Christmas is over!

Wow, what a great Christmas. We had a great time hanging out with all our family. The Bradley Clan has grown from three to four. Wednesday we picked up our new Foster Baby from the NICU. He is four pounds eleven ounces, and very cute. We are glad to have him as part of our family. Pray for him as he continues to grow and develop. He has some medical issues related to his premature birth that should clear up with time. I have some Christmas pictures that I will post in the next few days. I love you guys and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas.

Seriously, THIS REALLY WORKS!!!

THIS REALLY WORKS!

1. Click The Link below
2. Select an account type
3. Complete an offer (most of them are pretty simple)
4. Refer people to do the same thing you did
   
5. Your Xbox is on the way

Click Here

I love Student Ministry

Most people really struggle finding a job that they love. So many people are working in order to retire at 65 and start living. That is crazy. I love what I do and hopefully I will be a Student Pastor at 90 years old. I am living the life I dreamed of right now. I am not on a list with the wealthiest men in the world, but I am completely fulfilled in what I do. Lesson for the day: Find what it is God made you to do and do it! You will love it.

My Crazy Friends

Some of my best friends in the whole world are living on the top of a 30 foot lift. They are trying to collect 100 bicycles for some of the less fortunate children in the community where they are planting Freedom Church. It is really cold and it rained last night. Pray for these guys as they try to reach Acworth, GA with the transforming power of the gospel. Check out the action on a live webcam here.

Get an Xbox 360 Elite for free.

THIS REALLY WORKS!

1. Click The Link below
2. Select an account type
3. Complete an offer (most of them are pretty simple)
4. Refer people to do the same thing you did
   
5. Your Xbox is on the way
   

Click Here

This makes me laugh...

Songs that rock

Desperation Band is on of my favorite bands. Their new album Everyone Overcome is unbelievable. You have got to check out "Maker of Heaven". I am driving to work this morning singing it at the top of my lungs. All the while everyone passing me on the road is thinking I have lost my mind. Check it out and let me know what you think.

The Ground is Broken

Our Student Ministry facility is underway. I can't wait to move into the building, August 2008. Wow. Wednesday night will be very interesting. You do not want to miss it.

Friday...

We are still in the hospital. We didn't go home today because Dawson was running a low grade fever. I think we should go home tomorrow if the doctors can identify the cause of the fever. Continue to pray for Dawson over the next couple of days while he recovers. By the way, Friday is usually Wild Wing Day and since we could not go there we brought the wings here. Most of my family came over and we had a wing feast in the waiting room. Pretty cool.

Been a While

I am a bad Blogger. The past few days have been crazy. Dawson has been in the hospital and I have been out of town. Anyway, Dawson's surgery went well and he should come home tomorrow. Things are busy and I am starting a new project that is pretty exciting. Can't say much about it now but there will be more to come in the future. See ya

Clemson Footbal

I had a panic attack during the last 2 min of the Clemson/USC game tonight. I was breathing hard, my heart was beating fast, I was completely overwhelmed by the game. It was 21-20 and we were driving the field. We kicked a field goal with three seconds to go and won the game. My symptoms subsided. I actually had to sit down and talk myself through the fact that this was only a game and it would be OK. I am weird! (Yes this really happened) Well, we will see what kind of bowl bid we will get. Lets go Tigers.

No Wednesday Night

What will I do with all my time? for the first time in a long time Varsity is canceled on Wednesday night. I will miss you guys but be back next week as we continue our series V-Tube.

Homeless on Tuesday

Tuesday night we had a group of students go over to the Triune Mercy Center to play some music and serve a meal to some of the Homeless people here in Greenville. My friend Paul Blumer is the Founder of Food For Life Ministries and he is psycho for Jesus. The Varsity band played and we all had a great time hanging out. My friend Bobby got up and shared about his new life in Christ. Check out this video of the whole thing.

Varsity Sneak Preview

We are currently in a series called V-Tube. It is a spoof of Youtube and we asked for people to send us videos. Check out this crazy video we are going to show Wednesday night of the Varsity Logo.

Humilty

Why does this seem so simple when I read it?

Luke 14:11 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

God is teaching me to humble myself whether I like it or not.

On a similar note, I read a great quote on Steven Furtick's blog the other day.
"A focus on self-preservation
is the greatest limitation
on the momentum of a movement."

Jesus is rocking me right now. I need it.

V-Tube

This week we begin our new series V-Tube. We are taking a look at how to share our faith as a student in today's culture. Let me know what you think of the graphic.

No More Candy!

My birthday and Halloween is on the same day. I have eaten candy and cake for the past two days. My doctor is going to kill me, if I don't go into a diabetic coma first. Bye-bye candy, hello treadmill.

Birthday!!

Today I turn 31 years old. I realized that when people tell me Happy Birthday, it makes me happy. What a coincidence.

Life

When a young person is taken from this world at such an early age we try our best to make sense of the situation. Honestly, it is difficult to know God's every thought or plan when we see such pain. In the midst of such tragedy I have learned to rest in the truth of God's word. I find peace in the words of this scripture.

Friday is a great day!

Wild wing has become a second home to me on Fridays. Renae, Dawson and I eat there most every week and honestly I think I am addicted. After an long week it is great to, in the words of James Dobson, "Focus on the Family." The past couple of weeks have been really stressful and I am excited about chilling out for the weekend. Tomorrow I am going deer hunting. I am all jacked up and I can't wait. Hopefully there will be some pics to post in the next couple of days.

Wednesday Night Thoughts

Tonight was a great night here are some thoughts.

• Mike Hepola is amazing and I wish he had a blog
• I love teenagers
• Jesus is working in our student ministry in some crazy ways
• Next week will be interesting
• This video was a riot
• Facebook has revolutionized communication in the 21st century
• I love the song "All Because Of Jesus"
• I can't believe we are bringing these guys to our camp this summer
• We have an unbelievable staff of people in our student ministry
• Josh Martin is a great worship leader
• Elicia Dressler is rocking it in the film world. She is the life blood of our Media dept.
• We have a great team of people
• Our Adult Leaders are amazing
• Jesus is amazing and I am in awe of the fact that I get to do this for a living
  

Are you serious?

I ask myself this question everyday when I think about being a youth pastor. "Are you serious?" God allows me to stand in the gap between life and death, grab the people he died for by the hand and pull them through whatever crap they are in and into a relationship with him. I WILL NEVER GET OVER THE EXCITEMENT OF WATCHING PEOPLE WALK FROM DEATH TO LIFE!!! God loves us too much to leave us where we are.

Varsity

This Wednesday night we will welcome Mike Hepola back to the stage. Mike will be wrapping up our series Next. I cant wait to see you guys there.

Reveal

Reveal is coming. Click Here

Funny

This past Wednesday night one of my friends drove up from th ATL and stopped by to check out the Student Ministry at Brookwood. It was fun to hang out with Shea, Amber and Kinsey. Funny thing happened during the message, Shea was leaning against the wall and accidentally set off the fire alarm. Everyone turned around and Shea was fumbling around uncontrollably while the alarm went off. It made me laugh. I love these guys and I am praying for them as they make some major decisions on their life. I am thankful to have friends like these guys they are amazing and I thank God for them as they await the new addition to their family.

I am very tired!

I did not go to sleep on Friday night. I was up late to leave out for a hunting trip on Saturday and by the time I went to bed it was time to wake up so I just stayed up. I am weird. Saturday was fun and I so glad Clemson did not loose today, (that was mainly because they did not play).

Beauty Pageant

I went to my first pageant tonight. It was pretty cool especially because the girl I went to see won the sophomore class. Renae and I are very proud of her. It was really long and the funniest thing happened. Each finalist had to answer a random question on stage in front of the judges and the audience. One of the representatives from the junior class was asked, "What novel would you read on a Saturday if you had all day to do nothing but read, and why"? Her response was, "I would probably not read a book since I am not a good reader. I would probably go outside and play a sport". That made me laugh. And the funny thing is, she won the junior class. How amazing is that. Fun night.

Wednesday is Coming!!!

Wednesday is on the way and this week we kick off our new series Next. It is all about dating and this first week is titled What a Girl wants. I am really excited about this series. See you guys on Wednesday.

Jesus Loves Me

I am astounded at the love God has shown me. I really am in awe of the fact that he sees me as his child. On of my favorite things to do is look in the eye of a student and tell them that they are a masterpiece. I love to tell them that God loves them and there is nothing they can do to be separated from that love. As a youth pastor I am constantly faced with students who have been emotionally scarred through different relationships. I love to tell those students that God will not abandon them, he will not abuse them, he will not leave them, he loves them and he sees them as he created them to be, a Masterpiece.

Tigers Fall

The Clemson Tigers fell to GT today in a messy football game. I am glad tomorrow is Sunday. Sundays makes me feel better.

I am a little slack

I have been pretty slack with my post lately but life has been kinda fast paced. Tonight was really awesome at Varsity. We are constantly trying to encourage our students to have purpose, know God and dream big. One particular student came up to me and said the following, "I need help. I am failing every single class in and I have no motivation to finish high school. I don't think I can finish. I don't ever believe I can finish. The only time I ever think I can do it is when I come here. When I come here I think I can do it." I have never been so excited to see God working in a students heart. There is nothing more amazing than watching God change a persons life. God is more amazing than I can imagine. Cool stuff.

Football

I am ready for Saturday. Clemson football is off to a great start. I hope we can play the last half of the year. Usually we drop the ball toward the 2nd half of the season. NC State will be a good test this Saturday. Let's go Tigers!

Back To Work

We had to come home from vacation a day early. Dawson came down with a fever. He has an infection and is on an antibiotic. He is doing better.
I actually unplugged myself for five days. No cell phone, laptop or ipod. I was really able to focus on my family. I think we all need to take time to focus on those we love the most. I have decided to take one day a week and turn off all electronic devices that compete for my attention and focus on Renae and Dawson. I think it will help me love them better. I am surprised how much I did not miss my phone during my vacation. I really didn't think about it. It was pretty cool. While we were gone we celebrated 10 years of marriage. I am thankful to God for my wife and I can't wait to spend my life with my beautiful Renae.

Leaving for the Lake

Tonight was an amazing night at Varsity. I am amazed at how God is working in our Students. This is going to be an amazing year!

I am unplugging myself for the next 5 days. I am taking some time with my family and I can't wait to hang out with them uninterrupted for a few days. See you next week. I am like the little engine that could. I think I can, I think I can. No phone????? Help me Jesus!

Family Time

I love my job. I love every minute of it. There is nothing in this world I would rather do than Student Ministry. I want to keep doing ministry, and I want to be careful not to let anything move into my life that is ungodly or immoral. I want to finish strong. In order to do that I must be healthy, emotionally, physically and spiritually. We should have a well rounded life. Balancing work and family can be difficult but it is necessary for a healthy life. If our lives are out of balance then it is hard to minister to others because of the stress in your own family. For the past few months I have been working, traveling and doing lots of things while leaving Renae to take care of Dawson. Honestly, the "Family Time Meter" is running pretty low. My Family needs some uninterrupted time with me. No cell phones, email, or laptop. Nothing. This is why I am attempting to do something I have never done before. Starting Thursday afternoon I will officially unplug for five straight days. What? This is my goal and I WILL do it. Renae and Dawson will be my sole focus for five days with no interruptions. I am turning off all of the above mentioned items and will not touch them for five days. I want to stay in ministry and one good way to do that is to stay married. Renae I love you so much and I cant wait to hang out with you for a few days.

Sunday morning thoughts

Dawson has a new apparatus to help him sleep better at night. It is called a cpap (pronounced see pap). He has slept through the night for the last two days and that is awesome. DIRECTV made me so mad yesterday when they blacked out the Clemson game on gameplan. I think ESPN gameplan is a hoax offered by DIRECTV to make "steal" money from their customers. I am so mad about this that I should stop typing before I cuss. Needless to say I listened to the Clemson game here for free on the internet. Go Tigers.

Cool Week

I had a great night at the Clemson/FSU game on Monday night. Tigers brought it home after a rough 2nd half and the defense looked amazing. I hung out with a lot of great friends but the highlight of the day was meeting Perry Tuttle, who caught the ball to win the National Championship Game for Clemson in 1982. He talked to me about student ministry for about 15 minutes, It was pretty cool. I love Clemson Football and I am ready for a great year. By the way this is my 100 post on this blog! Here is a pic of Perry Duggar (My Pastor), Perry Tuttle and Myself. Pretty Cool.

Labor Day

Going to the game tomorrow. Taking the family. It will be amazing!

Wednesday Night Recap

• Wow, we had more than 100 students at Varsity
• I love speaking about God size Dreams
• I believe we have the greatest group of Adult Leaders in the country
• I love teenagers
• I love the song Happy Day by Tim Hughes
• This verse is amazing and rocks my face off
• I love being the High School Pastor at this church
• Students can and will change the world!
• We are on the verge of something great
• We are in the midst of something great
• I am glad that Jesus is the reason for the season--Go Tigers
• Is there anything more exciting than a room full of teenagers on a Wednesday Night
• I am living my Dream!
• This list is kind of long and this is the place where I should link to people
  

Let's Go Tigers

Monday morning I have the pleasure of going to an FCA breakfast where Tommy and Bobby Bowden will be speaking together. I am so excited. I can't wait. After we leave the breakfast we will be traveling to Clemson to enjoy a great day of tailgating with the Callahan family. The only thing that could make the day better is a win over FSU. I am so glad football season is back. Let's go Tigers!!!

Dreams

Wednesday night is on the way with the second of our three part series on Dreams. The week the message is titled Dream Robbers. I am talking about the obstacles that you may face while making your dream a reality. What are some obstacles that you have faced?

Back from the Mountains

I am back and I am now more sure than ever that we have the greatest group of Adult Leaders on the Planet. We had a great time hanging out out this place. These guys are passionate about reaching teenagers with the truth of the gospel. I am blown away!!!!

I watched this and It made me cry for two hours.

Click Here.

Gatlinburg, TN

I am leaving today to hang out with some of the greatest Adult Leaders on the Planet. I am so excited about this coming year and the impact that our Adult leaders are going to make on the lives of the Students in the upstate. are hanging out in a mac daddy cabin in the mountains of Tennessee. I will be without email for two days. I am co-dependent. There, I said it.

First night of the year.

Tonight was an amazing night at Varsity. We had a great time welcoming a lot of new faces. I love speaking about living a life of passion and dreaming big. God is doing a great work in the lives of our Students and I know that this will be an amazing year.

Dreams

Tomorrow night we start our new series Dreams. I am so excited to kick-off the new year. We are hosting a little competition between the students of our local schools and I am anxious to see who all is gonna show up? It should be a great night.

Saturday.

Today was pretty uneventful. I hung out in my recliner all day and watched movies. Dawson and I had a blast while Renae went to get her nails done with some of the girls. I watched three entire movies today and it was awesome. I love watching movies, it is one of my favorite activities. What are some suggestions for great movies I need to see?

Hanging Out with Students

I just had a bunch of Students over to the house for a goodbye party for the seniors. It was pretty fun. These guys stayed until about 12am. I am tired and going to bed. By the way, Me and one of the seniors, Shoue dominated in Spades.

Simpsonized Josh?

Today I turned myself into a Simpson character. It really makes me laugh. Here it is.

Student Ministry...Part III

3. Build an Adult Leadership Team. Leading in student ministry can be very difficult and lonely place. Most youth pastors find themselves with lots of responsibility and very little help. When it comes to investing in the lives of teenagers, great adult leaders are few and far between. I have inherited a group of amazing Adult leaders and I am blessed to have people around me who love students. I not only want them to know I appreciate them, I also want them to know that my job is impossible without them. In a few weeks I am taking all of our adult leaders and their spouses to the mountains to hang out for a weekend. I will share with them our vision and we will spend some time training in different areas. I love the Adult Volunteers here at Varsity and I can't wait to spend some time investing in the people who invest in our students. What are some ways that have been successful for you to recruit adult volunteers?

Back Home

Just got back from a week in Louisiana doing Katrina relief. The team of HS Students that we took were amazing. I am really tired and ready to go to sleep. That's all the blog I have in me today.

Student Ministry...Part II

#2. Develop a Student Leadership Team.

Students are now more than ever crying out for someone to challenge them. One of the most valuable things you can do is develop your key students into key leaders. This week we have taken a group of our key leaders on a mission trip to Louisiana. They are blowing my mind. Teenagers want to be stretched out of their comfort zone. If we don't challenge them to lead, someone else will challenge them to follow. Find key student and make them key leaders. Students, what are some ways you would like to be challenged to lead others?

Student Ministry...Part I

I love Student Ministry. When I am 90 years old and walking with a cane, I plan on still investing in the lives of teenagers. Nothing is more exciting than watching change happen in the lives of Students. I am convinced that Teenagers are more open to radical life changing Christianity than any group of people I can think of. I want to invest in the lives of the Students so that God will be glorified and that people will be what God created them to be. There are lots of things we need to focus on when reaching this generation of students, but, here are three of them that are huge to us:

1. Personally Invest in your Students. There are a lot of things in and around student ministry that can and will monopolize your time, but there is nothing more important than the time you spend with your students personally. Teenagers spell the word love "T I M E". They are hoping that you, or anyone else for that matter, will stop being so consumed with yourself and take a moment to ask them about their life. As youth workers, Student Pastors, or Parents we have to be very careful not to become lost in the many, many different things that can hijack our devotion and divert our attention. As your ministry grows it becomes more and more difficult to do this. How can we maintain a healthy connection to our students as our ministries grow, any ideas? Let me know what you think.
   

More to come tomorrow.

Great Friends

Two of my best friends in the whole world are here this weekend and I am reminded of how crazy we used to be. Jr, Todd and I hung out last night and ended up at the IHOP. These guys love Jesus and I am praying for them as they start this.
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Emotion v/s Will

Emotions are a powerful thing and God created them. As teachers we are constantly presented with situations where we have the opportunity to tap into people's emotion. The level of responsibility in these moments are insanely intense. More than anything I want the preaching of God's word to bring change to people's lives. However, if we aim our message at the emotion, we set ourselves up for an emotional response. Emotional responses may or may not be authentic, I am not the judge. However, If we direct our preaching at the will, we eliminate the up and down of our emotion as is relates to our response. The will is breeding ground for change. Although an emotional message is more exciting, the best way to apply the truth of God's word is to aim it directly at the will.

Big week in Student Minisrty

Student Leadership interviews are underway. I am so excited to be part of such a great group of teenagers. I have began the interview process for our team, and that should only take a couple of weeks. This coming year is going to be amazing as we begin to reach out to the community around us like never before. Our students are loaded with potential and I am anxiously awaiting to see how God will work through our Students. I am so thankful for all of them. I have the greatest job in the world. This coming Sunday, a group of us are headed to Franklinton, LA for a mission trip. Please pray for us as we travel and minister to the people who were affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Sunday Rewind

Yesterday, the Student ministry here at Brookwood was responsible for the main services. It was a pretty incredible day as our Middle School Band lead worship. I was blown away with the humble spirit that our students displayed while leading our church. Mike did a great job helping parents understand the importance of teaching their students make good choices. There was an incredible response from our people. I know that God is working in our Student Ministry and the Church can't help but take notice.

Wednesday Night Recap

• Tonight was awesome
• Today was crazy
• I cant wait until August 22
• Our students are amazing
• This guy and this girl rock my face off!
• I love Hillsong music
• I love teenagers
• I love that we are going to build a student ministry building
• I love that are new name is Varsity
• Jesus is awesome and he is teaching me so much
• I love my job
• I love Brookwood Church
• I love this guy
• Did I say I can't wait until August 22
• I miss Dawson
• I miss Renae
  
• I am praying he doesn't have to have his trach replaced
• Jesus is cool
  
• I love Halo 2

That last one was pretty random, but I invited a bunch of my boys over tonight and we slaughtered each other for a couple of hours.

Wednesday Night

Tonight we are making some big announcements to the High School Students. I can't wait, I am about to burst. You do not want to miss tonight! By the way keep praying for Dawson, he is back in the hospital in Charleston. He did not do very well with the trach removal. The Doctors are trying to get to the bottom of it now. See you guys tonight.

Long Weekend

After a long weekend of sitting in a hospital we are finally home. Dawson is not really adjusting that well to not having a trach. He is not sleeping well at night because he is struggling to breath while he is asleep. Pray for our family over the next few days as Renae takes Dawson back to Charleston for more test. I will not be able to be there for a few days because of work responsibilities. Pray that the Doctors will know what is going on on can help him. God is helping us and we are learning to trust him more.

Awesome Dawson!

The week my 19 month old son Dawson was born, the NICU Nurse nicknamed him Awesome Dawson. Little did she know how true that statement would become. Today, Dawson is having his trach removed. It is unbelievable that he has progressed this far. Every medical professional we meet is amazed at not only his progress, but also the fact he is alive. I am so thankful for the past 19 months and how awesome my little dude really is. We are living in the light of Ephesians 3:20.

Carowinds

Went to Carowinds. Had a great time. Lost my phone. I want to punch something!

Work is Crazy!

After being out of the office for three weeks I am making a dent in all the work that needs to be done. I have a crazy week planned with a trip to Carowinds right in the middle and Dawson is having his trach removed on Friday. Pray for my little dude when you think about him.

Food....

After three weeks of eating like crap I am finally back on my eating plan. I have gained 7 lbs and they have got to go, along with a whole lot more. I will be in New Orleans in August and I do not want to die from the fatness. It will be so hot there!

Bigstuf 07

Last week took a group of our HS Students to Panama City Beach, Florida. The Camp was unbelievable and the students responded to God's word like I have NEVER seen before. Again, I have NEVER seen students respond to truth in the way that these students did last week. It was unbelievable. The Student Ministry at Brookwood Church is on the verge of something great! I can't wait to be a part of it. If you were a part of this group last week, send me an email at josh.bradley@brookwoodchurch.org and tell me how God worked in your life.

I am back!

No internet access for ten days, I am about to die. I am so glad I am back and I can recoup for a few days. More to come in the next few days about our trips...

Vulture vs Alligator?

Today, we went down to this place. It was pretty cool over all, but the most exciting thing that happened all day was when the lady feeding the alligators threw a piece of chicken onto the back of an alligator and he could not reach it. That by itself was pretty funny. But it got more interesting when a nearby vulture wanted a piece of the action. Hew quickly flew down and assessed the situation and paced at a safe distance around the alligator. He wanted that chicken almost more than anyone else, but was he willing to do what it took to get it? I was hoping with everything inside me that the vulture would have gotten too close to the gator and the top of the food chain would display his dominance by spreading feathers all over the pond (that would have been worth the 11 dollars I paid to get in), but he did not. Another alligator came by and snatched the chicken off the back of the helpless alligator. I was all a little anticlimactic.
I am sure that I could take some spiritual twist on the story, but why? I honestly wasn't thinking anything spiritual. I just wanted that alligator to eat the vulture. There is no real need to be overly spiritual in every arena, in fact it is kind of annoying. Sometimes we need to hope the alligator eats the bird and that is enough. The best blogs that I read are not so spiritual they make you sick. I enjoy getting to know leaders and pastors for who they are, not "what they know."

Deep Thoughts, Deep Ocean

Every year my entire family goes to the beach. (Renae, Dawson, Patti, Tim, Haley Kelsey, Libby, Joey, Rachel, Luke, Frank, Melly, and Me). I remember being here last year wondering what the next year would be like. I knew that we had a major surgery to get through and I wondered whether or not Dawson would even be with us. I am learning to live one moment, one day at a time. God has helped me to appreciate the "little things." I can be content with the present, and because of the past I can trust God with the future.

Week two of three out of town

Nashville was amazing! I came home last night and washed my stinky clothes and the whole family headed to the beach this morning. I am in Edisto, SC right now and I will be here for a week before I go to Panama City with the greatest group of HS Students on the planet. Last week was so awesome I will be making a video soon and putting it up here sometime in the next couple of weeks.

Fourth Day Muse

• I ate Indian food today and loved it.
• I am so proud of our students
  
• I like sleeping on an air mattress
• I like brown bag lunches
• Why are the bags brown?
• My tennis shoes are black and brown, is that ok?
• I like water and I drink it more now than ever
• I think Diet Pepsi is of the devil, I am addicted
• I did not drink it for a year and I am almost through with them I am down to 2 a day
• I sweat a lot
  

Nashville Day Three Thoughts

• I can't believe I walked all over the city for three hours
• I can't believe I sat on the street and ate lunch with a total stranger who was homeless
• Charlie Daniels has a museum
  
• I saw it today
• Dawson is doing so well
• I am not very fond of Thia food
• I am working on a very sexy farmers tan
• My legs are so white I blind the people who see them
• I love air conditioning
  
• I saw a 97 year old man play a harmonica today
• It was amazing
• My Wife is awesome
• I love her
• I am glad she came with me
• Did I say that I did not like Thia food?
• When I say I did not like what I mean is...I would not go back there unless someone was holding me hostage
• Thia food is another name for really crappy Chinese food
• I should not be complaining about food because I have plenty of it
• Homeless people, I never noticed them before!
• It is easier to pretend that the things that make us uncomfortable don't exist
• How do we sleep at night knowing so many people are hungry and sleeping on the street
• Some homeless people choose to be homeless
• I will never be the same
• I am thankful Jesus is using Nashville to help me see people the way he sees people
• Why do we typically minister to people who can give us something in return?
• Why do you have to have a permit to feed homeless people? (I am serious)
• If everyone would share would there be enough of everything for all of us?
• Is Jesus concerned about people who are poor and homeless?
• If he was here on earth right now would I see him?
  
• Do I ever hang out with the same people Jesus would hang out with?
  
• Why is my comfort level more important than starving, hungry, homeless people?
• Will I change?
• Can we help or is this "just the way it is?"

Day 2

Downtown Nashville has always been one of my favorite cities. Today I see the city in a whole new light. It is amazing that people actually live on the streets and the world just drives by. I know I sound kinda crazy but I really have been "stretched" this week. I pray that God will help me to see people like He sees people.

Nashville Day 1

Things are going great here in Nashville. I am so amazed at these Students. They have stepped up to the plate like I have never seen. Our first day was spent at the VA hospital and at a day camp for inner-city kids. It was amazing. By the way we went to a Turkish restaurant last night and it was phenomenal. The highlight of our day was a tour of Nashville led by our Host. We drove through the city, good and bad, praying for the city and our team as we minister. The part that blew me away was were we stopped in different locations and the host ask our students to pray out loud for different parts of the city. I was in awe at the prayers these students prayed. I really could see the heart of God coming out in their prayers. It was amazing. I love these students I have the best job in the world.

Evan Almighty

After my weekly visit to Wild Wing Cafe, Renae, Dawson, and my niece Kelsey, went to see Evan Almighty. I have been waiting anxiously to see it, so my expectations were pretty high. I was not disappointed in the least. I would recommend this movie to anyone. It was not exactly theologically accurate, but the character representation of Noah and God was wonderful. It reminded me of how much I love the bible and how much God love me. Not to mention the fact he is my friend. I actually thought about staying in my seat and watching it again. I can't wait to see it again.

Vision

I came across these verses this morning. These verses say better than I can, my vision for the Students at Brookwood Church.(Ephesians 3:16-19) I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Travels Begin

I will be leaving Sunday morning for Nashville, TN. We are taking a group of Middle School Students on a mission trip. I am so excited. We will be gone on three different trips for about 20 days in a row. It is going to be a crazy few weeks but I can't wait. Mission Trip, Family Vacation, and Summer Camp all in a row, WOW.

Dawson Speaks

My little dude has his trach capped.(This means they stick a cap over the end of his trach so he breaths through his mouth.) So he is pretty much talking all day long. I love hearing his little voice. For the past year he has not been able to make noises and I have really missed hearing him. I am trying to teach him to say da da. Hopefully his first word will be something cool. I just hope he doesn't say anything weird like star wars or xbox. Although, that would make me laugh. Hopefully I can capture some footage of him making noises and post it in the next few days.

Long Weekend

I just got back to Greenville from a very long weekend away from my family. Renae was in Charleston with Dawson and I was at the Cove with the Student Ministry Staff. Everything went well with Dawson and hopefully his trach will be completely out in a month. We had a great time this weekend with our Student Ministry Staff at The Cove. We left there with a vision for the future that is amazing. I am so excited about the people God has put along side Mike and I to make this vision a reality. Elicia, Josh, Ashleigh, Vanessa, and Danny, thank you so much for coming with us and pouring your selves into these students. God has a great plan for our future and I can't wait to see it become a reality. You all are vital to our success.

Dawson's Trach

Renae and Dawson left for Charleston today to begin the process of removing his trach. In just a few hours she will take him over th MUSC for the 24-48 hour process. This first trip is only the beginning for the process but it is a start. I can't wait for him to be able to breath through his make and make noises whenever he wants. I am so excited. By the way, Renae and I have a very big decision to make in the next few weeks that could greatly impact our lives, so pray for us. Pray for Dawson in the morning. They will sedate him at about 6 and do one of these. After that they will monitor him for 24-48 hours while they cap his trach. He should be home sometime on Friday. I am so excited about what God is doing in our lives, it is amazing.

You are who you are!

I have found, deep within myself, a need to be accepted by others. Sometimes that is a good thing and sometimes it can be a real hindrance in your life. It is always good to evaluate our relationships. Are they healthy? Are they meaningful? Is the person making a spiritual impact in your life? Are you making one in theirs? Is the relationship shallow? One of the questions I ask myself is, "What is this relationship providing for me that is unhealthy?" Personally, I tend to set up my relationships in a way that no matter what, I am accepted. I can easily be caught in a performance trap. Saying the right thing and being the right thing to whoever I need to be accepted by at the time. I have to work really hard to make sure I am striving to please God and not others. If people do not accept you, it is not your responsibility to convince them of your self worth. You are valuable and unique because you are created by God not because you are maintaining an image to other people that is not the real you. If we need others to provide for us what God can provide, our relationships have been elevated to an idol and that is not healthy. We are who we are because of who God is and that is OK. I have come to a place in my life where I can truly say that my relationships are more healthy than they have ever been. If others don't recognize God at work in your life, love them and pray for them but NEVER apologize for who you are!

Summer Fun

Wednesday night we will do something I have never done before in Student Ministry. We are having a cookout. Hamburgers, hot dogs, and great music. I can't wait. There is nothing more fun than hanging out with the greatest group of students in the world. We are in for an exciting summer and I know that this next year will be the best we have ever seen.

The Movies are Expensive

Last night Renae and I went on a date to the Movies. We saw this movie and I thought it was pretty good. The only problem was the $36 I spent for two movie tickets, a bucket of popcorn, and drinks for both of us. This is a travesty. Between gas prices and my personal entertainment, I am going broke. I know that 36 bucks is a lot of money for a movie, but the time I spend with my wife with no distractions is priceless. I could send that last line to MasterCard for a commercial. Date night was great. By the way the entire time we were watching the movie there was a guy laughing exactly like a Pirate. It was so annoying it was actually hilarious. I though at any moment he was going to lead a mutiny against the movie theater. It was even funnier when he was the only one laughing. It was a comedy that I did not even have to pay for.

Leadership

As we lead, I think that it is important to remember that people will develop into what they see not what they hear. It is more important to BE what you are teaching than to TEACH what you want others to become. I am asking myself the question, "Am I what I want others to become?" The fact remains, people WILL develop. They will either become something great, or something not so great. I want to make sure that I am striving to be like Jesus. This is the single most important lesson in leadership. Living like Jesus is fundamental to leading like Jesus. You can't have one without the other. God is teaching me to live in order that I might lead.

This is amazing!

Read This!

Frankie's Fun Park

Tonight we took about 50 students to this place. We had a rocking awesome time. The shamrock track for the go-carts rocked my face off. They were very fast and the track was slick. There is nothing quite as fun as sliding into one of your favorite people while they look at you with a look of death because they think you are are so competitive you are going to run them off the track. I like winning. Speaking of winning, my team slaughtered all the other teams in the laser tag arena. Again, I like to win. I hate it when people say that no matter what were all winners. That is a lie! We are not all winners! We are all lovely people and Jesus died for us all, but that does not make us winners in every competition we enter. Some people loose and some people win. I like to be on the winning team. I am so competitive! I have a friend that would rival my competitive nature. Whenever we get together we are constantly making up different ways to compete. One time we actually drank the grease that was left in an bucket of wings. It was basically grease and hot sauce mixed together. I drank it and come to find out later he tricked me. He only pretended to drink the disgusting concoction because he knew that i was crazy enough to actually do it. I am still a little bitter about that. But, even though he had the last laugh, I have the pride of victory. This guy is really a great friend and I hope to spend some time with him this summer.

America's Got Talent?

Tonight, Renae and I watched the season premier of America's Got Talent. It was a two hour show packed full of people "laying it on the line" for the sake of American entertainment. I am amazed at the lengths we will go to to entertain ourselves. Jerry Springer, the mayor of the world, hosts this theatrical nightmare in an attempt to spice up what is the most embarrassing display of so-called American talent. The sad part is, there are some genuinely talented people wrapped up in this atrocity that we call "reality" television. The worst thing about this whole thing is that I sat there for two hours while NBC fed me this CRAP. I am so angry about the fact that NBC, who should be known as a "family network," will take the innocence of a child and sacrifice it on national television to the god of ratings. I understand that some of the parents of these children are culpable for their Children having to go through such an embarrassing experience. However, there is no excuse for anyone to attack a child's integrity while the world is tuned in. Watching Sharon Osbourne and Piers Morgan have a scripted fight on television would be more entertaining as an episode of Celebrity Deathmatch. If I were in the audience I would have wanted to leave half way through. It is sort of like a car accident on the highway. You don't want to look but something won't let you turn away. Reality TV has hit a new low. I definitely think that NBC should continue to search for talent, and when they find it, they should hire whoever has it as President of the Network.

Dawson's Dedication

This coming Sunday Dawson will be dedicated. One of the things our church ask you to do is write a letter to your child. The following is a letter to my son, Samuel Dawson Bradley.

Dawson,

From the time I was a little boy I have been thinking of you. Although I had no idea who you were or what you looked liked I thought about you before you were ever here. In my own innocent way I developed a love for you even though you did not even exist. I thought about things that we might do together like hunting, fishing, or working on cars. I dreamed of teaching you all the things my dad had taught me.

Your Mom and I were married really young and right away we knew that more than anything else we wanted to have children. I remember early in our marriage we began to pray for you. We began to pray that God would send you to us. Although we prayed very hard, it seemed like the day I dreamed of as a little boy would never come. It seemed like I would never be a Daddy. After praying very, very hard for a long time your mother and I decided that God had a plan for getting you to us and that however that would happen and however long it would take we would trust Him.

One day I was telling a lot of teenagers about how Mommy and Daddy had learned to trust God and how He had a special plan for them. A very special person heard that story and told us about how God was bringing you to this world and eventually to us. You see Dawson most children are brought into this world through their Mommies’ belly. You came to us a different way. God sent you to us through a wonderful young lady named Maria. She was very young and loved you very much; she loved you so much she decided to give you to us. This made Mommy and Daddy very happy. We did not know that this is how God would send you to us so it was a big surprise. The best surprise I have ever had.

Every night I look at you before you go to sleep and I come in and kiss you on the head before you wake up every morning. You are getting bigger and I am amazed at all the things you are learning. You my son are my dream come true. I love you so much and my desire for you is for you to become the man God created you to be. Your mother and I know that you are perfectly created to be our son and I will tell you the same thing I told those teenagers so many years ago. It is a verse from Jeremiah and I love it so much. “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Dawson, God has a great plan for your life and your Mommy and I are trusting God to make those plans a reality. You are perfect and I am proud to call myself your Father.

Bath and Body Works

My shower experience has been revolutionized. This weekend my wife Renae, bought me this stuff. I love it so much. I know this sounds weird , but I love smelling good. Some of you out there might make fun of me or laugh at my expense. I will not waiver. I like to feel clean and smell good. There is nothing wrong with that.

People need to be loved!

As a Student Pastor I often encounter some of life's most difficult moments. Today I held the hand of a family as they walked through loosing a family member. I am so glad that there is a hope that we have in Jesus, that no matter what comes our way, we can trust him. I have learned that there is not much you can say in a moment like this that will change anything. Our job, as a believer, is to love people the way Jesus loves people. Pray for them, love them, hold their hand, and walk through life's most difficult times with them. None of us are promised tomorrow. I am reminded how fragile life is. Sometimes, God brings you to a place where he is all you have left. Those of you who have been to this place know, that it is in that moment you realize, he is all you need.

Nacho Libre

I watched it and I did not get it! I was surprised that I did not enjoy it but, that's how it goes. I will put it back in the envelope and send it back to Netflix.
Sunday will be a test for a new style of speaking. Mike recorded the entire message in front of a green screen, so while he is talking about the Leaning Tower of Pisa, it will actual be behind him. I can't wait to see how the Middle School Students like it. It will be all on video, that blows my mind.

I have got the "sickness"

I feel like I have been hit by a truck! A very big truck!

I love ribs

I love ribs so much. If they were a girl I would marry them. (Obviously, ribs are not girls so don't worry about me leaving my wife for a rib.) We had a great time today with tons of food and lots of family. I ended the day by watching this show ! It is unbelievable! It could possibly revolutionize the film industry. I am so excited that this is an actual show.

UFC

Last night I hung out with one of my very best friends in the whole world. We watched the Ultimate Fighting Championships. It was my first experience, but I have to say I believe I might be addicted. What could be better than people beating the crap out of each other and no one going to jail. We watched the fight in a room with about 300 people who were starving for a bloodbath. I was sort of scared for my life, but I had a great time! I can't wait to do it again.

Great Weekend

I love Fridays. Usually, Renae and I go eat at this place every week but today we had a lunch appointment, so we will have to get back to our tradition next week. I love spending time with my beautiful wife. I am so happy that we are home and getting back to normal. Normal will only be here for a few days. The summer is coming and I will only be in town for about 20 minutes. It will be crazy but I can't wait.

Season Finale

I love American Idol. Even though Melinda Doolittle was voted off last week, I really enjoyed the show tonight. Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight, Tony Bennett all preforming in one night, I am on system overload. I was sort of disappointed in Green Day but I love them anyway. 24 also ended on Monday night along with Heroes. These three shows are my favorites and I hope we will still be able to watch them when I get to Heaven. I guess now that all my favorite shows are on vacation for the summer, and two of them until January, my netflix account will be a lot more active. By the way the little dude is doing great. We had a follow up appointment with the cardiologist and they were surprised to see us so soon. Keep praying for our family as Dawson continues to heal. It looks like we will be able to have his trach removed sometime this summer. Pray that God will give us wisdom. By the way, If you have not figured this out yet, I think Jesus is Awesome!

Giving

I heard a man once say, "You are never more like Jesus than when you give." Over the past week time and time again, God has surrounded us with people who give. Some give money, others time, and some food. All of the above are awesome and we are so thankful to all of you who have given to our family. We are so blessed! By the way I cant wait to get back to church tomorrow night! We are concluding our series How to Deal and I am sure it will be amazing. We have a guest speaker, David Hardy, and I am so excited to hear what God has given him for us. God is working in our student ministry in a great way and the best days are yet to come! I will see you there.

We are Home! Unbelievable

I can't believe it, but we are home. Everything is going great. Dawson has done so well and God has been so good. This morning we talked to the attending physician and he said that Dawson was doing well and we should not be here much longer. I assumed he meant Wednesday or Thursday. He went on to say that they would get a chest x-ray and an echo and we should be headed home sometime this afternoon. WHAT? Yes he said that. We ask God for a speedy recovery and he delivers in half the time of a “normal” child. Wow. Thanks so much for all of your prayers! I will continue to keep everyone updated.

Sunday Night

I really missed going to church today, but I am glad to be spending time with my awesome family! Dawson is in a regular room now in the Children's Hospital and he is doing very well. We are hesitant to say the H word (home), but if all goes well we could be coming home as early as Thursday. Tonight my parents sat with Dawson while Renae and I went and grabbed a bite to eat at Coconut Joe's. I love that place. Check out the view from our table.


Over dinner, Renae and I took some time to look back and remember where God has brought us from. As we sat there and talked about time after time where God has proven himself faithful, Renae reminded me of a prayer that we prayed for Dawson in the first few months of his life. In light of Dawson's diagnosis we knew that he had less than a ten percent chance of seeing his first birthday, and it was a 50/50 whether or not we would carry him out the front door of the hospital. I remember praying something like this, "God, I pray you would extend his days." It was simple but this it was pretty much the only thing I could do. As I sat there overlooking this beautiful ocean I was reminded yet again of God's faithfulness to us. The crazy thing is, that right there in that moment I realized, God answered our prayers. What a mighty God we serve! You know, there is something about the ocean that forces me to acknowledge how amazing our God really is. I love these verses!
Psalm 104:25-33
25 Here is the ocean, vast and wide,
teeming with life of every kind,
both large and small.
26 See the ships sailing along,
and Leviathan,^[c] which you made to play in the sea.

27 They all depend on you
to give them food as they need it.
28 When you supply it, they gather it.
You open your hand to feed them,
and they are richly satisfied.
29 But if you turn away from them, they panic.
When you take away their breath,
they die and turn again to dust.
30 When you give them your breath,^[d] life is created,
and you renew the face of the earth.

31 May the glory of the Lord continue forever!
The Lord takes pleasure in all he has made!
32 The earth trembles at his glance;
the mountains smoke at his touch.

33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live.
I will praise my God to my last breath!

Old Mcdonald had a house.....

I am so thankful to the people that make the Ronald McDonald house possible. This place is amazing! We are right across the street from the hospital. Dinner is provided every night and theres more food in the fridge than one could ever eat. Day 3 and Dawson is doing great! He should go to a regular room tomorrow. They were not quite ready to let him go today. However, he looks really good. Tonight, Renae and I wenteat seafood at one of my favorite places here in Charleston. If you are ever in town you should check it out! I snapped this pic of my little dude as he was sucking on his passy earlier today. Keep praying for his healing. We love you guys.

Day One

It is 1:45 Saturday morning. We just left the pediatric cardiothoracic intensive care unit (PCICU). We have a great team of people taking care of Dawson. They have been very aggressive about getting him off the ventilator, and as of about 15 minutes ago he was off and breathing on his own. Praise Jesus! We should go to a regular room tomorrow where the staff will continue to monitor him closely. I know that God is answering our prayers. We are blown away that he is off the vent this soon. Jesus is so amazing! Please continue to pray for Dawson's recovery. It has also been great to share our story with the doctors and nurses. I love telling people how awesome Jesus is and Dawson is a great way to start that conversation. Today as I think about how Dawson's little body was sustained by a breathing machine, it reminds me of a quote. "Always remember, life is not how many breaths you take, it's how many moments take your breath away." The first time I heard this was over a year ago while watching the movie "Hitch." Renae and I were living in Memphis at the time and Dawson was about 5 months old. I looked over at Dawson in amazement and saw him smile for the first time. This might not be a big deal to most people, but to us it was a moment that we never thought would come. We were happy with him just being alive, the fact that he responded to us with a smile more than we ever expected. No matter how many times I see that awesome little dude smile at me, I never forget that each one of those smiles are a gift from God and that takes my breath away! I had a video camera that night and here is what we saw!
Dawson Smiling Night 2

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Surgery went great!

The surgery went great! We will go back and see him in a few minutes! God is so good to us! I am continually amazed at how God has blessed our family. Please continue to pray for a speedy recovery. Praise the Lord!

Early Morning

This morning I woke up at 4:15 and we took our little dude to the hospital. The took him back around 6:25. We will be waiting for the next 4-5 hours while Dr. Bradley and his staff do a VSD repair on our son. I am sure that it will be a long morning. God is helping us. Here is a pic of Dawson just before they took him back.

A Very Long Day

Here is how it all went down!

1. Woke up at 5am
   
2. Left the house at 6am
   
3. Arrived at hospital at 9am
   
4. Drove around looking for parking until 9:30
5. From 10 until 11 we answered questions from the nurses. Actually, I started answering questions until I realized that my wife was much more educated on Dawson's health than I will ever be. So I sat down and shut up.
6. At around 11:30 I watched two nurses try and put a very small needle into Dawson's very small vein.
   
7. They were not successful!
8. I went to find food! Thank God for Chick-Fila
9. After I got lunch I forgot where I left my family so I ate waffle fries while I wandered around until people felt sorry for me and led me back to where I was supposed to be.
10. In the meantime a very good doctor was able to place Dawson's IV
11. It is now around 2 and we took Dawson for a CT Scan. I actually got to watch the screen as they did it.
    
12. That took about 30 minutes and then we went for an x-ray.
    
13. We got back upstairs around 3:00 and then Dawson had an echo done. I am not sure what that means exactly, but two things I know. 1. It takes a long time. 2. You can actually see his little heart beating on the screen right in front of your eyes. How can that happen?
14. After the echo we met with the surgeon. He asked lots of questions but one in particular I will share with you. He asked why were we moving forward with this surgery in light of Dawson's disorder. Typically I would be offended by such a question but this time I could share with this wonderful man all the wonderful things God had done for us. All of those things are too many to list here. But I guess the image of my sons heart, beating a mile a minute on the screen of that echo machine 17 months after all the Doctors told us that Trisomy 18 was not compatible with life, says it all. To be honest it was a refreshing reminder of what God has brought us through.
    
15. We left the hospital around 5 and came to the hotel and crashed!

During times like this when we face so many unanswered questions I find comfort in certain passages of scripture and this is one of them:
Psalm 91:1-2
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.

Charleston

We are here in Charleston and all is well. The surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning. Keep praying for my little dude. I will keep this blog updated as often as possible. We love you guys.

Waiting

Dawson had a great night and has not had a fever in about 12 hours. We are waiting to hear from the doctors whether or not they will postpone his heart surgery. I have never felt so many emotions in my life. On one hand I am ready to get this over with. On the other, I don't want to put him in a situation he is not ready for. I know that God id good and has a great plan for us. I can trust him. I know that there are many of you guys who are praying for us and for that I am so thankful. We love all of you.

Crazy Day

• Dawson is sick
• They may postpone his surgery
• I traveled to Nashville and back in 24 hours
• One of the greatest Christian Leaders of all time died today
• We filmed commercials for 6 hours today
  
• I have got to preach on Wednesday night and then get in the car and drive to Charleston
• We have more work to do than we have time to do it
• The summer is almost here and then I will be gone for 12 years--not really 12 years but a long time
• We are celebrating my sisters birthday right now and I really want a piece of cake
• I trust Jesus more today than I ever have
• God loves me even though he doesn't follow my plans
• I am praying for Dawson to get better before tomorrow morning
• Please pray for our family

Mothers Day

I am so lucky to not only have the most amazing wife in the world but my beautiful wife Renae is also the greatest mom in the world. I could not do what she does in a million years. Not only taking care of Dawson but putting up with me is most likely the hardest job on the planet. I am most amazed at how she continues helping Dawson reach milestones and all the while she makes our house a home. The bible says in Proverbs 18:22 "The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord."God has certainly shown me tons of favor and I am the most blessed man in the world. My wife is not only amazing, she is also "smokin hot." Thank you Jesus. Dawson could not have a more awesome mom. Renae, I love you and Dawson does to! Happy Mothers Day!

Dawson

Next Friday my son Dawson will have open heart surgery. He is 17 months old and has a genetic disorder known as trisomy 18. This should be the last heart surgery we have to face and I can't wait until it is over and he is breathing better. I know that this week will not be easy but this is God's plan for us. I will never forget just hours after Dawson was born we met with the pediatric cardiologist. She informed us of Dawson's heart defects and told us he wold not survive. She went on to say that even if he did live we would never find a heart surgeon that would touch him. When he turned one month old he had his first heart surgery and now we are having the second, and hopefully the last. God is so much bigger than anything we face, and his grace has been amazing over the past 17 months. He has taught us to trust him in ways we never imagined. Many people look at our life and probably think how awful it must be. The crazy thing is that we have never felt that way. We are truly blessed to have Dawson as our son. These past 17 months are only the beginning of Dawson's story. Please pray for him to stay healthy and that the surgery will be a major success.

Wednesday Night Recap

For the first 20 minutes of the message last night no one said a word and it was hard to make eye contact with some of the students. I am pretty sure that the topic hit home with more than half of the room. Divorce is an ugly thing and last night I was reminded of how awful it is for the students caught in the aftermath. As I prayed over them I could see the tears falling. My heart broke as the students came to me and told me their stories after we were done! I got emails from students telling me about their family situation and I am overwhelmed at the amount of pain people are going through. Last night we did the only thing we could do, and that is offer them hope in the midst of a hopeless situation. I know that God has a plan for us and that even when the world around us is out of control we can trust Him!
Check out the promo video here.

Team Building

I work at a really awesome church. Yesterday the entire staff boarded a trolley, don't ask me why it is called a trolley because I don't know, and we went to Frankie's Fun Park. It was so fun, we played laser tag, rode go carts, and blew money on arcade games. I have the best job in the world.

How to Deal with Divorce

Wednesday night is quickly approaching. This week we will be talking about divorce. I know that over half of our students are living in the wake of divorce. If you are from a divorced family or have a friend from a divorced family, you need to be here. Wednesday night could change your life! We are having a guest musician perform "Because of You" by Kelly Clarkson. We are going to have a kicking night, you do not want to miss it!

Sunday Night Baptism

Last night we had a special service with baptism, barbecue, and bluegrass music. Bluegrass is not really my thing but there were lots of people who really enjoyed it. Baptism was unbelievable. I stood in that pool while 50 people came through, each with a story of how Jesus had changed their life. It was amazing. They all had a story. There is nothing like watching people identify with Christ through baptism. My sister Libby was one of the people who were baptized. I am so proud of her. After the baptism I had some Bucky's Barbecue. It is as close to Memphis barbecue as any place in the upstate and that is a good thing. I go to the greatest church in the world!

College Graduation

My younger brother Joey, graduated from Bob Jones University on Saturday, May 5 2007. I am so proud of him. It is not really a trademark of the Bradley Family to finish anything we start. Completing anything has always been a major struggle for me. This is why I am so proud of him. He made lots of sacrifices to make his dream a reality. He has been and continues to be a major source of encouragement for me. I know that night after night and day after day for the past several years he has worked very hard to finish what he started. There is something to be said for finishing through and reaching our goals. There are lots of people who would have given up under the difficulties of being a full time student, father, husband, and worship leader. God has a great plan for Joey, Rachel, and Luke and It is a joy to see how that plan is already being lived out in their lives. I Love Joey very much and trust him more than I do any other man. My prayer for Joey is that the world would be impacted by his music and his art in a way that no other artist has ever seen. Joey you are an amazing man and an inspiration to me. I love you with all my heart.

Anger

This week we begin our new series "How To Deal". This first week we are talking about Anger. It has been very interesting for me, mainly because God is "kicking my butt" on this issue. I am really taking a close look at my feeling towards people and different situations. This anger thing is a huge deal and I don't want there to be any part of my life that is "off limits" to God. Wednesday night will be very interesting because I will be preaching to myself as much as anyone else. God loves me too much to leave me like I am. And for that I am very grateful!

JC & Kristen

Some very good friends of mine were in town this weekend and this happened. I can't explain it, you will just have to watch!!!!!

Hanging with cool people

Every couple of months we get to hang out with some of our best friends in the whole world. Who by the way, has a new myspace page now. Check it out here. We are hanging out all day and moving this girl out of her dorm. I am so thankful for great friends that love Jesus.

I Love My Pastor

I am so excited to be at Brookwood Church. My pastor is amazing. He took this guy and I to lunch yesterday. I was expecting that he had something that he wanted us to talk about, but in reality he just wanted to hang out. It was pretty cool just hanging out. One thing however was very interesting to me. During our meal, all of our glasses were getting pretty empty and it was evident that we all needed a refill. Perry looked over and asked us what we were drinking. He then left his glass on the table and went over and got Mike and I a refill. He refilled our cups before he did his ownI know that this does not seem like that big of a deal. But, how he demonstrated servant leadership to us in that moment was pretty awesome. I hope, like my pastor, I will never become so filled with myself that I forget that I am a servant.

Thoughts about Wednesday Night

• Well it's over.
  
• Wednesday night was the last night of our SEX_ED series.
  
• I think we had a kicking night.
  
• This Girl was our MC and did a great job.
  
• We have a great team of people making Wednesday nights happen- They rock.
• We went to Pop's and had all you can eat wings and pizza. It made me very happy.
  
• Taylor More took home the Nintendo Wii and I am sure she was up all night playing it.
  
• I will not eat another piece of pizza for at least 10 years
• I don't always have to be in the spotlight
• I can't do everything
• I am surrounded by people who are more gifted than me (Praise the Lord)
• I love my Job
• Jesus is Awesome
• I love watching people walk from death to life

I hate cutting grass

Yesterday I spent most of the afternoon cutting my grass. I hate the process, I get all dirty and sneeze a lot. I get so bored sitting on my lawnmower. I know there are those who really love it' but not me. I would rather sit inside and watch other people work in the yard wile I am playing my Xbox. Even though I don't like working in the yard, I do however love to walk out my front door on Sunday mornings and look at how great the yard looks. It is pretty much the same way in our lives. The process of becoming more like Jesus is hard and I would rather spend my time playing Xbox. But after I have come through a very difficult portion of my life, it is great to look at what God is doing in me. This is why most people stop growing in their faith. It is hard and we are lazy people. I don't ever want to miss out on what God id doing because of my unwillingness to be shaped into God's mold for me.

God is so cool.....

I am very excited about all the crazy stuff God is doing. Sometimes I just sit back in awe and amazement at how unbelievable God is. Trust me, there is some stuff happening right now behind the scenes in the MS and HS ministry here at Brookwood Church that could revolutionize the student ministry. I cant share any details at this time but there will be more to come in several weeks.

"Broke Leg Mountain"

The second day on our retreat to Awanita has been sort of interesting. I decided I would be adventurous and do lots of crazy, exciting, dangerous, stuff this weekend. It all started out pretty well when I set out to go horseback riding. First of all, I haven’t ridden a horse in about 15 years which pretty much makes me very inexperienced. This was not going to be good. We all loaded up and went to go “get” the horses across the mountain. We got there and the first battle was actually getting on the horse, this is not as easy as you might think. I tried to get on the horse in the most common way by placing my left foot in the stirrup and raising my body up on onto the horse. This method was not working as well as I had hoped mainly because my feet would not fit in the stirrups. The only part of my foot that would fit in the stirrup was the tips of my toes, so I could not lift myself up no matter how hard I tried. This presented an issue because I was not planning on admitting defeat especially with eight students and three adult leaders all watching my every move. So I decided that I was going to beat this horse, whose name was “Trigger” by the way, no matter what it took. So we lead “Trigger” over to a near bye gate and tried to get him close so I could get on. Trigger, however had different plans. The horse would not cooperate in coming close to the gate so I could place my tiptoes in the stirrup and get on. We got the horse as close as possible and I did what any normal human being would do. I climbed to the top of the gate and leaped off onto the horse’s back like Jackie Chan in Shanghai Nights. This plan was working a lot better but the trajectory of my approach was not as accurate as I had hoped. I had landed on the horse’s butt. This is much better than standing on the ground but the goal of actually riding the horse had not actually been attained. I was lying across the horse praying that it would not take off with me hanging on for dear life. I managed to pull myself across the horses back and into the saddle all the while I am sure “Trigger” was asking God what he had done to deserve a 333 lb man leaping from a very tall gate onto his back. The remainder of the ride was uneventful with me hanging on most of the way with just my tippie toes. Half way through a nice gentleman named cowboy, brought me some stirrups that my feet could actually fit into and it made the rest of the ride more manageable. Dismounting the horse could have been a problem because I thought I might have to transfer to a smaller horse and then to an even smaller horse and then to a large dog to get close enough to the ground not to kill myself. But, again I jumped from the horse to the ground with no problem at all, minus the permanent injury to my left knee from holding on to the horse with a “thigh hug” since my feet would not go in the stirrups. I think that I will leave horseback riding to people with smaller feet, and smaller bodies. I have posted several pictures of this event for your enjoyment.

"How To Deal"

Today has been pretty crazy as we spent most of the afternoon filming for our upcoming series, "How to Deal". We are going to be speaking on four issues that are difficult to deal with, Anger, Pressure, Divorce, Death. The filming went very well, we shot for about four hours and got enough footage for about one and a half promos.
Wednesday night went very well with the first of three messages in our Sex_Ed series. It is always interesting when you speak on Sex. But it went very well. One of our guys came up to me afterward and put his arms around me and hugged me. It kinda caught me off guard, but I realized how much it had effected him as he kept telling me thank you. The night got more interesting, as we all went to Wendy's afterward. I sat down and had a conversation with a guy who told me he was an atheist. We had a great talk as he told me all about his life, and some of the pain he had experienced. I realized that it was great to talk to a guy who was struggling with the existence of God. It is definitely more exhilarating to engage in conversation with someone who is not sure about God than someone who claims that God is real and lives as if he is not. I am excited about what God is doing in his life, and it is always awesome watching someone walk from death to life. I have the best job on the planet.

Crazy Week

There is so much going on this week. I am loving every minute of it. We start our new series this week SEX_ED. I am so excited, it is going to be pretty crazy. We start preparation Wednesday night with all the actors and production crew for the "How to Deal" Series. I can't wait. This coming weekend we are taking 30 middle school students to the mountains to hang out for a few days and it is going to rock. We are going to race through the mountains in a HUM V at about 60 mph. I hope I don't die! I am sure that if I live through the HUM V ride the zip line off the mountain into the lake might take me out, this weekend is going to be interesting. There are some cool things coming up for the summer and believe me, it will be amazing!

Mighty To Save

"Mighty to Save" by Hillsong United might be the best song ever. It blows my mind! I know this sounds crazy but when I hear this song it makes me feel safe. I know that sounds weird, but it is how I feel. Here are some verses that are freaking awesome!

• Joshua 22:22 “The Lord, the Mighty One, is God! The Lord, the Mighty One, is God!
• Psalms 68:34 Tell everyone about God’s power.His majesty shines down on Israel;his strength is mighty in the heavens.
• Psalm 77:13 O God, your ways are holy.Is there any god as mighty as you?
• Psalm 94:22 But the Lord is my fortress;my God is the mighty rock where I hide.
• Ephesians 3:4 By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.
• Revelation 7:10 And they were shouting with a mighty shout,“Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!”

I love the word of God it is awesome and the truth that it points to sets us free. God Rocks.

I Can't Sleep.....

I cant sleep right now and I have about a million questions running through my head. Here are a few of them.

• How can I make a greater impact in the lives of people?
• Is it important to be important?
• Why does it matter if anyone knows who I am?
• How do we determine "success"?
• Did Jesus do an event recap?
• How can I loose more weight faster?
• Will Sanjaya win American Idol? If so I will permanently block FOX on my television, except for when 24 is on.
  
• Did the University of Florida's Athletic Department sell their souls to the devil?
• Why do I care what I am wearing to work tomorrow?
• Who is the guy that died while filming "The Wizard of Oz"?
  
• Why is Christian Radio so bad?
• How is it that our Student Ministry is growing and we don't have a facility?
• Will a building make anything we do better?
• Is there anything better than seeing someone walk from darkness into light?
• What if Christians were to see lost people like Jesus does?
• Will I look weird after I loose another 100 lbs?
• How long will that take?
• How can we get more people to Jesus?
• Do most Christians know that most people are dying and going to hell.
• How many people will see the vision?
• How many will act on what they see?
• How awesome will it be when they do?

I am so excited about what God is doing here in Simpsonville, SC at Brookwood Church. I can't wait for the world to know!

Spring Break

There is no one at work today. The office is empty, and I am getting caught up on several projects I have put off for months. Praise the Lord. I am kinda jealous that I am not at the beach with the rest of the planet but that is OK I guess. We shot the first footage for the "How to Deal" series yesterday. Josh Martin our Worship Leader is a card magician. He came in and preformed for us for about an hour and we got some great footage for our message intro. Next week we begin our SEX_ED series and I am so excited, we will be giving away a Wii the first night and I hope it is me that wins it. I will see you guys next week.

Very Sleepy

I did not sleep very well last night and today I feel like I got hit by a bus. For some reason in my dream I was a star on some kind of hit reality TV show. All night long a camera crew was following me around as I was doing whatever I was doing. The funny thing was that the entire time I was prancing around town without wearing a shirt. It was really crazy. So I took a nap today for about two hours and I feel a little better but I can't wait to go to bed early tonight. This week is going to be crazy, we are getting ready to shoot four full length commercials for our "How To Deal" series coming up in may. They are going to be unbelievable.

I Love Wednesday Nights!!!!!!!!

Wednesday is my favorite day of the week. All the planning, preparation, and prayer that is invested in Wednesday night comes to a pinnacle at about 6:40 every single week. Tonight I announced several things we have coming up and we were flooded with people getting on board with what is going on. I am so excited to be here with this group of students that I feel like I am going to explode. I love what I do, I am so lucky to get paid to get up and come to work at Brookwood Church. In May we will begin a new series called "How To Deal"and it is going to be absolutely amazing. I can't wait. By the way, Dawson just laughed out loud for the first time and it really cracked me up.

Back to Work

I have been out of town for five days and I am so glad to be back at work. I think I gained three pounds while I was gone which makes me want to jump off a very tall building (just kidding). We went to Charleston yesterday to see a ENT doctor for Dawson. He thinks we should be able to start the process of removing Dawson's trach six weeks after the heart surgery. I cant wait until that thing is out so I can hear him talking again. I really miss that sometimes. Anyway our date for the surgery is May 18 and we have peace about this, so we know it is God's plan and Dawson is going to do great. However, it does not make the process any easier. It seems to me that while growing in our faith we are constantly presented with opportunities to trust God. These opportunities vary in difficulty, like the beginning of a video game where you choose the level at which you would like to compete. The crazy thing is there is no easy, normal, or difficult buttons in our spiritual life. We face each day not knowing what the next moment may bring. Sometimes we respond with great faith during the hardest places and other times we have a panic attack while flying in a perfectly good airplane(that really happened to me). I am learning that the thing we never stop doing is finding new places to trust God. My desire is that no matter what I face in this life that I will respond with trust. I know that there are lots of things I cannot trust, but the one thing that I can trust is God.

Family

I have been gone for two days and I really miss my wife and little boy. I am coming home tomorrow and I have decided to wait until I get home to post some of my notes from the conference. I will arrive in GVL at 10 :30 at night which makes me want to scream but I cant wait until I see my family. There is nothing like that moment when I see my wife after being gone for a few days. I am pretty sure I am co-dependent, but that is ok. I love you baby if you read this before I get home!

Tulsa, OK

I am in Tulsa, OK and I am not dead. I am having a great time and Mike's mom and Dad are great. Tonight I heard one of the greatest messages to student pastors in my life by Pastor Willie George. The building there at oneighty is unreal. I am so jealous. I will highlight some of the notes from tonights message on tomorrows post.

Wednesday Night

Tonight was absolutely amazing, you can really feel the holy spirit beginning to change our student ministry. The worship was great and the message was on serving. We announced our partnering with the children's ministry and also our mission trip to Gulfport, MS. The students responded with an overwhelming desire to get involved and be challenged. I am so proud of you guys. You are the greatest group of students in the country. Remember we are changing the way we think and you guys are going to impact this community in an unbelievable way. You Rock!