I have a few questions!

1. If you had to pick one food group (Chinese, Mexican, American) to eat the rest of your life, what would it be?

2. Lea - what is the hardest thing being the only female in an all male house?

ANSWERS: 1. Hands down it would be American, there's more variety. 2. Lea said, she's learned to adapt, but cleaning boy's bathrooms is no fun. :)

Who is your most favorite son?

ANSWER: Taylor, you are my oldest son. Thankfully I have four coats of many colors to give to each son. :)

Did you know anyone that had gone through the same cancer you did. Next how did you handle it as a couple and then as a family.

ANSWER: I did not know anyone who had the same kind of cancer as I did, but after doing some asking around I found a couple of people I could ask questions about it. It was nice to talk to someone who could explain what was going to happen. The thing that I found interesting was the day after I found out, I went to visit a woman who was struggling with breast cancer. I just needed to talk to someone else who had heard the words, "You have cancer." She was a great inspiration to me and I found some wonderful words of wisdom from her. It wasn't so much finding someone who had the same kind of cancer as me, as much as it was just finding someone who shared my fear. By the way, about three years later I did that Christian woman's funeral. She became a close friend.

As for family. we shared with the boys what was going on, but kept it very upbeat. The boys were all much younger at that time. Lea was amazing. I remember when I had a second BIG surgery, telling her she needed to take care of the boys first and then when she could come be with me at the hospital. I'll never forget her response, "I'm your wife, I will be here the whole time and will not leave your side. I will have someone take care of the boys." She kept that promise.

Name 3 top persons who have influenced you for good. (not Bible characters)

Great post and idea. Love you bro' royce

ANSWER: Royce, Without a doubt, first on that list would be my wife. She did some straightening things out in my life when I was a young man. I honestly don't think I would have ever been a minister if it wasn't for her. It's obvious to me now, God knew what he was doing when he put her in my life. Second would be my mother. She's always been an amazing influence on me. Her whole life she has modeled her Christian values. She has always been such a strong influence in my life. Third, there are many who pushed me in the right direction. People that God placed perfectly in my life at a time when I needed a push. One was a man by the name of Harley Fewell, I'd like to write about him this week in a post.

1. When did you know that you wanted to be a preacher?

2. What was the longest trip you took with your travel trailer?

ANSWERS: 1. At about age 8, my Uncle Roy was a preacher and he was always telling me, "Kid, you need to be a preacher. You only have to work one day a week." From that day on I thought preaching just might be for me. What I didn't know was that preachers lie, and they DO work more than one day a week. :) But it's still a great recruiting tool for ministry. 2. I took a trip to Fun Valley, Colorado in my trailer. It was before gas prices went through the roof. It was a great trip.

I for one am blessed each time I read your blog or article in the paper. With that being said, and I do know that the power of prayer guides you in your ministry, but ...

1. How do you decide on a topic to minister on? Because each is so profound and hits home for a lot of people.

2. How did you get involved with the program in Honduras?

ANSWERS: Brittainy - Thanks for your kind words about the blog. I'm honored that you'd take the time to stop by. 1. The topic you decide to preach on or blog about may be the toughest part. Trying to come up with something relevant is essential. I'm not sure I have a great answer, but I pray that my sermons, blogs and everything else stays relevant to people. 2. I read a young missionary girl's newsletter. She was there working in Honduras for about a year. She had this little story about feeding people at a dump. I was floored when I read that and couldn't believe that there were actually people living in a dump who where digging for food. I started contacting the missionaries in Honduras with lots of questions and soon fell in love with that work. Long story short, God has REALLY touched my heart with this ministry.

You had cancer? What type and how long ago? I myself am a cancer survivor (~15 years in remission) of synovial sarcoma.

ANSWER: Alex, I've had cancer twice, melanoma (20 years ago) and testicular cancer (6 years ago). Congratulations on your continued battle. Stay strong.

Okay, let's get down to a question that actually has some life-changing potential: Which of the Three Stooges do you find to be the funniest?

ANSWER: Greg, I have to go with Curly just because of his facial expressions.

What made you choose to become a preacher?( I think you do an awesome job by the way)

ANSWER: Joyce, I'm not sure I have a definite answer of what, but I think God did about 95% of it. Thanks for the sweet words.

why do birds suddenly appear every time you are near?

what do you believe about the Holy Spirit?

What was your last sermon that came almost totally from the OT?

ANSWER: 1. As for birds ... I keep my vehicles really clean, so birds are always after them. 2. I believe He is awesome and does incredibly more than I could even ask for or imagine. 3. This year we went through the entire bible as a congregation. Each week in our bible classes and sermons we read and studied a different book of the bible. Therefore, I preached many OT sermons this year, the last being this summer.

Question 1:When did you know for sure Amanda Sanders is,in fact a genius?

Question 2: What do you think makes a great blog?

ANSWERS: 1. I knew after reading your blog (AmandaSanders.net) for the first time, you were in fact an incredible writer and when you started Red Hot Momma (which I still miss terribly), you were in fact a genius. 2. Great question, I don't think page views or page hits make a great blog. Google and other search engines sending searchers my way are nice, but I think regular readership is the most important thing. I also think it helps when you post regularly and use material you've written that is relevant. All this, of course, is only my opinion.

Trey: Did you put your Christmas Tree up yet?

Trey: If ever I needed a dads help would you help me?

Lea: If you had a daughter what would you name it? Let me guess Carol!

ANSWER: 1. Lights on the house, yes, but no tree yet. 2. I would always help you if I could, Brandon. 3. The name for a daughter we had picked out was Torrie Lea.

I know you have been following the Christian Chronicle. Why do you think the numbers of CoC are dropping?


If you could only teach your kids one thing about Christianity, what would it be? ... ie.. what is the most important message of the Bible we need/most instill in our children.


What do you do when a child/sibling/parent falls away from the Lord? (in their words, "organized religion") What is the best way to bring them back?

ANSWERS: Great questions... 1. I do follow the Christian Chronicle. I love the job they do reporting the news from the churches of Christ. I'm not really sure, because honestly, I don't spend a lot of time looking at what's going on "out there." I don't have time to focus on others and do what I need to do here in Childress. I've got a few simple opinions, but no real concrete answers. I will say, thankfully our numbers here in Childress have done the opposite. We've grown. 2. Love God with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself. Everything else will fall into place. 3. Another great question. I think every situation is different and must be handled differently. But at the top of my list would be let them know that God still loves them and that you still love them. Always keep the door open for them to return.

1. Have you ever been mad at God?

2. How did you train yourself to pray on a regular basis?

3. How do your religious beliefs reflect in your political beliefs?

4. Does Lea ever feel jealous that you spend so much time on your "job"?

ANSWERS: 1. I'm not sure I've ever been mad, but I have done lots of questioning. Many times I've prayed, "Why?" prayers and been frustrated with things. Psalms tells us to pour our hearts out to God and I've done that many times. 2. Like anything, prayer and daily bible reading have to become a habit and a priority. If I'm not making time for prayer, then I honestly believe, it's not a priority in my life. We always make time to do the things we really want to do, so if I really want to pray and study my bible, I'll make time to do it. 3. That is a great question. I stand for what I believe the bible teaches, even in the way I vote. But I'll be honest with you, I'm not big into mixing politics into religion. I wish I could explain more, but I have issues with a lot of things "Christians" do in the name of religion, that involve politics. I may try and explain more in a post. 4. (From Lea) No. I used to, but Trey has learned over time to do a good job balancing ministry and family.

1. What would you do for an occupation if you were not a preacher?

ANSWER: Terry, I have NO clue. I have been a paramedic in the past, but if possible, I'd probably go back to school and be a nurse. I like helping people.

1. If you could go to any nascar race in 2010, which one?
2. If while attending above mentioned race you had a chance to witness to Dale Jr. would you?

ANSWERS: (You knot-head). 1. Talladega 2. Of course.

Apart from the Bible, what book most influenced you personally and also for your ministry?

How would you distinguish the theology of CofC and most Southern Baptists?

Lea, what advice would you give to pastors' wives?

ANSWERS: 1. I'm a big fan of Steve Farrar. His book, "Finishing Strong," was a powerful book in my life. 2. I'm not going to be able to do a very good job on this one, because honestly, I don't know a lot about Southern Baptists. I would take a guess at maybe, pre-destination and baptism, but without learning a little more about SB, I'm not sure. I need to put that on my "to do" list :) 3. (From Lea) Be flexible, because with ministry your plans can change in a heartbeat. Also, be patient with the congregation you are working with.

Trey, I have come to respect you very highly as I have had the opportunity to glimpse into your heart and ministry via your blog in recent months. As such, I would love to hear your answer to this pair of questions:

1. What is your greatest delight regarding the brotherhood of faith known as Churches of Christ?

2. What is your greatest concern regarding the brotherhood of faith known as Churches of Christ?

These are questions that remain very important to me as my spiritual journey continues, now in a non-denominational Bible church, and I would really love to hear your thoughts.

Your brother in Christ,
Roger

ANSWERS: Roger, thanks for your kind words. I too have enjoyed watching your ministry to families and your relationship with your children. 1. I love the fact that Churches of Christ have been known for their dedication to God's word, making their goal simple: follow God's word as closely as possible. 2. My greatest concern comes from my greatest delight ... in making it our goal to follow God's word as closely as possible, sometimes we have been too judgmental of others. We've too often chose to divide over differences instead of seeking to be unified, and agreeing to disagree. I will say, I love the direction that the churches of Christ are going and I'm excited about the church my children and grandchildren will be a part of. Thanks for your questions.

Trey, are you always optimistic?

Lea, what is the most difficult thing about raising boys? Do you have any siblings? What do you and your friends do for fun?

Trey and Lea - Who is a person in your life, (other than a parent or spouse), that you have truly looked up to, admired, and would always respect his/her advice. Why?

What's the biggest mistake you've ever made?

Do you have any unusual hobbies or interests?

What are some of the most important things you hope your children understand when they leave your house and go out on their own?

ANSWERS: 1. Pretty much so. It's something I choose to be and much more fun that the alternative :) 2. (From Lea) As mentioned above, I'm not a big fan of cleaning their bathrooms. :) I've had to adapt to the way boys think and do things as opposed to girls. I have two sisters and a brother. A group of ladies and I love to sneak out of town for an occasional shopping trip. I also love going to baseball games, taking trips as a couple, as a family and with friends. 3. We both have many close friends that we can call at the drop of a hat, that would listen if we needed to talk or needed support. We can't imagine not having close relationships and friendships. They are vital to who we are and what we do in ministry together. 4. My biggest mistake has been not getting the whole story before I jump to conclusions. More than once in my ministry I have heard once side of the story and believed it before learning later there was another side of the story. I've also been guilty in the past of putting my ministry in front of my family. 5. Hobbies and interests ... none that are unusual. Most of the things we like to do, we like to do together. Lea loves interior decorating and I love it when she gives me a job and says, "Here paint this." :) 5. I want my children to know when they leave home, that they still have a mother and father that love them and that our home will always be their home. I want them to know that whatever they decide to be, occupation wise, I'm going to be proud of them. And most of all, continue their relationship with God.

Who is the first person you will look for when you get to Heaven?

ANSWER: My first dad I never got to know. I have a lot of questions for him.

Have your personal beliefs ever conflicted with your employers' beliefs (man not God) and if so, how did you remain true to yourself?

ANSWER: Sure they have, but never to the point that I violated my conscience or what I felt like was right. As I said earlier, you have to choose to agree to disagree sometimes. Too many times we ignore the bible verses on unity, and focus on what we can divide over.