I had fully intended to blog during the course of the week, but it was crazy. Along with this being my first week at Foothills, we had Son Sports taking place. Whoa! What an amazing outreach time for children. The Children's Staff did an awesome job. I'm not sure how many kids actually participated, but I know that we went over 200 on Monday alone!
The really difficult part of the week has been the limited amount of time that I have been able to spend with Michelle. Between leaving at 7:30 every morning and returning between 8 and 9:30 every night, we've seen very little of each other. One of the joys that I've had is that I would cook supper for her since I usually got home before she did. That has totally changed now. She blew me away on Wednesday night when she told me that she was going to Seneca with me on her day off (Thursday)! I was so excited because I was going to get to see her for the entire day. We checked-out some houses, she helped me with some logistical Student Ministry stuff, and basically hung-out all day. It was awesome!
Yesterday was a first for me. Scott asked me to help out with a video for Sunday. Once it's posted online, I'll share it with you. The only thing I'll say about it for now is that I really wish we were going to be at church Sunday.
That brings me to one last thing. We will be leaving with our students for Big Stuf (yes, I spelled it right) on Sunday morning at 5AM!!! Not sure how much I'll be able to post next week, but I'll feel you in when we return.
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Endings, Beginnings, and Long Freakin' Drives (2)
The last 24 hours have been a roller coaster of emotions. Michelle and I said goodbye to the Mt. Lebanon last night. There are some incredible people there, and we will miss them like crazy. It was great to spend some time with them last night, and was difficult to pull-out of the parking lot at the end of the night. God wants to do something amazing with that church, and I can't wait to see what happens.
This morning dawned a new chapter in our lives: ministry at Foothills. What a whirlwind of a day. My head is spinning, my heart is overflowing, and I am unbelievably pumped about what God is doing in Seneca! Several of the students stopped by the office (and by office I mean closet...it's cool...I kinda dig it) and introduced themselves. It's going to be great spending at week at camp with these guys (we leave Sunday morning at 5 AM). Be patient with me guys. You only have to learn Brian and Michelle, I have to learn, uh, a lot :)
Today also introduced me to the beauty of a 70 mile commute to the office. Yes, it's a long drive. Yes, I got behind a bunch of Sunday afternoon drivers on Monday. Yes, the scenery on Hwy. 11 is awesome! On the way home, I threw in some Andrew Peterson and worshiped God while looking at the beauty of His creation. He absolutely captured my heart during what I had originally viewed as a negative aspect of our move. I discovered wonderful opportunity to spend some quality time with God, and that has to be a good thing.
Wow. That was just the last 24 hours. What will God do in my life by this time tomorrow? Labels:
This morning dawned a new chapter in our lives: ministry at Foothills. What a whirlwind of a day. My head is spinning, my heart is overflowing, and I am unbelievably pumped about what God is doing in Seneca! Several of the students stopped by the office (and by office I mean closet...it's cool...I kinda dig it) and introduced themselves. It's going to be great spending at week at camp with these guys (we leave Sunday morning at 5 AM). Be patient with me guys. You only have to learn Brian and Michelle, I have to learn, uh, a lot :)
Today also introduced me to the beauty of a 70 mile commute to the office. Yes, it's a long drive. Yes, I got behind a bunch of Sunday afternoon drivers on Monday. Yes, the scenery on Hwy. 11 is awesome! On the way home, I threw in some Andrew Peterson and worshiped God while looking at the beauty of His creation. He absolutely captured my heart during what I had originally viewed as a negative aspect of our move. I discovered wonderful opportunity to spend some quality time with God, and that has to be a good thing.
Wow. That was just the last 24 hours. What will God do in my life by this time tomorrow? Labels:
Exhausted But Thankful (0)
We just finished day 4 of Vacation Bible School, and I am wiped-out. This has been an especially tough week because I'm trying to tie-up any loose ends before our time at MLBC ends on Sunday. I will admit that I haven't felt as prepared as I normally am to teach the Bible Story each day (that's been my job for the last 3 VBSes). I've wondered how much the kids were actually retaining from day to day. The day that concerned me the most was today. We were doing our evangelistic emphasis, and I wanted to be as prepared as possible. This morning I prayed that God would move in the lives of these kids in spite of me. Guess what...God showed-up big! We have already had 11 kids pray to receive Christ! I love it when God shows us that He is in control, and can overcome our shortcomings. I absolutely love sharing the Gospel with people, and watching it "click," but this morning was especially exciting because there was no way that I could have been less prepared than I was. I'm so grateful that it's not what I say that saves individuals, but it is the blood that Jesus shed on Calvary that covers every stain!
With that said, I'm ready for some lunch ( a nap would be nice, too). Labels:
With that said, I'm ready for some lunch ( a nap would be nice, too). Labels:
Youth Culture (0)
Our students are being attacked from all sides, every single day. For us to think that they're not is stupidity on our part. That's why it is so important for the church to be culturally relevant with everything that we do. The world is going to go out of it's way to make junk appealing to students, and they're going to buy into it because the junk has been made attractive. Jonathan wrote an incredible blog recently that illustrates this perfectly. Not much more I can say other than "check it out...now!"
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Random Junk (0)
Never been a big fan of Tiger Woods, but what he accomplished this week was crazy. Some may say that Rocco Mediate choked, but Tiger earned that one.
I've started to get hooked on Facebook Chat. If you're ever bored, check me out HERE.
I'm going to try Gmail for my email service. My new email address is rhodes.briank@gmail.com.
For those of you wondering, the "K" is for Kevin. Labels:
I've started to get hooked on Facebook Chat. If you're ever bored, check me out HERE.
I'm going to try Gmail for my email service. My new email address is rhodes.briank@gmail.com.
For those of you wondering, the "K" is for Kevin. Labels:
You Found What (0)
On Friday afternoon, the water pump in Michelle's Jeep decided that it would take it's own life. We took it to a local mechanic who said that it was a fairly simple fix. Around 1:30 today, he gave me a call to let me know that he had replaced the water pump, but what he said next blew me away. He said that he found a screwdriver in the radiator! Actually, he only found the metal part in the radiator, and the handle was stuck in the upper hose. He said that he had never seen anything like it before...YOU THINK!!! We have had this car for 6 years, and have never had any work done on the radiator; therefore, it must have been there for at least that long. I'm just glad that we haven't had any further damage done. Wow. What a find.
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GPS (1)
Two weeks ago, Michelle and I made the trek to Oconee County to see what kind of homes were available. While I have a "working knowledge" of the general area (I played football, basketball, and ran track at West-Oak and Walhalla, and basketball at Seneca), I quickly realized that my knowledge was extremely limited. We began kicking around the idea of purchasing a GPS for me to use. I have little experience with them, but I know other folks who love using them (especially if it uses the voice of Mr. T).
While we may need a GPS to find our way around Oconee County, we are certain of the path that led us there. Proverbs 3: 5-6 have become so real in our lives. By surrendering the direction of our lives to God, He has directed us to Foothills. He has also directed us to a potential real estate agent in Seneca. The really awesome news is that He has directed Michelle to a potentially incredible job opportunity. It looks like it is going to work-out, but because she is so early in the process, we have to wait a little while before sharing the ins and outs.
Long story short...while our understanding will get us lost in the middle of nowhere, God's direction will always lead us where we need to go. Labels:
While we may need a GPS to find our way around Oconee County, we are certain of the path that led us there. Proverbs 3: 5-6 have become so real in our lives. By surrendering the direction of our lives to God, He has directed us to Foothills. He has also directed us to a potential real estate agent in Seneca. The really awesome news is that He has directed Michelle to a potentially incredible job opportunity. It looks like it is going to work-out, but because she is so early in the process, we have to wait a little while before sharing the ins and outs.
Long story short...while our understanding will get us lost in the middle of nowhere, God's direction will always lead us where we need to go. Labels:
I Have a Blog? (1)
I know that it may seem like I've forgotten about this thing, but I haven't. The last two weeks have been so crazy that I haven't had time to post much. Last week was filled with stuff that needed to be done around the house. We finally got a sign in the yard, and set-up a web site. If you're interested, email me (brian@mlbcgreer.com) and I'll give you the link.
Everyone has been asking us what they can do to help us with our move to Seneca. Honestly, I don't know where to begin, but here are a few suggestions:
-Pray that our house sells...quickly. We're supposed to pray specifically, so I've started praying that we close by August 15. Please pray the same.
-Pray that Michelle will find a job. There isn't much demand for interior designers in Seneca, so we're a little concerned; however, she received some potentially incredible news this weekend. I can't divulge anything right now, but pray that God will give us clarity with this situation. It has the makings of being something incredible!
-If anyone in the area has any large boxes, we would appreciate them. I know that we don't have anywhere to go, but we would like to start packing some non-essential items. Email me is you can spare a few.
-Pray that we find a home in Oconee County. I'm not just talking about a permanent home, but a possible rental as well.
-Pray for my car. I have a couple of minor issues that need to be taken care of before I begin the lengthy commute on June 23.
-Pray for Mt. Lebanon. The process of searching for a new staff member can be tough.
-Pray for Foothills. Moving into a new building is both exciting and stressful.
I guess that's about it. Wait...one more thing. If any of you know of a prospective buyer for our home, please point them our direction. If you know of a good (let me stress GOOD) realtor in the Greer area, please send us his or her name. I know that this is a long list, but it's all stuff that's on our minds. The comforting part of all of this is knowing that God is in control, we're following His will, and He will work all of this out in His time! Labels:
Everyone has been asking us what they can do to help us with our move to Seneca. Honestly, I don't know where to begin, but here are a few suggestions:
-Pray that our house sells...quickly. We're supposed to pray specifically, so I've started praying that we close by August 15. Please pray the same.
-Pray that Michelle will find a job. There isn't much demand for interior designers in Seneca, so we're a little concerned; however, she received some potentially incredible news this weekend. I can't divulge anything right now, but pray that God will give us clarity with this situation. It has the makings of being something incredible!
-If anyone in the area has any large boxes, we would appreciate them. I know that we don't have anywhere to go, but we would like to start packing some non-essential items. Email me is you can spare a few.
-Pray that we find a home in Oconee County. I'm not just talking about a permanent home, but a possible rental as well.
-Pray for my car. I have a couple of minor issues that need to be taken care of before I begin the lengthy commute on June 23.
-Pray for Mt. Lebanon. The process of searching for a new staff member can be tough.
-Pray for Foothills. Moving into a new building is both exciting and stressful.
I guess that's about it. Wait...one more thing. If any of you know of a prospective buyer for our home, please point them our direction. If you know of a good (let me stress GOOD) realtor in the Greer area, please send us his or her name. I know that this is a long list, but it's all stuff that's on our minds. The comforting part of all of this is knowing that God is in control, we're following His will, and He will work all of this out in His time! Labels:
Big News (0)
Michelle and I have some big news to share with everyone: we are moving to Seneca, SC! I have accepted the position of Student Pastor at Foothills Community Church. I announced my resignation to the people at Mt. Lebanon last night. Actually, I've been announcing it to people for the past week. While I thought that it would become easier each time, it really became more difficult. It began with the pastor and staff, our really close friends, student leadership, the students (whoa, that was hard), and finally, the church as a whole.
While we are excited to be moving into this new phase of ministry, we are sad to be leaving the relationships that have been formed at MLBC. We want them to know how much we will miss them, and we thank them for the opportunity to serve the Blue Ridge area.
Our last Sunday in Greer will be June 22nd, and I will begin at Foothills on the 23rd. God has done an incredible work there over the last 10 years, and we're are pumped about Him using us to reach students and their families. The staff have already been incredible to talk to and be around, and I'm sure the students and leaders will be the same.
Please pray for us as we put our house on the market (3 BR, 2.5 BA, 1600+ square feet-not including the unfinished bonus room-on a little less that half an acre), look for a new home, and begin the moving process. We really appreciate it! Labels:
While we are excited to be moving into this new phase of ministry, we are sad to be leaving the relationships that have been formed at MLBC. We want them to know how much we will miss them, and we thank them for the opportunity to serve the Blue Ridge area.
Our last Sunday in Greer will be June 22nd, and I will begin at Foothills on the 23rd. God has done an incredible work there over the last 10 years, and we're are pumped about Him using us to reach students and their families. The staff have already been incredible to talk to and be around, and I'm sure the students and leaders will be the same.
Please pray for us as we put our house on the market (3 BR, 2.5 BA, 1600+ square feet-not including the unfinished bonus room-on a little less that half an acre), look for a new home, and begin the moving process. We really appreciate it! Labels:
