Cooperland

I love giving people.  Especially those who give anonymously.  Not that they care what others think of them; just that they don’t want to take away from the message or the idea of what the gift is being given to.  They are a refreshing bunch of folk.  Like the first swallow of a glass of sweet iced tea on an August day in the south after working outside all day.  Especially living in a community where it seems that everyone is looking out for themselves there are people who prove that idea is dead wrong.  There are giving people, and they love giving.

Refreshing, I say.  I love giving people.

I love this lyric in the song “Until the Whole World Hears” by Casting Crowns:

“Lord I want my life to be the song You sing.”

When I heard it this morning, God reminded me of Job 1:8.  God’s says,

“Have you considered my servant Job?”

It doesn’t seem like much, but consider this verse in another way.  Consider it as God’s recommendation of Job.  Just like when a person applies for a job opening, he/she must provide references that will recommend him/her for the particular job.  God was Job’s reference without Job knowing it.  God was recommending Job for the job (haha, pun intended) of enduring Satan’s wrath in order to strengthen his faith and prove that good always triumphs over evil even if evil seems to have the upper hand.

So, it made me wonder: would God recommend me for anything?  But in the end, he already has.  He’s recommended me to be a son, a brother, a cousin, a nephew, a husband, an uncle, a friend, and a pastor.  He’s also recommended me for every employment that I’ve ever had.  And for all of the heartaches and “crap” that I’ve had to deal with over the years, but looking back, I know that God’s been so good to me, and that gives me faith to know that he’ll be good to me forever.

What has God recommended you for?

And now, without further ado, my thoughts over the past weekend.

• Can you believe it? There were 95 in attendance this week at Life-Givers Ministries. Awesome. Simply awesome.
• What’s also cool is that of the 95 people 14 were Beyond Youth students. God is so great.
• You know that thing you need so bad that you’re trying so hard to get? Stop trying, and give it up to God. Then, things will work out for your best. Often times, God will withhold that thing you need until you give him control of your situation.
• Expect something great to happen on February 7th with the Beyond Youth.  We are doing something special on that day. I can’t say what yet, but it will be a fantastic day.
• There are 2 things we need to do as people: 1) build a solid relationship with God, and 2) build solid relationships with others.
• We took 21 people to see the movie “To Save a Life” in Summerville on Saturday. That was a great movie; both for teens and adults. Really challenging stuff. I highly recommend it.
• Starting yesterday, the Beyond Youth are collecting jeans to give to Aeropostale for their annual Teens for Jeans initiative.  They are matching a new pair of jeans for the first 100,000 jeans thate they collect.
• I love helping others. Don’t know why, but I do. Ah, yes I do. I love it because it makes God happy, and because it shows others God’s love for them. Helping others rocks!
• Here’s something to celebrate: the Crossover Drama Team has collected $120 for Talent Quest registration.  Sure, we have a lot of money left to collect, but I’m sure all of it will be in before the deadline.
• Can anyone answer the following riddle? I have two coins which add up to 30 cents, and one of them isn’t a nickel. What two coins do I have? Leave me a comment with your answer.

There you go. Enjoy the rest of your day.

I’ve never lived in a town. I know, it’s weird, but it’s true, and I like it. I love the city; I really do, but at the end of each day it is comforting to know that all of the hustle and bustle of the city is long gone; far away while I listen to the sounds of nature. It’s really awesome.  Here are my reasons why.

1. Privacy

   Let me give you an idea of the privacy I’m talking about. My closest neighbor is through 300 yards of woods. In fact, my entire home is surrounded by trees. I can do anything I want in my home or in my yard and no one will see it unless they sneak up on me. And I like it that way.

   There are no home owners associations. If anyone tried to establish one, they’d be hunted and shot (I’m joking, but not really).

   Long story short, people are given their space.

2. Yard sizes

   My yard is 3/4 acres with another 1 1/2 acres in a field behind my house. My brother’s yard is 1 1/2 acres. My parents’ yard is 3 acres. The point is that yards are a lot bigger so there’s more room to do stuff, and to let the kids run around. I can’t count how many backyard baseball and football games we played on Sunday afternoons and during family dinners.

   And that doesn’t even count the woods. My parents own approximately 30 acres total, and I think my brother, my friends, and I covered every inch of those acres, including the woods. That was the best part. The best game ever was playing hide-and-go seek in the dark in the woods. Sure, we had flashlights, but it was, shall I say, AWESOME!

3. The water bill

   Can you say $0.00? Because that’s how much I pay for water each month. Cool, huh?

   In the country, each home must be hooked up to a water well with a pump to receive water. It’s expensive at first with the cost of hiring a company to drill for a water well and hook up a pump. It set me back over $2,000 when mine was installed, but in the long haul, I save a ton of money with not having a monthly water bill.

   The only difference between city water and well water is that well water comes straight from the ground only slightly filtered. So, a water filtration system on the kitchen faucet doesn’t hurt.

4. Travel time measurements

   Typical travel measurements in the U.S. are in miles. Simple enough, right? Wrong. Not for the country. Sure, we measure in feet, yards, and miles, but when we’re travelling, then measurements are in minutes and hours.

   For instance, a trip from Bonneau to Moncks Corner is 10 minutes. From Moncks Corner to downtown Charleston is 45 minutes. This is how we time our day. If I have to visit someone in a hospital in downtown Charleston, it takes me 1 hour to get there. So I know it’ll take 2 hours round trip. Thus, I know about how long I’ll be gone. That way I can plan things at a later time.

5. Close community

   Sure, we’re close in the sense that everyone knows your business, but more in the sense that whenever you need a friend, then one is available. I see it all of the time.

   My family is never far away. My friends are never too far that one cry won’t bring them running. Although people in the country live farther away than people in the city, they couldn’t be closer.

   And that’s the greatest reason why I love living in the country.

My thoughts over the past weekend.

• The Beyond Youth t-shirts had finally come in, and we started delivering them.  It was awesome to see many people wearing their shirts at church.
• Walking in to start setting up the morning service yesterday, I told everyone “Good morning.” Someone jokingly asked, “What’s so good about it? You can’t eat it or anything.” My response was, “You’re alive and God loves you.” It’s paramount to keep a positive perspective on your life.
• It’s weird, but we have to give up the one thing we want in order to keep it. Just like Abraham. He was told to sacrifice his only son by God only to be stopped after proving his faith.
• Teen talent drama practice last night was awesome. The teens are quickly grasping their parts, and I’m expecting great performances at both Life-Givers and at Talent Quest in March.
• This song always gives me goosebumps, and makes me want to punch the devil in the face.
  
• The Beyond Youth lesson was on foundations. We learned that our foundation should always be on Jesus, and nothing else.  Without Jesus as our foundation, our lives won’t amount to anything.

Thank you for reading this week’s Rewind post. Stay tuned for next week. Same Rewind date. Same Rewind channel.

This week has been one of serious ups and downs.  Sometimes in the same day.  I would go to a job interview thinking the best, and leave thinking the worst.  I would wake up not feeling good, then finding that I have many more new job prospects.  (If you haven’t noticed, this week has been one of trying to get hired.)

All job details aside, it’s hard to not get caught up in present circumstances.  It really does affect a person, and I found that it was affecting me a ton.  But in the end, I have to realize that God is still Adonai, a name meaning in control, and that He’s going to take care of all of my situations in all areas of my life.

Are there any circumstances that you’ve been dealing with this week?

Wow! The first week of 2010 is complete. I hate that time passes by so fast.  It’ll be Christmas again soon.  Anyway, here are my thoughts for the past weekend.

• Is anyone else excited about what God is doing in 2010?  I’m about to bust out of my skin with excitement over the expectation of what God is doing and going to do. It’s going to be AWESOME!
• So, who liked the Crossover Drama Team’s performance yesterday?  Isn’t it great to know that we are free from our bondages, and isn’t it great to know that we have talented and driven children and students at Life-Givers?  And Bridgett wasn’t too bad either (I love you, baby!).
• A special thought from Bridgett: Thank you to everyone who has participated in the dramas so far, and I can’t wait for what God has in store for us to 2010.
• Without goals, a person has no vision, no drive, no passion, nothing to shoot for.  Without goals, a person will waste their life.
• It’s easy to be discouraged when almost everything is going wrong, but we have to remember that God is always in control of our lives.  He’s got it all taken care of.
• I can’t be more pleased with God sending Bridgett and me to Life-Givers.  Everyday, God confirms to us that we are where He wants us, and that’s a great feeling.
• The Beyond Youth shirts were shipped! Finally, we can get everyone their shirts, and show off this arising youth ministry.

Thank you for reading this week’s Rewind post.  Stay tuned for next week.  Same Rewind date.  Same Rewind channel.

I used to scoff at the idea of being someone who would lose his job.  Honestly, I never thought I would lose it, but it happened recently.  With that, God proved to me that HE is the foundation that my life should be on. Not my job. Not money. Not anything but HIM.

Talk about building a house on sand.  Talk about a reality check.

I love the Bible.  The actual words from God given to us to be used as a guide for life and to strengthen and encourage us in good times and bad.  Written down are Scriptures like Psalm 23 which I consider to be one of the most famous passages in the Bible.  We also read the stories of Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Job, Samuel, David, Solomon, Isaac, Jeremiah, and others from the Old Testament, and are reminded that the same God to loved, protected, and guided them is the same God who loved, protected, and guided the early church apostles, leaders, and followers in the New Testament, and is the same God who loves, protects, and guides us by the Holy Spirit.

So far, 2010 has been a year of bad news followed by worse news and on and on.  First, parts on the front of my truck had to be replaced, then my home furnace started acting up, followed by being notified that the project that I was contracted to work on was being cancelled and I’m out of a job.  But God gave me a promise in December and he confirmed it again to me last night that 2010 is a year of growth, both personally and for the Beyond Youth Ministry.  And growing I am doing.

What’s really exciting is this. Good leaders lead by example and can only lead others where they have already gone.  In other words, as the pastor of the Beyond Youth, the growth that I am experiencing is the same growth that I expect God to make happen in the lives of my students.  I’m so excited for them! Not for what they’ll have to endure, but for the abudance of growth that will occur in their lives.

And as always, Monday morning is well underway and here is the Monday Morning Rewind for this past weekend.

• Three people accepted Jesus into their lives during yesterday’s service at Life-Givers.  THREE PEOPLE!!! I had to hold back tears when Pastor Jason mentioned this to me.  We need to celebrate this enormous feat.  Even the angels in Heaven are rejoicing over these 3.
• Welcome to 20-TEN, 2010, or however you want to say it.  Happy New Year to everyone.  I’m praying and expecting great things this year.  Pastor Jason has a great vision for Life-Givers Ministries as do I for the Beyond Youth Ministry, and I know that Doug has some great things lined up for the praise team and the LGM Life Groups.  We’re going to take Moncks Corner and Berkeley County by storm.
• For the last week of 2009, I rested, and rested well.  It was my time to do nothing, and it felt nice.  Sometimes we all need a little rest.
• Except for New Year’s Eve.  I worked a fireworks stand in Sangaree, and it was awesome.  I got to talk to tons of people.  Sure, there’s not enough time to build a friendship, but I still have enough time to talk to them, hear about their lives a little, and bless them on their way.  Spreading kindness, compassion, and Jesus is what makes life so cool.
• The vision for the Beyond Youth Ministry has been set.  Over the next 8 months, Bridgett, the Robbies, and I will be challenging the students in fives areas: 1) to get closer to God, 2) to help other people, 3) to invite their friends and neighbors to church and events, 4) to get their parents involved, and 5) to get the ministry away from Sunday morning only.  It will be hard, but necessary.
• Man, oh, man the turnout last night at the first practice for the Crossover Drama Team in 2010.  We had, at least, 6 new performers.  All I can say is watch out.  You’re going to be blown away at what Bridgett has in store for this group, and the passion and excitement the performers are showing is overwhelming.
• Let me finish by reiterating: God’s got some great things lined up in 20-TEN.  I can barely contain my excitement.

There you go.  Not a long one, but those are my thoughts.