Pastor Old Pat's Blog

Saturday, February 13, 2010

New Things

Just wanted to post a short note, thanking all of you for your prayers
and thoughtful words of encouragement in this new season of my life.
It's amazing how in just a few short months a whole new chapter has
begun. And tho the previous chapters have been incredible, this new
one is already beyond what I could ever have imagined.

As most of you know, the Lord has graciously brought a wonderful,
loving, and very gifted woman into my life and Pamela and I are
planning a May 1st wedding! The reality of having a partner and
helpmate once again has me weeping and doing cartwheels at the same
time. Such deep gratitude and joy is overflowing my heart!

Psalm 66:12 says, "...we went thru fire and thru water; but You
brought us out to rich fulfillment." A friend of mine teaching on this
verse recently noted that God doesn't waste the troubles we go thru!
Amen to that!

I've been continuing my work with new missionaries coming on board
with Shepherd's Staff. In the last couple of months, I've been blessed
to interview and pray with folks preparing to go or already serving in
the Philippines, England, Romania, Bulgaria, Kenya, Namibia,
Australia, and India. What an honor it's been to meet and begin to
grow new friendships!

So life is at warp speed, God is awesome, and I'm blessed to continue
to serve and be used for His glory that His Name and great love would
be known in all the earth!

In His Arm's,

Pat

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

New blog site link

Click here to go to my new blog site - escorev.blogspot.com/

The archives will still remain here but new posts will be on the new site.

Blessings! Pat

Friday, October 16, 2009

Yale

Hi Folks!

My East Coast swing is going well so far. My friend took me on a tour of Yale University in New Haven, Conn. for most of the day today. I'm blessed to be here and am praying God would use me over the next few days in all my teaching opportunities. Oh yeah, and it's chilly here: 40's during the day and 30's with rain possibly mixed with snow the next few nites.

Bless you all!

Pat

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Send the Message

Presently I'm at the annual Send the Message Mission's conference at Calvary Chapel Spring Valley in Las Vegas. All is going well and God is blessing me both spiritually and physically - hurray! Love to all!

In His Arm's,

Pat

Friday, October 02, 2009

On the Road

Well, September has flown by and it looks like Oct. will zip as well. I've been blessed to attend several pastor's and church leader's conferences the past few weeks, as well as teach at a couple churches. The latest has been the Northern and Central Ca. Pastor's conf. in Santa Cruz and the Pacific NW conf. north of Seattle. I also was blessed to teach at the church of some long time friends in Maple Valley, Wa.

I'm heading back home to Escondido tomoorow and will be home for a week before heading out again for 10 days. I'll be at the Send the Message mission's conf. at Calvary Spring Valley in Las Vegas and then off to the East Coast for a conference I'll be teaching at in New Hampshire.

I want to thank you all who have been praying for me. God has been, as He always is, faithful.
He has given me strength to press on and joy to serve as he opens doors.

In His Arm's,

Pat

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Santa Cruz

Hi Folks!

Just finishing up attending the Calvary Chapel Northern & Central Pastor's and Leader's conference at the Mt. Hermon conference center in Santa Cruz. I fly back to San Diego this evening. The conference has been focusing on a study thru 2 Timothy and has been encouraging and challenging.

Something about traveling to churches and conferences that's a challenge: I rarely know anyone closely. I don't like being a stranger. I tire of retelling my story over and over. But I have found in the retelling that others are blessed and encouraged - and so am I. There is so much to do! May God keep us all strong and focused til He comes!

In His Arm's,

Pat

Monday, September 07, 2009

Next Sunday

Just found out I'll be teaching the morning services at Calvary Chapel Pomona Valley next Sunday, Sept.13. Services are at 8 & 10am. Their website: http://www.calvarypv.org/blog/

Blessings! Pat

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Here's a link to one of my recent studies given at CC Hidden Valley a few weeks ago.

Growing in Godliness

Blessings!

Pat

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Update - August Part 2

Now for what's been happening and what's coming up.

As I'm sure is true for most of us, this summer is just zipping by! My grandaughters just started back to school yesterday. That almost seems unAmerican: having to go back to school before Labor Day - but I digress :-)

First, an update on my health. Lookin' good - thank You Lord! I am no longer dealing with that severe abdominal pain from my surgeries. There is occasional discomfort and I still can't do any crunches but I can live with that. I've been doing a lot of long beach/sand walks about three times a week and each for one to two hours in length. The only area that really hurt from all that was my feet!

Ministry wise I've done a little travel for Shepherd's Staff, met with a bunch of missionaries home on furlough, and been blessed to do some guest teaching for several churches in San Diego County, including the Men's ministry and Senior's Bible Study at CC Escondido, my home church.

There is also a lot coming up. My schedule for the next 10 weeks or so is as follows:

Monday evenings thru Dec. 14 - taking the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course at North Coast Church in Vista

Sunday, Aug. 23 - Guest teaching at Calvary Chapel Mid Valley in Encino, CA

Tuesday, Sept 1 - Julian Oaks Youth Ministries Board Meeting

Wed. Sept 9 - Jury Duty

Mon - Wed Sept. 14-16 Representing Shepherd's Staff at the Central & Northern Calif. Pastor's and Leader's Conference in Santa Cruz, Ca

Mon - Wed Sept 21-23 Representing SS at the Horizon 'Huddle' at the Twin Peaks conference center in the San Bernardino Mtns.

Fri. sept 25 thru Sat., Oct. 3 Seattle area. Sept. 28-30 representing SS at the Pacific Northwest Pastor's and Leader's conference

Oct. 12-14 - representing SS at the 'Send the Message' mission's conference at CC Spring Valley in Las Vegas.

Oct 15-22 New England; teaching at the NE Huddle in New Hampshire Oct. 19-21.

Shepherd's Staff has also been growing. We've added another 20 missionaries since the first of the year and there are several more 'in the chute' preparing to be sent out. I've been tasked with assisting in the initial interview process for new missionaries, which could add to my travel - but would be an awesome way to develop relationship with both the missionaries and their sending churches from the ground up.

As always, I deeply appreciate and covet your prayer in all this.

Yes, I'm busy - but never too busy for a phone chat or cup of coffee when I'm home. By the way, some have thought I moved to Albuquerque where the Shepherd's Staff offices are based. Nope!

I'm still living here in Escondido and working out of my home. So still lot's of opportunity for fellowship and hang time with friends and family.

That's about it for now. Keep growing in His love!

Pat

Update - August Part 1

Before I fill you in on what's been happening and what's upcoming, let me share a few thoughts on a sweet verse in Psalm 46. This is a Psalm of comfort, hope, assurance and challenge. It speaks of God being our refuge and strength - a present help in time of trouble - certainly a challenge to us to trust and not be afraid no matter what comes our way. It also encourages us to be still and know - intimately - our God - that He might be exalted among the nations and in all the earth. Surely as we cultivate an intimate walk with Jesus, His nature and His character will be reflected outward through our lives to a terribly needy and hurting and lost world around us.

The 4th verse in this Psalm gives us great assurance that as huge as the challenge may be facing any of us, God is at work in us, refreshing, strengthening, empowering us thru it all!

It states: There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God. The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.

Now I'm sure the psalmist had in mind Jerusalem and the Temple and perhaps even the heavenly Jerusalem...but God gives us an amazing picture in the New Testament of believers like you and I being the temple, the tabernacle, the dwelling place of the Most High God. Check out 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Cor. 6:16 and 2 Peter 2:5.

Jesus also told us in John 7:37-39 that the Holy Spirit would flow out from believers like 'rivers of living water'! So looking back at Ps. 46:4, my paraphrase, "There is Living Water, the indwelling Spirit of God, flowing thru each of us and bringing great joy to the people of God. We have been forgiven, cleansed, filled and set apart now as His own special people! We are those "holy places" not because of how perfect we are but because of how Holy He is! And He bought us with the price of His own blood that He might be glorified in and thru us!

Where am I going with all this? Sometimes I get down and defeated and feel like there is no way I can ever deal with the weight and challenge and responsibility of life and ministry. I stumble and trip and fail so often - and the enemy loves to rub my nose in that. I so often look in the mirror and say to the Lord, "You've got to be kidding! How can You possibly work thru a wretch like me?" Perhaps you have felt that way too. But HEADS UP here! We're wrong!

God has saved us thru the redeeming sacrifice of His Son and has made us a new creation! We've been born again by His will and He has filled us with His Spirit and has decided to move in with us! So rejoice in the Lord today! He still wants to use and I and He has given us, by His Spirit, everything we need that pertains to life and godliness! We are not scum - we are His Saints. And the Most High God is now tabernacling in us that the world would know how great His love really is.

Wow! So much for a few thoughts :-)

I'll post this and follow it up with my ministry update.

In His Arm's,

Pat

Previous Posts

Archives