Category: God

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Life Pointe Church / InDependence Church Sunday Morning Tossed Salad

It’s after 6 PM as I begin this blog entry, and I just got home after 11-hours of service, praise, worship, fellowship, bi-county driving, and Hollywood movie fun. Here’s the skinny McPhinny:

1.  I arrived at the movie theatre at my normal time this morning – 7:20 AM – but that wasn’t early enough to beat Anne J. and Paul H. to the punch. I helped to setup, as we transformed a place of Hollywood movie fun into a place of worship on this glorious Sunday morning. As the Life Pointe Church family began to arrive for the 9 AM service I hit the road Jack.

2.  I got on Florida’s Turnpike at 8:50 AM, and I drove 48.3 miles north up to the heart of Weston Florida. I arrived at InDependence Church a mere 45 minutes later. Their Sunday morning service starts at 10:29 AM; however, their family pretty much straggles in during the first 30 minutes of the service. (It’s not just a Life Pointe tradition – it’s a South Florida tradition.) Their first 30 minutes consists of a long rockin’ Praise & Worship set followed by about a 10-minute intermission. This was my 2ND service at InDependence Church (my first was Presidents’ Day Sunday), and I’m happy to announce that Life Pointe’s Brannon & Taylor have made InDependence their church close to home. They live up in Weston now, and this was their first service there. They still plan to visit Life Pointe occasionally, as Brannon still works at the air base.

3.  We had a special guest speaker at InDependence this week – a guy that trains police departments around the world on truth detection. After he spoke briefly on his profession Pastor Nathan took the stage to wrap-up ‘The Moment Of Truth’ message series (loosely based on the FOX-TV show). This week’s topic – ‘Have You Ever Asked Someone To Lie For You ?’ Lying is hard to do. Telling the truth is easy. You don’t have to think real hard to tell the truth, but when you lie it requires extra brain cells and blood pressure. We always look toward the permissive. What can we get away with ?  If we can get away with it then what else can we get away with ?  It’s a spiraling effect. As believers, followers, and obeyers of Jesus Christ we must be different than what the rest of the world is saying and doing. We must know right from wrong. We must have integrity, truthfulness, and honesty forever. ‘The Moment Of Truth’ is always and forever before God.

Genesis 12:1-20 was this week’s primary Scriptures – ‘The Call Of Abram’ and ‘Abram And Sarai In Egypt’.

4.  I had a fantastic time at InDependence Church this morning. It was well worth the trip. As a 2007 church plant of Life Pointe Church it’s kind of like a reconnaissance mission for me to visit the new and developing church and see how much it has progressed since my last visit. It’s always cool to hear Pastor Nathan speak. Pretty soon I’ll be able to hear him speak on a regular basis – via their church web site – as they place their podcasts online. I’ll also be back LIVE and in-person later this Summer for a follow-up visit. Keep doing your thing up there in Weston. Transform that beautiful manicured city into a place where God is livin’ large and fully in-charge. Expand His Kingdom !  Kick the devil out of the city !

5.  On my return trip southbound I made a pit-stop at the Muvico Paradise 24 in Davie (right along I-75). I’ve always wanted to see a movie at that theatre ever since it opened for business back in the Spring of 1999, and today – over 9 years later – I finally did it. I saw “What Happens In Vegas“. It was fantastic. I laughed hysterically all throughout it, and it wasn’t nearly as dirty as the previous movie that I (unfortunately) saw (in Orlando).

6.  Once I got back home into Homestead I hung out with Travis, Kelly, and Tammy at the Life Pointe offices for a couple of hours. Trav introduced me to “Guitar Hero“, and each time I played it with him I got better at it. I even beat him in one game (barely), but it was a game in which he played it ‘hard’ and I played it ‘easy’. Now my fingers and arms hurt !  After today’s 11-hour adventure I feel like a worn-out 41-year-old rock star. I’m exhausted like that.

Have a great Sunday night everyone !  THANKS for hanging out with me earlier today LIVE and in-person – and / or right here right now on the blog.

Categories
Animals Blogging Driving God Health Travel

Bedtime Stories

This Friday night edition of the ‘Bedtime Stories’ is brought to you by the letter ‘C’, and tonight I’ll be addressing these notable items of interest that all begin with the letter ‘C’ – ‘Cars’, ‘Cats’, and ‘Cholesterol’.

Cars – My 5-year-old car is suddenly a dream to drive in again. Earlier this week I went to Firestone and I bought 4 brand new tires for my car – nice ones too with 70,000-mile warranties. It feels like I’m just gliding along now on a thin strip of air just above the road surface. An oil and filter change, a new air filter, and new wiper blades completed the mini-tune-up. It’s my little birthday present to myself now that I’ve decided to keep this nearly fully-paid-off car for at least several more years.

Cats – 5 cats were part of my life scattered over a 23½-year period ending one year ago tomorrow morning. For many years leading up to Boots’ passing on I pretty much declared that I would go from the animal hospital to the animal shelter in a single morning to get a new cat. That didn’t happen, and it won’t happen at this time or anytime soon. Timing is everything, and in his own way Boots led me to God during his final year with me. Everything happens for a reason, and with God always by my side I will never be lonely again. Alone – Yes. Lonely – Never.

Cholesterol – Lipitor is clinically proven to lower bad cholesterol by 39% to 60% – and that’s exactly what it did to me. After 12 weeks of taking my 10 milligrams dose per day it has effectively plummetted my total cholesterol about 40% from the 220s down to the 130s !  The LDLs, HDLs, and Triglycerides were all in the desirable / optimal ranges. I’m good like that. I’m healthy like that !

And that’s how we roll with tonight’s ‘Bedtime Stories’. Be sure to check out the blog again tomorrow for more fun and surprises, and then on Sunday I’ll be taking the ‘Tossed Salad’ on the road again with a special edition coming to you from InDependence Church in Weston Florida. It’s time to check up on my 3RD-favourite Pastor again (after Travis and Paul), and see how Nathan is progressing up there with his new and developing church.

Have a safe, peaceful, and blessed Friday night everyone, and until we hang out again on the blog or in person remember this:

Chris & Buddy Watching TV In 2005

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Animals God People

Bedtime Stories

One year ago on this particular Wednesday night in May (it was the 16TH of May last year) I spent the final night on my living room couch with my little feline buddy Boots. Without revealing any specific details of that final night let me just state that God was certainly with me and Boots on that night, and He helped me get through it as I watched my buddy of 12½-years suffer in immense pain due to multiple diseases that had ravaged his 14-year-old body. I cried and shed tears onto his soft black hair. Boots knew that he was at the end of his Life, and he rubbed his head against me everytime my emotions got the best of me. It was as if he was trying to tell me that he would be all right, and that I would be just fine too. I think he was thanking me for loving him so dearly for all of those years, and for saving his life a few times as well.

The next morning I took Boots to the Homestead Animal Hospital, and they put him out of his misery. He passed on at 10:14 AM on Thursday May 17TH 2007 (52 weeks ago tomorrow). The staff there comforted a crying me and stated that it was my last good deed for my best little buddy in the whole wide world.

I went to my Life Group that night, but I never mentioned the death of Boots. Just being with my closest friends at Life Pointe Church at the time was all I needed to move on with my own Life on God’s fantastic journey for me.

That’s my ‘Bedtime Story’ for tonight, and I will always remember this for the rest of my Life:

Boots - 1993-2007   

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God

Life Pointe Church Sunday Morning Tossed Salad

1.  When Anne J. pulled up to the front door and she got out and opened the doors and trunk to her car it looked like she was moving away with all of her most prized possessions. It was stuffed solid with extra special goodies in support of our Mother’s Day shindig this morning at Life Pointe Church.

Day Of The Woman

2.  Two cool dudes performed smooth jazz music LIVE in our main lobby for over 3 hours this morning (with limited breaks). It was a nice touch to the overall ambience. I’d like to see them back with us in the near future. Serving The Lord is fun when you’ve got a LIVE jazz band supporting you !

3.  Bill Finch and his band totally rocked the theatre this morning with awesome uplifting music that had everyone up on their feet and singing, dancing, and clapping in unison. I personally didn’t know any of the songs that they performed (aside from “Amazing Grace”), but that didn’t stop me from praising and worshipping Him with everyone else. That’s why the words appear on the big screen !

4.  Pastor Travis wore a nice suit this morning. If you don’t attend our church then you’re probably thinking, ‘And your point is ?’  It’s MASSIVE for Trav because of what he usually wears to service on any other typical Sunday morning. His ‘Sunday Best’ gave him an extra spring to his step as he delivered this week’s teaching on God and whose side He’s on. Is He on our side ?  Is He not on our side ?  How’s this for a response – Get on God’s side if you aren’t already there. God is always relevant whether you are on His side or not. God is always praised and worshipped whether you are on His side or not. Creation worships God. We are full of sin whether we admit it or not. God is always perfect. Together we create a revolutionary force !

5.  Philippians 4:13 (NLT, 2ND Ed.) states – ‘For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.’ I choose not to wait until I’m perfect before I start being more vocal as to whose side I’m on, for I will never be perfect. There is only one who is almighty enough to ever be perfect, and He is God. I am so on His side !