It’s GREAT to have my parents here in Atlanta with us!
We had a fun time eating lunch at Famous Dave’s Ribs. Great stuff!
My Mom and Jesse and I went to Kensington Station to visit Ashley, Kathy and the kids at the mission over there. They are doing such a great job with the kids. It sure is wonderful to have Zac Harrison helping out too! What a blessing.
We also went for a drive around Perimeter College campus to show my Mom where Ashley will be going to school in the Fall.
Jesse and I went for a 7 mile bike ride around the outer loop of Stone Mountain. We had a lot of fun. I dig Jesse! We also stopped at the Quarry Exhibition there. Jesse had never seen it. It’s pretty cool.
We got back from the mountain and took my parents to Walmart. My Dad gets exercise pushing a shopping cart around the store. It’s plenty big!
This evening we watched Radio. Ed Harris and Cuba Gooding. I really like that movie.
Then caught up with email and admin stuff. Always something. Still need to get the videos done.
Started working on my two new video projects this morning. I’m putting together a promotional video for Rebecca Hampton, the leader of Cowboy Church in Jerusalem.
Also editing a story for the Outreach Event we had at Aspen Point this weekend with Roswell United Methodist Church.
Got great stuff from both shoots!
Jesse and I went over to FBC Doraville to check on the office and make some calls. We also went over to the bank to deposit money and get some documents notarized.
Ashley gave me an IPod nano this week! I’ve really enjoyed it. I’ve downloaded a bunch of talks from TED.com/talks. TED stands for Technology Entertainment Design–three topics I’m interested in. I learn things from the top speakers on the planet. I almost always find a spiritual application from what I’m listening too. If a marketing person (like Seth Godin) explains how to get a message out better, it usually helps me get a CHRISTIAN message out better too! We have to redeem the technology! That’s one big reason why I spend time doing email, blogs and working on videos for our web sites. That’s the future of communication!
My whole training seminar can now be downloaded from any computer all over the world. (Last month we had hits from 42 different countries!) You can download my seminar onto an ipod and listen to it anywhere!
J and I went over to Azalea to check on the kids. The Mocombe family was having issues with their car. We took them a little benevolence gift to help them get going again.
The big news is that my FOLKS are in town! Yeah! J and I picked them up from the airport about 7pm. We brought them back to Stone Mountain then we had Mexican food at El Torreros. I sure have missed seeing them!
Jesse and I were joined by another partner of mine Jason Sullivan this afternoon as we hosted an Outreach Event at Aspen Pointe in Roswell. We had a great team from Roswell United Methodist Church who provided all the food and games for the event. We had a great crowd from the complex.
We had the opportunity to share Christ with the kids as the parents watched.
My partners from World Harvest Church and their “Street Reach” team does a great job each week sharing Christ with the kids.
In a few minutes I’ll head over to First Baptist Church of Lilburn where I’ll be sharing a mission project with their kids. They’ll be collecting school supplies for the kids at the missions near their church. It’s a good way for the kids to have an initial missions experience!
I had a terrific time preaching today at Cowboy Church in Jerusalem, Georgia!
I worked with one of my favorite partners, Rebecca Hampton who is part of our Mission Service Corps team of the North American Mission Board.
She is doing a terrific job with troubled youth in the area.
In the last few months over 24 people have come to the Lord because of her work. Today I presented a revised story of the Prodigal Son from a cowboy perspective. “There was a rich rancher in S. Texas who had two sons. The younger son was tired of living on the ranch and wanted to go to Austin!”
I ended my sermon with , “Take the Church, to the Cowboys!”
It was a beautiful thing!
I also made the comment that “I’d seen every kind of back row Baptist. But I’ve never seen a HORSE on the back row before!” It was pretty amazing to see this palamino lean over the fence to nuzzle on of the congregation on the back row!
It was a long trip–nearly 200 hundred miles to Jerusalem and back to Stone Mountain. But it was certainly worth the time. I shot a lot of video so I can help promote Rebecca’s work at the ranch. Please pray that she will be able to reach many more of her neighbors for Christ!
I got home about 9:30pm. Kathy, Jesse and I enjoyed watching the movie “Amazing Grace.” We’ll finish watching it tomorrow.
Did I mention I turn 50 this July 12th? I’ve started working on my Story Tim project for the web site. Part of me thinks, “If I died tomorrow, what would be left of me?” I’ve seen some remarkable things! Here’s the introduction to the series.
The first story! “Slingshots and Elephants.” Dig it!
We went to Perimeter College this morning. The staff was super friendly. I think it’ll be a good experience for Ashley. It sure is closer to the house!
Jesse, Ashley and I had lunch at one of my Food Faves: Patacon Pisa’o. It’s Colombian food at it’s best! I love the decor of the place. The food is a little bit pricey (most dishes are around $10) but it’s a HUGE amount of food, so I think it’s worth it.
Last night I spent time getting the new camera for the Palmers ready for action. It’s a Canon PowerShot SD750 Digital Elph. It’s the best camera I’ve ever used and is incredibly simple to operate. I gave them a quick lesson on how to operate it when we went to their apartment this afternoon. The rooms were filled with boxes of their stuff. I reckon they’re committed now! I think it’ll just get better for them. Bill Hickey went over there this afternoon to help them get some of the appliances hooked up. I think they’re having a problem with the washing machine. Bahd luck. Hopefully they can get it fixed easily.
We shot over to Kensington Station to hand out flyers for our Puppet Team arriving this evening. We handed out about 30 flyers to all the kids and families we saw. They were planning on doing a show this evening but they had a problem with a tire on their trailer and needed to get that working instead. Better to be safe than sorry!
Went over to Target to get some supplies. I needed an analog (sweeping hands) clock that I can use to help me keep on time when I’m doing my Story Tim presentations.
Also went to Hobby Lobby to pick up some art drawing stuff. I think I mentioned that I picked up the newest edition of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain book yesterday. I always like to add new skills and I think that drawing will be a fun one to learn.
Jesse, Ashley and I went to go see Iron Man tonight. Really dug that movie. Hugh Downey Jr. was terrific. I predict that will be one of the biggest box office hits of the year. It’ll have competition with the new Indiana Jones movie and the newest Batman show, but Iron Man is really going to be hard to beat.
Today Ashley and I had a good meeting with one of my favorite partners, Jon Hamby. We used to work together a lot in Clarkston. Several years ago he decided to go back into the business world and uses his sales job as a missionary! Lord knows we need lots of missionaries working with businessmen! It was great to catch up with him and see how he’s doing. He’s still involved with missions with our refugee families in Clarkston.
Jesse was really tired today. Sometimes he doesn’t sleep very well and then he’s so tired during the day.
I blew up my air mattress for him that I keep at my office at FBC Doraville. Lots of times I have to use it when I’m too tired to go on! Thirty minutes can make all the difference before facing those wild kids at the mission!
Ashley got a new phone today. Her old one still worked. Barely. It had definitely taken more than a few falls. It’s one of those new Iphones from Apple. It’s a slick machine! She has a case for it, but I think she may need one that also protects the touch screen.
We went by to talk to Jesse’s psychiatrist this afternoon. I wanted his opinion on him being so tired. He’ll probably have to adjust some of the medicine dosages. We also needed the doctor to send our other doctor all the medical forms.
Got to spend a few minutes at the book store. I picked up a copy of “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain.” I’m looking forward to learning new skills!
Also enjoying reading “A Whole New Mind” by Daniel Pink. It’s also about using your creative mind, which tends to be in the right hemisphere of the brain. One section is called Stories. It’s made me want to archive my favorite stories from my 50 years of life on this planet! (Fifty on July 12th!)
I’ll be putting them in video form, one story at a time on our web site. They’ll all be short 5-7 minutes. Here are some of the titles: “Chased by a Baby Elephant,” “Spitting Cobras” “Attacked by Pythons”. Did you know I used to work at the Snake Park in Nairobi?
This evening we ate at the Lamb’s house and then went to watch FBC Mountain Park play softball. Kevin Lamb made a spectacular play sliding into home plate to score. He also hurt his hand and forearm crashing into the plate. Pray for Kevin!
I really appreciate you reading this blog! I did some research on our web site last night. We average nearly 7,000 hits a DAY. Groovy!
I was excited about today! I enjoy getting a bunch of my partners together!
I wanted to have a welcoming party for our new partners the Palmers that came into town a couple of days ago. Yesterday was their first full day of working at Huntington Ridge. Tim, Cathy and Andrei are adjusting well to their new home. It’s a LOT different from their house on the lake! They’re surrounded on all sides by apartments filled with folks from Central America!
I took the Palmers along with Bill Hickey from Huntington Terraces, Ashley, Miles and Jesse, Zac Harrison (who’s been helping Ashley) Keith Harrell (another new partner waiting to be appointed by NAMB) and a perspective new partner Cami Miller who came down from Indiana to meet with us today. We enjoyed delicious Indian food from Vikhyat prepared by our good friends the Patel family.
After lunch, Bill, Jesse, Andrei, Keith and I went up to Franklin road in Marietta to change the lock on the door at the mission. We’d had some issues with one of the keys, so we had to change the lock.
Michael Anderson is the director of the mission. He’s doing a great job!
We also stopped by Best Buy to pick up some software for Keith so he can work on his newsletter.
Then back to Azalea to check on the kids at the mission. Jesse and I had a good time with Jouvens and Bubba as well as Clinton, Jowan and Angel.
We came on back to Stone Mountain and Jesse and I took a quick bike ride around the big rock. He’s a pretty quick biker!
I’ve been working on hard drive issues with my computer. I needed to transfer some material from one drive to another. Jesse took a look at it and gave me some suggestions as to what I should do. Sure am glad he’s around to help!
My folks will be flying in from Austin on Monday! I’ve made reservations at our hotel for them. Sure am looking forward to that!
Jesse and I headed up to Alpharetta this morning to meet with our UNITE partners from that section of the county. It was great to see old buddies and make some new friends! I’m looking forward to getting more work moving in that area.
Went by Barnes and Noble. I enjoy taking a few minutes to look through the business and marketing sections.
Checked on the kids at the mission. Everyone seemed to be doing well and they feel pretty confident about the CRCT testing. Jouvens opened a bank account today. He was so proud! He has his passport from Haiti. We still hope to get him into Perimeter School in the Fall. Also talked to John about the incident with the baseball breaking a car window. There’s always something I have to try and negotiate. Keep the peace!
Ran 4.2 miles up to Stone Mountain.
Went by Walmart to make keys for the Palmers to get into my office if they need the internet. Took forever to get that done! Also heard from one of my partners in Marietta that we’re having trouble with a mission. Too many keys floating around so we’re changing the locks to make sure that only the leadership has access. Bill Hickey and I will go over there tomorrow and swap it out. I made extra keys for the new lock. Always something.
Working on my financial report. Sure am glad we finished the newsletter this weekend!
This morning Kathy, Jesse and I went to the In The Dark exhibit at Ferbank Museum. I was less than impressed. It was mainly geared to little kids, so even though I did learn some things, it wasn’t nearly as good as what I was hoping. We arrived at the museum on a quiet Monday morning. I thought we’d have the museum to ourselves. Man, was I wrong. We pulled up into the driveway and I was shocked to see 9 school buses lined up around the parking lot. HUNDREDS of kids were in line to go in the museum It was like being at the mission with a bunch of rowdy kids. Bahd luck.
I love kids, but sometimes it’s nice to have a break and just be with my family. Oh, well.
I liked the cultural exhibit on the third floor the best.
I came back to the hotel and Jesse and Kathy crashed out. I worked on email and then went over to Huntington Ridge to check on the apartment for the Palmers. They still didn’t have the sink nor the oven fixed. Bummer. I did get all the paperwork done for the lease. I hope their first night at the mission will be a positive one!
Went to Huntington Terraces to drop off Bill’s glasses. He forgot them in my car. I found them this afternoon under the divider between the seats.
Checked on mail at the church and talked with my partner Deborah Hayes at the Pregnancy Center about the missions fair at Briarcliff Baptist Church this weekend. I told her she needed to personalize her presentation more. Focus on the stories of the people she’s worked with and the baby’s lives she’s saved! Her work is literally a matter of life and death!
Zac Harrison came to work with Ashley today. What a blessing!
Went to my house to check on the construction. They’ve taken out most of the bad sheet rock.
Pray for my friend Kerri Lamb. Kathy and Ashley are still living at the Lamb’s house. Kerri was taken to the ER last night with acute tonsillitis. Pray that the medication they gave her will be effective!
The family went to Briarcliff Baptist Church this morning where Ashley and I gave a brief talk about our ministry. The people were warm and receptive to our message. They did a great job at the missions yesterday!
Jesse and I rode up to Roswell after church. We were supposed to have an Outreach Event today at Aspen Pointe but it started really raining. I met with the team and explained to them that the moms wouldn’t let their kids out in that kind of weather. We hope to change the event to next weekend instead. Hopefully the weather will cooperate!
I’ve been working on newsletters this afternoon. There are 248 people to write this month! Takes a while!
Also editing a story for the Outreach Event we had at Aspen Point this weekend with Roswell United Methodist Church.
