Lawrence's Ramblings

The Day After Resurrection Sunday

2011-04-24T18:00:00.000-07:00

So the cat is out of the bag! (so to speak) HE IS RISEN!

No longer do his followers sit engulfed in sadness and no longer does his body lay in the tomb- he is alive!!

The disciples of Jesus, those who have seen his body, once dead and now alive, have a newfound hope living within them. Jesus' resurrection was so much more than an empty tomb for them... it was everything. In defeating death, Jesus set into motion a life change for his followers that would lead to a powerful passion to share him with others- one that was so great that many proclaimed him to the death.

Gone is the hopelessness of just 24 hours ago, gone is the fullness of the tomb and the emptiness of their hearts, and gone is the doubting and the confusion of how to go on. Their Savior is alive again!

What about you? Many times we move on from Easter Sunday and get back into the motions of everyday life and worship. We forget that the excitement of the Resurrection does not end at midnight on the day after Easter! Jesus' followers all those years ago set into motion a powerful movement that touches even the generations of today. They did not, could not, stop sharing the powerful message of a Savior who once was dead and now is alive! Their passion flowed from them in such force that even governments could not ignore them!

Does the Resurrection stir up this kind of passion within you? Does the empty tomb get you excited about being able to live out a faith in a risen Savior? I challenge you to strive to go against the crowd- avoid going through the motions of your faith from this day on and live a passionate, excited life for Christ who is alive!

HOPE LIVES!

Freedom

2011-04-23T20:27:00.000-07:00

It's finally here.

I cannot even really think of the words to record to describe what it means. So many of us approach the tomb at Easter with no realization that it really is empty. Many of us, today, will go through the motions of a worship service and not even bat an eye at the fact that it is empty. We will hear it proclaimed from stages and pulpits: "HE IS RISEN!", but we'll just shrug and think about lunch or some other thing pressing on our minds.

I think we are forgetting the important word the empty tomb brings for us: FREEDOM.

That first Easter morning something amazing happened. Something unimaginable, something unexplainable. I imagine it this way: the entire night there had been quiet. The sounds of animals scurrying and the impatient shuffle of the soldier's feet possibly the only sounds that would break the tranquil silence. It is there in the silence that a rumble begins causing the confused soldiers to look around for it's source, their hands gripping tighter on their weapons. I imagine them looking on in awe as slowly, inch-by-inch, the heavy stone covering the tomb begins to move. At the movement of the stone, light begins to flood into the dark cave that held the body of Jesus. If we were there, I would imagine we would see the light begin to slowly overtake the darkness. We would see the stone finish it's amazing movement as the light penetrated every corner, slowly revealing only burial wraps, no body, no death.

What does this mean? Why do so many of us miss its true meaning every year? I think it is because, like the soldiers there at the end, we stand guard outside the tomb. We seek to focus on other things, other worries and miss the fact that stands: we are guarding an empty tomb. We neglect the most important act of Resurrection Sunday: we forgo stooping down to look inside. We spend the entire celebration listening to others say that the tomb is empty, but never bother to look ourselves!

This Resurrection Sunday, as you take part in a service, I challenge you to ask God to help you look inside. I challenge you to seek for yourself a view of the empty tomb. Allow it's meaning to permeate your heart and life. Realize that, because the tomb is empty, our hearts are now full.

Why is the empty tomb so important? One word: freedom. Never has something so empty meant so much. For as the breath of life fills Jesus' lifeless body, the victory of death slips away. The promise of the empty tomb is this: Death could not hold Him, and now, it cannot hold us.

FREEDOM.

“Death has been swallowed up in victory.” "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” - I Corinthians 15:54-55

Holy Saturday

2011-04-23T11:01:00.000-07:00

Some times I sit and wonder what it must have been like for the followers of Christ on the day between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday.

It is in this day that hope would have been slim because, after all, Jesus was dead. I would like to think that they all remembered his words and his promise that he would be alive again the next day. I would love to think that they all sat together, smiles on their faces, knowing that sometime soon Jesus would walk through the door. As I think of the disciples, I would like to imagine them sitting and excitedly discussing Jesus' return, the sadness of his death out-shined because of the excitement of his coming Resurrection. Or maybe, just maybe, they could be sitting at a distance watching the stone on the tomb excitedly discussing how Jesus would move it away.

But no, instead, I imagine there was silence. I imagine that they all sat together, each in their own world as they remembered what had just happened to their teacher and friend. I would imagine quiet sobs sounding throughout their fellowship as each sought to find a way to deal with his death.

I also think about the tomb that day. I would imagine, in some ways, it was a place of peace. Most of Jesus' followers would have been in hiding after his very public trial and execution and so they would most likely not be mourning at the tomb- and even if they wanted to, the Roman guard placed there would most likely have deterred them away. I would imagine a peaceful, quiet, day. Outside the tomb, the occasional bird's song might be heard, the wind might be felt blowing through the garden around the entrance. I would imagine the guard leaning against the tomb wondering how long he would have to stand guard- after all, the huge stone door was going to keep people out anyway. I would imagine any bystanders passing by would barely give the area a second glance, had they not known who was buried there.

I imagine a world that was not ready.

It's amazing to me that, even with the knowledge of the events, we live in a world that is still not ready. Many spend their days living out a faith or mourning; a faith that is found held in. I believe that Christ's resurrection should permeate our lives and flow through from us. Our hearts should be on the verge of bursting as we wait for the stone to be rolled away and the tomb to be empty. Sadly, many of us just show up on Resurrection Sunday wishing for the day to hurry and end. We forget that this day is supposed to be a celebration- Jesus is, after all, alive!

So my question is this: how are we preparing for tomorrow? Are we trapped in the present: silently mourning and yet forgetting the promise made of new life?

You see, we have an advantage over those followers of Christ who sat in quiet pain. Yes, we should remember the sacrifice and death BUT we know what the next step is! We have a sneak preview of an empty tomb that they did not have! As I approach the celebrations tomorrow, I am excited that the tomb is empty. I am excited that my Savior is one who is alive! Are you?

So, as you experience this Holy Saturday, what are you doing to prepare? Something great is coming...

GET PUMPED!

FCA [Fellowship of Christian Athletes]

2011-02-04T20:27:00.000-08:00

Today marks the end of a crazy (awesome) week of FCA for me!

It started a week ago today with the FCA College Retreat at Camp Dixie. This weekend was the first chance I have had to get back involved with this awesome ministry since last summer. I serve as the Program Director (worship slides, schedules, working with the band, photographer, videographer, etc) and it was so awesome to be a part of the Holy Spirit moving through the band, speaker and events of the weekend. We even saw some students accept Christ- AWESOME!!

On Tuesday Heather and I went down to Wilmington for the Core Staff Planning Meeting for FCA Leadership Camp. We have both served on staff for that camp for the past two years (serving as Huddle Leaders and attending as campers in the year's before that). We LOVE this camp and it is always awesome to see God move through the lives of middle and high school students as they are training to go back to their campuses and take them for Christ through FCA. This particular two day event was a chance for the staff to come together and plan and discuss the upcoming 2011 camp. IT WAS AWESOME!! We got to hang out with some old FCA friends and even found a different personality side of some of them through an INTENSE game of Apples to Apples.... it was one of the most amazing times I have had in a while! We also came together as brothers and sisters in Christ and worshiped our AWESOME God through prayer and testimonies... again... AWESOME!!

Today (Friday), I went back to my old high school, SSS, to visit the FCA Huddle there. It is hard to believe it has been 7 years since God brought me to that school and put on my heart to see FCA get started there. It was awesome to see a good group there and to hear one of my FCA friends give an AWESOME message to them. I also got to hang out with one of my old huddle coaches from back then who has done some pretty awesome things since it all began 7 years ago.

Tonight (Friday), I went to a surprise birthday party for the other huddle coach from back then at SSS (married to the one who was at the meeting). I still cannot fathom how God took something that seemed so small back then and used the ministry of FCA to start, not only a huddle at a school, but also a God-centered marriage (the huddle coaches started dating and eventually got married), an awesome mission walk to Peru and the lives of many people across the States and beyond changed forever through God's work.

No matter what, I am excited that God has called me to youth ministry- no matter what ministry avenue that is. Students are some of the coolest people I know and, in many ways, some of the most spiritually growing people I know.

Thanks FCA for the change you have made in my life and for continuing to bless my life all the time. I am glad I can continue to give back!

(Now you know why I volunteer my time to work with this AWESOME ministry!- if you were wondering!)

Student Ministry, New Year & New Chances...

2011-01-08T23:15:00.000-08:00

One thing I like about a New Year is that, in our minds at least, we can start over. A new year gives us the chance to refocus our energy and time and re-evaluate the way we have spent our lives over the past year. Most of us come up with resolutions that we tell ourselves we are going to keep and we make claims of life changes and how this year is going to be different. Why? Because it is a new year.

Technically, nothing is different about January 1- the sun still rises and sets, we still go about our daily schedules... the only thing that really changes is the date we write down on assignments and checks. Yet, there IS something different about January 1. This day gives hope to many because it is a chance to say, "you know what? Last year could have been better and because of that, this year WILL be better!"

This week in our student ministry meeting, the students will be discussing hitting the 'Reset Button' in their lives. This is a New Year and a new chance to do something greater and better than last year. It is a chance to refocus passions and add to or let thing go from our lives. It is a chance to hit 'reset'.

Our 2011 theme with the Youth Group is "Stand" and is focused around the end of verse 9 in Isaiah 7: "If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all." This year our students are going to be challenged to examine their lives and discover what they stand for and what they should be standing for- Christ.

So, to all my blog readers out there- I ask you: "what will be different about 2011 for you? What will you stand for this year? Will 2011 just be another year for you or will it be something great?"

"I don’t wanna go through the motions
I don’t wanna go one more day
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything?
Instead of going through the motions"

- Matthew West

Thanksgiving Festivities & The Top 10 Things I am Thankful for this Year

2010-11-25T12:37:00.001-08:00

So today is Thanksgiving: turkey, string beans, stuffing and potatoes (though I do love ham on Thanksgiving!)

Heather and I headed to Pilot (Heather's parents) for Thanksgiving dinner like we have since we started dating. This is the first year that I have not eaten Thanksgiving with my mom and siblings- they live too far away right now! The food was awesome (even got in some football for a second or two!)

That being said, what am I thankful for this year?

Well, first and foremost, I am thankful for Christ. Without his role in my life I would be lost. I love how he has blessed me and my life.
My beautiful wife, Heather. Each day is an adventure with her and I fall more in love with her each day.
My family- we've had our ups and downs, but in the end we are still family!
My In-laws - Heather's family is one of a kind!
Maggie- our little pup who makes our life adventurous and is as loyal as she can be.
The Youth Group - I love how God is working through the lives of the students he has blessed me to work with.
Plymouth - No not the place the pilgrims ate Thanksgiving- the church where God has placed us at this point in our lives- I love how God is working there!
The volunteers that I work with in the youth group - they are awesome!
Campbell - This school has been a part of my life for almost 5 years and counting and God continues to bless my life through my experience there.
Life - I am thankful to be here, my friends, experiences, health, mental ability, and focus- I am thankful for it all!

There is so much more I am thankful for that I did not list, but needless to say, God has blessed me!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

Update

2010-11-14T17:40:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time since I have blogged about anything... mainly because I have been REALLY busy with school and church work!

The youth group is going awesome! We just finished up our Disciple Now Weekend 2010 and I am really excited about what is going on in the student ministries at Plymouth!

Our theme this year was "The Flight" and the motto was "If God is your co-pilot, move over." It was an awesome weekend to reflect on the things that we have allowed to get in the way of our relationship with God. Sometimes we make decisions or live a certain way because it feels right or our friends our doing it and often put God second or we try to make God equal to that thing. Our theme verse was Matthew 6:24: "“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

We cannot serve those things and God... we have to choose.. and choosing God was one of the best decisions I ever made! God has given me a life of purpose and meaning!

Awesome weekend, awesome thoughts and awesome students!

Summer!

2010-05-25T13:01:00.000-07:00

Summer break is finally here!!! (Well, break from school any way)!

I am glad to have no papers to write, no tests to study for... it feels like FREEDOM (even if it is only a few months of it!)

I say summer break is a break from school because everything else goes into full swing over the next few months.

I have started p90x, so that is the first thing that takes up my time (only an hr a day, but still, something to focus on doing). Heather and I are also moving to Raleigh towards the end of June and so we are getting ready for that (I say we are, but we have not really started even packing yet! haha)

Also in June, we are headed to Savannah, GA for our youth mission trip- the first ever! I am really excited to see how God is going to work in these student's lives through the work they will do- especially since none of them have been on a mission trip before!

The following week is VBS @ Plymouth and Heather will be working a camp, so it should be fun getting the last details of the move together without her! (bah)

The weekend we move is also Youth Sunday and so we will be very busy!! Then we have to get back to the current place to do the usual cleaning and such. Busy!!!

After we move, we get to settle in for a few weeks then we are headed to Wilmington for FCA Leadership/Surf Camp where I will be returning for a second year as program director (really excited to be doing it again- this camp has been such a pivotal part of my life through the years- I am really humbled to be able to serve on staff and give something back!)

Once that camp is over, we have a few weeks break and then the annual trip to Caswell- which is going to be awesome this year! Really excited about it!

It sounds like a lot, but I am pretty excited about it all! I don't mind being busy if it is not busy writing a paper!

SUMMER!!!

Why St. Patrick's Day is Important to Me

2010-03-17T23:19:00.000-07:00

Saint Patrick's Day is a great holiday because you get to wear green, listen to great irish music and reflect on the man behind the holdiay- the great missionary, Saint Patrick.

But March 17 is much more than Saint Patrick's Day to me. On March 17, 2002, I got baptized at Olive Chapel Baptist Church in Apex, NC. This was a great day! I had accepted Christ months before, but had not been able to get baptized for certain reasons until March.

I still remember most of the details of what happened. I was baptized along with two other youth: Chris Kah and Heather Oakley. We were baptized by our youth pastor at the time, Chris Partin. It was a great day.

I remember being a little nervous because of what the event meant to me. It was the day that I declared to the world that I was a follower of Christ. Considering the fact that I had only really been involved in the church for a few months at that point, it was a pretty big deal.

I remember entering the baptismal pool at Olive Chapel and looking out at the congregation- there were quite a few eyes staring back at me! Chris said a few words and asked for confirmation from me that I was sure about what I was about to do- OF COURSE I was! I still remember going under the water that day and then, as I came up, slipping on the floor of the baptismal. As Chris struggled to get me back up, I grasped around for the rail that was intended for gaining balance. As I came out of the water, I remember a few good hearted chuckles from the crowd- and I'm pretty sure my face turned red!

After my baptism I returned to my pew until the interim music minister, Dan, came out and asked me to join the choir (I sang with them back then). I did and we closed the service with "It is Well"- one of my favorite hymns (which I had specifically requested). As we sang, everything was truly well.

After all was said and done, I remember the day being a very special day in my life- one of the "markers" on my journey with Christ. Easy days would not always follow, but one thing I knew... I had "been through the water and come out clean."*

*Reference to a song by Kyle Matthews

Final Day of SYMC 2010

2010-02-28T22:36:00.000-08:00

This has been an amazing weekend! There really are no words to describe this experience. The things I learned have been so great and I can't wait to take them home and find ways to implement them into my youth ministry!

This weekend has been a great recharger for me. It has been awesome to be surrounded by 2500 other people who work in the trenches like I do, who understand the youth ministry of today and how to approach it. We met in Affinity Groups twice a day to discuss things in our ministry and I met in the "Small Church" group. I got to talk with other youth workers who are dealing with some of the same things I am and with the same number of students. We exchanged info and are going to connect throughout the year!

The worship sessions and "classes" were personal and the speakers were awesome. I have learned a lot and have been greatly challenged to expect God to do more if we just trust him. It is awesome to see that, though everyone here has their own groups, denominations, opinions and views, we are all one in Christ! What an awesome thing to be able to experience first hand.

It was also good to see youth workers who are still in it after years of doing it. It is awesome to see that, thought it is not common at this point, youth ministry is not something you have to "move up" from or "retire" from- you can keep doing it and working in students lives no matter if you are 25 or 45. I needed to see this and have been encouraged by it.

I need to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who got us here- whether through financial things or by prayer- I think it will pay off in our group in the future. I hope I can return next year- this has been so awesome.

I LOVE YOUTH MINISTRY!

In the Windy City!!

2010-02-25T20:22:00.000-08:00

We made it to Chicago and are checked in! Pretty uneventful plane ride here- just long because of the little space we had to move. ;). It was great though. We got checked into our hotel and are now waiting on some Chicago-Style pizza to get here so we can chow down!

Conference starts tomorrow afternoon, and since we are already checked in, we might try to check out some of the Chicago sights. We'll see.

REALLY STOKED TO BE HERE!!!

Simply Youth Minstry Conference!!!!

2010-02-25T01:28:00.000-08:00

Here I am at 4:28AM the day of a trip packing- one day I'll learn to pack a few days before and sleep the night before a trip- but that day has not come!

Later today, Heather and I are headed to CHICAGO for the Simply Youth Ministry Conference. I can't even begin to say how excited I am to be going! I have wanted to go to this conference since I started in youth ministry and I think this is the perfect time for me to finally go- I have a great group and a great church and I know that this weekend is going to be an awesome chance for me to get new ideas and resources to bring back.

I am also excited that I get to spend a weekend surrounded by a couple thousand other youth pastors. Never before have I been able to do such a thing- surrounded by people who are in the trenches like me and understand what this beast called youth ministry is really about. This may be the most exciting part of the trip for me.

I'm going to try to blog during the trip to keep everyone updated... pics and all. I'll also prob. be taking loads of pics with my Crackberry and uploading them to Facebook and, of course, I will be tweeting the whole time (which will also update my fb status)... so you have plenty of ways to keep up with me!

If you are reading this on my blog, great, you can come here to see what is happening... if you are reading this on Facebook, go to plymouthyouth.com and click the link to my blog...

Now... to get back to packing!

Thoughts from a Youth Pastor on his calling to Ministry

2010-02-16T09:54:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to post a blog saying how much I love youth ministry.

What is youth ministry? To me, its a calling. I know this is the ministry God has called me to and lately, I feel he may be calling me to it more long-term. In Divinity school at Campbell, we are challenged to examine our calling and the more I do that, the more I know God has called me to work with students. Am I perfect at it, definitely not, but God has called me to it- thats all I know and all I need to know.

My youth pastor is a career youth pastor. He is well into his life and still doing ministry well. I'm not so sure that this might not be my calling.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not limiting God or my call. I know that God could call me to something in the future (though I'm finding that less and less he is calling me to supply a pulpit). I also don't know that even if I stay in youth ministry, that I will stay in a church. I have worked for many years with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and I love the ministry we do. As the years have come and gone, FCA has been a constant place I could put my time and effort, and thus it is still one of my favorite ministries to work with, one I will work with well into my life, if God allows. So, that being said, maybe he will call me there one day.

All I know is that I love ministry to students. This is a ministry that does not and cannot grow stagnant. Students need us- especially today! God has placed on my heart, a desire to work with them through things that others may judge them by. Things that some run away from, I am called to step toward and help them move through it. I would take a bullet for these students and I know that is only because Christ loves them first and through him, I am able to.

Where is my ultimate calling? I don't know. But I do know that youth ministry is not a "stepping stone" for me to a "higher" ministry as it is for some. I don't believe that there is any higher ministry than this. All I can say truthfully, is that I am allowing God to move and to call. If he calls me elsewhere in ten years, that is fine, but until then, I will put my time and effort into these students- because only then, will I be living for Christ the way he has called me to.

Just wanted to share my thoughts.

Cooliris Photos Wall

2010-02-09T22:26:00.001-08:00

To Save A Life

2010-01-29T08:24:00.001-08:00

This past weekend, I took the youth group to see the newly released movie, "To Save A Life." (To see the trailer, look at the widget below.)

The movie presents a lot of the issues that teens are dealing with today such as: suicide, cutting, depression, drugs, alcohol, abortion, and divorce. These things were eye-opening for many across the country and many in my group, but that is not the thing that struck me the most.

The movie is written by a youth pastor from California (the youth pastor at Saddleback, Rick Warren's church [he replaced Doug Fields when he retired- for those of you who know who either of those two men are]) and in the movie he really paints a clear picture of what many youth groups (and in some ways my own) look like across the country. There is a remarkable scene in the movie where the main character, Jake, brings his girlfriend to the youth group meeting. Jake is new to the "church thing" and his girlfriend has never been. As the youth group plays games at the front, sings worship, and goes through a lesson, the girlfriend notices some things:

- First, there are people looking at her and whispering things about her, obviously judging her.
- Second, one of the girls in the band is a well known druggie at the school.
- Third, what is really the point of everything they are doing anyway.

These are the things thousands of students notice each week in youth groups across the country- and mine is not innocent. But I have taken the first step in the right direction and my students and I are working on ways to improve this. Many of the students have been impacted to reach their schools in new ways starting now- to make sure that no one is left behind.

In a world where churches are losing students to a society that tells them they are not worth anything, WE MUST move now. And not just the youth group... everyone in the church.

There is a song in by the band Me in Motion, called 'Losers' and is a perfect example of this problem and the message we, as Christians and the Church, should be sharing:

"I was always on the outside feeling like I don't belong
Watching all the happy people
Hey, did I do something wrong?
Did I do something wrong?

Hey, hey, hey, I was always one of the losers
Hey, hey, hey, don't you think that Jesus loves us?
This gospel sounds like good news to all of us losers

Someone has to be the victim, someone's got to eat alone
And maybe, that's a four-eyed Jesus coming from a broken home
Go on and throw your stones

Hey, hey, hey, I was always one of the losers
Hey, hey, hey, don't you think that Jesus loves us?
This gospel sounds like good news to all of us losers

So, here's to the losers in the crowd
Our tears will always be around
Help turn this kingdom upside down

Hey, hey, hey, I was always one of the losers
Hey, hey, hey, don't you think that Jesus loves us?
This gospel sounds like good news to all of us losers

Hey, hey, hey, I was always one of the losers
don't you think that Jesus loves us?
This gospel sounds like good news to all of us losers

Jesus has a thing for losers"

When so many are feeling like this, are we telling them that Jesus has a thing for them? Or are we leaving them behind just like society is?

This has been on my heart lately and I hope this post makes you think, but more importantly it makes you MOVE. Now is the time to save a life.

14 Hours AWAKE...

2009-12-30T21:57:00.000-08:00

New Year's Lock-In tonight at the church... it starts at 5:15pm on Dec. 31 and ends at 7am on Jan. 1... thats 14 long hours... but Im looking forward to it! Of course, I have to be there to set up around 2:30, so its really going to be a long night... which is why Heather hates Lock-ins so much... she'll be napping by 3am....

here we go... Welcome 2010!

Born Is the King

2009-12-22T19:02:00.000-08:00

What does Christmas mean to me?

This is a question that people always ask around the holiday season and I've decided to answer it myself.

First, Christmas means family. Throughout the years, I have always been around family at Christmas time. This year, that family will be my new family- Heather's relatives. Once Christmas approaches, we will all sit together and open presents and I know that those seated around me care about me- no matter what. Also spending a second Christmas with Heather is amazing to me. God gave me this beautiful wife and I am so glad that I can spend holidays, expecially this one, with her.

Second, Christmas is the spirit of it all. I feel the spirit of Christmas in driving around and seeing the lights, the smell of our Christmas Tree, Christmas songs on the radio and even the occasional secular Christmas movie (most recently: Miracle on 34th Street and Jingle All the Way). Talk of Santa checking his list twice and Scrooge being visited by three ghosts are both part of it. I love all of this!

Thirdly, but MOST IMPORTANTLY, I love celebrating the birth of Christ. Yes, I know that this is not really when he was born- but I think it is great to celebrate it this time each year. I have relatives who do not celebrate Christmas at all. They believe that celebrating this one day takes away from celebrating all year long. I have to say that I agree with their reasoning, but at the same time, I think it is a great idea to have a season where we celebrate what Christ did by coming to earth.

All three of these things make Christmas special for me. Family, the spirit and Christ are all part of my Christmas each year.

BUT I must admit, that it all begins in the manger. Without the manger, there would be no spirit of Christmas, there would be no family celebration and, most importantly, there would be no CHRIST in Christmas. We are so quick to remove the manger from our "holiday" that we forget it is that exact thing that gives us eternal life.

So as you celebrate the holiday this year, remember that there is no holiday apart from Christ. Keep him at the center of your celebration and remember that YOU are part of the Christmas story... because it is for YOU that there was a baby in the manger in the first place. Without YOU there would be no manger.

Get ready- the Messiah is coming, the time of celebration is upon us!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

9 Crazy Years... God At His Best.

2009-11-30T23:29:00.000-08:00

8 years ago today, I encountered Christ. The journey to that day, eight years ago, was not an easy one, but one that led to that moment.

The events that took place on December 1 seemed random and coincidental- finding a promo flyer in my desk for a church event, pulling it out at lunch in front of my friend who happened to go to that particular church (thought I didnt know it until that moment), being allowed to go and getting a ride and the home-like atmosphere once I arrived- it all seemed to perfect, too connected.

As I reflect on this moment, nine years ago, I cannot believe that it has been that long. It seems like just yesterday I stepped foot into the youth room at Olive Chapel Baptist Church in Apex, NC. I can almost smell the popcorn from the machine that Chris, the youth pastor, was popping. I can picture the big screen at the front and the banners and posters covering the walls. I can still remember sitting down on the floor (against the wall where a futon would one day sit), wary of these "church" people who seemed innocent enough. I was there to watch a movie, one based on some books I had read- I was not there to encounter Christ or "get saved" as some people like to say.

But sometimes, it does not matter what I am there to do- its what God has planned that matters. I still remember putting on my Dallas Cowboys jacket and starting toward the stairs in the second part of the youth department, my intention was to go hang out on the basketball courts with everyone else. I can easily recall how God begin to speak to me, how God began to CALL me. I couldnt take another step away from him.

I still remember walking back into the youth room. Chris was cleaning up by the big screen. I asked him if we could talk. I remember the walk downstairs, to a second floor Sunday School classroom, I remember sitting in a chair facing the wall. I remember telling Chris that I knew I was a sinner, that I knew I needed forgiveness- and that I knew I needed Jesus. I remember Chris leading me in a prayer to accept Christ- I can still remember the emotion of the moment and the feeling of a weight being lifted from me. It is a feeling one cannot soon forget, but can never really describe. My life had been changed.

Everything that has happened since then has been a continuation of that night. There have been great moments: church youth events, church league basketball, managing the Christian band Trademark, involvement with FCA, the Lighthouse, new friends I would not trade all the money in the world for and of course, my beautiful wife, whom apart from Christ I would not have met. There have also been not so good times: the doubting of my faith by those close to me, the countless hours spent asking why...

But in the end, it is all a part of my journey, my story- as one of my professors loves to say.

Yes, the memories of nine years ago are vivid in my mind today. Maybe that is why I find so much happiness in seeing the smiles of my middle schoolers as they come into the youth room each week. I know where they are- what discovering Christ is like. Maybe that is why my heart beats out of my chest every time one of them encounters Christ for the first time as I did. Maybe that is why tears now fall in remembrance of it all.

At the end of it all.. the only thing that matters is I am forgiven. No action I do will ever change that.... yes I will mess up, yes I will do things that I regret... but you know what? Christ still forgives!

The Reverend EV Hill, in a favorite sermon of mine reflects upon the question: "When Was God at His Best?" Rev. Hill decides after describing many things that should show where God was at his best: creation, salvation, resurrection (among others), that none of these are quite right. You can almost hear him smile as he so proudly announces that God was at his best when he saved HIM as a young boy. I can relate to this... I can see this. For God to take a imperfect young student, with an imperfect past, present and future and forgive him and do crazy things through him, this MUST be God at his best!

These 9 years are only the beginning... I cant wait to see what the next 9 will bring... but I thank God every day that nine years ago... he forgave me... this is my purpose... this is my life...

Thanks be to God.

Get A Clue

2009-11-05T09:43:00.000-08:00

So the title of this blog is the theme of Plymouth's D-Now Weekend this year. We will be talking about identity- a very important topic in the world of students today. There are so many different things that vie for their attention- for them to find their identity in. During D-Now we will be exploring the different things that they find their identity in and show that there really on one thing that they should be looking to... can you guess what that is? :)

We are looking forward to Thanksgiving because we love spending time with Heather's family.... BUT we are REALLY looking forward to the weekend after because we are going on VACATION to Myrtle Beach! We haven't been out of town, really, since Caswell last July. We really need some time off where we can worry about nothing but each other! So excited!

Great things are happening within the youth group and am excited about what we are doing... just finished the new youth site: http://www.plymouthyouth.com!!

Papers and Finals coming up... here we go.

Girls & Guys Night Out & Family Fun Day

2009-10-15T15:14:00.000-07:00

So I had this crazy idea a couple of weeks ago to host a Girl's Night Out one night and the a Guy's Night Out the next night- both AT OUR HOUSE.

They were really great nights!! (Well our pup Maggie didnt think so, she hid under the table and spazed out- the terrier in her... haha.)

The house was hit by a youth tornado too... expecially during Guy's NO... the girls decided to

crash it and tped the living room and then silly stringed everything

... it was funny, but not fun to clean up!

The girls painted finger nails and such- they had a great time. I, however, spent the night in my office at the church- which was not so bad because I got a lot of work done for Disciple Now.

We set up two screens for the guys and we played Halo all night (well

until 2am). It was a lot of fun.

The next morning we had Family Fun Day at the church- I was the photographer this year, which was pretty sweet. This is one of our church's big events of the year: bouncies, free food, a clown, firetrucks, and a car show. It was a lot of fun!

I also finally got my website set up so people can hire me to help them design a website... www.ichurchsite.com!! If you need a site designed, let me know!

Heather is great and the youth group is booming... we love it! We are ready for Christmas!!

Life

2009-09-16T22:06:00.001-07:00

I couldnt come up with a better title, but I wanted to update everyone... the title has nothing to do with the show "Life" which was amazing and has been canceled and I though I could blog about it, I will not... though grrr NBC... grrr.

There is one word for whats been going on in my life lately and that word is: "sick". Over a week and a half ago I caught some sort of bug that has probably "been going around" and thus from then until even today, I have been sick. It started out harmless enough- a high fever but not much else. Because it was labor day weekend, EVERY doctor was closed but Christ looks out for those who follow him and thus we found an urgent care open on Labor Day! The doc put me on meds that did not do much to help and I proceeded to develop a cough... which is still with me some today. I went to another doc later in the week who put me on more meds... which hurt the wallet a little (thank goodness for insurance though!) They got rid of the fever and thanks to the Tussinex, I was able to sleep cough free! Needless to say, Im much better but still not 100%- mostly due to my loss of appetite which led to my loss of 13 lbs.... hah... lost it but not in a fun way!

Moving on... :).... See You at the Pole is next week for my students- there really has been no push for SYATP in the past, so I am really hoping that they are excited about it! Marty (another local youth pastor) and I have planned a SYATP Pre-Rally for the night before and I am praying that this will get our groups as well as other local groups, exicited for the event. There used to be local rallies every year when I was a student, but they have fallen away. Our students need to pray and I pray that this year's SYATP brings a revival in their prayer lives as well as their schools. Be praying for that.... Im really excited about it!

Ive got a lot of things bouncing around in my head for the group this year- Im excited to see what God will do with them!

Heather is great. Maggie is great. We are excited about the fall and what it will bring!

Christ and Chuck

2009-08-15T10:48:00.000-07:00

I love the show Chuck which comes on NBC... but currently is in between seasons. The show is about a 20-something tech wiz named Chuck Bartowski who, through a course of events, ends up with the "Intersect" inside his head- a sophistocated collection of the world's greatest spy secrets. The show follows Chuck as he attempts to live with this situation and being known to the CIA as "The Asset."

I really love the show and today as I was watching the season 2 finale on Hulu, I decided to look it up and discovered something cool about the guy who plays Chuck- Zachary Levi.

He is actually a strong Christian... which is always awesome to see. He is quoted as saying: "My job on my set, I believe, is to first just love people and gain that trust with people where they know that I really do love them and care about their well-being, so that when they are running into problems, they will hopefully, at some point, come to me and ask me, 'What is your peace all about? What is your comfort all about? Where do you get your love? Where do you get your talents?' And I can turn to them and say without blinking, 'Jesus Christ.'"

HOW AWESOME IS THAT QUOTE? Especially when so many in Hollywood attempt to say that the answer to everything is themselves. I just thought it was cool to see someone living for Christ in such a radical way- especially in Hollywood.

Awesome.

Some Rearranging Is In Order...

2009-08-11T22:27:00.000-07:00

Not much is happening in our lives at the moment... the summer rush has finally slowed to a crawl... and Heather and I have just realized that we really need a weekend together soon... not that we dont spend a lot of time together at home... but we need to get away from all the craziness for a while. But we'll just have to see how that goes... Heather is now into football season, which means I get to see her about 6 hours a day (dont get me started about Thursdays and Fridays once games start!) I'm about to jump back in to school- grad school none-the-less- so needless to say, we are going to be busy!

I am attempting to use what is left of my summer constructivly and (with my beautiful wife's help) I am rearranging a bit at the house... fixing up some things we have wanted to do but have not had the time to do. We finally got a cover for our couch- which is a very comfy couch that was donated to us by Heather's Aunt, it had many years of use and needed a new look- we went with green... but it looks great! We bought a new coffee table at the beginning of summer- one of those glass top with wooden frame numbers- she sanded and stained it and now we have a great new table!

Today I decided to rearrange everything in my home office (where I currently sit typing this) because until I moved it, my desk faced the wall, which made me feel like I was in a small box. Now it faces the window so that during the day I can open the blinds and get an awesome view (actually, its just the neighbors apartment across the street... but you take what you can get.)

The office is only the first step in the transformation of our house as we are cleaning and moving things around to change it up- we even got curtains for our bedroom this past weekend.. we've just had the classic "blind look" up until now.

More to come on the excitement... haha... or at least, more to come.

Two Weddings Today!...yikes!!

2009-08-08T08:46:00.000-07:00

Headed to two weddings today... one in Chapel Hill and one in Durham!!

WOW... Its Been A WHILE!

2009-08-04T21:57:00.000-07:00

Just thought about my blog and realized that I havent blogged in a while... its not that Ive been to busy but more that during the summer I have no papers to type and thus do not find distraction in coming to my blog. ;) That will change of course, in a few weeks when I start back to school.

Speaking of school, I found out today that the first year is completely cover by financial aid- so no loans for my Masters thus far. Its considerably cheaper than undergrad and so it is a BIG blessing that it is covered- now I can focus on my school work and not worry about how Im going to pay for it.

Im very excited about being back in the classroom- REALLY! I have really enjoyed my summer... so much to catch my blog up on....

Caswell was AWESOME this year! My students are AMAZING! They really allowed God to speak to them this year and the decisions that were made and the impact it has had on our group has been great!

FCA Leadership Camp was good as well. This is one of the only consistent things in my life as far as events go- hard to believe Ive been going to the same camp for 5 summers. This is the first year Ive been on staff with the camp though- I took care of the audio/visual stuff at worship and during break-out groups. Everything went very well and Heather and I (she was on staff as the Trainer) even got to have our own little apartment for the week- it was nice. Especially since the camp was at UNC Wilmington this year and we got to go to the beach a few times (one of our fav. places to go!)

There is so much more that has happened this summer that it would take forever to blog about... but I am ready to get back into the swing of things- it is going to be a tough ride, but Ill only be in class twice a week and so Ill have more time to juggle classwork and church work. We have a lot planned for the group this year and I am stoked about what is to come.

Heather is doing well but staying busy... Ill try to keep this more up to date now that my computer and I will be inseperatable again... PAPERS HERE I COME!!! ;)

Just Posted A New Blog About What's Going On in Our Lives...

2009-06-15T07:45:00.000-07:00

You can read it on our joint blog-

http://lawrenceandheatherpowers.blogspot.com/

- ;)

Graduation Has Finally Come!

2009-05-10T12:14:00.000-07:00

Graduation was yesterday! I cant believe that the day finally came! If you look at some of my first posts on this blog, you'll find that I was really worried about getting to Campbell at all- and now I'm a GRADUATE!! Its so hard to believe that three years has passed already!

Looking back it seems like just yesterday I was moving the "fire hazard" of a couch into McCall 212. That was a great year... it really was. Hanging out with Chris and all the craziness that came with having Kyle and Cedric as suite mates. And of course never knowing when a wrestler might run into the room in his underwear... haha... but we've matured beyond all that- right Kyle? lol.

Then living in Layton the next year. To be honest, looking back, I wouldn't have minded another year in the regular dorms- I kind of missed it all. But having my own personal room was pretty sweet- now I have a closet about the same size as Layton 19- seriously.

And then Senior year- what a whirlwind. This year was a mad rush to get in those final hours (20 my final semester!), adjusting to married life, moving, and switching to a new church. This year was a crazy one, but I will miss it all. Ill miss Dr. Jonas' awesome stories, meals in Marshbanks, hanging out in Barker, and of course- FCA leadership.

But there is more to come- and more years in Buies Creek. Nope, not ready to say goodbye yet- 2-3 more years of grad school to come- Im excited. My grad school interview is this Thursday- as long as that goes well, Im in... for more studying, reading and fun.

Here we go... but Im going to enjoy the break while it lasts!

Thanks to everyone who made my 3 years at Campbell great!

Graduation Here I Come...

2009-05-05T15:58:00.000-07:00

Finally...

Senoritis... and such...

2009-03-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

So... one month left in my undergrad experience... and Im really feeling the crunch of it all.

Moving during the semester was probably not the smartest choice... darn lease...

Ive got two papers due this week and lots of reading to catch up on... working on all that and trying to move in addition to revival at the church and other duties at Campbell... this week is giving me a headache just thinking about it...

I know, I should not be blogging right now, I should be working- or sleeping. But I just had to rest my mind for a minute or two... Oh yeah, I have a test tomorrow... AHHHH!!!!

Thankfully, graduation is only a few weeks away! Ive applied at CU's Div. school, but until I hear back, that is up in the air. So pray for that if your reading this!

Guess I should get some shut-eye... getting up early to study some before heading to my looonngggg day of classes... they are all long this year- NEVER take 20 hrs of credits (unless your like me and you have to... its not fun!)..

Well, until next time--- which will prob. be after this loonnnggg week is over. And Im sure everything I have on the plate will be done by then... but the headache from it all will linger longer....

What was it Paul said? Keep your eyes on the finish? Thats what I have to do I guess... good logic there...

HERE WE GO...

WE ARE MOVING!!!!

2009-03-15T19:10:00.000-07:00

So we've decided to move.... read our marriage blog about to find out more!!!

http://lawrenceandheatherpowers.blogspot.com

Jesus Is A Friend Of Mine... HAHA

2009-03-13T21:28:00.001-07:00

Ok... so I had to share this with everyone!...

March...

2009-03-01T20:08:00.000-08:00

It looks like March is going to be a packing month for us! We've decided to move to another townhouse (still in Angier) but in nice subdivision. We hope to have a grill out once we get moved in and all... but our lease doesnt expire until April 1 so we'll be where we are until then.

Otherwise.... ITS SPRING BREAK!!! Though I know Ill spend most of it cleaning and beginning the packing process... it will be good to have a break! Im also working on planning my first white water rafting trip as a youth pastor. Im excited about it... but its right after Easter and so its going to make April a busy month! (Moving then Easter, then White Water Rafting, and then exams and graduation!)

Got to catch up on school this week too... lot of reading to do!

Soooo.... Senior Year..... QUESTIONS....

2009-02-17T10:48:00.000-08:00

So its finally the final semester of my Senior year of college (well undergrad anyway)... and Im married and I have a dog.... haha... wow how time flies!

So I guess the biggest question Im having to ask myself right now (which is pretty common I think amongst final semester seniors) is
what next? I mean, I feel God calling me towards Campbell Div. School (though I know some of you would disagree with that and tell me how bad the Div. school is there- I will just say, I am going where God is calling, not where everyone thinks I should go...). So there is the school question.

And then there is the job question. I just started (in Aug.) working at a church (that I love working at) and I am planning on staying here until God calls me elsewhere... that being said, the church pays pretty good for a part time youth posision but come August when I start div school, I will have class only TWO days a week- so that begs the question- what will I do with the other three days? Most of the people I know are simply taking full time jobs somewhere else and just having the two days of classes off- Im not so sure thats an option for me. So there is the question- do I start looking for another part time job? So thats another question...

And then comes the housing question. We've been living in a townhouse in Angier for a year now and its ok. Heather and I both are just content with this house and are sure that we dont want to live here the whole time Im in Div. school (we really dont want to live here another year) but lease time is coming up so we have to find something now or commit to another year... we've been looking and have some leads that make us happy, but we are just waiting to see what God's will might be for that situation.

Soooooo.... Senior year... full of questions... praying that we choose the right answers....

But life if good (though, in the words of Stellar Kart, eternal life is better.)

Never Doubt the Heels....

2009-01-29T14:53:00.000-08:00

WOW... Its been a long time...

2009-01-27T22:25:00.000-08:00

I decided to check out my blog (because Im not sleeping of course)... and noticed that I have not blogged since November! I guess its just been a crazy couple of months... with Christmas and school starting back (20 hrs this semester!) ... its just been crazy!

Since this is my first official post of 2009... Happy New Year! I hope everyone has had a good one and has made some good spiritual resolutions this year!

Ive made a resolution to up my time with God each day this year... what does that mean? Well for me it means carrying my Bible with me more so that if I have unexpected down time I can read the Word and it also means always carrying a set of headphones with me so that I can jam to a worship playlist on my ipod (I finally got my I-Pod touch for those of you who heard me speak @ Fairview Baptist a few montsh ago!) while Im walking to class (or in class since Im taking Walking for Fitness- HA. Whatever it takes, I am making a resolution to do this every day.

On top of that, I have decided to challenge my youth group to do this as well. As a matter of fact, tonight's youth meeting is going to be just about that- working on their quiet times and spending more time with God... and TALKING TO HIM MORE! It always amazes me when I look back on a day that I may have spent in church or readying my Bible and I suddenly realize that I never really talked to God that day... its a sad realization too, especially since He has been waiting to hear my voice all day! Well, hopefully my New Year's resolution will make those looking back moments become less.

I'll challenge you as well to ask yourself how often you really spend time talking to God on a daily basis and reading your Bible... it really does change your day if you start it off right.

Wow... I guess I really was having blog-withdrawal... I blogged a bit more than intended... well off to bed!

-Lp

New Marriage Blog!

2008-11-10T17:20:00.000-08:00

Heather and I have decided to create a blog of whats up in our married life so our friends and family can keep up with us. I figured I'd share it with any readers I might have. (No Lindsey- we did not steal the idea from you guys ;)... Check it out and comment if you have any thoughts.

http://lawrenceandheatherpowers.blogspot.com.

My Deviant Art Pics

2008-10-06T16:57:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to put a plug in my blog for my photography site. Once of my favorite things to do is take pictures- expecially out in nature. The site is lbprandomart.deviantart.com. Check it out and let me know what you think!

The above picture was taken at Fort Caswell on Oak Island, NC.

How Bout then Tarheels!

2008-10-02T07:09:00.000-07:00

Well since my last post was a little sentimental... haha... I figured I'd post one about the Tarheels.

3-1 for the first time since 2000 is a big deal. I hate that Yates is out for games and the fact that Paulus really didn't do that great on Saturday against Miami. But where did Sexton come from? He really got us the win... I must say that he has his cards cut out for him this Saturday against Connecticut but, I think he earned his chance to show up again. Of course, Yates will be put right back in no matter how good Sexton gets- but he will have to work his butt off to stay in if Sexton keeps improving from his performance on Saturday.

Its nice that UNC football might be a force to be reckoned with this season. We shall see- they've got some work to do.

Posting Update.... Its Been Awhile!

2008-10-01T20:19:00.001-07:00

So life goes on... ;)

"How is married life?" seems to be the question of the year- and the answer is: GREAT! This journey that Heather and I have began could not be better!

"Now wait," you say--- what about bills and all that stress? Well, they are there of course... but we take them one step at a time- its easier knowing that God is in control!

School is going well and even though Im ready for graduation and all that, I would not say that I have "Senioritis" yet. Im going to miss a lot of my undergraduate things- FCA, Dr. Jonas' classes, and many, many people that I see everyday. But thats just life, isnt it.

I am very excited about Heather and my first Christmas together- it would be even better if we could convince our landlord to let us have a dog, of course. But, even if not- I am looking forward to it.

I think that as one looks forward to marriage, Christmas is one of those special events that you think about sharing with your significant other- and I was no different. Of course, this could also be because I love the Advent and Christmas seasons anyway. I look forward to it all: the smell of pine trees, the twinkling lights, the overplayed carols on the radio, and of course, watching "Its a Wonderful Life" all over again. (Except this year I have my Mary who I can give the moon to!)

So as I move forward and look ahead, I am excited about what God will do in my life and marriage.

Thanks for the prayers and thoughts!

-Lawrence

Red Springs and Bittersweet Endings....

2008-08-09T21:43:00.000-07:00

Red Springs -
Just got back yesterday from Red Springs, NC where I was on a mission trip doing something I would have never thought I'd do on one- painting fire hydrants. It was actually a lot of fun but hard work- especially in the heat and with the threat of fire ants at each turn- but it was fun all around.

Bittersweet -
The bittersweet is that today (Sunday) is my last day as youth pastor at Baptist Chapel- where I have been since November 2006. I have loved my time there and have loved hanging out with a great group of kids- but God has called Heather and I elsewhere. I start at Plymouth Church in Garner on Monday morning with my first youth group meeting on Wednesday night (I have not had a youth group meeting on a Wednesday night in years!). I am really excited about the new church but not so much about leaving behind some of the people at Baptist Chapel who have become friends over the past few years.

We will be doing a pool party @ 3 today and then one last Youth Council meeting at 7- so if you could, pray for Heather and I as we go our last Sunday there. It is hard leaving your church behind, but even harder to leave your church family- but when you are doing what is God's will, then it is easier to do.

I will blog after.

-LP

When God is good... He is good!

2008-08-04T10:48:00.001-07:00

(The Church I worked on)

Tampa was AWESOME! One of the best, if not the best, mission trips I have been on!

The staff was great and everything ran smoothly (well except when we had to move rooms on Thursday night because of AC problems) but that was nothing too bad- "Suffering for Jesus" as the Construction Coordinator would say.

The way I was able to see God move this week through my crew (which had to be put together by God Himself) and the youth and adults from my church- was awesome!

I stand in awe of the work we were able to do as well as the 30-40 who accepted Christ this week! One of those who accepted Christ was a participant, who after presenting the gospel to someone else, realized that he had not really ever committed his life fully to Christ- awesome!

We had a great week and though it was bittersweet because it was my last trip with my current youth group, we had a blast and it could not have went any better!

Thanks for any prayers that were prayed over this week- they were answered!

For His Glory,

Lawrence P.

The Group from Baptist Chapel

Tampa or Bust...

2008-07-25T22:52:00.001-07:00

Im headed to Tampa, Florida this week for a mission trip with my current youth group.

This will be a bittersweet trip for me, as it is my last with Baptist Chapel but also just three weeks before I start at Plymouth. Im pretty sure it will still be an awesome week!

I will be a Crew Chief for the first time ever and Im excited about that- plus I get to have one of my college students on my crew.

I cant wait to get there (especially since getting there will be the end of a 10 hr drive!) but at the same time, this is the longest Heather and I have been apart since the wedding. We both think this "break" from each other may be a good thing- Heather is going home to spend time with her family (something we have not been able to do in a while and something she has not done alone in a while.)

She starts work next week, so she will stay busy.

Well- Ive got to leave the house at 3 AM and its 1:50AM already- so I am going to go take a power nap really quick.

I will post pictures and reflections from the trip once I get back.

If I have any readers, please be praying for me as I transition into the new youth group (they are a great group of kids- but so are my current youth- so this is a hard thing to do.)

Thanks guys!

For His Glory,

LP

Slowing Down For A Few Days

2008-07-21T16:25:00.001-07:00

Heather and I finally get to slow down for three days or so- we have been really busy!

Last week was FCA Leadership Camp @ Campbell U- it was an amazing week (Read my Last Blog Post).

On Thursday we are headed to Caswell to hang out with my new youth group- yep, I am in the process of switching churches- and then on Saturday morning I am headed on a 9-hr drive to Tampa, Fl for a World Changers Mission Trip with my current church.

This will be the last trip I will go on with them, but I am praying that it will not feel like it- that we will have a great time and open our eyes to what God has for us.

After that trip I'll have a few more days which will be used for moving my old office to my new one and then on Thursday and Friday Aug. 14 & 15 Im headed to Parris Island for my lil' bro's graduation from Marine boot camp... it'll be good to see him.

The following Sunday, I start at the new church and then after that school starts back- Spanish and Engish... sigh...

Heather starts working again at the high school while Im in Tampa- so she will busy too.

Great summer- I love being busy like this!

Reminders and God

2008-07-19T20:31:00.000-07:00

Last week Heather and I worked an FCA Leadership camp @ Campbell U. and it was amazing! Never before have I felt God move in such a large group of students. I could do nothing but stand in awe of everything he did as I saw students down on their knees giving everything to God and turning their focus on the prize. Even now I can not believe how awesome a week it was. This year I am at a loss of what to do now- I want to go back and hang out with my guys in Huddle 10 and hear Perry Tuttle speak and worship with the Chad Lister band. Thats the thing about life- we must move on. And I will, but I thank God that the things He showed me last week I will never, ever forget!

Busiest Summer Yet!

2008-07-11T10:14:00.000-07:00

Ive been a horrible blogger this summer but it has been very busy! Between trips and adjusting to married life and job changes- I have been slammed. Heather and I are rushing to get ready for FCA Camp at Campbell starting tomorrow and then a week break before she starts back to work at Overhills HS and I head off to Tampa, FL for a Mission Trip- I love the rush though- nothing like summer. At first I wanted school to come on and get here but now Im enjoying the break- but Im sure I will be glad its back- well except Spanish of course- and possible English.

Well got to go pack...

Married Life...

2008-05-27T19:46:00.001-07:00

Is more than you could ever think it would be! Its been great getting to know Heather as my wife... and its been awesome to see that just because you are married does not mean that you can not have fun and hang out with other people.

Last night we went over to Heidi's (the Canadian!) and hung out with a bunch of people and played Gestures and watched Tommy Boy... simple night but lots of fun!

Today we started our gym membership at ClubWorx in Fuquay and it was great... there is nothing like working out with your wife... its great to experience that together.

We did go to our first funeral as a married couple today. Stephen (the guy I lived with in Smithfield when I was at JCC) lost his dad Sat. (had a heart attack while farming on his tractor. He was 62 and a great guy. Nothing like a funeral to really make you want to cherish every moment you have.

Thats it... anyone looking to do anything this summer let us know... haha...

Tying the Knot

2008-05-16T23:18:00.000-07:00

Literally....

Wanted to get a post in today because it is a special day! Heather and I will be married once the day is done... crazy to think about.

You know, I spent many years wondering what it would be like to meet the woman that God had set aside for me, what it would be like to start my life with her- but when it actually happens- when you meet her (or him if that be the case)- its like nothing you could expect. It jumps up on you like a birthday surprise but at the same time does not surprise you at all.

God has a plan- a great one- for each and every person.

Today I embark on a journey to fulfill some of that plan with another fellow journeyman- Heather- and I am exited about it- so exited in fact that I am getting married today and yet here I am at 2:21AM typing a blog post... haha... if you have not made it to this day in your life yet- you will understand when you get there.

Looking forward to the journey and sharing it with you.

Thanks for the prayers and thoughts.

-Lawrence

We Cannot Walk Alone

2008-04-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

As I sit here listening to the "I Have A Dream" speech by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. I cannot help but wish that he could have lived to see this day- we have come a long way since the 1960's. Today is the 40th anniversary of his death and even though he is gone, gunned down by those opposed to his message, his dream still lives on. We have not fulfilled that dream- us white people and our African-American brothers and sisters. My mother was raised in Georgia- a place rich in segregation. Each Martin Luther King Day, she complains that the holiday is only a day for African-American women to groan and complain that they are oppressed and that it is their holiday to take off from work. Both are wrong at that point. This was not the Rev.'s dream. This is not an equal relationship, a "symphony of brotherhood." He preached peace- no matter what you think of him. His words are known as vividly today as they were all those years ago. We still have a very long way to go to reach his dream. I look forward to the day that "freedom will ring" from every corner of this nation. I look forward with great anticipation, to the day that "all God's children" - no matter the color of their skin- will be able to join hands and sing "free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, we are free at last." This is close to Heaven for me and I pray for that day. As I close this post I want to issue a challenge for you, the reader, to understand Dr. King's dream. His dream was not for equality where African American's complain that whites owe them something or for whites to still treat them with disdain and contempt.

Dr. King's dream is one that I believe can be traced back to the cross. When Jesus hung on that cross that fateful day and took on the sins of men and women, he did not die for one specific race of people. He did not die just for the white man or just for the black- he died for all. As the Constitution reads: "all men are created equal," so thus did Jesus die for all men. We are equal in his eyes- in his kingdom. Our skin color does not hide our need for a Savior or salvation. Dr. King called for freedom- and in some ways we have moved towards it. But I would like to say now, 40 or some years later, that we have not reached that freedom. We are close but not there yet.

I leave you with encouraging words from Dr. King himself when speaking of white men and black: "their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom- we cannot walk alone." This is true today as it was in the 60's. We could not walk alone towards freedom then and we cannot do it now.

Free at last... its coming.

Me... What I am.

2008-01-18T02:30:00.000-08:00

I am a Christian. That description means so much to some and so little to others. What is a Christian? What does that mean? There are many out there who seem to want to define Christianity as something that is a standard by which we judge others. I once watched a movie in which a woman who was Christian, stood up in the church service and voiced her complaints that someone who had once struggled with homosexuality and a Doctor who had once done abortions had come to the church that day. In that definition of Christian, I am not defined. Do I believe the practices of homosexuality or abortion are right? No I do not. But do I believe that if Jesus were here today in person, face to face with someone struggling with homosexuality or with a woman who had an abortion he would throw them out of His church? NO- quite the opposite. I believe that He would throw His arms around them and show them love and grace. Is not my sin just as bad as theirs? Now- you say to me- if you do not accept homosexuality and you are pro-life how can you say that a person dealing with those things should be allowed in the church? I say what Jesus said: "love your neighbor as you love yourself." Would I kick myself out of church? Most certainly not. Would I judge myself to the point of making myself feel uncomfortable in the one place that I am supposed to be most comfortable? Certainly not! Do I believe that someone who is homosexual can struggle with that and have a faith in Christ- Yes I do. (Im not saying that I believe that they can live for Christ and practice the act- the opposite in fact) but I do know that since I have accepted Christ the struggle with sin is still there. It does not go away- after all, if it did just go away, then why would we need to go continually to the cross? It is a struggle and I acknowledge that in anyone- hetero or homosexual or not. I guess I am trying to say that I am not a Christian more worried about denominations than I am my own relationship with Christ. I am not one who will get tied up in an argument of whether Christian Contemporary Music is right or wrong- if it glorifies Christ it is right- right? I love my God, my Savior, my Strength- I struggle with sin each and every day "fall short" of God's glory- but He still shows me that glory- day by day. I follow Christ- and whether or not I believe that someone is living a lifestyle that is accepted by God or not- I will not judge them or ridicule them so as to push them away from God- I will however do as Christ instructed me to do- I will love them as God does- see them as He does- as His creation, made in His own image, loved by Him with love greater than any other.-- I stand by God's Word and by faith. I do not believe that abortion is right. That homosexuality is accepted by the Bible- but by all means I will love those people as God loves them. What is right?

"Love you neighbor as yourself."

That is right.

Why Do We Americans Complain So Much- Leno Sums It Up...

2007-12-19T22:36:00.000-08:00

"The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true, given the source, right?

The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed, and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the President In essence, 2/3's of the citizenry just aren't happy and want a change.

So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ''What are we so unhappy about?''
Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?

Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter?

Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?

Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time, and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?

Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state?

Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter?

I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough.

Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and
Provide services to help all, and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings.

Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes , an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss.

This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers.

How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world?

Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have , and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the President who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The President who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same President who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The President that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks?

The Commander-In Chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me? Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad?

Think about it...are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the "Media" told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day.

Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go.

They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans? Say what you want, but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds, it leads; and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells,and when criticized, try to defend their actions by "justifying" them in one way or another. Just ask why they allowed a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about "how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way"...Insane!

Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad.

We are among the most blessed people on Earth, and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative.

"With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, "Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance ?"

Jay Leno
2007

A Song About the Third Day....

2007-11-16T18:02:00.000-08:00

Michael Olson sums it all up:

I recently heard this song by Christian Contemporary artist Michael Olson... I hope you enjoy his lyrics as much as I did... figure I'd share...

Creation brings an offering
As autumn leaves turn to gold
The trees bow down in highest praise
Now made bare before Your throne

The western skies and amber plains
At the end of the day
For everything must die and rise again

The winter's chill, a bitter cold
As sin and shame leave us to fall
The clouds now form a new born snow
For grace to come and save us all

Within the darkest night of man
Was found You're saving hand
For everything must die and rise again

On the third day behold the King
On the third day death has no sting
On the third day we're forgiven and reconciled

The earth it groans in labor pains
Its flowers stretch to heaven above
Your creatures sing the prophet's song
To be a gift of selfless love

The sun is rising in the east
And Your Spirit is unleashed
For everything must die and rise again

On the third day behold the King
On the third day death has no sting
On the third day we're forgiven and reconciled

And so we wait in joyful hope
For You to come and take us home
And so we join beneath the cross
And suffering from whence we go

The greatest act of sovereign grace
In the universe displayed
For everything must die to rise again

On the third day behold the King
On the third day death has no sting
On the third day we're forgiven and reconciled

On the third day the saints rejoice
On the third day we lift our voice
On the third day we're united and glorified

Comments on Faith...

2007-11-16T10:10:00.000-08:00

Life seems to fly by every second of every day... and I seem to hardly take notice anymore... I had a phone conversation with someone important to me recently who pretty much said that they felt that I did not really know Christ and also said that they felt that I should not move ahead with the things in my future... how bad is that?... and what makes it worse is it is someone who I have always looked up to as a representation of strong faith... needless to say the conversation has really caused me to slow down a bit- step back if you will- and examine my life. I am about to take a huge step towards my future- marriage. How hard is it to move ahead when one of the few people you respect tells you that God is not the foundation of your life and that they feel that He does not want you to marry the person you are marrying when you are marrying them? I mean its one of the worse feelings in the world- knowing that God wants you to move ahead with something that someone else is sure that He does not want you to move ahead with- what do you do? Ive always been a firm believer in the freedom of the individual to interpret what God is calling and telling them to do. It is with a strong assurance of what God wants me to do that I continue in my current course towards the future and I really hate that I feel I have to prove my faith to someone very important to me- who I have always felt was waiting to tell me exactly what they did... someone who at one time I saw correct the way they practiced their beliefs and their worship of God - and now Ive slowly been figuring out that that way is not me. It has been a slow process but here I am on the almost opposite side of what they believe is the right way to worship my Savior. I would never say that the way they worship is wrong- I don't believe that, nor do I feel I ever will- but I am saying that I worship a different way- but its the SAME GOD and I am WORSHIPING HIM just as much... why is that so hard for them (and many church members today) to understand. Just because the way I worship is different, just because my worship music has a beat, just because I close my eyes when I sing does not mean that it is not reverent or heard by God. God in Christ is my being- my all- everything that I have done for the past 7 years in my life with Him has been a struggle to live up to His calling for my life- sure I have fallen short- everyday- and sure I look back and see things that can change in my life- but does not everyone? Why is it that my struggles make me not a Christian but another person's struggles do not? A man's faith is between him and his God- and I hate that I feel that I have to justify my faith to someone so important to me... I end this post with a quote that I feel sums up what I am feeling- what my faith centers around...

"This is the very perfection of a man, to find out his own imperfections."

-Saint Augustine

It is in the finding of these imperfections that my faith is perfected- not that my faith does not exist. I struggle and I will be the first to admit that... but my struggles do not define my faith- they strengthen it... and I can only live each day as a fight to rid myself of falling short- of not reaching the goal of perfection... trusting God is all I can do- living in his forgiveness.

Busy...

2007-10-06T03:03:00.000-07:00

This past month has been busy with everything... class,work,etc... but everything is starting to slow down now. The arm got better, in case you were wondering. Working with the Campus Ministries Office is going well and so is Baptist Chapel- 1 year next month. Going to Emily Ward's wedding today... which should be good then off to celebrate Brooke's birthday a day early. I really need to keep up with this blog thing more... I know there is only one reader... but still... haha... oh and I have created a new site about me... its at ... Need to go to sleep... Ill post soon... Of Course I always say that...

Campbell, Work and a Hurt Arm...

2007-09-13T09:39:00.000-07:00

Back here in ol Buies Creek, things are in full swing. Ive already had papers and tests and quizes galore. But its ok- this is not a bad semester-well except the 8:00 AM classes. Im enjoying it a little except Spanish 201 because Mi Hablo Piquano espanol. Im working in the campus ministry office this year and it has been a great job- much better than carting around newspapers every Thursday afternoon. Ive been able to get a lot done and one of the first things that I am doing is heading up a 'Students Against Poverty Week' to help students face the reality of poverty in the US and the world and show them how they can do something about it and how. as Christians, they are CALLED to do something about it. Oh, the hurt arm? I was lifting weights the other day and I guess Ive strained a muscle- it does not feel all that great- but I guess it will get better in a few days (even though its been a few days ;) )... well until next time...

Back in the Creek For Another Year...

2007-08-27T21:43:00.000-07:00

Yep thats right... out of Fayttnam as it is called and as I found it to be... Dont get me wrong- I am very thankful for the house there and having a place to live, however, it is good to be "home." Home seems to get more expensive every year though and I just pray that I can make it to graduation. Its so weird to me that I would be planning on going into a career that will pay me next to nothing and yet my education is costing something that will take me years and years to pay back... how does that work? I dont know. The semester should be fun, however, I will not elaborate on it at all right now- I need to get some sleep... so until next time... adios

Summer Post # 4 - Buies Creek, NC

2007-07-02T20:53:00.000-07:00

Day one of FCA leadership camp is down... its going well so far... hopefully my huddle will start to open up a little more... but they tend not to the first night... The mission Trip went well- had a lot of fun and a great experience- I cant wait until next year when Im old enough to actually hold a crew position (have to be 21)... VBS was great too- had a lot more there then I thought would be and I have a few moving up! The summer is going to catch up with me soon enough- after camp Im going to sleep in first chance I get... and then hang out with HUD because I havent been able to see her in a while and miss hanging out.... I had to take a "Defensive Driving Class" in Raleigh on Saturday to get rid of a ticket- it was not fun... 8hrs of going through a book and hearing statistics... but it was not as bad as I thought... well I need to get some sleep... rising at 6:15AM tom! To my special reader... cant wait to see you... to everyone else.. hope that you are doing well! Until next time... LP

Summer Post # 3 - Fayettville, NC

2007-06-03T21:51:00.000-07:00

Just sitting here in the room in Fayetteville- its around 12:51 AM... I should be sleeping- but it has been hard falling asleep lately. Im not sure why but I sure pay for it when the alarm goes off and I dont want to get up! Everything is going well for the most part. Its really hard to believe that Ive been out of Campbell for over a month now!- and I really havent even began my summer yet... This past month hasent been one of relaxation (well except those two weeks spent at the beach ;) ) but it hasent been really busy either- that is about to change... after this upcoming week, Ive got Vacation Bible School at the church Sunday - Friday the following week and then the day after VBS ends, we leave for the Charleston (WV) Mission Trip- which Im still working on but am getting more and more exited about as the time gets closer... then after the trip, I come back for one week and go to Fellowship of Christian Athletes Leadership Camp at Campbell- that will be nice for two reasons- 1. I love FCA Leadership Camp and 2. I get to spend a week at CU (just like it used to be)... haha... most cant wait to get out of Buies Creek in May and I was with them- but as the summer goes on, I miss the Creek life more and more... well after the camp, the following weekend Im working Orientation for Freshies @ CU and then a week or so later we leave for Caswell! Its really going to be a very busy summer... add in the internship with FCA in Raleigh and you get a looonngg summer and a LOT of driving- pray the car can handle it! Speaking of the internship- that is the reason I need to be asleep instead of typing this blog- Ive got to be in the office at 10:00 AM - and that means I need to leave around 8:45! So until next time- thanks for reading and to that special reader: "I love you more with each new day!" ;)

-LP

Summer Post #2

2007-05-21T20:44:00.000-07:00

Summer is going well but after two relaxing weeks at the beach (Myrtle and Ocean Isle), its time to get down to work. The youth group's Mission Trip to Charleston, WV is in a few weeks and Ive still got a few things to plan for it. VBS is the week before that and I have to teach the Youth age class. On top of the church stuff, I started an internship with the Triangle office of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which went well the first day and looks like it may go well the rest of the summer. I am going to two camps for that and taking those and throwing in my youth group trip to Caswell and the other trips and Ive got one busy summer, but its ok... better to stay busy than sit around doing nothing. Heather is good and since she is probably the only one reading this: "I love you!" :)... Other than that my summer is quiet... looking forward to it all but also looking forward to seeing everyone at CU in August.

Ocean Isle... Summer Post # 1

2007-05-11T07:38:00.000-07:00

So summer has officially begun... its about time! School is finally out and I am at the beach for a few days. Nothing like hot weather, sand and a beach house to put you in a good mood! For all of you reading this- I'm living in Fayetteville over the summer... which should be an adventure... I'm also working at the church and doing an internship in Raleigh with FCA- so it will be a looonnnggg summer... but I'm just glad its finally here... I'm not going to waste any more time on here... viva la playa!

Response for Virginia Tech

2007-04-16T21:19:00.000-07:00

Two classrooms, years apart, two different points in my life and yet both shocked me just the same. The first took place in Coach Green’s Economics class freshman year of high school. I remember it like it was yesterday- we were sitting through a normal class when a teacher came into the room and turned on a TV moments before a plane rammed the second of the twin towers. I remember the shock and the anger as I watched the events unfold. I remember taking it all in and questioning how so much hate could exist in the world. As I sit here over five years later, the same feelings and questions are running through my head. A different classroom and yet the same hate from that day finds me again as news comes to me of a shooting at Virginia Tech. My first thoughts upon hearing this news are that I could never imagine going through the same thing. Yes, both events have shocked me the same but this one hit close to home. Those killed at Tech are people my age- students who go through days not unlike my own. They wake up around the same time as me, get dressed for class just like I do and then leave their dorms or apartments to go to class and start their day. The day of the shooting I went through this same regimen, as did the students in Virginia. The difference? I made it back from class safely. I do not have to deal with losing friends and I have not been dodging bullets or fearing for my life. The shootings at Tech are a wake up call for me. This could happen to me. The anniversary of the Columbine shootings is this Friday and though I do not remember vividly where I was or my reaction to the shootings, I have spend time thinking over them. What if I went to school and was faced with death? What if I never came back home? Though the idea has been on my mind for years it has never completely hit me until now. This time it has happened to people who are where I am in my life. College students who are more worried with finals and moving out of their dorms than going to class to never return. Yet as I try to relate, I begin to think of where I would turn if such a thing were to happen in my life. What would I do? How would I handle it? As a man of faith, I would turn to my beliefs. I would look to an all-knowing God for the answers. I would drop to my knees and pray for sanity and peace. I have begun to do this for those at Tech. The students, faculty and families are looking for their own peace and a way to come out of this. What is the answer to this situation? What is the answer to the hate that fuels things like the Tech shootings, Columbine and the events of September 11, 2001? I would have to say that I do not know. If I were to give a response on how to handle this, I would have to say that we have to come together and show these people that we care and that we are here. Pray or do whatever gives you peace and then take that peace and pour it on the students of Tech in whatever way you can. Post on facebook, call those you know who are there- whatever way- reach out and show them love. This is all we can do.

2007-04-11T17:55:00.001-07:00

GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME,
ALL THE TIME GOD IS GOOD.

Heather is great... but Ill tell you more later...

HAHAHAHA

2007-03-06T21:43:00.001-08:00

3 Words... God is amazing! haha.... I think I have found the one that God has for me and its awesome... more to come later...

Lp

Faith can grow... just trust...

2007-02-28T09:21:00.000-08:00

These past few days have been amazing! Thats the only word I have for it... My faith has really taken some major leaps these past few days and Ive learned to trust in God a lot more... and according to those around me... it has made me a different person.... HAHA... I dont know about all that... but it has been a great last couple of days.... God is soo awesome... I have finally figured out what I am going to do in the future career wise... I have decided... that if God is still calling me to it in a few years... that I am going to quit the church scene for a little while and try to go full time with FCA... its something I have wanted since I first got involved with FCA and if I could do it I would be on "cloud 9" as my mom would say. My heart feels like its about to burst out of my chest with happiness... its awesome... Its God and a 'new' friend whose friendship goes right with my faith... and is helping me to grow so much... I mean.. I have grown more in the past few days than I have in the past few months... its amazing... thanks to that friend who has played a part in this... you know who you are.... GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!!! ALL THE TIME GOD IS GOOD!!!!

-Lp

Happy....

2007-02-25T23:20:00.000-08:00

You know... its strange for me to be happy.. something I usually cant grasp... and yet something is changing me around... and Chris (my roomate) says its for the better.... haha.... I think it has to do with the fact that I reexamined my faith recently, and realized I was not where I needed it to be and fixed it a bit... and its so freakin awesome now! Dont lose track of Christ! Its hard to live on your own... believe me... I know... Ive tried... but his love for me is sooooo great that I cant run away... it draws me back to him everytime and I LOVE IT!!!! There are other reasons that I am feeling better about everything... but thats for me and those who know who they are to know... haha.... Worrying is something I do way to much... but now its gone... and its a great feeling!...

-Lp

Martin Luther King Amazes Me...

2007-02-18T23:35:00.000-08:00

Did you know that his most famous speech: "I Have A Dream" ... was impromptu... seriously... he had the first part of his speech written down and then right in the middle he turned over the papers that he was following paused and began his famous speech... What a smart guy... and he took on a lot... Say what you may about the man... but he was very important to America and the way we lived today...

Meez...

2007-02-18T10:42:00.000-08:00

Haha... this is me...?

Decisions...

2007-02-04T12:26:00.000-08:00

Ive been kind of lost lately... all kinds of crazy stuff going on... most of it what was known in high school (and what my bud Bryce calls it)as "drama"... but not with me... with my friends... and I dont really know how to take it.. most of it is something that I deal with everyday... and things that really mean something to me... and I dont know what to do because everyone is coming to me with problems that I DEAL WITH all the time... how do you answer someone who is asking for help on something you struggle with? But besides that point Ive also got tuition to figure out for next year and all kind of other things that need to be worked out for next year... but I have decided (well I decided it a while back but haven't really been doing it.. )to surrender it all to God... when I asked Him into my life I gave it over to Him... and well Ive been making it my life again as of late... its time I gave Him what is His to mold and make whatever His will is... He is the potter you know... Im just the useless ball of clay that he will make into something phenomenal... nothing more than that... I am slowly and surly starting to see Campbell as a mission field... I know that it always has been since I got here, but more and more Im seeing things that show that there is a spiritual battle going on here... expecially with what is going on as of late... and most of my friends would probably laugh at that statement.. but you know what? I really believe it... The enemy is working hard here at Campbell to pull it away from the love of Christ and he is succeeding in some ways... but I refuse to give up... God has put me here at Campbell for some reason and Im gonna figure out that reason... and do what I can to keep this campus on fire for Christ... I pray that I will know what He wants me to do and that I will find more people around here who can see what I am beginning to see and are ready to do something about it...

You are invincible,
you are unshakable,
Inconceivable,
You are invincible,
YOU NEVER CHANGE,
YOU WILL REMAIN,
FROM AGE TO AGE YOU STAY THE SAME!!!!!!!!!

God is Great... have you noticed lately?

2007-01-28T23:57:00.000-08:00

God is always good, but last semester I let myself forget that more often than I would like to admit... There was so much going on that even when I was doing stuff that shared the name of Christ with someone else... I was still forgetting to make sure I was feeding myself with the Word... but this semester its like Ive been renewed.. I cant get enough... its awesome.. .there is so many bad things that should be dragging me down right now- family stuff, I got jury duty... - but thanks to God they are not.. not at all... Yesterday was amazing because I went outside to go somewhere and it was about to rain... the air had that smell that it gets right before a rain and it wasent really that cold out... it felt great... the sky was beautiful and looking up I couldnt help but thank God that he gives me that everyday... his beauty in his creation... there are some things that I have been worrying about for a while now and some of you probably know what they are... but you know what? They really dont matter... cause Ive got me some Jesus and as long as I have him... everything else will work out if its meant to... GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME - ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD!

"I'm speaking to you as dear friends, dont be bluffed into silence or insincerity by the threats of religious bullies. True, they can kill you but then what can they do? Theres nothing they can do to your soul."
-Luke 12:4

Stuff

2007-01-26T00:06:00.000-08:00

Don't you hate stuff? Yet its always going on... well a lot of stuff has been going on in my life as of late... there are some crazy things that happened to my family this past weekend and I really don't know what to do with it... I don't want to go into detail but I would really appreciate some prayer... its like the dam thats been building up for years in my family finally burst- and burst it did... but I'm ok... its strange how far Ive gotten away from my family since I moved out a year and 8 months ago... seems like so much longer... but we've gotten so distance... not that I didn't expect that to happen as soon as I moved out... Im really struggling lately with a few things- not major things- but things none-the-less... and I don't know how to handle them... I pray about them sure... its just that Ive got to get to a point where Im more patient and trusting towards God and knowing that His answer comes in His time... Ive really changed a lot in my walk with Him since my youth group's ski trip a couple of weeks ago... and Im def. not the only one... and its a good thing... I just pray that I can hold on to this change and continue to grow... Oh yeah... two of my youth (older youth) joined the church last Sunday! ... to some that may seem not a big deal... but IT WAS! Its awesome to see God working at Baptist Chapel... and I pray that He continues to move as I serve as youth pastor there...

Harvard University and Campbell...

2007-01-16T22:18:00.000-08:00

Harvard was founded as a Christian school... bet you didnt know that... Ive been reading a book about the spiritual warfare at Harvard... its fiction but its great!... Its called "The Veritas Conflict" by Shaunti Feldhahn... check it out... the title comes from Harvard's original motto: "Verutas Christo et Ecclesiae" which is Latin for: "Truth for Christ and the Church." Funny how much the college has changed from that... one of the original benefactors of Harvard, Thomas Hollis, wrote the president of the college on September 23, 1720 stating:

"I further entreat you, Sirs, to cease your praises to me, I am weary of the thanks; it is over doing; I fear it should hurt the instrument, and swell the pride of a naughty heart. WHO AM I? CHRIST IS MY ALL. LITTLE, VERY LITTLE, I CAN DO FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE, WHO HAS DIED FOR ME AND GIVEN ME GOOD HOPE THROUGH GRACE, AND BY HIS PROVIDENCE PUT IN MY POWER, AND INCLINED MY HEART TO THIS WAY AMONG OTHERS, OF EXPRESSING MY GRATITUDE FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE, TO HIM BE THE GLORY OF ALL."

WOW!! Harvard getting that... so far it has fallen... and I fear Campbell is headed down the same path.. something must be done... pray for a renewal of the faith here at Campbell... so that the truth of Christ will be proclaimed loud and proud!!

AMAZING!!!

2007-01-08T00:16:00.000-08:00

Isnt God? Just go outside right now and feel the beauty of God... listen to His creation and you will know what Im talking about! ;)

Update....

2007-01-03T02:20:00.000-08:00

So things have changed since my last post. Christmas and New Years are now over and school is almost started back. Christmas went better than I expected it to. I mean, the family gift exchange went pretty well for the most part- not as bad as I thought it would be... but not at all what I would have wanted it to be. It just seems like we are all starting to go our seperate ways... we are SO different and I just dont know that we will always stick together... but God has a plan and Ill just have to wait to see what happens. New Years went well... I planned a lock-in for my youth group and it went better than I thought it would... I cant believe how great this church is! I have a youth ski trip coming up and there are still some details that need working out... very important ones... So if you could pray for that.. it would be greatly appreciated!! In my last post, I mentioned the noise around here and how I wasn't sure I could stand it... well God gave me a little Christmas gift this year.... no one was here for a whole week leading up to Christmas! ... haha... it was nice to have some quiet time to myself... but by the end of it all, I was glad they came back... it is nice to have SOME noise around... I move back into CU this weekend.. I cant wait to see everybody again... it seems like its been forever since we left for break... man I dont know what Im gonna do over the summer... haha...

Break...

2006-12-16T22:49:00.000-08:00

As I sit here on a Sunday morning (about 1:49 AM) when I should be sleeping but cant because of the noise from downstairs, I think about a month ago. A month ago I had no idea where I was staying over Christmas Break and though I had a place at Chris' house I did not want to have to drive too far to the church. I prayed and looked for a place in Buies Creek, and finally right before school let out, I found a place in the here... well lets just say that this answer to a pray has become an adventure. During the day it stays pretty calm... the guys are quiet... and then there are nights like tonight where it is so loud that I hear every word spoken- inside or out. I lay here and wonder if God has put me here to be a witness to these guys... or maybe not... Im not sure... It really hasent been that bad of a situation... they have never bothered me at night when they start drinking or anything like that... for the most part they dont even talk to me when they start partying... and my room is upstairs in a corner so its perfect as far as they really have no reason to come in it... not that it would really bother me if they did... its really been ok... not at all what others told me it would be... or warned me... haha.... it really has been nice being here in the Creek and being able to drive the same distance to work/ church... and it has been nice to take a break... though I am really getting anxious to start the new semester... I know it sounds weird, but its true... this is usually my favorite time of the year... Christmas... but this year, I just want it to come on .... dont get me wrong... it is a good time to celebrate the birth of Christ and I do that all year... but Im really not looking foward to the gifts and stuff this year... it should be intresting when we get together as a 'family' this year to open gifts... we will have to see how that goes... but I did pass EVERYTHING... which is good... I did a victory dance when I saw that I passed Greek... I was a little worried... but Im just ready to get back to ol CU and get back to everything... I should really get some sleep... Ive got church... so I guess that will be all for now... sleep it is.. at least it will be quiet in the morning....

Quiet Time Verse....!

2006-11-29T00:36:00.000-08:00

So I had to go to one of the buildings on campus this afternoon because my boss had told me I needed to turn something in... well as it turns out, I didnt and so I walked out of the building wondering what I was going to do now (I had all afternoon pretty clear)... and so, since the weather was good... and since I was beside the new fountain on campus, I decided to sit down and do a little mid-afternoon quiet time... it was awesome... Ive been wanting to pick up Isaiah again and so I read the first twelve chapters out there by the fountain and I think I found one of my new favorite Bible verses... its kinda cool and made me stop and think about how deep it was... It was found nestled in Isiah 7, on the back-end of verse 9....:

"IF YOU DO NOT STAND FIRM IN FAITH, YOU WILL NOT STAND AT ALL."

I like it... its really true... hope you guys like it too...

have a good week!

-Lp

My Sword...

2006-11-28T17:29:00.000-08:00

A pic I took today during my quiet time....

My Sword by =lbprandomart on deviant ART

Pics on DeviantART

2006-11-27T23:58:00.000-08:00

Just wanted you guys to check out my pics on DeviantART.com ... let me know what you think...

http://lbprandomart.deviantart.com/

Hope your week is going well....

GOD IS GOOD.... ALL THE TIME!
ALL THE TIME.... GOD IS GOOD!

-Lp

God Does Answer Prayers... even little ones...

2006-11-21T15:10:00.000-08:00

Since I got to Baptist Chapel I have been praying that God would help me find a way to get some of the old youth back that had stopped coming to church. Well last week I got a list of all of the youth that had come to the church at some point and sent letters to all of them. Well this past Sunday 3 new youth showed up for youth group! It was awesome to see those youth show up. I just pray that it will continue to grow and that I will continue to help these youth grow in Christ. Its been an awesome experience and I am glad that I have finally gotten to where God wants me to be. Its good to know your doing what God wants you to do. Continue to pray for the Emblers that I mentioned in my early posts... and check out their blog @ http://www.ourwalkoffaith.blogspot.com
I will post later....

-Lp

I Just Ran 5 MILES!!!

2006-11-13T20:55:00.000-08:00

I just ran 5 miles... enough said... Ive NEVER did it before tonight.... Im sore as mess....

-Lp

GOD IS GOOD! ALL THE TIME! ALL THE TIME! GOD IS GOOD!!!

2006-11-11T02:06:00.000-08:00

Just sitting here... its 4:57 AM Saturday morning... and I cant sleep... haha (what college student goes to sleep before 6? ;) ) Just kidding... but I was just sitting here and thinking of how good God is to me. For one Im at Campbell... I goal that seemed so far out of reach not so long ago... Two Im youth leader at a church that I still cant believe Im at... so far (two sundays! ;) ) the youth have been awesome, the support has been awesome and the things that I am working on right now are unbelievable! I am in the process of planning two things I never would have been able to at my last church... A ski retreat in January and a mission trip to Charleston, West Virginia in June! I cant believe how blessed I am... I do not deserve it, but yet the blessings still come anyway! I ran 3 miles at midnight this morning (or last night depending on how you look at it ;) ) and it felt so good! The most Ive gotten out of my runs is 2 1/2 and thats with a stop in the middle to stretch ... HOW GOOD GOD IS to make me able to run that... I know that 3 miles is not much to some people, but to me its a big deal! I love running now... its a form of worship for me. When I feel up to it, I take my IPOD and listen to worship songs as I run and I always finish my run with a "cool down walk lap" which I call my "prayer lap." During this lap, I thank God for the things that He had given me in the past week and then things to come. I also thank Him for allowing me to have two functioning legs that can run... not to mention running feels good when your done... I feel like Ive accomplished something... now to get some of the pounds off... I am down 10 lbs since I got to Campbell and that in itself is a blessing from God... because everyone knows I love me some cheeseburgers and fries from the caf. ;) This week is going to be a busy one and the next a short one with Thanksgiving break and all... pray for that because I have no idea how that will turn out... hope all of you are doing well!

-Lp

FCA Retreats and New Churches!

2006-10-29T15:52:00.000-08:00

So this weekend was amazing!!! I love FCA, expecially camps and retreats! Caswell was good to be at as usual, but it was just great to be there... I am worn out though... I found out this morning that I got the job at Baptist Chapel, and I start this Sunday Morning and night... prayers are appreciated!... Everything is going good... hope it is with whoever is reading this as well!

-Lp

CASWELL BEACHES... FINALLY!!!!

2006-10-25T16:56:00.000-07:00

If you know me well, then you know how much I LOVE FORT CASWELL! Caswell for me has always been a place where I can take time away from my busy schedule and all the stress of life and just leave it with the gate keeper... Phenominal worship and Bible study are what I get all week when Im there in the summer and crossing onto the island gives me a sense of security and peace. This weekend I get to be a huddle leader for Fellowship of Christian Athletes at the high school retreat at CASWELL!!!! Im exited to be going back but Im even more exited by the fact that there are high schoolers out there right now who are coming, who do not know Christ who will by the end of the weekend... I cant wait! Pray for all of us as we will need it while we are there... and never forget... GOD is moving and I cant wait to see what its gonna look like! GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME, ALL THE TIME GOD IS GOOD!!!!!

No One Else Knows....

2006-10-19T23:55:00.000-07:00

My world is closing in
On the inside
But I’m not showing it
When all I am is crying out
I hold it in and fake a smile
Still I’m broken
I’m broken
Only one can understand
And only one can hold the hand
Of the broken
Of the broken

When no one else knows how I feel
Your love for me is proven real
When no one else cares where I’ve been
You run to me with outstretched hands
And You hold me in your arms
Again

I need no explanation of why me
I just need confirmation
Only You could understand the
emptiness inside my head
I am falling
I am falling
I’m falling down upon my knees
To find the one who gives me peace
I am flying
Lord I am flying

When no one else knows how I feel
Your love for me is proven real
When no one else cares where I’ve been
You run to me with outstretched hands
And You hold me in Your arms
Again

I have come to you in search of faith
Cause I can’t see beyond this place
Oh You are God and I am man
So I’ll leave it in Your hands

- Building 429

New Church?

2006-10-19T18:56:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I went to a new church and gave my testimony in the church service and then that night I did a test youth meeting. Well after that the pastor had to talk to the youth and the personel committee to find out if they wanted to recommend me to the church for vote and I found out tonight that they unanimously voted to put my up for vote on Sunday October 29 and if Im voted in then I start Sunday night November 5. It should be good... Ill post again later in the week or as soon as I know what is going on with the new job.

-LP

Random Meetings and Some Alone Time...

2006-10-05T21:56:00.000-07:00

Amazing is one word for what happened the other day... Two posts ago I talked about those two teachers from my high school that decided to take a walk of faith from Smithfield, NC to Peru. Well they planned on sleeping in tents at night unless they found someone to allow them to sleep at their house. On Monday they were in Apex, where I used to be youth pastor at a church. Well they found a camp ground to stay at for the night and were walking towards it when they ran into a couple walking the opposite way. They asked them how much farther to the campsite and the couple started asking them about what they were doing... Well after talking for a while, come to find out that the couple they met were parents of one of my youth from my previous church! They actually spent the night with people who were members of the church I worked out... God works in mysterious ways huh?

As far as me ... these past few days have been stressful... Im begining to miss the alone time I had @ home... and I dont think its as much that as it is the people Im around all the time.. .dont get me wrong.. I like my roomate and suitemates and friends, but Im not made of the same mold they are... we have some things in common, but for the most part I dont enjoy what they do... and its killing me... I havent really had anytime to meet any other people, well I have met some, but I havent really been able to hang out or anything... I dont know... I could really use a camping trip right about now.. really could use one! And also, I hate thinking it but I could really use someone to talk to... I know, I know.. Ive got my friends that I can talk to .. but I need someone that I have a relationship with, someone I can pour myself into... its just a matter of when God will send them along and if I will see them when He does....

Oh, Well... Greek test today... hopefully it will go well... Ill post later....

-LP

Mickey Mouse and Jesus

2006-10-01T01:29:00.000-07:00

Haha... what a title for the blog huh? Well both explain this new day... Sundays are one of my favorite days because I get to fellowship with other believers at church... Today I think Ill go to Grace, oh and good news! Baptist Chapel has finally called back and it looks like my "test Sunday" will be October 15... they want me to give my testimony in the church service in the morning and do a youth group meeting that night... hopefully that will go well... after that, the following Sunday. the church will vote me in and then Ill start as youth pastor there.... Im praying that it will work out... but God's will be done... Now how does Mickey fit into all this? Simple. Tonight I have to work Lobby Attendant in my dorm... A 5 hour long time where I sit in the lobby of McCall and check girls in who come to visit guys in the dorm... Im thinking about playing some Kingdom Hearts while I work, to pass the time.... Mickey Mouse is one of the characters in the game... haha... nothing really complex there... that is just how Im gonna spend my day, with Mickey Mouse and Jesus...

A Walk Of Faith....

2006-09-29T15:38:00.000-07:00

This post is not about me... this ones about two phenominal christians... they sold everything they owned... cars, house, etc... and decided they wanted to do something to serve God. This something came in the form of a walk... A Walk Of Faith, as they call it... .with no provisions other what they can carry on their backs, these two have started to walk... their starting point: Smithfield, NC... their destination: Peru, South America... they plan to walk every mile, sleeping in a tent or in the home of someone that they know along the way... These two people, Chris and Rachel Embler, mean so much to me... it strengthens my faith to see them leave... they left today around 3:30pm... God allowed me to play such a big part in their lives and I just keep praying to Him asking Him why He allowed me to be a part of something so amazing... please check out the Embler's blog and pray for them.. the address is: http://www.ourwalkoffaith.blogspot.com

Have a good weekend!

-LP

King David at Baptist Chapel for FCA....

2006-09-26T23:23:00.001-07:00

So the title of my blog is a summary of whats been going on in my life for the past week or so... King David --
Last weekend (well two weekends ago) I started reading the Old Testament starting with King Saul trying to hunt down and kill David... I came across a story about them that I had read before but forgotten that I loved... the one where David and his men are hiding in a cave and King Saul is very close to them... having to "relieve" himself, Saul goes into the cave (where they are hiding), but is oblivious to their presence. While there David could have easily killed him and been done with all the "drama" but instead just gets a peice of Saul's clothes. Once Saul is outside again, David comes out and shows him the cloth, letting him know that he had spared his life. (The hunter becombing the hunted, I guess...) Right now Im past the deaths of Saul, David, Solomon and now Ahab is King of Israel and Elijah is kicking some Ba'al priest butt... its great!...

Baptist Chapel ---
So Ive been looking for a new church ever since I left Bells a month or so ago. I interviewed at a church in Autryville - Baptist Chapel - and after the interview the pastor told me that once my references and background check go through, he will call me to come to the church and give my testimony in front of the congregation and then that night I would lead my first youth meeting (as a test run) and then the following Sunday they will vote on me... well Im usually patient but I wish it would go quicker! (I know... all in God's time!) I need the job soon or Im gonna have to get a part time job somewhere else because Ive got like $500 worth of bills due in the first few weeks of October and I have really no way of paying them right now... I know that I wouldnt get a pay check from them until long after, but soon is better than never... but dont get me wrong, Im not in the ministry for the money... haha (who is?) I feel God is calling me to this church right now and Im praying that it will all go over smoothly... truth is, I think Im so impatient because I miss the work so much!

FCA --
(Or Fellowship of Christian Athletes to all you who dont know...) has been going great this year... we were woried that because we had about 4o at the first meeting and then dropped down to 20 the last two.. that it was gonna not do so well... now, we are not in for the numbers, but when over half the people stop coming, you feel like your doing something wrong... well tonight there were well over 30 there and they all got to hear a good message... it was awesome!.. I cant wait to see how God is going to move in the Athletic Department here @ Campbell as FCA gets involved... oh and if your reading this and dont know about it.. check out the website Ive set up for it @: http://campbellufca.50webs.com

Other than this stuff... life has been about the same.. not much of a change... Ill post back later... probably (hopefully) with new info on this stuff... until then...

-LP

New Week.... Will it be bad or good?

2006-09-10T22:16:00.000-07:00

This weekend went pretty well... went to work... it was nice to be working again.. but it was a one time thing... I did get two on campus jobs though... one is working as a lobby attendant on Sunday nights (odd days) and the other is being the circulation director for the "Campbell Times"... I also have a church interveiw on Thursday night... hopefully that will go well... as far as JF that I mentioned in an earlier post... nothing really has happened yet... shes kinda shy which Im not used to and I cant really tell her feeling and thus Im just kinda like "what should I do?"
because we talk great on the phone and comp. but when we get together its kinda akward.. Im mean shes always shy as far as I can tell... but I dont know... any advice you guys can give is greatly appreciated... well thats about all... oh except for Im dropping Mrs. Todd's math class and Im going to take Mr. Norwood next sem. it will bring me down to 12 1/2 credits which isent the best thing but Ill make up for it later.... well that its... until next time... Later!

This week the trend....

2006-09-03T22:11:00.000-07:00

Well this weekend was really... slow... and the reason... I stayed in Buies Creek. Well for the most part.... Friday was kind of a bad day and so I really just didnt feel like doing too much... but I did anyway. Me and the guys went to Apex to watch 'Crank'.. pretty decent movie I thought.... Then I came back here, but because I had taken a nap right after class that day... I couldnt sleep. So I did laundry, cleaned the dorm room and did my homework... pretty boring stuff... I finally turned in around 4 am and ended up sleeping until around 12 pm @ which point I grabbed some lunch and then ate in the room. The roomie was home for the weekend so it was pretty much just me... Me and Ced and Kyle went to Smithfield Saturday afternoon to make an uneventful stop @ EB Games and then that night I went to watch the Men's Soccer game vs-- UNC- A (we won 3-1)... Sunday I went to Grace Comm. which was good... and then sat around here until this moment @ which point I need to be sleeping but Im not because Im typing this... This week will most likely be pretty boring except for when I go out with J. Hopefully that will be good... Ill probably post sometime later just because I enjoy letting it all out... evidentally Im in a Relient K type of mindset... well I dont know... anyway...

ADIOS!

Campbell and New Stuff....

2006-08-29T23:22:00.001-07:00

So Campbell.... I am well into the second week of classes and Im enjoying them for the most part. Math leaves much to be desired and so does Western Civ. (though its not as bad...) Paul, Greek and Spiritual Formation are going pretty well... CUW was incrediably boring on Thurs. but hopefully it will get better... We finally got the dorm room straight and all is going well with that. The first Campbell FCA meeting was tonight and we had an AWESOME turn-out... I was very happy!... The meeting went very well and Sandy even came from the office to speak to us. We are going to meet every week, which I think is a good idea. There is still a lot to figure out though... Other than that not too much has happened this week... oh yeah, there is someone new... haha... its funny because all last year I had my heart set on not being in a relationship... My heart told me to wait for Campbell... and now that I have... WOW! This girl is amazing! I havent known her but a couple of days but when we hang out or talk... you'd never know we had just met this week... well in person anyway... we were facebook friends before that... haha... but it just goes to show that if you follow your heart, then you come out better in the end... we talked on the phone for 3 HOURS the other night... Ive never talked to anyone that long, in person or on the phone! ... (and this was before I even met her in person!) I really hope it works out... but we shall see... she is supposed to go with me to church this Sunday and hopefully she will... SPEAKING of church... my last Sunday as youth minister @ Bells was this past Sunday... it was a sad yet happy event for me because I know that I should have left a while ago and Im glad that I finally did, but its sad because I will miss my youth a lot. They've grown on me a bit.... Im going to go to Grace Community this Sunday because I told Dave C. Id go... but Im STOKED about it.... Finally a worship service that speaks to my heart. (or at least thats what I hope it will do...) Im gonna try to get to FBC Smithfield before I move to another church, which by the way, I do have a few offers, but Im not really intrested in the ones Ive gotten so far... Im not worried though, God will work it out... The rest of this week should be intresting... we shall see... Pray for my job situation, church and for my relationship with J.F. ... thanks...Ill post later....

Campbell Thoughts.. So Far....

2006-08-20T21:21:00.000-07:00

Yeah well.. there have been good things and others... haha... the dorm room is awesome!.. We got my loft in and then the couch... the set up is sweet!... haha... its going good, living here I mean... I had to go to some stupid medallion ceremony this afternoon which was pretty... lame. Advisor meeting and President's picnic... the life of a new student is so boring... haha... classes start on Wednesday and I really cant wait... well math will be one class that I will have no fun in, but Im stoked about my religion courses.... its gonna be a good year... not much else is going on... For those who actually read this (Jessica), hope ya'll have a good week!

Campbell Thoughts and Caswell Recap

2006-08-11T23:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I figured Id keep on posting because this is a great way to vent. I really dont know if anyone actually reads my blog, but hey why not post anyway?

Caswell was pretty sweet. I cant complain really. Other than a few minor problems with my brother and the fact that I had to put our house on lock down the last two days (because my youth would not leave the house, they insisted on staying on the portch all week and I just had to get some free time... I never stayed at the house when I was a youth!). But anyway, other those minor things it was an amazing week. The speaker really said what I needed to hear, but when does that not happen at Caswell?... lol... God really has given me that place to remind me of His will in my life... I almost crave that week every year.

And now onto:

Campbell... haha... that name has come to mean so much to me these past couple of years. Ive prepared for it so much that there is nothing left to prepare. Its going to be a hard transition though... knowing that once I move out of Stephen's (my current roomate) house, Campbell will be my home... haha... holidays are going to be something to work out!... Going to Campbell is more than just college its a complete change for me. But God has helped my thus far and as long as I trust Him, everything will work out. December 1, 2000 seems so long ago. That night I found Christ and it was also the night that my life started in one huge rush. I look back on the past 5 and a half years and can see so many things that God has given me that have gotten me to this point. Ive been on a lot of trips (mission, camp and retreats), been to a couple different churches and schools, made a bunch of different friends and even managed a band. All of these things have brought me to this point: Campbell. So much change and only a week away. There are a few things that I will hold onto at home but Campbell will pretty much be basically a new life... haha... you know Im kind of glad that God hasent worked it out for me to be in a relationship at this point in my life because I needed to get here first and a serious relationship would just have hindered me from seeing God's will. At camp a couple weeks ago we had a meeting with all the guys @ camp and I stood up and told them about my comittment. It was tough but so many of them said that they needed to hear it. Its hard to have a committment to not kiss or have sex with a girl until marriage... most girls cant handle that... well the kissing part anyway... maybe Ill find one that can one day... haha... God's will, will be done... But Ive drifted of course... haha... Campbell is a new, exiting thing and I cant wait... one week left... and I know that this is where God wants me and so Im headed in full steam...

Man Ive rambled on, but who reads this besides me anyway?

2006-07-17T19:52:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have been a wirlwind of stuff. The Mission Trip to Gulfport was pretty sweet. We had a lot of fun roofing a house. This was the first trip that I didnt get to meet our house owner. He was in Texas. His neighbor said he might just sale his house when its done and move somewhere else. I could see that though.. I bet a lot of people dont know if they can come back "home." Last week I was at Campbell for Fellowship of Christian Athletes Leadership camp.. it was great! I cant wait to do it again next year. Speaking of Campbell, everything is coming together for next year and I got my classes done and on the final stages of working out Financial Aid.. its crazy... but Im exited... 29 days till move in day! Oh yeah, 12 days until Caswell with Bells Baptist... Im pretty exited about that too. This will probably be my last week at Bells as Im trying to find another job at a new church thats closer to school and can pay me a little more. Hopefully that will work out soon. Thats about it for now... Ill post later...

Long Days, Running and Jack Bauer

2006-05-22T22:45:00.000-07:00

Well today (Monday) was pretty uneventful... I took Jon to school this morning and then went to sleep. I worked at the YMCA and then me and Jon went to the gym and ran on the treadmills, did some squats and the benched a few. Pretty uneventful. I knew I wouldnt get home by 8 so I DVRed 24 and watched it when I got home. It was AWESOME! Im glad they finally got Logan for David Palmer's assasination. Too bad Jack got kidnapped by the Chinese... guess thats the only way for them to start the next season.... After that I watched Medium, which was good and now Im typing this blog.... Yesterday (Sunday) I went to church and then went to sleep in my office until about 3 at which point I stopped by Chris' house and talked and then went to Olive Chapel and sat in on the youth councial meeting. After that me and Chris went to Best Buy to get new CD's for the Lighthouse and I ended up buying a digital camera.... it will def. come in handy on youth trips.... after that I went home... thats about all... I got my radar detector yesterday.... it works well.... Myrtle Beach is a week from this coming Monday... Im pretty stoked.. I mean going with the family can be tiring.. expecially since I havent lived with them for a year.. but its all good.. .this will be the first year I get to drive my own car... so it should be a lot better.... Mom is going down the Friday before but since Jon and Dustin both have exams Im going to work Mon and then drive down after that... it should be a good week... Campbell is still being slow on the FAFSA stuff.. so no new info... thats all for now.. .if anyone is actually reading this... post tomm....

Busy and Worried

2006-05-21T01:55:00.000-07:00

This is my first official post and since I got this because of Chris, then I'll probably mirror mine after his a little. Yesterday (Saturday) was a slow day.. which is not entirally bad. Friday night me, Jon, and Brad went and saw the Da Vinci Code. It was pretty much like the book, but the book was better. The movie does lay "the code" right out there though and I imagine there are some confused people out there who do not know what to think of Jesus right now.. I personally think that the code is just a good book based on fact, not fact itself. Well anyway, I didnt go to bed Sat morning until around 3:00 and so I ended up sleeping until 1:30 in the afternoon. Jonathan and Uriah were at the house and Jon had to be at work at 2:15... so I took him and then took Uriah home. I had to work at the Lighthouse last night and so I went there after dropping U off. It was a pretty slow night there, only 7 or so. I set up a myspace for the Lighthouse (we hope to pick up some local bands through it.) After I left the Lighthouse I went to Mrs. Miller's house to sleep so I didnt have to make the hour drive to work in the morning at the church. I ended up staying up until now (5:00AM).. using her neighbor's wireless internet and my laptop to update the Lighthouse's website. Ive got to teach sunday school at 10, that is if I have a class, and Im gonna show Mark Hall's testemony (the lead singer from Casting Crowns) and then no youth tonight. I might stick around and go to the Lighthouse membership class and hear Ike speak. I dont know.. whenever I get back home Ill probably go to the gym and then head home. Hopefully Ill go to bed early tomm before work on Mon... but I wouldnt bet on it. I guess thats it for tonight/this morning. I am worried about Campbell... the financial aid stuff is taking way to long.... I dont want to go somewhere else or take time off... Pray for that... thanks... Ill try to keep this updated which shouldnt be too hard cause it will give me a place to "vent" at the end of the day...