Are you a blogger?

Hey yall....I'm new to this thing called blogging and want to know if you have any tips for me? Maleea Miller gave me some great input on how to use this thing...so any pragmatic stuff as well as what you might like to see me blog about, or things that might be helpful...let me know. I want this page to be two things: personal and resourceful. I want to let you know what is going on in me (personally, spiritually, and ministry) in such a way that you might have a sneak peak into who Casey is. I also want this to be a resource for you and or your family as it pertains to FOCUSmsm. To fill you in on what is the happenings of FOCUS, what we are studying, upcoming events, what types of resources you need or would like, etc...

So, this is what I'm asking of you...in order that this can be personal and resourceful, how might I do it best for you. 

P.S. if your a blogger...I'd love it if you would leave your html so i might get to know you as well. love ya.

Emree's 1st pix

Emree Rose has been a huge blessing in Aimee's and my life. It's almost been 2 months since God allowed her to enter our world. there have obviously been nights where i have wanted my sleep more than I have wanted a daughter...but that just comes with being a dad. I love her sooooo much. She is beginning to smile all the time. She is one of the happiest little girls I know. She loves to swing, lay on mommy's shoulder and laugh at daddy. Being a dad is way cooler than I thought...even though we have only gotten to nurture and not parent as of yet. She has me wrapped around her finger...as you can see those beautiful blue eyes. But anyways...I thought you might enjoy the pictures. If you have any specific questions, don't hesitate to ask. love ya. 

GRIT 08: June 29th-July 3rd

Hola...GRIT is Here and God has been good to us this year...We are getting out of the 'Couve to celebrate who God is and what he has done in our midst this past year...the Overnighter Christmas Party (135 students), the level of leaders we have on board, our parent support, the 7 students getting saved at Snow What? (winter camp), the baptism at GRIT 07, the maturity of our 6th grade group, the development of the 4:12 Crew (student ministry team), and on and on and on... God has been faithful and graciously blessing us along the way. As we celebrate the year, at GRIT 08, we are going to study who God is.

GRIT is our attempt to honor The Feast of Booths (Leviticus 23:33-36)...and yes Leviticus is a book in the Bible...you should read it...it's fascinatingly bloody. Anyways...our goal for GRIT is to get away from the norm' and just celebrate God! Almost everything we do ends in application...not this! We just want to focus on God and his nature...seek him, and worship him. that's it...No application, just Jesus.

Ironically I'm about to direct us in application: I think we can all learn from Leviticus 23:33-36. How much of our life are we attempting to get stuff done...to grow personally or spiritually, or study the bible for this reason or that purpose. these things aren't bad...but if we don't slow down and focus on Jesus, just for Jesus...he will slow us down. 

So, that's what our graduating 5th-8th graders are doing...and hopefully they fall in love with Jesus, and it becomes a healthy habit in their lives...to focus on Jesus just for Jesus.

For more information or registration visit:

www.summitview.net/grit

To watch video or where we are going click:

www.summitview.net/islandlake

Sunday Series Update: The Story of the Bible (May 25-June 22)

How many of us really know the story of the bible? I mean the real story...from Genesis to Revelation. Ya, ya, ya...all of us know about Noah and his huge boat, Moses and the burning bush, and Jesus saving the world. Why is it significant that we know the story of the Bible? Answer=Because we are in the story. And if we don't know where we are in the story, we won't know what part to play or how critical our part is. Sundays between May 25 and June 22, we will be discussing and studying the story of the Bible. 

1. May 25- Beginning: Genesis: The beginning of human history and Israel, God's chosen nation
2. June 1-Chosen: Exodus-Ruth: Israel's journey to the promised land
3. June 8-Nation: 1 Samuel-Malachi: Settling in to the land of promise
4. June 15-Savior: Matthew-John: The life of Jesus
5. June 22-Kingdom: Acts-Revelation: The spread of God's Kingdom

My challenge for all our students is to memorize the "The Bible in 50 Words." It goes like this...

GOD MADE

ADAM BIT

NOAH ARKED

ABRAHAM SPLIT

JOSEPH RULED

JACOB FOOLED

BUSH TALKED

MOSES BALKED

PHARAOH PLAGUED

PEOPLE WALKED

SEA DIVIDED

TABLETS GUIDED

PROMISE LANDED

SAUL FREAKED

PAVID PEEKED

PROPHETS WARNED

JESUS BORN

GOD WALKED

LOVE TALKED

ANGER CRUCIFIED

HOPE DIED

LOVE ROSE

SPIRIT FLAMED

WORD SPREAD

GOD REMAINED

So that's our challenge out there for our middle schoolers...i thought it might be a cool competition between student and parent...whoever memorizes it first has to buy jamba juice or starbucks. If nothing else, it's fun and moments with your kid. love you...and good luck on your challenge!!

i dare you

God's Word, the Holy Bible, the Scriptures....it's changing my life. transforming who i was into who i will be. I can't really explain it, except that the more i "download" it, the more i thirst for it, more i satisfy that thirst, the more  I'm changed from the inside out (Romans 12). It's weird, i never thought I would be reading the bible as a source of joy, life, truth, direction, relationship, etc. There are times where will be reading or studying and I will be overwhelmed with the fact that I'm relying on a historic piece of literature, that I believe is co-authored by sinful, jacked up, selfish, prideful humans, that were inspired and directed by the Holy Spirit. It's this book that I and basing and surrounding my whole life around. It's forming the way I view the world, myself, humanity, Jesus...I'm crazy, right? Isn't it just a set of rules...so that if I might follow them, I can then convince myself to be a "good" person...by no means. It's my Father, writing to me his efforts to seek me, for i don't seek him; to love me, for i didn't love him first; to rescue me, I've only ran from him; to actually have relationship with me, when I've only betrayed him. He's looking out for me...revealing how I might have life "abundantly" (John 10:10). Full of love, joy, and peace (Galations 5:22)...and I find that God's Word does what it says it does...it is my source of true life, reality, and transformation. I dare you to read...It works...you will be changed. 

Bible Recourses: 

(besides the Bible)

www.biblegateway.com

www.dailyaudiobible.com

www.deliberatepeople.com

www.walkthru.org

www.ywspace.org (especially for students)