Sitting here by the fire on a cold winter night watching my most beautiful wife and son decorate the Christmas tree…for the first time in my life…listening to Third Day Christmas Like A Child…

my Springer Millie, Snauzer Sam, and Choco Lab Mags lying here with me too… 

indescribable joy…

Cody Lee drilled it out of the park today with this post.  My fave line:  Don’t ask people to give you their Sunday morning before you give them your Saturday night.  Bam.

Had lunch today with an old friend from Tri County.  It reminded me again what God has been drilling down deep into my (and Cody Lee’s) heart lately.  REAL ministry is about PEOPLE.  REAL people.  With Real issues.  Real life. Real problems.  Real people.  People with NAMES.  Real ministry is about Joe the Plumber. 

When you forget that, you have lost much.  It isn’t the masses.  It is the “Joe’s” that make up the masses.  When Jesus saw the crowd of people from the Samaritan village all coming to him in J4, he saw not just a CROWD, but the hundreds of hurting, helpless, broken, longing, INDIVIDUALS like Samaritan Samantha, that he had just taken the time to reach out to at the well.  It wasn’t just a CROWD, it was a collection of “Samantha’s”.  It seems like so many people want to be a rock star these days.  Everybody wants to be a rock star.  But I want to know who wants to be a roadie?  Who wants to be like the Samaritan in L10 and just minister to a hurting Joe’s needs?  It is interesting that when Jesus gave us the prime example of what the second greatest commandment looked like lived out, he used an ordinary “Sam” with no obvious extraordinary talents, reaching out to one ordinary “Joe” and making a difference.  Oh, and I bet he learned his name.  Because REAL ministry is about PEOPLE.  People with names.  People with needs.  People with issues.   Forget being a rock star.  (There are always only going to be a few of those per capita anyway.) Besides, the real action is being a roadie and doing the grunt work of making a difference in SOMEBODY’s life.  A REAL Person’s life.  Real ministry is about reaching out to Joe the Plumber and seeing his LIFE change, not just his taxes go down!

UPDATE:::  I had just posted this blog entry when I received this from a THRIVER.  THIS IS WHAT CHRISTIAN INCARNATION IS>>>>  JESUS LIVING HIS LIFE THROUGH US AS INDIVIDUALS REACHING OUT TO PEOPLE (REAL ONES, WITH NAMES.) 

Trav,

UPDATE 2:  Another THRIVER emailed me today to make arrangements to pick up an extra bed we have to take to a friend of his in need.  Two weeks ago he took a truck loaded with stuff to help this guy out who has no furniture.  Why?  Just to show the love of Jesus.

UPDATE 3:  Another THRIVER dropped her three kids here at our house while she took a single mom who had just had a baby to the ER because she is sick with a fever.  Our girl had all kinds of reasons NOT TO.  She just DID IT anyway.

THE VP of the GOP rap!

I am excited about Change.  I am stoked about Hope.  But not what I expect from Washington.  (BTW, I wouldn’t be excited about Change or Hope coming from Washington had the election gone the other way either.)  Washington is POWERLESS to bring about the REAL CHANGE and TRUE HOPE that we need in America; in our families, our neighborhoods, our marriages, our poor, our hurting, and our world. 

WHY? 

Because REAL CHANGE and TRUE HOPE doesn’t come from the White House, they come from the CHURCH house.

REAL CHANGE and TRUE HOPE don’t come from Congress, they come from CHRIST.

REAL CHANGE and TRUE HOPE don’t come from Government, they come from GOD.

REAL CHANGE and TRUE HOPE doesn’t come from the LAWS of the land, they come from the LOVE of the LORD.

I want to be a part of the REAL CHANGE CAMPAIGN.  (Borrowed the name from a series at Elevation Church/www.elevationchurch.org) I want to be a hustler for TRUE HOPE.  Do you?  Do you want to see REAL CHANGE?  Do you want to see TRUE HOPE happen?  IT CAN!  IT IS POSSIBLE? 

But it doesn’t come from the Senator from Arizona or Illinois, it comes from the SAVIOR from Israel. 

It doesn’t come from a president, but from a KING. 

REAL CHANGE, and TRUE HOPE come from JESUS CHRIST.  Want to hear a REAL message of CHANGE?  Want to hear a TRUE message HOPE?  Here is HIS stump speech.  One that WE ALL CAN TRUST.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. John 10:10 

I  came to seek and save those who are lost.” Luke 19:10

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “  Jeremiah 29:11-14

Want to join the REAL CHANGE and TRUE HOPE Campaign?  Sign up here?  But know this, a vote for JESUS is a commitment to JOIN the cause.  This kind of change isn’t about a selection of a leader one day of the year.  It is about the service to a Savior EVERY DAY of the year.  REAL CHANGE and TRUE hope is not about wishing JESUS was PRESIDENT, it is about MAKING JESUS the LORD of your life.  And when ALL God’s children GET THAT, we will ALL experience REAL CHANGE and TRUE HOPE; in our lives, in our families, in our children, in our communities, in our land, in our world.

I VOTE CHANGE.  I VOTE HOPE.. Sign me up.  Let’s start a REAL CHANGE. TRUE HOPE GRASS ROOTS CAMPAIGN.  Who is IN?

Some of you graphic design types make us a badge!

Had a POWERFUL time in the WORD today.  Was reading this…

…they seized Paul and Silas and^(B) dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. 20And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. 21They^(C) advocate customs that are not lawful for us^(D) as Romans to accept or practice.” 22The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders^(E) to beat them with rods. 23And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24Having received this order, he put them into the inner^(F) prison and fastened their feet in^(G) the stocks. 25^(H) About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26and suddenly^(I) there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately^(J) all the doors were opened, and^(K) everyone’s bonds were unfastened.  Acts 16:19-26

Sometimes life beats you down.  Sometimes people hurt us.  We find ourselves beaten down, hurting, and licking our wounds.  We find ourselves IMPRISONED by pain, hurt, unforgiveness, bitterness, revenge, regret, problems, thoughts, and our pasts. 

We cry out, but sometimes no one comes with a key.  It is in those times that the only way out of the prison is through PRAYER and PRAISE.  You sometimes gotta’ PRAISE your way out of the PRISON! 

I have a friend like that right now.  Marriage shattered.  Spouse betrayed.  Regrets.  Pain.  Starting over.  Wounded.  Beaten down.  BUT, she is PRAISING her way out of the PRISON!  And the LORD will soon come like a RESCUING KNIGHT and shake her world, prison doors will suddenly burst open, and the shackles will begin to fall!  And it can be true for you as well!  PRAY and PRAISE till the PRISON doors fall!   PRAY and PRAISE till the shackles loose!  Don’t you give up!  Don’t you dare give up!  RISE up and PRAISE till the PRISON doors fall!

26 MILLION hits!  Unreal!

Thrilla’

This is new for me.  Not ministry, I have been doing that for 17 years.  But marriage and ministry (instead of being married TO ministry) IS new for me.  This past summer I, and the tender age of 44 (wow), got married.  Married, for the first time ever, to the most AMAZING woman on the globe.  And, let me say, I LOVE being married!  Woop!  However, I also LOVE ministry.  I also LOVE being married and sharing ministry with my wife.  What is tough, however, is knowing when, and how, to SEPARATE ministry and marriage.

I am a Feeler.  Emotional.  An Extrovert.  A People person.  Passionate.  Sympathetic.  Vision driven.  All among my better qualities.  All, too, ones that can become weaknesses.  Here is what I mean.  When things are “In the Zone” in ministry, I tend to come home feeling great and in a great mood with the fam.  But, when things stink at work, I tend to allow that to affect my emotions when I am off from work.  Ministry has become such a part of my life that there are few LINES that SEPARATE it from the rest of my life.  IE There are few clear LINES that separate my MINISTRY from my MARRIAGE.  To intensify things to a “hol’ nutha level”, I am a church planter!  Starting a new church from scratch is the most EXCITING, REWARDING, EXHILARATING, things you could EVER be blessed to do.  It is also one of the HARDEST, most DRAINING, most DIFFICULT, most FAITH DEMANDING, most SACRIFICAL things, you will ever do.  AND Kris (my wife) is as invested, sold out, and ALL IN for what God has called us to as I am. 

Herein lies the problem, if MINISTRY is good, MARRIAGE is good.  If Church is good, home is good.  BUT, if things stink at church, I tend to bring it home.  I am having a tough time not allowing my feelings about what is happening at work, affect my attitude and feelings when I get home.  I need 2 thermostats. 

In our house, we have two heat/air units.  One controls the upstairs and one the downstairs.  I need to have two for my life.  One temp at work, BUT when I get home, whether work is white hot or freezing cold, HOME has it’s OWN SEPARATE thermostat! 

This hit me hard today.  Church planting is tough.  We are building up to launch time.  Money is tighter than tight.  We have huge financial needs.  Starting a church is unreal expensive.  This is BEYOND STRESSFUL.  I haven’t received a check from THRIVE this month, AND have gone into hock personally well over a grand for THRIVE this month.  Also, today I got stressful news about renovations at the school we are wanting to launch from.  Anyway, today I noticed the toll it is taking on my wife.  And on my attitude when I get home.  Not that I was a jerk or anything like that. It is just that I am such a feeler, so passionate, so emotional about the church, that when I get home, I bring that state of mind (whether high or low) into my house.  SO the me my family gets, to a large degree, is dependant on the ministry me.  THAT MUST CHANGE!  THAT WILL CHANGE!  THAT CHANGES NOW!  From now on there will be a SEPARATION of CHURCH and HOME, a SEPARATION of MINISTRY and MARRIAGE.  From NOW on there will be TWO THERMOSTATS in my life.  I HOPE that most of the time BOTH are WHITE HOT.  BUT, HOME will no longer be CONTROLLED by the ministry temp.  WERD.

Hey everyone!  THRIVE info meetings begin this Sunday night at 5:00 at Bryson Middle School in S-ville.  If you would like to come and discover what THRIVE Church is all about, please email me at travis@thrivechurch.tv(to help us know how many peeps to feed!) or just show up on Sunday!  Free food, childcare, and ice cream for the kids!  You can go to www.thrivechurch.tv and click New Here? and When & Where for the specs.  Hope to see you on Sunday!