Still Playing "Catch-Up"

Today has been filled with those "catch-up" activities that we all love so dearly: finally got my tax information gathered up and sent off to our CPA who resides in Arizona...just six weeks behind schedule on that one; talked with a couple of great brothers in Christ via phone and Facebook, and got caught up with those guys. Just years behind in that category; working on sermon CD duplication, video rendering for a teaching series we are starting to put together at Vero Christian Church, trying to get more done in the worship ministry area like worship services planned, etc.; gearing up for this weekend's trip to the Believe Conference in Kissimmee; trying to prepare for the Resurrection Sunday services coming in a couple of weeks; and anticipating a trip to Alabama to pick up Dad and bring him down this way for a while, we miss him so much!

Yeah, life keeps getting in the way of doing any meaningful blogging. That is a lol statement, folks. Your continued prayers on our behalf are greatly appreciated and sorely needed!

Top Ten Misconceptions

In our Sunday evening youth group, we are three weeks into a four-week series on the Misconceptions about Jesus/Christianity, using the tried and true video clips produced by Vintage 21. In preparation for last night's lesson, I had asked several ministry buds, as well as my students and sponsors to give me what they would consider their #1 misconception about Jesus/Christianity. Here are the results of that survey in a top ten order of my own choosing:

10. Jesus was/is white.
9. Jesus was a good man/good teacher...that's all.
8. Jesus was all about the "do's and don't's."
7. Jesus was meek & mild walking around like Mr. Rogers all the time.
6. Jesus doesn't hear me any more.
5. Jesus drank alcohol so it is okay for teens to do the same.
4. Christians shouldn't be seen in places like casinos or bars, because it would "ruin our witness."
3. You have to get your life straightened out before Jesus will love you or use you for Kingdom work.
2. Jesus wouldn't really let us go to hell for our sins because He loves us too much to do that.
1. The Primary Reason Jesus died was because He loves us. (the Primary Reason was to honor and obey God the Father, Whose plan was for Jesus to die to take away our sins).

I have asked my students and sponsors to provide me with a top ten list of ways Christians perpetuate these misconceptions, and will compile them for this Sunday's lesson. Any thoughts along those lines? What is it that those who claim to follow Christ do these days that perpetuate misconceptions about what it means to truly follow Christ? How do we further perpetuate the misconceptions people have about Jesus? I am interested in your replies. You know how to reach me.

Passing Me By

To say that the last couple of weeks have been one big whirlwind would be an understatement. I have made four cross-state trips to the Tampa Bay area over the past 11 days, and tonight I will sleep in my bed for the third consecutive night for the first time in two weeks. Some of the trips were business, one was pleasure, and two were related to Peggy's Mom breaking her leg and the subsequent surgery to repair that break.

Peggy's Mom is doing fine post-surgery and is in a rehab facility. Peggy is gonna go back over to check on her and Dad next weekend, and this coming week, we are gonna try to have as "normal" a week as we possibly can. Whatever normal is.

My other cross-state trips involved a look at audio and video equipment we are considering and/or have purchased for the church, and a trip to watch LSU whoop up on UK in the SEC basketball tournament. Yeah. 'Nuff said.

Anyway, I cannot thank my prayer partners enough for the prayers lifted up for Peggy's Mom, for our travels back and forth, and for our friend Kevin Patton who fell 25 feet from a roof in the Ashland, KY, area, breaking lots of bones in his body, but who is now recuperating at home following several surgeries. God is good, and I want to praise Him always.

Goodnight to the two people who read this blog. I'm gonna get in my bed for the 3rd straight night! That is a trend I want to continue until I head out for the Believe Conference next weekend.

Stirrup Cay

My Favorite Ship Shot
Originally uploaded by blountman

On Sunday, we ported at Stirrup Cay, a private Island owned in part by NCL. They have a private beach which was way too crowded for Peggy's and my liking, so we took the two mile walk to the other end of the island t see the lighthouse and some other very interesting sights.

This picture is my artsy shot of the Norweigian Sky through some of the vegetation as we took one of our "side trips" off of the main trail. Words cannot describe how much we enjoyed this walk and the scenery God put together for us to enjoy. It was so easy to worship our Creator as we walked in unspoiled beauty of a Caribbean Island! Check out the other pictures on my FLICKR site.

While I had a blast on the entire cruise, this was by far my favorite part of our experience! Walking hand-in-hand with my Bride and exploring together was fantastic. Getting to take some side trails and look back at the ship over coquina rock, or in the lightly forested areas...breath-taking!

The lighthouse was cute, but the view from the end of the trail at the neighboring islands was fantastic! Some of the locals were around in their sailboats, and I have one picture of people walking a sandbar between two islands. Pretty sweet, indeed!

We did eventually head back to the beach and to lunch, but not before seeing several iguanas, including one three-footer. It was such a relaxing time. It was a perfect way to spend the day: walking in unspoiled beauty with the most beautiful woman on the planet. Now, THAT is my idea of a perfect day!

Snorkeling The Reef

Scott
Originally uploaded by blountman

Until Saturday, Feb. 21, 2009, I had never been snorkeling before. I am ready to make it my new favorite hobby! A group of about 20 of us in the Deibel Party joined about 20-25 others for an excursion to a coral reef just off of Nassau.

Yeah, Tom took that picture of me snorkeling so I would have photographic evidence of my adventure. The other pictures in this set are all from my hand. The beauty of this coral reef was difficult to capture with my little throw-away underwater camera.

The coral was beautiful, and it was beyond cool to literally be swimming with the fishes. You could reach out and touch them, if you were quick enough, and they certainly were not afraid to get in your face!

Now, the water was a tad on the chilly side...okay it was stinkin' cold! Take your breath away when you first jump in cold! However, after taking my first peak at the coral and then following some fish around, I soon forgot all about the chilly water temp. Oh, did I mention it was windy as well? Some experienced snorkelers commented on the white caps on the wave. Didn't deter me. I spent about 50 minutes absolutely reveling in the beauty of God's creation under the sea. It truly was one of the best worship experiences I have had in ages.

I cannot wait until I have the opportunity to snorkel again.

Peggy at the Market

Peggy at the Market
Originally uploaded by blountman

Norwegian Sky Bahamas Cruise, Day 2. Saturday morning featured a walk around the immediate downtown area of Nassau by the pier. We looked in several shops, and then hit the "Straw Market." I was struck by the sameness of the items for sale in the SM, not just the materials, but the prices. We didn't try to bargain with anyone primarily because we didn't see anything that just jumped out at us. We did enjoy the stroll, and we did wind up purchasing a Christmas ornament in a shop at the pier. We also toured the Nassau Senor Frogs gift shop. Being a frog freak myself, well...a picture of me in front of Senor Frogs can be found on our Flickr page.

Day 1 Cruisin'

Trekking from Vero Beach to Miami with Steve & Patty Macaluso was an absolute treat. Steve drove! We enjoy their company so much, and the trip was uneventful which is my favorite way to travel by automobile. Boring car (or van) trips are the best! Not that the company was boring, but the drive was uneventful with the minor exception that my Sunpass apparently decided it didn't want to work. Had to take care of all of that after we got back from the cruise, but that is a story for another post.

Boarding the ship was a relatively painless and easy process, and we were able to navigate to our stateroom very quickly. We did talk with Ann a couple of times in the process, and that made things much easier.

Speaking of Ann...when I first met Tom and her last May, they had come into the church office wanting to talk with someone about doing a wedding ceremony for them. I scheduled an appointment with them for the next day. I had plenty of paperwork for them to fill out, and we talked about their backgrounds, church experiences, family life, etc. After about an hour, I decided that I would indeed perform their wedding ceremony for them. They wanted to get married that Saturday (this was on a Wednesday).
On the appointed day, Peggy and I were there with Tom & Ann. We held the ceremony in the welcome center of our church building, Peggy took pictures, and I did the pronouncing. They wanted Peggy & me to go out to dinner with them that evening, but we already had plans. We sent them to the Lobster Shanty since they were brand new in town, and they told us that they would see us in church the next day. They did, and have been attending VCC ever since. A couple of weeks after the wedding, they attended our Discover Vero Christian Class, and I had the privilege of baptizing them both into Christ that evening in their swimming pool! We love Tom & Ann dearly.

Back on board the ship, we worked through the initial orientation, and the soda package confusion. We found Ann to talk with her about the soda package, and she broke down crying in her stateroom. Too much stress. We assured her that everything was just fine with us, and just spent some time loving on her to help calm her down a bit. She is such a dear, and we kept reminding her that this was to be a celebration cruise. She assured us that she would be fine, she just needed to vent. I am so glad we were there for her!

The "venting" took another form later on that first night, when Ann and the "Gang" (which included Patty Macaluso and Peggy) got up to do some karaoke. Here's a video snippet of that performance:





Overall, the first day/evening on board the Norwegian Sky could not have been better! And the fun was just beginning.

Norwegian Sky Weekend

Peggy and I have just returned from a three day Bahamas Weekend Cruise aboard the beautiful Norwegian Sky. It will take several posts over the next couple of days to fill you in on all the details, but here is the cliff notes overview:

Tom & Ann Deibel hosted the cruise and invited Peggy & me because I did the marriage ceremony for the Deibels last May and Peggy was the ONLY witness for their ceremony.

About 50 people were in our group including Ann's family (Mom, siblings, and one adult child, etc.) and Tom's family (parents, siblings, one adult child, etc.) and their friends (from before their marriage, living in Buffalo, NY, and in the Cincinnati, OH, areas as well as some of us Vero Beach folks).

We met and made some wonderful friends on this cruise. We ate like Kings & Queens (although Peggy did very well in sticking to her Weight Watchers routine). We toured Nassau. I snorkeled on a coral reef for the first time in my life. We hiked on a private island (Stirrup Cay) and got some great pics of scenery and iguanas. Pictures will be posted on my flickr account later. I spent quality time with my Bride (that was my favorite part of the trip). Peggy sang karaoke with Ann and the "Gang" one night on the ship. Yeah, a video snippet will be on flickr soon. We laughed and loved and expanded our family on this trip. A much-needed getaway, and a blast.

Now, I know you are savoring the thought of more details, but these cliff notes have come to an end. Chapter one of the Weekend Novel will be posted soon.

My Valentine

I love Peggy Ruth Dixon Blount more than I love life itself. I have been blessed to be married to her for 27 1/2 years and we dated a little over 4 years before we got married. Yeah, she has put up with me for a LOOONNNNNGGGG time! My Bride is the best part of me. She is not just my better half, she is the BEST half. Were it not for her love and respect and support for me, I would probably be long dead. I'm totally serious. My Bride is Jesus in the flesh in my life. Today, that day set aside for "lovers," my Bride & I have cleaned around the house, I washed her car (and my van), I cleaned the pool, and we made a trip to Wal Mart. Yeah, all that stuff is way romantic. It is how we decided to spend this day. Oh, we went out on a date last night and had a nice meal along with some "alone time." Next week, we are taking a cruise to the Bahamas. Today, my Valentine and I did what we wanted to do. Together. What a perfect way to spend the day!

My Bride and my love for her!

This has been an interesting past week to ten days for Peggy and me. Peggy has had a severe infection in a finger and at one point we were afraid that it might require surgery. There was precautionary talk of not squeezing, or trying to "pop" the infection pocket for fear the infection could spread into her lymph nodes. Yeah. Not fun.

Finally, she got in and saw an orthopedist, who lanced it, drained it, and sent her to a wound care place for therapy. At $40 a pop AFTER insurance, and with three visits down and at least one more to go, the therapy has been not only effective, but expensive. Whatever the cost, my Beautiful Bride is worth it. I don't tell her enough, nor show her enough, but I love her more than I love life itself. In fact, after my love for Jesus, my Bride is my second love. By a mile over anyone or anything else. I *know* that she knows that, but I want to show it more and more each day. She deserves nothing less.

Blessed By Living In Vero Beach

Okay, I'll admit it. Sometimes I rub it in to friends who live across the Midwest and in the Appalachian Mountains that I live in a beach town in Florida. I mention riding my Scooter (Greta) to the office this time of year, often without a jacket on. I send picture messages of the thermometer reading from my van showing the warm temperatures. I send picture and text messages when my Bride and I walk on the boardwalk along the beach. I can be a real stinker that way. I know that I have been blessed beyond measure to have the privilege of living in Vero Beach.

This morning, as I think about friends in Lousiville, KY, who have been without electricity for more than 24 hours, with temps below freezing, there are no arrogant thoughts about living in Vero. Only prayers that the ice storms that have wreaked havoc in a large section of this nation would subside, that crews are able to restore power quickly and that life can return to "normal" for those affected. I know that similar prayers were offered up for us right after Francis and Jean both made landfall within 35 miles of my home a few years back and we were without power for two different 10-day stretches. I still would rather be without power in 90-degree weather than in sub-freezing weather, folks. I still am praying that power is restored quickly and that my friends will see the light and move down here with us in "Paradise on Earth" (my nickname for Vero). I still praise God every day for the privilege of living here and serving Him at Vero Christian Church!

Noob Evangelism

During the month of January, the student ministry at Vero Christian Church is cleaning the church building. The crew that cleaned today as usual had a great time while working around the building. In fact, one member of the crew, who shall remain nameless, gave me a good back slap. Of course, the back slap included a name tag which reads, "My name is NOOB." Great fun when you are hanging with teenagers.

I took the name tag off my back, and put it where it belongs: on the front of my shirt. We finished up the cleaning, and I left for a quick stop at the bank. Now, I had already been to my favorite branch of the bank once earlier in the day. I have teased around with one of the tellers for several years, we call each other "trouble" and ask if each other has been behaving. Of course, we haven't. Now, there is a relatively new teller who sits next to my "fave." I always ask her if she is making sure my "fave" is behaving, just trying to draw her into the friendship, raise a smile, etc.

When I came in this evening still wearing my name tag, the newer teller called me over to her window, by calling me by my name tag. I laughed and said something about my students loving me, casually mentioning that we had been cleaning the church building. Newer Teller looks surprised, and asks if I am a minister. Busted, I tell her that I am an associate minister working in the area of music and students. She can't believe that I am a minister, saying she thought I was a "heathen." My "fave" and I both get a big laugh because she has known I am in the ministry for at least five years now. I laughingly respond that I am gonna have to pray for the teller over her "heathen" remark, and by now I have the attention of all the tellers...being the only customer in the bank and all. One of the other tellers even jokes that she had some oil if we needed to anoint the new teller and pray over her. We all shared several good-natured laughs. Then, the conversation turned a little more serious.

After letting them all know that I serve at Vero Christian Church the newer teller says that she had been thinking about coming to our church to visit, since she lives in the neighborhood right across Oslo Road from where the church building is located. While saying that she would be out of town this weekend, she declares in front of her co-workers that she was going to tell her boyfriend and they would come for a visit to VCC next weekend.

All because I wore a name tag declaring to be a "Noob." All because one of my students slapped it on my back in jest. Who knows, "Noob Evangelism" might just catch on.

Taco Bell, Part 2

Standing in line for 40 minutes to get tacos wasn't enough for me. After enjoying the Taco Party at lunch yesterday (as previously discussed in this blog), I took my Bride on a 20-Cent Taco Party experience yesterday evening. The lines were actually a tad longer, and we parked in the same spot I had at lunch time.

As my Bride and I dutifully took our place in the cue, people around us were astounded to learn that it was my 2nd trip to the Bell for the day. I simply told them, "it is a social event." Lightening the mood proved to be most effective. Instead of people being grumpy that there were actually waiting in a line that would prove to last almost a full hour to get tacos from Taco Bell, we laughed, we smiled, we got to know each other just a little bit. It was, dare I say it...fun.

The lady in line behind us was dismayed to learn of the 10 tacos per customer limit. She had 3 teenage boys and a husband at home awaiting a bounty of tacos. Since my Bride & I were only getting 10 tacos between the two of us, we volunteered to place an order for her. After all, 20 tacos sure beats 10! She was amazed that we were willing to do that. Come on, all we did was place the order, she forked over the $2.14 for the purchase of those ten tacos! My Bride continued the conversation with this lady, coming to know where she attends church (and she is a nominal attender), letting her know about Vero Christian Church, found out her occupation and told her about someone in our church who is in need of the services she provides.

Another lady had two toddler girls with her, both of whom were extremely well behaved and quite cute. She did have another adult with her to help take care of the girls, but by the time our 55 minute wait for those delicious tacos was over, we had gotten to know her, and the ladies all joked some female joke that I tried to stay out of, if you catch my drift.

The point is, we saw the taco cue as an opportunity to let the light of Jesus shine in our lives. The folks around us were engaged in light-hearted conversation with people around them, who had before this experience, been strangers. We talked about church matters, talked about our kids, talked about work and made connections. We enjoyed each others company while standing in a Taco Bell for nearly an hour waiting to pick up our precious order of 20-cent tacos.

God will show up in the strangest places if you just remember to bring Him along. After all, He is there anyway, so you might as well acknowledge Him and allow Him to be the life of the "party." Even while standing in line for cheap tacos.

History Making Day

On a cold, clear January day, history was made. Yeah, we inaugurated the 44th President of the United States, but I am talking about 20 cent tacos at Taco Bell! Ian and I arrived at the Vero Beach T-Bell with bellies anticipating tacos. Apparently everyone in the free world had the same idea at the same time. Don't they know that there are Taco Bells in other places, too? Being unable to enter the parking lot, I ejected Ian with cash in hand so he could get in what would prove to be the line that went around the world. I parked in a space at the strip mall deal just to the east of the Taco Bell, and made my way over only to find that Ian was a mere five feet inside the building in that line that did indeed extend outside! The mood was festive, as everyone was ready for some cheap lunch (even if their lunch break took them to supper time). Even the employees were laughing it up, with one taco assembler proclaiming that she would have dreams about making tacos tonight. No doubt.

It took a mere 40 minutes for Ian and I to get our precious bags of 10 tacos each (the limit imposed per customer by Taco Bell), and with envious eyes watching our every move, we made our way through the crowd of folks who were still waiting for their number to be up (or at least called). We even got to see our good buddy Greg (one of the two folks who reads this blog), and invited him to bring his supper tacos over to the house. He was still a good 35 minutes away from getting his tacos, so I hated to think of it as lunch since it was already 12:30.

Now, I missed out on the Free Taco day back during the World Series thanks to a scheduled colonoscopy. That is a story for another day. Turtle, Jordan and company say nothing tastes better than a FREE taco, but the 20-cent variety don't taste too bad either. All ten of them. See, I had been fasting and praying before heading to Taco Bell. Now, I am just a-full. And Peggy wants to stop by there to pick up tacos for supper. I might just explode into one big taco salad.

Mobile Blog Test

Just testing my ability to post on my blog from my phone.

A Different Order

Hebrews 7
15 This change has been made very clear since a different priest, who is like Melchizedek, has appeared. 16 Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. 17 And the psalmist pointed this out when he prophesied,

“You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”

18 Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless. 19 For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

20 This new system was established with a solemn oath. Aaron’s descendants became priests without such an oath, 21 but there was an oath regarding Jesus. For God said to him,

“The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow:
‘You are a priest forever.’”

22 Because of this oath, Jesus is the one who guarantees this better covenant with God.

In preparing for tonight's College Bible study, I am again wrestling with this different order of priesthood as Jesus represents. The story of Melchizedek is told in much greater detail here than it is in Genesis 14:18-20 when the story is first told.

As we continue our study in Hebrews, the college crew is getting a good dose of reinforcement in the idea that the priesthood of Jesus is superior to the priesthood of the Levites under the Law. In fact, it is flat out stated that way in the passage quoted above. But, who is this Melchizedek? What is his story? God has chosen not to reveal much about him, but if Jesus is a priest in Melchizedek's order, then the dude must've been pretty tight with God! That's good enough for me. I don't make that last statement lightly or flippantly. I am say (and I will repeat it) that if it is good enough for God, then it is good enough for me.

That attitude doesn't always make life easier, but it certainly adds clarity.

Be God's,
Scott

Da Bug

I have already chronicled my on-going battle with throat and sinus type issues, and as the meds take full effect, I am now in that stage where the symptoms are worse just before they take the big turn for the better. Last night, I fell asleep sitting up on the couch. It was around 7 o'clock. This morning, I got up as usual, took care of the morning routine, and laid back down while Peggy was getting ready for school. I fell into a deep sleep and she had to wake me up to tell me goodbye. It was then that I decided I would do some work from the house this morning, and take a nap. I slept for a solid two hours. This after a full night's sleep that was extremely peaceful and restful. The gook in my chest is starting to break up now, and I am coughing a little more today. It is time for this stuff to go away! And to think, I was in the doc's office last Thursday for a checkup, and everything was fine. Hey, maybe I am allergic to the doc's office!

Yes, I Love Technology. Always and Forever.

The only thing better than a strained throat for a worship minister, is having a worship minister's microphone fizzle out on him in the midst of the services. I had the privilege of having both situations occur this morning. What fun.

The rest of the praise team did a fantastic job of rolling right along with or without me. I'm working on getting my throat healed back up, but the microphone situation? Well, we're working on it.

To quote Kip's song from "Napoleon Dynamite": Yes, I love technology, but not as much as you, you see. Still, I love technology. Always and forever."

Throat Afire

Okay, so yesterday, I went to the doctor's office for a routine visit. Everything was fine. By praise team rehearsal time last night, my voice was going all weak, and my throat felt funny. So, I didn't yell and scream as my college football hero (Tim Tebow) led the Gators to another National Championship. This morning when I got up, my throat was on fire, and I could feel the effects of infection in my right ear as well. Beautiful.

I called the doc, got some antibiotics, and basically rested all morning. My afternoon was filled to overflowing with responsibilities: radio station voice tracking (yeah, a little more bass and nasal than usual), picking up my prescriptions, picking up Peggy's car from the shop, and oh my goodness...I forgot about the fact that the month of January is the youth group's turn to clean the church building! Oh yeah, we're supposed to meet at 4 p.m. Fridays to do this act of service. Good thing a concerned Mom called me at 4:15 (while I was in Walgreens getting my prescription...well only one of the two I am supposed to have, but that's another story). So, I flew to the church building, and we got the crew going at it.

Now, Peggy has gone to the store for some soup, and I am going to call it an early evening. Sore throats and worship leading are a bad combination, and I gotta get this thing whipped before Sunday. Oh, did I mention that we are going to Kissimmee tomorrow to help the Emily's move into a new apartment at school?

What is in a name?

Interesting reading from the One Year Chronological Bible from Genesis and Chronicles today. I was checking out the meaning of names, since Esau means "hairy" and Jacob means "deceiver" and those names seem to fit those characters perfectly. So what about my name? I am "painted warrior" "beautiful at birth." Blount My Bride is "Pearl" " "friend." Our baby girl is "Rival;emulating" "friend" while our middle child is "God is forgiving" "painted warrior." Our eldest is "beautiful at birth" "my God is the Lord" and his bride is "Father is rejoicing" "God is gracious."

Very interesting study this morning, and I am so glad to see that our names truly do reflect our personalities. I am married to a Pearl of a woman who is my best friend. Our daughter does emulate her Mama, and their friendship is stronger than ever. Our middle child knows the forgiveness of God in a very real way, and he is a mighty warrior for Christ's Kingdom. Our eldest was beautiful at birth in my eyes (not so much for his Mama, but that is a story for another day, oh "smurf baby"), and his life reflects the fact that "God is his Lord" while his bride certainly is a cause for a "Father to rejoice" and she reflects in her life the fact that "God is gracious."

What's in a name? More than we Americans like to think. By the way, I found the meanings of our names by visiting the website: Baby Names World.

For my devotional thoughts on this topic, see my devo blog at Putting It Blountly. This is the "painted warrior" who was "beautiful at birth" wishing you and yours a blessed day!