When people drive, they usually drive as fast as they can (without getting caught of course) to their next destination. I'm guilty of this exact thing and probably so are you. What happens when we drive fast to get somewhere? Simple answer, we miss out on all the little details and journey's we could have seen or taken along the way. The same is true in our daily lives. We wake up first thing in the morning and are on a mad dash to make breakfast, get the kid(s) ready for school, kiss the spouse and jump in our cars to drive as fast to work as we can. This happens 5, 6 or even 7 days out of the week. We hardly ever take the time to slow down to see which direction they are driving their life.
God has really been working my heart over the last few months and telling me that I'm driving life too fast. He's been telling me to slow down, take a look at the direction my family members are driving in. I'm always in a rush to get things done and I'm not taking the time to slow down to soak in all the little details happening around me. Of course there are always memories...
Yesterday I was holding my newborn son in the hospital watching a Georgia Bulldawgs football game. I held him tight in that little blanket and explained the differences between the offense and the defense. He sat in my arms the entire game and we watched Georgia beat South Carolina together in that hospital room.
Today he came home from school, gave me a fist bump and was telling me everthing he had learned in class. He needed some help writing a one page essay on simple tools used around the house. He's now in the fourth grade, ten years have passed since we celebrated that Bulldawg victory.
I met this amazing girl yesterday at school, her name is Angie Hayhome. She loves doing the same things I do - going to drive-in movies, going to dirt track races, etc. The crazy thing is she is only 15, I hope her mom and dad approve of me, because I am just a little bit older than her. But maybe we will get married someday.
I kissed this awesome and amazing woman goodbye this morning before she went to work. Her name is Angie (Hayhome) Cain. She loves doing the same things I do - raising our ten year old son together, serving at a church together, tithing together, watching movies together and having Christ at the center of our family together. She is my wife of 15 years (we've been together for 18).
Yesterday my little brother Brian and I were playing in the snow in upstate N.Y. We were building snowmen and igloos in the front yard and trying to hurt each other with icy snowballs. Mom was yelling at us to play nice with each other.
Today my brother is upholding the law in our local community in North Georgia. He also started a police ministry to help bring other law enforcement officers to Christ. We still try to hurt each other with the icy snowballs whenever we get the chance :)
Yesterday my dad was taking me fishing in upsate N.Y. He was teaching me how to survive as a man and showing me the love a father has for a son. He also taught me how to drive a car down our old country road and stay between the ditches.
Today I get to go pay my respects to my dad at the Georgia National Cemetery. His love that he showed me holds dear to my heart. If I get hungry, I know how to fish because of him. If I'm driving a car (life), I know how to steer away from the ditch (trouble).
Yesterday was gone in the blink of an eye because I was driving life too fast. The straight path my family members were in before, all of a sudden shot into different directions. Of course there were plenty of memories along the way. Some were bad, some were great and some were even life changing in my heart. But as I get older, I forget to slow it down a bit and pay attention to the details life has to offer. I hear and see alot of things happening around me, but I don't soak it all in. If you have read my past blog posts, you can see alot has happened in such a short time in my life. But I'm trying to learn to take my foot off the gas pedal of life and enjoy these "in the meantime" moments. Life is a journey, not a race. If we have a lead foot on the gas pedal of life, then we are going to miss out on all the great things God wants us to do and all the great experiences He wants us to have with him and with others in our lives. Yesterday is gone and today will be "yesterday" tomorrow before you know it. Let's take our foot off the gas in the meantime.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
A New Year
2010 was an amazing year in my life. Our company landed a huge job at Georgia Tech, I became an uncle (again), I had the privelage to help baptize my son Brandon, I also had the opportunity to baptize my friend Chase, I became the leader of Revolution Church's Parking Team, I went to a couple of leadership conferences with my church family, I helped another church's parking team in a different state, I developed new friendships, I signed up to go on a mission trip to Haiti in April of 2011. That just names a few of the great things I got to do last year. But there's one problem with all of these things mentioned, the word "I".
"I" had a lot of things happen to "me". God blessed me with all of those things that happened in my life last year along with all of the people "I" did those things with. 2010 seemed like it was an "I" kind of year and "I" am thankful for what God did in my life last year, He carried me through it. But "I"m going to make an effort in 2011 to take everthing "I" have learned and apply it to the lives of others. It's time to give back to God and use what I have received from him.
My first test from God started Thursday. The company I work for has been generous with my bonus check every year for the past 15 years. This year they were buying me a 3D tv, 3D Blu-Ray player and 3D glasses for my bonus ($1800). AWESOME! I mentioned earlier that I signed up for a mission trip to Haiti, I had no idea how I was going to pay for it ($1500). All I knew was that I could trust God to get me there. He really worked my heart the day I found out what my bonus was, so I sat still and listened. I asked my bosses if I could use the money they were going to spend on all that "stuff", to pay for my trip to Haiti. They said yes. I don't know how I can help the people of Haiti on the mission trip yet, but I know I'm willing to give up a "luxury" for me to spread the gospel about Jesus to them. Some people might think I'm crazy for doing this. I don't care. I know what God has done for me in my life and I want people who don't know Jesus to have their own amazing relationship with Him.
I read a book last year called "Radical" by David Platt, it is an awesome book that I recommend everyone to read. The book will change the way you see how you are impacting other people's lives. There were several things that caught my attention while reading it, but one sentence really caught my interest - "Every saved person this side of heaven owes the gospel to every lost person this side of hell". I want to share with people what has been shared with me. The 3D tv can wait.
2011 is "A New Year",a time for change, I can't wait to see how God is going to move in my life this year and use all the things He grew me with in 2010 to help others this year. I don't know what 2011 will bring yet, all I know is that God has a plan for my life and I trust Him to guide my steps "in the meantime".
"I" had a lot of things happen to "me". God blessed me with all of those things that happened in my life last year along with all of the people "I" did those things with. 2010 seemed like it was an "I" kind of year and "I" am thankful for what God did in my life last year, He carried me through it. But "I"m going to make an effort in 2011 to take everthing "I" have learned and apply it to the lives of others. It's time to give back to God and use what I have received from him.
My first test from God started Thursday. The company I work for has been generous with my bonus check every year for the past 15 years. This year they were buying me a 3D tv, 3D Blu-Ray player and 3D glasses for my bonus ($1800). AWESOME! I mentioned earlier that I signed up for a mission trip to Haiti, I had no idea how I was going to pay for it ($1500). All I knew was that I could trust God to get me there. He really worked my heart the day I found out what my bonus was, so I sat still and listened. I asked my bosses if I could use the money they were going to spend on all that "stuff", to pay for my trip to Haiti. They said yes. I don't know how I can help the people of Haiti on the mission trip yet, but I know I'm willing to give up a "luxury" for me to spread the gospel about Jesus to them. Some people might think I'm crazy for doing this. I don't care. I know what God has done for me in my life and I want people who don't know Jesus to have their own amazing relationship with Him.
I read a book last year called "Radical" by David Platt, it is an awesome book that I recommend everyone to read. The book will change the way you see how you are impacting other people's lives. There were several things that caught my attention while reading it, but one sentence really caught my interest - "Every saved person this side of heaven owes the gospel to every lost person this side of hell". I want to share with people what has been shared with me. The 3D tv can wait.
2011 is "A New Year",a time for change, I can't wait to see how God is going to move in my life this year and use all the things He grew me with in 2010 to help others this year. I don't know what 2011 will bring yet, all I know is that God has a plan for my life and I trust Him to guide my steps "in the meantime".
Monday, December 6, 2010
A Servant's Heart
I have a brother, his name Brian Cain. He is a husband, father, police officer and a pastor. Brian joined the Marine Corp shortly after he graduated highschool and became an MP while he served his country. After he finished serving his 4 years as a Marine, he went straight into law enforcement because he wanted to continue to make a difference in the community by serving the people. He went from serving a huge country, to serving a small community . He has been a police officer for several departments, but his love for serving people has never changed. As he's grown through different ranks (he is now a Seargent), he's also grown in his faith with God. He started a ministry directed towards law enforcement and started teaching cops about Jesus.
He started Code 4 Ministries a little over a year ago. The people in law enforcement are one of the largest groups in the country who don't attend church on a regular basis, he wanted to change that. Brian has been a cop for a number of years and has built relationships with other police officers with whom he has served with (let's just say he knows their biggest hurts, hangups and habits in life). He knows what their going through, that is why he started this police ministry, to show they can change their lifestyles by knowing and loving Jesus. He has created a relaxing "non church" environment for cops to come and hear how they can look to God to help them through their troubling times.
I'm not a cop, but I've attended and supported every meeting he has had to date. I'll never forget his first sermon - Ephesians 6:10-20 The Whole Armor of God. Wow. Brian used several pieces of equipment that a police officer uses on an every day basis to illustrate how each piece directly relates to The Whole Armor of God in the Bible. I think every cop in there was stunned after hearing that message. That got the ball rolling for Code 4.
But starting a police ministry was not enough for Brian, meeting once a month was awesome, but he knew it was not enough to reach lost cops. He set out on a mission to collect and distribute 500 Police Officer Bibles to the law enforcement community in Cherokee County by Christmas. That is a huge task. He doesn't have the money to buy all of them, so he has been reaching out to the community to help him reach this goal. Brian has had several donated already, but he is a long way from reaching that monumental task.
I'm proud of my brother. His walk with Christ is inspiring. The sacrafices he makes each month to share the Gospel with his fellow police officers just simply blows me away.
Christmas is almost here and I'm sure that every person who reads this has a family member or friend who knows a cop or someone in some type of law enforcement. If you or someone you know would like to make a difference in the life of a cop by sharing the Gospel, please check out his website with all of the information http://www.biblesforcops.info/
Just to get an idea of what Code 4 Ministries is about, go to code4ministries.com. When you visit the website, check out the logo, I personally know the guy who designed it (me).
Thank you for having a servant's heart Brian, I love doing life with you. Love ya bro.
He started Code 4 Ministries a little over a year ago. The people in law enforcement are one of the largest groups in the country who don't attend church on a regular basis, he wanted to change that. Brian has been a cop for a number of years and has built relationships with other police officers with whom he has served with (let's just say he knows their biggest hurts, hangups and habits in life). He knows what their going through, that is why he started this police ministry, to show they can change their lifestyles by knowing and loving Jesus. He has created a relaxing "non church" environment for cops to come and hear how they can look to God to help them through their troubling times.
I'm not a cop, but I've attended and supported every meeting he has had to date. I'll never forget his first sermon - Ephesians 6:10-20 The Whole Armor of God. Wow. Brian used several pieces of equipment that a police officer uses on an every day basis to illustrate how each piece directly relates to The Whole Armor of God in the Bible. I think every cop in there was stunned after hearing that message. That got the ball rolling for Code 4.
But starting a police ministry was not enough for Brian, meeting once a month was awesome, but he knew it was not enough to reach lost cops. He set out on a mission to collect and distribute 500 Police Officer Bibles to the law enforcement community in Cherokee County by Christmas. That is a huge task. He doesn't have the money to buy all of them, so he has been reaching out to the community to help him reach this goal. Brian has had several donated already, but he is a long way from reaching that monumental task.
I'm proud of my brother. His walk with Christ is inspiring. The sacrafices he makes each month to share the Gospel with his fellow police officers just simply blows me away.
Christmas is almost here and I'm sure that every person who reads this has a family member or friend who knows a cop or someone in some type of law enforcement. If you or someone you know would like to make a difference in the life of a cop by sharing the Gospel, please check out his website with all of the information http://www.biblesforcops.info/
Just to get an idea of what Code 4 Ministries is about, go to code4ministries.com. When you visit the website, check out the logo, I personally know the guy who designed it (me).
Thank you for having a servant's heart Brian, I love doing life with you. Love ya bro.
Monday, November 8, 2010
How Do You Grow People?
Even before I had a relationship with Jesus, he was using other people to invest in and grow me, I had no idea that He would use me to grow others around me. I'm the last person in the world that He could use to advance His Kingdom.
I accepted Christ and was baptized in '09 and since then He has used me to invest in others, for example, my son Brandon and my friend Chase. Why? I don't deserve it. I'm a sinner.
Being the father of my son Brandon, it is a little easier to make that heartfelt impact on him because he lives with me (and, he has no choice). I volunteer every Sunday at Revolution Church, over the past few months he has been serving inside in the RevKids area (proud of him) but then he switched area's and wanted to serve outside in the parking lot with me (like I'm gonna cut him some slack, whatever). My wife and I tithe. He has also started to tithe, unselfishly he tithed out of his birthday money and recently he gave all of his allowance money to the Advance Initiative to help build the new building. While this has all been happening , he accepted Christ into his life and wanted to be baptized. He asked me if I would help baptize him, I will never forget that moment or that feeling. How many dad's get to baptize their son's? Thank you Jesus. I helped baptize him October 6th.
And then there is my friend Chase. He started working with me a few months ago, he didn't go to church, so I started telling him about Revolution and how it has made an impact in my life and how it might change his. He didn't have a relationship with God, deep down I knew he desperatly needed to have one. He needed to hear the Gospel and build his relationship with Christ, but how? He had no car to get to church. So I started to pick him up from his grandfather's house every Sunday morning to set up with us. I introduced him to new people and he started building relationships throughout our church. Since then he has accepted Christ into his life and was baptised. I had the privelage to help baptize him November 3rd, I'll never forget that day either. How many people get to baptise their friends? He started bringing his parents to church with him a couple of months ago and they were all baptized the same night. He grew people in his life also.
I can't wait to see how Brandon and Chase share the Gospel and grow people throughout their lives, I'm pround of how far both of them have come in such a short time and I pray that one day, by sharing their faith, each of them will get to baptize their son and friends.
How do you grow people? Make an investment in people's lives the way others have invested in yours.
I accepted Christ and was baptized in '09 and since then He has used me to invest in others, for example, my son Brandon and my friend Chase. Why? I don't deserve it. I'm a sinner.
Being the father of my son Brandon, it is a little easier to make that heartfelt impact on him because he lives with me (and, he has no choice). I volunteer every Sunday at Revolution Church, over the past few months he has been serving inside in the RevKids area (proud of him) but then he switched area's and wanted to serve outside in the parking lot with me (like I'm gonna cut him some slack, whatever). My wife and I tithe. He has also started to tithe, unselfishly he tithed out of his birthday money and recently he gave all of his allowance money to the Advance Initiative to help build the new building. While this has all been happening , he accepted Christ into his life and wanted to be baptized. He asked me if I would help baptize him, I will never forget that moment or that feeling. How many dad's get to baptize their son's? Thank you Jesus. I helped baptize him October 6th.
And then there is my friend Chase. He started working with me a few months ago, he didn't go to church, so I started telling him about Revolution and how it has made an impact in my life and how it might change his. He didn't have a relationship with God, deep down I knew he desperatly needed to have one. He needed to hear the Gospel and build his relationship with Christ, but how? He had no car to get to church. So I started to pick him up from his grandfather's house every Sunday morning to set up with us. I introduced him to new people and he started building relationships throughout our church. Since then he has accepted Christ into his life and was baptised. I had the privelage to help baptize him November 3rd, I'll never forget that day either. How many people get to baptise their friends? He started bringing his parents to church with him a couple of months ago and they were all baptized the same night. He grew people in his life also.
I can't wait to see how Brandon and Chase share the Gospel and grow people throughout their lives, I'm pround of how far both of them have come in such a short time and I pray that one day, by sharing their faith, each of them will get to baptize their son and friends.
How do you grow people? Make an investment in people's lives the way others have invested in yours.
Friday, October 8, 2010
In the meantime
Well, here goes my first attempt at a blog.
My life has been filled with ups and downs just like everyone else, but everyone carries their own past on their back and hold out there arms welcoming their future.
The title of my blog really holds dear to my heart. I was at the Newspring Leadership Conference a couple of weeks ago with my friends from Revolution Church when I heard a man talking about that he wasn't the man he was and he is not the man he's going to be, it's what he did in the meantime that really counted. I sat there in my seat and went, Wow! How true is that for everyone? Everyone changes. It's what they do in the meantime that can affect how their lives will influence other people that they meet.
"The man I was". I was a man who wanted to hang out with the guys as much as possible. We would go to ball games, fishing, golfing or just out of town camping, all the time. I didn't want to be home. Not once did I ever notice the impact that was making on my family, especially my wife and son. My family and friends were concerened about me, but I wouldn't stop to listen. It was all about me. While all of this was taking place, my father was diagnosed with cancer. He battled the disease for a couple of years. My brothers and I knew we had to take him on a trip before he got worse. We took him fishing on Fathers Day to North Carolina, we didn't know that was going to be our last trip with him. While he was battling, he started going to church regularly, accepted Christ into his life and was baptized. He eventually was overcome by brain cancer and died October 4, 2008.
My wife Angie and my brother Brian went to this church called "Revolution" and they would ask me to go to check it out. I went and I hated it. I wanted nothing to do with God or a church. They never gave up on me though, they kept trying and trying to get me to come, so I started going about every 4 or 5 months just to listen to the band. But I kept doing the things I was doing and was going full speed into a brick wall. Then BAM! In May of 2009 I attended Revolution and heard a message that would change my life forever. It was Luke 15:1-7 Parable of the lost sheep. I sat in my chair and it felt like God was talking directly to me. I was sitting between my wife and brother that day when I asked God to come into my life. I was saved. We all sat there in our chairs and wept together. They knew I was coming home.
"In the meantime". Since that day, I was baptized (by Tim May) and I have worked harder on my relationship with God, my marriage and my family. But I don't think my wife and brother knew what was about to happen next. From the day I was saved until now, I attend Revolution Church every Sunday and volunteer all day, I get there about 4:00 am and stay until about 2:30 pm. It started by taking out the trash and doing odds and ends. As I was doing these things, I had the privelage of meeting a lot of new people and builing new relationships. Let me tell ya, this church is full of amazing people. But now I am the leader of our parking team. We have 14 guys on the crew now and we get to greet every single person that comes to our church. Some people would think it was crazy to have people park cars at a church, but let me tell ya, if you could see how fast Revolution Church is growing and see how many parking spots were actually available, you wouldn't think it was that crazy.
My wife Angie, my son Brandon and I get along better now than we ever have. I actually had the privilege to witness and be apart of one of the most amazing things thats happened in my life. We had our 1st Wednesday service October 6 at Revolution, Brandon was baptized! The cool thing was I helped baptize him with the same pastor that baptized me, Tim May. Brandon was also presented with a Bible. It was the same Bible that my dad received when he was baptized, how crazy is that!
"The man I'm going to be". I have no idea how the man I'm going to be will turn out. All I can do is keep learning from my mistakes. My pastor, Jason Gerdes said it best "It's ok not to be ok, it's just not ok to stay there". He also said "everyone leaves a wake", I want to make sure my wake leaves a positve effect on people, so what I do in the "meantime" is what will reflect the man that I'm going to be.
My life has been filled with ups and downs just like everyone else, but everyone carries their own past on their back and hold out there arms welcoming their future.
The title of my blog really holds dear to my heart. I was at the Newspring Leadership Conference a couple of weeks ago with my friends from Revolution Church when I heard a man talking about that he wasn't the man he was and he is not the man he's going to be, it's what he did in the meantime that really counted. I sat there in my seat and went, Wow! How true is that for everyone? Everyone changes. It's what they do in the meantime that can affect how their lives will influence other people that they meet.
"The man I was". I was a man who wanted to hang out with the guys as much as possible. We would go to ball games, fishing, golfing or just out of town camping, all the time. I didn't want to be home. Not once did I ever notice the impact that was making on my family, especially my wife and son. My family and friends were concerened about me, but I wouldn't stop to listen. It was all about me. While all of this was taking place, my father was diagnosed with cancer. He battled the disease for a couple of years. My brothers and I knew we had to take him on a trip before he got worse. We took him fishing on Fathers Day to North Carolina, we didn't know that was going to be our last trip with him. While he was battling, he started going to church regularly, accepted Christ into his life and was baptized. He eventually was overcome by brain cancer and died October 4, 2008.
My wife Angie and my brother Brian went to this church called "Revolution" and they would ask me to go to check it out. I went and I hated it. I wanted nothing to do with God or a church. They never gave up on me though, they kept trying and trying to get me to come, so I started going about every 4 or 5 months just to listen to the band. But I kept doing the things I was doing and was going full speed into a brick wall. Then BAM! In May of 2009 I attended Revolution and heard a message that would change my life forever. It was Luke 15:1-7 Parable of the lost sheep. I sat in my chair and it felt like God was talking directly to me. I was sitting between my wife and brother that day when I asked God to come into my life. I was saved. We all sat there in our chairs and wept together. They knew I was coming home.
"In the meantime". Since that day, I was baptized (by Tim May) and I have worked harder on my relationship with God, my marriage and my family. But I don't think my wife and brother knew what was about to happen next. From the day I was saved until now, I attend Revolution Church every Sunday and volunteer all day, I get there about 4:00 am and stay until about 2:30 pm. It started by taking out the trash and doing odds and ends. As I was doing these things, I had the privelage of meeting a lot of new people and builing new relationships. Let me tell ya, this church is full of amazing people. But now I am the leader of our parking team. We have 14 guys on the crew now and we get to greet every single person that comes to our church. Some people would think it was crazy to have people park cars at a church, but let me tell ya, if you could see how fast Revolution Church is growing and see how many parking spots were actually available, you wouldn't think it was that crazy.
My wife Angie, my son Brandon and I get along better now than we ever have. I actually had the privilege to witness and be apart of one of the most amazing things thats happened in my life. We had our 1st Wednesday service October 6 at Revolution, Brandon was baptized! The cool thing was I helped baptize him with the same pastor that baptized me, Tim May. Brandon was also presented with a Bible. It was the same Bible that my dad received when he was baptized, how crazy is that!
"The man I'm going to be". I have no idea how the man I'm going to be will turn out. All I can do is keep learning from my mistakes. My pastor, Jason Gerdes said it best "It's ok not to be ok, it's just not ok to stay there". He also said "everyone leaves a wake", I want to make sure my wake leaves a positve effect on people, so what I do in the "meantime" is what will reflect the man that I'm going to be.
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