Things You Can't Do When You're NOT a dog

New Role

In case you missed it, here's the first part of this post.

In case you didn't know, we moved here (Coffee Springs) because we felt that we were following God's will for our lives and transitioning into a new ministry role--Associate Pastor. Now many people may ask, "What exactly does that mean?" and I have to admit it is difficult to define. As a youth pastor it was simple: I work with youth. But as Associate Pastor, I'm more of a Utility man. Whatever role I need to fill for the church, I'm here.

God has definitely stretched me in this new role. When I moved here I have no office (just a storage closet with a desk and power outlet). There is no Internet at the church--which I found that I had become quite dependent on for just about EVERYTHING I do ministry wise. Fortunately, we've been able to get the internet at our house now, so I no longer feel handicapped by that. And I'm basically having to flesh out a job description. Like I said, Associate Pastor is the utility guy, but I'm trying to make a tangible, day-to-day responsibility for this new role I've found myself in.

But I must say that I am super happy in this new role. All ministry presents challenges. That's part of what makes it fun. It's what keeps you on your toes and makes you creative. And the people here are simply wonderful. They've shown so much love for us and have made our transition an easy one. They're excited to have us here, and we're excited to be here. Ultimately, we're all excited about what God is going to do here.

I had hoped to have some pictures to post of the church, but I guess I'll just have to post them later.

More to come...

Haven't Seen You in a While...

...and for that I apologize. Ever since the move, my Internet access has been very limited, but, no longer! Thanks to the help of one of the wonderful members of our church, we upgraded to wireless internet at the house. Now all I need is a Mac and a cup of Starbucks--scratch that, Dakota Coffee--and I'll be certifiably cool!

And since it has been such a long time since the last time we spoke, I want to catch you up a bit. Of course, it will take of couple of posts, but I promise not to make you wait two months for the rest of the story.

We now live at what I have begun to affectionately refer to as the "edge of the earth." Seriously, if the earth were flat, we'd be teetering on the edge. We are that far out. In fact, right now you're probably thinking to yourself, "It can't be any different from any other small, rural area in Alabama. Probably not much different than Vincent." You would be mistaken...ask Scottie, Janie, Robert, and Josh Sims. And I have to admit, when we first got here, I wasn't too hot on the location. I like cities. I like the life, the culture, the energy. Even though Vincent was a small town, it was so close to B'ham and the burbs that it carried a little of that vibe too. Wide open spaces and slow speed limits aren't my thing. But, in time, this location has grown on me.

The sun rising over the flat farm land adjacent to my house is stunning (which to use the word 'stunning' really cheapens it. In fact, any word would fail to capture the beauty and majesty of that view. I love how when someone comes creeping along in their truck (or tractor), that they ALL wave. I love how everyday is sunny. Even on days when it rains, it seems that as soon as the rain stops, the sun pops out. I love our little house. Its small and old, but filled with warmth and character.

So needless to say, I've grown to enjoy living here. But that's not the end of the story. More to come soon...

Prayer for Matt Chandler

{this is a prayer request/repost from shauninthecity.com}

Well, today we NEED to pray for Pastor Matt Chandler. One of the best preachers in the world, pastor of a growing/thriving mega-church, a husband, and father to a young family, Matt will be having emergency surgery this Friday to remove a tumor from the frontal lobe of his brain.

Can you imagine those conditions? Well – Matt is facing them with a courageous faith, but we need to PRAY! Pray out loud. Pray right now. Pray later. Start prayer chains. Tell you pastor. Tell your friends. Call grandmama and nem. MAKE A BIG DEAL OUT OF THIS.

• Pray for Matt Chandler by name. Pray for his peace of mind. Pray for his total recovery! Pray that he hears the voice of God in a real way in this tough season.
• Pray for his wife Lauren by name and pray for their beautiful family. Pray that God holds her up and strengthens her from the inside out as she serves as the rock of their family.
• Pray for Dr. David Barnett – the chief surgeon this Friday. Pray for his skilled hands and that God uses him to perform medical miracles. The surgery is THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON!
• Pray for Village Church. Pray that they lean on God like never before. They love their pastor and need him to recover. They have a prayer meeting tonight (Wednesday) @ 7pm.

Quote of the Day

"Some people want to live within the sound of church bells but I want to run a rescue station at the gates of hell."

-C T Studd

Quote of the Day

God’s “wrath” is his withdrawal.”

- Greg Boyd

Youth miniStarz