BST's Blog

Great ZOE meeting yesterday at our house and then a really awesome life group night. Community is so important. I am so glad to have community with the people in our group. We shared some pretty important things last night and were able to pray for each other. It really encouraged me.

This morning I met Mike Cope, Jeff Walling, Greg Taylor, Randy Gill, and Eric for our ZOE planning meeting for the fall conference. We had a great day together-enhanced by lunch at Baja Burrito. I am really pumped about the theme we are working on for the fall conference. We're going with something about incarnation-not in the Christmas sense, but talking about how God's love became flesh. And now, we are the flesh behind His Kingdom here. We embrace the incarnation and it's not a nice sermon on a Sunday morning but instead a way of life. It should change everything. If you know any songs you want to suggest with that theme in mind for the recording, please do. ("In Christ Alone" is a great one!)

Back last January I went in to the Vanderbilt University Allergy Sinus Clinic. A producer from ABC just happened to be there working on a story about allergies. The Nashville ABC affiliate bought an hour of prime time to air the show. They asked me that day if they could follow me around and I agreed. The show aired tonight. The most hilarious thing was that the segment on me began like this... "Brandon Thomas is MISERABLE." Sheryl and I both laughed out loud. The second most hilarious thing was that based on how I looked, it was no surprise to anyone that I felt miserable. Nothing like seeing yourself on TV being the allergy poster boy. They even showed me getting my arm prick allergy test. Why me? Christy McInturff called immediately and laughed out loud at me while we both watched them look up my nose on TV. Not pretty.

It's a busy week ahead for us. Tomorrow night I am taking Maddie and Ella to eat dinner with the people at Room in the Inn at Otter Creek. I've been trying to tell Maddie that there are people who don't have houses or beds (she's been so excited about her big girl bed and she actually offered to put it in the van to take with us for someone to have. I don't think she actually knows what she was offering, but it was really sweet!). Tomorrow night will be a great time for them to meet some of the really nice people who come to escape the cold nights, get several nice meals, and a warm shower. I am looking forward to it. It's a start.

Thursday night we begin recording. I am asking you to pray for us. Please pray for an anointing on that time and for God to keep us healthy.

Tomorrow morning at staff meeting, our newest minister will be joining us. Doug Sanders who is leaving his VP position with Purity Dairies (the man's job was choosing and managing ICE CREAM FLAVORS! Hello? I think I have found my true calling.) Doug is our new admin. minister. We are all very excited about this addition to our staff. Doug is a tireless worker and has already given so much to OC. I know this will be a real blessing to us.

Please continue to pray for Jonathan and Thomas. Both seem to be showing signs of continued healing. Thanks for always praying for us too. I'm thankful for you.