The FULL Armor

Have you ever thought that you were made for something greater than this? Maybe we have suppressed the heart of a hero for so long under our guise of responsibilities, job titles, PTA meetings, and our TV vegetation times that we have forgotton who we really are... warriors.

Christians, peel back the clouds of the seen and discover that a war wages on for our life. Is the enemy winning? Has the enemy neutered your effectiveness as a Christian. Brother, sister take up your armor again! Heed the call in Ephesians 6.

Use the belt of truth to stand firm when you can no longer stand on your own. Cover your heart with the breastplate of Righteousness that associates you as the King's own. Make sure your feet are fitted with readiness, eager to go, eager to respond. The gospel of Peace ensures our readiness because we will know the directions from the father if we are quiet and aware.

Do not be caught off-guard by the flaming arrows of the enemy, but use your shield of faith to thwart the attack. Place on your head the helmet of salvation, the mark of those redeemed from death to battle alongside God's elect.

And finally, DONT BE PASSIVE! Our job is not to just fend off the evil one. FIGHT BACK. The Lord has given us the Spirit as his sword to be used to take ground. "Pray in the Spirit on all occasions and with all kinds of prayers and requests" v.18

Put on the FULL armor. Not just the convienient peices or you will be vulnerable to attack. Your heart was created with the very fabric of a warrior. Do not rest until the glorification of our Father in heaven. Perservere till death, but take heart, Jesus has overcome the world.

Stillness

"When we experiance ourselves as someone deeply loved by God, it comes as such a surprise because the love of God is s radically different from our natural way of loving. In the Church, we tend to produce amatuer theologians rather than witnesses of Jesus who have really experianced Him...If we become still, we will begin to experiance. The wisdom of God is to become still. We need to still the noise and the clamor and the chatter of our lives and just wait. He will make us aware of His presence." ~Brennan Manning (The Ragamuffin Gospel)

The Battle Against the Unseen

Today, I have hit every feeling one can posess. Can guys have mood swings too? Maybe so. I am usually upbeat and full of excitement on Sundays but today was different. I woke up tired and unmotivated. Church this morning was great and encouraging, but then out of nowhere I get what my wife calls "the grumps." I turn into a person nobody seems to like, including myself. I become snippy and sarcastic. I think we prayed at least 4 times today to release the attack of "the grumps". I was woefully behind with my preparations for discipleship night with our students and I felt hurried and inturrupted. A Shift in moods occured again when we went to my neice's 4 yr birthday party. We dressed as characters from the wizard of OZ. What great times with those girls!

Tonight we discussed solitude during discipleship night. We lit candles, turned on worship music, and just got alone with God. God showed up tonight in front of our unusually light crowd. The Lord ministered to my heart. I was getting ready to teach these students about solitude when I haven't had any all day. The Lord spoke through me tonight because in my exhaustion, I just had to release it to Him. I am proud of our students and I am amazed by our God!

But the night was not over. The enemy must know that we are taking territory from him because he has been speaking lies and attacking us from every angle. We are truly fighting a battle with the forces of the unseen. I thank the Lord for my amazing wife. She can speak truth to me, help me claim God's promises, and praise the Lord with me like no other. I am resting in God's grace tonight. Pray for our Students and the ministry at Legacy. May God be glorified above all!

La Hacienda Review

Ok, so the other day I decided to embark on a new literary journey. I am going to be starting a new hobby as an amatuer food critic. I have no idea where this is going to go other than the fact that I thought that it might be somewhat fun. I will be judging the "restaurant of the month" on 8 characteristics: Atmosphere, Taste, Presentation, Portion Size, Service, Return Factor, Price, and of course Bathrooms.
The first stop on my travels across Fayette County was at the La Hacienda restaurant in Fayetteville. A nice ourdoor patio invites you to take in the crisp fall air as the tiki torches becon entrance onto the mexican oasis. As I walk in the front doors, I notice a large poster advertising a Halloween costume contest. I realize that the restaurant is concerned more about fun than fine dining.
We were ushered to a booth and after a moments time, my wife returns and gives me the "thumbs up" sign. In her words, "the bathrooms are super cute" She rated them an 8 on style but docked them 2 points because the toilet was difficult to flush.
The menu was a pleasant surprise in this mexican restaurant. Maybe it is my lack of culinary expertise but I rarely know the difference between combos 1-30. (I think you know what I mean) The menu had pictures to describe various entrees, but it was bound by very thick leather binding. The menu was litterally very large and heavy.
The chips and Salsa suited my taste with warm thicker chips and fresh tasting salsa, but did not give me the "wow" factor. The meal was very tasty. Flavor was very good. I found myself wanting more.
Service was adequate as the waiter was eager to comply with any of our requests, food was served quickly, but was not very observant as our drinks and chips eventually became empty and unrefilled.
Overall, good company and great tasting food made this visit a success. Our grades are:

Atmosphere: 7 -very colorful and music was not too loud.
Taste: 9 -was very surpised at the great taste
Presentation: 6 -Average, but no complaints
Portion Size: 8 -not too large but not too small
Service: 7 -speedy but unaware
Price: 8 - price was comperable to typical mexican fare
Bathrooms: 8 - "Super Cute" according to Brie
Return Factor: 6 - Lacking the "wow" factor that brings a casual customer back, we would frequent the restaurant on a casual basis.

Check back for more reviews of local restaurants. Yum!

Skate on!

I wish so bad that I had a picture for the sight I experienced this afternoon. The picture above should give you a good idea. I will fill you in. So, Bridget and I were driving home from ‘date night’ at our sushi spot. We pulled into the Wal-mart parking lot only to find some guy roller-skating in the corner of the parking lot. I could leave it at that but there is so much more. Not only was it some guy, but it was a middle aged man. Not only was it just any middle aged man, it was a pot bellied truck driver wearing a red tank top. His 18 Wheeler was parked right next to him as he did his best impression of Saturday Night Fever on roller skates. It is moments like that that make you turn your head and say “What!?” Well, have fun roller skating trucker man, skate on…

See You at the Pole

I recently had the opportunity to visit "See you at the pole" at Whitewater Middle School early the other morning. It was really cool to see the next generation gather to pray and worship our great God. I remember going to see you at the pole when I was in high school. I remember 15 to 17 of us holding hands around the flag pole and praying. When I visited the school the other morning there were 40+ students. The students led worship and organize prayer between eachother. May God bless these students and preserve them for great wonders in the kingdom. Click the video above and take a look at a clip from this years gathering.

Ice Cream Olympics

I could smell the Olympic spirit in the air. It was almost as if we stepped into another place and another time. In a grove of olive trees nestled in ancient Greece, the first ice cream Olympics took place to signify a new start, a fresh beginning, and a sticky end. Okay, well, maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration. The real ice cream Olympics was in modern day Georgia, USA; 1016 Pleasance Grove, Peachtree City to be exact. But rumor has it that Olympic legend IceCreamious Olympicus made an appearance to commission the event and provide all-around awesomeness. And so it began…

Four teams arrived eager to stake claim to Olympic gold. Years of training and perseverance enabled each member to realize their lifelong dream, to represent the team they have long admired. The heavy favorites, Team Orange Sherbert, looked to be in good form as they flaunted their quickness and belly-size to the other competitors. Team LIME-lisious was not too easily intimidated as they were the dark horse to take the title this year. Eagerly anticipating a chance for respect, Team Blue Bunny, took it personal when the local media outlets criticized their off-season work-out regimen. Team Grape Escape, looked very competitive with the new addition of some seasoned ice cream eating phenoms.

This truly was a battle for the ages as young and old, friend and foe, peered from the upper deck to catch a glimpse of history.
Like true gladiators, each team sacrificed a chance at popularity and friends as they slammed their face into an ice cream sundae, quickly becoming gooey and sticky all over. With team captains admonishing their teams to pursue gold or die trying, Dave and Beth Yeager were slapped with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the heels of a steroid and doping scandal. “Jealousy” was their only remark when questioned about the allegations. It seemed as if the gloves came off when Bridget Paschal and Carla Queen challenged their team to go all-out in dairy drowning glory. For some reason no one could get a comment from Carla as she was all giggles the whole time. The crowd could see the determination from the sidelines when Matt and Shelley Drummond were caught performing calisthenics on the sidelines with their team. Like true coaches, they would not be denied as their team plunged head-first into a pan of chocolate syrup. Matt was seen looking into the camera only to say “Victory is the only option” and for this event, it was. Greg and Anne Creighton took a different strategy to the games. Like field generals, they strategized as if this was a game of chess. Strategy and mind games were the weapons of choice for this team. Greg was hesitant to give away any hints into his strategy. Shelley tried but no one could understand the military jargon.

At the end of the games, no one was spared from the chocolate battle scars, and a warm shower seemed to be the only respite for the sticky skin of competition. Team Blue Bunny ended up taking the gold, but everyone else felt somewhat satisfied in a way that only ice cream could make one feel. This will be remembered as a game for the ages. Now every athlete can hold their head up high, wear their ice cream Olympics t-shirts with pride, and know that they will always be remembered as coinsure of the creamy, daredevils of the delicious, and champions of the Ice Cream Olympics!

Friday Night Lights

Its football time in Tennessee....uh...I mean...Georgia. Yea, it still doesnt sound quite right to me yet. Regardless, I have still been waiting for this time of the season for months. Pads popping, band playing, stif-arms, and fade routes to the end-zone. Yeah, I'm feel'n it.

Tonight was my baptism into South-Atlanta football as I made it to the football game at Starrs Mill High School, home of the Panthers. Maybe it has been way too long since I have paid to get into a football game but since when is a ticket $7?! I am starting to realize that football is a big-time money raiser for the schools. It was definatly worth it. The game came down to a final drive before Starrs Mill sealed the victory with an interception. I realized that the band is really talented and a whole lot of fun. I sealed the night with a chili-cheese dog and officially chistened the night as the beginning of football season.

Tonight I have set aside my clothes for tomorrow. All orange of course. I am hoping for a great season for Tennessee. You may ask me what a great season would be, so here is my idea of a great season. If we have 2 wins and 10 losses I will consider it a great season if we beat Florida and Georgia (Thats right, Kevin Arnold). Go Vols!!

250cc's of Pure Power

Ok, its official. Got my tags and registration. Stood in line at the DMV and got my licence. Call me James Dean, call me Jesse James, call me what you will because we share a common bond. We all travel famously on 2 wheels, burning up the streets, nothing to hold us back. (I feel cooler already)

There is one difference, however. My new ride is far from the glamorous choppers made famous by these biker outlaws. My new ride is a Chinese motor-scooter with a top speed of 70mph...downhill. Dont be fooled....I am super psyched about it!!! 3 gallons to fill up the tank and 60mpg. Thats what its all about. Plus, its so much fun!

Lately, I have been counting how many bugs hit me on a single ride. I never realized how prevalent what I like to call "bug whallops" are to motorcycle riders. Sometimes those things can hurt. Let's just say that I just bought a new helmet and made sure to get a plastic shield to avoid an early lunch.

I am trying to convince my father-in-law that my new nickname is not "scooter". I have a feeling I'm not gonna win this battle. Might as well embrace it right? Well, tomorrow is another day, hopefully it is nice enough to ride, helment hair and all. See you on the open road. Sincerely, -Scooter

Summer Vacation

To simply recount our adventure as a "summer vacation" is falling a little short. Bridget and I decided to go "all out" this time and all I have to say is Whoa.

We began our journey as all journeys begin, by putting on our flip-flops and taking the first step. But unlike most journeys, ours had a lot of steps; most were on the other side of the world. If you dont know already, my brother is in the Army and is stationed in Vincenza, Italy so we said why not? We grabbed a couple stand-by plane tickets and promptly made our way 10 hours across the globe flying first class. It was so great to spend a week there with my brother. To see the city and eat real italian food was just too cool. I do, however, have a new appreciation for the military life. We need to continue to pray for our troops!

After spending some time there with my brother, we took the train 45 minutes into Venice. My goal was to kiss bridget in the most romantic city in the world (Chris = Cheeseball) Bridget was a good sport, in my mind Im thinking "how could she resist" right?...right! Anyway, The city was beautiful and it was such a cool

adventure weaving through the canals and alleyways barely 2 people wide that lead throughout the city. It really was beautiful, but $80 for a Gondola ride? Forget it.

From there we jumped on a Cruise ship to set sail in the Mediterranean Sea. (You might want to read that last line again, its still hard for me to believe) We loved the cruise. It was so much fun and the ship was beautiful. We met a few friends that were in the military and a couple that was from Canada. Other than those, the ship was primarily Italian. It was very relaxing. five star dinners everynight with amazing performances in the theater. More than we deserve.

Over the course of 7 days, we went to places like Venice and Bari, Italy. We traveled to Katakolon (Olympia) Greece, to Izmir, Turkey where we saw the ancient ruins of Ephesus. We traveled to Istanbul, Turkey and then to one of my personal favorites, Dubrovnik, Croatia. (Right)

There are too many cool stories to share about each and every place. Definatly, this was a once and a lifetime opportunity.

Fresh Scenery

Marriage does some funny things to people. I know, crazy statement, but oh so true isn't it? For instance, prior to marriage my maintenance skills were limited to changing the oil in my car every so often or picking up the dirty clothes off the floor of my room. I was limited so to speak. With the addition (or shall I say upgrade) of wife and house, I truly believe I am evolving some new superhuman powers! Well, maybe not, but I have discovered something called the hammer, the tape measure, and the occasional 1/18 hex nut drill bit accompanied with the 12Volt oscillating torque driven DeWalt Drill. (aka, power screwdriver). That's right, call me Bob Villa or even Tim the Tool-man Taylor because I am now unstoppable when it comes to doing home repair/upgrades.
For instance, and I wont try to sugar coat the situation, we had a horribly outdated/cheaply constructed master bathroom. Can you imagine the initial appeal? ...shiny chrome Hollywood strip bulb lighting, 1 acre x 1 acre sized mirror, $4.99 wholesale faucet, construction grade oak vanity, and beautiful lenoleum flooring. Everybody say it with me now, ooooohh aaahhhh! Needless to say, it was time for a change. And if I forgot to mention in prior posts, Bridget has developed some super powers too. The one that comes to mind is her uncanny ability to find super deals on "things" from yardsales, thrift stores, you name it. It so happened that our superpowers combined when Bridget found a new bathroom light fixture for 6, thats right, 6 dollars. The bathroom remodel was officially a go, so i put my utility belt on. Hey! dont make fun of the utility belt, you would'nt make fun of Batman's would you?
First, we decided to paint. So we painted, and painted, and painted. Black paint...everywhere. It wasnt long before we got carried away. Replaced the lighting, put a new mirror up, new faucet in, new hardware, tiled the floor. Please hold while I catch my breath.
I think Bridget is appreciative, but this past week she really despised going to bed with me hammering away until midnight or later. Ah Well, its over now and I am pleased. Bridget is pleased. I have put my superpowers in remission for now, but Im sure it is only a matter of time before "Chris the Contractor" strikes again. Same time, same channel.