transparency….

for the last four months our household has been in a whirlwind of frenzy. so many things going on, never enough time and hoping and wanting to keep it all together… you know, men, never let ‘em see you sweat. Right?

then one day it all comes crashing down… its as if the world decided to turn against you in a nano second. everything you knew to be reality, to be sure, to be certain is now dancing with confusion as you lean against the wall hoping no one sees you.

your wife tells you that you are feeding me physically and spiritually, but emotionally im STARVING!

huh? when? how? what did i miss? but but…

i ran away to seek God and get some understanding… i just got knocked out in the first round no need to bite my ear off cus im out on the canvas just hoping i can still walk. and as always He is there for me, only to tell me just how wrong i have been, and i hear the word that makes my heart ache, the word that is like driving nails in my own wrists and feet.. SELFISH.

you see somewhere along the way in this four month time span, in this amazing part of our journey together as a family as husband and wife as best friend and lovers, i began to lick my own wounds. i began to see me and lost sight of her wondering why i dont get and why i cant and who is going to do for me and damnit im right and your wrong and what about me what about me… in the corner… hoping no one is looking… licking my wounds….

But God….

Brothers, please please please understand this, I write these words to share so that you dont make the mistake I made. You see for the first time in my life after prayer and heaven sent wise counsel, I was able to admit that I had become SELFISH. LOVE, the LOVE that God is in, is not selfish, it does not consider itself, it denies self and consumes it self in the object of its affection. That is LOVE! That is GOD!

Someone once said this to me, and please comment and let me know what you think…

Love is when two people deny their needs, and focus on the needs of the other person, and meet those needs before the person ever knows there was a need. That is LOVE! Think about this, how much attention would you have to pay, how much time would you have to put in, and how much listening would you have to do to meet a need before the need is ever known by the person who posses it? My next question is simple, if you did the above, when if ever would you have time to have an affair? (To put out the rumor fires before they even begin, NO! I did not have an affair.)

I have since allowed god to show me the errors of my ways. He has shown me and my wife has directed me to serving her a buffet in all areas of her life. I pray never to have her become bankrupt in any area, EVER!

Thanks for listening!

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WOW!!!! I give God ALL the credit for opening His Word and for allowing me to partake in Him!!!! On the phone today with a really good friend there was something God spoke to me during the conversation that I immediately had to some home and blog about. So here goes…

As a church planter I sometimes deflated by those who dont show up or keep their commitments to helping out as they said they would. I take it to heart when I look at those faithful in this journey wonder where “the help” is and where will it come from. I, and I am sure I am not the only who has felt this way, continue to motivate, cast vision, pray and even reach out to other church planters and pastors for encouragement during this journey. But today I heard something different from God. Now, granted I will always seek out “help” and encouragement from other church planters and pastors. God did command us to seek out wise counsel. But again today my focus has shifted.

During my conversation with my friend and brother Cedric God shared an amazing oversight with me. Many of us know about the Acts Church, how it was formed, when it was formed, and how after a brief sermon from Peter the church grew by the thousands. IN ONE DAY? NO, IN A MATTER OF HOURS!!!!! After the sermon there were some three thousand added to the church, followers of Christ who dedicated their lives and possessions (a whole ‘nother topic) to The Bride, the church. But what about the original 120 or so…?

How come they dont get the attention they deserve? How come we skip pass them an overlook them? Without them would there have been a 3000? Without them who would have been the example, who would have been the light, or salt to bring flavor to this already incredible recipe for church growth, life change, and success?

I seek repentance now, for overlooking those who have been here from the beginning. I beg their forgiveness for not seeing them and looking past them to more, more and morE. A good friend reminded me recently that WE MUST BE good stewards of the little in order to attain much. But this blog is not solely about that.

Here are the questions I want to raise… What was it about that original 120 or so that were able to reproduce in such an awesome way? What was it about them that God was able to manifest in self in such a way? Why on earth has this type of life change not happen more regularly in and through the church?

There were no fliers, no you tube, no internet, fancy websites, or social networking sites. There was no mailer or teaser or even communication cards. (Please do not take this statement the wrong way, I believe these things are vital today because of how we communicate!) There were merely 120 or so people in a room, The Upper Room, PRAYING. But they were not just praying, the Amplified version here states that they were in FULL AGREEMENT, devoting themselves to prayer.

WOW!!! That’s it? That is the difference between us and them? When was the last time we were consistently in”full agreement” devoted to steadfast prayer? I mean other than praying for the money for the new building or for the mission trip or after 9/11. Can we still do something like this?

So you want change in your life? You a church planter wanting to grow? You want your daughter to come home and leave that loser? You want the drugs out of your hood/community? You want something different to take place in your life? You want a husband, a wife, children? You want to be able to afford life in these crazy economically challenging days?

COME IN FULL AGREEMENT WITH SOMEONE ANYONE AND DEVOTE YOURSELVES TO STEADFAST PRAYER!!!

I look at these 120 or so and think about my people. I am fully persuaded that whether it is 2, 2o or a 120 that if WE ARE IN FULL AGREEMENT, ON ONE ACCORD, ON THE VERY SAME PAGE SAME PARAGRAPH AND SAME SENTENCE THAT WE TOO CAN ACHIEVE THE LIKES OF THIS THE CHURCH OF ACTS.

How else can we truly advance the Kingdom? It is God who gives increase, but WE MUST DO OUR PART!!!

SHALL WE PRAY?

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I guess I truly am missing my boys as this will the the second blog about them in as many days.

On sunday I got two phone calls, one from Texas and one from Florida. My chest was sticking out pretty far as my boys wished me a Happy Father’s day. Tyler, my oldest, asked if I had gotten my iphone, which he has been praying for me to get for a while now. I told him daddy was waiting on the new one. Then like any kid wanted to know if we had gotten his ipod. You see before he left I made a deal with him. If he finished the school year with no drama, behaved in Florida over the summer and saved half the money for the ipod, we would match it. So needless to say he is uber eager to come home and buy his ipod. He might love music more than me and that is saying something.

Late Sunday night i got a second call from Texas. Jah, my youngest was so excited. He barked through the phone on how he rode his bike without training wheels. “Pappa, took the wheels off and I rode by myself. I only fell twice and got back on and rode to Mr. Jackson’s house.” Wow.

I cannot believe how fast they are growing up. It only seems like yesterday they needed me for everything, now they are wanting things I would have never asked for at 8 and riding bikes with no need of assistance. I love IT!!!! As much as I might want to be needed to watch them GROW is the most amazing thing in my life, besides watching the seed in my wife’s womb grow (more to come about that later…)!

As a father this is a time to reflect, ponder and prepare for them for the rest of their lives. God, our Father has the same prescription for us as well. He too is proud of us and watching us grow. Giving us room to fall when the training wheels are removed, there to pick us up and dust us off only to say get back on and try again. He too is eager to meet us where we are, remembering our hearts desires and giving us direction.

I love being a father, a husband and chosen of God to proclaim HIS RICH GOSPEL!!!

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Please stay tuned and keep coming back regularly as i hope to be making some very important and major announcements next week….

God has been so good to my family and I, His Favor has been endless, and He is writing the story of my life! (Thanks Olu)

Thank you all for being a part of this journey with us… it means the world to me!!!

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WOW! I caanot even believe i am saying this outloud. I mean I have said to myself as I pass their room or see a hummer (long story) or anytime i see kids at the park with their dads, but dang it! I miss my boys!!!

One (Jah) is in Texas and the other (Tyler) is in Florida. Now I am sure they are having the time of their lives and I truly do expect them to come back with stories of all proportions. I just miss having them around. I can tell you what i dont miss though. I dont miss them waking me up at 5 or 6 in the morning hungry, when everything in me is saying if you were still sleeping you wouldnt be hungry.

So there I said it outloud and im cool. A month and a half or so and they will be back. We will begin again as if time somehow stopped before us. We will head to the park for some fun time, we will begin working on our future plans, dreaming about what we want and how we are going to get it… I cannot wait until they come back.

In the meantime I will enjoy my quiet time with the most beautiful woman in the world, my wife!!!

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I have struggled with something many of you may consider a non issue or something so minute that you wouldn’t believe that it has challenged me. I have not wanted to seem prideful or boastful or even simply above or better than anyone else. Afraid of my tone sending people reeling in a different direction, but I have finally reached a resolve and no longer need to pussyfoot around something as simple as OWNERSHIP!

Today, right here and right now I TAKE OWNERSHIP of the vision God has given me. I was born for such a time as this. He called me, plucked me out of darkness, He loved me when i was worthless, and shared this vision with me. It is the MOST HUMBLING THING IN THE WORLD TO KNOW THAT THE LIVING GOD, SOVEREIGN AND GLORIOUS CHOSE ME TO WORK FOR HIM.

Now let me explain where the problem came. I would share the vision God has given me, but to say He has given it to me, did something to me. I felt awkward, clumsy and unworthy. But, now I know (rather fully persuaded), i did not choose this vision, but He choose to give me the vision of planting a church in the heart of downtown Atlanta, a peculiarplace. He choose me to create a place where anyone far from Him could find Him, become intimate with Him, and share their new found love with others. He told me TO SET DOWNTOWN ON FIRE FOR JESUS!

The REVOLUTION has begun!

Have you taken ownership of what He has given you? Or has fear and guilt kept you feeling unworthy and inadequate?

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I was privileged to meet with David Putman last week and I must admit the last few weeks I have truly been humbled by the willingness of outstanding men of God to hear my heart concerning the vision God has given me. David was even gracious enough to share his latest book with me, Breaking the Discipleship Code. I am enjoying it immensely NOW!

I have been tossing around the notion in my head about what the difference is, the distinct difference is in a life of someone on fire for God versus the church attendee when I stumbled on this paragraph in the book that explains it clear and succinctly.

“Living as Jesus lived is about coming to know Jesus personally through experience. It’s about coming to know Him through the lenses of the gospel and the presence of His very Spirit; it’s about a journey of friendship. It’s about living life to the maximum by living minimally. It’s about giving up to ultimately go up. It’s about laying down in order to be lifted up. It’s about becoming last only to find yourself first. It’s about decreasing in order to see Him increase. Living as Jesus lived is a new way of life that requires rethinking all of your assumptions, opinions, expectations, and experiences about the kingdom. Jesus descended in order to ultimately ascend, and so must we.”

An incredible passage that sums up so many thing for me. I could go on forever, but I wont this time. But seriously, WE MUST EXPERIENCE JESUS. Please notice that “experience” is a verb, meaning there is action required. There is so much more to a relationship with Jesus than church membership, tshirts, cute bumper stickers (yes i said cute) and whether or not you wear a suit or have doctoral/ theological differences!!!

WE MUST LIVE LIKE JESUS IN ORDER THAT OTHERS MIGHT SEE HIM IN US.

We must serve, serve in our local churches, serve in our schools, in our communities, serve our families (men, I’m begging you to learn to serve your wife instead of expecting her to always serve you)… to minister is to serve! It is an experience that must shared with EVERYONE WE COME IN CONTACT WITH!!!!

So have you EXPERIENCED Jesus lately?

Thanks for the book Dave, you don’t know how much it has meant to me already!!!

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I just read a really incredible blog from Micheal here that the simplicity of it all blew me away!!!

two types of people are needed to make a peculiarplace a reality:

LOST PEOPLE

&

missionaries

Micheal said it best please read his post and let me know how you feel about it. I too want a place that is welcoming, inviting and undeniable to those that are far from God. And I want those who have come to know God during their experience at a peculiarplace to go back where they came from and grab one, two ten people who they know and bring them back to this place called peculiar.

At what point were we taught that we must seperate ourselves from those who need Jesus most? How on earth will those who are far from God ever get to know Him? T.V.????

People please the mission is simple, go, get, and bring!!!

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A place for those that are far from God to experience, live, create, grow, and become a part of the Kingdom of God.

A place where no matter who you are, where you are from, no matter how imperfect you have been, no matter what you look like, how much money you make or don’t make, how or where you last went to church or whether or not you have never been to church, you will have a home here.

A place in the heart of Downtown Atlanta that is insistent on changed lives, that desires to create lifestyles patterned after the Kingdom of God, where sharing your heart is crucial, judging is unacceptable and JESUS LIVES.

A place where the Gospel is taught in a relevant, effective and easy to understand fashion for ALL to understand and ALL are able to apply to their everyday lives.

A place where WORSHIP SERVICE VOLUNTEERING JOY CHANGE GROWTH HOPE GRACE POWER & FAITH are essential.

A place where baptism is physical evidence of life change.

A place where we only do the things that we are really really really good at and leave the rest alone!!!

A PLACE WHERE YOU and YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS ARE WELCOME!!!

Welcome to a peculiarplace…

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My meeting with Olu Brown of Impact Church was great! We are planning to have another one next week, so that i might pick his brain even more so.

I got an email today about being on a ministry radio show on 1480 WYZE here in Atlanta.

I cannot wait until my meetings next week, I hope that Josh and I get to sit down on Monday and discuss church planting, Rome, GA and Downtown Atlanta and the new baby…

This weekend is going to be crazy!!!

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