In case you've missed it there's going to be a big football game this weekend. I read the other day that the Super Bowl ranks only behind Christmas and Thanksgiving as far as the most popular time to get together with friends. We've got several locations where folks from Freedom will be hanging out together to watch the game, eat some unhealthy food, laugh at the commercials, and just generally have a good time. We would love for you to join in the party.
Here are list of hosts and their addresses for you to choose from:
Mike and Rita Breece
9 Clearwater Court
Taylors, 29687
Jim and Lisa Varn
20 Andy Court
Taylors, 29687
Scott and Vicki Greene
4955 Sandy Flat Road
Taylors, 29687
Tracy and Paige Burkhalter
504 Austin Woods Court
Greer, 29651
Keith and Julie McCombs
1 Cunningham Point Circle
Greer, 29651
Lance and Andrea Owens
110 Palmetto Drive
Greer, 29651
Chip and Jane Patat
102 Rubiwood Circle
Greer, 29651
Cliff and Sherry Marshall
103 Thistledown Way
Taylors, 29687
As far as the game itself is concerned, I beleive the Patriots will win, and I'm afraid they will win easily. That's not what I hope happens. I hope it's a close game that the Giants win, and that Bill Bellicheck cries on the sidelines afterwards. I'm just kidding about that last part, kind of.
No matter what happens in the game, Tom Petty will be performing at halftime so we are guaranteed some good entertainment. I don't think we will have to worry about any "wardrobe malfunctions" during his performance!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Johnny the bagger
Mark Sears sent me this linc in an e-mail. Check it out. It is a great reminder to us about the importance of a personal touch. If you are regular at Freedom, take time each week to make a newcomer feel special.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Tuesday morning quarterback
Since yesterday I have had several more encouraging conversations about the message series we just completed. It seems that the idea of raising the bar and really getting serious about changing the world has resonated with many of you! Since I focused on Sunday's message in yesterday's post, I didn't do my usual rundown of stuff that happened over the weekend and other disconnected thoughts in my mind. So, here goes:
- Grace's team won a game! - We were thrilled on Saturday when Grace's basketball team, which I help coach, won their first game of the season. The final score was 20-10, and it was cool to see several girls who had never played basketball before this season begin to understand the game. The funny thing is, 1st and 2nd grade basketball is no different than the NBA, you win if you rebound and play good defense.
- History was made in SC on Saturday - Whether you are a Republican, Democrat, Green Party supporter, or an independent you had to be amazed at how the Democratic primary turned out on Saturday. No matter who the next President ends up being, the fact that the people of South Carolina overwhelmingly voted for a black man in a presidential primary is historic. I believe it speaks well of how far we have come in the last 50 years in the area of race relations, and just understanding that God has made us all.
- I had mild withdrawal symptoms on Sunday afternoon - Why? No football! After the Super Bowl, we enter into the worst time of the year for sports viewing. In February there is no football, no baseball, college basketball tournaments haven't started yet, and I haven't cared about the NBA regular season since MJ retired (the second time). Not to worry though, baseball will be back soon and I'll be able to take my Sunday afternoon nap to the sound of Skip Carey and Don Sutton calling the Braves game.
- Pray for my friend - My friend Jerry Chapman is the pastor of Capstone Church in Anderson, and he has asked us to pray for him and his family. Jerry has been a big encourager to me since Freedom began, and he has a heart for people who are hurting. Now he is the one who is hurting and needs to be ministered to. As you think about it, ask God to send the Chapman family what they need. You can check out Jerry's blog, and leave him an encouraging comment by looking here.
- Rambo review - Yes, I did see the new Rambo movie on Friday. Jake, Ben and I were probably some of the first people in Greenville county to check it out. It was everything you expect in a Rambo movie, but amplify it 100%. This version was more violent than the other three Rambo movies combined. I told Jake that I think Stallone went to see "300" and thought to himself, "there's no reason why the next Rambo film can't be that graphic". If you are squeamish, this film is not for you. As a great film I give it 1.5 out of 4 stars. As a man movie that you just leave thinking, "that was cool" I give it 3 out of 4 stars.
- Grace's team won a game! - We were thrilled on Saturday when Grace's basketball team, which I help coach, won their first game of the season. The final score was 20-10, and it was cool to see several girls who had never played basketball before this season begin to understand the game. The funny thing is, 1st and 2nd grade basketball is no different than the NBA, you win if you rebound and play good defense.
- History was made in SC on Saturday - Whether you are a Republican, Democrat, Green Party supporter, or an independent you had to be amazed at how the Democratic primary turned out on Saturday. No matter who the next President ends up being, the fact that the people of South Carolina overwhelmingly voted for a black man in a presidential primary is historic. I believe it speaks well of how far we have come in the last 50 years in the area of race relations, and just understanding that God has made us all.
- I had mild withdrawal symptoms on Sunday afternoon - Why? No football! After the Super Bowl, we enter into the worst time of the year for sports viewing. In February there is no football, no baseball, college basketball tournaments haven't started yet, and I haven't cared about the NBA regular season since MJ retired (the second time). Not to worry though, baseball will be back soon and I'll be able to take my Sunday afternoon nap to the sound of Skip Carey and Don Sutton calling the Braves game.
- Pray for my friend - My friend Jerry Chapman is the pastor of Capstone Church in Anderson, and he has asked us to pray for him and his family. Jerry has been a big encourager to me since Freedom began, and he has a heart for people who are hurting. Now he is the one who is hurting and needs to be ministered to. As you think about it, ask God to send the Chapman family what they need. You can check out Jerry's blog, and leave him an encouraging comment by looking here.
- Rambo review - Yes, I did see the new Rambo movie on Friday. Jake, Ben and I were probably some of the first people in Greenville county to check it out. It was everything you expect in a Rambo movie, but amplify it 100%. This version was more violent than the other three Rambo movies combined. I told Jake that I think Stallone went to see "300" and thought to himself, "there's no reason why the next Rambo film can't be that graphic". If you are squeamish, this film is not for you. As a great film I give it 1.5 out of 4 stars. As a man movie that you just leave thinking, "that was cool" I give it 3 out of 4 stars.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Raising the bar
Wow. That's the best way for me to describe the feeling I had at the end of yesterday's service. Delivering the message is always an emotional thing for me to do every week, but yesterday that was especially the case. I think it was because yesterday's message was something that God had been working on in my heart for several months. Someone asked me yesterday afternoon if I had any "bullet holes" in me after the message. Here's one thing (of many) that I love about our church: when God leads me to challenge us, the response from the church is overwhelmingly positive! So, no I don't have any "bullet holes", instead I had lots of conversations with folks who said things like, "I needed to be challenged today", "thanks for reminding us of those things". As a reminder, here are the main two things we will expect as we "raise the bar" at Freedom: maturity and action. Let's get to work!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Pulled teeth, great pizza, and the awesomeness of Rambo
I am very pumped up about Sunday's service! I wrote on my last post that the message would be challenging, and after finishing it up yesterday I can tell you that it certainly is. If you are satisfied with being a spectator at Freedom then you might not want to come on Sunday. God has led me to express some very blunt words about what His expectations are of His followers. I believe the challenge will do all of us good.
Here are a few other things that are on my mind:
- Blake wrote a great post today about what he wants to see God do with our teenagers in 08. You can check it out here. I am thankful God sent Blake and Laura Beth our way to lead our ministry to students. I am thankful not just as the pastor, but as a Dad of one those students.
- I ate some of the best pizza I have ever had on Tuesday night. It's a fairly new place called Della Ventura's (I hope I spelled that right). It's on the corner of Hwy. 290 and St. Mark Road. It's the place that used to be Papa Don's Pizza and for a while it was Za Za's Pizza. I don't know the reasons why those places went out of business, but I would be shocked if Della Ventura's closed down. The man who owns it is from New York, and all of his family helps him run the business. When you walk in you'll think you've left Greer and walked into a pizza place in Brooklyn. The heavy accents of the workers add to the experience. Try the 7 item special, you'll love it.
- Grace pulled another tooth yesterday. She now has two spaces on the bottom middle and one space on the top middle. When I left the house this morning she was pulling on her other top front tooth trying to get it loose. Her favorite thing to do now is drink through a straw that's stuck in the hole where her teeth used to be.
- I really want to go see the new Rambo movie in the theater. I don't get to see many of those kinds of movies before they come out on DVD. It's not fair for me to ask Sherry to sit through it. I will probably get some guys together to go. If you don't understand why Rambo is awesome, I probably can't explain it to you. A lot of it has to do with me being raised during the Cold War, and as a teenager there was nothing more awesome than the thought of a guy who could rescue POW's from Vietnam, and take on the Russians at one time. I know it's not a well thought out story, it's overly macho, and some would consider it barbaric, but I still think it's the epitome of awesomeness. Maybe I'm just shallow.
Here are a few other things that are on my mind:
- Blake wrote a great post today about what he wants to see God do with our teenagers in 08. You can check it out here. I am thankful God sent Blake and Laura Beth our way to lead our ministry to students. I am thankful not just as the pastor, but as a Dad of one those students.
- I ate some of the best pizza I have ever had on Tuesday night. It's a fairly new place called Della Ventura's (I hope I spelled that right). It's on the corner of Hwy. 290 and St. Mark Road. It's the place that used to be Papa Don's Pizza and for a while it was Za Za's Pizza. I don't know the reasons why those places went out of business, but I would be shocked if Della Ventura's closed down. The man who owns it is from New York, and all of his family helps him run the business. When you walk in you'll think you've left Greer and walked into a pizza place in Brooklyn. The heavy accents of the workers add to the experience. Try the 7 item special, you'll love it.
- Grace pulled another tooth yesterday. She now has two spaces on the bottom middle and one space on the top middle. When I left the house this morning she was pulling on her other top front tooth trying to get it loose. Her favorite thing to do now is drink through a straw that's stuck in the hole where her teeth used to be.
- I really want to go see the new Rambo movie in the theater. I don't get to see many of those kinds of movies before they come out on DVD. It's not fair for me to ask Sherry to sit through it. I will probably get some guys together to go. If you don't understand why Rambo is awesome, I probably can't explain it to you. A lot of it has to do with me being raised during the Cold War, and as a teenager there was nothing more awesome than the thought of a guy who could rescue POW's from Vietnam, and take on the Russians at one time. I know it's not a well thought out story, it's overly macho, and some would consider it barbaric, but I still think it's the epitome of awesomeness. Maybe I'm just shallow.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Be safe out there.
I rolled into the office a little over an hour ago, and the drive in this morning was precarious. It is extremely foggy outside which is dangerous, but the conditions were made even more dangerous by the number of cars driving around without any lights on! Leaving our neighborhood, I almost pulled out in front of a car because I couldn't see it through the thick fog. I haven't read the driver's handbook since the night before I took my permit test when I was 15, but I'm pretty sure the law requires some type of lights to be burning on your vehicle in foggy conditions. Even if it isn't against the law it just makes sense. If you're planning on driving this morning be sure to burn those lights! (and stay off the phone to be extra careful)
On a different note, this morning I should finish up the message for Sunday. It is going to be very challenging. If you regularly attend Freedom, and you are a follower of Christ it will be aimed directly at you, or I should say "us" because that's where I am. Before you arrive this Sunday, begin praying about what your place is at Freedom and in the Kingdom of God. God wants all of us to be involved in some type of service. We will talk about what that means on Sunday.
On a different note, this morning I should finish up the message for Sunday. It is going to be very challenging. If you regularly attend Freedom, and you are a follower of Christ it will be aimed directly at you, or I should say "us" because that's where I am. Before you arrive this Sunday, begin praying about what your place is at Freedom and in the Kingdom of God. God wants all of us to be involved in some type of service. We will talk about what that means on Sunday.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Monday morning quarterback
Here are the random thoughts in my head this morning:
- The Fortress of Solitude is almost complete: Trey came over Thursday night to help me move our old couch and love seat upstairs into the now finished bonus room. The couch is a sleeper, and when we picked it up I had serious doubts about our ability to get it up the stairs. It was a tight fit, and I had a sore shoulder all day Friday, but in the end we got it in place. I told Trey when we finished that when we decide to move it back out I will just cut it in pieces with my chainsaw.
- Emily comes home today! Emily has been in North Carolina since Friday at our youth ministry's Winter Retreat. We have all missed her, but I believe Grace has had the hardest time. She cried on Friday and then she must have said, "I miss Emily" 500 times on Saturday and Sunday, not to mention the fact that she slept with a picture of Emily by her bed.
- Preaching in chains was more difficult than I expected: If you missed yesterday's service I came out wrapped in chains to help drive home the point about how carrying around sin is like being chained. I got the biggest chain wrapped a little too tightly around my chest so it made breathing harder than it should have been. Also, the chains made me cold, but the chains served their purpose. I have had several people comment about how the visual helped them understand the message.
- Yesterday afternoon was very relaxing: Sherry cooked a big lunch after church, and Mark Wilson came over to eat and watch the NFL game since his girls are gone on the Winter Retreat. After lunch we chilled out watching the Patriots win and laughing at Buddy (our dog) and Gabby (his dog) playing together.
- I'm not gonna put anymore music on my iPod for awhile: I know that is shocking statement. I almost can't believe I typed it, but I have added a lot of music lately and I need to "catch up" on my listening for a bit. Some of the stuff I've added recently: Willie Nelson (greatest hits), Eric Clapton (doing some old blues covers), three older R.E.M. albums, Robert Earl Keen (live), Dave Matthews Band (live), Led Zeppelin, and Paul Thorn.
That's just part of what's on my mind. I didn't talk about the Republican primary, another snow storm, and the new Rambo movie. I'll save those topics for another day.
- The Fortress of Solitude is almost complete: Trey came over Thursday night to help me move our old couch and love seat upstairs into the now finished bonus room. The couch is a sleeper, and when we picked it up I had serious doubts about our ability to get it up the stairs. It was a tight fit, and I had a sore shoulder all day Friday, but in the end we got it in place. I told Trey when we finished that when we decide to move it back out I will just cut it in pieces with my chainsaw.
- Emily comes home today! Emily has been in North Carolina since Friday at our youth ministry's Winter Retreat. We have all missed her, but I believe Grace has had the hardest time. She cried on Friday and then she must have said, "I miss Emily" 500 times on Saturday and Sunday, not to mention the fact that she slept with a picture of Emily by her bed.
- Preaching in chains was more difficult than I expected: If you missed yesterday's service I came out wrapped in chains to help drive home the point about how carrying around sin is like being chained. I got the biggest chain wrapped a little too tightly around my chest so it made breathing harder than it should have been. Also, the chains made me cold, but the chains served their purpose. I have had several people comment about how the visual helped them understand the message.
- Yesterday afternoon was very relaxing: Sherry cooked a big lunch after church, and Mark Wilson came over to eat and watch the NFL game since his girls are gone on the Winter Retreat. After lunch we chilled out watching the Patriots win and laughing at Buddy (our dog) and Gabby (his dog) playing together.
- I'm not gonna put anymore music on my iPod for awhile: I know that is shocking statement. I almost can't believe I typed it, but I have added a lot of music lately and I need to "catch up" on my listening for a bit. Some of the stuff I've added recently: Willie Nelson (greatest hits), Eric Clapton (doing some old blues covers), three older R.E.M. albums, Robert Earl Keen (live), Dave Matthews Band (live), Led Zeppelin, and Paul Thorn.
That's just part of what's on my mind. I didn't talk about the Republican primary, another snow storm, and the new Rambo movie. I'll save those topics for another day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
