Ashamed of myself.....

I'm ashamed of myself...... for taking so long to write again!!!!! It took Seth getting sick and me staying with him and working from home to find enough time to blog. That's a shame. Well this thought is really about the eternal things versus the temporal things of life. It is a tendency of us all to get so focused on the temporal things of life and allow them to push the eternal things back in the corner.
So, I'm watching HGTV while I'm working and a house rehab show comes on that is hosted by..... get this.... Vanilla Ice!!!! Do you remember him, if you were alive in the 80-90s you do. I'm watching this guy who is a much better home renevator than he is/was a performer. (rap isn't my thing, just sayin)
Anyway, he was the RAGE and I suddenly realize that I forgot he existed until I caught this show. Temporal things in our lives are like that; they scream at us for our attention but soon fade away. It's the eternal things, our relationship with Christ and His mission; our fellowship with His body; etc, that will last forever. Sometimes God reminds me of that, even if He uses, Ice Ice Baby!!!

A Camo Band Aid

Yesterday was the first morning that I preached in a few weeks and I showed up sporting a camo band aid on my finger. The band aid had nothing to do with what I've gone through the last month, I had it on simply because I cut my finger. But, it spoke to me of the healing power of Christ and how He often chooses not to work instantaneously (though He certainly can and at times does). He often uses technology, medicine, doctors, nurses, counselors, and the wonderful age old healing balm of time. When I'm sick or down in a trial, I want to be healed and delivered instantly. The last thing I want to do is wait, but I've learned that God uses time like a band aid. It holds us as God continues to bring healing in our lives. It's not the way I choose, but God's ways are perfect and higher than mine, even using a camo band aid.

The price of health

There are few things, if any, except for salvation, is more priceless that good health. I try to be a healthy person for the most part; I exercise and work out six days a week, I try to eat a decent diet of food, and take the vitamins and supplements that I think I need. But even after all that, sometimes, sickness comes. I have been sick or at least struggling with sickness for almost a month now. It has reminded me of a few things. First, it's made me more sympathetic toward those who are sick, especially those who suffer long term with illness. Secondly, it has reminded me of how precious and valuable physical health is, it's worth any amount of money and everyday that we are granted a day of health is a precious day. Thirdly, it has reminded me that there is spiritual sickness that is worse than physical sickness. When someone's soul is sick, everything in there life is touched by it, thank God for Jesus and the hope and assurance we have in him for spiritual and physical healing.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT at Excel A/G!!!!!

Man, Mark Sasser and team are tearing it up this week. They are putting on a wonderful kids crusade at Excel A/G. I love to be involved with ministry to kids, they have such a pure and simple faith that is strong! The puppets, skits, media, and messages are touching these little lives. It's awesome to see small hands raised in praise to the Lord and small heads bowed in prayer and the presence of God in the room is addictive. I can almost see Jesus dancing and singing with the children. I know they make His heart smile. Anyway, it's Wednesday and the last night of the kid's crusade as well as a cookout and volleyball for our teens. I'm looking forward to hanging out with the students tonight. I've been in the crusade the last two nights, but I'm gonna play volleyball and EAT with the students tonight. Bro. Cofield will be bringing the word to the adults in the sanctuary as well. I'm looking forward to the night...

Inspiration

So, I'm at the beach in Destin, FL, emerald green waters, white sandy beaches, blue, red, yellow, orange, white, green and many other color umbrellas dotting the shoreline, and something I wasn't really expecting to find - new inspiration. It's amazing how our routine surroundings and schedule can lead us into tunnel vision without us even realizing it. I came to the beach to rest, spend time with the family and take a break from 'ministry', a break from sermon preparation and creative thinking and planning, in other words, to just chill out. I'm doing that and loving the time with Angela and the kids, but I found something unexpected yet really awesome - fresh inspiration. I've sensed more personal renewing and fresh creative juices flowing than I have in...well...a long time. I'm wondering if I am on to something really spiritual, like, maybe I need some beachfront property! lol

Enjoy The Day

Eccl. 5:18-20 After looking at the way things are on this earth, here's what I've decided is the best way to live: Take care of yourself, have a good time, and make the most of whatever job you have for as long as God gives you life. And that's about it. That's the human lot. Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what's given and delighting in the work. It's God's gift! God deals out joy in the present, the now. It's useless to brood over how long we might live. (The Message)
I discovered these verses in my devotion and journal time today. It says that we should enjoy the day, this day, TODAY. If we are not careful, we will allow the regret of the past and the anxiety of the future to rob us of the joy of our 'today'. We must commit all things to God, serve Him, and be faithful to work hard in ministry and occupation. Take care of ourselves and those we are responsible for and enjoy life. That's God's will for us. Yesterday is gone and if we plan to the best of our abilities and trust God, tomorrow will take care of it self, so enjoy the day, today!

The Wonder of God

A couple of Sundays ago, I preached a message from Francis Chan's book 'Crazy Love' about our God being so great that we can't exaggerate Him. I thought I was done with that particular vein of thought, but I have been constantly considering the majesty and wonder of God since that message. I plan to build on that thought this Sunday with an illustration for Mark Batterson's book, 'Primal' about the wonder of God. It's a great read and has some great info about the wonder of God. I don't won't to walk around "wonder-blind"... explanation Sunday 6-6-10 at 10:30 am.

Crossroads

There are very few destinations that can be reached without passing through an intersection or 'crossroads'. There may be the very unusual straight shot to a place without crossroads or turns but it's rare. Most of our journeys are full of crossroads. Some don't require a change of direction, just a pause for safety or no pause at all. Others require a turn to get where we are going. Sometimes, if we are not completely sure of the directions, we sit at intersections and wonder which way to turn. This is life. I've met a few people in my life that thought they were so super spiritual that God audibly spoke every single minute detail of direction to them ahead of time (although by their path I would argue that), anyway, for most of us, sometimes the specific details are sometimes very clear by the Holy Spirit and at other times, a little gray; do I take this job or that one, move to be near family or stay here, buy this house or rent, invest in this stock or that stock, place my kids in this school or a different one, change career paths when the job market folds or stay the course in this profession, etc. The list goes on and on, crossroads of life. I use to think that these crossroads came at certain points, ages, places, or specific intervals in life, and they do, but I'm learning that many daily decisions and challenges are crossroads as well. We must listen closely to the voice of the Spirit, stay true to the Word of God, and do our best to make the best decisions at these crossroads and trust God when we sit there scratching our head wondering which way. So, here I sit, at a crossroad, wondering, do I eat these turkey tacos filled with salsa and sour cream or not? lol

Summer is near

Just finished adding the kids camp and student camp info to the website. It's hard to believe that we are only a few weeks away from summer break! I know the kids were thinking it would NEVER get here and the some of the parents were thinking, well, never mind. It seems that as I get a 'little' older each year, time goes by faster and faster. I know it's constant, well for all practical purposes it is. (It's actually relative, but anyway.) Seth is fixing to finish up 2nd grade, Chloe is graduating from pre-k and preparing for kindergarten next year, WOW! It's really hard to believe. So, summer is near and more than any other year, it reminds me this year that time is short and we better get busy about doing what we are going to do with our time here on this planet. Love God, love family, love others.

Looking forward to the week

It has been a very busy few weeks lately. I know all the Excel "springbreakers" have had fun and are probably sad to see it come to a close. This coming week, me, Angela, Jason and Patti plan to spend a few days in Montgomery for the Alabama District Council if things work out. It is always a time of refreshing for and ministry to ministers and wives. We are looking forward to receiving the Word of God and spending some time in fellowship with a few friends. Pray with us and for us that God will bless the time together in a powerful way.

Afte Easter

It has been a very busy day around Excel A/G today. It's amazing how quickly things are 'back to normal' after such an anticipated weekend like the Easter weekend that just passed. We had a wonderful service yesterday with great attendance, music, and most of all the presence of Jesus. And after a nice afternoon with the family, we are back at it this morning at full steam. I hope, that even though our schedules and daily routines maybe back to normal, we are not back to normal spiritually. Just as the disciples were totally changed in the days following the first Easter, we need to be so impacted by Easter that we are never the same. May our hearts today be filled with the same fire that erupted in the disciples hearts when they realized that Jesus was alive and well working the miraculous in a mundane fallen world. We are His people, filled with His power, called to His purpose! May these days after Easter be anything but 'back to normal' for us.

Saturday

It has been a super busy week, in a good way. Angela and I have accomplished our P90X workout for today, done a little cleaning on my old pickup, fixing to grab lunch and then head to Pensacola for several things. Our YMC Sunday School class has taken off well. We try not to use a lecture (normal lesson format); we use a video segment and then try to stimulate discussion in the group. I do not teach an outline, but lead a series of discussion questions from scripture and the video. So, we are almost to the end of our current series on faith (Abraham and Sarah) and I'm in search of the next series today. If you or your spouse falls into the YMC age bracket (20s & 30s) come out on. We meet across from the cafe' in the very back of the facility. One last thing, this isn't "couples" teaching, meaning that you have to have your spouse there. We will surely cover some relationship stuff, but its a small group for the YMC that will cover many subjects. So, if he or she can't or won't make it, come on anyway.
Sunday 9:30 check out www.excelag.net

Sunday's Connection Lunch

Wow! The connection lunch was incredible. The lunch was designed to allow all the Excel A/Gers that have been attending less than a year (newbie) get connected with the staff and board, along with their families. Sheena worked very hard coordinating the event and Teresa knocked it out of the park with the roast. (I'm hungry thinking about it.) The board members and their wives, along with the staff assisted and worked diligently to make it a success. And last, but not least, I appreciate all the new families that God has brought into our church, we are honored to add each one to our family. It was great to get to spend some time connecting with each one. This will definitely not be the last 'connection lunch'.

Decisions

I had a teacher in high school that use to say, "we are today, the sum total of our decisions". I have found much truth in that statement even though I think it may be a slight bit more complicated than that. Dave Ramsey often says that we will be the same next year as we are this year except for the books we read and the people we meet. There are certainly situations that we face that we did not create by our decisions, and we must react to them correctly to move forward. But with all of that said, our decisions do play a HUGE part in our present and future. The voice of the Holy Spirit and His leading is one of the most precious things we can have in this world. When we stand on the verge of decisions that we may or may not realize the impact of, we need His direction. Some of the decisions we make will have a very small effect on our lives and others will completely alter the course of our lives, and/or the development of our character or maybe the success or failure of our careers or family life. Yea, decisions are very important. Am I making the decisions in my life that are leading me to be and do all that God has for me and my family? Am I making decisions that will lead others to be and do all that God has for them? Or am I making decisions that will hinder others? What kind of decisions are you making?

New Webpage for Excel A/G

Hey guys, just getting started in trying our own web page, check it out at www.excelag.net
It's simple and plain, but hopefully will get better and better.

Mark Batterson's 'Primal'

Just finished reading "Primal" by Mark Batterson, what can I say, another awesome read. Really spoke to the adventurous spirit in me. Life is too short to waste when we are called to at all cost reach the world with the gospel of Christ, 'primal Christianity'. Anything and everything that gets in the way of this mission is, well, in the way. The 'quest for the lost soul of Christianity' spoke to me in a deep way. How has so much of modern Christianity fell so far from the mission of the church found in Acts? I'm not talking about forms, style, methods, etc., I'm talking about agendas, mentalities, priorities, and choices. We don't need to return methods of the past, if they no longer work, then they need to be replaced. I'm afraid much of the modern church has drifted away from the original agenda of the church, to win the world for Christ. The early believers began the revolution at dear cost to themselves, counting God and the cause of Christ worthy of taking priority over everything in their life, including their opinions and preferences. The mentality of self absorbed religion was engulfed by the mentality of servant leadership modeled by Jesus Himself. These early believers turned their world upside down, and I wonder sometimes, does the world even know we exist? I think God is calling those that will hear His voice to once again be consumed with His mission over all things. This call means leaving selfishness at the cross and finding the raw, uncut, 'primal' if you will, passion for Jesus that changes the world. Anyway, as you can tell, the book has me pretty fired up! Check it out.

Perspective

The last day or two has found me thinking about the value of perspective, actually clear perspective in life. This morning it was on my mind even more, I made a comment about it on facebook and twitter, spent some time in prayer over it and basically continued to ponder the subject during the day. I bought a book a little after lunch by Mark Batterson entitled, "Primal". As I read through some of it a portion of it reminded me of something that happened to me. For the last three years, I've had the privilege to travel to Seattle with our District Leadership to attend training for our church coaching efforts. On my first flight to the Pacific Northwest (I had never been) the weather was very cloudy and rainy as we flew over the mountains. I didn't see anything but the very flimsy looking structure of the wings of the plane. The flight home was a night flight, so again, no view. But on the next trip out a year later, the weather was clear and I was traveling alone, planning to meet the guys in Seattle, so I had little to do but stare out the window. This time, the snow capped mountains were in full view and incredible. I was in awe to say the least. That trip seemed to past quicker than the previous as I enjoyed the view. It wasn't a big deal to most on the plane, I'm sure they had seen them before, but it was beautiful to me. Reading the book today caused me to think of how the mountains were the same both years, but my appreciation of the view and awe at God's handiwork wasn't in the front of my mind until I saw things with a clear perspective or view of what was there all the time. I know it is the same with my Christian walk, God is always glorious, wonderful, majestic, and working in my life, but many times I don't have a clear perspective and miss it. So anyway, a clear perspective is worth much.

tough couple of months for Seth

Well, Seth along with the rest of the family had his flu shot like a good boy but then in late January tested positive for flu and strep on the same day. Less than one month later, he tested positive for flu again today. I am hearing now that it is possible, but I had never heard of such in my life. He's had a rough go lately, seems like if something comes with 2 counties of us, he catches it. I'm thankful it's not a terminal issue, but still hard to see him feel so bad, so say a prayer for Seth (and the rest of us NOT to catch it please).......

On another note, the church survey yesterday has yielded some interesting results, comments, and attitudes!

Had some fun today

Angela came up with her camera and photography skills to take a few pictures of the staff for the updated website. I normally cringe when pictures are mentioned, but today was fun. We rode to the old square in Monroeville for a few pics and even tried a few in our church cafe. We have a great staff here at Excel A/G and I appreciate them. So, a huge thanks to Angela, Sheena, Catherine, and Jason for their time. Hopefully the new web page will be up in a few days.

Sunday at Excel A/G 2-21-10

Sunday should be a big day for us at Excel A/G. We are going to highlight the many things that the Women's Ministry does behind the scenes. These ladies help so many people. Sunday night I will be preaching about "real life from an eternal perspective". We go through difficult circumstances in this life but compared to eternity Paul said they are light. This does not mean we don't face very difficult circumstances but it means that in comparison to eternity they are light. God is great, people are crazy and life is good!

well here we go

So it is, a new place to share my ramblings, sometimes thoughtful (full of thought) and other times (if you ask certain people) thoughtless! Saw an old friend in the hospital today, middle aged, fairly healthy, and he's not sure what his complications are or why he has them. Makes me think of how precious every day that we have good health is. Life is good in my world, not perfect, but so good. So it begins, more later....