New Africa Art

These are kids in line waiting for food. I started drawing this a few weeks ago off and on, the pic is not done yet but very close. The drawing is about 24x18. I took a photo of these kids when I was in Africa and always wanted to draw or paint the image.

Guys Retreat Recap

All of Our Guys getting ready to head home

Getting ready to start the night Session

Bethany Retreat Center, so thankful for there service, amazing church!
Getting Ready to Head out
Me and My Brother
My Boy Adam throwing down the word, Encountering Others!!!
Pastor Jason Laird throwing down the word Encountering God!!!!

Notes

Howel Park outreach

Studying for Guys Retreat

One of my favorite things about Epic student ministries at my church is the guys Ministry. I love getting together with a bunch of young men on fire for God, there passion to see Jesus lifted up is contagious and there heart to see others come to know Him is inspiring. This weekend the 17th and 18th I'm really excited because it's our first Guys retreat in a long time. Today's day and age we see so few Men getting involved in Church. They are lining the walls in sports bars and athletic stadiums but so few are on the front lines of God's kingdom. It's such a privilege and honor for me to be apart of what God is doing at our church and in the young men at Epic that I could not imagine doing any thing else with my life other than serving. I sat down this week and looked at the topic, Encounter Yourself!!!! God how do you want me to share your word on this, what do you want me to say. Barton share your story!!! That's all I herd, and all I laughed about to because these past few years have been an amazing encounter with myself. Truly learning who God is in my life and who he sees me as not who I have made myself to be. I made my Cinnamon tea and broke out the Good book and began studying, God place in me your Heart!!! It's amazing how when you sit down in Gods word and truly let it pierce you the words of God will convict and challenge your every motive and aspiration. I Love His word and have often been convicted of not reading enough, but the great thing is that God uses his word no matter when you read or what it always comes to life in your heart and will draw you to be more like Him. Often studying as a teacher of the word makes you realize one thing. I need to be way more a student than anything else!!!

Controversy with Santa

OK, first let me start off saying I know this is a touchy subject and some people get really offended and some people really don't care, but I want to share my opinion soley because I like to see what peoples thoughts are and how they feel on the issue. The older I get the more I honestly dont like the thought of Santa, not as a fun Christmas story or who the real guy was that started the whole thing, But! With Santa becoming something that so many parents make about there own personal joy than the moral issue it becomes after something we taught as truth now becomes a lie. I have a problem with Parents or people in General starting a belief in a child all the while knowing that several years after they start that belief they know they will tell that Child that the belief is not actually real! It's not a matter of me being anti Santa that's not it at all, to me Santa is just like a Disney character's it's just a fun experience, imagination and harmless fun. But the problem is that many people get offended when there child learns about Santa not being real and then the parents get angry with whomever it happened with, if not themselves and then wondered why they had to spoil all the fun or upset the child. Was that not something that was going to happen anyway. No matter who tells the child, parent, kid at school because of some conversation, or other means, the fact that the child was told it was real then told otherwise no matter how you word it there will be some type of let down. Anger, trust issues, etc, whatever, it is because we have to create this image and make it exciting that of course there will be problems when the child learns otherwise. My stance is that people cant get upset if what they are teaching knowing it is not true spoils a child's experience when they find out from whomever, even if it was not the intended person to find out from. It's not the truth either way so it's going to hurt either way. Secondly I'm a follower of Jesus Christ, I feel as though us as Americans, myself included, often get to caught up in the commercialized and industry image of Christmas. We put a created image and idea ahead of the original purpose, Jesus then family. Alot of people say well why would you want to spoil the kids fun. I think that's a funny statement because you already know one day you will have to anyway. They cant be 50 yrs old still thinking there is a Santa we would think something is wrong with that person, but we don't think something is wrong to tell a child there is a Santa and make them believe that it is truth. We want to make Christmas exciting so we create something that eventually disappoints, we put it first then make the very thing that Christmas came from second. If Christ stays first there will never be a moment where you have to say it's not real. Plus, Jesus came for all of us not only good little boys and girls. Again I think Santa is a fun part of Christmas as long as it's not first, or taught as a truth and made out to be a manipulation tool to get a child acting good or bad. I don't want to teach my child that lying is wrong then give them a great example of how to, and then make it ok. Again these are my personal beliefs. I have some friends that feel this way some don't. For me personally, I remember using it as ammunition against my parents when I was little. Then they would tell me something and say it was the truth and I would bring the whole you lied to me about Santa deal. Now this only lasted for a little while while I was little but it's the fact that for me that's what it created. Some kids don't get this way some do, but I just don't understand putting yourself in a situation where you have to explain your way out of it. And then parents get upset when there kids get upset. Parents or people say I would never do anything to hurt my child or so in so. But we create something that we know will eventually hurt them. In the long run I think people spend way to much time fighting and arguing about something that's not even real and there on the shelf is Jesus saying I started this whole thing. If I was the center it would not be an issue. It's just funny to me how something so innocent and seemingly good can and has been made an idol, really and truly that's what it has become. How much more is Santa talked about than Jesus in your own home. Is it just a religious thing, or is He your center. Is Jesus a religious tag mark that we as people can associate with or do we really Follow Him, Love Him, Obey Him. I don't want to sell short on Christ to much is getting His place already. The world replaces the very name that Started Christmas with holidays. Making it's king Santa. Now Christ is forbidden and Santa is glorified. It burdens me!

Changing my Standards

Simple Thought

Either we are Content are we Covet, Paul said with little or much I am fine. I believe it's because He knew Jesus was the only thing that never Changes, He could rely on Christ with a lot or little! Regardless of what we face we should Be Content with the Everlasting rather than Covet the temporary!