OKC...OK We're in Love

As Nicole and I were driving home from our lifegroup last night we were planning out our wonderful adventures for today (our days off).  This spurred into a conversation about how much we love living in the city!  Here's a couple of pictures since we've been here at some pretty cool spots.  First is a sail-boat lake a couple minutes from our house, it has a restaurant on one point that houses a lighthouse and is also the home to the sail-boat docks.  We took hunter with us and he LOVED it!  Second is a picture from "Pops" a hole in the wall place that has over 1400 different kinds of soda from all over the world, it was a blast and we totally felt like kids!

Off-Road Adventures

A couple weeks ago Nicole and I took our first off road trip together!  She hated the first day but really warmed up to it on the second day.  This is my chance to be the guy macho man all guys need some avenue of expressing, and at one point this took over sensible logic.  Last run of the second day i took a line on a hill that 4 guys before me got stuck on and created some major ruts.  Knowing the impossible i still went for it and the result was me being stuck.  Nic is a very understanding wife, but she hasnt fully grasped the male ego trip and the results were as follows.....enjoy

Another Wed. Night

Man, another great Wednesday night at the South OKC campus.  One of the great things is I couldn't tell you how many students we had (it was packed and there was some awesome energy), or how many students committed their lives to Christ tonight (ill for sure find out in the morning) or even how many students decided tonight that they want to be an "activist" for God (the series we started tonight)!  I count these as great things because of this....

Tonight i closed the message out, before i closed i simply prayed that God would use the message and myself to speak to students.  As the video teaching closed out, i began to speak into a mic that a new sound guy couldnt figure out how to run, then tried a second mic with no luck to finally a third mic.  Being an excellence matters perfectionist kinda guy this really ticked me off and put a big kink in the flow of a crucial time in the night.  It also threw me off enough to know that i did far from my best ability,  as i began to invite students into a relationship with Jesus for the first time students were throwing their hands up left and right!!  Enough students for me to think in my head, how did you even get that???  Im still left saying it could have been a million times better, but i have to say God taught me a lesson i seem to continually need taught.  First, prayer works (duh!) and Second, God himself is in control!

Mission Trip 101

We just returned from my first mission trip with the students from lifechurch.tv and i was wiped out (i slept for a good 20 hours)!!!  Like tons of mission trips before, i was shocked at how much students love missions, how hard they work when they are given a task to do, and how much they care about other people.  There were a couple moments i'll highlight as learning experiences for me.  First, on the bus ride to our mission site I began to work on the names of the students we had going with us, there were two other campuses with students that i did not know so i had my work cut out for me.  About half way through our first charter bus i was doing great (who wouldn't be) when i got to a row of some core students from my campus.  For about 30 seconds i froze on our students names.  These are names I know, names I use every week and for some reason stupid hit me smack in the face.  During those 30 seconds, the first middle school girl was crushed, sunk low in her seat, face turned horrified, honestly thought she was going to break out into tears.  It was a horrible 30 seconds for me watching this!  Once I continued with her name her demeanor changed to the bright and bubbly person she always was.  Lesson One, students are fragile!  They need us!!!  (scary huh?)

 Second, I had volunteered to take on some 6th grade boys for the trip.  Once we got to our worksite we teamed up and began working on one of the larger projects, building a deck for the mobile home we were at.  These boys had never used a hammer, never been around a saw, nothing.  At the end of day one they had learned enough to raise the deck, and put the flooring on (in a beautiful pattern i might add).  They worked their little butts off and did it right, it was level, the cut-outs for the post wrapped around beautifully it truly was something they could take pride in, and they did.  After downloading with them that night, they were not exhausted, but driven to do more.  One of the 6th grade boys stepped up and asked to lead a team to begin work on the porch that we needed to do for the other side while one stayed with me to begin the railing and steps.  I agreed this would be a good plan, and so we went into day two.  I had  no clue this 6th grade boy wold carry his team to complete the second porch that day!  Lesson two, students want to dream big, and given the right tools and training can accomplish more than you and I ever think!