random thoughts

Lot's of things fill my mind as I sit here in between meetings hoping the flat top grill creation I made for lunch doesn't make me sleepy. Some thoughts.

Got home from preaching yesterday and my mom wonders outloud if she could get me to start wearing a bullet proof vest when I preach. You probably heard another pastor was shot in church...very sad. "Am I scared?" Honestly, not really. I've not really ever been afraid of death...don't know why (I'm assuming the hope I have in another place far from here) but dying is not something I lose sleep over. I know it would be a big bummer if I got shot in church while I was preaching (we do have security measures in place mind you), but it's not something that I'm losing sleep over. See Nancy's comments to last blog - I agree.

If you would have come into our building on Friday night and Saturday you would have encountered 850 4th and 5th graders crawling all over the building (yes like ants when you kick an ant hill - or so I've heard). Our Kidsview ministry hosted CIY's Super Start program for pre teens. It was cool as Rachel Warren (kidsview events) and all her volunteers served. We are blessed to have the facility to minister to many churches. The look on the faces of adult leaders when they arrive lets me know that God has been very generous to us as Eastview. Hope we do lots more with kids running amuck (maybe amoch? or amock? I know it's something weird like that and I probably could have spell-checked it by now, but whatever) throughout this place.

This weekend an event that makes my heart beat fast - preaching conference we are hosting for preaching guys from all over (there are several states represented) to come and geek out about this wonderful thing called preaching. Can't wait...more on this next Monday.

One more thing. Talked yesterday of grace from Deuteronomy - as in dropping or cancelling of debts every seven years. What could be more unfair than letting someone off scott-free for something they obviously can't repay and for a forgiveness they don't deserve? I love the grace of God, don't you. Also mentioned the ear-piercing ritual that happened when a slave didn't want his freedom and declared lifetime allegiance to his master. To the doorpost, drive an awl (sharp pointy thing) through the lobe and stick an earring that says, "lifer" on it. One of my favorite Psalms points to this as we serve God, "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced." Psalm 40:6 Here's to lifetime service to the master who freed us with his own body piercing.