When purpose fades...

I wonder how many things we do on a regular basis and we don't really know why? I love this watch. It is actually my favorite watch that I have ever had. Dawn got it for me for football and it is so met that purpose. It has a large face with great stop watch capabilities...and it looks good. To me at least. I love the way it feels. I know when its on and when it isn't.
For now, there's really only one problem. It doesn't work. This picture is actually a 'time' when I was wearing the watch out of habit, but it isn't working. The battery is dead or something. The bottom line is there are no numbers or letters showing up on the face of the watch. So, you ask, why am I wearing it?

Habit maybe. If I'm honest, it isn't that. I like the way it looks and feels to the point that I am wearing it even if it doesn't serve a purpose. Maybe it will remind me to get it fixed:)

I wonder how many things in our lives we do for the feel of things or habit or because it looks good to us or others? But there's really no purpose for it. In Isaiah 55, the chapter known as the Invitation to the thirsty, we read an invitation to those who don't have a relationship with God thru Jesus. God is calling out to the lost and broken saying "come to me, those of you who have lost your way. Forsake your wicked ways. For I am merciful and will give you rest." (paraphrased and summarized) Then verse 11 says "So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the PURPOSE for which I sent it.

I believe God has a purpose for everything. There is nothing done by sheer accident of for no reason. So why do we do what we do? God may I meditate deeply on what I do, why I do it, and may I prayerfully have a Kingdom purpose for everything in my life. His Glory forever.
Keith

bearly saved

This was quite a picture after our video a couple of Sundays ago of Cougar vs. Bear. This guys works for the wildlife Div. in FL. He had to remove this bear so he shot it with a tranqualizer dart. The problem with the whole scenario was that, after being shot, the bear ran until he got to a coastal canal and then went swimming. The bear started to slow and then was unable to move his limbs and began to sink. This quick thinking ranger dove in the canal and attempted to save the bear.

After being pummeled under the water a few times, the bear lost all control of its limbs and the man was able to wrap his arms around the bear and swim it to safety.

I wonder how close we come sometimes from going completely under. We are losing complete control of everything around us, but we are too afraid, too scared, or too prideful to allow God to swoop his arms under us and save us.

It's strange how far we have to sink before we are willing to let go. It's almost like we have to see how much pain we can take before we cry out.

Thank you Jesus, for being a God who will wrap around us even at the last minute and save us when we finally give up.

We're in it together:)

We may be a little rough around the edges and we don't look exactly alike, but we are in this together. We all at intersections are people who are tainted...messed up, but want to follow Jesus because we know He is our Salvation and our hope. We are truly in this together.

It is so hard to figure things out sometimes and through circumstances we can begin to think that God is actually putting the most difficult people and situations in our path. We sometimes don't even fathom that it may be US that is difficult. We may be the problem. I can guarantee this. We are at least part of it.

As we move forward God, may you make us one. May we become the evidence of Jesus' prayer in John 17. We are a little rough, but we are in this together and I love you all. To the future:)
Keith

A Father's Love

So very close now is graduation. A time to celebrate the accomplishment of completion. Completion of a requirement to education and becoming a integral part of society.
But I remember playing catch. I remember wrestling in the family room until we couldn't wrestle anymore. And now, graduation. Movin' on.
I have loved every part of being a dad. Even the tough moments both far and near because I know that even the tough times make us all grow. Zach has been such a pleasure to raise and I am not ready to stop. I don't want this time to be over, but it is at a new point. He is still my son and I am still his dad, but things will be different. On this side of that, I don't like it. I want to talk football after games like before. I want to go thru all the phases just one more time.

We were fashioned after the image of God. I think he must relish in us as I do my children. I hope as a believer, I have been a pleasure to raise. I hope that God can look down on me with the pride of a father who puffs up and says, "yeah, that's my son:)"

Zach: I love you. I am proud to be your father and I wish you the best. I am excited for the direction you take and am thankful for God watching over you. Always know how much mom and I love you. Forever, Dad

The strength of ONE...

I had the pleasure of meeting with someone today who I respect greatly. He is a man to both admire him for his greatness and also for his humbleness. We were talking his expertise...football. Coach George Hill has coached for several college programs like Bowling Green, Dennison, Cornell, Ohio State (he was the defensive coordinator during the Woody Hayes era!!) He also coached for the Miami Dolphins, the Baltimore Colts, and The Philadelphia Eagles.
All of that alone is pretty special, but then to get to know him and see his humble attitude makes him someone to model after.

We met today to discuss some defense stuff. These discussions are always fun, but at some point of a conversation with Coach Hill there is a good chance that Jesus will come up and character...those type of things.

Today was no different. He was reminded of the head coach at Bowling Green when he was there. The coach was stating what would be the most important thing for the Bowling Green football team. It would be morale. If there was anyone, no matter how good he was, who was negative or had a bad attitude, he was simply not welcome to play for Bowling Green. Character and morale came first. Good football would follow.

As followers of Jesus, character and morale should also come first. It's not the talents and gifts that are going to change the world and make them want Jesus. It's Jesus in us that is going to do that. Jesus gives us character and when we are focused on him we can't help but stay positive no matter what the circumstances.

It is so true that "one bad apple can spoil the bunch". Wow. I have the power to truly spoil the testimony of several just by my attitude. God help me. May my life be just another apple...not a bad one.

Which Way?

What is the best direction from here? I don't have a clue. Can you imagine if this was someone without a a boat who had to decide where to turn? I couldn't begin to tell you what lies beneath the surface of the water. I don't know how deep it is. And the worst part...it looks like I'm alone.

Seems like the conversations that I keep getting into have something to do with 'what's the plan?' or 'Which way do I go?' or 'What does God want me to do?'.
Well, I have asked that question many times. You know what amazes me? I don't think I have gotten the CLARITY that I would have liked to have had. I guess the only 2 decisions that I knew beyond any doubt was that I needed to follow Jesus and I needed Ms. Dawn to be my wife. Past that, I have done a lot of comfortable guessing. Not guessing like...hoping that the next card thrown will get me close to 21 without going over. But the kind of guessing that goes like this. I sense something. I can't tell you the details. I only know that I sense God wanting me. I sense Him driving me toward something. I sense it without knowing the details myself. Sometimes, it's bigger than me. Bigger than what I can do. Basically, it's something possibly that could be so big, that without God, I WILL FAIL.

It doesn't start that big. And I couldn't tell you how big it even is. I only know that God wants me somewhere doing something that displays His glory and His love for us. That's it. What if I decide that until I know what the plan is, I am not moving. I do that. Sometimes I wait because I don't have enough information. I wait because it isn't planned out and God knows I don't need anyone else thinking that I fly by the seat of my pants.

What right do I have to expect the Creator of all things to go over the plan with me as though He needed my approval before I am willing to say 'I'm in!'.
Something on your horizon is big. God wants you to sense it. He is waiting. He is waiting for you to trust. Trust Him by taking the first step...

everybody wants to be like you!!

Phillipians 2:5 will forever go down in the history books for me. My attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. It was the theme to camp the first year we went to studentlife at the beach in Daytona. Due to the grace of a couple sweet young ladies, this verse is also on a wall in my office.

Do you ever wish you could just spend some time around Jesus to see what His attitude was like? I do. I judge someone's attitude so much by what is verbalized, but also so much more. I judge by their facial expressions, their body language, their breathing...even the speed they talk.

We judge in so many ways besides the verbal or what is actually said. Jesus said a lot and we have it all at our disposal. But wouldn't it be nice to be able to see his eyes...his facial expressions? The picture this week is of a mirror neuron in the brain. These things are so cool. The cells of a mirror neuron fire off when we want to complete an action. For instance, as I type this, there are mirror neurons firing off as I type each letter.

Here is the really cool part to me. Not only do they fire off when I do something, but also when I watch someone else. That means that the part of my brain that dictates action is also watching others and firing off as if I am going to do it to!

I know what your thinking...SO STINKIN WHAT? Here's what. That means that whenever we do something that someone else sees, they have mirror neurons in there brain going off that will help them imitate it if they so choose. Wow. May I imitate Jesus because biologically anyone who is watching me is also impulsively possibly going to imitate me.

Isn't that wild? Our brains are programmed to imitate. Well, Phil. 2:5 to ya.

cya,
keith

greetings

It has been awhile since I've sat down and jotted something. This one is short, but had to celebrate this past wed. Great job Leigha (spelling)!! Congrats to those ladies who made new decisions to follow Jesus. He will never let you down. And thank you to all Adult-youth leaders. You guys stinkin' rock!! I love you all and am so grateful that we roll on with things and I can be there or be somewhere. And here is the great part. As we always see, God is working.

Read your bibles!!
cya,
keith

T E A M

It won't be long. I am counting the days, as I know, the players are. Football spring game and season are just around the corner. I had a lot of pictures that I could have posted. Some I actually like more because it is the Campbell brothers in action!! I love that. I'll never get used to it. It will always be special even when that time is long gone.

But this picture is something that reminds me of Easter. We are celebrating the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. He has saved us. We pray to Him. We worship Him. We love Him.

And here is a picture of what he wants. Unity. A group united to love Him and love each other and spread the news. May we be that body. God, bless us with your spirit and unite us in love.

And God bless the Dragons.

hERE WE ARE AGAIN!! moRE PICS LATER TODAY TONIGHT OR TOMORROW
CYA,
KEITH

On the road again...

Here we are on the road, parents. We drove for about 12 hours as expected. We made it !! Here we are in Dauphin Island and it is wet! The rain has definitely made its mark.
Tomorrow morning we go to church at DI baptist church. Be praying for us. We are going to have a ball as we serve others by building wheelchair ramps, clean up yards, and help out a church in Saraland. Bye for now. keep checking back this week for more pictures.
God Bless,
keith

my cartoon life

This is me and some friends in cartoon world. Ever think to wonder what you would look like in cartoon world? What your story would go like? I have had some interesting conversations lately about God's will and our free will and how everything fits together. We wonder if God is in complete control of every detail then how do we even say we are making choices. Or on the other hand, we are making choices everyday without God's help, how can he be in control of everything?

This cartoon has done me some good. See, I can draw myself out and color in the world as I want my life to be and as I think it should be, at least, somewhat. I decide the job, the house, the car, the things to do, ...the life. I am deciding. I am making decisions. And at the very same time, God has a pen and pencil set also with colors much brighter than mine and they are stronger at making lines than mine. So as I draw, God draws. As I color, God colors. Sometimes in front of me, sometimes at the same time, and sometimes behind me. The important part is that He draws. and colors.

So which is it? Is God Sovereign or do we get to decide? Both. God is very much in control. And we still have choices. Our choices, by no means, discredit his all-powerful guidance over our lives. And his all-powerful guidance of our lives doesn't take away our ability to make decisions. But I do think it is very truthful and wise to say that his canvas is bigger, his guidance (if he chooses) is stronger and we are loved.

Great verse to back all of this up is Proverbs 16:9 "A man's heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps."

ciou,
Keith

The Company You Keep...

We know we are judged by the company we keep. It's not what all of us think is right, but we all know it to be true. I was remembering a time in college when I was out with a couple of my friends from high school. I didn't drink and they were cool with that. We were still friends. I do need to clarify that we didn't go out together very often because we didn't do the same things most weekends. But we were friends.

Anyway, this particular night they had been drinking before we met up. I, as usual, had not. We were walking uptown and not finding anything worth interest so we decided to head out to somebody's house (mine, his or his, I can't remember). We had parked in the parking garage on like the 3rd floor. One of my friends, to remain nameless, was a little loud. Yes, maybe even sounding as though he was having a much better time than what was fact. I remember thinking 'please quiet down. Just get in the car and lets get out of town.' So this was really loud. Sounding very intoxicated.

As we got to the car, my car, arriving just to the other side of the car was a policeman who had walked to the 3rd floor to see what the ruckus was about. Upon seeing me and my friends I am sure that the officer expected one thing. He was being polite (and so was I) as he asked us some questions of what we were doing on this beautiful boring night in town. To which I wanted to answer, "nothing officer. We are going home and won't be coming back out until we can learn to control our decibel output." My buddies were laughing. I mean that 'on the verge of hysterics' laughter. I was not laughing. I was sweating. And shaking. And praying probably something about being willing to go into the mission field if He would just get me out of this. About this time, the officer looks down and sees a can of beer or half full can or near empty...I'm not sure. It WAS extremely close to my car door. I would have suspected that it was mine had I known better.

Anyway, he asks me about the can and then follows the question with had I been drinking tonight. To which I answered truthfully no. "I don't drink, officer." Now the next 10 seconds were torture. He proceeded to cock his head a little, squint his eyes, and seemingly say with his posture...'son, what boat do you think I floated in on?' My buddies. Remember the laughter twins? They burst out laughing, tears in there eyes, and repeat...'He's telling the truth officer. He don't drink!' I think at this point the officer saw how very sober and scared I was and commanded us home. We went.

Mark 2:13-17 Jesus is having dinner with Levi and other known tax collectors. In ohter words, He was having dinner with the corrupt and the crooked. The partiers. The loud. The possibly obnoxious. The church leaders of the time questioned his followers...Why does He eat with THOSE guys?

Jesus answers with an answer about the healthy and sick. Who needs the doctor? The sick of course. Nor did He come for the righteous, but for sinners.
That's us. The sinners. No degree of sinners, just sinners. The pharisees largest problem was their own viewpoint of the man in the mirror. They saw themselves as better.

Sorry, to be so wordy, but it excites me about what was brought up in our Leadership breakfast. To start hanging with the wrong crowd with purpose. I had further conversation with one student who wants to organize a leadership night within some of the student hangouts. Remember, we are the wrong crowd too. It's just that we have seen Jesus' grace and mercy and have made the decision to follow Him.

God Bless,
keith

church

What is your routine and path to get to church? For me, it's get to church about 7, get some quiet time seeking God until about 7:30, then walk over to the church and start getting things ready for rehearsal. Getting ready. It's a great routine. I love it and get excited as it all starts to unfold each Sunday morning.

(Pan the camera to the other end of Lake Placid where my family gets ready for church)

Dawn is up with Kaleb getting him milk, cereal...changing his diaper, taking a few minutes just to love on him. Then, get clothes ready, wake everyone up the first time. The wake up process will go longer (usually until she offers the reward of an ice shower in bed). Isnt' that awesome! Our kids don't even have to shower outside of bed. We really cater to their needs:)
Then, finally, everyone's up, grumpy and moving and struggling to get to church on time.

Two Routines. Two perspectives. All to get to one place. The place where we can hopefully meet with our Savior and spend time with those we love worshipping Him.

Here's the thing. I wonder what we miss on our way to the church. I wonder if from whatever perspective we come from if the importance of GETTING THERE has taken the place and the priority over BEING THERE. I love FBCLP (the building). Strange thought maybe, but I do. It holds sentiment for me in just 5 years. But it's not THE CHURCH.

Acts 3, as we studied last night, tells of Peter and John heading to church. They had some great things to tell everyone. "Jesus, who you tortured and murdered, unlawfully, is NOT dead!! The man you had crucified is Alive!! Repent, and trust in Him because believe it or not, He loves You!!"

That is some great news to go tell. But they didn't get there. The crippled guy at the temple gate got their attention and they couldn't go on. So, what did they do? They did church. They became Jesus to the crippled man. They took time for something more important than getting to church.

So, what do we do? Do we see people on our way to church in need? Maybe not the same way, but they are out there.

I wonder if we will get to the place that our priority is to be the hands and feet of Jesus no matter where we were on our way to. Church? Vacation? School?

Rob Bell is a great teacher to any of you who haven't heard of him. Do a google search in your spare time "Rob Bell + Mars Hill" and listen to some sermons on his website. It'll do you good:)
cya,
keith--Leadership, I hope you guys are gearing up for next WEd!!

Looking to the future...

So, this is absolutely unbelievable. I am not even going to try to describe how this picture is possible, but it brings me to a point. Have you noticed that the eyes are like the most colorful, gem-like, unique part of our bodies? God has put us together in miraculous ways, but the eyes seem to be a topic for me lately. See, here's the thing. In Matthew ch. 6 Jesus is giving instruction on spiritual disciplines and then in the middle he chooses to talk about one of our body parts- the eyes.
It wasn't an accident and Jesus wasn't getting sidetracked. I wonder what was going on? He basically said that the eyes are the lamp to the body. And if the lamp is good, the whole body will be full of light. If the lamp is bad, the whole body will be full of darkness.
So, if we are looking at what? What makes our eyes good and what makes our eyes bad? Well, Just before this scripture Jesus is teaching about worldly treasures and heavenly treasures and He is teaching that we should be storing up heavenly treasures. I wonder if the good eye is looking for ways to do that? Talking to the student that doesn't talk to anyone, going on mission to help others, sharing the good news of Jesus with anyone without Him?
Or are we focused in on our lives and looking only to make them better and more profitable. We can surely make a profit. Hope at the end of my days, mine has been made with Jesus and not here.
Food for thought.
let me know your thoughts--and thank you for those of you that comment and let me know what you think. Just don't know how to respond to you on here. I'll figure it all our eventually :)
keith

Ever see a blue tree?

Many of you are familiar with the song 'God of This City'. Great song with a great story behind it. It was originally written by the band Bluetree. Strange name. I have been gearing up for our mission to Alabama as well as our group going to Jamaica.
Pattaya, Thailand is a fast-paced, party-driven night club scene. It is defined largely by the sex industry that it advertises. This band, Bluetree, wrote a song while on Walk Street which is the heart of this night life. Learn more at http://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/news/2009/02/02.BLUETREE%20DEBUT%20GOD%20OF%20THIS%20CITY%20MARCH%203.asp

Anyway, the band Bluetree...how did they get their name? Well, here's how the story goes. They were discussing how we are to be different than the world. Something about our lives as believers that is recognizeably different. Like going out into the woods where everything is green...all the trees green, and then you see this Blue tree. Blue bark, blue leaves...all blue. That's how it should be when people see us. They should see Jesus and recognize that something is different. Just like a beautiful blue tree in a green forest.
cya,
keith

I'll Wait for 50 Days! (2nd edition)

Sorry. At the end of the entry I wrote that Pentecost was the feast 50 days following The feast of unleavened bread. It actually was 50 days following the Feast of First Fruits.
Ciou for now,
keith

I'll Wait for 50 Days!

In the last post I wrote about being a rule follower. Let me follow that with...sometimes. I would never want to imply that I follow ALL the rules. Nope. Just the ones that in the whole realm of things, don't really matter. The others, I am trying like everyone else to let Jesus live in me to the point that I resemble someone trying to follow Him.

So, what do you think of the guy in the picture? This is Patrick Chapman. Just a regular high-steppin' guy from San Fran. Except tbat he is a world record holder. That's right ladies and gentlemen. Our man Patrick here broke the previous record of enduring the same pants for a certain amount of consecutive days. Patrick stayed in these cordorounds for 50 days in a row! Wow! That gives me a whole new standard to think about. Maybe I need to redefine dirty. Maybe a weekly pair of pants is really not that unrealistic. Maybe I can...well, lets be honest. Maybe some things can wait, but being the fact that I desire a healthy relationship with my wife and a cordial relationship with my friends, I better not let this one wait.

Patrick is the record holder. Enduring anything for long periods of time can become a challenge. The traffic light crossing 27 late at night or early in the morning, your favorite jeans in the dryer...not dried...and your late, MRI's, bike rides that go past the first hour.

Acts 2 describes the disciples of Jesus, about 120, gathered together, as they had been instructed. For 40 days following the death of Jesus He was seen alive in several different places. Then, 10 more days. They were waiting. Waiting on the promise. Waiting to see what Jesus meant when He said that He would send the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

I am horrible at waiting. I didn't like it as a kid, and I don't like it now. 10 more days? Are you kidding? The day of Pentecost. 50 days after the feast of unleavened bread and the promise comes. What did it mean to them? What does it mean for us?

cya Wednesday,
Keith

Gourmet Pretzels

I am instinctively a rule follower. Call me uptight, a goody-goody, boring...call it whatever you think it is. I don't know, but I have a real problem breaking rules. Usually, it's like really lame ones that I am unwilling to break. Like stay off the grass...or no trespassing on someones driveway. Or this one...Taco Bell-like establishment. No one is there but me. There are two options. I can go straight to the counter or I can wind thru the maze going back and forth until I reach the counter. 9 times out of 10 I'll go mazing.

Is it a fear of getting in trouble? Getting yelled at? Maybe just being pointed out. No matter what it is, I would rather go the extra and make sure I am following the rules. Why am I talking about this?

I looked up on my bulletin board and saw this empty blue packet of what is said to be Gourmet Pretzels. As a matter of fact, I have two of these packages on my bulletin board. Why? I unpinned one of the packages to see what it was. In smaller lettering it says...How to eat...GOURMET PRETZELS...on a low-fare airline. It then says (see back for details).

So, like a good little rule follower I turn the packet over. There on the back are 3 things. The nutritional info... The AirTran logo... and Eating Instructions. Yes, that's right, I said eating instructions. I was sort of caught off guard with that one. I have been doing this eating thing for years and feel like quite the expert. I am suffering very little hunger because of a lack of skill in this area.

I still read the directions. Why? Because I am a rule follower. Here they are for those of you who might struggle with eating yourself some pretzels.
1. Think about our wonderful low fares at airtran.com as you open your packet.
2. Place a pretzel in mouth. With each crunch, be reminded of our low fares.
3. As you swallow, remember again just how low the fares are.
4. Repeat until pretzel packet is empty.
5. Keep empty packet to remind yourself to book at airtran.com for our lowest fares and no booking fees.

I can't possibly go back in time and tell you that when I was on airtran (being scared to death that we were all going to crash, burn, and die, not necessarily in that order)that i was thinking about there low fares. I was honestly probably thinking about the smudge marks on the wings, the stability of the engines, the expertise of the pilot...gravity. But what did I do?

I followed the instructions:) Made it from the airport, back to LP, Home, work on Monday, to the bulletin board with stickpins and to be displayed for all the world to see. Or at least those few who actually see my office.

So, what is there to learn? Maybe we should try so diligently to follow God's word that we start to do it without realizing it. So that it actually becomes instinct. Like #1. As your day begins, remember that God counts your sins against you no longer. #2. When the car won't start and your late for school, remember again that your slate has been wiped clean. #3. When you go to bed at night and there is still homework to do, a test to study for, your night to do dishes...remember then that He would die for you all over again.

I guess I also learned that there is a certain way to eat Gourmet Pretzels and, if your crazy enough to fly, you might save at airtran.com.

Have a great weekend,
keith

rooted...

I couldn't get the picture out of my head of my buddy, Paul here terrorizing the hibiscus tree as an illustration that fateful Sunday morning. Here is another point looking back at that event. Paul and I discussed, as we laughed, about how sometimes illustrations didn't go the way they were planned. I mean, sometimes you can do a trial run and make sure something is going to work, but we're talking about destroying one plant just for practice to make that happen.
Paul did just what I would have done. "Hey, it will work," I'd tell myself. "What is the worst that can happen?" I think had the same thing happened to me, I may have fearfully decided that the roots were made of barbed wire and that they were never going to tear loose. I think at that point, I would have decided to make my point that being rooted in Jesus was forever. NOTHING COULD SNATCH YOU OUT OF HIS HAND!

Paul chose the original plan and finally won. He de-rooted the tree. Point made. The tree will die and has already started regardless of it's looks once it was pulled from the plant.

Let me say again for anyone who wasn't there...it is an honor to be partnered up with paul in ministry. I hope we get to do this together here for a long, long time. With that said, here is another point to be made about being rooted and his illustration.

When we are rooted in to the life of Christ and we are paying close attention to that relationship, we become extremely strong in Him and hard to separate. Jesus prayed for his disciples and you and I in John 17 and shows us roots. He was rooted. Rooted in the Father.

We root ourselves into something. It might be a pastime, a hobbie, the current events, the weather, your boyfriend, girlriend, video games, music...
The question is not are you rooted. The question is what are you rooted in?

Hope to see you all Wed. Night and Stay rooted or get rooted in Jesus.
cya,
keith

belonging

Hey,
When I found this picture of court street, Athens, OH, It excited me with a lot of memories of hanging out with friends on Friday and Sat. nights. As I said in the message, we all hung out on a wall to the bottom left just outside the picture. We were the townies that never stayed put in a college town always there to remind OU students that this was our town. Our place to belong.

So where do you belong? I have found that I belong in Jesus, but that doesn't just solve every problem here in my 24/7 life. Sometimes i just feel like I don't belong anywhere outside of my family and God. Not saying this to create a pity party. My guess would be that if you are an american teen or adult that you have also struggled with where you belong and who really cares about you. We live in a country that prides itself on independence.

When the Campbell Family experienced our 2nd or 3rd Christmas Parade here in LP, I realized something. After the parade there were all of these parties/get togethers going on around town. Coffee, tea and snacks. Laughter. Warmth. Love. I wanted to be at one of those places, but we didn't belong for whatever reason. How many times do we make others feel that way when we relate to each other and have family time at church or small groups and they are on the outside looking in.

Two points remain. We need to be willing to belong to this community of believers following Jesus and we also need to make others feel welcome to belong. Remember Jesus told the story of the banquet holder sending his servants to the alleys and streets then on to the country...get the beggars! get the poor! get the blind! In other words, come one, come all! There is no sifting filtering system by which we are to find people to belong to this great hope called salvation thru the grace of God thru Jesus.

I am going to try to be more approachable when I really want to just find a corner to hide in. When I just want some time for myself I am going to pray that God changes my desire to belong to a community of believers just like he did. God bless and enjoy your days off this weekend!
cya,
keith

Dauphin Island Mission Extravaganza!!

Hey all,
I talked to Lee today. Here is her picture. She is the wife of the Senior Pastor and also the missions organizer. She sent me a pic of a bathroom that is in the house of a 90 year old lady who we will be helping when we get there. This is just one of the projects, but certainly a neat one to be involved with. She is, as I said, 90 years old and has a grandson that is in a wheelchair. He is living there also. There is another group that will be there the week we are there to put a porch with a ramp up to her mobile home due to hurricane damage this past summer. We will be working on her bathroom. As you can see, she has a chair in the tub for boy in the wheelchair to be able to get in and bathe. We will be redoing the bathroom with a new handicap-accessible shower, sink (already purchased) and finishing touches on the rest of bathroom.
The catch is there is no funding for the bathroom. In God's time I am sure that he will provide a way for us to not only help by redoing it, but also help fund it as well. Be praying for this and we will see what He decides to do :)

I am also including a pic of the RESORT where we will be staying :) All joking aside, this is going to be a jam up trip!
God Bless,
Keith

Your special valentine...

Valentine's day is coming up this Saturday. You may get candy, cards, jewelry, or maybe your not the valentine type. We all like to be well thought of and valentine's day is a great day to think of others and find out who's thinking about you.
As I reflect on my valentine, Mrs. Dawn, and all that she is to me it is overwhelming. Through thick and thin she has stayed right by my side. It is so cliche-ish but this is a world that decides very quickly that if things aren't in my best interest RIGHT NOW then I am getting out. To go thru the good and the bad and still have someone that you are totally in love with is not only rare...it is a miracle.
As I think about it I am reminded of the greatest valentine in the world. Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. Although my love for my wife continues to grow I find one who loves me more. He made me, with great thought, He formed me and then, after going off kilter, He chose to save me from the destruction that I ran headlong into.
Whether single or dating, remember this valentines day that if you celebrate a love or a friendship, there is no greater love or friend than Jesus. He does not desire candy, or jewelry, or anything that is a TOKEN of your affection. He simply wants you. All of you. He has committed His life to you and He will take no less than the same from you. To the greatest lover of all, our Lord Jesus, the very creator of love itself, may we offer you a deeper version of our love for you this valentine's holiday.
This picture, believe it or not, is the perfect picture for Valentine's Day. This is the picture of the wife of the marine killed in combat in Iraq that flew back and the wife asked if she could spend one more night with him before his funeral. The placed guard asked the lady if she would like him to stand guard throughout the night as a sense of comfort for her. She accepted.
What a great picture of Jesus' love for us. He died for us as did this marine and he now lives again to reign supreme over sin and death. O God help us love you like this fellow soldier and wife love this marine.
God Bless,
Keith

And they're off!!

The ladies are on their way. Revolve tour will have begun in about 6 hrs. Thank you MOrgan for your comment. You too gamegirl. Good to hear practical things are being thought thru to make us more like Jesus. Khia and I are on our way to Chef Buddy's where I will be obligated to get a #12. Obligated in the sense that my inner self loves those!! Everyone have a great weekend. Be safe and follow Jesus.
Love in Christ,
Pastor Keith

confessions

So, I wonder what your thoughts are about last night. I was uncomfortable at some level talking about who we are to confess to and how often. I think because it is a discipline that in the church hasn't been practiced for a long long time. Anyway, food for thought.

Revolve girls...I hope you have a great weekend!! You are all in my prayers. Kaleb should be in yours because Dawn will be with you and he will be with me. It's Thursday morning and I am getting ready to go to lunch in Okeechobee with a few people to meet W. Elmo Mercer, a hymn writer. He's like 76 and written a lot of hymns for the church. How cool is that!! Basically, a seasoned version of Chris Tomlin. Anyway, have a great day or evening...depending on when you are reading this and don't forget to confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. That means he is in control and you are good with that. Also confess to each other. Be thinking who your each other is or are. You are the new church following a timeless ageless Lord and Savior.
God Bless,
P. Keith

Kaleb is doing good. I thought I would post my favorite picture of him.
Great addition, Gamegirl, to the Top 10 that was really top 5 and now has become The Top 6!! I purposefully went to McDonald's day...the drive thru, where I would get an Adkins diet friendly (2) double cheeseburgers and a coke (not friendly). So I am pulling up to the drive thru, order and no one comes up behind me. It's 12:10. Is that even possible?? It was sort of bizarre. I will take it that I am supposed to find some new ways to worship today.
Great Job Red football team! The exclamation point is not due to my excitement. I actually wanted to destroy you gals and gents, but a period just looked like I was being a sore loser. I am so stinkin sore. I look about 80 right now. Anyway, good job. I am proud of everyone for being such good sports about everything. Also...for the record. I did not stop to let Jacob get me. I am no quitter and would happily toast his tail to the endzone be it possible. However, I realized that he was going to catch me so I made a fatal decision. I would juke Jake. When I went to juke all that really happened was I slowed down and then changed directions in about 6 seconds... Jake reacted much quicker than that. Oh well. You also will be an old man some day.
Thought for the day. I am sitting in my office preparing for Wed. Night and I look over to my little 365 days of praise calendar thought for the day thing. It IS usually about 2 mos. behind, but not today so here it is.

"The thought of You stirs us so deeply that we cannot be content unless we praise You, because You have made us for yourself and our hearts find no peace until they rest in You." AUGUSTINE

ideas about worship

Hey guys. Sorry it took me a few days to get back to this. We were talking Wed. night about how do we worship...with our lips and our lives? I don't want to be presumptious to think that these ways are going to be solid ways for you, however I think they are worth trying if you are struggling with the idea of worship being anything your hands find to do in reverence for Jesus.

I think the way I am going to tackle this is to give a top ten list. In no particular order. Here goes.

1. The next time you go thru the drive-thru at a fast food place pay for the person's meal behind you also. This involves a little bit of waiting at the first window. Just tell the teller you are going to pay for theirs also and this is a great time to see if they will relay the message that Jesus loves them for you. In our bible belt part of the country, believe it or not, they usually have no problem with it. Pray for them as you go and know that you have brightened their day. You have worshipped! Obviously, make sure it's not a minivan full of John and Kate plus eight or you may bite off more than you can chew :)

2. Thank God for your parents and pray for them. My hope, as I know my children will be reading this, is that you do this all the time. But try this. Make it a practice when you are being reprimanded or not getting your way. What a great way to show God your obedience to Him far outweighs your own desires. This one's hard no doubt. Not impossible.

3. Get on www.intersectionsym.com. Sing and pray with the music player in solitude. I love worshipping like this. God honors our private pursuits of Him.

4. Making any money? Above what you give from what you make, pray about making a deeper contribution financially to something that will honor God and then pray for what it will accomplish. For example, if you have 40 bucks left and you know you get paid again in a day or two, choose someone or something to give a portion above your regular amount and pray that God will do great things thru it.

5. Find someone lonely. It's not hard to do. They are all around us. Choose a student who you recognize to be struggling and alone. Then, be a smile and friend.

Not an exhaustive list by any means, but at least hopefully some things you've never done before. Let me know how it works. Remember, it's all about bringing honor and glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus. Thank Him for the perfect gift He gave for us.

God Bless,
Keith

oops

Hey guys...sorry this is late. I will post the worship stuff tomorrow...computer problems:( sorry.
keith

IT'S MY LIFE!!

I remember in Middle and High School, which doesn't seem as long ago as it really was, going thru a lifechange of independence. You know what I mean. That point where Your mom and dad are not nearly as smart as you thought they were and you start to realize that your much more of a stellar genius than anyone gives you credit for being. If the world would only recognize your ideas you could probably save the planet.
That stage of life, which if you are a student in Intersections you happen to inhabit that stage, is really pretty cool. The cool part is you really are becoming smarter and that's why you get more responsibility. Some of you, in fact, may truly be just short of the stellar genius category. The reality is this...You are getting older everyday and sooner than you expect, you are going to out on your own making decisions for your life. After all, that's what we want now right? I mean, It is YOUR Life. Or is it? At least in the physical worldly sense it is. Your heart. Your Brain. Your Body. Your Spirit. Your Life.
As I get older I realize how much my life should be in Christ. All of it. Every decision. Every question. Every moment in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says That if I am in Christ, I am re-created. The old is out the door, and the new is who I become. The question then for me is how much of my life is in Christ? Do I leave any areas of my life outside of Him because they don't fit? What old things are hanging around your life. At the ripe age of 41 I certainly love the idea that I am a new creation and that the things in my life can still be made new in Christ. Everyday. So, it's your life. Where is it? And a side note. My parents made it thru there "getting dumber" stage and believe it or not as I have gotten older, they have gotten smarter. I bet your will too.