In case you don’t receive the Fusion Flash, I just wanted everyone to know that the Suwanee Egg Drop site is now live at EggDropSuwanee.com.  Spread the word!

Here's a little something I filmed on my way home yesterday.

I’m really excited about tomorrow!  We’re going to be talking about what to do to overcome the fear of losing control.  This is a huge fear that everybody deals with at some point and we’re going to be hitting it head on.

I didn’t realize just how much this series was needed until we got into it.  It seems that every week God has been doing some amazing stuff in all our lives as we face these fears.  I’m excited to see what He’s going to do tomorrow.  Trust me.  You don’t want to miss it!

Speaking of robots, one thing everyone should have is robot insurance.  If you aren’t covered, you might want to check out the commercial below.

Like a refiner of silver he will sit and closely watch as the dross is burned away. He will purify the Levites, the ministers of God, refining them like gold or silver, so that they will do their work for God with pure hearts.  Malachi 3:3 (Living)

I once had a neighbor that would burn his yard every year.  He’d set it on fire and watch it burn.  The first year I saw him do it I thought it was so weird but year after year he ended up having the most beautiful yard in the neighborhood.  In the end, his fire wasn’t harming his yard.  It was burning away thatch and other things that keep lawns from growing like they should.

Many times, God allows problems, trials, and stressful times in our lives.  He doesn’t do it to hurt us.  He does it to purify us.  He isn’t burning us (even though we feel the heat).  He’s actually burning all sorts of things that are around us.  He’s burning away some things that have entangled us.  He lovingly burns away the accumulation of thatch in our lives.  He removes the things that will keep us from being all that we can be in Him.  He purifies us so that we can walk with Him with pure hearts.

Even though I saw this work every year, I never did it to my lawn.  Why?  I just never had the time.  Okay, more truthfully, I just didn’t want to invest the time.  My neighbor did invest the time and went through all the effort of doing it because he cared about his yard more than I cared about mine.

What I love about the verse above is that it says that God sits down and closely watches the process.  He never allows troubles in our lives and then walks away.  Never!  He isn’t lazy or careless.  No.  He actually sits down and works the whole process with attention to the details because He cares.  He invests in you and me because He cares.  He invested Himself into every aspect of our lives.

I’m also reminded of the fact that my neighbor always held a garden hose in his hand while his yard was burning.  He was ready at any moment to step in and stop the fire.  God is the same way.  He will not let us be harmed.  He’s too good to allow that to happen.  We may be uncomfortable.  We may be confused but we will not be harmed.

So, consider it pure joy, my friends, whenever you face trials of many kinds.  Trust the fact that every trial that’s in your life is there for a purpose that will eventually help you.  Always remember, too, that the Father is sitting near you and watching closely.  Know that He hasn’t forgotten about you and that these fires will be put out very instant they are no longer needed!

God’s goodness never stops amazing me.

I thought this was funny.  If you’re a geek, or married to one, you might enjoy it too!  (Click on the image to see it larger.)

I got to reconnect with Kevin Joyce last week.  I initially met Kevin when I flew out to Texas to meet Bil Cornelius last year.  Kevin was working as an intern at Bay Area Fellowship at the time and I knew the minute I met him that God’s hand was really upon him. 

Well, he’s planting his own church now and, through a series of events, I got to have a good phone conversation with him and I was re-impressed again.  He’s really a great guy and I know that the Lord is really going to use him to impact the San Antonio area.  (I love the name and logo of his church too!  Check it out here.)

I know we’re going to be seeing great things from Kevin and his church plant in the near future!

The life of a pastor is really strange most of the time.  I mean, it’s genuinely odd but I wouldn’t trade it in for anything in the world!

Evolve starts tomorrow and I’m pretty pumped about it.  I love my staff and I really enjoy going with them to stuff like this.  Beyond that, I think the conference this year has an amazing lineup of speakers.  Plus, I get to see a bunch of church planting buddies.  It’s all going to be great.

The only question I have is…What watch should I wear?  ;)