THE GIFT - Score

I love it! All the ministries across the church - adult, children, student and college aged - are on the same page. We're all talking about our upcoming opportunity to expand our church and reach out to the community to impact more people (through buying the rest of a city block in the downtown area and adding a commons area and childrens space to our church). We all have differrent names for the series, but all pretty much land on answering and praying through the question "How is God calling me to use my time, talent and resources to affect eternity?"

In Oasis, I wanted to make this an extra special series - something different. Frankly, I'm kind of getting tired of the whole preach a message and walk through some discussion questions "in hope that they'll take what they've heard/talked about and apply it to their lives." It's not bad, we've got hundreds of students that have been impacted in that way. I just think sometimes students need a little extra jump start. So, here's the twist for this series. We've allocated to every breakout group $120 (a total of $1,440). As a group (they can split it by gender if they want), they have to figure out a way to bless others. The only stipulations are that they have to work on it during their breakout group time, it can't involve an event (we are in a six week event blackout so we everyone can concentrate on the campaign) and they can't use more than the money that's been allocated. They are however invited to use their time, talent and resources creatively. In fact, the last week, we will do a video extravaganza of 1-2 minutes summaries of each group and award trophies.

I had no idea had excited the leaders would be about this. They are totally stoked. They all want to bend the rules to make it the coolest thing ever, but I've been keeping them in line. We've got everything from fleece hats being made for babies after they leave the hospital to canvas paintings for nursing homes going on. Fun stuff.

I'm Officially Homeless

Well kinda. I sold my house today!!!!!!! It's a great home, but it's time to move on. It feels like I just moved in yesterday, but it actually was 14 years ago. People have been asking what my plans are now. I have none. I'm still looking for a house to buy or land to build on. I'm pretty picky, that's a problem. The people that bought my house don't want to close on it until the end of May, so I have some time. If not, there's always dad's house for the in between times. However, while I totally love my parents, the thought of moving in with one of them doesn't amuse me. In fact, I think I'll go check realtor.com right now.

Mediocrity Attacks Excellence

At GCC we model excellence (not perfection, but excellence ... doing the very, very best with what you've been given). On occasion we take hits for it. A friend passed this quote along to me that will be a helpful reminder when the arrows start flying.

"Mediocrity attacks excellence."
This is because the person doing a mediocre job looks at those doing excellent and feels he/she should be dong that but is not. They make themselves feel better by attacking.

In a funk with great friends

Did you ever have one of those days - where the computer doesn't want to compute, the printer doesn't want to print, the cutter doesn't want to cut, you forget the post office thinks they should have President's Day off and, if that's not enough, you have these killer professionally printed postcards only to find out the ink is rubbing off on your hands? Basically, where it feels like EVERYTHING takes three times longer than it should, NOTHING is coming out like it should and it's just about ready to DRVE you nuts. That was earlier today.

Fortunately, my day did not end that way. I spent a couple hours this evening with some of my favorite people - Ruby, Jeanna, Jerica, Jeremy and Jason. Over eggs, pancakes and postcards, we laughed and we laughed a lot ... and then we prayed.

Hard days are easier when you're surrounded by great friends.

Too Old for the Terrain Park? I don't think so!

So, got the phone call on Thursday and decided to play hooky on Friday (not really, just decided to work Saturday instead). Roxanne called and asked if I wanted to go skiing the next day. I was cold at the moment and my first instinct was to say "no". But then I remembered that I was no pansy and that it would be fun ... and fun it was. We went old skool and hit the ditch (Swiss Valley). It was beautiful - the sun kept it feeling much warmer than the temperature guage recorded.

The funny part was her and I at the top of the Terrain Park (or whatever it's called where snowboarders look like they are trying to commit suicide). At the bottom was this little two foot jump that if you hit it just right would give you enough air that you felt a little on the extreme side, but not so much that your life would flash before your eyes. We went around all the other obstacles and must of hit that thing a half a dozen times. It was pretty funny, we were like two giggling school girls. So amongst these young bucks, stood two 40+ year olds having the time of their life.

Ouch - That Hurt

The last two days were great days - kinda. In great anticipation that they would not cancel school for a third day, I sat down to type up the message that had been marinating in my mind for a couple of days. Becasue of the marinating, it came easy. I had most of it typed up in a couple of hours. Basically, it was a message about "The Road to the Super Bowl." In it was a bunch of cool ties to the God's Word, the Super Bowl, Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy. I had it all mapped out. When our flight touched down at 1 p.m., I only had a little editing to do to the message and Eagle's Nest Guide, all of which I had done by 3 p.m. Then, some how the most horrific thing that could possilby happen ... happened. I saved the Eagle's Nest Guide right on top of the message and lost it. The unrecoversable...lost it. Admittedly I was stressed for about an hour and then Jesus and I had a one-on-one. It all worked out!

Bring on the Heat

Didn't get a chance to go to the Super Bowl, but did go to the Miami Heat basketball game against the Charolette Bobcats tonight. Dwayne Wade was amazing, the Shaq on the other hand seemed kind of lethargic. Good times, good times.

When we arrived Sunday night, it was like trying to break into Fort Knox. The hotel was swarmed with security and all roads into the hotel were blocked off by police except one. Up until then, I had never had my car searched in order to check into a hotel. There are first for everything. It was kind of fun. In order to get into the hotel, your name had to be on a list, at which time you were issued a a purple silicone wrist band. I wanted to enlighten them and tell them how the majority of junior high students in America has at least five purple silicone wrist bands, but they looked way to serious. ESPN had one floor, the Miami Police another and there were a bunch of old football players and coaches in between.

I wish I was up on my football players. I think I had breakfast in the concierge lounge next to Steve Young. If I was into autographs, I could have had a good time in the lobby Monday morning at check out. All and all, things in Miami have been fun. The highlights have been lots of sleep, 75 degree weather, the Colts win, the Miami Heat game, mastering the Metro People Mover, hanging at the Bayside Marketplace and getting 50% off NFL stuff for Oasis.