Fantasy Football

I have never done fantasy football before. Tonight, I joined some other guys from VL for our draft pick. We went to Buffalo's off Cumberland. Great night - I picked a guy that is hurt (Donald Driver) - not cool - and they had NO mercy on me.

My team is:

• Carson Palmer - QB
• Ben Rothlesberger - QB
• Willis McGahee - RB
• Ahman Green - RB
• Maurice Jones-Drew - RB
• Carnell Williams - RB
• Donald Driver - WR
• Plaxico Burress - WR
• Laveaunues Coles - WR
• Mark Clayton - WR
• Greg Jennings - WR
• Chris Cooley - TE
• Ben Watson - TE
• David Akers - Kicker
• Patriots - Defense/ST
• Jaguars - Defense/ST

Leverage Your Culture

In listening to a podcast with Erwin McManus and Rick Warren, a good point is brought out - that we need to understand the culture we live in in order to effectively make an impact.

We don't live in L.A. or New York or Alabama - we live in Atlanta, GA - and I think it is even important to note what part of Atlanta we live in - and the people in our communities.

We can learn incredible principles from EVERYONE - but success in one community may not be in another - because of our culture.

Another good point along these lines is to "leverage" our culture (in general). At a conference that Granger Community Church led, they said you can either ignore, condemn, join, or leverage our "pop" culture. Of course Leveraging our culture is the answer - use it - maximize it - to reach the people in it.

Churches I like

I love learning about other people, ministries, church leaders, and leadership in general.

In recent months, I have been exposed to some churches that I like. I like their overall message, creativity, clarity, focus, and their simplicity.

I really like their courage - to hold true to the message of Jesus and engage people that are unchurched and disconnected from God.

Here are the names and links to their websites:

New Spring Church - Anderson, SC
http://www.newspring.cc/

Elevation Church - Charlotte, NC
http://www.elevationchurch.org/

Mars Hill Church - Seattle, WA
http://www.marshillchurch.org/

Granger Community Church - Granger, IN
http://www.gccwired.com/

Mountain Lake Church - Cumming, GA
http://mountainlakechurch.org/

Lifechurch.tv - multiple locations across the US
http://www.lifechurch.tv/

Work with your friends

Some people debate the issue of whether or not you should work with your friends. I guess that there is a fear of friendship being ruined if things go "bad".

I would simply say - why would I want to spend SO much of my time each day and each week and hopefully year after year - with people that are not some of my best friends?

Brian Bennett is one of my best friends and he is also the associate and groups pastor at Vinings Lake. Today, Brian and I had a meeting, drove around our area - looking, talking, dreaming, walking, planning, thinking, laughing, and hanging out. Last week, it was Brian's birthday and after a lunch with our staff we went to a movie together - in the middle of the afternoon.

It takes honesty, loyalty, respect, and plenty of open communication (on both sides), but I work with one of my best friends - and I want the future guys that join the VL team to also be some of my best friends.

**I also must give my wife the props for her strong encouragement to call Brian to VL - how is it that our wives are so right - so often?

Date with my wife

My wife is the best! Wednesday night, Hollie and I went out on a date. We went for sushi and then this picture is at Starbucks after dinner - I can't help it, I love this place!!!

We try to do this once a week, it is just the 2 of us, and it is so needed in our relationship. Like everyone, we are busy in life and even when we are at home, we are busy with the kids or other things, but our dates keep us refreshed and renewed.

It doesn't have to be anything fancy or expensive - but for the love of PETE, date your spouse!!!!!

Creators of a Video Game

Monday, I had the opportunity to go out to Alpharetta and have lunch with a guy in our church - his name is Jeff. Jeff works for a company that makes video games. His official title is "Lead Environment Artist".

He gave me a tour of their facility and offices and departments - and introduced me to his co-workers - great people! I was out of my mind amazed at what they all did. I had NO idea what went into creating a video game. From the story, vision, to the graphic design, to the implementation, to the actual creating process - of drawing, developing, testing, running, research - and EVERYTHING else they do - it was more than I ever could "imagine". Maybe the most incredible part is that ALL those people are working on 1 - that's right, ONE game! What FOCUS, SYNERGY, TEAMWORK, and VISION these guys are displaying - awesome!

As he was sharing with me the PROCESS and development and VISION that goes into it all, it reminded me of what I do - the story is written, the vision is there and the process to implement it and make it happen is constantly being re-vamped, changed, communicated, taught, trained, encouraged - so that people will get it and LIVE it, and so that the end goal will happen.

**My "assignment" as a pastor may be to help lead and design a process to implement what Jesus gave us to do, but every follower of Jesus has the opportunity to get involved.

I am not saying life is like a video game - that's a little impersonal. I also realize that I am not a creator, BUT the process that these guys create for a video game simply challenges me. Jesus gave us our instructions in Matthew 28:16-20 - now we must take and implement them into 2007 - right in the middle of our lives, homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, communities, countries, and the world.

*Our greatest asset that we have - is simply LOVE. Why? Because God loved the world and God is love. How? Anyway we can. More blogging on that later.

"No Strings Attached" - Pt. 2

As I was thinking about this blog tonight - I realized another area of my life that I constantly need to improve on.

When I do nice or good or "servant" things for my wife - I have a very bad habit of bringing it back up at certain times - in order to "remind" her of what I did for her. For example, giving the kids a bath or coming home early to pick Hope up from school or anything "out of the ordinary".

I need to work on being kind and doing these things - with "No Strings Attached".

***And in case you are wondering......she did NOT make me write this - she hasn't even seen it yet - ok, so I just wrote this so I can "remind" her of that as well......just kidding....aren't we humans so self-centered!!!!!!

"No Strings Attached"

As I was preparing for this week's message, I found a random blog that talked about The difference between a “transactional relationship” (social connection) vs. a “trust relationship”.

It was referring to our need for REAL relationships that are beyond business relationships - where we want to connect - in order to sell, network, etc. (which is nothing wrong - that's how business is done). But it said, “We don’t look as individual agents that are going to realize connections with others to obtain tactical operational benefit…we don’t use our relationships… we are our relationships!”

Through this, a guy at VL - Joe Wright mentioned to me last night that as Christians, we can appear that way sometimes - which is a subject that has been brought up to me recently.

As Christians, we struggle with having relationships - REAL relationships - with those that are "unbelievers" or "unchurched". It can feel awkward for both parties - feeling like we just need to get them converted and for others to feel like that's all we want out of the relationship - like a "transactional" relationship.

I believe we need to be intentional to live - with our lives and lips - WHO Jesus is and our relationship with Him. But what happens when they still choose not to believe? Do we move on? Or do we show them that no matter what, we love them? That may seperate the "transactional" relationship from the "trust" relationship.

I do not know exactly what the BEST answer is - other than it is a "both/and" not an "either/or", but I do think about Jesus - that He performed miracles and healed people and had compassion on them - whether they followed Him or not. Maybe we should read more about Him and how He treated people - ALL people - no matter where they were in life or what they did or did not believe.

I want people to know God b/c God loves people - way more than I could on my own. But people may not realize this - until we love people - genuinely, "No Strings Attached".

I just pulled my daughter's 2nd tooth!

About 10 minutes ago, I just pulled my daughter's tooth out. It was her 2nd one to come out and I must say I was a little nervous b/c it took a few pulls to get it out. Her first one I pulled was very easy - just slipped right out, but this one took a a little more.

She is such a champ - and so cute. She didn't even cry - she is a tough little dude!

***By the way, while I was doing this, my wife shut herself in the pantry - I guess it freaked her out!

Need for Relationships

We are relational people. Everyone - whether we recognize or not - are created this way. Of course, some are more outgoing than others, but we are not meant to live life alone. When we are alone, all kinds of wierd things happen - in our minds, emotions, and then in and through our lives.

Tomorrow, I am going to be speaking on this subject and will be highlighting a story in scripture where during a very difficult time, 1 person deicides to make a commitment to another - to walk with them through this time. It is from the book of Ruth, chapter 1, in the Old Testament.

We will learn that "community" is:
A commitment to give and take through seasons of life - together.

It's not necesarrily b/c we have everything in common with others (although we have more in common than we think b/c we all live on this planet and are human), but it's about making a commitment - to give and take (both) - through seasons of life (that will change) - together.

A Conversation with Jesus

Yesterday, we finished our "Magnify...because God is bigger" series at Vinings Lake. I walked through John 4 where Jesus has a conversation with a woman at the well (or in today's world could have been a woman at Starbucks or Waffle House or something like that....

In this conversation He reveals some things to this woman - some spoken and probably some just by being there as a Jew having a conversation with a Samaritan!

It is very interesting to me what sometimes we want to create Jesus to look like, act like, be like - as if He just sat in a holy corner all day long (kind of like a monk) and didn't interact with people. I can sometimes view Him this way - yet the Scriptures tell us that He lived among people, walked, talked, ate, hung out with people - for gravy sake, He was a man! I love this about Jesus - He was real and while He not only told the truth - He was the truth - and yet He cared for people - ALL people!

And yet, at the end of His conversation with the woman, He finally revealed that....He was God! (WOW! It never gets old hearing the miraculous truth - that God became a man - for the purpose of bringing us back to Himself).

What is interesting and humorous in this occasion is the next conversation that Jesus has with his followers/disciples.

After they return from the town/community - Jesus basically tells them to OPEN YOUR EYES! The woman just left to go tell her community everything that just happened and yet His own followers seemed to not "get it". Who knows, they might have been thinking about why Jesus was talking to a Samaritan and they definitely were a little confused about the food Jesus talked about. I am sure guilty of "missing it" - and being side-tracked with other things in this going on in my life, when all along Jesus is saying "OPEN YOUR EYES!"

I have been told that in our community around Vinings Lake, there are 158,955 people in a 5 mile radius and about 600,000 in a 10 mile radius - I need to, we need to - OPEN OUR EYES!

Jesus is not here in physical appearance any longer, but we are - His followers - and He gave us "all authority" to do what He did - walk, talk, eat, and have conversations - and simply INFLUENCE people around us - to follow Jesus.

Evan Almighty

I took my family out the other night for a little Varsity and a movie and we saw Evan Almighty and I must say my kids and my wife and I all enjoyed it. It had some good lines in there and great thoughts from the perspective of understanding God and us - and it was pretty funny too.

The Rev. Al Sharpton

Ok, just by reading this heading I would love to see your face - but Hollie and I were in the hotel lobby at the Ritz Carlton in Buckhead for our anniversary last Thursday and there he was - the Rev. Al Sharpton! So I went up and asked for a picture with him. Now, I didn't do this b/c he is my hero - only b/c he is famous. Hello - he was in the movie "Mr. Deeds" - I mean come on!!!haha.....It was pretty crazy - and very funny!

Hollie blogged about it and you can go here to see the picture http://hhhixson.blogspot.com/2007/08/anniversary-rev-al-sharpton-and.html - it came out a little fuzzy, but not too bad. Me and Al Sharpton - oh yeah!

God's "Uncreated-ness"

It was another good day today at Vinings Lake as we continued our series called "Magnify...because God is bigger". Here is a link that gives a little more detail about the series - http://www.viningslake.org/sundays.htm

We specifically magnified God's "Uncreated-ness" - and we saw how we were created to worship God and rule His creation, but we actually worship His creation and are ruled by it!

Practically speaking, it seems a little difficult to point out "what" to do as a result of the message/series, but the reality is that as we magnify God - it will lead us to worship Him, and that's pretty practical because worship is the state of our action, not just our belief.

More than we can see

I am beginning to realize that God is doing more in people's lives than what we can see. As I write this I feel kind of stupid saying this because He is God and I am man - pretty profound if you think about it for a while.

I just recieved and email from Paul, a guy that comes to Vinings Lake and is growing and is a great encouragement to me and it made me realize that God is working in people's lives in ways that are drawing them to Himself - when we can't even see it, and it helps me to rest in Him - His work - and it is His desire in me and not mine without Him anyway.

I am not encouraging no follow up or follow through in "church life", but sometimes I think we get caught up in a lot of paper work and plans and strategies to get people where we think they need to be next, when God is moving and we need to simply trust Him and continue producing enviroments that will give people an opportunity to move to the next step in their faith. The truth is, no matter what we "talk" people into, it must be genuine faith between them and God anyway.

Believe me, I am all about a vision and a process. At VL, our end goal is to make disciple makers of Jesus - and our "Process" for that to become a reality is for people to Come, Connect, and Commit. So I completely believe in and I am committed to having a vision and a process to make it happen, I am just learning to focus on what I can do - to help Bring people into the truth, awareness, and reality of what only God can do!

And that actually gives me a greater deal of responsibility than not - because I MUST be diligent and intentional to do what I can and have been commissioned to do by Jesus - found in Matthew 28:16-20!

My wife is the Best!

This coming Thursday, August 2, Hollie and I will officially celebrate our 10 year anniversary! My incredible and very cool wife is so creative and thoughtful. Tonight, I was out playing tennis and when I pulled in my garage, up against the wall was a brand new ping-pong table!

When we were in Los Cabos for our anniversary trip, I played ping-pong several times and I have always enjoyed the game - and I can't believe she thought to get me a table! I am so excited - ping-pong tournament at the Hixson's!

I love my wife - she is truly the best - and she is very hot too! Seriously!