Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Living Up to the Hype

I love reading. Books have been a way to escape life's difficulties and go to worlds where the troubles are not mine. Reading about pain, love, trials, bravery, and all of the other virtues and vices has been how I have gotten schooled on some of the finer points of life.
Recently, there has been a huge following of The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. I have had many friends tell me these are awesome, and my wife is reading the first one now. I am sure they are exactly as everyone says, but as far as books go, I can be stubborn. So, that being said, I decided to check out a different series Collins wrote, Gregor the Overlander. This is a great story containing memorable characters. What I am so amazed about is the ability of an author to write in different styles. Writing in one style is difficult enough, but two styles takes some great talent. Books can be unassuming. As I am typing, I am watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Many agree this is an amazingly well written series that will hold up for generations of readers to come. But what most do not know is that J.K. Rowling had a difficult start-up for her books. Sometimes, the best gems are the ones that do not appear shiny and perfect at the moment.
Leaving lesson for today: Read something new, something different, something that is outside of your normal range. God didn't create one style of person or personality, and it's good to experience the unique minds that have created some of the best literary works ever.

 If you are in the mood for something different though, try these: The Last Apprentice  by Joseph Delaney, Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, Children of the Lamp by P.B. Kerr, anything by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson), Keys to the Kingdom by Garth Nix, The Night Tourist, and of course Gregor the Overlander, The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott... I read alot... It's a sickness. But it's okay.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Growing up by growing young


I am stoked... Tonight my small group leader, Ryan Smith, informed us that WE could enter into the derby races for CrossPointe Community Church's County Fair. That was all Blake Remy and I needed to hear. We instantly jumped on our phones and computers researching plans and rules for this project. By the end of bible study, we were able to divert our attention, we had found several sites containing rules for this race. Needless to say, I am stoked. Did I already say that? Oh well. If anyone reads this, I need you to know one thing: CrossPointe Community Church is an awesome place to be. I have been a member for about 5 years and cannot imagine another body of believers to spend my life with. We have the most fun, but we also help one another, pray for one another, and have a way of acting like family that I have never seen before. God has truly blessed me with this great church. Back to my soapbox, or should I say, the soapbox derby. This is going to be a great chance to team up with others and really spend some time together. I am looking forward to this experience and to our County Fair.
Leaving a lesson for today: Find a church home that welcomes you as you are, but also challenges you to grow as a believer. It will make all the difference in how you engage with the body.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

The Butterfly Effect


Do you ever want to go back and change things that have happened in your past? I'm sure we all do. It is easy to look back on our lives and see the chain of events that lead up to where we are now. We can see those links that invariably join us to that person, place, event in which our lives changed. I swear there is a country song about hindsight being 20/20, but what I see today is totally unexpected from what I expected to see 5 years ago. When they asked me at graduation where I saw myself in 5 years, I confidently responded, "Wherever the Lord will lead me." I didn't realize what that meant as a teenager, although I did my best to live it out. What is so fascinating about our lives is when you look back and see just how fragile some of those links seem, you can see just how strong the hand of God was in orchestrating your life. Had there been one or two links missing from my chain, the whole course of my life would have been different. It's like, but only vaguely, The Butterfly Effect with Ashton Kutcher. Yet I can see a divine plan in my life, not a twisted and morbid sense of fate. In the past 4 years, I have been a college student, full-time youth and children's minister, 4th grade teacher, and a volunteer in the soundbooth at church. During all of this transition I ask, "Where would you lead me Lord? Where will I go?" My biggest thing hasn't been questioning God's will for my life, but in making sure I am honoring Him in all that I do. 
Leaving with a lesson for today: So, whether YOU are a student, teacher, minister, volunteer, laborer, God has a plan, it will come about, but OUR biggest responsibility in it all is to honor Him in all that we do.


And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
(Colossians 3:17 ESV)

Mardi Gras 2012

So this will be my first time to blog.
When me and Sara were first together, spontaneous trips were the thing to do. Since our little man Ben, we have dialed down the spontaneity in our lives... Except for today. This morning, as we were preparing for church, Sara asked if I would like to go see a Mardi Gras parade. We talked about it briefly and then called her cousin and her husband to see if they would like to accompany us. When our plans were made, we decided on the Moss Point Mardi Gras parade. You know those times in which the journey is the best part of the trip? Well this journey was epic. And I say that with full conviction of the word. I rediscovered this gem of a place called Rose's bbq on hwy 49. Fine bbq in a gas station... Love Mississippi... When we got to Moss Point, the parade was less than dynamic, more DY-NO-MITE. So, we cruised on down to Biloxi Boulevard, chasing a 16t trailer hoping beads would fall off so we would have some souvenir from Mardi Gras. My wife and her cousin yelled at a float that was heading home, and our kids played on the beach... In February... We found a place to eat supper and headed on back home. Despite our lackluster attempts at a Mardi Gras parade, it was the best day I have had in a long while, simply because it was spent with good friends and family. Yet how easy would it have been to feel like our parade was rained on and take on a sour attitude for the rest of the time.
Leaving with a lesson for today: Most of the time WE are the deciding factor in the attitude WE take during certain circumstances.