Yeehaw! What a weekend.

This weekend, I headed to Nashville to be a part of the kick off for World Harvest Outreach Ministry, a church planting and evangelism organization started by Mitch and Sharon Maloney. Pastor Maloney asked me to be on the Board of Directors. I’d follow Pastor just about anywhere. So, I’m very glad to contribute and be a part of a great group of people that I’ve known and admired for quite some time.

On the way up, I met with a motley crew of fellows at Macaroni Grill in Atlanta. They’re all posters on Actscelerate (a message board I enjoy) that I’ve gotten to know over the years. During that lunch I revealed my secret identity on Acts (Old Time Country Preacher). It was quite a shock to many.

On Friday and Saturday, I got a bit fired up about W.H.O.M.. $120,000 was raised in addition to donated offices and some other significant previously committed donations. There are already several church plants, marketplace ministries, and evangelism initiatives scheduled just around the corner in Uganda, Tortola, and here in the States. During the WHOM kickoff, I met some really super people, including Rabbi Curt Landry, Rick Fowler, and hooked up with some old college friends like Chris Hodge.

While I was gone, my church back home participated in our first parade, the annual Homestead Rodeo Parade. Everyone dressed like ranchers and the band played on the float. The kids from Kids Life, dressed like cowboys and cowgirls while passing out candy and invite cards.

Then Sunday after getting in at 5:30 AM, Pastor Lewis Wilkerson from Life Pointe Church – Port Charlotte, spoke in both of our services. It was a full weekend, worth every second. But, in closing, I’m too tired to say “Yeehaw!” Instead, I’ll muster enough energy to say, “adios pardners…see ya’ll soon.”

Friday Lunch in Atlanta

What are the Odds?

My buddy and old roomie from college, “Dr.” Matt Robinett, who is now also like my third child has been coming down from Clearwater every couple weeks and hanging out. So, yesterday we went to Bayside Marketplace and then last night we went and hung out over on Miami Beach at Lincoln Road and ate at the Cafe’ at Books and Books. The weather was incredible. So, we sat outside.
We had a great time, the girls were super sweet, and of course, Kelly made the night a lot of fun. Kelly wasn’t in any pictures because she was the only one using the camera…won’t let that happen again. Kourtney fed me ice cream. McKenna just took everything in.
Then, this really cool Italian guitarist came by and played and sang, “Ciao Ciao Bambino.” I think I enjoyed it more than anyone. Can’t get the tune out of my head.
As we ate a really delicious meal (which I won’t get into), out of nowhere, a bird falls out of the sky and landed with a hard thud about six feet from my oldest daughter. The bird must have been doing between 70-80 mph. After a little ensuing chaos on the part of the wait staff, we chuckled and talked about how crazy it was and how bizarre it would be if it happened again in the same place while we were sitting there.

Guess what?!?! It did about 15 minutes later. I almost went to buy a lottery ticket after that. I mean, what are the odds??

By the way, Kelly and I are getting ready to start screening applications to marry Matt. If you know of any good prospects give us a quick shout. But, as my finder fee, the lucky couple would have to relocate to Miami.

"Dean’s Song" (its actually Alito’s)

Click here for the greatly anticipated Sammy Alito and Howard Dean duet! Thanks to Sean Gleeson for the great work! You’re a genius!

"DaDa!"

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Reflections on a Road Trip

Kelly snapped this pic crossing the Mississippi River during our Christmas break. She wrote a bit and has plenty of pictures over on the Johnson Times, her blog to stay in touch with friends and family and to share pictures of our adventures.
Some of my findest memories growing up were family road trips (Grand Canyon, Blue Ridge Parkway, etc…). Those trips were reminiscent of the Griswolds treking cross country minus the Green Family Truckster. While we’ve had our share of road trips in the life of our family, this may officially be the first real road trip for us and the girls (not including trips to grandma and grandpa’s house, Kelly and Kourtney’s trip to Nashville, and a Disney trip which were all either short, straight driving, or did not include all of our family).
We drove 3,600 miles to Baton Rouge, Austin, Houston, Baton Rouge, Tallahassee, and back to Miami. During the trip we hung out with some great friends and family, saw some sights, had the Webb/Johnson Christmas, enjoyed the Hill Country of Austin, daydreamed about having a TX ranch, and loaded down the truck with more Christmas toys from their grandparents with which Kourtney and McKenna will ever know what to do.

I think this will be the first of many road trips and memories made. I think I had more fun than anyone.

Video: General Wagner Tells off Traitors Moran and Murtha

US Representatives, John Murtha and Jim Moran daily undermine the war effort with our troops (and some of my best friends in the world) in theater. Recently, Murtha, a retired Vietnam vet and POW stated that if he was young today, he would never join the US Military. On that same day, some of our young men were killed by a car bomb.

General Wagner, at an Anti-war town hall meeting broadcast on C-Span tells off Moran (video) after receiving a letter from the mom of a son killed in Iraq. Its an interesting view. I am proud that the men like General Wagner that make our country outnumber men like Murtha and Moran.

Thanks to Michelle Malkin for the link.

Bold Religious Trends- Rabbi Marc Gellman

Rabbi Marc Gellman opines in a Newsweek article on 5 interesting religious trends of 2005 (mostly according data collected by George Barna). They are:

1. Pathetic prayer
   
2. The continuing demise of the black church
   
3. The energizing of the Evangelicals
   
4. Biblical illiteracy
   
5. Revolutionaries

Gellman goes on to share his hopes for the future. Its an interesting read. My thoughts coinciding with the word BOLD and this Gellman read is that I cannot change anything in the American Church without changing myself. I guess the question that we should ask ourselves in response to Gellman are what were our top 5 trends for 2005? What are our hopes for our 2006 God trends?