Wow, the last few days have been a whirlwind. Wednesday night Sarah went into laybor and we went to the hospital. Sarah had Aubrey on Thursday at 3:30pm by emergency C-Section. Anyways; long stony short, the baby is here and doing well.
She’s so adoreable! Totally has my heart! Eli is a great, big brother and is loving Aubrey already.
This is just a quick update but I’ll be back blogging soon. I’ll be home with the family this week.
Thanks for all the encouraging emails, meals, and gifts.
Wow, God’s grace. How can you explain grace? I think you have to be on the “receiving” side of grace to be able to “give” grace.
Just like we can’t truly worship God until we’ve experienced Him. Worship is a response to who God is, what He has done.
Grace is similar. God had modeled it for us and to us. Grace is when we don’t get what we deserve, or get what we don’t deserve.
I don’t have rights. I deserve judgment and separation from God’s presence. Grace is God first sending His son Jesus to die for me. He didn’t make a deal with me first saying, “if you promise to live for me and always do what I ask then we have a deal” The Bible says while I was still a sinner Christ died for me.
I want to show grace to people I like, friends, family etc. I want to be gracious to someone I feel would be gracious to me. Even with people we love it’s sometimes hard to show grace.
Christ models something completly different.
So even though I’ll never have to sacrafice any of my children so that someone can experience Gods love, God does ask me to lay down my life for others. Lay down my preference, lay down my comfort, lay down my security, lay down my pride.
God help me to be usable by Your Holy Spirit. Let me be intentional in my relaionships with others.
I feel like you know more about people by finding out their musical inspirations. Now a top 10 list is tricky because our musical tastes evolve over the years so I made 2 lists.
(List 1)
U2, Coldplay, Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson, Mat Kearney, Jon Foreman, United, Radio Head, Phil Wickham, Foo Fighters, John Mark McMillan, Red Hot Chilli Peppers.
(Extended List)
David Crowder, The Goo Goo Dolls, Bob Marley, John Mark McMillan, John Mayer, The Fray, Angels and Airwaves, Athlete, Beck, The Killers, Lifehouse, MxPx, POD, Third Eye Blind, Wallflowers, Better than Ezra, Collective Soul, Cranberries, No Doubt, STP, Pearl Jam, Bush, Sublime, Rage Against the Machine, Beastie Boys, Weezer, Blink 182, Mute Math, 311.
Here’s the deal. When we spend time with God. hang on, let me define “Spending Time With God”
Waking up everyday in conversation with our creator. Spending time meditating on the stories from the Bible and letting them change our lives. We will result in living our lives in gratefulness, with intentionality and purpose. When we ask Jesus for inspiration and innovation He will unlock creativity beyond our talent level and ability. Why? This will happen because we will start living for something beyond ourselves. When we lay down our plans, desires, aspirations and seek the will of God we suddenly open ourselves to being apart of a bigger picture and and a bigger POWER.
God’s purposes and plans are higher than ours. His resources are greater too. When we give ourselves over to Him 100% don’t be suprised that He puts vision in your heart for something WAY BIGGER than your capable to accomplish.
God’s plans are original and the most inspiring. I want to dive into His perfect will and be in the middle of His perfect will.
Well this is just an observation.
Every Sunday we set up at Ashley High School cafeteria. We have to wicked cool custodians there named Caesar and; dag, what’s tat other guys name? Oh, ya Russel.
Anyways, when me and the band get off stage we haed around back to go grab some coffee and sit with family. Well your boy Caesar is always back stage chill’n on a 5 gallon bucket. Every week, listening to the music and the message, on the 5 gallon bucket. Now we have plently of chairs up front, and we always say hey to him and make small talk. I just wonder why he hasn’t felt like com’n round front and catch’n a seat with the other Lifepointers. (if that’s a word?) Russel and Caesar are awesome and I’m personally believing for them to start a relationshiop with Jesus. Please be praying for these real cool guys and that God would totally reveal Himself to them.
Next time your sneaking around back stage at Lifepoint on a Sunday you may see the man on the 5 gallon bucket.
Well yesterday I had the honor of being apart of 3 worship services, all of which were phenominal.
There were a few times in worship I was thinking, ok God I’m strumming chords and singing chorus’s, but where do You want to go? What do You want to do? What do You want to say to Your people.
Its ironic that in a culture where we normally sing about how we love God, a song saying “How He loves us” can bring us to worship Him more. After all, it is His goodness that leads us to repentance.
Last night at the Soap Box; a local rock club, the band and I were leading “How He Loves” by John Mark McMillan for the second time.
I looked out over the room out at kids who were crying, praying for eachother, lifting their hands in surrender & celebration and I people who were worshiping their God at the top of their lungs.
In the crowd I saw my wife, my son, my pastor, some of my closest friends, a bartender, a sound guy, a guy who is headed to prison in 2 weeks for 2 years, kids who need hope, kids who have found hope and a need to live for something bigger than ourselves.
In that moment I’m thinking. “Wow, worshiping our God and thanking Him for His love unites us all”. God’s love is bigger than our diversity.
God, please unite us in worship.
Here’s some pic’s from last nights show in Charlotte. The Visual Light venue was amazing. Down town Charlotte a few blocks away from where I’ve got some tattoe’s done. They got the venue RIGHT. Great lighting, oriental rugs on stage, great gear, and most importantly, a great show! John Mark McMillan was who we cam to see. He’s the guy who wrote “How He Loves”. Anyways, Rock & Roll meets worship and thats what we had. It was a model of leading out of the overflow of your quiet time and relationship with Christ. anyways, it left an impression on me. Come see em at UNCW on April 4
1.) I’m spending time with Jesus and He listens and speaks to me. I’m in the middle of His perfect will and there I find peace. Everyday gets better.
2.) I’m married to a beautiful Woman who loves Jesus and constantly challenges me to love Him more and follow His leading. She is the perfect wife, mother, homemaker and decorator. Loves missions, travel, and let’s me chase my dreams.
3.) I have the coolest kid in the world. He’s 2, and plays drums, guitar and it super affectionate. He’s got a great sense of humor and has better dance moves than I ever will. (Baby number 2 is on the way in May.)
4.) I get to lead worship for a living and be a part of a Church that’s mission is seeing the lost come to know Christ.
I get to call personally and speak to the people who come to know Christ EVERY WEEK! The stories are what make this all worth the while.
5.) I live in Wilmington on the beach! Need I say more? (When I lived in London I always joked saying that if I could ever lead worship at a church by the beach I’d be gone in a heartbeat. Well I’m here and I don’t take it for granted)
6.) I have amazing friends. People who pour into my life and I into theirs. People who love me and my family and pray for us and we for them. Friendships that cross over from friends to family. People were just doing life with. Its great.
7.) I love my house. Thank God this is more space and privacy than I could have ever had in the UK. Hammock, fire pit, garage and music room. Love it!
8.) I’m connected with leaders who are changing their world and I get to hear their strategy and celebrate our wins.
and the list goes on…..
I was telling some friends the other niht about these crazy video’s that they used to play in London.
Well after a few minutues on You Tube I found em. Sorry, there pretty intense. You may feel as I did, thinking it was weird to see these where you woud normally see previews at the theatre.
