Going off-road…the weekly 4×4

1.   it surely comes as no surprise to anybody who knows me,  but i’m the biggest san diego padre homer in the great state.   pretty sure nobody comes even close.   so as the self- appointed president of the TFP fraternity (texans for padres),  i am allowed…even required…to call out my little friars.   you gotta start hitting!   a team batting average of .212  is not going to cut it…

2.   this is definitely the thumbs down side of a really awesome situation:  we are facing some legit space issues at north point.   can’t wait to see what might happen on easter sunday if people keep inviting friends the same way we are right now.   hope more people choose the 10:00 hour…

3.   i’ve got two problems when it comes to studying and preaching out of the old testament.   my memory is anything but photographic.   i work really hard to remember the things i study,  but there are so many details in the OT that can get lost in my prep.   i’ve never been a great OT scholar.   my grasp of the big picture is solid…but my retention of the flow and details of the whole story line is sometimes really rough.

4.   while i was driving to the church building early this morning,  i was captured by the number of people out in the their front yards mowing…walking around the park…washing their cars…or playing in the driveway.   it’s quite possible that all of these people were taking advantage of later meeting times (or saturday evening services the night before),  but it sure didn’t look like it.   our neighborhoods are full of people who don’t see the value of being part of a faith community.   that just has to bother us more than what it does…

1.   our children’s ministry had a great,  great time at the great wolf  lodge in grapevine this past weekend.   a bunch of incredible kids…amazing adult volunteers…hours and hours of indoor swimming…the always-great bible teaching by angela.   i love watching our kid’s ministry grow!

2.   i feel like i need to clear something up.   sometimes during my teaching on sunday mornings,  it looks like i throw the vpu  or  sound-board operators under the bus, by calling them out or drawing attention to some glitch in the presentation.   reality?   the problem can almost always be traced back to my last-minute changes or confusing expectations.   our team (jason,  kelly,  larry,  chris,  ross,  and brian)  in the back are diligent,  well-prepared,  and deeply committed to making sure we have the best presentation possible every week.   it’s hard work and demands a lot of time and attention.   you really ought to stop by the back an let them know how much you appreciate their hard work and dedication.

3.   do realize we have a ton of  young adults who call north point home?   way more than a church family our size should ever have.   i’m going to love watching them assume leadership in  the months and years to come!

4.   went with wanda,  buzzy,  debbie and brandon to a concert at tolbert’s (in grapevine) late friday night.   it’s a small,  cool venue with some pretty good food and an even better intimate stage for listening to old white guys rock.   we heard the buddy whittington band…a local texas rocker who played for years with john mayall…and even toured with eric clapton.   extremely sweet.   on the other hand,  watching a bunch of 50-somethings making their moves on the dance floor should be banned…