According to Doug

Calling my Job or Jobbing my Calling

2011-09-14T12:37:00.003-05:00

Student Pastor is one of the hats that I wear here at Still Water. It is part of my job description, and one of the ministries I am expected to oversee as an employee of Still Water Community Church. But even more than that....it is a calling that God gave me many years ago. And one I've followed for 20+ years.

There are certain duties (I said duty) that come along with the "job" of student pastor. And to be honest, if this was just a job, some things would be no more than just a pain in the butt. For me, those things look like administrative tasks. I am a relational person that needs human interaction and thrives in social environments. Other guys I know are the exact opposite of that. The point is...there are things about the "job" of student pastor that are not my strong points, but still have to be done. There are things about the "job" that are right in my sweet spot and do not even feel like work.

But the fact that God called me to this ministry changes the whole scope of things. It is imperative that all parts of the job be done in order for me to fully answer the calling God has placed on my heart to minister to students. Whether or not it's what I'm "good at" or what I "want to do" makes no difference. I must continue to grow and mature in Christ, and allow Him to lead me in ministry.

Truthfully...there is a lot of laziness in student ministry today. And sadly enough...I'm not talking about the kids, I'm talking about student pastors. It seems that more and more, guys are using student ministry to get where they really want to go. I know guys that barely even teach the kids they've been called to lead. Plugging in a video or pushing the majority of teaching responsibilities onto volunteers is not leadership....it's laziness. Sure there are volunteers that are great teachers...even better than the youth pastor...I have some here....and they should be empowered and given the opportunity to exercise that gift. But don't use that as an excuse to not teach the students in whom God has entrusted you.

As with any ministry, there are students who are still craving and needing spiritual milk, but there are also those who are ready for more solid food. It is our calling that directs us to help them grow and mature. It is our calling that says....lead. And when we reject that calling by devising the plan of least resistance, or least discomfort, we risk stunting the spiritual growth of those we've been entrusted to lead.

And those that are seeking will either find another place to eat, or walk away from the table. When either happens, it's very easy to blame someone else or accuse the student and/or family of church hopping, being non-committed, etc....but where does the blame actually fall?

There are many methods, schedules, and approaches to student ministry, but laziness cannot be a part of our approach. We must teach and empower students for the years ahead. That cannot be done in 15 minutes a week and a couple of videos. It cannot be done by simply looking for the latest, greatest fad and force feeding it to your group. It takes prayer, relationships, communication, and work. Student pastors.....God has gifted each of you with unique gifts and abilities. We are to use them and continue to get better at teaching and mentoring students. Our relationships with students should go well beyond the years they are in our buildings. Our words and actions should stick and the relationships continue well beyond their student ministry years, and into adulthood.

The person who signs your paycheck hired you to do what God called you to do. Thank God for calling you and actually giving you the opportunity to do it for a living, and then work daily to answer the call. Do not get lazy in your teaching, preparation, and relationships and then look to blame someone else, or God himself for those issues.

It is a privilege serving God and actually getting to do it as a vocation. God has afforded me the opportunity to make a lot of friends over the years through His calling on my life. To cut off relationships based on geographic location would be asinine, and not in keeping with a kingdom minded, Christ centered way of doing ministry. My prayer for student ministries and student pastors around the globe is that we would stop looking for the easy way, and start looking for the right way. The fact is...the more people speaking truth into our student's lives; the more effective we become in our calling to reach kids. As a parent...I need as many adults as I can get speaking into my kid's lives. As a student pastor.....I refuse to compete with other ministries, and/or feel guilty for loving kids and ministering to families that may not be coming to my building on Sundays. That's my calling, not my job.

I'll save the competition for Monday night softball games and fantasy football.

I'm out....

NWLC '11 Recap

2011-07-23T13:11:00.005-05:00

Well...The National Worship Leaders Conference 2011 is done. We got back in town yesterday after a great week in Kansas City (Leawood, KS) at The Church of the Resurrection. As is the case with most conferences, there is so much that I still need to wrap my head around. Great general session speakers, incredible music, outstanding workshops, etc...there is just so much information that is given out. I have to sit down and look back through my notes and start putting things together.

Off the top of my head....here are some takeaways:

1. I need to pick up some more of Leonard Sweet's books. He was good!

2. I am a big fan of Casting Crowns now. I've always liked them, but after hearing that Mark

Hall (the lead singer/songwriter) share that he is in the office Sunday-Wed. as the Youth Pastor at his church, and the balance he strikes between that and being a top-selling artist was impressive.

3. NEW MUSIC!!

4. At some point I probably need to work on a british accent....apparently it makes your songwriting much, much better (Matt Redman, Tim Hughes, Brenton Brown, Reuben Morgan, Ben Fielding....UNBELIEVABLE!).

5. I am PUMPED to back with my church next weekend!

Awkward moment of the Week:

I go to the restroom in the main lobby, which is ginormous, of the church. This is the first thing Thursday morning. I walk in and there is an older man in the stall absolutely destroying the bathroom. When he is done he steps out of the stall with his pants down to his knees, shuffling across the floor to the sink. He stands in front of the mirror, tucking his undershirt into his draws as his pants slowly fall down around his ankles. Me and the other two guys in the restroom walked out laughing. I saw the old guy a few more times and could not even look at him without laughing.

For now...that's all I've got. I will share a little more as I process the things that I saw and heard. I'm encouraged and excited about where God has me and where He has Still Water right now. We have a great team and I am excited to share some things from the NWLC with them as we move forward.

I'm out....

National Worship Leaders Conference '11

2011-07-20T23:32:00.002-05:00

Okay....now that I've somewhat figured out this mess Google put us in with their new system...here is the update for Day 2 of NWLC.

Started out this morning with music led by Reuben Morgan and Ben Fielding of Hillsong United, and Kari Jobe. It was the coolest acoustic worship set I have ever been a part of in my life! Crazy good!

Miles McPherson was the speaker for this morning's session. I had never heard him before, but will listen to him on a regular basis now. I only knew him as a former NFL player back when I was a kid. He played DB for the San Diego Chargers back in the '80's. He was great!! He had a great message for walking with Christ based on 5 principles:

1. Preparation...God has prepared you to do everything you are called to do

2. Purpose...to obey the Father

3. Pain....sometimes we have to go through pain

4. Power....power that overcomes earthly power

5. Passion....you cannot quit!

The first of my workshops today was a New Song Cafe hosted by worshiptogether.com. Reuben Morgan, Ben Fielding, and Kari Jobe shared with the group. New Song Cafe is a regular video series (you can search them on youtube...there are quite a few). The artists shared some brand new songs with us, including a couple that have yet to be released. It was awesome!!

Stan Endicott had some good words and direction for mentoring and empowering the next generation of leaders. And last, but not least, John Chisum spoke on creative settings, staging, etc...for smaller churches with smaller budgets. I've got some ideas....

Got to hear some new artists today....Sons and Daughters. Very good songwriters! I always love hearing new music!

The day was not without it's humorous parts though....

1. The three teenagers standing in line for the New Song Cafe playing the ukelele, harmonica, and singing. 3 kids, 3 instruments, 3 different keys....drove everyone nuts!!

2. The unknown class member in my second workshop that ripped one just after the speaker said of himself, sometimes things happen unexpectedly. I don't care how old you are....there is nothing like a fart to break the tension.

3. And then there was the two young adults tonight in Red Robin dressed in the Harry Potter best, including wands. I understand why they may want to wear it to the movies, but into Red Robin...really?!

Well....since I didn't get to this blog till pretty late, I'm gonna shut down for now. Up early tomorrow to start Day 3. Casting Crowns and Leeland tomorrow night! Micah Stampley leading tomorrow morning. Should be a good wrap up to the conference. I'm hoping to win one of those IPads I registered to win at a few of the exhibitor booths......fingers crossed.

I'm out...

National Worship Leaders Conference '11

2011-07-19T22:47:00.002-05:00

Well....finished with Day 1 of the National Worship Leaders Conference '11. This is my first time to attend this conference and so far, so good. It is held at The Church of the Resurrection in Overland Park, Kansas. This has got to be the largest Methodist church I have ever seen! It is a very cool facility, and their volunteers are doing a great job of serving.

The day started with a general session taught by Dr. Leonard Sweet. I had seen some of his stuff before, but had never read any of his books or heard him speak. I'll say this....I'll be coming home with a couple of his books and adding him to my podcasts and blog list. He was awesome!! Highlights of his session:

*Why is Jesus' mission statement for all of us not enough. Do we form our own mission statements because His is just not good enough?

*We must speak in the language of the culture we exist in so that the people hear us.

*People understand narrative and metaphor, not words.

He proceeded to tell the story of the birth of Jesus by using the historical narrative of some of the things surrounding the birth. Not that scripture is not important, but when told through narrative and metaphor, it comes alive.....and so do the people.

Tim Hughes led worship and made me want to have a British accent. I don't know...there's something about the worship leaders with British accents that make me feel like I need to repent or something.

The conference is full of your typical conference stuff. The exhibit hall is full of companies who have lots of fun stuff for your building, ministry, etc....This one has lots of fun stuff because it is centered around the creative and worship arts.

This is the first conference I've gone to by myself. I don't have a problem with meeting or talking to new people, so I've had fun meeting worship leaders from around the country and talking strategies, styles, etc.. I must say though, it's not as much fun playing some of my favorite conference games like, "You Might Be Trying to Hard If....." or "Church Titles You May Have Never Heard Of" without a friend to play with like my buddy Robert. I thought of him today when I was standing in the bookstore of the church, Casting Crowns song "If We are the Body" came on, and the guy next to me started singing at the top of his lungs, raising his hands, and practicing his leading skills for all of us in the immediate vicinity. I don't know if he was applying for a job somewhere or just overcome by the sheer excitement of hearing Casting Crowns, but he was definitely trying to hard.

Attended a couple of workshops today, the best of which was a songwriting workshop with Matt Redman. Awesome! That guy can write a song, and he has some incredible wisdom when it comes to leading, writing, and just being a worshipper. I thoroughly enjoyed his workshop.

After dinner at a great pizza place, D' Bronx, we went to the night of worship which is part of each night here at the conference. Tonight's service was led by Brenton Brown and Matt Redman. It was great! Got some great new music to take back home to Still Water and put into our repertoire.

Gonna turn in and get ready for Day 2 tomorrow. General session tomorrow morning led by Pastor Miles McPherson, Reuben Morgan and Ben Fielding (Hillsong United). Tomorrow's Night of Worship.....Gungor, Rebecca St. James, and Kari Jobe. Gonna be good!

I'm out....

Connection

2011-06-07T15:49:00.002-05:00

One area that the church must continue to get better at is reaching the younger generations. People between the ages of 13-29 are becoming more and more disassociated with the church. And it's not because they have issues with Jesus; they have an issue with the church.

Most see Christ followers as arrogant, intolerant, and narrow-minded. When you combine that perception with the fact that rather than asking if that is true, they are asking "do I want to be like you?" ... we have a problem. If the perception is one of arrogance, narrow-mindedness, and intolerance, then no; they do not want to be like us.

We have to get better. Connection is something they long for in a deep, life-changing sense. I recently spoke to a youth pastor in our area who thought that the connection and relationship that the former youth pastor at his church had with the kids was hindering his ability to lead. In actuality, that relationship could probably have helped in more ways than hinder it. Problem is, he is stuck in a mindset that says I'm competing with you; my church v. your church; my ministry v. your ministry.....makes me want to throw up.

True, Godly connection and ministry reaches well beyond any building and in the very fabric of community and relationship. We are dealing with a rapidly growing adult population that is reeling from broken trust, lies and deceit, brokeness, and aloneness. They are hurting like no generation before them has ever hurt. They are trying to write their life into a story in which they win, but they can't find the hope they are looking for in what the world has to offer. We, the church, have to step up and stop giving a great verbal explanation of hope, and start showing it in all that we do.

How many churches are in your area? How many of them are working together on a consistent basis to reach the community? What are you doing to reach the younger people in your church body? Investing in changing the perception of the narrow-minded, arrogance of Christ followers means developing life-long relationships. Relationships that constantly challenge each other to raise our game. Relationships that are strong and encouraging.

Church... your challenge is to find your place in this revolution. Figure out where it is that your local body needs you to serve in order to best reach a floundering generation of potential. This generation wants to be involved; they want to make a difference...help them!

Pastors....stop whining! No more building envy; no more blaming other people for not getting it done. If we are going to tell our congregations to love one another and work together in community...we better be the example.

I'm out.

LIFE with each other....

2011-04-21T04:56:00.004-05:00

Last night we wrapped up a series with our students called LIFE with Jesus. Over the last 5 weeks we've talked about a lot of stuff with our students concerning what it looks like to walk daily with Jesus. Being able to support what we believe, walk what we talk, and do what needs to be done to continually develop the relationship we have have with God.

It wasn't that long ago (15 years) that I was struggling with my commitment to the ministry that God had called me to as a 17 year old kid. I was fed up with the attractional attitude of many churches. It just seemed to me that many of our churches were so focused on doing things to draw people to their building that they had lost sight of the call to take Christ to the world.

The story of God leading me from a point in my life that I wanted nothing to do with the ministry of the local church to leaving my coaching/teaching career to be on a church staff is a different story that I may share at a later time, but I find myself still struggling with the competitive, attractional attitude of some churches. As a pastor, the example we should be setting for our congregations is one of relationship and community; loving people as God has loved us; staying focused on the mission at hand....using our gifts and abilities to draw people into a relationship with Christ. This will almost certainly include people that are not ever going to walk through the doors of our buildings.

I was told by a pastor recently that when God calls you from one church to another, it means you cut off communication with the church you leave and focus solely on the church in which you currently serve. He credited and "unwritten code" with that rule. Maybe I am wrong, but I just can't buy into that philosophy. God brings people into our lives throughout our journey. As I read through Paul's letters, I see a man who had many meaningful relationships in those cities, and he stayed in communication with them. Granted, social networking 2000 years ago was not what it is today, but had the churches of Philippi, Ephesus, Galatia, Colosse, or Thessalonica been worried that communication with Paul would somehow hinder the ministry of Timothy, Tychicus, or any other pastors that followed him into these cities, what might have happened to these churches? Or had Timothy, Tychicus, or any of those pastors spent more time whining about Paul communicating with the people of "their" church than they did with doing what God called them to do there...what might they have missed?

As pastors, you form deep, loving relationships with the people of the local church. These relationships are not squelched with a geographical move. I am in no way supporting or condoning allowing bitterness, or anger of an ugly breakup become a divisive tool on your way out. What I am saying, is that when you leave a place on a good note, you leave people that you love, and God moves you to a new local body, it does not mean you stop pastoring those that are still at the church you left.

God has led me on an incredible journey, loved me through a lot of things, and used me in spite of my best efforts to mess things up. There are a lot of people that God has given me the privilege of meeting, and partnering with in ministry. And I realize that some people have the capacity to maintain relationships and others do not, but to drop communication with those people does not reflect the kind of love God has called us too in our walk with Him. It is not a competition between pastors or churches, it is about a calling to minister to people.

I love hearing stories of what is going on in the churches in my area. I love hearing people talk with excitement about what's going on in their walk. We should celebrate with each other what is happening in the local church; partner with other pastors; maintain relationships with those God has led our way; and continue to encourage people, even when God leads us elsewhere.

I thank God for allowing me to do what I do, and for leading so many incredible people through my life. He has used so many people to speak into my life, and help shape and form me that I cannot count them all. He continues to use people to teach me and I am grateful for each of them. When my time is done here, I hope that the relationships left behind would not just be relationships of years passed, but of relationships that remained current and active through communication and ministry over the span of my time here on earth.

I'm out.

On my mind...

2011-03-22T21:36:00.002-05:00

Things running through my mind...

1. I ate too many tacos for dinner....

2. Those tacos were really good.......

3. My kids are growing up too fast....

4. Sometimes I miss coaching..most days I don't

5. I love what I do now

6. Proclaimed gospel v. Lived out gospel

7. I don't want to be guilty of only proclaiming the gospel.

8. I have to speak at my friend's funeral Thursday.....I am incredibly honored

9. Life is fragile....relationships are important.

10. Students have to know that you care for them regardless if they are in your building or not.

11. There are only 10 weeks of school left

12. Less than that for my kid in college

13. Those tacos were good!

14. Only one more month till the NFL draft

15. No one is going to show up

16. Will there be NFL football next year?

17. I've gotta go fishing this week

18. Russell Brand is going to make an awesome Arthur

19. I'm looking forward to the new series we're starting with our students tomorrow night

20. Going to bed....need to sleep through the night tonight.

Pizza, Toe Nails, and Bob Henis

2011-01-31T15:51:00.003-06:00

Well.... there are times when I sit here and stare at this blog wondering what to write. Most of the time it's just a place for me to throw up whatever thoughts are in my head onto virtual paper. That can be a dangerous thing..... read some of my old posts. But then again, if it were more than that somebody would pay me to write, and that ain't happenin'.

My middle daughter turned 17 last week. I've got 3 kids, and each one of them are very different. With this one...everything is a production, so birthdays are huge. I feel like we've been celebrating her birthday for 2 weeks! Her party is not until this Friday..... 2 weeks after her actual birthday. As long as I can remember in our family, my in-laws come over and take our family to lunch or dinner to celebrate. This is one of the more entertaining moments of the birthday celebration.

Over the years we've heard my somewhat deaf father-in-law announce to everyone in Panchos that he forgot his beano. We've seen my mother-in-law forget to button the blouse under her sweater, only to have it fall out from under her sweater while walking through the restaurant. The father-in-law also spit coke out of his nose when that happened.....good stuff.

Last night.....we hit Cici's with the in-laws to celebrate birthday #17, and it did not disappoint! The night started pretty calmly.....we got to Cici's with no incident. But then my father-in-law started talking about an old friend named Bob Henis...... yes Bob Henis. Of course when he said it the first time my 13 year old son about fell out. It's just a funny name he said....especially when you say it fast. He's right..... funny name. Kinda like Turd Ferguson, but funnier....Bob Henis.

The laughter was interrupted only by my 6 year old niece walking back to the table from the arcade with a knot on her forehead. She was chasing her bouncie ball that she "won" and went head first into the change machine....greatness...... I mean poor thing.

Then it was "medical story time!" I know you can identify. Everyone has a family member that does not mind sharing medical stories...and usually ones that you don't care to hear. Both of my in-laws are diabetic. I'm not sure of the connection between diabetes and toenails, but evidently there is one. I was in mid-bite of a delicious Cici's cinnamon roll when he tells us that each doctor visit costs him an extra $40....why? Because they have to clip his toenails!!!!

The look on my wife's face= priceless.

Of course my son's question....."Did you go to Dr. Bob Henis?"

I'm out......

Who's helping who?

2010-07-28T05:48:00.020-05:00

What an unbelievable week it was in Barranquilla, Colombia. This was the smallest campaign I've been on, in terms of the number of people involved. There were 23 of us from 3 different churches. About a third of those were from my home church, Firewheel Church. The other two thirds were comprised of friends from Waterbrook Church here in Wylie, and Jacksonville Chapel in New Jersey.

The daily schedule of these trips looks like this......

7am..... Breakfast/Worship and Devotional

8:30ish.... Load up with your team into a van and head out to your assigned barrio

9:30-10.... hit the streets in the barrio

Noon.... lunch (provided by the church with which you are working)

2:00..... hit the streets in the barrio

4:00-4:30.... snack and preparation for service

4:30/4:45.... neighborhood celebration service

5:15/5:30.... head back to the hotel

6:00/6:30....dinner with your team/free time till bed

Obviously, the majority of your time is spent in the barrios with the people living there, and the church that has been planted there. Our purpose?...... to evangelize and disciple the people of the assigned barrio, and to train the members and pastors of the neighborhood churches on how to reach their community.

It can be easy to start with an attitude of ... "we're here to help," as if we have this down. But how is it that we think we can help them with something we don't even do a good job of here at our own church.

Seriously....when is the last time we spoke to someone in our own neighborhood about Jesus? And by neighborhood.... include your office, school, family, etc... We talk about "helping" these churches with their evangelism and discipleship, when the truth is....I wonder how many of our church members and staff would show up if we had a day where someone was going to walk with us through our "neighborhood" and show us how to evangelize/disciple our community. My guess is not many. Because we're the trainers, not the trainees....we've got this down.

We have cool buildings, convenient service times, A/C, coffee bars, and plenty of programs for us to come to at various times of the week. So many actually, that we can choose what is most convenient for us. We've made it incredibly easy to substitute inviting someone to church for real, doing life together evangelism and discipleship.

The people of the communities that we work with in Barranquilla come to church to celebrate the one true God and His son Jesus. They come because he deserves to be praised. There is nothing there to draw them in..... half of them bring their own chairs to the worship service. No screens, little to no sound system, no A/C..... nothing but unashamed, passionate worship in all that is done.

I am not saying that we should be ashamed of our resources. I am saying that, at times, we should be ashamed at the way we use our resources. We have so much that we've been given to reach people for Christ. Our homes, cars, jobs, educucation, communication

devices, health...the list goes on without even mentioning our church buildings. Because of the nature of our daily lives we have the opportunity to reach countless people through our actions and words every day of the week.

John 13:35..."By this they will know you are my disciples, if you love one another." The love of Christ is to be modeled daily in all that we do, not just talked about. To equip and empower people for daily evangelism is where genuine, community changing, life transforming spiritual growth of individuals and churches occurs.

I have to ask myself...what am I doing so that others will know I am His disciple? How does God's love for me show through in the way I treat others? How do I encourage and help the people I work with to be the best they can be? Am I being a good steward of the gifts that I've been given? As a pastor... do I think too much about one area of influence, or how my one area can influence other areas? And do I equip and empower the people around me to use their gifts to reach others? So many questions...

I am so thankful for my time and my friends in Barranquilla. They are such an inspiration to me. They are an encouragement in ministry and in the way I live life daily. I am humbled by the way they worship in all that they do. They remind me that the church is a body not a building. And they model for me what it looks like to "love one another."

So thank you to all of those that I had the opportunity to minister with in Barranquilla last week. I don't know if anything I did in my week there could come close to the way you loved and

discipled me. I am humbled and incredibly grateful for my time with all of you.

I'm out.....

Day 5: Barranquilla

2010-07-22T20:26:00.005-05:00

Today was our last day in the field and it went great! The rain held off for us and we were able to work in the barrio that we were originally supposed to be in all day yesterday. The people in this barrio are great!!

There were so many kids in this barrio. They were everywhere!! While most of the kids were in school from noon-6pm, the parents were at home during the day. We saw a ton of kids this morning and then spent time with a lot of parents this afternoon. This was another barrio that was crime ridden and over run with gangs and drug dealers. But God protected us and led us to the people He wanted us to talk to which included some of these people.

The service this afternoon was packed with young and old. A church that normally has around 10 people and room for maybe 20 had about 50 at their service. We saw 41 people give their life to Christ in a day and a half. We had the opportunity to go back and visit many of the people we spoke to yesterday and do some discipleship with them. The cool thing... we would be there visiting and they would bring other people into the house and we were sharing and teaching them to share.

I played soccer with a bunch of little kids and their older brothers. The older kids were pretty hard core and into some things that definitely were not good for them. A couple of card tricks and self-humiliating attempts at playing soccer, and I had them listening to me. So cool!

I had some interesting conversation with my friend Aurora the last couple of days. It's amazing how wrong we get it sometimes in the american church today. We've placed our stock in so much stuff (media, buildings, programs, etc..) that we've created an attitude of "what are you gonna do to impress me" in the people that come through our doors. While these things are not bad at all... we must do them with excellence, we must use them to glorify God, and we must use them to encourage and point people into ministry.

God is speaking to me and stirring my heart about some things. I'm trying to work these things out in my head so I can write them out and move on them. It is just such an encouragement to watch these people worship and be a part of these services. It reminds me of what gifts God has given me and speaks to why I need to be a better steward of those gifts. To watch people with so little give so much is completely humbling.

I'm out....

Barranquilla....Day 4

2010-07-21T20:34:00.003-05:00

Proverbs 19:21.."Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails."

We got to our barrio this morning and got off to a great start. This was an extremely poor barrio. But... as is the norm...these were some of the most welcoming, loving people we've met. They had nothing, but offered everything they had to make us comfortable...unbelievably humbling. The message of Jesus resonates with them, and offers them hope and peace that they long for in their lives. But it isn't that what we all long for?

We only visited a few houses before lunch, but spent quality time with each family and was able to really solidify their decision to follow Christ. They took us to their "mother church" for lunch since there was more space, it was cooler, etc...While there, the rains came! This would have been no big deal (we went out in the rain yesterday), except the gangs in the neighborhood choose to fight when it rains. The pastor recommended that we not go back to the barrio we were in that morning because of the gang issue. Well.... God had that all orchestrated.

We went out into the neighborhood of the "mother church" and quickly figured out that was exactly where God wanted us to be. My group went to one house after the rains stopped. When I told the mom of the house that we were not even supposed to be there, but the rain kept us from being where we were originally planning to be. She said to me....."you're here because me and my family need to hear what you have to say." And she was exactly right. She told us about her kids... all 5 of them. Her three girls, and her homosexual son were there. Her other son was not there. We spent almost an hour with her, praying for her family, and leading her to faith in Christ. One of the nationals, a young man, struck up a conversation with the homosexual son. He found out that the kid had been raped at age 7 (he's 20 now). That experience caused him to think that he was gay, so he just "became" homosexual. The national told me this as were were leaving the house, walking down the street.

We stopped, I sent our two girls with the other group and he and I , and Beaux headed back. We found Jorge in his room and begin talking with him. He told us that he did not like who he was; did not believe it was who God intended him to be; and wanted to change. He is a noted drug dealer (he was selling his last two bags of marijuana when we found him), gang banger, and homosexual/transvestite. As we talked to him of God's love for him, he began to weep. As we spoke to him, several other kids showed up to listen in to what was going on. After 30-40 minutes of talking with Jorge, he gave his life to Christ with his mom standing there with us praying with him.

God wanted us there today.... no doubt. I've got some other things that God is revealing to me on this trip. I'll share those at another time... maybe tomorrow. For now....

I'm out.

Barranquilla: Day 3

2010-07-20T21:10:00.004-05:00

Second day in the field......Incredible!

For those of you that may not know how this works..... we spend Monday in Tuesday in one barrio and then we switch to another barrios for Wednesday and Thursday.

The barrio we were in yesterday and today is a pretty rough place. Drug use, alcoholism, teenage pregnancies, etc... are rampant in this area. The pastor who we worked with at this place is a survivor of this neighborhood. A one time heroin user/gang member... he is one of the most passionate people I have ever met when it comes to reaching his community for Christ.

The first street we went down this morning was a re-visit of a street we were on yesterday. I had the opportunity to get to know a few of the rougher individuals on that street and saw several give their lives to Christ. Today... our pastor received a warning that there was a plan to rob us when we came back down that street. Some of the young men whom we had gotten to know yesterday put a stop to that for us. We were allowed to venture into parts of that barrio that not even cops would go into because they were in danger. It was awesome!! We prayed with these people, talked with them, and shared the gospel with them and were witness to many strongholds broken in that barrio.

Everyone on the trip has their own individual stories and I wish I had space to tell all of them. As has been the case with every trip. There is so much for us to learn from the people here. When they come to worship there is nothing to draw them to the church like we are accustom to back home. No media, screens, bands, buildings, etc.....just the desire to worship the God who has given them life and hope. It is unbridaled, unashamed worship. I wish I could bottle it up, put it in my bag and bring it home.

Tomorrow's barrio is supposedly one of the rougher ones around here. Should make for an interesting day. I'm excited to see what God has in store for us there tomorrow and Thursday. Keep praying for the team and for the areas that each group is in the next two days.

I'm out....

Colombia '10: Day 1

2010-07-19T22:08:00.003-05:00

Today was the first day in the field. We spent it with a small church in a pretty poor barrio. Pastor Javier is doing incredible ministry in this area, and God has given him great vision for his community. There are a ton of kids in this barrio. Pastor Javier and the people of his congregation said there is a huge marijuana and alcohol problem with the young people there... along with many gang issues.

We spent the day talking with a lot of the kids he was talking about. It was one of those days where every time we presented the gospel there were 10-20 people gathered around. I had the opportunity to share with about 25 kids at one time. They were all playing some pretty serious poker games with quite a bit of money on the table. I did a few card tricks on them and they went nuts. They listened as I talked to them about Jesus and more than half of them accepted Christ, including the ring leader Martin. It was pretty incredible.

We went into one house and there was a man there who had been sharing the gospel with this family for sometime. He is an evangelists and was so excited that there were other Christians in his barrio sharing Jesus. The whole family accepted Christ.

Our team had the opportunity to share the gospel 35 times today.... we saw 76 people make commitments to Christ. Pastor Javier is so excited to have so many people to disciple and minister to on a daily basis. We had church this afternoon at his church building, and like all of the other times I've been here..... I wish I could bottle up what I see in these worship times and bring it home for everyone to experience. Incredible!

Well...that's the update today. Up early tomorrow for breakfast and back in the field for day 2. Pray for us that we will continue to have opportunities to share. God is at work here and we are pumped for the chance to be His mouthpiece.

I"m out

Colombia '10

2010-07-18T22:34:00.002-05:00

Well.... after a long two days in the Dallas and Miami airports, we're here in Barranquilla!

This is such a great city! God has been speaking to me a lot the last couple of days. As we were waiting I was reminded, as I often am, of God's orchestrative powers.

Proverbs 19:21..."Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails."

There are times when we just can't figure it out..... but then again....we don't have to always have it figured out. God's not ringin' His hands and wondering what's goin' on, or how this is going to work out, or what's coming next.

We don't have to ask God to show up for anything. He's here......we have to show up. We have to seek Him.

I'm excited to see what He has planned here in Barranquilla this week. I'll be posting updates daily while we're here, so check in. Time to go to be right now though...

I'm out.

Harvey

2010-06-28T20:32:00.006-05:00

Growing up, my family would take frequent trips up into the woods of East Texas. For most of my childhood my granddaddy lived in the Kirbyville, Hemphill area near Lake Toledo Bend. My brother and I loved getting out of the city and going out into the woods. My granddaddy had an old bird dog named Sport and an old chevy truck named Old Blue. There were woods for squirrel hunting, the lake for fishing, pine cones for throwing at each other, and peas for shelling (I hated that job). Needless to say, the only dull moments at my granddaddy's house came at night. I think they went to bed somewhere around 6:00pm and the only thing ever on tv, remember this was pre-cable, was baseball or the news. We played a lot of cards and knee football in the living room.

One of our favorite things to do was to go visit Uncle Harvey. He was actually my great uncle, but everyone just called him Uncle Harvey. His family had kind of disappeared and my granddaddy was left to look out for his brother Harvey. The thing was, Harvey was a hermit. For real! He lived in an old cabin in the woods by himself. As long as you went out there with my granddaddy you were safe. I never tried going out there without him because every time we went, Harvey was sitting at the ragged old screen door that was his front door, with a double barrel shotgun....locked and loaded.

His truck, lawn mowers, air conditioner, garage and everything else within range of the shotgun had been blasted several times. Uncle Harvey had a problem with hallucinating that people were trying to steal his stuff. So I was not about to run the risk of mistaken identity.

Harvey had long gray hair, and a long gray beard and was always wearing some old overa

lls. There was a massive tree in his front yard with vines that had been growing for decades hanging from the top of the tree. My brother and I would climb up in this tree and swing out of it like Tarzan until Harvey started shooting at the people living in the tree that were trying to "get" me and my brother.

As a kid we never thought about it, but Harvey lived a completely lonely, isolated life. Outside of my granddaddy taking him into town occasionally for groceries, he never left his cabin. If he did the tree people would probably steal everything he owned. He had none of life's finer things, and really didn't care for any of it.

I thought of Uncle Harvey the other night at the movies when I saw the trailer for a new movie starring Robert Duvall and Bill Murray titled Get Low. Duvall looks exactly like I remember Uncle Harvey, and it triggered these memories. But as I thought about my old uncle and his reclusive, lonely life, it made me think of the people that I pass daily that are just as lonely.

Even in the midst of all that goes on around them..... loneliness. In spite of millions of people, and the ability to connect with people around the world....loneliness. Many people live in the same, reclusive, lonely place that Harvey lived. They are looking for connection. They desire interaction. They want to be used. They want to know that God created them for a purpose and for a reason. The question is....

What are we doing to put them in the position to find that connection? How are we helping people realize the gifts and abilities that God has given each of us and how those gifts can be used to love and minister to others?

When people feel that there is no place for them, or that they are useless, many of them look to the church for answers and help. Our responsibility is to help them find the path and direction that God has planned out for them, with the gifts that He gave them in the first place. People want to be used and needed. Some are sitting at their door right now guarding everything they have from the tree people. Our challenge is to get them to let down their guard long enough to venture out and put those gifts to use for the Kingdom.

I'm out....

Spring forward......

2010-03-29T10:22:00.003-05:00

So my middle kid is about to start driving. She's had her permit now for about 5 months, so end of April she gets to take her drivers test. Here's the awesome thing about that. Recently, Texas law changed back to kids having to take the drivers test with a state trooper in the car with them. Greatness!!!

I remember taking my drivers test with Sergeant Paris in the car with me. It was so intimidating! Parallel parking between two cones with tennis balls perched on top of them.... you knock one off.... you're done. Talk about white knuckling the steering wheel.

Recently, she confused the gas pedal and brake pedal while backing out of a parking space at the mall. I'm not sure who was more scared, my wife or the person stopped and waiting for the spot. I'm really glad I wasn't with her.

My son has let me know that he's not nervous about learning how to drive because he's played a lot of Need for Speed on the xbox. I think he meant that to be comforting, but we'll see. He does seem to have the advantage sometimes in the common sense arena. My wife calls him our last great hope!

This time of year brings about the desire, and in some cases, the need for change. To get things in order.... tidy up a bit. This year is a little different around here because our oldest is graduating high school. I'm not sure I'm ready for it, even though I act like I am. She's my baby. And now there are days I look at her and wonder when she got so grown up.

I'm sure two years from now when the next one graduates we'll be a little more ready in terms of time lines, preparation, etc...but I don't know that I'm ready for any of them to be on their own. I know that we've tried to prepare and teach them, but now we actually have to let them make decisions and stuff. That's hard.

Yes, these are changing times. Big changes. Life changes. Not so sure I'm ready for springing forward and such. Right now.... slowing down sounds real good.

I am gonna change her room to a man cave when she leaves though....

I'm out.

Coaches

2010-03-01T10:26:00.003-06:00

The last two weekends I've had the opportunity to lead about 1,000 students in worship at FCA's Weekend of Champions. Both weekends were incredible!! Well over 200 kids came to know Christ! Others made came to a point of repentance and are trying, right now, to start a path with God in the lead. While there I also got the chance to speak some encouragement to the high school and college kids that were leading, and to the coaches that were there.

I love coaches! Having been one for so long I understand the good, the bad, and the ugly of their world. I also understand that these men and women have more influence on kids than just about anyone else in their lives during these crucial years. Partnering with coaches and schools is a must for anyone in student ministry, or for church in general.

Think about it. Coaches and teachers spend more time than any of us with our kids. More time than parents, youth pastors, bosses, etc.... To pour into our schools is to impact our teenagers at a kingdom level, regardless of numbers in any particular building or congregation. If I can encourage and empower the kids that are in our student ministry to live out the church on their campuses, and to do ministry where they are daily, I believe that way more effective than giving them another bible study they don't do anything with during the week.

We have to be efficient at what we teach, when we teach it, and when we give our people the opportunity to live out what we've taught. The wisdom to use the knowledge we have stored up is something we lack. God promises to give generously to those who ask Him for wisdom. I pray for our students daily that they will gain wisdom to use what they've been taught. I also pray that I will give them the opportunities to be the church, not just come to church.

I understand that there are always people that would rather sit and soak, rather than get up and be the church. I know that for some, sitting and listening to someone else's interpretation of the bible, Jesus, God's love and plan, etc... gives them what they need to check off their "went to church" box for the week. But to have even just a few that really get it....... that's where it's at. To have a few that want to get their hands dirty; that want to be the hands and feet; that want to serve....... those are numbers that have backing.

Coaches teach, and then on game night.... kids are given the opportunity to live out what they've been taught. When adjustments need to be made, they are made and implemented.... and guess what happens..... the kids respond. You find out rather quickly who you can go to battle with, and who is going to give it all they have and gather to celebrate, cry, re-evaluate, and start all over when needed, when the work is done. I think that is a pretty good model for the church.

Coaches.... thank you! Coach Bundy.... thank you for pouring into a 15 year old kid something other than just how to play the game of football, but how to do life. At a time when life sucked, you encouraged and built into what you knew would help later in life and I appreciate it.

What are we doing with what we know? And how are we encouraging those around us to use what they know? Build the kingdom..... regardless of where the bricks are laid.

I'm out.....

Schooled

2009-12-22T15:03:00.002-06:00

The kids are out of school and Christmas is definitely in the air. I love this time of year!! It's even a little cold this year. Growing up on the gulf coast I don't ever remember a cold Christmas much less a white one. I do remember getting out of school and knowing that I had two weeks off. That was only topped when I got to college and realized I got a month off at Christmas. Incredible!!

I had a conversation about school with a friend the other day. He and his wife have chosen to put their kids in a private "christian" school after homeschooling for a few years. He made a statement that I have a problem with pertaining to public schools not being a good place for children to get their education.

I had a problem on a few levels....

1. my wife is a teacher in the public school system.
2. i taught and coached in public schools for 15 years before going into full-time vocational ministry
3. all of my kids are in public schools.

I guess my issue lies in the fact that I know that private "christian" schools have the same problems as the public schools, the kids there can just afford the private school tuition. I taught in several schools over my teaching career and saw my share of parents get upset with the system because of their kid's behavioral issues and just transferred them to a private school. I also had my share of kids that got kicked out of private schools for many of the reasons we were kicking kids out of public schools.

But on a spiritual level I just think that kids that have a relationship with Christ will have a bigger impact on their community if they are actually interacting with their community on a daily basis. To live out the life God calls us to in a public school, where all of society is represented can be huge. Obviously there are things that we don't want our kids exposed to, but is putting them in a bubble really helping. What happens when they get to college?

Don't say... well by that time they'll be mature enough to handle it. You're kidding yourself with that philosophy. Truth be told.... you risk them going stark raving wild when they get a glimpse at the world they've been "protected" from their whole life.

Teaching our students to stand for what they believe in the face of all the world has to throw at them is teaching them real, missional, Christianity. Life is gross and dirty at times and we can't protect them from everything, but we can show them what it looks like to overcome and stand for what is right. When you teach your kid to drive, you don't have them drive around a parking lot until the day they get their license. You get them out on the road and show them what it's like to navigate through traffic and obstacles. Life is no different..... they've got to see what it's like to take a stand when they're students, while they're still under our roof..... if they get away without that experience it could be trouble.

I'm out.....

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T05:01:00.002-06:00

I love this time of year. There is so much to get excited about and reflect on. Later today this house will be filled with the smell of lots of food, and the sound of people having a good time. Football will be on tv pretty much all day with the Cowboys game being the feature game at 3. And then of course there is the fact that today ushers in the start of the Christmas season. Since I was a kid the Macy's Day Parade seemed to signal the start of Christmas. It's great.

One of the weird things about today is that all of the work that goes into preparing is laid to waste in a matter of minutes. By 1:00, the carcas of that turkey will be stripped to the bone. The dressing will be consumed in mass quantities and it will be time for a nap. By mid-afternoon many people will be making their shopping plans for Black Friday and the craziness that comes with the biggest shopping day of the year. Who started that crazy stuff anyway?

Then there's the reflective side of things. Thanksgiving..... should be a part of every day, but this time of year seems to make even the hardest of hearts sit and reflect on the good things of life. Even in the toughest of times there is much to be thankful for in life. Think on those things. Prayers of thanksgiving seem, sometimes, to get lost amongst all of the prayers of petition, but isn't there so much more to give thanks for than to ask for in our lives?

Nine years ago I lost my dad on Thanksgiving day to a heart attack. While the exact day only falls on Thanksgiving every once in a while, for obvious reasons it is Thanksgiving Day that marks that time of my life. I am thankful for the 33 years that I had with my dad and look forward to seeing him again someday.

Cliche as it may be.... take some tme today to reflect and be thankful for what you have, what you've had, and what we are sure to receive. Happy Thanksgiving.

I'm out.

Catalyst Stuff

2009-10-07T22:19:00.002-05:00

The first day of labs/classes are done. I heard lots of good stuff today, but there is much to be processed. Here are a few of the notable notes from the day:

1. If you are leading.... people will get mad and leave. - Perry Noble
2. Inspiration will only take you so far. You must lead by revelation.- Perry Noble
3. If we hold too tightly to an ideal picture of family, we set up families to become disillusioned.
- Reggie Joiner
4. Influencing families is about teaching them to cooperate with God and His plan; not about
conforming to the picture of a model family.
5. The word of God has to be a part of our leadership in worship. -Aaron Keyes
6. When I invite people into my stuff, they invite me into theirs. -Jamie Tworkowski
7. How are we forming people into the image of Jesus? - Jon Tyson
8. Imagination has been taken captive by the world. -Darren Whitehead
9. People were not created to handle planetary suffering day-in day-out. -Shane Hipps
10. Church has missed the boat on teaching the gospel, and has taught moral theism.
-Matt Chandler

Well there you go. The top 10 nuggets of the day. I'll probably have much more to say tomorrow. Main sessions start up early and go all day. Can't wait...gonna be awesome!

I'm out.

Catalyst Day 1

2009-10-07T05:38:00.002-05:00

Well... got to the ATL safely yesterday. One of my favorite restaurants anywhere is Daddy D'z BBQ Joynt in downtown Atlanta. If you are ever here you have got to get by there. The 4 bone plate with red beans and rice and fired okra can't be beat. The only problem..... I usually hurt myself before I leave and wind up miserable the rest of the day. I'm still hurtin' this morning. I don't even feel like eating breakfast. But for a once or twice a year visit to Daddy D'z.... it's worth it.

So the conference itself doesn't start till tomorrow. Today we'll be heading up to the Gwinnett Center to attend some labs (specialized, smaller venue discussions) with some key leadership figures from around the country. I like the labs because you get some good q&a time that you don't ever get in the main sessions.

Yesterday... we had some good staff time. I love sitting and talking with the guys I work with, trying to figure out what needs to be done to bring our body at Firewheel to the next level of spiritual growth and leadership. There is just so much to be done to reach the community that we live in daily. As a growing, mid-sized, church we have to make sure that we are constantly working to move ourselves, and our people to the next level and not get comfortable with where we are at in any part of the ministry.

I look at the incredible group of volunteers that I have in the student ministry and want to make sure that I am giving them every opportunity to follow God's call on their lives. If that means challenging them to raise their game, or moving people to different seats on the bus, raising my game, whatever...... we've got to do it. There are so many moving parts to ministry. What is it that needs to be done to make us move and not get complacent and comfortable? That's the question that I am constantly asking myself.

It's so easy to get comfortable. When things are familiar. When things are routine..... we can operate without even thinking about it sometimes. I remember when I was leading worship at camps and stuff week-in and week-out, it got real easy to just go through the motions sometimes. I would have to remove myself from things at times and really get my heart and mind focused on what we were there to do, because the music came easy.... it could've been easy to just wing it at times.

I don't want us to be "wingin' it." That's not the way to disciple and grow leaders in the church. One of my goals would be to train a team of leaders to do what I do. A team that is actively pursuing relationships with students and parents outside of the walls of Firewheel Church. One of the many things I learned about ministry when leading worship for so many different things is that about 90% of our ministry was always done off of the stage. It was about the relationships that were made at times off of the stage.

Well.... if the church building is our "stage." For each of us involved... it's about the relationships that are made off of the stage that will draw kids and parents into a closer relationship with Jesus. We've got to do whatever possible and whatever needed to lead students into a growing relationship with Jesus. What needs to be tweeked? What needs to be changed? What needs to be better? Hmmmmmm.... I'm sure I'll hear some insights this week while I'm here.

I always enjoy the time with the guys in this setting. We have a lot of fun. I like it when we challenge each other and talk ministry. Good week ahead.....

Stay tuned for pics, funny stories, updates, etc....... sure there will be plenty of that.....

I'm out.

Holding Patterns....

2009-08-10T22:31:00.003-05:00

I was talking with my friend Earl last week about the state of the church body. Not just our church, but the church as a whole. As he spoke about some of the ruts we get in when we are not challenged in our leadership and spiritual development he used the term.. perpetual holding pattern.

If you've ever been on a plane that is put into a holding pattern, you know exactly what he means. Circling, flying, over and over...... no place to plant your feet, but a deep desire to just be home. When you look at what happens in churches all over the world today you see people fly in and fly out. Some stay a while...others not so much. Maybe they're in a holding pattern. Maybe they are just waiting to have a place to land. What is it that would make them want to land at your church, or mine? Are we challenging them to step out and be involved, or are we just giving them a place to touch and go?

I think people want to belong and be a part of something that is making a difference. I know there are those that just want to come in and get their weekly dose of God so that they can feel like they've done well....but I believe there are a lot of people we miss, because they want to make a difference and we may not give them the opportunity. It does make me wonder.... what am I doing to challenge the volunteers and partners in the ministry God's given me? What is it that makes my volunteers and students feel needed, wanted, and feel that they belong?

I think a big part of a church ministry has to be local missions. We have to be working and serving with our community in ways that give our people a tangible, visible reference to the impact they are having. Our people have to get their hands dirty in ministry. Growing ministries aren't always clean and pretty..... it's dirty sometimes. It can be a mess. Let's not be afraid of messiness.

The challenge is to get out of our holding patterns.... created by fear, apprehensiveness, comfort, etc...And let's help others get out of their holding patterns. No more church hopping when things get uncomfortable. No more searches for a place to land that is more fitting to our taste. But a desire to be challenged.... challenged to raise our level of commitment and service. What are we doing to reach our communities and people around the globe for Jesus?

On that note...school starts back in a week. One of the key ways we, as a church, impact our communities is by equipping our students to live out their faith in school. Be praying for our kids, teachers, administrators, coaches, etc..... This is a huge ministry for the whole church.

The overall challenge for us..... What are we doing to challenge each other and ourselves to get out of our holding patterns?

I'm out....

Closing thoughts on Barranquilla

2009-07-29T07:10:00.006-05:00

Okay...so I've been home for almost a week now and I'm still trying to process everything from last week. Getting home on Saturday night has not left me much time to think about, much less write down, what I witnessed last week in Barranquilla, Colombia.

This was my second trip to Barranquilla and once again, it was incredible. It would take me a long time to write out the things I saw, felt, got to do, etc....so I've spent the last few days just trying to process a few of the major takeaways that God showed me on this trip. Of course there are the little things like being thankful that I live in a place where the bad traffic and crazy drivers are nothing compared to Barranquilla. They're not rude drivers or anything.....it's just that lanes do not matter, stop signs do not matter, tiny little taxis are everywhere, and people drive so close to each other that you could literally reach out and slap the person in or on the taxi/motorcycle next to you. But what are a couple of the bigger, spiritual takeaways?

One....I saw this last time, and even more so this time. These believers know what it looks like to come into a worship service with a heart of worship. In most cases there are no multi-media shows, air-conditioned classrooms, multi-million dollar buildings equipped with everything for our comfort and enjoyment. Some of them have bands, very good ones I might add, and sound systems, but for many it may be a singer, a conga, and nothing else....but it doesn't keep anyone from lifting their heart in worship. There is no attitude of, what are you
gonna do to impress me today? Or...I hope we're out on time. Or...what's in this for me. It's all about what I'm bringing into this service as a sacrifice and offering to God. And they just let it go. Whether it's in the street, inside a house, or wherever the "meeting place" may be......it is a place of worship and that is what is done.

There were some similarities in our church culture and the church culture there. My team was in an upscale neighborhood one day. The people in this certain area had much....nice houses, personal cars (which is much more a luxury there than here), nice things in their houses.......very comfortable lifestyles. What we found in these areas was an attitude of complacency and contentment. Many of the people saw no need for Christ because they already had everything they needed to make life comfortable. The pastor we were working with that particular day had been struggling to reach this neighborhood since he had moved there 7 months ago. We see this same attitude in our churches, if not in our own personal lives, here in the United States. It is much easier to depend on God when we have nothing than when we have much.

On that note....I heard several stories of healings and miraculous interventions of God from people in Barranquilla. Most of these stories came from people who had nothing to depend on but God for the needs in their lives. It made me wonder about the miracles of Jesus that we read about in the new testament. I would have to do a little study, but off the top of my head, many of Jesus' miracles were performed for people who had very little personal wealth to depend on for their rescue. How many times do we lean on our own abilities, personal wealth, etc..rather than place our faith in God for guidance and direction in life. So it was no surprise to find the people living in poor neighborhoods much more receptive to the message of Christ than the people who had the means to get what they "needed." That hits pretty close to home.

I am so proud of the students we had on this trip. They really stepped up, and many stepped way out of their comfort zones. The impact they had on people's lives is matched only by the impact the people of Barranquilla had on them. They learned a lot from the people we worked with, and the people they interacted with in the barrios.

It was a great trip! That's an understatement, but I don't know that there are words to describe what was seen and experienced. I'm hoping this trip becomes a staple of our student ministry summer for years to come. The relationships that were formed are key to continued ministry. This was not a trip in which a couple of humanitarian projects were started, completed, and then everyone goes home. There were relationships established between our people and the people of Barranquilla. Relationships with pastors, church members, new believers, etc...young and old, rich and poor. And relationships are a must if we hope for discipleship, and outreach to impact any community of people.

I'm happy to be home, but I look forward to my next visit with the people of Colombia. In the meantime.....taking what we learned from the churches of Barranquilla and working on my own personal attitude towards worship and keeping my heart and mind focused on Him will be how the people there continue to impact our lives here.

I'm out.....

Last Day in the Field

2009-07-23T22:17:00.008-05:00

Today was our last day out in the field. We were back in the same barrio as yesterday, but this time we actually go to go into the "dangerous" areas. The principal of the school allowed their 7th graders to leave class and walk with us through the neighborhood. They were going to houses and getting the people in them to come and listen to us. It was great! This neighborhood was full of kids! It was crazy!

I had the chance to sit down with one family that was really funny. The mom has 3 kids..two teenage daughters and an 11 year old son. She said her teenage daughters drive her crazy because they are always going places and they think they know everything....sound familiar moms and dads? At that moment the grandmother spoke and said....but i carry a big stick....literally (you can see it in the pic below). !

The younger lady in the pic told me an interesting story about leakage from her breast that made things rather uncomfortable but my translator handled things very well. Yesterday I had a lady breast feeding in front of me as I spoke to her and her husband. Kind of strange but I just maintained lots of eye contact with the husband.

The school we have been basing out of the last two days has been great! Today one of the teachers, Carlos, took me on a brief motorcycle tour of the city. AWESOME!!
The traffic in Barranquilla is crazy and the drivers are even crazier. It's a place where lanes do not matter and everyone is just jockin' for position, ignoring stop signs, squeezing into spaces......crazy. Better than any roller coaster i have ever been on in my life.

This was a great barrio. We saw over 300 people give their lives to Christ in two days. Of course part of that is us getting to speak to an entire school, but still. These were some of the nicest people I have ever been around.

The Firewheel students have been doing great! They have got lots of stories to share when we get home so just be ready. I'm going to let them talk Sunday night at Amp'd. They have each had the opportunity to speak in front of their churches along with speaking to individuals all week long. They have done an incredible job! I am really proud of the way that they have stepped out of their comfort zones and responded to this call. I am certain they will want to return the next time.

Tomorrow is our off day, so we're headin' out to a beach and a market place. And then we cap the day off with our Victory Service. Each barrio our team has been in is invited to attend so it should be pretty big.

It has been a great week, but I miss my family. Most of the others do too. I'm looking forward to the trip home and getting to tell all the stories from an incredible week.

Moment of the Day:

*has to be the look on my translator's (Laura) face when I asked her what the lady had just said when she was telling us about her breast leaking. She really didn't want to translate that info.

21 Days till Cowboys kickoff.....

I'm out

Day 5......

2009-07-22T22:12:00.005-05:00

Day 5...another school! My team's day started in another school. This time it was a school run by a christian principal and a faculty made up of all christians. They put each of our team members in a classroom. By 10:30am we had seen over 130 kids give their life to Christ. We ended up seeing 269 people give their life today! Our team alone! Crazy!

The neighborhood we were in was a really bad barrio. We had to have a police escort and three local gang members (as pictured below) lead us around the neighborhood so that we didn't go into the "wrong" houses. Needless to say we stayed pretty close together. The people were incredibly receptive and generous. So different from the very upscale neighborhood we were in earlier this week. People who had nothing, willing to let us in and give up the best seat in the house for us to tell them about Jesus. People with everything...not even opening their gate for us. In some ways it sounds very similar to the culture we live in back home.

I'm learning that there are certain constants in this world. For instance...people who have much feel they need very little. People who have little are willing to give all for a glimmer of hope. McDonalds tastes the same wherever you may be in the world...and in this setting it has been a welcome site at times.

I'm hearing great stories from everyone else on the team, and we've got lots of pictures to share. You can look at a lot of them on my facebook page. Check them out.

Moment of the Day:

*Justin Spann got a marriage proposal from this little Colombian chica who thinks he looks like Harry Potter.

22 days...you know!

I'm out...

Day 4 in Barranquilla

2009-07-21T21:08:00.003-05:00

It was a different day today in a much different barrio. After being in an upscale neighborhood yesterday where complacency had set in, we went to a mission of that church in a very poor barrio. Mary McElyea, 3 of our translators, and a team of nationals were in the neighborhood all morning and did an incredible job.

Thanks to the pastor's wife being a teacher....she got myself, Tye, Elizabeth, Justin, Maria (our translator), and the other Maria (a national) into a school. We were able to share the gospel with more than 150 kids and saw 137 of them give their life to Christ.....in class! It was awesome.

Each of the students shared with the students, Maria (our national) shared her testimony...Incredible! And kids were just zoned into every word out of our mouths. It was a great experience. The teacher sounded a lot like some teachers I know back home. She teaches religion and ethics, but cannot be biased because it is a government/catholic school. But she can bring people in as guests and they can teach about their specific beliefs. So we did... and they responded.

The afternoon was cut short by a huge thunderstorm but it gave us the opportunity to sit with the people of the church we were with and just hangout. We sang worship songs..they would teach us one is spanish ...and then we would teach them one of ours. Old classical guitars with cat gut strings...so awesome!

The pastor shared with us that his church needed encouragement, so we met and talked, prayed, and worshipped together for a while. It was great.

Tomorrow we go to a different church and start working a different barrio. This is a neighborhood that I was in back in October so I'm looking forward to seeing some old friends.

Moment of the Day:

*Lauren McElyea told a group that Jesus died for all of our fish. The word for fish and sins is very similar and she just got a little mixed up. Funny!!

22 days till Cowboys opener!!!

I'm out...

Barranquilla Day 3

2009-07-20T20:54:00.003-05:00

First day in the field went well. The students were all pretty nervous, but they had a good day. My team was in kind of an upscale neighborhood which resulted in many people being quite unreceptive.

I guess things are much different than at home. When we get comfortable with our surroundings and situation it is much harder to see the need for God. The people here are such gracious, welcoming people, but in this neighborhood there was just a sense of complacency. We'll be in another barrio tomorrow and we'll see what happens.

That being said....we saw 50 people give their life to Christ in our group alone. The people at the church we were at today are awesome! My prayer is that they will be able to disciple and go forward with what is started. I want these new believers to get plugged in and find a church home that will teach them and disciple them as they start their new walk.

The kids are doin' great. They are all excited about tomorrow now that they have a day under their belt.

Random Moment of the Day:

*why did the guy serving breakfast have a chef's uniform on (including the really tall hat) when they were just serving corn flakes?

23 days till Cowboys v. Raiders....

I'm out....

Day 2 of Barranquilla

2009-07-19T23:03:00.003-05:00

Today was long...but productive. Just a lot of meetings and stuff that have to be done to cover everything that needs to be covered before heading to the barrios tomorrow.

We went to church this morning and my team was actually in one of the churches I was with when I was here in October. Pastor Edwin and his wife Rosy are great....and what a great group of people. The encouraging thing was that back in October there was probably about 50-75 people in their church. This morning they had apprx. 150 people there. Incredible!!

Their band was slammin'! Last time we were there...they had one speaker and the piano, guitar, and vocal mic were all plugged into it. They rocked it out this morning!

You know....the thing that still amazes me about church here is that the people are there to worship and there is nothing that is drawing them in except for the desire to meet with God. No fancy buildings, no "creative elements," no a/c, no multimedia presentations......just worship! and a lot of it!

We met our translators and nationals that we will be working with this week and they are great. I love our translators.....funny group of kids that are pumped about being here! We'll have more on them later.

Taxi rides are still the thrill of the day.....lanes don't matter and horns are used a lot! It's great.

Well.....no random thoughts but I thought I would share what is perhaps the funniest door hanger sign in the history of mankind. And yes...I'm bringin' it home with me.

I'm out!

Back in Colombia

2009-07-18T21:16:00.002-05:00

Well....we're back in Barranquilla. Last time I was here was October and we had a team of about 70 people from all over the country. This time I'm here with team of 29 from Firewheel, half of which are students. We arrived safely around 5pm after a long day of waiting and walking through airports in Dallas, Miami, and Barranquilla.

The students are excited to be here and loved the bus ride from the airport to the Hotel Majestic where we will be staying this week. Riding through the streets of Barrnaquilla can be a thrill ride like none other. Lanes don't matter, horns are used constantly, while driving next to a Ford F150 there may be a donkey and cart on the othe side and a cow running down the road. All of them dodging the countless number of jaywalkers. CRAZY!!!!

We will be in church tomorrow morning with some of the pastors and nationals that we will be working with throughout the week. Then it's a little training and prep time tomorrow evening before hitting the field on Monday morning.

Everything today went very smooth and the kids are beat. Excited.....but beat. I don't think they'll have any problems going to sleep tonight.

I'm rooming with Tye Polk. That should provide some interesting updates as we move through the week.

We are going to have a great week and I am excited to see what God has planned for us here in Barranquilla. Lives will be changed forever.......ours inlcuded.

Moment of the Day:

I say to the students......don't try to use your phone unless you want to pay thousands of dollars in roamin' charges. To which Madi Polk replies...how much is that in american?

25 days till Cowboys v. Raiders...How bout them Cowboys?!

I'm out!

Control

2009-07-14T09:05:00.003-05:00

Wow!! Summer is half over! It's crazy to think that school starts back up in just over a month. My oldest will be a senior this year! She makes sure to remind me of that every chance she gets.

I remember my senior year. Baytown Sterling High School...Class of '86! Seems like forever ago, but yet seems like yesterday. There's no way we can all be this old.....41 use to sound ancient. It doesn't sound so old now.

Where does time go? What is it we do with our time here? How do we impact lives around us? Things change so fast and our window for influence is small sometimes.

I'm afraid I spend too much time worrying about things due to my attempts at controlling stuff that God should be in control of anyway. Or getting ticked at people for mistakes that I have made myself many times before. You know...the kid at Taco Bell is just trying to earn a few bucks to put giant wheels on his Honda Civic....he didn't screw up my tacos on purpose. He's just got other things on his mind.

What is it that I really do control? I think if I start with controlling my relationship with Christ, and prioritizing His direction and influence, then perhaps the need to control everything else would begin to subside.

Jacob tried to control things his entire life. It wasn't until he wrestled with God and realized who he was that God was able to start a work in Him and do great things.

My prayer....that God would continue to help me realize who I am in Him and all of the other Dougs would take a back seat. Some things just push my buttons, and life happens daily. Control is part of our selfish nature and surrendering it is part of a growing, mature relationship with Christ.

Well....lots of stuff goin' on this week. VBS up here at church, leaving for Colombia, student minstry stuff......our children's pastor has me wearing a crocodile suit all week, walkin' around vbs. My name is Croc O'Dile...pretty funny.

You know how my mind works....so here are a few random thoughts:

1. so Bret Michaels of Poison and Rock of Love fame.....where did he find the people on this
seasons show that failed to realize that this is season 3 of finding his one true love? he's being
called a "romance revolutionary".......seriously?

2. why does my daughters summer school speech teacher require them to do current events on
colored, decorative paper? and by the way, the current events are not presented to the class
as a speech....go figure.

3. T.O. on the show Superstars....losing miserably to Julio Iglesias Jr......PRICELESS!

31 Days till Cowboys v. Raiders....how bout them Cowboys?!

I'm out.

Camp Reflections

2009-06-30T09:01:00.006-05:00

Back in the office after a week of camp, a crazy weekend, and a Monday off.....lots to do but wanted to sit back for a bit and just reflect on some things from camp.

Brad Fogarty did a great job as camp pastor. I had never heard him before last week, and was impressed with his ability to communicate truth in a very up front, honest way but yet had the kids total attention. No gimmicks....just biblical teaching.

Crazy hot all week. I think Zephyr must be latin for equator. Free time was normally spent in the pool, pond, or cabins.

Of course, camp food is always one of the most scrutinized things of the week....and in this case...rightfully so. The portions were soooo small. I'm thinkin' weight watchers must use this facility for their annual conventions. Each meal could not have contained more than a dozen points. It was ridiculous!!

Our kids really enjoyed their family groups. I've heard them speaking about the relationships they formed with kids from the other churches there and I was really pleased they didn't just stick to each other the whole week.

Jeremy Lewis and his crew from Central Baptist College Station did a great job of organizing things. Being a camp director is a much harder job than most people know, and he did a great job.

Our kids are pretty incredible. This was the first time we had done
middle school and high school together at the same camp. I loved
watching the high school kids take on some leadership and mentorship roles with our middle schoolers. We also had some great chaperones with us that really made a huge difference in the camp experience.

Rental vans....$2,400
Snacks for the ride.....$20
Middle school boys going shirtless on the ride home.....Priceless!

The Man Game; Happy Butts; The Animal Game.....just ask the kids.

These are just a few things. You can check out a ton of pics on facebook, and the video will be coming soon. I could sit and write all day about the great week we had, but I have to get busy catching up and preparing for this weekend. Our senior pastor is actually giving his pulpit to the student pastor this weekend, so I'm preaching the main services. I'm really looking forward to that opportunity.

44 days till kickoff....Cowboys v. Raiders....How bout them Cowboys!!?

I'm out....

Talent Shows and such....

2009-06-26T00:20:00.002-05:00

Camp talent shows....why? Every year...this event is placed as the headlining late nite activity. Not sure when that started, but I'd like to punch that guy in the throat.

Day 4 Highlights:

1. Our church group times have rocked all week.

2. Two foreign exchange students singin "don't stop believin'"....acoustic

3. The legendary happy butt has made it's return.

4. 3rd place finish in dodge ball tourney

5. Great message out of Colossians 2 tonite!

Looks like we're gonna be getting Brad for Focus this year. Pretty excited about that.....

I'm out.....

Hot!!!!

2009-06-25T07:00:00.002-05:00

It is stupid hot down here! Rec time got messy with some great games, and most of the kids spent their freetime in the water. They're really liking Brad Fogarty (camp pastor). Day 4 is about to get underway so here are some highlights from day 3:

1. The message last night really struck a chord with the kids. They can't stop talkin about it.

2. So Daniel...one of the quietest kids here...shares that he doesn't like to talk in front of people, but then proceeds to preach a gospel message to the whole group, quoting scripture and all...it was great! The kids loved it!

3. Will's truffle shuffle dance at pool side followed by an award winning belly flop!

4. Tye screaming like a girl when I came out at him from between bunks, barking like a dog, in the dark....HILARIOUS!!

I'm sure day 4 has some great things in store...

I'm out

Gender Wars and other camp stuff...

2009-06-23T23:56:00.002-05:00

Wired Camp '09

Day 2 Highlights.....

1. Great message from Brad Fogarty tonite. Expecting God to do great things instead of just anticipating...good word.

2. Chocolate milk game during rec....greatness!

3. Firewheel volleyball team 3rd place.

4. Gender Wars!! Boys win! Jonathan Dunham makes Firewheel proud by shooting a cocoa puff 12 feet.....out of his nose. Video footage
coming soon.

Day 2 in the books....great week so far!! Pics on facebook.

I'm out!

And so it begins....

2009-06-23T07:20:00.001-05:00

And so day 1 is down and we are starting day 2 of Wired Camp '09.

Day 1 highlights:

1. Drive down...long but good. No problems, sicknesses....just a good number of bathroom stops.

2. We were the first church here so we win!

3. The Man Game...invented by a few of our guys. 2 boys stand on opposite ends of the cabin and throw a shot put sized, heavy rubber ball
at each other. Man parts are covered...chest hits are highest scores. Played with or without shirts. Yes there is video footage.

Breakfast starts soon so more updates later.

I'm out.

A Tribute to.....

2009-06-05T12:33:00.008-05:00

There are so many things I like about summer. Kids out of school, camp, mission trips, vacation...just too many things to list. One of the Schmidt family favorites though is the concert at the harbor nights in rockwall. We love going to concerts anyway, but free is even better. We'll hit a couple of big shows a summer, but hardly ever miss a Thursday night at the harbor.

Last night we saw Blaze of Glory....a Bon Jovi tribute band. There are a lot of tribute bands that play out there this summer (Voodoo Blue, Petty Theft, Life in the Fast Lane), but after last night I started thinking about a few things.

Thanks to the movie Rock Star, and stories like that of Arnel Pineda (lead singer of Journey) everyone thinks that they have a chance at really being the person they are playing tribute to in their band. Blaze of Glory is a good band, and the guy sounds quite a bit like Jon Bon Jovi....but he's not! No matter how hard he tried...no one believed they were actually watching Bon Jovi. But I bet there were thousands of people that went to their cars, homes, etc...and popped in their favorite Bon Jovi cd, mp3, whatever and rocked out to the real thing.

As far as tribute bands go, if you're gonna call yourself a tribute to anyone...you better be able to bring it! Next week we're going to watch Voodoo Blue (Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute)....if they can't bring it, and bring it good.....it could get ugly.

It did get me thinkin' on a spiritual level also though. As a Christ-follower am I bringing it every day? Do people see my life and know who I'm trying emulate, or am I a terribly lame copy? Am I paying tribute to the God who has rescued me and set me free, or am I just pointing people to me?

We're charged with using our lives as examples, salt and light, to lead others into a relationship with Christ. I can't be Jesus, but I can encourage people to go and seek the "real thing" by giving them a good look at how He has impacted my life and influenced me.

Random Thoughts

Is this shirt really necessary?
Am I the only person that knows someone that resembles each character on the show King of the Hill?

Where is Howard Jones?
I'm out!

Summer

2009-05-26T09:03:00.002-05:00

Summer is upon us. I was talking to a guy last night about student ministry and summer calendars. In my 20+ years of student ministry I've never understood why some guys choose summer to shut down much of their student ministry with the exception of events. Camp, mission trips, lock-ins, etc...all are a part of most summer calendars, but what about the weekly bible studies outside of Sunday mornings?

When I was traveling a lot to different churches leading worship, speaking, etc...I had the opportunity to see the good, the bad, and the ugly of many things in church ministry. I cannot recall seeing a successful situation in which student ministry scaled back during the summer. And by successful, I mean that students continued to grow spiritually in the summer months in spite of a schedule that was cut back.

I guess where I get confused is in the fact that for much of the year we battle so many things in student ministry. School activities, sports, private lessons....you know, everything that all of us parents spend time and money on for our kids to be "involved." In the summer we have the opportunity to do ministry with far fewer time constraints and commitments. Sure, there is the occasional family vacation, summer ball, and stuff like that....but why not ramp up the number of things at the church for the kids to get to since they do have more time on their hands, and parents have a greater need for their kids to be doing something.

As a dad, I know my kids are off in the summer, and we do take a family vacation. But, we do it at the end of the summer right before school starts back up to kind of end the summer on a relaxing, family time note. We do take a break from home groups on Wednesday nights for the high school, but that's more for the host home adults to get a break. But our Sunday night high school service and Wednesday night middle school service continue throughout the summer. I've found that attendance actually increases during the summer months, and that relationships are solidified amongst the students during this time.

It just seems to me that using June, July, and August to ramp up the student ministry will only help our students when school starts back up. We all know what happens when you come down off of the mountain at camp and mission trips. Consistent, weekly, corporate worship and bible study, combined with small group time can help sustain the decisions and commitments that students make at one of these summertime events. Without consistent effort at sustaining this growth, it only puts us back in a defensive mode when they return to the halls in August.

I love the time that the summer gives us as student leaders to hangout with the kids. But I also love the time it gives us to mentor, and lead the students into finding the path that God has designed for their life. And it does make that vacation time in August a little sweeter after a full two and a half months of summer with students.

Random Thoughts today.....

1. why did my dad use to say that when it's sunny and raining that meant the devil was beating his wife?

2. why wasn't adhd an excuse for not getting my butt whipped when i was a kid?

3. what ever happened to playing red rover?

4. every kid should have to learn how to drive in my granddad's old blue truck with 3-speed on the column.

5. 79 days till kick-off.....Cowboys v. Raiders

Trains

2009-05-19T09:47:00.008-05:00

This has been one of the longest weeks of my life in the ministry. Granted...back in the days of playing 11-12 camps in a summer, 9-10 D-Now weekends each spring, etc...got pretty long. This last 12 days has been exhausting. Just as I thought I could see light at the end of the tunnel...I realized it was a train.

I did get to spend the day yesterday at the Catalyst One Day conference, listening to Andy Stanley and Craig Groeschel lay out some great leadership principles.

You know...there are just seasons that you feel like you're treading water. Not only that, but just as you get your head up for some air another wave hits you in the face. The comfort is that we do have a constant source of power and strength. I'm certainly glad that I don't have to depend on my own strength and wisdom to tread those waters. There are things that I just don't get and probably never will, but God's not worried about it. He's got a plan and it is perfect.

I do know that I'm gonna take some down time Thursday to just refresh a little.

Some things I've been thinkin' about.........

*i'm starting to realize what Mark Twain meant when he said the way to deal with teenage kids is to put them in a barrel and feed them through a knot hole until they're 15. then at 15 plug up the knot hole.....15 makes the terrible 2's look like a party.

*who is gonna be the team that takes a chance on Michael Vick?

*a burp is nothing more than an oral fart.

*i can't wait to see "land of the lost" with will ferrell. one of my favorite shows as a kid.

*kris or adam...i'm hoping all of the gokey fans will vote for kris and we see him win.

*103 days until the Cowboys' first game of 2009

I'm out.....

Back in the Groove

2009-05-04T10:47:00.007-05:00

So it's been a few months....6 to be exact. Gonna try to do this weekly. I've got a creative side of me that needs to be scratched a little more, so I'm thinkin' maybe writing could help some.

We wrapped up a series on the bible with our high schoolers last night. Middle schoolers will finish it up Wednesday. It's been a great series....WORD. We spent a few week looking at proving the bible to be
credible and reliable, and then spent a few looking at how and why studying
the bible is so important to our walk.

You know.....this generation of teenagers are different. They have so much at their fingertips. Yet, they've been called the "disposable" generation because everything can be
thrown away when they're finished with it.....including relationships. As a adults, and a society in general, we may have conditioned these kids that commitments don't have to last very long. Involvement is good.....commitment optional.

I had a coach one time that used to say......if this team were bacon and eggs, we need pigs. The chicken is involved, but the pig is committed. I find the same to be true with student ministry. We need students and adults that are committed...not just involved. In order for the students to understand commitment, we as adults have to model it.

If being committed to the ministry as a volunteer is only important when it is convenient...that's involvement. Commitment comes with the territory when dealing with student ministry. If we want the kids here consistently, the adults have to model consistency. If we want the students to bring their bibles....adults have to bring them first.

Students today are active....more involved than any generation before them. They understand involvement....it's commitment that presents a problem. My question....what are we doing to encourage commitment, not just involvement? What are we doing to establish student ministries, not just youth groups?

Random Thoughts on a Monday:

1. why would a mom of pre-teens force her kids to where masks into a restaurant? why not just
stay at home and eat or get it to go?

2. is a chick Aerosmith tribute band named Dream On really necessary?

3. where is Kip Winger?

Hug Your Kids

2008-10-02T09:17:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I watched as two of our friends said goodbye to their 12 year old son after a two year battle with cancer. Over the last couple of years he had a brain tumor that just would not go away, and he went to be with Jesus Saturday.

I can't imagine what this family must be feeling. Even knowing that his pain is gone and he is with Jesus right now.......I can't imagine. As we made our way to the family and expressed our condolences, the mom looked at me and said go home and hug your kids.

I looked at Beaux last night when we got home as he was sleeping and teared up. I never want to feel the pain our friends are feeling right now. There were hundreds of people at the memorial service, all saddened at the loss of this courageous little boy. The one thing we all had in common......there is nothing we can do to ease their pain.

As I watched my daughters drive off to school this morning, and then dropped Beaux off at school. I thought....there are so many times that I have no power to protect them. So many times when I surrender my ability to control and allow them to make choices that could impact so many lives. So many things that could happen that are out of my hands. I don't like that feeling.

As my kids grow and begin to make more and more decisions, and I pray that the things we have taught them have taken root, and that they are listening to God for direction and guidance, they teach me more and more about God's love for us. He had the ability to stop His son's suffering and yet he didn't. He had the ability to put an end to his pain....yet he didn't. He had the ability to sustain his life and punish all that harmed him......and yet, he didn't. He died.....for me.....and for you. As jacked up as we are, and as much as we go against the very reasons we were created......still He loves.

There is no one that I would give up my kids lives for, and yet there are things I can't control that could take them from me in the blink of an eye. I did hug my kids yesterday, and this morning...and will do so again today, and in the weeks and years to come.

I'm out......

State Fair Top Ten

2008-09-30T17:23:00.004-05:00

Today was staff day at the State Fair of Texas. And what a great day to go. Dr. Pepper $3 Tuesdays, incredible weather, and absolutely no crowd whatsoever.

After taking in a day at the fair.....here's a top ten for you to keep in mind if you get to visit the fair this year.

10. Top Flight K-9 Show......flying dogs catching frisbees.....and all for free.
9. Old school sleigh ride with old school funk music.......nothing says fair like
spinning around at 60 mph listening to Rick James
8. Car Show....the new Chevy Camaros are ridiculous and Subaru has a nice truck coming
out next year.
7. Motorcycle/Acrobat Show....the globe of thunder....need I say more.
6. BMX Show.....saw some great crashes....well worth the freeness.
5. GMC/NFL Quarterback Challenge....test your arm strength and accuracy against other
random fair-goers....could be embarrassing so know your limits.
4. Air Force exhibit on the midway.....look into a F-16 cockpit and check out their movie.
3. Corn Dogs....you knew it would be on the list.....but eat one at 10:30am
2. Fried Grilled Cheese Sandwich....The Dock grill serving 'em up hot.
1. CHICKEN FRIED BACON....6 strips for 10 tickets....2008 Best Taste Award is well-
deserved (dip it in the ranch)......Shut Yo Mouf!

I'm out....

Knowing what's best.....

2008-09-09T06:59:00.002-05:00

So many times I warn my kids about the potential outcomes of a decision they are about to make. Sometimes I speak from experience and sometimes I just try to use the discernment that God gives us. Of course, in spite of old cliches, dad does not always know best.

We let our own desires, and human will get in the way so many times. It is so easy to justify our actions and convince ourselves that we are right. We even do this many times when asking God for direction and guidance. I have actually convinced myself that God is agreeing with my assessment of situations when I know good and well he is not.

I was reading in 1 Samuel 8 when the Israelites were asking Samuel to choose a king for them. They were tired of following God, a heavenly king that called them to a life of holiness, and not having a king like all of the nations around them that could make them politically powerful. They wanted military might, political status, wealth...whatever....God was just not enough anymore. Even after Samuel warned them of the dangers of what they were asking, they persisted. And God allowed it to happen. He allowed his young child to reach up and touch the hot stove.

How many times as churches and/or individuals do we do this very thing. It's not enough to follow God's plan. We come up with something better. Or, we someone else and want to be like them. Bigger buildings, more "relevancy," newer, more hip styles and presentations....you name it. These things are all good when God directed, but dangerous territory when part of some sort of earthly competition.

It's just been on my heart that sometimes we lose sight of what it is God has for us due to the tunnel vision we develop for own desires.

On the lighter side of life.....school is off to a good start in our house. We had one more "Meet the Teacher" night last night. 2 weeks in....everyone is doing great. Of course they are.....there haven't been any "major" grades as of yet. This is a big test week, so we'll see.

I'm so glad football is here. I'm tired of all of the filler sports. Nothing quite like high school football on friday night, college gameday on saturday, nfl on sunday, and monday night football. i'm a happy man.....kelly's getting a lot of reading done.

I'm out.....

Trust and kleenex

2008-08-27T06:38:00.003-05:00

Is there anyone else out there that is just about beat down by the whole school supply shopping madness?! Man.....I get so frustrated at the number of teachers who are asking us to supply their classrooms with kleenex, hand sanitizer, paper, etc......What happened to the day of making sure your kids had their supplies, and other parents were responsible for theirs. And teachers were responsible for kleenex, sanitizers, etc....

I was a teacher for 15 years, and my wife is still a teacher. I never asked my students to bring things for public distribution. I'm sure it helps with having enough kleenex, and sandwich baggies for your whole class, but good night. I honestly think we spent just as much money on school supplies as we did school clothes.

As the school year is getting started around our house there is not much down time. I find that the only "quiet" time to be had is early in the morning before everyone gets going, or in my truck on the way to work after dropping the man child off at school. It's just so busy sometimes.

This morning I was up early reading in Psalms 62. What a great reminder of placing our trust in God. The psalmist repeats the phrase "He is my rock and my salvation...." In verse 5 the psalmist says "find rest, o my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him."

I find myself trusting in many things throughout the course of the work day, work week, etc.....There are just so many times when I place my trust in everything but God. He is the source of my hope. He is the One that will always do what is right, what is just, and what is best. Regardless of the things going on in life. Regardless of people and things.....He is a "rock" that we can lean on.........that is so comforting.

Well.....life is stirring around here. The girls are gone to school and things are coming to life. As the day starts......I know where my trust has to be to survive. I think I have to go buy some paper towels for my daughters Spanish class.

I'm out....

Weekends and such...

2008-08-09T09:47:00.003-05:00

So we're finishing up our "OMG" series in the student ministry this weekend. The first installment was "Who is God?" The second week we looked at "What is Truth?" We're wrapping up with "What Now?" We know who God is, we know what truth is, and we can recognize things that aren't true (Satan's schemes and tricks).....so what do we do to live our lives accordingly? Should be a good weekend.

I've spoken to a few of our students this week that are really wrestling with where God is in their lives. None of them have ever made the decision to be a Christ follower. I'm excited that I get to talk to them this weekend, and I hope more just like them are there. Pray for that with me.

Life with the Schmidts has been good lately. With school getting ready to start up routine is just on the horizon. I'm ready for some routine. Both girls will be in the same school this year and one drives, so mornings will be somewhat easier. I'm ready to get out into the schools and visit kids in their mission field. I'll be going to a couple of new schools this year and some old familiar ones as well.

We start our new student ministry schedule on Aug. 24th. The kids are pumped! It's going to be a great transition for the whole church. Of course the new building will be incredibly instrumental when it's done. Can't wait for that!

Cowboys v. Chargers tonight at 9. I'm not much into pre-season football, but it does mean that football season is here. I love this time of year. The boy starts his practices tomorrow. No more Cryin' Eagles.....he's a Cougar now. Going to get some new pants and practice gear today. Maybe I'll get me some too........never mind...

How 'bout them Cowboys?!

I'm out.....

A Letter....

2008-07-24T16:56:00.004-05:00

So I'm sitting here at my desk enjoying being busy. After being in the desert of unemployment for 4 1/2 months, it is nice to have been going non-stop the last 3 weeks.

I've been reading in 2 Corinthians this week....I love that letter. In chapter 3 Paul finds himself being asked to prove that he is who he says he is by some of the people in the church of Corinth.....the very people with whom he had served side by side. These people knew Paul...his strengths; his weaknesses; his victories and his losses, yet they wanted proof that he was who he said he was.

His reply is greatness......."your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it-not with ink, but with God's living spirit; not chiseled in stone, but carved into human lives."

I sat and talked with a friend yesterday. One of those good, solid God talks. We've both had to deal with anger and bitterness this year and got a chance yesterday to reflect on God's guidance through those deserts. It was AWESOME!

God has been redeeming me and showing me what it looks like to "get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger......"(Eph.4:31). He has been working incredibly in the lives of my family. He has given us a new season of ministry in a new church home and it is exciting! Bitterness and anger would do nothing but hinder that ministry and give Satan a stronghold from which to base his covert rebellions in my soul.

Kelly and I have had so many opportunities to talk about these things in the last few months. She has been an incredible support and God ministers to me through her daily. The lessons we have learned on letting God be God, and not take things into our own hands have been unbelievably valuable. It's hard sometimes and we have carried each other through one of the driest, most brutal deserts we have experienced in our 20 years of marriage. God is good and we are so grateful for his patience and faithfullness.

I know my friend will read this and so I say thank you. Thank you for being a letter to the world. In that same passage in 2 Corinthians Paul mentions being a publisher of those letters. I am so thankful that I have had the chance to be publisher and to have people publish my letter.

Think about what we write in that letter on a daily basis. Think about the message we are publishing in others and in ourselves. Edit.......proofread......and correct when necessary.

To my friend....thank you. Your friendship is priceless and means so much to my family. I can't wait to see all of the things God is going to do through you.

Kel....you're unbelievable! I am so thankful that God put us together to do life. I love you.

I'm out.....

Middle School Camp

2008-07-13T18:51:00.004-05:00

What a great week we had at middle school camp. We took about 30 to Pineywoods Baptist Encampment for camp. I'm thankful that everything was already planned when I got to Firewheel because Kelly and I just got a chance to hang with the kiddos and start forming some relationships.

Beaux got to be a camper for the first time and had a blast! He made a bunch of new friends and is super excited about church.

These kids are great! I was really impressed with their spiritual maturity, and how respectful and loving they are to other people. They are just 6th-8th grade so that excites me about the future of this student ministry.

One of my new friends, Dominick, got saved this week. I had the opportunity to lead him to Christ and then celebrate with him and all of his friends. He is so excited! And to see his friends be so exicited with him was pretty moving. Several of the kids came to me and told me how much they had been praying for him and for how long they had been praying for him. Awesome!!

We were introduced to the congregation today and had several friends in attendance to support and encourage us as we start this new season of ministry. We are right where God wants us to be and it is such an incredible feeling. To serve a God that is so incredibly redeeming, and gracious is truly humbling.

The relationships we've begun to form with the staff and their families along with the people serving in the student ministry and other areas of the church are exciting. God is working at Firewheel and He's letting us be a part of it.

Thank you Jesus.....

I'm out...

No words.....

2008-07-07T08:40:00.002-05:00

It's not often that I am without words, but when I think about the way God has been working in the life of my family over the last 5 months it floors me.

This weekend was our first as Student Pastor at Firewheel Church. It was awesome!! It's incredible how God brought this all together. We are so blessed to be a part of such a great place that is doing so much to further the kingdom here in Garland and around the globe.

It's been a long journey getting here, but we are so excited. For the first time in a long time my family is excited about going to church on the weekends. After being in a desert God is leading us into a new season of ministry in a great place.

God's redeeming power is so incredible. Allowing us to stay right here in Garland is such a blessing. We have experienced a love, support, and encouragement from friends that is completely humbling. People that have walked side by side with us and loved us through the difficulty of transition and hurt have shown us what grace and forgiveness looks like.

Sure there are those that, even to this day, condemn, judge, and do whatever they can to hurt my family. We've seen our kids snubbed, been told our house was not a good environment, gossiped about, and have seen firsthand the antithesis of grace and forgiveness.......but God has shown His love and control over the situation and delivered us.

We are in a great place and ready to do His kingdom's work. I'm reminded of Jesus' words in Luke 9:62 everyday:
"Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for
service in the kingdom of God."

Thank you Jesus for keeping us focused. Make us ready for the work ahead, learning from the past as we go.

I'm out....

Beaux Spielberg

2008-06-28T17:05:00.001-05:00

The manchild has been making short films this summer......here's his latest.....haha

i'm out....

My Team

2008-06-26T09:38:00.003-05:00

I was talking to a friend yesterday about some of the different things that God is doing in our lives. We were just celebrating with each other all of the recent wins we've experienced in our spiritual lives. The stress and anxiety of life seem to be giving way to clarity and answers in ways that we couldn't have imagined just a short time ago.

Over the course of that conversation we began to talk about all of the people around us that are looking for something.....not knowing what it is they're missing. My friend was sharing with me how they desired for churches to become more aware of working together as a team with the goal of reaching people for Christ.

Unfortunately we get caught up in the "competition" of reaching people.....but not for Christ. We want them to be on our "team." We want them to choose us above others. And if they do, it some how validates us as a "better" church, or ministry. This is a mindset and very sad approach, that sadly enough has invaded many of our churches today. We've probably all been guilty of this thinking at sometime or the other, and it is such an un-Godly way of thinking.

There are not enough churches to reach all of the people that need to be reached for Jesus. We face tremendous odds in this world that only a God like the one we serve can overcome. He wants us to go and make disciples of all nations. He wants us to serve the poor and widows. He wants us to share the story of His grace and mercy, shown through the sacrifice of His son Jesus. He wants us to love each other.

When we spend time trying to discredit other people. When we spend time trying to out-do other churches and ministries. When we focus on building our membership, and not focus on building new lives through teaching about Jesus, things will get pretty jacked up.

We wonder sometimes why the world looks at churches and thinks.....why would I want to go there? We wonder why people look at us and don't see the love and grace that we preach being practiced, and decide to look elsewhere.

We're on the same team. We should have the same goals and mission. I want people to know Jesus. I want God to use me in spite of my mistakes and flaws. He has proven to be faithful in that and I will worship him for who He is and what He has done in my life. There is no time to waste on bickering and fighting amongst ourselves when there is a world in dire need of the Savior. God is love..........let us be examples of that love in our daily lives in ALL that we do and say.

I'm out.......

Mornings

2008-06-25T08:11:00.003-05:00

What is it about mornings? I've always considered myself to be somewhat of a morning person. There are few times that I can remember getting up and regretting having to wake up. The occasional junior high lock-in has brought morning resentment. Or, back in the coaching days, a Saturday morning after a loss was never good. But for the most part......I like the mornings.

I usually get up and walk the dog and then sit on the porch to read my paper. The last couple of weeks, the weather at 7:00am has been awesome. So peaceful.

Peace is something that has been difficult to come by over the last few months in our house. The unrest of the unknown, and the stress of unclear direction have dominated our emotions and thoughts. And then suddenly over the last 10 days God has begun to clear things up, much like the morning brings light and clarity to all that was dark.

It is so encouraging to know that His plan and His timing are perfect. It is so easy to teach that, but yet so hard to see it and understand it when you're in the middle of the night. Sometimes things aren't as they seem in the darkness.

I thank God for the light of a new day and the hope of new relationships. He is Lord and He is God........I am neither and I am thankful.

I'm out.....

Orchestration

2008-06-20T17:24:00.002-05:00

Just when you think you have things figured out........bam! God's orchestration is unbelievable. The way he works in our lives......it is absolutely amazing.

Moving people in and then out. Connections, relationships, jobs, churches....everything. His plan is sovereign. No matter what we do or how hard we try.....there is no way we can imagine how things will work sometimes.

I love good music and hearing how all of the parts fit together. Melody, rhythm, vocals, instrumentation....all of it. In the same way...it's fun to watch God's plan develop, and the orchestration that takes place making sure all of the parts are in place and working. I love it.

I'm in a better place right now than I've been in sometime. It feels good and I can't wait to see what God has in store tomorrow.

I'm out.....

What a Day....

2008-06-15T23:50:00.003-05:00

Man....today was really good. We visited a great church this morning. The people there were great and the lesson was relevant and scriptural. It just felt right....know what I mean? The music rocked, good message.....just an overall good worship experience.

Then tonight we had some of our favorite people in the world over for some God talk and prayer. I love those guys! You guys know who you are.......

I'm looking forward to this week. I feel like God is beginning to provide some clarity on the things that have been clouding up our lives over the last couple of months.

I'll be glad when it's crystal clear..........

I'm out....

Patience

2008-06-07T08:40:00.002-05:00

If I had to sum up the last few months in a word it would be patience. This is something I have struggled with for my entire life. I have a tough time with patience. Most of my issues are small and easily handled; like trying to understand why the kid at Taco Bell can't get my order right when I'm standing right in front of him telling him what I want........

Other patience trials are a little harder and take more time to process. Sometimes I find myself praying for God to grant me patience and asking him to please grant it now. It is just hard to wait sometimes.

Waiting for people, waiting in line, waiting for the kids to figure out how to act, waiting for God to give clarity and direction......just waiting..... patiently. Do you ever feel like the psalmist who wrote this...

Psalm 69:3 (The Message)
I'm hoarse from calling for help, Bleary-eyed from searching the sky for God

Man.....it is hard at times. But then there is this other piece of advice that shouts out from the Psalms to my heart..

Psalm 37:7
Quiet down before God, be prayerful before him. Don't bother with those who climb
the ladder, who elbow their way to the top.

Being quiet and listening to God is difficult sometimes. We ask for guidance and then work at guiding ourselves. We ask for direction and then work at creating our own map. We ask for help and then work hard to help ourselves.

All of us have been victims of those who are elbowing their way to the top and all of us have victimized others in the same way. As we go through this rough patch in our family...searching for jobs, trying to understand people, trying to understand church......we have to be quiet and listen to God.

Kingdom work is at stake. That is why we are here. That is our charge. We wrong and we are wronged. We are victims and we victimize. The ability to exercise patience and being quiet before God is a must when searching for God's direction.

After all, the grace and patience shown to us by our Father goes beyond anything we deserve. Showing that grace and patience to others goes a long way to learning God's ways and following Christ's example. Even when those we think are friends and allies turn their back as they preach grace and forgiveness.....we must continue to look for God's lessons in it all. Even when we think we know what is best........we must wait. Even when vindication and justification stand at the front of our minds.......patience.

Psalm 40:1-3
I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened. He lifted me
out of the ditch, pulled me from deep mud. He stood me up on a solid rock to make
sure I wouldn't slip. He taught me how to sing the latest God-song, a praise-song to our
God. More and more people are seeing this: they enter the mystery, abandoning
themselves to God.

I'm out.....

The Manchild's First Public Performance

2008-06-03T16:24:00.003-05:00

This is Beaux's first public performance ever. He was a little upset about the audio not capturing all of the feedback he was getting...haha. He's starting to be a bit of a tone freak. He did decide that he likes playing in front of people. He did good.....

I'm out....

Still Alive

2008-05-27T13:21:00.002-05:00

Well....it has been a while! So much has happened since the last post that it would take me days to catch everyone up....so we'll just skip that and start with what's goin' on now.

We were down at First Baptist Church of Beaumont, TX last weekend. I led the music in each of their services Sunday morning. It was great. They are some really nice people with a great staff. They are considering me for the worship pastor position there, so we'll see how everything turns out.

On that note...I'm also one of the finalists for the worship pastor position at the church I grew up in...First Baptist Baytown. That has been a really long process, but it does seem to be winding down. We'll see what happens there too.

I'm just so thankful that God is continuing to use me and my family. Since I left Springcreek he has proven to be faithful in so many ways. I am so thankful for the many people that have reached out to me and my family to express their love and support. It has been incredible. There are days when I think of my friends that haven't been so loving and supportive and that's difficult. I hope God reminds me of that hurt, so that I will never act the same way towards someone else.

As a family we're doin' great. Just waiting for God's direction in the job search. There are a few options on the table right now, so I know He's got a great plan with one of them...we'll just see which one.

Only 74 days until Cowboys v. Chargers....Aug.9 Pre-season opener. How 'bout them Cowboys?!!!

I'm out....

'Tis the Season

2007-11-26T20:39:00.001-06:00

Well...I think I enjoyed this Thanksgiving more than any one in the last few years. It was just us. No family coming over....we didn't have to go anywhere....it was great. The cold weather just added to the greatness.

So...what did I do on my day off? Put up the Christmas lights. YES! The icicle lights are twinkling, the sidewalk lined with candy canes, and the wooden snow men that represent our family are in the yard wishing you a Merry Christmas. I love this time of year.

I don't, however, love it enough to get out at 3:00am on Black Friday to save a few dollars. I guess if I was buying something huge, and had the opportunity to save several hundred dollars....then I would probably do it. But I got to Best Buy at 11:30 Friday morning, and they still had what I needed, at the price I needed, without the frustration I surely would have felt with the early morning rush. I did get to see a grown man and woman actually cry.....real tears....because the mp3 player they wanted was not $89.99 after 11:00am. It was the regular price of $120. That's funny.

I had a rough day Wednesday. My dad died on Thanksgiving Day 7 years ago. I spoke with my mom and brother on Wednesday, and as I sat in my office it hit me, as it sometimes does, that my dad is gone. I went to Keith and Gerry and got them to pray with me and then just wrote out everything I was feeling in a song that I have yet to get through without crying. It helped tremendously to get out some of the things I had been holding on to for a while.

Two movies that you've got to go see:
1. Dan In Real Life
2. Fred Claus

Weight Loss update:

Beginning weight: 264
Current weight: 242 (264 was August...272 in July)

30lbs and counting..

Big game Thursday night........BEAT THE PACKERS!!!!

WHAT?!!!

2007-11-09T15:07:00.000-06:00

If I could do this....my life would be complete.

Random stuff from a busy week....

2007-11-09T10:19:00.000-06:00

As we wrap up this week I've got a few things to share with you.

I love this time of year. I was out at the mall yesterday and the Christmas decorations were being put up and just makes me happy. I wish it were colder, but it'll get there....eventually....for a like one or two days anyway. You know how it is here in Texas....today it's 80, tomorrow it could be 40.

I had a great conversation yesterday with two friends. We talked about worship music, and how to most effectively use the time in services to create a worship atmosphere. I love talking about that stuff. On that note.....our Wednesday night Communion service was awesome. We spent about 25 minutes just singing together, praying together, baptizing new believers, and then David did a great job on the message. Good stuff.

We're wrapping up the recording our new Springcreek worship cd and it sounds great. Chris Megert is doing a great job on the engineering and mixing side of things and I can't wait to be able to share it with the rest of the congregation. It'll be ready by Thanksgiving so be watching for it.

I saw a couple of funny stories this week.

1.A 600 pound cow fell off of a 200 foot cliff on to the hood of a minivan driving on the highway below. No one was injured so you can go ahead and laugh....I do everytime I think about it. Can you imagine the screaming that went on in that van? Not to mention having to reupholster every seat someone was sitting in when it happened. The cow had to be euthanized as did the minivan.

2.This one is a little closer to home. An elementary school in Dallas was in the
news because of how the principal handled disciplinary issue. Two 5th graders
pulled a fire alarm during class....an action the principal said had happened a number of times and had desensitized the kids and faculty to the point they never reacted to actual drills. It had become a safety issue. So when these two boys were caught red handed the principal attempted to handle the situation in her office, but the boys response was less than remorseful. So she called an all school assembly and allowed the police to handle the situation in front of all of the students. The officer apparently called the kids knuckleheads and asked them if they wanted to flip burgers for the rest of their lives. Well this hurt their feelings and they went home crying. Did I mention that these two 5th graders are 12 and 13? Now the parents want apologies from the principal and police. PLEASE!!? I don't know what would be more embarassing if I were the
boys....being disciplined in front of everyone or having my mom tell the Dallas Morning News that I came home crying! We used to get licks in front of the whole class! Stop pulling the stinkin' fire alarm!

Oh well....big weekend coming up. It's my wife's birthday. She got a new cell phone that she won't answer or hear.

I'm out.....

Change

2007-10-29T20:37:00.000-05:00

Well....it's been a while. There's been a lot goin' on, but things are good.

The Cryin' Eagles season is over. We won 3 games this year, but were competitive in all but two. Those two teams are pretty stinkin' good. Beaux and I were talking about stuff after the last game. He's already talking about next season and how he wants to be faster. He doesn't fully comprehend the changes that he will be going through over the next few years.

I had a friend named Eddie in middle school. He was the fastest kid in our school. We were the only team that could throw the ball because of Eddie's speed. By the time we were in 10th grade, Eddie was one of the slowest kids on the team. Change.

Sometimes change is hard. Sometimes it's easy. Sometimes it's good and other times bad. But most of the time, at the very least, change provides opportunity. The opportunity to start over...explore new ventures...for redemption...or just the chance to make good on a bad decision.

I've been reading Old Testament recently. Many of the stories are centered around covenants God made with individuals, or nations. The birth of Jesus ushered in change. Paul wrote about the change that made it possible for Jews and Gentiles to become Christ followers.

Change....I like change most of the time. Change is not only inevitable...it's necessary. If you're not changing, you're not growing.

On another note...Cowboys are lookin' good. The next 3 weeks are crucial.

Weight Loss Update:
Starting Weight.....264
Current Weight......245....down 19 (bit of a plateau, but still working)

I'm out...

Awesome....

2007-10-06T20:44:00.001-05:00

I just had to post this...check it out...

I think I'm just gonna throw my guitar away and quit....

I'm out....

What's the deal?

2007-10-05T08:57:00.000-05:00

Friday nights in Texas. There is nothing like it. High school football is just so much fun. So tell me.....why would a junior high choir teacher schedule a choir concert at 7:00 on a Friday night in October? Not only that.....follows it up with another concert on Monday night at 7:00. COWBOYS V. BILLS! Are you kidding me? I love to hear my daughter sing.....but come on. I think I'm goin' to just make arrangements for her to come over and kick my dog while she's at it.

While on the topic of football...the Cryin' Eagles are 3-2 with a huge game with play-off implications this Saturday against the Bisons. Not sure why ESPN GameDay is covering Florida/LSU and not Eagles/Bisons...but oh well.

And then Cowboys/Bills primetime Monday night! How 'bout them Cowboys?! 4-0 and lookin' good. Watch party at the church thanks to my man Ray. Well played my man....well played.

Football just gets me excited. When I was coaching..it was great to see your guys go out onto the field and execute what you had taught them over the last week. As many of you know...it's not easy getting kids to do what you ask sometimes. When I was able to teach kids a task that enabled us to move as a team...it just stinkin' pumped me up. It's just part of me.

There are other things that do that too....my family, students, our church.... and you know....I've been thinking a lot about stuff lately. Things that keep me awake at times or, at the very least, wake me up early (last night it was a dream that Kelly became part of a cult, but that's a whole different story).

I've mentioned that I'm reading through Paul's letters to the Corinthians. Man...he was so tactful with his words, yet really impactful. I was reminded today of Nehemiah's tact with authority.

I am a passionate, persuasive person. I can't help it. I kind of look at Peter as this kind of personality. I get excited about stuff and just comes out of every fiber of my being. This can be a huge positive in many ways. But lately I've seen it draw negative reaction, or be misunderstood as anger. I'm learning how to question without attacking, how to spark discussion without being a flashpoint. It's tough sometimes....

I'm praying that God would continue to show me how to use the passion he's given me in ways to move people in ways He wants us to go, not just ways I want them to go. That's the kind of coach I believe we're intended to be on a daily basis.

Well.....might as well wrap up with a football thought. One of my favorite tv shows starts their new season tonight.....Friday Night Lights. If you haven't watched this show, you need to. It's awesome! But I think NBC must have a junior high choir teacher as the producer of this show. No one else would have scheduled it at 8:00pm on a Friday night. Thank goodness for TIVO.

Weight Loss update 7 weeks in:

starting weight....264
current weight.....248 (revisiting the 240's for the first time in a while)

I'm out....

a little this, a little that

2007-09-24T15:49:00.001-05:00

I've been doin' laundry all day......stinks! Washing, drying, folding, putting up......stinks! I don't even think I finished all of it....the kids go through so many clothes. I think what's frustrating about that is that there was stuff in the dirty clothes that wasn't even dirty. They were just too lazy to put it up the first time it got washed, so it sat on their floor until this time and they just put it back in the dirty clothes. I folded three jackets today.....when was the last stinkin' time anybody around here wore a jacket?

How 'bout them Cowboys?! Yeah! 3-0 and a complete domination of the NFC Champion Chicago Bears.

Still reading through 1 Corinthians.....it's so good. Just so much good stuff about the attitude of the church, Christians, and how we interact with our community.

We have some great students at Springcreek. We finished up our series on Islam last night and start a 4 week series on Catholicism next week. I just love our students....they are just an impressive group of kids.

Well.....the Cryin' Eagles are 3-1 after an impressive, hard-fought 7-0 shutout of the Bears last Saturday at Central Park in Garland. Headed to practice tonight......

Weight Loss Challenge Update...5 weeks in:

Starting Weight: 264

Current Weight: 250 (I've hit a little bit of a plateau....gotta work a little harder now)

I'm out....

What's for snack?

2007-09-14T08:37:00.000-05:00

I love Friday nights. Usually that means goin' out to eat with the fam, and watching a high school football game. I don't think Kelly gets as excited as I do about the football part, but she puts up with it. Last week Beaux and I went by ourselves to the Rowlett HS game. It was in Plano, and that's just a little too far to ask Kelly or the girls to go for a game. Not sure who we'll go watch tonight......but who it is doesn't matter that much to me.

Football updates.....of course the Cowboys got off to a great start. Not only did they beat the Giants, but they beat them up. The rest of the teams in the division owe us big time. But the story of the year is the Cryin' Eagles of Garland Pee Wee Football. Not much cryin' goin' on right now. We're off to a 2-0 start after a 46-18 throttling of the Owlets (that's their real name, not one I made up) last weekend. We face a much tougher opponent tomorrow however in the Hawklets (actual name...the Hawks). We'll see.....but the important thing is what's for snack. Go Eagles (that is so hard to say when you're a Cowboys fan).

I was thinkin' about the Cryin' Eagles this morning when I was reading Paul's letter to the Corinthians. There is so much about the game of football that I could talk to these 10 year olds about that would go right over their heads. They don't care about the intracasies of the game...they want to play the game. They don't understand the importance of running down the clock to protect a lead, or not fake punting everytime because you can on X-Box. They don't care about staying at home and watching for the reverse, or why it's important as as defensive end to not get caught inside. They just want to play and then get to snack time.

In the second chapter of 1st Corinthians Paul reminds us that using big words, deep thoughts, and showing off our knowledge of the bible is not how people come to know Christ. It's the simple message of Christ died for our sins....for you and me. The Holy Spirit begins to work and God transforms an individual. It's not us, our knowledge, our wisdom, or anything else we believe we have to offer.....it's God.

I recently heard of a group of students preaching hard and loud at a local mall. They had a group of supporters there from their church and school, but some of our students happened by and weren't sure what to think. I was really proud of our students becaused they recognized the possible ineffectiveness of this method. It's not impressive to a non-believer for someone to brow beat them with their biblical knowledge. What's impressive is when someone loves them, and works at forming a relationship with them. This is the type of love Christ shows us.

You should go to my friend Meghan's blog. The link is on the right of this page (Meghan Says...). She's one of our sr. students, and the first paragraph of her blog on Sept. 10th is a great summary of the kind of love God has for us. Why should we do anything but show the same kind of love to others. We can't expect non-Christians to understand or act out the Christian lifestyle. There has to be a life-changing transformation that only comes from God himself. Right now, non-believers are just wondering what's for snack. What's next? Is there more to this life?

There is more. What relationships are we forming and building so that the people around us will know there's more?

weight loss update:

starting weight: 264

current weight: 252

I'm out.....

Paul, football, and the Imperials

2007-09-06T11:58:00.001-05:00

So many times we forget our place in life. It's so easy to forget sometimes that God uses us in spite of who we are, not because of who we are.....it reminds me of an old song by the, hmmhmm, Imperials (now that is old school). There was a line that said "it's not because of who I am, but because of whose I am."

In 1 Corinthians 1:26 Paul reminds us that we were not wise in the world's eyes, or powerful, or wealthy when God called us.....and then v.27 is completely humbling when it says that "God chose what is foolish in the world....." Isn't amazing the people that God has used throughout history? Moses, David, Rahab, Jonah, Peter...the list could go on and on. Keith made a great statement, regarding some of these biblical heroes, last night at the first Wednesday communion service. He chooses us and calls us so that he can show his power, grace, and mercy through our conversion and then service to Him. No amount of human knowledge can replace the saving grace and atonement of Christ's death on the cross and His resurrection.

Thank you God for choosing to use this foolish man to do your work. I pray that I will continue to depend on you and not myself......it's when I get out of the way and let you work that I am amazed by what you do.....1 Cor. 1:25..."For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength."

Well.....it's here.........opening night of the 2007 NFL season. I love this time of year! The Cowboys open up with the Giants Sunday night. Could be the best year we've seen out of the 'Boys in a while. Here's my bold prediction of the year..........Marion Barber becomes the starting RB for Dallas by week 6 and rushes for 1,000 yards this season.

By the way....the Cryin' Eagles opened our season last week with a convincing 31-0 win over the Viklings. We scored more in that game than the previous 2 seasons combined. Yes...I said seasons. Big game with the Owlets this week.

Weight loss challenge update, 3 1/2 weeks in:

Starting Weight: 264
Current Weight: 252

I'm out.....

YES!

2007-08-30T21:07:00.001-05:00

Well....it is here! I LOVE FOOTBALL SEASON!

The Cryin' Eagles (my son's pee wee team) are looking good, i'm goin' to a high school game tomorrow night, espn college gameday starts saturday, and we're one week away from the nfl regular season. WOOOOOO!

Maybe it's just the old player or coach in me, but I still wake up on Fridays with excitement in my gut. And I love getting up on Saturday and reading the high school wrap-up while watching college gameday. And thank goodness for TIVO on Sundays....I love it!

The Cryin' Eagles open up Saturday against the pee wee Vikings....or as I like to call them....The Viklings.

The back to school party went really well. The band, Abandon, did a great job. Check them out on itunes. Good stuff.

I'm two weeks into a weight loss challenge with my buddy Danny. We're going to the last weekend of January and to get where I want to be I've got to average losing 1.5 lbs/week. So far I've dropped 7 in 2 weeks......we'll see what happens.

Starting Weight.....264
Current Weight.....257

We'll see what happens.

Reading thru 1 Corinthians right now......what a great book. I'm out.....

what's goin' on....

2007-08-20T16:13:00.001-05:00

So......I'm teaching my 15 year old how to drive. She's got her permit and we're drivin' all over the place. She has her good days and she has her bad. My wife won't even ride with her. She's terrified.

She's actually doin' okay. We've got to work on turning into parking lots when traffic is coming out, keeping her speed constant, and not drifting to the right (perhaps the scariest of her faults).

It's back to the office tomorrow after being off for two weeks. I'm looking forward to it. Two weeks is a long time, and I love my job, so I'm ready to go back.

This week marks the end of the summer and it's back to school. This has been a great summer for the students at Springcreek. We've seen a lot of spiritual growth and I am pumped to see the plans that God has on our campuses this year.

Well...I know these were just a few random thoughts, but it's what's goin' on. By the way....how 'bout them Cowboys?!

I'm out....

Slowing Down and Catching Up

2007-08-11T21:23:00.000-05:00

Well..we're back from our little beach trip. Mustang Island was great..very relaxing. It was great getting to just slow down and enjoy doing nothing. The weather was great and the view from our condo was incredible. We spent a lot of time soaking up the sun and the water. It was nice, but it's also nice to be back.

On the way home yesterday we stopped in Temple to visit an old friend. His name is Roy Parker and he is the Senior Pastor of Memorial Drive Baptist Church in Temple, TX. He was my pastor growing up at First Baptist Church Baytown, TX.

Roy was there when my mom and dad were dealing with marital crisis. He was there when I surrendered to the ministry at the age of 17. He's the reason I ended up at Ouachita Baptist University where I found my wife, and began the ministry God had called me to. I can't tell you how many times Kelly and I would get a letter from him with $50 in it telling us to go out and enjoy each others company when we were pitifully broke college kids. The last time I saw him was 7 years ago at my dad's funeral.

We stopped in around 4:30 for a short visit, and 4 hours and dinner later were on the way home. At 67 years old, he has decided that he is retiring at the end of this year. We sat and talked about church and ministry. He has an incredible grasp of what is needed, not just at his church, but in the church overall. He said he just doesn't know if he has the energy to do it, so he's going to retire before his church wants him to retire.

I have never known anyone who is a better example of the love of Christ to hurting world. His influence on my life is immeasurable. As we walked across the parking lot with my arm around him, he began to tell me how proud he was of me, and encourage me. I reminded him who my leader was as a young man, and where I learned what the love of Christ looks like. His parting advice....to replicate the love that I was shown to the people around me. That's my prayer as I continue this walk. Thanks Bro. Roy.....

I'm out.

On the road....

2007-08-07T08:59:00.000-05:00

Spent the night in San Antonio last night. We rolled into town around lunch time, and will be leaving for Mustang Island this morning.

Since we were in town at the same time as the Cowboys, Ashli, Beaux, and I went to their afternoon practice yesterday. Yes, we waited for about an hour and a half for them to open the doors to the Alamodome, but it was worth the wait. After the practice was over, we tried to get some autographs, but no one was signing.....except Babe Laufenberg. Beaux did get Tony Sparano (the offensive line coach) to sign his pennant.

I just loved watching the practice. We even got to see a little scuffle between Julius Jones and Patrick Watkins.

We finished the night off with a little mexican food at Casa Rio on the Riverwalk. Good times...

It's off to Corpus and Mustang Island........I'm out...

Balance

2007-07-29T07:12:00.000-05:00

Well...our 3-year old niece is back with her grandparents for the time being. Not sure how long that is going to last, but for now that's where she is at. Her mom is in a 90-day rehab program in Kaufman. If she finishes....she has a chance at getting her kid back. If she quits before the 90 days are up....she has virtually no chance at getting the baby back. Dad is in the process of trying to custody transferred over to him. It's a mess.

I just don't understand. God entrusts us with the training and raising of children. I can't comprehend the amount of selfishness it takes to put yourself in front of your kid's well-being. Kelly and I usually walk away so angry after we talk to her sister. We're praying for God to heal her, both physically and mentally. And we're praying real hard for Josie. God has a plan for her life, and at the age of 3 she's got people in her life that are trying real hard to derail that plan. I know God will protect her and draw her to him.

We're leaving on our high school mission trip today. We're taking 20 high school kids down to Houston to do some work. It's going to be a good trip. I just love the way our kids look for ways to help others. It is so encouraging to see a group of teenagers focused on how they can show someone else the love of Christ, and not be focused on themselves. That's truly a rarity in this culture and I thank God everyday for the kids that he has placed at Springcreek.

Missions? Whether it's your 3-year old niece or someone you've never met. Our mission is to love. The love of Christ is a healer, encourager, teacher, and guide. God uses us in peoples lives to deliver his gifts of mercy and grace just as He uses people in our lives to do the same. I probably spend too much time looking for what God wants to do in my life, and not enough time on how He wants to use my life.

I'll send some pics and updates of the trip.....

Cowboys vs. Colts.......11 days.....that's what I'm talkin' about. I'm out...

Change of Plans

2007-07-19T08:44:00.000-05:00

Well....I was going to write about waking up yesterday and finding that my garage door had been left open all night. When I found it....the fact that we had slept all night with the garage open, and the vulnerability of my family at that time scared me. I had this really deep thought that compared it to leaving our hearts and minds open, but not knowing we're doing it, and our own vulnerability in those times......it was gonna be awesome! But then we got a call....

CPS took my niece away from her mom (Kelly's sister) and the options were stay with us or foster care. So.....we now have a 3-year old living with us for a time yet to be determined. It's been a long time since we've had one that young, and I didn't think I would be doing it again. She is a precious little thing, but has not been given much of a chance in her 3 years.

I'm not sure where to go from here.....my brain is still processing all of this. We had a long talk with my sister-in-law yesterday before we brought the baby home. It was a real challenge trying to be honest with her without letting my down right anger over her selfishness show through.......

You know.....nothing was taken, no one was hurt, nothing was destroyed, or anything when my garage door was left open all night. Maybe it was symbolic..... opening up the door to our family for this little baby will allow God to begin His work in her and her mom. Does it leave us vulnerable? Yes. Inconvenienced? Yes! A little nervous? More than a little.

But we are protected by a loving God who is the defender and protector of the fatherless, and who rescues the weak and needy.............so my family gets the chance to be Jesus to someone. I get it....it's not all about our life and comfort zone.

I'm out....

fright night fun....

2007-07-14T22:47:00.000-05:00

Wednesday night was incredible. One of the largest Wednesday night crowds that we've had turned out for our student led service. we celebrated by baptizing 14 students and sharing stories from camp, and taking communion.

we have some awesome kids! they are just incredible, and amaze me more and more every week.

so Kelly and I were at a wedding tonight and got home around 10:00pm. when we walked into the garage we could hear the kids singing, dancing, and having a big time. so i decided to take full advantage of the fact that they never heard us pull up and open the garage.

sneaking up to the window on the side of our house my oldest daughter was wearing a napoleon dynamite wig and doing a very spastic version of the running man while my other daughter had her shirt pulled through halter-top style while she was pop, lock, and droppin' it. Meanwhile, the manchild was handcuffed to one of the tv trays.

i am still laughing at the screams and sheer panic that insued when i beat on the window. when Kelly and I finally opened the door and went into the house the kids were huddled in our room still trying to figure out what just happened.

I love scaring people.........funny.

I'm out....

back home...

2007-07-07T17:43:00.000-05:00

well.....we're back home from camp. got home thursday night after a great week at Lake Tomahawk in Livingston, TX. Not enough room to tell you how awesome the week was...but we're baptizing 9 teenagers Wednesday night, and God did some incredible things while we were there. First Baptist Church of Baytown, TX and Second Baptist of Highlands, TX were with us for the week.

Our kids are awesome! This Wednesday we're going to have a camp share service and get to hear from some of them.....don't miss it.

Kelly and I went to the Keith Urban concert last night. It was great. What a great entertainer. And an incredible picker. My wife thinks he's kind of cute too.....I just don't see it.

Gotta go now.....checking out "Transformers" tonight with the manchild. I'm out....

busy, busy...

2007-06-25T05:56:00.001-05:00

Well...lots of stuff goin' on around here. Summer is a crazy time of year.

We took our senior high kids to the Galaxy Drive-in Theatre in Ennis last Thursday. What a great deal. $6 for a double feature and cheap snack bar. Check it out at...

http://www.galaxydriveintheatre.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/

Afterwards.....a lock-in at the church. I am so old. I got home around 9:00 am Friday morning and figured I would sleep till noon or so. I woke up at 1:00 looked at the clock and thought...i'll just lay here for a little longer. The next time I looked at the clock it was 4:00. I thought I had really screwed up my sleep cycle, but I had no problems going to be around midnight and sleeping till 9:00 Saturday. I very rarely sleep in like that, so I was pretty pumped.

This will be a busy week. We've got VBS at our church this week, so it'll be crazy every night this week and then we leave for camp next Sunday. We're taking our students to Lake Tomahawk in Livingston, TX. Should be lots of fun.

I'm reading Michael English's book, The Prodigal Comes Home, right now. He's been one of my favorite singers for a long time this story of personal failure and God's redemption is awesome. I'm glad he's on the road again sharing his story. He is truly an incredible talent with an even more incredible story of God's deliverance.

Well....lots of stuff to do. I've got a new lawn mower, so I'm hopin' to get out and mow the yard today. Just 45 days till kick-0ff.....Cowboys v. Colts. Here's a couple of pics of me and Beaux on our man trip a couple of weeks ago......I'm out.

Summer's Here

2007-06-04T21:34:00.000-05:00

Well...here we go. It's summer time, which means we're off and running in student ministry. We had our sr. high cookout/swimming party sunday night and this friday is our jr. high lock-in at group dynamix.

I am really excited about this summer. There are lots of things planned, but I'm really looking forward to seeing our students learn what it means to really serve others and grow into the leaders that I believe they have the potential to be.

My oldest daughter is in Florida right now. I have to say....I'm a little nervous about her being gone for a week away from us. I miss her. Each of our kids just bring so much life to our house and when one is gone.....there is a hole in our family.

I think that's what it must be like when God watches us go in and out of our relationship with him. One day we're in and one day we're out. One day we want to follow with everything we have, and one day we wimp out and follow our own desires.

I would drive to Florida in a heartbeat to rescue my daughter from any kind of danger she may face. I'd walk on my knees if I knew it was the only way to get there.......

God sent his only son to die for us.....in spite of who we are. I've known that truth for more than 25 years......and there is nothing that amazes me more every day than that kind of love.

I'm out....

Sonic Aliens

2007-05-28T20:28:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty pumped. I had the opportunity to preach in our main services this weekend. We wrapped up our series titled MySpace, and my weekend was titled MySpace MyConcerns. I've taught and preached many times before, but never here at Springcreek. And honestly....it's much easier to teach, preach, sing or whatever in front of people that I'm not around all of the time. The bar for teaching has been set quite high here at Springcreek and I'm here every week. But I think it went well. Everyone was very encouraging and I had a blast.

We had The Net for the first time in a couple of weeks last night. I love being around our students. They're awesome! Afterwards a bunch of us went to Sonic and ate, then went back up to the church for a game of Aliens. It was stinkin' awesome! We had so much fun. Check out the pics.

Today we had a little Memorial Day cookout with the inlaws. Burgers, hot links, and the inlaws....mmm mmm. Really...my inlaws are great. They provide us with lots of laughs...many times unintentionally. After they left....I made some homeade ice cream. I hurt myself.

You know what I remember about Memorial Day the most? I used to watch war movies with my dad quite often, but more so on Memorial Day than any other time. And today.....AMC had a war movie marathon today and my son, Beaux, wanted to sit and watch a few with me. "Flying Leathernecks," "Patton," and "Tora, Tora, Tora." Good stuff! I remember those times with my dad....and I couldn't have been happier today when I got to sit on my chair with my son and watch some of those old war movies.

Summer starts next week. The kids are done with school Friday and we kick things off Sunday night with a cookout/swimming party. It's going to be a great summer. I'm out....

Team....Work

2007-05-23T08:14:00.000-05:00

Things are going good here in Canyon, TX. It's nice to get the chance to get away and just look at and talk about the ministry of Springcreek, where we're going and what needs to be done to get there.

I've been involved with lots of teams in my life (coaching staffs, faculties, bands, worship teams, etc...) and I can honestly say that this staff is the second best team of which I've ever been a part. I am excited about each of the individual ministries and how we're working to make sure we facilitate growth in each others area of responsibility. It's exciting.

We had some good mexican food last night...Leal's in Amarillo. Good stuff. After that, a little trip out to the Cadillac Ranch. Not sure why it was done, but it's kind of cool.

We're gonna wrap things up today and head home later this evening. It'll be nice to get back home to Kelly and the kids. That's the best team. I'm out....

The Big Texan

2007-05-22T00:16:00.001-05:00

Went to the Big Texan Steak Ranch tonight in Amarillo. Watched these two boys actually finish off the 72oz. steak with baked potato, salad, shrimp cocktail, and a roll. If you finish it in an hour, it's free. If not...it's $72. They did it.

My 22oz. strip was plenty. I'm out....

Interesting flight

2007-05-21T08:18:00.001-05:00

Well....I had an interesting flight to Amarillo Sunday night.

This was one of the tiny, American Eagle jets. Anytime I fly American Eagle I pray to sit by someone small, or someone I know because of the close confines. I found my seat next to this tiny young lady and she gladly let me have the aisle seat. We struck up a conversation, and i asked her "so what do you do for living?" her reply......"I dance at a club." I'm not sure what my face looked like, but i know it couldn't have been as shocked as hers looked when she asked me...."what do you do?" and i replied..."i'm a pastor." you think i sweat bad when i'm leading music........

After we both came to grips with the situation, we had a great conversation. She's a 27 year old mother of a 10 year old, and 9 year old. She's been married twice (4 years each) and is currently living with her boyfriend with no intentions of marrying again. I asked her what she would be doing if she wasn't dancing. She begin to share with me the things that she had always dreamed of doing. She said she feels like she will probably quit dancing in the next two years, so that her kids are not ostracized because of her.

She then told me about her 10 year old daughter. In her words....the kid is a "religious freak." She said she reads her bible constantly, is always sharing with her mom, goes to church with friends, etc...

This led to a great conversation about the love and grace of a God that created us and has an incredible plan for our lives. I told her that even when we use the gifts and talents he's given us for things that He did not plan on....his love doesn't stop. She was quite relieved. She shared with me some stories of negative church experiences that she had experienced. You can imagine the looks she gets when walking into a small town church. And you can imagine the anger she has of being judged by these people, but yet "working" for several of them every week. It was really a cool conversation, and as we were finishing she told me that she had never really felt like God loved her before, but maybe she was wrong. I told her that sometimes it pays to listen to our kids. We said goodbye and left the plane.

As I was standing at baggage claim, another lady came up, introduced herself and told me she had been sitting in front of me and prayed for me the entire flight. Her husband was sitting with her, but he was sleeping. He is a pastor here in Amarillo. Isn't it cool that in a plane full of assigned seats. This young lady who never really felt like God loved her, was surrounded by people who love the Lord, pray for each other, and recognize that we're all jacked up and that God loves us anyway and can use us in spite of who we are, not because of who we are.

If you happen to read this Ann.....we're praying for you and your family. And Ashley...keep talking to your mom. I'm out.....

For The Birds

2007-05-19T09:16:00.001-05:00

There it was......a baby blue jay sitting in the back of my truck. Somehow he/she had gotten itself into the bed of my truck and could not fly well enough to get out. With his eyes, he pleaded for help....but it was a total set-up.

As I leaned over the side of the truck to get him I noticed momma sitting about head high on a branch 25 feet away. And she had friends....two of them. I felt like Dr. Grant in Jurassic Park...surrounded by raptors ready to pounce. The little one fluttered to the other side of the truck. I walked around to the other side, looked up, and the raptors had moved closer...and they were talking to each other.

I finally realized, with the help of my daughter Brooke, that I was going to have to get into the bed of the truck to get the stupid bird. After a few minutes of chasing this thing around the bed of my truck, I finally caught it. And for the first time...it spoke...loudly. The others closed in as I jumped out of the truck, threw the baby in the general direction of the yard and sprinted around to the driver side of the truck.

This is the second time I've been attacked by birds while trying to help. My family now lovingly calls me "the bird whisperer." I'm done with being nice. From now on...you fall out of the nest, wander into the bed of my truck, porch of my house, whatever......I could care less.

Well...things to do....going to buy a bb gun. I'm out....

aches and pains

2007-05-13T20:14:00.000-05:00

For months I've been looking forward to the Brad Paisley Bonfires and Amplifiers Tour. The concert was last night and we had tickets for the whole family.

I've been working with kids for 20 years, so I'm not at all oblivious to the things that go on and some of the stupid decisions we all make as teenagers. This, however, went beyond the scope of bad decisions by kids alone and into the decisions of parents and some of the freedoms they give their kids.

In our service this morning, Keith spoke about parents forcing their kids to grow up too quickly and some of the lifelong effects it can have on their ability to handle choices and consequences. My heart hurts for some of these kids and their inability to realize their own vulnerability. Some of them try so hard to fit in with everyone else while claiming to stake a claim to their independence and freedom. The smoking, drinking, clothes, how they interact all scream...I want to be grown up! But yet, they are in no way ready to handle the things of the adult world. Evidenced by their inability to control their alcohol consumption, their hormones, their mouths, etc...

I don't know if it is their perception of what being an adult looks like is warped by the adults that are present, or conveniently not present in their lives, or if they're just following suite with all of the other independent, free-thinking, non-conformist conformists in their herd.

Kids look for and long for structure in their lives. They want someone to give them a story worth living in....a story they belong in and can star in as themselves. When not provided with these kinds of environments by their parents, they will create their own story. I pray that I am creating a story that my kids want to live, star, and thrive in.....and when they do make a bad decision, that their cast of supporting characters are ones who point them in the right direction.

There is so much more to say about this.....not enough space. My heart hurts.......I'm out.

Stories...

2007-05-10T21:43:00.000-05:00

We're back from Atlanta. The Orange Conference was great. Good conference, good time, good company.....it was a lot of fun. I think of all the things we heard, Donald Miller was the best. I've heard him several times and read most of his books, but his message really resonated this time.

We are all living our lives within a story. If we don't like our story we look for another story. So do our families, our students, our congregation members, etc....

We have to provide these groups of people with a great story in which to live their lives or they will find one on their own. What kind of story are you providing for the ones you love? I've already started to try and re-write some of the stories that make up my daily life.

Looking forward to the new series kick-off this week....looking at parents and their students relationships.....helping them look at the stories they're writing.

By the way...the Cowboys play in 91 days. I'm out....

I'm Back....

2007-05-07T08:56:00.000-05:00

okay, so it's been a couple of months. i'm sorry......thanks for the e-mails asking me to write something....anything. well....here you go..

i'm in atlanta right now. our conference starts today....but the adventure started yesterday. our flight was at 2:40 and we missed the luggage check-in. we ended up on a 6:00 flight, but all is well.

however.......the lady at our gate for american airlines is not well. I didn't even get her name, but we'll call her Grumpy McHaterton. The most unhelpful woman on the face of the earth. She was just mean. Sharon, however, was great. Once we stopped dealing with Grumpy.....things got done.

late night dinner at the waffle house.......awesome! Mel and Flo (not their real names) provided plenty of late night entertainment. waffle house is a 24 hour establishment right? you would have thought we walked in 3 minutes before closing. Flo was super nice.....Mel was just an angry individual. I'm thinkin' of trying to hook him up with Grumpy McHaterton.

our services this weekend were great. people made their commitments to the Imagine campaign and we had a great time of worship and celebration. after the last service we recognized our senior graduates with a lunch for them and their families. we're graduating a lot more kids this year than last and they will be greatly missed.

speaking of our students....check out the video from this weekend's services about what God has been doing in Meghan Strickland's heart. It had me teared up.......

as far as the consistency of my blogging goes.....i'll do better. i'm out....

Love Languages

2007-03-06T21:22:00.000-06:00

So I think I've found some additional love languages to the ones that my friend Ray gave us at the marriage event a few weeks back. Here are a few to think about....

1. Babe's Chicken Dinner House.......especially the chicken fried steak and cream corn
2. Coldstone Creamery
3. football.....namely Cowboys football
4. Madden 2007
5. the tingly hair conditioner stuff they put on my head at Sports Clips last week...I have got to
get some of that for home.

I was fortunate enough to spend last week in Chicago at Willowcreek Community Church with my buddy Clay and my 6 high school students in our mentorship program. It was great! We met Donald Miller, ate at Gino's East Pizza, played in the snow, and created more inside jokes than I have time to mention. It was awesome.

That's it for now.....I'm out....

down time

2007-02-07T11:10:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I just have to make myself put down work and sink myself into some down time. Not just studying for my next Sunday night, or rehearsing for the next worship set, but just time to listen. I talk too much. My life is too noisy at times. I can't hear the little things that God wants to teach me.

Last weekend was fun. My buddy Ray did a great job organizing the Super Bowl party and we had a great turnout. Good job Ray dog.

All I know is that the Cowboys beat the Colts. How 'bout them Cowboys?!!

I'm out...

it's about time....

2007-02-02T08:50:00.000-06:00

Super Bowl weekend.......I love it. Wish the Cowboys were there, but oh well......next year right?!

So we had our Focus Weekend last weekend. A weekend of discipleship, fellowship, and a lot of fun for our students. Wes Hamilton was our speaker and Branch was the band. It was great. We even had a roller disco on Saturday night. That was groovy.....know what I mean. I'll post some pictures as soon as I sort through them all.

Springcreek is buzzing with excitement. For 18 months or so we have been talking about creating a buzz, and working at the direction and focus of this church. The series we just finished, "On A Mission From God," just summed it all up. It truly was a culmination of all of the things we've been moving toward for the last year. I am so excited about the energy that has been created around here.

This is going to be a very busy year for SCC and I am pumped to see all that happens. I know that God has orchestrated things so that it all has led to this point, and I just pray that we continue to follow His lead in all of the things to come. The energy is amazing, the people I get to work with.....incredible, and the people I get to worship with every week......a blessing.

I'm out.......

butterfingers

2007-01-12T09:14:00.000-06:00

So after a week of mourning, I was feeling better, and ready to start thinking about the 2007 Cowboys. This morning was my weekly breakfast with my daughter Brooke..........Chick-fil-A was her choice today, so all was good.

We walk in and there are these two little boys (9-10 years old) with one of their dads. One has on a Seattle Seahawks, #37 Shaun Alexander jersey and one has on a #9 Tony Romo, Cowboys jersey. Immediately.....the pain, the disbelief, the shock of last weekend came flooding back. Brooke looked at me as if to say.....should we go somewhere else? But I pressed on......reminding myself that he is just a little kid......so forgiving, so positive. I sat down with my daughter and began enjoying our breakfast and conversation..................then it happened.

The mini Romo went to the counter to get a refill. I saw him. The #9 on his back caused me to lose all confidence in his ability to order for himself and return to his seat with what he went up there for in the first place. I saw the lady behind the counter reach for a new cup and fill it up with the beverage of his choice (probably fruit punch). Mini Romo took the cup and turned to go back to his table where his dad was sitting there beaming with pride. Then it happened.........it was a new cup, slippery and unworn. The grip was unfamiliar to his little hands and he just couldn't hold on. It hit the floor with a crash. He tried to catch it before it hit and just couldn't do it. The look on his face was one of utter disbelief. He buried his mini Romo face into his hands. Meanwhile....mini Shaun Alexander was busting into laughter. Dad new he couldn't do anything but wait till next time.

I don't know that I'll be able to return to Chick-fil-A for a few days. I've regressed in my sorrow thanks to mini Romo.

And who cares if David Beckham is coming to the U.S. to play soccer......as long as his wife and her Spice Girls keep their careers in hiding. Just a random rant......

I'm out.....

Happy New Year....

2007-01-01T20:23:00.000-06:00

Well.....Christmas is done, the New Year is underway.

Christmas at the Schmidt's was great. We were here for Christmas day, but drove down to Liberty, Texas to visit my mom for a couple of days after Christmas. Going down to Liberty was the first time I've driven through that much of East Texas in a long time. I was raised in that area, and had a good time back in the old stomping grounds. My kids had never been in that part of the state and they were enlightened. We fed cows, rode four-wheelers, shot squirrels, had squirrel dumplins.........and so on. My friend Bob says I'm country....he just does not know how much so.

I'm heart-broken by the Cowboys loss to the Lions.......the Lions. But, we are in the playoffs. How 'bout them Cowboys.

Speaking of football.......isn't New Year's Day great. I've been watching football since 10 o'clock this morning. We've had friends over, an awesome New Year's lunch with the fam......greatness.

Here are a couple of plugs on things I've learned over the break.....

1. Guitar Hero II is a stinkin' awesome game.
2. Go see "A Night at the Museum"
3. Go buy Chris Daughtry's cd.......he's the guy that should've won American Idol last year. It's
a great cd.
4. Don't move to Liberty, TX, but try squirrel dumplins the first chance you get....good eatin'

I'm out...

People Watching

2006-12-21T22:25:00.000-06:00

I'm a people watcher. I love airports, malls, walmarts, and any other place you can just watch people.

That being said, this is a great time of year for people watching. They're everywhere. Not only that, but most are totally focused on getting stuff done and are really fun to watch. Not only that, but there are so many different styles and personalities. Here are a few I've noticed....

1. The Purpose Driven Shopper......it's all over their face. There is a reason I am here. Please

do not interrupt or try and talk to me until I am done. My face looks like this because

my butt really tight right now.

2. The Sad People........mainly teenage boys that wear girl pants. They wear their hair long

enough to cover half of their face, trying to hide their sadness. They walk around the mall

looking sad, listening to All-American Rejects, and pulling at their hair. They rarely eat

much because it would make them happy.

3. The Pre-People.........junior high kids....'nuff said

4. Hood Rats.........oversized hoodies, and pants that are way too big. When I see these guys I am

reminded why stores are always out of my size jeans. It's because these cats buy pants

10 sizes to big and hold them up while they limp along. Crazy....

5. Why Am I Here Guy......sits on the bench, legs crossed, shoot me now look on the face. I love

asking these guys "how you doin'?"

6. I'm Helping Him Buy Pants........The sad girls that walk around with the boys who wear girl

pants. Sometimes the only way to tell them apart is that this group sometimes smiles.

7. I Wish This Still Fit, But I'll Wear It Anyway...........no

8. The Blue Tooth Group..........not to be confused with The Blue Man Group. Wireless, mobile

communication.....what did we ever do without it? Just don't use it in the bathroom.

9. Sad Dad......Usually found near the "Why Am I Here Guy" trying to come to grips with the

fact that his son is wearing girl pants.

10. Mrs. Claus.......She wears everything Christmas. A very happy person. If spotted, try to

introduce them to one of the "Sad People." Fun to watch.

Happy people watching and Merry Christmas! I'm out.....

by the way...here are some pics from Krunkfest '06 at Springcreek with LeCrae. REPRESENT!

Christmas at Ellen's

2006-12-05T21:32:00.000-06:00

Christmas is in full swing at the Schmidt house. The Christmas tree is decorated, the lights outside are rockin', it's all good. I love this time of year. It's just a happy time.

Today was the annual staff Christmas lunch at Ellen's. Great food, even better company, a game or two involving pickles and such.....I just wish I could have gone back to the office and rolled out one of those little pre-school mats on my office floor and taken a nap. Why don't we do that as adults? We need the rest more than those little kids anyway. They can go all day and be worn down at night...when they need to be.

How 'bout those Cowboys!? 8-4 and in control of the NFC East. Look out...playoff time.

I'm out.....

in da hood...

2006-11-21T20:35:00.000-06:00

Back from Houston....I was there talking about next summer's camp. We're going to be going to Lake Tomahawk with a few other churches so I was meeting with a couple of them to get some things planned.

As I was heading back to the airport today to come back home I drove through my old hood. So many memories.....It has changed so much. I saw the house I lived in when I was in junior high and drove by my old friend's houses. Some of their families still live there. I stopped and talked to Mr. Briscoe. He was old when I was there, so I can't imagine how old he is now. He still sits on his porch with a guitar and accordion. That's where I found him today. We used to have some fun playing George Jones, some Haggard, and some Hank Williams. Along with cajun songs, and songs that, to this day, I think ol' man Briscoe made up as we went along. Good times...

Then on the flight home I sat by Allie. She is a freshman in college at St. Thomas University in Houston. We had a great conversation about how God speaks to us, her struggles to lead in very tough environment, the state of the church, and stuff like that. She was not even supposed to be on the flight and felt that God had reminded her of just how he does speak by putting her there instead of her planned flight. I was also thankful because it wasn't the elderly lady that fell asleep on my arm on the flight to Houston. My arm smelled like moth balls and old lady perfume for hours. Thanks for the company and conversation Allie.

Glad to be back and glad to have some vacation this week. Oh yeah.....HOW 'BOUT THEM COWBOYS?!!! 1st place baby.......

I'm out..

rollin' dirty in the ATL....

2006-11-06T17:45:00.000-06:00

Back in A-town.....

Flew into Atlanta today with Bob, Gerry, Ray, and Harp for the Northpoint Drive Conference. Bob and I are just hangin' out. The other guys went to eat, but I wasn't hungry. No, that is not a misprint and I am not sick....I'm just not hungry. Reason being.....a return trip to Daddy D'z Barbeque Joynt. Ribs, red beans and rice, fried okra, and cornbread. Not to mention their very unique appetizer, Que Wraps (barbequed pork, wrapped and deep fried).

Toured the CNN center this afternoon. Very cool. Saw a live newscast being sent right to your living room. No pictures allowed though....

Conference starts tonight....updates later. Here's a picture of me and Susanna, aka "the mean island woman" and Daddy D'z best waitress and inside CNN.

I'm out....

pics...

2006-11-03T09:33:00.000-06:00

here are some pics from the fall retreat....

I'm out...

lo siento

2006-11-01T21:45:00.000-06:00

That's I'm sorry for those of you who don't speak the language of our neighbors to the south. I was called out by a faithful reader for not including news of our incredible fall retreat and halloween party this past weekend.

We took our sr. high to Mt. Lebanon Baptist Camp Friday and Saturday. It was great. We had some good hang time and really concentrated on building relationships. Carlos Montoya was our retreat pastor and did a great job of putting our various relationships into perspective. He's right.....people have to trust you before they trust your God. Good stuff. Movie night Friday night was fun....hangin' out, watchin' "Nacho Libre." Es fantastic!

Sunday night was our visit to the Dallas Scaregrounds. Fun stuff. 57 kids, 3 haunted houses, various creatures and monsters roaming around outside and a big dance circle. Entertainment definitely worth the $12 ticket.

Well....I left my laptop at work tonight so that I wouldn't be tempted to work at home. I need to sleep. I say that because I have some good pictures of the retreat that I will post tomorrow.

Tonight was our 1st Wednesday communion service. I emceed the night while Pastors Bob and Ray answered various questions pertaining to God's will in our lives. It was great. Afterward I met with a few of the students that I'm getting the chance to mentor and we had some good discussion. They are some awesome kids! I love 'em.

Well.....I'm taking tomorrow off from working out in the morning. I'm up to 24 lbs. lost...feeling good. I'm out........

Falling Back...

2006-10-30T20:27:00.000-06:00

Things are slowing down finally. The Cryin' Eagles finished up 1-7. There was another 1-7 team, and one 0-8 team, so not a complete loss. I must say....having Tuesday and Thursday nights back will be nice, not to mention Saturdays.

Big Cowboys win last night over the Panthers. Still not convinced that Romo is the best man for the job, but he did well last night. How 'bout them Cowboys?!

Our GPS series is going well. Keith and Scott are deep in Africa right now and from what we've heard...it's pretty awesome! I can't wait to hear and see the work being accomplished there and how Springcreek can have a global impact on the kingdom of God. Exciting stuff!

I love it when we fall back an hour..........i think i'm going to set my clock back again tonight. I'm out....

glad to be back...

2006-10-07T21:53:00.000-05:00

Catalyst was pretty stinkin' awesome! Lots of great stuff on what it looks like to "be" the church in our community. I'm pretty pumped about the stuff I heard. I picked up a few books that I'm actually pretty excited about reading. They had a real good lineup of speakers. Leaders from many different cultures, backgrounds, etc....I was very impressed and would love to make this trip again next year.

I am glad to be home though...........there's just something about your own shower, bed, couch and everything when you've been gone for a little bit.

The Eagles' 1 game winning streak came to an end tonight at the hands of the Bison....19-0. Ugly! It was as if we had a team of swinging doors on the offensive line.

I'll upload some pictures from Atlanta tomorrow..........Cowboys v. Eagles tomorrow...I hate the Eagles (Philadelphia that is..). I'm out...

"A-Town"

2006-10-04T21:53:00.000-05:00

Just hangin' out in Atlanta for a few days. We're at the Catalyst Conference. It's going great. Heard some great stuff today from Mike Foster, Chris Seay, and Rick McKinley on what doing ministry, and showing the love Christ should look like in today's churches. McKinley had some great stuff to say about how to "be the church" as opposed to "building the church." It was awesome. I'm a big fan of Chris Seay, so it's always good to hangout with him. We've worked together several times over the years at various conferences and stuff, and he always has good stuff to say.

Jay and I went into downtown Atlanta tonight for dinner. We walked around Olympic Park, CNN Center, The Georgia Dome, Philips Arena, etc... It was very cool. My son was pumped that I was actually at the home of Cartoon Network and Boomerang.

We topped the night off by finding the best barbeque place I have ever been in my life. It was just a little shack on Martin Luther King Blvd. in Atlanta. Daddy D'z Barbeque Joint. Unbelievable pork ribs, red beans and rice, cornbread. Our waitress, Suzanne, was awesome! She sat down and talked with us and just hungout.

It kind of made me think about what the church would look like if we just slowed down our lives and schedules to sit down with people and just hangout and form relationships. It could be that we keep ourselves so busy that we miss out on some real opportunities to reach people and form some great relationships that lead to God moments. Just being the church instead of concentrating on building the church.

All that from a great waitress in a little shack of a barbeque place in Atlanta. I'm coming back to Atlanta soon and I'll be heading back to Daddy D'z......

More from the ATL tomorrow.....peace out, A-town down. I'm out...

V is for Victory

2006-10-01T22:43:00.000-05:00

Well.....the nation's longest scoreless, pee-wee football streak is over. As is the 4 game losing streak of the mighty Garland Eagles. We are in the win column with a dominant 14-6 victory over the Falcons. There was no whining and crying in the Eagle camp Saturday........nothing but the sweet sound of victory. How 'bout them Eagles?!!

Huge Cowboys win today............45-14. It has been a long time since the 'boys have put those kind of numbers on somebody.

What a great weekend. I gave the kids permission to celebrate until tomorrow.......then it's back to the grind of preparing for next week's battle against the might Bison. I'm going to watch some game film with my son..............okay so we're watching Spongebob, but it's back to work tomorrow. We have a win streak to protect.

I'm out.....

under the skin.....

2006-09-29T10:34:00.000-05:00

There are some things that just bug me. You know.......why the Taco Bell by my house cannot get a drive thru order correct...that bugs me. Parents that can't get their kid to practice, but then want to know why I don't play them the whole game......bugs me. But I think the one thing that bugs me most is whining. Granted....kids are going to whine and that's is somewhat acceptable, but adult whining is the worst.

This morning I was reading through some blogs that I occasionally follow and I came across one that just really has a tendency to irk me sometimes. The self-professed "church planter" blogger continually whines about "hypocrisy in church leadership," sermons and series being preached at other churches, dismissal of staff members at other churches, etc......Comparing the ministry of his church and others he has emulated to what he deems to be failing, or not doing things the "right way."

Most of the time the opinions stated on this blog come across as the bitter, whinings of a small individual with an extreme case of tunnel vision and "me"itis.

I have a tendency sometimes.....okay a lot.....to open my mouth for no other reason but to switch feet, but I do try to have facts to substantiate what I am saying. Most of the time I try to keep the writings on this blog light, funny, somewhat encouraging, sometimes reflective...but I try to not run down the ministry someone else is doing.

Different churches approach things in different ways for many different reasons. Staff members change for many reasons. Philosophies are adjusted and teams work together for the good of the church. I'm not seminary educated (some would say I should be thankful for that), but I think there are some things that I can see without that clouding my vision.

I am a church plant. I was planted here to do what God called me to do in the ways that he provides and directs. As churches grow, changes of many kinds occur. But I believe that if you're not changing, you're falling behind. I would never preach that a church should throw biblical teaching to the wind for the sake of not offending, nor would I defend a friend, belittle former employers, cut other pastors, or do anything that may damage ministry being done somewhere that I am not. There is a difference in holding someone accountable for wrong doings, and calling someone out because their way of doing ministry does not match up to yours or your opinion of how things should be done.

I am so happy to be a part of this team at Springcreek. Sure we have disagreements or whatever, but at the end of the day we're honestly searching for what God wants done in the life of his people in our little corner of ministry. Work where God has placed you to reach the people he has put you in contact with, and be thankful that there are others reaching those you cannot.............

I'm out...

New Things....

2006-09-28T22:54:00.000-05:00

New restaurant.......J's Catfish....cajun catfish and huge shrimp. done right! plus the hushpuppies and fries. Yes!

Also.....Firewheel Mall added a dine-in Sonic complete with HDTV big screen with Sportcenter. On top of that...it's right next door to the Nestle's Toll-House place. WHAT?!! I hate malls, but this one is on it's way up. I may even go out there at Christmas.................maybe

New cd review......Chris Tomlin's "See The Morning." It's great! I've been a fan of Tomlin's for a long time. The songs are hooky, with simple, but great melodies. I just feel good after I listen to his stuff. This one is definitely worth the money. Get it.

New T.V. season......The Office is sheer GREATNESS! Hilarious. Grey's Anatomy....more greatness.

I love football..........just thought I'd throw that in. The Eagles, and yes I left out "cryin'" on purpose, had the best two practices we've had all year. I'm feeling real good about this weekend, and I can't even be there. High school game tomorrow night, college gameday saturday morning, and the Cowboys v. Titans Sunday.......how 'bout them Cowboys?!! T.O. is not even worth mentioning.

I'm out......

A step ahead...

2006-09-25T15:49:00.000-05:00

I love this weather. It's just great outside.

The Cryin' Eagles are now 0-4. It's been a tough season so far, but the boys are learning and getting better. I'm not gonna lie though.....it's tough to take a beating every week. I just keep telling myself.....they're 9. It's fun though.....they crack me up.

The ID series is off to a great start. We're working through the connection group material with our students and it started off great last night. There are a lot of things about identity that teenagers deal with, but one of the things that surprises me is the fact that many of them are oblivious to the other students around them. As we looked at the times we have simply tried to "survive," the times we were "striving," and the times we "thrived," many of our students obviously didn't have a lot to draw from over their brief 15 or so years. However, what surprised me was how many of them couldn't recognize the kids around them that are surviving and striving every day just to make it.

Much of Christ's ministry was spent reaching out to those who were striving to live, and/or just trying to survive. He came to "give life to it's fullest." Look for those around you that don't know what that looks like or how to get it. You only have to be one step ahead of someone to lead them..............look for those who are one step behind you. I'm out.....