Good Book

I usually don't promote a book until after I read it, but this time I'm doing just the opposite. This is a book I plan on reading and I thought I would pass it along to you. For those who want to make their marriage last, read this book. It's written by a well respected Pastor and I think it will be worth your time.

Going All The Way

Random stuff

Still no news on the building. The same old story every time..."I should hear from them tomorrow"...I'll probably get word in a couple days." This is taking longer than I wanted.
I know a lot of you guys have been praying for Melissa Meeker. In case you don't know, there is a website to keep you updated. Go here and type in melissameeker. It's a good way to stay informed and you can even drop her a note.
Unless you've lived in a cave for the past couple weeks you don't know about the game tonight. ASU vs. Memphis. Even if you're not a big football fan it will be fun. That's where I'll be tonight.
I've been studying up on Matthew & Thomas this week. We will look at them this Sunday and see how they were changed after their 3 year time with Jesus. I've really enjoyed this series on the twelve and I know a lot of you have. Several people have made good comments. I think it's because they are so normal. It's amazing how God rocked the world with 12 ordinary men.
We finally decided on a name for our cell group last night. Drum roll please...Becoming less. Except we are doing it like this...Becoming <. Pretty sweet huh? I'd like to say I came up with the name, but I didn't. Cristi Hillis invented the name and here is the verse to go with it. That's right...we have a verse for our name. I know you're impressed. Have a nice evening!

The Latest

I finally got in touch with the guy from Fletcher and he said his people are going to get back with him on Monday. He said they are currently in the middle of some Construction work so that's the reason for the slow response. That's all I know for now.

Thoughts

So, still no word on the building. I called Jon at Fletcher today and left a message. It has officially been two weeks now since I handed the proposal letter. Something better happen this week or I'll...well...I'm not sure what I'll do, but you can bet I'll do it good!

This coming weekend we continue our series on, "The Twelve." We've looked at two sets of brothers who were fisherman. This Sunday the two guys we focus on appear to have been good friends before Jesus called them. And yes, they also appear to be fisherman. Philip & Bartholomew...we'll check these fellows out in detail this weekend.

The Table Tennis Tournament is coming this weekend and I have a new weapon. It's go time!

We had a great new members class Sunday & possibly two more to baptize.

5 more months and Lost is back! Sweet!

The ticket:
If you were at church Sunday you know about the ticket. I was leaving my brothers Saturday night on my way home and I was pulled over by a cop for going 60 in a 45. The funny thing, I pulled over in a church parking lot. I had the wife and kids with me and Madison was afraid we were going to jail. Marinda thought it was funny since I had earlier been bragging about only having one ticket and that was at age 18...so it's been awhile. Well, the streak is broken. However, the cop did do me a favor. He wrote the ticket as Hazardous Driving which cut the price in half, won't hurt the insurance & won't be on my record...so I basically told Marinda it's like I never really got a ticket...she's not buying it. It's a weird feeling when you get pulled over because you automatically become the focal point of all passersby that you have just screwed up. It's a good thing God doesn't operate that way. If he pulled us over, turned on the blue lights & shined a big honkin' flashlight in our eyes every time we made a mistake...well, the life of a Christian would be a little unbearable. Thankfully, God has forgiven us of our sins by sending His Son to die on a cross and when you think about...we don't have to be looked at and laughed at every time we mess up because His word tells us here that He already went through that for us. See ya!

Sad News

I'm doing something on this blog I've never done before...copy & paste from another blog. This story needs to spread:

Sad News

With all the sadness and trauma going on in the world at the moment, it is worth reflecting on the death of a very important person, which almost went unnoticed last week.
Larry LaPrise, the man that wrote "The Hokie Pokie" died peacefully at the age of 93.
The most traumatic part for his family was getting him into the coffin. They put his left leg in........And then the trouble started.
C'mon. You know it's funny.

Still no word on the building.

No word yet!

I called the guy today about the building and his bosses have been out of town. He hopes to hear something tomorrow or Saturday. I'll post on here as soon as I get the word.

Funeral

Hey gang, I'm in Corning with Marinda's family. Her great Aunt Hilda passed away early Sunday morning so we have the funeral tomorrow morning at 10:00 and I'll be in charge of the service. I met with the funeral director today and he wanted to know if I wanted Pastor or Reverend in front of my name. I said go with Pastor...some people at my church call me Reverend to make fun of me and it makes me seem older. When I get 50 I'll go with Reverend. He said guys have actually been pretty upset with him in the past because they labeled them with the wrong title. That's pretty crazy stuff. I'm glad we're not into titles. Pray that we hear something from Fletcher this week. As soon as I get the word I'll post it on here so you guys can get the latest info. It's midnight...I'm going to bed. Have a great Tuesday!

Boldness

In studying the life of Peter this week, I've realized something about this man. He was loud and bold. If he thought it, he said it, before the thought came in his mind. Peter was a very impulsive guy. However, one disappointing time in his life is when he denied Christ not once, not twice but three times. Plus, he told Jesus to his face that he would never do that. That was one of Peter's weakest moments. Standing up for what you believe is sometimes difficult...usually because of a lack of courage on our part. I'm not telling you who to vote for...that's not the goal here...but you gotta love the response of Mike Huckabee to the question of Evolution. This makes you proud, not as a political person, but as a believer. Check out the video here to see his response.
Oh yeah, if you're not going to the ASU vs. Memphis game tomorrow night...you're very uncool!!!

Party & The Twelve

Last night we had our Cell Group Kick-off Party at the church. We had a good group and there seemed to be a 'buzz' in the air over the 07'/08' cell group season. I have a feeling this is going to be a good year for our groups. I know I'm excited about it.
Sunday, we jump into our new series called, "The Twelve." Of course, it's a series about the lives of the 12 disciples that followed Jesus. It took hours upon hours of creative frenzy to come up with the name for the series, so don't make fun of it. I'm ready for this series to begin. We are not going to take 12 weeks and talk about each individual disciple...probably around 6 weeks. We'll see how it goes. What's amazing about these guys is they were just ordinary dudes who happened to be doing life while Jesus was on the scene. They were ordinary, but the calling on their lives was very unordinary. These guys stuck with Jesus thru thick and thin. At one point in Jesus' ministry He shared teaching so difficult that this happened. However, the disciples stuck with Him. Most of the disciples were fisherman, one was a zealot, one was a tax collector, but the question is...who were they really? That's what were going to look at for the next several weeks because the truth is...they are just like us. Common men with an uncommon calling.

Driving lessons

This picture is our youngest daughter Madison sitting in my lap and driving. By looking at my Mickie Souvenir Key chain you would think we're going about 75 miles per hour down the interstate and if you know Madison very well that would be highly probable. Glad to say we were not going that fast, as you can tell by the speedometer. Plus, we were on County Road 703, not the interstate. 703 is the road we live on and it's gravel. We live almost one mile down 703 so the big thing with the girls is sitting in Dad's lap and driving. It all started when they saw one of their friends from school doing the same thing. When they sit in my lap and drive, all they have to do is steer...maybe blow the horn occasionally. I've actually let them work the gas and brakes some but Maddie's still afraid of that...which is cool with me. When Maddie and Micah sit in my lap and drive they are not in full control of the vehicle. I'm still there ready to grab the wheel, hit the brakes...whatever needs to be done. And for now it's a good thing since they are not capable of driving on their own...and not legal. To me, this is a picture of baby Christians. We get saved, prop up in the pastor's lap and just do what we want to do...play with the radio...work the wipers or honk the horn. For some reason we are afraid to grab the wheel of life and hit the gas. Don't get me wrong, it's OK to sit in someones lap for a season, but for most, that season is way behind us. It's time for us to stop depending on someone to grow us and feed us and have the courage to trust God and take the wheel of our life and follow Him. Someday, my girls will be legal and ready to take the wheel...I may not...but they will...and when they do lookout. I hope we have good insurance. Even if they have a fender bender or two, that's part of life. We all take wrong turns every now and then but the courageous thing to do is get back behind the wheel and try again. Of course, I'm talking spiritually here and not about the girls...if they have a wreck it's back to Daddy's lap...even if they are 25 yrs. old. See you guys on the road!

Labor Day

Church leaders all over the world are breathing a huge sigh of relief right now. Labor Day is usually the last weekend for people to get away and now we can all get back to a normal routine...which is good for churches. Churches everywhere see a decline in attendance and giving during the summer months (unless God is blowing up the joint). Our vacations are over with and from now until Mother's Day...we kick it in high gear for ministry. I hope everyone had fun on Labor Weekend. The Archer's kept it low key. We spent every dime we had and then some at Disney and the Beach this summer so for Labor Day...we grabbed some food and hit the park. It was about 112 degrees with 200% humidity...classic Arkansas weather. After the park, I took the family to the local putt putt facility for some quick lessons on the green. I beat the wife by about 4 strokes and the girls by about 34 strokes. It was pretty impressive...I'm thinking about laminating the scorecard. That night we went to the Hillis' House for some dinner and sequence with a couple of their friends from W. Memphis. The guys spanked the girls...it was a good Labor Day. Alright, my head's swelling I better move on to other stuff. Actually, this stuff is a lot better than what you just read. I met with the Leadership Team Sunday after church and we made a decision on the building we've been looking at now for a few weeks. We decided to go forward. The financial numbers look really good...you guys have been faithful in giving and God has really blessed us to where we can make a move. I'm actually going to deliver the guy at Fletcher a proposal letter in just a few minutes and then we wait on him. This building is right off the bypass, it's roomy and it's going to rock. I'm ready...pray that God gives us the words as we meet with them and discuss all the details. We'll go from a room that seats 100 to one that seats 300 to 350 and the rest of the facility is very cool. I'm pumped!