It's Been A While...

Well, i realize that it has been a while since i last wrote on here. It's either been due to time constraints or just that when i get on here, i feel like i don't have much to talk about and/or I just don't know how exactly to put it into words.

Our Own Place
Since FIRE has moved from Pensacola, FL to Charlotte, NC, we have never had our own place. FIRE moved up in 2003, when i started school at the school of ministry. Even before that, when they first started out in 2000 in Pensacola, they didn't have their own place then either... BUT, all of that has changed! When they first moved up here, we were using another churches building (I LOVE AND MISS PASTOR THANT MCMANUS AND EVANGEL WORSHIP CENTER... if your ever in the Concord, NC region, go check them out... they're awesome folks who love Jesus!) Evangel was kind enough to have a team of folks take their own 18-wheeler down to Pensacola and pick up our stuff!

So, for at least 3 years, we had school and church there at their building. Then, in January 2007, we started to meet Sunday mornings at the YMCA building here in town. Meanwhile, another church had graciously given us their building that they were no longer going to be needing. That meant that we had just inherited 7 acres to do with what we wanted! This didn't just happen though, this had been prayed into and everything! I mean, the equity on this property alone is about 2 million dollars (its right next door to the Lowes Motor Speedway track.

So, this meant that we were migrating from Evangel to starting to use our own facilities. But that certainly didn't happen overnight. We had been meeting in the Y for about a year and a half. Notice I said we HAD been meeting there... past tense... PTL!

Sunday, September 7, 2008 marks the first Sunday morning service we as FIRE had in our OWN building! YAY! That means no more getting to the YMCA at 7:30am to set up chairs and set up our facilities. But the whole time we were there, I really felt that the Lord was teaching us stewardship. How were we going to handle renting a place? Were we going to treat it with respect and as our own? Did we leave a good impression on the folks there? Are they sad to see us go?

I can't say how nice it is to have our own place finally. And this past Sunday, I realized that we'll soon be standing room only already!

On another note, if you've been watching the weather lately, you probably noticed that the Caribbean nations have been getting slammed with hurricane after hurricane. I've been getting emails from Terry Snow, YWAM Director in St. Marc, Haiti. He recently sent me some pictures of what its like down there. I would really love to go down there and help with the recovery process. And especially in a nation like Haiti, its not easy. But i've been to a few other countries in my life, half of them were 3rd world nations and i've seen first hand the devastation. I've seen the sights, i've smelt the smells, felt the heat and witnessed first-hand the spiritual atmospheres. Whenever your in these places, you get a better understanding of what life is like. You get out of your nice cushiony idealism, and your faced with reality. Waiting in a checkout line for 15 minutes isn't all that bad (unless if you consider the magazines they have at eye level...) At least you have to go shopping and are able to buy the stuff your purchasing.

On yet another note, i realize that today is the 7th anniversary that our nation was hit by terrorism. Seven years ago today, we were attacked on our own ground. The following is a video i got through my email. I want to say this: I don't like the idea of war and people dying. But something had to be done. The battle that is being waged isn't just a physical one, but its being fought in the Spirit more than anything. So thank you to our troops and their families. And let us continue to hold our nation, our leaders, our Armed Forces up in prayer. And be on the lookout for how you can make a difference in this world for Jesus.



Until next time, your blessed.