I'm at Camp Y'all!

This has truly been the most rewarding, crazy, God-filled, challenging, and overall best time of my life. CK 7 as we often say has been through the valley.  We have been missing equipment, attacked by killer ants, arrived at a location at 4:30 in the morning the day we were suppose to start camp, had broken down Ryder trucks, lost power for over a week, and a host of other things.  However, God is shining bright and accomplishing great things through this beautiful summer.

For example, one week we had 70 reported salvations, another 30, and the whole summer has been that way.  Response time often starts before Daniel even prays and asks kids to come forward.  God is moving like crazy.  I had the awesome opportunity to lead three precious little boys to Christ last week. God has used our team to minister to children with Buddhist parents and broken homes.  Several weeks ago we had two little girls whose mom died while they were at camp.  They were able through their loss and joy in Christ to minister to so many kids and to us, the staffers of CK 7.

The devil doesn't like it either, y'all.  I know the devil is not omniscient, he is not omnipotent, and he is not omnipresent.  But, he is attacking my team.  I believe and have for a good while God is stirring and starting a revival in the generation of children rising up.  Though they live in a broken world, they have beautiful hearts that want to change the world they live in.  And Satan does not like it when 70 of 650 campers cross over from death to life in one week.  God's Spirit is moving in this generation and he is using my team to be catalysts to that movement.  God is strong.  He is big and he is making a big move.  I am honored to be a part of his work.

And on a side note, he is using me and so many broken people to do it.  Y'all CK 7 is not perfect.  We are a bunch of sinners.  Me being one of the worse.  If you are close to me, you know that the past two years of my life have been intense in spiritual struggle.  God has brought me so close to him this summer and I cannot wait to continue to run after him and I hope and pray I can do just that.

I sat last night manning the decision room watching my team bring child after child to have conversations with.  I was in tears as my friend Caleb led five little boys to Christ as they prayed and cried and rejoiced with each other.  I was in tears as I saw my friend AK lead a precious girl to Christ.  I was in tears as a group leader led my little buddies Brady and Hunter to Christ.  And I was in awe.  You see, I kind of expected the out pouring of God's spirit to maybe slow a little (that sounds horrible), but he as already used us so much this summer.  And I pray the Lord forgives me because he is still using my sinful broken team to bring to him new children and to guide them as they decide to truly believe in him.

Pray for us.  We have three weeks of camp left.  We are experiences some weariness, some tired spirits.  Ask that we find our rest in God (thanks Ellie) and that we deny ourselves daily and take up our cross and follow Jesus.  Not just in our words, but in our actions too.

Here are some of my favorites from this summer:

Caleb leads the Green Machine like a champ.

This is just Austin.  Don't let his face fool you, he has a great heart. 

You know we were just roommates.

Ladies and gentlemen, this lady is in charge. Be afraid.

Looking all pretty and sassy.

Worship outside with no power.

She's wearing her sunglasses, but does she know were they are right now?

We are kind of the dynamic duo.  Kind of meaning we are.  Be afraid.  But, not really. 

Pastor Daniel playing a little OMC. 

She's precious.

"Will, will you run up and down the hill five times?"  Yes, Ellie and Mary Chase I will.  But, really I would do anything for these girls.  Awesome leadership. 

O Squad.  Blessed to serve with these leaders.

Grids....its what I do. 

A little Fly in the Soup

I told you she was precious. 

I leave for camp...tomorrow.

Y'all I have been waiting for that for almost two years.  I am so pumped about returning to the camp world.  It is so exciting to live in community with other young adults, share the gospel with kids, build relationships, encourage the mess out of each other, and just plain do the Lord's work.  But, honestly I have been overwhelmed with not feeling ready.  I am not physically ready.  I will probably die the first week, because I am in the worse shape of my life (good thing Jesus beat death huh).  I don't feel emotionally ready.  Because, you see when I get back in August my whole life will have changed completely.  I will be away from my friends.  I'll be in a new place frantically searching for a job while starting a graduate degree.  I am overwhelmed majorly.  I don't feel spiritually ready.  I feel dry.  Used up.  After four weeks at home.  I haven't been pouring into anyone and no one has poured into me.  For four weeks.  I feel like I am in a hole.  But, it is my choice to crawl out.  Those are my apprehensions about all of this.  I can't just wait for someone else to be ready, I have to decide.  Because, my God....he can move the mountains.  He is might to save.  And y'all....I am ready to tell the world about him.  With his help.  I need it. Pray for me.

Home?

I have been living in my house, my home (you know that place I lived for eighteen years before I shipped myself off to college) for almost a month.  To be honest, it is weird.  My room...is not my room.  My stuff is huddled into a corner.  My camp trunk is packed waiting to go on a wild adventure in about fourish days.  Life is good.  No complaints.  A little antsy about post summer life and jobs and rent and bills and school and a new life.  Excited yes.  Nervous, perhaps a little.  Not to horribly bad though.  I love life.  I like mine.  I like where I am headed.  I like the outlook.  But, what exactly do I want out of this journey I am on?  Where do  I want to end up?  There are a million scenarios but let me tell you a few.

-  In one, I find a girl at seminary soon.  I marry her.  We fall in love.  We have seven children.  We move somewhere cool.  I have a cool job at a cool church, or some hipster social justice nonprofit, or placing African babies and poor American babies in homes of loving parents.  I live in.... Nashville, Colorado, maybe even Walnut Ridge and go to my favorite church and hang out with my favorite people.  Clinton.  Perhaps, let's be honest, I was always a big fan of C-Town, and its home, but I am not sure I have an exclusive relationship with it anymore.

- One I stay single until I am 30.  Travel the world, get a million degrees.  Run a cool non-profit or pastor a really awesome new church.  I live life, on my terms and well, God's as much as I can.  I'll try real hard...I hope.

- One I am destined to be alone.  Well, in the spousal category.  Which doesn't depress me. Sure, I want a brood of children and someone to love and to be loved by.  But, if it doesn't happen....I'll still be content.  I will roam the world.  Defending the widow, the orphan, the poor, and the sojourner.  Maybe I'll work for the U.N. or the president.  Who knows really.

They say you can't go home again.  And the proverbial they, would be right.  But, ladies and gentleman...home is what you make it.  My house, my family, my life will never be the same as I left it four years ago or a month ago when I graduated from college.  They won't always be like they were....but home is what you make it and so is family.

Home is....
- When Momma cooks anything.
- Seeing my Nana
- Church
- High school memories.  Good and bad.
- Reading a book all day in my room.
- Lunch with Maggie and Kaysha.
- Sitting in that green chair that occupied my dorm room.
- Laying on my futon
- The upstairs at the Pucik home.
- Stephanie's kitchen.
- My FBC office.
- Sitting in the chair across from Janet's desk.
- Chilling on Jon's bed talking about life
- Williams walks
- The Library

Home is where you make it.  Home will be Waco, and home will still be Clinton.  Home will still be Walnut Ridge.  Home will still be were the people I love are.  Home will be in my heart not a location in my GPS.

Not to be clique but home...is where the heart is.

A Good Friend

I have been told a lot lately that I am a good friend.  I am loyal, dependable, and loving. I don't judge.  I pray for you.  And frankly, if we are close I would give my right arm for you.  In fact, one of my friends recently told me (as a compliment) that if my relationship with God was a good as it is with my friends than he knows that I am extremely close to God.  It made me tear up a little. I was really honored.  Because, you know what?  I am a good friend.  I am loyal, honest, pretty trustworthy, and I am a dang good listener.  But, this post isn't to tell you how great I am, it is the opposite, it is about confession.  Because, later that night, I was thinking about what this friend said and I thought, O crap.  O crap is right. I am a great friend to him.  I really am, but I think I am a better friend to other people than I am to God.  I know I am.  With God I am wishy washy.  I have public convictions, but I don't often translate them into private action.  Y'all I think I might be a hypocrite.  I have been reading Kyle Idleman's fantastic book, Not a Fan.  It is his chilling and truth filled work on how to be a follower of Christ, not just a fan of him.  To really believe in him, a belief that breeds action.  I have sold myself out into preaching a Christian life of suffering - but joy thorough contentment and then I let toxic thoughts and actions invade my life.

Now, my friends and my family are important.  I want to be good to them.  I want to be loyal and all that jazz.  But, ya'll Jesus says we are to hate our family.  Hate our friends.  In comparison to him there is no second.  He is first, and he is only.  He was the only one in the race because no one else qualified.  I am sorry I am a hypocrite.  Thanks for the compliment, I appreciate it.  But, all of you please help me be a better friend to the best friend I have ever had.  His name is Jesus.

I'm Going to Miss This....

Let's face it.  Williams Baptist College might just be the greatest place on earth.  There may be more love here in the middle of this rice field than I have ever seen or even dreamed of feeling.  I am going to miss it like crazy.  It is not many places that you meet friends that pray for you, pray with you, sing songs with you, laugh, cry, and act like idiots with you.  Ah, but I can't stay here forever.  I can't.  It just isn't possible.  But, in memoriam here are some things I am going to miss:

Theses guys are pretty great.  I love them a whole lot.  Who knew you could have that much personality at ten or eleven.  If I could pick out someone who has taught me the most in the past year it would probably be these kiddos.  They have so much passion.  Talk about from the overflow of the mouth the heart speaks...these guys and some other pretty great kiddos I know have the most amazing hearts I have ever seen.  I am going to miss them like crazy, but I am going to pray for them everyday because if anyone is going to change the world, it'll be them.  

Freshman year we wrote a letter to ourselves that asked a bunch of questions about the future and about now.  When it asked who my best friends were....I wrote these ladies.  Duh!  They are pretty great and I love them with everything I am.  I am going to miss seeing them on my trips home.  And most of all?  Well, Maggie the one with the big smile there in the middle...she's making me an uncle (again).  Uncle Will is going to not be happy about seeing that precious little girl growing inside of her....but you better tell me about her! And you best send pictures.

 Talk about seeing Christ in others?  Jesus shines so brightly through these fellas that you almost miss how darn good looking they are.  Gosh,  they have absolutely beautiful hearts.  They speak endless amounts of truth and love to me.  I don't know what I am going to do without them.  Well, thank God for modern technology, because I am not going to have to go too long without talking to them.  They are wonderful.  And will all be famous.  You will be reading there books.  I will get advanced copies....because well, I knew them when they were little people.  I love you, brothers.

Gosh, this guys is pretty great.  He is well, one of my very best friends.  I couldn't lie to him if I tried and you know what I wouldn't have to, because I can't think of anything I could do that would make him stop being my friend.  I may meet new friends in Waco....but we are skyping.  And you best answer your phone every once in a while.  

 Hannah Kate this cutie and her little bro Eli Carter are going to make me sad.  They are going to grow so much in the next few years.  I am going to miss a lot.  But they are phone talkers and there mommy better send me some pictures of them.

Oh my gosh I love these people.  They are freaking hilarious.  I love getting to be hilarious with them.  And I wouldn't be the Will you know, love, and may hate today if it weren't for them.  They are some kind of wonderful.  And whether I was Charlie Brown or a beat up or paralyzed man getting stepped on I will miss all of your faces and laughing at you and with you.



This girl is pretty special.  She is one of my favorite people in the world.  No matter what, I can talk to her.  She shows so much love to so many people.  She is passionate, she loves Jesus and shows it.  She is just simply precious and I also place that title best friend on her.  She's getting married this summer.  And she is going to be an awesome wife and minister.  Did I mention her husband to be is a soccer coach, rock that minivan, soccer mom.



Want to meet some really cool church ladies?  I know four of them that are awesome!  I seriously might have died of too much cafeteria food and might have had to sleep on the streets during breaks if it weren't for these ladies (and their families) and how well they've take care of me.  Notice also, Lori, Steph, and Chrissy are rockin some OMC shirts...best camp moms ever.  Hannah is going to follow soon!



These people are special because two of them gave me life.  Two of them lived in a house with me for eighteenish years and one of them married my sister (he is a saint :) )  I am going to miss them.  They are really the best family a guy could ask for.  They love me, I love them.  We are pretty good looking too if I might add.  I love you guys.

Keeping My Head Above Water

I am just keeping my head above water theses days.  Simply trying to to you know get the next thing on.  Things like singing in front of people, preaching a sermon on Sunday morning, and picking up my cap and gown haven't made me sad, nostalgic, or induced vomiting.  I am just doing what I know to do.  And what is that?  Certainly, to keep going.  To live for right now and do what's next when it happens.  WHO AM I?  I am not even incredibly sad at the moment to leave Williams.  I love here.  I am WBC's biggest fan.  I freaking love it.  It is just time for next.  It's not like I am losing friends.  I have great ones, they will still be great we will just not see each other every day (and some of them are getting married).  I need to get a meningitis vaccination.  Random, but I do.  I am very tired.  I just want to rest.  Then, 10 weeks of crazy awesomeness awaits.  Then, rent.  And a job, that I don't have yet.  And graduate school 120 hours of it.  And all that...it doesn't scare me.  It makes me incredibly happy to see what's next.

Grace blogged about girl stuff.  Go read it.  She's funny.
Jon didn't blog.  He needs to.
On the CK blog there are some fun games I am going to try out this week with my kiddos.
I have found all these hilarious blogs that all these moms write.  I need a witty and funny dad to write a blog about his family.  Maybe I'll do that someday.

I Sin Too

Yep.  In case you didn't know already....I am a sinner.  Like a class A sinner.  I pretty much suck at life a majority of the time.  I mess up.  The same junk over and over again....and you know what?  My God still loves me.  Even though a majority of the time my prayers are thrown up to him in desperation and times of need instead of daily and in the mundane.  I am self absorbed a majority of the time and even try to mold my relationships and friendships to gratify and please myself.  I am the most undisciplined person in the world.  I have had the idea to start working out and running....for four years.  Now I am fat and have love handles...good.  I read my Bible consistently for you know about a week sometimes two and then forget it exists for about three.  I am a major, major screw up.

Saying that, I was pretty ticked at Mr. Bobby Petrino.  He messed up big time.  You know the details.  He cheated, hired his mistress, gave her money, lied about it afterward.  Honestly, the man deserved to be fired.  But, I beg the question...who of us deserves the same fate?  Y'all I may not be shacking it up with some engaged chick, but I do some pretty awful things.  I was really convicted of that last night when my good friend Jon wrote a tweet about how he forgives Petrino and his sins are no worse than the one's he commits.  I'll be honest, Jon, if you are reading this....I thought come on, buddy the guy screwed up.  He deserved it.  I screw up though....what punishment do I deserve?

This is a cry for discipline and spiritual growth.  For accountability from friends.  For a return to the joy of my salvation.  I am sinking.  I am content with the sinking now....which is sad, but very soon I won't be.  I'll be in a bad place.  It will probably happen you know early June when I will be charged with teaching a gospel to children that I haven't been living out.

Saying that, I despise hypocrites. I hate them even.  Well, I guess I hate myself then.  Because I live lies everyday.

 Lord, forgive me.  Give me clean hands and discipline your child.

Amen.