Friday Night Lights

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Ran across a couple of stories that are “close to home” for me. One in my former home of Joplin, MO and another in my current home of Belle Glade, FL. The first is a story of hope from ESPN’s Outside the Lines. It is truly amazing what has happened in Joplin since May 22nd and how the community has been so resilient in the face of adversity.

 

The second football related video is of a local standout named Kelvin Taylor from here in Belle Glade. Taylor’s father is former NFL running back Fred Taylor that spend the bulk of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Kelvin is truly a chip off the old block and an amazing talent…and a great young man as well.

Free Dogs!

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We are most likely moving to sunny Florida in a few weeks or so (official word Sunday afternoon!). We have two wonderful dogs that we just simply can’t take with us. We have two Labs (Pepper & Marly), though, that are going with us to Florida.  So, if you are pretty good with math, you are thinking, “Four dogs! That is crazy!” And you would be totally correct! We had one dog given to us…and then another…and then another…then another stray came to live with us! That is fine when you have almost three acres for them to roam around, but we simply can’t do it. I know, I know, we have issues saying “no!” to stray dogs!

The two awesome dogs are Henry, a male Puggle (Pug and Beagle) and Cocoa, a female lab mix of some sort.  They don’t need to go together, but each would actually do better to a “one dog family.” Henry has been neutered and Cocoa has been spayed. Read more

Friday is for . . . Family, Food, and Film

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For several years now, Jenny and I hang out together at Chick-fil-A for breakfast and then off to do other things the rest of the day. This event started with the “Free Food Fridays” at Chick-fil-A. I love Chick-fil-A, by the way!!

I am hoping to take a load of “stuff” to Springfield this afternoon to our storage unit. We are gearing up for our next move at the end of the month back to Springfield to live with Jenny’s parents to save on rent in Carthage.  We are hoping to not be in Springfield for very long, actually, because we are talking seriously about our next place of service. The exact place and time line is not available for public consumption on this blog, but I will let you kn

ow as soon as we know where we are heading after June 1.

Finally, we are all headed together to the 66 Drive-In to see a really cool double feature of Rio and then Soul Surfer! Can’t wait!

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So tell me. . . what are your plans for this Friday?

Good Friday Secret Church

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I have several friends who live in Birmingham and attend The Church at Brook Hills, where David Platt is the pastor. Dr. Platt is an unbelievable Bible teacher and preacher that is passionate about the Word of God changing hearts all over the world.

One of the really cool ministries that he implemented early on in his tenure as pastor is Secret Church. Read more

My Soul Friends::Darrin Patrick

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The idea for this category came from Dr. Daryl Eldridge.?It is based off of the name of his blog–“My Soul Friends.” ?He is one of “my soul friends” too, by the way!

I first met Darrin at the Missouri Baptist Convention’s “Baptist Building” in Jefferson City, MO in the Fall of 2001 at a church planting assessment.? He and I were both walking through the process to plant a church in Missouri; Darrin in St. Louis and myself in Nixa.

My first thoughts about this guy were, “wow, this dude is pretty sharp” and “he knows what he is doing”–both were things that I didn’t feel I had going for me!? (Don’t let the “dumb jock” stuff fool you.? Darrin is a very bright church leader.)? I just felt like God had called me to plant a different kind of church in Nixa to reach people who were not churched. I thought I had my stuff together, but he was a whole lot further down the road with his church than we were with ours.

Darrin had been through several other “boot camps” and was describing the process to me and a couple other guys that were there for the assessment.? (I didn’t even know what a boot camp was, except that I watched my brother’s graduation from boot camp in Chicago from the U.S. Navy!)? From that first meeting, I knew that God was going to do amazing things through my “friend.” (I use friend very loosely because we are not close; I have just admired and kept up with him and his church from afar and the occasional time I would bump into him at conferences–that he was LEADING!!)

God has truly done an amazing thing in The Journey Church in St. Louis, but I think more importantly God has done in his life.? Darrin has been faithful to learn and grow in his walk with Christ as well as hone his “craft.”? I love to hear him teach his people on their podcast each week.? He has been

This sounds like a total love fest for Darrin–and I guess it is. However, there is nothing really “special” about Darrin.? He is simply a guy that takes the Gospel seriously and has followed God’s calling on his life to reach the nations for the Gospel in a city that he loves with a great passion.

Take a look at this interview (you can also download just the audio here) and you will hear his story and insights from his new book, Church Planter.? It is a great read…like sitting down across the table at the Baptist Building in Jefferson City in the fall of 2001.

Conversation with Darrin Patrick ? Justin Taylor.

Chick-fil-A Tribute Greatness!

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Friday is for Family . . . and Chick-fil-A!? I try to figure out on Friday’s (my day off) how to get us to Chick-fil-A for breakfast as often as possible.? I even make up excuses to be in town to have some chicken goodness.? These dudes have a new Chick-fil-A tribute video that is awesome!? Rivals the greatness of the Tim Hawkins parody! Enjoy!

Friday is for Friends…Go Habs!! Right Bradleyboy?

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head_bradOne of my really good friends is Brad Daily.? The boys and I are watching the Montreal Canadians 100 year anniversary celebration game and I am thinking of he and his bride, Nora.

I first met him while I was serving at Hopedale Baptist Church in Ozark, MO.? He was a huge help to me in the student ministry as well as traveling companion on several trips, basketball watching, golf playing, early morning music store line crashing, and baby photographer when Taylor boy was born!(I know that really wasn’t even a sentence!)

He took an interest in video production and web development while he was living in Nixa, MO.? He then served several summers on staff with World Changers, a ministry of the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention (wow, we have some long names in SBC life, don’t we?).? While he was doing World Changers, he met some folks that had ties to the Kansas Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists.? They offered him a position as a media guru (probably not his actual title) in their office in Topeka.? During that same year, Jenny and I felt called to plant a church in Nixa.? Brad created a promotional video for our church plant.? We are eternally grateful for his hard work on it.

Then, to go a step or two more, he built us several different websites for the church.? He is an amazing developer and brilliant with web developing (as you can tell from SlideShowPro Director.)

How did he get to Montreal?? Well, it is a pretty long story, but basically, he had several friends from Kansas-Nebraska, World Changers, and NAMB that got him up there.? Then he stayed, fell in love, and the rest….you know the drill.

This past fall, he and his beautiful bride, Nora moved to Nixa, MO.? (Nora and Brad met and married while Brad was serving as the communications director of the Canadian National Baptist Convention.) Make sure you check out Nora’s blog to record all of the fun details of a “Greek-Armenian-Canadian, french speaking Montreal native” living in the “sticks” in the Ozarks!

He has continued to be a very good friend all the way to Montreal, Canada by way of Kansas and back to the Ozarks. (Check out some of his handywork on e-quip.net. and his recent venture at SlideShowPro.net and SlideShowPro Director.)

Anyway, Let’s GO HABS!!? And let’s hear it for friends!!

habs100The Original Habs.

Facebook News Feed From Throughout History! ? The Mystery Hour

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Friday is for…FUNNY!

This post is really well worth the read from my friend and blood drive coordinator, Jeff Houghton.? This dude is hilarious!? He and his Skinny Improv crew came out and did an annual banquet for us at Finley Crossings and made me laugh so hard my side hurt!

Here is a bit of the post for an appetizer…Thanks for the laugh, Jeff!!

I started to wonder what it would be like if Facebook was around throughout history. What if they had all been friends? I wonder what their News Feed would be like? I?ve heard of a similar thing people have done with Twitter, so it?s not a totally original idea. But, this time it?s Facebook?totally different.

George Washington Just crossed the Potomac. Hellacold!

Alexander Hamilton likes this

Napolean Bonaparte Heading to Waterloo. Should be fun. When I get back I?m buying at Applebee?s.

Ghengis Khan took the quiz, Which Ruthless Leader From History Are You? The result was: Ghengis Khan

My personal favorite…

Richard Nixon This is going to be the party of the year! BYOB!

Ain?t No Party Like?a Republican Party

Location: Watergate

Time: 3 am-

Check out the main course on the link below…

Facebook News Feed From Throughout History! ? The Mystery Hour.

Haircuts and Chick-fil-A Fridays

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We went to Joplin for some Chick-fil-A and Tucker and I do get a haircut. Also, a perfect way to put off painting the office!

Tuck wanted his hair to be “spiky.” He also wants to wear it like a faux-hawk. Check out Noah McBride’s twin…

Friday is for…FREE Chick-n Minis

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Absolutely love Chick-fil-A!! Tucker and I are running errands and just HAD to to go by and get some minis. They are free on Fridays in March! Breakfast for cheap…”my pleasure!”