Birthday Blog

So, today I turn 27 on the 27th.  As one my best friends told me earlier today via text, "My birthday is on the 27th,  your turning 27 on the 27th, that's a lot of 27s.... wow big gulps huh? See you later."  I thought I would compile a list of something, good or bad, that has happened to me each year for the past 27 years.  Caution: These thoughts are completely random and not pre meditated.

Age 1: Birth...duh
Age 2:  Pulled my birthday cake off the table that my mommy had baked for me/also knocked as Christmas tree over... on top of me (I know right?)
Age 3: Finally got a hair cut,  no more goldy locks or being referred to as the cute little girl in Wal-Mart
Age 4:  Took apart an antique water basin/mirror set of my grandmother Dot's that was never the same and also wrote on a wall in her house behind the drier in red lipstick, shhhh I still don't think she knows it was me.
Age 5:  Fell head first into some concrete steps.... 15,000 stitches later annndd tick tick... I'm ok
Age 6: Began my secret addiction of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Age 7: Hit my first and only home run, and it was an inside the park grand slam... even though it was against Fruithurst.
Age 8: My singing career came to a screeching hault as I forgot the 2nd verse to victory in Jesus while singing at a revival service... pretty sure I cried a little.... ok a lot.  Made a fake profession of faith.
Age 9: Character flaw 'quick temper' was revealed as I decided that I should punch people in the ear that made me mad.
Age 10: Parents stepped in and enrolled me in karate to help with previous character flaw.
Age 11: Last year of making all A's and began my deep hatred for school... not school, just going.
Age 12:  Singing career begins to take back off as Justin and I are stars in the CBC musical, "Down by the Creek Bank."  Got my black belt karate.
Age 13: Started playing guitar, hated it at the time, and took up the trombone....ahhhh the beginning of my band nerdness.  Wouldn't have it any other way though.  Went to my first concert, Sister Hazel.
Age 14:  Decided it would be cool to try and disobey my parents in everything that I did. That may have happened at age 2 but not sure. Caught a large mouth bass that weighed over 12 lbs, haven't fished much sense.
Age 15: Began working for my brother and bought a gorgeous electric guitar.
Age 16: Got a 1986 Red CJ 7 Jeep, God rest her soul, started seeing that guys who played guitar and sang could impress more girls than guys who hit each other with pads on... not knocking my athletic friends, just stating the facts.
Age 17: Made a lot of dumb decisions, started noticing that our basement garage band wasn't going anywhere, saw someone do meth for the first and only time as I was inviting them to church... they didn't go that night.
Age 18: Lowest of lows and highest of highs; Moved J'ville started college, marched Southerners, universal joint broke in my Jeep slinging my drive shaft about 50ft off of highway 9, got saved, accepted the call to the ministry.
Age 19: Began leading worship with the Chulafinnee Praise Band whaattt?  Those guys were off the chizain. Raised my hands in worship for the first time, because somebody else did, and God STILL blessed it and my hear was overwhelmed
Age 20: Begin to realize my passion for leading worship. Dislocated my elbow riding four wheelers.
Age 21: Had my first accounatbility partner and realized the significance of it.  Made fun of a preacher for wearing make up... and pretty sure he heard me.  Good news though, no she bears as of yet.
Age 22: Got a job working at Hill Crest and Sound Solutions, a great year of God's blessings.
Age 23: Saw the students at Hill Crest begin to worship freely, thanks Revelation Song.
Age 24: Went on my first cruise and lead worship on it. Met a new best friend who got me addicted to Apple products and backpacking, smile... you're the reason I'm broke.
Age 25: God ripped my heart out during a service in Panama City Beach by using the story of Jim Elliot.  I will never forget that day. Became the Jr. High minister... God truly is sovereign.
Age 26: Got engaged to my dream girl.
Age 27: Will marry my dream girl.


Hope you enjoyed, those are just a few things off the cuff... well, I'm pretty tired, think I'll go home now.

Andrew

GOOD, GREAT, GRAND, WONDERFUL!!!!!

Well, it’s been in a long time since I’ve blogged.  It seems like tons of things have happened over the past couple of months.  From potential job offers to new relationships, and from leading lots of different worship services to traveling to Boston.  God has been opening and closing some doors in my life and it has been really fun to watch His plan start to unfold in my life.  

Over the past couple of months God has allowed me to lead several different Dnow weekends and nights of worship for local churches.  I love getting to minister in that way!  The Merge band has really been on their game here lately, spiritually and musically.  Those guys love Jesus and I am privileged to get to minister with them.  I was able to reunite with a couple of friends and lead an incredible group of students in Anniston one weekend.  I love youth groups that aren’t afraid to sing out, even in a small setting.  It seems as though I’ve led more events over the past month than I have in the past two years.  It’s a difficult balance between ministering where I’m planted and carrying it to others, but both are necessary.  

I’m actually on the plane right now coming back from leading a revival service in Worcester. Massachusetts which you probably wont read till later on in the week due to the fact that I refuse to pay $7.95 for wifi for a two hour flight.  Anyways, I love getting to lead worship there.  The people there are so authentic.  They genuinely love God and love people.  I wish I could have stayed longer but there is work to be done, and I miss my Jr. HIgh family.  Joey Hutto and I had the privilege while we were there to install a new sound system in their main worship area, and I must say it sounds and looks really good.  Joey is amazing by the way, and I’m not saying that just because he keeps peeping at my screen while I’m writing this.  The way he serves and gives is amazing and I love that about him.  

I’ve invested in a new relationship that will be a month old this Friday and it has completely rocked my world.  I was intentionally not looking to date and God said, “Check this out.”  Well, maybe He didn’t say it just like that but it was close. Her name is Tasha, so you should probably send her a friend request on Facebook right now... seriously, go do it.  I’ve been challenged so much over the past couple of months by her and the way she lives out her faith.  I specifically remember one night as we were on the phone kind of late and she asked if I had looked over the scripture that she had sent me earlier in the day.  I responded with a, “No, I was real busy but I will check them out tomorrow.”  Long pause on the phone.... the story ends with me getting out of my amazing bed and referencing multiple scriptures.  It has been an amazing journey so far and I absolutely can’t wait to see what the next few months are going to look like. 

This plane is shaking all over the place and I really don’t want to regurgitate on my Mac so I’m going to have to wrap this up.  Some things I’m currently doing is reading a new book with Tasha (I will release the name at a later date), reading through the book of Romans, which is amazing by the way, even though I have to read every chapter a billion times to understand it, then I have to read the next chapter for the one I’m currently reading to make any sense.  Yes I realize that was a run on sentence and I really don’t care.  Romans is great though, go read it.  I’ve started training for another 10K, which I’m pretty pumped about.  That reminds me, I have a new hatred for treadmills.  The one at my house almost ate my face off.  It’s my on fault I was trying to multi task, bad idea!  Attention all ADD kids, don’t multi task while exercising.  On another note, I was really challenged by a guy I heard this weekend at Pleasant Street.  Dr. Alex McFarland, I think is his name.  He is a wiz in apologetics, that's something that really interest me but I’ve yet to deeply explore.  He has several books out.  One which is an apologetic book for students and I hope to check that one out and possibly recommend it to my Jr. Highers.  

Ok, so didn’t mean to write that much but God has been doing so much in my life lately and I haven’t even scratched the surface.  Sorry this hasn’t been the most humorous blog I’ve done but the truth is, I’m just ready to get of this plane and get into a warmer climate.

My Review of Custom Messenger Bag

Originally submitted at Timbuk2

Customize your own Messenger

Custom Messenger Bag

Swell Bag

By Mandrew_ from Oxford, AL on 2/3/2011

 

4out of 5

Pros: Attractive, Durable , Good Strap Length, Lightweight , High Quality

Cons: Uncomfortable , Too small

Best Uses: Commuting, Office, Computer, School

Describe Yourself: Practical, Stylish, Modern, Career, Comfort-Oriented

I use this bag almost everyday going from home, to work, to church, to school, etc. It's literally attached at my hip. I love all the compartments but I have lost my keys inside it once already. It takes great care of my Mac Book Pro and seems to be made extremely well. The only negative is that I wish I wish I would have gotten the medium. Ovearll great bag.

(legalese)

It's time to get busy

Wooo hoooo!  I'm really excited, just made plans to go lead the music for a revival in New England at my brother's church.  I love going north even if they are under twenty-seven feet of snow at the moment.  Lots of exciting things coming up now that I think about it, Common Ground Saturday night (a worship service at Hill Crest), our love series in Merge (always draws a big crowd when we talk about sex), three DNow weekends in two months, Merge Unplugged, and the band is headed to one of my favorite churches for a night of worship in Ranburne.  God is really blessing with opportunity after opportunity for me to share his love through music over the next couple of months.  It's kind of overwhelming the more I think about it.  Just the fact that God continues to allow me to do ministry even though I'm a nasty sinner.  Grace is a great thing though and I just want to be faithful.  Hebrews 11:6 says it is impossible to please God without faith.

I've heard some great messages this week, one about staying in the boat and growing where you are planted.  Ironically to be followed by, "don't be afraid to get out of the boat. " Take courage, I Am, fear not! That scripture makes me want to punch the devil right in the face.  Then I got super convicted Tuesday night when I heard a message that really challenged me to get back to set quiet time and how powerful the Bible really is.  Simple but effective.  Who would have thought a message about how powerful the Bible is would have been effective. (sarcasm)

I got to do a little writing last weekend with one of my favorite drummers and we really came up with some pretty descent stuff.  I hope we can share a couple at Merge Unplugged. One specifically talks about God's unconditional love and how that there is nothing we have done that He won't forgive us for or restore us back to.  I think a lot of times we understand the forgiveness part but we don't understand the restoration part.  Restoration is huge.  If we live defeated lives then we can not be effective with the Gospel.  My prayer tonight is to be more effective with the sword that God has placed in my hand.  With that being said, it's time to get busy.


Andrew

Deep Thoughts by Hack Jandy

Ok, so it's Saturday morning and I'm just chilling watching dad snooze while HGTV is playing in the background.  These last few days have been a whirlwind for mom and myself.   The doctor decided while he was putting the second stent in that he would go ahead and do the third.  He said it was going a lot better than planned so he went ahead and did both.  Mom and I were both relieved.  He actually gave me the before and after pictures of the heart, which I thought was a little odd, but I gladly took them a placed them gently in my murse.  So to clarify, dad had three total stents done and seems to be doing fine at the moment.  If all goes well he may get to go home late Saturday evening or early Sunday morning.

We hear a lot about the peace of God, or having a peace that surpasses all understanding.  I'm not sure that I had ever experienced that first hand before Wednesday morning around 3:00AM.  When I saw my dad sitting in his chair obviously hurting and pale, I began to pray that God would take control of the situation and that what ever happened would be for His glory.  There was about an hour period there where I wasn't sure what the outcome was going to look like.  It was scary.  I remember getting in my car to follow the ambulance and it just seemed like everything was going to be ok.  You may say I under reacted but I honestly believed that he was going to be fine.  As I sat at dinner tonight it really hit me that I hadn't worried but one time over the past 36 hours.  Today after they transferred him to RMC his blood pressure wasn't stable and I begin over analyzing things.  God took care of it.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.


This was it, this is what happened!  It's mind boggling even as I type this very blog.  I got to experience a peace that didn't make sense.  A peace that wasn't logical.  Often when I pray, I pray that God would allow unbelievers to understand the Gospel and that they would get to enjoy the peace that only God can offer.  I think I need to add to that prayer that the believer would also get to experience that same peace. The only way to explain it and it often sounds corny is that it was a "God thing."  


I'm beginning to doze off so I'm going to wrap this up with a huge thank you to friends and family for all of the visits and prayers.  Especially a few of you that have spent countless hours here with me and mom.  God has a reason for all of this and God is not finished with my dad.  To God be the glory for  his healing and recovery.  Please continue to pray for his recovery and for his up and coming diet/exercise change.


Andrew

Dad Update #2

Hey guys, just wanted to let you know that we just spoke with the doctor and they are going to try and get him a room tonight here at Stringfellow.  Tomorrow they are going to transfer him to RMC and they will do another stint around 6:00PM.  We did have some good news, my mom and I evidently were mistaken on the number of blockages, he actually only had a total of three and they stinted one yesterday so he has two left. The one they are going to stint tomorrow is 75-80% blocked and they will worry about the other one latter.  The doctor doesn't want to do both stints at the same time because of the possibility of complications.  Please continue to pray for healing and for everything to go well tomorrow.  Thank you for your prayers and visits.

Andrew

Update on dad

These last 30 hours have been pretty crazy.  Overwhelmed by the amount of prayers, visits, and concerns by friends and family.  I just wanted to give a quick update and recap of what has been happening over the last day.  Most of you know my dad had a heart attack early yesterday morning and was taken to Stringfellow Memorial Hospital for care.  They did a heart cath yesterday around lunch and found that he had four blockages.  One of which was on the right side of his heart and was about 95% blocked.  The other three are on the left side and are between 70-85% blocked.  They put a stent in the one one that was on the right side, aka the one that caused the heart attack.  I'm currently waiting with my mom on the doctor to come in and decide what will be our next move.  His nurse said that it looks like they will most likely keep him overnight and do the other three stents late tomorrow evening.  The reason they didn't do all four at one time was because of the dye that they use for the stents could cause kidney problems if they use too much.  All this is new to me so I'm merely repeating what I hear the doctor and nurses say.  We are waiting at the moment to see what the next move is.  They may move him into a different room just for tonight but we will know more when the doctor arrives.  I have been overwhelmed by the level of excellence that the staff at Stringfellow has shown over the last day or so.  Again, thank you guys for your prayers and visits it has made this process a lot easier.  Continue to pray for my mom, she has a tendency to 'freak out' easily and pray for me that I can continue to offset her with my nauseatingly positive attitude.

Andrew