Awesome

A few weeks ago I got a call from my son's mom, they live in Orlando. She said that she was having some issues with him, ordinary teenager stuff. Something told that I should go to see him on his birthday. So I got online and checked the cost of the flights to Orlando. Our God is so Awesome!!! I can fly down there, rent a car for 3 days, with all taxes and fees included for $185. So I'm leaving this morning and returning on Monday. How cool is that? God had it planned this way all along. The only way I could go is if the tickets were dirt cheap, and there are. Thank you Lord, you've made a young man and his dad very happy!!!

2 more weeks

Found out today that my son is going to be staying for 2 more weeks!!!! We're having a great time together this summer, went to Cedar Point, played video games, watched movies all that cool guy stuff. And now the adventure continues!!!

Excitement

Tomorrow my son comes in from Florida. I can't wait to give him a big hug. I don't have a great calendar of events planned other than going to Cedar Point with both my sons. Must of our time will be spent hanging out. Should be great!

Huh

This morning I was laying in bed half asleep half awake when this thought crossed my mind:

"You are an amazing guy."

Huh, you know what? I am an amazing guy.

New Blog

When I returned from India I had an extremely difficult time trying to wrap my mind around the experience I had just encountered. God had totally broken down my worldview and was in the process of rebuilding my mindset into something that would advance the Kingdom. On Monday April 19th I posted something that God had put on my heart, one question. What would happen...? After much prayer and thought I've decided to start a new blog called What Would Happen Today...?

I set up this new blog as a forum to help Christian men in their walk with God. My hope is to inspire, connect, and unite men from all denominations, races and social-economic backgrounds for a common cause, to answer the question. What would happen today...?

I'll be posting observations, thoughts, and examples that will lead us to contemplate how we as Christian men can change the world in the name of the Lord. I'll be asking questions that will help us look at ourselves, our worldviews and how God is leading us to honestly make a difference in the world.

So I ask you to check whatwouldhappentoday.com regularly. Carefully read the postings. Think and pray about the answers. Leave comments, so we can help each other advance the Kingdom together.

If you have ideas about postings please email them to brian@whatwouldhappentoday.com please do not post them as a comment.

School's Out For Summer

I remember being in high school (a long time ago) and on the last day of school everyone had Alice Cooper's School's Out blasting out on their car stereo as they were peeling out from the parking lot. Yeah, those were the days.

Yesterday was my last day of school for this semester, and it's bittersweet. The past 2 years I've taken classes over the summer so I can graduate next May, but not this year. I've decided to take the summer off.

My younger son who lives in Florida with his mom will be here in June for his summer visit. He is normally here for 6 weeks or so, but not this year. He's 13 and going into the 8th grade in the fall. He has decided to play football, and conditioning starts in the middle of July. So he is only going to be here for 3 1/2 weeks this summer.

I knew it was coming, the older he gets the more things he will be involved with and the less time we will have to spend together. Even though graduating on time is important to me, spending as much time as I can with him is the most important thing in the world.

Advice?

Have you ever had a conversation with a close friend, and they tell you about a situation they're in, and you give them your advice? Sure, we all do. It's human nature. We want to help our friends realize the things we see, but they may be blind to or in denial about. Has God ever put you in a similar situation just a few days later? Do you follow your own advice? It's easy to tell others what to do, but really hard for us to tell ourselves what to do. Why is that?

What should I do?

What if you were out for your early morning walk or run in the park and noticed that someone had wrapped all the swings around the top bar of a popular swing set? It's too high for children to reach or even most mothers for that matter. You're on a tight schedule and have to be somewhere right after your run.

Or what if your walking through church before service and you notice that someone has dropped a gum wrapper on the floor?

Or what if you find out, a woman you have never met, who lives down the street has been diagnosed with cancer. Her husband has been laid off, and her job is their only source of income. She will need surgery and chemotherapy. They have 4 children all under the age of 12.

What should I do?

I have to ask myself this question hundreds of times a day. The choices I make can make a difference in someone's life. Do I continue on my run, or do I stop and get the swings down so the kids can play? Do I step over the gum wrapper, or do I pick it up so that the church is clean for a newcomer? Do I drive by my neighbor's house and shake my head with pity, or do I get some of the other neighbors together and cook meals for these people in need?

The answer should be easy but it's not. I'm running late, someone else will pick it up, wow that is so sad, these are excuses that pass through my head all the time.

What would happen if I did get the swings down, pick up the wrapper, and get the neighborhood to help out?

What would happen...

What would happen if every Christian man in America took a stand for who he believes in?

How would you make this happen?

What are your answers to these questions?

Think and pray about your answers and post your thoughts.

This is not a platform for political views or religious doctrine. It's a way to open discussion about the impact we as Christ followers could have on the world if every one of us drew a line in the sand and took a stand for our Savior.

Press On

This past Sunday I had the pleasure and honor of leading worship with my friend Seth Bible at his home church in Archbold OH. Archbold Evangelical Church opened their new facility about a year ago and have seen some really incredible growth. God is doing great work in their community. On Saturday night they hosted a worship conference lead by Lincoln Bewster. Seth played a warm up set before Lincoln and then lead worship on Sunday morning. Adrain Taylor who plays bass with Seth couldn't stay for Sunday so Seth asked me if I would fill in, and I am so glad I did.

I love how our God Works, He cracks me up at times and this is one of those times. For the past few days I've been in a bit of a funk, just a little out of sorts. It seems like now that my trip to India is over there isn't any "big" event to look forward to and I'm just coasting along.

At AEC they have 2 services, traditional (8:30am) and contemporary (11:00am). I didn't need to be there until 9:30 for rehearsal but I'm up early anyway and decided to make the 2 hour drive over and get there in time for the 8:30 service. They are finishing up their building pledge campain and God has blessed them with exceeding their goals. So they are moving into the next phase of pledges to pay down the debt of the new building. This phase is titled "Press On".

Pastor Jesse Kahler's sermon was about pressing on as far as the importance of the congregation stepping up and continuing on the path to the goal. Even though they had met the goals set by the finance committee, there is still debt that needs to be repaid. So he talked about how to press on.

Here's the funny thing. It was exactly what I needed to hear. Not the importance of the pledges, but the importance of pressing on. As he was talking to his congregation about something total opposite of what I was thinking and feeling God talked to me. The was a parallel there. They had met the goal set up at the beginning of their building project, and I had met my goal of going to India. The whole point of his sermon was to keep moving, keep working, there are new goals to be set, and this is not the time to coast. It's really easy to put your feet up, relax, admire your accomplishments and say that was great, I can take some time off now. But here's what happens; we get complacent, we spend too much time looking at the past, we relax and forget that there is still work to be done. That is exactly what I've been doing, and that's why I've been a little off base. I need to press on to the next adventure, what ever that my be.

These are the notes I took from Pastor Jesse's sermon:

A person who presses on

- has a sense of spiritual incompleteness. They are always seeking to be more like Jesus, and they become more humble the closer they get to Him.

-refuses to dwell on the past. They learn from their mistakes and victories but look to the future.

-exerts enormous energy toward the goal.

I love how God works. I had a choice, I could have told Seth that I didn't have time to spend a good part of my day or the expense of driving over there, but I followed what I felt in my heart.
If we listen He leads us, talks to us, puts things in front of us when we least expect it. Thank you Lord for a great day.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV)

I'm no saint

Someone left an anonymous comment on my post "Processing". I left a generic reply but I feel that I need to comment further.

Here's the comment:
As I read your blog on your trip, I can't even imagine all the emotions that you are feeling. All the thoughts you are trying to process. Not sure I feel worthy of your friendship as I am certainly in no way far along in my walk with God that you are. May NEVER be! Reading that you just take "time with God", "time to read the Bible", just "time" in itself. Sometimes I feel I am on the right track but I always get detoured by something/someone. What a wonderful and Godly person you are. You do have so much to give to others thru God and that makes you an awesome man! Jealous sometimes I feel of people like you. Shouldn't feel that way. I do feel blessed with what I have and my healthy kids. Something is missing though.....

my reply:

God loves us right where we are. And once we realize that and surrender ourselves to Him, He does the rest.

further comment:

But here's the thing, I'm no saint. I don't read my Bible everyday, I get distracted very easily, I disappoint people, myself and God. I spend way too much time obsessing about trivial things. I make bad decisions. I procrastinate, I tend to let things slide, I don't plan for the future. I make mistakes just like anyone else. So knowing these things about myself I have to make a conscious effort to do the things that I should do. I pray every morning. I ask for guidance, strength, courage, hope, love, understanding, and wisdom. I pray every night before bed, I thank the Lord for a good day (even though it may not have been). I read Christian "self help" books (check out the recommend reading). I do read the Bible but not as often as I should. I go to church every week, and I volunteer there on a regular basis. Even though it appears I have it all together, there are times I'm totally screwed up. Those are the times that I really need to spend time with God, read my Bible and just spend time alone.

I wanted to share these thoughts a little more in depth because I think it's important to understand that it takes a lot of work and effort to surrender and walk with God. I am willing to put forth the effort.

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Luke 11:9-10 (NIV)

Debrief

We had our first India team debrief last night. It was great to get back together with my team mates, most of them I hadn't seen since our return. As I looked around the room into the faces of these men and women that dropped everything they were doing to set aside 10 days of their busy lives to make a difference for a small village of people on the other side of the world I saw something. I saw changed lives.

Processing

We returned from India 2 weeks ago today. Over this time I've been processing an overload of information in my mind. The emotions and questions about my experience have really taken a toll on my outlook and purpose in life.

When people ask me about the trip I have 2 versions I use to describe the experience, the "postcard" version and the "reality" version. The postcard version usually goes like this: The trip was great, God is doing some awesome work over there. Nobody was detained, or got deathly ill, the kids were incredible, the concerts went well, etc. I use this version with acquaintances or if I don't want to get into into my deep feelings and thoughts. The reality is that God is doing some awesome work over there. Lives are being changed, but part of the struggle in my mind is this: In a country with a land mass about 1/3 the size of the US with a population of 1.2 billion people are we really making a difference? Even though I could see a difference was being made in this small village of "untouchables", after about 7 days in I was overcome with a feeling of insignificance. There are so many people, there is so much poverty, so much trash, noise, traffic, and customs so opposite from our own, I felt overwhelmed. I'm a solitude type person, so knowing what I needed to recharge I took a few minutes to "get away" with God. While everyone else was going to work on a project I stayed behind. I got a chair and sat on the edge of the "tent city" near an open field with my Bible and did some talking with God. It helped for that day but I'm still processing through many questions and feelings.

So I've spent the past 2 weeks praying, listening for God's direction, talking with friends, and thinking about where all this is leading me. During the pre-trip training we where told that a trip like this will change our lives. We would go through stages of being broken down and rebuilt, but I had no idea that it would effect me the way it has. My entire outlook has been altered, things that were important before don't seem like such a big deal anymore.

I know God is working on something behind the scenes with all of this, but what can it be? So I ask that you pray for me to be willing to follow His direction, that I open myself up to His will, and that I open my eyes, ears, hands, feet, words, mind and heart to Him and the people I'm to serve. I have a feeling my work in India in not done.

Incredible India

We returned from Kalavai India on Sunday night. This was an incredible trip. I've posted just a few photos from the trip to give you an idea of the situation that is going on over there. God is doing some amazing work in this small colony of untouchables. Thank you for your support and prayers along the way.

Today is the day

I hadn't planned on posting anything today as we leave for India. But I get an email every morning from Joel Osteen Ministries and today's email seemed fitting to share with you today.

Before Creation

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

"For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight"
(Ephesians 1:4, NIV)

TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Did you know God had a plan for you before the foundations of the earth? He created you to be holy and blameless in His sight. Why? He chose you to be His ambassador, His representative on the earth. God created you to reflect His glory. He created you to reflect His character, His righteousness, His holiness. Think about that for a moment. Part of your purpose on this earth is to be a representative for the King of kings and the Lord of lords. That should make you want to walk a little differently. It should make you want to talk differently. It should make you think a little more carefully about the places you go and the things you do.

Are you representing God's holiness today? Remember, God will equip you to do whatever He's called you to do. If there are things in your life that you need to change, God wants to empower you to overcome those things. Receive His strength and might today so that you can walk in holiness as His ambassador and live the destiny He has prepared for you.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, thank you for choosing me today. I ask You to search my heart and remove anything that is displeasing in Your sight. I accept Your holiness today. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Take a few minutes today and reflect on what Joel is saying here. Do you need a change? Are you representing God today? Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone to advance the Kingdom?

Take care friends, see you when I return. God Bless.

Tomorrow We Leave for Kalavai India

When I started this blog on April 1 2008 I didn't really have any ideas of what to post, what to call it, or if I would have anything interesting to say. I called it Brian's Big Adventure loosely based on a combination of the title from the Pee Wee Herman movie & a friend had named his blog Adventures in Life. Over the past 2 years I shared some of my inner most thoughts, quotes or readings that I've found to be helpful to me, places I've gone, times with my sons, Bible verses, song lyrics, and my alone times with God.

Life is truly an adventure. How we live out that adventure is what matters. I've tried really hard to follow were I believe God is leading me. And by doing so He has picked me and a handful of other followers to go to India to represent Him. I am so humbled even at the thought of being considered to do this, but to actually be going to India is humbling beyond words.

Many Thanks to everyone for your prayers and support! Without God putting it on you heart to help make this adventure happen, and your following His lead, I would not be going to share His Love with those who so desperately need it.

This will be my last post until I return. Please follow the team blog for updates as we go.

gccindiamarch2010.blogspot.com

Thanks again! You ROCK!

¹After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. ²He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. ³Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Luke 10:1-3

1 week

Well guys it's getting closer, we leave for Kalavai India in 1 week. I want to thank everyone for your support and prayers. We couldn't be doing this without your help. God has great plans for this trip and you are making it happen.

I'm leaving the Donate button up until I return from India. Even though we met our goal of $3000, I've also had several hundred dollars of out of pocket expenses (immunizations, passport, supplies, etc...). So if the Lord put it on your heart to help with support but thought you missed out there's still time. Your gift of any amount is greatly appreciated and will help advance the Kingdom here at home as well as in India.

Thanks again!

We did it!!!

Wow we did it!!!! We made our goal of raising $3000 for my mission trip to India!! You guys ROCK!!! Thanks to everyone for your donations and prayers!! God has great plans for this trip and I'm so thankful that you have made it happen!

We Have a Winner

I sold 117 entries into the contest for the 24" LCD TV, Joseph R is the winner! Thanks to everyone that supported the cause.

Final Day

Today is the final day to win a 24" LCD TV to raise support for my mission trip to India. For every $5 you donate you will get an entry into a drawing to win the TV. * Use the "Donate" button on the right to make your donation by credit card or PayPal.

Thanks for your support and prayers. Good Luck!!!!

*Continental US only, outside of local South Bend IN area a Best Buy gift card of equal value could be substituted. Contest begins 8:00amEST 02/15/10 and ends at 11:59pm EST on 02/21/10 drawing will be held on 02/22/10. Winner will be notified by email on the day of drawing. Contest includes donations made from this website and by raffle tickets sold in person. All other donations do not qualify. Donation does not guarantee winning, only one prize will be awarded.

Disappointed Yet Happy

I got news the other day that I did not get the job I interviewed for a couple of weeks ago. I am disappointed but also very happy at the same time. I got a chance to meet her and truly think she is the best fit for the job. She has been investing her time by volunteering for this organization for quit some time now, and should be able to step right in without much training at all. The people she will be working with are awesome. I've already seen them working together and I can tell that God's hand is all over this. Pray for Karen, her family and the team as she takes on this new adventure.

Win a 24" LCD TV

We have 1 week left to raise support for my mission trip to India. I've come up with a great way for you to help the cause and get something in return. For every $5 you donate you will get an entry into a drawing to win a 24" LCD TV. * Use the "Donate" button on the right to make your donation by credit card or PayPal.

Thanks for your support and prayers. Good Luck!!!!

*Continental US only, outside of local South Bend IN area a Best Buy gift card of equal value could be substituted. Contest begins 8:00amEST 02/15/10 and ends at 11:59pm EST on 02/21/10 drawing will be held on 02/22/10. Winner will be notified by email on the day of drawing. Contest includes donations made from this website and by raffle tickets sold in person. All other donations do not qualify. Donation does not guarantee winning, only one prize will be awarded.

Job Interview

I had a job interview last Thursday for an awesome position. The interview went very well, actually it was really fun. Like any other interview there was the typical questions; tell us about yourself, how did you hear about us, etc... what was cool was the conversation between the questions. When I answer questions like these I tell a story, inside the story I use examples and from those examples other questions come up. I don't do this to change the subject but to give the interviewers a look inside of who I am and my life experience.

I have great admiration for the people I could be working with and think I would be a great fit. But they are interviewing several other people, and they should. So please pray for God's will in this, if I'm hired then that would be awesome, and if not then God must have something else for me.

Thanks Friends

4 WEEKS

4 Weeks from today we leave for India. By the end of next week I will have all my immunizations, we'll have the first of our rehearsals in and I'll start my packing preparation. I'm really beginning to get excited!!! Wow it's starting to sink in!

Do you have Google Earth on you computer? If so, type in the"fly to" search- Kalavai, India -and it will take you right there. Check it out, it's really cool!!!!

PayPal

I wanted to share the update for my India Mission Trip support drive. As of yesterday we are at $1515!!! That is awesome! We're over half way to the goal of $3000 by 02-22-10.

I had an idea that may make it easier for some of you to donate to the cause. For those of you who have a PayPal account I've added a donate button to this Blog. Please feel free to use this secure online service to make your donation.

Thanks again for your support and prayers!!! God has great plans for this trip and I'd love for you to be apart of it!!

A Dream

"A dream becomes reality one opportunity at a time. And if you work like it depends on you and pray like it depends on God, there is no telling what God can do in you and through you."

From - In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson

Excited

On 12/17 I posted that I had left my job due to various reasons. A couple of years ago I interviewed for a part time job at my church, but because of my full time job schedule we couldn't make it work. After leaving my job in December I decided to send an email to the person I interviewed with and asked her to keep me in mind if a position became available. Our God is so cool! She emailed me back right away and said that she needed to hire two people to fill spots that had just become available. WOW! I'm a firm believer all things happen for a reason, few things in life are coincidental, and this proves it.

This position is on the Facility Care (housekeeping). It's not the most glamorous job in the church and it is part time so finances are still going to be really tight. But here's the thing. I am so excited about working at the church and the opportunities this could open for me. God has great plans for me. I am humbled and grateful for this new adventure.

Matthew 6:25-27
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

A Prayer for Living Up to the Best in Our Souls

You have blessed me with many gifts, God, but I know it is my task to realize them. May I never underestimate my potential; may I never lose hope. May I find the strength to strive for better, the courage to be different, the energy to give all that I have to offer.

Help me God, to live up to all the goodness that resides within me. Fill me with humility to learn from others and with the confidence to trust my own instincts.

Thank You, God for the power to grow. Amen

from: Talking to God by Naomi Levy

India Trip Support Update

Just got an update on the support status. We are at $855 as of today! That's awesome!!! Many many thanks to those of you have already made a donation!

There are some important dates quickly approaching that you should be aware of:

Jan 20th, $1500 has to be turned in to cover the cost of airline tickets and transportation. So we're over half way to that goal. But remember that this is only 2 weeks away.

Feb 22nd, $3000 total has to be turned in, we're over a quarter of the way to that goal.

March 5th is the day we leave for India, 2 months from today!

I've had several people tell me that they are going to make donations after the holidays. That's great!This is just a reminder that we are closing in on the half way mark (Jan 20th) and we still have a ways to go to the $1500.

I love you guys but more importantly God loves you, and He loves the people of Kalavai India too.

Tax deductible support donations can be mailed to :

Granger Community Church
attn: Jeanna Tripp
630 E. University Dr.
Granger IN, 46530
(write Brian Warrell India 2010 in the memo line)

Or you can give online:

www.gccwired.com/missiontrips
(After setting up an account select my name from the drop down box.)

Thank you for your prayers and support!

Priceless

My 13 year old son lives in Florida with his mom most of the year. He comes to visit 6 weeks in the summer and a week over Christmas break. This Christmas break because of the cost of airfare it was cheaper for him to stay an extra week which saved us about $300. Part of the reason I left my job when I did was so I could spend all that time with him. In the past it always worked out that I would be on-call for my job and end up working 60-80 hours that week, so I would only see him for short periods of time. It was terrible.

These past 2 weeks were truly a gift. We spent almost the entire time together, playing Wii and Xbox360, wrestling and tickling, talking and enjoying each other's company; real father and son bonding.

I have faith that God has another job being prepared for me that will be closer to His plan for my life. Would a 60-80 hour paycheck have been nice? Yes. But most things in life only happen once. Spending quality time with someone you love is PRICELESS!