Retreat to the Lake…er…puddle

We’re about to head out of town for a weekend getaway with our small group.  I know it’s not the best timing but we felt like this was something we shouldn’t cancel.  The house is in boxes, I’m three days from moving and none of our family is available to watch the girls.  So we’re placing our children in the trustworthy hands of Lauren. 

Pray for her.  She loves us too much and doesn’t understand fully what she’s gotten herself into.  Pray for us also that we’ll be able to rest.  The small group has been great for us and we’re really going to miss them.  I can’t remember if we have internet up there so this may be a warning about a blog silence for the next day or two.  (Sorry Scotty.)

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Dishes are Packed

So with all the packing Anita has gotten ahead of the game in the kitchen and packed up almost all the dishes.  So I’m now reduced to using my daughter’s pink bowl for my Cinnamon Toast Crunch goodness.

In other news, check this out over at Shae’s blog.  Very funny!

Choose to Trust

We have a great friend name Beverly Fenello.  She was our realtor when we bought our house here in Atlanta.  As of this morning (and next Friday officially) she’s our realtor now that we’re selling our house here in Atlanta.

It is a little deflating that we weren’t able to sell the house "by owner" and save a CHUNK of change.  The thing is, my faith has not and will not decrease.  If God wants to use the sale of our house to dramatically improve our financial standing He isn’t boxed into the "by owner" method.  He can do whatever He wants.  If He chooses not to change our financial standing through this process I know that He has our best interest in mind.

Faith is a funny thing.  Once moment you’ve got it; the next, you don’t.  For most of the situations I’ve been through in my life I’ve had it.  But in those moments where we get distracted by circumstance we must remember that He is in control.  He "has a plan for us."  We must choose to trust.

The Last Day (2 of 2)

So lunch was great.  For anyone in the Alpharetta area any time soon the Loafing Leprechaun on Winward Parkway is a great place for a lunch meeting, catching up with old friends or just some good food.  I know, I know, the Irish race as a whole has not been known for great food options.  The shepard’s pie was terrific (yes, I eat shepard’s pie.)

The middle school team gave me a wonderful gift.  I suppose I’m not the hardest person to please but they really nailed a great gift for me.  I am now the proud owner of a thirtieth anniversary Joe Montana Notre Dame jersey.  Pictured below.

This lunch really felt like a family meal.  You know, without all the drama (for once.)  I can’t thank this group of people enough.  God has used them to sharpen and mold me into a better person, Christian, friend, Minister, husband, and father.  I hope God allows our roads to cross many many times in the future.

So that’s it.  My time as a staff member at North Point Community Church is over.  It still hasn’t really hit me the way I thought it would.  I’m so happy to have had the opportunity to be a small part of such an absolutely incredible organization and church.  I know the lessons I’ve learned here will be helpful in whatever God places in my path as I follow Him.  I am blessed.

The Last Day (1 of 2)

When are you done at a job?  When the final hour finishes?  When you turn in your keys?  When you check out mentally?

I just turned in my computer and fob (magnetic key) and had my final meeting.  All that’s left for me here at North Point Community Church is a celebration lunch at Loafing Leprechaun (sense of humor still in tact).  I suppose the rest of my day will consist of saying goodbye and receiving hugs.  Rough day.  Maybe I can pop out of here and avoid my final trek home through the misery that is my twenty mile/forty minute commute home.  I will miss a lot around here but the commute will not be one of those items.

Thanks to the good folks at both Elevation Church and North Point Community Church I was able to transfer my electronic data from one computer to the next so I won’t miss a beat.  You’ve got to love technology…unless you’re Larry Hubatka for the last couple of days.  I’m running full speed now on my MacBook Pro.  Watch out Charlotte!  Things are about to get a whole lot more Irish!!

The Dentist

We have had a great dentist here in Atlanta.  Dr. Pehrson has a great office with an unbelievable staff.  Dawn (our hygienist) specifically has made the chore of going regularly to th dentist that much more tolerable. 

The problem though is that it’s still the dentist.  As nice and sweet as everyone there is, it is still a painful process that I willingly attend and actually pay for.  Am I stupid or just crazy?  On top of that, today was my final trip to the old Dentistry at North Point and I scheduled my appointment for noon.

No problems found but leading up to the appointment I was getting hungry.  I didn’t eat of course because I was about to get my teeth cleaned.  Now I’m clean as a whistle and starving.  The hitch is that just like after you clean your house, you don’t want to get anything dirty.  This is so aggravating. 

I’m sure there is a spiritual application to be learned from all of this but I’m in to much pain and far too hungry to think through it much less communicate it in a way that doesn’t feel like a VBS testimony.

Christmas Music

I am a bit of a Christmas fanatic.  I take pride in the fact that I have often been called Clark Griswold.  I look forward Christmas all year long.  However, I stick to the holiday rules with strong conviction.  I will not begin celebrating the traditions of the holidays until Thanksgiving.  No tree, no decorations, no music.  Once that glorious third Thursday of November arrives though I am in full blown Christmas form.

It’s killing me that we don’t have a tree up in our house.  I feel like we’re wasting a week of Christmas.  We figured moving a live tree from Atlanta to Charlotte was probably not the best idea.  I have come to the conclusion that we will most likely have to get our tree from a lot this year instead of cutting it down ourselves.  This will be Savannah Grace’s first Christmas without a trip to a Christmas tree farm.

Once of my favorite things about Christmas is the music.  My iTunes is currently wearing out the twelve plus hours straight of Christmas music on my computer.  I’ve got a wide variety of styles and intensities of Christmas music.  The collection is not complete by any stretch of the imagination.  I know for instance, that I will be adding Michael Buble’s Christmas CD this year.

How about you?  What makes Christmas for you?  What is your favorite Christmas song? (title, album and artist) 

To Beard or Not to Beard

Top 5 Reasons I give when people ask me why I grew my beard.

5. I’m a huge Chuck Norris fan.

4. Redheaded Beards are cool.

3. Anita loves the "Woodsman" look.

2. I’m filming the sequel to Braveheart.

1. Elevation Church Passion Play!

On Your Mark, Get Set…

This week I’m feeling a tremendous amount of love and anticipation.  I haven’t been as emotional as I thought I would be in my last week (I cried watching Kindergarten Cop…Yes the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie.  No I didn’t spell his name right the first time). 

I think God has prepared my heart for leaving North Point and He’s also preparing it to be in Charlotte.  I’m feeling a bit like a runner at the start of a race just before the gun goes off.  I’m in the starting blocks; in position to take off as fast as I can go, but I’m still having to wait.

God has a knack of putting us in a waiting position to help us see or think through details that we wouldn’t have thought of if we were able to just take off.  For me, He uses this time to help me listen in close to Him and the wise people He has surrounded me with.

I’m excited about what God is doing at Elevation.  I’m more excited that He’s asked me to be a part of it.  So I’ll take my time to sit and listen to the wind.

The Farewell Tour (3 of 3)

Today will go down in my history as one of the most unimaginable days ever.  Years ago I prayed that God would give me the great honor of being a part of the staff at North Point Community Church.  He gave me that gift in 2004.  I have served three and a half years in the most healthy church I’ve ever experienced.  If you’ve ever been on staff at a church or any ministry organization you know what an incredible gift it is to actually be on a healthy team.

From the start North Point has made decisions and systems to protect themselves from the usual issues that rip apart churches and staffs.  I have learned so much from the amazing leaders and servants that I’ve shared my life with during my time here in Atlanta.

This morning was my final Xtreme while on staff.  During my talk Sarah Lanier (female groups director) interrupted me and gave the students and leaders an opportunity to say thanks and share what God has done with me in their walk.  I was humbled by the idea that I was sitting on a stage I longed to be on while I was showered with encouragement and compliments.  I was able to appreciate how special this moment was even as I sat there.

Thank you to my fellow Middle School teammates for giving me such a sweet send off.  It meant a lot.  After church, Anita took me to lunch with several of our friends and family.  I am so honored that people would take time out of their very busy schedules to say thank you to me.  After hearing how much God has taught so many during my time with North Point I am sure that I have learned far more from all of you. 

Thank you to the many volunteers who have made my job so easy for the last three and a half years.  It doesn’t matter how great or how terrible the speaker is when you’ve got such an incredible group of adults faithfully serving students.  Thank you to the many students who have loved my family and me so much.  You have a long road ahead of you but trust that "he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion."

This has been a dream come true for me.  Thank you God for answering a very selfish prayer with a yes.  Thank you for using me.  Thank you for teaching me.  Thank you for loving me so very much.