Visit the Lounge

Over the past two years, there have been many cool stories with great lessons posted on this blog. Please feel free to read through them as often as you like! This will likely be my last post on this site and possibly the last post for some time.

Although we aren't blogging anymore, we are still teaching classes. Come by the Lounge at the Foster Road church of Christ to meet some cool people and attend some cool interactive classes.

We'll be looking forward to seeing you!!

Be blessed!

Quiet Time

When is the last time you spent quiet time with God? No, not the quiet time right before bed. I mean the last time you devoted time to finding a spot without cell phones, TVs, MP3 players, or computers. A place where you can sit down with your Bible and talk to God. Jesus did it. In Mark chapter 1, verse 35 reads "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed."

Jesus actually got up early and left the house to find a place of solitude so he could speak with His Father in Heaven. When is the last time you had that kind of conversation with your Father in Heaven? He is there waiting for you. He wants to listen and get close to you. Go to Him and talk.

Tonight in Youth Group I challenged everybody to try this: Sometime this week find a place to spend ten minutes with God. Bring your Bible with you and...
1. Pray. Ask God to direct your life so you can spend more time with Him. Ask God to reveal to you where you need some help and where you selfishly walk right by His arms. Ask Him to help you revolve your life around His schedule and make sure you revolve around Him in your everyday schedule.
2. Study. Open your Bible and read . Pick a book and go through it over the week or just pick a Psalm or just pick whatever you have been wanting to read or even just pick wherever you open it! The point is to read it and try to find what God is telling you. Find some lines that appeal to you and commit them to memory.
3. Praise. Praise God with words and song. If you have a favorite song, sing it. If you have a favorite psalm, read it. Whatever you do to show God praise, do it.

If you do this, you will be blessed. You'll be blessed to have spent some time in solitude with God. You will be blessed to have a deeper knowledge of the His Word. And you'll be blessed because you are seeking His kingdom and righteousness.

Try this. And please feel free to email me or post a comment and tell me how God blessed you through this!

Vince

The time has come...

This time of year is usually associated with "resolutions" or goals for what we want to accomplish in the new year. For me, it is going to be a very different year as I will, for the first time in over 10 years, only have one "actual" job. Of course, anybody who knows me knows that I will still be doing all sorts of things (maybe more than before) but I will not be collecting a check in return for my services. I'm looking forward to it even though it will mean I have to make some sacrifices.

As you read this, I hope it gets you thinking about your life. What are your goals for the upcoming year? What are some things you haven't been doing as well as you can? What sacrifices are you willing to give up to achieve those things?

Some of my goals for 2007:
Read my Bible daily. Not to prepare classes but for myself.
Coach one of my kids' sports teams. I used to do this...
Build shelves in my garage. Yep, I might have to use a saw!
Submit our QI program at CHC for an award. It's getting close...
Support my wife's business continue to grow to where it is a true second income.

Yep, that's a few of them. So what are your goals? Here's how to set a goal: Be SMART!

Specific - Don't just say "lose weight"... lose how much??
Measureable - How will you know when you get there?
Attainable - What do you have to do to get there? Is it possible?
Realistic - Is it even something you "want" to do? Is it something you "can" do?
Tangible - Can you feel what it's like? Is there something that drives you towards your goal?

Of course, these are just guidelines to help but the main idea is that YOU set a GOAL for yourself and try to get there. People who set goals tend to be much more successful than those who don't. So in 2007, be ready to take on some new challenges and reach a little higher!

Be blessed!
Vince

New Orleans

I was in New Orleans last weekend for a conference and had a chance to visit alot of the city. The first thing I noticed was all the closed down businesses. Even in the French Quarter, where the flooding damage was minimal, there were many closed businesses. In other parts of the city, the flooding damage from Katrina was obvious. There were entire neighborhoods unlivable. Still not even cleaned up! And it wasn't just poor neighborhoods... we went though a ritzy part of town where these big beautiful houses were practically destroyed. Some were still charred from fire. Others still had spraypainted words like "911" or "Please Help" or "Pets Inside".

This picture shows where the water line was on one house. There were literally thousands of homes like this or worse.

As sad as that is, there was hope. The city was trying to "return to normal" and the reality is that it likely will... in a few years. Right now, the most hopeful thing in the city is the churches! Yeah, the churches, along with some other local organizations, are taking matters into their own hands and fixing up houses and people's lives. I visited the Carrollton Avenue Church of Christ that runs "Operation Nehemiah" which helps build homes of church members. Others help people find houses to live in while they wait for theirs. Between the damage I saw and the hope I found, there was more than enough fodder to make me want to go help myself! And don't be surprised if I do... maybe in 2007?? We'll see.

On another note, I did get to see many of the things the city is famous for... good food, good music, and good times. We had beignets at Cafe Du Monde which were awesome. We ate at Mother's (President Bush ate there last month). We also walked down the Riverwalk (a big mall near the Mississippi). Also, we went to Jackson Square, which is a famous corner of the French Quarter and home of the Saint Louis Cathedral. All in all, it was an "action packed" four days.

Oh, and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were staying at out hotel because Brad Pitt was filming a movie called "The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons" which was being filmed at our hotel and is due out in 2008. We watched a little of the filming (I even accidently got myself put into one of the scenes before being asked to move). They drove by us in a white Rolls Royce so I can now say I "saw" them!

In the end, it was a very good trip. I learned alot about how much bigger the world is... and realized how quickly it can be destroyed and how people have the ability to overcome so many adversities. I think we can learn from the churches in New Orleans who seem to be living this verse everyday and showing that it's true:

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Think about it. And Be blessed!
Vince

The BEST Holiday??

I have to admit that Thanksgiving is a great holiday. And the more I think about how fun it is, the more I like it. My family didn't have too many Thanksgiving traditions when I was a kid. We always ate a pretty good meal with family (though I do have a pretty small family). But that was about it. I mean, there were no certain houses or times or traditions or anything like that. It was just a nice day off to hang out -- sometimes we did something special, sometimes we didn't. And that was fine with me!

Now that I'm an adult (supposedly), I have a new love for Thanksgiving. I get to have the day off from work, spend extra time with my kids and family and extended family and now get the chance to establish some family traditions. So this year, we will be hosting a family Thanksgiving dinner for the first time and I'm pretty excited about that!

So with that in mind, here's my top 5 things I hope happen this Thanksgiving:

5. The Dallas Cowboys lose on National TV.
4. I catch the game winning pass in our Family football game on a beautiful throw by Dorian.
3. Derek and Dante play together better than Pilgrims and Indians.
2. Everybody who comes over our house leaves well fed physically, spiritually, and emotionally.
1. Bobbie gets so many compliments on her food and house and looks and personality that she is extra motivated for her after-Thanksgiving shopping spree and finds a great flat panel TV and Wii game system for practically no money and gives it to her most excellent husband for Christmas! :)


HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

GOBBLE GOBBLE