There has been a lot going on in my life in the last month and a half.

First of all, my wife is pregnant with our second and possibly final child. We find out what it will be in the next week or so. Hopefully this week!

Secondly, I have taken a new job that took me back to Charleston, the town of my youth (well...of college). The company is Blackbaud. It is located on Daniel Island. I am now a full time Customer Support Analyst. The basic gist of my job is that I troubleshoot issues for client using a software we built called The Raiser's Edge.

On top of that I'm talking to a church in Mt. Pleasant about becoming their part time worship leader. The whole reason I'm doing this is to make sure that Cherie doesn't have to work. I want her to feel like she has options. I'm not saying she doesn't have to work, but only that she has the option not to if she doesn't want to.

I'm sure there will be many more changes. So, continue to pray for me and my family as we continue down this path in life.

Why do we come together on Sunday mornings?

Why do we dress the way we do?

Why do we sing the songs we sing, and say that other songs that aren't our preference aren't worship songs?

Why do we listen to a preacher preach every Sunday?

Why do we tithe?

Why do we have pot luck meals and call that "fellowship"?

Why is gossip ok, but having a drink of beer is not?

Why do we pick certain sins to be "bad" and others to be "really bad" and still others to be "not so bad"?

Why do we spend our Sunday mornings picking apart the service?

Why do we spend our Sunday School hour complaining about what we don't like at church?

Why do we say that we are "going" to church?

Why do we have to have a choir?

Why do we have to have a praise team?

Why do we have committees?

Why do we have church constitutions?

Why do we follow the church constitution closer than we do the bible?

Why do we argue about which bible translation is the best?

Why do we waste our time doing things that have no impact in our lives or the lives of others?

Why is Sunday the only day we can "be" the church?

I'm tired of asking these questions only to receive Southern Baptist answers that are not backed by scripture. Or, if people are backing them by scripture then they have been taken out of context.

I'm tired of wasting my time as a minister.

I'm tired of being a part of something that I don't believe in (the institutionalized version of the church).

I'm tired of feeling like I'm beating my head against an immovable wall called legalism.

I'm ready for something more.

I'm ready for something real.

I'm ready for something that is life changing.

I'm ready for a change.

Has anyone been feeling that weather outside lately? AMAZING! I can't believe how awesome it is. The only reason I feel this way is because Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. Actually, it is also my wife's favorite time of the year.

There's something about those falling leaves, crisp air, the smell of fire's burning, pumpkins, Halloween candy, harvest festivals, corn mazes and just sitting on the porch at night with a hot cup of coffee that gives me an extra boost to finish out the year.

It only gets me ready for winter. Fall through early Spring is my favorite time of year. I can do without late Spring and Summer. Too hot for me.

Anyways, all of this reminds me of God. How much he loves us. Summer is a necessary season (even though I don't like it). It prepares the crops for harvest. It helps things to grow. Kind of like our lives. The hottest times of our lives are the ones where we tend to grow the most. They are the ones that prepare us the most for the fruit he is growing in us.

And then, just like Fall he offers us relief. He offers us a time to relax and unwind.

Isn't our God AWESOME! What would we do with out Him?

I'll tell you what we'd do...we'd be drowning. It's comforting to know though that He is with us and protects us. Our God is an AWESOME God, He reigns!