Bobby Lepinay

Uncle Bill

Not "Uncle Buck"......Uncle Bill.  :)

Some of you have heard me talk about my 92 year old uncle who lives in Mandeville, LA.  He is very, very wealthy, ... as true 'self-made' man.  He lives alone in a small, older, pretty run-down apartment there, as his wife (my aunt) died about 30 years ago. 

I try to call him every few weeks to check on him and gave him a call tonight.  You have to understand that for all these years, he has wanted NOTHING to do with God or religion.  He is a 31st degree Mason with all the classic 'hardness' traits that come with the terrain.  But interestingly enough, he has begun to open some to me and my family.  Last time we visited him, we asked out of the blue if we could pray for him.  He obliged.  We all gathered around him and layed hands on him and blessed him.  When we were done, tears edged his eyes and he thanked us.

I am going someplace with this by the way......:)

I had not talked to Uncle Bill in about a month, so decided to call him tonight, as he had called twice in the last few days and I missed him.  Well, I wish I could say the call was altogether pleasant, but pretty much for 20 minutes I just listened as he complained about all his neigbors, about all those who had borrowed $ and never paid him back, etc...etc....(I am sure you have some relative in your life like that..!).   

Now, as the conversation winded down, this guy who really, honestly is one of the 'hardest' men I have known, who has very little positive to say about anything, who is still hard toward God, paused for a moment, then said, " Thank you for being a good listener. "  I said a few words in response, then spontaneously said, "Good night, Uncle Bill.....I love you."  To which he replied, "I love you too.."

These words have never been said between us, as he is not that kind of person.  Here are my thoughts, though, as I believe this is HUGE for all of us......

Every person wants to feel loved and to love in return.  As Christians, I think we hold back from loved ones who are hard to God.  To just love someone and tell them is often so hard.  We feel we need to somehow 'witness' to them, to preach to them, and on and on.  I have done that with my Uncle Bill in years past.  Got nowhere, except him telling me to please NOT pray for him (really...about 10 years ago...).  But I am learning that the greatest witness is to just love people, period, with no expectation of change, no expectation of them getting saved, no expectations of anything.  Just UNCONDITIONAL love. 

Regardless of what he said, I have prayed for my Uncle Bill for many, many years now.  I am believing that somehow he will give his heart to Jesus.  He cant see but he can hear, so I sent him the Bible on CD a few months ago (with him protesting, I might add...!).  I told him that it was my gift to him and that though I wished he would give it a listen, if he didnt, he could 'regift' it to someone else. 

But his response doesnt matter anymore. 

Lift up a prayer for him if you get the chance.  Bill Van Horn..... I am believing to see him in heaven, somehow, someway.....

Grace to you....PB

General Musings On A Tuesday...

1.  Just got home from the Harvest softball game.  Man, we have some real 'softball studs' out there!  :)  Our guys are on a real momentum tear, winning their 3rd game in a row.  Next week is a big game against one of the best teams out there and I know they will be pumped for that one.  Log it down for next Tuesday night at 6pm to come out and support our guys!

2.  While logging on to post tonight, I noticed that since October, there have been an astounding 17,985 page views on this blog.  Back when I started this, I had absolutely NO idea how effective it would be.  I just felt the 'trigger pull' to DO IT.  What is most exciting to me is that people from all over can ANONYMOUSLY log on and join in "E-Community", or at least some form of it.  Without question, I am SOLD on this being an amazing way to 'redeem technology' for good.

3.  I love our Staff meetings!  We met for 2 hours today and freely worked together, discussing how we can do better in every area.  I love the fact especially that everyone if in on seeking solutions to each others domains, chiming in, not just concerned with their OWN area.  Very healthy.....

4.  I have been thinking today about this past Sunday.  We had one of the best turnouts for Memorial Day in recent memory.  The thing that most fires me up is the fact that we are really tapping into those 25 and under at increased rate.  Lots of ages are coming in, but just looking at all these new faces coming in fuels me on BIG TIME!

5.  To say I am excited about the next series I am doing is an understatement! In a few weeks, I am starting a series of messages called simply, "The Authority of the Believer".  I have been stirred up on this thing of how powerful we really are, yet how powerless the devil seems to keep us.  Old truths will be resurrected in this one that I am convinced have been largely lost but that MUST be recaptured if we are to live the "kick-butt' lives God wills for us!  I get very tired of the devil keeping us blinded..  Be on the lookout for this one!

Be strong....

PB

Well, Friday is here......!  For as long as I can remember, I have always loved Friday's. 

They just feel right.  :)

We have a GREAT weekend at Harvest.  On Saturday, we are doing a "Block Party" to just bless and show God's love out in the Citrus Street area, an area heavily populated by young girls caught up in prostitution.  Our folks will be out there serving food from 2pm to 5pm. 

Let me get right to the point:  This is a super easy way to 'give back' to Jesus for all He has done for you.  ("as you have done to the least of these, you have done it unto Me..")  We need those who can help set up and tear down, who can serve food, who can simply bless these girls out there. 

To get directions click here:  Block Party Map

Will you consider coming out?  Help will be needed and appreciated.....!

Make sure to be at church early Sunday.  Our Teaching Pastors met today at Panera Bread to plot out Sunday's service.  We are going to "tag-team" this one, ... all 4 of us!  Bring friends and family Sunday, as this will be "vintage Harvest".

To God....!

PB

Sushi At The Bay....

Today was Memorial Day and our family made a point of spending the afternoon together, ALL of us! That may not seem like a big deal to most of you, but with 2 kids out of high school now, it takes a real commitment....!

We first went by my folks house to visit for a bit.  All 5 of us layed hands on my mom and prayed for her, which was a blessing.  "Life and death are in the power of the tongue", the Bible says (Prov 20), and the Lord of Life has deputized us, so that is what we do:  We release LIFE! 

From there, we headed over to Albertsons and picked up sushi for a picnic.  This tells you alot about the Lepinay family right here.......:) 

We then headed over 3 Mile Bridge and sat by the water, eating our sushi and just enjoying being together. 

We finished the afternoon by driving over to Craig and Lezli Walker's house to join them and the Hirth's who had been skiing all day and were pretty worn out by the time we got there.  Craig is selling his house so it made it EXTRA special to be on that back porch overlooking Pensacola Beach, taking in the salt air and laughing alot....

A great day all in all......

To a productive Tuesday.....!

PB

Back From Orlando....

Got back late last night......catch up day for sure!

Here are a few pictures from our trip.  From left to right here:  Erin Hirth, Victoria (Tory!), and Austin Hirth.  All 3 are in the 13 to 15 range and had a total blast at Universal. Best ride at Universal:  The Mummy (by a long shot...).  Best ride at Islands of Adventure?  Toss up between Spider-Man (unbelievable stuff, I kid you not...!..) and the Hulk, a non-stop rollercoaster. 

The couple here are close friends of the Hirth's from Romania, Audie and Florie.  Audie is the worship pastor at one of the very few thriving Romanian churches that is reaching younger people.  I had never met them and it was really great hanging out with them for 2 days, as they are really fun loving people (note Audie's goofy 'cool' face while we take an 'icee break'...).  They are here for 2 months raising funds for the Bible College they are a part of as well.  I highly suspect we will be working with them in the near future, bringing a team over there.

Tory and Austin at CityWalk.  Universal CityWalk Orlando : Universal Orlando  These 2 are so funny, in that they are like brother and sister. 

The Portofino Hotel La Dolce Vita, Portofino Bay Hotel, The Sweet Life : Universal Orlando  gave us on site privileges, since the girls were staying there, so we swam at the pool each night.  You should have seen these 2 water-fighting!  Hilarious...and memorable.  By the way, the Portofino is simply amazing.  WAY past our budget, but we had incredible favor from the front desk to let us use the amenities.  So, I got our hotel, the Radisson, for $32 a night thru Priceline (no kidding..!), spent less than $20 a day for BOTH Tory and I, and got to enjoy the Portofino for free....! We parked there each day, used the water taxi, then hung out at night.  Very, very cool indeed....

And finally.......our Senior girls, Brittany (mine), Nicole Ongolo, and Courtney Hirth. They are still down there, coming back Sunday, having the time of their lives!  We checked them into the Disney resort Thursday, got their passes at MGM, then headed back to Pcola, leaving our 'baby girls' in big ol Orlando by themselves.....:)  Of course, they had no problem with that!

Hope you are taking time to smell the flowers in life.  The moments right under our nose are the ones we will wish we had all over again years from now.  Savor them now, with a grateful heart.

Hope to see you out at Ski Beach Saturday..... !

Harvest Outreach Church

PB

Universal Studios, Here We Come..!

  We finished up the Davinci series tonight by 'team teaching' it.....all 4 of our Teaching Pastors! 

It went amazingly well, and for 4 preachers to be on stage together, we finished up in good time.  We have a great mix at Harvest, with very seasoned, mature perspective.  The highlight for me personally was Pastor Greg's summary of how the Bible was put together. 

What would have taken me 30 minutes, Greg did in 10 minutes.  Listen to it online this week when you get the chance.  Or, just burn it to CD and listen to it in your car.  Most people have no idea how the Bible came into existance and this is as good a summary as I have heard.

That is a true 'teacher' for you!  Great job, Greg...

By the way, the Block Party on Saturday went incredibly well.  Debbie organized it and at least a hundred kids had their faces painted and lots of people were touched.  It is very, very hard to engage many of these folk in conversation, but I think just helping them feel like they really do matter to God is a start. 

Deb and I went out to dinner later and talked about some of the people we each talked to.  It is a stark reminder of how deeply scarred and broken by sin humanity is, and how desparately the world needs the Saviour.  To them, church is for 'good people', not for people like them.  Somehow.......someway......Lord, help us....!

Roger and I are taking our kids (minus Michael...) down to Orlando in the morning.  Deb and Theresa are staying back.....I am sure they will be bored stiff without us!  :)  We will be back at about midnite Thursday and 'theme-parking' it all day Tues and Wednesday, so needless to say, I will be out of the "BLOGOSPHERE" this week.

See you guys Saturday at our Memorial Picnic!  www.harvestoutreach.org

Have a great week,

PB

A Great Way To Give Back

Well, Friday is here......!  For as long as I can remember, I have always loved Friday's. 

They just feel right.  :)

We have a GREAT weekend at Harvest.  On Saturday, we are doing a "Block Party" to just bless and show God's love out in the Citrus Street area, an area heavily populated by young girls caught up in prostitution.  Our folks will be out there serving food from 2pm to 5pm. 

Let me get right to the point:  This is a super easy way to 'give back' to Jesus for all He has done for you.  ("as you have done to the least of these, you have done it unto Me..")  We need those who can help set up and tear down, who can serve food, who can simply bless these girls out there. 

To get directions click here:  Block Party Map

Will you consider coming out?  Help will be needed and appreciated.....!

Make sure to be at church early Sunday.  Our Teaching Pastors met today at Panera Bread to plot out Sunday's service.  We are going to "tag-team" this one, ... all 4 of us!  Bring friends and family Sunday, as this will be "vintage Harvest".

To God....!

PB

The News Is In...It Stinks!

This past Sunday, I stated that I probably would go to see the DaVinci Code, as being a pastor, it might be a good idea...

I have changed my mind.

After seeing the trailer, and hearing Dan Brown, the author, I have no desire to fund his agenda.  Beyond that, the critics are shredding it.  Why waste the money?

ROTTEN TOMATOES: Movies and Games, Reviews and Previews

It's hard to believe that Tom Hanks, working with Ron Howard of Apollo 13 fame, could bomb this movie.  Both are usually brilliant.  Cinderella Man, a Ron Howard movie, was amazing.  And Tom Hanks is without question THE actor of our generation. 

Hopefully, this movie will pass quickly off the scene, working for our good, in making people more open to the true and Living God..!

My son Michael called us tonight.  He was "lost in Tampa".  I got online and led him by phone to the Ybor City area where I heard about an incredible restaurant, the Columbia Restaurant.  It was built in 1902 and is one of the oldest restaraunts in the US.  I am looking forward to hearing about his experience!

I guess there is some truth to 'living thru your kids', eh..? :)

PB

Nutty Faith

It is past 10pm on Tuesday night and being that I have to get up at 4:45, this will be short. 

I just got off the phone with a pastor friend who was telling me about a funeral he did this past week for a young girl in his youth group who was killed last week.  It was a terrible trajedy, yet, out of the trajedy, God is working for the good, in that her unchurched family has awoken to their need of God, it seems.

As hard as we try to make sense out of things like this, much that happens in this broken world just flat out doesn't make sense. I read a quote recently that really spoke to me on this.....

"Some Christians are always trying to make sense out of things that happen on this side.  But life doesn't make sense.  I don't see how anyone could read the Bible and come away thinking that it paints a picture of a world that makes sense.  If the idea that God came into the world via a teenage virgin living in a backwater of the Roman Empire isnt nutty, then I'm not sure what is....A world that makes sense wouldn't need redemption, would it?"      Preston Jones in Critique

The Bible says that "all of creation is groaning", awaiting the Saviour's return when all will be made right.  In that day, all will again make sense.  Until then, we groan with it, waiting, working with and for the Kingdom of God. 

Soon our King will return....

Maranatha....Come, Lord Jesus....!

PB

Happy 21st Birthday, Son.....!

We had a great Sunday at Harvest......it was just solid.  Rachel, Karen and Jenny did a song during the offering that really resonated and made it extremely easy to preach!

I opened up our 2 week series on the DaVinci Code and you could feel the people receiving.  It was really fun last night ..... I even, in the moment, created a new term:  "Smartists".  "We arent legalists....we are "smartists"! 

It sounds stupid now, but if you listen to the message on our website, it made a lot of sense in the moment! :)  Harvest Outreach Church

Beyond that, my folks came over this afternoon and we celebrated my son Michael's 21st birthday together.  At left is a picture of he and Brit swing dancing. They are each other's best friends....pretty cool!

Michael took my sis Denise's almost 2 year old son, Daniel, out for a drive with him standing at the wheel in the Subaru.  It was hilarious...!  The kid threw a fit when it was time to get out. It seems Michael has a new "car convert" on his hands!

Michael is leaving in the morning to go to Orlando and Tampa by himself, just to get away.  He will be having coffee with Sy Rogers tommorow afternoon (Ithink he wants to meet Sy's daughter....just a dad's guess!..:)..), then touring Southeastern University on Wednesday.  From there he is heading to Tampa to get his car "professionally" tuned.  "Dino-tuning" is what they call it......another world for me!

Our Financial Advisory Board met tonight and for the first time since we started years ago, I missed the meeting to be with my family.  They called me with questions on the conference phone.

  I am blessed to be surrounded by such high caliber people in this church, ...that is for sure.

I am going for a good long soak in the tub before hitting the sheets.....have a great Tuesday!

PB