It's Like Herding Cats - A pastor's life: Gallup-ing toward a new kind of influence

My Friend and fellow Pastor, David Wilson wrote this. As we come away from our look back at 2008 and move towards this Sunday's look ahead, it is what I would say if I could say it as well.

It's Like Herding Cats - A pastor's life: Gallup-ing toward a new kind of influence

Happy Birthday, Sara

Today is my best friend's birthday!

She is God's greatest human gift to me.

She makes my life complete.

She makes me a better follower of Jesus

She makes me a better man.

She makes me a better Pastor.

Thanks you, Sara.

I love you.

Merry Christmas from the Bryants

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Parade Pictures!

Here are the first set of pictures from the Christmas Parade.

Monday After the Parade

All I can say is "WOW"!

For those of you who don't know, Osprey, FBC, has, for the last 3 years, put on a Christmas Parade for our Osprey Community! Sunday School classes and Church organizations finance, organize and build the floats. We had 17 floats this year as we traveled the 2 mile course throughout the streets around the church. We had the Fire Department again. The police graciously closed down US 41 so we could cross. (Sorry, to those locked in the short gridlock) Our local State Park had a float!

We have 2 purposes. The first is to bring attention to the real reason for Christmas - the birth of the Lord Jesus. The second is to wish our neighbors "Merry Christmas". I believe we accomplished both purposes.

I will post the pics to another site since I cannot put more than 5 pics here per post, but I did want to say 'THANK YOU!" to some important people. I will specifically mention a few, but about 100 people worked on the parades.

• Thank You, Thelma! You put together an awesome, Christ - Honoring, fun parade! You made us think safety and Christmas. You organized us so that we could get the work done in a short amount of time with the least amount of hassles. With as much pressure as you were under, it is amazing that you maintained your sweet spirit. Thanks!
• Thank You, John! The Ladies float that you turned into a boat was a model of how to think creatively and practically. That is no small accomplishment. I know how many extra hours it took to make that happen. Thanks!
• Thank You, Joyce and Joe! You have graciously given your time, vehicles and hard work for all the years of our community Parade and even before it when we held the Parade in local Mobile Home Communities. Thanks!
• Thank You, Danny! What a great Christmas Cake for our birthday! Your construction and the ladies decoration made me want to eat a slice. We will be able to use that for our 100th Anniversary Celebration on March 29, 2009 and keep using it a Christmas parades in the future. Thanks!
• Thank You, Sally! You put together a great meal for us to eat after the hard work of the Parade. It was wonderful to have the sandwiches, fruit and desert that could feed an army of volunteers. Thanks!
• Thank You, Gus and Family! We needed the extra trailer and generators that you brought with you! Thanks!
• Thank You, Albritton Family and Friends! Your monster truck was the hit of the parade! I was amazed at the size and the impact it made when people saw it! Thanks!
• Thank You, FBC, Osprey! I am always thankful to be your pastor. I have almost always been proud to be your pastor :-). But I have never been more proud of you than all day on Saturday!
• Thank You Oscar Scherer State Park! Your float and enthusiasm has been a part of this parade since its' beginning. Thank you for helping us!

I know that I am forgetting people who worked hard to make the parade a success. There were people who walked the entire route handing out candy and tickets to the Student Ministry play this Saturday and Sunday! There were people who were walked around looking for floats that needed help and pitched in and then moved on looking for someone else to help.

I wish there was a way for me to hug your neck and show you my heart. But I wanted you to know how thankful and proud I am to have been called to be your pastor.

Osprey Christmas Parade

Here are some more pics from last years parade.

Parade starts at 4:30 PM on December 13!

Christmas Parade 2008

I wanted to post some old pictures from previous Osprey Christmas Parades. Our Parade through Osprey is this Saturday, December 13 and starts at 4:30 PM. Our people knock themselves out preparing for this. We love wishing our neighbors "Merry Christmas!" and pointing all of us back to the real meaning of Christmas: The Birth of Jesus.

I'll post some more tomorrow!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

A Dinner with our Deacons

Tonight Sara and I host our deacons and pastoral staff at our home for our Christmas dinner. For us, it is a small way to say "Thank you" for the ministry, dedication and service these men do all year around.

I have pastored here for over 10 years and I have always been blessed with godly men who don't look on their position as a means to power, but as a means to serve the Lord Jesus and His church here in Osprey.

I have learned over the years that I need to listen to their counsel and wisdom. I have gotten in trouble when I have sailed on into the coming storm that they warned me about. And when I have come back with my foot firmly planted in my mouth and my tail between my legs, they have never said "We tried to warn you", but have always worked to solve the problem.

These men and their predecessors have blessed me so much more than I could ever be blessing to them. I have been their pastor. They, on the other hand, have been my friends. No pastor could ever ask for better deacons. No pastor could ever ask for men with a bigger heart for the Lord.

To our current Deacons (Bill, Tennyson, Wayne and John) and out past Deacons (Paul, Vince, Jeremy, Bill and Jeff), your pastor loves you, respects you and thanks our gracious God for His gift of Godly Biblical Deacons!