FishFest

Went to FishFest last Sunday to see Dave Crawford and Godspeed play. Let's just say this picture sums up my experience there!

Karl Malone Statue

In honor of Karl Malone the Utah Jazz recently dedicated a statue in memory of his career with them (you might know him as a Los Angeles Laker). To read more about it you can visit my friend Mike's blog. I was looking at the statue and I must say it looks nothing like him. I think for us who watch the NBA to recognize him, the statue should have looked more like:

-OR THIS-

-OR THISC'mon Jazz. Don't you want to honor your best player as the way we all remember him, not the way he should have been!

On Surgeries and Such...

So our beloved Sullivan went under the knife yesterday! He is no longer able to pass his family heritage on, he will be the only Sullivan. No Sullivan Jr's will be running around. We had talked to him many times about abstinence and what God's Word had to say about pre-marital relations, but after viewing his behavior the past several months, I deemed it wise to get him neutered. I think he somehow knew on the way to the clinic where he was going. Apparently as my wife was taking him to the vet he vomited in his crate which he never does. I guess the pressure of knowing what was about to happen got to him and he folded under the pressure. I mean, can you blame the little guy? They say it's best to have the procedure done before the age of six months because of less complications and less chance of health risks later on. I came across an article which said this, "A neutered male dog is a happy dog. And owners of neutered dogs are often much happier with the results as well." Apparently this author is not a dog and has never had the procedure, but my guess is that Sullivan's mood was far from happy because of the operation. The mood of the owners based on the surgery will be seen in the next couple days.

I picked him up at the vet this morning at about 8am. When I first heard this would be an overnight stay for "Soul Train" (as I affectionately call him at times), I was actually quite relieved. I felt like it would be a great day and night to not have to think about having to take him outside, watching him closely to see if he would piddle on our couch or carpet, or all the other fun things that come with dog ownership. I will say however, that I missed the little eunuch. He can be difficult at times because he is a hyper puppy, but he is a lot of fun, and my wife and I really enjoy spending time with him discussing things like pigs ears, http://www.urinegone.com, and the like.

I was actually quite surprised at how active he was when he got home. I had somewhat expected a half lethargic mopey dog for a couple of days. I mean "let's be honest about what just happened". However, he was been pretty much the same dog we had before the surgery except with some little sutures. It is obvious he will back to his old self very soon. For those of you that are wondering what he "looks" like now scroll down to see the "new" Sullivan after surgery ....


Warning if you are squeamish do not scroll down...

Shepherd's Conference - A reflection

The annual Shepherd's Conference was held at GCC, this past week. What an amazing time to step on campus and see 3,500 pastors coming together for one purpose: To be fed the truth of the Word. The conference was such an enriching time as some of the most amazing and Godly men came to teach. I was given the opportunity to help out w/ a Q&A at the end of a seminar our Jr. High pastor gave on volunteer staff, and was so blessed to be a part of it. The numerous pastors in attendance, seemed amazed at our staffs desire to serve. I realized that the amazing staff I serve on, does not occur at every church. In fact, I learned that a staff like ours does not occur at very many churches at all. It is not that we are somehow superior, or better than other churches, for we all know that the church is completely dependent on God for it's growth and success. It is, however, a great privilege to know I serve with such an amazing and devoted group of men and women who come together to serve Christ through serving the students we have been placed over. It was great to discuss this and encourage the pastors I met with, and give them hope that there are volunteers out there that enjoy being w/ Jr. Highers.

Another highlight of the conference was the teaching and the worship. I always make sure to be at the conference for at least one of the general sessions. There is nothing more encouraging and uplifting than being in the general session on the first night of the conference. To stand up w/ 3,000+ Godly men and sing with all of our might together for the glory of God is an amazing and moving experience. I believe it is a little taste of what we will get to experience in heaven for eternity. This experience also made me a little sad as well. It was sad to know that every Sunday we pack out our building as well, but the participation is worship was about a 1/5th of what I hear at a shepherd's conference. It truly invigorated my desire for worship in singing to our God. After the tremendous joy of the worship time (which included and amazing performance by Jubilant), we were privileged to hear an amazing sermon of the Prodigal son, which I learned should be called the parable of the two sons. MacArthur seemed to somehow find that 6th gear from his normal Sunday sermons, and preached masterfully through the text. At first I must admit I was a little disappointed to hear he was preaching on a section he had just spent about 5 weeks preaching through a month earlier. However, after the sermon it was as if I was hearing it for the first time again, enjoying all the truths he offered, and just to see the reaction of the other pastors in attendance brought such joy to see there encouragement.

I think my favorite highlight of the week was on Friday night when I got to attend a private dessert fellowship w/ the men from Together for the Gospel. The panel of four was CJ Maheny, Al Mohler, Mark Dever, and Ligon Duncan. What an amazing group of men. To see their humility, godliness, discipline was truly a testimony to me. I thoroughly enjoyed their sense of humor and watching them interact with one another. I laughed so hard that night. Just to see these amazing respected men of the faith in a different venue was truly enjoyable. We were able to see them joke and laugh and learn little personal things about them that you would never have guessed (ie one of them is a truly gifted rapper). This was such a blessing! To hear their daily disciplines, and the amount of books they are able to digest at one time, truly humbled me and inspired me. What a joy it was to even help with the clean up afterward, just to know that I was able to contribute something to this wonderful evening.

I have been given such encouragement through seeing the many lives that God has changed throughout this country, and the hearts that are truly aflame for Christ. I am just thankful for the church and staff we serve on and even more thankful for the gracious God we serve!