I miss the old days of going out to get free candy.  Who says we can’t go anymore?

Darren

So…Uh…Listen…

We all know that farts are hilarious.  In fact, they are one of my favorite past times.  At the age of 23, I am still amused by the sounds that are created during the process of farting.  It will never grow old.  Some people say that it is rude and immature.  Others say it is disgusting.  Yes it is rude, immature, and perhaps disgusting, but it never ceases to make people laugh.  No matter my mood, a fart can make me smile.  Sometimes the funniest farts are those fabricated in inappropriate places.  Which leads me to this….

Wednesday, I was preaching at the youth group at New Life as I do every Wednesday night.  However, during my message one of our youngest students decided to let a fart go mid-sentence.  Although it was funny, I was able hold in my laugh…barely.  Only by God’s power was I able to hold in that laugh.  Because I know for a fact that if I had laughed during the message there is no way I would have been able to get their attention back for the rest of the night.  BUT, then there was the closing prayer…when…he farted again.  This time I struggled, I mean severely struggled to hold it in.  I had my head down and started smiling during the prayer and this was a serious prayer.  As most prayers are.  It got to the point where my voice started to weaken because I wanted to laugh so bad.  I am pretty sure that I could have peed myself.  I was cracking up on the inside.  Afterwards, I thought to myself, “why was that so funny?”

When I met Jenny for dinner at Steak and Shake, I realized that I had yet to tell anyone about this or talk about it.  So, I told this story to my wife in Steak and Shake and proceeded to completely lose it and couldn’t get the story out.  And as a 23-year-old man, I found myself laughing about farts once again.  I remember having a conversation in high school with a friend and expressing that I think I could be 98 years old, on my death bed, and laugh about a fart. Even if I did not know anyone anymore, I could still laugh at a fart.

Moral of the story…

Laugh about farts…God made them loud for a reason!!

Darren

I have decided tonight I am going to get back into this thing…I know I have said it before but this time I mean it!  I saved a bookmark so I will see it daily and I will post more!  But for now…Bed time!  Last night of the MPD follow-up conference!! Ready to get home!

Darren

Hey Y’all!!Hope life in Ga is good!We’re out here in Fort Collins, Co and it is B-E-A-utiful!Started writing this one like a month ago and got way too busy with junk out here.We finished two seminary classes and doing a whole bunch of stuff for support raising.Can’t wait to get back to ATL and move into a new place.Not really sure where.But we are looking into a guest house above a barn on like 50 acres, so that’s pretty sweet!Be praying for that!

Anyways, God has been so amazing out here.He has shown me a lot about myself as well as a lot about other people.When you spend extended periods of time with people you meet you really see their true character shine through.It amazes me how little credit people will give you.Most of the time it is a lot more public than we think.

I have always wondered why we as Christians have to try to point out or fix others problems instead of fixing our own.Usually when we have way more to fix.I sometimes take for granted the friends I have in Christ back home.I know that no matter how I act or what I do, I am free of judgment!

I love you guys back home!Y’all are awesome!

See Y’all soon!

Darren

Just got back from Fastbreak in Cleveland, Tennessee last Monday (a week ago, I forgot to publish this).  It was amazing!  God is amazing.  God really spoke to everyone there.  I was able to work with the programs team and ran the switchboard for the cameras, so I had the luxury of experiencing the conference from the back of the room.  I have always been the person who wants to sit in the back, both in class and in church.  Not so I can zone out and no pay attention but  I want to see what is going on.  I enjoy seeing the process of change God is inducing. And from that unique perspective you get to see everything that develops.  I noticed the first night that a lot of students were sitting down (the students that “didn’t” want to be there, little did they know God would use them being still to His advantage and speak to their hearts). One of the most encouraging things to me is a person raising their hands in worship for the first time. I noticed that each night more and more people were down in front of the stage during worship.  And by the last night a lot of the chairs were empty. And that’s awesome!

The power of God is sometimes overshadowed these days by Society. Or at least we think it is. We tend to think we can overlook God. But that is impossible! No matter how loud our hearts are, God is louder. No matter how much we do to make out lives louder than the voice and power of God, we will never succeed. It is only a matter of time before God is moving in your life.

Seeing those kids move from doing anything they can in order to not listen to God to worshipping in front of people they did not know was amazing. I saw God working in front of my eyes. His voice was louder than their hearts.

Darren

I was browsing through some friends blogs and read something that I have read multiple times but had one of those “light bulb” moments.  It is, in my opinion, the proper way to pursue Christianity.  We as followers tend to complicate everything in our faith and our walks with Christ.  This is a very serious problem within the church we have created.  We feel as though we need to build, do, out-perform, out-last, and create things within the church or other churches in order to grow closer to God.  Hm, interesting right?  Want to know a little secret?  Check out Ty Faulk’s banner on his wordpress.  It is simple. And simply put: “Keeping it simple by loving God and loving people.”  I have believed in this for years and now for some reason felt compelled to write a blog about the subject.  Jesus gave the church things they were supposed to do, yet we create others. And if you went to a church service or grew up going to a church you would think Jesus told us the format and what to do each Sunday.  But when it comes down to it, Jesus gave the church very few things to do.  But what I feel the greatest thing Jesus told us to do is to Love God with all of heart, soul, and mind and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40).  The church has done a horrible job loving other people.  It has been about buildings, numbers, and money for generations.  What about the people Jesus tells about in Matthew 25?

Simply Put: “keeping it simple by loving God and loving people.”  The church has done it wrong for so long, just look at today’s church and our society.  We need to stop adding complexity to Christianity, when we simply need to love others!
Darren

Hmm…Check this video out…it will blow your mind.  I have no idea what he is talking about haha…

I guess I am out of the arena…

Darren

It would seem as though I have forgotten about wordpress and in all reality, I have.  My life has been completely focused on finishing school and my internship.  But, that is now done!!  And I am home!! FOR GOOD!!  Back in Marietta.  “Welcome home,” right?  I think so!

Well a lot has happened in the past few months!  I graduated from Augusta State…finished my internship…moved home…and I am now in the process of finding a job!  I have my resume out to a few churches for student pastor jobs.  I keep getting job offers from out of state churches and really traditional churches.  I feel as though none of the churches that have contacted me have really been where God wants me.  However, there is one I would love to work at…Hopefully God will provide me with that incredible opportunity.  So, keep that in your prayers.

I just got home from BigStuf camp in Daytona Beach, Florida!  It was freakin’ awesome!!  God did some amazing things there.  They always say leaders and teachers learn more than the students and I definitely learned more than my students.  God revealed Himself to me in incredible ways!  It was awesome how God provided me a time and place to just worship Him only a few days after I graduated.  It felt like God was just saying to me…”OK, first and foremost, I want you to start out on you journey of life without school worshipping Me as loud and as hard as you can!”  And I want that to set the tone for my life.  Constantly growing closer to God.

Well, there is always more…so check in for updates.  Now that I am home, I will have more time to update…Hopefully!  Call me to hang out!!  D-SWEEZY IS BACK!

I have a lot of decisions to make tonight…A lot! I need to figure out my priorities and keep my cool. Is it worth all the hard work for no results?

Coming Sermon: an Intro to “The Complexity and Simplicity of Christ”

How did we get here?God created the Heavens and the Earth…and then us?How can that be?Why God’s offer of salvation in the form of a man?Why a crucifixion?Isn’t it amazing to sit back and wonder these things?All the thoughts, all the questions.Yet, God is working to reveal Himself to you.It is so evident that God is here.Just look around, look in a mirror.There is no way a person can walk through life, live 65 years and not wonder at least once, “How did I get here?”Thoughts such as, “this Christ guy I hear so much about, is He real?How is He alive now?”All very complex questions.All with answers, some not so easy.However, the deal God has made with us is rather simple.Christ wants a relationship with you and me.It is as easy as accepting the life He sacrificed for you.You do not need to do anything.There is no extra work, no payment, it has been paid for you.Such a complex situation that took place to give you the opportunity to live in Heaven, with such an simple response: “Yes God I want to know you and I ask for your forgiveness!”

To Be Continued…

Darren