July 19, 2024, 1:00 PM
Greetings in Christ.
I hope and pray you've had a good week.
Today (07.19.24) is my summer vacation's 9th day (and final day).
I am wrapping things up in Sarasota, FL, and heading back to Lexington tonight on a flight. Kelly and I decided to get me a flight back so I could Saturday to rest and get ready for Sunday. I think it was a good investment. Please pray for no long delays.
It's been a good vacation for me. It has been one of the longest vacations I have ever taken.
The Sarasota/Siesta Key area is a great place. They have great weather and wonderful beaches. We've been blessed.
This year, I made an extended effort to "unplug" from things concerning ministry for a while and simply be "present."
That's not easy for me to do. Just ask my family.
As I was looking back on past vacations, I came to an embarrassing realization that I had not taken enough time off. Over the past 10 years, I believe I have done a week-long vacation only 5 times (3 trips to Florida and 2 cruises).
Some difficulties have been financial and getting the needed time off from jobs/work.
However, it is not smart to operate the way I have.
Going forward, I am going to do a much better job in scheduling time off.
WOW -- I picked a crazy time to be away!
At times, it seemed as if the world was spinning out of control. Like everyone else, I was shocked to hear and watch the news of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump on Saturday evening in Pennsylvania.
Once again, I greatly appreciate Wally Rendel coming and preaching for us last Sunday (07.12.24). In light of the chaos on Saturday evening, I can't think of a better time for his message "The World at its Worst needs the Church at its Best."
As I come back home from vacation, I feel rested and renewed. I also have a renewed sense of optimism about the world around us.
This optimism is not just related to the political landscape. I pray that we all have received a wake-up call on how close we have been to all-out chaos breaking out in our nation. As we head into the heart of the upcoming elections, I pray for a sense of civility and unity in our land.
I feel a strong sense that God is moving in many areas in our country and world.
I read a good book, "Wreck My Life," while on vacation written by a young lady named Mo Isom. It's helped me feel stronger about the younger generations in our country. Also while on vacation, I watched a good movie called, "Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot." The film is based on the true story of a church in East Texas that adopted 77 children from the foster system. I highly recommend it. The film was very inspiring and has caused me to change my thinking on a few things. I was also highly encouraged by the previews before the movie and all the good Christian movies coming out soon!
Lord willing, I will be back in the pulpit this coming Sunday (07.21.24) and picking back up in our series of messages looking at the Old Testament book of Psalms. The Psalms are filled with prayers, songs, and poetry. In addition, nearly every human emotion can be found expressed in the book of Psalms. On Sunday, we will talk a little bit about the emotion of WONDER. It seems like we’ve lost a lot of sense of wonder in today’s modern culture. We'd love to see you on Sunday at FCC. Our Bible School starts at 9:30 am and Worship at 10:30 am.
God Bless,
Greg H.
Greg H.
