These Are a Few of My Favorite Tweeps

It's hard to believe that it has been nearly 5 years since I joined the revolution in social media known as Twitter. After a year or so of thinking of it as a place where celebrities told us in 140 characters or less what they had for breakfast or who they saw out at the clubs, I decided in July of 2010 to open an account and explore it myself. My first step was to follow some athletes and broadcasters I admired and seek out anyone I knew who might be on Twitter- which was a short list. Eventually my list expanded to include lots of youth ministers and Disney fanatics, and slowly but surely people began to follow me. I tweeted often and responded to anyone who mentioned me. Every Friday I participated in the now nearly extinct tradition of Follow Friday (#FF) which led to numerous conversations and lots of new contacts. There was a time when I hoped to someday have 100 followers. It seemed odd when my list of followers reached 500; it seemed surreal when it reached 1000 and surpassed the number of members whom I followed. I remember one night at Tijuana Flats sharing with an employee that I was on Twitter, and she asked how many followers I had. When I responded 1100 she gasped, and said "WOW- you are Twitter famous!" The answer, of course, was NO. The list kept growing until I reached the over 2500 that follow me today. It has also been instrumental is spreading the word about this blog. So to paraphrase the great Chico Escuela, "Twitter has been bery, bery good to me!"

But that's not what I wanted to write about today. Twitter was first and foremost for me a place where I encountered some wonderful, loving, caring and thoughtful people who gave me encouragement and support. Many of us used Twitter to converse on a regular basis about things both meaningful and silly. Friendships developed with people we had very little hope of actually meeting. When many of them discovered my past transgressions in May of 2011 through posts on this blog, they simply reached out with grace. These strangers became part of my inner circle, members of my family. And I love them.

Twitter has changed. There are fewer conversations and more posturing and agenda promoting now than ever before, and I am as guilty as the next person. Politics are used to divide people and label each other. And some of my favorite Tweeps, not willing to put up with that nonsense, have left or are seldom around anymore. And I really, really, REALLY miss them, and I miss talking to so many others. So today on Twitter I am using the hashtag #TwitFavs to shout out to many of those who were so important to me in my early days on the medium and to let them all know they are thought of and missed. The lists will also acknowledge those who are still important parts of my life on Twitter. The lists will be long and scattered throughout the day, but I hope to convey a sense of just how many Tweeps impacted my life over these past 5 years. And if you are on Twitter and looking for some people to follow, I suggest EVERY SINGLE PERSON that I mention today. They are simply the best! Have a Happy Hump Day, and keep on tweeting my friends!

What Does the LORD Require of Us?

Most of you know that I am very much into Twitter. It is my social media of choice, the only one I participate in. You may also know that I am currently followed by 2, 474 people, 1, 986 of whom I follow back. I follow everyone who follows me and do not unfollow unless they are too crude, too obnoxious, spew hatred, only tweet about politics or show no signs of a sense of humor. This means that there are many in my Twitter feed with whom I often disagree. It keeps in touch with a very diverse cross-section of the population, and that is important to me. Every issue has at least two sides, and I believe one of the problems in our nation today is that people only listen to the people with whom they already agree. I am a fan of diversity. 

One of the gentlemen who followed me a couple of years ago is a well-known conservative blogger and author. While our views on political and social issues are often at odds, I have great respect for him as a family man and a human being. He listens. We have sparred a few times, and it is safe to say he considers me a true left-wing liberal both politically and theologically. While his views are often very comparable to those of Fox News and their ilk, he actually IS fair and balanced in his writing. His tweets often give me pause and stir my mind. A few nights ago he asked a great question on Twitter- "What does God want from our lives?" Unfortunately, many of the immediate responses came from his very political fan base. Apparently what God requires of us is to impeach President Obama, close our borders, kill all Muslims and stop gay people from taking over the world. I was struck with a very different answer, and I tweeted my response: The LORD requires us to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with Him. I read that somewhere...

I am sure it made him smile that the first scriptural answer came not from his conservative followers but from a "liberal" like me. Had space permitted, there was more to say about how God wishes we would behave in His name. Jesus reminds us that the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:36-40) is to love God and love our neighbors- and that everyone is our neighbor! He told Peter (John 21:15-17) that if we loved him we should feed his sheep- take care of people, nurture them and love them. And in Matthew 25 Jesus gave us the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven- treat the least important people you meet each day as if they were him, showing them love and giving them hope. The answer to my friend's question has already been written. God does have expectations of us. They just aren't the ones we often expect them to be.

So for at least this one night, in the midst of a lot of conservative uproar, I was the Bible thumping fundamentalist quoting scripture and praying that we might all better understand what it truly means to turn our lives over to Christ. You gotta' love Twitter. You just never know what will happen next...

Because of Jesus,

These Are a Few of My Favorite Tweets

I have been on Twitter for around 4 years now, and in that time I have come to love a lot of the people I have met there. I have had a blast following live events like ball games and awards shows and getting snarky about current events. But Twitter is more than just entertainment to me. It is also inspiration and fresh eyes through which to view the world. I don't agree with anywhere near everything I read, but from time to time I am stunned at the simple eloquence of 140 characters. And sometimes the insights just crack me up...

So today I am sharing just a few of the tweets that I have favorited over the years. To be fair, I didn't start using the favorite feature with any regularity until about the middle of 2013, but even so I have quite a list. Today I would like to share some of my favorite *Favorites* from some of my favorite tweeps- and a few total strangers! I hope some of them will move you the way they did me. This list does not include tweets that were part of longer conversations, and I only used one tweet per person. There are also several dozen tweets on my favorite list that say really nice things about me. They are not included here, but I hope my friends know how much they have been appreciated over the years. I bet you didn't know that #EverybodyLovesCarl was once an official Twitter hashtag. For real. These are some wonderful folks, and I hope you''ll enjoy this walk down my Twitter memory lane!

@kevinweatherby  4 Jul 2011  Saddlin' up with Christ is immediate...Learning to ride with him takes a lifetime.

@louiegiglio  1 Apr 2012 If Jesus rode in low on a donkey, we should go ahead and get down off of our high horse. #palmsunday

@elisa_fernandez  29 Aug 2012  It is just as important to love the Lord with immeasurable passion and fervor of the heart as it is to love the Lord with all of your mind.

@BradS_80  22 Jan 2013   Lord, let us go forth, love each other, and knock holes in the darkness. #umc

@citrus_sunshine  26 Jan 2013 Today I am feeling the weight of the lies fed to us. I just want to love people like Jesus loved them.

@heatherlea17  Mar 31  Jesus Christ didn't break into our homes to hide gifts or eggs; he broke the chains of slavery and freely gave the gift of salvation.

@LoveWokeMeUp  Apr 29  In the morning i say one thing in chapel. That afternoon God says, ready to practice what you preach? And i say.... Crap.

@darinmiller  May 19 The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in me....let it be so!!!

@pattigibbons  Jun 26 Want to change the world, even just a little, today? Start by saying hi to people. So many people feel invisible and you could change that.

@SnarkyTechGuy1  Jul 7  Today in Sunday School, I had to explain to a 12 yo boy what a Storm Trooper was. #truestory #kickedhimout

@mickeymutineers  Jul 9  In Barnes and Noble. Looking for Waldo books. Can't find them. Well played, Barnes and Noble. Well played.
@Gasface99  Sep 3  Carl! I figured out a way the #Yankees could get Bonds & Griffey and not have to give up much! #Seinfeld

@stellarkartband  Sep 11  You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips #truth #ALLIN

@TheAmericnJesus  Sep 19 At the very least, even if we can't switch "amen" to "boomshakalaka" at church, it needs to find regular use as a hashtag #boomshakalaka

@JonathanPearson  Oct 1  "We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are." - Max Dupree

@drjimburns  Oct 25  Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.

@HimymCraig  Nov 1 To quote an awesome HIMYM fan, "Suit up, guns down," is my favorite quote of the day. (Shared after HIMYM creator Craig Thomas was in the airport and was shot at during the LAX shooting)

@HopeAwakened  Nov 10 When we respond to something out of anger, immaturity begins to take control. Think before you speak. Words can never be taken back.

@tceraulo  Nov 12 If Sarah Palin is upset that the Pope is liberal, I can’t wait until she hears about the teachings of Jesus.

@iSierraNichole  Nov 13 When #Worship becomes a concert, it's not worship. #Sundaymorningrockstars

 @amykiane Nov 13 "Melodies of praise are rising up to you God.....You put a song in my heart & I can't stop singing."

@JeremiahVik  Dec 16Kinda disappointed that Tolkien cut so much of the movie out when he wrote #TheHobbit.

@JonAcuff  Jan 4 Adventures only come in one variety, "daring." There is no such thing as a "safe adventure."

@RLDamron  Jan 4This salad tastes like I'd rather be fat.

@POTSC  Jan 11 There are so many beautiful reasons to be happy. Be on the lookout for them today.

@scottwagoner62  Jan 23 Will someone please put Justin Bieber in timeout, ground him,or send him to his room with no supper. Something. Time to move on newspeople.

@psychomomi  Jan 24 Those that provide continuous care for the ill and aging deserve a special golden palace in heaven.

@jasonbhuffman  Jan 25 I don't have a problem with liberal Xians or conservative Xians as much as I do those who put being lib or cons above being Christian.

@BrianZahnd  Jan 25 From malls to middle schools guns are blazing, bullets are flying, people are dying, and America is yawning.

@LSamJones  Jan 27 One cannot read the Sermon on the Mount without getting the idea that Jesus was trying to get us to stop hating and killing each other.

@Robert_F_Capon  Jan 28 "There's no way of preaching the gospel of forgiveness without shocking people with what seems to be the indiscriminateness of it."

@JGanley3  Feb 5 The notion that science and spirituality are somehow mutually exclusive does a disservice to both.

And the best part? Today there will be more tweets that will make my list. And they may just be from you!

Because of Jesus,

Twitter, Ministry & the Triple E Theory

Last week I received a note from an old friend asking me how in the world I had built up over 2,400 followers on Twitter. I had to admit I really hadn't thought about it, it had just happened. I began several years ago hoping I might someday reach 50 followers, so it certainly wasn't because of some master plan. I'm not famous. There is nothing of particular interest about me, unless you count the mistakes I've made or my love for Jesus. So why do I have so many followers? More importantly, why have I made so many real friends through Twitter? The more I thought about it, the more I began to see that the things that made me effective over 28 years as a youth pastor are the same things that have made me at somewhat interesting on Twitter. I'm talking about a Triple E Ministry- and no, it has nothing to do with shoe or bra sizes!  :) So here are my 3 Es...


* Engagement - If you have read this blog at all then you know I feel that relationships are at the heart of every ministry. Every relationship has to begin somewhere, and that's where engagement comes in to play. As a youth pastor I had to be willing to risk rejection by putting myself in situations where I would engage the friends of the students I worked with. Your sphere of influence only grows when you risk meeting new people. Whether it was eating lunch at school, hanging out at ballgames, or simply greeting them when they visited youth group, it was important that I initiate the conversation. Sometimes they thought I was weird. Sometimes they didn't really respond. But more often than not they were excited to have someone take an interest in them. And often the great icebreaker is HUMOR. Everyone loves to laugh. Twitter is no different. Making random or comical responses to people who have just followed you or who follow your friends is the initial engagement that can lead to friendships. Some people will never respond. Others will find you interesting and retweet or favorite your words, which gives you an opportunity to engage even more new people. But the key in both ministry and tweeting is to TAKE those opportunities. 
* Enthusiasm - When I worked at Springfield Friends Meeting in late 80s and early 90s, I once had a parent say to another parent who was preparing to help us chaperon a trip, "Good luck keeping up with Carl!" When I was hired at FUMC-Kissimmee in 1994, some of the youth were concerned that because of my age and my large physical stature that I would not be able to keep with them. A few weeks later they confessed that concern to me and begged for mercy, because I was running them ragged! I have always been a high energy person when it comes to relationships, and that enthusiasm has served me well in drawing people in. Whether it is ministry, Twitter or life in general, I believe the rule remains the same- the more energy you put into relationships, the more you get back. Want to know if you are showing enthusiasm to the people you encounter? Here's a simple test: Are you responding to everything you hear from them? Every text, phone message, e-mail,  tweet and Facebook status or comment that is directed towards you deserves a response. This lets people know that they matter to you. If you're attitude is "ho-hum," theirs will be too. That's why I often rage against sameness, tameness and lameness in student ministry. Get excited! In the minds of many people, effort = caring.
* Encouragement - People- all people- need encouragement. If you become known as a person who is always willing to offer words of support, comfort and encouragement, then you will never be at a loss for friends who want to be around you. I once had a group of fellow youth pastors from our community tell me that a number of the students they worked with had visited my group and preferred our youth group to theirs- and they didn't understand why. I knew why. When kids came to any of our programs at any of the churches I served, we learned their names, we talked to them, and we made them feel special. When I would visit with students on their turf (home, school, hangouts) their first question to me was usually, "Why are you here?"  When I would answer, "To see you" there was disbelief in their eyes. They felt loved and encouraged. Do you know how rarely that happens to people in this world? It's the same on Twitter. When people cry out in pain or frustration, or when they share a joy- RESPOND! Let them know they are heard and cared for, even if all you say is "I'm thinking about you and praying for you."  The connection between you will be instantaneous and it will be strong.


I do need to confess something- the 3 Es come easily to me. Encouragement is one of my strongest spiritual gifts, and I love using it. Some of you will have to work really hard at this and step outside of your comfort zones. But you need to do it. Not because it might get you a few more Twitter followers, but because relationships are at the crux of serving Jesus. So get out there in the real world and the digital one and engage people with enthusiasm. Encourage them. Be the light in this world that Jesus calls us to be. Oh- and if you don't already, follow me on Twitter.  I'd love to get to know you and share life's journey!


Because of Jesus,

Saturday Shout Outs!

Hi Ho, boys and girls, and welcome to another edition of my Saturday Shout Outs!  If you are looking for the news, views and who's whos then you have come to the right place- as long as you re interested in people I know and love. Because that is what the Shout Outs are all about- keeping up with the incredible people who have been and are part of my life!  As long as your expectations are low, I will try to live up to them.  :)  We've got a lot to cover, so here we go...

*  My Twitter buddy John Claybrook wrote a blog post this week about a special song he has written called Free To Breathe.  The song is about his cousin Kara who died at age 20 of Cystic Fibrosis. It went on sale on I-Tunes yesterday for 99 cents, and a portion of the proceeds will go to CF research. Please check out his post, then go buy the song.  John is a part of a very special group of friends, including Christie Weatherby, Jenn Ganley, Stacey, Robert Damron and Jason Huffman, who are known as the #StraightJacketMafia.  We are all currently sporting hooded, sunglassed pictures as out Twitter avitars.  Here is mine.  Jamie Robinson (Springfield Friends Meeting) tweeted than my pic is "Awesomeness!"  I think maybe goofiness is a better word...   :)
*  Please continue to keep the Semmler family and my friends Steve and Carl in your prayers.  For more on this, check out Mother's Day Prayers.
*  We also want to lift up Sally Hollingsed (FUMC-Kissimmee) and her battle with cancer.  To ready her story and contribute to the fundraising project to help her receive further treatment, click here.

Todd (right) with Heather Beggs 

*  We are very excited that we might get to see Todd Farlow (Springfield), his wife Meleah and their family this summer when they come down to visit WDW!  It is always so great to catch up with old friends. When are YOU coming to Florida?
*  To my dear friend Denise May Langley...there is only one like you, and YOU ROCK!  And remember, the fortune cookie has spoken!!!
*  Last weekend Lisa Kraus Spires (FUMC-K) and her hubby Mike celebrated 11 years of marriage.  I remember that day as well, as I took off from O'Hare Airport in Chicago, flew once lap around the city and landed again- because our plane was on fire!  By the time we go a new plane and I arrived in Orlando and took a cab to the church, it was show time.  I put my luggage in Jill Augenblick's office and grabbed a seat.  I wouldn't have missed Lisa's wedding for anything.  Happy (belated) Anniversary, Lisa & Mike!

*  This morning at 7 AM I was part of a chain of prayer that is praying that the United Methodist Church can use Twitter to help change the world!  You can be part of this effort too!  Visit http://barefootpreachr.org/change-the-world/ to sign up, or follow along at #CtWTweets.

Ashley & friend!

*  Our dear friend Ashley Goad Broadhurst (Springfield) has been to Haiti, Las Vegas, NC, VA, Texas and Arkansas just in the past few weeks.  It's hard to remember where she lives, but here is the only important part- she will be in Florida this summer, and I will get to see her!  Whooo-hooo!
*  Got to talk for a few minutes this past week with my old New Garden Friends Meeting youth group friend, Beth Vestal McGalliard.  We hadn't spoken in several years.  It felt like it had been 5 minutes.  True friendship lasts a lifetime.
*  For those who may not have heard, Teresa Reep Tysinger (FUMC-K), Eric & Emma have been successfully transplanted to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area of Texas!  There is no proof of the rumors that Teresa already has big hair, cowboy boots and has started wearing those puffy square dance dresses. There is also no proof she hasn't...
*  Who knows why the number 1000 will mean something special on this blog on Monday?  Correct guesses could win a can of SPAM!!!
*  On this past Wednesday two of my very favorite people - Nina Mock and Zach Wehr (both Wesley Memorial UMC)- celebrated birthdays.  May 16 is indeed a special day!  Happy late birthday to both!

Dreaming of an FUMC-K Reunion...

*  Upon her induction to the Hall of Fame this past week, Jill Painter Watson suggested I plan a reunion ski trip for the FUMC-K crowd.  I was talking with Cyndi Reep Browning on Thursday and she was also talking about a reunion.  The subject just keep coming up. I think it is time to get serious.  Tampa has already hosted the UMC General Conference and will soon host the Republican Convention- so our reunion weekend should be a piece of cake. I nominate Jennifer Minnigan Kuramochi to serve as head of the host committee.  I would also like to appoint Jill W, Cyndi B, Lisa S, Teresa T, Cindy Martin, Lauren Carr Cacciatore, Nate Hill, Kelly Jeck Trace, Todd Willis, Caitlin Esry and Josh Fry to the planning committee, along with any other interested parties.  Declining such a prestigious assignment is not an option...   :)
*  For anyone who watches American Idol, I would like to remind you that I picked Philip Philips to win the contest the night I saw him audition back in January (You can read my prediction here. Just scroll to the bottom of the post.).  He is now one of 2 finalists.  I may have a second career as a talent scout...

So that's it for now.  Leave comments, call, text, email or just shout really loud- I would love to hear from you!  See you soon!

Because of Jesus,

Saturday Shout Outs!

Happy July!  Greetings friends and neighbors and welcome to anther edition of Saturday Shout Outs!  Today we have a mix of old friends, new friends and even a couple of Random Ramblings, so just jump in and hang on!

• My Twitter friend Christie Weatherby had a BRILLIANT post yesterday about how we can all participate in changing the world $5 at a time.  Here was her tweet: I am VERY excited to get to give you the opportunity to do something HUGE today!!! Please check it out: http://t.co/oRK5V8M   I hope all of my readers will check it out as well.  Awesome idea, Christie!
• Sometime back around June 14th 9th (corrected in comments!), our dear friend Colleen Martin (FUMC-K) became our dear friend Colleen Hooks!  Yes,that's right- Colleen got married!  :)
• I realized today that I owe return e-mails to both Todd Willis & Lauren Carr Cacciatore (FUMC-Kissimmee).  I am a slacker.  I will do better...
• Ashley Goad Broadhurst (Springfield Friends Meeting) is in the midst of yet another mission trip to Haiti.  Please continue to keep her in your prayers, and for updates be sure and visit her blog at http://thanksgivingprojectagb.blogspot.com/.
• Had lunch at the Wing House last week with Lisa Kraus Spires (FUMC-Kissimmee).  She and unborn baby Abbie/Abby/Abi/Abbe are doing well, but that doesn't mean that they don't need our prayers!  It was awesome to have a couple of hours to shoot the breeze. Wish I could have that with all of you...
• Brook Teoli Phelps (FUMC-K) is currently tweeting through the Bible in one year.  It's so cool to follow along as she commits to her goal.  Awesome.
• So far the Jones family has been pretty impressed with the summer movies- and between the 3 of us we have seen a lot of them.  I think our favorite so far has been Super 8.  Most confusing to us has been the reception received by The Green Lantern.  We all loved it, but we don't seem to have much company.  Not sure what people were expecting.  It's a comic book movie, you know?  We're seeing Transformers 3 this morning, based on a review by Nina Mock (Wesley Memorial UMC) that she posted on Facebook.  No pressure, Nina!
• I LOVE my ever-growing (1475 followers) Twitter family. I'm just saying...
• FUMC-K's Amber Herrick (who had a birthday on 6/23 27; corrected in comments!) tried to stir the pot last week by wondering aloud why Teresa Reep Tysinger is in my Hall of Fame and her twin sister Cyndi is not.  The obvious answer is because that would mean there are "too many Reeps"- but still, it's a good question.  So I ask all of you- who is missing from my HOF?
• Attention TV executives: I would like for there to be reunion movies for Saved By the Bell and That 70's Show, featuring the original casts of both.  That is all.
• I'm about to reach 700 consecutive days of blogging.  In addition, we have passed 80,000 visits to this site. I'm starting to plan the 2nd anniversary celebration coming up August 26th.  Any suggestions?
• Ben Thompson is home from Afghanistan &  Catie Cook (both FUMC-K) is headed for Germany.  Let's continue to pray for them and all of those who serve.
• Four days after that celebration, Marilyn and I will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. Any suggestions?  :)
• Ran into Lisa Jewett (Wesley Memorial) at Tijuana Flats for Taco Tuesday this week,  and she came over and sat with the Jones family.  We talked forever (just ask Will).  I LOVE catching up with old friends, especially ones as special as Lisa!
• Jerry Hanbery was with us for a night and most of a day earlier this week.  There is very little I enjoy more than sitting around talking politics, music, old friends and religion with Jerry.  HOWEVER- his assertion that Talladega Nights is funnier than Anchorman almost got him tossed from our home.  Will & I take our Anchorman very seriously...
• Rev. Cathy Thacker (better known to youth from the FUMC-K days as Mrs. T) is now serving a new church.  She is the pastor at FUMC-Lake Alfred.  Be praying for Cathy as she begins this grand adventure!
• And finally, last night at FUMC-K the youth ministry held another Rec Around the Clock.  Dwight Oakes & company (youth pastor there since I left in 2000) have now been using my title for that all-night event for 11 years, and I have not seen one penny in copyright royalties.  Dwight, consider yourself warned.  :)  My attorney, Jerry Hanbery, will be contacting you soon....

As always, it would be more than awesome if all of you would come to Tampa- because that's where I am!  LOL  Have a happy, safe and blessed 4th of July weekend, everyone!

Because of Jesus,

A Blurry Vision

"Are we human?  Or are we dancers?  I'm on my knees looking for the answer..."  - The Killers


I have spent a lot of time lately thinking about how we complicate Christianity.  I read several articles and blogs over the past few weeks that left me feeling (more than ever) like we've replaced following Jesus with political posturing, business meetings, Christian celebrities and inane theological debates.  I've had a couple of conversations with friends about the stagnation that occurs when churches count on leadership by committee rather than the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  The more I read and chatted, the more frustrated I grew.  And finally, on Wednesday, I found myself joining some friends in lashing out with cynical and sarcastic Tweets.   Here are some of the worst- many of them directed at fellow fed-up Christ-followers...

• A friend offered his opinion that church choirs seem outdated.  Now I have sung in many such choirs, but my response to him was this bit of sarcasm:  What??? Outdated? Have you not seen the rush to purchase church choir & organ music on I-Tunes? :)
• Every time I mean to type the word "Methodist" I instead type "methodsit." Coincidence? I think not....
• Q: How many church leaders does it take to change a light bulb? A: CHANGE! Who said anything about change!
• My friend Robert tweeted this: They would have to have a committee form a committee to see about that committee, then the final committee answers.  I responded: LOL I think I have served on that committee in 4 different denominations!!!
• I'm feeling very anti-establishment this week- in case you can't tell! LOL
• I think I need to overthrow something. :) You know, a coup'd'etat of some sort. Just need a target! Suggestions?
• No, you guys are safe. It's the people doing business & politics in the name of Jesus that need to duck... grrrrr
• YO, Leadership Gurus: Christian leadership's not about how U lead, it's about WHO U follow. If that's not Chapter 1, then I'm out! #Bazinga

I think you get the picture.  I was in a bad state of mind.  But also from this plethora of negativity came a vision for something very cool.  The vision is still quite blurry, but it's taking hold of my heart.  And here's how I introduced it to my Twitter followers: I think I'll start a new event in Tampa next Feb. No meetings. No famous speakers. No cost. Just Jesus, worship & the beach! :) Who's in?  

About a dozen friends responded over the first 24 hours with excitement- and several requests for reservations!  It seems that I am not alone in my frustration.  People from all over are excited about Jesus and irritated with the institution of the church.  They want to see the teachings of Jesus restored as the central message of our faith.  Just like on the hillsides of Galilee all those years ago, they want to gather with other Christ-followers and share with one another.  And maybe- just maybe- God is calling us to gather groups to explore what the church would look like if we actually lived out Acts 2:42. What would a community of faith look like if we simply loved God and loved each other like Jesus commanded?   Like I said, the vision is still blurry.  So here's what I need from you- all of you!  Pray for me and for my blurry vision, and offer your insights and feedback- positive & negative.  I love the church, and I want to do everything I can to restore it to what God wants it to be.  If this is a path God has chosen for me to follow, then I want to dive in head first and stir things up for the Kingdom.  If not, then I will eagerly await any opportunity to change my little corner of the world in the name of Jesus.  In the words of Third Day, "Don't give up faith, don't give up hope.  There's always something better waiting around the corner..."  Praise God for that truth!  Have a blessed weekend.

Because of Jesus,