I’m 29
Tim is 30 this week
Preston is 25

We are a young staff. That is great and it brings a lot of energy but sometimes it doesn’t bring a balanced point of view. We recently hired Tony Browning to come on our staff part-time to do Home Teams. Tony is an old codger. I won’t tell you his age but he is old as dirt.
He is old and he is from Wales so his accent along with my southern accent is very interesting in the office.

It has changed our whole office dynamic with Tony there. It has changed it for the better. He brings so much wisdom. I watch him taking every thing in. He does this amazing thing where he actually thinks BEFORE he speaks. WOW!

He is one of those type of people that when he offers some advice, you want to listen because there is wisdom there.

I dig him….he is old but probably would outwork Tim, Preston, and myself and our best day.

My friend Charlie Pharris always posts his Sunday night unwind music. Well tonight I am listening to Eric Clapton Unplugged. It is about 13 years old now (man, that makes ME feel old) but the dude can flat out wail on a guitar.

Great unwind music for a Sunday Night.

Tears In Heaven still breaks my heart. It is so wrong on a spiritual and theological front but to know the hurt he must have felt after losing his son. Very powerful.

As reported a few days ago, Motley Crue was in town Friday night. Well, maybe they are getting old. During the concert, Vince Neil leaned over the stage and fell. He broke his leg and they stopped the concert.

This would be very sad, if it weren’t so funny.
Story here.

Here in Cherokee County we have year around school (they call it something else). The kids are off 7 weeks in the summer then they start back the first Monday in August, go 6 weeks, then are off one for the rest of the year.

So bascially it means your people travel more (every 6 weeks) and your attendance STINKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Attendance wasn’t actually bad but man, our whole set-up/tear-down team was gone. That stunk.

Perry, I was impressed that Clemson didn’t quit today. They could have but they didn’t. They showed heart. You guys should be proud.

But….you guys still lost.

Tomorrow, DeAnna and I are going to hear Dave Ramsey at the mecca that is FBC Woodstock. Some very cool people in our church are taking us and I am excited. If you have never seen FBC, you have to check out their new 7500 seat worship center. It is amazing!!!

Jim Perdue is the pastor of North Cross Baptist Church in Cumming, Ga. I consider him a very good friend and he is one of those people I just enjoy being around. There could NOT be two different people then Jim and I. There could not be two different churches then North Cross and The Stone. Yet, I love this dude and what he is doing.

Jim posted a comment today on my blog and I noticed from his profile that he has launched a blog. To check it out, click here.

Oh btw, Jim has a pretty famous father. So the first one of you NOT from Georgia who guesses who that is, is the winner of……okay you are the winner of nothing but at least you know you won.

This week we finish up Desperate Sex Lives. 6 weeks is a long time to me but our people have LOVED the series. I was not ready for all the people who wanted counseling. Very cool. Last week we had a guy in our church come up and give share his story and struggle with porn. It is one thing to talk about something you have beaten but to get up and share with your current struggle is powerful. It was awesome. This week we talk about Affair-Proofing Your Marriage. It has been a great series but I am glad it is ending.

Next week we start a series called LIFE. This was a last minute change for us and that is not something we do often but I feel very led to teach on living life to its fullest. We aren’t promised another second and we better do all we can for Christ now. The death of Rick Pearson, the scare with Perry, and the Hurricane all led to this series. Ken did a pretty tight video that if you ask nicely, he might post on his blog AFTER next week when our people see it.

Teaching Topics Include:
What is the Purpose of Life?
Living a life that impacts others
Living Life to its fullest
Got Life? - This will be a huge push for our people as we will be presenting the gospel in a clear and creative way.

I am very excited.

After this we are starting our first financial series. My friend Greg Rohlinger did a great series a couple of years ago. It is a 40 day campaign with small group stuff and we are taking that and tweaking it to start a series we are calling “Cha-Ching: 40 Days of Bling-Bling.” Should be very fun and really help some of our people before they go in deeper debt this Christmas.

Then in December we are starting a series we are simply calling “ONE”. People are busy in December and church attendance is normally just the regulars so we are going to do a series on Worship. We have some VERY VERY creative ideas for this and I am excited.

So what do you guys have cooking?

…Motley Crue is in the ATL tonight! I was so close to going but just was too busy and there was no way to pull it off.

Girls, Girls, Girls (Pictured to the left) was the first Hair Band tape I ever got. People thought this guys were Satan himself (they might have been).

If you watch VH1 and listen to the stories of these guys, it is wild.

Especially the contest that Nikki had with Ozzie to see who could out gross each other. Ozzie won when he saw a line of ants on a popsicle stick and he got down and snorted them. That is hardcore.

Wow, Mick Mars looks like he is literally dead. Kids, that is what drugs will do to you.

Anyway, lock the women and children up because the red, white and crue tour has rolled into Hotlanta.

INXS dropped the ball tonight. Mig stunk. He didn’t look like a rock star on stage, he looked like he was singing at a Dinner Theatre. Stupid decision.

JD wins next week.