Difficult People – New Series at Graystone Church

The Next BEST Thing for Halloween

OK, so I didn’t get to be FAT ELVIS for Halloween 2009, but I got to be the next BEST thing.  FAT ERIC!!! 

Dana and I went to a party of old high school friends and we went as Dana and Eric from the 80s.  Mrs. Dana went as the always beautiful homecoming queen.  The banner she is wearing is from 1986 and that baby is official!  She’s got the look!  Yeah, yeah, I know what you’re thinking.  I out punted my coverage.  Yep.  But I win!  I was me 1985.  That is my authentic Dacula Falcons away football  jersey.  Can you believe I used to get shoulder pads underneath that?  And, I was a fullback!  I tried parting my hair down the middle, but it didn’t look the same as 1985.

We had a great time and saw some people we rarely get to see from the old days.  This photo is me with a couple of childhood buddies.  We all three went first grade through UGA to school together.  Can you believe the pirate on the left is an Optometrist?  Yep.  Mark J. Forster in the FLESH.  The guy in the middle was the best man in my wedding and he hasn’t changed much.  Ha!  Thanks to that wig we were able to use flash photography.  He is the illustrious attorney, Michael T. Smith.  Yeah, you thought it was the lead singer from Grand Funk Railroad, but it’s not.  Great times.  Great people.  Laughs and laughs and laughs.  

Love these folks.

A Very FORWARD Post

I was thinking today….shocker, I know,  about HISTORY and how it affects the present-day and future.  So, here is my statement for the day:

To study HISTORY with no intentions of applying the principles discovered in order to improve current or future conditions is only a collection of records and knowledge that dies when we do. 

In order for us to be productive with HISTORY, or traditions, we must never allow traditions to become the source of our worship.  There is only One worth worshipping and One who came in HISTORY to give us hope in the present-day and an everlasting future and that was Jesus Christ.   It’s not enough to know about him or know all the rules of religion.  We must live a life that is surrendered to Him and use our lives to FORWARD His message of GOOD NEWS to all.  Otherwise, our knowledge of HISTORY, traditions and influence for HIM dies when we do.

Our church, GRAYSTONE puts it this way with this mission statement: 

KNOWING GOD AND MAKING GOD KNOWN

Nothing else lasts….

JESUS RULES!!!

Graystone Miracle!!!

There is HOPE.  God is faithful and trustworthy!  Our church is on God’s heart!!  Bring on the miracles!  God is glorious!!!  JESUS RULES!!!

Check out what our lead pastor, Jonathan Howes, had to say regarding the miracle at GRAYSTONE!

Fat Elvis

If you could dress up as any character and have a killer costume for all the Halloween and fall festival parties, what would you be?

Me, it’s easy…  I’ve always wanted to do my FAT ELVIS impression, but never had the money to do it right.  I dream of showing up in a limo with a soundtrack playing and giving my best FAT ELVIS impersonation.  I’ll probably never do it because I don’t want to be a FAT CHEAP ELVIS just a FAT ELVIS. 

Yes, it’s a shame that it may never come to be considering all the hard work I have put in to being in the right shape to be a FAT ELVIS.

How bout you?  What kind of costume would you love to wear or are planning to wear soon?

Scott Hodge on THE NINES

I met Scott Hodge, lead pastor of The Orchard Church in Chicago, with some friends a couple of years ago in a discussion about leadership in the lobby outside the CATALYST Conference that was going on in Duluth, Georgia.  Scott is the real deal and has great advice for pastors and leaders.  I’ll let you see for yourself.

Mark Batterson’s Blog – Evotional.Com

Mark Batterson is listed on my blog roll.  He is a terrific author and tremendous leader.  If you lead or are learning to lead, this post from his site is for you.

http://evotional.com/2009/10/nervous-leaders.html

Great truth in this.

Storms of Correction or Storms of Perfection

Tonight at small group we discussed the rejection Jesus faced with his own home town in Mark 6:1-6: 

¹Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. ²When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.

   ”Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! ³Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

 ⁴Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” ⁵He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. ⁶And he was amazed at their lack of faith.

The questions were, “How do you think this made Jesus feel?” and “How do you think his followers (disciples, etc.) felt by the reception of his home town?”

Sometimes we will have to face rejection the same as Jesus.  There is no promise of a life of ease.  occasionally there are storms of correction or storms of perfection.  Either we have disobeyed and must learn to correct in the storm we are living or we have obeyed and God will care for us through the storm that HE brought us to in order to grow us.

Typically, He is growing us for some other purpose for our lives. 

Good Stuff…kind of feeling this one.

Next week “Confronting Traditionalism.”  Oh…boy….

Catalyst 09 – Hanging with the Graystone Staff

I was invited to join the staff at Graystone Church to attend Catalyst 09 conference Thursday.  They had seats in the Brand Bank box and that was cool.  It was a great time for me to get to interact a little with several of the GS leaders.  I like em’.  Authentic people.

Catalyst was as good as usual and my favorite speaker was and is Andy Stanley.  Sorry Rob Bell, Francis Chan and others.  I really enjoy them as well, but Andy always leaves me with an “I Get IT.”

The worship for the day included several, but the key guys were Steve Fee, Todd Fields and Aaron Keyes.  Good stuff. 

God the Father and Jesus were definitely celebrated…no doubt.

Graystone – New Building Tour

This is our new church!