Hayden Julianne

Yep! I have pretty much been dying to post a picture of ole' Mootsie on the old blog, and I finally did! I will definitely do it more often. Isn't she totally awesome? This was just this morning. Hayden and I usually spend some time together every morning. As the routine goes, Susan gets up with her at about 6:30, I usually get up about 7:00 (you know how important that half hour is). Susan leaves for school at 7:20 and then it's just the two of us, unitl about 9:30 or 10:00. We have so much fun together! I love my mootsie so much!!!

God is good all the time and all the time God is good!!!

| Permanent Link

I really have a problem and I really need some help with it. Iam not sure what I am going to do about it, but I really want to come up with a solution as soon as possible. My problem is Dairy Queen. I'm serious, I love it. I have been on a dairy queen diet for some time, probably since before college. It sounds funny but this is a serious issue. I tried switching to TCBY but I don't think in the grand scheme of things it really matters. It's all bad. I will take any and every opportunity to get dairy queen blizzards, that's the truth.

For instance, last night Susan was trying to get Hayden ready for bed. Some nights Hayden is great she settles right down and get's ready to go to bed. Last night was different, I have never done this before, but last night since Hayden wouldn't settle I actually volunteered to go to dairy queen and take Hayden with me so that she would settle down in the car and possibly go to sleep. Yeah right, that was the reason, I wanted to go to dairy queen because I wanted some of that chocolate blizzard goodnessoverflowngwithoreocookies, that's what that was all about! I need help. Really. I do.

I ordered Susan a chocolate chip cooke dough blizzard, she enjoyed it very much. I ordered my self a LARGE CHOCOLATE BLIZZARD WITH EXTRA EXTRA OREO'S. When I got that big boy home it literally was Oreo sludge. It was gloriuos! I loved it, it had too much oreo. I was so pleased. I could hear the angels singing...

I really would like to go on a diet, youth ministry has also been extra detrimental to my waist line. I wonder why? You know what though I am like everybody else, I want a quick fix. I could really stand to loose about forty pounds, it isn't good. I guess the best and easiest way to start is to give up oreo sludge blizzards.. :-( Pray for me!!!!

Anybody got any good ( I mean like actually will work) diet ideas? I am a desperate man...well sorta..

| Permanent Link

Years ago someone handed me this book called "Loose Change", since then it has become one of the many books I have read regarding change in the churches of christ. I found it interesting in some ways but somewhat funny in other ways.
A lady that worships with us at Port City said that one of her friends from another church gave her a copy and wanted her to read it, saying "It could save your soul." Apparently this book is now floating "loosely" through our area. Trying to "equip" people against our evil ways. This saddens me. I am struggling with this because of some of the comments I have heard from it. I am dissapointed because I am blown away at the fact that we just can't seem to be unified in our goals to seek and save the lost. Why do we feel that if another church or brother does something different than what we are used to (comfortable with) then they are obviuosly in error. Why does that have to be? Why have we sought to bind others where God has not bound anything.
I am OK with people who feel like they need to set themselves some boundaries for their own personal needs, that I think is fine. I am not OK with those who have declared that since they need such boundaries everyone else must too.

I am really struggling right now with our hearts. I have read much lately in regard to the heart, and have even been dealing with heart issues of sorts in my own church. One thing that I have made a part of our weekly worship time at PC is sharing some thoughts on where our heart needs to be in worship. I have struggled to come to the realization that not everybody comes to church ready to have an awesome worship experience like I do.
But it isn't even about the worship, it's about the daily heart;

"But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart,"

That is what Jesus said.

I guess often I am discouraged, not becaue I think people have bad hearts, but because lately I have found my self so concerened about the hearts of some that I know. Especially when I hear statements like; "read this, it could save your soul." Is a book going to get it done? No way! Until we start looking at the heart....a book adds up to a bunch of useless words, no matter what you believe or what it says.


"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."

I am glad that God loves me enough not to care about what others think about me. I am glad that if I live in a lifestyle of love then God is pleased with my life.

Father, thank you for your willingness to love me for who I am. I know I don't have it all together, I know I am weak. Through you I have been made strong. Thank you for blessing me daily with your spirit and your love, may I pass it on to everyone that I know, and especially those that don't know you! Amen.

| Permanent Link

I have been really busy the last few days, so here is my best attempt at playing catch up! We had our staff meeting on Monday and it went really well, God is opening so many new doors for us and for that I am thankful! Our leadership is so together right now and so focused I pray that God helps us stay that way. I am also pretty excited about the way that our leadership works it is so inclusive of people and their thoughts and feelings. I don't think I have ever felt so supported in my ministry time, ever! God is good!

And now for somehting completely different...

I am a Monty Python fan, there I said it! I have been and will always be. I used to watch MP movies over and over again, fortunately for me I have stopped doing that, now I just quote them. Actually I was just thinking of a quote from The Holy Grail, you know the part where the guy goes from door to door through the city yelling "Bring out your dead."

I don't want to make light of anything as serious to a family such as death of a loved one, but yesterday I went to a funeral, and it was pretty sad. I got to do the funeral singing. We sang some fine tunes, such as: I Come to Garden Alone and My God and I. These, which really for a funeral aren't so sad, but I got the idea during the presentations and by what the family said that they really wanted to paint a sad picture. It may just be me, but I guess it brings me to the point where I wonder what funerals should be all about. I mean this funeral was sad because it was the mother of one of our shepherds, and I know his family has struggled with this for months so it was time for her to go, but I guess my point is. I don't quite understabnd why it has to be so somber. I have always heard people in my family say that they wanted their funerals to be a big shin dig, happenin hymns and roll'em out the door. I don't know. My grandma told me when I was really small that she expected my brother and sister and I to trio the tune "O Happy Day." I was twelve and wreck when the day came, that was my granny!

My ultimate thought is that funerals should be a celebration of sorts. Similar to how I feel our worship should be (I'll jump on that soap box another day). A celebration of a person passing into something better than the junk that we have to deal with on earth. I just kept thinking yesterday, that I want people to be laughing, having fun, and thankful that God loved me enough to call me his own. I don't know where I am going here, I am just dropping my thoughts, but this is something I have and may always, pondered.

One strange thing yesterday, Gene's mom attended church where Port City spilt from, and they have recently merged so one interesting thing was that all of the elders from the old UB church were there. I am so amazed at how some of them treated some of us..it was odd at times. One in particular I recalled though, Leroy McGaughy. He is always still so kind and loving towards me. He was one of the men who worked pretty hard to get me to Mobile, and he still treats me with respect and honor, even though he may not agree with my personal decision. Isn't that how we all should be? I wish I could say the same for all of them.

On a happier note, I am so pumped about what God is doing at Port City. This Sunday is our teacher appreciation Sunday and every and all types of teachers in our community are invited, it is exciting. The Calling went really well last night, we talked about support and our teens were pumped, we played an awesome game. Not to mention the fact that our pool and ping pong tables made their debut last night. I have never seen our kids so excited. I am so thankful for our shepherds Gene and Jerre, who allow me to grab things and run with them, The Calling is becoming a bigger and bigger deal each week, and it's because we actually had the faith to allow God to work! He is awesome!

| Permanent Link

Do you remember that song? It was so popular when I graduated from High school, I even remember our high school class using it for some silly event that we did.
Sometime I have these Whoot, there it is moments. Friday, I had one.

Usually each week at Port City we do a bulletin which contains many pieces of fairly important information. I've really never been much on bulletins, but hey, it isn't a bad way to get info out, if people will only read them. Besides, we've always done them, ha! Anyway, I am typically responsible for a handful of items to be placed in the bulletin. Normally, the teen info section as well as the worship order.

Before , I go any further, let me say this. I love our Administrative Coordinator, Margaret Istre. Margaret is in charge of putting together the bulletin each week and does a phenomenal job! She is also like my 2nd Mom, she takes care of Susan and I like we were her own kids and I think she loves us almost as much. For her I am so thankful, if it wasn't for her Susan and I might have hit the road a long time ago! She is an awesome encourager and friend. We joke around alot together, usually in the silliest ways with the most serious of things (to some degree)

Well, this week I sent Margaret my bulletin info, I got the worship order in, and then sent over my youth news, well as always I sent her some funny stuff in my youth news e-mail to her. And well, let's just say she was so busy with everything going on, she published it exactly how I sent it. So here you go, here was the piece that was originally in our church bulletin:

"August 29th Honduras Orientation Meeting -if you are interested in Gettin R Dun fer next yir please be thar. After the mornin sangin time."

Well, maybe that doesn't sound so bad to you, but I knew if that went out to our whole church and, as if we don't get enough bad mouthing in town already, to others outside of our church family it wouldn't be good.
Well, each week we send this link out via e-mail so people can download the bulletin off of our website and look at it. Let's just say it happened before it was fixed. So, what did I do, well I got myself up to the church building at 10 on Saturday night and changed it, and reprinted every single copy of our bulletin before Sunday morning. Then I resaved the pdf and sent it to Mike (Margaret's husband) to re-upload onto the web site! WHOOOOO!

Some people did see th eoriginal version, but luckily not enough people paid enough attention for it to do any serious damage. Ahhhhh!

So there you have it, my whoot there it is story. That could have been potentially tragic, almost as bad as the time we broke the stained glass window at UB while playing a game of ultimate freeze in the fancy auditorium. Maybe I'll expound later.

| Permanent Link

When you say the word in-law I often think of someone who should have a badge or be working on a court case or something. You know like, Hey, there's my friends Dad he's in law. I know that doesn't make a bunch of sense but I am just stating the obvious (to me at least). The point - my mother and father "in-law" were here for the last few days, they left this morning. A lot people say that having their "in-laws" around is a struggle, but actually I like mine. I really enjoy challenging my "in-laws" in new ways. Challenging their beliefs, their traditions. I love them because not only they good, honest and sincere people, but you can see in them, what we should always see on each other; an earnest desire to please the Master.

They are very straight forward about their faith and I have had some interesting thoughts about this lately, in light of my recent struggles. People who don't grow up in "the church" don't serve the Lord the way people who didn't do. O.K. I know that generalizing is a bad idea, and that there are always exceptions, but it's true. My mother and father in law (we'll call em George and Mary for further discussion - cause that are their names) are so passionate about being Christians, and I believe each day they continually seek out God in all that they do and say. See, George was converted when he was 25, he had never been to a church, a church service or any of the like. He met someone who went to the local NI church of Christ and they invited him along, he was very interested and was baptized. On his own he studied and studied and quickly decided, "something ain't right" as he says, "for people who have the love of Christ, something was missing." So he began to search and ended up at White's Ferry Rd (WFR) in West Monroe, La. Isn't that amazing that after he became a Christian he wasn't satisfied. I always challenge our teens to never believe that they have arrived, because when you think you have God will remind you that you have a long way to go.

Likewise, Mary grew up in the Baptist church, the kind where if your were black they had a church for you down the street, and black folks even went to their own heaven. Not the one that white folks went to, talk about sheer ridiculousness (is that a word?) When Mary met George they fell in love quickly and were married when she was only 18, George was 28. Talk about a gap. He and his young bride went through some difficult times, but shortly after they were married, Mary was re-baptized into "the church." It's kind of sad, think of this, George told me that after they were married a couple of years and he and Mary began serving in the church at WFR. A woman they met at church came up to him and said, "That wife of yours is a good lady, Baptists make pretty good Christians don't they?" How profound. Yikes! Calgon take me away.

I am not going to sit and write about all of the accomplishments of my "in-laws" but I will say this, for two people who didn't grow up in the church, they sure have it together. Before Mary was 25 they had lived for six years in a child care home, raising foster children. I appreciate their spirit and their example. It makes me realize one thing, us "coc'ers" born and raised need to get our act together, because for some people who have "a corner on the truth" (whoever came up with those words needs to be....Anyway) we sure don't live like it.
Many of the best Christian people I know, didn't grow up in "the church" and I think the reason that many of them are so zealous is that there is no apathy, no complacency, just thankfulness for the best gift they've ever gotten.
I really love my "in-laws" and I am so proud of them. I started writing this morning because I was thinking of them as they pulled away from my house. What a blessing to me they are!

Lord, please be with George and Mary as they travel today. I am so thankful for all that they mean to my family and your church. Bless us all to be more like you and more like them! Amen.

| Permanent Link

Some highlights (if that's what you call them) from last week, I just had to share...Enjoy!

• Last Wednesday night we had a great time doing Christian Extreme bowling. They do it at some of the bowling alleys here in the big city. You go at 9PM and you get to stay til 12. It's fun, but it sure is exhausting. Our kids have a blast as I do, but I am glad it's over. I got up the next morning to find an e-mail from someone asking me why I like to reference the Living Bible so much, and why didn't I use other translations more often...good question, but the tone was a bit frustrating. (Of course we all hate being questioned, pure or impure)
• Friday I had a great day! I got so much done, spent time with some great kids, just had a blast. Get back to the office to hear my song choices in worship have been blasted by someone who should be supporting me, not tearing me down!
• Saturday Hayden started doing this new dance move, I like it, she can move for an eight month old.
• Sunday I arrive at the building early for sound check and what do I find, this written on the back of one of our buildings in spray paint; "God is almighty, not Bruce!"

Satan isn't real happy right now! The Lord is getting ready to do some awesome things at Port City! Shine, Jesus Shine! God is good all the time, you go Lord!

Romans 12:19

Never take revenge, my friends, but instead let God's anger do it. For the scripture says, "I will take revenge, I will pay back, says the Lord."

Lord, Thank you for your Holy word! It is an encouragement in ways that I never thought it would be. May Your will be done here in Mobile, as you Get 'r' Done! Amen!

| Permanent Link

The last few weeks I have been doing a balancing act. I am not much of an acrobat but some how or another I have managed to walk the rope, or what I see as the rope. I continue week in and week out to do my best to put my very best tight rope act together for the Lord. I pray over this walk and I pour out my heart on the idea that it may please Him, and that my heart will be right in such a focus.

My tightrope is our worship service and achieving a balance between traditional and contemporary, I don't even want to talk about seekers or post-moderns.

Of course, that seems to be one of the biggest issues. I see the rope one way others see it another way. There are a huge group of people in our group who say that they want balance and yet they complain when we don't sing primarily traditional songs, there are those who don't think we are doing enough in the world of contemporary songs. You see it doesn't matter what I do with our worship, people don't actually want balance here, they want it "my way." Isn't that sad. When did it become about my way? I can't remeber when that was how it was, I guess I have been naive.
How do other churches deal with this issue? If it were really about balance then we would have no problems, but that isn't it at all is it? Nope Each week I create balance, balance based on true definitions of traditional and contemporary. Not my opinion, an honest unbiased (sort of) look at what balance is and should be. Why is it as people we have decided that it has to be "my way or the highway?"
I recently recieved three "anonymous" notes about this issue. Which I have to be honest, anonymous means nothing to me. Why can't people grab the moxy to come up to me and personally say their feelings, or atleast send me an e-mail. I am quite an accesible dude, which is proven many other things. Back to the notes:

One note said..."Worship isn't just for the young people, we want to sing more songs from the past" Boy, I am thinking that the kids must be loving our rousing versions of "Tis Midnight on Olive's Brow"

The next said..."If you are going to close with a song each week at least close with one that takes us out on high, not one that only a few know." I guess only a few know I'll Fly Away and He Gave me A Song." Huh.

One more said.." Some suggested songs to improve our worship." The list ran the gammit of traditional tunes all of which we sing, just not everytime. Some highlights from the list: O Worship the King (a personal traditional favorite of my own) I Know Whom I have Believed, and other favorites..

See I wish I could put something in their collective suggestion box that says, "Hey, be flexible, give the poor worship leader a break." Or even, "hey, since when was the worship service dedicated to singing the same ten songs all the time....your personal favorites."
My wife suggests that I keep a pitch pipe accesible and then if anyone says anything I can just hand them the pipe and say, "Next Sunday, you're up!"
Anyway, I never really have intended to use my blog for such release of tension, but I have found it quite thrapeutic.

I really would like our leaders to help me with this issue and let our people know that our intention is not to go in a traditional direction. We are a church in Mobile (one of few) who stoill has the ooportunity to do outreach in our worship services, and that needs to be upbeat and encouraging, we have a slim opportunity that we will someday lose.

Any thought from others are totally appreciated, we have been talking a lot about hiring a worship leader, which I thought we might do soon, right now I wish we would hurry up, as I am tired. I do realize I am fighting the battles and preparing the way for someone who will take it to the next level and get us focused in the right way.

Father, thank you for the opportunity to come together and worship you. It is an honor to serve you Lord, may you recieve all glory for what we do. I pray Lord for the hearts of your worshippers and for my heart that whatever heart issue exist, you will cure. Thank you Lord that we may serve and love you! Amen.

| Permanent Link

Someone once told me that every solution has it's problems, I think that is pretty much true. Atleast I have personally confirmed it for myself this week. I really don't believe I am a pessimist, I'm pretty sure I am not. I guess I just never realized what kind of challenges one would face in a new church like ours. Over the last 10 months (wow, I can't believe it has been this long) our church has gone from no place to meet to a congregation truly reaching out to it's community and being focused on others rather than self. It is quite cool, and while we have a long way to go, I am expecting continued growth which I pray will bring much glory to the Lord in the near future and beyond!

Last night I had a great time with our teens, I was so pumped about the way that God has really given me new opportunities to meet new teens and try and encourage them and touch them for Christ. We finished up Christian Extreme bowling last night and I rolled in around 12:30 as I usually do on a summer Thursday, and found quite an interesting e-mail.
This e-mail was interesting to me because it was from a man whose family has come to PC from outside the area, and I really haven't had the chance to get to know him or his family yet, but have enjoyed spending time with his sons. He was asking me why in my lesson on Sunday and in my time with the teens last night would I use the NLT so much? I am not going to go into the whole scenario but one thing it made me realize is that, while I know I don't have it all together, I really need to be more prayerful that God's people will see the bigger picture. Because knowing that we have been saved by the blood of Christ which sets us free and is filled with love, mercy and understanding. I know serving others is what it's all about. As I said earlier a new solution; a new problem.

I also had lunch with Bruce today, he seems to have a renewed sense of understanidng as to what God is trying to accomplish through us. I know God put us together today to encourage me, and for that I am thankful.

Father, this life is full of trivial things that mean nothing to you. And you have challenged us to forge through those things and encouraged us to take every opportunity to share your love and understanding with others. Thank you for taking the time with people like me who continually dissappoint you and don't often do much for your kingdom. I love you and pray that you will continue to open all of our eyes to the BIG PICTURE and help us give you the glory for all things good and blessing. May our lives be a beautiful portrait of the spirit of your son and truly be lived in honor of you. Amen.

| Permanent Link

Actually, I have thought for the last few days that this is a lost effort and it really isn't going to happen. I often wonder how some people who are so successful do such a great job of staying so on top of things.

I consider myself to be quite organized, and think I do a pretty good job of delegating and getting lot's of folks involved.
But, Today I was driving back from having lunch with my sweet wife, (which never happens due to her schedule when school starts back - so I was pumped about that) and was sitting at a stop light when all I could thinks was "Holy cow I have a lot of work to do today."
With lots of talk about taking personal time and days off, I have been trying to actually use Tuesday as my day off, but right now I have SonQuest to prepare for, my weekly worship outreach event, Sunday's class and not to mention preparing to lead tons of people into the throne room of God on Sunday. That doesn't include all of the other stuff I have on my plate. I met with our shepherds last week and while I think they meant well, I left that meeting with as much to do or more than ever!

In all this I realize that God is good! I believe right now there is some major shaping happening in me and Satan is working hard to stop it. I also think that Port City is really about to hit a huge stride as far as growth and that is absolutley exhilarating to me, and it helps me push myself even harder. Although I know I should be careful, being an A personality who can't sit or stand still long enough to even brush his teeth is amazing! (Don't worry I am a brusher - and once in a while I even floss, its just that I leave the water running while I brush cause I have to have at least one more thing to think about while I do it. Ha!) My point, I seem to never have time to make time.

This last week was fun because I didn't lead worship - no, one better, I filled in for our minister who was out on vacation. That was great because I got a challenge from my wife to really push the envelope with a message that has never been shared among our family, of course this challenge came on Friday, after my original leeson plan and outline were already done. But I believe it was God's purpose for me to change my message. One thing I know for sure is this, I had more people come up to me and say how thought provoking it was then ever before, many said, "I really needed that, thanks so much." I felt pretty good even though much of the time I felt flat. I am not someone who can over prepare, I am a much better thinker in that situation when I do it on the fly. Anyway, I know God didn't want me to get all pumped up, and Satan probably had great hopes for my discouragement when one of the sweetest ladies in our fellowship (I will withhold the name to protect the guilty) came up to me and said..."I enjoyed your lesson today, it was just what the doctor ordered. Your no Bruce (our minister) but a great stand in."

Thank you Lord for opportunities to find humility among your people!

| Permanent Link