Hi everyone!  Thanks for all the encouragement and prayers!!  I’m seeing this as another opportunity to see God at work in our lives.  I can’t imagine moving away from Alabama, but know that there must be a reason God wants us in Georgia.  We’re frantically trying to get the house ready for sale.  Decluttering, repairing, painting, and yard work have kept us very busy this week.

The kids are moving through a range of emotions from excitement to fear and sadness.  Emily seems to be having the hardest time.  She’s very concerned about moving away without having the chance to say goodbye to everyone.  Both Emily and Sarah are sad to leave our house.  They were born and raise here and can’t imagine calling any place else home.  Bradley seems to be fine.  Once he was assured that there will be a McDonalds, playground, and swimming pool in Georgia he was fine!  I’m doing my best to help them process their emotions.  Please continue to pray for them.

Please pray for my parents and Graystone Engineering.  I’ve worked closely with my parents since I graduated from college fourteen years ago.  Dad and I make a great team.  I know that it will be difficult for both of us to adjust to working apart.  Please pray that Graystone will gain more work so that Mom and Dad will be financially secure.

Please continue to pray for Mountain Valley Church.  When I felt called to plant the church three years ago I though I would retire there.  I’m thankful for the loving and dedicated church family at Mountain Valley and have full confidence that they will continue the work we were all called to in Montevallo.  I will work with the church over the next several weeks to make a transition to new leadership.  We have incredible support from Westwood Church (our parent church), the Shelby Baptist Association, and Developing Churches Network.  The church has several great options for continuing the mission in Montevallo.

Most people wonder if I have another church in Atlanta.  I don’t have any ministry plans yet.  The move was driven by the need to support our family and not because I was looking for another church.  I have no doubt that God will provide opportunities for our family to serve Him in Georgia.  Please pray that we will be sensitive to God’s direction in ministry and that we will have the eyes and heart of a missionary when we arrive at our new home.

We have a lot of work ahead of us over the next several days as we plan to put the house up for sale on Monday the 12th.  To make things even more interesting, April signed up for a nursing travel trip in Fort Lauderdale next week before I was offered the job in Atlanta.  Then we plan on going to Atlanta on a house hunting trip for a week when April returns from her trip.

Well that’s all I know to tell you right now.  I’ll try to keep everyone updated on the blog.  Oh, I can’t forget to thank everyone who has pitched in around the house to help us get it ready for sale.  You know who you are and you’ve been a Godsend!!

We hope to see everyone before we leave.  I’d love to have a giant reunion before we move.  Let me know if you’d be interested!!

“The Lord said to Abram: Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. ” (Genesis 12:1, HCSB)

As many of you might know by now, we’re moving to Atlanta so I can take a job with Metso Corporation as a Design Engineer for Capital Projects in their Wood Handling division.  I’ve been privileged to work with my Dad for 14 years at Graystone Engineering.  The economy has taken a toll on our industry and many engineers are looking for work.  Dad and I agreed a couple of months ago that I should start looking for work elsewhere since we don’t see an upswing in the economy any time soon.  I’m thankful that God has given me an opportunity to work right at the time of our need.  I know that many people have been looking for work for weeks if not months.

This move is difficult for a number of reasons.  The first challenge is the change in geography.  This transition will uproot our family that has been in the same place for 14 years.  Our children have never known another home.  Neither April or I have ever lived anywhere except Alabama.

The second challenge is the change to our relationships.  I’ve worked for my family since I graduated from college and see them nearly every day.  April is very close to her family and being just an hour away from them in Northport has seemed like being half way around the world.  We’ve made countless friends in Alabaster during our time here that we will miss dearly.  We’ve counted each person as a blessing to us.  God has used each one of you to enrich our lives and help us grow.

Lastly, we face the challenge of leaving our church.  I couldn’t have imagined what God would do in my life when He first called me into ministry and then called me to plant Mountain Valley Church.  I’ll never forget God’s work in the lives of people inside our church and in the community of Montevallo as He has transformed them by His grace and love.

God has taught me many lessons over the last few years.  I have come to realize that we are called to be obedient no matter how strange God’s will for us might be.  My eyes have been opened to the overwhelming need for laborers in the mission fields of this world (Matthew 9:38).  I’ve learned that church leadership is not limited to the professional clergy (Acts 4:13).   God has reminded me over the last few weeks that the church belongs to Him (Colossians 1:18).  He has shown me that some of us are called to plant, some to water, but God is responsible for the growth (1 Corinthians 3:5-9).  I’ve learned that we’re simply called to trust, obey, and give God all the glory.

Please be in prayer for our family in the days ahead.  I’ll start my new job on August 1st.  We have so much preparation ahead of us in such a very short time.  Please pray that our house will sell quickly and that we’ll find a new home soon (we’re looking at the Alpharetta, John’s Creek, or Suwannee area).  Please pray for our children as they face the fear of the unknown.  Please pray that God will pour out His wisdom, grace, and strength on us as we go out from our land.  Please pray for Mountain Valley Church as they decide what the future holds for them.

I”m sorry that this post is so roughly written – several days of working on the house until midnight has left me delirious!  We’ll do our best to keep everyone up to date on our transition.  We love you all and hope to see you soon!

George and Bradley at the SEC Championship Game, originally uploaded by gbhicks55.

I got an incredible early Christmas present last Friday – two tickets to the SEC Championship game in Atlanta. It was a whirlwind trying to make plans at the last minute. April was scheduled to work the day of the game and we couldn’t find anyone to keep the kids. After making some frantic calls, April was able to get off work but we had nowhere to leave the kids. I really wanted April to go. We talked it through and decided it would be a great chance for me and my son Bradley to spend some time together.

I have to admit that I didn’t anticipate what a challenge it would be to get a five year old to one of the biggest football games in the Southeast! I talked to a friend familiar with Atlanta who suggested I park north of town and take MARTA (Atlanta subway) to the Georgia Dome. Bradley couldn’t be more excited about that plan – he LOVES trains!! The idea was to avoid the congestion that would most like occur from everyone else boarding MARTA on the west side of town closer to Alabama.

We left the house at 8 am and stopped by Chik-Fil-A for a biscuit. That really got the day started off right!! It was a good trip to Atlanta. We got to see a nice snow dusting in Birmingham and along I-20. We rolled in to Atlanta about 3 hours later and made our way to the MARTA station.

It was frigid outside while we waited for the train! Bradley could hardly contain himself as we watched for the train to arrive. The train pulled up and we got on. After riding for a few minutes, Bradley turned to me and said, “Dad, this is the best day ever!” I nearly lost it!! I was so glad I decided to take him.

There were a lot of fans taking the train with lots of goodhearted cheering for both teams. The biggest challenge was holding on to a five year old in the middle of a crowd of thousands of people. Most folks were considerate, but it was hard to avoid Bradley when he only comes up to your waist! Most folks didn’t even know he was there!!

We got off at the Dome station and followed the crowd to the convention center where we grabbed a bite to eat for lunch and went to the SEC Fanfare event.

Bradley loved SEC Fanfare. There were games to play, prizes given away, football players to see, pep rallies to watch and popcorn to eat! The highlight was watching Bradley run an obstacle course for kids. He was probably the smallest kid there, but it didn’t slow him down a bit!


We headed to the Dome about an hour before kickoff and made our way to our seats. Bradley wanted to get a giant Bama hand and I picked up a program.

Our seats were great! We were only 15-20 rows away from the field and right behind the Alabama band. We had fun watching the game and experiencing the band so close!

Bradley stood on his seat for the entire first half and really got in to the game. The folks around us were great – they doted over Bradley the whole game! I looked over at one point and the lady next to Bradley had given him her bag of peanuts. He wolfed down the whole bagl!!

Bradley stayed focused on the game until halftime. We each got a hot dog for supper and watched the bands play. Bradley lost interest and want to play his DS. He kept one eye on the game while he played and I told him when something exciting was going on.

It was the most exciting game I’ve ever attended! The atmosphere was electric and the fans stayed in the game. The band played after every down and the Bama fans got more excited as the game ran its course.

After making sure that the game was secured for Alabama, we left with about 3 minutes to go. I wanted to hit the subway before the crowd. That’s when the real adventure began!

We didn’t have any trouble getting to the MARTA station near the Dome. We were outnumbered by Florida fans who left early. They all looked depressed and much quieter than before the game!! We transferred at the Five Points hub and I knew that we had to get on the north bound train. We got on the train, got a seat, and off we went.

I knew we had several stops to make, so I settled in and waited for them to call our station. I started getting nervous after the crowd thinned to just a few people on our train. A lady in front of us turned to talk to Bradley and we struck up a conversation. She and her husband lived in Atlanta and had been to the game.

After telling her where we got on MARTA, she frowned and said we were on the wrong train! There was one north bound train that left Five Points, but the line branched at Lindbergh station. One train went northeast and the other went northwest. We should have gotten off at Lindbergh station to get to our stop. Instead, we stayed on the wrong train until it reached the end of the line!

Another lady on the train told me that the only way back to Lindbergh station was to catch the south bound train, but it only ran every 20 minutes on Saturdays. We had just passed the south bound train, so it would be a while before we could catch it again.

We had to get off at Doraville whether we liked it or not. We got out on an the platform and were immediately hit with a blast of cold air. It was freezing out there and Bradley started to shiver. I knew we couldn’t stay out in the cold, so we went down to the lower level.

I saw a MARTA bus in front of the station that said “Lindbergh” on the front and I figured that was my best shot. We boarded the bus and started our long journey back to the station. We got an interesting tour of Atlanta at night!

We finally made it back to Lindbergh station and I went to the turnstile to use my pass. It was rejected! I finally figured out how to buy another one and we caught the correct train this time! We rode the train to Dunwoody station and I couldn’t be happier to be in the right place!

Then I lost my truck!1 There were two parking decks at the station and it took us a while to find where I had parked. Cold and tired, we finally got in the truck and headed back to Birmingham – an hour behind schedule.

A couple of bathroom breaks later, we were on I-20 and cruising toward home. Bradley was a trooper through the whole experience. I never let on that I was uptight and he though it was fun to get to ride a train AND a bus!

I had a chance to mull over the whole experience as Bradley nodded off to sleep. I was so grateful for the opportunity to go to the game. It was a once in a lifetime experience. But more importantly, I’m so grateful for my incredible wife and kids. It was such a privilege to spend time with my son.

I was also reminded what an awesome responsibility I have as a father. Bradley depended on me to guide him and protect him. I thought about how important it is that I guide my children through life while I have them.

As parents, we must take seriously our responsibility to teach our children the truths of God’s Word. We must take them by the hand and teach them how to live a godly life. We have to be an example for them as we face good experiences and bad. We must protect our children from danger until they are old enough to take care of themselves.

I thank God for the many blessings in my life! This game was insignificant compared to the spiritual events in my life, but it was more than just a game. It was a chance to teach my son and experience life together.

Emily had a crash on her bicycle this afternoon that resulted in a couple of large gashes in her knee.  I wrapped it the best I could and headed to the after hours clinic where April works.  She was working tonight and got us right in.  Emily ended up getting about four stitches in one gash and they glued the other together.  I don’t remember that being an option when I was a kid!  They also used some “magic princess jelly” to numb the wounds before doing anything to them.  What happened to the gouging needle to numb the cut?  I’m actually very glad that Emily didn’t have to go through all that.

It was really neat to see April in action at work.  I’m so proud of her not only as a mother and wife, but as a nurse.  She is really good at what she does and works very hard.  I couldn’t ask for a better woman to be my wife and the mother of my children.

Well, another day and another adventure.  I guess it’s par for the course when you have kids!!

Bradley lost his first tooth today!  It wasn’t by choice, but it was a big deal anyway.  Bradley fell and injured his front tooth when he was two.  There was the risk of it dying, but it stayed with him until now.  He must have reinjured it because we discovered an abscess last week.  The dentist said the tooth would have to come out.  We had the tooth extracted (fancy way of saying it was pulled) and everything went well.  Bradley was so brave.  He teared up a little when he went back, but they said he didn’t cry.  The tooth fairy is heading our way and she’ll be bringing him $10 for his first tooth.  I need to take out a loan…

I just finished playing a Strawberry Shortcake board game with the kids.  I am amazed by how much noise comes out of their mouths 24/7!  I recorded a clip of the chatter that goes on during a game like this.  If you don’t have young children, this might be the best form of birth control….

Play Audio

We had a great time at the Birmingham Baron’s game last night.  I was worried about the girls being able to see, and they did struggle where we sat at first (upper section along the first base line).  The kids wanted to bounce on the inflatables in the park (an outrageous extra $15).  They played a few innings on the inflatables and then we pulled them off to get some ice cream.  We found some seats closer to the field on the third base line and enjoyed our ice cream.  That’s when the girls really got into the game.  I think they cheered louder than anyone else!  Through rain and extra innings, the kids had a blast.  We stayed the entire game and watched some incredible fireworks.  We rolled out of the park about 11:00 pm and dragged the kids into bed around 11:30 pm.  It was a great time and everyone wants to see another game soon.  Thanks to Valerie for the free tickets!!

Here’s a video of Emily singing at her school program tonight

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZehEh6nDwk&rel=1]

I’m not sure if anyone is reading this, but I am still alive   One of my New Year’s resolutions was to post more on my blog.  I just have to say that God is great and we are having an incredible year so far. 

My kids are growing up so fast…  With the recent death of Bronner Burgess (son of Rick from the Rick and Bubba radio show), I think we have all taken a re-evaluation of our lives.  The Bible says that our lives are a vapor and we don’t know what will happen tommorrow.  I am so convicted that I should see every moment with my family as a gift from God.  I can’t be overwhelmed by the everyday trials of life and miss the blessings all around me.   I am amazed at the grace and strength that God has given the Burgess family.  I pray that the world will look in amazement at the difference Jesus has made for them.  I pray that we will all be spurred into action on behalf of the kingdom of God. 

By the way, you absolutely have to see Rick’s testimony at Bronner’s memorial service.  God is using the death of this young child to spread a revival in our state and possible across the nation.  You can watch it here (three separate parts):
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PUHUZWyFeg&rel=1]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7aNDixS2J0&rel=1]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxT5NwQUtVM&rel=1&border=0]