Everything’s Right

yeah… It’s been a while since I blogged. I used to blog at least once a week, sometimes 2 or 3 times but I haven’t really had anything I wanted to say lately. I have a few excuses for that.

1. I have been extremely busy. It’s amazing what God will do if you just sit back and let Him. It’s funny… when I decided to make photography my career, I was trying really hard to MAKE it happen. I was doing everything I could and stressing out about money and if I was going to book weddings. Once I decided to give it up to God and NOT worry about anything, I became so busy with shoots that I had to turn a few away. I love my job. Seriously.  I have learned so much the last few years about being patient, being content and not trying to outdo what God has planned for me. This is not the job that I always dreamed of… it’s better.

2. When I started this blog it was because I was moving away to be a “church planter”. I wanted to document my journey and share it with my friends and family. I wanted everyone that loved me to know what I was learning and be able to keep up with my life.  Well… that has changed a little as well. I am no longer the Action Director for Canvas Church. WHOA… WAIT a minute… before you jump to conclusions. It’s not a bad thing. I am not mad at anyone nor are they mad at me. I see that I was valuable to the church in the planning stages and the move down. I am not bad at networking and was able to use my skills to help get everything going. I also learned a LOT. A lot about the inner workings of how a church plant is done. A lot about the city of Savannah and the ever growing need for Christ. I learned that I needed to stop being a “church planter” and start taking my own advice and just “be the church”.  But most importantly… I learned a lot about what God wants from me. I have realized that I don’t have everything worked out. I am learning to live day by day and revel in the wonder that is my walk with Christ. I know this all sounds really deep, but it’s pretty simple really. I am Mikey – He is God and He loves me.  Once I realized that… it’s a piece of cake. It just got to the point in my work at Canvas that I could feel God pushing me to do something else. I considered becoming a worship leader at another local church but just didn’t get peace about it. I considered becoming a male prostitute but that didn’t work out for obvious reasons. I have considered and prayed about many things in the last few months. But… right now… I am not considering anything. I am waiting for God to tell me what to do. No plan in place. That was very difficult for me to do. I have always had a plan.

The past few months since I made the decision to step down from my position at Canvas, I have been praying a lot, telling God what I want and then waiting for Him to correct me. And just wandering around Savannah trying to find my place. Wherever it may be. I know for a fact that I am supposed to be in this city. Right smack dab in the middle of it. God used a lot of different opportunities to bring me here and  then used certain situations to keep me here.  I will not waste His guidance by giving up and moving back. All I know is that He has a plan for me and I am PATIENTLY waiting for His instruction.

So…

to wrap up this emotional gut spilling.

-I am still a Christ Follower even though i’m not “on staff” at a church.

-I do not think church planters are bad, just not what’s right for me. I still love Canvas Church (which is doing fantastic out in Pooler). Doug is an amazing man and of God that has followed his call without hesitation. I still talk to him almost daily. The Garvin’s, The Gunter’s and the Tanner’s are my family. Lives are being changed because of what those families are doing.

-I am happy with my life. I live in a city that people go to on vacation. I am getting to travel for the first time in my life without having to worry about a jewelry store.  I love my friends and family. I love my Lord & Savior.

-most importantly… at this moment in my life I can honestly say that His grace is sufficient for me.

Sorry for all the blog silence. I promise it will be more frequent.

for your entertainment

It’s Thanksgiving so it’s time for the blog about being thankful…

I wanted to write a really cool blog that was a good read but I didn’t want to just write a blog talking about how thankful i am. I didn’t want to just write a blog talking about all the stuff that God has given me over this past year or all the amazing experiences I have had.  I thought about listing all of them and then i decided that was a little cliche’. I thought about being eloquent and writing a poem. That didn’t work either. So… i figured since I take a lot of photos that I’d just post a lot of those and be kinda artistic. You know… like a collage. but… as I was looking through all of them and really reminiscing. I got to the last ones that I was going to use. They trumped the rest. in fact… there was one in particular.

today… i am thankful for this…

 

more than words

yep. it’s been a while. I have a lot that i want to say. but can’t seem to put it into words at the moment. I promise i will be blogging more now.

I was talking to a friend tonight and somehow we got on the topic of Rich Mullins. I have always loved his music and was sad when he died in 1997 but i never really knew much about him. I love wikipedia. Here is a quote…

“If you’ve ever known the love of God, you know it’s nothing but reckless and it’s nothing but raging. Sometimes it hurts to be loved, and if it doesn’t hurt it’s probably not love, may be infatuation. I think a lot of American people are infatuated with God, but we don’t really love Him, and they don’t really let Him love them. Being loved by God is one of the most painful things in the world, it’s also the only thing that can bring us salvation and it’s like everything else that is really wonderful, there’s a little bit of pain in it, little bit of hurt.” -Rich Mullins

Am i really letting God love me?

Let’s meditate on that a little while.

america the beautiful

long line of pain

“We’re alcoholics and drug addicts but we don’t mean nothin by it”

ok… let me explain…

This week has been amazing. On Saturday, 21 middle school kids and 9 adults arrived in Savannah from First Baptist West Palm Beach. They were here on a mission trip with “Power Plant” (a program through the North American Mission Board) it pairs churches from all over the country with church planters in different cities to help them and learn about how we do church. for photos click here and here

Our week was a little hectic. The kids and leaders all stayed at SSU in the dorms and then would meet up with us at 1:30 every afternoon and hang out until 9:30 every night. I had a slew of activities planned…

Monday: We stuffed bags with free chick-fil-a coupons and invites to church and then drove around all over Whitemarsh Island hanging them on doors. It was hot! We walked a lot!

Tuesday: We volunteered our time and man-power to the theatre where we meet. We asked them what we could do and they were not shy to tell us… We cut down trees and raked leaves to clear out a back parking lot that has been neglected for a while. It was HOT! Those guys worked hard!

Wednesday: We went to the Baptist Center in the inner city and helped throw a block party for the church that is meeting there. We setup, made signs played with kids and signed them up for VBS. It was HOT!

Thursday: We built over 200 pb&j sandwiches in my garage then drove to different locations downtown to find hungry/homeless people and just offer them a small meal. I was surprised at how many we gave out. This brings me to my first statement…

My group encountered three homeless men in a park… Richard, Johnny and Jerry. These guys were completely wasted, entertaining but wasted. We gave them each 2 sandwiches and then hung out for a minute. It was the first time some of these kids had ever been that close to the homeless. I talked to them and so did the kids… they weren’t scared at all. One of the guys even made a flower out of grass and the other made up a poem. anyway they said the above statement as we were walking away. We are just there to spread the love of Christ!

Next we went to a mission downtown to donate the rest of the sandwiches and noticed a lot of people standing outside to get in. Some were obviously homeless and were laying in the grass while others just looked hungry.

One lady in particular caught my eye… she looked “normal”. By normal I mean… she was clean and seemed to be wearing a badge from work. I thought she may be volunteering at the shelter. But, no! she was standing in line just like everyone else. This humbled me more than I have been humbled in my life. This lady was different… not that I think the other people were not important… it’s not my place to judge anyone or how they got into their particular situation. It’s just that she had been working and just didn’t have money to eat. Her image has been burned in my mind for the last 24 hours.

One of the discussion questions from journey group this past week was: When was the last time you really suffered for Christ?

I thought I had been suffering all week in the heat. I thought that it was just way too hot to be outside and couldn’t wait to get into the van or back home to the A/C.

That woman left her job to go stand outside in line at a shelter to get a meal in that same heat. She was drenched in sweat and when we gave her the sandwich her eyes were grateful although she didn’t say anything but a simple Thank You…I could tell she needed that sandwich.

When was the last time you really suffered for Christ?

chasing pavements

I promise I will be blogging next week… Life has been crazy! For a glimpse at what my week has been like… go here

sing me home

picture this…

 

a small country church

lots of people

a little warm inside

music

“take my hand. precious Lord”

the smell of casserole coming from the fellowship hall just downstairs

a band setting up on a flatbed trailer outside

three people stand up and start singing acapella from their seats

the pastor asks the mom with the most kids to stand up

the pastor asks the youngest mom to stand up

the pastor asks the mom with the most kids present to stand up

(they all get gifts)

four part harmonies around an upright piano that an awesome woman is playing in the corner

a tambourine playing on the front row of the choir

sitting so close to the person next to you that you can hardly breathe

all your family is there 

ladies and gentlemen… on the organ… Mr. Harvey Brock wearing a plaid suit

“the old rugged cross”

“because He lives”

“i’ll fly away”

20 minute alter call

“softly & tenderly “

tears

“i see that hand”

finally eating that casserole you have been smelling for hours

going outside in the heat to listen to some southern gospel

one day there will be a great reunion

Don’t Forget… no service tonight…

It’s Mother’s Day.

 

just thought i would share some of my memories for you guys. 

I Love You Mommy!

Happy Mother’s Day!

daughters

I always tell people that I grew up in a jewelry store full of women…

Women that molded and shaped me to the man I am today.

Women that are important to me. 

So… this mother’s day I want to celebrate these women.

Women in my family.

Women that were daughters once… but are now Grandmothers, Mothers, Aunts & Cousins.

Virginia B. Collins  (grandmother)

Janet Sue Collins Edde (mother)

Mary Helen Margaret McLaughlin Collins (aunt)

Claudia Eileen Collins Remeta (aunt/mother)

Geneva Louise Curl Buckner (aunt/mother)

Marria McWilliams (aunt/mother)

Linnell Brownlee Holeman (aunt)

Darnice Brownlee (aunt)

Kerrie Leigh Remeta Tisone (sister)

Kristie Eileen Remeta Endsley (sister)

Gail Scoggins Collins (aunt)

Cindy Collins Smith (cousin)

Gina Arnett Collins (aunt/mother)

Gini Linnell Collins Burdette (aunt/mother)

This Sunday is Mother’s Day. Make sure you let your mom (or ) all your mom’s know what they mean to you.

 

daydream believer

This morning I was watching one of my favorite tv shows, “The West Wing” . I was so upset when they ended it. Anyway… there is a great quote that I wanted to share.

One of the president’s staff was saying that he thought he had an idea but if it were that good of an idea someone would have already thought of it. The president in return said… I find that statement to be false.

So… as it pertains to my life…

As the Action Director for the church it is my job to find opportunities in the city for outreach and come up with ways to be the hands and feet to people who need it. Also to encourage those people to Forward that love to someone else. I am always trying to think of new ways to do this. Another outside the box way to spread love in this city. But everything I can think of seems trivial or just not the right way to do it. 

After hearing this quote on the TV, I have decided to change my outlook…

Yes, there are a lot of people out there that have great organizations and are reaching many people.

-but-

There are still people that are not being reached.

There are a lot of ideas that no one has thought of yet. And it’s usually a lot more simple than you think.

two tickets to paradise

Seriously! Be at Canvas Church this Sunday at 10am & 11am! Watch this… it’s funny!