This Has Been A Good Day

It started this morning with the follow-on from a mini-retreat we sponsored in June for ten local pastors. We met up again today and I continued to take them through the DVDs of Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Church Conference. Now to be honest, I preferred the setting of Montauk Yacht Club to the basement of a church in Patchogue and we ate better out there than the steamed vegetables from the local Chinese place that I crunched my way through at lunch time today.

But what a profitable time we had as we talked, prayed, studied, laughed and discussed things together. They are a great bunch of guys, including the lone lady who is brave enough to associate with us, Sister Elaine from the Lighthouse Mission.

Then tonight was the Town Board meeting where they were discussing the proposed amendment to the town code that is really a thinly veiled attempt at halting our plans to build. We had some great presentations made on our behalf and it was good to have four local pastors speaking up in support of churches retaining the automatic right to build in residential areas. After we had all done our bit, it was left with the Town Board. At some point in the not-so-distant future they will decide whether to go ahead or make places of worship exempt from their revisions.

God knows! It's all in his hands and the people who sit on the Town Board are there by divine permission if I read my Bible right.

You know what I thought was best about tonight? It was great that we have the freedom to voice our opinions, make ourselves heard and confront our lawmakers face to face. It may have its flaws, but this is a great country and I for one am thankful for the freedoms we enjoy.