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Worshipping, Fellowshipping, Praying, Living
Pastor Randy

Last Night — Wow!

Santa & Friends I woke up this morning simply thanking God for blessing my wife and I with the privilege of living & serving Him in the town we fell in love with over 26 years ago: Morro Bay. Not only does the Central Coast boast of her beauty, cherish her serene & consistent weather and brag of her laid back atmosphere - Morro Bay still celebrates Christmas! Last night, I was blessed to rejoice with friends as we hung out on a trolley to participate with the Morro Bay Police Department in their annual taking Christmas to the streets. For over three hours we sang Christmas Carols, passed out candy canes, stuffed animals and booties (a precious senior spent all year knitting these tokens of love…) to numerous children & adults. The experience was just amazing: the expectancy of the children, the excitement on their faces, and the joy bursting forth from their smiles was a sight my memory bank will recall for days on end. And, check this out: this taking Christmas to the streets is an annual event that has been going on for some twenty years! Thank You Lord for the Morro Bay Police Department and their willingness to meet the children at their place of need with the hope of Christmas! May You Bless this department and this City of Morro Bay with favor from on high! Happy Birthday Lord…

Black Labs

dsc00110.JPGI was hanging out with a buddy named Patrick at Top Dog’s Coffee Shop in Morro Bay.  For some reading this, I do apologize, sort of, for the snow and cold winds you’re experiencing (…a friend of ours sent out a Facebook status update that it was 1 degree in North Dakota with a wind chill factor that was crazy…).  Our weather has been pristine, practically perfect - which was a prologue to our discussion at one of our caffeine depositories here on the coast.  Patrick brought up a recent message I delivered to our fellowship on fear and trembling; namely, we are to work out our salvation with great awe and reverence before Almighty God.  He shared about an experience he had the other day when he finished surfing.  Let me paraphrase his insight, “…Randy, I came off the surf, holding my board and I noticed a Black Lab trembling before her master.  She was so excited, so focused, so intense her body was literally shaking.  The owner hurled a tennis ball into the water and the lab took off, navigating the surf, jumping through the water, collecting the ball to return to her master…to do it all again.  This went on and on and on.  Randy, I think it’s like this - that dog was trembling…not in a mode of fear and fright, rather in anticipatory expectation that her master was going to perform for her and create an experience that was suited just for her; namely, to retrieve…”  As Patrick and I reflected on that fun scene, we began to, metaphorically and figuratively, look at God this way.  He has created a future good for us, it’s all over Scripture.  Our role, not to compare us to dogs - stay with me - I think it works, is to show up for duty, with anticipation and expectation, that our Master has great things in store for us and He, God, desires to guide, direct and send us into our sphere of influence to not only bring us fulfillment & satisfaction, but to also bring Him glory.  The trembling piece, according to Patrick’s brilliant insight, is our heart overflowing with the knowledge that this life offers nothing of eternal value and our sole purpose/meaning is wrapped up in serving the True & Holy Master! 

Cool stuff folks…today - go retrieve, with His strength, all that He has for you…thanks Patrick for the coffee date, it made my day!  And thanks to you for reading, have a great day: Jeremiah 33:3 and Ephesians 2:10!

Thankful

We have so much to be thankful for!  Seriously, consider the basics: food in the fridge, shelter to protect, clothes on our back, reliable transportation…you name it, we are blessed with it.  And, on top of all these perishables, we have something far greater; namely, we have Jesus.  And, if I can borrow from the song, “…if all we have is Jesus, we have more than enough!” 

As we approach the Thanksgiving Holiday here in America, I am personally grateful to live in a great country that still allows me to worship my Lord without conflict, I’m blessed to place a sign in my front yard that encourages all to see to pray - without challenge, and I’m so fortunate to live in a land that allows me to broadcast my Savior’s love without being thrust in jail.  Yes, we have so much to be thankful for!  Thank you Jesus…

Last, Tami and I are especially blessed to have our three sons and daughter-in-law (and their black lab) with us this Thanksgiving.  Thank you Lord for family time, we’re blessed to be together in home again!  Thank you Jesus…

May you have a great Thanksgiving and may we all live in 1st Thessalonians 5:18 today, tomorrow and forever!

A Water Fight

Water Fight

I was recently in the Philippines on a short term mission trip with some good friends from Rock Harbor Christian Fellowship; we served for 8 days alongside Calvary Chapel Bacolod, Pastor Joe & wife Billy, Terry and a host of amazing Filipino leaders.  Our main ministry was to bring Jesus to the 160+ children at the orphanage: VBS, skits, Bible studies, games, etc. were all planned.  Little did we know what we were in for, seriously!  You see, we as believers take Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 1:8 to heart; namely, we desire to make the Name of Jesus famous to the ends of the earth - on this trip: take our love for Jesus to the Philippines.  Something radical happened on this trip…check it out: we were so blessed and humbled with the love, the joy, the presence of Jesus in these lovely people that we were served in a much greater way than we could serve our precious new friends.  You know, I’ve always heard that when you go on these trips, the Lord is going to use you in great ways…but beware – He is going to do something great in you…too!  Well, this experience in the Philippines was no exception…in fact, I can honestly say this past week and half was one of the greatest highlights of my Christian experience…such that, I’m struggling being back in the states and the normalcy that my life affords me on this end of the globe!

Time simply won’t allow me to share every amazing thing that happened (more blogs too follow…), but let me share one story that is well…great.  I challenged the kids, known as the “little r’s”, to a water fight.  Needless to say, we were destroyed…that is the four missionaries from Morro Bay who had to fend off 160+ fun loving kids, not to mention Pastor Joe’s tactics.  What was so amazing about the water fight was not so much the water and the laughter and the fun and the silliness — it was the joy on the face of these children.  From the three year old thrusting an 8 ounce glass of water on my foot to fourteen year old Noah nailing me in the face with a stream of water traveling at a high speed.  It was just great and yes, we lost!  But you know, most of these kids have never been blessed to have a water fight!  Some of the children had to survive on the street, others existed in evil homes enduring unspeakable evil — the idea of a water fight, for most, at one time was simply out of the question.  Yet, as a blessing of God’s grace, these children have been literally rescued from intense situations to a home that replicates the love of Jesus like none other.  A place where healing, where restoration, where love, where acceptance, where Jesus is taught, lived and yes caught by His Amazing Grace.  Hum, all to say - wow, what a blessing our new friends are and these lessons became real and life changing while being pulverized with water!

Thank you Jesus and Calvary Chapel Bacolod — we love you!

The Weekend…

I’m in my bed, my wife sound asleep. I’m with my lap top, watching the financial reports on CNBC and it’s4:26 in the morning. It’s Monday, June the 29th and yes, I have my hotcoffee. I am mulling over this past weekend, a weekend jam packed not just with activity, but also with emotions that have run the course.You see, on Friday, Tami and I traveled south to celebrate my friend Steve’s life. After a heroic bout with cancer, my buddy was ushered to his new home, that place called heaven. Friday evening was spent with Yvette and Taylor, the wife & daughter of Steve (Yvette - we so respect & love you…please know the Lord will sustain you; Taylor - wow, you are so precious…thanks for giving me the privilege of hugging on you for so long!). Saturday, 100+ packed into a club house in south Orange County to pay respects to this amazing guy (…may I add: wow, these friends and family of Steve - articulate, eloquent, funny, touching, deep, bright with color!). That evening, close family and friends journeyed out of the harbor at Dana Point to spread our loved one’s ashes into the Pacific. A great day, packed with love, hugs, tears, laughter -bathed in tender emotions! Yesterday I shared my heart with our fellowship, doing my best to encourage the troops with the fact that our best days are ahead, God is truly still the God of Morro Bay, Los Osos and Cayucos; we were totally blessed to baptize our church family in the ocean and equally jazzed to share Jesus with our dear family at Morro Shores (our Sunday afternoon Little Church).

I simply have an overwhelming sense of contentment; namely, each day brings with it a new day to experience God working. From the difficult questions of why does death strike so early to the expressions of joy on the faces of those baptized, to the heartfelt message I shared at RHCF to the sweet seniors at Morro Shores - God is at work. We don’t serve some God that is just out there, uninvolved with His Creation. Quite the opposite, God is active and intentional in His involvement with His people. He will take the hurting soul and comfort it like only He can. He will join His kids in the joy of experiencing Him (baptism). He will move through a broken preacher (me) and share His precepts on a Sunday morning. And, He will tenderly touch the seniors in life with, “Hey, I aint done with you. Keep moving ahead…I want to use you to bless others!” How cool is that, seriously?

Bottom line - Straight up: God is working in ways we don’t really understand. Our role = simply show up and report for duty! Have a great day and be blessed! Oh yea, go read Jeremiah 33:3 and believe it!

rp

A Great One

Have you readZephaniah 3:17 lately? Without being preachy and applying the proverbial Christian verbiage, I believe this broadcast from the prophet of old has some relevance for us today. Check it out:

Be encouraged, God is in control and loves us with a love second to none!

A Time To Assess

 

I’ve been home from Ethiopia for less than 72 hours and its a struggle to assess, if you will, all that I and my team members experienced. Here are some of the highlights:

I could go on and on, no question. I guess all I would like to say with the blog is simply this: Jesus is real, the work of God is progressing in an amazing way in Ethiopia and I’m so blessed & privileged to serve oversees from time to time! And, please, as Westernized Believer’s: yes, let’s count our blessings & thank Jesus for His providence; however, time is wrapping up and may we be about the ministry of God’s love & grace and learn from our Ethiopian family - life is all about Jesus and bringing Him Glory!

Have a great day and pray for Ethiopia’s salvation!

Perspective

This morning, I woke up early, had my coffee, read & prayed a bit, spent 55 minutes in a Spin class with some amazing athletes at Fitness Works, did my 200 sit ups, came home to shower, shave and get ready for an office day at the fellowship. I’m in my home office right now, waiting for Tami P. to finish her morning rituals and trying to make sense of my emotions. You see, a buddy of mine - not one that I talked with daily, not one I’d even call on occasion - a buddy that I had a kindred spirit with & know if we lived in close proximity, we’d be pals. Well, let me give you a brief synopsis:

A few years back, our friend Yvette introduced me to her finance named Steve. Steve and I immediately hit it off -you know, the proverbial teasing and laughing that guys do so well; Steve was a dude: fun, good looking, witty & in love with Jesus (and Yvette). Yvette, on the other hand: quiet, astute, mature, beautiful- you know the type: class with elegance! These two were meant for each other, no question about it. As you might have guessed, Steve and Yvette gave me the absolute honor of taking them through premarital counseling culminating with Pastoring them on December 16, 2006 in a beautiful, God honoring, Jesus focused wedding (in fact, to this day, one of my favorite weddings I’ve been privileged to be a part of…)!

Steve and Yvette decided to move from sunny Southern California to North Carolina & begin their family. The Lord blessed them with a great house, an amazing new fellowship and - are you ready - a wonderful baby girl named Taylor. Life couldn’t be better for the Pietarila’s.

And then…Steve’s physical aliments came back and they came back with resolve. When Steve was younger, he survived a bout with cancer, overcame serious heart conditions and many, manyother medical complications. For the past year or so, Steve has been fighting the reoccurence of these issues, fighting with an amazing, God-focused attitude! Prayers have been offered all over the place, 24 hour vigils were formulated asking the Great Physician to heal our dear friend, many phone calls, emails and notes of encouragement were even rushed toNorth Carolina. And then…on May 9th, last Saturday night, the Lord Jesus said, “Steve, come home!” And, Steve was ushered into his eternal home, theplace that eye has not seen,ear has not heard, nor has it entered into the heart of manhow greatand awesome are the things the Lord has promised toHis own.

You know, I’ve been around death and tragedy for close to nineteen years serving as a Pastor, you would think I could just say, “The Lord’swill be done!” Which I do, seriously; however, Steve’s passing has touched me deep. I’m not sure why? I know he’s ina better place - a place with no more pain, tears, hurts, etc. Yet, I feel a sense of loss, the loss of a great man this side of eternity. I know, I can hear you…this side of eternity, us earth dwellers, is a but a speck of eternity - ya, I understand that. Yet, I’m a tad sad - maybe because Taylor won’t know her daddy except through the eyes of Yvette and Steve’s circle of family & friends. Sad because Yvette only had two and half years with this precious man. Sad…because?

You know, sadness will turn to gladness, tears to cheers and yes, joy will return for sure. In fact, last night’s email from Yvette totally blessed me. Let me quote a tad of it, “We are all soooo much richer for having Steve in our lives. His impact lives on in tons of us…”

“Lord, thank you for Steve! What a blessing he was to so many on this earth; Steve represented You well and I’m sure You’ve already told him how proud You are! Father, bring comfort as only You can. Surround Yvette, Taylor and all those who love Steve with an amazing presence of Your love! Bless You Father, Praise You Jesus and Holy Spirit Thank You for being with us!”

Squirrels, Seagulls and Waves

I’ve beeI was sitting in my car with a friend named Roger yesterday, a long time Pastor here on the Coast, and we were talking shop. We were hanging out at Morro Bay’s signature rock, you know - discussing life, our health, our potential trip to Israel and even sharing a giggle here ‘n’ there (things old guys do, I guess?). As we began to pray for our respective congregations and for the folks we are privileged to serve, I noticed something revealing: the simplicity of the ground squirrels, the seagulls and the waves. Now, don’t tell Rog my eyes were open as we prayed - I don’t think the Lord was concerned - but I couldn’t help but look at the beauty before me. The ground squirrels hanging out, some wrestling, others snacking. The seagulls, gliding through the air to a picturesque landing to a nibble here or there. And the waves, consistently rolling into the shoreline, one after another as if ordered by an accomplished orchestra director. And you know, the simplicity of these embracing with poise and grace their bent in life, if you will, reminded me that our life is to be likewise. In other words, how many times do I, we, complicate our lives by placing greater importance on this task, minimizing another all in the pursuit getting things done? So many times I am a task master, personally ensuring my to do list is checked off in a given day to fulfill a need deep within that I accomplished something…well, the adage don’t allow the urgent to preempt the important took on new meaning yesterday. Namely, as the squirrels, seagulls and waves simply did what they were created to do - likewise, I, you, we were created to be in relationship, communion and fellowship with a God that desires to be a part of our life. So, here’s the point (sorry for rambling): let’s take a step back from a busied, hectic lifestyle and bask in the miracle of relationship with a God who thinks highly of us! Seriously, take a step back from the activity of getting things done, take a deep breath and send a prayer of thankfulness & gratitude to our Loving Father for our very breath! Last, it really is simple - God loves us, proved it by sending Jesus and made it real in our life by His Spirit. Talk to you later…

ESPN Brought Tears To My Eyes

I love sports. I love competition. I love to win. I love the Dodgers (they’re beating the Astro’s 3-1 as I type…). I love…well, I love ESPN - pray for me! This afternoon, after a day of writing, returning phone calls, praying for people, counseling…I came home to relax with my Aquafina and my daily dose of Sports Television. ESPN aired a segment on a former All-American from Tennessee and promising Dallas Cowboy cornerback named Dwayne Goodrich. To make a long blog short, this young man, after three years in the NFL, was driving home from let’s say a night out with the boys. He was traveling at a high speed on a North Dallas freeway when unbeknownst to him, a few miles ahead of him was a burning car with a desperatepassenger inside. Three goodSamaritansstopped to assist this victim. When Goodrich came upon the scene, traveling at over 50MPH, he inadvertently plowed into the three men, killing two and seriously crippling the third (the man in the burning car turned out to be okay…). Fast forward, ESPN showed a clip from the sentencing aspect of the trial. Quoting from the Dallas Morning News, “The sole survivor, Shuki Josef, requested permission to approach Goodrich to shake his hand. This gesture resulted in an emotion-filled embrace between the two men as Josef publically acknowledged forgiveness and stated he harbored no ill will for Goodrich by saying, ‘I forgive you…I feel sorry for you.’” Wow…with the embrace, you could hear the gut wrenching tears coming out of Goodrich, the pats on the back from the crippled Josef - and, yes you could feel the love of God through the television screen.

You know…this is the epitome of love. Check it out: you’re an innocent man desiring to help another and baaaaaam, you’re hit by a car traveling at a crazy speed. Nine months later, you walk into a court room, with your cane, in obvious pain & tell the one responsible for all your nightmares, your ailments, the life long challenges that lie ahead - that…you forgive him? Seriously…this is amazing! Well, tears began to well up, roll down my face and I could only say, “Thank You Lord, this is a picture of your grace, your mercy, your forgiveness, your compassion, your kindness…”

Thank you ESPN of reminding me of my amazing Savior’s love & forgiveness for me. I hope Mr. Goodrich has been able to receive the love & forgiveness of Jesus; it sure sounds like Josef has!

Sidebar: my wife read my draft and said, “You come home to relax with bottled water and sports?” I think she was telling me my priorities are askew…

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