New Route

I was offered a new route closer to home and I'm taking it. I'm going to miss the beautiful sunrises and wildlife that my current route affords me (yesterday I passed a pasture with the regular crowd of 10 horses and a donkey with the added company of 3 wild turkeys and 5 deer grazing in another corner) but being at Sixes Elem. which is 4 min. from my house will be nice. The Sixes route takes less than 15 min. but the catch is that my high school route is at Woodstock which is a long drive especially at rush hour. But I am still finishing up around the same time I am now. I also have to give up my nice Cadillac ride of a bus but I'm sure that my next bus will be good too. I was ready for a change anyways. It should be good.

Criminal Minds

I'm pumped about this new series starting Sunday. We are looking at the criminal minds behind the crucifixion of an innocent Jesus as well as attacking criminal minds today that also are destroying the innocent and the vulnerable. We laid out some goals to raise money for three organizations that are on the front lines of fighting for those around the world who have been kidnapped or duped into the world of sex slaves and other forms of slavery. IJM is an organization that is working world-wide to free those who are enslaved as well as put behind bars those evil men who are perpetrating these injustices. Innocence Atlanta is doing the same thing only focusing on Atlanta itself which ranks as the #13 city in the world as a hub for sex trafficking. The Covenant House is a place in Atlanta that cares for and provides the support necessary for those rescued from these situations. We are also looking at getting a more hands on opportunity rather than just throwing money at them. As Christians, we are often sheltered from the dark world that we live in and as church planters, we can be consumed with reaching our immediate community and forgetting about others for whom God is deeply concerned. Let's step up and engage this battle for justice.

Tuesday thoughts just before Wednesday

• A big storm hit just as most of us bus drivers were starting our routes this morning. Torrential rain and strong winds made it crazy. I delivered my elementary school kids to a powerless, dark school (alot of the schools had no power for a large portion of the day). I couldn't even reach my Middle/High School kids. There were power lines down as well as trees blocking the road leading to the sub-divisions I serve. It was wild!
• I pulled the bus out in front of a guy who was traveling way too fast and it made him mad. There would have been no problem if he had been doing the speed limit. He flew up behind me and rode my bumper. Being tail gated in a bus is not very intimidating. Unknowingly to me, he followed me into the bus shop and complained about me to the office. When I returned in the afternoon, my supervisor pulled me aside to verify it was me. She seemed certain that he must of had the wrong bus number but I confessed that it was me. How can a guy that is in that big a hurry have time to stop and complain about me? People are crazy.
• It looked like a tornado went through the woods this afternoon when I finally ran my HS route. Trees were snapped in half and many were completely uprooted. The power was still out in that area at 4:00.
• I've been cooking with Pattie being down with her back. I made this last night and this tonight. Both were excellent.
• American Idol was a little disappointing tonight. Only a few did very well. That young David Archeleta was pretty amazing though.
• I have a lot of things going on at church this week. It is making it very busy for me.
• For some reason our kids are not listed on our insurance and I don't know why. I can't find anyone else who knows why either. I was given the royal run around today. It was very frustrating.
  

Sunday Thoughts on Tuesday Night

• We had a great day Sunday. Joe and Joe did the worship. I thought they did great. Shared some new songs that really emphasized the cross and the love of God. It was very good.
• Great attendance and great offering even with it being the last weekend of our winter break.
• My wife was unable to attend. Her back is giving her problems again. Please pray for her.
• Presented our plans for the next couple of months. I challenged the church to step it up in leadership and followership (I think I made this word up). I personally need to step it up as the leader and I wanted the church to be ready to follow (not blindly but confidently). I also challenged us to step it up in giving and prayer. We need to be outrageously generous and our prayers need to be big. Small prayers yield small results. When you pray small, you often can't tell if God answered or things just worked out. But BIG prayers have unbelievable answers that can only be attributed to God.
  
• I also challenged us to step it up in the fight. We are tackling injustice in this world evidenced in the sex trafficking of young children and the enslavement of millions around the world. We set a goal of over $3000 so that we can help those who are engaging this battle. I will tell more about this later but I am pumped up about joining this fight.
• I watched the Oscars but I am not sure why. I haven't seen any of the movies that were up for best picture. The Oscar's are never about movies that people actually watch. I would give Oscars to Bourne Ultimatum for best picture, Johnny Depp and Keira Knightly in Pirates of the Caribbean for best actors, Optimus Prime of Transformers for best robot in a movie, Spiderman for best action hero, Shrek the Third for best movie featuring a donkey and Evan Almighty for best Christian theme.
  
• Had to get my mind around getting up for work. It's time to get back on the bus.
  

I'm back

• I left Wed morning for Hernando, MS, just south of Memphis, TN, for my aunt's funeral and returned on Fri. It was good, even under these circumstances, to reconnect with my cousins and aunts and uncles some of which I hadn't seen since high school. I was not close to my aunt, Linda Kay, but was glad that I got to see her last Aug. at my uncle's funeral. It was good to hear about her faith and that she lived her life as a child of God. The funeral and the family and friends that attended were a great tribute to her life and I am glad that I was able to be there.
  
• I rode with my sister, Pam, who has become a good friend and encourager over the years. I enjoy our times together and our conversations are meaningful.
• You cannot buy hazelnut ice coffee at McDonald's in MS. They do not carry this product and I tried several locations. I didn't get my ice coffee until we hit AL in the late afternoon. I have decided that I will no longer tell Alabama jokes. They will all be Mississippi jokes from now on.
• I couldn't get that close to the Mississippi River without crossing it. It was only the third time to cross it in my life.
  
• I met with Jason from Ewtonville Baptist Church in Dunlap, TN, for whom I am speaking at his youth camp in Gulf Shores this Summer. We had a small planning meeting and decided on a theme and the number of times I would be speaking. It's going to be great.
• It's always nice to come home to Pattie and my family. It's the best part of going out of town.
• Can't wait for church tomorrow. I love our church. I am speaking on our vision and our and our strategy for the next three months. We are also having a membership class Sunday afternoon.
  

Sunday recap

• Finished the series ABC Family with a look at parenting. Since God designed marriage/family with the purpose of birthing the next generation (Gen 1:28) and passing on our faith to that generation through the modeling of love and the teaching of the Word of God (Duet. 6), then the three relationships that we talked about the last 3 weeks have the greatest impact on fulfilling that purpose. A) The relationship of the father/husband/head of household with God. B) The husband/wife relationship. C) The parent/child relationship. God has placed the mantle of leadership in the home squarely on the man's shoulder, therefore placing the onus for all three relationships in our laps. It is time for us men to step up and take our place in the home seriously.
• Attendance was off after weeks of climbing. Winter Break started this week and it effected our crowd.
• Joe played and sang at the Wild West Bar and Grill Sunday night. He did a great job and drew a good crowd. He was part of a fund raiser to build a hospital in Kenya.
• My aunt passed away this week. I may be riding with my sister, Pam, to the funeral. I will probably be gone Wed and Thurs.
• Joe and Joe are leading worship this Sunday as we are in between series. It will be fun to see what they have lined up for Sunday.
• Can't wait to start our new series Criminal Minds on March 2. It's going to be good.
• Looked at a bunch of other places to move Axios this week. It makes me thankful for where we are at. We have a great place and right now it seems to be where we need to stay.

Just some thoughts

• My bus route takes me across GA Hwy 20 toward Macedonia right around sunrise. Today's sunrise was absolutely stunning. Makes me glad that I am up and about to see such splendor. It reminds me of God's glory, grace and beauty. It causes me to sense His presence in my life.
• This route takes me through a lot of horse country and open pastures. Yesterday I saw a rafter of wild turkeys. It was awesome because it is not a usual sight. I did look it up and a group of turkeys is a "rafter."
• The book about Ravi Zacharias called Walking from East to West has been an incredible story and journey. It continues to inspire and encourage me. I recommend it highly. I have been reading a chapter a day in McDonald's while partaking in my addiction of hazelnut ice coffee. The other day I put my face in my hands and wept in the middle of McDonald's as I read about sacrifice, martyrdom and God's great love. It is a very moving story.
• I am very proud of Rayanne for the way she is approaching this new school. It has been very challenging and requires more study than she has previously been used to. She has accepted this challenge and has been doing very well. Keep praying for her.
• Lost has stepped up to the plate this season. I can't believe Hurley did that and I can't believe who got off the island as revealed in the last "forward look." Every episode reveals something new and the story is moving at a fast pace. I am glad the writer's strike is over so that they can get back to business.
  

Can you help us?

Before we sign a new lease or make any kind of commitment to this warehouse, we are going to take one more good look around this area of other possible places that we could meet. I prefer to stay in Holly Springs but am open to anywhere God may open the door. If you know of a place, please contact me at raybrim@axioschurch.org. Keep your eyes open and pray about this important decision.

Sunday Recap

• Had a great time with the message. Started with God's original design for marriage and ended with pointers for the singles crowd on finding the right mate.
• In keeping with Valentine's day week and going along with our ABC Family theme, we showed another clip from the Cosby Show. The Huxtable family lip syncs a love song for Cliff's parents' 49th anniversary. That's always funny.
• Another good crowd and great atmosphere.
• I was sad that I was the lone bus driver in the crowd yesterday.
• The ladies' gave a baby shower for Mary Interiano yesterday afternoon. Mary and her husband, Al, lead our high school ministry.
• We are sending off the money that we raised over the holidays to drill another well. I am grateful for the generosity of our people. The delay was for a few others who still wanted to give toward this cause.
• I went to the Serene Bean Coffee House, where another church's youth group meets every Sunday afternoon (it is the church where Joe is helping as an intern), to hear a man from Innocence Atlanta talk about child sex trafficing in Atlanta. What a horrific business created by evil men and perpetrated on children. We will be looking at how we can help this cause in our next series Criminal Minds.
• All of our kids and grand kids (except Michayla) and even some friends that have become like our own had supper at our house last night. It felt like Christmas. Even though everyone is local, it is hard to get everyone together at once. We are going to try to do this once a month.
  

ABC Family Part 2

Second message in ABC Family series. The second most influential relationship in the home is the one between husband and wife. I believe that the Bible teaches that the purpose of the family is to birth the next generation and to pass on faith to that generation through modeling love and teaching the Word of God. The failure of a man to embrace his role as the head of the home in all areas including faith is most damaging to the fulfillment of that purpose. The breakdown of the marriage relationship is the second most damaging. God has chosen both of these relationships as a way to describe His relationship to us. He loves us as a father loves his children and as a husband loves his wife. When we don't maintain these two relationships and give them the priority they deserve, the ability to pass on our faith to our children suffers. God describes how a family works in Ephesians. The further we move away from that model, the more dysfunctional a family becomes and the harder it is to send healthy children out into their adult lives. No family is perfect and every family has it's own quirks, obstacles, and hardships to overcome. I thank God that He is on our side and and no matter how we have blown it or are blowing it, He is still there for us and offers help, hope, wisdom, and guidance to those who seek Him.

What I am reading

I don't read many biographies but I have picked up an autobiography called Walking From East To West by Ravi Zacharias. Ravi is a brilliant man, an author, and a great apologist for the Christian faith. He debates and lectures on the credibility of Christianity and the Christian worldview in places where few are invited - prestigious schools and universities in the US and around the world, UN Headquarters, other government agencies. I have always held him in high regard and my respect has grown from reading his life story about growing up in India amidst great poverty, religious diversity and a totally different worldview. Christ stood in great contrast to the other options around Ravi as he grew up. At the lowest point of his life, the truth of Christ swept in and changed him forever. It makes me look at our own culture. Here, in America where biblical principles shaped our country and our worldview and in the Bible Belt where everyone belongs to a church (although over 70% do not attend regularly) and has "prayed the prayer," we live in the prosperity and freedom afforded by the Gospel yet many seem to live outside of its influence and relevance in everyday life. It seems that many believe but few truly live. It does not take faith to believe in Jesus Christ. The evidence is overwhelmingly in Christ's favor that He is who He says He is and that He can do what He says He can do. The Bible says that even demons believe yet they are not saved. It takes faith to build your life on Him, to trust Him only, to live by His guidelines, to follow His commandments. Those with this kind of faith have found Jesus Christ a loving Savior, a faithful Friend, the Treasured Possession of their lives.

My TV Guide

I am loving Lost. What a great show! The writing is incredible and the acting is excellent. It is my only must see tv. I still love House too. I can't help but laugh at his audacity. American Idol is entertaining and I'm glad try-outs are over. I'm ready to move on to the real talent. I'm looking forward to 24 soon, too.

Criminal Minds

I am excited about the direction we are taking as we approach Easter. On March 2, we will begin a new series called Criminal Minds. We will be looking at the dark characters behind the crucifixion - Judas, the disciple traitor; Caiaphas, Israel's High Priest; and Pilate, the Roman Governor. We will also be looking at some criminal activity in our world and taking some action against it. In Oct 2006, I was made aware of an organization called The International Justice Mission. I was appalled at the great injustices in the world - the selling of young children in the sex trade, forms of slavery and forced labor, the exploitation of widows, etc. I was equally amazed at the courage and the tenacity of this organization to rescue such people and to prosecute the evil men behind these crimes. These are issues and people that cannot be ignored by those who love the Lord and are called by His name. These are things that are close to the heart of God. The Bible is full of verses such as Isaiah 1:17 that has God crying out for us to get involved. Sunday afternoon I am going to hear another man speak from a local group concerned about these same issues called Innocence Atlanta. We need to raise some money to help these organizations. We are also looking into some ministries in our own community that help with injustices. I can't wait to see what doors God may open to us as we seek ways to help the oppressed. Start praying now about these issues.

Super Bowl Sunday

Started a new series Sunday called ABC Family: The 3 Most Influential Relationships in Any Home. I started by calling them the most "important" but I realize that every relationship in the home is important. But there are some relationships that impact the family as a whole more than others so I have changed it to most "influential." Sunday's message was on the most influential (A) which is the relationship between the father/husband/head of household (which ever applies to your situation) and God. This is not minimizing the role of the mother/wife but recognizing the impact of the man (or the lack of a man) in the home. If you are a single mom or just plain single then, as the head of your household, your relationship with God is the most vital. It was a great day since it was Super Bowl Sunday, to address men and challenge them to step up and embrace the mantle of headship in the family that God has placed on them. Next Sunday, we will talk about the second (B) most influential.

• The band was rockin' and I thoroughly enjoyed the worship.


• Joe Stag had put together a set design based on the idea of vintage TV. We made a huge old TV with rabbit ears and all as a backdrop and put a couple of old tv's on the front of the stage that were turned on to a blank channel. It looked good.


• Since ABC Family is known for family viewing and reruns, we showed a clip from an episode of The Cosby Show. This clip had Cliff Huxtable talking to two different suitors for his daughter about the role of men and women in the home. It was very funny and solid.


• Can you belive that Super Bowl? That was awesome! I am so glad that the Pats lost.


• I'm on my new route now and my new bus is one of the newest in the fleet. It's like a cadillac compared to the bus I was driving.


• We had visitors again and a good attendance that seems to be growing. Keep praying that God will let us reach Holly Springs and the surrounding areas.

Cracker Barrel and Bus Drivers

Had breakfast at Cracker Barrel with all of the sub drivers this morning. There must have been 15 of us. What a wonderful group of people they are. I thoroughly enjoy their company. I realize that I have known them for a very brief time and that we will see each other less and less as we all get our own routes but I appreciate the friendships that have begun. We have laughed together at many things and shared many stories of our lives. It is amazing to me to think of how the paths of our lives that have taken us many places over many years have converged together in a small concrete building on Hickory Road. Some call that chance, luck or happenstance but I call it a God thing and am thankful for being a part of it.