Flip video now working!

Get ready - I got the Flip Video working tonight - the audio was working w/o the video - but now I have both............more to come!

Not boring....

There are many things I love about what I do - and one of them is that it is not boring (except for my blog, I know - I keep promising and not delivering!!!  I just can't get this Flip Video to work!).  I am constantly learning - even when I don't realize it.  Today, I had the opportunity to get together at Northstar Church with several pastors from the area - and it was great to meet and get to know them.  Mike Linch was a great host to us!  Then Brian and I had the opportunity to connect with a guy from North Point named David McDaniel - he has been a big help to VL.  I am enjoying the journey and process of all that God is allowing me to be involved in - and it is surely not boring!

So while I am on the "not boring" kick - here are a few other random things that aren't boring......feel free to comment and add some (although I will not promise to publish all of them!)

• Living in Atlanta
• Being married to my wonderful and beautiful wife!
• Being a dad of 2 amazing girls
• People watching
  
• Living in a house with 3 females
• Living in a house with 3 females
• Living in a house with 3 females
• No, the top 3 statements are not a mistake - it is very much on purpose!
• Owning a Mac
• Now owning an iPhone (which I love!)
• Learning all of the amazing features on my new iPhone while driving in the "not so boring" Atlanta traffic!
• Filling my car up with gas these days
• Remembering Chris Farley (that sure is random!)
• Eating at all of the incredible restaurants around Atlanta
• Reading my wife's blog
• Vinings Lake Church!
• Drinking coffee

Ok, that's it for now. 

2 Years at Vinings Lake!

I can't believe it has been 2 years since VL has started!  We had a wonderful day Sunday as we celebrated victories and cast vision - to Be The Church TODAY and to See The Church TOMORROW.

On Sunday, I celebrated my wife being such a big part of VL to me personally - as she fulfills her role to love and support me.  I privately told her this before Sunday as well.  She is my best friend and the greatest partner anyone could ask for as a pastor's wife.  I would never even want to do what I do without her!

I got an extra special gift - 2 incredible gifts to be exact - from my wonderful staff.  They got me my very own iPhone - and a Flip Video!  I am pretty sure that they are trying to kill me b/c I had to quit the Blackberry due to an addiction - and now by getting me the iPhone - it will probably damage me and many others on the roads around the ATL!

The people at VL are truly amazing.  I love them - they are the best.  VL, your love for God and love for the people of our community and around the world is evident by the way you serve and value others!

I have made a Flip video but I am having some issues in trying to connect it - it will be coming soon.......

A LOVING God - is to be feared.

God is love - full of love - and mercy, grace, compassion - MORE than our human minds could ever grasp.  AND He is our creator, sustainer, source of power, the ONE TRUE LIVING God.  And He is to be feared, revered, and respected - not to be reckoned with.

I have been reading through some of the book of Numbers lately.  In some of the chapters - around 14-16, we see some rebellion that the people of Israel were walking in - against God's servants (Moses and Aaron) - and ultimately against God.  

I think it is always healthy to be reminded, as I was reading this, that God is to be feared.  Look at what He says in 14:34-35, "you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.....They will meet their end in this desert; here they will die."

It is also amazing to see how Moses and Aaron stood to be the mediator between God and man - and what a foreshadow of Jesus Christ - who stands - READY to mediate us to God through His incredible grace, love, mercy, compassion - not because we deserve it but because He loves us!

If you are like me, you might even think this thought, "it seems like God and Jesus are different - one is judging, ruling, powerful and the other is mercy, grace, loving...."  The truth is both - God is our creator, ruler, and a JUST God who will judge the living and the dead.  However - He is FULL of love because He BECAME a man and BECAME sin for us - through His Person of Jesus Christ.  

God MADE Himself the fulfillment of His love - because He knew we could never do it on our own.  That is TRUE LOVE!

And the winner is...........

*After we got in the car - we ended up NOT going to eat at Chili's or to eat sushi...................we went to the other Hixson favorite - MEXICAN!  So a little chips, salsa, guacamole - and our favorite mexican chicken soup.

It was a fun night together!

What will it be....Chili's or sushi?

We are back - and not the same!

We arrived back to the ATL last night.  Can't even begin to say all that took place but I want to thank our Father for answering our prayers - and thank YOU for all of your prayers for us and the team and the people there.  We prayed specifically for unity and safety for the team and for God to work in the hearts of the people we ministered to.  He did ALL of that and so much more.

I will probably blog more later - but just a couple immediate

 thoughts.....

• Our mission TEAM was #1!  They ALL did great - even the kids!  What a privilege to do this together - we all fell in love with each other!

• I have been reading through Romans during my quiet time and the very first day there (Saturday) the exact passage that was next for me to read was in Romans 10 - where it basically says "how can they hear unless someone preaches, how can someone preach unless someone goes, how can someone go unless they are sent....beautiful are the feet that bring the good news!"  What a START to the week we had!  What a prophesy for what we got to do all week!

• Go to Hollie's blog (click here) for a few GREAT photos of Hope ministering (she did awesome) and of a lady that is LITERALLY 116 years old!  She was puckering up to give me a kiss - seriously!  (what happens in the D.R. stays in the D.R.).  This was the first mission trip that my wife and I have taken together - I love you babe!

• Go to my good friend Cody Deese's blog (click here).  He has some amazing footage and videos from the trip - from the first day until the last - Cody, you and Katie rock - it was awesome to experience this with you both! 
  

Dominican Republic

Hollie, Hope and I will be in the Dominican Republic from this Friday until the following with our Vinings Lake family.  

We are excited about our opportunity and the very first "official" mission trip that VL is taking!  Please pray for our team - unity and safety - and please pray for the people we will be ministering to.  

We will be visiting a few orphanages, an open air evangelistic opportunity, Vacation Bible School with children, and feeding a village (or a few).  

So the blog will probably be down - unless I feel saucy enough to throw one out there!

Apple Bottoms

My sister Hannah and her husband Josh got my girls their very own Apple Bottoms T-Shirts!  Wow - how can I say thanks - I hope they wear them everywhere!!!  (Addie probably will never take hers off!)

Thanks uncle Josh and Aunt Hannah!  I am buying you kids a set of drums!

.....this clothing brand is for real!