When I was a kid I think I remember this line from a hymnal, “I am resolved no longer to linger…” Can’t remember the rest. But in 2009 “I am resolved no longer to linger…” I will not linger near the buffet, I will not linger on the scantily clad woman on TV, I will not linger to hear gossip, I will not linger near the profane joke, I will not linger when others are tearing others down instead of building them up, I will not linger on spam, I will not linger over negative people, I will not linger over Satan’s negative thoughts about me,

I will linger on the positive, I will linger on the wholesome, I will linger over scripture more, I will linger in prayer, I will linger on positive people, I will linger on building people up, I will linger on truth, I will linger on my identity in Christ.

Where will you linger in 2009?

HAPPY NEW YEAR! May God grant all your dreams, may you honor Jesus with those dreams, and may you build the Kingdom with those dreams!

If you read this site on a regular basis you know my Christmas was a little strange. My brother died after about a year and a half of suffering with cancer, although he died from complications with his lungs not cancer. His wife of 42 years and the rest of the family celebrated together at my sister’s house Christmas day. They tried to make the day as normal as possible for the grandkids. It went pretty well until my daughter gave Linda what was to be Tommy’s gift. She broke up for a few minutes. But Tommy collected pens and this was to be his last to add to her collection that she inherited. The funeral was Friday. It all went well.

On top of that my sister in law was admitted to the hospital with diverticulitus. Don’t ask. Just know it is painful. Visited her after the funeral.

Then my daughter had to go back to Baltimore on Sunday. I keep telling her that she can live in the city in Atlanta and I know lots of church planters she could help downtown. But for now her calling is Baltimore. Then I read her blog this morning and she describes some guy stalking her in Baltimore at corners where she walks. And she is leaving the protection of the Princes who have been more than generous with letting her live there, but now she is on her own in the city. Hopefully this guy was just trying to introduce himself to a beautiful girl. But I’ve told more than one guy I’ve spent a couple of nights in jail, I’m old and not afraid to go back, so if you hurt my daughters you better pray for God’s grace, because I don’t know if I have enough to cover my family getting hurt!

It’s getting close to the New Year. Just after the new year I turn another year older. It’s strange because I certainly don’t feel 56. Maybe it’s getting to work with young guys like the pastors at WRC or church planters. I don’t know if other guys my age feel this way but I’ve got a few years of ministry left and will be around a few more than that.

Strange days, strange holidays, but HAPPY NEW YEAR ANYWAY!

Sometimes we pastors try to think of something creative, unique, profound to say at the holiday season, like we are going to say something that has never been said. You know the Christmas story is pretty profound in and of itself. Virgin Birth, Shepherds, Angels, Wise Men, Kings killing babies, Teen Parents. So wise guy what will I add.

Nothing.

May the joy of your salvation, the peace of God, and the comfort of the Savior fill you with unbelievable and continuous excitement and wonder.

 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.\!

Try not to burden you with too much personal stuff but I was called yesterday afternoon with the message that my brother was going to pass away before the day was out. At just after midnight last night he passed into the arms of God. Most of the family was there. Brothers, sisters, wife, sons and wives and grandkids. He was only 62. That age is creeping up on me fast.

In the midst of a sad situation I just had to laugh, all of my brothers and sisters have diabetes, including me. My sister in laws sister has cancer. So sitting with my brother last night were 2 cancer patients, 4 diabetics, one with a leg amputation, almost everyone in the room was way overweight. Insulin shots were being passed like cocktails. Pills were being popped. And we were the living.

I say that to say this. I am tired that Satan has had such a run on my family. Alcohol abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, financial difficulty, illness, early untimely deaths are all present in my family history. I am going to make a commitment that I am going to do what I can to get physically healthy. I am going to do all I can to stay emotionally healthy. I am going to try my best to stay spiritually fit. I don’t want to be the next casualty of Satan because I did not take care of myself.

Appreciate your prayers and encouragement.

That’s about all I can say about last nite at WRC. I believe we served easily between 4000 – 6000 parents and kids last for Christmas. Considering the lines and the number of kids everything went amazingly well. Kids were’nt driving parents crazy, parents were’nt going crazy, everything flowed so well! Great job WRC volunteers and Outreach Staff and team.

Here is just a couple of stories: One, a lady came up to me near the end of the event and said a lady gave her this card and since she couldn’t find Paul, “you will do.” I couldn’t resist so I opened the card. Inside was a Thank You card. Here is the gist: “Thank you WRC for what you’ve done today, because of you my 3 sons and I get to have Christmas this year.” Reminds me of the story that Jesus told about the 10 lepers, one came back. Makes it all worth it.

Second story. Girl came up to a volunteer and said I need to speak to someone in charge. I was standing close by. When I asked how I could help her, “I just want to know if I have to be a member to serve at an event like this?” I explained how she could get connected.

It is cool to see God at work anytime, but especially when He uses His people to meet His Creation, to hear and see His story at work.

Merry Christmas.

The church is supposed to touch the community. If you could be here today and get a glimpse of the families and children at WRC you would be amazed. Every race, different languages, different socio-economics, but all giving and receiving God’s grace. When we started discussing the possibility of preparing Christmas for 1500 families, a lot of people thought it couldn’t be done.

5 churches, one goal, sharing God’s grace and a tangible gift to the families of Paulding County. It is interesting people are so afraid that they are not going to get anything they won’t enjoy the activities. They don’t understand that God has provided so that none go without. Thank you God for the privilege of giving.

And wait to you see what God provided through the offering today! I am sure Brian will share it. If he doesn’t I will later this week.

 Merry Christmas! What a Savior.

I was just reading Matt Wilmington’s blog. He talked about Thomas Road Baptist Church being 52 years old. I started thinking. I older than dirt. I’m older than TRBC, Lake Lanier and Lake Alatoona (big lakes in GA), the same age as Kennestone Hospital (was born there the first year they were open), and can name a bunch of other stuff. I was talking to a church planter the other day and the thought ran across the brain that said, “you are two times this kids age.”

Which brings me to what I really want to write about. I’m trying to at least make an attempt to keep up with technology and you young guys and communication and all that stuff. Signed onto twitter the other day. I’m gonna be honest it is one of the most obnoxious things I have ever done. I discovered you guys give out way more information than I care to know. In the last two days I heard when someone had a cough, when someone put their kids to bed, when guys were at a coffee house late at night and should have been home with their wives and kids, basketball plays (who cares, that’s men in shorts bring on football). No offense but that’s too much information. Maybe it’s just me but I don’t think that many people care when I cough or tuck my kids into bed. Now when you’re giving out information – what good books you read, who you’re connecting with, something you’re learning, I get it. But personal life is personal life and in some ways I think it should stay that way.

Anyway, I’m gonna hang in a few more days, but I don’t think I’m gonna make it in the twittering world. I guess my life is just too boring.

Spent  most of the day with Tim Wolfe. Tim is an urban strategist working in Atlanta within the Perimeter. Inside the donut for locals. Anyway we spent some obligatory time at Starbucks and then headed out for a quick 2 hour tour of the city. Looked at neighborhoods like Morningside, Ansley Park, Castleberry Hills, Little Five Points, Old 4th Ward, and Kirkwood. There were one or two others but don’t know their names.

I love the city. If I were 30 and had a chance to start again I would head to the city. When I was growing up Atlanta was pretty much low income housing projects and urban decay everywhere. But today I saw a lot of new lofts, apartments, condos, and houses being redecorated. Eclectic population. Still majority African American but a good mix of races, lifestyles, and incomes all in the same neighborhoods. I love shopping where people actually live, restaurants, coffee shops, and stores where people know your name.

There is an idea that you can’t do “attractional ministry” in the city and make it work. Tim indicated that he wishes someone would come to Atlanta and make it work. I think it can be done. Here is what I think would make it happen. 1. A superstar leader that moves to the community, he cannot be an outsider; 2. A fully paid/full time superstar staff of at minimum 4 other than the lead pastor that moves to the community, and must reflect the ethnic mix and make-up of the community, they also must not be outsiders; 3. a ton of money, $500,000 – $1,500,000 the first two years; 4. Begin with a multi-site strategy in neighborhoods; 5. begin with a small group strategy in communities in neighborhoods; 6. start these small groups in public places; 7. an advertising campaign that begins 6-9 months before launch; 8. a servant ministry campaign (social justice, serving the poor, homeless, medical, and serving the neighborhoods) during the same 6-9 months. (now to get spiritual) 9. Prayer and lots of it. 10. Engaging the business, social services, arts, and educational communities (think domains of society). That is my strategy, any takers?

A strategy such as this means thinking outside the box. The worship gathering of all the neighborhoods may be just once a month in the beginning. The neighborhood groups for worship would meet weekly in their neighborhoods. I would call a guy strong in apologetics and encourage some meetings that are just q/a. I would try to find a catalyst for every condo, loft, apartment complex in the area to start groups in. Oh, well a lot more than most of you asked for. I must be honest. Never done, never seen it, don’t know if it would work, but would be interesting to find out. The church must reengage the city if we are going to see change in America and the world.

Entire WRC staff went out to Warehouse of Hope today. Well most of the staff came out to the WOH today. Warehouse of Hope is a ministry that provides groceries to families at a very low cost. When the ministry  began the idea was to provide food for free. He couldn’t get anyone to show up. So now he charges a little something and people flock in. Over 100 people in line when we arrived this morning, 8 – 10 cars on the road waiting to get into the parking lot when we left. A lot of Hispanic families. A couple of times in the last week or so the sheriff’s office has come to lodge a complaint about the traffic.

Anyway some folded clothes, some restocked shelves, some registered people, some of us carried groceries to the cars once everything was bagged. I have got to start working out again. My arms are killing me. But it was a great time talking with others on the staff you don’t always get to speak with. It was fun talking to people and meeting people I wouldn’t always take time to talk to. Shame on me .

From a leadership perspective what do you and your staff do to create some comraderie on the staff team? It is no secret that I’m the old guy on the team. It’s fun to hang around the young guns and listen to them. You need to have some fun things to do along your path, some serving things to do (outside of your church), and some learning. When was the last time you provided a time for your staff to serve beyond themselves? When was the last time you had fun together? What are you teaching them?

These kinds of things can help a staff step away from their own little worlds and get a new perspective. A lot of hurting people out there. At least today we helped make a dent in the hurt.

Just not in the Christmas spirit. The older I get the more I realize that Christmas is about commercial more than about Jesus. No matter how hard we tried to make Christmas about Jesus for our kids, it was still about the toys or the clothes and spending too much money. I will say that when the kids were little Christmas was a lot more fun. Someday this week I’ll get out and go shopping for my wife. She buys everything else. I’m not very good at buying gifts I usually end up buying something I would like and she has to take it back. Oh well, they’ve always told me it’s the thought that counts. She’s received a lot of good thoughts over the years, unfortunately not a lot she could use.

I did have a good one, she’ll kill me for this story. Several years ago I was in the habit of buying her something sexy (at least I thought so) and she told me that I was, “buying gifts for myself not for her.” So I let that slide until Father’s Day and I went to her and asked her if I could buy myself a present and gave her a gift. Probably shouldn’t have told that one.

So I’ll be glad when the Big Day has passed and the decorations are up and we can return to normal again at our house. Beside that there’s about 50 college football games that week and Tanya is working and I’m not so I’ll get to just goof off and watch a lot of football. Now that’s a season I like.

So, what makes you go Bah! Humbug! ?

Tomorrow we as a staff are going to serve at Warehouse of Hope. Looking forward to it. What a great ministry Craig provides. Now that makes me smile.