outside the box

Tonight, we have and advisory board meeting to discuss some big dreams. This meeting comes on the heels of some great discussion with our Ohio Superintendent, John Wooten. I pitched an idea for future church planting that has never been done before in Ohio. I love his heart for innovation and to find new and more effective ways to expand God's Kingdom. I walked away honored to serve a leader like him and in a district like Ohio. My prayer is that God uses C3 Church to make a big DENT....and I'm just crazy enough to believe it.

hypocrites in transition

Today, I was reading where the word "hypocrite" came from. In the culture of Jesus' day, a big piece of the culture and entertainment was drama. On stage, the actors would wear mask and play a different role or "hypocrite." So when Jesus called the religious leaders of his day a "hypocrite," they knew exactly what He was referring to. At C3, we are doing our best to line our actions up with our words. We are all "hypocrites in transition," trying to become less like ourselves and more like Jesus.

MOMENTUM

Tonight at our church softball game, we won again (with me pitching...I'm 4th string pitcher). Anyway, we started the season with a win...(well, by forfeit) and then proceeded with 4 losses in a row. Morale was struggling at the halfway point of the season. In order to make it into the tournament at the end of the year, you have to end the season at .500. Well, momentum has changed. We have won our last 3 games and seem to be picking up steam. Of course we play a very tough team for this last game next week. But, momentum is hard to stop once the ball gets rolling. We are now a confident team that believes it can win. It's amazing when a team believes in itself and has the big MO behind them. It's like a train that is at full speed, it takes a lot to stop it. CHOOOO CHOOOOOO!

new gym

Today, was my first day in our new LifeStyles gym in Pickerington. It is new, it is clean and it was empty......at least this morning. I heard they picked up several thousand new members. I have read as well that over 80% of those with gym memberships, use it less than once a week. Ouch. Anyway, I walked in their realizing that this is my new mission field.
Yesterday at C3, we did our once a year "tithing" message. It was followed by a 3 month tithing challenge, money back guarantee. If at the end of 3 months, you don't feel God has blessed you, we will write your check back to you, no questions asked. Last year, we had several take the challenge and were blown away by God's faithfullness to his promise. The main point was, "Your money, reveals your heart." I believe it is true that our money is one of the last areas that many believers trust God in.
- We had 26 guest cards filled out yesterday! Crazy! Granted, 6 were for a baby dedication, but still. C3 is starting to ramp up for the fall....only God knows what will happen.

acorn

Sitting in an airport, I just saw a lady walk by with a tattoo of an "acorn" on her ankle. So many questions run through my mind. The biggest one being WHY WOULD ANYONE EVER GET A TATTOO OF AN ACORN ON THEIR ANKLE!? OK....I'm done rambling.....sorry for the meaningless post....but I just had to tell somebody.

people/experiences

This week, I met some incredible youth leaders and students. I believe that every person I meet and every experience I have, shape me. Every experience adds to the previous and how I choose to navigate through them and respond to them, forms who I am. Also, every person I meet has the potential of influencing me, if I allow them to. At this camp, I met an ex-bike gang member named Brian. He had tattoo's, piercings, was missing part of his finger and you could tell had been a rough character. He still looks the part, but the inside of Brian is soooo much different. This guy in his middle 40's, was now a camp counselor who loves students because of the life changing power of Jesus Christ. What an encouragement to me and others, to see a guy is living proof of the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. My life is better because I got to meet Brian and experience this camp. What people or experience has shaped you in the past couple of weeks?

missing my family

Tonight is the last night of the 2 camps back to back. I've met some incredible people and have seen God change a lot of lives, but I'm ready to get back with my family and my amazing church. As a dad and a husband, when I go away for a while, it's amazing how it makes me realize how much I love my family. My prayer is that I never take them for granted. Are you taking anyone for granted?

Also, I had a couple of firsts in my life:
- I drank a Thomas Kemper rootbeer.....amazing!
- Saw the camp where they filmed the first "Jason" movie....or so I was told.
- Ate cocunut on my oatmeal
- Saw the cascade mountains....breathtaking
- Saw a mule deer in the wild
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Some non-firsts, but were still cool:
- Went on a huge harness swing
- Got to zipline several hundred feet
- Tubing behind a boat in view of a mountain with snow on it
- Experienced 85 degree days and 40 degree mornings
- Ran up the side of a mountain (pic from the top)