Archive - December, 2008

I Could Feel It…

December 2, 2008 in GOD, Leadership with 2 Comments

Over the Thanksgiving break, we spent some time in Lubbock. While there, I got to hook up with Tim Beal. I served with Tim at a church in Wolfforth, TX early on in my ministry. My first years in ministry were extremely frustrating.

I could feel it. That gut feeling that church could be and should be different. Didn’t Jesus love the unlovable and accept those who were beat up and broken? At the time, I couldn’t really verbalize it. At the advice of what I thought were “mentors” in those days, I pushed forward ignoring my gut feelings. Eventually it ate me up inside so badly that I eventually reached a point where I was ready to quit.

Enter Tim Beal. Just as I was about to throw in the ministry towel, Tim came on our staff and brought those gut feelings to life! God used him to awaken my soul and re-energize me for ministry.

My gut feelings were right. Ministry IS ACTUALLY all about Jesus. Its all about people. And, its all about making the two intersect.

When I met with Tim this past week I finally got to look him in the eyes (6 years later) and thank him. It felt good. I think he maybe even cried a little. And now, I just wanted to thank him publicly.

We wrapped up by praying together and committing to pray for each other. God is using Tim in some BIG BIG ways. The church he is now at has been around for about 2 years and has grown to over 1,200 people meeting on the weekends. I am pumped up about how God is going to use Tim next.

Who has been your Tim Beal? Who re-energizes you for the mission you have been given?

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Debt Week 3: That New Car Smell

December 1, 2008 in Goals, Life Change with 1 Comment

Have you ever bought a new car on credit? They smell. Bad. When you pay cash they can actually smell pretty good.

What I mean is this: If you don’t have the money, you don’t need the car. When BROKE PEOPLE go to purchase a car, they say “how much down and how much per month?” When RICH PEOPLE go to buy a car they ask “how much?” do a little wheeling and dealing, and then they pay CASH for it.

I don’t know about you, but I love the idea of paying myself the amount of a car payment. When we had a car payment, I HATED it! Don’t get me wrong, I love new, sleek, fast cars, but I just can’t stand sending in that check each month for something that doesn’t pay me back in any way!

How many times have you heard “I’ll always have a car payment”?

That’s a load of crud.

A while back, Amber and I sold both of our cars to finish off the last bit of our debt. We hit craigslist and bought older used cars. The windshields are cracked, only some of the automatic locks work, and a couple of times a year, we have to make a repair. But guess what: we aren’t broke anymore. We don’t owe anyone money. And it…feels…goooood!

NORMAL in America when it comes to our finances means broke, living paycheck to paycheck, stressed out and on the verge of a meltdown. And, if that is NORMAL then I want to be a freaking weirdo!

Think about it this way:

  • What if you decided to STOP messing with car payments?
  • What if you invested that old car payment every month instead of giving it away to the bank?
  • What if there was a six-year plan that would put you in free cars for the rest of your life?
  • What if that plan also made you a millionaire?

Dave Ramsey said it this way:

Car payments are the mantra of the middle class. As long as you keep a car payment, you’re going to be mediocre in your finances. It’s just stupid. Avoid that. Pay cash. Save up and pay for whatever you do.
— Dave Ramsey, Radio Show 2007-06-08

Check out this video. Its basic 8th grade math.

Or, here is the version on Dave Ramsey’s website.

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Sunday Mind Dump

December 1, 2008 in Confessional with Comments Off

Its dump-a-rif-ic!

  • Thanksgiving week is ALWAYS one of the most insane, busy, tiring, stressful weeks in my life…even more than Christmas.
  • We wrapped up “Freakonomics” today. I think it was THE BEST message series we’ve ever done related to finances, giving, and money. Cole preached the best I’ve ever heard him preach on these topics. It was clearly a series that reminded me of how GOD is moving at The Connection Church!
  • As always, I am PUMPED UP and READY for the new message series. Its called Re:Gift. Check it out here.
  • Also, I finished up the new website this week. connectionchristmas.com. Check it out! This is where you’ll be able to find our Christmas plans every year.
  • I think my middle toe is broken and my knee is still sore. No more marathons? Yeah right…
  • I put up a TON of Christmas lights today. Pics/vid maybe coming this week.
  • My debt week posts were POSTponed due to technical difficulties. They be on the blog this week.
  • Black Friday makes me sick at my stomach.
  • Alex and Mary Rodriguez spoke on stage today. If I had to make my top ten incredible people in the world list, they’d both be on it.
  • 1st quarter budgeting is coming up. Oh boy!
  • Couper is the coolest most fun kid in the world. Ever. Ok, maybe baby Jesus was a little bit cooler, but Couper is definitely number 2 or even a tie with baby Jesus. :)
  • Christmas is in the air! I can feel it. And, just for the record, I LOVE CHRISTMAS!
  • I got to hook up with Tim Beal while in Lubbock this week. Awesome time together. More on that this week.
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