Things I loved About Today

Made some good progress on messages for the next few months. I have other pastors sharing over the next few weeks and its giving me the opportunity to work in the future. I think this will really help us go to the next level of creativity!

Had lunch with one of my best friends in Columbia. We had some great conversation and some tough conversation....... and we still love each other! That's what true friends do.

Took my son to baseball practice. I signed up to assist but ended up the head coach..... go figure. This is his first year in coaches pitch and he is doing great. He is one of the youngest kids on the team, but he can really catch, throw, and smack the ball! Proud poppa I am!

Went to my parents to help put my dad in bed. He suffered a severe stroke about 8 years ago, and is over 75. He could be around another year, or another 20..... who knows. I need to be there for/with him as much as possible, making the most of each day God gifts us.

On the way home, God gave me a brilliant light show of lightning in the dark skies. It was turning the thunder clouds orange and it looked as if they were touching the front door of heaven! I wanted to turn the car off and watch the show for a while, but I was more eager to get home to my sweet wife. She makes me want to come home every time I leave!

Its been a great day.

The Bucket List

Last weekend, we took a little road trip to Hendersonville, NC, to visit some good friends that moved to take a pastorate. We were sad to see them move from 40 minutes away, to over 2 hours away. Not anymore! I love the mountains. I love the rivers and the parks and the beautiful sites, and the waterfalls.......... wow!!!

I marked one off the old bucket list the other day. We were site seeing in the Pisgah National Forest, checking out several cool trails. One was a sweet spot that you could walk down to the river and walk out on the rocks. It was so close to a waterfall you could feel the spray when the wind blew. The kids all took off their shoes to wade in the ice cold water. One crazy dude was swimming in the pool under the falls. Me and my friend had a spontaneous moment, and we dove in to experience the moment ourselves. I did a belly flop on the way in, and the sting of the dive helped offset the sting of the cold. We swam around for a minute, and then I swam under the falls the feel the power of the water on my head. WOW! That was really awesome!



Do you have a bucket list? Its a list of things you would like to do before you kick the bucket. There are lots of things I would like to do before I die. Lots of adrenaline pumping activities like skydiving, bungee jumping, driving a stock car, etc. I may or may not do some of these things, but one thing I hope I have done every day throughout my life is pointing people to Christ. That's number one on the list!

You can do it too!

Today I am hanging out with guys that God has called to plant churches across the state of South Carolina. I love church planting and church planters! There is something exciting and exhilarating about launching out from the shore, crossing through the waves and breakwater, and sailing into the unknown. Committing to do something that you join God in from the very beginning. Casting a vision for something beautiful that doesn't even exist yet.

Here's the cool part........ you don't need to be a church planter to be part of something so grand. The Christian journey is the most awesome life one could find and follow! You are called to be a church planter in your family, in your workplace, and in your own neighborhood. You can paint a picture of life in Christ and people will flock to get a piece of what you have. With this honor in mind I ask you the question....... who are you pointing to Christ right now? Who are you currently praying for and asking God to reach? If you don't have a few people on your radar screen, you aren't participating in the journey as God intended.

Challenge: write the names of 3-5 people you want to see come to know Christ. Put it on your mirror, refrigerator, or breakfast table and pray for them daily. Then look for opportunities to be a friend and point people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus! Start today! Have people on your fishing list? Share their initials by commenting and we'll pray with each other! Lets hear it.

$4

There are a lot of things I don't spend money on these days. I hate spending money on over-priced food, gas, and clothes. I hardly ever buy music anymore, b/c I can listen to it on rhapsody. We've tightened the belt, and I can't remember the last time I bought a specialty coffee at Starbucks.

This weekend we took the kids to a birthday party at Skateland. Kids skate free but parents pay. I even took my own roller blades, but you know they won't let you use your own equipment without renting their floor space! Best $4 I've spent in a long time. Christie didn't skate, but I knew my 6 year old would need some help. Better than that........ I got to skate between this beautiful pair:



Made my day!

A few weeks ago I found myself complaining about spending money, this time on gas. We did a little tubing and had a family day on the lake. When it was all said and done.......... the moment was priceless! How could you put a price on this:



Moments and memories are invaluable! Thank you God!

The last 4 days........

Its been a good weekend and start of a new week! Thought I'd give a rundown of all that happened and what got me stoked:

-Christie's family came down on Friday and we hung out for the weekend. Went fishing Saturday morning and night. Her brother is new to the fishing deal, but caught a few. His head exploded with conceit! I don't think he realized that I still caught more than him :-) (that sound was my head expanding)

-Had an awesome Sunday! Worship.... off the chart! God rocked it on the message. Did something a little crazy........ I came in riding a surf board being carried by some strong dudes with a "big waves" video playing on the screen (my family vacation video ;-) I talked about how most believers never mature, but stay in the surf being rocked by the wind and the waves, instead of climbing onto the "surf board" of God's will and experiencing an awesome ride.

-The bomb of the month for me was baptizing 10 people on Sunday night! We baptized couples and parents with their children. If you missed it.... oh my goodness!!! Nothing is sweeter!

-We kick off Life Groups Next week. Can't wait to see God touching lives as people connect to grow, serve, and become more like Jesus together!

-If you are a church planter or pastor, you need to check out the Network Plus event later this week. Glenn Smith from Houston Texas (an awesome church systems, leadership, planting guru) will be at Riversprings Church in Chapin. Always worth it to hang with and learn from my friend Glenn!

I can't imagine......

I can't imagine losing a child! Christie and I have been watching Larry King Live tonight with Steven Curtis Chapman and his family sharing about the last 11 weeks since the driveway accident that took their youngest daughters life. His son said they were praying that God would heal her, and he did. Just not in the way they wanted him to! He gave her a new body and now she is dancing with Jesus.

They asked SCC if he was mad at God. He said he was mad but his anger was directed not at God, but the enemy of God. The one scripture tells us came to "steal, kill, and destroy". I don't know how I would ever be able to handle something like this, but I am proud of SCC and his family! We pray for them and for our own faith to be strengthened along with theirs.

Good things

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

We quote it, we remind others in difficult times, we hope for it........ and it is true and real! Our church got broken into on Thursday. Someone put a very large rock through my office window and proceeded to search the office for cash. They took petty cash boxes with about $550, and one cheap video camera. Could have been a lot worse. The most frustrating part was getting the glass fixed before the weekend.

I called the glass place and they had a guy there Friday morning to measure. To be honest, I was very busy and had not even submitted my outline for the Sunday program and slides. As I sat at my desk trying to work while the man measured the hole in the wall, I courteously asked him where he went to church. A divine appointment followed. 30 minutes later, I had shared my testimony and the gospel, and he was leaving with a "be my guest" card and a "steps to peace with God" track. Thanks for that conversation God!

As for the glass...... no problem turned into can't do it until Monday! grrrrrrrrr...... So Monday rolls around and another gentleman strolls in (just as I was leaving a message wondering where my glass was). It was the glass guy. "So what kind of church is this", he asked........ :-) Here we go again! Same story, second verse (minus the track).......

When we are available and listening, God lets us in on what he is doing! God is inviting you and I again today to walk with Him. He'll bring the opportunity!

Thank you God for turning a negative into a praise! Oh yeah, the kicker......... no deductible for stolen cash! Insurance reimbursed it all, and the kingdom was advanced! It doesn't get any better than that!