White men can jump!

This is Super Burger in Paoli,IN...apparently it is the home of caucasian basketball. I also went through Larry Bird's hometown French Lick! Love the journey!

Hitting the Slopes

I'm off for another adventure this weekend. I'll be hitting the slopes for the very first time in Indiana. I'm excited about the new experience. Of course the road trip has me pumped up too! This will make 9 states in 5 months. How cool is that? I'm not even a trucker!

I'll definatley be posting pics of the snow and the falling and maybe some falling snow. Here are some random ski trip thoughts:

I hope I don't get frustrated...

I've got to get some road trip music on the iPod.

Will snow boarding be addictive?

Why has it taken me 28 years to ski?

I really want some chicken and waffles!

I wish I could make the trip longer.

Must buy Icy Hot!

Paoli here I come...

Commo

Talk it out. A great hymn says "Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer"

Talk it out. We deal with a lot of drama because we don't communicate with God. We don't pray to Him and we don't listen to Him (the Bible). When commo breaks down everything breaks down.

We deal with a lot of drama because we don't communicate with each other. I've recently seen in my own life the dysfunction that flows from miscommunication. Talk it out. To quote Batterson, "Verbalize don't internalize". Tell it to God, tell it to each other, whatever you do tell it.

I pray that the lines of communication will always be strong with the Lord and each other.

Can I get some chicken and waffles?

Crazy morning. Productive, but crazy. Its awfully quite around here without an MC student (April or The Jam)making noise somewhere in the building. (They got the morning off).Thank God XA and MCC planning will occupy most of my summer. I'd die sitting in the office like back in the pre MC days. It's amazing how comfortable one can be working at a fast pace. I love to chill, but my mind never chills. I'm so thankful for a life that keeps me running. I pray that we all would find the good in crazy days and enjoy the ride while we still can. Get out of your rut and get into living. My friend Stephen says "There's more to living than being alive".

This post has nothing to do with chicken and waffles...but a brother still wants some (yaknowai'msayin?)

Yes, that is snow

Once again Tuesday has unleashed her fury on Clarksville. Everyone is praying for a snow day. I had a great day. It was definatley a day of big steps forward. It's going to be a great year. New experiences, new ministries, new fields. The expectation is palpable in my life right now. My patience got the best of me at times...but I'll blame that on the house blend. Back to decaf for me.

Check out nextlevelxa.com

Full Day

I'm really only blogging this late for discipline reasons. I'm trying to stay consistent.
We had a productive morning at APSU. I'm excited about what God is going to do on that campus. We also taught April how to cook. She passed with flying colors. I love days like this. I wore all of my hats today. I did college ministry stuff, mc stuff, associate pastor stuff, and media pastor stuff. Plus I got to play HORSE against my wife and hang with my kids. Thank God for full days!!

Top Chef MC Edition

April's Alfredo rocked!!

Service with a smile

I had my first encounter with Panera Bread last night. Their computers crashed, they were out of a lot of things and it took a while. And my experience was great!! The food was good. The employees faced all of the challenges with a smile and true service. They offered to give us our 50 bucks worth of food for free! I received a free latte when I tried to be a cup of coffee. Even though they are located an hour from my house, they will have my buisness in the future. Eat at the Mt Juliet, TN Panera bread on Mt Juliet Rd.

Chi Alpha Retreat

Chi Alpha is a christian fellowship located on college campuses around the US. While our church doesn't have a Chi Alpha (yet), we do have a college ministry. We are definatley geared up to do more to reach APSU! I'm honored to be in the position to impact the future of our world.

Here are some thoughts that impacted me during the weekend:

Influence is not controlling or convincing people.

Influence starts with you being who you are.

Where you are is where you need to be making disciples.

Our heartbeat needs to be God's heartbeat.

A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject - Winston Churchill.

Get out of the trash and eat at the table!

The thick of it

Last night was incredible!

Here is the main thought:

"Why do we eat out of the trash when God has a place for us at the table?"

I know so many people who settle for less than God's best for them. They live in doubt, fear, and regret. God hasn't given us these things! I pray that we would pull up to the table and dig in on His grace, freedom, peace, and power.

Carpet Ball

The agony of defeat!

Another Retreat

I'm excited about the TN College and Chi Alpha Retreat this weekend. I'm taking a crew down to Mt Juliet, TN this weekend to enjoy the festivities. I'm looking forward to the networking and the experience. We've got some big plans for the Young Adult Ministry at First A/G this fall and this retreat is really going to be a launching pad for us as we move toward our goal. Its really great to see how God can take dreams and turn them into reality! I'll be sure to post pics of the journey and the retreat.

Master's Isms

I heard that anyyhing woth saying is worth repeating. Here are some "Master's Isms" (things I always say)

1. Remember your name

2. There is a time and a place for everything...now is not the time

3. Are you kidding me?

4. Live in the balance (or find the balance)

I'm sure my students can think of more...

Drummer' Heart

Anyone who knows me knows that I love the drums.I've played for about 14 years. I saw this kit in Guitar Center and fell in love. God Bless DW!

Unpredictable Tests

Woke up to snow this morning. Tuesday strikes again! Today is one of those days that has the potential to be fruitful or crazy. There is a lot to do in a little time and the balance can drastically shift just like that. Plans are already changing. Things I expected have already begun to shift. There are funerals and visits and classes and even random acts of kindness that are all fighting for control.

I'm convinced that it's on days like this that I've got to lean on Jesus more than ever. I prayed Psalm 51 (I do that all the time!) this morning and I was instantly tested. God answers prayers like that quickly. I pray God give me a pure heart and I'm instantly thrust into a situation where I have to choose to be nice or ugly, patient or quick tempered, loving or selfish.

My prayer is that when I take these tests, I'll pass consitently.

Presidents Day

I'm not usually off on Mondays, but it was definatley over due. History Channel has a Presidents marathon on. I'll probably flip between that and I Love Lucy. I'm rarely off with my family, so this day is a treat.
My family knows how to chill out!

Don't forget to pray for the president!

Random

1. It is really windy outside

2. Saturday was a very trying day...but I made it by the grace of God

3. God is really brewing something new in me..when this happens I have a hard time focusing on "now" because "tommorrow" seems so exciting

4. I need to stay focused on "now"

5. Grey's Anatomy has the worst theme song ever (in my opinion)

6. I'll be moving to a different house soon...SO MUCH TO DO!

7. I'm hoping I can take off for Presidents Day

Stuck in the Mud

Do you know anyone like this? Can't change, won't change, hates change?

Me, I'm all about the experience. I enjoy the stretch.

God, don't let me get stuck!

(Thanks Tommy for helping us get out of this mess!!)

Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs (Supplements)

Here is my current top 10 Song Supplement list. If you don't incorporate worship and praise via song into your daily prayer life I encourage you to do so. Someone who only prays at church and only smiles at chuch would be called a hypocrite (actor) and a Sunday Christian at best...surely the same applies for those who only lift up their hands in praise at church. Just a thought.

1. Again I Say - Israel and New Breed
2. Be Lifted Up - Jeff Deyo
3. O Praise Him - David Crowder Band
4. From the Inside Out - United
5. How Excellent Your Name - Southeastern Singers
6. Total Praise - Southeastern Singers or Donnie Mac (depends on my mood)
7. Deeper - Israel and New Breed
8. Break Free - Hillsong
9. Praise Belongs to You - Fred Hammond
10. Revelation Song - Gateway Worship

V-Day

Happy Valentines Day. Its my mother-law's birthday too! I love holidays that are centered on candy!!!
We talked about being Lost in Love last night and we'll share that message with U-Turn youth group on Friday night. I hope you remember what love is (1 John 4:10), Return to your first love (1 John 4:19), and Rest in His love (1 John 4:18)

Great Service

We had an awesome service in Murfreesboro! People gave their hearts to Christ for the first time, people turned their lives over to God...worship was Nuts!!! God is so great! Much love to Gravity College Ministry.We'll eat pizza tonight and then hit the road for Clarksville.

Thank God for heaters!

It is cold and snowing once again! I love the winter. I grew up in Tampa, FL where we had 2 seasons: summer and not so summer. So I love having snow in the winter, green grass and rain in the spring, heat in the summer, and colorful leaves in the fall.

Makes me think about the seasons of life. Just a word of encouragement for anyone who is in a wintery place:

"Spring is right around the corner...and thank God for heaters!"

Weird Weather Tuesdays

What's up with the weather on Tuesdays? 2 weeks ago we had high wind and power outages (eventually turned into snow by Thursday). Last week we had those deadly Tornados, and today a wintery monsoon!
We've got a busy day ahead of us. Lots of prayer and practice with some service thrown in the middle. We (MCC) have 2 exciting opportunities coming up this week. We'll be ministering at Gravity in Murfressboro , TN on Wednesday night and at U-Turn in Clarksville on Friday night. I'm so excited to see what God has in store. My prayer is that Jesus would be lifted up in everything that we say and do.

The journey so far...

As I've said before I LOVE being a Master's Commission Director. It definatley requires a certain skill set to do life with students the MC way. This is not for everyone. I'm glad God called and equipped me to do it! I thought I'd share with you how far our MCC journey has taken us to date:

Over 3,150 miles driven

Over 2300 individuals served through conventions, church services, adopt-a-block, school outreach, nursing home ministry, and missions...

8 states visited in 5 months

Roughly 225 hours of prayer

Over 60 scriptures memorized

About 80 church services....

and we consider it all dung compared to the greatness of knowing Him and Making Him known

I can't wait for what's next!

Be the Change

Had a great morning! We started a new series in our Young Adults small group this morning called the Elephant in the Church. What we learned today is that we need to be the change we desire to see in the church. Our generation is good at pointing out flaws and criticizing anything that we find lame and cheesy. I say, if church is lame, could it be because we...the church...are lame? After all, the Bible speaks of ONE church. The church isn't our buildings, fellowships, and denominations. The church is US. The church is in US. And the church is alive. We have to step up, be radical again, and refuse status quo Christianity. If we want change, we must be the change.

God help us to love the poor...not just with bandaids and food boxes...but with our lives.

God help us to love each other...not just on Sunday...but in sickness, health and at 1am on our day off.

God help us to love those whom you came to seek...not with a lecture...but with truth spoken and demonstrated in love and relationship.

God help us to love you...not because of routine or religion...but because you first loved us.

Reflective Day

Today is a day for thinking. Here are some of the questions I'm pondering and praying on today:

Why are people hungry?

How do I live out the gospel EVERYDAY.

What am I willing to give up?

How can I be a better steward of my time, talent, and treasure?

Why can't my friend live in the freedom of Christ?

NOTE: If you decide to comment...please don't try and answer these questions.

Latest Spiritual Supplements

Here's what I'm on:

Core Values by Dr. George Wood

Culture Shift by R. Albert Mohler Jr.

agthinktank.com

First Assemby Ministries Webcast - Ft Myers FL - Dan Betzer

and of course my norms - evotonal.com, maurydavisministries.com, and herbertcooper.com

Random

1. Thank God it's Friday...can't wait for nap time!

2. The turkey was great at the banquet last night...

3. The Who Cares Bowl (AKA Pro Bowl) is Sunday...I can't wait for August to get here!

4. My verse of the day is Galatians 5:1

5. We start a new series on Sunday Morning called the Elephant in the Church (thanks NCC!). It will be a hot one!

The Interview

Today was a very special day. Today I had my final interview for ordination with my fellowship.I made it!! This is a pretty big deal in 3 ways.

1. Ordination is the highest level of credentialing a minister can have

2. This marks off a personal goal I've had since I was 16!!

3. The ordination process uses testing, accountability, and a "wise counsel" approach to qualify and confirm the call on my life. Success in this process helps bring covering and weight to the call within me.

A minister being ordained is like a doctor or a lawyer recieveing their board certification to practice. Its like a scholar recieveing their PH.D. I am humbled that God would allow me to make it. He brought me this far for a reason...I feel like the ride is just beginning!

The whole process is tough and maybe I'll blog about that later. But the interview went wonderful. The pastors who interview candidates are so warm and supportive. The advice and encouragement I recieved today will be with me forever. Many thanks go out to Pastors' Maury Davis, Ron Woods, Tom Lindberg, and Randel McCarty. There were other pastors who were part of the interview and I'm thankful for them as well. I feel like this is turning into an acceptance speech so I'll stop now. This only means more responsibility...and that I do not take lightly. God give me the wisdom to lead these great people of yours.

When the rain comes

What a night! Our state got the fire beat out of it by some serious storms. God help those who have been affected! I spent a good bit of the night awake watching and praying. Would you believe that a week ago it was snowing! Yesterday it was 70 degrees. I definatley had some "Hey God, what's the deal" thoughts yesterday. It's a good thing He knows what He's doing.
When the tornado sirens started going off everyone was already asleep...except for me. So I put the boys in our bed and watched the news from my chair...and eventually the floor. It kind of made me think about how God protects His own during the storm. The Bible says that He longs to gather His people under His wing like a hen with her chicks. In Psalms we read about finding "rest in the shadow of the almighty". As I stayed awake praying for my family, home, and friends, it made me appreciate how much God shelters us and wraps us in His arms when the rain comes.

Just a thought.

The Plan

One of my mentors always taught me that you should plan your work and work your plan. Others have said that failing to plan is planning to fail. That being said...I want to share with you my Bible reading plan. We make appointments with people for lunch coffee etc. We have our planners and PDA's that guide us through the day to day. And if we aren't careful, we can schedule God right out of our lives. So I make time everyday to be with Him. I believe 2-way communication is the only communication that functions in healthy relationships. Prayer is very important...but I also want to balance prayer with listening to what God has to say. I do that through my Bible reading. Ephesians 2:19-20 says that we are members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone. So that is how I systematically read the Bible EVERYDAY. Prophets (OT), Apostles (Acts-Revelation), and Christ Jesus (Gospels). I read 1-2 Chapters of OT, 1 chapter of Apostles, and a section of the Gospels. I also alternate between Psalms and Proverbs. If you read 5 chapters of Psalms a day you can read the entire book in 1 month. 1 chapter of Proverbs a day will get you through the entire book in a month. So I basically go through Psalms and Proverbs 6 times a year. Here is what I read this morning:

1 Samuel 31

Psalm 21-25

Galatians 2

and John 4:43-54

Tomorrow will be:

2 Samuel 1

Psalm 26-30

Galatians 3

and John 5:1-15

I encourage you to get a plan. Keep your plan. Make an appointment with God EVERYDAY. It is truly the discipline that keeps me going!

Make Room

"The church's job is not to save people but to shape the space in which God calls them to Himself" - Creps

My question is are we making room for God? Do we allow His will to be done or do we force Him into our boxes of culture and ritual? A read somwhere that when we replace relationships with results all we get is religion. I love seeing people make decisions to follow Christ. I truly do. However, I belive that "complete" joy comes when the decsion moves to discipleship and when the convert becomes committed to Christ. I know this isn't a new line of thinking...I'm just more and more convinced that I would rather invest myself in a few who will change the world because of the chage in them, then chase after crowds who are content with a status quo faith.

My prayer is that God would give me wisdom as I shape the space in the ministry He's entrusted to me. I don't want to force or manipulate people into a false commitment. I want to live out the balance between urgency (Jesus is coming) and Spirit dependence (John 16:7-15). I belive that salvation transcends any formula, ritual, decision card, and altar call (which can all be good things). I want to make room for God to enter the space of ministry and transform hearts like only He can. That will require less clutter(program), less noise (one way dialouge), and less of me (humility).

How can you make more room?

What in the world???

That was one of the best Superbowls ever. Right up there with the Pats over the Panthers, Giants over the Bills, Niners over the Bengals (pt1), Cowboys over Steelers (all 3 times), and Rams over the Titans. Good stuff.

The Pats let me down but I'll live...

I just pray the bandwagon folks will be merciful in their trash talking. To the REAL giants fans I say congrats!

Now begins the worst part of the year for me: the offseason. August can't get here fast enough!

GO BUCS!!!

Super Sunday

Go Pats! I have a soft spot in my heart for dynasties. I love the notion of one unstoppable force. Sorry, I'm not one for parity. So, I want the Pats to win so they can be the greatest.

We had a great pregame party last night...the Madden tourney rocked!! Gotta give a shout out to Mokily for taking the grand prize!

I gave up trying to watch the big game on Sunday nights. I'll catch what I can after church and I'll fill in the gaps via Sportscenter and NFL Network.

Have a super Sunday!

Week in Review

Here are the highlights: Bowiling Green w/Jamie, MCA Assembly, Recording Session, Aaron in the ER, MCC at practice, snow day...we also had a blackout on Tuesday night (I taught by flashlight)

I love my life!!!!!

Snow Day

Have a great day at school Florida!!

What a week

It's been a week for the ages. It started out with an emergency road trip to Bowling Green and ended with a snow day. I had another trip to the ER on Wednesday night too!

This is the life I love though... everyday is a new adventure!

Today I'm hanging out with the boys. I'm going to teach my oldest son the important life skill of mastering John Madden football on the Xbox. We've got a Superbowl Pregame Party this Saturday at our Young Adults meeting! We'll be having our first ever Madden Tourney. I'm excited to see who shows up and who wins! I'm also excited about the babyback ribs and other food we'll devour!I'll post some highlight pics of the past week shortly.