a work in progress

Shockwave Challenge

2011-10-14T14:54:00.000-07:00

My brother issued a challenge to his church 55 days ago to share the gospel with at least one person a day for a week. He couldn't, in good conscience, issue a challenge and not do it himself. So, for the next 7 days, he shared the gospel with at least one person a day. Little did he know that he would be so changed that he would continue the challenge from then on. So, for the last 55 days, he has been sharing the gospel and posting the results to his facebook, and sharing the details on his blog.

I've been inspired by all of the posts of his obedience to the Great Commission, and have become increasingly aware of the opportunities that God gives me each day to either be a witness, or cower in fear. Most days, I notice the opportunities too late, or am too fearful to open my mouth to intentionally share the gospel, though I've done it hundreds of times.

After missing several opportunities, I decided that today would be different. I was helping one of our teens out with a radio interview with StoryCorps. We were at his old elementary school and we were being recorded while I interviewed him to get his life story, which would later be added to the archives at the Library of Congress for future generations. The lady operating the recording equipment was listening in as Orry was able to share his testimony, and his involvement with the church and our youth ministry. After the interview was over, and we filled out our surveys for them, I decided that it was now or never, so after making some small talk, I asked her if she went to church where she lived, and she said, "no." So, I began to talk to her about her upbringing, and she said she was still trying to figure out what she believed. I asked if she knew anything about Christianity, and she said, "Not really." So, I began to share with her how God had created us to be with Him, and how sin entered the world, but God sent Jesus to die on the cross so that we wouldn't have to be separated from Him. After sharing, I asked if she believed in God, but she wasn't ready to accept the God from the Bible, but just a higher power. So, I asked if I could pray that God would reveal Himself to her, and she agreed, and we prayed for her right there in the library of the school. I then challenged her to pray that type of prayer on her own as she's trying to figure out what she believes for herself.

I believe when we ask God to show up, that He will. And so if she prays that prayer, God will show her that he's real. I just pray that she'll confess Jesus as Lord according to the Bible.

Though, it's been a couple of months since I consciously presented the gospel to a stranger, I was reminded at how easy it is once I open my mouth. Praying that God will give me the boldness to continue the challenge! Follow along with Nate's Shockwave Challenge at www.natebarbour.blogspot.com

Fall Retreat Scholarships

2011-09-26T15:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I got the CRAZY idea of asking people in our congregation to help sponsor a student to go on our fall retreat this coming weekend, and didn't know what to expect, but I know that God is going to provide for teens that want to go, but just can't afford the $100 registration fee. I already received a couple of generous donations, so I thought I'd throw the net wider and ask the folks on the world wide web to pray about giving some support to help a teenager go to camp.

These camps can be life-changing weekends for tweens and teens, and we've seen God show up time and time again to knock on the doors of hearts of students, and they actually respond. It's amaazing that we get to be a part of His story and the spiritual journeys of some pretty phenomenal young people. The fact is that in a hurting economy many of us don't have much to give, and we've got to choose how we spend our money. Don't be alarmed, God will bless what you give, and you will be blessed for giving. Luke 6:38 reminds us to "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Would you consider changing the life of a kid in Colorado? If you are able to give, you can do it easily through www.paypal.com. Just log in to your account and hit "Send Money", enter my e-mail address: pastorgregg42@gmail.com, make sure you select personal and "gift" so that there will be no fees associated, and it will make a HUGE difference in the life of a teenager!

You can also send a check with "Youth Retreat Scholarship" in the memo line to:

Colorado Community Church
Attn: Gregg Barbour
3651 S. Colorado Blvd.
Englewood, CO 80113

God Bless You!

Pastor Gregg <><

the Path to Generosity

2011-07-10T14:30:00.000-07:00

After preaching this morning’s message on the Path to Generosity, I am humbled by the fact that God used me to share His heart for the needy. I showed a clip from "the Goonies" and one of my volunteers actually believed me when I mentioned that I was one of the kids who found the map, and it was actually a clip from my childhood! Sorry to have mislead you, but my nickname was not "Chunk" growing up!
As we are creating our own Path to Generosity, we have been challenged to ask Jesus to open our eyes to see the "X's" all around us--that when X marks the spot, we'll be seeing needs everywhere. When we give though, we are remembering to 1. Keep it Secret, and 2. Keep it Simple. So, as you’re out doing those things, we want to hear your stories. You’ll have to listen to the sermon as I address the irony of asking you to keep it secret, but then asking you to share with us what God is doing through you. Here is a way you can do it anonymously. Just post a comment here in an anonymous fashion, and I’ll make sure it gets shared with our church! We want you to accept the challenge to take the rest of July to create your own path to generosity, and share what you’re doing for the needy.

the Quest for Generosity

2011-07-07T15:41:00.000-07:00

After beginning a series on Generosity, I've been marveling at how generous God has been to me and my family. I am so blessed to have a wonderful wife and two sons that keep me on my toes every moment I'm with them.
We've ventured into a new arena with our boys, and are wishing that the days of potty training will soon come. They both have had some kind of stomach virus because they have been doing number 2 a lot, and often times it exceeds the capacity of their little diapers, exploding onto the crib, at which point they start wiping it everywhere: the sheets, the crib bars, their clothes, their hair, daddy's shirt...you get the picture.
Needless to say, we are needing to invest in some new sheets, and lots of laundry detergent and stain remover. Even with all of the adventures that aren't so fun, we realize that life would be completely different without them in it. Josiah's laugh is contagious, and he makes me smile from ear to ear when I see him after I come home. Watching Jayce learn new things amazes me, and I love how he often wants to crawl up in my lap and just sit with me. It's as if he knows that I'll let him come and enjoy my company anytime he wants.
I am so blessed to have a wonderful, beautiful wife that shares the joy with me of raising these two fellas. She is an amazing mom, and a more amazing wife. Watching her play with the guys and teach them new things is so much fun. And finding out that they are doing something new because of her makes me so proud. I'm happy to say that I'm still in love, and am enjoying every minute of being a husband and father.

In my quest for generosity, I've found most of all that Jesus expect us to live this out as a lifestyle, and not just an occasion. Even as I write this, I'm pondering my level of generosity for today--yeah, I put in a few extra hours prepping for this coming week's sermon with the photoshop, powerpoint, outline, and work on my sermon prop, but all the while, what is my motivation? It could be, "I need to get this done quick so I can go home", but it's really, "this weekend is gonna rock, and Lord, I'm putting the effort in, but it will still fail if you don't show up!"
I hope you'll show up to hear part two in my series on "The Quest for Generosity"; I think you'll enjoy Sunday's service! Plus, we've got ice cream afterwards, and a way for you to get a buy one get one burrito from Chipotle!

a social network christmas

2010-12-16T13:40:00.000-08:00

Someone dear from our church has just shared this amazing video with me. I was speaking to teenagers the other night about the birth of Jesus from Mary's perspective.

Luke 1:26-38, “²⁶ In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, ²⁷ to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

²⁹ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ³³ and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

³⁴ “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

³⁵ The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called^[^b^] the Son of God. ³⁶ Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. ³⁷ For no word from God will ever fail.”

³⁸ “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.”

God does not always do things the way we would do them. If we were going to announce the birth of Jesus today, it would probably be up on facebook, there’d be an amazing video on youtube, Mary’s twitter would have a dozen tweets from the angel, and probably every news channel would cover the story. The people of Israel were waiting on the Messiah, so they would have been expecting some kind of announcement of his arrival, but they sure didn't expect this.

I am amazed at this video because it shares my exact sentiments and thoughts about how it probably would have went down if facebook was around in 1 B.C. Check it out and let me know what you think, and then post it on YOUR facebook to spread the good news that "Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you. He is the Messiah, the Lord." - Luke 2:10

If you'd like to listen to my other two sermons in the Collision with the King series, they are available here: www.collisionyouth.com

A Social Network Christmas

re-writing a logline

2010-11-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

Collision Youth Ministry will soon be wrapping up our series on the popular movie, To Save a Life. Last night was particularly challenging and emotional as we looked at "loglines." A logline is a film term for a line in a film that describes an entire film, scene, or character. We all had a chance to write our own negative loglines and past them on our chest for the rest of the group to see. After a teaching on Luke 19:1-10, we learned that Jesus has gifted us with re-writing our loglines, and allows us to join Him in re-writing the loglines of others. Zacchaeus was a tax collector that everyone pretty much referred to as "sinner," yet Jesus called him a "son of Abraham." He re-wrote Zacchaeus' story, and it changed his life. We then taped a blank piece of paper to our backs for others to read our loglines, and then re-write them on our backs. Some of the students wrote, "I don't like the way I look," or "I'm not good enough," or "I don't have what it takes to succeed." I wrote, "I am constantly being laughed at." It was inspiring to see the teens take advantage of a chance to write beautiful, true things about each other as the Spirit lead us in the truth of how God sees each of us. My perspective for my negative logline was that I have had feelings as though I'm made fun of often, but to see how it was re-written was quite remarkable. Some wrote: "cuz you kick butt," and others changed it to: "I am hilarious," or "like Rudolph, when people see me they fill up with joy and have to laugh HAPPILY." The only other time I've been likened to Rudolph has been when an annoying zit appears on the end of my nose. HA! But the one that got me was: "I am serious about important things and have changed many lives." Knowing that people look at our imperfections and insecurities much different than us got me to thinking that I (we) am (are) my (our) own worst critic(s). I am my own worst critic. You are your own worst critic. God doesn't look at your life and say, "you aren't good enough," or "you don't have what it takes," or "man, you musta fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down." NO! God looks at you and he says, "Look what I created! Isn't he/she marvelous!" and "I'm so proud of you!" and "I love you."
The human condition has left us depraved, and the enemy wants to capitalize on that by telling us lies so that we'll live in fear and embarassment that will eventually turn into low self-esteem and depression--IF we choose to believe the lies. We make the choice everyday of what we will believe about ourselves. Do we choose to believe the lies of the enemy in the form of me, my own worst critic, or do we choose to believe what God's Word says about us?
I have recently finished Steven Furtick's book, Sun Stand Still, where he lists twelve audacious faith confessions that he says over his life. I've printed them out and placed them on my wall. This is what I choose to believe about myself and my life:

1. 1. I am fully forgiven and free from all shame and condemnation.

(Romans 8:1-2; Ephesians 1:7-8; 1 John 1:9)

2. 2. I act in audacious faith to change the world in my generation.

(Joshua 10:12-14; John 14:12)

3. 3. I have no fear or anxiety; I trust in the Lord with all my heart.

(Proverbs 3:5-6; Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Peter 5:7)

4. 4. I am able to fulfill the calling God has placed on my life.

(Exodus 3:9-12; Psalm 57:2; Colossians 1:24-29)

5. 5. I am fully resourced to do everything God has called me to do.

(Deuteronomy 8:18; Luke 6:38; Philippians 4:13)

6. 6. I have no insecurity, because I see myself the way God sees me.

(Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 139:13-16; Ephesians 5:25-27)

7. 7. I am a faithful spouse and a godly parent-our family is blessed.

(Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Ephesians 5:22-25; Colossians 3:18-19; 1 Peter 3:1-7)

8. 8. I am completely whole-physically, mentally, and emotionally.

(Psalm 103:1-5; Matthew 8:16-17; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Peter 2:24)

9. 9. I am increasing in influence and favor for the kingdom of God.

(Genesis 45:4-8; 1 Samuel 2:26; Acts 2:37-47)

10. 10. I am enabled to walk in the sacrificial love of Christ. (Thessalonians 2:16-17; 1 John 3:16; 4:9-12)

11. 11. I have the wisdom of the Lord concerning every decision I make.

(2 Chronicles 1:7-12; Proverbs 2:6; Ecclesiastes 2:26; James 1:5)

12. 12. I am protected from all harm and evil in Jesus’ name.

(Genesis 50:20; Psalm 3:1-3; 2 Thessalonians 3:2-3)

What will you choose to believe?

My Re-written logline

Vacationing with the Boys

2010-08-24T14:25:00.000-07:00

I'm amazed at the need for a vacation AFTER having a vacation. Jenni and I realized that vacationing with kids is much different than vacationing without kids. Pre-parenthood, Jenni and I could sleep in, and after we wake up decide to go to the pool or the beach, and just go no questions asked. Post parenthood, things are quite different. Waking up at 9:30 was actually pretty cool, because the boys were on Colorado time all week while we were in Daytona Beach. They never set their watches ahead, I suppose. But after feeding them, we'd then get up to decide to go the beach, and we have to get ready, get all of our sunscreen on, head down to the beach with the canopy and the chairs, walk back to the room, get the boys ready to go with sunscreen and swimsuits, pack up the beach towels and coolers, and get ready to walk out the door, but wait--we gotta make two more bottles because now it's already time for them to eat again. Sooo, we get down to the beach, and we gotta feed the boys, before one of us at a time can go get into the ocean.
Although, I'm thankful for the family we had while we were down there that allowed us some semblance of relaxation or sanity giving us moments where we could just be with each other, and have some daddy and mommy time. Like throwing the frisbee on the beach together, or sitting by the pool for 10 minutes, or going out with my bro, sis-in-law, cousin and his wife to get dinner and a movie while the grandparents oogled over the kids. It was quite a blast, but NOW I'm ready for a vacation. :)

miracle of a life well lived

2010-05-25T15:08:00.001-07:00

Over two months ago, we celebrated the miracle of life with our two newest additions to the Barbour family. What a blessing these little guys have been. During the past week, I've been confronted with what it means to live life well. On Sunday afternoon of last week we made the decision to make an emergency trip out to CA to visit my wife's grandpa (Pa). He had been diagnosed with lung cancer at 88 years old, and wasn't doing so well. We all thought it would be a good idea to get out to see him one last time and allow him the privilege of meeting his great grandsons. We were nervous about the trip because it would be the first time we flew with the boys and weren't sure how well they'd do on the flight. Our worries were swiftly ended when the boys slept through the whole flight there, aside from a little time awake to eat. I wish I could sleep that long on an airplane! Maybe if someone would hold me the whole time I could! Just not the guy next to me! LOL!!

When we arrived in CA and headed to the hospital we found Jenni's grandpa in good spirits. He seemed to be doing well in our eyes, but it was tough to see the vibrant, lively man stuck in a hospital bed. We'd been getting some different messages on how long he had left—anywhere from 2 months to 6-9 months to 2-5 years (if chemotherapy worked). Well, the family made the decision to start chemotherapy to hopefully give him some good quality of life. After one treatment, he started to go downhill even faster. Because he was at the hospital, the boys weren't allowed in to see him. We asked the nurses to make a special exception and they agreed so we brought the boys in after what we had heard was a pretty bad day for Pa. We had originally wanted to bring them in on Saturday the 22^nd which was his 89^th birthday as his birthday present, but because he was getting worse quickly, we thought it best to do it sooner rather than later. When we got there with the little tikes, Pa seemed to perk up. He was on oxygen at the time, but was allowed to take it off for a few minutes at a time to take some pictures. What a sight! His eyes and face lit up to meet his twin grandsons, and many of us couldn't fight back the tears as we watched in wonder and amazement at how things had changed in a matter of minutes. Now that was a great day.

The very next day on his birthday we had to leave and say our good-byes. Pa was non-responsive until grandma started reading him the birthday cards out loud. He would wake up for a minute or two as he was struggling to breath and seemed to hear everything she said. Watching my wife say her final good-bye was one of the hardest things for me. I know that Pa heard Jenni say good-bye even though he never said it back, and I know that one day we will see him again on the other side. And that will be a glorious day.

Pa Hillhouse was a great man. He was strong, compassionate, sincere, and sweet. He loved his wife, his family, and cards. He will be greatly missed.

homecoming

2010-04-14T13:44:00.001-07:00

On Thursday (4.8.10) of last week, Jayce busted out of "prison" and came home with us for the very first time in his short 26 days of existence on planet earth. We shortly found out that Josiah would be kept for another 5 days for bad behavior (he had a brady—an abnormally slow heart rate—just hours after Jayce left—which is in my opinion, quite related and could give confirmation to him having a broken heart that his brother was gone). At whatever rate, we didn't know that we'd be grateful for getting a chance to break in our new set of parenting skills on our 2^nd born son. His first night home was spent tossing and turning, eating every 3 hours, and messing up diapers like it's his job, which of course, it is. He adjusted pretty well to living with us, and occasionally he'd cry really loud just to see if we were listening and would come and hold him, which of course, we were and we did.

Sometimes, we'd just pop in to see if he was still breathing, which we knew he was because we have this pretty amazing video monitor that lets us literally "see him when he's sleeping, and know when he's awake." (You started singing, didn't you? I knew you would) Now, yesterday (4.13.10) we got to bring home our first born son, Josiah for the first time. His transition was much easier, at least for him. He didn't squirm or fuss a whole lot, and slept quite comfortably in his new bed right next to his brother. We were up late feeding both of them, and last night was my first night actually getting up around 3 or 4 AM to help Jenni feed them. She's come to the conclusion that having one baby at home isn't really that difficult, but having two definitely turns this into a full time job, with the need for a part-time assistant. So, I'm the part-time assistant, and she's the full time Mom. Man, I LOVE my new boss. In an effort to make things easy on her assistant, she got up, changed Josiah, warmed up the bottle, and brought him to bed and gave him to me so I could feed him without hardly waking up, and then go right back to sleep after she put him back to bed. I have a sneaky suspicion that this won't always be the case, but I'm grateful for a first night homecoming where I get to be a full time Dad, and part time assistant.

By the way, my boys are ONE MONTH OLD TODAY! We may as well PARTY!

...not home yet

2010-04-05T19:32:00.000-07:00

The boys are still in the NICU at St. Joe's, and are really healthy. We are waiting on them to jump over a final hurdle, which seems to be more like a roller coaster. They have to eat all of their food via the bottle at each feeding. The boys are sometimes on their game and are downing the food like hungry little gregg's at an all you can eat wing buffet, and sometimes, they are more like little mice trying to eat a mountain of cheese. Sometimes, they do well and eat it in no time flat, and sometimes they don't finish, and it seems to take forever for them to eat just more than half.

With that being said, we are still hopeful that they will come home soon. We are all ready for them with a few final touches to be placed on the nursery (thanks to Kristen and Nate), along with picking up a rocker/glider for mommy and daddy to rock them to sleep. The car seats are already in the car--the boys passed the car seat tests--and they got their hearing screens done already and passed with flying colors there, too. Now, we are on their schedule with when they will decide to eat.

My mom flew in today from South Carolina to see the boys for the first time, and she was ecstatic. We went straight from the airport to the hospital, and she held both of them and just rocked away. I know she's already feeling like it was 30 years ago and she was holding me and Nate in her arms. But now all she has to worry about is spoiling those little monkeys rotten, while we do the dirty work! I'm betting that YaYa will be the one to push them over the edge and make them eat--after all, she did a good job of fattening me and my brother up!

here's to hoping they come home soon,

one proud daddy <><

Coming Home

2010-03-22T11:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers this past week as we experienced the most amazing moment in our adult lives—the birth of our boys. This past week has been filled with celebration, anxiety, stress, and a tremendous lack of sleep. The boys have been in the NICU at St. Joseph’s hospital since they made their appearance on March 14th. Jenni was discharged from the hospital Tuesday and we had to go home without them. We’ve spent most of our waking moments visiting them at the hospital and caring for them during their “care times” which occur at 3 hour intervals around the clock. We’ve gotten to check temperatures, change diapers, feed and hold the babies, and watch them sleep. The doctors and nurses have been amazed at their progress since they were born at 32 weeks. They are even anticipating that the boys will get to come home this week! With that on the horizon, will you continue to pray for their development and growth, their ability to drink their milk and gain weight, and that they are able to keep their temperature stable. These are all factors that will get them home sooner rather than later.

There is the possibility that Jayce would come home sooner, but we don’t want that. We are asking you to help us believe that God will get both boys to a place where they can come home together with Mom and Dad. Yesterday, we were able to put them next to each other for a few pictures and the most amazing thing happened. Jayce reached over and grabbed his brother’s hand and just held it. I kind of feel like he was saying “I’m not leaving without you!” .

Thankful for your prayers,

Gregg <><

diaper change

2010-03-18T22:32:00.000-07:00

Today I had another fatherhood initiation by my son, Jayce. As I was burping him after feeding him a bottle, I felt a nice explosion in his diaper. I could totally feel the poo come out. I told Jenni that I knew that I'd have to change that one later. Well, at the 6 pm "care time" I went over to Jayce's incubator, and slowly and dreadfully opened the diaper to find the explosion mentioned earlier. After already experiencing him pee on me, I got wise to his game and placed a diaper wipe over his weenie. "I'll teach you," I thought. Well, he's obviously a little more cunning than me because as I was changing his poopy diaper and wiping the poo off, he decided to let some more poo out--on my hand! He just kept the flow comin' each time after I wiped him off. I couldn't believe it! After getting hip to his tactics, he totally pulls a fast one on me. I guess that daddy initiation isn't for the weak or squeemish. I'm surprised that I didn't throw up right there!

All in a daddy's day's work,
Gregg <><

kangaroo: the bonding experience

2010-03-15T22:08:00.000-07:00

I got to hold my babies for the first time today. We went down to the NICU around 2:30 pm and found out it was about time to do their "care time" where we would be allowed to hold them, feed them, and eventually take temperature and change diapers. I asked if I could hold them, and they recommended that I do the "kangaroo hold" where they put him on skin to skin to bond with them. I heard that antibodies are transferred through the skin to help them fight illness, which is incredible! When she handed him to me and put him on my chest, I almost lost it! Feeling his tiny body being warmed by mine was the most amazing thing, and it melted my heart. I can't imagine what life would be like without them in it.

Around 9 pm tonight, we were around for another care time, where I got to hold Josiah and feed him. That too was amazing! To be around while he's learning what it's like to eat, suck, swallow, and breathe in a rhythmic motion was quite something to experience. After he was done, I just held his tiny body in my arms and stared at him.

We found out that both boys are starting to show a little jaundice, but Josiah has bilirubin levels that are higher than Jayce's and looks like they'll be doing a bit of phototherapy tomorrow. Their first tanning experience!

Being a Daddy is the best!

The Latest on Baby Barbours

2010-03-14T19:27:00.001-07:00

Being a new dad is hard to wrap my mind around, especially since I haven't been able to hold the boys' yet. Jenni and I are extremely ecstatic to have the boys welcomed to the world! I just spent about 30 minutes in the NICU taking photos of the boys, and they are so precious. Josiah is doing well and breathing on his own, while Jayce has a C-pap which is giving him a little support with oxygen. Jenni and I have gotten a bit of rest, and are excited to go and be with the boys for a while before we go back to sleep tonight.

Today was definitely one of the most memorable days of my life, and I can't even begin to imagine the momentous impact these guys will have on my as a Father. I never knew I could love a human being so much, and to imagine that the love our Heavenly Father has for us compares to this has changed my relationship with Him. I just want to watch them all the time, sing quietly over them while they sleep, and care for their every need. God does that for us on a level beyond our imagination. Zephaniah 3:17 WOW!

Stay tuned for more details on our boys, and visit my facebook for pics!

Welcoming Josiah and Jayce!!

2010-03-14T10:33:00.000-07:00

After hours and hours of labor, and some intense pushing by my amazing Super Woman of a wife, we welcomed two beautiful baby boys into this world. God is totally on the throne and answered our prayers as we were in labor asking Him to help Jenni deliver without a C-Section. And she was amazing. I am trying so hard to fight back the tears even as I think about it! I LOVE MY AMAZING WIFE!

Josiah was born around 10:45 am, weighing in at 4 lbs. 9 oz, and Jayce came out at 10:51 weighing in at 4 lbs. 2 oz. They are both in the NICU, and Josiah is off of his oxygen, while Jayce is still getting some help breathing, but they are looking amazing!!!

Jenni and I are soooo exhausted and excited at the same time, and are requesting any visitors and phone calls to be put on hold until we can get some rest. Thanks for all your prayers, and your thoughts. We are so blessed by our Father in heaven!

His,

the proudest Daddy and Husband in the world,

Gregg <><

babies on the way update #2

2010-03-14T01:33:00.001-08:00

It's 3:30 and things are progressing right along now, and Jenni's water broke, and she's about 7 cm now, and contractions are about 4 minutes apart. Won't be long now! Once we are ready to push, we'll be moved to the Operating Room for her to deliver, just in case an emergency C-section is necessary. We are believing God will keep Jayce in position for birth after Josiah is born, and that he comes quickly right after his brother. I'm nervous, but confident, and am relying on the Spirit inside me to help Jenni get through this. She's been amazing so far! The advent is approaching!

babies on the way update

2010-03-13T23:39:00.000-08:00

The time has come: Jenni and I came to the hospital yesterday morning at 6:30 after timing contractions for an hour. When we got here, they monitored her and the babies, and then gave her a drug called procardia to slow down the labor. Her cervix wasn't changing, so they moved us to another room to wait it out. At about 9 pm on March 13th, she went into labor with her cervix starting to dilate. I'm sitting in the Labor and Delivery room while she is trying to rest after getting her epidural (Thank God!) and waiting for labor to progress. Her water broke at about 11:30, so things are moving along quickly. I, however, saw a stretch of nerves come in after Jenni stabilized with the epidural and felt the need to lose my dinner, which I promptly did. Still a little sick to my stomach, and can't really sleep or rest. Now, we wait. The babies are almost 33 weeks along, which can come with its own set of complications, but we reject conventional wisdom and rely on a higher source of knowledge and strength, believing God to take care of these boys, their lung development, breathing when they come out, and the ability to get their nutrition from Mommy. I wanted to give you all an update, and thank you for your many prayers. I'll keep the updates coming as I have time, so keep an eye on this blog.

Soon to be Daddy,
Gregg <><

a new you for a new year

2010-01-11T15:06:00.001-08:00

Every year we are faced with opportunity. Opportunity for a fresh start at a new year. A time where we can look back at our previous year and our previous goals and evaluate what went well and what didn't. As I looked back on last year I was met with joy, excitement, frustration, and disappointment as many days were filled with the gambit of emotions. At the beginning of 2009 I hadn't put much thought into my goals other than I wanted to lose weight and get fit—that's on everyone's list, right? Which is why the gym is WAY too crowded in January, and by March it's back to normal. Last year, I missed my weight goal by 5 pounds when I was at my fittest since high school. Now that I've been eating for three along with my wife, I'm 20 pounds off my former weight goal. That was my only goal for the new year of '09, and by May I was right on target to hit it, and maintained from then until about October.

I turned 30 in December, and as I'm creeping up the hill I am resolute to accomplish my goals and be the absolute BEST version of myself that I can be. I know my 30^th year is going to be the best one of my life for a multitude of reasons, but I also know that it's going to take a lot of work—blood, sweat, and tears. Nothing that is worth accomplishing is easy. I've spent more time thinking through my resolutions this year than I have in all my previous years, and I WILL accomplish my goals. In fact, at this point in January, things look promising. I've already put a big fat check mark on one of my financial goals—paying off our credit card this year. We are now free from credit card debt thanks to Financial Peace and Dave Ramsey, and we couldn't be more thrilled. Now that's a HUGE check mark!

Among my goals, I intend to be physically healthy, spiritually mature, intellectually wealthy, financially sound, and pastorally strong. There's a myriad of goals in those categories that I'm still journeying through, but I AM resolute. Among the challenges of reaching these goals, I also have the challenge of figuring out how to be a dad—how to be a great dad. Challenges are quite often met with opposition, but this one will also be met with great joy, and the number one reason that my 30^th year will be the BEST year of my life. I welcome opposition. I welcome challenge. I will overcome.

The opportunities to recreate yourself are endless, and you are capable of it at any point in the year, and at any point in your life. Don't just jump on the bandwagon of goals and resolutions because others are doing it, but because you realize that there are opportunities for growth in your own life. God loves you too much to let you stay the way you are. He is constantly at work in your life—Philippians 1:6, "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." His work will never be done in your life and in mine; the process of sanctification will continue until you meet Christ.

I guess I could be labeled a "Construction Zone" because I am a work in progress. The work this year is going to be done more often, more swiftly, and more promptly as I am more open to growing exponentially now than I ever have been.

the X in Xmas

2009-12-30T14:54:00.000-08:00

i came across this blog on my myspace page that I wrote several years ago, and thought that I would re-post it here.

well, it's christmas time again, and I thought I'd share a bit of light on the whole "x"mas thing. I've used the term xmas in some of my writings and comments and such, so I thought I should share the wealth of knowledge that I've been privy to for the past few years.

I used to think like most Christians that we should put Christ back in Christmas, when everyone started putting the X in place of Christ. I've come to the realization that there are two very different ways to look at this.

Some use the x, just like that algebraic "x"= the unknown. That reminded me of a story in Acts 17, when Paul was in Athens. The Bible says in vs. 22-23, "Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: 'men of athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you."

For these men of athens they were worshipping something they weren't aware of, and for many people in our world today, they put the X in X-mas not to, in my opinion, take the Christ out, but that they are unaware of what the season is about. So, it is our job to proclaim that to them.
How can we tell them what the X really means without sounding like an idiot? Well, you're in luck, I'm going to tell you!!! The other way to look at the X is the most logical and proper way. X represents the first letter of the word Xtos (XPIETOE), which in Greek is the word for Christ. So, what is the X in X-mas? The X is Christ.
On a side note, Xmas has been used for hundreds of years in religious writings, where the X represents a Greek Chi (X). In this use it is parallel to other forms like Xtian, "Christian." But people unaware of the Greek origin of this X often mistakenly frown upon the term Xmas because it seems to them a commercial convenience that omits Christ from Christmas, when in all reality, we are really pronouncing Christ.
So, take this knowledge to those who you know use Xmas, and see if they know what the X really is!
Now go watch a Charlie Brown Christmas, and spread the cheer by reading Luke 2 with your loved ones!

goodbye, Apathy

2009-10-22T10:37:00.001-07:00

Two nights ago, I was priveleged enough to view a pre-screening of a new movie coming out called "To Save A Life." Honestly, one of the most amazing and relevant movies to today's generation that I have ever seen. It was a captivating, enthralling, motivating tear jerker of a flick. After watching it, I was thinking about the youth ministry at our church, and the students involved in this ministry. As I thought about them, there was one word that resonated with me—apathy. I challenged them last night to confront apathy. As I shared my frustrations, the Holy Spirit confirmed I was doing the right thing by scrapping my talk on marriage by taking over my words. As I was speaking, I couldn't help but think, "This is coming out much more eloquently than I could ever have thought," so I knew it wasn't me speaking, but God through me. Some of those frustrations were mine—students being in cliques while at youth group, and not desiring to know each other in community, students not bringing their friends, their lack of participation in events and service projects. But at the heart of it, I think some of those frustrations were turned into challenges from God to say goodbye, Apathy. To choose to no longer say, "I don't care," and do something for those around you.

I wonder how much of it was taken to heart through our family time discussion, and want to throw the net wide to hear any thoughts on how you say goodbye to Apathy in your own life. What will it take for you to truly care enough to make a difference?

Take a look at the movie trailer here!

worship

2009-09-03T10:49:00.001-07:00

A friend of mind posted a note asking for thoughts on "worship" and it got me thinking…I have a lot of thoughts on worship. Too many, in fact, to put in a response to a note, so I thought I'd compile some of them here. When I was in college, I played in an acoustic rock band called "His Holy Hill" that my brother and I started. One of our former band titles was "Underwater Basket Weavers" and after that, "Splendor." In my course of playing in the band, we were always known as the "worship band" because many of our original songs had a worship feel, and we always did worship as part of our shows. We even got to the point where people were asking us to just come and lead worship primarily, so I had become attached to worship in the musical form.

I once heard a guy say that "worship is an attitude of the heart." I think it was Jeremy Kingsley at one of the B.S.U. events that I attended at North Greenville College. If i could sum it up in one word now, worship = lifestyle. However, in a greater sense, worship is our response to what God has done. many do not know how to worship, because they do not know what he has done. Therefore, worship must be preceded with the gospel. When we wrestle with the truth of what God has done for us through his son, Jesus, then we will truly know how to worship. Jesus made the statement in John 4: 23, "yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks." The truth of what we know and even what we have yet to realize will hit us and the time will come when we have no choice but to worship, to respond to that truth.

I get worship bumps (chills) when I realize what God has done for me, and when I respond in worship. If I take the time to quiet my soul, and focus on the Spirit of God, then I can find Him in those places of worship. I had one such instance this past Sunday morning—the Spirit of God truly fell as we wrestled with the truth that "God can do more than we can ask or imagine, He can do more than I can even dream or even comprehend. He can do more, again and again, it surprises me." After recognizes that God is present in our struggles, and is not worried about what the future holds, but desires for us to connect with Him, the response for me was magnificent. It was true worship—expressing my heart's gratitude and desires for God to blow my mind, and do MORE that I can imagine.

Yet, hasn't Jesus already done the unimaginable in his death and resurrection, conquering death and the grave so that we may be made completely whole, and restored to relationship with God? Yes, He has. So, I must choose to praise. You ask what I think of when I hear the word worship? It's a lifestyle. A Response. A Sacrifice. Praise. Dedication. Adoration. Communion. Obedience. Being in love.

I Predict PAIN

2009-06-10T16:57:00.001-07:00

There's been plenty of times in my life where I've felt pain. In my years of playing sports I have sprained both my ankles, bruised plenty of muscles, twisted knees, jammed fingers, hurt joints, jacked up my back, and even had my mouth split open playing basketball. But, I have yet to experience the kind of pain where I would need prescription medication to make it go away. I'm not one who condemns the use of medication by any means. God gave doctors the wisdom to know and understand our bodies, and how medication can boost our immune system in order for us to get better. But, God also performs miracles, and signs and wonders on people to completely heal them. We pray that people will experience healing, and it comes. We also pray that people get healed, and sometimes they don't. It's hard to understand God's Will in certain times, but it's not hard to know that He's good, just, fair, merciful, sovereign, divine, and loving. He cares when I'm in pain.

On Friday of last week, I had a gum tissue graft to cover some gum recession that has occurred over the years due to a combination of having braces, and brushing vigorously. For the first couple of days, I was taking some Advil, and the pain was manageable, but over the past two days, the pain has been serious. Every time I laugh, or try to smile, my mouth hurts. Even talking sometimes causes me pain. The doc gave me some Percocet which is some pretty high powered pain killers, and they work. But they also have some weird side effects. I sometimes feel dizzy and even disoriented…but there's no pain, which is good.

When I think of my pain in comparison to what Christ went through on the cross, I feel like a wuss. I can't even manage to endure a little mouth pain without some Percocet while my Lord and Savior suffered beatings and floggings, being nailed to cross, having a crown of thorns shoved into his skull, and a sword piercing his side. This pain he could have gotten rid of my just saying a word, yet he endured it. For me. For you. He predicted the pain would come, and yet he went through with it. He may not have wanted it at first, but He did what God wanted. Luke 22: 41-42, "He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."

For me…I'd like to be rid of this pain. That'd be nice. But, in comparison to what Jesus did for me, my pain is nothing. So, I'll endure, and think of the cross each time my mouth hurts.

Tater Saw

2009-04-23T14:04:00.001-07:00

Imagine my surprise when I walk into my office on Tuesday morning to find Officer Spud sitting next to my computer with a note attached to him. Apparently, someone had been up to some mischief. The note was from "Tater Saw." I had one minute to find all of the spuds before they would spontaneously combust. AGHHH!!! THE HORROR!!! I thought it would be a good chance to video my findings, so I pulled out my camera and this is what I captured:

As you can tell, I didn't fold under the pressure, and my precious Spuds were saved. From Santa Spud to Spider Spud to the Taters of the Lost Ark, they all were without a scratch. I saved the day. But, I'll never leave my office unattended again! Oh, the pranks to come…Beware tater saw…Beware.

progression

2009-03-04T15:52:00.001-08:00

I am constantly claiming that I am a work in progress, but I wonder what that progression looks like:

Philippians 1:6 says, "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

There has to be some final product that is ultimately being produced. I think this process is called sanctification (being set apart for a purpose), and will ultimately be completed on the day we get to be together with Christ in heaven. Being sanctified to the image and attitude of Christ is a daily battle, which is why it's work. My faith, my attitude, my responses, and reactions are constantly being put to work
in order to produce a better version of myself. The spirit of God is at work
in all of these areas so that I may be sanctified. Some days my flesh works harder than my spirit because I don't take the time to stop and connect with God. Hopefully and prayerfully, these days are becoming more and more sparse, and that my days of being full of the spirit win out over the days being full of my flesh. Galatians 5:16-18, "¹⁶So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. ¹⁷For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. ¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law." So, there are ultimately, two contradictory progressions at work in my life. Satan's desire is that I progress towards living and doing things my way, while God's desire is that I progress towards living and doing things in the way of the Spirit.

This is my desire as well: to live by the Spirit. So, the progression should look more like someone who is constantly being worked on, chiseled at, painted over, and molded by God, who claims that we are his workmanship [Eph 2:10]. Progress tells me that tomorrow, I will be better than today.

a matter of redundancy

2009-01-07T15:56:00.001-08:00

What in life is redundant? I guess sleep can be redundant. Waking up, and brushing our teeth (which hopefully you do, otherwise, you'll have halitosis—need a mint?), or even a work out at the gym can be redundant. We sometimes get into routines, and we never wonder why we started doing things a certain way in the first place.

I'm sitting here in my office cutting and folding "Blizzard" fliers for the students to pick up tonight, and it's becoming a redundant task. Over and over, folding, cutting, repeat. I wonder if sometimes our lives get like that? Wake up, relieve myself, brush teeth, shower, get dressed, oops, don't forget the deodorant, feed the dogs, eat breakfast, go to work, go to the gym, watch tv with wife, play xbox, go to sleep, repeat. Is your day becoming an endless cycle, or routine, that even though it's enjoyable, it's still a "repeat as necessary" kind of life.

Maybe we're up for change once a year. Happy New Year! It's time to make our goals and resolutions, and change is GOING TO HAPPEN THIS YEAR IF IT TAKES EVERYTHING I'VE GOT! Hopefully, it lasts this time! But, what if it doesn't? Are we going to let our lives become redundant?

Well, I resolve not to! My life will not, or will never be a matter of redundancy. Our Father in heaven has come that we might experience life to the full, an abundant life, not a redundant life. In fact, in Revelation 21, He says that He has come to make all things new. I believe that. I believe Jesus has come into my life to make me new, from the inside out. May this year be a year of newness for all who desire it.

No more redundancies…except for those that are necessary…and now, back to the folding!

Advent Conspiracy

2008-12-15T10:15:00.001-08:00

I recently came across this website(adventconspiracy.org), and was blown away at this video! It was the day after I was teaching our students a series on "'Tis the Season" where we looked at this well known phrase and what it means and could mean. 'Tis the season is often associated with "to be merry." Our spin was that the season should not dictate our attitude, but our attitude should dictate the season. We have the power and ability to tell our attitudes that it is always the season to be giving, to be merry, to have joy, to be kind to others, and to ultimately spend ourselves on behalf of the poor and satisfy the needs of the oppressed as outlined in Isaiah 58.

Well on this particular night, I stated that we should consider that Christmas is not about presents, but about presence. 'Tis the season for presence. When I saw this video, I wished I had seen it 24 hours earlier. It illustrated everything that I wanted to show to our teens, and even to our volunteers. We have made it a priority to be people who give often. We decided to adopt a family in our church as a youth ministry, and this year, we are going to be able to give them almost $300 in cash and gift cards thanks to the generosity of our teenagers and volunteers. People are taking the gift cards they received as presents, and giving them away to this family in need, so that they can have a nice Christmas. Praise God for the generosity of people, and for the conspiracy of advent. The coming of Christ represents the ultimate present, and the ultimate presence. May I strive to be like Christ and offer my presence most often, and give more freely.

the iPod…how did I ever go without it?

2008-11-17T15:48:00.001-08:00

Man! I LOVE my gadgets. It's interesting how much "stuff" a person can have! I was at Ross the other day with Jenni and I noticed a dozen different cases for an iPod. I picked them up and perused through them, and found one I liked! I didn't really need a new case for my iPod, but I couldn't turn this down…after all, it was only $5. As soon as I got to the car I put the new case on my iPod, and found out my iTrip didn't fit it now…so, I had to switch with Jenni. After I looked it over one last time, I decided to check out the website of this case. Now, there are tons and tons of more cases on here! And I like about 5 of them better than the one I just bought!!! Grrr!!! Yeah, I saved almost $15 by buying it at Ross, but if I'm honest, I'd rather have a different one now. How ridiculous, right?!? I mean, I don't even need a new case. My old one is fine, and yet, I get one, and then I'd rather have a different newer one.

Well, needless to say, they've got every gadget imaginable to go with our gadgets. The iPod alone probably has at least 100 different products that can go along with it. I even saw an iPod dock attached to a toilet paper holder…so you NEVER have to go without your music.

Can you believe that? Wow! You can get your cases, your docks, your earbuds, your iTrips, and anything else you can think of to go with your iPod. Which makes me wonder? Do we REALLY need all this stuff? Don't get me wrong here. I like to have nice stuff just as much as the next guy, but I wonder if I can literally do without it. Absolutely! I CAN do without all this "stuff." What does God want us to do with our stuff? Is He OK with us having all these things? I mean, He talks about meeting our needs in Matthew 6, and not only just meeting our needs, but how the lilies of the fields were clothed much more beautifully that even Solomon, who was stinkin' rich!

I believe that God wants to take care of us, and that every good and perfect gift comes from above. However, He wants to use us to take care of others, too. Which is why I believe, rather than spending my hard earned money on a bunch of "stuff," how much more should I spend it on the "least of these" in Matthew 25.

Boy, only if it was as easy to live this, as it is to write it down.

Lord, help me to be the kind of servant whose focus is not on the "stuff" of this world, but on the people who inhabit it. Let me be the kind of man who helps those in need, and shares the Gospel with his life. Make me a man after your heart, not a bunch of "stuff." Amen.

40 boxes…gone!

2008-11-13T14:16:00.001-08:00

I am sooo proud of our teens at Collision! Last night, we made the plea once again to create and fill a shoe box for needy children through Operation Christmas Child, and all 40 of the boxes that I had hoped would be filled were gone after the service! Teens were taking 3 and 4 boxes each with promises to fill them and make a difference! Awesome! I hope they make good on those promises and bring them in next week to our dedication service!

Operation Christmas Child

2008-11-12T14:54:00.001-08:00

Jenni and I went to dollar tree last night to shop for our Operation Christmas Child. And as we were going through the store filling our cart, I couldn't help but think that the things we are giving are just material things. As I thought about that some more, I realized that the idea behind the gift was much more than just giving material things. We are giving our love, but more so, we are demonstrating the way that God gave Jesus to us. Jesus was a gift from God wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. While we are just buying balls, or toy cars, or candy, God is working in the hearts of the children that will receive these boxes, and ultimately He is drawing them to Himself.

Do you want to be a part of that? I know I do!

Yeah, it's going to cost you some of your hard earned money, and some of your time, but isn't it worth the money and time to change a life? Do a box! Do it! And bring it here this month on the 19^th and dedicate the box and its contents to the Lord, so that He will do what He wants with the box, and more importantly, with the life that will receive the gift.

I still have this blog?

2008-11-12T14:00:00.001-08:00

I was browsing through my new blog on collisionyouth.com (which I'm not particularly fond of the module), but I realized that I still have the blogspot on blogger.com. Wow! I guess I need to update this a little more. It's really cool because with Microsoft word it will actually update it for me! So, I guess I might be blogging a little more often here!

untouchables:a thought

2007-03-12T15:24:00.000-07:00

This is my first blog on blogspot.com. I guess I'm going to get used to this. Tonight's topic is on Homosexuality, as we're beginning our series on Untouchables. I pray that God will use this message to inspire teenagers to love as Jesus loved, and grab a greater understanding of this topic.