Weekend Recap and Looking to the Future . . .

Just a few thoughts from the weekend:

• Irene and I spent the weekend at the Meltdown Student Conference. It was over the top. Thank you Toby for inviting us to come and help out – you are the man.
• We heard Scott Smith speak Friday evening and then heard Adrian Despres and Ken Forester speak on Saturday.
• When we went to breakfast Saturday morning it was snowing.
• 33 Miles was in concert that night and they were fantastic. Rumor is they may open Meltdown ’09.
• We had White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Banana Pudding Saturday Night. Holy Mackerel that was good.
• We saw Jared Hall, a Christian illusionist Saturday night and he was – WOW!! Where did that bowling ball come from??
• We got to spend some time hanging out and eating with Steve, Kim, AJ and Molly Conley and hear about their new church and talk clowning.
• Sunday mornings highlight to me was the splat experience. If you don’t know what that is – check this out.
• We got to eat at the Apple Barn, Alamo Steak House, Calhoun’s, and the Old Mill. I love being married to a woman who likes to eat at good restaurants.
• Why does the ride home from Pigeon Forge always seem longer than the one going up there?

Looking at the future:

• We start training sessions with our prospective core group for the Journey this weekend.
• I talked with a friend of mine about designing me a sweet new background for my blog and the future.
• Mike’s at a training session for the next two days. I can’t wait to hear the great things that he has learned.
• I’m still working on reading the “Simple Church”. Hopefully I’ll have it finished in the next couple of weeks.
• Irene gave me a book for Christmas and that is what I am reading next, just for pleasure.
• I have got to get back in my shop this week. There are projects that are backing up.
• I am having lunch with Robbie Funderburk this Friday. We haven’t had a chance to talk in a couple of months and I am really looking forward to spending some time together.

Next time we’ll spend some time talking about LIFE Groups, but until next time – keep your eyes on Jesus and one more white chocolate macadamia nut banana pudding please.

Monday morning and brain-dead . . .

I don’t know about the students that I was with this weekend, but I am tired and brain-dead this morning – so I will post just a few thoughts that are rambling around in my head this morning.

I really enjoyed Stone Mountain. It was my first trip there and now I want to go back so that I can see everything they have there. We went to the 4D theater – it was awesome. The effects were great and it sprayed water in Crystal’s face. We took the cable ride to the top of the mountain (I want to do that again and walk back down – maybe in the spring so that it is not so hot.) The laser show and the fireworks were the bomb.

The students and adults enjoyed Six Flags as always, although I think I will always miss the Six Flags that I grew up with. The lines were not as bad as I have seen them and it was warm but not extremely hot. Mitchell saw the inside of first aid a lot (I would had paid to nap in a 65 degree room) but the park gave him and Rhonda tickets to come back since they didn’t have the great time they were hoping for.

Sunday morning worship was great as always. Pastor Chad preached about what God expected of parents – great message. The music was over the top as always.

Irene and I made a trip to Union to her parents for Father’s Day. We had a great lunch that her mom had prepared and we got to spend some time with our nephew Drake. I napped on the way home and then Irene napped when we got home.

VBS is this week. I am meeting with Dan Carroll for lunch to discuss what we will be doing with the students this week during their time in VBS. Dan is a great guy with a real heart for students and ministry.

I am praying that God gets me through this week so that I can sleep all day Saturday. That means that I will probably be awake and not be able to sleep.

Am I the only one that feels like this summer is flying by?

Anyway, that is about it for now. If I can now get my eyes to focus I have to get to work. Until next time – keep your eyes on Jesus and ride with your hands in the air – this life is better than any rollercoaster.

Words from a crowded mind . . .

I just wanted to get a few lines off to maybe relieve the crowded mind that I have right now. Do you ever feel like there is so much going on between your ears that occasionally if you could just get a few out the over crowding would lessen – so here we go:

Things here at work are chaos right now. Yesterday was a 14 hour day (at the office at 6:30 am and leave at 9:15 pm). That was way too much time in front of a computer. Pray for me, we have a big submittal next Monday and next Friday. After that things should get back to normal – if they ever were normal.

We leave for Charleston this afternoon. I really have mixed emotions about being away. I’m looking forward to good fellowship and good food and the best part to get to share Jesus with children as a clown and some rest. The down side is that I will be away from New Hope on Sunday and will miss seeing my favorite peeps – the students of HeirBorn student ministries.

I can’t wait to hear David’s sermon when I get back. Make sure you record it Brad.

Godstock is a go!!! We are looking at a date in August right after school starts back. Jonathan and his band are on board. I’m praying about the right speaker for this event. Grab hold and hang on, there is a lot of work to be done. We are going to blow it out for this event.

David Roach is really jazzed about all of the evangelistic events that our students came up with and boy did you guys and gals think outside the box. Pray for David as he tries to prioritize these events and then he and I try to get them on a calendar. This summer is going to be a busy summer.

We are going to be eating a Sweatman’s Bar-B-Que tonight in Holly Hill SC. This may be one of the all time great places to eat. I can just about taste it now.

Make sure to keep watching my blog this weekend, I’m going to try to post each day we are there. I have a new idea for a post that I hope to do bi-weekly. Very life application stuff.

Why do we complicate trying to figure out what God’s will for our lives is? JUST DO WHATEVER HE SAYS! See Perry Noble’s blog today.

If I get anymore jazzed about HeirBorn student ministries and the students (the greatest students in the world) I may explode. What a horrible thought – Mr. Allen parts everywhere – yuck.

Just a quick shout – Crystal Ledford you are da bomb; just let Jesus have it and He will give back beyond your dreams. Just remember that following Jesus is never boring. Crystal Symsick – keep on relying on Jesus and praying for your friends – I can’t wait to meet Anna. Ashley and Rachel – email me and tell me about that special thing you are doing on Saturdays. Willie – I’m praying for you pal. Keep up the good fight and blessings are coming. Sunshine – it is great to have you back, I missed you. Thank you for my birthday present. David – thanks for cover Sunday night for me. I could not do this ministry without you and the rest of the leadership team. Barry – I’m praying for you and Elevate as well as finals. Pastor Chad and Robbie – you guys are the best. I am really blessed to have been called to work with you guys.

Well my mind is less crowded now, so I will quit. Until next time – keep your eyes on Jesus and stay on the alert – the enemy comes to destroy – but he doesn’t believe he is defeated – we know that he is.

First Beach Camp Student . . .

I am so excited that we now have the first student signed up for beach camp this summer. Thomas Jewell is the first to sign up and turn in his deposit. My prayer is that he is the first of many to come over the next week. Remember that there is only one week left, but don't look at it as only one week left. Look at it as seven days to get your deposit in. The deadline is the 28th of March. Being late will be really bad. Probably as bad as missing this beach camp this summer.
For now, keep your eyes on Jesus.

Beach Camp . . .

Funny when you have a lot of quiet time (being without my radio this week) how much thinking you have a tendency to do. I was thinking about our upcoming Beach Camp and I thought maybe I had not shared my true feelings about this camp very well.
The initial reason that we are doing our own camp this year, instead of going in with the other churches from last year, is because of when the deposits were going to be due. I had just gotten final payments for Meltdown from everyone and did not feel like I could go right back to the parents and ask for more money. But then God began to have a major hand in what we were to do this summer. The concept for this summer’s beach camp was birthed in my living room by a group of students back in February. I asked what our students would want to do if they could put together their own camp. The following is what was said that night:
· they wanted to be taught from the Book of the Revelation
· they wanted to be able to have their own private quiet time as well as a time with a small group
· they wanted to be taught life application lessons such as: sharing their testimony, witnessing to your friends, prayer walks, sharing Jesus in unusual ways on the beach, standing strong in their faith
· they wanted great worship times with praise and worship that they could enjoy and praise God
· they wanted good sermons in the evenings
· they wanted fun games they could play wit their friends
· they wanted free time for the beach and other fun
· they wanted a great place to stay
· they wanted good food
I got to praying over these things and talking with our student leaders and we all came to basically the same conclusion - this would be a great camp. I got to looking at the bones of this camp and realized that it was part camp and part mission trip. I knew that I could put together the camp schedule but I would need just the right people in place to make it work. I was sitting in my office one Thursday night when I looked up and there stood Ms. Mary Roach. She said that David had come home talking about this camp that we were planning and she said that she would go along and cook our meals. The cook for the week was taken care of. I knew that I would need the right camp Pastor for the week. God put Pastor Mike Thompson in my path. Mike and I were at North Greenville together and he is one great man of God. And one of the great things about Mike is that he loves teenagers. OK, the camp pastor is taken care of, now I needed that right person for praise and worship. God puts Dan Carroll in my path. You may remember Dan; he did the praise and worship for our Turkey Bowl service last year.
OK, now the staff for camp is in place, what about a place to stay? A friend of mine (Toby Dix) had been using a group of houses at North Myrtle Beach for several years to do his beach camp. I called and got the number for the company that manages the house and they gave a few of us a free night to come down and see the houses. They are great: less that 100 yards to the beach, sand pit volleyball court, basketball court, pool. Everything is great. We booked the first week of July (leave on July the 1st and return on Friday the 6th) and got a great rate.
So we now have the concept for camp, the staff for camp, the place for camp and all that we are missing is the students. I understand that no-one signs up early for anything, but we are only a week away from the final deadline for camp and still no-one has signed up. Where are the students who sat in my living room and cast the vision for this camp. Also, where are all the friends that you said you were going to get to come with you. Let me urge you to get on board with this camp. I truly believe that God is going to use this camp to change people’s lives in a huge way. The cost for camp is $175.00 total, but all that we need for you now is a $75.00 deposit to get your name on the list and I need that before next Wednesday (the 28th). Please don’t call me on Thursday because it will be too late. On Thursday I will cancel all the houses that we do not need. Please do not let money be a problem. Scholarships are available, but they must be asked for and a partial payment to insure commitment from bailing out on camp and wasting the scholarship is needed.
I ask again that students get on board and hang on for a get time. Parents, please encourage your students to participate. I truly believe that this is God’s will for us to do our own camp. If I did not believe that we would be in with a camp that others were running. My life would be a lot less hectic.
Until next time, keep your eyes on Jesus and fight the good fight.