All I want for Christmas is my.....

TWO FRONT TEETH!!!



Mady's tooth has been dangling for several weeks. Last night, it came out. She looks so cute. :)

Favorite Christmas Movies

I must confess that I've never seen "It's a wonderful life!" So, for everyone who will say that it must be in my Christmas movie list, I'm sorry. I just have never seen it.

#5 - Miracle on 34th Street
#4 - Christmas in Conneticut - This movie is a holiday tradition at Sasha's families. We watch it every Christmas Eve.
#3 - The Santa Clause I and II - Tim Allen is hilarious as Santa Clause. I need to see III, but haven't yet.
#2 - Elf - Smiling's my favorite
#1 - A Christmas Story - This classic movie has been a favorite of mine for a long time. It's not a christmas season without this great movie

What are you favorite Christmas movies?

What a day!

1. This morning, we had a great time of worship singing the Christmas songs. The chorus of "O come all ye faithful" was especially meaningful to me. I love that song. Great job worship team!

2. I enjoyed communicating the message this morning! Looking at the Christmas story, there were two questions that I think Mary might have had. Why do we have to go to Bethelehem now? How inconvenient! Yet that inconvenience was a part of God's plan! See Micah 5:2. The other question would be "Is this the best we can do for the Messiah?" They wrapped Jesus in strips of cloth and placed him in a horse trough. Wow! We go through a lot of preparations for our babies and I have to think that Mary might have felt a little sadness that they were having to place Jesus in a manger. I then posed the question to our church. "Are we doing the best we can for the Messiah?" Here's a video clip that we showed to conclude the message!

3. Huge thanks to Pastor John for filling in tonight! Our family attended a graduation celebration in Chandler. Lolly graduated from Baylor. We're proud of her. She completed her 4 year degree in 3 and a half years. Way to go, Lolly!

4. It was great to see so many of our former students at the celebration! Lolly, Drew, Neil, Jerid, Emily, Lauren, Pokey and James, we are proud of you and excited to see what is happening in your life!

5. It's not a trip back to Chandler unless we eat at my favorite restaurant, San Pedro's. Since it was a quick trip, we weren't able to call all of our friend or my cousin that lives there. Well, I get up to go visit the men's room and walk to the rear of the restaurant and there is a whole table full of my family. My cousin, J.C., and his family were there eating and a special suprise was to see my cousin, Clay, and his family too. Clay and Karen live in Houston and were up visiting his brother. We usually only see Clay and Karen at Family Reunion.

After 4 hours on the road, a graduation celebration and a mini family reunion, we are back home.

Top 5 Christmas Songs - #1

And my #1 Favorite Christmas Song is......"Go Tell It On the Mountain."

Top 5 Christmas Songs - #2

#2 - Little Drummer Boy

Top 5 Christmas Songs - #3

#3 - Joy to the World

Top 5 Christmas Songs - #4

#4 - Winter Wonderland

Top 5 Christmas Songs - #5

Over the next few days, I'm going to countdown my top 5 favorite Christmas songs!

#5 - The Christmas Song

What's your top 5 Christmas songs?

Monday Afternoon Blog

1. We had a great time at Cornerstone last night. The Northside Church Choir was with us in concert and they did a fantastic job. :) We also had a great time of food and fellowship after the concert.

2. Yesterday, we had 3 people rededicate their lives to Christ. What an awesome day!

3. Thank you to everyone who helped set up, prepare food and clean up for last night's fellowship. You guys did awesome!

4. It's cold....really cold. Last night, I had on short sleeves and it felt great. Today, something is blowing through and it is freezing. Looks like we may actually get some ice. Personally, I prefer the powdery white stuff.

5. How 'bout them Cowboys! They control their own destiny now. :)

Update

First, let me apologize for not blogging in a while. I needed a break. The creative juices were needed in other areas and blogging got put on the back shelf. However, I'm working on something for the next week and we'll do my best to update every weekday starting on Monday. So, for now, let me catch you up to what's been happening this week.

1. Mady lost her top front tooth last Saturday Night. She has one more to go before we can sing "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth." She looks cute.

2. Last Saturday, Sasha hosted the Ladies Christmas Tea at the church. With her helpers, Tammy and Rachel, they put on a great tea.

3. Last Saturday, we also had a float in the Atlanta Christmas Parade. The theme was "Toyland." So, we built a big Jack in the Box, had Bob and Larry from the Veggie Tales, a teen dressed in a big dog costume, our resident clowns, Doug and Sherry, and kids throwing out candy. It was lots of fun.

4. I enjoyed the SAU Chi Alpha team that came over last Sunday night. They led worship and their director spoke. We have two of our Cornerstone students who have gotten involved in the Chi Alpha worship band.

5. We had our annual Advisor's Christmas gathering. It was a great night of food and fellowship. :)

6. Last night was simply amazing. Pastor John, Rachel and I went down to Bossier City to see the "Winter Wonderslam Tour" with Toby Mac, Relient K, Family Force 5 and B. Reith. We met up with my cousin, J.C., at Moe's. Then, it was off to the show. The show was incredible. Unlike last week's Casting Crowns show, the majority of the music was not Christmas music. They did a few Christmas songs, but it was mostly their normal stuff. I have watched TobyMac in concert now since he was in DC Talk (I first saw them in Waco about 18 years ago.) Vocally, he has come a LOOOONG way. The band was awesome. His message was challenging. The production was incredible. If you like that style of music, you need to see Toby live in concert. Simply amazing.

What's been happening...

1. We had a great service on Sunday morning. I loved the prayer time in the altar praying for needs and for peace in situations. We also started our new series "Mary." We are looking at some of the event surrounding Christ's birth from the perspective of Mary.

2. Sunday Night, we had our Fifth Sunday Night Fellowship. The theme was chili and soups. We also played games. We had a great time playing Trivial Pursuit: Totally 80s Edition. Sasha and I jumped out to a quick lead and then got stuck. Bobby and Tammy Caraway came out of nowhere and got on a roll for the win. Funniest moment came at the beginning of the game....Tammy Calhoun said that the only thing she knew about 80s stuff was Jimmy Swaggart because that's the music, T.V. etc that they were allowed to watch or listen to. One of the answers to one of the first questions was Jimmy Swaggart.

3. Monday Night, there was a group of us that went to Bossier City for Casting Crowns Christmas Celebration. We stopped and ate at Moe's. Fantastic!!! The highlights of the concert for me were Michael English singing "Go Tell it on the mountain" and "Mary Did You Know," Denver and the Mile High Orchestra's rendition of "Little Drummer Boy," the guys from Casting Crowns singing "You're a mean one Mr. Grinch," and Natalie Grant singing "O Holy Night." Denver and the Mile High Orchestra along with a full string section backed up everyone. Avalon also did an exceptional job. I loved their song "Joy to the World." They provided background vocals for several of the groups. Casting Crowns was sensational as usual.

4. Last night, we worked on the Christmas float. It has been since the 70s since I participated in a float. I remember going to someone's house and running around as a little kid while the adults worked on the float. It is coming together nicely. We have a few finishing touchups. I really appreciate the help that came last night to help us get it ready and for the Grandersons letting us use their trailer.

Time for my yearly complaint

Every year at this time, I feel frustrated as a fan of College Football. Why? Simply, the system stinks. We let .500 teams go to bowl games to pad the bank accounts of corporations and deny College Football a true champion. Conferences like the Big 12 have been sucked into the system because frankly a team that goes to the National Championship game brings a lot of money to all the schools in the conference. So, today, Texas is left sitting at home because the pollsters like Oklahoma better. Texas...#3 in the nation will not get to play for a National Championship because someone needs to get richer. It's not right. I think the same could be said for many teams.

The argument for the current system is that more teams can participate in bowls and that it keeps the regular season meaningful. I'll use yesterday's Bedlam game as an example. Say, we have an 8 team playoff. You think that game is not meaningful for both teams. If Oklahoma State wins, they could get into the playoff. OU loses and they are probably out.

Here's my suggestion..(I would prefer a 16 team playoff, but will settle on Obama's 8 team playoff). Also, I think there should be no automatic bids....dumbest thing in the world. Let it be the best 8 regardless of conference.

According to the new BCS, here's the first round....#1 Alabama vs. #8 Penn State, #2 Oklahoma vs. #7 Texas Tech, #3 Texas vs. #6 Utah, #4 Florida vs. #5 USC. You could play all games at traditional bowl sites in traditional bowl games.

Who is with me and Obama?

Top 5 Things I'm most Thankful for

1. My God - No one else has done more for me in my life than God. He sent his son, Jesus, to die on the Cross for my sins. He leads me beside still waters. He guides me along life's journey. He comforts me. He encourages me. He is the everlasting God and I'm incredibly grateful for all he has done.

2. My wife and girls - Sasha is a fantastic mother and wife. She keeps us all going. She works hard at school teaching 3rd grade and oversees our Kid's Ministries at the church. She is kind, thoughtful and loving. My girls are the joy of my life. They make me laugh and smile. They are both sweet. I'm very grateful today for my wife and girls.

3. My family - I'm thankful for the Godly heritage that I have on both sides of my family tree. I'm thankful for my mom and dad. I'm thankful for my grandparents. I'm thankful for my aunts, uncles, cousins and neices. Oh yeah, I'm thankful for my sister too. :)

4. My friends - I'm blessed to have some of the best friends in the world. I'm thankful for each and everyone of them especially Brian, Darrell and Michael. Those three guys have been there for me numerous times and I'm grateful for them today.

5. Cornerstone - I'm thankful to God today for allowing me the honor of pastoring His church. I do not take it lightly. I'm also thankful for the leaders, workers and volunteers that make things happen. I'm thankful for Pastor John and Rachel. I'm thankful for every family and person that attends Cornerstone.

I'm blessed.

Thankful for days like today

1. We put up the Christmas decor today. Mackenzie was two weeks old last time we put up the tree. Last year, we were moving during the holidays. So, we didn't put up the tree.

2. I put up Christmas lights outside for the first time in my life. Suprisingly, it wasn't as much of a chore as I thought it would be.

3. We have photo frame stocking holders. Mady has a tradition of coloring a picture of each family member and putting the drawing in the frame.

4. My dad is here for the Thanksgiving holidays. Mom and Bill were here last week. The girls enjoy the grandparents being around.

Thankful for Teamwork

Teamwork makes the Dream work. Last night was evidence of great teamwork. We had over 20 people that came together to help decorate the church for Christmas. Pastor John made some incredible Gumbo. Several had gathered around 3:30 to pull out the decorations. By the time we ate at 6:00, we were well on our way to having things in place. After getting folks assigned during the meal, we had people working all over the church. Beverly helped us know where everything went and the church looks fantastic.

Thank you Cornerstone family for coming together and helping make the church look awesome for the Christmas season. :)

**EDIT: The above line "we had people working all over the church" was edited from "we ate people working all over the church." At Cornerstone, we do not practice Cannibalism. :)**

The Little Things

Over the next week, I'm going to take the time to blog about what I am thankful for.

I am thankful for the little things.....the times I look at my girls in a peaceful sleep....the unexpected monetary blessing...the moments when Sasha watches sports with me (like last night's Mavs victory over the Rockets)...a phone call from an old friend...

It is the little blessings in life that I'm thankful for.

BTW, just checked and both girls are sound asleep.

Sunday Five

1. We wrapped up "The Power of Love" series. This week's message was from Luke 6. It was on "Loving our Enemies."

2. Huge props to the Staleys for doing Kid's Church to give Sasha a chance to be in the sanctuary. Thank you guys for your servant's heart.

3. Jake did a great job speaking last night. His message on obedience was fantastic. It's always great to hear from one of our Missionaries.

4. It was great having my Mom and Bill in service on Sunday Morning. I love having my family in service.

5. We had a great time at the fellowship after service last night. Several stuck around. Pastor John made an outstanding Calzone Ring. Tammy cooked some Chicken Casserole that was awesome. Plus, we watched part of the Cowboys victory over the Redskins. Most of us left about halftime. It was fun hanging with the Cornerstone family.

Friday Sports Musings

1. I cannot believe how bad the Mavs are. I in no way thought they would win it all this year, but I didn't think they would start the season 2-6. I really honestly think it is time to rebuild. This team, as is, will not win a championship. I just hope we're not in for another repeat of the 90s...that was Brutal for Mavs fans.

2. Romo is back for the Cowboys this week. Hopefully, he can provide the spark. I don't think I can handle losing to the 'skins twice in one season.

3. High School Football Playoffs start this weekend. I hate that Atlanta is missing the party, but am pumped that my Alma Mater, China Spring, is making another appreance (they lost in the finals last year). I'm also pumped that Brownsboro is headed to the playoffs as well....lots of great friends there.

4. Love having NFL on Thursday night. If you don't have NFL Network, sorry. :) Switch to Dish.

5. I'm looking forward to the Baylor/TAMU game. Baylor has a legit chance to win this game.

Happy Birthday Mackenzie

Today, our little baby girl turned two. Mackenzie is a very funny little girl. She has the funniest facial expressions. As much as I hate to admit, she is a Mama's girl. However, she is coming around. :) She likes to play with baby dolls and loves Dora. She loves to read books at night before bed, especially the wheels on the bus book. She loves music. If I pretend to cry, she will stop what she is doing and run from anywhere in the house to come and give me a hug. I know...that's a cheap way....but, it works. :)

She had to go to the doctor today because she has battled allergies/sinus since we moved from OKC to Atlanta, Texas. She never fusses about coughing, etc. She is so good natured.

Happy Birthday Mackenzie! Daddy loves you. :)

$1.99

"$1.99 are you out of your mind?" That was the old Denny slogan. In those days, you got two eggs, two pieces of bacon, two sausage and two pancakes for $1.99.

Today, the gas stations across the street dropped to $1.99. We celebrate paying $2 for something five years ago that we only paid a buck for. Crazy.

What is the cheapest that gas is where you live today?

Saturday Night Blog

1. I'm excited about tomorrow's message. We're continuing the series "The Power of Love" with a message on "Loving One Another."

2. I had a great weekend with the girls. Sasha and a group of ladies from Cornerstone went to a Ladies Retreat in Maypearl, Texas. So, it was me and the girls. We had a great time. They woke me up at 6:15 this morning. I don't remember doing that to my parents....if I did, much apologies to them now. :)

3. Sasha said that the ladies had a great time at the retreat. She enjoyed the speaker and had a blast with the ladies.

4. Was pulling for LSU to upset Alabama. It was a great game. If LSU had a decent QB, they would've won that game and Texas would've been that much closer to the National Title game.

5. I was not suprised that Tech won, but that Tech blew out Oklahoma State.

End of the World?

DC Talk covered a song by REM on its 1997 release "Welcome to the Freak Show." The words to the song state that "It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine."

Tonight, America elected a new President, Vice-President and Congress. The Presidential campaign was a hard fought journey that ended tonight with Senator Obama being elected as the new President. I live in a county that went 70% for Senator McCain and Governor Palin to 29% for President-Elect Obama and Vice-President Elect Biden.

Many in our neck of the woods and in other parts of the Bible belt will be disheartened over the outcome. Some will be ecstatic that their candidate won. Others will treat it like it's the end of the world. For me, I feel fine. :)

Why? First, My hope is not in a man. My king is still on the throne tonight and will be on the throne come January. John McCain was not the Savior of America and neither is President-Elect Obama. Secondly, God is not suprised by the outcome of today's elections. Romans 13:1 (NKJV) states "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God." God's not suprised. He is still in control.

We may not like the outcome, but there's nothing we can do to change that right now.

So, I urge you to do several things.

1) Pray for the elected officials - 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NLT) "I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God's mercy upon them, and give thanks. 2 Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity." As I watched the exception speech and I saw the Obama's two little girls, I prayed for protection for him and his family. We must pray for God's mercy upon them. We should pray for wisdom and that God's will be done.

2) Cast off worry and fear - Tonight, I went to Wal-mart right before 10:00 p.m. The cashier asked me who was winning the electoral college. When I had left the house, Obama had a commanding lead. After I told her that, a look of worry and fear came over her. Worry and Fear are not tools of a political party. They are tools of the enemy of your soul. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT) states "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." Don't worry....God is still in control. EDIT: I just checked my Facebook account and scrolled down the Status updates of many of my friends. It just confirmed the thoughts of worry and fear. Many were talking of sackcloth and ashes, hoping this was a bad dream, etc. God is still in control. One more thing, for all those fearful and threatening to move to Canada, I'll be happy to purchase your American soil for pennies on the dollar. ;)

3. Use Restraint Please - The liberal media has bashed Joe the Plumber and Sarah Palin. The conservatives have been outraged by their unfair treatment. However, there are many on the conservative side or in the religious right that are just as guilty. Every time one forwards an e-mail about Obama or Biden that are filled with unsubstantiated rumors and half-truths, that person is guilty of practicing the same unfair treatment. I would take that a step further....it is called spreading lies and gossip....both which are sins. I urge you to get the facts before you push send on your e-mail. Remember: Just because it is on the web or in an e-mail doesn't make it true. There are several websites out there to check rumors....I personally use Truthorfiction.com It is very valuable. :)

The real change we need in America is not a shift in political parties. The real change is that we need to turn back to the faith of our founding fathers. That is the only way America is truly going to change.

2 Chronicles 7:14 "Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land."

Happy Monday!

1. Historically, in most churches in East Texas at least, the first Sunday of November is a down attendance day. Why? Opening Weekend of Deer Season. I don't know how many deer hunters we had out, but we were down from what we have been running, but were still up over our September average. So, that was really encouraging.

2. Friday Night, our student ministry, CSI:, hosted a Tailgate party before and after the High School Football game. I went and cooked a few burgers and dogs (and ate a few too) before the game.

3. On Saturday, we attended a 50th Anniversary party for the Grandersons. They are an incredible example of a Godly couple. Bro. Granderson has started driving our van on Sunday mornings.

4. Saturday Night, I watched the Texas Tech/Texas game. The Big 12 south is tough. I don't see Tech going undefeated and everyone else already has losses. Tech did a great job against Texas and deserved to win.

5. Don't forget to get out and vote. Someone gave their life so you would have the opportunity to vote. So, Pray and then vote. :)

Connected

I got a new phone. Lucky for me, I had insurance. The phone was dead. Time of Departure was somewhere between 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. Wednesday night during the Family Fun Fest. Since my contract hadn't run out, I had to stick with a Palm. However, they gave me the new Palm Treo 755. So, I guess I can live with that.

I got the phone Thursday night, but it took me until last night to sync it to my computer. I wanted to update names and numbers with our current church directory.

So, I'm back connected. There are a few numbers that I lost. Vista wouldn't always let me sync with my old Palm. So, I hadn't tried in a few months. The new Palm software and new Treo seem to work a lot better with Vista. So, if you call and I don't recognize the number, then it is because it got lost in the transition.

Family Fun Fest Recap

1. We estimate over 500 people were on campus throughout the night.

2. We gave away 320 Hot Dogs!

3. I want to thank all of our workers. Many people chipped in and help. There were over 90 of our regular attenders that were at the Fest. Many of those were working in different areas. Church Family, YOU DID AWESOME!!!! THANK YOU!!!

4. Alex is a 12 year old 7th grader who comes to the church periodically. He helped clean up instead of heading immediately to the after-fest concert for teens. Alex did awesome.

5. I would love to write everyone's name down that helped, but I'm sure I'd forget someone. Thank you so much. We couldn't have done it without you.

6. One of the highlights of the night was getting suprised by Sasha's parents and my Aunt and Uncle. Sasha's parents drove up from Kilgore to come to the Fun Fest. My Aunt and Uncle came down from Texarkana. They wanted to see the girls in their costumes.

7. About 30 students stuck around for the After-Fest Concert. I heard a little bit of our youth band and they sounded incredible.

8. I wanted to say a special thanks to Susie Staley. She entered in all the information and got the follow up mailout ready for stamps/labels. Pastor John also pitched in helping with the Follow Up.

Disconnected

O.K., I'll blog about the Family Fun Fest later. We're still working on the follow up and then I'll type a blog. However, I have to say. I am feeling really disconnected right now. It's terrible. It's horrible. It's a no good, very bad day. Why, you ask? My cell phone decided that last night during the Family Fun Fest that it wanted to bite the dust. It is gone. I plug it in. No lights. It won't come on. So, If you try and call today, I will not answer. It's not that I don't want to chat or get your text. I can't. Plain and Simple.

I have to go to the Alltel store this afternoon. Hopefully, they can get it fixed or get me a new one without a lot of up front cost.

FAMILY FUN FEST TONIGHT!!!

Here's the details!

Tonight in the Cornerstone Assembly of God parking lot from 6:00-8:00, we will host Family Fun Fest. There will be games, inflatables, FREE hot dogs, FREE popcorn and FREE cotton candy. Plus, your family can register to win a $100 Gift Card from Wal-mart. It's going to be a great night!

Don't miss it! :)

Family Fun Fest is coming!

Next Wednesday Night, October 29th, we will be hosting Family Fun Fest at Cornerstone. It will start at 6:00 p.m and go until 8:00 p.m. We have inflatables, free food, giveaways, games and lots of candy.

I just checked the weather and it is supposed to be a great night.

Also, this year, we are adding a new element. At 8:15 p.m., a concert for teenagers will kick off. Broken Element, Rivers in the Desert (our youth band) and Zeropoint will be playing. So, if you know some teens, get them here for that event.

Here's what we need....

1. We need workers. We still have a few booths that need a friendly person to run them.

2. We need lots of candy. We are asking our church family to bring one bag of candy per member of your family.

3. We need lots of prayer.

Last year, this was a great event and I'm expecting great things again this year.

Wednesday Thoughts

O.K., I know it has been over a week since I last blogged. So, let's play catch up. :)

1. At the end of last week, I attended the North Texas Leadership Conference at Grace Outreach Center in Plano. This is a great conference. For $50, you get your registration, a meal catered by the head chef of Macaroni Grill and 7 books that the conference host recommends. Obviously, they are not making money on this. The conference was great. I took our Youth Pastor, John, with me.

2. Saturday, we went to the Pumpkin Patch in town. The girls had fun in inflatables. We also spent time picking up the yard, mowing, etc. I finished off the day by watching some of the Texas/Missouri game.

3. Sunday was flat out fantastic. It was the biggest attendance that we've had since I've been here at Cornerstone. We topped Easter Sunday of this year by 7 people. On top of that, it was Speed The Light Sunday. Our District Youth Director, Jon Catron, shared about Speed The Light. Sunday Night, we gave the youth the service. They led worship and then our Youth Pastor spoke on being extraordinary.

4. The only downer to Sunday was the Cowboys. Man, they have got to get it together and fast. The NFC East is tough and they could easily find themselves in last place.

5. Next week is our Family Fun Fest. I love this event. It is awesome to see the community come out. Today, we will have a mailout go out to over 240 individuals who came to last year's family fun fest, our Easter Egg Hunt or Kid's Crusade.

State of the Cowboys

NOTE: I started writing this on Tuesday, but blogger wouldn't let me post it. So, these are my thoughts from a couple of days ago and I'll post an update at the bottom.

Alright, I must admit the last 48 hours as been tough as a fan of the Cowboys.


First, they get beat in OT by the Cardinals. I didn't get to see any of the games and I'm glad I didn't waste my time and DVR it. I did see the highlights or maybe I should say lowlights. The first time in NFL history a game has ended in OT on a blocked punt.


Now, comes the news yesterday.....Romo is out for at least 4 weeks with a broken pinkie on his throwing hand. I like Romo O.K., but I don't think this is the end of the world. When Brad Johnson took over for a injured Daunte Culpepper when he was with the Vikings a couple of years ago, the Vikes went 7-2 with Johnson at the healm. The offense will be alright.


WR Sam Hurd out......initially I was worried about receiver depth, but I'll address that later.


Punter Mat McBriar out for the year or out 6-8 weeks depending on what media outlet you watch.....Mat's a great punter, but that's a position that you can fill pretty easily.


RB Felix Jones out 2-4 weeks with a hamstring injury....this one will hurt. He's a good change of pace back and a good kick returner. I hope he is only out 2 weeks.


CB Adam Jones suspended indefinitely....I'm disappointed about this. One, with Terrance Newman out the Cowboys are horrifically thin in the secondary. Secondly, he was given a golden opportunity that many would love to have and he squandered it. Honestly, I hope the Cowboys cut their losses when the suspension is over. He's not reliable from the standpoint that you never know when he will get suspended. I'm a man of grace. I hope he does right and becomes a solid citizen. Right now, though, I hope that is for another team.


Now for the good news....well maybe...Roy Williams is now a Cowboy. Actually, the Cowboys have two Roy Williams. There's the Roy Williams who played for Oklahoma and has been a Cowboy since coming into the league and there's THE Roy Williams who played for Texas and has been a standout receiver for the Detroit Lions. I like the move, but wish we didn't give up so many draft picks for him.

Update: Crazy week for sure. The news came out today that Romo participated in practice and wants to play. In fact, ESPN stated tonight that Jerry caught a few passes from him and said he had good velocity on them. I'm optimistic for this weekend especially with the game being against the Rams.

Mixed Up Monday

There are several thoughts racing through my mind today.

1. I am sick. Pastor John and I have been working on the floor in the fellowship hall for almost two weeks. I am give out. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel. In fact, I need to go back in there and get busy now. I have burned the candle at both ends that I've made myself sick. We have to get the floor finished because we are having Wednesday Night meal this week and need the fellowship hall.

2. The Floor is looking good. Pastor John has really done an outstanding job. He has worked on it when I've had to go other places or prepare for Sunday messages. He is a God send to Cornerstone.

3. Great College Football Weekend! Baylor whips Iowa State and Texas beat OU. Anytime that OU gets beat by the 'horns, it is a great game. :)

4. Pro Football - Not a good weekend....Cowboys lose and then lose Romo for up to 4 weeks. I'm not really expecting much now. Look at how the Patriots have played without Brady.

5. We went to a Gaither Concert on Friday Night. It was a good show, but a LOOOOONG show. We didn't get in until after 1 am early Saturday Morning.

6. Yesterday, we had lunch at my grandparents in Texarkana. My aunt made a great spread. Ham, Pork Loin, Mac-n-cheese, great desserts, etc. We celebrated my Granddaddy's birthday. He turned 86 on Friday. We don't take forgranted these times because we didn't have them when we lived in OKC. It's great to be able to see everyone.......and the food is good too. :)

7. I won in both Fantasy Football Leagues this week. :) In one league, I beat my friend, Darrell, by 0.31 points.

Pie in the Eye

O.K., I've had several ask me about who ended up winning the offering contest.

Well, the boys were ahead in the Kid's Crusade offering contest heading into last Wednesday night. Several people dropped checks into the girl's offering and that pushed the girls ahead by about $170.00. So, I got the pie in the face. The nice people who made the pie decided that they wanted to put mustard underneath the whipped cream and chocolate. :) It was nasty. :)

We also had an offering challenge. If we raised $600, then they got to make a human sundae on top of my head. So, they put more whipped cream, cold ice cream and chocolate sauce all on top of my head.

Before the night was over, they asked Sasha how much it would take for her to get a pie in the face. With a little prodding from me, she set the bar high at $150.00 and within 30 seconds the money came in.

Overall, we had a great Kid's Crusade. We had 24 kids make decisions for Christ on Wednesday Night. The best part was that we had 11 kids in Kid's church on Sunday that came as a result of the Kid's Crusade. We have started running our van on Sunday Mornings.

What you missed at Kid's Crusade

We have had a great time at Kid's Crusade. Tonight, either Sasha or myself, will get a pie in the face because of an offering contest. The boys are winning now by $32. So, Sasha will get the pie in the face unless the girls can make that amount up tonight.

So far, we have had 26 kids make decisions for Christ. It has been awesome. Darrell Wickert has done a great job ministering each night. Last night, we had a mini concert with R U 4 Real. My cousin, J.C., is a Kid's Pastor in Chandler, TX and is in the rap group. At the end of their set, we went "old school."

Great Week!

1. Kid's Crusade is this week.  We've had 16 kids make decisions for Christ so far.  :)  Two more nights to go.

2. Tonight, R U 4 Real will be with us at the Kid's Crusade.  It's going to be a blast.

3. Darrell Wickert has been speaking for us this week.  He's a long time friend from my High School days and now is a Kid's Pastor in Cleburne.  :)

4. The bummer of the week was that Pastor John's Redskins beat my Cowboys.  The boys will get revenge in DC.

5. I won in both of my Fantasy Football Leagues.  

6. We've had several new families visit and start attending the church recently.  :)  

Is this really Christ Like?

Have you ever wrote an anonymous letter? Over the years, I met many Pastors/Leaders who have received hurtful anonymous notes. Have you noticed no one ever sends a "you're doing a great job" anonymous card or letter? Today, I received this forwarded anonymous note that was sent to a friend of Pastor John's.

"Would you Please resign! Move on!
The children did not have bible camp this year. Instead you took them to some other country where they had to work and didn't learn anything. There is not a new membership class. The teens can't help pick up trash along the highway; because the youth director is not smart enough to look into this. The teens can't help make apple pies because the youth director is not smart enough to look into this. You act and dress like you are of the world and not for the world. Doesn't the bible teach us in leviticus that christians should not put marks on their bodies? There is no such thing as christian rock all rock is created by satan. You are by far the worst youth director ever and I question whether you are even saved. Please look into resigning and moving on!"

My question: Is this really Christ like? Now, I don't know the person who sent or received this note. They are not from this state or area. (Note: I haven't had an anonymous note sent to me in years either.) What I can tell from this note is that the kids went on a missions trip instead of going to youth camp. I can tell that this person has some things that they wish the youth director would do, but he/she is not doing them. I can tell that they don't particularly like that the youth director has a tattoo. (He/She could've gotten it prior to coming to Christ.) I also can tell that they don't like the music and have strong opinions about that.

We are not always going to agree in the church world. There is a biblical way to handle that conflict and sending an anonymous note is not that way. :)

As I stated before, I have not received an anonymous note in years. I don't remember the last one I received. Shortly after I received an anonymous note while attending Southwestern, I heard Pastor Tom Wilson say during a sermon that he didn't read any notes/letters that people did not sign. So, I decided in college that I would not read the letter or note if someone didn't have the guts to sign their name to it.

It is o.k. to disagree. It is not o.k. to disagree in a wrong, hurtful and unbiblical way. :)

Saturday Night Blog

1. Our student ministry is awesome. Pastor John and his team hosted a Tailgate Party at the High School on Friday Night. He had over 100 students stop by and hang out. He had the Prinicipal of the school and some police officers stop by and thank them for what they were doing. They gave away free hamburgers and hot dogs.

2. Today, Cornerstone had the honor of hosting our District Youth Director, Jon Catron, Missionary Bryan Burr and five youth pastors. These guys finished a 360 mile bike ride across the North Texas District. They went from Abilene to Atlanta. 4 Police cruises from the Atlanta Police Department gave them an escort to the church. What were they doing riding their bikes? Simple....raising money for Speed The Light. Pastor John arranged for the escort. One of the youth pastors was from a church where I first remember being challenged to give to Speed The Light. It was at a Section Goal Setting banquet. I'll post some pictures when they become available.

3. It was AWESOME to reconnect with my friend, Matt. Matt and I met while we attended SAGU. He moved to another area after we graduated and I had not seen him in over 10 years. He's now a Master's Commission Director in Texas. We reminisced about college days and he was able to meet my family.

4. I would like for you to pray for a family. The Gardner family lost a precious lady today. Barbara Gardner passed away. I had just seen her yesterday at St. Michaels. They were releasing her when I got tot he hospital.. Barbara's sister is Beatrice Chamblee. Sis. Chamblee is a member of Cornerstone. I love this family. Barbara was a lady that was full of life. She loved to laugh and make people laugh. I enjoyed my visits with her and am extremely sad that she will not be with us. No one expected her to go today. It was quite a shock. Please pray for the family. I'll post the funeral information when it becomes available.

5. For the faithful readers of my blog who have prayed for Little Peyton. I talked with his parents tonight. They went to the doctor yesterday and got an excellent report. His heart has improved and the doctor told them he didn't have to come back for 3-4 months. Thank you to everyone who prayed. It worked. :)

Sitting in the truck

1. I'm waiting for an ambulance to arrive at the hospital. Please pray for Bro. Blakey

2. It's been awhile, but I am drinking a Starbucks Cafe Mocha. After Wednesday Night service, I could use a little caffiene. I love starbucks lat at night.

3. I have Fall Council tomorrow. Looking forward to hearing the messages and seeing old friends.

4. With a huge assist from Pastor John, we fixed the power window on my truck. It was embarassing having to push it up by hand at drive thrus.

5. Looking forward to Kid's Crusade on September 28th-October 1st. It will be a blast.

Crazy Weekend

1. Mackenzie is doing better. We had to put her in the hospital for dehydration over the weekend. She got out on Sunday afternoon.

2. Tropical Storm Ike blew through the Atlanta area. Many people are still without power. We lost it about 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and didn't get it back until 4:20 p.m.

3. Mady loves when the power goes out. We played a board game. She and I were by ourselves because Sasha was with Kenzie at the hospital.

4. There were so many out on Sunday with illness and power outages.

5. Pastor John did an excellent job speaking on the presence of God Sunday Night.

6. What a great game tonight. I watched it on the DVR because we had an Advisory Board meeting. I caught up with 3 minutes left. Cowboys are awesome and this will put them in the driver's seat for the division.

7. The Cowboys do need to work on penalties. Way too many tonight! Overall, great game and great performances.

Back By Popular Demand

O.K., so there was only one request, but the Sudoku game is back on my blog to the right. Also, be sure to check out the one year bible online as well.

Everyone in South Texas and East Texas....stay safe this weekend.

We will not forget....

7 years ago today, our lives changed forever.

As most, I remember the exact spot I was when I heard about the World Trade Center. The mood went from light hearted to somber in less than a second.

As I watched hour after hour of newscast, my heart was hurting for those affected by this great tragedy.

Many emotions from sadness to anger flooded not only my heart, but the heart of all Americans on 9/11.

We've gotten accustomed now to the increased security at airports and stadiums. However, there's a group of survivors and a group of people who lost friends and loved ones that are still dealing with the pain and grief from the terrorist attacks.

Let us not forget those who died...
Let us not forget those who gave up their lives in service (Police, Firefighters, EMT, etc.)
Let us not forget our Military as they continue to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan

Let us not forget the sacrifice

I will not forget.

Dogs

Well, a few weeks ago, I spoke on Facing Fears and told the congregation of my fear of dogs. After yesterday's journey with the pit bull pups, I arrived at the church today to find 5 big dogs sleeping by our front doors. It was not the door I normally go in. When I pulled up, they got up and walked away. One of them was the mom of the pups. I was telling someone about the dogs tonight at church and they said that I was having to face my fears.

So, I leave and head to Wal-mart. I walk out and there's a large dog in the parking lot standing between the front door and my car. I had no choice, but to face my fear and walk straight toward the dog. He moved out of my way and I left.

So, the moral is...be careful what you say you're afraid of....you may just be forced to face that fear.

Post #200

1. This my 200th blog post. It is always a tremendous honor that people take the time to read my thoughts. There are people all on around the world that read this and the numbers amaze me. I am grateful for the opportunity and the platform.

2. Sunday was awesome.....especially Sunday Night. The presence of God was so strong in the place. The worship team did an incredible job leading us into the presence. Several more people have told me about how God set them free on Sunday Night. Awesome!

3. I am thankful for all of the Cornerstone Family who helped out at the workday on Saturday. These men, women and teens did an awesome job cleaning the Family Life Center building up. We are getting ready to begin construction in the next few months.

4. I am anticipating the "Chase The Lion" offering on Sunday, September 21st. God is going to do something awesome. This offering will go to help us finish out the Family Life Center.

5. Cowboys won this weekend! Baylor Won and Texas Won! I am excited about football season.

6. I went out to the truck at lunch and there was a puppy. Pastor John came out and he was able to get the puppy to come to him. He said it was a Pit Bull. So, we did the humane thing and took it to the vet. When Pastor John went home late this afternoon, he spotted another one under the church van. He came in and told me. So, when I got ready to leave, I drove by and saw the puppy was gone. John had taken him over to his house. So, I stopped by and we took that puppy to the vet. When I dropped John back off at his house, we heard another puppy barking. We went around to the back of the house and there was a third Pit Bull puppy. So, we drove right back to the vet. They were in shock that three healthy looking dogs were abandoned like that. If you want one, go by Dr. Smithers Vet clinic and check them out.

Super Bowl Prediction

Tonight, the 2008 NFL season kicks off with the Redskins and the Super Bowl Champion Giants.

So, here is my pick to be playing in the Super Bowl in February.

Representing the NFC is America's Team, the Dallas Cowboys. I know...it's a homer pick. However, these guys are good. The only shaky spot is the WR position. As long as TO stays healthy, the Cowboys will be a dominant force.

Representing the AFC is Indianapolis. The Colts defense is one of the best in the league. Peyton Manning is a stellar QB. The big concern with the Colts is the injury to their center. Other than that, the Colts should be back in the big game.

Champion: The Cowboys will beat the Colts. I had read somewhere that Peyton struggles with a 3-4 defense. So, that plays perfectly into the Cowboys scheme.

I love this time of the year. :)

Gustav

There are a lot of people that read my blog outside the Atlanta area. I've had several people inquire about our well being. Really, all we have gotten in Atlanta is some rain and normal winds.

They....whoever they is....say we're going to get the brunt tonight.

So far, it hasn't been too bad.

Thanks for praying. We really have nothing to complain about up north. Those on the coast will be effected a whole lot more than what we have or will be.

Monday's Thoughts

1. Gustav is heading towards Atlanta. They are predicting that the tropical storm will sit over the Ark-La-Tex for awhile.

2. I know some people pray for rain. However, I hope we don't get too much. I have a drainage problem at my house that needs addressing and we have a leaky roof at the church.

3. 2 rededications yesterday at church and several new families......AWESOME!

4. The Fish Fry last night was fantastic. Tony, Pastor John and Jamie did a great job cooking for us. We had a great crowd.

5. After the Fish Fry, several of us walked downtown for Moonlight Madness. I understand why they call it Madness. There were lots of people there.

6. I'm ready for NFL action starting Thursday Night.

Hope Fades....

Fans are fickle. The excitement of a new season can be lost in one game. Thursday Night, I watched the Baylor/Wake game and was discouraged. Then, I didn't feel so bad after I saw that A&M lost to Arkansas State. Wow!

Baylor had some bright spots..namely Freshman QB Robert Griffin III. The guy is lightning quick and has a great arm.

Regardless, in sports, so many times we are judged by the last game. In football where you generally have a week between games, it gives more time for the naysayers to cry there's no hope for the team. That's when you have to focus on the goal and move forward ignoring the crowd.

In life, we all face adversity. Tomorrow's message is about dealing with that adversity. Sometimes our greatest problem becomes our biggest opportunity. Brett Favre got his first chance to play because the Green Bay starting QB went down with an injury.

Sarah Palin

Hey,

I just thought I'd alert all my blog readers know about the Republican Candidate for Vice President.

This was taken from the Alaska District Council of the Assemblies of God's website. I have seen it posted on Facebook.

"The opening night banquet of the 2008 Alaska District Council was honored to have Governor Sarah Palin address the delegates and guests. Governor Palin spoke of her appreciation for the Assemblies of God and requested that the Council pray for both her and the State of Alaska.
Superintendent Ted Boatsman, who was Palin’s junior high pastor at Wasilla Assembly of God, along with Pastor Mike Rose of Juneau Christian Center, where Palin presently attends church when in Juneau, laid hands on the Governor and led the Council in prayer. Palin, who was elected Governor in 2007, is Alaska’s youngest governor and the first female governor of the state. She just recently gave birth to her fifth child, Trig. Palin spoke of the faith challenge she faced when learning that Trig would be a Downs Syndrome child. However, she and her husband, Todd, believe that every child is a gift of God, deserving of life, and that God was
asking them to accept His will for their lives."

As I stated earlier in the week, we need to pray for the upcoming election. We need the people God wants in the White House. Please pray especially for Governor Palin.

It's Here!

After months of agony, tonight is the night. That's right.....football season is officially back. This is...without a doubt...my favorite time of the year. From High School to the Pros, I love watching football.

Tonight, Baylor will play #24 Wake Forest on Fox Southwest. I will flip between that game and the Cowboys final preseason game.

So, who do I cheer for?

Pro - Dallas Cowboys (America's Team, 5 Time Super Bowl Champions)
College - I began life as a Texas Longhorn fan. I still am. However, we moved to Waco when I was 10 and I became a Baylor Bears fan. I still cheer for Texas every game except when they play Baylor.
High School - I still follow my alma mater, China Spring High School, from a distance...they lost in the State Championship game last season. Now that we are here in Atlanta, I cheer for the Atlanta Rabbits. I also still look and see if Brownsboro won or not. When we lived in Chandler, I was on the sidelines for all of the Brownsboro football games.

Now, let the games begin. Sic 'em Bears! Beat Wake!

Politics

I have to admit that political posturing makes me sick. Whether it is in the political realm, at a minister's meeting, in the community or at church, It sickens me the way people jockey for position to get their way.

We are fast approaching the season of electing the next President of the United States. With the world events and current economy, the selection of our next President is crucial.

I want to tell you who I am voting for. Are you ready? I am voting for the person that God tells me to vote for after I have spent time in prayer about it. God is the one who ultimatly puts people in authority. Would you join me and begin to pray for this election season?

Vote God 2008

The First Day

This morning, we took Mady to her first of Kindergarten. Sasha and I walked her to her classroom, took a few pictures, exchanged hugs and kisses and walked out the door. Mady did great. She set down at her table and began working as part of the class of 2021.

She was ready, but I'm not. Sure, we got a raise today. I no longer have to pay childcare for two kids, but I'm not ready for my baby to grow up. Sasha handled things much better than me.

Mady has a great teacher and I know that she will have a great year. I just hope it doesn't go by to fast. Regardless, I am going to make the most of every moment.

I think I just saw animals going down the street two by two...

Wow, we have had an unusual amount of rain for August in Atlanta. I need to mow my lawn, but it will not stop raining long enough for me to do it.

What's been happening...

1. Last night was Meet the Teacher. We took Mady to the Primary School to meet her Kindergarten teacher. We dropped Sasha off at the school to meet her students. It was a full night. I can't believe Mady is about to go to Kindergarten.

2. Today is Daddy/Daughter day. Mady and I are going to spend the day together. We were going to go to the park. The rain kind of messed up that plan. We were going to the movies, but there's nothing on that she would watch. So, we'll probably head bowling or something like that.

3. I've been enjoying the Olympics. In fact, I'm about to go watch the "Redeem Team" put a hurt on the Argentinians.

Weekend Thoughts

1. I had a great time at the North Texas Men's MoMENtum retreat. Pastor John and I went to the Lakeview camp in Maypearl for the retreat. Mark Batterson did an awesome job. Also, the band, Redemption Cry, were really anointed.

2. On Saturday, we stopped at Snuffer's in Rockwall to eat. Snuffer's is right off I-30 and they have excellent burgers and Bacon/Cheddar Fries.

3. Saturday Night, I was glued to the Television as Michael Phelps broke the record for most Gold Medals in the Olympics.

4. It was great being back with the Cornerstone Family. Tammy and the worship team did an awesome job. The message in tongues and interpretation was right on with what God was speaking to us. We began a new series called "Chase The Lion." Over a year ago, I read the book "In a pit with a lion on a snowy day" by Mark Batterson. I have felt since the beginning of the year that we were supposed to do a series based on this book. This week, we talked about Defying the Odds. When the odds are impossible, it is God setting the stage for an amazing miracle.

5. We have copies of the book available in the church foyer for $5 each.

Jamaica - Part II

The Food was amazing. We stayed at an all-inclusive resort. So, all of our meals and snacks were included.



The first night, we ate at the Arizona Restaurant on the Beach. I ate the Fajitas. They were good, not great. The best part of that meal was the Salad/Nacho Bar. The cheese sause for the Nachos was perfect. It wans't thick...like from a Sam's can of Nacho Sauce...and it wasn't runny. It was awesome.



For Breakfast and Lunch, they had two places to eat. Both were very similar. They were buffets. For Breakfast, they had a guy that would make omelets with a variety of ingredients including Bacon, Ham, Onion, Tomoto, Mushroom, Bell Pepper, Cheese, etc. For Lunch, they would make Pasta dishes. You got to choose your sauce, what kind of pasta and what else you wanted in the dish.



The second night, we got dressed up and went to Valentino's. The dress code required dress slacks and a collared shirt. It was an Italian place. They had great Fried Cheese. Sasha really enjoyed their Tiramisu. It was more of a Chocloatey flavor. I got the steak and it was really good. We were in the Air Conditioned restaurant, but had an incredible view of the ocean from our table by the window.

The third night, we ate at the Terrace Reef. It was located on an Terrace overlooking the ocean. It was a carribean place. I ordered the steak again. The food was good....but this was not our favorite place.

The Last Night, we ate at the Bayside Restaurant. This was the best place we ate. From the appetizers to the Main course to the dessert. This was the best all-around place. I had the new york strip steak and it was awesome.

Snacks were also included. My favorite thing that I got for a "snack" was Jerk Chicken. Very good.

Needless to say, we ate WAY too much and I am going to have to drop the pounds that I picked up.

Jamaica - Part I

Sasha and I went to Jamaica to celebrate our 10th anniversary over last weekend. We had a blast. We went to the Sandals Grande Ocho Rios Resort.

The Highlights of the trip for me were:

1. SNORKELING - This was by far my favorite thing of the trip. I love the water and the ocean. Captain Dennis took us out on the boat to a shipwreck. After five minutes of looking at the ship underwater, I was ready to see something else. He told everyone to come over to where he was at. I was the only one who went. We ended up swimming about 1/2 mile from the boat over this amazing coral reef. The next day, we went snorkeling again. This time, we went to a different area. Captain Dennis once again jummped into the water and showed me the best places to snorkel.

2. BEACH - The first night, we arrived late because of a flight delay in Miami. After checking into the resort, we went to the Arizona restaurant. The Arizona restaurant was on the beach. Our table was literally less than 2 yards from the ocean. It was awesome. We loved just hanging out at the beach.

3. RELAXING - Many times, you need a vacation after your vacation. This was the most relaxing vacation that I've ever been on. We spent time at the beach and at the multiple pools on the resort. We slept in. There was a concierge that took care of all the details for us. It was wonderful.

Tomorrow, I'll highlight the food. :)

Plugged In

I am back online and plugged in. Sasha and I are back from Jamaica. I'll tell more about our trip in future blogs.

As promised, I've redesigned the blog space. I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm plugged back in. :)

I think everyone should unplug occassionally. I wasn't able to check e-mail or be online for a week. It was refreshing. Also, in Jamaica, our cells didn't work. So, I walked around for a week without the cell on my hip.

In a world where we are so easily accessible via net, cell, etc., it is easy to lose focus on the things that are most important in life. The world existed before the first bag phone was made. The world existed before we had our first e-mail account. These things make life easier in some ways and more complicated in others. Try unplugging. I promise after the withdrawls that you want really miss anything. :)

Anniversary - Wedding and Blog

Today marks one year that I have been blogging at www.rustyposey.com. It has been an exciting year. Occassionally, I go back and read what God has done and the different thoughts that I have had over the past year. I'm looking forward to year two.

However, I am starting year two by taking a break. For the next week, I am "unplugging" to spend some time with my beautiful bride as we celebrate our 1o years of her putting up with me. :) Sasha and I have had a great journey the last ten years. We have two wonderful daughters. God has blessed us and given us the opportunity to touch student's lives for most of that ten years. For the last year, we have had the privilege of pastoring a great group of people at Cornerstone.

I'm thankful for the team at Cornerstone. I've got great men around me who will be taking care of things. Our Youth Pastor John and the guys on the Advisory Board at Cornerstone are god sends to me and my family. This Sunday, my friend, Jeff Andersen will be speaking in both services.

When I resume blogging a week from now, you can expect a new look on the blog.

I want to celebrate some milestones on the blog.....
1. 4772 hits in the last year.
2. 1309 different visitors
3. Visitors from 53 different countries.
4. 178 different visitors this month.
5. Visitors from 6 different continents

All this from Atlanta, Texas...The Best Is Yet To Come

Leslie Barnhart

Leslie Barnhart went to be with the Lord on Sunday, August 3rd. Leslie attended Cornerstone. His grandson, Billy, also attends Cornerstone.

The visitation will be from 6:00-8:00 on Thursday, August 7th at Hanner Funeral Home. They will have a graveside service on Friday, August 10th at 10:00 a.m. It will be held at the Kildare Cemetery.

Please be in prayer for this family.

Water Wars

After I got home from work today, we went outside and played. We set up one of the girls sprinkler toys that shoots these little plastic balls in the air. Mackenzie had a blast. She even walked up to it like it was a drinking water fountain and started drinking the water.

I didn't intend to get wet, but I ended up soaked. It was fun and we made a great summertime memory together.

What have you done recently to make a memory with your family? I'd love to hear your comments. :)

The Brett Favre Dilemma

20 Million Dollars....

Former Pro Wrestler and Now Christian Evangelist Ted Dibiase was known as the "Million Dollar Man." His tag line was "Every man has his price."

Brett Favre is currently facing the 20 million dollar question. According to several published reports, the Green Bay Packers have offered Brett $20 million dollars to stay retired. ESPN is reporting tonight that he is considering the offer. Essentially, it sounds like a personal service contract that Brett will be tied to the Packers for many years. He would appear at event representing the team.....events I'm sure he would've attended anyway. So, basically, it is 20 million to lose the media circus.

Does Brett accept the cash and not play the game he still wants to play? Does he say "no thanks" and force a trade or a release from Cheesehead land?

Do you have a price? Is there something that you would be willing to forfeit your relationship with God for?

Wednesday Night Wow!

1. 20 total in CSI: Service tonight! CSI: is our student ministry. Pastor John and Rachel are doing an outstanding job. We finished up about 10 minutes before they did. The band was doing one final worship song and they were awesome. The best is yet to come from our students.

2. I also stuck my head into the kid's choir/drama group. They had a crowd in there. They were working on their new song. Their last performance was incredible. I set on the front row and cried. It was so moving. Lisa and Bill are doing a fantastic job. The best is yet to come from our kids.

3. Tonight, in the adult bible study, we talked about when good things happen to bad people. We had a great time of worship and prayer. On August 20th, we are going to begin a new Wednesday Night series on becoming a Contagious Christian. The best is yet to come for Cornerstone.

4. Tonight, I said goodbye to a new friend, Nacho. Nacho is a college student from Mexico. He has been in Atlanta this summer visiting relatives and working at Amigo Juan's. He is heading back to Mexico to continue his study. He is a medical student. Nacho has a great personality. He speaks some engish. He understands it more than he can speak it. He has been a regular on Sunday Nights and Wednesday Nights. I will miss Nacho. I can't wait for him to come back to Atlanta again.

Happy Birthday Sasha!

Today, my love turned ____! :) We drove to Longview and had lunch at Luby's with her parents. Sasha's Birthday is probably the one day a year that I would agree to eat at that particular establishment. Then, we did a little shopping around Longview before heading back to put the girls down for naps. We watched the final episode of The Next Food Network Star. Tonight, we are heading to Texarkana to celebrate some more.

Sasha is a wonderful wife and mother. She is very dedicated to God, me, the girls, her job and the church. Sasha juggles quite a bit. She teaches 3rd grade at Atlanta Elementary. She oversees the Nursery and Kid's Church at Cornerstone. Plus, she makes time for me and the girls.

I am so proud of her. Sasha, I love you forever and always!

Youth Camp Report - Day 4

The last full day of camp was a blast. The service was even more incredible. The message was on preparing the way. Jason used the life of John the Baptist. He talked about the sacrifices that John the Baptist made to serve. He then challenged the students to reach the lost. The altars were full with students crying out to God. Many of our students were at the altar again.

At the conclusion of the altar time, we moved down to the lake area to observe communion as individual youth groups. Pastor John led this time for our group and it was very moving. After receiving communion, we had the kids share what God had done this week. Our students told how God set them free from past hurts, rededications, challenged to take their walk with God deeper, etc. Then, I had the students gather around Pastor John and Rachel and pray for them. We finish the time by joining hands and praying for our group.

I love camp. I'm praying that what happened here this week is the beginning of great things.

The Best Is Yet To Come

Youth Camp Report - Day 3

Great services last night. The band started the night singing "I am free." At the conclusion of the worship set, the band sang an original song called "Portrait." It was written out of a missions trip to New Orleans to help Katrina victims. As the band sang the song, video of Speed The Light vehicles in action flashed on the screen. It was very moving. At the conclusion, an offering was received for Speed The Light. Speed The Light is the youth missions arm of the Assemblies of God. It provides transportation and communication for missionaries all around the world.

Last night's message was on being a community of compassion. Jason took us on a journey from Peter's denial to the day of Pentecost. He said that in the beginning that Peter was selfish. When he received the Holy Spirit, he became selfless. In fact, the whole early church did. Acts 2:44-45 (NIV) states "All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need."

Following the message, there was a call for salvation and a call to be filled or refilled with the Holy Spirit. The majority of our students went down. It was awesome to see them go after God.

It was another great night.

Youth Camp Report - Day 2

Yesterday was a great day! After my morning study time, I headed to lunch. After lunch, the students had a game time. I was able to jump in with the boys team for a game with fun noodles and a dodge ball. Lots of fun.

After team game time, it was free time. The guys go swimming while the girls are at the lake and then they switch after an hour. During Lake time, they have paint ball available. Several of us went and watched Pastor John in action. One of his hobbies is paint ball. He had the gear. He even at one point did a barrel roll.

After clean up time and dinner, it was time for service. The worship time was awesome. For me, one of the most powerful moment was when the worship leader stepped back from the mic and you can hear the voices of the packed house singing "How great is our God." The band was still playing, yet you could hear the singing over it. It was an authentic moment of worship.

The message last night was on God being our life coach. Jason Patterson led us through the story of Elijah and how God directed his steps. Even through the valley and mountain top experiences, God was still in control of Elijah's life. The altar time was incredible. Most of our students were in the altar. At the beginning of his message, Jason had challenged the students not to just sing songs that say things like "you're all I want" or "you're all I need", but to live our lives like we really mean what we are singing. He had two parts to the altar..one for kids that were going through valley times and another for those who were wanting to make the commitment to live their life fully committed to God where he is all they want or need. After an extended altar time, the worship band, Freely, concluded the time by singing two United Live songs "All I need is you" and "Fire Fall Down."

After service, I crashed the Youth Pastor's Fellowship. :) During the Snack Shack and Late Night time, the District Youth Department put on a fellowship to honor the Youth Pastors. The food was great.....especially the boneless Buffalo Wings.

The fellowship also consisted of an activity time. About 12 of us played FULL COURT basketball in the new Activity Center. It has been a couple of years since I've played basketball full court. I love basketball. I'm not any good, but I still love to play. It was a blast. I'm paying for it though today. I'm a little sore today.

Keep praying that this will be a significant week in the life of our students.

The Best Is Yet To Come

Youth Camp Report

Greetings from Lakeview Camp in Maypearl. I love camp. It had a profound effect on my life as a teen and I've seen students completely changed by the power of God at camp over the years. I came to camp this week.

I stay in the lodge. I use the morning times (while the students and leaders are in separate meetings) to study, get ready for Sunday, check e-mail, etc. Then, in the afternoons, I'm with the students during the play times and I go to the services at night.

Last Night's service was amazing. Jason Patterson is the camp speaker. Typically on the first night of camp, you would hear a salvation/rededication type message. Last night was different. Jason talked about their being a need for the students to begin to discover God on their own. They needed to be able to have encounters with God on their own. He then told them that would be at the altar and gave them the anatomy of the altar. It was fantastic. At the end, he brought students forward that needed deliverance, salvation, etc. Half of our students responded. I was able to work my way through the crowd (There's over 900 here this week!) and find all of them to pray with them.

I will keep updating my blog with more camp reports throughout the week. Please pray for our students...Alexis, Brent, Coleman, Colton, Danielle, Destiny, Drew, John, Morgan and Tyler. Also, please pray for the leaders that came as well...Pastor John, Rachel and Amanda. I'd appreciate a few prayers as well. :)

Wii and More

1. A couple of weeks ago, I bought a Wii for the family.....o.k., it was for me. :) Tonight, Sasha, Mady and I played the bowling game. Mady, age 5, tore it up. She hit 4 strikes and even told us to watch her so that we could see how to do it. It was a blast.

2. Well, I spoke a little too soon on the mower. After putting the starter string back on, it cranked up and ran like a dream. I went to the church to mow the little bit of grass we had there. About halfway through the mowing, one of the wheels fell off. I put it back on.....cranked it up and started mowing again. 30 seconds later, it dies. I try multiple times to crank it up. I let it sit and then tried it again. Then, I broke the string again. I stopped by a local place to see what they thought was the problem and how much it would cost to fix. Well, the guy thought it was the carburator and it would cost more to fix than I wanted to pay. So, I decided to try and fix it on my own. I got it apart, but didn't really know what to do with it other than try and clean it. I stopped by Pastor John's house and he suggested a new spark plug. He looked at the carburator and said it was fine. So, I went and spent 7 bucks on a plug, plug wrench and some form-a-gasket. I put it all back together and it wouldn't crank. I pulled the spark plug out and it didn't appear to be getting any fire. I called Pastor John and he was near the house. So, he stopped by and checked it out. Within a few minutes, he had diagnosed the problem and a potential solution. It worked. After getting the engine back together, it started on the second pull. Sometimes, you have to call in reinforcements. Thanks Pastor John!

Doing What You Know To Do

Tonight, I had to fix my lawn mower. A couple of weeks ago, I yanked on the starter string and the whole string came out in my hand. I had considered taking it to someone who works on mowers to fix, but I decided to fix it myself. Thanks to step by step instructions available on the internet, I was able to accomplish the task.

It was frustrating to have this happen. Last year..in the Spring..I had the same thing happen. I had taken it to a lawn mower shop and paid $15 to get it fixed. So, I really expected it to last longer than one season.

It was actually a blessing in disguise. I must confess that I can't remember the last time I checked the oil in the mower. While fixing it tonight, I discovered there wasn't any oil in the mower. I decided to check the air filter and it was gross. So, I went to Wal-mart and got a new air filter and put the correct amount of oil in. The mower started and runs like a dream. Thanks to a broken string, I was able to avoid having to buy a new mower.

When we don't do the things we know we are supposed to do, it can have a very bad outcome. You'd think that I'd learn my lesson after blowing an engine in my first car. When we don't do the little tasks like change the oil, air filters, etc. in our mowers and vehicles, the outcome can be devastating.

It is the same with God. Tonight, James 4:17 came to my mind. It states "Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it." When we don't do the things we know we should do in our relationship with God, then it is sin. Plain and Simple.

Let's do what we know we ought to do.

Mid Week Madness

1. As a Die Hard Dallas Cowboys Fan, I have never been a Packers fan. I have...in recent years...cheered for Brett Favre out of respect for his durability, longetivity and the fact that I had him in a couple of Fantasy Football leagues. He retired in March from the NFL and now is considering a comeback. I cannot believe how messy this thing has gotten. The Packers want to move forward, but won't release him. Brett goes on National TV and airs the dirty laundry. The Packers now file tampering charges against the Vikings for alleged phone calls. This is messy and appears to get messier. The one thing Brett can be thankful for is that he's not Roger Clemens.

2. Well, malware strikes again. If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that I have had a huge battle with malware on our home computer. I finally had to take it back to the beginning. Well, Sasha's mom called last night and they had an anti-virus software pop up on their computer. Thankfully, they didn't give any information (credit card, etc.). Today, they brought the computer to me. As we suspected, they have malware on their system. It's called Antivirus XP 2008. People.....Keep your antivirus software up to date....malware is bad news and can cost you money and time.

3. I'm looking forward to seeing our Kids perform Sunday Night. They have been practicing really hard on Wednesday Nights.

4. Pastor John told me they had a great altar time in youth tonight. One student rededicated their life to the Lord. Awesome!

Weekend Highlights

1. We began a new series entitled "Rescue." Judges 2:16 (NLT) states “Then the LORD raised up judges to rescue the Israelites from their enemies.” In this series, we are taking a look at some of the Judges that rescued Israel. On Sunday, we looked at Ehud. He went into meet with King Eglon of Moab during a time when Moab had control over Israel. He went in and delivered the message from God....an 18 inch dagger in the fat belly of Eglon. Great story....go check it out in Judges 3.



2. Last night, Pastor John spoke on the Valley of Dry Bones. It wasn't dry outside. We had a bad storm blow through Atlanta right before service start. The church never lost power, but a lot of the town did. We had no electricity at the house for about 6-7 hours. Pastor John and the Youth Band did a good job leading the service last night.



3. Sasha, the girls and I went to a family reunion on Thursday. It is an annual event in DeRidder, Louisiana. 65+ of our family were in attendance this year. The Highlights of the trip for me were: 1) Playing Spades, Dominoes, etc. (I went undefeated in Spades). 2) Mississippi Mud Cake (This has got to be on the menu when we get to heaven. My Aunt Sherry made it for me. She sent the rest home with me on Saturday. There's one piece left, but not after tonight.) 3) Swimming with my girls and nieces. 4) Getting a group of us to wave our hands and sing "Lord, I lift your name on high" to my niece, Kelsey (You have to ask her about the dream she had.) 5) Getting to meet my cousins' Chad and Amy's families. I haven't seen Chad and Amy since the early 90s and it was great seeing them again and meeting Dexter, Annette, Trinity and Ella.

4. On the way down to DeRidder, we stopped in Shreveport to eat at Moe's. Moe's is one of our favorite places to eat. There Queso is top shelf.

Today's Thoughts

1. I am real proud of our student ministry, CSI:. Even though we are currently experiencing tough economic times in America, our student ministry had a record year in Fireworks Sales. They will give a portion of that to Speed The Light, a ministry that provides vehicles and audio/visual equipment to missionaries. The rest will go to pay the student's way to camp and to the Youth Budget. A big thank you to all you helped make it happen...Marc, Gina, Rob, Tammy, Pastor John and Rachel.

2. We had great services this last weekend. Sunday Night's Worship and communion time were off the charts. Our worship team did an awesome job in both services.

3. Sasha and the girls have been at her Mom's the past couple of days. I'm ready for them to come home. They are on their way back as I type this blog.

Retraction....of sorts.

Last night, I headed out to Spring Creek Golf Course to play in their Tuesday Night Scramble. A few of the other guys in the church (Jay, Bobby and Tyler) also played in the scramble. On Sunday, I was talking about being on the winning team. As believers, we are on the winning team. If you have a choice whether or not you are going to be on the winning team, you always choose the team that's going to win. I used the illustration of a two man scramble. Tyler is an incredible golfer. Last week, he shot one under par. Jay and I shot significantly over par. I said if I had a choice in a two man scramble that I would choose Tyler over Jay every time because I would have a better chance to win with Tyler.

The way they do the scramble at Spring Creek is they take all the A players and put them on different teams. Then, they take the B players and put them on the different teams. Then, they have a draft for the rest of the guys. Jay and I ended up on the same team. There were six different teams with 5 or 6 on each team. The funny part is that our team finished in a tie for first place. We shot 7-under par for 9 holes. We lost the playoff chipping contest.

We beat Tyler's team though. :) Jay played outstanding. He put one of his drive on a par 4 about 10 feet from the green.

We had a great time and I got to meet some guys in the community. I look forward to playing in the scramble again.

Weekend Update

1. We had a great time last night at our Fifth Sunday Fellowship. I love these connection nights where we visit and eat. There were two different kinds of Banana Pudding, lots of great BBQ and to top it off a cookie cake to celebrate Alexis' 13th Birthday.

2. Our worship team did a great job Sunday Morning. I'm proud of the way they are growing together musically, but also how wonderful a job they are doing leading us into the presence of God.

3. I'm glad Pastor John and Rachel are now residents of Atlanta. We moved them into the parsonage on Saturday. Thank you to everyone who came and help unload the truck.

4. We had a garage sale on Saturday. Sasha has been wanting to get rid of some junk for awhile now. We didn't make a lot of money, but we did get rid of a bunch of stuff.

Sasha gets drafted..

Well, I was hoping to say that the Mavs drafted Sasha. I'm not talking about my wife. I'm talking about Sasha Kaun, Center from Kansas. He....not she....was drafted tonight in the NBA draft. The Mavs had no first round pick. It had been traded to New Jersey in the Jason Kidd deal.

Instead of Sasha (Russian pronunciaton), the Mavs selected Shan Foster. Shan was the all time leading scorer in Vanderbilt History. He also was the consensus SEC Player of the Year and Second Team All-American. I think the Mavs got a steal in the second round.

Hope Springs Eternal on Draft Night. :)

P.S. Football Season starts soon. :)

The Catch

Last Night, we had fried Catfish for supper. There was something different about this fish. I recently went on a fishing trip with my father in law, John, my brother in law, Clint and Clint's brother in law, Michael. Despite trouble with the boat, we had a great time fishing. We ran some trot lines and did some pole fishing.

The fish that we ate last night was some of the fish that we had caught on the trip. Michael and Clint had cut the fish into filets. Sasha did a great job frying the fish last night.

Fishing taught me several lessons:

1. Patience - When fishing for catfish, you have to wait patiently for the fish to bite. When I fished growing up, I threw the baited hook into the water and wanted a fish to bite it in five seconds or less. If that didn't happen, then I reeled it back in. This trip, I listened to the more experineced fishermen and left bait in one place. It paid off. I caught the first and the biggest fish on the trip. :)

2. Flexibility - You have to be willing to be flexible. We had problems with the boat. We had to change plans. The fish weren't biting in a particular area. So, we had to be willing to change locations. The bait we were using wasn't drawing the fish out. So, we had to change strategies.

Jesus told us to be fishers of men. When fishing for men, we have to be patient. Some are ready to receive the gospel and for others it takes a little more time. We also have to be flexible. We may go into a conversation with an agenda, but need to alter course when a door is open. Just like the same bait/strategy doesn't work for all fish, we may have to alter our approach with different people.

Happy Fishing!

Take Me Out To The Ballgame

There's nothing like going to a baseball game. I have to admit that I'm not much for watching "America's Pasttime" on Television. However, I love heading to the Ballpark and watching a game. I also love watching kids play.

I want to congratulate the Atlanta T-Ball team for winning their Region Tournament last night in Marshall. It was a great game for the 5 and 6 years olds from Atlanta. One of Cornerstone's own, Kolby Mason, was on the team. He ended up with a Single, Double and a Triple.

In July, the team will compete for State.

Congrats Kolby and the Atlanta T-Ball team!

Monday Monday

1. Yesterday was a great day at Cornerstone. Four people made commitments to Christ. There were several new visitors that indicated that they would be back.

2. It was great having Pastor John in service yesterday. Please pray for them as they make the transition to Atlanta this week.

3. Please pray for Steve Ray. He is undergoing a procedure this afternoon.

4. The Storage Closet next to Fellowship Hall looks awesome. A huge thanks to everyone who help remodel and to the Caraways for putting everything back in. :)

Armadillo

Today, Sasha was going through some old boxes. There were some keepsakes from my teen years. In one box, she found the shell of an Armadillo. Why would I have the shell of an Armadillo?

The shell was from a Royal Rangers campout that our church took during Christmas Break. The campout consisted of three of my friends, our commander and myself. It was freezing cold outside. When we arrived on the land in South Central Texas, our objective was to earn our survival badges. We had decided that we would build our own shelters and live off the land on one night of the campout to fulfill the requirements of the badge. We came up with a plan to trap and kill an armadillo to eat. We knew that armadillos were blind. So, we stayed down wind and would get close enough to try and hit it with a hatchet. Somehow, we were able to have some success at killing the animal. We got the shell off. I somehow ended up with it.

As I mentioned before, it was freezing outside. So, after looking at the nasty Armadillo and feeling the cold air, we abandoned our shelters and headed back for the comfort of the campfire and the safety of store bought food.

The point of this whole blog is not to gross you out. However, it is to instill the value of making memories. We went to that camp area two years in a row. It was at one of those camps that one of my friends accepted Christ. I'm thankful for a commander that gave up his time to hang out with some 13-15 year old boys. The memories of chasing Armadillos, throwing Buffalo Chips, hiking across the land, making our own meal and many others are well worth the time. 3 of the 4 young men are in ministry today.

If you are a leader, don't underestimate the impact you are making in the lives of those you lead. If you are a parent, what are you doing so that you are making positive memories for your kids?

By the way, we eventually did get our survival badges.....when the weather was warmer. :)

Random Thoughts

1. We had a great Father's Day weekend. Sunday, I spoke on having a fire shut up in our bones. We need the Holy Spirit so that we can be witnesses. After service, we went to my grandparents in Texarkana for a great lunch.....homemade fried chicken and strawberry cake. :)

2. I'm excited about Pastor John coming in today. Pastor John will be leading the Youth Service tonight. I believe the best days are ahead for CSI:, our student ministry.

3. I need to be more consistent in blogging.

4. Can you believe the beatdown the Lakers took last night? Wow, that series and that game only added major fuel to the Celtics/Lakers rivalry. Now, the Mavs need to make a huge deal this summer like the Celtics did last summer.

5. Continue to pray for Peyton. He needs a miracle.

Wednesday Night

I thoroughly enjoyed and was challenged by Zollie Smith's message at District Council Wednesday Night. He challenged the crowd with the thought that God doesn't want anyone to perish, but all to come to repentance.

Zollie Smith is the Executive Director for U.S. Missions for the Assemblies of God. Here is a picture of the two of us taken following the Wednesday Night Service. It was taken on my mobile phone. That is why the picture is so hazy.

District Council

1. This has been a great council so far. The times of worship have been incredible.

2. Monday Night and Tuesday Morning, Pastor Rick Dubose shared the vision and strategy for Target 1000. This vision is to have 1,000 Healthy churches in North Texas. It's a huge dream and with God's help, it can be accomplished.

3. Last Night was the ordination service. Dr. George O. Wood, the General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, brought a challenging message from II Timothy 4:7. He challenged us to Fight the good fight, keep the faith and to finish the race.

4. This morning, Gaylan Claunch, communicated a powerful message on prayer. Pastor Claunch is an exceller preacher. I enjoyed his message on hitting the mark in prayer.

5. I'm looking forward to tonight's service with Zollie Smith. Zollie Smith is the executive director of U.S. Missions for the Assemblies of God. Tonight is the annual missions service.

6. I said it my blog before, but I've enjoyed reconnecting with friends and family. We had dinner last night with my grandparents. My mom's dad has been an Assemblies of God minister for many years. Also, my cousin, J.C., has been at the council. It has been great seeing him. Plus, there are many people that we've been able to see. We had lunch today with one of Sasha's friends from High School, a friend of mine from College and two new friends.

What's on my mind?

1. We had a great day yesterday. The presence of God was strong in both services.

2. Thank you to everyone who helped with the work day Saturday. I am still sore today. :) I enjoyed spending time with the people of Cornerstone.

3. This week is District Council. It is always great to reconnect with friends. Tonight's service was incredible. God is stirring his people.

4. I am proud of my school. Southwestern has done a fantastic job with the campus. The two new dorms are awesome.

Great Weekend!

1. We had two great services yesterday. The podcast from Sunday Morning should be up sometime today. We had great altar times in both services. Last night, Eric Akin, former Youth Pastor at Cornerstone, shared his vision for planting a church in the Rockwall/Heath area. It was great catching up with Eric. He and I have known each other as long as I can remember. He also brought a couple who will be moving to Rockwall with them. It was great meeting Jeff and Kim. Jeff led the music during the altar time and did a fantastic job. All in all, it was a great day!

2. I made a big announcement yesterday. I am pleased to announce that we have a new family joining the Cornerstone Team. Pastor John and Rachel Stout have accepted the invitation to become our Youth Pastors. Please pray for them as they look for jobs and move in the coming weeks. Pastor John has previously served churches in Troy and Crowley. Rachel is currently the Administrative Assistant for the North Texas District Children's Division. We are anticipating great things in CSI: Cornerstone Student Impact.

3. Congratulations to Crystal and Richard! They were married Saturday at Cornerstone.

Friday Night

1. I can't wait to speak on Sunday. The 4th message in our series "Bringing The Heat" has me really excited. Make plans to be there!

2. I'm still dealing with the aftermath of the malware on my computer. Tonight, I've spent the last couple of hours trying to get all my music back on the computer from my ipod. There's a great program called idump that is very useful.

3. Lakers vs. Celtics in the NBA Finals. Well, that's a far cry from the Mavericks vs. Heat match up I had at the beginning of the season. I will watch these games because it takes me back to the 80s when it seemed these two teams played every year in the Finals. I always cheered for Magic, Kareem, James Worthy, Kurt Rambis, Byron Scott, Pat Riley and Michael Cooper (who can forget his socks pulled up to his knee caps). Those were some great series. Magic vs. Bird revitalized the NBA in the 80s. I'll pull for LA to win it all.

4. Big day tomorrow. Crystal McCullough's wedding is at noon and then we have a birthday party to go to after that. It'll be fun.

Podcast and more

1. I updated the podcast (finally). The last few weeks have not yielded much time to do necessary things like updating our podcast. I put the first three sermons of our new series "Bringing the Heat" online today. If you would like to subscribe to our podcast, go to www.cornerstoneatlanta.tv and click on the sermons link. Then, click on the link that says subscribe to podcast. I use itunes, but there are a variety of other podcatchers out there.

2. Peyton got to come home today! That's great considering he was just life flighted to Little Rock on Saturday. Thanks for the prayers and keep praying. He's doing a lot better. He has gained 1 pound 6 ounces since going in the hospital on Saturday. :)

3. I was reading today in 2 Samuel 13. The story of Amnon raping Tamar in the Bible. I have spoken from this passage of scripture before, but something completely different jumped out at me today. It was never Amnon's idea to rape his sister. It was his cousin, Jonadab. Jonadab influenced Amnon in a negative way. Jonadab gave him the plan. It made me think about what or who influences us. Who are the people in your life that influence you? What influences you? Is it media? Do books influence you? As in Amnon' s case, is it a family member that influences you? How are they influencing you? Is it a positive influence or a negative influence? That's what I'm thinking about today.

Happy Memorial Day!

1. We had a great weekend at Cornerstone. Last night was awesome. I got in the car after the fellowship to head home and looked at the clock. I couldn't believe the time. I literally had thought we were there about an hour. I didn't leave til after 8:30 p.m. Time flew by and I had a great time visiting with everyone.

2. I finally had to break down and restore my home computer to the original factory settings. Luckily, I didn't lose any files. I still need to put a couple of programs back on and my music. However, it is working and it is a lot faster.

3. Pray for Peyton. Saturday, they had to lifeflight him back to Little Rock. They told the family that he had pneumonia in both lungs. After he got to Little Rock and was check out, they said he was sick, but no pneumonia. Jesseca, Peyton's mom, called today and said they were in a regular room and he was doing a lot better. They did find out that one of his arteries had a mild obstruction. They are going to watch him over the next few months. They anticipate that as he grows that he will grow out of it. Hopefully, they will get to come home soon. Jesseca's sister is getting married this weekend.

Week Update

1. Mady graduated from Pre-school on Wednesday Night. We have really enjoyed the daycare/pre-school that the girls attend.

2. Thanks to Bro. Hooten for filling in for me on Wednesday Night so that I could be at Mady's celebration.

3. Tuesday, I made a quick trip to Dallas for a meeting. While there, I was also able to check in on Michael and Tamara Norman. Cornerstone is supporting the Normans. They are planting a church in the lower Greenville area. We met at a Starbucks and then Michael showed me around the area. Check out their progress at www.gracehill.cc

4. Yesterday, I had the privilege of meeting a missionary for breakfast. He was in the area meeting with different pastors. Tim Ware is a great guy. You can check out his ministry at www.missionmetro.org Tim has a background in construction and enigineering. After breakfast, he came back to the church and we walked through the Family Life Center. He gave some great advice as we begin to look to complete the FLC in the next few months.