_______________________

The World Wide Norm

2010-12-15T14:00:00.001-05:00

hey dudes and dudettes, this site is deleted, if you want to see Norm go here (http://normtumlinson.org/)

flatline...

2010-09-12T06:26:00.002-04:00

Friends, Romans, countrymen lend me your ears... Well it looks like I am about to give up the ghost again on this blog. I just wish I had the time, but in reality I feel like I just dont have the time to keep up with this blog as well as I would like to. It's hard letting go because I do have fun writing from time to time, but in reality I think my mediocrity is hurting both you and I. Me,

the more you know... (PSA from me to you)

2010-09-02T16:16:00.001-04:00

Top 5 Urban Influencers list...

2010-08-07T01:29:00.003-04:00

Check it. I love everything rap and hip hop. So, if you are like me, check out these websites below. They are the deal, and you might learn a little something along the way too!1. Rapzilla: www.rapzilla.comRapzilla is a website dedicated to up and coming urban artists. I love how they spend a lot of time with the hottest cats in the rap game who rep the name of Jesus. If I were you I would be

2010-08-05T13:52:00.001-04:00

I know that I love to jam the hip-hop and rap. But today I want to show you another side of me. I love Fernando Ortega. This guy is my dawg. I think this is a great video and a great song. It was a tribute to Billy Graham's wife when she passed away in 2007. Be careful if you watch this because your eyes might start to leak. ;)Fernando Ortega - Give Me Jesus from John Schroter on Vimeo.

Best be ready son 9.28.10

2010-08-02T23:28:00.003-04:00

9.28.2010 Lecrae: Rehab... It's gonna be off the charts gooooooooood!!!

creative juices going

2010-07-28T14:00:00.001-04:00

Gravité from Renaud Hallée on Vimeo.

2010-07-19T10:51:00.000-04:00

summer camp prayers

2010-07-17T22:52:00.001-04:00

please pray 4 us as we are in PCB! bigStuf camps here we come!!!

Oh my... "Silence is deadly"

2010-07-17T09:44:00.001-04:00

summer camp is here!

2010-07-16T22:26:00.002-04:00

We will be at camp BigStuf all week. Please be in prayer for us as we travel to Panama City Beach. This is going to be a great week for our students, leaders and our ministry. Thanks so much for all your support and prayers! God Bless!

Saturday Night Musings

2010-06-26T21:24:00.005-04:00

So I should be sleeping because tomorrow is the big day... We will be busy running around, making the magic happen. People will be juiced up and ready to go with coffee in hand and big smiles on their faces. The strings will be tuned and the messages will be prepped. The doughnuts will be fresh and the chairs will all be straight. The lights will be cued and the sound should be perfect. The

summer dreams...

2010-06-24T11:33:00.001-04:00

hey guys. just wanted to tell you that what you are seeing is not a test. I just have the summer/beach vibe going on. So I changed it all up. Hope you like the new look!

i love my vegetables... but this is ridankulous

2010-06-24T11:17:00.000-04:00

great wisdom- D.A. Carson

2010-06-15T14:55:00.003-04:00

"People do not drift toward Holiness... Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation;

mmmmmmm... salt...

2010-06-14T17:13:00.005-04:00

Salt. I dont think about it much. I mean, I grew up in the south, which means you salt your food before you even taste it (and butter it). I remember one of the earliest phrases I learned was, "pass the salt". Why??? Because I like me some flavor! I'm not one of these fitness fanatics that say food is just "fuel". Gas is fuel. Firewood is fuel. Food is my pleasure. That's why I want my food to

Video I have been jamming lately...

2010-06-09T16:00:00.004-04:00

Hey family. I have decided to add a new page to the blog. If you look over to the right you will see different menus and one of those is "Read More". I know there are some of you out there that love to see what's new in gospel rap music and I will try my best to update this from week to week (or so). If you look on that menu, you can select, "Video I have been jamming lately" and it will take you

for my boys at Edgewood...

2010-06-09T15:55:00.002-04:00

LECRAE:: GO HARD from Adamson.TV on Vimeo.

Blondie..

2010-06-07T08:54:00.003-04:00

So I did it again. I powered up and went blonde. I had a few people ask me "What the heck?!?!" So I decided to post about it and tell you the many reasons why ;)It seems like every summer for the last 10 years I have decided to bleach my hair out. I like to do it because it is fun and I love the look on ppls faces. But the real reason I do it is because it reminds me of my love for my wife

no explanation is necessary...

2010-06-03T16:08:00.001-04:00

it comes and goes...

2010-06-02T09:44:00.003-04:00

If you follow this blog, you know it comes and goes. It sputters and it stalls. Sometimes it runs pretty smoothly and consistently and sometimes... well it just outright stops. But I am trying my best to carve out time in my week to write because: A.) blogging seems to be more efficient (and cheaper) than skywriting in a prop planeB.) my writing should give even the greatest cynic hope because if

Trip Lee- Between Two Worlds - June 22

2010-05-25T13:46:00.002-04:00

I am a super-huge fan of Reach Records. One of the artists on this label is Trip Lee. Now if you haven't heard yet, this guy is so legit. I love his rhymes and beats, but better yet I love his heart for Jesus and The ministry. I promise you, if you want to listen to some uplifting and challenging tunes, this will be a great buy--June 22!!! Peace

sharing in His suffering

2010-05-24T17:19:00.003-04:00

Recently I read a passage from the Bible that I have put up on my white board. It comes from Philippians 3. You can read it HERE. Like any other scripture I was trying to learn, I wanted God to teach me more about what that means. Wow. Not so smart on my part ;). Here's the dealy. I was expecting hardship, or pain, or drama. But no. I have been learning that one aspect to the fellowship of

Great is thy faithfulness... PART2

2010-05-22T10:08:00.000-04:00

so anyways... back to the story...So God specifically told me that I needed to go to Orlando. I whined for about a day and finally made the call to cancel my plans to Germany and reroute myself to Orlando for the summer. Well... a quick snag. It was too late to get financed for the trip to Orlando, because it was about two weeks away. (It's a long story, but you have this big process you go thru

Great is thy faithfulness... PART1

2010-05-21T07:37:00.004-04:00

You may not know me, but thru this blog. Or you may know me in real life. I'm not sure why you decided to stop by, but I'm glad you did. Today I want to talk about God's faithfulness. Last night I was thinking about how God has brought my wife and I along on a crazy ride. The funny thing is it hadn't hit me much until last night... Why, maybe because I have been so busy lately? Maybe because God

Holler atcha boy!

2010-05-20T14:42:00.003-04:00

Hey guys, Check this out. I just put a formspring page up. What is that? Good question. It's a page where you can ask me any question about anything (within reason obviously., i.e. no dirty bird questions, or psychiatric history... well i actually might answer that one) Anyways, here is the address.http://www.formspring.me/normtumlinsonAsk me anything(almost)!What's my hair color of the month?

"To-NOT-Do List"

2010-05-20T10:19:00.003-04:00

Do you find yourself spinning too many plates? How do you feel at the end of the day? At the end of the week?At Grace Fellowship, we have been going through a series entitled "balanced". In this series we have learned that many times we have so many "things" in our lives that call out for our attention. Many times we are not really sure why we do all these things, but we do them anyway. A nice

Glory to God: Zac's story

2010-05-17T11:29:00.006-04:00

A few weeks ago I taught a message that was about "being ready". I wanted to teach that no matter what circumstances you go through, if you make one God decision after another, you will be ready for whatever life brings. I believe this is true with all my heart. Just take one step toward Jesus at a time and He will do the rest.This video is about a man named Zac, who worked at NewSpring Church in

Out tha box

2010-04-27T12:36:00.001-04:00

Sorry i havent posted in a while I have been out tha country and out tha box for a while, but stay tuned for some lessons learned in the D.R. and at Catalyst West Coast!!!

please pray for our team in the D. R.

2010-04-11T21:33:00.002-04:00

This week we are taking a team down to the Dominican Republic and we certainly would love it if you prayed for us while we were down there. We are going to be exploring some options for Grace Fellowship to connect with on an ongoing basis. Hopefully we will be able to start doing mission trips down there and connect our fellowship with service opportunities and maybe sister congregations down

It's not about me...

2010-04-08T10:01:00.004-04:00

Working on a song that actually started as a poem. Just wanted to share the lyrics with you, since maybe you might be serving from a place of burden, or be in a place where it seems like you are running dry. I know sometimes I am, but it's not about me in this life, It's about bringing honor to God.My soul inside is dry, My SaviourLike a dry deserted land.How long will I be tried and tested?How

join us - April 8th - no shoes!

2010-04-06T09:42:00.003-04:00

Tom's Shoes is a fantastic organization with a great mission. Please check out this video and join us on April 8th!

Easter Extravaganza!!!

2010-04-05T17:59:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to give a shout out to all the volunteers that came through for Easter @gracefellowship! You guys rocked it out and many people took their 1st step toward Christ this past weekend! Everything went so well and it is all you! Way to SERVE teams!!!

service @ Easter

2010-04-01T09:57:00.002-04:00

Yo! I know I have said it before, but just wanted to let you know there will be no student services on Easter Sunday (4th). Instead we ask that you connect with GraceKIDS/Easter Egg Hunt thru service!Also adults, we still have heaps of spots available to serve this Easter. Please let me know if you are interested!

Norm Tumlinson 2.0

2010-03-30T16:27:00.003-04:00

Please bear with me as I am trying out a few different outfits for my blog. I thought I'd give it a little facelift, but there is heaps of stuff that i do not know about html.I don't even want to think about if I had to code all this jank myself. It is so hard to get good templets for Blogger too! It's like all the dope ones are on Wordpress. But alas I will stick with the free Blogger until I

I am not a superstar.

2010-03-30T11:23:00.010-04:00

I am not a superstar...I have faults, flaws, pet sins and the like. I am sometimes selfish and self-centered (and redundant). I sometimes forget to pray for kids. I sometimes see a parent coming and quickly duck around a corner to avoid chit-chat because I think they might hold me up from something "more important".Many times I rant more than I bless. Most days I can't stand Kirk Cameron. I

remember...

2010-03-29T17:14:00.007-04:00

This is just kind-of an off-the-cuff blog. I try my hardest not to spend too much time editing blogs after I write them because I end up deleting 95% of them. I sometimes get too worried about grammar, punctuation, all that MLA Handbook stuff that I never (er.. I mean.. *blush*) really mastered in freshman 101/102. Or I will worry that the blog is too long or too redundant or too redundant.

ways 2 serve!

2010-03-24T15:22:00.005-04:00

Hey my peeps. Easter is right around the corner and since we are not having student services on that day we encourage you to SERVE!!!There are heaps of spots available from helping out in FarmHouse (GraceKids), helping with the Easter Egg hunts in-between services, helping reset the sanctuary and other spots as well. We have spots available in all services (8:30, 9:15, and 11:00)! You can email

Lights, Camera, ACTION!

2010-03-04T14:33:00.007-05:00

Seriously stoked about our new series called, "On the Lot". We are going to be discussing one of my most cherished things in the faith. The Bible. Wait. I know what you're thinking. The Bible, at church...? Wow you dug deep for that one! But I would venture to say many of us would agree that this is a difficult area to discipline ourselves in. Whether this is your 50th year as a Christ servant or

GraceSTUDENTS news! (Jan/Feb)

2010-02-25T16:00:00.001-05:00

It has been a great two months to start off this year in GraceSTUDENTS!!! I want to thank you for all your support, care and prayers for our student ministry. I also want to take this time to celebrate with you the victories that have happened in the last two months. We have so much to be thankful for and here are just a few of the things that have happened so far:SUNDAY MORNING------------------

Killer Prayer Tips: Fo' Real

2010-02-21T09:50:00.004-05:00

Our good buddies at igniter media, gots this video for purchase. It makes me laugh out loud. So, watch it... ;)

Personal Psalm of Lament

2010-02-17T10:16:00.012-05:00

Why? Why do we do it? When faith in Jesus seems absurd? When we have more questions than answers? When everyone that goes their own way seems to triumph. They have fat wallets, fat jets, fat watches and fat rings. Pleasure shares their bed and Gluttony washes any sorrow from their face. They laugh at us from afar and say, "Where is your god? If he were real why do you toil? I say "grow" and my

A good and gentle reminder for today...

2010-02-10T13:26:00.001-05:00

Where is the love???

2010-02-10T07:38:00.002-05:00

So do you remember a time when your best girl said the dreaded words, "i only like you as a friend"? What a swift kick in the pants that phrase was. I want to know what woman came up with that retort. She is like the person who invented toilet paper, or Cheez Wiz. She would get a chick Nobel-prize. I mean, it's pretty much indestructible. When a girl says this it's like what the Royal Flush is to

Story God: @Grace Fellowship

2010-02-09T09:38:00.000-05:00

I'm not one to get all overly excited... Okay I am. But, you don't wanna miss Grace Fellowship's new series "Story GOD". It is going to be really, really, really good. I mean, just look at the trailer!!!Story God: Message Series Trailer from Grace Fellowship on Vimeo.

Caption Please

2010-02-04T10:05:00.000-05:00

I was reading in @loswhit's blog and alot of times he will have a "caption please" post. So I wanted to try it out. I would like for you to comment a caption for this photo. A few rules; obviously keep it clean. Be creative. You can also put a small story plot if you'd like. So comment away!

one of the best...

2010-02-03T17:51:00.005-05:00

Here is one of the best messages I have ever heard preached. This message was delivered to seminary students at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary this past year. The preachers name is Matt Chandler and he is teaching pastor at the Village. If you have ever aspired to be in the ministry or are currently in the ministry, I implore you to listen. Even if you are not, this message still will stir

New Series: Search for Significance

2010-02-03T10:10:00.005-05:00

We are going to start a new series in GraceSTUDENTS this February called "Search for Significance. Everyday we struggle with our significance in life. Many people feel invisible to those around them. They just want to know that someone cares, that someone notices---that God cares. In this series we will learn about how Christ gives us significance and how He calls us to replicate that love to

Lucky # 7

2010-02-01T11:37:00.003-05:00

This Sunday our church fellowship is going to be 7 years old!!! We are going to have a crazy awesome party next Sunday, plus you are going to hear some great vision God has given us for the future!!!So you definitely don't wanna miss out on the festivities next Sunday, because it is going to be sweet!I am so thankful for our volunteers. Week in and week out you guys give up so much to help make

"Dawn Rising"

2010-01-29T15:07:00.001-05:00

It's been a while since I have taken a crack at a poem, but here it goes....Dawn rising,The day stretches out its arms of sunlightBreaking into a new day. Scattering darknessClearing visionIt's easy to see when the sun is shining through.Hope awakensDawn grows taller and widerThe sun burns warmlyCreatures stirBirds singTheir creator has given them a new songfor this day.Fresh.Calm.New.Peace.Dawn

I'll have some links on the side...

2010-01-26T14:32:00.005-05:00

Just thought I'd throw up a quick post about the "Friends and Such" menu on the right hand side of this website. I mean I know it's pretty self explanatory but you might wanna know why stuff is there. So quick an easy, here's the skinny.Brad Cooper-- This guy is a stud student director @ New Spring church in South Carolina. I love what he says and what they are all about at *FuseChurch Cruch--

Identity: Lecrae

2010-01-25T16:45:00.007-05:00

We got alot of requests on the video/song we played last week in GraceSTUDENTS. It is by an artist by the name of Lecrae. He is connected with a talented bunch of holy hip-hoppers who run with Reach Records. And for any pople out there who hate the idea of Christian rap, you need to repent because these guys are bringing the gospel in each song in a powerful way!!!

Still #1 on my playlist: POTG Remix

2010-01-21T15:06:00.002-05:00

Now if you missed all the buzz about General Larry Platt, then you have been living under a rock. He is this old dude that tried to get on American Idol (see it here) with his great song "Pants on the Ground". Someone on YouTube picked it up and created this dirty south remix of the song and I like it!!! Teach them youngins right! Get your pants up off the ground, lookin like a fool!

GraceSTUDENTS website

2010-01-20T21:02:00.004-05:00

Hey my folks!!! If you don't know about the GraceSTUDENTS website, then you need to take some time to hop on over to www.gogracestudents.com and see what Grace Fellowship student ministries are all about. We have a pretty cool website that we host through Clover and it has frequent updates about what teaching series we are in and all kinds of updates on key events that are happening in our

The wall: How to beat the odds

2010-01-16T15:48:00.005-05:00

Did you make any new year's resolutions this year? How are they working out for you? Have you made it so far. I would have to imagine that it is getting pretty hard right now. What do you think?Most studies show it takes anywhere from 20-30 days to begin a new habit. I have another theory. I don't think there are really a magic number of days, as much as there are a number of walls that we hit.1.

Summer in January!?!

2010-01-06T10:17:00.004-05:00

I know its crazy, but it is time to start thinking about summer camp. This year (July 18-22) we have the privilege of heading down (or should I say up) to Panama City for BigStuf 2010. This camp is gonna be luda and we want your student to go!!! More info s soon to come. RSVP and deposit will be due Feb 5 and space is limited!!!

New Series: Rise up and go

2010-01-05T14:04:00.011-05:00

I cant tell you how excited I am about this new series in GraceSTUDENTS. I am just beside myself with anticipation. I really think that this will be a great way for us to kick off the year in student ministries and I hope for the year to come.

300... posts that is.

2010-01-04T13:59:00.004-05:00

This post marks number 300 for me. It sure has been a long time coming! I just have to say that this past year has been a wild ride, but I have a feeling that this next one is going to be the best (but perhaps the hardest fought) yet. It is at this time I would ask you to continue the adventure with me as we go through this gift of life that God has given us.I guarantee this year will have many

new year, new series

2009-12-28T11:02:00.003-05:00

Coming January 10 we are going to start our new GraceSTUDENTS series, "Rise UP and GO". I am pumped about what you are going to learn this series and pumped because it's a new year to set our hearts on Christ and making Him known in this world!! Don't miss it!

my first real Christmas

2009-12-21T12:48:00.004-05:00

It was nearly 14 years ago that I first became a Christ follower. I didn't grow up in the "church" or have a concrete faith system. But in my freshman year at college I would encounter the best moment of my life.I hope that today, you have a wonderful and joy-filled day. I hope that you also take a moment alone to give thanks to God, that he was willing to put on skin and become our friend.Thanks

Christmas Spirit ;)

2009-12-19T07:59:00.004-05:00

This is one of my favorite Christmas diddys of the past. And since Glee is all popular and mashups are all the rage.... well I guess these guys were cool before their time. Enjoy!

Growth Spurt! Part Two

2009-12-17T15:25:00.005-05:00

this is part two of an earlier post...3. We cannot do it alone. I don't know why many leaders suffer from the "hardheadedness" syndrome. Read it. Say it. "I cannot do it alone." Think on it. Don't be a ministry hog. Share the blessing. Enough said...4. Anything good takes time. Can I be transparent for a moment? A while back part of me wanted to be the "student pastor guru" that gets book deals

Growth Spurt!

2009-12-17T14:44:00.004-05:00

I spent much of today cleaning up old files in the hard drive and organizing everything for the new year and came across alot of old stuff. All I have to say is we sure have grown! You don't see it while it's happening but when you look back at things you can really see how much things have changed.I have been so thankful to work at a place that I love. I enjoy the staff I work with and I love

thought for the day...

2009-12-16T09:10:00.001-05:00

...got this from a student pastor that i follow..."Disciples of Christ read His Word and are TRANSFORMED by it….Religious professionals read His Word and are merely INFORMED by it…" Application > Interpretation Think about this as you sit down and read God's Word. Is it changing you???

truth in advertising....

2009-12-15T12:57:00.007-05:00

A restaurant has some mettle if it's willing to propose that it has the best "whatever" in town. Now this is okay if you are in a town that has a blinking yellow light at its only intersection and a general store for its town center. You can claim that you have the best orange marmalade preserves in this town if you want. No one has to know that it is the only orange marmalade preserves available

2009-12-13T17:27:00.004-05:00

We are going to be heading to camp BigStuf in Panama City this year!!! We will have details coming up soon so keep on the lookout for date/time/cost and RSVP deposits due!!! yeah!!!

would you like to Value-size that?

2009-12-10T13:07:00.005-05:00

I spent a little time on the internets and found various definitions of the word "value". I thought the best place to get a definition was business/economy websites (so I can get another angle on what they think this word means). Man, was my head spinning!I am a very right brained/creative-esqe person, so all this math talk and accounting jibber jabber messed me all up. I finally find a more tame

New feature to the graceSTUDENTS website

2009-12-09T15:22:00.003-05:00

Yo. Just FYI but now the GraceSTUDENTS website includes a "Current Events" page. You can check it for upcoming events, service opportunities or shindigs! Check it!

the small things...

2009-12-04T09:34:00.004-05:00

I was listening to Shane Claiborne today (If you are wondering... yes, I am still nursing my hurt back.) and he made a statement that was so meaningful to me. He was talking about working with Mother Teresa and how she cared for so many people. And in talking about her he said she was not about doing a "great" work for God (of all people she certainly has a reason to boast about her great impact)

Help! I fallen and...

2009-12-02T19:53:00.003-05:00

Well I hurt my back again and am stuck laying (lying; lain; I never got that one in English, so my apologies if my word choice is incorrect) on my back. So, I have decided to make the most of my immobilization and blog it out.A funny thing happens when you hurt your back. You realize how fragile you are as a human being. I mean one second you are moving along just fine and the next second you

Breakbeat Theology

2009-12-01T10:49:00.007-05:00

Did you listen to the track on this video? What comes to mind when you listen to it? Did you hear anything monumental or life changing? Yeah. Well. Me neither. But that is because I live in 2009 not 1969, when this track first came out. This is actually a very monumental track for audiophiles out there. This track actually contains, what is known to dj's as, the famous "Amen break". The "Amen

New Series: A Christmas Story

2009-11-30T14:57:00.002-05:00

This sunday we are starting a new series named "A Christmas Story". In this three week series we will see the story of Jesus's birth from three different vantage points. Like pieces of a puzzle fitting together, these three stories will give us a unique perspective of the greatest birth in human history. The birth of Jesus. So come check it out the next three weeks at GraceSTUDENTS!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2009-11-25T09:31:00.001-05:00

Here's wishing you and your family a wonderful thanksgiving from GraceSTUDENTS!!! Give thanks to the Lord and call on his name, make known to all the nations what He has done. Sing to Him, sing praise to Him. Tell of all His wonderful works. Glory to His holy name!!!I thank God for all of you. I thank Him for the opportunity to serve alongside of you at Grace Fellowship. I thank Him for parents

my dear twilight fans...

2009-11-19T16:15:00.002-05:00

And who doesn't love college football?

2009-11-19T06:08:00.001-05:00

Do you ever have some days that just go wrong before you seem to get started? If you are feeling down just think about this guy. At least you didnt get rejected in front of 100,000 people by a banner.Right? Enjoy!!!

Dark night of the soul

2009-11-16T16:59:00.007-05:00

Pain... Anguish... Despair... You can't live life on this earth without experiencing a season of discouragement and disappointment. Stop... Read that last sentence again. Did you really re-read it?No matter if you are in your groove now. No matter if you are making money, taking names and loving life. You will hit a wall. You will. Some people will deal discouragement on a small level and some of

New series, ThanksGIVING

2009-11-15T21:02:00.000-05:00

We just started our new series called "ThanksGIVING" in Grace Students. We started off with Ben K preaching a great message from Matthew 25. If you were there you know what Im talking about, he rocked our faces off!I want to encourage students to make it for the next two weeks in this series. We are talking about true thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is an action, not just a feeling. If we give thanks

Mute Math @ HOB Orlando 11/5

2009-11-12T09:20:00.001-05:00

Kung Fu: Do what you do to me

2009-11-11T11:57:00.000-05:00

I am a product of the late80's / 90's. But I do vaguely recall the kung-fu frenzy of the early eighties. The only reason I knew what was up as a four/five year old is because i had two uncles who were in their teen years and they were 'bout it 'bout it on some Saturday Kung Fu Theater. Anyways, I have always been captivated by kung fu/wushu movies. I love them. I could watch them 24/7. Many are

Snips and Snails and puppy dogs tails? Really?**

2009-11-09T16:17:00.005-05:00

I have no kids. No teenagers. There I said it.But, what I do have is at least 12 years of experience working with countless adolescents from church and school settings. And I know all parents are down with getting any info they can on dealing with middle school boys. So here are a few things that I've observed and like to throw in the mix for you.1. Guys will be guys.Teenage guys have mad energy.

Monday Morning Musing 11/9

2009-11-09T08:54:00.000-05:00

First of all... It's stinking November. I mean it was like July three weeks ago and now we are in November. How did that happen? Nine whole days into November. Anyways, sorry about that. 1. Sunday was massive!!! Like great teaching, great worship, great time together, like massive. I hope and pray that we remain encouraged throughout this week to worship and serve boldly. Go and be the church

Im the best... no really I am.

2009-11-08T20:24:00.002-05:00

Today I was mystified by a certain individual. I was just amazed at how much of an air of superiority they walked around with. This person had no regard for anyone else around them. It was like the world was made especially for them. Now as a psychology major, I know it is usually a deep seeded insecurity that drives this kind of behavior, but that doesn't excuse it. It just doesn't.I saw this

Just walk across the room... or else...

2009-11-06T11:01:00.000-05:00

just walk across the room...

2009-11-04T09:36:00.005-05:00

Recently I have been challenged to reach out and tell more people about Jesus. I mean really impact my spheres for Christ. It is so funny because this has been on my heart and just recently Mike challenged us as a staff to have spiritually meaningful conversations with people we might not normally do so. Wow. Talk about a challenge! Why is it important? Take a walk with me...See, there was this

why Grace?

2009-11-03T18:24:00.003-05:00

Hey my peeps. I just wanted to shout out at you about a place I call home. I want to qualify this blog by starting off saying I know that the church is not an organization or a building but the people of God. We are the church (if you are a Christ follower). No ifs ands or buts... I love the Church period. But I also love being a part of a local body in Orlando who I feel is making an impact in

my rant on crazy christians

2009-10-22T15:01:00.011-04:00

Okay this is a rant. I don't rant much, so consider it a rare moment on my blog. When I was in college about once a semester some crackpot would invade our "free-speech" area and yell at all the students with some twisted form of what they believed was the message of Christ. I remember this one guy with his wife and 8 kids who traveled in a VW bus from California all over college campuses to

Pillar Three: Influence your world

2009-10-20T11:02:00.003-04:00

3. Influence your world.How do we influence such a large world? One person at a time. One moment at a time. God has given us the privilege to carry His message to the people around us. We all have spheres of influence that we come in contact every with day. (School, work, family, friends, etc.) And this is where we can have the greatest influence.Influence can happen quickly or may take years of

Texas

2009-10-12T11:31:00.001-04:00

been out of town in Texas... report back next week!!!

Pillar Two: Build Relationships

2009-10-07T11:56:00.002-04:00

This is a second blog post in a series. These talk about our core values as GraceSTUDENTS, but can be applied to any Christ-follower, at any age.2. Build RelationshipsGod designed us with a need for intimate relationship. In fact God in His very nature is in relationship. (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) As Christ followers, we are brought into a relationships with God the father through his Son.If we

Pillar One: Worship GOD

2009-10-01T09:48:00.009-04:00

I really love what I do. I love the place I work and the people I work with. (that's YOU!) But many times it is easy for the purpose of our ministry and the vision to leak. So that's why I wanted to write a few blogs about who we are and our purpose as GraceSTUDENS. You can find a short synopsis of our tenants on www.gogracestudents.com as well.1. Worship God.Two words with monumental meaning. We

Tough Rhymes, but true...

2009-09-29T08:57:00.004-04:00

Now some of you may be offended by the use of war in this song. I understand that, but there are so many times that we walk in our Christian lives like we are powerless to sin, powerless to what life hits us with, powerless to what others say and do to us. We live our lives as a reaction and never take proactive steps in our faith. But this video reminds me that many times God is saying, "STOP IT

Monday Morning Musings- 09/28

2009-09-28T14:45:00.002-04:00

My Sunday Night Recap is now called "Monday Morning Musings". I decided to do this because 1. I like getting a day to think about all the things that happened and B. I spend Sunday nights playing Mr. Mom because Kim works late, so I figure what's one day?1. People coming into a relationship with Christ for the first time Sunday at Grace = 31! How flippin cool is that? 4 of them were in the middle

Jump In! The water is great...

2009-09-24T10:29:00.006-04:00

I love middle school ministry! At times is is very similar to juggling chainsaws or swimming in a tankful of sharks. But I can't help it. I am addicted.I think that student ministry is one of the most rewarding pursuits you can ever get into at your church. Why? Because at this age students are asking the hard questions about life, faith and what their place is in this world. See as a teenager

What you say is important...

2009-09-23T13:55:00.005-04:00

Have you ever said something dumb that you just wanted to take back? I know I have. It's like you say what first comes to your mind before thinking what your words might do. Many times we can get away with a flippant word or a harsh retort.But there are some instances where there really is no way to take back what you said...The damage is done, the missiles you sent out to destroy their target

last time you got kicked for Jesus?

2009-09-23T13:32:00.003-04:00

"The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name." Acts 5:41It's been a while since the last time I got kicked in the shins for the cause of Christ, but what I do know is that at one point or another it happens to all of us. When that time comes, will we be willing to rejoice in the Name? Especially if that Name will be the cause

Sunday Night Re-Cap 9/20

2009-09-20T19:23:00.001-04:00

Great Sunday everyone!1. We had another good Sunday, with new faces and new leaders!2. We covered the second week in our "Back to the Start" series, in which we went over what it means to worship God! We have been traveling through the book of Acts, which has also been quite cool.3. We have a few students already excited about Baptism, which is coming up Oct 18th. Please let me know if you are

Friday Funny: Just Plain Weird

2009-09-17T17:15:00.005-04:00

This amazing photo is brought to you by my friends at awkward family photos. I was thinking of what to write about this picture when I realized this picture actually says volumes without a caption. So thanks weird dad for coming up with this brilliant idea for a photo. It has the unique ability of making me laugh and creeping me out at the same time. Happy Friday everyone!

Fantastic!

2009-09-16T11:43:00.009-04:00

We had a great small group kickoff party last night! If you missed it, you are just gonna have to make the next one! ;) Anyways just wanted to lay down the times of the Middle School small groups for you so you can see what dates and times* they are going down. Monday Night (7th/8th Boys) @ 6:30-8:00Brent Upham/Dan Hoyle Tuesday Night (Girls) @ 6:30-8:00 Kim Tumlinson/

Social Media... It's a big deal.

2009-09-16T10:45:00.000-04:00

What determines your direction, is the object of your affection

2009-09-15T08:06:00.005-04:00

"Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe" John 20:27Times are tough. Money is tight. Lately life has just been tough. I know that you have been there. I dont know your circumstances, but I know we have all been swallowed up by disdain at one point or another. But here is the deal. God is not asking you to