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John Mayer has a blog... and I really like his music... Anyway, I thought this post on his blog was so interesting...johnmayer.com... Its the blog entry called change. John, I am praying for you as you start the journey of looking at your life and working through change.
Check it out...
Am on a bit of a reading binge right now, having just finished Craig Groeschel's book, "Confessions of a Pastor," (Awesome! I turned right around and ordered his book, "Chazown", it should be in, in the next day or so. Confessions is a book that I thought... oh my, I have felt everything he is saying, which means he is really screwed up or maybe I am normal.)
Also, just finished Mark Batterson's book, "In a pit with a lion on a snowy day." (Again, this is a book that everyone should read! i especially loved the chapters on grabbing opportunity by the mane, and the Importance of looking foolish. This book will inspire you to go out and live great for God. We are going to need to get some of these for the church bookstore... and for those that are reading this... Mark, offered to send this book for free, I said no. I wanted to buy it myself. I hope he sells a ton of them... Great resource!)
I am now midway through Patrick Lencioni's book, "The five dysfunctions of a team." Literally started this one at Barnes and Nobles this afternoon and looked at Vicki, my wife and said, "I am so buying this book." I also picked up "Death by Meeting." I think he is going to be one of those writers that I will own everythin he writes. I also purchased the field guide to "Overcoming the five dsyfunctions of a team."
Waiting in the batting box, "Chazown", which will be here any day. Also waiting, "Understanding Church Growth" by Donald McGavran, a book I read years ago, but a recent discussion made me want to take a second look at, and Barak Obama's book, "The Audacity of Hope." This is one I am not sure how I will feel about, but may prove to be stretching... and that's not neccesarily a bad thing.
Oh, and for any that are reading and going, "He didn't mention the bible." That is my first and foremost reading every day... Pretty much a given.
What are you reading that you would reccomend?
It was an awesome day today... The worship was awesome! Thanks Gary,Beth, Stan, Mike, and Frank... Great job! The presence of God was so strong... and then after church, the baptism time was awesome... If you are checking out the pictures from up north... we are in Florida... deal with it! :-) Here's some pics:
** Yep... I am definitely over football season... we lost again and I'm not even that upset. What a shame! Well, we have a very young team... lots of freshmen... So, with that in mind, even though its way too early, "I will say, Just wait until next year!"
** Also, for all of you who have been praying for me about my eye... It still hurts, and is still red... but the swelling is down a lot, and I don't look hideous. There for awhile I felt like the Elephant man... "I am not an animal... I'm a man!" But I think I should be ok for tomorrow. Thanks for all the prayers.
** Tomorrow is going to be a great day as we finish up the iPray series... This has been an amazing series... This week we talk about how do we get our prayers answered. I think its going to be eye opening for a lot of people. (No, that was not an eye pun)
** Also tomorrow, we are baptizing 5 people... and will be baptizing several others during the month of November. I think the Gulf of Mexico will be cold for that second baptism service.
** I really am amazed at what God is doing... I am really excited... God has been giving some really creative ideas... and I can't wait to see how they all turn out.
** That's enough for now... Did I mention that losing the football game didn't bug me? Really... I'm serious! Are you listening to me? What DO YOU MEAN? I AM NOT YELLING! Ok, so I am a little bummed. Man, Well, at least Gary Lamb knows how I feel.
I just want to say publicly how much I appreciate the people of Coast Community Church. Thanks so much for remembering Vicki and I during Pastor's appreciation day. Your kindness and generosity consistently blow me away. It is a privilege and an honor to be your pastor... and I 'm so excited to see what God holds in the future for us...
Its starting to swell shut... It feels like their is some sort of gunk in it... I have no idea what is causing it. My eyes hurt a lot most days. A Doctor told me once that I have ocual rosacea. I don't know if this is connected with that or not. It is only in one eye. All I know is it hurts and looks bad.
Robert's not happy!
It's 6 oclock in the morning and I am too excited to sleep!
I love a good book. You know what I mean? I love those type of books where you hate to put your place marker in, because you really want to know what happens next. You keep wanting to read because each chapter is better than the last.
Same with some television shows... every now and then a show will grab you... and you will watch and hour and you will look at the clock and go, "Oh no, its over... What's going to happen next?"
Do you ever look at your life, and you are so excited because you wonder, "Lord, what are you going to do next?" Now, before you think I am headed for some cliche type soapbox about going out and aspiring to greatness and stuff like that... just stop for a second. Ask yourself, What is God doing in my life right now?
Is there something that is brewing inside of you that you can't wait to see how it turns out? Or are you so caught up in the day to day same old stuff that you haven't felt a God inspired dream inside of you? In 2 Chronicles 16, the bible tells us that the eyes of the Lord are looking everywhere for people who are fully committed to Him, so that He can show Himself strong on their behalf.
I think the problem just might be two-fold. One, there are not tons of people who are fully committed. In other words, Lord, I have given you my life. This life is no longer my own. It belongs to you. So... whatever you want to do... is good with me. Whatever the adventure... whatever the challenge... let's go! Let's do it! I know that your strength is made perfect in my weakness. I know that your grace is sufficient for me... Let's go!
The second problem may be, that although we may be committed... we may just not be listening. Sometimes my daughter will come up to me when I am busy working and she will start talking to me. And she will have to say to me, "Dad, can you stop for a second, so that you can listen to me?" Sometimes I think we get so busy doing the day to day things of what God has us doing, that we don't stop and listen to Him. I think sometimes He is laying out this masterpiece of an idea... and we just are way too busy to hear Him.
What about you? Can you feel an excitement in the air? Is something stirring inside of you? God wants to do something big! He has great plans for you! Are you ready to pull out the place marker and turn the page and see what the next chapter holds? It takes two things to make it happen. You have to be committed to Him... fully committed. And you have to be able to stop and hear His voice.
All I can tell you is this; Its 6 oclock in the morning, and I am too excited to sleep!
Its been a great Monday... (my day off...) We slept late... (8:00 AM -- Whoooo) Spent the day out with my girls... Its cold here in Northwest Florida... Brrr... not used to that... But we have had a great day hanging out together...
Sunday was a long stretch... We had a great Sunday morning... We are in our "iPray" series and this week we talked about "When Heaven Seems Silent." What do you do when it seems your prayers aren't being answered? Is it because you are praying wrong? Is it that God doesn't like you? What is going on? Jeremiah 33:3 says, "Call to me and I will answer..." But what about those times where it seems like God isn't listening... Is He too busy for us? Is it false advertising? We tackled that head on and it was an amazing morning...
Then Sunday afternoon, I taught the second of our three Coast Connections Classes. This class is called "Engage" and it focuses on spiritual maturity... how does that happen? Why are so many churches full of believers who never move past the baby Christian stage? It was a great class...
And then I hung out with CSM... the Coast Student Ministry. Its so cool to see God at work in the lives of teens... What a great group! I can't wait to see what God does through these young people.
So now, its Monday night. I'm settled in... dressed warm... and going to relax and finish up Craig Groeschel's book, "Confessions of a pastor." And then I will begin the book that Amazon just delivered, Mark Batterson's new book, "In a pit with a lion on a snowy day." Subtitle: How to survive and thrive when opportunity roars. Side note to Mark B. Just like I told you at Catalyst... I bought my own copy...
So enjoy your Monday, or Tuesday, or whenever you are reading this... And just like Mark's book suggests... Let's find the opportunities... and jump in...
Time for my normal midseason announcement...
I HATE FOOTBALL...
Sigh!
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