We’re ready for Him to show up and show out in 2012.

A lot of tools and resources are coming our way to help us reach people far from God with the life-changing message of Jesus. We want to ambush people with the love and grace and second chances offered in Christ. And much of that starts with repainting our virtual front door; the welcome mat many first timers see before we ever have the opportunity of meeting them — our website. Our desire is to communicate a message of hope through as many avenues as possible. Check out the revamped lexmomentum.com and let me know your thoughts!

We’re also stoked about our Online Campus launching this spring! An Online Campus goes beyond the informational hub that is the common website and purposely connects and provides community for not only people in Lexington, but anywhere in the world. Or, in other words, reinforces the ambush! Stay tuned!

It reminds me of when I was in college. I had a specific playlist on my iPod that I’d use to study for major exams, and at any given point, I knew about how long I had been on the books in the library or the SLC.

Tim notices the volume too. We’re probably there too much.

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About a month ago, we were there again talking about what God is doing at Momentum and all the different ministries going on. We had been in a series called “Radical” that was about Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. These are the two significant ideas that stuck out to me:

The difference between a dreamer and a visionary is action.

God is big enough to handle our dreams and personal enough to care. 

So in an attempt to to fuse these ideas, connect them with our Momentum family and move us to a place of action, we came up with projectserve. The basic idea behind projectserve was simple – for it to be a springboard of service and an avenue for Momentum to love Lexington and to Love the world – to ultimately be the answer to prayer.

For the next week, we mulled over different projects and challenges, both big and small, some requiring great commitment, some quick acts of love – all kinds of ways to simply share and serve in the name of Jesus. We then detailed the various projects on index cards inside of envelopes labeled “local” or “global.” At the finale of our “Radical” series, we challenged our friends and families and folks we didn’t even know to come and select an envelope but to not open it until they were certain that they would carry out the project crying out on the inside.

The response: incredible.

It was amazing to watch families walk hand-in-hand, pray and select an envelope. To watch young people, middle aged people and older people all come and get envelopes. Some grabbing more than one. Some getting back to their seat, opening it, and then coming back for more! Some taking a //local project AND a //global challenge! (The only envelopes clearly marked as to what the enclosed challenge was were Compassion International Sponsorships)

And here is a glimpse at how Momentum is loving Lexington and loving the world through our projectserve initiative:

• 10 different donations of 10 canned foods to the Lexington God’s Pantry
• 8 different donations of  4 towels and 4 packs of socks to the Lexington Hope Center
• 6 challenges to rake the leaves of a neighbor’s yard
• 3 challenges to buy the person’s meal behind you the next time you go through a drive-thru
• 3 challenges to volunteer with either the Hope Center, God’s Pantry or Assurance

• 5 different Compassion International Sponsorships (12 month financial commitment)
• 2 different gifts of 2 chickens to families through World Vision (provides income and nutrition)
• 2 different gifts of 5 ducks to families through World Vision (provides income and nutrition)
• 6 different gifts of PUR Clean Water Packets through World Vision (provides clean water)

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I am grateful for the response of the Momentum family to projectserve. The enthusiasm and joy was and is immensely encouraging. I love the passion in which our people are tackling their challenges and truly making impacts locally and globally!

However, if we don’t implement that type of action and giving into our every day lives – outside of a simple program during November – then we’ll miss so many opportunities to be instruments of the King. He’s big enough to handle our dreams, yeah, but our struggles, our pain and our sin, too — and He’s personal enough to care – to do something about it – to walk us through, use us to walk others and to serve and forgive. So when He speaks, we’ve got to be listening; it’s easy to miss subtle volume changes.

Sometimes I wish it were like a courthouse bell.

But then again, maybe it is.

It’s like someone flips a switch at 10:00pm on Thanksgiving day that thrushes our entire culture into the Christmas season. It’s so easy to fill our calendars and days with shopping, get-togethers, gift-wrapping, gift-giving and gift-receiving – decorating, cooking and eating – and playing and sleeping. And in the chaos, Jesus becomes music in the background. I recently read a blog written by Ian Cron and think it fits perfectly; I’d like to share some of it here:

A year ago Rob and I were sitting in a Starbucks in Connecticut, drinking lattes and catching up when he turned his gaze toward the ceiling.

“Do you hear that?” Rob said, his expression darkening.

“Hear what?” I said.

“Listen,” he said, glaring at the white speaker grilles above our heads. “Do you know that song?”

I closed my eyes and strained to hear the music over the hiss and gurgle of milk being steamed for someone’s cappuccino.

I shrugged. “Nope,” I said. “I can’t make it out.”

Rob threw his hands up in the air. “That’s a cut off Miles Davis’ record Kind of Blue,” he said, his voice rising with indignation.

“Alright,” I said. “Apparently this bothers you.”

“It’s MILES DAVIS!” he said, slapping the tabletop with his hand.

I’ve known Rob for 30 years. He’s talented. He’s smart. He’s not afraid to speak his mind.

“When brilliant compositions are used for background music it desensitizes people to their genius,” he continued.

I paused. “You mean familiarity breeds contempt?” I said.

“Precisely. If an amazing piece of music is constantly playing in the background your admiration for it doesn’t increase, it diminishes. It becomes no big deal,” Rob said, imitating someone trying to speak and yawn at the same time.

At the time I thought Rob’s remarks were insightful but overstated, and yet something about them rang true. They stuck with me.

Last week I was sitting in another Starbucks, this one two blocks from my home in Franklin, TN reading Max Picard’s The World of Silence and drinking coffee when I made a connection between what Rob had said and the world I live in.

Is Jesus becoming background music in my life?

No matter where I go someone is talking, singing, arguing, writing a book, blogging, putting on a conference, or making a record about…Jesus.

(Yes, I’m aware I’m guilty of doing this right now.)

Not a day goes by when I don’t see tee shirts with Bible verses printed on them or a tattoo of Jesus’ crucifixion inked on someone’s arm. Billboards with warnings about hell dot the highway. I can’t turn on the radio or television without someone talking at me about Jesus; he’s quoted (or misquoted) on bumper stickers, and recently while standing at a urinal in the men’s room at a restaurant I looked up and discovered a framed print of John 3:16 hanging on the wall in front of me. Some people don’t do subtle.

If Rob is right my experience of constant exposure to all things Jesus isn’t increasing my admiration or devotion for him, it’s diminishing it.

Read the entire post HERE

Again, I hope that I see Jesus and not miss Jesus in the midst of celebrating Jesus this Christmas!

I don’t want to allow culture to crowd out the beauty of Emmanuel. Pete Wilson offers some advice on how he combats the distracting and chaotic noise this time of year. Each time he sees a nativity scene, he pauses to say, “Wow! That really happened. That REALLY happened. God actually stepped into human history and gave us what we really needed, a Savior who bathed us in his life changing, soul shaping grace.”

It’s easy to allow all of these nativity scenes to get lumped into the same category as Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy… but it was an actual event that changed everything!”

Let’s not miss Jesus. He’s the main event – and demands – and deserves – to stay there!

Over the past month, our staff has looked back at what God has already done through this sprout of a plant as we’re trusting His direction to shake the world. (We’ve been floored with the gracious outpour of hope that Momentum has already experienced! I remember emailing back and forth, back and forth with our Pastor, Tim Cooper, exclaiming the incredible work God is doing and how humbling it is to play small roles!) And each year, we’ll take the time to contemplate and celebrate what He’s done, and what He’s allowed us to be a part of, in order to remind and encourage us, our church, our families and our friends, that when we simply look for where He’s at work, and then join Him, He’ll continue expanding His Kingdom. He’ll continue making Jesus famous.

So that’s what this is; Momentum’s first annual report. Make sure to check out the composite sketch to see where our people have come from! God is amazing. For real. — And note that this report is through the end of September 2011; we continue to invite your prayers and support! Join in on the Kingdom expansion in Lexington, Kentucky!

Thank you and we love you!

PC

To view the celebration, click this link: Momentum 2011 Annual Report

With the ever-growing popularity of Apple’s App Store, I’ve decided to compose a personal list of my favorite apps. I’ve included a short description of each App and what I use them for. Hope you enjoy!

// with Evernote, you can type rich text, clip a web page, take a photo, click and drag A/V files, copy a screenshot, and so much more; all the while, Evernote will keep it safe and searchable! (you can even search for text in photos!) Evernote automatically syncs with all of my devices so I have my important information wherever I go. I use it daily to take notes, prepare messages, lessons, schedules, events, blogs and email. This is one of my absolute favorite Apps and I use it on the iPhone, iPad and iMac.
 // Glo Bible is simply incredible. Using Glo has enhanced the way I study and prepare messages. The content of the Bible is divided up into 5 main “lenses” : Bible (Natural Order), Atlas (Geographically), Timeline (Chronologically), Media (Video, Articles, Interactive Photos), and Topical (Popular Topical Network). I use Glo daily as it has built in note features that sync across my iPhone, iPad and iMac. (It also syncs with YouVersion!) *Full version is worth the price!

 // Dropbox is taking the place of my flash drive. You simply drop your files into it and it automatically syncs across my iPhone, iPad and iMac. You can access your files even when offline and they’re always safe on the Dropbox secure site. This is the best way to share text, audio and video files between church staff, friends and family. For example, I recently shared a Passion 2011 message for my friend in Colorado to listen to on his iPhone, a medical release form to a student to attend a trip and a video to my pastor to use in last weeks service.

 // The USAA iPhone and iPad App lead the banking industry by years (literally). To bank with full USAA features, you must have a military connection. The customer service is simply incredible. Since USAA only has local branches in Texas, it has forced them to excel in online and mobile banking. Deposit@Mobile (depositing checks via iPhone) came out 2 years ago – match that with no ATM fees – and I haven’t had the need to go to a bank in 24 months.

// Pulse is an iPad app that takes your favorite websites and transforms them into a colorful and interactive mosaic. Tap on an article to see a clean and elegant view of the news story. I have different tabs for Sports, Technology, News, Blogs, etc. I view this app as a newspaper personally designed just for me. I choose the topics, webpages or magazines I want to view and that’s what I get. No sifting through articles that don’t captivate my interest. I use pulse when my wife is watching shows like Teen Mom or What Not to Wear.

// Noteshelf for iPad is great for anyone who doesn’t like typing on the built in keyboard. Noteshelf allows you to write, with either your finger or a much more preferred, stylus, anything; ranging from personal journal entries to baseball box scores. The built-in variety of notebooks accommodates any note taking needs you could have. I can then export my handwritten notes into Evernote or Dropbox (or of course, email) and have them whenever or wherever I need.

// Voxer is a really cool iPhone app I mainly use with my wife and her family. It incorporates a walkie-talkie, text messaging and picture messaging into one easy to use and navigate app. You can create a conference room with multiple users which makes it great for traveling or working in close proximity.

// Smart Converter from the Mac App Store is phenomenal. It’s one of those, “I can’t believe this is free” apps! You simply drag any video or music file onto the App and select the type of device you’d like to play it on. The App then automatically converts the file into a supported file for that particular device. It’s very useful for converting teaching videos, YouTube videos and Windows files to Mac files. I don’t use it all the time, but when I need it, it’s easy and exactly what I need.

// Sketchbook Express, on both the Mac and iPad, is a great drawing and editing program. It’s fairly simple and quite intuitive. I’ve used it to create and edit logos, signs, photos, etc. Using the stylus on the iPad turns it into a true sketchbook. The various tools, such as pens, pencils, and markers, are true to form and surprisingly realistic. You can even shade and lightly erase pencil marks! I’d recommend it for anyone who needs those options or just enjoys drawing and doodling.

// Speech Prompter is an easy to use iPad app perfect for anyone shooting video (teaching, instructional, etc). We use it with staff for series videos at church. Pastor and communicator Mike Breaux recommended this App to me as he uses it to teach from at Heartland Community Church and Southland Christian Church. It’s especially handy for pastors teaching multiple services. Check it out!

I hope you enjoyed my list! Comment and let me know your favorite Apps!

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***Notable: Facebook for iPhone, MyPad+ (Facebook) for iPad, Facebox Pro (Facebook) for Mac / Twitter for iPhone, iPad and Mac / Netflix for iPhone and iPad / MyAT&T for iPhone / Red Laser for iPhone / Shazam for iPhone / Virtual DJHome for Mac / WordPress for iPhone and iPad / Google Voice for iPhone

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-Are we drawing people to Jesus or to a way of doing church? – Jeff Vines #NACC
-Your level of joy is in direct proportion with the cheerfulness of your gift. @DaveStone920 #NACC
-Give above and beyond, in a unique way, in a sacrificial way; give lavishly! @DaveStone920 #NACC
-Love in a way that’s unexpected; love lavishly. @DaveStone920 #NACC
-Following Jesus isn’t always easy, but it’s never complicated @MikeBreaux #NACC
-God calls us to make ripples; make positive pandemonium with our lives! @MikeBreaux #NACC #threads
-Are you bored with your life? There’s an App for that – follow Jesus! - @MikeBreaux #NACC #threads
-Jesus didn’t nudge his disciples out of their comfort zones…he shoved them - @pastordudley #gotonacc #NACC
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Last Wednesday, Kari and I got to experience a miracle. We sat, nervously excited, taking in everything as rookies, trying to stay cool but not pretending like we’ve ever been in those shoes before. I don’t have the first clue about what I’m doing. Literally, all I could do was pray; for my wife, for guidance, for strength, for wisdom, but most of all, for our first child, for Little Baby Carroll being knit together by Our Creator inside my sweet wife’s womb.

Moments later, Kari and I got to witness the beginning of beautiful and wonderful. As we’re sitting there, not knowing what to expect – much less what to look at or look for – the nurse broke the heavy, excitement-filled silence, “The only movement you see there is the heart. This is actually the earliest we’ve ever seen a heartbeat! Isn’t it amazing? Isn’t it a miracle?”

“Yes,” I think I muttered. I couldn’t pull my eyes off of that screen. The reality of a baby had begun to set in as Kari and I found out that our family was growing two weeks prior, but there’s something indescribably humbling and hopeful, sobering and solidifying about seeing your child’s heartbeat. Life has been given!

And so another journey begins! We couldn’t be happier. Every time we have made plans for our lives together, God has rocked our world and turned them upside-down! We wouldn’t have it any other way!

I am acutely and immensely humbled to share the title of “Father” with Our God and so many incredible examples He’s placed in my life. Please keep Little Baby Carroll in your prayers. God has a plan to prosper, not to harm, a plan to give hope and a future.

We’re thankful to be a part of His plan!

Here. We. Go!