Challenging Normal

Tradition Vs Legacy

2012-01-10T15:22:00.000-05:00

There is difference between tradition and legacy. In the church world, tradition is often worshiped instead of God and legacy is often forgotten. I like tradition up to a certain point and I even understand the importance. It is important to know where you have been, even honor where you have come from, but legacy is always more important than tradition. Where you are going is more important that where you have been. Reaching people that are lost are more important than keeping church people comfortable. Here are some of the differences:

Tradition is tied to the past; based on the way things used to be. Tradition says that God is only as big as yesterday and He can not do anything better than He has already done. Tradition is built upon the likes and dislikes of the people that are in our comfort zone, where legacy is tied to the future. Legacy is building upon the way things could be, while building for those that have yet to be reached. Legacy says that our best days are ahead and God is not finished with us yet.

Tradition is selfish. We have it the way we like it. We do the things we like and are not really worried about what anyone else thinks. Tradition never make sacrifices and legacy is selfless. When we work towards legacy, we do not care about our personal happiness. We will do whatever it takes short of sin to reach those that are far from God. Legacy is not afraid to sacrifice a "golden calf."

Do not misunderstand this blog. Tradition is important, but it is not the most important thing. It is a foundation. But just like you can not live on a slab of a house without the walls and roof, you can not live on tradition, which is the foundation of what we believe.

Thrive Rewind

2012-01-05T14:18:00.002-05:00

Last night was one of the most fun nights in Thrive ever. It was the first annual BIGGIES!

The Biggies is an award show that is designed to look back over the big events in Thrive over the last year.

Will be posting pictures soon.

Thank you to Andy Williams a.k.a. Bald Wunda for being our incredible MC for the evening.

It was awesome having my bud Kell DJing for us.

Loved seeing all our Thrive Students decked out taking pictures on our Chrome carpet.

The commercials that were made were hilarious. I will try to find a way to put them online.

As much as I loved reflecting on the last year, I was more excited about talking about where we were going. 2012 is going to be Thrive's best year yet.

I know I say it a lot but I truly feel like I am the luckiest Youth Pastor alive. Thrive students are some of the most awesome students I have ever met.

Where Have You Settled

2012-01-05T06:31:00.001-05:00

Genesis 11:31, "Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Harran, they settled there."

During my attempt to read through the Bible this year I ran across the above scripture and was disturbed. Abram's father set out on a journey and had a destination in mind. Canaan. But when he got to Harran, they settled there. They settled for a place they did not intend to be. They stopped and set up life in a city that they did not set off to live in. I am sure it wasn't a bad place, it was probably a beautiful place, but it wasn't where they wanted to live originally. Maybe the journey to Canaan was too long? Maybe the road was too tough? Maybe they where just worn down and worn out, but for what ever reason they stopped in Harran and not where they originally wanted to.

I think that happens to us a lot. I believe we set out for one destination, fire up, pumped up, ready to go and settle for somewhere that is not quite there. We get tired of fighting, we get worn out from the long journey. We stop in Harran and never quite make it to Canaan. We dream a BIG God dream and we set out to achieve only to settle in a place that comes up short. Maybe we did not realize it would take all the work that it was taking. Maybe we did not realize it would take the time it was taking. Maybe we did not prepare or pack appropriately, whatever the case we come up short and we settle.

If you are living in Harran but have dreamed and are called to live in Canaan, maybe it is time to pack your bags and journey again. Maybe it is time to pack up and set out again. Maybe it is time to put Canaan in your sights again. Dig deep, pack up, and go!

It's In Your Head

2012-01-03T08:07:00.004-05:00

Romans 12:1-2, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

Sunday Pastor Steven launched a new series called reNEW and used Romans 12:1-2 as his texted. I was challenged by a statement that he made, "The way you think determines your behavior." You can not change the things you do until you change the way you think. What areas of my life do I need to change the way I think?

I need to change the way I think about God. Do I believe that He is big enough to do the things He says He will do?

I need to change the way I think about people. Do I truly see them the way God sees them?

I need to change the way I think about my marriage. Do I love my wife as Christ loves the church?

I need to change the way I think about being a Dad. Am I truly showing my daughter an image of God through my life?

I need to change the way I think about Youth Ministry. Do I desire to entertain a generation and draw a crowd or do I desire to change the course of a generation for God?

There are several other areas I need to change the way I think. As we are getting into this new year I am challenged and stretched that my thinking is too small. The only way that I know to change my thinking is to change what I take it. I have to spend more time in God's Word and in God's presence. Sometimes I focus too much on changing other people and really just need to let God change me.

What area of thinking do you need to let God change this year?

2012

2012-01-01T16:39:00.002-05:00

A new year is a great time of reflecting and goal setting. A lot of people are anti resolutions but I actually believe it is a good thing. It is good to be able to look within yourself and see areas you need to work on. I am working on my list of goals right now. I try to make them realistic and obtainable, yet something that is challenging and will stretch me. Here are a couple I am working on:

Work on being a Follower of Christ before I lead people.

Be the best husband and father I can be.

Be the Youth Pastor Thrive Students deserve.

Be a better friend.

Be a better listener.

Read the Bible through completely.

Read 15 books this year.

Run a 5K in 32 minutes.

Some of these are goals that have a destination and others will take one day at a time to even scratch the service. 2012 will be what we make it!

This Says It All

2011-11-04T06:28:00.000-04:00

Wednesday Rewind 11.02

2011-11-04T06:20:00.002-04:00

This past Wednesday showed me once again why Thrive Students are some of the most awesome students in the world.

It was night 1 of the Thankful series.

The one thing I love about this series is it is not flashy, just the simple truth about a forgotten virtue.

The Worship Band and Big P killed Boasting by Lecrae

After service, I stood a read the Thankful Boards and read what everyone wrote. We have a lot to be thankful for.

Excited to see what happens as students take the Thankful Challenge this month.

I got two Thank You Cards after service. Made my night.

Next week we will have a guest speaker. God is going to do some awesome things.

Are We Living It?

2011-11-01T07:51:00.003-04:00

We are quick as Christians to say that we "live love." That we are showing the love of Christ. Can I just tell you that love is one of the toughest things to live out. Something I struggle with on a daily basis. Here is something I used as a measuring stick. Read 1 Corinthians 13 and put your name where love is suppose to be. Sound right?

"____ is patient, ____ is kind. _____ does not envy, _____ does not boast, ____ is not proud. ____ does not dishonor others, ____ is not self-seeking, ____ is not easily angered, ____ keeps no record of wrongs. ____ does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ____ always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. _____ never fails."

This is something I am praying for and striving to everyday. Even though I fall short it doesn't mean I can not try.

November in Thrive

2011-10-27T07:43:00.002-04:00

A Month To Remember

2011-10-27T07:36:00.002-04:00

Wednesday Rewind 10.26

2011-10-27T07:18:00.004-04:00

Last night was the last night of the Masquerade Series. Such an awesome series with Thrive. God did some really cool things.

It was Masquerade Night and the Thriveanators costumes were amazing.

Had a blast with pumpkin carving and cotton candy before service. Love watching everyone hang out and laugh.

Had some hiccups in worship but our students went with the flow and didnt let that stop them.

God is really growing and stretching us right now.

My favorite part of the night was the altar time and watching the students take their masks off and lay them at God's feet. Really believe that God changed lots of lives last night. Grateful for everyone honesty and authenticity.

I am very excited about things that are coming up for Thrive. November is going to be awesome.

Lessons From Running 2

2011-10-25T09:30:00.002-04:00

I am no where close to an expert on running. I can not run but about 10 minutes or so on the road without being wore out. I am getting better each week and able to go further and longer the more that I run. I just enjoy the exercise and I am always trying to learn from life.

One thing that I have learned is that I can actually go further than I think I can. I may only think I can run a little but I can dig deep and go a good bit further. I find myself asking two questions while I am running. First, can you breathe? Most of the time the answer is yes. Then, can you move your legs? Currently, yes. If the answer to both of those questions are affirmative then I keep going.

Same is true with you and I in life. Life gets pretty intense and there are days that we feel like we can not go any further, we can not make it another step. We need to slow down and ask ourselves two questions. Are you breathing? Did God allow you to wake up this morning? If so, then you can make. It is not going to be easy but He has put the strength and grace that you need to take another step. As long as you are breathing, keep going. Then, ask yourself which direction are you going in life. It has to be forward. There is no turning back now, you have come too far. There is no stopping, you can slow down but don't stop now.

Life can be rough, but keep going. You can actually make it further than you think you can. I believe in you.

Lessons From Running 1

2011-10-24T09:57:00.003-04:00

Watch where you are going!

It is no secret to anyone who knows me that I am very accident prone. I can be very clumsy. I have fallen through the floor while preaching, I have tripped walking up the stairs walking up to the platform to open a service, and have even come close to loosing my pants while speaking. All of that said, last Friday I did something that even surprised me. While running, I ran into a parked car. Yes, you read that right. I was moving, the car was not, and I hit it. I am okay, thanks for asking.

As I was on my morning run I was pushing through a tough section of it and had my head down. I was trying to concentrate on my breathing and pacing. I was only looking at the sidewalk and thinking about the next 3-5 steps I was taking. Before I knew it I hit a little car that was parked in a driveway that was blocking the path. Who does that anyway? PULL UP IN YOUR DRIVEWAY PEOPLE!!!! No, it is not their fault, it is mine. I should have been paying closer attention to what was coming.

Same goes for us in life. We get so focus on what it happening right in front of us that we are not looking much further ahead. We do not see how some of the decisions that we are making will have a negative impact of our future and the future of those around us. If we are not careful, when we look up we will hit a car.

In the journey of life we need to watch where we are going. See what is coming on the path ahead. Know if we need to take a detour around something or we have a clear path to keep moving. Sometimes you have to drop your head a push through a moment but before you do look ahead and make sure the path is clear.

Sunday Ramblings

2011-10-23T20:37:00.003-04:00

Starting blogging some again. Have missed it. I have learned that life is about seasons and some seasons I just do not have a lot to say on here. It has been some random thoughts but want to begin to do it more and more.

Life is really hectic right now. God is speaking in a lot of chaos. Interesting to watch what He is doing. Blown away by His love.

Spent some time with PK's (Pastor's Kids) from all over the state at Six Flags yesterday. Felt good to ride roller-coasters again. It has been a while.

Had some good runs this week. Got my pace down under 12 minutes per mile. Trying to get ready to run a 5K by the December.

Looking forward to this week. Excited for things to come.

The Masquerade Series ends this week with Thrive. I am very stoked about November's series.

Praying that God expands some of my dreaming and vision. Asking for passion and clarity this week.

I am still blown away by the people in my life that loves us and does life with us. Blessed does not seem like enough to describe it.

What's It All About

2011-10-20T10:45:00.003-04:00

Sometimes life can get some crazy that we loose focus in Ministry. We forget what Ministry is all about. It is all about people. You will argue and say that it is about Jesus and you are right, to some extend. If we have Jesus and do not share him, can we call ourselves doing ministry? It is all about people. The Church (capital C) is people, not a building or a place to meet. Without people there is not church. I know this sounds simple, but it is sometime one of the most complicated things to get.

Christ died for people, not just you. Every difficult situation has someone involved in it. It is all about people.

If I sound repetitive in this it is because I am reminded myself. Because from time to time I do not like to deal with people. I forget that behind every difficult person is a story. A reason they are acting the way they are. It does not excuse it, but it does explain it. It is hard to love someone like Christ did without knowing their story. Knowing where they are coming from.

Ministry is not about numbers or crowds, it is about people.

It Happens Sometimes

2011-10-19T08:38:00.003-04:00

If you are in ministry long enough there will be services and events that do not turn out like you were expecting. What is humorous to me is that when you get online and begin to read feeds on twitter and facebook, you see how everyone else's service blew up. How they had an awesome night, and record crowds. You never read about how people felt like failures because their numbers are down or they laid an egg with their message. You never see anyone tweet about how no one responded to the altar call. I have never seen anyone put on their status on Facebook about going through a disappointing season in ministry. I might be the only one who has those nights or has those seasons. I may be the only one who feels this way from time to time.

What do you do when you have services or events that you do not want to post about? What do you do when things do not turn out like you think they should? Glad you asked!

Find The Win: It is there somewhere, I promise. Look for the one positive. A student that connected that has not been connecting. Someone you see growing in their walk with Christ, someone who gave their heart to Christ. You can not celebrate what you can not see. Look for it.

Redefine Success: We can not judge the success of a ministry by week to week. It is long term. Remember we are called to produce fruit. Fruit is not grown over night, it takes time and cultivation. I believe we will never truly know the success of our ministries on this side of eternity. What do you consider a success? A life changed and lived for Christ or a room full?

Keep Going: Do not give in or give up. Dig deeper. Now is not the time to quit. It is in these times that we grow. A Minister will always grow before their Ministry grows. Be consistent.

Pray and Look: Seek God and pick up your magnifying glass. What could you do better? What aren't you doing that you could be doing? Do not look in a mirror per say, but ask a lot of questions.

What Are You Bragging On?

2011-10-11T19:29:00.004-04:00

2 Corinthians 12:9-10, "But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Have you ever met anyone who bragged about their weakness? Who loves to sit around and tell you in what they struggle in? Who gets their kicks out of listing off their resume of failures? Me either. Most people will tell you what they are good at. I am not sure about you but I am in more of the habit of sitting talking about what I am good at rather than what I struggle in.

It is in the areas that we are the weakest, God has the opportunity to show His Glory. If I never let you see my weakness then you can never see God glory in my life.

My name is Eric and I am weak.

Potential

2011-10-06T14:37:00.002-04:00

People love to use the word potential. I believe that it is one of the most powerful words in the English language and one of the most dangerous. We look at people who are young or are just starting out on an adventure and we say they have a lot of potential. If things do not work out the way they should in that same situation we always they had a lot of potential.

Potential is defined as an existing possibility. A possibility to be good at something. Potential is dangerous because that means that we have placed a expectation on someone or something and most of the time when our expectation and our reality do not line up it bring frustration in our lives.

My question is what are we doing help people turn their potential into their reality? How are you helping them win? What are you doing to help them succeed? Potential is powerful but if untapped it is useless.

Pics From Savannah

2011-07-17T07:06:00.002-04:00

Savannah AIM - Day 4 & 5

2011-07-15T22:44:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was our last day of ministry and a full day of outreaches. Our kid's programs was wide open all morning. With each three of our communities that we were ministering in having more students than ever. Roughly ministered to 150 kids on Thursday morning. Everyone of our teams were quiet and hearts were heavy as they had to say good bye to the different kids. All the kids were holding on and hugging different team members not wanting them to go.

Thursday afternoon we began to set up for our big outreach the Boys and Girls Club. We rented some inflatable, had face-painting, did a three on three basketball tournament, and had pizza. We kicked everything off and saw 200 kids come through and some parents. About half way through we fed everyone and presented them with the gospel. Patric rapped, we did some magic tricks and used it to tell them about the love of God, and our team did a dance routine. It was one of the toughest crowds to minister to but our team did an outstanding job. Eight people raised their hand and prayed to accept Christ as their Savior. After the outreach our team cleaned up and heading back to the Hotel. It was the longest and toughest day of ministry but yet the most rewarding.

Today was our free day. We spend the day at Tybee Island to let the students hangout on the beach. The weather was cloudy with some wind gusts but we made the best out of it. In the afternoon we headed back to the Hotel for everyone to rest and then had our celebration meal at Longhorns. To close out the evening we walked around the mall and just hung out.

This has been an awesome week and our students just left my talking about what God did in them and what He showed them. I know that God used this team to do some awesome things in the inner city of Savannah but He also did a lot in their lives. Thanks for taking this journey with us.

Savannah AIM - Day 3

2011-07-13T23:25:00.002-04:00

Days begin to blend together when you are on a Mission's Trip. I had to remind myself that today was Wednesday. Can not believe we have been here for three days already. Have I told you lately how awesome Thrive Students are awesome? They are working, serving, and advancing the Kingdom of God. This morning we worked in the same communities that we worked in Tuesday. At the Boys and Girls Club today we worked with teenagers. The guys played basketball and video games while the girls spent time together. It was an awesome time of one on one and building community.

We spent time this afternoon on River Street passing out bottles of water and tracks. It was 100 degrees with the heat index of 115. The water was very refreshing and we ran out about 30 minutes after we started. When we left River Street we walked to fountain and let some of the students play in the water to cool off.

Tonight we went to a Savannah area Youth Service at South Side Assembly of God. Patric opened the service with one of his songs and my friend Chris Pollock preached. The altars where full and God did some awesome things. It was a good day. We are sitting in the lobby of the hotel laughing and telling stories as I write this.

I am truly a bless Youth Pastor and I am excited about what God is going to do tomorrow.

Savannah AIM - Day 2

2011-07-12T23:26:00.002-04:00

What a day! You just could feel it when we woke up this morning that God was going to do awesome stuff. The students were a little quite to begin with but it was not that they were nervous or scared, I believe they were prepared. It was Game Day and they were ready. All the AIM team members from all over the state did an awesome job but I am proud of Thrive Students for they way they work, the way they love on people, the way they go after God, and they way they laugh.

When had three teams go out to three different neighborhoods throughout the inner-city of Savannah and minister to over 100 kids. We hit a snag with one of the neighborhoods and thought we were faced with closed door. God worked and the door opened and we were able to minister to the kids there. By the time the team left kids were holding on to them and begging them to come back. One of the teams went to the Boys and Girls Club and when we went to pick them up the gym was buzzing and there was a HUGE party going on. Our third team set up in a park to do a Sidewalk Sunday School. They cleaned the park and went door to door before the program began. When it was time for them to leave kids were making them promise they would return the next day. Sharing the light and love of Jesus is one of the greatest privileges we have in this life.

The afternoon was spent in the famous Forsyth Park where they filmed the movie Forest Gump. The students passed out over 200 bottles of water and talks to people of the Love of God. Temperatures got close to 100 with a heat index of 110. The awesome thing was none of the students were complaining and really didnt want to leave when we ran out of water.

We spend the evening praying and training for tomorrow. Had the opportunity to chill and Cold Stone and Starbucks to just hang out for a little while.

It really has been an awesome week so far and I truly believe the best is yet to come. Tomorrow is going to be an awesome day. More stories to come. Keep praying for us. God is doing big things in us and through us.

Savannah AIM - Day 1`

2011-07-11T23:44:00.002-04:00

Have not blogged in a while and figured today would we as good a day as any to start again. Today was the first day of our Mission's Trip. This year we have travel to Savannah, GA to work in the inner-city with Life Bridge Ministries. It was a travel and training day today. A lot of hurry up and slow down. A lot of wondering what we were doing and when we were doing it. We left the Hotel around 6 pm and headed downtown on the Jesus bus to "spy-out" the land and hear the heart of the Ministry. After that we head over to one of the host churches to pray and train.

After a time of worship and pray it was time to start working on the morning outreaches. I was so proud of Thrive Students for the way they jumped in there and began to lead. Leaders lead from the front. I sat back as they help the rest of the team learn hand motions and dances to the song. Not once did one of them complain about being tired or say they did not want to do anything.

One of the highlights of my day was the see my best friends daughter up teaching the rest of the team hand motions to a song. You have to understand that she is 14 years old and we have been a part of her life since she was 2 months old. I remember when she could not crawl, walk, or talk. Now she is leading. She is loving God and living ministry out. I am so proud of her and her response to God's call on her life.

This week is going to be awesome and I can not wait to share more of it with you. Pictures and more stories to come later.

I Hate Weeds

2011-05-30T19:50:00.002-04:00

This spring I have spent a lot of time working in my yards. I usually do not stress over the grass, the trees, the shrubs, and the weeds but for some reason this year is different. Maybe it is because the yard is mine, well it is mine and the banks. Maybe it is because the older I get the more I appreciate a well taken care of yard, or I find the work as an outlet. Maybe it is the fear of getting a citation from our HOA but whatever the reason I have put in more hours working on the lawn than ever.

The first part March I started spraying it with Weed-B-Gone. I actually started too late I think. The weeds just kept coming. By the time I had them under control there were all over the place. The weed killer took care of the issue and took care of it so well that I had dead spots all the place. It has taken me weeks and weeks to take care of those dead spots. Lots of turf builder and lots of water later it is almost back up to par.

Everything should be rocking and rolling but these little weeds keep popping up through our pinestraw in our flower beds. I have to pull them and spray them about every three or four days. If I did not they would get way out of hand. If I did not keep them under control they would choke out our shrubs and bushes. It is easier to handle it on this end that clean up if they get out of hand.

The same is true in our lives. Spiritually little things will creep into our lives. If left unchecked, these weeds will begin to choke us spiritually. If we do not catch them in time they will take over and when we finally clean it up, it will take some time to get everything back up to par. I hate weeds, but I hate what weeds do more than that. So I choose to deal with them now.

We have to examine our lives and take care of any weeds that might be there. It depends on how much time we have left our spiritual yards unchecked the amount of work that will need to happen.

The Axis

2011-04-24T18:36:00.003-04:00

Today is the axis that everything turns on for Jesus Christ and His church. One thing that is special about today is that it unifies all of the Church. It is does not matter if do not agree on anything else, we can agree on this. Whether you agree in sprinkling or getting dunked for baptism you agree that Jesus Christ is alive. No matter how you feel about the subject of the ability to loose your salvation or not, you agree that the grave could not hold our Savior. It does matter if you speak in tongues or do not believe that is still a gift that is available for today, you agree that the Son of God overcome death for us. We all agree on that one thing!

Too many times the Body of Christ is dysfunctional because we focus more on what disagree on more than what we agree on. A wise man told me one time, "In the essentials there has to be unity, in the nonessentials there has to be liberty, and in everything there has to be love." I am willing to rally around the fact that our God is not dead.

My God is not dead
He's surely alive
He's living on the inside
Roaring like a lion

Who Am I

2011-03-07T14:09:00.003-05:00

I am the sum of all the experiences in my life. Good or bad. Success or failure. Victory or defeat. My walks in the valley make me who I am just as much as rejoicing on the mountain tops.

I am the sum total of my friends. We do have a choice who influences our lives. It is the people who we let in. Those that we let in closer, influence more. I am made up of all the people that I have allowed in my life.

I am who God created me to be. I am unique and an individual. If we were all the same then life would be pretty boring. There is a purpose on earth that I can only fulfill. That is why God created me to be who I am.

I am not my what ifs, my might of beens, or my going to be's. I am not might up of risks that I did not take, choices I did not make, or chances that I missed.

I am who God intended and created me to be.

Trapped

2011-03-04T14:43:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I had a thought that I could not shake. How trapped am I in my own little world? How small is my world when I am only serving my own agenda? I truly believe that selfishness is something that we all have to fight. It is impossible to me totally selfless all the time. I am just being honest.

Trapped in my own little world affects so many areas of my life:

the way I see things.

the way I react and respond to things.

how I carry the stress of this journey.

how I treat people that I come into contact with.

When I just live in my own little world I am not responsible for what goes on in the world around me. I think I will not be held accountable for the hurting people that I am surrounded by. When I live in my own little world I live in a very small place. The issue with my own little world, I am not happy there. I am not satisfied there. I can not do what God has called me to do there.

Today, where do you live? Who are you living for? Who is your life all about?

The Wall Does Not Feel Good

2011-02-11T14:04:00.002-05:00

As many of you know I have been training for a 5K for most of this year. I started the Couch To 5K program the beginning of January and have stuck really close with it. I had gotten up to the point where I ran 20 minutes without stopping. I had gotten my 5K (3.1 miles) time down to 35 minutes. I ran a mile in a little of 9 minutes. Then this week......I hit a wall. I do not know if it is normal but I hit it and hit it hard. I do not want to go to the gym, I do not want to run, I do not want to eat right. I hit a wall. Not sure that I can get over it, or go around it. This is what I know, I do not want to go back. Back to not running, back to eating junk and weighing over 350 pounds. I do not want to go back. Next Monday I will actually back up to week 5 in the couch to 5K training and blast through the wall. The wall does not feel good, but there is not any other way to handle it but to blast right through it.

Couch To 5K 4.3

2011-01-28T20:00:00.002-05:00

Over half way there. This was one of the toughest weeks. Today I walked/jogged 4.8 miles in 60 minutes. I had a 5 minute warm up, 3 minute run, a 90 second walk, a 5 minute run, a 3 minute walked and then repeated. I spent the rest of the 60 minutes alternating between walking and running. It was one of the toughest workouts yet. I burned over 950 calories. This week I have increased my running by 30%. I walked 12 miles total. I had my best 5K distance and my best mile. Next week the running increases even more.

Couch To 5K 4.1

2011-01-24T09:40:00.004-05:00

Kicked off the fourth week of couch to 5K training this morning. Did not want get out of bed. I ran/walked 3.7 miles in 45 minutes. Today I ran for 22 minutes out of the 45 minutes. Thats the most I have ever run. I ran the distance of 5K (3.1 miles) in 39 minutes flat. I warmed up for 5 minutes, ran for 3 minutes, walked for 90 seconds, ran for 5 minutes, and then repeated that cycle. After that I continued another 15 minutes doing 1 minute walking/running intervals. After I finish my run on Wednesday I will be half way through with this training plan. Stepped on the scale today for the first time in a couple of weeks and I am 3 pounds down.

Couch To 5K 3.2

2011-01-18T09:10:00.003-05:00

Man this morning started off rough. This was the first morning in a couple of weeks that I got up at 4:30 a.m. to go to the gym. As I began to run, I really started feeling better. Today's trip on the treadmill was 3.51 miles in 45 minutes. After my 5 minute warm up I ran for 90 seconds, walked 90 seconds, ran 3 minutes, walked 3 minutes, and then repeated. After that I ran for 1 minute and walked for 1 minute until my 45 minutes were up. I ran for a total of 18 minutes today. If I could piece all of that together at one time it would be almost 2 miles. I am enjoying running more and more. While I am on the treadmill, I am not really focusing on anything but finishing. There is no stress, no worry, nothing else matters for that 45 minutes.

Fasting

2011-01-18T08:53:00.002-05:00

Our church is in a 21 day fast and several people are reading through youversion.com 21 day fast Bible reading plan. Today's reading was Luke 4. I was stirred by two verses that to me reveal a lot of about fasting.

Luke 4:1, "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness."

Luke 4:14, "Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside."

Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit and lead by the Holy Spirit but after 40 days of fasting and a season in the wilderness, He was in the power of the Holy Spirit. As you read this text, you see that fasting did not rebuke Satan and Jesus never address His fasting as a way of countering His temptations. He used the Word of God. What fasting does is give us the strength and the power to stand on His Word and follow His leading.

I Have A Dream...

2011-01-17T12:20:00.002-05:00

Genesis 37:9, “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other."

May this be said of you today. May we be people who act of the dreams that God gives us. I believe that dreams that are not acted on turn into bitterness, jealousy, and resentment. What dream is God giving you?

May we be the church and be dream facilitators. Be a fertile place where dreams can be rooted and cultivated. May we be a community that helps people be who God called and created them to be.

My prayer if for dreams that scare me, bewilder people, and make God smile. To dream is to believe God for the impossible. To step out on that dream is to trust that God is in control.

I want to dream! I want a dream!

Couch To 5K 3.1

2011-01-16T07:00:00.002-05:00

Because of my week I am starting my week 3 training a day early. This morning's walk/jog was challenging but not torture. I went 3.5 miles in 45 minutes. This week the training has me doing a 5 minutes warm up walk, then a minute and a half run, followed by a minute and a half walk, then a 3 minute run, then a 3 minute walked, repeat, and then a 5 minute walk. I continued on for another for 45 minutes total. I ran for a minute and then walked for 2 minutes. I seems real monotonous at times but I have to stick with the plan. Rest days are important and my body might appreciate two in a row but that will not happen for a couple of weeks. I am really enjoying this training and not focusing so much on my weight loss but on fitness.

10 Changes In Youth Ministry in 10 year - 2

2011-01-15T20:12:00.000-05:00

#4 - Don't just preach at them, show them: Students are not looking for great speakers or great leaders, they are looking for people who are who they say they are. They want people who are real and backs up what they say with how they live. They take what Paul said seriously in 1 Corinthians 11:1.

#5 - Count students but get to know them: This is a relational generation. Students need people in their life that care more about them then they care about the number that is in their service. Students have to be more than a number. It is okay to count your attendance, track it and keep up with it. That is very wise, but you have to know the students behind that number.

#6 - Bigger students not bigger ministry: If our goal is to build big ministry then we are building a big machine that mass produces cookie cutter programs. Our goal has to be to build big students. Give them the tools they need to be life-long followers of Jesus. I promise you that if you focus on building bid students, big ministry will soon follow.

Couch To 5K 2.3

2011-01-15T19:14:00.003-05:00

Finished up my second week of training for a 5K yesterday. I had my best day yet. I walked/jogged 3.6 miles in 45 minutes. That gave me 10.5 miles for the week, a mile increase from last week. I also had my best mile and fastest 5K time. My schedule will be a little off this coming up week and will actually start my week 3 training tomorrow morning. I will up my running by 30%. My goal is 11 miles next week. My plan is to register for the race next week. It is March 19th. I am going to start jogging in my neighborhood in the middle February to get used to running on the road.

10 Changes In Youth Ministry in 10 year - 1

2011-01-14T08:17:00.006-05:00

The last 12 years I have had the privilege to be a part of Youth Ministry. I am grateful that God has given me passion for this generation. I do not claim to know all things Youth Ministry, not even close. I love to study trends and learn, if we stop learning we start dying. I believe over the last 10 years we have seen some shifts in Youth Ministry. I just want to share some thoughts over the next couple of days.

#1 - Students are looking for community and not an event: With all my heart I believe students are looking for somewhere to belong more than they are looking for a show. It is not about the lights, the smoke machines, game rooms, or cafes. If there is not an environment that is inviting for the Holy Spirit to move and welcoming to students from all walk, then it is just an event. There are way that as the ministry grow you can still keep your sense of community. You have to be strategic and very intentional.

#2 - Discipleship is a mission and not a method: Our ten step discipleship process does not work effectively. We have disconnect the message of Christ from the mission of Christ. As we reconnect those things and give students the opportunity to put application with knowledge, I believe that we will see true discipleship. This is a cause driven generation and the mission of Jesus is more than a cause. They are looking for something bigger than themselves to join with. If the church does not give it to them, someone else will.

#3 - Create a dialog instead of giving a monolog: We have teach students how to think for themselves. We can not do that unless we know what they think and hear what they think. We have to find ways to engage them in conversation where they are at. Standing up and preaching a 20 minute sermon and then dismissing is not teaching them how to flesh out their faith. You may be surprised at what they think and the questions they have.

At What Point?

2011-01-13T06:52:00.002-05:00

If you are a Christ Follower can you remember when you first had a realization of what Jesus did for you? When you saw the cross and the empty tomb, when you felt you sins where forgotten and washed away? Do you remember what it was like to feel God in everything that you did, everything looked different and the way you viewed things was different? Here are some questions I can not get out of mind about this:

At what point did we quit trusting God for everything and trusting our own ability? Doesn't that create worry?

At what point was God's love not enough and we started look to people for affirmation and approval? Doesn't that create insecurity?

At what point did we stop building God's Kingdom and start building our own? Doesn't that create pride?

At what point did the feeling fade that if God be for us who can be against us? Doesn't that create doubt?

I am just dumb enough to believe that God has more for us. That this is not all there is and that it is time to quit settling and go after what God has called us to do.

Couch To 5K Week 2 Day 2

2011-01-12T18:30:00.001-05:00

Today was the toughest day yet. I have pushed myself this week pretty hard and I could feel it today. At one point I thought my hamstrings were going to come loose and slap me. I jogged/walked 3.45 miles in 45 minutes. I am going to spend some time on the elliptical tomorrow and workout my shoulders, back, and arms.

The thought behind today was just finish. It really did not matter what my time was or how far I made it, just finish! Nobody wins the race for starting, it is the finishing that counts.

Ice Skating, Chili Dogs, And Fun

2011-01-11T17:28:00.003-05:00

Couch To 5K Week 2 Day 1

2011-01-10T17:53:00.003-05:00

Today was the biggest challenge I have ever had to get to the gym. Last night it snowed about an inch or more here and then iced over. The roads were rough, and the trip took a while but we made it. There is a thin line between commitment and insanity. Today I believe that I came really close to that line. I did not want to miss a day of training, I can really feel like I am getting in a rhythm. Still a little sore from cross training Saturday but really think the cross training is helping me with me endurance. Today I jogged/walked 3.5 miles in 45 minutes. Started with a 5 minute warm up and then jogged 1 1/2 minutes and walked 2 minutes for 25 minutes. I kept going an extra 15 minutes. This week is going to be a little challenge but I have a feeling it is going to get real next week.

Couch To 5K Week 1 Day 3

2011-01-07T13:26:00.003-05:00

Made it through my first week of 5K training. Today was the best day yet. I jogged/walked 3.4 miles in 45 minutes. I did the couch to 5K training and then walked for 15 more minutes. I know that it gets tougher from here, but I think I can handle it. It is all about mindset. From what I am learning running is more mental than anything. I have to remember that my legs will not fall off and if I quit breathing I will pass out and then start breathing again. I will be okay, I can make! I did step on the scales for the first time in 3 weeks. I have put on 6 pounds. I have started back this week getting my eating in check and my routine reestablished at the gym. My goal is to loose 20 more pounds before camp!

Couch To 5K Week 1 Day 2

2011-01-05T10:47:00.003-05:00

As I am training for this 5K my running days are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Tuesday and Thursday I am cross training on the elliptical and lifting weights. Not sure about how I will handle the weekends. Going to keep them flexible and allow one day to let my body rest. Today was day 2. I guess it will not get any easier from here huh? This is something I really want to do, and I am excited about but I have to take a moment and be honest. I am scared. What if I can not run it? What if I fail? What if? Those questions were dancing in the back on my head as I got on the treadmill at 4:45 a.m. but I ran anyways. I believe it is okay to ask yourself questions like that, but it is not okay to give into them. To let them rule your life. Let them control you. This is going to be tough, but I know it will be worth it. The juice will be worth the squeeze.

This week the couch to 5K plan has me walking a 5 minute warm up, then running 1 minute, walking 90 seconds, and then a 5 minute cool down. I then walk 15 more minutes. Today I pushed myself a little harder. I jogged/walked 3.25 miles in 45 minutes. Tomorrow is cross training and I am looking forward to it, just have to stay away from the ab machine.

Is Knowledge Power?

2011-01-04T07:56:00.002-05:00

The other day I was reminded of a truth, spiritual maturity is not measured by how much of the Bible you have read. It is not gauged by how many times you go to church in a week or how well you speak christianese. Spiritual maturity is not about what you know or how much you know. Spiritual maturity comes from what you do with what you know.

Knowledge is not power unless it is used, unless it is lived out. It does you know good to be able to quote scripture about forgiveness if you are holding onto a grunge that you can not let go of. It does you no good to be able to quote anything out of the Word of God unless you are willing to live it out. Knowledge is not power, application is.

Couch To 5K Week 1 Day 1

2011-01-03T07:57:00.002-05:00

Today I began training for my first 5K. Yes, I want to run 3.1 miles at the end of March. No, aliens have not sucked out my brains. I just think it will be cool. I think for someone who has be overweight most of their life, it will be an accomplishment. Last year at this time I weighed over 350 pounds. 105 pounds later I think I am ready for this. Ready to be in better shape. Ready to live life to the fullest. No excuses. Leave everything on the table. Go big or go home baby. This journey is no longer about weight loss, it is about sheer determination. It is about willpower and mind over matter.

This morning I walked for 5 minutes for a warm up. Then jogged for 1 minute and walked for 90 seconds. I did this for 20 minutes. I then walked the last 20 minutes at 4.3 mph pace. I walked/jogged 3.15 in 45 minutes. I am excited to see where this journey takes me. I have not stepped on the scales since the Holidays, I am going to wait a couple of weeks for that :-)

Resolved

2011-01-02T07:34:00.004-05:00

A lot of people have set a lot of resolutions and will not stick with them. More than likely they have already broke them. Other people are negative where New Years resolutions are concerned. Every year I try to set a few resolutions or goals on things I want to work on and make better in my life. I read a quote yesterday that has really challenged me. "It is never to late to be who you might have become." Today is a good day for change and a good day to begin to let God mold you and shape you into who He created and called you to be. I am resolved in 2011 to really look into a mirror and work on some things in my life.

I am going to run a 5K in the end of March. I begin training tomorrow. I will be blogging about that a lot.

I want to begin school. I really want to earn a bachelors degree. I believe I know where I want to go, just praying about what degree to get.

I want to loose about 20 more pounds. In 2010 I lost 105 pounds but have gotten complacent over the Holidays. I am going to work on my last 10 pounds.

Go on an overseas mission's trip again. I really want to go back to Colombia.

Happy 2011

2010-12-31T23:54:00.000-05:00

New Years Superstitions

2010-12-31T16:08:00.005-05:00

Here are a couple New Year's Day Superstitions, some I have heard of and some I have not:

Wear New Clothes
People believe that one should wear new clothes on a New Year's Day. This would mean receiving more new garments during the year. Red clothing is preferred for New Year's Day since red is considered a happy colour and is sure to attract for the wearer a brighter future.

Avoid Crying
It is said that one should avoid breaking things or crying and wailing on the first day of the year, if you don't want to continue the pattern for the entire year.
Don't Let Money Leave the House

In several countries, people do not let money, jewelry, precious items or other invaluable things leave home on New Year Day. Hence it is said that one should not pay loans and bills or lend things to anybody. People go to the extent of not taking out garbage or even not dusting their carpets on this day to ensure that nothing goes out of home during the year. If you have to deliver presents on New Year morning, it is advised to leave them in the car since New Year Eve on December 31st. In case you must take something out from the home, let someone come with the present inside the home first.

Letting the Old Year Out
At midnight, all the doors of a house must be opened to let the old year escape unimpeded.

Stack Up Cupboards and Wallets
It is believed that cupboards stocked up with food and wallets and purses full of money bring prosperity in New Year. Similarly, empty pockets or empty cupboards on New Years Eve portend a year of poverty.

Do not Wash Dishes
In several societies washing dishes and doing laundry on New Year's day is said to lead to a death in the family during the year. Many people do not even wash hair on New Year day.
Eat Black-Eyes Peas

In Southern part of the United States it is said that eating of black-eyed peas on New Year's Day will attract both general good luck and money in particular to the one doing the dining.

Lessons From 2010

2010-12-31T08:14:00.003-05:00

Change only comes when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change.

Everything comes with price. You can either pay the price up front or later.

Life is full of seasons. Nature does not fight seasons but we do. We can learn from whatever season that we are in. Every has a purpose.

Grace is free, trust is earned, integrity is built, character is developed, and all are important.

God is aware of me even when I am not aware of Him. You may loose yourself but God never looses you.

People that know your flaws and still choose to walk with you in life are priceless.

Never ask God to take something away that you are not willing to give up.

Your decisions and actions give voice to your priorities, you do not have to tell anyone what is important to you.

Unhealthy expectations only lead to disappointment and frustration.

You can only be a dreamer if you have a firm grip on reality.

Your words are one of the most powerful things on earth. They can either be used as a weapon or a tool. Choose them carefully.

Happiness is found in the simple things.

You can not do much about what is behind you anymore, but you can fight for the days ahead. Just keep rowing!

New Years Resolutions

2010-12-29T08:53:00.002-05:00

Today I am praying and writing out my New Year's Resolutions. Although, I am called them goals. Every year this is something that I love to do. I reach about half of them each year, so I dream big. There is something I heard about 10 years ago that I have tried to live by. "If you aim for the moon, you may hit a star, but if you aim next door, you may hit that as well."

I am not sure what 2011 looks like. We never really now what each year holds and really can not control as much as we think we can. We may not control what happens around us but we can control how we act and react to each situation. So, today I will spend a lot of time looking into my own life and seeing what needs to be change and what I need to reach for.

imustdecrese

2010-12-28T08:35:00.002-05:00

Behind You And Apart of You

2010-12-27T08:30:00.000-05:00

Christmas is over. A lot of people have already taking their decorations down. Radio stations are not playing Christmas music anymore. Stores are having after Holiday Sales. Everyone is gearing up to ring in 2011. A lot of people are ready to put 2010 behind them. Act like the year never happened. I understand. It has not been a banner year for me either. But to want to disconnect your future from your past is not smart. It is like a scuba diver going on a dive without his wet suit or oxygen tank.

You do not have to relive the events of this past year but you have to understand that they have contributed to help make you who you are. You would not be you without them. If you pretend that they did not happen you are saying that God is not in control and He is not taking what was meant for evil and destruction and turning it for good. He is not molding you and shaping you into who He has created you and called you to be.

The past prepares us for the future. What happened yesterday does not have to dictate what happens tomorrow but it can help guide us through it.

The Story Continued.

2010-12-26T09:14:00.000-05:00

There was a day after Christmas in the Bible. I wonder was it as disappointing as the 26th of December in our time? Our culture pushes and pushes Christmas Day so hard that we are let down the day after. What happens next? What do we do now? What is left? His story does not end with His birth. The story of Jesus actually is just beginning. It gets more exciting everyday. As a matter of fact, people still came and worshiped after that Blessed night.

As Christ followers we should not feel the after Christmas let down. We do not worship a day, we worship a Savior. Our culture may worship a holiday but we give our life to a King who still sits on His throne and whose Kingdom is still advancing today. For us Christmas is a special day, but so should everyday be.

December 25th does not mean a thing unless we live it out the other 364 days in the year.

For To Us...

2010-12-25T08:42:00.004-05:00

Isaiah 6:9, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

To US a child is born, to US a son is given. To you and to me. Immanuel, God with us. He loved us so much that He refused to leave us alone. It was on this day that He showed us that He is not some distant far away God but a personal, loving Savior. This is the day that changed everything. The day that love came down and took on flesh. The day God said He could not be without us. The day that He gave us a choice again. Love and life became a viable option, a choice that we can make because love lived and died and defeated death. Everything change today because a child was born, because a son was given. To US!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T08:23:00.001-05:00

I pray that you have a great day with friends and family! Have a very Merry Christmas!

Christmas Week - Christmas in South GA

2010-12-24T12:06:00.001-05:00

Spending a couple days down in Adel, GA at my family's for Christmas. Love spendind time down here. I am reminded of how simple life is. A place where friends are family and tradition is important. Christmas is about the birth of Christ and the saving of the world. That is the meaning but it is also about family, tradtions, and love. Everyone should have some tradtions that they hold to every Christmas. My family has had them and yours should too.

Every Christmas Eve when we are down here we always go to Shoney's breakfast buffet. We are like the Klump's from the Nutty Professor but we have fun. Then we fix finger foods to munch on all day. There have been more through the years but as we have gotten older and moved away it has been harder to hold on to them.

Traditions are great and they help you hold on to memories. Sometimes they are memories you might need to let go of. You might need some new traditions this year for Christmas.

Christmas Week - The Story

2010-12-22T09:51:00.004-05:00

When I was young we had a tradition in my family. At some point around Christmas my Grandma would take the Grandkids into the living room and read the Christmas Story. She would not only read it to us, she would charge us the responsibility of placing the figures in the Nativity Scene. It is one of my favorite Christmas memories and as a kid one of my favorite traditions. As I have grown older I have accepted the cookie cutter story. I knew the Wise Men did not come to Bethlehem and I knew it did not play out exactly like my Grandma's little Nativity but I never really pushed it. Here are some thoughts that I have had this season:

Mary was 13-16 years old. A teenager changed the world by saying yes to God. Wow. I truly believe that is the call on this generation today as well. God is looking for students who are willing to say yes to Him.

The Shepherds were the outcast and the forgotten. They heard the message from the Angels, they saw Jesus for themselves, they believed, and then they went and told. They went back into the town that rejected them and shared the story of Christ.

Emmanuel - God with us. God came down. He could have left us alone, but He loved us too much. Even when you would like for God to leave you alone, He will alway be pursuing us.

Look at Jesus' family history. His family was more jacked up that mine.

Christmas Week -Tuesday

2010-12-21T09:00:00.004-05:00

This Christmas season has been fun. Getting to decorate a new house and watching lots of Christmas movies.

My favorite Christmas album this season is called This Warm December. It has Jack Johnson and other artist on it. It is really awesome.

Have not read like I have wanted to, but plan on changing that this week.

This past weekend we had friends over and really enjoyed hanging out and celebrating this season.

One of my favorite things this Christmas is buying gifts from The Jubilee Market. The gifts are made by young girls rescued from sex slavery. We decided if we were going to give gifts, we should give gifts that matter. I will put up links to different sights later on today.

This week I am just going to share some randomness on my blog about different things about this season. Things I am seeing different.

Socks and Sandwiches

2010-12-13T09:04:00.002-05:00

Bad Christmas Gifts

2010-12-06T08:15:00.001-05:00

Dress Rehersal

2010-12-06T08:01:00.003-05:00

Over the years I have been a part of a lot of Christmas plays. I can not sing and I can not act so I have never had a leading role. Actually I have never had more than one line. To be honest, I have always hated Christmas plays. As much as I have disliked all the plays, I loved the rehearsals. I loved hanging with my friends and laughing and goofing off. Most of the time I got in trouble but the rehearsals were fun.

Anyone who has ever been involved with a Christmas play knows the schedule. It starts the first Sunday after Thanksgiving and you rehearse and practice. The weekend of the event you have dress rehearsal. Everyone gets dress up and acts out their parts but it does not count. It is not the real deal.

The issue that we have with life is that we treat today like that. We act like today is a dress rehearsal for tomorrow. That is not the case. If you woke up with breath in your lungs and you are moving, TODAY COUNTS!

Christmas Threw Up

2010-12-01T08:03:00.004-05:00

It is December 1st. Like I said yesterday you can not stop time. Today is Wednesday and it is my favorite day of the week. It is GAME DAY BABY! It is the day when Thrive students come together and a community is formed. I love those students and am very proud and privileged to get to call myself their Youth Pastor. Tonight we are kicking off our new series "Christmas Conspiracy" with a conversation about Christmas and how lost the meaning really is.

Last night several of us decorated and it looked like Christmas threw up everywhere. I love it! There is nothing better to me that making memories. Writing names on ornaments, picking on each other, laughing about stupid lights that will not work, and taking it all in at the end. Memories made, hope renewed, joy found, laughter given, it was a great day. I am excited about this season, I am excited to take it all in. Christmas will throw up again at the Gordon House this Friday night. It will be an adventure!

Stockbridge Assembly's December Series

2010-11-30T13:19:00.002-05:00

The Turkeys Won

2010-11-30T10:04:00.002-05:00

December in Thrive

2010-11-30T09:57:00.002-05:00

Christmas Already?

2010-11-30T07:56:00.003-05:00

As I was walking on the treadmill this morning it hit me, this is the last day of November. Seriously? Tomorrow is the first day of December. It is the first day of the last month of 2010. Wow! Where has time gone? Where has this year gone? We are in the Holiday season and I do not even feel like we got out of Summer good. Are you with me? Wasn't it just Labor Day last week?

As the Holidays are coming and there is nothing we can do to stop it or slow time down, I am challenged this morning to enjoy it. If there is one thing that I have learned this year it is that you can not stop time or go back in time, but you can enjoy your time if you fight for it. My challenge this Christmas season is to simply enjoy it. Enjoy everything about it. This time of year is not about how YOU feel, it is about what YOU do with it. Enjoy it, make the most out of it.

What will you do to enjoy this season? What are you planning so that another Christmas does not just fly by? Make the most of every moment. Take in every memory. Partake in old family traditions and make new ones. Do not let this season just pass by. Capture it!

Happy Turkey Day

2010-11-25T09:10:00.003-05:00

Holiday Rules

2010-11-16T04:33:00.003-05:00

Retailers started putting Christmas decorations out after Labor Day. Killing me!!!! My Pastor said the other day that in a couple of years there will not be a Thanksgiving. That is not right. We live and a society that is consumer driven and does not really know how to be grateful and thankful anymore. That is a different blog for a different day.

I have some Holiday rules that I wanted to share that I institute in my life through this Season. I am a traditionalist at heart and love adding new traditions to my life every year. Here are my rules....

The Christmas season does not begin until after I have seen Santa Claus on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

I do not listen to Christmas music until the Friday after Thanksgiving.

We put up Christmas decorations the first weekend in December, not any sooner.

I can not drink a white peppermint mocha from Starbucks until the say after Thanksgiving.

I do not start watching Christmas movies until the Monday of December.

We will only go see one Christmas movie in the theaters all season long.

I believe that Christmas has become all about Consumerism and not about what it is really about. I will share some more thoughts on that in a later blog. I put these rules in my life so that I enjoy every season and do not miss anything that it offers. I hope you and your family are gearing up to have a great Thanksgiving.

Wednesday Rewind

2010-11-11T05:02:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was a very scattered day. Had way too much going for Game Day.

Did not feel like we hit a groove until about half way through the service.

As we are looking at redefining the way we do Youth Ministry we are seeing that things we deem as important are not necessary for the Holy Spirit to work in student's life.

We spent some time being intentional about building our community last night and getting to know come people that we normal may not.

The pea game up front was a blast. Congrats to Connor for pulling a big win.

We launch our new series, "The Forgotten" last night.

Love talked about Baptism. Why should we get Baptized, what it means, and how to live it out. Grateful for students that "get it."

Very proud of how many students were serving in our Food Bank before service started.

Started our new text a thought part of the message last night. Went really well. Enjoyed reading the students thoughts as they shared them.

Love what God is doing in Thrive and can not wait to see what He does through us.

Mercy

2010-11-09T09:54:00.002-05:00

Mercy is a word that is used in church and by Christians to refer to how God has acted on our behalf. Mercy is something that we receive and really do not know how to give. Mercy. I see it as knowing you are right and someone is wrong and not holding it against them. You could. You would be justified. No one would blame you. But you choose to let it go. Not only let it go but to never bring it up again. You do not forget it, but you do not hold it against them. Mercy. Something else that we want to be shown but a lot of the times we have trouble showing it.

We want justice according to our standards. We want people to be repaid for the hurt that they have caused us. God has called us to show mercy like he has shown us.

Cornmazing

2010-11-06T21:04:00.002-04:00

Grace

2010-11-04T08:44:00.004-04:00

Really working this week on trying to live words out instead of saying them. One word that I struggle with is grace. It is a word that we throw around a lot in church these days. I believe that we can over use a word and under live it. Grace is easy to say and easy to talk about but difficult to live out. Most of the time we do not give out the same grace that we are willing to receive. We want and expect grace for God and from others but yet we are not willing to show it or live it ourselves. I believe no matter who we are that our humanity will get in the way from time to time.

To have grace means to love without condition. To give grace means that the love you have is bigger that the microscope that you are viewing everyone's life under. To live grace means that you love not expecting anything in return. That you are not blind to a person's flaws but you do not let that affect your love of that person.

Grace is not an excuse to allow people to make bad decisions and speak truth in love, grace is loving them no matter how they receive it. Grace is having no agenda expect for God's agenda. Seeing people as He does and loving them in-spite of everything.

November in Thrive

2010-11-03T10:15:00.001-04:00

Compassion

2010-11-03T08:07:00.003-04:00

Monday I blogged about how words are meaningless without action and what we do is a lot louder than what we say. One of the words that I am trying to live out is compassion. I believe that compassion is seeing someone's pain through their own eyes. From their perspective. Not necessarily fixing the problem but being there for them. Standing with them and at time standing for them. Compassion is tough to live out. If we have never been through what they are walking through it is impossible to understand their pain. You may not be able to understand their pain but you do understand pain. You understand what it does to your mind, how it haunts you. What it does to your soul, how it eats at you. What it does to your spirit, how it weighs you down. You may not be able to say you have been where they have been, but you can say you know what pain is like.

Hurting people do not always want the solutions to their problems, they just want someone to know where they are. They want to know that they are not forgotten. Compassion is simply reminding the hurting people around you that you have not forgotten them. It might be a smile, it may be an encouraging note, a small gift, or just your presence.

Will you choose today to be compassionate. Choose to recognize someone else's pain and act. Even though you may deal with it differently, they still need your compassion.

Just Keep Peddling

2010-11-02T17:30:00.005-04:00

I have been on a journey since March of this year to loose weight and get in shape. I decided a month or so ago that I wanted to start riding a bike to continue my journey. Last Friday I got on a rode bike for the first time. About half way through I thought I had lost my mind. I thought the bike did not work right or my legs did not work right or something. By the time I got back to the house I was ready to throw the bicycle in the garbage. After I caught my breath and my legs stopped shaking I decided to give it another shot.

Today I got back on it and rode again. After struggling a little while I sort of figured out the gears and it made the hills a little more tolerable. My favorite part is the back side of the hill. I love going down hill. I can catch my breath, I do not have to work as hard. The only thing is that once I get to the bottom of a hill there is another to start climbing. The thing that I figured out today is that if I coast for too long on the downside of a hill then it makes climbing the next hill harder.

As I was struggling up a hill and figuring this out, it hit me that life is a lot like that. We fight and struggle to climb the hill we are on. We push and peddle, knowing that on the other side we can coast. Take life easy for a little while. Breath. The kicker is that if we coast for too long it will make the next hill we have to climb tougher. You need to start peddling on the downside. You have to just keep peddling. Keep pushing. Keep fighting. You can catch your breath for a second, but do not coast for too long.

Just keep peddling, even on the downhill stretch.

Goals

2010-11-01T20:45:00.004-04:00

Goals are very important to set. It is hard to know where you have been and where you are going without putting markers out. Things to let you know how you are progressing. I want to put some November goals I have on here to help remind me of what I need to be doing.

Loose 13 pounds

Go to the gym 20 times

Read and study through the book of Proverbs slowly.

Go camping once

Read two books

Wasabi Gospel by Shawn Wood

Follow Me to Freedom by John Perkins and Shane Claiborne

Listen to 6 podcasts

Words WIth Meaning

2010-11-01T09:40:00.003-04:00

Words mean nothing. What you do and how you do it scream so much louder than what you say. Most of the time people can not hear what you are saying because of how you are living. How you treat people. What you do when no one is looking. How you treat the people who do not look like you or act like you. Your actions give your priorities a voice. You never have to tell people what is important to you, they know it by the way you live. Words mean nothing unless you live them out. Unless people see them. Words are useless without action. I am trying to talk less and live more. Here are some words I want to live out.

Compassion - see people's pain from their perspective.

Grace - loving for no reason and expecting no return.

Mercy - forgetting what has happened and loving any way.

Community - making people feel comfortable in their own skin.

Words mean nothing. Actions mean everyting

Happy Ha....

2010-10-31T15:01:00.003-04:00

Can Christians say Happy Halloween? I do not know but, Happy Halloween. Have a good weekend and enjoy the weather. Laugh with friends and give kids some candy. Enjoy life.

The Fertilizer of Life

2010-10-30T09:00:00.002-04:00

During a conversation with a friend the other day a statement was made and it has really stuck with me. Pain is the fertilizer of life. Pain causes us to grow. To get out of our comfort zone. To stretch beyond who we are and who we have been. Pain puts a dependency in our life on God. Pain reveals who we really are and what is in us. Pain is the fertilizer of life.

Think about it.....

Pain is messy and no one likes to touch it.

Pain stinks and no one likes to be around it.

Pain is temporary but if applied right the results can be beneficial.

A lot of times pain will shift our focus in life. If you let it, it will take the focus off of you and place it where it should be. Instead of letting pain stunt you and stop you, let it propel you and push you.

Pain is a fertilizer if applied right to you life....

Costumes and Pumpkins

2010-10-29T16:48:00.002-04:00

Wednesday Night Rewind

2010-10-28T09:50:00.004-04:00

Last night was Thrive's Costume Party.

We had some really great costumes. Nurses, robots, retro chicks, uncarved pumpkins, Link, ninjas, army men, and more.

A storm blew through between 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. that tried to dampen the night, but did not. It was a blast.

We had a pumpkin carving contest. I was really impressed with the pumpkin that were carved.

Thrive really has some talented students.

The 1st and 2nd place pumpkins were awesome! One had the batman symbol and the other had the thundercat symbol. Both had the Thrive T on the back.

We spend some time talking about the difference between being informed and transformed.

I am grateful that I get to be a part of these awesome student's lives.

Thrive Students are some of the most awesome students in the world!

Thoughts From A Busy Weekend

2010-10-25T15:07:00.003-04:00

This past weekend was a marathon. Life sometimes is wide open and you have to really work at taking it all in. We smoked 120 pounds of chicken and fed the Woodland High School Football team, helped out at the Georgia PK retreat, and hosted Stockbridge Assembly's first leadership conference. It was long stay and short rest but was really fun. Here are some thoughts....

You can not call anything "work" if you love to do it. You love for doing anything comes out of your motive for what your doing.

Friday night football never gets old. Love hearing the band, smelling the smoke in the air, and watching the game. And it is always better when your team wins.

I absolutely love the people that God has placed in my life. So grateful for my friends. People that love you and have your back make this journey a little bit easier.

Spent sometime at the campgrounds. Everyone needs a Bethel.

I really enjoy a good fire. Bon-fire, camp fire, firepit, it does not really matter to me.

Stockbridge Assembly is one of the most awesome church families in the world. So grateful God has called me to serve here.

Watching our leaders worship last night at the leadership conference was amazing.

Sitting around a firepit with people you love put the icing on an already awesome weekend.

Philemon

2010-10-25T13:31:00.000-04:00

1:6 - Be active in sharing your faith so you will have full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.

1:7 - Do we refresh hearts?

1:9 - So we appeal on the basis of love?

Do Something

2010-10-22T08:12:00.003-04:00

The people at Nike are geniuses. Anytime anyone says "Just Do It" what is the first thing you think about? Nike. Their shoes, their clothes, and their logo.

That phrase has been rolling around in my head for a couple of days now, maybe a week or so. Most of us have thoughts about doing things to help people or do things to show people the love of God and our next thoughts are excuses why we can not do it or why it will not work. Before we know it our excuses far outweigh our dreams. Our passion is stifled by our insecurity, our desire is extinguished by our doubt. We can talk ourselves out of anything. All I can think about is Nike.

Just do it!

Thoughts From Titus

2010-10-22T07:58:00.002-04:00

1:15 - To the pure all things are pure

1:16 - They claim to know God but their action deny Him - actions speaks louder than words

2:11 - The grace of God appeals to all people

3:1 - Be ready to do whatever is good

3:4 - But when the kindness and love of God appeared...

3:5 - He saved us because of HIS mercy

3:14 - Do not live an unproductive life

Thoughts from 2 Timothy

2010-10-21T11:14:00.002-04:00

1:6 - Fan the flame

1:7 - God has given us a spirit of power of love and self-discipline

1:12 - Not ashamed because of whom I believe in.

2:3 - Endure hardship

2:11 - If we die with Him we also live with Him

2:12 - If we endure, we will reign with Him

2:15 - I want to correctly handle the Word of Truth

2:22 - Pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace

3:5 - Walk in His power

3:7 - I do not want to learn and then ignore the truth

3:17 - We are equipped through the Word of God

4:2 - Preach the Word. Be ready at all times.

4:5 - Keep your head in all situations

4:7 - No regrets

4:18 - The Lord is my rescue.

Decompression Time

2010-10-21T09:30:00.004-04:00

Webster defines the word decompress as...

1: to release from pressure or compression

2: to convert ; to an expanded or original size

I spend every Thursday morning at Starbucks to just sit and think. I might blog (like I did today), or journal, or read, or stare off into space. The goal is to just sit and sort through my thoughts from the service the night before. To sort through my thoughts from the week.

Everyone need decompression time. Everyone needs time unplugged from the daily grind of everyday life. What are you doing to decompression? What are you doing to release the pressure of life? What are you doing to sort your thoughts?

Wednesday Rewind

2010-10-21T09:19:00.002-04:00

Last time was the 2nd week of the Fanatic series. We talked about going "all in" as a follower of Christ.

Thrive also said thank you to Robin for all she has done for us and prayed over her as her and her family move to Colorado. Really going to miss them.

The worship team did an awesome job last night. Really proud of those guys and grateful for their hearts.

I believe Thrive students are the most awesome students anywhere.

I love the fact that everyone loves hanging out after service is over. No one wants to go home. Love the community and family that God is building.

Excited about the costume party next Wednesday night.

The next six weeks are going to be real different but really awesome as well.

For more about what is going on you can go to iamthrive.com or twitter.com/thrivestudents.

Life Is Full Of Seasons

2010-10-21T08:45:00.003-04:00

We are always in a season. Life is full of seasons. The great thing about seasons are that they are temporary, they are always shifting. The challenge is knowing what season you are in. It could be like winter and it is cold, hard, and everything feels dead. It could be like spring where life is starting to sprout out and everything is coming alive again. There is a warm breeze is the air. It could be like summer and there is rapid growth and harvest. Things you planted months ago, you are getting to reap. The sun is bright. Or it could be a season of fall. Things are changing. There is transition in the air and you know winter is coming again.

Seasons are always changing in our life and you have to know what season you are in. The great thing about seasons are that you can prepare for the next season in the middle of the current season you are in. You can get ready for things to come even if you do not see them or feel them yet.

There is a season and a time for everything.

Making Time

2010-10-21T08:36:00.003-04:00

There is a truth that we all know and always forget. It is a truth that I have let slip through my fingers over the last couple of weeks. We get to make time. We can not create time, altar time, or stop time, but we can make time. Make time for the things that are important, make time for the things we give priority to in our lives. Make time. We are constantly making time, the question is what are we making time for.

In most cases, if your life is like mine you make time for the urgent and often overlook the important. We make time for the things that come flying at us out of nowhere and forget about the everyday things that we need to take care of. I am challenged today about my time.

It is something that I can not recover or ever get back. It is something that I can not buy, trade, or sell. It truly is the most valuable thing in my life. Not only that it is what I let speak for what is important. What am I making time for?

The urgent can not override the important.

October In Thrive

2010-10-12T09:31:00.002-04:00

The Message Is The Mission

2010-10-04T07:30:00.000-04:00

There is a lot rolling around in my mind about church and youth ministry right now. I am trying my best to be open to the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to challenge the way I view and have always viewed ministry. If we are not careful in seasons like this we can be overwhelmed by all we see and end up doing nothing. We fight so hard to be an element of change that we forget that unless we let God change us, we can not affect anything.

I believe that in Youth Ministry as a whole that we have separated the Mission of Jesus from the Message of Jesus. The message of Jesus also calls for response, action, or movement. I can not speak for any other Youth Pastor/Leader but too many times I have stood up and declared the Message and then told students to go live out the Mission on their own. Sure, we would give them opportunities a couple times a year to "live it out," but as a whole they are own there on.

We have told them to be a missionary to their school, neighborhoods, and families but not helped them or equipped them. Wednesday night is the night for the Message, a night where we come in and sing songs, listen to a monolog message, hangout with people we like (ignore people not like us), and feel good about ourselves and our relationship with God. The Mission is suppose to happen during the week. Is that the way it is suppose to be? What if the Message is the Mission? What if our actions really do speak louder than our words? What would happen if instead of separating the two we view them as one?

I do not have the answer but I am willing to allow God to keep dealing with me until we find it.

Thoughts From 1 Timothy

2010-10-04T06:22:00.000-04:00

1:5 - Love: comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

1:15 - Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I, Eric, was the worse.

1:16 - He displays His unlimited patients.

1:18 - Fight the good fight.

2:1 - Pray for everyone.

2:3 - God wants to save everyone.

2:6 - Jesus was my ransom.

4:4 - Everything God created is good.

4:7 - Have nothing to do with Godless myths.

4:8 - Godliness has value in this life and the life to come.

4:10 - Our hope is in our Savior.

4:12 - Do not let anyone look at you different because of your age. Set an example.

4:15 - Give yourself wholly.

4:16 - Watch your life.

5:21 - Do nothing our of favoritism.

5:22 - Keep yourself pure.

6:6 - Godliness with contentment is great gain.

6:7 - I have nothing.

6:1o - The love of money is the root of all evil.

6:12 - Fight the good fight of faith.

6:18 - Be rich in good deeds.

6:20 - Guard what has been entrusted in your care.

Holding On

2010-10-02T09:45:00.002-04:00

Yesterday while I was in gym walking on the treadmill looking out the window I saw something that caught my attention. There was a father and son walking to their car. The son looked to be holding the father's hand and then as they got closer to their car the son got a little ahead of his dad, and started to run. Then I noticed something a little different. It was the dad that was holding on to the son. As the son starting getting ahead of his father the son stumbled a little. The father picked him up, made sure he was okay, and they kept walking.

It believe that was a beautiful picture of us and God. We think sometimes that we are holding on to God but in reality it is Him that is holding on to us. Could it

be that when we stumble a little, it is because we are getting ahead of Him and He will not let us go? Could it be that His grip is so tight on us that even though we may fall down he can still pick us up? Just a thought.

My goal for today is to put my hand in God's hand and let Him guide me, not me guiding him.

Psalms 48:14, "For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end."

Thoughts from 2 John, 3 John, and Jude

2010-09-28T13:55:00.002-04:00

2 John

1:4 - We love by walking in obedience to His commandments.

1:8 - Do not loose what you have worked for.

1:9 - Do not get ahead of God.

3 John

1:11 - Imitate good.

Jude

1:3 - Fight for the Faith.

1:16 - What do I follow?

1:21 - Keep yourself in God's love.

1:22 - Be merciful to those who doubt.

1:23 - Snatch others from the fire.

Send or Sent?

2010-09-27T10:53:00.002-04:00

For years in Youth Ministry I have prayed one prayer over and over, "Lord send us the students that no one else wants." On the surface there does not seem to be anything wrong with that prayer. Some would even say that it is a prayer that God would answer and be pleased with.

Recently God has burden my heart for students that are forgotten. I do not know what that really looks like yet, but I am pretty sure I will find out soon enough. I found myself praying and dreaming about future ministry and praying, "God, send us the forgotten students." I was all of a sudden overwhelmed with conviction. Why? Wasn't that what God wanted me to pray? Then it hit. The heart for the forgotten was in the right place, but my perspective was off. My prayer should be, "God send me to the forgotten students of this area."

God did not call us to sit back and wait, He calls us to go. He sends us, He directs us. Just a thought as we start a new week. Where does God want to send you?

Thoughts from 1 John

2010-09-27T09:21:00.004-04:00

1 John

1:3 - We proclaim what we have seen and heard.

1:8 - Do we deceive ourselves?

1:9 - Confession is key.

1:10 - If we did not have sin in our life then we have no need of a Savior.

2:1 - Jesus has my back.

2:3 - Knowledge brings obedience.

3:1 - Does the world know me?

3:14 - Any one who does not love remains in death.

3:16 - This is how we know what love is...

3:17 - We have to help those in need

3:18 - Actions speak louder than words.

4:1 - Test every spirit - proof is in the fruit.

4:4 - Who is in me?

4:8 - God is love.

4:10 - Love is - He loved us first.

4:18 - Perfect love drives out fear.

5:2 - We show love by obedience.

5:12 - He who has the Son has life.

Journal Thoughts

2010-09-23T23:54:00.003-04:00

This morning I sat at Starbucks on the patio and opened my journal and penned some thoughts I just wanted to share.

When we decrease programs we might just increase God.

Can we have big impact and small results?

We have to gauge success by eternal things not external things.

Eternal things come from internal growth.

The Kingdom of God is about changed people helping to change other people's life.

Teach with your actions, not with your lessons.

Your actions give voice to your priorities, not your words.

Thoughts From 2 Peter

2010-09-23T20:21:00.002-04:00

1:2 - Grace and peace come through knowing God

1:3 - We have everything we need through knowing Him and His power.

1:12 - Sometimes we need to be reminded of the revelation that we already know.

1:21 - Prophecy comes from God and brings God glory.

2:9 - God knows how to rescue.

2:19 - You can not promise freedom when you are a slave.

3:9 - God is patient. I am grateful.

3:14 - What are you looking forward to?

3:17 - Guard what you believe.

3:18 - You can not only grow from grace and knowledge, you can grow in them.

What Doesn't Bend Breaks

2010-09-23T10:41:00.000-04:00

Over the last couple of months I have seemed to be listening to more podcast than ever. Not only more podcast but a wider variety of speakers from a lot of backgrounds. One thing that I have noticed is that I have not agreed with everything that has been said. Some I have just stopped and deleted and some I have just kept on listening to. So I began to start asking myself if I was wrong to keep listening? There was a part of me that thought if I did not agree with some of what they said that I should not listen to any of what they had to say. I was compromising. I wrestled with this for over a month.

Then one day I remembered one a very wise man once told me.....

On the essentials there must be unity

One the non-essentials there must be liberty

And in everything there must be love.

Essentials - Jesus was born of a virgin. He was the one and only son of God. He lived a perfect life on earth. He died on the cross. He rose from the grave. He ascending into Heaven. There is no other way to God except through Him.

Non-essentials - We must be baptized to make it to heaven. You have to speak in tongues to be saved. The tribulation is going to happen after the rapture.

Love - What good is it if we do not at least love even the people we disagree with?

What doesn't bend breaks. I am not compromising what I believe, I just choose not to disqualify a teacher when they say something I do not believe in. As long are we agree on the essentials.