It's been forever

Wow I have not blogged in forever! Let's see what has been going on... Went to my first NFL game last week. I got free tickets to see the Rams. It is so different watching football live vs on tv. It was a awesome experience. There was a lot of fans yelling at the refs, I thought there would be a throwdown but no fights.

I leave on Tuesday for Oklahoma! I cannot wait! I havent been home in a year! I get to relax, see old friends, and love on me some nieces.

There is nothing like going home for Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Update

So much goes on and I never have time to blog! So I will update you...

Got a new 42 inch flat screen lcd hd tv on Monday. Love it!!!

Melissa's Dad's lymphoma cancer is in remission! Go God!

Cant wait for Thanksgiving! Tons of family coming to our house.
My Parents, Melissa's Parents, Melissa's Sister and Family, Melissa's Grandparents!
One big happy family!

Thats all the big stuff!

Hope I can blog more often in the future!

Baby Mama Drama

In Sunday School on Sunday I taught on David and Bathsheeba. Crazy story. The students were totally into it. You think the Bible is boring read that story. Talk about some drama! It's like a Soap Opera. WOW! Most of the students had heard about it but all of them were intense into it. I took a different view on it and spoke on the masks that David wore- He pretended to be a spiritual leader, a godly King, a good husband. All this time he had secrets and was covering up every sin he was committing. So I used a term I saw in the movie "Baby Mama." This guy told this girl you got Baby Mama Drama. David definitely had some Baby Mama Drama. He sleeps with a married woman, gets her pregnant, kills the husband and tries to hide it all. We then read Psalm 51. This was written by David right after Nathan confronted him about the murder and adultery. David poured his heart out in asking for forgiveness.

Psalm 51:1- Have mercy on me
Psalm 51:2: Wash away my sin
Psalm 51:7-Cleanse me
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart.

As Christians we have a lot of cover up. We pretend to be perfect with no problems. Put on our happy face and go to church.

We need to be honest with God and honest with ourselves. We can never have the kind of relationship we should until we do.

Are you fake? What are you covering up in your life? What do you need to confront and get rid of?

You got Baby Mama Drama?

Rock the Vote

So Tomorrow is the Big Day! Election Day! Whether you were pro-Bama, no-Bama, I don't know-bama, we love McCain, or all politics drive me insane. It has been a wild ride! I do not believe either one of the candidates is worth my vote but I will still vote tomorrow as my patriotic American duty. I have to remind myself that no matter who fills the seat as commander and chief, God wants that person in there. I find myself thinking a lot about how God put Israel, His people, under kings, judges and rulers for different reasons. How many years was Israel under bondage because of they wanted to worship their false idols instead of God? America has turned our back on God. But remember that God determines the winner of tomorrow elections. He has His hand right in the middle of it directing it.

Romans 13:1 "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God"

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity "1 Timothy 2:1-2"


Just remember tomorrow God won't be surprised at the results. He wont be in Heaven thinking... OH NO! The guy I voted for didn't win.

Remember God is in Control!

Halloween!

Halloween was a blast! I guess I have some kind of fetish with short shorts lol. Last year I went as white trash and wore jean short shorts. But this year I went as Richard Simmons! I watched a lot of youtube videos and tried to work on my voice and flamboyant personality! Cant wait till next year!

Here is one way....

Here is one way to grow our youth group LOL!

Faith

Ever wonder what in the heck God is doing? Ever have an experience or a bad situation or maybe a few rough days and you think Where is God in all of this? I have learned that when you are down to nothing, God is up to something! We must rest in our faith in God. We must not put our faith or trust in things or people, we must put our faith in God. So if you are going through a trial or God is testing you know that He has something going on for either His Glory or your benefit!

Walk by faith not by sight!

God's Promises

If you get a chance you should read Dan Browns insert in the October Baptist Bible Tribune. The magazine of BBFI. Dan Brown writes about a tragedy that happened in Ohio at Lift Camps. It is an amazing story of triumph in the midst of tragedy. I cannot get the story out of my heart or my mind. Curtis Gessaman was a student attending camp who fell and died at church camp. As a youth pastor I cannot imagine this situation. His parents Troy and Kim showed up at camp Thursday and stressed to the students a personal relationship with Christ. That evening 267 students gave their lives to Christ or surrendered for ministry. This student in high school in his death probably reached more people than what he would have in the rest of his life. Dan Brown made a comment that has been stuck in my head since I read this article. "While it is normal to ask why when something like this happens, as Christians, we do not live on explanations but on promises".

WE DO NOT LIVE ON EXPLANATIONS BUT ON PROMISES!

Wow! No one knows why God tests us and why tragedy happens in our lives. But we know that a faith that can't be tested can't be trusted.

Is God testing you today?

Be faithful!

Rest on His promises.

Youtube

I just finished watching The Office from last week. Micheal made a comment that really made me laugh and that I can relate with! They were making confessions of stuff they had done in the office. He said "When I discovered Youtube I did not work for 5 days"! LOL! This happens to me all the time. I can get lost in stupid videos on Youtube. So thats my confession. I am addicted! But how can you not laugh at gun prank or fat guy on roller coaster. Check those out!

I got the hook up!

A lot happened this weekend. So I will start with this and hopefully blog some more in the next few days! Today was Pastor Appreciation Day. I knew something was up this weekend because the gym was being decorated and I wasn't in the loop. And I was told it was for Pastor. So in the back of my head I was hoping they would do something for us too. Well they did. And they did well. LOL! They gave us $500.00! Paula, the pastor's wife is obsessed with the Pittsburgh Steelers! On her bucket list, her one wish is to go to a home game. Our church is sending them in November to Pitsburgh- they gave them plane tickets, transporation money, game tickets, hotel money. We all got the hook up! Now I am going to buy my new flat screen HDTV! Thanks church!

So far,,,,

Sorry its been awhile since I blogged! We caught up on some CSI Miami's on Monday Nite. We had not watched the season premiere. The episode was a follow up on Horatio Caine getting shot. I refuse to watch the show ever again. I am sick of calling the plot. The acting is horrible! Everything is so predictable! I spend more time making fun of the show and how rediculous the show is than enjoying the show. And Horatio's one liners then he puts his glasses on and walks away. Annoying! Neways...

Here is my DVR shows per week:

Monday- Heroes

Tuesday-House
Law and Order SVU

Wednesday-Nothing

Thursday- CSI
The Office
Smallville
Survivor

Friday-Nothing

I dont know that you care what I watch but this blog is supposed to be all about me so there ya have it.....

First Trip to the Park

Last Nite was the first trip for the dogs together at the park. They loved it! Then we came home and got caught up on all of our shows there were DVR'd. Molly and Toby fell asleep fast! Toby never sleeps inside! Molly fell asleep on my lap and was snorin like crazy. No wonder Toby fell asleep, she probably keeps him up at night LOL!

Molly

We finally found Toby a girlfriend! We have been looking for another basset hound for a few months. Molly was a stray found by the Human society 1 month ago. She is close to 2 years old. She was the runt of the pack. They didn't know too many details about her. They named her Milly but we changed it, they said she didn't know her name! I took Toby to meet her today and it was love at first site! She just got spayed yesterday and still has stiches, so her and Toby must be kept separate for a week. Which is really difficult! They really want to play! Here are some pics...

Work Day at Church

So in the summer usually on Thursdays we have work days. Today we had to patch a spot on the roof of the church. There was a bad leak. We started at 9 and finished at 3. I had a soda sitting on the roof and I went to take a drink and there was a bug in my mouth. I spit a mouthful of soda out and there was a bee! I then felt the excruciating pain. The stinger was stuck on the roof of my mouth! I could not get it off. Luckily I am not allergic to bees. After 5 mins with a tweezer I got it off. Then I almost fell off the roof. I am not cut out for manual labor lol! Can't wait for tonight to relax and watch Smallville and The Office!

Ready for Vacation!

Just a few more days until vacation! I cannot wait! Just a few days of relaxation!!!! Sleeping in, no work and no church related items! Don't get me wrong I looooove my job but I am ready for a break! We will be in Springfield for a few days then my family is coming in and we are going to Branson. I cannot wait to see my sister, brother n law and my adorable nieces! Pray that we come back refreshed and relaxed and if you live in Springfield give us a call and we will catch up!

Nothing to Blog About

IPHONE

I got an Iphone! I wasn't even expecting to get one but I had some money put back and I bought it tonight. I feel kinda guilty for spending so much money but I love it. There are so many buttons. I am still trying to figure everything out. LOL.

Please Pray

We need a new vehicle! We need something bigger with more room. We are looking at a Yukon or a GMC Envoy XL. We have been searching all summer. So please pray that we can find the right vehicle with the right miles and especially the right price cause we are poor lol!

Also our Chevy Blazer is having problems. Someone from the church has been working on it for a week now and we are borrowing a friends car. Pray that it will be a quick and cheap fix

Very Close Call...

Wow!
So I am the only one in the office today,alone in the church. Our church is located right off the Highway that is connected to St. Louis, so we get a lot of homeless people and hitchhikers and they come to the church wanting rides or money, we have even found some sleeping in our church buses. Neways there were some teachers working up here earlier on their classrooms and they do not have keys to the church so when they left they didn't lock the door behind them. I should have went downstairs and locked it behind them. I am a very big stickler on always making sure that door is locked. I do not want to be killed! Richard, a deacon, came up to the church and found a man asleep in our foyer in the church. He was a homeless guy had been there for about 15 minutes, just "resting". Richard ran him off. I was upstairs without a clue! Scary!

5 Years Gone

I cannot believe that I have been out of High School for 5 years and out of College for 1 year. I cannot get over what has happened in the last 5 years. High School seems like it was centuries ago! There has been a lot of ups and downs in the last 5 years. But I am extremely happy where I am today. I am so glad that God has continued to open doors for me and I have continued to be faithful to follow His lead. It's hard being away from family and friends in a whole new place. But St. Charles is beginning to feel like home. Wonder what God has in store for me 5 years from now? I would be 28 OMG! Thats uber close to 30. I am getting old!

Wedding

Funny pic huh? No but seriously I performed my second wedding ceremony today! My Pastor found out he had to leave town bc his daughter-n-law is having a baby. So I had to perform the wedding. I found out at 10 and had to be at the wedding by 12. It was outside and CRAZY Hot! I was sweating like crazy but it was fun and a great wedding! And I got paid for it! I love this pastor stuff!

GOD IS AMAZING!

God has been so Good to us lately!

Tonight after church a girl got saved, Angel. We have been praying for her for over a year. She grew up Catholic and her mom is Muslim.

We had 42 students at church tonight. Both vans full! I had to drop a load off at church then go back and get some more!

What an amazing opportunity and an amazing job I have.

I thought of this phrase tonight for salvation.

If you got something, its gonna spread, its gonna be contagious!

Let our light be Contagious!

Busy Day

Day started at 10 Am
I went and worked out for the first time in a long time. After 15 mins I was exhausted! I only burned like 300 calories after an hour! Ridiculous! Thats not even one cup of soda!

Got home after an hour and took Toby to get a wash. He smells so much better.

Since he was out of the garage, I swept and mopped and cleaned out the garage. It was disgusting.

Then went and picked up Toby, came home babysat for Melissa then mowed the lawn!

I am so tired.

At 5:30, took Toby to the vet. $180.00 and 3 shots later. He's all good.

I am so ready for bed!

Six Flags

I love six flags! I feel like a lil kid there. It was awesome having a season pass this year! I dont know why Wonder Woman go into the picture, she was not invited lol!

First Post-Anyone out there?

Pull up have a seat!

So here is my first post. I'm gonna try this blog thing out. I dont know if anyone is out there that is interested in my life enough to get on here but we will try it out! Enjoy a view into the life of Brandon.