i am rich!

No, I didn’t win the lottery…haven’t even played it.  I’m talking about family and friends here.  My life is rich because of them.  Over the past several months, I’ve gone through the toughest time of my entire life and my family and friends have been there through it all.  I just wanted to take a moment to recognize them and say thanks.  

I’ve been blessed with the most loving, supportive and encouraging parents in the entire world.  They raised me to be the man I am today.  They instilled in me a love for and faith in God that cannot be shaken, which is really what has gotten me through the past several months.

My life is rich with the most awesome friends in the entire world.  I’m thankful that I still stay in touch with a bunch of my college buddies and my work in ministry has taken me to several places where I’ve formed lasting friendships with some wonderful people.  I’m thankful I can pick up the phone at any time, call any of these folks…even if it’s been a long time…and pick right up where we left off.  It’s great to know the door’s always open.

You can’t buy friendship.  True friendship is priceless.  And, it’s one of the greatest treasures in life.  So, to Mom and Dad and all my friends out there…thank you.  Thanks for being there.  I love all of you.

passion atlanta

 

Thanks to my friend Bronson Crawford, Student Pastor at Grace Fellowship Church in Athens, GA, I attended Passion Atlanta this past Friday and Saturday.  This was my first Passion Conference and it was everything I hoped it would be.  I’ve wanted to go for years and just never have been able to, so it was nice to finally get to go.  

Being able to see some of my most favorite worship leaders/bands live was a real treat and a tremendous blessing.  The two days were packed with Chris Tomlin, Charlie Hall and the David Crowder Band – complete with Crowder’s keytar and Guitar Hero controller…crazy!  Louie Giglio and Francis Chan delivered powerful and challenging talks.  It was amazing to be a part of 9,500 people who are passionate about worshipping Jesus and passionate about making Him known to all.  The entire conference was fulfilling in every way.  I’m glad I had the chance to go.  

what are you listening to?

This was the title of my devotion for today and it really spoke to me. The basic premise of the devotion is based on 1 Samuel 3:1-21 and deals with hearing and answering God’s call. I spoke to this subject in a previous post.  We often allow our doubts, skill sets, experiences, etc. to hinder what God is trying to speak to us.

A line from the devotion says,  “We push God aside and settle for the voice that speaks to our perceived limitations, fears, worthy commitments – and even our laziness.”  Wow!  If I look inside myself, I can find all of those things – hopefully not too much laziness – but certainly things that I may tend to listen to.  Things that may keep me from listening to God’s voice.

Particularly at this point in my life, I am on a quest to hear God’s voice – His call – and answer it.  I don’t want my perceived limitations, fears, worthy commitments – or laziness! – to keep me from hearing and answering Him.

a GIANT of a bike

I’ve wanted a nice road bike and have wanted to get into cycling for years. So, thanks to my good friend, guitarist in my band at church, and owner of Sunshine Cycles, Jimmy Marbut, I got me one this past Monday.

It’s a Giant TCR A1 and it rides almost as good as my VW. I took it out for its maiden voyage Monday after work and got a pretty good workout…the main reason for getting it. Cycling is awesome exercise, which I really need since I’m turning 36 next week! I won’t be riding the Tour de France anytime soon, but there’s nothing wrong with pretending, right? Keeps you young!

hello mac, goodbye pc

I got my Macbook about 3 weeks ago and am absolutely loving it.  I had been wanting to move to Mac for quite some time, especially since most of my friends and colleagues have been using Macs for years.  I thought I was the last person on earth who didn’t have one!  It is everything I thought it would be and more.  I’ve had no trouble whatsoever and everything is pretty easy to use and learn.  There are so many awesome features.  Plus, it’s just fun!  Farewell, PC.  It was nice knowin’ ya!

ok cafe

If you’re ever in Atlanta, you have to eat a meal at OK Cafe.  I’ve only been twice so far, thanks to my friend and fellow staff member at Grace, Terry Ross.   Our church is in Athens and we’ve gone to ATL a couple of times for hospital visits and both times we had lunch at OK.  It’s an old-school style diner that’s been there since the mid-80s with down home cooking.  Incredible down home cooking.  We’re talking country fried steak, macaroni and cheese, and…collard greens!  Trust me, you want to go.

unbELIevable

All I can say is, “Wow!!!”  I mean, come on!!!  What an incredible game last night.  It had to be the upset of the century. Nobody thought they could do it.  I honestly can say I really believed they could.  It’s football, anything can happen.  The Pats could have and should have been beaten at least 4 times during the regular season.  All I’ve heard for weeks and weeks was “perfect season, 16-0, 17-0, 18-0, Brady this, Moss that” until I’d had enough.  Suffice it to say there is no doubt the Patriots are an amazing team, and hats off to them for going 18-0.  Not many teams are able to do that.  I just have a bad taste in my mouth from the whole “videotaping scandal” and I just love a good comeback story.Having lived in Indianapolis nearly three years, I became a huge Colts fan…maybe more a Tony Dungy fan than anything else, but you can’t live in Indy and not be a Colts fan.  It’s infectious.  So, by the same token, if you’re a Colts fan, especially if you live in Indy, you DO NOT like the Patriots, long-time nemesis of the Colts.  If you’re a Colts fan, you want ANYBODY to beat the Patriots and who better than the team led by Peyton Manning’s little bro, Eli…the NY Giants!  If ever there was an underdog/Cinderella/comeback story this was it.  And, I enjoyed every second of it.Oops!

gimme, gimme…i need, i need!

One of my favorite movies is What About Bob, starring Bill Murray.  My two best buds and I watched it quite frequently in college and every time, we’d end up rolling in the floor with laugther.  Bob was a needy guy and when I started to write today, I couldn’t help but remember one of his lines from the movie, “Gimme, gimme…I need, I need!”  Ever feel like that? I find myself “needing” a lot of stuff quite often.  I “need” to go to Starbucks.  I “need” that new Macbook.  (I really do.)

But, what do I REALLY need?  In order to live, I need air to breathe.  I need water to drink.  I need a little food for sustenance.  Apart from those basic essentials to human life, there’s not really much more that I MUST have…or need.  

Maybe I just “want” to go to Starbucks.  Of course, I do.  Maybe I just “want” that new Macbook.  You bet I do!  And, I’m sure I’ll get it.  But, all I really NEED is Christ.  He is the source of everything I need.  He’s the source of that air, water and food I need.  Nothing exists that doesn’t come from Him.

We did Charlie Hall’s tune “Center” in church yesterday including a little segue into “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.”  I was reminded that He is all I really need and when I focus on Him, the things of this earth really do grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. 

one man band

In addition to previewing lots of new worship/choir/Easter music for church, I’ve been listening quite a bit to James Taylor’s newest, One Man Band.  I’ve been a JT fan for years, so it’s no surprise to me how good this record is.  No one writes a song like James Taylor.  I don’t agree with all of his religious and political views, but musically, he’s the man.  If you’re a James Taylor fan, you probably already have it or have at least heard it.  If not, check it out.  It’s just James and his guitar and Larry Goldings on piano.  It’s awesome.

the moses factor

One of my recent devotions was about when God spoke to Moses through a burning bush and told him to go to Pharaoh and basically demand the release of the Israelites from Egypt. First of all, it’s hard to get past the burning bush scene. For me, the whole point of it is to demonstrate that God will often use miraculous, extreme, and unordinary things to get our attention.

Once God had Moses’ attention, He laid out His plan to use Moses to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. Immediately, Moses began to try to get out of it. Ever been there? He tried every excuse in the book. “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3: 11) “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you’?” (Exodus 4:1) “O Lord, I have never been eloquent…I am slow of speech and tongue.” (Exodus 4:10) It seems Moses was trying as hard as he could to get out of this mission. He obviously thought he was the wrong person for the job.

I’m sure we’ve all experienced situations like this. I know I have. Many times, I have felt inadequate, lacking in skill, unworthy, etc. Sometimes, I’ve just been plain scared! But, just like in Moses’ case, God has always given me exactly what I needed to accomplish the job He called me to do. God so often uses the ordinary to accomplish the extraordinary. I believe it further demonstrates how awesome, marvelous and miraculous He really is. He is able to accomplish amazing things through not-so-amazing people like me.

I’m grateful that He has chosen me to serve in His mighty Kingdom. The next time you feel that God is calling you to do something and you’re not quite certain you’re the right person for the task, just remember Moses and so many others who God has used to get His work done.