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.