New position for me...sort of.

As some of you may have heard already, my co-worker David Lawson has accepted the position of Executive Minister and will be vacating his position as Youth Sports Director as of last week. I will take on both roles until further notice and I am excited to see how I can do wearing both hats. What I do know first and foremost is that I will need to ratchet up my level of organization and team building. I have always felt I could do the latter but was always held back by the prior. What is probably most exciting is the awesome set of people who I will get to work with that I believe God is working within right now.

Please pray for this ministry, for David, for those whom God is calling, for me and for my wife and kids. This is an exciting time for me but the only way to guarantee success is to put it into God's hands and then listen and follow His direction.

I am thankful for my...church

When we stepped into Christ's Church back in 2003 (I believe), Kellea and I both knew that was the place for us. We were looking for a church home and had been attending Christian Family Chapel on Old St. Augustine. About halfway through the service, we both looked at one another and said this was it. Sr. Pastor Dennis Bratton seemed to speak directly to us in each of the services. The worship music, then led by Aaron Pelsue, was the perfect combination of familiar songs and upbeat music. The people were friendly and the programs were just phenomenal.
Once we got into a small group, the final piece was in place. We got connected in ministry with me volunteering in the sports ministry and Kellea dabbling in Meals on Wheels and the photography ministry. We even both spent some time in the Suite B with the 2-year olds.
My wife emailed Dennis one day to tell him about our tithing story and he asked us to stand before the congregation and tell them our story. That was tough for me but Kellea was a pro. Public speaking is a gift for her and she is awesome at it. I was just a bystander as she told 90% of the story and it's good thing because I was a bundle of nerves. She carried the family that day!
I would go onto work at the church as the Adult Sports Director and then Kellea would eventually work for the school as the Director of Marketing and Development. Just as important for Kellea's connection to the church was her involvement with the family ministry as a small group leader for 9th grade girls.
I remember Dennis talking about how the goal should be to have the body of teh church be a major part of your daily life. That day I had no idea how that could ever fit into my life as it was that day. Now, I can't imagine not having the involvement in ever facet of our daily lives.

I am thankful for my...small group

Here is a photo from the tailgate celebration from several weeks back. The Trayser's, Brown's, and Jackson's couldn't make it that day but we had a great time nonetheless.
I am thrilled we are going to continue as a small group even after the conclusion of this Faith In Action all-church study.

I am thankful for my...lovely wife

This photo is one image in my heart that will always remind me of this special day. She has been my anchor and my best friend since that amazing day. Thank you Lord for every day I've spent with this special gift.

Seven years ago today, my soul was saved...

Yup, today. November 5th. Back in 2000, we went to the Billy Graham Crusade on a Sunday evening. An estimated 220,000 people came to hear him over the 4 days with some 9,000 committing to Christ or coming forth to inquire about salvation. Some of the personal details are a blur to me right now, but I remember I went with my wife, mother-in-law, and friends Shane and Jennifer Leonard and Mitch and Shannon Callahan.

As much as I can say, this is one day I will always remember, I really can't remember much of it.

All I know is that one day changed my life. For eternity.

Happy 70th Birthday Dad

It would have been my father's 70th birthday today (11/5) if he hadn't of passed away in July of 2003. He suffered from Alzheimer's pretty bad before he passed. From what I can remember, it was a stomach aneurysm that would ultimately seal his fate. After the operation to fix the problem, he never recovered. He is now buried in the Massachusetts National Cemetery. He was in the Navy and fought in both the Korean and Vietnam wars.

We give, yet we get...

Two Sunday's back, our small group participated in the Faith Blitz Sunday along with the rest of our church. Attached is a photo of Loise, who is the wonderful young women we met and spent time with that day. She is 85 years young and loved sitting and holding my children who came with us.
The Senior home we visited asked that we complete a biography for each of the people there by giving us a packet with questions to ask. Her son was visiting that day and he was very helpful as his mom was a little fuzzy on some of the details. It was so special to see the look on her face as she retold of things she probably hasn't thought about in many, many years. "Tell us about how your husband proposed to you." "What were some of the games you and your sisters played as little girls?"

Her face was so happy and full of life...yet I think we were the ones who walked away touched the most. How easy it is to let life fill our every hour and every moment when it would mean the world to someone if they would even stop by and visit for 10 minutes. Last night our small group decided we were going to continue to see the people we met that day. Kind of like adopting them with the goal of furthering the relationships we started. I believe those in the home will be tickled pink to see us come back again...yet none will likely be affected half as much as our small group and our kids who we know are watching and learning the lessons we are trying to teach.

Who am I?

For those of you who haven't seen this, I wanted to share.

Red Sox can only win 3 in a row...

Congrats to the Red Sox for winning the World Series for the second time in four years. One AMAZING stat I want to share is how streaky they Sox are in the playoffs.
You may recall that they Sox trailed the Indians 3 games to 1 in the ALCS this season before they reeled off three in a row to advance to the World Series.

Here is the wild part. Winning three games in a row is the only way the Red Sox ever win playoff series. That is not an exaggeration. The last time the Red Sox won a playoff series that did not end with three wins in a row was… drum roll please… 1918.

Here are the last ten playoff series the Sox have won:

• 2007 W. S. vs Colorado: 4-game sweep
  
• 2007 ALCS vs Cleveland: 3-game sweep
  
• 2007 ALDS vs Anaheim: 3-game sweep
• 2004 W. S. vs St. Louis: 4-game sweep
• 2004 ALCS vs New York: ended with 4-game streak
• 2004 ALDS vs Anaheim: 3-game sweep
• 2003 ALDS vs Oakland: ended with 3-game streak
• 1999 ALDS vs Cleveland: ended with 3-game streak
• 1986 ALCS vs California: ended with 3-game streak
• 1975 ALCS vs Oakland: 3-game sweep

And before 1975, the Sox had not won a post-season series since 1918, when they closed it out with a one-game win streak.

I promise not to bore you with too much Red Sox stuff in the next few days!

Faith Blitz Sunday

This Sunday, our church had over 2,300 people set out to bring the church to those outside the walls of our buildings. The Times-Union even had a video of our day online which followed an article in the Monday edition. What topped it off for me was an email I got from our Missions Minister Doug Newland about a short-term mission team that was in Chiang mai, Thailand
View Larger Map working with a local children's orphanage on Sunday. Though the purpose of their trip was to help these workers, they did a Faith Blitz project that was separate from the established plans. They sent along a photo of the group and they are all holding their Faith In Action workbooks.
They poured a concrete driveway for the Christian church in Baan Haan, Thailand. Christ's Church Missions 2007 was written into the base of the concrete slab.

What an awesome feeling to be part of something so vast and something with far more reaching effects than we can comprehend.

Georgia-Florida Weekend

It's almost Georgia/Florida weekend. In the LeSage family, that is really a big deal. It's ironic, sort of, that my wife is the Georgia fan and she has to deal with the constant stigma of losing to the Gators. They are like the Yankees to the Red Sox, which is a burden I have to bear most years! Ha!

Back to the good stuff...each year we travel downtown on game day with our friends the Furlong's and the Ford's (my-in-laws). We put up a tent and cook food out among all the revelers who one would think are heading into the game eventually. Come to find out that there are THOUSANDS of people downtown doing the same thing we are: using the atmosphere but not actually attending the game. There are typically two BIIIIGGGGG screens set up in a large grass area just outside the stadium. There you can see the game and be among the rowdy fans, all without having to sell a kidney to afford a ticket. (Though honestly, if we thought the Dawgs stood more of a chance of winning once in a while, I might be ebaying an organ to get a ticket for my wife.)

The Furlongs are major Gator fans that we manage to love anyway. :-) They keep it spicy yet aren't ugly when they eventually win each year. They are the type to tease us by getting all orange and blue M&M's to eat but at least they soften the blow by actually letting me have a bunch of M&M's to gorge myself on. So it's really a wash.

My in-laws are both Georgia fans by default of sorts, since she is an FSU fan and he is a South Carolina fan. The fellowship is good and it has become something we all look forward to.

In the future, this weekend will become even more fun once the Bulldogs get the monkey off their backs. Right now, it's fun and jovial until just before kickoff and then the tension rises. The impending doom is too much sometimes to bear. I feel so badly for my wife who loves the Dawgs to death but yearly has to suffer at the games conclusion.

How deep is that UGA love? She has an English Bulldog on her wish list and we even joined the Bulldog Fan Club of Jacksonville just to have the opportunity to see the UGA version of Tebow. No not Stafford but Eric Zeir. Wow, who is this woman with the short hair cut? :-)

OK, so the Red Sox lost...

I was just telling my small group tonight how my passion for the Red Sox had "changed" since they won the World Series back in 2004. Last night as I sat there in disbelief as my Sox went down 3 games to 1 after looking like world beaters in the 1st game of the series. Now, we've lost 3 straight and looked bad doing it. But I keep telling myself I won't let it get me down. " No. No. I can't do it. I won't do it."

I say that half kidding.

A friend of mine who was a BIG Braves fan back in the early 90's told me something one day when I asked him how devastated he felt after the Braves lost again during the play-offs. He said to me, "I know it's just a game and I shouldn't allow whether they win or lose to dictate whether I am going to have a good day or a bad day." As I repeat that now, these 35 year old ears hear words of wisdom. Back then the scars from the '86 Series loss for the Sox were still as fresh and painful as the fateful night it (Buckner) happened. So those insightful words were undoubtedly met with mocking laughter and an increase in ribbing for the next 6 weeks. Boy I was a horse's patootie back then. Ahh...the ignorance of youth. :-)

I had to insert this funny Curt Schilling commercial just because...

I love my Small Group...

At Christ's Church, there is a strong push to have all our members get into a small group. This is where "real life change happens." In a church our size, it can be very easy to just sit in the pew and leave each Sunday, feeling like you can now check that box off your list. Being actively involved in a small group changes that and allows you to make connections to people you might otherwise never meet.
Without sounding like a "yes man," everything these small groups are advertised to be is true. When we came to Christ's Church (known as Mandarin Christian Church then), Senior Pastor Dennis Bratton told us to give it a try and don't stop if it's not the right match the first time. Well, that rang true and our second group was MUCH more successful and those relationships we built are some of our very close friends to this day. Janet, Dell, Clay, Donna, etc....people who God put in my at just the right time.

Mark Tyre and the rest of the Small Group ministry tell us that being in a home study group helps you make connections which makes this large church not seem so large and intimidating. As someone who grew up in a Church of Christ (non-instrumental) with about 200 people, coming to Mandarin Christian was a shock of sorts. I can't tell you how nice it was to see those faces of my small group friends each and every week.

And over the years as we have joined different small groups, the relationships and friendships have grown. I probably have 20 dear friends that I have as a direct result of being in a small group with them. Connections like that don't come from an ABF class. Or a basketball team. And it sure doesn't happen from just coming and sitting in a pew every Sunday.

Now my current Small Group seems to fit like a glove. My wife and I were just thrilled that each of the 13 people in our group seemed to mesh. What's so awesome is we have singles, married with young kids and married with adult kids. Some in our group are in their early 20's and some in their 60's. Some are in their first small group and some in their 5th. Some are brand new to CC and some are pushing 20 years of attendance.

Now this assortment of folks will offer variety and perspectives that will make this group flourish.

NOW it's time to watch baseball

In honor of the Major League Baseball playoffs starting tonight, I want to share a picture of my daughters' first major league game. We went to see the Red Sox play the Devil Rays down in Tampa last year. It was a great match-up between Josh Beckett and Scott Kazmir who are the aces of both teams. Despite Kazmir tossing a complete game two-hitter in a 3-0 win, we had a blast. My family and I shared some moments that all dads dream of. We chanted "Maaaaannnnny, Maaaaaaaannnnny..." and then we all enjoyed saying "I love it when you call me Big Papi." every time David Ortiz stepped up. And we saw Jonathan Papelbon warm up just feet from us in the Red Sox bullpen. And we shared the ultimate baseball moment by singing "Take me out to the ball game," in the 7th inning.

Yes, those were great times and very soon, we will add to those memories by bringing my son Grayson Thomas Boston along to see his first Sox game. For those who haven't heard the story about his two middle names, this was a compromise between my wife and I. I was pushing pretty hard for Boston to be his first name but no dice-k. I thought Curt was gonna work for a while but that eventually was axed as well. Oddly enough, Manny, Pedro, Nomar and Yaz were not even allowed to be discussed. Geez... :-)

I will root for the Red Sox like I always have and try to keep it all in perspective if they don't win. Having my kids sit down and watch it with me is what will make this time truly special as I will probably forget who actually wins tonight but I will always remember who was watching with me.

Go Sox!

Love the sinner, hate the sin...love the sinner, hate the sin...love the...

As I get older, I have found that I "admire" fewer and fewer people. Let me rephrase that. I admire traits. I admire accomplishments. I admire ideals. I admire the golf game of Tiger Woods, not the person. Maybe I have just hit a point of realizing that these heroes/celebrities/leaders are just people. I have found the ability, in most cases, to separate the people from what I "admire" about them. I have some Christian friends whom I admire the servant heart they display constantly but I think little of the gambling issues they have. I don't love them any less. Isn't this where the phrase, "Love the sinner, hate the sin," comes in?
Like most hoops fans, I think Coach K is a great coach and motivator. Several years back I found out through friends who are college referees that he cusses like a sailor on the bench and in practices. Bobby Knight? I actually consider him one of my favorite coaches but obviously his behavior is appalling. Yet his desire to see players succeed and grow is something he is famous for.

Where am I going with this? Well today, I read where Kathy Griffin
won an Emmy last week for her show, "My Life on the D-List." In her speech, Griffin said that "a lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus." She went on to hold up her Emmy, make an off-color remark about Christ and proclaim, "This award is my god now!"

Yikes. The entertainment world's attempt to use Christians as the object of their jokes has really gotten pathetic. Somehow I don't think she would be so bold as to say the same about the Muslim faith. If she were to have said the same thing about Muhammad, she might have bigger issues on her hands than trying to get off the D-List of comedians...like seeking protection perhaps?

The beginning of the end...

My youngest child started child care today at Sharing Tree. We have been so blessed to have all of our three children go through this school and then on to Mandarin Christian School where we know they will be cared for in a loving and Christian environment. That's the easy part. Seeing that little guy walk into class like that today, just touch me like few moments in my life have.

I don't know if it's like this for all parents but seeing your last child hit certain milestones has got to stir emotions in all parents.

How blessed I am to have spent all these years with a healthy set of kids and wife. I serve an awesome God. Thank you Lord.

GodTube Video

For those of you caught in the mindless time killing world of YouTube, here is a more uplifting alternative...GodTube. This video hit me in an area that lately God has really been working on me. The lost and hurting people of this world. I think this video puts a face and a story to a song that some of us have heard before. Yet for me, watching the video, made me look at it differently. If you attend church somewhere, have you ever looked at someone who looked lost or out of place and thought "what are they doing here?" Well, if so, take a look at this video. It should also serve as a reminder to dads that your daughters need affection and attention from you. If they don't get it from you they will look for it elsewhere. Would you then blame them for doing something that breaks your heart? Dads, hug your daughters tonight and this week as if it was the one thing in their life they need right now. If your daughters are still young, now is the time to start...and never stop.

Casting Crowns- Does Anybody Hear Her?

I am...yikes...hmmm....let me think...

I wrote the E-Sports newsletter today and like seemingly everything I do lately, it got me thinking...What if we all carried a self-describing label around our neck everywhere we went? It would be especially tough if it could only list one thing about you. No, not a list of 5 things that describe your likes and traits. Just one sentence. One aspect.

With that being said, I would think it would be way to shallow to put something like, "I am a Red Sox Fan." Too narrow to put, "I am a great listener." And there is no way I am putting ,"I am a Gen Xer." (yes, I do somehow fall just inside that age group.)

About 2 years ago, I was similarly challenged during my bible reading to do something along those same lines and to a degree I still do. I had decided to wear my work name tag (name, church, job title) around everywhere I went. It was a great reminder to always be mindful of what I am doing and how I am acting. It was accountability that likely all of us could stand a little more of. At least it is for me anyway.
How about you? Could your walk be strengthened if you everyone you encountered could just look down at your name and church listed right there in front of them? Makes it easier to overlook getting shortchanged by a cashier or cut off in a parking lot doesn't it?

I am Christ's Church

The LeSage Family photo...

I am sorry, but I just had to share this photo with you all. I don't want to get so wrapped up in other things I write about that I fail to share with you my love of my family.
I have noticed a problem that I must get a better handle on and it may be one some of you can relate to.
The challanges of being in ministry are similar to my prior profession as a basketball coach. Coach Joe Pichardo of Bishop Kenny told me one day that it was important that I marry a woman who was capable of being a "coaches wife." As a 25-year-old that didn't really mean a bunch to me at the time. A coaches wife would have to accept that her husband who have late nights watching game film, travel to scout upcoming teams, staying after games to talk to coaches, parents, players and know that their husband might also be a little more stressed out on occasion.
Though I am not officially a "minister," my wife also has similar challenges to the basketball coaches' wife. She has to deal with having to share her holidays with the church and me taking phone calls from people who I feel might need to talk to me. She has to deal with countless people knowing who she is though she has never seen or met them. She has to deal with waking up Sunday morning and getting three kids under 7-years-old ready for church by herself. And of course because my ministry happens when people are off of work, that means I am gone when she is off work and home with the kids.
I am so thankful that she supports what I do while keeping me accountable to my God-given responsibility to her and my kids. Too many times, I take for granted that she should accept whatever I happen to be doing because "it's ministry." Yes, too often I overlook the ministry that I have to lead that is positioned right under my own roof. (Thank you my love for being the helper God has called you to be.)

How about you? Sacrifice diner with family regularly because of work? Because of sports? Because the neighbor has a '57 Chevy he needs rebuilt?

No, I am not preaching. I am sharing.

I learned a while back that when people talk about something and they are referring to other people such as "lots of people don't like talking about money," that usually they should insert the word "I" in place of "people." Of course, you can't make that a blanket statement because I might say, "people like the Yankees." And well, the word "I" can't be used there! Hahah! (Truth be told, I don't hate the Yankees anymore. Not since game 7 of '04. October 20th, 2004 to be exact. But who's counting right? I don't root for them, but I don't hate them.)
Actually, I think that God blessed me with the gift of forgiveness when I became a Christian. I shudder to think of how much hate I carried with me for years. In the first 7 or so years after I graduated high school, I basically became friendless because I couldn't forgive anyone and over time, my sinful mind would only build up resentment and lies in my own head. Man, I could justify ANYTHING. Two of my closet friends in the world, Shane Leonard and Mitch Callahan had to endure me not speaking to them for years as I acted like some 4-year-old child angry with the boy who got the blocks first. Sorry boys! "Thank you Lord for putting those two back in my life." Both were actually there with me and my wife the night I became a Christian at the Billy Graham Crusade in 2000.

For those of you who read last week's blog about me making it a point to share the Good News with someone on my list, well, this week I made contact. He was busy, so it was brief but we got the ball rolling. For the sake of not wanting to offend anyone, I will be as vague as I can while still giving you the rundown. Please pray for this task I am on. Please pray for me to have perseverance because you know "some people" have the best of intentions but get sidetracked.

Oh, by the way, every morning I am praying for those people on YOUR list and for you to have the courage to fight through whatever excuse you have allowed to be bigger than possibly saving a soul for eternity. "Jesus, of course you already know this, but I must confess that I never told 'Mr. Lost Soul' about you because...well, he cussed a lot and had a lot of anger and I felt uncomfortable around him. Like he would reject me and not like me anymore. Yea...I guess you can relate to that, huh? So, I guess I choose to keep my relationship with him and that may have stopped him from having one with you. Yea, that doesn't sound too fair does it?"

Tell them before it's too late...

How many friends or loved ones do you know that AREN'T saved? For me, just counting off the top of my head and including only those who are close friends/relatives, I come up with a number around five. Yea. Five. Now that does not include all those in the sports programs. Just those in the "inner-inner" circle of friends. That next layer out, which for a lot of you would include co-workers or next door neighbors, the number goes up significantly. Because I work in the "Outreach" ministry, it would be safe to say the number is around 70 for me. Conversely, because I work for a church, I don't have co-workers who fall under that category. (Ideally of course.)

Do you have a brother or neighbor who you don't know for sure if they are saved? If so, shouldn't that move to the top of our "To Do List?" Now, in no way do I mean that you have to be able to sit down and give them your best impression of Billy Graham. But just tell them what Christ has done in your life. THAT is what non-believers will listen to. Someone they know telling them about their own life. Not someone else's story but your own.

We have all seen the emails and heard the stories about how harsh words were said and then something tragic happens and you never have the opportunity to fix it. If those stories are to encourage us to not skip saying "I love you," where are the stories of those who never shared the Good News to someone and now they are gone. If we can all at least somewhat relate to the guilt of not loving someone enough or at all before they died, imagine the burden of not knowing if someone was a Believer?
If a loved one dies whom I wrongfully haven't spoken to for years, then I am the one who has to live with the guilt. But if they died before coming to know Christ, they are the ones who will live in Hell for eternity. Before you say, "well, I am not comfortable sharing my testimony," are you saying your willing to risk their soul? Maybe YOU are the one person who could make a difference...and you aren't comfortable?

Is that really a position your willing to take? As a Believer you are to be ready to share the Good News at anytime and any place. I know it's not always easy but it's something we have to do.

Let's do this together. I have no idea how this is going to go but I must be able to walk the walk if I am going to talk the talk. So I will target one person on my list and outline on my Blog how that is coming. Good or bad. You do likewise. Post your comments (without naming names of course.) and that might encourage someone else to work on their unsaved friends/loved ones. Success in this endeavor is not to be judged solely on making them a Believer. Sometimes we are just called to plant the seed. While the next person waters and fertilizes. Whatever rung we are in the ladder, we must be willing to do that part.

Please pray for me and the people on my list and those on the list of the others who are reading this Blog. I will attempt to make contact by tomorrow and keep you updated. If each of us can just make an effort to move these souls up one more rung in the ladder, think of the impact we can make on the Kingdom.

Greatest? Well Ali of course.

"I am the Greatest!"- Muhammad Ali
The Great One- Wayne Gretzky

Who is the greatest person you have ever met?
I guess that can be taken in a lot of different ways can't it? Do I mean athletically? Or the one with the most heart? Or the one who has affected us the most personally? Yes to all the above.

Now, because I said "met," that takes out the answers "Jesus," etc. And yes, I can say that I meet Jesus everyday when I read His word and I talk to him in prayer during the course of the day. But I am talking about actually meeting. In the flesh. Don't take the question to mean that I think it is OK to worship anyone or idolize them. In no way is that the idea behind my question. But even God talked about how special certain people were so it's not out of the question to say there are certain people in our lives that are....whatever. I hesitate to say "greater" or "more special" for apprehension that it may be taken that I believe someone is more worthy of praise than someone else.

Time has a list out now of the top 100 people who shape our world. Now not all those listed shape our world in a "good" way. The comedian who played Borat is actually listed. Aside from their list, here are some people that might come to your mind and mine. Queen Elizabeth? Warren Buffet? (recently donated 31 Billion to charity). Steve Jobs? (Apple fame). Al Gore? (ok, maybe not Al Gore). Tiger Woods?
How about those who are deceased? Mother Theresa? Bob Hope?

I have no real point that I am looking for, just wanted to have your mind thinking.
For me, I guess I didn't actually meet him but I was not too far away physically. That is Billy Graham. Maybe he was on your list when I first asked the question.
Here is something to think about that I find a little sad. When Larry King asked the now recently deceased Tammy Faye Messner (formerly Baker) what she wanted people to remember her for, she said "My eyelashes." Eyelashes. (I do have to add the side note that she did later say in the interview "there is a peace in knowing Jesus Christ is our savior.") Regrettably, I think most of the world will remember her more for the prior than the latter mentioned. Don't you agree?

Please post your thought and comments.

Single dad this week...

Today, my wife left on a CIY trip with our church and will be gone until Saturday. So I have to go this week as a single dad and as much as I am looking forward to time with the kids, I do miss my wife already. In theory, I wouldn't have seen her yet today if she hadn't left but just knowing that tonight she won't be coming in the door is sad. I have been trying to focus on my time with my family and taking better care to protect it. I still fall short on making it quality time as much as I should but I am improving on the quantity aspect to a degree.
As part of my sermon research for Camden County, I found an interesting view from another preacher. It goes like this:
"Don't get caught up thinking you can specialize your time with your kids and say that "this trip" or "next weekend" or "tomorrow night" will be our quality time together. I have heard it said that people will focus on making up for being gone so much by giving their kids "quality time" when they are together. Problem is, you can't really schedule that. True quality time comes at the most unexpected places and times. It's your kid asking you about a childhood memory as you tuck them in bed or your son asking you a sex question as you trim the hedges."

How true it is. The same applies for your marriage. Or even your quiet time with the Lord. You can't plan on having the Holy Spirit move you tomorrow because you will get more into it or by reading a few extra chapters.

Make the most of your time and don't put off quantity because you plan on giving quality. Cause you never know when that time may never come. Did I tell you how much I miss my wife?

All-Star perspective...

Last night I watched the MLB All-Star game but only the last few innings. Since the 1999 All-Star game when Ted Williams was rolled out on the field at Fenway Park, the game hasn't been of interest. As a Red Sox fan, that was THE pinnacle of All-Star game history. I sat there as a 27-year-old man with tears in my eyes watching "the greatest hitter who ever lived" sitting in a wheelchair surrounded by all the games great players (past & present) doting over him as if he were a newborn baby. And it was in Fenway where he called home for 19 seasons.
And I had just been in that same park just 2 months prior watching my last game with my dad. I also remember how I treated my dad. His Alzheimer's was really progressing fast and his aching knees kept him plodding along at a snails pace. And as an excited Sox fan who couldn't wait to get in and see Pedro Martinez pitch for the first time, I was less than loving to my 62 year old dad. After all he was slowing me down. The walk alone from the train to the stadium cost us batting practice and just getting to our seats cost me watching any warm up pitches. My dad wasn't even a baseball fan but he insisted on coming. And I wasn't happy about it. What a jerk. Not him, me. I took what was a memory of a lifetime and made it all about me. I never thought of the pain and struggle my dad had to go through just to go see a ball game with his son. My poor step-mom must have bit her tongue 50 times to stop from telling off this 27-year-old punk whining about how inconvenient this was all becoming. We never attended a sporting event again and he passed away several years later.
Can you tell I regret how I acted? Maybe that has put things like All-Star games in a different light for me. When they get put in perspective to what should really be important it's hard to ever look at them the same.

If you can relate to this and want to share a comment, please feel free to do so. It doesn't require you to fill out anything and can be done anonymously. I do hope this story helps save you from one day making a similar mistake. One thing my dad told me was "learn from the mistakes of others because you don't have time to make them all yourself.'

Here, just take it...

Ever felt like that with something that has caused you stress? As some of you might know, my wife and I are trying to sell a house. We purchased our first house in 2004 about 2 miles from Mandarin Christian School. Around that time we found out we were expecting our third child and my mother (a widow) had moved in with us. This house was now way too small. Then, we learned of something called a "pre-payment penalty." Hey thanks mortgage company. Ouch. So we had to rent it out until that time elapsed. Well the renter moved out and the time to sell is here.

So now we are trying desperately to sell it at a time when there are enough empty homes out there for everyone to own two each. Did I happen to mention that we are paying two mortgages for 5 months? "Savings" account...nice knowing you.
I will be the first to admit that I am not overlooking the fact that I am blessed beyond what I deserve. Who am I to complain when some people are homeless? Or don't have a job to pay a mortgage. All true. Which is another reason I am trying not to stress. We have made it this far by allowing God to fill the needs. And now I think God might be telling us to lower our asking price and just get rid of it. Gulp...here, just take it.

Vacation...Disney style...

My family and I are on vacation right now. My family is sound asleep in their beds in a Disney Resort while I peck away at the keys. One of my two youngest should be the first to stir here in a few minutes as our day is about to begin. At the conclusion, this will mark the longest vacation I have ever taken as an adult (6 days).

On day one, we hung around the resort. Day two was the Magic Kingdom and yesterday was Epcot. Today, we mercifully hope to just hang around the resort pool all day because we are just plain worn out. The goal was to "sleep in" today but a fluke 6:30am wake up noise started my day a little earlier than expected. So I decided to write.

It's a trip like this that become memories for a lifetime. The photos we cherish and the stories we will relay to loved ones the rest of our days. I can't tell you how many times my wife and I these last few days have referenced past trips to these spots. And we hope to create special times for each of our kids that they too will be able to relay to their own kids.

No, these memories can't compare to a birth or a baptism or a wedding. Or even an unexpected special moment shared on a trip to school between you and your child. But these are special memories that we will always store under "summer family vacations." For the kids especially, we are just hoping that this trip is stored under the sub-heading of "special" and not "horrible". I don't know about you but I can think of more than a few in my childhood that fell under that latter heading!

Animal Kingdom and maybe a waterpark await us the rest of the week. And maybe tomorrow, I will get another opportunity to "sleep in." If not, I am still having a blast spending time with my family and making memories of a lifetime.

Preaching update...

For those of you who might be wondering how last Sunday went during my first time preaching a sermon, it was awesome. Now, I can only speak for myself obviously, so I have no idea if the crowd really liked it. There were 40 in attendance and my family and friends came as well. Thanks for the support from my beautiful bride Kellea, mom, Katie, Stan, Matt and those who were unable to attend. I felt the Holy Spirit keep my calm and I felt comfortable with the material so God blessed my first experience.
One small note: When my parents had me, my grandfather was not too thrilled. He basically said, they needed a fourth child like they needed another hole in the head. My grandmother reassured my mom by saying, "Oh, don't listen to him, this child is going to grow up to be a preacher." As far fetched as that has sounded all my life and even if it's the only one I ever lead, for one day at least, my grandmother was right...

Perfection or bust...Father's Day edition

I can't tell you how thrilled I am to be a dad. When I came home last night from our Adult Basketball League games, I went in to look at each of them sound asleep in their beds. With out fail, every time I look at them asleep in their bed, I feel that same deep love for them as I did the day I first held them in my arms. Precious is the only word I can use to describe them. I can't think of any thing else I would rather do than to hold them and spend time loving them with all my being. I also tell myself that I need to see them everyday in that same light and with that same mindset. That child who becomes a little monster sometimes is still that same PRECIOUS being I was watching sleep. Yet I tend to deal with her as if she was an entirely different person. But it's not. (I must include that this same point holds true with our spouse. That same picture of grace and beauty that stood beside you on your wedding day, should be loved and cherished the same way today.) And I must continually remind myself to strive for loving and raising them like I am commanded. And before I or anyone else tries to chalk failure up to "life" or being "realistic", I must point out that is not acceptable. For some of you, I hope this next example is all you need to read to get my point. Until I am up in Heaven, I will never be as perfect as Jesus but that in no way let’s me off the hook for trying. Does it?

(If you wish to read the continuation of this, part 2 is below)

Part 2...Perfection or bust...Father's Day edition

Like the saying goes, if you aren't getting better, you are getting worse. And who loses when we get worse? Our kids do. How fair is that? If that were the case, each parent should be forced to look at their child in the face and say, "You know I could be a better parent, but that's life. It's not realistic for you to expect me to be a perfect parent. I only have so much time/energy I am willing to commit to parenting, the rest I need for myself." Yikes. Which to me says I must always strive to be a perfect parent. No, that doesn't mean I will ever make it and no it doesn't mean I have to beat my self up all the time for not being perfect. But if that is my reason for NOT trying, we should be ashamed of ourselves. Notice how those statements work? "I will never be a perfect parent. I am not going to take that view because I don't want to beat myself up over failing." One word. Selfish.

Ok, try this on for size. "Mom, I am not going to try to be the son/daughter you are trying to make me because I will never be that perfect." Would you accept that from your 6 year old? Why can you say it to him/her? Obviously we don't actually SAY those very words, but our actions do.
Now some of you may be asking, who is this guy and how does he know that others parent like this? Well, I make no bones about the fact I too often settle and don’t strive to be the best parent I can be. But I don’t give up the goal of being that perfect dad. I fall off but I at least get back up on that horse. Some were never on it and some have no desire to try again. And how do I know this? I see it and I hear it. In my dealings with coaches and parents in youth sports, I see first hand the parenting that goes on. I hear conversations in the hall and in the stands and on the sidelines. And all too often they are parents "settling" because that's just life. "I am sorry Timmy, it's not realistic for you to expect me ________. I have life to do. My job, golf, Desperate Housewives, 24, college football, yard work, surfing the web, talking on the phone, rolling my hair, reading my magazine are more important right now. Maybe later."

Do all those things have a place in our lives? Of course. Some more than others. But if those same life things begin to continually prevent you from doing even the most basic of parenting tasks; it becomes easy to see why we would feel it is impossible to "perfect."

If you are raising your child in a Christian home, let me pose this question. Is it your job to make your child the best basketball player or violinist or to raise them to be strong Christian men and women? Do your actions and activities show that to them?

If you don’t miss a day taking them to gymnastics but find it easy to skip church…

If you teach them in great detail how to throw a curve ball but never how to study the bible or pray…

If you sit and read the paper every day but they never see you open your bible…

If this is you, what can you realistically hope to produce? I’ll tell you. A gymnast who thinks of church as secondary to life… A pitcher who will one day be too uncomfortable around the bible to even teach his own kids about the Word…Someone who is up on world events but only opens the bible when trials hit close to home. Because that is the life they were shown.

If this applies to you, it’s not too late to make a change. Need help along the way? The bible is the great direction book for the world. Show your kids the importance of opening it, using it and living by it. Abandon life for a Godly life. And never stop striving.

Camden County Here I Come

I can't really explain it any other way other than to say the Holy Spirit is working within me. You see, this Sunday I am preaching my first sermon. At least in front of adults anyway. I wrote a while back in my blog about how I felt when I put my name in the hat to be used where and when needed to preach at the Camden County campus of Christ's Church. Now the day is getting closer and I can't explain how excited I am. As I was preparing my sermon notes last night, I just couldn't get enough of it. I hated crawling into bed because I wanted to keep at it.

There is also little doubt that God's hand played a part in the topic of the sermon series we are in this Sunday. It's titled Man-up and it deals with being the kind of man God has designed us to be. We look at it from 4 different view points and the first deals with our role as husbands. This is something dear to my heart because my wife and I have attended our share of marriage seminars and I have a deep desire to be the husband He wants me to be. Regrettably, I fall very short. A lot. But I keep plugging away and pray that God will continue to refine me until I at least resemble the man in Ephesians 5.

I pray that God's words will be my words this Sunday. I also covet your prayers for a safe journey.

PS. Please feel free to post a comment. I explain the ease of doing so in the previous blog. Thanks!

Please comment to my blogs if you'd like...

I have set up the blog to allow for comments to be added by anyone regardless if you are a "user" of the site. It's easy actually. Just click on the comment icon at the end of the blog and it pops up what you need to add a comment. It even allows you to post it anonymously. Of course I will have to approve the comments before they are listed but I promise to post even negative comments as long as they are not "nasty" in nature. I will not spread hate for the sake of freedom of speech or "accountability" as some like call their flaming (posts that are deliberately hostile and insulting) messages.

Here is a question for you to think about or even post a response to. How is God using you in your present situation for His purpose? Now, this could include your job, housing situation or even a small group you are involved with. Really dislike the people you work with? Is God putting some people in your path to witness to? How about that new small group you joined last month? Is that annoying know-it-all guy just sucking the life out of the group? Is it just easier to bail and let the next unsuspecting group have to deal with him or has God placed YOU there to deal with him? Like our Senior Pastor Dennis Bratton told us a while back, "don't just look at a situation and say you will pray for them. Ask yourself how YOU can be used in that situation." Maybe God keeps putting difficult people in your path for a reason...

Computer-side chat...

I heard an interesting thought on the radio the other day. The topic was how the Jewish people should know they are a blessed people simply by the fact they are still around today...they have long been a hated people and numerous attempts to wipe them out entirely. Yet, when was the last time you heard someone say they were a Roman or Persian?

I'd like to request your prayers for a few people that I am close to. My Aunt Pat has what is thought to be Pancreatic cancer. Right now she is in a lot of pain and she is scheduled for surgery on Friday. Last night the pain apparently got pretty bad and my mom is not handling seeing her baby sister suffer like this. So if you will, please lift up my Aunt, my mother and all their friends and relatives that are burdened with this situation.

Secondly, please pray for my little brother off at Boot Camp. As a Green Beret, he has many long months of training ahead before he might even see foreign soil. By then the country could have a whole new direction which doesn't make me feel any better.

Lastly, I ask for your prayers for our upcoming Adult Basketball League. There is such a need for our members to understand the purpose of the Sports Ministry and build their teams based on helping the lost not their winning percentage. These captains who have build relationships through sports but still can't force themselves to invite them to church...they need prayer and encouragement. Like most people in church, the lost need to be personally invited. I don't want to see one more season go by where opportunities and possibly souls are lost.

War now has a whole new meaning...

A very dear friend of mine is leaving on Thursday to begin his time in the Special Forces branch of the Army (also known as Green Berets). Actually, he is more like a brother to me on so many levels. You see, I met him when he was 13 and now 10 years later, he has become a man who is leaving to do something he feels called to do. Whether being a friend, a parent or a big brother, I am supposed to support him and help him any way I can. What’s hard for me is typically if he was in need, I was just a few miles away to help. Not anymore…not anymore.

I saw a “Success Story” on Channel 12 News about 11 years ago that showcased a “Big” and his “Little” as they are called in Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Jax. They concluded with a “if you too would like to become a ‘Big’ just give this number a call.” I was in no way ready to take on the commitment of feeding into a young person. But I had to. It was just right and despite people telling me I couldn’t give him the time and guidance he needed, I pressed on. Thank the Lord, I did.

From a skinny little buzz-cut skater kid at 13, he is now a 6-4, 195 pound of a man who towers above me and has since about the 9^th grade. I couldn’t have selected a better fit if I was at Build-A-Bear in the mall. After a few years it became evident that besides the height of this kid, he all but HAD to be related to me. Hoops, Seminoles, skateboarding, baseball cards, music, food, movies…we liked them all. Now of course, he has gotten all weird on me and likes salads…black sheep.

All my family and friends love him. He is one of the family. He is my little brother. As the youngest of four boys with the closest being 9 years older than me, I never had a younger brother until him. He helped me grow in ways I never would have otherwise. In almost everything I’ve done, he was a part of it. When I taught summer basketball camps, he was either in them or teaching with me. At the YMCA, I hired him and certified him as a lifeguard. I taught him how to referee basketball games and he and I single handily officiated every game together in a small church men’s league in Green Cove.

We played on the same basketball teams when I still played and I had the honor of throwing him his 1^st alley-op dunk in a real game. Got that one on tape. He has volunteered for me in our church leagues and is one of my most solid and flexible referees. When things got rough, I always knew I could count on him no matter how many hours or how tired it would make him.

All these things are what make this Thursday morning so tough. (pause, as I wipe away the tears). He will learn to depend on a whole new set of people and will be the best soldier anyone could ask for. Because of his job, he won’t be stationed behind some desk here in the states. I could only wish he was.

I’ve had other relatives and friends serve in the forces and many have spent time in the Middle East. But this one hits a little closer to home for me. You see, this is my little brother we are talking about. And all I can do now is pray for him everyday.

ugh...no,double ugh..

On Wednesday morning about 3am, my wife and I came down with the same nasty bug as our three kids and my mom who lives with us. During the next day, it became apparent to me that something else was wrong with me. Long story short, I eventually went to Solantic where they told me it wasn't what I had thought but they wanted me to go to the ER for further testing. I was in such pain that I decided the wait couldn't be worse than the pain. I checked in to Baptist South at 2:10. At 8:25 I was called back to actually be seen. Yes, 6 plus hours. All the employees were very polite and explained how swamped they were and were all very apologetic.

I got some fluids in me and some medicine and they sent me home about 10:00. Or so I believe. I can't remember most the rest but thankfully my wife was there. I should find out soon if it is kidney stones or something else. Kidney stones. Ummm. yeaaaa. From what I've heard, I would just as soon have a root canal. Ok, maybe not a root canal because I hear they hurt pretty bad as well. (I actually had a root canal when I was like 6). Major thanks to my brothers Pat Stuart and Mark Tyre who came and sat in the ER while I waited and to all the others who called to check on me. Please pray for my health and for my family who have to put up with me during illness and sicknesses. :-)

Splitting in a Church is usually bad, but not this time...

God's timing is awesome. I say that because time and again, He has proven it to be true. And I can see how when I am deeper into the Word, I can see God's direction so much easier. At those times, I can even look back and see how God had worked in the past but I never saw it. I was too blinded by everything else and quite frankly, during those times, I probably wasn't looking for God's direction to even see it.

I can see God's hand all over something taking place right now. A few months ago, my co-worker David Lawson suggested we split our sports ministry with one of us focused on youth and one on adult. Surprisingly, even to me, my initial reaction was to do it. At that time, I was up to my neck in youth Hoops and had likely just gotten chewed out by one of a handful of "passionate" parents. But quickly, I didn't feel that was God's direction. I wasn't in the right place in my life to make that decision. So we shelved it and I think David was disappointed. Yet, to his credit, he didn't push the issue. Thank you David.

Fast forward to our Sports Ministry Conference we attended several weeks ago. After our first set of sessions (which we attended separately) we met back up and both of us had the separation idea back on our hearts. And as we addressed the issues, it became clear, at least to me, that this was where God needed me to be both physically and spiritually to make this choice. Now, it's not a done deal, but I could see it taking place before summer is out. And for the last two weeks, I have been excited about what that change has in store for me and the sports ministry.

Basketball and Mr. "Fill-in the blank"

I love basketball. Especially play-offs. Not so much NBA, because too often that isn't real basketball to me. It gets so routine at times. Same two-man game on the right hand side of the court for 6 straight possessions just gets to be a bore. As a lifelong Celtic fan, I am not sure I am allowed to say I like the full-court game over the methodical half-court brand but I have to say I am leaning that way. The Suns would likely be my favorite team if I was a youth watching basketball on TV today. That Nash guy is legit and I am glad to see his hair isn't so long anymore. (Man, am I getting old...)

Here at Christ's Church, we have our own play-offs going on. And these are way better because I know the players. And I know their kids and their ups and downs over the past seasons. I know the teams that failed to win a game one season but are in the title game 2 seasons later. And more importantly, I know who some of the players are who are hurting. Not sore knees or arms, but hurting hearts. Not to say there aren’t tons of body aches but those will heal much quicker than the heart pains. After nine weeks of watching games, I can see those that are hurting before they even tell me. And I pray for them. And I want to help. I am no longer blind to the fact those hurting players also have hurting wives at home. And hurting kids. And for some even broken families.

You see, THAT is why I am supposed to be at the games. Not to keep stats. Not to make sure Mr. Smith doesn’t cuss out the refs. But to make relationships. To talk. To listen. To find out who needs a friend. And for those who don't know Christ, I am to reflect His image. I am to let that person see Christ in me. Man, I have a hard enough time keeping the games on track some weeks but I am suppose to be Christ's reflection too? Yup. And you know what? This task I have isn’t a one-man show. If you are a Christian in our league, you should be looking for those hurt people too. And talking to them. And praying for them. And bringing them here because they are lost, not because they have a sweet jumper.

I can only speak for myself when I tell you; I can’t see myself talking someone into a decision of faith. But you know what, I do believe, if we all tried to just do our part, it would happen. If “Mr. Hurting” feels God’s love from one of us in week 1 and from another in week 3 and again week after week, how can any true believer not think this person won’t want to know more? Now that I can see being a part of. That I WANT to be a part of. Will you help me?

On the same team

As some of you may know, David and I are up here at Ridgecrest in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. We are attending a Sports Ministry Summit with other churches across the country. As much as I have grown to dislike being away from my family, David and I needed this trip, more than I think even we realized. We are among 250 or so Sports Ministers/Directors, activity leaders, recreational directors, organizers, etc. There are people here from as far away as California and some here from Egypt! Some churches have less than 100 members and there are churches like Christ's Church of the Valley that have well over 10,000 each Sunday. We have all come to share ideas and to grow our Ministries in a way we can't do on our own.

After talking to only 4 or 5 people, it became evident that God sent us here for an unexpected reason. And as much as we sometimes think we know what He has in store for us, as usual, I really couldn't grasp it. God showed us how amazingly blessed we truly are at Christ's Church. We have so many resources at our fingertips and sometimes God show us by putting people in our paths that do not. For me, the best part has been seeing others facing similar problems and being able to trade ideas. We are all striving for the same goal...to make sports a way to lead people to Christ.

I was blown away when the very first presenter I sat in with talked about making our coaches’ disciple makers. Basically he was talking about how he had to come up with a way to make his coaches more involved with the spiritual growth of the kids and less focused on winning. This is the exact same bridge I crossed last year which led to the Certified Coaches training. He outlined his whole process and where they stood now and I was reenergized. We had broken our process down a layer “deeper” than his by actively recruiting those who had no coaching experience. By being three years into his new training process, he had things to share with me about what might be coming my way as we approach the three year mark. I now had a person to contact along the way who could keep me updated on what our Certified Coaches program might encounter. I was honored when he took several aspects we use that he doesn’t and asked if he could use them! Absolutely. And afterward there were people who came up to me and asked if I would send them our Certified Coaches program and of course I said “yes.” That is what this conference is all about. Encouraging one another and exchanging ideas to better this awesome ministry we are in.

Sacrifice with a price...

Today, I had the pleasure of visiting with a parent who has two children involved with sports here at CC. Regrettably the visit wasn't under the most ideal circumstances; you see this visit happened in the waiting room at Baptist Hospital downtown. Her son was going in for surgery to repair her son's jaw that had been broken in three places. He had metal plates put in under the skin and will soon have his jaw wired shut for 6 weeks. He didn't get in a car accident or fall off his skateboard. No, you see he was beaten up by several guys because he was trying to protect his friend from being beaten up.
What a situation to be in huh? This young man took a far worse beating then than the guy he was trying to protect. What would you do?

Psalm 82:3-4 says this:
³“Give justice to the poor and the orphan;
uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.
⁴ Rescue the poor and helpless;
deliver them from the grasp of evil people."

Ultimately, this can be learning tool for a lot of people. Maybe the one who was spared the beating will learn about love and sacrificing for someone else. For those who did the kicking and punching, they might also see what sacrificing for another looks like. The funny thing is, the one laying in a hospital bed today likely stepped in because of his faith. A faith that taught him about another man who stepped in to take a beating for the actions of others. The metal that man received did not go into his jaw however but into his hands and feet.

God's work

Several months ago, our newest satellite campus, Camden County, asked if they could have live preaching instead of the recorded DVD they use now. I, along with 4 others, volunteered to fill those openings. I typed up the email telling them my dates of availability and then I let it sit on my desktop. And then I prayed. And I prayed some more. And I left the email there for the rest of the day. And over the course of the day, every time I closed a computer window and saw the email sitting there, I prayed again. The same anxiousness I had when I first typed those dates had all but disappeared. I was comforted in knowing that God was in control and if this is what He wanted, I would do it.

The same thing holds true when I did my first baptism. I remember standing beside the young lady at the top of stairs that lead into the water and I was very calm. As the time approached for us to enter the water, I began to worry about making a mistake. At that moment, I started shaking. So much so that I imagine the young lady could see it! Then I began to pray and the Holy Spirit told me I was doing God's work. And then I was calm. And then I began focusing on making another mistake and I started to shake again. And I prayed and it went away. I can see now that the Holy Spirit was telling me that if I focus on doing HIS work, He will help me but when I start focusing on ME, I was on my own. How simple can it get? Is that not exactly what we are told through out the Bible?

For those of you up to the challange, this week let's try to focus on letting God work THROUGH us. It might be as simple as an invite or a kind word and that alone could be critical in that person’s life. We all likely had more than one person help lead us to Christ. EVERYTHING we do is a rung in that ladder for the unsaved. This week, don't be scared to be a rung for a lost soul. After all this is God's work we are doing.

My First March Madness

No, I am not talking about the one currently taking place. The one I am talking about happened in 1982. Actually, it wasn't even the tournament, just the title game. Georgetown vs. North Carolina. It was the first one for me and likely the first college GAME I ever watched. None of my parents or older brothers watched basketball so at 10 years old, it was completely foreign to me. You see, my parents got divorced that year and it was just me and my mom in a little trailer that night. I don't think we had been in the trailer longer than a week and I was as lost as I can ever remember. My life had always been two parents and three older brothers and never a lonely moment. Never. My dad moved to Boston and my brothers scattered. Our little family would never be the same and my brothers and I have never really reconnected.
So then I find myself sitting alone in our teeny living room while my mom was in her room rolling her hair for work the next day. I turned the TV on and there was the game. I had NO idea who anyone was or even who the teams were. I decided to root for the Georgetown Hoyas likely because their mascot was a dog. Pretty deep huh?
I can actually remember cheering them on and not really knowing what I was cheering for. "They lead in turnovers. Yea! That's good right?" I was crushed by the horrible ending and my sports obsession began. I guess that game was just the distraction that 10-year-old little boy needed to forget his pain at least for a few hours. (I shudder to think what today's youth in that situation lose themselves in when they turn on the TV or Internet).
No, this blog wasn't to tell you where my sporting life started. More to just reflect on the significance this game has for me this time around. How ironic is it that as I watch the game tomorrow, I will be rooting for the Tar Heels? And by my side will likely be my wife and three kids...

And they're off!

Salvation. There, I did it. I achieved something I never thought I would be able to do. I made the first word of my blogging life about something REALLY important to me. Five years ago, I might have typed the words "Red Sox" and then rambled on forever about who knows what. But not now. Not today. Not after I have seen and felt the power of God’s grace in my life. For those of you who knew me before I found my savior, I am sure you are skeptical. I know all too well how your most vivid memories of me are probably of me dropping four letter words at cheerleading moms just to make them mad.

Yea…I remember that guy all too well. That memory helped me understand the level of God’s love just a little better. I mean, how could God have love for a guy “like that?” That is probably why God planted that memory in my head in the first place. And maybe even in yours.