finest talent in christiandom here in the Rio Grande Valley. You'll not want to miss out on this celebration of our Lords birth. Remember we meet at 10:30am and start promply on time. Arrive early to find available seating. C u there........

What's a Pastor to do?

When I went into the ministry 30 years ago, I entered with the sense that I could do no wrong. There was a confidence, I beleive from God, to go and do impossible things. The Word says, that if you can beleive all things are possible to him that believes. With a tremendous desire to serve Him and to see His kingdom grow I defied the doubts and disbelief of men and went forward confident in His ability to confirm his word. There are casualties though along the way. Just like in war we see friendly fire, when soldiers from the same side accidently shoot and kill one another. There have been sadly to say, casualties in my ministry over the years. I can honestly say from my heart that there has been no malice to anything done intentional to hurt or harm Gods special people. I can see though that some have been wounded in my attempt to serve God. No pastor enters into the ministry will any desire less than to serve and be a blessing to Gods people. The problem is that pastors are fallible and make mistakes. I have made my share of mistakes along the way. It's possible that some of my readers have been offended by something I said or did along the way, if that is so, I apologize. Sometimes people have come to me in the past sharing something I said or done that hurt them while others just disappear without saying a word. My suggestion to anyone who has been offended by a minister or someone in leadership to at least send a note letting them know how you feel. Most leaders will make an effort to change the error of their ways if communicated with. Being a parent, I have made mistakes with my kids, as a pastor I have made mistakes with some folks in my congregation. There is not doubt though that in my heart there is a love placed there by God to love and serve His people. I'd like to hear your thoughts, drop in a comment, if you want to do it anonimously. Give your minister a break! He is not perfect.

Theraputic

I've been bloggin now for one year and two months. I almost feel like I'm in a twelve step program. "Hello, my name is Patrick and I'm a blogger." Bloggin has given me a way to communicate and share some of my thoughts, concerns and projects. Looking back, for me this has been theraputic. It's been fun, and for the first time in my life I've been able to keep some kind of journal. I would encourage you to blog and when you get your page up, let me know so that I can be amused by reading about what makes you tick.

House for sale

Yep, its time to sell. When I was a teen I remember hearing a green beret preach at our church and his title was, "Don't put your stakes down too deep, you might be pulling out tomorrow." Obviously in war one has to be ready to get his gear together and be ready to get on the move. God will allow some people to put down roots but others to be ready get moving. Our homes over the years have varied from real dumps to very nice homes. Like Paul we have abased and abounded and in everything and circumstance I've learned to be content. So, its time to sell, retrieve our capitol and see what to invest in next. If you are looking for a nice home in the country with the opportunity to raise horses or a couple of cows, look no further, this place is for you.

Heart breaking

It was brought to my attention that there is a 5-6 yr old girl virtually living with the pigs in a village in India. She was seen obviously abandoned by her parents, eating what she could with a momma pig and her ten babies. The girls leg was wounded by the adult pig biting her. She has been sleeping under bridges and other shelters to protect her from the elements. We in America cannot fathom a need like this. Our minds are clouded and our understanding altered to such suffering. I am trying to do something though to assist such tragedies. As I hear about this and see with my own eyes similar situations my heart breaks and I ask myself, what really is important in life? To date I have raised around $25,000.00 US dollars for our childrens home in India. I'm a quarter of the way there. The mountain seems at times too high to climb, but if I don't make an effort, who else will? I know that I cannot erase the human suffering of the world, and God doesn't expect me too but I can do a little bit. I can do what I can and invite others to join with me to make a difference in childrens lives in this part of India. A childrens home for 100 kids will soon get off the ground. Thanks for your prayers and support.

Christmas Season

Ready for not, the season is here! Where did the year go? My how time flys! I'm thankful that I live in the greatest country in the world. Gods blessings is truly on our land. As I stroll through the shopping centers watching people busy looking for gifts and spending their money, I'm amazed at how much we have in America. The craze to stand in line for hours just to be in the position to buy the latest electronic device amuses me. Having the privilege to travel internationally, I see the disparity and contrast between extreme wealth and extreme poverty. We have so much while others have so little. I'm trying to find the balance in my life. I do want to enjoy abundance and blessings, but I also want to be a blessing to those less fortunate than I. I know that I can't meet the needs of all the worlds poor, but the ones that I have contact with, I can help out. I asked the director of the childrens home what the custom is there for Christmas and I was told that it would be nice to buy or make some new clothes for the kids there. For about $200.00 we can buy new clothes for them. We are talking about eleven kids here. Some people in America will spend that or more on gifts for their dogs, cats and other pets.