Move to Wordpress

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.