Merge Worship

So. I'm moving my family in 5 days to a new state. A new city. A new church.

It's always an adventure when we start something new together. This will be Mercy and Judah's first real shot at trying it out. They are 5 and 7 and this is the first move we've made that has hit them. They've been real troopers and have been looking for the positive almost all the time. That's not to say it's been easy. When their peers prayed for them in kid's church:


There were tears shed. By all of us.

One thing I love about transition with Misty and my family is that it pulls us tighter together. It's almost like we know we need to lock it up tight. Knowing that we've been blessed with each other is an amazing feeling and I'm never more aware of how blessed I am then in these times of transition or difficulty.

Our friends have gone beyond any of my expectations to show us how much they love us and Misty has been working like mad to get us ready. She is the rock in my world. I don't tell her I love her enough.

As we've traveled across NC (which is where we're moving back to) the anticipation and anxiety of the move has grown. The reality is settling in.

I'll be leading a whole new set of people in worship next Sunday. They've never seen me lead before. The thoughts are racing through my head.

What if they don't like me?
I can't wait to grow with them and watch them grow.
I'm pumped about where God is going to take us.
I am stoked about the team I'm going to be leading with.
Is Judah's school going to be as great as we think it is?
Will Mercy and Judah find new friends easily?

In short (or not really short) life is just that side of crazy right now. We'd appreciate your prayers and, if you're in the Raleigh area, hit us up when we move down. We're trusting God for great friendships there!

I know this post is a little less efficient and pretty than some of my others, but one of my friends asked me to keep this blog a little more "real" this year. We'll see how that pans out.

btw...I'll be leading worship here in the new year. Drop by if you're around.

As most of you know, my family and I are moving to Raleigh in the new year. We're going to be part of a great church there. (Grace Community Church) This move is also going to put us in between our two families. With my Mom going through non-hodgkins follicular lymphoma this going to be a HUGE blessing.

I made a top 10 list of things I was going to miss about where I am, so I thought I'd pull a Fox News and give equal opportunity to the other stuff going on in my head. So without further adieu, here's my top 10 list of things I'm looking forward to.


10. Opportunities to deepen our faith with another family of believers
9. The chance to make an impact in North Raleigh with a church that is discovering who she is
8. Working with the worship team and musical folks @ Grace Community
7. Cook Out and Bojangles
6. Being closer to old friends
5. Developing new friendships
4. Tarheel Tickets (hint hint)
3. Working with the Staff and Leadership of Grace Community (can't wait to grow together)
2. Being closer to family.
1. Seeing Grace become a place known for being "without walls" and marked by authentic worship, life change, evangelism and discipleship.

I've only got two weeks or so left with my Greenbrier church family and I'm thinking about all the things I'm going to miss. (don't worry Grace Community...I've got things I'm looking forward to as well) Here's my top 10 list. I'm sure I'll forget something.

10. Lunch at Warrior Grill/Bangkok Garden/Kyoto/Famous Uncle Al's
9. Walking to work
8. Church at the Beach (my favorite service every year)
7. Our pastoral and staff team
6. POWERKIDS
5. All my worship teams
4. Consuming, Spirit-filled worship times with our church family
3. All the people who've helped me and my family grow
2. inROUTE peeps
1. Deep friendships (thank God for online networking)

This could be the single most depressing post I've written. I'd just like for all my Greenbrier family to know that my entire family appreciates and loves you all very much. You've been formative in our walk with Christ and I know God has great things in store for you. Thanks for your continued prayers and investment in us. You've likely meant more to us than you know.

So...the cat's out of the bag. My family and I are moving. I'll post some more stuff later, but the long and short of it is that Misty and I believe that God is calling us to be closer to our family. I'd like to go deeper into all the things that led us here, but I'm going to wait until it's all hindsight. Things are always clearer then. My Mom is going through her third round of chemo and Misty's Dad isn't exactly the picture of health. All those things combined with prayer and counsel from wise friends has led us to this place.

In His providence, He's also led us to a cool church (and a great team) that has been in the middle of some transition and is giving us an opportunity to love, lead and grow with Grace Community in Raleigh, NC. We're very sad to be leaving a place we love and friends we treasure, but are also excited about the days ahead. Sometime next week I'm going to post the 10 things I'll miss about here and the 10 things I'm looking forward to.

If you see me or my wife over the next couple of weeks, give us a hug; we'll need it. More details to come. In the meantime, what are your best tips for making a move successful? (especially where young kids are involved)