Pics of Youth Loft Construction

Warm Fuzzies

After a long hiatus from blogging, I am back to see if anyone is still out there.

Let me fill you in on what has been happening recently.

December is shaping up to be quite an amazing month already for the Youth and Family here at Northside and we are only on the 9th day!!

Last Wednesday, the teens here started off right with cooking and serving a meal to the family here where the proceeds go to the Youth Loft. By the way, I need to take some new shots of the room to let you know where we are so far and how much hard work Skip, Chad and Jeremy have put into it.

Then on Friday, 200 from the NS family came together in the evening for a Christmas celebration. It was a night full of eating, singing, poetry and fun! I am still on Cloud 9 from all the festivities!!

Saturday, several teens joined in with the Benevolence Ministry here to serve lunch and good cheer to families in need of this and surrounding communities.

Sunday evening, around 40 teens and family members gathered to record a CD of youth songs and even a few bonus Christmas tracks. Not quite there but we're working on it!!

Monday night, the Meat Eaters group decided to take the pizza that we were gonna eat and give it away in Jesus' name and spread good cheer in this great, holiday season. We gave a couple of pizzas to bell ringers at 2 different Wal-Marts, 1 to Salvation Army workers and 1 to some other hard workers. What a great night. It gave me and the teens warm fuzzies to work in God's world.

Random Shots

The above shot is some crazy guy having fun in Brazil with his fellow preachers and teachers of the word.

The next two are taken at Bison Daze at Harding University. Wild times they were!!

This one is from the Family Pumpkin Fest that Northside hosted.
Here is a shot of an extremely happy mommy and girlie bee!

Verse Memorization

Work on this verse for the week. I will be back tomorrow to share some long awaited pictures with you from our recent activities here at Northside.

Romans 13:14
"Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature."

Positive

I read this on Jim Gardner's blog this morning and thought that you would like to read it, too. It serves as a great reminder to us all that encouragement works better than hard criticism any day. How are you doing on this topic? Are you more prone to criticize or are you more likely to lift up? If you, like I, want change to occur in a person or program, try putting the positive foot forward first. Here are Jim's thoughts:

"How much slack are you willing to give to your ministers/elders?

This week has been like an epidemic. A wave of phone calls have poured in to me from friends and colleagues throughout the country struggling under the weight of criticism. Most of it is couched as "constructive criticism," but it is criticism nonetheless. The critic often never understands the depth of the wound inflicted on the man of God wholly devoted to the ministry.

When was the last time you expressed your gratitude to your spiritual mentors? When was the last time you told your minister you appreciate him? When was the last time you took an elder and his wife to lunch as an expression of appreciation for their spiritual work?

The words of Chuck Swindoll are ideal for this circumstance: "Be tolerant with your (shepherd). A better word is patient. Try your best not to be too demanding or set your expectations too high. Multiply your own requests by however many there are in your church, and you'll have some idea of what the shepherd of the flock must live with. Be very understanding...Pray for him! Encourage him! When you do, you'll find him all the more willing to serve the Lord among you" (Hope Again, p. 226).

Is your minister not your ideal guy? Cut him some slack. Are your elders stuck in neutral? Try encouragement rather than criticism. As we Fresnans can attest, lofty expectations can be an ideal setup for great disappointment. Rather than cutting critique, why not try a compliment or two? As one who's blessed by a congregation with an unusual measure of encouragement to me, I can testify that it does a minister of the Word wonders.

Give it a try with your leaders beginning this Sunday!"

Quote Of The Day

"The gospel is not after-death fire insurance, nor is it merely personal peace and serenity in the here and now. More, the gospel invites us to participate in the kingdom of God, that long-awaited rule of God, in which the rebellion, with its corollaries of lust and violence and greed and self-seeking, is undone. The gospel invites us to follow in the way of Jesus, who embodies for us the way of the kingdom." Lee C. Camp

Out of the Woods

Well, I'm finally back to somewhat of a functioning order now that my bout last week (from Wednesday afternoon to Friday evening) with a nasty stomach virus is over.

Just to catch you up:

Had a great Bible study tonight at my house with 20 God-hungry students. Very thought-provoking stuff tonight.

For those of you keeping up with memorization, here it is:

Matthew 11:28-30
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Of Donkeys And Elephants

The party lines have been drawn. Are you blue or red?

It's more than that, though. I believe that making Christian choices runs deeper than either party or the platform on which they stand.

I'm not endorsing McCain in this blog.

I'm not endorsing Obama in this blog.

I'm endorsing Christ.

We Christians, if we truly follow Christ the way He wants, will not take a "top down" approach with the government leading in His power, but will take the hearts of servants and serve our neighbors, enemies and any that fall between these two areas (Mark 10:42-44).

The American mantle of power should never be used by those truly seeking to be disciples of Christ. It is not The Way.

I will post pics and stories of the weekend later on but for now I will leave you with the words of minister Bill Tibert about how we should be as American Christians.

"During the 1960s and '70s there was an antiwar slogan that asked, "What if they gave a war and nobody came?" The point was what if there was a declaration of war and all the people just refused to participate? What if there were abortion clinics but nobody went in? What if abortion was a legal choice, but it was a choice nobody took? Changes in the law, blocking abortion clinics, demeaning name-calling will not stop abortions. The history of the church through the ages has been the history of changes brought about in society through the church demonstrating and living an alternative vision of life. We need to stop telling our nonbelieving neighbors how wrong their way of life is, and we need to start showing the power of the gospel in the way we live....Let me ask you: Which has greater power? Ten thousand people who fill the streets in front of abortion clinics and shame those seeking abortions, or ten thousand people in California who take to the state capital a petition they have signed stating that they will take any unwanted child of any age, any color, any physical condition so that they can love that child in the name of Jesus Christ?"

Memorize and Recite

I will be back tomorrow with thoughts and pics about the long weekend and my birthday. In the meantime, while I spend some long needed time with my wife and daughter, meditate on these verses and commit them to memory.

Psalm 139:23-24
"Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting."

Strive to Transcend the Quarrel

I have been thinking about this for several years and wanted to share this with you now. My friend, Allan Stanglin, has blogged about this in the past few days and I want to post them here. I do this simply to elicit a response from you, dear readers. Let me know here or by email or even by facebook as many of you have in the past.

(A Spirit Of Unity)
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” ~Romans 15:7

Romans 14 gives us the background for the above exhortation from the apostle Paul. There are two groups of Christians in this church in Rome. Weak and strong. Paul’s words. The weak believers are vegetarians. The strong believers enjoy a good steak. The weak brothers keep all the Jewish holy days. The strong brothers don’t. The weak Christians are developing all kinds of elaborate worship and lifestyle theologies and drawing lines in the sand over what’s right and what’s wrong. The strong Christians don’t have very many lines and they’re not as concerned about which worship and lifestyle practices are right or wrong. The weak are criticizing the strong for being spiritually insensitive. The strong are looking down on the weak for being spiritually immature and inferior. The strong proclaim freedom in Christ. The weak say that doesn’t mean anything goes. The weak tell the strong, “You’re wrong.” The strong tell the weak, “Grow up.”

Over what?

Over food. Over days. Over worship styles and traditions. The use of technology. Women’s roles. Alcohol. Praise teams. Divorce and remarriage. Clapping. Creeds. Dancing. Songleaders. Preachers(!) Small groups. Bible translations. Politics.

Are you a weak Christian or a strong Christian? Again, these are Paul’s words. Is your faith weak or is it strong? According to what Paul’s talking about in Romans 14, which are you? Are you the one who worries and frets and draws lines in the sand and develops intricate tests of fellowship for other Christians? Or are you the one who has a total grasp on our salvation in Christ and understands that the things we argue about and worry about don’t really matter at all? Are you the weak brother or sister? Or the strong?

What is it that makes you strong? What is it that makes you weak? If I were to ask somebody else about you—whether your faith is strong or weak in this context—what would they say about you? Why would they say it? What do they see or experience in you that makes them think that way?

Romans 14:1-4 > Nobody looks down on anybody. Nobody condemns anybody. For God has accepted him. Accepted whom? Who has God accepted? The brother or sister or groups of brothers and sisters who disagree with me on this church tradition or who don’t see eye to eye with me on this disputable matter, this matter of opinion that should not in any way divide the Lord’s Body. You’re not his master. Christ Jesus as Lord is his master. Not you. Whether he stands or falls is up to our Lord. Whether he’s right or wrong is up to our Lord. And Paul goes ahead and makes the call. He’ll stand! Whether he agrees with you or not. Whether y’all are on the same page or not. He’ll stand because he’s in Christ. So, you accept him because Jesus accepts him. Christ died for him, Paul says. What are you doing?

Romans 14:5-8 > Each of us should be fully convinced in our minds that what we’re doing is the right thing to do in the eyes of our God, but don’t bind that on another brother who doesn’t feel that way. If he practices something different, we assume we’re both doing it to the Lord, before the Lord, in the presence of the Lord with a clear conscience. We assume that my sister with a different belief or a different practice is not believing flippantly or practicing casually. She’s doing it with careful study and reflection and prayer and conviction. She’s fully convinced in her mind that she’s doing the right thing. So everything’s OK.

Paul is calling for unity in Spirit here. Not unity in opinion, not unity in practice, not even unity in belief. And he’s dealing with what at this time in the Church were huge issues. Unity comes with where your heart is. What’s your motivation? What drives you? Who are you thinking about?

Paul clearly identifies himself as one of the strong. But it’s interesting to me that he doesn’t say the weak need to change their minds or their opinions or their practices. In fact, he goes so far as to command them not to change their practices unless their minds are fully convinced. Paul’s prayer is not that all the Christians in Rome come to the same opinions on these things. No. He’s praying that they may possess a spirit of unity that transcends the differences.


(A Spirit Of Unity, part II)
“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” ~Romans 15:5-6

“Has it ever occurred to you that one thousand pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one thousand worshippers meeting together, each one looking to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become unity conscious and turn their eyes away from Jesus to strive for closer fellowship.” ~A. W. Tozer

What if we’re talking about a “salvation issue?”

What’s a “salvation issue?” Will somebody please tell me what a “salvation issue” is? We get into discussions about “salvation issues” and we start ranking things in order of importance to God, in terms of what’s going to save us or condemn us. And we’ll talk about baptism and church and the authority of Scripture and worship practices. But we never talk about helping the poor or being kind to our enemies. Scripture says those are actually the weightier matters.

They’re all salvation issues! Everything we do is a salvation issue! That’s why the heart is the most important thing. The attitude is the most important thing.

“The Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.” ~Romans 14:17

As children of God and followers of the King, we take our example, we take our inspiration and motivation, from Jesus. The Son of God is the one who motivates us to live with each other the way we do. We realize that Christ Jesus never once did anything to please himself. Instead, he gave up everything, he sacrificed everything, to benefit and build up others. And by choosing to serve others instead of please himself, Jesus sets the pattern that we must accept as our own. Putting others first. Putting the needs of others first. It’s never about me. It’s always about you.

It’s not about hands. It’s about hearts. It’s never about hands, whether they’re raised or clapping. It’s always about hearts, whether they’re pure and holy.

And Paul puts it on the strong. It’s up to the strong, not the weak, to make sure this happens in God’s Church. It’s on the strong to bear with the failings of the weak brother. That’s hard. It’s up to the strong to make the sacrifices and concessions to our weaker brothers and sisters. That’s not easy. It’s easier to be the weaker Christian, drawing lines and insisting everybody cater to me. It’s the strong, Paul says, who are able to grasp the truth that our love and mercy and grace to others is Christ-like.

Here’s what separates the strong Christians from the weak. Bottom line. Here it is. Strong Christians with strong faith realize that the more you sacrifice and the more you give up for others, the more Christ-like you are. The more you insist on your own way and the more you assert yourself for your own interests, the less like Christ you are. Pretty simple.

So if all of us, all thousand of us here at Legacy, all-how-ever-many-there-are at your church, if all of us to a person decided right now today that we put ourselves at the end of the line, that we would all bend over backwards to make everybody else happy and sacrifice our own feelings and desires in order to build up others—if we all did that—wow! If we all accepted each other just like Christ; if we all bore the failings of the weak just like Christ; if we all pleased our neighbor for his good just like Christ; it still wouldn’t result in a perfect church. It won’t eliminate our differences of opinion. It won’t do away with all arguments and debate. But it would mean figuring out how to live together. And we’ll know for sure that the Christ who unites us is greater by far than the differences that may divide us. And our grace-filled conversations and our mercy-laden interactions with each other will reflect that conviction."

Knowing His Word

I have been listening to the thoughts and sermons of Ray Van Der Laan recently and have found them extremely inspiring. One of the great thoughts he discussed (not original with him-I believe it came from a prolific Rabbi named Akiva) was the fact that it is important for us to promote memorization of God's word with our teens, students and adults. The idea is not that rote memorization, in and of itself, is to be pressed, but that knowing God's word inside and out is!

I have heard all this before. Here is what hooked me in, though. Akiva said that we should take one passage (and I believe we can be free with our interpretation of that word-whether it mean book, chapter, small paragraph or single verse) and work on memorization all day long. If we remember it the next day after all that work, then that's great and we've got it. If, however, we do not remember it we don't need to worry. Let God worry about that because it's in there somewhere and He will pull it out for us when we need it the most in our lives.

What do you think about that?!? God knows what He is doing. And if we truly work on remembering His word each day, He will take care that it is at our fingertips when we need it the most.

So work on what you can and I mean work at it and let God take the rest.
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If you would like to do this with us, I will post the verse every Monday starting next week. Here is the verse that the Meat Eaters group worked on Monday night.

Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

Cleaning Out The Inside

I started a new study with my teens at Meat Eaters (an evening of digging into the deeper meat of the word) tonight. We are looking at the book 'Renovation of the Heart: The Student Edition' by Dallas Willard and Randy Frazee. I have to say that it was one of the best studies we have had in a long time. There was a lot of discussion. Even some of my quieter students jumped into the conversation. I am very excited about what happened tonight and I look forward to what will come in the nights ahead!! I will blog more about this tomorrow.

Bison Dazed and Confused

Here at Harding University with some teens for Bison Daze (a great way for 9-12 graders to get to know HU and all it has to offer) weekend which actually coincides with Homecoming as well!! We have been having fun but today will be the best because we get to catch the family picnic on the GAC lawn as well as the football game this afternoon with a capping off of the evening with the Harding Theatre Homecoming Production of "Oklahoma." I am looking forward to it!!!! Be back later some time with pics.

Harding and Meat Sauce

A great saying that I saw on a T-Shirt at my cousin Kristen's soccer game over the weekend:

"Vi Vill Vinna,
Vi Vill Ta Dem,
Vi Vill Gora Kott Sas Ote Om Dem!"

Translation from Swedish to English:
"We Will Win,
We Will Take Them,
We Will Make Meat Sauce Out Of Them!"

I want that shirt!!
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A group of teens are going with me this weekend to Bison Daze at Harding University. It will be great to catch a few games, sit in on some classes (including Keith Stanglin's Comparative Theology or something by him), and hang out with some weird people!

Family Pics

Here are some great weekend pics of family that I promised!!

The whole group from left: Kristen, Kameron, Misti, Dad, Jeff holding Brenden, Uncle Dave, Me and Mom!

At the Soccer field in Dallas watching Kristen and the girls from DePauw University in Indiana dominate the girls from TX!! Dad's nickname for the weekend was 'Rorb' for wearing those awful, Roy Orbison glasses. And Jeff is not my brother-in-law/He is my sister's husband!!!

On the field after the game!

A.M. Worship Service

I preached this morning from Mark 8 and I have to admit that I feel pretty good about it. I also must tell you that I stole shamelessly from my friends Jim Gardner and Allan Stanglin as well as other great speakers I don't know: Ray Van Der Laan and Rob Bell. The combination was powerhouse! When I have it on mp3 format I will put it here for any family that would like to hear it.

Kevin Smith brought his powerful voice in to lead us in worship. Kevin is a low Bass, but he is also able to take it on up there to the roof! He has quite a range and for that I am jealous.

All in all, I would say this morning was a nice time of worshiping our God.

Family

Early Friday morning, I left for TX to have a nice, albeit short, visit with my family including my Uncle Dave and Kristen, who I have not seen in many years. I will blog later with stories and pictures of the family gathering.

Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University

Something has happened in our (El and me) lives that has changed us completely. Three words sum it up: Financial Peace University! Ever since we started this program in August, we have been changed in many great ways.

First, I (the Free Spirit of the family) have become frugal. Let me type that again. I have become a frugal spender! Anyone that knows me and my burning pockets would be skeptical of this transformation but it's true. And El can attest to that. I don't buy anymore. I just don't do it.

Second, El and I have put our heads together in such a big way on spending and budgets and cash flow and snowballing that we can see more than a glimpse of light at the end of the debt-laden tunnel. Our relationship to money is being reshaped into something I thought would never be. Amazing stuff!

Third, and most importantly, we have grown even closer together in this process. We are not the well-oiled machine that we can be, but we are mighty close. We are not only pumped about debt reduction but also about our sudden renewal in relationship!! We work together. On it all!! I can't even touch the hem of the garment with this stuff, I tell ya!

If you have the chance to be part of FPU, jump on it. It will make all the difference in the world. Is it easy? No. Does it work in such a big way that you are changed and left wondering why you never did this before? YES!!!
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All of this brings me to the other thoughts that are being formulated about the world and money. I will be back later in the day with that.

I'm Not A Big Fan of Bumper Stickers But...

I read this one the other day and agreed heartily:
"When Satan Reminds you of your past, Repent and Remind him of his future!"
Pretty cool and accurate.
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I read an article today about exorbitant salaries and am now formulating my thoughts for tomorrow's blog.

Pic Gallery

Some Pics of the Youth Loft before we begin construction on it this week!

Northside Youth Loft

I am so glad to say that the unfinished room upstairs in Northside's Outreach Building is going to soon become the Youth Loft! 8 hard-working souls made it up to the building this morning to clean out what will soon be our new space for teen (7-12) class, devotionals, meetings, playing and just plain hanging.

I knew the number would be low with Race For the Cure and Silver Dollar City Church of Christ Family Weekend going on, but it is the second Saturday and I wasn't able to go to either of those, so I thought it would be a great time to get this thing shaped up! We worked hard for a little over 2 and a half hours and...we got it done!!!!! YEAH!!

Big thanks to Stephanie Howell for doing some work earlier this week. Also to Chad McNew, Brad Ferrell, Leavon Bowers, Melita Porter, Logan Porter, Elizabeth Mitchell, and even little Boodle! I thank you from the bottom of my heart! So does the rest of the youth group and parents.

I will post pictures as the new Northside Youth Room progresses.

I'm In The Mood To Read

I would like to know, by you Christian scholars and readers out there, what your top 5 picks are in Christian books. Now, they can be anything-technical, doctrinal, devotional, fictional, etc. Just let me know by comment or email what you would consider 'must-reads' in this arena. I can't wait to hear from you!!

Under The Weather

I have been away for a while from my post and I am truly sorry! For the past few weeks, I have been blowing and going 90 miles a minute.

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege to work with Jim Gardner and the Woodward Park Church of Christ in Fresno, CA, at their annual Spiritual Growth Workshop. 'What a joy' that was!! I was able to meet some great people (Frizzells, Holmans, Knutsons, Wiegand, among others) and hear some of the better thinkers and speakers (Dan Williams, Allan Stanglin, Eli Hooper, etc.) in the brotherhood.

I had to leave earlier than I wanted, but I hope to be seeing and working with them again soon.
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I then flew back in late Saturday night to get ready for our Mission Sunday. What a success!! We raised the money we were shooting for and we're getting ready to renew and strengthen the hard work that is being done in Africa as well as the Hispanic and Asian communities here in our own back yard!

I am truly excited about the work that is being done by the Northside congregation.
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Then I left the next day for the Harding University Lectureships. Got to hear some more great thinkers and speakers preach from my favorite gospel-John! That's always great to me!
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Then, when everything was looking up for blogging again, I got sick! So sick that I couldn't even stay awake for one of my favorite television shows-Heroes!! Now, that's pretty bad sick, I would say.
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Anyway, I'm back now and, even though my voice sounds like a frog in a blender (or kettle, for those Barna fans out there), I'm ready to do some more prep work for my Sunday morning class that's been going on this quarter-Praise 101 (devotionals, new songs, old songs and "making of" stories) is going strong. There just isn't enough class space for almost 100 people.

You can see the list on the right of newer songs that we are learning in this class. I will post them every week as we learn them.

A Celebrity On My Plane

So I'm in LA waiting on my plane for Chicago when a young girl walks in to board for the first class call. Accompanied by an older gentleman carrying her bags, she arrived just in time for them to open the door and call for first class passengers.

I thought that she might be a celeb since the man did not get on with her but watched her all the way to the plane. And since she had some pretty big shades on. At first I thought it was Lindsay Lohan-the long red hair threw me off. But then as I looked at her face a little closer, I thought that it might be Rumer Willis, the daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore.

So just now I googled her name to see if any snooping photog might have gotten her on Saturday as she prepared to travel. I hit the jackpot!! It was Rumer Willis. On my plane to Chicago. Pretty cool.

That brings me to number 8 on my celebrity sightings.

Fed From The Word

These past 2 weeks I have been privileged to hear fresh insight from the study of God's word. Between the Spiritual Growth Workshop in Fresno, CA last week and the Harding Lectureship here in Searcy, AR this week, I am a blessed man!! To hear from the likes of Dan Williams, Allan Stanglin, Mark Shipp, Adrian Hickmon, Brandon Holt, Eli Hooper and many others is to be truly fed!

I am hanging out with a wild father and son team while here. Mike and Chad Knappier have allowed me to stay in their room with them and we are running all over creation. We're having too much fun. Too much fun and we need to be separated in order to stay out of trouble.

I will tell you more all about it when I get back to my own personal computer.

Celebrity In And Out Of The Brotherhood

First off, I have to tell you about the celebrity I spotted in Los Angeles on Tuesday. It was none other than this man:












He sang lead in an early 80's punk rock band with a name that I will leave off of this post for the faint of heart. You might know him and you might not. If you do, then you will know why I chose not to approach!! If you don't, then I suggest you watch any television interview with the man and you will see why immediately!
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As to celebrity in the brotherhood: I am in the midst of it!! It has been 'such a joy' to work and worship with the likes of Jim Gardner, Allan Stanglin, Truitt Adair (director of Sunset School of Preaching), Dan Williams (Small Groups and Family/Marital Counseling Guru), Brandon Holt (grandson of G.P.), Eli Hooper (go-to guy for anything youth related on the west coast), John Wiegand (editor of Praise For The Lord songbook), among many others that I have yet to hear.

I look forward to the blessings of God through Kerry Williams, his father Stan, Nick Perez, and others on the list.

This workshop is a veritable who's who in the churches of Christ!! It's quite exciting to me!

"California, California, Here We Come!"

OK, so I am already in California, but I thought the quote from Phantom Planet's song would do quite nicely for a title since it is streaming nonstop through my head.

I am so excited to be back with my old buddy, Jim. But, I am even more excited to be with Mandy and the girls!! Don't tell Jim. Mandy made her world-famous chicken enchiladas last night and I stuffed myself silly. So good!

I got to meet Andy and Ashley Frizzell, the new Youth Minister and his wife. They are a great couple already working hard here in the beautiful city of Fresno. I can't wait to get to know them better.

Jim has taken me around and shown me many of the sights, but I left my camera sitting on the counter back at home! I always forget something. The Gardners have a camera, though, and they said I could use it to get some great shots in. I will take them up on that!!

One of the cool things about this place is the abundance of ethnic food restaurants. I look forward to eating some Thai, Armenian and whatever else great pops up along the way! So cool!

I will blog again soon with some pics and a story about the celebrity I encountered in Los Angeles.

Special Thanks

I just want to specially thank some people for things they have done recently. Here goes:

Special thanks to Stephanie Howell for 'wearing herself slick' and sick working the teen rummage sale last Saturday! Add to that list El, Brenda G, Griselda T, Wendy C, Karen B, Lisa G, Missy Mc, Josh H, Alden M, Luis S, and all the teens that helped.

Special thanks to Greg and Marvelyn Tapp for sharing with the teens the importance of financial responsibility.

Special thanks to the men who have undertaken the huge responsibility of leading Life Groups.

Special thanks to Wilma Lunsford for just being who she is. You know!!

Special thanks to Ed Butterworth for mowing (even scalping) my lawn and enduring an unexpected yellowjacket sting in the process.

Special thanks to Fernando Toledo for all the hard work that he has put in for the Hispanic Ministry and just plain having a heart of gold!! An amazing man!

Special thanks to Mike Knappier, Joel Lewis, Fernando Toledo, Linda Pike, and Joyce Smith for putting up with the likes of me on a daily basis.

Special thanks to Eric Lewis for his constant energy and encouragement.

There will be more to come later...

Held Through It All

May God bless you with healing and peace as you go through this day. As we remember the tragedy that befell our country 7 years ago, I hope that we realize that God is not watching 'from a distance', but is with us in our hearts everywhere we go. He will take us/carry us/hold us through our pain and our grief. I leave you this morning with a beautiful Natalie Grant song (introduced to me by my sister, Misti) that is so fitting for such a time as this.

"Two months is too little.
They let him go.
They had no sudden healing.
To think that providence would
Take a child from his mother while she prays
Is appalling.

Who told us we'd be rescued?
What has changed and why should we be saved from nightmares?
We're asking why this happens
To us who have died to live?
It's unfair.

This hand is bitterness.
We want to taste it, let the hatred know our sorrow.
The wise hands opens slowly to lilies of the valley and tomorrow.

If hope is born of suffering.
If this is only the beginning.
Can we not wait for one hour watching for our Savior?

This is what it means to be held.
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive.
This is what it is to be loved.
And to know that the promise was
When everything fell we'd be held."

Little Growth

Just wanted you 'Brothers of the Brush' to know how I am coming along with my beard. Almost a week in and I have a little growth.

So I have come from this:


To this:

Epiphyseal Plate

"Tuesday afternoon, I was just sitting down to a bible study with Dannie S when my cell rang. There had been a mishap at daycare and Jenniva couldn't stand on her right leg. I immediately took her to the Dr. and had it X-Rayed. Not broken. But severely bruised and swollen. She still won't stand on it. Keep little Boodle in your prayers."

This quote is taken directly from my blog post Friday morning. Later that evening, El and I were called by the Pediatrician. The Radiologist saw what she didn't. It has been fractured! Boodle has what they call a 'Toddler Fracture.' It will not be set in a cast but will heal over the course of 2-3 weeks. It broke on the growth plate. Really sad. Please keep us in your prayers.

Catching You Up

Got to spend a few days with dear friends of ours - Allan, Carrie Ann, Whitney, Valerie and Carly Stanglin, this past weekend!! Allan came in to speak for our 5th Sunday and was amazing! We got to spend some quality time together and laugh about old times and ponder some present times with bright hope for the future. We also just played. Backgammon, PS3, Would You Rather, Cranium and threw around the football. I miss them so much and can't wait to do it again soon!

Tuesday afternoon, I was just sitting down to a bible study with Dannie S when my cell rang. There had been a mishap at daycare and Jenniva couldn't stand on her right leg. I immediately took her to the Dr. and had it X-Rayed. Not broken. But severely bruised and swollen. She still won't stand on it. Keep little Boodle in your prayers.

So, instead of going to the Salt Bowl, I stayed at home with Boodle while Gustav came a-knockin'. The lights went out at about 7:20 and came back on around 10:00. Fun times!! I was sure glad that Bob had given me that wind-up flashlight I thought I would never use. Well, I have used it and love it now!

Last night, El and I were stressed beyond that point as we headed to our first evening of Financial Peace University with Dave Ramsey. Why were we stressed? Finances. Today is the closing date of our house in Marble Falls! That's a good thing. That's a great thing!!! But, the closing costs were a little more than we calculated and that is where all the stress came in.

So, now I look like this!

And I have decided to grow a beard (not necessarily because we can't afford a razor) and will soon look like this!
Well, maybe not that bad!! Sorry, Natalie Portman, I just don't think your boyfriend's look is what I'm gonna shoot for.

Beard Brothers

So my friend Clint S and I have decided to grow beards for this season!! I think even Ed B, now that he has a new job, will join in. We will be Beard Brothers!! Anyone else want to join in the fun?!?

Pictures of This and That

Here are some shots of things that have happened in my life recently.

Mom and Dad (AKA Bobba and NaNa) spent some time with us a few weekends ago. It was an awesome time!! I'm ready for them to come again.


This is what happens when you work shoulders with me!!


Boodle had a great time shopping with Kitty on Labor Day!

Barnabas

Son of Encouragement, right?

I have decided to adopt his stance in life. In all things.

The world is already full up with skeptics, pessimists, whiners, critics, complainers, curmudgeons...the list goes on and on.

And it's not only the worldly contained within this list. It's followers of Christ as well. Those of us who have been saved, called, blessed, exhorted, edified, forgiven, redeemed. We join in. Why? Why would we let the nasty junk of the world creep into our spirits?!?

I say no more!!!

So, I've decided to let God give me an uplifting makeover. I'm gonna let Him fill me with encouragement and help me dish it out to others in this world. Dish it out to...

Not only my Christian brothers and sisters but my community surrounding.

Not only my wife and sweet, little girl but my neighbors next door.

Not only my coworkers/coministers with whom I get along but the members in church who hurt my feelings/make me angry.

Not only those who smile and love me back but those who flip me off in traffic or cuss me out when I do something they don't like.

I am gonna be an equal opportunity encourager.

I ask you, Dear Reader, to come along and join me.

Out of Sorts

I didn't blog yesterday because I was just too out of it.

First off, I have been feeling a little under the weather (a cold trying to come on and an ugly fever blister-add to that an under the weather/cranky spanky baby girl) yet really happy at the same time.

Then mix in trying to get a lot done and plan and visit and mow and prepare for upcoming events-all keeping me out late at night.

Also, going to see one young and healthy member recover from a heart attack and some older members that are about to leave the hospital and go under hospice care has made me pretty blue.

This is getting me all out of sorts!

I tried to nuke some oatmeal in the fridge 2 times this morning! If that's not out of sorts, I don't know what is!!!!

And to top it all off, my partner in crime, Mike Knappier, has just played the worst of all pranks on me. I won't go into detail, but I will tell you that I deserved it from one huge mischievous prank that I pulled on him in June. It was coming. I knew it. But I just wasn't ready for it. It was, in the language of our newest minister, muy malo!!!

The Future's So Bright!

I woke up really early this morning!! 6 is not that early but it sure is for me on my day off. Especially after a nice, big Sunday with meetings in between meetings!

No, the reason I have graced the early morning with my presence is because I am just too excited to sleep!!!

Excited about the ministry at Northside. Here's why in a nutshell:

• We keep growing in number! People are placing membership with us every week.
• The youth group is getting massive! We are truly growing spiritually as well.
• There has been a reconciliation between NS and one Jim Gardner. 12 years in the making.
• We have a new full time minister on staff. Fernando T is our Hispanic Minister and I love him to pieces! He is a true servant of God and a man of the Word. He keeps baptizing 'em left and right. He is in the office right next to mine. I think I get too excited, though, because I get a little too loud and he laughs and then shuts the door!!!
• We are getting ready to begin small groups again and the response/need is overwhelming. We already have over 140 signed up. In one day!!
  
• Friendspeak is about to begin.
• Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University is about to begin.
• Our Sunday morning Children's Worship has gotten so big that we have had to move to 2 big rooms.
• Northside's beautiful voices increasingly continue to blow me away!

There is more and I will continue, but I must go tend to a Boodle who just woke up!

Fleshy Meat Arms!!

Just posted some improv done by Conner S, Leavon B and Johnson F on Youtube. Just note that this was done at around 5:40 in the a.m. at an overnight lock-in with Robinson and Center in Conway. The longest and strangest 6 minutes of my life! Johnson scares me sometimes. I really don't know what is funnier-the scary improv, the slaphappy giggles of Katie N and Savannah S, or the total lack of any kind of expression on the faces (due to being totally unimpressed) of everyone else in the audience. Look it up if you dare-Fleshy Meat Arms!!

Hairy and Not So Hairy Days

I was looking at some old pics that some friends on Facebook

posted and tagged the other day and found some doozies!!
Thought I would share them with you, dear readers.

Back in 1994 when I thought it would be cool to shave my head. Turned out not to be so cool!! And yes those were the days that I had a gross fixation with purple. You can't see them, but my shoes were even purple!


This was me and my "other family." Grew all this out for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in 2001 at Harding University. Don't I look like a mountain man?!?


There I am yet again with some extra bushiness going on!

A Great Start

We could not have had a better start for the week. My buddy, Jim Gardner, brought a great lesson this past Sunday morning. We had over 480 people in attendance!! That number is higher than we have been in a long while.

Many came from Hot Springs Village to hear Jim preach. It was amazing to see some old friends and catch up and talk about times past.

I was able to spend a good amount of time with Jim and talk about the old days and peek into the future.

Later that afternoon, something happened to 6 former 6th graders that were getting ready to graduate into the youth group. They were kidnapped! By the youth minister and those already in the youth group!! After all the scary stuff, we had a great time of eating and swimming at the Norris house!! There were 40 there to join in the fun. Brenda G was there as our photog. She took some great pics. I will post them as soon as I get them.

The Road

I just finished The Road by Cormac McCarthy and I have to admit that I cried a bit. OK, maybe I blubbered. It was such a great read, though. If you have not read McCarthy before, I tell you now that you must go out and get one of his books. The writing is unlike any other I have read and it took me a few pages to get accustomed to it, but once I did, I fell in love with the style. I believe you will, too. Great book!! I highly recommend it.

Recap

Yesterday was a bit more wild than I thought it would be. After the breakfast, I met with Cameron Cook and we worked on our evening Oasis worship last night, then I got to work on other things and totally forgot to fill you in on Tuesday's action packed events.

I was honored to be a part of CAC's revisioning of The Amazing Race! I was merely a driver. No more than that. And I was supposed to just go where they told me even when I knew our destination might be in the opposite direction! That was hard to do, but I managed pretty well.

We left the CAC parking lot and traveled to:

The Big Dam Bridge Road
Pulaski Tech (Old Expo Center)
Little Rock Zoo
UALR-Welcome Center & Fountain
Clinton Library
Somers Avenue Church of Christ
Linens N Things
Barnes and Noble
Target
The Old Mill
Sherwood Humane Society
Sylvan Hills Church of Christ

At these stops, the group would take pictures, find clues, meet new people, watch videos, play games and buy things. What a crazy day!! I had a lot of fun and I know the teens did. Can't wait to do it again soon.

The Amazing Race

I had a big day today with Central Arkansas Christian seniors in something like 'The Amazing Race.' I will fill you in about it tomorrow mid-morning when I get in to the office after our weekly 'Vision Wednesday Ministers Breakfast'.

Shredded Part III

A big part of the group wanted to be out in the rain so we went over to the Sloans valley and played in the rain and mud-relay races,
human pyramid,


a contest of best 3rd base slide (with 3rd base being a mud puddle),

Red Rover,



and some great wrap football in the grassy section.



We ended the night with a great time of singing and devotion to our Lord and Savior followed by stuffing ourselves with yummy food. Awesome times!! I am just so proud that we still had a huge number-60+!!

If you want to see more pics, go over to the NS Youth Facebook Page!

After all of that fun, I am just about shredded!!

Shredded Part II

The highlight of it all, however, was what happened on Sunday. Many of you already know that Murphy likes to follow me around. Murphy's been around before-butt surgery in a 3rd world country-Hurricane Dolly putting a halt to our Mexico mission. He came in the form of a huge thunderstorm with lots and lots of rain this time. On the day that was set for 70+ to go out on the lake!! The meteorologists called the storm an anomaly. It came out of nowhere!!

We made due, though! Instead of going to the lake, we decided to set up the Outreach Building for Rock Band on Wii, Guitar Hero on PS2, and some XBOX 360 games-all on big screens. Also some tables for Spoons and Risk.

Shredded Part I

This weekend was a big one! El left Friday morning to take little Boodle to spend the weekend with her GranMary since El was going out a blast of a time with the girls. Melissa S, Melissa P, Kelly D, Jessica T and El spent the weekend swimming and 'SeaDooing' at the lake.

While the girls were away, I had quite a blast of my own. Friday night, I traveled to Baptist Rehab Institute to baptize Haley Y. She and the rest of the family wanted Jared S, her cousin, to be in attendance and the only way for that to happen was if I would be willing to perform the ceremony in the Baptist Rehab Institute swimming pool. Of course I said yes! It was a great experience for all of us!!

On the way back, I talked to some of the guys from the youth group and we decided to go out to eat, watch a movie and hang out and goof off at my house for the night. They stayed over and we did not go to sleep until 4:00 in the morning. Davis fell asleep too soon and that just is not a good thing with a group of guys around. Come on, who wouldn't want to squirt mustard in an open mouth?!?

We got up the next morning a little before 8:00 and got ready to have Second Saturday Servants. 11 of us journeyed to Stoneybrook, Benton and Grace Healthcare Nursing Homes to sing some songs (both old and new) to the residents.

That evening my mom and dad came to spend the night on their way back to TX. It was good to spend just a little bit of time with them.

And Counting...

I want to let you know that I am getting a little apprehensive about the new number for the Back To School Lake Celebration over on Balboa at the home of Gary and Paula B! The number started out with a reasonable amount of 25. Then it went up to around 40. Now it is just scraping under 70!! When I talked with Paula B. this morning, I could hear a bit of 'overwhelmedness' in her voice! But, I think with 4 boats and more backyard and beach for the extra bodies, we should be OK. Gonna be awesome and wild, though!! I will make sure to post some pics when I get back from the fun in the sun.

The Last Big Hoorah!!

For those of you who have not read my email and for those of you who have not seen the Northside Youth Facebook Event page: We are going to have a Back-To-School Lake Balboa Celebration replete with boating, tubing, skiing and swimming this Sunday afternoon and evening!! The count so far is 25 and rising!!! If you want to come, let me know either by email, comment or phone call!

Ministry Can Wear You Slick!

Melissa S took this on the bus as we traveled to Austin, TX. Since I drove the van the whole way there and back, I missed out on this great Mike Knappier moment.

New Link

Today, while Boodle sitting, I added a link. Our youth group here at Northside has a facebook page devoted only to the happenings and thoughts of the youth ministry here in Benton, AR. It's becoming chock full of pics from former events and listings for the upcoming ones. Check it out.

The Joker's Wild!!

Just got back from seeing "The Dark Knight" yet again. This time on Imax. Wow! Even better the second time around. I thought that it was a bit ironic that my friend Paul P drove up in his "Batmobile" with his Batman shirt on and I showed up in a purple shirt and dark purple shades. Pretty cool. What follows is a little pictorial tribute to The Joker. One of my favorite comic book villains. Whether the comic gentleman (Nicholson) or the maniacal agent of anarchy (Ledger), The Joker has been a truly powerful force on screen.

Do you have any better pics of this villain that you could share with me? Send them to my email address.

My Next Door Neighbors Are Vampires

They are!!!

El and I started noticing that, once the building of the house to the left of us was completed, no one came. But, the lawn would be mowed & edged and the sidewalks would be swept every other week. The place continued to get spruced up and kept in more than decent shape when no one was looking. We still haven't seen them doing it.

At first we thought that it was being kept up by some sort of hired out lawn care people for the soon-to-be-residents, but that is not the case.

Our neighbors have moved in already!!

Just at some time when no one was awake.

I still have not seen them.

El has, though.

But only once.

At night!!

And they were scary.

I believe we have some vampires in our neighborhood.

Maybe it's because I am in the middle of a pretty scary vampire novel. Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me! Maybe they work the graveyard shift.

There's a whole lot of maybes that can be inserted. We could go on and on.

Let's face the facts here, though. They might be nocturnal bloodsucking fiends.

You decide.

People You Meet On The Journey

As many of you know, I am a complete goofball. I love to laugh, play and pull pranks.

But...

I do have a serious side to me and one of the aspects to this side is gleaning as much knowledge, wisdom, life application and work ethic as I can from colleagues, friends and mentors (not as many mentors as you might say, Larry!) along the way. What follows is a bit of what I have learned from these great people in my work.

Jim Gardner showed me how to 'do ministry.' I came in greener than a gourd and he carved off the greener bits here and there. It was not the easiest of processes, let me assure you! He taught me how to accentuate my strengths and daily improve upon my weaknesses. I learned how to just be with people through bible study and visitation. I learned how to improve my work ethic. I look to him as a prime example of what true preaching is all about - an intimate conversation with the audience. There is much more, but I will leave it at that for now.

Jim Dobbs imparted wisdom and love in what seemed like every breath. What an amazing man! I had a nickname for him while we worked together - Yoda. Everyone looked to him for counsel. I miss being around him on a weekly basis!

Greg Neill showed me how to get in there and get your hands dirty. I have never met a harder 'behind the scenes' worker who also was the full time preacher. He was always willing to bend over backwards to get the work done. What a true servant in the Kingdom.

Allan Stanglin rekindled a Godly passion within me. He brought such energy and tirelessness to the work that sometimes left my head spinning. I can't wait to see him in August!

Mike Knappier has helped me cultivate grace and grit in my ministry. Equally a man of extreme compassion and Godly confrontation, he has helped me understand that it is important to speak up when it comes to God's work and His people here on earth, but to do it with a spirit of love from above. I am still able to sit at his feet and I know I will continue to learn as we work together here in AR.

These are just a few of the great men that I have had to privilege to work and worship with along my journey. I'm sure there will be a part II somewhere along the way.

I Shall Change Your Name To...

Jimmy's Law!!!

As many of you may have already heard through the grapevine, the group of 25 did not make it to Mexico.

Can you say 'Hello Dolly?!?'

Due to Hurricane Dolly, we traveled no further south than Austin, TX. We stayed with some great families from the Brentwood Oaks congregation for a couple of nights and then hit a Red Roof Inn for the last night. God's plans are not our own and things like this remind us of Who is in control.

We wound up getting connected with some churches in the Austin area and doing some of God's work there. We did several things: cleaned outside and inside a church building-organized a benevolence pantry-organized a clothing area-purchased and filled (thanks Tony and Leslie!) 60 new backpacks with school supplies for children of non-English speaking immigrants-stuffed Prayer Bears for children-traveled door-to-door handing out 140 loaves of bread (tickets) in Jesus' name-played with kids in low rent apartment complexes-handed out bible correspondence courses in Spanish-pretty much found work in other parts of God's Awesome Creation!!

I would like to personally thank Sandy W for helping us with the accommodations with Brentwood, Tony and Leslie P for getting us in the groove with Westover Hills, Denise, Scott, and Rick for giving us something to do in the Austin area and all the Austin families and friends that supported us while there! What a great time of service in the kingdom!!

Murphy's Coming!

25 of us head down to take part in a mission to Matamoros, Mexico tomorrow. We will be meeting up with several other churches to do a combination of manual labor, service, devotionals, personal bible studies and a children's day.

We are staying overnight with families from the Brentwood Oaks Church of Christ in Austin tomorrow night, so it will be great to play catch up a little with Shay S, the youth guy there. It is going to be amazing!!

I believe that Murphy (from Murphy's Law fame) will make another appearance. The weather forecast has a tropical on the horizon that may or may not hit on Thursday. I think Murph likes me a little!!

I will be out until next Tuesday. I may or may not be able to blog during our stay there.

Til then - A Dios, Amigos!

Why So Serious?!?

What was, I thought, just a small group of students and parents who made plans to stay up late after the final night of a rousing VBS and view the special premiere of the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight, became much more than I thought. It went from 20 to 30. Then it climbed to 35. And now it has tipped up over the 40 mark. It may even be 50. Wild!!

Anyway, I know I am just begging to wear my body and brain out again by staying up for a midnight movie after a full week of VBS. It is just too much fun!

The above picture was created some students (Tyler, Jennifer, Wayne, Parker, and Cole) in my youth group and their friends that will soon be in the group whether they know it or not. I just had to share it with you because I think that they did an amazing job.

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VBS was wondermous!! Dawn Mitchell is a powerhouse leader and worker! I will post some blogs and pics in the near future.

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Boodle did great during the procedure this morning. The scope showed clear shots of upper GI. They did a biopsy and we will get the results on the 30th. She and El are at home getting some well deserved rest. Thank you for your prayers!!

Keep Praying

The neurologist gave some good words to friends and family of Jared Swaim yesterday afternoon. He feels good about the situation and believes he will make it back albeit through a long recovery period. So, thank you for all the prayers that you have been lifting up!! There is such power in this.

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Mark Gober was opening his eyes and smiling yesterday afternoon when Mike and I went to see him. His platelets are rising to better levels and he is becoming more and more responsive. God is more powerful than we could ever realize, isn't He? Thank you for your prayers.

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We are taking Boodle in to Children's Hospital this morning for an upper GI Endoscopy. She has severe acid reflux and the gastroenterologist wants to take a closer look at her problem. Please pray for her and us as we do this. The procedure is set to happen at 11:00 this morning. I will post again today to keep you updated.

In Need of Prayers

One of our young men here at Northside, Jared Swaim, age 24, is in critical condition at the Saline Memorial Hospital. His parents, Freddy and Paula S, as well as his grandparents, Fred and Edith S, and Jessie Mitchell are members of our congregation. Please lift them all up to God at this very moment. Thank you.

At Long Last III

Just a cute pic with a happy little Boodle!

Lock-In Madness with R & C in Conway. This shot was taken at 7 the next morning when all had been said and done. Some were still asleep in the pews while others didn't have the power to stay all night and left at around 1 or 2 a.m.

Some students taking over my office iMac. That happens a lot these days!!

At Long Last II

The oldest boys cabin making fun of their fearless leader! I can't believe it.


Random shot of us waiting in the van for the rest of the travelers to go see Acapella in concert at Harding University.

Some of Northside's great chaperones. Really, where could you find any better?!?

Random Melissa and Steven P (I mean soon-to-be R) shot. With guest appearances by Steven's mom, Allison F and an arm!