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Travel: Comings, Goings and a Happening Church

The Lord has provided ample amount (for us) of travel this year. Here is some of where we have been since 1/09.

DISCLAIMER: I give you permission to skip to the bottom of this blog post if you are not into reading where other people travel. Some send out Christmas letters each year telling you where they've been. Maybe you do, too. Perhaps you send me one each year. If so, thanks. For me, I'll just choose to annoy you several times throughout the years with where I've been and where I plan to go.

 

BEEN THERE ...

* Las Vegas - yes, and what happened there ...

*  Oklahoma - parent and children's conference

* Louisville - Southern Baptist Convention

* Denver - The Parent Adventure presentation to International English

Consultants

* Horn's Creek Camp - Camp Whatever! With hundreds of kids!

* Western Caribbean Ocean - Marriage Cruise

* Phoenix - The Parent Adventure workshop at the Association of Marriage and Family Ministers (AMFM)

* Dallas (Forney, TX) - The Parent Adventure workshop at a Church Leadership Conference for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention

 

GOING THERE (Lord willing!) ...

* Smyrna, TN - LifePoint Church's Real Marriage - You need to be there, too! BUY YOUR TICKETS WEDNESDAY NIGHT OR NEXT SUNDAY AM IN THE CONCOURSE.

* Ridgecrest, NC - Keynoting at Festival of Marriage

* Arlington, TX - (TPA presentation) LifeWay Kids Conference

* Clarksville, TN - TPA at Parent's Conference

* Smyrna (LifePoint) - TPA presentation over 5 Sundays beginning in late October

CANCELLED

* Panama City, FL - Festival of Marriage - R&S withdrew

* Scottsdale, AZ - event cancellation

Whew! It already has been a major year of travel and we've got 4 months to go!

I giggle slightly because every year Selma tells me we're going to slow down. We try but ...

We are blessed to have such opportunities to speak and encourage marriages and parents. It is a true joy as well. I am also blessed to have a partner to speak alongside me.

Many of the speaking engagements mentioned above have been or are mine alone. I can do that okay but it is just right when my mate is beside me.  

What about you? Where have you been this year? Where are you planning on going? I'd really like to hear. Comment on this post and let me know.

PS - Church News:

1 - if you haven't been to LifePoint lately, it is going bananas. We are almost averaging 3000 each Sunday! Wow! I knew it when it was running around 400-500 each week.

This week we are beginning a new campus in the Stewart's Creek area. Check it out at lifepointchurch. We'd love to have you.

2 - REAL MARRIAGE is coming September 19 and 20. More on that later but you can get your tickets this Sunday in the concourse.

The Longest Married Couple - the Groom Has Died

Wow - check this out:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/devon/8067752.stm

How long were they married? Hint: they have a 76 year-old (legitimate!) son.

A Coach's Primary Role: Influence

Several men on our church staff are little league coaches. So are a lot of other guys at LifePoint. I am proud of all of them. Many of them do not even have kids themselves in the game yet they give and give and give to these kids.

Of course they teach them a lot more than just football (or baseball, basketball, soccer - you fill in the blank). A lot of it is about influence. Encouraging a kid to do his best, reach his potential, building character, etc. Sometimes even sharing Christ with them. Basically being salt and light to these young players.

100 years ago I played football for the mighty Cleveland (Tennessee) High School Blue Raiders. (I just know you've heard of them!) I was a wide receiver. I keep up with them whenever I get to Cleveland to visit Mom.

A little history: when I played for CHS we had a 32 game winning streak. (I got a head concussion the game we had it broken!) I also played in a state championship game. We lost, but we got there. CHS also got back to state finals game - and won it THREE YEARS IN A ROW in the 90's. So we're not talking about a so-so program here.

The Blue Raiders have a new coach this year. His name is E.K. Slaughter. (Not a bad name for a head coach, huh? SLAUGHTER!) Haven't met Coach Slaughter but he made me proud of him and my alma mater this week with a quote in Cleveland's newspaper.

There was a two-page spread of quotes from all the high school team's coaches just as the season was beginning. Many were saying "We're gonna win the state championship this year" and stuff like that.

Here was E.K. Slaughter's quote:

"What you do is go to school and play football. Who you are is eventually going to be a husband and father, a family man. Our No.1 goal is to create better fathers and husbands."

WOW! Not a bad start for the new coach.

I am pulling for you this season, Coach Slaughter. But whether you win a single game or not, your players are going to have a good season with you and that kind of philosophy influencing them.