Sunday Flashback

The effect of the economy on tourism here shows not only in the retail numbers, but we can see the difference in the numbers of vacationers at church. But while their numbers are down, their enthusiasm is not! Some of the best people I've ever met worship with us once a year when on vacation.

I still have to marvel at the occasional tourists who wait until our first song to get up and leave! Our greeters are very good at suggesting a church for them (if asked). But, come on...when you look on the stage and see a keyboard, electric guitars and drums it should give a clue we're not going to be old school in our music. Then, when they leave and even if they find a close church more to their liking, they walk in late to that service. All that to say, when you you go on vacation and want to go to church do your homework in advance!

NHC has the best Kids' church and nursery staff around. And the Kids' Zone volunteers look pretty sharp in their new team shirts.

Looked like lots of coffee was being consumed this morning. I had two cups myself. Thanks to our hospitality team for coming early and staying late every week.

Mike and his team were scrambling today both seating everyone and finding parking places. In a church where there are so many guests each week having a team dedicated to helping everyone find their way around is a necessity. I've been to churches as a visitor where no one welcomed me or gave me any direction at all. That's no fun!

The MP 13 Band sounds great with the third vocalist we usually don't have. I'm looking forward to hearing a sax with them sometime soon. "You are Welcome Here, mighty God" is an awesome opening song, setting the tone for the rest of the worship.

Matt, our intern has our podcast back in shape after some software problems. Thanks, Matt.

This week two of our missionary families arrive in town for extended stays. Welcome to the Glocks from France and the Bensons from Honduras.

Happy Anniversary #5

While I'm on the subject of marriages, a happy 5th anniversary to my son Nathan and his bride Tricia.

We're all so happy and frankly amazed that you've reached this milestone. Your marriage has touched more people than you'll ever know.

You can read Nate's post about their anniversary and see the video. If you don't know why this is so special, please visit here.

Sorry this is posted so late, but it's been a long day!

Open season on marriages

I'm blown away by what seems to be a rash of marriages crumbling around me. What's happening in the lives of South Carolina's governor and First Lady, even Jon and Kate seems to be part of an epidemic, especially among Christian couples. What gives?

This sounds so simple, but I can't overstate that you can't be too careful. Here are a few things to be careful about:

Friendships have to have proper boundaries.
Your spouse should have a key to every door in your life and permission to look inside at any time.
Work doesn't come first. Neither do your kids. God first. Spouse second. Then kids.
Have someone in your life who can ask you the tough questions and hold you accountable.
Finances and the stress they bring need to bring you together as a team, not divide you.
Don't wait until it's "too late" to seek help. Do you want to have a healthy marriage or keep your pride intact?

I'm aching inside for some couples I know, and praying for them to let God heal their fractured relationships. He can.

Sunday Flashback

Happy Fathers Day!

Using David as an example of a father, who like all of us was less than perfect, we saw how he learned from his faults and failures and somehow continued to pursue God. Then he left a legacy and a dream to his son.

Inserted in the message was a great cover by our band of the DC Talk song, "What if I Stumble?".

Ministry teams were busy serving today. Our volunteer staff is the best.

Hope you treated Dad special today!

Ocean Baptism Nags Head Style

Click here to see the video of our recent baptism Nags Head style!

Song "Carried Away" by Sonic Flood.

A Sign the Economic Stimulus is Working!

So this is how it works!

Thanks to my friend Terri in Tulsa. She actually went into the store and came out with a 32 oz. fountain drink for a penny. But she doesn't think they understand why.

(Click on the pic to enlarge it.)

Happy Anniversary!

It's hard to believe that it was thirty two years ago today this lady became my bride. We've been coast to coast and continue to have lots of adventures, especially as our family expands and changes.

At a slower pace, we continue to "Climb the Hill Together"*.

Love you, Gail!


*from the song "Let Us Climb the Hill Together" by Paul Clark that was sung by True Vine at our wedding. I also sang this song to Gail at our 25th anniversary celebration in Mt. Currie, BC.

Who's Minding the Store?

Yesterday I went into our local Post Office (USPS) to cash a postal money order (issued by the USPS) my nephew received from his dad. Actually I went twice. The first time was about 9:20AM and I was told it couldn't be cashed because they "didn't have enough money in the register".

(Actually my wife had gone into this same PO a couple days earlier to cash it for him and was told the same thing..."not enough cash on hand". But she was also told that because the clerk didn't know her and our nephew wasn't present, she couldn't cash it for her, and advised her to go to the Post Office in the town in which we reside. But since she doesn't know my nephew either, and at age 15 he doesn't possess a photo ID, how would she know he is who he is?)

Anyway, I said, "That's OK (not enough dinero in the register), I'll come back later." They know me well in this Post Office. So, mid-afternoon I returned, presented the money order, was asked to endorse it and put my drivers' license number under my name. No problem. Then the clerk called the post master to the counter and asked if she could cash this for me. "Of course! We know Pastor Rick!"

They have this machine that they feed the money order into which is supposed to read the serial number off the front, telling the computer in the register how much it is for and recording the transaction. They tried for ten minutes to get the machine to read the money order to no avail. Every time it just spit it out. I wondered aloud, "Can you manually put in the number?". They tried but there wasn't a way to do that. So finally they suggested I take it to my bank and cash it.

Now, this was a post office issued money order. Their computer should have been able to accept it. But, I thought, if this was my business, I wouldn't send my customer away telling him "Sorry". I would have said, "Here's your cash. We'll figure this out later", kept the money order and sent me on my way.

But, the Post Office is a government owned business.

So I'm really scared for our banking and automotive industries now owned by Uncle Sam, and for our health care system, should it be taken over by the feds. Will they be run just like my post office? How many people will be turned away by doctors who have the ability to do the surgery but the system requires them to say, "Sorry".

We have the best medical/health care in the world. Sure, there are shortcomings, but do we really want to be told that our surgery or care is denied because the system doesn't work?

By the way, my bank quickly cashed my money order. They didn't have a US government provided machine to run it through.

I have to add this: I like all the folks who work in our PO. It's the system that doesn't work, not the kind men and women there. I'm sure they had no choice but to send me elsewhere.

Sunday Flashback

Today's been a long day, but like most, has been full of good things.

Nate put together a great video along with a cool new song, "Carry Me Away" that had references to God's waves and being carried "out to sea". It got a standing O at the end of the first gathering, celebrating the obedience and public profession of all those who were baptized last Sunday.

There was also applause when I mentioned that yesterday our volunteers finished about 75% of the framing for the new Kid Zone upstairs. When it's finished it won't be a day too soon. Again we had to turn away pre-schoolers from Lil' K because there just wasn't room.

Moses' story continues to fascinate me (if no one else!). Every week I continue to learn something new about God and this journey I'm on. I confess, until studying for today's talk I never realized that God stood on the Rock at Horeb before Moses struck it with his staff. Nor did I know that was the position of a servant that God took, a picture of Christ, who came to serve, not be served. And only after the Rock was struck did it gush life giving water. Again, like Christ, who had to be "struck" on the cross before the Holy Spirit could be freely given to all who believe. What an amazing God we have.

After the second gather our ministry team leaders met for lunch and some communication and strategizing. These volunteers pour a lot of time and effort into ministry at NHC, and are a fantastic team to serve with. Thanks to Nathan for leading today's meeting and for some very practical leadership tips and to our hospitality team for organizing the food.

It was my turn as a pastor to meet with our Parent Pod on the beach tonight during Contagious (our youth group). We talked about purpose - helping their kids find their's and the purpose of being the parents of adolescents. Great group!

Topping off the day Gail and I had dinner with some pastor friends and their wives at Outback. Good fellowship, lots of laughs and sharing some hard-learned lessons.

Now we're watching the ending of "Lonesome Dove" on AMC. Great saga of what it means to have vision.

Just don't leave the speling up to them!