Get a Room

Check out this article on the requirement of premarital counseling … IN INDIA! The idea of premarital counseling is going global. Cool.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/02/17/premarriage-courses-curb-divorce-rate-domestic-violence.html

Hey, if India gets the need for PMC, maybe you should, too. Are you engaged or do you know someone who is? We are offering a 4-hour course in PMC through two 2-hour sessions at our church (LifePoint Church in Smyrna) beginning March 3, from 6-8PM. A second session to complete the 4-hour course will be held March 17. (Wear green that day!)

There is no cost for the course but you need to sign up by calling my assistant, Susan at 459.3311. Couples do not need to be members of LifePoint to attend.

There is still a little time (like 2 more days) to get your Romance and Roses tickets. This is our huge marriage celebration we hold each year for family and friends of LifePoint Church.

Here are some details:

** R&R will be held at the Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro on Friday, February 12.

** Doors will open at 6:30 PM, dinner will be served at 7:00 PM.

** Tickets are $40.00 per couple and include the banquet meal and entertainment. No, it does not include a room – it’s not the Motel 6.

** Our theme is In the Mood from the Glen Miller tune.

** Let me introduce our outstanding lineup, and drop some names as I do:

Music City Swing – a 21-piece orchestra that plays 40’s style music. They are incredible. They recently did a gig with Mike Huckabee and his famous base last fall.

Jerry and Amy Minor – a Christian couple from Los Angeles who do marriage comedy all over the country. These are really big time people who have a strong faith and have written comedy for Bonnie Hunt, Bill Cosby and Jay Leno. (Recognize any of those names?) They pride themselves in saying they are the only couple to do comedy with Gary Chapman (the 5 Love Languages guy) and Jack Black. Now there’s a spectrum!

We would love to have you attend if you are married or engaged but you gotta get your ticket, like  NOW. You can come by the church office (LifePoint Church in Smyrna, TN) and pick up a ticket through Wednesday, February 10. Don’t ask on Thursday as we have to give our deadline to the hotel.

Door prizes, special couple times, a testimony from a special LifePoint couple,

plus there will even be some time for you to spend next to your spouse while the music is playing, if you know what I mean!

Simply put, Romance and Roses is one huge celebration of God’s gift of marriage to us. It is our 11th annual R&R and one of the strongest programs we have put together. We hope you will join us.

Here is what I am reading these days as well as what I’ve just completed.  I’d like to know what you are reading.

Also, there is a list of books I am thinking about reading and would like your input.

Recently read:

Gary Chapman, Making Love: The Chapman Guide.  Gary’s wisdom on a Christian way to love your mate. Simple but clear and important stuff.

Cos Davis, Parenting with a Purpose. Another simple look at parenting. Helpful principles on doing the hard work of parenting.

Currently reading:

Thomas DeFrank, Write It When I’m Gone. The author’s take from his 30+political journey with Gerald Ford. I’m a presidential freak. It started with JFK’s assassination when I was in 4th grade.

Clive Cussler, The Navigators. I always take in 1 or 2 Cusslers eacah year. Relaxing novels.

Considerations:

Elizabeth Gilbert, Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage. Just out last week.

Gary and Barbara Rosberg, The Five Sex Needs of Men and Women. Was released last year.

I’d like to know …

* Have you read any of these?

* Have you heard anything about these?

* Finally, tell me what you’re reading these days.

I hope it’s a good reading year for you. I know I am over due for one. Let’s make 2010 a productive year, reading wise!

So your presents are all opened. Perhaps you or you kids didn’t get quite everything you wanted? Here’s something you can share with them (or apply it to yourself):

You can’t have everything – where would you put it?

Merry Christmas.

What a wonderful time of the year! It’s just beautiful to – get out in the cold, the traffic, the lines at the store. Nothing humorous about that statement. I’m serious! It is a great time.

In the midst of this “great time” we are having, remember those who have a tough time around Christmas. It is for various reasons but for some it’s anything but the most wonderful time of the year.

My challenge to you is to be aware of those with special needs. Is it the first Christmas since your friend lost a loved one? Send them a note. Has someone on your street lost their job recently? Take them a meal, dessert, or something to encourage them.

Christmas time can be a polarizing time. It’s usually either the most or the least wonderful season. If it’s “the most” for you, reach out to someone who may be experiencing their worst.

PS: It’s good to be blogging again. Major transitional issues knocked us off for a while. Hopefully we’ll get a decent readership before long (in addition to you special ones, of course, who read this “comeback post”)!

The Lord has provided ample amount (for us) of travel this year. Here is some of where we have been since 1/09.

DISCLAIMER: I give you permission to skip to the bottom of this blog post if you are not into reading where other people travel. Some send out Christmas letters each year telling you where they've been. Maybe you do, too. Perhaps you send me one each year. If so, thanks. For me, I'll just choose to annoy you several times throughout the years with where I've been and where I plan to go.

BEEN THERE …

* Las Vegas – yes, and what happened there …

*  Oklahoma – parent and children's conference

* Louisville – Southern Baptist Convention

* Denver – The Parent Adventure presentation to International English

Consultants

* Horn's Creek Camp – Camp Whatever! With hundreds of kids!

* Western Caribbean Ocean – Marriage Cruise

* Phoenix – The Parent Adventure workshop at the Association of Marriage and Family Ministers (AMFM)

* Dallas (Forney, TX) - The Parent Adventure workshop at a Church Leadership Conference for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention

GOING THERE (Lord willing!) …

* Smyrna, TN – LifePoint Church's Real Marriage – You need to be there, too! BUY YOUR TICKETS WEDNESDAY NIGHT OR NEXT SUNDAY AM IN THE CONCOURSE.

* Ridgecrest, NC – Keynoting at Festival of Marriage

* Arlington, TX – (TPA presentation) LifeWay Kids Conference

* Clarksville, TN – TPA at Parent's Conference

* Smyrna (LifePoint) – TPA presentation over 5 Sundays beginning in late October

CANCELLED

* Panama City, FL – Festival of Marriage – R&S withdrew

* Scottsdale, AZ – event cancellation

Whew! It already has been a major year of travel and we've got 4 months to go!

I giggle slightly because every year Selma tells me we're going to slow down. We try but …

We are blessed to have such opportunities to speak and encourage marriages and parents. It is a true joy as well. I am also blessed to have a partner to speak alongside me.

Many of the speaking engagements mentioned above have been or are mine alone. I can do that okay but it is just right when my mate is beside me.  

What about you? Where have you been this year? Where are you planning on going? I'd really like to hear. Comment on this post and let me know.

PS - Church News:

1 – if you haven't been to LifePoint lately, it is going bananas. We are almost averaging 3000 each Sunday! Wow! I knew it when it was running around 400-500 each week.

This week we are beginning a new campus in the Stewart's Creek area. Check it out at lifepointchurch. We'd love to have you.

2 – REAL MARRIAGE is coming September 19 and 20. More on that later but you can get your tickets this Sunday in the concourse.

Wow – check this out:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/devon/8067752.stm

How long were they married? Hint: they have a 76 year-old (legitimate!) son.

Several men on our church staff are little league coaches. So are a lot of other guys at LifePoint. I am proud of all of them. Many of them do not even have kids themselves in the game yet they give and give and give to these kids.

Of course they teach them a lot more than just football (or baseball, basketball, soccer – you fill in the blank). A lot of it is about influence. Encouraging a kid to do his best, reach his potential, building character, etc. Sometimes even sharing Christ with them. Basically being salt and light to these young players.

100 years ago I played football for the mighty Cleveland (Tennessee) High School Blue Raiders. (I just know you've heard of them!) I was a wide receiver. I keep up with them whenever I get to Cleveland to visit Mom.

A little history: when I played for CHS we had a 32 game winning streak. (I got a head concussion the game we had it broken!) I also played in a state championship game. We lost, but we got there. CHS also got back to state finals game – and won it THREE YEARS IN A ROW in the 90's. So we're not talking about a so-so program here.

The Blue Raiders have a new coach this year. His name is E.K. Slaughter. (Not a bad name for a head coach, huh? SLAUGHTER!) Haven't met Coach Slaughter but he made me proud of him and my alma mater this week with a quote in Cleveland's newspaper.

There was a two-page spread of quotes from all the high school team's coaches just as the season was beginning. Many were saying "We're gonna win the state championship this year" and stuff like that.

Here was E.K. Slaughter's quote:

"What you do is go to school and play football. Who you are is eventually going to be a husband and father, a family man. Our No.1 goal is to create better fathers and husbands."

WOW! Not a bad start for the new coach.

I am pulling for you this season, Coach Slaughter. But whether you win a single game or not, your players are going to have a good season with you and that kind of philosophy influencing them.

Many of you have inquired about my wife's health. Selma is doing well after a thyroidectomy last week. While all the tests have been negative (including after the surgery) – and no pain ever for Selma – the thyroid was growing and several opinions told us that it needed to come out.

It's been … interesting being able to tell her to shut up all week while her voice is healing. She's actually done very well and has been a great patient. She's even taken my "shut-ups" rather well.

We have felt the prayers of friends and work associates and are grateful to our Lord and the prayer support of everyone. Considering the potential of what could have happened to her voice we are most thankful for a great recovery to this point.

Some time ago Selma was out of town on business. When she returned, Natalie, our youngest, made the following observation to her: "Mom, Daddy seems lost without you." When Selma told me that I thought "fair enough". I don't know that I could take that wrong if I tried. After 33 years she's a part of me for sure. And I AM lost without her around. Perhaps that's why the rollout bed beside hers at Baptist Hospital didn't really feel that bad last week!

A good week to you —

Selma is one to celebrate. She always claims that the weekend of Mother's Day is "her" weekend. All weekend. Her birthday is not her birthday. The week of June 14 is her birthday week.

But I must say she does it with rest of the clan as well. This past week for example, it was my birthday week. She surprised me with a round of golf at a course I'd been wanting to play all my life – The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay State Park outside of Chattanooga. She set it up for me to play with a lot of her family. The seven of us that ended up playing had an amazing time together. Her family all play golf anyway so it was a natural thing.

In my foursome I played golf with the three most special men in my life. (Dad would have been on that list as well.) I played with Steve Vought – my best and long time friend from east TN (like a brother); Roy, my father-in-law (like my second dad); and David, my son-in-law (like my son).

The scenery at Harrison Bay was at times really breath-taking. Water flowed in and out of the course, just like my ball once flowed into the water. (It was the only ball I lost all day.)

When the round was through, I came out on top! I shot an 89, while David had a 90 and the other 5 had a little more than that. Of course they all said it was because it was my birthday that they let me win.

But it wasn't the score that mattered even though I'd only beaten everyone once or twice before – Robert, my brother-in-law (like a brother-in-law usually shoots in the high 70's. It was the time together that was so great. It was playing with the most important men in my life that was so wonderful. in their own ways they are each such an inspiration to me. We got home, talked golf some, watched the Titans get beat, argued some theology – it was all so wonderful.

I am glad my wife knows how to celebrate. She wasn't even there when we played. That didn't matter to her. She got the blessing in being such a blessing. I continue to learn from my wife.

Lord, help me learn every day what you have for me to learn – from your Word, from speaking with you, and from my wife. Let me have more of a giving spirit that you have given her. She is such a blessing from you.

All of this happened when her surgery was coming up last Monday. She's doing fine. I'll give you the details tomorrow.

If you are married, I hope your spouse gives to you. If not, you can start the process by giving to her. Start simply and watch it grow. He/she may even respond. Take it from my wife's lifestyle – it is indeed more blessed to give than to receive.