Summer craze once again!

well, after a very rainy and mild spring... Summer is finally here! Thunderstorms, cantaloupe, mosquitos, humidity, and home-grown tomatoes!

As I look forward to the summer plans with youth and the family, I can't help but recall some of the summer highlights from the past years. After all, this is my 11th summer as Minister of Students at FBCKM - so my wisdom, experience, and AGE do afford me a few memories to share!

In no particular order:

One... our first World Changers in Youngstown, Ohio. I'm sure glad Shane came with us b/c Erin and I didn't know anyone or have a clue what was going on. I remember some of the youth boys doing the some WWF wrestler's "sexy boy" song - very funny! And on the way back, I had to keep Shane awake ALL night since he liked to drive home in the middle of the night.

Two... Beach trips with the youth! Garden City, Springmaid, and now Epworth by the Sea - all great places for us to hang out, play, worship, and more. My morning tradition was to get up for the sunrise. Great times!

Three... Hilton Head with the Welmaker family. It seems Erin's family has been going there off and on for a long time. We all started to go maybe about 6-7 years ago. It's one of my favorite weeks of the year. So much fun with all the kids on the beach, in the pool, the Lighthouse, playing golf, eating overpriced Seafood, riding bikes, playing tennis on clay courts, lawn bowling, sand castles, having birthdays, and on an on.

Four... working in our garden! yes, even a pseudo-southern boy from Florida can put some seed and tomato plants in the ground... timer, water, fertilizer, and a little TLC later - and we've got awesome homegrown fruits & veggies!

Five... my life will forever be changed because of my experiences at M-Fuge (every summer) and especially my three trips to Honduras! These are places and events that have shaped my present and changed my future. God has used each of these to open my eyes and spirit to His heart for this world and the call for my life as His follower.

I could go on forever, but I won't. May this summer be filled with life-changing experiences that leave me in awe of the Lord and grateful to him for every second with my wife and children!

My Lucky Day! Scratch that... my GRACE day!

So Erin and I went on a retreat to Atlanta with some of our 12th graders... we had a great time. We got a great deal and stayed at the Embassy Suites right next to Centennial park in downtown. Our fun included some of the youth getting drenched in the Centennial fountains, exploring the Aquarium (2 words: Whale Shark!), late-night Cranium, grubbin at the Hard Rock Cafe, an interview on camera by CNN, lunch at the Varsity, MARTA, the Underground, Copy/Paste (lol), and more.

Well... since I grew up in south Florida, I am fan-crazy for most teams from Miami (Go Dolphins). Since it's baseball season, I closely follow the Florida Marlins. It just so happened that my Marlins were in town (ATL that is), you know we had to go to a game! We headed out from the hotel traveling about 10 blocks to hop on the Marta transit bus to Turner Field. On the way up the street I stopped and asked a bus driver how much it would cost to take us to 5 points. He said "aww, just get on the bus, I'm headed there now." That was awesome... a free ride saving us time and energy.

When we got to the game, I immediately ran/hopped down to the field to watch the end of batting practice. I didn't notice the security lady (Arquita) stopping Erin and a few of the youth. She initially said that we needed to have tickets to be down there, but changed her mind for some reason. She saw my foot in a boot and then to my shock asked us where we wanted to sit. "Ummm, let me think - as close as we can" was exactly what I said, I mean begged. lol. We got awesome seats right on the left field wall between 3rd base and the foul pole. I was so close I could smell the game. Icing on the cake (besides the nice man from Ireland who sat next to me with that great accent) was the Marlins beating the Braves 5-1! I told Erin that it was definitely my day.

I couldn't help but think my experiences Tuesday reminded me of God's grace. "But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions -- it is by GRACE you are saved" (Ephesians 2:4-5).  We did nothing to deserve that free bus ride. We didn't pay. We got something we didn't deserve. Our original seats were in the upper deck - nosebleed; yet, we were given a free gift. I was once a dead man walking... spiritually that is. Years ago in college I was given something I didn't deserve. I received the free gift of God's love perfectly demonstrated in His son Jesus. My life has never been the same.

Arquita, thanks for the great seats. gracious. God, thanks for Jesus and for new life! GRACE

ps... I could have turned down the offer for the new seats... "whatever!" What about you? Have you accepted God's free gift of His son Jesus. Don't turn down that incredible offer! Contact me if you have questions. If you're sitting in new seats/life already... thank God for His grace.

The Madness Begins

It's perhaps one of my favorite times of the sports calendar - the opening 4 days of the NCAA Basketball tournament.  People go crazy... office pools, bracket-busters, psycho fans, underdogs, CINDERELLA and the fun goes on and on. The news reported that companies all over America lose millions in productivity during March madness. Man, I love it!

The truth is it doesn't take much for people... no scratch that, for ME to get excited about basketball. Even though I've broken my foot TWICE (in the same spot) since August playing b-ball,  it's my favorite sport period. Obsession is an understatement.

So why is it that I can give my attention and time so easily to the "madness," and yet can struggle in my passion for God? This is not a criticism of basketball, it's an honest assessment of the struggles of man. God made us to obsess over Him, not His creation or other things that "bling" for our attention. Where it all goes wrong is when I (we) constantly go crazy following and sacrificing in pursuit of everything but God. Why must we have to be reminded that NOTHING WILL SATISFY US EXCEPT GOD. 

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it." Matthew 13:45-46

"But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved." Ephesians 2:4-5

Time is ticking!

I have a moral dilemma each Monday night. Do I watch Heroes or 24 at 9pm? Man, that's a tough choice. I find both shows pretty entertaining and fascinating on many levels. I think the concept of 24 (a whole season being 24 hours... every episode 1 hour in "show" time) is amazingly simple and creative. A lot happens to Jack Bauer in the span of 1 episode - 1 hour or 60 minutes or 3600 seconds. Unfortunately, it's not close to reality. Heroes is in it's own league of storytelling. My favorite character is Hiro Nakamora, the one who can control time with a simple eye blink.

Anyways... the whole subject of time is in my face a lot lately. It seems that I can't keep up with time - the days and weeks just fly by! In our planning for the new service at church (Overflow), it seems like this last year has been a few weeks. My children are growing extremely fast and that makes me sad. Come June, Erin and I will have been at FBC Kings Mountain 10 years. What happened to my teen years? what am I saying? what happened to my 20s? lol.

I'll get to the point. Psalm 39:5 declares, "You have made my days a mere handbreath; the span of years is as nothing before You. Each man's life is but a breath." My life is a breath. Take a breath... didn't take long did it? Talk about perspective. It's starting to sink in. Sometimes I wish we could freeze time like Hiro Nakamora... or even live life like a DVR. Pausing when we want to, skipping the commericials, etc. To God, time is nothing. To God, the time of my life is much less than nothing. Wow. I need to make the most of every moment (and breath): my witness, pursuing God's will and heart, and more! 

In the spirit of 24... tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock...