The End Is Near

2008 is quickly coming to an end. I hope that each and every one of you had a blessed Christmas. This was by far the best Christmas that Erin and I have ever had. I hope to have some pictures of Carragin's first Christmas up by the end of the day.

This has been by far one of the best years that I have ever lived in my 26 years of existence hear on the earth. God blessed us with our first child, and the blessings just kept coming all year long. We are eternally grateful for the mighty hand of God which guides and provides.

There are several things that I wanted to blog about, but then on the way to work this morning I heard a song on the radio by Kenny Chesney called Down the Road. Yes, I listen to country music. No, it is not wrong for Christians to listen to country music. Just needed to get that off my chest. There is one line in the song that hits the nail right on the head.

It says "her momma wants to know, are you washed in the blood, or just in the water." Wow does Kenny get it or doest his writer get it. I don't know but someone gets it. The point is that being baptized does not mean Salvation in Jesus. The only way for you and I to be saved is to be washed in the blood of Jesus. To a lost person this way seem a little weird. All that it means is that you have got to put your faith in the Son of God. You must repent of your wrong doing and accept that Jesus died on the cross for your sins.

So, if today you are banking on going to heaven because you were baptized as a baby, or if you one day you were baptized but there has never been a change in your life, then you have just been washed in water. Your greatest need today is to be washed in the blood. Take this little country song and learn that the way to heaven is not through baptism but through faith in Jesus Christ.

Twas The Night

before Carragins first Christmas. Let me say that I am pumped about this being our little girls first Christmas. Did we go a little overboard? Probably. But she only gets one 1st Christmas.

Which brings me to this thought. Have you ever thought about the very first Christmas? Sure we have read the Bible story many times over and over. The question is, have it become something that we just do because its Christmas, or do we stop and ponder what it was like that night?

On that night the world would forever be changed. That night the sin problem would be dealt with. That night healing entered the world. That night hope was ushered in. That night Salvation had come to all who would believe on His name. See that night along time ago was more than the Baby Jesus being born in a manger. That night long ago is where Life, true life, began.

Sometime today or tomorrow, a mist the hustle and bustle of Christmas (which we have commercialized way to much) may we all (including myself) stop and think about that glorious night in a town called Bethlehem where the King of Kings and Lord of Lords came to this earth to give us hope, healing, and Salvation to all that would believe.

From our Family to yours. Merry CHRISTmas!!!!!!!!!!!!

And the winner is....

Erin. Thanks to all of you who took the time to vote in the poll. I never thought that it would be over a week since I got to blog again, but that is life.

Erin has won the vote. Many of you think that Carragin looks like her mom. They say that babies change every week. So I may have a chance for her to look like me later in life. On a serious note, it does not bother me at all that she looks like her mother since her mom is one hot women. Did I just say that? I guess I did.

The week ahead looks to be a busy one as we will celebrate Christmas on Thursday. Hopefully, I will be able to blog before then but if not Erin and I want to wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!

The Big Debate

So Erin and I were looking at God's awesome to gift to us and the debate started. Who does she look like? It all depends on the day. Some have said no doubt she looks like Erin still others say there is no doubt she looks like me. Then there are those who say that she kinda favors us both.

So, we are going to leave it up to you. There is a poll at the top of the page where you can vote. The voting will end on December 20 at 7:00pm. This should be fun.

Here is a picture to help you decide.

God Bless

every mother that has ever had a kid and every mother that stays at home with their child full time. This week has made me more in love with my wife than ever before. I now know what she has been going through for the past 12 weeks.

Let me say though this week has been tough at times and a little stressful, there is no other way that I would have wanted to spend my vacation.

Hopefully, I can share some stories sometime next week.

Great Way To Start Vacation

This year Erin and I decided not to go on vacation for several different reasons. The main reason was that she was with child and it would have been miserable for both of us. Since we didn't go anywhere we decided that I would stay home with Carragin while she went back to work for a couple of weeks to finish out the year. So, my vacation actually started Wednesday night after church.

I am looking forward to spending this time with my daughter. Please pray for Erin as she will be going back to work for these last few weeks. This will be the first time she is away, and I am sure she will be stressed. Pray for me as I will be on the clock full time starting Monday morning. Pray for Carragin that she will have a good week.

So my vacation got off to a great start with that award winning performance today by the Gamecocks!! I mean, how in the heck can you not show up for the biggest game of the year? How can you have one of the best coaches in college football history up against an interim head coach and get your heads beat in? How do you leave a QB in who could not throw the ball in the ocean sitting on a boat in the middle of the Gulf? I am beginning to think that the Chicken Curse may be for real. I am tried of this crap year in and year out.

OK now that I got that off my chest. Carragin has changed me in many ways, none more evident then the way I felt after this game today. I simply went in to the other room, picked her up, she smiles that big smile, and the game is now a far memory.

So here's to a week off......of work!!!!!

New Discovery

Carragin has discovered something new over the past week. Her tongue. I know this may sound a little silly but it is so cool to see her amazed that she has found this.

She is also discovering several other things which include how to laugh, her hair, and that it is funny when she makes mom and dad upset by something she is doing. I wish I could say that it upsets me more when she does this, but often times I find myself laughing with her. I hope this doesn't cause problems in the future. One more thing, she has discovered how to poke that bottom lip out. This is going to be her favorite thing to do to get her way with her daddy.

This Saturday will be Carragin's first South Carolina/Clemson football game. No we are not going, but it will be on the TV. I have already told Erin to make sure she packs her GameDay gear so her and daddy can watch the game together. I am hoping and praying that by this time next week she will have never seen Carolina get beat by Clemson.

Back At It

So I have returned to work after a couple of days of vacation and boy am I excited about what God is going to do in the days to come.

Gainesville was a fun trip. I still say that going to Knoxville for the Tennessee game is a better trip. It is defiantly louder and the pregame aspect is a whole lot better. I give the edge to Florida when it comes to the stadium aspect. The place looks better and the area around the stadium is better, but when it comes to atmosphere I give the edge to Tennessee.

Not sure how long Terry has had his blog out, but I just discovered it today. Terry is our Middle School minister at Rock Springs. I must say that he has truly been a God send to us at Rock Springs. He has done and is doing some great things. In the few months that I have known him he has made a tremendous impact on my life. You can check out his blog here.

Also wanted to encourage you to subscribe to Terry, Jonathan, and this blog. You can do this by going to their site and clicking on the subscribe by email line. You may subscribe to this blog by looking in the upper right hand corner and following the instructions.

Live From Gainesville Part 2

Well we are back in the room now and watching some college football.

We went out for some exploring and found the stadium. From the outside it is one of the most impressive stadiums that I have seen. The whole UF campus is beautiful.

Then we spent the next hour trying to find something to eat. We ended up at TGIF. I got the bacon wrapped shrimp. Wow. Wow. Wow oh and another Wow. Best that I have ever had.

Going to check some emails and then off to bed. Tomorrow is going to be a big day.

Live from Gainesville Florida

Joey and I arrived in Gainesville around 6pm. The ride was all interstate so it was not to bad. We just finished looking up how to get to the stadium and found out we are a not as close to the stadium as we have thought. With that said our plan is still to walk to the stadium tomorrow.

Hopefully the walk will be worth it.

Here is to a Gamecock Victory.........

LaLa Land

Not sure exactly what is going on right now but I have been in LaLa land for about 3 to 4 days now. Cant seem to shake it for some reason.

Not much has happened since the last time I posted over a week ago. However, the weeks ahead are going to be busy.

This weekend I am headed to Gainsville Florida for the first time in my life. This will be my first trip to The Swamp. Hopefully the Gamecocks will at least keep it from being a blow-out. Looking forward to the trip.

On the home front. Carragin and momma are doing good. Carragin is sleeping most of the night if not all of the night. Carragin is also eating very well. She will be going for her first shots in a couple of weeks. Don't know who needs more prayer, mom and dad, or her.

Carragin's First Halloween

Here are some pictures from Friday night.

Weekend Wrap Up

It is Monday and right now I must admit that I am in the mood to do nothing. Yet there is a lot of stuff that I need to be doing. With that being said, this week is going to be a busy one.

I am coming off a great weekend.

Friday- 12 years ago on October 31 I was saved by Jesus Christ. That day he changed me completely. Erin and I headed down to Columbia for a weekend of fun. We stayed at Erin's aunt and uncles house where we took Carragin trick or treating. Well actually cousin Rylee did all of that and Carragin slept most of the time. Yet it was still a fun time.

Saturday- Went to the Carolina game. What a game. For the first time since 1992 Carolina beat Tennessee in Columbia. The greatest part was not just that they won, but the fact that they dominated. The best part of the night was that after the game it only took me 10 minutes to get back to the house, not 2 hours like it normally does. I think I want to move to Columbia.

Sunday- Got the opportunity to preach at Pineview Baptist Church in West Columbia. The people there were the most welcoming and friendly people that I have ever had a privilege to preach to. I thought the day went great. Thanks to my good buddy Brandon for giving me the opportunity to share God's Word.

Sunday night I returned to RSBC where we had a wonderful service. Thanks to Kevin Matthews and our whole Children's Worship team for taking care of the children's worship service so that I could be in the main auditorium for the service.

Please join me in praying for our nation and the elections that are coming up tomorrow!!

God will have his way, for he is always in control!!!

Busy Week

Wow, what a weekend. I know it is Tuesday but I am still celebrating everything that God did this past Sunday at the church.

I thought I might give you a little glimpse of my week a head.

Monday- Meeting just about all day about the new buildings we are going to build here in the days to come. Talked with my college roommate (Bacon). The boy is finally getting married. Congrats Bacon. Called Luther to talk some trash about the game this weekend.

Tuesday- Worked on putting death's door videos on youtube. If you have not seen them you can go to www.youtube.com/cfreeman413 and check them out. I also began reading a new book called 7 Practices of Effective Ministry. Already have 10 chapters down, only 6 more to go. I went home and kept my baby girl while momma went to get a hair cut. Can I say that my wife is HOT!!!!

Wednesday- Staff meeting in the am. Get ready for Wednesday night Teamkid. Pay some bills. Spend time with my girls.

Thursday- planning in the am. Finish sermon preparations. Get ready for Sunday night Children's Worship.

Friday- I am off. Yea. Then we are headed to Columbia for the weekend. Oh, and this is also my spiritual birthday. I was saved on October 31st in 1996 wow 12 years ago.

Saturday- Game day. I will be attending my first game of the season.

Sunday- I have the awesome honor to preached at my good buddy Brandon's church in Columbia. I am pumped to share what God has laid on my heart.

There it is, my week in a nutshell. Hope yours is as eventful as mine.

Just Another Week

There is not a whole that is or has been going on the last week.

We did have our first presentation of Death's Door last Friday night. We had several in the children's service and the auditorium was packed. They tell me that there were over 150 people that responded during the invitation.

We have two other presentations this week. We are praying that God shows up and out this weekend.

Carragin Church Pictures

Here are the pictures of Carragin on her first day of going to church.

Weekend Wrap Up

Today I had the opportunity to go visit my old stomping grounds up at NGU (NGC when I went there). Pastor preached during the morning chapel. I thought that it went great and the message was very timely.

Carragin went to church for the first time yesterday. We have some pictures that I will post later today (the camera is at the house). I think it went great. She slept most of the time and did not make a sound. Lets just hope this happens as she gets older (I don't think it will happen though).

The Gamecocks won again. This time defeating the University of Kentucky. I wish I could say that I watched the game in confidence, but I have been a Gamecock fan to long for that to happen. After surviving 4 first half turnovers and 4 missed field goals, they pulled off the victory and now sit with a 5-2 record. LSU (defending national champs) come to town this weekend for a huge game.

Death's Door

Wanted to let everyone know that our church will be presenting Death's Door again this year. Please invite all your lost friends to this life changing presenation. If you are a church or youth group and would like to attend please contact me at cfreeman@rockspringsbaptist.com.

This is a FREE ticketed event. Here is the promo video.

Pumpkin Patch

Here are the lastest pictures of Carragin. They were taken last weekend at the pumpkin patch.

I Love My Job

Just recently I have found some new energy from somewhere. Don't know if the kids going back to school and the craziness of summer dying down got me in some kind of lull, but I know that my vision and energy is back.

It is something that ministers have to guard against. Losing vision and passion. It is easy to go through the motions. Come in on Sunday, make your rounds in BF (Bible Fellowship), sit through service, come back Sunday night, come to work, TeamKid on Wednesday night, go through the weekend, and then do it all over again. For some reason from time to time it just seems like there is something missing. ME!!! Sure I was here physically but I was the one missing.

That's when God said "Its not about you Bubba, Its all about ME"!!! When we realize that our ministry is not about us, its all about HIM, then God can do something in that ministry. Once I realized this energy and passion have once again dominated who I am.

Now more than ever I fell that I am connecting with my teachers, students, and volunteers. Is there room for improvement? Of course, but God is definitely up to some big things around here. I wish everyone could have been in our CW (children's worship) service this past week.

The energy in the room was crazy. Not the out of control energy that a lot of 1st- 5th graders have, but it was a different energy. I felt as though the kids not only connected to the songs, and to the message, but I really felt that they connected to our Savior. That's what church should be about. Not about songs, sermons, and personalities, but about connecting people to the Savior through those things.

I just finished next weeks lesson, and I am pumped.

Friday 5

Well yet again another week has passed. It has been another long but great week.

1. Got to preach at the church on Wednesday night. I preached on Psalm 23:1. I hope to have the message posted sometime next week. I am waiting for the media guys to give it to me. I will then post it to the blog.

2. Carragin is doing great. We are planning on taking a lot of pictures this weekend. I will try and post them when I get a chance.

3. New book I am reading called Essential Church. It deals with the issue of why the church is losing the generation of students between the ages of 18-22. It has stretched me on some things. I will post some thoughts later.

4. I really hope to post at least everyday next week. I have a lot of things I will to blog about. It is just getting around to doing it. Plus I am wanting to spend every free moment with my two girls (Erin and Carragin).

5. I am totally loving the weather outside right now. I love to wear jeans, t-shirt, and flip-flops. Plus every time I walk outside and feel the cool breeze, I want to put on some pads and hit someone. This truly is football weather.

Friday 5

Wow has it really been over a week since I have last blogged. Time flies when you are having fun. Here is what has been going on.

1. If it were not for the calendar on my desk I would not be able to tell you what day it was. Days run into night, nights run into days, and before you know it over a week has passed and you dont even realize it.

2. If my baby wants to stare at me at 3:30am in the morning it is ok with me. She has beautiful eyes and when she smiles it will melt you.

3. I plan on starting a new book sometime. I have two on my desk right at the moment that are collecting dust. I will post some quotes when I begin.

4. College football is in full force. The Gamecocks are 2-2 going into Saturday night. The game should be a blow out. Note I said should be. Who knows with this team.

5. I LOVE MY WIFE!!!!!!!!!

New Pictures

So they are a day early. I don't think you will mind.

Crazy Times

I know, I know it has been a week since I last posted. Lots of things going on right now in my life.

Of course there is the new little one. Other than that I have gone back to work and we are right in the middle of our Area Wide Crusade.

I must say I am excited that Children's Worship has started back. I have missed the excitement of sharing God's Word with our children. We are going to be doing several different multi-media series within the next several weeks. I am pumped to see what God is going to do.

And last but not least, I will have brand new pictures up tomorrow of Carragin. I am planning on working on them this afternoon and I will post them in the morning. You want believe how much she has changed in just a week and a half of life here on earth.

Quick Update

Just wanted to let everyone know that mom, baby, and dad are all doing good. Carragin is sleeping, eating, and well you know. I must confess that as of this moment night time has been pretty good. Carragin is waking up when she wants to eat, and then goes right back to bed.

We went to the doctor today for our first visit. Everything went well. She now weighs 6lbs 10oz. The doctor listened to her heart and lungs and said everything sounded perfect.

Erin and I want to thank everyone for all the meals, visits, cards, and all the facebook wall post. Our family and friends are mean so much to us and we want to thank everyone for everything that they have done.

I should have some more pictures soon and will get them up as soon as I can.

More Baby Pictures

Here are some more baby pictures. They are from last night as Carragin watched her first Carolina game and also from her ride home today from the hospital.

Baby Pictures Are Here

Here are just a few of the pictures that were taken over the past few days. Click on play to see them. We may have some more pictures to come. Stayed tuned.

What A Day

It is with great pleasure that Erin and I announce the birth of our daughter Carragin Victoria Freeman. Born today September 3rd at 3:15pm. She weighed 6 pounds 7 oz and was 21 inches long. There is so much that I want to write about but just don't have the time nor the energy.

Erin and I want to thank everyone of you for all your prayers, text messages, and encouraging words. I cant wait to blog about how the day went. To sum it up in a couple of words. My Wife is now my HERO!!!!

Most of all we want to thank our Great God who was with us every step of every way. To him be all the glory forever and ever.

Erin and Carragin are doing great. Hopefully I can have some pictures up within the next couple of days.

Random Thoughts

The good thing about the Gamecocks win on Thursday night was the fact that we had 4 count that 4 interceptions and still won the game 34-0.

All the hype about Clemson was just that hype. The proved once again that they do not belong anywhere near the top 10. Sad thing about it is that a lot of Clemson fans drove all that way only to have a total of 9 seconds of excitement.

Still waiting on Baby Carragin to get here. She is acting just like a women already.

Had a God moment this weekend. They say once a baby gets in position to come out that there movements slow down a lot. This is hard for me to understand as I want her to be moving all the time. Fact is that just doesn't happen. So I prayed "God if everything is alright with my baby girl would you just confirm it with a kick or some kind of movement." I promise you I had not got finished praying when she kicked my hand harder than ever before. Wow, I get chills still thinking about it.

By the next time I post I will probably be a daddy!!!!! WOW!!!!

Game Day

I can't believe that football season is here. I think I just heard Erin yet out a huge HECK YEA, I AM PUMPED!!! Those of you who know her know why that is a funny statement.

Tonight the Gamecocks will play NC State. This will be the first home opener that I will miss since 2000. I have a good excuse though. I cant wait for 8 o'clock to get hear.

On another note, Erin is progressing very well. She is due on September 7, however I am not sure that she is going to make it that long. We both are very excited about being parents. What an awesome responsibility and call from God.

I am now headed to play some playstation 2. Think I am going to play some football to pass some time away before kickoff tonight.

Until then.....GGGGGOOOOOOOOO CCCCCOOOOOOOOCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKSSSSSSSSS!!!!!

How Great Is Our God

I have been listening to this song since last night. You can check it out in my play list at the bottom of the page. Let me explain why this song is so powerful to me right now.

I get to church last night and sit in down to get ready for the service. I notice a guy walks in. I could tell this was probably his first time at our church. He had on shorts, a t-shirt, and a hat, which I will explain why in a bit. It may have been the first time he had ever been to church. I begin to pray "God do something tonight that will blow our minds." During one of the song sets we ended with My Chains are Gone (also can be found at the bottom). I knew God was about to do something great.

There were some other things that were happening behind the scenes that I want go into. Just know Satan was trying his very best to stop what was about to take place. The man who had walked in seemed to be upset, bowing his head during many of the songs. During the welcome time I went to him, introduced myself, and welcomed him to our church. He introduced himself, and told me he was glad to be there. After talking with him for a moment something told me that this man was there for one reason.

I told my wife that if he came down during the invitation that I was going to talk with him. During the first verse here he came. I made my way over to him. After talking with him for a minute I asked him if he had ever been saved. He answered "I am not sure." I asked if he would like to know for sure. With tears coming down his face, he said YES!!! Last night David committed his life to Christ.

David was driving down the street (that's wear the clothing came in), saw the cars in the parking lot, and came in not knowing that God was about to change his life forever. I don't know a lot about David, but I know last night a man was driving down the road not intending to go to church, and God had another plan for his life. I know this morning David is a new man because of Jesus.

Please pray for David as he begins his new life in Christ. Pray that as we follow up with him, and finally pray that God would send more David's our way. Those driving down the street would get curious about what is going on inside our church and come right in.

As I was on the way home last night How Great is Our God came on the radio. I almost had a wreck because of the tears in my eyes. What a fitting way to end the day. It was nothing that I did, the church did, it was all because of our Great God!!!

Back To School

and the parents said AMEN!! School starts today for most of the upstate schools and we are praying that the children have a great year.

Today is also a first for me in my blogging experience. I am going to recap Sunday Services with my 5 favorite quotes from pastors sermon each Sunday. I want to try and do this every Monday (yes I know today is Tuesday). Don't have a name for it right now, but one will come to me and I will name this segment of the blog.

1. Good people go to hell......Saved people go to heaven
Wow that is pretty intense right there

2. The devil doesn't care if you go to hell from the pew or from the gutter of this world. He just doesn't want you to go to heaven.

3. It's not church that saves you....It's Jesus.
being a member of a certain denomination doesn't save you, only Jesus can do that.

4. Every person will DIE....

5. If you were arrested for being a Christian, is there enough evidence to convict you.

God blessed our church this past Sunday. I had the opportunity to lead a 7th grade young girl to faith in Jesus Christ. We also had several families join the church, along with several more putting their faith in Christ.

New Feature Added

As you have heard by now I have added a music player to the bottom of my blog. I think that you will really enjoy this feature.

There are several things that I want to tell you about it. First, if you don't want to listen to it just go to the bottom of the page and hit the stop button. Second, if you want to listen to the songs while surfing on the Internet all you have to do is click on the middle button (Pop-Out Player). This will open the play list up in a new window and allow you to look at other websites while listening to the music. Don't like a certain song, that's ok, just click on the one you do like to listen.

If there are songs that you would like for me to post to the play list then email me at cfreeman@rockspsringsbaptist.com or leave me a comment. I will be changing the songs up every now and then.

The Gift of Salvation

Hey yall, that sounds about as country as country can be. I hope that you are enjoying Michael Phelps absolutely destroy his competition in the swimming aspect of the Olympics. Oh, and by the way at last count the USA was ahead in the medal count.

Ok, enough about the Olympics and on to other things. I had the privilege to share in a devotion for the teachers this morning at Hunt Meadows Elementary School. In a world where they are doing everything that they can to keep God out of schools, I applaud them for taking a stand. I pray that God blesses them in ways they cannot understand.

Now on to the gift of salvation. A couple of weeks ago the pastor shared a quick little three point sermon inside of he sermon. A lot times we often jot these down but don't pay attention to them. However, these three points have stuck with me for a couple of weeks now.

1. I am saved from the penalty of sin. This means that we don't have to suffer the penalty that sin brings with it. What is that penalty. DEATH!!! The moment that Jesus came into my life I was saved from having to pay the debt of sin which is DEATH!! See Jesus paid that debt for me when he died on the cross. I now have LIFE in Jesus!!

2. I am saved from the power of sin. This means that Satan has no power over my life. When Jesus saved me he filled me with the Holy Spirit. Thus meaning that I am no longer under the power of sin, but rather I am now under the power of the Holy Spirit. This enables me to live the life that God has called me to live.

3. One day I will be saved from the presence of sin. What a day that will be. Because I am a relationship with Jesus the Bible declares that I now have an eternal destiny. HEAVEN!! In heaven there will be no sin. I don't have to worry about messing up in heaven. I don't have to worry about making mistakes in heaven. In heaven I will be complete and saved from the presence of sin.

Until then may he find me faithful to HIM!!!

Let The Games Begin

Did you stay up last night and watch the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics? For some reason I found myself intrigued by everything.

I love the Olympics. No way would I ever go to most of the events that they show on TV. However, I find myself watching anything and everything that they show on TV. I guess it is the competitive spirit inside me. I want the Americans to win every event. I want to see the other countries fall flat on their face.

I am an American through and trough. So for the next 17 days its all Olympics for me. So chant with me now:

USA, USA, USA, USA, USA

A Gamecock Testimony

I know that there are several of you out there that read my blog so I thought that you might find the following testimony pretty neat. If you are not a Gamecock fan I still think that you will enjoy this read.

The following is Tommy Beecher's testimony. Spurrier has named him the starting QB for this year. It is kinda long but I think you will enjoy it.

God's Plan for Me

I am writing this email to let everyone know what God is doing in my life. To fully understand, I have to start about four years ago. My senior year of high school had been the most incredible experience of my life. I loved hanging out with my friends and spending time with my family. We won the state championship in football and I had a scholarship to play football at the University of South Carolina. Things were going so well in Concord, I didn't want to leave. It would be tough leaving Matt, Katie, and BJ and even tougher leaving the security my parents offered. I dreaded the day that I would have to leave them to come to school. I came down to South Carolina in the summer of 2005. The harsh reality of 5:00am runs and two and a half hours classes began and immediately I was homesick and longed to go home. The days dragged on, the summer turned to fall, and I found myself running the scout team. This was a job of few rewards. None of the coaches noticed me and I quickly lost my confidence. All Quarterbacks will tell you that confidence is one of, if not the most important components to the success of a quarterback.

Doubts started to enter my mind: Was I good enough to be here. Why would God have put me in a place where I was miserable I was on the verge of depression and the only thing that got me through that first semester was the anticipation of transferring. I did research everyday and looked for places I would feel comfortable. I talked to friends about transferring and decided myself that South Carolina was the last place I was going to be. God had other plans. God started speaking through my mom. I talked to her everyday on the phone during those last few weeks of the fall semester. It must have been hard telling me God had a plan for me down here while seeing how miserable her son was. As the decision whether to transfer or not approached, I spent more and more time in prayer and visited several different churches. Ironically, four services in a row, all with different churches, the preacher spoke on following God's plan. I could feel God speaking to me, but I ignored him. My comfort and my joy were put in front of God and I told him that there was time later in my life when I would be faithful. Finally, on the way back to Concord from William and Mary, a trip my parents had scheduled for Matt, I was broken and told my parents that God was telling me to go back to South Carolina.? He told me vividly, a feeling I still get chills about today, that he had a plan for me, if only I'd remain faithful. As I told them, my eyes swelled with tears. This was the last thing I wanted to do. Something happened during that moment. A weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I knew I was doing the right thing.

My relationship with Christ suddenly became alive and I gave him control. Entering the spring of my sophomore year, I knew I was at South Carolina for a reason. I knew God had a plan for me and I was anxious to see what it was. And so I waited, and waited, and waited. It wasn't until last fall that I played in a significant football game. The excitement was short lived and I moved back on the depth chart. I was able to hold every game but no one knows who the holder is; they still don't thankfully.? It was another rewardless job. But just when I thought God had kept me at USC to be the holder, spring ball was over and I found myself seated in front of Coach Spurrier. I left his office as the starting quarterback of South Carolina. God is amazing, his plan is perfect, and I should do less thinking. He was in control all along. Is this the beginning of Tommy Beecher's reign as the South Carolina quarterback. I don't know, I don't care.? One thing I do know, I will be prepared every game, I will be driven, and I will do my very best. This is all I can do, but with God, there is no limit to what I am capable of. I have been blessed beyond my wildest dreams. I have an incredibly loving family, and inspiring pastor, and wonderful friends that surround me with prayer. I feel safe, I feel protected, and I feel inspired. I don't know what is going to happen this year. I could start every game and have a great year. I could have a terrible first game and never play again. Only God knows. My prayer is that I will be an example to those who watch. My prayer is that my teammates, friends, and fans will see that this is something different in me. That through my actions, people will notice my relationship with Christ. God has put me on a platform, in the spotlight. What an opportunity to show the world the Power of God. In all that comes out of this year, the good and the bad, to Him be the glory. That is my testimony, a message many already know.

The reason I have told you is that I hope you will pray for me. Throughout my college career, the power of prayer has become evident. Sometimes I worry I will disappoint, sometimes I worry I will fail. I hope all of you will pray for me in these two regards. Pray that my nerves don't get that best of me and I will use them to become even more driven. I don't know what God has in store for me, but pray that I will be in the center of His Will. If God is with me, who can be against me? I have sent this email to prayer warriors, individuals I know have followed me and will continue to do so, people who are close to my heart. I love all of you and look forward to seeing or hearing from you soon.
Tommy Beecher

Happy Late Blog Birthday

to me. I was sitting in my office eating a pack of Toasty crackers when I decided to look back to when this whole blogging adventure began. The date was July 26 of last year. It is hard to believe that I have been blogging for a whole year now.

To be honest with you I didn't think I could make it through 3 or 4 months. I hope you have enjoyed reading some of my random thoughts. I have no clue what the next year will bring. I do know we will welcome to birth of our daughter, but other then that who knows. I have some things I hope will happen. Like the Gamecocks having a great year, beating Clemson, and going to a big bowl game.

So here's to another year of blogging.......

Dumb As A Stick

Many of you have heard about the skit that James and I did at camp and wanted to see it for yourselves. Well here it is!! Let me set it up for you so that you will know what in the world we are doing.

Our theme for camp was Action Hero's. We challenged our young people to be a HERO for Christ. In the video James and I attend three different events. James decides to become apart of each event. The only problem is, he is acting Dumb As A Stick. Finally we attend one more event, church. James gets into yet again and then turns the tables on me. Watch the video and then read whats posted under it.

God has called us to be his hands and his feet. There is nothing wrong about being passionate about NASCAR, Football, or even the WWE, however when we are more passionate about those things then about our relationship with Christ, then it becomes wrong. May we show as much passion for the one who hung on a cross for our sins, arose on the third day, and who gives us the energy and strength to make it through each day, then we do about the things that have no eternal significance.

Waiting

There are several things that I am waiting on at this present time. The most important is our little one that is on the way. Cant wait for Carragin to get here. We have now had both our showers and the nursery is done.

The other thing I am waiting on is for youtube to load my video up. I spent most of yesterday editing the videos from camp and was going to share them with you. Hopefully by tonight the will have cleared the youtube conditions then I will post them to the blog.

Until then..hurry up youtube!!!

Midweek Update

I wish I had some profound thing that I could write about today. Truth is that I am drawing a big blank. There is plenty going on right now. I just cant find exactly what to say.

God has been doing a work in me. With baby Carragin on the way, God is preparing me in ways that I can not explain. I want to be so close to Jesus that my baby sees him in me everyday of her life. I wish I could say that I am close to him all the time. Truth is that many times I am so far away that it is not even funny.

So that's where I am. Surrendering to the very will of God. Asking him to get the junk out of my life that does not need to be there, and asking him to give me a fresh fire, wind, hurricane, of himself in my life. Not that I may walk around as some big super spiritual person, but rather that my little girl will see Jesus in her dads life.

Friday 5

No real introduction this time around. So lets dive right in.

1. We are ready for our little baby girl to get here. This week we started washing some of her clothes so that they would be ready when we bring her home from the hospital. I always have known that this was real, but here lately reality is really setting in. I also will be ordering one of her outfits for the hospital the next couple of days. It is going to be one of her favorites, I can already tell.

2. Chuck E. Cheese- Have you ever been to this place? The last time that I was there the place was called Show Biz Pizza when I was a kid. I now know why my parents never wanted to take us to this place. We took 33 1st-3rd graders there yesterday. Upon arrival there was not that many people there. Then the school buses showed up. By the time we left you could not move. Besides all the people we had a great time. One student told me that "this is the best time I have ever had" which makes it all worth it.

3. Golf- What is better then getting up in the morning, turning on the TV, and watching some golf. Well there may be a few things but not much. Speaking of golf, we will have our annual church golf tournament on Saturday. All I have to say is "FFFFFOOOOUUUUUUUUURRRRR"

4. Word for the week. "Sweet". For some odd reason I have been using this word a lot this week. It is one of those words that kinda gets stuck in your head and I cant get it out. For example, yesterday at Chuck E. Cheese: child= hey Mr. Clint look what I won: Mr. Clint= Sweet.
At the driving range: Dad= watch this shot: Me=Sweet. Just one of those things. If anybody has any suggestions on how to get this word out of my head let me know.

5. NCAA Football 09- So I broke down and used some birthday money to buy the new football game NCAA 09. I had no plans on getting this game, it just kinda happened. Erin and I were walking through the mall and we walked by GameStop. I didn't even know the game was out yet. I walked in and in 5 minutes I had purchased the game. Guess what I will be doing latter today?

Have a great weekend!!!

Energy, Enthusiasm, ER

Last week was a wonderful week as we headed to the mountains of Sunset, SC for a week of camp. The week was filled with lots of energy, enthusiasm, and yes there was even a trip to the ER.

Energy- From the moment the bus pulled up to the moment we left the energy from everyone was great. Lots of times when we think about energy and children, we tend to think of it in a negative way. Not this time, and not this camp. It was the best camp behavior wise that we have ever had. The children were awesome. They participated during game time, played hard during free time, and then Worshiped God like never before during our chapel time.

Enthusiasm- I must admit that I was really pumped going into the week of camp. From planning the chapels, to organizing the week, I was ready for God to show up and show out. Our team of volunteers had the most enthusiasm that I could ask for. Our volunteers just don't go to be chaperone's, they go to be ministers. They desire to see our boys and girls grow in their walk with Christ, and they pour their lives into the lives of our students. I am eternally grateful for all their hard work. The best part about them was that they did it with enthusiasm.

ER- I know what you are thinking. One of the students fell, broke their arm, and we had to take them to the ER. Well that's not quite how it happened. As a matter of fact, I am the one that ended up in the ER.

It all started on Thursday morning. After my morning Amp (energy drink), I began to feel sick. My stomach hurt, my head hurt, my chest hurt. After lunch my head and stomach pains ceased, but my chest was still hurting. I laid down hoping to sleep it off only to wake up short of breath and my chest pounding. I went to the nurse to tell her my condition, she called for a doctor that was there as a counselor (thank God) and they gave me some medication. After 20 minutes of not feeling better they sent me to the ER. All I could think was HEART ATTACK. Reminder I am only 26. The EKG showed nothing and all my vital signs were good.

The doctor comes in and begins to ask questions. After I told him that I had been throwing children in the pool for an hour and a half he finally understood why I was having chest pains. The fact that I was not having a heart attack was great news. The not so great news was that I had pulled some kind of muscle/cartilage in my chest. The great news is the medicine they gave me for it is awesome. The not so great news is that it is going to take a while for it to completely heal.

As for now, it is time to start planning for Camp 09.

Camp Recap

Wow what a week we just finished up at Rock Bottom at camp. I wish I had time to recap at this time but I am as tired as tired could be.

On another note. We had a great baby shower today. Got lots of great gifts from a lot of great people.

I am going to try and wrap up camp on Monday.

Happy 4th

Today we celebrate our freedom as a nation. I am also reminded about an even more freedom. Our freedom in Christ. Because of what Jesus did for us on Calvary the song says "I'm Free." Christ has set us free from the guilt of our past, from the worries of the day, and from the stresses of the future. If you have never experienced the freedom that Christ can give then I pray that today you find that freedom.

Well I have now officially been up since 3 this morning. That's when the BBQ went on the grills at the church. I stayed until 11:30 and now we are about to go to my parents for some more grub. I hope that everyone has a fun and safe 4th. This will be my last post for a week or so. Next week we leave for Children's Camp. Pray God will show up in an awesome way.

Camp Time

Just got finished on the first two sermons for Children's Camp next week when I decided I needed a break. I am looking forward to this years camp more than ever before.

Is today really July 1. At least that is what the calendar on my desk says. It is hard to believe that we are in July. With that could mean a couple of things.

1. Carragin is going to be here before we know it. We have the nursery almost done. Thanks to my dad for putting the crib together last week. I was in the process of helping when I got the biggest headache in the world. Some say that with us having a girl, that want be the only headache that she will cause.

2. Football season is less than 60 days away. I am so ready for the boys to strap on the pads and start hitting. Of course in the next few weeks I will be making my predictions on the upcoming football season. If I get enough time I am going to go through USC and Clemson's schedules and tell you what I think.

In the words of my wife Erin "Is it already football season again." Not just yet honey but I know you cant wait.

Thank You

I just wanted to take this time to thank everyone for the calls, text messages, facebook wall post, and the 75 students who sang Happy Birthday to me today at church. Also to my wonderful wife for taking me to one of my favorite restaurants.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes!!! It has been a great day.


Clint

Cardboard Testimonies

Check out this video. I don't need to add anything to it. Just a big "THANK YOU JESUS"

The Unexpected

I'm pumped as to what God is up to in my life. Yesterday I was not as excited, but then the unexpected happened.

I meet a church planter the other day over facebook. If you live in the Greer area check them out. The church is called The Edge Community Church. I believe God is going to use Brad and Jeff to do some great things in this part of the upstate. I have never meet Jeff and yet he has given me a quote that has changed and encouraged me.

Jeff and I live almost the same type of lives. We both are ministers, love the Gamecocks, wives were teachers, Jeff's baby was born at the beginning of last football season, and our baby will be born at the beginning of this football season. Here is the quote.

"I don't see a way to get this done, but I'm governed by things unseen, and I know God is my source."

Many times we are faced with things that we just don't know how in the world it is going to work out. We have disappointments in our lives, we think we have things figured out only to see those dreams not become reality, and then there are those financial situations. I started this morning praying this quote in my prayer time. Now, I am going to sit back and watch God move in only ways that he can.

Friday 5

Today is Friday which can only mean one thing. The weekend is here.

1) Gearing up for a big week next week. The middle school and high school ministries are going to be gone to camp. We are praying that God will do some great things in the lives of our youth. Pray for Terry and Jonathan as they will be leading in these camps.

2) I have six more days until I hit the downward stretch to the big 30. I will turn 26 on the 26th. I used to think that 30 was old. Now I don't see it so much as being old just older.

3) A week to recoup. I have taken this week to recover from VBS. However, on Monday morning it was in the office, a quit hair cut, back to the office, and then I started preparing for camp. I cant wait for camp this year. I am really excited about what God is going to do during that week.

4) Wedding time. Tomorrow is an exciting day for Erin and I. We are going to our good friends wedding. We are excited as we will be able to see lots of our friends from college. Many of them we don't get to see a lot of and we are stoked about getting to spend time with them.

5) Erin and Carragin. Both mom and baby are hanging in there. We went Tuesday and heard the heartbeat beating as normal. Erin will start her 29th week tomorrow. It is going to be a hot summer so pray for us all. We both cant wait for Carragin to get here.

Wild Wednesday

It's Wednesday and I found this awesome new tool. It's called Jott.com. Check it out. You can call and talk your text message and then it sends it to whoever you want it to go to. Very cool new toy that I found. Check it out. It also lets you blog straight from your phone. That's what I did with this blog. Now if I am driving down the road or sitting on the beach and want to blog, I can. This could be a dangerous tool in my hands. Bad part about it is that my good friend Jonathan is starting to get addicted himself.
Powered by Jott

The Weekend That Was

With all the things going on last week I was not able to find much free time. When I did have a moment or two I was knocked out on the couch asleep. I thought you might want to know how the weekend went.

Last Thursday- During the invitation time we had 41 students respond to the gospel. Some of those were for first time decisions to follow Christ while, some wanted to know more about how to be saved, and others came who had been saved but never been baptized. God showed up and out this day.

Last Friday- This was our final day. We had a great week and it could not have been possible without all of our volunteers. I pray that VBS encouraged people to get more involved with our ministry as we seek to teach children about Jesus. I finally got home around 4pm jumped in the shower and then it was off to Myabis (I am pretty sure that's not how you spell it) for my niece's birthday.

Saturday- Prepared Childbirth Class. You don't want me to go into details. After that it was on to the ball field where we defended our title in church softball. That's right, Back To Back Titles.

Sunday- Fathers Day. When pastor ask that all the fathers stand up I wanted to so bad. I guess I could have gone up half way. I am ready for my baby to get here. After church we went to my dad's house to celebrate Father's Day. I was reminded how lucky I am to have such a Godly father. Also, I am reminded that I have a heavenly father who loves me no matter what.

That brings us to today. I told a lot of people that I was going to take today off and be on the golf course. Well that didn't happen.

VBS Day 2 and 3

It is now 10:00pm and I am reminded of the Garth Brooks song The Thunder Rolls. That might be because there is a big storm going on outside right now. I hope it rains all night long.

Erin is now home (Yea). She got back early this afternoon and got to go to church with me tonight. Pray for her as she has to go for some kind normal test that pregnant women have to go for. We are trusting that God is going to take care of everything.

VBS has gone just about as good as I thought it would. Days 2 and 3 have been very good. We had some minor problems but no big deal. I owe a lot of out success this week to all of our wonderful volunteers. Without them there is no way that this week could have gone on. Thank God for those who have given of their time to invest in the lives of our young people.

Lastly, I am excited about everything that God has, is, and will continue to teach me this week. I have learned several new things about a variety of different subjects. From people, to ministry, from the big things in life, to the small things in life, God has done a work this week.

VBS Day 1

Wow what a day. This is the fourth year that I have been in charge of VBS at the church and this morning was by far the best first day we have had. When all the dust settled this afternoon we had lots of children and lots of adult help. I want to share a thought or two that God taught me today.

Last night I was anxious about many things today. As I was laying on the couch watching TV God just sat down in my living room for a face to face come to Jesus type meeting. It was just me and Him. Erin is visiting her mom and dad, the dog was asleep on the other couch, and it was on from there. I could not get Philippians 4:6 out of my head. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. So that's what I did.

Today God showed up. Everything that I worried about, stressed about, and bugged my volunteers about, God just seemed to take care of today. Its these little moments with God that I cherish the most. Its 1000 degrees outside today, and I am walking outside and it was like a cool breeze fell. I wish I could explain it, but it can only be experienced.

What I do know is this. If the children don't learn a darn thing this week, this children's minister has learned a life lesson, and I just got a little closer to Jesus then I have been in a long time.

My prayer. God do it again tomorrow.

Friday 5

The children are now all out of school, its 1000 degrees outside, and VBS is next week. That could only mean one thing. SUMMER IS HERE!!!

1. VBS, VBS, VBS, VBS. Did I mention VBS. I am excited about what God is going to do next week. Pray that I will get out of the way and let God show up. There has been hours upon hours of hard work put in by a multitude of people. Now comes the fun part, sitting back and watching God use his people to do his work.

2. It's hot. Not sure how hot it is all I know is that it is hot. I think it is funny how when it was snowing just a few months ago we were wanting it to be hot, now that it is hot we want it to cool off. We just cant make up our minds can we.

3. Erin and Carragin. I am still amazed about the whole concept of being a daddy. Over the past couple of months God has began to do in me something that I cant explain. Every time I look at Carragin's ultrasound, I fall more in love with my savior, my wife, and my soon to be daughter.

4. New Book. I am reading What Every Christian Ought to Know by Adrian Rogers. Out of all the devotionals I have read this has to be one of the most powerful ones. Dr. Rogers is now with Jesus, but has left behind a legacy that will last a very long time. These short devotionals are packed with truths that encourage and challenge you to be all the Christ has for you.

5. VBS, VBS, VBS. oh and VBS.

Have a great weekend. I am going to try and give everyone a recap of what happens at VBS each day. No promises though.

Crunch Time

Well we are now less than a week away to VBS 2008. I was reminded earlier today that this is going to be one of the biggest ones yet. Registration is going great and many have already signed up. We usually have some that will come on Monday so the numbers are sure to go up. I am looking forward to what God is going to do.

Yesterday we finished our videos that we are going to show each day. Today was a trip to Sam's and getting some final things done. Tomorrow I have several meetings and some final planning. The rest of the week we will be putting the final touches on VBS.

Oh yea and there is one other thing I will be doing, PRAYING!!! That's right so many times we can get caught up in making sure everything is right and in place that we neglect to take time and pray. I am encouraging all of our leaders to stop what they are doing and PRAY. Pray that we will make an impact for the Kingdom of God. Pray that God will use us to make a difference in the lives of all the boys and girls that will be attending VBS this year. Pray that God will give me wisdom on how to handle problems, deal with people, and lead this VBS the best that I can.

We need God's power if VBS is going to be a success. Please pray for me and all of our leaders.

New Feature

Hello all you who live in blogger world. Thanks to Jday(check out his blog), you can now subscribe to my blog via email. All you need to do is enter your email address in the box on the right side of the page and it will notify you when I post something new. This will be helpful to those of you that don't have my website as your home page :).

Right now life is very busy. VBS is right around the corner and the summer is upon us. Erin and the baby are doing great. Last night I was talking to her and she kicked my lips when she heard my voice. It was awesome.

Pray for Erin and I as we continue to seek God's will for our lives. We need wisdom from above as we must make some big decisions concerning Erin's work with in the next month or so. Also, pray that I will let go of some things, and truly rely on the one who has never let us down. Grace and Peace.

Until then.....

Memorial Day

Just wanted to take this time to say Thank You to all the men and women who have served and are serving that we may be free. As I think about our freedom in America, I am also reminded of our freedom in Christ.

There is a song that the trio at our church sings that brings this out. It says "I'm free from form the guilt of my past, I'm free from the shame of today, I have traded my sorrows for a glorious crown, Praise God I am set free. Christ has come to set us free from sin and guilt.

Had a great time on the lake today with my family. We had a great time. I must say though I have to work on my tubing skills. After the long winter I was a little rusty today. Oh, well glad that summer is finally here.

New Pictures

Here are the new pictures of our baby girl Carragin. These are so cool as they are 3d.

Good Good Day

Today has been one of those good days. Erin and I went to the doctor for our monthly visit. We were able to get 3d pictures that I will post tomorrow. Everything went well and Erin is doing as good as she can. Carragin now weighs 1.5 pounds and is growing like she should.

Sorry this is short but I got things to do. VBS is vastly approaching if you have not registered your child yet please do so now!! You can do this online at http://www.rockspringsbaptist.com/.

I have added some new bloggers to the Blogs I Read section. Check them out. I think you will enjoy them.

Until then.....

Welcome

Hey there all you people who have taken your time to read my blog. Hope you are doing as good as I am. Things are going great in my neck of the woods (even though I live in the city). Erin is doing good and baby Carragin is kicking like crazy. I just felt her kick my hand. It is totally amazing.

Just wanted to take this time to welcome my good buddy Jonathan Day to the blogging world. Click on his name and add him to your daily blog readings. Jonathan is the High School Minister at Rock Springs and God has used him in a great way to minister to me through the years. We have been working together for several years now and he has taught me a lot about ministry and life. Only problem with him is that he is a Tiger. I think you will enjoy his blog.

Finally I want to tell my beautiful wife how much I love her. She is the light of my life and I praise God for her each day. Tomorrow we celebrate 4 years together. Seems like yesterday we were taking long drives up at North Greenville just to be together (for those who went to NGC, you know why we did this). Happy Anniversary Baby I Love You.

Post 100

OK, so post 101 will have to be the post where I recap all that has gone on since I have started this crazy thing called blogging.

The reason for this post is to let you know that we have a mission team in Barbados right now. I got a text last night from my sister and she said that they were there and doing good. Kinda weird knowing you just got a text from Barbados. Please pray for them as they will be ministering there all week long.

You can keep up with what they are doing there by visiting there blog (Barbados). I also have a link on the right side where you can get to there site.

Midweek Fun

Just got back from a great lunch down at the college house. Jonathan and I just put the smack down on Scott and James in a quick game of darts. This has been a busy week so far as I have been working on Vacation Bible School stuff.

Its 1:17pm and I am now in my office for the first time this week. Monday was hospitals, followed by running errands for VBS. Tuesday we headed out to make VBS videos. I will post the video on here when I get it back.

As for the rest of the week, who knows. I am off tomorrow and then it will be more VBS stuff on Friday.

My next post will be the 100 post for this blog so be prepared when that time comes for me to post. Don't know when it will be, but hopefully it will be soon.

Until then....

Weekend Preview

This has been one of those weeks. You know, the kind where you have lots to do and cant find much time to do it. As the weekend approaches I wanted to share a few thoughts with you.

During my devotion yesterday I came across something I thought I would share with you that you might could apply this weekend.

Luke 24:53 says "And they stayed continually at the temple praising God." The disciples loved the church and they loved praising God. This verse seems to indicate that they were at church for an extended period of time. They weren't bogged down with bulletins and the order of service, they went for one purpose and that was to praise God. If it took 30 minutes or all day long, it did not matter to them. The weren't held captive to being out by 12:00 noon, or any other dumb rule that old church people have come up with. They purpose was to go to church and praise God.

This verse has challenged me to attend church in a different way. Being on staff at a church, one can often get caught up in going to church as a job. I mean the moment I get here to the moment I leave I am working. However, that short time that I do get to go to worship I should be focused on worshiping God. Not VBS, Children's worship, camp, or who I am going to get to fill in the children's class that doesn't have a teacher. So this Sunday, when I enter the sanctuary its all about praising Jesus. Nothing more and nothing less. Hey, maybe, even maybe church will run past 12:00 noon. That's what I am praying for.

So next time you go to church. Forget about everything else and focus on one thing and one thing only. Praising Jesus.

Weekend Wrap Up

It is now 9:56 on Monday night and I am just now getting the chance to sit down and blog for a minute. Last week was busy and I will recap what happened.

Thursday- I played in one of the best golf tournaments out there. The upstate FCA put on a great tournament. I wish that I could say that I played good, but that is just not the case. I had been hitting the ball well, but this day I just hit it a lot. I did however eat and drink (water and soft drinks of course) more than I ever had.

Friday- Lets go drag racing. Headed off to hang out with every redneck in the state of Georgia. The weather was great and the racing was even better. Once again I ate way to much.

Saturday- Erin was off to a wedding shower for a good friend in college while I sat around and slept. We then went to one of my friends from high schools wedding at Furman University. We ate once again at Flat Rock Grill. It was expensive but good.

Sunday- Two of the best messages that I have heard our pastor preach. I believe God is about to explode all over our church. If we want it and desire to have it, I believe he will do things we never thought he would ever do.

So that's it in a nut shell. Hope you had a great weekend and have a great week.

A Week of Planning

This is just one of those weeks. I have spent most of yesterday and today doing nothing but planning. I am praying that this will be one of the most fruitful summers that we have ever experienced here at Rock Springs.

We have some exciting new things for this summer as we introduce our Summer Slam events. These will be ONE DAY camps throughout the sermon. Also included in this crazy summer will be Camp and VBS. So that's what I have been up to.

As for the rest of the week, I will be playing in a golf tournament and then it is off to the drag race. Cant wait to report of both of these great events.

Until then...

Friday 5

1. It has been a very blessed week. Just look at Tuesday's post and you will know why.

2. Had the oppertunity today to speek at Pickens High School for FCA. The message was on LOL. Live Out Loud for the casue of Chirst. Its something that we all need to take more serious. Making sure that we are living the life God has called us to live. Will be speaking at a nursing home tonight. Pray that God would help me to be an encourager.

3. It was a prefect week on the diamind as our softball team scored 45 runs over two games. I would say that is an improvement form the 1 run we scored in the first game of the season.

4. Warm weather has finally arrived and the congregation said, "AMEN"!!! That could only mean one thing, lets get out the clubs and hit the golf course.

5. Rest. That's what Erin and I plan on doing this weekend. After a stressful couple of weeks and going here and there, its time for a weekend of rest. We are going to kick back and relax.

and a Friday extra. Many have ask what we are going to name our little girl. Her name will be Carragin Victoria Freeman. We will call her Carrigan. No shorting it at all.

Until then....

Drum Roll Please

And ITS A GIRL. Erin and I are very happy to annouce that we will be having a baby girl. The doctors office visist today was great and everything went well. Below is a picture taken from today.

We praise God for our new little girl. Please pray that we would raise her to love Christ and serve him. We want our baby girl to grow up and be a warrior for Christ. Pray that Erin and I would live Jesus out in front of her every day.

One verse that comes to mind is James 1:5 "If any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God." I think that I will need this verse more now that we are going to have a girl.

Her head and upper body.

Masters Week

Today starts the beginning of golf season. Sure the boys of the PGA have been playing for a couple of months now but the Masters tournament is the real beginning.

Saturday will mark my 10th time going to Augusta National golf club. If you have never been you don't know what you are missing. If you ever get the chance to go, don't pass up the opportunity.

As for posting, this will be the last post for the week. I will wrap up the Masters experience and the weekend on Monday.

Until then..........Go Tiger!!!! just kidding. Go Fred Couples!!!!!

Just Call Me Good

just kidding. After a week of not being able to get the video to work, to getting it to work, and then it not working again, it is fianlly here. Thanks to all for the postive words of encouragement and for your support. The video is about 25-30 minutes. I preached this sermon last Wednesday night at our church. I hope you will enjoy.

Follow Up

Just to follow up on yesterday's thoughts.



We must make the decision everyday to let God unleash his authority in our lives. In other words we must make him Lord over our lives everyday. The reason for this is sin. When we let sin get into our lives then we can not call him Lord over everything.



David called Him Lord. What do you call him?



I hope that you have been challenged to make Jesus Lord of your life. This is not an easy thing to do. Many times we get so busy doing other things that we forget to let Jesus have everything. Sometimes we think we don't need Jesus and that we can live our lives on our own. We need Jesus and we need him to be Lord over our lives.



Don't let this be said about you. They profess me with their mouths but their hearts are far from me.

Is He Lord?

I cant begin to tell what God has been doing in my life over the past couple of weeks. It has simply been amazing. I wish I was at a point in my life where I could honestly say that I have surrendered complete control over to him. The problem is I cant.

Sure there are the obvious things. The baby on the way, financial things, ministry, just to name of few, but there are a few things that God is slowly but surely getting my attention on. Today as I read in the book of Luke, God put the smack down on me.

Luke 20:41-45 or somewhere in that area, Jesus is talking to the religious leaders of that day. He ask them why they had been teaching that he was the son of David. Then he quotes a some Scripture from Psalm to them and then ask them this question. Does David not call me Lord?

Wow, do I call him Lord. The spiritual answer to this question would be yes I call him Lord. However, when we look at our lives do we call him Lord by the way that we live. In other words does God have all of you. Your actions and attitudes, your walk and your talk. Do those belong to God? What about your job and your family, and then there is your free time. Do those belong to God?

We must make Jesus Lord over our lives. Until we get to the point where he is Lord over everything, we can not call him Lord. See he is Lord over everything and nothing can change that. The question today is have you let him unleash his authority in your life.

After God laid his smack down on me this morning, I got up, confessed where I had been disobedient and now I am can say that Jesus is Lord over my life.

I will follow up these little thoughts tomorrow.....

No Video Today

After about 3 hours of trying to get this video to work I have decided to call it quits. If you would like a copy of last nights sermon please email me at cfreeman@rockspringsbaptist.com.

I will be more than happy to send you the DVD at no cost to you.

Other than that this has been a rainy, overcast day. Great day for an afternoon nap.

Let me know if you want a DVD.

Thanks.

A Dynamic Church

Wow what a great day. It all started this morning when I got a phone call from our education minister asking was there anyway that I could preach tonight at the church. The guy scheduled to speak was sick and Pastor wanted to know if I had a sermon ready to go.

That is kinda like asking a pro baseball player if they like all the money they make.
The cool thing was that I had been working on a message for about 3 weeks now and was just waiting for the right time.

I preached tonight on the 3 Elements of a Dynamic church. I am going to post the video on youtube tomorrow, and then on here if I can figure out what I am doing. This is so my family from out of town can watch it without me having to mail it out on DVD. I love this new tech stuff. Some of you may want to watch it as well.

Acts 11:19-24

Element 1- Evangelize the Sinners- Whether it is the church or an individual Christian God calls us all to spread His gospel to all that we come in contact with.

Element 2- Encourage the Saints- The Christian life can sometimes be very difficult to live. Sometimes we all just need to be encouraged by someone. In this passage Barnabas is mentioned to have gone to the church of Antioch to encourage them. We all need a Barnabas and to be a Barnabas.

Element 3- Enrich ourselves through the Scriptures- God's word must be a part of who we are. We can not do element 1 and 2 without first doing number 3. God's word must be the center of our Homes, Lives, and Church. If not we need to make it the very center of all that we do.

You can see and hear the sermon if I can get it posted tomorrow.

Wow A Humbling Experience

Today is the opening day of the Major League Baseball season. It was also opening night for the church league softball season. I want to congratulate the Rock Springs "B" team who handed us our 2nd loss in the past 2 years. Not only did they beat us they humbled us. I am not even going to mention the score. Just wanted to send a shout out to Eric Prince, Chad Campbell, and the rest of the B team. We play them again later on, so hopefully we will make it a little better game.

As I was driving home a song game over the radio, or maybe it was a CD, none the less it got me thinking. The song "He is Lord." What I realized is that God is Lord of all. He is Lord of the middle class and the upper class, he is Lord of the lower class and the down and outs, he is Lord of the good and the bad, he is Lord of my family and my finances, he is Lord on Easter Sunday and he is Lord on next Sunday, he is Lord everyday. There is nothing that surprises God because he is Lord of ALL. Nothing in this world will ever be able to change the fact the Jesus is Lord of ALL.

As I prepare to go to bed tonight and as I wake up in the morning, it excites me to know that I serve a great God who is Lord of ALL!!!

Yard Sale Time

With the temperature getting warmer more every day, it is time for the most redneck tradition of all. YARD SALES!!! I hate yard sales, and I am sorry if I have offended you with my remarks. I just don't get them. The only positive thing to come out of yard sales is you get rid of your junk and people pay for it.

With that being said, guess who is having a yard sale this Saturday? That's right, ME.

I did however figure this out about yard sales. In my haste to get rid of some of my stuff, I realized that it was hard to let some things go. You know, like that shirt that cost $60 that you haven't worn in over a year, or those pants that are just one size two small that you think you can get into later this year b/c you are going to lose weight. We tend to want to hold on to these types of things even though all they do is sit there and clutter up space.

It is the same way with the bad habit's and the sin that is in our lives. We tend often times to not want to let them go. It may just be one thing, it may be a couple of things, we just seem to want to hold on to them. See its easy for me to get rid of those pants that have holes in them, but it is not so easy to get rid of the other ones. Many people have this attitude when it comes to sin. We tend to get rid of the sins that we want too, and often times hold on to the ones we want too.

We say "God, you can have this part of my life, but I am going to hold on to this part." When we do this we are robbing our selves of the life God wants us to live. God wants us to let go of everything and hold on to nothing. He wants all of our lives.

Many of us need to clean out our closets both physically and spiritually. Just know the shirt that you get rid of will be replaced by something, and the sin that you get rid of allows God to place something of His into your life.

Until then........God Bless

The Long Week That Was

OK, so I realize it has been a week since my last post, but I warned you that it might be that way.

Over the past week many things have taken place. Some really, really good and some not so good. So that I will not bore you to death, I will break it down to the two best and two worst things from this past week.

For the Good News
1. Erin and I got to hear our baby's heartbeat this past Friday. I am still amazed at this. To know that is my baby in there brings me much excitement. Many of you have ask what we are having. The answer is we have no idea. We find out next month. When next month you may ask. Well, that is for us to know and you guys to find out. Sorry!!! We are not telling anyone when that date is.

2. Easter Sunday. This past Sunday we celebrated the Resurrection of Jesus. Though we as Christians should celebrate this every day of our lives, we set aside this past Sunday as Easter Sunday. What a time we had in church. Our first service was absolutely packed (don't know about the 2nd, we went to eat with Erin's parents), and the pm service was awesome. The choir and orchestra did a wonderful job.

And for the Bad News

1. We laid to rest my step-grandfather on last Thursday. What a Godly man. Thanks to everyone who came by, stopped me at church, or came to the funeral, to offer condolences. Also, thanks to all who prayed for us last week. The service went well, and many people thanked me for the wonderful job that I did in the service (at lest that's what they said). Continue to pray for my step-dad and his family.

2. Duke lost. That's right my brackets are now completely messed up. As a matter of fact after they lost, I crumbled up my brackets and threw them away. There is now no reason for me to watch the NCAA tournament. Oh well, maybe next year.

It's Tourney Time Baby

Today is the day that the NCAA basketball tournament starts. It is now officially March Madness. I have all my brackets filled out and I cant wait till 12 noon when the games start.

I will need your prayers for today as I participate in the funeral services today for my step-grandfather. Pray that God would use his Word to speak to others, and that HE may be glorified today.

As I think about this weekend, I am thankful that "My Savior Lives, My Savior Loves" as the song says.

I hope to post before the weekend is over, but I have a lot of stuff to do. It may be Monday before I even see a computer again.

Happy Easter!!!!

Is it Tuesday Already

Wow it is Tuesday according to my big desk calendar. I hope that the rest of this week goes by as fast as the first day of this week. However, I don't think it is going to happen.

Well this past weekend was not one that I want to remember. First, the USC baseball team went 1-2 against Vanderbilt. Second, Duke got beat by Clemson in basketball. Third, UNC won the ACC championship. Forth, Sunday night I got the worse headache a person could possibly get. I got home from church Sunday night, took some meds, went to bed, and woke up the next morning in the exact same position I laid down in.

As bad as the weekend was, I begin to think what this week is all about. The little pain that I went through this past weekend does not even come close to the pain that Christ bore on the cross. Why did he bear the pain? So that you and I could have fellowship with him. So that you and I could live forever. That's what this week and every week should be about. Its about Him.

So many times we get caught up in our own little pity parties and situations that we forget what Christ has already done for us. The Bible says that Jesus died and rose again. We don't serve a dead God, we serve a God who is alive. Lets celebrate that today!!

Friday 5

I hope that all of you have had a wonderful week. Mine has been pretty good.

Here is the Friday 5

1. I want to wish "Good Luck" to my friend Gary Whitmire. Gary will be making his dancing debut tonight. We are all praying that he leaves soldier boy at home. Good luck Gary, I cant wait to see the video.

2. Continue to pray for Erin and myself. See will be 15 weeks tomorrow. So far everything has went as planned. We are grateful for all of you who have prayed, are praying, and will continue to pray for us. We are super excited about being parents.

3. It's tourney time. Yesterday kicked off the 2008 tournament season. Tonight Duke will play a very talented Georgia Tech team. They beat GT during the regular season, but this is the tournament and anything can happen. Props go out to USC as they won their fist tournament game yesterday by beating LSU. Now they must take on #4 ranked Tennessee, which beat them by 33 on Sunday. Good Luck Boys!!!

4. Easter is coming and coming soon. Yesterday, Erin and I went out to by a baby shower present for one of our friends, and for some reason I just went ahead a bought myself an Easter present. I cant wait to wear it, and it want be long since Easter is only 2 weeks away. I love this time of year.

5. Was it really 70 yesterday? I wouldn't know as I spent my day off watching basketball. I take that back, Erin and I did go for a walk together. Hopefully this means that it is going to be warm for the rest of the spring and into summer. I am good for about one good snow a year, and then it is time to warm up.

Until then......God Bless

Tuesday Thoughts

I am just about finished with my 12 week Bible study which has challenged me in many ways. If you recall I posted several thoughts way back when. Today I want to share something with you that God has dealt with me over the last week or so.

Why are we here and what are we suppose to do each day of our lives?
I often go home and think at night this very question. Then these three things hit me based on 2 Peter 3:18.

"Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever.

1. Grow in grace. We are to grow in grace each day we live. One way for us to grow in God's grace is for us to be gracious to others. No matter what they have or have not done, how good or bad they have treated us, we are to be gracious to others. I pray that I will do this each day even though some days it will be tough.

2. Grow in knowledge. This can be done in many ways, but the easy way to do this is simply open our Bible and read it. The reason many of us are not growing in Christ is because we have neglected this part of our relationship with Christ.

3. Glorify Him. We are to glorify Him with our thoughts, emotions, and behavior. We must start everyday with the intentions of glorifying Christ in everything that we do. When we grow in grace and knowledge, then we will find that it is really easy to glorify God in everything that we do.

I hate baby blue

For those of you that don't know by now, UNC beat Duke last night. So, not only did I lose a hour of sleep, but I had to go to bed knowing that UNC beat Duke again on senior night.

UNC lead most of the game with Duke making a comeback in the second half to tie the game and then take the lead. The lead did not last long as UNC would tie the score again and then take the lead for good. The win makes UNC the ACC regular season champs with Duke coming in second.

Next up for both teams is the ACC tourney which should see them both in the final game next Sunday.

The one bright spot from yesterday was the USC baseball team improved to 7-2 with a 10-2 win.

See you on the flip side.