Servanthood

Just getting started with a great week... late nights, working all day with middle schoolers, lots of laughs. This is one of the hardest weeks ever, but also one of the greatest! This will be my last Servanthood, kinda sad, kinda exciting about what God is doing now in Batesburg-Leesville

stuff happening...

• first of all sorry that I haven't updated in a while
• there is so much craziness happening in our lives right now and it's all good!
• We have our house on the market. Last week someone narrowed it down to our house and another- they went with the other! oh well. Tomorrow we have someone coming to look at 3pm. please pray!
• Batesburg-Leesville is really moving quick. We picked a name for the church there- River's Edge. God is opening up so many opportunities. Several weeks ago I was able to meet the faculty and staff at BL Elementary and pray for the sick teachers and pray that God would provide. This past week I met with the head football coach at the high school, he is a great guy. I am excited to see what God does there. We are doing backyard bible clubs this summer, a soccer camp, and helping at the school this summer, it is going to rock! I know that in a couple of years, BL is going to be different because of the power of Christ working through our church! Praise God
• Thomas turns 1 this thursday. He is wide open! I love having a boy.

see yall later

Snapshot

I don't know if I have said this before but I got a camera for Christmas. I love it!

Here are a couple of my favorite pictures taken recently...

Youth Ministry and Church Planting

What other youth ministry is involved in a church plant? I was asked this question today. I think it is a great question. I don't know of any (that doesn't really mean anything, but I don't know of any). What if the students here are Riverbend adopted the plant as their own? What if they decided to do all that they could to see it as a success? I have spent 6 years with some of these Sr and Jr's, why wouldn't I want them involved with what God is doing in Batesburg-Leesville? It's an interesting question. If the vision is set before them, what would happen if they decided to act? It would help to further our vision of changing the city.

Also, some of our 11-12th graders could inspire adults in B-L. I know that they inspire me to seek God in a more profound way!

Seeing the Inside

None of us like to deal with hard times...maybe we have a difficult conversation at work, something has come up with family. These times are really stressful. I have had to learn, force myself, to deal with whatever is happening. It hasn't been easy. However, those times give you a unique opportunity to see inside someones heart.

It's during those tense moments that the real person comes out. All of the usual guards that help us to contain our real self is let down when we get angry or lash out. It reveals the heart. So next time you are in one of those situations, what comes out? Take note, where does God want you to grow? When you can peak into the yuckiness of our deepest self, we can see how much we really need God.

Man's Best Friend

Today I buried my dog. It was hard. We found out about a year ago that his heart was on the fritz and he only had about 6mths left. He did pretty well. But today he got out of the front door and we didn't realize it. He spent his last moments in total freedom running through our neighborhood. He was a great dog. He protected us one time when someone tried to mug us in Finley Park, he did great with our kids.

So farewell Ty...you were a great dog and we will miss you.

Moses

You know, Moses was just a normal guy. You can forget this as you read about him standing in front of Pharaoh demanding "let my people go" or as he touches the Red Sea with his staff and the sea splits right in front of him- amazing! But if you look at the beginning of Moses journey back to Egypt, you find a normal guy who is scared to death to return to the place where at one time there was a price on his head.
In Exodus 3 & 4, God meets Moses at the burning bush. His life would never be the same after that day, although he fought it with all of the objections he could think of. But God says that I will be with you. This is HUGE!

I have been sitting at Moses feet, trying to gain some wisdom from his life. I know this possibly sounds prideful, but I feel like Moses in some ways. Yesterday I saw a burning bush- just kidding. Recently with the decision to answer God's call to be a part of a church plant, I have been looking for a mentor. Moses had a mission from God that was impossible- without God. I feel like that. For all of the parts to line up just right, and a church plant to actually take off will, without a doubt, take a move of God. I can't do it, like Moses, I am not an eloquent speaker, I'm not a theologian, I'm not the guy that can do this. I'm more quiet, my leadership skills aren't there. These are just the beginning of my objections to God and yet in the midst of that He whispers I will be with you. I have no other option, I must move forward and obey. Thank You God for calling me to walk with you into this unknown. I will lay it all down for You because I know You will be there, waiting.