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.