I am really looking forward to this weekend. Since we're not having Sunday services I am taking the family to the beach. Travis and Kristin are also going to the beach - and we worked out a plan to get Brandon down there for a day or so too. So it's going to be awesome man. Me, Brandon and Travis are playing golf with my dad on Saturday and then Saturday night we're going to throw some big steaks on the grill.

I can't decide if I'm going to church or not on Sunday but I'm thinking of going to Myrtle Beach Community Church - where my parents attend.

As much as I'll miss having church with the R2C2 family, it will be nice to have a "normal" weekend. We're going to do our best to relax and hang out and re-energize for a BIG summer push to further the Kingdom in Cabarrus County.

Hope everyone has a great, restful and safe Memorial Day weekend. Go Dale, Jr.!

Like your life, mine is not a perfect one. But it is a good one. Here are some reasons why I’m loving life right now – and some stuff on my mind too.

• This is the last week of school. Yes, I know I will have the kids pretty much exclusively but I can’t wait. I love it when the kids are out of school.
• Yesterday was an awesome beginning to our summer @ Rocky River. We kicked off a new service series called “Simple.” Both services rocked! The crowd was great. And the offerings were a miracle – really!
• People are bringing their friends to Rocky River. That’s why we’re growing!
• I had lunch with two great friends yesterday after church. And then dinner with more great friends. Yesterday was a great time of hanging out with some people I love.
• I’m loving life with our staff. We have a great group. I love going to the office every day. That’s never completely been the case.
• My Granddaddy Britt would have been 100 years old today. I would give anything I own to watch a Braves game with him, or eat some eggs and bacon with him, ride to “the store” with him or just hug his neck. Every time I smell English Leather cologne I think of him. Sometimes (when I can find it in a store) I will open a bottle just to because the smell of it reminds me of him.
• I’m going on vacation next Sunday (after church) to Branson, MO, Memphis, TN, and Nashville, TN. My parents and my sister’s family are going with us. It will be a great trip. We’re going to be spending three nights at the Big Cedar Lodge (the home of Bass Pro Shops http://www.big-cedar.com/) and that place is awesome!
• James won his tournament game tonight 11-10. We scored 6 runs in the last inning! It was awesome man!
• Brandon, Travis and Catherine are the best staff in the world! I’m SO serious about that. Have I already mentioned it?
• I have an awesome (and hot) wife and THE BEST TWO KIDS a dad could ever have. My dad’s kids would run a close second. ☺
• I’m watching Ground Hog day on the Family Channel – one of my favorite movies ever.
• And, I have the best friends I’ve ever had!

Life ain’t perfect, but it sure is good…

I think it is rediculous that Paris Hilton is in jail. I'm not saying she is a good person or anything like that. She is obviously her own worst enemy, a spoiled brat and worse. But I believe she got a harder sentence, because of who she is, than an East LA gangbanger or a NYC thug would have gotten for a doing a whole lot worse. We have guys running around all over this country who have been released after a few weeks and they were convicted of armed robbery, drugs, assault and worse. I'm just saying...

We are finally home. And man it is nice to be home too! We had a great vacation but it is always nice to get back home.

Yesterday we went to Graceland and had a really nice time. I can't tell you how inspiring that was for me. You'll be hearing/seeing more about that later. Anyway, after we finished up with Graceland, we went to Nashville where we went down to "Music Row", the Grand Ole Opry and had a nice dinner at a little out of the way restaurant. This morning we headed out for home at about 7AM. All together we drove over 2,300 miles...!!! I'm tired...

I know some of you guys are probably tired of the Elvis stuff. But too bad…☺. Anyway, June 21, 1977 was the last concert Elvis ever performed. By the time you read this blog it will be June 21, 2007 – the 30th anniversary of that concert. Here is a video of that last concert.

Elvis is fat in this video. A lot of people pick on him for that. At Graceland they have on display one of his jumpsuits from when he was fat – on prescription drugs and depressed and eating too much. It has a belly pocket and all. There is a sign under it that says, “Don’t judge someone else until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes” (one of Elvis’ favorite sayings). All of us are fat, skinny, or ugly, or too short, or too tall, or balled-headed, or too hairy, or have a past we’re ashamed of, or drug and alcohol addictions or something else that’s wrong. This video reminds me that we’re all human beings and should be careful of how we judge others. The Bible says that we’re judged based on how we judge others. (Don’t know where the rant came from).

Anyway, here’s the video…

I am feeling good this morning…
• Last night my All-Star team got beat by the same darn team for the third time in 10 days. I’m getting tired of that but I love my little team. We’re having a really good time together and we’re going to win some ballgames this week. I feel good about our team.

My buddy Tony McCollum - Lead Pastor of Millcreek Community Church - does some of the best video stuff I've ever seen. This is a video welcome/intro they did for a message a couple weeks ago. Enjoy! This is so funny!

An oldie but a goodie. This was posted in my dad's office when I was growing up as a kid. See, it is an oldie.... :)