It has been a busy spring and summer of ministry. The ministry has taken us from FL to TX and a few stops in-between. Sorry I have not been such a good news poster. Well, greetings for an airport hotel in not so lovely Newark, NJ. Continental Airlines thought it would be fun if we could spend an extra night here! Leslie and I got to the New York area a few days early to celebrate her birthday. You can see the photos on my MySpace page photos in the NYC July 2007 album. We somehow managed to go to every Ann Taylor Loft in the greater New York Area. Went to see the Lion King on Broadway; so stinkin good! Ate some amazing food (it was restaurant week in NYC) which was topped off by Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill. That was some of the best food to grace these lips. Fate of Angels got to town and we headed to Camp Misery in South Jersey for a gathering of campers and staff and had a great time with them. Then it was off to Smartswood, NJ in Northern New Jersey for two evenings with their students. Thanks to Declan and Dale at Algersgate Center for taking such good care of us in the midst of chaos. Its pretty humbling to a part of an event where the staff is really just there to serve you when you were there to serve them. Saturday, we had to run to town and get John the drummer from FOA, so the fellas wanted a quick tour of NYC. We went to Ground Zero (like the train took us right through there), hung out at Wall Street, and saw the Statue of Liberty. I gave them a pretty impressive 6 hour tour of the city, with a crazy, drunk man on the subway included. Well, time to get a few hours of sleep before the o’dark 30 flight.

Wow… what a week. We are about to catch our flight home to Nashville. It has been a crazy few days. I spoke at my grandmother funural, flew across the entire country. got our rental car, got to the hotel and it was literally time for me to speak. When I walked in the room, Daniel’s Window was on stage leading the students in worship and several hundred crazy Northwest kids were ready to hear me speak. This was a weekend where I was reminded that God was all that I needed and He gave me all that I needed emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I was asked to speak on the cross Saturday night, and I personally was reminded of the unselfish love that Christ had for me on the cross. Big thanks to Kelly and the entire Youth Encounter team for allowing me to be a part of such a great event! After the event was over on Sunday. Leslie and I got to spend a little time hanging out together. We spend Sunday in downtown Seattle to see Switchfoot and Copeland. What an unbelievable show! It was a much needed “us” time after such a draining week. We then spent 3 days with Leslie’s parents who live north of Seattle in Canada which was fun. The first night we at at a restaurant that is famous for Jonny’s seasoning salt (its pure magic). It looked a little shady, but it was good eats! We went to the Experience Music Project, drank A LOT of Starbucks, Ikea, several meals at Claim Jumper, way too many malls, and hung out at Pikes Place Market. The coolest thing we did was when Leslie’s parents took us to eat at “Sky City” on top Space Needle. The food, the view, and the company made for a great night together. Oh yeah, it rained EVERY DAY!!!

Yesterday was a quick trip to FBC Franklin, KY. Got to to speak to a good group of students and their families at FBC’s Upwards Basketball Rally. Thanks David Brown for everything and for introducing me to Franklin’s best ghetto Mexican food. It was quite good!!! I am pretty sure that was one of the hardest talks to get through knowing what I had to do on the way home from that trip. So on the ride home from KY, I had to make one of the hardest phone calls in my life. I had gotten a phone call from my Mom who was at my Nany’s (my grandmothers) deathbed saying that my Nany wanted to let let me know that she loved me and that she wanted to tell me goodbye. I had just gone to see her in person to do that a few weeks before, but knowing that the end was really here was hard to take. My Nany was the one constant on the this earth that never changed. She was my rock. We just got home from church today and got the call from Mom that Nany went to be with Jesus. This will be a crazy week! I am off to speak at a big youth conference in Seattle, but before I do that I am off to be at my grandmothers funeral and to be with my family. I will be speaking at the buriel service. So pray for me!

Greetings from the lobby of the soon to be famous Lambuth Inn at Lake Junaluska, NC. Just finished up a Ski Weekend with a few hundred crazy kids! I don’t think I have ever been at an event when Satan and his demons were more at work. The leadership of the event and I were so on the same page with other, but the band was more focused on promoting their fame rather than leading students into the presence of God. I did get to spend Saturday hanging out at Marty Cauley’s house and that was fun. It is just great to hang and connect with people with the same passions that you have. Also, dinner with the students was blast! I even got to see some great “French Fry Art” for sure!!! There were of course some great late night trips to the Waffle House. Thanks again for Marty and Tawana for taking such great care of us.

We just got back in from Philly. Well, we never actually did anything in PA except fly in and out of there. I say we cause this was one of those trips that Leslie wanted to tag along on. So we flew into Philadelphia and then drove 3 hours to Hackettstown, NJ; the home of the M&M. We were so sad that the factory did not offer tours!!! We went off to Centenary College to speak at a New Years Eve Eve event for a statewide gathering of students. It was fun night hanging out with students and eating pizza. Why do we eat so much pizza at youth events, I will never know. The event was cool because it was not just me and the band that was part of the night, it was students as well. After sleeping in the next day, Leslie and I caught the train into NYC. We went to see STOMP on New Years Eve – what an unbelievable show that was! Then it was off to our hotel in Times Square that we got for free. The Michelangelo was the nicest place I have EVER seen. Thank God for hotel points!!! We were tourists and got to see part of the city. We went to see Beauty and the Beast on Broadway and it blew my mind, even from the cheap seats! Walked around 5th Ave. Went to the Apple store…MECCA. You can see photos on my MySpace page if you would like under “NYC January 2007”. I am speaking in Northern NJ for a long week this next summer, so we will be going back.

Leslie and I just got back from a wonderful week together at Walt Disney World. I had never been during the Christmas season and it was wonderful. The lights and sounds where unreal! The first night we went to Epcot with the the choirs singing and a celebrity reading the Christmas story. We got to hear Steven Curtis Chapman, he did a stellar job. It was good to just reflect on the gift of each other that God has given us. I don’t know what it is about that place that relaxes me and rejuvenates me every time I go. This fall has been so much time on the road and a lot of it away for Leslie. We were complete Disney nerds and brought a Christmas tree to put up and celebrated Christmas there. It was a lot fun. I will actually be traveling home on Christmas day. And then off to New York to be together for New Years.

The last six weeks have been crazy! From Texas to California to Ohio to North Carolina, our team has been all of the country going to youth pastor conventions, sharing what our minsistry is about. Its been fun, but its kept me away from speaking as much as I like. Going to Anahiem had to be a highlight of the conventions. Not because the convention was good for us. It was actually kind of a waste since it was across the street from Disneyland. We decided to get there early. Spent Halloween in Hollywood and now I see why they call it Hollyweird now FOR SURE! Somehow we ended the day in the audience of Jimmy Kimmel with Meatloaf performing. Then we spent a day at the happiest place on earth (Disneyland) celebrating Marjorie’s 30th Birthday. We did open and close the place. It was a blast! Cincinnati was a much cooler town than I remember it. Charlotte was just Leslie and I and we had fun. We did get to spend some time with some new friends and were able to reconnect with some old. Its cool to be able to serve student pastors by helping them put on excellent events for their students.

Greeting from the Super8 in Pleasanton, Texas… the only hotel for miles. This is another one of those “lets go hang out at Walmart” towns. The week started with me speaking at the morning worship services of FBC Pleasanton. I always feel like a I am twelve when I speak in a traditional church. I spend much of my time speaking to youth and young adults that I forget that there are 70 years olds in church. The next 6 nights was me and a band traveling all over South Texas. I think I may have spoke in Mexico one night! You see, Pleasanton is 1 hour south of San Antonio and we went what seemed like 1.5 hours south of San Antonio which by my calculations seems like south of the border to me! Pleasanton did have a place with Sweat Tea and Country Fried Steak so that was killer. The real highlight of the week was Wednesday night. I really felt like I was to speak about the call to full time ministry and after the message there must have been like 25 students who came up and surrender to give God their skills and go where He sends them. The move of God continues to blow my mind! Well its 5am, and I should get some sleep. After the service tonight we had a progressive all-nighter to go with the week. What a long, but full week! You have not bowled til you have have bowled in small town Texas!!!

What a week! After flying back to Kansas City just 25 hours after leaving there and driving what seemed like 3 hours just past nowhere in Missouri. I came to a pretty solid recognition. I was REALLY sick. I pretty much have had no voice, and no energy. I think it was Tuesday that I slept til 4pm just because I was so spent. Thankfully, I made it through the week. This camp was filled with some amazing students. I don’t think I have been a part of a camp before where I got to connect with more broken kids. I was well aware of the fact that it was the work of God in and through me and nothing of myself that allowed me to minister to them. I think it was Wednesday night that as I was talking about the unmovable grace of God, there were three girls who had a real encounter with God. Thank GOD for his strength to pull me through even when I had nothing physically to offer. I also was reminded why people in small towns were at Walmart all of the time too!

Just got back from The Connection in Overland Park, Kansas today. I’ve been to KC a ton this year. This weekend was spent with about 150 Christian artists. It was a great weekend of encouraging artists who are out there day in and day out impacting the lives of thousands. The event hotel was the Sheraton and for some reason I got upgraded to a crazy huge suite and it has one the best beds I have ever slept in. The problem though is that there is not much sleep to be had. I have been having a blast hanging out with the other speakers and presenters at the event. I have learned one thing that changed my life…“His name was Michael” (inside joke sorry). I think I may be getting sick. I don’t have much of a voice. I just flew home to be with Leslie for the day and now it’s off to a photo shoot with a new artist, dinner with Leslie, some laundry, and then back to the airport in the morning.