With Everything

Happy Sunday!

Church at Destiny Family Center (10am), graduation party at my house for Coree (1pm)! Hope you can join us for an amazing day! Love you guys!

VERSE 1:
Open our eyes
To see the things that make Your heart cry
To be the church that You would desire
Your light to be seen

VERSE 2:
Break down our pride
And all the walls we’ve built up inside
Our earthly crowns and all our desires
We lay at Your feet

PRE CHORUS:
Let hope rise
And darkness tremble
In Your holy light
That every eye will see
Jesus our God
Great and mighty to be praised

VERSE 3:
God of all days
Glorious in all of Your ways
Oh the majesty the wonder and grace
In the light of Your Name

CHORUS:
With everything
With everything
We will shout for Your glory
With everything
With everything
We will shout forth Your praise

CHORUS 2:
Our hearts they cry
Be glorified
Be lifted high above all names
For You our King
With everything
We will shout forth Your praise

The day is beautiful… for we are all so beautiful in Christ… let’s breathe this moment in… walking NEAR and NEARER to our beautiful God… for HE IS EVERYTHING! Have a super day everyone!

The Gift of Love and Family

Happy Saturday!

God is so GOOD to us! I thank him so much for everything! He has lavished us with LOVE… love FOR HIM and love FOR EACH OTHER. Last night was Coree’s high school graduation… and it was even more than I ever thought it would be! 

Since Coree and Heaven go to a private school, the graduation ceremony is designed differently than an ordinary High School graduation. All students are honored for their various accomplishments, not only the seniors.

Heaven and Coree were not the cookie cutter kids… as we are not a cookie cutter family. Our kids have caused a LITTLE grief for Principle Spencer and the school administration at times. Nothing anything super bad… they just had a little bit too much SOCIAL FUN at times when they were supposed to be LEARNING. Therefore, until this year, NOBODY would ever imagine Coree or Heaven receiving any kind of academic recognition.

Out of the entire High School, Heaven was recognized for two awards, as being the student with the HIGHEST GPA and for being the student who completed the MOST WORK for the year! If one only knew what Heaven had to overcome to receive such an honor… GOD DOES MIRACLES!

Then Coree shocked us as his Principle got teary eyed, introducing Coree as the MOST IMPROVED STUDENT of the year for the entire High School!

The whole thing was so surreal to me… so many emotions running through my body… my baby boy graduating… where did the last 18 years go? I was so proud to watch him up on that platform in front of all those people smiling so big… he looked so confident and accomplished! I captured a photo at the exact moment one of his FRENZIED FANS blew the fog horn… Coree was LAUGHING PRETTY HARD! Oh… and notice the SHOES!

For me, the highlight happened AFTER the graduation ceremony. When my kids didn’t ask to go out with friends or to some graduation party… but they WANTED to be with US for the rest of the night! Just thinking about this now brings new tears to my eyes.

Coree wanted to eat at Chili’s with Mom and Dad and Heaven, and Nanny and Poppa, and Drew and Liz (they came to the graduation-so nice of them). Then to top it all off… Temple Huffer (graduate of RHS last night) and her boyfriend joined us at the end of the meal… and we laughed together for a long time before heading home.  

In this time of national and global hardship, we should hold on to what is most important in life… the things that money cannot buy! Things like, fulfilling our divine purpose, and the beauty of loving relationships with family and friends… enjoying REAL LIFE as we walk with God and he blesses us with HIS AMAZING LOVE!

I love my family… EVERY SINGLE MOMENT WITH THEM IS THE BLESSING OF THE LORD! Today, I thank God… I HONOR HIM AND PRAISE HIM… in front of you all… for he has been good to us! When life is challenging and cruel… and nothing seems to turn out like I dreamed it would… in times like these, I go home, shut the doors, look around, and realize that I already have the blessing of LOVE and FAMILY… and this is the greatest human blessing besides the great gift of salvation.

This morning, I feel compelled to pray for you guys… that God will BLESS your families even more… that he would BLESS your key relationships… and LAVISH YOU WITH HIS LOVE… so that you too can always say with me that GOD IS GOOD… no matter what the future may bring!

Hug someone close today… let them know you CARE, and APPRECIATE the care they have for you! Don’t forget church at Destiny Family Center tomorrow morning 10am! Then Coree’s graduation party at our house 1pm! Love you all…

John 13:24-35 So now I am giving you a new commandment: LOVE EACH OTHER. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

Metamorphosis: Abrupt Change in the Animals Form

Happy Friday!

This is a pretty big day for my family… our son Coree GRADUATES HIGH SCHOOL at 7pm! Raising kids has to be one of the scariest things to do in LIFE… especially in todays world. There are so many THINGS pulling at their heart strings… so many pressures pulling them towards the dark side of the force.

So this morning I want to THANK God… for answering our prayers and GIVING us a son that loves Jesus and his family! Coree is such a beautiful person… has one of the most creative spirits I have EVER encountered. He is hilarious and HAPPY, bringing so much JOY to our family! Not all the time… he certainly has his MOMENTS. LOL

Over the past few months, I have noticed strengths in him that I never knew he had. There were so many things I wondered about… fearing that just maybe he hadn’t caught some of the principles we had been modeling for him these past 18 years. And when it seemed that he wasnt paying attention in the least… out of nowhere, he METAMORPHOSISED into this AMAZING butterfly!

I think that’s how it is with kids… PRAYERFUL PARENTING is the cocoon that turns our creepy crawly monsters into beautiful winged creatures.

This is also how it is for ADULTS… PRAYERFUL mentoring, modeling, coaching, training, and teaching… mixed with the supernatural help that comes from Gods Word and Gods Spirit… creates the cocoon that turns us into BEAUTIFUL and FAR MORE BEAUTIFUL CREATURES… and we are always being changed from lower glories to higher glories until the day we leave earth! 

METAMORPHOSIS:

  • Is a biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively ABRUPT CHANGE in the animal’s FORM or STRUCTURE through cell growth and differentiation.
  • The process of transformation from an IMMATURE form to an ADULT form in two or more DISTINCT STAGES.
  • A change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ONE, by NATURAL or SUPERNATURAL means.

So then, God is working in us as we walk with him… bringing about ABRUPT changes in our form and structure through growth and differentiation. We are in the process of transforming from an IMMATURE form INTO and ADULT form through MANY DISTINCT STAGES! We are changing from one form into a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT one by natural and SUPERNATURAL means! 

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, ARE CHANGED (same Greek word we derive our english word, METAMORPHOSIS) into the same image from GLORY to GLORY, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye TRANSFORMED (same Greek word we derive our English word, METAMORPHOSIS) by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Philippians 2:13 For God is WORKING IN YOU, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

So don’t get discouraged all you creepy crawly monsters… you’re turning into beautiful winged creature… and this takes a little time! Just know that when you CLIMB out of this current phase of transformation, you’re going to notice STRENGTH and BEAUTIES you’ve NEVER HAD BEFORE! 

And YOUR FATHER will want to TELL THE WHOLE WORLD HOW PROUD HE IS over how well you are turning out! 

Have a super day everyone… don’t forget church at Destiny Family Center on Sunday at 10am… and then Coree’s graduation party at our house starting at 1pm!

Happy Birthday Coree/ Another Video- Clip #2

Good Morning Friends!

Today is the 18th birthday of my BABY BOY! Coree is such a delight… well, most of the time that is! At 18, he still has a young heart and he’s one of the funniest people I know!

About a year ago, youth Pastor Nathan Bain told Coree and Heaven this redneck game he used to play when he was a kid. It’s called possum stompin… ever heard of it? So, ever since then… Coree and Heaven and some of their friends drive down a bunch of our gravel country roads at nights from time to time looking for possums.

The goal is to find one trying to cross the road… stop the vehicle, get out, kick the possum, get back in the vehicle and drive away… with the bragging rights! (Please don’t turn us in to the animal rights people… we’re talking about an innocent little kick here you guys!)

Until a few days ago… they have not found a possum in more than a year of diligent searching! Coree and Lucas Wade were driving home from the gym on Sunday evening and there it was!!! A four legged furry creature was in the middle of the road! So Coree nailed the brakes, put the truck in park, and he and Lucas jumped out to go stomp their first possum! Coree didnt have his contact lenses in that night… bad boy!

As they ran around front to the headlights… Coree and Lucas had their feet back ready to kick, until Lucas YELLED to Coree, “NO, NO, Coree DON’T, It’s a SKUNK!” The only thing that would have made this story more funny would have been if the skunk had sprayed them! Unfortunately, it did not… and poor Luke and Coree and a few of their friends are still waiting for that glorious day they successfully administer their first stompin! And Emily and I are left with another laugh and the pleasure of having a son that loves the simple things in life! Happy Birthday Coree… we are so blessed to call you our son!

Ok, on the preachy side of things… from the stats, it looks like you guys loved yesterdays video! So, I’m going to include another one in todays blog. I hope it also adds tremendous value to your amazing lives! 

In todays video, I’m expounding on one of my 30+ Thoughts on Effective Evangelism, taught on this past Sunday night: “The FAITH that a person needs to be saved is contained within the message about salvation.” Great thought… I think you’re gonna LOVE it!

Enjoy the video and leave your beautiful comments! Oh… and have a super day!

Tootaloooo everyone!