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!

At Long Last

I have promised you over and over that I would post some pictures of some of the recent summer events. Well, here are a few of them. I will probably have to do several posts to include all that I want with a little commentary sprinkled here and there.

The kids at Camp Barton were really sweet!

Especially when they saw the camp director coming with 'My Precious.'

They had a great time playing water games in the hot, hot heat.

The makeshift 'Slip & Slide'-created by Ding Dong Philip and Tappmeister Greg was so cool!
They would be slip-sliding away...

and they would wind up in the mud pit at the bottom of the hill.

We got some grit in our teeth if we went down face first. Yummy!!

VBS Begins

We started our Vacation Bible School off with a bang tonight. One of our elders counted 225 in helpers and children. That does not include the 100+ that were in the auditorium listening to Dr. Tommy South speak about who Jesus is. What a great success!!

I will post some pictures tomorrow.

The Vegetable

I am quickly becoming a vegetable.

This, of course, is due the all the recent work and play with the Northside crew!!

Last night, I took 13 to meet up with the Robinson and Center youth group and have a wild lock-in. I was gone from 8:30-8:30!

Never slept 'til I got home.

I actually took a 3 and a half hour nap before getting up and going back to the building to meet up with 7 different students for our S3: Second Saturday Servants. We walked around in the heat of the day (from about 2:00-4:00) hanging some advertisements about our great VBS beginning tomorrow.

I then did some work in my office and came home about 5:30 tonight. Things are starting to get blurry now.

So I got to spend some quality time this weekend playing with and getting to know 21 students from my ministry. What a wild and wacky crew-also very sweet, striving hearts.

I am a very blessed man to be doing what I do and working with these great and wonderful people!

I will be posting some choice pics from several recent events soon, but as for right now, I am going to get some well needed rest.

Long Days

I am sitting here at 11:04 p.m. waiting on my food as it is nuked in the microwave. El has gone to bed already. She gets up at the crack o' dawn to travel over to National Park Community College for an exciting course in Organic Chemistry!

Anyway, as to why I am eating so late, the day was just so wild that I just did not have time for dinner. Too much going on. And with the Elders/Ministers meeting right after Wednesday evening class and Oasis, it is just plain wrong to not grab a quick bite before the appointed time!! I will blog more tomorrow about how this week full of VBS setup has been going.

Out and About

Just so you know-I have not been negligent in blogging. I have been out for a while. I did, however, neglect to inform you of all the traveling that I would be doing this last month and I apologize.

Here is a quick rundown of why I have been gone for so long:

On June 8th, I left with 4 recently graduated young men for Africa. We did not return until Thursday the 19th.

Upon my return, I quickly downloaded information from Mary Jo N. about their work at Harding Uplift. Much to discuss. I even did some fast counseling with some students.

I then, before resting my laurels too long, left for Summer Bible Camp at Barton on Sunday the 22nd. 80+ of us returned on Saturday the 28th. My Mom came in to visit that day, too!!

On Sunday the 29th, Howard Norton brought some great energy and excitement to our 5th Sunday Series on Growing in Grace in 2008. Later that night, instead of resting a bit from Africa and Camp, I took 25 to see ACAPELLA in concert at the Benson Auditorium at Harding U.

The following week (Monday, June 30-Saturday, July 5th) I struggled with something. I found out just why I felt overtired/sluggish and like I was swallowing shards of glass every time I ate or drank-I had Strep Throat! I got much rest that week with no looking at Internet. That was hard to do!!

Sunday the 6th, the young men and I gave a full Africa report for a combined class and combined worship service. That night, the entire congregation celebrated with Fernando Toledo as he embarks on a full time work here as our Hispanic Minister. What a great and passionate guy!!

Yesterday was just an off day. After I traveled with our preacher, Joel, to see one of our members in the hospital, El and I took Boodle in to see a Gastroenterologist about her tummy condition. Later that night, I held a Prayer Vigil with 60 people from Northside to lift up Mark Gober and his family to the throne room of God. He is in the hospital on dialysis and a ventilator. The doctors and nurses do not know what is wrong with him. I ask that you pray for him, his wife, Sarah, and their children, Jesse and Morgan.

So that is what I have been doing and where I have been hiding as of late.

I am here with you until the 21st when we take a group of families to join forces with the Stillwater, Crosstown and 29th & Yale Churches of Christ to take on Mexico!! We will return the following Monday (the 28th) night.

I have definitely been out and about.

Africa Revisited

If you are wondering about our recent Youth Mission to Africa, then the above picture says it all. 'Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong' is an understatement to us now.

On Sunday the 8th, 4 recently graduated HS Senior boys embarked on an unforgettable journey with their fearless, though in pain, leader-Jimmy Mitchell. What follows is a list recounting all that went completely wrong:

1. Somehow, and I can't quite explain it because we were sitting right there for over an hour listening for them to call it (which never happened) and waiting to see people get up and get in line to board (which never happened), we missed our connecting flight in Atlanta.

2. The flight we were supposed to get on in NY (and that we were to hook back up with in Senegal) was delayed for a few hours due to fog leaving us in a bare bones holding cell in Dakar, Senegal. A place where Carlton and I were unable to look around for a place to fill our growling bellies because they would not allow us to leave our holding cell and potentially get mixed up in the other people waiting for a different flight!

3. Our South African Airways flight from Capetown to Windhoek (our final destination) was canceled. They put us on Air Namibia.

4. Our luggage was misplaced. It was brought to us 2 days after we had arrived in Namibia.

5. My pain during the flights (which, when added together, was about 24 hours in length) became excruciating. What I had thought was hemorrhoids turned out to be something worse, much worse. I should have known due to the amount of pain. I just thought that I was a wuss!! Upon investigation by a German doctor in the Maerua Mall, I found out just what it was that was bothering me so much. Hemmies? No, not that nice. Fissures? No, much worse. What could it be?!? How about a Deep Tissue Anal Abscess!! One that needed to be operated on that night. Anal Surgery in a 3rd World Country is not my idea of a great start to a student mission trip!!

6. Carlton, one of our students, vomited for 2 days straight. He drank out of a water fountain at one of the schools we visited. We think that was what did him in.

7. Xenophobia was high in the part of town where we stayed and we went nowhere without a native counterpart.

8. Mike K lost his front tooth while eating a candy bar that I had provided. Not too good, huh?

9. While out late one night with Steven, a Namibian counterpart, 3 big women started saying something in their native tongue. Steven prompted me to hurry along the street. One of them had seen me and wanted me to be her white husband. When she switched over to English, I turned back to smile and wave. She promptly told me to stop smiling. There was nothing funny about it to her. She wanted me now!! Steven, in all seriousness, told me to pick up the pace even more because they might try to rape me.

10. On the flight back from Dakar to NYC, a passenger, unbeknownst to anyone, had a heart attack and died. The flight was 10 hours in length, so it was an honest mistake by the flight attendants. I'm sure they thought he was asleep like many others on the flight. It was probably when they came to tell him to put his seat back in the upright position that they found out the truth. Once we landed in JFK, the medics came in and tried to revive him. He was gone.

11. Due to the death, we were delayed and almost missed our flight to Cincinatti. The women at the counter were yelling at us as we ran to board. We had run across the whole airport and were drenched with sweat. Not a pretty sight, let me tell ya!

I think that's about it. Other than these undesirable events, the trip went smoothly and was a great success!! Needless to say, when we arrived home yesterday evening, we were full of stories that seem too epic in nature to be true. I will tell you more about it and post some pics chronicling our adventures in the days to come.

Church of Christ Joke

"My tired friend told me the other day that if he were to come back in another life, his preference would be to come back as the 3rd stanza in a 4 stanza hymn-that way he wouldn't ever have to do anything."

I heard this the other day and chuckled.

I enjoy jokes that poke fun at the way we sometimes get caught in a rut-how we do certain things here in the Churches of Christ. We have been known to be a quirky bunch every now and then.

Don't get me wrong-I love my faith heritage. I just think that if we can't laugh at ourselves and be silly sometimes, we would be in a very sad situation.

Do you have any fun jokes to add to this one? Send them to me by comment or email.

Boodle

17 months ago today, a sweet little bundle arrived.

Jenniva came into our lives.

And nothing has been the same since.

In amazing ways!!

I can't think of life without her.

We lovingly call her Boodle-short for Jenniboodle. She has completely swept us off of our feet and put so much joy and light in our hearts.

I get misty just thinking about her.

She is so sweet.

Even when she throws wild temper tantrums!

What I Love About My Sweet Girl:

I love the way she hugs my arm or leg or chair with her little head!

I love how she lights up when she sees a ball, or anything round for that matter, and yells "Bee!"

I love how she bounces up and down, her version of dancing, when she hears any music or singing!

I love her grabbing something she thinks she is not supposed to have, looking back with that mischievous grin, and taking off in the other direction just hoping that DaDa will come chasing after!

I love when she hollers really loud when MaMa and DaDa are not paying enough attention to her-and then letting loose the huge dimples when we do look.

I love that she gets jealous of anyone or anything that is in MaMa or DaDa's lap.

I love when she shouts out and makes silly noises just for the fun of it!

I love when she brings her book to me and wants to sit in my lap!

I love breakfast time together!

I love when she splashes so wildly in the bathtub that I get drenched!

I love when she reaches for me when she is in MaMa's arms. That rarely happens.

I love when she picks up trash, takes it to the can and throws it in!

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I could go on and on, but that will be it for now.

I've Been Tagged!

I have been tagged by Brian Nicklaus, a preacher friend of mine in New England. I kinda like this meme thing.

A. Attached or Single: Attached

B. Best Friend: My sweetheart of 5 years this past Saturday!

C. Cake or Pie: Pecan pie from Home Plate in the Village and fudge pie from the Bluebonnet in Marble Falls!!

D. Day of Choice: Friday!!

E. Essential Item: TV and internet

F. Flavor of Ice Cream: Chocolate chip cookie dough

G. Gummy bears or Worms: Worms

H. Hometown: Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

I. Indulgences: Any Starbucks drink and a Pelvic Elvis (protein shake with peanut butter and bananas and a dash of ginseng) from Fitness Unlimited. Deep Tissue Massage!!!

J. January or July: A Toss Up!

K. Kids: Jenniva (17 months this Thursday)

L. Last Movie I saw in a Theater: The Strangers

M. Middle Name: Shay

N. Number of Siblings: 1 sister-Misti

O. Orange or Apples: Apples

P. Phobias or fears: Fear of upsetting people-which seems to happen no matter what you do!

Q. Quote: For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. - Paul

R. Reasons to Smile. My sweethearts

S. Season: Fall

T. Tag 4. Elizabeth, Mike K, Jim G, and Brad P!

U. Unknown fact about me: I can really be calm sometimes.

V. Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals: MEAT!!!

W. Worst Habit: Chaotic, disorganized procrastination

X. X-rays or Ultra-sounds: X-rays

Y. Your favorite food: MEAT!

Z. Zodiac: Scorpio

TTOW!

Today is a very special day. A very special day indeed! If you have been a constant reader of my blog over the past (almost) year, you will have no doubt seen comments made by a reader that goes only by the name of Eric. He always has great words of encouragement and uplifting thoughts to contribute. He has been one of my biggest commenting fans!

Well, today is Eric's 32nd birthday! Eric has been a constant and consistent source of positive feedback in my ministry-whether through singing a beautiful bass when I lead worship services, encouraging me on my speaking and making comments on my blogging. He has been a great brother in Christ to me!

I want to ask that all of you spend some time this morning celebrating with Eric on his special day.

Is anyone else out there celebrating a birthday, anniversary or special day today? Let me know how it's going.

So, I would like to leave you with TTOW! A phrase that Eric took from BJ and Tyler (contestants from a past season of the Amazing Race) that has been a daily motto for him.

Parents, Take Note

"In recent years, adolescents have had fewer opportunities for times of interaction and communication with their parents and other adults. Many families have experienced divorce; and in those families where Mom and Dad still live together, members get busier all the time thanks to schedules full of meetings, activities, clubs and sports. The other extreme is also occurring in a growing number of families, where members may all be at home in the evenings, but everyone retreats to the "aloneness" of their own rooms to interact "solo" with the TV, computer, or any number of media outlets that fill their personal spaces.

All of these factors keep families from eating together on a regular basis, and these realities have certainly contributed to the fact that when teenagers need advice, they're more likely to turn first to a friend (55 percent), followed by Mom (44 percent), a boyfriend or girlfriend (23 percent), and then Dad (20 percent). When push comes to shove, American dads and moms are devoting less time to bringing up their sons and daughters, thereby allowing someone or something else to raise their kids for them." - Walt Mueller

An Amazing Story

I was going to blog about something else, but this story just could not be ignored. Click here and then click 'Listen Now' to hear this powerful 3 minute tale.

The Paradox of Ministry

I love it to pieces and hate it to shreds! How do these feelings go together?!? If you can answer this, you are truly from the line of Solomon.

Quote Of The Day

"The low view of God entertained almost universally among Christians is the cause of a hundred lesser evils everywhere among us… The decline of the knowledge of the holy has brought on our troubles. A rediscovery of the majesty of God will go a long way toward curing them." - A.W. Tozer

Northside PunkMonkeys

Thought that I would let you see a few shots of the wild bunch around here at Northside. I got tired of not having a camera, so when I went out and got one the other day, I started snapping shots. I have been going hog wild with it ever since.

Got some card sharks in our midst. They were having some fun after we met with and prayed over Richard and Shirley Wallace before embarking on their journey to Africa.

Cameron C looks like he couldn't care less about our topic of conversation!

A wild and motley looking crew! They can get very crazy at times. Well, most times. OK, every time.

Boodle

Sorry that I didn't blog yesterday! The day was great but fuller than I thought it would be. Take a look at this pic of my sweet girl. If this cutie doesn't warm your heart, I don't know what will! I will blog later today about other things.

More Senior Sunday

I don't remember what this was about but apparently Mary Jo, Carlton's mom, did not think it was as funny as I did!

We had a nice show of friends and family to show their appreciation to the 6 men.

One of our shepherds, Terry H, prayed a beautiful benediction over the six young men.

I want to say a special thank you to Greg T for all the great work you put into the video presentation. Also to Paul P for all the help that he has been in the past and most recently with everything. And I sure could not have done it without Philip H (and Stephanie for letting him spend a lot of his day with me). Thank you all for that you have put into this! You are wonderful workers.

Senior Sunday

Sunday was our day to honor and celebrate the achievements of our graduating seniors. 2008 is the year of the male. We have 6 graduates and they are all young men! Wildness.

The morning service was a time for me to challenge the guys before they head out to worlds unknown and begin a new part of their journey with the Lord. Afterwards, we went over to the Outreach building to have a special potluck banquet.

I want to thank all of the parents of the Juniors! You were some great hard working people on Saturday afternoon. And the energy and creativity you brought were what made Sunday go so well.

The first pic you see is of Justin, David, and Lance followed by a pic of Will, Carlton, and Cameron.

Devon not only roasted his older brother, but most of the graduates and even his mom as well!!

Savannah had 'snaps for Lance' - you had to be there. She also had some gifts to give him (one was an alarm clock because he has trouble waking up at events like Winterfest!)

It was a sad and exciting day.

Not Happening!

I can't move.

My legs won't bend.

I can't scratch my back at all.

When I need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I have to find a way to roll out of bed!

And Jenniva wants me to bend over and pick her up more lately! A little more difficult than usual.

All of this is due to my recent weight lifting regimen with Ed and Davis Butterworth. They are a father and son duo who go extreme or not at all. Davis is 15 years old and about 6'2"-230. He is a future lineman for the Benton Panthers Football team. His dad, Ed, just seems to be getting thicker and thicker everyday. I noticed this a few weeks ago and they told me that I needed to join them because I was too scrawny.

Well, I did. Now, it is truly hard to get up and out of my bed, recliner, office chair-you name it. Just not happening as fast as they should.

I have noticed, however, that my clothes are getting looser and tighter in the all the right places. Starting to feel like The Hulk!!!

I will be back later with a glimpse of the kinds of rigorous lifting they put me through.

Transitional Wedding

True flexibility was tested this past Friday when what was meant to be a 'beautiful outside on the lake with the sun setting' wedding turned into a 'scurry inside without getting soaked from the downpour' wedding. I sat back and watched as the families of bride and groom as well as all involved in the wedding party remained calm and cool when they realized the plans were changing. They took it very well. Probably better than I would have. I was happy for that.

The evening was a night of beauty as 2 of my former students from my ministry in Marble Falls, TX, vowed to love one another unconditionally in the bond of marriage. Brian Jamar and Jasmine Nelson are, and I have to say this, 2 of my favorite people. They stuck with me through the highs and lows of my work with the church there. They were constant in their devotion to the word and serving others in the name of God. They were and are the kind of people that make ministers truly happy to be doing what they do. Assets in every sense of the word-I know they will go on to make some college, family or preaching minister very happy as they tirelessly work in conjunction with them!!

Once we got inside, the wedding brought tears of joy and much laughter as Brian and Jasmine shared their hearts together and became one with the other. It was an evening to remember.

I even got to see some old friends and others from my student ministry there.

Great Night!!

Quote Of The Day

"What we are teaches the child far more than what we say, so we must be what we want our children to become." - Joseph Chilton Pearce

Can I get an Amen?!? Being a youth and family minister as well as a father, I need these words to penetrate our very core. By doing that, prayerfully, a fire will be lit within us to talk the walk, so to speak.

I challenge you parents, grandparents and leaders of youth-anyone who has a claim in the shaping and molding of young hearts-to live what you teach and preach every day!

Jenniva

El has never liked it. And I always did it. But not anymore.

Every youth event, bible study, trip or get-together, I would borrow our camera for the pics. Over the years, El had begged me not to take our camera in case something cool happened at home with the little girl. That's pretty smart thinking on her part.

The summer is almost upon us. With that comes many, many youth and family activities to capture on film.

Plus - the Youth and Family Board is getting pretty bare and needs a reload.

So I finally broke down and went out yesterday to purchase a camera for the youth and family ministry here at Northside.

Be ready to get a whole lot of pictures thrown your way in the near future!

In the meantime, here's a picture of Jenniva that I shot when trying out the new camera yesterday when I got back. Look at that hairy head!!
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Be back later with some thoughts about this past week's events.

Levity and Brevity

I think it time for a little good humor. Everyone knows that I am always up for a good laugh! I saw this and wanted to share it with you, dear reader. To see and read about the 50 greatest comedy sketches (compiled by someone with a lot of time on their hands) in TV history, click here. Now that was pretty brief, huh?

Misc

First off, keep these in your prayers.

I have been dealing more lately with the Family aspect of Youth and Family Ministry and it has been a growing, learning experience for me. As of February, I have been counseling 6 sessions a week. Some are pre-marriage, some are marriage while others are family and teen troubles. Doing the research has been wonderfully exhausting but I am feeling it right about now.

Last week, I added to that list a young lady who is struggling with Bi-Polar Disorder and possibly using Meth and Heroin. I realize that this was out of my field of expertise and the church is helping pay her way through some professional therapy.

She came to church last night to be part of the youth group. Great to see her with us!! I just pray that she will let God into her heart.

I solicit your prayers for these families and individuals as they go through struggles. I also ask that you lift me up to the throne as I guide them to the Father's heart.
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This past Tuesday night, our quintet (formed on Thursday the 24th with no name yet, although "Flash In The Pan" sounds pretty great to me) performed at the Diamante Country Club in Hot Springs Village. We sang 4 songs to a crowd of about 200 from the Village Church of Christ. Although I thought we could have sounded a bit better, we received a standing ovation and got another gig right off the bat.

The guys were excited and we are already brainstorming some more songs to add to our repertoire. I am having the time of my life!
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I leave for Texas this coming Monday. I will be spending my vacation with my family in Arp and Lindale and later with my old friends in Marble Falls. I will marry an awesome couple (Brian J and Jasmine N from my former youth group in MF) on Friday the 9th, spend some time in San Antonio with my 2 sweetheart girls and wrap it all up at the Glenwood Church of Christ in Tyler with my family on Mother's Day. Sweetness!!

Pray for Traveling Mercies.

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.

Who I Want To Be

I read this from a link on a friend's blog and cannot resist placing it here for you to read. It says what I have felt for a long time about being a true minister of God. Barry J. Maxwell aptly blogs about the frustrations that besiege today's full time preachers and teachers. Let me know what you think about it.

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

I have a love/hate relationship with the pastoral office. There, I've said it. I love what the office should be. I hate what it's become. I love the idea of the biblical pastor. I hate the idea of the 21st-century American pastor. I love what I could be, by God's grace. I hate what I'm pressured to be, by man's expectations. I love seeing the flock eat week-in, week-out. I hate the ecclesiastical steroids that tempt them between meals. I love what churches need to be biblical. I hate what churches expect to be successful. I love the institution. I hate institutionalism. I love that Jesus doesn't need me to adorn his bride. I hate that he doesn't need me to adorn his bride.

Like many pastors I've struggled to reconcile what I should be with what "they" say I should be. The tri-fold glossy pamphlets I receive peddle a pastor who is marketable, administratively brilliant, motivational, highly-starched and sharply-creased. A baptized Tony Robbins. A sanctified Gap model. A glorified spiritual guru.

Frankly, I have absolutely no desire to be any of those things. Well, I do like a starched shirt from time to time. It's the Arthur Andersen in me. But, I'm neither wired nor care to be a marketing genius who cleverly packages the gospel at discount rates. I simply can't stomach the Hollywoodization of the church in the name of cultural relevance. Why has "church" gotten so complicated? Where is the simplicity of biblical community? The elephant has drown in an inch of water.

Maybe I'm dead wrong and prideful, but I've felt (very, very) guilty for a long time that I'm not, nor care to be, that guy. I feared that maybe I don't really love the lost or the church. Who is that guy? Joe Smiley with a PhD, MBA and PsyD who dazzles the masses with his organizational and rhetorical wizardry. He's an entrepreneurial team player who offends no one while defending everyone.

I just want to be pastor.

• A guy who prepares consistent biblical truth because it prepares him to kill sin and love Jesus.
  
• A guy who regularly prays with and for the people rather than "strategizes" about prayer.
  
• A guy who 'd rather help a brother/sister over coffee than attend some executive meeting that caters to our inner pope.
  
• A guy who doesn't want to sell appearances to sexy Christians, but invites the broke, lame and outcast to the head table of God's grace.
  
• A guy more concerned about becoming like Christ than doing tricks for him.
  
• A guy who doesn't have to be someone he's not.
  
• A guy who has little figured out, but wants to lead the band of the ignorant to the surpassing knowledge of Christ.
  
• A guy who doesn't preach for a living, but lives to preach.
  
• A guy who doesn't need to finish first, just finish together. The village idiot may be an idiot, but at least he still has the village.

Two particular resources have helped me recently peak out of the shadows. David Wells book No Place for Truth and particularly the chapter entitled "The New Disablers" freshened the breeze. Wells masterfully describes why I feel guilty about modern expectations; and why we've assumed these new expectations as normal pastoral work. I can't come close to summarizing Wells, but you'd do well to try yourself. For perhaps the first time I finally felt free to hate that guy and still have hope that I might one day be a good pastor. The square peg need not fit anywhere. Of course, now God must have mercy on my hate!

Also, Michael Horton wrote an article in the latest Touchstone Magazine, whose March theme is pastoral ministry. The article entitled "All Crossed Up" addresses the very issues raised in part by Wells. I close with several selections from Horton's article:

"Just as traditionalism is a parody of a living tradition, a ministry defined by the entrepreneurial, creative, and innovative capacities of today's 'super-apostles' should not be mistaken for genuine growth and outreach. Marking the remarkable missionary advances of the apostles, we meet repeatedly in the Book of Acts the phrase, 'the word of God spread.'"

"When churches abandon the ordinary ministry for extraordinary 'excitements sufficient to induce conversion [quoting Charles Finney], eventually the innovations become traditions and the insatiable craving for ever-new experiences of spontaneous expressivism, like a drug addiction, leads eventually to the spiritual equivalent of a heart attack. Tragically, the landscape of American religion is littered with successive waves of 'revival' (often patterned on American trends in salesmanship) followed inevitably by periods of spiritual fatigue and skepticism."

"Instead of focusing ecclesial faith and practice on marketing Jesus to the 'unchurched,' the apostolic pattern was to draw aimless drifters into the covenantal drama already in progress. To become a Christian was already to begin one's lifelong journey in the company of pilgrims under the care of the church. Discipleship was defined by churchmanship. Personal faith in Christ was never set over against the active membership in the visible body of Christ."

And finally,

"When pastors feel the burden of saving people, selling the gospel, or cornering the market through their own cleverness, methods, creativity, or charisma, they eventually burn out. So, too, do the sheep who are submitted to perpetual exhortations to imitate their restless 'authenticity.'"

Is that freedom I smell or just burn out?

Quote Of The Day

"Whatever the circumstances, couples who don't understand this fundamental fact inevitably utter the worn-out excuse: "We've grown apart." Truth is, couples don't grow apart. They simply grow, and they either choose to make space in this growth for each other or not. Individuals change, interests evolve, opportunities appear, or a crisis happens. The passage of time guarantees change. And you can't stop time." - Drs. Les & Leslie Parrott

Refreshingly Exhausting

For the past 2 days, 8 guys from the youth group have traveled with me to do some good ole manual labor! We worked in the yards of both Sybil Womack and Ray and Wilma Lunsford. Over raking, blowing, bagging, and picking up twigs, we spent some good time enjoying one another's company. It has been a blast to know that we are growing closer together as a family as we serve those that need help. Thanks Carlton, Cameron, Devon, Wayne, Logan, Leavon, Nick and Hayden for all of the great, sacrificial work. I look forward to more days like this!

Jesus' Song

I have to put this here. My friend, Brian Nicklaus, posted this interesting question on his blog. What do you think the answer would be?

What if Jesus dedicated a song to His Lovely Bride, the church, on a radio show? What would it be?

• “I’ve done everything for you, you’ve done nothing for me” by Rick Springfield
• “Heartbreaker” by the Rolling Stones
• “I will always love you” by Whitney Houston (or Dolly, if you prefer)
• Your choice Here

The Mohawk Challenge Redux

I have changed my mohawk challenge to the teens up a bit. I have told them that if they can bring enough friends for the 7-12 graders to total 65 on the morning of the 30th (this Sunday morning when my friend, Jim Gardner, will be speaking here) that I will shave my hair in the form of a mohawk and dye it hot pink. Originally, the deal was for each of them to bring 2 friends. Well, with a group that regularly numbers 30-35 on any given Sunday, I realized that this number could have been too high. So I changed the challenge to see if they will double the teens this Sunday. Wow! What do you think? Will it happen?!?

Celebrity Sighting

This is a picture of the guys that comprise the Christian singing group, 4Him. While eating at the Market Place here in Rogers, AR, yesterday with my buddy, Greg T, I looked up and saw Marty Magehee-the second guy from the left.

Now you need to understand, this is one of my favorite groups of all time, so it was cool when he walked over and talked to us for a while before going to his table to eat. He is now working with a congregation in Bentonville, AR.

I have seen them 2 times in concert and am sad that they have gone their separate ways to continue to work in ministry throughout the States. If you have not heard these guys, you need to go out and get a CD now! Great stuff!!

Just thought that I would share that with you.

Happy Easter to all!! May God bless you as you spend good, quality time with your families!