Home Again
I’m sitting here in my office after nearly two weeks of
being away. To be honest, I am experiencing a strange mixture of serenity and
stress. I am glad to be home again
with my family and to be back at work with our staff, but at the same time I am
feeling a bit anxious about all that needs to be done to catch up after being
gone so long.
I spent the past two weeks with some great friends for an
annual trip out west fly-fishing in some of the most picturesque places in the
United States. We spent two days
last week fishing just outside of Yellowstone National Park. The region was in
its full autumn glory with the leaves on the Cottonwood trees glowing in their
vivid yellow against the backdrop of purple mountains covered in the first
snows of the season. It was like fishing in a postcard. Breathtaking is one word to describe
it. Beyond words is another way to
portray it. It was almost indescribable even for a guy who makes a living with
words. WOW!
The beauty of these places really captures one’s soul with
profound awareness of a Creator far beyond our wildest imaginations. For that
reason, I arrive back in reality with a refreshed spirit and a rejuvenated
energy for serving Cibolo Creek Community Church.
Its time I get back to work.
Thanks Guys
I want to thank both Les Cole and Don Huse for their
ministry to our church family while I was away. I am getting reports back from talking with people who were
present for those two Sunday services that both Les and Don did an outstanding
job. It is always nice to be able to get away now and then knowing our church
family is in good hands on a Sunday morning.
Happy Anniversary
Tomorrow is November 3. It will be the fourteenth
anniversary of Cibolo Creek’s very first Sunday service back in 1996. On one
hand it is hard to believe we have been at this for so long and on the other
hand it seems like it was all just yesterday.
I always get a little reflective around this date as I ponder
the fourteen years of memories that embody the story of Cibolo Creek Community
Church. So many wonderful people and so much rich history make these strolls
down memory lane a fond experience. We really do have a lot to be thankful for
here at Cibolo Creek.
I can honestly say that I am truly thankful for these last
fourteen years. Serving as the
pastor of Cibolo Creek Community Church really has been a very positive
experience. I enjoy the privilege
of thinking of our church family more as some of my closest friends in life
than a crowd of people I know merely as a congregation. Thank you all for your love, your
support and your encouragement. I feel honored to get to be your pastor.
Happy Anniversary Cibolo Creek.
Pray for Deeny
Deeny Lego, a longtime participant in the life of our
church, recently suffered a severe stroke. Deeny is a single mom of three
children and this physical setback only complicates an already challenging
situation with other limitations Deeny has endured since a severe skydiving
accident several years ago.
Those of you who know Deeny know what a delightfully positive
and energetic woman she is. My
heart went out to Deeny while visiting with her in the hospital yesterday. I
could sense in her eyes the frustration of wanting to be able to say what was
on her mind while being unable to form the words with her mouth. Deeny is a
go-getter and has spent years of her life refusing to let her body limit what
she is able to accomplish from day to day. One more challenge only makes it more difficult for her…and
her family.
Knowing Deeny she will figure out a way to rise above this
challenge too!
I am greatly encouraged that so many dear friends have
rallied around her and her children to see to it that she is provided for
during this difficult time. Let me
encourage you to keep Deeny and her children in your prayers. It means the world to her to know that
people are praying for her.
Annual Meeting
Let me invite you to be a part of our November 14 Annual
Meeting. Your presence is an important demonstration of what it means to be a
member of our church. Members show
up at Annual Meetings!
Here’s the deal, friends. Few people really like meetings - we all know that - but
meetings can be very significant occasions to gather the best people together
for the greater good of an organization. Your support of Cibolo Creek Community
Church goes far beyond attending services, being a volunteer and putting money
in an offering box. Support is
also being aware of what your church is giving itself to in the year ahead and
what it will take from all of us both physically and financially to do it
effectively.
An Annual Meeting is like the huddle of a football team at
game time. Each person leans in to
find out what play the team is about to run and then what role they will play
to pull it off successfully.
I am not going to promise our Annual Meeting will be full of
fireworks and free toasters. We will spend the time together discussing a few
of the results from last year’s efforts, what we are planning to accomplish in
the coming year and some of the details of what it will take to see our plans
become a reality. You are an important part of all of that. We need you in the huddle!
Before we dig into the details of our 2011 Strategic Plan,
we have the opportunity to gather together as a church family for a meal. What a great way to catch up with each
other and go into our meeting with a rich sense of the family we have
become. Join us for a pot-luck
dinner at 5:30 PM in the Annex.
Please bring a dish (homemade or store bought) that you can share with a
dozen other people – entre or dessert.
If everybody contributes, there’s no risk that anybody will go hungry.
See you for dinner!
Honest Answers for
Honest Questions
I am really excited (and truthfully, a bit nervous) about
this coming Sunday’s service as we begin our TEXT Series. In case you haven’t
heard, this coming Sunday (and next) we will be wired to receive questions from
the audience via text messaging. I will spend my time in these services responding
to the questions we receive.
We are looking for your questions about “faith and
life.” Due to the nature of the
setting – it’s a church service! - I am interested in fielding questions people
have about the intersection between their spiritual journey and the realities of
everyday life. Questions might
have to do with topics you wrestle with regarding your understanding of the
Scriptures, making sense of what it means to have a relationship with God or
situations you are encountering in the course of living your life from day to
day.
It should be a lot of fun and very interesting if all goes
well. Be thinking of the question
you like to “text” and join us this coming Sunday for another first at Cibolo
Creek Community Church.
See you Sunday!
Love serving our Savior with ya’ll,
Paul