In Tennessee

I am writing from a pretty cool little bookstore in Chattanooga. We decided to come and spend the rest of the week at my parents house in Dunlap, TN so that we could be closer to Pattie's mom who is still in the hospital. She may get to come home Saturday so keep praying for her. This also allows Rayanne to continue sone new friendships that she made at camp. My neice, Rebekkah, is also here and I am grateful to get to spend time with her this week. After spending all day at the hospital yesterday, I dropped Pattie off there this morning and Rebekkah, Pam and I are heading to Fall Creek Falls together. It should be fun. I will be glad for our traveling to be done. We have lots to do around the house to get it ready to sell.

The Love of My Life

This past Tuesday, June 24, marked 19 years of marriage to my wonderful wife, Pattie. Sometimes I feel like Mel Gibson at the end of the movie What Women Want as he thanks his co-star, Helen Hunt, for being his hero and rescuing him. We both fill mutually rescued by each other. When you find true love, you realize how short other loves fell. Finding her was a salvation in and of itself and it felt like being "born again' again and entered me into a new life. I've never gotten over it and I know I never will.

Sunday Recap and a BIG announcement

• Our third Sunday in the Depot. A good turn out and a good offering.
  
• Unusual thing happened. I felt that God was telling me not to prepare a sermon for the service. This has never happened and I hope it will not happen very often. He wanted me to be less preachy and just talk to our people about what God was leading me to do. I consciously tried not to think about what I would sy before getting up there. That's a little unnerving.
• I officially made the announcement that me and my family (atleast me, Pattie, Rayanne, and Sadie) would be moving to Colorado to plant a church in that great city. There is much to share about this decision and how I came to the conclusion that this was God's will for our lives but suffice it to say for now that I believe it is the clear leading of God and not a desire of my own. To leave our kids, grandchildren, our aging parents, and brothers and sisters at this time in our lives seems crazy not to mention the many friends, church family, bus driving friendships, etc. that make living here the beautiful life that it has been. But I cannot deny or ignore this call of God on my life.
• We will be meeting in the Depot one more Sunday and we are praying about our next step for this body of believers. We will either stay together until we are ready to move or join with another fellowship of like mind, heart, and soul.
• Greatest blessing about this move - we are not going alone! Bob and Monica, our worship leaders, have also committed to this move. What a blessing it is to partner with this wonderful couple to attempt something new for God.
• Biggest obstacle - the selling of our homes. This will determine when we move. In this economy, this could be a difficult thing. I know God will work it out but please pray about this need.
• We will be having a Church dinner after the service next Sunday at the Depot. Please make plans to attend. This is not our last fling but getting close to it. I would love to see everyone again.
• I have much more to write but this is all I can do right now. Stay tuned.
  

Gulf Shores Camp

• Rayanne and I had a great time at the beach in Gulf Shores, AL with the Ewtonville Baptist Church from Dunlap, TN. First time back to camp in a couple of years and it was a lot of fun. What a great group of young people. It was the first time Rayanne had been to camp as an official camper although she has been with me on several occasions when I was the leader.
• I did not put even one toe into the ocean. I love the ocean but I'm not a huge fan of the beach. The beach was beautiful but very calm. We made bigger waves in the pool. Everyone that went into the ocean except Rayanne was stung by a jelly fish. They were also fishing from the beach and pulling out sharks on a regular basis. Most were just one or two feet long and probably could only nibble on you but I have grown fond of my fingers and toes. One shark was about 4 ft. Needless to say most of stayed out of the water.
• It was hard to preach 8 times to the same crowd in 5 days but I feel like everything went real well. The theme of the camp was The Amazing Race. The Bible often compares the Christian life to a race but it is more about finishing than competing. As a matter of fact, if you finish, you win! At night we talked about the finish line as our destination. We have to keep sight of the goal if we are to run well. Our main verses were Proverbs 3:5,6 where God promises to make our paths straight if we trust in Him. The fastest way to the finish line is the straightest route. I taught that the Straight Path is that path of life that when followed brings the greatest amount of glory to God and the greatest amount of blessing to your own life. In the mornings we spoke on training for the race and disciplines we need to run well.
• I missed Pattie. She went to Chattanooga for the week to be with her Mom who is now in rehab hospital preparing her to go home. Keep praying for her. Rehab is painful and exhausting. The moonlit waters of Gulf Shores lost much of their beauty without my wife at my side.
• Best fun was synchronized cannonballs into the pool by about 6 of us guys on the last evening. This should be an olympic event. We made some great waves.
• It was good to be home Friday night and it was even better when Pattie got home on Saturday night. It was good to see Ben, Joe, Sadie and Oreo.
  
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Sunday recap

• Church at the Depot today. It was good. Bigger crowd than last week. It was good to see everyone.
• Had A&W Root Beers for the dads today.
• Spoke on "Lord, Make Us Holy." "Holy" simply means "set apart." God has called us to act and think differently than those who have no relationship with Jesus Christ. We are told not to "conform" to this world but to be "transformed." Two things are required for this transformation: a new heart which you receive the moment Jesus Christ becomes your Savior and the Lord of your life, and a renewed mind which is a process and takes time. A new heart changes your desires while a renewed mind changes your attitudes. Both together changes your actions. Holiness is evidenced with a right attitude about sin. You see the harm and damage caused by sin. You want to avoid it and be free of it. It also effects your attitudes about others. It causes you to love purely. The difference between holiness and legalism is that legalism condemns others and holiness loves others. And lastly it shows in your attitude toward God's Word. It is His Word that changes the way we think which changes our attitudes which changes our actions that cause us to be "set apart" for God's glory.
• Had a great Father's Day. Rachele and Camille came over Sat. to give me a gift. It was too sweet. Had lunch with Jenny and Brian and the rest of the kids.
  
• The US Open was awesome. Go Celtics! What happened to the Braves. I go away and they go in the tank. There is still time though.
• Probably won't blog until I return home from camp on Friday.
• See ya!
  

Traveling Advisory

• Went to Indianapolis on Friday the 6th for a surprise 82nd birthday party for one of my favorite aunts, Pauline. It was great to see many of my cousins that I haven't seen in awhile. Got to spend some time with my little sister, Nancy, and her girls, Rebbekah and Katie. My cousin, Anne, who is always an encouragement to me and often responds to my blog, was there with her new child, Aaron, from China. He was awesome!
• Flew to Denver, Colorado on Monday morning with Rayanne. It was her first flight and it was fun to be with her. This was my first trip West to the Rockies. Denver was surprisingly flat with snow-capped mountains to the west.
  
• Pattie was unable to fly with us and returned to Chattanooga with my sister, Pam, on Sunday for her Mother's surgery on Monday. The surgery went well and Pattie flew out from Atlanta on Tuesday night and joined Rayanne and me.
• Met a lot of great people and thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful city. The climate was unbelievable. Clean air, blue skies, steady breeze, mountain backdrop, and no humidity. What's not to like. I might be singing another tune if it was January. No humidity is something I have never experienced. It hit 90 for a couple of days and I barely broke a sweat.
• There were plenty of churches but not nearly as saturated as Atlanta and the South. Two different men told me that they felt Denver was largely unchurched. It's a wide open field for a church planter.
• Flew back to Atlanta on Friday night. Atlanta has its own beauty and Cherokee County looked greener than I ever remembered. It was good to be home.
• Leaving tomorrow for Gulf Shores, AL. I will be speaking at a youth camp. Pray for me. My voice is weak from either allergies or a cold and I have to speak 8 times in 5 days. I'm very excited about this opportunity. Rayanne is going with me. Pattie is going to Chattanooga this week to be with her mother. Keep praying for her.
  

Last Sunday Recap 6-8

I was in Indianapolis for our first service in the depot. Everyone loved the building and we had a decent crowd for most of our regulars being gone. My son, Ben, led the worship but then we had technical problems with the sermon video. After several failed attempts to play the sermon, my friend, Jim Warrington, got up and shared a testimony and some things that God had laid on his heart. It was well received.
Meanwhile in Indianapolis, I attended the Westview Baptist Church with my Aunt Pauline. This is the first church that I remember attending as a child. It looked the same. My biggest memory of that church is my mom taking me out of the service for unruly behavior and giving me a whooping in the Ladies bathroom. On this day I behaved and enjoyed the message about casting our cares on the Lord. Mostly older members with a few children and I wonder what it would take to bring life back into this poor community inside the city limits. May the Lord guide me to the place where my light can shine the brightest.

Church in the Depot

We are having our first service in the Depot in downtown Holly Springs and I am down right excited about it and I'm not even going to be there. I hate that I am going to be gone but the circumstances of life and timing that can't be avoided is putting me in Indianapolis on our first official Sunday out of the warehouse. We will be showing a video of one of my favorite preachers and pastors, Perry Noble, from Newspring Church in Anderson, SC. I love his evangelistic spirit and his passionate love for Jesus. I know that you will be encouraged by his message.

Leaving tomorrow!

We are going to visit Pattie's mother tomorrow. She is having colon cancer surgery on Monday and we want to spend the day with her before we head up to Indianapolis for the weekend. Please keep her in your prayers.
I was raised in Indianapolis and I am looking forward to seeing some old friends and family that I haven't seen in a while. I only have good memories of Indiana and very thankful for how are where I was raised. My youngest sister, Nancy, still lives there and it will be good to see her and her family.

My e-mail is down

Moving out of the warehouse and ending our Windstream DSL service there has knocked out my e-mail. Until this gets settled you can use rbrim@alltel.net.

This could help

If you want to read this the way it was intended, drop down about 6 posts to "Let me start at last Thursday." But it is okay to read it backwards.

It finally ended Monday

• It was an emotionally and physically draining week. Not only were we dealing with the ending of this stage of Axios, Church in the Warehouse and the beginning of whatever is next, and the ending of Joe's childhood and entrance into the adult world, but we are also dealing with the health issues of Pattie's mother. Keep praying for her.
• Jim, Donna, Ben and I finished the last of the warehouse move. Took a load to the dump, took 2 loads to our storage unit, and the rest went to my home or Jim's. Jim and Donna Warrington are 2 of the most generous and self-giving people I know. I would be lost without them.
• Had a wonderful steak lunch at Sixes Elementary School. The administrative staff at Sixes grilled steaks, chicken, onions, and baked potatoes for all the staff and bus drivers. It was good to see the Sixes drivers one more time. It was fun and delicious.
  
• Chilled the rest of the day. Tried to find a cool space and just relax. Pattie was at work and Rayanne was at 6 Flags so it was just me. I needed that.
  

Sunday was Raw

• We decided to have one more service in the warehouse. We threw down the stage and set up a few chairs. There was no sound system, no power point, no video, no bulletin, no children's ministry, not even a nursery. It was just us and God.
• Joe led s in three songs and did a great job. We had donuts and cold drinks for everyone to enjoy.
• Did I mention that we had a major downpour and everyone was soaked getting in to the service?
• My message was called "The Rantings of a Mad Pastor." Mad, not as in angry, but I was wondering if I am insane to think that church can be different. I am tired of the Americanized church. I think that we have confused the "American Dream" with the "Kingdom of God." I don't believe that the goal of a relationship with God is to make our life comfortable and extravagant. Could we get back to when the church had everything common? Could church be a place where your sorrow is my sorrow, your joy is my joy, your debt is my debt, and your prosperity is my prosperity? But churches have become little kingdoms in themselves. The entrepeneural spirit of America has made church planters more individualized and domain centered. I have been around some "big vision" people that have become small in my eyes. God's mission is greater than anyone's vision. Many can't see beyond the borders of their individual kingdoms. Sometimes we forget that we are brothers. My family drove 2 hours to help but I have brothers and family 10 minutes away who never thought to lend a hand. We say that we are doing church to reach the unchurched but how can we say that we love God and let our brother go in need. I know that I am speaking from the needy side of his equation. I was and am the one in need. I am not trying to fault my Christian brothers. Would I be writing this if everything was going well and my needs were met and I was comfortable? Would I come to help bear the burdens of my brothers if the roles were reversed? I do not know but I think this is what God is teaching me. I spoke from 1 Peter 2. In this passage, Peter describes the church as "living stones," "a chosen tribe," "a royal priesthood," "a holy nation," "a peculiar people." Am I insane to think that church could be this? If it is to be, it will start with what Peter started with. His first call was for us to become like "newborn babes." We must rid ourselves of malice, hypocrisy, greed, and any other vice that would keep us from being "peculiar" or insane. We must nurse on the Word of God rather than on the latest book or strategy. We must return to the Word where we first tasted and knew that God was good. God is teaching me these things and maybe when the roles are reversed, I will use my resources to not just expand my own personal kingdom but will help my brother fulfill his vision also. Maybe I am insane.
  

Saturday was exhausting but good

In the midst of all the celebration and ending of the school year, we were busy at the church moving out of the warehouse. We started early, but were a little short on help because Joe and his friends who had been helping, were now busy with parties, family and friends. It left me, Donna Warrington and Steve and Paula McMullen to do the work. But thats where my family comes in. My sister called me early to verify the time of Joe's graduation party which was to be at 4:00. She asked if there was anything they could do and I said how about bringing my three strong nephews down early and help me. They arrived at lunchtime and gave us 2-3 hours of productive work. My sisters also pitched in and were a great encouragement to me. In the mean time, my dad had Ben and Rayanne cleaning up our yard and house getting it ready for the party. What a blessing to have family that loves and cares and willing to work and sacrifice for each other. It's the same way a church ought to operate. We quit around 3:30 to get ready for the 4:00 party and we made it. The rest of family and friends showed up and it was a great party. Pattie did a great job with food and hospitality. That evening, we were wiped out but very satisfied with the day.

Then came Friday night

After turning in my bus, I rushed home to get ready for Joe's graduation. It was a wonderful night. It was much more emotional than I expected. I openly let the tears flow as he walked across the stage. I have great children. I love them all so very much. Joe is an out-going, multi-talented, well-liked young man. I am very proud of him. I am thankful that he has completed this stage of his life. I am thankful for the way God has shaped his life thus far. And I will pray that God will make his paths straight and that he will allow God to guide him and lead him down the path that brings the most glory to God and the greatest amount of blessing to him.

Then comes Friday

Friday was the last day of school and, of course, the last day to drive the bus. I felt like a school kid again as we counted down the last few days of the year and now I have the Summer off. I haven't been able to say that I have the Summer off in 30 years. I have thoroughly enjoyed bus driving or at least I love the people with whom I get the privilege to drive and I love the students that ride with me. I received a thank you note from a High School Senior where he called me "the bus driver extarordinaire." I also received a homemade card from an elementary student named Madison that said "Thank you for driving us to school and back home safely everyday. Riding the bus was actually exciting this year. I will miss you and hope you have a great Summer." She hugged me and told me that she loved me. I will miss these children or at least most of them. But I will miss the other bus drivers most of all. We all met for lunch and it got rowdy and loud as usual. We laughed and shared one more afternoon together. I looked and saw people that were no longer co-workers but friends. Some have gone through difficult times this year. Many have pulled me aside and asked for prayer for a variety of concerns. Some, I have asked to pray for me. They have impacted my life and I will remember this year for a long time.

Let me start at last Thursday

The craziness of the last two weeks has taken its toll on my blogging. There are some times when there are not enough minutes in the day to get everything done. It has been that kind of a week. But let me start with Thursday to catch you up to speed. Thursday was the 2 hour season finale of Lost and it didn't disappoint. We had our last Lost party of the season and possibly the last time this group will get together to watch how the story ends. Our party consists of me and Pattie, Joe Brim, Joe Stag, Kayla and Blake. We always have our IBC Black Cherry sodas and another choice of beverage such as Yoohoos or Jones Soda and a variety of snacks. During commercials, we try to guess what happens next or remind each other of past episodes that help make sense of the current episode or simply get caught up on the activities of the day. It has been something that I look forward to every week. But the 4 high school Seniors have all graduated now and who knows where we all will be when the new season starts. It will be sad to find out how Locke died or where the island was moved to or how and why the Oceanic 6 get back to the island and if Jin is really dead without the company of these fine young people. It has been a treasured time and I will miss it more than the show itself.