Nathan Neighbors

Eleven Highlights of 2011

Nathan Neighbors — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:28:18 +0000

Rang in 2011 in Time Square with our Mside College Mission Team
Led Matthew to Christ at Spring Retreat
Found out on Easter that Ashley and I were excepting our third son.
Spent an amazing summer with my family and on mission with the Mside Youth.
Began our fourth year of Ignite youth worship services.
Preached the Word at Hub City Church on Labor Day Sunday.
Great relationships built with students at discipleship home group.
Totally crazy October & November prepping for Luke and living with back pain.
Lower back surgery on November 11.
Luke was born on November 17 and spent 10 days in the neonatal unit.
Rang in 2012 at home with my beautiful sleeping family of five!

A Baby Changes Everything

Nathan Neighbors — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:52:10 +0000

This week baby Luke turns four weeks old. To say that things are different around our house is an understatement. Even though he’s our third child, a new baby in the house changes the whole dynamic. We had just gotten our other two boys to the point of being pretty independent (dressing themselves, going to the bathroom on their own, brushing their own teeth, and even helping clean around the house). Now we’re back at square one with a new baby. Sleepless nights, 3:00am feedings, and dozens of daily diaper changes are part of our routine again. A baby changes everything. I’m thirty-five years old and have done this twice before, but getting back into the swing of caring for a newborn has really thrown me for a loop.

Can you imagine what it was like for Mary? She was an unwed teenager giving birth to a baby boy in a stable and having to lay her newborn down to sleep in a feeding trough. Did Mary fully comprehend the immense impact her baby would have on the world? Her little swaddled infant was about to change everything in her life…and in the lives of every person who walks this planet.

One of my favorite Christmas carols reminds us what life was like before Christ: ”Long lay the world in sin an error pining.” But then he appeared. When Christ…Immanuel…God With Us came to this world there was, “a thrill of hope and the weary world rejoiced”. Jesus’ birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection changed the world. He changed my life and I hope he’s changed yours too. This Christmas may our lives be changed by this baby.

Hello Christmas

Nathan Neighbors — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:24:06 +0000

Each year we get our students a special gift around this time to tell them Merry Christmas and that we love them. Typically it’s a clothing item or bracelet with our mside youth logo on it. This year I wanted to give the students a Christmas gift with a bigger purpose.

A few months ago I came across Hello-Somebody. They are a Texas-based ministry whose mission it is to, “feed and educate children, by providing an avenue of knowledge, in order to break the cycle of poverty and hunger within their generation.” This is the kind of God-sized mission that gets me fired up. Hello-Somebody has only been in existence since 2009 and is run by a handful of people – yet they’ve fed over a million people and are now helping sponsor boys in Rwanda through Africa New Life.

Hello-Somebody sells watches, shirts, and hoodies to help support the work that they’re doing around the world. These $25 watches are not only awesome looking, they’re also very practical. The purchase of each watch helps feed over 100 meals to a child. If you want to buy more for your friends for Christmas you can even sponsor a child in Rwanda. The purchase of 70 watches sponsors a boy for a year’s worth of schooling and food.

Check out Hello Somebody and get a watch. If you didn’t make it to the Christmas party on Wednesday, come by and get a watch from me or order one online today.

Advent Devotions

Nathan Neighbors — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 03:24:54 +0000

December snuck up on the Neighbors family. Our November was a total blur. I had back surgery on November 11 and our third son was born on November 17. After an early arrival our son spent the next ten days in the NICU. With all that we’ve been through this month it seem like October was just yesterday. But here we are…it’s December…it’s Advent. If ever there was a year that my family and I need to slow down and remember all that Christ did by putting on flesh and coming to this earth, it’s now. In the midst of back pain, physical therapy, diaper changes, feedings, and sleepless nights I sat down today to focus on the Lord. I picked up a great new little devotional called, Why Christmas? Twenty-Five Meditations. This is a special book written by one of my friends and Morningside Church members, Carol Story. Carol is the mother of singer/songwriter, Laura Story. If you’re looking for a great tool to help you focus your heart on Christ this Advent season, pick up a copy of this little devotional. May this month be an opportunity for us all to focus more of our heart’s attention magnifying Jesus.

The love of Christ in a NICU

Nathan Neighbors — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:49:44 +0000

This evening begins night six of our journey with Luke through the NICU at Spartanburg Regional Hospital. In yesterday’s blog I mentioned that we received a care package from a local ministry. I want to tell you more about what this ministry is all about. Praise & Pray Ministries was formed by a couple from Jonesville, SC who’s daughter, Alayna, stayed in the NICU for 99 days back in 2009. Unfortunately those were her only days on this earth. Alayna’s parents are using her story and the hope that they have in the Lord to minister to other families who find themselves in the NICU. I’ve copied their mission from their website below:

Our mission at Praise & Pray Ministries is to offer hope to parents of premature babies in the neonatal intensive care unit at Spartanburg Regional Hospital. We provide packages of useful items to these parents such as lotion, bibs, and hand sanitizer. Among other items, each package includes a letter explaining the experiences that led us to begin this ministry. Bibles are also available to these families upon request.

I’ve always know how important the NICU is, but it’s very different being on this side. Praise & Pray is providing a much needed touch to these families. The care package from them includes: a bib, disposable camera, baby lotion, hand sanitizer, hand lotion, a Subway gift card for lunch at the hospital, a Bible (with engraving from Christian Supply), and a wonderful letter from the family. I encourage you to check out their website and consider making a donation. $25 can provide a care package like the one we received yesterday for a family who finds themselves with a baby in the NICU at Spartanburg Regional. Visit their site (at the link above), give, and pray for all those who are there right now…they need it.

December Parent Link

Nathan Neighbors — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:40:41 +0000

The newsiest edition of the Parent Link newsletter is available now for download from our youth page on www.msidechurch.org. The December newsletter tackles the issue of helping your teens become servants. Check it out today and be sure to make note of all the upcoming December events at Morningside for teenagers.

Our NICU Journey

Nathan Neighbors — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 04:57:05 +0000

When I last posted I was preparing to go into surgery on November 11th for my back. The surgery was a success and I’m home recovering. Six days into my recovery things got really interesting. My wife is pregnant with our third baby boy. We were supposed to have six weeks for me to recover before baby Luke was born, but he and the Lord had another plan. On November 17th baby Luke came into the world. I couldn’t even drive Ashley to the hospital. However, I was able to be there by her side for the delivery (in a chair).

God is so faithful. He knew that Luke would make his debut a bit early so my surgery was perfectly planned a week prior. The doctors say that Luke came just late enough in the pregnancy that he was out of the woods as far as major health issues. He was born at 34 weeks and 5 days (almost 5 weeks early). This birth was unlike our other two. Because he was so small the birthing process was very quick and we didn’t get to spend time with him initially. Within seconds of delivery the nurses whisked him away to the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) and he’s been there ever since. We’re now beginning day 5. Luke is healthy and everything looks good, but he needs to eat more and grow stronger before he can come home. It’s hard leaving him each night at the hospital, but the folks in the NICU are amazing.

I’ve been astounded by the Christian witness in our county hospital. Since arriving in the NICU, Luke has been given a hat made by a local church, a care package from a ministry and today he even got his own little Bible. The love of Christ is being proclaimed to the smallest ones of Spartanburg and to their families. We’re very thankful that baby Luke is doing well and that the Lord has us in this place with great doctors and nurses to help him grow strong and come home soon.

Three, Two, One, Jump!

Nathan Neighbors — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 01:47:16 +0000

Have you ever gone through a high ropes course? As a youth pastor I’ve done my fair share of these. They’re great for team building and group unity. The last time I did a high ropes course I was at Centrifuge in Ridgecrest, NC with my students from Morningside. Most ropes courses take people through various tight rope type sections that require great focus and team work to maneuver through successfully. At the end there’s often a big jump where participants have to put their full faith in their team, the leaders, the ropes, and in the Lord that they will not smack the ground and reel in pain.

The surgery I’m facing tomorrow feels a lot like it did when I was sitting on the edge of that small wooden platform 40ft above the ground at Ridgecrest. Tomorrow I’m laying my life on an operating table and letting a neurosurgeon open my lower back to cut away some of my L5-S1 disc to alleviate the pressure that it’s putting on the nerve that gives feeling to my right leg. For the last month I’ve been in severe pain in my lower back, right leg and numbness in my foot and toes.

In my head I know that this is what I need to do. Like sitting on the wooden platform, I knew I wanted to get down. However, my nerves are racing thinking of all the “what if’s.” What if the rope breaks? What if I hit the ground? What if I don’t get back up?

As a pastor, I see people go into surgery all the time. Every Friday I go to our local hospitals to visit our members as they face similar procedures. But this Friday it’s me who’s wearing the drafty gown. It is different on this side of the pastoral visit. The good news of Christ that I share every Friday at the hospital is the same great news for my life too. God is God…He is in control…I don’t need to fear. I need to jump!

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9 ESV)

Luke’s Face

Nathan Neighbors — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:21:22 +0000

Today I went with Ashley for our third ultrasound so the doctor could be sure that Luke was growing at a healthy rate and to make sure everything was good. While they were doing the ultrasound the technician used her gagillion dollar machine totake a 4D image of Luke’s face. I know we’ve come a long way with technology, but this is totally crazy. With a slide of her wand she was able to see not only outlines of Luke, but his actual face. Simply amazing. We truly are “fearfully and wonderfully made.”

An mside student has an app for that

Nathan Neighbors — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 02:15:44 +0000

One of our eleventh grade students at Morningside has created three iPhone apps. Aaron Ross is a 17-year-old student at Morningside and attends Spartanburg High School. He just finished three applications that can be downloaded from the iTunes app store for your iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. The apps include two free games: Scramble -A-Word and Choose Well – Puzzle Games and most recently a free music app called freeTunes. The music app is legit. It allows users to search for and download virtually any song for free. The app works much like iTunes. The only difference is there is no charge for the music. It’s totally awesome and completely legal. Check his work out in the Apple App Store today. Help him out and encourage his creativity by spending a $1 and buying a copy today! I hope his next app will be an mside youth ministry app. Look for it soon.