I know it's been going around so it's nothing new, but I have been down and out with sickness since Christmas Eve. It has been nothing short of boring but I have gotten some much needed rest and reading done as I had planned. Then yesterday, for my first day out of the house I decided to play 18 holes of golf...haha!! It's was fun, and quite funny.
Anywho, its New Years Eve and its that time of the when Shelly and I go over our previous year and plan for the year ahead. We have been keeping a goal setting journal over the past year so we will look over that, rejoice in the accomplishments and strive for more! This year has been a big life change for us so we are anticpating even greater things for the year to come. So far we have planned spiritually, physically, mentally, fiscally, and adentury, if i can create a word to keep the affect:) This year in particular though we have been fiscally focused. We are excited about our plan in being great stewards of God's money and being able to give, save, and invest in the next few years to come. I have found that when we have a plan, we have a focus that is not present when we just randomly live out the future. You have heard it before, "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail." The extra focus is needed to make things happen in a very busy and ecletic world. So tonight, we'll finish our journaling, pray, and seal it with a New Year's kiss and look forward to greater things for 2009!!

As we celebrate Christmas Eve and prepare to go to church tonight, I came across a quote, by Bill Hybels, that puts the meaning of Christmas is a good perspective for me.

"Romans 8:20-21 reveals to us that the entire creation is frustrated, BUT, that by God's power, everthing that is broken and frazzled and wrong will one day be redeemed. In fact, if there is one thing that God is focused on every moment of every day, it's the idea of restoration. He is working right this minute-even as you are reading this sentence-to call our sorry and broken world back to it's original beauty and purpose."

This is the true meaning of Christmas. God sent His son Jesus to redeem and restore the world. It is by far the best gift that anyone could have ever given and will ever give. And it's never too late to receive this gift. That is the great news. It reminds me of one of our core convictions, "it's never too late to become who you might have been". So...receive your gift this Christmas and pass on the good news!!

I am off for the next two weeks. Its a great holiday for me. Every once in a while it is of upmost importance to take a holiday to rejuvenate and get those neurotransmitters firing and optimal speed again. I am going to do some reading & journaling for this two week holiday. Going to through through Philippians and read Bill Hybels, Holy Discontent. Pastor Mark recommended it to me, said it was a must read.
Today i am hanging with Shelly at her office. We are decorating, cleaning, and hanging a few photos. She got a new office in DC due to her job transition. Well, need to get back to cleaning and hanging pics. Enjoy this Monday, and take a few breaths.....it's time for a holiday!! I will post some thoughts from my readings over the break.

For all you control freaks out there!

The Live Nativity was so much fun.  It was amazing to see so many families come out to enjoy the festivities.  From the petting zoo, to the manger, to the choir, to the cookies, the night was an entire blast.  Shelly and I found ourselves jumping in as Joseph and Mary for the last hour...and NO that is not our baby, nor is it real.  Baby jesus was not live for the last hour:)

I am finding myself busy with "stuff" this Christmas season. I am not sure what is different, I just am.  I can tell ya, I don't like it.  I once heard an acronym for busy stated like this "Bound Under Satan's Yoke.  Who wants to do that?  So there is a good busy and a bad busy.  The good one produces much fruit and always involves people.  Bad busy doesn't result in productivity and rarely does it include people.  So...stop being so busy this Christmas season and just enjoy God's gift to you.  But, if you have to be busy, be good busy.

Llamas…and…donkeys…and wise men…Oh my!  Bring your family and friends to Lincoln Park on December the 13th from 4pm-7pm to experience the holidays through a walk back in time to the nativity scene of the 1st Century.  View live animals, a manger scene, and a beautiful choir while you enjoy some hot chocolate and Christmas cookies at this wonderful holiday event.  This FREE event will be sponsored by National Community Church and Ebenezers Coffeehouse, so mark your calendars and enjoy this night on the scene as we celebrate this Christmas Season!
  

My family ad I are here at Reading, PA Hospital.  My aunt had emergency brain surgery due to bleeding in her brain.  This came out of no where and thus came as a great surprise, or rather, shock.  If I am honest, one of the hardest things to do is wait and trust without being able to change any of the circumstances in my own strength.  Especially when it comes to a live or death situation of a member of your family.  However, even though it is the hardest, it produces greater faith and trust in the One who is in control.  It reminds me of the "no pain, no gain" method.  It also reminds of the scripture that reassures us that God will not give us more than we can bear.  So, God takes you on this intimate journey of waiting and trusting in Him.  Walking with you each step of the wait.  If you find yourself in a waiting period today, here are a few scriptures to bring you encouragement.  Do not be discouraged, but wait for the Lord.

We came up this ingenious idea at our staff retreat to create an amazing Christmas Catalog.  After all, its that time of the year and you probably do not have enough in your mailbox, right? Lol.. This catalog brings a bit more purpose into you holiday shopping. Check it out.  We branded a catalog to go along with our A18 series mission this year.  You can pick an item in the catalog to buy for one of the 10 countries we will be visiting this year.  You can choose anything from a brick to help build an orphanage, to a hut, to a van for a missionary.  We are so excited about this and hope you will be too.  Take advantage of this opportunity to give in a big way this season.  Maybe you can gather the family and see which item you can choose to make a difference this Christmas.  Give the gift that will keep on giving.  Check out the online marketplace.

This sunday we will show a documentary that we made from our missions trip to Thailand.  We will also have authentic good for sale from the women of the Well in Thailand.  All proceeds will goes towards rescuing women from the Sex Trade Industry.  We will be showing the movie at 1:15, 2:00, 2:45, 3:30, & 4:15 @ Ebenezers Coffeehouse. Come check it out to see how you can help make a difference.

Shelly and I had the opportunity yesterday to sit in on Saddleback's Global Health Forum at the Newseum here in D.C.  President Bush and Rick Warren discussed our progress on the initiative to fight against HIV/Aids.  Rick Warren described how there are more churches in any given area (specifically Africa, which was the topic of conversation) than there are hospitals or clinics.  Therefore, the churches, which are the hope of the world, should be the distribution centers for health across the nation.  This is ingenious! Then President Bush gave an update on the initiative and its measured progress.  So far, in a span of almost 5 years, over 2 million people have received a preventative drug.  Much work is being done with much work to be accomplished.  The forum concluded with Rick Warren awarding President Bush with a medal for his services towards this initiative.  Obama, Bono, Tony Blair, and many other world leaders paid their respects via video.  What an awesome time to be apart of the church.  This reinstates Jesus' plan that the local church is indeed the hope of the world.  How exciting!! Let's keep playing offense and take this cause by the reigns. For more info on how you can support this initiative check out the PEACE PLAN

Shelly and I got to travel this week to visit our family.  We had some much needed downtime and quality time. It was a gift!!  I love my family.  I consider myself blessed with extra family in my life in different places.  God has been good to us.  Today, we head back to DC as we kick off our Christmas Theme, The Gift.  I always look forward to this time off year.  It provides great opportunity to influence.  Let's celebrate "the Gift" this season together as we bring back the "real reason for the season":)  

I am really enjoying spending some downtime with my family.  When I was younger, I cannot say that I understood the importance of family.  Now however, I love spending quality time with and investing in our family.  This is how i see it, you only get one shot, so make it count.  Your legacy is left through your family.  So yeah, I am thankful for family, and the many family members that God has blessed me with! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!! Now, get off the computer and enjoy this time with your family and friends:) 

I popped in the Christmas playlist this morning as I was getting ready for the day.  Love the christmas season.  It reverberates all kinds of things from family, to peace, to giving, to warmth, to loneliness, depression, and anger.  But overall, what a great season to influence people by giving.  Read carefully, I do not mean the giving that puts people into debt for the year and adds to the number of materials things in your home.  I mean the giving that changes things.  Like serving at a homeless shelter for a holiday meal.  Or sending that letter to a relative you have not heard from in a while.  Perhaps, its getting the family together to sponsor a child overseas this year rather than accumulating more gifts at home.  It's the power of giving that changes a life.  Think about how your life was changed.  Somewhere along the line, someone gave something and you are reaping the benefits.  There is nothing more powerful than the ultimate gift, the one that has the power to change all of our lives....God so loved the world that He GAVE His one and only Son...for you and for me!  So be encouraged, wherever life finds you this Christmas, whether happy or sad, know that you have the power change someone's life by giving.  

Its that time now, when all the Alpha locations get together for a weekend of experiences.  Shelly and I have so much enjoyed leading our Alpha group and connecting with new friends.  It has been such a blessing to our lives.  God has shown himself real in so many different ways.  It is awesome to watch Him orchestrate lives.  Can't wait to see what He does this weekend. 

We had such a great time at our Staff Planning Retreat.  Crazy busy with meeting after meeting but very fun and beneficial.  So great to remove yourself from the norm and dream big for the future.  We are believing greater things for 2009.  On the list for 09 is a fifth location, another coffeehouse, and a dream center.  We have definitely agreed that in our own strength all things are impossible. However, in His strength, all things are possible.  I am so honored, excited, and humbled to be a part of a team and under such great leadership that takes the time to invest, plan, tweak, and play.  This was such a great experience and a must for any organization.  Can't wait to see how God orders our steps for 09.  To be continued.......

This Monday and Tuesday is our staff planning retreat.  Our entire staff packs into vehicles and head to the Inner Harbor for a two day fun filled planning event.  We play hard and we work hard. We will be joined this year by a branding consultant who is helping us rebrand NCC.  As we are growing, we are changing and becoming more complex so its good to have someone come in and help us keep it simple so we can be more effective.  Can't wait, should be a great time.

Hebrews 4:14-16
14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. (bold & italics added)

This passage has been on my radar the past few weeks. What an encouragement to the body of Christ and to the world. Whatever life brings you today...know this truth.....Jesus understands where you are today, for He is no stranger to the same testings we face each and every day. What's more, He overcame and yet did not sin. So, in your time of need, (which is never ending), find yourself at the feet of Christ where we find grace to help us when we need it most! Amen.

Come check out Josh Moore & To Write Love on Her Arms in Concert @ Ebz on Nov 14th 730pm

Has a great weekend. Services were awesome. Catacombs and Baptism was great as well. Time to re-energize and get focused for the coming week. I will post some pics from the weekend after i upload them.

God has given Shelly and I a dream in our hearts that we can't wait to see come to pass. I had a random thought the other day that brought excitement to my heart. I realized that the dream that God put in mine and Shelly's heart could be the vessel to bring dreams to reality to people from all over the world. What an awesome opportunity. Let me share a little but about what I am talking about.
Well, this year we are looking to launch D.C.'s first Dream Center, a faith based center that will provide housing, education, counseling, food, health clinics, and more to the people in need in and around our community. We are just thrilled with excitement to have the opportunity to make such an impact on our community and kinda pick up the ball where the church has dropped it over the years. We are at the below ground level at this point. Would you pray that God would lead towards and provide for us a building here in DC? Pray that God would begin to put the pieces together and give us favor in the city. Pray that God would bring the finances and the people. Pray that this would be the beginning of a movement that would create a ripple effect across the nations as we go the extra mile to love our neighbors and provide for those in need.

Now that the elections are over and we have a new President Elect, what now?  What is your response to the election, especially if the one you voted for is not the President Elect? I want to encourage you that there is no authority except that which God has established, so it is good for us to submit to the authorities in place.  So it is right then to honor God by submitting to authorities and praying for those in authority even if you may or may not agree with them.  That may be hard to swallow for some but it is honorable and pleasing to God.  

This weekend Pastor Mark discussed the Political Elephant. It is definitely worth checking out! Go to our webcast to view. What a great message to kick off this election week!!

Gearing up for the weekend services. Pastor Mark will be sharing via video on the Political Elephant. Timing is everything right:) Be sure to check it out on the web next week. The important subject falls on the idea of "what do we do now?" What will our response be to the new President? The Bible speaks very clearly of our responsibility to pray for and honor those in authority over us. On the contrary, the Bible speaks nothing of slandering, mocking, or gossiping about those in government and/or authority. So, what will your response be after Nov. 4th? Especially if the New President is NOT the one you voted for?

The day has come. Hallowfest is today!! We are all set and ready to go. We'll set up here sometime after lunch. Should be a great time. We have awesome games, a costume picutre studio, hot chocolate and of course lots of candy. I will be running around today finalizing details. Cant wait. Tried to get Steven Cuurtis tickets for tonight but they sold out. Tried to get Coldplay tickets for tonight but they are way too expensive. Anywho, enjoy your Hallowday. Tune in this weekend as we prepare for the Political Elephant!!

In Sept. we took the Myers Briggs Test as a staff. We just went over the results today. It was a lot of fun and very interesting to understand what makes us tick and why we do what we do. The results come out as letters than define a meaning. Turn out I am a P.E.R.F.E.C.T. Ha! Just kidding. It was a great time connecting with our team and getting to know each other a bit more and appreciating our commonalities and differences. If you have not taken the Myers Briggs before I would encourage you to. It can help bring some clarity in your life and you wind up getting to know yourself a little better as well:)

Busy week this week.  Counting down for our Halloween Outreach for Friday.  Should be a great time.  Also doing worship at ALPHA tonight.  

We have been studying the Word together here at NCC and fixing our attention on memorizing more scripture.  Our focus this week has been on John 15:9-17.  In this passage John talks about loving each other and being careful to remain in His love.  I couldn't hep but notice that the word "love" is written 9 times within three verses.  I have learned over the years that the best way of learning is through repetition.  So as I kept reading the word "love" i finally came to a conclusion that the Lord wanted me (us) to learn something.  Then I remembered where i also read the word "love" in scripture.  "Love" the Lord Your God, "Love" your neighbor as yourself, perfect "love" casts out all fear, no greater "love" has anyone than this.... Now, I am confident that God wants us to learn something here.  Love is the first and the last.  Love is the answer.  Can you imagine what the world would be like if we truly "loved" each other.  Wow! I am ashamed to say that I have no idea what that may look like.  Think of all the heart ache and troubles, and division we have right now in this world from young and old alike.  From drug abuse, to suicide, to foreign relations, to politics etc.  If love abounded, i wonder if these things would fade away?  

This year we are planning 10 missions trips as part of our A1:8 initiative. Our team just returned from our first trip from Thailand. I talked with Joel, our missions director today and chatted about their experience. They teamed with Well Ministry to reach out to the women of Thailand in the sex trafficking industry. During the day they taught the women English and other trades to help them find jobs and release them from the industry. At night, the team would go out to the bars and chat with the girls about the Hope that is found in Jesus. What an amazing opportunity. So awesome to be apart of reaching beyond our 4 walls/locations as a church and influencing the people of Thailand. I have added a few pics of the team. To see a short documentary on the Thailand trip and view other trips we are taking this year check out www.aoneeight.org.

Process- a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end.

This word puts a bad taste in most peoples mouth, including mine! However, it is the one thing that makes the difference in our lives. It separates the amateurs from the veterans. All throughout scripture we see life stories with huge "process journey's" in the middle. It is very easy to read the Word with a narrative mindset and forget about the reality of the text. We read the immediate response or ending, without the realization of the very process of each person. For instance, Moses was a great leader with awesome accomplishments. However, he also was a leader that was not a stranger to the process. His waiting time in the desert would have caused most of us to look for another vocation or even religion if i can say that. How about Joseph? He was a leader that God rasied up through the oddest of processes. Imagine....God's explains to Joseph what a great plan he has for his life and it entails family betrayl, emprinsonment, false accusations, and much emotional pain. Jospehs process, to the common eye was devestating. However, this process was necessary in order to acheive his particular ending which was an amazing story of God's faithfulness and restoration.
So today...embrace the process in your life. If you are like me, sometimes the process can become frustrating. The days can turn monotnous and in the tough times it can seem easier to look for a way out. Let me encourage you today. "Be confident of this, He who has begun a good work in you will carry it out into completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Phil 1:6

Decided to take the day off today. Had a great, and very busy weekend.  Going to a Theaterchurch Conference this week.  There, we'll scope out new innovated ways of using technology in the theater and all other practical ways we can do better at what we do.  Should be good times.

As we continue the Elephant in the Church series, Pastor Mark will be speaking about the Evolving Elephant this Saturday.  We are also finalizing HallowFest, our Halloween Outreach for this year. Should be a great time to bless our community. We are going to set up the Fest outside on Ebenezer's Patio  with lots of games, candy, hot chocolate, and even a picture studio to capture all the great costumes.  It's such a blessing to be a blessing.  

Thought I would post a few pics from the weekend.  From church to anniversary bash...It was such a great time.

Planning our Halloween Outreach here at Ebz.  Love having opportunities to bless our community with no strings attached.  We are going to have some games, hot chocolate, candy, picture booths and more.  Getting excited as we finalize details.

Came across a great Michelangelo quote today that gripped my attention. Thought I would put it across your radar today. After Michelangelo died, someone found a note which he had written to his apprentice. Here is what it read, "Draw, Antonio, draw, and do not waste time."
This quote challenges me to keep keepin on. Our life is but a vapor. Life doesn't change when you stand still. So whatever you do today do it with all your might. Whatever goals you have made or dreams you have, do something about it today! Because time slips away. Days pass. Years go by. And time comes to an end. So rise up and do it! Do not be discouraged, for He will be with you!!

Awesome services this weekend. Kicked-off the Elephant in the Church Series. Loved the huge Balloons. Added great a great branding effect for the services. We'll add yet another cool element to next week services. it surprise for now:) Gearing up for next week service today and tomorrow since we'll be out to Catalyst for this remainder of this week. So looking forward to going with the whole team. Shelly is coming too. She is very excited.

I am spurred on by the leadership motto "serving is leading". What a contrast to the "CEO" world of leadership. AS God is stretching me and i am growing, i really want to portray this operation of leadership. Serving others is the key to leading people. What a great quality to learn. God make us servants!

Gearing up for the Elephant in the Church Series. So excited about this series. We'll be talking about "hot topics" that everyone thinks about yet no one likes to discuss. We're playing offense with his one! Real excited about the 7ft Balloon we ordered to advertise for the series. It's going to look real nice hanging from the top of the capitol building. haha. Joking of course. Also brainstorming today about a Halloween outreach. Just thinking of ways again that we could play offense and use this time of tricker treat to bless our community. So glad we have such an awesome location where we can get creative and do things to bless people. Love it! Heading to GW Hospital later on to do a visit and then hopefully heading home to beat the traffic! This morning was crazy traffic!!

Thought for the Day: What are your goals for this next year? Its always good to be on the offense and make some goals to strive for. I have learned that it keeps me very purpose driven and moving forward. Shelly and I will do a marriage goal covenant this month on our anniversary for the next year. We want to continually be growing not only individually but also in our marriage. I'll post some goals as we finalize them to give you some examples. Just a thought. Also check out Chase the Goose.com for some more examples f life setting goals.

Enjoying the day off today. Had an ortho appt today. They have locked my teeth together with rubber bands. What's the deal with that:) Got to see some good friends today. Just relaxing and enjoying what God is doing in our lives. Feel blessed today. A sense of destiny in fact!!

Had a great weekend. Finished up the Wild Goose Chase Series talking about the Cage of Fear. The message really hit home to a lot of people. Fear is such a CAPITAL Letter in most of our lives. It is such a great accomplishment when we learn to define our fears and face them. It is He that helps us overcome and turns those fears from CAPITAL to lower case.
Tonight is Alpha Group #2. Shelly and I are very excited about leading a group this semester. We will be leading the ASL group together this semester. I think it is the first one we have had at ALPHA. We are so excited!! Pray for us as we do our best to learn ASL. Shelly is a few steps ahead of me. She was able to take it in her undergrad. Together we are just thrilled at the opportunity to learn a new language and communicate the person of Jesus Christ. What a privilege!!
Catalyst is coming up as well. Oct 8-10 we will make the trek to Atlanta for the big conference. Always excited to go to ATL. This is the best conference that I have gone to. The travel and the money is definitely worth it! Can't wait.

Thought for the Day: Who ever said that our destiny in life is to arrive safely at death? If you find yourself bored with your current status in life or very unfulfilled, maybe its time you step out and do something out of the ordinary to glorify God. Maybe that is giving a big financial gift? Maybe its leading a small group or getting more involved in your church. Perhaps its connecting with a co-working and simply making new friends? Maybe its becoming a foster parent or going forward with the adoptions plans? What if it's quitting your job, selling your house, moving, and going after that Big God Dream in your heart? Who knows? Only you do. My suggestion= what are you waiting for? you have nothing to loose but everything to gain!!

Gearing up for our weekend services. Putting Popcorn boxes together for our visitors. So excited about this weekend. Pastor Mark will conclude the Wild Goose Chase Series and communicate about the Cage of Fear!! The Big "F" word that captures a huge number of folk. Discussing ways to balance out our services number wise. Its a great problem to have but we strongly dislike sending away people every Saturday night. However, we are so blessed to have the opportunity to provide multiple services in multiple locations. Great progressive problems. Bring it!! haha..if you have any ideas let us know.

Learning some key points of leadership as Shelly and I embrace a new environment and step out in our influence. Jesus ofcourse was the prime example to us for leadership. His life exuded leadership in the most perfect of ways. One major point of leadership is serving. One will automatically bring down walls of pride and unfamiliarity when the act of service is portrayed. Serving people earns respect and relational credit that promotes or births longevity. On the other hand, demanding respect out of a leadership "title" pretty much guarantees failure and ineffectiveness. Today I want to become a leader that portrays the image and/or person of Christ.

Questions for the Day: Who are you serving? How are you serving others? How can you do better to serve others?

We have spent the last couple days brainstorming for our new series Elephant in the Church. We had an all staff Big Idea meeting yesterday to increase the creative flow. It went awesome. We got some really good ideas on some sermon topics to bring up during the series. The Elephant in the Church series was designed to discuss the tough topics that arise in our world and the "church" world everyday yet we hesitate to discuss it. We are really excited about the series and have some great ideas about branding it and making it stick around the community. Don't be surprised if you see a live elephant grazing on the deck at Ebz. Ha!

Today though, I shall do my very best to have a nice relaxing day off. Tonight we gather at the Batterson's for a nice meal time and corn hole tourney i am sure. Enjoy the day.

Thought for the Day: "Without His assistance I cannot succeed. However, with His assistance I cannot fail!" -Abe Lincoln

What a great weekend we had here at NCC. Saturday night services were geat. Even got a surprise visit from my family from the Shore. That was a very cool surprise followed by some Mac. Grille which is never a disappointment. Sunday services were great too. Got to connect with a church planter from TX who is looking to plant in Denver real soon. So awesome to make those connections and hear what God is doing in the hearts of people across the nation. Last night we got some much needed down time and yes, yes, yes, the Eagles beat the Steelers!!! I watched more football last night than I have in years. It was great!! Also thanks to the wonderful visitors that came Sunday morning. It was so great to see you. We are truly blessed by you!!!

Shelly and I are hanging out at the PYM Youth Pastors Conference this weekend. Having a blast reconnecting with some great friends and meeting some new leaders as well. We got to hang down at the Inner Harbor today too. Much fun! We are so honored to be in a place to serve and invest in leaders. We head back tomorrow for services. So excited about the services this weekend. Pastor Mark will continue the Wild Goose Series and focus on the "Cage of Failure" this weekend. So stoked and ready for God to do some big things! I should get back to paying attention now. I'll add some pics of our weekend when we get back.

Working on getting some very cool promo products for our upcoming sermon series. Its fun thinking of creative ways to get the message out. I enjoyed my day off yesterday. I got revenge on sleep that was was overdue. I am meeting with a Church Planter today from TX to talk about all things "Church Planting". Should be cool to here whats happening down in TX. Shelly and I are heading to PYM Youth Pastor Conference this afternoon for a couple days. Will be great to reconnect with some old friends and make some new ones!! Also, we'll be gearing up for this weekends services. I am very excited about that!!

Thought for today: Traffic is Horrible!!

Checking out Demographics and brainstorming possible outreaches today. I love dreaming big and getting the creative juices flowing. One of the core values here at NCC is "everything is an experiment". So whatever we think of, we just do it and try it and see how it works. No pressure added! Its a great environment to work around. Pray for us today as we think of ways to connect with people.
We are going to see the Jim Henson exhibit today at the Smithsonian. Exciting!! Back to the puppet days. Wohoo!! Found out that the original Kermit the Frog was made out of Henson's mothers old rain coat. Ha! That is creativity in the making.

Has Alpha training at Ebs this morning.  So great to connect with volunteer leaders here at NCC.  Great synergy here. Love it.  Had a good connection lunch afterwards at Union.  Shelly and I are so excited about being here.  We are now gearing up for two services tonight then a connection cafe after where we will be able to meet some new visitors.  The ministry of the church is off the chain.  The local church is indeed the hope of the world.  

John 12:24-28

City is remembering today the events of Sept 11th.  Seven years ago today.  Seems like it was yesterday. I remember exactly where I was when it happened and what I was doing. Crazy!! 

Ha!! ok i just figured out how to respond to your comments personally.  I just make a comment myself under your comment.  So check back under the comment link so we can connect back and forth. Hahah!! I am a little slow at times but I will catch on:)

What an awesome day.  It was officially deemed Protege Day.  Today I was able to meet the other 6 Proteges, and the entire NCC staff.  We had a great time connecting with each other and sharing our stories about how we got to this point.  Man we get to hang with some great people.  I was so encouraged to hear their stories.  Today we got a tour of DC and the 4 locations along with a detailed history of National Community Church.  Such a cool story of what God has done.  You could tell there were some major sacrifices made to get to where they are.  Those stories are so encouraging and inspiring.  I felt very welcome today and totally excited about what God is doing in our lives.  We are expecting great things for this year.  We know with everything inside of us that we were created for such a time as this.  Pray for us as we get our feet wet and walk towards Jesus as He leads us through.  Thanks for all your prayers.  Come visit us on a Saturday night at Ebenezers for a service...5pm & 630.  We would love to see you!!

Played 36 holes of golf today to support FCA.  Someone has got to do it.  It did not help my soreness at all though.  Got a few articles on Convoy.  Thought I would share some links.  Thanks again for all your prayers towards us.  Keep the comments coming, love em.  Day 1 at NCC begins tomorrow.  Shelly and I are so excited!!! Sleep well, we shall resume tomorrow:)

What an amazing day it was.  We, along with 50 other churches and 1200 volunteers, had the wonderful privilege of blessing over 10,000+ people today at RFK Stadium through the Convoy of Hope.  Today, thousands of people received prayer, groceries, hair-cuts, make-overs, completed job resumes, jobs, family portraits, food, bikes, televisions, ect.  What an awesome experience it was to just bless people just because, no strings attached.  So many smiles and so many connections to Jesus.  We were the hands and feet of Jesus today.  We totally loved the Lord with all of our strength today. Now, we can barely walk without limping haha.  I am having a tough time describing today in words so here are a few pictures that helped capture the moment.  Thanks to everyone for all their prayers for us today!! We could feel God's presence so near today!!

We chatted with FEMA and Homeland Security this morning and they recommended that we postpone Convoy until tomorrow. Something about putting over 10,000 people in harms way of the storm or something.  Oh well, we know with full confidence that God has the perfect plan and timing for this outreach.  Maybe, just maybe tomorrow will meet the greatest need.  Amen. We are just waiting out the storm today.  I got to say, its very nice to have a day with nothing to do but read, relax, sleep, and eat.  I am liking it!!

Man it feels good to work hard and sweat it out for the Lord.  We have been setting up at RFK for the big Saturday event.  If you know me, you know that rarely do I enjoy dirt on my hands or eating food without washing my hands.  But not today baby..haha.  Laying it all out for souls.  Every chair and every table set up is a soul that can changed forever.  Every bead of sweat and every shirt ruined is a life that can be changed.  That is why we do this.  That is why we sacrifice.  Please continue to pray for us this Saturday.  Pray that we would get up to 1200 volunteers, some of you need to just come and quit praying:) Pray that the weather holds of until after Saturday!! Pray that a harvest of people show. We are expecting somewhere around 10,000 people.  Bring it on. Let the games begin.  Go Skins!! hahaha 

This morning I am reminded of the infamous action figure, "stretch arm-strong".  Remember that guy?  You could pull him and stretch his extremities as far as you would like and they would never break.  He was the man.  Anywho....that is what i feel like today.  God is stretching me and in the natural I feel like i could not possibly be stretched anymore.  However, as he is stretching me, all the mess that I picked up along the way and do not need is falling by the waist-side, praise God!  Stretching is a good thing!! Embrace it, cause when you return back to regular posture, you will be better than ever and ready for His purpose.  Be encouraged today.  

I am overwhelmed today with the sense of compassion that God has for His people. As we drove around yesterday in one of the uncomfortable parts of D.C., i couldn't help thinking the thought in my mind, "they know not what they do". It made me realize what a powerful responsibility we have as Christ"ians" to share the love and hope that is only found in Christ.  I was reminded of the despair and destruction that God brought me from which brought a sense of purpose and excitement that over-rid all sense of fear and uncomfortableness.  Every flyer and every poster handed out was accompanied with a fervent prayer to the Lord to save His people and bring them to a life saving knowledge of His Son Jesus Christ.  After the day was over, it also made me realize how comfortable i was in "my" Christianity.  Man did that make me feel like a loser.  

I have started my prelim week here at NCC.  This morning and into the afternoon we drove all through SE DC and handed out flyers for our Convoy of Hope outreach this Saturday.  Man what a great opportunity to serve the people of DC and just Bless them just because. I must say, i was a bit nervous the entire time:)  I am so excited about this weekend.  Please think about coming to volunteer and help promote the cause and serve the people of DC.  Check out the web page @ convoydc.org. All the info is on there.  Call me to if you have any questions or are interested in coming up.  Love you guys/ Pray for us as God continues to stretch us and mold and make us!! 

Thanks to all those who labored before us so we could not labor on this day! This is the day the Lord has made...REJOICE and be GLAD in it.  Enjoy yourself today. DO not take yourself so seriously today.  You deserve a day to relax.  Lets enjoy it together.  Be blessed.  Love you all.  Over and Out. We shall recon tomorrow as same time:)

We have arrived on the Western Shore.  The bridge was no problem heading west.  If you are heading east...go to florida instead, you'll get there quicker. Ha! 

We are packing the UHAUL as I type.  Its so long Eastern Shore.  Keep us in your prayers.  We are going to move in with Shelly's parents until we can raise some support for the future.  Pray for us as we venture out. And pray for no traffic!!!!! We'll keep you posted.

Well..its the last week before we move to DC and we still don't have a place as of now.  We are looking at 4 places today. Hopefully they will be good options. We trust God's leading and his lightning bolt that will strike the skies when we walk into the right place. HAHA! We have had lots of calls on our house for rent and two people are bidding on it right now for purchase.  So even though we are no further along, we trust God and His timing as He leads us to the perfect home for our family.  

We have packed our house up in Salisbury and are looking to move this week.  Man this is so stretching us.  We are packed up and ready to move but still have not secured a place to live. HA! This is awesome.  If you know Shelly and I, we are carnally not cool with this:) But we are learning to let go and lean on the Lord for His perfect provision.  God's timing is perfect. Its our last week and we have had more calls on selling our house than the whole past two months.  Very cool.  We have decided that God knows what he is doing and we will wait on Him.  So exciting.  In the midst of not knowing every detail and planning everything out ahead of time like we would prefer, this is an amazing journey with God. I would rather not know and chase the call than know and live in comfort and apathy.  I leave you with this quote from Craig Groeshcel, "The difference between where you are and where God wants you to be may be the painful decision you refuse to make."

I am in DC today looking at more places for rent.  I think we may have found one. It's perfect location, little small, but we can make it work.  I am overwhelmed with "D" words today.  Destiny, Danger, and Desperation.  Destiny because i am amazed at the grace of God and honor of living His dream for our lives.  Danger because I am aware of the unpredictability of the city surroundings and places of destination that we will partake this year.  However, I do not believe that God called us to live safe and comfortable lives that will hold us over until heaven.  Instead we should live dangerously, led by the Holy Spirits power.  Jesus faced grave danger, the disciples faced grave danger, followers of Christ will face danger in this journey...but Jesus says, "Be STRONG and COURAGEOUS, DO NOT BE DISMAYED, I HAVE ALREADY OVERCOME!! I want to sell out with everything and embrace whatever God has for us this year. Even if it requires a bit of danger, so be it.  And finally desperation because i am so aware of my frailty and weakness.  I am not able to accomplish this destiny in my own strength, power, talents, skills, or anything of my nature.  My only success and hope will be in the WORD of Christ and His life through me.  Be encouraged today.  God has a huge plan for your life and it begins NOW!!