As of today (Thursday, November 14, 2013), I have been the pastor here at Elko First Baptist/Greater Life Church for 9 years.  It has been a wild ride and I never expected things to turn out this way.  I know God is not through with us and I cannot wait to see what He does in us and through us in the future.  Oh, and Bev and I truly thank you for the Pastor Appreciation/Anniversary gift you gave us a couple weeks ago.  We have been talking about taking a trip to Ireland next year and your generosity is a big help!  Thank you again.

I recently experienced something I expected.  As you know, several of us are choosing to fast on Wednesdays starting after lunch until breakfast (how appropriate) Thursday.  On Wednesday night, we meet here at the church to pray for God’s guidance (feel free to join us – whether you fast or not).  God has been wonderful about meeting with us and I have been very encouraged about our future.  I have been mindful to expect to be opposed and have been watching for it.

In typical fashion, it came (in a small way) this weekend.  It was “one of those weeks”, I had a lot to do and the weekend was busy as well.  It started Friday while I was getting the sanctuary ready for the wedding.  I was (stupid) cutting a zip tie with an exacto knife, it slipped and I stabbed myself in the thigh.  It was not bad, kind of deep, but in the muscle, no blood vessels.  People were just arriving to decorate and so I took a small bottle of super glue into the bathroom and glued myself shut (super glue was invented for this purpose).  I’m fine.

Then, on Monday (Veteran’s Day), I had to come into the office to take care of a quick radio station thing.  I noticed we got several notices from a scam we fell for last year.  Tuesday night I found out a Facebook “friend” had taken advantage of me – details are not important.  None of these things together or separately are any big deal, but I began to feel somewhat defeated. 

Bev and I prayed Tuesday night, the team prayed Wednesday night, I have been praying, we are going to keep moving.  Sometimes the opposition we face is not in the form of a car crash, or a fire, but if we fail to recognize what it is, it can derail us from what we are supposed to be doing.