2:45AM

This evening I was recovering from the flu, I was eating my saltines and drinking gatorade and hot tea to try and settle my messed up stomach.  I tried watching Monday Night Football which has always been a real sleep aid especially when it's the forty niners vs. the cardinals.  Well, I watched the whole game. Missy came in to see how I was doing and then went to go sleep in the guest bedroom.  She's so good to me letting me have the bed!  I watched the late late news and that only made me more awake.  My Facebook was calling so I answered a few messages and tried to communicate with my daughter downstairs but she was busy with homework.

Finally everyone trudged upstairs and drifted off to sleep.  The house was dead.  I walked back downstairs to get some more hot tea.  No sound in the house.  I turned on the stove and you could hear the electricity pulsating when the range top came on it was so quiet.  I waited, waited, for the tea pot to boil.  It seemed like it took forever.  I waited some more but still it hadn't come to a boil.  I almost grabbed some water from the tap and put in my mug and set the microwave then all of a sudden the tea pot came to boil.  It roared to life and I ran across the room so it wouldn't whistle and wake up the house.

Someone tonight emailed me and reminded me that I still had something in my possession. (thanks Karen)  It's called Hope.  And it dawned on me.  That kettle is like hope.  I wait and wait and wait and it looks like nothing is happening, yet inside there are little bubbles forming on the bottom of it's surface, yet I can't see them.  I can't hear them, I am still waiting.  But, just when I think that all Hope is lost, that tea kettle roars to life. Hope has always been there it just needs the right ingredients to show itself strong.  God is my hope and my strength and He can be yours today as well.  Just ask, and he will come.  Relinquish the reigns of your life that you hold on so dearly and let him gently lead you.  Call Him Father, call Him Master.  He will not let you down, He will never stop loving you.   He is our Hope.

Ups and Downs

What does it look like for someone looking for employment?  It comes in waves.  One month ago there was a flurry of activity.  I was on an emotional high.  I attended a motivational speaking conference at the Verizon Center in D.C. with a good friend and his church staff.  We listened to Zig Zigler and he gave one of his famous quotes, "Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street."  I walked out of there pumped.  On the metro ride home I got an email from a church saying that I was one of the top three candidates for job search for them that started out with 95.  I was one of the top three.  I was excited, full of expectancy hoping that this finally will be the one. I walking on air!

So what's next?  I recently watched a skit done by Conan O'brien and in the skit his wife is yelling at him to find a job and he replies, "I don't know how!"  The rest of the skit is Conan trying to work at a fast food place and working as a birthday clown and not being very successful as either.  It was pretty funny.   Conan was meant to be a talk show host.  I was meant to speak life to the next generation.  Maybe I should stop looking for a job in network TV and look for a basic cable company to hire me. I could relate. I needed a good laugh!  

Fast forward one month later.  The interview went well.  But last week I got the email I was dreading.  They picked one of the other two candidates.  The church leaders will meet with him next month for an on site interview.  If for some reason he doesn't work out I'd be back in the running.

I was telling someone yesterday that this time of my life has been the lowest of lows.  But even in this low place, I know that God is with me.  Even when I feel forsaken, I know that I am not, because God's word promises that I'm not.  Today you may be in a tough spot as a leader.  Maybe you feel all alone and no one understands your situation, but God does.  He loves you and will never forsake you.  Reach out to Him in your time of need and He will comfort you with the Holy Spirit.   Stand on His promises today.  Redemption and restoration is right around the corner.  And keep that sense of humor, it's critical!

Satisfied?

Today I was getting a message together that deals with knowing who God is. As I was preparing I thought of a song that seems to be ageless. It's a song by the Rolling Stones called Satisfaction.  Of course we all know the chorus, "I can't get no...satisfaction."  It's a catchy tune.  I heard it when I was a little kid and when I hear the first few notes from the lead guitar I know exactly what song it is.

Knowing God.  Who is He?  Is there a verse or a chorus of a song that makes you say, "That's who God is"? As my thoughts turned towards Him this morning I thought of a song.  A simple song with simple lyrics.  "There is no one like you.  No one like you.  No one like you, Jesus."  Just a few words but very meaningful.  If I believe the words of this song, then I should truly be satisfied.  Satisfaction comes from knowing Him.  So, if you aren't getting any satisfaction, then maybe you are looking for it in the wrong place.

There is a saying, "Know God, Know Peace, No God, No Peace.  Satisfied?"

Hope Springs Eternal

This is an excerpt from my journal a couple of weeks ago.  I tell you, this job hunt thing is so unbelievable.  I spend many hours of searching and then sending out resume's and then waiting, waiting, waiting.  Last week I interviewed for a position that literally had 95 applicants.  They whittled it down to three and I ended up being one of the three.  I'm praying for God's patience and wisdom.  I've been at that interview stage about three times now where I make it to the top three and then they pick one of the other two.  Anyhow, to all of you out there looking for work in their field, I am with you and am praying that today you will receive the Word from God that will encourage you to keep plugging away.

A couple of weeks ago:

"Today was an amazing roller coaster ride of emotions.  A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog about something I was so sure of that was lost.  Well, there was an email that showed up in my inbox that gave me a 2nd chance at a hope.  It resurrected the possibility of something I thought was already gone.  And then, just like that there was another email that came in my inbox just a few hours later and dashed that bit of hope regarding this particular job opportunity.  I really questioned why God allowed this to happen.  Why would he get my hopes up and then "boom!" I'm back where I was a few hours later.  But after much thought and contemplation over this, I realize that Hope Springs Eternal.  In this life "in between" there will be things I will be able to look back on and see the lessons learned.  I also see how God is preparing me for that next big thing that he wants me to do.

Hope Springs Eternal.  My hope isn't in a job, a ministry, or a person place or thing.  My hope is in Him, period.  My hope is in you, Lord.  Today I realized my hope was in the position, not in Him.  I had to do an adjustment on how I am looking at this process.  This is indeed an amazing journey of trust.  My life truly is a crazy adventure but all along the way God is giving us what we need to sustain us."

Jeremiah 29:11

Follow Up To This Morning's Post

A year ago I blogged some ideas for parents as they enter into the purposeful world of designing time into their busy schedule to get one on one with their kids.  "Just Do It"!

One of the things I shared with my parents on Sunday night was the fact that we need to spend priority time with our kids, but a lot of us are asking ourselves, "what does that look like?" Here's some rules for priority time with your children that will help you get started.
1. Find common ground
2. Make sure there is no agenda
3. Keep it outside of your home
4. Do it without friends
5. Put it on the calendar
6. Stay flexible
7. Remember your goal is not to CHANGE them.
8. Keep working on it (even when it doesn't seem to be going well)
9. Use it as an opportunity to give your teenager one thing...

What is that one thing? "the gift of approval" You as a parent are the only one that can give them this! You know your child better than anyone. You've seen them at their best and at their worst. If you believe in them after all that, they know "your approval" is REAL!

A Weekend Away, Can Make All The Difference

Our family is our treasure.  What we pour into them will be what's passed on to their children and their children's children.

Not too long ago I took Zach to VA Beach to participate in a football tournament.  We packed up the camper and headed south.  It was a long drive so we spent a lot of time talking about dreaming of being a pro football player, the trials of elementary school, the love of God, fear of thunderstorms, girls (yes, girls!)and well, life.  These are the things you won't find out from your kids unless you spend some quality time with them.

Each day we have with our kids is a gift.  Be purposeful with your kids this week.  Schedule a time with each of your kids just to "be" with them.  Make them feel special.  Let them know how much you love them.  Show them what God's love looks like.  Show them the Father heart of God.  What does that look like? Just remember what love is.

 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.  (I Corinthians 13:4-7)

Lift your eyes up to the heavens

Have you ever had that sick feeling in your stomach when you receive news about something that was less than favorable?  This past week I had some news come into my inbox and it literally made me feel like I was going to get sick.  How could I be so sure of something just one week before?

I know when I call on Jesus name my life changes.  My attitude changes.  When I lift my eyes to the heavens my perspective changes.  A friend of mine went to Williamsburg recently and went through one of those hedge mazes.  Our lives are like that. We can only see from the ground level.  We can't see what's around the corner.  But God sees from a heavenly perspective.  He sees the "maze" of our lives and we can trust him when he leads us to the left or right.  When we receive news that seems less than favorable we can look to the heavens and know that God sees the big picture.  Lift your eyes up and you'll catch a glimpse of the one who can see our lives and can order our steps.  Thanks God, for ordering my steps this week.  I trust in you that you are going to lead me on....

A Night on the Town

Last night we went to downtown D.C. We hopped on the Metro, took a walk in Chinatown and then ate at Five Guys.  After that we headed across town to the Mall and watched the Army Band play and then walked to the Lincoln Memorial. We had a blast!  Who would have thought that such a simple thing an impromptu dinner, a free concert, and a walk to a memorial would get so many "thank you's" at the end of the night!  Thanks Zach for wanting to go to the Mall tonight!

My Final Horizons Church Sunday night @ H20

Last night reminded me how blessed I am to have been a part of Horizons for these past four years.  I don't want it to end but I know we need to move on.  First of all, thanks to all my Horizons church friends and family that have totally blessed us last night.  The surprise birthday cake and flowers and gifts were awesome! And, yes, Keiko thanks for adding some Hawaiian flavor to the night!  You all are truly a blessing 

I pray that God has used me in some small way to help each of you at Horizons to fall in love with Jesus and to understand his enormous love for all of us.  In worship and in youth, my prayer is that all of you will Go for God with all that you have and share that passion with as many people as possible in this generation. 

I am hopeful that the next time you read this blog it will be full of the fresh ideas that God has been laying on my heart for the next generation and the place where Missy and I will be serving next.  Tune in!  It's gonna be awesome!

-andy

Messiah 2010 Update

Messiah Camp 2010

Just a quick note.  We went to Messiah Camp 2010 with high expectations and guess what?  God met or exceeded every expectation.  God is a great God.  He's a supernatural God that does supernatural things.  This morning I was reading an email from one of our parents and he was marveling at the fact that the feedback from camp wasn't how great all the cool the amazing activities were (and they were off the charts!) but how awesome worship was, how amazing devotional time was and how God was transforming their lives and the lives of their friends during ministry time.  God is a great God.  We met our creator this weekend and He loves us, O how He loves us.  Thanks, God!

It's Summer Time!

I'm a summer time kinda person!  It's my favorite time of year.  I love the sunshine, I love the beach, days at King's Dominion and I can't wait to get to camp this year!  Messiah 2010 is shaping up to be one of the most memorable ever.  It is definitely the highlight of my summer! 

I'm feeling a bit nostalgic as you can imagine.  There are emotions, memories of the amazing things that have taken place in the past four years of being here at Horizons Church.  There's a part of me that wishes it never had to end.  Yet, there is a part of me that can't wait to put my hand to a new project that God has for me.  One of Maggie's friends from school came over tonight and we were reminiscing about the first year she came to camp.  We were laughing about some things but also recognized that it was one of the most life changing weeks that any of us had ever experienced.  The presence of the Lord was there.  It was amazing and many people that had no interest in God, acknowledged Him and walked through the steps of salvation and surrendered their lives to Christ by the end of that week.  Every year has it's stories.  Every year has it's amazing testimonies of what the Lord did.  

Pray for our kids this year that they would have an expectation of what camp can be if they turn their gaze upon Jesus Christ.  Pray that their hearts will be open as the Lord speaks.

Ecclesiastical Thoughts

I have been going through Ecclesiastes in my daily Bible reading, and no I'm not contemplating the meaninglessness of life!  In the midst of this book, there's a lot of wisdom to be gleaned.  In Ecc. 6:10 it says that "Everything has already been decided.  It was known long ago what each person would be.  So there's no use arguing with God about your destiny".


I believe that!  I witnessed history yesterday when the U.S. National Team pulled out a last minute goal to get them to the next level of the World Cup.  Landon Donovan's goal was something that was amazing!  God reminded me as I was watching that he knows our destiny.  He spoke it before we were even born!  There is a promise that God has given each of us.  We were born for a purpose.  And that purpose is to glorify Him in everything we do.  You have destiny! 

Monday Morning Ramblings...

I looked at myself in the mirror last night.  I looked old and I looked very tired!  I had just come off of a 30 hour famine Friday and Saturday with some of my awesome H20 friends and then lead worship for two services on Sunday morning and then did H20 youth service Sunday evening! The whole weekend was such a blessing!  So many lives were touched and changed by God because a few people decided to go and be like Jesus. But man, am I tired! 

So, after all of the busyness of the weekend wears off, here I am at the Beautiful letdown of Monday.  After searching high and low for four months for new employment I have come up empty.  I am feeling like I am back to square one.  Several opportunities in which I had high expectations simply just didn't pan out.  The timing wasn't right.  I am trusting in God 100%, but so far I don't see what God can see.  My heart is still pumping.  My eyes are squinting to see past the horizon (no pun intended) but I can't.  I'm not supposed to. It is difficult but I am to trust Him explicitly!  Do I?  Do I really believe that God is going to provide all my needs according to His riches and glory or am I going to start carrying a burden that was not meant for me to carry.

A friend posted an update to pray for him to find a job a few months ago.  Some "not so friendly" friend replied back sarcastically that he needed to quit praying and get off his "behind" and find a job.  As I read the reply I felt angry and disappointed that the person didn't get it.  There is a balance.  I have to do all I know to do.  I have to bang on doors, make phone calls, email people I've never even met to let people know I'm looking for a job.  But, the rest is up to God!  Prayers work, and prayers get answered.  It may not be as quickly or exactly the way we envision things working out but God is faithful.

I'm waiting for my Father.  I am waiting...

1 I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
  and he turned to me and heard my cry.2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
  out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
  and steadied me as I walked along.3 He has given me a new song to sing,
  a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
  They will put their trust in the Lord 
Psalm 40:1-3 NLT

What Kind of Inheritance Are You Leaving?

Yesterday I was checking my facebook and I was noticing that there was a lot of profanity in a number of posts.  It really bothered me.  When I started thinking about it, I realized how many lives are touched in positive and negative ways on Facebook.   In Proverbs there is a great verse that says, "A good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children.  Some fathers may look at that verse and call up their investment broker and start a fund for college.  I want to challenge you to leave a legacy of eternal value.  What kind of inheritance are you leaving for your child?  Your grandchild? The words you speak, and the way you live your life is a legacy.  Everything that flows out of your mouth or typed on a Facebook page is a part of that Legacy.  What kind of legacy are you leaving today? One that is poisonous and hurtful or one that speaks life to other people.

Finding Your Voice

Everyone has something burning inside of them.  What is your passion?  God's given each of us a dream and a voice.  As a youth pastor I see a lot of Juniors and Seniors start to wonder "What am I going to do with my life"?  Here's five easy steps that we can do to find that thing that God wants you to do.


 How to find your voice:

• What is it that God wants you to do?  Eric Liddell in the movie "Chariots of Fire" was asked the question, "Why do you run?"  He answered, "I believe God made me for a purpose but he also made me fast.  And when I run I feel God's pleasure."  What is it that gives you that sense that when you do it you feel God's pleasure?
• You need to be talented at it.  We've all seen American Idol and people that thought they could sing.  Are others affirming that you are good at it?
• Start to find out everything about it.  When you are passionate about something it drives you to be the student of that thing and learn as much as you can about it. 
• It probably scares you a little bit.  If you think it's in you, go for it!  Why can't we as Christians be the best at it, fulfilling our purpose for this generation?
• You need to find people that believe in you.  At 16 God spoke to me about my purpose to work with Youth.  After that encounter with God I spent a lot of time with my youth pastor asking questions and wanting to know as much as possible about how to be an effective leader.

Let's not wait until tomorrow but identify that place that God wants me to be right now.  That is the place where I can start to hone the skills of what my call is going to be.

Dreams

Have you ever had a dream that is so big that it makes you shudder whenever you think about it?  Maybe it even makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up whenever you think about it?

In Genesis, Joseph is a guy that I admire. Early on in his life he was given a dream.  A dream that took years to see fulfilled.   He had to go through so much before He really understood the big picture, but he never gave up and believed, and ultimately, "Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” Joseph had to endure years of setbacks but all the while he trusted God, and eventually he saw the dream come to pass.

I have never been more confident that God is ordering our steps as we follow His lead.  Sometimes it's easy to question whether God is in something or not.  I believe that the best is yet to come!  If you are a child of God you can have every confidence that He is going to lead you and care for you and love you into that next big thing that He wants you to do.  So dream big!  Don't shy away from it!  Embrace God's will for you life today!

All Of God's Promises Are True

I'm reading through Bible in a year and I read Joshua 23:14 this morning.  http://read.ly/Josh23.14.NLT   14 "Soon I will die, going the way of everything on earth. Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the Lord your God has come true. Not a single one has failed!"  God is faithful.  Period.  Not a single promise he makes has failed.  


Today, as I am waiting on Him, I hear Joshua's words echoing in my ears this afternoon.  Every promise that He has for me will come to pass.  It's been passed on from Moses to Joshua to the next generation. 


As we prepare to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ this Sunday, remember that He is a faithful God. He died and then rose from the dead just for you!  All of His promises won't let go of you!

What's Important

About a week ago, my dad encouraged me to start being more proactive in my kids spiritual life.  I was humbled by that.  I didn't say anything out loud but I was like, "Hey, I'm a pastor and I'm living a spiritual life as an example to my kids!"  I don't know if it was the Lord (Okay, yes it was!) or not but all of a sudden I started noticing little things about my kids.  Things that had been left unchecked and I had "put up with" as a parent.  It wasn't their fault.  I had gotten a little lax in my parenting.  Call it being tired at the end of the day and expecting Missy to "handle" some of those kinda things.  It happens to all of us. 

So, the Rogers' family is starting a new habit of reading a passage in God's Word and seeing how it applies to our lives.  I know, elementary, right?  But, how many of us have gotten out of the habit of being in His Word as a family?  I was kinda wondering whether or not whether my kids would see this as just a chore rather than a privilege.  I have to admit there was a rolling of the eyes at the beginning and at first they were just listening but then my High School daughter started observing literary devices that the author used in Proverbs. (yes!)  My middle school son sighted how Proverbs wisdom can be applied to everyday life.  My youngest son on finding out that we'd be reading the Bible at dinner brought his bright orange New Testament that a Gideon gave him at a Baccalaureate service last year and opened up to the passage I was reading.

So, I will check in a month when spring sports are in full swing to update how things are going! 

Seasons

There have been a lot of emails and questions about my departure from Horizons.  I just wanted to get this out so that there isn't any confusion.  After being given all the details of the direction change for staffing at Horizons, I agree that there needs to be changes.  There is no animosity between Pastors Rich, or Jay nor the leadership of the church.  We all recognized there needs to be a change.

Horizons is growing and with growth comes some decisions.  Decisions are never easy especially when it comes to church staffing.  We feel that the past four years have been amazing here at Horizons.  I know that God has used this experience here to help me grow as a leader.  I've watched two ministries grow and flourish and feel privileged to have been a part of it!  A wise pastor once told me that I always need to take into account that all things are seasonal.  My hope and trust is in Jesus and I know that when one season ends, another season begins. 

Currently God is already showing himself faithful.  Some opportunities are opening up and I'm excited to see where God plants us next.  Life is an adventure and the best is yet to come, for Horizons and the Rogers' family.

Thanks again for your prayers and support. Please continue to pray for my family as we seek God for what the next step is for us.

See you on Sunday!

-Andy

Is Anything Too Hard For The Lord?

 13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, `Can an old woman like me have a baby?'14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son." Genesis 18:13-14


Have you ever been in a situation that looks so big or so out of the ordinary that you didn't think that it was possible that it would come to pass?  Sarah was in that situation.  God spoke to her regarding his plans for her to have a baby and her immediate reaction was to laugh because it sounded so impossible.  I understand her situation.  There have been many times where I have had a crisis of belief and my first reaction is to laugh.



I love God's reply.  Before Abraham could even answer the question, "why", God said, "Is there anything too hard for the Lord?"  It all points back to how we view God.  Do we believe that God can do something that seems impossible?  Seek God for your life and trust him.  Is anything too hard for the Lord?

Dream Big, The Best Is Yet To Come

Here we are, almost a month into 2010 and God is at work.  As I have been praying I get the hairs on the back of my neck sticking up and a sense of anticipation that the best is yet to come.  Our days are numbered.  I know that's a little morbid thinking that we only have a certain amount of time on the earth to make an impact for Christ.  I feel that God is going to give us opportunities to be Jesus in 2010.  What are you doing to be  Jesus today?  Dream Big!  Don't let a day go by that you don't ask God to be used by Him!  And watch out, if you ask, He will answer!

It's All in How You Look At Things

Last night we went to a Department store to do a little Christmas shopping with the family.  Somehow we ended up taking a detour though.  There was a need for outfits for Christmas.  My son is having his first band concert of the year and he needed black pants, white shirt and a tie.  My daughter is taking a field trip to see a play with her school and is in desperate need of getting a dress.  She has grown significantly and literally has no dresses that fit.

We quickly found something for my son but my daughter and my wife were taking a looong time trying on clothes and trying to put together an outfit.  My job at the end of the night was to try and figure out how to keep a 9 and 11 year old boy occupied without tearing apart the store.  After they played hide and seek they got bored.  I suggested that we sit on the benches by the exit.  They were not excited about this at first.  They sat there and started counting the number of people exiting the store.  I had this bright idea to have them say Merry Christmas to each person that walked by.  Well, they counted every person that came by and told each and every one of them Merry Christmas. The count was 85 when we left and just about that many left the store with a smile on their face last night.  When plans change, don't get upset, (like I did!) look for a God moment.  Last night we found our God moment. 

Thanks Giving Thankfulness

After a wonderful day of eating turkey and my mom's special whipped potatoes I realized that we are so blessed to have the families that love one another. The more people I talk to, I realize our families are an anomaly. We had my folks and Missy's folks over, yes, at the same time! No two meals for us. Our families get along and love hanging out together. I'm so thankful for family that is easy going and can get along with practically anyone. All of us share the common bond of Jesus Christ and while we don't necessarily agree on everything, we all agree that God is the most important things in our lives. Thankful? Yes. Yes I am!!!

it was a good night

Tonight was a great night. We met with our H20 leaders and sat around eating sushi and Brazilian barbecue. We told funny stories and laughed til our sides hurt. We brainstormed some ideas for youth group as well. As I looked around the table I thought to myself that I really love these guys. In years past we've had some great leadership groups but this one by far is one of my favorites. They've come from all over world and God's brought them here to Stafford, VA to minister to this group of kids. It's truly amazing and I'm amazed at how God is truly using each of them to be an example and a friend to our kids. Come out to H20 this Sunday night to experience God through these amazing leaders!

Rethink came out with a great sermon series called GodView. It rocked my world and it really helped my kids think through their view of God and how they approach Him.

This week we talked about how our view of God can become distorted if we aren't careful. When we ask God for something and he says no, do we tend to doubt God is who he says he is? God is God and his purposes will prevail. He's our dad and He wants the best for us! We won't be disappointed if we see our lives in God's hands.

One of my favorite songs of all time is Blessed Be The Name. It talks about how we should call God blessed no matter what. In the good times and the bad. The bridge of the song says, You give and take away...blessed be your name. That line is coming from someone who's been through the ups and downs of life and recognizes their life is in God's hands.

My prayer today is that everyone of our students (and adults) get this and apply it to our life. What is your Godview?

The Butterfly Effect:

In my last post I shared with you how God moves when we worship. Two weekends ago we had 24 hours of worship and that was amazing. All over the planet there were cities and communities worshiping together asking God to move in this generation! As we worshiped and interceded throughout the night God moved on our hearts. God spoke words of encouragement to us and I believe His promises are being fulfilled in this generation.

After a massive event of historic significance, there is a cause and effect that is set in motion. We are seeing the after effects of our offering of Praise and Worship. Each team brought a fragrant offering to Lord. Now, two weeks after the event, we are seeing those effects. God is at work!

Last weekend we had 25 people moved by the Holy Spirit to get baptized. We preached a simple message about baptism and people responded. I believe this response has a direct connection to the 24 hours of worship and intercession that took place the week before. Do you desire to see the Lord work in your church, community and city?

"14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. 16 I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there" (2 Chronicles 7:14-16).

Let's humble ourselves today and ask the Father to show himself strong in the coming days.

This weekend we will be gathering together as a body of believers to worship for 24 hours. All over the planet there will be communities of believers that are gathering together at the same time. If this sounds like a long time to worship, it is. But the payoff is that we are connecting the body of Christ at large to come together to acomplish something no one team or church could accomplish on our own.

When we worship we see breakthrough. By design we are created to worship. Our desire is to see God lifted up in every town, every city and that they will know and see God. Habakuk 2:14 says "That the knowledge of the Glory of the Lord would cover the earth as the waters cover the seas." That image is so powerful.

Over the summer I had the chance to spend a week at the outer banks. I spent every morning praying and reading the word as the sun came up over the Atlantic. I thought about how that body of water is a connection point to Europe, Africa, Asia and beyond! My prayer is that each of these points of worship would be a light that shine in that community but would be bright enough to see to the horizon. People would be drawn to the light and know that God is good.

John 4:23 says "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks."

Horizons Church is a house of worship. My prayer is that it would be filled with true worshipers. God seeks those who worship in spirit and in truth. May God seek you today as you connect with Him!

The Rest Of The Story...

Since last Spring, Missy and I have been going through a rough time waiting on God. She was looking for a job for the '09-'10 school year. The beginning of school started and Missy was still without a job. She started substitute teaching and all the while still believing she was going to get hired. I'll be honest, I had my doubts. I felt like that she'd be subbing the rest of the year and maybe, maybe she'd get a job next year. Well, last week while she was subbing at a school she got not one interview but three interviews for three different schools. Out of the blue, there were three positions and she had the pick of the three! Once again, God was like, "Hey, I told you to trust me!" Are you trusting Him today?

Dash

The older I get the more I realize that yes, God cares about us finishing well but he also cares about the "in between". When you get to the end of your life most likely you'll have a tombstone. There will be a born date (first most significant date in everyone's life. birthdays are pretty sweet!) and the year that you passed, and in the middle is a simple little "dash". Although these two dates are pretty important, God cares about the dash in the middle. He cares about how you lived your life. He cares about the steps it took to get to the finish line of the race. So, today, you may be working for the weekend (I know I do, but I'm a pastor, I'm supposed to!) but what are you doing Monday through Friday to get there? God cares about the destination for sure, but he also cares about the every day stuff before we get there. How are you spending your dash today?

Big Picture: Never Stop Fighting for a Relationship With Your Child

We just completed an XP3 series called the "The Good Fight". I wanted to share with you highlights of what I shared with our parents last Sunday evening. I am committed to building teams of leaders to encourage your kids to have a good relationship with their Heavenly Father as well as have a good relationship with their parents. We are going for God and not leaving anyone behind.

As a parent of two teenagers myself, I am realizing that my kids are moving from dependence on me to independence. I am moving from being the authority to being the influence in my kids lives. I have learned that it's not an easy transition. I am constantly battling from holding onto the reigns and letting go and giving them opportunities under my umbrella of protection to make wise and sometimes unwise choices.

One of the things I shared with my parents on Sunday night was the fact that we need to spend priority time with our kids, but a lot of us are asking ourselves, "what does that look like?" Here's some rules for priority time with your children that will help you get started.
1. Find common ground
2. Make sure there is no agenda
3. Keep it outside of your home
4. Do it without friends
5. Put it on the calendar
6. Stay flexible
7. Remember your goal is not to CHANGE them.
8. Keep working on it (even when it doesn't seem to be going well)
9. Use it as an opportunity to give your teenager one thing...

What is that one thing? "the gift of approval" You as a parent are the only one that can give them this! You know your child better than anyone. You've seen them at their best and at their worst. If you believe in them after all that, they know "your approval" is REAL!

Decide today to: make the first move with your child. It may seem awkward, it may seem messy, but it's a process! Don't stop trying...make the first move over and over!

The final thing to remember is to realize that you are not alone! There are other parents that are dealing with the same issues that you are. Find out whats working and not working with other parents @ H20.

Never Give up! God doesn't give up on us! Don't give up on your kids!

Busyness of the Summer (Why is there a smile on my face? Read on to find out!)

Most people's summers are a little more "chill" and laid back. My summers as a youth pastor are one of the busiest times of the year. We met on Sunday nights and added a mid week "Wacky Wednesday" event night which consisted of Madden tournaments, open gym nights, bonfires, a dodgeball tournament, laser tag, a senior high beach trip, and a pool party just to name a few of the awesome things we did. Small groups, and Bible studies continued to meet. Yes, all this and not to mention our week long Messiah Camp and our NYC Missions Trip! Wow, such a great summer!

So why the smile on my face? Because, I got to witness so many instances of life change. Kids that didn't want anything to do with the church or God at the beginning of the summer are now head over heals in love with Jesus and now are devouring His Word. Yes, kids that are hungry for a life that is fulfilling and are finding it through a relationship with Jesus and other Christ Followers! What a wonderful summer! And I can't wait for the Fall! Horizon's H20 Youth is a great place to call home!

Wanna get plugged in? Come to the Fall H20 KickOff, Wednesday, Sept. 2nd @ my house. Dog's n Burgers and a slip and slide! What more could you ask for!?

-Andy

It's Been A While...

This morning I woke up @ 6:30AM and my heart was heavy. I have a lot of things on my mind and my brain was already on overload even though I just woke up. I woke Missy up and told her to get her dressed, we were going to go do a work out. When I am distraught or worried there's a little three mile circuit that I do to pray through things that are weighing me down. There's something about getting outdoors and away from the computer. (yes, I did carry my Blackberry with me, but that's another story!)

As many of you already know, Missy is looking for a teaching job in Stafford County. And as many of you also know, there aren't that many positions to be filled. Missy filled out the application, been through an interview process, took two classes to get her re certification, and is ready to go. But, at this point it is looking like there just isn't any positions available. With the economy the way it is and there already is a shortage in the education budget there just isn't enough resources to hire new teachers. Needless to say , this is weighing heavily on us.

What do you do when things are in the mix and they are out of your control? If you've done everything that you know what to do and you've done all your homework, you've passed out resume's to everyone you can think of you have to just say, enough. You have to know that you've done it all and now the rest is up to God. God is faithful.

Our hope is in Him, not the circumstances around us. Jer. 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." God gave His people (that's us!) a “gracious promise” (v. 10, NIV) to deliver them, and He would keep His promise. God makes His plans for His people, and they are good plans that ultimately bring hope and peace. Therefore, there is no need to be afraid or discouraged.
In every situation, however, God’s people have the responsibility to seek the Lord, pray, and ask Him to fulfill His promises, for the Word and prayer go together. Are you seeking out God today? Have you asked him to fulfill His promises in you! He is waiting, patiently for you today.

wrestling, and dad stuff

This is my son Zach and I, in the middle of a full out wrestling match. These impromptu matches break out at any moment when I'm home. Zach is awesome. So full of life and so ready to tackle anything in his way. Last night we stayed up late and played some Xbox 360. He was already figuring out after the first game how many more points he had scored, and of course he spent the next ten minutes telling everyone how bad he beat me. When I spend time with my kids, I realize I was made to be a dad. I love my kids. This morning I woke up and looked into each of my kids rooms just to get a glimpse of them before I left for work. Along with my wife Missy, my kids are the apple of my eye.

Our heavenly Father feels the same way about you. You are the apple of His eye! That means that well, you are very special to Him! Get to know your Heavenly Father today!

Summer Time Fun!

Wow, we just got back Monday from our NYC Missions Outreach. Our team consisted of mostly H20 Leaders which was awesome! I don't get to spend as much time as I'd like with these guys and it was fun doing something amazing as serving people in New York City! God is awesome and amazing. When you go into a trip like this with an open mind God can do amazing things through you. We spoke with hundreds of people about Jesus and what he did for us. We came back from this trip on a spiritual high.

It's very contagious, being used by God, that is. (I sounded like Yoda there!) It was so evident when we engaged in an exercise known as survey evangelism. Missy and I went up to the first person and I was like, "man I just don't wanna do this!" God gave me the strength and they were very open with us. The next one was even easier than the first and by the time we got to our final person before watching the fireworks on the Hudson River, I could tell God was giving me specific words to speak life into people's lives! I've never been so resistant to something and then have my world turned upside down by God in the next moment like that! Crazy!

I'm excited because Sunday night I get to share the love of Jesus with 65 wonderful kids who are ready to continue their crazy ride with Jesus. We are bringing it on Sunday night! Come and check it out!

there is a place that God has for those that are healing from deep wounds. Its not a retreat away from others. Its reaching out to others in your time of need.

It's always darkest before the dawn

I've heard this phrase many times but never really understood it until I rode out a hurricane a few years back. Missy and I along with 15 of our closest friends at a church in VA Beach went on a Cruise. We decided to "road trip" it down to Miami and then go to the Caribbean. We had a blast. We were 1/2 way there when we got the call saying that because of a hurricane that the boat was unable to get back into port. We decided to wait it out. The hurricane came up the Eastern Seaboard and then took a left right where we were staying. (The picture doesn't lie!) We had a fun hurricane party! The storm got pretty intense and it ended up being a long dark night! We didn't sleep much because of the howling winds, so we consequently were up at dawn. The winds died down and the sun peeked up over the horizon and it was the most beautiful peaceful and comforting thing that I have ever experienced. In the dark fear was gripping me but when that sun popped up, I was so relieved that the storm had past. We enjoyed a great vacation on the cruise ship at reduced rates and were blessed to see God's hand in keeping us safe!

If you are going through a dark time, remember that God's in control and dawn is coming!!!

Today is the Day You Have Made...

I have had a busy couple of weeks where I felt out of control. I had many many unscheduled meetings that caused my days to be "lost" when it came to being productive in the office. What do you do when you start feeling this way? I tend to get with someone that I trust and hang with them, and unload. This is what I did yesterday.

A close friend of mine got together with me for lunch and instantly my world felt better even before we said a word about what was going on in our lives. Why? Because I knew that this friend understood me. He is a pastor and has been in my shoes. We ministered together at a small church. He lead the youth group and I did worship for him. We got in his truck and we went to a place that had the potential for being their next building. We prayed for that, he prayed for us at Horizons and we both took a deep breath and were ready to face the "giants" in our lives!

How do you deal with pressure? A friend of mine once told me that our lives are like a three legged stool. One leg represents "Prayer", one leg represents the "Word", and the other represents "Fellowship". If any one of the legs is missing the stool falls over. We need to find that balance. If you are need of fellowship, find a friend at Horizons. Get in a small group. Get balanced!

Hope to see all of you at the 24 hours of prayer this weekend @ Horizons Church. www.horizons church.com

It's all in how you respond to STUFF

I get an email newsletter called Mikey's Funnies. 95% of the time its filled with cheesy jokes but this story was too good to not pass along.

"One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us.

My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly.

So I asked, "Why did you just do that? That guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!"

This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck."

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage -- frustration, anger, disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you.

Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.

Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't.

Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!"

Good advice. I'm still learning this life lesson myself. Let's put this practical advice to practice today.

-andy

Thankful

Ever looked back one year to see how God has worked in your life? Have you made progress in the 365 days that you are reflecting on? What are you using to measure your successes and failures? One thing I don't do often enough is to look at things through the eyes of thankfulness.

I looked back one year ago and realize that we were going through a really crazy time financially last year. Things were failing left and right in our house and we were literally trying to keep our head above water. We prayed that God would provide. Now, I will be honest with you, I wish that God would have rained down money from heaven but he didn't. What he did do was provide payment plan for our septic system. He provided a way to pay to fix our basement after it flooded and the insurance company decided not to cover it. He allowed an appliance insurance policy to cover replacing a hot water heater and fix a fridge.

Sometimes God doesn't give us the thousands to go out and purchase the biggest and the best, but he does provide just what we need to get through another day, another month or another year. He is faithful. Period.

Continuing to read through the Bible in a year

Five months into anything it's easy to just give up and go on to something else especially when it's something as tedious as reading the Bible in a year! I have been pretty good. There are days however that I've been "catching up" because I've missed a day here and there. But, today I'm caught up and rocking it!

Today I read some really cool stuff in Kings about Elisha and I read the first chapter in Acts. What a privilege it must have been to actually be one of his chosen and actually see Jesus to appear after his death. He spent forty days which seems to be a significant number in a lot of ways in the Bible to show himself and to encourage them. Then he said, adios but told them to wait! Which is what I'm going to do now because I'll continue this conversation later! Seriously read Acts 1 and mull it over and meditate upon it! There is a lot of stuff in this first chapter that will rock your socks off!

If you've stopped "eating an elephant in 2009" I want to encourage you to start again! To me its a great motivator to keep my mind bathed in the Word of God. If you've gotten out of the habit join with me and start here in May and work your way through in a year!

Just lettin everyone know that I'm back on trrack with my blog. I've got so much to share with you. God's been doing some amazing things @ Horizons!

After a few days of rest camping with the family we are heading back to Stafford. It's amazing what a few days away can do to refresh! Now back to prep for Sun!

BABY STEPS

As I look back on my life I see God's imprint on it. Sometimes there were pivotal moments like coming to Faith and the decision to marry Missy and those were incredible moments of asking God for wisdom and having Him open my eyes to see where He wanted me to go next. But there have been times when I have taken steps and I'll be honest, I didn't see the light, and I didn't hear the angels rejoicing! They were tough steps and sometimes I felt like I was walking all alone. There have been those times when I felt nothing. I got up, got showered and dressed went through my day and at the end of the day I felt like saying, "Where was God today?"

It's in those times that I realize that God IS near. He's requiring me to trust in him and not waver in my faith. I need to be obedient to Him even in the mundane. Last month we went through a series dealing with these "baby" steps in our spiritual lives. We all have taken these steps, steps to overcome adversity, sin, all to get closer to God! We can't do it alone. We need each other. We need other believers that help us along the way. They help us stay the course. And when we accomplish a "victory" step even if it's a small step, a mundane step that isn't of epic proportions we need to celebrate the win! It's all for you, God!

Finish Line

There haven't been any blogs in the past two weeks because we have been putting in some serious long hours getting the new Horizons Church Campus in Stafford up and running. While we were working on Saturday someone noticed that the name of the seeding company that was spreading grass seed on the property was named Finish Line (see picture). Those of you who've been here for a while know that our capital campaign was named Finish Line. What a funny coincidence! Last Sunday was our first service and it was rather surreal. Watching so many people respond (we had a record crowd) to the message of Jesus, was unforgettable. It was a powerful fantastic service and God showed up!

I even had some time to chat with some of the workers while we were up here working. We were very blessed to be able to share Christ with many of them and see them take steps toward committing their lives to Christ. I believe that scores of people will come to this place to meet Christ for the very first time and begin a relationship with Him! Workers who had been on the job site for months came to the service on Sunday and worshiped alongside of us! All in all it was an amazing weekend. The fruit of many years of labor!!!

God is Good!

"I Can't Believe My Eye" (this has nothing to do with anything except for a commercial I saw during the superbowl and me playing around with my webcam!)

Today as I was reading Joshua and trying my best to eat an elephant in 2009 (check this group out on Face Book that is a help to read through the Bible in a year) There are so many times that the Israelites were asked to do way crazy stuff back then!

The latest is when they are ready to go into Jericho in Josh 6. The first six days they went around the city walls once a day. They had the band playing, worshipping (trumpets actually) in the front but armed men were protecting from the front and the rear while the whole group walked around the perimeter! Wow. I can imagine that this didn't go unnoticed by the people in Jericho. They already were a little afraid of the Israelites because their reputation has preceded them. The people inside the city were fearful, not because the Israelites were the baddest horde on the block but because of all the cool stuff God had done on their behalf. The surrounding neighbors were getting nervous!

As I read through this I realized that in order for all this to happen God didn't build a highway from Egypt to Jericho and build a bridge that led into the Land of Milk and Honey. He sent them through a process of steps to teach them to trust in the Lord with all of their heart! One step at a time. Not huge leaps but steps. Let's walk today recognizing that God is leading us forward!

I usually blog at the beginning of the week, but here we are and it's Thursday and I'm just now getting to it. Spring in VA! One week we have a wind chill of 8 degrees, snow on the ground and we are sledding then the next week it's 70 degrees and we are out playing ultimate frisbee in shorts!

My heart is full! I'm amazed at what God is doing at Horizons! We are starting to do a new series on Sunday morning called "My Story". Wow, this is going to be powerful! Simultaneously, we are going to be starting a new series called
"Forward Motion" that will totally knock the socks off of everyone and will transform our lives if we apply this stuff! It's gonna be awesome and you need to be there!

Last weekend was an amazing weekend. DTR (you can see them playing(shameless plug) @ Bella Cafe'), a local band who has a heart for worship came and played at H20 Sunday night. God showed up. Period. 45 kids were dialed into God that night! After that we had a friend of mine who grew up in the church I went to in Vienna, VA come and speak. She is a smart girl, William and Mary graduate and loves God with her heart soul and mind. Now she's married, to a wonderful man, Gabriel and they have a mission. A mission to plant churches in South Africa! They spoke life to our group Sunday night! It was amazing. We had a question/answer time at the end of the service and I had to stop the kids from asking questions because we had to break down and get out of the building on time! When is the last time you've seen kids that dialed in!? God's opening the hearts of our kids. There were several that really took a look at what missions is all about and have decided that this is what they want to do with their lives.

Jesus is at work @ H20. Come and see what God is doing. Sunday Nights, 6-8PM @ Colonial Forge HS. Soon to be at our new building! Yeah baby!

A friend from VA Beach gave me a call this afternoon. He's a really cool dude, and loves to worship. He doesn't have a musical bone in his body but I've never seen someone worship with as much enthusiasm and passion as he does. He called me this morning and wanted to share that after a lot of prayer over the course of the last few days that God spoke to him that he's supposed to reach out and be a voice to this generation as an evangelist.

It took me by surprise. He told me God spoke to Him in a vision and revealed this to him. Some of us might say, "Does God still speak like this in the 21st century!?" And I would have to say a resounding yes!

I thought back to when I was sixteen years old I was working as a counselor at a Christian camp for 4-6th graders. It was held at a farm and we totally had a blast swinging on tire swings and swimming and playing star wars with our flashlights in our tents at night. In the middle of the week we were having a meeting and there was a time of prayer. I was in the back of the room and I heard a voice behind me. I thought it was my youth pastor at first but I looked behind me and no one was there. I sat down quietly and I heard the voice again. Basically the message was, "You will be working with young people and many lives will be impacted by you!" I opened my Bible took out a piece of paper and wrote that down and stuck that piece of paper back in my Bible. I think I still have that paper somewhere in a box! It wasn't until I turned 19 a couple of years after high school that I realized this message from God came to pass. I became the Jr. High Youth Leader and worked with our 7-8th grade kids. I am still friends with a lot of those kids in that group. Working with them was so fulfilling and I've never looked back since.

As I read the passage in the Old Testament about Samuel hearing God in the middle of the night I never doubt that he heard God's voice. I've heard it too, and so can you.

Are You Connected?

Looking outside our window at the office last week, it looked like the trees were going to rip from their roots and start rolling down the street. Our electricity started flickering and our server went down twice. Not too long after that I went to a meeting with my student leaders at the Daily Grind and the electricity was completely out there and they were turning people away. The wind evidently had caused trees to come down on power lines and that caused thousands of houses and businesses to lose power.

In Life we can become disconnected. For various reasons friendships and circumstances can come our way that cause us to disconnect from each other and sometimes from God. The thing that we need to realize is that there is always hope for a reconnect. I am finding this out more and more through an amazing resource called Face Book. I have reconnected with literally hundreds of people that I have known over the years. It's pretty cool because I feel like I have a second chance to get to know them again and reconnect with them.

I feel like we all need a vehicle like FB to help us stay connected with each other. But how to do we reconnect with God? Sometimes we may feel like it's too late. Or that We've done something that is unforgivable that our relationship with Him could never be rekindled. God's always there. His arms are open wide and guess what? You don't need a Face Book to reconnect with Him today. All you need to do is dust off that love letter called the Bible and ask Him to speak to you today.

Recently, a friend of mine, Adam Herod www.adamherod.blogspot.com wrote a blog regarding the power of prayer in his life when he was a kid. He encouraged others to chime in with incredible experiences of healing. I want to share this story with you.

I believe that God heals today and I am a product of God's amazing healing touch. When I was three I contracted a blood disease that caused my white blood cells to go all out of wack. The doctors tried many things, and I almost died because of a botched blood transfusion. You can imagine the toll that this had on my mom and dad. It is a disease that has no cure. I was destined to live with it the rest of my life until one day my mom and dad's friend Claire Matthias came into my hospital room and felt compelled by God to lay hands on me and pray for my healing. Out of my mom and dad's desperation they said yes, and this lady prayed over me and in a short time my disease disappeared. The doctors where amazed and told my mom and dad that this was miraculous!

For some reason this disease came back when I was six. I had to stay home from school that year and went to the doctor every day to get my blood checked and was bed ridden for many months. This time my mom and dad's prayer group prayed over me and again, I was healed!

From a very early age I realized that God had a reason for me to live because twice he saved me from certain death. As my friend Adam stated in his blog, I also believe that when we are in the presence of God, amazing things happen. When two or three are gathered in His name He is there! God's will be done.

Anticipation

Perry Noble of New Spring Church just sent a twitter that I thought was worth noting. He says, "The reason there is seldom revelation is because there is often no anticipation...so...what are you anticipating the Lord to do today?"

A lot of our kids at H20 get that. They aren't waiting until H20 services Sunday night. I see them come into service on a Sunday morning and they are ready to receive from God. They are anticipating that God is going to do something that morning! And they aren't afraid to act upon that!

This weekend is one full of anticipation! We are taking forty some kids to Acquire the Fire. Many have brought friends with them in (yes, there's that word again!) anticipation that God is going to meet their friends and experience life change! It's going to be a great weekend! We've been praying and seeking God all week long and we believe that God will reveal himself to many this weekend. Pray for us as we go to Richmond Friday and Saturday. I believe that God has great things in store for us! We are ready for God to do something great! Check this out! http://www.youtube.com/ATFacquirethefire

Sunday morning is coming and Horizons services are going to be amazing. We just had our planning for the order of service yesterday and I am so excited to see how God is going to use each element of the service rock our socks off! So come this Sunday anticipating that God is going to do some great things!

But you don't have to wait until Sunday! "What are you anticipating the Lord to do today?"

a trip down memory lane...

This morning I'm looking outside at the freezing rain. I'm doing my devos and sitting in front our fireplace drinking a cup of coffee. We had an awesome day yesterday sledding and playing games, and watching movies with the kids. It reminds me of how things were when I was a kid on a snow day. We would get our snowsuits on and grab our sleds and walk to our elementary school which had a huge hill. We would trudge up that hill and then throw our sleds down and jump on it and slide down and scream and just have a blast. We'd do this sometimes until late at night. A neighbor would bring a big barrel and started a fire in it so we could warm ourselves before the next run down the hill. Finally we'd make our way back to our house and mom of course, would have steaming hot chocolate ready for us. I don't know how she knew when we were coming back to have that hot chocolate prepared for us but she did. There were no cell phones to call and let her know we were coming home!

Today it's back to reality. We've got a busy weekend ahead of us and thankfully it looks like the weather will clear up for this weekends activities. God's got some great things in store for you this weekend @ Horizons! But you and I need to prepare for those things and get our gear on and hat and gloves and move forward. Some of us may find ourselves trudging up the hill or maybe we've just made it to the top and are ready for the run down the hill. No matter where you are spiritually God is walking beside you leading you to the place that he wants you to be.

"Father, I pray that you would speak to our hearts today through your word and through the circumstances that surround us. Let us be a light for you today! Help us to lead others into a relationship with you today!"

-andy

Last Week:

Last week was a crazy week. My kids loved it because they got off school for two days in observance for Martin Luther King Jr. and the inauguration.

Some of us needed to be in the office and it was cool to catch Obama's swearing in Live on streaming video with CNN/Facebook on my computer. We got to witness history in the making. It was really cool. There was a window that had live coverage and on the right side of the window people were sending messages via Facebook commenting about the event. The awesome thing that I liked about this was the fact that people were connecting with hundreds of people across the nation sharing an event.

I thought Rick Warren did a great job with the prayer and the name of Jesus was proclaimed. Way to go Pastor Rick!

It's next week and we are on our way with a new administration in this land. Please pray for our local and national leaders that God will grant them wisdom to lead this country.

-andy

Kids...

I can remember the days back before I had kids and parents would come up to me as a youth pastor with questions and problems and I remember thinking how silly some of the questions were and how easily they could arrive at a solution to that problem. I thought I knew so much until I brought Maggie home as an infant from the hospital! All of a sudden my life changed dramatically and it gave me a brand new perspective on how my youth group parents handled things! There are so many variables that go into seeing situations clearly. I have memories of how my dad raised me, I have certain fears, moods and that's just me. My wife has a whole other set of variables that she's dealing with. Missy and I work together to be on the same "page" when it comes to family decisions and discipline but we don't always get it right.

I realize as a grow older that I can't do any of this alone. I want my kids to get a well rounded upbringing and get support from trusted people speaking in their lives and I know that my kids are getting that from our Children's Pastor and his small group leaders. Likewise I know that we have a volunteer staff at H20 that genuinely care about the spiritual development of our kids. Praise God for a church family that can help us in shaping our children to be Jesus followers!

-andy

2009...Gonna Be Awesome!

Yesterday was New Year's Day. I had my laptop on the coffee table kicking out Happy New Year greetings to all those on Facebook and getting emails answered. I spent a lot of the day dreaming about being in the new building and how that's going to dramatically change how we do ministry @ Horizons & H20. I'm so excited about the possiblities!

Jesus Said, "Follow Me"

Have you ever done a ginormous thing before? I'm about to once again. I did it a long time ago but I was convicted to do it again. I have joined a Facebook group called "Eat an Elephant in 2009" A dude named Byron Vinson basically started this group to get hundreds of people to read through the Bible in a year. I joined because I have to say I have not read all the way through the Bible since I've moved to Stafford. I know I know that's hard to believe. It really challenged me when I read what this group was up to. I wanna encourage all of my friends @ H20 and Horizons and all over the world to sign up for this and read with me! The Bible is our handbook and love letter from the Father to us, His sons and daughters. Want to know God? Read your Bible. It's that simple. It's a great place to find out exactly who God is and why He sent His son on this earth. Will you join me in this quest?

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

My prayer for all is that you'd find Hope in Jesus this Christmas.

From our H20 family to yours! I hope each and everyone of you has a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Looking for God?

Wow, I'm more pumped and charged about Christmas this morning than I've been in a long time. And I haven't even had my cup of coffee yet! Why, you ask?

Well, for one thing, I am always excited to buy gifts for my family at Christmas. And of course its great to receive gifts too! Justin left a note in my car to me saying, "don't worry daddy, I'm getting you a Christmas gift this year! During my forty something emotional moment as I read this note I realized that something has happened in Justin's heart. He's not just begging and pleading for the perfect gift but he's starting to think of others! Not bad for a ten year old! I'm proud of 'em.

Christmas, as it probably will be for a lot of people will be a bit leaner this year in the Roger's house. But, that caused me to rethink how I do Christmas. I had to get creative to save a buck but still give a gift that is going to make someone smile. I started listening to my family. Not the "I want a "fill in the blank" for Christmas kind of conversation but the ones that as we talked I began to see where their passion lies and that helped me figure out what gifts I'm giving.

I find God in these little things and I hope that this Christmas that we all see the attributes of the Father in our families! Only 16 more days til Christmas. "Don't worry Dad, I'm getting you a present!"

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the Heavenly lights, who does not change like the shifting shadows."
-James 1:17

It's A New Day and a New Year (Almost)

Hi Everyone,

After a short break from blogging I'm back on track again. I took some time off last week to catch up with some things such as planning for the new year, staff retreat, the new building, etc.

Here's a video short of something that I am so jazzed about. We found out on Monday that they are pouring the stage so we got a camera and went out to see what was up! As I was watching them spread the concrete over the form it was an "ah ha!" moment where I realized that we are so close to getting this building finished. Anyhow, here it is and I hope you can capture the excitement. God bless and have a great day.

It's Wednesday morning and I'm at a stopping place from desperately trying to clear my inbox and trying to get a handle on a very long to do list. As I stopped for a moment I thought back to Sunday night. We had a worship time in youth that was truly amazing. After worshiping for almost an hour we broke up into small groups and had a time of prayer.

Usually when I look around at the different groups I see some kids disengaged and not taking things seriously and I'll join that group and help them focus, but last Sunday there wasn't one group that wasn't completely focused. In fact they were so focused that when I called to have everyone join in corporately for one last song I had a hard time getting them to stop praying! What a great problem to have! God's moving in the midst of our kids and our leaders are noticing how their prayers are genuine and even outward and not all about their own problems.

Take some time today and pray. God's waiting...

2009 and Beyond...

We are in a staff retreat right now and we are planning for 2009. Yesterday, we had several team building activities and we spoke words of encouragement in the form of constructive criticism to amazing encouragement. Although it was exhausting, I came out of this meeting realizing that these are people that really understand me and want me to succeed as a leader.

Today we are in the brainstorming mode of what our theme is going to be for 2009. We have spent time in prayer, and God has brought us to some amazing ideas for this year. I'm excited, nervous and believing that God is going to get us to where He wants us in this new year. A lot of things are happening this year. We are moving into our new building. The goals that we are looking at are more challenging then ever but we all are sitting here with eager anticipation to get started! God is good.

Looking Back/ Looking Forward

Looking back:
Last weekend was awesome. We had a Fall festival that was an amazing event at Horizons church. I'm so glad that we were a part of that although, it was a little disappointing that our Trunk did not win the competition! After that we went to the Colonial Forge vs. Mountain View Football game. The MVHS Wildcats pulled off the upset and there was much rejoicing, unless you were Forge fan. Afterwards we went to Starbucks to celebrate and then over to Ihop to get some much needed nourishment. The next night was Mission Possible. Six Teams determined as ever got their camo gear and painted their faces, deciphered code and stealthily collected clues. All the while the counselors were being the spoilers and trying their best to distract the teams from their goals. Afterward we hung out at the camp fire, roasted marsh mellows and chilled. It was a beautiful night to be outside! Sunday night was H20 and I spoke to the middle schooler's while Missy spoke to the HS Group. We had a great night and overcame adversity to be in the presence of God.

Looking Forward:

This weekend will be even more amazing and incredible than last weekend! We are off to the Patriot Center Friday night to launch the inaugural Invincible Tour for Dare2Share. Steve Fee and Leeland will be there leading worship and Gregg Stiers and his team will be giving us some tools to be "Invincible" as we go out and about sharing Christ to a hurting world.
I hope everyone has a great weekend and
I'm looking forward to seeing everyone Sunday morning
and evening @ Horizons services and H2o Services Sunday night!