Friday, December 14, 2007

Ok... I now have the motivation to start a "Friday Five" list inspired by Jay Hardwick and Susanne.

So, to kick this party off, I wanted to be a little light hearted and not too serious...

Go ahead and forgive me fuddie-dud people! Smile a little!

  1. My youngest son (Sam, 3 years old) said "Look Mama!! Ders, rwed (red) boobies,"
  2. Sam also said "and dween (green) boobies"
  3. Sam also said "and purpuh (purple) boobies"
  4. Sam also said "and bweu (blue) boobies"
  5. Sam also said "and ders YOUR boobies!!!"

Ya see... That's what you get when you take a three year old to Victoria Secret! Read the entire story here.





12/14/2007 1:36 PM Eastern Standard Time  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [2]  |  Trackback
 Thursday, December 13, 2007

NeverGiveUpDecember is such a wonderful time of the year. After all, it is the time when we celebrate the birth of our savior Jesus Christ! It is also a time when we can give gifts to those we love... and some we don't (just kidding). It is also a time to spend with family members and those we only see once or twice a year. Oh... what a great time!

December is is also a very stressful time of the year. After all, it is a time we give gifts, spend time with family and friends. (didn't I just say that above?)

These events during Christmas time can be very stressful. Money already tight, now gifts? Already busy, now Christmas parties. Budgeting for next year. Planning for new committees. Oh yeah... plans for starting a new church?

Have you ever heard...

"God won't give you more than you can bear"

Seems like I am to that point ever so often. The Bible does not state that but actually states: (thanks to Steven Furtick)

"No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."  --1 Corinthians 10:13

So, I say that to say this... Though our lives are busy and it seems as if we never have enough time... We  need to fight like the lizard in the picture... when it looks gloomy and crazy... Remember these words...

12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.  --Philippians 3:12-15

I leave you with the words from a song by Reliant K; from their song Pressing On

I think we're going somewhere.
We're on to something good here.
Out of mind, out of state.
Trying to keep my head on straight.

I think we're going somewhere.
We're on to something good here.
There's only one thing left to do.
Drop all I have and go with you.

[Chorus:]

Somewhere back there I left my worries all behind.
My problems fell out of the back of my mind.
We're going and I'm never knowing (never knowing) where we're going.
To go back to where I was would just be wrong.
I'm pressing on.
Pressing on, all my distress is going, going, gone. (pressing on, pressing on)
And I won't sit back, and take this anymore.
'Cause I'm done with that, I've got one foot out the door.
And to go back where I was would just be wrong
I'm pressing on.

I think we're going somewhere.
We're on to something good here.
Out of mind, out of state.
Trying to keep my head on straight.
I think we're going somewhere.
We're on to something good here.
Adversity, we get around it.
Searched for joy, in you I found it.

You look down on me, but you don't look down on me at all.
You smile and laugh, and I feel the love you have for me.
I think we're going somewhere.
We're on to something good here, and we're gonna make it after all.

Focus on the JOY of Christmas! After all, you are gonna make it... Laugh and smile and feel the love that Jesus has for you!



12/13/2007 5:20 PM Eastern Standard Time  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  |  Trackback

When Dustin Willis started his video series yesterday, I got excited. Why you ask... Dustin has a very similar calling for their church in Columbia, as the one God has placed on our hearts here in Florence, SC.

To see how God is moving in those young people really just jacks me up!!!

Thanks Dustin for sharing with a future church planter!



12/13/2007 3:00 PM Eastern Standard Time  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  |  Trackback
 Friday, December 07, 2007

Last night, I was woken up to someone crying outside our bedroom door. 2:15 AM!!!

I was a little upset, I was sleeping good!!! Sam was on his knees just crying...

I picked him up and stood there in the hallway trying to calm him... Finally... He was calm... maybe even back asleep.

When I put him back in the bed (all you parents know what happened next)... That's right, he started crying again...

Man, am I ever going to get back to sleep???

I ended up laying on the couch with him on my belly and chest. Under the blanket on the couch and in my arms... He became calm again. A minute or two went by and he was snoring lightly with his arms wrapped around me. As I held him, I knew he was crying more for my purpose than for his.

You see, God ordained that time last night for me. I just held, kissed, and prayed over him.

So many times, we I look at those times in life as burdens, but they are not. They are times we can be there for our children; a time to hold them, love them, and protect them.

Don't get angry when...

  • You are awakened during the middle of the night and you have the alarm set for 6:00 AM...
  • You are trying to get food on the table and your kids keep interrupting progress...
  • You trying to hurry and cut the grass but your kid wants to ride with you on the lawnmower which slows you down...
  • Your kids want to go to Chuck E. Cheese (even if that place is of the devil! just kidding)...
  • Your kids have craft "stuff" everywhere in your house and want you to participate in the chaos...
  • You are trying to get some work done on the computer but your 3 year old wishes to work on the computer too...
  • You just cleaned the house and the kids want to get out the play dough or Legos...
  • Did I miss any???

 

Cherish those times... They are a "God Send" in Disguise! If only we could see them that way...





12/7/2007 3:09 PM Eastern Standard Time  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [3]  |  Trackback
 Monday, December 03, 2007

Trends I need some your help. The first step to breaking an addiction is to admit you have an addiction.

So, that is what I am doing... I have a problem...

(My wife would say "Boy, you have issues!")

I have a Internet addiction! I am want to recover and break a cycle!

I am subscribed to 273 blogs! I have the habit of subscribing to every blog a look at for any reason. I have to prune them back. That is where you can help.

In an effort to break this addiction, I am going to start unsubscribing.

I am asking you to share your favorite blogs to help determine which blogs I need to keep reading.

So, please  leave me a comment with your favorites...

4,915 items read in the last 30 days...

Come on y'all... Please help me break this addiction!



12/3/2007 9:29 PM Eastern Standard Time  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [5]  |  Trackback
 Friday, November 30, 2007

SFBC LogoPlease do not forget about the service time changes starting this Sunday (December 2nd, 2007) at South Florence Baptist Church.

Sunday School @ 8:45 AM
Worship @ 10:00 AM

Click here for directions.



11/30/2007 9:56 AM Eastern Standard Time  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [1]  |  Trackback
 Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Why don't we dream big?

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,"   --Ephesians 3:20

So many times, we I doubt what God is capable of doing. Not exactly sure why... but I do.

Susanne and I have been praying that God will make it clear about a core group of people to be a part of our church plant.

I found myself praying...

"Father in Heaven, how in the world are we going to find 4-6 couples that have the same core values as us that would be willing to do what it takes to build Your Church?"

D. A. (No, that is not me calling myself a cuss word, just an inside joke... means "Duh!!!!")

"God has it all rigged!" --Sam Cathey

Maybe I need to stop looking "in the world" for the couples. My God is out of this world and He owns the world and all that is in it! If he intends for us to have 4-6 strong couples to plant a church, God will send them!

"Father in Heaven, I pray right now that you would begin to prepare the hearts of the couples you have lined up for Your core group"

Ok, time to dream big!

"God, I am trusting in You to send us 6 or more couples for this church plant. Dino told us it would be very good to get 4 couples; but 6 would be great!

From Day One, I have prayed that our church will be GREAT... not just good.

"Good is the ENEMY of GREAT!!!" --Jim Collins

I pray that we will "unlock a move of God no one thought possible"





11/28/2007 3:21 PM Eastern Standard Time  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [1]  |  Trackback
 Monday, November 26, 2007

DropItLikeItsHot

Almost as funny as this one!

(tip: Derek Brown)



11/26/2007 4:24 PM Eastern Standard Time  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  |  Trackback
 Friday, November 23, 2007

Lemonade Today while Paw-Paw and I were putting up mom's Christmas Tree, my daughter decided to show her entrepreneur side of her personality...

She had to make some money to get a gift for her dad, of course...

She invested no money...
Got raw materials from the grandparents (free)...
Set up a lemonade stand in the kitchen...
Sold the finished product (Grape Lemonade - recipe courtesy of Biltmore Estates) to the grandparents for a quarter a glass!

That's my girl!!!

$10.25!!!



11/23/2007 3:21 PM Eastern Standard Time  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  |  Trackback
 Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Probably more than you really wanted to know... 
(Found this on Ken Wilson's site)

  1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car)
    Chief Ford
  2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)
    Butter Pecan Peanut Butter
  3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)
    C-Ree
  4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
    Green Elephant
  5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)
    Lynn Lancaster
  6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)
    Reech
  7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink)
    The Grey Green Tea
  8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)
    Fulton Henry
  9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy)
    Cool Water Snickers
  10. WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names )
    Allen Lynn
  11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)
    Steel Santee
  12. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower)
    Fall Lantana
  13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)
    Orange Underoosie (Boxers or Briefs... I'm not telling)
  14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)
    Coffee Dogwood
  15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”)
    The Blogging Cool Breeze Tour

 

I am tagging: Susanne Reeder, Jay Hardwick, Dean LisenbyJeffery Allen, & Priscilla Russell



11/21/2007 10:56 AM Eastern Standard Time  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  |  Trackback
 Tuesday, November 20, 2007

ricflair If you are planning on going to "THE GAME" on Saturday...

What game you ask... (You must not be from South Carolina)

The Carolina/ ClemPson game.
(And yes, Carolina = South Carolina Gamecocks... not the Tar Heels)

Anyway...

At 5:00 p.m. ET in Columbia, SC: Huckabee joins supporters and 16-time World Wrestling Heavyweight Champion, The Nature Boy Ric Flair, for a tailgate party in stadium lot spaces 433-434, located just outside the West Entrance to Williams Brice Stadium before the game. He will also be attending the game.

If you are going to be there; I encourage you to stop by and chat with him and The Nature Boy!

Woooooooooooooo!!!! (in my best Ric Flair voice)

 

First Chuck Norris... Now The Nature Boy!!! Who is next Mike? John Boy and Billy?



11/20/2007 4:52 PM Eastern Standard Time  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  |  Trackback
 Monday, November 19, 2007

As many of you already know, I really like Mike Huckabee for President!

After seeing this ad, I like him even more!

(Link to video here)

Chuck Norris is the man! Glad he is on our side!

"Wanna secure the borders... two words... Chuck Norris"

"There is not a chin behind Chuck Norris' beard... Only another fist"

"When Chuck does a pushup, he is not lifting himself up, he is pushing the earth down"

-- Thanks to Jason Powell and Dean Lisenby for sending this my way... It made my day!



11/19/2007 10:02 AM Eastern Standard Time  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  |  Trackback

What kinda mood am I in today after our awesome weekend (see here and here)?

My play list should tell ya... (no la-la stuff today!)

  1. Beheaded - Demon Hunter with The Agony Scene
  2. Face - Norma Jean
  3. A Broken Upper Hand - Demon Hunter
  4. The Changing Of Times - Underoath
  5. The Corporate Enthusiast - Dead Poetic
  6. Symbiotic - Living Sacrifice
  7. Resistance - Zao
  8. Abandoned - Soul Embraced
  9. My Heartstring Come Undone - Demon Hunter
  10. Only Our Faces Hide - Beloved


11/19/2007 9:32 AM Eastern Standard Time  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  |  Trackback
 Saturday, November 17, 2007

LibertyBridge Today has truly been a blessing. Spending time with the greatest, gal in the entire world! (Not to mention, one HOT Mama!!)

Lunch at Smoke on the Water...
Walked around at Falls Park and the Liberty Bridge...
Found a nice swing and sat with the one I love the most and talked...
and talked...
and talked...
Came back to the hotel and started to work...
We had serious prayer time...
Then started the Church Planters application...

We made it a little over half way, and our eyes started getting heavy. Can you say nap time???

After nap, went to the Overlook Grill... Can you say... "Shrimp and Grits"??

Remember the swing (above)... we visited it again... talked and talked some more...

It had to be the perfect date. :-)

On the way back to the hotel, we got some Starbucks... Sorry Perry, I could not bring myself to get the Pumpkin Spice Latte... No matter how awesome you say it was!

Now as I write this... I am watching Clemson play Boston College and actually pulling for them. I feel like Alden Ellis... Wouldn't it be better for the Gamecocks to beat the ACC Champs (Clemson) than some scrub Clemson team?!

Well.. this day is still not over... More questions to answer on the application. I will share more about the answers to those questions over the next months... It will show and reveal the vision God has placed in Susanne and me.

Man... tomorrow... we get to attend two growing churches!!!

Looking forward to it!

Time to get back to work, and then catch some zzz's.



11/17/2007 10:15 PM Eastern Standard Time  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  |  Trackback

Why did we come to Greenville, SC for the weekend? Because we could not get a room in Anderson, SC. Seriously! Clemson is playing Boston College tomorrow.

In case you have not been following this blog or this one... God has called Susanne and I to plant a church in Florence, SC.

There is a lot of prayer, work, and decisions that need to be made over the next months. We knew that we needed a weekend to spend together to kick things off the right way. We have decided to go through the Church Multiplication department of the SC Baptist Convention. They have a lengthy application with very direct questions. We both knew that we would need to spend time in prayer to answer them...

We thought... what better way to launch the launch... than to go back to where God placed the call on our lives... Anderson, SC.

Today will be a time of prayer and work. We plan on mixing in  a little fun as well... Trio Cafe and Over Look Grill are in the plans, too (Thanks Jay for the recommendations).

Tomorrow... Going to NewSpring to worship at the 11:15 Service.
Tomorrow night... We have plans to check out MidTown in Columbia, SC.

NewSpring is where our adventure started 8 months ago...
MidTown's ministry is very similar to the call that God placed on our lives.

The weekend is just getting started... And YES... we woke up at 8:00 with no kids...

We will share how God is moving this weekend... Stay tuned for more...



11/17/2007 9:44 AM Eastern Standard Time  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  |  Trackback