Vice President What's-Her-Name

I think a lot of bets were lost today. McCain's Veep Candidate.

He must be trying to get in the good graces of the Alaskans before he drills all over their state (for oil that is. Black gold. Texas tea.).

Feeling Old

I was listening to ESPN Radio this morning, as usual. When the guys subbing for Mike & Mike mentioned that Michael Jackson is turning 50 today. Fifty! Then they went on a hilarious riff about his greatest songs, which led into a discussion of the Thriller album (and video -- how scary & cool it was, etc. And how Vincent Price was rapping on that album and how his haunting laugh can still freak us out). Memories of High School and College days. I'm feeling nostalgic. And old.

Back-to-School Bash

Starbucks

I really enjoy Starbucks coffee. A store opened several months ago located just a few miles down the road. It's a great place to connect with people who have been visiting The Creek. And also to meet other preachers for fellowship.

Okay, so this wasn't the most exciting post I've ever written. Maybe I need more caffeine.

Where Are Y'all From?

I have a sitemeter (located on the bottom of this blog) that tells me how many hits I get per day/week. It also gives the location of the people reading this blog. So I know where you are from, but I don't know who a lot of you are. (I do get a chuckle when I see that someone, obviously accidentally, finds this blog from Germany or Turkey or Italy. Especially when they stay on the page for less than three seconds. "Hey! Come back! What's not to love?").

Anyway, I know who is in Lincoln, IL (a dearly missed favorite intern -- see, Spence you finally got a shout-out on the blog) and Mt. Pleasant, MI and Newport News, VA, but who are the regular readers in Benson, NC and Saginaw and Grand Rapids and Livonia, MI and South Bend, IN? I have a few regular commenters, but I would love to hear from you lurkers. Let me know who you are. Leave a comment or email me.

Mighty to Save

Tracy and Lindsey will be singing this at The Creek on Sunday. It is one of my current faves.

Cubs Win!

They keep winning. It's late August. I'm starting to believe.

Do You Love What You Do?

I read this article on David Foster's blog. I sent to my staff and many of my fellow preachers. It made me reflect once again on the fact that I love what I do. This Sunday marks five years of ministry with Cedar Creek. I get to spend my life leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus. How great is that?

Summer Olympics

Have you been watching the Games? Ya gotta love the Olympics. Once every four years we find ourselves enthusiastically wrapped-up in sports that we don't even think about otherwise. Synchronized diving? Very cool. Gymnastics? They are amazing athletes. And Michael Phelps? Dude is super-human. Wow.

P.S. What's with Bob Costas's hair? A little heavy on the Just for Men maybe?

Sunday at The Creek

Sunday at Cedar Creek rocked. I don’t know what was different today, but the spirit was palpable. There was an electricity in the air. I was really fired up about my message (Jesus is the only way to Heaven — Christianity is the most exclusive of all religions, but at the same time it is the most inclusive — whosoever will may come).

Day Two

Craig Groeschel knocked it out of the park. And Catherine Rohr is doing an incredible work.

Leadership Summit

My friend Kelly Byrd invited my staff and me to attend the Leadership Summit.We have attended in the past, but did not have it scheduled his year. But Kelly made it possible for us to attend. It is always a great time to learn some truths about leadership and to be challenged to think about fresh ways to do ministry. More later.

Third Day -- Revelation

Mrs. Soren picked up Third Day's new album for me yesterday. It rocks!

Sunday at The Creek

We had a wonderful Sunday at Cedar Creek today. I was on vacation last Sunday, so it had been two weeks since I preached. It was good to be back home. The spirit of worship was tremendous and I heard several positive comments about the message, which was longer and a little meatier than usual. I preached about how we should live in this worldly culture and how we should make decisions about questionable issues. Afterwards we had lunch at Steak & Shake. Yummy!

Old Movies

Last night Luke and I watched the movie WarGames. I remember watching it was I was in High School. The computers and graphics seem cheesy now, but it was still pretty cool. And Luke enjoyed it. Next on our list? Red Dawn. "Wolverines!"