Being a Christian Man

Leadership development

2012-01-20T13:41:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I am reminded by my bride that I am a lot of work. She means it in a loving way but what she is saying is I am not easy to get along with sometimes. I am very driven and passionate about my calling. I'm very demanding and like things a certain way. I'm not big on alternatives or substitutions as some people like to call it. I think people who say "We don't have Coke, would Pepsi be okay?", should be shot. I know that is not very pastoral but my point is when I ask someone to do something I only want it done a certain way if I give them specifics. If I just say do it then I really don't worry about the details. I beleve the best way to find out someone is capable of leading is give them the chance. It may be a small task or a large project but you never learn to lead if you never take the wheel. So I assume this is a strange way to develop leaders but it is the right way if you ask me and why wouldn't you? Just kidding. What are your thoughts?

How to lose weight!

2012-01-13T13:43:00.004-05:00

I just finished reading a book called Enemies of the Heart by Andy Stanley. In fact this week we start an eight week study of the book at BAF WestSide. "Shameless plug" The book takes you through a series of things that are causing you heart problems. I totally understand the dangers of not physically taking good care of yourself but this book is not about the physical aspects of your health.

It is about the spiritual problems that are affecting your health. I never really considered the long term effects of guilt, anger, greed and jealousy. When you read this book it starts to create a process of recognizing the problem, confessing it to God and then ultimately letting go of it.

Basically it is a weight loss book. Andy Stanley takes you on a journey to drop a lot of the excess baggage you have been carrying for years.

Change

2012-01-07T12:47:00.002-05:00

Taking life to a whole new level requires doing things you don't normally do and stopping things you should not be doing. My friend has challenged me to write more so that is the plan for 2012. In the coming weeks I will be updating this blog and sharing some of the things I want to accomplish this year.

Plan for January:

1. No television

2. No red meat (I live in Texas so this is tough)

3. A BIG ONE I CAN'T SHARE UNTIL FEBRUARY

Get a 14 year old mentor

2011-05-31T17:28:00.003-04:00

I have a few mentors in my life and I'm a better person because of Pastor John Atkinson, Pastor Bil Cornelius, Pastor Craig Groeschel, Kendra Kinnison, Rome Gregorio David Flores and many others.

Today I realized I needed a 14 year old mentor. My son Avery has been rebuilding our bikes. We have 5 kids so there are 239 bike related pieces in our garage.

Today we set out on an adventure to the old railroad bridge that formally was used to cross the Oso. Now it is basically a burned out and pieced together fishing pier. You have to watch your step or end up in the bay. He wanted to take our bikes across and ride the trails on the other side. I was concerned (nice way of saying scared) we would fall in or lose the bikes in the 30 mph winds. He reminded me that life should be an adventure and taking risks is important. I guess I have gotten old and safe.

I'm not saying you need to follow ALL the advice of every 14 year old but its good to be reminded of the fearless boy we used to be before we grew up. Life is too short to play it safe. Take risks and fail at some stuff. Maybe you need a new mentor that just challenges you to do something you wouldn't attempt otherwise.

The verse I live by is John 17:4 I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.

Church Diversity - "Sunday Morning"

2011-04-28T18:56:00.000-04:00

Books I suggest

2011-04-20T16:51:00.004-04:00

I made a plan to read 1 book a month last year and 2 a month this year. I am always asked what I read and would suggest so I thought I would publish my list. It is in no particular order. 13 years ago tomorrow I had a stroke so I really did have to learn HOW to read and teach myself to be a reader. I do cheat sometimes and get audio-books so there really is no reason anyone can't expand their knowledge with reading. I have 2 of my former English teachers who are friends on Facebook that can confirm I was not a reader in high school.

Here is my Shelf.

Help and win at the same time!

2011-02-23T16:09:00.002-05:00

One of the greatest families I have ever met are the Hyman's. Not only does he have the best first name (Brandon) but he has a beautiful wife and beautiful children. They have a giveaway going to help send his bride to Uganda on a mission trip. All you have to do is go here to get the details. I promise this is a real giveaway because I have known them for many years.

Most important VDAY gifts

2011-02-09T13:43:00.002-05:00

I am the father of 4 boys and one 10 year old girl. My boys used to start to scramble to get a bear, necklace or some sort of gift for the "love of their life" about 24 hours prior to the 14th. Basically what you have if you have a daughter is a bunch of boys looking to win her affections for a brief time but no intention of loving her forever.

My boys were no different but I work hard to teach them what God really has for their lives and their future wife is way more important than a bear. If you have boys then it is really important to speak about their future wife. Yes it annoys my boys too but I want them to see every girl they meet in the light of a future bride. That may sound weird because it is very weird. I don't want my boys to be normal and they are very aware of that fact. I encourage them to only date someone that attends AND serves in church. I also encourage them to be friends a long time before talking about dating. This plants the seed that this girl is either my future wife or someone's so I better honor that in everything I do with her. I would have been extremely blessed if someone would have gotten that fact into my head 30 years ago.

As for Maddy? Well she is going to be so used to me giving her the validation and love that she craves, any boy will be starting from way behind the curve to get her attention and keep it. See I have taking her flowers to school on Vday every year. I do have a very clear agenda. I want every boy in her school to see she has a father that thinks she is amazing and beautiful so she doesn't need their superficial compliments. Also I want her to seek a husband that is better than her father. Basically I am setting the bar high and she will require that boy to exceed it or move along. She is also very aware of the attend church AND serve standard.

As for my bride? She gets a diamond necklace every year with matching stud earrings. YEAH RIGHT! I am a Pastor! She and I started a great tradition many years ago due to fact we had a lot of kids and very little money. We write each other a letter and make dinner for just the two of us. It is about the quality not the dollar amount.

From a Job to a Calling

2010-11-12T11:53:00.004-05:00

I know some people want me to go in to detail as to what my next step in life is and how that effects so many things. I can't sit down and have a conversation with everyone so I thought this was a great way to explain where I am and where I am going today.

First of all I am employed by a contractor on a Navy base working with US Customs and have been for 11 years. During that time I have traveled and worked with some amazing people and on some amazing projects. I have been part of some really great technological accomplishments. I work with a team that can do anything and in some cases done the impossible for this country. I can't go into detail because I don't want lawyers and feds asking me why I gave details so I will leave those out.

I will say being part of the team that brought the Unmanned Predator aircraft to Corpus Christi is my greatest professional accomplishment. This will allow the men and women who work to secure our nation to be safer and closer to home as they do their job better and have greater success.

My greatest personal accomplishment here would clearly have to be working alongside and marrying my bride. She is my best friend and biggest encourager in life.

I will be leaving this job after 11 years at noon on Friday and putting all my energy and focus into growing a campus for Bay Area Fellowship. I have been the Campus Pastor for Bay Area Fellowship West Side since May and we have seen God do some amazing things at that campus. I hope many of you would continue to follow our campus and eventually support and take part in the greater things yet to come. I serve under an amazing Senior Pastor Bil Cornelius and my Multi Site Pastor John Atkinson. These men have been mentors of mine for years and this process has taken many years to get to this point.

For some this may seem sudden but believe me it has taken years for God to get me where I needed to be in order to trust me with such an overwhelming honor of leading a campus. I am just simply taking the last step to fully realizing the dream of being a Pastor full time vocationally. As Pastor John has said many times, we are all in full-time ministry but there are only a few of us that are crazy enough to make it full-time vocational ministry. It is a huge change for me and my family but one we entered into with a lot of prayer and input from people who love us and also spent time praying with us.

So what's next? Well Bay Area Fellowship is ranking as the 16th fastest growing church in America and that is not counting the West Side campus so look for us to be in the top 10 next year. We are putting in to effect the vision of Pastor Bil & Jessica Cornelius that will eventually establish the West Side campus as a fully functional Dream Center. In that campus we will have multiple weekly worship and teaching services because leading people to Christ is the main reason we are there anyway. The supporting ministries will include clothing, diapers, food, bible study, job training, life resources such as parenting, marriage, financial, business training, education and many more yet to come. We are getting back to what the church was supposed to be about all along and that is sharing the love of Christ and caring for the people around us. The church is the greatest hope for the next generation and we are bringing it to the people that need it most. Come be a part of a the next big thing that will last for eternity. If you are near Corpus Christi and don't attend a church please consider us. If you don't live near us then please get involved in your local church and support it today.

After the Hangover The Conservatives' Road to Recovery By R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.

2010-09-01T12:21:00.003-04:00

I said before that I try to be real honest with these reviews and I am standing by that mission. This is a book of basically the same old tireless game plan that has played out for years. I really don't believe the author is trying to make the world a better place or even really help in anyway to get the GOP back in office. I see many books that actually make you feel like you learned something or your life is better because you read that book. This was one of those books I really wouldn't suggest someone bought but if you were in a situation where you needed to waste a few minutes and you picked it up then read it. I guess on some level it has some insight and humor but for me there are so many "experts" on politics we really don't need another book written about it. I say if you are a political junkie and like this type of stuff then go ahead and pick it up. If you are a hard core Democrat or Republican then this book has good and bad points to it. Bottom line buy something else.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Do you sound Christian?

2010-07-28T11:39:00.000-04:00

My daughter made the comment that Miley Cyrus was a Christian and my son asked how she knew that fact. Her response was she sounded like one. He of course said you can’t tell by the way someone sounds. I disagree.

Too many of us (myself included) go to church and maybe even serve and wear the cross and t-shirt proclaiming Christ. I wonder how many of us LOOK like Christians but if an 8 year old girl just heard our words would she say we sound like one too.

Now we could argue that a lot of people sound Christian and I agree but let’s not be cynical and assume for a minute she meant sound like Jesus. Do our words allow other people to identify you as Christ followers or not? If I did not know your actions or your intentions and just recorded your words from morning until night, would anyone say that is a Christian? I am very sad to say mine would not.

My theory is not that saying the right words makes you a Christ follow. My argument is that to be a Christ follower you have to tell people about Christ. There are all kinds of rules and customs and commands but let’s be honest it really comes down to telling people about Christ.

So do your words show you are a Christian? YES! If you say four letter words are you not a Christian? Depends on whether those four letter words include GOOD and NEWS as far as I can tell.

The Journey of age

2010-07-16T12:32:00.004-04:00

I hate getting older! I know that goes without saying for most people but I really do hate the physical part of getting older. Yes I am wiser and a better person in every sense of the word but the physical part just STINKS! My walk is stronger and my marriage is stronger and my life is perfect. Okay that is not entirely true. My walk is stronger and my marriage is stronger but perfect is not the word to describe the last few days.

My bride forced me to go to the doctor and get a check up since I am older than dirt and they have a special set of tests just waiting for a 40 year old guy with good insurance. Just a little sarcasm there since I really do have a great doctor. Well I had a spot removed on my forehead and sent to the secret place they send stuff like that and guess what it was cancer. The good news is it was the most common and treatable kind so no big deal there. I see a specialist in a few days so that story will only get longer and probably involve more waiting rooms. I am not making this sound like it is not serious just that I have too much to live for and seen to many people beat this to let it get me down. I can and will beat it.

**DISCLAIMER: Too much information about to be shared**

Being 40 is like being 21. You get to go places and do things you have always been to young to enjoy. Like turning 21, you get to those places and do those things only to find out you were not missing much in the first place. Now that I am of age I got to have a colonoscopy yesterday. It went great and you can see the video here if you like. REALLY DID YOU CLICK ON THAT? It is just a random video not the actual footage of mine. I just wanted to see who would click on it.

Anyway they found a polyp and removed it to send to that secret place again. I find out in 10+ days if I am the lucky winner of more frequent colonoscopy visits. Basically the moral to the story is get checked and get checked today because knowledge is better than worry and nothing can be done if the doctor doesn't even know there is a problem.

When you are 40+ you should have your PSA checked also because prostate cancer is very treatable and knowing this early means you have a great chance of beating it. Colonoscopy tests are not horrible and will not kill you so go get that done too. Also if you have any moles or spots that don't seem to be normal or just don't seem to belong there go get checked. Embrace your age and take care of your body. I know it stinks to get older but as we all know there is an alternative and right now there is too much to be done to check out early.

I talk a lot about the Prostiva RF I had in other posts so I felt this needed to be said on here. I understand it does not apply to everyone but believe me there have been hundreds of emails about my posts on here regarding that issue. Men if you have a question or concern please email me or comment. I don't allow anonymous comments just because the spam that comes with it. So feel free to email me at gbrandonc@gmail.com or make up a name and email address so you can comment. I really don't check anyway.

Why You Say It: The Fascinating Stories Behind over 600 Everyday Words and Phrases By Webb Garrison

2010-04-06T16:06:00.001-04:00

I am committed to being honest on these reviews and this one is not good. This is a book of worthless trivia that you could find online. I would say if you are in a doctor’s office and it is lying there, read it. If you have to pay for it, then leave it. I really don’t know what made me request this book other than it seemed interesting. I am sure there is a place for it on the coffee table or left on a plane for someone to read. I feel bad because the author has accomplished something I have not and that is finish writing a book. So for Webb Garrison I say good job on reaching the goal but next time set it higher.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Issac Newton by Mitch Stokes

2010-03-03T12:14:00.000-05:00

Issac Newton by Mitch Stokes

Who requests a book about the life and work of Sir Issac Newton? I knew he was a really smart guy and wrote the laws of motion. I knew he had funny hair and probably was not the most exciting guy in the world. What I didn’t know was he had a really troubled childhood and was basically voluntarily put in solitude for life. His story is compelling and his faith is inspiring. I really enjoyed this book and would suggest it for any age. People like Newton have been talked about in school for years but this book really captures the life of a man driven by a higher power.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Review of Douglas Leblanc’s Tithing: Test Me In This

2010-02-16T15:16:00.000-05:00

When I received the book "Tithing" by Douglas LeBlanc, I was already reading a couple of books and didn’t want to add a third. I figured I had read a number of books on tithing and had the basic outline of the concept. When you first open the book you find out the author really didn’t desire to write the book. In some strange way that really made me want to read it more than I did when I received it. Here is a guy that believes that tithing is a discipline and should be practiced but did not believe he was required to write a book on the subject. What the reader gets is a great little book of stories about the real life applications of the discipline.

Each chapter was dedicated to individuals who believed in tithing, but that information was secondary. The book takes you to different parts of the country, religious, political, economic and educational backgrounds to weave a story of the blessings that have been born from tithing.

I have to admit while this is a well written book on people’s lives and how tithing has played a role; it is not a book about the theology of tithing. If that is what you are looking for this may be the book for you. So would I suggest you read this book? I would have to say although it is a good book it is not going to teach you to tithe. If you want to read some good stories about people who tithe this is the book for you.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Facebook pictures

2010-02-09T15:26:00.002-05:00

I get the fact I am old. I understand I did stupid things when I was a teenager and in my 20's. The one thing most of my friends all agree on is the fact no one had a camera back then. We didn't have camera phones and every camera took this stuff called film that had to be "developed" at a store somewhere. Turns out what we didn't have in life was a HUGE blessing.

Too many of our kids are posting pictures on FB that will surely come back to haunt them someday. I understand at 22 you have an incredible body and look great in a couple of small pieces of fabric covering a few important parts of your body. I also understand drinking and making funny faces at a party seems harmless. **Disclaimer: (some of the girls posting pictures are much much younger than 22 but I am picking my battles.)

My major concern is some day, even though you think it will never come, you will be applying for college, starting a career or possibly starting a family. I would love to say most people would not judge you and ignore your indiscretions as the mistakes of a college student. We all know that is not true and the simple existence of those pictures are a liability to any company or organization that employs you to work.

My advice is stop doing the kind of things that will cause you future problems. My Pastor likes to call it the "Decade Delay". Simply put it is the mistakes you make now that cause you to work ten years or more to fix or just recover. If you refuse to follow that advice then let me offer you some advice that someone told me many years ago. Have more respect for your future spouse! Don't live your life in a way that you have to cover up your past or live in fear some of it will be revealed. I totally believe in grace and believe me I have gotten way more than my share of it.

Now you may ask why I didn't mention the guys. I have a very clear if not blunt answer for that question. YOU have all the power! If teenage girls would set their standards high and stop accepting the boys that want to treat you as objects, they would stop. I need girls to say that a boy who is not in church, does not honor his parents, does not open doors for her, does not respect her boundaries and does not treat her as valuable is NOT worth dating. I can tell you from experience that you have more influence than I do as a father.

If you meet a boy that does not have a job then walk away. If he does not know Jesus then walk away. **Disclaimer: (You can lead him to Christ and then date him but you can't date him and then lead him to Christ) If he does not attend AND serve in church then walk away. If he raises his voice to you then walk away. If he does not openly and boldly talk about his faith then walk away.

Do all these things guarantee a great man? NO! They are the foundation you should start with in life. You are a beautifully made and precious gift that God has made. You should set standards so high only a few men are able to achieve them. That may mean you don't date in high school and that's okay. It may mean you don't date for a long time but that's okay too.

I know I am being critical and some of you may want to yell at me. I am really just being selfish because if women will set higher standards and stop allowing men to act like boys it will make my job much easier.

That does not excuse men in anyway! I know you are worth it and I want you to accept nothing less than everything God has for you in life. I'll work on the men if you will just stop letting them have easy access to your body via pictures or in person. I promise it will be worth it to marry a man who submits to God. It really is impossible for a man to lead if he doesn't know how to follow God.

Thanks for letting an old man rant.

December

2009-12-11T14:16:00.000-05:00

I just realized I have not posted anything on here since September. Sad thing is no one probably even noticed. HAHA

Maddy for Class President

2009-09-30T12:50:00.002-04:00

This is Maddy's speech she is writing to run for class President.

I would love for you to vote for me but I should tell you why you should vote for me. I make straight A’s. If you need a friend by your shoulder I will always there for you.

If you are struggling on something and I can help I will help you anytime you just have to ask I would be glad to help. Well if you don’t like what nice things I will do for you I will always be happy to listen to what you have to say. Well if you think you cant do some thing remember this new things are fun to try so come on try you never know you can turn out to be a champion of that new sport or eat the food you just tried all the time so don’t be afraid step in the game.

Thank you for listening.

Service and the Barter System

2009-08-21T13:21:00.000-04:00

Why don't men serve in the church? I think it is because the oldest form of economy in the world is ingrained in the male soul. The barter system is based on two people trading a product or service for another product or service for what is perceived as equitable. The problem with service in the church is the average guy says why trade an hour or two of service for nothing in return. That is a literal observation because the actual return is far greater than the investment. When do you serve that you don't get way more out of it than you put in to it? We think it is a sacrifice but really the servant gets more than they give so it is hard to understand. I think if men understood that service in the church is not based on the barter system they would serve. If I said give me one dollar and I will give you three in return you would come back everyday. Well that is the way service in the church works. You can't give more than you get. It is impossible in God's economy to out give Him. I dare you to try.

Am I too Connected?

2009-07-02T13:42:00.002-04:00

Am I too connected?

That is the question I have been asking myself for the last few months.

I have a Blackberry on my hip almost 17 hours a day.

I Facebook.

I Tweeter.

I have men that speak into my life weekly and some daily.

I have 2 email addresses and 3 phone numbers.

I manage a team of really smart guys and a few million dollars of projects at work.

I run a men's ministry of 250+ men and serve my church in the television ministry.

I am writing a book with a great friend.

I also have 5 kids and a dog.

This all is only possible because I have an incredible bride who loves and serves Christ more than me.

I am not complaining at all. I am blessed beyond imagination. I want a ministry of thousands and a career that allows me to reach even more people for Christ. I want to write more books and have more kids and even get another dog.

Okay the more kids will probably be grandkids many many years from now but the rest is true.

I get about 200 emails a day and at least 50 calls. I try my best to respond to everyone either personally or through one of the guys on my leadership team. I work hard to make sure I am present with the kids and my wife but sadly I fail miserably sometimes.

Why am I writing this post? Not to whine but rather to give some ideas of what has worked for me.

1. My bride has her own ringtone on my phone on my phone an it rings no matter the setting.

2. When my kids call my phone rings. All other email and calls just vibrate so I know they can wait and don't require immediate attention.

3. My gmail only forwards certain emails to my BB. I still check it daily but some people get straight through and some don't.

4. My BB is not with me when I spend time in God's word. Not in the room because I would look and I know it.

5. I don't read email forwards of jokes or that Obama is sending pickles to the moon. Sorry if you send them but that is just a waste of time for me.

6. I don't care that my yard is not perfect. I am OCD and I like perfect grass but it is not worth hours every week. Did I mention I have 4 boys? Or grounds crew if you like.

7. I rest. I take time away with my bride and without. Believe it or not this is what makes me a better husband and father.

8. I put audiobooks and sermons on my ipod. This way during my drive I can learn from people already past where I am in life. Beats the heck out of pop music or talk radio.

9. I don't keep up with the Jones. If you want a pool I will swim in it and ride in your boat or plane but I don't want something else to manage rather than enjoy.

10. Live like no one else so you can live like no one else. Get your money in order. NOW! Get on Dave Ramsey's program and make it work. We buy too much and save nothing in this country. I did it years back and have loved it more than any education I received in school.

Live on 80% give 10% save 10%.

This one plan has allowed us to give back in ways I would not have dreamed of in the past. I'm not bragging but those hard years were totally worth it to not worry about credit cards and bill collectors. I won't lie it was hard and took a long time but I am grateful I did it now.

So I hope this ramble helps someone but if not then at least you got to spend a little time thinking about your life.

Honor

2009-06-04T10:55:00.004-04:00

My church (Bay Area Fellowship) just finished a series on Honor. My Pastor talked about the military and how vital their role was in our lives and I totally agree 100%. One of the other topics was honor in our day to day lives with regards to our spouse, kids, employer, ex-spouse or even someone who hurt us long ago. To honor someone is a God given command for your life. In regards to the people who we admire or love it is easy to honor them but with an ex-spouse or employer with no sense of right or wrong it becomes difficult. God still calls us to honor the person that has been put in authority over us. Now obviously if this person is asking you to break God's laws then you should consider that or if they are physically hurting you but in general you know what I mean.

On June 1st my bride and I went to San Antonio to attend a promotion ceremony for my friend that has earned the rank of Warrant Officer in the US Coast Guard. He is the first Warrant Officer in his rate ever in the over 200 year history of the USCG. His name is Jim Pitts and we joined the USCG in 1991 together with 2 other friends from our hometown. He is the only one that has remained in the USCG and at the ripe old age of 43 he will be eligible for retirement. I will be trying to figure out how to live with my daughter being 12 and he will be retiring.

The reason he has accomplished so much in the USCG is because he is a man of honor. He did more than he was asked and more than was expected consistently for the last 18 years. He has served under 4 Presidents and countless officers. He has never dishonored his leadership by talking about them in a negative way. He has served in some terrible places and seen some things that would keep you awake at night. He does not wear the uniform with pride in his accomplishments but rather a pride in the men and women that came before him and a responsibility to the ones that follow him. He is a man of very few words but exactly the one you want speaking for you in the position he now holds.

If there is an example of a man we want on that post protecting our freedom WO1 James G Pitts is that man and I am honored to call him my friend and my brother.

Friends VS Texas Friends

2009-04-24T11:35:00.001-04:00

FRIENDS: Never ask for food.

TEXAS FRIENDS: Always bring the food.

FRIENDS: Will say 'hello'.

TEXAS FRIENDS: Will give you a big hug and a kiss.

FRIENDS: Call your parents Mr. and Mrs.

TEXAS FRIENDS: Call your parents Mom and Dad.

FRIENDS: Have never seen you cry.

TEXAS FRIENDS: Cry with you.

FRIENDS: Will eat at your dinner table and leave.

TEXAS FRIENDS: Will spend hours there, talking, laughing, playing

dominoes or cards and just being together.

FRIENDS: Know a few things about you..

TEXAS FRIENDS: Could write a book with direct quotes from you.

FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that's what the crowd is doing..

TEXAS FRIENDS: Will kick the whole crowds' back-ends that left you.

FRIENDS: Would knock on your door.

TEXAS FRIENDS: Walk right in and say, 'I'm home!'.

FRIENDS: will visit you in the hospital when you're sick

TEXAS FRIENDS: will cut your grass and clean your house then

come spend the night with you in the hospital and cook for you when you

come home

FRIENDS: have you on speed dial

TEXAS FRIENDS: have your number memorized.

FRIENDS: Are for a while.

TEXAS FRIENDS: Are for life.

FRIENDS: Might ignore this.

TEXAS FRIENDS: Will forward this to all their Texas Friends and those

who once lived in Texas

Why I don't serve

2009-03-29T08:56:00.003-04:00

When I was called to serve at Bay Area Fellowship I was not wandering around in the dessert. I was busy with 5 kids and a job that required travel and long hours. I pretended to sacrifice my time by helping around the church when it was convenient. I rarely served when it was hard to do so or it was a sacrifice. God never let me completely ignore that calling to do more.

Some of my arguments were:

1. My family needs me.
2. My job just won't let me get away.
3. I'm tired and need a break on the weekends.
4. There will be plenty of people there to cover for me not serving.
5. I do more than most people so it's time for someone else to pick up the slack.

The truth is these excuses are valid but not from God. In order to believe these excuses are true you have to believe God is calling you to serve and does not know your family needs you and you need rest on the weekend. You have to believe He is unaware of the number of people that are serving or the contribution other people need to make in the His church.

Some of the reason I serve are:

1. My family needs me to serve because that is leadership.

2. My job won't let me get away so I take vacation, come in early or stay late on other days and honor my God and my boss.

3. I'm tired and need a break on the weekends and serving others fills my soul way more than fishing or football.

4. There will be plenty of people there to cover for me not serving so God will know I chose to be there instead of doing it for other reasons.

5. I do more than most people so it's time for someone else to pick up the slack and I need lead by example so others will get involved.

Missed the one year anniversary

2009-03-20T10:38:00.002-04:00

It was a year in February since I had my Prostiva RF and it has been such a success I completely forgot. At one year it has clearly turned out to be a great decision and one I would recommend to any man that makes frequent bathroom stops. A word of caution: Get a lot of opinions and make sure your doctor uses an IV. That seems to be the best route based on the response of men I have gotten via this blog. I have heard from a lot of men and that seems to be the best route. Most of the responses have asked to be left off of here so I don't publish those. If you want to talk about your experience or concerns please feel free to email me gbrandonc@gmail.com I don't mind at all helping or just listening. I am just a guy like the rest of you and I have no medical or legal background so the advice I give is just my own and not to be used as the only basis for making decisions. Now the lawyers will be happy.

Love some feedback Name Optional

2009-03-12T23:20:00.004-04:00

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People

2009-03-03T15:54:00.003-05:00

I am not a people pleaser. I try really hard to honor God with everything I do and sometimes that means making some people mad. I am totally okay with that concept. Do you please God or is image everything for you?

Things I wished I had known

2009-01-30T15:06:00.002-05:00

15 Things I Wished I Would Have Known: Stolen from Pastor Perry Noble Newspring Church

What I wish I would have known BEFORE starting The moB.

#1 - Don’t say “we will never do BLANK.” BECAUSE…you probably will!

#2 - The more your ministry grows the bigger the target gets on your back. People who don’t even know you will form opinions of you based on something that they heard you said.

#3 - There is not a man that doesn't need Christ but there are a lot that think they don't.

#4 - Time with God is more important than time on the ministry.

#5 - Compliments are harder to take than complaints because of the pride issue.

#6 - Comparing The moB to other ministries will either lead to pride or feeling like a failure…I need to desperately seek Jesus consistently to see who HE has called us to be.

#7 - I should learn from everyone…despite theological differences.

#8 - Don’t hide my failures from my core leaders no matter what the cost especially the little ones. They need to know so they relate.

#9 - Those who you think will always be with you won’t always be with you. This one was hard a year ago and is still hard the 2nd time.

#10 - I don’t always have the best ideas. Some of my ideas will really suck.

#11 - Excellence can never be compromised just because you don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings.

#12 - Only my wife will know the whole story of how hard leading this ministry will be on me.

#13 - People will always misunderstand you…don’t waste a lot of time trying to explain yourself.

#14 - Leadership is as easy as listening to God. Listening to God will be harder than it has to be without scheduled time with Him.

#15 - Journal more, take more pictures and look back when it is hard and remember where you started.

BONUS = The fights, the sleepless nights, the critics, the spiritual warfare, the long meetings, the frustration…IT’S ALL WORTH IT! When lives get changed…it’s worth it. When hell becomes less crowded…it’s worth it. When repentance takes place…it’s worth it! When marriages are restored…it’s worth it. IT IS SO WORTH everything we go through!!! SO…don’t EVER give up–EVER!!!

Those are some of the things I wished I would have known. I am glad I did not know some of the things just because it may have discouraged me from taking that first step.

Five things I am glad I didn't know when I started:

1. Most of the job will be done in secret and no one will know or care you did the work for at least 2 years.

2. Being a volunteer keeps you on the outside of almost everything going on at the church with the people on staff.

3. You will not have the same access people on staff have to the resources of the church.

4. There is always a Judas at your table and he is close enough to kiss you. Got that from TD Jakes at C3 last year and I am not going this year. Bummer!

5. Almost everything will take twice as long and twice as much effort as you expected.

Bonus** Money will not really solve any of your problems. It takes leaders.

Serve your Wife

2009-01-29T12:26:00.003-05:00

One of the ways I try to become a better husband is read and learn from guys trying to do it better. A mentor can be a close friend, author you never met or even a Pastor at a church you never attended. Jake Beaty, Pastor of Care and Outreach at NewSpring Church is that guy for me. We have never met face to face but I read his blog and even email him questions from time to time. He recently did a series of posts on how to serve your wife. I thought they would be a good resource for those of you looking for creative ways to make your marriage stronger.

How to Serve Your Wife?

2 years in the making

2009-01-23T09:54:00.002-05:00

It did not take two years to plan the Men's conference tonight. It took two years for God to move me in a position to lead tonight. I have 5 kids and a beautiful bride I adore and I have been apart of a lot of great moments. This is by far as an individual man the most amazing night of my life. I am writing this at 9am because of a few reasons.

I am on a 3 day fast and it has been amazing. At 9am the fast is in it's 60th hour. That is 2 1/2 days of no food. Just water and 100% pure apple juice to keep my blood sugar level. I never thought I could do it but it has been such an incredible time with God, now I can't wait to do it again. I am reading more of His word and more focused than ever before.

I went to Pastor John Atkinson about 2 years ago and asked if there was a Men's group at the church I could join. He said yes and the good news is you are leading it. I had no experience leading a Men's group and no real friends at the church to invite to start one. I did however have all the experience in the world being a man who was lukewarm in my faith and service to God. I made a few calls and sent a few emails and next thing you know Hans shows up. He was one of only a few guys that came. Hans stayed but most of the guys I would see maybe 2-3 times and then never again.

Shortly after that I came up with the name for the ministry. Well actually my bride came up with it but did not charge me to use it. She thought since it was the Men of Bay Area Fellowship it should be called the MoB. So I floated the name around and everyone loved it except for a couple of mean old ladies that sent hateful email about being associated with a criminal element.

So we floundered around for a few months and then a few other leaders stepped up and I started a second group led by Scott Walker. For a year or more we begged and pleaded for the church to do something to make the MoB grow and become effective. Like a great leader, Pastor John refused to hand me a ministry already built and easy to lead. He pushed me and encouraged me and even sometimes made me angry, but it was all to allow God to work in me so I could lead.

I rarely understood his methods or thinking but because I totally and completely trust him I was patient. He put up with the whining and complaining. He celebrated the highs and the lows. He did everything a great leader is supposed to do and didn't do the things a great leader should never do in life. The one thing he did that made all the difference is he let me want to quit but he never let me quit.

The third reason I am writing this now is because no matter what happens tonight it already is a huge success. God has brought me to this point and allowed me to see Men's lives changed on a scale I could never have imagined before now. This day is so huge for me I can not put it into words. If I totally blow my talk tonight that is cool. If the lights don't work or the chairs are too few, that is cool. God has already moved in my life to such and extent that a total and complete failure tonight will not change the fact men have been changed because I said yes to His calling. There is no way for this to fail in other words because I am a better husband, father, brother, son and friend because I said yes. Was a majority of the 2 years very hard and painful? YES! Did I want to quit at least 700 times? YES!

The difference between success and failure is always getting back up one more time. You can only fail if you quit. I told God yes and I don't care what the question is because my answer is not going to change.

First post of the year

2009-01-21T17:02:00.002-05:00

Well it has been busy so that is a good excuse. We got into the house and that is a blessing I can not explain. I have been just completely swamped with getting the house organized, fence built and beds put together. I also have been really working hard on the Men's Conference coming up Friday night. Putting together a conference with no experience what so ever is rather hard. The good news is it will reach men for Christ and that is all that matters. We have a great speaker Pastor John Atkinson and some incredible projects to tackle the next day. Pastor John will be really challenging the men to step up and start to lead their families, churches and communities. Then on Saturday we will gather at the church and go off in the city to paint a homeless shelter, repair and clean a Child Advocate center, build a prayer garden, clean a beach and pick up and deliver about 50k worth of furniture to families all over the city. It will be a weekend to remember and one that will change the way men are leading His church. I started a 3 day fast last night that will end Friday right after the conference. My hope is the 3 days are spent really hearing from God and trying to understand how I can possibly be called to lead men. I am a shining example of God equipping the called and not the other way around.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-31T15:22:00.001-05:00

Craig Groeschel yelled at me.

2008-12-27T15:46:00.003-05:00

I am the father of 5 and not exactly fond of being yelled at but Pastor Craig likes to do just that. He has a series call Practical Atheist that will really kick you in the pants if you are a Christ follower. The problem he tackles is that most people believe in God but don't fear him. I have to admit I have allowed God to part of my life in many areas but this podcast shook me to the core. Craig asks if HE is part of your life or IS your life. You can download it from Itunes or just go to the website and watch the series. I love it on my Ipod when I am working out or relaxing. Okay I know I relax more than workout but still.

Almost 10 months

2008-12-13T17:13:00.003-05:00

This is another Prostiva RF post so if you are not interested now would be a good time to go to the next blog and read. It has almost been 10 months and I feel incredible. I go for hours without a restroom visit and sometimes forget all together. If you have spent years making sure you always know where the nearest bathroom is then you know what a huge feat this is for me. I drove to San Antonio about 2.5 hours away and then hung out with friends and didn't even remember I hadn't taken a restroom break for almost 2 hours. There is minimal pain when you get the procedure but then 4-5 days later you almost forget you had the procedure. I will say that my doctor did not stress to me the need to avoid caffeine and alcohol. This will cause your prostate to regrow and cause the same problem to recur. The medicine you take to treat the symptoms is very bad for your liver and overall health. The sooner you get off it the better. The medicine does not treat the prostate it only lessens the symptoms. So if you want to kill your liver to avoid some minor pain I would say you should really reconsider. The test for the Prostiva can also determine if you have prostate cancer. This type of cancer is the most treatable if found early so save your liver and your prostate with a simple test and then your peace of mind will be amazing.

Real lunch

2008-12-12T15:02:00.001-05:00

I had lunch with a guy today that was a pastor for a few years and had the "perfect" life. Two kids a great wife and friends. Then he walked away from all of it and lost everything. The details are not important here but they are very relevant to the general topic. Men have a habit of fixing things. What he did was fix everyone's life but his own. He never asked for help and he never let anyone know he was struggling. Now 10 years later and many broken relationships, he is asking for help. Some would say that it easy since he has nothing to lose now. Well actually asking for help and not running away takes more courage than you would think. In order to get his life back on track he has a lot of people he has to go back and make amends to and a lot of back child support he has to pay. He could just keep running but he asked for help and despite my limited ability to fix things around the house, I was able to fix all his problems in one lunch.

I know it sounds strange but it is true. How? I didn't do anything but listen. Actually his problems are still there and he really didn't want me to fix them. He just wanted to be heard. He just wanted to talk and be understood. I am just starting to get better at listening more than I talk. I thank my bride for teaching me that one.

It was a real lunch because he wanted to speak and not be judged. All I did was listen. Next time you get a chance to listen try really hard to just listen and talk less.

Do for One.

2008-11-25T13:17:00.001-05:00

This time of year just like almost every other time of year I guess is very busy. One of the things I have always struggled with is the stress that comes from saying no. I hate that my ministry can not reach everyone and that we can't feed everyone. I hate that there are kids that won't have a toy this year or a soldier that won't get to see his kids when I get to spoil mine and spend so much time with them. That used to be my big downfall. I can't do for all so I won't do for any.

Now I totally reverse that thinking and I do for one and try to bless that one person rather than worry about being fair. Fairness is not a concept I subscribe to anyway so why apply it to the Christmas season. If I can bless one person this year and not reach everyone, it will still be great. I tell my kids life isn't fair and that is a good thing because if we got what we really deserved we would be in trouble.

So go do for one if you can't do for all and if you can do for all by all means go for it.

Today a goal fell

2008-11-19T14:22:00.003-05:00

My great friend has really accomplished a lot in the last 19 years. He has not only sacrificed a great deal to help protect this country but he has done it with the greatest of honor and integrity. Today he officially found out he made Chief Warrant Officer in the US Coast Guard. This has long been a dream for him and getting there is not something 95% of the people in the Coast Guard accomplish. I just wanted to send him a note of thanks and let him know how much we love him and appreciate the goal that fell for him today. No man I know deserves honor more than that kid that came to beat me up in 6th grade for getting him in trouble at school. So from now on (or very soon) Jimmy Pitts will be known as MR Pitts because he will be a Chief Warrant Officer. It was an honor to serve with him and it has been an honor to be his friend for the last 30 years. It is an even bigger honor to know my friend and brother has achieved something he worked 19 years to get and did it without compromising his character. He is a great man but also the same man he has always been. For more information on the US Coast Guard click here.

Driver's Education

2008-11-18T15:57:00.003-05:00

I would like to see President Elect Obama nominate an Attorney General that will require people 21-30 to retake Driver's Ed. I know it is a pipe dream but still it would be beneficial to the country if we had the people who are most distracted take a review of a course they took once when they were 15.

Okay end of rant. I have two 14 year old boys in my house and since they have their sights set on turning 15 so they can get a driver's license, they need Driver's Ed. I would love to say I am a brilliant father about all things but the reality is I make it up as I go along most of the time. Our rule is you pay for your own DE and we provide the car and insurance. My theory is if you really want your DL you will come up with the money for the class. The really good part is the class costs $330! So that will be a steep hill to climb but I will be so proud of them when they reach it. Of course Jacob has a steeper hill because he lost his retainer and we are making him pay for that at $240 bucks. I know we are really mean parents.

Make a plan

2008-11-14T13:29:00.003-05:00

I have been working on a book in my head for some time now and progress has been slow at best. Well Wednesday I talked with a man who recently ended his relationship because she cheated and he needed someone to listen to his story. I love doing that because I always know God is taking me somewhere new. I suggested he go to the Men's group that meets on Thursday mornings and start to get connected to the church. I don't normally attend this one because it is at 6 and I like getting the kids up for school. I set my alarm and decided I needed to be there just in case he needed to hear a familiar voice. When it went off I decided he would be fine in Scott's hands and I should sleep. Long story short I went and had a blast and he is getting connected to a great group of men. I also ran into a great friend I hadn't seen in months. I told him about the book and he suggested we co-write it. I almost lost my mind because he is much better at the theology than me and I want the foundation to be strong so it is a perfect fit. Why I didn't think of it before hand is beyond me but I didn't.

So what is the plan? I made a goal of writing a book before I am 40 which is now painfully less than 12 months from now. I never made a plan just a goal. So tomorrow we are meeting to discuss the book and where we go from here to make it happen. This time next year I will be turning down calls from Oprah to come on and talk about our book. Don't even call me Oprah because it is never going to happen. I will consider Larry King but just so I can say, "Hello Uzbekistan you are on the air go ahead". I know that part is weird but I think you need a plan not just a goal. What is it that you want to achieve in life? Do you have a plan?

BAF PI

2008-11-13T14:55:00.001-05:00

This is the Padre Island campus set to open on December. The quality is low but so is the director.

Time to shore up the base!

2008-11-07T12:30:00.002-05:00

I got an email this morning from a conservative group that is urgently needing money to start shoring up the base for the 2010 congressional races. I am a conservative just like Ronald Reagan. For those of you who do not know, a conservative is a person who believes in low taxes and low spending. It really is not very complicated. I voted for Ross Perot in 92 because Clinton was a liberal and Bush Sr. was a Republican. There is a difference and it was clear in 92 that Bush didn't cut taxes and people didn't trust Perot (probably a good idea). Clinton benefited from a conservative led congress and technological boom and spending cuts during the 90's. Bush 43 won in 2000 because Clinton was morally bankrupt and the country wanted change. It did not hurt that people in Florida can't punch holes in paper. People wanted moral leadership and despite the fact he was not fiscally conservative we compromised and elected him over the alternative. In 2004, John Kerry was by far the most liberal out of touch guy in the race and for some reason the democrats nominated him. We stuck with a man of God who stuck to the moral conservative values the country wanted in Bush 43. What he did not do and this really put us in a serious amount of trouble was cut spending or manage international affairs. His veto stamp was left in the drawer and not because he was afraid to use it but because he is a big spender. Now for the big elephant in the room: Iraq. We went to war for the wrong reasons. Period. We can argue it was bad information or someone lied or the sand was really fun but the bottom line is we were wrong. I have never led a nation to war but I have been wrong before and that I recognize pretty easily. Did we go in to avenge his father or to get the oil? I don't know and I don't really care at this point. My buddy is taking me over Thanksgiving to Brooks Air base to visit some of the guys that have returned from Iraq. I am scared out of my mind because I know it is totally going to be a punch in the gut. So why go? Well because I get 4 days off to go anywhere in this country and feel safe. I owe them more than I can ever repay, this will just be a small thank you for giving up so much for me and my family.

So did we lose because McCain/Palin was a bad ticket? No! We lost because the country decided we were wrong to go into Iraq. I believe the economy tanked because we went into Iraq. If we had been paying attention to the economy the way we have been paying attention to Iraq, I don't think it would be in the shape it is right now. Did it all happen because of Iraq? NO! Some people got greedy and took advantage of the system. We might have caught them if we had been paying attention. Greenspan, Former Chairman of the Fed, said even he didn't see it coming and that was all he was paying attention to for the last 20 years year. So how could we have seen it coming? I don't know but if we had been paying attention it may have helped.

Mr. Obama did not get my vote and he may not get it in 2012 but he has my prayers and my support because he is the President. I don't know how to get out of Iraq or this financial mess. I do know it will require some programs to be cut and you may have to pay for that Hummer without the tax break. Business will be done a little different around the world. We may even have to raise taxes a little, although this is not how revenues grow long term and especially not if spending is not cut. You may have to do a few things for yourself instead of depending on the government to do it all.

Bottom line is this is where we are because we got away from conservatism the way it was intended. Save more and spend less. This works at your own house as well as your government's house.

PS: If you want my money to get elected in 2012, you better get your butt out front now and start sacrificing in your own back yard showing leadership. I will not put people back in there that are not fiscally conservative period!

I am proud of my country

2008-11-05T10:45:00.002-05:00

I didn't vote for Obama. I don't think he is qualified. I don't agree with his policies or his view of the world. He is my president and he will get my prayers. I will not spend the next four years trying to destroy his family and administration like the left has done for eight years to President Bush. I will pray for him and his family and hope his presidency is a huge success for our country and not just his party.

The next two years the democrats have full control of the US Government and they better get some stuff done. I will not allow my television to be consumed with whining in two years that anything is the republicans fault. When the congressional elections are held in two years I better not hear one word from democrats about change or we need to head in a new direction. You guys are in charge and you have the majority, now either solve global warming and poverty or we will kick your butts to the curb in two years. I am sick of hearing it is all our fault and you want change. You have the wheel and the control of the map. Now let's get moving!

I pray that in two years it is so obvious that we were wrong that even I vote for democrats in the congress. I pray that in four years it is so clear Obama was the man for the job that even I vote for him.

I don't know what will happen in 2 years or 4 years but I do know we are headed in a new direction and this is the man we chose to lead us there. So to you Mr. President Elect I say congratulations and I pray God gives you the wisdom and courage to lead our nation. I will support you where I can and I will oppose you where I can not but I will do it with dignity and honor.

I saved Hailey's life.

2008-11-03T17:33:00.003-05:00

This is Hailey. I "saved" her life a few years back and ever since she is my biggest fan. She fell on the skate ramps one night after church and cut her foot. I carried her to her mom who bandaged her up and there were no lasting effects. She came to church about 2 weeks later and sat in front of me with her mom instead of going to children’s church. The sermon was about telling the people in your life how much you appreciate them before it was too late. She was about 7 and wrote a full page about me saving her life and then walked back to my seat and gave it to me. Needless to say I have that letter in a safe place. Ever since I make sure I give her a big hug and something for her birthday. My point is you can make a huge impact on someone’s life by just letting them know they matter. I really didn't save her life that night but in a sense maybe I did because she now knows someone other than just her mom thinks she is special. Her dad is a good man and she told me she prays for him all the time to start coming to church. I promised I would pray for him too and I knew our God was big enough to reach him no matter what.

I lost my brother to suicide in October a while back and it still makes me mad. He had problems he thought were insurmountable. It was a problem 20k would have solved. I am not wealthy by any means but coming up with that amount of money to still have my brother sounds like something I could have done in 2 minutes. I never got the chance because I am the baby of the family and he didn’t want to burden me with that kind of problem. In fact he didn’t burden anyone other than my other brother who found him and the letter.

Too much information I am sure but my point is go tell someone, anyone that they matter. If you are walking in the store and some guy walks out at the same time just say “Hello”. If some single mom is struggling with her kids at the checkout, offer to pay for her so she can get on her way. If you are in a restaurant, give a huge tip and make the person’s day. Are you really going to starve to death if you bless another person with a couple of extra bucks? I know this is too much rambling but I didn’t want to let this day go by without saying thanks to all my friends and even my enemies that read this blog.

Tomorrow is a day that we as American’s will come together and pick our next president. Only in America is such a process possible so no matter who you vote for please make sure you vote. A great many men and women wake up everyday to make sure you keep that right.

YoVel

2008-10-16T10:52:00.001-04:00

This was sent to me from a friend that really sets the path a lot clearer. It was written by Rabbi Daniel Lapin.

Who Took All Our Money?

As America's rabbi, I have been asked by countless people for my reaction to the financial crisis we're witnessing. I want to shine the light of ancient Jewish wisdom onto this frightening phenomenon in the hope of helping you sleep a little easier.

There are many words in Hebrew for money. This is because money is not tangible but spiritual. It is represented by round metal discs in your pocket, by strips of colored paper in your wallet, and by bits on your bank's computer.

Your money is a promise by other people to give you the things you want when you need them. Thus we need three things in order to enjoy God's blessing of money:

1. We need a widely agreed upon moral system in which we all agree on what a promise means and on our obligation to serve others.

2. We need many people in our group so there is always someone ready to exchange our money for the goods or services we require—in other words—a market. With no other humans in the world, all the money imaginable would be useless to you.

3. We need faith in tomorrow.

Because money depends upon human morality, which often deteriorates when things are too comfortable, we have always had cycles we think of as boom and bust.

The cycle of struggle leading to affluence, leading to decadence, leading to struggle again is so reliable that a late19th century Russian economist, Nikolai Kondratieff, concluded that the Biblical rule of the fifty-year-cycle did indeed hold up.

This Bible cycle occurs naturally and in Hebrew, is called YoVeL.

As those of you who own Genesis Journeys already know, there is a reason why the Hebrew sound Y often gets transliterated into a J and the Hebrew V often becomes a B.

Thus, YoVeL became JoBeL which of course became jubilee in English, the word for a fifty- year celebration of any major event.

Leviticus 25:10 reads:

"Make holy each fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants; it shall be a jubilee (YoVeL) to you."

Our Liberty Bell in Philadelphia carries that verse partly because the Pennsylvania Assembly made the Bell to commemorate the 50 anniversary of Pennsylvania's original Constitution.

Although it is far from mathematically precise, there does appear to be some reliable correlation between an economy's ups and downs and the fifty-year Kondratieff Wave.

Those uncomfortable with the idea of God directing the affairs of men find the notion of regular economic cycles to be eerie. Unfortunately, for Nikolai Kondratieff, his boss, Joseph Stalin, did not appreciate the idea that the Bible trumps the glories of communist economic development. In 1938, he executed Kondratieff, but the Kondratieff Wave continues to entrance many investors.

Ancient Jewish wisdom can help us answer three important questions that anyone worried about the financial crisis is asking:

Question 1: Where has the money gone?

Answer 1: It hasn't gone anywhere. There are no evil bankers cackling with malevolent glee as they grab all our money. Money is spiritual and it was never anything we actually held in our hands. It has gone to the same place that love goes when a marriage fails.

Question 2: Is it coming back?

Answer 2: Of course it will. Booms usually lead to busts and busts to booms. Our history, the Bible, and Kondratieff all agree that the economy has up and down cycles. In my view it will come back sooner rather than later because unlike during the great depression, today British and European leaders are lined up with American efforts to staunch the bleeding. Today, government efforts are completely different from the Hoover administration's policy of doing nothing.

Question 3: What should we each be doing right now?

Answer 3: Three things: We should have faith, spread faith, and smile at everyone. In Hebrew, one of the words for a business professional is "OMayN" which is closely related to the word we all know—AMeN which means faith. In King Solomon's Song of Songs 7:2. "Princess, your graceful legs are like jewels, the work of a craftsman's hands." The word for craftsman, OMayN, throughout ancient Jewish wisdom, is used for anyone active in the economy. In other words, anyone active in the economy needs to be a person of faith.

I am no financial adviser, but to me this seems like a time not to sell but a time to buy. Perhaps it is the opportunity for those who missed out on the last boom to climb onto the escalator.

Finally we should smile at others because our money depends upon them. And smiling helps restore confidence. What is more, when we smile at others, we make God smile too.
Edited by Susan Lapin

My new verse

2008-10-14T13:48:00.001-04:00

2 Chronicles 1:9-10
Establish, GOD, the words you spoke to my father, for you've given me a staggering task, ruling this mob of people. Yes, give me wisdom and knowledge as I come and go among this people—for who on his own is capable of leading these, your glorious people?"

Capitalism at its BEST

2008-10-06T08:59:00.002-04:00

I MUST VERY SADLY ADMIT DEFEAT! I DID NOT DO THE MATH ON THIS AND MY MUCH SMARTER FRIEND HANS POINTED OUT IT WAS WRONG.

IN MY DEFENSE HIS WIFE IS SMARTER THAN HIM AND SHE DIDN'T CATCH IT EITHER. MY FIRST RETRACTION AS A BLOGGER. PROBABLY NOT MY LAST.

I don't know who this guy is but this is clearly the best idea I have seen yet.

A US Citizen Bailout
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>
>
> I thought this idea has merit, what do you think?
>
> I'm against the $85,000,000,000.00 bailout of AIG.
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> Instead, I'm in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to America in a We Deserve It Dividend.
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> To make the math simple, lets assume there are 200,000,000 bonafide U.S. Citizens 18+.
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> Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up..
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> So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billon that equals $425,000.00.
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> My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a We Deserve It Dividend.
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> Of course, it would NOT be tax free. So let's assume a tax rate of 30%.
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> Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes.
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> That sends $25,500,000,000 right back to Uncle Sam.
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> But it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket.
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> A husband and wife has $595,000.00.
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> What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family?
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> Pay off your mortgage - housing crisis solved.
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> Repay college loans - what a great boost to new grads put away money for college - it'll be there
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> Save in a bank - create money to loan to entrepreneurs.
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> Buy a new car - create jobs
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> Invest in the market - capital drives growth
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> Pay for your parent's medical insurance - health care improves
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> Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean -or else
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> Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company that is cutting back. And of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces.
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> If we're going to re-distribute wealth let's really do it...instead of trickling out a puny $1000.00 ( vote buy ) economic incentive that is being proposed by one of our candidates for President.
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> If we're going to do an $85 billion bailout, let's bail out every adult U.S. citizen 18+!
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> As for AIG - liquidate it. Sell off its parts.
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> Let American General go back to being American General. Sell off the real estate.
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> Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up.
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> Here's my rationale. We deserve it and AIG doesn't.
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> Sure it's a crazy idea that can never work, but can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party!
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> How do you spell Economic Boom?
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> I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion We Deserve It Dividend more than I do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington, D.C.
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> And remember, The Birk plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because $25.5 Billion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam.
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> Ahhh...I feel so much better getting that off my chest.
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>
>
> Birk
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> T. J. Birkenmeier, A Creative Guy & Citizen of the Republic
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>

My Bride Rocks!

2008-10-02T15:24:00.003-04:00

I got a little carried away yesterday and put on my Facebook page that my bride got a promotion. Well it was not public knowledge until today. Sorry but I am just really proud of my wife. She is independently successful and way smarter than me. I can't really explain what the new position is but she now will be in charge of hundreds of millions of dollars and training budget officers around the country. She will be making policy and rules for the way things are done in the area of budgets and procurement. I am so proud of all the things she has accomplished in life as a mom and wife but the standard she sets for our daughter and women every where is beyond compare. One of my mentors was saying the other day that a Godly marriage includes two people who are sustained by Christ and not each other. It is like two scuba divers using one tank versus each having their own tanks. If each of you are sustained by your own tank (Christ) you can go anywhere together. I love that I compliment Renee's life and Christ sustains it. She loves me and needs me but will always stand on her own as the woman I most admire.

Bailout Explained

2008-10-01T10:51:00.002-04:00

I would love to rant about the Dems who created this mess and we had nothing to do with it but that is not entirely true. We all had a hand or lack there of in creating this mess. This guy explains it better than I have heard up to this point and he is a libertarian. Bottom line is the people who caused the problem should not be the ones making it worse. The world is not coming to an end. Well at least not because of this but it will end someday. Luckily my assets are temporary so I am okay leaving them here. Go here and read the best summary so far I have found.

Texas Stadium

2008-09-17T14:37:00.003-04:00

Yes I am the most humble man on earth! That's why I say bask in all my glory in front of the stadium built so God could watch his team achieve greatness! You are looking at the FINAL Monday night game to be played in Texas Stadium and I was there. It was a huge thrill. I am with my best friends from the great city of Paris, Texas Jim Pitts and Chaz Massey. Chaz is going under the knife tomorrow to fix some issues with his neck. Please pray for Chaz and his family.

We had a blast at the game and during the whole trip. It is always an honor to spend time with men so dedicated to their country and their family. You are looking at two really good dads and husbands. Despite the sign in Jim's yard, I really love these guys.

The next Vice President of the United States!

2008-08-29T12:49:00.003-04:00

I am so proud as an American to be living at a time when Senator McCain has picked an incredible woman as his running mate. I would advise anyone who cares about this country to get to know Gov Palin. She is a great woman who has taken her ability and faith to the top of the charts for service. She is a mother of 5 children who is smarter and stronger than most men that have ever held office. She reminds me a lot of my own wife who is also smarter and stronger than the men (me included) that she serves along side. I could not help but get choked up a little about the fact a woman of real substance who is a great wife and mother can accomplish so much professionally and still be a regular woman. She loves her husband and her family and her God but that doesn't make her a feminist or man hater but at the same time she is not June Cleaver. I am married to an incredible woman that makes me a better man everyday. I can not imagine a person thinking we need to change this country and the Democrats are the answer. We have a great man teamed up with a great woman. Get ready to change the world!

McCain Picks Palin!!

2008-08-29T10:51:00.002-04:00

We finally have a great VP and McCain did it! I am glad to be a republican but even prouder to be a conservative!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin

725 Days and Counting

2008-08-12T15:23:00.002-04:00

Today I have been married to my best friend and the love of my life for 725 days! I am so grateful for the woman she is and the walk we share. I can not imagine my life with out her in it.

When did you lose your virginity?

2008-08-08T08:05:00.004-04:00

I read a post on another blog about a survey Ask.com did on what makes a modern man. One of the questions was "When did you lose your virginity?". I thought about the question and wondered why we call it "lose" in the first place. It's not like you misplaced it or someone stole it. I sadly did not wait until marriage. Oddly I did wait until marriage the second time around. Anyway my point is should we call it "lose" or "give away"? I guess that is the problem with the concept today. If we teach our children to "give away" their virginity to their spouse on their wedding night, maybe they wouldn't feel like it is something you need to "LOSE" in high school. Just a thought.

Here is the blog post if you are interested.

Date Night

2008-08-06T21:31:00.002-04:00

My bride and I finally got out for a date night and dinner was great. We went to Bistro D'Asia on Staples past Saratoga. It is near the B&J's Pizza. If you like PF Changs or really great Asian food this is for you. The price was very reasonable and well worth it. Thanks to Skip & Susie for the tip.

Family Devotional

2008-07-31T17:34:00.002-04:00

I have been looking for a devotional book to do with our family at night for about a year. I finally found one Wednesday night at the Family Christian Book store. I like it because it is one page per day and takes about 15 minutes. I have 5 kids so spending time with God as a family is hard to do on a weekly basis but nightly takes some major planning. I totally believe you only have time for what you make time for in life. This is important and we as a family have made it a priority. If you are interested in getting one started here is a link to the one I chose. I would suggest you get it from the local book store because a good friend of mine reminded me one day that supporting a local store that sells Christian books is important. Not everyone has access to Amazon or some of the larger stores.

Orlando, a fall & surgery

2008-07-21T23:51:00.002-04:00

It has been a wild week. My bride and I went to Orlando for a vacation on Sunday of last week. We get away with out the kids every year. We went to Universal Studios and had a blast just hanging out. We ate dinner at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritiville. The next day we went to the Arabian Horse show and that was cute. If the tickets had not been free I would have been upset. Wednesday we got to wander around Orlando and see the sites and head home Thursday. Friday my bride runs home because the dog escaped. She went to check the back gate and tripped in a hole. She broke her arm and changed all our plans for the weekend. We spent all weekend nursing her arm in a temporary cast from the 4 hour ER trip on Friday. This morning we go to the Orthopedic Surgeon and guess what? Surgery! So with 2 kids leaving for camp this week, a Tropical Storm coming, our house on the market and a trip to VA planned for Saturday; we are having surgery. My wife is scared and I am running on fumes. She does so much from her work to our church to our home it is mind blowing trying to cover just some of it. Bottom line is we are headed to surgery Wed or Thursday and our friends have taken great care of us. We are so blessed and thankful for all of the prayers. My plan is to film the surgery and post it later this week. Just kidding! I do appreciate the prayers.

My sweet Bride

2008-07-19T00:41:00.002-04:00

My lovely bride was walking into the back yard and tripped in a hole. She broke her arm. We spent the afternoon in the ER and now she is finally sleeping. Monday we go to the Orthopedic Surgeon to see if she needs surgery or just a cast for 6 weeks. SO I am finally going to sleep and let God take care of the details. Your prayers are always appreciated.

Pray Naked Part 3

2008-07-08T16:07:00.009-04:00

I read a post by my Pas tor today that made me think of all the “Christians” that slam other churches or Pastors. If we are to live as Christ, shouldn’t that include not judging others unless we are without sin? I understand the desire to point out what is wrong with everyone else on the planet but avoid any mention of what is in my heart. I just know that it is hard to tear down another person if you really love them like Christ calls us to do everyday.

I wonder if we all pray naked, meaning to really reveal to the Father what our soul felt deep inside, would we have a better understanding of what God is telling us? I admit I don’t always pray naked but I try very hard not to get caught up in the standard prayer that I have repeated a million times. Before you write me saying this is not in the bible I would point you to Matthew 12:34-37. That's right I just said Naked Prayer is in the bible. I’m certainly not against common prayers because I have a Book of Common Prayers on my bookshelf. If your children spoke to you with canned answers to every request you made to them would that thrill your heart? Imagine God hearing a prayer from you that was honest and complete. Remember confronting your child with a broken lamp and just praying he confessed but instead he said it was not him? Our Father already knows the truth he just wants his children to confess and move on for our sake.

When my two boys return from camp today and I ask how it went, will they say fine or good? I hope not and I fully expect they will be talking so fast and long I will need a nap by the time they download everything. I will walk away from that experience thinking how great it is for my children to want to talk to me about their lives. Don’t you think God desires to have the same relationship with his children? Completely naked and unafraid to share their soul with the Father and not worry about the cost. Real Men Pray Naked. Do you?

This is why Jesus preferred kids over adults

2008-07-08T11:00:00.001-04:00

I am on a bit of a video kick right now. I am not a big environmentalist but I think she makes some great points. She is on 12 and talking to the UN. My favorite line is one I use when talking about Men's Ministry. "If you are not going to fix it, please stop breaking it."

Give it a watch.

Solve high gas prices

2008-07-08T10:33:00.002-04:00

This is America at it's finest. We have always seen the world change because of one person making a decision to change it. I think Mr. Pickens is on to something that makes sense to any person who just listens to the theory. You want us out of Iraq? This is the way the oil rich countries will begin to change their ways.

Reasons not to get a Mentor

2008-07-03T11:23:00.003-04:00

1. You think your life is perfect.
2. You don't want to improve.
3. You want everyone to like you.
4. You hate seeing a different angle of things.
5. You don't want anyone to see the real you.

I think if any of these reasons seem valid to you then getting a mentor in your life is a horrible idea. My Mentor Pastor John Atkinson is one of my greatest friends but he never fails to push me. He had talked about this Pastor is Simi Valley, CA named Francis Chan. I listened to a podcast about a year ago and really didn't see the big deal. The other day Pastor John mentioned him again so I thought I would check him out and he totally messed me up this time. He was talking about sin and whether one sin was worse than the other. I of course already knew the answer just like a few people in his church and said to myself yes all sin is the same. I was wrong. His comment was some sins are more disgusting to God than others. His example was sexual purity. He said when we sin sexually and still go into God's house to worship it was like committing rape and then attending a party at the victims house and singing to them like nothing ever happened. WOW! That was a massive blow to my thinking. I lead the MoB so dealing with this issue is a daily task, but I had never thought about it from that angle. Needless to say I had to spend a lot of time in the Word and prayer trying to see the best way to address it in my life and the men I talk to everyday. Last night we had First Wednesday at my church and did communion. This concept of worship while living apart from God in any area of my life really struck me last night and I began to ask myself if there was an area I need to work on before I worship. I hope I never feel like everything is good enough but rather always needs improvement.

If you are bored

2008-06-19T21:56:00.001-04:00

You can see the very unprofessional pictures of our Florida trip here.

Summer Haircuts

2008-06-02T23:29:00.000-04:00

Courage to quit

2008-06-02T00:23:00.003-04:00

If you had the basic dream job of your profession would you quit because God had bigger things for you and your family? I am the Director of Men's Ministry for Bay Area Fellowship and I have the honor of knowing exactly what God has created me to accomplish in life. One of the first things I did after assuming the role as the leader of the MoB was reach out to leaders that were further along than me. Pastor Bil has always talked about surrounding yourself with people in your field that are where you want to be in your company or church. I knew the church that was reaching the most people had to be Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas led by Pastor Ed Young and Saddleback in California led by Rick Warren. Well I reached out to both Mark Bjornholm at Fellowship and Kenny Luck at Saddleback who both lead successful Men's Ministries at these churches. Well Pastor Kenny has not gotten back to me yet but Pastor Mark called me and invited me to a Men's breakfast at his church. Long story short we developed a great friendship.

Thursday Pastor Mark called me to tell me he had stepped down as the Men's Pastor at Fellowship. The really wild part of the story was he didn't do anything wrong or fall from grace for a personal indiscretion like drugs or prostitutes. No he chose to finish his education and give up what anyone if Men's Ministry would consider one of the top 5 jobs in the country.
I can't wait to see where God takes Mark and his family.

If you had the dream job you have always wanted would you be obedient if God called you some where else?

Ebed-melech

2008-05-28T08:33:00.004-04:00

My study has taken me to the book of Jeremiah Chapter 38. That is where we meet a guy named Ebed-melech, the Ethiopian who spoke up for Jeremiah who had been thrown in a cistern. Basically King Zedekiah was one of those guys that agreed with whoever was the last person to talk to him. When some officials decided Jeremiah was saying things that would undermine their military and comfortable life by telling people God wanted them to surrender to the Babylonians, they decided to kill him by leaving him in a cistern to starve to death.

My boy Ebed-melech decided to speak up and go to the king to ask if he could rescue Jeremiah. This was a huge risk since it could have cost Ebed his life but he feared God more than people so he stood up against the murder plot against Jeremiah. God really spoke to me on this chapter because it shows God's desire for us to reach out to people being treated unkindly and thank God when He sends an Ebed-melech our way when we are being attacked.

Another real powerful part of this chapter is we see that Jeremiah gave God 40 years of faithful ministry and received no acclaim, no love, no popular following, only jail, beatings, and exile from his homeland. Since I have received none of the things Jeremiah received doesn't that mean I have no excuse for not giving God all my heart soul and mind?

I have really been on a rant about excuses lately and this was just another example of how we all make excuses but in context we have no excuse for not giving God our best everyday. My lesson for today and everyday is how do I show Christ to everyone I meet. Pastor John told me last week that the thing about being a Pastor is you are a Pastor everywhere you go and to everyone you meet. If you are a Christian, then you are the body of Christ and carry a huge burden. Your life is the only example of Christ some people may ever see, so shouldn't it be the best example? I didn't say perfect or even really good by people's standards. It should reflect a changed life in Christ and provide hope to the people you meet. People want to see how God can change their life where they are now, not how their life could have been great if they had not gotten a divorce or drank beer or avoided church the last 20 years. Jesus Christ changed my life because it was broken and completely unrepairable by man's strength.

My two oldest boys wrote autobiographies this weekend for school and I must say the grammar was not something that will win them writing awards. They did include statements about their faith and commitment to God and that, for me, made up for every other mistake. I am so proud of Jacob and Nick for not caring what the world thinks should be kept private and not shared so as not to offend.

I was RIGHT!

2008-05-27T12:57:00.002-04:00

I had a small problem with my alarm system Monday. It has been beeping every two hours for the last few days and no one seems to be able to fix the problem or take the first step to resolving the situation. The guy that had the sad misfortune of working Monday, was getting an ear full while I explained why he was not resolving my problem with a bunch of words and excuses. I finally called one of the guys that I work with and asked how I could rip the entire system out without costing myself a few thousand dollars. Since he is way smarter than me, he explained it just needed one wire switched and the system would still work just fine without the beeping. Later that day during my bible study I realized I may have been the only face of Christ that man saw all day. This guy had to work on Memorial Day while I sat around eating burgers with friends and still had to listen to me complain about my life. I guess my point is being right is not always the best plan. My duty was to show Christ in all I do and not just to the people I love but to the people I am called to love by God. Man I hate when God teaches you a big lesson when you are angry. Guess maybe I should not get so mad and then He wouldn't have such a great platform to teach from.

Sabatical

2008-05-19T15:35:00.002-04:00

I have no idea what that is but I want one. I have gone a long time with no posts on here and frankly the complaints have been very few. I have tried to focus more on my journal and less on my blog. I am not a person who journals because I am always concerned about spelling and neatness. Those are two of my weakest traits so the invention of MS Word was huge for me.

My passion for life is strong and my fire to lead the MoB is even stronger. I am certain God has used this time to teach me and stretch me. I just wanted to let the millions of people who read this blog know I am alive and getting ready for God to really throw me out there on the far end of the limb. Will it break and I fall? Who knows and who cares. I am happy just giving my yes and seeing where God takes it. I think the next 6 months of my life and my ministry are going to be the greatest ever. That is saying a lot because the last 6 have been beyond my wildest dreams.

My good friend's wife

2008-04-28T22:07:00.005-04:00

I don't normally write about someone's wife other than my own bride but one of my core leaders has a wife that is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. She does things on a daily basis that make her a great mom and wife and there are some tiny people in her life that will prove that fact very well as adults. The Christian Woman she is sets the bar so high for women but also men because she has a great husband who I admire greatly but keeping up with the mom she is pushes him to be a great dad. He is a great dad so don't miss that point. She is the mother of I think 54 and she is involved in 55 other things and still does a better job parenting than me. I know this sounds corny but believe me Hans will understand. I love you Annie and I hope to be like you when I grow up. Check out Annie at one of the many sites she has.

Annie 1
Annie 2
Annie 3

My 10 year Anniversary

2008-04-26T11:34:00.002-04:00

This is my 100th post and my 10 year anniversary. April 26, 1998, I suffered a stroke due to bacterial meningitis. I spent 5 days in a coma and 4 days in ICU in Baylor Medical Center in Dallas, TX. I learned to walk, read, write and learn who my family was all over again. I'm not say that to garner pity or even amazement. My GOD is so big he took a broken half hearted man and turned him around in an instant to become the leader of men that he needed in Corpus Christi. SO 10 years later I am healthy, happy, strong and my whole heart belongs to GOD. So I continue to live by the very simple mission he put me on 10 years ago. I don't care where you have been, I only care where you are going! What happened yesterday whether it was your fault or not is not going to determine your future unless you let it. God will clean the slate for you and let you fix it all even if your health, wealth and honor are stripped away. SO get to work! I love you guys that pray for me and my family and I hope your lives are better for knowing me and my life is an example of how great my God is and what he can do with just a little dirt.

Just say YES!

2008-04-23T15:38:00.003-04:00

I posted on the MoB Blog about the weekend. I highly suggest you check it out.

This Saturday is a huge day for me and the work God started in my heart many years ago. It represents a day many very intelligent and talented people thought would never happen. I hope you get a chance to check back on Saturday and hear a story of incredible blessings and get a sense of why my passion red hot all the time. Men's ministry is my calling and my work has just begun.

See you Saturday.

Why was Jesus born of a virgin birth?

2008-04-16T00:23:00.004-04:00

I am not a theologian but this hit me hard today and I had to explore it. I have never wondered why Jesus was born of a virgin birth until today. When Eve ate of the forbidden fruit in Genesis and then gave Adam some, it seemed simple enough until I really looked at it. First, Adam was standing right there and did nothing about it. Second, when asked by God why, he blamed his wife. The first chance man had to take responsibility for his family and he blamed his wife. In chapter 3 we see where God first asks Adam what happened and he is punished not for his action but rather his inaction. Being the head of the house means we are accountable for everything we do, but even more, I believe, for what we fail to do in leading our family. There was a time I thought my leadership of my family was pretty solid. Now I have to evaluate my leadership based on what I have failed to do out of fear or just my own depravity. See Adam set into motion a genetic trait passed down through all generations of men called sin. Women sin but unlike the level of equality we have achieved on earth, I believe there will be two lines in heaven. One for men and one for women. Women will answer for their own lives. Men will answer for both. Adam's sin meant that every man born of his seed was born with a level of depravity. Depravity is being marked by corruption. Jesus was born of a woman so he had humanity but he didn't receive that part of Adam. So we make fun of Adam for making a bad decision but we forget that out of that destruction came the leader Adam. He proved that even in the wreckage you can step up and lead. He stepped out and he looked at Eve and said "I want to rename you". He could have easily done what many of us have done and just said your new name is manipulator or serpent lover. Have you ever been in the wreckage of all you have created in your life and dealt with your wife in the brokenness in her shattered self worth and wanted to blame? Think of the power for him to step into her life and say yes we blew it but I want to rename you as mother of all life. You are valuable and important. Even if you are divorced or it gets finalized tomorrow, there is time for you to speak truth and vision into her life. Even if the papers get signed and she is blaming you for all the worlds’ problems and even if most or all of what she is saying is true, will you lead? Will you still speak truth into her life and the lives of every woman you meet in life? Adam made it hard for all of us and God even had to bring His Son into this world in a way never before seen in order to shield Him from the depravity of Adam's seed. Knowing all that, will you lead or blame her and the snake? This weekend we gather at the cross as Men of Bay Area Fellowship. Will you be there because of the wreckage or will passivity continue to define your life. Don’t stand back and watch us gather. If you want to be like Jesus, you have to stand in front of the cross, not behind it. Pastor Bil said in our first Easter service in the new building that the cross was big enough to cover all our sins. So why stand back there in them when you can come out of the wreckage?

*A great deal of the content of this post was taken from commentaries and the Men's Fraternity series. Like I said I am not a theologian. Just growing in my faith not trying to be mature in my faith.

Out giving God!

2008-04-10T16:00:00.002-04:00

A couple of years ago my good friend and mentor Pastor John Atkinson gave me a book to read called A Blessed Life. It is a great book and you really should read it. The book is all about this guy who basically tries to out give God. He is blown away by the fact that no matter how big a leap of faith he take to bless someone, God out blesses his life by a mile. Well I have been on a mission to do the same thing ever since I read that book and God is blowing me away by miles also. I won't give to many details because I don't want to seem like I am bragging but here is the jest of the story.

We were able to bless a friend of ours with a pretty cool deal that I would have never expected to be able to accomplish. I just don't want to talk about it yet because I don't know how much she wants other people to know about it. But 12 hours after we did it we got a call from a couple that work with Renee' in the nursery and they wanted to come by and look at our landscaping or lack there of and see if they could help us get some ideas. We are selling our house so they knew we needed some guidance to get the yard to look nice. Well I get home Tuesday from the Men's group I lead and they have dug up my flower bed and made it larger and planted 10 bushes.

Then they call yesterday and say they found a whiskey barrel and want to come back. So at 4 she shows up with 2 workers and totally redo the entire front of my house and even built a small bed around my mailbox. It was incredible and they only charged me for a few of the plants, mulch and labor which was nearly nothing. Anyone who knows me is well aware of my ability to do things with my hands and paying a pro for the incredible work that was done was easy.

Renee' and I were so totally blown away! THEN we were getting ready to do our bible study and got the newsletter from the church about the up coming series. Prayer Changes Everything! Two paragraphs down is the MoB blurb about meeting at the cross! Is that God or what?? When we came up with that idea at our Core meeting I had no idea Pastor Bil was planning that series.

The moral to the story is you can't out give God and usually God speaks to a number of people about the same concept because your part is only a piece of the whole puzzle. That is a great way to really know if God is speaking to you by the fact he places the same vision in the hearts of people around you. This also explains why you need to surround yourself with Godly men and women. If you are going through life with out a mentor and or accountability partner then you are taking a risk that is deadly and not necessary. I say get a few Godly people around you that have total access to your life.

Numbers matter

2008-04-06T22:14:00.001-04:00

We had nearly 100 baptisms at church this week. Does anything matter more than that?

Big News!

2008-04-01T10:07:00.003-04:00

This morning I was cleared to release this big announcement. Last night I received a call from the guys at the Dept of Homeland Security and found out all my paperwork was cleared. I am leaving tonight to fly to DC and go with the White House Communications group to Isreal with the President on Air Force One!! My role will be to talk to the President's counsel on Faith Based Organizations. We are then going to meet with the Men's Pastor at the largest Christian church in Jerusalem. I can't wait to see where this trip leads our ministry. I'll write more when I get back.

Immigration

2008-03-20T11:03:00.002-04:00

There is a great deal of money being spent to stop foreigners from coming into this country. Every candidate is being asked to come up with a plan to stop illegal immigration. If your candidate is not on the side of stopping illegal immigration then you need to vote for someone else right? Well I say who cares!

The problem I want the next president to address is not foreigners but rather FORWARDERS. That's right I said it and I am not backing down on this one.

Too many people are forwarding emails that are junk and it has to stop. I know that was a cute little video and the Senator should have the lapel pin on during the pledge but come on people. If we don't stop forwarders how will we ever recover as a nation. Too much money and time is spend reading the prayer chains and figuring out what 5 friends you want to have luck next year. We need to get back to work and start rebuilding the economy and that can't be done if I have to stop and write my senator every time some network wants to take all the God references out of television shows.

SO I say who cares if people eating Pop Rocks with Coke die because their head explodes or winning the Nigerian lotto is not really a good thing. Let's get back to work and forget about warning people of email scams or making sure they enjoy really long jokes or prayer chains for luck.

My name is Brandon Cunningham and I approved this message.

Real life Samuel

2008-03-13T11:00:00.005-05:00

When Samuel went looking for a king he found David but only after he looked past the "best" group of kids. My bride has taken this young man under her care for the last couple of years because he goes to school with our two boys. He does his homework with Renee' and chores and pretty much anything else she has our children do after school. He eats with us at least 3 times a week, spends the night at least once and almost always goes to church with us on Sundays. His parents are kind of focused on other things and so he craves the love she gives him and the fact he is treated as our own. We have a blended family of hers and mine already so adding another that is not certified from the Cunningham blood line is not only embraced but probably preferred.

Last Friday she discovered the three boys had been lying about having homework because they wanted to be lazy. They told her because of the TAKS test, there would be no homework. Well because she sees the good in most people she believed it and they got away with it until one report card seemed odd. Well as with most stories this is more complex than I have time to explain here but basically it came down to honor among thieves. One was cornered and gladly took the other two down with him.

This broke my brides heart because she felt so hurt by these wonderful kids. Our boys did not try to make things right until our little adopted son came to our door early the next morning to give us this note he wrote.

He made us cry because he was so sweet but it also moved us so much to see how we had affected this young man. My bride has done 99% of the work and my part has been mostly treating him as our own and not as a guest in our home. See we don't allow guests in our home. We only have family. Our goal is to raise kids that see everyone as a child of God, so what their last name is really doesn't matter.

Prayer and patience

2008-03-06T16:35:00.002-05:00

Anyone who knows me knows I am not patient. When Pastor Brian Crown told a lady to call me to see what I could do for her and her son, I thought he was crazy. The only thing I have less of than patience is eye hand coordination. Well she needed a load bearing wall moved and plumbing and electrical put in to her house for her son to come home from the nursing home. He was disabled and could not even sit in a wheelchair. Well I called a few people who do this work and sent out an email to the MoB. A few responded and one Marine who used to do that type of work went to her house with me to get an idea of the need. Even though he was skilled and willing it was beyond his ability due to permits and legal issues with the city. So here I have this wonderful mother asking me to help her son Nick who just happens to share his name with one of my sons. I could not let it go that we were unable to help this mom. I looked at Renee' and knew if she asked me to move a mountain to bring our Nick home I would move that mountain. I prayed everyday for this mother and her son and just continued to ask God to show me how I could help her.

Last night I walked through the atrium of my church and ran into the most talented guy with a hammer I have ever met in my life. The problem was he was just too busy to help. Suddenly he stopped me and asked if she still needed help because he had a break in some jobs he was doing. I almost broke down because it was totally God saying it was impossible for me but easy as pie for him. I grabbed my phone to call her and when she answered she said she had just finished praying for me to call. We both had faith that prayer and patience would prevail but it was not easy. So if anyone asks if prayer works just say yes but on God's time not yours.

Does your Wife know who to call?

2008-02-24T20:33:00.002-05:00

My wife had a dream that l flipped out and left her. She came after me and found me in a house drinking and doing drugs. I told her I was not coming back to her. This is where it gets good.

She went home and called Pastor John, Hans and Scott. These are men that have full permission to speak into my life. She said even in her dream she knew these were the guys to call and send to kick my butt.

I hate the dream but I love her reaction. It means I have shown her clearly that I have men around me that have permission to set me straight. I hope I have shown her I would not do any of that but I am grateful she knows the people to call.

Does you wife know who to call?

Day 4

2008-02-17T10:38:00.004-05:00

I am ready to declare the procedure a complete success! I have not really noticed a lot of improvement but that is supposed to take about 4-6 weeks to really change. I am a little sore but that is because I have not slowed down at all. I have tried to keep my walking up but I have cut back to 4k steps a day. Today I am getting back up to 8k. I am also not allowed to pick anything up over 15 pounds so I can't work out. No big deal there because I hate working out. I do have to lose 50 pounds this year so I need to get back to that workout someday. I have set rewards for myself in order to get motivated for the weight loss. I decided when I get down to 215 I am buying a FM transmitter for my Ipod to play in my truck. That cost about $75 for a good one. Then when I get to 200 I am going to rent a Harley and take a road trip across the state. The final goal of getting to 180 means I finally get the Bose Sound Dock for my Ipod. That is about 300 dollars so it is the icing on the cake. Even though I can't eat the cake. SO make some goals for yourself and rewards to motivate you.

Day two

2008-02-15T14:48:00.004-05:00

Well the drugs have all worn out and I seem to be making the same amount of sense as I was before. The Prostiva RF therapy was a huge success at least in terms of I didn't die or anything. I got up Wednesday morning and took the kids to school and then Renee' and I headed to the Dr's office. Of course the average age of the waiting room is 55 and I am only 38! So we wait for about 20-30 mins to get seen and then a sweet little 20 year old girl comes and asks for Mr. Cunningham. I get up to walk to her and she looks at her chart for a birthday or something. She leads me to a room and asks me my birthday and SS#. I would recommend this to anyone feeling old because they make you feel like a little boy trying to buy beer. After passing the intial screening she tells me to put on a large piece of paper she calls a robe. I have to say their idea of a robe is what I would call a book cover in school. She sweetens the deal by telling me I can put my socks and shoes back on after I strip and put the book cover on. Wow! That would make everything much better!
So I lie back on this table with my ipod, socks and shoes, and a book cover. SEXY! I then get nurse number two to hook me up to an IV. This is the worst part. She jams that thing into my hand and finally gets it where she wants it. I said well at least the drugs can flow and I will be feeling no pain. NOT YET! She says they don't start the drugs until I get in the room. I thought I was in the room. So I lay back and listen to my Ipod and wait for further instructions. Finally she returns to tell me we are going on a trip. I get to walk to the REAL room wearing my sexy book cover and pushing an IV pole.
So I enter the bigger room and 4-5 people are walking around talking and telling me where to sit. I sit down and the one lady says lay back and put your legs in these stir-up type things. Of course by now the book cover is doing even less than the 10% cover up it was providing.
By now someone has let the drugs flow and I start my Ipod back and drift off. I really did not feel anything at all until she taps my arm and tells me we are done. I'm feeling pretty spaced out but for the most part I can walk. I wander back to the tiny room and she brings my wife and a big bottle. I love seeing my wife but the bottle was confusing. All I had to do was fill it to a line and then I could go home. Since the last hour or so have been some of the most public in my life this seemed pretty normal. I did my business and got dressed and we went home. For the rest of the day I stayed fairly well drugged but had to drink lots of water to prevent infection. Going to the bathroom the first few hours was a little painful. It felt like fire in a place where fire is really not welcome. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the worst, I would say I felt like a 7. By Wednesday night I felt closer to a 5 and Thursday night I felt about a 2. This morning I went to the Dr to get the okay to work and now I feel like nothing ever happened.
I know it is hard to admit you need help but prostate cancer is one of the most curable if caught early and having an enlarged one is a good indicator you need to get checked out. I am certainly not out of the woods but I am working towards it.
I would highly suggest any man who thinks they may have an enlarged prostate go get the test and get the Prostive RF therapy if your Dr calls for it. I will from time to time post how the procedure has worked but feel free to email me if you want more information. I am actually going to talk with the guys at Medtronic about doing some public information ads for them. Who knows I might become famous like the Viagra guy! I guess being a kid in a room full of old guys makes you appealing to the marketing guys.

Feeling good!

2008-02-13T19:08:00.003-05:00

It was not fun but really incredibly smooth. The staff was great and I had my ipod playing a Men's Fraternity podcast. I am not having a great day just because the burning is there when I urinate. I have to drink water do I can prevent the infection but then I have to go and then it burns. On a scale of 1-10 the experience was a 5 and 75% of that was the IV which was tough to get in to my hand. I hate those but they said it had to be in the hand. The whole thing seem to take 15 mins not counting the wait to start and the wait to go home. I will add some more specific details tomorrow. My head is still a little fuzzy. SO if you don't want details skip the next post.

Less than 24 hours

2008-02-12T10:25:00.002-05:00

Well this time tomorrow I will be done with my prostate tune up! I am still a little nervous and to be honest my focus on ministry and work has been a little weak. I am going to take the next two days off and rest but I hope to be ready to run full speed by Friday. Thanks for all the prayers and emails.

2 days and counting

2008-02-11T11:16:00.001-05:00

Wednesday is the big day and thanks to a lot of you, I am really not that worried anymore. I have gotten a few comments from men around the country that have gone through the Prostiva RF therapy. All the comments have been very positive. I will admit my desire for the entire process to be over is very high but I am looking forward to posting some positive comments after it is concluded. One suggestion was to have my Ipod so I could keep it blaring during the procedure. I am going to try that one. Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes.

6 Days and counting

2008-02-08T11:16:00.001-05:00

On Wednesday the 13th I go in for my Prostiva RF Therapy. I have done all the research and gotten the second and third opinions. I still have a great deal of stress about the thought of what is going to happen. I totally believe the mind is a huge asset or liability to the daily tasks we face every day. If you put you trust in God and let his will take over every aspect of you life it will become easier to face every stressful situation. If you let worry and fear enter the equation it will become harder. Well last night I'm trying to sleep and fear was all over my mind. What if it hurts or I am the .02% that does not go right? I admit that my prayers have been totally self focused the last few days and I have no rational reason to be worried but the fear is there. In my position I would love to just say I prayed and all the fear was gone, but since it would not be true it seems pointless to write it here. I know all the men out there that face pain and deal with it daily realize that is the one section of the body that is most vulnerable. There is 150 pound skinny nerds and 285 pound football players that have the same threshold of pain in that area. Just keeping it real!

Prostiva RF Therapy

2008-02-07T15:53:00.001-05:00

I am about to embark on a journey that could lead me to places I never really wanted to go. If you read my blog at all you know I generally keep it pretty clean and open to everyone. I have decided to take a different approach and write a very personal account of my next few weeks and maybe months.

Shortly after my mother got pregnant with my brother, my father had a vasectomy. Two months after he was born she became pregnant with me and my father went back to the doctor to ask, (and I'm sure this is close) "WHAT THE ##$@$#!?" Turns out when they went back in to find out what happened he had prostate cancer. They were able to get rid of all of it and save his life. He is still alive today despite the 5 pack a day smoking and the other issues he has.

That is where I come in to the picture. After Renee' and I got married she noticed that I went to bathroom about 50 times a day. After hearing the story about my dad she suggested, (FORCED), that I go get my prostate checked. Well I did and the good news is I do not have cancer but the bad news is I have a huge prostate that needs fixing.

So next Wednesday the 13th I will be going in to have a procedure called Prostiva RF Therapy. Sounds fun huh? Well in case you are eating please stop now! They take a catheter and insert it into your penis and then run two wires down to your prostate to destroy the excess tissue of your prostate with RADIO WAVES. This procedure is very safe and effective and should last about 15 years. I have been on medicine for this problem for about 6 months and it really only treats the symptoms and not the problem. Well the meds are too strong to keep taking so I had to either elect for surgery or this. Why am I telling you this?

Because during my research I have found very little information on the problem with BPH which stands for enlarged prostate but with big words. I had spent most of my life just believing I had a small bladder because that was what my mom always said. Turns out that a lot of men have this problem and are scared or embarrassed to say anything. I plan to change that with my experience. I have a forum to shed some light on this subject and hopefully prevent men from suffering or even dying from not getting checked out. I won't lie it is not pleasant to get checked but the advances in blood tests are amazing now over what they were. Yes they do still have to do the manual check and that part stinks (no pun intended). The odds of beating cancer if detected early are overwhelming so this is a no brainer.

I hope you know writing this post is very hard because I prefer to be the big strong leader that has it all together. Fortunately God does not allow me to be that guy anymore. God called me to this post and I will only do it open and honestly. I do appreciate your prayers and support. I am here for the long haul and like most great MoB bosses I will only go down in a blaze of glory! Well maybe a small grass fire but you get the point.

Galatians 5:25-26 The Message

^{25 -26}Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.

Pray Naked follow up

2008-01-25T11:27:00.000-05:00

I guess this is my most emailed posting and I think that is funny. Most people comment but do it secretly. I am not going to ever post those but one guy asked if I was speaking literally. YES! The point is a man should pray with his wife every day. If the most convenient time for that is in bed while you are naked then just do it. This post was the result of one of the men in The MoB asking me how he could make praying with his wife a habit. I said I understood the problem with praying before or after a time of intimacy. So I said don't worry about it and just pray. Real men pray naked was just a funny way of expressing that. Bottom line is: PRAY! Whenever and wherever you are no matter what you are or are not wearing.

Leadership

2008-01-23T08:48:00.000-05:00

I read a number of blogs and I love this guy. He captures the point so well I had to share this one.

Leadership Traps: #10

#10: Blaming Others for Your Failings
One of the most memorable talks I ever heard at Willow Creek's leadership summit was some guy whose name I can't remember (yes, I hear the irony -- but kudos to anyone who remembers who it was) who said there are only four levels people live at:

Building
Managing
Justifying
Blaming

God created us to build, he said. Build families. Build value. Build into people. Build lives. Build the Kingdom.

When we aren't building, we're managing what we built. Not bad, but only for a short time until we are again building.

If we're not building or managing, then we're justifying why we're not doing what we're supposed to be doing (under these circumstances, you wouldn't really expect anyone to....). Such is the stuff for lesser people.

And below it all is blaming. (If it wasn't for that mega church down the street....if I only had a better congregation...if he hadn't gotten involved.) Blame is ugly. Filthy.

As a leader I have to catch myself all the time from making excuses or blaming others. If I stop justifying and blaming, it means I need to do the most difficult thing of all -- face my shortcomings. My failings are really my fault. And when I own that, guess what? God gives me the grace to build again.

You can see his blog at Carey Nieuwhof

I'm not sorry

2008-01-17T16:33:00.001-05:00

I just sent a newsletter out to all the men in The Mob. It was totally intended to call out the people sitting on the fence. I am surely going to catch a lot of flack about it and I just want to say first that "I am not Sorry!" I follow a big God and me or anyone else being comfortable is not in the plan at all. I met with the best mentor in the world yesterday and he fired me up. His name is Pastor John Atkinson and he lives in the middle of the storm. He serves God and only God. He knows who he is and whose he is and he makes people mad every day. I love that about him and when he tells me to run full force towards the vision God has called me, I run full force. So if God is pleased with me and a few slackers are mad, I am very happy. I know this is rambling but I wanted to get in my side before the arrows fly. Bring it on! I want to hear God say well done just once and I don't care how many times I hear bad job before that happens.

What did you do?

2008-01-15T13:37:00.001-05:00

I heard a story yesterday of a 38 year old mother of a 16 year old daughter who is feeling guilt over an abortion she had 20 years ago. Her problem was she wanted to tell her daughter and use it as a teaching moment but her husband thought the daughter was too young to know the truth.

First let me say as a father of a 6 year old girl, I defer to my wife on the issue of her being old enough for things. Mostly because I will never feel she is old enough for anything. The most important reason is I have never been a 16 year old girl and she has.

My wife felt she was old enough and it was vital to use the tragic event as a teaching moment. I believe God can use any event or situation to bring about his ultimate plan for your life. This is especially true if you don't understand it or see it benefiting anyone in the world.

The worst thing you have done in your life is vitally important to someone else. My life is full of terribly events and most were completely my fault.

the gratitude campaign (full length)

2008-01-11T11:18:00.001-05:00

Goals for 2008

2008-01-07T11:36:00.000-05:00

It seems everyone is setting goals for 2008 and I guess I'm no different but this year my wife and I are putting a spin on it. We are having the kids set goals for 2008 also and sharing those goals as a family. It made more sense to share those goals and as a family encourage each other to achieve those goals. Tonight is the big test of that plan because we are having them write them down and then we will talk about it after dinner. One of my goals last year was to enter and finish a race of some kind. I did the Wounded Warrior Project 5k this past Saturday and I loved it. I didn't run but I did start and finish it so that is a goal accomplished.
Another goal I set in December 06 for 07 was to lead a men's ministry at Bay Area Fellowship. I had no idea that would result in Pastor John asking me to become the director and we would end 2007 with 113 people on our newsletter and 40-50 guys a week meeting together for study and fellowship. Tomorrow I am having my 5th Core Leaders meeting and I am so excited to spend time with a great bunch of men. I'll try to blog about what we talk about tomorrow. A goal I failed at in 2007 was losing weight. I hate that I did not achieve that one but let's be honest I didn't exactly each a lot of celery or workout consistently. In my defense, Renee' is an awesome cook and the evil one allowed somebody to open a Rudy's BBQ in Corpus. I mean I am only human!

Snowball Fight!

2008-01-04T11:07:00.001-05:00

Don't send a lame Holiday eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

Happy New Year!

2007-12-31T09:48:00.000-05:00

My prayer for 2008 is that God allows me to be part of what he is blessing. I used to ask God to bless what I am doing but I have learned this prayer is more in line with his will than mine. I love my wife and family! I know that seems out of place but I really am a very blessed and happy man. Christmas was a huge emotional roller coaster and I have not really had much time to blog. We had an amazing weekend of services at church and my wife and I spoiled the kids. Christmas Eve we spent with a friend that was beaten up by her husband earlier that day. We got the call about 930 and rushed over to find 3 cop cars with her boyfriend in one. It was heartbreaking and I won't go in to the details. I am grateful God allows Renee' and I to be in a position to help. I hope 2008 is a great year for all of you and I will be back to more blogging later in the week.

My very funny Maddy!

2007-12-21T13:19:00.001-05:00

WOW!

2007-12-13T13:19:00.000-05:00

I am very overwhelmed right now!!! I am not overworked but overwhelmed by God. Sometimes he pulls at my heart and sometimes he speaks to me. This week he is shouting and I am trying to catch every word. I hope to relate that in a longer post later. I just want to let some of the excitement out today. On a personal note, Hans you have been such an inspiration to me lately. So many other guys have been also but Hans has been there pushing me for a long time and I just wanted to say a very public and heartfelt Thank you!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-10T21:08:00.000-05:00

Brandon & Renee' Cunningham

Our Blessed Family to Yours!

Jacob, Maddy, Nick, Matt, Reagan and Avery

Example

2007-12-04T15:20:00.000-05:00

What would a new Christian become if he or she imitated you? I was reading Philipians 3:17 and Paul was talking about living as an example of Christ. Since the bible was not in circulation yet, Christians had to learn by example. So I wondered if a new Christian was to follow me for a day what would he think? I get men asking me about issues almost everyday and I struggle with the words I use but I wonder if I should struggle more with the example I set. Do I say gambling is wrong but then go get a lotto ticket?
A friend wanted me to go to a movie one time that was rated R. I said I couldn't because I needed to set a better example than that to the men in the church. I guess what Paul is saying here is that I need to be a better example to the men becoming a Christians and having only me as an example to follow. Most new Christians are not reading their bible daily yet and certainly don't usually have many good role models around. So what does it say about our faith if we don't live it out everyday? Are you too busy to pray and study? I certainly am! The problem is really that I am too busy NOT to pray and study everyday.
Spend time with God everyday and the little things won't bother you so much. You won't be so irritable. Worry will start to disappear. Temptations will be weaker. Discouragement will become rare. Your energy level will increase both physically and spiritually.

Ignore the Gap!!

2007-12-02T20:02:00.000-05:00

I am so tired of everyone getting all upset about stores not saying "Merry Christmas". Instead of trying to get God into stores why don't we focus on getting God back into our homes. Back into our schools and communities. Stop thinking Wal Mart saying "Merry Christmas" some how changes the world. If God is in your home, the world will change by your example, not your spending or protesting. Don't waste your time telling Target to get Christ. Christ is the target.

Huckabee for President

2007-11-30T13:16:00.000-05:00

I thought the debate was good the other night but this answer was by far the best for me. The question was, "Do you believe every word in the bible?" It would be easy to spin this many ways and two of the guys did but Huckabee got the answer perfect I thought. The last few seconds were very profound and exactly what we as Christians should be striving for in life.

Video

Breaking News

2007-11-17T12:18:00.000-05:00

The entire SWAT team of a town in NJ was disbanded because of some racy photos taken with some Hooter's waitresses. This seems shocking but somehow I am not shocked. I am motivated by these stories because it is the lack of accountability that caused this to happen. I don't know the guys involved but I have met the exact same guys a million times. One guy I know very well is me. I didn't surround myself with guys that were going in the same direction as me. In order for your walk with Christ to be real, you have to surround yourself with guys that have your back and speak truth into your life. Sometimes you are carried by them and sometimes you are doing the carrying.

On a day many years ago there were a group of men standing in a dark room in the middle of nowhere listening a man they had great respect for telling them what the next 24 hours were going to involve. These six guys were about to attempt something that even if successful would not be celebrated by all six. In fact, other than the six of them, there would not be any knowledge of the mission. The entire world would be a safer place if they succeeded but any glory would never be shared by them. They were the best of the best when it came to their jobs. Men of courage and honor beyond any the world had to offer. Instead of turning away from the danger they locked arms and faced their destiny because failure meant freedom would elude people who deserved it.

Six men returned that day. Four were carried on the backs of two. Sometimes the fight is worth the cost even if that cost seems like everything. Those four men didn't lose everything that day because at 6:30 tonight Bay Area Fellowship and many other Churches will open their doors and preach the word of God. Those four men didn't lose everything that day because The MoB will lock arms and make sure the freedom of everlasting life and the grace of God is a freedom every man receives. I have a core of men around me that I know would carry me out and not leave me behind. This is not a fight, it is a war. You in?

Acts 17

2007-11-04T17:37:00.000-05:00

Verse 22
Let's talk bible study. I have not memorized the new testament. In fact as I have spoke often I have to really work hard to be in God's word everyday. I was reading Acts 17 today and was really convicted on the importance of reading and learning God's word. I am certain of my calling to lead men to Christ. I am also very passionate about it. Paul says it is not enough to teach and preach with conviction. We must be prepared. I wonder if God is asking us to look at our theology. Does your knowledge of God come from church, other people or books other than the bible? Do you preach to people about your word or God's? I have no problem saying I don't know something. I have 5 kids that love to point out my lack of knowledge. So when someone asks you a question about God, do you answer based on God's word or man's? I am sad to say I have answered based on man's and for that I am quickly trying to make up for that lapse. I try to lean on men in my life that can support me theologically but there is no substitute for God's word. Get into it and daily expand your knowledge of the one and only God. Don't let the only time you are in God's word be on Sunday.