The Water Blog

Lousy T-shirt Series

2008-10-22T05:10:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

I know it has been a while since I have blogged on here, but it has been a really busy couple of weeks. Angelique and I are teaching through the book of Revelation in our high school youth class, and this has turned out to be a lot more of a daunting task than I had originally thought it would be. As if I even thought that was possible. It has been more difficult to research and put together, but highly rewarding, and the series has been fantastic! One of my favorites!

I have also been busy preparing for the new Round 2 Wednesday night series that Joe Rollins and I are beginning tonight! I am so stoked about this! The series is based on a book that Joe and I are reading called "I Became a Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt." What an awesome name! Come out and praise God with us for the next 6 weeks, and you will not regret it. If you come with an open heart and a willingness to delve into yourself, your life will be changed!

Here is the intro video for the series:

Come out and join us. It is going to be fun!

He's Calling!

2008-10-07T06:56:00.000-07:00

We finally finished our Emmaus Walk this past Saturday! Since we were interrupted by Hurricane Ike's leftovers, we had to get out of the woods and postpone the last couple of hours. It was awesome to go back and see everyone, and I was back in the spirit of the original weekend within minutes! It was awesome!

Listening to some of the others share, one statement really stuck with me. He said, "God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called."

Some of you out there don't want to hear that because you have felt Him pulling you to do something you don't want to do, and your favorite excuse has been, "I will study for a while longer, and when I know enough, He will let me know." Nope. When God calls you, you go! That's it! He will provide you with what you need, but only after you have submitted to His will. If you are insistent on waiting until you are ready, the call will go forever unheeded! One of my favorite praise songs is "Come ye sinners," and there is a statement in it that resonates through me EVERY single time I hear it. It is, "If you tarry 'til you're better, you'll never come at all." WOW!

Friends, we are sent by God into the world to SAVE (eternal) LIVES! It doesn't matter what excuse you are using, STOP! Get up and do something for God instead of waiting for Him to do something for you! For most of us, I know we are afraid that we are not good/smart/confident enough to do God's work, and I pray that we can always remember, "God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called."

Sadness

2008-10-06T06:39:00.000-07:00

Sunday, we, as a congregation, had to face the sad situation of once again bidding
farewell to our Pastor. In one of the most emotional and hearfelt speeches I have ever seen, Chad explained to the church that he feels that the Holy Spirit is calling him to a different direction than our church is heading, and announced that he would have to resign his position with our church in order to accomplish this calling.

While Chad will be deeply missed - he has really helped shape me into the man I have become - I want to stress to those members of GCC who read this that now is the time to get up and get moving, not get down and out. Remember that God has plans for us, and even though Chad's season at GCC has been fulfilled, ours hasn't! We are to go out to the world and spread the Gospel of Christ until the day He comes back or call us home!

I know of some people in the church who have offered themselves to the elders to do whatever it takes to make sure GCC does NOT get down and start wallowing in self-pity. This is a difficult season, but it would benefit us all for everyone to remember that while God's blessings are raining down, it is in the valleys that you receive the most. For when you are on the mountaintop, the blessing land and tend to run downhill to those who are in the most need. GCC - we are in a valley right now. It is time for us, the church, to BE the blessings of God to those around us and to lift each other up!

I love everyone single one of you, and if there is anything that I or my family can do to help any of you, all you have to do is ask!

May God Bless You All!!!

Piece of Heaven

2008-09-16T13:52:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I experienced a little glimpse of what I believe Heaven is going to be like!

I went on The Walk to Emmaus. If you are unfamiliar with this, here is the gist of what it entails:

A spiritual renewal program intended to strengthen the local church through the development of Christian disciples and leaders. The program's approach seriously considers the model of Christ's servanthood and encourages Christ's disciples to act in ways appropriate to being "a servant of all."

The Walk to Emmaus experience begins with a 72-hour short course in Christianity, comprised of fifteen talks by lay and clergy on the themes of God's grace, disciplines of Christian discipleship, and what it means to be the church. The course is wrapped in prayer and meditation, special times of worship and daily celebration of Holy Communion.

The "Emmaus community," made up of those who have attended an Emmaus weekend, support the 72-hour experience with a prayer vigil, by preparing and serving meals, and other acts of love and self-giving. The Emmaus Walk typically begins Thursday evening and concludes Sunday evening. Men and women attend separate weekends.

During and after the three days, Emmaus leaders encourage participants to meet regularly in small groups. The members of the small groups challenge and support one another in faithful living. Participants seek to Christianize their environments of family, job, and community through the ministry of their congregations. The three-day Emmaus experience and follow-up groups strengthen and renew Christian people as disciples of Jesus Christ and as active members of the body of Christ in mission to the world.

I can't explain how this weekend changed my life, I can only show you through the way my life will be lived from now on. I was fortunate enough to be able to spend this weekend with my good friend Mike, and it was absolutely amazing to see him transformed right in front of my eyes! I am telling you, this was the best weekend of my entire life, and I am so excited that my wife is going to experience the same thing this coming weekend. I can't wait to embark on our new lives together as a couple who are one with Christ!!!

Thank you Jesus for being who you were, are, and will be forever!

God speaks!

2008-08-26T04:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry for taking so long to blog again, but it has been a really busy couple of weeks.

Pastor Chad told the story of Jesus dining with one of the Pharisees and the woman who wet His feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, and anointed them with perfume that is valued at approximately a year's wages. A year's wages! I think the average annual American income is between 30 and 40 THOUSAND dollars. Could you imagine buy 30 thousand dollars worth of perfume and pouring it over the feet of someone you have never met in your life? That is faith! Thanks Chad, loved the sermon.

What really stuck with me these past couple of days is the chronology of the life of Jesus that Chad mentioned. I have talked with some about reading the New Testament in chronological order, but that is just by the date that the books are written which is awesome when reading the letters. However, I have never thought of reading the Gospels in the same manner. I haven't been able to stop thinking about this for two days now! I have always found it confusing to try to understand Jesus' life by just reading one Gospel, then another, then another, then the last one. A lot can be forgotten in the amount time that takes, and it doesn't seem to flow as a story. Don't get me wrong...I love the Bible as it is written, but I believe that there are many ways to read it to gain more and more understanding. NOTE: If you are a new Christian, or someone who is new to studying scripture, find a mature Christian, and ask them about a reading/study plan. Don't trust everything you find in a bookstore or on the web because you can easily be led down the wrong path!

So, yesterday, I had to go to "ye olde enterwebb" (that is what it was called in the 17th century when Al Gore invented it...LOL). I Googled. I came upon a website called lifeofchrist.com where I found a list of the the Gospels in harmony with one another and a daily lesson planner to go with it. I passed this along to many of you, and if you didn't get it, email me. This morning I started reading the life of Jesus this way, and it is SOOOOO awesome! To me, it really brings out the "real dude" that Jesus was and is.

I challenge you all who don't get into the Word because it is "confusing" to try reading the life of Jesus this way. Always pray before you read the Bible, and ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to what He wants you to see not what you want you to see. I know that if you do this, you will be pleasantly surprised!

What Am I Not Good At?

2008-08-11T05:51:00.000-07:00

I am a big believer that all Christians should find out what their God-given spiritual gifts are, and serve in a way that uses those gifts. Early on in my life with Jesus, I realized that God gave me the gift to teach. Since then, He has opened doors to allow me to use this gift for his purpose. For those of you who don't know, I teach the high school students at Greenville Christian Church on Sunday mornings, and I have filled in for Pastor Chad on a couple of Wednesday nights where I preached to the adult congregation.

Recently, I read a blog by Ben Arment about understanding what we are not gifted with. Wow. I had never thought about that. We always tell people to concentrate on their gifts, but we fail to tell them to recognize what they are not good at doing. I see people who try to force themselves to be good at something when it is obvious that God did not give them that gift. I will use myself as an example:

I love to play games and stuff with our students. When healthy, I am a good participant in games and events. However, I am terrible at creative stuff. I just don't possess the creativity to put games together or come up with themes for stages. I realize this, and therefore I try to stay away from this kind of thing. I have tried in the past to force myself to come up with ideas for the stage at our Thrive service, but it did nothing but cause tons of stress in my life!

It took me a while to realize that I just wasn't gifted with creativity, and no matter what I wanted, it just wasn't what God wanted for me. I can accept that.

I think it would be beneficial for everyone out there in the blogosphere to take a look at your own gifts.

Ask yourself what you are doing that you know you are not gifted at.

Ask yourself why you are trying to do something that you are not gifted at.

Are trying to do what YOU want, or what GOD wants?

Ramblings...

2008-07-24T06:56:00.000-07:00

I haven't had a lot to blog about here lately. We are still unpacking from the move, but Dawn has done a tremendous job on the place. She has such a way with that kind of stuff. If it was just me, I would probably still be living out of boxes a year from now!

Drew is at camp this week. So, please pray that he has fun, makes friends, and grows his relationship with Jesus while he is there. It is awesome how spending time in the forest or just anywhere in nature can bring you closer to God. I guess experiencing creation helps us better understand the Creator!!!

That's all for now, but I do want to remind you all that we are having Discipleship Training this Friday at Sacred Grounds at 7:30pm. This week we are discussing the Cross!!! We will be asking what crucification is, how exactly Jesus died, and what did Jesus accomplish on the cross. Hope to see you there!!!

Gen. 2:24 "...and they will become one flesh."

2008-07-14T05:31:00.000-07:00

My friend Joe Rollins, no relation to Henry, posted a blog today about his wife being a woman of NOBLE CHARACTER. He referenced Proverbs 12:4 where it says that a wife of noble character is the crown of a husband, and he ended his blog with this:

Do you see your wife as the crown she truly is?

I feel that I don't thank my wife enough for who she is and what she does! Noble is defined as an exalted moral or mental character or excellence, and I think Dawn has always striven for this (even as a non-Christian). I remember discussing the Gospel with her before she accepted Jesus, and it was fairly difficult because she didn't realize that she needed forgiveness because she had always tried to live a "good" life. Fortunately, Jesus gave me the words and actions to show her where she was mistaken, and she became a true follower.

John Calvin, in referring to Jesus coming to earth as a human being, says that He accommodated us. Calvin is talking about how Jesus chose not to avail himself of some of His divinity while He was here for our sake. He humbled himself!

I see this in my wife as well. When out with the kids, she doesn't walk as fast as she can, but chooses to slow down so the kids can keep up. She accommodates them. She gets up with me in the mornings and makes my lunch for me. She accommodates me. She has chosen to stay home and forgo a career of some sort to take care of our family. She accommodates us.

So, to answer Joe's question: I think I have always seen her that way, but I have failed miserably to let her know that! Thanks for opening my eyes Joe!

I LOVE YOU DAWN!!!

My Camouflaged Sin

2008-07-08T04:31:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a great idea? You know, the kind that immediately puts you in the best mood ever. I have, too. How would you feel if you shared that idea with someone, and they moved forward with it as if it were their own? Would you be angry? Would you feel betrayed?

That actually happened to me, and I felt both of those emotions simultaneously. I was enraged! Why? Because I was proud of my idea. Lately, it seems that I have become proud of a lot of things, and that is not good! If you know me at all, you know that I like to study the Word, and learn as much as I can. I don't see anything wrong with that, but I seem to have removed my focus from Jesus. I have put my focus into learning as much as possible for the wrong reason (ME).

I have elevated knowledge in my life to the point where it is an idol and object of my pride!

I want to use this blog to repent to all of you! I have asked for forgiveness from Jesus, and I am refocusing my life and priorities! I am sorry if my pride and arrogance has offended anyone or pushed anyone away. Please forgive me.

It's tough being human, and I challenge everyone out there to look inward and see if just maybe there is a camouflaged sin in there somewhere that needs to be taken care of.

Unpacking

2008-07-02T04:30:00.000-07:00

Let the unpacking begin!!!

The move went really well, but we seem to be lacking some stuff. We have boxes and boxes of books, cds, movies, etc., but we haven't a single bookshelf to put them on! I am wanting to build one of those giant bookshelves with the 12x12 squares like Chad has, but I don't have the resources to do so right now. So, if anyone has any shelves they are looking to get rid of, give me a shout.

When moving day comes around, a person can really tell who cares! I know some people had other things to do, and that is fine, but I want to thank those of you who showed up for the two hours that it took for us to move. Andrew, Mike, Amy, Joe, Patrick, and Sam: I know you guys had other stuff you would have rather been doing than moving all my crap from one place to another, but my family and I thank you so much for giving us your time! God gave us a mission to serve others, and you all did just that last weekend...

Now, we have the daunting task of unloading the seemingly billions of boxes that we have. That isn't our stuff in the picture above. We have a lot more stuff than that, but I had no idea how much we had until last weekend. Please pray for our sanity as we embark on this journey(LOL)!!!

Mooohoovin' Oooon Up...

2008-06-26T11:58:00.000-07:00

We are moving this weekend!!! We found a really nice 3 bedroom townhouse apartment at the Sheffield Square Complex in New Albany. The bedrooms are pretty big, and it has 1 and 1/2 baths. Dawn and I are excited to have more room, and Skylee is finally going to have a room all to herself.

The boys will still be sharing a room, but it is quite a bit bigger than what they have now, and they are going to have bunk beds that will be stacked to make more room. They are pretty stoked!

There are two things I think we are most excited about. First is the fact that we will have a pool! Second, we will live within walking distance of Mom and Pop's Ice Cream Parlor! I love that place, and our whole family can get dessert from there for about $10...

Please pray for us to have a successful move, and for the transition to go well for the family. Thanks!!!

There is only ONE!

2008-06-24T07:52:00.000-07:00

The following link is to a news story that I came across on foxnews.com today. Please take a minute and read through it...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,370588,00.html

I was completely in awe as I read through the entire story, but there was one paragraph that really made me just want to weep. It said:

"Nearly across the board, the majority of religious Americans believe many religions can lead to eternal life: mainline Protestants (83 percent), members of historic black Protestant churches (59 percent), Roman Catholics (79 percent), Jews (82 percent) and Muslims (56 percent)."

This is absolutely mind-boggling!!! According to this study, more than 4 out of every 5 protestant believers (that is us at GCC) believe that Jesus is not the only path to God. This is so discouraging because all of the talk about "tolerance" in the world these days is leading the average Christian away from a doctrine that is not debatable just so we don't hurt someone's feelings. For those who ask themselves, "Who are we to say that we have the only answer," I will give the following illustration:

Imagine you are on a plane headed to Chicago, and you strike up a conversation with the man in the seat next to yours. After a few minutes you decide that you really like your new friend, and while you are talking he says, "Boy, I can't wait to get to Texas tonight!" You, on the other hand, know that his flight is taking him in the exact opposite direction than he thinks he is going. What do you do?

Do you just sit quietly and let him go to Chicago because you don't want to hurt his feelings or because you don't want to seem arrogant by having the right information that he doesn't?

Of course not! You would tell him that he is on the wrong plane, so he doesn't end up where he doesn't want to be.

We are in the same position every single day. There are people everywhere who are on the wrong path who think they are heading to where they want to be. However, John 14:6 says, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." For those reading this who don't know, THAT IS JESUS TALKING! According to this, anyone on a path that is not leading to Jesus, and ONLY Jesus, is on the wrong path...It is our responsibility to share this fact (in love) with them.

It seems to me that this is one of the basic doctrines that all Christians should believe, but according to that study on foxnews.com, more than 4 out of every 5 of us are missing it!!! Don't get me wrong, I don't want us to run around hurting everyone's feelings, but we have a mission given to us by Jesus to spread the Gospel, and train the new believers in the life and teachings of Jesus.

There is only ONE way to eternal life and that is by believing in Jesus Christ as the redemptive lamb who was slaughtered for our sins!

Books---They Still Make Those?

2008-06-23T05:45:00.000-07:00

I am often taken aback at the lack of interest our young people seem to have in books these days! I have had a lot of conversations this past week about some books that I have read and wanted to recommend, but the main response I get from most of the youngsters that I have spoken with is "I don't read." Not "I can't read," but "I DON'T read."

Maybe it is because I get an enormous amount of knowledge and pleasure from diving head first into a good book, but that comment just floors me! I wish I could come up with a way to prove to all of the doubters that if you stick to reading for a while, it gets easier and a lot more fun. I despised reading in school because I had to! Now, I read what I want, when I want, and I could not imagine living a life without books.

Just to clear the air, I am not "dissing" anyone who does not read. I am just pleading the case for the books out there that can't speak. Their feelings are hurt because they were created to make all of us smarter, and even some of them were created to entertain us! I used to debate with a friend a while back that the book is always better than the movie or show or video game, and I am still right on that one...LOL (Love ya Mike Tolle).

Anyway, for those of you out there who don't read but would be willing to give it a shot, I want to recommend the Circle Trilogy by Tedd Dekker. He is a fiction writer who happens to be a Christian as well. Notice I didn't call him a "Christian writer." That would be like calling your plumber a "Christian plumber." Anyway, these 3 books are titled Black, Red, and White. They are a quick read and are very, very exciting!!! I loved them, and I think anyone who has faith our wonderful God will enjoy them as well. Just give them a shot, and let me know what you think.

Duplication

2008-06-19T09:33:00.000-07:00

I just posted the following on the GCC Sacred Grounds blog, but I wanted to put it on here in case some of you don't check that one out:

YOUNG PEOPLE

If you missed the lesson last night, Angelique delivered one of the best and most profound messages I have heard in a while. Thank you Angelique!

However, what most impressed me most on the night was Rachel Manias' comments toward the end of the class. She issued a challenge to all of the students in our program to not just come to class and service once a week, but to actually live your faith. I can't stress enough how right she is! It is one thing to come to church and play the role, but it is another to live that role everyday in our lives. We can all learn something from that, adult leaders included. I, for one, had one of those "ouch" moments when I realized that I haven't been doing this the way Jesus intends me to!!! Thank you Rachel for putting the call out...We adult leaders put things out like that every once in a while, but I feel that hearing it from a peer will strike more of a chord with our students, and I thank you for having the courage to express your feelings with such passion and sincerity!

May God bless you all!

I am "the opposite of front!"

2008-06-18T11:15:00.000-07:00

I am back! I know that everyone out there was trembling with anxiety because I have been gone for so long...LOL. For those of you who have noticed my absence, sorry about that. Life sometimes gets in the way of things like this...

Anyway, my family and I are doing really well! Everyone is healthy now, and the kids just keep growing. I keep telling them that with gas prices where they are, they need to slow down on the growing because I can't afford to feed them. They don't listen...go figure! We are moving on the 27th!!! We are going to be renting a three bedroom townhome at Sheffield Square apartments in New Albany. We are really stoked to finally be able to afford something of our own. Plus, there is a pool!!! Maybe, just maybe, my legs won't look like they have been powdered white anymore.

I am leading a discipleship training class every other Friday night at Sacred Grounds at 7:30pm. It is an awesome class, and everyone is invited. I don't care if you are 13 or 113, there will be something for you. We are currently in a series on doctrines, and it is really cool.

Well, I am getting busy, so I will post more about the class later.

It's good to be back!

Fellowship

2007-10-19T18:40:00.000-07:00

Tonight, we had an open house at Sacred Grounds for the church youth. We don't really do a whole lot for this, just kind of hang out and play games and stuff. I know it doesn't sound really exciting, but what a fantastic time! I love getting a chance to hang out and talk with our youth coaches. You would think that being partners in what we do, we would all be close friends, but it really doesn't happen like that. It is nights like tonight that really make me see the love we all have for one another and the mission we have teaching our youth!

I look back at the last year, and I am amazed at how much we all have grown in the Lord! We didn't really have a clue what we were doing when our leader left, but we were thrust into positions that we had to deal with. I have to say that we have definitely proven that we are a great team, and that whatever the obstacle, we will overcome. I am honored to be associated with each and every one of them.

Jeremy is really coming into his role as our leader, and it makes me proud to see how much he has grown since I join in this ministry.

Amy is always so grounded and easy to talk to! I always know that if I or any of the youth have any problems or personal concerns, she will lend an ear and any help she can.

Angelique is always gonna be our conservative conscience and mother figure. The love she showers the group with each week is overwhelming, and for that, I will be eternally grateful. I am one who is sometimes quick to decide, and if I am too rash, she will not hesitate to slow me down. Thanks for keeping us in check!

The amount of work the Lord has done with Mike is a true testimony to God's power. When I first met him, he was really introverted and not very confident about teaching. He is still a little apprehensive about teaching because he feels that he isn't as strong as the others, but I strongly disagree with this! He has come out of his shell with the students as well as with the other coaches, and I think that when he relaxes and just shares what he has lived and learned, he will be great. I have seen a complete 180 with him, and I am privileged to call him a friend. I am so glad that he has stuck with us through the rough times!

As for me, I have had my ups and downs with this ministry. When I first started, I really loved to teach, then Satan realized this and attacked. For a while, I didn't even want spend the time to do anything...It was all about me. I was struggling at home and church. Personally and spiritually. However, I am glad God got me through the rough patch. I finally taught again, and it was truly exhilarating! I don't know everything, but it is so fun to learn about a topic or person then teach it to the youth. I forgot how much I enjoyed doing the Lord's work, and feel ashamed that I pushed away for so long. I know that the war isn't over, but it is nice to know that with the help of my true friends and loved ones, this battle was a victory. Thanks everyone for helping me through all of the garbage, and I hope that each of you know...I AM HERE FOR YOU, TOO!

"Junior the Revelator"

2007-10-13T10:30:00.001-07:00

Sorry I ended so abruptly the other night and for not finishing up last night...We didn't get home until real late, and I really wanted to do this story properly. So, without further adieu...Here is the conclusion:

I would visit my aunt and uncle every week or so, and if I ever got caught alone by my uncle, it was on! He would start asking questions about what I was into, and from there he would grab his Bible and start talking. Usually, it was an hour of me going "Oh yeah?" or "Really?" In retrospect, I can really see where the Holy Spirit was at work in that man, and still is to this day. Man, do we have some good conversations!!!

It was from his house that I was coming from one day, and I remember that I was on 64W right at the McAlpine Locks...For those of you who don't know where that is, it is where that big blue bridge is that raises straight up in the air. I remember being there on the road, and God actually revealed Himself to me! Not physically in the car, but you will see what I mean. I know I sound crazy to say something like that in the 21st century, but that doesn't make it any less true. I remember feeling really warm and having this bright and blinding white light in my mind. It is here where God finally brought understanding to the meaning of the "Perfect Sacrifice." See, I had heard most of the stories from the Bible, and I just thought of them as fairy tales. I never understood why people called Jesus the perfect sacrifice, or why there was a need for a sacrifice in the first place. During this revelation from God, He showed me that the Jews had all of these different sacrifices for different sins, and that with the sacrifice of the sinless Jesus, there was no need for anymore of the sacrifices of the "law." I GOT IT! And, all while driving in Kentucky! LOL...It is a miracle in itself that I didn't crash. It sounds like a drawn out ordeal, but it happened in just a split-second. You can't tell me that our God isn't an AWESOME God!

Right there, I picked up the phone, and called a friend who I knew was a believer, and told him what happened and that I needed to be baptized that Sunday, which would have been two days later. He said, "Why wait?" So, we met in Greenville the next day, and along with two other believers, we went to Indian Creek near twin bridges and I was baptized in to the Love of Christ! That was April 30, 2005, and let me tell you, it was cold in that water, but I am so thankful for God giving me another chance at the life He meant for me.

If you are reading this, and are thinking that there is no way God would forgive you for the things you have done, STOP! I have been there, and believe me, HE WILL! If you have the need to talk about your beliefs or questions about how to ask Him for forgiveness, email me at nine99teen@yahoo.com, and I will send you my phone number so we can talk. I would love the opportunity to sit and show you the love that God has shown me in the last two and a half years. You will be floored by the change he has done in my life, and more so by the change He can do in your own.

Well, that is how I became a Christ-follower. When I read it, it is a little hard to believe, but that is how it happened. It seems that I have to be constantly reminded what God has done to me, and I want to thank Chad for bringing this blogging thing to GCC. It really has made me take a long look inside, and I have needed to do that for a while now. Chad, you have started a snowball with this thing, and it looks like the whole dang congregation is gonna be on here before it's over with! LOL...

Where I Come From...

2007-10-11T16:52:00.000-07:00

I realize that many of you didn't know me a few years ago, and for that you should be thankful...I guess I should talk a little about my history, so here goes.

I was born in Louisville, KY on October 2, 1975.

I have 3 sisters and 3 brothers (1 brother died soon after birth, and I don't believe in the half-brother or sister label).

My parents divorced when I was 5 years old, and my mom remarried when I was six to a man named Bruce Willis. Yeah, that really was his name. He was a great man, and he raised me and my sister, Cathy Jo, as if we were his own. I am absolutely terrible with time frames, but I will try to give you approximates. Bruce had a stroke about 3 or 4 years ago which left the right side of his body pretty much useless. He was a "provider-minded" man, and not being able to do so devastated him. I believe a lot of him died when the stroke happened, but he kept on going for a while. I believe he died in May of '05. This destroyed my mom! She had been riddled with health problems for a few years, and had recently started on kidney dialysis when Bruce passed. She eventually got to where she was going into congestive heart failure (excessive fluid on the heart) every month or two. The doctors told us that the dialysis wasn't taking off enough fluid, but if they dialyzed her anymore it would kill her. When we asked them what we could do, they said that eventually she would go into congestive heart failure, be admitted to the hospital (again), and not go home. That is exactly what happened in August of last year...I miss her so much.

Anyway, Bruce brought my family out of Portland (the west end of Louisville) and into Georgetown. I was 8 when we moved over here, and I am so thankful for his decision to do so. At the time, I was angry, and he kept saying it was best for Mom and the kids. I thought that was a load, but now I realize that if he didn't get us out of there, I would probably be dead or in jail by now. I visited my dad in Portland every other weekend, and talked to him on the phone everyday. We remained as close as father and son can in that situation. He was remarried when I was 8 or 9, and they had two little girls and my little brother who died. When I was 12, Dad took a boy of 14 into his household to care for. His name was Jerry, and he became like a brother to me...In 2004, Dad shot and killed him. Dad says it was an accident, and I believe him. Not just because he is my father, but I was at the trial, and the evidence just wasn't there for murder. However, the jury didn't agree, and they sentenced my 54 year old diabetic father to 20 years in the Kentucky prison system where he is to this day...That is a discussion for another day. If you have any questions, or want to talk about this situation, just ask me.

Anyway, I went to Georgetown Elementary and then Floyd Central Jr. and Sr. High where I graduated in 1993. In 1996, I graduated from Vincennes University with an A. S. degree in Law Enforcement.

In October of 1995, I met the most beautiful girl I have ever seen...Dawn Marie Smith. We started dating, and she moved in with me at school in Feb. of 1996. Soon after that, we found out that Dawn was pregnant. I was 20 and she was 18. Kids having a kid...Soon after I graduated, Dawn miscarried. Sex out of wedlock is strictly forbidden, much less having a child out of wedlock. I know that now, but I was totally heartbroken when we lost that precious life. It was tough, but we lived. We got married on August 27, 1996.

Soon after that, I got to use my degree. I was hired onto the Floyd Co. Sheriff's Department as a Corrections Officer where I worked for a year and a half. Then, I was hired as a police officer. The irony is that I lived in the same house where we teach our high school church youth every Sunday. I had achieved all of my goals at the age of 22. I had a beautiful wife, a great son (Drew was born in 1997), and the job I had wanted since I was a little boy. But...(ever notice there is almost always a "but")? But, I wasn't happy. I hated being a cop, and I drank almost every day after work. It stinks to want something for so long only to find out that you hate it!

I left the police department and went to work in plumbing sales where I have pretty been since...There is stuff in there that I won't go into right now...Maybe another time. I will say that I was blessed with another fantastic son, Darrick, in 2001.

Dawn and I got divorced on August 27, 2004. Yeah, that is the same day we go married...I had really turned into a USDA Grade A Turd! I was a sinner in pretty much every aspect of the word, and it ended up costing me everything I had. I had a job making about $50k a year...GONE. I had a beautiful home in New Albany...GONE. And finally, my family...GONE. That is when I basically lost my mind. I went into a deep depression, and did anything I could to self-medicate...Again, that is a subject for another time.

I am gonna leave off there because I know you are tired of reading, and it is a good stopping point. Tomorrow, I will talk about how I came to the place I am now.

That is some of the crazy story I call my life...

Traditions of Men

2007-10-10T18:44:00.000-07:00

Tonight at church, we talked about the traditions of men. There has been a lot of change going on around GCC since our new pastor arrived, and they have been much needed! Tonight, we focused mainly on the fact that our communion table has been moved. I just can't make myself see why this would be a problem, but for some people, it is.

Anyway, there is a tradition at our church, and most other churches that I have been to, that really gets under my skin. That is the offering plate. I find it absolutely offensive that we pass around a plate specifically for people to place their money in. What bothers me is that other people are watching whether or not you put something in the plate. I know that they are not supposed to be judging me if I don't have anything to put in or if I already put my offering in for the month, but that doesn't mean that they aren't! If I don't have something to put in, this is the time during my worship service to feel GUILTY! Every single time the offering comes around, it think to myself, "Here comes the guilt plate." I can't tell where in the Scriptures it says, but I can't help to feel that it is a sin to make another person feel guilty about anything. I know that our church doesn't mean to make us feel guilty about this, but that doesn't change the fact that it does, and this is something that I feel needs to change.

I don't know what the average donation is per member in our church, and really don't need to know. However, I attended a church once that did not pass around an offering plate. They had "joy boxes" next to the exits, and the pastor told the congregation that if they were going to give an offering to put it there. Nice and simple. To really put an exclamation point on it, the average donation there is $8.00 per member. They have 10,000 members, and 8 bucks a pop, that is a lot of money for the Lord's work, and not a single person had to be guilted into giving.

I am not accusing anyone of any wrong! I just think that if this offends me, imagine how it makes a guest feel when you hand them a plate to put money in! I look around when the plate is making it's rounds, and I remember going to church with a friend while I was in high school, and his mom would give us a dollar each so we could have something to put in. Ridiculous! Please notice that my grudge is with the offering PLATE, not the offering itself. We are supposed to give joyfully to the Lord the firstfruits of our labors because everything we have is His anyway, and all He asks in return is the first 10%. Don't put something in the plate for the sake of putting something in the plate.

These are my feelings on the subject, and if I have offended someone, please let me know. I would love to talk about this further, and I hope that there is a reason this is done that I am missing. Anyway, leave me a comment, and let me know your feelings about the offering plate. I love blogging!!!! What a great way to get your feelings out.

How does that Nike slogan go?

2007-10-09T17:38:00.000-07:00

I really don't know where to go with this bloggin thing...I guess I will just talk about what comes to mind.

I was just talking to Dawn, my beautiful wife, about this Sunday. We, the THRIVE band, have been invited to perform at Georgetown Christian Church! Talk about psyched! It is awesome that they were so impressed by us that they want us to be special guests. I mean, most of us are brand new musicians. Playing music for the Lord really gets my blood flowing!!! Turns out that we, along with Stephanie, have been asked to perform at another event sometime within the next few weeks, and we get to perform "The Reason" again. That is gonna be great!!! It is amazing that God is opening doors for us as a group, and I am truly thankful.

I want to thank all of you who commented about yesterday's post. I don't share my feelings a whole lot, but I think the time has come for me to start doing so. It seems that for a long time, I have acted like the world owes me something. I have even taught about people who put on the Christian face when around certain people, but change that when around others. The irony is, it seems that I was one of the very people I was trying to teach against. I really want to thank you, Chad. You said something Sunday that really smacked me in the face! I am gonna paraphrase what you said. You said that if we have a scheduled sin, something we know we are going to do, that we should not take communion. That is the first day since my baptism 2-1/2 years ago that I purposefully did not accept the elements, and it HURT! It is nice to know that this Sunday, I can have communion with a clean conscience. I guess in all this rambling, I want to say to anyone who is struggling out there...IF YOU WANT TO GET AWAY FROM A CERTAIN SIN, DO IT!!!! STOP TALKING ABOUT IT, MAKING EXCUSES FOR IT, WHINING ABOUT IT, AND JUST DO IT!!!! I wish I had followed that advice sooner, but hey...Better late than never!

Thanks for reading my thoughts, and for those who did not quite get the Doogie reference from my last post, he always sat down at the computer and typed his thoughts at the end of each episode...

Shalom to All!

Back on the narrow path...

2007-10-08T17:50:00.000-07:00

This is my first entry, and I could not really think of a better time. See, I have kind of been on a mental sabbatical. I don't really know why I started backsliding, but I have a couple of ideas. Anyway, I am back into the Word everyday, and that is really helping me. That reminds me of a quote I heard a while back, "Sin keeps you away from the Word, but the Word keeps you away from sin." Think about that. If only we could keep ourselves in the Word or just making sure that we keep the values in the Word at the front of our minds at all times. That is very difficult to do in the society we live in, but there are ways. Here is what I have started doing:

1. I download podcasts of sermons to listen to on my mp3 player to and from work. It is about a 25 minute trip one way, so there is almost an hour with God right there. Some of the podcasts I download are:

-Chad Doerr (GCC of course!)
-Mars Hill Bible Church (Rob Bell and others)
-Stephen Furtick (This guy is super cool)
-Mars Hill Christian Church (Seattle)

2. Limit TV watching...I am a story junkie! I love movies, tv shows, and books as long as there is a good story to immerse myself into. This is really bad for me because I always chose TV over reading the Word. I am in the process of drastically cutting my TV schedule, which will open up time for important things like family, friends, and reading. (I have really missed my friends and family over the last month or two, and I am really excited about the changes happening here!)

3. Pocket-sized Bible...My best friend Jeremy had the privilege to go to a Christian leadership conference called "Catalyst." While he was there, he had the opportunity to pick up a pocket-sized Bible for me. I really appreciated him getting it for me, but I didn't know how often it would get used...Today, I read Jude, 3 John, and some of Revelation just because he got me that Bible! It is just so easy to carry around, and it seems to call for me when I am waiting for something like at the doctor's office today. Thanks Kane!!!

It feels so good to be back on the narrow path. I want to thank all of you who cared to ask me what my deal was...It is hard to approach people and ask them what is wrong, and you all have made me look into myself and see what my deal was.

Well, that is my first blog. Whew! I sort of feel like Doogie Howser...