These Are a Few of my Favorite Things

It's hard to believe that we are just a day away from Christmas. It's true that the older I get the faster time flies. As I think about Christmas, I think back about the birth of Christ and wonder what it was like on that night? The story itself is still so amazing that God would love us so much that he would send his Son down to this earth to experience this life first hand and ultimately become our saviour. We know that is what Christmas is really about, and that's why we celebrate. However, there are many other awesome things about Christmas with regard to family and traditions. Some of my favorite are watching the "Nativity" movie with Shanon and the kids on Christmas eve, drinking hot cocoa and roasting marshmallows in the fireplace, watching the excitement of the kids as they go to bed and get ready for Santa, and of course giving gifts on Christmas morning. These are a few of my favorite things. What are some of yours? Merry Christmas!

My Last Texas Stadium Memory

This last Sunday night I got to experience one more great Texas Stadium memory up close and personal when my dad and I attended the Cowboys vs. Giants game. It was incredible! Not only was it a great win for the boys this season, but it was just a great memory for me with this being the next to last game being played in this stadium. When I think back, I have experienced a lot here. I watched high school football playoffs when I was a kid. Being from Irving, I actually had my graduation ceremony here. I experienced God here in an awesome way at a Men's Promise Keeper event. Last but not least, my dad and I have some great memories here. This is so much more to me than football, because I will never forget all the fun that we had together watching our team and the bond that was formed. As I write this, I realize that tons of people go through life with little or no relationship with their father, so when I think about Texas Stadium it reminds me of my dad and what a blessing and hero he's been in my life. I will truly hate to see it go.

Hope

When you take an honest look at the world around us and some of the tragedies that seem to frequently take place, it's easy to get discouraged and become depressed. If you combine that with our present economy, it's no wonder that people are struggling so much right now. During this time, it's easy to lose hope, but that is the one thing we must never let go of. Hope is a small word, but it packs quite a punch. I love what King David said in the Psalms, "But as for me, I will always have hope." If you have hope, it doesn't matter what life throws your way. My prayer for you today is that God would give you a fresh dose of hope for whatever you face. Hope is actually the title of our new Christmas series that starts this Sunday. It would be awesome to have you as our guest this Sunday. Maybe a little hope is just what you need.

Amazing Connections

Have you ever had a friend or maybe a company you worked for totally hook you up with great tickets? A few years ago, when we lived in Houston, Shanon and I received the sweetest tickets to any sporting event we had ever attended. It was to a Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons game. They were virtually courtside. We were on the third row and so close to the players that they were looking back at me, because they could smell my barbeque sandwich! I wanted so bad to say, "It's yours for a thousand dollars!". It was an awesome game, but I don't think that it was worth the $450 ticket price. I didn't have to pay it though, because we had a connection. Sometimes good fortune and God's blessings come our way and we get the royal treatment. We don't really deserve it, but it was all because of a friendship or an amazing connection. Today when I took the time to think about all that God has done in this church over the last year, I have been completely blown away. One of the main reasons has been the amazing people that I feel that God has sent to Eagle Pointe. We have been able to meet and connect with some of the coolest people that have such a sincere desire to know God and serve others. They have come from as far as New York, California, Virginia, Hawaii, and as close as Corinth. It continues to serve as a great reminder to me that this is God's church, and he is the one that is building it. As fun as it's been so far, I know that the best is yet to come.

Opportunity Knocks

This Sunday we'll be concluding our current series titled, "Opportunity Knocks", and I can't wait to see how everything is going to end. This series is not only about teaching but also a game show. Who doesn't like a good game show? The show has been hilarious the first three weeks, and those on the show have walked away with some pretty cool prizes. However, this Sunday we are also having a drawing for everyone, and we'll be giving away a brand new couch and love seat that was donated to the game show by a local on-line furniture store called Max Furniture. This series has proven again that church doesn't have to be predictable and mundane. We have had a blast, but we have also taught on some great subjects like relationships, marriage, and purpose. This Sunday I will be sharing a message titled, "Opportunity Knocks at the Door of our Family" where we'll be discussing the incredible opportunities we have before us to have and maintain the awesome families that God always intended us to have. I really hope to see you there!

Fall Block Party in the Preserve

I am so excited about our block party coming up this Friday night. We live here in the Preserve subdivision in South Denton, and our neighborhood is a blast at Halloween. There are so many cute kids dressed up for trick-or-treating, so this is the perfect place to host a block party for the community. It will be this Friday night from 6 - 8pm, and we are going to have bounces houses, free hot dogs & drinks, and of course tons of candy. It's going to be right in the middle of our neighborhood in the open field at 4601 Heron Pond Lane, so if you live in the area stop by. This is going to be so much fun, and I know the kids will have a ball.

Lovin This Weather

I am wearing a jacket right now, and I'm not ashamed to say I'm excited about it. The weather this week is such a welcomed surprise and just reminds me why I like the fall so much. This week at my son's football practice I told the other coaches that this just felt more like football. Yesterday, I got up to ride my bike but it got so cold I opted for jogging instead. Living in Houston for seven years, I pretty much lost the whole concept of fall, so it's nice to have it back. Hopefully, you'll have some time to enjoy this great weather this weekend.