Welcome to my page! A little about myself…I currently serve as the senior pastor of New River Community Church (since 1997) and have been in ministry full-time since 1983. My wife, Sandy, and I have been married for 23 24 of those years and we have one son, Graham (17 18 years old).
Why Green Pastures? The vision for this site is to take you to the same verdant pastures and cool waters that my Lord takes me; offering, I trust, the consolation of the Holy Spirit to parched souls.
You also need to know that I go by “Pasture Scott” because in our fellowship of many little ankle-biters, I am known by this tender nomenclature since “pasture” sounds so like “pastor” from the lips of southern tykes. It’s appropriate, don’t you think?
A paraplegic since 1981, I have given my life to encourage the Body of Christ in the sovereignty of God in suffering and how His aim is to bring us into the fullness of Christ in tough times. As I embark from this new outlet, I trust the musings and renderings found here will draw you into His Life and equip you for the journey to which our Lord has called you!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Scott Mitchell
March 2006
“100 (plus) Things…”
(in case you’re interested)
118. I’m closer to gullible than I am to skeptical
117. My fave Girl Scout Cookies? Do-Si-Dos
116. First LP album I owned: The Monkees (late 60s)
115. First 8-track: Barry Manilow Live (1976)
114. First cassette for in-dash: The Carpenters something-or-other (1982)
113. First CD: Swing Street, Barry Manilow
112. First DVD: Les Miserables (Broadway Version)
111. Year I’d love to revisit if I could: 1977
110. I never say “good-bye” to my wife on the phone
109. I often get ’conscience’ and ’conscious’ mixed up
108. Unlike Lionel Richie, I do not believe there’s anything “easy” about Sunday mornings…
107. I dislike fluffy, soft towels when drying; I love ‘em hard and scratchy!
106. I love black and white movies; my favorite era is 1935-1945
105. I use multi-colored highlighters or markers when reading
104. I will not buy ‘rhymy’ ’sing-songy’ cards for my wife; better a blank one than a ‘ditty’, I say
103. I can go on long road trips by myself (talking hours here) in complete silence
102. A pet peeve of mine: church signs with pithy, irrelevant sayings
101. I generally tip at least 20 percent
100. I enjoy overcast days
99. Gale Sayers was my first sports hero (Chicago Bears running back, 60s and early 70s)
98. Linda, an Asian-American, was my first girlfriend—in first grade!
97. Blue is my favorite color
96. I’ve seen every Rocky movie
95. I was at the game when Pete Rose’s 44-game hitting streak was snapped (August ‘78, Braves won, 16-4)
94. My first car was a beige ‘71 Super Beetle I nicknamed “Snotty”
93. I still bite my fingernails (but not till I draw blood like I used to when I was a neurotic kid)
92. My earliest memory was JFK’s funeral on our black and white TV (I was 3)
91. Fall is my favorite season
90. I’ve baptized people in the Pacific Ocean
89. My favorite book all time is God’s Smuggler, by Brother Andrew
88. My next favorite is Where The Red Fern Grows
87. I often daydream when I drive
86. My van is my “prayer closet” (but not while I drive!)
85. My first job was at Baskin-Robbins at Northlake Mall (Tucker, GA) in the 9th grade
84. I was the captain of my JV basketball team and my Varsity basketball team my senior year in high school
83. I was the president of my high school’s Senior Class
82. My graduating class consisted of 13 members
81. I was president of my freshman, sophomore, and junior classes in college
80. I played the role of Banquo in a major college production of MacBeth
79. I’ve sung a duet onstage with Joni Earekson Tada
78. I had my picture taken with Joe Torre in the Braves’ clubhouse when he was the Braves’ manager
77. I’ve met and conversed with future Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox in the tunnel of old Fulton-County stadium
76. I’ve given pre-game talks in Braves’ chapels along with the Pirates, Mets, Astros, Dodgers, Giants, Cardinals, and Padres (1981-1990)
75. I was guest speaker at Bible study for the Green Bay Packers (late 80’s)
74. I am a regular viewer of “Lost” on the web
73. Although very active, I never broke a bone until I was 21
72. I had all four wisdom teeth removed a couple weeks before my wedding (8/83)
71. I became addicted to Barry Manilow with his “Live” 8-track playing in a friend’s VW (I think I’ve gotten over him, though)
70. I snore like a jackhammer!
69. I’ve seen several productions on Broadway (Les Mis, Beauty and the Beast, Big, Miss Saigon, Sunset Boulevard, Titanic)
68. I tried on second-baseman Glenn Hubbard’s glove before a Braves game in the Braves’ clubhouse
67. I saw Steve Garvey almost in the buff on a trainer’s table when he was with the Dodgers
66. Peanut M&M’s is my favorite candy
65. I’ve been fired from one job in my lifetime (1979)
64. I hate clutter
63. I don’t like overhead lighting; I prefer lamp-lit rooms
62. When leaving a room, I will go to the far light switch and shut it off so that all switches will be in same position
61. I do not like to sleep in silence; I sleep with noisy box fans
60. The furthest west I have been is Cannon Beach, Oregon. The furthest east is Manhattan
59. I’ve made three albums and have had a couple songs on the radio (you don’t know them)
58. I like to put potato chips inside my sandwich
57. When I get ready for my day, I do everything in the same exact order
56. I’ve actually sat in a Borders book store and read an entire book off their shelf while in the store café just so I wouldn’t have to buy it
55. I work better under pressure
54. I am not adept at multi-tasking
53. I’ve never been to cemetery, er, I mean, seminary
52. I prefer college football to the pro stuff (that goes for college basketball too)
51. I once lost my swim trunks while swimming in front of God and everybody (yes, I was a grown man when it happened)
50. I have never been able to lick a Tootsie Pop all the way to the middle
49. My love language is ‘words of affirmation’ (hint, hint)
48. The older in marriage I get, the more I like chick flicks
47. And the older in marriage I get (and mellower), the more I cry during chick flicks!
46. Depending on the event, I’d prefer to be on time rather than early
45. I once received a standing ovation at our town’s 4th of July parade because the float I was wheeling beside was immediately behind a veteran’s float and many thought I was injured in a war (I just waved and enjoyed the moment)
44. I typically read several books at once
43. I love D-ville, but if I could pick anywhere else to live it would be the Pacific Northwest, particularly Portland
42. I am completely worthless when it comes to staying in touch with ‘old friends’
41. Look up procrastination in a dictionary and you’ll find my mug shot
40. I often stay and watch all the ending credits scroll down after a movie
39. The first president I voted for was Ronald Reagan (1980)
38. I have voted for the winning president in five of the last seven elections
37. I am mostly a private person but interact with people quite easily
36. Counseling is my least favorite part of ministry (largely because I don’t think I’m very good at it)
35. I am an extremely good listener (which sometimes makes me a very good counselor–go figure)
34. I’ve always been a very good spellr 
33. Starbuck’s is my favorite coffee (tall peppermint, cream, and 3 Splendas: yum, yum!)
32. I’m the baby of my family (2 older sisters)
31. If I wasn’t in the ministry? I’d like to be a CSI (or a ballerina, either one)
30. I don’t know a carburetor from a fuel line so if you’re broken down on the highway at night, I’ll be the one passing by and praying for you
29. Making small talk is as undesirable as accidentally picking up the phone only to hear a telemarketer give his spiel
28. In case you didn’t know, I dislike the phone and, even worse, long phone conversations
27. I need eye contact when conversing with you; I’ll stop talking if I sense you’re done listening or if you’ve left the room but still want me to continue my story (it’ll wait ’til you get back)
26. I’m putting off reading the final novel in Jan Karon’s Mitford series because it saddens me to think these good friends will no longer be in my life
25. I’ve been journaling my Time With God for years and now have somewhere around 4000 pages of prayers, revelations and insights into Scripture
24. Some people get the heebies when fingernails scrape chalkboard…I get them when I have to touch soft corduroy
23. Though it’s almost a foregone conclusion, I sure wish Henry Aaron’s home run record would never be broken
22. Now I can’t WAIT for Barry (’the asterisk’) Bonds to lose his crown!
21. A food I will never choose in the buffet line: spinach
19. Drivers that don’t use their cruise control on the open road annoy me
18. I once got so irked with a young Deion Sanders for cutting up on the back row of a Braves chapel service, I almost called him out
17. I want to host my own Christian radio program one day or have an on-air job, either one
16. The ringtones on my phone: “Let It Rise” (Big Daddy Weave) and a special one for Sandy: “My Love” (Lionel Richie)
15. There’s nothing more despicable to me than trash in my van
14. I’m the KING of making up lovey-dovey nicknames for my wife, none of which will be shared here
13. I prefer driving to flying any day
12. I am not a ‘board-game’ kind of person
11. Never learned how to play chess; not sure I have the patience to learn—or play
10. Had God not gotten hold of my heart years ago, I was contemplating a career in acting
9. An accomplished whistler, my favorite tunes around the house are the theme from Halloween, “Dixie” and Jingle Bells (all through the year); I can also give a pretty good wolf whistle when Sandy’s around
8. Seeing “Try Jesus” bumper stickers has been known to get a jolly good rise out of me
7. I am a paraplegic since October 2, 1981
6. My internal combustion erupts whenever I hear someone say jewLEry
5. To my son’s enduring consternation I always engage the subtitle feature on a DVD so’s I don’t miss a single word of the movie’s dialogue
4. I do not like my picture being taken, but I’ll gladly take yours
3. Nor do I like to look at myself in the mirror–only long enough to ‘place’ my hairs
2. It has taken me five months to work on this list (off and on)
1. I love being married to Sandy
0. My Savior and King, Jesus Christ, is the reason I am and the love-song of my heart
Pasture, This looks great!! What changes a day can bring :-). I check often. The picture of the family looks great. Love to all, KaKa
greatings from denmark.
i was just checking some of the other wordpress sites and came across yours. i thought this was just a ‘usual’ blog but then i sawyou writing about missionaries.
it put a smile to my face.
i wish you the best in your life with christ.
Christian Sofussen.
P.S. if you check my site you will not find much yet, and i also want you to know that my band is a christian vikingmetalband.
Pastor Scott
Just read about your “laptop into the pool”, sorry to hear about that. I like reading your blog….
u say I encourage U, well, u must know that u encourage me. Sometime (years) ago u gave me a book title something like “why bad things happen to good people” or God’s people. By Jona EricksonTodda SP?-or something like that> I think I still have a copy here in the house somewhere. Was just thinking onetime years ago after i had read the book,& it was just riding around in the car with me. I went into Atlanta for court because of a traffic accident & I met a homeless lady whom I took to lunch, and I gave her that book. I later bought myself another copy. Just reflecting on sometimes when life gets difficult & i feel down, I try to reflect somewhere, someone is in a much worse place than I & that I should just praise God & pray that he’ll get me through.
Also to give you an update if you ever read an email I sent a couple of weeks ago about my sister & the whole “Goth” thing, maybe I did say soemthing right or let me rephrase that God gave me some words to say that hit home with her. She came home from school the other day & told me that she no longer cared to be somebody that she is not. So praise GOD, we no longer have to worry about her wanting to dress in all black & seem depressed!
Again Sunday’s sermon was a good one! U GO Pastor Scott…Good for u for not sugar coating the word :0) SMILE….God LOVES U!!
Hello,
I did a google search, word “encouragement” and your site came up. Wow, God bless you! He blessed me through you today. I am so touched to see God working in wonderful ways in people that we don’t even know exist. Sometimes our limited view makes us think our world is so small. Amazing! May He keep you in His loving arms and may His peace be within you today and forever more.
With His Hope and Peace,
Mary
Hey, Pastor!
Appreciate your site.
I was searching Google for references and links to my site when I found your page with the same name. Great minds… well, you know.
I’ve been adding material to SheepLaughs.com since I started it in 2000. The latest addition is a humor podcast. Please check it out for some more heavenly humor you can listen to.
God bless!
-Fred Passmore, Sheep Laughs Records
podcast: http://www.SheepLaughsComedyShow.com
site: http://www.SheepLaughs.com
Dear Scott & Family,
My love and greetings to you all. Great website! Have a wonderful Christmas.
Love,
Brett & Bonnie
Scott,
You don’t know me, but we were at Temple together. Glad to see you and your family are doing well.
Beth
May God bless you, Mary! Thank you for reading. I am grateful you “stumbled” on my blog, as it has helped me find the wonderful writings on “The Rooftop”. The pursuit of God…that’s the journey I’m on. Thank you for taking the time to graciously share into my life. Bless you!
In His LIFE,
Scott
May God bless you, Fred, for taking the time to write and encourage. I have already been to your site and must say was glad for the connection. The things you are offering to the church are wonderful! I will keep in touch…in the meantime, thanks again. It was an honor to hear from you…
In His LIFE,
Scott
How great to hear from you, my friend, my “Fort Bluff” pal! Thank you for your visit(s) and I wish you and yours a blessed holy-days. And for taking the time to write, Brett, I thank you. Glad you are out there still being a blessing!
In His LIFE and love,
Scott
Thank you, Beth! I so appreciate your visiting the site and trust that Christ will be real and wonderful to you and yours in these glorious days.
Glad we shared the years at Temple, they will never be forgotten to me and I thank God for His grace in letting me experience it.
In His LIFE,
Scott
Found you while doing some Barna article research. Your ‘More dying’ article excites, and saddens me. Excited to know others are talking/writing about this central truth of the christian life. Saddened that it is such a negelected, hidden, message.
No wonder His body is so weak.
Might I possbily have permission to reprint and pass-on this entry (dec 5th, 2006.)
You might like to visit my pastor friend’s site: http://www.dyingchurch.com
Just as we are called to die, perhaps the church needs to take up her cross and learn to die, also.
Blessings — N Craig Johnson
With my blessings, Mr. Johnson, please, please feel free to use the article(s) at your discretion. You will never know how encouraged I am by a brother with whom this dying truth resonates and through whom it lives on! I am humbled, truly, and am honored by your interest. Please write anytime. Thank you for taking the time to spur me on to love and good deeds–and to die a greater death for His glory!
Bless you!
Scott
P.S. I will look forward to seeing your pastor friend’s site. Thank you for sharing it with me and for the others who read here.
Thanks for your willingness to freely share, that which He so freely gives.
I’ve reformatted your article into pamphlet form. If you’d like a copy (for easy printing and hand-out, which I’d strongly encourage you in, as this is a central truth that is badly neglected here in the west, to His church’s great detriment) feel free to email me at my personal mail (you have it on your log I assume.)
I’ve pamphlet formatted a couple of my friend Darryl’s articles (www.dyingchurch.com) that also might interest you.
Blessings in this fight for death, that we might show His life — NcJ
Toronto, Canada
Hello my friend, N Craig!
Absolutely I would love to get a copy of the hand-out(s)! You are most kind! I will be emailing you shortly!
With you in this arena, for the cause and sake of Christ,
Scott
Hi “Pasture” Scott,
I came across your website while hunting for the quote from the martyred African pastor. (I did find it, thank you!) I was so blessed by the things about Whitefield you wrote on that same page. I noticed on your “about me” page that you mentioned you are a paraplegic. I am blessed to have the opportunity to be involved with our local chapter of Joni & Friends. They put on a luncheon every year for the mothers of special needs children. Being a hostess at that event has been such a blessing in my life! They always have an inspirational speaker at the event as well. We are four hours south of Portland (but still in Oregon!), so if you ever decide to travel this way, do it in March, and I know the JAF chapter would love to have you speak at our luncheon! (if you’d be willing!) Until then, you can count on me to check in on your site now and then.
Blessings,
Kerrie, my Sister in Christ!
How kind of you to write. Glad we got that quote thing taken care of :-). I am very familiar with JAF–I have even spoken at a number of their functions and conferences through the years, though it has been quite a while. I recall speaking at Cannon Beach in Oregon about 12-15 years ago…wonderful memories!
May the Lord continue to extend His hands and voice through you as you serve Him in this most noble work! I really do hope to see you in your beautiful country some March. Thank you for encouraging me today, and thanks for checking in from time to time.
Blessings,
Scott
Hey Pastor scott, Just saying hi
Hi Jessica, my beautiful young friend! You don’t know what it means to have you “drop in” and say hello. Hope you return…if not, hey, I’ll see you at the River!
Scott -
Can you back up your assertion about the origin of the Fellowship of the Unashamed” as 1966 and the FCA?
I’m researching a malignant variant of it used within the sales force of Mary Kay Cosmetics … significantly, one part they omit is “I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits or popularity. I don’t have to be right, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded.”
And cheap giving changes to “cheap LIVING”.
It’s a totally prosperity theology oriented creed by the time they are through with it.
Lazy Gardens, I see your point and that is just plain awful! I can tell you I found its alleged background in the comments section at this link: http://advancinghiskingdom.wordpress.com/2005/10/25/fellowship-of-the-unashamed/
The commenter’s father was (again, allegedly) one of the signees of the document.
I’ll be praying for the matter to be set straight and this malignancy to be carved out at its root.
Hello
I just wanted to say HELLOOOOOOOO!
and i will see you at the river!
I LOVE YOU MY PASTOR!
LOVE, JESSICA OBERMEYER
And hellooooo back you you, my dear Jessica!
I love you, too!
And you made my day!
Aloha from Hawaii–
It’s great to read your blog and see what God is doing in you and through you. “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you…” (Phil. 1:3)
I wish you well, my friend.
Jeff Maguire
Aloha, Jeff! Hawaii?!? Oh, I’m jealous…
Glad you’re still alive, kicking, and making waves!
Hang ten, dude (just for me)
Hey Scotty–
Let me know if you guys will be coming out this way sometime. Would love to be your most gracious host.
Take care and God bless.
Jeff
HAWAII???
Are you kidding? We’re there, man…
Hmmm, next year is our 25th…
(Thanks Jeff!)
Hey, that would be a great anniversary gift.
Prayer request–Funds needed for Israel trip for October.
Mahalo!
Jeff
Say, I noticed that your favorite book was “God’s smuggler” by Brother Andrew. What a book, it is one of my favorites. Years ago, we were blessed to be able to take a trip through there ministry.
Grace to you,
Richard
And yet something else we have in common, Richard! I cannot tell you how many times I’ve read it. I actually saw Brother Andrew minister at a recent conference via GodTV. It was such a blessing!
Praise God !
Also that book “Hard to believe” is really good.
59. I’ve made three albums and have had a couple songs on the radio (you don’t know them)
Really?!?
Come on now…
Send me a link or sumthin’!
J. Thomas
#59 It’s true !! I have all three Albums. One of mine is a signed copy. Although, I never heard them on the radio.
And from what I understand they are all sold out.
Scott
#5 Poor Graham, I can’t read the subtitles and listen.
Pastor,
I wanted to send the love I’m feeling this Christmas to my daughter, so I was searching the web tonight for a jpg to match my feeling. I searched jpg’s of the nativity…the Christ child…ah ha…”Shepherd.” And, thus I found your site.
And, I am grateful. Your insight on the “Invasion” of Christmas was wonderful. Bottom line is I feel better after reading your site. I needed the correction and the ministry tonight more than I realized. Also, when you truly do love the Lord, it’s hard to find people who will listen to you talk about Him. They listen and then tune you out. But, you, it seems, are always tuned in. So, when I need another dose of God’s love, I’ll return to your site. Thanks. And, although I DID pay attention to the fact that you are paralyzed, it was strength you gave to me tonight. May you and your family have a Blessed Christmas.
where you been? everything ok?
Hey Nancy!
How nice of you to come over to my neck of the woods! And your words have inspired this writer to get back to the business of writing! I have been completely uninspired for several weeks but I think the Lord just used you to encourage me. Bless you! Leff? Leff? I knew a Leff family in Winston-Salem once upon a…might you be of the NC Leffs?
Blessings!
Kris,
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I feel your concern all over those words. Bless you! I am very well, thank you, mostly busy with ministry, but completely uninspired to write. Guess this wall I’ve hit is just a winter season…not a lot on top but a lot going on underneath…
Thank you again for your kindness and being a part of my family!
Scott, I heard you in chapel back in my TTU days (late eighties) and you spoke on II Corinthians 4:8-18 (5 Reasons Not To Quit). It made quite an impact on a young college student. I know this is crazy, but do you keep your sermon notes that you’ve preached? I wrote some cryptic notes in the margin of my Bible, but I would love to get any notes you might have from that message (20 years later - I’m not holding my breath or anything).
It’s good to see that you are still going strong for the Lord.
In Him,
Mark Benson
Chattanooga, TN
Hey and Greetings, Mark! I remember that chapel service well and it still holds some of my fondest memories! Imagine: a grad of TTU being able to go back and preach the back to school revival at his alma mater! Can you imagine anything more special? As to the notes, I will search and get them to you…I’m sure I have them somewhere, might even have the notes in an old Bible. May God bless you. You were so kind to write and you blessed me in the Lord today. Yes, by God’s grace alone, I am still in the fight until the Day!
First of all I greet you in Jesus name. I visited your website and be pleased with it. Now if it can be possible we can have a Partnership with you. This will be a blessing to our Nations and even to you. I hope the Holy spirit will explain more to you as you continue to think about it. God bless you.
Pastor Ruramutswa john from Rwanda kigali.
Phon. +250 08739653
Grneral secretary Birori clement
phon. +25008453840