Summer for the Corteses has been hectic and harried - a wedding, a speaking engagement, a child at home again, and caring for two ailing moms on top of the usual church stuff. The last two weeks, however, Diane and I snuck away to celebrate our 31st anniversary. The highlights:
- Attending church at City Church in Orlando with our new married kids, and taking my mom to church in Lexington, KY - the first time she's been able to attend since February.
- Driving through horse country in KY on a Sunday afternoon...and having lunch at Wallace Station in Midway, KY. Wallace Station was an old train depot half way between Frankfurt and Lexington and is a hole-in-the-wall charmer. (The apricot scones were amazing and I don't like scones!) Guy Fieri has featured Wallace Station on Diners, Drive-In's and Dives (the best show on TV IMHO!)
- Playing golf in the mountains of North Carolina with Diane as my caddie (I shot an 88....if I could putt, I'd be thinking of abandoning my day job!)
- Reading! For theological enrichment the best books were When Helping Hurts by Corbett and Fikkert and Jacob and the Prodigal by Kenneth Bailey. For history - The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson and for pure pleasure - Harlan Coben's and Scott Turrow's latest novels!
- Panacea Coffee House in Waynesville, NC. The coolest hangout and drink coffee place ever.
- Visiting Parris Island Marine Depot in Beaufort, SC.
- Touring Ashville, NC on the La Zoom Comedy Bus - where we met a Catholic nun named Sister Bad Habit and finding an out of the way (8 miles and 30 minutes to be exact) restaurant called the Stoney Knob Cafe in Weaverville, NC for a great anniversary dinner.
- Lots of time with my wife!!
• Speaking of which, the sermon at City Church in Orlando on July 25 was entitled Beauty, Marriage, and Sex Part II but it was on "How to Choose a Wife." It was worth a listen.
• Have you thanked God for the capping of the gulf oil spill? Just asking?
• Have you noticed the exceptional condition of our church property? The indefatigable Gene Parrish and his son-in-law Jack Carroll are to be commended for bringing the beauty to SRPC!
• Did you know there are 20 women's small groups at SRPC! If you want to get in on the fun contact Melissa Wood.
• The missions team to Montgomery, AL had an awesome trip - here is the testimony of one participant who was surprised at the impact it had on him:
"I have had a few days to begin to digest what my family and I participated in and wanted to thank you for the opportunity to go. I know so many people have spoken about how Missions Trips have impacted them and I thought it was just so much hyperbole. I find myself whistling a different tune now.....and ready to go back next week. --- I really have missed the kids and I find myself looking twice at every young kid I encounter in Walmart, half expecting it to be one of them. The stories I heard from each of them and the time I spent with them will remain with me for a very long time. --- You know, I expected a lot of things on this trip. Being an organized individual, I came prepared for the heat. I expected the neighborhood was going to be bad. I knew the city was going to be a perfect example of urban blight. I knew I would encounter children's lives that had been impacted by poverty and crime. What I did not expect was that I would see tangible evidence of God working in a very mighty way. I was totally unprepared for the scope and the speed in which He is building His kingdom in Montgomery. If someone should require proof of His existence, perhaps we should invite them with us next time. --- Micah, the intern I was paired up with, showed a video during our daily Bible Study with the 6-8 year olds of all the wonderful places on earth. The kids had never seen pictures of the Grand Canyon, the Rocky Mountains, Niagara Falls, the Aurora Borealis, and they sat in rapt silence as the video played on and Micah told them of all the things in nature that were proof of God's handiwork. He commented to me that we get the opportunity to see a lot of these places that the kids don't - places that are living examples of God's presence and greatness. I realized at that moment that God has a very funny sense of humor - he had to send me into the inner city to find Him."
• This was recently sent to me and is dedicated to all who are experiencing the vagaries of growing older!
"WHERE is my SUNDAY paper?!"
The irate customer calling the newspaper office loudly demanded to know where her Sunday edition was.
"Madam", said the newspaper employee, "today is Saturday. The Sunday paper is not delivered until tomorrow, on SUNDAY".
There was quite a long pause on the other end of the phone, followed by a ray of recognition as she was heard to mutter, "Well, sh**, that explains why no one was at church today."
So, if you can remember, I'll look forward to seeing you in worship this weekend. I'll be preaching on Psalm 95:1-11! A guest, Chad Robison, will be leading worship - assisted by Dan Beilman who will be returning to help us with worship for the next four weeks!
Love,
Ray
