HCLM BLOG

Yes I know that I have not been on the blog since the first week in May, but the rumors of my death were greatly exaggerated.

Thank goodness Daniel has been faithful in posting. He has great thoughts doesn't he? I have no real excuse for not blogging, but I do have to say that Jon Thomas really does do something when he is here, because when he is gone I have been extremely busy doing all kinds of things that I don't usually have to do. But he comes back this week, thank the Lord!

Today we are starting the new summer series of sermons. "PUSH" is the title of the series and it is the story of living our lives as followers of Christ in today's world. We will look at the lives of 13 of your fellow Holy Cross members. The title PUSH refers to how our Lord has to sometimes push us into the situations and opportunities to be His people in our world today.

This has caused me to consider God's Push in my life. At 55 with 30 in ministry and surrounded by the new young pastors of Holy Cross I have to admit that there is more than a small part of me that would like to simply sit back and enjoy the next ten years of ministry. In times past I have heard the older members of Holy Cross say, "I have done my part, let the young guys take over." I never quite understood that sentiment until now.

But just when we want to step back is when God pushes us forward. I can't close my eyes without getting a picture of what God wants to do among us here in Central Forida. I know that He has great things in mind and I see 7 or 8 new ministry sites in the next 10 years. Who will lead these sites? Who will pay for them? How will they all work together toward one mission and vision? Who will be the next visionary for HCLM? These are the pictures that fill my dreams! Because of the push of God they also fill me with excitement! We have a God who can and will do all of the things that we can dream and even more! With 30 years behind me, I find myself strainning at the bit to go forward into the what the next years will bring! Together He will do great things with us! Glory be to God!!!

In Christ, Paul Hoyer

Last night I saw on TV that Off. Virgil Pickelsheimer of the Lake Mary Police Dept. is retiring at the age of 72 after 22 years on the Lake Mary Force. The streets of Lake Mary will be a little safer for speeders from now on. They said that in his career here he had handed out more than 500 DUI tickets. The TV did not mention how many speeding and moving violation tickets he had given but I would bet that the number would be staggering! I say this because Officer Pickelsheimer has given me 8 to 10 tickets in the last 22 years. If you were stopped in Lake Mary the odds were good that you got to know this officer. He is famous for finding the most out of the way spots to set up and watch drivers. You could find him on North Sun Dr. behind the Medplex, on Old Lake Mary Road near the railroad track, on Broadmore half way to SCC, and on the long curve of Country Club where the speed goes down to 30.

While I am aggravated by the hundreds (thousands?) of dollars that his tickets have cost me over the years as I look at it now in this writing I realize that his vidulance has caused me to drive more carefully in the city of Lake Mary. Therefore we say a fond fairwell to Officer Pickelsheimer, but not really since he said that he was going to continue to patrol as a volunteer at least once a week.

So to all of you speeding drivers out there, as the officer used to say, "You drive safe next time you hear!"

On July 10th Betty and I had officially been married for 33 years. On November 27th of this year my oldest will turn 30years old. On November 8th I will turn 55 years old. Each of these items causes me a certain amount of pain, since I am not very happy about the aging process. For instance I am incensed that I will not be able to teach my grandson to slide into second the way I was able to teach my sons, doing it myself!!! Those days are gone. All that aside, my am very happy to have been with Betty Jean Hoyer for all of these 33 years!

She and I met in College and i was fortunate enough to convince her to marry me and I have never been sorry (I can't speak for her on this). As I look back on the years I realize that I would never be the person that I am today if I did not have her in my life, I could never have accheived what I have been able to accheive or accomplish what I have accomplished. In our family I shudder to think what our kids would have turned out like if I had not had Betty to raise them into adults. We were with some of her friends from the Orlando Science Center last week and I realized again just what she has given up to be a part of what we have as a couple! If left on her own she would have gone on to accheive even more, than she has today.

 Perhaps more important that how I feel about the years that we have spent together, I am tremendously excited for the years that lie ahead. I am looking forward to growing old with her, she is the one i want to look at from my rocking chair. What a gift God has given me to have her in my life. I do not thank Him or her nearly enough for all the joy that she brings to me. I love you Betty and can't wait for what the years will bring.     

This is the last ten minutes of the last day before I get 7 days of vacation. I plan to spend those glorious days in Napa Valley and Montery and San Fransisco. This has been the longest day all month. What is it about Vacation days that allow us to rest? So I think that I have a top ten. Why vacations are good.

10. You don't have to wear a tie the whole time.

9. You can stay up late and watch mindless TV.

8. Calories don't count on Vacation.

7. Missed free throws don't bother you on vacation.

6. You eat a big breakfast every day and skip lunch.

5. You don't have to shave all week

4. The money you spend does not have to be paid back for a year

3. You can spend two hours eating a great supper

 2. You only have to spend time with people that you like

Number 1 reason to love vacation - The rest of the people that you see are all still working!

In Christ,

Paul Hoyer

As we get ready to start this memorial day weekend, I find myself remembering high school and the Vietnam War. In the classes that graduated the three years before me they lost almost half of the boys to the war. We flew the flag at half mast most of the time as we lost so many boys to the War.

Some times I feel bad that I did not serve. It was 1972 and my draft number was "51" I was classified 1-A then they stopped the draft, but at the same time I am glad that I did not have to go. I cherish my memories of those who died and also remember those who have died since in so many conflicts. They made this country into something that we could all die for.

Today I have trouble even imagining what it must be like for parents to send their children to war. I am so grateful for the children and now grandchildren that God has blessed us with and can't bear the thought of losing any of them to war.

Here is a cool site for this memorial day.

In Christ,
Pastor Paul

   I was thinking of the bible story of the Good Samaritan and the question the young man asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" The story of the Samaritan is Jesus answer to that question. Too often we think that this story is simply about how the Samaritan treats this man that he did not know. He treated him very well, but Jesus point was that the Samaritan considered this wounded man his NEIGHBOR!  Everyone else walked by, he was unclean, an alien in their land, a gentile,         In the end Jesus makes His point that "Everyone who is in need, is my Neighbor." Which makes me wonder, what if every believer lived their life with that motto? How many people could we help? What kind of things would we do? So Who's Your Neighbor?