SE Chronicles…Day ??? (I’ve lost count!) - Tuesday, June 20^th 2006

Didn’t write yesterday. Not that it wasn’t great…just didn’t take time!

I just got out of a great time with our staff where we talked about some of the great victories that are already happening. I want to share just a few. Not so you’ll know what’s going on (if anyone is reading) but so you can join me in Praising God for his goodness.

• Josiah Shelburne – wow, this kid is incredible!! He is “handicapped”…whatever that means. Yeah, he is physically different but he is already a huge blessing to SE. Yesterday morning, he was feeling sick, a little scared, maybe a lot scared at how people would treat him because of his physical limitations. I love what Charmaine told him. She said, “This is the safest place in the world.” Praise GOD!!! Oh, that we could say the same thing about our churches. Anyway, this has been awesome with Him. He is totally bonding with his family. His “Dad”, Justin Osborn, has been incredible with him. Sarah Hendrix, his “Mom”, has also been incredible. His family has been incredible. Yersterday, Josiah played flag football and got knocked down and had a BLAST! I watched as his family cheered as he helped drive in the nail at WNCG. God is blessing Josiah with SE and maybe more so….he is blessing SE with Josiah!!!
• Worship last night: God answers prayers!! DUH! Worship last night was incredible. Josh was great….GOD WAS GREAT. Many times I was here at my computer just weeping as I watched kids lay the masks down and worship…including my own son! Josh’s testimony touched so many hearts. Awesome. Dave’s message…right on target. “LET’S GO!!!”
• Cleto – Sometimes people are sent so they can bless others. Sometimes they are sent so we can bless them. Cleto was a great comedian and we had a lot of fun. What I loved though was that he needed to be in our worship time…so God brought him here. He said, “I thought angels were singing during that worship time.” I said, “THEY WERE!!!”. Cleto was moved by the worship and by David’s lesson. Thank you God for orchestrating all of this.
• Leader’s popping – Uh! Isn’t that what this is all about? Training leaders. We were talking a minute ago about how God uses all of these things….from shooting coco-puffs out your nose, to tying cherry stems in a knot with your tongue, to sports, to worship, all of this to pop leaders. God’s recipe for leaders: Take a willing disciple of Christ….add cereal up their nose, wrap them in toilet paper, have the tie cherry stems in a not, cover them in sun screen and sweat, don’t let them sleep, add a lot of pizza and grilled cheese, focus them on your Word, put them in community with other disciples….cook for 1 week at high temperatures in Lubbock, Tx…..and out pops a leader. A leader like Laci Richardson…who is speaking God’s truth through poop analogies! A leader like Josh Watkins…what a great man of God. A leader like Steve Gomez….shining Christ into the world of Basketball. God’s plan….WOW!!!

If your reading….Give God praise for these victories and all of the others that I don’t have time to write. Father, give me eyes to see even more of what you are doing this week. And let praise always be on my lips as I see what you are doing.

I better get back to the office…..they probably think I’m taking a nap!!

Doyle