Chris Wright

Summer Fun

2010-06-07T16:01:00.007-05:00

The summer is off to a HOT start already. We keep looking to meeting Spring, but she passed by so fast we never got more than a glimpse of her. Having a little boy means spending lots of time outside, rain or shine. We've already had so much fun & we're just getting started. Here's some random pics from the last couple of months. Enjoying a popsicle after playing in the hot sun. (Thanks Aunt Stephanie)

Uncle Danny took us for a ride w/ Cousin Kara in the tractor bucket.

He LOVES tractors, "dig digs," lawnmowers, etc. Uncle Danny scored serious points by having his very own tractor & getting to ride in the driver's seat.

Random pic showing off mommy's shades!

I've also got a good helper when it comes to washing the car. I was using both hands so he had to hold onto my wrist to stay close to daddy while mommy sprayed the water & took pics.

Anything involving water is also a big hit. Swimming, washing the car, & even playing in the rain. We got caught in a random afternoon shower & he decided it wasn't time to come in so we played in the pouring down rain.

"Oh no, I'm getting soaked!"

Very proud to have the water hose (whatever good that does in a rain storm)

A Day in the Louisiana Senate

2010-05-27T12:17:00.006-05:00

On Tuesday I took a trip to Baton Rouge to the State Capitol to open the afternoon Senate Session in prayer. It was a great honor to be invited and to represent our church. I was introduced by Senator Mike Walsworth who is the State Senator for our district. Senator Walsworth is a fine Christian man whom I first met back in October when he visited our church along with Governor Jindal. Mike is one of many Christians serving in our State Senate & I was pleased to hear of the strong Christian presence in the Senate.

In the Louisiana Senate no official business can take place until after the opening prayer & pledge of allegiance. A group of chaplains who work for PRC Compassion make the arrangements for pastors to come & pray in the Senate. I look forward for more opportunities in the future to be involved in helping pray for & support our state government. I look forward for future opportunities to attend Senate sessions and to get to know better the men & women who serve in our state government.

I was a bit nervous praying in such a formal setting but I hope my ministry was well received. They ask us to limit our prayer to 3 minutes & though many doubted my ability to do so, I concluded my prayer in 1 minute & 7 seconds. I figured most would forget the words I prayed, but I bet they will remember it was brief. You can actually watch the video here. (Click on the "Chamber" video link for part 1 on May 25th).

Journey

2010-05-04T08:00:00.001-05:00

Our church purchases a monthly devotional magazine for the women called Journey. It's a great resource we are glad to supply for our women. This most recent issue had special meaning for one lady in our church. Her son recently enlisted in the United States Air Force & is currently attending boot camp. The 1st phone call she got from him (4 days into training) all he could talk about was how much he loved the church & couldn't wait until Sunday to go again.

Inspired by this she began to tear out the devotional pages of her magazine every 0ther day & send them to her son. He started a prayer meeting at his bunk with one other wingman every night at 10:30 P.M. Within only a few days he had 22 wingmen gathering around his bunk every night & he would use the page from the Journey for their devotional (each page had one devotional on front & back).

In less than 2 weeks these wingmen will graduate from basic training & disperse to various areas of training. I shared this story at our "Night of Praise" last night & our church is praying God will use these 22 young men to start devotional times at their locations.

It's amazing how God is using a women's devotional book to challenge & inspire young men training for the Air Force. God is ready & willing to use the most likely & unlikely sources to reveal Himself to others.

You may be the next unlikely source God wants to use to bless someone else!

Death & Life

2010-05-03T14:41:00.004-05:00

I was asked a couple of weeks ago to preach the funeral of a man I've never met. A visitor of our church lost her father & he, nor anyone in the family, had a pastor to officiate, so she asked me. My schedule allowed me & I was glad to attempt to give this family the peace of Jesus & personal comfort. It quickly became evident this man was most likely not a Christian, which makes for a tough job, but incredible opportunity for me as a pastor.

I spoke briefly from Matthew 11:28-30 on Jesus calling all who are weary & burdened to come to Him. The service went well & I prayed only to make much of Jesus & let God do the rest. And He did...

The next morning in our worship service the daugther (who's in her early 60's) stepped out on the 1st line of the invitation song & gave her life to Jesus & truly experienced the peace I had spoken of the day before. It was an incredible celebration that morning & I baptized her the following Sunday.

I prayed by faith, as many others were praying as well, that God's Word wouldn't return void (as Scripture promises) but He gave us an almost immediate return on our investment. Many individuals heard a clear presentation of the Gospel at the funeral & my prayer is this is only the beginning of the lives touched by Jesus.

This new Christian is already actively involved in the ministry of our church. Everyday I can't wait to see how God's going to work in His Church. I'm so grateful to be able to be part of such a great move of God as we've already baptized 10 new Christians in 2010.

I'm reminded regularly, as I remind our church family...God's still in the business of changing lives!

Easter Weekend

2010-04-06T21:15:00.005-05:00

We had a wonderful time enjoying the beautiful weather, the great time w/ family, & the reason we can live abundantly & eternally - Jesus. Cade had a great time playing, eating some candy, learning how to hunt eggs, & of course going to church w/ a huge crowd (largest since I've been here & maybe one of the biggest in the church's history). Here's some pics from the weekend.

Closely examining the dyed egg, which was way more interesting than the plastic ones.

Post-church family pic right before his 3+ hour nap

Hunting eggs at our church's Easter Bash on Saturday.

Trying to get a good picture before church.

Checking out his Easter basket before breakfast.

Dying eggs on Saturday.

Reading his Easter book from Papaw & Nena he got in the mail in his Easter Envelope (guess a basket wouldn't fit in the envelope).

Cade also got some great stuff from Pops & Mimi but we didn't have the camera handy at the time. We tried to talk about the true meaning of Easter & maybe next year he will be able to tell us what Easter is really about.

Our Little Dancing Man

2010-03-01T18:51:00.002-06:00

Here's a fun evening of entertainment at our house these days.

Poor quality video...high quality dance moves.

Bless Bastrop Project

2009-11-04T15:05:00.006-06:00

Grace is setting out to be a light in the darkness right here in Bastrop, LA. This is our "Jerusalem" & we want to serve our city through hard work, generosity, & the love of the Gospel. Several Sunday nights have been set aside for service in our local community. Our prayer is this will instill within us a greater heart to serve others as Jesus did. We need to be reminded as well as display to others we don't exists for ourselves but the world around us.

Our great group of volunteers showed up Sunday afternoon ready to serve. We've adopted the part across the street from our church & we're renovating the playground equipment. Another team picked up trash at the park & 3 local school campuses. Others went to a local grocery store to bag groceries, carry & load groceries, retrieve buggies, & greet customers with a smile. The overall purpose of this initiative is to be a blessing to our town. We want to get outside the walls of the church & love our neighbors as ourselves. We had a blast serving together & many have expressed excitement in the next opportunity to serve.

Some of our volunteers were able to share the Gospel with people we met at various places in town, but most of us were able to be a positive example of love & service to others. Here are some pictures from Sunday afternoon.

My Sports Buddy

2009-10-15T08:00:00.001-05:00

I'm glad I've got a friend to watch Ranger games with me.

I'm even happier I have a friend to watch Razorback games with me.

Who says there's not a "man gene" somewhere in our DNA from birth?

A Visit from the Governor

2009-10-14T11:31:00.003-05:00

Sunday we had the privilege of having Governor Bobby Jindal share his personal testimony of his faith in Jesus Christ in our morning worship service. The Governor tries to spend many Sundays a year speaking in churches, not as a political event, but as a ministry opportunity. Yes there were aspects of his message that felt political (such as discussing various things that have happened during his tenure) but the primary focus was telling his story.

I was impressed with his personal nature & receptivity to meet, take pictures, & sign autographs with everyone who wanted after the service. He truly left an impression on our church & others from the community who attended that we have a caring, Christian Governor who puts effort into helping the entire state of Louisiana. He challenged us to continue to plant seeds of the Gospel b/c his testimony recognized the various seeds planted in his life along the way, eventually leading to his salvation. He also encouraged the importance of prayer for one another.

My prayer through this experience, as I clearly shared the gospel at the end of the service, is that Bastrop & the surrounding community will see Jesus in us & allow us to transform this community for Him. I'm hoping many who attended (290 people) we're exposed to the love & acceptance of our church family. I'm committed to praying for Governor Jindal & our entire government system & I hope you will too.

Grace Gives Back (pt. 3)

2009-09-01T16:07:00.005-05:00

A little more than a week removed from the beginning of our churchwide emphasis "Grace Gives Back", I want to try to explain how we went from conception to reality. 1st & foremost, my heart as a pastor was burdened to lead a church to be a driving force in meeting needs in our local community. We're to be Great Commission & Great Commandment people. Too many Christians live w/ blinders on & only focus on the needs of those immediately around us at home & in the church (& many times we miss those too).

I knew the "honeymoon" phase of being a new pastor would soon wear off as it always does. I felt we needed to do something meaningful & impactful soon to continue the momentum of the 1st few months. Spending much time in prayer, meetings, & brainstorming I felt this concept of giving back to our people so they could be empowered to be a blessing was what we needed to do.

Our staff discussed many things & this idea came up a time or two (aware it wasn't original w/ us). I then attended a one day event called "THR3E" @ Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. This event radically confirmed many things in my heart as well as opened my eyes to many things. When getting the rare privilege to talk directly with Pastor Steven Furtick for only a couple of minutes I shared my situation & we talked personally. Then before I walked away he encouraged me to "do something big, & do it now." I left that event & on the flight home that evening had a headache from information overload. After processing all I had experienced I shared w/ my staff about what I felt God taught me. Soon after we talked about doing something to kick off the Fall ministry of our church & I was told by a staff member Elevation had done this one Sunday (I wasn't aware they had done it, but maybe that was the "big" thing we needed to do). Long story short, God put all the pieces in place & used Pastor Steven to confirm this vision from God.

This decision wasn't made on a whim. It was a process we struggled through for awhile, but the end result has blown us away. We're beginning to see what a New Testament church is supposed to look like. God has overwhelmed us w/ His glory in numerous ways. There were times I questioned whether this was the right thing to do or not & if it would have the desired impact. All along the way God has given us confirmation. I plan to share stories of God's blessings every week for who knows how long. We'll eventually post them on here or our new website so others can be blessed through this project. God is changing lives right before our eyes & using us in the process...there's no greater privilege this side of heaven!

I end by giving an example of God's confirmation in a practical way. Since we gave away a week's worth of offerings & didn't receive any that Sunday, we gave up 2 weeks of offerings essentially. The Sunday BEFORE we did this (& only 6 or 7 people knew about it) our offering was a little more than double the weekly average. God blessed before as if to put His seal of approval on it. We expected God to bless & make up for it the following Sunday & boy did He ever. The Sunday AFTER we did this our offering was a little more than triple the weekly average.

YOU CAN'T OUT GIVE GOD! Let's continue to give in response to the great mercies God has given us. Be a blessing, whether you are a member of our church or not. I look forward to sharing God's stories as a result of this in the future.

Grace Gives Back (pt. 2)

2009-08-26T11:21:00.006-05:00

God is truly revolutionizing the hearts of His people as a result of Sunday. I have received some incredibly encouraging phone calls & emails telling stories of what events have taken place in their lives & the ways God is leading them to be a blessing to others. As a pastor there are times when I cringe hearing the phone ring or seeing a list of emails, but lately I am eager everytime the phone rings or messages appear in my inbox due to the excitement of what God is doing.

Today I want to share a little bit more about why we gave cash $ away in church on Sunday & didn't accept anyone's financial gift. Above all we did this because God lead us to this decision & affirmed it in many ways. Let me share a couple ofthings this project is NOT:

It was not a publicity stunt for media attention or to trick people into coming to church. (If the media wants to cover this story as a result of what God is doing, great, but in no way are we attempting to draw attention from them)
It was not merely copying what other churches have done. (I am aware this idea is not original to me or our church. We seek not to copy other churches but we are willing to learn from them & use their ideas effectively in our context if God so leads)

Here are several core reasons we felt led to implement "Grace Gives Back":

To empower our people in a practical way to be a blessing to those outside our normal circle of influence.
To instill a greater sense of awareness in our hearts & minds of the people & needs around us we might easily ignore or fail to recognize.
To let our congregation & the surrounding community we are serious about reaching out (into the community) rather than merely reaching in (to ourselves inside the church).
To ultimately emphasize the condition of your heart is more important than your money.
To show the community we love them & are willing to reach out to them & meet their needs with the love of Jesus Christ.
To give a renewed sense of stewardship, not only financially, but in every area of our lives.

My prayer is this emphasis will revolutionize our hearts & instill within our souls the ability to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, & strength. And to love your neighbor as yourself."

Later I hope to share the process leading up to Sunday & how God orchestrated such a great opportunity in our church.

Grace Gives Back

2009-08-24T15:00:00.003-05:00

Wow, what an incredible day we had yesterday in church. If you missed it, you truly missed a blessing. God challenged our entire church to go out & be a blessing to those outside our circle. A few months ago God laid on my heart an emphasis to empower our people to bless others. As a staff we decided to schedule a Sunday where, instead of receiving an offering as we do every week in our morning worship service, we would give what we normally receive away.

I went to our Finance Team & requested the money. We took the money(several thousand dollars) & divided it into increments from $5 to $500. I wrote a letter explaining the project & we inserted the money into envelopes w/ the letter. I preached a message from Matthew 25:14-30 on the Parable of the Talents. Then I explained, much to the shock of most, we wouldn't be taking the offering instead we would be giving it away. I told them it was the ONLY Sunday they were to take something out of the offering baskets rather than put something in.

I spent time explaining the purpose of why we were doing it & gave these rules:

You must use this money to bless someone outside your circle (not your closest family, friends, or fellow church members)
Tell us what you did with your money so we can use your story of generosity to bless others.

During the time of invitation the altar was flooded w/ individuals, couples, & families surrendering to God. God opened many eyes to the vast array of needs around us everyday that we miss or choose to ignore. This project will hopefully make us more aware of the hurting & needy around us & how easy it sometimes is to be a blessing in Jesus name. We're collecting the stories of how God is using this & we plan on sharing them over the next few months.

Throughout this week I hope to share more details of the process of making the decision to do this & the desired impact it can have on our community. We pray this is the beginning of a brand new chapter in the life of our church.

10 Month Pics

2009-08-10T16:10:00.003-05:00

So we missed taking the 8 & 9 months pictures b/c we were moving, distracted, & just didn't get it done. Cade turned 10 months old on the 4th of July which is why he's sporting the "I Love the USA" gear. He's now over 11 months old so I'll get those pics posted soon hopefully. Poor lighting, sorry.
The mischievous grin while attempting to escape from the chair.

He cooperated well for these pics.

He's such a sweet, good boy.

Past the Provision

2009-08-07T11:55:00.003-05:00

Eating lunch out the other day with my wife & son reminded me of something many of us selfishly do on a regular basis. In order to entertain our son while we eat we usually give him toys & snacks on the table in front of him. He kept reaching & stretching for the little tupperware bowl of snacks in the middle of the table. We had to sit him back in his high chair & show him the snack that had been placed right in front of him. Single snacks were being provided for him, yet he couldn't see it right in front of him b/c he was too busy looking for the bowl full of snacks.

Too often we want the whole bowl, or the bigger blessing (car, clothes, house, etc.), when God has given us what we need right in front of us. We miss the provision & blessings of God b/c we want what He doesn't allow us to have.

Open your eyes & see what God has provided right in front of you, be thankful for it, & accept it graciously rather than overlooking it by fixing your mind on something you don't really need.

A friend was leading in prayer to receive the offering not long ago & the opening line of his prayer pierced my heart: "Lord thank you for what you provide for us & for what you keep from us." Let that be your prayer today & everyday.

The Next Generation

2009-07-22T10:42:00.004-05:00

When I came to Grace over 6 months ago I made it clear we were going to be a church committed to reaching the next generation for Jesus Christ. Our ministry to children, youth, & young adults is top priority. We love our older generation & much of what we do couldn't happen without them, but our primary purpose will be raising up a new generation of Christians. Though our vision is still being developed as we seek God, the excitement about what God is doing is growing.

2 weeks ago we baptized 6 teenagers in our AM Worship Service with one more scheduled to be baptized soon. We also have at least one child preparing for baptism as a result of VBS. After evaluating our current ministry system we're now beginning to make changes to further enhance our efforts in providing meaningful ministry to children & youth. It can't be summarized in a few words or maybe even an essay but let me share a few principles & concepts that are vital to our vision.

1. We won't water-down Biblical truth. People are starving for truth in today's society & there are lots of places people can go to receive "feel good" religion. We don't dumb down when preaching to students or teaching children. We wrestle with the hard questions & difficult issues facing this next generation. We do our best to make Biblical truth relevant & present it in a way it can be understood.

2. We make discipleship a priority. Too many people make decisions to follow Jesus & then are left to fend for themselves in figuring out how to take the next step in the Christian life. We are working to offer numerous discipleship opportunities for all ages so spiritual growth can take place. In fact, our entire Sunday evening emphasis is shifting to discipleship this upcoming Fall. The Great Commission calls us to disciple & multiply, therefore we intend on training this next generation to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ in hopes they can reach their generation & the ones to come for Jesus.

3. We focus less on rules & more on relationship. Obeying God's commands are important but we want to create an atmosphere of love & acceptance among those in our church & community. A loving, accepting fellowship is important to helping others know church is where they belong. Spending time building relationships is crucial to effectively reaching & maintaining the younger generation. We have great volunteers committed to loving & accepting all who walk through our doors.

4. We believe in missions. Our heart is to serve in our community & beyond with the message of the Gospel. God has planted us right here in Bastrop so that's where we will begin. We plan to serve & love the community around us through various projects & eventually extend beyond local missions & help reach the world for Jesus. Our students are planning service projects on their own initiative & our prayer is this will become contagious among the adults!

5. We pray. God will not bless what He does not initiate. Our vision must be God's vision. We place a great emphasis on prayer throughout all the ministries of our church. We pray for His initiative, His wisdom, & His strength to endure. The New Testament church was committed to prayer & if we want to be a truly Biblical church, we must be a church that places a high priority on prayer.

May God give us His wisdom & power to reach future generations for Jesus Christ.

Our 4th Anniversary

2009-07-20T10:46:00.006-05:00

Last week we celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary. This was the 1st one as parents (though last year Erin was 7 months pregnant). I planned an overnight trip to Jackson, MS since neither of us had been there & it was only a couple of hours away. It was a surprise to Erin. I told her a couple of days before we were going somewhere alone overnight. I made arrangements for the baby & took care of all the plans. We had a blast & as much as we love our son it was refreshing to get away for a couple of days. We ate a LOT, went to a movie, & actually did as much or more shopping as we did eating.

The movie we saw was "The Proposal" & I must say it's a quality flick. We laughed out loud so many times throughout the movie & we were able to stay interested in the plot until the end & surprisingly it wasn't a cheesy, predictable chick flick. I look forward for the next opportunity to get away for a fun trip. I am truly blessed to have a wonderful Christian wife who is an incredible mother to our son & a source of strength for me in my ministry.

Lunch when we got there was good, it's a lot like McAllister's but with significantly more options on the menu. We really enjoyed it.

We had a nice dinner at this wonderful Italian place, the food was wonderful & made for a wonderful dining experience.

Erin's chicken dish.

My Chicken Parmesean (by the way the portions were huge though you might not can tell from the pictures)

I took her to one of her all-time favorite places for lunch the next day before heading home.

Catching Up

2009-06-30T14:37:00.004-05:00

After a "blogging vacation" I'm back in the groove. We've since moved into a house we bought & so our time moving, unpacking, & travelling has consumed the last month or so of our lives. We're having a blast enjoying the summer as we gear up for what hopes to be a high impact ministry for the Fall Semester. I was sorting through some pics of the last couple of months & wanted to share some. Our boy is almost 10 months old...wow. He's crawling (army style), pulling up on everything & thinks he's ready to walk but he doesn't understand his legs don't work that good yet. Just chillin' w/ that goofy grin on his face.
His 1st swimming pool, though when he gets in the big pool he already thinks he's a fish.

Before he started pulling up & hanging over the edge of the crib (which we've since lowered to the lowest level) we would find him like this after a nap or in the morning. He was looking to see when someone was going to let him out of prison.

Already into everything. He thinks it's cool he can crawl across the coffee table & as you can see the spit up doesn't slow him down.

We participated in our church's Parent Commitment Service on Mother's Day.

Another shot from under the table.

He doesn't know how to ride it yet, but enjoys sitting on his car & always looks cool in his sunglasses.

Big sister Molly still isn't real fond of him yet, especially now that he's mobile but we were able to get this rare shot before she abandon's ship. If Molly only knew how much he loved her & how excited she gets when he sees her she would treat him nicer.

Sea Creatures outfit wouldn't be complete w/o the hat (with the bill that is impossible to shape right).

Our happy boy playing w/ all his toys. This is a rare shot b/c after sitting a few seconds he's on his belly & off to something he's not supposed to have.

A Bright Future

2009-05-11T15:50:00.004-05:00

I get numerous comments at the end of our worship services while greeting people in the lobby. We had a big crowd here yesterday which meant lots of comments (mostly all good ones) but one stuck out at me:

"You've got a bright future ahead of you young man."

He had generous compliments on the service & my message but I couldn't quit thinking about that particular sentence all day long. One sweet lady told me if I ever preached a better sermon I would have to work real hard b/c she loved it...that lifted me up but I already had this previous comment burned into my mind.

Was I encouraged by it? Yes & no.

Yes, because it means God used me to have an impact on his life during the service & knowing I did good for God's glory meant something.

No, because as much as I want a bright future what I'm striving for daily in my ministry is a bright present. The future isn't guaranteed & God has called me to be a difference maker NOW. The future needs to have bright potential b/c if it doesn't then either I'm not doing a good job or I've maxed out my potential & my potential needs to continue to increase until I get to heaven!

I don't know about you, but I'm not going to patiently sit & wait on my bright future, I'm going to give it my all to shine bright today & hope for the opportunity to shine bright tomorrow.

(Disclaimer: I don't over-analyze every comment. I need to be encouraged & take genuine compliments to heart. And I hope he was right about my future.)

Missed Opportunities

2009-05-08T10:37:00.005-05:00

Flying home from the Thr3e conference in North Carolina last week put on by Elevation Church I had the privilege of sitting next to a young man my age who was flying back home on business. We small-talked some & then I decided I wasn't going to miss my opportunity to witness to him (sad to say like I do more often than not). He claimed growing up Catholic. I proceeded to ask what the Catholic church believes about Heaven. I could tell he didn't have a solid belief in much of anything though he said before this he was "spiritual" and prayed some but that was it. His intention was to get back in church once they had children.

We had a good & interesting conversation about various things as I used every opportunity to interject about my faith & Christianity. I finally got bold & at one point asked what they believed about Jesus. He quickly became uncomfortable & as I pursued an answer he very politely & uncomfortably said he would rather not talk any more about it & that he had some work to do on his computer. I almost forced a speed of light salvation talk on him but chose to remain quiet.

He initiated some more conversation about general stuff but never ventured near spiritual issues again. After getting off the plane I shook his hand, asked his name again & wished him well. Walking out of the airport I was BUMMED. I missed another opportunity b/c I was a coward & couldn't come out & boldly say what I needed to.

Sitting in bed I shared my guilt & frustration w/ Erin. She quickly changed the tone of the conversation & informed me I did the best I could & forcing it upon him probably would have done more harm than good. I didn't believe her at first, but her wisdom (thank God I have a wife who many times gives a fresh & insightful perspective) helped me process that encounter & maybe she was right.

I shared this w/ our men's group at church this week & shared my disappointment & I was overwhelmed at their disbelief in my seemingly missed opportunity. They were pumped up & encouraged feeling as if I was sensitive to the Holy Spirit & not overbearing, leaving this young man w/ a positive encounter w/ a Christian who cared about him & respected him.

A seed was planted & now prayers are being offered for this man to encounter Jesus in some way. Could I have done more...maybe. But I laid the foundation for the next person who cares enough about his life to share Jesus w/ him. I was a compassionate friend who didn't show judgment or disrespect.

Be BOLD in sharing your faith. Fear not, God will give you the courage & the dialogue. At the same time, realize every seed you plant God may one day choose to water & sprout to life.

7 Month Pics

2009-04-23T10:56:00.003-05:00

Our little boy is growing up way too fast, but we're trying to soak up every moment. His hair is getting a shade darker & filling in a little more on the sides. He babbles more & more & we can see his motor skills improving each day. I hope in the next couple of days to post some pics we've taken of Cade over the last month or two

The Person God Wants Me to Be

2009-04-15T10:39:00.006-05:00

The world tries to tell us what we should be. Our peers try to tell us what we should be. But what does God want us to be? He wants us to be fully devoted followers of Him. Over the next several weeks we'll be looking at a few key characteristics of what it takes to be the person God wants us to be. For those who want to better understand how to live the Christian life, this series is for you.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T17:36:00.006-05:00

What a great day! Our church service this morning had a dynamic spirit I'm not sure I've ever experienced in my ministry. The preaching was simple, but passionate. God filled my heart with a message a couple of months ago that overwhelmed me. I felt God gave me this message for Easter. Great crowd, incredible worship, & praying many lives are changed as a result.

We had a church Easter Bash on Saturday for the children which was a good success. Cade looked sweet in his Easter duds. We took his pics yesterday because of the weather today. I will post some pics, but check out Erin's blog to see more.

I hope you all had a great weekend celebrating our risen Savior Jesus Christ. May God give you victory over whatever circumstances you're facing in your life as a result of His overwhelming power over death.

Who's to Blame?

2009-04-09T10:10:00.004-05:00

"Train a child in the way he should go, & when he is old he will not turn from it" (Proverbs 22:6)

I hear people all the time say things about the younger generation & children today behave worse, learn less, & basically aren't the same as kids were in the "good 'ole days" (whatever that means). I understand the pressures of culture, technology, & the busy-ness of life. It's a rough world we live in today, but who's to blame for how kids turn out when they grow up? I believe Scripture puts an immense responsibility on parents when it comes to children. I know, some will say no matter how good of an environment they provided for their children they still turned out screwed up or whatever.

Many times I tend to give kids the benefit of the doubt when their behavior is sub-par in my opinion. I always wonder what's going on at home or not going on at home that influences this behavior. Let me give you an example of what I experienced on Monday afternoon:

I was in Wal-mart (where it seems we spend a large part of our time & money) waiting on a prescription for Cade. I went back to sporting goods to get my LA fishing license & encountered a sad scene. A mother & another lady had 2 children w/ them & were looking at baseball gloves for the young boy (my guess is 6 or 7 yrs old). The mother got my attention when she was screaming & cussing at this little boy b/c he didn't know how to put the glove on right. If I repeated what she said on here I would probably lose my job, but trust me it was embarassing me & I was 20 ft away!

The little boy was crying & couldn't defend himself b/c the mother was berating him & throwing gloves around. At one point she said something like "hurry up before we get kicked out of wal-mart" (w/ a few choice words mixed in). People were staring & security was almost called before a male associate arrived & helped the boy try on a glove, figure out if he was right or left-handed, & provided the irate, stupid, irresponsible woman who doesn't deserve in my opinion to have the privilege of being a mom, with the right glove.

I walked away at that point & my blood was boiling. I honestly wanted to go help the boy but didn't for fear of getting beat up or sued or something, but more so I wanted to punch the woman in the face (sorry, God & I are working on the anger thing) & give her a piece of my mind. After walking away I prayed for them asking God to dramatically reveal himself to them.

Will this boy when he grows up have to take responsibility for his actions...absolutely. Can we as parents be perfect in raising our children...absolutely not (I'll admit I'm far from it, but I'm striving to do my best everyday w/ God's help). But if we as parents take responsibility NOW for the way we're raising, or not raising, our kids maybe the younger generation wouldn't be so "horrible" in society's eyes.

6 Month Pics

2009-03-23T10:12:00.001-05:00

Opportunities for Obedience

2009-03-18T11:00:00.002-05:00

2 perspectives on being obedient to God:

1. "I have to be obedient to God & follow his rules or else..." (Obligation)
2. "I get the privilege of being obedient to God when He gives me opportunity" (Opportunity)

Which line of thought do you usually take?

Let me give an example:

I was talking to J on the phone this morning (he's a young crop farmer in our church). He was so excited to tell me something that happened to him yesterday. One of his farm hands (an 82 yr. old man) lost his last sibling the other day & had been down & disturbed by it. J was talking to him about it & felt compelled to ask whether he ever trusted Jesus w/ his life. The man said no but wanted to & right there on the farm prayed & trusted his life to Jesus. J not only encouraged him to share his good news w/ the other farm hands but J is going to church w/ him on Sunday & walking w/ him to publically profess his faith in Jesus.

J never said he felt the pressure of obligation, but rather became aware of the incredible opportunity God gave him to be obedient. When we see God giving us opportunities to be obedient & respond rather than only feeling the guilt of obligation to be obedient, it will not only change our perspective but begin to revolutionize our relationship with Jesus.

Pay attention today for the opportunities of obedience God will give you.

Our Little Leprechaun

2009-03-17T11:12:00.005-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Molly's feelings would be hurt if we left her out of the fun!

Amazing Grace

2009-03-11T13:42:00.002-05:00

Watch one of the most beautiful performances of one of the greatest songs ever written.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid271552717/bctid1913313052

5 Month Pics

2009-03-02T14:32:00.004-06:00

Since Cade turns 6 months old in 48 hours (Wednesday) I thought I had better post these 5 month pics so I can post the 6 month ones after that. He hasn't changed a whole lot in appearance other than maturing some in the face & obviously getting bigger. He smiles & laughs all the time. He loves playing on his activity mat rolling over & back. He's not showing much interest in going anywhere while on his tummy, but his arms & legs are getting stronger. He's not quite sitting up yet on his own, but is getting close. We had a pretty quick & easy time getting these pics. You can see his left wrist is wet b/c he keeps his hands/wrists in his mouth all the time.

He takes up more of the chair than he used to. Smiles & giggles are much easier to come by these days.

"Hey, this chair is pretty comfy, I'll just prop my arm us & relax."

He took his hand out of his mouth long enough to laugh at silly mommy making funny faces & weird noises.

"This photo shoot is getting boring, I'll check out the colors on this pillow."

Valentine's Day

2009-02-19T10:26:00.003-06:00

Last weekend was a busy one for our family. Saturday was my birthday so we celebrated that & Valentine's Day together (it happens every year). My sister's family came to visit for the 1st time & got to see what life is like for us in LA. In the midst of all that we had a "Dinner & A Movie" night at church on Valentine's day. We had about 140 people attend & had a great night together eating, fellowshiping, & watching a movie. It was a good outreach event for our church.

Cade had his 1st Valentine's Day, but he didn't seem to notice it being any different than any other day. He did get his 1st Valentine in the mail from Erin's parents. Below is a 3-picture progression of his response. He also got a singing bear that he's not so sure about, he just looks at it funny as the ears wiggle.

I discovered this year a few more people who share the same birthday as me. Two other young men in our church are cupid babies like me. One of them was at the dinner & movie so his wife & Erin ordered a cake so everyone could celebrate. It was the biggest birthday party I've ever had (even though it wasn't really a party for me). My mom came to town on Monday & stayed a couple of days. She brought Cade's valentine gift & he will enjoy the new clothes & blow up toy real soon. (Sorry no pics mom, but we took them w/ your camera).

Entering His World

2009-02-09T11:06:00.003-06:00

When was the last time you completely put yourself aside & entered another person's world?

Friday night I was home w/ Cade while Erin has a ladies party at the church. I had been w/ him all days as I was off & Erin was substitute teaching. That evening after dinner I decided I was completely devoting myself to Cade. I turned off the TV. I didn't pick up my book. I didn't do dishes, laundry, or anything else. I entered Cade's world. He played, stared off into space, drooled, laughed, babbled, drooled some more, kicked me like 100 times. I watched his facial expressions, tried to figure out what he was thinking or saying. I paid attention to nothing else but him. I did my best to determine what he wanted. I changed him, fed him, & then put him to bed.

After all this I began to think about my day. All day long, though I was taking care of him, I was doing the things I needed to do or wanted to do & brought Cade along w/ me. He sat in the high chair while I did dishes & ate lunch. He played on his activity mat alone while I put up laundry. I realized though I was w/ him all day I was forcing him mostly to surrender to my agenda rather than trying to understand his. The most meaningful part of my day was the time devoted completely to him.

Our marriages would be better if we intentionally devoted time completely to our spouses. No distractions. No implementing our own agendas or leading the conversations.

Our parenting would be better if we intentionally devoted time completely to our children. No distractions. No dragging them around & forcing them to meet the demands of our agenda but rather submitting to their agenda.

Most importantly, our spiritual lives would be revolutionized if we devoted time each day competely to Jesus. No distractions. No trying to fit Jesus into our plans or agendas. Not trying to get him to meet our demands, but rather discovering his desires for us & going along w/ it.

Super Sunday & Sad Monday

2009-02-02T10:57:00.003-06:00

We had a great time in worship yesterday as a church. We were down a bit as far as attendance numbers, but the spirit was high. God's presence was truly among us as I believe God began to lift some heavy burdens off the hearts of many who surrendered to Him. We're still experiencing a great number of visitors & hopefully we can get 'em back & keep them. We also had about 40 women register for the new women's discipleship study on Esther by Beth Moore. We're spending a lot of time planning & implementing change that hopefully will bring growth.

Last night we has Super Bowl parties all over town in various locations. More people participated than usually attend a typical Sunday night worship service...hmmm...funny how that usually happens. It was great times fellowshiping together, eating together, & building relationships. The only non-Super thing about yesterday was the Steelers won. Everyone in the media wanted them to & I guess the officials did too b/c for some reason they didn't review the last fumble. If it was ruled incomplete & the penalty on the Steelers was inforced it would have been one more play from the 29. (But hey, that's not really all that important)

Today is sad Monday because we took Cade to the babysitter for the 1st time. Erin has began substitute teaching & will be all week long. She really wants to be home w/ him full-time but she is teaching a few days here & there to help w/ the family finances. It also gets her out of the house. I can only imagine how sad it will be once he trots off to school for the 1st time. He will be 5 months old on Wednesday. Parenting is great. Pastoring is great. All because God is great!

Have a great Monday.

We Got "Pounded"!

2009-01-26T11:44:00.002-06:00

Last night after church we had a "pounding" for the preacher. We enjoyed refreshments & fellowship as well as coming home w/ a huge load of groceries, household items, & several gift cards. Our pantry is full now so hopefully we won't go hungry anytime soon. There's also quite a bit of deer meat in the freezer that was given to us last night as well. We are so blessed to have our church love us & provide for us as they have so much already. We hope they like us as much in a few months as they do now!

There is still excitement in the air as we are starting to lay some groundwork for the ministry here at Grace. We'll be changing & adapting several areas of our children's ministry in the weeks ahead as well as evaluating all of our other programs & ministries. We've had solid worship attendance in our 1st month here. We pray daily for God to send a fresh outpouring of His Spirit on us in hopes we can see lives changed every week.

Catching Up

2009-01-23T14:37:00.003-06:00

The whole process of moving during the holidays kept me from updating the blog as regularly as I would have liked. I thought as I was sorting through some pictures on my computer I would share a few with you. Cade is discovering new things all the time. He is entering the phase where his toys, hands, blanket, etc. go to his mouth (that is when his coordination is good enough rather than hitting himself in the eye while trying to put something in his mouth). Erin said the other day when he woke up from a long nap he all of the sudden looked down & saw his feet. Ever since then he wants to hold his feet, making it very difficult to change his clothes or a diaper.

This is our neice Kara who is a little more than 2 years old. This was taken over the holidays & she kinda had this glazed look in her eyes. We think it kinda looks like a hollywood style picture & w/ her spunk & charisma she might just take hollywood by storm one day.

This was the best picture we got of Cade in one of his Christmas outfits w/ santa on the shirt.

The week of Christmas it was warm enough for the 3 of us to take a walk in the neighborhood. It was sunny so we put his shades on him that his Papaw & Nena bought him. He knows he's a cool dude.

Erin had a mini photo session in the Pottery Barn chair he (really Erin) asked Pops & Mimi for at Christmas. I think he likes it.

Playing on his activity mat is much more interesting now since he's easily & regularly rolling over. Sometimes (like here) he seems surprised as to how he got in this position.

This was our 1st attempt of putting him in his Bumbo. He will love it & so will we once he gets a little older & more used to sitting in it. The tray is great b/c we can put his toys on it for him to play with. That is, until he knocks them on the floor & leans to the side to see where they went & can't sit back up straight on his own.

Molly really likes Cade as long as it's on her terms & no one else is watching. Too bad Erin caught her in the act of giving some sweet kisses to Cade.

This was our 1st attempt at eating cereal a few weeks ago. Thankfully all of us have gotten better at it in recent days.

This was our accomodations our 1st night in Bastrop. We came ahead of the moving truck the night before & slept on air mattresses on the floor. Cade's pack-n-play was on the other side of the living room. This is a glimpse of the rent house where we're living. Hopefully we can get some good pics soon.

4 Month Pictures

2009-01-21T10:23:00.002-06:00

We're a couple of weeks late getting these posted, but our little boy is growing up fast. He's become so much more active, vocal, & alert as he interacts, smiles, & giggles all the time. Our new church & friends here in Louisiana just can't get enough of Cade! We can't either.

Family Crusade

2009-01-20T10:18:00.003-06:00

On Sunday night we began a family crusade here at our church. This event was scheduled before I came as pastor, but I'm very glad we have this opportunity to reach children & families in our community. Each night there is a theme. Sunday night was "choices" & the puppets, along w/ Brian & Vicki, shared scripture, told stories of how we make good choices, did some singing & dancing, as well as a lot of laughing. Last night we talked about "creation" & had a wonderful time seeing this unique ministry connect to families outside our church.

We had over 200 people registered on Sunday night & a little more than 150 in attendance last night. We're praying God will use this in many ways but especially we're praying for families to hear the message of Jesus & accept him into their lives. Also we're praying for the opportunity to have a list of prospects to reach out to in our community. I personally have enjoyed having this group with us & will be praying for them as they travel the country sharing the message of Jesus.

Brian & Vicki travel in their R.V. They are hooked up & living behind our church on site & we provide them finances for their meals. They work on a love offering basis. For more information about their ministry which is called "2Talk42" see thier website:

www.2talk42.com

New Beginnings

2009-01-10T13:58:00.003-06:00

We have officially arrived in Louisiana! The moving truck showed up last Wednesday & we've been trying to unpack ever since. We haven't had internet at home or the church until now, so I can now update everyone on what's happening here in Bastrop. The transition has been nice & the church has overwhelmed us with their love & support. Anything we've needed they have been there to take care of it. Here's a few updates:

House: We're settling into our 2 bedroom/1 bath rent house that is nice & well-kept. This is tough for us b/c we were living in a 4 bedroom/2 bath home in Arkansas. We unpack 2 boxes & re-pack one to go in storage. The house is more spacious than we remembered & most everything we wanted in the house has found a place. It's a mile or less from the church & center of town which is very nice. The floors are all wood which makes it cooler & Molly won't sit or lay on something not carpeted so it was a challenge for her until we got some rugs laid down. We enjoy it & hope it will suffice until we can decide when or where to buy a home.

Church: The church, like I said, has been great to us. I have my office mostly set up & we're spending a lot of time learning the lay of the land. I told the church my responsibility for the 1st couple of months is primarily to preach, pray, & pay attention. Once we get settled we'll evaluate all the ministries before implementing a fresh vision & direction for the church. We love worshipping here & I greatly enjoy preaching to these people. We look for God to do a great work here, which he's already begun.

Family: All of us are doing well, Cade has been a little under the weather w/ some type of cold. He's better today & enjoying having Erin home to take care of him. He's growing & changing so fast. He interacts much more & is grabbing & playing more w/ his toys, burp cloths, & clothes! We're slowly starting to introduce him to some rice cereal, which he's not real fond of at this point. He turned 4 months old this week & weighs 14 lbs. & is 24 inches long. (50%) Erin is tired from unpacking, organizing, & decorating. She likes not teaching full-time but is planning to substitute teach some this semester. We're making friends & getting used to a new town. We miss our family & friends we were close to in Arkansas, but are so grateful to be here making new friends. Our dog Molly is adjusting OK. She is still trying to figure it all out, but she will be fine in no time.

I hope to post some recent pictures of Cade soon & continue to share what God is doing here at Grace Baptist.

Cade & Santa

2008-12-13T21:44:00.002-06:00

We took Cade to see Santa a couple of weeks ago & it will probably be the most pleasant Santa experience for several years. He was very content, he didn't seem too interested nor was he disinterested. Our sweet baby boy will make this Christmas unlike any other.

3 Month Pictures

2008-12-11T15:01:00.004-06:00

Cade is now over 3 months old & continues to change all the time. His appearance hasn't changed as drastically & quickly as he did a month ago, but his personality continues to develop each day. We are getting more smiling time & interaction, though we rarely get audible laughs. He's difficult to pose b/c he wiggles just enough & can't sit up on his own. I'm staying home w/ him until Erin finishes teaching the end of next week. It will be 2 1/2 weeks of quality Father/Son time. I can tell you I'm enjoying every minute, but staying home full-time w/ children is not my calling. I'll have a whole new level of respect for stay-at-home moms after this.

Grace Baptist Church - Bastrop, LA

2008-11-23T14:40:00.003-06:00

Erin & I will be moving to Bastrop where I will begin as pastor on Sunday, January 4th. Last weekend we accepted the call & this morning announced my resignation here at Central Baptist. We're sad to leave a church full of people we love, but we're also excited about the ministry opportunity God has given us. Grace Baptist Church began 7 years ago in a home w/ only a few couples & has now grown to a membership of about 350 in that time. They have had 2 pastors in their history & I will be the 3rd. They recently moved into a new building w/ a completed children's wing & an adult/administration wing yet to be complete.

This opportunity is a true blessing as we feel completely confident this is where God wants us to be. The church is predominantly younger adults with an abundance of children. We love our church here & the people we've grown to love will be hard to say good-bye to, but their love & support in making this transition shows how great of a church we're having to leave. Please pray for us as we finish the year here before moving to LA. Here are a few pics we took last weekend.

Our Little Prince & Princess

2008-11-20T14:09:00.003-06:00

It's been a busy week or so for us, but we have managed to take some more pictures of Cade. He wears some outfits once, maybe twice, & then outgrows them so we are trying to take pictures to remember how cute they are. Yesterday was the 1st time he wore his "Little Prince" outfit & the next time may be his last! His sweet personality is developing more & more everyday.

Our little princess Molly thinks she's more like a queen. Her favorite thing to do on a nice, sunny day is go in her pin & immediately go to her "throne" & sunbathe. This is probably the only posed picture we'll get of her as she's not real cooperative w/ the camera. I wish I could submit it to a calendar company b/c it looks like it came straight from a doggy calendar. Erin was so excited she got this pic. She's still adjusting to not being in charge around the house anymore.

2 Month Pictures

2008-11-12T11:30:00.004-06:00

It's hard to believe 2 months have already passed. Cade is doing great. At his 2-month check-up last week he got 3 shots in his legs & 1 oral vaccine. He did much better than expected & is tougher than we are. The doctor said he looks perfect. He weighed 11 lbs. 14 oz. & was 23 in. long. That is 50% exactly in both measurements. He has caught up after being so small at birth. We are loving the smiling & some slight giggles here & there. That head is being held up well & his arms & legs are getting stronger. Here are the latest pics. Our little stud in his Polo outfit.
Eeeck! This thing is choking me! (not really)

Nope, I refuse to look at you when you call my name!

Oooh, the ceiling looks cool, I think I'll stare at it for awhile.

This is not very comfortable, please hurry!

Ok, I'm done, no more pictuers for me!

Happy 40th Anniversary Mom & Dad

2008-11-11T10:17:00.005-06:00

On November 2nd, my parents celebrated their 40th Wedding Anniversary. This past Saturday night we had a surprise party to celebrate. My sister did a wonderful job on planning & implementing the whole thing. All we did was take mom & dad out to eat conveniently at the place where everyone was waiting. They were totally surprised & the plan worked. It was one of the most special nights we hope they remember for a long time. It was great seeing all the family & friends who were there. There were friends there from the beginning of their marriage, others they go to church with, & many from several different phases of their life.

We are so blessed to have Christian parents who have set the example on family faith & values. They aren't perfect (none of us are), but they have done the best they could w/ what they have (having to raise me must have been tough). Marriage doesn't seem to be taken as seriously as it should. One of the best Christian witnesses we have is the institution of a Christian marriage & family.

It's sad to think marriage is an institution that fails more than it succeeds in America today!

Thanks mom & dad for all you have done & continue to do. We hope you had a great anniversary & we look forward to celebrating many more with you. Here are a few pics.

So they weren't dressed up for pictures because it was a surprise, so it turned out to be a casual affair, which fits perfectly into our family's way of doing things. My sister did an awesome job: she made & decorated these cakes herself. I guess if her nursing career ever fizzles out she can start making cakes!Gotta love some chocolate covered strawberries!
My sister had a slide show put together as you can see the old photo displayed on the screen as the people chow down on some good BBQ.

Cade was a big hit among family & friends who haven't seen him in person yet. He was zonked out most of the party. I guess since the Razorbacks lost that afternoon he was bummed out & decided to sleep off his disappointment.

Veterans Day

2008-11-11T09:40:00.003-06:00

I had the privilege of leading in prayer at a local Veterans Day celebration here in Mineral Springs. I was reminded of the great sacrifice so many have made to earn & preserve our freedom. From people like my grandfather who served in WWII to those younger than me who I'm close friends with, everyone who has served or is serving our country deserves honor. America is a great place to live despite all we complain about & wish was different. May we always thank God for our country & for those who serve in it & for it.

Catching Up

2008-11-05T15:59:00.004-06:00

After being out of town several days, working hard on the Fall Festival, & trying to learn how to raise a child, I'm finally getting a chance to post a few pics. He has grown up so much in the last week. It's scary how fast they change!Our little pumpkin. This is the closest thing to a costume since everything was too big.We use bibs a lot even though he doesn't eat solid food. With all the reflux & spit up it somewhat protects his outfits.

Here's a real cowboy getting branded (really a temporary tattoo) at the Fall Festival.

Throwing the football through the hole is harder than it looks!

Our Next President

2008-11-04T22:41:00.003-06:00

Today has been one of the most emotional & important days in recent American history. All of us have been focused on who the next president would be. Some are worried while others are celebrating the outcome. I personally have spent time in prayer regarding the election & the current condition of our country. I've come to realize the great privilege we have as Americans to vote. We have the blessing of having a voice in the leadership of our country. Please don't ever forget to thank God for the freedom we have.

As Christians we must continue to pray for our country & do our part to heal America. There is no doubt in my mind God is in control regardless of what we might think & perceive. Our God is bigger than any President, political election, or form of government.

As Christians I believe we have a great responsibility in order to help heal our country:

1. Pray. Pray for America. Pray for our President. Pray for our government officials. The most important thing to pray for is their souls. Ask God to reveal himself to them & bring them to salvation through Jesus Christ. None of these individuals can heal our country, only Jesus Christ can.

2. Live by example. If Christians want to make a difference then we need to live in a way that earns the respect & admiration of those around us. No one will listen to us & become like us if we don't rise above & set a high standard.

3. Pray. I'm reminded daily of the increased need for prayer. Prayer makes a difference.

I know this isn't all that profound, but I'm burdened for us as Christians focused on complaining & looking in all the wrong places for hope & security. May we stand together asking God to bless America.

Pumpkin Man

2008-10-23T10:09:00.002-05:00

Little man is getting more accustomed to spending time laying on the Boppy. These pics were taken about a week or so ago before bedtime. He has already outgrown this sleeper so it's disappointing he can't wear it to bed on Halloween, but oh well. He is growing & changing everyday. We thank God daily for our son & look forward to what each new day brings.

The Nursery

2008-10-15T18:47:00.002-05:00

Here are a few pictures of our nursery. It's not complete b/c there is nothing above the crib (we haven't decided what we want up there yet) & there's some wall space on the other side of the room too.

1 Month Pictures

2008-10-14T14:11:00.003-05:00

We took Cade's pictures a week late, so these are actually 5 week pictures. We're going to try to take them each month to see the progression & hopefully in the same spot. Dayle started this trend I believe & I know Rachel does it too, so thanks for the good idea. This photo session wasn't great due to his lack of cooperation, but I know if this one was hard, the ones to come will only get worse. This outfit was his "coming home" outfit from the hospital, except it actually fits now instead of falling off him. We didn't include the hat, sorry!

O.K. O.K. Here are some pics

2008-10-08T10:44:00.002-05:00

I keep getting prodded to display more pictures of Cade so here are a few of recent. Not sure if he is saying "Hi," "O.K., that's enough pictures for now," or "Wait just a minute, I'm not wearing anything under this blanket!"
Cade looks in shock many times when he is wide awake, those big blue eyes get our attention.
This was a couple of weeks ago when he barely could get in the swing but he has grown so much & fits in it much better now, though he's still not sure he likes it all that much.
Our friends from Brazil, Ina & Ildeu had lunch w/ us after church & they were enamored w/ Cade. They have like 11 or 12 grandchildren, but treated Cade as if he was one of their own. I know baby talk & babble coming from adults is funny & weird, but trying observing baby babble in Portuguese!
This is one of our favorite pictures of Cade sleeping. Not sure what he's dreaming about, but we're not fooled...it's probably just gas!

Kara's 2nd Birthday Party

2008-10-06T15:00:00.002-05:00

A little over a week ago we celebrated our neice Kara's 2nd birthday. Wow, how quickly time flies. It seems like just yesterday we were at the hospital holding her just hours after her birth. Cade is growing up right before our eyes & it's scarry! Here are a few fun pics from the party. My sister did a great job on Kara's cake. I know she worked hard & it was worth it. It tasted great too.
Kara's attention span was short. 2 year old's get something they like & forget about the rest of the gifts. I spent most of this time trying to get the toys & dolls out of the packages. Why does it feel like trying to break into Fort Knox just to open a toy (frustrating).
This little stroller had many intricate parts, but once we got it put together it became the toy of choice. She strolled her doll around all over the park until it was time to go home.
Whew! These birthday parties are tiring! Cade was oblivious to what was going on around him, nonetheless he was in the spirit of the party. Maybe he'll be satisfied w/ these Mickey ears until we can go all the way to Orlando some day to get the real ones. In case your wondering, his outfit says "My Heart Belongs to Grandma" - one of the many early attempts to spoil our son.

Speaking Portuguese in Arkansas

2008-09-29T11:57:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we had Pastor Gomez & his wife with us in worship. Though he spoke in his limited English we welcomed them in Portuguese & our Worship Leader Brian sang a chorus for them in Portuguese. It was a great service as we heard his wife sing 2 familiar hymns in their language & Pastor Gomez shared his testimony. He was in the seminary at the age of 17 studying for the Catholic Priesthood. His brother was a Christian & he went to convert him to Catholicism. Long story short, it had the reverse effect & as Ildeu began reading God's Word it came alive in him & he accepted Christ as his Savior & Lord.
He also shared how the mission trip last October that I went on had impacted his church & his brother's church in Campinas, Brazil. Since the distribution of the 25,000 Bibles these churches together have baptized 48 people w/ several more waiting to be baptized. That's a person a week since the trip. What would happen if our churches were baptizing that many per year? No one will ever convince me God's Word is not powerful & life-changing.
Let us not forget God is still at work all over the world changing lives.

From Brazil to America

2008-09-24T14:08:00.003-05:00

This week Pastor Gomez & his wife from Campinas, Brazil are here in Texas & Arkansas preaching & visiting friends. I had the privilege to go to his church last October on a mission trip. With the help of several churches we were able to bring him to America for the 1st time in 8 years. He will be preaching for us this coming Sunday at Central & we expect it to be a great service.
Erin & I took he & his wife out to lunch on Monday in Texarkana & we hope to spend time w/ them again on Friday. Though he is a small guy he has a booming voice. God is using him greatly in Brazil & we're honored to have him with us this week. It's great to have a direct connection to a pastor in a foreign country & know him personally. We're excited about what God is doing in Brazil & hopefully next year we'll have the chance to go back & continue the ministry there. I'll blog more about Pastor Gomez & his testimony after the weekend.

Son of a Preacher Man

2008-09-15T14:18:00.004-05:00

Cade didn't go to church w/ me yesterday but stayed home w/ Erin instead. When I came home he was wearing his "Itty Bitty Baptist" onesie he got from Pops & Mimi. I guess he was supporting me from home yesterday.

Erin's mom has gone home & now it's just our little family. We are having a good time & enjoying the life of parenthood. We have gotten a bit more sleep at night than we expected & pray that doesn't change for the worse. Cade is growing & goes to the doctor on Thursday. We can tell he is gaining weight & growing each day. He's a good natured baby & we look forward to what each new day holds.

Settling In At Home

2008-09-09T15:07:00.004-05:00

We're settling into this dream-like world of having a new child at home. It doesn't fully seem real yet but we're having the time of our lives. We could never imagine the blessing from God resulting from a new child. We have SOOO many pics, but I'll only share a few from the last 2 days.

We arrived home safe & sound. Whew! That was the most nerve racking experience of driving a car in my entire life!
Just chillin' out on the bed after getting cleaned w/ a bath wipe & fresh diaper & onesie (which most are way too big).
The Carozza's, Donnell's, & Petty's arrived at our house about 30 minutes after we got there on Sunday. We had a great afternoon visiting & sharing in the excitement. Little Rock Crew, please know how much this meant to us for you to come spend time w/ us.
Molly met her new little brother for the 1st time yesterday morning. This was a major concern for us b/c Molly is queen of the house & spoiled rotten. She is doing good & really curious as to what is happening w/ Cade. It won't be long until she is trying to play mother. (By the way, like the deep bathtub converted to a "Moses Basket"? - That's how we do it in Arkansas)
Sunday afternoons in the Fall wouldn't be complete w/o some NFL action. Cade & I spent our 1st day home together watching the Cowboys! He will hopefully love sports as much as I do (sorry mom, guess you will have to tolerate more sports).Oh boy, free fingers! We can't keep the gloves on him b/c he always wants his hands in his face & mouth & will scratch himself.

Our Son Has Arrived!

2008-09-05T22:22:00.009-05:00

Cade Christopher Wright

9/4/08 - 11:58 P.M.

6 lbs. 6 oz.

20 in.

Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children like a reward from him.

Psalm 129:3

Labor Day

2008-09-02T13:25:00.003-05:00

Here's an update for all who have been asking about our upcoming baby. The whole country celebrated Labor Day yesterday. Erin & I will celebrate a different kind of "Labor Day" on Thursday. The Dr. scheduled an induction for Thursday morning so we will hopefully have our son sometime on Thursday. We are nervous & excited. We will do our best to keep everyone updated through the blog, facebook, email, & text messages.

2 more days & we will be parents! Wow, God is good!

Cade's 1st Picture

2008-08-27T10:55:00.003-05:00

Here is our 1st sonogram picture we finally got scanned into the computer. It's hard to believe he was the size of a little peanut in this picture & here we are about a week away from seeing him outside the womb! I'm fascinated at how great our God really is...no one can convince me this is NOT a human life in the womb. It's amazing the detail of formation even at about 8 weeks, which is when this picture was taken.

Erin is at home resting (doctor's orders) & we are doing all we can to prepare for what lies ahead. We hope to keep everyone updated through the blog, facebook, & text messaging.

OBU #1

2008-08-23T12:11:00.004-05:00

Once again my alma mater is ranked at the top by U.S. News & World Report. Check out the story here.

http://www.arkansasbaptist.org/current_news/?id=373

Go Tigers!

Generosity

2008-08-19T13:48:00.002-05:00

Last night I got another picture of what I believe church family & community is all about. A lady in our church brought a home-cooked meal by the house simply b/c it was Erin's 1st day back to school & she said she knows how difficult & tiring those 1st days can be (especially when you're 8 months pregnant). It was her ability to perceive a possible need & taking action to meet the need w/o being asked or prompted by someone else.

Thanks Barbara for the wonderful meal (I enjoyed it again for lunch today -sure beats a sandwich) & for your willingness to reach out in hospitality to us. The Church is all about meeting the needs of others & spreading the gospel message of Jesus Christ to the world.

Great Leadership Tips

2008-08-19T10:23:00.002-05:00

Check out this short article on leadership tips for young pastors (which I believe is relevant to many others as well).

http://www.outreachmagazine.com/library/webexclusives/jf08webexleadershiptips.asp

Phelps Phanatics

2008-08-18T13:39:00.004-05:00

It's Official! Saturday night Michael Phelps won his 8th Gold Medal of the Beijing Games & 7 of them were world records w/ the other an olympic record. I was interested by the hype but not totally what you would call a "Phelps Phanatic." After the 2nd or 3rd race I was hooked. We really enjoy the Olympics, & swimming is one of our favorites. I was awed at the relay team's comback & the .01 of a sec victory in his last individual event. All I can say is WOW!

I heard the other night of the irony of Phelps winning a record 8 Gold Medals in the 2008 Olympics, which were kicked off w/ the opening ceremony on 08.08.08 @ 8:00 P.M.

There's no doubt God blessed him w/ what many consider the "perfect swimmer's body." Also I have listened to & watched many stories regarding his work ethic & dedication to the sport. There are few athletes who work as hard as he does to be the best. Is he the greatest olympic athlete of all time? I think it's like comparing apples to oranges, but definitely is one of the best ever.

Other than a couple of track & field events the Olympics is all but over for me, but the impact of it will live on for a long time. Not only Phelps, but so many stories of olympians (like Dana Torres at age 41 still winning medals & doing what no one her age has ever done) have inspired me. I believe God can use anything to teach us lessons. I have learned so many spiritual lessons this past week simply from watching the Olympics. I'm not always great at it, but I try to let God speak to me through any & every avenue of life. If all of us were more aware of God's presence we too could learn incredible spiritual lessons from everyday events.

I don't mean to "spiritualize" everything & sound "holier than thou," but I enjoy learning lessons from what most of us see as non-spiritual events. The dedication of Phelps to achieve the impossible challenges me to have the same hunger & passion to spread the message of God's love w/ the world around me. If all Christians were as dedicated to Christianity as these althletes are to the Olympics, we would turn the world upside down for Jesus Christ. Someone who was smart & talented could easily write a book of spiritual lessons from these 2008 Summer Olympics.

Look for new ways for God to speak to you & always be listening for His voice.

Wake Surfing

2008-08-11T21:15:00.003-05:00

Thursday I had the chance to go to the lake & hang out w/ some friends who invited us up for the day. This picture is from the last time we were at the lake & it was my first day. I don't have a picture from the most recent surf but there is a short video somewhere. It's lots of fun you start w/ a 12 ft. rope & pull up right behind the boat, find the sweet spot & then if you are able toss the rope into the boat & surf literally a couple of feet from the back of the boat. It's a neat feeling & though I'm really not that good at it I was proud on the 1st day to be able to let go of the rope.
The best part about it is the falls don't hurt b/c you're going slower than when you ski & stuff, also the water is fresh & not salt & this surfing doesn't impose the possible danger of encountering sharks! If you ever get a chance, give it a try.

Heaven

2008-08-06T11:30:00.003-05:00

A young lady in our area died last week in a car accident & she was friends w/ many people we know. Stories about her & the accident were in the paper today. The Lord spared the 4 children in the car which is a blessing from God. She was a deeply Christian woman involved in her church & loved the Lord. She suffered from Spina Biffida (or something similar) & has somewhat been physically handicapped her whole life. As I've prayed for the family & thought about her I can have peace in knowing she received a new body in heaven!

At our Widow's Banquet the other night we sang many hymns & as I flipped through the old hymnal I noticed something in many of those older songs we don't emphasize as much today: Heaven. The glory & hope of heaven is what pushes us forward each day as Christians & what challenges us as a result of those who don't have that hope. We need not ever forget the promised glory of heaven & being in the presence of Jesus Christ forever. When we renew our focus on heaven it will change how we live & think.

A few weeks ago as we were in Grand Prairie w/ Erin's parents for the weekend & worshiped at their church a young elementary aged girl came forward during the invitation. I had never seen her before & knew nothing about her. She came to publically profess her faith in Jesus Christ that morning. I get emotional seeing anyone come to Christ, but I wept during that invitation giving praise to God. The young girl was blind & being led down by her parents.

John Newton couldn't have said it any better in the classic hymn "Amazing Grace" when he said: "I once was blind, but now I see." For this young girl she can now see clearly spiritually, but can also live w/ the hope of one day in heaven being able to see physically when she receives her new body in Jesus Christ. Let's daily live in the hope of heaven & it will change us to the core!

Widow's Banquet & Baby Shower

2008-08-05T13:53:00.007-05:00

Thursday night our church hosted a "Widow's Banquet" for all those in our church who have lost their spouse & are still single. We had a group of 11 ladies who attended. The deacons & their wives organized & served the whole evening. They did a great job & set the example of what deacons are expected to be in the church. After the meal we sang some favorite hymns from the old "Heavenly Highways" Hymnal. I don't read music but surely couldn't read the shaped notes! I then encouraged them & prayed for them. It was a great evening of sweet fellowship & encouragement. Thanks again to all our deacons & wives who made this such a great night. Here are a couple of pics...

Our church hosted a baby shower for us this past Sunday afternoon. It was a great showing of excitement & support as we anticipate our son arrive in about 6 weeks. We were truly blessed once again with so many generous gifts. Here are a couple of pics...

Road Warriors

2008-07-30T14:28:00.009-05:00

We have been on the road the last 2 weekends. (We're doing our part to boost the slumping economy by buying lots of gasoline) The 1st weekend we were in Dallas at her parent's house for a baby shower on Sunday & a weekend w/ some of her extended family we haven't seen in over a year. It was a good time relaxing w/ family & enjoying a chance to get away from home for a few days. Here are a couple of pics from the weekend.
This was a picture of us before going out for our 3rd wedding anniversary in Dallas (see earlier post).Here's a picture of the shower cake. It was very well done & since they didn't serve the duck on top (which was made of solid cake) we removed & boxed it up & froze it so Cade can tear into it on his 1st birthday. Where are we going to put all this stuff? We are blessed beyond words w/ family & friends who have given so generously.

This last weekend we were in Northwest Arkansas for a wedding celebration. This picture is of me, Tim, & Allison. It was a beautiful wedding at Cooper Chapel in Bella Vista. The place was overflowing w/people 10 minutes before the service started. We had a blast spending time w/ close friends, some of whom we haven't seen in a couple of years, & were thankful to be a part of their special day.
The groom's cake. He is a Green Bay Packers Fan & a Razorback Fan, so they put the 2 together & this was the result. Another neat part of the reception was the photo booth. They encouraged everyone to get in the booth, take a set of 6 pictures & then we picked 3 for a scrapbook & the lady immediately cut them & put them on a page & we were able to write notes to the couple. There were some funny pics (kissing pics, choking pics, & goofy pics) & a great idea in place of a signature mat.

April

2008-07-22T13:43:00.003-05:00

www.aprilsmusic.com

Check out my friend April's website. She & her husband are close friends w/ us & she has been pursuing a music career for several years. She has songs on itunes to download & has a myspace page. Jesus Christ is the center of her life & ambition. They live in Ft. Worth & we had lunch w/ them yesterday before coming back to Arkansas.

Mamma Mia

2008-07-19T10:45:00.002-05:00

I'm not much of a movie critic, but I would put this movie in the "average" category. If I were to give it a letter grade I would say a B- or C+ I guess. I enjoyed it w/ Erin but most guys would probably rather encourage their lady to go out on girls night together to see it. The girls would have a blast being girls w/ this movie. It's so hard to take a classic broadway musical & bring it to the big screen. The musical I imagine would be much better, but it was still entertaining w/ a heartwarming finish.

On the Road

2008-07-18T11:15:00.004-05:00

We left yesterday for the weekend in Grand Prairie w/ Erin's parents. We arrived late afternoon & will be coming home on Monday. There is a big baby shower on Sunday w/ her family & friends. Many of her extended family members will be here & we're excited about spending time w/ them.

Last night we went out to eat for our 3rd Anniversary since our anniversary fell on Wednesday night, which allowed us to celebrate by going to Bible Study at church. We had a great evening out together. We dined at The Cheesecake Factory & then went shopping & bought Erin a new diamond ring for the anniversary. The meal was wonderful & the cheesecake was fabulous. We had enough food left over we will enjoy it again today for lunch. I finished my snickers cheesecake for breakfast this morning (not a good idea, it was way too rich for breakfast), but good anyway.

Sorry I don't have a picture of Erin's new ring to show, but let me tell you it's fabulous. We got a good deal on it: $10.50. That's right I'm a true romantic & spent a whole ten dollars on my wife for a new ring! Her wedding rings no longer fit (almost 8 months pregnant) & she wanted a ring to wear so everyone would know she was married. So I hooked her up w/ some serious BLING!

We will finish our anniversary celebration by going to the movies this afternoon to see "Mama Mia!" I'll let you know how it is later. My vote was for "Dark Night" the new Batman movie, but I'm sacrificing my opinion since it's our anniversary. I thank God everyday for my wonderful wife & blessed marriage.

3 Years Ago Today

2008-07-16T10:56:00.005-05:00

About this time 3 years ago I was eating a late breakfast/early lunch w/ my parents & sister & her family. It was my last meal as a single man. In fact, it was a Grand Slam from Denny's & I'm not sure I've had one since then. The rest of the day was a whirlwind but one of the greatest days of my life: our wedding day.

I have been truly blessed by God to be married to such a wonderful woman who encourages me, supports me, cooks for me, makes me fold my own shirts b/c she doesn't do it right, laughs w/ me, cries w/ me, & lets me beat her at almost any game we play (ha!). These 3 years have flown by & even though I'm working today we will enjoy our last anniversary w/o children.

To all who have prayed, encouraged, & supported us in our marriage, THANK YOU! Erin, I love you & pray God gives us many more years of marriage bliss.

This is the best I can do for a picture. This was a "wedding cake" made for us by Doug Petty at a shower we had w/ family & friends in Texarkana. All of our wedding pictures are on CD, DVD, & in an Album, but all are secured like Fort Knox so we can't get them on our computer & print or use them ourselves (gotta love fancy photographers).

No TV for 48 Hours

2008-07-15T10:16:00.004-05:00

Erin & I experienced this refreshing time all day Sunday & Monday. Was the TV working? Yes. Was the satellite out? No. We chose to "fast" from TV for 2 days to help us realize how much time we spend w/ the TV on. Are we watching TV the whole time it's on, No. I missed it a little b/c I'm so used to it always being there & available, but I learned the TV is more a habit than a desire.
I can't tell you how many times I went to pick up the TV remote just so I could have it on while doing something or whatever. There aren't any good shows on this time of the summer (other than Sportscenter, which is almost always on) but for some reason I feel like I need to turn it on. The last 2 days were quiet & peaceful. Erin was able to write some notes & do more scrapbooking. I was able to read some & do things around the house. Not sitting down to watch TV forces you to get some little & often neglected things done around the house. It took us out of our comfort zone of sitting on the couch in front of the TV, but the change was nice.

We need to be more aware of the simple habits & patterns we live in & how they can be minimized or avoided at times. I encourage others to find areas of your life to "fast" from in order to better control your environment so that it doesn't control you. "Fasting" from food is something I need to do to better focus on God, but it's so hard for me b/c I love food a WHOLE LOT MORE than I do TV. Give up something for a day or 2 & see if it changes your perspective.

Young Adults

2008-07-12T19:30:00.000-05:00

Last night we had a great time getting together w/ a group of young adults in our church. Erin & I have become good friends w/ so many of them & are excited they are taking a more active role in our church. We ate some great hamburgers & hotdogs, spent good time visiting w/ one another, & playing a few games. This was the 1st time we've played games girls vs. guys & we now realize why we haven't done it before.
Congrats the girls for whooping us in MadGab (us guys realized "Hooked on Phonics" didn't work for us). We then played everyone's favorite game: Cranium. The guys had a commanding lead but got stuck at the end & w/ a little bad luck let the girls barely sneak out a win there too. I told Erin on the way home I like playing w/ her on my team b/c I'm smarter when she's on my team! We had so much fun it was the latest we've stayed out since we can remember (our 3rd anniversary is coming this next week, we've become a boring married couple). We got home sometime around 1:00 A.M.
Needless to say, we slept in & relaxed around the house most of the day. We love spending time w/ our friends, but for me the best part is seeing the vision God gave us when he called us here being fulfilled. We set out to establish a base of core young adults & get them plugged in the ministries of the church. Within the last year we have seen many of them step up & get involved. In fact, last night one of the young ladies told me she wanted to teach the preschool Sunday School class that has been w/o a teacher for awhile. Others are involved in our children's minstry, youth ministry, the adult choir, ushers, & more. There were times we felt hopeless getting our young adult ministry going, but God has once again proven himself faithful in His time.

4th of July Weekend

2008-07-07T14:52:00.001-05:00

Erin & I had a great weekend celebrating the 4th of July. We attended a party on Friday night at on Lake Greeson with great food & a wonderful fireworks show. My sister's family went with us & we had a fun time together. On Saturday we went back to the lake & spent the day w/ some friends & had a chance to get out on the water. Here are some pics from the weekend.

It was great to see Mike this weekend & get some time to visit w/ him. Mike Huckabee has been a friend for a long time. He coached our soccer team one season many years ago. His kids & I grew up together in Texarkana & I'm lucky to be able to call him a true friend.

Me & one of my best friends Michael Chesshir.

Me & my beautiful wife on the 4th.

The end of VBS

2008-06-28T11:01:00.001-05:00

We had a great week of Vacation Bible School w/ an avg. attendance of 42 children each night & about 20 adult helpers. Everyone had fun & it was a great blessing to be a part of it. So many worked so hard & to them I am extremely thankful. Here are some pics from the week.

The huge puddle that formed following the unexpected downpour proved to be the biggest attraction with the kids. We had a Kickoff Pre-registration Luau on Sunday night.

What kid doesn't love blowing bubbles?

Is it time to send the kids to snacks?

We ended w/ Family Night last night so the families could see all we had done this week.

Here I am "catching a wave." We have an offering competition each year between the boys & girls to see who brings the most money (in pounds so every penny counts) & the boys came up short & as a result I got doused w/ buckets of water. The kids went crazy & I think the adults enjoyed it too. One of our Kindergarten boys came up to me later & looked sad as he told me "I'm sorry brudder Chris we made you get wet."

I told him it was OK & how proud I was they worked hard to help bring offering to support the Arkansas Baptist Children's Homes. It was a great week & we're praying God will continue to make a difference in the lives of these children.

Belly Picture

2008-06-28T10:55:00.000-05:00

People have been asking for a recent picture of Erin's pregnant belly. Here it is at week 27...

Vacation Bible School

2008-06-24T13:36:00.000-05:00

We kicked off our VBS last night w/ 40 kids & about 20 workers. It was the largest 1st night many in this church can remember in a long time. Things are off to a good start & we are praying God will bring children into a relationship with Jesus Christ. This is one of the biggest events of the year in our church & everyone is excited about it.

The theme for the week is "Living God's Unshakeable Truth" & I preached a message titled just that on Sunday morning as our sanctuary was all decorated & we dressed the theme. I was wearing a hawaiian shirt & khakis (it feels great preaching in something other than a suit). We anticipate the number of students to increase as the week progresses. We find ourselves in one of the busiest & most tiring weeks of the year in our church, but certainly one of the most rewarding as well.

Tomatoes

2008-06-18T10:04:00.000-05:00

Sometimes the small things make a BIG difference. I, for instance, don't eat fresh tomatoes, but everyone in my family & around me does. The Salmonella scare of recent days has put a hamper on the availability of tomatoes. I haven't thought much of it, but oh what a tragedy it has been for my wife! She eats a sandwich & doesn't have tomato. We had Taco Bell a couple of weeks ago & guess what, no tomatoes on the tacos.

Going to Texarkana on Saturday to run errands we had a long conversation about what to eat for lunch. TLC, nope no tomatoes for her burger. Quizno's, nope the sandwich wouldn't taste right w/o tomatoes. On & on we went until we decided to go eat pizza (at least there's nothing wrong w/ tomato sauce). I will eat a tomato in almost any form other than raw: ketchup, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, etc. But a raw tomato, YUCK!

I tend to forget sometimes how such a small thing can make a big difference. Many times we don't appreciate something until it's taken away from us, big or small. Pay attention to the small things, b/c even though you don't realize it, they can make a BIG difference.

Preaching & Sweet Tea

2008-06-16T10:57:00.000-05:00

It's been a rough couple of weeks. The 1st week of June was real busy for some reason & all last week I was sick w/ a miserable respiratory infection. I'm still not well, but it's more under control today. I'm back in the office after being out all last week w/ this crud.

Yesterday was a great service honoring our Father's. I coughed all morning long & people all over the church could hear me. I asked people to pray God would take it away for church & God provided in a great way as He always does. When church started I was still coughing but a few minutes into the service I felt great & amazingly enough I didn't even have to clear my throat or cough even once until after the invitation was over! I was preaching on Abraham's great faith in obeying God w/ the sacrfice of Isaac & at the end we discussed how Abraham worshiped God & named the mountain "The Lord Will Provide." I was a living illustration of that in the service yesterday.

The funny part about the whole thing is I didn't want a mint in my mouth when preaching & had discovered sweet tea seemed to coat my throat & ease the coughing. So what did I do? I took a bottle w/ sweet tea in it w/ me to the pulpit. (Yes, I am officially an Arkansas Redneck Preacher for drinking sweet tea while preaching) The best part is I didn't need it until the end of the service, though I drank it while everyone sang at the beginning. I had to clarify to the people what it was b/c it was in a clear bottle & some joked it was the other home remedy for curing a cough (whiskey). We laughed about it & when I joked w/ a couple from the choir before the service about what it was several of them started coughing hoping I would give them some!

God is great & gives us great blessings & provides when we are faithful to Him!

Feels Like Failure

2008-06-02T10:56:00.000-05:00

Have you ever done something & then looked back on it to feel as though you failed at the task? As a preacher, this is a regular feeling for me many times after walking off the stage at the end of a sermon. I can prepare the message I feel God has given me & do my best to present it in a meaningful way, but it sometimes feels as though I'm not in sync.
What I've noticed is when I feel this way the most God is at His best. Yesterday was one of those days, but when the service was over the number of significant expressions of appreciation for the message & the immediate impact seemed far greater than I would have ever thought! Last night while getting ready for our service to start I overheard a group talking (which isn't hard in our small church to hear what's being talked about on the other side of the sanctuary) to a lady who was absent that morning. They discussed in detail the substance of the sermon & were truly impacted by it, making her truly disappointed she missed it.

All this to say: When you're doing something for the Lord you know he's called you to do, do it to the best of your ability & have faith God will use it. When we feel we're at our worst is when God is usually at His best. You never know what impact you will have through simple obedience. Don't let your feelings of inadequacy discourage you but encourage you because when we're inadequate we have no choice but to surrender all to God.

Thank God daily it's all about Him & not about us!

Wedding Weekend

2008-05-27T11:57:00.000-05:00

Erin & I spent the weekend in Northwest Arkansas. We spent time in Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville, & Bella Vista. Randall, one of my childhood friends, finally took the plunge & got married this weekend. It was sort of a mini-vacation for us as we spent time together & with friends. The weekend started on Friday with the drive up & a stop at MarketPlace Grill in Ft. Smith. We made our way to Bentonville to our hotel before rehearsal & dinner that night. Our dinner was at Mary Maestri's in Springdale (sorry no website). It is a wonderful place to eat. All the pasta & sauces are homemade daily as well as the desserts. I had a Filet w/ Alfredo pasta & it was fabulous. The Filet was perfectly cooked & melted in my mouth like cotton candy. If you're ever in the area, try out this great restaurant.

Saturday was busy w/ shopping & eating! We had an afternoon open house at Randall & Julie's home & a BBQ party at Julie's parents that evening. On Sunday we splurged for breakfast & went to IHOP before attending church at GracePoint Church of Northwest Arkansas where our close friend Tim Logan serves as worship pastor. It was refreshing worship experience. We enjoy going to other churches when we're out of town & we enjoyed worshipping there & hope to go back again soon. Sunday evening was the wedding at Cooper Chapel in Bella Vista, which is a quaint little sanctuary in the woods. We're actually returning there in July as I will be conducting a wedding at the same place. The wedding was great & the reception was fun at the Springdale Country Club. (We haven't gotten a new digital camera since our other one died recently so there are no pics, which is disappointing b/c the legendary Frank Broyles attended & I was hoping for a photo w/ him).

Yesterday was our travel day, but not before some more good shopping & another good meal at Granite City at the new Promenade Mall. Thanks for treating us to lunch Tim & Leslie Logan! We then made the trip home, picked up the dog from the kennel, & now we're back home in Mineral Springs. It was a fun & exciting weekend & it's always great to get away for a few days & share in one of the greatest days in Randall & Julie's lives.

TeamKID Finale

2008-05-22T11:54:00.001-05:00

Our Wednesday night ministry to children ended last night for the summer. We ended w/ the largest crowd yet: 31 children. We averaged 22 children each week for 19 weeks this semester. Of the 43 total children we ministerd to through this ministry, 7 had perfect attendence & 3 only missed one time. My team of leaders has done an awesome job & it wouldn't be possible w/o them. All of us have higher blood pressure, less hair, & less sanity. However, I believe we were honorable in the eyes of God.
Most of these children are from the neighborhood & surrounding community. Very few of them attend our church any other time. Most of them come from a different culture & environment than most people in our church. It's difficult to effectively relate & minister to those who are different than we are in whatever way. I commend our church & volunteers for putting their heart into feeding these children the truth of God's Word & the love of Jesus Christ.
On many nights we walk away wondering if we did any good at all, but we must remember God's word never returns void! I pray we will see many if not all these children in heaven one day maybe, just maybe, because of a seed that was planted through this ministry.

Happy Anniversary

2008-05-21T10:11:00.001-05:00

Erin's brother Brian & his wife Betsy celebrated their 1st Wedding Anniversary on Monday. Time goes by faster & faster every year. We hope you had a great anniversary & hopefully the year-old wedding cake wasn't too bad! Marriage to a Christian partner is one of the greatest blessings on earth.
I remember our 1st anniversary, it was special but not all that exciting. We went out to eat, to a movie, & to Pottery Barn to buy a sofa table as our "gift" to each other (I got the short end of the stick on that one). Oh yea, not to mention Erin getting sick twice that night, once in an Exxon parking lot & the other at the Arkansas Travel Bureau! We still managed to eat our wedding topper that night & every night for the rest of the week only to throw a bunch of it away.

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-12T11:28:00.000-05:00

It's strange celebrating Mother's Day in our own house for the 1st time. As an expectant mother, Mother's Day took on a whole new meaning for Erin & I this year. Her parents were in town to celebrate & my family was together (although my mom got sick & couldn't make it). We took pictures but I don't have any to post because our digital camera decided to die yesterday as we were taking pictures. I guess we will be getting a nice, new camera sooner than expected.

Moms are a unique & special part of our lives. Erin & I are blessed with great Christian mothers (& fathers too). I hope everyone remembered to honor their mother yesterday in some way. If not, find a way to make up for it today & don't always wait until Mother's Day to honor your mother.

Moms, we love you & Erin I couldn't be more proud of you as a mother even though Cade won't arrive until September!

And he will be called...

2008-05-09T11:03:00.000-05:00

Cade Christopher Wright

After Erin sorted through a book of 10,001+ Baby Names, we have come to this decision. Well, half the book became void when we found out it was a boy. I don't know about Erin, but for me naming your child is a scarry thing b/c they are stuck w/ it for the rest of their life.

boy or girl?

2008-04-30T18:42:00.000-05:00

the verdict is in...boy!

The doctor confirmed numerous times on the sonogram there will soon be a new chick magnet roaming the earth come September. (Sorry no pictures)

We are blessed by God that he is healthy w/ no known problems or abnormalities (other than being genetically linked to me)!

Taking Initiative

2008-04-28T12:51:00.000-05:00

As a pastor, when someone in the church takes initiative on their own to perform a ministry task it brings great joy to the soul. As a leader the key is getting people to do ministry on their own. In a smaller church if something is to be done it usually falls to me to do it. Last night, however, following our evening worship service, a gentleman in our church was overly joyed at the new series we're doing in the P.M Service he informed me he was going to personally write letters to most everyone in the church who wasn't in attendance & encourage them to make a commitment to come next Sunday night because of the expected blessing they would receive.

It brings great joy & satisfaction as a leader to see others taking initiative. If only this was a regular occurrence instead of a rare phenomenon among Christians the church would have a greater probability of making a more profound impact for Christ in the community. Find ways to take initiative in the ministry of the gospel so we can make the greatest impact for the kingdom of God!

Thunderstorm

2008-04-24T14:06:00.000-05:00

It's noon & I'm sitting in my office trying to finish my Sunday morning sermon. The chimes began to play like they do everyday at 8, 10, 12, 2, 4, & 6. It has rained off & on w/ various claps of thunder here & there. For some reason the thunder increased to the point where you could barely hear the chimes (which is near impossible considering how loud they are & how close they are to my office). Before the song ended a torrential rain had started & the thunder greatly increased.
Despite the thunder you could still hear the song playing above it: "The Old Rugged Cross." What a joy it is to hear that song amidst the thunder & gloomy weather we have today. I'm reminded that nothing speaks louder than God's love for us through Jesus Christ on the cross. Sometimes we need reminders of just how powerful the message of the Cross really is.
Everyday God attempts to speak to us in numerous ways, but more often than not we miss it. Open your eyes & ears today so maybe you won't miss a message from God.

Our Dog: Molly

2008-04-21T11:09:00.000-05:00

With the new baby coming in September we have wondered how the current baby (the dog) will respond in taking 2nd place to the child. We expect major shock due to the immense love, affection, & attention Molly currently receives. I was putting the pics of Erin on here the other day & transferred some pics of the dog to my computer. I thought I would share a few of them.

Welcome Home! We got Molly 2 years ago this weekend.

Sunbathing in the backyard at Erin's parents.

Naptime in Erin's lap w/ her new friend given by my parents.

Relaxing after helping w/ the laundry.

"Most Comical Award" at 'Pooches on Parade' in Dierks where Erin teaches.

Dressed up for Christmas. (compliments of Erin)

Enjoying a snack from the new bag of dog food.

Molly's 2nd birthday on March 14th.

Inhaling the cake resulted in the 1st bite being all icing. (No, she doesn't have rabies)

From puppy to princess (at least that's what the dog thinks).

This was practice so when our child is born we can post pics regularly. For some reason the dog has really become attached to me recently since Erin got pregnant. This is not good news because I've tried to keep the dog from liking me at times.

The Belly is Growing

2008-04-16T16:07:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple of pics of Erin's belly. It may be hard to tell too much but we have noticed growth recently. We find out the baby's sex 2 weeks from today (April 30th)! Several have asked us if we had pictures so we took a couple yesterday. We'll try to be better at taking pictures more regularly.

It's hard to see much in this one, she's at the stage where people do a double take at her belly & some are brave enough to ask if she's pregnant!

You can see the belly a little better in this picture.

Here is what takes place a lot in our house lately (snacking) & our dog Molly assumes her favorite position in the kitchen hoping something falls to the floor. Pregnancy makes for some memorable moments: the other day Erin was complaining about needing a snack before fixing lunch & I asked what the big deal was & she said "I only had 1 breakfast today." On a normal day when she teaches school she eats before she leaves & then breakfast again later at school.

I enjoy all the eating because now I don't get griped at for eating all the time, now it's just considered sympathy eating!

Shout to the Lord

2008-04-10T23:08:00.000-05:00

Props to American Idol tonight! The opening song by the contestants tonight was "Shout to the Lord." It was a beautiful song & I was SHOCKED they would chose such a song for this secular show. I am thankful the message of Jesus got out whether they really meant it to or not. Our God is big enough to get his message out in the most unexpected ways!

I remember when Mandesa was on the show & sang Christian songs, she was consistently criticized no matter how good she sang. The only disappointment from the show tonight was the unexepcted exit of Michael Johns, who I thought was better than a couple of the other contestants.

Dedicated Volunteers

2008-04-09T13:39:00.000-05:00

Being a smaller church we have fewer people who are actively involved so when one or two are missing we notice it. One of my biggest supporters & a true servant deacon helps in too many ways to name, but one of the key areas is our Wednesday night discipleship for children (TeamKID). He drives the van both ways, teaches the older group Bible study, sets up the room, etc. He is always busy working for the church & honestly I'm not sure how well some things would go without him.

I love his heart & the heart of so many servants in our church, but last night was a key example. I got a call last night just before bed from one of his family members to inform me he was in the hospital because he had accidentally cut his thumb off while working in the shop. He underwent surgery, but the doctor couldn't re-attach it. Thankfully it was above the 1st joint so he will still have some use of it, but still tragic & devestating news.

They meant to call me earlier but the chaos caused them to forget. They called me to inform me of the situation, but more so because Jimmy kept going on & on worrying about his TeamKID responsibilities for Wednesday. His daughter said that is all he kept worrying about, so they promised to call me & of course we can cover it.

Wow! I was totally amazed at his heart & dedication to his service for the Lord. Sometimes we don't realize how special people are & what they mean to us & to God's church. Always express genuine gratitude regularly to all those who help you in any way, whether it be ministry or other. Praise the Lord for people who truly surrender their lives completely to God's service as volunteers. Have a great day & say a pray for Jimmy!

Marriage Retreat

2008-03-30T18:23:00.000-05:00

Erin & I had the privilege to attend a marriage retreat in Little Rock this weekend. It was truly a blessing for our marriage relationship but also for a chance to get away & spend time together away from the everyday environment. We had a chance to go start a baby registry (baby's r us) & look for baby furniture. The reality of parenthood is looming closer & closer!

We also had a chance to see some of our close friends (Petty's, Carozza's, Donnell's). We always enjoy seeing them & are jealous they all live in the same neighborhood. Every time we come to Little Rock we try to get together with them even though they hardly ever return the favor when they come to Mineral Springs! (I wonder why?)

Good Friday

2008-03-21T12:23:00.000-05:00

"For God so loved the world he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

Take time today to reflect upon what really happened when Jesus Christ died on the cross for you. May God bless you in a special way this weekend & be sure to attend church on Sunday to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ!

Baby's Heartbeat

2008-03-18T12:01:00.000-05:00

Erin' doctor appointment went well yesterday afternoon. We heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time. The doctor said she & the baby were both doing well, everything looked good & sounded good. We won't find out what gender our baby is until early May. Erin & the grandmothers can't wait because they all want to go & buy stuff & they have had to wait until we know whether it's a girl or a boy.

Erin was also excited yesterday about the fact she has only gained 3 pounds as she begins the 2nd Trimester. She didn't gain any more than she was supposed to. (I know it's dangerous speaking publically about your wife's weight-gain, but she was thrilled w/ 3 pounds b/c she said she feels like she has gained a whole lot more). I encouraged her & told her just to wait because the pounds will start piling on before it's all over with!

According to Erin's research & reading our baby has developed fingerprints, footprints, & the ability to suck it's thumb if it so chooses. The size is somewhere in the range of a small lemon. Supposedly the body is starting to catch up with the head, which is good. We couldn't be more happy to share this experience of having a child together. God is a God of miracles & they happen everyday, let's just hope we can see them & enjoy them!

"One of the best birthdays"

2008-03-15T13:49:00.000-05:00

Our church had the privilege to participate in a Community Bible Project. We planned & organized this event to distribute a bible, a gospel tract, & information about our church to every home in Mineral Springs. The weather today is gorgeous & about 35 of our people showed up this morning to cover the town. In about 2 hours times we distributed over 400 Bibles!

I am so proud of our people & their energy. We had everyone from Kindergarten to to a 91 year-old woman! People for the most part were so responsive & appreciative. One lady was so grateful because she didn't even own a Bible & others were grateful we care about them. We also made contact with some young adult prospects in our community, so it was a great day for our church. We pray the impact goes far beyond today.

The greatest blessing of the day for me was from a lady named Charlene in our church. Today was her 91st birthday & was estatic to be a part of such a good day. She told her daughter during lunch she couldn't think of any better way to spend her birthday. She said it was one of her best birthdays! Praise the Lord for Christians who love spreading God's love

Jesus said "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few." Our church people went out today in attempt to reach that harvest, & even though we need more workers I know of a few more in our church who have realized the importance of working for the Lord. I'm extremely proud of our people & pray God uses these Bibles to change lives in Mineral Springs.

Yesterday's Funeral

2008-03-05T13:46:00.000-06:00

We laid to rest a 98 year old woman who was a devout Christian lady who lived a good life. She raised 5 children most of their lives when she became a widom & set the standard for moms everywhere. These funerals are as easy as they get as far as emotions (though I've never officiated or attended an "easy funeral") because she was prepared to die. I am thankful for such a privilege to be the one responsible for the services of saying goodbye & remembering someone's life.

I was reminded yesterday again of how fragile life really is. Lillian lived 98 great years, which seems like a long time for human life on earth. But in reality those 98 years are only a speck of time in scope of the eternity we look forward too after life on earth. May we never forget to treasure each moment & each day as a gift from God & to live in such a way so we are prepared for life after death.

Bassmaster Classic Champion

2008-02-26T10:25:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Alton Jones on winning the 2008 Bassmaster Classic on Sunday!

Alton is a tremendous Christian witness in his circle of life. A true example of God using us where we are to make a difference for Him. I had the privilege of meeting Alton & spending some time with him a while back when he asked me to come speak to a group of Christian anglers who meet regularly at each tournament. Jimmy Mize, who is part of our church & a good friend, fishes with Alton on the Bassmaster Elite Series. Jimmy put us in touch & I have been so impressed with Alton's heart & witness.

He is constantly giving praise to God & his Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. He is highly respected on the tour & I am praising God for giving Alton this amazing platform for Jesus during his reign as current Champion. He will have an opportunity to spread his witness further than ever before. We had already scheduled Alton to speak at our Wild Game Dinner next year & this will make it even better.

Pray for Alton as he shares Christ in his profession. Don't ever forget how awesome our God really is & how He can use anything for His glory. Check out the Bassmaster website & read his blog entry on the right side: http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/tournaments/elite/index

The Miracle of Life

2008-02-19T20:36:00.000-06:00

Erin had her 1st appointment today w/ the doctor who will deliver our baby. Mom & baby are both healthy & great. Some of the best news is there's only 1 baby in there! We would have been overwhelmed if there was more than 1. We got to see an amazing live sonogram seeing our child move around, waving little arms & all. It's truly an eye-opening experience & somewhat makes us feel overwhelmed.

Lil' Peanut is about 1 1/2 inches long from head to toe. Erin says I need a better name for the child, but "he" or "she" is not yet appropriate & referring to the baby as "the it" doesn't quite seem right either. I guess we'll just have to say "the baby."

We have two pictures from the sonogram & we'll have to try & see if we can get them on the computer in a clear enough way for all to see. The projected due date is September 15-17. Thanks for your prayers & encouragement. We will be treasuring all parenting advice as time progresses.

My Valentine

2008-02-15T11:12:00.000-06:00

I have to publically say to my biggest supporter, best friend, & wife Erin that "I Love You." Valentine's Day is special because I get to share it with one of the greatest birthday gifts I could ever ask for each year (Yes I'm a little cupid baby).

Being able to cook her dinner last night at home because she was sick & serve her on my birthday is honestly the best gift I could ever ask for. When life gets tough she's there with a level head & tender heart. When opportunities to celebrate come along there's no one more fun to celebrate with than her.

I found one of the simplest & best valentine's cards for her this year. The outside simply said "My Wife." The inside said this: "If I had to choose all over again, I'd choose you." It summed up how I feel. She's not perfect, nobody is, but she's just what I need & God knew that when He gave her to me.

Thanks wife for being so great & I hope I express this to her all the time, not only on the 1 day a year us guys are forced to.

500 Bibles

2008-02-12T16:07:00.001-06:00

They arrived yesterday. Our church is attempting to reach out to every family in Mineral Springs. After going to Brazil in October & seeing the continued impact of simply giving out free Bibles, I've wondered why we can't do it here at home. Well, we are. Our people were so touched to hear the stories of what God is doing in Brazil I wanted to get them excited about what God can do right here in our town.

We got information from the city as to how many homes were present in Mineral Springs & we ordered enough Bibles to distribute one to every home. We will also give them information about our church as well as gospel tracts. Our goal is to let our community know we care about everyone & want to help meet the most basic need of life: a living relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Hopefully some of our people will have a chance to share the gospel through this event.

The benefits will be multiple. For one, our people will receive the true joy of giving & seeing it directly impact another person's life & family. It will also get our people outside the church & into the community around us so we can see what life is really like outside our church. Another great benefit is each househould will have access to the word of God. I believe the word of God is so powerful it can change lives on its own. Many of these people may never read it or maybe not soon. But hopefully someone will have access to it. They may put it in a drawer & forget about it, but when a crisis comes or a spiritual need arises they hopefully will have a source of truth to turn to.

We want our community to know we love them & care about them, even if we are different in some ways. We want them to know our church is always open to reach out to & accept anyone who is willing to come. I am praying diligently God will use this in a mighty way not only in the lives of those in our community but in the lives of our church members.

Everyday I realize the power that lies in the word of God as I read it & study it. If you don't already, make reading & studying your Bible a daily priority & I promise you won't regret it.

Morning Sickness & Macaroni n' Cheese

2008-01-31T19:37:00.000-06:00

Erin is doing well considering there is a living organism growing inside of her. She is fatigued much more easily than before & getting up at 5:15 to go chase Pre-schoolers around all day doesn't help. She eventually gets better once the day gets going & then deals with uneasiness in the evenings. I have been on cooking duty more these days because it doesn't take much to make her feel uneasy. We are thankful everything is moving along well & her 1st Dr.'s appt. is on Feb. 19th so hopefully we can have a better idea of the due date (probably mid-September).

Her eating habits have changed (eating many more times each day for one) & she has recently wanted cheese more than once per day. Her favorite form of cheese is the traditional Kraft Mac n' Cheese from the box. I love it too so that works out well.

Hopefully as this pregnancy progresses there will be more exciting updates to come!