So on Thursday you can go here at 2:00 and listen to a thirty minute interview I did with Charley at Cross Driven Radio. It should be pretty neat. Charley is a great guy and has a huge heart for his radio ministry. He interviewed me a couple weeks ago about the 40 day fast and JesusGreaterThan.org. This weekend the interview in its entirety  will be on itunes as a podcast. Be sure to check out future interviews that he did with other 40 day bloggers.

Later……..

I found these shoes. I find shoes a lot, but these are special. I don’t know why, but I know that they are. I found a pair of cowboy boots sitting on a sidewalk one day. I have worn them once.

I love sports and college basketball ranks up there for me. I am so glad to know that this clown got fired this week!! Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus!!

Take care Billy. Maybe you’ll be calling Putt Putt tournaments again!!

So here we go. Suzanne, Rayn, Grace, and myself have decided that our stay in Mcleansville N.C. is coming to an end. We are beginning the process that is known as moving. Our house is going on the market in less than three weeks and we have a boat load to do. I started my  list, provided by the wonderful Missy Flora, by tearing down my hand rails on my porch and building new ones. They were old and falling down. This gave me the opportunity to use two new toys of mine. i have been the owner of a brand new  mitre saw for a few months now and never turned the thing on. I bought it to do some crown molding, but with the move on the horizon none has been done. This is an incredible piece of machinery. it can literally cut your entire hand off. The thrill junkie I am was turning cart wheels inside my head the whole time I was using it. Every cut was like a trip to the circus. Awesome!! The second little toy was one of my brand new nail guns. Ok, I had never really used a nail gun before. But man have I been missing out. Why would anyone ever buy a hammer or nail again. This thing is incredible. The absolute best fathers day present i have ever received. I figured out a really neat trick as well. If you take a rubber band and clasp the safety back, it will fire nails like an automatic weapon. Every squirrel around was on the run. Ducking behind logs and squeaking out to their neighbors. Anyways, it took me couple of times to get use to it. I have yet to figure out the double tap fire. Where in the world does that second nail go? Defiantly not in me. Trust me, the thought crossed my mind the first time it happened. All in all it was awesome. the rails turned out great and I only almost lost my hand.

We also started packing up my play room last night. For those of you who have been to the residence, yo know I have a play room. And you also know what is in it. But last  night was DVD night. We boxed up all of my DVD’s. i have an incredible collection. Movies I didn’t even know that I have. Movies that have never been opened. How ridiculous is that? Well there is a lot more to go. Comic books, baseball cards, guitars, keyboards, action figures (yep that’s right), and lots of other great stuff that Suzanne calls junk. Well I’m sure that there will be more to come. This is probably not going to be any fun.

Later……….

So it’s been a little while since I blogged. So let me catch you up to speed. Two weekends ago I came down with a little thing known as bronchitis, which seems to be still hangingout a little, which had me in the bed for a few days. Never a good thing. i hate coughing. it sucks. I really hate coughingso much that your head feels as if it is goingto explode. Or your chest feels as if it is ripping in two. Anyways, hopefully the worst is over. That Sunday while I was down and out I did a radio interview for Cross Driven Radio where I was asked several questions about the forty day blog and JesusGreaterThan.org. So if you are in the D.C. area be sure to check out this station on Thursday night, or you can download the podcaston Friday. It was really interesting to do that interview. Actually I enjoyed it a lot. Monday and Tuesday I called into to work. I never do that, but I felt like crap and had a heck of a week ahead of me so i laid on the couch. Tuesday night, July 1st, I attended my first ever concert while running a 101 degree fever. Suzanne, myself, and a few other friends headed down to Charlotte to see these guys. Hands down always the highlight of our summers. We actually have became friends with Leroi Moores cousin who gets us back stage passes to all of the shows we go to. i actually had an all access pass and walked pretty much where ever I wanted. Just so you know, if you stand on the stage of an amphitheater and look out at the seats, it will take your breath away. it did mine at least. But keep in mind I was a little weak from the bronchitis. Side note, I purchased two growlers of Red Oak that i did not get to take part in because of this sickness. But they went to a friend of mine who by the look on his face, and the words leaving his mouth, Tuesday night seemed to enjoy them just fine. Wed we woke up and it was Suzanne’s birthday. Happy birthday baby!! Our girls jumped in the car with their uncle and headed to Cherry Grove while we jumped in the Gladiator, it’s pimping, and headed to Raleigh for another evening with The Dave Matthews Band. Another set of greatness and a night not to be forgotten. After the show we headed to Cherry Grove as well. We spent four days with the girls, and a few in laws, sitting on the beach just relaxing. It was a much needed rest and I wish I was still sitting there. We had a great time and ended up back at the casa on Sunday afternoon. Isn’t it funny how vacations just fly by. Man I love vacation. So that’s whats been going on. Until Later………

For those who know me, you know I am a bit shall we say a little irrational in some of my fears at times. Tracy, no comment please. But in the last two days two of my top five fears have presented themselves to me. The first was when I was helping my brother move. I stepped into a spider web in my aunts garage, steeped back, looked down and saw this……..

A black Widow. Quite possibly my number one enemy on the planet. Spiders, don’t bother me. Black Widows scare the crap out of me. I have no idea why they walk this earth. They are extremely dangerous and cannot possibly serve any purpose that a regular spider without it’s crazy nuerotoxin can’t handle. I hate them, freaking hate them!!!!!!

The following night Suzanne, Rayn, Grace, and myself were returning home from dinner and a run to the grocery store. We turn to head down our driveway and I spot number two on my earthly enemies list. Again, those who know, know we live in the woods. I know that, i knew when I bought this house. I knew it came with critters, but this is unacceptable…

That’s right, a copperhead. Another super venomous critter around the house that I just don’t see a need in. Now i don’t kill every spider I see. I do kill every snake that I see. But this is the John Wayne of snakes in our area. It doesn’t get any worse than these bad boys. Super aggressive, super potent, and very sneaky. I hate them! Hate them with a passion. The thing that bothers me the most about them is that love to move at night. And where we live, there are no lights from any city or anything. Great for looking at the stars at night, bad for stepping on a copperhead laying in the yard. This is the first one I killed this year and hopefully I will not see another. I wish there was a way to eradicate them, because i sure would support that!! I might even make a t shirt about it.

Shalom….

     So this is day four of a movement known as the Forty Day Fast, a group of bloggers trying to answer the cry of the oppressed by bringing the kingdom of God here to earth as He wanted us to do. I encourage everyone reading this to go here each day to find out what God has laid on the hearts of the others taking part in the fast. Annie is on team one today, so be sure to check out her post as well.

     About a year ago I made a simple t- shirt that started a movement known as JeseusGreaterThan.org . I had no idea at the time that God was going to use the t-shirts in the way that He has. One year in and we have launched  three campaigns that we hope will raise awareness and funds to benefit those less fortunate than us around the world. Jesus>War was created to help raise scholarship funds for children whose parents have paid the ultimate price serving our country. All profits from the Jesus>Poverty campaign help to feed and clothe children living in poverty throughout the world by supporting Compassion International . Jesus>Thirst, in partnership with Blood:Water Mission  and Brody Harper  hopes to provide clean drinking water for every person living in Africa. I feel that God has called each campaign to fulfill His mission on earth, but today I want to focus on Jesus>Thirst

     Jesus>Thirst raises money to bring clean water to African communities through well building efforts. The campaign started about four months ago at the church I attend through a youth generated program called Quench.  . I have the privilege of being the middle and high school worship leader for a youth program that is truly representing the arms of Christ globally. The youth of St. Marks church in Burlington, N.C. partnered with the 410 Bridge organization  to raise money to build wells in African villages that had no or limited access to clean water. I was so moved by their hearts for God’s people that I designed Jesus>Thirst t shirts with all sales profits going to the Quench campaign. This group of young people raised close to fifty thousand dollars to help fight the thirst epidemic affecting millions in a country that the majority had never even visited. Praise God. Faith and passion for a God that is bigger than any of us can possibly understand will always prevail.

     While Quench was actively helping solve the thirst issue in Africa, Brody Harper, a friend of mine, felt called to get involved with some well building himself. Brody challenged his blog readers to donate money so he could send a check to Blood:Water Mission for their well building projects. Having seen the success of the Quench campaign, we decided to continue the Jesus>Thirst sales and donate all proceeds to Blood:Water Mission. And that’s where we stand. Trying to build wells for African communities that otherwise would have none. As in all countries and homes around the world, clean water is the foundation for life necessities in African communities. Women and children walk many miles a day just to retrieve clean water for their villages. People die daily just because they lack clean water. Clean water builds stronger communities that will grow and flourish.

     But here is the thing. One American dollar, four quarters, ten dimes, or twenty nickels  will allow one African to have clean water for one year. This is amazing. It is amazing because it is absolutely unacceptable that anyone in Africa, or on the planet for that matter, should be without water. It is absolutely unacceptable that we would choose to use our resources for so many different things that do nothing to further the kingdom here on Earth. Christ asked us to take care of the poor. To love the less fortunate and provide for them. And that is what were are trying to do at JesusGreaterThan. Our call is to raise financial support and awareness for those less fortunate, for the oppressed and marginalized, and just trying to love unconditionally with a huge heart for others.

     Please pray for the Forty Day Fast . Pray about all of the things you read about and talk to others about what it is that God lays on your hearts while reading these blogs. Pray that we will all  be open to whatever it is that God has in store for us to further his kingdom, no matter what that may be. Go to Blood:Water and find out if there is anyway that you can get involved. Go to JesusGreaterThan.org and buy a Jesus>Thirst t- shirt to help support the building of a well in Africa. But most of all pray that all Christians are inspired into some kind of action to further the kingdom here on earth. To answer the cries of the oppressed with the love of Christ.

Shalom……

Be sure to read Amy’s blog and when you finish with that one go read April’s.

Later.

Here we go. Go over to Brant’s blog, which is the first blog of the Forty Day Fast. This is going to be an incredible 40 days! you can get a full list of all the bloggers at Inspired to Action.Thursday is my day and I’ll be hitting on some JesusGreaterThan stuff. Please be praying for all of the bloggers and passing the word around to all you know!!

Shalom.

So here’s the deal It’s no secret among my friends that I do not enjoy lightning or strong winds or lightning with strong winds. Let’s just say any kind of severe weather that has to do with huge bolts of electricity falling out of the sky and hitting whatever object it so chooses is not something I look forward to. In fact I avoid it at all cost. I will quickly pull a radar up on my crackberry and check the current situation out. Suzanne finds this extremely funny and also annoying. Especially while I am driving into on coming traffic while tyring to refresh the radar image. Anyway, today after church Suzanne, the twinkies, Natalie, Charles, and myself all got together at the St. Mark Mebane office to eat and discuss some JesusGreaterThan stuff. It was a great meeting and we got a whole lot accomplished. Thanks guys!! Towards the end it starts to storm. Then this really loud siren goes off and Natalie, who just moved back from Mississippi, proceeds to tell us that it is a TORNADO siren. Needless to say this was enough to get my attention. Eventually it stopped. No tornado was seen and the rain and lightning appeared to be over. it was time to leave so Grace and I headed out to the van parked across the street. Pizza box and socks in one hand and a bare foot four year old daughter in the other. As we get to the center of the street this freaking huge bolt of lightning hits right in front of us. I mean it was the closest I have ever seen lightning. We just freeze in the middle of the road. Grace looks up at me with the most freaked out look I have ever seen on her face and proceeds to just mutter the word mom over and over. So we gently turn around and head back into the office. And what do we see when we get back? Suzanne and Natalie laughing their butts off at us. Never mind we were almost destroyed by a bolt of lightning.

Later….