Tonight is where it's at!

Tonight is finally here, it's been a long time waiting. We have our first youth service with JSM Journey Student Ministries. Erin and I are going to be interviewed by Pastor Tony and it will be awesome. We are so anxious to get settled so we can lock into a focused rhythm. I am here in Pastor Tony's office getting ready for tonight. I can't wait to get these next few months under our belt so that we can get all fired up. Tonight will be all about connecting with the students and letting them get to know us as we get to know them. We will cast some vision tonight for the next few months and start to get the waters stirred for the great wave that is going to overtake this county. God is going to raise up a generation of teenagers that change the course of history through their passion and commitment to Christ. We are going to see young men step up as leaders and young women step up as examples of purity for the Lord. God is going to use us to reach the careless in the county, disciple the casual, and send out the core to build His kingdom here in Sallisaw. We can't wait to see all that God is going to do as we are faithful to Him. The Lord has reminded me lately that it is all about His power and not ours. It's all about His glory and not ours. It's all about His ability and not ours. It's simply all about Him touching the hearts of His people, and we are just willing vessels that He uses to be His hands and feet. God use me to be about YOUR business and not my own! God bless!

Thinking

Erin and I are here in our new youth room thinking through ideas. We have some cool thoughts on how we could bring a whole new cool feel to the zone. We are going to get students to start thinking through some of their ideas on what we could do with the new youth room. Tomorrow is our first service and we are so excited to connect with the students here at Journey. Today we got our new licenses, plates, bank accounts, insurance, etc... so that was good to get it over with. Hopefully here in the next few days I can start devoting all my time to the church and coming into the office completely. I love it here and it has been beautiful outside. We are so excited to get started with all that God has. God always calls and He always gives the power to complete His call. My battery is dying now so I got to go, bye.

We Are Here!

We are finally here in Sallisaw Oklahoma! We drove in around 8p.m. Friday night and Pastor Jeff took us to our new home (which we had never seen yet). When we drove up there were about 50-60 people screaming "welcome" right in front of our new home. It was like extreme home makeover with everybody welcoming us and we felt like stars or something. They unloaded our rental truck in about a half hour and we spent 3 days packing it. It was the most amazing welcome we have ever experienced. Our new home is AMAZING! We only have it for 2 months then we need to find a place. I don't think we are going to want to move out though. It has been a great adventure getting here and it is only going to get better. I am sitting here in Pastor Tony's office with the MC students and it feels so good to be in our new home. We are going to miss everybody back home in Indiana but I know we will stay in touch and still be connected. God is awesome and we can't wait to get going on this new journey here at Journey Church. Today we are getting all the utilities, drivers license, plates, phone, internet, etc... for our new adventure. Journey church has made us feel the most welcomed, loved, respected, and honored we ever could have imagined. We love you ALL!

The Last Day

It is the last day of our life here in Brown County (Nashville, IN) before we move to Sallisaw, Oklahoma. We are packing what's left of our stuff from the big loading day yesterday. We had so much help with our friends and family getting everything packed into our rental truck, it was great! Our washer & dryer was a pain to move, way to big (it's a stackable). Anyway, we almost got everything but there is a lot of little stuff left over. Last night was our last night @ BreakOut with the students and it was tough to leave them, but we know that God is going to do great things with them, and we will still be connected. The toughest part about this move apart from family has been our leadership team, they are the BEST! Erin and I love everyone of them and believe in them so much. With the power of God they have been what has grown this youth ministry to what it is today. I can't say enough how each one of them will be missed and loved. Well it's time to get the rental truck and start loading day 2. Tomorrow is the BIG moving day and we are excited to start our new journey with Journey Church!!!!!!!!!

Packing

Well we are packing up all our stuff for the big move to Sallisaw! We still are trusting God for a place to stay when we get there, nothing like last minute stuff. Tomorrow we are getting the Budget rental truck and we are going to start loading it. I can't wait to see our youth Wednesday night before we leave since we had to cancel the last 2 BreakOut's because of SNOW. I am so anxious to start working with Journey church and the staff that I almost can't sleep, but I manage to somehow (jk). Tomorrow we pick up the rental @ 8a.m., and I have to deliver the monte carlo we just should to a lady in Bloomington. I have to get up at 6a.m. or so and I usually only do that on Sundays, so it is going to be a non-stop day tomorrow with everything going on. I still haven't even started packing my office, which will probably take a bit considering all my ministry stuff is there (books, tech stuff, guitars, guitars, guitars, computers, more books, videos, t.v.'s, speakers, sound boards, radios, scanners, decor, more decor, and yet more books, just to mention a few). By the way Erin cut all her hair off today (well not all but a lot) and it looks awesome, my wife is smokin' hot as always. I love my God, family, friends, and everything that God is bringing us, it ROCKS!

Honored

This weekend at our 3 weekend services our church honored Erin and I. They showed a great video that Seth Rainwater made and the church prayed over us, it was awesome! The best part was our leadership team and all they did for us. Our leaders made us a scrapbook, signed frame, letters from students & leaders, & a great dessert. Erin and I were so honored and blessed by all those that took time to thank us for the ministry God used us in. I sat and teared up reading all the letters students & leaders wrote us, it was amazing to read all that God does even when you don't see it sometimes. I love people and I love being used to encourage others, I sometimes wish I was the kind of person that just had the perfect thing to say to uplift everyone I come in contact with. I love to see people impacted by God's amazing greatness! I simply just love people and I love how much more God loves people. We are so better off to have been a part of so many peoples lives that have impacted us as we have been able to impact them. We always need to be giving and receiving, it's a 2 way street. It would be out of balance to only be a 1 way street that either is giving but never receiving or receiving but never giving. We need each other in the body of Christ to make up every part, people are so much more important than programs. God is so awesome and I love His people!

Oh My Goodness!

Man oh my, we have been snowed in for the last few days without internet, cell phone, technology, etc... but I must admit it was great to be with family and do nothing. We are still looking for a place to stay by next Thursday, whew that is coming soon! We are praying that God opens up something by next Tuesday so we know if we need to get the u-haul and load it by Wednesday. We are so anxious to get to Sallisaw and start all that God has for us and with Journey Church.

My brother in law is going to have their baby today and I am going to go to the hospital here in a bit to see them. We are so glad the baby is coming before we leave next week, not that it's all about us, but we wanted to celebrate with them. God is so good, and His ways are so beyond what we could ever piece together in some formula. I am so glad that faith is an adventure and serving God is such a never ending ride filled with fear, hope, excitement, questions, answers, confusion, direction, purpose, love, and everything that comes along with a huge God! I love being significant and being used by God for HIS Kingdom on this earth and the Kingdom to come.

Moving Stuff

Today we are getting ready to go grocery shopping and store up on some food for the big "Winter Storm" coming. I guess we are going to get 4-9 inches of snow or so and lots of ice. Some places they are calling for 8-12 inches of snow, shew!

I am setting up all my administrative ideas, goals, to do lists, calendars, organizing creative ideas, strategies, brainstorming messages, thinking through events, etc... stuff for Sallisaw. We are ready to get things rolling with Journey, and we are so excited. I can't wait to be part of a team that operates like Journey church it's a tailor made fit for us we believe. We are REALLY trying to figure out all this house stuff, moving at mach speed to get a house yet not make a unwise, hasty decision. My parents are going through Sallisaw on their way home from Arizona to have lunch with Pastor Jeff & Mrs. Stephani. They are going to look at some houses we are interested in and get more pictures and stats than we currently have. We can't wait to enter this new season of life, God is so good! We have a lot to do in the next week or so with getting packed, finding a house, scheduling utilities, transitioning the ministry, figuring out time frames, planning financially, thinking through the youth ministry, getting our life relocated and all the stuff that goes along. What an exciting yet filled time this is, we are cherishing it since it doesn't come often. God has all things in the palm of His hand, and we trust that no good thing does He withhold to those who's walk is blameless through Jesus Christ! God bless!

House

Erin and Zion got back today from Oklahoma. They found a few houses but I am not sure they are going to work out, I'll guess the next few days will tell. We are really praying that we find something soon, since we are moving in a week or so, I think that would be good to have a place to stay (lol). We believe God will bring the right thing along...hopefully very soon though. I went to my nephew's basketball game today, it was great to see the little kids play sports. I think parents get more intense than the players, funny. Tonight at church went well, worship really felt like we locked in the pocket and connected with God's presence. Sometimes it feels like you have to break through life and distractions but tonight just seemed easy to enter His throne room. I love just declaring how awesome God is in worship, just to honestly think about what you are singing and call out His greatness! Sometimes I just want to shout out just for the world to hear how great our God is!!! Well if your reading this please pray that God opens up the right door for a house in Sallisaw so we have a place to stay on the 22nd. God bless!

Good Stuff!

What a great day this is! Erin, Zion and my father-in-law are in Oklahoma looking for houses. I think they narrowed it down to a few that we really like. God just seems to be opening up doors and clearing the path for this new journey He called us too. It's so awesome to know that we serve the creator of the universe who has all power, provision, and promises for His children. God is giving me so much insight and vision for Sallisaw and the youth ministry @ Journey, we are so excited! Tonight I am going to dinner with some old friends I haven't seen in a while and we are going to have a blast. I really want to encourage them and spur them on in their marriage and their relationships with Christ. I cleaned the house today getting it ready for Erin and Zion when they return. We love a clean house, it feels so cozy and nice! Pastor Tony called me today with some great ideas for the summer, he is awesome I love that guy! Anyway, God is at work and we just want to be used for His glory! It's time to stay on the wall like Nehemiah and build the Kingdom of God everyday! God bless!

Juggle The Blessings

O.K., have you ever had a time when you weren't shure if God wanted to bless you with something or if He wanted you to bless someone with that same something? I mean you have the opportunity to take something and turn it into a blessing for yourself or you could bless someone else. Isn't that interesting how God works sometimes, it can seem confusing. Do you consider it a blessing from God to help your situation? or do you consider it a test to see if you will be a blessing to someone else? Erin and I have decided earlier on in our marriage that we wanted to give until it hurt. I don't mean that in a negative way just a way that's above and beyond what we know we can do. I am not saying that giving within your means is not a giving heart at all, just that maybe when we give beyond our comforts God REALLY jumps starts the blessings. I know we do not give to get, but Hebrews says that we must believe God is a rewarder of those who seek Him. We believe that when we give beyond what we...let's say budget for, that you really step out in God's territory which is FAITH. I am not saying that it doesn't take faith to give what we can, because clearly God honors a giving heart even when we budget it in and it is comfortable. I would even say that you are being wise to budget in giving and blessing others when it is financial giving. But maybe there is a zone of the unknown when we give till it hurts. I know for me it hurts to give sometimes when I know what I am giving could benefit me and I could in all honesty justify it by saying it is God blessing me and I need to receive it not give it away. I hope I am making sense, it's just my thoughts as of right now. All this to say, we want to live a life that would rather give until it hurts than hurt until we get. I would rather lean on the side of giving than lean on the side of receiving, though I will admit that is very hard for me to do with certain things. Just some thoughts, God bless, because He always takes care of His children no matter what the cost!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

Well it has snowed about 3-4 inches so far here and it isn't letting up. What a beautiful day it is, white as could be. We are so excited about moving to Sallisaw and starting a new season of our life. God has so much in store for Journey church and we can't wait to be a part of it. I have been messing around with the website for the student ministry trying to get some ideas and layout arrangements, I love tech stuff! My mind is on overload with vision, ideas, creativity, and passion! But it's a good overload, more like an overflow of God's Spirit I guess. I am so ready to get to know these students God is about to entrust to us. Erin and I feel like proud parents getting ready to meet our new kids, or something like that. We can't wait to raise up leaders, disciple the students and reach the hurt, broken, and searching teenagers in Sallisaw. I can't think of a better church than Journey to do all this at under the leadership of an amazing pastor Jeff Allred. What a blessing he is to us already and we aren't even there yet. It is so cool to know that God heard all of our prayers over the past year and went above and beyond answering them. I couldn't think of a better fit for our family than Journey church. Well I think it's almost dinner time for the Barrett family on a beautiful, snowy, dark, want-to-stay-inside-and-snuggle-up day, God is awesome!

Ladies & Gentleman Start Your Engines!

Alright, we are set up and ready to go with a new blog and a new season of life. I am at home sitting at my kitchen table ready to start all that God is going to do. My wife wants me to go get dinner at Subway but I am so wrapped up with this fun new blog toy that I think I am ignoring her (NOT A GOOD IDEA). Anyway, God bless and I can't wait to write my thoughts and life here @ Blog Central or something like that!