My Best Buddy Turns One...

Today my son and best little buddy Hayden turns one year old. Wow. It's impossible to even put into words the emotion contained in that first sentence alone. I could not even begin to put into words the love I have for the Hayden-Bear...and the hatred I have for time. Time is a cruel, evil, relentless son of a gun. That's why I cherish every single second I get to spend with my family. Each moment with my wife and son are literally a gift from God. I could write for an audience who might read this and try to express my feelings for my son and the emotion contained in this day. But today, it's Hayden's day. While I appreciate all of you (or both of you) who might read this blog regularly, this one's for my best little buddy.

Hayden,
I love you, son. I cannot believe how fast time has passed in your first year of life. It seems like just yesterday I was carrying you from the delivery operating room to the nursery, whispering the words of Romans 5:8 in your ear as we walked down the hall. (I wanted the very first human words you heard to express to you how much God loves you and what He did to prove it.) I can remember letting you nap on my chest in that hospital room. I even caught a few naps right along with you! And I remember how super tiny you looked in the little football sweater we brought you home from the hospital in. (But you started growing really quick!) I can remember your first dr.'s appointment (we dressed you in your Longhorn gear!), your first bath, and changing lots of diapers. I remember the first time you smiled and the first time your momma left us home alone together (that's a funny story that's turned out to be a great sermon illustration about how much God loves us regardless of what we've done!) It seems like just a few days ago that we were teaching you how to eat "real food." We learned together because it was my very first time to feed a baby and your very first bites of real food! Buddy, we've had a lot of good times this first year. We've had a tradition of spending a ton of Friday mornings together eating breakfast, killing time at Marshall's or Best Buy or Academy, and letting momma rest while we had a "Dada Day." We got to celebrate your first Thanksgiving and Christmas and you even had snow on your very first Christmas. That doesn't happen very often in Texas, Hayden-Bear. We've played trucks, and ba-ba-baw (basketball) and read a ton of books (You love reading!). We've had a lot of fun at the neighborhood swing in the past couple months too! You really love that swing! And you love to do what Dada does. You copy what I do. You copy what I say. I've really got to watch myself these days, because I have a mini-me always in my shadow! But it is AWESOME. Hayden, I want you to know that I have ABSOLUTELY LOVED every single moment that God's blessed me with in this first year of your life. And I want you to know that God has LITERALLY changed my life in so many incredible ways because of you. God's taught me a ton of lessons about his love through your first year and your little life too. Hayden-Bear, I consider it the highest calling in my life, other than following Jesus, to be your father, your dada, your spiritual leader, your mentor, and to love your mother and model for you what a man who loves God and loves his family looks like. I hope that as you grow you see the love of Jesus in how I love you and how I treat you and how I live my life. Your mom and I know you are a gift from God, given to us to care for. Ultimately, you are His and we want you to always know how much we love you so that you will know how much GOD LOVES YOU. Hayden, there's no way I could put into words how much I love you buddy. But I hope one day when you can read this it will help you get a picture of just how crazy your Dada is about you. Happy Birthday Hayden-Bear! I love you so much, son!

Eggs, Agua, and YOU...

This Saturday, April 3rd, The Connection Church is hosting our annual Easter egg hunt extravaganza, The Big Hunt! If you've never been a part of this incredible event, just imagine 30,000 eggs, live music, inflatables, puppet shows, and the Easter Bunny. (Get more details here.) It really is a great day of fun for the entire family and if you live in the Hays area, we would LOVE for you to be our guest.

And if you call TCC you're church home, we'd love to have your help to make this incredible event possible for our community. Here are three great ways for you to make a difference in people's lives through The Big Hunt:

• Donate Eggs. We're shooting for 30,000 eggs. (Yes, you read that right: 30 THOUSAND) Buy plastic eggs, fill them with non-chocolate candy or small prizes, and bring them with you on Saturday.
• Donate Water. We are expecting literally THOUSANDS of people from the community to show up to this event. We need lots and lots of bottled water to give away to all our thirsty guests. Our goal is to have at least 200 cases of H20.
• Serve. It takes a team effort to pull off an event like this. And we'd love to have you on the team. If you can serve at The Big Hunt email nic [at] theconnectionchurch [dot] org and I will get you in touch with Jennifer Williams, our Big Hunt coordinator.

To Belize via Duct Tape...

We have some remarkable students within our ministry here at The Connection Church. Some are creative, some compassionate, and some are just a little wacky [in a good way]. And then there are those are all three: creative, compassionate, and a little wacky...all rolled into one. Here's a story of two of those girls and how you can help them change the world...literally.

Makenzie Phillips & Mali Lewis are just two middle school girls who want to make a difference in their world. Makenzie's dad is the Lead Pastor of The Connection Church and Mali's parents lead an incredible puppet ministry called P.A.L.M.S. The puppet team traveled to Belize last summer on a mission trip and had an incredible experience sharing God's love with others. In fact, Mali's mom, Kamala, is a dentist who regularly goes on medical mission trips to Belize. Kamala was planning to go back to Belize this summer for one of those mission trips and Mali insisted that she go. After some discussion about the idea, Kamala told Mali no because she didn't want her exposed to the infectious diseases, such as HIV, that can occur on these trips. And Kamala thought that was the end of it. Here's what happened next in Kamala's own words:

A few months back Mali started asking to do extra stuff to earn money in addition to her chores. She wouldn't say why, and I just figured she was saving for something like someone's birthday present or something. But, she just kept on and on. Finally, I asked her why and she didn't want to tell me because I would say no. I promised her I wouldn't, and that is when she told me she was saving to pay her own way to Belize so I would have to let her go. What was I going to say then? So, needless to say I couldn't tell her no! Who am I to go against what God is speaking to her?

Fast forward to the past several weeks. Makenzie and Mali are close friends and Mackenzie decided she wanted to do something to help Mali follow God's call for her to go serve in Belize this summer. But what's a 7th grade girl got to offer to a fundraising project, right? Well, it's amazing the creativity that God gives you when you are willing to do whatever it takes to follow him.

These girls came up with the idea to take your everyday, regular notebooks and design custom covers on them to sell in order to raise money for Mali's mission trip to Belize. And what better way to design cool, creative, custom covers than to use DUCT TAPE! That's right. Mackenzie & Mali are designing the covers of these notebooks out of duct tape [some have ribbons, stickets, buttons, etc too] and selling them for just $3.99. I think the creativity & compassion that God has placed within these two young ladies is absolutely inspiring. I believe that they are living, breathing models of the fact that nothing is impossible with God.

You can see a few examples of the notebooks below. But the possibilities and designs are really endless. I think these two girls will even put together a custom design at your request for a few bucks more. So if you live in Kyle or go to The Connection Church, you can buy a $4 notebook and literally be involved in changing someone's life in Belize. Your 4 bucks can change the world. And if you live outside of the Hays County area, I've got a deal for you. If you want to support these young ladies and their efforts by getting a notebook [or several notebooks], then I will personally pay for the shipping cost to get the notebooks to you. Simply leave a comment on this blog or email me at nic [at] theconnectionchurch [dot] org with your name, address, and how many notebooks you want to purchase.

Notebooks that can change the world. Creativity out of compassion. Belize via Duct Tape. Get involved and do something.

Enormous Egg Throwdown...

Every year at The Connection Church we do it BIG at Easter with The Big Hunt. The Big Hunt is the biggest Easter Egg hunt in Texas, with thousands upon thousands of eggs, live music, puppet shows, giveaways, and fun for the whole family. [You can find our more details about The Big Hunt here.]

One of the coolest things about The Big Hunt is that it is a 100%, completely FREE event for our community! We want to show our community that God loves them and that we do to in a very practical way.

In order to do this, it means all of us at TCC have to step up BIG TIME to donate eggs filled with candy and to volunteer to serve at the event. Making The Big Hunt happen is no small task! So I wanted to let all of you know that this week Hobby Lobby has eggs on sale for 50% off (through March 20th). That means you can get a dozen eggs for only 33 cents!

That brings me to my ENORMOUS EGG THROWDOWN Challenge:

Beginning today, Johanna and I will MATCH your egg donations for The Big Hunt egg for egg.

UPDATE (3/16/08): Three other familes have joined Johanna & I in the Egg Challenge. Shep & Kristi West, Trey & Jennifer Williams, and Joe & Melanie Barnes have also agreed to MATCH any egg donations egg for egg with the following contest details! Thank you to these awesome families for jumping in & making this contest even better!

Here are the challenge details:

• The challenge begins immediately and runs through this Thursday, March 18th at NOON central time.
• Your donated eggs must be filled with something - either individually wrapped candy or a small prize for a child. (Please do not use chocolate candy because of the melting factor.)
• We will match every egg donated up to 100 dozen or 1,200 eggs.
• This challenge will be based on the honor system. For us to match your eggs, simply leave a comment here on my blog, send me a message on Twitter, or comment on my Facebook page. With each comment be sure to let me know how many eggs you are donating! [And you better believe I will be making sure we get those eggs!]

So there it is: My Enormous Egg Throwdown Challenge. Go buy some eggs. Fill 'em with candy or a prize. Let me know how many you're donating. We will match it. And you've just doubled your egg donation to The Big Hunt & made an ENORMOUS impact on our community!

Creative Bible Resource...

If you're a parent of a younger child, you have got to check out this new resource from Phil Vischer, the creator of the Veggie Tales. Phil has developed a really creative way to teach kids the Bible in a way that is fun and relevant to children. The first couple videos in this series are being released this month and can be purchased at Family Christian Stores - in stores and online. Check out the video below:

Five Ways To Talk To Your Teen About Sex...

For the past week, the topic here on this blog has been about parents having "the talk" with their pre-teens and teens. After 13 years of student ministry, I'm convinced that for parents, talking to their kids about sex is one of the toughest parts of parenting. And I'm also convinced it's one of the on-going conversations between a parent and teen that cannot be overlooked. In light of that, here's today's list:


Five Ways To Talk To Your Teen/Pre-Teen About Sex:

1. Seize the moment. As I've previously stated, we live in a sex-saturated culture. Sex is all around us - on tv, in the movies, in advertising, and in our music. When a tv show or song on the radio raises an issue about sex, use the everyday moment as an opportunity to bring up the subject with your teen. This seems to be far-and-away the best, informal opportunity to broach the subject with your kid.


2. Inquiring minds want to know. Many times, your pre-teen or teen will bring up the topic of sex before you as a parent do. That's why it's important to give thought to what you want to teach your child about sex and relationships far earlier than you actually plan on talking to them about it. Because if they've got questions and you aren't ready to talk, they'll find someone who is - and that someone may not share your values & wisdom.


3. Find a partner. Most student minstries in churches and many schools talk to teens about sex and relationships. Find out when and what your teen's church or school is teaching about sex and use this natural time to bring up the conversation at home.


4. Ask about their friends. One way to initiate "the talk" with your teen is to ask them what their friends or peers think about the topic of sex. Ask what they think they might know or questions their peers might have. This allows your teen or pre-teen to open up without feeling direct pressure on themselves as an individual.
5. Develop a culture of openness & listening within your home. If your teen feels that your home and your relationship with one another is safe and open, they're more likely to talk to you about tough topics like sex and dating. Be sure your child knows your door is always open to talk and that you're there just to listen if they need to talk things out.

10 Tips For Parents When Having "The Talk"...

Earlier this week, I encouraged parents of pre-teens and teenagers to be sure they are talking with their kids about sex, dating, and relationships. Because here's the truth: No matter how sheltered or protected you think your child is, they are being exposed to messages about sex. Our culture is sex-saturated and your son or daughter is hearing tons of messages about sex. Why not let them hear the truth from the people who should love them the most? So I thought I'd use my blog to help spur on those conversations and help those of you who are parents with some guidelines about having "the talk" with your teen. I'm kicking that off today with 10 things parents should remember when talking to their kid about sex. Here we go:

10 Tips For Parents When Having "The Talk":

1. Just because your child may ask questions about sex doesn't mean they are sexually active. - The teen years are full of confusion and chaos on this subject. If you're teen is initiating the conversation, don't freak out and assume it's because they're sexually active already. Be thankful they trust you enough to come to you with their questions instead of going somewhere else for answers.
2. In today's society, talking to your teen or pre-teen about sex, MUST include talking to them about pornography and the dangers of it. - If current statistics hold up, your middle school or high school child not only has a close friend who is involved in watching pornography, but they most likely have a close friend who is already considered addicted to pornography. Some statistics even show that the average age a child is exposed to pornography for the first time is 7 years old. You MUST address this topic parents!
3. Know that your kid wants to hear the truth about this from you...and not from their friends in the locker room. - Teen polls consistently show that the #1 influence on teens is their parents. And it's head-and-shoulders above any other influence in their life.
4. Be sure you cover the basics of sex with your teen or pre-teen, but also spend some time talking about body image & self-worth. - When a teen makes poor decisions in the area of sex & dating, the majority of the time it is out of a longing for love, value, & worth. Make sure they know they're loved and valued by you and by God.
5. Talk about consequences of pre-marital or casual sex. - Consequences are real and teens need to be aware of them.
6. Be ready to talk about difficult issues. - Most teens have more questions than simply "What is sexual intercourse?" Be sure you're teen knows that your door is always open no matter how difficult or uncomfortable their questions may be. And then don't act shocked when they come to you with those questions.
7. Be prepared. - Having "the talk" is difficult. No one argues that. But being prepared and having a game plan will do wonders in eliminating that uncomfortable feeling.
8. Be honest. - Teenagers can ALWAYS smell a fake. You don't have to share every single mistake you've ever made in this area, but be honest with your teen and don't be afraid to share what you've learned from experience.
9. Listen. - A big part of having "the talk" involves listening - to your child's questions, struggles, and concerns. The more you listen, the more likely they are to keep talking and come to you with their questions.
10. Don't be afraid to ask for help. - If you're struggling with how to engage in these conversations with your son or daughter, don't be afraid to ask for help. Talk to a parent of with older children who's been down this road, speak with your local pastor or youth pastor, or find a family friend who can offer some advice in this area.

Check back tomorrow for ways to bring up the topic of sex with your teen or pre-teen!

Sex, Teens, Parents, & The Talk...

This past Sunday at The Connection Church, we kicked off a new series called Red Hot. We're looking at the Song of Solomon and spending the next few weeks talking about heating up your love life. We're also talking about the topics of sex, dating, & relationships with our teenagers here at TCC. This past week we kicked off a series called I Heart U that challenges our students to choose God's plan for our relationships rather than simply blindly following our culture.

After spending 13 years in Student Ministry, I know it can be tough for parents of teens and pre-teens to talk with their kids about sex, dating, and relationships. For a lot of parents, the most dreaded part of parenting is having "the talk." If that's you as a parent, know that you're not alone. In fact, a lot of parents struggle with talking to their teenagers about sex. But even though it's difficult, it still needs to be done - because your son or daughter IS talking about sex. They are getting messages daily about sex & dating - from their peers, from things overheard in locker rooms and school hallways, from tv, movies, music, and billboards. Our culture is sex-saturated.

So parents here's a word of wisdom from someone who's spent their entire adult life working with students: Talk to your kids about sex & dating...because they need to hear God's plan & the truth from someone who loves them & cares about them. Who better for that job than YOU? And if that's a tough topic to talk about, it's ok. You're not alone in that. But talk about it anyway...And be sure to check back here throughout this week as I'll be posting some pointers for parents when it comes to having "the talk" that just might make it a little easier.

Gifts That Make A Difference - Part 3

Over the past couple weeks I've shared various alternative Christmas gifts that can really make a difference in changing the world in which we live. Today, I want to share one more way that you can use your Christmas gift-giving to make an impact in our world.

One way that you could make an incredible impact this Christmas season is to give to a church plant. Al around the world God is doing incredible things as men of God step out on faith to start new churches and reach people that no one else is reaching. These men and their families risk everything in order to share God's love and hope with people who are far from God. I am a huge fan of church planters because I believe Jesus is a huge fan of church planters. I believe he delights in their risks and is honored in their obedience. So what better gift to give at Christmas than the gift of hope and salvation to others by supporting a new church? Check out the churches below. See what they're doing to reach people in their community. Pray for the pastors and the churches they lead. And then give. Give a gift in honor of a friend or family member. Get your Bible study class or small group at your church to give one of these churches a financial gift for Christmas this year. Support these pastors and these churches and help them reach those who no one else is reaching...because by doing that, you're giving the gift of Jesus in a tangible way to those who've never experienced his love. Here are some great pastors and church plants I'd recommend you give to:

• You could help Launch The Revolution. Go here to help Pastor Zak White launch Revolution Church in Shertz, TX.
• You could become a Verve Venture Capitalist. Go here to help Pastor Vince Antonucci raise enough money to lease a building for his new church on the Vegas Strip.
• Email Pastor Caleb Southerland at caleb [at]urbanhills [dot] org to find out how you can help support Urban Hills and there 20/20 vision.
• Help Pastor Nick Carnes launch New Passion Church and reach those far from God in the Grovetown, GA area by going here.

When you give to support your local church and when you give to help plant churches, you are literally helping to give the presence of Jesus to a hurting world. I can't think of a better, more fitting gift at Christmas than that.

Gifts That Make A Difference - Part 2...

For the next few days I'm sharing Christmas gifts that really make a difference in our world. (You can read part 1 here.) 2,000 years ago, Christmas changed the world...and it still can. If we look beyond our own consumerism and look at our world with compassion, Christmas can really change the world.

Think about it: Will your Aunt Gloria really wear that butt-ugly sweater you're gonna' get her? Does your cousin really need another coffee cup warmer? What if you gave gives that impacted the world in their honor, instead of wasting money on something they didn't need?

What if you bought them a goat? Or maybe your more of a chicken-and-ducks-giver? What about some seeds to plant or an education? That's exactly the kind of gifts you can give through World Vision. If you've never heard of this organization, then check it out here RIGHT NOW. They have an amazing Christmas gift catalog that is full of gifts to give in someone's honor or memory that are literally changing the world. A goat to a hungry family in a third world country means an ongoing supply of milk, cheese, and yogurt. Chickens provide a sustainable source of food, while allowing the recipient to share newly hatched chickens with others in need. Or you could provide education for a child in need...for only $32. Whether you want to feed hungry kids, provide clean drinking water, further a needy child's education, or send medical aid to a village in need, World Vision is your place to find Christmas gifts that matter.

Let's be honest: You know that fruitcake that you give tastes terrible anyway. So head over to World Vision's website today and give a gift that helps Christmas change the world.

10 Ways To Teach Your Kids The Real Meaning of Christmas...

1. Start a family tradition of reading the Christmas story together. The story of Jesus birth can be found in Luke 2 and reading this story together as a family is a great way to make sure you’re focused on the true meaning of Christmas.

2. Involve the entire family in setting up the Nativity Scene. You could even do this while reading the Christmas story as a family. And if you’re worried that your children are too young to handle your antique Nativity set passed down from generation to generation, you can find kid friendly nativity sets at your local Christian bookstore and in many toy sections of department stores. Fisher Price even makes one that can be found here.

3. Attend a Christmas worship service together. Christmas is a time when we should focus our minds attention and our hearts affection on Jesus. Don’t let the busy-ness of the season rob your family of spending quality time worshipping together.

4. Play Christmas music in your home that focuses on the reason for the season. Sure, Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer is musical genius. But be sure to include Christmas music in your home that communicates God’s gift to us in his son Jesus.

5. Give to others. If you know a family or child in need this Christmas, adopt them and shop for them as a family for Christmas. If you don’t know anyone personally who might be in need this year, then check out your local Angel Tree, or something like it, and adopt a child for your family to provide for.

6. Give alternative Christmas gifts. Let’s face it: Uncle Johnny doesn’t want that ugly sweater you’ll buy at the last minute anyway. So check out ministries such as World Vision, Advent Conspiracy, or Charity: Water and give a meaningful gift in someone’s honor. Then use this opportunity to talk with your kids about the difference between compassion and consumption.

7. Adopt a new strategy for giving your kids gifts. Nothing sends more mixed signals to our kids than when we say Christmas is about Jesus, but then turn around and make it about how many presents they can get and how much we can go in debt doing it. Come up with a better plan as parents to use even your gift giving as a way to teach your kids the real reason for the season. A strategy I heard recently that I really liked was a couple who give their kids four gifts: “Something you want, Something you need, Something to wear, and Something to read.” Love it.

8. Visit your local nursing home or an elderly neighbor who is shut-in or might not have family close by. Take some cookies or a basket of fruit and give the gift of your time and presence to someone who might be alone this season. Christmas is all about God making himself present among us through his son, Jesus. As a family, practice presence this holiday season by being present in the life of someone who may be overlooked by others.

9. Have a birthday party for Jesus. On Christmas day, before anyone opens gifts and begins to play with that new toy or video game, begin by focusing on the best gift of all: God’s gift to us in Jesus. You can even go all out with a cake, candles, and a family sing-along of “Happy Birthday to Jesus.”

10. As a family, make gifts and cards for friends and other family members. What better way to promote giving, family, and togetherness than to make gifts and cards for your friends and family. You’ll save money, your gifts will mean more because they’re from the heart, and your family will grow from the time spent together.

Regardless of how you choose to teach your children and teens about the true meaning of Christmas, be sure that you at least do it. Don't be reactive in teaching you're kids what Christmas is all about. Be intentional. Be proactive. Use this incredible opportunity to let your kids see God's message of hope: that He loved us so much, He sent his son Jesus. That's what Christmas is all about. And as parents, it's our responsibility to make sure our kids know the real reason for the season.

Gifts That Make A Difference - Gift 1...

For the next couple weeks I'm going to be sharing some Christmas gifts that can actually make a difference. Because let's face it...no one wants that ugly tie that you're going to buy at the last minute anyway. Last Christmas, through some friends, I discovered this movement called Advent Conspiracy.

Advent Conspiracy is an international movement restoring the scandal of Christmas by substituting compassion for consumption. It operates under one premis: Christmas can still change the world...just like it did a couple thousand years ago on the very first Christmas day.
So for the next couple weeks I'll be sharing some alternative Christmas gifts that really can make a difference in our world. Whether you're shopping for that person who has everything or the family member who's just so hard to buy for, consider checking out some of the charities and ministries you'll find on this blog in the next several days.

First up, check out Advent Conspiracy here and their charity Living Water International here. And after you check that out and consider providing a cup of clean drinking water to those who don't have access to it, check out this video from Advent Conspiracy:



So what about you're idea for an alternative Christmas gift? Are you doing something this Christmas that is making a difference and moving from consumption to compassion? If so, I'd love for you to share about it by leaving a comment and letting us all know how we can help.

20 Things I'm Thankful For - The Wrap-Up Edition...

In the days leading up to this past weekend and the Thanksgiving holiday, I've made a conscious effort to choose to be grateful each day. I want to be proactive in my thankfulness to God for all the blessings he's given me in life. And today, I'm concluding my Thankfulness Series of blog posts by expressing thanks for one of the people I'm most thankful for: my incredible wife.

My wife Johanna is absolutely amazing...and I don't say that just because she cooks the most incredible chocolate pie that man has ever tasted. When God brought Johanna into my life he blessed me with a phenomenal gift. She's encouraing and supportive in all I do. She is a great partner in ministry. She's a loving, caring wife. And she's a freakin' fantastic mother. On top of all that, she puts up with my messiness, my crazy, ADD-driven personality, and my constant joking with her. When I'm down, she knows just what to say to pick me up. When I'm unsure of myself, she knows just how to give me that extra boost of confidence. I really believe that when God created her and put her on this planet, he was thinking about exactly what I would need in a life-partner.

Johanna, I love you so very much. I want you to know that I thank God for the gift of you in my life every day. Thank you for loving and supporting me. I'm so happy that I get to spend forever with you.

20 Things I'm Thankful For - Day 17

For the last several days, I'm making the daily choice to be thankful. Leading up through this Thanksgiving Weekend I am blogging about 20 different things I'm thankful for.

Today, I'm grateful for Youth Pastors. I've spent my entire adult life working with students as a Student Pastor. It's what I've dedicated my life to up to this point. My best friends: Youth Pastors. Most of my college buddies: Youth Pastors. The people I love doing life with: Youth Pastors. I can spot a Youth Pastor from 100 yards away. I don't know if it's because we have a certain look about us (the goatee, cap, and faded jeans) or that there really is something deep inside of us that just recognizes the heart of a student minister in each other. But I do know this: Good, hard-working, Jesus-loving Youth Pastors represent what's best about Jesus and what's best about our world.

There is so much I love about youth pastors. They believe that teenagers can not only do something of value, but they can change the world. They believe that God doesn't make junk. They believe that students are worthy of unconditional love. They believe the church is still a place where you can have fun. They're some of the most creative people I know. They believe following Jesus shouldn't be boring and should be full of life and risk. I love youth pastors. And I am so very thankful for the men and women who have dedicated their lives and callings to serving students and allowing students to know that they are loved by God.

If you're a youth pastor, THANK YOU. I want you to know that what you do is not only important, but it is one of the MOST significant jobs on this planet. I believe in you...and more importantly, God believes in you - and in your ministry.

20 Things I'm Thankful For - Day 16...

Each day leading up to this weekend, I'm choosing to be grateful. Today, I thought I'd throw out a random list of several things that I'm thankful for. You could even call it a Thankfulness Blitz...

• I'm thankful for political debate...because it means I live in a country where I have the freedom to speak my mind and be involved in the political process.
• I'm thankful for my water bill...because it means I have clean water to drink. (That's not something everyone in the world has access to. In fact, almost 1 BILLION people in today's world don't have clean water to drink. You can find out more about this need and how you can make a difference here.)
• I'm thankful that we've only had to buy 3 packages of diapers in almost 7 months for Hayden because of the generosity of others.
• I'm thankful that the Texas Longhorns are undefeated and on their way to a National Championship. Hook 'Em!
• While we're on the subject of sports, I'm thankful college basketball season is here so my UNC Tarheels can begin defending that National Championship.
• I'm thankful I get to go to work everyday with people I love doing life with.
• I'm thankful that I'll get to spend time with family this week.
• I'm thankful that I get to preach at TCC this weekend!
• I'm thankful that I have the most amazing wife and son in the world and that I get a couple days off this week to spend with them.
• And I'm thankful that you spent a couple minutes reading this. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving and are reminded off EVERYTHING that you have to be thankful for.

20 Things I'm Thankful For - Day 12...

I'm in the middle of a blog series about choosing to be thankful. Each day leading up to Thanksgiving weekend, I'm acknowledging something I'm grateful for.

Today, I'm thankful for friends and community - specifically for my Connection Group. I believe very strongly that God created each and every one us for relationships and community. We're not meant to be alone and we all want some place where we belong. That's why I love my Connection Group! In group, we have friends who accept us right where we are, celebrate life's joys with us, and help us through the tougher times in life that come our way.

If you attend The Connection Church and aren't plugged in to a Connection Group, you're missing out on a place where you can connect with other people who care and can walk through life with you. If you'd like more info on becoming part of one of our groups, email me at nic[at]theconnectionchurch[dot]org.

20 Things I'm Thankful For - Day 10...

This month I'm doing my best to choose to be grateful. Each day leading up to Thanksgiving weekend, I'm expressing thanks for someone or something in my life.

Today, I'm thankful for my electric bill. I know that may sound odd or strange, but I really am. The fact that I get an electric bill in the mail each month means several things. It means on cold mornings, like today, I have electricity to heat my home. It means I have light to turn on when it's dark. I have power to run a refrigerator to store the food I'm able to purchase. When I get a bill in the mail, it also means that I've had the money to pay my bills so far and my electricity hasn't been shut off!

There are millions of people in the world who would love to have the blessing of electricity and the resources and means to pay an electricity bill. The fact that I get a bill each month means I'm blessed. And I'm thankful today for that blessing.

20 Things I'm Thankful For - Day 9...

Each day leading up to Thanksgiving weekend, I'm choosing to be grateful. Today I'm choosing to be thankful for our Family Ministries team here at The Connection Church. Our student minister, Bryan Moore, our children's minister, Trey Williams, and our preschool minister, Jennifer Martinez all serve within our family ministries area here at TCC helping people connect with God, connect with others, and connect others with God. They are committed to the vision and passionate about reaching kids and students with the love of God.

I'm so thankful for Bryan's enthusiam and energy. It is unmatched and it oozes out of him, just like his love for students. And it amazes me that someone who works the night shift still has as much energy to be involved in all the student activities he's leading at TCC.

I'm so thankful for Trey's commitment to excellence and growth. He just recently took over the leadership position within our kids ministries and I am so excited about what the future holds. Trey wants our kids ministries to be top tier and he's growing a great team to reach that goal.

I'm so thankful for Jennifer's positive attitude and spirit. No matter how bad a situation is, Jennifer can always find the positive in it. She always sees the glass as half-full and convinces others to see it that way too because she's so positive!

Bryan, Trey, and Jennifer - You guys rock! And I'm so thankful you're on the team!

20 Things I'm Thankful for - Day 5...

For the 20 days leading up to Thanksgiving weekend, I'm choosing gratitude. Each day I'm sharing something I'm thankful for - sometimes serious, sometimes lighthearted.

Today (Friday, Nov. 13th), I'm choosing to be thankful for football. This weekend marks the beginning of the state high school football playoffs and I'll be the first to admit that I'm not just a fan of football...I'm a fanatic. I love the game. I loved playing the game. I love watching high school football on Friday nights and college football on Saturdays. (But to be honest, I could go without the pro game for the most part. It's more about the money than the game in my opinion.)

Growing up, I learned so many life lessons from the game of football. I learned that you're only as good as you practice. I learned about hard work and determination. I learned that success means sacrifice. I learned that the TEAM is more important than the one. So much about life I learned from a game. And I'm thankful for that game...and for all the life-lessons it's taught me!

20 Things I'm Thankful For - Day 4...

Each day leading up to Thanksgiving I'm choosing to be grateful. I've challenged myself to blog about something I'm thankful for each day leading up to Thanksgiving weekend.

And if you've been keeping track, you realized I skipped the end of the week. Well, I've got a good reason. On Thursday, I was planning to write this blog about something goofy I was thankful for...You know - keep it lighthearted. And I planned to write that blog that evening. The only problem - my sister-in-law had an unexpected c-section to deliver my new niece into the world and we had to spend the evening at the hospital in Austin.

As you can imagine, that also changed what I'm thankful for. So on day four of my 20 Days of Thankfulness, I'm thankful for Luralie Kate Albright and for her parents Clay & Jackie Albright who welcomed this 7 lb. 8 oz. 2o.5 inch lovely baby girl into the world. Luralie, we're so thankful you are here! Jackie & Clay, we are so happy for you both!