I dare you to find a better job then mine

Yesturday here's what I got to do. At 10:30 I got to baptize three family memembers at our Sharpsburg campus. At Noon I got to drive over to our new Madras campus and worship with the guys over there. I wish every Sunday were like that.

I Wanna Be the First to Get the News Out part 2

The 171 is great news, we're all pumped about it. However, I wonder why we're all pumped about it? Should we be supprised by what God can and is doing? He know there would be 171 there. Oh well, I guess that's the difference between us and God. Ok, there's a bunch more, but you know what I mean.

I Wanna Be the First to Get the News Out

Jason just got a text message from Bill Coffman at our new Madras Campus that they have 171 people at their first service! WOW!

I can take 22 five year olds in a fight

I can take 22 five year olds in a fight. I'm pretty proud of this number; I thought it might be a little higher. I've already gone through one five year old (my son) and now have a five year old daughter. BUT, I also have a 3 year old (almost 4) daughter that fights like a 12 year old. Given the practice I get at home I thought my number would be closer to 30. Anyway, if you want to see how many 5 year olds you can take click the link below:

22

Oh, and to the person that always gets upset with my post: I DO NOT EVER OR WOULD EVER FIGHT A FIVE YEAR OLD. WHEN MY KIDS AND I WRESTLE IT IS FOR PURE FUN. I MAKE EVERY EFFORT NOT TO INJURE MY CHILDREN. Unless my three year old decides to do a flying knee drop from the sofa on my head, then all bets are off.

Don't Go To Kroger . . . at least for a while.

So I’m on my way to church Sunday and I have to stop at the grocery store to pick up food for the HYPE small groups that meet on Sunday morning. My grocery store of choice is Kroger. Now, I’m not one of those freaks that pledge allegiance to a particular chain of grocery stores. I choose Kroger because it is A) On my way to/from work and easy to get out of, and B) When I spend $100 I get ten cents off a gallon of gas. I think Wal-Mart is probably cheaper on groceries, but I have made it my mission in life to avoid Newnan’s Wal-Mart at all cost. I may spend a little more on food, but it’s probably counter balanced by the amount I save on gas and grey hair. ANYWAY, I stop Kroger at 7:45 in the morning. Not an unreasonable time seeing how it is a 24 hour grocery store. As I walk in (AFTER getting all three of my kids out of the car) I’m stopped by what I can only assume is a manger. He proceeds to inform me that they are closed until 8:00 so they can have their “Grand Opening” (they have just recently remodeled the store). Needless to say I was less then pleased. I expressed my displeasure by informing him that was the stupidest thing I had ever heard and that a company that would do such a thing must be run by complete morons. He said, and I quote “I’m sorry, but we’re sure glad you decided to stop by this morning.” WHAT?!?! He wasn’t glad at all. By the fact they were not open they were hoping nobody would walk in the door. When the powers at be decided to close the store in order to have a grand opening they were hoping and praying no one showed up. Anyway, I proceeded to tell him that he was in fact NOT glad I showed up or else he would have let me buy my dozen doughnuts and gallon of milk. He then tells me I’m more then welcome to come back at 8:00, IN 10 FREAKIN’ MINUTES. If I hadn’t been on my way to church with my three kids I would have happy to stand there for another 10 minutes, insulting him and his company, and then made my purchases (still need that $100 to get my discounted gas). Alas, I didn’t have the time. So I just went to Publix, the most expensive grocery store in the world.

Now, you may be saying to yourself “Self, what is the point of Kelley’ little tirade?” Here it is: Kroger dropped the ball. They work all year to get my business. They remodel, they build gas pumps, and they reward me for buying food for them, they advertise, they run specials. I depend on Kroger to come through on what they say. I then I show up and they turn me away as if my needs don’t matter. I was really ticked at Kroger and honestly don’t want to shop there anymore. Here at Community Christian we kind of do the same thing. We advertise, we encourage people that call this their home to invite there friends. But if everyone here isn’t on mission we might as well turn people away at the door. Sure there are times that I want to take it easy, I want to just hang out with my friends and not talk to anyone else. Sure it’s a pain to drag my kids up there at 7:30 AM and have the sit for an hour and a half while I practice a drama or get stuff ready for small group. But I know that there is someone out there that will be walking in the door because of the church’s efforts and we better be prepared for them. Unfortunately the term “comfort zone” just doesn’t exist in our church. If we all stick to our comfort zones the mission won’t get accomplished and people go to Hell. It’s true that only God can turn a person’s heart and once a person walks in the door they have to be open to listing to Him. And if WE think WE did something great when someone makes Jesus the leader of their life we are fooling themselves. But we’ve got to get them in the door and decide that we’re ok with doing things we may not otherwise like to do. Ultimately Kroger has no choice in where my grocery money goes, but they sure know how to entice me to spend it with them. If they do in fact entice me into their store they better sure as heck back up what they’ve said. We better do the same. We say we’re a church for the Rest of Us. Stop thinking about what you and you husband and your kids like, and think about what the Rest of Us likes. It’s not about you, it’s about lost people. It’s about reaching unconnected people and together growing to Christ, regardless of location, time, leader, music and friends. Kroger dropped the ball, but eventually I’ll end up back there at some point giving them my money (need that gas). Unfortunately, people aren’t as forgiving of churches as they are grocery stores.

In light of Disney’s release of 101 Dalmatians . . .

I’m breaking into the Disney vault! Who’s in?