Archive for January, 2008
This Weekend & Are You STUCK In Life? January 31, 2008
OK everyone–don’t forget that for this weekend only we moved our Sunday night services to Saturday night. So…what does that mean? Simple…
- This Saturday - 5:00pm and 6:45pm
- This Sunday - 9:15am and 11:15 am
- This Sunday Night - NO PM SERVICES! Why? The Super Bowl commercials, of course!
We will go back to our normal Sunday services the following week as we will deal with being stuck in life…
One of the most miserable times of my life was back in 2005 when I nearly died from some surgical complications. Get this–the worse part WASN’T the hospital. It WASN’T the hospital food! It WASN’T the dude who came in at 5:00 AM to get blood from me when I was PERFECTLY ASLEEP! (Really, I’m not bitter!)
The worse part about the whole thing was when I came home and had to sit around the house and…do…NOTHING! I could not drive. I could not go to the office. I could not go for a run. I could not go and workout. I was under strict doctors orders to take it easy…and ‘Cretia was making sure I didn’t do a thing I wasn’t supposed to.
I WANTED TO SCREAM…I felt hopeless, like I was wasting time…I FELT STUCK! I knew there was so much more to life than sitting around in my boxers and playing PSII (for some of you single guys–read that again–seriously) and I wanted to get OUT of the condition I was IN!
I meet so many people who feel the same in regards to their life as I felt about during that time…they feel that they are STUCK, like they KNOW there is SOMETHING they should be doing in life–they know that the life they are living is NOT the life they always dreamed about–yet they have no idea as to what to do about it. They feel sort of helpless–like they are STUCK!
Starting next weekend (February 10) we are beginning a brand new series here at NewSpring Church entitled, “Stuck.” I believe, according to John 10:10 and Jeremiah 29:11 (and hundreds of other passages in Scripture) that Jesus didn’t create us to be STUCK.
We all have a God given purpose, a divine calling…and Paul said in Acts 17:26-27 that God actually the time that we are on the earth so that we might actually find Him and His calling for our lives…in other words, you and I were born with God given potential…and many of us are not that far away from living the life we were created to live.
I am so excited about this new series–trust me, it will be one worth getting your friends to attend with you. I am praying that God will seriously disturb us in the series…and as a result HIS kingdom will forcefully advance because many of us FINALLY embrace the life He designed us for!
Oh yeah…this WEEKEND is going to be amazing too!!!
Charisse Update January 30, 2008
First of all–a HUGE thank you to everyone who e-mailed in today to let me know that you guys were praying for our little girl. Seriously, I there is no way words could express the gratitude that ‘Cretia and I have for your willingness to lift us up.
Charisse is doing VERY WELL! YEAH GOD! The knot on her head is completely gone…and seriously, that is a miracle, last night it just seemed HUGE…and when I got her out of bed this morning–it was not nearly as big…and then when I got home this afternoon it was gone!
‘Cretia and I went out on a date tonight…and when we got home I was able to spend about 30 minutes, just daddy/daughter time. We listened to music…she LOVES the oldies, her favorites being, “Johnny B. Good, Rockin’ Robin, Shake, Rattle & Roll and Rock Around The Clock.” THEN we played in the floor and I had fun listening to her giggle as I tickled her. DANG…I love my little girl.
Lucretia and I just put her to bed…and yes, I sang songs to her, although she didn’t seem to appreciate them as much tonight, not sure why…maybe she’s finally realizing I have a terrible voice!
If you are reading this on Wednesday evening and could pray for ‘Cretia to sleep well I would REALLY appreciate it. Needless to say she did not sleep well last night (Tuesday) and we are hoping and praying that tonight will be very restful for her.
Thanks again to everyone for the prayers and encouragement…if she is ANYTHING like me then I am sure we need to begin some sort of tab at the ER!!! (Please continue to pray she is MORE like ‘Cretia!!!)
We Just Got Back From The ER With Charisse!!! January 29, 2008
I am sitting in my study at home trying to gather my thoughts AND get my stomach out of the knot it is currently in. Lucretia and I had to take Charisse to the ER tonight and I experienced just about every emotion that a human being can go through!
Tonight was going pretty well–I got home and went for a walk with the girls…then we came back to the house and ‘Cretia began getting supper ready while I changed clothes. We sometimes put Charisse in a “bumpo” seat on the counter while we cook in the kitchen so she can be in there with us.
‘Cretia was literally two steps away from her placing something in the garbage can when our little girl decided to see what it would be like to try and jump out of her chair. ‘Cretia saw her out of the corner of her eye flying out of her seat but could not get to her and she literally fell three and a half feet onto our hardwood floors - I actually heard the thud on the other end of the house.
(’Cretia is still freaked out by the fact that she saw her completely parallel to the ground and then hit it hard!)
We picked her up and she let out a blood curling scream. We checked her all over to see if anything was broken or dislocated (remember that ‘Cretia is a doctor) and everything seemed to be ok…but ‘Cretia said that we needed to get a CT scan because of the way her head hit the ground. (AND also because of the knot that was developing on her head.)
We went to the ER and finally made it back to a room…at this point Charisse was becoming a little more irritable–and we were not sure if it was because she was tired or because she might be in pain.
They finally got her back for a CT scan…and she freaked out. They placed her on a little stretcher like thing and asked me to leave the room…so I stood outside and listened to my daughter scream…which was the first point during the entire night I struggled to not cry. I felt completely helpless…and the reality is–I WAS! I had to pray out loud, “OK God, I say You are Sovereign, now I’ve got to live like I believe it!”
They finally opened the doors and brought her out and we took her back to her room. There I held her and she decided it was time to cuddle with her daddy…which just about made me cry again. We sat there and waited for the CT results–which didn’t take very long at all.
The doctor (who was wonderful by the way) came in and said, “She has a little skull fracture, BUT, it is nothing to be concerned about, no swelling on her brain–and the fracture will heal itself.”
Now…just being honest, I am not completely sure the first words out of his mouth should have been something related to “skull fracture” because that FREAKED me out! BUT…when ‘Cretia didn’t melt down I figured I shouldn’t either.
After the doctor left Charisse decided it was time to play…and she began to laugh and be her normal self, which made me feel so much better. Tonight when we put her to bed I hugged her a little tighter, gave her a few extra kisses…and slowed down the singing of “Jesus Loves Me” and “Jesus Loves The Little Children.” (Her two FAVORITE songs!)
I don’t really know what to say. I am SO thankful that God watched out for her. I am SO thankful that she didn’t fall directly onto her head. I am SO thankful for the friends that I shot a text message/e-mail to that began praying for her. I am SO thankful for God’s goodness to us.
I would ask that you please continue to pray for her–that her little head would heal up nicely. And please pray for ‘Cretia as well as she can still see the image in her mind of her falling to the ground–NOT a memory a mother wants to hold onto!
I know this isn’t the only trip we will ever take to the ER! AND…I know this isn’t the only time that something bad will happen to my little girl that is totally beyond my control. I have to continue to rely on the fact that before she was my daughter she belonged to HIM…and she isn’t actually “my” daughter, she’s just on loan from the ULTIMATE FATHER…and HE’S GOT HER IN THE PALM OF HIS HANDS!
Whew…that’s about it, I hope we sleep tonight. The doctor told us to wake her up around 2:00 to make sure she is doing alright…I will keep you posted on how she is doing.
What I Wish Someone Would Have Told Me (Part Three) January 29, 2008
It’s been awhile since I’ve blogged about this–here is my first and second posts on it if you forgot…
#3 - You Cannot Take People To A Place You’ve Never Been!
One of the things that I like to do is travel…but whenever I go somewhere new I am a little anxious because, well, I’ve never been there! (Duh!) However, the next time I go I am a little more relaxed and feel comfortable in giving direction to those around me. The same is true with my calling to ministry!
One of the mistakes I believe church planters/pastors often make is that we want our churches to go on incredible journeys with God–yet we are not personally on going on an incredible journey with God. We want to see our people grow closer to Jesus–yet we aren’t growing closer to Jesus.
And that just won’t work!
If you want God to lead your church to new places then you’ve got to understand that He wants to take you there first. If you want your church to get a fresh word from God then you need to beg Him for a fresh word for yourself.
If we are not being faithful in our personal walk with Christ then how in the world are we ever going to hear His voice in regards to the direction of the church and messages. I personally believe if we would spend more time on our faces before God and less time on the internet searching for sermon illustrations that God would continue to rock our worlds–AND the people in our church!
#4 - Have Fun!
Seriously, Christians (especially pastors/church leaders) are known for lots of things–but having fun is not one of them!
Ministry is TOUGH…and if we don’t take time to pull away and just have fun we can easily think that life is supposed to be miserable and difficult…and those who aren’t experiencing those things are “just in some sort of sinful lifestyle!”
One of the things the Lord has been revealing to me lately is that I need to have more fun…and so both in my personal life and my life at the church I am planning more things so that I can actually enjoy this life and ministry He has given me.
What’s in the works staff wise? Not sure…but I am seriously thinking about a HUGE staff dodge ball game! Yes, EVERYONE would be required to play–AND seriously, it could get very violent with as many competitive people as we have!!! (Staff members–YES, I am serious!)
Personally? I looking at going to Atlanta to drive a race car soon!!! (PRAY!) Also, I am probably going to be traveling to the ATL to see a comedian…never been to a live comedy show. AND I have a few other things in mind as well.
If what Jesus said in John 10:10 is true then Christians should be the most joyful, excited and FUN people on the planet–ESPECIALLY church leaders!!!
SO…what are you going to do for fun?
BTW–whenever I read Matthew 17:24-30 I laugh because I think this was Jesus having fun (AND yes, He was teaching an unforgettable lesson!!!)
My Bible Journey January 28, 2008
Here we go…
- Philippians 1:6 - God has reminded me of this verse so many times…if HE began the work, HE will complete it!
- Philippians 1:15-18 - Paul didn’t care HOW Christ was preached! Wonder if he would have been liked in blog world? :-)
- Philippians 1:21 - THIS attitude is amazing! You literally cannot scare or intimidate a man with this attitude.
- Philippians 2:3-4 - God wants our motives to be loving Him first and loving others next!
- Philippians 2:5-11 - This passage gets me every time–JESUS CHRIST is amazing!
- Philippians 2:14 - I need to apply this verse to my life more often!
- Philippians 3:2 - Looks like Paul knew what it was like to battle people who were more obsessed with religion and rituals than Jesus! 2,000 years later and some things never change…
- Philippians 3:7 - Paul abandoned religion for Jesus–we should as well.
- Philippians 3:10-14 - In order to be a fully devoted follower of Christ we have to forget our past and look to our future.
- Philippians 3:16 - If Christians would simply apply this verse I believe the world would be a much better place! (BUT…we often negate this command with the “spiritual deception” of saying we want to go “deeper,” yet we aren’t even doing the things God has already revealed to us–CRAZY!
- Philippians 4:6-7 - I am commanded not to be anxious about anything…and the way to combat worry is through thanksgiving.
- Philippians 4:8 - What I think about matters to God!
- Philippians 4:13 - Everything pretty much means EVERYTHING!
- Philippians 4:19 - This verse has always been key for me in regards to be completely surrendering my finances to Jesus.
- Philippians 4:20 - I am desperately praying that my life will reflect this verse…always.
Sunday Night Reflections January 27, 2008
I am sitting in my study at home trying to wrap my mind around the events that took place at church today. Words cannot describe how I felt about all four services - I am always blown away when God moves the way He did…saying that, here are a few thoughts…
- We had over 70 people stand and receive Christ today–and it was one of THE most moving invitations we’ve ever had.
- Today we celebrated the Lord’s Supper…and to see thousands of people pray, “Not my will but yours be done” out loud was incredible.
- I will never–EVER–forget singing, “Amazing Grace/My Chains Are Gone,” for some reason I felt like it REALLY took on new meaning for so many people today.
- So many people told me that they felt today was one of the best services we’ve ever had at NewSpring Church–I agree…and, as I always say–I can’t WAIT to see what happens next.
- My voice is absolutely fried. Whenever I take a week off and then come back the next week it usually takes my voice three days to recover.
- Some neighbors have some puppies they want to give away…I want one–but ‘Cretia doesn’t. So, being the man that I am and being the leader that God has called me to be I told her exactly what we’re going to do and she listened!!! (Uh–we’re not getting the puppy!)
- DON’T FORGET…NEXT WEEKEND ONLY we are moving Sunday night to Saturday night–same times, but different night. (Did I mention it was for one week only–we will go back to our normal schedule the following week!)
- Why are we doing that? Duh…the Super Bowl! You may not watch the game…but the commercials rock!
- I am not sure where ‘Cretia and I are going to watch the game…but…I have a RULE!!! I literally want to WATCH the game!!! I can’t stand going somewhere to watch a game and everyone wants to talk over the game! AHHHHHH! GO OUTSIDE!
- Unleash is continuing to gain steam! I can’t wait! Seriously, we want you to come…and bring as many people as you can with you.
- Today I was holding Charisse up in the air and laughing and she threw up–IN MY MOUTH! More about that later…
- I heard a rumor that Jeff Kapusta and some of his crew were at our services tonight…and that he and Daryl are going to join us for our SMT meeting tomorrow. I LOVE Jeff…and I love what God is doing through his church–great story!
- The girls basketball team that I am helping to coach is STILL undefeated (6-0) and has TWO games this week…one on Thursday night and the other on Saturday morning. GO PINK!!! (They wear the brightest pink shirts I’ve ever seen…if they would get one for me I would totally wear it!!!)
- I preached a wedding this weekend and loved it. I have a tradition of trying to find Lucretia in the audience anytime I officiate a wedding and try to wink at her–every time I do a wedding I remember April 8 of 2000 when the doors opened and I saw her…it took my breath away…she was more radiant that I had ever seen her…and she’s still just as beautiful today!
That’s it for now–this is going to be an exciting week–can’t wait!!!
Bed Head & A Really Cute Daughter… January 25, 2008
The other morning I woke up from a rough night of sleep and ‘Cretia was laughing at the fact that I had a SERIOUS case of bed head going on…here’s the picture to prove it!
AND…it may just be me…but after this picture was taken I had to have a serious talk with my daughter about the fact that she needs to wear much longer skirts!!! No worries though…she has agreed to allow me to always pick out her clothes when she gets older.
