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.