I love surprises, and I love to surprise other people (especially my wife). Today I got a very nice surprise.
I am pumped. Just got off the phone with my mom up in NC. She has come through with South Carolina vs. Tennessee tickets. It is going to be a fun trip as we head up to spend the weekend with her and my step dad. We don't get to see each other a whole lot, so these times are special to us. On top of seeing her, we are headed to see the Gamecocks play! This should be a great weekend.
On another note, I was reading today in Psalm 75 this morning and God spoke in a powerful way. Here David is writing and he says "We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near." Did you catch that. God is always near. In the hospital bed, "HE is near", driving in your car, "HE is near", in a financial situation, "HE is near", is your marriage on the rocks, "HE is near", don't know where to turn, "HE is near".
I don't know about you but I am thankful that no matter what "HE IS NEAR." So as you go through this day and the rest of your life, reach out by faith to Jesus for "HE IS NEAR."
Today God we praise you that no matter what we go through in this life we know that "YOU ARE NEAR" to us. We reach out by faith and claim this promise in the Bible that "YOU ARE NEAR" to us.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Long Week
Well this is going to be a long, long, long week. We are in the process of getting Deaths Door together. This is a ministry of our church that takes you from here to eternity. We have transformed our sanctuary into a set design of heaven and hell.
During Death's Door there will be several real life scenes that will take place on the stage. Each scene will involve a death of some sort with people going to heaven and the reality of people who die without Jesus going to hell. Last year we saw over 150 people come to know Christ in a personal way. God has blessed this ministry and we pray that this year even more would come to know HIM in a personal way.
We will have 3 times that we present Death's Door. The dates are Friday October 19 at 7:00pm, Saturday October 20 at 6:00pm, and Friday October 26 at 7:00pm. This will be a free ticketed event. If you would like more information on Death's Door please go to http://www.rockspringsbaptist.com/ or call the church office at 864-859-9854.
ARE YOU READY!!!!!
During Death's Door there will be several real life scenes that will take place on the stage. Each scene will involve a death of some sort with people going to heaven and the reality of people who die without Jesus going to hell. Last year we saw over 150 people come to know Christ in a personal way. God has blessed this ministry and we pray that this year even more would come to know HIM in a personal way.
We will have 3 times that we present Death's Door. The dates are Friday October 19 at 7:00pm, Saturday October 20 at 6:00pm, and Friday October 26 at 7:00pm. This will be a free ticketed event. If you would like more information on Death's Door please go to http://www.rockspringsbaptist.com/ or call the church office at 864-859-9854.
ARE YOU READY!!!!!
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Gut Check
Right now it is early Sunday morning. I am about to go off to staff prayer time and get ready for this day. Yesterday in college football was called "Gut Check Saturday." There were a lot of great games on and many of them involved teams that needed a gut check.
I think it is time that we as Christians needed a Gut Check. You know to find out who we really are. I am afraid that a lot of people do what some teams I watched on TV yesterday did. That is go throw the motions. There was no urgency, no emotion, no excitement, they just showed up and went through the motions of playing football. Many Christians do the same thing when they come to church. They come in sit in their same seat, sing the songs their told to sing, their is no urgency to see the lost saved. When we come to worship at church (because worship is actually everything that we do) we should do so with excitement for the one who has rescued us out of a fiery HELL and given us new life in him.
Two quotes to leave you with today.
1. Why is it that we want to complain and have a staff member go to the guy who comes into church with a pair of shorts on and a baseball cap and have him take his hat off, yet we have women every week who are half dressed and nobody ever says anything about that.
Let me preface this by saying that I hate losing. It makes me sick if I lose at anything, and when my team loses. This one hit me hard this morning.
2. Why is it that when our team loses that it ruins our whole week and bothers us so bad we cant stand it, yet when it comes to lost people going to HELL, we have no feelings on the matter and it doesn't move us at all.
Just some things to think about for this week.
I think it is time that we as Christians needed a Gut Check. You know to find out who we really are. I am afraid that a lot of people do what some teams I watched on TV yesterday did. That is go throw the motions. There was no urgency, no emotion, no excitement, they just showed up and went through the motions of playing football. Many Christians do the same thing when they come to church. They come in sit in their same seat, sing the songs their told to sing, their is no urgency to see the lost saved. When we come to worship at church (because worship is actually everything that we do) we should do so with excitement for the one who has rescued us out of a fiery HELL and given us new life in him.
Two quotes to leave you with today.
1. Why is it that we want to complain and have a staff member go to the guy who comes into church with a pair of shorts on and a baseball cap and have him take his hat off, yet we have women every week who are half dressed and nobody ever says anything about that.
Let me preface this by saying that I hate losing. It makes me sick if I lose at anything, and when my team loses. This one hit me hard this morning.
2. Why is it that when our team loses that it ruins our whole week and bothers us so bad we cant stand it, yet when it comes to lost people going to HELL, we have no feelings on the matter and it doesn't move us at all.
Just some things to think about for this week.
Friday, October 5, 2007
The Crazy Adventures of
Myself, Eric, Joey, Keith, Delk, and Jason. Yesterday was by far one of the best game day experiences that I have had since I have been going to the games at USC. It was also the second longest day of my life (the first was when game day was in Columbia in 2001 for the Florida game). I thought I would take you through it.
7:45am- I awake and jump in the shower. The game is on my mind but, I know it is still 12 hrs away.
8:30am- I arrive at work, spend time with Jesus, and then head off to the hospital where I hope to be an encouragement to those who are in there.
10:30am- I finish the hospitals and head home to change into my game day attire and play a quick game of NCAA 2008 on PlayStation 2. Final score Me- 91 Clemson-7 (it was great).
12:30pm- Everyone is now at Eric's. We get the car ready with our flags and magnets and head off to what we hope is going to be a great day for the Gamecocks.
2:15pm- We arrive in Columbia to a misting rain. We start to walk toward the stadium where we get a free Carolina Football T-shirt. Good day so far.
4:00pm- After a brief look at the Packman, we head to Bojangles to get some food. The stories told at that table were priceless. I needed all the laughter and boy did we laugh.
5:00pm- We head back to Packman where we all catch a Southern Fried Football T-shirt, listen to QCB and the whiner line. We then decide to go put all our stuff in the car. It is now just under hrs to kickoff.
7:46pm- Kickoff.
8:02pm- Eric Norwood scores one of his 2 defensive touchdowns of the game.
11:34pm- BALLGAME. The #8 Wildcats fall to the Gamecocks.
1:02am- I am about to die from lack of food (OK, not really, but it makes the story better). We stop in at the local Waffle House. Only one word to describe it PRICELESS!!!!!
3:15am- I finally pull into my driveway, jump on the couch (didn't want to wake Erin up), take a short nap, and then back to work.
The past 24 hrs have been great, now I will need to next 48 to recover.
7:45am- I awake and jump in the shower. The game is on my mind but, I know it is still 12 hrs away.
8:30am- I arrive at work, spend time with Jesus, and then head off to the hospital where I hope to be an encouragement to those who are in there.
10:30am- I finish the hospitals and head home to change into my game day attire and play a quick game of NCAA 2008 on PlayStation 2. Final score Me- 91 Clemson-7 (it was great).
12:30pm- Everyone is now at Eric's. We get the car ready with our flags and magnets and head off to what we hope is going to be a great day for the Gamecocks.
2:15pm- We arrive in Columbia to a misting rain. We start to walk toward the stadium where we get a free Carolina Football T-shirt. Good day so far.
4:00pm- After a brief look at the Packman, we head to Bojangles to get some food. The stories told at that table were priceless. I needed all the laughter and boy did we laugh.
5:00pm- We head back to Packman where we all catch a Southern Fried Football T-shirt, listen to QCB and the whiner line. We then decide to go put all our stuff in the car. It is now just under hrs to kickoff.
7:46pm- Kickoff.
8:02pm- Eric Norwood scores one of his 2 defensive touchdowns of the game.
11:34pm- BALLGAME. The #8 Wildcats fall to the Gamecocks.
1:02am- I am about to die from lack of food (OK, not really, but it makes the story better). We stop in at the local Waffle House. Only one word to describe it PRICELESS!!!!!
3:15am- I finally pull into my driveway, jump on the couch (didn't want to wake Erin up), take a short nap, and then back to work.
The past 24 hrs have been great, now I will need to next 48 to recover.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Jeremiah 29:11
First off let me say that this verse has meant more to me over the past 2 months then it ever has in my short life of 25 years. Here we read that God has a plan for our lives. Sometimes we may not think that his plan for our life is going the way that it should or that sometimes maybe he has even forgotten about us. However, we all must realize that HIS PLANS ARE PERFECT!!!! God has never and will never make a mistake. When we don't understand HIS plan, we have to trust HIM, and when we do understand HIS plan we have to trust HIM.
What I do know is this. God allows us to go through things in order to help us grow in every area of our life. It is very easy for us to get mad at God and stray from him when tough times come. However, we must do the opposite. We must trust God, and run to HIM in the tough times as well as the good times. Bottom line is this, in the good and the bad GOD IS GOOD!!!
Erin and I would like to thank all of you for all the cards, meals, prayers, support, and encouragement over the past 3 weeks. We knew that people like you cared for us, but it has all of you have out done yourselves over this time in our lives. Please know that we deeply appreciated everything that everyone has done for us. We are trusting in HIS plans, and know that HIS GRACE will see us through.
WE LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!!!!
What I do know is this. God allows us to go through things in order to help us grow in every area of our life. It is very easy for us to get mad at God and stray from him when tough times come. However, we must do the opposite. We must trust God, and run to HIM in the tough times as well as the good times. Bottom line is this, in the good and the bad GOD IS GOOD!!!
Erin and I would like to thank all of you for all the cards, meals, prayers, support, and encouragement over the past 3 weeks. We knew that people like you cared for us, but it has all of you have out done yourselves over this time in our lives. Please know that we deeply appreciated everything that everyone has done for us. We are trusting in HIS plans, and know that HIS GRACE will see us through.
WE LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!!!!
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