Brad Wilkerson // COC Metro

The Biggest Fireworks Show I've Ever Seen

Well Saturday was just awesome.  Our ministry team was incredible as we put to practice the GO ministry of Gather…Grow…Give…and Go.  Our SWAT Teams did an awesome job reaching out to both Providence and Savannah during their annual Independence Day Celebrations.  I was quite disappointed that the events were cut short due to the rain or should I say HUGE STROMS!  I really look forward every year at these events to the climax of the evening with the massive Fireworks Show.  However, God gave us a show of His own.  Thanks again to everyone who had a hand in the events.  Also a special thanks to James and Meridith Parker for organizing the SWAT TEAMS into action and of course to Dane Blankenship for taking care of the details of both events.  Even though it was a short night we made many great contacts and our ministry will grow because of your efforts.  Thanks again and happy 4th of July!

The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat

As most of you know, our family was not at COC this weekend because we were with our daughter, Haley, at the 14 and under State Fast Pitch Softball Tournament in Abilene, TX.  Haley has had so much fun this year playing softball and we took time to make it a big family weekend. The girls did great winning 3 of 5 games but those two loses knocked us out of the tournament.  All said and done, they were the 6th place finisher out of 25 teams who qualified for the event.  We were so proud of all the girls and of course our girl, Haley.  The girls on the team call her Pippy because during the games she wears her hair in two pony tails and they are braided.  She is so cute but turns into a get dirty, tough girl when she hits the field.  It was awesome!

One thing Sarah and I observed this weekend is the highs and lows of victories and defeats.  What a different atmosphere and attitude we experienced with the victories in comparison to the defeats.  I remember when I was a kid feeling the same way when we would win and then also when we would lose. 

Life is much the same.  We will have daily victories and daily defeats.  It is how we approach them that will make the difference.  Our attitudes, outlook, and faith will play a major part in how we handle these situations.  Yes, life stinks sometimes but it is during those valley times that God is preparing us for the next mountain top victory.

As we consoled a crying 13 year old Sunday after the big loss we reminded her that she still has one more year of 14 and under softball.  A lot of the girls on her team will now move into high school ball as they will become Freshman in just a couple of months while Haley will now move into 8th grade.  She gets another shot at this State deal! 

God is the same.  He is a God of second, third, and fourth chances.  The Bible says His mercies are new every morning.  That means every day when I wake up I get to choose what I will make of that day and yesterdays defeats are gone.  No one likes to lose at anything but sometimes the losses are preparing us for the victories.

Have a great week and look for the lesson or blessing in the trials and storms!

Wow...What A Busy Weekend

Wow, this past weekend was crazy busy.  First, I enjoyed playing in the Annual Midway Baptist Church golf tournament.  No, my team did not win this year but we played really well.  We just came up 2 strokes short.  I would like to tell you that it is all Pastor Dane’s fault but I couldn’t seem to make any putts on Saturday.  Sunday was a long day as we finished up loading the stuff in our house.  We are now officially out of our house and now living with my parents for the next six weeks until our rented home is available to us.  We look forward to moving in the first of August.  Sarah and I were totally exhausted by the time we reached Sunday night but we are now back in full swing and have settled in nicely at the folk’s pad.  The kiddos have made the adjustment well and we look forward to our new place of residence in Paloma Creek South.  Thanks to all of you that helped us load up our stuff.  We couldn’t have done it without you.  Sarah and I will be gone this weekend from COC as we will be with our daughter, Haley, in Abilene at the 14 and under State Fast-Pitch Softball Tournament.  Hopefully we’ll bring home a championship trophy.  Have a great week and keep pressing forward for Christ.

God bless you all!

The Pool Was Cool

 

 

Oh yeah baby, that is what it is all about.  God is awesome and it is so cool to see Him evident in the lives of those who followed Him in baptism this past Sunday.  What a great time and a great benchmark day it was in the life of our new church!  It was a privilege to have the opportunity to baptize nine of those precious new members of the family of God.  It was also cool to see Pastor James get the opportunity to baptize his son, Caleb.  We had a great time of fellowship and celebration.  Over 60 people were present for this great event.  May this be just a beginning of many people that will not only come to know Christ as their Savior but also follow Him in obedience through baptism.  Thanks to Randy and Linda DeGraffenreid for opening their home and pool to us and thanks to Randy and Leesa Rose for taking care of the video footage of this great event.  I love you guys and I love COC.  I look forward to getting in the pool again real soon!  Have a great week.

God bless you all. 

Beautiful San Diego

Finally, the week Sarah and I have been looking so forward to is here.  That’s right…we are in sunny, beautiful San Diego, California, this week for a church planter’s conference.  As you see in the picture we took time to head down to Mission Beach this afternoon during our 3 hour break from the seminars.  Wow…this place is awesome.  Average temperature year round is 75 degrees.  It is a wonder anyone around here can hold down a job.  Sunday afternoon after we landed and got our rental car, I immediately drove to La Jolla, CA, and found Torrey Pines, the site for this year’s US Open golf tournament.  We got to walk around the course a little bit and take some cool pictures.  It is a beautiful place and it will be a tough test for the best golfers in the world.  The conference is awesome.  Our keynote speaker is a well known author and church growth guru named Reggie McNeal.  This evening his message was timely and God used it to encourage Sarah and I to continue to follow God’s leading and the joy He gives us in church planting.  The conference ends on Tuesday evening but we are staying until Friday.  I am going to play golf somewhere one day and I think we may drive up the coast to LA and sightsee around places like Hollywood.  Anyway, you all have a great week wherever you are when you read this and I’ll talk to you next week.  By the way, when we got off the plane in San Diego you’ll never guess who was sitting in the terminal all by themselves waiting to catch a flight back to Dallas.  It was none other than the Cowboys quarterback, Tony Romo, and his on again off again girlfriend, Jessica Simpson.  They said hi to Sarah and me and asked for our autographs.  Well not really but they did smile at us.  Sarah made sure I kept my eyes glued to her and kept walking.  That makes Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and now Tony and Jessica that I have seen in the last two weeks.  I don’t know if that is a sign or something but it is a bit ironic.

God bless you all.