Random Thoughts

Some random thoughts from the past week or so of my life...

• Memories of a long winter can be erased by one sunny, warm, 70 degree spring day. This winter was long and hard, but after 8 consecutive days in the 70's, I don't even remember the winter.
• I was suppose to preach on April 13, but we changed plans at the last minute. The worship time went long, and our mission team from Biloxi just came back, so we decided to let them share instead of having me preach. I've always wanted to run an audible on a Sunday morning, and that was the first one I've done. (For the non-football people out there, an audible is when you come to the line with a play in mind, but you change it at the last minute because of the defense's strategy.) I think it worked out great. If anything comes from it, people at least know that we are willing to change things.
• I realized on that Sunday an important ministry lesson - it's not about me. I've learned that before in my life, but I really learned it on April 13.
  
• It is so important to speak the truth, no matter how difficult it can be. With the time of transition that we are in right now, it is so important that the truth get out -- which it is.
• People make assumptions all the time about other people. People have assumed some things about me in the past few weeks that have been totally whacked! It's amazing the stories that people come up with. Some times they give me more credit that I deserve.
• It was hard for me not to go on the Biloxi trip. It was even harder for me to hear the stories when they came back. I feel like I missed out on some really cool things. But not going on a mission trip has taught me an important lesson -- people don't want to hear all the cute stories and inside jokes from a mission trip. It's ok to share a few, but people want to hear what God did in people's lives on the trip. How were you changed on this trip? Those are the questions that people want to hear answered.
• It's not about me.
• This past weekend I took two naps - one on Saturday afternoon and another on Sunday afternoon. It was great, and I needed both naps. I think I'm finally starting to recuperate from the past 5 months of craziness! I'm ready for a little down time.
• I have some vacation scheduled in the next few weeks and I'm stoked!
• I'm learning that managing people and raising up new leaders is hard work but it is so rewarding!