Bridgett and I are taking a few students to Gatlinburg, TN for Accelerant 2012.  Good times wait ahead.

I’m excited about what God is going to do.  There are some great speakers scheduled, a concert, and Bridgett and I just want to enjoy our time with the students going.

Please pray for us as we make the 6-7 hour trip there and back, and that we’ll have an awesome and safe trip.

I’ll hopefully will have some pictures to post soon, too.

The Sweet

• Working less than the required 40 hours + off hours,
• Getting a more than 2 days off, and
• Anticipating having complete control over my time.

The Bitter

• Cramming 40+ hours of work into fewer hours,
• Having to get someone to cover your work while you’re gone,
• Constantly thinking that a boss will call with a question or that the co-worker from above will screw up your work,
• The constant nagging that when you finally return that you’ll be super swamped with work that it’ll take a lifetime to catch up, and
• The realization that you really don’t get complete control over your time (especially if you’re a parent).

Hmm.

To keep you from being too depressed that I ruined every future short work week, here’s some pictures.  Try not to die from overexposure to cuteness.

Call me cynical if you want.  I simply don’t care.

Politicians are only in it for the money and for their career.  No more.  No less.  Drop their pay to something more like the average hard-working American (keyword: hard-working), and see who’s in it for the people.

Makes me sad.

I extend the life of my bars of soap by saving the bars once they get down to slivers. Instead of throwing them away or trying to awkwardly use tiny slivers, I put them in a bowl until I have quite a few. Then I grate them all up, add just a little bit of water until the flakes stick together, mold them into a bar and let them dry. Instant new bar of soap! It also floats! IYAMCHEAP.

Source.

Amazing.

Check them out at IYAMCHEAP.

I want to share a few quick thoughts with you from this morning:

• You aren’t defeated by your problems.  Philippians 4:13 may be from an old book, but it is still true so we need to live by it.  “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
• Now, go back and read Philippians 1:6.  You can never stop becoming a better person.  You may be an amazing person now, but the closer you get to God, then the you’ll go from amazing to fantastic to phenomenal to invincible.
• Surround yourself with people who will build you up with prayer, love, and encouragement.  Get rid of the people that will tear you down with ridicule, false hope, and discouragement.  Even if you need to make new friends.
• With the previous point in mind, consider Hebrews 10:24-25, which states, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”  In other words, getting together with other believers is important in public places and in church.  It is where we can encourage each other, have a good time, and help each other walk with God.
• I want to watch you and help you succeed.  So, if there is anything I can do for you, then please contact me.
• I love you.
• God loves you.
• I’m proud of you.
• Keep advancing.

In Him,

Pastor Dewaine

Normally I don’t, but I did this year.  I want to be a better leader.  In my opinion, I’m pretty good, but I’m not even close to perfect.

Like me, a lot of people made resolutions for 2012.  Resolutions like:

• Lose weight
• Exercise more
• Actually use vacation time
• Spend more time with family
• Read more
• and on and on and on.

The problem is that most people who made resolutions will either break or abandon them within the first few weeks of the new year.  Here are my reasons why:

1) Lack of Commitment

Some people want to lose weight, but are unwilling to change their diet.  Some people want to exercise for their health, but either don’t want to make the time or are too lazy.  Some people want to read more, but get bored when picking up the first book.

A total lack of commitment.  I call it empty words.  Words without meaning.  Pure fluff.  Most of the time, it comes from people who want to see a change, but doesn’t want to make the change themselves.

Quick tip: If you want to see something change, then change it.  Stop waiting for it to happen.  Do something about it.

2) One Slip and What’s the Point

There’s a lie roaming around about resolutions.  The lie is that to keep a resolution, then a person must be absolute and unwavering.  In other words, no slip-ups.  No failures.  No weak moments.

That’s dumb.  We all have weak moments.  Moments of temptations.  Moments where sometimes we give in.  It happens.  Get over it.  Sure, we should fight back when those moments present themselves, but if we happen to fail, then we get back up on the horse and try again.

Resolutions aren’t about being perfect.  They’re about changing one’s lifestyle.  And that comes through perseverance.

So, what is your New Year’s resolution, and how can I help you meet it?

Even with 363.5 days left in the year I can’t shake the feeling/knowledge that this year will be the best one yet.

Will people die?  It’s inevitable.  Will we have fully recovered from the recession?  Probably not.  Will horrible events take place like people losing their homes, their jobs, and their families?  Unfortunately yes.  But 2012 will still be the best year ever.

How do I know?  Because God is good and I have faith that He’s in control.  In fact, all I have to go on is faith.

For the past 2 weeks I have prayed for 2012.  That’s when I noticed a difference in perception.  At first, I was thinking that 2012 would be a year of maintenance.  Maintaining what we have and just trying to survive.  But God changed that perception.  Eventually I realized that 2012 would be a year of moving forward.  A year of ADVANCEMENT.

The word advance as a verb means, “to move forward, typically in a purposeful way.”

Stop looking back to the good or bad events of 2011.  2011 is gone.  Leave them be.  Instead, look forward.  Then take the first step and advance.

No longer will we, as Christians, maintain what we have.  Instead, we will risk it all for the cause of Jesus Christ.

No longer will be okay with good enough.  Instead, we will strive for excellence.

No longer will be cower when hard times force us into a corner.  Instead, we will face these events head on and with full steam ahead.  They will not break us, but will make us stronger and give us more determination.

No longer will we accept the influences of this world, but we will influence this world and the people around us with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Dear fellow believer, make this your resolution and don’t give up.  Start the race and finish it.

As Christians and as the Church, WE WILL ADVANCE.

It’s that time again.  Time for fireworks stands across the country to open for the Christmas and New Year holidays.  If you live in a state where fireworks are illegal, then let me give you my kindest condolences.  Fireworks = explosive awesomeness.

Bridgett and I will be selling fireworks in Moncks Corner again this season.  We love it.  It gives us something to do than sitting around watching TV, and it gives us the perfect opportunity to speak to the people in our surrounding communities.  To bless them.  To be the Good News of Jesus.

So, if you want some fireworks or just want to say “Hi”, and are in the Berkeley county, SC area, then come by the Country Corner store at highway 6 and Pinopolis Road.  We start today and end at midnight on New Year’s Eve.

I get so humbled thinking about what God did for me when he didn’t have to.  Amazing!