Please Pray For Me Tuesday

Found out tonight that I’m going in for a surgical procedure tomorrow (Tuesday). As many of you know, i’ve struggled with varicose veins that have led to swelling, cramping, and pain in both of my legs (and they’re getting ugly).

Tuesday at 2:15 they’ll go in and surgically remove the most offensive veins from my legs, and then over the next 4 weeks I’ll have a number of follow-up procedures where they will take care of the smaller veins.

I’m a big wimp when it comes to needles, so please pray for me during this. They say it’s a “routine procedure”, but i’m still freaked out.   If all goes well I’m supposed to be able to preach this weekend, although I may be sitting on a stool most of the message.

By the way, don’t miss this weekend as we start our new series, “Don’t Fight Naked”.

Back From Vacation

Lori and I (and Brooke) got back tonight from our vacation. It was a much needed rest, and gave me lots of time to think. I’ll be blogging more about things we experienced last week, but suffice it to say that vacations always help me relax, and that gets my creative juices flowing.

Can’t wait to get back to work.

Palm Valley Lost A Friend Today

We lost a good friend today.  Barb Cassell was involved in a car accident, and went home to be with the Lord.

Barb was involved in Celebrate Recovery, and was a volunteer with our Project Freedom ministry for students, and also worked with the “Go – Student Missions Team”. She was loved by all who knew her. Please pray for the students, as Barb was scheduled to go on the missions trip with them beginning this weekend.

Barb always  had a smile and a hug for everyone, and her genuine love for the Lord shone on her face. Truly there is a void in our church body today. I know with confidence that we will see Barb again in eternity, she was a true follower of Christ!

John 14:1-6

¹“Don’t be troubled. You trust God, now trust in me. ²There are many rooms in my Father’s home, and I am going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly. ³When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. ⁴And you know where I am going and how to get there.”

⁵“No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We haven’t any idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

⁶Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

This Weekend Will Rock

I’m pumped about services this weekend at Palm Valley. As I sat in our Creative Team meeting yesterday, I realized how challenged every one of us will be by the message this weekend.

You’ll be hearing from two gals who have incredible stories, Jillayne Payne and Nancy Mondzak. They’ll challenge your socks off.  These gals are two of the coolest people I’ve ever met (no exageration), and they are rocking our world at Palm Valley Church.

They head up our Volunteer ministries, and this weekend they’ll be sharing about what it means to serve at PVC, and how you can get involved. If you’re already volunteering, they will encourage and excite you. If you’re not, be ready to “get out of your seat and into the game”.  ‘Nuf said!

6-6-06

Everyone’s freaking out today about the day being 6-6-06.  Is this the day of the anti-christ? Is this Satan’s day.  Since when did Satan get a day?  No way!

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” -Psalm 118:24

It’s the same thing a lot of Christians think about halloween.  It drives me crazy when people want to give Satan a day. Each and every day belongs to the Lord. Let’s not be fearful, let’s go live this day out for the glory of  Jesus Christ! Let’s redeem that which already belongs to Him, not hand it over. Remember, in Him we are more than conquerors!

Elementary Team

Karina, our Elementary Director, has been helping with the praise team for the past 3 weeks. It’s taken her out of the Elementary area.

Huge shout out (thanks) to the Managers and coaches on the Elementary team. You guys and gals are awesome! You haven’t missed a beat, and the minstry has gone on strong.

We’re blessed with an incredible team of leaders and volunteers. I walked through each of the elementary worship centers this weekend, and I was amazed at the energy and passion in each of the rooms.  Thanks for caring for our kids, loving them like Jesus loves them, and teaching them the Word.  You all rock!

If you are someone who’s not yet serving in a ministry at Palm Valley, I encourage you to consider volunteering in the children’s minstry.  There’s tons of different roles, but each one makes a difference in children’s lives. Go here for more information on volunteering in the children’s ministry.

Scripture On My Mind…

This passage has been in my head all week, God’s really using it to challenge me…

“Search me, O God and know my heart, test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”           Psalm 139:23-24

 

That’s my prayer. I want God to reveal the things in my heart that offend Him (sin), and then I’m praying for stregnth to eradicate those thoughts and actions from my heart.  How about you?

Weekend Reflections

This weekend was edgy.  The message on racism & prejudice “Black.White”, touched on some very tough issues.   How awesome is that?  It was fun to hit at some areas you don’t normally hear about in church.

Paul, Eloy, and Darius rocked! They shared some tough stories about prejudice they’ve faced, and their insights on how we can combat it. I love that we were able to hit this issue, and our church family took the message to heart and looked inward.  I received so many comments from people afterwards, it was obvious God used this service to challenge us!

In case you missed it, you can view the message here…

I’ll post the intro video later today, a lot of people have asked to see it again.  Nice job Cody, that video rocked!

Hanging with Gary Lamb

Being in ministry can be pretty lonely.  Lori and I have definitely felt the weight of that over the years.  We’ve been very intentional about trying to build relationships with other pastors.  We’ve made it a point to build friendships with church planters, and to seek to encourage them.

Without a doubt, one of my best friends in ministry is Gary Lamb.  Gary and his wife Deanna are the real deal, and they’re getting it done in Canton, Georgia.  Lori loves Deanna, so it’s just cool to be with them.

So Lori and I headed up to Gary’s town today and just hung out with him and Deanna. It was great to see Gary’s town; he truly is the Boss Hog of Canton

We got to see the theater they meet in (great set-up), their offices, and some of the local area.  Canton is about to boom, and I believe Ridgestone Church is going to reach a ton of people for Christ.  Gary’s the right guy in the right place at the right time.  I’m excited to see what happens.

Anyways, it was very fun to hang out with Gary & Deanna, they’re truly some of Lori’ and I’s favorite people. We talked a ton of ministry, 80′s hair-band music, real estate, and our most embarassing moments.

Thanks G & D for the hospitality, you guys are the best.  We love you guys! Gary, you’re my favorite redneck in the whole world.

Hanging With Tony McCollum

After hanging with Gary & Deanna, we went and had dinner with some new friends, Tony & Amy McCollum. Tony started Mill Creek Community Church in Buford, Ga about 3 1/2 years ago.  I’ve known Tony through pastor’s forums for about 6 years, but this was the first real chance to hang out togehter.

All I can say is that Tony is flat out one of the nicest (and forgiving) guys I’ve ever hung out with.  He obviously loves the Lord, and loves pastors Mill Creek.  Even more striking, though, is that Tony loves his wife, Amy, and their kids more than he loves the church. This was evident after about 30 minutes with him. I like guys who have their priorities in order.

It was encouraging to hear the story of how Tony and Amy came to the Lord (wow!), and then into ministry. Tony’s had some rough minstry experiences that almost killed his desire to pastor anymore (I can touch that).  They’re rockin’ in Buford, and with their hearts, I believe Mill Creek Church will continue to get it done!

Lori and I loved swapping stories with Tony & Amy, it just felt natural to hang with them. They’re the newest addition to my cool people’s list.  I’ll hang out with them anytime. Thanks guys for meeting us last minute, it was a blast!