Ice Ice Baby

I hate ice. I don't think I'll even put any in my cup of Dr. Pepper anymore. That's how I feel right now. I didn't think it was possible for ice to actually uproot trees, but (as shocking as this may be) I have been wrong before. So here's an update:

1. We don't have power

2. We don't have heat
3. We are on our third day of bumming off Allen and Marci
4. Alabama is horrible and can't even beat Arkansas when they are declared a Natural Disaster Area.
5. I figured out I whine way too much.

So, for today's edition of "Ricky, quit being a big baby and suck it up!!" I decided to list a few good things that have came out of the (start doom music now) "Ice Storm of the Century!!"

• Staying with Allen and Marci has been pretty awesome despite the fact that I feel like a bum. JP and Benjamin keep each other entertained, Georgia-Kate makes me feel good about myself because she smiles at me, and God is allowing to spend more time with Allen to convince him of his Sunday school teaching obligation.


• I have gotten to visit some of our older saints in the church. They need some help and God is allowing us to serve during this time.
  
• As much destruction as this has caused...it is incredibly beautiful. B-Dutt's wife described it as the "Glorious Ruin"...pretty hardcore.


• JP and Benjamin are getting to sled every afternoon. This is something I never got to do.


• The interruption of our normal everyday life has not stopped my wife from cleaning and straightening up every 5 seconds. She cleans...I'm pretty thankful for that.
  
• This whole ice incident may help me convince my wife I need a four-wheel drive truck:)

Since we have family who checks this out semi-regular...here are some pics so you can take a sneak peek in our life:

Trees down everywhere!!
That's right...Ice
I have never seen ice form around tree limbs
Our Backyard
Snow...

JP loves to do this.
Benjamin heading down the hill
Best Buds
You can't tell it here...but there is a naked lady in the fountain:)
They are pretty cold...

Those Roads Were Really Bad

Blogging is something I love to do. It is a release for me, and if a few people are blessed by some of the more serious posts...then Praise God!! The problem I'm having these days is time. This is something I know we all deal with. I just don't have enough time to do everything I want to do. I have to get better and time management...Anyone know of a good conference?? So in keeping with my pattern of bullet blogs, here is another for you:

• I watched what was possibly the worst movie ever last night...All Roads Lead Home. We have a small group here Berryville that get together pretty often and watch movies. It is hard to find a movie that isn't just horribly violent, sex-filled, or filthy. If I won't let JP watch, I'm not watching it. This movie had none of the above or anything else. It was horrible. Anytime someone says "tom-foolery" or "he is deader than disco" in a movie you can go ahead and count it a bust. I did laugh a lot throughout the movie though just because it was so dumb...I guess it wasn't a total lost.
• Many have been asking why I deleted a previous post. God called me to boast in nothing but the cross of Christ...in my filthy rags being made clean through His sacrifice. I did a bad job in writing that post. I made the Dean's List this past Fall Semester. I did it because God gave me the strength to do it.
• On the topic of boasting...I got an email today asking if I would be willing to speak at young Christians Weekend in Branson, MO. The bands that will be there you ask? Leeland and Kutless. Yeah, I'm pretty pumped. God is opening some serious doors for me to share the Gospel on a large scale...Pray I'm faithful.

Been Tagged...Again

Kristen tagged me. So here we go:

1. Choose the 4th folder where I store my pictures on the computer.

2. Select the 4th picture in the folder.

3. Explain the picture.

4. Tag 4 people to do the same.

5. No cheating (cropping, editing, etc.)

This is JP chilling on his John Deere at the grandparents house. That is his "Dude, mom, chill out with the picture taking" smile. Hope you enjoyed. I tag Marci, Slayer, Wes, and Jessie.

A Watchman

A few years ago Andy Blankeship taught me that God has called us to be "Watchmen" over the people He has entrusted to us. For example, we were at a Summer Camp a few years back and Andy was my speaker. We always take all cell phones up from kids for the entire duration of the trip. As we were having a leaders meeting Andy started turning all of the kids cell phones on. I calmly asked, "Dude, what the heck are you doing??" He told me something profound that day. He said that the things a kid will never tell you are in their text messages. Read them!!

Ever since that moment I have been extremely protective of my students. I do read their texts when I get a hold of their phones. I have always had good enough relationships with our kids that I could confront them, challenge them, or rebuke them, and it has always been profitable and peaceful. For this, I am very thankful and realize how blessed I am. Then came last night...

We were at a basketball game here in Berryville. While we are at games I always make rounds to talk to all my kids and last night was no different, although, I did sit with my family next to some of our kids parents. Remember...I am very protective of my students and with the girls I have developed a terrible "Big Brother" syndrome. I hate dating. Boys are dirty and have one thing on their minds...therefore I am not the guy saying, "They are going to date...Let's teach them how to date godly." What a bunch or horse manure!! There is no reason in the world that kids should be allowed to go out by their selves and we should "trust" that we have taught them to do right. That temptation is just too strong...and yes you may succeed once, twice, or even for a whole month, but with each outing you begin to get more comfortable and relaxed and just like a war the enemy comes running in.

Sorry I went off on a little dirt road there...back to the story:

I saw a guy talking to one of our girl students. He was obviously a new kid who thought he was the coolest guy ever. You could tell that my girl student...we'll call her Betty...didn't want anything to do with this guy. But wherever she went he was there too. The biggest problem Betty has is that she has two real big brothers. I saw trouble coming from the very beginning. So as one big brother went to sit next to them the other sat right below them. Megan and I are watching this whole thing play out. I know I should have probably went and calmly pulled this guy to the side told him what was going to happen to him and then shared the Gospel with him, but I didn't see that happening after he started talking trash to one of the brothers. Obviously this guy wasn't the brightest kid ever. So I go over and sit right in the middle of all of them. Betty must of told him who I was and that I was a "big brother" also because when I went over there he quit talking and realized that I wasn't going to be 12 and beat him up but I would get him kicked out if I had too. I told Betty to come and sit with us and told the other two brothers to go sit somewhere else. We left and took Betty home and the night was over.

Did I handle this completely the right way? I'm not sure. But what I do know is that this guy left Betty alone and I saved him a bad butt-whooping and I didn't give her brothers a chance to start a BIG throw down. I prayed for this guy a lot last night. I saw me when I was in high school in him. Someone who is a slave. A slave to a look, attitude, popularity, a culture...a slave to sin. I saw someone who needs Jesus. I'm just praying that after last night he saw that I was watching out for him as much as I was for my three students.

Sunday Recap

• Maybe the two best sermons I have ever heard Bro. Scott preach was yesterday. I'm all about truth.
• Sunday School was really good. James 3:1-12...tame the tongue.
• I told Allen that he agreed to teach Sunday School for me...He quickly reminded me that I should quit dreaming.
• AWANA kicked back off and I was pretty excited. I needed that extra 2 hours to do some school work, but spent the whole time hanging out with some of our students. The truth is...they are worth it.
• We had a Honduras Mission meeting last night. I think it went really well even after I told them that suffering was inevitable. Probably not a smart move on my part but truth is truth. God is worthy to suffer for...Look at Jesus.
• I asked the team to do two things for me last night. 1. Write down how much you have raised and 2. write down how much you are willing to pay for yourself. I need these numbers so I can know exactly how much we need to raise. God is good and last night we already have over half the expenses covered.
• Russell and Erin came over to the house last night. While they were there, my phone rang and it was a guy from the church wanting Russell's number. I handed Russell the phone and all the man wanted to do was tell Russell how great our worship was yesterday. You have to love church members like that.

Saturday's 7

• I just read two of the girliest blogs ever...I feel a need to buy some Mary K. makeup and put bows on everything. These blogs will remain anonymous.
• I have had the hardest time ever getting up to play basketball. Actually, it's been so hard today was the first day I have in a long time. We owe that to our broken heater that randomly decides to cut off on the coldest nights. So while I was up at 5:00 a.m. trying to get it back on I decided since I was up to go ahead and drive to Eureka.
• Bad news from this morning: Everyone was making fun of this one guy from Thursday. He apparently tried to take out (physically hurt) two other guys on two separate occasions while playing ball. They were laughing because apparently this guy is a preacher in a nearby town. Their words, "It's always the preachers with the bad attitude because they can't take there anger out anywhere else (insert many cuss words throughout)."
• This frustrates me so much. Most of the guys I play with know that I'm a youth pastor. They respect me and I know they weren't talking about me. I'm usually very quiet and I'm not near competitive enough to get angry over a basketball game. Listen to me Christians...we are losing the world because our attitude stinks. God will hold us accountable for this.
• Life is getting busier. Upward is starting, school is starting, and it's time to start seriously planning this year's events. It's time to, "Do Work Son!!"
• Speaking of school, this will be the hardest semester of all time. Math, a bible class, Church History, Romans, and Revelation in relation to Daniel. Oh the pain that comes from just thinking about it.
• Good news: Allen Rogers has decided to teach the Adult Sunday School class for me just so I can finish this semester. He doesn't know he has decided this yet, but Allen has a great heart and he does an awesome job while I'm gone...Thanks Allen:)

Proverbs 17:1

I was reading this week in Proverbs searching for a verse I had heard countless times, but I never knew exactly where it was located in Scripture. As I was scanning through chapter 17, I became deeply convicted as God spoke to me and reminded me of 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is God breathed and profitable…” I stopped and repented for skimming the very words of God that He enabled men to write through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and I started over reading chapter 17 with a heart longing to hear from Him. I read verse one probably 20 times because I was so amazed at the deep and “profitable” wisdom it contained:

“Better is a dry morsel with quietthan a house full of feasting with strife.” Proverbs 17:1

With my New Year’s commitment to pray for the families of SHBC, I thought there was no better verse to meditate on. The writer of Proverbs tells us that family peace is more important than food itself. This year will you commit to pray for your family and others to have peace? Our faith must begin in the home and pour out into the community. How can we talk about the hope we have in Christ if we are miserable when we go home? Husbands and fathers, take the initiative to lead your family in a deeper walk with the Lord. Wives and mothers, be the example of how your husband should submit to the leadership of Christ and make your home your number one priority. The peace you have in your home is better than a feast.

You Must Suffer

If you do nothing else today, please take 10 uninterrupted minutes and watch this video. Please. As Christians, God has not called us to a comfortable, easy, self-satisfying lifestyle. He has called us to suffer. He has called us to pain. He has called us to live a life that is all glorifying to Him and no other, but through this pain and suffering we can rejoice because God is all-satisfying in pain and tribulation. We rejoice for the sake of the Gospel for it is the power unto salvation. Are you living comfortably? Is there anything in your life that makes you believe in God that He will supply your every need? Something you are not in control of and it makes you trust Him? Please watch...