New Location

This blog will now be posted at pastorcarlo.wordpress.com.

The entire archive of this blog will be at the new address. Please head there for any future updates. Spread the word and thanks for reading!

Drum solo, steak, and iTunes

- Been another great day of nothing.

- Diddy's "Making His Band" had one of the best drum solo's I've seen in a while. I love talented musicians. I am much more of a pocket drummer (I hope)...not much of a soloist...

- Thank God the rain stayed away and I got to grill some awesome steak. I'm proud of my dry rub! Steak for breakfast too!!

- I have 1.4 days worth of music in my iTunes library. That's not counting the 8.5 hours worth on my iPhone, or the 3 days worth on my iPod. I am literally lost in iTunes. Have you ever had so much music you couldn't listen to anything? Me neither!

- For the record...my wife is the best!

- The snare sounds best when its "Adrian Young" tight.

Latest - Bike for the Light Vid

Chillcation Monday

What a great day of nothing! Slept in til 8. Watched some vids on
Hulu. Played chess with my son. Napped. Took the kids to get a ton of
books (we LOVE to read). Watched Ferris Bueller. Played Call of Duty.
Ate a wonderful dinner. So good....
The best part is that I've been email/facebook/iPhone free for most of
the day. I pretty much check my phone when I get up and later that
same night. I'll actually be turning it off after I post this blog.
Thank God for rest and family!

Sent from my iPhone

Life

Had a great time at Life Assembly in Mt Juliet this morning.It was
great to just go to church with my family and relax. What made it
better was to be with so many ministry friends that serve at and
attend that great church. Wearing jeans and NB was also a plus!!

Since we are on chillcation I won't be replying to any txt, dms,
email, or calls. I cheated some this weekend but I'm cracking down for
the rest of the week. I'll tweet, blog, and facebook some if I feel
like sharing. Here's to some needed R&R.

Sent from my iPhone

Chill-cation

Here's some highlights so far:

Lots of sleep

Hours in the pool and hot tub

Trip to an awesome museum

Great workout with my son

Chill time in the sauna

3D movie with the kids

...and we still have 7 days left!

Sent from my iPhone

Taking a break

We are taking a break for the week. Just dropping off the radar. Maybe I'll blog...maybe I won't. Peace out!

Dirty Details

I just did some serious cleaning in my truck.I have much respect to auto detailers. Just when you think you cleaned it all you find some new crack or corner with dust or junk in it. I must have uncovered 10 bucks worth of spare change! There were old toys, Sunday School papers from my kids, drumsticks and of course water bottles. The weird thing was the mountain of pens and highlighters I found under one of the seats. Its like a school supply shop exploded in my car. There is so much detail that goes into really giving a car a head-to-toe cleaning.

Lately I'm finding the Word of God doing the same thing to me. Just when I think I'm good, just when I settle into a rhythm...something jumps out at me and revealing yet another crack or corner that needs some cleaning. Psalm 199:9,11 asks the great question: "How can I stay pure and clean? By living according to Gods Word and hiding it in our hearts". Thank God He's in the detail buisness!

This Sunday

Missionary Rich Farthing will be our special guest. Rich and his wife Sandee do an amazing work in Bolivia. If you are in the area you must come and hear about what God is doing at the BHC! Click the pic for more info.

Brain Dump

- MC Hammer was right..."We need to pray just to make it today"

-My wife's dinner smells delicious...I'm ready to eat!

- I am ready for 9 days off!!!

- Dr. George O. Wood is brilliant!

- My sons are a riot!

- Superman III is very boring. I guess things change 20 something years later.

- I've had medicine head all day...stupid allergies!

- Madea was right..."The devil is a liar!"

How much s a trillion?

There is a lot of talk in the news these days about budget deficits an increased spending. They keep throwing this "trillion" word around. I think the reason the government spends like crazy is because we as a people have lost a true sense of what a trillion is. It is such a remote and detached number that we can't fathom its implications. Sure we are bothered, but not really. I think spiritually we lose sense of the enormity of this battle we are in as well. We can't really grasp the number of people who don't know Christ...so we just do our thing. Sure we are bothered, but not really. I pray god would help us have a concrete realization of how many people need God.

FYI: Here's what a trillion looks like - 1,000,000,000,000

Don't be crazy...we landed on the moon!

Before I preach...

I eat!

I get alone. Don't like to be around a ton of folks before preaching.
It helps me focus and protects my heart from nonsense.

I pray and worship. I spend some concentrated time in God's prescence.
That is were I believe the annointing comes upon a speaker.

I read my message out loud and do any 11th hour tweeks.

My nerves are usually a wreck!

I fire away!

Thank God for the call!

Sent from my iPhone

Stupid Lawn Mowers

The people on my street have a love affair with lawn maintenance. I do not. I stimulate the economy be paying someone to cut my yard and do all of the edging and what not. I don't find pleasure in sweating over a John Deer early in the morning. What's crazy is there is no schedule. Each neighbor cuts their grass at various time through the week at various hours. Literally EVERYDAY someone is mowing! No don't get me wrong...I love my neighbors. We have a very peaceful street. But the constant drone of landscape equipment can get annoying. I wish someone would invent a silent or much quieter lawn mower. Maybe someone did invent it? Man I sound like a a cranky old man! HA!

My favorite drummer...one of the best ever

Sunday Night's Message

"3 Dangerous beliefs that are deceiving the church". 6pm Clarksville First A/G (FYI: Not a sermon about or against the movie.)

Is it Necessary...

...to breast feed in public...EVER?

...to use the F-word to sell movies?

...for your dog to "visit" everyones yard but YOURS?

...to read a newspaper anymore?

...for people to drive that slow on Ft Campbell Blvd?

...for people to answer a preachers rhetorical questions?

Bike for the Light Fireworks

Circle Right

ufc.com

I'm a big fan of Mixed Martial Arts. I have about 1 year of Muay Thai under my belt and I'm looking forward to taking Modern Army Combatives in the near future. I watched the replay of UFC 100 and was amazed at the Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping fight. Now I won't bore you non-enthusiast with the back story but the bottom line is...Henderson knocked Bisping out...COLD.

Usually a right handed person's power punch is a right cross or an overhand right. So a good defensive strategy is to circle to YOUR right (away from your opponents strong punch). For some strange reason Bisping kept circling left...right into Henderson's power punch. Eventually he got caught on the chin and separated from his senses. Rock-a-bye baby.

How a many of us do the same thing? We walk right into our enemy's "power punch". You know what will knock you out spiritually. It could be surfing channels late at night, watching the wrong thing, being around the wrong people, having just one drink, taking that kiss too far. Whatever it is we all need to stay on our game. Keep our hands up, chin down, and circle right...away from the power of the enemy and one step closer to victory.

Great Weekend Services

All across the country it seemed like church was amazing. I don't remember ever seeing that many status updates and tweets proclaiming how awesome church was. I know in Clarksville our services were electric! Sunday Am worship could have gone on forever. I'm talking open heavens in that place! Sunday night was great in its own way. It was good to be in the House of the Lord. #Jesus was even trending pretty high on twitter last night! Let's keep that passion this entire week!

Hungry

Something about church makes me hungry. Don't know what it is. I am
usually starving after church. One of the toughest decisions we make
as a family is what to eat after church. Makes me think about how
blessed we are. There are people who have no food...who would give
anything to have "options". God help us to remember the hungry
whenever our stomachs start to rumble!

Sent from my iPhone

Saturday List

- study

- workout

- trip to KY to close out fireworks stuff

- finalize video ads

-watch Superman with the boys

- Next Level @7pm

I like these kind of Saturdays...quick and to the point!

The Nubers Game

As I was praying through my facebook friends list yesterday (something
you should try) something jumped out at me: My ministry is not defined
by how many attend my meetings.
We say we don't get caught up in numbers...yet we are quick to ask
"how many are you running?" There are people who were connected to our
YA ministry that are now disconnected from our church...but not from
me. I still have influence. Just because they don't show on a Sat
nightbor Sunday morning doesn't mean I can't pastor them.
I'd rather pour my life into 15 people that will change the world than
500 church attendees who will maintain the status quo. The only number
that counts is one. Just a thought.

Sent from my iPhone

Take time...

...to hang with friends. Had a great lunch with a good friend yesterday. He came out of his way and my schedule was super slammed. Yet after lunch I felt like I didn't lose one minute of my day.

...to talk to neighbors. I talked to my neighbor across the street yesterday. He mentioned how busy everyone on our street was. I felt very convicted that I don't slow down enough for conversation with him.

...to pick up the phone. There's no better time than to connect with a friend or someone you are trying to reach then when you are on the road. Redeem your drive time.

...to pray. Far be it from me to sin against God by failing to pray...1 Samuel 12:23

...to hear from God. read the Bible before you check facebook, twitter, or email. make His Word first in your life.

...to think. Unplug every now and then and meditate, process, dream, and grow.

...to chill. Even God rested on the 7th day. Honor your day off by honoring God and chilling out.

Disturbing

This game came out last year. It let's you "manage a prison...all for
the bottom line." how sick to promote the flaws of our prison system.
The game boasts that you can "determine your prioners fate...build
factories to bring in extra income...or keep prisoners locked up for
the safety and security of society and your profits". Disturbing.

Just in case we forgot

There are about 144, 00 US servicemen and women deployed in Iraq

There are close to 30,000 US service men and women deployed in Afghanistan

Don't forget those who give their lives so that we can keep ours.

What I'm thinkng (random)

....The MJ coverage is out of control

....Soldiers are still dying in Afghanistan and Iraq

....Thank God for protection during our fireworks tent

....I wish people would follow good advice

....I need to do some sermon prep

....I love that my kids love books just as much as toys

....Wings for lunch!

The Tent

Last night I slept in the fireworks tenton an Army cot. What a trip.
Last time I slept in a tent I was in Balad, Iraq. Very trippy
experience. It's amazing how little things can trigger memories that
blast you back in time. I love fireworks, but im not going to lie,
they absolutley remind me of rocket and mortar attacks. I actually had
an episode last week where I actually thought I was back over there. I
don't have PTSD. But I definitley have strong memories and emotional
ties to the desert. Today we'll pack everything up and shut down the
tent. I wonder what will spark the next flashback?

Sent from my iPhone

Here today....gone tomorrow

Another celebrity dies. This time its murder. Something is definitely up. God let this get our attention. Life is short. Help us to make it count for you.

The 4th

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. " - Jefferson

"When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness...I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." - King

"Freedom and fear are at war. The advance of human freedom, the great achievement of our time and the great hope of every time, now depends on us. Our nation, this generation, will lift the dark threat of violence from our people and our future. We will rally the world to this cause by our efforts, by our courage. We will not tire, we will not falter and we will not fail." - Bush

The Week in Picture

(James is trapped in there by my car)

Summer Fun

Here's the plan:

- Ribs will be grilled

-Lots of time in the pool

-Ice cream and milkshakes

-BIG fireworks show downtown

- More time in the pool

July is turning into my second favorite month!

15 Years

Francis E. Serrano II (Frank)

Husband, Father, Thinker, Friend of God

September 30 1950 - July 2 1994

Crazy World

Have we ever experienced a crazier 10 days in the world then the last 10? Celebrities dying. Governments being overthrown. The President of the US talking gibberish (I made that one up...or did I?) Growing up in the church I always heard that we were living n the last days. I was skeptical as a teen as I wondered "Exactly how long are these last days?" Yet there is no denying that something is up. Our country is changing. The world is just as dangerous now as it was 9 years ago (sorry Red states). The only difference is that now we are actively fighting that danger. The bottom line is this: Christ is still the answer. We have to stay focused on the main thing in times like these. He told us this stuff was going to happen anyway.

Blend Conference

You don't want to miss this! (I'll be doing a breakout on discipleship for college students too)

Weekend review

- The Patriotic Service went great! The altars were full of people
making decisions for Christ!

- Fireworks tent saw some decent buisnesa

- did a lot of swimming with my boys. So cool to step off the back
porch and step into the pool.

- E. Money held it down at Next Level. I'm so thankful for our team

- This week will be all about the Fireworks

Sent from my iPhone

Paper Clips

Tonight @6pm

Clarksville First A/G

1186 Ft Campbell Blvd 37042

Getting it done

Gotta give a shout out to Sean and James for keeping the fireworks tent running. These guys are putting in some serious work! My wife is also doing a great job managing the business side of the tent. What do I do? Let's just say I'm the Sergeant Major who makes sure the "troops" are okay. A bad manager/leader does all of the work. A good leader/manager trains others to do the work with and for them. We have trained a good team. Big THANKS to Ben, Sergio and Gloribel, Josh, Monica, and anyone else who has or will help the guys out with food and drinks! We couldn't do it without such great support from our church family.

Bike for the Light in Bama

Michael

Michael Jackson is dead. For people my age you could say that our "Elvis" has died. Listen, I know he was a secular artist. I know his songs didn't necessarily exalt God (some had great Biblical themes). That being said, what MJ did for music is unprecedented. A big piece of American history died today. Like him or not you can't deny that. On a personal note, the soundtrack of my early childhood was MJ records. So many memories. Yet, with all of the achievements and fame, none of it means anything if MJ didn't know Christ as his personal savior. I pray that the King of Pop had a relationship with the King of Kings. We are not promised the next 30 seconds. I'm sure MJ didn't wake up this morning with the knowledge that he would be dead before the sunset. Don't wait. Surrender your life to Jesus while you have the breath. Live for Him everyday while you have the time. Life is indeed short. Use it for His glory!

Buy our fireworks!!!

Duty or Devotion

I watched a webcast of Tom Trask yesterday before church. He asked a question that had been ringing in my heart. Do we serve God our of the discipline of duty or the delight of devotion? Discipline is not bad. But we can't serve God out a false sense of "I have to". Instead we should be delighted to serve Him because we are devoted to Him. If we love Him and appreciate who He is and what He does for us, then we will have a "get to" attitude. I'm not talking about feelings. Of course there are days when we don't feel like going to church or praying. It should be devotion...not duty that gets us through times like that. What parent feels like cleaning up vomit at 3am? We clean it up because we are devoted to the kids we love...not out of duty. So what is it for you when it comes to your walk with God? Duty or devotion?

MCC Setting up

Fireworks Time

Some prayer requests

-Pray for our MC Fireworks tent: protection, provision, and people!

-Pray for Bro. Mac: Great prayer warrior who needs a miracle in his body

-Pray for our nation: nuff' said

iPhone so far

I've been Blackberry guy for a couple of years. Here's my take on the iPhone so far:

INCREDIBLE! I know this is nothing new to you current users of the iPhone. But I am amazed at how smooth the phone is. I was using entourage for email but have now moved to mail. I love how this phone is literally like carrying around a mini version of my macbook. I don't think I'll get a mobileme account...yet. I don't see why I would need one yet. 3.0 definitely brought some much needed changes (cut copy paste, push notifications, etc.), and with MMS coming soon to the US this phone will be perfect.

If you are on the fence or looking for a new phone, you must get an iPhone. It's not about being cool or trendy. It's about being smart.

Weekend Review

What a great Father's Day weekend! It started with picking up James from Nashville. That was a crazy trip to the airport! Then my wife shocked me with an early Father's Day gift...a new iPhone! Saturday we had a great time with the Next Level crew at Ben's. We had a bonfire and a cooking fire. Blew up lots of fireworks. We watched in horror as James shot bottle rockets from...everywhere. Good times! Sunday was a chill day at church for me. I enjoyed some wings and Cosby Show after church. All in all it was a great weekend. Things get crazy for the next 10 days as we start our fireworks tent for MCC.

Father's Day 09 Thoughts

Blessed. That's all I can really say. I'm thankful for my Heavenly Father who loved me enough that He gave His son that I might live. I was blessed with a wonderful father in Frank Serrano. He taught me how to love God and do the right thing. I sure do miss him. I thank god for the great men He has placed in my life down through the years. More than all of that I thank God for the opportunity that I have to raise the 2 greatest kids on planet earth. My prayer is that they would become great dad's who love God! Happy Father's Day

Saturday Stuff

Finish up vid ads

iPhone training

Call of duty

UFC

Next Level Bonfire

Great Father's Day weekend!
Sent from my iPhone

Early Father's Day Gift

I made a great deal with a friend to get my wife a new iPhone. She surprised me and gave the phone to me for Father's Day. BEST GIFT EVER!! What's better is she's getting one soon too. God has totally hooked us up with the friendships and connections to get these phones at more tan a steal in price. No way I could afford one. I am blessed beyond measure!

The Airport...delayed

So I'm at BNA waiting for Jamie to fly in. I am under the influence of Muay Thai and Red Bull. This is going to be a fun wait. If you've ever been to Nashville International then you are familiar with the piano next to SBUX. Well..it's being tuned...right now...as I type. I have never wanted to kick something more. Getting a tattoo wasn't this painful!

Thank God I found a place where I could buy something to drink. SBUX and the overpriced gift shops are closed. So I went to Tootsies bar and Grill and bought a Red Bull, apple juice, and water. There where 3 very drunk frat boys and an Ethiopian businessman at the bar. What a weird sight that was. I told you my life is great! Who gets to experience stuff like this! Gonna be a fun night!

Life with no Master's Commission

Tons of people keep asking me "How is it now that the students are gone?" They usually have a tone of pity in their voice as if I'm some lonely heart who's single-again. (no offense to all my single peeps). The reality of it is this: there is no off-season for an MC Director. Of course it is different not having the team around all of the time*. But as far as day to day ops...they are pretty much the same for me. Except for the quiet. The quiet is driving me crazy! I also have a world of stuff to do other than MC at our church, stuff that I was doing before we started Master's. So the bottom line is this:

Yes I miss the students.

Yes more are coming next year.

No I am not bored.

Yes there is TONS of work to do.

*Sean and Jamie come back this week to work the fireworks tent

I don't understand...

-why our national leaders make statements about being against the death of innocents...and then support the killing of innocents

-why Michael Vick got 23 months for dogfighting and conspiracy...yet Donte Stallworth only got 30 days for killing someone while driving drunk

-why AT&T won't get with the program and offer better service to iPhone users...who are keeping the company afloat

-why Fox News insists that they are fair and balanced...telling the "other" side of the news doesn't make you fair...it just makes you the other side

-why CNN insists on saying they are America's News...they clearly have European agenda

-why people who know what they should do....won't simply do it

The Ultimate Workout

Got my butt kicked at the gym yesterday. We normally start class at 5:30. At 5:30... there were no instructors in the striking room. One of the assistants/fighters came in and I thought she was going to teach the class. Cool. All of the sudden John Renken walks in and screams "Fighters get in the ring...boxers stay on the bags...Muay Thai students circle up". That's right "The Saint" was about to teach 3 classes at once! What followed was an old school smoke session. The rounds were hard. The pace was intense. Conditioning was painful. I have never left the gym that drained...never...not even the first time I did Muay Thai 9 months ago! Here are a few things I learned:

1. I can still push myself physically. It's been almost 5 years since I left the Army. Thank God I've still got it! We are never too old for a challenge.

2. Attitude is everything. We could have quit when John started teaching. His style is completely the opposite of our normal instructors. They are tough too...but they aren't "Drill Sergeants"! Bottom line- keep your head under pressure.

3. The gain is worth the pain. I ALWAYS feel better spiritually, emotionally, and physically after a hard workout. Am I sore? Sure. But knowing that I completed the session make it worth it. No matter how hard life is working you out...it will be worth it in the end...if you don't quit!

The Disappearance of God

This book will definitely give you something to think about. i don't agree with all of Dr. Mohler's ideas and opinions...but I love good debate and discussion. Get more info on the book here.

From the publisher's sumary:

More faulty information about God swirls around us today than ever before. No wonder so many followers of Christ are unsure of what they really believe in the face of the new spiritual openness attempting to alter unchanging truth.

For centuries the church has taught and guarded the core Christian beliefs that make up the essential foundations of the faith. But in our postmodern age, sloppy teaching and outright lies create rampant confusion, and many Christians are free-falling for “feel-good” theology.

We need to know the truth to save ourselves from errors that will derail our faith.

As biblical scholar, author, and president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr. Albert Mohler, writes, “The entire structure of Christian truth is now under attack.” With wit and wisdom he tackles the most important aspects of these modern issues:
Is God changing His mind about sin?
Why is hell off limits for many pastors?
What’s good or bad about the “dangerous” emergent movement?
Have Christians stopped seeing God as God?
Is the social justice movement misguided?
Could the role of beauty be critical to our theology?
Is liberal faith any less destructive than atheism?
Are churches pandering to their members to survive?

In the age-old battle to preserve the foundations of faith, it's up to a new generation to confront and disarm the contemporary shams and fight for the truth. Dr. Mohler provides the scriptural answers to show you how.

Eyes Wide Open

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What a great book! Here is the publisher's summary:

I had it all backwards. The main thing was not my love for God, but his love for me. And from that love I respond to God as one deeply flawed, yet loved. I’m not looking to prove my worth. I’m not searching for acceptance. I’m living out of the worth God already declares I have. I’m embracing his view of me and in the process discovering the person he created me to be.

In Eyes Wide Open, Jud Wilhite invites you to discover the real you. Not the you who pretends to be perfect to satisfy everyone’s expectations. Not the you who always feels guilty before God. Not the you who secretly feels God forgives everyone else but only tolerates you. Not the you who looks in the mirror and sees a failure. The real you, loved and forgiven by God, living out of your identity in Christ.

A travel guide through real spirituality from one incomplete person to another, Eyes Wide Open is a book of stories about following God in the messes of life, about broken pasts and our lifelong need for grace. It is a book about seeing ourselves and God with new eyes–eyes wide open to a God of love.

">Click here for even more info

Top Ten Excuses

I was watching NFL Network Top Ten today and it inspired me. Here's my "Top Ten Reasons (Excuses) People Don't Go to Church"

10. It's boring

9. They (church folks) are hypocrites

8. The music is lame

7. Too much weird language (brother, sister, glory, sanctified, washed in the blood, etc)

6. Way too long

5. All they talk about is money

4. To much standing

3. I don't like the preacher

2. Too old fashioned

1. Can't I just worship at home?

Am I missing any?

Getting out of the bubble

Finally Friday

-Its been 14 days since my last day "off".

-Just a few errands to run

-Want to get a Muay Thai workout in

-Date night tonight!

-Lots of relaxing all day!

-TGIF...finally!

Is it Thursday?

Definitely doesn't fee like Thursday. No MC students. No team meeting. No coffee. No scripture tests. Very weird. Not that there isn't tons to do..it's just weird not having the team here too. I don't want to get used to this peace and quiet. Way too boring!

Bike for the Light in Clarksville

We had a blast with Johnny and Josh!

Do not be anxious...

You ever second guess a decision that you know is the right one? I'm definitely in that kind of place right now. One of my favorite verses says "Do not be anxious about anything but pray about everything". Easier said then done. Especially when praying about it can lead to more anxiety! Here's what I know: God is good, in control, and bigger. God honors those who do the right thing and his peace that blows our mind will guard my heart and mind.

Random Technobabble

I've been swamped in media stuff the last 2 days. I'm in no way a professional graphic/web/video designer or producer. I just use what I have and make it work. That being said, I love doing media for our church. I feel that every piece of print (which I RARELY DO), video, or web is my little legacy I can leave in our church. Its a way God has given me to help make things better. Everyday I find myself learning more and more. I'm swamped right now in the depths of Photoshop. A friend showed me how powerful the program is and I'm hooked. Lots to learn (also need someone to help buy the stupid thing!) Here's to redeeming technology.

I can't wait to get one!

What to do?

Now that MCC 0809 is in the books its time to....? Seriously, there is a ton to do to get ready for MCC 09-10, Next Level (XA) at APSU, and our summer fireworks tent. I always feel a little lost the first week after graduation. It will be very quite in the church halls for the next couple of months!

An Emotional Bag

MC Clarksville 2008-2009 is in the books. I have so many emotions going on right now. I'm excited because God blessed MCC in a BIG way with the 4 students we had. I'm sad because I don't know when I'll see Aaron again. I'll never have that team again. I'm anxious (in a good way) about what next year will bring. I'm concerned about everyone being safe over the summer. I'm bummed about some non-MCC stuff that went down. I'm hopeful that God will do bigger and better next year. I'm proud of the "Lion" Aaron is chasing, the faithfulness of Sean, the forward progress of Laura, and the faithfulness of James. I'm tired....physically and emotionally. I am a bag of emotions. I am an emotional bag. I want to cry, laugh, sing, dance, and sleep all at the same time. Thank God for tomorrow!

Beans and Bullets Ministry

As an associate pastor I can relate to anyone who work behind the scenes getting the day-to-day stuff done. I was also a logistician in the Army and I understand the importance of supply, transportation, and maintenance. You can't win the fight without beans and bullets. This past MC year we've had some great associates, partners, and "logisticians" help us. Without them we would NEVER be able to run a Master's Commission. I thank God for our home-openers: The Lerman, Porter, Truex, and Angell family! Gotta also give a shout out to Sergio and Gloribel, Julia, Karen, Jaybea, Carlos and Wanda, Hilary Lewis, and The Santanas for always making sure we were fed, supplied, and squared away. We love you guys! Thanks for helping us make disciples!

Graduation Day - Moving Forward

Congrats MC Clarksville 2008-2009!

The End and the Beginning

We have this board in our MC office that has a list of all of our upcoming events etc. I just erased the board. It is so crazy that tomorrow closes out our second year as MC Clarksville. Hard to put into words what I'm feeling so I won't try. I am fired up about what is to come. This list is getting longer for potential 09-10 students and I can't wait to keep on making changing the world...one life at a time.

Tomorrow is the big day!

2008-2009

MC Clarksville Graduation

Sunday June 7th 6pm

CFA

Late Night Blog

Had a great time at U-Turn youth with Johnny Kelley. This students where challenged, worship was great (even though the power kept going out), and we had fun. One great thing is that MCC wasn't preaching or doing human vids. We definitely needed a service where we could just relax and enjoy. Not that we don't enjoy other services...its just different when you aren't leading. Anyway, I'm up super late because I don't have to get up early for Kid's Crusade. I'm looking forward to sleeping in!

Tonight in Clarksville

Tonight at U-Turn Youth

First A/G Clarksville

7pm

Friday Rundown

- Last day of Kid's Crusade at CFA

-TONS of prep for graduation on Sunday

-U-Turn Youth service at 7pm w/Johnny Kelley

-Video stuff for Next Level this Saturday

-Some chicken and waffles?

T-Minus 3 days

Master's Commission Clarksville Graduation

Sunday June 7th 6pm

@CFA

Make it count

Last night was one of the hardest Muay Thai classes I've had. Not because of technique, my partner, or length. It was hard because of the heat. he gym was a sauna! 30 plus bodies in the room didn't help either. Every time I kicked it felt like I had on ankle weights! We could have easily coasted through the session to insure that no one injured themselves. Instead, our teacher pushed us hard and fast and made every drop of sweat count. There were times when I felt like hurling, passing out, and/or quitting. But I pushed through and felt great afterwards.

Life is like that some time. The heat of our lives, the stress of the unknown, or even the fatigue of our failures can make us want to tap out. We can't quit. Make every ounce of pain count for something good. Don't waste your experiences. Push through. Trust me, you will feel so much better in the end.

MCC 0809 Pics

Here are a couple of my favs from the year

Discipleship by design

Had a great time with my friend and mentor Mike Warren. It was great to catch up and share a little wisdom with 3 West Point Cadets. We talked Army, music, food, and of course discipleship. I believe that the reason we don't see a lot of authentic Biblical discipleship is because it cost too much. It cost time, effort, personal space, and emotional energy. Honestly, who lines up to give that stuff away? Nevertheless, it is what we are called to be and do. I'm so thankful to God for allowing me to live a life that is designed for discipleship and mentoring. Are you living the commission?

My Road Warrior Houseguests

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The Final Countdown

I can't believe this is the last week of MCC 0809. What a year its been. Very surreal to see everything coming to an end. While we'll miss this team it is also exciting to look forward to the next crew of world-changers. I have something brewing for this summer regarding MCC. I think most people will love it. I'll be revealing it at graduation...maybe. Let the final week begin...

Should be in bed...

Its 12:26am. Couldn't sleep so I figured I'd my count blessings! Thank God for:

- Salvation

- The Word

- My Wife and sons

- family and friends

- health

-The Call

-Master's Commission

- a wonderful home

- Time

-keeping me safe

-every experience (good and bad)

-pushing me and stretching me

-provision

-The Apple (Computer) Company

-CMMAA

- My mentors

- freedom

-our military

- Chicken wings, honeybuns, sour worms, and chicken alfredo

- Discovery Channel and TV Land......I could keep going but then I'd never get to sleep! Thank God for sleep!

More MCC Memories

We have 2 students who have been with us since day one. One will be back for a 3rd year and the other is moving forward. Here are some of my favorite times with the guys.

- Operation J-Pa (our last minute trip to Bowling Green to pray for a...family member)

- 24 season 1-3

- Miniature golf and go-carts

-Working on the roof in KC

- The day of the door tape (not my favorite but still a memory)

- SRMC flag football

As I'm writing this I'm realizing there is no way to list them all. Good times!

A Day of Nothing

Really enjoying some much needed down time. Life can get so busy that we fail to just chill out.We need to institute national nap time or something! I'm definitely coming out of a very busy season. MCC graduates next week and then I'll have a semi-normal schedule until August. So today I decided practice for the break and did pretty much nothing ...and I don't feel guilty at all! Here's to relaxation!

Snapshots of May

More MCC 0809 Highlights

-Hanging out at the top of the St. Louis Arch

-Searching for a 7-11 in the "urban" part of Ft. Worth

-Staying at Unity Village (Crazy Town) in Kansas City

-Swimming at the indoor cement pond in Madisonville, KY

-Driving to Nashville and always finding a reason to go to Guitar Center

-Painting...oh wait, that's not a highlight!

Seriously, we had some great times! I'll miss this team!

Highlights of MCC-0809

As our Master's Commission year comes to an end I'll periodically post some of my favorite moments:

-Praying with over 2000 people during telethon (8 salvation's)

-Ministering at Spring Bash 2009 in Kentucky

-School Assemblies with Decatur MC in Alabama

-MCIN Conference in Dallas (we became affiliated)

-Staying at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville for TN Youth Convention 2008

-14 services

God blessed us with a great year of travel and services. We survived a car accident too!

Vacation Fight School

Tuesday is the new Monday?

I have a super busy 3 days ahead of me. Today I'll get Wednesday's sermon done, visit some folks, and try to get some MCC graduation prep done. All while soaking in the last regular Tuesday with MCC. Next week will be our Kid's outreach and there will be nothing normal about that schedule. 3 day weekends always put things out of whack. Don't get me wrong...I'm thankful...but I hate going through a Tuesday thinking it's Monday.

Happy Memorial Day

Gotta give a shout out to the greatest unit in the history of the military. MY 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)! Don't forget the fallen!

Memorial

This thought has been burning in my heart and head the past week. I can say it because I've earned some capital:

Remember the FALLEN on Memorial Day. I've seen a lot of Memorial Day Observances get caught up in the soldiers who are fighting our wars now. As a combat veteran of said wars I appreciate the gratitude...but that's what Veterans Day is for. Let's give our fallen comrades the honor they deserve and remember THEM first and foremost. Enjoy your BBQ and day off, but don't forget the Soldier, Sailor, Airmen, or Marine who gave it all so that you could enjoy the life you live. Don't enjoy the spoils of a day off without pausing to remember those that paid the ultimate price for our freedom.

Happy Memorial Day!

Parks and Recreation

Had a blast hanging with the Next Level and MCC crew at Fairgrounds Park. We ate steak, chicken, burgers, brats, dogs, egg rolls, and all of the sides! Thankfully we played a killer football game and some softball to burn it all off! I'm so thankful for the Body of Christ. I can't say enough how important it is to be connected to the church body. I love seeing God work in us as we do life together! Living for Christ is a blast and I'm thankful that God has blessed me with REAL friends to live REAL life with. We don't play "church"!

Thanks Rachel for putting everything together!

Graduation!

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Friday Family Day

-It's the last day of school!!!

-My little guy has a Pre-K graduation today (which makes no sense since he still has one more year of Pre-K before he's old enough for Kindergarten)

-Nevertheless, it should be fun to watch the little ones dance and carry on on stage.

-I'm ready for some summer downtime.

-I'm also ready to fire up the grill...soon!

-Tomorrow will be a packed Saturday....definitely going to make the most out of today

Bike for the light update

Johnny will be @ Clarksville First A/G June 5th-7th!

The Sprint

We are really flying to the finish line before graduation. Thank God we have most of the hard prep work done. Now its all about fine tuning and what not. We're still at CBN Nashville for he rest f the week. Haven't had too many crazy calls...yet. Yesterday I had 2 people rededicate their lives to Christ which makes the crazy calls worth it. We'll only have one "normal" MC week after this because the week of graduation is filled with Kids Crusade and graduation practice. Times like these are when being in spiritual and physical shape pay off. Thank God for His word and thank God for the gym!

10 Things I like about Clarksville

1. First Assembly of God

2. 4 seasons

3. Not too country...not too city

4. the military friendly community

5. The abundance of sweet tea

6. New China and China King Buffet

7. reasonably located to big cities (Nashville, Huntsville, Memphis, Knoxville, St Louis, Louisville, Atlanta)

8. Lasaters Coffee

9. Great cost of living

10. It's home!

My take on 24

-Season 7 was "ok"

- I do like the new location of DC

- I don't like the new FBI characters

-Jack is still amazing!

- The ending was a little too "soap opera" for me.

- the cliffhangers made up for the lack of action.

- Bring on season 8!
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MCC Moving Forward Human Vid

I'm so proud!

MCC 08-09 Graduation

Upcoming Events

Random Rainy Saturday

-I'm so over driving I-24

-That being said I have 6 more round trips to make in the next week

-My mom is coming home from the hospital today. Please spread the word to those who care.

-I'm fired up about Sunday night's message and human video

-3 more Sunday's until MCC graduation!

-I have no idea what I'm doing this summer....

-Tonight is week 3 of "Wild Goose Chase" at Next Level. I'm stoked that I get to teach this with my team. I;m looking forward to just showing up and hanging out.

Long Distance Ministry

Its time to head back to Nashville to work with CBN. We had a great experience in Jan helping them out. We took about 300 calls each, saw 30 people give their lives to Christ, and countless others receive comfort and hope in the middle of their mess. Its not about opinions and backgrounds. The bottom line is that people are hurting out there and some of them choose to call a number to gt to God. Its an honor to help them on their search...even if its by phone.

Small throne

This micro toilet was so cool looking I had to post it! Had a great time in Decatur with DMC. The Sullivan's are great friends doing great work in AL. I pray that I can be as gracious a host as they always are to MCC. Talk about some humble people!
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Decatur Redux

Spent the day with my mentor and friend in Decatur Alabama. Its been great bringing our families and MC teams together for a day of hanging out and ministering to each other. Oh, and our ladies got to hear and meet LISA BEVERE! The guys had fun too. Time for bed. Tomorrow is another marathon day in Nashville.

Don't look back

There is a great verse in Luke 17: Remember Lots wife! Jesus is going on about the coming of the Kingdom and what His return (Rapture and Second Coming) will be like. He then equates being ready for that coming with holding on to our lives and the things that we cherish the most. Paul said in Phil. 3 that he forgot all that was behind him and he pressed forward toward Christ. Paul does a whole lot of reminiscing and storytelling about his past throughout the Epistles and Acts, So clearly he wasn't saying don't remember your past. I believe what these 2 scriptures are calling us to do is move forward Don't CLING to the things behind you. Don't live in yesterday. If Christ is in you then you are brand new. Don't let the attractiveness of the old self cause you to miss out on where God is taking you. Remember Lots wife!

The Long and Winding Road

I've been a traveling beast as of late. Just got back form 5 days in Columbia SC. So cool to worship at Trinity Church. Pastor Terry Roberts has always been good to me and my family. I'll get to enjoy home for about half a day...then I'll spend most of Tuesday in Nashville/Mt. Juliet and all of Wednesday in Decatur AL with our friends at DMC and Calvary Assembly. could get used to this frequent travel thing...maybe....

Random Mother's Day Thoughts

Enjoyed a great church service at Trinity Church in Columbia, SC. This is the church my wife grew up in. This weekend has made me appreciate even more the serious mothering skills that my wife has. She is truly superwoman. I don't know where she finds the patience and talent to handle not only our 2 boys, but the household of nieces and nephews we've had this weekend. She seriously has it going on. Thank God for mother's. My mom is spending tis Mother's Day in Vanderbilt Hospital awaiting surgery. That sucks. And my little sister started off her 1st Mother's Day with a trip to the ER. But God is good and everything is okay. Now its time for some food!

Lazy Day

I am really hoping for a lazy day. The past 2 have been crazier than I like. Hopefully I can chill and be left alone. I haven't been back to Columbia SC in about 4 years. the graduation was super crowded. The University of South Carolina is one of a handful of school that still calls EVERY degree candidate by name during the commencement. That's a lot of people. Thankfully I got to dip out early after my sister-in-law had her name called. She earned her BSN. Anyway, we should be heading back to Clarksville sometime Monday. I love the road...but I'm ready for a break from all of this traveling.

USC Graduation

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The Suicide of America

Here are some signs that the US is slowly killing itself

1. Baconnaise

2. Bacon Salt

3. Deep fried Twinkies

4. All of VH1's reality shows

5. TXTing people in the same room as us

6. Baconnaise!

iBible

National Day of Prayer?

Today is the National Day of Prayer. All across the US folks are gathered in churches, gyms, tents, YMCA's and other venues to pray to the One true God. There have been about 56 presidential NDP proclamations and a White House interfaith service for the past 8. This year, for the first time in eight years, there will be no White House NDP service. The President believes that prayer is private and that's that. Maybe he's tired of "churchy" things like many of my believing friends?Maybe he thought the Bush administration was politicizing prayer for conservative votes? Or maybe his definition of Christian is totally different from the evangelicals who are behind the NDP movement? I have no idea. What I do know is that I've never seen a faster religious 180 in Washington in my life. It's going to be an interesting 4 years for Christ-followers.

Columbia Top 5

Here are 5 things I love/enjoy about Columbia, SC:

5. Ft Jackson

4. Rush's

3. Smiling faces

2. Maurice's BBQ

1. Family

On the road again

I'm headed to South Carolina for my sister-in-law's graduation. She'll be getting her degree from USC...not the Trojans...the Chickens...I mean Gamecocks. Anyway, these roads are horrible. Its raining and the roads are slick. You don't expect to drive through a lake at 70mph on I-40! I would post some pic of the Smoky Mtns but the clouds are pretty thick. Next stop...Columbia.
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Where's the fire?

I read a status update that really caught my eye today. It said "Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency. Nothing is THAT important."

What a cool way of viewing stress. Life is way too short to be getting freaked out about everything. I encountered some stressful moments yesterday. I'm not gonna lie...I wanted to punch something a couple of times. But after a few moments it was all good. I'm learning to laugh more in the face of busy times and stress. It's not that I don't take things seriously, I just don't let serious things take me. The bottom line: CHILL OUT!

Hungry

How hungry are you for God's word? I have discovered a new online Bible at youversion.com. Its pretty cool. The blackberry app is also the smoothest Bible app I've worked with on my phone. Anyway, I got to thinking, what it is about the Word that leaves me wanting more? I was reading my morning blogs and started thinking about my blog to Bible ratio. I read between 4-9 chapters a day from the OT, NT, Psalms/Proverbs, and Epistles. That doesn't include study or sermon prep....And yet I still feel that I need to get into the Word more.I pray I never lose that hunger.

Everywhere

Last night I got into a joking debate about where "here" is. One guy had been in the church building for some time. So some people where saying that he'd been "here" for a while. Others said that he didn't get "here" until he walked into our young adults room. I said it all depends on where "here" is. This morning I keep thinking about how God is multi-dimensional. His "here" is not someone else's "there". He can be "here" for me and for everyone else at the same time. I'm not gonna lie...that's kind of trippy! This tune reminds us of God's omnipresence. Enjoy.

This Rain

It's been raining steady for 2 days. I love it. I'm not the emo guy who like cloudy days. I just like rain. In Florida it seems like it rains everyday. So I grew up with lots of rain and thundershowers. In TN people freak out when it rains. They stay inside, stock up on water, and drive worse then they already do! Its even worse when snow is coming. For a state that has very random weather patterns I've never seen so many folks who don't know how to act when the weather isn't perfect. Just a rant!

The Greatest

Hands down...The Cosby Show is still the best!

Tweets and Status

I have finally hit a good rhythm with facebook and twitter. I am very conscious of being too full of myself through status updates and what not. I don't want to be the guy who feels the need to tell everyone that he's using the bathroom or blowing his nose! What I've decided is that I want to use facebook as an extension of conversation between me an my friends and family and twitter as a way to redeem technology for info sharing and of course making fun of things! I love the connectivity of facebook. I also found myself using twitter as a status update which kind of makes facebook status irrelevant and visa versa. I'm so glad I was tweeting WAY before it became trendy. I definitely feel that myspace is moving into the lame category. I really only keep it because I have some friends there who aren't on facebook.I encourage all of you readers from First Assembly...get connected!

Martin Luther King would be proud?

My friend who is changing the word

Check out this AG news article on Bike for the Light.

Wednesday Random

-My sister is having her baby

- I made chops tonight...so gooood!

-I'm doing the family thing for the next few days while everything gets settled with my sister

-MCC busted their tails the past 7 days! If you go to Clarksville First A/G you owe them a thank you! They are making our church better!

- Had a great time doing some reverse mentoring at Lasaters today. It's always great to engage in honest discussion with sincere believers.

-The service at Lasaters was kind of lame...just putting that out there. Matt Lasater is a great guy and his company rocks, but that chick working today needed some Jesus!

- My kids are hilarious!