:: the PAC blog ::

My favorite dish is their "arroz con pollo"...

Every first Tuesday of the month, after the Morning Ladies Bible Study that my wife teaches, the ladies are all are invited to enjoy a time of food and fellowship at one of the area restaurants.   Tomorrow they are planning to dine at the Palma del Cera on South Mason.  This is a spectacular Columbian/Latin American Cuisine restaurant...great food, atmosphere and service. My favorite dish is their "arroz con pollo" (rice and chicken), finished with a cup of Columbian coffee and their "flan" (caramel custard).   I wonder if the ladies will let me join them this time?

American kids may be over-treated...

Interesting article today suggest that American children may be over-treated with anti-psychotic meds.  It reports that our kids are treated about 6 times the rate of kids in the UK.  From my interaction as a pastor with families, it certainly appears that children are more medicated today than just a few years ago.  If this is true, my prayer is that our FLAG children will receive an extra "dose of the Holy Ghost".

"Tree Gardener"

One of the things my wife and I enjoy tremendously is getting to know our missionaries and making new friends.  After the AM today, we took The Baumgartner's, Missionaries to the Canary Islands, to El Jarrito Mexican Restaurant (BTW, their surname means "Tree Gardener" in German) for a delightful time of food & fellowship. This couple are veteran missionaries, with over 16 years of field ministry experience.  experience.  Something very interesting that was mentioned this AM was that Sis. Baumgartner is a "professional midwife", having delivered over 900 babies in her lifetime!  Wow.

They must've used an entire cow!

We really had a nice day at the Brehnam Ice Cream Festival.  They had an awesome display of vintage autos...all in mint condition.  I ran into some of our folks there...the men just wanted to remain with the cars and skip the rest of the festival.  My favorite auto? A beautiful 1940 Lincoln "World's Fair Edition".  After meanderring around for a world, our entire church group ate together at the Longhorn Restaurant on Park Street.  I had their "Oldtimers Hamburger" with onion rings.  It was so HUGE, they must've used an entire cow!  Afterwards, our family went to another place to get Blue Bell Ice Cream.  My wife had a chocolate-something, our boy chose a "cotton candy" flavor, and I had their "Homemade Vanilla" ice cream.  Mmmmm.  It was a wonderful sugar high.   Then we went over to Main Street to watch a live, outside Western Show, where we saw Annie Oakley use a rifle to shoot a target...facing the opposite way, and using a mirror to see the target!  Some more shopping, a train ride for our little one, then a bag of caramel popcorn before heading back home on Hwy. 36.   Whew.  Nice. 

PS:  Elvis was a "no show".  (Ask me if I'm disappointed :-)

I'll let you know if we run into Elvis...

We're getting ready to go to the Brenham Ice Cream Festival.   Really looking forward to a time of food & fellowship.  I'll let you know if we run into Elvis again this year!

Tracing with their finger on the map...

It seems that a favorite gathering place before & after church services is the humongous framed aerial map of Katy we have displayed at the rear of the sanctuary.   It shows the location of the new property we are planning to purchase.  This property is on Roesner Rd, just a tad above Greenbusch/Westheimer,is in a very strategic location of South Katy.  Our plan is to purchase 7-1/2 acres and begin Phase I of our new facilities as soon as we sell our Mason Rd property. I've noticed our folks tracing with their finger on the map the routes from their homes to the new church location.  Everyone is excited about this!

BTW, understand someone has placed 3 small Christian flags on the new property (near the road) to help identify the location.

Thursday is usually our day off

Thursday is usually our day off.  Today my wife and I went to Los Cucos in Old Katy for lunch(our favorite Mexican restaurant in the Katy area);I was dressed in my "bubba clothes".  While sharing a beef fajita meal, Eddie Foster, the Exectutive Pastor at FLAG, walked inside to meet a friend.  Although it was difficult (for me!), we didn't talk church business upon greeting each other.  After lunch, we then took a nice, aimless drive through the country, imagining ourselves living on several acres.  I guess my years living in East Texas got into this ole' NYer's blood system more than I realized.   Before running over to pick up our boy from school, we swung by a Starbuck's so that I could get my favorite coffee, a tall Caramel Machiatta.

A day of "rest"...it was God's idea and invention.  I wonder why we don't always make it a weekly priority?

Coming home for the summer

Last nigh after the PM service, I got to visit a bit with John & Gina Sullivan.  They were very excited about their oldest son, John Michael, coming home for the summer from his first year away in college.  He is studying to become a Youth Pastor at Central Bible College, Springfield, MO.   Evidently, he turned down a prestigious ministry internship opportunity in Chicago in order to come home for the summer.  I told John & Gina that it must've been a great compliment to know that their son chose to come home, instead of staying away.  Gina plans to cook her son whatever meals he wants during the summer!  Mmmmm....he may never want to go back to college this Fall!  ("Mom, Dad...I've prayed about it and have decided to finish my degree via online distance education from my comfortable bedroom.  What's for dinner tonight?").   

Brenham Ice Cream Festival

This coming Saturday we're going to join the Secondwind Ministry at their annual day trip to the Brenham Ice Cream Festival.  This will be the third year we've gone and are really looking forward to it.  Lot's of vendors, food, entertainment (Elvis shows us every year to perform...but looks like he'd had a bit too much ice cream, thought).  It's one of our favorite events...usually great spring weather...enjoyable food & ice cream...and even better fellowship.   Although Seconwind is our "pre-retirement age/baby-boomer" ministry, anyone is welcome to join on Saturday.  I believe a caravan will be departing from FLAG at 9 a.m.   Hope to see ya' there!

"A Love Letter to Oprah"

James Robison is a highly respected veteran evangelist and world relief missionary that my wife and I admire greatly.  When I lived in Dallas years ago, I had the privilege of sitting in the audience during a live taping of one of his TV talk show programs. 

Recently he wrote an "open letter" to Oprah that is sincere, and motivated by genuine love and concern for her.  It is a "must read', and a wonderful example of how to be Christlike when addressing those that are spiritually blind.

Special thanks to Erin Rothchild for letting me know about this letter.