Just the plain simple truth.....

This blog isn't a feel good one, so if you can't handle the truth, stop right now....just a warning...


I am sitting in my living room at 12:02 am in complete darkness listening to the kids tv blaring as they sleep, the wind is whispering outside the windows, a humidifier is buzzing down the hall, and I can't sleep.  My mind is racing in several different directions.  Occasionally the sound of a car races by my house.  I'm wondering why I feel so lost.  I have felt like something in my life isn't as it should be.  I am not doing anything wrong.  I am just so overwhelmed with ideas and strategy I can't move.  It is like I am frozen in time and just getting lost in the shuffle and hustle of baseball tournaments, tball games, end of year programs, field trips, business decisions, ministry decisions, working out, and anything else you throw at us on a daily basis.  I know none of you reading this feel the same way.

I met with a dear friend of mine this week and we discussed all that was going on with our lives.  We talked about all the things interfering with what we should be doing.  I began to feel a strong sense of stress and conviction in my heart.

You see, the reason I am so out of sorts, God isn't where he should be in my life.  I have allowed time, effort, energy, and desire to get in the way of His place in my life.  I haven't been the spiritual leader in my home that I should be.  My quiet time has been taken over by sleep and car rides for work.  My scriptural desire has been replaced with strategic planning sessions and a desire of success.    I have replaced God with DVR recordings and conversations about business decisions.  I haven't done it on purpose, but it has happened.  My wife and I have replaced good conversation about the direction in our marriage with deciding where the kids are going so we can make all the events we have placed at such a huge priority in life.

Where is God in all this?  I think we have just set him on the shelf and forgot Him.  I truly believe we have done this without malice towards our beliefs and love for Him.  We just have gotten too busy.

Tonight I laid in bed and prayed to God to help me. To guide me.  To give me the courage to make the changes necessary in my life to be what I told Him I would be when I answered the call He has on my life.  I begged His forgiveness.  I asked Him to work in Heather's heart and my heart and bring us closer to Him and each other.  I pleaded with Him to help me stand as a man of God in front of my children no matter where we are.  I prayed he would give me the courage to leap and become the leader He needs me to be outside of the home.  I asked Him to guide me in the decisions I need to make.

Maybe you feel the same way I do....But tonight, God has taken over and I am resting in the shadow of the Almighty...

It is time for us to do what God has called us to do...No matter how crazy it may seem....

Psalm 91

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

3 Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him

    and show him my salvation.” 

My Shadow….His Lesson…

As I got into the truck with Shawn to head to Dallas, I was nervous as a cat on a tin roof.  When we arrived at DFW, I was still nervous about what was going ot happen.  What would these people be like?  How would the plane ride be?  Would it be hot there?  Would the people like me?  Would I really see what I sought out to see?  All these questions were running through my mind and I couldn't help but wonder.  Then I started meeting each person I would be sharing this experience with one by one.  I worried about being accepted by the group and worried I would be too much for them to handle.  Boarding the plane was the final straw.  I knew I was going to Honduras.  I was going to leave my comfortable life with my beautiful wife and 4 awesome kids to go serve in a foreign country.

When the plane touched down in Tegus, my life would never be the same.  I had no idea what would begin to happen in my heart and mind.  God was going to make me so uncomfortable in my own skin, it was crazy.

There are so many stories to tell and I will tell them one by one as I learn the lessons God has taught me.

The Dump....

All week long and ever since I decided to go to Honduras, I heard about the dump and how crazy it was.  I heard all the stories of despair, grief, challenge, smell, people, children, cows, vultures, gangs, lawlessness, poverty, and hope.

On the last day of our week, we finally worked it out to go to the dump.  I was amazed as we begin to drive into the dump.  What hits you first is the smell.  If you have ever smelled rotten eggs and dirty feet with a little bit of dead fish all mixed up together, you would not even begin to come close to what the dump smells like.  Driving in on the bus, we were told to make sure we put all our windows up so no one could reach in and take our valuables.  We were then instructed to make sure we didn't leave any of our cameras or phones laying around or they would become property of the dump.  

Walking off the bus will be a moment I never forget.  My eyes gazed at an amazing landscape.  One where dogs, cows, vultures, and humans live side by side.  I looked at the people who work and live in the dump as they formed 2 lines for the food they were going to receive.  I found myself with feelings of anger at the fact they were even there.  I found myself with feelings of sadness that we as humans have allowed this to happen.

 
I held back tears as I saw young children walking to the back of the truck to get a piece of chicken and a fruit drink.  I wondered what their story was or if I even wanted to know.  As they reached for their chicken, I noticed the dirt and filth on their hands and clothes.  I noticed the miss matched shoes falling off their feet because they didn't fit or were just worn out.

I thought about all my family had and I felt guilty.  I felt like I had never felt before.  I stood in the back of a pickup watching person after person lifted their hands, covered in dirt and grime with finger nails black with filth reaching for some food and  I was angry.  I was angry that humans had allowed this…We had turned our back and allowed this to be…I was mad the country was allowing people to live like this and not do anything about it…All I could do was watch and pray…As I walked off by myself to wipe the tears I had falling off my cheeks,  I noticed my shadow in front of me on the ground of the dump.

I was there.  I wasn't sitting in the comfort of my office, home, car, or restaurant.  I wasn't talking about what we should buy my kids for Christmas.  In that moment, I wasn't worried about what I was going to eat for dinner.  I wasn't worried about what pair of shoes I was going to wear.  I wasn't thinking about anything except what God needed me to do to change this type of situation….I wasn't thinking about how I could make my life better, I was thinking of how I could make others life better….

If you have read this far, you will probably get mad in the next few sentences….

1.  You have more than you need.

2.  You have more than you deserve.

3.  You need to give more to others.

4.  You have a responsibility as a human to help others in need.

5.  If you are a "Christian", you have a command from God to treat others better than yourself.

6.  Your children have more than they need.

7.  If your kids can't tell you what they want for Christmas, think about what that means…

These statements are what went through my mind as I looked at my shadow when I was standing in the dump.  Then I looked up and saw the beauty of Gods love.  I saw God in the eyes of the people living and working in the dump for less than $1.00 to $4.00 a day.  You see, I went to Honduras to do what I thought was mission work for others and in the last day, I finally saw what Gods mission for us really is.  He tells us to love others more than we love ourselves.  We get hung up on all the details of music or no music, shorts or no shorts, hymnals or no hymnals, names on church buildings and whether or not they are the right church because they believe the right thing, doctrine, family, how much money we have in the bank, and the list goes on….

Jesus said, "Whatever you do to the least of these, You have done to me…"

What have you done for others…..

"You want to know how big GOD is?"

I am absolutely amazed at how big God is.  All we have been through in the past year and where we are right now is like night and day.  It was about this time last year I finally decided to start a ministry and follow God's call on my life.  It wasn't long before all hell would break loose and God would show me exactly how he needed to use me in this world.  Up until the lowest point in my life, secluded from friends and family, my job, and what I thought was important,  I was going to use God to get what I wanted out of life.  I was going to use God to make a name for myself.  I was going to use God to get riches and glory from man….

I know none of you reading have ever thought that….I just hope lightning doesn't strike close to you….

So how big is God?  Let me tell you…

2 months ago I decided to raise money for kids in the Ada area who do not eat after they leave school.  The only meals they get are at school each and every day.  The schools are aware of the problem and every friday selected kids gets back pack to take home with enough food to last throughout the weekend so they won't go hungry.  I didn't know how, what, or when, but I did know God was calling me to raise money to feed hungry children.  I started reading my bible and praying about how we could do this?  What would it take?  What did I need to do?  One day as I read, I found a story where Jesus fed 5000 people strong.

The disciples were in the same place I was…How, Where, Why….they asked Jesus…He replied,"You go feed them…."

There was no debate…Then I read a little further in the scripture.  It says that Jesus took what they had and blessed it and it fed everyone and there was enough left over for 12 baskets full of fish and bread…

Wow, thats how big God is…

We just decided to go feed them….

Over the past few months, I have seen people donate money, time, energy, and effort they didn't have too for our cause.  I have seen God provide interviews on TV and in the newspaper so we didn't have to spend money and take away form the reason we are doing this.  I have seen God change peoples heart by bringing awareness of the needs in our own town.  I have seen God move in schools and groups of students who are donating time to help at our event.  I have seen churches donate without question of obligation or affiliation.  I have seen young children willing to give up money so they can help their friends that don't get to eat.  On Saturday night, November 23, God is going to bless our efforts to raise money for hungry children in our area…

Thats how big God is…

As I walked out of the Pontotoc County Agri Plex yesterday, I looked across the north parking lot and stopped and stared at the Pontotoc County Justice Center…where just 10 months ago, I sat in a jail cell at the lowest point in my life.  In an instant, I was brought back to how big God is.  How he provided a way for truth to shine through.  You see, God doesn't need any help doing His job…He is the boss, we just need to work…

I challenge you today, to make a difference…I challenge you today, to check yourself with God's word…I challenge you today, to let God take over…..

For more information on how you can help go to www.inoroutfaith.com or you can register for our event @ www.signmeup.com/95798

We got to be BOLD!!!!

As I read my bible this morning, I was reminded of how bold the disciples were.  I read where Peter addressed the crowd after Jesus went to heaven and over 3000 people were saved.  After I read that passage, I began to think about all the others in the bible and in life that were bold.  I thought about Stephen.   I thought about John the Baptist.  I thought about Elijah.  I thought about the young lady from Columbine who said there is a God.  I thought about my grandmother who has always looked to heaven for direction.  I thought about David taking down Goliath.  I thought about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendigo.  I thought about how bold it was for Mary to birth the King of Kings.  I thought about how bold it was for Jesus to come to earth to be just like us only to die on a cross for each of our sins.

I thought about all the times I have had the chance to be bold for Christ and I have not took the opportunity.  Why do we, as followers of Christ, not want to be bold every day?  Why do we not want to listen to the call of God on our life?  Why do we not want to let our light shine?  Why do we not want to bring our God to a lost and dying world?

All of us have our own excuses and cop outs to not take responsibility for not being bold.  I know until recently being bold wasn't something I even thought about.  I felt like God was there for me to use to get by daily when I needed Him.  I thought God was there for me to call on when I needed something. Maybe talk to him when something or someone was sick or even died. I thought God was at church and thats where we meet him each week and then we leave Him there and go back home.  I think there are several reasons we are afraid to be bold for Christ....

Here are some of my reasons....

1. I didn't want people to know the real me.
2. I was scared it might not be as cool as joking around all the time.
3. I didn't fear God like I should.
4. I was focused on me.

Over the past few months, God has shown me several things.  One thing He has challenged me to do is BE BOLD!  He has challenged me to tell my story of how He has changed my life and continues to do so.  He has challenged me to be REAL.  He has challenged me to be BOLD about my faith with everyone I can.  He has taught me to fear him.  He has challenged me to focus on others and not myself.  He has challenged me to do something I never thought would happen.  

Start a ministry!!

 I ask you to be bold and pray as Heather and I, along with several others, develop a ministry designed to be the hands and feet of the body Christ to serve a lost and dying world.

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess."

Hebrews 4:14

We are planning an "Community Wide Candle Light Service" at Kerr Dome in Ada, Oklahoma on Easter evening.  We ask you pray that God will move across our community and teach all of us to be Bold....

Details will follow as they develop....If you would like to help and be involved, please email us @

 In or Out Faith Ministries, Inc.