DON'T VISIT MY CHURCH...

I am HUGE on first impressions. If you ask any of our people at DAG they will tell you that I talk alot about how important first impressions are to me. I just read a series of posts from Herbert Cooper. He's the Senior Pastor of People's Church in Oklahoma City. He took a look at first impressions from a different perspective. I'm sure after reading this...you'll want to make some changes this week:)

Every Sunday, many churches have guests visit their church. Either we are ready for the guest when they arrive, or we are not. We never get a second chance to make a first impression. I want to share some ways to ensure guests have a horrible experience at our churches.

1. Don't have anyone in the parking lot to greet them or to assist them.
2. Have greeters at the front door who never smile and never brush their teeth. Be sure they give guests the impression that they wish they would have never shown up.
3. Don't have large, easy-to-read and understandable signs in high traffic areas of your building.
4. Make sure your bathrooms stink, the trash cans are full and you are out of soap and paper towels. It's very important that you don't tidy up the restrooms in between services.
5. Make sure your ushers sit all of the first time guests in the front row of the church. Every guest loves to parade down the aisle in front of the entire church.
6. Be sure to start the services late. Who really cares that the service was supposed to start at 10AM but begins at 10:17AM? Guests really do love to sit in an auditorium wondering what's going on and when is it going to start.
7. Make the guests stand up and introduce themselves during the service. When I visit a church, that's my favorite thing to do. :)
8. Make sure you don't have any children's ministry. After all, a five-year-old kid enjoys listening to a sermon on "Reasons Why Jesus Will Return By 2010 Because These Are The Last Days And The Mark Of The Beast Is On It's Way And Somebody Just Spotted The Anti-Christ."
9. Let praise and worship go for an hour and a half and then be sure to preach for two hours.
10. It's very important that you spend 45 minutes taking up the offering. Be sure to use gimmicks and manipulate people into giving.
11. Take time to announce everything going on in your church from birth to seniors. If you really want to make an impression, have four or five people pass the microphone to make all of the announcements.
12. Start studying for Sunday's sermon on Saturday night at 10PM.
13. Be sure the sermon does not apply to anybody's daily life. The sermon should be full of revelation but have no application.
14. Don't have worship practice. Just have the worship team show up 5 minutes before service starts and let the Spirit take over.
15. Let people in the audience play their own musical instruments and then sit all of your guests right next to them.
16. It's very important that you do not do any follow-up with your guests. Keep everybody so busy that nobody takes time to send a letter, email or make a phone call to all of the guests.

Sunday...Sunday...Sunday!!!

All week I have been thinking about and preparing for this Sunday! I have been so jacked up about this Sunday. You know how people get excited about Superbowl Sunday well every Sunday is Superbowl Sunday for me minus the beer commericals. I'm telling you there's nothing like getting together with a bunch of people who love Jesus and doing life together.

Last Sunday's Worship Experience was cancelled because of the weather maybe that's why I can't wait til Sunday. Whatever the reason DAGer's ya'll better be really because I'm going to BRING IT THIS SUNDAY!!!

I'm Back!

It's been over a month since my last post. Several people have asked me why I haven't updated my blog latey. At first, I didn't know what to say over a month ago I wrote my last post and than I just stopped. But as people continue to ask me, I started to ask myself why I haven't written lately the reality is...it wasn't a top priority.

Lately life has been crazy in the Trevino household and although I enjoy blogging my family is my top priority. Jesus, my wife and son deserve my time more than blogging does. Like I said even though I enjoy blogging sometimes it's just one "MORE" thing that I feel like I have to do.

Interestingly, I have been reading about many other Pastors and church planters echoing the same thoughts. They're reevaluating "WHY" they blog. Even though blogging has become a great way for Pastors and church planters to communicate with each other and minister to others it has become a time consumer. At it's worst it becomes a "let's see who can have the most interesting and read post." I guess what I'm trying to say is if I choose to blog I have to understand why I'm blogging and I have to learn how to priorities it among the many other more important things in my life.

From this point forward I got blogging...blogging doesn't have me. So that being said I am back!

I ALMOST MISSED IT!

Got to be honest...I've been a little disappointed that I wasn't able to go to the Catalyst Conference this year. Three years ago I went to my first Catalyst Conference and it rocked my world. Since than I haven't been able to attend but this year I was determined to make it and at the last minute my schedule changed. So I was being a little whiny yesterday. The problem is that I almost missed an amazing opportunity yesterday.

I got to hang out with my son all day long! You see my evening work schedule and everything that has been going on at the church has been crazy lately and I haven't been able to hang out with him as much as I would like to. But yesterday during the day it was all about "daddy and the Josiah". After my wife got home from work we got ready and went to Chili's for dinner. On our way to Chili's we drove by the Cumming Fair and my wife mentioned she would love to go and take our son to his first Fair. Honestly...I wasn't in the mood to go to the Fair and walk around and buy over priced funnel cakes and corn dogs so we continued to Chili's.

After dinner we did a little shopping and on our way home I drove by the Fair again and saw my son's and wife's face and I couldn't take it any more so I parked and we went to the Fair. Once again I ALMOST MISSED an opportunity to create a memory with my family. We had a blast at the Fair! It was our son's first fair and it was so funny seeing his face as he took everything in. My wife (the prepared one) had the camera locked and loaded to take pictures and yes we did buy the over priced corn dogs, lemonade, and funnel cakes and they were amazing delicious!!! I also bought my son an overpriced light up toy that he already broke today but it was totally worth seeing his face.

I can't believe it I ALMOST MISSED IT! I almost missed creating this unforgettable memory with my family. I would have love to had been at the Catalyst Conference this year and hopefully I can make it to next years conference but I learned the most important life lesson yesterday...FAMILY FIRST before ministry.

The greatest impact I can make for Jesus on this earth is investing TIME...not just time but "QUALITY TIME" into my family. I realize this statement sounds simplistic and obvious but the problem is that many Pastors MISS THESE KINDS OF MEMORIES because we put "others & church stuff" in front of our families.

Listen I'm all about conferences and leadership training. We have got to invest into ourselves to become better leaders but not at the expense of our families.

Whether you're a pastor or not STOP MISSING OPPORTUNITIES WITH YOUR FAMILY. The greatest leadership lesson I learned this year wasn't at Catalyst while being surrounded by some of the most amazing and creative leaders in America but at the Cumming Country Fair surrounded by my family. Don't miss your opportunity!

I GOT ISSUES

It's been a little hard to blog lately. Life has been interesting in the Trevino household. Even as I write this post I have a ton of things running through my mind. Everything from family issues, work issues, church issues, personal issues, I think ya'll get the idea. I GOT ISSUES!

Honestly...my first reaction to my "issues" is to separate myself from everyone and everything (including blogging) and to find a dark room to hide in. I call this the Elijah syndrome:). The reality is that I will always have "issues" so i can't hide in some dark room. Eventually my "issues" will invade my dark room so the question is how do I deal with my issues...I face them and walk right through them! I know what a simple concept but it's easier said then done.

This past Sunday as I was teaching I asked the question "is God in the desert?". People's responses were all over the board. I quickly realizes that my peps had some issues and they needed some direction. We looked at the Exodus story. I pointed out that every time the people would start to crying about their desert experience God would always remind them that He was with them. When they were hungry He feed them, when they were thirsty He gave them something to drink, when they were being attack, He protected them. When the Israelites faced their issues and walked through them (even when they whined about it) they learned about the faithfulness of God. I am so thankful that God thought this was an important event that He inspired man to write it down so that one day people with issues (like me) can read, examine, and take a closer look and learn how I can face my issues and walk through them.

Today I am reminded that blogging helps me face my issues. I guess it's therapeutic for me. As I blog about my issues I'm able to analyze them. I think far to often we miss out when ever we go through "stuff" and rush right through it so we can move on with life. Which is totally understandable but when we do this we miss critical life lessons that God wants us to face them so we can learn to walk through them with Him. I got issues and I'm okay with it!!!

WORTH EVERY PENNY...

This past weekend I got a subscription to Powerpointsermons.com. I got to tell ya'll I have been totally impressed with these guys. If fact 24 hours after getting my one year subscription online a "real" person called me just to thank me for getting a subscription with them. On top of that he gave me a direct number to reach him just in case if I have any questions or have any trouble. Wow...that's customer service!

In the past I have bought slides from powerpointsermons.com one at a time. After being very satisfied with the graphics I decided to get a one year subscription. At first, I struggled about getting a subscription because of the cost. But the reality is its more cost effective to get a one year subscription than buying them one at a time. Another reason I decided to get a subscription was it saves me a ton of time. I currently work at night so I don't have a lot of time to create slides from scratch and I don't have people, at this time, that are graphic geniuses and can spend time doing this for me so this is a perfect alternative.

Being a bi-vocational Pastor I have to maximise my time. So I am constantly looking for ways to work smarter not harder. While at the same time raising the bar of excellence and never being satisfied with average. Even though my church would love to bring me on full-time they just can't do it right now. So if anyone has an extra $35-$40 thousand that they don't need let me know ASAP! With that said, I wanted to share with ya'll other resources that have been extremely useful to me and our church. Some are FREE while others you have to pay for but like I've discovered sometimes you're going to have to pay to get quality stuff so you can present the gospel in the most effective way. If you have any other resources that you think would be use to me PLEASE let me know. Thanks and I hope ya'll enjoy these resources!

• http://www.powerpointsermons.com/ - powerpoint slides
• http://www.visualrealityonline.com/ - video illustrations & count downs
• http://www.sermonslides.com/ - powerpoint slides
• http://www.sermonspice.com/ - video illustrations, countdowns, background loops
• http://www.sermoncentral.com/ - sermons, illustrations, video illustrations, powerpoint slides...
• http://www.ichurchphoto.com/ - collection of Church related royalty-free images
• http://www.sermonvideos.com/ - video illustrations & countdowns
• http://www.openresources.org/ - powerpoint slides & sermons
• http://www.allthetimeministries.com/ - youth & kids monthly newsletter
• http://www.outreach.com/ - they have it all!
• http://www.churchnerds.com/ - multi-media suppliers
• http://www.bluefishtv.com/ - video resources for all ages and ministries

Can't Sleep

It's 1:33am and I can't go to sleep. It's crazy how on Sunday we had an amazing service. The worship was great, I felt like I communicated the message very clearly, our attendance was great and we had the best offering since I have arrived. It was one fantastic day! Suddenly two days later the high from Sunday wears off and I'm reminded that life goes on. Bills got to get paid, families are in pain, people are dying and going to hell become they don't know Jesus, and the list goes on and on.

I know this might sound a little weird but it's almost 2am so deal with it. Since we have become Senior Pastors the one think I have really notice is how more sensitive we have become to people's pain. So here I am at 1:59am praying about the finances of the church, praying for the families in our church, and praying for the lost in Lumpkin County and Dahlonega Georgia. As I was sitting here praying and thinking about these things I honesty believe that the Lord used a tv preacher to share Psalms 91 to me. After read this I felt impressed to share this with the blogger world.

So don't blow this off I believe there is someone out there that needed to read this post and Psalm 91 I pray that you are encourage as much as I was when I read it. So read it and go to bed or stop worrying about the stuff your worrying about remember HE is your REFUGE and FORTRESS!

enjoy I'm going to bed...

Psalm 91:1-16
My Refuge and My Fortress 1He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.2I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." 3For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.4He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.5 You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,6nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. 7A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.8You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. 9Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge—10no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. 11For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.12On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.13You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. 14"Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.15When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.16With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation."

Finding your Happy Place!

Earlier this week while I was doing some yard work I discovered something...I found my HAPPY PLACE! I know how could working in the yard be a "happy place"...well, I love a manicured lawn. I love standing back when everything has been trimmed, edged, and cut and enjoying the fruits of my labor. Aside from enjoying the finish product the other thing that I love about yard work is the alone time.

Nobody wants to hang out with me when I mowing my lawn. Maybe it's because of the noise from the mower or the smell of gasoline or maybe it's my outdoor mowing the lawn sweating profusely odor...whatever it is I honestly don't mine the time alone. I have discovered that mowing the lawn is one of my HAPPY PLACES.

What's a happy place you ask...it's a place where no one bothers you, a private sanctuary, a place away from your computer and cell phone, a place where you can gather your thoughts together, a place where you have uninterrupted time with God, finally it's a place away from the craziness of life.

I believe that everyone NEEDS to have a "happy place." Oh my gosh, even Jesus had a "happy place"...don't believe me read Mark 1:35. If Jesus, the Son of God, had to find a happy place how much more do you and I need this special time and place. I discovered two things happen when we spend time in our "happy place"

1. WE'RE REFRESHED. In Mark 1:32-34 we see Jesus doing some serious ministry. He's spending time with alot people, healing folks left & right and kicking some demon butt! I'm pretty sure He was physical exhausted at the end of the day. Jesus realized that the only way He was going to get REFRESHED was He had to go find His "happy place" and spent time with His DAD.
2. WE'RE REALIGNED. In verse 36 we see the disciples are looking for Jesus and when they find Him the tell Him that everyone is looking for Him. I love Jesus' response, "38Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." I believe the time Jesus spent in His "happy place" realigned His priorities. I'm sure Jesus loved healing people but He made it very clear that He came to preach a life giving message.

So let me encourage you to do whatever it takes to find this "happy place" in your life. Whether it's mowing the lawn, in the shower (that's my second happy place), driving your car, in your bedroom, taking a walk, working out, taking a bath, riding your bike, siting at Starbucks, or going to Chili's and enjoying a huge cup of sweet tea with an order of chips and salsa:) where ever it may be make it a daily or weekly practice to go to that place and be REFRESHED AND REALIGNED!

I'm headed to youth camp

I decided to go to camp for at least a day. So tomorrow morning I'm headed down to Timberlake Camp in Forsyth Georgia. I can't wait to see how our teenagers are doing. One of the best part of camp other than the services is lunch:). So I'm going to make it down there just in time for lunch. I'll let you know how it goes.

full house...

It's gonna be a crazy week. We have a lot of family coming in later this week so we are in over drive clean up mode. It's crazy how crazy we get about cleaning before the family comes over? I mean seriously will my family think I'm a pig if my carpets aren't vacuumed or the floors aren't mopped? Probably not. Honestly I don't mine cleaning, I exactly love having everything clean and in order which has been a little hard to do with a one year old in the house. I just think it's kind of fun how crazy we get about cleaning before family comes over. Anyway sorry about going off on that bunny trail like I was saying it's gonna be crazy week.

My in-laws are coming to visit and their bringing my brother in law's kids. Then on Wednesday my mom is driving from Minnesota to visit and she's bringing my sister's kids so by Thursday we'll have a full house. My little boy hasn't met my sister's kids so I really excited for them to meet. I love being surrounded by family so I am totally looking forward to a full house. Also my mom hasn't seen our new church so I'm really excited to show her what God's doing in Dahlonega.

why history is important...

One of the things that makes our church unique from a church plant is its 31 years of history. Let's be honest "history" is the number one reason why a young Pastor will pass on a existing church. One of the most appealing aspects to church planting is that you create the history of your church. You get to set the standards, the core values, the vision, the mission, and the purpose. On the other hand an existing church has a history filled with high points and low points. Depending on the age of the church it's gone through several different vision, mission, and purpose statements. On top of all that then you have got to consider the list of Pastors that have lead the church. This is the factor that will either help a church move forward or stay stuck in a state of bitterness, frustration, and pessimism.

Starting a church from scratch is A LOT of hard work but one of the great things about planting a church is that you "start from scratch." There's no baggage, no skeletons in the closet, no holy and untouchable relics in the sanctuary, EVERYTHING IS AN EXPERIMENT! Honestly, taking on an existing church was a scary thought. There are so many "unspoken rules or traditions". The reality is when you take the lead of an existing church you are a guest for a while. That transition period can either be the most effective time for you or be a season of frustrations.

Realizing that I had one opportunity during this transition period to make the greatest first impression I decided to start our time at Dahlonega Assembly of God by recognizing and celebrating the history of the church. I'm the kind of person that really believes that if we learn, remember, and honor the past (history) we will have a more effective and strategic future. So I made it a point to meet with the founding Pastor of our church, which by the way still attends our church, and find out how it felt like when he had his first service in Dahlonega. It was awesome just to sit there and listen to the man who birthed our church. What I learned that day about ministry was priceless. One of the highlights of that meeting was when Pastor Abercrombie (founding Pastor) encouraged me and gave me his stamp of approval. I wish ya'll could have been there it was really a special and humbling moment for me.

Afterwards, I then made it a point to connect with the last Pastor that was serving at our church. Honestly this could have totally blown up in my face. At first I was a little hesitant to contact the last Pastor. It was weird I wanted to learn from him but at the same time I was intimidated by him...I didn't even know him. He had been gone for a while by still had a strong presence with the people. Thankfully our church has always had men of God who have served faithfully and have resigned in a honorable way. I realize that's not the case in every church but let me encourage you if you can't meet with any of the former Pastors met with people. I discovered that when the people realize that you care about the history of the church and all the hard work and sacrifice they have made, they are more open to what you want to do in the future. So use history has a platform to help catapult you and your church into your God ordained destiny.

FYI...

Last Friday I let you know about Pastor Joel Stockstill's wife Amy. She had been sick for quite a while but on Monday night Amy went home to be Jesus. Click here to read what Joel wrote regarding his wife's graduation! Please continue to pray for Joel and Amy's families including their their church family as they deal with the lost of this amazing woman of God.

Pastor Joel please know that my family and I are praying for both of your families. I pray that God continues to give you peace and strength through this time. God bless you.

I'm gonna get my preach on...

I can't wait until tomorrow. I will be preaching at Dahlonega Assembly of God. It's been a while since I have preach so I am loaded and ready to go. Seriously, it's an honor preaching at this church. Currently the church doesn't have a lead pastor so they have been having a bunch of guest speakers. I know that can get alittle confusing for the people who call this church home. So all month I have been praying and fasting that the Lord would give me messages that will encourage and challenge this great church to move forward and dream big. So please pray for my family and I as we prepare to share these messages with the people of Dahlonega Georgia. If you happen to be in Dahlonega tomorrow morning or night you should stop by Dahlonega Assembly of God at 10:30am or tomorrow night at 6:00pm I promise it will change your life!

"Give us a Shot"...creative or controversial

I have been reading a lot about marketing and branding for churches
lately. I found this interesting blog from Next Level Church of Matthews NC. They came up with a creative/controversial way they are promoting their church. Before you make a judgement you should probably read their blog they give some, in my opinion, great thought provoking reasons for promoting their church in this way.

I would love to know what ya'll think.

I LOVE my ipod nano!

I know that most of ya'll have an ipod already but I just needed to shout from the rooftops...okay blab on blogger that I finally got my ipod. Not just any regular ipod but an ipod nano! You see we recently had our baby and I just couldn't bring myself to buy an ipod so this Christmas my in-laws (that's right my in-laws) bought me one. I LOVE my in-laws not just because they bought me an ipod nano but because they have been an amazing support to me and my family. I have the greatest in-laws in the world! No joke! I am very blessed to have them in my life.
Anyway, for the last couple of days I have been downloading cd's, music, audiobooks, and podcasts. I love this thing! The best part of my ipod is that I can always have up-to-date pictures of my family! If ya'll know of any podcasts that I should check out let me know.

Fall Back!!!

Don't forget the time-change tonight and to set your clocks BACK an hour! Enjoy your extra hour of sleep!!!

Top List of Sayings that Motivate

Just read a top ten list of sayings that Mark Batterson put out along with some other amazing people and one saying that I personally created and love saying I thought you would like to read it. Enjoy!

#1 Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshipping what's right with God
#2 There are ways of doing church that no one has thought of yet
#3 The greatest freedom is having nothing to prove
#4 Live as if today is the first day and last day of your life--Fredrick Buechner
#5 Criticize by creating--Michelangelo
#6 Irrelevance is irreverence
#7 The healthiest, happiest and holiest people on the planet are the people who laugh at themselves the most
#8 The church ought to be the most creative place on the planet
#9 Stop living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death
#10Lovepeople with they least expect it and least deserve

A few honorable mention:

#11 Your best thought about God on your best day falls 13.2 billion light-years short of how great and how good God really is!
#12 It's not about what you can do for God. It's about what God has done for you.
#13 God wants you to get where God wants you to go more than you want to get where God wants you to go!
#14 The greatest message deserves the greatest marketing
#15 Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention
#16 "There are no great things, only small things done with great love." - Mother Theresa"
#17 Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of wise men, instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho"'
#18 How?' is not a question that keeps people up at night or gets them up in the morning." - Chris Erdman"
#19 He who has a 'why' can endure any 'how'." - Friederich Nietzsche"
#20 Jesus didn't so much practice what he preached as preached what he practiced" - Steve Chalke"
#21 Creativity is the natural result of spirituality." - Erwin McManus"
#22 If they want me to believe in their God, they'll have to sing me better songs... I could only believe in a God who dances." - Frederich Nietzsche
#23 "It's never too late to be who you might have been"
#24 "You become what you worship"
#25 "We aren't human beings, we are human becomings"
#26 "Do or do not... there is no try" - Yoda

and finally my personal favorite saying:

If your dreams don't scare you, you're not dreaming big enough yet! - Gabe Trevino

Stealing People...

Okay this is going to be a ranting and raving blog if you don't like don't read it...

For those of you who have ever left a church and decided to stay in the same community and plant a new church how many of you have ever been accused of "stealing people". We in the church use a fancier word "proselytizing". I knew that when we decided to stay where we have been for the last five years and plant a church it would eventually tick some people off. After a phone call that I received today I believe the ticking off officially started. Even though the conversation was friendly it still amazes me that the people that I ministered to for nearly five years would ask me if I was "stealing people". "Stealing people" that sounds so stupid and childish!!!

First of all, people don't belong to us they belong to God. I'm not trying to sound super spiritual about this I just want the church to stop looking at people like trophies and begin to see the real needs of people. The people in our community need a real God to come to their rescue. But how will they ever see, how will they ever hear about this real God when all that the "leaders" of the church do is accuse the next church in town of "stealing people". For the love of God grow the heck up! Image what would happen if the church began to WORK TOGETHER to met the needs of the people in our communities. What a concept...

Second for you Pastors, don't leave the community that you have invested you life into unless God himself tells you to move. Read this very carefully Pastor you have been called by God and not by man. Stop letting the people around you dictate your destiny. First of all if anybody has a problem with you they need to STOP talking to everyone else (which is called gossip) and come talk to you about their concern (read Matthew 18) if they don't let God deal with them and move forward. Don't lower yourself to their level. Don't allow what they are saying about you distract you from your destiny I promise you your Heavenly Father has your back!!!

Finally for you trophy collecting churches maybe if people are leaving your church that might be an indication that something is wrong. I know that we would all like to believe that our church is perfect and is the only church that God moves in but I got some bad news for you God can and does move in a lot of different churches. Here's the thing people want strong leadership. They want leaders with a vision and a back bone and if they don't get it they will go find it!

So stop blaming everyone for the issues that you are having at your churches! Maybe it's time to reevaluate if your church is relevant and is meeting the needs of the people in your community. It's time to grow up!!!

Lion Chaser's Manifesto

If you haven't read it by now you got to read "In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day" by Mark Batterson. This is one of the most influential books that I have ever read in my life. After reading this book it challeneged me to re-evaluate my prespective on life and ministrty. If you don't want to be inspired and challeneged DON'T read this book it will miss you up! Below is the manifesto of a Lion Chaser. If this doesn't turn your crank then your crank is broken.

Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Consider the lilies. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshipping what's right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze a new trail. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don't try to be who you're not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away. Chase the lion!

do you really lose your wisdom when you lose your wisdom teeth?

This morning I took my wife to the docs to get her wisdom teeth pulled out. First of all please pray for my wife's quick recovery. I hate seeing her in any kind of pain. Second, as I sat in the docs office I thought to myself with a name like "wisdom teeth" these teeth sound really important than why the heck to we have to get them ripped out of our heads. Do we lose wisdom when we lose our wisdom teeth?:) I think so because why in the world would we put ourselves through that kind of pain...just a random thought I wanted to share with you.