I have tried to remain quiet about certain aspects of my personal life for a while now, until it became clear what direction Sarah and I believed that God was pointing us.  I have been processing these last few weeks and months and I believe that I have a much clearer idea of what God has been doing for the last few months, in my life and ministry.

It all goes back to ripples.  When I look back at my life, I have had some of the most amazing experiences: I have been across the world to Europe and I have stood on a glacier in Greenland.  I have met some of the most amazing people: leaders, entertainers, politicians, and just every day folks.  I have led amazing groups of people, and I have had the privilege of getting to know some people on very intimate levels.  And that is where God has been bringing me back to.  Let me explain.

In May, Sarah and I moved up to Newnan, Georgia to join with StonePoint Church as their Connections Pastor.  It was awesome, a church plant with a very strong vision and great leadership.  Sarah and I dug in our heels and started to do what we do: minister and serve people.  It was a blast.  We had some really great opportunities and and we worked as hard as we ever have to make StonePoint all that God has called her to be.  Unfortunately, things did not work out the way that everyone wanted, and we found ourselves in a similar position that we had just left in Florida:  you have a job, we just can’t continue to pay you.

That started a very long and stressful period of searching for answers and trying to figure out what God was trying to teach us.  At the same time, Sarah had a disc in her back rupture, and she had to have surgery.  So, I was out of work, Sarah couldn’t work, and we were in a place where we had few really strong  friendships.  What do we do?  Where do we go?  Where do I look for work?  Why had God allowed this to happen in our lives?  What had we done wrong?

All these questions and their resulting emotions were weighing heavily on me and Sid.  So, I took a few days and tested the waters back in Florida.  And something amazing happened…I saw a palm tree, and I cried like a baby.  After having several really hard discussions with the close friends that I had in Florida, I began to realize what God was teaching me.  And I had an idea of what He wanted me to do.

When I came home, Sarah was going to have her surgery a couple of weeks later, and I needed to tell her what was on my heart to do.  We have always wanted to partner with  existing churches and use our gifts to help those churches succeed.  But churches have to worry about money for staff, buildings, curriculum, computers, and lots of other concerns.  Established churches also have baggage, just like Sarah and I did.  It was going to be very difficult to find a perfect fit for Sarah and myself, that didn’t already have a full staff, or find a church that could afford my salary.

Looking at our lives, we knew that we wanted to be involved in a church that was accomplishing Acts 2:43-47, and we wanted to be involved with our family of friends here in Wesley Chapel, FL.  After praying and seeking God’s wisdom, I have come to the belief that I am called to start Acts 2 Church-Tampa, a home church that I will lead from my home.  I know that it sounds crazy, but NOTHING else in my life makes more sense that this direction.  I have been asking my friends if they would want to be involved and they have almost all instantly jumped on the idea.  And I am more at peace with this decision than any I have made in the last couple of years.

Sarah and I are trying to find regular jobs to support ourselves, and we have very little money, but God tells us not worry about such things.  We don’t want to lose our home, but Jesus told us that He will provide a place for us.  I know I sound like a zealot, but it’s the only thing that I can think about and to me, it just feels right.  I have searched scripture and it rings true: I want to accomplish all that God called us to in Acts 2:42-47, and to do that, I cannot be in an established church.

So, I once was a worship pastor, and a connections pastor, and now, I take on the role of Lead Pastor for Acts 2 Church.  Please pray for me and for Sarah.  Please pray for Acts 2 Church-Tampa.  But be excited for us, we are, and I believe that I have been heading this direction for a long time.  Do I have all the answers?  No, I really don’t have any, but I know that this is what I have been called by God to do.  I cannot think of anything that I want to do more than this.  I am not worthy, nor am I fully prepared, but then again, when God moves, we humans are rarely ready.  So God, I give in to Your call…

Let it begin…

• Crazy long day - great, but crazy!
• I was the guest speaker at City of Faith, here in Wesley Chapel.  It’s a new church plant that hasn’t even launched yet.
• I was speaking on Re-gifting (and if you have been reading my blog lately, you’ve been up to date on my studying).
• It was great, we got there and set up, and then had church, and then helped tear down.  It was just like old times.
• After church (which went until 12:45) we headed to Los Vallarta’s, our favorite with the pastor and his wife.
• We were also watching the Bucs game - crappy loss, but I have MUCH respect for Jeff Garcia.
• SID and I grabbed a few minutes nap and then got everything ready for our evening plans.
• We were invited to spend the evening with my old Worship Arts Team from CrossRoads.  They were performing at the Dade City Church Street Christmas.
• It was awesome to see old friends and to reconnect with my Florida Family.  I have missed them and I am blessed to STILL have them in my life.
• On a quick side note, just FYI - no matter how nice you dress, or how properly you try to present yourself, when you are low class, you’re just low class.  I truly hope that God moves in the lives of those who live to judge and denigrate those who are “below” their class, education, stature, or position.
• After the party was over, a few of us stayed behind to just hang.  It was great, just my close friends and we got a chance to just be ourselves again.  I am very blessed - I love those people with ALL my heart.
• SID and I did our next favorite thing (after Disney, of course) hitting up Wal-Mart after hours!!
• Oh my, how interesting the Zephyrhills, FL Wal-Mart can be - it’s truly an adventure.
• We got in, walked the dogs and settled in for a long winter’s nap.
• Today was great - no money - but a HUGE payoff from God.

WEEKLY LOOK-AHEAD

• Monday is going to be a bill / phone call / job hunt day, also later brings Monday Night Football with some friends coming over!
• Tuesday SID and I have been invited to go sailing!  Yeah, me and Sarah-Irene on a sail boat, in the Gulf of Mexico!!  Dear Lord, please let there be Corona and limes….
• Wednesday is Christmas Eve - again , the late night Christmas Eve Fire Pit with our friends and family
• Thursday - CHRISTMAS !!  Sid and I have late dinner plans, and then, cigars and cocktails with Doug and V
• Friday & Saturday is Football and Friends

I was at the Catalyst Conference and had a real eye opening experience.  There was large group of people all dressed in similar shirts with large, brightly colored letters on their chests.  The words were Temperence, Chastity, Patience, Kindness, Humility, Diligence, and Charity.  At some point, someone placed a business card in my hand (luckily it wasn’t the ‘Chastity” person) and that person walked away.  On the card, in huge letters was the word ‘Humility’.  As I kept walking with my friends, I said, “I wonder what this is all about?” And, as if by Jesus Magic, someone placed a letter in my hand and said, “This explains that card.”

Ok, so the LETTER was needed to explain the CARD.  What?  The card had a big word on one side and a a web site on the other.  I figured that I needed to visit the site for more info…but then someone had the idea to ALSO hand out a letter for further information.  And it was a full size page with small type…  And I began to think:  If you have to hand out this [the letter] to explain this [the card], why bother with the card at all?

Here is my epiphany, when you have a cool idea to communicate your message, and you have to have ANOTHER piece to explain the cool idea, you are sacrificing your message for the cool idea.  I’m a creative-type guy, and I have ben guilty of this myself, but as I get older (perhaps, wiser) I learn that simple is often much better than cool.