If I told one of my kids, "Micah, I need you to take the garbage out." There would be an expectation on my part, that it would happen. How funny would it be though if Micah came to me an hour later and told me,

"Dad, I memorized what you said. I can say it perfectly. Aren't you proud of me?"

I mean, as pleased as I would be that he HEARD my words and even took them to heart, I would feel as though he missed the POINT. Though the thoughts that I gave him were important, the TASK intended for those words was MOST important.


"But dad, I can tell you how to say that in the Greek AND in Hebrew, I can tell you the cultural implications of not taking out the garbage and my friends and I met and we looked at why it is important for THEM to take out the garbage too. We can tell you what would happen in an area if no one took out the garbage."


This would be great, but at what point DOES HE, decide that the taking out of the garbage is the most important part of those words, of that imperative (this word imperative, means absolutely necessary or required) that I gave him.

Jesus, gave US an imperative, two of them in fact:
GO and make disciples
Baptize them.

When we do an event like Dare to Share, it's to help YOU and ME with just HOW, we go about sharing our faith and making disciples. Prayerfully consider your involvement in what Jesus has given us a command to do.

The bad news, our obedience to His word defines our relationship with Christ, the good news, He loves us enough to allow US to make that choice. I love you guys. I am so blessed to be here. -Mark





*Matthew 28:16-20

*other thoughts taken from excerpts of Francis Chan "Don't Focus on the Family"

#Dating101

For those of you on the “scene”, here are a few tips that may help you along your journey to find “the one.”  Here is #Dating101 

1. If they site "Dumbledore" as one of the people they most look up to, it's time to break up. #Dating101 

2. If they have "Value Pawn" as one of the numbers on speed dial, you may want to ask Match.com for a refund. #Dating101 

3. If they say, "it's not as contagious as it looks" and then points to somewhere on their body....RUN. #Dating101 

4. If they claim to have been abducted by aliens you may not want to give them your real phone number. #Dating101 

5. If you’re with someone who makes reference to what Edward or Jacob would do, its time to put a stake in the heart of that relationship. #Dating101 

6. If they DVR anything with Bieber, that could be bad news for you. #Dating101 

7. If he likes to hang out at a place with a name like "The Razzle Dazzle Room" you almost bet he's NOT a scrap booker. Break up. #Dating101 

8. If she worked at a place with a name like "The Razzle Dazzle Room" you almost bet it's NOT a craft store and you can stop dating #Dating101 

9. If she refers to the repo man as an outstanding role model for her kids, she might not be up to par. #Dating101 

10. If your girl LIKES the song "Meet Virginia" (by Train) she's okay. #Dating101 

11. If she can be DESCRIBED by the song, you might have a problem. #Dating101 

12. If they have ever cited “The Urban Dictionary” in their schoolwork, you may want to reconsider.  #Dating101 

13.  If you are dating someone who can quote a line from ANH, ESB, or ROTJ or their prequels, they may be alright. #Dating101 

14. If they know what any of the abbreviations in number 12 mean, MARRY them! #Dating101 

15. If they have ever used the word “patronus” in a normal conversation, that could be trouble.  #Dating101 

16. If you suggest he remove his wool sweater before going into  the pool only to realize he isn’t wearing one, you may want to skip the swim.  #Dating101 

17. If they have ironic facial hair, you should ask them to shave, if it’s a female…yikes. #Dating101 

18.  If they refer to their vehicle as the “Free Candy” van, you may be in BIG TROUBLE already.  #Dating101 

19.  If they refer to the “Charlie the Unicorn” video as a waste of time, leave them immediately.  #Dating101 

20. IF they base their dating advice on some lame list, it’s too late.  #Dating101

Fair?! Not since the Garden of Eden

"Faith, Hope, and Love. But the greatest of these is Love." Hey wait! Where is fair? As you pan through the course of history throughout the pages of the Scriptures you won't see any record of "fair."

We are a culture that thrives on being "fair." With my own kids, I stress the importance of being fair. I think that some of this can be okay, but what fair does, is create a mindset that I deserve something for the plain and simple fact that someone else go it.
If we took it one steop further to its logical conclusion in eternity, what we get in salvation is DEFINITELY not fair! We mess up and do the wrong things, we seek our own desires and fulfill ourselves through earthly, even fleshly pursuits and what we get in return is eternal life?

What we deserve, what is fair is that we get death. Romans 6:23 tells us that the paycheck for even ONE sin is death. Let alone the countless times that we serve ourselves and give in to things that we KNOW lead to our own spiritual death and separation.

As I reflect on the fact that it has now been 4 months and 4 days since we left Florida, I have to fight the temptation to tell God, "Hey! I moved from Florida for this?! I gave up saltwater fishing and all of my amazing friends to be homeless in a state that has more cloudy/rainy days than teenagers have excuses?! God this isn't fair!"

I am in the midst of reminding myself that I have an amazing family, a wonderful extended family, a church family here who has accepted my family and loved us and provided free temporary housing. We have our health, we have a great school, and even some new friends that we can be thankful for. Before you shake your OWN fist at God, take a moment to uncurl your fingers to examine just what you DO have and who it came from. Blessings.

Just A Little?

A father of some teenage children had the family rule that they could not attend PG-13 or R rated movies. His three teens wanted to see a particular popular movie that was playing at local theaters. It was rated PG-13.

The teens interviewed friends and even some members of their family's church to find out what was offensive in the movie. The teens made a list of pros and cons about the movie to use to convince their dad that they should be allowed to see it. The con's were that it contained ONLY 3 swear words, the ONLY violence was a building exploding (and you see that on TV all the time they said), and you actually did not "see" the couple in the movie having sex - it was just implied sex, off camera. The pros were that it was a popular movie - a block buster. Everyone was seeing it. If the teens saw the movie then they would not feel left out when their friends discussed it. The movie contained a good story and plot. It had some great adventure and suspense in it. There were some fantastic special effects in this movie. The movie's stars were some of the most talented actors in Hollywood. It probably would be nominated for several awards.

  Many of the members of their Christian church had even seen the movie and said it wasn't "very bad". Therefore, since there were more pros than cons the teens said they were asking their father to reconsider his position on just this ONE movie and let them have permission to go see it.

The father looked at the list and thought for a few minutes. He said he could tell his children had spent some time and thought on this request. He asked if he could have a day to think about it before making his decision. The teens were thrilled thinking; "Now we've got him! Our argument is too good! Dad can't turn us down!" So, they happily agreed to let him have a day to think about their request.

The next evening the father called in his three teenagers, who were smiling smugly, into the living room. There on the coffee table he had a plate of brownies. The teens were puzzled. The father told his children he had thought about their request and had decided that if they would eat a brownie then he would let them go to the movie. But just like the movie, the brownies had pros and cons.

The pros were that they were made with the finest chocolate and other good ingredients. They had the added special effect of yummy walnuts in them. The brownies were moist and fresh with wonderful chocolate frosting on top. He had made these fantastic brownies using an award-winning recipe. And best of all, the brownies had been made lovingly by the hand of their own father.

The brownies only had one con. The father had included a little bit of a special ingredient. The brownies also contained just a little bit of dog poop. But he had mixed the dough well - they probably would not even be able to taste the dog poop and he had baked it at 350 degrees so any bacteria or germs from the dog poop had probably been destroyed.

Therefore, if any of his children could stand to eat the brownies which included just a "little bit of crap" and not be effected by it, then he knew they would also be able to see the movie with "just a little bit of smut" and not be effected.

Of course, none of the teens would eat the brownies and the smug smiles had left their faces. Only Dad was smiling smugly as they left the room.

Now when his teenagers ask permission to do something he is opposed to the father just asks, "Would you like me to whip up a batch of my special brownies?"

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body[a] in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.  Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, 7-8

Home Away

On our journey to Ohio we continue to discover just how amazing our Lord is and just how deep His pockets are.  Let me explain:

Upon arriving after a two day trek to "The Heart of it All" we arrived VERY late and very tired to a beautifully furnished and available home that has been given to us for the time of transition that we are in.  It is neat just how quickly a place can feel like Home.  Not just the house, but the people that we have met and the church members that have introduced themselves!  We have been greeted with home made dinners which have been delicious!  

A CREW of volunteers came to our storage unit to help unpack and VERY packed truck during this transition and to help unload boxes into our home as well.  As we look around and consider what God is doing it is amazing to think that we have a part in that.  It is incredible how the faith family in Florida came together to support our leaving and to wish us well and the reception that we have had here has been equally as kind. 

I am assured that by Tuesday I will have an office and by then I may or may not have my new cell phone situation sorted out and the passwords reset and the caller ID set to normal but all of those things seem so insignificant as we consider hoe He has brought us here to be a part of a wonderful move of His Spirit in this faith family. 

The MOVE: His Timing

After putting our house on the market for only 2 weeks in a stagnant real estate market that favors BUYERS and in an area where short sale homes are going for 60-100K we weren't sure if our house would sell.  I even had close friends who were concerned about the sale and that the price was possibly too high.  Whenever the tears would come (Kristin) and whenever the doubts would creep, we would seek the Lord.  We would pray and ask for the faith to trust Him.  We spent MANY late nights talking about options, discussing fears, and praying.

The day came when we would go BACK for another visit to Ohio.  This time with some very excited kids! They were so excited which is ANOTHER testimony of a move of God because what little kid is excited about leaving ALL their friends and their school and everything that is familiar?  I feel like this part goes back to a statement that Lucas (11 years old) made when he said, "Mommy, if those [people] need to hear about Jesus, I suppose we can let them have daddy for a while so he can tell them about Him."   This sentiment was in regards to going to India, but kids are perceptive and understand more than we give them credit for sometimes. 

After touching down in Columbus, the overwhelming feeling of being out of control begins to take over when you realize what is ahead in the next few days.  We got to stay with an adoring family, "The Hills" and they IMMEDIATELY proceeded to make us feel a part of the family and to welcome us though we had only previously met them only once prior.   They gave up beds and bedrooms (Thanks Olivia), Don even shared his birthday and cake with us as well.  (Now that's some love!)

The parent meeting on Friday consisted of sharing the vision of how to utilize students and parents in the youth programs and directions on integrating students from different schools and social backgrounds.  All in all there was a distinct air of support and care.  

It was on Friday that we got the news that we had received an offer on our house from a young couple looking to buy their first home.  We were elated and humbled that God had moved so quickly.  Our search for homes could resume finally! The difficulty was that we were going to be moving there in just a little over a week.  We waded through hundreds of listings online and even visited several gems in the Newark/Heath area. 

The subsequent youth meet and greet went well and we got news that there was a  lady neighbor of the Hills who was willing to rent her home to us indefinitely while we looked for a more permanent residence.  The Saturday night service went well and we made presentation to the congregation and they made the first of three votes. 

Sunday morning after making the presentation during the morning services (2) we found out that the rental had fallen through. We had a contract on the Florida home, but nowhere to move to and no leads on any other rentals. 

Arlene Hill and Jennifer Hill (not related, in fact I JUST realized that they have the same last name) pulled some folks out of the service whom they heard owned rentals and while they were talking to them, people, not being aware really of what was going on began to share about their OWN rental properties.  We walked away with no less than 5 or 6 different names of people owning rentals.  Information that we had previously not been able to procure.  This is the evidence that God's timing is perfect, that when HE is ready, you will know those things that you need.  His timing, perfect, His provision, JUST you're looking for.

The Move: The Call

What an incredible ride we have been on lately. Here is the back story:

There is a buzz. It is true in case you MAY Have heard that Kristin and I have a move planned for our family. The date: September 1st. But why???

So, after Kristin's deal with the pregnancy Center second location unexpectedly fell through I began to ask God "Whassup?"

It was strange that something that seemed like such a slam dunk deal would fall through at the 11th hour. It seemed to me that it may be because there was a move in store for us. One of the things that I told Kristin was that if she DID make the move to open an additional pregnancy counseling center that we would plant our roots much deeper into the community and church.

So we began a process of prayer in which we asked God what He had in store. We prayed for months before sending out several applications to different churches looking for youth directors/student pastors. We got a few from churches similar to CPC but turned them down because the issue wasn't that we are unhappy with CPC but that we felt like God was desiring fro us to GROW by putting us into a more challenging opportunity. We LOVE CPC and it's people and over the past 7 1/2 years or so I have grown closer to Bryan and learned to get along cooperatively.

When we got a call from a church in Ohio, I was pretty surprised because I didn't really remember even applying with that church. I prayerfully considered the callback I got from them and the subsequent questionnaire that they were asking to be filled. I prayerfully considered and sent it back. 

When I got a call from Executive Pastor Tom Pound at Spring Hills Church in Granville, OH I wasn't sure that I was even interested because, OH? I grew up in Oh. (NEVER tell God you don't want to go back to your home state.) But the more I talked to him I began to hear the vision and purpose that they have for the church and the ministry being done on a local level in the community!! They support 19 different missionaries and projects!  It is a church of vision and passion and the leadership is driven by relationships in a community desperate for hope and the message of Christ. 

Moreover upon meeting the pastors and staff it was a brotherhood. A concept that I have desperately longed for in ministry. I have had this with several of the men at CPC but have not been able to have this as a staff, not Bryan's fault there is just only 2 of us on staff so this hasn't been possible per se. 

It is a great move for Kristin and I because of the purposes that the church is heading and the clear direction for getting there. It is here: http://www.springhillschurch.org/who-we-are/why-we-exist/

As a part of the salary they are allowing our kids to attend their Christian School, Granville Christian Academy. It is a great opportunity for my family and kids and we will be closer to my parents and sister and Kristin's family will be a mere 7 hours away as opposed to 12 hours. 

The BIGGEST deciding factor...the Holy Spirit. It has been clear that along the way, each decision and step has been guided by an omniscient God whose desires have been made evident through prayer and searching. Kristin and I are in prayer for CPC and it's ministries and are thankful for the 7 1/2 years that we have been able to serve it's families and ministry.