Here’s some thoughts from this crazy weekend:

• God has been blessing me, and I mean ABUNDANTELY!   I was treated to breakfast at Cracker Barrel (TWICE), dinner at Wendy’s, dessert at McDonalds, fried mushrooms at the Aynor Hoedown, and some home cooked food, ALL FROM MEMBERS IN OUR CHURCH!  For a living-on-his-own, soon-to-be-married, 24 year old guy… THAT’S HEAVEN!  Not to mention a free place to stay, a cell phone, and the keys to a car.  Thank you guys!!!
• Kevin was on FIRE this Sunday!  As our senior pastor, he can use all the prayer we can muster up!  Here’s a challenge for this week:  EVERYTIME you think about Kevin or The Rock, stop and pray for him.  Pray that his finances are blessed.  Pray against spiritual warfare.  Pray for concentration.  Pray for vision.  Pray for peace.  Pray that God speaks loud and clear.  Pray against stress.  Pray that his home is a place of rest.  Pray for rest when he lays down at night.  PRAY THAT HIS WEEK IS BLESSED SO THAT HE CAN FOCUS ON JESUS AND LEADING OUR CHURCH INSTEAD OF THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD!
• Katalyst BLEW MY MIND! We had 34 students show up Sunday Night!   34 may not seem like a lot at first, but we are hitting record attendance are seeing new students every week!  I can’t believe God lets me be a part of this.  One day we are going to look back on this and say, “Remember when we had 34 students packed into that tiny living room?!”  And I can’t wait to say, “Remember when we had 1,000 students packed into that tiny, rented out gym.”
• WE NEED SMALL GROUP LEADERS FOR KATALYST!! If you are interested in helping lead our youth, please email me (matt@rockc3.com).  Let me say that we have STRICT requirement for our youth leaders.  We take the ministry of our young adults VERY seriously and hold high standards for our leaders.  I don’t say that to scare anyone away, but this is Jesus work we are doing.  He deserves the BEST, right?!?
• Wyatt was in the Aynor Harvest Hoedown Parade for winning Horry Independent’s Tiny Master “CONTEST” (not pageant).  He was throwing candy like Nolan Ryan!  People watching the parade were saying that he should play baseball.  I guess having a professional baseball pitcher as a nephew is a good retirement plan.  =)
• I have been hit with a TON of spiritual warfare.  Its tough, but I take it as a compliment.  Especially after seeing what’s been going on at The Rock.
• SPANDEX.  When it comes to communicating, flexibility is key.
• I’ve been spending much of my time setting unreachable goals and dreaming of the future.  This is what I’ve learned:  The unreachable in NOT too far for God, and the future is now!  Dream BIG.
• The people I love most don’t want to just see all the awesome things in my day, they want to see the struggles, the dark times, and the pain.  I don’t like being vulnerable…
• This week, I am devoting 30 minutes a day to sit in silence.  Easier said than done.  Isaiah 55:3
• I felt pretty proud of myself.  I hit week 4 in the hundredpushup.com challenge.  Here’s my reps for this morninig:  21>25>21>21>34 (max).  GET YOU SOME!