Quote Of The Day

"Seize the day by seeking its Maker. Revise the bumper sticker slightly, to read Carpe Deum: 'Seize God'-and don't let go! If you have never reached for His powerful hand before, you're in for a great adventure. He alone is the source of true passion for all you do in life." - David Jeremiah

New Singing Group

Last night was the first meeting of the new singing quintet that has yet to be named. Jason B, Philip H, Cade S, Chad T and I met together in my office and knocked out some great tunes together! I have to say that we don't sound too shabby. Cade takes a powerful lead, I sing alto and Chad brings the smooth tenor while Jason and Philip work the baritone and bass blend. For our first meeting all together, we mixed/blended well. I came away highly impressed with the sound. One of our elders walked in and we let him be our audience for a while. Our first performance will be this coming Tuesday at the Diamante Country Club in Hot Springs Village. It is going to be a great night. Just can't wait for this to be a regular thing!!

Quote For All Christians

"Americans of all ages are inundated with media and entertainment options. Yet Mosaics and Busters consume more hours of media from more sources than do older generations. Many enjoy immensely the latest hot movie, music, website or pop culture buzz. Technologies connect young people to information and each other-and power their self-expression and creativity-in ways older adults do not appreciate.

Young people engage in a nearly constant search for fresh experiences and new sources of motivation. They want to try things out themselves, disdaining self-proclaimed experts and "talking head" presentations. If something doesn't work for them, or if they are not permitted to participate in the process, they quickly move on to something that grabs them. They prefer casual and comfortable to stuffy and stilted. They view life in a nonlinear, chaotic way, which means they don't mind contradiction and ambiguity. They may tell someone what that person wants to hear, but then do whatever they desire.

Spirituality is important to young adults, but many consider it just one element of a successful, eclectic life. Fewer than one out of ten young adults mention faith as their top priority, despite the fact that the vast majority of Busters and Mosaics attended a Christian church during their high school years. Most young people who were involved in a church as a teenager disengage in church life and often from Christianity at some point during early adulthood, creating a deficit of young talent, energy, and leadership in many congregations. While this is not a uniquely Buster or Mosaic phenomenon-many Boomers did this too-our tracking research suggests that today young people are less likely to return to church later, even when they become parents." - from unChristian by David Kinnaman

All About It

Monday night was a blast over at the Farmer residence with some great grilling out, fellowship and winding it up (I prefer up to down because the message should bring pump) at the end of the night with a devotional lesson. The Farmers are awesome and I can't wait to do it again!! Thank you John, Stephanie and clan!!!
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Last night, El and I went out on the town with our new friends, Clint and Melissa Smith. We hit Chili's and had some good eats and then traveled over to the Robinson Center in Little Rock to catch the Classical Mystery Tour. We rocked out to the music of The Beatles for at least 2 and a half hours. These men were spot-on! And they were backed by the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra!! Wow, what a night!!! Take a look here at their website.
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You'll notice that I have been adding songs to the list of what our congregation here is learning. I am overwhelmed at the willingness (and rapid ability) of this particular congregation to learn 1 or 2 new songs on Sunday mornings. It is amazing. The Howell, Norris and Lunsford families are constantly giving me ideas and sheet music to lead in our Sunday worship services. I have also been blessed to make friends with the one and only Jerome Williams who has sent me a binder chock-full of sheet music for new songs!! I am pumped up!!
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I am starting up a quintet of guys around my age in the Central Arkansas area. We will do contemporary Christian and Praise songs. We'll be performing our first show this Tuesday the 29th for the VCOC See The Possibilities banquet at the Diamante Country Club.

Add to that the fact that we have a new bass singer here in our church family! I am starting up another new group (primarily Southern Gospel) with Kevin S singing grumbly low bass with Mike K and Joel L exchanging tenor and lead parts. On good days, he can go down with the likes of JD Sumner! Now, that is awe-inspiring!
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I guess you could say that things are going extremely well here in Benton, AR!

Top Priority

"After riding in a car with a friend's daughter who was constantly taking cell phone calls, I set a rule for my daughter and me. When we ride in a car, are shopping, at a restaurant etc., we don't take a call on the cell phone. There are a few exceptions such as a call from her mother or if I leave work to pick her up at school, but generally, the time is not to be interrupted." - Peter (Play of the Day Subcriber)

That is some great advice. Our time together with family should be top priority. Teens and Parents: Shut off the technology and live in the moment with your family and loved ones.

Man Meat?!?

Upon finding out that my wife would be gone 'til 11:30 last night and GranMary was going to pick up Boodle for the weekend, I set out contacting a few guy friends to spend the night doing manly things!

My excitement was met with trepidation, however, when I shouted out to my friends that we should go out and watch a man movie followed by going to a restaurant and eating man meat. They stepped back and looked at me like I was weird. I finally understood that the wording should have been different!!

Anyway, we went out to The Rave in Little Rock to see the new Ben Stein movie "Expelled" in a surprisingly sold out theater. If you have not seen this, you gotta go. Great for the apologist!

Later we headed over to Gaucho's for a feast Churrascaria-style!! All the meat you could eat with all the fixin's! Needless to say, we were stuffed silly. Won't go there again for a long time.

It was a great night out with the guys. Have to do that again soon!
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I have to add this - all that food and I am still down 22 pounds!! Man, I am feeling better than I have in a long time!

What's On Your MP3 Player?

I saw this blog entry on the site of my friend, Brian Nicklaus. And I thought that I would do the same thing. Here is what I have currently on my iPod nano. Now, let me begin by saying that I am a mixture of eclectic and eccentric. Here goes:

1. One playlist is nothing but Air Supply, Kenny Loggins and Christopher Cross. Don't think any less of me, though.

2. Another is Classic Country with the staples like Jones, Nelson, Haggard, Jennings, Cash and even further back Husky, Whitman, Horton, the Browns etc., with a little Statler, Oak Ridge, Alabama thrown in for good measure.

3. One playlist I have dubbed REOJourncago with all the hits of you know who.

4. Some great Southern Gospel with the likes of Gaither Vocal Band, JD Sumner and the Stamps, Statlers (again), and my favorite - Ernie Haase and the Signature Sound.

5. Some great songs from the best Musicals on the planet. Remember, I got my undergrad degree in musical theatre.

6. The best hits (Rock and Pop) from today.

7. Contemporary Christian and Praise Songs.

8. And finally, many thought-provoking podcasts from Ray Vanderlaan. Really great stuff!!

SO...what is on your MP3 player?!?

Fathers Don't Lose Your Cool

"April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and eighty percent of child abuse cases involve parents lashing out at their children in anger. The main culprits are fathers and stepfathers who blow their cool and physically abuse, emotionally abuse or neglect those most dependent upon them.

So if you have a bad temper, remember one of the All Pro Dad principles – Discipline with a Gentle Spirit. When you get riled up, it’s OK to take a few minutes to calm down before addressing the situation.

Remember, it’s a change of your child’s heart that you’re after. And that comes by tenderness, not violence." - Bryan Davis

Quote Of The Day

"Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein." - H. Jackson Brown Jr.

A Passionate Longing

"Some years into our spiritual journey, after the waves of anticipation that mark the beginning of any pilgrimage have begun to ebb into life's middle years of service and busyness, a voice speaks to us in the midst of all we are doing. There is something missing in all of this, it suggests. There is something more.

The voice often comes in the middle of the night or the early hours of morning, when our hearts are most unedited or vulnerable. At first, we mistake the source of this voice and assume it is just our imagination. We fluff up our pillow, roll over, and go back to sleep. Days, weeks, even months go by and the voice speaks to us again: Aren't you thirsty? Listen to your heart. There is something missing."

And with these first 2 paragraphs, Brent Curtis and John Eldredge begin a journey to draw closer to the heart of God in their book, The Sacred Romance. And just these beginning thoughts pricked me to the very core. I don't know where you are on your spiritual journey today, but this intro caught me off guard. It spoke to what has been happening in me as of late.

I have felt the same tug in the middle of the night.

I have cried at the weakness of my own spirituality.

My relationship with God has been lacking. And God's not to blame. He is right where He's always been. I am the one who's moved. I have grown far too comfortable with my life and my things here on earth.

I want to get back to my 'first love!'

I want the joy that I first felt.

The passion and the energy to grow within myself and reach out to others in world changing ways.

Where has it all gone?

If you have struggled with this, tell me, what brings you closer to God? Prayer? Study? Fellowship?

Whatever it may be, use it. Run with it. Take full advantage of it. Let’s reignite that passionate longing within ourselves!

Last Few Days

The new J&J Ministries started off with a good number of 8. I knew this would start off (and hopefully continue) with a smaller group. Now don't get me wrong, I am not against larger numbers, but this ministry is more ideally catered to a smaller, more intimate group. We talked together about what we were going to do for God yesterday and prayed together. It was a blessed time getting to know each other's hearts.
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Little Boodle has been sick for the past few days so I have been out of pocket for a bit longer than I would like. El has no more days left to stay home so I have been here tending to the little sweet girl. She is on a very powerful 3-shot series antibiotic that will clear up her bad double ear infection. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers.
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I am indeed excited and proud of my family. My mom, dad and sister have gone into the weight loss business. They bought a store in Tyler, Texas and converted it into Healthy Figures Weight Loss & Treatment Center. And, boy, are they losing weight, feeling great, and crazy successful in this venture!!

I have been doing their program for almost 3 weeks now and have lost 16 pounds!! I also feel more wonderful than ever! If you are interested in losing weight make sure to look here or click on the link that I have added to my collection on the right side of this blog. It will change your life!
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On Wednesday night, a group of young men got together and helped empty and store items for those in need from the National Churches of Christ Disaster Relief. We even got a line formed to move and stack boxes. I got so excited at one point that I started singing "That's the sound of the men working on the Chain Gang!" Surprisingly, no one else joined in!! It was done well and quickly. Of course, the classroom that night was full of sweaty, wild boar-smelling men. Here are a few shots of the whole moving experience!

J&J Ministries

Pray for the youth group as we begin something new tomorrow. At 7:00 in the morning, as many who are able will be meeting at Starbucks (a central location for Benton and Bryant people) for our new J&J Ministries - Java and Jesus. We will be spending time together, getting to know each other, confessing/sharing and praying to our Holy God. Keep us in your prayers as we begin this new journey of prayer.

Time Well Spent

“Nobody, no matter how wealthy or influential, gets more minutes in his or her day. Each and every one of us has the same 1,440 minutes each and every day. Once those minutes have passed, that’s it. You can’t retrieve them. You can’t borrow against them, and you certainly can’t save some of them for another day. Time is non-renewable; not one minute of our lives can be placed in abeyance or lived more than once.”

This quote comes from a great book entitled ‘your time-starved marriage’ written by relationship gurus/couple in love, Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott. My sweetheart and I have been reading this lately due to our seeming lack of time together recently. We never see each other anymore. And the quote above mentions the problem with time together. We can’t stop it, save it or store it.

But this quote applies to something more. Take it out of the context of a husband or wife placing a premium on time spent cultivating and nurturing a relationship with their spouse. What about time spent in building a relationship with your Creator? How do we spend our time in pursuit of a deeper relationship with Him?

We should have such a deep desire for a relationship with God that our time is spent more on Him than any other person or thing. We need a Holy Hunger! A.W. Tozer wrote this:

“I want deliberately to encourage this mighty longing after God. The lack of it has brought us to our present low estate. The stiff and wooden quality of our religious lives is a result of our lack of holy desire. Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to his people. He waits to be wanted. Too bad that with many of us He waits so long, so very long, in vain.”

The shepherd king David spent much time writing about how we should wisely carve out time in the sole purpose of seeking a stronger relationship with the Holy God.

Look at Psalm 63:1-8:

“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.

Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.

I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.

My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.

Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.”

So that brings me to the question: What are you doing with your time? How are you spending it?

Buffalo Hot Wings

Tonight, I, along with Ed & Karen B, treated the 7-9 grade Meat Eater group with a trek to Hot Springs for some Buffalo Hot Wings! We stuffed our guts, had some great laughs and fellowship, and even got to pull out a chocolate Community Bakery cake to celebrate Heather B's Birthday a night early. The whole crew packed into the van and were subjected to the eclectic, if not eccentric, sounds of Jimmy's iPod! I know I loved it! It was a great night!

Aftermath

There was a family in our congregation that was affected by the recent violent weather. Lonnie and Patricia Hunnicut had eleven trees fall during the wind/tornado and 3 of them fell on their house, leaving them with some pretty bad damage on the front and other damage due to flooding. So, Richard Wallace (a true servant in the Kingdom) called up a task force this morning beginning at 8 and rounded up a great number of men to help move furniture and other items into another house just up the street.

Man was I proud of the show of helping hands from the Northside family. Richard W, Terry H, Randy M, Gary C, Barry, Kaylon and Greg B, Ed and Davis B, Carlton and Devin N, Kelly G, Jeff H, Corky C, and possibly some others that I missed showed up ready to rock out hard! What a great service to those in need. Cameron C called ready to head over but was told there were more than enough already.

The youth even got a lot of great Nintendo and Sega games in the deal! That's a plus!!

The only downside of the day was that my new Jeep was backed into by a big ole truck and now I have to get in on the passenger side and watch my turning very carefully until it's fixed.

Violent Weather

It has been quite a tumultuous time here in Central AR. Last night at around 8:40, the sirens started to go off in Benton and the surrounding areas. A hook echo (an indicator of possible tornadic activity) was seen on the radar near Lake Hamilton. We were alerted that it was headed our way at a clip of 45-50 miles per hour. A worn out Elizabeth, a rudely awakened Jenniva and I sat in the Master Closet until around 11:30. Nothing ever came our way, but something hit very close.

The Target just down the street was damaged.

Hurricane Lake trailer park was damaged.

There has been flooding on I-30.

North Little Rock has seen the second highest wind since 1976. Around 72 miles an hour!

The Airport has several destroyed hangars and some overturned airplanes.

Many schools have let out today due to damage or flooding.

Elizabeth was called early this morning by the school saying that they had flooded and would be closed for the day. So I let her go to bed and got up with the little girl. El needed the rest and I was okay with spending some more time with baby girl.

We have had some hail, very strong winds and more than enough rain.

Pray for Central Arkansas right now!!

Thank You

I got the word last night that my mom is now doing better. They put her on a Z Pack and also something else with a name that I have forgotten. Anyway, it is very powerful and will help her to recover. Thank you so much for your prayers and calls.

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I have a request of those of you ministers out there who read this blog. It doesn't matter if you specialize in youth, preaching, family, senior care, evangelism, involvement, spiritual formation, worship or anything else. I just need some help from you out there. I am looking for some great resources in the field of ministering to the needs of people. If you have read a book, seen a video or know of something that is a valuable help, please make a comment or email me with a list of these items. If you are anything like me, you use all the help you can lay your hands on. Just let me know of anything you consider outstanding.

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Oh, and by the way, I still have a full head of hair. No mohawk this time. We were 15 shy of the desired number last Sunday.

Please Pray

I am taking a break from blogging today just to ask that you please pray for my mom, Jean Mitchell. She has a fever of 104 right now and dad is trying to cool her down. If that doesn't work they will leave for the emergency room tonight. She is a cancer survivor, but it left her with lymphedema in her right arm and barely any immune system. Because of that, she catches everything that goes around and has a continual cough. Her health is not as good as it should be and the family is worried about her constantly. Please lift her up to the throne room of God as soon as you read this blog.