15 hour day in just over 5 min.

My wednesdays are a little crazy.  Here is my 15 hour day, in 5 minutes.

The last week...

I wish I could describe how busy I have been the last few weeks.

I enjoy blogging, but it is not a high priority in my life.  So inevitably, it has been placed to the side and I have not blogged much lately.

We have opened our Non-Profit, Fair Trade coffee shop and the first few weeks of business are always full of mistakes with a pretty steep learning curve.  Things are going great but it makes undistracted study and contemplation very difficult.  

Friday, on my day off, I performed my first Wedding.  That was a crazy 18 min. experience.  Yeah it was probably the fastest wedding ever!  On top of that, saturday, we built our stage and really busted out some serious work on our sanctuary.  Our new stage is 43" high 50 ' long and 24' deep, it is pretty massive.  God is doing some amazing things at The Rock!

1:30 am sunday morning I received a phone call from the Rock Island Police Dept. (that will get your attention even at that hour) our alarm at Areopagus was going off, and the door was unlocked.  It was just a mistake by an employee, but it messed me up even more.  

So what I am saying is, 

Growing Youth Ministry + Coffee Shop + Church Construction + MMA Training + Pastoral Responsibilities + Family Life = One thinly spread individual who feels like hiding in his room and not coming out for a few days.

In the words of the great Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins "I feel like butter spread over too much bread."

I am not complaining.  I know that I need help, and help is coming.  I know that my leaders are taking more and more responsibility every single day.  I thank God for my leaders.

I also know that this is what churches do.  They kill people.  If left unchecked, churches will kill their leaders.  They will run them into the ground like a great workhorse with no rest.

They don't destroy on purpose.  They do it with "good" intentions and the greatest purpose on the face of the planet, the great commission.

So, as a leader, I will sabbath this week.  I will spend my friday with my wife and family.  I will have a date night with my wife, listen to Justin Manhardt preach his first message, and spend saturday relaxing with my family and helping my wife prepare for her art show debut.  No church construction, no emails, no studying, no answers, no employees, just life lived well.

I love you all!

Last week...

My life might be getting a little out of control again.  Between Areopagus, KYC, Operation Renovation and family I am cheating some important things that I should not be, mainly uninterrupted time alone with God.

Last Week went something like this.

Mon.  

Awake 7 am.  

Plan for meetings 8-8:45

Meetings and Church work 9-5

Dinner 5-6

Panera for message prep 6:30-9

Tues.

Awake 7:30

Start the Siding on my Garage 8 am -9 pm

Wed.  

Awake 7 am

Plan Message/ Church Work/ Meetings 8am- 10 pm

Thurs.

Awake 7 am

Areopagus 8:30-12:30

Leave for Chicago 1:30

Fri

Come home from Chicago 6:30 pm

Work on garage 7-11:30 pm

Sat.

Awake 7 am

MMA training 8-12

Operation Renovation 12:30-5:30

Paranormal Investigating 9 pm-3:30 am

Sun.

Awake 9 am

Church 10 am-1 pm

Leadership Prep 1-5 pm

Leadership Mtg. 7-8

Small group mtg. 8-9

And now it starts all over again...