barry russell

oops here are the promised pictures

2009-08-12T21:18:00.000-07:00

Almost home!

2009-08-12T21:07:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day to rest in the Lord. We had an amazing time at the Caye's. Here are some pictures from the past two days, see you tomorrow night.

We got soaked

2009-08-11T21:36:00.000-07:00

Well today was another good day. We did not finish exactly, we are 4 pieces short from finishing the roof. Can I say that is a little frustrating, getting all that way and not able to finish. But God is good and our trip is not based on what we built but rather the relationships started and ministry accomplished. I am so pleased to serve our team, we have an amazing group of students at East Lake!
I know that was short but I am sleepy and we are leaving to go to the Caye's at 7:00am so I am going to bed, good night.

I will try to get some new pictures up tomorrow night so be sure to check back soon.

2009-08-10T20:40:00.000-07:00

another day hard at work

2009-08-10T18:37:00.000-07:00

I can not believe how much has gotten done in such a short time. Today was our third day working at the church and man it looks like a whole new place. The team is still doing very well. you can see God at work in everyone of them. Well let me catch you all up in what we did yesterday, yesterday was Sunday and we started off with church at River of Life church where the team got to lead the three Sunday School classes which were divided up to kids, youth and adults. But when we arrived at church and the pastor said the attendance was down that we only needed 2 classes so we combined the youth with the adults and we had a blast. We played some games, we heard from the Word and we all got to act out a short story in Acts 5 (you should of been there). Then after class it was off to church for a two hour service, yeah that's right two hours! I will never complain again when Kevin runs long. It was actually pretty good and the students liked pastor Franky and his humor.
Then after church it was off for one of the coolest things any of us have ever seen. The Mayan ruins! They were absolutely amazing, you could climb up them and go to the top and see for miles. It really was great, a huge treat to our team to take a day of rest and see such beautiful country, God is so good.
After a day like that topped off with some ice cream on the way home you would think that is all we could have handled but it wasn't over yet. We went down town Belmopan to a city wide student outreach put on by 4-5 churches with live bands, dance and drama. It was something to see, really cool to see God working in some of the local Belize people. Then after all that we ended our day and went home to rest for a hard day at work, and that is what we got.
Today we finished putting the bracing up to hold the metal on the roof and we tore down the old roof from underneath the new roof (which we went through 3 sledge hammers, sorry YWAM). Today was another great day of hard work but I think the whole team is glad to put it behind us. We have been very blessed with no serious injuries other than the knocks and bruises you get when you give 23 people hammers, nails, a circular saw, pastor Kevin and no real adult supervision.
Well I guess that's it for now, we have team time in 5 minutes and it would be bad for me to be late so, we love you guys and Lord willing will see you Thursday night.

Belize it!

2009-08-09T06:58:00.000-07:00

Well I finally made it to the computer to fill you all in on whats going on here in Belize. We arrived here safe and really kind of easy. Customs went really well and all of our flights and the bus ride were all smooth.

On Friday we got a really good start on the roof and more kids than we could imagine showed up for some high energy ministry. It only rained once and we all took cover for about 5-10 minutes and then it was game on after that.

Saturday we got a little earlier start back at the church working on the roof, we looked like a well oiled machine. We had two teams running all day and we are ahead of the initial plans. We have all the rafters up (that we hand built) and most of the bracing up as well. Not only is the roof coming along very fast and with few mistakes, but the ministry with the families around the church are coming along too.

I guess that catches you up for now so we will try to get some photos up on here soon. Until then pray for opportunities to serve and share the gospel. We love you guys and will see you Thur. night.

It's been so long

2009-04-12T18:50:00.000-07:00

I feel like there are millions of things, moments or memories I need to catch you up on but I just don't have the energy or attention span to tell you about it all so I am going to catch you up on some of the essentials.
We took our very first family camping trip me, Nikki and the boys. It was AWESOME! We went to Hunting Island in SC and had a blast just being outdoors with just us, it was great.
After the camping experience we went to FL. for one of my all time best friends wedding. So we dropped the boys off with the grand parents and Nikki and I headed for a 5 day no kids get-a-way, wooooohhoooooo, man it was absolutely amazing but to keep this family friendly I will not go into details, But it was great.
Then I got in the car and headed back to SC to have enough time to wash clothes and re pack so I could spend the next 4 days in Atlanta serving the homeless. I know I have already said "it was great" twice in this short entry but I have to say it again, IT WAS GREAT. I saw Jesus show up in many ways in many of my students. It was cool to have my cousin from Virgina down for the trip and to see him serve the homeless was a great blessing and encouragement to me.
To top all that off today I celebrated Easter and the resurrection of my Lord Jesus Christ. How cool is it to have a a son who is only 3 who can tell you that Jesus died on the cross for all of the bad things we have done, then he will tell you that Jesus is alive again because he beat up the bad guys and won. Man it is great to be a dad.
Well that is pretty much all for now, see you in a few...

my new favorite snack

2009-02-27T19:17:00.000-08:00

I have to tell you about an amazing invention! Two of my favorite snacks combined into to one delicious snack. Peanut butter filled pretzels, they are absolutely amazing. I know what you are thinking, Barry's fat and this blog is pointless. Don't go out like that, you will never know how amazing these little delicious bites are until you try them for yourself. Be careful though you will have a hard time putting them down.

Enjoy

I love my church

2009-02-22T06:12:00.000-08:00

Do you know why I love my church? There are many reasons why, but I want to tell you one big reason. I believe our leadership at East Lake really seeks the Lord. I am on our yearly staff retreat, well I do not know why the word "retreat" is used but any ways. I am here at the beach with our whole staff and leadership of our church. Things are going really good so far and we are getting a lot accomplished. One of the main reasons we do this retreat is to take time, get away and try to seek the Lord. This weekend has been really cool for me because there is always that thought in a pastors head where he wonders if he is in the right place, is he still where God wants him? I struggle at times with all of those questions and God is so good to me, he never eaves me asking and not hearing. This weekend I feel like I am still in the right place, I am here at East Lake to serve my Jesus. My church is doing some RAD things and I know that God is calling us to Engage, Connect, Serve and Become! Man I am pumped up about this.

Yes I am still a blogger

2009-02-18T19:38:00.000-08:00

I know it has been a while since you have heard anything from me, I don't know how you have made it this long either. But here is the quick catch up on my life:
God is good
My wife is BEAUTIFUL
The boys are growing
Ministry is moving forward
and I am good, loving life

I have had a lot of really cool ideas to write about but I forgot to. So I promise I will do better and keep this updated. But until then, go and sin no more.

Monster Truck Rally

2009-02-04T11:01:00.000-08:00

This past Friday night Isaac and I went on a date to the Monster Truck Rally. Isaac saw a sign one night when we were driving and he yelled from the back seat, "I go to see those monster frucks!" I told him okay and so we did. We first went and got corn dogs from Sonic and then we headed downtown to see them. He was amazed! And "The Grave Digger" even gave him a high-five.

The Grave Digger in action!

ski trip 09 was Ggggggrrrrrrrreat

2009-01-22T16:34:00.000-08:00

It's great to be a Florida Gator

2009-01-09T15:46:00.000-08:00

Did you get to watch the National Championship game last night? It was a good game with a great outcome. I have been a Florida Gator fan since before I can remember but I have to say these past three years have been my favorite. Why you ask? Does The name Tebow mean anything to you? To me Tebow = Man crush. Just Kidding I do love the guy though. Tim Superman Tebow is more than just a college quarter back. He is a role model and example to every young boy who wants to play football at any level and not just football but really any sport. Tebow demonstrates what it truly means to give your talents to the Lord and see what he will do. When we give the Lord everything we have he does incredible things, kind of like 2 National Championships and the Heisman. So I ask myself and you what talents or gifts have we been keeping from the Lord? We need to give them to the Lord and see what he will do.

Go Gators

It's 2009 and I have to manage my time

2009-01-01T07:30:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it is 2009? I cant. Where did last year go? It seems like last week we were starting 2008. I have been telling myself that I need to blog about Christmas and our time in FL. with the fam and rap up the year with a clever new blog entry. But I kept telling myself I will do it later, I will do it tomorrow and now look 2009 is already here. With each new year it makes me stop and think, no that is not the only time I do that. But I do think a little more about my goals and accomplishments and of course the things I said I was going to do and never got around to. My biggest critique for 2008 and my goal for 2009 is managing my time. I have to be honest with myself and everyone else, I WASTE A LOT OF TIME! I am really convicted at the start of this new year to really focus and start managing my time, my Jesus deserves it, my wife deserves it, my boys deserve it, my students deserve it and I need to do it. I want 2009 to be the year that I get my time together from my solo time, to family time, to time in the office. I want to better myself by managing my time. So here's the plan. Starting today I am conciously thinking about my time. There is a lot ot do in a day starting with time in the word, time with Nikki, dad time and what ever task at hand that day. I am going to plan out my weeks scheduling my time so I can love my wife more, serve my church better and grow in the Lord like never before. So as I enbark on this journey pray that God will have favor on me and my time and I encourage you to share with me what you are thinking going into this new year.

Blessings on you and your family in 2009

Im all Giddy

2008-12-24T15:51:00.000-08:00

Well it's Christmas Eve and only a couple more hours until we make the drive to T-Ville. I am so excited, i can only describe it as "Giddy". Kind of like when you were a little boy standing in line to meet your favorite athlete or band. That weird tingle in my belly and my heart starting to beat faster and faster, you know that feeling. I am excited to see my boys play with their new toys, I am really excited to see my family and spend the next 10 days with them. I am praying for surf! I am also very excited to celebrate my Jesus on his birthday. Well as you can see I am giddy an a little excited about going down to Titusville to be with our family. I hope and pray that anyone reading this has a very blessed and Merry Christmas. We will be down in FL. until Jan. 4th so Happy New Year too.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! From me... Barry.

2008-12-22T08:44:00.001-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS! From me... Barry.

2008-12-22T08:44:00.000-08:00

Isaac's first camping trip

2008-12-20T18:38:00.000-08:00

last night was a really fun night. I took Isaac camping for his very first time. He did really well, he even helped set up the tent and ate a hot dog cooked over the fire. He did really good sleeping all over the tent, and I mean all over. He is a wiggle worm. he made it until about 4:30am before he said he wanted to go home. Well that is it for now, cant wait until the next Manfest trip because this one was great.

a little less

2008-12-18T13:53:00.001-08:00

Today has been one of those days. Not to far out of the norm for a Thursday, tired from the crazy night before, ready for my day off Friday and rushing around trying to get some work done before the weekend. But there was one thing different today. Today as a church staff we participated in a day of fasting and praying. Though I am really hungry right now and my stomach sounds like a pack of wild lions I am encouraged. I am encouraged of the amount of people participating in a day of fasting and prayer for our church. I am also encouraged that God hears are prayers and cares about our requests. When i first think of fasting my stomach immediately says "no way". But I have seen and experienced God's goodness when we take steps of faith and discipline to grow in Him. Today has been one of those days. One of those days when I got to depend on God more than the norm and as a church right now that is where we are too. With our weekly offering not matching what we anticipated our budget to be we are depending on God more than normal. I kind of have mixed emotions on it. One part of me thinks back of when we had $$$ in the bank and we never worried about our pay and we all got Christmas bonuses and all was good. But the other side of me longs for a deep connection with God, a connection where I find myself on my face before the Lord crying and pleading for Him to show up in a God size way (a way that only God can do). So I share this because i am encouraged by what God is doing in me and my church and I want to invite you to pray and fast for what ever it is that you have been asking God to do. Here is a cool verse that I heard this week.

Isaiah 62:6-7 says

I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.

What a cool verse! I hope it speaks to you and encourages you to PRAY and continue to pray until God does something. It says "give him no rest" and as a church that is what we want to do. Pray and ask God to provide and we are going to give him no rest until he does.

Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, The Stork, Jesus, What Next?

2008-12-16T08:07:00.000-08:00

Growing up I am sure i enjoyed Santa Claus and all the other fictional characters that we all participate in. You know Christmas Eve night my brothers and I would all crawl into one bed and wait for "Santa Claus" to deliver what ever it was he was going to do. I also loved the Sunday afternoon Easter egg hunt and the occasional tooth under my pillow for my dads last dollar. But I am at the place as a parent where I need to know what to tell my boys. I love the idea of Santa Claus and the fun he brings to the Christmas season. Who doesn't like a fat guy who eats your cookies and brings you toys? My dilemma is how do I tell Isaac and Eli about all of these characters and Jesus at the same time, and then all of the sudden when he is old enough to know it is his mom and dad putting the presents out and the money under the pillow and the stork never has held a baby in its whole life. Yet Jesus is the only one who is real and worth knowing. As a dad i feel it is my responsibility to teach my sons about Jesus and the gift he is to us everyday, the salvation he brings to all. I also want my sons to be able and enjoy a good story and make believe session here and there, but this Christmas I am going to say Santa is apart of the decorations of Christmas and Jesus is the reason for the season.

Wow my 1st blog, never thought i would say that

2008-12-15T07:06:00.000-08:00

I have to admit I have been sneaking around a little bit. When no one was around and I knew no one would know, I would sneak a peak at a blog here or there. Now that confession is off my chest I can start this new journey as a blogger.

I want this blog to be a way of Worship. I mean that by I want everything to come from it to glorify my Jesus and boldly shine the light of the Gospel. I also want people (well if anybody will) to read it, be encouraged and challenged by it. Sure this blog will highlight all the crazy things going on inside my head and all new and funny things my boys are up to and of course you will get the inside scoop on my beautiful wife.

Well thats all for my 1st entry so tune in soon for the next update.