Sunday June 26th will be the day that Family Life breaks ground for a new facility.

Getting this date on the calendar has taken about two months longer than expected. 

It will be so good to show physical progress instead of just talking about planning progress.

Believing that this will give us a shot of momentum to carry us forward with increasing velocity!

We just got back from Amarillo, TX, attending Sarah’s niece’s graduation from High School.  Some simple insights:

West Texas is way out there

Every high school has pride

Every town has great places to eat (The Big Texan)

Everything is bigger in Texas.

www.lifechurch.tv does things well

There the places that have not yet seen 1980

Beauty is a 75 mph speed limit sign

There are not enough 12v outlets in a 2003 Buick Regal

When my wife drives, I can think and strategize

We need a bigger vehicle when Conner hits his growth spurt

As I age “Free Hot Breakfast” isn’t what it used to be

Tyler Kelly, our staff pastor, is a fine financial mind in his own right, but he willingly let me play the straight man as we explained our financing and status of our Building Tomorrow Together Capital Giving Campaign to our congregation . . . M&M style.

About a year ago my wife started brainstorming about a theme idea for a banquet.  French theme.  Paris in the springtime.

Well, she pulled it off, in spades!

Now, anyone want to buy an Eiffel Tower?  Cheap!

This morning, Mother’s Day 2011, I actually baked cookies during my morning preaching time. 

Seriously.

Took some work, and I had to learn how to make cookies, but the message, “The Recipe of Your Life,: and the cookies, turned out well.

See video below:

Thanks be to God for the victory of approximately 20 decisions for Christ and a total attendance of 440 people over 4 services!

6:30 am

8:30 am

10:00 am

11:30 am

Yesterday the congregation voted unanimously to go forward with financing a new facility.

This was somewhat of a forgone conclusion, as we have been raising fund for exactly one year.

God has been good, people have been faithful.  At the one year mark, we are receiving the Faith Promises at a 93% rate.   When we include the First Fruits offering, we are at the 39% mark of total funds that were Faith Promised.

The congregation received a full update that you can view here, or below.

The Bible is filled with people loaded with limitations that God helped them conquer.  (i.e. Moses, a stutterer, became a great spokesman.)

But many of these same people also were great because their limitations forced them different directions:  (i.e. Paul, in prison, starting a writing ministry.)

I still dream, but along the areas of my strengths, not my glaring weaknesses.  My limitations open the doors of focus for greater progress in other areas.

____ things I will never be

1. Sought out by the creative class for my original ideas
2. A professional athlete or Olympic medalist
3. Creator of any earth shaking new technology
4. Employed as a mechanic
5. A master craftsman in any “trade” (carpenter, etc.)
6. Considered artistic
7. Skilled in tasks requiring a love of heights
8. A model for anything other than socks, maybe
9. On American Idol
10. indispensable or irreplaceable other than to my family

NOTE:  To any positive confession friends, I am not talking myself down, I am merely choosing the areas I will not labor or linger for minimal results.

We are in process of designing a "Future Site" of new facility at Family Life. In doing so, we now realize that we have no idea what we are building!

Relax, we know what we will use it for, etc.

But, what do we call this new facility/structure?

Family Life Full Life Worship Center Gymnatorium Sanctinasium?

Names are important, therefore we are giving away a $50 Sonic Card to whoever suggests the name we end up choosing.

Enter as many times as you like, in writing, whenever you like. Email. Certified letter. Written on your prayer request. Whatever.

Originality is worth nothing. We just need a name that fits. No purchase necessary.

Employees of FLAG may not win and should have already come up with a good idea by now.

This past weekend (Thu-Sat) my family was the recipient of a retreat designed just for the kids of pastors.

Every job has difficulties, pastor’s are no exceptions.  I wrote about that here.

Being the kid of a pastor has it’s own difficulties.  Many pastors are concerned that the ministry has had a negative effect on their children.

Each year the Assemblies of God in Kansas holds a retreat just for the 12-18 year old PK’s.  The first time I heard about the existence of this kind of retreat I was about in tears, and I wasn’t even a dad yet!

This was Conner’s first year to go.  He looked forward to this for over two months.  It did not disappoint!

I am glad I am a pastor.  I am even more satisfied that my son doesn’t mind that he is a pastor’s kid.