God’s really been up to some amazing things in our lives and we know that this is the year that some of His big plans for us comes to fruition.  Check back often…or better yet, subscribe to the blog and stay up to date on what all we’re up to and thinking about this year!  I would tell you what to expect, but you never know what you’ll get on here.

I first saw this on Jon Acuff’s blog, Stuff Christian’s Like, and I could help but post it  I crack up every time these two guys release a video.  If you’ve never heard of them, you can thank me later.

Here are 10 foods, in no particular order, that I expect to eat in heaven.  What would you add to this list?

1. Krispy Kreme Doughnuts.  Few things can make my mouth water more than when I see that “Hot Now” sign on.
2. S’mores Chocolate Fondue from The Melting Pot.  Milk chocolate, melted marshmallows, and graham crackers…ready to to be enjoyed with strawberries, cheesecake, Rice Krispie treats, brownies, pound cake, bananas, and more marshmallows.
3. Ovaltine (Not the malt kind, though…although the malt variety may be offered in hell)
4. Malai Chicken that they had at Foliage (that’s for all of you Lawrenceburg peeps)
5. Mom’s Meatloaf.  I don’t even like Meatloaf typically, but my mom must have borrowed her recipe from Jesus.
6. The cheddar biscuits from Red Lobster. (Which, by the way, is the most searched for clone recipe on the internet)
7. Sweet Potato Souffle from Wade’s.
8. Fresh crab legs.
9. Homemade crepes.  All they need is some butter & powdered sugar.
10. A steak from Ruth’s Chris. Sure it’s expensive…but it will melt in your mouth.

1. Amazing.  That’s how I would describe the analogy in this video by Francis Chan. (via Catalyst)
2. In case you missed it, we made this video and song this week for a contest for the Melting Pot.  And….WE WON!!!  Free fondue for a year!
3. Intriguing post asking the question, “Is SEO the future of evangelism.” I’m thinking that this is an incredible idea.
4. Mountain Lake Church is throwing a FREE mass wedding.  What do you think about it?  I think I like it.
5. I pray that the church that we plant can be a dream factory like Mark Batterson talks about in this post.

SO…we decided to enter.  Here’s my family’s entry for the contest.  We’ll find out if we win on Thursday.  Everything in the video (footage, music, singing, etc…) is completely original and is me, my wife, and my little boy, so hopefully they’ll think it’s creative!

We’re calling it Like Milk Chocolate.  We’d love to hear your thoughts about it!

So…I have officially taken my first step.  I have officially been named a Mayor!  Well…Foursquare says so.  I am the mayor of Starbucks in NE Columbia!

I don’t know what my platform will be during this term.  Coffee I guess.  I may even expand my role to other locations soon.  Next thing you know I will be winning the Nobel Prize.

Brickey- 2016

• I was a batboy for the Kingsport Mets.  I am even on two minor league baseball cards, although I missed the picture day for the card from 1990, so only my name appears on that one.  I may have to upload a pic of the 1989 card sometime for your viewing pleasure.
• I don’t wear my Puma’s when it rains.  I have a hole in them.
• My favorite drink at Starbucks is the White Chocolate Mocha.  I’ve actually tried all the drinks on the menu because…
• I worked for about 7 months for an online high school as a Community Outreach Director.  I had to visit a different Starbucks for 15 days to help people process paperwork.
• I’ve played in a professional basketball game but never got in a game at college.  Technically, I played in two exhibition games against a professional team in Poland just before college.  I was on the team at Sewanee my first semester of college, but I was injured for most of it.  In the only game that I had 100% health, I was sitting at the scorer’s table waiting to check in when time expired.
• I’m a perfectionist.
• I used to drive limos in Louisville, Kentucky.  The highlight may have been driving a man, woman, and the woman’s two kids to a DNA testing facility because they were going to be on the Maury Show.  I never saw the results.
• I was voted “best all around” in high school.  In other news, I’ve gained about 40 pounds all around since that time.
• I have a print and graphic design business, JW Printworks, but I really don’t enjoy graphic design.
• I play guitar and used to be in a band that played almost 100 times in one year, but I only have one guitar now and it’s broken.

What is something random about you?

I redesign my blog and announce through my blog…”I’m back.”
I post 3-5 times a week for a couple of weeks.
I craft a couple of few witty posts, a few reflective, some videos, and some pics of the family.
And then it happens.  Well…not all of a sudden.
I say that everything has gotten busy and I’ll be posting a lot more soon.
I stop making time to put my thoughts down.
There aren’t a lack of thoughts.  Heck…they’re are probably too many if anything.
Slowly the blogging fades to no posts for months.  And then, six months later, the cycle begins again.

So what’s different about this time?  I don’t know if there is anything different.
But I do know that I’m done with excuses about posting.  Either I do or I don’t.
Life never stops being crazy.
I am pretty sure that I am going to give this a good run this time.  I have too many thoughts about too many things that I really want to share.
If not?
Well…enjoy the next few weeks  and then I’ll see you again…with a new design…and a few more good weeks…in six months.

What kind of things do you want me to post?  Leave a comment and let me know.

Keep Patty in your prayers right now because nausea has already hit her hard. With Isaiah she was really sick until about 5 or 6 months in and for the last couple of weeks she’s basically be sick nonstop. Pray for Isaiah and me as we try to take care of her.

We have lots of other things going on right now, so check back tomorrow or Monday for an update on the rest of our lives. It’s been an unbelievably crazy (and stressful) time in here Columbia thus far but we know that it would have been more crazy of us to not step out and pursue what God was calling us to do.

(As always, feel free to leave comments below!)

But the time away has created something interesting that takes place whenever I get back home. It never fails (up to this point), that when I get home my little boy comes running to me and I pick him up to embrace him. He is so excited to see his Daddy and it thrills me to no end to be able to pick him up and simply love him.

I was reading in the book of Jeremiah the other day and a verse really stood out to me. It said “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.” This “lovingkindness” or hesed in Hebrew, is a love that is relentless, constant, unrestrained love that God has for us.

I can’t help but to immediately think of my love for my little boy and my wife. I know it’s only a small glimpse into God’s love for us, but it reminds me that there is someone out there that has an unrelenting love for us. He pursues us, embraces us, and loves us no matter what we’ve done because we’re His.

Maybe some of you needed that reminder today. Maybe not. Just know that there is someone out there that loves you no matter what and know that He will embrace you whenever you come to Him.