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Not Me Lord!

2009-06-08T15:47:00.002-04:00

I heard some news today of a friend and fellow church leader. He was in a successful church seeing God do amazing things. They just recently saw over 100 people baptized at one time. Sunday a letter of resignation was read to his church because he committed adultery. He let his guard down and allowed himself to have a physical and emotional affair with his secretary. I hurt for him, his family, and his church!

I believe with all my heart that the moment a person ceases to be vigilant and cautious concerning sin and temptation, they are near a fall. We started a series on Prayer this Sunday. One result of prayer is a heightened awareness of what God is doing around you and the temptations that come each day. When we stop praying, we lose the spiritual sensitivity from God that warns us to be careful. Quick conviction over temptation and sin is lost. When we lose this supernatural connection, watch out! Satan is crouching at our front door like a lion, ready to devour its pray.

I have huge rules and boundaries in my life to help keep me from the same fate as my friend. My wife has complete access to my cell phone, email, office, computer, schedule, secretary, car, my whole life! Coupled with prayer and scripture, these are powerful defenses against temptation from the evil one. Remain vigilant and pray without ceasing!

Spiritual Jet Lag

2009-04-06T10:48:00.005-04:00

Reflecting on a long trip overseas and surprising hit I took from jet lag, I was reminded this morning of the consequences of spiritual jet lag. Track with me as I share thoughts from the book The Divine Mentor, by Wayne Cordeiro:

A few years ago, a giant sequoia fell in a National Park in California. This sequoia existed before California became a state, before Canada became a country, before many world wars. As the park service studied the tree for the cause of death, they found no rot or insect infestations. They found no apparent cause for the fall. Finally they discovered the cause to be foot traffic. Years of people walking on the massive root system at the base of the tree caused enough damage to weaken it and cause its demise. As a result of this finding, the base of sequoia trees in tourist areas are protected from foot traffic.

Our spiritual root system, like that of the sequoia, needs protection. It doesn't come through easily or naturally. There is no pill or quick fix to build this fence of spiritual protection around the root system of the soul. How do you do this? To quote Pastor Cordeiro:

If you will develop a daily self-feeding program from the Bible and allow yourself to be daily, hourly mentored by God's Holy Spirit, your life will undergo an unprecedented change for the better.

I challenge you this week to protect your spiritual root system. Spend time in God's word today. I also challenge you to begin today praying for and inviting people to come to church with you on Easter. It is 6 days and counting! This Sunday God will touch hearts of the lost around the globe. Will you play your part? Who's your friend going to be?

Evangelism Mali Style

2009-03-12T12:35:00.005-04:00

(I did a long post with pictures last night, only to have it get lost in space)

Wednesday was a long, awesome day. We had the opportunity to walk and pray and share Christ with some along the way. In one area me and a partner came upon some boys playing foosball on the side of the road. They stared at us as we walked up to them, but the smile reached the sun when we jumped in to play. Check out the white pastor foosball skill......

In the afternoon I had an appointment with some young men in another community that I met on Monday and visited the next two days. By the end of the second day (and after seeing the Jesus Film), they invited me to share tea and have a serious discussion about Jesus. I guess the first two days were just "ice breakers". Bye the end of our 3 hour long conversation that day, all but one wanted to accect Christ. One problem..... their fathers wouldn't let them and it could bring great trouble on themselves. Pray for these men they would have courage and Jesus will draw them to himself in a way they cannot resist! We took their information and the missionaries are going to send a Malian man to visit them that experienced this himself, and how God worked in his life and family.

I love doing this but I sure miss home!

Monday in Mali.....

2009-03-09T19:28:00.004-04:00

Today was unlike any Monday at the office to say the least. We started the day by driving to a suburb of Bamako. Bamako is currently the fastest growing city in Africa and the village of Niamana is being engulfed with the growth. This community is a great place to start a new work! The morning consisted of visiting the village chief and then its mayors. We thanked them for their hospitality and sought approval to share Jesus with their community. They welcomed us and gave us permission to do anything we like. Here's one of the mayors. Check this dude out...

After we got permission to work in the community, we came back after lunch and a brief rest from the 100+ temperature and spent the rest of the afternoon prayer walking and stopping to visit with anyone that was opened to conversation. I had the opportunity to share with 5 young muslim men for over an hour. We had a great discussion and they heard some things about Christ that really made them question some things they believe. After that, we had a community outreach service with music, a drama, and a gospel message. The night went great and I believe many people responded. Not sure if we'll know the results this side of Heaven. One thing I did learn........ I like to clown around with African kids and they seemed to enjoy it too!

Africa is God's country too!

2009-03-08T10:39:00.004-04:00

These two young men are some of our African traslator this week. As you can see, Africa is near to God's heart, just like South Carolina! The one on the left is name Cye (not spelled correctly), and he translated for me when I was preaching this morning. The other young man is still a Muslim, but God is working on his heart. We talked about Jesus on the way back, and I believe he is very close to a decision to follow Christ. It is a big decision in a Muslim country. It could me isolating oneself from family or friends.

After the services, we met with the local pastors and church leaders of the 4 churches, and then had a buffet style meal at Ryan's. No silverware involved.... just the right hand baby! Check it out.....

I'm not so small.....

2009-03-07T18:05:00.003-05:00

This is the man that guards the home we are staying at each night. I promise I'm not standing on a brick or step either :-) His face says it all. "Who is this dumb white guy?" To be honest, people are so friendly and welcoming when they find out we have come to be their friend and have been praying for them. We have yet to come across a rude or inhospitable person!

Tomorrow morning we have the opportunity to preach in the 4 local churches in the city of Bamako. They are so excited we are here, and we are humbled and feeling really "short" before the holiness of God! He knew before he created us that we would be in Africa "for such a time as this".

I'm praying for you as you pray for me. God has big plans in store for our church (North Point), and our sister churches in Africa this Sunday! Can't wait to see all He does!

I saw the sun

2009-03-07T03:23:00.003-05:00

It peeked through my window early this morning but I did not answer its call. Slept til 8 am. Thank you Jesus! The bedrooms are airconditioned so it was very pleasant once they kicked in good. When I stepped out of the bedroom this morning..... I felt the sun! Its about 80 degrees this morning already. Excitged to get oriented and start to hear God!
Praying with you. I might be able to post every day if we have internet access in the city that day...... you never know!
Thank you Jesus for loving all people of the world!

BTW....... I saw the Eiffel Tower kids :-)

My posse's in Africa!

2009-03-06T19:05:00.003-05:00

Well we are finally here. About 36 hours of travel and drive and layovers and I am sleeping in Bamako, Africa. Only one bag got stuck somewhere, probably Timbukto..... which is actually a city in Mali! Now I know what I've been joking about all these years.

Several of the missionaries and members of a Christian church met us at the airport and are so excited we are here. The Africans were especially excited we have some African Americans in the group! That tickled them to death. I'ts about midnight and we are trying to clean up and finally get some sleep. I took a little friend that should help me get some z's this first night. Tomorrow is a prayer/orientation, then we hit it hard Sunday with many opportunities to preach and build some relationships. Pray that God will speak through us and the people we meet will be ready and drawn to Christ. I have already had people from NP wanting to sign up for the next trip.

Tomorrow I'll try to post some pictures! Love you guys.
Good Night!

Good Night.....

2009-03-05T19:12:00.002-05:00

I'm sitting on the floor of the Atlanta airport about to board a plane to Paris, connecting to Bamako, Mali. We are supposed to leave at 8:50 pm, and about 10 hours later will land in Paris, early morning their time. I'm a terrible sleeper on planes and I pray the Ambien kicks in and helps a little!

We are excited about what we are about to experience. 10 people from Columbia are getting to know each other, most for the first time, as we all seek what God has for us to do in Africa. My prayer is that God will show me his desire for North Point and church planting on a foreign field. God already knows what we will experience, no matter where we are and where we are going. That is why we trust him!

I pray God will speak to you over the next 10 days as you pray and listen to him. He loves you and has an awesome calling for your life. Listen to him and be ready to say "yes Lord".

I'll miss my sweet family and my awesome church while I'm away, but know this is a high calling we all have the honoring of participating in! See you soon! Thanks for the prayers.

Mali Bound

2009-03-04T11:01:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow I board a plane in Atlanta and will arrive in Bamako, Mali the next day via Paris. I don't even get to leave the airport to visit the Eiffel Tower :-( Its all good!

I will be there with 9 other people to spend a week with missionaries trying to reach a city of several million, mostly Muslim people. The hope is that God will give us clear direction on how to partner. If 10-15 churches in the area will partner together, we will be able to send a team of missionaries every 6-8 weeks to be on the ground ministering in Bamako. My prayer is that God reveal our part to me, and that a church planting movement be born in that city that Jesus so desperately loves and died for.

Please pray for the team as we travel from March 4-14. Pray for our families as we are away. Ask God to use us and speak to and through us as we work together for his glory. I'll try to post as often as possible to you can keep up with the things we experience together. I believe I will have at least one if not multiple opportunities to preach the gospel there. Ask God to give me his words!

Love you guys!

STOP the voices!

2009-01-28T15:47:00.003-05:00

Has it ever happened to you? The alarm clock goes off or a person whistling a song walks by and bam......... its stuck in your head! Happened to me today. Someone tagged me on one of these freakin little "25 things about me" topics on Facebook.

10. My favorite band of all times is the Police.

That was it. I had to comment back..... Jeff, please don't stand so close to me! Noooooooo! I just helped perpetuate the cycle. Now there's a message in a bottle, a red light, and a person walking on the moon, all running around in my head. If you're not a Sting fan, you probably don't get a word of this. Sorry.

To make this spiritual (pastors are supposed to do that from time to time), It gives me a glimpse of what my day could be like if God's word is stuck in my head and in my heart. My obedience level goes up, my compassion level goes up, I tend to see people around me that probably need Jesus at a time when I normally miss it! Get the point? When we make it a priority to fill the open spaces of our life with His word and thoughts of pleasing Him, our Godliness meter goes higher.

Let Jesus get stuck in your head and your heart today and see what happens! The promise will ring true from God: Every breath you take, every move you make, I'll be watching you! (couldn't resist)

I know..... I know..........

2009-01-27T21:26:00.002-05:00

It really has! Its been a long time. Forgiven? Good. Thanks. Now I'll continue like it was yesterday :-)

So I was listening to a message yesterday from a guy I respect and enjoy following from time to time. He was wearing a black t-shirt with a ball of flames and the words "hell no" in the middle. Pretty provocative shirt to preach in, but oh so appropriate. He asked if anyone knew of a family member, friend or co-worker that is not a Christian. Obviously we all do. Then he asked, "does it bother you that you know someone that is going to hell when they die?"

Does it bother me? Yes. How much? Enough to have an uncomfortable conversation? Enough to move me out of my comfort zone to a place where I could make the difference of life and death?

Why is a conversation with a person without Christ uncomfortable? I don't know. Sometimes it is and sometimes, not so much. Never the less, if it doesn't bother the heck out of a Christian that people around them are lost and destined for hell, something is WRONG!

Get bothered and do something about it! Thanks for the encouragement today Fritts!

Its Better

2008-12-20T15:19:00.002-05:00

When I was young, I was taught it is much better to give than to receive. I knew it was true......... but I liked to receive. What kid doesn't like to receive?!? Some kids are givers, but not as a norm.

Now that I am "old and gray", I realize I have been blessed by God far beyond my imagination. Way more than I deserve or could have imagined! From family to friends, church and job to possessions, God's grace abounds in my life. This year I have been privileged to be part of some "new things" God is doing, and His fingerprint is obvious.

We have always tried to give as a church at Christmas, but this year is different. We didn't make such grand plans like an Angel Tree, but God had plans. Instead of giving families a Christmas meal, God brought us many families that we have been able to bless with a whole box of Angel Food.

God opened a door this fall for us to start a partnership with a local elementary school. We wanted to serve our local community to make an impact for Christ in an important way, and God opened the door. The principle emailed me this past week to make an appointment to discuss how we can help them. She is truly excited that a church cares. One or our goals next year just might be to bless each staff member at the school with an Angel Food Box. They have already asked us to partner with them on a parent seminar night this spring. We've been asked to help with kids and even lead a seminar. How does that happen apart from God?

We have been looking for people of peace, that will open doors and let us serve in the name of Jesus. The doors are opened. Our Christmas Eve service is another example. We decided to take the service to the community. That's were Christ is needed and who He died for. An unlikely door opened. Lake Carolina opened the doors to let us in. It is a very closed community, and this was a surprise to us. They have advertised for us, and are letting us have the prominent banner location at the front entrance the week of the service. God paved the way!

I am excited that God is bringing us opportunities to give, serve, and share! Its so much more incredible when you don't have to look and you don't have to wonder. If you are open and available, God will give you big opportunities to share Christ in practical ways!

Go and serve in His name this Christmas.

Long Day

2008-12-11T16:36:00.004-05:00

Today has definitely been a long day. I brought my mom to Lexington Hospital this morning to have a cyst removed from her lower back (L4-5 vertebrae). They made a small incision, just under an inch long, inserted a tube, then worked through the tube with a microscope and instruments. God is truly a God of wisdom, knowledge, and miracles. It's truly amazing what He has allowed man to learn and develop for the cause of healing!

Today reminded me I don't like to wait. I don't like to sit and I don't like to be "out of control". I want to be in the drivers seat. I want the wheel. No back seat driving for this dude! But sometimes this can be detrimental in God's economy. Spiritually, the man that is to busy to slow down, listen, and wait on God...... that man can be in danger of missing a divine appointment. That man may try on his own before allowing God to have complete control. We cannot afford to be that person. Ephesians 5 tells us to be "careful how you live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity..., therefore understand what God's will is". We must listen, be still, be quiet, and learn in order to know what God's will is. Then we act with force. Then we run with reckless abandonment! Action isn't brash when it is driven by vision and calling from God.

Listen to God today, then run like heck to do His will.

Personal Stuff

2008-12-10T16:24:00.005-05:00

I want to share some personal stuff with you today. This is something that means the world to me. This Sunday, North Point asked Christie and me to come back up on the platform at the end of the service. What they told me/us rocked my world!

TJ Watkins told us the advisory team had been talking and praying, and decided to do something special for my 10 year anniversary at the church. I can't believe we moved here 10 years ago this May to start NP. Here's what it was.........

The church is giving me a 2 month sabbatical in 2009. If you aren't familiar with that term, it is a time off. A time of rest and renewal. A time to take a break and let God pour into you. A time to do some things you can't normally do, and go somewhere you can't normally go to learn something new. I was shocked! I don't know when I'll take it yet, nor what I'll do, but I can tell you what it means to me.

I'm a guy that loves what he does. I don't need lots of props and pats on the back because I love what I do and the calling in my life is strong. If it all fell apart, I'd start over and do it again! But...... it feels good to be appreciated sometimes. I sometimes forget how much it means to me, and how much it can mean to you. I cried sincere tears of appreciation on Sunday morning over a church that loves its pastor so much. Sure, we make each other mad at times, but we truly love each other.

On my way home from church, I almost started crying again. I could stop thinking how I want to be a better pastor, a better leader, and a more committed Christ follower for and because of you! I know pastors that hate going to their own church...... but that's not me! I love it. I love every single Sunday we get to worship together and point people to Christ! I love every single tired Monday morning when I get to wake up and come back to NP to be with my staff and you guys! Not every pastor feels that way, but I do.

Last thing....... we are just getting started together. We are going to see more people cross the line of faith next year than we ever have. We are going to see more baptisms, more people connecting in Life Groups to become more like Jesus, and more people serving for the sake of the gospel! I'm excited, and I'm ALL IN. Therefore, I'll go ALL OUT with you!

Sincerely,
John Sharp

Vacation

2008-11-26T21:31:00.002-05:00

For the last few days we have been vacationing in the sunny Orlando, Florida. The weather has been beautiful and the family time has been great! Mickie and Minnie have been hospitable hosts, and I once again braved the tower of terror.... without the family this time!

Take some time to rest and enjoy family this Thanksgiving. Life is a gift!

Worth the Gray

2008-11-17T22:31:00.002-05:00

Well...... yesterday I earned a few more gray hairs by turning one year older. I hate turning older and I don't really care for gray hair. There was, however, one thing that made the old go away for a while. Nothing fancy or spectacular. No Rolex or Seiko Kinetic watch.... which I could take or leave, but I did get one thing that left me speechless. It started like this. To: Dad

My kids brought me a cake and a card after lunch on Sunday. The homemade cards from construction paper and magic markers. These cards were extraordinary, to me! Nathan made a top ten reasons I love dad list. Most of it revolved around wrestling, tickling, and light sabers. Bailey did a sweet card and put all the kids fingerprints, labeling each finger, and personally signed by each kid. Taylor wrote me a special note and a poem about why I'm the best dad in world.

Holy cow..... it doesn't get any better than that! I love my wife with all my heart, and I love my kids with every drop of life in me! I just pray I get to have lots more tickle sessions, laughs, walks, games, and talks with my kids and wife. God has blessed me far more than I deserve! Thank you Jesus!

Almost to true.....

2008-11-14T18:14:00.004-05:00

Thank You

2008-11-11T21:29:00.002-05:00

Today we honor those who serve our country. We think about and remember those that lost their life for the sake of freedom. We live in a great country that has been blessed by God!

Thank you dad. Thank you friends. Thank you church family. Thank you to all I know and all I don't for what you do and have done.

Now remember, we don't depend on a country or a leader..... we depend on God! We trust God and believe He will have his way to bring about His will, with us or despite us. May we work together to see His kingdom come, His will be done. Who will you be a friend to this week for the purpose of sharing the love of Jesus?

Its almost over!

2008-11-03T21:50:00.003-05:00

Don't get me wrong! I think the political process is important in our country and I take my right to vote very seriously. Go out and vote. I don't care if its cold, rainy, snowy, long lines...... just do it! That being said, I'm so glad its almost over. There is no perfect candidate, but I have chosen mine and I'll vote for that person tomorrow.

Let me share with you how I choose who I will vote for. Character, morals, biblical values, truth telling...... these are the traits I value in a leader. I don't have to agree with everything they say (that ain't gonna happen). They don't have to agree with every point of my theology (this doesn't happen often either). But they do have to tell the truth, share my values and morals as closely as possible, and they must protect life. Supreme Court justices will be the biggest impact the next president will have. I believe the leader of our country must protect the sanctity of human life. If he won't, I won't vote for him.

Whatever you do..... please don't make it all about economics. Congress can screw that up on their own! Vote based on truth, character, integrity, and biblical values and morals.

God is sovereign, and I pray his will be done in this land! May God bless America!

10 ways to worship

2008-10-29T13:51:00.003-04:00

10 habits that will build worship into your life.

1. Worship through prayer.
How much of your prayer life is about you and how much of it is about God? Look at the Lord’s Prayer in the Gospel of Mathew (6: 9-13); Jesus starts the prayer off by saying “Our Father who is in Heaven, May Your name be honored.” (NLT) Jesus teaches us an important lesson with this prayer. Prayer starts with God. Consider including in your prayers a time of focused attention on who God is.
2. Get in a regular habit of reading the Bible.
The Bible says that we worship God in “spirit and in truth.” How can we ever worship God without a clear understanding of who He is? The truth about God is essential to worship. Pay special attention to the book of Psalms. No book in the Bible spends as much time carefully describing who God is.
3. Obey God.
Rick Warren mentions in The Purpose Driven Life that we worship God when we obey Him. Whenever you sense God is speaking to you, make it a regular practice to respond immediately. Don’t let procrastination weigh you down. If you can’t do it immediately, write down whatever God has been putting on your heart, so that you can do it SOON!
4. Give.
The Bible teaches us this important lesson: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Mathew 6:21 NIV) God wants us to
surrender our entire being to Him. One way to show this is by making Him Lord of our finances. Be a faithful steward and bring your full tithe to the storehouse.
5. Build deep relationships with other Christians.
The Bible teaches that God designed us to live in community with other Christians. We bring God pleasure by getting to know others and being known by them. At North Point, the primary way we do this is through life groups.
6. Share your faith.
God wants every person on the planet to worship him, not because He is an egomaniac who needs our praise, but because worship is how we are designed by God. He wants the best for us. Take time this week to share your spiritual journey with someone else. Tell them how you came to faith in Christ. Don’t worry about their response. Relax in the knowledge that you are playing a part in expanding God’s world-wide worship.
7. Serve others.
Jesus tells us that “when you did it to the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did to me!” (Matt. 25:40 NLT) When we serve one another, Jesus tells us we are really serving Him. If you don’t think you have any gifts that are useful to serve, you are wrong. God made you with talents and gifts that He specifically gave you to serve others.
8. Build into your life the attitude of thankfulness.
This requires looking at the world through a different set of eyes. When we look through the lens of thankfulness, we see our lives – and everything in it – as gifts from God. Develop your own spiritual exercise each morning that demonstrates that you are putting on your lens of thankfulness. Then begin to thank God for all of the good things in your life.
9. Turn over to God areas of your life that you have never committed to Him.
This is the heart of worship – surrender. God won’t settle for 90 percent of your life; He wants all of it. You might have been a follower of Jesus for years, but you still have areas of your life you may be holding back from Him. What are those areas? Only you know that. Think back over the past month and write down all of the times you remember disobeying clear teaching from God. Then look for patterns. If you find patterns of sin in your life, these are areas of your life you need to surrender to God. Right at the moment, start praying for God to help you overcome that sin. Ask your small group to pray for you.
10. Sing a song to the Lord.
Most people consider worship to be singing. This is one way to worship, but not the main way or the only way. Turn off the radio in your car or home, and sing a song straight from your heart to God’s heart. It will be a joyful noise to the Lord! Sing to the Lord your praises.

We all need it!

2008-10-20T21:56:00.003-04:00

I'm one of those guys that tries my best to say "thank you" to people as much as possible. I try to recognize good things and to encourage people to keep up the fight. I love what I do and I love who I do life with every week. I have the honor of being the pastor of a great church, made up of great and loving people! I am called to it and getting that privilege each week is all I need. But I'll be honest, the last few weeks have really meant a lot to me and Christie....

People have been writing kind notes to us and doing various kind things for us the whole month. Every time I turn around someone is showing us how much we are appreciated. I really appreciate it! I don't need much thanks and sometimes one can forget how it feels to be thanked or honored. Well I have been thanked and honored this month, and for that I say thank you North Point! I love you and I pray God helps me to show appreciation to others. We all need it! Whether we realize it or not....... it does the soul good.

Habits

2008-10-09T13:45:00.002-04:00

This week, Christie and I are working on some habits. We decided to fast from a distraction, and replace that time with conversation, devotion, and rest. Since we have a dvr, we'll watch a few of our favorite shows by skipping commercials next weekend ;-)

One of the things we've been reminded is how little we miss the distraction, and how much we gain without it. Our children have had fun playing at night instead of watching a favorite tv show, and we've had fun being reminded by our kids that we can't watch tv either.

One of the best things has been replacing that time. Yes, we've still been busy.... but we've done some good things as well. Last night I had some great conversation with Christie about our day. That could never be replaced!

So...... start some new habits this week. Turn off the computer, the tv, the video game, and dive into the word. Dive into some good conversation with your family. Dive into some walks around the neighborhood to meet some neighbors and point people to Christ. You'll be glad you did!

Let 'em Come!

2008-10-03T09:22:00.003-04:00

Last night was a very biblical night for me. My children go through phases thinking my favorite Bible verse is Matthew 19:4, or that I need to practice it more!

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

It always seems to come in waves and pairs, never alone. I was in la la land, probably had been out for about 45 minutes, when the door to my room opens suddenly. Now for some reason, God has blessed Christie with the ability to sleep through almost anything. I on the other hand, I wake up to all the bumps and creaks in the night. My bed is also closest to the door!

So..... about 12:30 am the door opens and in comes child #1. "What's wrong", says papa. "My alarm clock went off and now I need you to come up and set it for the morning", said child #1. "Just go back to sleep and don't worry about it", replies papa in a soft voice, laden with disbelief over the importance of the midnight disturbance. That was it. Not so bad. I can go back to sleep pretty quick when I don't have to get up! And so I did.

Unfortunately, the door suddenly opens again about 3:30 am. At this point I'm at the peak of my 1st rem cycle, and it takes me a minute to discern if I'm dreaming. I wasn't! Child #2 was dreaming. So I scoot over and open up the covers just enough to let the little children come unto me, for such is the bedroom of parents. Being the light sleeper of the family, I can't go to sleep like that, but its ok. I hug. I hold close. I console. I monitor heart rate and breath rate. When the little one is deemed at peace with the world, I gently roll back the covers and exclaim, "time to go back to bed sweetie". Intending to give a night-night kiss and turn back over, the expected happened. Arms extended in the "carry me back up and tuck me back in please daddy" formation. What do you do?!?

My oldest starts middle school next year, and my youngest is already too old for t-ball. Time is fleeting and soon the door to my bedroom will never again open in the middle of the night! So......... I get up. I snuggle. I listen to the breathing and feel the heart beat. I love the heart beat!

Guess what? God's joy is the heart beat of his children as well. He knows when I'm afraid, and he waits for me to come running every time. He promises to draw us close to his heart and to drive away all fear, doubt, worry........ whatever is heavy in our lives. Draw near to him today!

BTW...... it was a swarm of bees that brought #2 running to daddy. I hate bees too!

Wow!

2008-09-27T22:41:00.003-04:00

What a week of college football. Thursday night I couldn't go to bed because Oregon State was trouncing some other team that was over rated. Wake Forest loses to nobody. Florida loses to less than nobody. At press time, it looks like Georgia is going to get beat (down 17 with 3 minutes to go). Clemson got beat (hehehe). I love football and I can't wait for the fall each year and for game day each week!

As great as football is for the die hard fan, shouldn't our passion and excitement for Christ and his church be that much greater! Shouldn't we wake with anticipation each Sunday. Shouldn't we long for that first good morning word with the Lord each day......

As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God? Psalm 42:1-2

Make this your prayer, your cry to God, and he will respond! He will draw you close as you draw close to him!