Vacation, Day 4

A few observations:

How you know for sure you're in Alabama on Aug. 1: A quote from Tommy Hicks, columnist for the Mobile Press-Register in a column about today: "Summer is over. The only season that matters right now, at least for most, is football season. And no one's pretending otherwise."

After two days of 'em, my daughter & nephew have fully bought in to my "red flag = big fun" theory. Last night they were hoping for a third straight day.

I'm beginning to think that sleep is a magical elixir. I'm getting WAY more than normal.

More quotes from the book on pastoring by Prime & Begg that I've found interesting:

On tough times in churches: "All church fellowships go through periods of difficulty. Various assaults of Satan, or practical issues like depleted numbers through the movement of population or the redevelopment of an area, will prompt some to imagine that everything is going wrong, and they will panic. Such reactions put spiritual leaders under pressure, and they will not be immune from imagining the worst possible consequences and seeing all kinds of potential dangers. But spiritual leaders must not overreact. Rather, they must fix their sights on what is right rather than what seems expedient. They must aim to steer a straight course, whatever is happening around them. Difficulties, like storms, pass. The church, like a ship in a storm, has passed through such before and survived. The only real danger is in abandoning ship when there is no need to do so."

On the reality of staff wives: "More is required of our wives than wives of men in other callings and professions. They cannot be separated from our work as other wives can be separated from their husbands' employment. Some wives may have little idea what their husband's work involves. But not so our wives; they not only marry us, but they marry our job as well, since they live in the middle of it."

On the importance of examining yourself spiritually: (quoting Richard Baxter)
1) "You have heaven to win or lose yourselves...a holy calling will not save an unholy man.
2) You have sinful inclinations as well as others.
3) You have greater temptation than most men.
4) The tempter will make his first and sharpest onset upon you. It will be leaders against him, he will spare you no further than God restrains him.
5) Many eyes are upon you, and therefore will be many to observe your falls.
6) You sins are more aggravated than those of other men. They have more of hypocrisy in them, and are ore deterimental to the cause of religion.
7) The honor of your Lord and Master and of His holy truth, doth lie more on you than other men.
8) The souls of your hearers adn the success of your labours do very much depend on your self-examination."

My dad was right: Once you go more than 3 miles driving inland, don't bother getting seafood at a restaurant. Once you've had seafood from coastal restaurants then you can definitely tell a difference.

The weatherman predicted afternoon showers today. They predicted 80% the day before and we got nothing. They predicted nothing yesterday and it rained for an hour or so. Hence, I'm not really sure what today brings...except I'll nap after lunch either way.