things aren't always what they seem

I have been stressing about a few things this week (yes, i know I shouldn't worry)!

our car is having problems

something is wrong with our taxes

church finances are way down

and

my cell phone broke.  

I was extremely aggravated by this phone thing.  I love everything about the phone except for not being able to picture message, I have to go  a few days without my phone and I have to buy$$$ a new one........ugghhhhhh

but listen to what I was told by the alltel rep......

  "You are eligible for an upgrade so you can get the phone at the new price.  (I picked the palm treo PRO an upgrade with pic messaging for only $59).  Also, we can and go ahead and lock in your current plan for another two years.  

  Otherwise you would have had to switch over to a Verizon plan next month since your contract has expired (for less minutes and the same features I use currently it would have been another $40 a month to switch to the Verizon plan) ."

So I spent $60 and saved $40 x 23 = 920.  My phone breaking saved Christie and I $860 over the next two years.

Thank you God for breaking my phone. 

This was His way of saying "I got this".  

i am what i am

A lot of times I do not feel like I deserve to be where I am in life.

because of my......past

because of my......age

because of my......mistakes

because of my......failures

because of my......weaknesses

because of my.....inexperience

because of my.....sin

because of my.....doubts

because of my.....insecurities

Paul talks about not deserving to be an apostle in 1 Corinthians 15:10 and has spoken to me in a very personal way

"by the grace of God, I am what I am and His grace will not be void, because I worked harder than all of them; not I but the grace of God with me."

you may not deserve to be where you are - influentially, financially, relationally, etc.... but by God's grace you are what you are.

weekend recap

Mosaic 5K

We had 247 participants in the 1st ever Mosaic 5k!!!!!!!!

The unofficial amount of money we raised is just under 5K dollars!

-all proceeds benefiting the Crestview Pregnancy Center and the building of  a well in Mali, Africa.

I am so proud of Kinetta (race director) and all of our volunteers that made it happen!

Worship

I think that week 2 of "no more christians" was the best overall worship service we have ever had!

It was cool to meet people who have been to church once or twice in the last 10 years! (It seems like this is starting to be a regular thing!)

1 year celebration

We had a great time of hanging out, eating good food, singing together, and sharing what God has done over the past year!

I am so excited about what God has done, is doing , and is going to do through our Church!

Cameron

His second tooth appeared this weekend.  It is so bittersweet to see him grow up!

I love my family so much!

God

Is so good and so real on a personal level!

five questions I ask myself just about every night.

What did God teach me today?

How can I be more like Him tomorrow?

What decision do I need his guidance on?

Who do I need to intentionally talk to about their walk with (or lack of) Christ?

What am I afraid of?

the right thing

Sometimes doing what is right does not make sense.

It is so easy to lean on our own understanding. We are comfortable with it. We are familiar with what the consequences are. We are in some sort of control of the situation. Even if it is bad there is not an element of surprise.

We don't like surprises; or better put we don't like the time leading up to the surprise. I want to know my choices:

If I am not the one picking where we go to dinner, I like to know beforehand so that I can prepare myself if I am going to be disappointed or eat less during the day if it going to be somewhere good. I do not like just showing up somewhere.

If someone is paying, I don't like rules on what to order. I want to have the freedom to choose. I want to be able to do what I want.

Why do I say all this? Because God asks us to follow him, to make decisions that are not based on our understanding but are leaps of faith.

I have to ask myself a question a lot? As a pastor, as a church planter, as a husband, as a friend, as a leader, as a father, as an individual

am I willing to follow God into the unknown?

self-control

Without boundaries it is easy to get hurt.

It is ridiculous how we live our life as if there are no boundaries for anything. We eat as much as we want, drink as much as we want, have sex with whomover we want, buy whatever we want, and so on and so on.

God says that when we do not have self control we are setting ourselves up for destruction. (Proverbs 25:28).

As Christians we have to realize that God's boudaries for our life are to protect us. When I was young we had several dogs and we urged them to not cross the road. However there were things that they desired across the road and even though they had it good, they had to go for what they wanted. The result of them living their life in a way that constantly crossed the boundaries ended up being harmful and sometimes fatal.

We become like animals when we lose self control. When we live our lives in this way the result is harmful and somtimes fatal.

but the fruit of the spirit is..................self control

I trust in God

I hear people say this statement a lot. However, I wonder how many of those people truly trust God.

I know it is an overused analogy but someone who says they have faith that a chair will not break but is not willing to sit in it, does not really have faith in it.

If you trust in God financially but do not sacrifice finances for his sake; you don't actually trust in him financially.
If you trust in him with your finding the right person but will not look for the criteria he sets for your spouse; you don't actually trust him to give you the right person.
If you trust in his direction but will not follow unless everything makes sense; you don't actually trust in his direction.
If you trust in him for eternal life but do not give your life to him; you don't actually trust in him for eternal life.
If you don't trust in him......etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc.......................................................................

Let's stop praying - God take all I have and do what you will - and start giving all we have so that He can do as he wills!