Blake Bouldin

Too Tired to blog....BigStuf Day 2

BigStuf...Day 1

We finally made it.  When the alarm went off at 4:00 am at the Bouldin house, I wasn't in the mood to head to BigStuf.  Angie and I had literally spent the night playing ping pong with a house full of teenagers dying to head down to Panama City, Florida for a week of fun....and more importantly growing closer to God.  12 hours and 500 million bathroom stops later, we arrived.  Needless to say....It was worth it.

Highlights from the night included James David Carter singing Glorious One with 2,500 kids singing with him.  If you haven't ever experienced it, I can't even begin to explain.

Jared Herd knocked it out of the park with a message named "Live Loud".  His major points included:

1. Your life is broadcasting something

2. What we broadcast doesn't just come from our mouth, it comes from our lives

3. What we DO is louder than what we say

4. Ultimately we broadcast what we care about most

5. When what we care about changes, what we broadcast changes

Lazy days of summer

Things I love

It is 9:28 pm on Wednesday night and I am sitting on my deck with 3 tiki torches lit around me and a fan blowing in my face and I am simply overwhelmed at how much I enjoy the simple things in life.  In fact, and this is no joke, there are only a few things in life that I enjoy doing more than sitting on this deck and chilling.  Let me share with you what they are.

1. I enjoy playing basketball in the driveway with my sons Bryson and Brett on any night of the week during any season of the year.  There is just something about being out there with them shooting hoops and watching them grow up that brings joy into my life.  Tonight, my 13 year old son Brett schooled me in a couple of games, and while I hate to lose, I can't think of anyone I would rather lose to.
2. I love sitting out by the pool in Panama City Beach, Florida at the Edgewater Beach Resort.  This is where I went with my family over spring break and we have never had better weather.  Sitting by the pool, which is only a stones throw from the ocean, relaxes me just about as much as anything I can think of.  Being around my beautiful wife in a bathing suit is also exciting!  She is so hot!
3. I love great Sundays where the attendance is great, the spirit is high and the attitude of our fellowship is one of excitement.  Believe me, as a pastor, nothing stirs my soul more than watching God move in a mighty way in church.  One of the things I pray for every week is that God will pour His spirit out among our people at WCC.  Sometimes He chooses to do it more clearly than others, and when that happens, I am pumped.
4. I love having lunch with my son Brad at school.  Brad is my youngest child and so sometimes, because I have "been there done that" with my three older children, I forget how special certain things can be.  Recently I had lunch with Brad at his school and before I left he reached over and held my hand and said "I love you Dad!"  That made my week!
5. I love late night talks with my wife.  In August, Angie and I will celebrate our 20th anniversary.  I can't believe it.  Not because it seems like an eternity, but rather, because it seems like we just tied the knot.  I have never loved anyone else but Angie.  I have never wished I could be married to anyone else.  I have never wished I could be single again.  She is IT for me.  So, when I get to stay up late and talk to the love of my life, it satisfies something deep inside my soul.
6. I love it when God speaks to me.  Sometimes, and I can't quite explain it, God will speak into my life and even though it isn't audible, I will know it is Him.  Recently, I was having my quiet time and I felt His presence and I heard his voice and while I don't want to reveal what He said, it was so clear and so meaningful...and so REAL.  Believe me, I am not a super spiritual guy, but God does speak.
7. I love weekends, especially Saturdays, with nothing to do.  Angie and I are always on the go on weekends.  Sometimes, and this isn't an exaggeration, we will go to 3 or 4 ballgames on a Saturday.  Couple that with preparing for church on Sunday and trying to catch up on housework and it is exhausting.  On rare occasions we get a break.  This weekend is one of those weekends where we get a break. I can't wait.

I could go on because life is good, God is good, and I am blessed.  I hope you feel the same way.  Check out this song that Angie sent me.  It sums it up.  Have a great evening.

Blake

Are Dogs Included?

Jesus said in Matthew 11:28: "If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest."  Are dogs included?  My new boxer puppy Lexi thinks so.

Defining Hero

The dictionary defines the word hero like this: a person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for their brave deeds and noble qualities.

I define hero like this: Abbie Barbour.  At age 13, my niece Abbie, was diagnosed with a brain tumor.  She lost her hair.  She lost her ability to play sports.  She lost every bit of normalcy she had.  But one thing she didn't lose was her heart.  She fought back.  She never gave up.  She looked her diagnosis square in the eyes and declared, "I will not be beaten!"  Look at her today.  This is Abbie at 16 going to her prom.  In my opinion there is no one I know who has more courage or is braver or who I admire more than Abbie.

Abbie Lou, I hope you know you are my hero!  You epitomize everything I would like to be.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Uncle Blake

Day two with Lexi....Dang it!

OK...yesterday Angie and I drove to Durham, not Raleigh, and picked up our second boxer named Lexi.  She is so sweet, but I have to admit, I am not as in love with dogs as Angie.  Yesterday on the way home all Angie could do was hold Lexi and talk baby talk to her about how much she was loved.  That was OK for the first 30 minutes or so, but hearing Angie say.."You are soooo cute Lexi...I love you..yes I do" 100 times can start to grind on anyone's nerves.  Lexi finally fell asleep and Angie began texting all our children and her friends with pictures of Lexi.  I said, "You want to come up in the front seat and talk for awhile?"  She didn't.  Dang it!

Last night around the Bouldin home was a Lexi-fest.  When my two youngest sons Brad and Brett got home I said, "Hey guys, did you have a good day?"  Their response was "where is Lexi?"  They then proceeded to spend the next several hours fighting over who gets to hold her next.  Then Brianna and Bryson got home and the oohing and awwing started all over again.  In an effort to garner some attention from my family I went to Kami and bought Brianna and Angie Sushi, their favorite, and the boys and I ate our favorite off the menu. After the obligatory thank you it was back to Lexi. American Idol even played second fiddle to Lexi last night which is wild because American Idol is priority on Tuesday and Wednesday night at the Bouldin house. It's only day 2 and I am thinking enough of Lexi already.  Oh, and David Archuleta over Syesha just ain't right.  Give me a break! Dang it!

Bed time found me trying to convince Angie that Lexi was going to have to sleep in her crate so that we could train her for when we aren't home.  Angie reluctantly agreed and so I put Lexi in her crate and hopped into bed.  That lasted all of about 3 minutes because Angie couldn't take the yelping.  As a result, Lexi wound up sleeping in my bed next to my wife the whole night.  There is nothing like rolling over to give your wife a good night kiss and smelling puppy breath.  Dang it!

Don't get me wrong, I love dogs and I love Lexi.  I am just feeling a little left out about now.  Who knows what tonight will hold.  I hope I don't find myself sleeping in the crate while Lexi takes my side of the bed.  You never know, the way yesterday unfolded that is a real possibility. 

Angie's Mother's Day gift.....Lexi

Your Questions.....

There is a whole lot of good stuff going on at WCC right now that is keeping me very busy.  Couple that with all the year end stuff that goes on with four kids getting ready for school to let out and I have barely had a chance to slow down for a second to blog.  As soon as I finish this blog, Angie and I are heading to Raleigh to pick up her mother's day gift.  Can you guess what it is?  Give it a shot!

For those who don't blog, one of the toughest things about blogging is figuring out what to blog about.  There have been several instances lately where my mind has been so full from all the stuff going on in my life that when I would sit down to blog, I would have brain freeze.  My mom says that brain freeze comes with age, but I disagree.  I think brain freeze comes from having too much "stuff" on the brain.  Anyway, because it's been hard for me to concentrate lately, I need your help.  What would you like me to blog about?  What are the tough questions you are grappling with?  What are the things that you have been dying to ask but never had the nerve?  Now is your chance.  Let me know what is on your mind and I will do my best to respond.

Off to Raleigh.

A Spiritual Birthday Party!

Today at around 2:47 PM I had a 20 year old young man come into my office and ask me how he could know Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.  I knew this day would come as I have watched this young man for some time absorbing the word of God and being moved by the Holy Spirit.  I told him today as we talked, that God has been knocking on the door of his life for some time and this afternoon he finally decided to answer. I am So Excited!!

With all the things that ministers have to deal with, the aspect of our jobs that make them worthwhile are experiences like today.  Knowing that I have the opportunity to share with others the love and forgiveness that Jesus offers is better than anything I could ask for.  Seeing people respond to that love and forgiveness is amazing.

God thank you for the decision Ben made today.  Thank you that your Holy Spirit is alive and working.  Finally, thank you for the privilege of being able to minister.

God Bless.