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

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

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!

Happy Thursday!

Yesterday was an EVENTFUL day… we took the ferry over to Ocracoke Island and had an interesting time. A little stressful at times with so many chiefs and so few Indians! lol

Take a BLAZING hot sun… add a few LONG HOURS OF shop hiking… and a few really good eatery OPTIONS… and then of course, to go to the beach or not go to the beach… and you get a few moderate temper tantrums and a whole lot of whispering… but HEY, we all made it out as friends! Because, “We are FAM… IL.. Y!” (yeah yeah)

The bond of FAMILY really is an amazing thing! I mean think about it… no matter how bad we irritate one another… we NEVER annul ourselves from the FAMILY… we don’t just gather a few family members into an alliance and go make up a new family name… we are ALWAYS ONE FAMILY with ONE FAMILY NAME… bearing with the good the bad and sometimes, the ugly! (A real lesson in love and unity)

As we were wrapping up our Ocracoke excursion, everyone consented to a short stop at the beach… Coree REALLY wanted to swim in the ocean. He was willing to forfeit his ONE REQUEST because he seemed to be one of very few with that desire. But hey, all for one and one for all… David’s vehicle pulled over and told us to lead the way. That’s a SCARY responsibility you guys!

I gulped a few times and proceeded to the BEACH RAMP! Yes, I was going for it… at a VERY HIGH RISK, I was leading a CARAVAN of worn out shoppers on a late day detour… I was taking my son to the beach! All was well… everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Emily got to SHELL SHOP along the shore and I found an UNBROKEN SAND DOLLAR (photo included)… a very rare thing these days, even at Ocracoke. Coree got to swim his little heart out… the ocean was BEAUTIFUL!

We all headed back with SMILY FACES… everyone was whistling while we drove… what a beautiful day this had turned out to be. AND THEN… we neared the FERRY LINE to find the LONGEST BACK UP any of us had ever experienced in all our years of Ocracoke excursioning!

Gulp… gulp… was that tasty Philly Chicken sub I ate at the Jolly Roger Restaurant going to be my last meal EVER! Actually, everyone was graceful… at least to my face. Haha! Who knows, they may be having a CHUCK & COREE OMLET for breakfast RIGHT NOW… and DAVE is going to read this blog! (Maybe I should have just LEFT IT ALONE!) lol

Really… the day was beautiful and Em’s family is an absolute PLEASURE! We’ve been vacationing together for 19 years this summer… some of the best days of our lives!

I’m sure some of you guys RELATE with yesterdays tension. You’re smiling and even laughing, because YOU KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT! Oh yes you DO! I pray that every one of your vacations turns out as blessed as ours!

Have a super day everyone… it’s overcast here right now… so who knows what THE MANY HEADED CONCIL will come up with for an itinerary… pray for us! lol