Chasing Rainbows!

I have heard many people say that they chased their rainbow and found their pot of gold. Sometimes I have found my pot of gold and at other times and have just found a "pot" when I got to the end of the rainbow.

I am almost convinced that chasing a rainbow or chasing a dream is an ok thing to do! Many times (maybe most times) the rainbow is not really about what you find at the end of it as much as it is about the journey that you are on while you chase. Life is about the journey. A friend of mine told me recently not to let the fears of the unknown keep you from chasing the dream, the rainbow. If at the end all you find is a port-a-john it is ok because you have followed your heart, chased your dream or chased your rainbow.

Look at Moses' life. He chased the rainbow of a land that flows with milk and honey! At the end of his life he did not get to experience the milk and honey(pot of gold) but he was able to look back at his journey. Does this make him failure? I think not... Let dig into his story!

Looking back he (Moses) saw a pillar of fire by night and could remember a cloud by day! He could tell the story of the Red Sea opening and the dry land under his feet. He could share how God provided manna, quail and other food on the journey. He could shout about how water flowed from a rock not once but TWICE in his journey. He could tell his story about seeing God on Mount Sinai! His journey brought him to a place where he not only seen God through the cleft of the rock but watched God carve into tablets His commandments! The shoes that did not wear out, the clothes that did not become thread bare, the battles won while his hands were raised, the tabernacle that was built, the ark of the covenant that was dedicated, the presence of God that was so real and all of this was on his journey. This was not at the end of the rainbow...It was during the journey toward the end!

Encourage yourself not to get caught up with the end of the rainbow but enjoy the journey for all it is! You never know where your dream is going to take you so just follow your rainbow! If you find a port-a-john at the end of it then thank God for a place to get rid of the junk (waste) that you have picked on the journey! :) There is always a pot at the end of a rainbow we just do not know which one! Be thankful for them both!

Catch Up...

Youth Camp!!!

I am sorry it has been so long since I have posted but most of June and July are spent in Church of God Youth Camp for the Hager's!

I Love Youth Camp! I believe that Youth Camp is the greatest evangelistic arm that the Church of God has going! The spiritual statistics from youth camp are greater in number than all of the state evangelism team reports all year. This is not a slam on the evangelism department at all it is a boost for the ministry of CAMP. I was filled with the Holy Ghost, accepted the call into ministry and engaged to my wife all at SC Church of God Youth Camp! My youth camp memories are held close to my heart and are some of the best memories I have! The closest friend I have (My wife Melissa) is a youth camp relationship. Tray Brown, George Forrest, Bobby Forrest, Tonja S. West, Jessica Ashe, Josh Childers, Jamie and Diana Sharpe, Alison Standridge, Amy Elizabeth Harris Robinson, Shane and Candy Stone, Mike, Sandra, Ashley, Derek and Melissa Wooten, Eddie Hardee, Mark Daniel, Joe Grice, Neal Nolan, Neil Dubose, Al Sims and Chad Jordan are just a few names to mention that are life long friends that I found at Youth Camp! I loved the days of the pepsi wagon at the upper ballfield, the softball games played under the lights, the only mixed drink that the Church of God allows the "Suicide", when girls in culottes could drive a teenage boy into full hormonal explosion. (That was all the leg we could see back then) the chicken dance, the hokey pokey, the smell of East Tab, dorms without air conditioning, snow cones, the old white dorm on the hill (Hill Top for all of those who remember), guys raking the slats on the doors of hill top all day and night, no golf carts, the laughter, sneaking out and hiding under the chapel all night with the Griffis' kids and others, the services with Chuck Ramsey and others, Winning Mr. Youth Camp, best all around camper, and MARK MAULDIN! OH Youth Camp. My all time favorite memory is asking my wife to marry me during fun time of Mini Week seven years ago and all of the retired camp ground resident coming to fun time to watch. Oh the memories. I now am having the opprotunity to pastor people who were youth camp friends while growing up in camp! I love it!!! Kids lives are changed forever b/c of YOUTH CAMP...enough of that...If you want more camp memories just call and we can chat...

Campmeeting 2008...

Raymond Culpepper, Tommy Bates and Perry Stone in the evenings and Doug Small in the mornings. We had it all in SOUTH CAROLINA~~~ Great BIG shout out to our Overseer T. Propes on the line up! Best one in SC in YEARS. The music was good, the services were all awsome and catching up with friends was priceless!

Forth Of July was great. We had our parents and grandparents over and we grilled burgers, ate watermelon, and churned homeade ice cream. It is always great to be with the fam! Here is the latest pic of the fam. Enjoy!!!

Memorial Day Weekend...

Yesterday, as I have done the past three years, I cancelled our evening service at church and we moved venues to Biggerstaff. Biggerstaff is a 5 acre lake front retreat area. We grilled hamburgers and hotdogs and our church people brought all of the trimmings! We had a huge turnout!! I am not sure of the exact number but I know that it was much larger than our normal pm service. The kids played ladder golf while some of the men tried their hand at horse shoes. Most all the teens and kids were swimming and fishing. One family (who manages a rafting company) brought some rafts and we played around in the boats. We brought the crowd together after dinner and had a 15 min. devotion and singing service. After the service...back to the water, games, swimming, etc. We had a great time. Our church loves the Lake Service.

Today we have taken it easy. We went to the lake and hung out with Melissa's family. Nolan went "Fwimming" and almosted "brownded" when he slipped in 2 foot of water. He was fine considering he had on a life jacket. His jacket has a back flap on it that flips a child on their back so they can float and also serves as a pillow for their head.

I have lost 15 lbs since last Friday on my new diet. I am excited on this new journey. I am getting ready to put down the laptop and grab my bicycle for a short ride. Please pray for me as I try to take care of myself!

Indiana Jones...

The Last Crusade should have been the last cursade!!!! While it was nice to see some familiar faces this movie was a let down! I am disappointed! If you have not seen this movie yet a better title would have been...

Indiana Jones: National Treasure meets E.T. !

Top Ten Things About Pastoring in the Country!

10. One dozen of farm fresh eggs given by a church member every Wednesday night.

9. Fresh Chow Chow! Goes great with pinto beans, greens and corn bread.

8. Fresh jars of honey given by a 93 year old church member who still robs her own beehives!

7. Warm pound cake given by members...chocolate, vanilla, lemon, etc.

6. Fresh (muscadine, apple, grape and peach) jelly/jam given by members durning autumn.

5. PEAR PRESERVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

4. Garden fresh vegetables given by members from late May to early October!

3. Hot loaves of bread freshly baked by some of our senior citizens

2. Fresh meat given by a cattle farmer in our church! He pays tithe on the slaughter!

1. Freshly picked and baked strawberry pie (which I am eating now) from members!

Here we go!!

I am not sure about this blogging stuff but I thought I would give it a try. I am not a man that is full of wisdom but I am rarely speechless!

I have been studying today for service tonight. I have been using the old book "He Chose the Nails" by Max Lacado and digging some awesome sermon material out of it. I am building my own sermons/teachings off of some of his ideas. But today I was reading and had a thought come to mind and I just put the book down!

Think on this...IN this life we all have had someone who "paved the way, cleared the path" for us. Be it on a job, in the church...somewhere along the way, someone walked the road we are on before we got there. Many pastors and members built the church that I pastor now, my parents paved the way for me into adulthood, etc... Somewhere someone did the same for everyone.

The path that Jesus took, from Pilate's Court to Calvary, (the Via Dolorosa) was the way that Christ whispers to us, I am clearing a path for you. If you need hope, healing, love, mercy, joy, or whatever...Christ has already cleared the path, paved the way and now all we have to do is walk in His footsteps and it (0ur miracle) can be found!. Just a thought! HE PAVED THE WAY!