Get some rest


This post is a little personal for me. Usually when I feel a funk creeping to my life I can trace it back to needing to rest. Going weeks and weeks without having a Sabbath. It will affect your spiritual, emotional, and even physical health if you let it. If you are not careful you begin to believe that the world will not continue to go around if you rest, that things can not function without you.

Perry Noble said something at Unleash this past year that has stuck with me. "A man that will not work is lazy, but a man that will not rest is disobedient. " We are commanded by God to honor the Sabbath, to rest. To remind us that He is the one that makes the world go around, not us. I believe that He wires us to struggle if we do not pull back and refuel our lives.

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Wednesday, April 21, 2010 Posted in | | 0 Comments »

Find the root


You can try as hard as you to deal with the funk that comes up and affects parts of your life but you will never really deal with it until you deal with the root. The real cause of it. That thing that you have not let go of. The issue that you can not seem to shake. The bitterness that has taken hold of your life and it slowly eating away at your soul. If you are going to really fight the funk then those are things you have to deal with. If you are only trying to deal with what you see on the surface then the roots are spreading and it will begin to show up in all areas of your life.

Dealing with root issues can be messy. You can not be afraid to get your hands dirty. You will have to dig deep. Deep inside your heart to the area where you do not let anyone else in. You will not like what you find, that is why you have kept in buried there. I guarantee you that if you deal with the roots that you find, the funk will be taken care of.

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Tuesday, April 20, 2010 Posted in | | 0 Comments »

Over the last week or so I have felt myself slip into a little funk. My attitude has been off a little bit. Not really sure what has brought it on But I do know that there are a couple of things that I can do to help myself get out of it. This week I want to share just some thought on how to fight the funk that can come in a attack out attitudes, outlooks, and perspectives.

Remember its not about me
Most of the time when I feel a funk coming on, I can do an inventory of the heart and find some selfishness buried under some things. I begin to develop my own agenda and when it is not completed I get upset and hurt. I would dare to say that 9 times out of 10 a bad attitude can be traced to selfishness. I did not get what I want so my life is miserable and therefor I am going to make everyone that is around me miserable as well.

We have to consistently fight to keep the thought that life is not about me in the fore fronts of our mind and spirit. The best way to fight selfishness is to do something for someone else. The greatest way to fight a bad attitude is serve. One of the best ways that I know of to fight a funk that creeps into your life is not make sure that your life is not your own and not about you.

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Monday, April 19, 2010 Posted in | | 0 Comments »

Perry Nobles wrote that you did not have to hate your life here.


Chris Elrod blogged about things he does not understand here.

Mark Batterson talks about God setting us up here.

Scott Williams posts about secure leaders vs. insecure leaders here.

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Sunday, April 18, 2010 Posted in | | 0 Comments »

Started back blogging this week. I have really missed it.


We closed on our home on March 19th. The next week we made some major repairs and painted all of the inside of the house. The second week we had the carpets cleaned and moved in. The third week we worked it the yard and pressure washed the house. It was a lot of hard work, we could not have done it without our parents.

We will post after pictures online soon.

Got back into the gym this week after a couple of weeks of working on the house. It really felt good.

Love starting our "End Of The World" series at Thrive. Wednesday was incredible.

Started a weight loss journey about 6 weeks ago. I have lost 30 pounds. My goal is 110 pounds in a year. It will be tough but worth it.

Going to see Tyler Perry's new play tonight at the Fox with Steven and Nikki. Very excited!

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Saturday, April 17, 2010 Posted in | | 0 Comments »

"One Thing" is going to be one of the most unique series that we have ever done around Thrive. We will heard from students and leaders all month as they impart one thing to us. You do not want to miss a single week.

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Friday, April 16, 2010 Posted in | | 0 Comments »

@chrispollock - Jesus always forgives, Life does not. Please choose your actions carefully. Avoid the scars.

@stevenhedgecoth - False expectation leads to frustration leads to manipulation leads to isolation.

@BrianCHouston - Leaders goal: Don't focus on the GROWTH of the church. Focus on the HEALTH of the church - because healthy things grow!

@RickWarren - When u expect others to meet needs in your life only God can meet, it's unfair to them& insures disappointment in you.

@MarkBatterson - I don't believe in COINCIDENCE. I believe in PROVIDENCE. God is always setting up divine appointments 4 next day delivery.

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Forgiveness


I've preached on it for years. Talked about how we are never more like Christ than when we forgive the ones that hurt us. Unforgiveness is a slow cancer that eats away at your soul.

We know all of this but my question is why is it so hard? Why isn't it as easy as it looks?

How do you forgive someone when they do not want forgiveness? When they believe they have not done anything wrong? Why do we keep going back to the same issue time and time again, after we have already processed it and dealt with it?

We want revenge, we want them to feel our pain. We want them to take responsibility for their actions and suffer like we have.

Knowing our tendencies and emotions does not make feeling that way right. We have to forgive. If someone has wronged us forgive them, and if that emotion comes back tomorrow forgive them then too. If it comes back the next day forgive them again. Do it as many times as you have to. Forgiveness is sometimes a process.

Forgiveness is about trust. It is not trusting that person will not hurt you again, it is trust that God is in control and He will take care of you and the situation.

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Wednesday, April 14, 2010 Posted in | | 0 Comments »

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Tuesday, April 13, 2010 Posted in | | 0 Comments »

There was a wise young lady that shared some wisdom with me one day and it has really stuck with me. She said, "I'm going to do me, cause I can not be anyone else." This is something that I struggle with from time to time. My insecurities take over and I want to be someone else. I want to act different, talk different, and look different. We all have changes that we could make for the better, but a lot of times these feelings are rooted deeper than that.


We as humans are the other creation that struggles with these type insecurities. Have you ever seen a pine tree have pecans, or a rose bush bear tomatoes? Have you ever heard a bird bark or a pig moo? We are who God has created us to be.

I believe that when we allow our insecurities to get the best of us we take ourselves out of the plan that God has for us. We do not love and care for the people that God has placed in our lives. The best I can do is seek God and find out who is and how I can be the best "me" He created me to be.

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Monday, April 12, 2010 Posted in | | 0 Comments »

The last six weeks have been some of the busiest we have ever experienced in our lives. Purchasing and renovating a house takes its toll on you physically, mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually. We have been able to do a lot in a short time with the help of God, some awesome family, and the best friends anyone could ask for. In this season there are some things that I have been reminded of:


When God promises you something and it doesn't happen when you think it should, that doesn't mean it will not happen. It means God's plan is perfect and his timing is impeccable. A promise delayed does not mean a promise you have been denied.

Life is full of pressure. The people (family and friends) that we choose to surround ourselves with on this journey will either add to that pressure or lighten it.

God is always in control. Even when you can not see His hand at work you have to trust His heart. I have never been disappointed by God.

Being blessed is a choice not having things.

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Sunday, April 11, 2010 Posted in | | 0 Comments »