the MOORE abundant life

A Walk In The Park with My Camera

2010-03-27T18:49:00.000-04:00

A Little Time Outside

2010-03-25T21:15:00.003-04:00

A Few Updates

2010-03-20T14:30:00.003-04:00

Sarah has taken Mary Kay rather serious. She's had to learn a lot more than just cosmetics (like what expenses there are before you have real profit, keeping good records of everything). While Sarah hasn't turned a profit yet (it cost a good bit to get going), she's done well with all she's had to learn. She is actually at a Mary Kay conference this weekend. She texted me how much she's pumped.

This morning I had planned on painting our master bathroom trim (everything that was going to be white). As I was putting down painters tapes (to avoid the paint getting into the grout lines) I saw a 1/4" hole in the molding beside the door to our walk-in shower. Turns out the spot was rotten. As I searched more deeply I found many more rotten spots and places where the sheet-rock was practically putty. It doesn't look good. I'm now working on some plans to attack, but I won't know what the real situation is until I get behind the wall and take a look. I'm expecting to remove at least 1'6" of the wall from the floor to take a look at what kind of project I'm working on. I'm really happy I had someone I was able to call and give me the skinny on what to do. There was good news and bad news, but at least I had some better direction about what to do.

My photography has been really fun. I've met a lot of people and had a lot of cool conversations. Craig's List has been a pretty good source for getting started, but I don't imagine it will be a good source for much longer. My guess is most people who go to Craig's List for a photography aren't expecting much quality. So I'm having to decide how to balance being an artist (and being perceived as one) with my goal to break some of my shyness and meet people I don't normally encounter.

Krystel & Danny

2010-03-15T14:00:00.004-04:00

Krystel and Danny are brother and sister. When Krystel contacted me about a photo session she said, "I would like to have some pictures with my hero". I thought that was pretty cool!

If you would like to see more visit my fan site on FaceBook.

SurfFest 2010

2010-03-13T12:44:00.005-05:00

For a little more than a week Ron Jon have been putting on a surfing tournament in the area. I thought I'd go by and practice some photography. The waves were not very good. A few things I learned...

1. Bring a chair, because I'm too old to stand in one place for hours.
2. Lots of people say "hey" to you when you have a lens over a foot long on your camera.
3. I need to get a hood for my telephoto lens.
4. I didn't notice until I was leaving that I forgot to put my UV filter on.
5. Watch where other photographers stand to get their shots. I'm happy to say that I must have chose the right spot for my lighting because two other photographers joined me after about 30 minutes (or maybe, the more likely case, they just wanted to be social).

One photographer I saw had to be at least twice my age out there and she was sporting the best camera out there. I would have loved to have her lens, but it'll be a long time, if ever, before I can afford $3k+ lenses. Funny enough, I got the chair idea from her. She used a short mono-pod and shot from the chair most of the time.

The People Who Invest In You

2010-03-10T21:18:00.001-05:00

Lately I've been thinking about the people who have invested in me. By "invested in me" I mean those that have either sacrificed for me, was transparent with me, showed me grace (especially when I didn't deserve it), and/or intentionally was a part of making me better than I am.

I'm sure out of everyone I've ever encountered in my life, there are many who probably think they fit into that category and well...they're not. I can think of past bosses, church people (especially those who told me "you have my support"), and even pastors who would probably read that first paragraph and think I was talking about them. The truth is, many of us have had people who we would expect and hoped to have invested in our life, but they didn't. Sometimes it's those very same people who actually hurt and scarred you.

There is something amazing about being around someone who is really investing in you. They love on you in a way that builds you up and opens your eyes to places you didn't know you were capable of. As I think about those God has sent my way, I hope I'm doing the same for others.

So what does it take. . .grace, love, and sacrifice to a depth that I still haven't reached because I haven't given all that I have to give. At least, that's the way I see it.

I know there have been too many times (I'm talking periods of my life, not moments) where I have been without grace towards others and I chose to be condemning or judgmental, even if I was right, grace was what I should have shown; where I have been without love towards others because my idea of love was self-centered, self-beneficial, and self-serving; where I would not sacrifice for others because I didn't care enough to risk myself for them.

I'm so grateful I have people who have invested in me so I can more closely understand that I'm not there yet. There is still many measures of me to give...to strangers, to my church, to my wife...and that full measure will not be complete until I die.

How about you? Are you investing in others? Are you letting someone invest in you?

Outside With The Pups

2010-03-10T14:03:00.003-05:00

Why Photography, Part 2

2010-03-09T09:02:00.002-05:00

I want to add a little to what I said. There are people who also influenced my decision to enter photography as well. I don't think any of them know they influenced me.

I saw my brother in law, Nathan, connect with a lot of people through photography and because of my love for all things creative I started connecting with and admiring his work, and longing to be creative as well. At first I didn't know my expression would become photography, sometimes I'm still not sure.

I've seen, and still see, many pastors who struggle with getting out of the office and being with people. I had become such a person. I was in the community, at schools, but even that had become a circle of people that I didn't leave much.

The staff at the church where I work have been talking about the subject of connecting with people who don't normally connect with. We've been discussing how we can love on the community. My shyness has been challenged. The excuse that "this is how I'm built" was challenged here. A fellow staff member, Aaron, has had a few awesome moments I'm aware of in the community that has inspired me. None of which I would have never known about if I had not asked; he doesn't brag or boast about these things, he just does them.

I started putting things together and it started making sense and along the way a good number of people have been giving me incredible advice and steering me in the right direction. Thank you!

Terry Kyle Photography on Facebook

Why Photography

2010-03-08T15:54:00.000-05:00

It's officially launched. This is a big deal to me. Once upon a time art was huge in my life. It started when I was about 8 years old and I drew Garfield out of the comics of the Sunday newspaper. I remember handing it to my parents and them being amazed. I remember seeing the same drawing years later and it really didn't look like something an 8 year old would draw. Maybe it was the desire to repeat the affection I received over "Garfield" that got me to frequently draw or maybe it was something else, but from that day art became a part of my life.

Most of my early years it was just putting a pencil to paper. Over the next 15 years of my life, you can pretty much name it and I tried it: painting, sculpting, carving, pottery, metal working (although I didn't do much with this), water colors, photography, and so much more (I would love to try working with glass, but that's another blog post). I guess you can say there was a part of me that really wanted to be expressed creatively.

In college I was introduced to website designing. Even thought it was a lot like computer programming, I treated it like art. But I found where I was really limited. I was very competent in the programming, but I had no clue about graphic design. Two girls, Rachel and Rachel, who were both Bachelor of Fine Arts majors got me started in graphic design and taught me the basics. That was all I needed to get started.

A story that I could make a whole lot longer with all the details comes to this. . .

I'm taking what I've learned in 10+ years of seriously playing with graphic design, combining it with years of creative expression, and pouring them deeply into a tool called photography.

Here's the big part! Anyone who knows me knows that I'm shy. Yes I can act very outgoing and extroverted at times (especially if you see the craziness I pull off with my youth group), but deep inside I'm shy. I seem extroverted in unusual situations and introverted in the usual situations. I have a hard time meeting strangers and having a conversation with someone I'm not familiar with. It doesn't feel natural for me and I find that hard.

I'm a pastor. It becomes too easy as a pastor to fill my time only getting to know those who show up at the building and it can become increasingly more difficult to connect with those outside the church. My shyness makes this worse. I'm wanting to use photography to help me with my shyness and to love on people who I don't know and wouldn't normally encounter.

This past Friday I was able to experience that as I offered my photography to a couple for their wedding for free. They asked me at least 5 times how much I wanted to be paid. After seeing my portfolio they expressed they couldn't believe I would do this for them for free. That was a very nice compliment, but it also said that I was getting to love on them in an unique way. An awesome connection was made with this couple; the bride kept talking about wanting to meet my wife as if she was looking for a friend her age (they are the same age). And a lot of our conversation about the wedding, and life, was personal instead of distant and detached. I hope all of my photography encounters are like this.

We Were Never Promised Another Day

2010-02-26T10:08:00.005-05:00

On Tuesday I got word that my aunt died. She wasn't really my aunt, but I called the girl friends of my uncle my aunts; there were only two since my childhood. I'm not really sure why he never married her. They had been together since I was a small child. She died because of severe complications with her liver. After going to the hospital from health issues (I'm not sure of the specifics) she was informed of her liver problem then and had to stay for a while. From what I was told, she returned to the lifestyle that gave her the liver problem in the first place and her liver couldn't take it.

This morning I got the call that last night the parents of a former youth of mine died in a car accident. I haven't known Katie long. When we met she was a senior in high school and last year they moved 45 minutes away. I can't imagine what she's going through right now and I know it's going to be hard to return to anything normal.

I'm finding it hard to hold back the tears this morning.

I'm thinking about what if I lost my parents. What if I lost Sarah. What if my life was taken.

"yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes." James 4:14

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." Ephesians 5:15-17

Our time is so brief. It's easy for us to get caught up in the every day, day in and day out, tasks. It's easy for us to get so wrapped up in ourselves, focusing on our needs instead of being in community with those around us. It's easy for us to take those who are most precious to us for granted.

Say what needs to be said now. Treat them as they should be treated now. Let them know you love them. Let them know how much you care.

Jackie's Wedding Dress

2010-02-24T16:00:00.006-05:00

Jackie is a friend who got married this past summer. For one reason or another she was never able to get photos outside of the wedding ceremony and really wanted some of her in her dress, so she let me take a few shots with my camera to add to my portfolio. Here are a few of my favorites. More can be seen at my fan site on facebook.

Mary Kay

2010-02-21T16:39:00.005-05:00

I am Vero Beach's newest Independent Beauty Consultant for Mary Kay! For those of you wondering, this was not a sudden decision. I met my wonderful director, Vivianne, back in Novemeber where she did a party that I attended. Right away she wanted to recruit me for Mary Kay. I told her no, that I wasn't interested. Well, I hosted a party, then attended two more parties hosted by some friends. Every time I saw Vivianne, she encouraged me to think about selling MK. And think about it I did. I absolutely love the products, and at first just thought about joining MK just for my own benefit. But after talking with Vivianne and joining I am ready to give selling MK a try. My starter package should arrive tomorrow, and I've already placed an order so that I will be able to start selling the products immediately. I am still working 40 hours a week at the bank, so MK will take second place to that.

I already have a few friends and co-workers who are going to be supporting me with purchases. Terry is very encouraging in this venture as well. I have lots of ideas of how to get some new clients, and I am also attending a MK conference in Orlando next month where I'm sure to get pumped up!

If you have never tried MK why not let me introduce you to the products? And if you have tried them before or are currently using MK you could show your support for me by letting me supply you with MK (that is, unless you already have a good MK consultant, I don't want to be a client thief!) For those of you who know me, you know that I could not sell something that I don't believe in. I will be honest and say that I have tried a few of the products and was not super impressed, but MOST of the products I have tried I absolutely love!

If you live in Vero Beach or the surrounding cities, email me! I would love to meet with you! smoore62577@marykay.com

If you are anywhere else in the country take a look at my website where you will find all of the MK products as well as a fun virtual makeover! You can either place an order directly from my website, or email me with questions. I can send you a catalog as well as some samples of either what you are interested in or what I would suggest for you.
www.marykay.com/smoore62577

I would really appreciate any type of support that you can give me, even if it is just verbal encouragement. Please visit my website and/or email me if you have any questions! Thank you!

Sarah Moore
Mary Kay Beauty Consultant
www.marykay.com/smoore62577
smoore62577@marykay.com

PS - Any orders I receive before next Sunday will include a free MK gift, just from me!

The Sartains

2010-02-20T09:05:00.001-05:00

This was a fun shoot. Jackie (the girl in the photos) is a professional photographer. We went out and she took pictures of Sarah and I while I got some of her husband, Danny, and her. You want to hear the funny thing. . .towards the end of the day Sarah grabbed Jackie's camera and took a few shots while I was shooting and got the best picture of the day (you'll have to talk her into posting it).

Sarah's Not Blogging

2010-02-20T00:45:00.001-05:00

So, Sarah and I talked about getting back into blogging and both said we should, but Sarah hasn't said anything yet. I think you all should let Sarah know how much you want to hear from her!!

Terry Moore Photography

2010-02-19T13:14:00.000-05:00

Become a fan on FaceBook (click here)

A good number of pictures are posted in the fan page. Check them out and let me know your thoughts (feel free to be tough and give advice).

Even though it sounds like a business, I really want to use it to meet people in the community. I'm not as interested in making money as meeting new people, although I wouldn't mind being able to get more equipment.

It would be awesome if this connects me with people I don't normally connect with.

Stretching Myself, Continued

2010-02-17T08:01:00.002-05:00

Some of you may be thinking. . .with all that work on photography and Spanish how do you have time for church work. Well believe it or not, I plan on using both in ministry. Plus, I've learned that stretching myself in one area often gives me new life in another.

But I'm also stretching myself in ministry areas through learning and living differently. Some of this is through reading. Some of this is a result of conversation with individuals who have been having an influence on me. Lately I've been trying to be in public areas (mall, bookstores, etc.) where it's normal to meet people and talk with total strangers; I'm naturally shy so getting into a conversation with a total stranger isn't easy for me. I mean, of course I could be "that guy" that talks to whoever and annoys people, but I'm not trying to be "that guy". I'm trying to naturally learn how to talk with people outside the church about everyday stuff.

Reading the right books seem to have this stretching impact as well. . ."Present Future" by Reggie McNeal, "Deadly Viper Character Assassins: A Kung Fu Survival Guide for Life and Leadership" by Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite have been awesome!! Next on my reading list is "Lost and Found: The Young Unchurched and the Churches That Will Reach Them" by Ed Stetzer.

Stretching Myself

2010-02-16T08:05:00.001-05:00

Something I've learned about myself is that I'm at my best in life when I'm learning new things. So I've decided to press myself to learn two things I've been wanting to do for a long time.

The first is photography. Ever since I was asked to photograph the wedding of a friend, with the crappy camera I had at the time, I was struck with the bug to seriously study photography. I've even had a nice camera for nearly a year, but never really did much with it (other than take picture of church and youth events). Over the past month I've done a lot of research and study. I'm committed to no longer use point and shoot features on my camera, but to actually learn how to properly use aperture, exposure, positioning, lighting, depth, distance, ISO, shutter speed, etc. . .to be smart with my choices to create awesome photos. I've gotten a lot of really cool tips from Brian and Rachel Henderson and Nathan Lawrenson. I'm loving it!

The second is Spanish. In January I purchased Rosetta Stone's Spanish (Latin America). For about 3 weeks I've been plugging away at it. It's tough and I still feel like I'm pretty stupid, even though my lowest grade has been a 91. I just find learning a new language to be tough. Learning Spanish is something I've wanted for a long time as well. Right now I'm really bad at it so don't even bother trying to speak to me in Spanish. Wait a few months. Right now one of the most difficult things for me to do is the double "r" sound in Spanish. Sarah laughs every time she hears me try to roll my tongue; how bad I am at it does sound funny.

Both of these, I believe, will stretch me in a good way. Anyone who knows me knows that deep within me something cries out to always be creative. Also anyone who knows me know I love to learn new things, try new things, and do new things. Both of these bring me a lot of excitement in everyday life.

Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T20:33:00.009-05:00

So I decided to not celebrate my love for Sarah over a day. Partially because I know Sundays have a tendency to be really busy for me. . .being a pastor and all.

So it started on Friday when Sarah received some flowers at work. . .

On Saturday, I gave Sarah some double dipped chocolate covered peanuts. She hadn't had them in a long time and I know she loves them. At night I surprised her with going to see the New Moon movie again (second movie in the Twilight Series), something she wanted to do badly (this was a big deal to her) but thought it wasn't in the theater anymore.

Then today I gave her some girly Mary Kay stuff. Stuff that smells good! That's about as much as I know about it, but I knew she would like it a lot.

So what did Sarah do for me?

For one, I got to enjoy going to the movie with her. Seeing her excitement and happiness is an awesome gift! Today she gave me 4 custom made mugs with pictures of us on them. They're really cool looking! And then for fun. . .she did some modeling for me. I've been getting serious about photography. Here's a few of my favorites.

I love you Sarah Moore! I still have so much fun with you!!!

Disney: Sarah's Birthday

2010-02-14T19:02:00.007-05:00

This is coming late. This was a really big birthday gift to Sarah.

We stayed at Disney for 3 nights and 4 days. The first day was in the Magical Kingdom, the second was in the Animal Kingdom, the third was in Hollywood Studios, and the last day at Epcot.

The first day was her birthday and she wanted to go to the Magical Kingdom. She said the highlight of it was getting to have dinner in Cinderella's Castle. I didn't have my nice camera with me but I know we posted a few photos to FaceBook of that night. Another highlight was getting the best caricature we've gotten. It was GREAT! We enjoyed an awesome parade which led to an awesome fireworks display/show.

On the second day we got to see tons of animals at the Animal Kingdom. We got their early and brought the camera on this day (see pictures below). That night we went to dinner at the Rain Forest Cafe, which was as you exited the Animal Kingdom. Pretty cool place to eat.

For Sarah and I, Hollywood Studios was all about the rides. This was our third day at Disney. We went to every ride. I think our favorites were the Rock N Roll Coaster and the Tower of Terror.

Epcot, our last day, had some of the best food! But costly. In fact, everything cost quite a bit, but it was so fun. I can easily see how children would have a blast at Disney! By this day we were really tired and it was really cold. We didn't do everything and decided to leave a little early, stopping at the Cheesecake Factory as we left Orlando.

We didn't take a lot of pictures because there was an overcast pretty much every day, but here are a few, all from the animal kingdom.

Back To Blogging

2010-02-10T08:27:00.002-05:00

So this morning Sarah and I were talking about how we haven't blogged in a long time and decided to get back to it. Both of us have things we want to share with friends and family that aren't nearby.

She told me she wants me to talk about our recent Disney trip. I told her she should because it was her "birthday", but she said she already put a lot up on facebook and she did! So I'll be blogging about disney soon with a few pictures.

More Renovation Photos & A Kitty

2009-08-15T20:53:00.003-04:00

House Renovation Photos

2009-08-08T21:39:00.003-04:00

Surf Camp

2009-06-22T10:57:00.006-04:00

Steve Wise from Nags Head Church (North Carolina) came down to head up a Surf Camp for my youth. Steve teamed up with an old friend of his (Phil) out of Cocoa Beach, FL who runs a surf camp there.

A few things:

I need to be a lot better at advertising. I know word got out but we didn't get any response from youth. I was hoping to reach youth that were connected with my existing youth. . .but the results were not good.
I had a few pastors from other churches calling me about it. They heard about it through advertising I was doing in the local high schools.
I know I could duplicate the camp for next year, but having two veteran surfers will be a hard thing for me to duplicate; I love getting up on a board. . .when it actually happens. . .but I'm no surfer. I'm sure I could talk a good talk about surfing, but having a veteran is better.
All of my youth now want to go out and buy boards! One of the boys keep talking about how he and I need to buy boards and go surfing together regularly.
All of the youth want to repeat this for next year. . .I wonder how many would be willing to work the event instead of just attending?

This slide show kind of captures the highlights. . .

Pics of the New House

2009-06-14T15:18:00.007-04:00

Here are the pictures that we have of the house. It is no fun buying a house and not being able to go see it without the realtor.

This is the outside. Lovely tan color with brown trim.

There is extra parking in front of the shed. Will come in handy when having people over!

This is the first shed, with another behind it.

There are tons of palm trees and other foliage on the property, just needs a little trimming up.

Here is the kitchen. Very nice cabinets. The appliances are a little old, so hopefully they all work.

The two car garage.

The garage again. Tons of space for all of our junk.

This is the odd extra room attached to the garage. We will probably put a wall here to separate it and turn it into a game room or something.

The backyard. It was raining when we went, so this is the best that we have. The house is on a double lot, so a nice long backyard. The neighbors behind the house have a fence, but the sides aren't fenced in...yet.

The pool! It is screened in and a very nice size!

This is the little dinning room that is attached to the kitchen and the living room. Don't know if our table will fit there.

This view is from the living room looking at the kitchen. Has a nice little bar.

Here is the living room with the ugly green carpet. One thing I like about the house is that in here and the master bedroom there is a ledge along the top of the wall, where you see the trim, which will make for fun decorating.

So, this is our house! Needs some work, but we are up to the task, we think.

Sarah Elizabeth

Major Updates

2009-06-12T15:48:00.003-04:00

Wow, it has been a month and a half since either of us has posted. Because of this I am going to update you on everything that has been happening in our lives. And boy, has it been happening!

About three weeks ago or so we started the process to buy a house: went to the bank and got pre-approved for a loan (both of us have really good credit!), met with a real estate agent (who we love!), and started looking for houses. As you well know the market is very good for buyers right now, and Vero Beach is even better than most places. We went looking at houses, and on our second day out looking with Peggy, our agent, we found our house! It is a beautiful home built in 1995, I think. It has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, a big living room/dining room, nice kitchen, nice master bedroom with a big walk-in closet, a 2 car garage with an added on room, a screened in back porch, a screened in pool, 2 sheds, and all of this is placed in the middle of a double lot (meaning there is a big yard, front and back). Wow! The outside has lots of trees and bushes (there have got to be close to 10 palm trees on the property!). Very nice neighborhood. Peggy had to fight hard for us to get this house, but we got it! We should close in July, so please pray that everything goes smoothly. I will post pictures hopefully Saturday or Sunday. They are on Terry's computer and he is gone today. So that is the story of the house.

Last August, I think, I had an interview at Riverside National Bank (a local chain), but there were no possitions available, so nothing came of it. Then about 3 weeks ago (the day we went to the bank for pre-approval for the house) I got a call to re-send my application. I had a couple more interviews and got the job! I am now a teller in training at Riverside! It is a little daunting and scary all of the information and procedures that I have to learn, but I think I am up to the task! I am very excited about this new job and the opportunites I'll have there. All of the girls there seam to be real nice. I think I'll like it there a lot. And to all of my Staples peeps, I still love you all! And I miss you already (even though I am still working there one day a week)! So that is the story of the new job.

We finally have a worship pastor at the church! Yay! Aaron's first Sunday was last Sunday, and he actually preached and did the music (Pastor Paul and Terry were both gone for a mission trip)! He did a great job and I am so excited to see what God is going to do with him here. I am also thrilled because with Aaron came his wife Heather and son Anselom. Aaron and Heather are around mine and Terry's ages so we now have another couple to make friends with. I have spent some time with them this past week and I see the potential for a great relationship with Heather and Aaron (and I have been in great need of one of those since we moved here), so I am so happy that they are here! So we have a new worship pastor and new friends!

Other smaller, maybe a little less important news consists of:

Our clownfish layed eggs! We were so excited to see that until we realized that they would get eaten as soon as they hatched. It was so fun to watch though! The male never went more than an inch away from the eggs; they moved the eggs; and we were able to watch them grow and see tiny eyeballs! But yesterday I noticed that the eggs were gone, so they must have hatched during the night. Poor babies, although they probably made a good meal for the other fish. And we also now have a blue hippo tang (Dorey!), but she is a pest.
After 16 months of living here under an ant invasion, we finally got rid of the little pests! We had tried everything we could get our hands on and nothing worked. I saw a do it yourself pest control store, went in, bought stuff, and the ants were gone the next day! Hurray! What a relief!
To everyone back in NC, we will not be coming in July anymore because we are closing on our house in July. I'm sorry, I am dying to get up there! But don't you dare get mad at us for us not coming, because we are still waiting for you to come and visit us! The only ones who are alowed to get upset are my parents and Terry's mom, because they are the only ones to come for a visit. We will have a nice big house next month....hint hint.
Ooo! I got to go shopping for clothes for my new job on Wed! My mission was to get some nice, dressy, comfortable shoes and maybe a few pieces of clothing for the bank. Well, when I got home I had 6 pairs of shoes (3 times more than I've ever bought at once before!) and two pairs of pants and two tops (and yes, I stayed in my budget!). What fun that was! Yay for shopping and yay for new shoes and yay for sales!!!

Well, that is all that I can think of for now. Look for pictures of the house coming soon!

Sarah Elizabeth

The "New" Newsboys

2009-04-27T10:46:00.002-04:00

Amazingly, the Newsboys came to our tiny little highschool theater for a concert. We heard about this back in March, and I got so excited (Newsboys have been one of my favorite bands for probably 15 years now). About a week after we learned that they were coming here to Vero we heard that their lead singer, Peter Furler, was no longer going to be their lead singer. He would stop touring with the band but continue to write for them. The horror! Peter Furler gone??? How could the Newsboys continue without him? The new lead singer for the Newsboys in now none other than the ex DC Talk member Michael Tait. What?!? Michael Tait? What a dissapointment that was to hear.

After hearing that news I was a bit bummed and not nearly so excited for the concert. But we went anyway, wanting to see if he would be any good and worth continuing to support the band. We went, with little hopes, although trying to keep an open mind and give him a chance. Before they played we heard Bread of Stone, Vota, and December Radio. They were good bands; quite impressed with Vota.

The Newsboys started the show with their drummer, Duncan (who is an amazing drummer, and can keep playing while his drum set and he starts revolving and tilting!), saying a few words about Peter no longer touring with them, and then he introduced Michael as the new lead singer. I don't know if there is any relation, but to me he looks just like Whoopi Goldburg! First song in, it sounded pretty good. Now, I don't know if he was trying to sound like Peter Furler or if maybe their voices are that similar, but he sounded a lot like him.

Good things I can say about Michael being a Newsboy: He did a very good job singing and not changing the songs to fit him; he stayed true to the "Peter" versions of the songs. Michael can really sing. They did some DC Talk songs, which was a blast! And he is a good performer.

Bad things I can say about Michael being a Newsboy: he looks nothing like Peter, which makes it hard for the brain to accept. He doesn't have the same energy lever or stage presence as Peter. They focused a bit too much on the fact that he was a part of DC Talk.

My suggestions for Michael being a Newsboy: get rid of that hat! He needs to change his look from when he did his own show. My thought is maybe he wears the hat because he is balding; if that is so...perfect! He should shave his head and put on eyeliner! He should find out what the fans want out of him.

Overall, I was impressed and happy with what I saw. I really enjoyed the concert and Michael's singing. I hope that the band is able to continue with this big change.

Good luck to you, Newsboys! Farewell Peter, enjoy your well deserved time home with your family! Keep up the good work, Michael! And to all you Newsboys fans, keep being fans!

Sarah Elizabeth

Photos of Saltwater Fish

2009-04-26T13:46:00.005-04:00

Our newest aquarium (we have quite a few) is a 90 gal saltwater.

Probably our favorite to watch. Our two clown fish and their anemone.

They spend most of their time within 6 inches of the anemone.

Here they are again, but in this one you can see the snowflake blenny in the top left corner. He seems to enjoy watching us all the time.

Some polyps coral with the royal gramma hovering above. I've had a hard time taking pictures of the royal gramma (who we call Gurgle, after the same fish in "Finding Nemo"); maybe my camera doesn't like the really bright colors.

A toadstool coral. We have two.

5 Years of Ministry

2009-04-17T06:00:00.002-04:00

Today marks the fifth year I've been in paid ministry. 10 years ago I would have no idea God would have lead me where He has me. I've been asked many times in my life "where do you see yourself in 2, 5, or 10 years" and I would have never thought this (I'm sure most of my high school friends would say the same thing).

I still remember like it was yesterday when Kyle Bridges let me become a youth volunteer. And I remember when Charlie Waller, Carol Edmunds, Yvonne Sternberg, and Jim Todd took a risk on this youth pastor candidate. Good grief was I ever a rookie!

It's been an awesome journey and the exciting part is it still feels like it's just beginning. I'm looking forward to what the next 5 years will hold.

"Bless Your Heart"

2009-03-18T15:30:00.002-04:00

I recently heard a guy MC a pretty big event and he talked about his time in the south (for those of you outside the U.S. the south is not so much a geographical thing as it is a area of the U.S.; I am currently in Florida and Florida is NOT the south). During his time there he heard a phrase quite frequently, "bless your heart". I haven't heard that since I was back in Louisburg, NC.

The MC talked about how he thought it was something sweet, but then he figured out it wasn't. After a while he figured that "bless you heart" was best translated as "you're an idiot". I never thought of it before, but that's pretty true.

Some of the youth in my youth group heard about this from the other couple that attended the conference with Sarah and I. . .let's just say we're hearing "bless your heart" all the time now.

We Got Frodo 1 Year Ago

2009-03-12T08:00:00.001-04:00

We made this 2 days after we got him. . .

Our Fish Tank(s)

2009-03-11T15:31:00.008-04:00

Back in February we purchased a 45 gallon fish tank. We set it up and got our starter fish, two opaline gouramis, to make sure that the tank was ready for fish. They lived, yay! so we added four more pearl gouramis. Our goal was to build up to Angelfish, but they are super sensitive, so we took our time. Our water was very brown and murky for the first few weeks. After a few successful weeks of gourami survival, we decided to go get the angelfish. We went to Petsmart, our favorite pet store, and picked up 6 of the smallest angelfish I'd ever seen. So cute! Two of the original died, a few of the replacements died, but we now have 5 thriving, growing, beautiful angelfish! We added a bushy nose placco, a leaf fish, a crowntail betta, bubble bee catfish, and a rainbow shark, and then got really crazy and set up our 10 gallon right beside the 45. We added another leaf fish, betta, and two guppies in the 10 gallon. This has been a fun hobby. Here are some pics of the tanks, enjoy!

Here is our two tanks side by side, the 10 gallon now seems so tiny, especially when I remember how many fish I had in there years ago.

Here is the little 10 gallon, sunken treasure theme. In here lives a betta, a leaf fish, and two guppies (who I'm sure will soon produce babies).

Here is the 45 gallon. Both tanks have live plants in them, which I love! I'd never done live plants before, but they are great, and pretty!

Here is one of the leaf fish. Very small, cute fish. He has a huge mouth and would eat smaller fish if we had smaller fish.

Here is the pretty blue crowntail betta in the 45 gallon tank.

Here is one of the angelfish, we have two stripped ones.

Here are two of the pearl gouramis.

Here is our biggest angelfish.

We have two white angelfish, they are my favorite!

Another picture of the blue crowntail betta.

Here is the male guppy, the female has the same colors.

Here is the crowntail betta in the 10 gallon, very pretty red color.

Here is our rainbow shark.

We got four bumble bee catfish. We rarely see them, so we don't know if we still have four. They are really cute when we get to see them.

Here is another shot of the leaf fish.

Our bushy nose placco. He hides most of the day.

Sarah Elizabeth

40 Days

2009-02-27T20:23:00.002-05:00

Images are by Si Smith, an artist in the UK.

It's An Awesome Youth Moment. . .

2009-02-27T13:24:00.004-05:00

. . .when a youth comes up to you. . .looking all nervous, like you might actually answer "no" to his question. . .and says, "_______ told me you did a Bible study with him. I was wondering if you would be willing to do that with me."

This Wednesday I had one of those moments. I had already been meeting with this teenager one on one, but not as a scheduled sort of thing. It was more random (although still intentional), meeting for a snack type stuff.

I can't wait to start the Bible study with him!

More Church Projector Images, Again

2009-02-22T23:37:00.003-05:00

Playing with shadows (again as per Nate's suggestion). I may have played a little too much with the shadows. I'll keep working at it.

More Church Projector Images

2009-02-22T22:55:00.003-05:00

Another design I played with (same look with different looks). Notice the title is at an angle (as per Nathan's suggestion).

Another Church Projector Image

2009-02-20T07:21:00.001-05:00

Was playing around in Photoshop. I'm not totally sure I'll use this one. . .or I might do some more work on it. Got any ideas?

Being Judgemental

2009-02-19T10:33:00.002-05:00

At a recent gathering of seminary professors, one teacher reported that at his school the most damaging charge one student can lodge against another is that the person is being "judgmental." He found this pattern very upsetting. "You can't get a good argument going in class anymore," he said. "As soon as somebody takes a stand on any important issue, someone else says that the person is being judgmental. And that's it. End of discussion. Everyone is intimidated!"

Many of the other professors nodded knowingly. There seemed to be a consensus that the fear of being judgmental has taken on epidemic proportions. Is the call for civility just another way of spreading this epidemic? If so, then I'm against civility. But I really don't think that this is what being civil is all about.

Christian civility does not commit us to a relativistic perspective. Being civil doesn't mean that we cannot criticize what goes on around us. Civility doesn't require us to approve of what other people believe and do. It is one thing to insist that other people have the right to express their basic convictions; it is another thing to say that they are right in doing so. Civility requires us to live by the first of these principles. But it does not commit us to the second formula. To say that all beliefs and values deserve to be treated as if they were on a par is to endorse relativism -- a perspective that is incompatible with Christian faith and practice. Christian civility does not mean refusing to make judgments about what is good and true. For one thing, it really isn't possible to be completely nonjudgmental. Even telling someone else that she is being judgmental is a rather judgmental thing to do!

- Richard J. Mouw, Uncommon Decency, pp. 20-21.

Church Projector Image (Re-Worked)

2009-02-16T17:56:00.002-05:00

I'm touched up the brown border around the title. I still feel like it's not quite right, but I do think it's doable, so I'm going to go with it!

Church Projector Image

2009-02-16T14:30:00.003-05:00

Pretty simple, but took a little while to make. I think I need to re-work the brown frame the title is in; it doesn't look quite right to me.

25 Signs of a Healthy Church (Part 3 of 3)

2009-02-09T07:13:00.001-05:00

Sign #17 The church trusts, respects, and supports the pastor. Every healthy church recognizes that their pastor is called by God to lead their congregation. Though there is a legal employment status, he is not viewed as an employee. Even as he's evaluated, he is encouraged and enabled. Members respect both the person and the position, removing hindrances to his leadership.

Sign #18 The church has effective, ongoing communication. There is openness anytime it's appropriate. Vision, goals, ministry needs, and other aspects of church life are clearly and consistently shared with the congregation through a variety of means, public and private.

Sign #19 The church has a clear vision, priorities, and plan. These churches know where they're going and how to get there. They know that they can't afford to waste their resources or promote ministries that don't fulfill God's purpose for their church. The vision drives all that they do, helping them determine priorities and establish plans.

Sign #20 The church trains and empowers people for ministry according to their giftedness. There is a recognition that every Christian is gifted, just not in the same way. Healthy churches utilize people's gifts in appropriate areas of ministry and avoid "filling vacancies" with anyone they can find. These churches would rather have a vacant position than have the wrong person in it.

Sign #21 The church constantly develops leaders. Healthy churches recognize the crucial importance of leadership in all that they do, and plan for both attrition and future ministry needs. They constantly work to expand their leadership base and develop existing leaders for more effective service.

Sign #22 The church is outwardly focused. Effective churches resist the temptation to turn inward. They grow larger and stronger themselves by focusing on others.

Sign #23 The church finds or creates connecting points with the community. Healthy churches engage their communities. They keep their focus on ways to connect those who are outside the church with the message and ministry of the church.

Sign #24 Church members are intentionally evangelistic. The Great Commission compels healthy churches to reach the lost through various methods. These churches don't see evangelism as a program, but as a passion. They make opportunities to share the gospel with others they encounter.

Sign #25 The church is producing congregations. Healthy churches, like healthy people, plants, or animals, reproduce themselves. They look beyond themselves, and find joy in birthing new congregations. They plant the DNA of reproductions in congregations that will reproduce yet more congregations.

(Written by Marvin Owen, the church health strategist for the Wyoming Southern Baptist Convention, Casper, Wyoming.)

25 Signs of a Healthy Church (Part 2 of 3)

2009-02-08T08:00:00.002-05:00

Sign #9 The church practices accountability and maintains high expectations - for themselves and for others. In healthy congregations, members help one another mature as Christians. They never lower the requirements of membership or discipleship to appeal to the uncommitted or to draw larger crowds. Their growth may not be immediate, but it is certain. And it is both numerical and qualitative.

Sign #10 Don't try to do everything, but what they do they do well. They utilize a team approach, using the gifts of individuals. Healthy churches prioritize, and they intentionally neglect those things they should not do or that they cannot do well.

Sign #11 The church has focus and purpose. They're intentional and only do those things that move them toward the fulfillment of that vision. They understand and distinguish between the essential and the extraneous.

Sign #12 The church is proactive, not reactive. Healthy churches help create their future. They do not wait passively to see what will happen. They're constantly praying and assessing their present and their potential.

Sign #13 People feel accepted, encouraged, and included. An important characteristic of healthy churches is the way they include others. People who visit these churches find a genuine welcome and a compelling sense of community. As a result, they want to be a part of the church.

Sign #14 The church builds families (including singles). No church is stronger than the families and the individuals that make it up. Because of that, churches do well to help build their members into growing, vibrant, balanced, relational Christians. All are considered important. Regardless of the church's size, appropriate ministries are provided for every age group and life circumstance (singles, blended families, empty-nesters, etc.).

Sign #15 Conflict is handled positively and redemptively. Realistically, no church can expect to avoid conflict. It's a part of life. But there are differences in the way conflict is handled and the degree of impact it has. Unfortunately, in some churches it's like an Olympic competition - fierce and unyielding. Those churches that handle conflict well actually grow stronger and are better able to withstand whatever may come.

Sign #16 The church is forgiving, but not compromising on sin. These churches aren't judgmental, but always show genuine compassion and concern for people. However, they leave no doubt about God's high standards or their absolute commitment to living according to those standards.

(Written by Marvin Owen, the church health strategist for the Wyoming Southern Baptist Convention, Casper, Wyoming.)

Photo Shoot

2009-02-07T17:11:00.007-05:00

Sarah and I decided to goof-off with the camera a bit. We're both experimenting and trying to get better with angles and lighting, but here's some of the ones I liked the most.

25 Signs of a Healthy Church (Part 1 of 3)

2009-02-07T08:54:00.004-05:00

Sign #1 The church seeks to know and to follow God's will. They never lose sight of the fact that it's His people, His power, and His purpose and plan. They are committed not only to God's will, but God's way.

Sign #2 Christian growth is emphasized and facilitated. Healthy churches are intentional about helping their people realize God's potential in their lives. They accept the Great Commission - to make disciples - as their reason for existence.

Sign #3 Church members have an attitude of servanthood, not seeking control, power or status. These churches foster a climate where everyone is useful in God's work. They acknowledge Jesus as Lord of the church and know that whatever positions individuals hold are for His glory and the extension of His kingdom.

Sign #4 Church members are faithful in stewardship of time, talents, and treasures. Healthy churches foster a climate of giving, not a concern for getting. Members look for opportunities to help with all that God has entrusted to them.

Sign #5 The church is a place of vibrant, engaging worship. The styles may vary greatly, but their worship touches the heart, engaging and involving people. Those who attend worship in these churches do not doubt that they've been in the presence of God.

Sign #6 Members model purity and integrity and do not ignore sin in the body. They deal redemptively with people, realizing that we're all imperfect. But healthy churches also hold high the standards God has set and they seek to live by them. They don't allow willful, flagrant, unrepentant sin to continue.

Sign #7 The church is adaptable and flexible - willing to change. They don't compromise or seek the latest fad, but they are teachable. They have an unselfish spirit and are pliable in the Master's hands. Leaders and members each have preferences, but they forgo their "rights," desiring what's best for the church and for the lost.

Sign #8 The church emphasizes the positive and never dwells on the negative. They celebrate victories. Even where there have been disappointments, they don't allow that to monopolize their focus and permeate their thinking. But they learn and benefit from mistakes.

(Written by Marvin Owen, the church health strategist for the Wyoming Southern Baptist Convention, Casper, Wyoming.)

Lilly, A Little Photo Attention

2009-02-06T22:35:00.005-05:00

I figured since Frodo got some blog attention I needed to give Lilly some so she didn't get jealous. Here's a few photos.

Begging to get up (like always).

Frodo was saying, "back-off Lilly, this is my toy".

Frodo's New Shirt

2009-02-06T22:18:00.004-05:00

Thanks to Tricia for the oh so cute Big Bird t-shirt for Frodo! It fits perfectly and he seems to like it. In fact, he slept in it the first night he had it! So cute! Thanks Tricia, Nathan, and Gwyn!

Sarah Elizabeth

Youth Projector Images

2009-01-28T17:45:00.004-05:00

Just a few images I put together over the past few months for the youth group (used when the projector isn't showing anything else).

Our Economy

2009-01-25T08:35:00.001-05:00

This is what happens when "keeping up with the Joneses" becomes the American way.

A Tour Of Our Home

2009-01-23T08:10:00.000-05:00

As requested by Tricia (and many others, but most recently Tricia). . .

Youth Ministry Report: A Quick Summary of the Past Few Months

2009-01-22T09:47:00.003-05:00

On Nov. 21st the youth attended a free concert, organized by Youth for Christ. The music was loud, but the bands were good, and they brought a good message.

On Dec. 6th the youth ministry team took the youth fishing. It was here that the youth learned that I don’t know how to fish and my wife did. Earl Peek organized this event and did an excellent job! We drove out to Wabasso, picked up some bait, and then drove to our location that was near there. The fishing was supervised by Earl, Sarah, Bob, and myself. After a few hours of fishing Earl cooked some hotdogs on the grill, while Bob led the youth in a very appropriate devotional about being “fishers of men”. After our meal we sat around talking and played a few games of bachi-ball. The youth seemed to have a great time.

On Dec. 13th we had our youth Christmas party. Lots of planning and work went into this event, and it went beautifully. The objective of the evening was to create a family environment and to share Christmas together as God’s family. Teresa, Earl, Sarah, Sarah’s mom, and myself prepared tons of food. The evening started with Amber Peek, one of our youth girls, leading us in prayer and asking God to bless our food and time. We then shared a large meal together. After the meal we then played white elephant (a gift exchange game). Then the youth gathered around as Earl read to them the Christmas story from portions of Matthew and Luke. Then Bill led the youth in singing a few Christmas Hymns. The youth then returned to the food for dessert while Teresa and I handed every youth a stocking; the contents were personalized, their name was decorated on it, and there were personalized Christmas cards from each member of the youth ministry team. The night was fantastic!

Fellowship of Christian Athletes has been very slow during the holiday months. There have been many weeks without us meeting due to early release days and holidays. We still have faithful students attending and even though the numbers have been few lately, they seem to love it. Relationships are definitely being built. Sometimes I feel like I’m running two youth groups at the same time. It’s a lot of work.

Over the past few months my teaching on Wednesday evenings have been about what it means to be a member of God’s family. Some of the topics were about loneliness, disagreements, the parts of the Body of Christ, stepping into other people’s shoes, and God’s family being a safe place. Hopefully what they heard will be learned and applied. In the next few weeks, leading up to Valentines, I’ll be talking with the youth about sex. If God designed sex then where better to talk about it then at church. The series is called “The Best Sex Ever” and it covers subjects such as: all the confusion there is about sex and how a sex driven world has lead to that, what God’s Word has to say about sex, sex is a lot bigger and better than what the world tells you, and what if you have messed up.

On Jan. 8th the youth ministry team met for the first time in the new year. At this time three major things occurred. First, I informed them of a training opportunity, in which Earl, Teresa, Sarah, and myself will be trying to attend during the first week of March. Second, we brain-stormed about upcoming events; they had tons of ideas I’m currently pursuing. And third, they were informed that they were going to be evaluated.

Each team member was evaluated one-on-one, and it was their job to initiate this meeting during the 2 week time frame I set. During the evaluations three major things were discussed: their observations of the youth ministry (What are we doing that’s working? What are we doing that’s not working? What impact are we having on the youth? How can I (Terry) help you do your job better?), the positives and negatives I’ve seen in them (along with some accountability to their walk with Christ), and their passions (Have they changed? Would you like to change what you do with the youth group? Is youth ministry still what you’re passionate about?).

My youth ministry team is truly awesome! I have seen them grow and mature in their walk with Christ and in their understanding of what it means to be a ministry team leader over the past year. We’ve also seen changes and growth in the youth that regularly attend. We’re not even close to where we want to be, but we know that in 2008 we got off to the right start and we’re pursuing God’s desire to use us to reach youth.

Free Stuff

2009-01-20T13:50:00.002-05:00

So, last night on the news I heard that certain department stores were giving away free beauty products due to a lawsuit. I got online to check it out, and found out that locally Macy's and Dillard's would be participating. I arrived at the mall early, waited in line (which continued to grow as we approached the time the store would open). They had a list of products to pick from. All well known brand names, all full sized products, no samples. When it was my turn at Dillard's I picked the Lovely shower gel by Sarah Jessica Parker, because I have the perfume (Christmas present from Terry). Happy with my shower gel, I headed to Macy's, where I had to wait in line outside in the shade. Normally that would not pose a problem here in Florida, but as we are seeing well below average temps here this week, and the wind is blowing pretty hard, I froze! But, in the end it was worth it. I got J'Adore by Dior perfume, and it smells fabulous! I am very happy with my picks, and am sending Terry to the mall this afternoon for his fair share, which of course he will hand over to me. What fun when big companies are forced to give away free products to the general public! They are greatly appreciated!

When We First Got Frodo

2009-01-16T21:50:00.002-05:00

He was a little fluff-ball. We've nearly had him for a year and he's now 1 year old. Here's a video of the first two weeks we had him.

Youth Video: Looking Back at 2008

2009-01-15T12:26:00.000-05:00

This is a collection of photos from 2008 about the youth.

if You Want To Reach People. . . (Part 3 of 3)

2009-01-05T11:43:00.004-05:00

(. . .continued from. . .Part 1 and Part 2. . .)

Lastly, bad news comes better when it comes softly. How can we soften the impact of the bad news? Love (John 13:35). Jesus makes it clear the world will know there is something different about us through how we love one another.

Love is the key. Unconditional, no strings attached loved. The message the church is supposed to be carrying is the Gospel. Love opens the door for the Gospel.

But let me give you a bad example of "love" just to make sure we're on the same page: give someone money to help pay their rent and then guilt trip them into coming to church the next week.

You know the difference between love and manipulation? I say it’s measured by the strings that are attached. Too many people think the church is selling something and we have to be a church that changes that. We should never give to the needy because we we’re trying to get people to come to our church. We should never hold festivals or events because we’re trying to get people to come to our church. I guarantee that if we love people unconditionally they will come. People are drawn to genuine, authentic, love.

We must realize that we are faced with a culture that does not understand the Good News, the Gospel of Salvation. The bad news can put it into context, and then it makes sense. But most aren't ready to hear bad news and that's one of the many places love comes in.

You want to reach people. . .love them. . .with no strings attached.

New Years' Resolution

2009-01-04T15:54:00.008-05:00

I always thought these were pretty cheesy. I mean, I recall throughout high-school and college having many friends who made these resolutions, but really didn't follow through. I've heard the number one New Years' resolution in America is to loose weight and to get fit, both of which I'm willing to bet are also the top failed resolutions.

To me New Years' resolutions have always been a joke, something that may sound good, but there really wasn't any real intent behind it, no serious motivation. I mean, let's face it. . .commitment isn't really a part of today's American culture.

But what if those who are followers of Christ decided to take it seriously about their relationship with Christ? What if New Years' resolutions were seen as a time to seriously reflect, reform, reconsider, reevaluate, and make necessary changes? What if we stepped out of American culture and was committed to letting God transform us into a new person by changing the way we think; and then we would know what God wants us to do, and would know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is. (Romans 12:2)

If You Want To Reach People. . . (Part 2 of 3)

2009-01-03T11:37:00.001-05:00

(. . .continued from HERE. . .which you need to read first)

Here's an illustration to sort of show my point. . .

You go to a doctor. You hadn't been in a long time and so you're getting a full evaluation of your health, complete with all kinds of test no one wants to do often. They get all kinds of samples from you. When they're done they ask you to come back in a week and the doctor will discuss with you the result. You're expecting the doctor will make recommendations to your diet, exercise, and that sort of stuff.

You return a week later. You're placed in a small room where the nurse tells you the doctor will be with you shortly. After a brief wait the doctor comes in reviewing what is obviously your file. After staring at your charts for a while he finally acknowledges you by saying, "we've got your results in and we're going to start you on a series of injections next week that are going to save your life. On your way out please make an appointment at the front desk. . .Oh. . .and by the way, you should expect hair loss, rather extreme vomiting, and feeling pretty horrible for the duration of these injections. . .about 90 days worth." Then the doctor leaves to see another patient.

I'm sure you will agree with me that if you ever encounter a doctor like that then you're going to start looking for a new doctor immediately for a second opinion. Instead of feeling like someone has genuinely tried to help you, you feel scared, very confused, and very offended by how you were treated.

Now let's look at the same situation but the doctor approaches thing very differently.

You return a week later. You're placed in a small room where the nurse tells you the doctor will be with you shortly. After a brief wait the doctor comes in reviewing what is obviously your file. He greets you and lets you know that most of what the tests revealed was good, "but in the course of examining your blood they discovered something unusual." He begins using a lot of medical terminology yet he's keeping it simple enough that it still makes sense to those of us not in the medical field. "After more tests we concluded some mutated cells were cancer, but you are extremely fortunate." He then continues to explain how the cancer had been discovered at the earliest stages and if we begin chemo treatments right away the probability of defeating this is extremely high. But he pauses and let you know this is will be a tough process and explains the possible side-effects of chemo and directs you to some information that will help you prepare for the months to come.

What made those two doctors different? The good doctor knew that the bad news had to be explained clearly so that the good news made sense. We who are carriers of the Gospel must do the same. It’s sort of like better “bed-side manners”.

(. . .to be continued. . .)

If You Want To Reach People. . . (Part 1 of 3)

2009-01-01T10:54:00.009-05:00

There’s a key to sharing the Gospel (the "Good News") with people.

First we have to understand what exactly is the Good News of Christ, the Gospel (read 1 Corinthians 15:1-4). It's extremely important to know what the Good News is NOT. The good news is not a certain church a person must attend, a certain translation of the Bible, what you should wear to church, and it certainly is not "they're going to hell". If you confuse this message for people by attaching things do it that don't belong then you didn't share the Gospel, but rather your own opinions and thoughts on the matter.

Secondly we have to understand that the Good News is foolishness without bad news (read 1 Corinthians 1:18). This means the Good News sounds stupid, doesn't make sense, and is utterly ridiculous all by itself, but the bad news, when told correctly, suddenly makes the Good News make sense. It becomes clearer.

How a person responds to the bad news greatly impacts how they respond to and understand the Good News; and the Good News without the bad news will most likely produce a false convert. Why? Because you won’t come to the rescuer unless you know that you need to be rescued! You can't come to the savior if you don't realize you need to be saved.

(. . .to be continued. . .)

A Few MORE Pictures from Christmas in North Carolina

2008-12-28T14:05:00.005-05:00

These are all from Chimney Rock.

We were facing the sun and I couldn't keep my eyes open long.

Tunnel to the elevator that took you to Chimney Rock (26 stories up).

The view from Chimney Rock. I'm sure we could have seen further if it wasn't so foggy.

It was a very foggy day so most of the pictures didn't turn out so great.

A Few Pictures from Christmas in North Carolina

2008-12-26T18:18:00.007-05:00

People slide down the rock behind us for recreation (it's called "Sliding Rock").

At this ledge you can see South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee.

The plaque at this rock that shows you where to look to see what state and the name of certain peaks.

View from the peak.

Tubing!

I was tired, but Sarah talked me into going down a few more times (I'm glad she did).

Christmas tree farm.

Saint Nicholas: More Than a Giver of Gifts

2008-12-23T22:09:00.008-05:00

Nicholas' reputation for gift giving comes partly from a story of three young women who were too poor to afford a dowry for their marriages: as each reached a marriageable age, Nicholas, being sneeky and stealthy, threw a bag of gold into the house at night. Some versions of the legend say that the girls' father, trying to discover their benefactor, kept watch on the third occasion, but Nicholas dropped the third bag down the chimney instead. When the father found out the truth, Nicholas begged him to keep the secret, but the news got out. After he died, people in the region continued to give to the poor anonymously, and such gifts were still often attributed to St. Nicholas.

But there's more to this story. . .

Supposedly, Nicholas was born to a wealthy family in Patara, Lycia. His parents died, and he inherited a considerable sum of money, but he kept none of it; which is where he got the money for his most famous story.

Nicholas was the bishop of Myra (near modern Finike, Turkey) sometime in the 300s. Around that time Emperors Diocletian and Maximian began their persecutions of Christians, and the new bishop was imprisoned. When Constantine became emperor, Nicholas was released with countless others and returned to his preaching only to find a new threat: Arianism (disbelief in the trinity). According to one biographer (writing five centuries after Nicholas's death), "Thanks to the teaching of St. Nicholas, the metropolis of Myra alone was untouched by the filth of the Arian heresy, which it firmly rejected as a death-dealing poison."

One account claims Nicholas attacked the heresy of Arius (who denied the full divinity of Christ and whom Arianism is named after) in a much more personal way—he traveled to the Council of Nicea and slapped Arius in the face!

By the reign of Justinian (d. 565), Nicholas was famous, and the emperor dedicated a church in Constantinople to him. By the 900s, a Greek wrote, "The West as well as the East acclaims and glorifies him. Wherever there are people, his name is revered and churches are built in his honor. All Christians reverence his memory and call upon his protection." He's said to have been represented by medieval artists more frequently than any saint but Mary, and nearly 400 churches were dedicated in his honor in England alone during the late Middle Ages.

It's interesting that Santa Claus, the guy is who supposed to have come from and named after Saint Nicholas, is more known as a giver of gifts, but the real St. Nick was more known as a defender of sound doctrine, a protector of Christianity.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not against Santa. I just thought you might find this bit of history interesting.

The Parents Visit

2008-12-22T10:24:00.009-05:00

A couple of weeks ago my parents came down for a visit, their first visit here to Vero Beach. It was so nice to have them here. Made Vero feel more like home with them here. While they were here we gave them a general tour of the area; drove through Dodger Town and walked on the boardwalk at the beach.

On Thursday we went to Busch Gardens in Tampa. It started out a miserable day, raining and a little chilly. I was thinking that our whole day there would be ruined because of the rain. But by noon the rain was gone! And because of the rain there was NO ONE at the park. It was so nice, we didn't have to wait in line for a single thing all day, we sat in the best seats at the shows, and had no one in the way to view the animal exhibits. It was the best Busch Gardens Tampa experience I had ever had!

"Mom and a bird."

"Me and a bunch of birds."

"Us and a bird."

"Dad and a giant lizard."

On Saturday we had our youth Christmas party, which was pretty fun. We got Mom to help cook, so the meal was perfect! We ate too much, played dirty santa, sang Christmas carols, read the Christmas story, and gave the kids stockings full of goodies. It was a great time!

On Sunday Dad preached at our church here. It was really nice to hear him preach; I miss my church back home in NC. Forest Park BC seemed to enjoy him too; at least that is what they said, and I hope they aren't a bunch of liars! lol!

Other than those events we mostly just hung around at home, like we would have done if we were in NC. Frodo actually seemed to start to warm up to Mom a bit, which is saying something for him.

It was so wonderful to you have you here, Mom and Dad! Come again soon!

Sarah Elizabeth

Sunday Review

2008-12-07T21:38:00.003-05:00

Today I was the speaker at my church for the morning gathering. If you would like to hear it just click here. A quick summary, as followers of Christ we are carriers of His message. The message is what was accomplished on the cross. That's the Good News, the Gospel. But the Bible tells us that this Good News is foolishness to those who have not given their life to Jesus (it doesn't make sense, it's ridiculous). So how are we then supposed to communicate our message? Feel free to listen in on the podcast.

At night we had the choir from a local high school come and sing. There were 75 of them and it was awesome! They did such a wonderful job. It took a good effort from my youth and Bob (the only adult) to direct the cars. Our parking lot was overflowing and our auditorium was packed. I got to meet and talk with a lot of new people, mostly parents coming to see their child sing.

Whomp 'Em

2008-12-05T20:19:00.005-05:00

This game was great and the youth REALLY got into it! A fellow youth pastor showed me this game and I thought my youth would get a kick out of it.

You take a noodle (I don't know what they're really called but people play with them in pools and use them to float) and cut it in half. Then you have a Whomping Stick. You can hit someone with all your might and it doesn't hurt, but because the noodle is hollow it makes a loud boom on contact. With the Whomping Stick the person in the middle walks around, Whomps someone, then runs to put down the Whomping Stick on the "cube" (we used a cooler), and then tries to make it to the person's, who they Whomped, seat. . .all before the person they Whomped grabs the Whomping Stick from the "cube" and Whomps you back. Oh, and a special note, if the Whomping Stick falls off the "cube", without being interfered with, then the person you Whomped gets 3 free Whomps!

This video of my youth's first exposure to it. . .(I'm sure we'll end up playing again since they loved it so much and kept asking to play more).

The music is "Secret Weapon" by MXPX.

My First Black Friday Experience

2008-11-28T06:45:00.007-05:00

For a few reasons I've never gone out on Black Friday to shop. I mean, I might have been out and about, but I have never done my Christmas shopping on Black Friday. In fact, I usually have 75% of my Christmas shopping done by Thanksgiving; I've been known to buy a Christmas gift or two around August.

This morning Sarah had to be at Staples at 5:30am (where she works) and is expecting a long hard day. When we arrived at Staples there was already a line outside the door waiting for the doors to open. From there I decided to go to Wal-Mart; Sarah said there was a game on sale for half price there that we both wanted (turned out it wasn't what we thought so I didn't get it). The Wal-Mart parking is right beside its Sams Club, so the park lot is huge (easily 15 acres, but it wouldn't surprise me if someone said it was twice that). The parking lot was full! At 5:30-ish AM it was packed. Cars were going all over waiting for someone to pull out (I was one of them).

Here's a few things I noticed once inside:

There was probably 50 customers to every Wal-Mart employee.
Every section had a crowd and at least two very long lines and many didn't seem to know what the lines were for (a frequent question I kept hearing).
I saw two women grab, what I know is usually, a very expensive item because they thought the item was on sale, but admitted they didn't know how much the item was.
I arrived about 40 minutes after Wal-Mart's sales started and all of their big discount items were already gone.
I was surrounded by people pushing carts stuffed with items stacked higher than me.
A lot of people were upset, angry, and really frustrated, but some seemed to be enjoying them self and didn't let the competition of finding the sale item get to them.
It took forever just to get around.
Items on the shelves couldn't be clearly seen in many places because of the number of people.
Lots of confusion, even among the employees.

I don't get why people go shopping on Black Friday. I would rather pay a little more just to avoid crowds like that.

Are the deals that worth it?

Our Nation's First Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

On Oct. 3, 1789 our first President, George Washington, made the following proclamation:

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord. To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and Us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

Twilight

2008-11-21T02:23:00.002-05:00

Great, awesome book, pretty dang good movie! After being recommended Twilight and seeing that it was coming out as a movie this month, I read the book a couple weeks ago. It took me three, maybe four days to read. Amazing story! Very quickly, it is a love story between a human, Bella, and a vampire, Edward. I am currently in the middle of reading the third of four in the series, and they keep getting better.

Tonight we went to the midnight showing of Twilight. Wonderful! The movie did the book justice and kept true to the most part. Of course there were some differences, but nothing to ruin the movie over. I am quite happy with the result. I highly recommend the book and the movie.

But don't take my word for it...

Sarah Elizabeth

Ready for Christmas

2008-11-13T20:50:00.003-05:00

In preparation for our trip to Terry's parents for Christmas, which will be in the mountains of NC, we bought Frodo a coat. He is a chihuahua who lives in Florida, so we know that he will be freezing. I just wanted to share how pimp Frodo is. Enjoy.

Sarah Elizabeth

I Couldn't Be Happier Right Now. . .

2008-11-07T15:57:00.002-05:00

Publix and Albertsons (grocery stores) donated tons today to a project I'm working on with the youth for some Thanksgiving benevolence. And we have another couple wanting to come to our Thursday night small group.

Although, I am missing my wife right now. She's at work. Can't wait to tell her the good news!

Baby Back Ribs!

2008-11-06T22:12:00.004-05:00

Tonight I cooked ribs for the first time in my life. I made my own rub based on many of the Kansas rubs I found online. There are TONS of them online, so I took what I liked from a few and put my own twists and turns in it.

I love to experiment and many of those experiments have turned out pretty bad; just ask my mom about chicken I once cooked that turned out purple (I'm not joking). Some have turned out very good. This one, by far was the best ever!

I cooked them for our small group Bible study and they were a hit. They weren't good. . .they were awesome! Even a girl who pretty much only eats chicken as her meat tried them and loved them. I'm pretty stoked about it, especially since small group became my guinea-pigs and it could have been a disaster.

They were sweet and very spicy! Sarah told me this is a meal I "must" cook for her mom and dad when they visit next month.

Now I just need to write down everything I did before I forget.

Next on the menu. . .I want to rework my chili.

Concerning the Election

2008-11-05T08:03:00.007-05:00

I was about to make a post and then discovered that my father-in-law had beat me to it. He said what I was thinking better than I would have.

Just a few points/comments:

Romans 13:1-7

Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

1 Peter 2:13-16

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.

And just as a special note, these things were written during a time when the predominant government was cruel, had murderers and thieves helping to enforce the law of the land, taxed its subjects to the point that many could barely feed their families, and many other atrocities we're not even close to having to deal with.

If you're not happy with the outcome that doesn't give you an excuse to have a bad attitude. Watch your conduct.

Don't be focused on what you're against as much as you should be focused on what you're for. . .and hopefully those things you are for are a reflection of Christ.

Halloween

2008-11-04T12:56:00.005-05:00

At Staples we had 3 spirit days last week, the 30, 31, and 1. It reminded me of spirit days back in high school. Thursday was crazy hair day and backwards day. Crazy hair, obvious. Backwards - we wore our uniform backwards. We were able to wear jeans too. I was the only one who managed to wear my jeans backwards, I just had to be careful about bending over all day.

Friday, Halloween, we got to wear a costume. I was a pirate, arrr! It was fun! There were some pretty cool costumes.

Saturday was red, white, and blue day and hat day. I opted out of the hat, but I did wear red, white, and blue. I didn't get a pic of this day. I was so nice to be able to wear something other than the red shirt and black pants.

Frodo got to enjoy dressing us also. He is so good about wearing stuff. He pulled off a bumble bee rather well I would say.

Sarah Elizabeth

Bad News, Good News, Life

2008-11-04T00:43:00.005-05:00

You get a phone call from your son’s teacher today. You find out he’s failing math because he been doing poorly on the tests and isn’t doing all of his homework. The teacher recommends a tutor which you call up and establish appointments with the tutor to meet with your son. . .

Now, your son comes home. You share with him that you’ve learned he’s failing math, he’s now grounded until his grades improve, and twice a week he’ll be meeting with a tutor after school to help him with his homework and study habits.

Do you think the young boy thought the fact that his parent found out he’s failing is good news? What about that he’s now grounded? Or what about the fact that he now has to meet with a tutor who will make sure he learns how to do the math he had been avoiding (which is why he wasn’t turning in all of his homework)? You know the boy is thinking “what does math have to do with anything anyway; math won’t help me get a girl friend!”

Sometimes we make the Good News of Christ seem much like this. Sure, making a young man increase his effort to his studies is a great thing, but a parent can make a child practice discipline in studies. . .on the other hand we can not make anyone come to know Christ. Yet, the church often seems to follow a set of methods similar to correcting a young man's low grades. We tell them something is seriously wrong in their life (they’re going to hell). Then we take all of their fun away and on top of that we guilt trip them into coming to church 2 or 3 times a week so they can get better at this thing called “being a Christian”. Doesn’t sound like Good News at all. In fact, the Good News sounds like bad news.

This is the world we live in and this is how the church is perceived by many who are outside the church (and even a good number of those inside of it). So many see the church as a place that’s boring, self-punishing, and not relevant to what they perceive they need in life. They don't see Good News.

I submit for your pondering:

1. What kind of "News" does your church spread? What is the "real" message of your church?

2. Did you know that love is a great way to open doors to share the bad news and then the Good News of Christ? Is your church showing the community that you really love them (not "we do things in the community only because we hope this will draw people to our church")? You want to show people you love them; show it with your money, your time, and your energy. . .and don't expect anything in return.

Cold

2008-10-29T18:03:00.002-04:00

Believe it or not, it actually got a bit chilly here in Florida. A record low for October actually. Yesterday we woke up to around 50 degrees. I walked to work, beautiful outside! All day at work there were people coming in in sweaters, jackets, and even some in coats. It was a bit humorous, especially in the afternoon when it was around 65 degrees. Poor little Frodo has been cold, so he slept in bed with us last night cuddled up to Terry the whole time for warmth. We need to get him a sweater. It has been quite refreshing to be a little cold here and it not be caused by the ac. It finally feels like Fall!

Sarah Elizabeth

Roses

2008-10-27T23:29:00.002-04:00

Just thought you all would like to know, when I came home from work tonight there was a beautiful vase full of roses waiting for me from my wonderful husband. Just thought you would like to know.

Sarah Elizabeth

Pimp My Pumpkin

2008-10-23T16:32:00.013-04:00

The example we were given:

We got the adults involved in the challenge:

Our judges:

Finished products:

United Socialist States of America, Part 2

2008-10-17T19:05:00.009-04:00

It's partially my fault. I brought up a subject where I made rather vague points. Let me explain this in a little more detail (but I still want to keep this somewhat brief).

What's wrong with Socialism and Marxism? Why is it more scary than our current situation? Here's just a few of the points that frighten me about Marxism and Socialism.

Socialism sounds like wisdom to the ears of some men. It's sort of a Robin-Hood style of government, because "people are less fortunate" and the government is "supposed to be the one to step up and help them". Again, it sounds like wisdom and it tugs on our heart to help our fellow man, but if firm believers in socialism REALLY loved those who were less fortunate then why don't they give to help these people. Obama's giving record is less than the national average and Biden's is almost nonexistant. Socialism isn't about helping those in need it's about getting control. The more control we give to the government the less freedom we have.
Socialism rewards the mundane and mediocre. It creates generations of people who believe there's no need to work for anything and it's the government's job to take care you even though you're a good for nothing, lazy slacker.
There's never been a successful Socialist/Marxist government. Spain has only been socialist for about 4 years so they certainly have not proven themselves as the first example of success yet.
Socialism typically prefers to capitulate to aggressors (such as terrorists) rather than say "no" to their demands and possibly fight.
Socialism is anti-religion (or only accepting of "social religion").

A document I've only stumble on in the past few weeks, so I know little of its author, but really got my attention was from the "Naked Communist" by Cleon Skousen. In the book 45 goals of socialism/Marxism/communism is stated. Now I'm not saying I'm totally buying into this but this is definitely interesting; it also catches my attention that it was written over 45 years ago. I'm only posting the points that grabbed me the most but you can easily Google the whole thing.

24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press.

25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.

26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."

27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch."

28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state."

38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand [or treat].

40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.

41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.

Thirty-Two

2008-10-15T07:00:00.002-04:00

So I'm thirty two today. I've never been big on birthdays, although I did always enjoy going to other people's birthdays. My wife is determined for me to at least not work on my birthday (at least before youth group), so I'll be spending the early part of the day with her. She protested at the idea of me working on my birthday.

It's Gone!

2008-10-09T22:24:00.002-04:00

Praise the Lord, it is finally gone! After over a week my mysterious white spots are finally gone. Thanks to a comment under my previous post made by Jennifer I have found out what they are. Tonsilloliths, or tonsil stones are hard white spots that appear on your tonsil. Everything I read about them on the internet makes me believe that is what they were. They are harmless, other than causing great irritation that you can do nothing about. Pretty much, it was something, either food or something from post nasal drip, that gets stuck on the tonsil. It is loaded with protein, therefore attracting lots of bacteria making them white. They fall off eventually. Two of mine fell off by Monday, but the most annoying one stuck around until tonight. This does not occur if your tonsils have been removed, which would explain why this is not a commonly known problem; before my generation most people got their tonsils removed. Tonight I am going to start gargling mouth wash in the hopes to prevent a re-occurance. This was not a fun experience, but at least I didn't get sick.

Sarah Elizabeth

Wii & Youth Group

2008-10-08T21:32:00.001-04:00

Sarah put the bug in my ear a couple a months ago that I should seriously consider getting a Nintendo Wii for the youth.

Why? We'll many of the games on a Wii do not require the same skills that an XBox or PlayStation would require (being familiar with buttons and being able to perform certain combinations of buttons very quickly) since many of the Wii games are based on moving a remote. So whether we had youth who spend 8 hours a day playing video games or youth don't own a video game consul, everyone would be on a somewhat equal playing field. Plus, many of the games for Wii think outside the box and are fun in a whole new way (something other than running around and shooting each other).

Our youth have been meeting twice a week, Wed. for the main youth gathering and Sunday morning for Sunday school, but now we're adding a third gathering. This gathering, called "Hang-Time" is different from the other two in that it's only designed for hanging out to provide a bridge to get to know the youth who've been coming better, and to encourage them to invite friends to a no strings attached evening of fun. And the attraction we've added: a Wii! Not to mention a pool table, ping pong, foosball, snacks (we're having nachos with cheese dip for the first meeting), and soda.

Our first Hang-Time is this Sunday. Sarah is in charge of the Wii rotation (taking turns). I'm excited, and so are the youth. I'm really hoping they have the courage to invite some of their friends, not because I want the youth size to grow; I do want to see growth, but for youth to invite their friends is a big step for them.

Since we announced that I found a Wii to the youth tonight (Wii's can be difficult to find) the youth have been begging for Rock Band, since we had them over this past weekend and they loved playing it, but it's just too expensive of a game to buy for the youth group right now. Maybe after the holidays (by then Rock Band 2 should be available).

Mysterious White Spots

2008-10-03T16:17:00.003-04:00

It all started on Wednesday night when I felt like I had something stuck in my throat. Thursday morning that feeling was still there. I spent the day wiggling my tongue around and hacking trying to dislodge the foreign object from my throat. Then I decided, just for fun, to look down my throat with a flashlight...and that is when I saw...

The Mysterious White Spots!!!

I have at least three white spots on my left tonsil. After calling "doctor mom" I took her advise and called our doctor (who really is just a nurse practitioner). I went in, she checked me out, and we still don't know what it is exactly. It could just be food she said, and she got me to gargle water for a bit to see if it would dislodge itself. That didn't work, so then she prescribed me some antibiotics, just in case. She said it isn't strep throat, because my throat doesn't hurt at all. It could be the beginning of tonsillitis, but my throat still doesn't hurt.

Today, still no sore throat. I do feel a bit fatigued, but no fever. I am going into work late today so I could just relax and rest, in case I am getting sick. So, I guess we will see what happens over the next few days.

Sarah Elizabeth

United Socialist States of America

2008-10-02T21:36:00.007-04:00

What do you think?

I've been a guy who has studied and followed history for quite some time. My love of history was birthed late in my senior year of high school. But I must admit that, until recently, I've made very little connection between history and things that are happening here and now (probably has to do with coming from a generation that rarely reads newspapers or tries to follow what's going on in the world). Maybe I'm finally getting old enough to start paying attention to past mistakes.

Is it just me or is the national democratic party's policies highly based on Marxism and Socialism? And if so, shouldn't history tell us how incredibly scary that is?

Maybe this is something that is well known and I've been far too unobservant, which means I need to wake up and start paying attention more. Or maybe I'm just way off here. . .nah, I don't think so.

What do you think?

Wednesday Night

2008-10-01T21:33:00.000-04:00

We've been looking at what walking with Christ looks like and tonight we talked about legalism through exploring three major points:

You don't have to live by a huge set of rules.
You don't have to wonder about your place in heaven.
You don't have to earn God's approval.

Quick Update

2008-09-24T22:12:00.003-04:00

FCA yesterday went well. We again had 20+ students and the chex-mix and gatorade disappeared in, what seemed like, seconds.

Tonight, in youth group, we talked about how we can become disappointed in Christianity because we have the wrong idea of what walking with Christ should look like.

The Week Keeps Getting Better

2008-09-18T15:02:00.002-04:00

Ever have those moments when you just know something really big is happening. . .and the awe of knowing that God chose you to be the midst of it. This whole week has been like that for me.

This week two youth gave their life over to Christ from my youth group. One happened on Sunday and the other last night.

The young girl gave her life to Christ after talking with her daddy about baptism. She had heard about her father (parents are separated) baptizing her brother two months earlier and it's been raising questions in this young girl. In fact, last night Sarah was able to talk with her about this decision. In two weeks her father will be baptizing her.

I had the honor of talking to the young boy who gave his life to Christ last night. I had shared the Good News of Jesus with him about four months ago and he completely rejected it. I think for a short while it created a rift between him and myself, because I think he felt like he rejected me and he didn't know how to face that. For a little while I've let that decision sink in, but as we crossed paths from time to time and he came to youth, from time to time, (he was dodging me) I tried to let him know that I still love him and care for him, and God even more so. He has now been coming to youth regularly for the past month or so. Last night at the conclusion of a gospel presentation he wanted to talk with me and the conversation ended with him praying, on his own, asking God to change him and to give him the strength to follow him. You better believe it was hard to "fight back the tears".

FCA Today!

2008-09-16T20:20:00.003-04:00

Today was awesome! Very tiring, but awesome!

At the 2:15 FCA, the one I run, we had a lot of students! I didn't stop to get a head count, but we easily had 20 plus. The chex-mix and gatorade was gone in a matter of seconds! I definitely will have to bring a lot more next time.

Not too bad for our 3rd meeting. The word is spreading and so far we've been growing rather fast.

The coolest part was I asked whoever was interested in doing ministry at Vero Beach High to stick around after the meeting and five students were interested. Next week I'll begin talking with these few, in detail, about the future of FCA at Vero Beach High.

I'm excited!

It was awesome to see the excitement on John-Peter's (the teacher), Holly's (softball coach), and Steve's (JV softball coach) face over the past three weeks and God's been blessing the desire to minister on this campus.

If next week sees the same kind of numerical growth then we'll need a new location to meet. We've already been told we could use the gym. That's something we might be considering soon.

Just sharing my excitement!!!

Busy

2008-09-15T21:21:00.004-04:00

Today Sarah and I worked on painting the youth rec room. We spent about 3.5 hours putting the first coat of paint on all the areas a paint roller can't reach. Later this week we're going to put the second coat on, and I'll need to get in there to do some sanding (areas I puttied).

Tomorrow I have FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) twice at Vero Beach High School. At the 2:15 meeting (which is for out of season athletes and non-athletes) I had a pretty good showing. Holly, the Varsity Softball coach was rather excited. Hopefully we continue to grow numerically tomorrow. At the 6:00 (which at the moment is targeting the football players and cheerleaders) I get to be a helper while Scott (a Youth for Christ director) runs the show.

Wednesday night will be youth group and I'll be kicking off a new series called the "Really Real Christianity". I need to work harder at my series names, but the point of the series is to introduce students what it means to be a follower of Christ. Last Wednesday was the first Wednesday with the youth ministry team having new job assignments and they did awesome!

Thursday night will be small group Bible study (for adults), which is fun and challenging. The discussion is awesome every week.

Saturday night Sarah and I are opening our home to the youth to watch the movie Nacho Libre. None of our youth have seen it. Hopefully they're in to that kind of humor. We're going to have hot dogs. . .Sarah suggested corn on a stick too!

Rock the Universe, Day 2 & 3

2008-09-07T22:18:00.000-04:00

It was loads of fun! But I am SO tired!

Rock the Universe, Day 1

2008-09-05T23:45:00.004-04:00

We showed up late and missed a few of the bands, but we caught the last bit of Skillet and got to see all of NewsBoys. NewsBoys put on an awesome show!

Tomorrow we getting up early for ihop and then off to the park to enjoy a day of rides before the evening concerts and speakers.

Rock Band

2008-08-30T17:28:00.003-04:00

So, our funnest new venture has been our new game, Rock Band, for the wii. WE LOVE IT!!! It is the coolest thing ever since sliced bread! We got the band kit that comes with a guitar, a drum set, and a microphone. The guitar is the funnest. The drums are almost as fun, but a good deal harder. The microphone you just sing into, so it isn't as fun. (Plus I don't know most of the songs, and that makes it kinda hard to sing).

What really makes it fun is that Terry and I can play together, one on the drums and the other on the guitar. And what I really enjoy is beating Terry. He knows how to play a real guitar pretty well, and he used to play the drums when he was younger, but I almost always beat him. Yes, it is very different from the real thing, but I still think it is fun!

I highly recommend the game to anyone who can keep a beat. Thanks to Patty and Terry Moore (Terry's parents) for getting us the game!

Sarah Elizabeth

What Makes A Christian So Different From Everyone Else?

2008-08-30T16:10:00.004-04:00

Think about what your answer would be. What exactly does make a Christian so different from others? Or at least, what is supposed to be the difference?

Now, let's take it up a notch. Try answering the question but instead of your answer being in terms of what a Christian has that others do not, let your answer be in terms of what Christians do.

As a follower of Christ, of course I know the fact that I have His Spirit within me is a huge difference, but what I'm concerned with is the differences others can see.

What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works"; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (James 2:14-18)

Heroes Is Coming Soon

2008-08-26T20:23:00.002-04:00

How Do You Tell Your Story?

2008-08-23T12:59:00.004-04:00

How do you tell your story of salvation? Do you consider that non-Christians need to hear it without the "church" lingo/words? Can you tell others how to make the decision to be a Christ follower?

What's your story? If you blog, please share it on your blog and leave a comment with the link. If you don't blog please leave it as a comment. Pretend you're telling it to someone far from God, they didn't grow up in church, and they wouldn't know words that aren't used in everyday language.

When I Met Jesus

2008-08-22T22:05:00.003-04:00

Growing up I was a pretty typical kid. I never got into a lot of trouble, or at least I never got caught, but after 20-plus years of living a life that wasn’t interested in God my life began to take the natural course of searching for “fun” wherever I could find it, which led to many different pursuits (some physically harmless and some far more dangerous).

One night, while in college, a girl I was working on a project with share something with me that led to me being forever changed. She had tears in her eyes as she explained that she had just came from the hospital visiting her grandfather. He was expected to die at any moment. She began telling me about her relationship with her grandfather and how it was her grandfather who told her who Jesus was. She looked at me and said, “I’m going to really miss my grandfather, but I am comforted in knowing where he’ll be when he dies. He’s going to heaven. And I know where I’m going to be when I die.” Then she asked the question that left me speechless, “Terry, do you know where you’re going when you die?”

I had tons of responses for religious people trying to "save" me, but all I could think about was the choices I had made in life. I realized that I wasn’t a good person and there was no way God was going to let someone like me go to heaven.

But then she shared with me some very good news. She told me how God created me with a purpose but because of something called sin I couldn’t know or experience that purpose. She said sin was all the things we do that God says is wrong. And then she shared pieces of things God said in the Bible that pointed that out. She told me that God, knowing I had done all these wrong things, sent His Son for me so that the punishment for everything I’ve done wrong would be paid for. She continued to explain that it wasn’t enough to just know these things, but you have to accept them by giving up my wants and desires and replace them with the wants and desire of Jesus, and then I could begin to see and live the purpose God has for my life, what He created me for.

That night I asked God for the strength to give up my hopes, desires, and wants and I asked Him to replace them with His. That night He became the boss of my life.

Now life hasn’t been a piece of cake since then. In all honesty becoming a Christ follower is exchanging one set of complications for another. But before I was a slave to whatever I thought would make me happy, while trying to cope with all the complications that come in life. I had begun to feel like there was this incredible weight on my shoulders, a burden that was becoming more and more difficult to bare.

When I gave control of my life over to Jesus, He became my master and things changed; some things changed quickly and some things took time. He’s still changing me today. The change that happened in my life is best explained by something Jesus said. He said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my way of life upon you. Let me teach you. For my way of life fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.”

My Husband

2008-08-22T19:16:00.003-04:00

Today Terry, his mom, and I all went to the movies. What did we see? Probably the biggest chick flick of the summer; Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. Terry was the only male in the theater. He did not complain about going, he did not complain about watching, and he did not complain about the movie after watching. And from sitting beside him, it appeared that he did indeed enjoy the movie. All I have to say is, I have a good husband!

Sarah Elizabeth

Blessed Be The Tie That. . .Divides?

2008-08-20T22:56:00.005-04:00

Most Christians would agree that evangelism is important, worship is important, growing in faith is important, baptism is important, and missions is important. But I'm amazed at how Christians perceive these so differently.

Some believe evangelism isn't something they're supposed to do.
Some believe evangelism is bringing a person to church.
Some boast sharing their faith with strangers and many accepting Christ, yet you can't find those people in church today.
Some believe repentance and sin have nothing to do with the Gospel.
Some believe worship is what you do on Sunday morning.
Some believe worship is the act of singing.
Some believe worship is an opening act to the main event (the "preaching").
Some don't understand what it means to be lead into worship.
Some are baby Christians and they're comfortable with that.
Some find challenge and/or change offensive.
Some believe their intuition/instincts are more important than discovering what God has to say on the subject.
Some think they've learned enough and are unwilling to reconsider their position.
Some believe the congregation is supposed to have a say in everything the church does.
Some (or most) don't know what Biblical leadership is supposed to look like.
Some don't see the church as God's family.
Some don't know they're supposed to be following (or they refuse).
Some believe giving to missions is a one time love offering.
Some believe missions is something you have to leave your state to do.
Some want their church to reach everyone but refuse to allow anything culturally relevant in the church.

Mama's Coming. . .

2008-08-19T10:20:00.002-04:00

. . .well, at least she's supposed to be.

My mom had made plans to come and stay with Sarah and I for a week but the odds of that being cancelled (maybe delayed) are increasing. Tropical storm Faye started it work on Vero Beach early this morning. It was mostly just rain but within the next hour we're supposed to begin having thunderstorms, winds around 65 mph, and the increased possibilities that comes with storms.

She is scheduled to fly in tomorrow so we'll be following airport delays and cancellations. Hopefully this storm will go away.

Walls Must Come Down

2008-08-16T15:04:00.006-04:00

Early this morning I met a few guys at the church with the purpose of destroying a wall that separated the youth room I taught lessons in and the room the youth played in (this makes the second church I've done that at). We ripped into the wall and it only took us maybe 30-45 minutes to have completely down. It would have been faster if it wasn't for some screws that didn't want to come out without taking the ceiling down with them. But with patients, we got them removed. Then we removed chalk boards (do people still use those?).

All in all it was a 4 hour project, but there's more to be done.

On Monday I plan on framing up the ceiling space of where the wall was to make it look nice, putting in a carpet bar (for where the carpet goes to tile), and then filling in all of the holes in the walls (and there are a lot of them).

Then on Tuesday I'll (and a few who said they wanted to help) be sanding all of the holes and then priming the walls. Not sure of when they were last painted, but from what they look like I would assume it hasn't been since the church was built.

In the very near future I'll be painting the room to make it more lively. I asked Sarah what she thought I should paint and she said she really liked a design I did for a bible study (a 7 weeks study I put together). I do seem to see the grunge floral look everywhere so I might end up going that way. . .any suggestions?

If you don't know what "grunge floral" is, here's a few pictures with the concept.

I Married A Serious Olympics Fan!

2008-08-15T00:30:00.002-04:00

I've never really paid a lot of attention to the Olympics much. It probably had a lot to do with a lack of excitement for it in the home I grew up in. But I have learned that my wife is quite passionate about the Olympics! She was upset that she missed the best part (the beginning) of the opening ceremony because she was at work.

We've been staying up late every night, which is getting to me a little, to watch since a lot of the live coverage doesn't start until 10pm EST.

I must admit, never having followed the Olympics before, that it's a very interesting experience, and exciting. I found myself cheering along with Sarah for the U.S. I'm really hoping to see May-Treanor and Walsh get gold in Beach Volleyball; and watching Michael Phelps break record after record is awesome. I have also enjoyed the history and culture we've seen about China.

I do wish the coverage was better, but with only one station covering the Olympics I'm sure it's really limiting.

Anyway, back to gymnastics!

Wednesday Night Review, Part 2

2008-08-15T00:18:00.003-04:00

Last night was really interesting. Earlier on Wed. we discovered something was wrong with one of the AC units, the unit that cools the area where the youth meet. I was informed about 20 minutes before Youth Group began that the AC was not fixed yet. . .so we had youth group without AC. I know it was at least 85 degrees in there and we were playing pool and ping pong. WAY TOO HOT!

The youth were good sports about the heat and some could care less. Maybe they're more used to the weather here than I am. But when 8 o'clock hit, people were ready to go (and I don't blame them).

We've now learned that this broken AC unit is going to have to be replaced and this could take a few weeks. So, the youth will be meeting in the church's social hall. This is interesting because we were planning to make that move once we grew to 15+ youth. I guess God didn't like my timing and wanted us to go ahead and move!

I'm actually looking forward to the change. We won't be playing pool or ping pong for a while (we could move the ping pong table if we wanted to) and use this as an opportunity to do some different things before the lesson.

Hopefully the AC unit will be replaced soon. There are a few things I was planning on doing and we'll need that space for it.

Wednesday Night Review

2008-08-13T21:27:00.002-04:00

We've been talking about myths people have for a while now, calling the series "Biblical Myth Busters" and tonight we talked about the myth of the "Bible being just another great book." We went on a quest to point out that Bible is in a class all on its own (1 of 4 on myths about the Bible):

The Bible is a miracle of literary accomplishment.
Some books take a lifetime to write. The Bible was composed over 1,600 years.
Some books require the collaboration of a team of scholars. The Bible is the work of more than 40 authors from every walk of life: kings, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, poets, statesmen, and scholars.
Portions of the Bible were written in the wilderness, in a dungeon, in a palace, in exile, in wartime, and in peacetime.
The Bible was written on three continents, in three languages, and covers hundreds of controversial issues.
It contains inspired poetry, detailed history, biographies, letters, memoirs, and prophetic writings.
Yet this astoundingly diverse book speaks with astonishing continuity! There is one unfolding story from page one until “the End”: God’s redemption of man.
We talked about the power of the Bible (God's Word), a power no other book has.
God's Word is a fire. A fire that purifies, revealing the impurities in our life. (Jer. 23:39)
God's Word is a sledge hammer that crushes rocks. Sometimes we need to be broken before we can see our need for God. (Jer. 23:29)
God's Word is the power of good news that brings salvation. (Romans 1:16)
Like a sword that pierces the flesh of men God's Word is a sword that pierces men. It show us our insides and has the power the pierce the heart. (Eph. 6:17 and Hebrews 4:12)
It's alive and relevant and never becomes useless. (Eph. 6:17 and Hebrews 4:12)

Wii Fit

2008-08-11T10:13:00.002-04:00

Last week we got the Wii Fit. Terry has been looking for it ever since it came out a few months ago, but it has been sold out everywhere. He got lucky and found it online. So, it came in, and we did the first test to see what our "Wii Fit age" was. Terry got on first. It takes two things into consideration calculating your wii fit age: your weight and your center of balance. Well, Terry is a bit overweight; strike one. And he has really bad balance because of his past knee injury; strike two. Terry will be 32 in October. Any guesses what the wii aged him? 42! A little more than 10 years difference. Poor Terry, he has a lot of work to do to get down to 32.

Then I stepped on to get my wii fit age. Now, I must admit, I am not in shape. But I am doing good with my weight. I was right where I should be. The balance test went pretty good. I am 24 years old. My wii fit age? 20! I guess that I am doing pretty good then, although I definitely want to use the wii fit to get in better shape.

So far, we are both quite impressed with the wii fit. It tracks your progress every day, whether you have time to exercise or not. The exercises are really good. There are all different kinds, such as yoga and strength training. The exercises that I have tried so far are easy to do, but certainly work your body. I just hope that we will keep up with it and reach our goals!

FYI, the wii fit age changes every day, depending on how you do on the balance test. The second day getting on it Terry went up to age 48, while I went up to 26, so it does jump around quite a bit.

Sarah Elizabeth