sTw's Blog

So here's the story. It's me, my wife Tory, my brother Tim, one of my best friends Scott (blog), and his wife Amanda.

-Scott asks Tim randomly (and b/c Tim is a nursing student), "Tim. Could you stitch me up right here?" To which Tim replies, "Yeah I guess I could. It wouldn't be sterile though." (a little unexpected foreshadowing)

-Scott asks me, "Hey Sean, do you have anything besides water to drink?" So I give him one of the left over Jones soda glass bottles from my wedding.

-We're in the middle of popping and I see the empty glass bottle and decide to use it as a bottle rocket launcher.

-Some car (who I don't know if he was unaware of trying to be a jerk) drives down the road and doesn't wait for us to move the mortar canisters and the bottle rocket launcher out of the road and runs over them and breaks the glass bottle in the middle of the road. Thanks!

-We pop for a total of 2 hours, shoot al our big stuff at midnight, all with no incidents.

-It's about 12:50 am and we're all done. I've cleaned up all my leftover fireworks and put them in my bag. But one of the things that I didn't pop were the sparklers that I had that are about 4 feet long and I didn't want to bag them b/c they were too long.

-So I hand a couple to Tim and Scott and say, let's light these and we'll call it a night.

-Scott lights his first. He takes about two steps to run around with it, and we hear the glass crunch.

-Tim and I turn to see Scott hopping on one foot. We're not sure if he's hurt or he's just being a goofball.

-Then he throws down the sparkler and starts running to a chair, and we realize he's serious.

-Tim and I run to him and pull his crocs off (yes crocs). He has about a 1.5-2 wide cut, we don't know how deep, but pretty deep, underneath his big left toe.

-Tim grabs his first aid kit. I give him a shirt to catch the blood, and Tim begins to cut off the blood pressure from his ankle and wrap his foot, while I get the wives and the car keys.

-We drive Scott to the ER and he gets, I don't how many yet, stitches.


It was crazy how it all happened. If one of any of the many things that happened, didn't happen, it would have been a normal night of popping fireworks :) But then again, Scott bleeding profusely and having to get stitches is a pretty normal occurrence :)


Here's the only pic I'll put up. There are way grosser pics, but I don't want to gross anyone out.

























Below are a few pics of Tory and I playing with my camera setting and sparklers. Just crank the exposure down on your camera all the way and use a tripod and these are the pictures that come out. Totally Tory's idea. They came out cool!

Labels: Funny, People

Posted by Sean Walker at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments

My inbox has been flooded and my phone has rung off the hook. Thank you to everyone who made this (my first birthday away from home) a special one. I can't thank you enough!

Labels: People

Posted by Sean Walker at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments

Here they are, as promised.

You have a lot more motivation for school when the only reason you're there is b/c amazing people helped you pay for it.

So the best way I can say "Thank you," is by making the best grades I can.

So, Thank You!!!!!

(the "P" is for Passed. It's a completion grade, not a letter grade)

Labels: People, School

Posted by Sean Walker at 3:42 PM | Permalink | Comments

School's been out for 3 weeks. For some crazy reason though, they have not posted grades yet. ULL, a school of 17,000 students has all of their grades posted within 3 days of the last final. SWBTS, a school of 3,000 students takes more than 3 weeks.

But I'm not too nervous. I should come out with surprisingly good grades for my first semester of Masters level classes. I'll post them when I get receive them.

Other than that, really, life's been good. I had a close friend the other day ask me what he could be praying for me for, and for the first time in a really long time, I had nothing truly pertinent that I needed praying for (outside of the everyday things). There were no big needs. I can always use prayer for finances, school, and work, but there was no huge problem that needed immediate prayer. It was a weird realization.

Work is going well. Fellowship Church is amazing. The staff are amazing. The volunteers are amazing. And of course the 2nd and 3rd graders I help pastor are amazing. This job has been a huge blessing. I've had tons of exposure to great ideas of how to do ministry and how to communicate with volunteers and how to teach children about Christ. I'm loving it.

I got the weekend off from work too and got to go home to Lafayette to see the fam and friends. Man I miss Lafayette. I always will. There is no Church like East Bayou. That place is amazing. It was a blessing to see my friends there.

Fort Worth is home now. It's a funny feeling. Driving in to Lafayette, there was something different. Yes it was my home town, but it wasn't my home. My home is here in Fort Worth. It's funny. I don't know if that makes sense though, hmmm.

Labels: Church, Family, People

Posted by Sean Walker at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments

I think that's a good indicator (obviously not the only indicator) of where you're at in your relationship with your spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend/friend/parent/child. Do they brag about you to others?

I read an email today from someone bragging on a relationship in their life, and it was just cool to read. You can tell they LOVED bragging on them. It was cool.

so then I thought about who I brag on the most in my life....

My Dad
My Mom
Justin Head
My Anchor Group (church small group) from Lafayette
(i literally bragged on all of them even just yesterday)


Who do you brag on the most? They're probably the most important people in your life.


Who brags on you to people?

Labels: People

Posted by Sean Walker at 3:12 PM | Permalink | Comments

I thought this was interesting. I had 2 job interviews this week. In one of them I took this survey about what type of person I am. They emailed me the results later. It was a really quick survey so it's kind of freaky how accurate some of the things are. Check it out...



Real Life Management Survey Results

You tend to be an organized, structured person who likes details and is task-focused. You require stability and security in making your choices, as well as in doing things and working on projects. Much of your work is dedicated to the benefit of others.

You genuinely care about people, and you want to make a difference in their lives. However, insensitive and/or illogical people try your patience. You want things done on a timely basis, and you place a great deal of value on people doing what they say they'll do. You measure a person by his/her word, unselfishness, and credibility.

At the same time, you like to have fun. People enjoy being with you because you are dependable and trustworthy, and you are happiest when you're with friends you trust. You probably make a good manager or leader because you are willing to serve others.

At work, money is not necessarily your primary focus. And boring, intellectual conversations are something you do not enjoy at all. Instead, you have a bias for action, implementing a process and seeing to it that others benefit. You prefer to get things done, and let someone else worry about the bottom line.

In managing your personal finances your focus is not really on money, unless it's for the security of your family. You can manage a budget well enough, but you don't particularly enjoy it. You'd prefer that someone else worry about that.

As for your lifestyle, you tend to maintain pretty good habits, even if you occasionally indulge in a few carbs and a burger with fries. You welcome a somewhat structured approach to fitness, but following a very restrictive diet and intense exercise program would not appeal to you.

The biggest stress in your life tends to come from people you perceive as disorganized and/or insensitive.

Labels: Identity, People

Posted by Sean Walker at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments

So basically, in Lafayette, on a Sunday morning, I've never been to another church besides East Bayou. Never. Oh wait, I spoke at FBC Broussard once for their DNow, but other than that I have NO CLUE what other churches do on Sunday morning.

SOOOOO, here's what I've been doing while in Fort Worth. This is one of the reasons I chose FW over New Orleans... My first weekend here I went to 2 churches. My second weekend, I went to 3 different churches. And this weekend I went to 3 again. It's been awesome.

It's been a blast. I'm intentionally going to churches that I know I won't even like, b/c I still want to see first-hand how they do church. But here's what I've gotten the most out of so far...

Just in the past 3 weekends, my perspective of how to treat visitors has TOTALLY CHANGED! Yeah you can talk about what your church beleives and what your worship is like and all that stuff but here is the ONE thing it comes down to. People. I used to say that I'd never join a traditional church. After these 3 weeks, that has changed. I'd join a traditional church in a heartbeat IF, I wanted to be around it's people bad enough. In a hearbeat.

Lifechurc.tv is the church that's been the best so far (and guess where I've been back every week). I attended the church the first time, and before I knew it, one of the pastors is taking me to lunch that day. Lifechurch immeadiately gave me the op to meet as many people as I wanted, or to be left alone. Some people want to get thrown in the deep end of what's happening and other want to just stand in the back and watch. Too many of the churches I've visited assume I want to stand in the back and watch. But I don't. But I'm also not going to jump in without an invitation. Yes they are only a church of 400 people and it's WAY easier at that size to reach out to everyone, but it's just as important for the mega-churches. It's make or break. People aren't coming back if they didn't like the people at your church.

I've attended one church on Saturday night for 3 weekends in a row. It's easy for me to slip in, go to service, and slip out without ever having to have a conversation with anyone. Yeah, a TON of people go there, but I pose this question to myself to figure out how to answer for the next time I'm involved in church leadership. How do you reach out to everyone, when you're 100 strong, or 1,000 strong.

First time guests are NASTY scared, and shy and have NO CLUE what the heck is going on. They don't know where the bathrooms are at, where they need to go, who can they talk to or how to get out of the parking lot. I think it needs to be OVERLY obvious what a church offers to a first-time guess. Some of the websites I've checked out take 5 minutes to find out when they're services are. Once I find the page, then I have to decifer they're excel spread sheet they use to post it. We need to beat guests to any questions they'd ask. If they want to talk your ear off let them. If they want to be left alone, leave 'em alone. Don't assume anything.

I do know this. I miss East Bayou. Yeah our speaking is great (and I don't just say that b/c he's my dad :) ), our music is kicking, but I miss not being able to make it out of the auditorium of our church without being asked, "Hey, how are you doing?" and not just "Hello, it's good to see you. I'll see you later." I mean an actual conversation.

I'm still in touch with a few people who've been members of east bayou and then have to move out of state for whatever reason, and every single one of them has yet to find a place like East Bayou. I haven't found one here yet. Some are close. And if I do find one here, I won't hesitate to join.

Yeah good music is cool. Yeah great speaking can change your life. But I guarantee your visitors will be back if they like the people and they are met where they're at.


Churches I've visited...

Lifechurch.tv Fort Worth Campus
This church is amazing. The music is live and the sermon is live too, but the pastor is on a screen and he's live via sattelite from the mothership church in Oklahoma. They meet in a school where they tear down and set up for every weekend. And then on Wednesday too for their youth service. They run about 400 people on a weekend. All of their campuses combined they run about 18,000.

Fellowship Church
Fellowship church is basically the biggest production church out there. Let me put it in perspective for you. VH1, the channel, rents equipment from these guys. Their media is amazing. Their videos put MTV to shame, and their music is like a Coldplay concert every weekend. But the thing I like the most about them is that it's all done very simply. Everyone gets it. Yeah their high in production, but it's not a distracting kind of production. It's a supportive type of production. It's just done very well. Their pastor, Ed Young, is a master at fishing. He's brilliant at simply sharing the gospel in a way that makes sense and everyone gets. this church I think runs arounf 18,000 on a weekend.

Wedgewood Baptist Church
I visited their college/career group this morning, but they weren't in full swing b/c of the holidays. I'll probably go back and check them out again. I'm told their pastor breaks out in song in the middle of his sermons. I look forward to seein that. :)

University Baptist Church
This church is on TCU's campus, but I couldn't find any college and career aged people there. I figured b/c it was on TCU's campus that's where all of their students would go. I was wrong.

Labels: Church, Church Hopping Posts, Ministry, People

Posted by Sean Walker at 10:11 PM | Permalink | Comments

"I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10

I had a pretty cool realization tonight. I guess it wasn't really all that new, b/c I've kind of known these two things about myself, but I've never been able to put words around it like I did tonight. Here's what I've got...

I am most alive in two scenarios. One, when I'm in love. And two, when God is using me to help others.

That's it. That's me in a nutshell. Those are the two things I'm most alive during, that I enjoy the most, that I'd fight for, that I'd die for, that I'm obssesed with, that I would give anything to do... that's me.

When I'm in love... I mean seriously, for me, there is nothing more consuming. I want to redefine what it means to love... to marry... to know someone. Love is rediculously amazing. But there has to be a lot of wisdom that goes along with something so powerful though, right? B/c it is that powerful.

God using me to help others... God using me to build something in another person? God using me to encourage? To help heal? To help seal a decision? To help grow? To help become?... I mean is there anything more important? Anything cooler or exciting?

So that's me. Crazy huh? Yeah, I know, but I can't turn it off. It's me.

I bet you don't have to guess what time this post was written at huh? :) Goodnight.

Labels: Love, Ministry, People, Quotes, Scripture

Posted by Sean Walker at 2:01 AM | Permalink | Comments

This definitely goes along with my previous post, "Which is Riskier?"

I heard it last night...

"You don't do anyone a favor by shrinking in their presence."

Labels: People, Quotes

Posted by Sean Walker at 9:10 AM | Permalink | Comments

Tonight is my last night in Lafayette, LA. It's not feeling like what I expected it to feel like. I thought I would be more sad and begin to miss Lafayette. But it's quite the opposite. I can't wait to go. For me today was just like any other day. A year and a half ago I would of been scared out of my mind to do what I'm going to do tomorrow, but today, it's not even a thing. Maybe tomorrow it will hit me. Maybe not. I dunno. We'll see.

My brother Tim was helping me load my uhaul trailer today (which by the way he has mad skills at packing and backing up into tight spots) and I was telling him, "I can't imagine having to go through life alone." I say that b/c these past 6 months, I've been SO BLESSED by the people around me. WOW! From gifts to cards to hugs to encouraging words to surprise parties to people giving me household appliances that I can't afford on my own. I've been FLOORED by everyone's love. I could not have made it through this move with everyone. I don't want to even begin naming names b/c I'll leave someone out, but I have to give props to my brother Tim who has let me steal his car, has driven me around town, helped me pack, and tons more this past month and all without hesitation to help even more.

So the point of this post is two fold. 1, to say thanks to everyone. 2, to say get involved with a church family b/c life is stupid without one.

Labels: Family, Love, People

Posted by Sean Walker at 8:36 PM | Permalink | Comments

A sermon I preached on Sunday July 3, 2006 at my local church, East Bayou. It was part 2 of a series of sermons called The Big Picture. The message is about how when we're tempted, there is more at stake than what we see in front of us. Our faith is at stake.

Labels: Ministry, People, Scripture, Videos

Posted by Sean Walker at 3:41 PM | Permalink | Comments

A sermon I preached on Wedensday June 28, 2006 at my local church, East Bayou. I'm speaking on what to do when life is just tough and there seems to be no progress.

Labels: People, Scripture, Videos

Posted by Sean Walker at 3:40 PM | Permalink | Comments

Heather Young's Blog

Click Here

Labels: Blogs, People

Posted by Sean Walker at 11:49 AM | Permalink | Comments

Brandon Edwards, a college freshman at ULL, who's been at East Bayou for as long as I can remember, just released his very first EP.

It's really good! He wrote everything on the CD.


























You can buy them for $5 by contacting him at www.myspace.com/brandonedwards4given

Labels: Music, People

Posted by Sean Walker at 7:11 PM | Permalink | Comments