Journey to There

Move to Wordpress

2010-06-28T15:41:00.000-07:00

Well after nearly 2 years of the Journey to There on Blog Spot I am moving the blog to wordpress.org. The new address is http://journeytothere.wordpress.com/ it should be working all the way soon. It has been great but now it time to move to a new site.

Where God's Path is Ending Up

2010-05-27T16:46:00.000-07:00

So I know I wrote a while back about how the Dawson chapter in the book of my life was coming to an end for various reasons. I know it sounded and was a very anger driven and hard edged post. Well, turns out that was the wrong tone for that one. It turns out what had happened was that God had to jar me into obedience, since around November or December of 2009 I have felt that God may have been leading me away from Dawson.

I was disobedient to that leading, staying at Dawson for various reasons. Most of these reasons had to do with my own personal benefit, because at Dawson I had responsibility, authority over somethings, I was known by people, and I was the go to guy to get things done. I was growing there, not in my walk with God, but in my skills and my ability to serve. I was comfortable (something that scares me in my walk because I get relaxed and stop trying as hard as I should) because I knew how to get things done and get and had respect of people there. I had it made and I was happy and doing what I wanted to do too. So stayed, I visited one church one time in this period but that was just one service and thats all. I was happy so I stayed, and was disobedient to God's leading.

God has always had to drag me, often times kicking and screaming, to what He wants to me to do. I am just a person who does not have the sense to know that when God is trying to grow me and lead to something that I just need to shut up and do it. To make me move this time God had to really push hard and allow something to happen to me that would shake me to my core.

This came in the form, unfortunately, of someone who had been a friend and mentor turning on me and not coming to my defense. Shortly after spring break is when things fell a part for me at Dawson. Somethings where falsely said about me instead of being just made aware of them, I was made out to be someone and something I am not. The events that unfolded as part of this where, well how do I say it, kind of nasty. So after one heated phone call and me saying forget I am gone I found myself worshiping with another church community on Easter morning.

Little did I know but these events would be how God showed me where it is He wanted to me to be, and to place where I would find the growth I needed. I have found out what is like to be ministered too by people who are focused my life-stage. I have never walked away from a Sunday service having been impacted like I have these past weeks. Most of all God has placed where He wants me. Though all this God has led me to a new place and a place of growth and a whole new direction for me. He had to push me to get me started to this path He has wanted me on for long time and now I am there, and I am looking forward to the new chapter that I will soon began in my life and walk with Christ.

Thoughts on the Last Day of Class

2010-05-07T17:12:00.000-07:00

Well today marked the end of my 4th year at Samford University, but not my last, I have one more left. For many of my closest friends at Samford today marked their last day of class at Samford, and this post it too them. I wish that I could have shared this will all your personally but that is just not possible so this is best way. So the following is letter the people who have been such a huge part of my life the past 4 year who are going to be leaving and moving on next week, this is my message to you my friends and family at Samford University.

Dear Friends,

I know that I may never have said this you, I should have, but I am very thankful for each one of you and that God has placed you in my life these past 4 years. All of you have impacted me in so many ways, and have really been a great community of Christian friends that I have always known are there for me. Though it all you have been the ones who have been there, to just listen, to encourage, or just offer a kind smile. You have been a group of friends better than any other I have had in my life, you have become more to me than just friends you have become my Samford family. The ones who have made Samford a special place for me, and the main reason why I love Samford so much. I can honestly say that I love you all so much, and I am thankful for you.

I have enjoyed our time together, the classes, the talking on the quad, meals in the calf (breakfast friends from freshmen year), Shiloh, and the many other times we have together. One of biggest regrets about these past 4 years is that I did not get to send as much with all of you. But what time I did get to spend with you has been great. It has been great get you know you in these times and share in this time and life experience together. Although I may not have been around as much I would have liked too, because not not living on campus. You have always looked past that and made me feel welcomed and just like another student, and I am thankful for that.

So thank you all for 4 great years, you all have been a blessing in my life. I am very thankful for each one of you and I love you all. You have made our time together special and I will never forget all of you. I wish you all the best of luck as you move on this next chapter in life, and I hope that our paths will cross again and that we can stay in touch. I am going to miss all of you so much next year, and Samford will not be the same with out you next year.

Your Brother in Christ,

Charlie

Ending this Chapter

2010-04-09T17:43:00.000-07:00

Dawson Memorial Baptist Church, in the snow on Feb 12, 2010 one of my favorite Photos of 2010, thus far. Little did I know at the time I took this that almost 2 months I would be getting ready to end my 20 year lifetime at Dawson after getting a hard push out of the nest. But what seemed at the time a painful punch in the gut came on Wednesday March 24, 2010, just one week after Beach Breakaway. In the now 2 weeks after this happened I have been on emotional roller coaster, moving from sock, to anger, to now an odd mix or anger and happiness and sadness and peace. I know, anger, happiness, sadness, and peace, are an odd mix of feelings. Try feeling them all at once. The anger comes from knowing that I have been pushed away from my church home for my whole life for reasons I don’t understand. Sadness that I am leaving a place that is home for me. Happiness and peace knowing that I am moving on to new home and a new direction in my journey.

It is kind of sad for me to say that yes, at last my time at Dawson, my home and the church that I love and adore, is coming to an end. I also wish that it could have come with out being forced out and by me leaving to go to a church to start in ministry, but it has come at the hand of a strange and for me painful event. But leaving now and getting a new experience and being in a new environment maybe something that does help me to get into ministry better, or show if it is what I am going t to do with my life. I feel like this is the right time for me to make this change and move on. So over the next few months I will be visiting churches and looking for a place to land. So to my Dawson family, who I love so much, this begins the ending of this chapter in my life with you. Thank you to all of you who have made this time so great and played a role in my life, I may be gone now but I promise one day I will return to you again.

Ten Years to Get Here

2009-12-31T17:44:00.000-08:00

Well here we are on December 31, 2009 and the end another decade of life. And wow, what a 10 years it has been. I am going to attempt to explain the last ten years and how they have been life changing and the experiences that they have held.

So to start lets go back to December 31, 1999, I was a 12 year- old 6th grader at Homewood Middle School. I was one of those kids who did not adjust well to middle school. I was the kid who could not work my locker, who had a hard time getting to know people, and just all around did not like it too much. In other words I did not like and did not fit in too well at all. You will see at the end of the story how all this fits into life now. But the spring of 6th grade year and the fall of 7th grade year, 2000, brought on some major changes into my life that have impacted me for the rest of my life. These 2 things are, first my starting to be part of Homewood football at the middle school level and varsity in the spring of 2000, and second is the youth group at Dawson in 7th grade in the fall of 2000. So 2000, 9 years ago, is where this story really begins to unfold and how the experiences of this last decade have been so great and impacted my life.

As I said the spring of 2000 marked the start of my time with Homewood football. In the fall of 6^th grade I became a manger for the football team. Something that at the time that I got picked on for and teased about but I didn’t care I stuck it out and in the fall of 2000 found out just how great this part of my life would be. That’s when I was ask if I wanted to work with the varsity football team for the playoffs, this would end up being the year that Homewood won state in a 5 over time game, that still stands as the longest state championship game played in the history of Alabama high school football. I will save the details for another post in August about what this has led too. But I will say this much about this area of my life it was been something that has taught me a lot and allowed me have experiences that I would not have had with out being a part of it and I look forward to this year and my 10^th season.

The other big thing and I guess the biggest was starting in the youth ministry in the fall of 2000 as a 7^th grader. This is where the story of change over the last 9 years really takes place. As a 7^{th and} 8^th grader I was active in the youth group when on trips and all the stuff at church. I almost hate to say this but I really didn’t enjoy the youth group in middle school (if you want reasons I will tell you person to person, nothing I willing to publish). But I would have never thought then that I would severing with middle school kids in the youth group but I also did not know what the next 10 years would hold for me.

The next few years would be high school, oh that fun time in life that I loved so much. These were the years where I really learned the most about myself and how to stick to who I am and not change to be accepted by others, and when I found of love of serving others. It was also in this time I first felt like I was called to ministry. As the years of high school and college have gone on I have found that my passion and love is middle school kids.

Remember how this story started about the kid who really did not fit in, at Homewood Middle School. Well this is how that story ends, 10 years latter. I can say that looking back over the past 10 years, I can see how God has worked through all the events of my life to get me to this point. How being the “un-cool” kid led to the kid who wanted to be cool. To finally realizing the importance of just being who I am and sticking to what my passion is. Coming to this point allowed me to be able to truly take up Gods calling on my life and come to realize where I am too serve. That place has turned out to be serving in middle school ministry of all places, that kind nerdy kid now gets to hang out with the cool kids. I think this is best summed up this quote from the book Middle School Ministry by Mark Oestreicher and Scott Rubin. “ I’m so moved by how God has opened my eyes and softened my heart though these ragtag misfits. And what’s amazing is that I’ve discovered that I’m actually the misfit and they have taken me in.” Ten years ago I would have never guessed that I would working with middle school kids, really 10 years ago tonight I was already ready to be done with middle school for life. Well turns out God has a sense of humor, and that he used the 10 years since was there age to give me love and passion for them.

Happy New Year 2010!

Something I Want to Share With You

2009-12-08T11:02:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to share this with everyone today. It is a letter to the Birmingham News written by one of the 7th graders at church, Elizabeth Keith (Reagan's sister) about his Leukemia. I think it pretty well sums up James 1:4, and how hard times bring us closer to God.

LIFE ISN'T FAIR

Hardships draw us closer to God

I am a seventh-grader at Briarwood Christian School. Recently, a member of my family was diagnosed with leukemia. One night at the dinner table, something happened that made me say: "That's not fair!" My dad said life isn't fair -- that if it were, everyone would have leukemia. I realized how true those words were.

Those who haven't faced great trials may not understand this until something unfair happens in their lives. Some people may even think God owes them a fair life. The truth is, God doesn't owe us anything, and he puts hardships in our lives to help us draw near to him.

People who don't know life isn't fair will eventually learn it, even if they have to learn it the hard way.

Elizabeth Keith

Birmingham

Heading back to NASB from EVS

2009-11-08T15:59:00.000-08:00

Well, in early August of this year I made the switch from the New American Standard Bible to the English Standard Version one that at the time I thought was a good move. My reason for that being that I liked the way that ESV read and Crossway (the publisher) has some nice products. I knew going into this there were a few things that EVS did that were kind odd, such as no red letters or no capitalization of he when refereeing to Jesus in the text. Both things I thougth well I can learn to live with over time so I will over look them. Along with the change came putting a side my old Bible, that I really had become somewhat fond of in the two years I have had it (although doing this came with some fixed feelings too). Well over these past 3 months I have found that I have not been able to get used to these text changes, I may just be kind of old fashion but I find these things needed in a Bible I am using. So for me it is back to trusted old Bible. Well that was just a quick random thought, thats all for now.

A New Deeper Passion

2009-07-18T20:54:00.000-07:00

So it has been a few weeks since we got back from Fuge at Carson Newman, and all I can say that I have a new deeper passion for my middle schoolers now. It is funny how sometimes something in life just becomes common and normal but then you realize that it is what you love the most (well at least that has happened for me), well that for me is middle school ministry. I have known for almost 2 years now that I am called to serve middle schoolers, a time in life that is very hard and I really want to forget sometimes (more on that later), but now I know it is time to go all in and make the changes in life that will allow me live this as my passion. I can't really say for sure that has cause for this passion is, but I think it is a mix of a few things. The first thing is getting to spend a week with 70 great kids and 13 great youth leaders at camp, and the theme of that camp being Move (stepping out on faith). The second would be my job with Lifeway, being around people who have like interest and working for company that supports missions. There is just something about a job where people around you understand your passions, that makes your passions deeper. But whatever the reasons are behind this I am glad to be at the place where I am ready to step out and move along on my journey and really start to be come focused on my real passion in life.

So has I have been thinking about this new deeper passion to being around students in the craziest years of life and ones that I wish I could forget; this thought keeps coming back to me, these kids would have never liked the middle school me. I was "that kid" in middle school, you know the one... that stays to them self and never did anything with anyone (including church camp, thats a funny thought now that I have been 3052 miles as a youth leader! yes I keep count). The kid that always got picked on and always kind of left out. Thats one reason why I love the photo in this post, because I would have never had friends like those kids in when I was that age. So what do I mean by these random worlds, that there is hope for "those kids" if you just stick to who yo are and not change, because God will use that to do great things and people will one day see how great you are (if you don't believe me I will be more than happy to show you my senior yearbook).

Well I guess it is time to end this thing, before I do I want t say this that I am very thankful to God of each and every student I get to be around and they are all a great blessing in my life. Until next time God Bless and thanks for reading (if anyone is).

How Great is Our God? This Great!

2009-07-13T19:43:00.001-07:00

KTBS 3 News | Shreveport, LA: ArkLaTex News - National Guardsmen were right behind First Baptist bus and immediately began rescue efforts

Shared via AddThis

So I had been working on 2 other post, today, about camp last week but I feel like this is more important to write about.

How Great is Our God? This Great.

Well this is tragic event no matter what way you look at it and in no way am I saying that God caused it because He does not cause suffering, but we live in a fallen world and bad things happen to good people. But where does God come into play in all this it is the fact that He provided National Guard troops who had just trained in how to rescue people from rollover accidents, who were medics, and who had equipment on hand right behind this group on the interstate at the time they were needed the most. If you don't think that God is mighty and powerful and cares about us well, I guess your wrong then because He sure as heck does. So How Great is Our God, so Great that He provides in our times of need and times of hope. These youth were facing a great hardship and still are but they have seen hope in the way that God provides in time of need. Still work is not done please pray for the families of these students and this church and that they will see God in this time and they will grow closer to Him.

Letter to Me

2009-04-30T22:06:00.000-07:00

So it is May and that means that yet another group of high school seniors will be graduating and everyone moves up to the next grade in school. Well I don't know why but this time of year always finds me with mixed emotions, and there is so much that I just look a back on and say only if I could have told myself what I know now then things would have gone better then. Well in way Brad Paisley does his in this song "Letter to Me". So that song has inspired me to do just that write a letter to me at the end senior year of high school. So this post is really the thoughts that I want to share with the class of 2009 (rising college freshman). So i just want to share with all of you some thoughts about what I feel was the most important year of my life so far.

So here it goes,

Congratulations on your graduation from high school, enjoy it because this is one of the most special and meaningful events of your life that will never be matched by another. I know that you are stepping out into a new chapter of your life and that you are facing it with excitement, joys, and fears of the unknowns of this new world around you. I hope that this coming summer you will be responsible in enjoying what will be the freest 3 months of your life. For most of you this will be 1st time since you were in middle school that you have not had something for school in the summer (band, sports, ect.). And yes I hate to break it to you summers will one day come to an end, as I am now about to start my last one. So enjoy it, but please be safe and be smart with it.

As this summer ends comes the fall, and for most of you that will read this, comes college and your first year of freedom, and what is the first year of the rest of your life. Do not waste this year of your life, this one is very important because it lays the foundation for all the others. Enjoy this time, because you only get to go to college once and it can be as fun as you make it. I know that at times it will seem hard and you will get down but remember that is one of the great stages on the journey of life. So as you embark down this path I just want to share the following thoughts with you:

1) Stay true to your faith, this next year is when so many people will fall away from church. Do not allow this to happen to you, and keep your friends accountable from doing so, and have them keep you accountable too.

2) Also let those who are special to you know that they are, because you never know when the last time you will see them will be.

3) Make time to rest, you need it!

4) Never burn bridges with people, because you think they will be people of your past.

5) Don't forget where you came from, that place has done a lot for you show it a little respect in return.

6) Stand up for what you believe in, your values are what make you who you are and stand up for them when someone or something goes against them. But be open to new views.

7) Be open to new views, of old things

8) Be yourself, never change in order to fix in. You are special and people must know to accept you for who are not who they want you to be. People who want to change so they will be your friend are not really friends.

*These last two only Homewood fokes will get.*

9) Do everything with honor and be loyal to anything you commit to.

10) "Remember to make good choices." Dyer Carlisle

Last Week In Review

2009-03-23T08:34:00.000-07:00

So it is the monday after spring break and I have to be 100% honest with you, I really would rather be back at the beach. I have never really loved a trip as much as I did last week, and what is really strange about it is that I was not really feeling up to it when I left.

I just really did not have my heart into going and spending a week with 150 students, and just all around was not feeling up to doing ministry when I got into the van and left Friday morning. Well that slowly began to change as Friday and Saturday unfolded and by the time I woke up Sunday morning I was ready to roll. It was funny how my feelings changed Saturday when I was standing in a parking lot in Panama City and saw 3 charter buses roll up with the greatest students in the world (and the best group of leaders I have ever served with!) on board; it was as that point I was really ready to get the week going and was no longer thinking that "I wish I had done something different with my week." Well it did not take me long to get in the swing of things and find that my heart was into the week big time.

I think the biggest thing that made Breakaway so special to me was that I working in a way much different that I have on past trips. That was not being a small group leader and staying with kids but being more of catch all guy. Which had me doing everything from going to the store to serving at meals to just being able to spend really good time building relationships with students. This is very close to what I did for DNow this year but was different because on this trip I was able to focus in on what I really love and that is just being able to hang out with kids. I really do not know how to put it in to words but there is just something about spending time with students that really brings joy to me, but that is a post for latter. But I will say this before I go on, I would never do what I do if I did not love my students so much (they are very special to me)!

So I know you are reading this and are asking so what is your point, well I guess I need to get to it then. Now that I am looking back on this week there were are few things I have learned about. The 1st thing is this, that no matter how you feel about serving you just have to pull up your boot straps and just let God use you in the way He needs to (I sorry if someone thinks this is wrong to say but this is my heart speaking here). The 2nd and maybe the most important thing that I am coming way with personally is how important it is to make sure the my students know how much I love them. That to some of them it is important to hear you say it and that even though they may not seem to be someone you would think needs to hear it they do. The 3rd thing and the one that I am is excited about is more of God clearing up what I am called to, sorry but I am not going to openly publish many details but I will say this, when this all comes together some of you out there will be hearing from me for help, because your gifts and skills will help make this happen!

Well thats all for now, till next time God Bless...

Oh and also please pray for one of Journey Families who are going to be serving in China full time.

Good Morning

2009-03-17T06:24:00.000-07:00

Well here we are on tuesday morning and the kids are slowly wakeing up, as I would expect. This week has been great, I have loved getting to spend good time with our kids.

Charlie Graham