My name is Nate, and I like country music. It feels so much better to get that out in the open. I have been fighting it for quite some time, but I live in a family that likes country music and every time we get in the car the radio is set to a country music station so I have been hearing a lot of it.  Not exactly sure how it started, but I have been relentlessly worn down to the point to where I had to give into the music.

Now please allow me to state this disclaimer: I do NOT like honky-tonk or bluegrass music.  I would rather bang my head against the corner of a brick building than listen to some honky tonk. Country music has come a long way since I was a kid, and I find myself enjoying the newer contemporary stuff.  I still prefer good ‘ole rock ‘n roll, but my musical taste has been broadened.

I actually downloaded some county songs a couple days ago.  The first one I downloaded was “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue” by Toby Keith.  I am a red-blooded American and I love the patriotism that comes through this song.  While I don’t personally agree with his choice of words when he names a part of the body that we are going to put our boot, I agree with the concept 100%.  I get goose bumps every time I listen to it. Here’s the video:

The second one I downloaded was “It’s America” by Rodney Atkins.” Again, a very patriotic song.  Here’s the video for this one:

The third one I downloaded was “Cleaning This Gun” by Rodney Atkins.  It’s about a guy who is cleaning his gun while talking with his daughter’s new boyfriend to “put the fear of God” in him.  Having two teenage daughters myself, I appreciate this and plan on doing the same thing or something very similar. So boys, be warned.

That’s enough of my country music confessions for now. I feel free now that you know. I no longer have to keep the volume turned down while listening to some country or quickly switch the channel when someone comes around.

My name is Nate, and I like country music.

I’m working on a future lesson series to do at FreedomRidge, so to help with that I’ve asked several people if they could sit down with God over a can of Mountain Dew and could ask him one question, what would you ask?  Before you read any further, don’t try to make any wise cracks about Mountain Dew, because anyone who halfway knows anything about God knows that he would be drinking Mountain Dew and NOT coffee, diet coke, pepsi, etc.   So do you have a question that is not on this list??

Did I make you proud?
How do I know what you want me to do?
How can I put you first in my life?
Is credit card debt wrong?
Will I see and know my family in Heaven?
How can I rekindle love in my marriage?
Why are women not allowed to be leaders in a church?
How much should a church get involved in political issues?
Can America return to her spiritual roots?
Are our lives predetermined, or free choice?
Why did my loved one have to die?
Why do GOOD things happen to BAD people?
Why did you create it all?
How can you allow people to go to Hell?
Where are you from; who created you?
How big is the universe, and are we the only humans?
Why do we only live for a certain period of time?
Did Adam and Eve have a belly button?
How many times have you intervened in my life without me knowing?
How did you keep the animals on the ark from eating each other?
Why are Christians fighting each other instead of working together?
How can you love me as much as you did Paul, Peter, and those other people?

Well, today was our first Sunday and I have to tell you I was totally stoked.  I woke up at 4 a.m. and couldn’t get back to sleep.  I laid there in bed thinking and praying about the upcoming day and the events that would be taking place.  Finally I got out of bed to get ready and look over my lesson one more time.

We had a couple technical glitches that were easily overcome, which when you’re a mobile church you get used to that kind of stuff.  We even had our coffee maker do some really weird things, and is now in the big coffee shop in the sky.  My buddy Nate (not me, another Nate) made a quick run to Wal-Mart to get us a new coffee maker.

A small group of people from Rising Sun Church in Des Moines came up to help us staff the kids area.  Get this … the preacher at Rising Sun (a several hundred member congregation) had the day off and came up to work in our Kids Church.  Talk about a servant’s heart.  Very cool, Doug!

Long story short, even though we set everything up differently today than we did at last week’s practice service, the setup went on without a hitch.  We got it set up and ready with plenty of time to spare.  I’m really proud of our people.

I was starting to freak out a little bit with 5 minutes to go before the service wishing more people were there, but with about 2 minutes to go there was a mad rush at the front door.  Several people even came in late, and we ended the day with an official count of 110!  I was very pleased with the turnout and got to meet some very cool people.  I wish I could have sat down with each and every one of them to hear their story, but obviously wasn’t able to do it.  God is gonna be doing some great things through us and I’m really looking forward to meeting many more people.

Next Sunday be at the Ames Middle School at 10 a.m. for some more great music and a lesson on beating addictions.  Setup starts at 8 a.m.

Anyway, I’m beat so I’m going to bed.  I’ll sleep good tonight!

Our first Sunday is January 18, and we are jumping right in to tackle some tough issues that people face.  We’ll be starting a new series called “Breaking Free” and we’ll learn some principles from the Bible that will help us overcome some of the most common hangups that people face.  Here’s what we’ll be looking at:

January 18 – mind games
January 25 – addictions
February 1 – anger
February 8 – lust

If you come in with an open mind ready to apply what you hear, I can guarantee you your life will be better because of it.  So come see us, and bring a friend.  Click here for directions and more information.

Our first official Sunday service will be on January 18 at 10 a.m.  We”ll be meeting in the Ames Middle School (click here if you need directions).  Our service will start at 10 a.m. and will last approximately 65 minutes.  I’m excited to finally get started with Sunday mornings.  We’ve got a lot of big dream and plans which will take time to implement, but I am confident we can begin right away making a difference in people’s lives and this community.  And that is why we’re here.  If you are reading this and you don’t go to church anywhere, I want to invite you to come see us.  I’m pretty sure you’ll like us.  If you are reading this and you already go to church somewhere, please pray for us.

Have a Happy New Year!