Just the beginning...

The last time I blogged was about a year ago, from a small village in Romania.  I had no idea at the time that a year later I would be starting a new blog, about a new journey, with a new group of people to a small town called Rogersville, Tennessee.  Really to be quite honest I had no idea where I'd be in a year but Tennessee was definitely NOT on the radar.  I figured I'd be doing some short term mission work far, far away - somewhere you could only get to by boat or plane - but absolutely not in the USA and only six hours away at that.  Boy did God change my plans!  It took two trips to Romania, an old man with an "empty box", 2 dear friends and a 12 year old boy, for God to get my attention, and ultimately to get me to Tennessee. 

The short version is God told me to love Him first, above everything else in my life - and to truly love Him meant to demonstrate obedience to Him in every aspect of my life.  He taught me that it is not enough to just know Him, you have to do what He says.  To know and not do, is plain and simple disobedience.  As a Christian you have to grow, and that does not come from sitting still, or even from just talking about it.  You have to act - whether that is picking up your Bible to read, getting on your knees to pray, or standing up to serve.  Plain and simple, demonstrating truth faith and love of Christ requires action.  You love Him, you obey and do what He commands, and then as you step out in faith you grow as you see all the wonderful things He will accomplish through you when you give yourself totally to Him.

So what does all that have to do with Tennessee.  For me, it has everything to do with Tennessee.  You see God point blank said to me you can go on these trips and you can talk about them, but until you do what I command - you are wasting my time and yours.  And that was exactly what I was doing - wasting time trying to argue with God.  Finally I realized that He didn't want me on a plane far, far away.  He wanted me right here, with my church, going to serve in Tennessee.  Not only to change lives there, but hopefully to ignite a passion in the people of Southside Baptist Church that will move them to GET UP and ACT IN LOVE!

Why Tennessee??  Good question :)  I have no idea - but He does, and for me that's good enough.  Do we have plans for what we hope to do there, yes.  Do we have hopes and expectations for the work that will be done, yes.  Do we have any idea what is going to happen when we get there, to be perfectly honest - nope not really.  You see this isn't my trip, this isn't Southside's trip.  This is God's trip.  God's beginning to a new chapter in the lives of the people in Rogersville and in Florence.  We are just blessed that we were hand picked by God to be a part.  Hand picked???  Yes.  Only God could have put together a group as diversified as ours - all ages and all kinds of wonderfully unique personalities from 7 years old to...well let's just say we have some golden goodies going with us :)

I have not been this excited since the first time I went to Romania.  I'm bouncing around like a child at Christmas!  I'm anxious, emotional, nervous a little, even a bit overwhelmed - but on top of all that is this undescribable peace and assurance that this upcoming week will be nothing short of miraculous.  I know it will be a life changing event for all involved.  Why - because I don't know about you, but my God is BIG, He is SO BIG, and HIS LOVE is so crazy good that we can't even begin to wrap our heads around it, and He is ready as always to dish it out!  And because there are 54 other people just as excited as I am, ready to serve, and ready to see God glorified through everything we do.  We are going to Tennessee on July 17th expecting God to do great things, and attempting to do great things for God!!! 

I will be writing all week along with other team members so be sure and stay tuned...it's gonna be soooo good - the kind of stuff that makes you stand back and say - God is ALL OVER THAT!!!