Tagged

 

1) Go to your journal's archives.
2) Find the 23rd post.
3) Findthe 5th sentence in that post.
4) Post that sentence with these instructions.
5) Tag five more people 

I think you're wild when you flash that fragile smile.

 

Here's mine:

"The Pistons have 2 chances of winning this scrap:

A) Slim

B) None

...and as for old Slim...he just left town, Jack."

   That was before the 2004 NBA Finals, Detroit vs LA. Detroit won in 5 games, and the team in LA was dismantled afterwards. It cost Shaq Daddy his California house, and sent Phil Jackson scurrying off into Montana to wait for people to forget how badly he was outcoached.

   It also made me look like n ass, although I recovered from this blunder to win the All Star Blogger Contest later that month. It's been Wine and Roses ever since for the blogging force of nature known world-wide as America's Sweetheart.

 

Time To Tag:

Saved By The Blog

 

calling the shots

 

Yannis' Sports Journal

 

Sports Bar & Buffet

 

SPORTZ ASSASSIN'S SPORTS JOURNAL

 

 

I got tagged by the Pastor, too... not like that, you sick eff:

 

The Church That Jesus Built

I wish all of you could experience Trinity church as it is now.  Often it is like Grand Central Station.  People are everywhere.  Tents, RVs, trucks, trailers, and vehicles fill the property.  Inside, children inhabit the educational wing nursery as we continue our new child care ministry for the businesses and community.  The free store has a continual flow of weary refugees from every background you can imagine. Teams from Evangelical Free Churches and other churches are deployed 8 am to 6 pm daily and they eat, sleep, and fellowship throughout the campus.  Makeshift offices with phones and computers are popping up throughout the building as little ministry groups meet to plan and then to launch out in the name of Jesus.  On top of this, 500 people came to church yesterday to honor God who is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving.  This included dozens of brand new people, including new believers and seekers.  The church of Jesus Christ is being built.  I feel like the turtle sitting on the fence post.  When you see this phenomenon, you know the turtle didn’t get there on its own.  When you see what God has done at Trinity, you know we didn’t do it ourselves.

Yesterday, in the service, many newcomers stood and gave praise to God for the teams that have reached out to them.

1.    Marlow had been praying prior to the hurricane that God would redirect her life.  Indeed, she has met the One who gives her life.  This former New Orleans travel guide who lost everything has been so energized by the Spirit she is like the woman in John 4 who is telling an entire town about Jesus and Trinity church.
2.    Michelle lost her home and business and still hasn’t located her 3 and 5 year old grandchildren.  She only had the clothes on her back but she met people in the free store.  Scared to death, she stepped into the service on Sunday and loved it!
3.    Libby arrived back home after the hurricane to find her home half demolished.  This moment of agony was diminished when a ministry team arrived at that moment to pray, comfort, and clean up her yard.  What a divine appointment and God moment.  She has come to Trinity for 2 weeks.  Yesterday, she told the church family her daughter in Knoxville is all alone dying of cancer.  A woman in the church made a call to the Evangelical Free church in that city to make a visit.
4.    The local hospital ran out of juice for patients.  A few of us thought, “Could it be that juice bottles would come on our next truck?”  What came on the truck?  JUICE BOTTLES!
5.    A lady and her 16 year old son fled hurricane Rita from St. Charles.  The woman’s husband had died the day before from brain cancer.  As she left town a woman said, “If you can’t find a place to stay, look for a church.”  Of course, as she drove east there were no hotels available in the region.  She went all the way to Mobile Alabama.  On her way back, she happened to get off at our exit.  She saw the Trinity sign and remembered her friend’s advice.  Upon hearing the story our people ran out to greet them, and said they could eat, shower, sleep, and be cared for as long as they needed.
6.    One man found himself half-dazed and crying out, “God why do you hate me?  Why do your hate me?”  At that moment a team appeared and cleaned up his fallen trees.  He’s been at the church almost every day since then helping others.
7.    One team found themselves in Slidell on Saturday helping at one home but couldn’t miss hearing the neighbors in a huge altercation.  They were arriving for the first time to see their cherished home crushed by water damage.  The sight was too much to bear and they let out all their emotions and anger on each other.  It was unsettling that none of their family had come forth to help.  The team decided to shift their efforts to this couple.  They cleaned up the entire mess.  The couple’s hearts softened and grew large as the day ended with prayer, hugs, love, and thanksgiving.  God loved that couple through a team from California.

I could go on, but I’ll stop here.  I’ll close with this today.

I love the story of the night Michael Jordan scored 69 points in one game.  It was a blow-out and at the end of the game the coach pulled M.J. out and put in a little known sub who scored two meaningless points in the closing seconds of play.  A few weeks later a reporter asked the sub, “What is the highlight of your professional career?”  He said, “The night Michael Jordan and I scored 71 points together.”  This is how I feel about what Jesus is building at Trinity Church.  He is doing the work and it is a privilege to partner with Him in His Kingdom.

Betting the farm on God,

Michael

p.s.  Pray for a member of our church named Leroy.  His brother was killed in the flooding but the body washed away.  They have taken DNA samples from the family to try to identify the body among the many unidentified bodies.  This family shared at church yesterday how agonizing it is to not know.