Transformers – Oxygen Fall Retreat

This weekend was amazing! I would be lying if I didn’t say I miss Oxygen, the youth group that I was part of and brought media leadership to in Atlanta, GA. This weekend has really strengthened me on many levels. It really brought me back to what really matters and just how kind the Lord is. I stand here and proclaim that the Lord is TRULY kind to us, more than we deserve or will ever know.

The students of Oxygen inspire me, alot of these kids come from broken homes and are broken themselves, just looking for someone to listen to their hurts. Thank God that He loves to listen to our hurts. One of my favorite parts of the weekend was Saturday night. Corey and the worship team were singing and there came a low point in the song that they were singing, I honestly don’t even know the song they were singing, but I DO know the song that came next. At this low point in the the mystery song the students started singing their own chorus, no one had to cheer-lead them like so many times in church, they just started singing:

“Wonderful, Beautiful, Glorious, Matchless in Every Way”

It was awesome what happened next, you could feel the Spirit come into the room. We must have sang that one chorus for 20 minutes!!! It was the kindness of God coming through that steel roof and touching the lives of about 350 people gathered out in the middle of Nowhere, GA singing at the top of their lungs in a gym converted into the throne room of Heaven. I truly think that Heaven touched earth in that instant and there are some lives that will never be the same because of that one moment.

At this point I was on the floor next to the sound booth in tears because all I could hear in my heart was:

“Jesus, You are the King we want, You are the King we need”

Is He really all you want, is He really all you need? We can say that, but do we live it?

Jesus was born to be a King. He will rule the planet. He is coming to shake everything that can be shaken. Are you ready for this? Are you ready?

Let us not be like the 5 foolish virgins in Matthew 25, who had lamps but no oil for their lamps. The lamps represent ministry, YES, ministry. These 5 all had their ministries but they did not take time to get the oil for their lamps, so they missed the Bridegroom when He came. They were so distracted  by everything else, they did not take time to get acquainted with the Holy Spirit and the Word.

Remember that Jesus even said that Mary chose the better part, Martha must have been pretty upset that Mary was not helping her in the kitchen. But Mary knew what was more important in that moment. Just sitting at the feet of the One she loved and longed for.

Here are some more pics from the weekend, enjoy

Why “The Viewfinder” pt.1 – The Composition

Why did I name this “The Viewfinder”? Well the answer to that question lies in many different places. In video and camera work you have to peer through a small opening, called a “viewfinder” to compose your shot. Many times there can be a MILLION other things going on around you and the person that sees the final picture will never know ANY of that because only what is seen in the viewfinder comes out in the final product. I sometimes think of my life as a viewfinder between me and God. If I can just keep my gaze and focus on Him, all the other external things crashing around me never seem to make a huge difference at the end of the day.

I dare to ask the question, of my self, and of anyone who may read this. Where is the primary focus of your life? Where is in the viewfinder of your life pointed? Are you allowing God to help you compose a beautiful picture? Or are you trying to do it all in your own strength and finding that you can’t quite make it beautiful?

The term composition means ‘putting together,’ and can apply to any work of art, from music to writing, that is arranged or put together using conscious thought.

First Things…

First blog post…. hmmm…. where to start. Instead of trying and striving to start, I am just going to start right here. It is 10:45 pm in the Fall of 2009 and I am sitting here in Atlanta, GA at the International House Of Prayer listening to a singer/musician proclaim the beauty of Jesus. If I could define my life, this is how I would want to do it. I don’t want to be known as a good person, a person who helped the poor, or a good “techy” guy. I will be known as one the Father knows. So many people go through life searching and clawing for all of these noble things but they miss out on the ultimate satisfaction of their souls!! Do I want to be a good person, help the poor, and do I love technology… by ALL means YES!! BUT I am not defined by any of that. I am defined by what the One who sits on the throne of Heaven thinks about me, and even though my mind thinks different sometimes and the world tells me different sometimes, that is all that matters at the end of the day.

Psalm 45:1

My heart is stirred by a noble theme
as I recite my verses for the king;
my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.