Midnight Reflections

It's Sunday night and before I go horizontal, I thought I would throw out a few random thoughts.

- Thanksgiving has come and gone and I want to share a few things I am thankful for: Jesus, Jennifer, Joelan, Julia, and Jesse (He/She is only 2 inches long but his/her heart is beating strong!). We haven't totally committed to the name Jesse but we are FOR SURE sticking with the "J" theme.

- I am also thankful for all that God has done at Graystone Church. It's hard to name everything but the ones that stick out are our incredible staff team and their spouses, our servant leaders/volunteers, the changing lives/families, glocal impact, all the newborn children, our twenty-somethings small group, and God's continued favor and faithfulness to Graystone Church.

- I was thinking again about the Imagine Campaign and 1.2 million dollars pledged by 110 families. PRAISE GOD! I think I have been guilty of moving on too quickly from God's incredible goodness to us. We really do need to stop and thank Him more for all that He has done. His faithfulness to Graystone continues to blow me away.

- Speaking of gratitude...we have so much to be thankful to God. Not just in material blessings (house, cars, clothes, clean water,etc.) but for our salvation, forgiveness of sin, and eternal security in heaven (when we all really deserve HELL). If God never did anything for us again, He has already done enough and we should be eternally grateful.

- A friend's Imagine testimony...one of Graystone's faithful shared with me the other day an incredible story of God opening up the floodgates of heaven. I told him that he needed to share his testimony with Graystone and he said that he was too terrified to speak in front of people, so he asked me to share his story. I probably will one Sunday morning at a later date, but you blog readers get it first. On commitment Sunday, he felt God leading him to give an initial gift of $5,000. He didn't really have the money, but he gave it anyway. The next morning, Monday morning, his phone starting ringing off the hook and God gave him that day $60,000 of new business. PRAISE GOD! I think that it's AWESOME that God honored his STEP OF FAITH. God didn't provide the $60,000 and then he gave the $5,000. No, he first stepped out in faith, and then God provided the blessing. I don't know how many times I have to preach it before people will get it. But if we step out and trust God, our lives will be so full of blessing that we will not have enough room for it.

- And our blessings may not be monetary. They may be in the form of a new baby. So, don't say that I didn't warn you.

- Sorry, I keep bring up the new baby (due June 16) but it has rocked mine and Jennifer's world. I've already started putting on some sympathy weight and have reached an all-time high of 230 pounds. But tonight I'm going on public record with my weight loss goals (that sounds so gay...like I'm on Dr. Phil or something, anyway...). My goals are to be less that 210 pound when the baby is born and less that 200 pounds on my 40th birthday (07/20/2009). On that note, I don't expect a big 40th birthday party but presents are welcomed and appreciated. At that time my sizes will be 36 waist, XL shirt, size 14 shoe, and 7 1/2 hat size.

- How did LSU lose two 3OT games this season? How did they fall from 1st to 7th in the BCS with a triple overtime loss? How can Georgia finish no better than 3rd in the SEC and be ranked 4th in the BCS? How can you not win your conference and still have a chance to play for the BCS National Championship? GO DAWGS!!!

- Go Rams! Congrats to the Grayson Football Team...they are in the elite 8 of the High School Playoffs!

- Go Mississippi Mullets! I'm still dominating the Graystone Fantasy Football League and will defend my 2006 GFL Championship!

- WELL, this midnight blog has gotten way too long and has gone downhill fast...It must be bedtime.