FRIDAY FLUSH!

8.29.2008

WOW! As I said in several previous post here and here it is gettin' CRAZIER by the second at Revolution Church! Soooo, here are some random items that are going on as Revolution Church prepares to be 1 Church with 2 Locations!!!

  • Flying banners for the road arrived today and look AWESOME!
  • A new promo for the upcoming series is incredible and will hit your mailboxes very soon! The series should be even more so!
  • The countdown to the "Uprising....a student worship celebration!" has begun!
  • Tons of sound and light system equipment are going up in the NEW Holly Springs location. It is gonna be EXPLOSIVE to say the least!
  • I've not shaved in like three days. Starting to itch!
  • My hair and Preston's hair have gone to a whole-nutha-level! Could we be related?
  • Banners are ordered to make sure everyone knows where to go when they get to the new location. Don't want anyone getting lost.
  • Energy drinks are being consumed at near lethal levels!
  • God is supplying our needs in some amazing ways.
  • I repeat, God is supplying our needs in some amazing ways!
  • The first official Revolution Students E:news email went out yesterday. If you didn't get one, send an e-mail to michael@therevolution.tv with "E:news" in the subject line.
There is a ton more stuff going on in preparation for the Revolution Church launch in Holly Springs! If you are interested in serving, shoot Tim May an email at tim@therevolution.tv and for even more information, keep an eye on Gary's BLOG!

Keep it real!

srr

sinbad

Who is this?

8.26.2008

24 hours of rain got me thinking about these verses.

Luke 8.24-25
24 They woke Jesus: "Master, Master, we're going to drown!" Getting to his feet, he told the wind, "Silence!" and the waves, "Quiet down!" They did it. The lake became smooth as glass. 25 Then he said to his disciples, "Why can't you trust me?" They were in absolute awe, staggered and stammering, "Who is this, anyway? He calls out to the winds and sea, and they do what he tells them!"

Just for kicks and giggles, step outside and ask the storm to stop! I'll wait.....




Did anything happen?

That's what I thought. But when Jesus did it, the wind and waves responded! Tonight, while it's raining, think about that "storm" you're up against in your life. Then, think about THE ONE who spoke to the storm and it responded. Hmmm.....

I love what Jesus' storm-control did to the disciples.... They were in absolute awe, staggered and stammering!

When we encounter Jesus, the real Jesus, we will stand in AWE! We won't have any other choice!

Keep it real!

srr

sinbad

FRIDAY FLUSH (Crazy: Part Deux!)

8.22.2008

So, Lovely Linda and I have been moving for 3 solid days! Why, you may ask, did it take so dang long? Well, since you asked, I'll tell ya! The biggest reason is that we went through about 95% of EVERYTHING we own! Yeah, EVERYTHING! Almost no box-o'-junk was left unsorted. It has been a nightmare, but a nightmare I won't soon be reliving. We have been married for 13+ phenomenal years and we have collected some junk. Not only that, but we moved approx. 16 months ago from a 3 bedroom house to GVBR and didn't cull much of anything. So as painful as it was, we were diligent in striving to sort everything out. In the process, we donated over three suv's full of stuff to Goodwill Canton and took three Ford Ranger truck beds full to the dumpster! It has been amazing, disturbing, humbling, and frustrating thinking about stuff that at one time or another I thought I needed to hang on to, but at this point in my life I easily junked or gave away. So, today's Friday Flush is dedicated to some of the CRAZY CRAP discovered while moving!
  • The rechargeable battery for my cordless drill. Been missing that for about 3 years. KEPT
  • A pill bottle full of "rubies" I had "mined" from one of those "Pan-for-Gold" sites in North Georgia when I was a kid! Chunked!
  • A key ring with 25+ keys on it that go to I don't know what! Chunked!
  • Copies of the Atlanta Journal special sections from almost every day of the 1996 Olympics. Chunked!
  • Random ticket stubs from ZZ Top, Heart, and 38 Special concerts in the summer of '86! Status: UNDETERMINED?!?
  • A pink hardhat. Chunked!
  • 7 different watches. Kept! I'm a watch junkie.
  • An Eric Clapton concert T-shirt from the early 90's. Status: UNDETERMINED?!? I think it got re-packed, but I'm not sure.
Anyway, getting rid of so much stuff has been liberating. And Lovely Linda and I have set a goal to have everything we moved unpacked in 30 days or less. And we might get rid of more crap in the process!

Thinking of going through your junk? I encourage you to DO IT!!! You might be surprised at what you will find! Need some pointers? Check Peter Walsh out. You won't regret purging the physical crap in your life. I'll probably post later about purging the spiritual crap! Another blog another day.

Keep it real!

srr

sinbad

On the eve of change!

8.19.2008

WOW!!! 5 weeks ago I officially joined the Revolution Church Staff! Since then, Lovely Linda and I have also been finishing our time working and living at the Goshen Valley Boys Ranch. Tomorrow, we officially move into the Canton Mill Lofts in Canton. In the last 5 days we have given away or thrown away approximately 3 truckloads of crap!!! Last week we had to put one of our dogs to sleep. We still have stuff to pack! And, oh yeah! In the mean time, Revolution Church is preparing to launch the Holly Springs campus and Revolution Students is gearing up to re-launch "Uprising...student worship experience" on September 21!!! Needless to say, the last few weeks have been absolutely CRAZY!

And guess what?!? They're about to get crazier!!!! But that's cool! This is what God has to say on the matter:

Romans 8:31-39 (The Message)

31-39So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:

AND THIS!!!

Hebrews 13:5-6 & 8 (The Message)

5-6Don't be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, "I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you," we can boldly quote,

God is there, ready to help;
I'm fearless no matter what.
Who or what can get to me?

8 For Jesus doesn't change—yesterday, today, tomorrow, he's always totally himself.


My philosophy is this! It’s earth shattering! It may revolutionize your life!

Trust GOD & hang on!!!

It’s gonna be ONE WILD RIDE!!!!

Keep it real!

srr

sinbad




A Lesson in Grief (I'd rather not had) and Friday Flush

8.12.2008

So a couple things have happened this week that have got me doing a TON of reflecting!

First, Gary kicked off a message series called ALIVE at Revolution Church this week and challenged us to think about how our lives might be different if we knew we only had 30 days to live. He challenged us to examine how we invest our time. Uh, yeah! I have tons of room for improvement. Kinda scary thinking this was just the first of four weeks!

Then, Monday, Linda and I had to make the decision to have one of our two dogs put to sleep. The same dog that was an anniversary present for Linda on our 1 year anniversary. We've been married 13 years! Yeah, she was 12 and has been a part of us almost as long as we've been married. Needless to say, IT SUCKED!!! Even though Linda and I had been preparing for such a day as this, it still sucked. A ton of memories can compile over 12+ years. She was a GREAT dog. When we first got her as a puppy she looked like Wishbone and we would take her to the softball fields where I played and the kids would go nuts! It was that early socialization that lead her to be great around people. Anyway, she definitely impacted mine and Linda's lives and she will be greatly missed!

Ginger Snap Creighton you rocked...

And now for your FRIDAY FLUSH!!!

In honor of Ginger, today's flush is all about her and her desire to eat anything.
  • As I mentioned in my Olympics Friday Flush she once ate some of my Olympic tickets!
  • One Christmas she ate an ornament that was an angel made out of pasta and painted white right off the tree.
  • Because I used to snore, (now I sleep like this!), Linda has always slept with earplugs. Ginger loved them and would eat them any chance she got. We would often go out in the front yard and find speckled poo where they had gone through her system.
  • On the very first Thanksgiving that we had Ginger, we had gone to my mother's house for Thanksgiving dinner and following dinner we had gone to another room to kick back and relax when we heard some noise coming from the dining room. It was Ginger in the very middle of the table eating the leftover turkey. Awesome!
  • The only time you had a chance of getting your face gnawed off was when she was eating a dog chew, such as a favorite of hers - pig ears, and you tried to take it away from her. Not good!
  • The general rule of thumb was the grosser and more disgusting the item was, the more she liked it. Use your imagination and you'd probably guess one or two of her favorites.
And there you have it. Your FRIDAY FLUSH in honor of Ginger!

Keep it real!

srr

sinbad

FRIDAY FLUSH!

8.08.2008


In honor of the Olympics, today's FRIDAY FLUSH is about the 96 ATL Olympics!

  • When the Olympics came to Atlanta in 1996, I went Pin Trading crazy! That's where you collect and trade Olympic pins with whoever will trade with you. Don't judge me! Anyway, I loved it and would trade with anyone. My favorite is this Gold Turtle from the Cayman Islands. It was selling for $100+ during the Olympics, however my mother brought mine back to me from a trip to the Cayman Islands after the Olympics for $7!
  • I only had tix to events during the second week. On the 1st day I was to go, I got up at around 5:30 AM to beat the traffic and realized something was terribly wrong! My dog had chewed up my tickets! I WAS PISSED! Anyway, I put all the leftover pieces in a Ziploc, headed downtown to the ticket window and proceeded to convince the ticket lady to print me some new tickets! Yeah come on!
  • I LOVE CROWDS and would just go downtown to people watch! Saw a lady with a 7' boa (snake not feather!) around her neck. Another lady had her hair formed into Olympic rings. I saw someone blow chunks from the Slingshot ride! Awesome! I love people watching and you don't get any crazier than when the world shows up at your back door!
  • The Lovely Linda and I also got caught up in the Swatch craze and bought this. Yeah! That's right! I could easily turn a $15 profit right now on E-bay, but I am holding out.
  • I was able to see volleyball, baseball, handball, and track-and-field and it didn't cost me a penny. The very best tickets! Free ones!
  • The Lovely Linda used to work for the company that designed the giant "torch" thingy just north of the Varsity. Nothing extra in the paycheck for that one!
  • Linda and I also own a Commemorative Brick in Centennial Olympic Park, but neither of us can remember what it says. Looks like an excuse to go to OK Cafe!
Anyway, I can't wait to watch the 2008 Beijing Olympics. If tonight's Twitter activity is any indication, Beijing's gonna bring it!

Keep it real!

srr

sinbad

Why Chik-fil-a Rox my face off!

8.06.2008

I observe restaurants and places of business and how they are run when I go to them. I CAN'T HELP IT! It's what I do. Anyway, one of my favorite restaurants to observe is Chick-fil-a (check out their story here). I love walking in a restaurant and checking out how everything and everyone works and works together and then asking myself, "Why'd they do it like that?" and "What can I learn from them?" Here is some of the stuff I love about Chick-fil-a...

  • The Mint Guy and The Drive Thru Chick! I love when I eat in the restaurant and am finishing my meal and the guy comes around with a basket with some rockin' mints in it. And then there's the girl (I know! Sometimes it's a dude!) that comes to your car in the drive thru when it's busy and takes your order before you're even at the order board! It's called "Extra Mile" folks! Most places don't do it!
  • Free Extra Sauces! Nothing ticks me off worse than going somewhere and asking for an extra sauce or salad dressing and then being told there is a charge. DUDE! I just drove to YOUR location and chose YOU over somebody else. Don't "thank" me by charging me 30 cents for a tiny-tub of blue cheese!
  • "You-know-what-you're-getting" consistent quality! They do chicken! And they do it AWESOME! When I order a Chick-fil-a sandwich, I know what it's gonna be like every single time! Bun, chicken, pickles. Unless I order it differently, and then that's the way I get it! NO SURPRISES! Even when they introduce a new food item, I know the quality is going to be off the charts!
  • They take risks; they're just EXTREMELY well thought out! The other day Chick-fil-a did a "keep your receipt" day where whatever you bought on that day, if you kept your receipt and brought it back in the month of August you got the same items that were on the receipt free. Most people would probably call that a risk and a big one at that. But by the numbers of people I saw when I went that day and the buzz I heard, it must have paid off. And what kind of service did I get that day? The same quality service I get every other time.
  • They're closed on Sundays! And they have been since the beginning! And they still had earnings of over 2.2 billion dollars in 2006! NO! Before you ask! I'm not saying everybody should be closed on Sunday! But what I am saying is that they have a conviction and they are committed to it! Yep, I have been out on a Sunday afternoon and been craving some C-fila and not been able to get it. But I still go back on Monday.
I could go on for a while, but in a nut shell, the reason I observe restaurants and businesses is to see how I can take winning principles and apply them to the church and student ministry or even my personal life. So to that end, here are a couple questions for ya:
  • Am I going that extra mile for my "customer", whoever that may be? What would they say?
  • Am I sticking it to a loyal "customer" by "charging for extra sauce"?
  • Is excellence a priority? Really? Does it show?
  • Am I trying to do to much? Is the quality of EVERYTHING compromised as a result?
  • Am I willing to take risks? Not stupid or foolish ones, but well thought out and evaluated risks. Yeah, some may fail, but some are going to yield insane results! What RISK are you taking?
  • What's your "Closed Sunday" conviction? Do you compromise it? Why?
Anyway, just some thoughts to chew on.

Keep it real!

srr

sinbad



FRIDAY FLUSH!

8.01.2008

Friday Flush is totally random stuff, some informative and some just useless junk to give you more of a glimpse into to the mind of a maniac! Have fun and enter at your own risk!

  • In 1oth grade I took driver's ed class with Julia Roberts. She was just Julie then. It has not netted me one more penny on a paycheck in my life!
  • I once did a funeral for a relative where the hearse got lost in the cemetery. I did another funeral where they released what looked like white doves but were actually homing pigeons dyed white! Who knew?
  • This is my alma mater (11-12 grades). We affectionately referred to it as Rabun Gap NO-SMOOCHIE. Interestingly enough, alma mater is Latin for "nourishing mother."
  • I own a Yanni World Tour t-shirt. And NO, I didn't attend the concert.
  • My wife and I have been married 13.5 years. We met when she was the maid of honor and I was the best man at my brother's wedding.
Thanks for playing!

srr

sinbad