2009 is here! Time really doesn’t wait for anybody does it? I thought I’d do a fun post on things I’m looking forward to this year. Here we go:

1. Victory Family Church - I love my church and we’re touching a generation of people together – so excited to see what God does this year!
2. Revolution - This will be our first full year under the leadership of Pastor Nathan Hurst – so excited to see where God takes us through him! We have some amazing things planned for Rev!
3. 19 North - is going to double again this year and we’ll see the main sanctuary filled with twenty somethings who are passionately pursuing God and making an impact on the city of Pittsburgh – believe it!
4. Learning to Cook - Yes, you read that correctly. It is a goal of mine to learn to cook this year! Get ready!
5. The Pittsburgh Marathon - I’m running this with Chris Martin and Scott Dozier and Pastor Moore – it’s going to be a ton of fun and an amazing accomplishment!
6. The Marine Corps Marathon - I’m pretty sure this is going to be my fall marathon – Let me know if you’d be interested! It’s in October – training would start in May!
7. Vacation - Not really sure where I’m going to go this year – but I always enjoy time away!
8. Imparation Conference - Keith Moore, Doug Jones, and Rick Renner – does it get any better?
9. The 2nd Cadre Advance – I get to go to Atlanta to spend time with Jeanne Mayo again in May – so pumped!
10. Other Possible Conferences - so many I want to go to this year – Catalyst West Coast, Catalyst, Marriage Enrichment, Week of Increase… so many to choose from – so little time!
11. Personal Growth – another year means plenty of more reading and plenty of more listening to series/sermons – Love it!

Other than this – the year is full of possibilities – I’m so excited! It’s going to be the best year ever!!! Time to go watch USC – PSU play in the Rose Bowl…..Have a great first day of 2009!

“A Year from now You May Wish That You Started Today”

It is the last day of 2008 – can you believe it? I can’t believe how fast this year has gone! For my last post – I want to encourage you to thank God for everything He’s done in and through your life in 2008 and ask Him to help you dream for your life as He has for 2009. I believe He wants 2009 to be your best year ever! So here are some thoughts going into ’09:

Realize that God wants 2009 to be the Best Year of your Life - Do you believe that? Or do you think God would say to you, “Well you had it pretty good in 2008 – I don’t think it’s going to get any better than that!” NO!!! Prov. 4:18 says that the path of the righteous gets brighter and brighter – that means your life should be getting better and better until you’re gone. God has an incredible plan for your life (Jer. 29:11) and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6). Believe it!

Forget the Past  - Maybe you’re saying, yea, but Bubba you don’t know some of the decisions I made in 2008 – I don’t see any glimpse of hope of 2009 being a good year – it’s going to go downhill fast. No, no, no – if you believe that  there is something that you’ve done or some circumstance that can hold you back from God’s best in your life – then you don’t know the power of what Jesus did on the cross. There is nothing that can separate you from the love of God (Romans 8:38,39). Paul said this in Philippians – “This one thing I do – forgetting those things that are behind and pressing forward to those things which are ahead.” I encourage you to do the same!

Realize the Value of Today - John Maxwell said it well when he said, “We over-exaggerate yesterday, we overestimate tomorrow, and we underestimate today.” I know that where you’ll be in the future is a result of what you did with today. In fact, tomorrow is the scorecard of how you handled today. The secret of success will always be found in your daily agenda. So my question to you is: What are you doing today to shape the future that you want tomorrow?

Start Today - In Ecclesiastes it says that if you wait for perfect conditions, you’ll never get anything done. So often I hear people say this about going after their dreams, “Well, I’ll do that when I get married, when I graduate high school, college, when, when” only to live their lives and look back and realize they haven’t even begun to pursue the dreams God put in their hearts. Start pursuing your dreams today – remember – a year from now – you may wish that you had started today. Dream big and go for it!

If you’ll take these principles and implement them in your life – I promise you’ll be well on your way to having your best year ever in 2009! Get excited  – God has great things for you!

The Funniest Moments and Quotes of 2008

So I just finished up typing out all of my funny memories and quotes from the year . . . I’ll share with you some of my favorites. To my friends – I hope this brings a smile to your face! I have 7 pages worth – I couldn’t/didn’t want to share a lot to protect the innocent. So here you go:

Funny Moments:

• Olympics – Chris Pushing Jordan into the jaggers –“Ahh it’s a jagger bush you idiot!”
• Getting “pulled over by an Indian with a disco ball in his car
• Reeling in a huge catch only to find out it’s a huge stick!
• Seeing the Rabbit in Monte Python for the first time
• Riley getting mayonnaise in the face then D’Amico got him with the punch game

Funny Quotes:

• 4:12 has definitely made me more popular – Swanson
• Chinese lady – you want a  receipt?– you think I am a machine?
• Aren’t they the Riverside Rabbits? –Ja-Quan
• Never Trust a Fart (Bucket List – Canada haha)
• Why are wives so expensive? They’re worth it!  (QUOTE OF THE YEAR!)
• You’re the appendix of Christ – Wynne Lewis
• I never ask how anyone is – They might tell me – Wynne Lewis
• Welcome to Ministry! -Pastor Moore
• “I pound all my waitresses” – Me (you need to know the context)
• They keep Scooby doo in a cage – write your government – Mark D
• “I Got THONGED! Everywhere I go – THONGED” -Anonymous
• “I wanted to body slam the devil” – Faulk
• Weaver, “Big things come from Texas – big meat!” (At the David Crowder Concert)
• Duffy at Conference “I always thought I’d explain my argument logically and my wife would say, “I’m wrong, you’re right, lets have sex!”
• Gesiel after the Giants won the Super Bowl – YEA IT WAS ALL FOR NOTHING…NOTHING… 18-1!!!!
• Zack, ‘I hated football in college, so I shanked a field goal!
• Riley – “Piece of Crap”
• Dr. Phil – Have enough sense as a cow, eat the hay, and spit the sticks
• Me: How did you get a date to homecoming Nuzzo?  Ryan Nuzzo: Why are you still single?

There you have it! Have any funny moments/quotes that you think are worth sharing – let me know