Saturday, May 15, 2010

Ordination

Guess what I have never done in my 21 years of ministry? I have never been ordained!

I wonder if that means all these years in ministry haven't counted??

Kidding. I felt the Lord nudging me to take this step in preparation for my new season at Englewood. I'm pumped about it. And, as the Lord would have it, my ordination will take place just 4 days before my first Sunday with my new EBC family. Pretty special, I think.

My church here in Franklin - Thompson Station Church - is having an ordination service for me next Wednesday night, May 19 at 6:30. My pastor here, Pastor Tom McCoy, will be heading up the service. My current worship pastor, Chip, will be leading worship. My worship mentor, Dick Hill, is coming from Houston to take part in the service as well. And of course, my new pastor and partner in crime, Pastor Ben, will be taking part, too. I can't wait. I'm ready for God's mission for my family and me in this season. Woo hoo! Bring it.

Would you pray for my family, the ordination council and me as we share in this special night? I am asking the Lord to mark this night as one where He will seal in Angela and me this calling that He has placed on our lives...and that He would send us out from this night with every bit of ministry heart and authority that we need to march into this new day.

And of course, any of you who are in the area and would like to come to join us, we would love to have you.

My friends are asking if they have to call me Pastor Travis now. I told them no. They can just call me "The Very Right Reverend Deacon Doctor Pastor Travis CoTTRELL." Yep. That'll do.

:-)

Monday, May 10, 2010

Coming Up For Air

Hey, friends. Another brief check in. I am ALMOST FINISHED with this book. Almost. It's really fun trying to write a book while moving to another town after living in your old town for 20 years. And by really fun I mean really hard.

I'm kidding. Not complaining at all. I have just been working hard to not give anyone or anything a divided ME. I will keep you posted on how things with the book wrap up..hopefully soon. Then I will be back to my regularly irregular blogging.

A couple of things...

We have a Jesus Saves Live concert this Thursday night in Mechanicsville, VA. We can't wait. If you are close by, we'd love for you to join us. I'm a little worried for all those in attendance...we are so ready to worship together after canceling our concerts last weekend because of the flood, I am praying that I don't jump a pew or something. Kidding. Sort of. No, really.

Then, we will be in Charleston, SC Friday - Sunday for the Women of Joy conference. Hope to see many of you there.

OK. Tick tock. I leave town next Thursday, May 20 to drive to Memphis, so I can fly to Grand Rapids, MI for our next Living Proof Live. Then I will fly back to Memphis and drive to Jackson on that Saturday night to be there for my first Sunday on the job (May 23).

In other words, I'm leaving Franklin next Thursday...as in leaving.

Excited.

Scared.

Thrilled.

Sad.

Happy.

Nervous.

Trusting.

Running.

(Pause.)

Running this race with joy in my heart.

TC