How well do the kids in your life know the story?

The Will of the People?

Romans 13:1 says, "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." 

Many of us see this election as a reflection of the will of the people and we feel frustrated that Americans would desire a leader who stands for so many things we don't agree with. However, if we take God's Word seriously we recognize that Romans 13 states that the election actually reveals, not the will of the people, but the will of God Himself. Am I saying that God wanted Barak Obama to be President? It seems that way. "Why?" You might ask. We have no idea, but we have to trust that God has a plan.

As long as an opportunity exists to elect someone who represents those things the Bible upholds as godly virtues, we need to work toward seeing that candidate elected. However, once an election has taken place with a different outcome than what we wanted, we must accept the idea that for whatever reason, God has another plan.

So what is our assignment now? Simple. We must pray for our elected leaders. In 1 Timothy 2:1-2 Paul writes, "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness."

We are a divided nation with lots of challenges. We must pray like never before.

A Church With Connection

The dream is now a reality! We planted our very first Crossroads Connection Church in Denver this past weekend! Our campus pastors Shawn and Amy Reine and their team did a phenomenal job! We had 157 people in attendance and 4 people gave their lives to Christ! Everyone loved  the church and pledged to be back next week!

This has been in the works for a long time. We cast vision for the church plant a little over six months ago and Shawn and Amy began to build our launch team. Lee and Bri Blakney have been a huge asset to the team, as have other Crossroads members who have relocated to Denver to assist with the plant: Lahti Arsement, Renee Hoey and Anna Carrier.

We are meeting at a beautiful middle school in Highlands Ranch. The commons area will seat over 500 and includes a very nice theater-style stage with currents. We put together a killer media package for the new church that consists of two projectors and large screens, lighting complete with stationary pars and moveable intels, a sweet sound system and stage design that is a mini-version of what we are currently using in Louisiana. What new church has all that? A church with Connection! 

Golf - On Again!

I have had an on-again, off-again relationship with the game of golf for a long time. I never was any good at it. I never had a lesson and never had good equipment, so it was a pretty frustrating game for me. I gave it up about four years ago, but earlier this year some friends asked me to go up to Alexandria to play in a tournament benefitting Teen Challenge. I thought, "Good friends, a good cause - why not?" So I pulled my old clubs out of storage and went along for the ride. My partner was my good friend Spanky Arsement, who had probably given up the game before I did. Needless to say we didn't score well in the tournament. My clubs actually had rust on them! We shot a miserable round the first day (dead last) but did better on the second day and actually started enjoying ourselves. Spanky owns Moore's Machine Shop, so I asked him if he thought he could sandblast the rust off my clubs and maybe we could start playing every once in a while. He agreed to do so and took my clubs with him after the weekend. He and his business partner Kerry Emanis (another good friend) invited David and I to play the next week and when I got there expecting to get my sandblasted clubs from them, they instead presented me with a brand new set of Callaway Razrs! If that weren't enough, they also set me up with lessons with the pro at Oakbourne Country Club and a nice Sky Caddie. 

Since then we have played at least once a week, I've had four amazing lessons from Cliff Wagnor at Oakbourne and I am LOVING the game like never before and getting better each week. I actually shot two rounds in the 80's this week! 

My Running Playlist

I use my iPhone and my Dr. Dre Beats - Love 'em!

I am enjoying my 5k to 10k training so much. I never thought I could have a passion for running like this. One of the things that helps keep me going is music. I put together a playlist just for running and I thought I'd share it. I would love to know what's on your playlist when you run/exercise.

01. This Is The Day (Lincoln Brewster) - This song just puts in perspective.
02. Beautiful Day (U2) - Gotta love the boys from Dublin!
03. Good Morning (Mandisa) - The song's just infectious.
04. Stronger/What Doesn't Kill You (Kelly Clarkson) - I know it's not what the songs about, but I    associate it with running!
05. Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall (Coldplay) - This one gets me going.
06. Here In This Moment (Beckah Shae) - Great beat to run to.
07. Running On Empty (Jackson Brown) - It's a 70's song, it's about running and if Forrest Gump ran to it, then so can I!
08. Rolling In the Deep (Adele) - You didn't expect to find her on my running playlist did you?
09. God is Still God (Heather Williams) - This song says it all.
10. The Vision of Love (Kris Allen) - I really like this song.
11. Keep Changing the World (MikesChair) - I run in the morning so this song starts putting me in the right frame of mind for work.
12. Happy Day (Tim Hughes) - Such a great praise song.
13. Burn Out Bright (Switchfoot) - The boys from San Diego help me crank out the last leg of my run!
14. It Keeps You Running (The Doobie Brothers) - See number 07.

So what's the song you feel you just have to have on your playlist?

A Faded Red Flag

The red flag has been a part of the trade industry for centuries. Whether by sea or by rail, vessels in the trade industry would use different colored flags to send messages to one another and the red flag was always a warning flag. It was such a common part of everyday life, that it became a metaphor that is still frequently used till this day. When someone feels uneasy about something, they refer to it as a red flag waving. 

One of the aspects of the nature and Character of God is to warn His people of impending danger, failure or punishment. We see that all through the Bible, Old and New Testament alike. God has promised to lead and guide His people and one of the ways He does that is by sending us warnings. You might say He waves a red flag for us! 

God primarily waves the red flag in one of four ways. First and foremost, He warns us through His Word. God's Word is not only filled with promises, it is also filled with instruction and with warning about what happens if we fail to comply with that instruction. Secondly, God warns us through the inward witness of His Holy Spirit. When we are engaged in behavior that grieves the heart of God or when we're about to make a decision that will contridict God's Will, His Spirit will provide a strong witness against these things. Thirdly, God warns us through wisdom. Every believer has access to a wisdom that is not of this world. It is a godly wisdom that makes right and wrong as clear and comprehendable to us as day and night. Lastly, God warns us through people. If we allow Him to, God will surround us with people who will speak prophetically into our lives to help us avoid the mistakes and keep us from having to suffer the consequences we might otherwise experience. 

The important thing is to consistantly look for and respond to these warnings. What we read about in Scripture a year ago, something the Holy Spirit impressed upon on months ago, the wisdom we once walked in and the relationships we used to have do us very little good today. 

In the early days of the American railroad and it's part in the trade industry, a large locomotive used primarily for freight ran through the midwest on a daily route. Another smaller, passenger train used a section of that same route to transports students to a school. One day the passenger train had broke down and the mechanics were attempting to repair it. Dozens of students were onboard completely unaware that the large freight train was moving toward them at a rapid speed. A flagman had been sent miles down the tracks to warn the freight train, but despite the flagman waving the red flag the large freight train continued on it's course ultimately colliding with the passenger train, killing everyone onboard. The only survivor was the conductor of the freight train who had jumped off the train just before impact. He was immediately taken into custody and a hearing was held to determine what had happen. The conductor and the flagman's stories contradicted one another. The flagman said he had waved a red flag, signaling the train to stop and the conductor said he had waved a yellow flag, signaling him to proceed with caution. The conductor reported that he slowed down, but by the time he saw the passenger train it was too late and the accident was unavoidable. The flagman was instructed to bring the flag he'd used and when he presented the flag it was clear what had happened. The flag  indeed was once a red flag. The corners of the material clearly demonstrated that. But over time the flag had faded and was nearly white in the center. Because of the dirt and grime of daily use the white portion of the material had become yellow looking, creating the confusion on the part of the conductor. 

The same thing can happen to us on spiritual terms if we do not keep the warning of God's Word, God's Wisdom, God's Spirit and God's people fresh in our lives. Over time, their influence will fade and disaster will be inevitable! 

The Exchange

Here's a video that a couple of guys from our Master's Commission wrote and performed as an opener for our weekly service for students called the Exchange. Please feel free to repost!

Brave

Our newest Message series is called "Brave." Here's the video roll-in. Hope you enjoy it! 

Our College Graduate and a Guy Called "Doc"

This past weekend both of my children graduated from our Master's Commission program here at Crossroads Church - Chase as a first-year student and Robin as a second-year student. Our program partners with West Coast Bible College offering a two-year bachelor's degree. Robin graduated with a degree in Biblical counseling! We are so proud of her.

So proud of her in fact, we gave her a job. (Actually Pastor Shawn Marcell did.) Shawn and Nicole recently became our Outreach Pastors here at Crossroads in addition to directing our Master's Commission. It had become necessary to actually create a department for all our outreach endeavors both here in the States and abroad. Robin will be working in that office and it is right up her alley. She loves World Missions and this position will allow her to interact with the many missionaries we support around the world. 

On another note, at the graduation ceremony Dr. Kevin Harrison, President of West Coast Bible College, presented me with an honorary Doctorate of Divinity. I was completely humbled by this extremely kind gesture. Next time you see me you can just call me "Doc." LOL.  

The Graduate

We are celebrating back-to-back graduations with our son Chase these next two weekends. Chase's High School graduation will be today at 2:00 PM. He and seven fellow Home Schoolers will be honored in a ceremony at Crossroads Church. Last year, after completing his Junior year, Chase only needed two more credits to graduate. After attending the "Experience Week" our Master's Commission program puts on every year, Chase decided he wanted to complete his school work early so that he could go ahead and join Master's Commission. That explains his second graduation, which will be next weekend when he crosses the stage to receive his diploma for the nine month discipleship school he has participated in since September. Chase plans to enroll in a second year with the program which will allow him to earn a Bachelor's Degree from West Coast Bible College. He believes God has called him into the ministry.

We are so proud of Chase. He has been an excellent student and an absolute joy to have in our home. In preparation for his graduations, we have looked through hundreds of photographs we've taken of Chase through the years. After looking at all the pictures, Donna and I came to two conclusions: 1. Our son has always been a really fun and interesting kid! 2. He's had a really fun life. We love him so much and thank God for him! 

The Porcelain Unicorn

The power of film as a medium for story telling is one of my greatest interests. I've always been drawn to stories, but never so much as when I became a Christ follower. It's then I discovered the greatest story of all time and the main character of the story was an avid story teller Himself.

Matthew 13:34 declares that Jesus never addressed a crowd without using a parable (a story) to illustrate what He was teaching. I have attempted to practice the same through my years of ministry. One of my great passions is turning those stories into mini-movies. I love using them to illustrate God's truth. I find they're so effective. The following short film demonstrates my point.

Legendary film director Sir Ridley Scott launched a global film contest for aspiring directors titled "Tell It Your Way." The film could be only three minutes, contain only six lines of narrative and be a compelling story. There were six hundred entries. The winner was "The Porcelain Unicorn" by American director Keegan Wilcox. The story is of the lifetimes of two people who are totally oppisite yet very much the same - All told in less than three minutes.  I think you'll see why it won! Enjoy.


 

Hosting District Council

Crossroads was honored this week to host the 76th District Council of the Louisiana Assemblies of God. Hundreds of pastors from all over Louisiana came to Lafayette for three days to conduct business on behalf of our district, to be encouraged by the Word of God and to enjoy the fellowship of our district family.

It may sound biased since we hosted the event, but I genuinely cannot remember a more refreshing and inspiring District Council in all the years I have been a minister with the Assemblies of God. Our guest speaker Bryan Jarrett was simply amazing! His messages were encouraging and challenging at the same time! I love this guy and look forward to getting to know him better in the days to come!

On Tuesday, we hosted a Church Planting and Development Banquet and raised over $160,000.00 to support church planters here in Louisiana! This is near and dear to my heart and I commend Pastor Al Eden for his vision and leadership over this department. It is a pleasure to serve on his team here in Louisiana. Here's a picture of Pastor Al and I along with some of my best friends in the world: Denny Duron, Bud Plake, Paul Burke, Scott Holmes and Doug McAllister.

Dream Team

I have an incredible team. I have always believed that if you really want to know what God thinks of you just look at the people He's surrounded you with. When I do that, I am overwhelmed by the love of God. He has surrounded me with some of the best people on the planet! 

Rhett Wyatt is definitely one of those people. I met Rhett when he was just a little boy. His father Ricky was my very first youth leader when Donna and I moved to Lafayette in 1986 to become youth pastors here at Crossroads. We were around he and his sisters, Meagan and Lacy all the time! I have watched him grow up into one of the finest young men I have ever been around. 

In 2004, when we decided to do a complete remodel of our facility, I hired Rhett and his (then) fiance Tiffany along with their business partner to create stage design for us. They did an incredible job. At the time Rhett was enrolled at UL getting his degree in Industrial Design. I desperately needed a Facilities Manager at that time and I was so impressed with Rhett's work I offered him the job. Thankfully he took me up on my offer. He is now an integral member of my management team. He leads our staff of custodians, maintenance personnel and grounds keepers, oversees all our stage design, set design for all our productions, oversees scheduling for our facilities and about million other things we need him to do! 

When we took on the task of building the new worship center, I had pastor friends around the country call me to tell me how incredibly difficult it was going to be. Many encouraged me to hire a professional to serve as a representative between our church and our contractor and architect. Rhett took that job on and along with overseeing all his normal responsibilities he did an outstanding job interacting day-to-day with our builder and architectural firm. 

I was honored to perform Rhett and Tiffany's wedding on July 31, 2004 and today, they and their precious little girl Amélie are just like family to us. 

Southern Hospitality!

This past weekend the Women's Ministry of Crossroads Church took the idea of southern hospitality to a whole new level! Joie de Vivre (our annual Women's Conference) made Southern Hospitality it's theme as over 1200 women gathered at Crossroads Church to enjoy two days of ministry, relationship building and fun. As they entered the foyer of the church they were greeted by XMC students dressed in old fashioned southern hoop skirts and suits serving iced tea and lemonade. The League of Southern Gentlemen (a group of over 100 men from Crossroads) also helped welcome the ladies and served throughout the conference. After an incredible opening of movie clips from southern-themed films interlaced with live drama, dance and spoken word the crowd was blessed and challenged by the music and ministry of Natalie Grant and Charlotte Gambill. It just doesn't get any better!  

The after party was enjoyed by all, featuring bar-b-que burgers, southern deserts and a cajun band providing the dance music. Southern girls sure know how to have a great time! 

Saturday morning the ladies were greeted with coffee and homemade biscuits and then got to enjoy another service featuring the Crossroads praise team, a wonderful challenge by our own Women's Ministry director Daphne Gaspard (who did a remarkable job planning the entire event) and another powerful message from Charlotte Gambill. 

If that were not enough, the gathering of ladies also answered the invitation of our beloved Stephanie Domageaux to help expand the orphanage we are involved with in Kenya by giving in excess of $12,000.00!

It was a truly remarkable conference and I told Daphne that Donna and I have never been more proud of an event put on by Crossroads Church than this one! Southern Hospitality indeed!

Underworld News

What if hell had a network newscast? That was the premise of our Easter Production this year at Crossroads Church! Obviously, demons have limited knowledge. They are not omniscient like God is. 1 Corinthians 2:8 says that if the rulers of this fallen world had understood God's plan they would have never crucified the Lord of glory! So how does Satan keep his minions informed? (Or misinformed?)


Through our production, we imagined that Satan would use "The Underworld News Tonight" - a dysfunctional underground news network anchored by Peter Sinnings, played by Adam Farley. Sinnings and his ragtag crew (featuring Ayla Bergeron, Chris LeMaster, Chelsea Bourque, Chase Doll, Kevin Wold and Lexi Armstead) attempt to keep the demonic ranks informed of their version of Jesus' arrest, scourging, crucifixion and ultimately the resurrection.  We took a tongue-in-cheek approach to what that might be like (think C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters) complete with commercial sponsors like Pitchfork Surplus, Dr. Lex Levay's Hoof Polish and the latest Twilight trailer (lol). Peter Sinnings depends on field reporters Chuck Nimrod at the Garden of Gethsemane - played by Gavin Kondo, Jezebel Jones in the spin room - played by Anna Hansen, Bob Balaam at the sight of the scourging - played by Chase Ables, Michael Moab at Golgotha - played by Bret Bates and Nebuchadnezzar Newton at the empty tomb - played by Aaron Harrington. 


Working the spin room, Jezebel Jones reports on what the believers are saying in response to the events as they unfold. Their response (in typical follower fashion - according to Ms. Jones) comes in the form of songs. Jason Rhoades performed He Loved Me Anyway in response to the betrayal of Judas. Jason, Jordy Davidson and Crossroads Musical Director Coy Watson performed By His Wounds in response to the scourging. Josef Barr performed Hero in response to the crucifixion. Jason was then joined by a vocal ensemble made up of Jordy, Josef, Geneva Orr, Lynlee Helcl, Jane Lantier, Jasmine Wagnon, Pricilla Picard, Corina Melancon and Tray Richard as he performed Death in His Grave. Tray performed a rap segment of the song that was incredible! Throughout the song, members of Crossroads Church shared the loss of family members and the hope they have of their loved one's part in the resurrection. A big thank you to James Welsh, who honored his dad Gabe, Carolyn Nelson who honored her husband Thomas, Brian and Melissa Miller who honored their daughter Brianne and Jessica Martin who honored her father, Bryan. I ended the song by honoring my dad and then shared an invitation for people to receive Christ. Over 70 people made Jesus their personal Lord and Savior! Donnie Bolton wrapped up the service with a killer cover of the Fred Hammond song He Lives. 


As always, huge props to Richard Gaspard and his staff who put together all the media support for the production. Rhett Wyatt and his team put together an incredible set for both the film pieces and the live performance. Holane Davidson coordinated all the costume and make up and the Master's Commission team worked tirelessly to help us pull off the impossible! We had over 4,700 in attendance and many said this was their favorite Easter Production ever! 

Living the Dream

I love dreamers! I love those who receive a vision from God and then work tirelessly to see it come to pass. Mike and Jaclyn Reale are dreamers! They are my dear friends and two of the most enterprising young people I've ever been around. I met them several years ago when they came to us from Florida to attend our Master's Commission program. One of the first things I heard them talking about once we got to know them a little was a dream they had to own a Cheeburger Cheeburger franchise. (Mike's uncle started the first Cheeburger years ago.)

Last night Donna and I were privileged to be among Mike and Jaclyn's guests for their prep night at their new Cheeburger franchise in Bayou Vista, LA. They officially open today! I had a great home-style burger, onion rings and a chocolate/strawberry shake! It was delicious!

This couple has additional dreams that I'm even more excited about than their Cheeburger franchise! I can't wait to see them live those dreams as well!

The Highs and Lows of the NFL

I can't even tell you how furious I am with the NFL and their idiotic decision to suspend Sean Payton for an entire season over his knowledge of what's become known as the "Bounty Scandal." Excuse me, but Roger Goodell's hypocrisy knows no end! We need to investigate and see if he has ever given a bonus to anyone on his staff who has performed well. If so he should be fired immediately! I know many of you will argue, "This is about paying people to purposefully hurt other players." The NFL is entirely made up of people paid to hurt each other. It's a violent sport! I'm not here to endorse or criticize it as such. I'm just saying it's pathetic to pretend that it's a not a violent sport, pocket billions of dollars off of all of the violent hits associated with that violent sport and then penalize a team for simply giving their players a bonus when they performed well! EVERY team does it - one way or another.

Before you're too quick to criticize this post simply because the Saints aren't your team and you won't have to lose to them again this season - Just remember that next season, every time you cheer when one of your favorite players lays a member of the opposing team out with a huge hit, you are celebrating what the Saints just got penalized for. Your favorite player was paid to hit that guy like that - and you LOVED it! 

On a more cheerful note - While my favorite team is being robbed of the opportunity to continue the winning seasons we've enjoyed as of late, my second favorite team just got a little closer to the Super Bowl. Welcome to Denver, Mr. Manning!

The Things We Love Bring Us Together

This past February, Donna and I enjoyed skiing with some really good friends. Fellow pastors Scott and Kara Holmes and Paul and Cindy Burke joined us as well as two wonderful young couples from Crossroads, Mike and Jaclyn Reale and Daniel and Joanna Bergeron. Every  year, because we share a common passion, we are joined by different friends and family members as we ski in beautiful Steamboat Springs, CO.  Isn't it interesting how things we love bring us together? 

Those things are not always as pleasant as a ski trip. Many times it is the death of a loved one that brings together those who haven't seen each other in years. It's as if the final achievement of that one we cherished was putting is all back in touch with one another. Let me say again, it's the things we love that bring us together. 

That's what I love about the church. When we come together on the weekend to sing our songs of worship and learn from God's Word, it is our love for Christ that has brought us together. He is the ultimate common denominator and whether it's a funeral, a worship service or a ski trip, it's always best when we come together and celebrate our love for for Him! 

So what brings you together with the ones you love?

Making the Connection!

This past week we've had the pleasure of hosting Shawn and Amy Reine and their boys here in Lafayette. The Reines will be serving as our Campus Pastors at our Church Plant in Highland's Ranch, CO in the greater Denver area. We plan to start the church in September as our very first Crossroads Connection Church. In addition to the Denver connection, we plan to plant in New Orleans in January 2013 with Jason and Amanda Rhoades and in Atlanta, GA in September 2013 with Adam and Jamie Farley. 

Highland's Ranch is one of the fastest growing areas in the Denver metroplex. Over 100,000 people live in the 21 square mile area that makes up the community which is just south of Aurora - A town of over 300,000! There are more than 3 million people in the greater-Denver area with less than 10% of the population attending church anywhere on Sunday morning. We can't wait to reach this city! 

We had a great time with the Reines as we spent time casting vision with our church, our Crossroads Lead Team, our Board of Directors, the Louisiana Assemblies of God District Officials and our Master's Commission students.  

Africa

On the morning of my fiftieth birthday, my family and I, along with seven other team members from Crossroads Church left for a missions trip to Kenya. It was my first visit to Africa and the most authentic mission experience I've ever had.

We stayed at a base camp, miles from civilization in the bush of the Maasai Mara. We were surrounded by African wild life - Zebra, Giraffe, Elephants, Gazelle, Wildebeest, you name it! We slept and dined in house tents, spent our mornings and evenings around a blazing campfire and used the bathroom in a cho (My least favorite part of the trip!)

Every morning we packed into our vans and traveled across the Savanna to visit the Maasai in their bomas (several dung huts in a circle where the families live). We spoke with people who have never heard the Name of Jesus or been presented the Gospel before. We met children who had never seen white people before and they tried to wipe the color off our arms! We would share the gospel with them through the most simple presentation and they received it with gladness. Dozens were saved!

We visited an outreach in Nairobi where every day, our tithe dollars from Crossroads Church feeds children and give them an education. Many live in the orphanages because they have been left on the trash heaps to die in the slums of Nairobi. The children are beautiful and I can't get their faces out my mind!

We did an open-air crusade in the slums, setting up a stage and a sound system, preaching the gospel in one of the poorest places on the earth. Many responded, some literally hanging out of the window of the block they lived in to pray with me.

We were allowed to share the gospel with hundreds of children in the schools. Every child who could read was given a New Testament! They were so excited to receive those Bibles!

In addition to all the incredible outreach, we got to visit one of the largest game reserves in existence. God gave us favor and we stayed in the hotel where US Presidents stay when they visit the reserve! He also blessed us with the opportunity to see what the Africans call the big five: Elephants, Cape Buffalo, Rhinos (which are endangered and rarely seen) a leopard (again - rarely seen because they are nocturnal) and lions! Going on safari was such a wonderful treat!

The scheduling of this trip was totally out of our hands and arranged by our missionaries, Mike and Marigold Cheshier. It just so happened that they booked us to leave on a Tuesday (I've never left on a Tuesday for a missions trip before) and that Tuesday was my birthday. The Sunday before our trip the Lord reminded me we were leaving on my birthday and He told me He arranged that. He said, "I wanted you to spend the first few days of your fiftieth year in one of the most exotic places on earth so you would know that this next era of your life will be a great adventure!"

How exciting!

Dedications

Last Sunday we held our dedication service for the new worship center. It was our opportunity to celebrate what God has blessed us with. We had a ribbon cutting ceremony that was aired in the main auditorium through video while Donna and I, with our Board of Directors and their wives, our Architects, Steve Oubre and his wife Sarah and Jeremy Durham with Architects Southwest, our Properties Manager, Rhett Wyatt and his wife Tiffany and our District Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Doug Fulenwider pronounced the official dedication. Later in the service, we had the opportunity to recognize all these folks that were so instrumental in the building of this new expansion along with our Special Systems Venders: Gerald Broussard with Intermedia Technologies, Ray Zeigler with RZI Lighting and Paul McCasland with Show and Tell Productions. Our church was congratulated through a video greeting by our General Superintendent for the Assemblies of God, Dr. George Woods and our local City/Parish President Joey Durrell. Several of our district officials with the Louisiana Assemblies of God attended the dedication service and our Superintendent, Doug Fulenwider brought the message. It was a great day and everyone was really excited. Now that we've been in the auditorium for a couple of months, it's really beginning to feel like home!

On another note, the same day of the dedication (January 8th) was my daughter Robin's birthday. She turned twenty that day. Her  mom and I are so proud of her. She has such a great heart for God and ministry. We dedicated her to God when she was just a baby. I couldn't help but think as we were dedicating the new worship center that she (and all who commit their lives to Christ) is the real temple of God. It is the act of dedicating our children to God that is the most important kind of dedication we could ever carry out! 

MVP

This guy set an all-time single season passing record, crushing the record held for 27 years by Dan Marino!  He has more yards, more touch downs, more class and more talent than any other quarterback in the NFL! He should be the league MVP!