Called to Serve

Boxes of Love

2009-11-10T07:54:00.001-08:00

We are once again honored to be part of a wonderful ministry this Thanksgiving season called Boxes of Love. Last fall many families were able to receive not only a wonderful supply of enough food for a holiday meal, but were also able to hear the Gospel presented to them in a loving way.
Physical needs and spiritual needs were met and God was honored. You can go HERE to see how lives were touched last season right here in our own city.

This year you can volunteer in three different ways.
* We need individuals or groups to sponsor food boxes for $30 each.
* We need volunteers to pack the boxes on Saturday morning, November 21st.
* We need volunteers to distribute boxes on the afternoon of the 21st.

For details, times and an on-line sign up, you can visit the CrossRoads site
HERE.

This is a great opportunity for families to minister the love of Jesus in a very
tangible way to our community!

2009-10-14T10:30:00.000-07:00

Sunday we had the privilege at CrossRoads to welcome Michelle Hilman and Melodie Aho to share about their local adoption ministry. Child of the King seeks to help the body of Christ care for orphans by providing assistance as well as financial aid to adoptive families. One of their major fundraisers will be next Saturday, October 24 at Paris Mountain State Park. You can read all about the Family Hikeathon HERE at their ministry's website. It will be an awesome way to join with other families in raising adoption awareness, and contributing financially to bringing another orphan home!

2009-10-01T11:34:00.000-07:00

Beginning this Sunday, October 4th, CRCC will be offering a great class called Money Works . This will be a four week study on money management and financial strategies from a Christian perspective. Led by Bryce Covington, this class will meet form 9:00 - 9:45 in the adult classroom. You can go HERE for more information as well as to sign up!

The Hinge is Here!

2009-08-28T08:01:00.001-07:00

Saturday, August 29
9am - 2pm
DowBrands Amphitheater
Behind the Peace Center

It will be an awesome day of prayer for our city that you don't want to miss! Click on the Hinge link for tomorrow's schedule and make you plans to be there!

Heritage Back-To-School-Bash

2009-08-17T06:01:00.000-07:00

Over 300 backpacks filled with school supplies were given out Saturday afternoon to local children at Heritage Baptist. Almost 700 were in attendance and many also were able to be counseled while they were there. Ali and I were able to minister alongside other CrossRoads members and it was a joy to see families blessed with a physical need being met as well as the Gospel being shared with them!

How can I serve now?

2009-08-08T07:18:00.000-07:00

There are now several great service opportunities at CRCC for everyone to get involved!

1) We are gathering sizes 6 - 8 clothing for boys and girls at Simpsonville Elementary School where our Good News Club volunteers will be serving. Many families are unable to purchase back to school clothes for their children. We want to help meet some of their physical needs and pray that it will then open doors to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
* Plastic bins will be available in the lobbies for your clothing donations before school begins!

2) On Saturday August 15th, Heritage Baptist Church, one of our partner churches, is hosting their "Heritage Back to School Bash". We need volunteers from 4 - 6pm to help with registration and counseling. Interested? Please contact me at brianwoodard@crccsc.org.

3) We are also looking for nursery workers to love on our babies and toddlers once a month. Interested? Please contact shawnthompson@crccsc.org.

Travel news!

2009-06-07T06:22:00.000-07:00

You can check out our family blog HERE to see our exciting travel news. God is so good and faithful. We covet your prayers over the next 2 weeks!

Yard Sale Part Deux

2009-05-25T12:06:00.000-07:00

Saturday, May 23, 2009

We are very tired, but are PRAISING GOD for His provision. We still had enough stuff to set up another yard sale this weekend. (Dodging raindrops once again...What's up with that?!) My parents came for two days to help us out. They did way too much and we are so grateful for their help!

When everything was totaled from our two day sale, including some generous financial donations today, we made over $1,400!!!! All to bring our sweet Gracie home from Chain. "Thank you Jesus for your favor!"

Yard Sale Part One

2009-05-25T11:50:00.000-07:00

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Trivia question

The term "stormy weather" can refer to...

A. The title of a jazzy tune sung badly by at least one contestant at every state level beauty
pageant in the United States.
B. The title of a 1943 musical motion picture.
C. The condition of the weather for our fund raising yard sale this morning.

If you said all of the above, you were correct!!! Last Saturday began around 5:30 for us as we were up early to set out everything for the sale. Our trusty local weather reporter said there would be no heavy rain until the afternoon. A little after 8:00am it started POURING!! Between our family, my sister-in-law, & niece, we managed to get everything that needed to be covered either in the garage or on the porch. It truly was a crisis of faith for us. My initial reaction was "let's pack it up". Can I tell you we learned that a die-hard yard sale shopper literally will tough it out "rain or shine".

We all were drenched, and total strangers were packed like sardines in our garage wheeling and dealing for everything not nailed down! We had to laugh! On what was a truly terrible morning for a yard sale, God allowed us to make over $700.00!! Whoo Hoo!We have a good amount of great items remaining, and will probably set up shop again next weekend. God was good.

We want to thank every single person who helped make this sale possible. Our church family at CrossRoads was overwhelmingly generous with their donations. We don't know the name of every person who gave, but PLEASE know we are so grateful for your love shown to a sweet girl that will soon be a part of your church family. Thank you to Jennifer and Kim for your great donations. Thank you Missy for your precious time spent pricing items & for your priceless encouragement. We could not have made it without the help of my wonderful sister-in-law and niece. Thank you!!!

The hands and feet of Christ

2009-04-14T05:55:00.000-07:00

It was awesome to see the body of Christ at work on Sunday afternoon. Thank you so much to the close to 30 CrossRoads volunteers who came out to the Heritage Baptist Church community outreach. Many of our people sent food as well. Hundreds of people from the surrounding community were fed, given clothing and prayed for. Most importantly, seven people prayed to receive Christ that afternoon! It was also great to watch the children enjoy the games and inflatable toys! The weather was perfect, and God was glorified.

2009-04-11T05:14:00.000-07:00

Join us tomorrow at CrossRoads as Dave Rhodes shares the timeless Easter message of new life in Jesus. I just love this time of year!

Tomorrow afternoon, you are also welcome to join many CrossRoads families to minister with our partner church, Heritage Baptist, as they host their Community Outreach Easter Celebration. This will take place from 4-7 at Heritage. 103 Ravenel St. Greenville, 29611.
You can check the CrossRoads website for more details!

CRCC Work Day

2009-04-03T04:17:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, April 4, is a church wide work day at CrossRoads. We would love to have as many hands as possible to help beautify our property! Bring your yard maintenance tools and sunscreen and we'll look forward to seeing you there from 8:30 - noon!

IT'S A GIRL!

2009-03-14T11:59:00.000-07:00

Gracie Jia Shu Woodard
Chinese name - Lian Jia Shu
February 1, 2008
Lianjiang City, Guangdong Province, China

Please join our family's journey here! God is so good.

Irish for a day

2009-03-09T12:39:00.001-07:00

We celebrated my wife's Irish heritage Sunday at the annual Irish festival downtown. We came away with a few sunburns and some great memories! It's hard to believe that last week at this time we were bracing for a winter storm!

Snow Day!

2009-03-02T13:13:00.001-08:00

United in Prayer

2009-02-03T06:56:00.000-08:00

If you have some time, check out THIS family's blog. We have become e-mail friends with Linn who has been an amazing encouragement to and prayer warrior with our family during our adoption journey. The family's home was completely destroyed last month in a fire, and while we praise God that no lives were lost, we grieve with them over the losses each one is experiencing at this time. Within three days, their home was destroyed, their oldest son living at home was in an emergency surgery situation, and one of their dogs died. All this while they have only been home a little over a month with their beautiful new son and daughter from Uganda. The body of Christ is not confined to your local church! Thank you God for the joining of hearts with believers we have never physically met. We are anxious to see how God will use this family's story and incredible faith to touch many lives.

Christmas

2009-01-10T18:22:00.000-08:00

A New Year

2009-01-09T13:34:00.000-08:00

Where do I want my focus to be this year? On the people and things that touch the heart of the Father. Please check out THIS site. How could you resist a mission that states as their goal to raise money to "help breathe life into the poorest communities, restoring hope and igniting justice"?
"...act justly...love mercy and walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8

Give Hope this Christmas

2008-12-12T17:18:00.000-08:00

Consider bringing hope to to an orphan this year.

Go here for the chance to give a child a life-changing gift.

Even in our current ecomomy situation, we are still so very blessed.

Bring It

2008-12-05T06:00:00.001-08:00

This will be an exciting month at CrossRoads as we journey together through the series entitled "Bring It". You can participate in a tangible way every week by bringing canned goods any any unused coats to be donated to Heritage Baptist Church located in Greenville. You can place these items under one of the Christmas trees located in the church lobby. God will bless sacrifice on your part for our brothers and sisters in Christ who have needs this December.

Also, you can follow weekday devotionals HERE as we move closer to Christmas day and the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

I am Thankful for...

2008-11-23T08:35:00.001-08:00

"Be thankful until Him and bless His name for the Lord is good and his mercies endure to all generations."

I am so very thankful for my family. This Thanksgiving we had a great time in Charlotte with Rachel's family -31 in all! We had the privilege to pray a blessing over my in-laws and each family was prayed over by my father-in-law.

I cannot thank God enough for the strong Christian heritage on both sides of my family. I am thankful for my beautiful godly wife who loves me. I am blessed with two beautiful daughters and a wonderful son.
Thank you Lord!

Hidden Woodard talent...

2008-11-23T06:34:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Adoption Awareness

2008-11-12T07:48:00.001-08:00

November is Adoption Awareness month. Our family's journey through adoption has been exciting, unpredictable and faith building all at the same time. We can't wait to see how God will bring us the perfect child for our family! Adoption isn't for everyone. There are so many ways we can minister to the fatherless. Ask Him how you can be involved.

You can start with any of these awesome organizations...

Cry of the Orphan

Shaohannah's Hope

Dave Thomas Foundation

Compassion International

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this; look after orphans..."

James 1:27

Pray and vote!

2008-11-04T05:52:00.000-08:00

National: Pray that the man of righteousness, the man of God's choosing, will be elected in every congressional race, every senate race, and to the office of the presidency. "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people." ~ Proverbs 14:34 (Note: "man" is being used in its generic sense.)
State and local: Pray that the man of righteousness, the man of God's choosing, will be elected to every office at the state and local level. "When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan." ~ Proverbs 29:2
Voters: Pray that each citizen will be convicted to vote for the man of righteousness, the man of God's choosing. Pray that God's Spirit will overshadow each one as he makes his decision. "And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide ... by what his ears hear." ~ Isaiah 11:2-3
Election officials: Pray that every official involved in the election process will serve with honesty and integrity of heart. "The Lord abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight." ~ Proverbs 11:1
Those praying: Pray that God will energize and empower his people to call out to him day and night in extraordinary prayer during this season. "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a Spirit of grace and supplication." ~ Zechariah 12:10
The Church: Pray that the Church will be full awakened, engaged and empowered during this critical season and understand the urgency and importance of this election and its implications for the advancement of God's purposes in our nation and around the world. "The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this." ~ Isaiah 9:7
Our nation: Pray that God's plans and purposes for our nation will be established during this election season. Pray that we will be a nation which follows God and is a blessing to the nations of the earth. "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." ~ Matthew 6:10"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." ~ 2 Chronicles 7:14

Showing Hope...Again!

2008-10-20T07:25:00.000-07:00

The Show Hope booth

Steven

"Smitty"

The girls w/ some of the band members @ Krispy Kreme

Saturday evening our family was once again able to give back to an agency that has given so much to us. We were asked, as one of many who have received an adoption grant from Shaohannah's Hope, to volunteer at their booth at one of Steven Curtis Chapman's concerts in Spartanburg. This happens to be his tour with Michael W. Smith...The United Tour. We were able to speak with & encourage those who are interested in adopting. We also met a wonderful woman (who volunteered with us) who just returned from China in August with her 3 year old son. She was a great encouragement to our family as we deal with our long wait.
Michael W. Smith was great, of course. He is a gifted artist & worship leader with a renewed passion to see God's Kingdom spread in our world at this time. Steven is still a broken man, but worships God w/ unashamed abandon. While hard to see his brokeness at times, it was a humbling blessing to be there and hear him praise God in the midst of his still fresh grief.
The kids had a great time. They loved the concert, and weren't too sad about seeing the "Hot Now" sign blazing at Krispy Kreme when we were leaving. Let's just say "a little sugar for the road" goes a long way.

Happy Birthday Quinn!

2008-09-24T04:25:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe our youngest is 7 years old today. Last night Rachel & I were recalling our time @ Greenville Memorial 7 years ago when we watched news footage during Rachel's labor following the 9/11 attacks and the invasion of Iraq. Talk about a little added stress!
Quinn's middle name is Samuel. We have prayed that just like Samuel in the Bible, Quinn would be sensitive to the voice of God. He truly has a sensitive heart to the things of the Spirit, and especially has a heart for the orphan. Whenever there is any change lying around, Quinn is quick to put it in our "Gracie adoption fund jar", and he nightly prays for children who don't have a family. We are blessed!

Psalm 127:3 "Children are a gift from the LORD. They are a reward from Him."

From Death to Life

2008-09-19T09:20:00.000-07:00

I received a blessing from God this week. I had been praying for the opportunity for quite some time to lead a person to Christ.
Wednesday morning as I took Alison to school she read in Proverbs, "He who wins souls is wise." It went straight to my heart and I did not know why.
Later that day I had to open the church for a gentleman named Keith who was delivering flowers for Cris Smock's funeral to be held the next day. He started asking me about end times and shared his fear of death. One question led to another and after about 30 minutes of talking and reading verses in the Bible, Keith got on his knees in an empty auditorium at CrossRoads and gave his life to Jesus.

Keith came to deliver flowers for a funeral and left knowing Jesus as his Savior. What a blessing. Thank you Jesus!

Pray for the Smock family, and pray for Keith. They all need the body of Christ right now.

CRCC Mexico Mission Trip

2008-09-11T18:25:00.000-07:00

This Sunday at CrossRoads our mission team of 23 that traveled to Mexico in August will be sharing what God did during our week there. What a privilege we had loving on and being loved by orphans at Love in Action orphanage and Hope House. Much work was accomplished while we were there and much remains to be done.

A New Normal

2008-08-26T16:32:00.001-07:00

It's hard to believe a new school year has begun. Car pools to three different schools, homework, early bedtimes, early mornings...Where did summer go?! God has blessed our children with wonderful schools and wonderful teachers. Every year we're amazed at how God has cared for Ali, Erin & Quinn in this way. He is with us in our "new normal"!
God did some amazing things on our Mexico mission trip. I'll post an update & pictures soon!

Beautiful Feet

2008-08-03T03:48:00.000-07:00

The Global Outreach Missions Team leaves this afternoon for a week of ministry in Chapala Mexico. The Holy Spirit brought this verse to my mind, and I have been meditating on it all week. It is found in Romans 10 verse 15 ..."As it is written,'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!' "

Please pray for our safety, and that we will be bold in our witness. We have a group of 23 people that will be gone August 3 - 10. We will be ministering at the local orphanage each day. We plan to attend two worship services at the local church and work on several maintenance projects for the orphanage as well as the church.

You can find out more about the ministry we are partnering with at http://www.shmius.org/.

We will be joining another CrossRoads member already serving in Chapala, Lydia Hopkins. You can learn more about how she has been ministering this summer on her blog!

Thank you for your prayers!

Unity in the body

2008-07-28T03:48:00.000-07:00

Pastor Steve reminded us on Sunday that all believers make up the body of Christ. We are all one body.

Ephesians 4:3 says "Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace." I continue to learn that unity does not just happen. We all have to work at it. Differences among God's people can lead to division, but this should not be true in the body of Christ.The book of Ephesians has reminded me to stop concentrating on what divides us, and remember what unites us:

Ephesians 4:4, "We are all on body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future."

Called to Pray

2008-07-16T03:53:00.000-07:00

The Lord has been leading me to pray a passage of scripture over our people at CrossRoads . It is found in Matthew 9: 36-38.
"He felt great pity for the crowds that came, because their problems were so great and they didn't know where to go for help. They were like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples,'The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send out more workers for his fields.'"
Do we have any "fields" at our church in need of workers? I see our children and teenagers as our greatest mission fields right now. Within those ministries lies a great harvest of souls. I especially look forward to what God is going to do in the lives of many children through our VBS program this month.
I am praying for more workers to accept God's job offer. Being on mission with God is not always easy, but seeing a person fall in love with Jesus is worth it all.

Tire Problems

2008-07-09T04:14:00.000-07:00

I was driving my car this week and felt a horrible vibration in the front end. I thought the worst... Probably something in the front end of my 1992 Honda Accord went bad.
I checked the front tires and found one of them had separated. A big chunk of tire was missing. I went to a store near our house and was told that the belts had separated due to hitting something like a big pot hole at a good rate of speed. I have to ride around on one of those spare tire donuts until they get a replacement tire for me.

This reminded me of life. We were created by God for unity. Unity with Him and with one another. His love should bind us together. But the pot holes of life may cause separation if we are not careful.
So, my "tire lesson" taught me to pursue unity in Christ. Separation causes major problems if left unsolved!

Family Vacation to Edisto Island

2008-07-08T04:36:00.000-07:00

Our family vacation to Edisto Island was awesome -relaxing and fun. It was our family's first visit to Edisto. It was very laid back and has a slower paced feel. I mean really, the only grocery store on the island is a tiny Piggly Wiggly. Love it! Thank you to so many of you who asked how our vacation went!

* Got a break from the lap top since there was no wireless service.
* Great weather allowed us to hit the beach every day. The water was warm and we were in the ocean riding the waves every day.
* Bocce Ball on the beach was our competition of choice.
* Learned to play Wii tennis and bowling.
* Got to ride my road bike around the beach to prepare for the Tour de France - Ha Ha.
* Loved walking on the beach with my family. We searched daily for good shells. The big find was sharks teeth.
* Started a new read called Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders.
* Lots of fun with my brother-in-law's family. Their four teenage boys provided a lot of laughs.

Back to reality!

2008-06-24T15:30:00.000-07:00

Today my daughter Erin had her hair cut to donate 8" to the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program. Hair donations are used for real-hair wigs for women who are battling cancer and the effects of chemotherapy. She has been looking forward to this day, and I must say I'm mighty proud of her!

Passionate Pursuit of God

2008-06-19T04:10:00.001-07:00

God has been stirring up something in my heart recently. It really bubbled up this week after listening to my friend Jason Malone preach at CrossRoads this past Sunday.

A passionate pursuit of God must be first priority in every believer's heart. My personal pursuit of a relationship with my LORD and Saviour will radically change everything. It will radically change how I connect with and serve others. I will live on mission, led and empowered by the Holy Spirit, to share my grace story with everyone within my personal circle (co-workers, neighbors, friends, doctor, dentist, cashiers, waitresses, etc.)

My relationship with God cannot be brokered by another person or book. It must be MY pursuit.

Jesus said in Matthew 22: 37-38 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the the first and greatest commandment."

I ask myself this question - Have I made this life about me and my consumeristic mindset or I am willing to live on mission passionately loving, pursing, and obeying the God who loves me?

Step by Step

2008-06-12T14:58:00.000-07:00

Today marked another adoption process milestone. We took Alison, Erin and Quinn to apply for their passports. A child's passport expires in 5 years. Here's hoping we're not waiting that much longer!! Seriously, God has been so faithful at every step. We continue to move forward in obedience & trust - sometimes a difficult place to be!
I Thessalonians 5:24 "The One Who calls you is faithful, and He will do it."

Rest

2008-06-10T04:02:00.000-07:00

The Lord has me parked on Matthew 11:28-29 lately. " Come to Me all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

I have been asking myself these questions:

* To whom or what do I go to for relief and rest?

* Whom or what am I yoked with? (Religion, consumerism, people pleasing, money, pride)

* Am I willing to be yoked with Jesus and keep the yoke on?

* Am I willing to listen and learn as Jesus teaches me?

"A relationship with Jesus changes meaningless, wearisome toil into spriritual productivity and purpose."

Soap Box

2008-05-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

It's that time again...We have another service opportunity coming up to help make soap at Hydromissions. This will happen on Saturday, June 14 from 9am - noon. We're able to take the first 10 volunteers! Check out the CrossRoads site to register.

Proud Dad

2008-05-23T11:31:00.000-07:00

It's been a great week watching our children shine. Erin had her year end dance recital last Saturday afternoon. She did great! She has loved her teacher, Shanah Keyes, our pastor's daughter-in-law. Who knew we had hip-hop talent in this family?! I sure was a proud Daddy.
Ali put in her yearly garden Saturday evening. She has a real green thumb,and we love the fruits (or vegetables in this case) of her labor every year! It's hard to believe she'll be starting high school in the fall.
Quinn graduated from K-5 on Wednesday. It was a great little ceremony, and I think everyone shed a tear or two. Quinn just wiggled in his seat and was halfway to the stage when his name was called to receive the citizenship award. Who needs the science or reading award when you can be honored as the one who was a kind friend to everyone?!
We are blessed.

2008-05-22T07:28:00.000-07:00

Our hearts are so heavy as today as we think of the Chapman family as they face the tragic loss of their daughter. You can read the story here. Steven Curtis Chapman had a huge impact on our decision to adopt, and we are greiving for their family today.
On an exciting note...Long before we made the decision to adopt from China, our hearts were drawn to the country itself after reading the story of Brother Yun. We have especially been praying in light of the recent earthquakes that an open door for the Gospel would be made in the midst of tragedy. Rachel received an exciting e-mail from a foster care worker near Beijing the other day stating that she felt revival was on the way to her country. She stated that China's citizens are pulling together in a way that they never have before and seem to be open to the message of Jesus and hope. Praise God!

China Updates

2008-05-22T07:23:00.000-07:00

You can follow Melody Zhang's blog to read about the reovery effort following the devistating earthquakes. Melody works in Beijing with our adoption agency, Children's Hope.

Pray for China

2008-05-14T08:07:00.000-07:00

As you know, because of our adoption process, a big part of our hearts is in China right now. Please join us in praying for this country as it is facing recovery from a devistating earthquake, as well as fighting a virus that is affecting thousands of children. Our prayer is that the Gospel and love of Jesus will be able to be shared with power and without restriction to many receptive hearts in this time of need.

Go Fish

2008-05-04T13:53:00.000-07:00

I had a blast taking Alison and Quinn to the second annual Half Mile Lake neighborhood fishing derby. We had fun fishing with 19 other neighborhood kids and their families. It was a great time to meet and get to know our neighbors a little better.

Quinn came in second place for the most fish caught(with help from Alison and me). He walked away with a new fishing pole that he can't wait to use!

2008-05-02T11:38:00.000-07:00

Thursday was the National Day of Prayer. My wife and daughter just returned from Ali's class trip to Washington, DC. A relative of ours made the comment that so many people have forgotten the beliefs and values our country was founded on...So true. I am so blessed to be part of a church body that is serious about seeking God for revival and unity in our homes, our city and our nation.
On a funny note...After veiwing the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Magna Carta, etc. in the National Archives, Rachel asked Alison if it was what she expected after waiting 2 hours in line. Ali responded, "No. The movie was way better." Thank you Nicholas Cage for your contribution to making history exciting!

Is my Input affecting my Output?

2008-05-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

I have been hit with this convicting thought recently...Is my input affecting my output?

In other words, is the time I spend in the Word affecting change in the way I live? Are my co-workers drawn to God by how I treat them? Do I love my wife, my kids and my neighors like Jesus loves them?

Is my time investment in church - listening to great sermons, raising my voice and hands in worship, spending time with other Believers - is this bringing about change to rest of my week?

I know Jesus brought about change wherever He went. Am I living as just a "head-knowledge junky?"

Galatians 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me."

I desire to walk in a relationship with Christ that affects change in my every day life and relationships.

UIPs

2008-04-17T08:20:00.001-07:00

Unidentified Inner Promptings from the Holy Spirit.

Our teaching Pastor Steve Keys challenged us this past Sunday to submit to the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit and to be obedient. This has resulted in many stories being shared of people obeying the Holy Spirit this week by stepping out of their comfort zones to touch people's lives and point them to Jesus.

I find in my life that fear is a big obstacle to obedience. Here's a great quote from Steve Shultz.

"I asked a man once, 'What if I make the wrong decision when I THINK I've heard from God?' He said, 'Son, God can do more with your mistakes than you can do with your best obedience or your best intentions.' I like to say to people,'Don't stand there - just do SOMETHING!' God will make your path straight. But just like a rocket blasting off, you have to be moving in order to be guided. You can't guide a rocket sitting on its launch pad."

Just move - Be obedient to the Holy Spirit's ignition and BLAST OFF. God can handle the rest.

artwork compliments of my son

I Wanna be Like...Quinn!

2008-04-12T13:06:00.000-07:00

Do you remember the old Gatorade commercial featuring Michael Jordan w/ the catchy tune "I Wanna be Like Mike"? Well, lately I find myself wanting to be more like my six year old son.
Last week Steve talked about his grandson asking Jesus into his heart, and how now that he has the Holy Spirit living inside of him, he can begin to grow and mature as a believer. We have seen this so evident in Quinn's life. Our prayer for him has been that he would be like Samuel (Quinn's middle name) of the Old Testament. Samuel heard and knew God's voice, and was obedient. Quinn is very sensitive to things of the Spirit and hungers as much as a six year old can to know God's Word and see God answer prayer. We want God to be huge to our children. NOTHING is impossible with Him!
I've also recently watched Quinn face a new obstacle in his life...Playing coaches pitch baseball w/ his restricted eyesight. Even after some difficult initial practices, he has been very determined to not give up. Let's just say I was mighty proud when he hit the first pitch at his game the other night. He has the time of his life, and his biggest concern after the game is not who won, but what the team snack is.
Hunger for God's Word...unwavering, simple trust...determination...Life to the full. I wanna be like Quinn.

Back to Reality!

2008-04-02T14:36:00.000-07:00

My family returned Sunday evening from a much needed vacation to the mountains of NC. Do you ever wish time could just stand still?! We're now home to the reality of a schedule, but we made some great memories! OK, the highlights...

Fishing
Kayaking for the first time as a family
Making s'mores in the evening
Watching our girls hunt & find many arrowheads
Spending an hour in the original O.P. Taylors toy store
Seeing the phenomenon of the Brevard white squirrel
Seeing a herd of llamas (Being trained to become golf caddies - No joke)
Hiking to three different waterfalls
The bike race that wasn't meant to be - THUNDERSTORMS!
No schedule

Thank you to the One Who created the concept of rest.
Here are some of our trip photos.

Producing or Investing?

2008-03-27T04:49:00.000-07:00

I read this passage this morning and felt prompted to share it. The quote comes from Bob Sorge's book, Secrets of the Secret Place. The highlighted quote is what hit me between the eyes.

" We live in a culture that evaluates its priorities bases upon immediate results. The voices of the world are demanding that we produce. NOW! The race to produce can rob us of investing properly in the secret place. We must not evaluate our spiritual progress based upon how many projects we accomplish or deadlines we met today. Our devotional life with God is more like the planting of a garden. When we arise from sowing into the secret place, we will not usually be able to point to immediate results or benefits."

"Every moment you spend in the secret place is an investment. You are investing into eternal realities. So whatever you do, don't quit!"

Soccer with a Mission

2008-03-24T13:28:00.000-07:00

Coach Steve 'Woody' Woodard leads the Trinity Academy girls soccer team in a post practice prayer. The school is hosting a youth 3 v 3 soccer tournament Saturday to help raise funds to help Ugandan orphans.

I am so proud of my little brother. I cannot help but give a shameless plug for the work he is doing with the students at Trinity Academy in Raleigh, NC. Way to go Bro.

http://www.newsobserver.com/nrn/story/999651.html

Remembering Good Friday

2008-03-21T04:51:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 52:13-53:12

"Behold, My servant shall prosper, He shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. As many were astonished at Him -- His appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and His form beyond that of the sons of men -- so shall He startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of Him; for that which has not been told them they shall see, and that which they have not heard they shall understand. Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; He had no form or comeliness that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to His own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of My people? And they made His grave with the wicked and with a rich man in His death, although He had done no violence, and there was no deceit in His mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief; when He makes Himself an offering for sin, He shall see His offspring, He shall prolong His days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in His hand; He shall see the fruit of the travail of His soul and be satisfied; by His knowledge shall the righteous one, My servant, make many to be accounted righteous; and He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He poured out His soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."

Thank you Jesus for dying on the cross for me. Please forgive me of my wicked sins. Help me to wake up to the magnitude of who you are and what you fulfilled and accomplished on the cross. Help me to share this Good News to the ends of the earth.

My Grandpa Woodard

2008-03-17T15:26:00.000-07:00

My Grandfather Walter "Woody" E. Woodard, 93, of Midland, MI went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Friday, March 14, 2008, at Tendercare of Clare.

He was born on Feb. 26, 1915, in Elsie, the son of Ralph and Lydia Woodard. Woody attended Coyne Electrical School in Chicago, Ill. and had owned and operated Woodard Electric from 1954-1980. On March 26, 1937, he married Dorothy Marie Landon in Elsie. He was a member of Calvary Baptist Church. Walter is survived by his children, Donald (Sharon) Woodard of Raleigh, N.C., Nancy Adamets, Walter C. Woodard, Marilyn (David) Dumont all of Midland; his grandchildren, Brian (Rachel) Woodard, Susan (John) Felmit, Heather (Mike) Salyer, Stephen (Erica) Woodard, Theresa (Cary) Zeschke, Rick Zimmer, Jodee Horoky, Robert (Angie) Woodard, Kymberly (Tony) Scalia, Adam Woodard, Mary (Tim) Donnelly, John (Cathy) Dumont and Laura (Jason) Suitor; 21 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; two brothers; and three sisters. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his wife Dorothy in 2004; his daughter Susan; grandsons Michael and William; great-grandson Ty; one brother; and three sisters.

Thank you for the good memories. We will miss you.

Go Green

2008-03-16T18:45:00.000-07:00

My wife's Irish roots run deep, so the St. Patrick's Day holiday is greatly anticipated and celebrated in our home. Our kids showed their Irish pride @ last weeks' Irish festival @ Reedy River Falls. Not many know the true story of St. Patrick. Thousands were converted to Christianity because of his bold witness in Ireland.

Myths and legends have grown up around this hero of Ireland.
As Monsignor Murray explains, it is sometimes difficult to describe the triune aspect of God. So, according to the story, to better illustrate the central teaching of the trinity, Patrick took a shamrock and pointed out the three leaves on it. Interestingly, it is only in Ireland that you find this shamrock. Therefore, the people believed.
Listen to Patrick's poem of faith and trust in God, "The Breastplate":
"Christ be within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ inquired, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger."

May we be bold witnesses in our homeland like St. Patrick was in his homeland of Ireland.

Pure Religion

2008-03-14T06:32:00.000-07:00

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this; look after orphans..." (James 1:27)
Last night Rachel, Alison, Erin and I had the honor to play a small part in changing an orphan's life. Steven Curtis Chapman is an adoptive father and huge adoption advocate. He began a ministry called Shaohanna's Hope that encourages the body of Christ to care for orphans and also assists families with the financial burden of adoption. Last year we received a grant from their organization towards our own adoption process. It was a huge blessing & encouragement to us. At Steven's concert in Spartanburg last evening we were able to volunteer as Show Hope representatives for their "Change For Orphans" campaign. It is an effort to raise adoption awareness as well as to collect change for adoptive families. One of the best parts of the evening was seeing our girls worship with their new friends - four siblings recently adopted from Ethiopia. Talk about a glimpse of heaven! At the end of the concert, a check for $4,000 was given to a local family that is in the process of adopting their 5th child from China. Very cool. Fact - Every 18 seconds another child becomes an orphan. It must thrill God to see His children acting on this statistic & "making change".

Random Act of Kindness

2008-03-08T04:31:00.000-08:00

My wonderful wife and daughter will probably not like that I am sharing this because it was not done for show.
In the pouring down rain yesterday we had a crew of men cleaning up leaves and brush in our neighborhood. Rachel and Erin stopped by Chick fil A for some breakfast and also five hot chocolates. They found the wet crew still working in our neighborhood and gave them the hot chocolates. They said they received some weird looks and grateful thank yous.

Faith Comes by Hearing

2008-03-06T17:57:00.000-08:00

This Romans 10:17 verse has been on my mind since Monday night prayer. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word [rhema = a speaking] of God [Greek = Christos]. "When one believes in Christ, he 'calls' on Him. Believing, in turn, is based on hearing, and hearing is based on someone preaching. (Since the Greek word, kerysso, "preach", means "to be a herald, to announce," it is not limited to proclamation from a pulpit) [The Bible Knowledge Commentary]

The Holy Spirit is teaching me that I need to continue to herald the good news of my Jesus to everyone that would hear it. Secondly, the responsibility of the hearer to believe is not mine to accomplish.

The Holy Spirit is also teaching me through the Word that saving faith, healing faith, bondage breaking faith and restoration faith most of the time in the Bible was verbally spoken by the person wanting to be saved, healed, freed, or restored. Not because God needs to hear it. He already know the thoughts and intents of my heart. I need to hear with our own ears what my mouth is speaking in faith.

Saving faith is spoken out in Romans 10:9,10. "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. "

Healing faith is spoken to Jesus in Matthew 9: 27-30. "As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, 'Have mercy on us, Son of David!' When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, 'Do you believe that I am able to do this?' 'Yes Lord,' they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said, 'According to your faith will it be done to you'; and their sight was restored.

King David calls out to God for the restoring of their relationship after the prophet Nathan confronts him about his adultery with Bathsheba in Psalm 51:12. "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me."

I don't know if my rambling makes any sense but this is a path that the Holy Spirit is taking me down right now to teach me some wonderful truths from the Bible about my Wonderful Lord and Saviour.

Wonderful Weekend in Review

2008-03-03T12:22:00.000-08:00

I had a great time with my family this weekend.
- Backyard wiffle ball game with my son. I pitch and Quinn cranks it over our fence into the neighbors yard for a major league home run . Yeah!
- We went for a walk in the woods near our house and found a set of keys, a little league baseball, and a web of ropes in a group of trees. Someone spent a lot of time and money creating what looks like a spider web of ropes five feet off the ground. My children loved it. We found it on Saturday and had to return for another climb on Sunday afternoon.
- Rachel's Mom and Dad came over and we cooked hamburgers on the grill. Had a great conversation with my father-in-law. What a godly man.
- Sunday morning was fun leading the Adult Bible Class in a study on the life of Joseph, Genesis 37 - 45. Joseph went from being the favorite son to being sold into slavery by his brothers who hated him. He was lied about and thrown into an Egyptian dungeon. Talk about a rough life. But God had given him a dream at 17 yrs. old. It did come true, but not until he was in his early 30's. God had a plan for Joseph to save His family from death due to the severe famine.
What his brothers meant for evil, God meant for good. Joseph held no grudges or animosity toward his brothers. He learned to love those that had hated him. He showed grace to those that hurt him the most. He had a plan to save those that had sold him.
May I learn life's lessons like Joseph. I cannot live this live in my own strength. I must live in the empowerment of the Spirit of God.
- Our Sunday morning Encounter service was awesome. Pastor Steve brought us a great Sermon on the Mount talk about Choices. Choose the Golden Rule way of life. Choose the Narrow path or the Broad road. The Kingdom series has been the best series yet. David led us in a worship song Sunday that we sang most of the drive home - "He Love Us, Oh How He Loves Us..."
Awesome worship. Thanks for leading us David!

Forgiveness in the Wake of Tragedy

2008-02-28T14:17:00.000-08:00

Today I listened to an awesome podcast from Focus on the Family.
You may remember on December 9, 2007, 24-year-old gunman Matthew Murray entered the Youth With a Mission (YWAM) training center in Arvada, Colo., killing two young missionaries and injuring several others. Hours later, Murray showed up at New Life Church in Colorado Springs and killed two teenage sisters before taking his own life. Peter Warren, director of YWAM's Arvada facility, talked about the question of why God allows evil and talks about the power - and necessity - of forgiving those who hurt us.
"By forgiving someone, you relinquish the right to be the judge, to the one who is going to exact a payment for what they did, and what you do is you hand over to God the right and responsibility to punish or pardon them. When you don't forgive, evil triumphs." - Peter Warren
Be prepared to be moved by a touching story of forgiveness that was aired on 2-27-08.
http://listen.family.org/daily/A000000957.cfm

Right Priorities

2008-02-26T03:26:00.000-08:00

I am reading a book right now called Secrets of the Secret Place by Bob Sorge. Something I read this morning jumped off the page and drove me to my Bible.
Here is the quote I read, "Works of service gain their spiritual energy from the furnace of a fiery love relationship at Jesus' feet. The true fulfillment of serving Jesus is discovered when we get first things first: First we sit and listen, and then we go and do."
The Holy Spirit immediately reminded me of the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10: 38 - 42.
Martha welcomed Jesus and the disciples into her house. Mary sat at Jesus' feet, listening to what he taught. Martha was worrying over the big dinner she was preparing and complained to Jesus that Mary was just sitting there and not helping do the work.
Jesus' response to Martha was a loving rebuke. "My dear Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
I don't know about you, but I sure can identify with Martha. I am a task driven person. Activity over relationship comes easy for me.
Dear Jesus, please forgive me for not consistently choosing what is better, sitting at Your feet.

Good Clean Fun @ Hydromissions

2008-02-25T16:11:00.000-08:00

*9 volunteers
*400 bars of soap made
*300 bars of soap packaged for a local hospital
*Accomplished in 3 hours
CrossRoads volunteers Rock!

God speaks when I least expect it

2008-02-23T02:34:00.000-08:00

Do you have these kind of morning too?

I woke up yesterday and my mind was going 100 miles an hour. I felt like I had run a marathon while sleeping. I couldn't get control of my mind long enough to have my quiet time with God. I tried, but Leviticus and the topic of Old Testament laws for burnt offerings was not exactly easy reading. (fyi - I am working on reading through the Bible this year.)Even praying was difficult as I thought about all the tasks I needed to accomplish that day. So I gave up on praying after about 15 seconds. What to do? Dark roast coffee!

Alison, my 14 yr. old daughter, and I jumped into my Accord to make our way to her school. I was thinking about a title for this blog when my cell phone rang. My beautiful wife had an idea for my blog title - "Called to Serve". I loved the idea. She tends to be the creative genius in our relationship. Immediately, the Holy Spirit reminded me of a few verses in Matthew 20 about serving. I couldn't wait to drop Alison off at school so I could stop and open my Bible to these verses - Matthew 20:26b - 28.

" Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must become your slave. For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many."

God is so good! He spoke to me thru His Spirit and shared that His Son, my Saviour Jesus Christ, is the ultimate example of being Called to Serve. May I be found faithful in following His example.

Giving = Joy!

2008-02-19T15:22:00.000-08:00

God called my family to international adoption two years ago. We have fallen in love with the children at New Day Foster Care Center in China. Rachel has been in communication with the director who is passionate about these special needs children receiving excellent care. Our family had the privelege to send a Valentines care package to Beijing a couple of weeks ago. Seeing the response from our children as they saw the faces of these orphans receiving their treats was worth the investment! My desire is that they will have giving, compassionate hearts. Enjoy these pictures of some of the children, and of some of the workers enjoying their new Hydromissions soaps!

Too old to serve?

2008-02-17T18:54:00.000-08:00

I met a 90 year old volunteer at Greenville Memorial Hospital the other day. She had such a gracious giving attitude as she served patients. She told me her birthday had been the day before and that without the love and strength of God she did not know how she would live.
She brightened my whole day. What an example of an aging servant's selfless attitude.

I am dipping my toes into the world of blogging for the first time....... Speaking of aging....... Thanks for joining me on this journey.