:: the PAC blog ::

Trick or treat?

Many people really do not know the origin of Halloween.  They think it's just a fun, spooky but harmless holiday, no different than Thanksgiving , Christmas or Valentine's Day. 

The term "Halloween" is the abbreviated form of "Hallowed Evening"...or "Holy Evening".  It is the night prior to a very religious day called "All Saints Day" on November 1st.   "All Saints" was a day that a person repented from all their sin and made a decision to "get it together' with God.  However, the logic was that a person could have one more night of all-out sin and revelry, embracing every dark practice that his flesh craved for one last last...on Hallowed Evening...or the night before repenting on All Saints Day.

Hallowed Evening henceforth became "hell's holiday"...a "demonic loophole" for those not truly repentul and striving for holiness.  Folks, the roots of this day go really down deep...all the way to the Lake of Fire.  Giving the Enemy his own "user-friendly" holiday packaged as cute and harmless...is not cute and harmless.

Their tortillas were especially good!

Just tried the Pico del Gallo Mexican Restaurant on Mason (same shopping area where Bistro 829 is located).  I really was pleasantly surprised!  Very good food, great service, and nice decor.  I mentioned to the waitress that their tortillas were especially good.  She explained that these are made fresh moments before they arrive at the customer's table (not "made-earlier-in-the-day-and-reheated-just-for-you")!

We'll definitely be back!

If your house was on fire....

The recent incredible and devastating fire in Southern Cal/San Diego area has gotten me thinking.  Here's a question for our blog readers...

If your house was on fire, and you were given ONE minute to run inside to rescue only 3 items, what would they be?  Why?

They had an exciting "Andrews Sisters-esque" sound...

It was a great Sunday today.  How exciting it was to see over 30 of our youth come to the front to be commissioned as "campus missionaries" at their schools.  I was tremendously proud of all of them.  Our youth pastor, Lynn Stewart, is doing a marvelous job discipling our students.

And the trio that sang the special song...wow!  They had an exciting "Andrews Sisters-esque" sound.  They've been invited to sing at the South Texas District Women's Conference this coming March.  Any suggestions for a name?  The FLAG Sisters??  BTW...the coordinated outfits were a nice touch.

This evening my wife and I hosted a Newcomers Coffee Fellowship.  It was probably one of our biggest Newcomers event held thus far.  It seem that the Lord has brought to our church many new people just during the past few months.  And a very eccletic group in that!  Tonight we had folks that originally came from Georgia, California, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, Oklahoma and Canada!   Also,  we had a beautiful diversity of cultures represented such as El Salvador, Columbian, Cuban, Mexican...and even a native Katy-ite! :-)

The Lord is truly building HIS church.  It's amazing to see His leading, as well as lives beautifully transformed by His Spirit.

"Where's the beef?"

Here's a quiz.   Can you place each of the items below in the correct "time frame" category.  Your category choices are:  the 1960's...1970's....or 1980's?

Example:  8-Track Cassettes = 1970's

1.   Twister game?

2.   Big hair & shoulder pads?

3.   Mood rings?

4.   First moon walk?

5.   Polyester leisure suits?

6.   Jelly shoes?

7.   Platform shoes?

8.   GI Joe? 

9.   Cabbage Patch Dolls? 

10.  "Where's the beef?" 

Cedars Mediterranean Grill...Yum!!!

Cedars Mediterranean Grill...awesome!   It's on S Mason Rd, southbound on the right side, pass the church...the shopping strip with the ACE hardware and Piccomolo Ice Cream.   The cuisine is really Arab/Middle East (vs. Greek, etc.). Very different and authentic.   I had slivers of chicken on a bed of yellow rice with lentils, and pita bead.  The lunch was tasty and good!  Let me warn you, Arab food is different...lot's of spices you probably never had.   If you go, let me know what you thought.

Watered-down Christianity

"In many churches Christianity has been watered down until the solution is so weak that if it were poison it would not hurt anyone, and if it were medicine it would not cure anyone!" — I Talk Back to the Devil — A.W. Tozer.

"Rut, Rot or Revival"

Since moving to Katy 3 years ago, I've seen incredible changes and improvements in the region.  This area is definitely not stagnate!  Let's see:  All the I-10 road intersections have been redesigned...new constructions have gone up such as Memorial Hermann Hospital, JCP, La Centerra, La Madelene, Marriott Springhill Suites, La Quinta, Morton Ranch HS, Old Katy Dog Park...new restaurants, new subdivisons...whew!

Did I miss anything?

I pray that my life will not remain stagnate but be continually "growing forward" like Katy...and be progressive in the things of God.  Several years ago I read a wonderful book by A.W. Tozer called, "Rut, Rot or Revival".   I want the latter.

Best hamburgers in Katy....

Today I enjoyed a time of fellowship with George Reyes. We met for lunch at Skeeters Grill (best hamburgers in Katy!) on Mason & Highland Knolls (Kroger's Shopping Center).  George is a member of FLAG as well as a fulltime campus minister with Young Life assigned to Lee High School.  He works with a very difficult population.  Actually, I was invited to preach and share my testimony tduring an outreach event to about 100 or so Lee HS students last Spring.  We had an awesome altar call afterwards.

This evening I presented a special teaching entitled, "Don't Have a Ruth-less Spirit", using the life of Ruth in the Bible as a model for pursuing God's best for our lives.  We all laughed together...said "Amen"...and even exclaimed "Ouch" as we received God's word.

Afterwards, Lynn Murray was coordinating the set up of tables for the special Ladies Brunch Fellowship scheduled this Saturday AM.   

We really have a wonderful bunch of people at FLAG! 

"Low hanging pants"

I just read that the City of Dallas is using a billboard ad campaign to fight against the "low hanging pants" fad.        Your thoughts?          CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE