Great Day.....

Today was a crazy but fun day! Got to work, check out messages, emails and all that fun stuff! By the way, the building is moving along and things are coming together! The children’s area is going to be unbelievable!!

Today I got the opportunity to hang out with John Flowers and David hall! Two of Ignite’s leaders! These guys have a passion for students. We rode to Clemson to interview some potential leaders and we ate at a place called Anchous (spelling wrong!!) I ate a sandwich called “BlackJack”! It was awesome!! John Flowers hooked us all up with some Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream; I had the “Chunky Monkey.” GREAT! Only bad part of the trip was that I got a parking ticket for $10. I was 5 minutes late to money in the meter and there was already a ticket! Hello!!!!! It takes longer than 5 minutes to write a ticket! Oh well.

Got back to the office to meet with the Ignite staff! What a great meeting we had. We planned out the service for this week and next week! It was awesome. These people have some great minds and a passion for our students to learn the truth of Jesus Christ! WOW! Tomorrow is the kickoff for Campus Groups at 7 PM! Things are rolling!

Now, I am at home and chillin! What a productive day! I am now going to leave and eat an awesome dinner with my AWESOME wife! Peace!

Busy.....

So I have taken a little break for a while!  So busy and so much to do!  Highlight of my day: leading an 8th grader to Christ on the phone!  YES, on the phone!  How wild is that!  Thursday, I am going to have lunch with him!  How awesome!  By the way, NewSpring moves in tour NEW building this Sunday!  It is going to be awesome.  See you there!

Today had Financial Peace class, Basketball game at 8:30.  Didn’t get there until halftime and they are down 16-21.  Come back and win 46-36!  Go NewSpring!  Great game in the 2nd Half!  Now, time to go to bed!  

Florence for a Day.....

I said I was going to post about my trip to Florence, which I have been really slack on, but here goes for the highlights:

Tuesday:

• Ate lunch with my former pastor, Kevin Qualls; Barry Moon, my good friend and cohort in crime, and Johnny McDaniel, new minister at FBC Florence. It was a great lunch and time of fellowship. I spent a good bit of time with Barry talking about all the things that were going on at the church and with his family. Deanna and I are very close to his whole family, Donna, Brittany, and Kara. It is always a blessing to spend time with him because I always walk away with a smile on my face and encouraged!


• Spent sometime with Danny Meetze, Youth Pastor at Calvary Baptist, and Brian Timney, Youth Pastor at Southside Baptist. These guys were “My Crew” for my time in Florence. We partnered in ministry for many different events! Solid Guys doing some solid ministry in Florence! Keep it up guys!


• FMU BCM…..What can I say? What a blast! The food was great, the fellowship even better, worship was awesome! Got to spend time with Kendal Danford, who has to be the best BCM Director in the state of South Carolina. Also spent some time with some of MY BOYS, Grant Lyerly and Cam Shepherd. (I drove 3 hours to hand out with them and Cam punked me for some girl he is hitting on! WRONG!!) These guys are solid and are going to make a huge impact on the world!! I always enjoyed being able to preach to that group! I spoke about living the UNSAFE LIFE. Going to where Jesus calls, doing what Jesus says, and saying what Jesus tells you to! God worked through the whole night (7 students accepted Christ! PRAISE THE LORD!)

Wednesday:

• Slept a little late got up and ate breakfast with my mom! She is the best!!! It was an awesome time to just hang out with my mom! I am so thankful that I have such a good relationship with my mom and dad, that we can just hang out and spend time together!


• Visited with Mammy, my grandmother on my dad’s side! My grandmother is the definition on Southern belle. Loves her husband, her children, her grandchildren, and loves life!


• Ate lunch with Warren, Kristie, and Chandler Merck at Redbone Alley! (Side note: if you are ever in Florence got to Redbone Alley, you will not be disappointed! Great atmosphere, great food!) I love this family! They have a son named Chesley, who is a royal pain in the b%#t, just kidding, who is an awesome young man! Chandler is the young lady that I posted about in HELPLESSNESS!?!?!?!? This lunch was someone of the lunches that just puts your life into perspective. I got the full story of what happened, the events leading up to the accident, the events afterwards, everything! To hear all of it and then to look on the faces of the family and see them smile, blessed my heart! They could not stop praising God for the miracle of saving Chandler! I heard a father talk of his love for his children, a mother talk about how precious time is with her children, a daughter talk about her thankfulness for her brother! WOW! Warren and Kristie, you are an example to me of how much I should love my children and how I should try to raise them! Thank you for your example and allowing Deanna and I to be a part of your lives and family! We love you! I spent sometime encouraging Chandler and telling her how excited I was that God performed this miracle in her life. I told her that God had something special planned for her and was going to use this event in her life to reach people in an amazing way. Needless, to say, this lunch changed my perspective on life! God allowed me to spend time with this family to be blessed! I wanted to be a blessing to them, but I got so much more than they got from me!

That is about it! What a great day and a half!

God, thank you for allowing me to experience some awesome stuff (salvations, miracles, blessings)! Use my life that I might be a vessel of hope and praise to others!

My Pastor......

Do me a favor and head on over to PerryNoble.com to check out this post!!

By the way, I love the fact that he communicates with his staff in such a clear way.  I am so thankful that Perry is my pastor!  

MOVING DAY.....

Today was awesome!  It was move in day at the new offices for NewSpring!  That place is amazing!  I love it over there!  What a great place to be a part of!  

I am going to be posting about my trip to Florence a little later!  Too busy to get my thoughts down!  One highlight of the trip was I got to eat lunch with the young lady, Chandler, that I posted about in my post titled HELPLESS!?!?!?!.  Tell you about it later!  It rocked my world!

Tomorrow.....

Tomorrow, I get to travel back to Florence, SC.  I have been invited to come and speak for the Francis Marion University Baptist Campus Ministry!  I spent a lot of time pouring into some students there and I look forward to getting to see some of them again!  Please pray that God would speak through me to them in a clear and relevant way!  I also look forward to spending time with Kendal Danford, the Campus Minister at FMU.  This man has a passion for college students and seeing them grow in their walk with Christ!  I am always encouraged by my time with him and always seem to learn a few things as well!

Also, I am going to catch lunch with my former pastor!  Should be a great trip to Florence, SC, although a little short!  I will post how it went a little later!

HELPLESS!?!?!?

Tuesday, I received many phone calls letting me know about an accident that one of my former youth was in while on a ski trip. Of course, my heart went out to her and her family! As it is with most situations, the story always gets a little messed up and I am sure that there were “many” different versions of the story floating around. Regardless, when I heard, I felt helpless!

Needless to say, I feel that when something goes wrong, I want to find the quickest solution and “fix” the problem (I am a guy and that is the way we think)! Well, I could not do a thing in this situation! I could not do anything, nothing, nada (you get the point)!

That was until I realized that I could ask my heavenly father to intervene. I could actually pour my heart out to God! WOW! I could do something, I could pray for the young girl and her family, the doctors and nurses!

**By the way, I was in a meeting when I received the call, I went back in and told the people about the situation. Their response was amazing! They stopped the meeting and we prayed! We collectively asked God to intervene! Thank you Michael, Sandy, and Meredith for being an awesome team to work with! You rock!**

Needless to say, the young lady is doing fine and it going to recover! Was it because of anything tangible that we could do? No, it was the wonderful working power of our Lord and Savior.

God, thank you for being the God that is totally in control. Thank you, for being the God that desires for his children to pour our hearts out to him! Thank you, for being the God that listens! Thank you God that we are NOT helpless in any situation, we can pour our hearts out to you! You are amazing!

New Year’s Resolutions.....

We make resolutions because we recognize a need, but it requires action and commitment!

If you made a New Year’s resolution, take action and keep the commitment!  If you know that you need to get in shape, don’t just join the gym and never go.  Commit to getting in shape, by going and working out!  (Can you guess what my resolution is?)

Ending 2005....

Last post of 2005…What a great year, with so many twists and turns.  At the beginning of 2005 I was in Gatlinburg, TN with a group of 50 from Florence, SC.  I hold so many great memories of my time in Florence.  Deanna and I were able to serve some of the most awesome students and families!  Although, I would have never thought that to begin 2006, I would be transitioned to Anderson, SC to serve as the Middle School Pastor at NewSpring Church.  What a great opportunity to serve with the greatest pastor, Perry Noble, and greatest team of staff members!

God, thank you for your provision and love!  You continue to amaze me!

Have a great 2006!  It is going to be awesome!  Also what a way to open 2006 by going to worship tomorrow morning with the body of Christ!

Why.....

Sometimes I wonder why we do the things we do.  What are the reasons that we do some things, not all of the things that we do are bad, not all of the things that we do are good.  Why do we have the jobs we have?  Why do we play the sports we play?  Why do we wash the clothes a certain way?  Why do we have to have the fan running when we are asleep, but need 50 blankets to keep us warm?  

Why did I spend all day working on the FUSEBOX (youth hangout for the NewSpring Church Student Ministry)?  I did not HAVE to, I was not required to do it, but…I wanted to!  I want to be a part of something that will have an impact on people; I want to make a difference in the lives of people!  I want to be a part of God’s work, if that means working on a youth hangout by spackling holes, vacuuming the floor, painting the walls, taking out the trash, then…let’s get to it!

There are things in your life, which you do because you want to, you have a passion to do! Let me encourage you, do it!  Be passionate about the things that God works in your heart about!  I do not know what that is or will be, but what a way to spend your time!

Perspective.....

Take time to read this article: Family, Colts, friends mourn James Dungy on ESPN.com.  Helps put things in perspective in what should come first in our lives: God, Family, Others (Jobs, etc).  Also pray for the Tony Dungy, he is a man of faith and believes in Jesus Christ!

Up Early.....(Not to Bad)

This morning I woke up early, which most of the time is awful!  I do not like getting up early at all!  This morning was GREAT!  My wife woke me up with her soft voice (by the way, my wife is AWESOME).  I got a shower and then fixed breakfast for us.  Not elaborate, scrambled eggs and toast with strawberry preserves, but very good, if I say so myself.  Then checked out some blogs, news, etc.  I am now off to take my great friend to the doctor’s office for a checkup.  Anyway, all that to say, I hope that you have a great morning!  

John 3:30, “He must become greater; I must become less.”  What a powerful verse!  I wake up early and get to be slapped in the face with the reality of God powerful presence!  Thank you God for loving us so much that you desire to spend time with each one of us!  

Long Time.....

It has been a long time since I posted on my blog. There has been a lot that has happen since my last post! Too much to catch up on a post, but I hope I stay up to date on my blog.

Merry Christmas (belated) and Happy New Year!

Pic of Lick a foot

Pic is worth a thousand words!

South Carolina 16, Tennessee 15

What? South Carolina wins? Are you kidding me? What a game t in Knoxville! Steve Spurrier had an unbelievable coaching game. The players played great! The offensive freshmen stepped up huge – Sidney Rice (8 catches for 112 yards, 2 touchdowns), Kenny McKinnley. Blake Mitchell (22-of-36 for 242 yards, 2 touchdowns) played like an upperclassman! Ko Simpson laid some huge hits on the UT players! Josh Brown kicked a 49 yard field goal to wn the game! The defense stopped UT each time they needed to! Great win! Offically in sole position of 3rd place in the SEC East! Great job Gamecocks!

If any body has the video of the game, please post a comment to let me know! I was unable to watch because Deanna and I were working on our new home (painting, sanding, etc.) What a great game to listen to on the radio!

Lick a foot?

Last night at FUSE, we had a great night! We had 135 students and 28 adult leaders there! It was a great night. Perry Noble came and gave a great message! He laid it down and the kids were so in tune with it!

Before we got the night started we played a game of "EAT or DON'T EAT." Basically we show a close up picture of something and then ask "EAT or DON'T EAT" One of the pictures was of a blistered foot! It was gross!!! The most unbelievable thing was that we had a girl take the challenge that she would lick the foot! YES, she licked the blistered foot! WOW! I still can't get that picture out of my head!

What a great night! Lots of fun!

IGNITE

Wow! What a night we had last night at IGNITE! The energy was through the roof, kids were bouncing off the walls! Leaders were interacting with the students, we had guests observing, new students attending for the first time, and so much more.

For the message, I shared a gospel message with the students of IGNITE and the Spirit was moving. We had 19 students raise thier hands to accept Christ! I was blown away! Afterwards, I was at the back of the the room and got to see so many of our adult leaders sharing with the students who accepted Christ. My heart was moved by this opportunity for the leaders to minister to the students on a personal level and to see students come into the kingdom of God!

Thank you Jesus for allowing us to experience you in a great way last night!

Save the world!

John 3:17 "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world thorugh him."

Now when I read this scripture I wonder if the emphasis should be "NOT" (with a little bit of raised voice when you read it!). God's focus was not condemation, but salvation of the people out of His GREAT love for us. Which makes me ponder, what should be my focus in life?

Last night, I shared the gospel with our High School students at FUSE and used John 3:16 as the focal passage. We were blessed to have a young lady accept Christ love for her for the first time! Thank Jesus!

Community

First of all, I am sorry that it has been so long since I have posted on this blog. No excuses; except, we have had some internet problems, really busy, etc. Great news in that everything is going smoothly with the home purchase. So far, there have been no glitches in the home inspections, things are being fixedp and put in place to close on Oct. 28th! Deanna and I will spend the week painting and doing some little things around the house. On Nov. 4, Ellis Transfer and Strorage will bring all our stuff up to move in!

Well, the post title said community, but I had to give a little update! Tonight, I am teaching at FUSE on Biblical Community, as we prepare to start LIFE Crews. LIFE Crews is the small group ministry of the puzzle at FUSE. Our theme verse for LIFE Crews is 1 Thessalonians 2:8, "We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you onto only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us." Here is our logo for LIFE Crews:

Tonight is going to be fun, so please be praying for me that I speak straight from the heart of God and that they hear the importance of fellowship with each other!

Lectio Divina

Last night at FUSE, we did something a little different. Jonathan taught the students the spiritual discipline of Lectio Divina, meaning "a slow, contemplative praying of the Scriptures which enables the Bible, the Word of God, to become a means of union with God."

Below you will see the steps for Lectio Divina, but allow me to say that last night was powerful! Not only to see students looking to God’s word to speak to them, but to hear over 120 students and over 25 leaders praying together was awesome! The best way to describe it was a holy roar or holy rumble! I praise God that he is sooo big that He hears all our prayers and knows us by name! Thank you God, for loving us so much that you desire to communicate with us through prayer and your Word!

Here are the steps to Lectio Divina for a group setting:

Listening for the Gentle Touch of the Word

1. One person reads aloud (twice) the passage of scripture, as others are attentive to some segment that is especially meaningful to them.

2. Silence for 1-2 minutes. Each hears and silently repeats a word or phrase that attracts.

3. Sharing aloud: [A word or phrase that has attracted each person]. A simple statement of one or a few words. No elaboration.

How the Word speaks to ME

4. Second reading of same passage by another person.

5. Silence for 2-3 minutes. Reflect on "Where does the content of this reading touch my life today?"

6. Sharing aloud: Briefly: "I hear, I see..."

What the Word Invites me to DO

7. Third reading by still another person.

8. Silence for 2-3 minutes. Reflect on "I believe that God wants me to . . . . . . today/this week."

9. Sharing aloud: at somewhat greater length the results of each one's reflection. [Be especially aware of what is shared by the person to your left or right.]

10. After full sharing, pray for the person to your left or right.