E for E- 2009

Well, it is done! Tonight I put the finishing touches on the presentation that I will be sharing as I teach at the Equipped for Excellence conference this Saturday. Last year I attended the conference and was taught by someone, who let's just say was a little suspect. I remember walking out of the conference last year thinking, "I sure would like a chance at that!" Well, be careful what you ask for!

If you are not sure what E for E is all about, let me explain. This event is a regional conference for people who teach Sunday School. I am honored and excited to teaching at the conference this year. I was asked to teach the advanced track for teachers of adults with school aged children through teenagers. I have pulled together a variety of resources and it has been exciting to pull it all together into one cohesive presentation.

This year Johnny Hunt, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention will be giving the keynote message. Hard choices...who should I go hear teach, Todd or Johnny Hunt?

I would appreciate your prayers leading up to and on Saturday. I 'll be sure to post later to let you know how it went. I am posting a link below to a Steven Curtis Chapman song entitled "One Heartbeat at a Time." It was written for mothers, but I think us dads can relate to it too. I will be sharing this song with my group on Saturday!

In Christ,
Todd

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppOJkyYonIg

"Garage Sale" Moment

The first time you do anything can give you a feeling of overwhelming uncertainty. Around our house, we like to call it the "garage sale" moment. Have you ever had it? You know, it's that feeling you get when you haul all of your junk out on to your driveway at 5:30 am in the hopes of someone coming to buy the stuff. It's that feeling you get when your neighbors are walking out to get their Saturday morning paper and they look over at you and your junk. You get that feeling, is anybody going to come and buy this stuff?

That is the feeling I am talking about when you do something for the first time. Do you remember some of your firsts? The first time you drove? The first day at your job? The first time you realized that you were responsible for this little newborn baby as you return home from the hospital?

Well, this is the first time that I have ever blogged. My cyber-space "garage sale" moment. I will try and use this spot to communicate what John Piper calls my "Holy Ambition." As some of you know, my "Holy Ambition" is reaching out to people about the love of Christ through marriage and family.

Well, back to the "Garage Sale" moment. We know how the story ends. Can you believe what people buy at garage sales? Yes, people do buy junk! Sometimes in life we need to take the first step and haul the junk in our lives out in the open, to get rid of it. That is what God is asking us to do. He wants for us to get rid of the sin and pain in our lives. And guess what, He already bought our junk through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus. Don't be afraid of your firsts. Step out and trust Him.