It’s no secret: the economy really stinks right now. I often listen to NPR on my way into work. Nearly each day I listen to programming on the job losses in different markets. I hear the same thing on CNN and Fox News. I can’t imagine how frustrating it must be to loose your job because of a down market. Good people, great people, solid people who have done nothing wrong have lost their jobs because of an economic situation that is far greater than their personal skill set or talent within the organization.
Yet, so many of us can control our own destiny (I am using that term lightly…obviously God is in control. James 4:13 - 16James 4:13 - 16
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
Štetje svetopisemskih vrstic se začne z 1! Vrstica 0 ne obstaja!). I am no historian, but even during the great depression 75% of employees kept their jobs. Now, a 25% job loss is HUGE. No doubt! Yet, three out of four had an up side!
75% three point range in Basketball - Unheard of!
75% close rate in car sales - You will soon be VP!
Giving 75% of your income to charity - What a worthy goal!
My point is, even though a lot of people are loosing jobs, even more are keeping their jobs (even during the great depression). So I think the question really becomes, “what can I do to ensure that I keep my job?”…assuming you want to keep your job! So, I’d like to add my two cents. Here it goes. It’s really simple. (more…)
Two days ago we received a catalog in the mail from Samaritan’s Purse called their “Christmas Gift Catalog: 40 Gifts of Hope for a Hurting World.” Brilliant!
To say I was impressed is an understatement. When I think of Samaritan’s Purse, next to Franklin Graham, the first thing that pops into my mind is Operation Christmas Child. The 2008 catalog did an excellent job of communicating that SP does so much more than OCC. I am compelled to give more this year. We always do the Christmas shoe boxes, but as a result of their catalog, I am compelled to give to some other needs as well.
This catalog really challenged me in many ways. I got to thinking about my kids, their friends, and the emerging generations of Christians. What will their involvement in world evangelism look like? Will they be involved? Will they love God passionately, 110%, sold out? (more…)
We had the best weekend. Mostly because it’s just that time of the year. I think if we took a family vote, fall would be our favorite season.
On Friday I suprised Katie with her 30th birthday present. It was the biggest suprise I have ever given her and it was truly one of the funnest things I have ever done for her. Saturday was filled with flag football, a fall festival at Warren’s school and then a trip to the pumpkin patch. We bought a few too many, but knowing my wife she had plans to give a few away, which she did.
Saturday night, as Hudson and I were finishing up supper, it was rather quiet. He broke the silence by saying, “Sometimes my peas get in my noodles. Sometimes my noodles get in my peas.” It was the most remarkable source of wisdom I had heard all week! I laughed so hard. He looked at me with that beam of sunshine called his smile and just grinned as if to say “I said something funny and didn’t even try to.”
God is real, true & good. I am bursting with thankfulness right now because he first loved us, then he took the time to tell us, show us, and live with us. Amazing.
For several years Randall House has published a magazine called CLEAR Living. Living is a devotional/Bible study mag for adults with articles, columns, bible studies, and waaaaaayyyyyyyy to much journaling space.
Being a guy, I am not a “natural” fan of journaling. And, if I am going to journal, which I do from time to time, I am going to do it in an actual journal or on my blog.
Well, as of March of 09, Living will be replaced by a new magazine called FUSION. I have seen some samples of it and it rocks! It’s smaller, so it is easier to carry or to fit in your bag, back pack or Bible. Plus it is going to have a standing column by one of my favorite people in the whole world, Fred Stoeker (Every Man’s Battle and the Every Man’s Series…what a hero!), Dr. Jim Burns, Dave Ramsey and others.
I can’t wait to be able to use it. It will be an encouragement to many and will help scores of people connect with God each week.
One more thought, check out Jonathan Yandell’s recent post where he wants you to be involved. If you don’t know Jonathan, he is the Sr. editor over this product (and many others), he is a champion, and he is looking for your help. Check it out!
Hudson has figured out that my neck line is ticklish. Last week Katie pinned me down (I let them win 
) and Hud tickled my neck and thought that was pretty funny.
So last night as I was going through the post-bath-time routine with him, as soon as I put his t-shirt on him, Katie said he dove on me like a linebacker and took me down. The intensity in his eyes in order to get me good was impressive. We both laughed so hard.
For me, the most important part of my day with my boys is that last hour of the evening. I get solid one on one time with both Warren & Hud, and I can’t get enough of it. Sometimes I even let it drag out too long just because I don’t want to cut it short. I love that time. We typically will read, play a little, tell stories, do the bath-time thing, and pray together. I shoot for fun time mixed in with a little character/spiritual impression each night. They seem to really crave it, too.
I pray often that those times will build a foundation that lasts into eternity.
One year from today marks the beginning of what some are saying could be the beginning of the next major movement within the body of Christ. Only God knows.
But what I do know is this: D6 is Gods message. Not the message of a publisher, not an organization, an author, or a speaker. He gave this gift to mankind in the form of words. Words that were written and passed down. My prayer is that this event that we call The D6 Conference will be the catalyst or the spark that ignites a movement of leaders investing in parents, who will invest in their kids at home, in the van, at bed time, and on the way to school.
Love God passionately. Know and obey His word. Teach it to your kids. That’s what D6 is all about.
365 days and counting.
Quite vividly, I can remember the day my dad walked out. With dress shirts on clothes hangers, he marched down the hallway talking in a loud voice. My brother was reading me a Golden Book as a distraction…something Disney it seems.
Another time I can remember being twelve sitting in the car with my Mom at a traffic light at the corner of South Lafountain and Hwy 31 in tears because I wanted to spend the night at a friends house for his birthday party. The catch - it was “my dad’s weekend.” This meant that if I were to go to the party, I would have to tell my dad, whom I only got to see every other weekend, that I wasn’t coming until Saturday. Pressure.
It is through that lens that I viewed my experience today at Focus On The Family. Humbling, to be sure. I am experiencing a flood of emotions this afternoon.
As we walked into Jim Daly’s office, it seemed strangely normal, yet at the same time my mind could not quite compute that we were meeting with the President and the cabinet of this benchmark, influential organization that I have admired for twenty years. (more…)
A lot actually. We are spinning a lot of plates these days, but each plate is jam packed with a nutritious, tasty meal. We have been eating our Wheaties lately just to keep up.
Now that we have nailed down our location for the venue, we are now forging ahead on a few final speakers and a worship leader. It will be fun to release those names as the months roll on.
We are also working hard on the D6conference.com web site. What is currently up, although helpful info, is not the final…just temp. We plan to have the full site up by mid October. In addition to that, our third party registration vendor is working on our registration model. I look forward to taking a look at that and ensuring that the registration process will go smoothly. Another item we are working on is the final promo video. We should have that by sometime in October as well.
Splink is running, but the eblasts have not begun yet. We are set to begin launching those via email next Tuesday.
Another new site we are launching, CLEARmagazines.com is about 60% developed and will be ready to launch in about 3 weeks. It looks fantastic! Can’t wait for this to be fully running.
A lot going on, but it’s all good stuff. Back to work!
10. It’s a Great City!
9. The McKinney Trolley
8. The National Cowgirl Hall of Fame
7. The Fort Worth Zoo
6. Six Flags Over Texas
5. The Fort Worth Stock Yards
4. The Dallas Zoo
3. The New Cowboys Staduim
2. Frisco (Norther Suburb of Dallas)
1. The 2009 Home of The D6 Conference
The D6 Conference CLEAR Advantage Registration ends on October 1 (in about 6 weeks). It’s definitely worth registering by this deadline for pastors because you can save a HUGE chunk of cash. Most pastors will want to take leaders or leading parents with them, and there is some pretty significant savings there as well for those who register by the Oct. 1 deadline.
Here is some other info you might be lookig for:
It’s no secret: the economy really stinks right now. I often listen to NPR on my way into work. Nearly each day I listen to programming on the job losses in different markets. I hear the same thing on CNN and Fox News. I can’t imagine how frustrating it must be to loose your job because of a down market. Good people, great people, solid people who have done nothing wrong have lost their jobs because of an economic situation that is far greater than their personal skill set or talent within the organization.