I took this picture almost one year ago today.

It was the day we buried my Grandpa.

I love my Grandpa. He was a man’s man, a follower of Jesus, and he loved to share his talents, skills and life with people.  I could go on and on about the things that my Grandpa taught me.

I miss his rough working man hands and getting a hug from him. I miss getting poked with a toothpick and him telling me it was vaccination of love. I miss the ways I used to run into his workshop to see what thing he was building out of whatever kind of wood you could find. I miss watching him read his Bible in his special chair. I miss watching him love my Grandma so selflessly!!

In all honesty I know I will see him again in the presence of Jesus because Grandpa and I shared the same beliefs in Jesus…

but for today and right now….I just miss my Grandpa!!!!!

I love this choir.  I have been following the PS22 Chorus and their stuff for awhile.

This video is inspiring and touches me deeply. I think it is because of the freedom and joy on the faces of these kids as they sing.  It is awesome that Matisyahu heard about these kids and wanted to fly in and surprise them! Enjoy!

I don’t know who “We’re” are on iTunes, but they are listening to my worship record Overwhelmed. If “We’re” thinks it is good enough to listen to, I would also recommend it to you. So go buy it, review it and let me know what you think!!

Our son loves phones and he loves to call everyone from his friend Bubba to Grandma to his girl friend. He doesn’t even know what a girl friend is but that doesn’t stop him. He loves the statement right now “Yeah…Dats Awesome!”

The crazy thing is he is faking it the whole time!!  It isn’t a real phone and there is no one on the other end. When you are 3.5 years old it is funny, but when you are an adult and you are still faking it you look ridiculous.

Why do we try to fake things? Why can’t we just admit we don’t know how to do something; that we need help? I guess I am realizing that I don’t want to fake it any more. I want to be real. I want to ask for help. I want to be secure enough to admit my inadequacies and be okay learning from others.

I don’t know about you but I’m done faking it!!!

In what ways do you feel like you have to fake it…to be accepted??

I miss the World Cup!!  I love watching soccer.  I played soccer and now you will find our family on the pitch almost every Saturday and sometimes Sunday watching our daughter Josiane (12) play.

But more than missing the World Cup…I miss the constant groan of the Vuvuzela…not really but this song somes it all up!!

ENJOY!!

I like this song. Why? Because it makes me think and I like that.

I don’t know about you, but I have had very weird and messed up views of God and Jesus most my life because of being raised in a conservative, monoethnic, american christianity. Is that okay? I don’t think so….

I think Gungor has done a great job of capturing some huge concepts and redefining some damaging misconceptions in this tune.

Give it a listen and really think about how you view God!

What are some common misconceptions about God that you have believed or find yourself defaulting to??

My son woke up a couple mornings ago with a great desire to give away his last binky (that’s what he calls his pacifier). He didn’t want to give it to me or my wife Carol. He wanted to give it to baby Jesus. He was serious. He didn’t want to use it anymore because he wanted to be a “big boy”. We haven’t been pushing the idea to get rid of it, but he can only have it at nighttime and during his naps. Josiah’s binky is his strongest sense of comfort. When he gets hurt he runs for his blue binky. When he is tired, he wants his blue binky. When he is mad and angry and has to go to “recovery time” (time-out) he wants “The Binky”. In his little mind, his binky makes all things better, makes his life easier and represents all things good. But is that really the case? Isn’t the binky just a false sense of safety and security? Doesn’t Josiah truly find his security, comfort and safety in our arms as his parents?

So why do we, much like my son, hang on to things in our lives we think will bring us true security and comfort when all along our Father God is longing to show us, prove to us and tell us that He and He alone is our comfort and true security. I want to give my insecurities and false senses of comfort to Jesus too. It is only in Jesus that I am truly secure; it is only in true surrender we find our hope and ultimate comfort.

What about you?? What are your “Binkies”?

I want to make a difference…I want to make an impact in peoples lives…

I have been thinking a lot lately of how quickly we as Christ followers can write people off!!  As soon as people say something we don’t like, do something we disagree with, stumble, mess up, or fall flat on their faces we turn the other way, run from them, and treat them with anything but grace and mercy.  I think of the women that was caught in adultery and brought before Jesus.  He said to the religious leaders if any of you are sinless, throw the first stone…kill the women. One by one they walked away. Jesus, the only one that could have destroyed this lady, heaped grace and mercy upon her!

So why do I, why do we, so quickly, use our words, influence, or action to “throw the first stone”??  I long to live a gracious and merciful life like Jesus. I want to be a Person of the Second Chance!!  I want to surround myself with People of the Second Chance.

Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite started a movement called People of the Second Chance. They are the real deal and didn’t just start a movement because it would be sexy, but they started it out of their lifestyle.  They are People of the Second Chance.

People of the Second Chance gives voice to a scandalous movement of radical grace in life and leadership. We challenge the common misconceptions about failure and success and stand with those who have hit rock bottom in their personal and professional lives. We are a community that is committed to stretch ourselves in the areas of relational forgiveness, personal transparency, and advocate for mercy over judgment.

Read about their Core Values

So Join The Movement on Twitter or Facebook and begin to live a life that values and represents a new kind of Christ follower!!!

WE ARE POTSC!!

I had a goal to break into the top 50 album sales on the release of my record OVERWHELMED!  Thanks to all of you! We did it.  It might be a small victory to some but it was big victory to me!

Thanks for buying it, tweeting about it, posting stuff on your Facebook wall…it was a fun first day!!

It has been an amazing process and a long journey but my first solo CD “Overwhelmed” released nationally today!!! That means that it will be available in many Christian stores as well as all digital stores like iTunes and Amazon.

It is also listed under NEW and NOTEWORTHY on the front page of the Christian and Gospel section of iTunes. Here is the link to OVERWHELMED on iTunes: http://bit.ly/9T8noI

I am asking for all your help!  So here is how you can help me??

1. SPREAD THE WORD: Facebook, Twitter, Text, Blog, email and talk about it!! Let people know about it!! Tell people about it and encourage them to go check it out

2. GO BUY IT : Go to iTunes and purchase it or gift it to a friend!!

3. REVIEW IT: Go to iTunes and leave a review!! The more reviews the better!!

Thanks you so much!! I’m really excited to see how God uses these songs for His Glory!!