connection

An article I just finished for our church newsletter....

I'm unsure of exactly how to proceed with this article....

Most of the time I can come up with something but when I volunteered to write I wasn't sure if I had anything worthy to say or even partway relevant to what is happening in our community right now. The only way I know how to do this is to shoot from the heart so if it gets a little sappy, you have been warned.

We are all disconnected. Not in a small sense but in a big sense. Every human being on this earth is disconnected. It all started with a man named Adam and a woman named Eve eating a piece of fruit. I have never figured out why they wanted to eat this fruit. They were the only people on earth at the time, they had each other, and they were able to talk directly to God, the Creator of the Universe. Why on earth would you want to go and ruin it? It's simple. Temptation. Sin. Pride.

Man lost his ability to speak on a one-on-one basis with God. This had led to disconnection, the inability for us to be One. For thousands of years, only a chosen few could talk to God and pass on His message to the people. Then Jesus came and changed the rules.

After Jesus died, he sent the Holy Spirit, our new lifeline to God. He gave all people who chose to believe the chance to be reconnected. A second chance.

In post-resurrection world there has been a tendancy to still live as though we were still dead and disconnected. This is untrue. As believers in a Savior who rose again we should be living a life where connection is happening, a life that is productive, and above all alive.

For years, I cried out to God for rescue from my pain, my problems, and my sin. It took until a year ago for me to figure out that the remedy I desired had already come and it was up to me to choose to be healthy and follow that path.

Dear brothers and sisters at E3. Choose to be healthy and live a life worthy of which you have been called by God.

Trace Armstrong
Director of Branding and Communications Element3 Church

25 years and counting....

so i hit age 25 yesterday. it seems very surreal to think that....

yesterday was the greatest and worst day ever all rolled into one for various reasons. the worst day part stems from a combination of several things that occurred monday and throughout tuesday. the best day parts came from three very strange places....

one, someone who shall not be named made me feel awesome with some text messages, a facebook post that made me laugh, and a phone call that night.

two, my aunt called and she had my four young cousins in the car and they were coming to panama city for the week. they want to see me and hang out this week so i am going to go over there and hang on the beach with them this week.

three, my dad called and said how proud of me he was. how proud of how i've handled my money, my life, and gotten my two college degrees. for the first time he offered options but said to me, you seem to know what you are doing and things are going well for you so you do what you think is best.

for the first time, i cried after i got off the phone from dad because i was so happy....