Sex. God.

I just finished the book Sex God by Rob Bell.  Let me tell you something, Rob Bell is DEEP!

This book was a very good read and opened my eyes to many things on the subject.

Here are a few quotes that I absolutely loved:

• "How you treat the creation reflects how you feel about the Creator."
• "It's easy to take off your clothes and have sex.  People do it all the time.  But opening up your soul to someone, letting them into your spirit and thoughts and fears and future and hopes and dreams... that is being naked."
• "It takes phenomenal fortitude to love your enemy."

Seriously read it, get your thoughts rocked!

Monday Morning Madness

The last two weeks have been a bit busy in the Brown household.

Cyndi and I decided to go to Indiana for vacation and it has been a crazy few weeks.  But normal blogging continues.

Here are just a few random things happening in our life:

• Currently listening to Coldplay. Their album Viva La Vida is amazing!
• Going to look at some housing options today.
• My 14 year old Brother-in-law is spending two weeks with us (anyone want to hang out with him?).
• Filling out an application to start taking classes at Strayer University this week. Classes start in October, taking web design classes so that I can maybe start a side business that will help us support more missionaries.
• I can't believe how much cheaper it is to live in Indiana than in South Carolina!
• Reading a great book by Rob Bell right now.  Sex God.  Got a couple great quotes I will post later this week.
• The Olympics begin next week!  How many gold medals can we rack up this year?  I am really pulling for a couple of Jamaica runners...they are fast!

Okay, enough randomness for this morning!

A Few Words About Bryan

The local newspaper in Fort Wayne, IN had a really good obituary for Bryan today.  You can check it out here.

Read it and if you knew Bryan, leave comments on the guest book for his family!

A Man After God's Heart

I have a great friend named Bryan Smith!  Bryan and I have known each other for a really long time.  I think we first met when I was in 6th grade (he would have been in 4th) and I was really good friends with his sister. 

Bryan has Cystic Fibrosis.  CF is a hereditary disease that affects the mucus glands of the lungs, liver, pancreas, and intestines, causing progressive disability due to multisystem failure.  Bryan has had this all of his life and I fully believe that he never let this disease determine how he would live his life.

Yesterday, Bryan got to go home and be with Jesus.  Bryan had an awesome ministry!  I really think that he shared his faith throughout everything he did, especially while he was in the hospital, he could help but share the hope that he has!

It would be really selfish of me to wish that Bryan was still here to hang out, laugh, share stories, etc. But I'm not going to lie to you I wish he was!  However, I am really jealous of him being able to be in the presence of God!

I've been thinking of the best way to honor Bryan and what could I do to make a difference like he made, I haven't come up with anything yet, but I know something will hit me.  If you have any ideas on a way we can honor Bryan Smith and also help with CF leave your comments...or if you knew Bryan and want to leave your thoughts and feelings go ahead!

Bryan, you are definitely missed already but buddy you deserve to be free!  Party it up man in the presence of Jesus!

Great Movie!

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to hang out with some of the greatest people I know...my wife, my brother Zach, and my friend Randis.  And we spent the afternoon seeing The Dark Knight.

I have very high expectations when it comes to films that have anything to do with comic books, especially BATMAN!  Batman is definitely my favorite superhero of all time and so seeing this movie was an exciting adventure.

I must say GO SEE THIS MOVIE!  and after you have seen it GO SEE IT AGAIN!  This by far is the greatest Batman movie I have ever experienced, and I've seen them all.  Heath Ledger's rendition of The Joker is going to win some awards!  He was so creepy, funny, and just plain evil! If you have anyone that likes superhero movies this is a must see for all ages!

An Uprising

up·ris·ing [uhp-rahy-zing, uhp-rahy-zing] noun:

1. an insurrection or revolt.  2. an act of rising up.

This small yet very powerful word has been on my heart and my mind the last few months, but has been reinforced this past weekend.  

Throughout history the greatest revival's in the world were all began by young people!  All great changes in church have typically started with young people who were unafraid to step up and say, "HEY! Let's be more like Jesus and do things like He would have done."  

I think we need an uprising of young people that will step up in our world today and say let's love people where they are and show them Jesus.  I also think older people need to support this and begin training the younger generations on what authenticity means and put their personal feelings and preferences aside for the sake of reaching more people.  

Perry Noble posted a blog the other day that stated that 50,000 people die a day without knowing Jesus (You can read that blog here).  This should bother us and realize our need for an uprising in our world today!  I was told a great story this weekend in which I was challenged with this thought: if you have something that someone else needs and you don't give it to them...are you being more like Jesus or more like yourself?  This goes to say that if you have a relationship with Jesus and you don't share Him with someone else, that's pretty selfish!  

LORD, lead me to people!  Let me start an UPRISING for YOU!

Off to Camp

One of the aspects that I love about summer is going to camp!

As a teenager my life was deeply impacted and my walk with Jesus was challenged at Circle-C (now Youthfront West) camp right outside of Kansas City, KS.

So today I am off to camp with our students, although it is not Youthfront West it is still going to be great! What an amazing opportunity to show students that as a disciple of Jesus we have a lot of fun and that are relationship with Christ is of the utmost importance...Elevation here we come!

The Weekend Update

Here's what went on this weekend:

Friday, 4th of July

• Cyndi's parents arrived
• We celebrated Courtney Moschella's birthday (I promised I wouldn't tell the world that she is 31) at O'Charley's
• Cyndi, Courtney, Mark & I went to the Dave Matthews Band concert at The Joe (our local baseball stadium)...A TON OF PEOPLE WERE THERE!  The line to get in 2hours before was still insane, we missed a lot of the opening act.

Saturday

• Drove over to Seacoast's Long Point Rd. campus in Mt. Pleasant to show the in-laws.
• Went to Old Navy and then Big Dave and I went a cigar shop while the girls went to Bath and Body Works.
• Sat in traffic heading out to the beach
• Took a walk on the beach at Sullivan's Island
• Walked around Fort Moultrie
• Grilled out: I made Steak & Shrimp Kabobs
• Watched The Bucket List~GREAT MOVIE!

Sunday

Sunday we drove to church in the morning and it was quite different.  Our drummer wasn't there so the worship was more a stripped down acoustic version (we even had a ukulele played).  And then surprise: my good friend Joey Svendsen, Campus Pastor of Seacoast Church James Island, brought a great message on the grace of Jesus (I'll post more on the message later)!

All in all, what an amazing holiday weekend!  Not only did we celebrate our country's freedom and independence, but we celebrated the best freedom and independence and that is through Jesus!

Big Day Ahead

Here we are half way through 2008 and I cannot believe where this year has gone so far! 

I love July.  As a kid it was a time where summer was really kicking off.  We were in full swing of Indiana's summer baseball season, our pool was just the right temperature, and the only worry of the day was do I have to get up at 11am or 2pm.  

Even as an adult, I've seemed to really grow fond of this particular month.  Maybe its because we remember that our country is so free and that in turn reminds me of my freedom I have in Christ. Maybe it is because that in this month (four years ago) I told my wife, "I love you," for the very first time and she knew at that moment that she was stuck with me forever.  I'm not sure what it is about this month but July seems to be a month of remembrance but also a ton of fun!

When I started dating Cyndi, she really got me hooked on Dave Matthews and his band.  And every summer she would go to one of his concerts and tell me how awesome it was, etc.  Well, tomorrow I get to experience one first hand!  I am ecstatic not only to be at a concert (which I would spend thousands of dollars, if I could, to go to a lot of concerts) but to be with the girl of my dreams beside me!   

What a great life!