Various Ramblings

Tonight, I spent some time at Hamilton Mill Community Church, which is now our North Campus. Something struck me. Here we were, two separate churches, now becoming one body in Christ. The spirit of unity was so obvious, that I could tell that only the Lord could accomplish something this cool. What an exciting time for our church, but also for me as a pastor!

So, Father's Day is almost over. I had a pretty good day. It was busy, to be sure, but I was reminded how blessed I am.

VBS was last week, hence the hiatus in blog entries. It was worth every moment I spent! I was able to teach 260+ kids about missions for 5 days straight, and get to know many of them. My plan is to make this part of my schedule each year. Who would have ever thought that I would enjoy teaching kids that much?!

One quote that has stuck with me recently was by Albert Einstein. Loosely quoting Al, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." The Lord is stretching me in this area, since I tend to be a "if it ain't broke don't fix it" kind of guy. I'm having to instead become more of a "it may not be broke, but break it and then fix it and it will be better" guy. That should be quite interesting.

Unfaltering Reliance

I'm in the process of reading a great book by one of my favorite authors, Leonard Sweet titled "Summoned to Lead". Half way through, it's an awesome read, but that's not what I want to talk about.

In the book there is a quote from 19th century cleric William Ellery Channing* which says:

The greatest man is he who chooses right with invincible resolution, who resists the sorest temptation from within and without, who bears the heaviest burdens cheerfully; who is calmest in storms, and most fearless under menaces and frowns; whose reliance on truth, on virtue, on God, is most unfaltering. (emphasis mine)

Wow. That's the guy I want to be. Lately, I have been praying that the Lord would show me what it means to truly lean on and trust Him. I think I have done an OK job of this in the past, but I feel in my spirit that He is calling me to an all new level of trust and reliance. It's exciting, because I have many challenges ahead in the coming months. You would think I would be worried and completely stressed, but oddly enough, I am at peace. Maybe I am on my way. This kind of calm in the midst of a life storm can only be supernatural.


*Mr. Channing was a Unitarian Universalist, whose theology I disagree with. In any case, I believe that you can learn something from just about anyone. This quote was also attributed to Stoic philosopher Anneaus Seneca.

Prayer Walk

I just wanted to share my notes from the prayer walk that we hosted last week for our Vacation Bible School coming up next week.

"Tonight we gather to walk our property and pray the Lord’s blessing on our VBS program. I was reading the story of Hannah from 1st Samuel, and something struck me. Hannah prayed for a child for many years. She was barren, and had to endure taunting and the despair of a woman who could not bear children. So what did she do? She took it to the Lord. She told God that if He would only give her a child she would dedicate him to the Lord’s work for his entire life. The Lord heard her, and answered her prayer. Samuel arrived not that long after Hannah’s desperate prayer. Hannah was true to her word and dedicated Samuel to the Lord. In 1 Sam v.27&28, it says:

“I asked the LORD to give me this child, and he has given me my request. Now I am giving him to the LORD, and he will belong to the LORD his whole life." And they worshiped the LORD there.”

I think this is what the Lord is asking of us today. He has blessed us with children, not just as mother’s and fathers, but also as a church. We are to dedicate them to the Lord and PRAY for them as they grow. It’s not a cliché, they are the church of tomorrow, and the world is not getting to be an easier place to live. Their challenges we cannot even comprehend right now. The prayers we send up for them now, in 2006, will be the foundation of their ministries and their dedication to the Lord in the future.

We want a very successful VBS this year. We are praying for over 300 kids to take part. But the bottom line is not in the numbers, or in the success from a human perspective. The bottom line is: Did these precious children grow closer to our Lord? Did kids who had no knowledge or understanding of salvation receive Christ as their Lord? This needs to be our prayer tonight. As we pray for many things, this is the measure of success. A success that will bring glory to Jesus Christ, and not to us. That, He will be pleased with. And when it is all over, we can do the same as Hannah and Eli did when the miracle child Samuel was dedicated: We can worship the Lord in His sanctuary."

It's Been a Long Time Since I Rock and Rolled

Hiatus. Gap. Space. Lull. Pause. Break. Call it what you will. Man, has it been that long?! I really do like doing this blog thing. I have learned, oddly enough, that I like to write. So why not make more time to do it? Good question, time to fix that one.

Anyway, craziness of all craziness. My life is rolling along, sometimes it seems a blur. Does anyone else experience that?

Lately, I have come to the realization that I need an all new level of reliance on Christ. I have so many responsibilities and I don't want to screw things up. Well, if I have anything to do with it I will. If Jesus has anything to do with it, things will be greater than I could even imagine. Not only that, but HE will get the glory.

If I come up with any great insights on what it truly means to rely on the Lord, I'll let you know. In the meantime, I'm just going to pray and trust.

Washing Dishes, Again

What is it about washing dishes that causes me to ponder life? If you have been reading my blog long, you will remember another story when I caught myself singing a song and it took me to a place I wouldn't have expected. Well, it happened again. This time, it was so much more special.

As I was soaping up the pot in which the potatoes were cooked, I found myself again singing. This time it was the classic Joe Cocker song "You Are So Beautiful". If you have ever heard this song, it's what I would call a tear jerker.

I happened to look up and into our living room, and there was my daughter Rebekah. She was sweetly humming an unknown tune, and lovingly putting up toys that she hadn't pulled out. Man, it hit me. What a beautiful child. How blessed am I. God, I don't deserve to be so blessed. I felt an overwhelming need to hug and tell her how much her daddy loves her. So I did. I hugged her tight. I kissed her cheek and said, "Rebekah, Daddy loves you so, so much." Her response I'll never forget: "I'm so glad you're my Daddy." I squeezed tighter. I told her again that I loved her. I didn't want to let go.

Now, not many things bring tears to my eyes, but after that I boo-hooed. I wept almost uncontrollably on and off for about 20 minutes. It touched me so deeply. I wish I had the talent to describe what that felt like, but I have decided that it is absolutely beyond any words.

That wasn't all. Later, I hugged all of my beautiful children tightly as they went off to bed. Then, I went up to the girls' room to tell them goodnight. I kissed Rebekah and told her again that I loved her, and then she put the icing on the cake. She whispered, "You're the best Dad ever. I love you Daddy." How could it possibly get any better than that.

I don't really feel like I am the best Dad ever, but I want to be the best Dad I possibly can be. My children have been entrusted to me by my heavenly Father, and I don't take that lightly. Sure, I've had times when I messed up bigtime. Then again, I've also done some really good things. My prayer is, "Lord, make me the kind of Dad that you have been to me. Help me to have the same unconditional love for my kids that you have for me, one of your kids."

I get a picture of Jesus looking down and saying, "Bill, you are beautiful to me. You are my creation, and I love you. I love you in spite of your failures, your faults, your often wavering faith. I love you, and you are beautiful to me." How could I ever deserve that? I don't, and yet He loves me anyway. I hope and pray that my children ALWAYS know that I will love them no matter what, and they don't have to do anything to deserve it.

Miracles Still Happen

So, I took 2 weeks off from running due to my bum knee. I can tell you, that was tough! During the entire time, it seemed like a cloud was hanging over me. The uncertainty of when I would be able to get back on the road was, at times, almost unbearable. I just don't feel as good when I'm not running.

This week, I started again. Monday was not very encouraging. After getting used to runs of up to 20 miles at a time, 3 miles shouldn't be that big of a deal. You'd think. It was less than half a mile into my first run in many days that my knee started barking at me. Barking like a rabid rottweiler. Bummer, 2 weeks off didn't work. What a rotten way to get back into one of my favorite activities. In any case, I finished the 3 miler, somewhat dejected.

Wednesday morning rolls around, and I'm on my way to work. I was listening to one of my heroes, Mark Rutland, on tape. He was talking about how the Lord healed him of some debilitating back problems early in his ministry. Some old ladies found out about his struggle, and they prayed over him intensely. He was healed. The doctors tried to write it off as a mistake, but he was having none of that. It was an awesome sermon, and I didn't really think that much about it for the rest of the day.

That is, until I finally was able to work in my Wednesday run. Normally, I like to run in the morning, but as things worked out, I didn't get the chance until late evening. I figured, surely I can get in 4 miles. Don't want to overdo it.

I hopped on the treadmill, punched in a 10 minute/mile pace, and I was on my way. Amazingly, no pain after half a mile. No pain after 2 miles. Holy moly, no pain after 3 miles! Then it hit me; I think the Lord has healed my knee! Simultaneously, I recalled Dr. Rutland's sermon from earlier that day. Surely not. Surely it's just a fluke. Immediately, my faith was starting to waver. Could I believe, in faith, that the Lord had healed me, even though I was approaching the 4 mile mark with not so much as a twinge of pain? I have to admit, I still had my doubts once the run was complete. But, the Lord was still dealing with me.

I don't run on Thursday, but I noticed that the ever present dull ache in my left knee was no longer there. Weird. My faith was starting to grow.

Friday, my long run day. Still a bit hesitant, I went to the gym, as is my normal routine. Again, on the treadmill I passed 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 miles. No problem. You know what the coolest part of that run was? The Lord clearly said to me (not in an audible voice, but I knew it was from God) that I would have no more trouble with my knee. Incredible.

Another really cool thing that came of all this is that my faith has been grown and strengthened. Why in the world would God do that for me? It seems so small, and you may think I'm insane (wouldn't be far from the truth), but I know what the Lord did for me. If that doesn't help keep me humble, I don't know what would. Thank you Jesus.

Quick

My task list grows, and my blog entries get shorter. I suppose that everything in life has a balance. Maybe folks like shorter entries? In our fast paced, task packed lives, who has time to read? Who has time to rest? Who has time to relax and enjoy time with our friends and family?

One last question: Which is more important, getting our task list completed or living fulfilled and contented lives surrounded by those we love - and those we love knowing that we love them by our actions?

Yeah, life is in a balance, but if I were unbalanced I think I would rather tip on the side of relationships.

Good Day, I Said Good Day!

Today was a great day. Forget the sinus crud that I have because of pollen, or the fact that I have not been able to run for 2 weeks while I rehab my left knee, or that I had a long work week. It was just cool to be able to get up early and spend some time at the ballpark with my daughters. Jamie was at her sister's graduation from UGA, so I was on softball duty.

It was a simple day, but I have come to the conclusion that the simple days are the best. The girls played the best games that I have ever seen. Hannah threw a girl out at first from third base. She also moved to circle early in the game and threw out several others at second and first base. Great defense today. Then, on her last at bat, she smacked the ball down the third base line - the hardest hit I've seen from her - and got an in the park homerun. She also was awarded the gameball.

Between games, we went to my Mom and Dad's house and visited for mother's day. I really did enjoy sitting outside and just talking with them. That doesn't happen as much as it should, I decided.

Then Rebekah played an awesome game. It was against the number one team in her league, so she couldn't have picked a better game. She played circle, so she threw out a bunch of girls at first. She caught a pop-up. She ran down a girl going into home and tagged her just before she stepped on the plate, saving a run in a very close game. Then, in the bottom of the last inning in a tie game, she came to the plate with the bases loaded and hit a hard grounder just left of second base to drive in the winning run.

What an awesome day. At times like this I'm reminded how blessed I am. It's easy to get soaked up in the craziness of life and forget, for a time, that I am so blessed. God knows that sometimes I just need a nice reminder.

I Can't Believe I Ran the Whole Thing

Last weekend, I ran my first marathon; the Country Music Marathon in Nashville. I wish I could explain the feeling of finally crossing the finish line after many months, and seemingly innumerable hours, of training. It didn't matter to me that my knee completely went out on me at the 11 mile mark. It didn't matter that I finished a whole hour longer than I had planned. At that point, it just mattered that I finished.

My knee trouble didn't appear before that day, so it was quite a mystery when it started tightening up on me around mile 6. By the split where the marathon runners went one way, and the half-marathoners went the other, I could hardly walk. The more I stretched, the worse it got. The conflict inside my mind and heart grew with every painful step. I finally told my buddy, David Hornsby, "You better go on, I don't know that I will be able to finish." Reluctantly, he finally went ahead with best wishes, after he generously spared a couple of his Advils.

Think about it. You plug away, working toward a seemingly unattainable goal. You build yourself up with expectation to the big day when your preparation will finally be tested, only to be sitting less than half way to the finish line deciding how you are going to explain your failure.

That's exactly where I sat. Right there at mile 11, watching the other runners happily jog by toward their long anticipated goal. I told the Lord, "If you have something to teach me in this, I will accept that, but I REALLY do want to finish this race."

Then something clicked. I got up and started hobbling forward, pain with every step, wondering how in the world I was going to make it another 15.2 miles. I sped up slowly. My knee loosened up. I told myself, "If you can make it to 18 miles, you've got this thing." I was flat determined to finish, no matter what it took. At that point, I would have crawled to the finish line if necessary.

Next thing I knew, I crossed the finish line. I hadn't reached it in the exact way I expected, nor in the time I had predicted. Nevertheless, I finished. A little sore, a little beaten, a lot hungry, even more thirsty, and absolutely ecstatic.

Funny thing is, the Lord did use this experience to teach me a lesson. Thankfully, it was a much different lesson than I thought I was going to learn.

There have been times in recent months that I have completely felt like giving up on some things. Just like mile 11, I have gotten precariously close to turning around, finding the medical tent, and hitching a ride off the course. So, who said life would be without pain, or stress, or life's unpredictable difficulties? Only those who live in some alternate reality. Sometimes you just have to push through. You don't know how long the pain is going to last. You have no clue what the journey will look like. You just know that you have to keep going, and trust that it is all for your best. You have to finish strong.

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it." (1 Cor. 9:24, NKJV)

I, for one, want to win the prize. There's no way I'll win the prize for the marathon (bum knee and all), but there is an eternal prize to obtain. Should I put in any less training, or have any less determination in the spiritual realm than on the race course? The lesson I learned that day is that giving up is just not an option. I simply can't give up on the Man who has never given up on me.

Pray

Today we came together as a church and as a nation to pray. Prayer has been the habit of our forefathers, prayer has birthed many revivals, prayer is the only thing that is going to keep our nation close to our Lord Jesus.

I look at the state of affairs in our great country, and I am saddened. There is a great turning away from the morals, standards, and faith of those who came before. We have forgotten the God of all things who desires to have a close relationship with each of us. We have forsaken the discipline of getting on our knees and crying out “Lord, here I am, I repent of my wrongdoing, please use me.” Instead our cry has become, “Lord, what can you do for me next” if we call on him at all.

Now is the time to fall on our faces and repent for our nation. Repent for the materialism, selfishness, self-centeredness, and moral bankruptcy that the world mocks us for. Now is the time to acknowledge that we can’t do this ourselves. Now is the time to let God have our lives and our great country – The United States of America.

The Lord will honor that kind of prayer; He promised He would in His Word.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Slacker!

Yeah, yeah. So I'm a slacker. I haven't posted in a week now, but I'm still here! I have some very cool things to share, so keep checking. Here is an awesome scripture, in the meantime, that the Lord has used to really speak to me in the last couple of days.

Jesus says this quoting the prophet Isaiah:

"God's Spirit is on me;
he's chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor,
Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and
recovery of sight to the blind,
To set the burdened and battered free,
to announce, 'This is God's year to act!'" (Luke 4:18-19, MSG)

Is there any question that we have a job to do?

Stay Off the Other Side of the Road

Remember the movie "The Elephant Man"? I had the unfortunate opportunity to view this heartbreaking film when I was about 12 or 13. It's about a man named John Merrick who was stricken by congenital disease that left him terribly disfigured. The terrible pain and rejection this poor man must have gone through in his life was unbearable to watch even as an outsider. It's all the more difficult when you realize that the story of John Merrick really happened.

I'll never forget Mr. Merrick wailing "I am not an animal! I am a human being!" My heart hurts for him even when I remember the simple cinematic re-enactment. I don't know how I would have dealt with it in real life. What if I had known him? Would I have shown him compassion, mercy, grace? Or, would I have avoided him and assumed that someone else was his friend, someone else would take care of him, someone else will show him love. I can only hope that I would have been kind.

It brings to mind the story that Jesus told of the Good Samaritan when He was asked the question "Who is my neighbor?" A guy is on his way somewhere when he is viciously attacked and left for dead by a group of bandits. A priest and a temple assistant both pass him by without offering any assistance. The folks that you think would be first in line to help just passed by on the other side of the road!

"Someone else will handle it."

These two frauds, religious position and all, simply wrote him off. So who ends up helping? The least likely person - a despised Samaritan. He even pays for the injured guys rehabilitation without seeking repayment. Jesus concluded that the true neighbor was the one who showed mercy, and told his inquisitor to go and do likewise.

In the movie, there is also a Good Samaritan. Dr. Frederick Treves reluctantly takes in Mr. Merrick and helps him regain some dignity in his last days. Even though he had his faults, I admire the good doctor for showing mercy to someone in an extremely difficult condition.

We all have John Merricks in our lives. Maybe they aren't physically deformed, but they have some ugly problems. I have to ask myself, am I going to be repulsed by their spiritual, emotional, or mental defect and pass on the other side of the road? Or, am I going to realize that I too am in need of grace and mercy because of MY many flaws? I realize that in God's eyes, I am nothing more than filthy rags - a grotesque perversion of the original plan for humanity. But God didn't pass me by. He walked over, picked me up, put me back on my feet, and is still walking beside me today - defects and all.

What Wall?

When I was a teenager, Pink Floyd was one of my favorite bands. To be honest, I'm still a fan. I can remember listening to "The Wall" at least ten-thousand times, and seeing the movie about a dozen. Now that I think about it, those guys are weird! Maybe that's why I like them so much.

I was washing dishes tonight (yes, I do that) and I realized that I had been singing "Nobody Home" from the second disc of "The Wall". Specifically, there is a part that says:

"I've got wild staring eyes.
And I've got a strong urge to fly.
But I got nowhere to fly to."

Suddenly, memories flooded back of times when I was really down and depressed and I would listen to this album. If you have ever heard it, you will quickly realize that it probably wasn't the wisest choice when I was bummed out. Goofy teenager.

When Roger Waters would drone out the words "But I got nowhere to fly to", such an empty feeling would come over me. Loneliness, despair, sadness, hopelessness, brokenness - all emotions that are captured in that one simple line. As I stood there with my hands in soapy water, for a moment, those emotions hit me. Then I remembered this:

"Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40:28-31, NKJV)

Back then, I certainly was weary. More than once I did utterly fall. I literally had "nowhere to fly to", since I possessed no hope, no strength, no faith, no waiting on the Lord.

That is no longer the case! My hope is in the Lord! I don't always wait on Him. Too often, I rush ahead and screw things up. But when I come back to my senses, and begin to wait on and trust in Him, He renews my strength! Then I have somewhere to fly to; right into the arms of my Savior with wings like eagles.

Jim

Before I was a pastor, I was a computer guy. I spent about 10 years in the industry, my last assignment being a team lead within the company's CIO responsible for login services, e-mail, etc. That's not where I started with the company, though.

When I began this new position, the company was called AT&T. Our team was originally tasked with manufacturing computer systems installation and support. Cool stuff. In 1996 when I started, there were 2 guys who were my team. I was 27 years old and just a bit green when it came to a corporate environment. (I had worked for the Gwinnett County School System in tech support before - way different world.) One of my teammates, Jim Gunter, was probably twice my age, and remarkably experienced in surviving the minefield of corporate life. In retrospect, it seems that it would have been particularly easy for him to be unenthusiastic about this young whippersnapper coming in as his supervisor. After all, who was I to be leading him, a veteran of almost 30 years with the company?

But Jim didn't do that. Regardless of my age, my inexperience, or the possibility of his reputation being damaged, Jim took me under his wing and became my mentor. I will love him for the rest of my days for that. I attribute much of my later success in that position to his influence and the investment he made in me - a smart aleck young punk with something to prove.

I don't know why I have been thinking about him so much this week, but I just had to say something. I suppose it's because I miss him. Jim passed away a couple of years ago, after he had retired and I had moved on to become a pastor. But you know what? I'll never forget him. I don't really know if he realized the impact that he had on my life. The thing is, I can't wait to tell him. He is with the Lord, and someday I look forward to sitting under a shade tree in Heaven, drinking sweet tea, and catching up with my dear friend Jim. You bet I plan to tell him what he meant to me.

Perfect Love

No matter how bad my day was, all the junk just disappears when I walk in the door and my kids yell "Daddy!" Of course, they have their moments. They can be defiant, self-centered, prideful, inconsiderate, and the list goes on. But most of the time, they are loving, caring, thoughtful, intelligent, and just darn cute. Some say they take after me. I wonder if folks are referring to the good stuff?

What's my point?

Just this: Tonight when I got home and this ritual was repeated, it occurred to me that this is the way our Father wants me to approach Him. When I come into His presence, He wants me to possess the same absolute joy that my two year-old has when rushing to give me a hug when I get home. I confess that I don't always feel that way towards my heavenly Father. I, like my children, can also be defiant, self-centered, prideful, inconsiderate, and my list is even longer. However, as a dad I have a finite glimpse into what the Lord must feel when I look up to Him and yell "Daddy!" I know this; for me it is one of the most wonderful feelings of all. In spite of my children's shortcomings, I will always love them. In spite of our shortcomings, our Lord Jesus will always love us with a more perfect love than we can comprehend.

Never Forsaken

Have you ever felt like you were really alone? Everyone has those times when it feels like the world is against you and nothing seems to go right. I've had my moments, some more recent than others. It may come as an event that only lasts a few hours, or for days or weeks. I had a few hours like that today. Yeah, I went there. Pity party and all.

Then something very peculiar happened.

A very dear friend, with whom I do ministry, sent me an e-mail out of the blue. I wish I could share it with you, but it is one of those things that is so special that I just want to keep it for myself. Suffice it to say that I felt very loved once I read it.

Then, a few hours later, I received another e-mail from a member of our church. We had been talking about a specific situation, and she ended the e-mail "keep on doin' what your doin'". Affirmation, hmm.

That wasn't all, but you get the point.

As I thought about the events of the day, the Holy Spirit brought a specific scripture to mind:

"The Lord your God will go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you." (Deut. 31:6b, NLT)

What a dolt! I had to be reminded that I am NEVER alone because Jesus is right there with me. I shouldn't need affirmation. I shouldn't have to be told I am loved. I have been freely given the love of the Creator Himself - not because I deserve it - but because He loves me and will never leave me alone. Man, what a deal.

Rev. Bob?

You've heard it said that the Lord can use anybody to fulfill His purposes. I would add one caveat: The Lord can use anybody, many times in spite of themselves.

Today, the Holy Spirit ministered to me from the most unlikely place. As I was going to my daughters' school to have lunch with them both, I was listening to Bob Marley's album "Legend". The second track is called "No Woman No Cry". First of all, you have to understand that right now I have some major changes happening in my life. The thing is, I love change. However, sometimes the changes are not so comfortable. I just have to rest in the promise of Romans 8:28,

"That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good." (The Message)

Back to Bob. In "No Woman No Cry", close to the end of the song, Bob sings blissfully in his Jamaican accent "Everything’s gonna be alright, everything's gonna be alright." All of a sudden, I could feel the presence of the Lord, and He was telling me “Bill, everything’s gonna be alright!” Slight different pronunciation, of course.

Funny how things happen sometimes, isn’t it. It just goes to show that many times the Lord CAN use folks in spite of themselves. Like Bob, I’m living proof of that.

Blessings all.

Who'd a thunk it?

Today, of course, is Resurrection Day! To me, this is the most meaningful and most important day in the Christian's year. After all, our Lord's victory over death is also our victory! He is Risen!

I come from a very traditional background, where we dressed up for church - particularly for Easter. Suits, ties (arrgh), and shined up shoes were the standard. At Sugarloaf, we are "come as you are", but I still have that tradition in me that feels like I need to look especially nice on this day. So, this morning I got up at the crack of dawn (since we had 3 services today) and put on my nice slacks, button-up shirt, blazer, and shiny black shoes (no tie, YEHAW!). I forgot that folks aren't used to seeing me that dressed up! You wouldn't believe the number of comments that I got on how I was dressed. Stuff like, "Hey Pastor Bill, you got a funeral today?", or "I didn't know you owned a button up shirt." My favorite was, "Look, Pastor Bill is trying to dress up like a Pastor!" I couldn't help but chuckle. Folks that know me have seen my somewhat unique style. Something like Bufordian casual. I almost understood what the demon possessed man must have felt like:

"A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, but they were frightened when they saw the man who had been demon possessed, for he was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane." (Mark 5:15, NLT)

I can't speak to the perfectly sane part, but I was certainly fully clothed.

Have a blessed Resurrection Day!

Step It Up!

Last week, I started reading the book of Galatians and the Lord really prepared me for some things that He knew I was going to deal with in coming days. From His word, the He spoke directly to my calling, which He has been moving me to really step into in a new way lately. There are functions in my role that I have been quite reluctant to fill. Speaking and preaching is one of the areas.

After I returned from Africa a few weeks ago, God showed me that it was time to step up and quit standing in the background. It’s not a prideful thing – God forbid - it is simply taking on the mantle which He has set aside for me. In Galatians 1 Paul writes:

“My call is from Jesus Christ himself and from God the Father…”

I was reminded that I didn’t decide that I should be a pastor and missionary, that was Jesus who set me aside for that task – even before I was conceived.

“For it pleased God in his kindness to choose me and call me, even before I was born! What undeserved mercy!” (Gal 1:15)

I could almost hear the Lord telling me “What are you worried about, step up, I have created you for this!”

Immediately after coming back from Africa, several different speaking opportunities have arose – among these, the TEAR Banquet (over 520 folks in attendance, the most I have ever spoken to at one time!), our Awana missions night (talked to the kids about Africa), and most recently I have been invited to preach at a local Russian church. The first 2 I have completed (quite fun actually), the last one I am most hesitant about. Preaching is not a boat floater for me right now. However, I know that I am being pushed into another role that I should have already taken on. The Lord is stretching me. I can feel a move of the Holy Spirit in my life right now and I can almost see that this season is going to be one of those milestone times in my life that I will look back upon, with 20/20 hindsight, and see the great things that the Lord did in my life and ministry.

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires you to fear him, to live according to his will, to love and worship him with all your heart and soul, and to obey the Lord’s commands and laws that I am giving you today for your own good. The highest heavens and the earth and everything in it all belong to the Lord your God. Yet the Lord chose your ancestors as the objects of his love.” (Deut 10:12-15a)

Not Your Typical Redneck Pastor

Just uploading my picture!


I know, I know, it's kind of a dorky picture. It's the best I could find for now! The plan is upload a better one later.

For those who don't know me, please check out my profile (I'm in the process of updating it!). The short story is this: I am a former computer geek/Georgia Tech grad who now finds himself in a COMPLETELY unrelated field - Pastor! I'm Missions & Prayer Pastor at Sugarloaf Community Church in Suwanee, GA. Have been for about 3 1/2 years now, and what a ride it has been. Anyone who tells you that being a pastor is easy (kind of like some say a banker's job is easy) is just plain nuts! Sure, it's not easy, but it's kind of like the Peace Corp: "the toughest job you'll ever love". I can't imagine doing anything else, particularly when it comes to international missions that reach out to the poor and seemingly forgotten. My passion is to show the love of Christ to those who the world considers to be unimportant. It doesn't matter where, Russia, Costa Rica, Bangladesh, or even in my own home town of Buford.

I could go on, but right now I don't have the time! It's Good Friday - the day that commemorates Christ's Crucifixion - so we have service tonight. More later...