all or nothing

Samson was a man who was dedicated to God by his parents from the time of his birth but who did not dedicate himself to God. He was infatuated with women who often led him astray. He was a Jew who decided to marry someone outside of his own people against the wishes of his family. And during his marriage celebration he told a riddle and then got scammed by his wife who told the answer to the crowd so that Samson lost his cool. Anyways, she was killed later and Samson went to a prostitute, and then married a woman named Delilah.
Delilah was a piece of work! A crazy, manipulative woman. She was asked by the enemy to forsake her husband for some money. So she asked Samson how he could be overpowered… Samson fed her a line, she took it, and then she tested him. She tied him up after he had fallen asleep, and yelled, “The enemy is upon you!” Samson woke up a broke the ropes like they were nothing. She began to pout in order to find out the correct “kryptonite” for Samson’s power.
This same scene was played out three different times and Samson gave Delilah three different answers. After the third time she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have deceived me these three times and have not told me where your great strength is. It came about when she pressed him daily with her words and urged him, that his soul was annoyed to death. [17] So he told her all that was in his heart…”
I believe that this story is played out every day in our relationship with God. I feed God a line, and he test it, and finds out that I am not being truthful, until He finally asks, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me?”
God does not want our words, or our lines, nor does he want our actions. He wants our hearts. All of them! He wants every nook and cranny, the best of it and the worst of it, the brightest spots and the darkest corners. God wants all (every part) of us, and wants us to share all that is in our heart.
Have you dedicated yourself to God? Have you given all of yourself to Him?

Liz Graduated!!!!!!!

Well it has been a long road. Six years ago from tomorrow, Liz and I started dating with the expectation that she would be attending pharmacy school. And for those six years I have been looking forward to the day where she would walk across the stage and receive her degree. It happened last week on Wednesday when she was hooded as a Doctor of Pharmacy, and climaxed Friday when she walked across the stage at the Colonial Center along with 1100 other graduates. I was blown away! I was emotional! Feelings of happiness and joy… feelings of unbelief and amazement… and feelings of sadness all going through my head simultaneously.

I was happy because she had completed what she had set out to do, and there was a deep satisfaction knowing that I have been privileged to walk along with her on this journey. I was incredibly proud of my wife, who was awarded with an academic achievement award from the drug company, Merck and graduated Suma Cum Laude. I could not believe that six long years had passed so quickly. I look back and remember the day we first kissed and the day she said “I do.” I remember the countless nights of watching her study and I can’t believe that her college career has come to a conclusion. And then I was sad for some reason that I still do not understand. Maybe because I am going to miss what we have done or the life that we have lived over the past six years. Or maybe because I now realize that our lives will be taking a radical change over the next few months. Or maybe because I am going to miss Columbia in some weird way. I am not sure, but there was a sense of heartache as I watched her shake the hands of the deans on the jumbo-tron.

But the overwhelming feelings are of contentment; with Liz, with the past six years, and with how our time has been spent. And then of anticipation with the great unknown that lies ahead of us. I can’t wait for the next few chapters of our life to be written by the Hand of my God. I hope the next six are as exciting and full as these. We look forward to letting you know.

my thoughts exactly

"The LAST THING I want our church to be is NORMAL! I’m begging God to do the UNEXPLAINABLE and the UNDENIABLE so HIS church will become UNSTOPPABLE!"

"When we make 'normal' and 'average' our goal…the Kingdom loses and hell becomes more crowded!!!"

http://www.perrynoble.com/2009/05/03/sunday-night-reflections-97/

Perry Noble, Pastor Newspring Community Church (http://www.perrynoble.com/)

insights from a high schooler

This fall I was substitute teaching for a science teacher at a private school in Columbia, SC. I looked over at the board at the end of class and was astounded at the wisdom I saw in the frustrations of a high-school junior.

This statement is a true picture of our society and the world which we live in; where people are satisfied with the status quo, the short standard, and normality. Where people are living for happiness’ sake, to obtain what they can, to build mansions, to store treasure, and to maximize their pleasure. The people in our world have a lack of purpose; if you don’t believe me, ask yourself why suicide is becoming the #1 cause of death around the world for people between 16-25 years old.
If all this life has to offer me are the things I can see and feel… I am ready for this life to be over. There has to be something more to live for than our normal lives, than amassing things. Jesus says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” So if all I have to live for is on earth, I am of all men to be most pitied.
There is a purpose much greater than yourself or anything you can imagine.
Jesus so clearly calls us out of the normal life, into a world where anything is possible with Jesus living in us. He calls us into a new life of being a radical, which comes from the Latin word meaning to get back to the root of things. Christ calls us to be radicals, not for the sake of rebelling, but to show a life worth living for a Greater purpose; rebels against religion, fighting for the sake of radical relationship with the Savior of the world.
Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we would walk in them.” In other words, God spent an eternity dreaming up an amazing life for you to live, better than you could ever imagine, more fulfilling than any other, if you are only ready to step out of the comfort of normalcy.
I am ready for something other than the “American dream”. God show me the life that you have been dreaming of for me to live so that You might get the glory.

unanswered prayer???

In one of Garth Brook’s well known songs, he says that “some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.” Although this is a great song, it is just not true. For a prayer to remain unanswered would mean that God either does not hear us or is ignoring us, both of which would go against the character and promises of God.
Every prayer is answered with one of three responses; “yes”, “no”, and “not now”. As many of you know, my car has been in the shop for 11 months (yes eleven). And I have been praying for this to come to an end. But for some reason that I cannot understand, God answered with a “not yet”. Well this week God has changed His answer from a “Not now” to a “Yes”.
There is a saying, “God is not always on time, but He is never late.” God tells us in scripture, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
No matter how sincere a prayer might be, God knows what is best for us, but most importantly He knows what is best for Him.
If God doesn’t answer your prayer the way you wanted Him to, is that ok with you? Are you satisfied with just having God? Or must God answer your prayers the way you want, in order to be on your good list?
God is so good. “Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are His riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His methods! For who can know what the Lord is thinking? Who knows enough to be His counselor? And who could ever give Him so much that He would have to pay it back? For everything comes from Him; everything exists by His power and is intended for His glory. To Him be glory evermore. Amen.”

why i love vacation

this is what i did las week and why you have not heard from me in a week. last week i was at the beach with almost all of my family... 16 of them to be exact.

i am back and will let you know whats going on in our life. but for now, here are a couple pics from the week.

SC needs more...

There are close to 4.5 million people in the state of South Carolina, which seems to be a lot until I tell you that we have more deer in the state of SC than we have people. Out of the 4.5 million people in SC, about 35% of those people attend church and only 25% are followers of Christ. I don’t know how that makes you feel, but it overwhelms me. As I think about it I feel like my chest has someone sitting on it.
Church planters say that in order to reach the remaining 75% of the people in SC, we would need just over 3,000 churches and would need to spend nearly $74 billion. Yes that is what a “B”. The former number is doable and should be a goal for us. But the latter number of $74 billion needed to plant the churches is all but impossible.
Besides making my chest pound and hurt, what does this mean for us? And what does it mean for the church?
It means that we must take a hard look at what the biblical church really is. Church is not necessarily a multi-million dollar building, or a pastor with a 6 figure income, it does not mean Easter and Christmas musicals, or youth group ski trips, senior adult ministries, or anything else that the church has gotten caught up with in the past 60 years.
The church should go back to the biblical roots of the early church and should return to scripture as its authority. This means it might forsake the building, get rid of the seminary trained pastor, meet in someone’s house, and be under 20 people in attendance. But although the church would look radically different from the outside, at its core it should be very similar. Jesus would be its core.
In essence we need more churches, but don’t have the $74 billion that it would take. We must press forward to plant more, we must put the leadership into the hands of people who are faithful, whether they are qualified or not, then move on and restart the process.
What do you think about this?

happy easter!!!

This is God's story from the book of Luke 24:1-7, 38-40, 44, & 46-48 (NASB-U)

"But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. [2] And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, [3] but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. [4] While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; [5] and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living One among the dead? [6] "He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, [7] saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again."
Days later, Jesus said to the disciples, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? [39] "See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." [40] And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. Now He said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." And He said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, [47] and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem."

This is the greatest story ever told... are you a part of it? You can be.

what if it was all gone

The picture you just looked at reminds me of this passage. These Children have nothing, but are smiling.
I was reading the other day in the book of Joshua after Israel came into the Promised Land; Joshua began dividing up the land between the 12 tribes the way that Moses had planned. When Joshua got to the Levites, he did not give them an inheritance. It says in 13:33, “But to the tribe of Levi, Moses did not give and inheritance, the Lord, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as He had promised to them.”
I was blown away by this idea. The people of Israel were waiting to get to this great land so that they could obtain a share of it. But upon arrival the tribe of Levi did not get any land. They watched their brothers and families and friends win the land lottery, as they simply stood and watched. Then I continued to read waiting for a complaint, and not one came.
What they received was greater than a land flowing with milk and honey; they received God Himself. God was their inheritance. The Levites were satisfied with God alone. God was enough for them, and they did not need all the stuff to go along with God.
Imagine that today. What if God was all you had; no house, no TV, no car, no money, no food, no clothes, no computer, cell phone, or anything else you can think of? Would you be content? I forgot my phone the other day and felt naked and lost.
Thank God for what you have. But never take for granted that it is all God’s and He can remove it at any time. Job said, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.”
God fulfills our every need if we simply let Him. "God teach me that you are all I need before you are all I have."

great news

So here goes! We went to Louisiana this weekend and had a great time. Drove entirely too far, ate entirely too much, played too many car games to pass the time, and did not get enough sleep. We spent some time in New Orleans, and then drove to Shreveport for Liz’s interview. It went very well, so well that they offered her a job on the spot and they gave her until today to respond.
So, for the next year or so of our lives we will be living in Shreveport, LA. I have never got up in the morning and said to myself, “I need to move to Louisiana.” But I am so excited to be somewhere different for a season of our lives. I feel as though I am in a rut, and in need of a change of perspective. Liz is so excited about the outcome, and I am so excited for her.
Just a side note... I am so proud of how she has handled the events and situations of the past few months of our lives. Liz has been optimistic, upbeat, and has simply trusted that when God is ready, He will reveal His plans to us. Liz has been someone that I can truly say that I am proud to be associated with. She has taught me many things about life and following Christ and I am thankful for her.
In the next few months, we will be taking some short trips to Shreveport to try to find a house or a place to live, a job for me, and to get more acquainted with the city. Hopefully we will be flying rather than spending almost to 12 hours in a car (each way). So pray for us, we need it. Liz and I have never done this before and we need all the help we can get. We will keep you more informed as we know more, but for now, here are a few pictures.

here we come!!!!

This weekend is absolutely crazy!!! Friday night we leave Columbia, drive to New Orleans, stay for a day... drive to Shreveport, LA... stay for a day or so... then drive back on Tuesday. Not to mention that Liz is flying to Philadelphia on Thursday and coming back on Friday afternoon.

Let’s total the miles here;
· From Columbia, SC to Philadelphia, PA and back- 1254 miles
· From Columbia, SC to New Orleans, LA- 677 miles
· From New Orleans to Shreveport, LA- 343 miles
· From Shreveport, LA to Columbia, SC- 811 miles

Coming to the grand total of 3,085 miles and driving more than 28 hours in the car.
You might say we are nuts, you are RIGHT! I am not sure what will come of this other than 4 people getting entirely too close for entirely too long. But strangely enough I can’t wait!’
We are built for this. Not for the extremely long and tedious car ride, but the relationships with other people, the conversations, sharing in this adventure called life. In the simplest sense, “God saw that it was not good for man to be alone.”

I will have some great pictures and some good memories to share with you when we get back, and after I wake up.
See you soon.

flexibility

When you go to another country there are three rules you must observe while there; 1. Be flexible. 2. Be flexible. 3. Be flexible.
Although this is a rule of thumb while being in another country, out of your culture, and not being in control, this same rule can also be applied to our everyday lives. Too often we are rigid, on schedule, routine, and have our own way of doing everything. So much so, that it drives us nuts when things don’t go as planned. When things change, we are completely lost.
I thought I was flexible, but over the past few weeks I have found out that I am not all that good at being flexible. I have been privileged to watch the example of Liz through our process of figuring out what God wants us to do. She has been dealing with the obstacles with grace in such a way that I am simply amazed. Where as an unplanned situation will fluster me or get me down; Liz has the ability to be almost fluid and roll with the punches. She is great at being knocked down, picking herself up, and moving on to the next in line.
Last night she said, “By the way, I have another interview this week, hundreds of miles in the opposite direction from where we are going this weekend. I was floored, she just said “OK.”
I am blown away at how well she handles problems and obstacles. She is too good for me. Thank you God!

Future Plans

After the past couple crazy weeks... we are getting back on our feet. Liz has a few interviews over the next week. Some over the phone and some on site. She just returned from KY on Saturday, and is trying not to make any decisions yet. We are trying not to put all of our eggs in one basket, as the saying goes. We will be traveling to LA this weekend from Friday to Monday or Tuesday, pray fro some safe travel as we will be making a long trek for a short interview.

We know that you cannot come with us, our car is not big enough. But we hope that you will join us on our journey into the Great Unknown. We need you all more than you understand.
I read this morning from Joshua in my devotional time with God, "Not one of the good promises which the Lord made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass."

We believe that will be true in our lives.
talk to you soon.

choosing to believe

In the midst of tough situations, faith is choosing to believe something that you do not necessarily feel. I like what the Bible says about faith; “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
I have never seen a heart beat or a brain at work, but I know that they keep me alive and functioning every day. I cannot see the wind, but I see its effects. I have never seen Mars with my own two eyes but I believe it is there. In the same way I choose to believe that God is good in the midst of trials. I choose to believe that God is not a cynical god out to make me unhappy, but is really seeking and pursuing what is best for Liz and me. I choose to believe that God is still in control, that He is not wringing His hands in heaven when things don’t go as expected.
If I could prove this outside of faith, it would not be faith at all. It would be easy. God tends to strengthen people with pressure, like refining by fire… like iron sharpening iron. I often wish that God would sprinkle patience and perseverance from heaven like a soft rain. Rather, it most often comes in the form of a storm or hurricane. It is sometimes painful, but always good for us.
I love the way that C.S. Lewis put it at the end of The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe when he was speaking of Aslan (God); “He’s not a tame lion, but He’s good.”

when things dont go as planned

Have you ever made plans, had it all laid out, studied and prepared, and been ready to put the plan into action, and then at the last minute, those well thought out plans fall through? Or have something go horribly “wrong”? It is really easy to get negative, pessimistic, and just plain ticked off when things don’t go the way you wanted them to. Isn’t that why kids have temper-tantrums? (Sorry mom!)
This is the story of our lives right now. We had our plans for the next two years of our lives and were ready to make the move, and do the thing. Or so we thought. But on Wednesday it all went “wrong”. Our plans fell through, with all the planning, thoughts, and our agenda going down the crapper.
Feeling lost in the midst of not having answers to the normal questions of “Why?” and “What now?” Liz and I had to get it together and begin the process of moving on to figure out the next step. Elizabeth Elliot, the wife of a missionary who was killed by the tribe of people he was trying to reach, said, “Just pray, and do the next thing that comes.”
Well, that is what we are trying to do. But also in the midst of this potpourri of emotions we are trying not to miss the big picture of what God is trying to teach us. So we are asking some tough questions, trying to learn about ourselves, about God, and what He wants us to do with our lives. We don’t want to miss the forest for the trees.
In difficult times, there is so much that God wants to say, if we are humble enough to listen and learn. Although we do not feel it, Liz and I choose to believe that God is in control, has something else that we do not understand, and has our best interest at hand.
Psalm 127:1
“Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain.”

a good day off

friday was a great day to be alive. out on the water, the sun on my face, warm weather, and people who are becoming good friends. not to mention the fishing. check these out.

every week i am supposed to get a day to be still, to rest. for most followers of Christ, that is on Sunday when they go to church and spend time with their families. for the pastor, sunday is not a day of rest in the least. so i choose friday to be the day where i dont do anything too productive. this is a necessary, God ordained day of rest for retrospection, worship, and remembering what God has done for you. God rested on the seventh day, not becasue He was tired. but because He was looking at what He had just accomplished. so as i sat on a boat in the middle of a beautiful lake, feeling the amazing heat of the sun, the fish tugging on the end of my line, laughing it up with some friends, i remembered the One who created all this. and i was thankful. knowing that God was with us, because He lives in those who are identified with His Son.

tell me how you rest with God every week?

learning the hard way

Me. That is a scary topic to talk about. A friend always says, “If you want to talk bad about me, come ask me and I will give you a bigger list of my faults than you have now.” No one knows more about us than ourselves. No one knows my faults better than me.

I was reading about a church planting movement in China where hundreds of thousands of people have become followers of Christ in the past 10 years. My numbers are not “guesstimates” but very, very reliable. In these movements, lives are being changed because people are pouring their lives into other people. These people are seeing the importance of connecting with others in a real and intimate way. And when they connect, they begin to share their lives with others and the life-changing power of Jesus is passed from generation of followers to another.

This type of movement happens when people reorganize their priorities and begin to focus their time and energy, not on themselves, but on others. It happens when we build intentional relationships with the purpose of sharing Christ in them. These relationships are not just for the purpose of “converting” someone to follow Jesus, but because Jesus commanded us to care for others. Jesus says that the most important of the commandments are to, “Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And to love your neighbor as yourself.” In other words we should have a heart to care and love for others and because we do this, people’s lives will be changed.
So back to my faults… I am learning how selfish I am. I am learning that I do not care about people as I should. I am learning that this is the future of an amazing movement, because it is the way we were created... for relationships. I am learning how hard this is... and how selfish I am with my time and my energies. It’s so easy to get caught up with the stuff of ministry and not the people that the ministry is all about. I am asking God to change my heart into a heart that cares and beats for others. This process is humbling... but good. Maybe one day. But until then I am striving toward the goal.

Nashville

Hey everyone!

Liz and I went to Nashville this weekend for an interview for Liz and we got to see Ryan and Hanna Lombardi, two very longtime friends. The interview went great... more on that to come on the 18th of March. But the highlight of the trip was seeing our firends and their new baby boy Miller. It was awesome to say the least. Thanks guys. Here are a couple of pics from the trip.

Plugging Along

I was thinking the other day about highschool and then I thought about graduating from highschool. That was a great time in my life. But then I began to think about all the "stuff" I have done since highschool. Which got me thinking about how long it has been since high school graduation. This June will be 8 years... let me say it again, eight, ocho, acht, sege, huit EIGHT years!!!

After battling through a severe bout of depression, and after thinking about how I could have been a medical doctor by now, I picked myself up and remembered all the good memories my detour from school has given me. Then I remembered that on my "detour" I met Liz.

So I am happy about my detour... and I am still plugging along with school. One day I will be finished... I am not sure when, but I will finish. I will guess and hope that the day will come by next Spring.

SO, this is what I am adoing this morning.

Other Cultures

Hey everybody,
As I write this I am about 36,000 feet in the air and traveling from the frigid Minneapolis airport to the tropical regions of South Carolina. We have been in Portland, OR this weekend and were blown away by how beautiful a place it was. Everybody says that it is a rainy, dreary place… but that is not what we found. It was sunny everyday and the temp was in the high 50’s.
Not only is the place beautiful, but the culture and people are great! Even though at times it was a little weird for us southern hospitality, Bible-belt people. We found great places to eat, spent a good deal of time riding their amazing public transportation system that was free… and then we decided to come back again, next time for the outdoors. We did not experience anything but the city scene.
The city was a veritable potpourri of people; from Goth, to punk, to the trendy guys wearing the tight girl’s pants, to the hippie tree hugging types, to people just like Liz and I. There were people of every ethnicity under the sun. We saw the highly affluent and the homeless walking the same streets. For us it was a sort of healthy culture shock; one that I believe every person should experience regularly. Every person should spend time as an outsider in culture not their own. It stretches us to love people of every type, even when we are uncomfortable.
I am not allowed to tell you what we found out about the program yet… you will hear soon enough. Here are a couple of pictures to tide you over.

Wow!!!

You have got to check out this video... It is amazing and moving. I sat in my office and cried as I watched. And it was done in a night-club... even better.

just click on the link below and enjoy. then tell me what you think.

http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=45dcd3f3f6282c43418c

Hanging in there

Hey Guys,
I just have to tell you that I am horrible at keeping up with this blogging thing. I guess my life is just not that exciting.
Liz and I are doing great! I guess for us that it is the little things that make our life amazing. Playing tennis, walking the dogs, watching movies, going to dinner, watching dramatic TV shows that we are completely addicted to, and just spending a Saturday morning lying around. We are great… we are excited about where we are on the journey of our life, and cannot wait to see how God will move us and guide us to where we fit best, in order to live for Him.
Liz is coming home from an interview in NC as I write. I told her that there were two places I was not interested in going, both in NC. She liked them both. Well, I guess God has a great sense of humor! We go on Thursday to Oregon. We cannot wait to go and experience another culture, especially one we have not been to.
I am learning how to work on a team, how to receive constructive criticism, how to ask for forgiveness, and how to become less so that Jesus can take the spotlight. ALL of these are hard lessons to learn. But I am glad that I am in a place where I can learn them, fail, and have people help me back up. I hope some of these lessons stick.
Pray for March 11th! It is the day that Liz and I decide where we are going.

Is it just another day Or the Sabbath?

Yesterday after church I went home… went fishing for about an hour… and then went home again. I laid in my back yard for about an hour and a half, reading and napping. It was wonderful. I got to thinking (scary huh?) while laying in the back yard about the Sunday and what it means.
To most people it is either one of two things; just another day to do whatever they want, or a special day they set aside for God. Jesus clearly came to dispel these notions. Mark 2:27-28 quotes Jesus saying to a group of Pharisees who are angry because Jesus healed someone on the Sabbath, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. [28] "So the Son of Man (Jesus) is Lord even of the Sabbath."
Biblically, the Sabbath was the seventh day of creation where God rested, sat back and enjoyed Himself and all that He had just made. In Exodus 20, God’s fourth commandment is to “Remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy.” We should take God’s example on the seventh day of the week to rest and enjoy God and all that He created. The Sabbath is not a day God made for religious services, preaching, singing, or most of the things that we associate with it. It is a day God set apart for His creation to rest and to enjoy Him. It is not just another day, it is a day that we should chill out and fall more in love with God as we wrap our minds around God’s amazing qualities and flawless character.
What did you do on Sunday?

Knoxville... Here we come.

This explains it all...

We made it to Knoxville and are hanging with the big comfy bed and a TV... with cable. Tomorrow we get to check out the town in daylight. We can't wait.

Tomorrow, Liz... interview. Ryan... exploring. We will let you know what we find.

General Update

We have 3 of Liz’s residency interviews down, 4 to go. We are going to Knoxville to go the University of Tennessee on Thursday night and coming back on Friday. Last week was the Medical university of South Carolina… went pretty well. Liz is getting a feel for the pros and cons to every program. Updates will be coming soon. We will make our decision by the middle of March.
For me, I started school again. Big sigh… I cannot wait until I am finished. I have been in school for too long. Six years to be exact. I hope to have a year left. Then I will be the master at something.?.?
I am excited about my class schedule this semester…
1. Transformational Bible Teaching
2. Facilitating Church Planting Movements
3. History of Global Christianity 2
These should provide some interesting discussions for the future.
Well this post was un-exciting to say the least… I will make sure to talk to someone about making this blog more interesting.

My Identity Crisis

2 residency interviews down… 5 to go! Liz is going to the Medical University of South Carolina tomorrow. So far, so good!
Well guys, I have a confession. I have been having an identity crisis over the past couple weeks. Please don’t worry; it’s not like a midlife crisis or multi-personality disorder or anything like that. I have just been messed up over the past few months and it has been climaxing this week and today is the first time I have been able to verbalize it. Let me explain…
Not too long ago, Liz and I made the decision to adopt a child or children in the future. This was not on our radar until the past 6 months. It has been an amazing journey in which my heart has been burdened for children without proper families. Also I have been forced to face the reality that children are being taken advantage of, in many different ways, every day around the world. Both of these realities seem to be placed in front of me daily… most of my thoughts have been consumed by them. This is screwing my life up, in a good way, but nonetheless causing me to have an identity crisis.
Jesus said that when you do anything good for the “least of these”, talking about those who are not able to help themselves, you do it to Christ. If you give shoes to someone who cannot afford shoes, you give Jesus a pair of shoes. If you give someone medical treatment, you give Jesus medical treatment. Food… clothes… shelter… etc. you do it for Jesus Himself. On the other hand if you have the ability, yet withhold from someone in true need, you withhold from Jesus Himself.

Now, in this world we live in, you cannot find anyone more helpless than children. They are the example of purity, of beauty, of innocence, being unshaped by the world. I desperately want to show these children who have no home, no family, no hope, no love, that they are important and that someone loves them. I so want to show them that I choose them, and they have enormous worth. James, the brother of Jesus, said "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God is this, to visit orphans and widows in their affliction." This is becoming my passion… But how does this passion mesh together with my calling to pastor and preach?
Herein lies my predicament… my identity crisis. I hope I will never be the same again.

Hanging in Lexington, KY

Hey guys,

How are all you guys doing? I hope you are all doing well, cause we are.

Currently, Liz and I are in Lexington, KY and she is interviewing for a position at the University of Kentucky hospital. I am sitting in the room hanging witih the Discovery channel, a computer, and a book.

This is what I see right now as I look out the window and write.


They said we would get a flurry or two... But it's still going.

I will tell you how everything went when we get back.

Exciting Adventures

This is the time in Liz’s life where she is about to graduate from the USC College of Pharmacy. The month of May will be one of the happiest times in our lives. She will be graduating top of her class, either salutatorian or valedictorian, and will be going on into a residency program.
What is a residency? A residency is a program which gives further education and training at a higher level. But it is also a job.
In the next month we will be traveling to Wake Forest University, University of Kentucky, The Medical University of South Carolina, University of Tennessee, University of NC Chapel Hill, and Vanderbilt University (in this order). We are still waiting to hear from one other school for an interview (University of O, that should keep you guessing).
Liz will spend the majority of her day in interviews; I will spend my time getting to know the city a bit better and being the best dang moral support you have ever seen. Liz will either be accepted or denied by each program, and Liz will choose the one she desires to attend. This is an exciting time in our lives and we will keep you informed and up to date on what is happening.
For now, we are trusting that God would guide Liz to the place where He has plans for both of us. Please pray with us.

A mix of hurt, anger, and sickness

Earlier this week I was reading a friends blog, he lives in China and has a two-part job. He teaches English as a second language and travels all over Asia filming video for a company. It is a tough job but someone has to do it.
This friend, Biscuet, yes that is his name and no I am not just hungry, as I write this is in Changmai Thailand on vacation. He wrote on his blog about something that made him "want to vomit". In his own words, "As i walked through the market tonight i saw several older white men hand-in-hand or arm-in-arm with little Thai girls. And by little, i mean young… very young."
These young girls are not their relatives. They are children who are being forced daily into child sex slavery. These young girls are being violated by disgusting and perverted men.
As I read, my heart began to hurt and I felt a mixture of sadness, anger, and sickness. I wanted so badly to rescue these girls form this situation... to show them that they are worthy of love, True Love.
I am deeply moved by the injustice going on in this part of the world... and desperately want to know how I can help. I wish I could say as Biscuet did, that I will pray for the men... but I am not there yet. I hope that one day soon I can pray for these men who desperatley need a Savior named Jesus just as I need Him.
for more information, and to see how you can help abolish child sex slavery check out these sites.
http://love146.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=21460
http://www.rahabministriesthailand.org

Friends

Hey guys, sorry about being out of touch for the past week. I have been out of town, in the boonies of Kentucky, duck hunting with some friends. These guys (especially the dog) made my week a great one. We left with the intentions of messing some ducks up and having a great time hunting. Needless to say the hunting was incredibly subpar, but the people made the 15 hours in a car and the single digit temps worth it.

Some highlights included the house being broken into, possessions stolen, a cold house, launching a boat about 30 ft before we reached the water, frozen pipes, no showers, poker, steaks, and lots of picking on one another.

Good people have a way of making bad situations worth it.

Death...It's not always bad.

Death is interesting... and makes people do funny things. It makes some sad, gives some relief, makes others cry, and brings some fear. There are days that death does each of these to me... but more-so it does something much greater.

Death is the only thing that brings me to life. In the face of death, I am free to live my life to the fullest. In the face of death I realize that I do not want to have regrets at the end of my days. I look at death as not a hindrance but as the greatest motivation for everything I do. Death is the only sure event each of us will experience on this earth, so why worry, why fear? Let death motivate you to live to the fullest, love to the greatest extent, give the totality of your life to a Greater Purpose.

New Years Resolutions

Happy Belated 2009 everybody!
I know that the tradition for the new year is to come up with well thought plans of quitting some habit, starting another habit(hopefully a good one), doing something healthy, eating better, or some other thing that is supposedly good for you.
This process drives me crazy, because I always start out gung ho (I guess that is how you spell that), and in a month I can't even remember what those well intentioned resolutions were.
So this year I am going to try something different... something meaningful... but achievable, so as not to fall into the same trap as always. By meaningful I mean something that will change a small part of my life in a big way. Here they are:

1. Spend More Quality time with Liz
2. Read More good books (not more books in general)
3. Wake Up a Half Hour earlier 3 days a week to Spend quality time with God

See, they might not be the biggest dreams, but if I can achieve them they will radically change my life for the good.
What are your resolutions in 2009?
Maybe we can help each other to keep them for the first time ever.

What Moves You?

What makes your heart race? What drives you? What makes your blood pump? What makes you feel alive?
For every person there is something that makes you feel alive more than anything else. For most everyone, that something that moves you, is different. For some it is a hobby, for others it is a person, it can be a place, or an event. For me, there is a moment when I am walking onto the platform, Bible in hand, my mind and heart racing at what will be coming out of my mouth for the next half hour.
As many of you know, I am a preacher, not as a profession but because of something ingrained in my DNA. At that very moment when I stand to walk on the platform, I realize that I have been entrusted with the greatest message ever given, the message of Hope and Love. At that moment, as I begin to share my life with the crowd in front of me, my blood is flowing and I am never more alive. I have kayaked class V rapids, dove with enormous stingrays at night, hooked 100lb fish on fly rods, and snowboarded some of the greatest mountains in North America and nothing holds a candle to the feeling I get when I stand to preach the Word of God. I am the luckiest man in the world.
What makes you feel alive? Share your thoughts with me…
PS… You can listen to my sermon at this link (http://beulahbaptist.com/sermons.html).

So What Exactly Am I Doing?

In September 2008 I resigned from a church where I had pastored for 2 years due to numerous reasons to long to blog about, and waited for what my next step would be. Liz and I knew we would be leaving the area in the summer of 09 and could not pastor another church with a good conscious. A close friend and mentor, the pastor of Beulah Baptist Church in our area offered me the opportunity to serve on their pastoral team short term (look at the link and check us out). Liz and I knew that we needed to grow, heal, and be ministered to... so we graciously accepted.
We are not paid staff, but are raising our own support. This started as an incredibly scary undertaking, but we have seen God work in our lives through many of you and we are truly blessed beyond what we deserve. Now, I am glad we are raising our own support rather than being a line item on the budget.
So, thank you! And if you would like to be a part of our ministry, you can. First and foremost we need your prayers. Second we need your love and support. And third, we need your money.
You can email me if you would like to be a part of what God is doing.