blog.arrowheadchurch.com

I’m not enough of a blogger yet to even have my own wife regularly reading, but…

Seven years ago today Sara and I were married. We’ve had ups and downs and are stronger now than ever before thanks to God’s grace and good counseling (seriously!). She’s taught me to communicate (more, I’m still a work in progress) and to be who I am. This isn’t just a cliche - I truly believe she’s more beautiful today than she was on our wedding day.

As we begin this process of church planting, I can’t even begin to conceive of doing it without Sara. She’s my greatest strength.

So, one day when she starts reading my blog, this will be an extra surprise. I love you!

Is it just me, or does it seem like some people have a knack for just knowing what to do in all circumstances? I’m not one of those people. Making decisions, even minutely small ones, is really hard for me. I know how to hear God’s voice and I love input from others, but I rarely pull the trigger until I have to. I pray for wisdom but I still feel double-minded, and it’s something I’m putting before the Lord and asking Him to change in me. I heard someone (not sure who) last week refer to paralysis by analysis, and that thoroughly describes my dilemma many times.

Planting a church requires 4,787,432 decisions every day, some big and some small. People can’t help us until I decide what to ask them for, and the vision isn’t advanced when it isn’t clearly seen. If you’re praying for me through this process, pray for a clear mind and a willingness to decide and move forward.

Saturday night and Sunday morning Sara and I got to spend time with the team at Blount Community Church. They are reaching a ton of people in Blount County and Knox County who are far from God. It’s really powerful to see God doing a huge thing with guys who have a similar vision to us and who are right here in our own backyard. They’re not even 3 years old yet and are growing like crazy. Worship was incredible and they’ve got setup down to an art. They credit Portable Church with a lot of that. PC’s stuff is really cool (and really expensive!). Hopefully we’ll be able to swing a few cases and some children’s equipment from them.

We’re really thankful for Jeff, Kenny, & Rodney’s wisdom at BCC. They’ll be a huge help to us and they’re just hilarious guys to be around.

Sara and I had a great night and half-day this weekend in Crossville. It was great to reconnect with old friends from our time serving at Lantana Road. They are absolutely incredible people with a heart for Jesus and for people who don’t know Him. God used our time there to ignite that passion in us. Anytime we go back they really make us feel like the Lord used us in our 2 years. When we get off the interstate at exit 322 we immediately get those nostalgic feelings. It was the first place we ever lived as a married couple and we have so many great memories and life-long friendships from our short time on the plateau.

I already miss the days where I could lay Eli down on my chest and veg out on the couch with him! It sure doesn’t take long for him to lose the ability to see the value of sitting still. We haven’t done it for months, and tonight I was missing those days extra bad. So, I watched my very first Veggie Tales and my very first Baby Einstein (which is very weird, by the way). Mission accomplished.

I’ve been blessed along the way in to have some men who are a little further down the road than me who took the time to invest themselves in my development - some on a formal basis and some informal, some who knew they were mentoring me and some who didn’t (I was just listening). One of the dumbest mistakes I’ve ever made is saying no to a guy who approached a friend and I about meeting with us weekly and we said no! We thought we were too busy. Funny how you define the word “busy” when you’re in college. I’m forever grateful for this guy who took the time to meet with me every week for over a year to go through Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire. I got to connect with him this week, and he’s still teaching me. I’ve had 4 senior pastors take the time to invest in me, and as freaked out as I am right now at the thought of being one myself, I wouldn’t even know where to start without them. Right now I’m collecting a network of men who I just need to ask questions on a regular basis. Even though we’re trying, I have no idea how to plant a church! If you don’t have someone who you can at least call on to give you wisdom, let me highly recommend it.

It’s hard to believe, but it’s time to start getting together with those God may call to be a part of Arrowhead Church. If you’re interested in finding out more about what’s ahead, we’re having the first informational meeting Tuesday night, October 7 @ 7pm at Rose Center. If you can’t make it, shoot me an email (ben.shoun@gmail.com) and we can get together anytime.

If you’re Michael W. Smith and you sang that song, you’ve gotta feel a little strange knowing it’s a cheesy joke now. But I guess you don’t feel strange cashing checks every time it’s sung.

I’m blessed to have friends like I’ve got. Sara and I have lived in 2 towns since we got married and we’ve got great friends in both places. This past weekend I played 90 holes of golf with great friends. Two of them in particular made it possible for me to go, and I’m extremely humbled that they did it. Both are pastors and one cussed when he missed a putt and one threw a LOT of clubs. If you know who they are, you can guess which was which.

Thanks guys.

I love convenience. I make decisions every day based on what’s easiest. So do you. We choose the shortest route over the most scenic. We choose the quickest food over the healthiest. It seems like the only time we choose the inconvenient is the fact that we’ll drive a mile out of the way to save 3 cents a gallon on gas.

It makes me wonder what I miss out on by choosing convenience. There are times I’ve missed what God wanted to do or say through me because I’d be inconvenienced.

In Acts 16 it would have been really convenient for Paul and Silas to walk out of jail once the walls were down. We wouldn’t blame them for interpreting the earthquake that destroyed the walls as a sign that God wanted them to make a run for it. They instead chose what was right. It wouldn’t have been right for Paul and Silas to escape.

God’s plan was for a jailer who should have lost his life to see the example of two men who were willing to be inconvenienced so he could meet Jesus. I pray I don’t miss the opportunity to be used by God because I choose convenience.