OK... so.. I'm blogging!

I guess the time has come for me to finally step into the world of blogging. I've put it off for some time now and I won't bore you with all the reasons why... really none of them were good enough to keep me from it... So here it is, I'm blogging.

This past couple of weeks have been absolutely amazing. Starting out with a Sunday service where we say many new commitments to the Lord... I don't think anything is more exciting then to see lives transformed by the Lord. The truth of the Gospel setting people free to live the life that they have been created to live in fellowship with Jesus Christ. Love it!!

Then it was off to the staff retreat to spend some time with some of the most amazing people on the planet. We try to get away at least once a year (sometimes twice) to seek the Lord's face together and encourage one another in all the Lord is doing in our lives and various ministries of the church. We truly do have an amazing staff of people who are devoted to the Lord and His work. I thank God for every single one of them. There was, however, one part of the staff retreat that hurts just a bit when I bring it to mind. Picture... guys team, girls team, lots of talk, and tones of competitive spirit (Tatum, my wife, has enough for all of us) and then Guesstures... yep, something like a glorified charades... tensions building as the girls had won the first game and the guys (who up to this point in all past retreats had been undefeated) were almost unstoppable in the second game... almost that is, until a tragic turn of events left me standing in front of the staff, with the weight of the world on my shoulders, as somehow the girls were now 8 points in front of us and it was up to me to pull it off... well lets just say, I gave it my best shot, but somehow couldn't communicate the word "expand" no matter how widely I stretched out my hands, and blew up invisible balloons. The timer went off and then so did the girls... I'm still trying to recover. Between that and the Kingsfield softball game, I may have to undergo some time of healing. (for more on the softball game fiasco, you can catch Frank gloating somewhere on his blog...)

After the staff retreat, we had another amazing weekend service with many people committing themselves to a life of holiness. Giving life dominating sin to the life changing God. Our pray team leader, Lori, sent me an email today to tell me that she and the others on the prayer team have been praying with more and more people on Sunday's. This past Sunday was the best response since we've started the prayer ministry... very cool.

Currently, I'm in Murrieta at the Calvary Pastors conference spending some time with good friends who love the Lord and are committed to His work. It's so encouraging to hear of all that God is doing in so many places. We truly serve a mighty and powerful God who's busy doing mighty and powerful works through weak and puny people... go figure.

As great as it is out here, I can't wait to get home to see my wife and kiddos. God has blessed me with the coolest kids around, and not to mention a wife beyond compare.

until next time

Chris