YouTube - Official Video - Don't Blink by Kenny Chesney

YouTube - Official Video - Don't Blink by Kenny Chesney

Emma's 1st day of preschool

Our youngest (Emma) started preschool today! Wow - a whole lot of thoughts - my baby is getting growin' up! She's beautiful isn't she...

I try so hard to make sure that she (and my other two) know every day how much their mommy and daddy love them.

I've been told too many times that their 'this big' and you blink (have you heard the Kenny Chesney song)

So take some time and tell the ones you love how much they mean to you!

don't be stupid - (OK not smart)

We've all done it...something stupid!

An inappropriate comment

A bad purchase

A negative thought

This past weekend I went to the movies and we (my parents & aunt) were discussing what we should go see...you've been there right..."what do you want to see, I don't know what do you want to see"...we were choosing between two movies.

The first one was rated R for a few reasons and so I did something I always do with movies...I put a process between the opportunity and the decision to watch the movie. After this process the decision was an easy one. I chose a PG movie.

I think too often we fail to put a process in our decision making and we end up making stupid decisions.

My point: Life is full of decisions that have consequences and if we fail to plan then we plan to fail at making great choices.

I'm speaking this week on the BQE (Best Question Ever) - Thanks Konan Stephens - and my heart is that we'll be obedient to God's word of asking for wisdom when it comes to lifes choices.

Wow! I'm shocked...that's about all I can say - the past few days I've been hearing about how we (America) could be heading toward a recession. There is talk of tax rebates, presidental hopefuls try to encourage us and Starbucks is even offering a $1 cup of coffee to help boost sales.

Then I read about Shaquille O'Neal. Now before I jump into this, I'm a huge Shaq fan! I think he's a generous man, an amazing baller, and an overall nice guy...BUT...after reading this article of Shaq's spending I'm in shock.

I'm the first to want to have nice things and don't get me wrong I'm glad Shaq can have really, really nice things but...

$17,000 a month in suits

$22,000 a month in maid service

$23,000 a month in gas

Are these figures for real Shaq. You're monthly bill for suits, maid service, and gas are more than I make it a year.

I guess what I'm getting at is we can have all things we WANT in life but without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ your life is going to filled with lots of things but not be fulfilled.

So to my three loyal readers - maybe there's more and anyone else who wants to leave a comment what are the things in your life that give you fulfillment?

Facebook is so yesterday...???

For Christmas my beautiful daughter, Brooklyn, got a Webkinz!


















Here is the entire U.S. Top 10 list of fastest-rising search terms in 2007:
1. iPhone
2. Webkinz
3. TMZ
4. Transformers
5. YouTube
6. Club Penguin
7. MySpace
8. Heroes
9. Facebook
10. Anna Nicole Smith

Thanks to DC Curry for info (gccwired.com)

My Life Week Two

We continued our My Series last night with iPotle. iPotle is a night where we give every student a free Chipotle burito and one lucky students wins a iPod touch.

We had a great night and saw a lot of 1st time guests so now the important process of follow-up begins. I believe that how you follow-up with your 1st timers will greatly determine how many of those 1st timers will become followers of Christ.

Here's the highlights from last nights message:

Our decisions determine our destiny – Proverbs 3:4-5

Key verse: Phil 1:11

January 22nd, 2008 - decision made vs. decision felt…

Some decisions are made and felt immediately - other decisions are made and the consequence isn't felt (experienced) until months or years later.

Weight Lifting/Eating Right/Reading your bible/Prayer - one is not going to help...it's a great start but not going to make you stronger...healthier...or make better decisions.

WHY? Why do choose NOT to make smart decisions…
b/c we like to see how close to the edge (spiritual) edge…we can get before we go to far…

Romans 12:2

Graph #1 Wise Choices - Trusting Oursleves

Graph #2 Wise Choices - Trusting Friends

Graph #3 Wise Choices - Trusting God

Closing - Stop & Stare - One Republic

Congratulations!

This is for my best friend, Matt Oaks.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Matt and I have been on quite a journey the past several months since our resignations in Conneaut. I landed in Dayton, OH and now...drumroll Matt has landed in Hubbard, OH as a Youth Pastor. I am so excited for Matt & Liz.

He said something to me that just made my week. He said that they would continue to plan on visiting Beth and I often. That means so much to me b/c Matt & Liz are like family to us. In fact, our kids call them Aunt Liz & Uncle Matt.

Friends are so important and Great Friends are like icing on a cake. I value Matt's friendship & leadership so much and look forward to continuing our ministry journey together. Even though we are now in different churches now, choosing to remain close is just that - a choice.

How about you? What are some choices that need to be made in your life that will pay huge dividends?

Andy's Life Goals

OK - here it is - my life goals! It's a work in progress and I'm excited to be working on it. It is a lot tougher than I thought it would be. I'd like to have 100 things on my list. It's so important to have goals b/c they are a measuring stick of your life. Too many times I hear I'm 50 and I still have so many things I want to do. My prayer is that by writing down the vision and making it clear I'll stay focused on what really matters in life: my faith...my family...my future...

Today's Life Application: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding and in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight. Proverbs 3

Going to the Troy Christian Basketball game tonight. I'm looking forward to hanging out with some of the guys from U-Turn. Life (ministry) really is all about friendships and friendships are formed by spending time. Too often we lose opportunities to get to know people by not asking the right questions when we hang out. So tonight I'm praying that I'll get to ask some great questions and get to know some pretty cool guys.

Today's Life Application: Show me your friends and I'll show you your future. I believe with all my heart that your friends today will determine your direction tomorrow. So where are you heading...look at your friends.

Brett Farve

OK - so Brett Farve is 38 years old and playing like he's 28. I am rooting for him and the Packers to win it all this year. Farve is playing in his 17th year and his age is allowing him to do some pretty cool things.

#1 He's making much smarter decisions.

His decision making process is amazing. That makes me wonder about ME. My prayer is that as I get older I too will make smarter decisions.

#2 He's having FUN

I've always said, "If you're not having fun being a (christian, husband, dad, employee, etc) then you're doing it wrong."

Watch #4 on the field - he's throwing snowballs and touchdowns and having fun. Life is better when you're having fun.

#3 He's leading.

Brett Farve is leading by example. Last week with his team down 14-0 and his rookie running back fumbling for the 2nd time in as many carries, and his team (which is the youngest in the NFL) needing an example, Brett stepped up!

How about you? When others are watching your life will they see you leading or following. Leadership, simply stated is influence.

Today's Life Application: There is always a process between the opporunity and the decision to do something - have fun, make wise choices, and lead along the way.

connect

How do you connect with others?

Last week I made a phone call to one of my Adult Leaders and this simple phone call has had an impact on several people on staff at our church. The purpose of my phone: to simply connect.

I made the phone call, not to ask for anything, to recruit, or submit a need, I called simply to connect.

I think too often we fail to connect or we try to connect (real quick) before we ask for something and our connection opportunity comes across as less than genuine.

So often our excuse is we don't have enough time so blow that theory up my phone call lasted about 1 minute. 1 minute to encourage someone and make their day.

Today's Life Application: It's the little things that make a BIG difference. People wanted to be valued for WHO they are before their valued for WHAT they can do. Everyone realizes that we need people for what they can do but if we'll get into their world and value who they are we'll see much greater returns on our investment.

My Life Week ONE Talk notes

My Life - Week ONE

Our decisions determine our destiny.

Matthew 4:4 (NKJV): “But He answered and said, ‘It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

Matthew 4:7 (NKJV): “Jesus said to him, ‘It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’”

Matthew 4:10 (NKJV): “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”

Big Point: We’ve got to ‘learn how to discern’

Philippians 1:10 ‘My prayer….is that you may be able to discern what is best…’

Video – Calling

Response: A good look at YOU in 2008

Today's Walk Away - my prayer is that you'll learn to discern what God's best is for your life so that you won't settle for just what's good.

Look at YOU!

Tuesday night at U-Turn we ended by having our students write down, in a word or two, what would define them in 2008. How we did this was really cool: I set up 8 mirrors in our room and had students walk up to the mirror, look at themselves and then write down that word. It was powerful.

Every morning when they look in the mirror I pray that word fuel their day.

Here are a few examples of the word (or two) that our students wrote down:

strength, purity, discipline, example, boldness, peace, trust, energy, evangelism, prayer, hope, love, forgive...

What word would define your 2008?

Today's walk away: God has big plans for you! Too often though we allow the fear of failure or the fear of trusting God to derail God's plan. Take a chance in 2008 - write down a word on your mirror at home that your pray will define your year. ***Note: use a dry erase one!

Willow Creek - Reveal

Took the Reveal Survey yesterday. At CLC we are in the process of having the whole church take the survey.

Willow has done us all a favor by being transparent in their learnings about their own ministry while also challenging all of us to consider whether or not we're really encouraging people to experience spiritual growth. (Tony Morgan)

Today's Walk - Away: How about you? Would you be willing to allow God to reveal where you are spiritually?

I think if all of us be open to hearing from God we would see our walk with God have much more IMPACT!

Stuck the landing!

Wow! For the second time since we have lived in Conneaut, school is cancelled because of the WIND!!

It is so windy, you can hardly walk outside!

It woke my wife up in the middle of the night. The wind was so LOUD it was unbelievable!

As she was listening to it, she told me she got an image of a large branch smashing through one of our windows, and she began to pray that God protect our house.

Well, this morning, she awoke to find this in our yard:

As you can see, the wind blew it with such force, that it stuck straight into the ground!

Today's Walk-Away - I believe prayer works! It's not just a 'get-out-of-jail-free' card but I am devoted to serving & loving a God that I have a personal relationship with!

relocation

I switched back over to blogger - I was gone for a while but I like it better at blogspot!