surprise!

I receive a phone call in my classroom today from the front desk lady informing me I need to come to the front of the office.  The entire time I am on the phone with her I hear a cow mooing in the background, so of course I blurt out.. "why do I hear a cow?"  The office secretary informs me the cow noise is coming from my package... that's right folks.. I had a box in the front office that moos!!!  Well to make it short, my momma mailed me an easter box (not basket) and it has chocolate, gum, animal crackers, trail mix (all my standard foods) and a cow that moos every time you push the head down.... AND... every time you push the head down it POOPS candy!!

SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I love it ;D

one great momma I have! 

Last Years Easter Opening Video

Elevation Church Easter Opener from Elevation Church on Vimeo.


This was the opening video for Easter.... can't wait for next weeks!!!

Easter at Elevation!

Easter 2010 Trailer from Elevation Worship on Vimeo.
I have orange egg tickets it you want one!!!
It's going to be huge!

Summer is Coming

The past two summers I have spent weeks in the Jungle of Central America.  Each year I leave and I have a gut feeling I will be returning the next summer, or knowing this is not my last time here.  In February I was beginning to accept the fact I would not be going this summer because of GOP dates changing and money.  BUT... little did I know what was to come.  2 weeks ago I get an email asking if I will intern the summer to help run the center.  The center is complete, functional, hosting groups (not just people in missionary training living in craziness) high notch and open for people.  Of course I said, Heck Yes... meaning June 19th- August 6th is so long USA hello Pura Vida!  Start praying now... for funds and God's continual movement on the mountain!

to be a mountain stream

I'm always amazed at people’s actions and responses to situations. I think it's easy to profess Christ and live Him out when all is good. But when things don't happen the way we want or when people don't behave the way we think they should how easy it is to not respond in the way He would. How easy the enemy sneaks in and starts his work. The enemy is sneaky. He is out to kill and destroy. Take every thought captive. Identify where this is coming from. Why did you think that? Was that thought from God? Never allow a thought to take you captive! But take your thoughts captive and strangle them with the word. The truth! There are no perfect people. I'm for sure not perfect... not even spitting distance from perfect... but I pray that in my mistakes and repentance my response will be out of love. Even when the world is against me I hang on to the truth I know and react in a way to please Christ; a reaction out of love and forgiveness. To never allow bitterness and rage in. The word says you can't have fresh and salt water from the same stream.

How was your day?

Here is a quote for you...
"when you do what everyone else does, you can't do what no one else does."
I challenge you to be different.  Don't try to fit the status quo.  Be different.  Whether that is in your friendships, attitudes, methods, or general outlook.  Be different!

What I learned yesterday! love elevation

Rarely do I ever retype my notes from church.  I usually write them on the journaling side of my bible and refer to them as refrence when I read the passage again.  But... I want to share what I learned.  If you want to hear the entire sermon you can listen to it HERE later today!

Have you ever walked into a place that you can tell that something supernatural is about to take place? You just sense the divine anticipation of what God is going to do. And, then in similar places, you don’t get the same sense of the Holy Spirit. We just started calling this factor, “IT.” We wanted to look into this IT factor.” Here are some characteristics of IT:  

God makes IT happen. IT is for Him and from Him.
We cannot manufacture, create, or reproduce IT. IT is not something that one person can bring, but the wrong people can kill IT.
IT is the work of God. IT is not a model, system, paradigm, or a result of a program. IT is not based on the style of worship or building.
IT has an upside- lives are changed. IT has a down side- IT attracts critics; people will misunderstand and misquote IT.
IT happens, but often times, IT doesn’t, even with faithful people and leaders.

You have to keep it. 2 Timothy 1:14

• This is the most important thing...you (as individuals) must keep it. You must guard the special work of God in your life. When you have that raw faith that God can save anyone, it is attractive. When you can hear it in your voice and see it in your eyes, it is attractive and people are drawn to it.
• You must keep it! Here is the danger: when God blesses you with a big ministry, it’s easy to skim over personal devotion, lose your own passion, and start to fake it. You can allow the momentum of the crowd to carry you.
• You cannot lose the power of your first love, Jesus Christ! You cannot lose the passion around the main thing.
• God is not pleased with part-time disciples. If you want to find your life, you must lose it all. You must guard. You cannot take for granted the power and grace of God.

Don’t be afraid to fail. (Matthew 25:24-25)

• Failure is not an option, it is an absolute necessity. You will grow and learn more through failures than through successes.
• Some of our biggest successes were born out of failures. We often learn how to make it better through failure. The massive failure in one area allowed more success to come.
• Failure is the first step to real success. Failure is when God speaks to you with clarity. He will do something in you before He does something through you when you fail.
• Peter is a great example; who failed more than Peter? He failed greatly, was forgiven greatly, and was empowered to preach at Pentecost.
• Failure is an event, not a person. Just because you fail at something doesn’t mean you are a failure. So, do not be afraid to fail.

Dear God,

God you have been so good to me.  You show me my wrongs.  You make it all right.  You work in ways I don't understand.  But Lord, gaurd me from anger today fill me with peace.  Lord i need your strength today.  I can't make it right... I've done all you said I could do.  It's broken and can only be fixed by your hand.
Thank you Lord for your promises.

Mr. Jones had no idea what he was really saying

Mr. Jones was my Algebra and Geometry teacher in high school.  He was full of "educational sayings" and memorable quotes.  One of the quotes he would say on a daily  basis was... keep your eyes on the prize.  At the time the "prize" was graduation, but now that i'm older (physically and spiritually) I realize the prize is much bigger than graduation.  The prize is God.
Paul reminds us to run the good race; to race towards the finish line.  But I think the image of peter on the water is even better.  When Peter was focused on Christ he walked on water, but once his focus shifted to what was around him he began to sink, but then he called for help and Jesus pulled him back up.
I feel my focus in past couple weeks has shifted.  I started to look around me.  Started to notice the world.  Entertained a thought, preformed an action and began to sink.  I didn't keep my eyes on the prize.  I allowed the enemy to sneak in.  I  allowed the enemy to distract.  I allowed the enemy to allow me to sink.  So, what do you do?  The only thing you can do... repent (to turn from your ways).  Meaning, I turned my focus back to God, cried out like Peter.  I put my eyes back on the Prize and allow him to pull me up.  But keep in mind when you sink.. you get wet.  You hurt people and you can't change to fact you were drowning.  But it takes time to dry off.  It takes time to completely heal.  But isn't it good to know there is a God who will pull you up.  Dry you off.  And forgive the fact you looked away.

So... Keep your eyes on the Prize!!  

sorry

sometimes the only thing you can do is ask for forgiveness and even then it doesn't seem like enough.

a thought

Don't view the world or people in different parts of the world by a standard of what you think they don't have.  See each life, each place, each situation in such as way of what they do have.  Sometimes what they do have is so much more than what we think they don't have.  

paw paw verses

It has been a comfort knowing that my brother, my momma, my aunts, and even my cousins still tear up every now and again.... or every couple of days... when we stop and think about Paw Paw. So, last Saturday I went home and for the first time since the funeral stopped by the cemetery to just sit. My entire life I would see someone in a cemetery and think why do they want to just go and sit there? Well, let me just say I have learned the reason. It helps. Just sitting there. While I was sitting there I jotted down some words. At first I wasn't going to post them, but then I figured I'd need to so I don't loose them and hey... maybe you'll want to add a line or two.


He put others first and himself last.
Lived out the Word everyday that past.

He had wisdom I always wanted to know
And shared lessons he thought I should learn

Hands callused from hard work
And skin damaged by his life in the sun

He was my best friend.
I learned how to live, how to love, how to work and how to play from him.

He never said those 3 little words
But I knew he loved me by what he does

Not asking for anything but giving it all away.
I still miss him every single day.

I still see his smile and the way it lights up a room.
Or him up in Big John plowing the ground from summer corn.

Leaded back in a chair under the shade of a pecan tree on a summer night
Or taking a nap after a trip to the chamber tuckered him out.

Somehow always having time to listen to me
Or sit in silence and listen to the breeze.

Watching cars go up and down the road dreaming about a Tacoma I wished to own.

You created a Name worth carrying on
One without shame, blemish, or scars

I think I am who am today because of who you were in the life you lived each day.

He was my biggest fan, my best friend, and would give anything to have him back again.

more and better

Check out Pastor Furtick's blog today.  More and Better.  It resonated with me and I hope it does the same with you!
Click on the link below:
www.stevenfurtick.com