ears to the earth

what am i doing?

2010-06-19T08:23:00.003-05:00

if you enjoy reading, i highly recommend this book, "stones into schools" by greg mortenson. it is the follow up to his highly praised "three cups of tea". mortenson grew up the son of missionaries living in kenya and now his life is producing much fruit in the dangerous regions of afghanistan and pakistan building schools and bridges to peace. he makes me ask the question of myself, what am i doing? this question gets ramped up after reading the book, "radical" by david platt which i will post about very soon. i don't know how much time i have in this life but as i approach my 55th birthday in a couple of months i realize i am not so young anymore but i do not see quitting as an option. actually, i find myself desiring to do something significant with the remainder. i do not need success as that is viewed in the world just significant efforts. another recently read book, "halftime" by bob buford gives some practical advice on what that looks like. like the song says, "i still haven't found what i'm looking for" but i am working on finding it.

moment of compassion

2009-10-28T09:43:00.001-05:00

Catalyst 2009 Compassion Moment from Catalyst on Vimeo.

while i was not at catalyst this year, this moment at the event is transforming.

communication breakdown

2009-05-20T11:58:00.003-05:00

tonight our journey team focuses in on our prayer life. we are utilizing the nooma video 019 "open" which centers on prayer. my prayer life is need of help and i wonder if others in our group might have the same affliction. sometimes my prayer time is full of life and sometimes it feels dead. sometimes i have those thoughts that God has enough on His plate and my stuff does not matter. that's foolish thinking. how do i know what is on God's plate and how much He can handle? the problem with me is that i have that "conditional love" thing going on in my head. i don't stop to think about how "unconditional love" works. no matter how distant i might feel from Him, that distance is on me - not Him. He is constant - i am inconsistent. that is why i need this message - i need the input of others and the way they pray. after all, this is our communication with God - that's big!

oh, wow!

2009-05-14T09:19:00.004-05:00

our daughter jessica and grandson jay came to visit last weekend for mother's day. one afternoon after jay went down for a nap the girls went out shopping (imagine that!) and i stayed home with jay. he woke up not feeling well and just cried for his momma but momma wasn't home. so i walked around with him in my arms trying to substitute something for his need for his momma. nothing seemed to change things as he continued to cry. but as we were walking by a wreath on the front door, jay spots an artificial butterfly and all of a sudden without a hint of tears he exclaims "oh, wow!" and he is amazed at the beautiful butterfly. it has taken all of his focus from wanting his momma to sheer beauty. i think that is why Jesus says we must be like little children - to be able to find the beauty of God when all of our focus is on ourselves. oh, wow! - how i love the way this little guy teaches me new things. last night at journey team we talked about the ways we see God in our everyday lives. mostly we see Him through the nature that only He can create - the birds that sing, the flowers that bloom, the beauty of sunrise and sunset. some see Him through the melody of our favorite songs. i think those ways are our opportunity to become childlike and marvel at His creation. the deal is that we don't stop enough to smell His roses - to feel the wind upon our face. "be still and know that I am God", psalm 46:10.

education

2009-05-11T10:17:00.003-05:00

i was a disaster as a student. from early childhood i was a rebellious, mischievous punk that disrupted classrooms making a general pita of myself. i could not see the reason for education. later in life i was diagnosed with add, adhd and dyslexia which are now treatable. i have been married to an educator for twenty five years and now have a profound understanding of how education shapes your life. therefore, i have added my name to the one campaign petition "the big read" aimed at helping all children with basic literacy. i hope you will watch the video and join the campaign.

a must read book

2009-04-27T10:29:00.004-05:00

i was looking for a new book the other day when i stumbled on to one i can not put down. this is a true story and i don't want to give any of it away except to say - read this!! this is God's work in an extraordinary way. a little embarrased to admit but i was so overcome with emotion last night in the latter part of the book that i had to stop reading. i thank God i found this book. to learn more about this incredible adventure, here is a link to the website: http://www.samekindofdifferentasme.com/

the ravine

2009-04-27T10:09:00.011-05:00

just a block from the guesthouse is an area of port-au-prince known as the ravine. houses are stacked upon each other covering the mountainside as far as you can see. in the last photos you see the drainage ditch with pigs and goats scavenging for food.

meeting edwide

2009-04-27T08:51:00.020-05:00

on thursday morning i was picked up to go to meet our compassion sponsored child, edwide (pronounced similarly to edward and rhymes with squid). in the photo right to left are edwide's mom, edwide, the director of the compassion project in the area where edwide lives, and a friend of edwide's mom. they had made a ten hour drive from the northern part of haiti to port-au-prince on wednesday.

this is jeannot, our compassion field office interpreter. jeannot is also an assistant pastor at his fathers church. i promised jeannot that one day he will look out at the people of his church and see me sitting in the pews. maybe this summer.

deborah and i went shopping for edwide before the trip. since deb is an educator, we decided to send school supplies and coloring books along with a pink backpack. edwide was wearing a beautiful pink dress and the backpack matched perfectly! at first the meeting was very awkward as i thought it would be - this little girl is only seven and probably had never seen a white person before. but after the backpack was given to her i began to take some photos that i would then spin the camera around and show to her and the group. well that broke the ice and it was now smiles, giggles and laughter.

she did not want to take the backpack off! we had some lunch and then a tearful "bonswa" (goodbye/good afternoon) but not a goodbye - just an "until next time".

seeing your compassion child smile - priceless!

wednesday with the lashbrooks

2009-04-27T08:11:00.008-05:00

keith and cindy lashbrook have been serving the children in the port-de-paix area which is on the north coast of haiti. they are pictured here with their adopted two and a half year old daughter, sabrina. the lashbrooks have been in haiti over twelve years and have built a boys home, orphanage, school and church. their story is so amazing as they came to haiti with no particualar mission focus or training and no funding. they picked me up from the guesthouse and showed me around parts of port-au-prince. i really came to love and admire the lashbrooks. my next trip will take me to see their ministry on the north coast. for more information on their ministries, here is the link; http://www.lfmintl.com/

this is the caribbean super market in port-au-prince. you go inside and it is like you have stepped back in to america.

they even had bubba burgers - what's up with that?

but then you go back outside and you are immersed in the poverty again - strange paradox.

driving in port-au-prince

2009-04-27T08:02:00.004-05:00

driving in port-au-prince can go from this kind of road -

- to this kind instantaneously.

the view from the roof

2009-04-27T07:46:00.008-05:00

this is the rooftop patio of the guesthouse - a fabulous place to hang out. the views of that part of port-au-prince were interesting. we were located in the southeastern part of the city of about two million people. looking northward you see a mountain range in the distance and thousands of rooftops. in the last photo there is construction next door.

the bensons and the guesthouse

2009-04-27T07:25:00.005-05:00

this is cathie and greg benson, field directors for csi - christian services international - and hosts at the csi guesthouse in port-au-prince. the bensons have been serving God in haiti for over twenty years and they were great hosts. for more information on csi: http://www.csiministries.org/index.shtml

this is a view from the rear of the guesthouse with the first floor kitchen and dining rooms, second floor with dormitory style rooms and the rooftop patio. the guesthouse will accomodate around thirty and the rooftop patio is the place for morning devotions and evening get togethers. the guesthouse in open air - no a/c with cold water showers but that was okay 'cause it was refreshing.

these two ladies ran the kitchen and fed us. great food!! and i would help out a little by drying dishes, pot, pans, and eating utensils. i really liked them. while my haitian creole was about as good as their american english, a good "merci" and "okay" between us meant a lot. i'll know more creole when i return next time.

fenel pierre

2009-04-27T06:51:00.003-05:00

this is fenel pierre from the compassion office in port-au-prince, haiti. if fenel had not been at the airport to pick me up after landing, i might still be lost there somewhere. i arrived in haiti on tuesday, april 14th with less than fifty u.s. dollars in my pocket and no complete address as to where i would be staying. the arrangements had been made through the compassion office and i did not print out the last correspondence. haiti immigration was not going to let me in without some sort of address and phone number - neither which i could offer. finally i found a printed-out email with the compassion port-au-prince office address and phone numbers and they let that suffice. as i was beginning to panic about my lack of information and money, there stood fenel pierre holding up a sheet of paper on which my name was written. i waved acknowledgement to fenel and as i approched he stuck out his right hand to shake but i put the biggest bearhug on him that caught him a bit off-guard. i was so glad to see him. he shuttled me to the csi guesthouse in pétionville, a sort of suburb in the southeastern part of port-au-prince. i owe so many thanks to fenel, who was a compassion-sponsored child growing up. i look forward to seeing him again soon.

priceless

2009-04-27T06:43:00.006-05:00

roundtrip airline tickets miami to port-au-prince - $380.
three nights/two meals per day guesthouse stay - $120.
meeting our compassion sponsored child, edwide - priceless!
yes, i made it to haiti and met with edwide and her mother. it has taken me a week or so to return and put my thoughts together. now i will tell the story for those who are interested.

invisible

2009-04-02T09:11:00.005-05:00

i was struck by an article in the augusta chronicle yesterday - an associated press story about a 72 year old woman found dead in her home 18 months after she died. this happened in a small community between columbia and charleston, south carolina. come on - 18 months and nobody cared or knew her enough to check on her? wow - how lonely could that have been? how did she slip through the cracks? one of the paragraphs stated that the authorities didn't think she attended church - you think? while i don't say that church is the answer to everything, it is a place for true community - true love for one another or it should be. church is where everyone should know your name - know if you are not there and care enough to go find out why you are missing. i feel so bad for her and the people that lived near her - near enough to look in on her every now and then. and her car sat in front of the house - never moved - for a year and a half and nobody noticed. so what does this have to do with you and me? do you/i know your/my neighbors? are we in touch with them enough for them to know if you/i died or they did? i think it is easy to just forget about the elderly. they don't mean so much any more do they? one of the hardest things ever is to visit an assisted living or nursing home. seeing people - really shells of people. but they are still people. the really scarry thing is that might be us one day - lonely people.
if you care to read this story, here is a link;
http://www.besternews.com/related/Yahoo!%20News:%20U.S.%20News/Reclusive%20woman%27s%20death%20sobers%20small%20SC%20community%20%20%20%20%20%20(AP)/?ref=national|MOUNTAIN-VIEW+CA+US

touch

2009-04-02T06:43:00.003-05:00

last night our journey team members laid hands on me in prayer as i prepare for the trip to haiti. it was a powerful and moving experience. i have been a part of laying on hands before but it had been a while. it kinda freaks some out but i think it is a great way to share God's love for others. i shared with the group last night how i had begun to feel some fear about the trip tuesday after being informed that the week i am in haiti, senatorial elections will be going on and that the city gets a bit rowdy. they cautioned me to be aware. some of that led to other fears and if i was doing the right thing. then yesterday i get an email from a close friend who has contacted some of his friends in haiti and they are going to meet me to show me their ministry and that stopped the fears. "strength will rise when we wait upon the Lord". thinking about last night i realized that God has laid His hand upon me and will not take it off. our j-team finished up the "crazy love" study series by francis chan. i think it brought out a lot in all of us. it makes me contemplate "what am i willing to give Him who gives me everything?" what is He worth to me? as chan ends the dvd study he shares the same hope that i have - that i will hear those words touching my soul,"well done".
can you imagine the incredible feeling with those words - well done. isn't that what we all so long for - someone to affirm us - to say well done. and to hear it from the One who gives us everything - i can only imagine.

bobo a go go

2009-04-01T09:59:00.005-05:00

while my path has me headed for haiti, i love seeing where God is leading other people. i produced this video for the church i attend called truenorth in north augusta,sc. bill and peggy bobo have been a part of tnc since it began 4 and a half years ago. this ia a great story that i hope you will watch. here is a link to the church; http://www.truenorthchurch.com/

little hope

2009-04-01T07:30:00.001-05:00

two little words with enormous impact - little hope. in this video you can see just how little hope there is in haiti. but notice it does not say "no" hope - just the word little. but just as a child is born little and grows to be bigger, hope will grow bigger with each day if we don't give up. tonight our journey team wraps up a five week study on francis chan's book "crazy love". in the ninth chapter he describes various people obsessed with a relentless God. people whose stories leave you mind-boggled. they put everything on the line for God every day. and now i am in the midst of the book "mountains beyond mountains" the story of dr. paul farmer and while this is not written with some christian or Christ-seeking message, it is the essence of what God put us on this earth to do - love one another. i am hearing so many hearts cry out for africa and it is so needed - but don't forget our neighbor to the south - right in our own backyard. haiti needs us now. haiti needs our attention, our hearts and our actions. if you read the book "mountains beyond mountains" you will see the incredible spirit of people waiting to bloom. they need this "little hope" to continue to grow bigger. they need more doctor paul farmers, jim kims, ophelia dahls, sarah marshs and so many others on the ground in haiti right now. i have never known the full weight of the two words - little hope - and i am seeking to bring just a grain of hope to a little girl that we sponsor in haiti through compassion international. in two weeks i make my first visit to hait to meet her. last night my wife and i bought a little girls backpack and various school supplies for me to carry to her. my hope is that through this little girls education we can partner with her and her family to help them elevate their hope level. that maybe one day she will have the opportunity to go to college and bring more hope to her island nation. one day, one child - this is where it starts.

fear

2009-03-30T09:52:00.003-05:00

in his inauguration speech in march of 1933, franklin d. roosevelt made bold statements to bring the country out of the depression.
"This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory". are we scared? do we fear the uncertainty of our time? what is the basis of fear?

dictionary.com defines fear;
–noun
1. a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.
when you feel fear, where do you turn or what do you do about it? face it head-on? how do you know if the fear is real or imagined? there is lots of fear right now but let us not shrink from it. now is the time to ask God for our guidance. now is the time to come together, face our fears, and place our trust in the only one who can deliver. are you afraid?

my top five

2009-03-29T16:49:00.009-05:00

several years ago i began to list the top five people that i would love to have coffee, lunch or dinner with. here is my top five right now:

first on my list is pastor rick warren. it was his book, "purpose driven life" that put in motion the change in my life. i was in a financial meltdown and saw an article in the local paper about pdl classes at a local church. i had not read a book in probably 30 years, but when i saw you read one chapter a day for forty days, i knew i could do it. it is the catalyst for my transformation. i also think he is the "billy graham" of our day. many of the churches of today got their start as a result of rick's pioneering. i hope to visit saddleback soon. thanks pastor rick!

my second pick is, in my opinion, the most creative genius in music today and thankfully his love for the lord makes his and the dc*b groups creations of even more important. his eccentricities have paved the way for others to be themselves and not what the religious system says they should be. dang, i would love to hang out in the barn with the group!! am i sounding like a stalker or groupie? thanks dc*b!

louie giglio - need i say more? my only regret - and not really a regret - is that i am not in my 20's instead of in my 50's. this guy, his wife shelley and the whole passion movement are off the chain and have affected lives of millions of youth around the world. and now they have started a church in atlanta - how hard must it be to get a ticket for that worship? they have chris tomlin, matt redman and so many others leading worship. they will take worship to a new level. thanks louie!

if you have read the incredible book, "three cups of tea" then you know who i am writing about. when you look up the criteria for the nobel peace prize, greg mortenson's picture should pop up. this guys story is totally amazing and continues today. if i could, i would drink yak butter tea with this dude! i am blown away at what he has done - build a bridge of peace to remote parts of the world. thanks greg!

i am reading the book "mountains beyond mountains - the quest of dr. paul farmer - a man who would cure the world. another person who should be up for a nobel peace prize. he should be prime minister or whatever the head of haiti is called. this guy has more love for the most unloved country in the western hemisphere. wow, what a passion. thanks dokte paul!

well there you have it my top five most influential people today. thanks for all of your incredible loves and passions and the affect you have had on my life.

extraordinary people

2009-03-28T11:20:00.010-05:00

in case you did not see it, abc news profiled greg mortenson as the "person of the week" last night. greg mortenson's story in the book "three cups of tea" is one of extraordinary courage, vision and love of people. he shows us how to build peace throughout the world. i have said before that he should have already been given a nobel peace prize for his life work in northern pakistan and afghanistan building schools especially for girls. we can learn a great deal from him. here is a link to the video from the abc news story on mortenson:
http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=7193877

thoughts on crazy love

2009-03-26T08:18:00.003-05:00

i haven't a clue how many or if any people read this blog. i really write to kinda put down some of my random thoughts without much regard if anyone is out there. so many times i have said to myself "who cares?". it doesn't matter. as our journey team heads into the last two chapters of francis chan's book "crazy love", i just want to reverberate what the book is doing to us. this is a book that will really challenge you to look inside yourself. ask yourself serious questions and then to put your money where your mouth is. it is not something that you probably haven't heard before, it is just the way chan speaks to you. i don't know why but he seems to ask the things i would imagine that all pastors want to ask but are afraid to. the one thing that continues to resonate in my heart is what am i willing to sacrifice for Him? what am i willing to give away to help others? time, money, possessions, love? chan paints a picture of christian "lukewarmness" and i find myself there. and that place can be a bit frightening 'cause i thought i was more in love with Him than that. but the real good thing is that where i might be now is not where i want to stay. therein lies the question - where is that and how do i get there? in chapter 8 chan asks you to pray this prayer, "God bring me closer to You during this trip, whatever it takes". chan uses the word "trip" but i think you can substitute whatever you want to fit what is going on in your life. this prayer was especially meaningful to me as i prepare to travel to haiti next month to meet with the young girl and her family that my wife and i sponsor through compassion international. i want God to continue to draw me closer to Him, do you?

a job that needs to be done

2009-03-26T06:25:00.006-05:00

this mornings reading in "our daily bread" caught my attention. a recent "dirty jobs" segment with mike rowe had mike inside one of the support towers of the mackinac bridge in northern michigan. mike says to one of the painters, "there's no glory in what you do". the painter replies, "no, but it's a job that must be done". the story is that while probably no one knows what the painter does, his work serves to protect the interior of the bridge support towers so they don't corrode thereby compromising the integrity of the bridge. so many things in our lives go on without our knowledge, without even being noticed, but they are vitally important. sometimes it might just be in a smile to the person handing you your breakfast at a local fast food joint or that you speak kindly to the checkout clerk at walmart. whatever it is, it is our opportunity to give to others what Christ gives to us - faith, hope and love. and that is a job that needs to be done.

mixed emotions

2009-03-24T11:42:00.011-05:00

it is scenes like this that bring such mixed emotions as i prepare to travel to haiti next month. most likely i will spend all of my time in the capital city of port-au-prince but the real poverty and devastation lie mainly north in the gonaives area.
last fall, four hurricanes battered the island and particularly this area with fierce winds, heavy rains, flooding and mudslides killing hundreds. the young girl that we support lives northwest of gonaives and i hardly have a clue what their living situation must be like. i hope to visit their home in my next trip. i have no presumptions as to what i can do but you don't know until you go.
what can i do and where do i start? what do you do when there appears to be no hope? i don't know the answers but you can't just do nothing. and maybe that is why my wife and i felt led to begin supporting this haitian child through compassion international in december 2007. so far, hope is hard to find in what i know about haiti and i am hoping that will change for me after this trip. my hope is that i can bring some hope to this family and together we can spread more hope in their community. my hope is to see what we can do to help their daily lives. possibly through this little girls education - she is six years old and just beginning to learn and have hope. maybe one day she will be able to go to college and come back to her community to bring more hope. that word hope is a big word and i am using it a bunch here. but hope and love are all we really have. and i think we must bring hope throughout the world one person at a time. i can not thank God enough - and don't - for the opportunity He presents me with. my hope is in Him.

dr. paul farmer

2009-03-20T13:08:00.002-05:00

i wrote in my last post about the book, "mountains beyond mountains" by tracy kidder that i am reading. the book is about dr. paul farmer and 60 minutes did a segment on him last spring. this is it and i hope you will watch it.

moving mountains

2009-03-20T08:51:00.006-05:00

i recently picked up the book, "mountains beyond mountains" at the urging of my new friend jill smith. this is the story of dr. paul farmer, a harvard school of medicine graduate and staff member who has dedicated his life to bring medical help to haiti and other areas of the world that are impoverished and often overlooked. this is one of the those books that tell the story of ordinary people doing extrodinary things much like greg mortenson and his work in northern pakistan and afghanistan and his book, "three cups of tea". these are people that inspire, teach and bring hope to the world. these are people that are just like you and me. the difference is they do where most don't. i am hoping that this trip to haiti in a few weeks will be my stepping off from the don'ts to the do's.
i booked my flights last night and i am getting ready. i am a little scared but that seems to subside moment by moment. if i trust in God, He will see me through.

haiti

2009-03-17T14:19:00.003-05:00

haiti is difficult to comprehend and i haven't even been there yet. all that will change the week after easter when i make my first overseas, short-term missions trip. if you have read rick warren's "purpose driven life", he encourages you to take on a missions experience and i am finally going for it. for over a year now, my wife and i have sponsored a young girl in haiti through compassion international and i have the desire to go visit her and her family. yesterday i received an email from compassion that the meeting date and time had been confirmed. i am going to haiti in just four weeks! if you don't know anything about haiti, it is no surprise. this little portion of an island shared with the dominican republic is pretty obscure. seems like not much attention is paid to it. you only hear about it when the government is in turmoil. but it is right here in our own backyard and i have not seen a place more in need this close to the united states. poverty and hopelessness seem to encompass it. i have been thinking, talking and praying about this and God has spoken. i think He is saying, "time to step up, chuck"! i am hoping to bring some words and photos to this blog that might open people to this little big need. people need hope and while i don't presume to be any savior, it is my hope that this is what God is calling me to. to maybe bring a glimmer of hope, first to this little girl, then her family and from there only God knows. i don't ask this very often, but pray for me, for our compassion child edwide and that the love and hope of our Lord Jesus Christ will shine through me.

ecostim

2009-03-13T07:30:00.003-05:00

as i am writing this morning i can not quit thinking about the term, "economic stimulus". do you find it a bit scary that in this time of huge deficit, the way out is to spend more money. more of yours and mine. so they want to spend more in bailouts (from where?) but give me a tax credit so that i can spend more - how does that work? you have people who need to pay off debt but they want you to do more shopping. i understand the ripple effect of business layoffs, shutdowns, followed by home foreclosures and dwindling city tax bases thereby causing less services and more layoffs and.... i get the picture. but why do i/we have to bail out companies that made bad loans or decisions? i don't want anyone to lose their home, but we need a reality check here before going forward and one of those might include smacking the crap out of some of these fat cats who have made these bad decisions and get to keep their jobs and bonuses and pensions while others lose everything. john boy and billy, have a nice day.

simple statements

2009-03-13T06:44:00.010-05:00

in second corinthians chapter one verse 10b, paul makes this statement, "on Him we have set our hope". a simple statement but it stopped me in my morning readings today. in whom do i/you/we put our hope? i would say many are putting their hope in our new president. and while i hope that president obama is doing the right things, my hope is in God. my hope is that we will all, as the p.o.d. song says, "sing a new song". in this part of the first chapter of second corinthians, paul is telling those who will listen that God is our comforter. i know personally through my financial mismanagement - tens of thousands of dollars in credit card debt - a few years ago that the first thing that God gave me was a peace about things so that i could see the big picture. he comforted me, even though i did not deserve it, and said that this can be fixed. before i allowed God control over the situation, i could not get past the anxieties of the mess i had made to even know what to do. but He washed a peace over me and while i did not hear Him audibly, i sensed that He was telling me to set my hope in Him for the trouble i was in was earthly and He has much greater things for me to focus on. i have told people that the peace He gave me put in to action my new life. the debt did not disappear, but i received a new perspective that allowed me to follow Him and i still do today. over a period of time, i erased the debt and do not carry a credit card to this day. i can not describe the overwhelming joy and weight lifted off me when i became credit card debt free. i could not have done it without Him leading the way. whatever you are faced with today in these uncertain economic times, set your hope in Him. it is free to all that seek Him and He will set you free. simple - set your hope on Him.

scared kinda i don't know if anyone reads this

2009-03-11T12:07:00.005-05:00

tonight is the second week our journey team has been in the "crazy love" study from the book by the same name by francis chan - that's him in the photo in case you were wondering who is that? i have really gotten in to the book, but tonight we hit chapter 4 titled "lukewarm" and it kinda scares me or maybe better put as making me uncomfortable. francis gets a bit in your face with some probing thoughts and questions. main question for me is a look inside myself and what is my temperature for God? it kinda scares me.... am i lukewarm? doesn't this incredible God deserve more than i am willing to give? i gotta look in the mirror and say truthfully, where am i in my relationship with God? is it just the stuff he gives me that measures my love for Him? what does it look like to be sold-out to Him?
i don't know if anyone reads this blog, but if you are reading this i encourage you to read this book. it will evoke inward thoughts and discussions about ourselves that we need to be asking. at the end of chapter 3 chan writes, "our love for Him always comes out of His love for us". so the real deal is do i really know and love God?

shack attack

2009-03-03T07:22:00.002-05:00

after hearing so many people talking about "the shack" by william young, i read it and really enjoyed it. several folks at our church have wanted to start a group discussion around the book so if you are reading this post and would like to participate in this group, either comment to this post with your email address and i will send out an email about time and location, or you can straightup email me at charlespyoung@me.com.

another bright light

2009-02-28T14:52:00.002-05:00

today is deborah's birthday and our daughter, jessica, and her 22 month old son, jay, came to visit from ohio for the weekend. while deb, jessica, and debs' mom went out for a day of pampering, jay and i went to fort discovery to have some fun. i had the best time just watching little jay say "hi" to all the kids - he is very social. he especially liked playing in the water area and getting soaked. what a joy! i hope deborah is having as great a birthday as i am.

things that brighten my life

2009-02-27T12:17:00.003-05:00

if i am going to gripe about television commercials that suck then i must give equal time to those that don't. if you watched the academy awards show last sunday night you might have seen this ad for truenorth snacks. it smoked anything i've seen in a long time! here is a company not trying to sell you on their product but to show people doing inspirational things and the 60 second "inspiration cafe" spot did that. to me, that is what image and branding is all about. i would rather support something that brings good things to life and truenorth snacks have shown me that their brand is far superior to any other. thank you truenorth snacks.

crazy love

2009-02-26T07:37:00.002-05:00

our journey team is beginning a five week look at the new francis chan book "crazy love". chan has produced a 10 week study dvd that we are going to condense into five weeks leading into the easter celebration. my take on the essence of the book is how do we receive this crazy love our Maker has for us and what do we do with it. it asks us to look at some real questions about our perception of God and our motivations for serving Him. i ask myself the question, "how much is in my love tank for God and what am i willing to do to really know that love"? what is my motivation for wanting to seek Him? am i looking to get something out of it only for myself? do i want some sort of credit for "following Jesus"? is there any sort of "what's in it for me" thought pattern. i think that when there are traces of self in it, it ain't gonna happen like you think. so i am asking this question of myself over and over, "what am i looking for"? i come back to the same answer. really all God asks of us is to love Him and to love one another. pretty simple don't you think? not really! what could be harder than learning to love someone or something you don't like? if we focused on just those two things all of our lives this world would be the place God created it to be. and don't we owe Him that? how much of a life would we have without Him? now there is a big "but" in all of this. i would, BUT, i don't/can't..... i can find many excuses why i don't follow Him. why i don't fully and completely give all of me to Him. some of it lies in my inability to really know Him. i have read some of the bible and i have read some books but i still ask the question, "how do i really love someone or something that i can not physically see, hear or touch"? i can make the statement, "i love Jesus" but do i really? and there is no reason to try to fake it or con yourself - He knows our hearts better than we do. so for me it's time to cut the crap and truly find some crazy love for Him! this is gonna be wild, hang on!

smile

2009-02-13T11:53:00.001-05:00

you just gotta watch this video. it will make you smile!

my valentine

2009-02-13T08:15:00.005-05:00

i shot this photo this morning of the roses i got for my valentine. when i saw these i knew i wanted them for her. they represent what she means to me - beauty and love. what i also got in this photo was God's glory in the rays of sunlight penetrating the morning sky. valentine's day is "officially" tomorrow. why do we have an official day designated for love? why don't we celebrate love everyday? i want to wake up in the mornings with immense feelings of love for my Savior but i would be lying if i said i did. usually i just struggle to get out of bed and into the kitchen to start the coffee maker. why is the coffee maker a stronger feeling of need in me than my Maker every morning? i am reading the book "the shack" by william young (no relation). it is an interesting look at our lives and loves in relation to God, our father, Christ, our Savior, and the Holy Spirit, our daily bread. if you have a history of church going at all, you have a knowledge of the Trinity but what does that mean to our daily life? what does my love for God look like in my daily life? why don't i just "get it"? i tell myself that this is a work in progress and we all have our own identity in Christ and life around us. we all have a different path with different desires. but as paul says in 1 corinthians 13 verse 7, "it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." those words from paul sum up so much. love is my valentine and it is beautiful.

love is...

2009-02-11T14:40:00.012-05:00

"love is patient, love is kind. it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. it is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." 1 corinthians 13:4-5. sharing is love and recently i have been following a story of love shared. it is a story of love that i am not familiar with but that has pierced my heart. this story is being told in a blog titled "i see love" written by jill smith who works with my wife. jill is pregnant with her fourth child, a daughter named lily. lily has been diagnosed with trisomy 18 sometimes known as edwards syndrome which has an extremely high mortality rate. to me the story is not about life or death, it is about love. i urge you to read the story of lily, here is a link to jill's blog: http://iseeloveblog.blogspot.com/

tell it like it is

2009-02-10T15:59:00.003-05:00

in a recent post i said i would comment on francis chan's "crazy love" after i finished. it is incredible! i highly recommend this book. i downloaded the audiobook off itunes and have been listening and at times, following along in the book. chan tells it like it is - sometimes a little in your face but definitely things we need to make us "uncomfortable". i have been pursuing the desire to do a short-term missions project and it is going to happen. not only did chan's message rev up my motivation but another God-thing popped up to where this missions project will have potential to touch many lives. God never ceases to amaze me. i just have to let go and let Him. please read this book, it will rock you!

you gotta be kidding me!

2009-02-06T08:42:00.002-05:00

beware of the obamaphobia. it is taking over the world. we are turning into obama groupies looking for the next orgy. don't get me wrong, i not only voted for obama, i believe he has the ability to really change our government and our standing in the world, but he is not the messiah. and watch out - we are fickle people and will be cutting his legs out from under him before long once he starts doing things we don't agree with. until then some stupid obamaphobia stuff is swirling all around us. a chia head barack obama? give me a break! i guess people will buy anything. we need to change to this new tagline, "keeping up with the obamas". i mean they have knock off clothing the obamas have worn. there are obama family look-a-likes springing up everywhere. people, get a grip!! the media is turning all of us into mush. every show is obama this and obama that but what we need is help to get our country going in a positive direction. there are people losing jobs, housing and hope. our schools systems are pretty much broke and our cities and communities will continue to spiral down economically as more and more people lose jobs. lets stop the clambake and get real. we need some major changes and we need them now. and they start with each and every one of us individually. are you ready for real change? america said they wanted it now lets step up to the plate. president obama can not do this by himself, we all have to pull together. this obama chia is just the type thing to start with - stop buying crap you don't need!

what is love?

2009-02-04T17:00:00.003-05:00

if you are as old as i am you probably remember the 1970 movie "love story" starring ryan o'neal and ali macgraw. a famous phrase arose to become one of the top 20 movie quotes of all-time, "love means never having to say you're sorry". a story of young love against parental wishes and ending in death of a loved one. while it sounded pretty cheesy back then, there is a certain reality to that phrase. unconditional love requires no apologies does it? when we makes mistakes, the love God gives forgives without hesitation, without explanation, without consideration - it just does. this thing called love is complicated yet simple. we humans probably make it more difficult than it is meant to be. what is love?

inside the lines

2009-02-03T15:36:00.004-05:00

i saw this video on espn's "outside the lines" and the message of it really says a lot. a very interesting point made by one of the inmates is how in the game of tennis - just as it is in life - you need to stay inside the lines - outside the lines is out.

crazy

2009-02-03T12:12:00.005-05:00

i am listening - yes listening - to the book, "crazy love" by francis chan. check it out on his website: http://www.crazylovebook.com/. francis chan is the pastor of cornerstone church in simi valley, california as well as a sought after speaker at many conferences. i downloaded this book off itunes so that i could listen to chan instead of reading to myself. i will post again when finished but i highly recommend this book in either written or audio form. it's crazy!

give me a break

2009-02-03T10:12:00.005-05:00

so the headlines in the sports world read that manny ramirez and his agent have turned down a one-year, 25 million dollar contract offer with the los angeles dodgers - what?! how much are these idiots going to offer players? when are the sports fans going to mutiny? in the financial times we are in, when will people wake up - sports fans in particular - and say, "we're just not that into you". i hope manny can't find another offer. i love sports but i am getting very weary of the prices demanded and paid to these self-centered egomaniacs. we are getting close to that famous phrase from the movie, "network", "i'm mad as hell and i'm not gonna take it anymore!!" give us a break!

bad rap

2009-02-03T08:16:00.003-05:00

i caught this done by 12stone church in atlanta
http://www.12stone.com/home/home.php

best commercial

2009-02-02T09:01:00.002-05:00

since i ragged on alltel mobile for their stupid advertisements, i have to share one of the best advertisers, etrade.com they have had some great ads but this one might be the best so far.

hangover

2009-02-02T08:37:00.003-05:00

are you kidding me? was that one of the best, if not the best, superbowls of all time? a one hundred yard interception return for a touchdown to end the half, springsteen at the half, and so many incredible second half plays. and i am leaving out jennifer hudson singing again after the tragedy in her life. wow!! i am hungover this morning. the arizona cardinals have to be feeling so empty to come so close and not win, but they showed why you should never give up. this game epitomized the meaning of hope. and it just seems like hope is all around us if we will just reach up and grab a hold of it. even when the chips are down. do you remember the catch that santonio holmes missed right before the game winning catch? one went right through his hands on the other side of the end zone one play before he caught "the big one". he forgot the one he missed so he could remember the one he caught. now that is hope - never give up.

steal this video

2009-01-29T09:35:00.001-05:00

i saw this on kem meyer's blog (http://www.kemmeyer.typepad.com/) and had to share it. very creative and fun!

Bubblicious from Rex The Dog on Vimeo.

what's going on?

2009-01-28T07:48:00.003-05:00

i read yesterday where a man in southern california under the stress of job loss and money issues shot and killed his wife, their five children and then himself. it haunts me. how low do things have to get that murder-suicide becomes an option. this morning while reading the daily devotional "my utmost for his highest" by oswald chambers, he refers to matthew 11:29; "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls". things must have been so dark and unbearable that this man could not even find his way to God for help - how tragic. in the midst of mounting and crippling credit card debt over five years ago did i find God through His Son Jesus Christ who reached out and said to me in matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest". i was in serious credit card debt and while the words of Jesus did not make the debt go away, they did provide an immediate peace that washed over me and gave me the ability to see things more clearly. i don't have the answers, He does though. i can honestly say that He has lead my life ever since. to this day i do not carry any credit cards, just a debit card so if there is no money there is no purchase. He has given me new eyes for the "wants and needs" in my life. i do not want for the things that i used to. i am more content with what i have - no more "keeping up with the jones". what others think of me is of no consequence, only what He thinks of me is important. this murder-suicide in california is not the first nor the last but it should be. we have got to help each other. now is the time to stand up and make a difference. what's going on with you? are you weary and in need of rest? take a moment and read matthew 11:28-30;
28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
now that is real peace

things that burn my ass vol. 1

2009-01-26T15:23:00.002-05:00

Burnin for you
Originally uploaded by aknacer

i guess i tend to be a bit critical but some things just down right burn me up. this may be a vent of mine but i am open to your opinion as well.
here i go - volume one;
alltel cellphone television ads - they are moronic, stupid and i wish i didn't have service with them. i can't figure out who or what team came up with such a lame campaign and bigger yet, who would buy this idiotic mishmash - stooopid!! i wonder what the casting director had to say to the people that came to try out for the parts.... we need four people, sorta like the three stooges except four. one nerdy, one fat and stupid and the other two just sorta there - be as dumb as you want. and this chad guy? what a dope! and don't even get me started on that "wizard" campaign. does alltel really think that makes people want to buy their products?
next time...hardee's

yesterday

2009-01-26T07:38:00.005-05:00

yesterday the augusta-based band, number 9, played at truenorth church to open a five week series titled, "all you need is love". it was a fabulous morning. i doubt the guys in the band have played many, if any, churches and doubt they have opened a set at 8:30am many times either - but they did. they were great and i think Jesus was diggin' it as were george and john too. i am thankful to be a part of a church that is open to this. while they did not sing the song "yesterday" yesterday, as i began writing this blog post today, the song took life in me. i had not really looked at the lyrics to this song that paul mccartney wrote in the mid-sixties but it intrigues me. look at the first two verses;
Yesterday,
All my troubles seemed so far away,
Now it looks as though they're here to stay,
Oh, I believe in yesterday.
Suddenly,
I'm not half the man I used to be,
There's a shadow hanging over me,
Oh, yesterday came suddenly.
this song has been regarded as the most covered song of all time. a song of love lost. yesterday is gone and today may be all we have. what did you have yesterday that you want today and tomorrow? what do you love? is it just yesterdays love?
Yesterday,
Love was such an easy game to play,
Now I need a place to hide away,
Oh, I believe in yesterday.
peace

Amazing Grace

2009-01-25T09:08:00.001-05:00

Amazing Grace,
originally uploaded by davebrosha.

grace is defined in several terms but the one i am focusing on is this one;
the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God.
how often do you get something that is freely given and unmerited? you don't except for the love of God. this morning i awakened around 5am and spent a little time with God in prayer and just conversation. it is through His grace that i am alive and through His grace i find my purpose. recently i have been seeking His plans for me instead of my plans. not an easy thing to do but something that i want to learn as much as i can about. how do i know His plan for me? how do i know that what i am doing is in His plans for me or not? i don't know that i ever really know His plans for me except that, i believe, if i continue to ask, seek & knock that He will give me the guidance i need. i miss the path quite a bit, but with His grace i am always shown the light to return. i don't know about you but this is what gets my motor running. i have seen His grace and it is amazing! and it is free and unmerited. wow, i am so unworthy but He loves me just the way i am. how does anyone live without Him? they don't

renegades

2009-01-24T08:27:00.003-05:00

no matter how hard you try, you can't stop us now! are you a renegade?
renegades are described as outlaws, traitors, or someone who rebels against a cause. if you you listen to the words from the song, "renegades of funk" performed by rage against the machine (http://www.ratm.com/) and written by afrika bambaataa you get the sense that renegades are not outlaws at all, they are people of substance with a clear vision. check out the lyrics to one of the verses of that song;
Now renegades are the people with their own philosophies
They change the course of history
Everyday people like you and me
We're the renegades, we're the people
With our own philosophies
We change the course of history
Everyday people like you and me
C'mon!
in the song renegades of funk, i am assuming, that afrika was testifying to this genre of music that he was creating. music that stirs the soul and makes you want to move. he also was pointing to the injustices of the world and he wanted to people to rise up and become renegades. when i hear the song i think also about Jesus. now He was and is a renegade. He came to change everything we thought we knew about His Father and our Father. instead of rituals and sacrificies, Christ came to set us free with the final sacrifice - Himself. He changed the course of history for everyday people like you and me.
when will we rise up as renegades against the injustices to the One who created us! when will we rebel against the ways of the world? the consumerism, slavery, addictions to things that destroy! when will we rise up to be the people we are created to be and change the course of history? there is an air of renewed optimism that we can rise up and be a better nation - one nation under God! the stakes are too high to back down. we can rise up and say, no matter how hard you try, you can't stop us now!

uncommon

2009-01-23T13:09:00.002-05:00

i just finished reading tony dungy's book "quiet strength" and it was one of the best books i have ever read. i have not ever read a book that i couldn't hardly wait to pick it up and resume reading like this book. as soon as i was finished, i took it straight to my pastor, steve davis. he is a sports guy as well as a man of God and while you think that the book is going to be just about football, it is mostly about his faith in Christ and his desire make his life count for His Kingdom. bigtime players make bigtime plays and tony dungy is bigtime!! i am looking forward to reading his new book, "un common". dungy is so inspiring yet so humble. well done coach, you are uncommon! also a special shoutout to nathan whitaker, the co-wtiter, who pursued dungy to do the book. thanks

lost

2009-01-23T08:38:00.002-05:00

the tv show "lost" began its fifth season on abc network last night. it is a maze to navigate as they swap places in time. the "oceanic six" are needed to return to "fantasy island" to save the others. it can be very confusing as john is in one scene under the plane in the trees and above it in another scene depicted as years later. this whole lost thing has been a part of my life even after fully committing my life to Christ over five years ago. i find myself lost in the question, what does God want me to do with my life? in that i miss the simple answer, love God and love one another. but how do i do that? how do i love this God that i do not physically see, hear or touch? i guess that is where faith takes over. i have the faith that He is always there no matter where i am. i have confidence that He will give me the directions when i am lost for in Him i am found. it may not be directions that i understand but if i keep asking, seeking, knocking on His door, He always answers. that trust in Him keeps me from the fear of being lost no matter the darkness that surrounds me.
but how do i love others? people that i do physically see, hear and touch? how do i love the unlovable? i guess it is that matthew 7:7 thing again, ask, seek. knock. if i continually take it to Him, He will show me how. forgiveness is a big part of this. forgiving myself and forgiving others. letting go of what i want and reaching out, grabbing a hold, and hanging on to what He wants. no easy deal, but who said life would be easy?
peace

remember me

2009-01-21T08:41:00.003-05:00

i have been reading tony dungy's book "quiet strength" and i found a few words i wanted to share. in chapter 11, defining success, dungy writes,"what will people remember us for? are other people's lives better because we lived? did we make a difference? did we use to the fullest the gifts and abilities God gave us? did we give our best effort, and did we do it for the right reasons? God's definition of success is really one of significance - the significant difference our lives can make in the lives of others. this significance doesn't show up in win-loss records, long resumes, or the trophies gathering dust on our mantels. it's found in the hearts and lives of those we've come across who are in some way better because of the way we lived." so well spoken - a true champion. thanks tony

make me smile

2009-01-21T08:24:00.004-05:00

i received a call this morning from my daughter jessica. i missed the call but returned it about forty minutes later. she had called because her son, our grandson, jay wanted to say hi to his grampy, "be be" as he calls me. man does that make me smile. the simple love of a child. the chicago song, "make me smile" opens with this verse,
"Children play in the park, they don't know
I'm alone in the dark, even though
Time and time again I see your face smiling inside."
children don't know the dark side of life. they know love, food and a good dry diaper. simple. and they know how to make you smile. thanks jay

let it snow

2009-01-20T12:36:00.003-05:00

it was not much but it was snow! barely a dusting but it was something that i enjoy watching and i even went for a walk in it this morning. i think snowflakes remind me of God - the white of purity and just as we are, no two snowflakes are alike. one of my most vivid memories is from the winter of '69-'70 while i was in military school on monteagle mountain in tennessee - i was awol from school in the middle of a heavy snowfall out in a field. the snow was coming down in large flakes, the field was covered and there was only the tinkling sound of the falling flakes - no other sound. it was a God moment and even though i did not realize it then, i have always remembered those moments. we are all like snowflakes - individuals with a common link and that is God. it is God who has created us and He should be our purpose. instead of saying "God bless america" let our cry be "america, bless God"! when will we sing a new song? - yep, p.o.d.
peace

free at last

2009-01-20T07:50:00.003-05:00

this morning i watched and listened to the "i have a dream" speech given by the late dr. martin luther king, jr in washington dc august of 1963. what an amazing dream. he saw america as whites and blacks together as "one nation under God". today is inauguration day for the forty fourth president barack obama and my prayer is that today is the dawning of a new america. a day in which we will finally stop labeling people as black or white for we are people of many colors, but mainly, we are people of God. the last few words of that speech have resonated greatly in my heart lately, "free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, we are free at last". man, what a dream!

coming out of the dark

2009-01-16T16:36:00.003-05:00

if you are reading this, you see how long it has been since i last posted. but as the allman brothers band sang in the song "wasted words"..."that was then, this is now. don't ask me to be mister clean 'cause baby i don't know how." that was then and then turned into darkness. now i feel like i am coming out of the dark. darkness can be lonely and difficult to understand. darkness is hard to navigate, hard to find your way out. it is hard to let people in when there is darkness surrounding you. darkness can be perception only with virtually no reality and darkness can be very real. so what do you do when darkness closes in? seek help? where? can you let go? as james taylor sings..."i've seen fire and i've seen rain. i've seen sunny days that i thought would never end. i've seen lonely times when i could not find a friend. but i always thought i'd see you... one more time again." who is you? your best friend, your spouse? God, Jesus Christ? if today was your last day on earth, who would you want to see just one more time again? peace

a day in awe

2006-08-20T21:29:00.000-05:00

i shouldn't be, but i am still so amazed at the continued growth of truenorth church. today was the second anniversary celebration at tnc. record numbers of people came and celebrated the love and grace of our redeemer Jesus Christ. i watched from the rear of the auditorium light booth as the people in the second service sang "how great is our God" with voices loud and hands upraised. it was awe inspiring! people just want to live out a life of praise for Him. it is our desire to glorify Him. awe inspiring.

supernova

2006-08-09T07:17:00.000-05:00

i think gary lamb got me watching rock star, supernova. at first i wasn't that engaged but as i have continued to watch i have taken quite an interest in it. first off the set is fabulous! cool lighting and set design. second, awesome band!! these guys rock major league! third, there are some incredible talents up there. dilana has got this thing won i think but things can change. i think this show turns some people off with all the tattooing and piercing but i find that we forget that God loves us all and that they might just take this talent and use it for His purposes. rock on God! peace

been tagged

2006-08-08T14:18:00.000-05:00

i have been tagged by the mad babbler gary lamb and so here it goes:

one book that changed your life: pastor rick's purpose driven life
one book that you've read more than once: same as above
one book that you would want on a desert island: the bible 'cause i just don't spend enough time in it - there would be no excuses there
one book that made you laugh: orbiting the giant hairball by gordon mackenzie
one book that made you cry: unlike the lambster, i do cry and it all started with my new life in Christ three years ago - but a chapter in donald miller's "through painted deserts" got to me - when they were stranded in the desert on the way to vegas.
one book you wished had been written: an idiot's guide to God back in the 70's
one book you wished had never been written: i don't know
one book you are currently reading: God's blogs by lanny donoho
one book you have been meaning to read: now, discover your strengths by marcus buckingham and donald clifton
i ain't figured out how to link blogs yet on this mac, but rest assured i will tag four more!
thanks gary!

dead or alive

2006-08-06T16:15:00.000-05:00

a couple people wondered if i was dead or alive 'cause i went over a week off the blog. thanks, it was nice to be missed.

outside the box

2006-08-06T15:52:00.000-05:00

i love that truenorth church is willing to try different things, sing new songs and think outside the box. we opened today with wanted: dead or alive and our "stainless" band rocked it! our house band "the kelvin bradley quintet" took the day off and the chris brown band from columbia, sc amazed us. these dudes are good!! real good! they are from midtown fellowship in columbia. if you are in their neighborhood, check 'em out. they did their self-penned song "absorb" and had us dancing, spinning and singing. our fearless leader was back from two weeks vacation and appeared in a cowboy suit. to paraphrase, "stevie-d, you are no john wayne"! sorry man, but you know, you think outside the box. i love that about tnc!
hey lcfo - you missed a big one! peace

crazy days

2006-08-05T13:44:00.000-05:00

i haven't been feeling on top of my game lately. maybe the intense heat, maybe the ugly conflict between israel and lebanon, or maybe i am just kinda winding down from several weeks of research and purchase of gear for the move to the gym next month. on top of all that comes one of the most distressing stories about a church crisis. in my hometown of nashville, tn, bellevue community church has fired their founding pastor, david foster. my sister serves on the bcc media tech team and she was stunned last sunday when she heard the news. as it has played out this week in the news media and blogsites, it appears that this gut wrenching situation has been escalating for over a year. no matter what the bottom line to this is, the church suffers. people are hurt, split in their feelings. i hope that anyone in ministry that might read this blog will look at this with eyes wide open. it can happen anywhere, anytime. it continues to bring up a fundamental call - are you looking inward or outward? it seems most, if not all, conflicts arise when we lose sight of the most famous five words: "it is not about you"! it is all about HIM! we must get over ourselves. we must keep focus on His direction and not ours. peace

small group, large time

2006-07-27T00:03:00.000-05:00

wednesday night is journey team time at our house. my wife and i facilitate one of the many small groups at tnc. tonight we began a north point series titled "go fish". with the impending move to the gym in a few weeks, we will have lots of room to grow. the growth of truenorth has always been through investing and inviting. andy stanley has such a marvelous way of describing how Jesus teaches us to be "fishers of men & women". it is intimidating to invest and invite. will i say the right things...? that's my problem. it isn't what i say. it is what He says through me. i want people to experience what i am a part of at truenorth. freedom. free to seek and serve God like never before. alive in worship with all honor and praise to Him. and the backbone of this church is in the small groups - journey teams. where we truly seek God's love and direction as a small community. you can get lost in a big church, but found in small groups. we are so blessed with an awesome group and several new people came tonight. i hope that we will be a blessing to them as they are a blessing to us. am i listening God?

blessed

2006-07-25T13:11:00.000-05:00

i was looking up the dictionary meanings of the word blessed. an adjective meaning worthy of worship; holy, held in veneration; revered. but the meaning that pertains to me is: bringing happiness, pleasure or contentment. i am blessed! i have never experienced pure joy until i began to serve God. since my new life with Christ began almost three years ago my life has soared to new heights. just when i think it couldn't get any better - bam! there He is! i have hit some pretty low, lows too. i find those come when my focus is on me and not on Him. when i bring my perspective back around, life takes on new meaning. i am so blessed!! i used to have trouble saying that, thinking it was a word reserved for saints or someone way more devoted to God than i was. but new life in Christ and being a part of the amazing growth of truenorth church has brought me to the realization that i am blessed. and the really cool thing is that being blessed is available to anyone!! and when i really think about it, why wouldn't i want to serve this amazing God that created us and all the beauty that we see and live in. and a God who thought enough of us to send His Son to live, teach and ultimately die for us. it seems like a no-brainer, but obviously humankind struggles with this concept as a whole. why? because we focus on us and not Him. misplaced perspectives. we are blessed, so let us be a blessing to Him. everyday. peace

frazzled

2006-07-23T13:34:00.000-05:00

i am spent. it has been one of the most emotional days for me in a while. our services this morning at tnc were phenomenal! walt(no steak sauce, please)tanner brought the message while stevie-d is on vacation. he did a great message on the great banquet parable from Luke 14:15-24. we are so blessed to have a deep bench. walt and kevin bradford(our worship leader) decided to do the message early in the service followed by 5 songs broken up into 3 music sets. several of us in the office were concerned but it went great! we sang and danced before the King! we gave Him all praise and glory! tears ran down my cheeks, but there isn't anything new about that. i don't apologize for my tears anymore 'cause that isn't me, that is the Holy Spirit! our band is so incredible - they rock bigtime! it is hard to imagine that a church can still be so on fire even when your pastor is out of town. but that is because our leader is Jesus and we go "all in" for Him! i am so blessed to be a part of this. rock on GOD! peace

too psyched to blog

2006-07-20T21:36:00.000-05:00

not sure where to start. you might need some motion sickness meds 'cause i am all over the place.
first, God is soooo good! He is all over this move truenorth church is making from the auditorium to the gymnasium at north augusta high school. people are stepping up from all areas to serve Him. many more people will be needed to make this transistion as smooth as possible, but i have all faith and trust in Him. this move is all about Him and not about us. we have been so blessed with people that truly seek Him and want to serve Him. my new life in Christ is approaching three years and they have been the best of my fifty years on this planet! did i say God is soooo good!
my wife just returned from the tnc youth trip to bigstuf camp in panama city. she had a blast! she was blown away with the incredible worship, the awesome music and life changing messages that lanny donoho and his excellent staff brought to the young people. next year, i am going too.
i wanted to make the trip to atlanta tuesday to hear louie giglio preach at 722, but could not get there. sick about not going. i love louie's messages. he is such a great communicator. heard rob bell was in atlanta the same night. wow - atlanta was cookin' that night.
our hip pastor, stevie-d, is on a much needed break and our awesome student minister, walt tanner, is off the bench to bring the heat sunday. walt is also just back from bigstuf camp so his message should be on fire!
speaking of fire - things are cookin' with gas at truenorth church, but i already said that so i will jet. peace

the chop

2006-07-19T09:16:00.000-05:00

man, how about those atlanta braves!! 65 runs in their last five games. our pastor, steve davis (stevied), is a big cardinal fan. sorry about the spanking they have been getting - not! go braves!!

everyone sing

2006-07-18T05:29:00.000-05:00

it's rising up all around, it's the anthem of the Lords' renown. can you imagine all of the earth, singing in unison to our great Creator and Savior. Holy is the Lord, God Almighty! the earth would then be filled with His glory. come on everyone, let us sing out loud - together! peace

got this thing on the move

2006-07-17T21:04:00.000-05:00

years ago one of the first songs i heard from a band called grand funk railroad was "got this thing on the move". it had a driving beat that made you want to just bust out. that is the feeling i am sensing with God lately. around the truenorth offices all of us are preparing for the dawn of a new era. our second anniversary is august 20th. moving to the gym on september 10th which will increase available seating dramatically. God has got this thing on the move! check out perry nobles' blog. even on vacation, this dude is feelin' the move! it is so awesome. gary lamb and his band of satan slayers at ridgestone are feelin' the move! that is just the tip of the 'berg. my sister serves on the tech team at belleview community church in nashville and you can feel it there too! i use the ocean wave as a mataphor - you can feel the undertow pulling up this wave and it gonna be big! now is the time and Jesus is calling us to be "fishers of men". enthusiastic evangelism! hang ten. peace

highway to hell

2006-07-16T19:15:00.000-05:00

road trip!! i headed over to canton, georgia at 2:45 this morning to visit gary lamb and the gang at ridgestone church. these guys start setting up for a 10am service at 5:30! these "stoners" are hard core servants. they bring in staging and lighting - a 40 foot truss up on two lifts and a couple of stand up trusses on stage - plus full production. i needed to see this so i can prepare for truenorth's move to north augusta high school gymnasium in september when we bring in portable staging and lighting. everyone was incredibly friendly and helpful. i had a large time. gary was preaching on hell - and tim may and the band rocked out ac/dc's "highway to hell"! it was a great message - one that is not spoken about often but we need to acknowledge. it struck me on the way home this afternoon how many people are on that highway - and think it's cool. ain't nothin' cool about hell! i think many of us feel hell may be or may not be real. well it is real and some place we should work to keep ourselves and others out of. thanks gary and all of the cool cats at ridgestone!
as much as i enjoyed ridgestone, i equally missed our services at truenorth. every since going back to two services memorial day weekend you can feel the tnc vibe is reverberating - ripples of energy. i love that energy. peace

all i need

2006-07-15T09:39:00.000-05:00

i probably should be out getting some yard work done, but felt like spending some time with God this morning. while reading some devotionals and scripture the word "need" kept creeping through my mind. i put on hillsong united and listened to "all i need is you". what an awesome song. my head kept asking God "what do I need?" what do we need? air, water, food, love, family, acceptance? God? Christ? what do you need?
need: noun, a condition or situation in which something is required or wanted. verb, to be in need of or want. we are all in need. the question is our priority of need. some people need the wrong things. the only way to find out the right needs is to need Christ first, above all other things. He will give us priority on our other needs. i used to struggle through bad choices, drugs and things negative. Christ has given me new perspectives on needs. i don't need so many material things as i used to. i don't need people acceptance as i used to. my singing is pitiful but i sing now to the One who redeemed me. i raise my hands in declaration that He is my King! i never could do that until truenorth church brought the freedom of worship into my life. it doesn't matter who or what unless it is God! for He is all i need. peace

got the waffle house blues

2006-07-14T11:56:00.000-05:00

it's been a few days since sitting down to write and i don't like that. i like to put down some thoughts even if it is just me reading it. i am trying to make fridays my day off and today i am suffering from the waffle house blues. slept in late and then did the waffle house shuffle - i kinda shuffled in. my wife and i get the same thing pretty much every time we are there. they must of had a flat grill trainee or something 'cause as hoyt used to on "john boy and billy" "how'd that go? not too good!!" hoyt might still say that, but i don't listen anymore. speaking of listening, gotta give a shout out to dc*d and the new b collision cd. man these guys never cease to amaze me with their eclectic creativity. you know how some bands' music sort sounds the same from disc to disc? not crowder. i have been stuck lately on the lime c. it flat out rocks!
btw - i'm working on a list of the five people i would love to have lunch with and dave is numero uno!! my number two gets scratched off the list this sunday as i am trekking over to canton, georgia to spend some time with gary lamb at "the stone". i am skyed! every time i call his church "the stone" i can't help but think of the stone that had been rolled away to show that Christ had risen!! it is such a blessing to get to know people like gary that are so real - no pretending he is something he isn't. i would put a link to his blog, but don't know how yet. it is call "mad babble from a church planter" rock on gary!
http://garylamb.blogspot.com/
love to those who read this and to those who don't too.

bing, bing, bingggg!

2006-07-10T22:03:00.000-05:00

when i was young, it was a very good year... sorry a sinatra song just hit me - there was this saturday morning cartoon called richocet rabbit. he used this line, "i'm bing bing bingggg (you gotta really reverberate the last bing) richocet rabbit and go bouncing off the walls. so what's this got to do with anything chuck? well, several tnc staff, lead team and volunteer coordinators met tonight in the gym to make some final decisions on what is needed to make the move to the gym next month. we have been bouncing through so many layouts and settings that my head hurts. the ideas keep singing and the cash register keeps ringing and finally you just stop!! who is leading this charge? we all know God is. we talk about it. steve preaches about it. now is the time to really let God lead the move. it is a matter of faith, trust and a whole lotta prayer. how much faith do i really have? how much trust am i really ready to place in His hands? i know i have a job to do, but i have to let Him take charge. i am tired of richoceting off the walls. i must get closer with my ears to the earth. i get so excited seeing what God is doing at truenorth and i read what great things He is also going at many churches around the nation. churches like newspring, ridgestone, national communtiy, north point, fellowship, granger, mars hill and on and on. people, God is so alive and the earth is rising up for His glory! can you feel it? i love the "that's my King!" video. an edit of a sermon by the late dr. s.m.lockeridge. when he asks, "i wonder, do you know Him?' it just makes me well up with tears. what this great King has done for me! i wonder... how well do i know him?

inspiration

2006-07-09T14:13:00.000-05:00

God is up to something big in His Sons' church known as truenorth or i am smokin' something 'cause i know i'm still high!! todays services were so powerful, so intensely worshipful, i know God was all over that place. people didn't want to leave. i have never spoken to so many people in one sunday in my life. everybody was into community. i love the community of Christ. people wanting to embrace, communicate, and truly love one another. you could feel it. i am so excited with what is happening right before our eyes. it is His inspiration.

vision in the surf

2006-07-05T20:39:00.000-05:00

just returned from a quickie at the head - a short trip to hilton head. it was awesome. sunday night through this morning. i felt a bit out of touch though as i had no internet service in our condo so i couldn't post a blog, read any blogs, or keep up any stuff we are purchasing off ebay. i found a good deal on a fat frog lighting console for our move to the gym next month. since i was out of touch i spent a lot of time reading. finshed gordon mackenzie's "orbiting the giant hairball" a few days ago and then read bill hybels "too busy not to pray". i have gotten too dang busy lately to give God some quality time. not good. when i did find some time for God i struggled to coehesively converse with Him. i was all over the place and pretty unfocused. hybels book was right on the money. great book!
a wierd thing happened tuesday while boogie boardin' in the surf. a wave caught me - yep there were some decent waves at the head - and took my sunglasses when i wasn't looking. my wife helped me feel around for them and i found a pair of sunglasses - just not mine. now how do you figure that just as i lose mine, i find another pair? anyway, didn't find mine so i went back to my chair and read the rest of the day not thinking much more about them. as we left the beach later, walking up the boardwalk... there.... on the railing was a pair of sunglasses sitting by themselves... and they were mine! i couldn't believe it as i had resigned myself to the fact that they were gone for good. but there they were. i felt that it was a God thing. i don't know who found them and set them there or how i even saw them sitting there as we were leaving. sort of like my faith. just when i think i have lost sight of God, there He is and he tells me... you of so little faith, I am with you always. all you have to do is look.

dazed and amazed

2006-07-02T15:15:00.000-05:00

i am so blown away by the things that God is doing that i get to be a part of. truenorth church is preparing to move from the comfortable confines of the north augusta high school auditorium to the cavernous echos of the campus gymnasium. this move brings new technical needs and more people to make it happen. today two new people crossed my path that have audio/video experience and want to serve God's ministry at tnc. also, i am amazed at the people who are responding to this endeavor of significant porportions. it is so cool to see people get up and say, "here i am". our staff is busy researching, recommending and purchasing equipment for staging, lighting, curtaining, additional sound, larger projection screens, cameras and my pet piece, an edirol dv-7 pro system for live video compositing. while we are scurrying around doing this, we all know that the reason for all this controlled chaos is God. building a worship experience that exalts Him. we look for every avenue to give people a worship experience that is exciting and enthusiastic... celebrating His holy name and power. God is good!

what the heck am i doing up this early, it's saturday

2006-07-01T07:01:00.001-05:00

deborah and i celebrated our twenty second anniversary last night. big feast at calvert's. if you go, check out the steak tenderloins - incredible! so with that, june ends and july begins... 22 years ends and our 23rd begins. new eras... new opportunities. new means change and change ain't something we usually embrace. but change occurs every moment of every day... even if it's just the clock. change can bring new invigoration. it's happening big time at truenorth church in north augusta. we have been worshipping in the auditorium of the north augusta high school since august '04 and have outgrown it. we are prepping to move into the gymnasium by our second anniversary - august 20. it brings new challenges but also new anticipation and you can see people rising up to the occasion. it reminds me of chris tomlin's "Holy is the Lord" lyrics... "it's rising up all around. it's the anthem of the Lord's renown". it is awesome to feel the undertow of the wave building. people are looking for a new way to connect with our living God. to hear Him, to seek Him and to know Him. 'cuse me while i get another cup of coffee.
by the way, i was at newspring church wednesday in anderson, sc to participate in the launch of their network, which will be a huge resource for churches of all types and spent an hour with ken wilson, visual director at newspring. this guy is a coffee afficianado - big time! maybe the best cup of joe i have ever had. thanks ken!
back to change. change also brings uncertainty. some changes are just plain scary. at truenorth, we have not had to deal with setting up and tearing down staging and lighting. this brings a new dynamic to our teams, which are volunteers - i was gonna say go vols, but no. but we have adopted the phrase, "ain't skeered!" - in case you don't get it, we are not scared! we are excited. this move will add 100 to 200 more seats in each of our two services. obviously that means more space for newcomers. so change can be good. if our minds are in sync with God, there is nothing we can't do. brings up another tomlin song, "God is on our side, who can be against us!". i love music.

like a virgin... posting for the very first time

2006-06-30T09:53:00.000-05:00

after listening to my staffmates get into the blog scene and then to meet one of life's great bloggers, gary lamb, i had to breakdown and get to bloggin'. so this is my first. ears to the earth, i named this spot that because that is my journey. to listen for what God wants me to do while on this planet. you see, i am attention deficit and reading is not on my radar usually. in second grade i thought i was something when i gave the teacher a phrase that pays... learn to listen, listen to learn. little did i know at the time that i would spend most of my life not listening effectively. so now my passion is to listen for God. listening for His breath, His heartbeat, His directions. so this is the beginning of my journey into the realm of the unknown. okay astro boy... let's rock n roll.