The Light that Shines the Farthest...Shines the Brightest at Home...

We had an awesome week last week celebrating a multi-church effort to celebrate Jesus Christ through "See Ya At the Pole". I marveled at the prayers that were lifted up. (see blog below about syatp!) I love it when God says do something bigger than yourself! Several area churches in the Stafford area came together to do something special and I believe that there will be profound affect felt throughout the year because of that event.

I came into work yesterday and I guess October 1st is Missionary update day! I got three updates from my contacts in Southeast Asia and Western Africa and each one was chock full of God doing amazing things! As I was reading the one from my friends Drew and Sarah in Bali, Indonesia I saw this same concept of churches coming together happen on a much larger scale. 30,000 Indonesians got together in Bali's largest stadium for four days to hear the gospel message. Hindus, Muslims and Christians all joined together for this historic event! People brought the lame and sick and they were healed. My friends church had the priviledge of leading worship and documenting this by filming the event. It is a beautiful thing when God calls His Body together to do something amazing!

Last year I had the priviledge of going to Indonesia to serve the local church in a "Burn" for 24 hours. Continuous worship to bring down strongholds and to strengthen his church. Since then the Fire is burning and I was blessed to bring some of that home with me. The leaders of that trip had the priveledge of meeting with local church leaders and they wanted to know how to keep that fire burning even after we left. The Burn continues there and this outreach is just more evidence of God moving in Indonesia. Drew and Sarah continue to serve faithfully in a local church in Bali and they are seeing God's faithfulness each day.

May God continue to draw churches together to impact our world around us. The light that shines the farthest shines the brightest at home. May God's love invade your world today!

Impacting Our World
Wow, it's Wednesday and yes, this is my first blog of the week.

Have you ever really got a glimpse of how God is using you to reach people? Even ones that you'd least expect. Here's a great example.

Flashback to Sunday night. As the kids were playing a game in the auditorium, I was praying in the hallway before we started worship.

A guy came up behind me looking around like he was lost. I asked if I could help him and he said that he had teenage kids and wanted to check out the H20 Youth Meeting. I told him that he was in the right place. And, I'll be honest I prayed another little prayer that youth group would go smoothly! I'm always a little self conscious when I have parents in the meeting!

He and I walked through the doors into the auditorium and there was music playing and lights going during a wild and crazy game called "tick tick boom". The guy proceeded to the back of the auditorium and found a seat. The game finished up and I got up to do announcements and to pray before we started worship. As worship started and the band started playing and the lights went down, I sensed this was going to be a great night. Instantly everyone got out of their seats and entered into worship. During one of the songs, a youth leader got up with a word and the kids responded. Leaders were praying for kids and God encouraged all of us that night. Even more than we realized.

We finished worship and went into the message and then got in our small groups. As we were transitioning into small groups the guy sitting in the back handed me a note and thanked me for letting him be a part of the service.

I read the note as the kids were getting into their small groups and it went like this. "I've been looking for a church with youth on fire for the Lord. I was only going to pop in for 10 minutes but I couldn't leave. The youth during worship so blessed me. It was incredible. God was definitely in this place tonight. The kids here are building treasure in heaven and blessing people even when they don't know it." As I looked up from the note the man was just walking out of auditorium and I thanked God that his life was changed by what he experienced at H20.

The thing that stuck in my mind was the fact that he said, "the kids were blessing people even when they don't know it." When we are honoring God and worshiping Him, it changes a place and those in that place are profoundly affected. Here was a casual observer. Someone who was checking out the youth group for his teenage kids and God showed up and totally blesses him.

Without realizing it we are all having an impact on the others that are around. We are leaving a legacy wherever we go. What is the legacy that you are leaving?

Coincidence or Answered Prayer?

Tuesday I was riding my Yamaha R6 motorcycle to my house after a long day at the office and as I was riding home a small piece of the bike had come loose and fallen off. It was just a cosmetic piece but it was missing and I was upset. That afternoon I looked for it but couldn't find it anywhere on the road where I had driven.

Fast forward to yesterday. I was in traffic coming home from work and I found myself praying a simple prayer. God, you know our budget, you know I don't want to spend money for a cosmetic piece for my bike. Could you just show me where that piece is that fell off on Tuesday so I don't have to buy a new one? The traffic started getting heavy as inched toward an intersection we stopped. I looked up after praying and right there on the side of the road was the part that fell off the bike! I put my hazard lights on and ran over and picked it up and got back in the car and drove home! The first thing I did was thank God for this!

Was that just a cosmic coincidence where all the stars lined up and the moon's gravitational pull led me to that spot, or was it God answering a simple prayer lifted up by one of his children and the Father said, "There it is!" I choose the latter.

see ya at the pole

I was up before the sun came up. Why? Because Maggie and I had a mission. We were on a mission from God. First stop 7AM @ North Stafford HS. We got there and they were just finishing up a few songs of worship and then the student leaders of FCA got together and shared from I Samuel Chapter 3 where God spoke to Samuel for the first time. Powerful scripture and I believe a lot of kids that morning who had never even thought that God could speak to them realized that He had in the past and He wants to now! Amazing. Afterward we got together in small groups and started praying. There were around 100 kids that morning all lifting up prayers for their fellow students, teachers and administration. They dedicated this school for God. Magster even lifted her voice to the heavens as she prayed for that school!

After that our mission was to head to AG Wright Middle School where Maggie attends as an 8th grader. At first it was a mom and her daughter and Mags and I. We eventually had a few more students that trickled in as the prayer time went on. The school nurse showed up and that was awesome. When two or more are gathered in Jesus name he's there also.

As I walked slowly back to my car taking it all in I realized that numbers didn't matter. The same God that was in our midst at North Stafford and the 100 or so kids there was the same God that was in our midst at our little gathering at AG Wright. Sure the big crowd at the High School was more of a spectacle but those few parents and sons and daughters had a moment with God that was just as real and just as tangible.

It was a great day as kids all across the United States lifted up the standard around their flagpoles letting the world know that they are here and are praying and making a difference in their classrooms.

Wherever you find yourself, my prayer for you today is that you'll be that light that shines bright!

Worship

This week I've been working on a song by Michael Gungor called "Ancient Skies" which gives an amazing description of God's character. His love for us is endless, and his mercy toward us never changes. What is our response to something that amazing and incredible? In the song the response is a single word. A word that is Hebrew in origin for praise. Simply, Hallelujah. It's a spontaneous expression of joy that comes from are innermost being. I think praise comes from knowing God. The more we know God and understand His love for us, something wells up within us that expresses the praise that He deserves. Take some time today to thank God and sing Hallelujah.

-andy

Super Tuesday

Today has been a really great day. There are things that I have been able to cross off my to do list which is always satisfying and I have been in meetings and phone calls that have really pumped me up for the '08-'09 school year. I've been brainstorming for our Pre-SeeYaAtThePole rally next week. I believe that God has some amazing things that He wants to accomplish through SYATP this year. If He's there when two or three are gathered in His name just imagine what can happen when thousands of kids all across the country humble themselves and pray. I believe that if this generation will pray that God will truly heal our land as scripture says.

Tonight we are starting a new book in our guys small group called "Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis. I am so looking forward to diving into this book again. I read it when I was in college and unfortunately it has sat on my shelf way too long! I'm off to prepare for this weekend's h20 meeting. Talk to you tomorrow!

monday morning quarterback:

As I look back and think of how much stuff we did in the last 36 hours I am amazed that we are still standing. Friday afternoon was an H20 time with leadership guys. I took Zach to his football practice on the other side of town. Saturday morning was Zach's football game then it was off to Justin's football game. Both won their games! I'm so proud of my guys! Then, I went and mowed and weed wacked the yard and then it was off to a party at Ryan's to celebrate his birthday. We got home at 11pm went to bed and then I headed off to church @ 6:45am and then lead worship at both the 9 and the 11am services. Then we had take down and by the time I was done locking up it was time to go to the picnic which included a Volleyball tourney (we made to the semi-finals but Missy's team won again for the 2nd year in a row! Way to go Little Red!) And then after we cleaned up from the picnic we played a quick round of Ultimate Frisbee. We got home at 6:00pm and I watched a few minutes of the afternoon NFL games and then collapsed into bed. I know that this is a rambling run on paragraph but it gives the feel of what this weekend was like! Have a great week everyone!

About the Father's Business

Today I came into the office and I was the first one here. After checking my fantasy football scores this week and after I read over the news of the day, I try and get alone with God for a few moments. I love that time before everyone arrives. It's quiet and there are no distractions. I put the coffee on and set up my laptop and started reading Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest which always challenges me and then looked up the scripture references and even looked up a couple of concordances on the highlighted verse of the day. Yeah, I was feeling pretty good about myself. But there was something missing.

I was reading "about" God and I was getting nuggets to apply to my life but was I really taking the time to hear from God? So many times I do my devos and read a chapter or two and pray a quick prayer and then everyone else starts arriving and I don't get to that spending time in His presence like I should. If we are truly to be about our Father's business it would be good to get to know the Father's business! Jesus was a consultant of sorts. He was constantly consulting the Father about everything. I need to spend a few moments each day looking at His agenda and seeing what matters to Him.

I am just an apprentice. I'm spending as much time as I can getting to know and understand the business. God wants us to be about His business each day. Today, our we listening to His voice?

Blog done. Well not completely. Pastor Jim is challenging me to blog on a daily basis so I am going to start blogging Monday through Fridays. As Jim has challenged his readers, let me know if I haven't kept up! The experiment starts today.

*can't wait for the church picnic! I was recruited for the v-ball tournament. I feel special!

Writing Your Story

At H20 we've been doing a series on how your choices now determine your legacy now and later. First of all we realized that everyone has a legacy and are living it right here and now. Last week we talked about how if we leave God out of the mix as we write our story that it leads to faultering.

This week we are going to talk about how the rest of your story is yet to be written. How your story ends is still unwritten. British Singer Natasha Bedingfield has a single called "Unwritten". In the song she talks about how her life story is not complete yet, how the ending is still unplanned. The refrain that sticks in your mind when you listen to this song is "Today is where your book begins; the rest is still unwritten."

As I pondered this in my own life I realized how important it is to take the time to write your story. Don't just let life happen and react to it. Be purposeful in everything that you do. Be active and seek God's face for your life. Realize that your story has an impact on not only your own life but the life of others.

The "things" of this World

I don't realize how caught up I get in things until I go on vacation. We hadn't even been in the Outer Banks a couple of hours and I was already thinking about the things I'd just left behind. I was sweating details that were actually out of my control and not able to handle from 4 1/2 hours south of Stafford, VA. I was calling H20 kids up and making sure details were covered. Funny thing was I had already covered all that before I left to go on vacation. Finally my trusty friend and colleague, Pastor Jim told me to just let it go. In my mind I argued back, "no!"

Fast forward to Tuesday afternoon and I realized it's taken me 36 hours to finally realize that I am starting to relax and letting go of things. As I was doing my devo's this morning, while watching the sun come up over the ocean, I read a verse that helped me understand and accept the peace that God can give. In John 16 it says He's with us. Even though He's gone in the flesh He is with us, through his Holy Spirit. His Spirit is our peace, and our wisdom and our joy. Today as I leave my todo list for four more days, and contemplate the loss of a dear friend, I choose to receive His Peace that comes to us when we ask for it.

Receive His Peace Today no matter what the circumstances are.

Sincerely,

"the sometimes uptight pastor"

-Andy

John 16:33
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Wacky Wednesday Ends in Sleepy Thursday!

Today it's Thursday morning and I really need to get some sleep. We are having an overnight with our Sr. high kids. Missy is over at the Scott's with the girls and I'm over here at my house with Josiah, Cory and Don and a bunch of xbox 360 gamers going strong @ 3:25am. Scott Simmons wimped out on me and went home early. Thanks, bro! Scott and his wonderful wife Robin have been helping out with us since last spring and just found out that there is a job opportunity that takes them to Oklahoma and they are leaving at the end of the month! It came as a shock and H20 and Missy and I will truly miss this fantastic couple. May God truly bless them because truly they have been such a blessing to us.

Earlier tonight we played some serious ultimate Frisbee. Pastor Rich played with us and showed his athletic skills! Gregg Tomlinson and I both went for the disc at the same time and I think he won! I had the disc and then I felt this "wack!" and then I was picking my self up off the turf! Needless to say we have some old dudes who still know how to mix it up on the field. We had a blast!

I'm tired and I'm out. Here's a video of our amazing camp that H20 was a part of this summer. Thanks to everyone who helped make H20 Youth Ministries summer session awesome!

cool video

Recuperation!

Today is my son Zachary's birthday and I have to confess that with the busyness of youth ministry and worship that I almost forgot that today is his day, if it wasn't for him telling me two hundred times yesterday and then running into our room this morning and yelling at the top of his lungs, "Dad, it's my birthday!!!"

Zach is a special guy and I've never met anyone who has the drive and determination he does. I'm amazed at his zeal for life and how he can walk into a room and people are taken in by his charm and cuteness. That can be a strength or a weakness as he gets older! I love that kid!

We had an awesome time at H20's Messiah Camp. This year had to be one of the most amazing camps we've ever had. Our "Big Idea" this year was understanding the "Father's Heart". We had over one hundred kids and I would venture to say everyone was blessed big time. The facility and the camp staff was top notch and our kids were deeply touched by the messages and the worship that took place over the course of the five days we were there.

We are planning on going back next year and we will be expanding our camp as I believe that our youth ministry will probably double by this time next year. God's blessing has truly been on this ministry and we feel that God has brought the right H20 staffers to bring this ministry to a new level. I can't wait to see how God works this fall! There's a foundation that is being laid and this camp is like a launching pad for us as we do ministry this fall.

May God truly bless you all this week and as I recover from camp and actually turning 45 the last day of camp, I truly pray that God gives you rest in the middle of an incredible summer.

Summer Time Fun

Summer time is the busiest time of year for Missy and I. In addition to regular youth group meetings and bible studies we do a mid week activity with the youth on Wednesdays. Next week we put all that on hold for our annual Summer Camp which will be held at a place called Watermarks Camp in Scottsville, VA. It's about 2 1/4 hours away. After that I'm going on Vacation with my family to the outer banks for six days. Then we regroup and ramp up for our Fall kick off and we are off and running during the 08/09 school year.

This is such a crucial time and we are really building momentum for the Fall. I know that God's doing some really cool stuff in people's lives. We have 55 kids from our church and that's not including the adult counselors that have volunteered their time to go and spend time with these kids. Please pray for us as we make last minute preparations this week. We'll be gone at camp from July 27-August 1. The theme this year is the Father's Heart. Pray that God establishes a strong relationship with each of the campers and that the roots of this relationship will grow deep, rooted in His love.

-andy

Be Still And Know That I am God

Today I realize that there are only so many hours in a day and only so many days in a week and only so many weeks in a month. My to do list grows by the minute and it looks like there will be some carry over from the previous week too!

How do we handle these things without being overwhelmed?! Help! This morning during my devo time I remembered a song by the Newsboys called "Be Still" The song's overall theme is "Be still and know that I am God." It's such a simple phrase. Jay's Message echoed in my brain about pausing and taking a moment to catch our breath. Be Still.

It is 12:42PM on a Monday afternoon and after some morning meetings I'm overwhelmed at all I need to do before I leave for a couple of days of camping with my family in the latter part of the week. The words keep echoing, "Be still and know that I am God." Take time today even at your busies, to observe a moment with your creator, savior, friend...

Making Time for Family

Today we didn't go anywhere. We grilled out back and had a great meal. We watched movies and hung out and played catch. It was a very relaxing day. We had thought about visiting some area get togethers, or maybe go downtown (D.C.) but in the end we lit off a few fireworks and watched our neighbors fireworks shows and then walked back in the house and went in the hot tub.

We realized how awesome it was that we didn't have to fight traffic. The kids are just as happy as if we had taken them to see the million dollar firework display but were even happier to play with their glow in the dark bracelets and sparklers and run up and down our street. I thought for sure there'd be backlash and whining at not getting to go anywhere. In the end I realized that it just doesn't matter where we are as long as we are together. You can make memories right here and it's just as memorable as those vacations we all save for and then they are just a vapor in our minds by the next year.

All this to say that I am grateful for what God has given us as a family. We are blessed so much to be here in Stafford, and serving God in such an amazing Country. God bless America. The light that shines the farthest shines the brightest at home. May God's light continue to shine bright as His Spirit burns brightly. May His Freedom Reign over this country.

-andy

message not received

Lately I've been having some trouble with my email. I tried sending a group email to everyone on my worship team and for some reason it didn't send to my keyboard player or my sound guy. It says that it's sent but he tells me "message not received". What a crazy predicament! So now I'm thinking that maybe I need to change mine but I have had this address for five years now and it would be a huge hassle to change the address.

Have you ever felt that God wasn't answering your prayers? You get in your prayer closet but yet you feel like you're talking to the four walls. I have felt that way sometimes. In my case it's mostly because I'm not quieting myself and spend enough time to hear Him. I jump into my prayer room and spout off my requests and then it's on to the next item on my to do list. Like any relationship, your relationship with God needs "quality time" . My most effective times that I spend with Him are usually when I have my guitar and I'm giving Him an offering of worship before anything else. I then spend time thanking Him for all the things He's done. It's amazing how thankfulness is like a key that opens the door into His presence.

One thing to note here. There is no set formula with the exception that if you want to hear his voice you need to spend time with Him. He's waiting and always there for you.

Now, if I could just get my email fixed!

Happy Father's Day! This weekend was one of the busiest weekends that I've experienced in a while. On Saturday Missy and I attended three graduation get together's, went to a baseball game in Baltimore and then the Youth Group led the service on Sunday morning with dramas and worship. After that my family chilled at King's Dominion and we capped the weekend by going out to eat. By the time I got home I was so tired I couldn't sleep?! Have you ever had that happen!? Crazy. I hit the bedroom and laid down. Missy was fast asleep in two minutes and the next thing I know I'm wide awake.

So, I went downstairs and turned on the rest of the Laker/Celtic game and watched the Lakers hold on to a win. I have a busy week ahead of me. We have Middle School and High School services to plan and I'm leading worship this weekend as well. Not to mention the need to prepare for our summer schedule which is chock full of awesome amazing activities such as King's Fest and our Summer Camp.

God's in control. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! Let Him strengthen you this week. May the power of the Holy Spirit give you the strength to do what He's called you to do!

floating away on a saturday night

This past weekend was one to remember. A severe thunderstorm came through our area with lot's of lightening and hail and wind. During the storm the electricity went out so we all gathered in the cool part of the house down in the basement. We had candles lit and we were all sprawled over the couches and chairs trying to sleep when I happened to take the flashlight and look at the sump pump. Water was pouring out of it and the water was rushing to overtake that room and the other rooms in the basement. There was nothing we could do. The water was coming in too fast to be able to stop it. The pump won't work unless there is electricity to make it pump! A cleanup crew came in the next day and ripped out all of the carpet and treated the floor for mold. Right now we have ten "force nine" fans (force nine stands for really powerful loud fans) and two dehumidifiers. It sounds like a hurricane and we have to have them running for four or five days until the basement gets dried out.

Here's the thing that sticks in my mind as we continue this cleanup operation. We had the right equipment to keep water out of our basement but because we had no electricity we had no power to generate the pump. In our walk with God we need to be connected to him in order to be effective in the world that we live in. Get connected, be effective today...

The Way Things Are

Yes, I know! It's June and I haven't blogged yet! So, here it goes. We've been really overwhelmed in my house with all of the school activities and sporting events. I feel like I haven't seen my wife Missy other than to kiss her goodnight or to say goodbye to her in the morning! Can you say, "We need a vacation!"

This morning, if you've been reading my twitter you'll know, I am stressed. I think this is God's way of getting me to focus on Him and to remind me that I'm not in control, He is. It's no wonder that in my devotional this morning (My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers) really challenged me to proclaim, "The Lord is my helper, I will not fear" Hebrews 13:5-6 Chamber's says it so well, "I will not be obsessed with apprehension". (www.rbc.org/utmost/index.php)

Man, I can get worked up over the silliest things! And it's primarily because I don't consider God first. I consider my own feelings and agenda and that's when I get bent out of shape!

This doesn't mean that I won't get cranky when things don't go my way, and when I'm overwhelmed by that to do list! What it does mean is this. I need to be meditating on His word so when I get in that mode of being tempted to fear that I remember how the Bible addresses this issue! All I know is that in my old age I learn that I am not my own. I am His. I am Yours, God!

No matter what circumstances that we find ourselves in that God will NEVER leave us or forsake us. This is our God that we serve!

-andy

What a day. The winning ways of the Rogers' kids were dashed this afternoon. Maggie got her first start on the A team and even though she stopped a few balls in the infield and got a hit past first base the team lost. Zach played in his soccer game later this evening and they lost by one goal. They are a bit rusty after being off so much because of the rainy weather we've been having lately. At least they got to get out in the sunshine and run around. The grandparents came down to watch and were very proud of them.

In the meantime we have a busy weekend planned. Missy is heading up an H2O crew to get our Senior gifts together. Each year we put together collages for each of our seniors. They are very descriptive and they take hours and hours to get them ready because of all the pictures and letters are each cut out and carefully put together. It's a great tradition and it's something that they can take with them when they go away to school and put up in their rooms to remember H20.

Tonight we had worship practice and it went well. We have a very ecclectic set that is full of a different style and sound. I was very happy that even though it was something different we pulled it together and Sunday is going to be awesome.

And of course memorial day means Pennington picnic time where the badminton championship is up for grabs again. We are hoping to give it a go! Also, we are hoping to get in a game of volleyball too. If they'll give up the badminton court after the tourney.

God's up to some great stuff this weekend at Horizons so if you are in town be sure and stop by Colonial Forge HS @ 9 or 11am. Two services, two times to get your worship on!

Peace.

We Are Hungry

Is there a hunger for God in your life? Webster's tells us that hunger is our weakened condition caused by the lack of food. If that's true then a spiritual hunger means that we are in a weakened spiritual condition caused by the lack of God in our lives. What's the solution? If you are hungry you may need to go grab a meal and eat! If you are spiritually hungry you need more of God. Plain and simple.

Some of us may be thinking that's great and all but how do I go about that? How do I satisfy that spiritual hunger? A few months back in a time when a lot of folks in our church were feeling spiritually dry, we had an "Experiencing Worship Project" night and the theme of that night was coming to the table. Many times I think about going to the "table" spiritually and I think, "man, I am not worthy to be sitting here." I know what God's word says about forgiveness but I still carry a tremendous amount of guilt with me to that table and sometimes it keeps me from being served.

First of all recognize we are hungry and stand up and head towards the table. The food is there but God's not going to bring you a doggy bag, he wants you to come sit with him and dine with him. What do you need to do before you go to a meal. Wash your hands. We should wash our hands spiritually too. Ask God to speak to your heart and come to Him humbly and ask to bring to light the things you need to repent of before you can enter into His presence.

Once you get there what happens? What goes on at a dinner table? In my house it's saying a prayer of thanksgiving. We thank God for what he's given us. That should only be the beginning. There's conversation that happens. It's the first time in the day for a dad to speak to his kids and see how they are doing. Spend time with God. Let Him know how your day was. I know when I was growing up we knew when someone at the table had a bad day and we talked about it. We offered advice and many times my dad would have a story that would speak to the situation. At God's table we need to listen up after we let him know how our day was and ask him to speak into our lives.

When God speaks, think meditate and "chew" on what He's spoken to you. The table is a place to come to get filled up. Ask God to fill you with good things!

We are hungry and we need to keep coming to the table and getting filled each day in order to be spiritually healthy. Have you come to the table today?

Just ask Him today, He will fill you!

This week I'm going to be introducing a song Sunday morning called "Giving It All To You" It's a simple song about giving God our all and our desperate cry asking Him to be in our life. The more I listened to this song the more I realized the depth of this song. One line talks about how "just one drop" fills us. When Jesus said, blessed are the poor in spirit I believe it's the realization that we all are and we desperately need a "drop" from the Holy Spirit.

This song was written by Michael Gungor and it came to him after he had a conversation with guy at a homeless shelter that had been on the street for years. He met this lady that he ended up marrying her. She took him to church and He turned his life around and gave himself to the Lord. It inspired Michael to ask him what would someone who is homeless want to sing to God. Just a drop from him, and we are filled. Such a powerful line. Just one drop. Every drop is precious. It just shows us that we all no matter whether we are homeless or have more than enough food and shelter we are all the same. We all are a part of the body of Christ. We all are desperate for God. We need His touch in our lives. If you are in a place that is desperate. If you are in a place that you don't know where to turn, cry out to Him, TODAY. Extend your hand toward him and receive that drop. It's more than enough!

Okay, let me "splain"! I was really tired one night while I was attending the WFX conference and I wanted to have some fun with the Mac laptop that I brought with me. There is this cool program called comic life that I started playing around with. This is my first time actually creating something so enjoy.



Click on the jpg image for a blog you won't soon forget

This morning I woke up early so I could get a start on the day. I am going out of town to Indianapolis. It should be a great trip because I get to hang out with our Horizons Pastoral team. Although I'd rather have been in Myrtle Beach, SC (inside joke) I know that this is going to be a great time getting info. on cool stuff for the new church building.

Grab the Rope!

I just met with a friend of mine at Starbucks today and he is with a church plant that meets in Alexandria, VA. He's a new youth pastor and is like a sponge soaking up everyone's advice. It's funny. As he's asking me a zillion different questions I really started thinking about how we are all on this journey together.

If you can imagine for a moment being on a mountain expedition and you are on a particularly vertically challenging pass. Each of the team members are hooked together linked with a rope taking one step at a time. You are putting your feet in the exact same footholds as the person that is just above you and the person below is doing the same. If someone slips and falls all those above are digging in and holding that person's life in the balance and can pull him to safety.

In our lives we should have people in our lives that have gone before us that have the rope and are holding it steady and giving you advice about how to be a disciple. You should also have others that are struggling and working alongside you would call your peers. You also should have those that aren't as far along as you in the faith that you can lower your rope to so that they can have a safety line. No matter where you are in the journey everyone has that common goal of having that prize before us. Life is not meant to be lived alone. We all need a helping hand. Who's on your rope?

Random Thoughts

It's Monday night and I'm sitting in the comfort of my own home watching the NCAA Men's final on my big screen. All of the kids have left from H2O' Music Team Practice. My kids just got tucked into bed and finally the noise of the house has quieted down to a dull roar.

Missy and I look at each other and chat for a few minutes. We are tired. I always wondered why my parents looked old to me and now I realize that they were just tired, like I am now.

Missy walked upstairs and I am alone watching an amazing overtime comeback. What a game! But I'm sitting there by myself suppressing my yelps because everyone else is asleep.

After the game was over and the TV faded to black I realized something. Whether you are experiencing incredible highs like those kids who won that B-ball game or incredible lows, if you don't have people surrounding you to share in the joy and the pain you have nothing.

We have built in by God's design a desire to be with other people. Some more than others, for sure. Philippians 2 talks about how we should put others before ourselves. It's my desire to be Christ-like because not only do you have a positive effect on others, but it does something to you as well. Share a moment with someone today. Give a word of encouragement. If one of us celebrating a win, we all celebrate with them, and if someone is mourning the loss of a friend mourn with them. It's the way Jesus intended us to be. How do we start? How do we make this a reality? Ask the Holy Spirit for those moments.

Be Jesus for someone today.

Mind you, this all came to me at 11:30 at night and I hope it makes some sense. Have a great week.

Leaving No One Behind...

Where do we learn how to love?

As the coffee was brewing my thoughts drifted toward a person that taught me how to love. My dad was a government man at Defense Intelligence Agency for 35 years. Monday through Friday he'd wake up, work out, spend time with God all before 4:30AM. He'd grab some breakfast head off to work and then he'd do his best to get home in the afternoon when we were all home and spend some time with us. Even though he got up before dark he was the one taking me for drives when I had an asthma attack in the middle of the night. He coached baseball, helped us out with school projects and made a huge effort to be in our lives even in the midst of his very busy career. My dad wasn't perfect but he made every effort to show us how much he loved my brother and I. He did so by honoring my mom and he did so by showing us what love is. He put her before my brother and I constantly and reminded us that she came first. The thing I remember about my dad growing up was that when he made a commitment, he kept that commitment. Each year he was sure that we did a family vacation, and would take weekend trips with us.

It almost sounds like a fairy tale. Why do I say that? Because these days you don't hear about Fathers who think that way. How did my dad learn to love like this? His family split up when he was very young and he never really had a father figure in his life. When I turned 18 my dad sat me down and told me that he did the best he could with me. He told me He prayed for wisdom everyday when it came to raising us. "There it is!" I thought. It says in God's word that if we need wisdom to ask for it. My dad, who didn't have that role model around prayed and God spoke to him. What an amazing testimony of one man's faith in a living God who is the ultimate Father figure!

I find myself comparing myself to my dad because he put up a very high measuring stick for success. Many times I don't feel like I measure up to my dad's standard that he raised. I know that I am to do the best that I can. I want my kids to one day blog about me. About how I made them feel uncomfortable and made them say, "ewww! dad's kissing mom again!" And when they asked me to go outside and play ball with them that I dropped what I was doing to spend a moment in time with them. I want to leave a legacy with them to teach them what it means to be a dad.

Thanks, dad for the legacy you left me. Thanks heavenly father for the wisdom that we can have if we would only ask you for it.

The Undo Button

Don't you wish you had an "undo" button for your life? The undo button when I'm editing is invaluable. There have been times in my life, very embarrassing moments that I wish I could have just hit the "undo" button. Being a musician and performing in front of large numbers of people is a recipe for something funny to happen. There are the string breaking incidents that keep reoccurring whenever I play guitar on Sunday mornings. My "undo" button in that case is the back up guitar. My fellow worship team members are calling me "iron claw" because of this habit I have of breaking a string.

It all started back in 7th grade. (don't you love it when a story begins this way?) I was in band and we had a concert that had 300 people in attendance. I don't know why but my band director thought it was important for us to know that right before we went on stage. Talk about being nervous! Anyhow, a fellow percussionist had a part to play and hit the crash cymbals. After he was done he put them on a chair that had a slight incline. During the rest of the song the cymbals started inching their way down the chair and in a particularly quiet part of the song the cymbals fell off the chair and hit the floor with a mighty crash. I was standing right beside the chair and every eye was on me. All the members of the band, the band director, and every person in the audience. The guy who stuck the cymbals on the chair even looked at me like it was my fault! Now the story doesn't end there. A few days later I was on a middle school retreat with my church and when I got to the camp there were several other churches we were participating with. I stepped off the bus and there was a cute little flute player that was in our band. I went up trying to be cool and said "hello" and she smiled and said "hi" back, but as I was walking away I overheard her say to her friend next to her, "yeah, he's the one who knocked the cymbals over in the concert! After what seemed like an eternity the laughter died down and I was thoroughly embarrassed. I don't remember much more about that weekend but I do remember that at that moment I wanted to be anywhere but there!

There are times in our lives that we have been embarrassed by our actions and maybe we were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. We've done things that we wish could "undo". Well, there's good news. We do have an undo button in our lives. It's wrapped up in two steps. Repentance & Forgiveness. Now it might not be the undo button that would completely erase any consequences of an action but what it can do is give you the knowledge that you are truly forgiven. God's grace is enough. This week Pastor Rich is going to be talking about Grace. Look for songs within the service that point toward that Grace that only Jesus can give. Have a great week and know that He is the answer to our every need!

I've been talking to a lot of kids lately that wonder who they are. Many are searching and trying to answer that question through experiences or following their heart. In a building when you are looking to find out something about the inner workings such as electrical wiring, or plumbing you go back to the blueprint to find out where things are located. If we are asking questions about ourselves we need to go back to the beginning, to the one that has the original blueprints. The Bible says in Psalms 139:13 that God created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. David praised God because he was fearfully and wonderfully made. He even goes on to say that all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. God is our master designer and His Word is the blueprint by which we should live our lives.

Oswald Chambers in his devotional "My Utmost for His Highest" says that "Joy comes from seeing the complete fulfillment of the specific purpose for which I was created and born again, not from successfully doing something of my own choosing." I want that kind of joy and fulfillment. A tool is most useful if it is used for what it was created for. In the same way unless we are used for what we were created for we will not be fulfilled. God has a plan for your life. Pray and ask today for Him to reveal to you what that plan is.

Hi Everyone! Yes, I'm back after being out of action with this flu thing that has been going around. Even though I was sick for so long a lot of things have transpired since I've last updated this blog. H2O, which is our youth ministry at Horizons Church has been busy. Last Saturday we sold Krispy Kreme donuts at the Fredericksburg and Stafford Wal Mart locations. We made over $800.00 and that put us over $3000.00 that we needed to build a well in Rwanda so that they might have clean water to drink. It was cold and after about an hour we wanted to just go home. But, after a while the kids started selling those donuts like it was going out of style! Way to go H2O!

This past weekend our Sr. High Group went to Liberty Mountain in Pennsylvania. So many of our kids got to connect with each other. A lot of kids come to youth group on Sunday nights but never have made any real friendship connections. I think that this weekend was a great time to fellowship and get to know one another better.

A few months ago, we went to a two day conference called Dare2Share. We were all challenged to really live out our faith and share Jesus with those we are in contact with. Part of the conference was to obtain a map of a neighborhood and go door to door and share the gospel of Jesus Christ. I don't know about you but that scares me to death, but after realizing that people are literally dying without the knowledge of the truth helped all of us overcome our fear. With a simple outline that gives kids confidence to tell people about Christ the GOSPEL message can be given to anyone, anywhere. Since then, God has really given a lot of our kids the burden to tell others about Jesus. My prayer for our kids is that they realize that "none live for ourselves" but live out our lives for Jesus with 110% intensity! God gave His all and we can do no less.

Peace,

Andy

Okay, I'm sick. It's no fun. I'll be back soon...

This morning I was dreaming. I dreamt that I was on my way to a destination of a tropical sort. A warm destination with sand and waves and my surfboard. When I woke up I had a strong desire to call and cash in my sky miles to find a place to retreat. You know that commercial that says, "Wanna get away?" That was me!

What is it within us that wants to get away? What is it that causes us to want to retreat when the going gets tough, or life gets monotonous? What are the ingredients that can help us persevere through such times? Sometimes we feel that we deserve a break today and don't get me wrong, vacations and breaks are good, but it's what goes on here when it seems like there is no relief in sight that is significant.

In Hebrews 12:1 it says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

Knowing that there are literally hundreds and thousands surrounding me and cheering me on in the heavens helps me stay on track and to be true to what God is requiring of me. Knowing that others that have gone before me in the Faith are watching and encouraging me makes me dig deep and find the strength to carry on.

In whom do you put your trust? In whom do you put your faith in? Jesus Christ. Follow Him.

Ghandi once said, "I love your Christ, I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ."

Why does that statement sting when I read it this morning? Maybe because there's some truth to it. I am constantly reminded that we need to be striving to be Christ like. It goes against our nature be like Him.
What's the remedy? What's a way we can prove Ghandi wrong! Stay close to God. How do we get close to God? David asked this in Psalm 15. What was God's response? He who does what is righteous, who speaks truth, doesn't do his neighbor wrong, honors God, and he who keeps his word even when it hurts! What can we do? How do we make it happen? Get close to God. Start living what we know is right. God honors that. He shows up, and he shows Himself strong in amazing ways. We have opportunities every day. Go for it!

1 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?

2 He whose walk is blameless
and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart

3 and has no slander on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong
and casts no slur on his fellowman,

4 who despises a vile man
but honors those who fear the LORD,
who keeps his oath
even when it hurts,

5 who lends his money without usury
and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
will never be shaken.

-Psalm 15

"Father, help us to be more Christlike. Help people to see you in our everyday lives. Help us to put our selfishness aside to lead others into relationship with you. Help us to have a heart for You the way David did."

Have a great day and know that God's light can shine through you today if you let Him.

-andy

So I'm in my office today and I'm sitting here, the sun is coming through the window and I'm squinting because it's so bright, but I like the warmth that comes from it so I endure the brightness. I love light. My dream house would be a house that has a huge vaulted ceiling with a wall of windows with a view of a body of water.

When you start looking at the streams of light you see everything. You can see specks of dust flying around the room. Although it's painful at first, being in the light is a good thing. When we allow God's light to envelop us we see things that were once hidden and we need to allow God to deal with them. It takes us walking in that light before we are able to see and deal with things.

There is a song by DC Talk called "In the Light" I love the pre-chorus and chorus of that song.

"So tell me) what's going on inside of me
I despise my own behavior
(This only) serves to confirm my suspicion
That I'm still a man in need of a savior

(CHORUS)
I wanna be in the light
as you are in the light
I wanna shine like the stars
in the Heavens
Oh, Lord be my light
and be my Salvation
'cause all I want is to be in the light"
"Dc Talk - In The Light Lyrics"

As I walk in the light I find that as things come to light it's a not a fun thing but every time it shows me that I need Jesus. I need Jesus in my life. I need Him now, and I need Him tomorrow and the day after that! I trust that God will bring to light those things that I need to deal with. Once he does, I simply repent and ask God to forgive me. There's a freedom that comes in that process. Where are you in that process? Open the window and allow His light to shine on you today.

Be in the Light!

Today is another sad day in the history of the Washington Redskins. My hero, Coach Joe Gibbs is stepping down as Head Coach. Just when things seemed to be turning around and the Redskins had a glimmer of hope because Gibbs was in the driver seat, the team will once more be a team that has to go through another major transition. Joe Gibbs is a man who lives by his convictions and is not afraid to be a stand up Christian. You will be missed, Joe...

Right now I'm reading a book by Tony Dungee called Quiet Strength. I would highly recommend it. The last "coach" book I've read was by Joe Gibbs. I always find it interesting to see how leaders get to where they are. I appreciate these guys because they are walking out their faith in the public eye. Every move they make, people, press and the world are watching what they do. Do you ever think that you'd change what you'd do if you had that kind of press coverage? These leaders realize that they've been given a platform to share about the love of Jesus Christ. They get a chance to share Godly principles that have shaped their lives. It dawned on me as I was reading this morning that all of us have a sphere of influence. We may not have press conferences after big meetings or reporters knocking on our door to find out what we ate for breakfast but we have people surrounding us that are watching how we live our lives. So, how are you living your life today? Would a person see you and know that you are a Christian? Would they see the way you approach life and have people see Jesus through your actions?

My prayer for you today is that you recognize that you are an influencer for the kingdom of God and that you have a choice every day that you wake up, to use that influence to expand that kingdom. As cliche' as this might sound, let's get out there and do some good!

*Go Redskins!*

I shouldn't be surprised when God answers my prayers. As I look back over the past year a smile comes to my face. In the course of one year I have seen many people come to know Jesus and enter into a relationship with him. It's been an awesome year. Many kids have made fresh starts and are asking for help on how to go about this. So as much as I love to sit and reflect, the job has only just begun.

H20 is growing literally each week. We have more and more kids that are inviting friends that are hurting and need a touch from God. In order to make this all happen at H20 we have a large group worship time with middle school and senior high together. We then split these two groups up and have age appropriate messages and activities that help deepen our relationship with Christ. All this is awesome and great, but where the real discipleship takes place is in our small groups. We have six groups that meet each week right after the message to talk about how things are going in our lives. This is where the much needed discipling takes place.

Right now we are looking for people that have a heart for our H2O kids to help lead these small groups. If you would like to partner with H2O to see life change happen, call us. We need your help. Are you up for the challenge? Are you willing to give a night out of your week to help kids know and understand Jesus? When life happens these kids need to know that there is someone that they can count on when life gets tough. You can be that person. Think about it.

-Andy
arogers91@gmail.com
www.horizonschurch.com
757-373-3164

Okay, so now you know the worship music I listen to. Now I'll give you some Christian bands that I'm really loving.

An album that my daughter loves is TobyMac's latest offering which called "Portable Sounds" The thing I like about this album is the quality of musicianship and the production on this is phenomenal. You hear these songs on ESPN and other channels for their promo songs which is pretty cool. It's a very well done album. You've come a long way TobyMac from those DC Talk Rapping days!

Leeland is another band that is truly amazing. Their songwriting is amazing and they are really talented young musicians. The album is called "Sound of Melodies" and they have a new album that will be coming out soon which is supposed to be even better than the current album!

I'm a huge Switchfoot fan and any of their latest albums are very thought provoking and truly have a great unique sound all their own.

Reliant K gets a lot of play at youth group on Sunday nights. Their latest is called "Five score and seven years ago".

Check it out!

A lot of you have been asking me the question, "What is a good Worship CD or what is a good CD that I can buy for my kids. First of all, I have a wide range of musical tastes and I try to bring that into the music that I create. Here's a couple of albums that have really influenced me over the past year.

I listened to a lot of Hillsongs United this year. They had two albums that really are amazing. You may notice them playing in the background before the service starts. "United We Stand" and "All of the Above." I'm always looking for songs that bring me into the "presence" of the Lord and these two albums have many songs like "Fire Fall Down", "From the Inside Out", "No One Like You" that do just that.

Of course, I absolutely love Crowder and his new "Remedy" CD is growing on me. Passion CD's are always something that is a must in my collection.

Lincoln Brewster hasn't come out with a new project lately but his "Live" album inspires me to become a better musician/worshiper.

That's it for now. Have a great weekend!

-andy

I'm reading a book called Deadly Viper "Character Assassins" by Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite. It's a survival guide for our integrity. As a leader I am scrutinized in many ways. I'm constantly reminded how I need to be above reproach. I've read through the first couple of chapters and the one quote that really stuck in my mind was this. We need to live by a "basic mode of operation: refrain from doing anything today we'd be uncomfortable reading about in the headlines tomorrow, watching on the eleven o'clock news, or being broadcast to thousands of people."

In this world we are lacking leaders that are men and women of integrity. Are you willing to stop the madness and start living what you believe? I believe it is time for each of us to rise up and be men and women of integrity, at work, at home, with our friends and even when we are alone and no one else in the world is there.

The book asks the question, "How would your life change if you knew you'd see it all played out on television tomorrow?" I already have a list that I've made of things that I'm changing in my life as a result of this question. I want to do something about it. Do you? It's never too late to change. You can start today.

Today's the day I live for one thing, to give you praise...in everything we do the praise goes out to you. How many times do we sing a song and we don't consider the words that we are singing?

Being a worship leader I pick a lot of set lists. During our camp I had to come up with four days of worship. The most amazing thing was that none of our set lists were long enough! We'd put together a seven song list which translates to about an hour of worship and we'd get to the last song and the kids wanted to continue. The first day we ended up going back to the notebook and choosing extra songs. The songs weren't the thing. They were the catalyst to entering into the presence of the Lord.

What is it that the kids experienced that caused them to rise up and worship like that? I believe that it was coupled with the fact that they experienced the Holy Spirit. That experience caused a mini revival to break out. At first there were many that had a hard time participating because there was a lot of baggage that they brought to camp. Once they started dealing with those things, they were able to enter in. They felt the freedom of forgiveness and the life changing power of being in God's presence.

How can we tap that power in our everyday life!? Does that mean we quit our jobs and we go to the church and worship 24/7 for the rest of our lives? What we need to do is have the revelation that we need God. We need Him and we need to understand that we have been created to worship and praise him. "In everything we do, the praise goes out to You." The key is that in all things we acknowledge God. Acknowledge Him and not just to yourself but to others. I had a friend named Hap Gregg who was a fantastic soccer player. He became a Christian and wrapped his brain around the fact that in all things we worship Him and praise Him. Every time he scored a goal in soccer, which was quite a lot because he was an amazing player, he would yell at the top of his lungs, "Thank You Jesus!!!" A lot of us were embarrassed by his outbursts, but he caught the idea that in all things we worship and praise Him. For Hap he didn't have to go into a closet to be in God's presence. He lived a life that remained in His presence. In everything we do, the Praise goes out to you!

So, I'm not sure how many of you are Redskins fans but I've been one all my life. My Grandfather taught me what it meant to be loyal to them when I was just a little guy. We would watch them faithfully after the Sunday dinner. Needless to say all us guys would hurry through dinner so we wouldn't miss a play. I've been a fan during the drought of the 70's and during the amazing 80's and during the current drought of the 90's and 00's. It's frustrating. Each pre-season I think that this is going to be the break out season and they will go to the NFC championship game and then the super bowl but there is always something that holds them back. How can such a talented team never seem to get it all together? Dan Snyder has proved one thing since acquiring the team that even when money is no object and you purchase some of the most expensive talent in the land, it's still not enough.

So, what's the missing ingredient? There's a lack of team unity. Back in the glorious 80's we weren't that talented of a football team if you compare them to the current team but they all united together. When they played together and sacrificed for each other and for Coach Gibbs as a whole they were simply unstoppable.

I know that there have been a million comparisons between church and football over the years but here goes. The church has many talents. They have a depth of leadership potential than any other place on earth. But unless we all learn to work together we will go nowhere. It says in the Bible when two or three are gathered in my name I am there also. We have to see that it takes more than one star it takes a group of "heroes" that are putting others above themselves to make Christ known.

Have you ever felt like you are being tumbled around by life and you are totally out of control? This summer while on the Brazil Missions Trip we took the kids on a White Water Rafting Trip. The conditions on the river were optimum as we just had six inches of rain the night before and the water level had risen causing the rapids to be, well, "more rapid"! (see picture)

There was a section of rapids where all of the boats waited in a line to go down a huge waterfall. We all waited patiently and watched the other boats go over the edge. During this part I began thinking about once that boat is launched there is no turning back. Once you get into the current it is almost impossible to go backwards.

Last week I was at a pastor's conference and there was so much information coming at me it was like a fire hose that was turned on full blast. I was trying to digest as much as I could but it was overwhelming. God totally wrecked me in many areas of my life that I thought were under control. It was as if that raft had just been released and I had fallen over the edge. Now what? God requires more from me? The one thing that stuck in my mind after I came back that God wants all of us not just part of us. Just when I think I have a handle on things God reminds me that I don't have it all together. He has the handle on the river of life. On each of the boats was a world class oarsman who had many hours on the river and knew how to steer around the rocks. We need people in our lives that have been over the edge and lived to tell about it and now can give us advice on how to trust in God.

We were next in line and about to go over the edge and although it was a pure adrenaline rush going down I remember thinking that it wasn't as bad as what I had imagined. Having the expert in the boat totally put my mind at ease and knowing that the other boats ahead of me made without losing a passenger made me feel better too. I looked back at the next boat and cheered them on.

That's how it is in Life. We have those that are ahead of us who are blazing the trail and we have those that are beside us walking through our everyday life with us and then there are those that are behind us that we can encourage. Where are you in your relationship with Christ and others? Do you have a mentor or coach in your life that is a seasoned Christian that can help you out? Do you have peers that are beside you that you can lean on as you go through life? Finally, do you have those that are baby Christians that you are cheering on and discipling them? Having all three of these types of relationships give us the balance that we need. Have a great week!

I'm sitting here at the boys bus stop waiting for them to get picked up. They have to drive all over the neighborhood and thirty minutes later they get to school. If they walked they could be there in ten minutes! Crazy how that works.

This Wednesday Jay, Jim and I are going to a conference in Atlanta, GA. The conference is called the Catalyst Conference. It will be a time for us to listen to amazing speakers, get new ideas for our ministry and just reconnect as a team. Pray for us as we travel and more importantly pray for our families while we are gone.

See you Sunday!

-andy

"Just Being"

Last night was a typical night in the Rogers' House. I came home just in time to give Missy a peck on the cheek before an H2O student came by to work on a project. After that the kids all came in and then it was homework and then off to football and soccer practices and me off to Bible Study. I remember walking in the door later that evening and sitting down and Missy snuggled up next to me for a brief moment. We didn't talk, we just looked at each other for about 30 seconds. And then she got up and said she was off to bed. It was a moment that I cherished. I woke up this morning and remembered that moment.

Just being. That moment where there are no words, and no actions just enjoying one another's company. So many times I think that we feel we have to be saying something or doing something and we miss those moments just enjoying one another's presence.

I think our relationship with God needs to be that way too. How many times do you go to God and get right to the agenda of asking Him for things and demanding answers! I believe that God wants us to spend time with him and just be. We can be changed by just being in His presence. He created us to have a relationship with Him. Try it! It's amazing what happens when we take a moment to catch our breath and "just be"with our creator, father, friend.

Today's the Day of Decision

Everyday I wake up I have a choice to make. Do I live for my own selfish desires or do I die to myself and do what Jesus wants me to do? It's the age old struggle. I'm not the only one that constantly battles with this, am I?

God has given us a choice. The King James Version says, "Choose ye this day whom you will serve." So according to this scripture its a daily decision.

I constantly am reminded that my life is not my own. There is a real sense of satisfaction when I do what God wants me to do. It's because this is what God created me to do.

What did you do over the summer? That's what many students are being asked by their friends now that they are back in school. What would you say if you were asked that question? Many of our youth traveled the world to share Christ with those in need. Others experienced mind blowing worship and great concerts and amazing speakers at our camp and their lives were completely transformed by God. Many of our kids are trying to put words to what they've experienced with God. Over the summer we've witnessed amazing times of ministry at H20. God has shown himself strong in many kids for the very first time. We asked the question what it means to go deeper. For many @ H2o they have rededicated their lives, and are living for Him, 100%. And now they want to do more for God.

Now they are asking the question, "how do I go deeper in my relationship with Him"? We've found that Intimacy with God goes hand in hand with service and showing God's love to others. With intimacy comes a fueling up for what God wants us to do in our "Oikos" or sphere of influence. My sphere for instance is our middle school kids and our senior high kids @ Horizons Church. My goal is to influence and disciple these kids and show them what it means to be a follower of Jesus. If I'm doing my job we will be sending these kids into their schools and they will have a major influence on those around them. Already we are seeing the effects of this type of ministry. Our kids have found others that are hungry, hurting and they are sharing with them how God can fill the void they have in their lives.

Kids are coming to our Sunday night meetings at the prompting of their H2O friends and they are hearing that there is hope and that they are not alone. We are excited to see what God can do with these young willing vessels.

What'd you do over the summer?

Well, it's been a whirlwind summer. I've been to Indonesia, led a youth team to Brazil (Just call me "Pastor Chief" !)went to camp for a week not to mention all the Wacky Wednesday events we've had like King's Fest, Beach trips, and tubing, BBQ's just to name a few. I love this time of year. It's the one time out of the year that I get to spend a lot time with our youth group kids.

Missy and I are taking a week off to go to the Outerbanks in North Carolina to chill a bit and then we are preparing for the busy fall season. Thanks to all of you who made this summer an amazing one and we look forward to see what God is going to do in the fall. I feel that this will be a big year for us at H20.

We've been given a mandate last year regarding the "more than four" campaign and that coupled with moving in the power of the Holy Spirit, we are going to see exponential growth in this upcoming year. See you in September!

-andy

Summer Camp. Can you remember those times that you spent packing up and leaving the family for a week to go to a camp? I remember the feeling right before you got on the bus and feeling excited and nervous all at the same time.

We are preparing to go to a Camp with our Middle School and Senior High Youth Group and every time I prepare for these camps it brings back fond memories.

Some of the times that I've felt closest to God has been at these camps. There is something about going away to a place in the mountains and get alone with our friends to go for God. Over the years I've seen kids lives transformed. It's so awesome to watch God work in people's lives.

This year our theme is "Going Deeper" We don't want to just scratch the surface with God we want to dive in and go all the way not looking at what is behind us bet pressing into what God has for us with everything we have.

Pray for us as we get away. Pray that our kids have a great time and that God will speak to our hearts.

Just a quick update to let you know that we are being blown away by the presence of God in Brazil. We´ve been a part of a worship camp at the YWAM base here in Piratininga. The very first night The leader asked if we could come up and pray and our team prayed over people. Using translators and the Holy Spirit, the team was able to minister to hundreds of worship leaders and artists. We ministered to orphanages and day care during the day and ministered at the camp in the evening.

We are completing our ministry time and prepare to come back home. Please keep us in your prayers and I´ll update you soon!

The Summer Season has begun! In the midst of all the busyness of missions trips, summer camps and ice cream scooper nights God is speaking to me.

I've been reading a book called "The Vision, A Call To Discipleship" by Pete Grieg. The "Big Idea" of this book is to stir our hearts to live "dangerously, obsessively, and undeniably" for Jesus.

As I read this I saw pictures in my mind of H2O kids worshiping and ministering and not being ashamed of their "need" for God in their lives. I believe that we've been in a cleansing and healing time at H2O and that God is preparing us for a "launching" out into the world that we live. We are to be that group that calls Jesus their all in all and are not ashamed to tell others about them.

This year there is a call to fasting and praying on 07-07-07 and there will be a meeting of young people in Nashville on this date that are gathering to pray, fast and worship on behalf of this nation. As you go through your summer and relax and kick back don't relax your grip on your relationship with God. This is a time like no other for those that are off from school and don't have a lot going on during the summer to get away with God and spend inordinate amounts of time with him. Be jealous of your relationship with Him just as He's jealous for you!


"Follow Me" -Jesus

I'm Back! Bali is Burning with the Fire of God. We released "The Burn" which was a 24 hours of worship to bring the presence of the Lord. Indonesia, the largest Muslim nation in the world has caught this and now they are continuing "The Burn" after we are gone. I'm amazed at how God knitted together the hearts of leaders from all over Bali and our team to proclaim that God is going to re-claim this island nation for His own once again. The grip of the enemy is loosened and God's light is penetrating the darkness!

We saw people from all walks of life. Hindu, Muslim, and ex-patriots come face to face with the one true living God through worship.

There is a scene that I won't easily forget that I want to share with you. We started worshiping right on the steps of a large shopping complex that is situated right on the beach. The next thing we know, there are literally hundreds of people gathered listening and experiencing worship. Sean talked with some of the people as we continued to play and asked them what kind of music that we were playing and they replied, "healing music!" People recognized God's healing and love through the worship that was poured out. God wanted to show Himself through our little group of worshipers, and He did!

Another snapshot was at a conference we were playing at. A mother who's son was about to be sentenced to death because of drug trafficking came to this meeting desperate for God to move on her sons behalf. and asked us to pray for her. She begged us to pray that God would spare her son's life. I'll be honest that I felt that it was a hopeless cause and that it would take a miracle for God to change the courts hearts in this matter. Well, the heavens opened as we prayed and God heard our prayers and now this young man will not get the death sentence! How awesome is that? In addition to that his mom invited Christ in her heart and she's serving today at an orphanage! I believe that this whole family will come to the saving knowledge of Jesus! God is amazing and awesome.


We ministered at many different churches and God totally opened the door for His purposes to be fulfilled. We also had some fun but even in the midst of fun God showed up. I had a chance to witness to several Balinese people while just sitting on the beach. God also used some of our team as they played a worship set at of all places, the Hard Rock Cafe'. God brought "The Burn" to many that had never stepped into a church before!

We also saw God's faithfulness as we tried to ride some of the most amazing waves in the world. God saved me from being swept away by a rip current that totally caused me to cry out to God and He heard my prayer and needless to say I was able to paddle back to safety. Thanks, God!

During "The Burn" I was able to play guitar for over four hours (my fingers are still burning blaze!) God totally used every worship team to minister to Himself as we totally exalted His name. This was a testimony of the body of Christ coming together and doing what we were created to do. To proclaim God's greatness! Thanks so much for all that supported this effort and the effects will not soon fade! It's only the beginning. It'll keep growing and soon the whole world will see God through His people worshipping Him in Spirit and in truth.

I'm getting on the plane in a 1/2 of an hour. I'll be offline for a while. I am keeping a journal and I know that this is going to be an awesome trip. God's preparing us for great things. Each of us. Those that are staying behind and praying have a part to play. Those that supported us financially have enabled each of us to go. Those that are on the trip are prepared to be instruments to be used however God sees fit.

I've got that funny feeling in my stomach like you get when you are at the top of the hill of a giant roller coaster and you are about to start down the hill! It's a thrill to be a part of what God's doing.

Will be back online in a few days! I will keep you all updated....

T-minus five days and counting until I head out to Bali, Indonesia with Sean Feucht and a crew of worshipers to join together to worship together and seek the face of God for the people of Bali.

I'm praying that God works miracles and shows Himself strong through His body of believers in Bali. We are there to encourage the ones that are working full time to reach their Indonesian brothers and sisters.

I just found out that Beto Taverez, a missionary that our H20 Missions team will be visiting in Brazil this summer will actually be in Bali the same time I am. God is calling his worshipers together to make a difference in this land!

Please pray for us while we are gone on this trip. God is pulling everything together and I'm truly am blessed to be a part of where God is at work!

Last week I received some news about a long time friend. She and her family members went up in a small plane in Florida and during the flight, went off course, ran into some wires and crashed. No one survived. She was my age and was in my youth group at the church I grew up in. Just last month she buried her mom and now this. The family members surviving those that were on that plane are in shock as you can well imagine. This Saturday we are gathering to remember her life at her funeral.

I remember getting the email and thinking, "why?" Why did my friend's life get cut short? Our lives are so precious, so brief, like a breath on a winter morning that you can see for a moment and then it disappears. My thoughts turned to my family. I am about to get on a plane to Indonesia in a few days to share the gospel in Bali. I thought of how I'm leaving Missy and the kids for thirteen days. I thought about the fact that if I get on that plane that I might not see them again.

The only solace that came to me was the fact that God has things He wants me to accomplish in this life and He's not going to call me home until I get those things accomplished! He's in control. I can't live in fear. I need to live in that place where I know I'm in God's hands.

Psalm 119:50
My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.

-andy

There is power when someone confesses the name of Jesus. A number of years ago a good friend of mine took a detour from his walk with Christ. He became very distant from youth group and I sought him out and he became very defensive and said that there was nothing I could do or say that would convince him to change.
As he was walking out of my office I told him that he was right. Nothing I could tell him would change his mind but I reminded him about the power of prayer and said that I would be carving out time every day just to pray for him. It worked. Six weeks later he came back to my office and said he was ready to make a change. He was heavily involved in drugs and he had a tough road ahead of him. We prayed and fasted together and asked God for a miracle.

As we were praying one day I felt compelled to tell him to confess Jesus. I told him to start confessing Christ to those friends that were dragging back into that world. Two things happened. Many were unable to handle that name when he confessed Christ before them and they ceased being his friends. Others wanted to know more. With that confession of Christ this young man was set free of the addiction to drugs. But that's not the end of the story. Many of his friends that he confessed the name of Jesus to wanted to know more. They desired to be free too.

Today this young man just graduated from seminary and is now a pastor. God is so faithful. He's in the business of redeeming those who need redeeming. Confession of Christ, yeah, it's good for the soul!

11-12 You did it: you changed wild lament
into whirling dance;
You ripped off my black mourning band
and decked me with wildflowers.
I'm about to burst with song;
I can't keep quiet about you.
God, my God,
I can't thank you enough. Psalm 30:11-12 (message)

God wants us to be missional. He wants us to reach out beyond our borders to share what we know to be true in our own lives.

I have a saying at the bottom of my emails that says, "the light that shines the farthest shines the brightest at home." tonight after youth group I was thinking about how much I desperately want us to fulfill the call that God has for each of our lives. We have committed ourselves at H2O to be life long disciples of Jesus and we've committed to bringing others along with us. It's that simple. But it means we have to choose everyday to be obedient to that commitment.

This past week @ H2O we talked about the "Water Girl" or the "Woman at the Well". Jesus had a divine encounter with her and she ended up getting "clipped" by Jesus and she was changed forever. He read her "mail" and she knew this was not your average Jewish guy asking a Samaritan woman for a drink. The interesting thing that I continue to marvel at is the fact that she couldn't contain this experience she had with Jesus. She was so amazed and then she took the news that the Messiah is here among us and became the first missionary by telling that good news to everyone she could! Have you been touched by God in this way? Has He totally disarmed you by exposing truth about your life? Have you aloud him to dispense grace that abounds for all of us today? Open your heart and let God change you forever.

Are you feeling depressed? I am. In the past three weeks I've been on a Spiritual high. It started with our amazing sermon series that Pastor Rich was doing on Secrets. God really used this to touch many people's lives in our church. The following weekend H2O Youth went to Acquire the Fire and we were ushered into the presence of the Holy Spirit and God worked in so many miraculous ways. We had an incredible worship night the following Sunday and then it all culminated last weekend with the nailing of our sins to the cross. Sunday night and the kids gave testimonies of how God moved in their lives in the past three weeks and were challenged or "dared" to be truthful with God and with each other.

It was like riding one long continuous wave. And now the wave has come and gone and I'm coming up for breath and am feeling a little depressed. The weight of the world is felt once again now that the rush of adrenaline is over. I live for those moments that I'm with God and He feels like He's right next to me but I also know I have a responsibility to live for Him even when I am not "feeling" His presence as intensely.

A former first lady was dealing with depression while her husband was in office. This became public knowledge and a reporter was asking how she was dealing with it. She told the reporter that the way she got out of that depression was to focus on others. She started volunteering in the DC public schools helping kids with reading. Gradually, as she got her mind off of her problems and concentrating on helping others she was healed of her depression.

Someone once told me that we have one life to live. There's our born date and then eventually there'll be a date that we'll leave this world. In the middle of that is a dash. It's what we do in the "dash" that God cares about. Whether that means we are on a Spiritual high and feeling like God is right next to you or you are just being faithful and "being Jesus" for someone. God wants you to know that He's with you and He's given us the Holy Spirit to guide us and comfort us when we need comforting.