I Hate The Devil

You know sometimes in life you just got mess you’re dealing with, and you know the only thing you can blame at that moment is Satan?!  I’m sorry for a minute, and coming off a little sabbatical, but let’s get real!  I’m talking internally I’ve been getting anxious and having dumb thoughts recently about life and the lack thereof.  Not that I’m afraid of losing my life, but it is not an absolute desire of mine at this point in my life.  But then I just hear a voice being so blunt and evil, that I know it is the devil trying to play tricks and be stupid.

I don’t have time for tricks!  I’m trying to live my life and do crazy awesome things, for His Kingdom come!  So get out of there, stop it, in Jesus’ name.

Anyone else struggle with just blunt happenings of darkness lately?  What are you going through, because I want to lift you up and be there for you.  I know what it is like.  Man.  (comment below)

Much love.

CPC Set List 3/27/2011

Say So – Israel Houghton
Day After Day – Kristian Stanfill
Forever Reign – Hillsong
You Alone Can Rescue – Matt Redman

CPC Set List 3/20/2011

Where The Spirit of the Lord Is – Passion
The Highest and The Greatest – Tim Hughes
The Stand – Hillsong
No One Higher/ The Stand – Northpoint Music
The Church – Elevation Worship

CPC Set List 3/13/2011

Rise and Sing – Fee
Our God – Passion
Give Me Faith – Elevation Worship
Psalm 62 – Aaron Keyes

CPC Set List 3/6/2011

O Praise Him – David Crowder Band
Day After Day – Kristian Stanfill
Glory To God – Steve Fee
Psalm 62 – Aaron Keyes

Fast Food Life

We did a series a few years ago with the title “Fast Food Life”. It hit on how crazy paced the world and life can get. How amidst our own agendas we can easily push God to the side. Not that this post is dealing directly with that but it is definitely true!

But I do want to vent about my observation of Fast Food in America. It’s something that has been churning in my heart for a while but today was the last cut. I am giving up Fast Food for my own until…

The goal is truly a month, but I’m hoping that after a month I’m in a habit of not having it and seeing the benefits not just physically, but financially and even spiritually. What did it for me? Hardees. I don’t eat at Hardees often and it’s nothing against the brand or the store, in fact I had a short stint where I actually worked at one during college. But I wasn’t really digging fast food today anyways, but due to time constraints and lack of preparation on my part, I had to settle for it. Instead of running to get my usual sub at Harris Teeter, I drove to Hampstead to see what they had to offer. Hardees was the farthest I had time to drive to and China Garden just wasn’t cutting it for me. Upon entering Hardees the line for drive-thru was packed, so I walked inside. There must of been a van of construction workers that just beat me in line. It actually was probably two vans, because I was number 20 or so in line. So I get back in my car and wait in the drive-thru, that is now longer than when I entered.

I begin to make observations of the people around me. I began to wrestle with the thought of the “blessing” we have in the United States to just pull up and get food. I know the large percentage of the world spends way more than a quick drive to get a meal. I’ve bever experienced it but I’ve heard of people within nations or tribes where their jobs are delegated to prepare the meal. That is it the whole day, to prepare food for the people they love so they can survive. To grow or hunt their own food to survive. Maybe they are working hours in a day for cents to buy rice for their family. Yet I’m sitting in a line waiting to pay $6 and then some for a meal that is in no way at all healthy for me.

So with that I’m going to try to live as best as America will allow me in the shoes of those people. Again I’ve never experienced it, but I do know it will require some change within me. I never prepare food a day earlier, but I’m going to start. I’m honest in saying I’m lazy and don’t always complete things that I have urges to do after a few days. But I want to work at this. I believe it will help in my world perspective of, well food. I also hope that it helps financially in being a good steward of the money God has blessed me with. I hope to save some money not eating out! Finally not only will it help physically in getting more well-balanced meals, but I hope to branch out a bit in my taste buds. Any one who knows me knows that this is huge and I don’t go out of my shell to try foods. It might be a slow transition but I hope to push myself to try new foods as I prepare for myself and for my family.

Much love and please pray for me. Any help or thoughts are appreciated! Comment below. Laters.

CPC Set List 2/27/2011

Say Say – Passion
Chosen Generation – Passion
Forever Reign – Hillsong
To Know Your Name – Hillsong
Give Me Faith – Elevation Worship

CPC Set List 2/20/2011

Sorry this is a little late.

Salvation Is Here – Hillsong
Salvation’s Chorus – Northpoint Music
All Because of Jesus – Fee
How He Loves – John Mark McMillan

CPC Set List – 2/6/2011

Sing Sing Sing – Chris Tomlin (Passion 2008)
No One Higher – Steve Fee
The Stand – Hillsong United
Beautiful Jesus – Kristian Stanfill
Give Me Faith – Elevation Worship

Healthy. Wealthy. Wise.

i’m getting old. let’s face it. 25 is a milestone. HAHAHA! just messin’ arounds but seriously, it is a milestone. i really can’t do the all-nighters like i used. albeit i don’t feel a ton of aches and pains, i definitely feel more than i used to. but i’ve realized its an ok thing. let me back up a bit on my thought process.

i have been given the awesome opportunity to lead worship on Sunday mornings in our extra service at Scotts Hill. my usual job is leading students in worship at Detour on Wednesday nights. so this brings something fresh and anew (which i love) as well as getting to work and lead other/different people (which i also love!). i have also began to journal my Sunday afternoon specifically in the mindset of the services. i wanted to record the experience, as well as look back on things i need to work on, and finally, keep a prayer list for the band, the people, and the Church. my heart is to remove myself from these times and allow God to change hearts. but i am human and i do mess up on silly things like prayers for Offering, skipping opening videos, etc.

as i began the entry for this last week, it was hard to pick out things within myself that “went wrong”. not saying i’m perfect by any means, but i definitely worked on my mishaps from the previous week. the band gel’d together like crazy! the engagement and environment were awesome. the way we did the service set up for an amazing time of worship and after the Message was spoken, it wasn’t hard to get into the presence of God and worship Him. seriously all-in-all it was an amazing Sunday.

except i was tired.

the one big thing that killed me is that i was tired. i realized not that i’m lazy, but on the weekends i sleep late and stay up late and come Sundays it kicks my rear end! that’s when i came to the epiphany i’ve been trying to avoid for some months now. i’m “getting old” and i need to start doing the whole “go to bed and get up early thing”.

but for now in my life, it makes sense to do so. i take the quote from Benjamin Franklin: “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” it’s so true right now in my life. the earlier i get to bed, the better i feel the next day. i’m not sure yet about the wealthy part, but it does help me start my day off in God’s Word, which is about the wisest thing i know i can do.

i’m about to start back up in school to finish my degree and i know this principle has to begin in my life. i am lucky man in that i don’t have to be at work at the crack of dawn. but i’ve been wasting it away on sleep. i commit to working on this whole “old people” thing and get up early and go to bed early. filling my awake time with pursuit of dreams and desires God has laid on my heart. to write songs. to make music. to read books. to exercise. to live.

i hate getting old. but man i love it. and the ideas of the future look amazing.

much love.