Roll Tide!

In case you missed it!

New York!

I took Lauran to New York for our anniversary! We had a blast! It was a first for both of us so we tried to do as much in one weekend as possible.

Here are the highlights:

First impression - EXTREMELY BUSY! If you have been you understand. This city moves. At first we were overwhelmed, but we got the hang of it after a while. We took a twilight cruise right when we arrived - which was the best thing we could have done. We saw the whole city - Empire State Building, Wall Street, Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, etc.. Unfortunately, our pics didn't turn out!!

The London - our hotel rocked! I highly recommend to anyone. Here is our view

The service was excellent. The restaurant was great. We loved it! Walking distance to everything.

Central Park. is MUCH BIGGER than I imagined. We spent the morning just walking through the park. Very cool.

Hairspray! A fantastic show. I could spend the whole weekend going to shows.

Shopping - Lauran enjoyed it. Me...not my thing, but we had fun.

Celeb Sightings - Sat right across from Chris Kattan Famous for "Monkey Boy" on Saturday Night Live, and the Night at the Roxbury.

We had a blast and will definitely go back.

Elizabeth Anne is advanced

Elizabeth Anne was pronounced "advanced" at our last doctor visit. Advanced socially and physically according to the doctor (of course the obvious advanced beauty is a given)

This was wonderful news to Lauran - but it makes me nervous. I am not sure I can handle a super beautiful, super intelligent, super gifted daughter. It's too much pressure for a Dad!

I was hoping for just cute and sweet, and a little above average - now I have advanced.


I can tell you that I do love my "advanced" little girl!

Blowout!

In our second game of the year - we got embarrassed! 15 - 1! OUCH!

We played a Mexican team who were extremely quick and were great ball handlers. I have to hand it to them, they were pretty good.

Highlight of the game: Our only goal was scored by our keeper when we played with an open net with a minute remaining!

Let's hope this isn't a trend for rest of the season.

3-0

We lost our first game of the year last night 3-0. Played Barcelona, a pretty experienced team.

We could have beaten them, but we are so out of shape we had no energy in the second half. We were also missing 4 offensive players - so no subs and no attack.

The highlight of the night is when I got flattened by a guy running full speed.

Once we get a couple of games under out belt, we will be pretty good.

Buy stock in whoever makes Aleve.

Bossy

Elizabeth Anne has discovered something new. The louder she yells, the quicker we move. That's right, she's figured out how to be bossy.

We were sitting at the kitchen table, her in her highchair.

MAAA!

"Are you yelling at me?"

MMMAAAAAAAAAAAA!

"You are aren't you" (We are laughing at this moment)

Red faced and fists clenched, MMMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

"Ok, ok" (We picked her up, doubling over in laughter)

Ahhhh. (She smiles)

I think this may be a sign of things to come.

Beautiful Girls

I am blessed to be surrounded by two absolutely beautful girls. My wife, and my daughter. (see the new profile picture)

Lauran doesn't like it when I brag about her. Elizabeth Anne loves it.

But they are my beautiful girls.

How did I do it? Prayer. No doubt about it.

I love being Lauran's husband and Elizabeth Anne's dad. It's the best job a guy could have.

My sister-in-law told me the other day that she can look at us and really believe that things happen for a reason. I agree. It's true. My two beautiful girls are an answered prayer.

My advice: Never stop praying. And pray for BIG, WONDERFUL things to happen in your life. Sometimes it just takes a little while for them to be answered.

38 Days til kickoff!

If you didn't already know, Bama starts practice August 3rd!

Just to remind you of the history,


Click here



We will get another one within 4 years. Remember - it was posted here first!

Personality

Elizabeth Anne's personality is starting to show. For instance...

It looks as if she may like to cook.




Is showing an affinity for a certain college.




Is definitely a dog lover.




A sound sleeper.




And has aspirations of being either a hairdresser, electrician, or possibly a mad scientist.

Lesson Recap - Anger Cure

Today's lesson was from John 13:1-17

Jesus is sitting in a room with his closest friends. One who is about to betray him, another who will act like he doesn't know him, and many others who will run away when He is captured. Jesus knows they are about to do this. He has them right where he wants them. And what he does next is amazing.

He gets up from the table, wraps a towel around his waist, pours water into a basin, and washes their feet.

Now, is that how we treat people who are about to deny us, betray us, and abandon us? Be truthful - we don't even think about it.

Serving strangers - easy. Serving friends - not so hard. But serving people who have or will hurt you? No chance - can't do it.

But this is the example and command Jesus gives us. It is a way to demonstrate the full extent of God's love. It is the path to blessing! (verses 1, 15, & 17)

Serving "enemies" is one of the hardest challenges to face as a follower of Christ. But there is no better way to deal with anger than to serve the person who made you angry. The cure for anger is serving.

The application for this week is to think about someone who has made you angry. Pray for them. Then think of someway you can serve them - and do it.

What an amazing way to demonstrate God's love, and cure any anger you are storing up. "That is the path of blessing"!

The meaning of ooh-ma

ooh-ma. ooh-ma. ooh-ma.

Lauran smiles and exclaims, "She means mama. She is really saying mama."

But I thought about it and looked down at Elizabeth Anne. ooh-ma. ooh-ma.

"No, I said. It means: Pick me up big person. I am tired of sitting here and I want to be entertained. Also, I am getting a little hungry so get busy with the prunes and carrots. After I eat, I would like a short nap and when I wake up, more entertainment. Finally, my pants are a little bit damp so hurry up and change me."

That about sums up ooh-ma.

Lesson Recap!

Today's lesson was from Luke 22:14-27

If you had one week to live - what would you say to your loved ones? What would you want to communicate to them? What would you want them to remember?

When reading this passage, we find Jesus in this situation. This is his last supper with his loved ones. He knows he will be crucified soon. Jesus has one day to live - so it's crucial that he gets this point across, That life is best lived remembering HIM.

He takes a loaf of bread and breaks it into pieces. "This is my body given for you."
He takes a cup of wine. "This wine is a token of God's new covenant to save you - an agreement sealed with the blood I will pour out for you"

Jesus had one last time to talk with them. He could have told them about all the mysteries of the universe. He could have made them rich. He could have told them anything - but he chose to break bread and pour wine.

The most important thing for them and us to understand is that our lives are best lived in remembrance of HIM. Remember - he died for us, you, me - so that we could live.

With that principle in mind, we challenged ourselves to tell someone close you care about them. Then, do one small (or big) act of service for them.

Life is best lived in remembrance of HIM.

I wonder what's next for Elizabeth Anne. At first, all I wanted her to do was poop and eat.

Then, after about 6 weeks, sleeping through the night was the milestone to hit. Life has changed since she started doing that!

Next it was eating baby food - which was, and still is a hoot.

But what's next? Crawling? Saying Da-Da? Multiplication tables? Dating???

It all moves so quickly.

Who knew?

Found something out today. It's OK to take Elizabeth Anne swimming, however, you aren't supposed to put sunscreen on her until she is older than 6 months!

Oops. And I quote, "We don't know the long term affects yet."

However, here are 5 possible long term affects (in my opinion):

1) The word "like" will be every third word in a sentence.
2) Everything is a BIG deal.
3) Cell phone bills wind up more than the car payment.
4) A strong desire to shop.
5) An amazing ability to get Daddy to give in.

I have seen this happen to a number of Dads - all because nobody told us about this sunscreen deal.

Here is a picture of me and Elizabeth Anne in the pool with sunscreen...

My breakfast conversation

"OOOOHHHH. OOOOOO. OOO."

"So, why did you feel the need to wake up at 4:30 this morning?"

"ooo"

"It's not nice to wake the whole house up you know. Mommy is sleeping"

"aaaooo"

"I know you want to play, but it's not playtime yet."

"aaahhhhooooaaa"

"Well, let's work on this and next time be a little less selfish"

"yeah right Daddy..."

Teaching Elizabeth Anne to eat

We are teaching Elizabeth Anne how to eat now.


As you can see, she is still kind of unsure about it. She likes peas and sweet potatoes. Getting the spoonful in her mouth requires skill and exceptional timing!

Yesterday, I got a mouthful of peas spit back at me. If you see me walking around with little green spots on my clothes - please just ignore it.

Excited!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while - just felt like taking a break. I am back now and will post regularly..

6 Things I am excited about:

1) Elizabeth Anne's personality is starting to show.
2) My 2 year anniversary - I am planning the whole thing and it's gonna be a big surprise.
3) The new changes happening within the youth dept at my church.
4) New friendships.
5) The summer soccer team I am going to play on.
6) College Football starts in 2 months.

It's the little things that make life good.

Pain - part 2

My little girl took four, that's right, four shots in the thigh yesterday!

They hurt. She took them gracefully, tears, bottom lip poking out, eyes looking up at me saying..."How could you Daddy?"

She was a little sick the rest of the day, but got a bundle of roses and a balloon that afternoon. And a bunch of hugs and kisses..

I hate shots.

Pain - part 1

Yesterday I was about to start feeding Elizabeth Anne and accidently poked her in the eye! (I know....how could you Dad!)

I poked.

She hesitated. Looked up at me. Pushed her bottom lip out. Turned her mouth into an upside-down U. Pushed her lip out further. Turned Red. And allowed Daddy to soak in what he did.

Then after about 20-30 seconds let out a big cry, tears and all.

I held her and she was ok after a little bit of crying. Daddy felt terrible.

Needless to say, there is more pain on the way for my little girl. She has shots on Tuesday. I am prepared for more of the bottom lip and tears. And more of the feeling terrible!

I have always wanted to do this!!!

Have fun kicking Tubbs... To create your own, click here

Put this game on your blog   Create your own   More games

New Toys!

Elizabeth Anne got some new toys the other day. These things just happen....

Here she is in her new "exersaucer".


As you can tell, she loves this one.






Here she is in her new doorway bouncer. Smiling or screaming???




She may have to grow into this one....






New toys are always fun.

Small Panic Attack

I am having small panic attacks these days. Here is an example of one:

Yesterday I was playing with Elizabeth Anne. She was lying on our bed, and I was bouncing her up and down. The faster I would bounce, the more she would giggle.

Lauran was watching. Elizabeth Anne was giggling. I was bouncing harder and faster.

Then Lauran says to me cautiously, "Don't let her shake too much".

My thoughts turned to...What if I over did it? Does she have a concussion? What if she has brain damage? Have I ruined my baby!?!

I stopped bouncing. She looked up at me with big blue eyes, smiled, and kicked her arms and legs as if to say, "Do it again daddy!"

Whew..I haven't destroyed her yet.

How do I know if I am saved? - Lesson Recap

That was the question this morning..and the topic of our lesson. How do we know if we are saved? How do we know if we have eternal life?

Jesus talks about this with a man named Nicodemus in John 3:1-21

First, we must be "born of water". (v. 5) Or basically a human being, who has a set period of time on earth to receive eternal life. Our problem is that we think we will be a living human being forever and have plenty of time to work this out. I wish that was reality. Reality is that we have no clue when our time is up. Why not explore if there is an eternity, a God, and a way to Him?

Second, we must be "born of the Spirit". (v.5) Jesus states that "the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven", and compares this to the wind. Have you ever seen the wind? No. You see and feel the effects of the wind, but not the wind. Wind is invisible. Now, when God is working to bring you to him, you won't actually see Him. You will see and feel the effects of Him as he moves in your life. Take a second... What "coincidences" are going on in your life? Are people just showing up, talking to you about God? Do you have a pull deep down inside to go to Church or ask someone about Christ? Hmmmm...

Third, Jesus said, "everyone who believes in me will have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it." OK, believe what exactly? That Jesus existed? Yes. That Jesus died for my mistakes, rebellion, wrongs...so I don't have to? Yes. That the only way to get right with God and live forever is through that death? Yes.

Finally, is there any evidence at all that you believe? Did you just say the words or do you really believe? Do you have any attitude changes? Do you love others? Do you have compassion for others where you may not have in the past? Do you want to give? Do you want to serve? You see, this kind of love that God gives us will compel you to change your ways. You can't help it, you just want to change. Not a process that happens overnight for most, but a lifechange should occur.

So, that's how to know.

Are you alive? Do you recognize your rebellion against God? Are you trusting the right one to deal with your rebellion? Is there any evidence of change?

100 Movie Quote Countdown

This is pretty cool. 100 quotes, 100 numbers...

See how many movies you recognize!

BIG NIGHT!!

Last night we had TWO...count them...TWO big firsts!!

We had our first all out belly laugh and squeal! Elizabeth Anne and I were chasing our dog. She squealed with delight and laughter. We are going to try and video it and have it up here soon.

She had so much fun that she decided to sleep compeletely through the night for the first time!! Woohoo!

You know you are offically a DAD when these two events are THE most incredible things that happen to you and are all you can talk about to your co-workers the next day.

But you know...watching this little girl grow up and develop is absolutely remarkable.

Happy Mother's Day!

Treat yo momma right!

Contagious Smiling

I was feeding Elizabeth Anne yesterday. After she finished, it was burping time.

She let out a HUGE burp and spat up along with it. Pretty disgusting actually. But for some reason I giggled.

She noticed that and gave me a big smile, spit up and all.

I started laughing, and the more I laughed, the bigger she smiled.

We cracked ourselves up seriously.

Tummy Time

Tummy time is good for babies. Spending time on their tummy forces them to push up on their arms, lift their heads off the ground, learn to roll over, and basically work and strengthen muscles that will benefit them in the long run.

Elizabeth Anne DESPISES tummy time.

She gets angry. She fusses. She cries. She gets so worked up over it that her face gets red. She HATES tummy time.

But she needs it. Even though she doesn't like it at the time, she needs it. Tummy time makes her stronger, which will help her later down the road.

We put her in tummy time and sit right next to her while she struggles. We watch over her and allow her to go through it. Then we pick her up when she has had just the right amount and can't take it anymore.

Tummy time reminds me of God working on me.

I HATE it when God gives me "tummy time." I fuss, I get worked up, I don't like the struggles he is putting me through. But God knows I need it because down the road it will help me. And he is right there watching me go through it and at just the right time, he picks me up when I can't take anymore.

Daddy does my outfit!

Yesterday, Lauran wanted me to take Elizabeth Anne to the studio where she teaches. She wanted to show off Elizabeth Anne to everyone.

My job was to show up with the baby, that's it. However, I figured since we were showing her off, I would dress her up.

I put her in a light pink shirt that said "Daddy does my hair", and bright pink pants with a bunny rabbit on her tush. Pretty impressive huh? Well, I thought so...

All the mothers gave Lauran a look and said...."Daddy did her outfit too didn't he?"

Lauran just shook her head.

Fat Rolls

Elizabeth Anne has grown fat rolls on her legs!

I was telling her about them the other day, she smiled at me.

Soon she will understand what in the world I am saying and the words "fat rolls" will no long be in my vocabulary.

But for now...we smile at her fat rolls.

Alabama A-Day Game

I went to the A-Day game yesterday. It was pretty fun. There were 90,000 plus people in the stadium, and they had to turn away some! No kidding, it was standing room only. The most people ever to watch a college spring game in the history of college football!

Click here to view the story and video on ESPN.

One thing you can say without question is that there is serious excitement surrounding the Bama football program that is long overdue. We may just be a mediocre team, but the fan support is there.

Initial impressions:

1) Saban is an intense, hands-on coach.
2) The players love him.
3) The offense is improved and will be pretty good.
4) The defense needs some help.
5) We will be stronger and play harder.

I think this year will be decent, and we will suprise some people.

Being Remarkable

If you have the time, this is a great talk from Seth Godin about what makes ideas spread. It's called being remarkable. Worth watching. CLICK HERE.

Dizzyness..

I was sitting in my office chair the other day with Elizabeth Anne when this thought popped into my mind:

"Hey, I wonder if she would like it if I spun around in the chair?"

So, holding her upright facing me, we spun around one full circle. Her eyes got big and she made a funny face.

"So I thought, she likes this!"

We made another full circle, this time a little faster. Result: Another funny face.

This time, TWO full circles faster.

Elizabeth Anne looks up at me and smiles...then proceeds to spit up all over me and her.

I am such a dufus!

What a great church!

Today my church did something they really didn't have to do. They took some time with us to explain why it is they do the things they do. I thought it was pretty cool.

I attend the contemporary worship service at Frazer UMC. Click here for a link. As you know, contemporary worship is sometimes bashed in churches because of the music, drama, pop-culture references, casual atmosphere, etc.. that is present. Sometimes people just don't get it and assume the worst. They think any reference to pop-culture is from Satan, anyone wearing jeans to church is going to hell, and any rock and roll music is an abomination. Contemporary church leaders everywhere probably get at least one strong comment a week on what they are doing incorrectly.

Well, if you could have heard the passion and heart of John Schmidt and Rob Webster, the leaders of contemporary worship at Frazer, today...you would have to think otherwise. Here is a brief outline. I was proud of them! They opened up and explained why they create the atmosphere they do, from music choice to words on the screen. They covered it all. Ultimately, it is 100% about reaching people and doing everything they can to encourage all people, both believers and non-believers, to live out the principles of Scripture. The guys are absolutely passionate about it.

It's a privelige to worship at a place like that. Where they don't let the traditions of men get in the way of reaching people where they are. It reminds me of this passage in Romans 14:17-18, "For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too."

Way to go John and Rob, truly doing work for the Kingdom of God and a couple of my real life heroes!

Bigger?

I woke up this morning at my now usual 4:30 AM time. Fed Elizabeth Anne, put her back in the crib, made some coffee, read my Bible, and ate breakfast.

Then at 6:00 AM, it's wake up time for everyone, including Chase.

I am not kidding when I say from 4:30 to 6:00, Elizabeth Anne grew! I am telling you her head was bigger!!

Or maybe it was the coffee...

Lesson Recap - Drift or Grow?

Today we discussed Mark 4:1-20

What do we do with God's message? The message that Jesus died for us so that we can know Him? Well, we either drift away or grow toward.

Jesus explains in a story about seed and soil how people sometimes respond when hearing God's message. They either drift or grow.

We talked about what causes someone to drift:

1) Unwillingness to give up things that you know are wrong. (footpath)
2) Hardships and/or being made fun of for your faith. (shallow soil)
3) Desire for things that won't last. (thorns)

All three things distract you and can result in you drifting from God. So how can we combat them? What helps us grow?

1) Confession and Obedience combats unwillingness to give up sin.
2) Nourishment combats the hardships. Reading the Bible and praying deepen your "roots" or relationship with God.
3) Generosity and Service combats unhealthy desires for things that won't last.

The question is....Are you drifting or growing? Are there things listed above you need to think about and/or do to stop drifting and start growing?

The ultimate result is a life of "fruit". A change in your character, and a change in the way you influence those around you.

Happy Easter!

SHOTS...

Elizabeth Anne got her 2 month shots yesterday... Just terrible. Most pain she has ever felt. Mom was crying too.

When I got home from work, both my girls were just pitiful. I looked into their eyes, you could just see the hurt.

Shots are bad!! : (

We had to have extra cuddling for them all night. That seemed to make the hurt go away.

I like Jesus...not the church

Eye catching title to an article recently published in Outreach Mag.

Here is the link

The article says that these are the top perceptions of how 20 & 30 somethings view the church today:

1) The Church is an organized religion with a political agenda.

2) The Church is judgmental and negative.

3) The Church is dominated by males and oppresses females.

4) The Church is homophobic.

5) The Church arrogantly claims all other religions are wrong.

6) The Church is full of fundamentalists who take the whole Bible literally


I wonder if people in my town have this same perception of my church?? I wonder what I could do to change that perception?? Are these perceptions legit?? Something to ponder huh...


The article, which I recommend reading, closes with this statement that I completely agree with:

"May those who like Jesus but not the Church understand the Jesus of the Bible and the full, wonderful life that His life, death and resurrection bring. And may they move from liking Jesus to loving Him, and from not liking the Church to loving it."

A first

Yesterday, Elizabeth Anne spent the afternoon at Day Care for the first time. Mom was not thrilled.

I picked her up anticipating the ladies to tell me how Elizabeth Anne wore them out and to please take her...

But she slept the whole time and was a perfect baby!

That's my girl!

Lesson Recap!

This morning was my first time back in Sunday School since the end of Jan. It felt good to be back and see everyone. Here is the lesson recap:

We discussed Luke 9:10-17.

Picture woodstock without the bands... this was the scene. There were probably 10,000 men, women, and children spread out all over the hillside just to see and hear Jesus.

Late in the day, they realized there was no food - and Jesus looked at his team of 12 and said, "You feed them!" Of all ways to feed the people, Jesus took that route. Why? He could have snapped his fingers and made everyone a Big Mac right then. But why say to his team.."You feed them"?

Well...maybe it's because he wanted them to participate in the work he was doing. He wanted them to serve, talk to, and feed all these people.

And nothing has changed. Jesus wants us to participate in his work. He could snap his fingers and serve, talk to, and feed everyone in this world if he wanted. But he doesn't take that route. He says to us...."You feed them."

The question is: Will we just sit there and say, "Impossible"??? Or will we try to serve, talk to, and feed others? Only one of these decisions allows you to participate in the work of God. Don't miss out!

Spring Practice Begins!

Well, it's here. Football practice has started for Bama.

Here is a video link of the 1st day.

Can't wait!!!

It's been awhile...

Sorry it has been a couple of weeks since my last post. Here are a couple of things I have learned over the last two weeks:

1) Having a new baby is sooooo much harder than you ever think it will be. No sleep, No idea why she cries, no personal time, NO SLEEP.... But, when you look down and see your little girl, it is worth every bit of the daily sacrifices Lauran and I make.

2) Saying that, I had a couple of days free while Lauran and Elizabeth Anne visited family. I discovered the virtual world Second Life. LifeChurch.tv has a virtual church campus on second life, so I figured I would visit. It is pretty amazing, and I honestly see it as a mission field. There are roughly 5 million people in Second Life, and I would say 80-90% non-Christian. A whole new world worth visiting, but be careful as many places are rated mature.

3) Elizabeth Anne has some serious hair!

Random Thought

Something hit me out of the blue yesterday:

Not that I was a new Dad. Not that I have a wonderful wife and new baby. Not that I am blessed beyond my wildest dreams.

None of that.

I was sitting there, looking at Elizabeth Anne and thought....

I am going to have to pay for a wedding on day and it is going to cost way too much!

Dream

Sorry about the Chuck Norris post below, I just had a junior high moment there.

Last night I had a funny dream. I was holding Elizabeth Anne. She looks up at me and then her first words are spoken:

She says confidently..."I really am a beautiful girl aren't I."

It was at that moment I woke up and realized I am in a heap of trouble.

Chuck Norris

If Chuck Norris hits you, it will kill you. If he misses, the wind created by his miss will give you Pneumonia and you will die anyway.

Incredible editing

This is pretty cool. The guy doing this has no clue how to play.

Growth Spurt

Elizabeth Anne has gained 6 ounces in 4 days!

This is the equivalent of me gaining 8 pounds in 4 days - which considering the way I have been eating lately may not be too far fetched.

I had a conversation with her yesterday that went something like this:

Hey sweet girl...

I WANT FOOD!

Let's try to take a nap..

I WANT FOOD!

How about I rock you some...

FOOD!!!

Maybe you and Daddy can listen to Mr. Turtle sing...

FOOD!! FOOD!! FOOD!!

Maybe Daddy will sing you a song before it's time to eat...

WAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dad's first feeding

One feeding a day we supplement with formula. Last night was my first time to feed Elizabeth Anne.

As Lauran handed her to me, I could see the panic beginning to form in Elizabeth Anne's eyes.

"Who's this? This is not my food person! What's going on here!" Squirm, squirm, cry....

But to her suprise, Dad pops the bottle in her mouth. What a surprise! Food. From the Dad person! It's good too. mmmm......

10 minutes later: comfort, deep sleep, aahhhhhhhh..

That was great.

Doctor Visit - results

Elizabeth Anne is in perfect health! Our doctor visit went GREAT!

All our questions were answered and we are so excited. Our doctor even helped us with a feeding schedule that is best for mommy and daughter.

Lauran and I left the visit with energy and excitement. Elizabeth Anne however is exhausted and has slept all day!

I think we can do this after all..

My favorite American Idol Contestant!

My favorite American Idol contestant this year is Chris Sligh.

He is a worship leader at Seacost Church. He is hilarous, and has a great voice. Check him out HERE

Go Chris! I am pulling for you!

Funny Lauran Quote..

If you have never tried to change clothes on a squriming baby, it's a pretty hard thing to do.

The other day, Lauran looked down at Elizabeth Anne and said,

"I should've played with dolls more when I was little".


We got a kick out of that one.

Doctor Visit

We have our first doctor visit coming up Monday morning. Elizabeth Anne will be two weeks old! We have tons of questions:

How much should she cry?

Do you think her tummy hurts? If so, how can we fix it?

Her poop is turning yellow now - that's good right? How yellow should her poop be? (I think I am becoming infatuated with poop colors)

What's the best routine we can put her on? Should we put her on a routine?

How much should she be sleeping? What should we do if she isn't getting enough sleep? Or too much sleep?

I think that Elizabeth Anne is smarter than we are - so we just need help getting caught up.

Normal...

After 3 hours of crying last night, we decided to call the doctor:

Elizabeth Anne has been crying loudly for 3 straight hours, is that normal?

What was her birth weight?

7 lbs 15 ounces.

Any complications at birth?

No.

Describe her stool. (Who knew monitoring poopy was so important!)

It took her a couple of days after we brought her home, then she unloaded on us.

Was it yellow or still brownish?

Brownish.

Well, it seems like things are OK. This is normal.

What? Surely crying for this long is not normal. We think something is wrong.

Trust me. It's normal. It took a couple of extra days to get her digestive system in order. She is going to be like this for about a week or two. Just hang in there and feed her every 2 hours. It will be tough going for a while.



After the conversation, we looked at each other and decided we were a good team and will get through this tough time together. I then looked down at Elizabeth Anne and told her I will be holding this against her. She owes her mother and I some serious Mother and Father's day gifts.


30 minutes later she rewarded me with a midnight messy diaper.... After that she slept. Looks like things are normal.

New Dad

You know you are officially a new dad when...

- Words like swaddle, boppy, latching-on, and poopy fill up your day.

- The highlight of the weekend is monitoring poop amounts. And you are thrilled when she poops!

- Sports and TV are not an option, neither is sleep.

- You stare at her for hours praying that she won't stop breathing.

- Life will never be the same again as part of your heart is now moving around outside your body. (I read that somewhere and it's so true.)

- You never thought you could love your wife this much as you glance over at her holding the daughter God created for you both.

This is so great! My friends told me that I had no clue what I was getting into. They were right, it's so hard to explain, but having Elizabeth Anne here with us is so wonderful.

Ok that's my post for today. Besides, it looks like it may be poopy time!

Elizabeth Anne - photos

Here are some photos of our beautiful daughter... I can't describe in words just how wonderful it is to be a DAD. I am so proud of my incredible wife.

Elizabeth Anne

Elizabeth Anne Parsons arrived Monday afternoon at 4:37 pm.

She was 8 lbs, and 19 inches long. A beautiful healthy baby girl!

Mom and Dad are fine and will be out of sight for a little while.



Thank you for your prayers and thoughts!

Predictions

Lot's of things happening over the next two months. Here are some predictions:

Colts win by 2.

Elizabeth Anne, my guess is 6 lbs, 9 oz.

Mommy and Daddy - under 4 hrs of sleep a day on average.

"Grandma" Parsons delivers 4 dinners - enough to feed 30.

Saban winds up with a top 15 recruiting class, full of defensive players.

Bama wins the SEC West in hoops with a 8-8 SEC record.

Daddy (that's me) gets peed on, pooped on, and thrown up on over 8 times.

Chase barks and wakes up Elizabeth Anne over 2 times a day.

Over 1000 tears of joy and prayers sent for my sweet wife and baby girl. : )

PLACE YOUR BETS NOW!

My senior pastor in the blogosphere!

So, I was searching around for a good leadership blog to begin reading and I came across "the leadership blog". On it, I found a post called "60 Great Leaders I've had the opportunity to interview." Right there on the list is my senior pastor, John Ed Mathison!

Here is a link to the interview.

I know John Ed is a wonderful leader because he really cares for people. Way to go John Ed!

OK Go - Kids!

Well if you like OK GO, then you will like this video. These kids did a great job at their High School talent show by copying OK GO's famous treadmill dance. I wonder if some of my youth group could pull this off??? Hmmm....

Thank you all!

I just want to say thank you all for all the gifts, prayers, and encouragement you have given Lauran and I. We are excited and can't wait for Elizabeth Anne to be born!

She is right around the corner! Everyone has been so generous to her and us. Here are a couple of photos of the nursery. We are ready! (so I think)

7 Day Challenge - Summary

The disciplines in our 7 Day Challenge were nothing new for me, except that I was writing about the results here. However, writing out the results taught me something, so I thought I would share.

PRAYER LIFE I do pray, every day. But I noticed a couple of things.
1) The majority of my prayers are usually about the same thing every day. There is nothing wrong with this, and in fact, Jesus taught and supports persistence in prayer. See Luke 11:1-13
2) I am not really praying for something BIG, that if it happens, I know it had to be from God. I usually stay in the every day worries of life. Not that there is anything wrong with that either. But I'd like to add in some God size stuff also.

READING I would say this is where I am most comfortable. I enjoy reading, studying, gaining insight, etc. I love reading the Bible. I like to read for application and not simply knowledge. I think we all should read with questions in mind like, "What does this tell me to do? Why should I do this? How will it impact me or someone else if I do this?" etc..

COMMUNITY It's amazing to see how a whole week can fly by without at least one time spent with friends. I miss community. I miss having a time where real friends talk about real stuff. I miss that fraternity type fun. I think as life goes by, if we aren't intentional, we could actually find ourselves totally without community in our life. Especially men - most men can count on 2 fingers how many real friends we have, and we probably see them 5 times a year! I am pledging to be intentional this year to make time for real friends. (Now family is different. They are forced to spend time with me!) :)

TELL SOMEONE ABOUT GOD A good friend, who I haven't been in touch with in a while, wrote me a note about this one. He said this blog tells people about God. He said more people read this than I think. He said this blog inspired him. I really appreciated that! I think there are tons of ways we can communicate God's love and God's message - blogging is one way! I do want my life to communicate just how much God loves people and what he did to save them. I hope that I will always be intentional about it, either through blogging, teaching, conversations, or just by living my life the best way I can. God's "blogs" to us are full of love, grace, and hope - there is no better message out there.

Anyway, I hope you will contine on with Prayer, Reading, Fellowship, and Witnessing! These life habits are wonderful, enriching, challenging, and most of all rewarding for you - both internally and externally!

7 Day Challenge - Day 7

And on the 7th day, they rested....

I will post final thoughts on this tomorrow.

Invisible Children

Today we didn't have a lesson. Instead we were visited by the folks at INVISIBLE CHILDREN.
They shared with us an incredible story of the displaced children in Uganda. These are kids who have been abandonded, face fear of being abducted, and have no chance without us. My heart goes out to these kids. Invisible Children, Inc's goal is to spread awareness and raise money to help. See the clip below. There is a serious injustice going on against children in Uganda - anything you can do to help would be great. Visit the site, get involved if you can.

MSNBC won an emmy for their report on the issue. Read the article here.

Invisible Children: Rough Cut Trailer

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Colonial Bank

Hey!

Colonial Bank is ringing the bell at the NYSE Monday morning!

We are celebrating our 25th anniversary this year! Go Colonial!

7 Day Challenge - Day 6

Almost home on the challenge. It's been tough over the weekend to keep up with the routine.

PRAY I have prayed, but sparingly. I prayed that God will keep Lauran and Elizabeth Anne healthy and safe.
READ I read in 1 Peter 4. There is so much in this chapter that I am going to stay in it for a couple of days. Verse 1 says, "So then, Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you are willing to suffer for Christ, you have decided to stop sinning." I don't think I wake up in the morning with the attitude like, "Ok I am ready to suffer like Jesus did on the cross today!" But the Bible tells us to arm yourselves with this attitude. Are we prepared to face our battles, temptations, struggles in life with this same intensity? The intensity that says, "temptor, you are going to have to nail me to a cross to get me to do that or say that!" I prayed for that kind of attitude and strength to face life.
HANG OUT WITH FRIENDS I am starting to get a complex.
TELL SOMEONE ABOUT GOD Not yet...

7 Day Challenge - Day 5

We are still going strong in our challenge. Hope you are too!

PRAY I continue to pray for our family and my "two" girls! I am also praying for God to allow me to be a part of something new and creative that he is doing. I am not sure what that is just yet - but it would be something exciting.
READ I read in 1 Peter this morning, but for some reason just couldn't focus.
HANG OUT WITH FRIENDS Still working on this and the one below.
TELL SOMEONE ABOUT GOD I really am trying to be intentional about this but just can work in a conversation. So, I'll keep at it.

GUITAR!!!!

Whatever you do, do it well! This kid can play.

7 Day Challenge - Day 4

You know, having to post what I am doing is really helping me see a pattern. I think I need more diversity in my prayer life. Also, I don't seem to do the whole people thing too well. This has been a good exercise!

PRAY I prayed after and during reading, see below. I also prayed for my "two" girls. : )
READ I read through 1 Peter 2:12-3:18. During this time, I came up with this simple thought. God wants us to be "no matter what" people. I need to be a "no matter what guy." Respect my leaders and authorities - no matter what. Love my wife - no matter what. Love my critics and enemies - no matter what. God tells us to do these things no matter what circumstances you are in, no matter what the other person does, no matter what - we are to love them! That my friends is one tall order! So I prayed for God to help me be a "no matter what" guy today!
HANG OUT WITH FRIENDS Nobody likes me! : )
TELL SOMEONE ABOUT GOD Mmmmm....not yet.

Day 4: Lauran's update

Pray: Today I prayed for the health of our baby. I also prayed for God's timing in my life instead of mine.

Read: I read the first part of 1 Peter 3. Verses 3-4 really stood out to me for all us girls. :) "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment such as the braiding of hair or the wearing of fine jewelry, but should come from the gentle and quiet inner spirit which is precious in the Lord's sight." Ladies, this doesn't mean that we can look nice or have nice things...this means that we should not rely on them or find our identity in them. True beauty comes from the heart. You can't mask an ugly heart with pretty clothes, and you can't hide a beautiful heart no matter what you wear!!!

Hang out: I am spending the morning with my mom this morning, and then my dad is coming to visit this afternoon! I have the best family!!!

Tell someone about God: I have not been very good at this for the past couple of days....i need to step it up.

7 Day Challenge - Day 3

If you are keeping up with the challenge, then congrats - you are halfway there! I know that even though it has only been 3 days, it may seem like a burden to keep going. Hang in there - keep it up, it gets easier and easier to continue after a week. Here are my updates for Day 3

PRAY I prayed mostly for Lauran and our baby this morning.
READ I read through 1 Peter 2:1-12, and found a good explanation as to why God wants us to obey him. "This is so you can show others the goodness of God" & "Be careful how you live among your unbelieving neighbors. Even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will believe and give honor to God.." So, I treat people nice, I forgive, I love, I help out - not for me, but so that they will somehow see God. That's a different way of looking at things huh?
TIME WITH FRIENDS Well, we couldn't make the time last night with friends. Although, I did watch American Idol. I have to say that the guy with the goatee was really good. So, still looking for this.
TELL SOMEONE ABOUT GOD Nothing to report - I need to work on this.

Day 3: Lauran's update

Pray: Today I simply prayed that God would teach me. That He would show me more of Himself and show me how to live more like Him.

Read: I read the second part of 1 Peter 2. Verse 21 says, "For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps..." I guess this is a good heart check for me. I already have His example. Am I being careful to follow it? Do I go about my day knowing my purpose or do I just go about my day? I am going to try to go through today being more intentional.

Hang out: I am going to lunch with a former co-worker.

Tell someone about God: Nothing to report yet. Like I said, I am going to try to be intentional today.

Slingshot!

This looks like fun. How many of you would do it?

7 Day Challenge - Day 2

PRAY I did pray again this morning. I prayed after I read - see below.

READ I read through 1 Peter v. 13-25. Verse 14 says, "Obey God because you are his children. Don't slip back into your old ways of doing evil; you didn't know any better then." I prayed that I would never slip back into may old ways. Then, I got to verse 22 which says, "Now you can have sincere love for each other as brothers and sisters because you were cleansed from your sins when you accepted the truth of the Good News. So see to it that you really do love each other intensely with all your heart." Man, what a challenge! So, I asked God to help me with that one.

HANG OUT Friends over to watch American Idol tonight!

TELL SOMEONE ABOUT GOD Nothing new to report here. I did have a meeting with one of my accountabilty group partners today though. Does that count? : )

Day 2: Lauran's update

Pray: I prayed today mainly about being a good mom and a good friend. I want to be a godly example for our little girl, and I want to be the kind of friend to others that I want others to be for me. I want to learn how to love even more as that is the basis of who God is.

Read: I read the first part of 1 Peter 2 today. The first part of the chapter stood out to me the most. Verse 2 says, "As newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord." That got me thinking about how the milk we give our baby is essential to her life. Do I view God's word as that? Do I crave it like newborns crave milk? wow...what a reality check!!

Hang out: I got to spend time with my mom today during lunch. We have such a great friendship and bond, and I am eternally thankful for that. We will also have two of our best friends over tonight to watch American Idol!!! Jimmy and I are so thankful for friends that we can relax with and laugh with!

Tell Someone: I got the opportunity today to share with one of the teachers at one of my day cares just how blessed I feel to be able to have a child. I got to tell her that I view every child first and foremost as a gift from God. Their thought processes, their words, and their actions are so precious to me.

Day 1: Lauran's update

Sorry for the late post for Day 1...I'm new to the whole blogging thing. Here is my update:

Pray: I prayed this morning for my family, for my daycares and students, and for our Sunday School class. I prayed that each of you would know that you touch our lives.

Read: I read 1 Peter 1. Verse 13 stood out to me the most, "Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."...reminding me that I need to pay attention and be aware of where God is working instead of wandering through my day. God is working at all times around us, and we miss opportunities to share Him, love Him, and be loved by Him if we are not paying attention.

Hang Out: I taught classes at the studio tonight. It is a blessing to have the friends there that I do. Some I have known my whole life, and others I am just getting to know. It is also nice to share with these friends the same passion for dance.

That is it for me today. I hope everyone has a wonderful day!!

7 Day Challenge - DAY 1

We are starting a 7 Day challenge to Pray, Read, Spend time with friends, and Tell someone about God. (See post below) Here is how I am doing so far:

PRAY I did pray this morning. I prayed for the day. Thanked God for our family. I prayed for this challenge and the youth group.

READ I read in 1 Peter this morning too, the first 12 verses. I particularly liked v. 8-9 "You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him, you trust him; and even now you are happy with a glorious, inexpressible joy. Your reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls." It is hard to believe and trust in something or someone you don't see. But I just do, and I am glad I do.

HANG OUT WITH FRIENDS Today was all work, no play. However, we are excited that we are having friends over tomorrow night!

TELL SOMEONE ABOUT GOD Didn't do that today. It's difficult to just open up about God in the midst of my daily activities. I will keep an eye out for tomorrow.

That's day 1 for me. Hope you are making strides too!

Ronald Steele Buzzer Beater

Hey.... I had to post this. It's my team!

Roll Tide!

The Challenge to Follow

Today, we discussed Luke 5:1-11

Summary and our 7 Day Challenge



- Making a decision to follow Jesus will result in change. Both external and internal. It's this change that sometimes scares us.

- Peter has a decision to make, follow Jesus or remain a fisherman. Peter decides to put aside whatever fears he has and follows Jesus.

- Peter learns from Jesus. His life and heart is completely changed. His life is filled with amazing experiences. Experiences that he would have never dreamed could happen to him, an ordinary fisherman. (see Acts 4:13)

- The same invitation offered to Peter, is offered to us. Follow Jesus, and experience amazing changes in your life, both internal change and external change.

Our 7 Day Challenge to Follow

As a group, we are going to do our best to follow Jesus for 7 days. Here are the four things we are challenged with:

1) PRAY Each day for 7 days. (7 different prayers) Pray for others. Pray about what you read. Confess. Give Thanks.

2) READ Each day for 7 days. (read in 1 Peter) As we read, we will ask, "God, what do you want me to do?"

3) HANG OUT WITH FRIENDS At least one time during the next 7 days. Hang out with or even join a cell group. Enjoy time with friends. Laugh, talk, encourage. Pray together. Share your thoughts.

4) TELL SOMEONE ABOUT GOD At least one time during the next 7 days. Share your thoughts about God. Tell someone what Christ means to you.


Every day for the next 7 days - we will keep up with this challenge on this blog. Read about how Lauran and I are making it through the challenge. Feel free to sign in and leave a comment on how you are doing.

My prayer is that you will meet God during the next 7 days, and get a taste of what it is like to follow him.

Laughing!

One of the most contagious laughs ever....

Bad Leadership Habits

This list is from Businessweek Magazine. It is the top 20 things that will hinder leadership in business. It's amazing to me how Biblical principles hold true in all circumstances. See what you think:


Winning Too Much
The need to win at all costs and in all situations—when it matters, when it doesn’t, and when it’s totally beside the point.
Adding Too Much Value
The overwhelming desire to add our two cents to every discussion.
Passing Judgment
The need to rate others and impose our standards on them.
Making Destructive Comments
The needless sarcasms and cutting remarks that we think make us sound sharp and witty.
Starting with “No,” “But,” or “However”
The overuse of these qualifiers, which secretly say to everyone, “I’m right. You’re wrong.”
Telling the World How Smart We Are
The need to show people we’re smarter than they think we are.
Speaking When Angry
Using emotional volatility as a management tool.
Negativity
The need to share our negative thoughts, even when we weren’t asked.
Withholding Information
The refusal to share information in order to maintain an advantage over others.
Failing to Give Proper Recognition
The inability to praise and reward.
Claiming Credit We Don’t Deserve
The most annoying way to overestimate our contribution to any success.
Making Excuses
The need to reposition our annoying behavior as a permanent fixture so people excuse us for it.
Clinging to the Past
The need to deflect blame away from ourselves and onto events and people from our past; a subset of blaming everyone else.
Playing Favorites
Failing to see that we are treating someone unfairly.
Refusing to Express Regret
The inability to take responsibility for our actions, admit we’re wrong, or recognize how our actions affect others.
Not Listening
The most passive-aggressive form of disrespect for colleagues.
Failing to Express Gratitude
The most basic form of bad manners.
Punishing the Messenger
The misguided need to attack the innocent, who are usually only trying to protect us.
Passing the Buck
The need to blame everyone but ourselves.
An Excessive Need to Be “Me”
Exalting our faults as virtues simply because they exemplify who we are

Are you a "the"?

I read this post on Seth Godin's Blog:

The article in the Times didn't set out to say something vitally important about marketing, but it did. In starting off a profile it says,
"For the past couple of years Jun Kaneko, the ceramic artist..."

It didn't say "a ceramic artist." No. It said, "the ceramic artist".

The entire tone of the piece changes. It's so much better to be a 'the' not an 'a'.

Which are you?

I don't think it's a trivial distinction. In fact, I'd argue that it's worth an enormous amount of your time and your budget to focus on becoming the.

After reading this, it made me think about something I heard John Maxwell say. He said, "People stand in line for above average." He was talking about developing your strengths. Spend 80% of your time working on your strengths.

Let's say you are weak in something or not gifted at something - rank that as a 4. (below average)

Then rank something that you feel you are good at or gifted at - rank that as a 7. (above average)

Now - your odds are pretty good that you can get that 7 to a 10 if you work on it. However, no matter how hard you work on your "ungiftedness", you will never be able to get it above a 7.

People stand in line for 10s. Find out your strengths - spend time working on them, and become a "the"!

New Bama Staff Complete

Ok, it looks like the TIDE is finished upgrading the coaching staff. Here is what we are looking at:

1) Nick Saban - Head Coach
2) Joe Pendry - Off. Cord.
3) Major_Applewhite - QB Coach
4) Burton Burns - RB Coach
5) Ron Middleton- Receivers/TE Coach
6) Steve Marshall - O-Line Coach
7) Kevin Steele - Def. Cord./LB Coach
8) Bo Davis - D-Line Coach
9) Kirby Smart - D-Backs Coach
10) Lance Thompson - D-Line Coach

Click on each name to get an idea of their previous coaching experience. I have to say we have really upgraded and probably have one of the best coaching staffs we have had in a long, long time.

If you are a Bama Fan - this has to get you excited!! Roll Tide!!

He's my King!

I just love this.

Good word...

The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

What a great verse! Isn't it great to know that God loves us? Delights over us?

Break-up Attempts

Today we talked through Luke 4:1-13

In this passage, Jesus suffers through 40 days of temptations. Following his example can help us as we face similar temptations.


Knowing the temptor's (or "the weasel's") strategy helps us. His ultimate goal is to try to break-up our relationship with God. Here are the ways he tempted Jesus:

Temptation 1 The temptation to meet a legitimate desire, illegitimately. Jesus was hungry, and he tempted Jesus to make bread from stones. Hunger is a legitimate desire. We all have real desires given to us from God. The desire for sex, happiness, acceptance, etc.. However, the weasel says - you need to meet those desires "my way". Jesus said, "Man needs more than bread for life." In other words - the only way those legit desires are going to be fulfilled is God's way.

Temptation 2 The temptation to take a shortcut to get a blessing. Jesus was offered authority over everything now - if he would worship the weasel. That meant no beatings, no suffering. Take the shortcut. We get the same temptation. "Take the shortcut - just cheat a little, just lie a little." You deserve that blessing, why wait for it - when you can have it now. All you have to do is compromise a little. Jesus said, You must worship God only - no shortcuts.

Temptation 3 The temptation to manipulate God to do what you want. Jesus was challenged to jump off a building because "surely God will save you." This is a sneaky temptation and looks like this: "God, I will do this, if you do that. It is deal making with God. Trying to force his hand. Jesus said, Do not test the Lord your God.

So, what can we do? We have to recognize and "rebuke". Recognize when we are being tempted. What situations do we usually get tempted in? Where are our weak spots? Recognizing when and where we usually get tempted is a good first step.

Then, if we just take a second in the heat of the temptation to say a quick prayer, or quote a principle, or even a verse - that is an enormous step in beating the temptation. We developed this prayer:

"Weasel, you will not break-up my relationship with God. God will meet my desires his way. God will give me his blessing in his time. God will deliver."

Remember 1 Corinthians 10:13, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

10th Grade Group

These are the young adults that have to sit through our lessons every Sunday. Lord Help them!! : )

Calling Heaven

My good friends produced this video for our church. Here is the caption, "Ever feel like no one's listening when you pray? Maybe this looks familiar. Fortunately, God really does hear us"



To hear the sermon series, click here

The Bible Experience

I first heard of this back in October. A friend of mine bought this and absolutely LOVES it! It is called the Bible Experience. An audio Bible read by incredible actors and actresses. People like Denzel Washington, Blair Underwood, Angela Basset, Samuel L. Jackson, and more...

If you don't like reading the Bible, this may be right up your alley!

Here is a promo.

Grease vs. The Apprentice

Two new reality shows debuted Sunday night. One was much better than the other.

Grease: You're the one that I want


A takeoff of American Idol, even down to the cranky British judge and the terrible auditions. I want to give this one a chance because I like the concept, but it was really done poorly. They are going to have to really step it up when it moves to the final 12, or else this show will fizzle fast!

The Apprentice


This is not the same ole Apprentice. Trump realizes that he had to change the format up some to keep viewers interested. I like the new twists. Winners get to live in the mansion (losers in tents), nice rewards, and even get to sit in the boardroom. Plus, winning project managers get to stay project manager until they lose. The changes add a whole new dimension to the game.

The show has enough A-Type personalities to keep things juicy - and as always - Trump steals the show. I think this season may work.

Oh yeah, don't forget

What is Baptism all about???

Today's lesson was on Baptism. What is it all about? What does it really mean? Why should I consider it? Read Luke 3:1-22

The best lesson I have ever heard on the subject was done about a year ago by Andy Stanley: Baptism - What's the Big Deal? (The inspriation for this lesson)

Quick Summary
- You will find many churches do it differently.
- Scripture should be the authority on this and not the traditions of the church.
- The word baptizo (Greek) means to wash, dip, immerse. It was a common word.
- Baptism is a public declaration of a new association
- Baptism for us means that we are publically associating ourselves with Jesus and his message.

If you have never been "washed" - my suggestion is to at least think about it.
Take these two steps in your investigation:
1) Listen to Andy's message linked above.
2) Talk to your local church, and if you are ready - then take the plunge!

We would love to hear stories or comments and invite anyone to share their past or upcoming experiences.

More Cowbell...

I got a fever.....and the only cure for it is more cowbell....

One of my favorite SNL skits!