I’ve really lost track of this blog. Recently, God has really been working on me. I’ve been working with a local builder framing houses (which I might add is harder than the last house I built… out of legos). It’s given me alot of time to think and pray. Not a lot of time for reading and writing however. Today was exceptionally long going from 7:30 to 5:30.

I’m trying my best to keep up with illustrations that come to me during this time of dormancy. I’m also doing what I can in order to continue preparing messages.

One house that I saw recently looked really great. The foundation had been poured and the walls for the basement were almost completely up. Everything looked great. The problem was that the foundation had been poured two feet short. Though structurally the house would be strong and still very livable it would not be the house that the builder intended it to be.

How many times have we jumped the gun? God gives us a plan and we go in head first without taking a thorough look at what God has planned. As a result we still do God’s work, but sometimes not as God would have liked.

This is one of the problems with preaching. My friend Russ recently preached at our home church. People commented that “it didn’t seem rehearsed” and that “you would think he hadn’t written anything on paper, but had everything written already in his head.” This is because of good sermon prep. Not only did he know what he preached, he believed it, prayed over the message, and sought after God. When he stepped into the sanctuary for worship he had already allowed God to take over far before he started preaching. Often pastors pray before they preach “God be with me.” I hope God is with you, but I hope this is not the first time you have prayed this prayer.

By neglecting to consult God throughout the time of preparation we may say some great things in the sermon, but it’s just that… we have said good things, and we have failed to allow God to step in and use us completely.

It is my hope and prayer that God will continue to use me as an instrument that advances the Kingdom of God. I know that in time His plan will be revealed, but until that time I will continue to prepare for the road ahead.

Grace and Power

So I got a taste of both of these areas today. I spent the majority of the day helping a friend build a house. I’ve worked on a few odds and ends before, but I’ve never started from the ground up. The home will be roughly 2,800 square feet. Here was the progress today:

• Laid out and mounted all first story floor joists
• Set all first story floors

When I got home I knew that I had to work on the Grand Am. For those of you that haven’t heard Kristie and I purchased a 2002 Pontiac Grand Am GT with some of our tax return money. It had been wrecked and the owner received a company car and was selling it at a rediculously cheap price. Of course, with cheaps prices comes cheap quality. I’ve never owned a GM before (Ford, Mazda, Mazda), so I am currently learning some of the kinks to them.

Lesson #1

GM’s all use ORANGE antifreeze. If you were to mix the typical GREEN and orange you would end up with a gel that would clog your radiator. Fortunately, the guys at the parts store knew what they were talking about and educated a Ford fan.

Fix #1

I was experiencing some vibrations at higher speeds (50mph+). I thought that the problem was steming from the tires not being balanced. A local tire shop agreed to balance my tires for $20. I informed them of what I was experiencing and they took a peek at a few other things just to see what they could find. Didn’t take long. 1 lug nut was missing, 1 lug bolt was bent, and an additional lug bolt was missing.

After talking with the guys at Bill’s, I went to another machine shop where they replaced the lug bolts.

Fix #2

The car was overheating after about 5 miles on the road. Here are the facts:

• No coolant in the oil
• No oil in the coolant
• Radiator is getting air and is not blocked
• Coolant level is full
• Intake manifold and gaskets have been replaced  according to factory recall

So here is what I’ve come up with: thermostat. Now the last time I remember doing this it was on a 1983 Ford F-100 with a inline 6. It was literally a 20 minute job. Of course, this truck had enough room under the hood that I remember eating lunch while sitting on the inside of the wheel fender.

Needless to say this was a bit more complicated:

Step 1: remove the Ram Air intake

Step 2: remove coolant pipe from thermostat housing, and secure so as not to leek

Step 3: remove air filter housing

Step 4: remove the coolant lines from the thermostat housing

Step 5: remove top thermostat housing bolt using a 10mm socket and an extension

Step 6: remove the aluminum heat shield on the exhaust

Step 7: remove the final bolt from the thermostat housing

Step 8: remove the housing

Step 9: remove the thermostat

Step 10: test thermostat

Here’s a neat tip. In order to test a thermostat heat a bowl of water to boiling and drop the old thermostat in the water. If the thermostat does not open you know that it is faulty. If it opens then it was ok.

Thankfully, after trying this test the results were that the thermostat was faulty!! A $8 fix.

It’s odd to sit and watch A-Rod speak about his use of illegal use of a banned substance. However, its good to see him fessing up to his mistakes openly. I understand that he used steriods, and I understand that it was wrong. On the other hand, it was illegal to Major League Baseball, and was available over the counter. The substance itself was not illegal. What really strikes me is that numerous people want to crush A-Rod because he took performance enhancing drugs, yet the same people think that Micheal Phelps made a simple mistake when he took a hit from a bong. Could someone please explain this to me.

A-Rod took this substance in private. As a matter of fact, he even stated that he knew very little about the substance, wasn’t sure if the substance would work, and was not aware if he took the correct dosage to achieve the “proper” results. Nevertheless, people are outraged about him injecting this “energy enhancer”. A-Rod seems to be sorry for his mistake. Though I wonder what he thought he was getting through a syringe? Maybe he thought it was Redbull concentrate.

Phelps, on the other hand, goes to the Olympics to represent his country and openly breaks the law in a public setting (or at least public enough to get caught). Yet no one discusses taking his medals for the misrepresentation of American athletes. No one seems to care because it isn’t related to his sport. I wonder if people would overlook A-Rod if he said that he smoked marijuana in order to mellow out before getting stuck with a needle. I believe that people would be outraged with him. Not only would they throw him under the bus I think they’d put it in reverse and hit’m twice.

I’m not trying to say what should or should not take place. But it seems to me that the reason A-Rod is in over his head is becasue he took a substance that affected his performance on the field; while Phelps took a substance that had nothing to do with this swimming and effecting him and was a private choice that some people would say effected no one else. Are people upset because A-Rod has tarnished his integrity or because the record books may need an asterisk? It seems to me that people are more concerned about the numbers in the books than they are about the morals of a person. Good job America!

I’m glad A-Rod realizes he will have to regain the trust of the people around him. I hope that he will work with the MLB in order to have better testing and to take the testing into other sports. If someone is truely sorry they will try to make sure that others don’t make the same “mistakes”.

Top 10 Places You Have to Try Before You Die

In no particular order:

Tiger Town Tavern

• Clemson, SC
• Must try: The Chris Patton (Bacon-Swiss Burger)
• Pros: Great food, good service, great classic rock music, outside patio, no wait for lunch
• Cons: Bar atmosphere

Joe’s Ice Cream Parlor

• Easley, SC
• Must try: Two Hotdog Special (all the way) on Mondays and Fridays
• Pros: Hometown place, they bring the entire pitcher of tea, Cheerwine in glass bottles
• Cons: Cash or check only. “Chilidogs” only have chili and no dog. Ask for a hotdog with chili. 

Beacon Drive-In

• Spartanburg, SC
• Must try: Cheeseburger A-Plenty Plate, BLT, Pig’s Dinner (Banana Split)
• Pros: Amazing food, world famous sweet tea
• Cons: Antacids are available in the bubblegum machine as you enter

Wade’s Southern Cooking

• Spartanburg, SC
• Must try: anything… they have it all
• Pros: Meat and Three, Buffet
• Cons: Can get crowded

The Moose Cafe

• Asheville, NC
• Must try: Fried Chicken and massive biscuits w/ homemade apple butter
• Pros: Great food, tea served in mason jars, amazing view of the mountains, breakfast
• Cons: Almost too much food to eat

Ancheaux’s

• Clemson, SC
• Must try: Black Jack (Blackened chicken sandwich with Monterey Jack and bacon)
• Pros: Sandwiches, burgers and burritos! Homemade bread!
• Cons: bring a crew and snag a seat… tables fill up fast and the wait can be up to 30 minutes

Murasaki

• Greenville, SC
• Must try: Lobster Roll and Clemson Roll
• Pros: Great atmosphere, main street downtown, good service and food, raw and cooked sushi
• Cons: Sushi isn’t for everyone

The Blue Ridge Brewing Co.

• Greenville, SC
• Must try: Carolina “Q” Sandwich (Pulled Pork)
• Pros: Main street downtown, patio seating available, homemade ketchup and bbq sauce, reasonable lunch prices, micro brewery, wild game sampler (dinner only)
• Cons: Pricey dinner menu

Smoke on the Water

• Greenville, SC (West end)
• Must try: Baby Back Ribs and West End Burger
• Pros: Good prices, wonderful service, plenty of food, close to Falls Park
• Cons: tricky to find parking

Yoder’s Dutch Kitchen

• Abbeville, SC
• Must try: Fried Chicken and Peach Pie
• Pros: Homeade food, Amish Style, grandma’s cookin, affordable
• Cons: Abbeville is a drive from the Upstate, peach pie only available when the peaches are in season

I was reading an article from the UMC Advocate and saw a quote I thought I’d share.

“It does no good to preach commitment!” declares the theology professor to the seminary students. Over the murmuring and objections that greet his words, one voice rises. “So, what are we supposed to preach then?”

“Preach the greatness of God. If people catch just one tiny glimpse of the greatness of God, they will not be able to help but be committed.”

A few thoughts about the inauguration:

1. The inauguration was awesome. Using inaugural balls to fundraise the the actual inauguration.. brilliant.
2. There was NOT ONE arrest made in DC due to the inauguration. There were 8 million people there and no one got out of hand.
3. It was amazing to see such a smooth transition of power. Just think of how many countries go to war to see a change in leaders. America threw a party and celebrated the service of GW over the past eight years and then embraced their new president with open arms.
4. I thought it was very classy for President Obama and his wife to see former President Bush and his wife out to the Marine helicopter after the inauguration. No newly elected president has ever walked out the former.
5. It must have been awesome to have been Rick Warren. It must have been great being able to pray for the president in Washington on the steps of the capital building.
6. I also thought this article was pretty awesome.

A few thoughts about America, the next $350 billion, and a few Americans

1. Barack Obama is our President. As Christians we are called to pray for him daily.
2. I heard someone complain that Obama partied until 3 this morning. They claimed it wasn’t a “responsible thing for a President to do.” I say good for him!! He was proving Hillary wrong; he was awake when the phone rang at 3am! He was actually only out until 1am. It’ll probably one of the few times that he is up that late and isn’t under tremendous stress.
3. Yet another person complaining about how “Obama has been raised up like he’s Jesus Christ.” I completely disagree. 1. Jesus got bad press 2. When Jesus was raised up it was on a cross. Why do some Christians think it’s ok to say things like this, but if a Muslim said it they’d be irate? 
4. I really like Newt Gingrich’s idea about the stimulus package and the next $350 billion.
5. I know that this is the opposite of what some people were hoping… but I’ve noticed an increase in racism and racist jokes since Obama came into the picture. I talked to Jason about racism and what it was like in Australia. He said it was next to non-existent there. He also said it didn’t take long for him to be re-introduced to it when he got back. I’m tired of racism. It needs to stop, and the first place it stops it with the jokes. If you aren’t telling the jokes then stop laughing. I can’t take it anymore.

I also thought it was great that Obama relies on God and knows that He is greater than any president. He showed that in his speech and this morning.

Pray for our country, our president, and our people. We all have things that need work over the next four years.

Seems like the economy continues to plague our thoughts. I saw a recent article on the news where a woman stated that “we need to fall on our knees and pray for God to save us.” Hate to break it to you all, but God sent Jesus to give us eternal life and the ancient Egyptians to invent these little financial life savers called scissors. Directions: 1.  Open scissors 2. Insert credit card between the two sharp blades 3. Cut card into tiny bits. We need to be praying that we will stop falling into the trap of consumerism, and then take action to prevent it in our lives.

It was good to have Jason back in the south. I had a great time catching up with him and discussing the differences between America and Australia. We also both exchanged gifts. He gave me his copy of The Shack which I have already began to read, and I gave him the opportunity to loosen up his shoulder with my 12 gauge. It was a lot of fun being able to step out in the backyard and rip into a coffee can.

At The Fellowship we’re currently in our series “What is Worship?” Last week we looked at tools that we use during worship such as the United Methodist Worship Planner, the UM Hymnal, and of course the Bible. Here are a few things we discussed:

1. If worship were like a dinner table then the Bible would be the centerpiece of the table, Christ would be sitting at the seat of honor at that table, and we would be around that table eating and talking.
2. The hymnal contains more than just hymns! Most hymnals (Methodist or not) contain prayers, worship services for things like the celebration of new members, Baptism, Communion, prayers of confession and pardon, responsive readings, and prayers from the saints.
3. The worship planner is a great resource. It contains the lectionary as well as suggested hymns, anthems, visual aids, and liturgical colors.
4. The worship planner could be used as a legalistic tool that causes us to lean on this book rather than the leading of the Spirit.
5. The hymnal contains songs from post 1950!!
6. The Bible has a concordance in the back that helps you to find Scriptures relating to particular topics.
7. The Bible has this to say about worship:

“Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

John 4:21-24(TNIV)

Hope all of you have a great weekend! God Bless!!

It’s hard to believe that it’s 2009. Things seem to come and go so quickly. I know that there a lot of changes coming this year… some with me, some with the government, and some with sports. Here are a few things different for 09:

• I’ll be married all this year. Kinda strange to think that I’ll have a roommate for a full year. Never done that before.
• We’re getting a new president! No matter what you think about him it’s exciting.
• Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno will be leaving Athens for the NFL. Well… there went 75% of our offense. It’ll be interesting to see how the dawgs will adapt next season.
• One of mine and Kristie’s goals is to get another car by August. This means two things: budgeting like mad and keeping our eyes open for deals. This’ll be the first car I’ve bought with someone. Probably won’t be hunting for an RX-8 or a Bronco this time around.
• I really want to read through the Old Testament this year. I tend to preach from the New Testament a good bit, and I’d like to tilt the percentages back towards a 50-50. I think by reading through the OT I’ll open up my preaching.
• Florida made it count by knocking off Oklahoma. I hate Florida with a passion. You can’t pull for Georgia and Florida… but I can pull for something bigger than the gators. I was glad to see the SEC claim another championship, and I couldn’t help rooting for Tim Tebow.
• There are going to be a ton of reporters in Washington on January 20 for Obama’s inauguration, but I had no idea that Peter Parker would be behind the lens taking shots of the president.
• I also never pictured the Red Sox picking up Smoltz! This could be yet another good year for Boston.
• I’m really excited about what God is going to do in 2009. With as many things changes that have taken place in 2008 I wonder what He’s got in his back pocket for 2009.

First things first. I realized that I haven’t had a header on my blog in a while. I decided to change up the theme, but have yet to find a header I like. Tell me what you think, and what might look good as a header. I’m not a very artistic person so if I have ideas I’ll listen.

A brand new clutch, pressure plate, and bearing have been replaced. After dropping the engine, exhaust, sub-frame, axles, and transmission everything was back to normal. Thank goodness my neighbor is a technician and knew what he was doing.

The SC United Methodist website got a facelift. It looks great and is much easier to navigate. Salkehatchie also got an update.

Cody posted the other day about Twitter. I have an account but have yet to figure it out. I guess it’s time for me to get one now that the SC Conference has a twitter.

I had the chance to go to the YouthWorker’s Movement meeting in Columbia last week with Chris. I’m really excited about being a part of youth ministry connected throughout the conference. The speaker was Jennifer Williams from Bethany UMC in Summerville. She talked to us about the Advent Conspiracy and how Bethany UMC and the youth group have refocused during Advent this year. Most people don’t know where Summerville is located. Just a refresher, Summerville is one of the most active places east of the Mississippi for earthquakes… like the one that happened Tuesday.

Have a great Thursday!