Sophie is 2

Ok so Sophie has been two almost three weeks now.  We were on vacation in San Diego when her b-day hit so here are some pics of the day

Sophie woke up to balloons 

Then we fed a Giraffe

Whats a b-day without a cupcake!

Something Amazing

On Sunday September 5th I was able to teach on big stage at church.  Here is the message:


09/05/10 South Hills - Weekend Message from Axis/Brio - Henderson, NV on Vimeo.

Quotes from Sophie

Recently Sophie has been saying some of the greatest, funniest and cutest things ever. Here is a chance for you to laugh with me:

The other day we are driving in the car. I told Sophie what we were going to do and she responds:
"Good idea daddy"

Today Sophie came to my office. She pointed to our student ministry room and said:
"Want to sing to Jesus"

I was leaving for work this morning. Sophie came to me and said:
"Sophie go to work daddy?"

At the Zoo we were feeding the Giraffe and Sophie said:
"He tried to eat my finger"

I gave Sophie a cracker and asked her if Leah wanted one. She replied back:
"Leah's a baby daddy"

These are just a few, random, things that Sophie has said lately.

Sophies First Sea World Visit

Last week we took a family vacation down to San Diego for the week and had the best time of our life!  I'm going to have to take a few times to post the entire trip but wanted to start with our first day and our visit to Sea World.  I am stoked on how much Sea World has for kids!  We were able to pet bat rays and Sophie totally loved them!

After we pet the bat rays we went and checked out the penguins.  Sophie loved looking at the penguins and watching them swim under the water.  After that we made our way to see Shamu!  I don't remember Sea World being this cool when I was growing up but I love it for my daugher

After "petting" Shamu we went to the Shamu show and I have to say that I was almost in tears watching the joy that Sophie had watching Shamu "do flippies".  When the Shamu show as done we went over to the new Sesame Street area that Sea World put in since I was kid where we met back up with my sister and her son Blaze.  Charity took Sophie on the Gabby ride there and she was totally loving it!

We all know that the toddlers in our life need a nap so we went home for lunch and nap but we had to come back after dinner (I mean it cost $12 to park so we needed to get our monies worth).  After dinner we came home and watched the Sea Lion show that was just as funny as I remember it.  After that we went to see the Polar Bear.  Sophie was loving it and then we saw the Walrus.  While looking at the Walrus Sophie told me "I need more Polar Bear".  I loved that so we went back and she just sat there with him

Well once we saw the Polar Bear it was time to head home for the night and get ready for our next day going to the San Diego Zoo!

Family Day @ Bonnie Springs

I realized that I haven't blogged much about my family recently; summer tends to be an intense season of ministry and school (no excuse). On Friday Charity and I decided to take the family out to Bonnie Springs, a little old west town that is about 45 minutes from town, and we had a great time out there!

We arrived around 10am and jumped right into the action. There is a pond with some ducks and some turtles. We spent our quarters and fed the ducks

After feeding the ducks we walked around the petting zoo where we encountered all kinds of gentle animals that Sophie loved touching! Here is the goat that was super nice and let us pet him. We also pet a little pony, a sheep, a deer, a llama, and tried to pet some chickens.

They have all kinds of animals there that we loved looking at!



After we pet the animals Sophie went to ride a pony! She totally had a great time riding "peanut" and looked super cute in her helmet; you gotta love this video!

The day wouldn't be complete without a picture of daddy, that's me, wearing Leah in the Baby Ergo!
















We did great until Sophie and Mommy got arrested and thrown into jail for breaking the law!

Leading Freshman

This last year, well almost year, has been a rad journey in my personal life serving in ministry.  I know that I am the High School Pastor at our church but I still want to serve in an area of ministry in our church and the way I have done that over the last six years is by leading a small group.  The way it has basically happened over the last few years is that I took the "upper class men" to make sure they had some solid discipleship in their lives before leaving for college.

This last year of ministry (school year 2009-2010) I chose to do something different.  I chose to lead the incoming freshman.  There were a few factors that played into the decision but the main one was to be able to have influence in some young guys lives for the next four years and make sure they had a consistent leader.  Now I have to admit that leading freshman is much different than leading seniors. 

Let me share some of those differences:
* They can't drive
* Cabin time at winter camp is a little more squirely
* They still think they can beat me up
* They are more "raw" (by that I mean they don't think they have to be as cool as older students)
* They are loving; I have the best group of boys in my small group
* They are honest about the pain in their life; they haven't learned how to hide it all that well yet

The list could continue but these are just a few points that stick out to me the most.  For years I knew this moment would come when I would "start over" with a group of young guys and lead them through high school (years we can all admit are some of the toughest years in our life).  I have to admit that I kinda dreaded, or was scared, to go down and lead freshman but after a year of leading freshman I look back and I am so thankful for the guys in my small group and all the memories we made this year. 

Love you guys and praying that your sophomore year of high school will be a time or more growth in your walk with Christ.

$1,000,000

I like to play the "what if" game a lot.  The "what if" game is just something that I think in my mind about what I would do if this happened or how I would respond if that happened.  For a little while I have thought about what I would do if I have a million dollars and here it is:

1st- $100,000 to South Hills Church Community in Henderson, NV
2nd- $165,000 to pay off my condo in Las Vegas, NV
3rd- $150,000 to buy a three or four bedroom house
4th- $50,000 to my mom; she has been so helpful in our lives
5th- $100,000 to the girls college fund ($50,000 each)
6th- $35,000 to buy a sick wakeboard boat
7th- $25,000 to furnish our new home
8th- $25,000 into our bank account for future vacationing (Tahiti, Japan or Australia)
9th- Invest the remaining $350,000 and pray really hard about how to use it to advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Today; if I got a check for $1,000,000 this is how I would spend it.
How would you spend it?

Hume Lake 2010

(Hume Lake in the morning)

From July 18th-24th I had the privilege of leading a group of leaders and students to Hume Lake Christian Camp in California.  This was my sixth summer heading to Hume for camp and I think every year it has gotten better and better.  Some would say that bus ride is a long 9 hours there but I look at it as a rad time to connect with students who I normally don't get to see.  After leaving Vegas and arriving to some temperature much less than 110 degrees I love to make, or encourage, all our guys to take a quick swim in the lake right when we get there. 

(The soon to be senior boys)

Then during the week we compete in some pretty crazy recreation games that help break down the "I'm too cool wall" that some students put up (I never did that in high school).  Hume breaks the entire camp into 2 huge teams each having 14 sub-teams; let the competition begin!  During the week your team can earn points for: cleaning your cabin, competition, spirit, memorizing Bible verses, and other things.  The whole thing is to use healthy competition to break down walls and it works! 

(What were we thinking)

Some free time activities we like to do are: play ultimate frisbee, you can rent a boat and go out on the lake (no gas motors allowed), there is a High Adventure course, a sick paintball course and much more.  Every year we let the students know that we will be playing paintball in tank top shirts and shorts.  I know it sounds totally stupid but I am in shock at how many love it!  We get out there; have some fun and get crazy on the field.  The welt stores are great (I still have a scar on my neck from three years ago) and this year my first hit was on the top of my head. 

(The entire crew)

The week was a huge success and we had multiple students make a first time choice for Christ.  I was so excited at how many leaders came up to me and said something like: "I forgot to tell you, but when I was doing my one-on-one with ___________ he/she gave their life to Christ for the first time."  I was so pumped to see all the hard work we have put into sowing the seeds for Christ reap a reward! 



The leaders this year were amazing (not that they haven't been) but this year we took 6 leaders who were previous students of ours.  I have to just end this with a huge thank you to everyone who prayed for students, prayed for me, helped with transportation, gave us a contact to make camp less expensive, shopped the garage sale, played in the golf tournament, worked anything we did to raise money and just encouraged our team while we did camp this year.  Thank you for loving God and liking students!

A Great Pastor

I work with a great pastor on the team here at South Hills.  I know there is a difference between good pastors and great pastors; so I want to make that distinction upfront that I am aware of the language of I am using in this post. 

I didn't always think he was a great pastor and I'm sure he had similar feelings for me but in the last six months I have come to realize that I work with a great pastor.  He is talented.  He is passionate about what he does.  He is willing to take risks.  He steps out in faith because he wants to see God work.  He is a learner; and leaders are learners.  He cares about the teams that he works with.  He encourages our church to be a better place.  And most of all I think he has the hardest job here on staff; he works with middle school students.

This last week Chase Feindel was down in San Deigo at Hume SD and I heard some great things about the ministry that he was doing down there with the team of leaders he brought and the students that he ministers to.

While Chase was gone I had a youth pastor buddy there tell me something to effect of:
"You have a great team here"

Another friend at the camp texted me and said:
"Chase is a really good youth pastor"

To which I joking replied:
"Did he steal your phone and say that?"

As much as I love to joke around with Chase I have to let the rest of the world know that he is not just a good youth pastor but, in my mind, he is a great youth pastor!  Chase I am honored to work with you and see the growth that God has done in your life in the last almost 4 years we have been working together.

Thank you for loving Jesus, loving your wife, caring about the local church and all you do here!  Thanks too for being uncle Chase to my daughter.

Sophies First Tattoo

Last night we went out to dinner for Charity's birthday.  We went to Kings Fish House, I won't share the story on the way, but once we got there it was amazing.  Well in the kids book they have tattoo's so Sophie got her first tattoo:

(Sophie's first tattoo)

Its a pirate on her left forearm; she likes to tell me how I put it on.  Its starting to wipe off today, but she loves it and I love seeing her smile!

Swim Lessons

Another quick video from swim lessons

Sophie's ABC's

Sophie has been practicing her ABC's and tonight, while eating cherries, we decided to give them a shot on camera!

The Journey

For about the last month God has been teaching me a tough lesson; The Journey.

See I was hiking at Mount Charleston the other day (when I say the other day I mean 6 weeks ago) and on the drive up I planned to do the 2 mile hike to Cathedral Rock.  When I got to the parking lot for the hike I noticed on the board a hike that would take me to the top of the mountain.  I had the food and water to make the hike so I diverted the plan, texted Charity and took off on a new adventure.  As I began this new adventure I quickly realized that I was not the 16 year, agile, studly young man I once was.  Another thing I noticed was a good deal of snow on the ground; but I kept on trucking. 

The entire hike I was talking to God.  Sometime into this new adventure I specifically heard (not audibly) that I need to turn around; so I did.  I went back to "plan A" and let Charity know.  As I was going back the same way I went there were feelings of remorse; you know when you had a great idea and it just never happened?  That is how I was feeling.  Feelings of failure crossed my mind and thoughts of wondering and question crossed my mind. 

(You can faintly see the deer)

As I was nearing the original trial I spotted a cool bench carved out of a huge tree that had fallen and decided to sit down on it.  When I sat down I quickly noticed a pack of bears in the distance; ok just kidding but I did see two deer.   As I was sitting on the bench I felt God speaking something to my heart that was difficult to hear.  He was saying something to me that sounded like this "Its not about the destination while you are here, but its about the journey."  See the goal of that day was to head to the mountain and spend time with God but how quickly it turned into Neal talking to God.

Since this day there has been many conversations that God and I have had about this topic.  On the drive to Redding for summer school I really felt God speaking to me about the journey while I was driving; about 30 minutes later I got a speeding ticket.  God wanted me to slow down but I wasn't willing to listen; I constantly want to force my plan and I am constantly being reminded that I need to slow down and enjoy the journey. 

If I can't enjoy the journey will I ever enjoy the destination?

Father's Day 2010

This year for Father's Day we had a rad time spending it with Charity's parents in Santa Maria.  I was up in Redding working on school and flew down for the weekend to see the family.  So basically here is a quick rundown:

Woke up and ate (I think the food was good)
Went to church, late, and just sat and listened
Ate some more
Played outside with the girls

 

Took a nap
Ate some steak (Leah wanted to try it)

Ate those steaks
Practiced our amazing balancing tricks

It was a good Father's Day for me!

Growing Through School

So far I have posted a few blogs about school and how that has been going.  I am currently attending Tozer Seminary in Redding, CA and the last two weeks of class have been pretty amazing for me.  When I get home and am able to process through all I have learned, what has challenged my thinking and the material I enjoyed I think I'll write a summer school wrap up blog but today is about what I've been learning in my "Exploring Science and Scripture".

The first day of class was pretty interesting for me because my prof, Dr. Hugh Ross, starting talking about some ideas of creation that are new to me... that were different for me... that were interesting for me... that rocked me... that were hard to grasp at first... that shook the thoughts I had in my mind already.  Dr. Ross presented ideas about creation that I had never thought about and, honestly, had disregarded as stupid made up lies that didn't seem possible.

Well as I began thinking more about God in creation and what Dr. Ross was presenting it became evident to me that if God wanted the universe to be 13.73 billion years old He can do that.  If God wants the universe to be 6,000-10,000 years old He can do that also.  See Dr. Ross has his Ph. D in Astrophysics (that means he is much smarter than I am) and he has a cool thing about him; he has Aspergers which allows him to focus on a subject and topic and learn as much as possible about that topic.  It is evident that Dr. Ross has done his research and knows what he is talking about!

I could share all the info that Dr. Ross gave to me and write some big words that really don't make sense but the best line that I am going to leave this class with goes something like this "The issue of Young Earth or Old Earth creation has no bearing on salvation".  That line is freeing for me.  You may hold to one of those positions or none at all but either way salvation is not contingent on them; salvation is found in Jesus Christ and that is what we need to share.

I'm not sure this accurately shares what I am learning here but this is one way I am growing through school.

Today it Clicked

Today is clicked
Have you ever had one of those times in your life when it just clicked?  Maybe you were riding a bike and you finally got the feeling of pedaling combined with your balance so your dad let you go on your own.  Maybe you were skateboarding and when you realized how to stand on the board it just finally felt right.  Maybe you relate that question to doing a math equation and the realization that the formula really does work.  We all have times in our life that things don't make sense.  The reason our brain tells our eyes to focus is because it is trying to make sense of the world around it; it wants to know!

Today in class we were talking about Learner Sensitive Preaching, the need to put Scripture as the primary source/authority while engaging the culture... and that's when it clicked.  I was thinking about teaching students and how to keep them engaged in the truth of God when I'm speaking.  It clicked that my role as a pastoral leader is to create an environment where students can connect with God in a real way; a way that uses the culture they are used to to help point them to Christ and the culture we live in is a fast paced culture that requires our brain to constantly be thinking and learning.

See when I first came back to church I needed something that: was relevant to my life, met me where I was (I didn't know the Christianese), but kept me engaged in the message.  This is what we have been talking about this week and today it all finally clicked for me (hopefully it still clicks tomorrow)

Summer School 2010- Update #1

Not to sure how to begin the update for Summer School 2010 because I have a feeling I could write way too much and no one would read it; therefore I'm going to try to keep this simple but informative for how the last two days have gone up here.

If you don't know I am currently in Redding, CA attending a two-week intensive summer school session at Tozer Seminary. The courses I am taking are "Preaching the Word" with Dr. Rod Casey and "God in Science and Scripture" with Dr. Hugh Ross. The cool thing is that both of the professors are totally different in their teaching style and both totally amazing men of God.

Dr. Rod is teaching us about how to preach to a postmodern generation and I feel like from day one in class him and I just connected. He took the time to find my blog and learn about me even before I stepped into class. The first thing he said to me was: "I"m sorry to hear about the speeding ticket". It took me off guard but I realized the he was intentional to find out about who I am and I believe that he has learned from the class and tailored his teaching to fit who we are. He is legit; I love the material we are learning and totally resonate with where he is going and the discussions we have about our role as pastoral leaders.

Dr. Ross is probably one of the most intelligent men I have ever met in my life; and I don't say that lightly. He has a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of Toronto and the guy is a scientist at heart. I appreciate his lectures and the material he presents. When he speaks it draws it me into listening to him (if you know me that can be difficult to keep my attention). He has presented some new ideas that are challenging the way I think about God and what I think about the age of the universe and the earth.

So far I am loving the integration of my courses; you may be curious on how these courses integrate with each other. See Rod is helping me shape my skills in speaking to High School students and Adults; he is passionate about people communicating God's truth accurately. So I take that and when I sit in Dr. Ross's course I am constantly thinking about how I can break this material down to make it understandable to a person who is new to Christ or curious about Christ. The next 12 days of class are going to rock me and I am so excited about that!

The Drive

Today I made the drive from Vegas to Redding, CA (I haven't done a long car drive like that in about 10 years).  I left home at about 8:15am and chose to drive the 95 North to Reno.  I ate some Burger King in Tonopah and I'm pretty sure it gave me bad gas.  So about an hour outside of Tonopah I was heading down a grade and saw a long line of cars.  At the end of the line I saw a car pull over and wasn't sure if he was ok.  When I saw the lights come on I knew that he wanted to talk with me; yep I got my first speeding ticket in 11 years.  I was kinda bummed but I was going 82 in a 70 and made a dumb choice to not follow the rules.

I headed on from there and went to Reno.  The sad thing about that drive is the brothel's on the side of the road.  Being that I was driving alone I had a bunch of time to think about the hurt that those ladies face and what has caused them to end up in that situation.  I think being a dad of daughters it just broke my heart to think about women living in that situation.

So I continued my trek and had dinner in a little town called "Susanville" and got some more gas.  From there I drove through Lassen National Park and it was SO beautiful.  I rolled my window down and just smelled the amazing air and looked the trees.  I pulled over to see Mount Lassen and it totally covered in snow!  I passed a little creek called "Hat Creek" that I used to fish with my dad when I was a little kid.

So I finally made it to Redding and I'm staying with some amazing Friends up here; Matt and Kendall Klutz, for the two weeks I'm up here in Seminary.  I'm going to miss my girls but I'm excited to be up here and excited for what God wants to do in my life!

Conversations From the Tattoo Shop

Its probably no surprise to anyone the title of this post; I get tattoo's and therefore I spend time in the tattoo shop.  If you have never been to a tattoo shop you are missing out!  There are some crazy people in there; and I mean literally crazy (there are also some amazing people with great hearts in there).  Although that is not the focus of this post I had to start it off that way because I think this will become a more common topic I write about.

The main focus of this post is something that has stuck in my mind from my last tattoo sitting.
It was late on a Saturday night and I was sitting in the chair being tattooed.  My artist was working on the top angel tattooed on my arm, more my shoulder, and I was talking with a female who was sitting in the room waiting for my artist, Johnny, to finish the tattoo.  Johnny loves to tell people that I am a pastor and that he tattoo's me; I think its cool he is stoked on it and I love the guy.  Well this lady and I began to talk about church and God and where she is at with Jesus.  She told me she went to church when she was young and was super connected.  She mentioned that she went to the summer camps and winter camps and it sounded like she enjoyed them in her tone of voice but something happened after high school that caused her to leave the church (we never got to what happened).

So while Johnny and I were talking about how to finish up the bottom of my arm I shared I only want to do "half sleeves" because I preach in the big room at church and don't want to turn people off to Jesus and the hope in Christ because I have tattoo's. 
The lady looked at me and said something to the effect of "Its because people will judge you huh?"

That line has stuck in my head the last 4 days and I can't stop thinking about it.  Is the church really just known for being a place that judges people?  It broke my heart to hear that; I grew up in a church that judged me for being a skateboarder and snowboarder.  I was lumped in a category where the majority of the thought is that "those people do drugs" so I just did drugs because I was treated that way.  I wonder if something to a similar effect happened to her and caused her to leave the church; maybe I will see her again and find out.

As for me; I have come to the conclusion that I have no desire to get full sleeves on my arms because I do a good deal of overseas missions and tattoo's are not as acceptable overseas as they are in the States. 

I would love to hear thoughts, if you have any, of how we, the church, can be a place that lacks condemnation and promotes love and grace because if all we are known for is judgment then we are in trouble.

Angel Tattoo: Almost Done

So in a previous post on the Angel Tattoo I shared why I was getting it and what the reason behind the tattoo was all about.  Since then I've had two more sessions on my arm and one more to go. 
Here's the progress:

(First session we did the outline)

(Second session we did the clouds)

(Third session we did the Angel)

The entire tattoo is done in black, gray and white.  I love how Johnny Five is using the white to really make the tattoo pop out and have some cool definition.  I have one more session and then hopefully we will be done; I'm super excited on this tattoo and how its turned out!

Leah Joy 10 weeks old

So today we had another doc appointment for Leah and I wanted to post a cute picture and give you and update on her stats (how big she is and stuff)

(Our friend Adena took this super sweet picture)

So for Leah's 10 week check up she is:
23.5 inches long= 75%-90%
12 pounds 12 ounces= 75%-90%
and her head is huge; that is basically what our doc said.

What does all this mean?  It means that Leah is healthy, she is growing and she is an amazing little girl (the last one is my perspective).

Sophie Loves Her Hippo

When Charity and I went to Africa back in December 2006 I bought this wood Hippo.  I'm not exactly sure why I bought it; maybe because I like to barter and I thought a wood Hippo this big would be cool maybe because we saw some Hippo's in real life; who knows!

(The Hippo himself)

Well when Sophie was about 12 months old, maybe younger, she fell in love with the Hippo!  When I say fell in love I mean it.  She would ask for the Hippo every morning and wanted to cuddle with it.  The though thing about the Hippo is that he weighs 8.6 pounds and Sophie weighs 21.2 pounds (with her clothes on).

(I wasn't kidding when I said she loves the Hippo)

About 6 months ago I hid the Hippo for a month and Sophie cried for it almost every morning; I finally gave it back.  Maybe a two months ago I placed the Hippo under the bed to give him some rest and keep him away from Sophie.  Well the other morning we were playing on the ground and Sophie found the Hippo.  I don't know what it is but Sophie loves this Hippo!  She loves him so much she cuddles him after she dropped him on her foot in the bathroom.

(Yep, crying and still hugging Hippo)

Not sure why my daughter loves the 8.6 pound wood Hippo from Africa but she does!  Even after we took the pictures of Hippo all she wanted to do was look at him.

A Changed Life- Nick Markovich

This week we had Nick Markovich share his story of how God changed his life.  I love Nick's story because it talks about the changed life and how it doesn't just happen all at once; God is constantly working in our life and leading us to life change.

Simple Weekend Learning

This weekend I learned a few simple things that seemed noteworthy to share with the rest of the world.  The one story I am going to share is something that will be a bit of an emotional learning for my life; but its good for me to share from my heart about what God is teaching me.

On Friday night we went to a dance deal at Coronado High School.  A few of Charity's small group girls were in the dance deal and its always good to get onto the high school campus and see students that we love.  We saw a lot of students that we have grown to love and been able to have involved in our life.  Well this night we brought Sophie and I wasn't sure how she would do sitting still for 75 minutes.  She sat with me for a few, then went to Jena for a little bit, then she went to the row behind us to sit with Kiki and Chandler.  While she was sitting with Kiki I looked back and just thought to myself: "My daughter is growing up".  She was dialed into the dancing and rarely took her eyes off the girls on stage.

So intermission came and we decided it would be the best time to leave so we could get Sophie home to bed.  In the car (I think is where it was) Charity said something like this: "The old saying is that it takes a village to raise a child".  This got me thinking for the last 48 hours, but even better than that is that Charity also commented that we have a "village" around us.  That village consists of grandparents willing to travel to town to see our children, high school students who hold my daughter and graduated students who come over and babysit.  We have a village around us (I haven't started to mention all our friends at church like: the Rossiters, the Shines, the McComb's, the Yureks and so many more families who love our family) that is helpings us to raise our family.  The cool thing about the village is that they help me grow as a person also; they are there for me to ask questions on life, parenting, where to take my wife for Mother's Day and other valuable information.

Thank you to our "village" that has surrounded us and helps us grow as a individuals and a family.  Honestly, we could not do this, nor would we want to, with out you all!

A Changed Life- Zoe Dodd

This week Zoe Dodd shared her story in our High School Ministry.  I love hearing her story and how God has totally grabbed her heart.  Zoe has an amazing heart and I see big things happening in her life as she continues to seek Jesus.  I'm also very thankful for Sam being there to answer her questions while we were at Hume Lake last summer!  Thanks for sharing your story Zoe!

A Changed Life- Series Overview

When we do a sermon series in our High School Ministry its not just open the Bible, point to a verse and preach on it. I am constantly asking God what He wants us to teach students and how that translates into life change for them; what can they apply to their lives?
For this series I landed on the Sermon on The Mount. As I was reading over the text (Matthew Chapters 5-7) I just kept thinking "Jesus is calling the people to life change". Jesus tells them what they heard from others and then shares with them the plans He has to change their life through the truth of God. Here's the deal though; its tough! Its tough because when you read The Sermon on The Mount it calls for life change and most of us aren't ready for that!

Here is how we broke the six week series down:
Week 1: Matthew 5:1-12
Week 2: Matthew 5:21-26
Week 3: Matthew 5:33-48
Week 4: Matthew 6:5-15
Week 5: Matthew 6:25-34
Week 6: Matthew 7:7-14

A Changed Life- Tony Fernandez

As we continue our series, this week Tony Fernandez shared his story on how God has changed his life.

Why We Baptize People

(Ally Davis getting ready to be baptized)

This month has been super cool around South Hills Church with all the baptisms that we have done.  I see God's hand moving in the life, and people, of our church.  I see people unwilling to settle for average and desiring more of God!  I'm not sure what has caused the total increase in baptisms around here but I do have some thoughts that have been stirring in my mind:

1) I am proud to be a part of a church that baptizes 
When we baptize people it tells me that life change is happening in the person; it also tells me that people are giving their lives to Christ!  When I read the Bible I see that baptism is something that always follows conversion; the person surrendering their life to Christ. 

2) Jesus commands us to be baptized 
When Jesus was preparing to return to heaven He leaves us, the church, with a pretty heavy job description.  Its not a four page job description with hours that we have to work; but its a good reminder of what we need to do as Christians.  Go read Matthew 28:18-20 for that command of Jesus.  There is a reason its called "The Great Commission" and not "The Great Suggestion".

3) We baptize using immersion

I have taken 5 quarters of Greek now (which means I'm good enough to get by; kinda like my Spanish) and when I read in the Greek I keep seeing this word "baptizo" for baptism.  Baptizo means a baptism by immersion; that is why we use the pool to baptize people.  Now, lets say that someone is in the hospital and has given their life to Christ and would like to be baptized.  We would baptize that person with water but not having the ability for full immersion would be suitable for the situation. 

(After being baptized)

4) When someone gets baptized they are saying "I'm changing for Jesus"
This weekend we baptized a handful of high school students and one of them, Ally Davis, shared with me a few days before she was baptized that she needed to do because this was her next step in her walk with Christ.  I love it when people are convicted by the Holy Spirit and then obey that conviction which leads to life change.


Here are just a few thoughts on baptism and why I am glad to be a part of a church that baptizes!

A Changed Life- Priscilla Hernandez

For week three of our series Priscilla Hernandez shares about how God has changed her life

Leah Joy 5 weeks (and a few days)

So this week Leah had her one month check up; it was really her one month and a week check-up but who's counting?

(Leah just chillin on the couch)

So the girl I like to call Little Leah is doing great!  At her check up she passed all the stuff, got some shots and we were able to see how she is growing.  Get ready for this:
Leah is 11 pounds 4 ounces (90th-95th percentile)
She is 23 inches long (once again 90th-95th percentile)

Leah is growing big and strong, she is learning to sleep more during the night and her and Sophie totally love each other!!!

(Really she is saying: "I love kisses from daddy")

A Changed Life- Jacob Dunne

This week Jacob Dunne shared his story at Explode; more evidence of how God is still changing lives!

Angel Tattoo: Right Arm

So I've continued the half sleeve on my right arm.  The Angel is actually supposed to be the the first part of the half sleeve but the praying hands just kinda happened first.  Just over two weeks ago I went to my tattoo artist and got this:

(The tattoo is not finished; it still needs to be shaded in)

Now I know that many thoughts tend to go through people's minds when they see tattoo's and I totally understand that I am a pastor who has a number of tattoos.  I was talking with my tattoo artist about that and he told me that people don't believe him when he says that he tattoos a pastor (my tattoo artist is the coolest guy).

That is mostly a side note to the meaning behind this tattoo.  All my tattoo's have a story behind them or some meaning for me getting them.  I typically think about a tattoo for over a year before I go and get it (I have one that I have been thinking about for 8 years; they are permanent!)




The story behind this one comes from the account in Daniel 10:12-15 where Michael, one of the angels, helps the man who is speaking to Daniel.  I don't believe in praying to angels but I do see from this account that angles will work on our behalf.

I think the bottom line on this tattoo is that it is a reminder for me to pray.  I don't know about you but I am very prone to wonder and go my own way.  This tattoo is a reminder to me, daily, that prayer works and that I need to be in prayer.  If you notice on the angels leg there is a demon who is trying to bring him down; there are things in life that will try to bring us down but I find when I am connected to God in prayer life seems to be a little bit more comfortable and easy to bear.

A Changed Life- Kalina Rock

Last night we started a new series in our High School Ministry called: "A Changed Life".  This week Kalina Rock shares her story on how God has grabbed her heart and changed her life.

Student Ministry Garage Sale

This week is our Annual Student Ministry Garage Sale! This garage sale has helped us for the last eight years to off-set the cost of summer camp and allow students to reduce the price so they can attend. This year will be no different!

Please swing by the sale and find that item you cannot live without (seriously; if you are looking for it, we probably have it). The location is:
South Hills Horizon Ridge Campus
2520 W. Horizon Ridge Pkwy
Henderson, NV

If you have any questions please call:
Amy Robledo @ 483-3741
Neal Benson @ 483-3740

See you soon!

Leah Joy 21 Days Old

So I'm pretty sure that I took this when Leah was 21 days old... she may have been 23 days old (that is what lack of sleep does to you).

If you haven't seen Leah in a while; here is what she likes to do:

Why Easter is so Important

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday. Now when I was a kid Easter was all about getting dressed up in a little suit that was fairly uncomfortable, going to Sunrise Service with my mom and then eating candy. My sister and I would find the eggs, then re-hide the eggs, then hide them again until they were pretty much uneatable.

(Proof of the uncomfortable suit)

So now that I am a man and have my own family I need to figure out what about Easter is going to be important to us.

Will we wake up early to go to church? Probably not
Will we hide eggs and eat candy? I am sure of it
Will we invite our neighbors to Church tomorrow? You bet!

We're going to do these things because they are important; yes it is important to eat candy (someone has to keep the dentist in business). This Sunday, tomorrow April 4th, I'm teaching at Church about the resurrection of Christ. The more I'm studying this topic from 1 Corinthians 15 I am seeing the need to make sure I live daily for the resurrection.

This Easter Sunday will be extremely important for my family because I want to live for the resurrection and it helps me to do that with a group of people that I love and want to do life with. Now maybe you have that group of people in your life already; please keep going to that church and dive into that. If you don't already have it will you find a place where you learn about God in a way that makes sense to you and challenges you to grow?

Easter is important for so many reasons, more than I can share in this quick post. If you need a place to go on Easter I hope to see you at South Hills Sunday April 4th @ 9am or 11am!

I Never Thought My Life Would End Up Like This

I never thought that my life would end up like this is something that has been passing through my mind the last few days.

I say that in a good way... See if you know you my story, or knew me in high school, you would know that I made some very unwise choices.  You would know that I had no regard for my life.  You would know that I was crazy and I'm sure that many of you thought you would attend my funeral by my 21st birthday.  I always thought that I wouldn't make it to my 18th birthday and when it happened I was shocked.

(I debated adding this picture of Bobby, Conrad and I from when were about 17)

I had no regard for anything...

When I was 19 I received the biggest wake-up call ever.  I was driving home to Big Bear Lake and either passed out at the wheel or because I was so drunk just don't remember what happened.  I ended up totaling my truck into the mountain and running from the Cops.  Those actions landed me in jail being charged with 2 felonies and a slew on misdemeanors.  I went to church the next week while I was awaiting my court date and my moms friend looked at me and said: "I had a dream you were a pastor and leading thousands of people to the Lord."  I did not return to church because of that comment.

In the next few months of my life I lost everything; literally.  After going to jail a few more times I ended up in jail on February 14th 2000 and said something like: "Jesus I need you; if you're real please get me outta here."  God answered that prayer.  I meet a guy five days later who invited me to church; Brett Wheeler if you never reached out to me I have no clue where I would be.

Fast-forward ten years, one month, and fifteen days.  I gave my life to Jesus Christ because the path I had chose was not working and needed some help.  I have an amazing wife.  I have been blessed with two beautiful daughters and I get to share with high school students about how to follow Christ in their life.  God has healed me of my drug and alcohol addiction.  I have internal peace and don't feel the anger that used to control my life.

I look back and if you told me twelve years ago that this is where I would be in life I think I would have laughed at you, maybe spit in your face, and went on with my life.  God thank you for changing me and putting me where you have placed me...

I never imagined my life would end up like this but I wouldn't change it for anything!

My Family: Charity, Sophie, and Leah

Sophie and Daddy Being Silly

I'm sure this title doesn't shock anyone!
Sophie and I were being funny and... well... she likes to see herself on the camera so it made it to youtube.

Sophie Playing with Her Knife

So it just seemed appropriate to title this post "Sophie Playing with Her Knife" to catch your attention!
Sophie got this super rad wood kitchen set and she shows off her mad cutting skills.!

Leadership In Judges

So this may be a rambling but its something that has been stirring in my mind and I need to get it out (that means it may be crazy talk).

I've been reading the book of Judges and noticing two things that are consistent in the book:
1. Godly Leaders rise up at a needed time
2. People do what they want when they feel God is not present

Right away Judges starts out and I get excited! I see this dude Caleb (Judges 3) rises up and lead Israel and I think; its all going to be ok. Then when he dies the people turn their back on God but this dude Othniel rises up to lead Israel. Once Othniel is dead Israel goes back to their ways and just does what they want but then this dude Ehud rises up to lead Israel and take charge. Well you are going to guess it that after he dies Israel goes back to doing the dirty and seeking out other gods but hope comes again in this guy Shamgar. I don't think I need to say it but once Shamgar dies Israel falls away again. Did I mention all this happens in just one chapter!

The reason this has been stirring in my heart and mind is I keep wondering if God has called me to step up and lead. Then I come to reality and realize that God has already asked me to step up and that is why I lead in our High School Ministry. See the truth is that God has called all of us to step up. The end result I see is: that without Godly leaders to step up the people will just do as they please and dishonor God. That thought breaks my heart and that is why I will constantly step up to help people find God in a generation that desires Him not.

Leah Joy Benson

So this post is much overdue!

The short story goes like this:
On Wednesday March 10th 2010 we took Charity to the doc to get checked out at like 1:30pm. Everything was good and then around 4pm she started having crazy contractions! At 6:45pm we decided that I should go to explode and help teach because we were having a Q & A night for the sex series (my wife is rad!).

I left Explode at 8:30pm came home, changed my shirt and then we were off to the hospital. We got there at 9:02pm and just waited... literally. We did some laps to make the contractions increase and finally at 2:00am we were admitted into our room. We had the best nurse that night; thanks Janet!

At around 3:30am I took a nap (hahahaha) and woke up at 5:30am when Charity's mom and sister arrived. Things progressed and then Charity started pushing and on March 11th 2010 at 7:06am Leah Joy Benson was born.
She was 9 pounds 1 ounce and 22 inches long
She stole my heart from the first minute I saw her and just like when her sister was born I cried.

My life will never be the same...

I want to be healthy!

I'm currently writing a final paper for my class "Personal Health and Growth in Ministry". Here is an excerpt from it on a topic that has helped me to see myself in a new light.

During this class we were presented with the (w)holistic model of the pastor[1]. Another way that this model can be described is a “Biblical Model of Wholeness”. The desire of the (w)holistic model is to enlighten the person on their entire being; stating that we are more than just one or two dimensional beings. The five dimensions that Harbaugh writes about are the pastor as a: physical person, mental person, social person, emotional person and then wraps up the model with overlaying our choices on top because our choices describe who we are. For our study it is essential to add being a spiritual leader to this equation and with that you come up with the entire person we are describing: a pastor. Dr. Peisner used the following diagram to bring a visual aid to the entire person that we are illustrating here:

The (w)holistic model helps to bring light to the many areas of our life; when one area is neglected other areas begin to suffer. When one area is not addressed other areas can overwork in an attempt to bring balance to the pastors life. Healthy relationships help us become a whole person; the difficulty with this is that we live in a broken world and every one of us has struggles we are dealing with. When you see this model, with this illustration, it helps to clarify and understand how complex we are.

The Hebrew word Shalom brings together the personal, interpersonal, and theological significance of the whole person in an attempt to point to different areas of “peace” in ones life[2]. Jesus commanded us to love the Lord our God first and then love our neighbor as we love ourself (Matthew 22:37-39). Therefore we need to focus on loving God, figuring out areas in our life that need special attention and working on right relationships with others. When we apply the (w)holistic model to Shalom, and Matthew 22:37-39, it brings to light the Biblical view of personhood described here.

When there is no peace in the life of the pastor it would be prudent to assess ones life and figure out what has gotten out of sync in the model. A major contributing factor for the lack of health in ministry is the pastor not correcting seeing himself how God sees him; many times the pastor does not view himself as a complete person how Harbaugh describes. The body is more than just a physical shell that contains organs, blood, muscles and bones: our life is dictated by our choices and those choices have shaped who we are.

There can be multiple factors that contribute to the life of the pastor spinning out of control. The major problem occurs when the pastor forgets to view himself as a person who is susceptible to failure and begins to think of himself as someone who cannot be stopped and is invincible. Harbaugh states:

“As we become more free from those limitations, we become more free for personal and pastoral response to others.”[3]

A simple analogy is that when a pastor overlooks their physical being and allows himself/herself to become obese the obesity can, and typically will, affect the other areas in the person’s life. The choice to eat could be a result of a deeper emotional issue that has not been address and instead of facing the issue the pastor chooses to eat in a response mechanism to deal with the pain of the unaddressed life situation. The obesity could also be a cover up because the pastor has failed to take care of his/her physical body resulting in the weight gain: the areas of our life are tightly connected.

---

[1] Harbaugh, Gary L. Pastor as Person (Augsburg Publishing House, 1984) P. 20

[2] Ibid. P. 20

[3] Ibid. P. 29