A Little Break...

I decided to take a little break from the world of blogging for the past few days. This has become such a habit that it was really difficult to check out for a short period of time. I love blogging for a couple of reasons: 1. It helps me to process my thoughts, relive experiences, and express my viewpoints 2. It helps me to connect with people that I might not otherwise be able to connect with. It allows them to get to know my on a deeper, more personal level.

My family is still in SC, until tomorrow. We have been extremely busy going to Christmas parties and meeting up with people we haven't seen in a while. When I say we have been busy, it is probably the understatement of the century. In fact, I think I need a vacation after we get back to Millington. At least there will be a couple of days to relax before I have to go back to the office on Tuesday.

Look for these upcoming posts:
-How I Lost 70 lbs in a year.
-Lessons I Learned in 2006.
-The Clemson Tigers (The mood will depend on how they play in the Music City Bowl tomorrow against Kentucky.)

Merry Christmas!

It is 1:30 am on Christmas morning. I have been waiting to see if the fat man is going to come for a visit. Doesn't look too promising at this point. Then again, I just heard that he was passing over Possom Kingdom (Yes, it is a real place in SC!) I am still holding out hope!

Today, I went to church, finished some very last minute shopping, and went to a family Christmas party. Then Joni and I headed back to my house for some Mexican Train Dominoes with my family. I used to be unbeatable, but my dad got a little lucky tonight. I absolutely love hanging out with my family. I only wish I could do it more often!

Merry Christmas to everyone! Joni and I love you guys. We hope you have a great time hanging out with your family and opening lots of gifts.

I am like a 5 yr. old....I can't wait til the morning! So, Joni in her kerchief and I in my cap are settling down for a long winter nap!!

Merry Christmas to All...

I know I have said this a thousand times...I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR! I went to the mall today and let's just say that all of the idiots were out. I think they lock up all the crazy people all year long and release them at the mall the week before Christmas.

Here are a couple of random thoughts for your Christmas pleasure:

1. I finally found someone who sings worse than me. Listen to this guy and thank me when you get up off the floor laughing. Be patient...it takes a few minutes for it to get good.

2. I still think that Gary Lamb's video for Ridegestone's Christmas Eve service is hilarious. Check it out! It may be the only time you ever see a pastor do "The Worm".

Check back tomorrow for a post about all the garbage going at Bellevue. This is further proof that there are all kinds of morons out there trying to destroy what God is doing! I want to write about it now, but I am too angry at people who stick their noses where they don't belong. This should be fun!!

Goodbye Rocky (Sniff, Sniff)

I went to see the much anticipated release of Rocky Balboa. I don't know the last time that I was that excited about the release of a movie. It was a GOOD movie, but certainly not a GREAT movie. I was a little disappointed in the whole movie. (I almost feel disloyal saying that because Rocky is like a member of my family! I feel like I might get hit with an uppercut for badmouthing the Italian Stallion.) However, the movie did have a lot of history from the previous 5 movies. Not a total disappointment, but there were certainly a few things that I would have done differently! Still....I encourage you to go see it!

1 Day and Counting...

I am pretty excited about a couple of things that are coming up tomorrow:

1. Rocky Balboa is released to theaters. I can't wait to see this movie! I am a freak when it comes to Rocky movies. Rocky IV is the greatest movie ever made. I will make plans to see it ASAP. I can't wait.

2. We are leaving Brighton to head to SC to see our families. I can't wait to show off Anniston to all of the people who haven't seen her yet. I look forward to getting out of town and hanging out with family and other people that I have not seen in quite some time. It should be fun. There will be lots of presents to open. Lots of parties to attend. Lots of miles to drive.

I am looking forward to these things and the opportunity to hang out with Joni and my kids over the next 10 days. I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR!

Pursuit of Happyness

One of the things that is vital to a healthy marriage is spending time alone. Don't misunderstand me, it is also vitally important that you spend time as a family and alone with each member of the family. I want my kids to grow up knowing that Joni is the most important person in my life. It is not that I don't love them, but she is my first priority. They are a very close second. Very, very close.

As a result, Joni and I try to go out on a date at least once a week. Obviously, this has been a little more difficult, since Anniston is not able to go out. Fortunately, God has put lots of people in our lives to stay with the kids. In fact, we couldn't thank these people enough. (We are especially grateful for Susan Ray & Renee and Brooke Stephens. They babysit for us on a weekly basis.) Since Joni does have to stay in with Anniston, it is even more important that we go out each week.

Last night, we went to see Pursuit of Happyness. It was a great movie. Very intense and emotional! I could identify with so many things in the movie. I believe that every man has a fear of not being able to provide for his family. I believe most men has a strong desire to be a good dad and husband, although we fail on many occasions. I believe most men have a huge dream in our hearts, even if only a few make the sacrifices to achieve them. You should go see this movie!!

Moral of this story: Guys do whatever it takes to spend one-on-one time with your wife. Just you and her. Let her know you love hanging out with her more than you love working. Let her know you love going places with her more than going to the football game. Let her know that she is more of a friend to you than your guy friends. The bottom line is...if you don't date her regularly, someone else may be in the future!

Contend and Contextualize

This post has created a little buzz and some interesting conversation about the church and our culture. I just ran across an article that continues the discussion.

"Many Christians just don't believe that culture matters. Oddly enough, they often forbid North American missionaries to do the very thing that they expect international missionaries to do. Entire ministries exist to tell you the evils of culture - and those evils do exist. But preaching against culture is like preaching against someone's house - it is just where we live. There are good things, there are bad things, but it must be taken into account.

Place and people matter. For us to take the unchanging gospel into a changed context requires an awareness of both. It means that we 'contend for the faith that once was entrusted to the saints' (Jude 3) while we contextualize and become 'all things to all people, that I might by all means save some" (1 Cor. 9:22). A missional church will both contend and contextualize."

Breaking the Missional Code by Ed Stetzer, as appeared in REV! magazine.

Adult Leader Party

Tuesday night was awesome! Our house was packed with 25 people, presents, and tons of food. I am pretty sure that I have said this already, but I LOVE hanging out with our adult leaders. They are fun and have a genuine passion to invest in the lives of students.

However, I have learned that they are vicious when it comes to gift stealing games and our auction. Some people walked away with some pretty cool stuff. Some weren't quite as lucky. (Sorry Brooke!) It was good to see everyone hanging out. I certainly believe that a team will work better together when they also spend some time hanging out together. We need to do it more often!

Wednesday Night Thoughts...

Just finished with our last Middle School worship service of 2006. We will be taking 2 weeks off for the holidays. I am excited about the break but I know that I will be more than ready to get rolling in 2007. A break is always nice but I know that I will miss speaking and hanging out with students. I look forward to seeing them all week long.

Here are some random thoughts from tonight:

1. The band was incredible tonight, despite a few sound issues. They did an amazing job of working through it. The set list included:

Carol of the Bells
No One Like You
Undignified
We Win
Wholly Yours

2. Attendance was good. Traditionally, this has been a low week for us.

3. The adult leaders rock! They baked cookies for the students and we gave them red and green Hawaian Punch. They are always willing to do WHATEVER we ask them to do.

4. We played a game where the contestants had to sing lines of Christmas carols. All I can say is if you are looking for someone to sing for you, don't invite Eric Hansen. I haven't heard singing that bad since I was in the shower this morning.

5. Giving Middle Schoolers punch and cookies before a worship service is a bad idea. They were WIRED!

All together, it was a really fun night! We had 2 girls begin a relationship with Jesus. That makes it all worth it!!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

One thing I have a love/hate relationship with is holiday Christmas parties. I love connecting with people that I haven't seen in a while or don't get to spend much time with. I hate all of the good food. It will be a struggle not to pack on some extra pounds over the holidays. I also hate being so busy. Joni and I have 8 Christmas parties in the next 15 days. And that doesn't even include any of the people that we will make special efforts to see while we are in SC. It will be fun, but exhausting!

Tonight is our Christmas party for the adult workers in the Middle School Ministry. I look forward to this all year long. We have been planning, cooking, and cleaning for weeks and days to get ready for tonight. Why? I want to provide the best event possible for the people who sacrifice their time and energy to invest in students. It is a lot of fun. We will be doing an auction again this year. You never know what you might walk out of there with (that could be good or bad!) In fact, I would sign up to be an adult leader just for the Christmas party.

Adult Leaders: You guys rock! I love you far more than I could ever express and appreciate your sacrifice more than you know!!

**Check back tomorrow for random stories of tonight's events. Who knows what will happen?

A Ripped Off Idea...

A few of my friends have done this and I thought it was a cool idea. I am very curious about the number of people that read this blog. So, if you don't mind, please click on the comment section below because I want to hear from you. If that doesn't work for some reason, just shoot me an email. Thanks!

Todd
jtlollis@hotmail.com

Are we connecting?

Is the church connecting with our culture? Are we making a difference in the communities we exist in? What can we do to increase our effectiveness and have maximum impact for Christ? These are questions that are constantly rolling around in my head. These are the things that I think about.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have read some things that have helped me to think more deeply about this subject. For instance, a couple of weeks ago a religious magazine published an article where they conducted an interview in which most pastors considered themselves to be uninformed about popular culture. This is sad to me because I wonder how you can reach a culture that you cannot connect with. How can I reach my neighbor when we have absolutely nothing in common?

On the flipside of things, churches continue to do things that decrease their ability to connect with the people outside of the walls of the church. For example:

1. The Florida Baptist Convention actually had a vote a few weeks ago to decide whether or not Christians should withdraw from the public schools. This is insane to me. Imagine what those schools would be like with no Christian students, teachers, administration, etc. Instead of withdrawing, why don't we be strategic about impacting those campuses for Christ?

2. It has been amazing to me how the church is responding to Walmart's decision to provide rights for same sex couples. Can we really fault the world for acting like the world? So often, we expect those who do not know Christ to live by the church's rules. This only creates more distance between Christian people and those who do not know Christ. What good will it do for us to boycott Walmart? They will not feel the pressure financially and it just makes us look like idiots. Why? Because you and I both know that the same people calling for the boycott will be shopping there next week.

I can remember when the Southern Baptist Convention was going to boycott Disney because they had a week set aside for homosexual couples. Personally, it made me sick to think that we would take such a stand. I firmly believe in standing up for what is right but in a right way. Our Christian families still planned their trips to Disney. Disney was not impacted. The church got a black eye!

3. Does it make sense for us to criticize and condemn those that have holiday traditions. I don't know about you, but Santa, the Easter bunny, and Halloween were all a part of my childhood. I think I turned out ok. There is nothing wrong with Christian people celebrating these "secular" holidays. My kids will know about Santa. My kids will know about the Easter Bunny. The tooth fairy will bring them dollars for their teeth. And they will go trick-or-treating. Again, the church makes a bigger deal of these things than they really are. You can have Santa and Jesus both. You don't have to sacrifice a little fun to be holy!

It seems to me that the church today tries to be AGAINST as many things as possible. I am saying that we should be FOR more things than we are AGAINST. If we spent as much time focusing on the things we are FOR, then we would do a much better job of connecting and reaching a lost and dying world!!

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

It is freezing here! It has been extremely cold this week and I am not a big fan of it for 2 main reasons:

1. The heat has been broken in our Explorer. Needless to say, I have been driving it while the rest of my family uses the other car. What kind of husband and father would I be if I made them drive the cold car. The good news is that Johnny Lane is fixing it for me this weekend. Thank God for people who know how to fix stuff! I am so thankful for him and his willingness to help me out.

2. It has made running interesting. It is hard enough to motivate yourself to get up early and run. It is even harder when you know it is going to be 30 degrees. I can remember last winter and how I would make every excuse not to run. That is not the case this year. JR and I have continued to be faithful to run 3-4 times a week, even in the cold weather or rain.

Joni and I are going to try to complete our Christmas shopping tonight. I hope we find some great deals!

(Ok, I lied. I promised you a post about the church and culture. To be honest, I didn't have time to finish developing it. It is in the works. You'll have to check back again!)

Attack Dogs

I am not sure what the problem is with me and dogs, but they always seem to seek me out. It seems as if their first response when they see me is to attack. It has been that way all my life. That would probably explain why I am usually standoffish (I can't believe I actually used that word...if it is a word) when it comes to creatures of the canine variety.

Today for instance, I went into this place to get a part for Joni's car. As I was leaving, I felt something pulling on the leg of my pants. I thought I had caught them on the door somehow. I turned around to see little FiFi pulling at my leg. I wanted to boot the dog across the room, but since I know the people that work there, I politely just walked out. As I got into my car, I looked back to see the dog staring out the window at me. Fortunately, the dog didn't get ahold of my leg because she was so ferocious that she probably wouldn't have even been able to break through the skin.

Another day. Another attack by a killer beast. Who says that dogs are man's best friend?

**Check back tomorrow for an interesting post about the church and the culture. You won't want to miss it.

The Biggest Loser

Yeah, I admit it again. I am a junkie. I am addicted. I know I have told you before, but I am guilty. Guilty of loving reality TV. I just can't seem to get enough of it.

One of my favorite shows is The Biggest Loser. It excites me to see people so successful in their efforts to lose weight. It inspires me and helps me to keep pushing forward. I would credit the show in being one of the things that has helped me to lose 65 lbs this year.

I think I am going to go ahead and sign up Anniston as a contestant for the year 2020. She was born 2lbs 9ozs. She is almost 4 mths old and now weighs 9lbs 6oz. She has gained 3lbs in a month. At this rate, she will have to be a contestant soon!

Seriously, I am so glad that she is gaining weight. It is amazing how well she has done. Basically, she has not had any complications since she was born. Thanks again to everyone who has been praying for her. She has certainly already stolen my heart.

I Can't Wait for Tonight...

Today is Wednesday, which only means one thing...CrossOver. Around 6:15 tonight, tons of middle schoolers will start to arrive to hang out with their friends, skateboard, eat pizza, and attend our weekly worship service. I am pumped about what I will talk to them about tonight. God is at work in our middle school ministry! Come check it out!

Obviously, it couldn't happen without the help of the many volunteers that give their time to hang out with these students. Thanks: Dan and Diana, Eric and Heather, Jesse, Debbie, David and Carol, I appreciate you guys more than you could ever imagine.

Also, thanks to Jeff B., Jeff M., and Devin for serving on the Media team so faithfully. I couldn't do it without you guys. You know all the right buttons to press and when to press them.

Last, but certainly not least, thanks goes out to the CrossOver Band: Shane, Rick, Scott, Josh, and Kelsie. I appreciate your faithfulness and hunger to lead students to worship. Thanks for all you do. If I had to sing....well, we'll just say that would not be good!

Balboa

The new Rocky movie comes out on Christmas day. Needless to say, I will be looking in my stocking for a ticket to see Mr. Balboa knock someone out. Yeah, I know that the Rocky movies are predictable. However, I still love them. Rocky IV is my favorite movie of all time! I still remember crying when Drago killed Apollo. I know that is extremely strange and not a very manly thing to admit, but it did happen.

I have read some interesting things in the last couple of days about Sylvester Stallone. Check this out:

"The more I go to church, " he said, " and the more I turn myself over to the process of believing in Jesus and listening to His Word and having Him guide my hand, I feel as though the pressure is off me having Him guide my hand. I feel as though the pressure is off me now."

"No matter what, you can overcome your past, " he said. "With help, if you look to God, you can overcome your past and be reborn."

Interesting statements. Not sure what they mean. It appears that God is doing something in his life. I know that he is from a Catholic background but not sure what this means about his spiritual condition. I just thought these were interesting things and 1 more reason to love Rocky!

Random Weekend Ideas...

1. 2006 is almost over...can you believe it?
2. We had our first basketball practice last week for the church league. Looks like we could be ok. Can we win the championship 2 years in a row? Only time will tell!
3. The strangest line in any song is "Don we now our gay apparel."
4. JR and Josh Currie are wrong. I have the most awesome girl in the world!
5. College football is basically over. Once again a flawed system. Once again lots of controversy.
6. I have a new found addiction to Starbucks coffee. I think about it everyday!!
7. I HATE Christmas music!
8. On Christmas Day, you can find me in line to see Balboa. (More on this tomorrow).
9. A guy I went to college with started a church 10 mths ago that had 973 people in attendance yesterday. They also baptized 55 people. I just reconnected with him recently. Elevation Church and Steven Furtick are really going to shake the world for Christ!
10. Yes, I know that JR wrote about the same guy. We both went to North Greenville University with Steven.
11. It is amazing to me how many people have blogs. I constantly wonder what makes people want to read this one.
12. I hate KLove. Occasionally, I will turn my radio there. Each time that I do, I know the song they are playing and I haven't listened to the station in 2 years. Maybe time for some new songs?
13. I love going to the mall this time of year. All of the psychos are out!!

Stupid Church Signs

One of the things I love to do is drive. I have enjoyed this since the very first time I sat in the driver's seat of a car. It is relaxing to me to be in my car, with the radio blaring, driving down the road.

One of the things that is interesting to me is to check out church signs, as I drive around north Shelby/Tipton counties. Here are a few that I have found:

C H _ _ C H. What's missing? U R

Our church is prayer conditioned.

Best vitamin for a Christian? B1

Body piercing saved my life.

Jesus Got'r Done.

Make your reservations for eternity. Smoking or non?

Come to church and get more smiles per gallon.

Jseus saves! (Shouldn't we at least be able to spell His name right?)

Are you serious? Why in the world would the church allow our first communication with the outside world be these things? I feel that non-Christians would find these things somewhat arrogant and down-right stupid. Nothing about those statements would make me want to attend those churches.

Fortunately, our church uses it sign to advertise upcoming messages and events. I am pretty sure that is what these type of signs were designed for. However, we don't always get it right. Here is something we had on our sign a couple of years ago that makes me laugh quite often:

Line 1: Who killed Jesus? (Ad for upcoming message.)
Line 2: Team Impact (Ad for upcoming event)

Have you seen any funny church signs? I'd love to hear about them!

It's Official...

I have been waiting for this opportunity all my life. I can't believe I have the opportunity to seize this moment. It was just released today that the Yellow Wiggle is giving up his position due to health concerns. I have been walking around singing, "Fruit Salad...Yummy, Yummy" all day long. I have to get my yellow shirt pressed and my application filled out. It's the opportunity of a lifetime!

(Laugh at them all you want, they made $39 million dollars last year. For that amount of money, I am sure I could take whatever criticism people could send my way!)

Creative Team Meeting

I just got back from our weekly creative team meeting. This week we decided to meet at Starbucks, just to get a change a scenery. It was awesome to hang out with David, Jesse, Kelsianne, Ashlin, Auldon, Andrew, and Jeff. They were a tremendous help in preparing for this Wednesday night.

They have helped us to take our messages to a whole new level. They also help us to make sure what we are communicating to the students is relevant to what is going on in their life. Thanks so much for the time and energy that you put into making Wednesdays better. We couldn't do it without you!

The Deity Formerly Known as God...

Over the break, I read a GREAT book. The Deity Formerly Known as God by Jarrett Stevens helps readers to truly know and experience God, not some distorted and destructive image of God formed over the years.

He begins by helping us to understand what God is not...
1. The Cop Around the Corner
2. The Sweet Old Man
3. A Cosmic Slot Machine
4. An All-You-Can-Eat Buffet
5. A Talent Show Judge (This helped me the most!)
6. Your Parents...Supersized

Then he helps us to understand who God really is...
1. The Late Night Neighbor
2. Lord of the Boardroom
3. The Green-Thumbed Gardener
4. The Single Minded Shepherd
5. The Tired Eyed Father
6. An Equal Opportunity Employer

Looking for an easy read to help you in your relationship with God? This is it! You will not be disappointed.

Jarrett, please spell my last name correctly on the check. It's L-O-L-L-I-S.

New Emotions...

Things didn't go exactly like I planned on Saturday. Our defense gave up 31 points. We dropped 4 balls that would have been interceptions. Our quarterback continued to prove that he should only play quarterback on Playstation 3. And our kicker decided he couldn't make a field goal (which I can't understand because it is the only thing he has to do...just kick the ball).

The bottom line is this....THE TIGERS BLEW IT! It is something that I have come to expect from Clemson football. It happens every year. I don't know how many times I have said "This is the year!" Everytime, I have been disappointed.

Now Clemson will go to the Nobody Cares Bowl to play some other team that had a mediocre season.

To all my Gamecock friends, it has been a tough couple of days. I have had to deal with emotions that I haven't felt in 5 years. I forgot what it was like to lose to the Gamecocks. I guess I'll have to experience it again, somewhere around 2012.

PS - I really do love the Tigers. Perhaps I take it too seriously. But not as seriously as this guy.

Rats and Chickens...

We celebrated Brayden's birthday tonight at Chuck E. Cheese. I was actually looking forward to going because I knew it would be lots of fun for the kids. That part didn't disappoint. The thing that really shocked me was that the stupid rat serves beer in his restaurant. I think this is insane!! You have a place for little kids to go to have a birthday party and their parents are getting plastered. How stupid is that? Couldn't they give up just one night for their kids? I obviously do not understand. By the way, I was further convinced today that my son is the greatest kid on earth! Sorry I am a little biased!!

Tomorrow, Clemson plays USC. No not the real USC, the wannabes. I am hoping and praying that the Tigers spank the Gamecocks. I am not prepared to deal with all of my obnoxious South Carolina friends. I am a little more nervous than in the past few years. However, I do feel that Clemson will win, in a very close game!! We'll see what happens.

Family...

I wanted to develop an idea that I briefly mentioned in my last post. I have decided to be intentional about the one-on-one time that I spend with each member of my family. I have come to realize that we can constantly say, "I'll do something with them next week or sometime later." Eventually, you look back and you have wasted precious days, months, and (sadly) even years.

In my opinion, I have done a pretty good job of making sure that I spend time with my wife, just the two of us, on a regular basis. Sometimes this time consists of dinner, sometimes dinner and a movie, sometimes shopping, etc. It is important for my kids to know that their mother is my first love and priority (after Jesus, of course).

I have also done an ok job hanging out with Anniston. As I said before, I usually take the late feeding shift. This consists of she and I hanging out after everyone else is sound asleep. It happens the same every night: I feed her and we both fall asleep with her on my shoulder. (All the ladies say, "Awwwwwww..") We wake up an hour or more later and go to bed.

The area that I need more improvement is hanging out with Brayden. I don't feel that I am horrible in this area, but I recognize the need for more time with him. I have committed to him and Joni that I will do something with him every weekend.

Why? Because my family means more to me than my ministry, my job, my church, and many other things. I love them more than life and desire not to put anything ahead of them. Here's my question to you...how is your relationship with your family? What are some changes you could make to strengthen those relationships?

Things I learned while gnawing on a chicken mcnugget...

This past weekend, in a 24 hour period, I was able to spend some one-on-one time with my 3 favorite people in the world. Joni and I went on a date Saturday night. Anniston and I usually hang out together while everyone else goes to bed, since I take the late feeding shift. And Brayden and I went to visit ole' Ronnie. I know what you are thinking, but not Jack Ronald. Ronald McDonald. While I was there, I observed a few things that I would like to share with you. These things are not only true about Mickey D's, but also the church.

1. Parents will go wherever the kid wants to go. It was packed out when we arrived there. I drove around the building 3 times before I could even find a parking place. I decided to go in because I knew that it would be a fun environment for Brayden and I to hang out in. I don't know of many places that I would wait to find a parking space. I don't know of many places that I would wait in such a long line. I stayed because of Brayden.

2. Kids bring energy. It was so fun to watch the people there. (By the way, I think watching people is my spiritual gift.) There were french fries flying, balls bouncing, and people everywhere! It was such a fun place to be.

3. McDonalds uses their resources to reach kids. Most of their marketing is geared toward making the kids desire to get to McDonald's as soon as possible. This is interesting because kids don't have the money to purchase the happy meal with the new Blue's Clues toy. Why go after the kids? I answered this earlier but it is important to restate it. Parents will go where the kids are happy. You want mom and dad to buy a Big Mac, make them bring their kids there!

4. McDonalds realizes that reaching kids will be messy. I was there on the tail end of the lunch shift. By the time we left, the restaurant was destroyed! It was a pretty disgusting place. I am also quite sure that there were plenty of things that were broken. Ronald McD. understands that he is better off having those kids to come in and make a mess, than to be without them.

You want a healthy, fun, growing church? Invest mega-dollars into the children and students. They will bring their families. They will make a mess. They will break stuff. However, I can assure you that you will never regret the decision to invest in the next generation!! Everyone else is going after kids/students full speed. The church must do the same!!!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of theYear!

Joni and I put up our Christmas tree and decorations over the weekend. I LOVE CHRISTMAS! I didn't enjoy getting the 45,343,545 boxes out of the attic. However, I did love the end result. Joni does a great job of making our home look awesome. We put up our tree early so that we could enjoy it more, since we are always out of town for a week or so for Christmas.

The only thing that I cannot bear to hear right now is Christmas carols. I cannot take more than a few days of the same old cheesy songs.

Without a doubt, Christmas is my favorite holiday. For anyone looking to get my a present, a plasma TV would be nice. Or a new car. Or $10,000. You decide.

My experiences with critters...

This weekend was an interesting one for a number of reasons. I mentioned yesterday that you should look for upcoming posts about all that happened. Today's post will help you to understand a little about what my weekend was like.

On Saturday morning, I decided to go running. I have really become addicted to it and feel as guilty as an ax murderer if I don't run on the weekends. I had decided on this particular day to run a 5k, or 3.1 miles, which is 2 laps from my house and around Brighton High School. I was about 1/2 way done, when something strange happened. This dog came running out of my neighbor's yard and started chasing me. Now, I would like to tell you that it was a big, ferocious attack dog. However, it was really only a little datsun looking beast. I was bitten by a dog when I was in kindergarten, so I have this phobia of barking canines. All I can imagine it their big, sharp teeth embedding themselves into my calves.

I tried 2 approaches to get rid of the dog. First, I took the "just ignore it and it will go away" idea. Didn't work. Finally, I decided to use the "kick the dog in the face repeatedly" concept. Didn't work either. By this time, I was really annoyed and trying my hardest to get rid of my new best friend. Finally, I think the dog got tired of chasing me and gave up. I felt a little bad because I saw this little kid walking the same dog yesterday. All I could think about was that I had just rocked that poor dog's face with my running shoes. Part of me felt like I should apologize. The other part felt like I should carry a big gun and shoot the dog in the face next time. We'll see who wins out!!

That night, Joni and I went out on a date to downtown Memphis. We decided to go to a movie after we went to eat at Bigfoot (for the 3rd weekend in a row). We went to see Stranger than Fiction, with Will Farrell. I propose a new name for this movie: Dumber than Real Life. For the first time ever, we got up and walked out. I couldn't take the stupidity any longer.

On our way home, a really strange thing happened. We are driving up Hwy. 51 at a rapid pace so that I could get over to Dan Craddock's house to watch the UFC fight (I love the stuff). I noticed that the truck in the left hand hit something. Then the car in front of me hit something. Then I hit something. It all happened so fast that I couldn't figure out what I hit. I just know that my car was attacked by some type of critter. I am unsure if it was alive or not. I just know that blood was splattered all over my car. It was pretty disgusting. So bad, that I had to go immediately to a car wash to get it cleaned. It was an interesting day for my and things with 4 legs!

So Much to Write About, so Little Time...

I have had an incredible weekend. It was one of the most fun and relaxing weekends that I have had in a long time. I am going to have to post some of it sporadically this week, because I have so much to say. I'll give you just a glimpse of how it got kicked off:

Friday night we did a scavenger hunt for middle school students at Wolfchase mall. This turned out to be a great event because a lot more students were there than I anticipated. We took 26 students and 5 adults to invade the mall, which was filled with holiday shoppers. It is amazing how competitive people can be when they know that a free meal is involved.

This was an event for the 8:00 small group, which normally has 12-18 people there. A huge thank you to Jesse, for doing most of the planning. Her husband, Vinai, was also a big help. Andrew and Jennifer Strange also volunteered their Friday night to hang out with Middle Schoolers. My wife, Joni, also led a team, not because she is the middle school pastor's wife but because she loves ministry and hanging out with students. She also happens to be my favorite adult leader!

I loved hanging out with the students. It is nights like Friday that remind me why I do what I do. It was a great time to connect with the students and hang out with some pretty cool adults as well. We even had some students come that do not attend our church. What better way to introduce them to church than by having them attend a fun event. I'll just say this...those three girls were here for small groups this morning. This further illustrates what I know to be true....MINISTRY IS ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS!

Look for upcoming posts about me and the attack dog, my car's fight with a critter, and things I learned from McDonalds.

Only in Middle School...

Wednesdays Rock!!

I love Wednesdays! I love the opportunity to connect with Middle School students. I love to hear them and see them worship. I love to watch their faces when they "get it" while I am speaking. I love to see students raise their hand, indicating that they began a relationship with Jesus. I love the energy and excitement they bring.

I have a theory about middle school students....either you love them or hate them. There is not much room for middle ground usually. I absolutely love them! I also have a team of people that love them, even when they are unlovable.

Tonight was a bittersweet night for a couple of different reasons. The worship was awesome, possibly the best it has ever been. However, tonight was Ryan's last night leading worship. I really hate to see him go, but his family has a great career opportunity in FL.

Ryan and Lauren -- We love you guys and appreciate the investment you made in the students lives. I am also grateful for your friendship. We wish you the best!!!

Has Brayden given up?

The routine is the same for every Saturday during the fall. If you are a male and you live in the Lollis house, you are required to put on a Clemson Tigers shirt. It's a must. This past Saturday, I got up and put my shirt on. I walked into the living room and noticed that Brayden was breaking the tradition. Joni shared with me that he refused to wear his "ball" (his word for jersey).

It caused me to think. Has he given up on the Tigers after a couple of bad weeks? Has he done what I have wanted to do so many times and thrown in the towel? I was somewhat disappointed but understanding, especially after the way they have played the past 3 weeks.

Then, like every fan, he changed his mind after Clemson scored their first touchdown. He was running through the house with his jersey. He is only 2, but he already has a love/hate relationship with the Tigers!

Baby Dedication

Yesterday we had baby dedication at Crosspointe. This is always a special time for families, as they get to show off their child and dedicate them to the Lord. This one was even more special for my family. We decided to bring Anniston and have her dedicated. Joni got here after church started and left as soon as the dedication was over to prevent Anniston from being exposed to lots of germs and viruses. We were glad to be able to finally show her off to the church. I know many of those people have spent many hours praying for Anniston and our family. We will be forever grateful for that!

Yesterday was also Anniston's due date. How weird was it that she was dedicated on her due date? It is so awesome to reflect back on all that God has done in our lives over the past 3 months. She has been the biggest blessing and we are so grateful that we got to experience all of the things that have occurred over that time period. GOD is so good!

Jacks

David Jacks, a senior in our student ministry, has just started a blog. A couple of days ago, he wrote this blog about me and JR. I wanted to be extremely mad at him but it was so stinkin' funny that I couldn't! Jacks---watch your backs!

Rutgers? Are you serious?

I just finished watching the Louisville/Rutgers game. I didn't plan to watch it but I was intrigued by the matchup of 2 undefeated teams. It was a great game, with Rutgers winning 28-25 with a last second field goal. As I was watching the game, there were some leadership principles that I was reminded of. Here we go:

1. Never ever give up! Rutgers was down 25-7 at one point in this game. They worked hard to get back into the game and eventually win.

2. It takes everyone working together to be successful. Rutgers does not have a single player that I have ever heard of. However, they all worked together to win together. None of their guys are superstars, just ordinary guys working really hard.

3. Hard work pays off. Those players gave their all. They beat a quality football team by giving all that they had.

4. People love you when you are winning. The stadium there was packed! I am sure you can look back to a couple of years ago and the fans weren't that faithful. People want to pull for a winning team.

5. Mistakes are hard to overcome. Rutgers' kicker missed the field goal to win the game. Fortunately, there was a penalty and they got a second chance. Mistakes are harder to overcome when they occur later in the game.

6. People are really excited after a win. It was evident that Rutgers hadn't won many big games by the response of the fans. It was cool to see them storm the field and going crazy.

7. College football is the greatest game on the earth. There are not many things that excite me more than what happened tonight! I love to see people overachieve.

Unrelated to Rutgers or college football, I saw something interesting. I was doing some hospital visits this morning at Baptist East and saw something that puzzled me. There is a wing of the hospital called the "Skilled Nursing Wing". Just for the record, if I ever have to go to the hospital, I want to be on that wing. The one with the skilled nurses.

Recap of Wed...

I am exhausted...here's the highlights from tonight:

The students were excited. There was great energy in the room.

The music was amazing. Ryan, Rick, Shane, Kelsie,and Josh worked really hard to make it awesome.

The lights were incredible. We just got new lights this week and they transformed the entire room.

We also had 3 students to begin a relationship with Jesus. That's 3 more people that are going to Heaven! One girl was crying as I talked about the crucifixion and the high price that Jesus paid for me and you. I don't know about you but that excites me more than anything else. That's why I do what I do.

I Don't Know What to Say...

Someone told me that this existed. I didn't believe them. All I can say is...unbelievable. Watch it...it's worth your time!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHU0LXYJdO8

I Cannot Wait!

As I wrote about yesterday, our students wrote down the names of 484 people that they know that needed to accept Christ. This has been all I have thought about for the past week. 484 people in need of Jesus. 484 people that we love and care about that are on their way to Hell, unless they have an encounter with Jesus. I am praying that our students bring many of those people over the next couple of weeks and they begin a relationship with Christ.

I really think tomorrow night's service is going to be awesome. The band has picked out a great set. I have spent hours preparing to speak. (Let me say this, I think it might be the most powerful message I have ever preached.) Also, we got some new lights in this week. Talk about adding to the experience. They are awesome! Thanks to Jeff Balentine and Jeff McLean for helping install them. The room looks cooler than ever before!!

As I was running today, I was thinking about how grateful I am for all that Jesus has done for me. Especially for the cross. I thought about how holy He is and how unholy I am. I thought about how worthy He is and how undeserving I am of His love. I thought about how perfect He is and how I am certainly not perfect. As I thought about these things, I began to cry and thank Jesus over and over.

So, for those of you driving down Hwy. 51...the answer is yes. Yes there was a man running in circles around the church parking lot. Yes, he could've probably used some oxygen. Yes, he was not only running but crying also. But I certainly couldn't help myself!!!

Overwhelmed...

JR and I have been very intentional about our message planning and preparation over the past few weeks. Probably more than ever before! Two weeks ago, we spoke about "the watchmen" in Ezekiel 33. This message created the need for students to go out and try to impact their friends' lives. Last week, we encouraged the students to "Walk Across the Room" and invite their friends to CrossOver/ H2O. This was a really practical challenge to just walk over and invite them to come and/or share your faith story.

Over the past couple of weeks, we have challenged students to write down the names of the people (friends, family, etc.) that they would like to see accept Christ. The students in the Middle School Ministry wrote down 484 names. Yes, I said 484! I was overwhelmed by their concern for their friends and family. I was almost weeping, as I typed in their names. Some students wrote down "mom" or "dad" and one student even wrote, "myself".

I want to invite you to pray with me for the people that are on that list. That's 484 people who, without Jesus, will be on their way to spend eternity in Hell. I don't know hardly any of them, but it breaks my heart to think about them dying without Jesus.

I told our students today that we have challenged them and equipped them, now is the time to do the work. It's time to do something with all of the information we have! Whatever it takes, we have to get them here!!

I'm Done...

Ok...it has taken me 36 hours to be able to write this post. I've had all I can take. Like my good friend Popeye says, "I've had alls I can stands and I can't stands no more." I've drawn my line in the sand. I'm done with Clemson football.

As much as I wish I could say all of that, I can't. I've said it over and over the past couple of days. However, despite the fact the Tigers have been beaten by unranked teams 2 weeks in a row, I will be back on my couch next Saturday cheering them on against NC State. Sometimes, it really is a love/hate relationship! You gotta love it!

Blue Like Jazz...

I just finished reading one of the most popular books of our day, Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. I can't believe that it has taken me this long to pick it up and digest it. Prior to reading it, I had heard different opinions about the book. I try to read all kinds of books, especially those that might challenge what I believe or stretch me a little.

I found the book to be boring in the beginning and end. The middle was really good. Not one of those that I will probably read over and over. However, it was certainly worth the time! Miller has an interesting perspectives on God, relationships, and ministry.

One of the things that I loved(there were many) was a statement that he made about helping other countries meet their physical needs, specifically hunger. Here it is: "Nothing is going to change in the Congo until you and I figure out what is wrong with the person in the mirror."

Related to that, I am reading Philippians and it is rocking my world!!!

Has there ever been a truer statement? How can we worry about "fixing" the world until we take the necessary steps to fix the things in our own lives. Church, we can't expect to see the world turn to God because of the poor representation that we are of Him. I include myself in this category! You know the thing that God has been telling you to do over and over? Do it! You know the sin that God has spoken to you about over and over? Get rid of it!

I am a big fan of 80's Michael Jackson(Yeah, yeah, I know!). I think Mr. Jackson had it right (for once) when he sang: "I'm looking at the man in the mirror. I'm asking him to change his ways. No message could have been any clearer. If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at your self and make a chaaaange. Wooooo. Wooooo. Nah nah nah na na."

Ted Haggard

Over the past couple of days, I have heard numerous news stories about Ted Haggard. All I can say is "WOW!" I don't know hardly anything about the guy, other than he's pretty influential. I don't know if the accusations are true or false. Seems as if at least some of it is true. Here's what a few people, whom I respect, had to say about the situation. They probably said it way better than I could have.

Mark Batterson

Mark Driscoll

Todd Rhodes (This guy is not named Mark, but he does have a pretty cool name!)

First family outing!!

As most of you know, since Anniston was born so premature, the doctors have basically told us that there is no place like home! Therefore, she does not go out except to go to the doctor. Today, we all jumped in the car for the first time as an entire family to take Anniston to the eye doctor. (Not exactly my idea of family fun, but it was necessary.)

We dropped Brayden off by the Meesomboon's house to play with Anela. Little did we know that we would wait for 3 1/2 hours before we would ever see a doctor. (Does an appointment mean anything?) The exam took 2 minutes and was literally one of the craziest things I have ever seen!!

Since babies don't know how to move their eyes to the left and right on command, the doctor had to help her. They clamp back their eyelids so that the whole eye is exposed. As if this wasn't bad enough, the doctor decided to stick a metal tool in her eye to turn it left and right. OUCH! She let out the saddest cry. It was like she was in distress.

Here's the crazy part. The doctor then says, "that cry is hurting my ears." What I wanted to say to him was, "Einstein, you have a metal object sticking out of her eye. What do you expect?" I bit my tongue and decided not to say what I was thinking. I felt really, really sorry for Anniston!!

Happy Halloween!

It's that time of year! Time for all the ghosts, goblins, and superheroes to come out to play. I am always so amused when it gets to mid-October because there are always some strange people out there that say these kinds of things:

"You shouldn't celebrate the devil's holiday."
"We shouldn't celebrate Halloween because it is of the devil."
"If you go trick-or-treating then you are going straight to you know where."

These kinds of things amuse me because last time I checked, Halloween has been about 2 things. 1. Getting as much candy as possible. 2. Having fun with your family. I don't personally know anyone who has become possessed because they dressed up like Big Bird. However, I do think that our world is turned off by the way that churches and church people react in their efforts to "not be like the world."

To those people, I would encourage you to join me, my family, and the millions of other people around the world and go get you some candy! It will make you feel better.

I know everyone has an opinion on this subject. I just thought I would express mine! I just think that people make a bigger deal out of things than they should. Thanks for letting me vent! Also, check out what this guy had to say about Halloween. It's pretty interesting!

I am pumped up!!

JR and I have been more strategic than ever over the past few weeks in our message planning. We are intentionally building towards a big night next week. We are hoping to see many begin a relationship with Christ that night.

Last week, we preached a message called "The Watchman". It was based on an idea in Ezekiel 33: 1-9. The watchman had the responsibility to warn the entire enemy that the enemy was coming. God has appointed us as watchmen over our families, friends, and others in our sphere of influence. This message helped to create the need for telling their friends about Christ.

Tomorrow night, we are preaching a message called, "Just Walk Across the Room". It is based on some of the ideas found in Bill Hybels' book by the same name. We want them to see that they can have an eternal impact in someone's life by simply walking across the room. It's that easy. This is a practical message to encourage them to invite their friends and share their "story" with that person. We are praying for God to use this night to help the students to see that this really is something they can do. You won't want to miss it!!

Next week is the week! We will be speaking about the "Choices" we have in life. It has the potential to be the single most creative Gospel presentation that we have ever done! This past Sunday, our students wrote down the names of people they would like to see begin a relationship with Christ. We have encouraged them to bring those people, regardless of age, that night. We will also give them another opportunity to write down other names tomorrow night.

I don't know that I have ever been more excited about what God is doing in the Middle School Ministry here. We are seeing some unique things happen! Feel free to come and check out what God is doing!!

Oh yeah, these services couldn't be as creative and awesome if we didn't have an amazing team of interns to help with the process! JR wrote about them yesterday and all I can say is "ditto!". The creative team meetings have certainly taken things to a whole new level. You guys are amazing!!

How big is she?

I put one of my shoes beside her so that you can get an idea of how big Anniston really is. The shoe is a size 11. There is no need to call social services, I do not make my child sleep next to smelly shoes. However, you might notice that she has her head turned the other way!

It doesn't get much better than this...

Today was awesome! Joni, Brayden, Anniston, and I all hung out at home all day. It was fun to hang out with them. Apart from a trip to Walmart for me and Brayden, we were all here together today. I love my family and really enjoyed hanging out with them!

Brayden is learning to be gentle with Anniston and not try to karate chop her in the face. Yesterday, he hit his mom in the eye with an alarm clock. Now it looks like I punched Joni in the face.

Ephesians

Ephesians 3:20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

If could think of a verse right not that would describe my life, I would have to choose this one. How could I have ever imagined that God would allow me to marry the most awesome woman in the world? How could I have ever thought that my children would be so amazing? How could I have ever imagined that God would allow me to be the Middle School Pastor to the greatest students on the planet?

I certainly give Him all the glory. I could have never imagined that it could be this good!!

Same story....different year...

Ok, I have mentioned several times that I believe that I take this college football thing too far. I think tonight confirmed it for me! Clemson looked horrible in a 24-7 loss to Va Tech. First of all, let me say that I said even before the game that I thought Tech was underrated. They have lost 2 games, one to Ga. Tech and one to Boston College. They lost both games to the teams that have the best opportunity to play in the ACC title game.

However, that does not excuse Clemson's performance. I am so glad we only have Will Proctor for 1 season. He has not played well in the past 2-3 games and played as bad as I have ever seen a quarterback play. I know that it was a tough environment but there is no excuse for that performance!

Clemson does this to me every year! They get my hopes up and then they come crashing down. How does the #1 scoring team in the country get held to 150 total yards? I guess we'll have to put this behind us and move on. Bring on Maryland!

Anniston

Many of you have asked how Anniston is doing. She has done really well since she has come home. She continues to gain weight and get stronger each day. She currently weighs 5lbs and 4ozs. She is so incredible!

Joni, Brayden, and I are making adjustments to accomodate her needs. I have been feeding her at the late feeding (11 or 12) and Joni gets up with her at 3 or 4. This seems to work out well for us.

She will not be able to get out much, which means that we will be spending lots of time at home. Brayden seems to be adjusting well to having a new person in the house.

Well, I think it is time for me to feed the most awesome girl on the planet! Look for new pics soon!!

Bloglines...

I have been meaning to tell everyone about this great resource that I have found. Bloglines is a tool that will allow you to go to one site and view multiple blogs. So instead of having to go to 20 different sites, I can go to one site and there is a link to all 20. It also lets you know if the person has written a new blog since you read them last. It saves TONS of time!! To check it out, just click on this.

Here are some blogs that I would suggest you check out:

JR Lee - The High School Pastor at Crosspointe and one of my greatest friends in the whole world.

Jeff Bumgardner - The former(It hurts me to say that.) Worship Pastor at Crosspointe. He used to be my friend until he decided to move all the way to Cali...lol. Now where am I going to watch the UFC fights?

Perry Noble - The Pastor of Newspring Community Church in Anderson, SC. One of the coolest guys I have ever met. God is using him and his church in a tremendous way.

Josh Currie - A guy that I am forever indebted to. He teaches the Millington/Woodstock small group for the Middle School Ministry and also plays in the High School worship band. He also works with Tracie (told you you would get a mention) and Andrew at American Cellular.

Andrew Nelson - A guy that knows more about ohms and feedback than I care to know. I haven't met many more people that are more committed and dedicated than him. Certainly not your typical sound guy!

JC Thompson - The man who works so much that I hardly ever see him. When he isn't working, I can guarantee that he is talking about Memphis football somewhere! He also runs pretty fast, just in case you wanted to know!

There are many others that I would suggest but we would be here all day.

Lesson Learned...

When I was a kid, I remember being somewhat a Miami Hurricanes fan. Clemson wasn't that great and Miami had a great run of winning National Championships in the 80's. Therefore, they were the other team that I pulled for. My feelings have changed since the Canes have moved into the ACC. I still want them to win, but only when it helps Clemson.

One subject that has been much talked about lately has been the fight with FIU. First of all, it was just a fight. It happens all of the time in sports. People just need to get over it!

Secondly, I really liked what Donna Shalala, the President of the University of Miami had to say. "This university will be firm and punish people who do bad things," Shalala said. "But we will not throw any student under the bus for instant restoration of our image or our reputation. I will not hang them in a public square. I will not eliminate their participation at the university. I will not take away their scholarships."

Unfortunately, Christian people seem to react in a way that is contrary to the way Jesus would have reacted. We are quick to pass judgement and condemn people. Why not try to help them through the situation? Why not stick with them to the end? It is easier for us to write someone off than to walk through the fire with them! It seems that a public university understand the importance of this concept.

All around us, there are people that do not know Christ! There is 0% chance they are going to Heaven because they do not know Jesus. I believe that it is time for the Christians and the church (as a whole) to stop turning their backs on those people. Last time I checked, Jesus was all about being in the places where the "sinners" were. I don't know about you, but I am committed to not throw anyone "under the bus". I want to see them come to know Jesus and have an intimate relationship with Him.

Johnny Hunt and the Tigers

I was so excited about having lunch with Perry Noble last week that I forgot to mention that JR and I also went to lunch with Johnny Hunt on Friday. This was awesome because he is one of the guys that I admire most in ministry. Upon meeting him, it is easy to see that he loves Jesus and is one of the most humble men I have ever met. I have learned so much from him and it really excited me to be able to hang out with him and Ken Lassiter for a little while. Of all of the things that he has taught me, the most important would probably be "to stay close and clean". What a simple but powerful prayer!

Gotta brag on my Tigers a little! They are ranked #10 in the AP poll. This is the highest that they have been ranked in a long time! I hope they don't jack it up over the next few weeks. Just think, they are 1 missed extra point away from being undefeated! I am hoping for a good showing in Blacksburg this week.

Resources...

From time to time, I will have people ask me about what I am reading and some help in selecting something to read. I have just read 3 pretty good books that were all totally different. All of them were written by pastors of churches that are getting it done. I love to read! Music and books are my addiction!! Here are a few suggestions for you:

1. The Connecting Church by Randy Frazee. This book helps the reader to move from beyond small groups to authentic community. He has some creative ideas about how to reach your neighborhood and community. I certainly agree with this quote, "The future of the church depends on whether it develops true community. Unless we sense that we belong to each other, with masks off, the vibrant church of today will become the powerless church of tomorrow." It is a great read for anyone and everyone who cares about a true sense of community.

2. The Church of Irresistible Influence by Robert Lewis. This book helps us to understand that is necessary for the church to build bridges into the community. Lewis calls out the church by declaring that today's church exists solely for itself. It is only concerned with routines, facilities, and filling buildings for performances. Few churches are building bridges where they matter most, in the community. This has led to the irrelevance of today's church in society.

3. 7 Practices of Effective Ministry by Andy Stanley. This book was my favorite of the three. This book calls for a simpler, more effective approach to ministry. Some of the ideas are things that are contrary to things I have been taught all my life. However, they make sense and will help us to be more effective in reaching our communities. I would recommend that everyone pick up this book and take to heart its principles!

These are just a couple of things that have challenged the way that I view ministry and reaching people. They were a huge help to me and will be to you also. Check them out! (I even made life easy for you. If you click on the book title, it will take you to Amazon, where you can order the book.)

How bout dem Tigers??

Last night, my Tigers put a "whoopin " on GA Tech. I was so nervous and scared all day long. They made Tech look like a Conference USA school! (Just kidding, my Memphis friends.) Tech came into the game ranked #13 and has had a great season. They are certainly no slouch. They played horrible and Clemson's defense kicked some Yellow Jacket booty!

The offense seemed to struggle at times but worked through it. James Davis and CJ Spiller both had enormous games. The next test will be Thursday night against Virginia Tech. I keep waiting for the Tigers to blow it. I hope this is not the week!

Anniston want a cracker?

Brayden and I both got back into the house last night, which meant that was the first time my entire family has been under the same roof. I have been wondering how he would respond to this little person suddenly taking over the house. I thought he might get really jealous, after all, it has been all about him for 2 years. He hasn't been that way at all. He has wandered around the house all day saying "baby". Several times, he has climbed up on the love seat so that he could see down into her bassonet.

Earlier today, Brayden was eating crackers. He decided to be nice and try to offer Anniston one. It was so funny! We tried to explain to him that she could only eat "mo" (his word for milk). I am pretty sure that he does not understand. It has been a great day to hang out with the 3 people I love the most!

Waiting...

Today is a big day for Clemson football. For the first time ever, Gameday comes to Death Valley. Tonight, they play Ga. Tech, who is ranked #13. Clemson is ranked #12. I really hate it when Clemson plays a big game at night. That means I will be nervous about it all day long!! I hope they do not get embarrassed by the Yellow Jackets. A win means they could move into the top 10. A loss means that they have blown the opportunity to win the ACC and go to a BCS bowl. I know I have said this before but I really think I might take this stuff too seriously!

I saw a really funny sign on Gameday. It said, "Superman wears James Davis (a Clemson running back) underwear." That was pretty funny! I wonder if it is true?

Perry Noble

After meeting with him, I decided to compose a list of the reasons why I love Perry Noble. Here ya go:

1. He is a normal guy. I am sure that at some point in your life you have had a face-to-face meeting with someone you consider to be one of your heroes (not seeing Batman at Six Flags). Unfortunately, it turns out that the person you respected is a jerk. This has happened to me on several occasions. Perry is just a normal guy who God is using in a tremendous way!

2. He made time in his schedule for 2 guys that he has only contacted through email. He wasn't so busy that he couldn't give me and JR some time. We were expecting an hour and we ended up spending an hour and 45 mins with him and Shane, a really cool guy on his staff.

3. He absolutely loves to see people have a real encounter with Jesus, whether this is for the first time or 100th. A few weeks ago, they had 214 people saved in one day. WOW!

4. He is a Clemson fanatic. Enough said there! He talked about how lots of the players have been saved at Newspring.

5. He really believes in vision. He is really big on not allowing someone to hijack your vision. There are always people that will try to push their agenda on your church or ministry. These people mean well but they will try to use their influence to determine the direction of their ministry.

6. I saw him talk to several people in the restaurant and he was genuinely interested in their situation and what was going on in their life. The dude really cares about people! Most people think that a guy that runs over 6,000 people on Sundays doesn't really care about every person. Nothing could be further from the truth.

7. He blogs daily. One of the first things that I do each day is to read his blog. It pumps me up!

8. He believes in excellence! If you can't do it right, don't do it.

9. He surrounds himself with awesome and incredible people. They have the same vision and heartbeat! They see God moving there and do not mind going the extra mile. An simple example of this is that his receptionist and admin. assistants are the nicest people on the planet!

10. He is not afraid to live on the edge. He said that if you want to reach lost people, you have to be willing to do some things that will even make you uncomfortable. He is not afraid to offend the religious Pharisees.

Needless to say, it was certainly worth the cost of the plane ticket! I am so glad that our meeting with Perry exceeded our high expectations!

Heroes...

One of the things that I have always tried to do is identify a list of a few people that I would consider as my heroes. Some of those people are athletes, some are actors, but most of my heroes are people that I look up to spiritually. About 6-7 months ago, JR and I thought "What if we try to meet one of them?" We knew it would be a long shot, but we decided to try to do so. So, all this to say that we contacted Perry Noble and asked him to give us a little of his time. The meeting was rescheduled a couple of different times, but finally happened yesterday.

Wouldn't you know that it worked out for Anniston to come home from the hospital on Wednesday, a day before I left. This caused me to question whether I should go or not. Joni really encouraged me to go because she knew how long I had looked forward to this day. Devin and Jesse agreed to keep Brayden for us, so that it could just be Joni and Anniston for a couple of days. Needless to say, the past 3 days have been pretty eventful.

Yesterday, the day started at 4 am because we had to catch a 7:15 flight. Our first flight was cancelled and our 2nd flight was an hour late. The drive from ATL to Anderson was a very quick one. I am still surprised that we are not in jail for driving so fast. One of the things that JR and I like to do is to invent games to keep life interesting. While we were flying, we decided that we should scroll through our iPods and sing OUT LOUD whatever song was in front of us. It was hilarious (and I am sure very annoying for those around us...lol)

Perry graciously pushed back his schedule to meet with us. We were terrified that we not going to be able to meet with thim after flying and driving like crazy to get there. He was a very gracious guy!

Home Sweet Home!

Yes it is true! Anniston is finally home!!! Today is a special day for a couple of reasons: 1. She got to come home today. 2. Today is she is 2 months old. The doctors really surprised us by allowing her to go home today, instead of this weekend. She currently weighs 4lbs 12oz. She has been off her oxygen since Sunday, with the exception of a little at feeding times. Please pray with us that she continues to be able to stay off of it. She is on a couple of different monitors that would alarm us if anything was going on with her. Hopefully she will not have to wear them for an extended period of time.

Because Anniston was born so early, there are certain precautions we must take. We must try our best to protect her from contact with as many germs as possible. Therefore, we have to ask that you do not come to visit her at this time. Trust me, we certainly want you to see her and we want to show her off. However, we must protect her health. One of the biggest concerns is RSV, which is simply a cold for you and me. It can lead to pneumonia (Does anyone really know why there is a "p" there?) pretty easily. I promise that the day will come when everyone can see her and we cannot wait for that day.

Having a premature baby is going to dramatically alter our way of life. For example, due to RSV, the doctors suggest that Anniston is not in public from Oct-Apr. That is a really long time! Joni is going to be spending lots of time at home with her and could use your prayers and encouragement. So, if you don't see her around as much, it is because she is home with Anniston. She still loves Jesus and has not left the church...lol.

Thanks so much for all the prayers that have been prayed on our behalf. We are eternally grateful! Please continue to pray for us!!

Todd Lollis
www.toddlollis.blogspot.com

I think I hear Michael W. Smith singing...

While I was a teenager, I spent much of my weekends and Wed. nights hanging out with my church's "youth group". (By the way, I hate those words! At Crosspointe, we don't have a youth group, we have a student ministry. Our students are out in the culture engaging their friends and encouraging them to turn to Christ. They are doing ministry. They are not just a part of some little group.) Ok, sorry about the rant.

I can remember several occasions when people did move away. It was always a sad time. The thing I remember most was that in every one of those situations, the song "Friends are Friends Forever" was played. As I result, I now have a phobia of ever hearing that song.

This Sunday will be Jeff Bumgardner's (www.jeffbumgardner.blogspot.com) last Sunday here at Crosspointe. I have mixed emotions about he and his family moving to California. I am really excited for them because God has called them to a great church and I know that God is going to use them in a tremendous way! I am sad because they are some of our greatest friends and we will miss them dearly. It will be really sad to see them go! However, I do believe that it is God's plan! Want to know how I know? I have been a huge Dodgers fan for years and I desperately want to go to Dodger Stadium for a game. Jeff will be really close! Who says God isn't at work? LOL!

So Jeff, it the words of a cheesy 80's Christian artist..."Though it's hard to let you go. In the Father's hands we know, that a lifetime's not too long to live as friends."

Sniff...Sniff...Does anyone have some kleenex?

Isn't She Awesome...

Randomness...

1. Brayden is getting adjusted to the new bed. Yesterday, for the first time, he got out of bed and walked into our room while we were taking a nap. It was pretty cool, except that he had never seen us both asleep before and it freaked him out!
2. Clemson plays Ga Tech next weekend on ESPN. It is a matchup of the #12 and #13 teams. I am already nervous about the game.
3. There hasn't been much football talk around the office. JR is a Miami fan and Jeff is a UGA fan. Not much to talk about for those guys! Clemson just needs to take advantage of a down year and win the ACC!!
4. I am so glad that the students are back from fall break. I really miss CrossOver when we do not have it.
5. I really, really, really want Anniston to come home this week! Look for new pictures soon!

Weekend Wrap-up

I love weekends! I look forward each week to Friday, Saturday, and Sunday because I know that I am going to get to hang out with the people I love the most! Unlike some husbands and fathers, I actually love to hang out with my family. I take that time seriously and try my best to guard our time together. If not, others will plan your entire schedule for you, if you let them.

Friday night, Joni and I went to dinner. I look forward to the opportunities that we have to spend time together, with no kids. (Tip for guys: It is not a date if you bring your kids along!!) It is so important and vital for couples to get away for a few hours and spend time talking about things other than work and the kids. I love my job and my kids. However, I realize that Joni and I need a break from those things. I am not really sure, but I think she likes hanging out with me too!

Saturday, I hung out at the house for most of the day. Brayden and I went to Lexi's soccer game. If you have not watched 4 year olds play soccer, you are missing some entertainment. I admire the people that coach those kids because I am not sure that I could take it. I am too competitive! It did make me anxious for Brayden to be old enough to play sports. I can't wait for that day. We ate dinner at Bigfoot, for the second weekend in a row! I love the place!!!

Sunday, we were at church in the am and pm. Sundays are tricky because we both try to go to the hospital, along with being at both church services and sneaking in a nap. I usually go to the hospital after I dismiss the students for their small groups. I got home in the early afternoon and took a stinkin' long nap! Naps are what makes Sunday afternoons so awesome!!! Joni goes to the hospital before church and I bring Brayden to church with me. After church last night, we went over to the Bumgardner's house to hang out. I love those guys and I am sad that they are moving! We had a great time just talking and watching some crazy reality shows.

Ready...

Joni and I are so ready for Anniston to come home. She seems to be doing really well and getting better every day. She currently weighs 4lbs 8oz. We are not sure when they are going to allow her to come home. They seem to be telling us a couple of different things. This leaves us more confused than anything. The doctors seem to have a difference of opinion for some reason. Hopefully, we can find out on Monday exactly when we will get to bring her home.

Thanks so much to everyone who has prayed for her and been such an encouragement to us. You mean more than you know!

Today is a weird day because Clemson does not play. They played on Thursday night and defeated Temple 63-9. It is also strange because we have no plans for the day. We didn't plan anything because we thought we might be bringing Anniston home today. The good news is that we are getting close -- really close!

A Little Disappointed...

Joni and I spent the whole night with Anniston Wed. night. We arrived at the hospital at about 8pm. They moved her into the room with us about 9:00 and the fun began. It was so awesome to be able to hang out with her and not feel rushed. Usually, I have to get back to work or it is time for shift change but last night we could hold her as long as we wanted.

Although we didn't get much sleep, we had a great night. They decided not to allow her to go home. We are not sure why because they seemed to have no clear reason. The doctor told us it would be a couple of days. To say the least, we were a little disappointed! I think we really got our hopes up and now we are more anxious than ever!

Moving Quickly...

Today the nurses told us that they want us to "sleep in" with Anniston tomorrow night instead of this weekend. She could possibly go home on Thursday!! Things certainly seem to be on the fast track with her now!

FYI - She weighed 4lbs. 5oz.

Brayden

One of the greatest joys in my life is Brayden. I wanted a boy really badly and God was gracious enough to grant my wish. He is the most awesome kid! This weekend, he walked around the house in his Clemson jersey (standard clothing on Saturdays for all males) yelling "Go" every time I would say "Go Tigers". He fell asleep on my chest while we were watching the game. It was so cool!

Last night, he experienced something totally new. We needed to transition him out of his crib so that Anniston will have a place to sleep. So, last night he slept in a regular full size bed (3-4 ft off the floor) for the first time ever. Joni and I were so paranoid that he was going to fall out and break his face. He is the easiest kid on the planet to get to go to sleep. I think he takes that after his dad! Night 1 down, with no broken bones, cuts, or scratches.

Excitement and Nervousness!

I went to see Anniston yesterday and got stuck in some pretty bad traffic on 240 and Walnut Grove. How long can you possibly work on one intersection? It seems like they have been working on that road FOREVER! I almost missed the opportunity to see Anniston because I got there right at shift change. I begged them to let me back for a few minutes and I am really glad that I did.

They told me that they want us to "sleep in" with her this weekend. That means they will have put her in a room with us for the night. That way we can take care of her and experience everything for ourselves. The doctor also ordered equipment for our house. Do you know what that means? You guessed it!! She is coming home soon! We cannot wait. After 53 days of having to leave the hospital without her, we are more than ready.

We are also a little nervous. They are going to have to send her home with some oxygen and a monitor. We have to go to the hospital and take a CPR class. To be honest, taking that class will probably be a little freaky.

We have waited for this day for so long. Now we cannot believe that it is finally going to come!!

New AP Poll

Tigers are ranked 12th. To borrow a line from my good friend Forrest Gump, "That's all I've got to say about that!"

Tall Hair = Assertiveness??

Joni and I had dinner with Mike and Eileen Findley at Bigfoot Lodge. Bigfoot should really put me on staff there because I tell everyone I know about that place. I think it is my favorite restaurant downtown because I love the atmosphere and it is cheap (the main factor in my decision). While we were there, the waitress told me that she could tell that I was going to be assertive because I had tall hair. How strange is that? So I guess now your hair tells people something about your character. Go figure that one out!

Catching up...

Here are the random thoughts of an insane person's mind...

1. It is Saturday, I cannot believe that I haven't posted since Wed.
2. Anniston is doing great. She weighs 4lbs. 1oz. This is a major step in her being allowed to come home. She is doing really well on her feedings. She needs to continue to progress in that area and get off the little bit of oxygen that she is on.
3. I went to the eye dr. yesterday and he told me that my contacts were too strong. I knew that the guy I went to last time was a weirdo, this information just proved it. I am also checking into laser surgery to correct my vision.
4. Anniston got a blood transfusion on Thursday. This will replenish her red blood cells, since a premature baby cannot produce them fast enough.
5. I have been trying to get up at 6:00am every day for 3 weeks. This will help me to have more time to read, pray, and exercise. This is difficult for me because I am such a night person. Week 1 is done!!
6. Clemson drove me insane today. They trailed 17-3 at the end of the 3rd quarter. They won the game 27-17. I didn't give them much of a chance after the 1st quarter. I was so relieved they won. They should move up a few spots in the poll.
7. We are not sure when Anniston might get to come home, but I really feel like we are getting close. Today is day 50 in the hospital.
8. Gas is under $2. That excites me!
9. Joni and I had dinner with Mike and Eileen Findley. Addison, 2 months old, was also with them. It is so hard to believe that she is only 4 days older than Anniston. They are awesome people and I really enjoyed hanging out with them.
10. I might take this college football stuff too seriously.
11. The Dodgers continue to disappoint me! A sweep? Give me a break!
12. The fires downtown were crazy. The Methodist church was the oldest church in Memphis.
13. Excited that Auburn got beat. I wish Tennessee hadn't won!
14. I ran 3.1 (5k) miles non-stop today for the 1st time.
15. I have been reading the book of Romans lately. Talk about deep and challenging!!

I love Wednesdays...

Wednesday is my 2nd favorite day of the week. Why 2nd? My favorite day of the week is Saturday. I absolutely love hanging out with my wife, who is my best friend and the most unbelievable woman in the world. I also love to hang out with Brayden and Anniston. Brayden is turning into a little wild man. He goes wide open all the time. Anniston is the girl who should be arrested for stealing my heart. By the way, she continues to do well. She weighed 3lbs 13ozs today.

Wednesdays are my 2nd favorite day because I get to hang out with some of the most unbelievable students that I have ever known. They are the reason that I do what I do. I have a deep burning passion for them to be closer to Jesus each and every day. CrossOver is about 2 things: helping those who don't know Christ to get to know Him and helping those that do know Him to know more and have a deeper relationship with Christ. That's it! That fuels everything we do! It is so cool to get into their world and help them to make a difference. I can't believe that I actually get paid to do this!! Don't tell anyone, but I don't have a choice. This is what God has called me to do.

Jesus, thank You so much for allowing me to be a part of Your great plan. I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve you. Please help me to make the most of what I have, where I am!

Anniston

Here is the most recent picture of her @ 6 weeks old and 3lbs 12ozs!

Tigers Roll...

Clemson destroyed yet another high school team (La. Tech) this weekend 51-0. They are playing better than I have seen them play in a long time. They are ranked 15th in the lastest poll, which is 1 spot behind Tennessee. That should change this weekend, when UGA beats Tenn. Clemson plays Wake Forest, who is the most surprising unbeaten team in the country. We'll see what happens!!

Movin' On Up

Anniston continues to amaze me! When I went to visit her today, she weighed 3lbs 12ozs. That is 3ozs more than yesterday! She looks a million times bigger than she was in the few days after she was born.

Yesterday, she drank a whole bottle for the first time. Saturday was the first time they had ever tried her on the bottle and she drank 10cc. Yesterday, she goes and drinks all 44cc. That is so crazy!!

Today is day 44 in the hospital. As I was adding that up today, I guess I didn't realize that it had been that long. We are so ready to bring her home!!!

Randomness...

Joni and I spent most of the day at the game, but here are some other random things from the day:

The weather was awesome. I ran this morning and didn't even break a sweat. I love this time of year!!

I saw a Krystal burger eating contest at the fair. This dude ate 10 Krystal burgers in 2 mins. I am pretty sure he is having a heart attack as we speak. We live in such an interesting world, when competitive eating is considered a sport.

I watched Clemson annihilate La. Tech tonight 51-0. Clemson had 3 guys who rushed for over 100 yds. It was pretty awesome. The announcers made a big deal about the fact that Clemson was only ranked 18th. We will see what happens the rest of the year. The real test comes in the next few weeks. Let' go tigers!!

Marshal and Stacey Davis kept Brayden all day so that Joni and I could hang out. They are awesome people! Brayden loves them and especially likes Savannah, their dog.

Anniston continues to get better and better each day. We attempted to feed her with a bottle today for the first time. She took about 10cc and then went to sleep. Not too bad for the first time!

What if is was like this...

Joni and I went to the Memphis/Tenn. game today. As I said yesterday, I was really hoping Memphis would win, partly due to my hatred of Tenn. Well, as everyone knows, that didn't happen. It was pretty ugly!

While I was there, I thought that there is no reason that the church (as a whole, not just Crosspointe) should have the same type of atmosphere. Everyone I saw there was super excited to be there. I was wide awake at 6:15 because I was pumped about going and these aren't even my teams. They were there extra early and had done all the things they needed to do to prepare for the experience. What if the church was like this?

They also made it clear that they were there to support their team. No matter what! The Memphis fans will be back next week, cheering on their team. They stick it out during the good times and the bad times. In fact, they will tell everyone they know about the great plays they saw. What if the church was like this?

I saw old people, young people, skinny people, fat people, white people, black people, asian people, pretty people, ugly people, etc, etc. They were hanging out together. Some of them never having talked to each other before today. What if the church was like this?

I saw people celebrating big plays and victories. I high-fived this guy at one point and thought "I don't even know anything about this guy." What if the church was like this?

There are many other lessons that we could talk about, but we will stop with these. I think this is enough to think about for now.

What a Day!!

Today was an interesting day, that's for sure!! I went to see Anniston this morning and I couldn't wait to get there because I was going to be able to hold her for the first time since we were in Hattiesburg. I got a big surprise when I got there! She was no longer in the incubator. She was in a regular bed/crib and she had on some clothes. This was an emotional moment for me because I knew this was a big step before she went home. The nurse asked me if I wanted to change her, feed her, and check her temperature. I agreed, of course! Everything went smoothly until we got to the diaper changing part. I had just slid a clean diaper under her when she began to poop everywhere. I removed that one, put a clean one under her, and she did the same thing. This happened again. Finally, I slid the 4th diaper under her and she began to pee. I was so ready to give up...lol. There was poop everywhere. I was so glad that she decided to break me in that way.

I held her and fed her after changing her. She seemed so much bigger! It was a very special moment for me. I can't wait to hold her more often.

After I tried to fix the trapt under our bathroom sink(everyone that knows me knows that this was not an easy task), Joni and I went to dinner with Dan and Diana Craddock. We have been trying to hook up with them forever! They are some of the greatest people that I have ever known. I will say this about them: I have never heard anyone say anything negative about either one of them. Wow! What a great testimony!! Jesse Meesomboon kept our kids. I want to say this about Jesse, she is such a servant. She has kept Brayden the last 3 weekends in a row. I love these people and thank God for their friendship.

After dinner, we went back to the hospital. Here is the crazy part: Anniston is in the step down unit (NCCU). This is another big step in her being able to come home. I was so shocked!! It will still be a few weeks, but she is making such great progress. I am thinking some faith healer must have come by her room and hit her in the head. She has progressed so far in the last 24 hours!

Now, I guess I should go get some sleep. Joni and I are going to the Tennessee/Memphis game. I am going for a couple of reasons: 1. I like the Memphis Tigers. They are not the real Tigers, but they will do for tomorrow. 2. I dispise Tennessee. I cannot stand them. Not even a little bit. Oh yeah, just wanted to remind you Tenn. fans that the last time Clemson played you was in the Peach Bowl. I'll let you guess who won the game 27-13.

I Can't Explain It!

There was a pretty popular gospel music song a few years ago by a guy named Kirk Franklin that contained these words: I can't explain, I can't obtain it. Jesus your love is so, it's so amazing. It gets me high up to the sky, and when I think about your goodness it makes me wanna stomp. Makes me clap my hands. Makes me wanna dance and stomp. My brother can't you see I got the victory. STOMP!!!

These lyrics certainly describe the last 24 hours of my life. I look forward to Wednesday nights so much because I get to spend them with the greatest middle school students in the world. Sure they have their share of issues and problems. In fact, that is why they come and it is my desire to help them live life the way Jesus intended. I am reminded each and every week why I do what I do.

I was a little discouraged before CrossOver began because there seemed to be no one here. I knew that God had given me something to say to them and I wanted them to be here to hear it. JR and I started a series last night called Life's Toughest Questions. In the first week of the 3 week series, we spoke about the reality of hell and how God gives us every opportunity to miss out on it.

When the invitation was given, there were hands going up all over the room indicating that these students had just received Christ. After these students spent some time with an adult learning more about their decision, I saw that 12 students had accepted Christ. Yes, I said 12!! These students entered the room on their way to hell and left on their way to Heaven!! I was so pumped up!!!

Now I know that there are some of you thinking "of course they got saved, he was preaching on hell". I did my best to communicate with each student individually. I did not want to sound like most preachers (who always seem sweaty and red in the face) and preach like I was glad that people will one day go there. It breaks my heart to think that even one person will have to spend eternity in that place. I think we did a good job of shooting straight with them about the reality of hell, without scaring their pants off. The real work begins now, just trying to follow-up on those students and getting them grounded.

In addition to what happened last night, I spent some time with Anniston this morning. She certainly has me wrapped around her little finger. She is the most precious baby on the planet!! (Sorry for the rest of you parents, I am a little biased!) I am pretty jacked up about the fact that I will get to finally hold her tomorrow. When I think about the last 24 hours...it makes me want to STOMP!!

Oh yeah, JR told me about this song that rocked my world yesterday. It is by a country group called Heartland. The name of the song is "I Held Her First". If you are a male and you have a little girl, I encourage you to check out this song. However, you might want to make sure you are somewhere by yourself. It will cause the tears to fall!!

Yo Adrian!

Yesterday, there were 2 things that excited me greatly.

1. Anniston continues to do very well. They removed the oxygen tube and put her under an oxygen hood. Both of those things accomplish the same task, mainly the hood is the preference of her primary care physician. She weighs 3lbs and 6 oz. At this rate, she may weigh 485 lbs by the time she is 10. LOL!

2. I was watching the finale of The Contender last night. I enjoyed it but I will have to say that it was a disappointment to me. The episodes during the season are much better to me because they are able to edit them and make them more dramatic. However I did like both of the guys and was glad that Grady Brewer won.

Now, on to the thing that excited me. While I was watching the finale, a preview for the new Rocky Balboa movie was shown. I cannot wait! I am a huge Rocky fan!! (Rocky IV is the greatest movie I have ever seen. I still remember seeing it in the theater with my sister and crying when Apollo died. I know, I know, I need some serious help. My only fear about the movie is that it will be horrible. I have mixed emotions about making the new movie. All good things must come to an end. We'll see if they should've stoppped after V.