Bring It On

Apparently Canvas Church is about to do some things that does not coincide with the dark forces looming over Savannah, Georgia. Apparently this city is on the verge of a transformation. I pray everyday that God will give us and the other churches in the area the strength to see the big picture and not get frustrated at the little things that are attacking us right now. God has been preparing us and the people who are already here for what will happen in the next year. Of that I am sure.

I can’t speak for the rest of our group but I have been a little anxious lately. Just the past couple of days. Canvasians have begun moving down here, Doug and his family will be here this weekend with a big U-haul! You’d think I would be excited. I have been waiting on this to happen for a while now. And it’s finally starting.

I guess i’ve been anxious because I have gotten a little comfortable down here. I think it’s easier to be prepared for these little attacks when you are expecting them. Today I had a little sit down with God. Just me and Him in my closet, in the dark. We fought a little, i got a little mad, a little emotional. He reminded me that I am not the one in control of this church. He is controlling the shots.

Now… I am ready! I don’t care what happens, I have been sent here for a reason. 

The answer is yes. Now, what’s the question?

Bring It On!

Restore To Me

It’s been a little over a year since I decided to move. I have been in Savannah since February and have made a lot of great friends and have become comfortable calling it home. I have been really focused lately on getting people moved down here and what Canvas Church is going to look like. I have been really anxious to get everything started, to know what the future will look like. 

This past week has been great. I went to church on Sunday and heard my new friend Gary sing a song that shares it’s name with the title of this blog. It’s funny how God gives you little moments of clarity. The whole time he was singing it I was just thinking about all the stress I have had lately, not to mention all the stress that Kendal, Justin, Jared & April have been experiencing as they are moving down here in the next couple of weeks. Mark & Trisha just started a new family, they have Trey now and are trying to sell their house and are anxious to move. Each of us have our own worries.

Then there are Doug & Shelly. Not only are they moving their whole family to a new place, they are taking on a role of Pastor to a group of people they don’t even know yet. They are going to be attacked the most, more than anyone else in our group. Satan does not want them down here and he is going to try every little thing to stop it and he has.

We, as a church need to pray that God will help restore to us the joy of our salvation, to help us stay focused on the reason we are moving to this city.

Made To Worship (Again)

I wrote this post in January and I feel like it’s what I want to say today… So here you go…

 

       Churchy, Old Fashioned, Not Relevant, Traditional, Cheesy, Judgmental… All words too flippantly used these days. Churches even say this about each other. I am at a Basic Training Conference at the Georgia Baptist Convention Center in Tifton, GA. Doug, Jared and I were at the Worship Service tonight after dinner. We did the whole routine… we sang some pretty songs, clapped, sang some more pretty songs. Then Pastor Ben asked a few men to get up and share their testimony. He had already told them in advance so I figured it would be the usual… you know what I’m talking about. Someone standing and telling what all they’ve been through and how Jesus had changed their lives. Now… I am not saying there’s anything wrong with that. I am just trying to be honest about being judgmental, yes, even me. That WAS NOT the case. It was a church planter named Michael. He has been sitting at the table behind ours all week. He’s very quiet but every once in a while would ask a question. Honestly, I have been concerned all week at how he was going to communicate with people. I just blew it off and starting concentrating on myself again as usual… When this man got up on that stage and starting speaking I immediately felt the Holy Spirit. He had a very commanding yet very humble presence, I was almost entranced (not in a weird way). He started out by saying that everyone, even non believers have someone that they can identify with in the bible. Someone that when they hear their story, it sparks something. He went on to tell about his health problems and how the doctors told him he didn’t have a chance but how God had protected him. As Christians we have heard stories like this our whole life but the way he presented it was a little different. He said that he could identify with David. How David must have felt the night before he had to face a 10 foot giant. It’s not always about the situation whether it be open heart surgery or a 10 foot giant. It’s about putting on the Armor of God and accepting His will for your life, accepting the fact that you might die. This man had a way of communicating that made me want to join his church. Then I realized that I am a member of HIS church. I am a part of this Kingdom. Just think… the last couple of days I sat right in front of this man practically judging him because I thought he might not be relevant enough to reach people for Christ. wow… I was a little humbled to say the least. I know that there are churches out there that might not be trying. I know there are churches that think the old way is the only way. That may be the wrong attitude. God would probably not put him in front of a lot of artsy SCAD students that can’t identify. He will put him in the right place at the right time with the right audience. All I know is that when that quiet, old fashioned man opened his mouth tonight, it brought me to tears. Modern, Relevant, edgy, too loud, too secular… All words to flippantly used these days. Let’s let God decide what’s relevant according to what He is sending us to do.

3×5

It’s Finished… Well Almost. I am adding a lot of photos this week, but it looks great! Thanks to my buddy Josh Bayne! You Rock! Please go check it out, let me know what you think…

www.BeaconPhotoOnline.com

What’d I say

There is a whole lot going on right now in Slowvannah. here are some details

• it rains everyday
• i am taking a lot of photographs
• kendal & justin are moving next weekend
• doug & shelly are moving the weekend after, hopefully they will find somewhere to live
• i am going up to Atlanta next weekend to photograph a wedding
• i really want the new Iphone… alas, it is sold out!
• i made deviled eggs today… my mom’s recipe. they are awesome
• i have met some really amazing people down here
• i miss my friends
• God is lining up some amazing things for Canvas Church to do
• i can’t wait to get started ( i say this a lot because i have no patience)
• i love deviled eggs
• the new Batman is amazing!
• my buddy Jason and I found a great little market downtown. photo below…

Hey Ya

Have you ever had a song stuck in your head and can’t stop singing it? Yeah… it’s really annoying. The other night I couldn’t sleep because I was singing “Hey Ya”. No really, I was laying in bed in complete darkness singing an Outkast song until 3am. I had to turn on the tv and watch deadliest catch just so i could go to sleep.

Anyway, that happened again tonight at Selah.  Richard spoke on the importance of worship and how everything else should stem from it. Our Christian walk, everything we do should be worship to our Saviour. So at the end of his message he walked off stage and there was a 2 minute moment of silence to reflect on the importance of listening to God and just being with Him. I could not stop thinking about the end of the song ” Here I am to worship”. It repeats: 

I’ll never know how much it cost

to see my sin upon that cross

I just sang it over and over in my head. We were supposed to Be with God and listen to Him speak to us, to calm down and be in the moment, in His presence. 

I truly felt like I was.

free house

just incase anyone is interested…

and there’s a beauty shop right next door…