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WHAT KIND OF CHURCH MEMBER ARE YOU?
2008-04-03 17:31:00
It seems that there are 3 kinds of people in our churches today: Risk Takers, Care Takers and Undertakers.Risk-Takers: These are the people who are willing to try something different to reach more people with the message of Jesus. Risk-takers aren't worried about being traditional, only being scriptural. Risk-takers are willing to go outside their comfort zone to reach others. God has actually created us to be risk-takers (Matthew 25:14-30), but sadly, there are many more who are comfortable with simply burying their talent. We need more risk-takers in the church today!Care-Takers are just satisfied doing what they've always done. They don't want anyone stirring the water or shaking things up. They are simply much more comfortable just leaving things the way they always have been. When proposed with new ideas of reaching the lost, Care-takers often use the phrase "But we haven't ever done it that way before!" Care-takers never want to be stretched spiritually, they just want ...
More About: Church

RAISING BOYS
2008-04-02 17:03:00
Raising four growing boys has its own unique challenges. The house is never short of things like body-noises, sports talk, strange smells, their buddies and other "boy" things. And poor Lea, with raising four boys, it makes everything in our home exactly opposite of what Lea is. Lea is quiet, and they are anything but quiet. Lea smells nice, and they smell like boys. Lea is neat and tidy, and the boys are a little on the messy side. She has manners at the table, and the boys don't (they're learning).Trying to teach them to be gentlemen when they eat has been a challenge. Some of the phrases we regularly have to say at the table are, "Don't eat with your hands;" "Don't eat until we pray;" "Don't talk with your mouth full;" and "You don't say something is nasty that you don't like, you just say you don't care for it!" All part of raising boys.We have always made eating supper together as a family a priority. Not long ago, we'd just sat down to a nice supper. Lea had the table...
More About: Boys

TULSA SOUL WINNING WORKSHOP
2008-04-01 14:26:00
I was in Tulsa last week for their Soul Winning Workshop with my two oldest boys (Taylor and Parker) and Ryan, the kid I call my fifth son. (Zack, in the blue AIM shirt, is a new friend who's headed to Scotland.) While I was gone, Lea wrote a couple of posts for me (here and here). What an amazing wife I have. Not only did she post, but did you notice she did what looked a lot like a "Top 10" list. You know me, I love top ten lists. Once again it goes to show you, I married up! What an amazing experience I had last weekend at the Tulsa Workshop. I heard some fantastic lessons on prayer, and the praise and worship was what I imagine heaven being like. It was a good chance for me to refill my tank spiritually. I met a ton of old friends, bloggers and a bunch of people who read my blog. There is nothing more cool, and at the same time, more humbling than someone you don't know coming up and saying, "Hey, I read your blog!" Here are a few of the bloggers I visited with ...Shane Coffma...

10 WAYS TO STAY IN LOVE FOR 20 YEARS (Part 2 - by Lea)
2008-03-31 15:25:00
After being married for twenty years Trey and I have learned a lot of things that worked for us and a lot of things that didn't. I've been sharing things with you that did work for us. Last Friday was part one of this post. It can be found by clicking here! Here are the other five... BE LIKEABLE: I think we all go through times in our marriages when we love each other, but we just really don't like each other. Thankfully for us, those times have been infrequent and temporary. Things like grouchiness, moodiness, negativity and annoying behavior can cause us to become unlikeable. Nobody likes living with someone who is unlikeable. Proverbs 21:9 & 19 say that it's "better to live on the corner of a roof or in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife". Strive to be likeable.FIGHT FAIR: Disagreements are inevitable in marriage, but try to keep your attitude in check. Watch your words, tone of voice and body language. Don't hold grudges or keep bringing up each othe...
More About: Love , Part , Years , Stay

10 WAYS TO STAY IN LOVE FOR 20 YEARS (By Lea - Part 1)
2008-03-28 15:53:00
Hello bloggers! Hopefully Trey hasn't built this up so much that you will be disappointed. I liked all your suggestions for my post. I especially loved the suggestion made by an anonymous person to post about "Ten Way's to Stay in Love for 20 Years " (and hopefully more)! Here are some things Trey and I have learned from our 20 years of marriage...WORSHIP & PRAY TOGETHER. Statistics show that couples who attend worship services together are less likely to divorce than those who don't. Praying together builds intimacy and communication by sharing you innermost thoughts together before your Lord and creator. READ THE BOOK HIS NEEDS HER NEEDS by Dr. Williard Harley, or better yet, take the 8 week seminar. We attended a training seminar and have led 4 of these 8 week seminars. I believe it is the best thing we have done for our marriage. DON'T SPEND MORE MONEY THAN YOU MAKE. Financial problems are the #1 cause for divorce in America. Living within your means and striving to be "d...
More About: Part

LEA WILL BE POSTING TOMORROW
2008-03-27 13:54:00
I'm heading to the Tulsa Workshop today. I'm excited about the speakers, the worship, catching up with old friends and the chance to meet a bunch of fellow bloggers that will be there. I've been asking Lea to post for a long time. I think she got tired of me asking, so she gave in and said, "Yes." I didn't know what she was going to write about, but she used a suggestion from one of you readers. There were a lot of good suggestions made (except the one by my former friend David, about "Ten things the Church in Childress doesn't know about Trey - ha). As promised, Lea will post tomorrow and I'm excited. As for the topic? It will be on one of these following suggestions from you... Embarrassing Trey stories!How does Trey keep you number one in his life behind God.Top 10 joys and disappointments of being a ministers wife.Why I don't like putting up Christmas trees early.The stress of being a minister's wife.How do you stay in love with your husband after 20+ years.How to keep a...
More About: Tomorrow

GUILTY OF BEING TOO GRACIOUS
2008-03-25 13:02:00
I love the bible study group that meets in our home on Monday nights. It's a time when we really dig deep into challenging thoughts and spiritual concepts. We've read through Phillip Yancy's book, "What's so Amazing about Grace?" What an amazing book! Last night our study dealt with this difficult concept:How do we treat people that we strongly disagree with over moral or spiritual issues? How do you treat people that are living their lives contrary to God's word?There are a lot of issues that have ended friendships and divided churches. Issues like...abortion,homosexuality,sin,instrum ental music,baptism,divorce,remarriage,the Holy Spirit,and the list could go on and on.So, how should we treat people that we greatly differ with? Is the answer in boycotts? Protests? Pickets? Church splits and divisions? Full page ads in the local paper to voice our disgust to the entire world?It doesn't require much work to be gracious towards someone you agree with, but it takes lots of grace ...
More About: Guilty

ONE-OF-THOSE-DAYS
2008-03-24 18:43:00
Ever have one-of-those-days? You know one of those days when nothing goes right?In sports it's not uncommon for players to have one-of-those-days where everything goes wrong. The baseball player strikes out every time at bat and goes 0-4 during a game. A reliable NFL quarterback can have games where he throws numerous interceptions instead of touchdowns. In college basketball a player might shoot 0-11 from the floor feeling like he let his team down. This doesn't just happen in sports. We can have bad days at work, at home, at school and other places too. I totally understand that everyone has those days when nothing works right, but why did mine have to come on Easter Sunday? We're talking Easter Sunday. You know, the Sunday when everyone actually shows up, when there are tons of visitors and when the place is packed. Easter Sunday is the one Sunday that every preacher worth his salt wants to bring their A-game. I don't know where my A-game was yesterday, but it wasn't anywher...
More About: Days

THOUGHTS FROM A PREACHER'S WIFE
2008-03-21 12:54:00
I'm pumped. I can't believe Lea agreed to it. I've been asking her for a long time and she finally said, "Sure."What is it? Here are a few guesses from yesterday... Motorcycle? (Nope - My mom said "No" under the comments section). Lea starts her own blog? (Can't see her doing that).Put up the Christmas tree? (Awesome thought, but I know she'd say no). NASCAR? (As much as I wish ... nope!)A Baby? (Holy smokes, people, I'm too old!). Something to do with sex? (Nope, but I was a little surprised that it took till comment 14 for someone to think of it).Corny, yes, but I've been asking Lea for months to be a guest blogger on my blog. Okay, I know it's not as exciting as a baby or a motorcycle, but it is to me. Lea's personality is both quiet and reserved. She's not big on having attention drawn to her, but she's so full of wisdom. I honestly didn't think she'd ever agree to this. I've asked her if she could do something for us next week, and she said she would. I feel a lit...
More About: Wife , Thoughts

A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
2008-03-20 15:41:00
I'm pumped. I can't believe Lea agreed to it. I've been asking her for a long time and she finally said, "Sure." What is it? I can't tell you now, but if you'll come back tomorrow you'll find out!THIS IS HUGE!Woo Hoo!
More About: Announcement

WHAT I AM THANKFUL FOR TODAY
2008-03-19 13:50:00
Here are a few things I thanked God for during my quiet time this morning ... Today and everyday, I have a God that loves me and forgives me, despite my faults and screw ups. Psalm 103:11-13I'm thankful that I am rich in marriage. Money can't buy what I have. Lea is my soul mate and someone I can trust. I am minutes away from open arms at anytime during my day. She is my confidant, friend and lover. I have what all the Country & Western singers croon about. (And just think of it, my sweet wife only has ... me! Pray for her.) Proverbs 18:22I'm thankful that God has blessed me with four boys to raise. I look at them and swell with pride. God has given me the huge responsibility of raising them to be Christian men, husbands and fathers. It's a tall task, but one I'm honored to have. Psalm 127:3-5I'm thankful for a church that's not content to sit on their hands (or backside), but wants to reach out and serve a community and the lost. My church family has been such a blessing...

A GREEN BIBLE WITH A SKULL ON IT
2008-03-18 13:55:00
Cooper has recently learned to say all the books of the Old Testament, which is great for a 6 year old. Yes, there are times when I feel like we're doing a good job teaching our boys about God, and then there was yesterday. I had just told Cooper I liked his new Bible he got for Easter. (It's a little white pocket New Testament with the words of Jesus in red letters.)He said, "I think I'm going to sell my bible in a garage sale." "Why would you want to sell it in a garage sale," I asked him."I don't like white," he said, "I really wanted a green one with a skull on it."Trying to figure out how I can encourage him about his new bible I ask him, "Cooper, do you know why your bible has some of its words in red?" "I think those are the bad words," he said. What?
More About: Green , Skull

TELL SOMEONE
2008-03-17 16:00:00
Two weeks ago at my Uncle Roy's funeral, I visited with my friend Donnie. Just a couple of years earlier Donnie's son had died unexpectedly. Donnie was doing well but told me that after his son passed away he had made it his goal to tell people what he thought about them while they were still alive. Then he looked at me and told me, "I'm thankful that Roy was one that I sent a note to." I stood there wishing I would have sent him a note or told him what he meant to me. At just 59 years old, everyone thought he had many more years. Now I'm stuck with believing that Roy knew that I loved him, but I would have felt better if I could have just told Roy before he was gone. It's been since the funeral that I've committed to myself to tell people more often how I really feel about them. I've done a pretty good job over the past two weeks. Just yesterday I stopped a man at church that I highly respect, but had never told him how I felt. It took about two minutes to tell him just how...

I'M A SUCKER FOR A LOVE STORY
2008-03-15 07:23:00
You got to read this! You'll be glad you did.
More About: Love , Story , Love story , A Love Story

WHEN BLOGGING GOES BAD
2008-03-14 12:43:00
"NOT TONIGHT DEAR, I HAVE TO BLOG"I found this interesting... Did you know that according to Reuters latest surveys, surfing the net has become an obsession for many Americans with the majority of U.S. adults feeling they cannot go for a week without going online? Amazingly one in three are willing to give up friends and sex for the Web.A survey asked 1,011 American adults how long they would feel OK without going on the Web, to which 15 percent said a just a day or less, 21 percent said a couple of days and another 19 percent said a few days. Only a fifth of those who took part in an online survey said they could go for a week.Just for fun, here are "Ten Signs you're Blogging too Much! Number 8 still makes me laugh. Have a great weekend.

FAVORITE TELEVISION SHOWS
2008-03-13 11:19:00
We don't get (or make) a lot of time for television, but thanks to a DVR we can record shows we've missed and watch them at a later time. We often try to use television for some family time. Not all our family time takes place in front of the television, but it is nice to gather the whole family around for a show. Just for fun, here are 5 of our favorite shows we love to watch in the Morgan house. SPORTS - Hands down favorites are an NFL game, MLB game or NASCAR race. Those are the "big 3" sports in the Morgan house, and we just can't seem to get enough. SURVIVOR - Lea and I have watched it since season two, and it has now become a family event. We don't watch Survivor until everyone in the family is there together. Everyone picks their favorite, and the game is on. Phrases like "First things first," "The tribe has spoken," and "We need a strong alliance" never get old to us. AMERICAN IDOL - This is another show for which my family gathers around the television and has a little ...
More About: Television , Favorite

AIM 2008 (Adventures In Mission)
2008-03-12 16:45:00
The Adventures In Mission s (AIM) group was with us in Childress again last weekend. AIM is an apprentice missions program for college-age young people and is located in Lubbock, Texas. When a college-age young person goes to AIM they spend the first eight months studying God's Word and training for the field experience. After eight months in Lubbock those students spend a minimum of 14 months on the mission field. Some of the AIM mission fields are Albania, Australia, Brazil, Peru, France, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Scotland, South Africa, Ukraine and the United States.There were 64 of these AIM students and sponsors in Childress with us. They stayed with our church families and did community work. They served, and they worked. Once again, I have fallen in love with AIM students. They are my heroes. AIM and mission trips by the Childress congregation have had enough effect on our young people that 5 Childress young people are planning on attending the AIM program in the fa...
More About: 2008

NEVER TO YOUNG TO BE USED BY GOD
2008-03-11 16:51:00
Something about this powerful little video hit me right in the heart this morning. I look around at our church and see children everywhere. I often think, "Someday, when these little ones get older God will use them to do powerful things in His kingdom." I needed to be reminded that He can do powerful things with them now!!
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WHY DO YOU NEED A CHURCH BUILDING?
2008-03-10 15:16:00
Can you believe it? It makes no sense to me, but A CHURCH IN DALLAS WANTS TO BUILD MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR BUILDING IN ORDER TO "KEEP UP" WITH OTHER CHURCHES IN THE AREA (and they still owe 9 million on the one they've got). I just had to share a story with you that makes no sense to me. I'm not anti-church building, but building a church building just to keep up with other churches is stupid! Build it when you out grow the one you've got. Build it when you wear out the one you have.Build it when there is no other church in the area.BUT DON'T build it just because you need to keep up with other churches. That's got to make the Lord so happy.I personally think some church buildings are the most under used buildings in the community when they are only used on Sundays and Wednesdays. What are some ways your church uses it's building to reach out to the community?
More About: Church , Building

THANK YOU
2008-03-08 14:51:00
I just wanted to say a quick "thank you" to everyone for your prayers, comments and emails this week. I've felt uplifted and strengthened by them. Last Thursday was a long, hard, emotional day and I wouldn't have got through it without your prayers.Thank you again. See you Monday,Trey

IN HONOR OF ROY SIMMONS, AMARILLO TEXAS
2008-03-06 14:04:00
My Uncle Roy who was a regular reader and commenter on this blog was actually my first cousin. I don't know why I began calling him "uncle" other than he was much older than me so I always thought he was an uncle instead of cousin. When I was young I wanted to be just like Roy. He was a preacher, and I saw him as a hero who was larger than life. I couldn't wait to grow up and be just like him. I wanted to preach and was encouraged by him to get into ministry. It was Roy who told me when I was young that I ought to be a preacher because preachers only worked one day a week. I liked the idea of a one-day-a-week job and so here I am today, a preacher who now realizes that he was duped into believing the "one day a week" thing. When I started preaching, it was Roy that gave me some of the best advice I ever got: "Studying for your sermon is important, but praying over your sermon is even more important." I can't count the amount of times I called him to ask him advice in my ministry....
More About: Texas , Honor , Amarillo , Simmons

CONNOR'S BLOG
2008-01-30 15:18:00
I can guarantee you at least one smile today if you'll take time to swing a new blog. My 12 year old son Connor has started a blog recently. He has a very unique way of saying things about his family and friends, but I guess all twelve year-olds do. Stop by and say "Hi" to Connor if you get a chance. I think he'd like that. Have a blessed day!
More About: Blog

CHURCH WORDS & RELIGIOUS PHRASES THAT I DON'T LIKE
2008-01-29 14:36:00
Here are a few phrases I hear periodically that just don't make sense to me..."LORD, WE HOPE WE'VE DONE THIS IN A WORTHY AND PLEASING MANNER." I understand what's being prayed when we say this, and I'll be the first to say, "Let's do things respectful and right," but sometimes I think we think that God's going to strike us dead if our minds wonder during worship? Maybe we think God will bar-b-que us for forgetting the words to a song? Is God just looking for a chance to catch us doing something wrong? Have we beat people up with the story of Nadab and Abihu so much that we're living in constant fear of our Father? How sad! Why do we enter His throne room as frightened children with our head down, afraid to make eye contact? Is God not pleased to see & hear His children? Are we not to, "Approach the throne of grace with confidence?" Hebrews 4:16. WAKE UP people. He's your Father, and He loves you. He's not a task master with a whip looking to beat you!"THE LESSON OF THE ...
More About: Church , Words , Religious , Phrases

CATCHING UP ON SOME FAMILY NEWS
2008-01-28 13:16:00
We're talking sports and cars today ... this IS a manly post!!!The past few weeks have been a busy time for the Morgan's. Two of our sons are playing basketball (Parker & Connor). This past weekend we drove about 400 miles round trip to play basketball in two different towns on Friday night and Saturday. (Mom, I've included pictures for you). (Parker scores and is fouled)Taylor had his pickup backed into while parked. The insurance totaled the vehicle. He was a little sad, since it was his first vehicle. We had put a lot of work into that old truck. He cheered up when he realized he could take his insurance money and pick him out something else. I told him he could find want he wanted as long as it was in the price range, wasn't more for insurance and got better gas mileage (the old truck got 10 mpg wherever it went). He found a clean 2000 Firebird that gets 30 MPG. Insurance came out to be $1 less per month. (I have no clue how). (Taylor looking sad in the top picture with...
More About: News , Family

PLEASE GOD FORGIVE ME
2008-01-25 16:58:00
I’ve always believed that confession was not for God's purpose but for our own. God already knows everything I’ve done. I’m not going to surprise Him by confessing something He doesn't know. Confession has to be for the purpose of reminding me just how much I need God. It reminds me that I am a sinner. It reminds me that I’m forgiven. It also reminds me that God is a good God.My friend Billy Wilson turned me on to Micah 7:18 a couple of years ago. It has become a rock in my spiritual foundation. "Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight in showing mercy."Did you catch that last part? Here it is again with emphasis, "God delights in showing mercy." To me that's utterly amazing. God not only is willing to forgive me, but delights in doing so!I've often wondered if my confession to God, who delights in showing mercy, goes something like this ... With shame in my tone be...
More About: Forgive

WHO IS THE PERFECT MAN
2008-01-24 15:55:00
Every man would like to be the perfect man. Nothing would please me more than to be Lea's perfect man. For years, women have voted in Redbook magazine on who they think is the perfect man for each decade. Past winners by decades include...John Wayne - 60'sAlan Alda - 70'sSylvester Stallone - 80'sNicholas Cage - 90'sI find it interesting that they've now chosen an "all-time" perfect man. After careful consideration and endless debate, women have decided on an all-time perfect man. Who is he? The winner for the all-time perfect man is...MR.POTATO HEAD - He's tan. He's cute. He knows the importance of accessorizing. And if he looks at another girl, you can rearrange his face. Sheesh ... I just can't compete with that!
More About: Perfect

HOW DO I WANT TO BE REMEMBERED?
2008-01-23 15:31:00
I think the story of James Henry Smith is interesting. James died a few months back at age 55 in Pittsburgh, PA. He was a zealous Pittsburgh Steelers fan. After his death his family planned for an unusual viewing of his body. Per the families request, instead of a coffin the funeral home placed James Henry's body on a recliner, his feet crossed and a remote in his hand. A pack of cigarettes and beer were at his side, and a TV played a continuous loop of Pittsburgh Steeler highlights. The family wanted friends to remember James Henry as he was every Sunday for his entire life. Everybody seemed to agree that this was an adequate depiction of him and his life. It was a picture of who he was. While I love the originality of the story, I couldn't help think how sad this was to me. What a poor way to spend every Sunday of your life and what a sad way to be remembered as a person. I'm a huge sports fan and I love Sunday afternoon football, but it's surely not the way I want to be remem...

I HAVE A DREAM ... FOR THE CHURCH
2008-01-22 16:14:00
MY DREAM IS FOR UNITY. It's time that we grow up and stop fighting. If Jesus prayed for unity (John 17) among his followers, and Paul preached it (1 Corinthians 1), I think we should start doing it. We're all in this together and our goal is to take as many people with us to heaven as possible. When we fight, we're simply focused on the wrong thing.MY DREAM IS THAT WE WOULD FOCUS ON PEOPLE. Church is and always has been about people, not about buildings, programs or mission statements. Let's put our focus back where it should be ... meeting people's needs. Stop building multi-million dollar buildings just because you feel the need to keep up with what other churches are doing. This is STUPID and unbiblical. (More on this later this week.)MY DREAM IS FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR MISSIONARIES. It would be SO awesome to use the Lord's money on missions throughout the world. I'd love to see that anyone who wanted to go and do mission work could financially. Instead missionaries want...
More About: Dream , The Church , I have a dream

HOUSE FIRE
2008-01-21 14:31:00
I wanted to blog today about "I have a dream for the church," maybe tomorrow. Right now my heart is sad. Saturday night, my oldest sister's (Melinda) house burned. She pretty much lost everything. I ask that when you say your prayers today that you'll please say a prayer for her too. The following is the email my other sister (Monalea - who you know from the blogging world) wrote about the ordeal. My sister, Melinda Morgan lives down the street from me. She was lying on her couch tonight (Saturday) watching a movie when she looked up and noticed the ceiling on fire. She called 911 and then called us. The family, 12 of us in all gathered across the street in the 30 degree weather and watched as the firemen worked at putting out the fire. 3 times the flames were brought under control; 3 times the fire leaped back into a blaze. It took the firemen over 3 hours to get it out. When they finally began to roll up their hoses, Melinda and several others went into the smoke ruined house to...
More About: House , Fire

DAILY QUIET TIME WITH GOD
2008-01-19 21:47:00
Unfortunately, I heard it again this week. And if I had a nickel for every time someone has said it I'd be wealthy man. So what's the statement? "I'm finding it hard to squeeze some quiet time with God into my daily schedule." Let me just simply say that if you can't find time for God, then it's time to give your 'to-do' list a major overhaul. You need to place a high priority on spending quiet time with God each day. Each day is a gift from God, and if you are wise you'll spend a few quiet moments each day thanking God for being so good. So, if you've acquired the unfortunate habit of trying to "squeeze" God into the corners of your life, it's time to reshuffle the items on your priority list by placing God first. When's the last time you reshuffled your "to-do" list?
More About: Daily , Time , Quiet