You know, the one I mentioned in the post just previous to this one?
Let’s just say that from the looks of things, Tony’s Sri Lanka tour was very, very good to him!
Category: Friends (page 2 of 3)
Just saw this little blurb on my buddy Tony McCollum’s blog…
I’m blogging from the road but I just wanted to let you guys know that we’ve got a little video we’re going to be showing during the service tomorrow that I think you’ll really enjoy. Don’t miss it!
Either it’ll be the return of “Ol’ Spooney” or I’ll be laughing so hard I won’t be able to speak! Or maybe even both!
Great! Thanks a lot, Tony!
Taking a break from last-minute preparations for tomorrow. Here’s what I’ve got on my mind and in my heart right now…
- Surprise, Surprise! Went into the office this afternoon, and had a package in the mail from Fusion Church. Inside the package was a copy of The Blessed Life and a brief little note from my buddy Tony McCollum. When I preached at Fusion back in November, I mentioned the book at the resource table, and wondered if there were any copies available that day. The gracious Fusioneers told me they’d be sure to get me a copy. I told them I’d just pick one up later. Well, I forgot about that conversation until today! Thanks, Tony! Blessed, indeed!
- Joy Has Dawned, one of Stuart Townend’s hymns is floating my boat right now.
- So is music from Talking Heads, specifically a couple of tunes from the movie Wall Street – Once in a Lifetime and This Must Be the Place.
- Other music I’m listening to right now? You Get What You Give by New Radicals (Don’t give up, you’ve got the music in you…), When Love Comes to Town by U2 and B.B. King, and others!
- Watched It’s A Wonderful Life for the umpteenth time last night. Somehow I’d missed or forgotten the great exchange between Clarence and Joseph at the beginning: “Is he sick?” “No, worse. He’s discouraged!” Hmmm…
Got one of those “not-really-an-actual-album” compilation things going for tonight’s Unwind…a thrown-together selection of Christmas music by Alabama and Ronnie Milsap. Pretty good country Christmas stuff…especially Ronnie Milsap’s spectacular rendition of O Holy Night. And of course, there’s Joseph and Mary’s Boy, Santa Claus, I Still Believe in You, and the great classic (at least in my family!) Christmas in Dixie!
Some other thoughts that dropped out tonight…
- I pretty much stunk up the place with my message today. Just never seemed to click. I guess that’s what being tired will do for you!
- But then again, any Christmas message that includes references to J.I. Packer, T.S. Geisel, and M.H.Tormé can’t be all that bad, I suppose.
- “The Boy” (recently dubbed “Whiney Boy” by “Mr. Know-It-All”) is finally getting a little relief after his recent surgery. He had a pretty graphic description on the phone today, but let’s just say there’s tremendous power in poop and leave it at that!
- Cafetière à piston. Rôti français. Ooh la la, and pas mal, mon ami!
- The things one can’t help but notice when helping people get set up on weight machines at the YMCA…
- I love friends who challenge you and encourage you without even knowing it.
- Hey, how ’bout that Tebow kid for Heisman! I’m still a large Gator-hater and always will be, but it’s pretty cool to know that an historic Heisman Trophy winner is the brother of one of my best ministry friend’s daughter-in-law! (Yeah, yeah…six degrees and all that jazz!)
- Did I mention I stunk up the joint this morning?
- Did I mention our folks were gracious and forgiving?
- I love type! I’m not a great – or even good! – designer, but playing with fonts floats my boat!
- One of my strengths, according to the StrengthsFinder assessment is Input, meaning I collect things that may have real value in the future. I’ve come to the conclusion that the collecting is not nearly as big a deal as the retrieval. And I need to work on that. A lot!
- John Maxwell still pulls my chain after all these years!
- The fact of the Incarnation is staggering!
Most of you loyal readers of this little attempt at a blog – both of you! – are also fans(?) of my buddy Gary Lamb, the lead pastor of Revolution Church in Canton and soon-to-be Jasper, Georgia. It seems I have more and more opportunities to invite folks to Revolution! (Can you “invite” someone somewhere you don’t go yourself? Hmmmm….good question!)
Anyway, I met a guy at the YMCA today who has just moved here from Arizona. In the course of our conversation, we started talking about churches and how he and his family haven’t found a church yet, etc., etc.
I asked what he was looking for in a church. His answer: Something upbeat with a great kids experience for his son. He asked about my church, and I honestly pointed him toward Revolution.
“What’s the pastor like?” my new friend asked.
I just laughed. “Just go Sunday and hear him preach,” I responded. And I laughed again.
That’s what I’ve felt like all day today. Very weird. While I was waiting backstage to speak at Fusion this morning, it felt like I was watching someone else waiting backstage to speak. And when I started, it seemed like I was watching someone else speaking. It was all kind of a blur, and I’m not sure that’s a good thing.
Oh, well…
Anyway, got the usual attaboys from Tony‘s folks. Had a big time, hope it was good for somebody. Hope Jesus was lifted up. Hope I didn’t cause any problems.
Seth and the band rocked. Adam was a gracious host. The new digs are pretty cool (except there was no eau de popcorn lingering in the air, no place to pay the Macy’s bill on the way in and out of church, no mall security to tell me I was parking in the wrong place, etc.). They even laughed politely at my stories. God is good. Thanks to Tony for the opportunity!
One of my buddies at the YMCA reported this morning on a conversation he had with his mom about Joel Osteen…
My mom’s 80 years old and she said, “The boy’s got a mullet! How can you even listen to someone who preaches with a mullet?!?!”
Too funny…especially hearing this particular guy tell it in his own inimitable style!
It’s been a pretty good couple of days – that pesky “another year older” thing notwithstanding! Here’s kind of what’s happened thus far to make the beginning of my 47th year pretty good…
- Cryptic phone and email messages all week from the best big brother I ever had, culminating today with a long, long list of “Happy Birthday” songs done by every kind of artist you can imagine – and some you can’t, and don’t want to imagine!
- Spent the day with the lovely and gracious “Mrs. Just Charlie” in Dahlonega, Georgia on Saturday – and then she treated me to a couple of new shirts!
- Yesterday “The Boy” drove 240+ miles just to surprise me for my birthday! Cool surprise, no doubt! You just can’t beat lunch with the family at LongHorn – love that marinated salmon and steamed veggies! Oh, and then he turned around and drove back to school.
- Oh, I almost forgot…the very-much-appreciated Starbucks gift card from the world’s best youth pastor and his wife! Thanks, guys!
- Nifty little one-of-a-kind bookmark from the only real! live! newspaper columnist I know!
- Facebook birthday wishes from all over! Thanks, gang!
- Calls from Martha and Howard!
- See those three books above this post? Yeah, those! Pretty sweet and different additions to the ol’ library, courtesy of some birthday gift cards! Oh, I’ve already started on all three of ’em!
- A brand-new notebook and new pens…just waiting to be used! Yes!
- A little plumbing job in the kitchen.
- A little medical records errand for “The Boy.”
- FREE! birthday dinner at my favorite little Eye-talian place. ($14, including tip, for both of us to eat – A LOT! Plus, the company of the lovely and gracious “Mrs. Just Charlie,” and the great, great sounds of Ol’ Blue Eyes, Lady Ella, Louis Prima, and the Velvet Fog, just to name a few!)
- Now, a little Chris Tomlin Radio on Pandora, and a little Sumatra from my French press are making for a perfect unwind to a pretty good day!
Tonight, I’m sitting here kind of chillin’ with the “Chris Tomlin” channel on Pandora. I’m knocking out a couple of little print pieces for our church. I’m drinking an iced Sumatra. I’ve just gotten off the phone with “The Boy.”
And I’m pumped about a short-notice breakfast in the morning with one of my long-distance heroes, Roger Blackmore!
Not too shabby for a Tuesday night, huh?
My buddy Tony McCollum rocks! Go check out the great stuff that Tony’s leading at Mill Cree…uh, FUSION Church!
Tony’s quote from a text message…
We changed the name and raised some money. Can’t beat that! 🙂
Nope, Tony, you can’t beat that! And you can’t beat good friends! Thanks!