Well, it is time to get back into the normal routine of things. The past couple of weeks have been "different." I like it when things are a little different. To get into a rut is not a good thing. But some routine is not a bad thing either. I will be heading to classes again for the first time in two weeks. It seems like I am starting a new semester almost. I am enjoying the classes (for the most part), but I cannot wait for them all to be over. I know that I have a ways to go til I get that Masters degree... oh well.

I am excited to see what God is going to do with this idea that He gave me for our youth service. On Wednesday, November 7th we are going to have a night of "Offerings". So many times we tell students that they are gifted by God and need to use those gifts for God as an offering, but we seldom give them the chance to. I don't want that to be said of us. We are going to have a night where students come and bring their gifts and talents before the LORD and offer them to Him. I have already had students sign up for singing, interpretive dance, and more. I am excited to see what happens. If you are one that is looking for a place to use your talent for the LORD, I invite you to come and worship with us at FBC Fairhope, Alabama.

A parent of a couple of our students sent me a link to a skit. I must say at the forefront, this skit was one of the greatest dipictions of life for students today. I'm not sure about who the group was, but man, did they rock it out. I encourage you to stop by this link and take a look at it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyheJ480LYA

Let me know what you think...

Last night was our "Next Generation Emphasis" at our church's revival services. We went more contemporary and had a great time. We had a band from the Nashville, TN area come down and lead some awesome worship. You can find more about the band at the website www.toddhampton.net. They were with us at our previous DNOW back in March. It was great teaming up with these guys again. The speaker for the night was John Hickman (www.johnhickmanonline.com). He brought a great message about being dangerous for Christ. It was so awesome to see many of our students go out and pick up their friends for this service in the midst of a tornado watch. I am constantly reminded and encouraged by students. They have such a passion for Christ. When they latch on to and see the purpose for which they were created, nothing can stand in their way.

I am simply amazed at the potential of students. I work with students at a church and I get to see God do incredible things through them. I am constantly reminded of what God has called me to do: help teenagers know Him and make Him known to others. At our church, we are having a special youth service tomorrow night called "Super Hero Night". It is simply a theme night where we are having the youth dress up like their favorite superhero and bring as many friends as possible. I chose to let a group of high school students in our ministry take the ball and run with the plans for this night. What they have come up with is awesome! I cannot wait for tomorrow to come and see the fruit of their labors.

If you have an opportunity, pour into the teenagers around you. Give them an opportunity to shine. I have been working with students since 1997. One thing that I have clearly learned in my work with students (especially high school students) is that they are just looking for an opportunity to contribute. Take the time to let the students that God has placed in your path shine.


"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." ~ Matthew 5:16 (ESV)

Whoa man... I am so tired. I crawled out of bed this morning with the full intentions of making to the local high school's First Priority meeting and made my way to the shower. I found myself a couple of minutes later waking up in the shower. My lovely wife came and told me to get back in the bed before I drowned myself. I love the way that she looks out after me. I guess that the sleep that has been lost with the care of little Drew is catching up with me. It's amazing though. Perspective is everything. I usually find myself very cranky and snappy when I don't get enough sleep, usually pointing a blaming finger at the culprit who is robbing me of my precious z's. But I find myself taking great joy in losing sleep. I realize that I am losing z's to take care of this wonderful gift that our awesome God has entrusted to me (and to help take care of the wonderful bride, too). With that in mind, loss of sleep is no big deal anymore. In this journey that we call life, perspective is key. When we get our priorities and perspective out of whack, then everything begins to fall apart leaving us wondering, "what in the world is going on?" When those priorities and perspectives are in their proper order, life is truly lived in an abundant way.

Jesus Christ said that He came to give us life and to give it to us in an abundant way (John 10:10). This is truly one of my favorite verses showing that Jesus is anything but a "stick-in-the-mud." He also said to us that if we were weary, worn-out, run-down that we should come to Him and find rest (Matthew 11:28-30). I encourage you that if you are being drained by life, come to Jesus and find the rest that you are so eagerly looking for.

I don't know how I get all these blogs in one place until now. Now I can just put my thoughts down in one place. Maybe I will do a better job of keeping up with this. So where do I start?

So much has happened since I last dropped some lines in a blog. The main thing is that me and Naomi had our first child, Andrew Thomas. He was born on September 19, 2007 at 2:05pm. There are very few days in a person's life that they can call "life-changing"... that day was one of mine. I believe that I have had 3 major life changing days in my life. First, the day that I started my relationship with Jesus Christ. It was in the summer of 1992. Second, January 17, 2004. This was the day that I got Naomi to say "I do" and she became my bride. Third, of course was the birth date of lil' Drew. I never imagined how much life would change when he came on the scene. EVERYTHING is different. Here is a pic of the little guy...





Life is really interesting at this moment. I find myself in an awkward position right now. I cannot go into much detail but I find myself scratching my head and wondering what the next month or so holds. I ask for prayers for wisdom and discernment at this time.