I'm getting MARRIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'M ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!!!

It is crazy to think about, but its true and I could not be more happier! Logan is more than I could have ever imagined in my future wife! God is good all the time and all the time God is good!

I'M ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!!!

thats all...

I don't enjoy getting into political debates for the simple reason that the type of person that will enter those debates is alwo the type who dosen't ever think they are wrong. But nonetheless, I want to offer my two cents worht on the recent election. I don't mind saying that I voted for John McCain. Was it because I thought he was the best candidate? No, i personally did not think either candidate offered a strong moral standard for my vote, but i chose to go with the lesser of two evils in my opinnion. Granted, McCain has committed adultery and people bring that up all the time, however John McCain also beleives that his greatest failure in life has been that decision! At least the man can admit when he is wrong. Repentance is not a bad quality to have in a president. Furthermore, now president elect Obama, states children are a punishment. You can bounce around this however you like and say that Obama does not support abortion, but you are wrong.(see first sentence) Do I accept that Obama has won? Yes, I do and it will be interesting to see what he does with the presidency. Am I frustrated that America was ignorant enough to elect him? Yes. I think the thing that frustrated me most this morning wathcing th news was that every form of media is elated that he is president. I started thinking, if McCain would have won this election, the media would have had a completely different outlook, which leads me to believe that the media had a bigger role in this than we think. And, frankly, that scares me to death. Our media is beginning to shape who we choose for president as well as what we belive as americans! As Neil Postman put it years ago, "america is simply Amusing itself to death!" Meaning, we are non-thinkers letting the decisions be made for us! I am sure there are some of you out there that disagree with me and to that, I am not surprised. thats all for now.

Grandness

I have been contemplating the grandess of our Creaotr lately! I can't get over how big God is! To say He is huge is an understatement, but to say He is infinite seems to not even do Him justice. He is bigger than you and I and the beauty of it, is that He see the bigger picture when we are stuck only in a frame! So much of my life is changing right now and its all so fun! I, just like every person, don't necessarily enjoy change, but I can honestly say that this change I have enjoyed. God has shifted so much of my life around and it has been good to know that He is the one doing it and not me. For so long I tried to do things my way, but when God comes along and you stop fighting Him, everything gets easy, because He is in control! I could have avoided so much hurt if I would have only surrendered to Him. Although, I would not be the man I am today without going through that pain! You see, the beauty of God is that He takes us through some of those rough places to teach us how to love deeper and live stronger! I am thankful for where He has brought me! The grandess of God is more than I can comprehend and more than I can imagine but I know that without His grandness, so much in life wouldn't make sense! Thats all.

Watching Him Move!!!

So much of my life has shifted and changed in the last 3 to 4 months! God has done all of it and I have done none of it. I have enjoyed gettting to sit back and watch Him move in tremendous ways. He has called me to Cleveland, TX to serve as the Youth Pastor at Calvary Baptist Church where He is moving beyond anythign I could have ever imagined! I was sad to leave my church family in Slidell, but this is where God called me and I beginning to see His plans unfold. If that wasn't enough, He has blessed me with the woman of my dreams that loves, encourages and supports me in so many ways. For so long, I wondered what that would look like for me, that relationship, I mean. I wondered how God would provide in that area. I struggled all of last year wondering what God was doing, only to find out that He was preparing me to lead, preparing me to be a firm foundation in order to lead a family! It truly is fascinating to look back and see the hand of God constantly at work in my life and in the lives of those around me shaping us to be who He wants us to be! His sovreignty is beyond my comprehension! I am thankful He loves me enough to give me the best! And can I tell you that He loves you enough to give you the best! Wait on Him and you will see, He has been moving all along. Thats all for now. Good day!

Life and Grace

Wow, it has been over a month since I have sat down I think long enough to write! I don't think I will have time after this either. My summer is packed with all kinds of things including being a pirate at VBS, which I think I am most excited about! not really. God has been so good to me in the last month and I am continually thankful for that! I am blown away by his provision and his faithfulness! So many things have happened in the last month, one of which is a blessing beyond my abilty to fathom. Her name is Logan Amanda Grissom and every day that I get to spend with her and every momnent I get to know her the more I am amazed and in awe of how incredible she is. My faith is strengthened by her, my desire to lead is motivated by her, and my passion to pursue God is encouraged by her, whether she knows she does any of those things. I always enjoy her presence and I am thankful she is in my life!

On another, note, my good friend Mr. Jared Houze has written some new songs and I was honored to get to hear them last night live! There are a couple of lines within his songs that moved something deep inside of me. More than just the surface level, "oh, i like this song!" But more of, "this cuts to the core of what my heart feels sometimes." The lines go as I can remember, "Sometimes faith creates a wound that only faith can heal, and grace makes a void that only grace can fill." So, Jared, hats off to you my friend! Well done!

Thats all for now...

Learning...

I just heard this song recently on the radio and it struck a chord deep inside of me. I know all of you do not care for country music, but think of the expression here that is true for all of us!

"I'm still learning how to pray
Trying hard not to stray
Try to see things your way
I'm still learning how to pray
I'm still learning how to trust
It's so hard to open up
And I'd do anything for us
I'm still learning how to trust


I'm still learning how to bend
How to let you in
In a world full of tears
We'll conquer all our fears
I'm still learning how to fly
I wanna take you higher
I'll be there till the end
I'll be your lover and your friend
I'm still learning how to bend

I'm just trying to understand
It's all in someone else's hands
There's always been a bigger plan
But I don't need to understand

I'm still learning how to bend
How to let you in
In a world full of tears
We'll conquer all our fears
I'm still learning how to fly
I wanna take you higher
I'll be there till the end
I'll be your lover and your friend
I'm still learning how to bend

I'll be there till the end
I'll be your lover and your friend
I'm still learning how to bend
I'm still learning how to bend
I'll be there till the end
I'm still learning how to bend"

-Learning how to Bend, Gary Allan

I know I am still learning how to bend and it hurts and most days, is terrifying!

So much

There has been so much I wanted to write about lately, I just haven't had the time. So much that is going on and so much that God is doing. Its crazy. So, now that I have a moment or two to sit down, let me tell you a few things and leave you pondering I hope.

First off, I stumbled across a few passages of scripture I wanted to share the other day because they both really spoke to my heart in tremendous ways. Ephesians 3:14-19 says, "For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." My hope and prayer every day is that I would bow before God in this manner and for these reasons. I want to be rooted and grounded in the love of God that way. Furthermore, 1 Timothy 6:11-12 states, "But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." Oh, that I would live that way every moment.

Secondly, I am working on something called, Between Mondays that I will post later. It is something I have been thinking about for a while. My accountability group of guys meets every Monday night at nine o'clock and we have found that if we can fight our struggles together between Mondays, we have a better chance of survival and walking this narrow road. Anyways, I will post that soon.

Thirdly, I was at Youth Lab this weekend and this song, completely broke my heart and I will always be grateful for it. The chorus is simply this, "Ruin my life, the plans that I've made, Ruin desires for my own selfish gain, Destroy all the idols that have taken your place, until it's You alone I live for." My desire is that He would do that in your life and in mine, that He would ruin the desires for our own selfish gain, that He destroy the idols we have made. Oh, Father in Heaven, RUIN ME!

Finally, I am thankful that God is moving in my life, that He is working, even when I can't see it, even when I don't know what is going on. He is moving and He is working and I am constantly reminded of how AMAZING He is!

thats all. good day.