Keep Patty in your prayers right now because nausea has already hit her hard. With Isaiah she was really sick until about 5 or 6 months in and for the last couple of weeks she’s basically be sick nonstop. Pray for Isaiah and me as we try to take care of her.

We have lots of other things going on right now, so check back tomorrow or Monday for an update on the rest of our lives. It’s been an unbelievably crazy (and stressful) time in here Columbia thus far but we know that it would have been more crazy of us to not step out and pursue what God was calling us to do.

(As always, feel free to leave comments below!)

But the time away has created something interesting that takes place whenever I get back home. It never fails (up to this point), that when I get home my little boy comes running to me and I pick him up to embrace him. He is so excited to see his Daddy and it thrills me to no end to be able to pick him up and simply love him.

I was reading in the book of Jeremiah the other day and a verse really stood out to me. It said “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.” This “lovingkindness” or hesed in Hebrew, is a love that is relentless, constant, unrestrained love that God has for us.

I can’t help but to immediately think of my love for my little boy and my wife. I know it’s only a small glimpse into God’s love for us, but it reminds me that there is someone out there that has an unrelenting love for us. He pursues us, embraces us, and loves us no matter what we’ve done because we’re His.

Maybe some of you needed that reminder today. Maybe not. Just know that there is someone out there that loves you no matter what and know that He will embrace you whenever you come to Him.

• Any post called “HEY YOU….go to hell” would catch your attention.  But this post by Lloyd Owens is straight to the point.
• The pictures at AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com crack me up.
• In planting a church, I’ve really been thinking a lot about developing relationships…and I’m pretty sure that making sure everyone is in a “home group” is not the answer.  This post by Tony Morgan talks about how churches feel the need to organize people’s relationships and hits the nail on the head.
• Brad Ruggles talked about seeing God in the dark times of your life in this post.
• You really need to go watch this video.  I saw it over on Ben Arment’s blog and it makes me wish I still had a Huffy.
• What would Noah’s blog have been like?  Check it out here.
• I REALLY want to go to this conference.  Anyone want to hook me up with a ticket?

Any of these links catch your eye?

• After 4 months of no luck on the job front, I finally got a job.  I’m working for a free online public high school here in South Carolina as a Community Outreach Director.  It’s a Godsend for more reasons than just having a paycheck.  For one, I’m getting to meet more people here than I could have ever done simply as a pastor.  I’ll be speaking at events all across the Midlands.   Also, it’s great to be working with a school that will make an impact on tons of lives here in South Carolina.  The main downside is that there is no guarantee that the job will last beyond the summer.  But…that should be enough time to line up other things to make ends meet just in case it ends.
• The church plant is going well.  We are really starting to meet a good number of people here in NE Columbia that aren’t plugged into churches anywhere.  I’m convinced that living at an apartment complex is one of the best things a church planter can do because it is so easy to meet people.  I’m also working on piecing together some key staff people in the coming months so pray that God lead the right people here and that we will have a diverse staff.
• My wife’s chiropractic practice still isn’t open.  About a month ago, the group that was supposed to buy a building to lease to her informed us that they cannot find anything and that we are on our own.  It was a huge shock since they had given no indication that they were having difficulties at all.  We really don’t know what to do right now, so pray for direction for us with this.  Hopefully we can find a building and find a way to afford getting it open.
• I just got a Flip Ultra HD camcorder so this blog will eventually have more video.  It may get interesting.

That being said…wouldn’t it be great if John Calipari announced today that is not going to accept the Head Coaching job at Kentucky and that it was all one big April Fool’s Day joke?

That would be priceless.

So what are we to do in situations like this?  I really don’t know completely but here are some things off the top of my head that I’m choosing to do and take from this and similar experiences:

• Celebrate the life that Brandon lived.  He may have only got 20 years on earth, but God did more through him in that short time than a lot of Christians experience in their long life.
• Celebrate the life that he is now living.  In the words of another friend, “I can’t even imagine the things you are seeing right now. and i must say… i am jealous.”   Brandon is seeing first hand what a lot of us live for. (Wow…I totally quoted Joey West)  I thank God that he had already experienced God’s love here on earth so he can continue to experience it forever.
  
• Mourn.  It’s OK to mourn.  It’s part of our healing process.
• Hug those that I love more.  Tell them that I love them more.  Play more.  Laugh more.  Cry more.  Basically, just enjoy the time that I do have with my family and friends because it can’t be taken away in an instant.
  
• Most importantly, I am reminded to share Christ with everyone around me.  I have to look for more opportunities to show and tell others about what makes me tick….and what makes them tick, too, but they just haven’t discovered or accepted it yet.

What have you learned from experiences like this?

For example, yesterday I had a conversation with a man who decided to bash me personally and let me know about how wise he is.  Should I take his comments personally?  Absolutely not.  And to be quite honest, it really didn’t bother me in the least bit.  Why?  I’ve decided to put in the earplugs and not listen.  It wasn’t worth my time or attention to argue with him nor worthwhile to bash him back.

Here’s why I chose not to listen.  I know who God has called me to be and what he’s called me to do.  God has made in blatantly obvious through His word, through godly counsel, and through circumstance to make it known what it is that He wants me to do.  I know that my worth is found in Him and not in the “wisdom” of someone who has no concern for my life.  Heck…the countless advice and encouragement that I have received from godly men vastly contradicted what he had to say.

I really think that God prepared me a lot this week for this conversation because I had just read and listened to some things that spoke directly about this topic.  For example, did you realize that in Mark 5:36, Jesus himself decided to put the earplugs in by “ignoring what they said.”  Steven Furtick brought this to my attention in this incredible post and said “if any voice is raising itself in contradiction to the will and Word of God concerning you, be like Jesus” and “ignore what they said.” (You absolutely need to check his post out)

So who do we listen to?  I can’t tell you the exact people, but perhaps another pastor, Troy Gramling, said it best in this talk. He said that there are three types of people you should listen to: those who love you, those who believe in you, those who know more than you.  Incredible advice if you ask me.  And if they constantly remind you of how wise they are, grab the earplugs.

Simply put, there is a ton of value in listening to other people.  But practice selective hearing.  Listen to God first and foremost and listen only to those who fit the criteria above.   Are you with me?