Amazing...

It's simply amazing...

It's simply amazing that my blog still works after not posting for a month...

And it's simply amazing how blessed Flo & I are to call Grace ours... Both kinds of Grace, really; the cute one and the life saving one. Recently God has been utterly benevolent to us. Riot Student Ministries is going great and kids lives are being altered now and for eternity...The kids are just blowing me away by how faithful they are to things up here and to a new life of discipleship. Grace is beautiful and healthy, and my biggest nephew just made it through a big medical scare and is ok and kept firm in the hand of God. The Lord has also been kind enough lately to show me just how powerfully He'll move through prayer if we'll just believe. I hope all is well with all, and the Ags will pull through against the pokes. Gig'em and God Bless!

I'm Sorry, I'm Sorry, I'm Sorry...

I know I've broken some cosmic rule about posting or whatever, but if you still care, here's what has been up in the hood, so to speak...

Summer of fun with Grace has been fun, but as of last week all the Ferrells in this house are back in school. Flo is back at Eustace & has a good class with no Psychos and lots of work to do because of a short year. Grace is back with her old buddies (minus surfer-boy {Jordan}) and only bawled her eyes out the first time I dropped her off. And, alas, my degree from A&M is not even framed and I have survived two whole weeks of the masters program at Criswell College in Dallas. Now I'll be having my assistant write the rest of this blog as I've already used up my 2 minutes a day that I don't have to spend reading...


Things are really going great at FBC Malakoff for all of us and you should definetly check out my blog to that effect at riotnews.blogspot.com. Also, I will be assaulting the mountain country of Texas this January again, so if your interested in joining me drop a line.


Finally, a good friend of ours Jared (Aggie Class of '01) is leaving on Sun. for Iraq as a Marine Aviator. Jared is my hero and is also the hero of Christina (tsip) his wife who will be delivering their beautiful baby girl while Jared is away. I am immensly proud of them, proud of Jared, and proud to call them our friends. Truly, freedom isn't free and I consider it a personal honor to get to pray for them while Jareds over there, go and do likewise.

Back in Action...

Well...Back from camp, obviously,

and we're just soaking up everybit of summer that's left.

Grace is working on her trail running skills to prep for the fall race season,

and entertaining preacher's sons for afternoon play time.

We're happy to welcome the Loricks into our lives. Nathan is our new pastor (my new boss) at FBC Malakoff. He, his wonderful wife Jenna and their handsome son Kayden (pictured) are getting ready to settle in to their new home and to an awesome opportunity and the incredible task of leading our Church Family....isn't it great making new friends? I know that sounds rather 5th gradish, but is still my favorite past time...there's nothing on earth like people.

Home Sweet Home...Not Alabama

All good things must come to an end...

Camp is over for now...

No more Rec Wars...

No more Adam and Chris...

No more on stage antics or Emo Emily...

But now that the hugs are done...

Let's get krunkt, b/c this is why we're hot: Our hearts should be melting within us to carry the priesthood realized on a mountain top to Malakoff, Texas...why not?

Last Night of Camp.....It's only the beginning!

Most people will tell you that the last night of camp can be a rough one...

Tons of sobbing and consoling and decisions made that sometimes don't affect folks once the tears are dry...

Tonight was different for us. We sobbed last night as we confessed some heavy burdens and sins to one another, and allowed God to heal so many wounds...

Tonight...we prepared. Tonight we were called out as Priests (1Pet2:9). Tonight, every student here with Malakoff committed to a life of priesthood in the here & now.

In this light, the guys aren't football players...they're priests that God has placed on a football team to show God to the players.

The young ladies aren't just in a group of friends. They are priests that God has mercifully placed in these girls lives to show them Him.

It was an awesome day and night. The Rec was fun, the weather was kind, the kids were committed and worshipful, the adults were blessed, the rookie youth minister got Youth Minister of the Day and got to where BlingBling and do yells about a Dawg Pound (thank you, thank you, kids!!!!!) and the food was still real bad....

It's been an awesome time away to focus on God....but we are ready to come home and pour out the truth and our lives on Malakoff.

Day 4: Mountain of God, a.k.a. Student Life Camp

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

All I can say is that Pra yer absolutely, positively works!

This week I have used my camp roster as a prayer tool; pulling it out and praying for each camper and counselor and making notes of specific needs, hurts, etc. I had decided to circle each person when big things we were praying for were answered....my list is filling up with circles. God is working in a mighty way and is moving faster than I can list. God is great.

Our kids are loving Him through being polite and actually using their free time to study His word, instead of just hanging out.

They are praying for and receiving challenges and hope from the Holy Spirit & they are completely "krunkt" (which is a Red Rumble Rec Squad word that means totally excited) about what God is going to do through them when they get home....get ready!

Day 3: Student Life Camp 2007 - Lookout Mtn. GA

****Please check out the StudentLife link. They have a ton of our kids pictures on Day2****

Have you ever had one of those days that are too much to describe? Well today's been one of those days. Besides that, I want to save most of the story telling for the kids that are living it.

I will say this. This Malakoff crew is the cream of the crop.



These kids are the most door opening, loudest, proudest, worshipful, dress code abiding, people and property respecting bunch here.




Did I mention that they're totally being dealt with by God in a might way and that we've already had one student come to believe in Christ and some more committ to supporting international mission work.

All in all...todays been a very memorable day. A day where nearly everyone in our group was broken and contrite before a Holy God that was continually and relentlessly showing us how He is who He says He is, and how He's working in our lives, right here, and right now.

Day 2: Birmingham, AL to Camp Day 1

Well, where do I begin?

What would camp be if you didn't have the stories that while promised to be short, start with, "when I was born"?

Everything got started on time and target today. We took a McDonalds by storm before heading up the long and winding road that led us straight to Covenant College and our 1st day of Camp. We got oriented, settled into our 5star rooms, grabbed some gourmet dinner and watched as a thunderstorm rolled in from 3 states over. It came in first from far away, then below us, then over, through and on us. This big rain kept me from taking too many live action photos today but I'll try to make it up to you! Covenant College & Lookout Mtn. are just completely breathtaking and are proof positive of our magnificent Creator. Huge Views and lots of walking up hills is the order of the day here.

Worship is being led by Chris Orr and our camp pastor is Adam Robinson. I have to say that both those guys are doing an awesome job and are speaking right to our kids and right through every barrier they try to throw up. I'd also be remiss if I didn't say that God is impacted us old folks as well. We can totally feel Him ripping through our own weaknesses and hesitations to call us into a life of abandon for Him in front of our students. Our bible study and church group times tonight were a great start to a week of growing closer friendships between students, and more worship to the God that made us. Please pray for honesty between us and God and each other, and a passion for whatever God has our hand to at the time. For me specifically, please pray that I'll be there in love for your students and that I'll always be acting totally reliant upon God's power, not mine.

*****Definetly check out the link I've provided on the blog to camp. On day 1 you will find a picture of some of our crew and a way to email your camper, as well as loads of info on the general goings on at camp. Please, Please, Please email a (or lots of em) camper if you get a chance********

And right now Molly & I are just thankful that our group actually knows why they're here and what building they're in and are not completely oblivious and know that I don't work here.....

Tuesday: Malakoff to Birmingham!

What would camp be without...

Busses full of clowns...




Characters...



Crazy Kids...



Everything went pretty smooth on the way to Birmingham, AL. Plenty of truckers got asked to honk their horn...one lucky prospect wasn't wearing a shirt and looked like a very healthy grizzly bear...this fine fellow got to see all our middle school girls duck for cover and say "eeeewww!!!" as they drove by. CiCi's is always a hit and I must say we did have a young lady comment on how well behaved and dressed and mannered all of our students were. I can't thank my adult volunteer family group leaders/drivers enough. They have been a huge help and the kids love them (especially when they get to be good cop, while I'm being...me). Please pray for attitudes, for focus on purpose, and for Christ to be evident in us to all.

I'M RUINED!!!....

I'll never be allowed to work in bloggerville again! I've waited a full two weeks to update my blog. I'm sure I'll be taken out in the street by some heavies and beaten within an inch of my life with a wet sock.

I apologize; For both the poor attempt at humor, and the delay.

Here's the scoop:

I'm the new "Interim" Student Pastor at FBC Malakoff, Tx as of last Monday. It's been a whirlwind week of preparing to leave for camp in Georgia next Tuesday, cutting all my real estate ties, putting our home up for sale, figuring out exactly what I'm supposed to do at this new position, and preparing for my first sermon this Sun. evening.....But its been awesome!

Flo, Grace, My Family, Friends & the church have all been very supportive & as enthusiastic about this as me, and for that I'm very thankful. After just a short time at this vocation, its becoming abundantly clear to me that this is what I was put here for...and that's a great thing. Next post will probably be post-Lookout Mtn. Georgia, StudentLife Camp, so be praying for me and all the middle school guys and girls I'll be hazing & worshiping with over the next week.

Here's some misc. hi-lites:

Flo & Grace are still relishing their days of summer:

Grace has let us know that she wants to grow up to be a boy or a colorful butterfly.

Flo has decided she is definetly not "preacher's wife" material because she wears flip-flops.

My cousin Sterling will be around for a while, which is a good (but also challenging) thing.

Mom and Dad have decided life is pretty good in Tapatio Springs and would like to buy me a pastors retreat there...not really, but the did have a good trip there.

I'll be pursuing my Masters of Divinity at Criswell College in the Fall.

Anybody that's up for it should call me about training with me for the Bandera Trail Run in January, as I've decided to fling myself into that meat grinder again & anybody that hasn't stayed at 7F lodge in wellborn, tx should (Flo & I recently had a nice visit to Mexico there).

Please keep John & Alicia (friends from church) in your thoughts and prayers as they're in China right now.

Life aint easy but its necessary...

I tell you what life is...it is intentional. That daydream of life just coming at you easy breezy is a whimsically tall tale that should have never been spawned because of it's utter fallacy. However, life is fun. Especially this time of the year. And even though sometimes getting everybody and everything together on the same page to have that fun can be hard work...its well worth it, and then some. I love my family (blood, in-law, friends, etc.) and there's nothing I enjoy more than memorable moments with the folks I love. We saw another great spectacle off-shore from the Pinnacle Club on Cedar Creek Lake this year, complete with MiG jets, WWII era war planes, loops, smoke, professional fire works, and righteous ones from the big black clouds. Those times are as unforgettable as riding the lake after dark is soothing. No pics from this outing originated with me or Flo but Neil (Flo's Dad) made some great ones.


In other news: Our home we've enjoyed here in Athens is for sale now and we're looking toward the lake ourselves for our next stop. It's starting to look like my first ministerial position could be at my home church here in Malakoff and I couldn't be more excited and scared at one time except maybe when Grace was born. All this stuff is fun, but none of it happens by accident, and I cringe to think how much life I've missed because I didn't get out and live on purpose.

Here & Now...

I've always believed God put me right here, right now...for a purpose. Basically, Here and Now is a good thing. Here and now is what we should be living in a little more sometimes. We really wanted a Hill Country Vacation this week, but here and now dictated a high river and forcast thunderstorms which actuallly came to pass. So instead here and now brought us a fantastico trip to Tyler's Discovery Place with Grace, Ella & Sterling.

These characters are shining examples of why here and now can be so sweet. We found that these guys are galactically talented in all higher thinking realms, including, but not limited to; Space matters, earthquakes, news broadcasting, golfball inertia and velocity studies, shopping at Brookshires, riding in ambulances and driving fire trucks, climbing in bat caves and even navigating ships. These intrepid explorers even weathered a power outage without ever breaking a stride. No step for a stepper I guess.

However, even the most seasoned adventurers and intellectuals need to crash sometime.

Thank God for the Here & Now.

Isn't Summer the Best...

Birthday Parties, Playing in the Yard, Hanging out with Cousins, Eating Watermelon, Committing to the Ministry....All in a days work during the dog days of summer.

Flo & I were co-conspirators for a surprise 32nd birthday party for my favorite sister-n-law on saturday and ate at a very recommendable italian joint in Waco by the name of Gratziano's. Good italian food, Good fun and Great conversation went well with the Chocolate Sack (indescribable!).

Grace & Ella showed off some pretty admirable play-set moves and gave us a laugh and the squirls and nice view of their good sides.


Grace, Ella & Sterling showed that there are some skills that are of utmost importance for summer survival that just can't be taught in school,

And all my East Texas nieces showed that living close to home is good for fun and tans. (I'm a pretty lucky guy to be surrounded by so many pretty girls)

And finally, over the humorous "I'm not ready" pleadings of my wonderful wife, Flo & I made my committment to a life of ministry a public confession tonight at church. **She claimed the main reason she wasn't ready was because she had on flip flops**

Hopefully before the week is over we'll have some six flags pics...we'll see. Wishing everyone a very merry summer!

It's a New day...

It's been a New kind of day.

Flo & Grace set up a new spa & retreat at our home...

Team Taylor brought by their new team van...

& I started reading a new book: Dietrich Bonhoeffer's "The Cost of Discipleship". I'm barely into it and its already blowing me away. Bonhoeffer said (during WWII) " When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die" and he coined the phrase "cheap grace".