Christmas is Over!

Christmas is over, but the meaning behind the season lives on. There is an old chorus called, "Emmanuel" which means 'God with us'. He is with us each and every day... He will never leave us or forsake us... that is a truth we can hold on to. As we enter the New Year, don't forget that God is with you. The holidays have passed, but Jesus remains.

Merry Christmas

Jenny and I would like to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas! May blessing be upon you and your family this holiday season.

Enjoying The Holidays!

Sunday night off! Way cool. It's nice being home with the family. We've had a great time as we go into the holidays. My wife's brother and family came in this weekend for Christmas. It's great to be able to hang out with them this evening with no particular plans. I enjoy the holidays. Christmas is normally a stressful time of the year for many... for me, it's when I de-stress. I hope all of you have a Merry Christmas and I hope you are stress free this holiday season. Remember, Christ is the reason for the season.

No Christmas Shopping For Me

Today has been a great day with the family. We got up this morning and ate breakfast, kicked around the house until lunch, and then we went store hopping. We finished our Christmas shopping last week, so... today was relaxing! I know what you are thinking... relaxing... Christmas time... crowds... traffic... I've gotta be crazy! Call me crazy! We had a great day looking around at the stores. We had no pressure to buy or no place to be. It was fun. I guess the moral of the story is... finish your Christmas shopping early and have no pressure during the holidays. Have a good one.

Christmas is Coming!

Christmas is almost here... five days to go and counting. Are you ready? I'm not necessarily talking about gifts and presents. There was a glorious visitation that came to us when Jesus was born. Angels announced the news and shepherds and kings came to see this baby that was wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. People came with excitement to the presence of God in human flesh. Are you ready to walk into His presence? Are you ready to celebrate the King? Christmas is all about Jesus! Keep Him at the center of your holiday. Share the greatest gift with friends and family this year. Let us behold Him!

Youth Christmas Party

Our student ministry is having their Christmas party this evening beginning at 6:30 PM. It's nice to take one service out of the year and celebrate together the meaning behind Christmas. Not everyone can make it to an event outside of Wednesday evening. This is a night for the entire student ministry to come together and enjoy each other's company and celebrate Jesus. We will read the Christmas story, eat some food, play some games, and play 'Dirty Santa'... a gift exchanging game that can get brutal (but fun... the students have a blast).

I can't believe Christmas is upon us once again. It just seems like Christmas was just here. I must be having fun... because time is flying (as the old saying goes).

Cleaning Day

Normally, this is my day off. Today, however... we tackled the house for a winter cleaning. We totally stripped the kitchen and dining room and spot cleaned the remaining of the house because we ran out of time. The smell of freshness flows throughout the house. I don't know how my wife does it... going to school full-time, taking care of four kids, and keeping this house spic and span... she never ceases to amaze me. I had the privilege of seeing what she does everyday. Let me tell you... I'm glad I have an office to go to tomorrow. I'm tired... good night.

Another Sunday

Well... another day... another Sunday! It was a great day. Service went well this morning and we had a dramatic musical tonight. Greg Wilson and company performed, The Gospel According To Scrooge. They did a fabulous job. If you have never seen Greg perform... you need to. He does a masterful job. Have a great week... Christmas is coming! Are you ready?

A Not So Movie Review

We had a guy night out this evening. There were five of us. We went to Starbucks and then caught a late movie, I Am Legend with Will Smith. Weird, but OK. I'm not big on movie recommending (unless it has a great message) because everybody has their own opinions... so... all I can say is see it for yourself, if you don't mind suspenseful movies. If you do mind, don't go. One of the guys with us couldn't get out of the theater quick enough. He survived! If you watch it, let me know what you think. This has been Rick with a not-so movie review!

My Daughter's Choir Concert

My girl did an awesome job tonight at her Choir Concert. Here is a couple of pics from tonight. One pic with the choir (she is on the far right, up top) and one pic with her principal.

Getting Older

It just seems like yesterday that my oldest daughter was born. They grow up incredibly fast. Tonight she is singing in a concert with her chorus group from her elementary school. I am so proud of her and what she is becoming. She is an amazing young lady along with all my daughters.

Putting The Pieces Together

I am excited about tonight's service. Less than four hours away and counting. The Church Christmas play and the Hispanic Christmas play has kept the main stage in disarray for the past month which has effected our Wednesday setup. All the props are down and the stage is clear. We are getting close to normal again. Everything else will be in place by Sunday and by next Wednesday we will be set... just in time for our Christmas party. See you tonight!

Spiritual Disciplines

Have you ever wondered what drives people? What is their motivation?

The older I get, the more clearer it becomes to me. There are two possible answers. Flesh and Spirit! We are either motivated by our wants and desires or by God's wants and desires. I know how we can fall prey to our wants and desires, but how can we get to that place of being motivated by the Spirit? It's simple... it's through spiritual disciplines. Do you pray? Do you read your Bible? Do you serve in ministry? It's in spiritual disciplines we learn how to be lead by the Spirit of God. If you haven't developed these habits in your life, let me challenge you to do so.

Lumberjacking

I met up with some of our men from church this morning to cut some trees down for an elderly person connected to our church. There's nothing like putting a chain saw to a fifty foot tree and dropping it on the ground... I felt like Paul Bunyan. Cutting the tree down was the easy part. After it was on the ground is when the work begins. My job was hauling the limbs to the road and stacking the wood behind the house for firewood. We cut down two big trees, the yard cleaned, wood split and stacked in four hours... and hours of sore muscles to come. Nevertheless, it was nice changing up my day and doing something different. My hat is off to those who trim and remove trees for a living.

The First Gift

Wow... Entre Amigos did a great job tonight! Entre Amigos is our Hispanic Ministry at First Assembly. They put on a drama called "The First Gift". It was a depiction of the birth and crucifixion of Christ from the innkeepers point of view. The cast was truly anointed and used of God this evening. There were over 200 in attendance with many of them being visiting Hispanic families. At the end of the night, 25 people walked the aisle and gave their heart to Jesus Christ. It goes to show you... if you simply tell the story, people respond. I was moved by their ministry and what God did in the house. "...and we thought English was the only language that God minsters in..."

Murder Mystery Game

We had the young adults over to our house this evening for a party. The party had a theme. It was a Redneck Hillbilly Murder Mystery. Everyone (most everyone) came dressed in some kind of redneck or hillbilly outfit. I had the privilege of being the sheriff. I wore a badge and my cowboy hat.

If you have never seen a murder mystery... someone dies (not really... pretend)... and we have to question everyone until we find out who the murderer is. Each person has a fact sheet. The fact sheet gives them information about their character. The info has facts you can share and secret facts you keep revealed. All those facts coming out helps determine who the murderer was. It was a very interesting night. My wife killed a pig and vandalized a barn... I always knew she was a bit sneaky. One of our eighteen year old girls turned out to be the murderer. She killed Old Man Joe. Murder solved... she was arrested and so was my wife. Anyway... no cold case here.

You never know what could happen when you go to a church event... someone could get...

Christmas Shopping

What a day! I took 16 students shopping at Opry Mills Mall today. They did some Christmas shopping for their parents and extended family. I don't know exactly what the bought but they got on the vans with a lot of bags. It was nice to hang with them today. I enjoyed their company.

Friday's To-Do List

It's Friday! I'm finishing up for the week and getting ready for our youth event tomorrow. As a matter of fact, we have two events tomorrow. I have a high school/middle school event morning to mid-afternoon and a college/career event tomorrow night... ALL DAY! But first, today! I have to finish up the lighting cues for the Hispanic play before rehearsal this evening and I have a viewing to attend this afternoon. One of our youth staff's grandfather passed away Wednesday evening. It's never easy to say goodbye. Keep the Gregory family in your prayers. God is in control even when we can't see it.

Life is meant to be lived... so LIVE today! Let your life illuminate Christ in a not-so-bright world!

Hispanic Christmas Play

I'm helping out with the Hispanic Christmas production this year performed by Entre Amigos (EA). EA is the Hispanic Ministry at First Assembly of God. They are doing a tremendous job at reaching the Hispanic community. This year they are doing a play called "The First Gift". It's the story of Christmas through the eyes of the innkeeper who turned Mary and Joseph away. They are having rehearsal tonight and I'm running their lights. It's an honor to work with them. They are very passionate about the things of God. I would like to invite you to attend, the play will be this Sunday at 6:00 PM. By the way... it will be in Spanish.

Evaluation

Life can be difficult at times. Sometimes you try to make sense out of everything you do. That is called "evaluation". This is definitely the time of year to do that. As this year comes to a close and a new one is poised to begin... what are you doing? Many things we do are routine. Everyday there is a battery of things you must accomplish throughout the day. Sometimes it's good to ask the question, "Why am I doing this?" We must put things in perspective and determine whether or not we continue with certain items. Is it easy? No... it's never easy, but always beneficial. I guess you can compare it to a garden of flowers. There comes a time in every garden that you have to remove the weeds for the sake of the flowers. If you don't, the weeds will overtake the garden and it will become something you never intended it to be. Sometimes you have to pull things up and remove them from your life. When you do, your life operates with purpose. Take courage and follow the Lord. He will show you what needs to be taken care of.

She Was Just A Girl

This is a video of a couple in our church who sings in a Southern Gospel Group. The song is very beautiful. Check it out.

Have Faith In God

Why do we have a hard time believing God? Why is it difficult to believe He will do what He said He would do? We are always looking for a sign. God had to give signs all throughout the Bible. Great men of the faith needed to be reassured of what He was asking them to do through a sign. On the first Christmas... God told the shepherds... "This will be a sign for you:" Luke 2:12 Maturity calls us to trust... to have faith in what God has said. If God said it... it will come to be. Be encouraged that God will perform His Word. Let faith arise in your soul.

Christmas NET Meeting

We had our annual Christmas party tonight with the North Nashville Network of Youth Pastors (NET). We went to Shane's Rib Shack and strapped on the old feed bag. It was nice just to come together and talk about life, movies, Christmas plans, vacation, and whatever else came to mind. It was fun.

The NET meets monthly for fellowship and resource. All the youth pastors/leaders have become a band of brothers and sisters. They truly have become wonderful friends to me, as well as each other. I enjoy crossing denominational barriers and connecting with other youth pastors. Together, our goal is to reach every student in North Nashville.

Flywheel the Movie

My family and I watched a movie this evening called Flywheel. This movie was the first feature film from Sherwood Pictures, a ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia (Sherwood Pictures also made the movie Facing The Giants). They made this film with a budget of $20.000. We really enjoyed this movie. It is a great story of salvation and how God can change the life of an individual. I recommend this movie to all. Check it out!

A Day Off

It's been a great day off! I have spent the day at home with my family and enjoyed every bit of it. We start tomorrow fresh!

Four Tickets To Christmas

I know you are probably getting sick of hearing about "Four Tickets to Christmas"... so... this will probably be my last post on the subject... maybe (that's my loophole).

We had two great performances on Friday and Saturday. We estimate around 170 people each night. The total does not seem like much, but when you factor in 18 tables plus overflow area in the sanctuary... it looks full. The audience was great. They laughed, applauded, cheered... they were there. The cast did a phenomenal job. There were a few lines flubbed and some audio and lighting cue mistakes, but not where the audience knew. Overall... Pastor reported this morning during church that seven people responded to salvation over the last two nights... Praise the Lord! We have one more night... which begins in three hours. It has been a great production!

On a side note... everyone is tired! But... that's expected when you work as hard as this cast and crew have worked. Rest begins tomorrow! I hope you have enjoyed this week's report. Talk to you tomorrow!

Opening Night

Well, here we are! Less than two hours to show time. The banquet is being set (as I write) and the cast is getting into costume and make-up. It's going to be good. I'm looking forward to what God is going to do tonight. I'll let you know how things go later.

"Four Tickets To Christmas" Is Here!

It's D-Day! The production begins in eight hours. We've been working on the last few details this morning... it's going to be great. Call the office... get a ticket if you are coming to the dinner... if not, the play begins at 7:30 on Friday and Saturday, 6:00 PM on Sunday.

Thursday Rehearsal

Well... Rehearsals are over! No more practice... we do it for real from here on. Tomorrow is opening night and we are expecting a crowd. The cast is ready. They have been doing an incredible job this week. Tonight was rough on the audio side. We had wireless mics popping and swishing... being very tempermental, but our sound man (Doug) has worked hard to fix the problem. We also are running the soundtrack through the computer and that was a little different tonight, but efficient. New challenges, but it's going to be great. I know God is going to honor the time invested. If you haven't planned on coming... it's not too late. Friday and Saturday begins at 7:30 PM and Sunday is at 6:00 PM. See you there.

Hawkins Pep Rally

I went to the Hawkins Middle School Pep Rally this afternoon. You won't believe how loud 6th, 7th, and 8th graders can become. They had some guys dressed up as girls take on the 6th grade cheerleaders in a tumbling contest... funny stuff! They lost of course. The girls basketball team beat out everyone else to win the spirit stick... amazing!

Anyway... it's amazing how everyone comes together for a common task... to cheer for an upcoming game. There are no labels... no clicks... no exclusive groups... they are ONE school cheering for ONE team. Why can't life be like a pep rally? Why can't we cheer for everyone to succeed... to win... to triumph in life? Why can't people come together at work... at church... in society... politics and go after a common goal? I know there are many answers to those questions why there is such a separation, but are they really valid? Something to think about.

"Two bits, four bits, six bits... a dollar...."

From the Mouth of a Twelve Year Old

A youth staff member sent me this via e-mail. It's a phone call from a 12 year old boy to a Houston radio station on KSBJ 89.3 FM. So profound, the radio station has it posted on their website. Click here to listen to the radio spot (the download is slow but worth it). It's very encouraging.

Wednesday Rehearsal

Well... Wednesday rehearsal is finished... one more to go... THURSDAY! Great rehearsal tonight. It's coming together quite well. Final dress rehearsal will be tomorrow night and then... D-Day... Friday! If you haven't gotten a ticket... you have less than 48 hours. Make sure you come and watch the play. It's going to be great!

Wednesday Is Here!

Well... it's Wednesday morning. I'm looking forward to meeting with the students this evening. We have to shorten our service because of play practice, but some time is better than no time.

We finished play practice last night at 10:30 PM. We are inching closer to opening night... just about 58 hours to go. I have to re-program a few light cues and I think I will be finished with my part... Hallelujah! If you have not gotten your ticket... get one! Four Tickets packs a great message for the Christmas season. You will laugh, laugh some more, cry, and be challenged in your walk with Christ. Make sure you are there!

Tuesday Rehearsal

Here we go... Tuesday night dress rehearsal. The day has been filled with light cues and errands for the production. The cast is tired, but you can see the anticipation as they prepare for practice. I'm looking forward to opening night and closing night at the same time. Regardless of how we feel... we are believing God for lives to be touched by the performance.

Monday Rehearsal

"Four Tickets to Christmas" is in full swing. Tonight was the first big rehearsal of four going into our performance. I have the privilege of running lights for the production... so... I've been watching the production and playing with the lights. I'm making notes for my cues so I can program the lights tomorrow. It's been a long day and the week is not anywhere being over... So it begins!

Sunday

Sunday! A day set aside to gather, be with other believers and to be challenged and uplifted by the Word of God. I don't know if you have a place that you call "home" as it pertains to a local church, but if you don't... let me encourage you to find a church... a good Bible teaching church. God has called no one to make it by themselves. He has given us each other... people who believe in Jesus Christ... for the purpose of fellowship, accountability, and purpose. Ask God to give you a "home" to allow your faith to grow and invest in the work of God. Just a thought on this Sunday morning.

Cleaning The Gutters!

Have you ever cleaned out gutters in the rain? Neither have I, but I almost did... today! After play practice this morning I went to my dad's house to help clean out the gutters. When I arrived, my older brother had already cleaned out all of the gutters except for about fifteen feet. Needless to say, I was a little late... so while he finished, I raked leaves out of the shrubs/flower beds. While we were finishing up, it began to rain. We did not get all the raking finished, but my brother did finish the gutters.

As I was going to my parents, my understanding was there was no one there to help. What a blessing to find that not only was someone there, but they had also finished the job. What am I saying? Don't forget to acknowledge the small blessings in life that we seem to overlook. If I had started the project when I got there (with no help) I would have been rained on and the job wouldn't have been completed (Kudos to my brother!). There are little blessings all around us and many times we forget to acknowledge them. The Bible says all good and perfect gifts come from above... God! Make sure you count your blessings... and you can't do that unless you recognize they are there. So... thanks God... not for the gutters being cleaned out... but for my BROTHER! I am thankful that he is in my life.

Black Friday

It's easy to get caught up in Black Friday. Everybody is shopping for deals. I have found myself looking for a certain item all over town. I've been on the internet, calling stores, the whole drawn out process. Maybe I will get lucky and find it... if not... it's not the end of the world. The ability to have things is not the meaning of life. The ability to know and love Jesus should be life's central focus. When "things" start overshadowing the Savior, we have focused our attentions in the wrong direction. Seek Him first and the Bible says all the other things will be added. God doesn't want us to go without things... He wants you to put everything in its proper order. Happy shopping!

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's always nice to spend time with your family. I had Thanksgiving at my mom and dad's in Springfield. My younger brother was in from New York along with my older brother and his family who lives in Barren Plains. I don't have the opportunity to spend a lot of time with my family, so I value the time I have with them.

I hope you had a wonderful time with your family or friends this Thanksgiving holiday... cherish every moment.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Life of Thanks!

Thanksgiving is tomorrow. What are you thankful for? I believe Thanksgiving should be lived everyday. Why should we live with ungratitude? We shouldn't. Before you go any further in your day... stop... think about something you are thankful for. You will find when you think about it, you always find something to give thanks for. Let gratitude be a lifestyle not a holiday.

Christmas Play Prep!

Another day of working on "Four Tickets to Christmas". We've been hanging lights for the production. It is amazing what goes into a performance of this size. Musicals don't happen because someone builds a set... there are lines to be memorized, props to track down, lights, sound, and on and on it goes. It never ceases to amaze me on opening night how everything comes together. It's just a reminder... anything worth doing takes effort. Work hard in life.

Four Tickets to Christmas

We are heading into Christmas production time. We have eleven days until opening night of our Christmas Musical... "Four Tickets to Christmas". The staff worked all day on the set. We painted, painted, and painted some more. The cast have been working since September on their performance. They are all doing a great job. Our prayer is that someone finds Christ through this dramatic musical. Performance dates are November 30th - December 2nd. If you are in the neighborhood, come on by. If you like Broadway... you'll like "Four Tickets to Christmas".

Every Day Deserves A Chance!

I've been reading "Every Day Deserves A Chance" by Max Lucado. A very thought-provoking book on how to approach every day. Do we face our day with joy or do we face our day with fear, worry and doubt? The direction we choose to go determines our level of success. Understand... this is the day the Lord has made! Let's rejoice IN the day!

2007 Tennessee Youth Convention

I had the privilege of taking some of my students to the Tennessee Youth Convention this weekend. What a great convention. It's awesome to come together with churches from all across Tennessee and worship together. It's a great opportunity to make new friends and visit with old ones.

This year's speaker was Chilly Chilton from Detroit, Michigan. He did an awesome job at communicating with the students and connecting them to God's Word. We had hundreds come forward on Friday night for salvation, not to mention the majority of the attendance responding on Saturday to become a missionary to people everywhere. God moved!

Friday night, following the service, we had Tim Hawkins, a Christian comedian. He was hilarious. I laughed until I cried. If you have not heard him... check him out at his website. It's nice to hear clean comedy. Clean comedy is appreciated and admired in this day and age.

Kudos to TYM and all their hard work in making the event quality and effective for the Kingdom.

The Golden Compass Review

There is a new movie coming out called "The Golden Compass". The movie is very anti-God and anti-Christian. I wanted to attach a review that gives you the skinny on the dangers of this movie and the doctrine they are pushing. I can't tell you what to watch or what to support, but I can give you a resource to help you as you make those decisions. Choose wisely!

Nothing Like Vacation!

Vacation is awesome. We had the privilege as a family to stay in Gatlinburg this past week for vacation. We rented a cabin in the Smoky Mountains from Gatlinburg Falls. A very good company to work with. They have over a hundred cabins to choose from and they are all new. They sleep from two people to 50 people. Any size group you can imagine, they can cater to.

Anyway... the best part was being with my wife and kids away from the everyday grind. It was nice to rest and refresh. We went horseback riding at Lil' Ponderosa in the mountains... way cool! We did a little go-cart racing, we visited Wonderworks (sort of a science museum), and we ate and ate! We even caught a show at the Comedy Barn in Pigeon Forge. If you haven't seen it, you need to go... it's some funny stuff... plus, it's clean! Clean is a rare commodity these days.

But the highlight... the grand of the grand was Jenny and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary while in Gatlinburg. I could not ask for a better wife. She is truly a gift from God. I am blessed. He that finds a wife, finds a good thing (Proverbs 18:22).

Tomorrow... it's back to work... which is bitter sweet. Bitter because vacation is over, sweet because I love what I do. If you haven't had a vacation in awhile... take one! Everybody needs to refresh. Later.

Post From E-Mail

This is pretty cool. I can send an email from my inbox and publish it to my blog. I know what you are thinking. I am behind the times. Well... maybe... but I'm enjoying the journey of learning at my pace. I'm having fun.

New Blog

This is a new blog for me. My original blog is www.hsym98.blog.com. I am trying to switch over but I haven't been very successful in doing so. This is my second post in almost two monthes. Don't give up. I will be posting to this blog more often. Hey... it's part of the journey. The journey is not always easy. Keep checking back and visit regularly.

So It Begins!

Welcome to my world. I hope my random thoughts and maybe the few purposeful ones will be of some benefit to you and the life you live. I look forward to taking this journey with you.