So this will be the coolest post you have ever read about the number 50. Before I waste anymore time I will jump right in. Wayyy back in October I started setting some goals. I had been reading some leadership stuff and it was like you will never get anywhere if you are not aiming for something, goals will help you work harder, etc etc etc. So I was like ok, I will set some goals, some being for attendance and stuff and then others being for salvations. Anyways, I felt the number 50 (salvations) being impressed on my heart and initially I was like absolutely NOT. Oh yeah, to throw a twist in there my goal was by February 1st. I tried reasoning with God and tried to tell him that the number was too high but he wasn’t having anything to do with it. God was like 50 or bust, so I was like 50 or bust. So I began praying. I have a huge white board that I plan on and write goals on and stuff like that so I began to log the progress of the goals on that board. The number went from 12 to 28 then to like 31 and then one night it jumped to 42 and I was like ok, what is going on here. I am in a youth ministry of around 100 students and we have seen 42 students accept Christ (all but 16 of which have been directly through the Student Ministries at Calvary…the other 16 were at an FCA event). 42…put em’ on the boarrddddd YES (whitesox fans will know what I am talking about). By this time, needless to say, God was blowin’ my flippin’ mind!!! He is so incredible. So here is the crux of the story. Our Winter Retreat was January 30th, 31st, and February 1st. Derik Idol was the speaker. The number was still sitting at 42. In the back of my mind I was thinking, “It was a good run at 50, i’m glad I set a goal that would make us be so dependent on God.” I was in for an awakening! Little did I know, God was bout to drop a BOMB! On the 31st, saturday night, at our Winter Retreat Derik gave a message on taking a stand for Christ. He challenged all the followers of Christ to continue to take a stand for Christ and then he turned it into a salvation message, which Derik has a way of doing with every message (he’s gonna have to teach me that tecnique cause its sick). Anyways, he gave the challenge and we didn’t really get a count of people that accepted Christ that night, until the next morning. Derik threw down a challenge for those that had accepted Christ to continue with baptism and then he was finished. He kind of walked away and then he walked back to the front and said, “If you accepted Christ last night I want you to come write your name on this paper so that I can pray for you by name.” I thought that was pretty awesome. To get to the point, after all was said and done, 8 students accepted Christ on Saturday Night!!!! Saturday Night was January 31st(that’s before February folks)!!! That means 42 + 8 is 50 and God had made our goal a reality!!! God was like pray for it, seek it, fulfill your end of the bargain, and I WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!!! God is so awesome guys, do we even take the time to realize it?!?!? Seriously, as you are reading this post does it even excite you that 50 people have gone from spending eternity IN HELL to spending eternity with THE CREATOR, GOD and his son Jesus Christ!!! If not, you need to check up and see where you’re at because if that don’t fire you up then your wood is flippin’ soaked!!!!!!!! I just want to say THANK YOU for all those who pray for Sherry and I on a regular basis, because you have a huge part in this ministry. God is blowin’ Delware up!!!