I Love This Show

Okay. It's no secret. I love "the office". It's one of my favorite sitcoms. If you are a fan of the show, you will enjoy this scene. If you have never watched the show before, check out the following clip. I think you will become a fan!

CALEB UPDATE

Thank you so much for praying for Caleb. I posted a while back that we were having test done for him. It was an EEG. Quick Recap: when Caleb was younger, he had seizures pretty regularly. After 2 years of medication, the seizures had stopped. So, the recent EEG was to make sure they were not reoccurring.

GOOD NEWS! No more seizures. We are so thankful. Thank you for praying for him. It really means a lot to our family. I guess he's just a......normal.....kid? Hmmm....

Very Disappointed...But, Christmas is Coming

So, how does USC lose to an unranked opponent with a losing record and still end up ranked ahead of Georgia. Georgia lost by 11 points to the number 8 team in the country. What are the voters thinking?

On a different note, we have already been buying Christmas presents. I LOVE this time of year. We have bought a few things for the kids, and they are already talking about what we're going to be doing this year on Christmas day.

That's Right

I couldn't think of a title for this blog...so, don't hurt yourself trying to figure out what it means. It is no secret (I don't think). I am a fan of The Office. The season premier was last night, and I am so excited that it is back. So, in honor of the new season, Immanuel is casting for The (Church) Office. The Church Office will be a 5 week series that gives viewers a "behind the scenes", over-dramatized and very inaccurate look at what goes on in the offices at Immanuel on a daily basis. The purpose is to use the show (which will air in both Sunday services beginning October 12) to promote the wide array of events and ministry opportunities going on at Immanuel over the next 3 months.

Jason Barker (new min. of ed.) and I are writing the script. Our media guys, Larry and Byron (who have their own "office-like issues) are shooting and editing, and I can't wait to see the finished product. This will either be a huge success (please Jesus), or I will be looking for another job.

Banks Glass

A friend of mine, Shaun Glass, has a 4 year old son named Banks. Banks had RSV when he was little, and is still having a lot of complications from it. His respitory system has never fully recovered. Please pray for this little guy, and for his family. They're more than concerned at this point. I'll give you updates as I get them.

So Nervous

So, tomorrow is Saturday. What does that mean this time of year? You guessed it...college football. USC lost (yea), which opens the door for Georgia (which should have never been closed since they have done nothing but win). Georgia just has to win. They have a HUGE game against Alabama, and it's gonna be tough. Georgia schedule for the season is daunting, so we have to take it one game at a time. Go Dawgs!

Wellness in the Work Place

We've started a wellness program for the staff at Immanuel. I think it's a good idea, but I'm eager to see how many people stay with it. At this point, it's entirely optional. Our ministerial staff was in charge of leading the first session. It happens to be on "Stress". So, each minister has been given the charge of researching and teaching the staff about how to deal with personal and work related stress. Along with that, we have church-shaped stress balls for each person who attends, MAIN SQUEEZE brought by free health smoothies, Shelly Scarborough, an Immanuel Member and Medical Message Therapist, is here giving 20 minute message sessions to each person attending, and we are doing a drawing for some door prizes from Bed, Bath and Beyond . All in all, pretty cool stuff. It is exciting to see community businesses such as Shelly's, Bed, Bath and Beyond, and Main Squeeze get involved.

I feel less stress already....sorta.

UGA Wins!

I loved this game. Sun Devil Stadium was pretty cool. But, the coolest part was that the Dawgs dominated, despite 104 yards in penalties (What was that all about?). Here are a couple of pics from the game. Me and Mark Rush hung at the game. Thanks for driving, Mark. Awesome day! Go Dawgs!

Go Dawgs!

I am so excited. Tomorrow is the big day. My Georgia Bulldogs are playing in Sun Devil Stadium against the Arizona State Sun Devils in Tempe, AZ...and I am going to the game. That's right! I will be right there in the middle of the Georgia fans rooting on my boys. Look for me on ABC. I will be the one with the Georgia Hat on. Help me out...I'm not sure which hat to wear. Black, Red, or Khaki? Cast your vote in the comments below to help me decide.

Abby Cat

So, our 6 year old, Abby, is a character. She makes us laugh. I'm not talking about the common chuckle, or even the on going cackle. I'm talking about the milk-spewing from the nostrils, I can't believe she just did that, stop it my sides are hurting, I can't take it no 'mo kind of laughing. She is hilarious. Her middle name is Catherine (after her mother), so we affectionately call her Abby Cat.

Well, 'ole Abby Cat wants to be a model. She loves to pose and be the center of attention. I have NO idea where she gets that from. Surely not either of her parents. Surely.

We just found out that FORD MODELING in Los Angeles has narrowed down a group of kids for a modeling contract with their agency. Abby is in the final 25 kids being considered for this honor. Now, before we get ahead of ourselves, the reality is that it is a long shot in the dark. Not only does the kid have to beat out others with tons of experience against her "no experience", but she has to be what they need right now. We've learned in recent months that it's not whether a kid CAN model, but instead what the agency needs. If they have other blond-haired blue-eyed kids, she won't go very far. However, if that's what they need the most, then she has a better shot. What an honor it would be to be with this agency. If they could just meet her once, I know they would be passing her a contract across a table covered in spewed out milk while grabbing their aching sides. (ref. above paragraph)

So, I thought we'd celebrate the top 25 with this blog while we have the chance. Congrats Abby Cat. Keep looking like your mother and you'll go far.

Dancing Baby

Our two year old, Ella, is hilarious. She is one of the funniest little girls you could ever meet. Tonight, we were all sitting around the dinner table talking about our day when she broke out. We always have music playing while we eat, so it's not unusual for heads to be bopping about while we chew. However, tonight Ella took it to a whole new level.

As she chewed, she mixed a head bop with a shoulder twist that sent us all over the edge. But, what was the real kicker was as the music grew softer and slowed she went into a slow motion of her new move. All of a sudden, the music kicked back into full groove...and took Ella with it. We're gonna be cleaning up the spewed mac-n-cheese for weeks. I love these crazy kids.

Midnight Snacks

I don't know what they will be, but Jody and I are sitting up until midnight tonight with Caleb. Yes, we are letting our 8 year old stay up on a school night until midnight. And, NO, we're not crazy. When Caleb was younger he had seizures on a pretty regular basis. Seizures come in many forms, and his were hard to diagnose. He would just "space out" and be absent for anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes. No reason. No rhyme.

He's been spacing out in school, so we're taking him for an EEG tomorrow. They want him extremely tired for the test, so they've instructed us to keep him up until midnight and to get him up at 5am. Jody is planning on taking him to IHOP at 5am. Have fun. Just don't let the door slam! (I'm sleeping)

So, please be in prayer for Caleb as we investigate to find out what's going on. He is at the top of his class in testing in every subject. But, he's not able to finish his work in class due to his "spacing out". So, his grades are not where they should be. But, he's an awesome kid. God's been good to us. I'll let you know when we find out what's going on. Thanks for your prayers.

A Very Travis Christmas

Okay....maybe it's true. I have a man-crush on Travis Cottrell. But, I'm okay with that. Seriously, Travis' Christmas album hits the stores in mid-October. A friend of his was at the recording session in Nashville with us when we recorded the choral tracks. With her camera in hand, she shot some footage from inside the soundbooth. You can check out her blog at Boomama dot net . Check it out below, and don't forget to get your copy of Travis' Christmas album. It is pretty incredible!


Travis' Christmas CD from on Vimeo.

A Great Rehearsal

I just got home from rehearsal tonight and I'm pretty worn out. But, it was a great night. The choir sounded amazing tonight. I love their heart and willingness to do anything for God's glory. Thank you guys for the privilege to serve next to you week in and week out. You're awesome!

I also had the Worship Band rehearsal tonight. Another great one! The stage for the 10:45 service will be different...again. We will also have a worship choir in place on stage. What is a worship choir you ask? Well, it's a choir full of worshipers leading others in worship. However, this one is a smaller, 24 voice choir, that will be leading with us in the contemporary service. They sound amazing!

We are going to be introducing a new song called "Revelation Song". You do not want to miss this one. It is amazing!

Okay....I'm going for 6 uses of the word amazing in this blog, so I have to get the word amazing in again. How else will everyone know how amazing this Sunday is going to be if I don't? You've gotta be there at 10:45 this week. Bring a friend. Bring several friends. Immanuel will grow and will reach this community for Jesus if you invite people. Invite everyone you come into contact with. If you do, your percentage of those who take you up on the invite WILL increase. Bring your family. It is going to be......uhh....really really good. (amazing)

Did You KNOWshon?

If you don't know by now, let me just tell you how big of a Georgia Bulldog fan I am. That's the University of Georgia Bulldogs! Knowshon Moreno is their starting Running Back, and is a Heisman hopeful for this season. In only his sophomore year, he is already having an impressive season. Check out this video footage from this past Saturday's game.

Worship - Good

We just came through our second Sunday with the new worship schedule. Numbers from week one show that we were up over 200 people...and on Labor Day Weekend, too. I guess curiosity is one reason to go to church for some. Week two say numbers stay consistent. Now, we don't make changes like this for numbers' sake. However, every number is a soul. And, we find joy in knowing that there are more people now hearing the preaching of God's word and being a part of the Church worshiping on a weekly basis.

Speaking of worship, the new worship band in our 2nd service will be playing at Discover Highland this Saturday. We will have 2 different sets. Come out and support what they are doing. The purpose? Well, to promote the new worship services, but more importantly, for people to hear music about Jesus. Good enough reason for me.

Fall Evaluations

We are going through staff evaluations right now within our worship staff. It has been very humbling. Although I am in the supervisor role and am evaluating my staff, I believe that you can't evaluate someone else's performance without first taking a look at yourself. While there are a few things that are tough to talk through, on the other side our staff is going to be stronger and more effective. If we're not willing to look at our weaknesses in light of our strengths, we can't truly grow as an individual.

Speaking of weaknesses, I'm very upset with College Football Pollsters this morning. But, I'll save that for another blog.

A Great Kickoff

Yesterday was the kickoff for our new worship schedule, and it was a great one. I'm excited to see what our attendance numbers were. It looked as though the crowd was up. I heard several comments yesterday about the new contemporary service. One lady said "that was by far the sweetest worship service I've ever been a part of." Another said "wow. That was the most powerful service I can remember ever being to." It wasn't that something amazing happened. Instead, it was a connection that these people had. It was a worship service that was designed with specific people in mind. And, apparently, the connection was made.

I'm so excited to see what the results will be over time. Invite friends. Invite everyone that you come into contact with. This is why this service was created.