Filed under: church, Daily Living, Family, God, Legacy Fellowship, Ministry, Religion | Tags: Chevrolet Silverado SWB, DIY, Landscaping, Rock Solid
So, this weekend was kind of nuts. Saturday was busier than the average week in the Fuller household. We worked outside building raised flowerbeds for Cheri’s landscaping project. I opened my big pie hole a couple of weeks ago and said it would be nice to build them out of the same brick our house is made of. As cheap as I am I have to do it myself. I am a moron sometimes. Oh well, I watched an episode of Rock Solid on DIY so I should be good to go, right?
I also bought a 1985 Chevy Silverado short wheelbase. I am totally geeked. Some people salivate over video games and Steve Jobs. I become a big rubbery one when it comes to cars, trucks and motorcycles.
Later that day we got to pick up our dog, Grissom, from doggy boot camp. He has been gone for one month. It has been refreshing not having to worry about him and just go and blow however we choose but our house just seems different without him. At least for me it does.
To end the day, our neighbors had a block party in our cul-de-sac. It was partially for the kids (Easter egg hunt and a movie projected on the side of a house) and partially for the adults (lots of ribs and some folks partaking of adult beverages). We had a pretty good time until one of the neighbors had a bit too much to drink. Nothing crazy happened but people just get dumb when they are drunk. I don’t miss those days at all.
So, yesterday was Easter, or as some in the business call it, Superbowl Sunday. We set and attendance record at Legacy. There were 1/3 more people there than have ever been for one service. Church isn’t a numbers game…but it is, you know? It started off stressful and tense for some of us but we prayed trough it and God showed up. I knew He would. That’s how He rolls.
I spent the rest of the day trying to relax. I am worn out. I need another weekend for my weekend.
Filed under: Daily Living, Faith, Family, Friends, God, health, Life Happens, Prayer, Relationships, Religion, Senior Citizens | Tags: cancer
I recently learned that a long-time friend of my parents, and a lady I love very much, has stage 4 cancer. She is currently undergoing intense chemotherapy. It has been quite a while since I have seen her and she has been on my heart for several months. I have wanted to call her or take some time to go see her when I went home to visit my folks but I just haven’t. I sucked hearing this news all the more because of this.
I called her yesterday and if you didn’t already know she has cancer you wouldn’t know by hearing her talk. She was in the same high spirits I remember her being in every time I saw her. I was thankful for that because I tend to turn into a rubbery, slobbering mess when I am met with these kinds of situations. She said she was going to do her due diligence and she would let God do His if He saw fit to keep her here for a little while longer.
I admire her strength and faith. She said she appreciated it so much that I called her and that I had no idea how much it meant to her. I told her I was praying for her and I loved her and I gave her a hard time about the Dallas Cowboys (she’s a fan, I am not). It was almost like old times. I don’t know what my phone call did for her but I know I felt so much better hearing how good she sounded.
It has me thinking: do I have faith like that? Is my attitude that positive? Who else do I need to call?
Who do you need to call?
Filed under: Faith, Family, Food, Friends, God, Jesus, Legacy Fellowship, Ministry, Relationships, Religion | Tags: small groups
Last night we had our first “Living Room” meetings in several months. “Living Rooms” are Legacy Fellowship’s version of small groups. We gather at someone’s home, eat, talk, eat, watch a video, eat, talk about the video and eat. It is usually a great time.
Cheri and I led a group at another couples home last night. There were six adults, two young kids and one eight month old baby in the house. It was a lot of fun. The hosts are a young married couple and they couldn’t be more down to earth. He is a good-old-boy type born and raised in the greatest country on Earth; Texas. She is a city girl from New York. For the life of me I can’t see how they would have met but they did and they make for a cool couple.
The other couple that came was just a bit older than the hosts. They have two young kids; two and 4 I think. I had no idea the wife had so much personality. I knew I liked the husband but had never taken a lot of time to talk with the wife. She is loaded with personality under a thin veil of discretion and diplomacy. I like them and I can’t wait to hang out with them again.
Our small groups are all about growing in our relationships with God. We want to learn and grow and become Godly men and women and we want to do it together. We are building a family at Legacy. A family that prays (and eats) together, stays together.
Filed under: Daily Living, Faith, Family, God, God is good, Jesus, Leadership, Learning my trade, Marriage, Ministry, Prayer, Relationships, Religion
Lately things have been just a little bit off for me. I am not pulling my hair out yet and I can still function like a normal person (for the most part) but I can tell I am off. I am a little moody lately. I am not as energetic as I normally am, which for me means I am completely lethargic because I am not super energetic as it is. I am unmotivated. I am moody. Did I say that already?
I was telling my wife this yesterday and in her infinite wisdom she told me what was wrong. I am not spending enough time with Jesus. I am trying to do everything on my own and I am just not strong enough to do it all. Between work, ministry, the crap with my dog and keeping a marriage going I just don’t have the strength and coordination to hold it all in the air and keep it balanced. One or more of the things I am juggling is bound to come crashing down, especially if I do.
I can’t remember the last time I sat down and really talked with Him. I have been reading like mad lately. I have been getting into the word and trying to better myself that way. All that is great but if I supplement that with only a few minutes of prayer a day then I am not getting all that I need. I will then begin doing everything on my own power and for my own reasons.
Psalm 62: 5-6 says:
Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
I will find rest in Him if I only seek Him. The more I seek Him, the more I will find Him. The more I find Him, the more I will love Him. When that happens I will find perfect peace and rest in Him. So here is my plan: I am going to take a day or seven here in the very near future to just get away. I am going to recharge my batteries. But before that happens I am going to set aside time in my day for being with Him, my first love. I miss Him.
Filed under: Conviction Hurts, Daily Living, Family, Friends, Life Happens, Marriage, Relationships
My wife and I drove into Houston for a friend’s wedding this weekend. It was a whirlwind and I am worn out but I am glad we went. Congratulations to the happy couple: Joel and Heather.
A funny thing happened Saturday night on our drive home. We didn’t turn on the radio. Not once. The drive takes almost three hours and we didn’t turn on the radio. Really. So, what did we do you ask? We talked. **crickets sounding**
That’s right folks; my wife and I talked for nearly three hours all the way home and it was great. I am not much of a talker unless I really have something to say. Apparently, I had a lot on my mind. For me to control even half of the conversation would mean I talked for an hour and a half. That’s a lot of talking for me. I don’t think we have talked like that since before we were married.
There were several things revealed to me in that conversation. I found that I am a pretty bad youth pastor. The more we talked about our ministry (especially the past) the more I realized just how bad it has been. I learned that I have a tendency to take on a victim mentality. That one hurt. I also learned that I am one prideful dude. I have always fancied myself to be very humble, respectful and considerate. It was revealed to me that I have a lot of pride about just how respectful and considerate I am. That one really hurt. The thing about it that’s funny is she wasn’t the one that pointed these things about. She just let me talk and when I came to the conclusions myself she just listened and encouraged me. I love my wife. It is so great to have a godly woman as my wife. I think I am going to try to talk to her more often…but about happy stuff.
I am a little spooked these days. I keep having dreams about babies. Some of the babies have even belonged to me in these dreams. I think God is trying to rid me of my phobia.
On another note, the baby we had in my dream last night was the best looking baby I have ever seen. Well, I am not surprised. J
Filed under: Family, God is good, Marriage, men's prayer, Relationships, Religion | Tags: Houston, Johnson Tower, Transco Tower
I kept finding myself on little pig trails this morning during prayer. It was a struggle to focus on what I thought was important to pray about. One of the things I kept thinking about was my wife and since I kept thinking about her I kept praying for her. I thought about it after prayer and I believe God wanted me to pray for her. It helped me remember how incredibly happy she makes me. I let all the junk of the days and weeks affect my moods and in turn how I treat her; she almost never does. She is always loving and sweet and I absolutely do not deserve her. So I pray for her and for me to do what I have to in order to keep her. I thank God for keeping her convinced I am a good husband.
When I left the church I remembered the second happiest day of my life so far. It wasn’t the day we got married. Nope, I was too nervous that day for it to be the happiest day of my life. No, that distinction belongs to the day I asked Cheri Little to be my wife. It was a beautiful October night in Houston at the Johnson Tower (formerly know as Transco Tower) water wall. I had taken her there on our first official date. Of course, I say we had been on several dates beforehand, she disagrees. But that is another story for another time.
My friend Josh was there early to set up candles and to sing and play guitar while we danced under the moonlight with hundreds of couples, families and homeless people witnessing it all. My heart was pounding, my hands were sweating and I could hardly see straight but I kept my composure long enough to pull the ring out of my pocket, drop to my knees and ask her to marry me. She said, “I thought you’d never ask.” I don’t know what gave her that impression but maybe she thought I was a chicken. Whatever the case may be I took her answer as a “yes” and she didn’t object. From that moment on I knew she would always be mine. I didn’t need to be married to her to know that and that is why that day is the second happiest day of my life.
[In case you are wondering what the happiest day of my life is, it’s the day I gave my life back to God. That was in October of 2002. Must be something special about October.]
Filed under: church, Daily Living, Faith, Family, forgiveness, Friends, God, Life Happens, Prayer, Religion | Tags: 2 Corinthians 12, weddings
My friend Joel is getting married this weekend. He is a great guy and he is marrying a nice girl. I pray for the best for them. I just found out yesterday that the wedding is taking place at my old church and my former pastor is performing the ceremony. I am not real excited about that. The relationship I once had with most of the leadership of that church was unfortunately severed and though I have forgiven them and moved on it is still uncomfortable.
My little brother, Chad, is serving Joel as one of his groom’s men. I know he accepted the honor gladly but I also know he is definitely not looking forward to it. The severance that took place involved my brother, my former pastor and a few other people. I believe Chad has forgiven them (or at least he thinks he has) but I don’t think he has moved on completely. It is going to be really hard for him to do this. The thing is, he is going to do it and he is going to do it gladly. Why? Because this wedding is not about him, it’s about his friend.
Why do I even bring this up? To work out my own junk for one thing, but besides that, I was just thinking about how God puts us in situations that may not be comfortable or easy for us so that we can rely on Him to get us through them. I know Chad is going to have to be prayed up before he can go into that church and humbly serve his friend without making an issue about his issues. He is going to have to rely on God to do that; and that’s partially because my family (excluding me of course) is not exactly known for humility. But when we are weak, He is strong.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9
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