Me and My Old Truck

New Job

2011-12-07T09:07:00.002-06:00

I have recently been demoted to Senior Pastor :). You people in ministry know the story more hours, more work, more problems. The position everyone wants at the church till they find out what it takes to hold it. OK so in all honesty I am thrilled and excited to fill this position. I feel it is absolutely a God thing and He is going to do great things in the church and my own life. The stretching has already begone for myself and some of the staff and that excites me even more to know that God cares enough about us to want to move us forward in Him.

Bees in Eves

2011-06-01T08:07:00.002-05:00

I got a call from a family in Vinita that had a bee hive living in the eves of their house. Needless to say they did not want it staying there but were not willing to get stung up to move it so away I went to check it out. It was up about 16 feet beside a chimney and it took a few minutes to open the eve up to get a look at them. I had to wait a few days to come back and get them out (I didn't want to work that high up without a ground guy). But we went yesterday evening and vacuumed up the bees and cut the comb out and put it in an empty hive box. We left the bees there to clean up the rest of the mess and will move them in a day or two. All in all a 4 hour job total but a good act to promote the Kingdom of God.

R.I.P.

2011-05-23T15:15:00.002-05:00

As most of you now know the little red s-10 is no more. It was a good little truck but it blew the head gaskets and had way to many miles on the old thing. I made the decision to let it dye and move on to something else. So far I have been borrowing my dads truck but I am still looking for my own little extended cab replacement truck that will do what I need it to. I will get pics up when I find the new ride.

Beekeeping

2011-05-23T14:54:00.004-05:00

So I have taken up beekeeping with another guy in the church. We have captured two swarms and have cleaned a existing hive out of the wall of an RV trailer. So we now have three hives of our own and are hoping to buy another 40-50 or so. This is going to be a great BIG adventure for me as I have never started any kind of business before but we are hoping to be a blessing to each other, the church, and our community. The plan is over a year or two to build up enough hives to make it worth the trip to California for the pollination fees they pay beekeepers for putting their hives out in the almond groves. I am told when you get to 100-120 hives that it is worth your first trip so we will see. I also did a beekeeping lesson for our church daycare and I think the kids really enjoyed it.

Been Busy

2010-09-13T10:11:00.002-05:00

For those of you who do not know my wife and I now have a beatiful little girl. She is Three months old now and has just learned to roll over. She slept the first time in her crib across the house (with the monitors all hooked up and tested) just this weekend. Here are a few pics of our beatiful angel. :)

Cleaning out Ditches

2010-07-27T09:34:00.002-05:00

I spent the day yesterday donating some time to help the City of Welch clean out 2nd street canal, which is a drainage ditch for parts of our community. Since the town is so funds limited this ditch has not been cleaned out for many many years and we were working with chainsaws and limb saws to clean it up. We managed to clean up about 70 yards or so of the ditch line which meant 3 large trailer loads of brush to the dump and another pile of brush still to be loaded, but we had some great help from the Craig County Jail Inmates and those guys worked HARD. A Special Thanks to them. The worst part of the day was getting tripped up by a couple vines and letting the chainsaw get against my leg, so I have so scratches that will need to heal up and a torn up pair of pants. If you live in a small community go down to city hall and ask what you can help with there is always something they need.

Todd agnew Concert

2010-05-04T09:44:00.003-05:00

I got to hang out with Todd some at the concert that our church put on. Todd is an incredible person who is very down to earth and totally loves God. He did a devotional at the Meet-n-Greet which was a chance for 15-20 people to meet him personally. Totally blew me away that normally where you you kiss hands and shake babies or the other way around, but he took the time for a short devotional and prayer requests. Long story short I would suggest to anyone if you have the chance to bring Todd Agnew in to do it. It was WAY WORTH IT.

Ceramic Tile Flooring? How Much?

2010-04-07T08:21:00.004-05:00

I have a great couple of buddies that will do just about anything for/with me even lay 440 sq ft of ceramic tile in 2 1/2 days. These guys do this for a living so that makes it even worse you never want to take time off from work to go exactly what you do at work. However Tweet and Joel are great guys and they really helped out on my grandparents rock house. We layed new tile in the kitchen, dining, back entry, utility, and bath room. It would have gone faster but we had to do some flooring work because the floors were not strong enough to hold the weight of the tile in a few places. Yea I know we are awesome. :) Special Thanks to our wives who helped do the wash down on the tile after it was grouted.

Roofing! Yea

2010-04-07T08:14:00.003-05:00

Last fall I got the opportunity to help out Tweet and his little brother with a roofing project. We put a metal roof over the existing asphalt shingled roof. When we did it we added 4x8 sheets of Styrofoam in between the runners we used to screw to add extra insulation. I never did get the pics out so others could see so here they are in all their splendidness. :)

Remodel at the old house

2010-01-29T11:08:00.005-06:00

Now that Christina and I are moved (for the most part) we have started fixing up the old house to rent out. This is no easy task as it needed a new tub and surround and a new bathroom sink plus paint pretty much everywhere and a little drywall patching because I'm bigger than I used to be and drywall is apparently thinner than it used to be. :) We still have a ways to go with the painting but some buddies came down and helped me get caught up on allot of it. Thanks guys here's some pics of our adventures.

WOW

2010-01-13T09:00:00.003-06:00

Like everyone else I have gotten sooooooooooooooooo busy over the last couple months. We are still getting settled in to our trailer and we have been hitting and missing working on the garage, but it has been coming along too. I did so electrical work over at my grandparents house and allot of frozen water line work at numerous houses over the last couple weeks. Oklahoma houses were not built for -20 degree wind chills. Now we have made it to the new year. Our plan is to fix up the old house and rent it out. I have a couple buddies coming down this weekend to help with that and we should have allot of fun. I will try to get some pics up of the fun times we have been having lately.

Finaly Made It

2009-11-19T10:58:00.002-06:00

We moved into our trailer this last Saturday. I say moved in because we are sleeping there now but we still have about 25% of our stuff at the old house. That's the stuff that needs gone through and some of it thrown away. The trailer is beautiful it has been completely repainted from top to bottom on the inside which took forever to do but was well worth it. We now have a baby room for the little one who's coming at the end of May. We are way excited and although there is still more to do to finish up completely we LOVE our new place.

Almost There

2009-10-26T10:32:00.002-05:00

Hey we are almost ready to move into the trailer that was given to us by the church. the city is putting in my sewer tap right now and then some painting on the inside and we are there. I want to thank all my family and friends for helping make this possible and helping do alot of the work as well. Thanks you all are great

B.U.S.Y.

2009-10-19T10:41:00.002-05:00

I have heard that being busy mean Burdened Under Satan's Yoke I'm not sure if I agree but I know I have been "busy" lately and it has been allot harder to fit in my bible reading and prayer. I also know feeling busy makes my stress out and my personality changes from being ready and willing to help people to being ready and willing to tell people to shut up and leave me alone. Hey the truth hurts. So maybe B.U.S.Y. does actually stand for burdened under Satan yoke at least in some sense of the term. For me busy is defined as "worried I won't get everything done" and I know that worry is not having faith that God can take care of your circumstance and we are supposed to trust God and give Him our burdens. So there you have it I guess that stupid acronym is right. So whats a synonym for busy that I can use? :)

A little Rain

2009-10-09T16:15:00.003-05:00

We got a little rain in Welch around 5 1/4 inches. So as you can imagine we had a little flash flooding to go with it. I grabbed some pics so everyone could enjoy the look around the church and around the trailer.

Blessings

2009-09-22T08:37:00.002-05:00

Have I mentioned what a blessing it is to have a nice trailer house GIVEN to my wife and I? I was recently reflecting on the many blessings God has given me. A 1000 sq ft house for 8700 dollars four and a half years ago. Yea it needed work but WOW. We own four paid off vehicles, sure they all have over 100,000 miles but they are PAID OFF. A job to go to everyday during a downed economy. A place on the city council were I can serve him in our community more. A awesome wife, not perfect, but awesome. :) I am surrounded by loving family and friends who will help me WHENEVER I need them. Caring senior pastors who WANT to mentor and train their staff. GREAT neighbors who keep an eye on my home and kitten for me. The list could go on but I think I made my point. God really is good. My cup is more than half full it runs over.

Our new baby

2009-09-16T09:54:00.003-05:00

My wife and I got a kitten. Yea we now have a little baby. What a pain the thing whines all the time. Is this normal? But he's really cute I will include some pics. So we get to play with him and hopefully this one won't get taken like the other one we had.

One more Step

2009-08-25T12:27:00.002-05:00

Well I worked on my garage last weekend and got more done. I finished the framing, there was more there than I thought, and I went and stated cutting the sheet metal to length for my roof. WOW what a job. I decided to cut it will it was still screwed down to the old building I am taking it off of and there was a tar roof underneath it. So when I was running my grinder with the cutting blade on the metal it was going through and the hot blade was melting some tar and flinging it on me. OUCH. I only wore a T shirt didn't expect to get stuff slung on me. Sorry no pics of it though I was too worn out.

The Weekend is coming.

2009-08-21T15:03:00.002-05:00

I am planning on working on my garage this weekend. It needs a few more boards framed on to it and then it needs the metal skin put on. We will see how far I get but I am excited about having a Saturday free to work on it. This will be one more step toward getting moved into the trailer that was given to us. We have gotten the gas line in but that is it so far so there are still a number of steps to go.

The Lake

2009-08-13T12:08:00.002-05:00

We went to the lake this last weekend and hung out with my old boss from ORU. He goes out once a year and takes those who want to go from the office there, since I worked there for so many years he always invites us too. Thanks Steve. So we went out and did some tubing and I got totally sun burnt. I forgot how hard it is to sleep with a bad sunburn but I still had fun and a great time of visiting with Steve and Lisa.

A Chance to Refocus

2009-08-11T15:06:00.004-05:00

I am enjoying having my senior pastors back. It is nice to not be the one in charge I should have some time to focus on getting moved into our new house which includes hooking up gas, electric, sewer, water, and repainting the inside. After all of that is done then we can do the pack up and move thing. YEA. I also still need to get the metal for my garage, but one thing at a time and everything in it season. In other words it will get done when it gets done and I'm not sweating the details. So a quick step back to take stock and refocus and away we go again. :)

Crazy Life

2009-07-28T08:53:00.003-05:00

Well life has been crazy this last couple weeks. My senior pastors have gone on sabbatical (a well needed time to rest and refresh) and I and the other staff members have been holding down the fort at the church. :) We had a death of an elder of the church and there is a funeral tomorrow. Luckily I do not have to do the funeral as I was close to the deceased (my cousins grandfather). He lived a long life and God has allowed him to finally come home, I know he will be missed here but as Christians we have the promise we will see him again when it is our time to go. The Bible says there is a time to Live and a time to die, what are you doing with your time?

My new garage

2009-07-23T15:59:00.003-05:00

I have an awesome family, my uncles came down from Kentucky and up from Arkansas to help me frame in a garage for my new house. It was good fun we had and it only took us two days yea I know but we were hanging out allot too. So anyway my family is the best who else drives 500 miles to come work for free for two days? I did not get enough pics but here are some i have.

The Hay Monster is Alive

2009-07-08T12:04:00.002-05:00

Yes its true the Hay Monster has been resurrected. I had the wonderful opportunity (yea right) of using it last night. Dad drove and I stacked the good thing is with a hay monster is the hay bails come straight to you and you just pick them up and stack. The other good thing is dad cut the weight of the bails down from 60-80 lbs to about 40 lbs. So over all we picked up and barned about 120 bails all in all a good reminder that I am not in as good of shape as I used to be. :)

The Motorcycle is almost back

2009-06-26T13:32:00.002-05:00

My Bike (a 1985 Honda shadow 700) has been broken down for years now. While it was broken I had a guy put a new paint job on it, of course it was done in a barn but it is awesome for the environment it was done in. My wife is great she let me spend the money to get it fixed and I found a guy who would do it for cheap. So my bike is ready and I am going to pick it up tonight. They went through the carbs, the clutch, fixed some wiring, replaced all the filters, replaced some burnt out bulbs, and changed the oil. It should be good to go for awhile now. The only problem should be planning where to drive it. :) I will try to get some pics of it on asap.

God's Blessing

2009-06-24T08:54:00.002-05:00

I finally got in to see the dentist. They checked out my broken crown and said they would replace it for FREE. Thank God that is $600 I don't have to spend. God is good even in the middle of trials. On a side note our Acura which is our backup car has broken down again. I did have it running for a few days, ended up just being some bad connection to the battery. Now a bearing of some sort has broken on the back tire. Oh Well back to one vehicle, at least we have that God is still good and revival starts tonight.

Broke Down Car

2009-06-17T15:25:00.002-05:00

I hate it when my car breaks down. It normally doesn't bother me to much because I have a back up but right now my back up is broke down too. Yes I know the plot thickens. I know it will be alright as someone told me today "it's only money". So there goes my garage for a few months because I broke my porcelain crown on my tooth also. YEA. I go in next week to have that checked and if it needs replaced its another $600. I know God supplies all my needs and Thank God we have a little in our savings account. So we will make it through and it will be interesting to see how it all happens.

Filling Potholes

2009-06-12T10:32:00.003-05:00

I had a wonderful time yesterday working with the city filling potholes. No it wasn't community service like you may think, but it was service to the community. Our church has been looking at ways to help the city fill potholes since last year. At the time our proposals did not work and we hit a dead end. But recently I was appointed to a position on the city council and I talked to some of the other council members about filling potholes again. We got together and with the help of four awesome guys from Craig county detention facility we got almost half the cities potholes filled in one day. It took awhile and ended up happening a totally different way but the community outreach of filling potholes still happened. God takes some crazy detours sometimes.

Hot Tubs

2009-06-10T15:39:00.003-05:00

I love hot tubs. I have spent many a night before I was married just hanging out talking with my buddies in a hot tub. We covered everything from God and Stars to Mickey Mouse. It was the best place to just hang out and relax. So when I saw that the hotel in Branson had a twenty person hot tub-I was in. I was good fun hangin with my wife we went early in the morning so we were the only ones there and it was little cool so we didn't stay too long, but here are some pics for your enjoyment. There was also a really cool pool area with waterfall so I will include it as well.

But I'm so little

2009-06-05T15:57:00.002-05:00

I am constantly being reminded that God wants to use us to do his will. It may be in my personal life that he tells me to do something or a reminder in the book I am currently reading but the reminder is the same. There is always a character that thinks "God can't use me I'm too small" whether it be physical stature or position in society. Then God steps in and uses them to do something great and once again I am reminded it doesn't matter how big you are but whether or not your willing to be used.

Vacation

2009-06-03T09:06:00.003-05:00

My wife and I went on vacation a little while back and enjoyed is immensely. She was telling me last night she is already ready to go on another one, but I think we will wait a little while. We went to Branson, Mo on our vacation and we had a blast going to Silver Dollar City while we were there. We even took the time to see the cave they had there. We enjoy doing the cave thing although that is only the second one we have been in. I thought I would share some pics of us going through the cave.

Renaissance Fair

2009-05-28T11:21:00.003-05:00

Last weekend my wife and I went with another couple from our church to the Muskogee Renaissance Fair. We had a blast looking at the swords, the falconry, the swords, the jousting, the sword fighting, the trebuchets, the swords, the armor, the chain mail, and the swords. We ate funnel cake, turkey leg, lemonade, homemade nasty root beer, homemade nasty cream soda (if you get one bad thing from a stand don't go back again), and roasted almonds. We watched a couple of the shows and had a lot of fun. Did I mention there were swords there. Way cool swords that you could bend in half and they would pop back straight but they wanted $300-$500 for them so no sword for John. There was some other way cool weapons from that time period there also. We had a blast and enjoyed ourselves allot.

Bridge Update

2009-05-21T15:54:00.002-05:00

I am pleased to report that the largest wall on the bridge is now complete. I will not say how long it took to complete however there were multiple interruptions like summer, winter, fall, and spring. But now we are just over one forth the way done. :-) This project is huge as it is 100% to serve our community children by saving them the walk around the creek, which eliminates two blocks of walking for them.

A row of Rose of Sharon

2009-05-21T15:43:00.003-05:00

In an effort to catch up on my past project I took some photos of the Rose of Sharon bushes I have planted at the church. They were donated to the church and we decided they would go perfectly down the east property line. Keep in mind these bushes are only 8 to 24 inches tall, but they will grow to 8 to 10 feet tall and fill out to 5 feet if I remember right. In a couple of years they will look sweet. I put up a fence post every three bushes and ran some green line in between as a reminder not to mow over them. Any advice on how to best care for these bushes is welcome.

Hot, Hot, Hot

2009-05-21T12:11:00.002-05:00

I love it that the rain stopped and now I can get some work done outside, but why is it so hot. It is not even to the hot part of summer yet and I am sweating a river here. I need to get back into shape and yes I know a pear is a shape but that's not what I mean. I have been working outside on the bridge. I would upload more pics but the work is slow and not much has changed since the last pics so stay tuned for new time.

New Earrings

2009-05-18T11:20:00.002-05:00

I love teaching my nieces new tricks, I mean stuff. They are at that age were they are just so much fun and then you send them home. This is my latest instruction to my sisters middle child. "Those are not shoes they are the newest fashion of earrings. Of course to really sell it I had to model some, but it was worth it.

Lunch with Family

2009-05-18T10:44:00.003-05:00

We got together as a family for lunch on Saturday. It was great fun. I got to see two of my I don't know how many uncles. One was down from Kentucky and the other was up from Arkansas. We ate and laughed and laughed and ate some more. We even had our own entertainment after the food. My cousin locked his keys in his truck just so we could have some more fun. This is a special thanks to him for providing the opportunity for a photo shoot. :) How many relatives Does it take to open a door?

Building a Bridge

2009-04-17T08:57:00.003-05:00

So we started a community outreach project last year it was to provide a walk bridge over the city drainage ditch for the children on our side of town that had to walk to school. We wanted to make it match the rustic look of our community since we are a small farming/ranching community we picked a limestone look. Well we got half finished and other things distracted us from getting done plus it is seasonal work, but when a master commission group out of Oklahoma City came for revival and said they wanted to help do something that was the opportunity for free labor to help get it done. Though we ran in to supply problems with our concrete we still managed to get quite a bit accomplished. Here are some of the pics.

Trouble in Paradise

2009-04-10T11:57:00.007-05:00

My golf cart has started cutting out. If you hit the gas to hard it starts cutting in and out. I thought it may have been a problem where the axle meets the rim, there were some grooves that rusted up and we fixed it with J.B. weld. Hey its a farm and it worked. However Dad thinks the problem is in the capacitor. The golf cart is electric. Anyway I will get some updated pics and put them on for my golf cart modification buddies. :)

My Golf Cart is Almost Done (for now)

2009-04-06T15:29:00.003-05:00

My Dad and I, but mostly him, have been modifying my golf cart. We cut off the back down to the frame and put on a utility bed. This way I can haul my push mower and tools around town in it. We also built a box into the bed that will be able to be locked up so my nicer tools don't walk off. We still have to put a hitch of some sort on it as I want to pull a mower trailer some times with it, but the hardest part is done and I think it turned out WAY COOL.

Snowy Day

2009-04-02T14:51:00.002-05:00

We had a awesome snow day this last week. Talk about sunny and warm one day and literally the next you have three inches of snow on the ground. It was way cool and I loved it. I could have done without the multiple inches of rain we had before the snow though. But I took some cool pics, I even caught a bird in one hiding out from the snow.

A little Sun

2009-03-19T10:15:00.002-05:00

So I have been out for the last two days helping people. I love getting out of the office being outside is my preference. First I got to go help the mayor as he was cleaning up some of his property, isn't spring cleaning fun, he had tried to start a recycling program in Welch but that didn't work out and he was left with a mess from last fall. Then I got to go help with some roofing, I do a lot of roofing for some reason but I enjoy it in some sick sorta way and so I helped out some friends do a little roofing job for the day which they finished up after I went home. That is also a benefit of volunteering you can leave when you want. :) So I spent two days in the sun and I am getting rid of the pasty white look of winter. Long live SPRING

Fire

2009-03-10T09:26:00.002-05:00

So I burnt the churches field off yesterday. I love fire it is a MAN thing, all men love fire. I burnt the field off because it was no good to us with all the grown up grass on it. We needed the field cleared to do anything with it. We want to plow it and plant garden sites for others who do not have the room to rent. A help to the community and covering the cost for us, but we could not do that with the field overgrown. This reminded me of when the bible talks about our work being tried by fire (1 Cor 3:13). There are times in my life when I feel like God tried my works with fire and my life burnt down around me. However, when our foundation is Christ it will remain for us to build upon again. Since I have built back I have kept in mind that what I build must stand the fire it will be tried with and although it was hard to lose what I had I now know that God had to clear away the "wood, hay or straw" that I had allowed to grow up so I could build something worth really having.

Sweet Bandaids

2009-02-27T14:39:00.003-06:00

First, if you haven't checked out New Jersey Jesus Blog you should just look in my blog log and check it out. So I am now officially a member of the Jesus Band aid Club. Wow I did not know they would come so fast but I got them in the mail today. Way cool. Talk about a good platform to teach your children about the healing power of Jesus (if you have kids). So we are preaching on Righteous Role Models from the Bible at my church, the pastoral staff rotate turns, and mine is Moses any ideas how to work the band aids in to my sermon? The band aid box actually reads "Perfect for cuts, scraps, locust bites, or other minor boo-boos." That's exactly what the Egyptians needed when God sent the plague of locust on them for not letting His people go (Exodus 10). BIG THANKS to New Jersey Jesus for sending me this awesome prop.

Mo' Money

2009-02-25T09:09:00.002-06:00

I would like to have more money to things like build a garage I could work in my own little "man cave" as my uncle calls it. Also I would like to fix everything that is broken on all my cars won't that be nice. I would also like to do the work on my house that needs done like the floor and the walls and the little path the leak from the ice storm damaged. somewhere in there I would like to put more rock on my drive so it is not so muddy and even make it bigger so we can park our cars in an out of the way place instead of right in the middle. However, when I was praying this morning I found myself asking God to guard me from GREED. "WHAT", I was thinking to myself, you crack smoker where did that come from. Greed is the love of money or material possessions that is my own definition but I realized if I start wanting these things more than I want God I am in BIG trouble. The good news is I don't but it is wise to guard against it, Thank God for the Holy Spirit who speaks up every once in a while. God promises to give us what we need and give us more if we will follow Him it is just the timing I have to get down, His not mine.

A look back

2009-02-19T09:44:00.002-06:00

I know the bible says that if you put your hand to the plow and look back you are not worthy of the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62) But I am confident he did not mean taking measure of where you have been and where he has brought you. As I look back at my life I see time after time where God's grace has covered my stupidity. Whether it be almost crashing truck off a bridge or playing cowboy poker with a bull. There are mistakes I have made that are not for the public to know but I know them and so I know the amount of Grace and Mercy God has poured over my life. At some points I am sure it was like the jar pouring out the oil for the widow, it kept coming because it was still needed but finally I wised up and God started doing great things in my life. I like to remember where I have come from sometimes as it helps me to not be so quick to condemn others who know better than to act as they are acting. All I can say is God is TRULY GOOD.

My Truck

2009-02-18T10:04:00.003-06:00

Just a side note. My truck is messing up and I would like God to bless me with a newer one. A extended cab so I can store my tools with a V6 so I can pull the trailer better other than that I am open to any make or model he wants to bless me with. Although I would like a foreign model as they seem to stand up better to wear and tear, a Toyota Tacoma would be nice. Just putting it out there in case God has been whispering in your ear.

Mr. Fix it

2009-02-18T09:37:00.002-06:00

I am handy to have around (according to my wife anyway). I like to work with my hands when I have the time and I can usually figure out how to fix something at least temporarily. So I am developing a name for a guy who can fix small problems. I get calls from my neighbors asking me to crawl under their house and fix plumbing problems, calls from my sister to help fix leaks, and calls from older widows to help fix toilets. For a while one of our church lady's was teasing me about making a shirt with a SJ and the superman logo on the front for "SUPER JOHN". It has all slowed down now but I enjoy being able to help people. It makes me feel good inside. I am glad God gave me a heart to help people. I am glad he built us with that inner satisfaction when we know we have done a good job and have blessed someone else. It has been awhile since I have done that and I am realizing that I need to put that back into my schedule.

Exercise

2009-02-13T10:47:00.002-06:00

I was reminded this week that I am not a thin as I used to be. Granted I am not what you would call fat but I am getting unhealthy. It was a crude awaking to be reminded that yes I have not really worked out for a few years and my body mass has reconfigured itself to the shape of a small tire around my midsection. Now we are not talking tractor trailer tire or even Honda civic tire but it is still there and the fact is I am about 15 pounds past what I need to be. I don't watch what I eat, I don't exercise, and my work is not as physically demanding as it used to be. My intake is way more than my output so it gets stored. I need to be more conscious of my health. I have always been told my body is the temple of God and granted I have some ink on the temples walls but that doesn't mean I let my temple go unmaintained. So now the reality I have got to drink more water GOD HATES ME, OK maybe not but that's what I think when I drink water. I also need to work out and eat better I am now almost 28 and my temple isn't getting any younger. Time to start fixing it up again.

Monday's

2009-02-09T10:06:00.002-06:00

I don't hate Mondays but they are not so cool. It is always hard getting started again after a weekend. If your like me you have a weekly to do list and a weekend to do list and it is not always easy for me to switch gears and remember what I was doing on each list. So here we are on Monday remembering what in the world was I doing Friday, not the interruptions but the list I was working on. Pouring coffee into this brain of mine trying to get it to run, a little more primer and I think I'll be there. Just in time for Lunch. :)

Stepping Out

2009-02-05T08:10:00.002-06:00

I am a cautious person, one who likes to see what step I'm taking analyse it three or four different ways and then once I've made my decision I like to wait a while longer and see what happens. This approach has helped me in a number of areas but it has also hurt me in quit a few areas as well. Some things require quick decisions and I have never been the one to make a decision that way. I have passed up many opportunities because they moved faster than my decision making process did. Now I am stepping out on a business venture this is hard for me as I am like I said very cautious. I do not want to be the one to lead my family into financial trouble and hardship. I do not want to have to trust God with this even though I know He has told me this is to happen and the the doors that were shut have now miraculously opened on there own. You heard me right, it is hard to place everything into Gods hands and eliminate your own safety net to completely trust Him to provide for you. I have done this before but God has lead me back to the same circumstance once again. It seems He wants me to remember that He is the provider not my extra income that I count on for peace of mind. My security blanket will have to go it has gotten in between me and God. At the same time He has put me into a situation that will bless me in the long run, isn't God awesome He can strip you of your comfort level while putting you on the road to blessing. Where is God stripping you of your comfort so that He can put YOU on the road to blessing? Do you still have a hold on your security blanket or have you finally turned loose of it?

Fear

2009-01-30T08:36:00.002-06:00

This morning I did battle with one of my old adversaries (fear). It is amazing to me that some people keep coming back no matter how many times you whip them. This guy just doesn't quit, I would like to think of myself in this same way. That I to am a person that would stay the course no matter what, that does not give up either. Anyway this guy annoys me, sneaking into my thoughts when I am not paying attention and before I realize it I have chased him down a road I did not want to be on. When I come to and realize that once again I have been bush whacked it is time to reflect how I got on to that road and every time I come back to a lose that I encountered years ago. I believe that God has healed me of this lose but my enemy tries to resurrect it sometimes to use as a weapon against me. I once again turn out to be the man I thought I was by turning back from the road I was led down, now if I could only stop chasing this guy when he pops up I would never end up on the road to begin with. We all have room to grow.

2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

Driving Miss Christina

2009-01-29T15:32:00.002-06:00

We have had some snow and ice where we live and it has shut down our corner of the state for a couple days. So I have been driving my wife around for a few days now as I am better at driving on the snow and ice. It has been different though because even though we work at the same building and start at the same time we drive separately because we run different directions all day. But during the cold spell we rode together and it was fun, sometimes. :) At other times it was like WHAT we have to run there AGAIN. I love my wife and she is very cute and so driving her around was good times but it was different times. Today we drove separate again and now it seems different to not be riding together. But I get to see her all day as we work at the same building. :)

Mistaken Circumstances

2009-01-23T11:29:00.002-06:00

I am constantly finding myself in situations where I think I know what is going on but in the end I did not. I am amazed at how a circumstance can look one way from one side and totally another from the other side. I had some people move there stuff into the mini storage I manage and not tell me about it. I just drove by and saw locks that were not supposed to be there. So I call the police and we cut off the lock thinking I would find a meth lab or pot growing or something like that. We found household furniture and that was it. I was very put out by this who would dare sneak stuff into someones elses building and try to store there stuff for free, that was stealing. So I locked the stuff up put a note on the door and got a call a few days later. Come to find out these people had stored stuff in the wrong building they had been talking to the owner of the other mini storage in town and when they went to put there stuff in they put it into my building by mistake. There are more points to the story but that is the simple version. What I saw as a huge injustice and a criminal offense was at its simplest form a mistake and miscommunication. I am glad I did not take there stuff out and throw it into a ditch or something that would have been bad. Thank God for the little voice that tells you to calm down and take it easy. I also thank God for the other voices around me who help support His voice.

Constant Calling

2009-01-21T08:22:00.002-06:00

I am Cherokee so I am able to use the Indian hospitals and their dental program. But to use the dental program you must first get an appointment this is not an easy task. You get one day a month and one hour on that day. From 8:00am to 9:00am to have the chance to get an appointment for the next month. I spent 45 minuted this morning calling about twice a minute, thank God for the redial button, and got through twice with no one answering the call. Finally one the third time I got through the secretary told me there were no more appointments, try back next month. :( I am so glad we have a Heavenly Father that answers at the first call, we don't have to stand in line to see Him or try back in a month but He is always there right when we are ready for him. How upsetting it must be for Him to stand at the door of our hearts knocking and get the message "we're full right now try back next month".

Pastoral Staff retreat last weekend

2009-01-19T09:14:00.002-06:00

I had a blast we hung out as a group of friends and there was no big long meeting because we had already gotten them out of the way, instead we went to have fun. The men paint balled while the women massaged. Good times. I am sore but the five men who were there all had fun paint balling and we agreed we should go again soon. We stayed Friday night with a great couple who have a beautiful home with a pool table and a shuffle board table in their basement, so of course Friday night was a blast as well. We all came home tired but refreshed.

My to do list grows

2009-01-15T08:28:00.002-06:00

I have a to do list as does every man who ownes a home and vehicles and breathes air. Mine which includes replacing the rusted out tub, the rusted out sink, the leaky faucet, tearing up and fixing the soft spots in the living room floor, and other stuff now includes fixing broken vehicles as well. Not major repairs but minor ones that need to be done. Leaky power steering hoses or pumps, new tires, engine idle problems, and the latest is a rusted out exhaust that has fallen off finally. All these need repair and all will cost some money, I can do some and the mechanic will have to do some each when the money presents itself. It is easy to look at my list and think it is impossible to get this done because as I check one off another one appears, but I remember that I can do all things through Christ and that it all does not need to be done today. It is important not to procrastinate, as that is why my list is so big, but it is also important not to be overwhelmed by your list keep plugging away at it and with Gods help you will look up one day and be done and remember the journey is part of the destination.

My letter

2009-01-09T10:55:00.003-06:00

I finally got around to writing a letter to a friend of mine who is going through a tough time. I learned alot from my letter, as I wrote to him about times in my life where I had struggled and God had seen me through. I wrote of some of my most challenging and troubling times, of some of my biggest mistakes in life and the cost they could have taken on my life without God's Grace covering them and seeing me through. It is amazing that by the end of that letter even though I was writing it to encourage him I was the one who was encouraged. Reliving the tough times of my life as I wrote them down reminded me that God was there to see me through and His love had covered a multitude of my sins. I hope this letter helps my friend as much as it helped me writing it.

Upcoming Makeover

2009-01-08T08:43:00.003-06:00

I am excited about this winter not because of the weather but it is hopefully going to give me the time to redo some stuff on my ugly old golf cart. I hope to, with my fathers help, add a utility bed to the back of the golf cart not large but enough to work with. Then I want to add a toll box below the utility bed to hold some of the tools I will be carrying around with me. After that we will be pulling out the front axle because it needs some straightening done where a previous break was not repaired correctly, and finally a homemade front bumper possibly with a small winch setup on it, but we will see. After all the modifications are done I am going to paint the hole thing camouflage with the intention of using it out in the woods during next hunting season. It will also be a everyday work vehicle that saves gas since it runs on electric. Yes men you can drool, its OK.

Tooth Pain

2008-12-23T13:09:00.002-06:00

I have been experiencing pain in my teeth for a few days now I do not have great teeth but this is something different than a cavity. Finally today the dentist thinks my tooth has shifted and I am now biting down on only it and that is causing the pain I experience. They ground it down some to match back up and told me to "stay off it" a few days. But while I was there I thought of Paul and his "thorn" I remembered that we are never so close to God as when we need him desperately. The nights I woke up in pain I remember praying fervently for healing and peace. I am not saying God gave me a tooth ache to draw me closer to him but I am saying my recent "thorn" has taken me closer to my Lord. Although I am happy to be on the downhill side of this problem. :)

Snow Cables

2008-12-17T11:21:00.003-06:00

So my Dad found a old set of snow cables in the shed. The set was for our old Chevy S-10 but since I still drive an S-10 he gave them to me. Cool. If you don't know what snow chains or cables are they are just that Cables or chains that you wrap around your tires and clip or hook, then you pull them tight with stretch straps and you have traction on snow and ice where you did not before. So of course I put them on when it snowed a couple days ago. It was fun. I had not put a set on in 7-8 years and it was like stepping into the past. I have to admit it really is the little things in life that make it fun.

Playing in the snow isn always fun. :)

The everyday of life

2008-12-10T08:49:00.002-06:00

Sometimes I forget that life is not the series of highlights that I remember but actually the endless monotonous days that string those highlights together. Its not those occasional times that I am really nice to someone that they remember but how I acted on a day to day basis. The attitude I always had or did not have, the sarcasms I did or did not use, the compassion I did or did not possess you get the point. The highlights are always great the really good things we do for people need to be there also but they should be the cherry on top of the sundae that we serve to them everyday. So now that I wrote that how do I do it? :) All I know to do is put down one stone at a time.

My mouth

2008-12-08T09:52:00.002-06:00

I recently had a reminder that I need to watch the words I say. I like to smart off every so often nothing bad just funny stuff, but I recently shot my mouth off faster than I engaged my brain and had to go back and apologize. God reminded me how important it is to watch my words and be an encouragement to others instead of a stumbling block. I did not realize how much in need of correction I was in this area but that is life when God convicts you in an area then you find out how much in need of improvement you are. With new levels come new devils and new things in life to master.

Analogy

2008-12-05T09:35:00.002-06:00

If you haven't checked out New Jersey Jesus blog then do it. It is way cool but why reading his latest about, well you read it, I was reminded about my own short comings and my own hurts that give way to less and less compassion in my life if I let them. I am a young pastor of 27 and I have been working in the church awhile. I have found it a reality that as you reach you hand out to people you are just as likely to have it bitten off as to have them grasp it in kindness. After a while you find that you are extending a wrist, then an elbow, and finally just a few inches of a nub left at the shoulder. But what I realize in my analogy is that god heals that nub and regrows a hand out from it. If I let him my arm will never be a nub again but a wrist that continually regrows a hand for reaching out to the next person and who knows maybe eventually everyone will reach back a kind hand.

The Love Dare Cont.

2008-12-05T09:01:00.002-06:00

Have I mentioned this is harder than I thought? I am falling behind with all this stuff it wants me to do. I know it is one thing a day and you are going WOW you can't do one thing a day for your wife, but it is a specific thing and sometimes you almost literally have to plan your day around that one thing. Its deer season I am booked solid trying to find the deer that have mysteriously disappeared from our area, how am I supposed to find time to do something meaningful for my wife like the dishes? OK so seriously I probably need to try a little harder but don't judge till you have been through this because it is harder than you think. I don't mean to sound like a bad husband I believe I am a good husband and my wife would agree. We have been married over three years and we are still in the honey moon stage which is great but you try to dedicate yourself for 40 days to doing something for your wife everyday and see if it is just soooooo easy.

The Love Dare

2008-11-25T08:53:00.002-06:00

Yea I am doing it too. No I have not seen the movie (Fireproof) yet but it seems like a really good book(The Love dare). It gives you kinda a short devotional reading then tells you your dare for the day. I thought no problem I have a great marriage this is a breeze. But its not as easy as I thought it would be. Its got stuff like don't say anything negative to your wife all day. Do you know how hard that is in a sarcastic society like ours? But it is a great process so far, I am on day 4. There are 40 days total so we will see how this goes. My wife is really enjoying it also which is good. Our church staff are going through it first with the men toward the wives and later the wives are going to do it for the men. Helloooooo back rub. I am easy to please. :)

Building Projects

2008-11-18T10:48:00.002-06:00

So I am attempting to put back together a shed I tore apart from another location. The problem is I had to completely rebuild the bottom of the shed and I am having to replace rotted out parts of the walls. I am choosing to do this because sheds are very expensive to buy and when I get this one put together I will have less than $50 in a 8x10 foot storage shed. I like this idea very much, but the process of putting it together can be frustrating. I have to cut out some sections and splice in new wood it becomes very time consuming. In these moments of frustration when I am thinking in my mind that I just want to scream at this wall I am rebuilding it is comforting to reflect on the fact that Jesus was a carpenter too. I am sure a better one than I but it is nice to know He was standing staring at a project that was frustrating a time or two as well.

First Time Painting

2008-11-13T08:32:00.002-06:00

OK so not really painting but is was my first time painting with a spray gun. We painted a whole house in about 2 hours this is not including the setup and learning how to run the gun. It looked great for the first time. Sorry no pics yet but maybe later. So I am sore with all the leaning and holding my arms up for so long but the house does look better and it has been a year in the process, yea it got primed last year about this time. Better late then never right. So hey any forward motion is progress though, granted slow progress. So I have joined the ranks of the painters in society this is important to me because I love to do Home Improvement and now I have done one more thing I had never done before. I am a very practical person the more I know how to do the more I can help someone else do. I relate allot with James on the whole faith without works is dead thing (James 2:17).

Running (from Saul)

2008-11-11T08:39:00.002-06:00

I am not a very good runner. I don't literally mean running although I used to run in high school, I mean turning from things when God says too and keeping my mouth shut when he says too like David running from Saul. I have this urge down deep that has to justify myself, I try to leave the situation alone and let God justify me but it becomes hard when he doesn't do it by the next morning. That's why I say I am not a very good runner. If God had David to run from Saul for so long before making him king I wonder if there are situations in my life I am to bare for awhile. Is this to teach me humility like Paul and his thorn, is this to develop some character traits that I am presently lacking, or is running part of the overall attack plan. I like this thought its not running its a strategic withdraw to build my character for a final victory. Maybe that thought will help me keep my mouth shut when it comes time to run. :)

Wind generators

2008-11-10T09:03:00.002-06:00

So I have looked into wind power in my area of Oklahoma and at first it did not make since because we have such little wind average here. But when I looked deeper into it they have small wind generators that are 1000 watts and smaller that you can build yourself. I realize this is not alot of power but every little bit helps with riseing utility bills right? The only thing is I live in town and cannot put one up but my Dad is inn the country and looking into it. Does anyone have any good advice or experience they would share about these systems?

Long Time Gone

2008-11-10T08:57:00.002-06:00

Hey I am back. I couldn't get on to blog for awhile because I am so technologically inept. Something about my cookies changed and I am not even a baker. I don't make cookies and I rarely eat them (because no one else makes them for me with the exception of my step-mom occasionally). But the important thing is I am back. Good Times are here again. :)

It all comes from God

2008-10-20T09:18:00.002-05:00

Everything we are as Christians comes from God. He is our source, but sometimes we are distracted from him by our circumstances. The economy, the election, the changing of seasons and preparing for winter all these things compete for time and attention but where is God left in the mix? It is so easy in conversation with the people around us to be overcome with all the GLOOM and DOOM that they are dumping out. At our church we call it "spiritual vomit" because it needs cleaned off just like when someone really vomits on you. If you don't clean it off you start thinking like that other person. This is our chance as Christ-like people to encourage those around us with hope that the creator of this world still holds it in his hands and nothing knocks him off of HIS throne or takes HIM by surprise.

Proverbs 18:21 (NLT)
Those who love to talk will experience the consequences, for the tongue can kill or nourish life.

More Schooling

2008-10-07T08:42:00.002-05:00

I am starting to get a little tired of all the schooling. Let me say up front that I did not manage my time well and am now having to buckle down and spend allot of time catching up on my studies. But I am wearing own with this continued education. I should look at the bright side and realize this correspondence class is easier than when I was in college but I want to wine a little. OK I am over that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (I've read that somewhere :).

Philippians 4:13
For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.

Every Day A New Day

2008-10-03T08:25:00.002-05:00

I was telling someone the other day that it seems every day I wake up in a new world. I don't really think I'm that bad but it seems that way some times. I was thinking about that and every day is a new day, a new chance to do what we should and clean slate to work off of. I think it was Paul who wrote if we put our hand to the plow and look back we are not worthy of God. I you remember where that's found send it to me. Seems fitting for a guy who used to kill Christians and then became one himself. Here is some words of wisdom "Don't let the past drag you down" and guess what yesterday is in the past.

New Wheels

2008-09-25T11:37:00.004-05:00

Yea I got new rims and tires for the back of the golf cart I am fixing up. The golf cart was given to me by my brother and the rims and tires by my father so I have very little money in it so far. I did have to buy some brake parts and I need to buy some more some watch the sidewalks. These new tires are for a small four wheeler so they jack the back of the golf cart up about 4 inches, which is sweet. They run a little rougher on pavement but I can totally go off roadin now. :) this is not the exact tire but it will give you an idea. Picture a tire like this on the back of a golf cart like that. No need to worry about breaking anything.

The Leaders House

2008-09-23T08:28:00.002-05:00

This is what I am going to call the house next door to the XA (Chi Alpha) house where the leaders will be living. We are working on it so it will be ready this weekend. It is alot of work and we are only doing a little part of it. There are groups from other Church's in the area who are helping too. So I spent the day up there yesterday with Pastor Trudy's help for the first part of the day doing some flooring, setting a door, and straitening a door jam so another door would latch. It was hard work and I almost sweat out all my toxins but luckily I went to sonic and got some more. Who actually drinks water anyway. I am living proof you do not have to drink 6 glasses of water a day. :) So I will post some pictures of the projects as soon as possible.

2008-09-19T08:23:00.003-05:00

We finally got the football field bleechers done. It was myself pastor Trudy and the youth pastor Katie. We worked hard getting it done and are proud we were able to do it. We got to hang out in the sun so we also got sun burns but it was nice to be outside. Except for the labor part of it. Now we move on to the next important thing demanding our time but not without some before and after photos.

Plumbing

2008-09-18T09:48:00.005-05:00

So I live on a block with two widows across the alley. I have let them know if they need anything I am willing to help them for FREE. It never seems to be the best time when they make good on the offer but when is the BEST time to put aside the stuff you are doing to help someone else? I found myself the other night taking apart a "P" trap on a sink, after dumping two bottles of drain-o down it, so that I could run a little snake I have through the line. I had to run it twice and that took a little while but we got the line clear and it saved this older widow alot of money that she did not have to spend on a real plumber. I have been paid in kindness, pies, and nuts but that's not why I do these things. God has called us all to help.

"Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us."

James 1:27

Back at It!

2008-09-17T08:43:00.002-05:00

Once again I am back at community outreach. Maybe I should rename this blog (Community Outreach Unlimited)? Will see, but I enjoy it. We are doing some painting on the football field bleachers, I will post some pics when we are done. It is HARD work as we have to do it with rollers and brushes. Painting is not my favorite thing to do either, but it is the first time in years of trying that the school has allowed us to come onto the campus and help. I am still amazed at how hard you have to work just to earn the right to serve (work more for free) people. WOW, WOW AGAIN. Yea how messed up is our world? How scared of being taken advantage of? I was recently reminded that WE are the salt of this world. It still tastes a little bland to me, but I do like my salt so I guess we just keep adding.

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

Mathew 5:13

What a day

2008-09-12T08:34:00.002-05:00

My dad had surgery yesterday for a back problem. The surgery went well and with alot of physical therapy he will be back to great shape. I did not realize it was going to affect me the way it did. My family is close but I just wasn't worried about the surgery or seeing my father after the surgery. It took me off guard to see him with hoses running out of his back and hip draining the seepage from the operation, the O2 hose out his nose, the monitor and all the leads checking his vitals, and so on. It wasn't just all that but the pain I saw him in when he was between the operation pain killer and the other pain killer they were not quite ready to give him in post op. It is hard to see another human being suffering, but sometimes we have to hurt a little to get better. How many of us are willing to do that in Christianity?

A Pure Heart

2008-09-10T09:35:00.002-05:00

I think I am going to explore this concept. In life you have many chances to allow circumstances to "dirty up" your heart. I don't want a dirty heart. I want a clean one with no issues or rotten spots. I don't want to look at my heart and end up saying "how did that worm get in there", or like a banana that has over ripened find it kind of slimy.

Mathew 5:8
Blessed [are] the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

The Zoo

2008-09-08T09:43:00.003-05:00

we also went to the zoo while we were away from home. It was a blast and a half. I have not been to the zoo since I was in gradeschool. I don't remember the animals being that big. My wife loves the zoo and has been wanting us to go since we were dateing. Over three years later we finally went. Husbands don't make your wives wait that long to do something simple with them. Take a day off and "just do it". Work can wait. I love the saying that you have never seen a grave stone that says "Wish I would have spent more time at work".

Back from camping

2008-09-03T08:18:00.003-05:00

My wife and I plus another couple went camping this weekend. It was a blast. We got to see a waterfall, enjoy company of good friends, and relax. It was a little warm but we spent a fortune on batteries for the fan and ice for the cooler so we were OK. Great thanks to our friends for making the time to hang out with us this weekend and Thanks to Natural Falls State Park for having such nice bathrooms. We are back now ready to get back into the swing of things a little at a time. :)

God's Power

2008-08-28T08:37:00.002-05:00

I read the story of David and Goliath this morning. I have read this story many times but something new struck me this morning about it. The principle that God overcomes even the greatest odds. That not matter what your personal weakness is, no matter how many times you have fallen prey to the enemy, God will still show up. Even when it seems you are a small Shepperd boy with a stick standing against a giant warrior. God says He will be made strong in our weaknesses we just need to rely on Him.

Time at the Lake

2008-08-25T13:18:00.005-05:00

I forgot to post about our time at the lake. My wife and I had the opportunity to hang out with some old friends awhile back at the lake in the Disney area. We had allot of fun. Christina went tubing with me and then I went by myself (she doesn't like to go fast). I also got to do a little skiing. It was the most fun I have had in a long time. Way Cool.

Dorsey Dump Trailer

2008-08-22T08:23:00.003-05:00

This too can be yours for a very low price of a new tractor and very well build trailer. OK so maybe that's not a low cost. Anyway dad and I moved some dirt yesterday from the old church up to the new church and since we don't own a dump truck or dump trailer dad decided to improvise. It worked with a little bit of straightening the hitch pin when we were done, but at least we did not have to shovel the three trailer loads off. :) For all those watching please don't try this at your home or church.

New Additions to our Family

2008-08-20T11:14:00.004-05:00

Yea I have added a couple new additions to our family. My wife is OK with it so I am moving forward with my plans. No baby's yet but some fun stuff for me. Allot of work but I now have an old golf cart that I am fixing up. It will be a long road but I will try to keep everyone up on my progress. So far I bought a $50 hub so the thing would move, the old one was stripped out and the axle just spun inside of it. Dad and I cut a board to sit on and I had to do some clean up and repair on the wires for the batteries but she moves now. Still no brakes as both lines are either disconnected or broke. I also removed a set of screwed on rigged up seats that were attached to the back of the cart, WOW, Talk about trashy looking. I need a name for our newest toy maybe "Zeke" I have always liked that name and since my wife swears we will never have a child named that maybe our golf cart will do. Long live Zeke may he run "long time". :) Plus I am still growing my baby's they are getting big. I was told they grow up so fast but this is just cool. So I am including a picture of them as well. There is a red bud, a dogwood, a Washington Hawthorne, and crepe merdle. They are going to add color to my yard when they get big enough.

Time with Friends

2008-08-20T09:37:00.003-05:00

I spent some time yesterday with friends. I was supporting them as they went through a court proceeding. It was a fun time for me but a very difficult time for them with the uncertainty of how everything would turn out. I enjoyed it because I always enjoy time with friends no matter what the circumstance. Everything turned out great for them and at the end of the day everyone was excited at what God could do though present circumstances. Good times, and congrats again to my friends on winning their case.

That Sore Feeling

2008-08-15T11:31:00.003-05:00

Yea I am living through that right now. When you do some hard labor you haven't done for awhile and the next day you feel like you pulled muscles you didn't even have before that's where I am now. Somewhere between ouch and ooch. Glad to take some time today to rest.

Can you tell I like Community Outreach?

2008-08-14T09:19:00.002-05:00

I love community outreach. My brother is a welder, he is really good. God gave him that talent. My sister is a cosmetologist and she is good at it. God gave her that talent. Me I am a associate pastor and a handyman. God gave me my talent. I found myself telling a stranger the other day what I do. I told her I was a associate pastor who specialized in small churches who needed a pastor, lawn mower, handyman, plumber. I forgot to add roofer and semi-fair carpenter, but I think she got the point because she asked where I lived apparently her church was looking for a pastor. Not yet. Its not Gods timing. But God has given everyone the talents they have. What talents has God given you? Time management, organization, budgeting, good with your hands, ability to think through a problem, what has God given you?

How much is too much

2008-08-11T08:54:00.002-05:00

So I like to help people. Spiritually most of all but physically (community outreach) also. I like to get into peoples worlds and mess with their priorities because in my opinion (and the bibles) their priorities are wrong and I know if they get them straightened out they will have a better life. Thus the help them scenario. But it is not easy to break into some peoples worlds. I try to get in and they shut me out. The walls are too high to climb and too thick to break through. I could camp on their front porch but that just makes me a stalker not a pastor. So I am left trying to find ways through the front gates. The best thing I have going for me is patience. If you are around long enough when your needed your opportunity arises and you can speak truth into their lives.

One reason I do what I do. :)

2008-08-08T12:12:00.002-05:00

It amazes me that even when you want to help someone with no strings attached you still have to earn the right. I do allot of Community Outreach through the church I work at and attend. I love it, its awesome but I am always amazed when you offer to help someone with no requirements on their part and they turn you down. It's like we live in a world that doesn't understand "no strings attached" or "just want to bless you". Why would you tell someone no who just wants to do something for you FOR FREE. Its because in our world people have been taken advantage of so many times that they don't trust anyone even Christians. You have to earn the right to work for someone for free because you have to earn their trust that you are not trying to take advantage of them. That is one reason why I do what I do.

In Charge

2008-08-06T08:50:00.002-05:00

I am "In Charge" this week as my senior pastors are out of town. I am a analytical personality type that sees everything in black and white, very little gray. However, I am learning there is gray areas or maybe we should call them Grace areas. So I was reading about King Saul this morning and a oath he made. He charged the soldiers in his country to not eat all day until "He" was avenged, sounds like pride to me. The soldiers did not eat until they were done but then they were staving and ate meat "with the blood". I think that means raw but I did not study it out. Anyway the point was whatever it means that it was wrong for the to do at that time. They were sinning against God and the hardship their King (leadership) put them under drove them to it. They were big boys they knew it was wrong and it was their decision but the unGodly oath the king made placed them in a bad situation, and set them up for failure. Life's Lesson # whatever I lost count by now but it struck me the importance of knowing what you are doing before you do it as a leader you can set people up for failure. As a side note they won the battle and all got to eat later. Saul stopped everyone from sinning and life went on (1 Samuel 14).

Even More Community Outreach

2008-08-05T14:27:00.002-05:00

I love the feeling of helping people. Somehow God built us with this deep seated satisfaction thank comes from really putting forth some effort in helping someone. I spent the morning helping the mayor of our small community pick up some brush we had cut a couple weeks ago and get it hauled off. Plus we were able to help a widow in our town get some brush out of her yard and we trimmed another tree back from the road so the school buses don't rub against it anymore. It was a hard five and a half hours in the heat this morning but well worth the investment.

Making New Friends

2008-08-04T09:56:00.001-05:00

So I have been checking out some other peoples blogs. This has taken some time but has been well worth it. I have read about an atheist women who believes all Christianity to be a cult. I also have read about a artist who is fighting depression, and a man who is finding Jesus in interesting places. They have some interesting blogs some I agree with some I don't but they all have the courage to post what they think and that is too cool that they can be that honest.

Kids Krusade

2008-08-03T16:53:00.002-05:00

Tonight we start Kids Krusade. I will be driving the van for the kids picking them up and dropping them off. It should be allot of fun. It is always a blast seeing them have their boys against girls offering war and watching all the little games they play. So come enjoy the fun @ Gateway Church in Welch, OK.

Martha Tennison Story

2008-08-01T08:43:00.005-05:00

When Pastor Tennison was here she told a story of a young women dying of cancer. This women was in her twenty's she had a small boy and her husband had left her because he could not handle the pressure of the situation. This situation was told to a pastor by a women in the church who had been visiting and praying for this young woman. She asked the pastor to come pray for the young woman and the pastor told her he would. The pastor makes it to the house and the little boy opens the door and asks him if he is "The man of God". The pastor tells him yes and asks why the little boy asked him that. The little boy told him the woman from church told him when "The Man of God" comes your mom will be healed. The pastor prayed for the woman and she received God as her savior and was healed that same day. That is not the exact story word for word as Pastor Tennison told it but the point was are you "The Man of God"? I am not sure I am but I would like to be.

Another Day Another Project

2008-07-31T12:01:00.002-05:00

So I was off and running early this morning I was helping a guy in our church empty a trailer just a helping hand and a hang out for a bit thing. Of course there were five other things I had to do before I ever made it to his house with the trailer but I am finding out that is life. So the trailer is empty. I stopped to check a water heater for a lady in town and bad news its leaking and needs replaced, but I made it back to the church building for lunch. God is Good. Its the little blessing that add up. Another day, another project, another person helped.

Feel Busy?

2008-07-30T15:18:00.002-05:00

I hate that feeling. It's horrible. Usually I am not near as busy as I feel, but the feeling itself makes me wast time. It makes me want to do nothing because I am so busy I need to rest. Which is so not true because I am not that busy. It is a time management issue. We have the time if we would just plan correctly it would all get done.

More Community Outreach

2008-07-29T09:11:00.002-05:00

By now you may be saying "why so much community outreach?" well that's what our focus is at Gateway. Serving Christ by Serving the Community. So we try to serve the community you know the whole Christ came to serve not be served thing so we should do the same. Yea well we are at it again we are going to help our school this time. We are going to be painting the seats and kick boards on the football field bleachers. Plus the lean pole that surrounds the concession stand area and the fence around the trash dumpsters. If you feel like helping let me know. We are looking at doing this on a Saturday so others can help.