Live from Columbia, SC….it's Josh Brickey |

Random Facts About Me…

February 2, 2010 in Random with 1 Comment

I have a variety of people that come to this blog so I thought I’d fill you in on some random facts that you may or may not know about me:

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?

Johnny and his Hope for Haiti

January 22, 2010 in Authentic Faith with 0 Comments

A little over a year ago, my wife and I had the opportunity to go on a chiropractic mission trip to the Dominican Republic.
The highlight of my trip was when I met the young man in this picture: Johnny.
He came up to us at the resort and ate dinner with us.
He had a glow about him that was incredible.
He gushed about how God was doing an incredible work in his life and he wanted to make a difference.
He wanted to finish school and go back to his home country to “make it a better place.”

His family was all still there and had just moved to the country’s capital: Port-au-Prince
He is from Haiti.

Like most of you reading this, I have kind of been left numb when I see what has happened in Haiti.
The devastation. The lives lost. The despair.

I immediately thought of Johnny and my heart sunk even further when I thought…
Is he ok?
Is his family ok?

I decided to email him to check on him. It had been a while since we had been in contact but I prayed fervently that he was ok and that I would hear back from him. Less than 24 hours later, I got a response. He was ok because he was in the Dominican when the earthquake hit. The day after he rushed to Port-au-Prince to see about his family.

What he saw was devastating. He said that his home was destroyed and that saw things that he had never before seen in his life. His family was “not bad but not good.” A couple of siblings are battling injuries. Another brother was at work at the time of the earthquake and they do not know if he is even alive.

Then he said something that rocked me. He said this:

“Life is not good in Haiti but i think because of all those things, God has a plan for Haiti.”

Because of all those things, God has a plan for Haiti.
In the midst of devastation.
In the midst of the lives lost.
In the midst of despair.
God has a plan for Haiti.

Johnny’s faith and perseverance is incredible. His wisdom in a time of anguish is inspiring. I’m not going to add anything to it because I think nothing could add to it.

God has a plan for Haiti.

The Christmas Story

December 25, 2009 in Video with 1 Comment

I just saw this video this morning on Tony Morgan’s blog and thought I’d pass it along. I think it’s a powerful version of the story of Christmas.

Merry Christmas from our Family to Yours

December 25, 2009 in Family with 2 Comments

Hope you all have an incredible Christmas! Remember to be thankful this Christmas for all that we have and why you celebrate.

Preaching to the choir…

December 17, 2009 in Uncategorized with 1 Comment

Have you ever truly thought about the phrase, “well…I’m just preaching to the choir?” I’ve probably heard it said hundreds of times, and I’m sure I’ve even used it myself. But I thought about something lately that really bothers me about that phrase.

From my experience in churches that had choirs, half the choir was either zoned out or falling asleep when the pastor was preaching. It really was quite comical actually. It never failed that someone (typically multiple older men) would be nodding off during the sermon. We used to get a kick out of it growing up, especially when they would snore and wake themselves up. Did that happen at your church?

Why do I bring it up? Because the message you have to say probably needs to be repeated. Don’t assume that you have said what you needed to say enough and that people have bought in to what you are saying. Keep casting your vision and dreams. Keep it fresh in their minds. Keep preaching to the choir…they may have been asleep anyways.

Back to blogging

December 15, 2009 in Random with 0 Comments

I feel like I’ve written a post like this about 4 or 5 times now, and I have. I’m calling it the “I’m back” blog post. Here’s a recap of how it’s happened before:

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.