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Unique Moments Frozen in Eternity!

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010 by 4 Comments

Happy Tuesday!

I love that 2008 photo of my two kids, Coree and Heaven being hilarious as they ALWAYS are! lol

Life is a collection of unique moments!

Talk about unique moments! My wife Emily and my daughter Heaven both had their permanent eyeliner put on at Glow Salon! Heaven paid for hers with her own hard earned money, and covered half of Emily’s for her Mother’s Day gift. I went along for moral support… what an experience that was! Can anyone say OUCH? The lady seemed to know what she was doing, and she did a beautiful job. It’s just that my wife bruises terribly and she looks like an abused woman right now! And she has to work at Kohl’s today… so the whole community can assume I beat my wife! Dear God, thats all I need to add to my resume! lol

Here’s another photo I captured from my iphone during our 6 mile run yesterday (before the eyeliner shenanigans)! I feel like kicking the sign over really added great character to this shot! Lol, just kidding everyone… simmer down please! haha

As you can tell, I love capturing unique moments with my camera. Just think of what I could do, if I had a real camera and another life! lol

Each life lived, is a unique moment frozen in eternity!

WOW, that is a quotable statement!

Psalm 39:4-5 “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.”

Psalm 139:15-17 “You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!”

The Bible is a collection of unique spiritual moments captured in time… God’s perfect collection… His priceless moments from this age. I believe, that when time is swallowed up in eternity, and this temporary age is over, we will look back through the Bible for all of eternity… musing over the endless beauties contained in Gods unique collection!

We should read the Bible like we would view a legendary photographers collection of moments! When we do this, we can view the universe through His eyes and meditate on those things that are most important to Him… and that, to me, is beyond AMAZING!

Matthew 9:22 Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.

Matthew 17:18 Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy, and it left him. From that moment the boy was well.

Matthew 27:50-52 Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened.

Luke 22:61 At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.”

Luke 24:30-32 As they sat down to eat, he (Jesus) took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them (his disciples). Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared! They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?”

These are only a few of the greatest spiritual moments ever captured… there are hundreds more waiting to be viewed in the 66 epic books of the Holy Bible!

What a super blog this has become! Wow, it blows my mind… that every morning I wake with a BLANK mind… and as I write about WHATEVER, these wild thoughts rise and a new message from God flies into the earth through my finger tips!

Psalm 45:1 Beautiful words stir my heart. I will recite a lovely poem about the king, for my tongue is like the pen of a skillful poet.

To God be the glory… to the quest of capturing his priceless moments, there is NO END! Selah!

I hope todays blog inspires a new LOVE for the Word of God… what a blessing that would be to all who catch it! I just finished praying for you guys and gals… hoping you feel the difference all day long!

Dream Big, Live Bold, and Make the Difference!

Chuck

The Donate Link, Facebook, Twitter, Make me a Legend, Destiny Family Center, You Tube

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Up @ 2:00am, Talking With My Son About Life!

Thursday, April 8th, 2010 by 7 Comments

Happy Thursday!

Stayed up till 2am talking with my son about life! Talks like that can become a little stressful at times, but I still live for each talk! It’s amazing to think about what kind of difference it makes… to grow up in a home where mom and dad love each other, and they care about their kids more than anything else in all the world! Who can really estimate the power and effect of LOVE?

Sometimes, I wonder if I’ve done well enough teaching and modeling everything Coree and Heaven are going to need in order to SHINE for the rest of their lives. I see my bad qualities showing up in each of them. I wish I could go back in time and do a better job. But then I watch a little longer and they flash out their truest beliefs, and they manifest a shocking beauty of character… and then I realize how God takes our best in parenting and he graces our children with everything else they need!

Over the past few years… both of my kids have developed a very large social network. They seem to know as many people as I know. They’re always bringing new friends to the house. And I never want to come off nosey… but I’m always asking questions about their friends. Questions like, “Do they have a mom and dad… do they get along with their parents… do they have a real relationship with Jesus… what kind of dreams do they have about the future… are they happy with their lives?”

I would ask so much more, if it wouldn’t come off as creeperish! This is because I sincerely CARE about the young people of my world. Even though they come off as so overly confident… and some of them are way beyond intimidating… they each have a real HEART… and by they time most of them reach 18, their tender hearts are broken… and hardened by so many things. And this breaks my heart!

Malachi 4:5-6 “Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives. His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse.”

I want to have the greatest father’s heart! A heart that is fully turned to my children… and to all of the young people in my world… definitely, a heart that is fully turned to all of the kids that matter to my kids! I especially want to love the unloved ones… SO MUCH, that my LOVE really makes the difference for them!

It seems that kids naturally migrate in the direction where they are most loved! Even though relevance is important, nothing merges the generations more than love!

These are my humble thoughts for this beautiful day! As a result of this blog…

  • I hope more people are inspired to more fully love their children and grandchildren generations!
  • I hope more young people will more fully appreciate the loving efforts of their parent and grandparent generations!
  • I pray God will turn the hearts of our parents to their children, and the hearts of our children to their parents!

What a difference this can make in today’s world.

Here’s a song for the moment from Rod Stewart, Father & Son… the video is cheesy, but the message is POWERFUL!

Dream Big, Live Bold, and Make the Difference!

Chuck

The Donate Link, Facebook, Twitter, Make me a Legend, Destiny Family Center, You Tube

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Coree’s Midnight Adventure: The Heart is Everything!

Thursday, April 1st, 2010 by 7 Comments

Happy Thursday!

A fast announcement: If you’re close to DFC tomorrow, we’re having our annual Good Friday service from 12 noon to 1pm! You can go to the Destiny Family Center website for direction… see you here? I hope so!

Coree’s Midnight Adventure!

Last night, my son Coree had to work from 7-12… and he walked in the door a little late. As he’s walking by our bedroom door, Emily says, “Got off a little late huh?” (slightly sarcastic) He says, “I ran out of gas on the way home… and I walked the rest of the way.” Then he came into the room and told us the entire story… and I’m still laughing about it this morning!

I’ve told him a few times, to never let his car run out of gas… and so far, he never has. Actually, he parked it at a gas station and feels like there’s still enough fumes in the tank to get him to the gas pump.

Here’s what Coree had to tell us about the adventure!

“I didn’t want to call and wake you guys up, so I decided to walk. Well, since I work at Kohl’s and I’m still wearing my all black work cloths, people were driving by me like I was a dangerous creeper! It was pretty scary at times… and I didn’t want to get hit by a car, so I grabbed a reflector from somebody’s yard and made it visible every time I saw headlights! I can’t imagine what people were thinking… a 6’5 guy dressed in all black walking after midnight with a yard reflector! I called my friend Grace and talked to her for most of the journey… that way, people wouldn’t think I was all the way alone!”

I woke up this morning, saw the yard reflector lying on the kitchen table, and I remembered him telling us the story… it really gave me a good laugh!

The Heart is Everything!

I guess what I love the most about his midnight adventure, is that every detail is true! Coree always tells us the truth… one of the things I love so much about him! (It’s a very good thing, he didn’t try to call me… because my cell phone was dead! Wshhhewww!)

Psalm 15:1-3 “Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends.”

Just like any parent, there are a few things I would love to change about my kids, just like there are quite a few things I’d love to change about myself. Most of it has to do with their outward actions… and of course, there are still a few heart and character issues we’re all working though.

It’s not easy raising good children these days… and sometimes it seems like we’re failing. Then, sometimes when Emily and I look deep into their hearts, we’re shocked at how beautiful they are turning out… and then we realize how we’ve been a little bit too hard on them some days!

For the past 19 years, we’ve taught Coree and Heaven to value the condition of their heart above everything else! They seem to understand, “THE HEART IS EVERYTHING!”

  • We’ve taught them to love God sincerely and not merely as an outward ritual to impress mom and dad, church people, or anyone else.
  • We’ve taught them to value others… and to have deep compassion for the hurting people in our world, no matter how uncool that may come off to their friends.
  • We’ve taught them to walk that fine line between confidence and humility. To be bold about their futures, to dream huge dreams, and aim very high… while always knowing in their heart, that everything they ever become is the result of Gods love for them.
  • We’ve taught them to walk the fine line between the freedom (unapologetic creativity) and judgment (perfection of character & personality).
  • We’ve modeled transparency for them… and we’ve taught them to be themselves at all times… to always speak the truth, in love!

They haven’t perfected any of this YET, but we’re really starting to see so much of these values showing up in their lives as they are becoming adults! There should be no greater joy for a parent! To me, this is far more valuable than where they are going to college or how proud they will ever make us with their many accomplishments. If they come out of these foundational years with a genuine love for God, and a HEART of truth… they will be able to survive whatever lies ahead, without a need for our daily guidance!

The heart really is everything! I feel like God values TRUTH more than the humans of this era realize it. That God wants us to live before HIM, just as Emily and I have taught our kids to live in front of us. Open and transparent… absolutely honest with God and all people. And this is a very hard thing to do… in a merciless world. Yet, this is the path to KNOWING GOD on the highest level!

Psalm 15:1-3 “Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends.”

I hope todays blog inspires a new quest for truth in all of your lives. I pray that it softens every hardened place in our hearts. That it really helps us to locate areas of hypocrisy. That it creates a very strong desire for truth in the innermost regions of our heart! God bless you all… love you and praying for you…

Dream Big, Live Bold, and Make the Difference!

Chuck

The Donate Link, Facebook, Twitter, Make me a Legend, Destiny Family Center, You Tube

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Coree-izing Your Life!

Friday, July 17th, 2009 by 11 Comments

Happy Friday!

As this afternoon begins the weekend for most of you guys, it begins the ending of our very blessed vacation. I have the best mother and father in laws… our time here on Hatteras Island with them has been something to be cherished… as it is every year!

I’m very excited about getting back to home sweet home! Can’t wait to see my family and all my beautiful friends at Destiny Family Center… and bring them some of the victory I received these past two weeks.

Last night, we stopped into the arcade at the old Buxton Drive In and played the stacker machine a few more times… trying to win a Spider Man digital camera Coree wanted! His enthusiasm for this prize, at the age of 18… it was HILLARIOUS! Thanks to Elizabeth and her arcade mastery, Coree walked out of that place with a STRUT!

They were even singing songs about the spider man digital camera on the suburban ride back to the cottage… PASSIONATE SONGS! If last night had been karaoke night at the Froggy Dog, they would have taken their song to the masses!

The ENERGY from those few hours was something to LEARN FROM!

This is one of the mysteries of my son… his ability to turn a $19 digital camera into a mega TREASURE that EVERYONE ELSE DESIRES!

I’m telling you guys… we we’re swept into Coree’s EXCITEMENT… laughing hysterically… our creative forces were DANGEROUS! I was SO IN LOVE WITH HIS PRIZE that I almost decided to trade my IPHONE for his SPIDEY CAMERA!

Coree has a UNIQUE gift for turning every day moments into ONCE IN A LIFETIME memories! I’ve never seen anything like it! Every day is a vacation in Coree’s world!

COREE-IZING YOUR LIFE:

One of my goals for the next few months is to COREE-IZE my life! I’m going to try my hardest to see my world through his eyes. The goal is to take what’s COMMON and make it RARE! I want to make significant adjustments with my life, ministry, and schedule… adjustments that will give me the kind of life I don’t need to escape from.

Somehow I believe there is a way for all of us up the preciousness of our everyday lives! Then we wont be so DESPERATE for our vacations… and so depressed when they are almost over!

So, what do you say? Ready to COREE-IZE your life too? Hey, if you need some help… I’m sure Coree is willing to help for the right price! Maybe Coree should become a consultant! He could become a CREATIVITY GURU! Now, that’s an IDEA!

Ok… I better log off and pray over some of this before my family wakes up. Last vacation day… lots to do! Please leave your comments EVERYONE…

Let me leave you with a video of Coree and his friend Cole Moore on their suped up shopping carts! See what I mean!!

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What Kind of Change Am I Supposed to Bring?

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009 by 5 Comments

Happy Wednesday!

No waves yesterday… ocean was FLAT. Beautiful for swimmers and readers… so we went with it… and had another amazing day!

I pulled out our Waboba Extreme: the amazing ball the bounces on water! We had lots of fun… it really works! Every beach bum needs a Waboba Extreme!

It was all fun and games UNTIL some lady almost lost her EAR! Yup, Coree was throwing back to me from about forty yards… and since my last aggressive throw to him, some lady had INTRUDED in to my personal space… I mean there’s a big ocean out there, what was she thinking!

To tell it from Coree’s words, “I don’t know what happened dad… I turned and glanced your way… saw the lady and thought: oh no, I better wait for her to move… and somehow I lost command of my arm… it took over my body and bypassed my brain… my arm did what it wanted… and I couldn’t do anything to stop myself… next thing you know… the ball was bouncing across the water at like 75 miles an hour STRAIGHT FOR THAT LADY’S EAR!”

A direct hit… and a most DRAMATIC OVEREACTION! She went crazy… we apologized a few times, felt bad at first… ended up happy for the accident… I really think she needed this! lol

On the spiritual side…

The kids left the beach early yesterday, leaving Emily, Merle, Mille, and me to RELAX for a few hours. I took a nap… woke up with a serious crick in my neck… read for about two hours… got inspired… climbed to my feet… put on my iphone ear phones… turned on some really good worship music… walked the shore and TALKED TO GOD.

That hour seemed to kick off the profound spiritual breakthrough I had been hoping for this vacation. It felt as if God rode his Imperial space limousine to the Frisco Beach and walked that seashore with me!

I didn’t ramble on as I usually do in prayer… I just ASKED A SERIES OF QUESTIONS. Not just any questions… the PERFECT questions!

For the past 7 years, I have been doing everything I can to keep people from forcing me into a management role… to keep circumstances from normalizing me… to dodge the status quo tranquilizer darts coming at me every day!

I’m called to LEAD… called to cast a vision… to build a tribe of millions… and incite a movement! I’m not called to MANAGE… not interested in turning DOWN my fire or my VOICE… not looking to blend in or fade away! There is something IN ME that’s bent on BRINGING CHANGE.

The question I asked God is this: Specifically, what kind of change do you want me to bring this world? What am I suppose to give my TRIBE that someone else isn’t already giving? What am I rallying my TRIBE around?

Yes, I know… that in a world filled with so many NEW RELIGIONS… I am called to LEAD PEOPLE TO JESUS CHRIST! Yes, I know that I’m called to AWAKEN a LARGE SECTION of the worldwide CHURCH… and provoke a non-religious, mainstream curiosity for a deeper experience with God’s Spirit. That I am called to EMPOWER the amazing people in my growing circle! But how? Specifically how??

When I traveled around the world ten years ago… I knew what my mission was. I was STIRRING people… I was bringing SPIRITUAL EXCITEMENT… I was awakening Pastors and worship leaders and business people… and Christians of all sorts! I was leading thousands to Christ and helping them to LIVE FOR CHRIST without reservation! There was no question… when I came into town; I brought FIRE… and CHANGE CAME TO EVERYONE!

For some strange reason… people believe that in order to Pastor a church, one must kill all such passions… that one is no longer allowed to think change or BRING CHANGE… that PASTORS are called to MANAGE instead of LEAD. There is a difference… and I have seen the light!

I believe that I am called to Pastor, and write books, and blog, and tweet, and build a global media outreach… at the head of a LEGENDARY TRIBE wrapped around a worthwhile mission… I am called to birth and LEAD a movement. And as my questions are answered, this calling will become far more specific… thus far more attractive… and far more beneficial to everyone else!

I hope today’s blog adds tremendous value to your amazing lives. You matter to me… you really matter! Today, more than ever before… I want to EMPOWER and LEAD… so thanks for appreciating my contributions! Thanks for appreciating this tribe! I love you guys and pray so often for you! Please leave your comments… and have a super day!

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