THE BALL

Spent a few hours earlier this evening at Celebrate Recovery's New Year Party. It was a fun time. We have some great folks in CR - real people facing real issues and overcoming them with God's help.

Quite unexpectedly, I'm still up, even though I anticipated an early-ish night.

Guess I may as well wait and see the Ball drop now.

Al Gore is doubtless thrilled that this year's ball is more environmentally friendly, sorry but does mine look like the face of someone who really cares?

GOODBYE

Some good words here from T.D. Jakes for the end of the year -

There are people who can walk away from you.

And hear me when I tell you this!

When people can walk away from you: let them walk.

I don't want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you.

When people can walk away from you let them walk.Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left.

The Bible said that,"They came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us." [1John 2:19]

People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can't make them stay. Let them go.

And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person, it just means that their part in the story is over. And you've got to know when people's part in your story is over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead.

You've got to know when it's dead. You've got to know when it's over.

Let me tell you something. I've got the gift of good-bye. It's the tenth spiritual gift. I believe in "good-bye". It's not that I'm insenstive or uncaring, it's that I trust. I know whatever and whomever God means for me to have and be a part of my life He will give.

And if a relationship takes too much sweat I don't need it.

Stop begging people to stay.Let them go!!

SUNDAY REVIEW

+ Had a good time in church today. It's always refreshing to get the chance to sit and listen to someone else teach, especially when it's Lesaya's father Ivan Vorster, who's a guy with years of experience in ministry and in life and who always has something worthwhile to say.

+ Seems the cab of our truck was broken into during the week, so I guess we won't be parking it beside the theater any more. Pity! Thankfully nothing significant was stolen.

+ Before service I chatted with a great couple who have been with us for several weeks now. Seems they're visiting from another church and are not sure where they should be. I didn't try to influence them, but I do understand their quandry as it seems the church they've been in for years is now in a building project and suddenly it's all about the building. I'll stay portable the rest of my life before I let bricks and mortar take priority over unchurched people.

+ Had a call after church to say someone who was with us for a number of years had died in very sad circumstances. I visited the family this afternoon and while I don't intend to go into detail here, please pray for this grieving household.

+ Crazy lines in Kohls today. I visited three of their stores. There was a jacket I like on sale in the first store, but they didn't have it in my size and neither did the other two branches. One store left to try - will hit that tomorrow.

+ It's very quiet here - home alone. Sounds like the gang are having a good time down in Dallas, especially as it got into the 60's there today.

+ Someone asked me if I had any thoughts of relocating to Texas. Good question! No chance! Here's the deal - I reckon God got it dead right (He's currently batting 1,000!) when he guided us to Long Island. I feel so at home here. I really do love this place. To my mind it's a perfect fit - others may have different opinions!!!

+ Startes reading John Grisham's Playing For Pizza on the way home here on Friday. It's a good read.

+ Our attorneys have advised me that the new town board will definitely be reversing the iniquitous code changes enacted in 2005 to stop us building. The first meeting with the new board will be next week and I'll be there. They know me up there now and I'll be working hard to make sure they remember who I am and who I represent.

LATE NIGHT

I go to bed early on Saturdays because I like to have a full night's rest before a Sunday morning, which after all is the high point we are working towards every week. But of course there are unavoidable exceptions to that rule - like when the Giants are playing the Patriots and endeavoring to halt the New Englanders' run towards a perfect season.

Now, I'm a former 49ers fan who switched to supporting the Colts two years ago. I'm no great fan of either of the so-called "New York" teams. Sorry, but I just can't get my head round the fact that both the Giants and the Jets play in Jersey and have opted to continue that practice with the construction of a new stadium over there.

So whatever anyone else says, as far as I's concerned they're New Jersey teams.

Anyway, the Jets stink and I reckon the Giants are over-rated.

But this evening I'm willing to set all my bias aside and I hope against hope that Eli Manning and Co will continue to kick the Patriots' butts and serve them a giant slice of humble pie.

Great first half - I can't go to bed now at half time, can I?

LOOKING BOTH WAYS

This is a schizophrenic time of year when I find myself loooking in two totally different directions. With little more than 48 hours left in 2007, I have been reflecting on the year that has almost passed - and has done so incredibly quickly.

I want to take time to reflect on where we've been and where we're at next Sunday morning, January 6th when we start our new series Getting In Shape. In order to move forward, we need to be pretty clear and honest about where we're at and that's how we'll approach our review of the ups - and downs - of this year.

But before then. I'm glad to be able to spend the last Sunday of '07 with our church family tomorrow. It's a great opportunity for us to express our gratitude to God for his goodness, protection and provision and to encourage one an other as we look to the future.

Our last service of the year - hope you're planning to be there!

HOME

Arrived home from Little Elm, Texas about 20 minutes ago. It should have been quite a bit earlier, but the flight was two hours late taking off - what's new???

It was tough to say goodbye to everyone today - especially as Gill is staying down there until Tuesday, but it is difficult to put into words how great it was to have all the family together under one roof for most of Christmas - priceless!

CHRISTMAS RETROSPECT

+ Had breakfast in McDonalds today with the grandchildren. McDonalds is a smart company. They cater for kids and all these adults inevitably show up too.

+ Jonathan and Donna's church did a very good Christmas Eve service. We couldn't get a seat at their 4.00pm service, so went back at 6.00.

+ Christmas Eve was the church's first anniversary of being out of a movie theater and in their own building. It's a great facility, but from what I hear it's a cash monster. I wonder if buildings are over-rated?

+ We had our Christmas dinner one day late as we waited for Charlotte and Jace to be here too. Having family all together is not over-rated.

+ It was great to watch Ben and Emily's faces as they came downstairs on Christmas nmorning and saw all the gifts under the tree.

+ It's cold down here. I was hoping for something better than that. Not as cold as NY I guess!

+ I hear the Giants will field a pretty weak team against the Patriots on Saturday. That should hand New England an unbeaten season on a platter - darn!

+ I fly home tomorrow. The week has gone quickly - too quickly.

+ Got some good clothes for Christmas. It's always safe when your kids pick your clothes for you.

+ I ordered coffee in McDonalds and the guy behind the counter asked, "Is that a senior's coffee, sir?" I politely pointed out that would be a regular coffee. I'd rather pay 50c more and preserve my dignity than take a drink he thought I looked like I qualify for, but I maintain I don't deserve for a few more years.

OZ

Got to Texas very late last night because of weather delays at LGA, but we got here and that's the main thing

Thirty two years ago on Christmas Day I sat and watched The Wizard of Oz with a three year old daughter on my knee who was terrified by the wicked witch, but insisted on seeing the end of the movie.

This afternoon I just finished doing the same with a seven year old grandson holding on tight to me at certain points.

I wonder who it will be in 2039 or whether I will even be able to see the screen by then!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Great morning! The place looked good, the music was outstanding, we had some very clever videos and I preached half decent in the second service (no mention of the first you will notice!).

It takes a monumental effort to pull of a Sunday service of the calibre we aim for while using a movie theater. But due to the efforts of scores of people, we had an excellent morning.

Heading to Dallas in an hour or so and then on to Little Elm, Texas - that sounds like a Texas name doesn't it? Let's face it, you could never have Little Elm, New York - it's too pretty a name for around here!

Blogging may be sketchy over the next few days as I intend to enjoy being with my family to the full. But I will be here occasionally I'm sure.

Merry Christmas!

GIVING

I was right!

I had more fun going out with our moboile soup kitchen this afternoon than I had sitting watching a very mediocre Christman presentation in Madison Square Garden on Thursday night.

We served a hot dinner to almost 40 guys in five different locations in Patchogue, some in rooming houses and others in sober houses. We also gave them pantry bags with some delicious goodies and everyone got two personalized bags full of Christmas gifts.

The men were so appreciative and especially those for whom what we shared was going to be their total quota of Christmas presents as they receive nothing from anyone else.

What a privilege to be able to do that!

GIVING AND RECEIVING

It's a funny old life!

Yesterday afternoon Gill and I were all set to go into Manhattan to celebrate our 38th wedding anniversary, but the weird thing is that when it came time to head to the train, we were more inclined to stay at home and do nothing for the evening. Not that we did of course, because we had already paid for tickets to see Wintuk, Cirque De Soleil's Christmas presentation in the theater at Madison Square Garden.

We enjoyed a good dinner at one of our favorite Indian Restaurants, The Jewel of India on East 44th Street, though the act of eating was a little rushed as the service was slower than usual and we were working to a curtains-up deadline. That having been said, the food was very good!

The show was okay, but save your money if you didn't buy your tickets yet.

What am I talking about? It wasn't okay.

I was bored out of my skull and a few jugglers, basic acrobats and a hoola hoop twirler were not exactly what I was expecting from the spectacular Cirque De Soleil when I shelled out $100 a pop for our very good seats.

Don't misunderstand me, I know I am blessed and I am grateful for the opportunity to eat in the city and watch a Christmas show, but the truth is I'll have a lot more fun distributing Christmas gifts to the needy with our mobile soup kitchen team tomorrow.

I guess Jesus had it right when he talked about it being more blessed to give than to receive.

WHOOPS - CORRECTING MY HISTORY

Sorry, the Queen is the oldest monarch, not the longest serving -

Elizabeth, who took the throne in 1952, is one of only five kings or queens since the 1066 Norman Conquest to reign for more than half a century. Currently the fourth longest-reigning English monarch, she would overtake King Henry III on March 5, and King George III in 2012.

THIRTY EIGHT YEARS AGO

Today at around noon EST, Queen Elizabeth II passed Queen Victoria to become the longest serving British monarch in the history of the nation.

Two hours before the English people noted that milestone, an almost equal amount of reverence was given to the fact that at 10.00am EST on December 20th, 1969 Gill and I were married.

Liz was still on the throne back then of course, the Beatles had turned psychadelic and weird and no one on the planet could even conceive of iPhones.

My how things have changed - except for the conviction that has grown over the years that young as I was, I made the smartest move of my life that winter afternoon!

CHRISTMAS IS GETTING CLOSE

+ I'm working on the graphics to go with my message this Sunday and have decided to give our professionals the day off in favor of continuing the tradition of my own stick men drawings that I started last year.

+ Had our staff Christmas lunch at the new JR's Steakhouse in Medford today. I really didn't want grilled chicken and brocolli, but I felt it might be wise in light of next week's impending foodfest.

+ Picked up a ton of toys from my friend Charlie Russo from Christmas Magic yesterday afternoon. Must have been several thousands of dollars worth and we'll be distributing them to our Grace Care Food Pantry families this week.

+ The Celebrate Recovery Christmas Party last night was a very good time. I could hardly believe the crowd. CR is intended for people with hurts, hangups and habits and it seems like God is sending us a lot of those folks. They're a great bunch!

+ Carrie is doing a magnificent job with CR. Her passion for hurting people has been the key to this ministry's explosive growth. She's even got stuff in place for Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, which are all potentially trigger days for folks with life controlling issues.

+ I'm sick of hearing Happy Holidays - did I say that already?

+ Looking forward to Sunday. It's a good job we're doing two services as I've heard about quite a number of people bringing friends and family.

+ We have a ridiculous amount of gifts accumulating under our tree. This evening I have to do a bit of shopping myself - the first Christmas shopping I've done and hopefully the last. My good wife takes care of absolutely everything. Not that shopping is a hardship to her!

+ Sunday evening we fly to Dallas. Christmas in Texas will be a novelty. Charlotte and Jace join us on the 26th, so we'll all be together, which is the best thing I could ever get for Christmas. I like my family.

NOTIFICATION OF ANTICIPATED CELEBRATION

To All My Liberal Friends:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all.

I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere . Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

To All My Other Friends:

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

MADE IT!

So here I am, relaxing in my chair-and-a-half in my own den and watching ESPN's pre-game show, leading up to tonight's encounter between the Bears and the Vikings.

Traveling home today was pretty straightforward and one big plus from the extended stay in Canada was that I got to spend some more time with Brandon. There was also the fact that I found a shop selling British-style meat pies and brought some home to enjoy over Christmas (calories don't count from December 20th to 26th).

While I have ventured north of the border on five or six previous occasions, none of those has been in summer. Somehow I've only ever been in Canada when it's cold and there's snow on the ground. I hear it rumored that the sun does shine up there and the temperature soars above freezing on rare occasions.

I guess the fact that I haven't experienced that doesn't mean it's not true - it's just hard to believe!!!

STUCK IN SNOWY CANADA

It's quite a while since last I was in Canada, but one thing I have been reminded of this weekend is they're hardy folks up here. Either that or they're barking mad!

It started snowing as we were leaving Buffalo Airport last night and I guess it continued through the night, because as we set out for Church at The Falls - http://churchatthefalls.com/ - this morning, the cold, white stuff was still coming down.

Now New Yorkers are a tough bunch, but we're not nuts. So we'd have made the call early today and cancelled the service if that was us (I doubt if anyone would have showed up anyway).

Not so here. By the time we arrived at the movie theater that houses this young congregation, the trailer with the equipment had already been offloaded and a bunch of people were getting everything in place for the 10.00am start. Despite the really bad weather, an amazing 50% of the usual crowd braved it through the elements and amazingly seemed in no rush to head for home once the service was over.

I enjoyed being there. I have got to know the lead pastor, Brandon Duff ,over the past couple of years and we have chatted regularly as he went through the preparations to launch and actually got this venture under way.

There's a great feel to this church. So many people who are hands-on, doing whatever needs to be done and above all sharing the vision to reach the unchurched in Niagara Falls for Jesus.

Some randon reflections on this visit -

+ Brandon, Brenda and their two teenage children are a great family.

+ Their theater is in a superb location and is in an outstanding condition.

+ They spend a fortune on Portable Church equipment, which I have backed away from because of the cost, but today I saw first-hand how well it works.

+ They have some really committed people - like, imagine the guys who pulled a 24ft trailer several miles through thick snow to bring in the equipment. And then took it back through thicker snow.

+ Their coffee's good - Tim Horton's might do well in the U.S.

+ Didn't preach my best by any means, but several folks said it helped them.

+ I love being with church planters - they're their own brand of insane.

+ This church is going to grow and impact lives.

+ Brandon's very smart - he asks a lot of questions.

+ I'm dumb so I pretend I know some of the answers.

+ Brenda served me my meal on a snack table while I was watching football - now if only she could train Gill!!!

+ People talk a bit funny in Canada - eh?

+ Hope I get home before Christmas - keep thinking of the movie Trains, Planes and Automobiles!

+ It's still snowing!

PARDON ME WHILE I BRAG

This weekend I planned a quick 24 hour trip to Church at The Falls in Niagara Falls, Canada to spend some time with the folks there and the pastor who is planting this young church Brandon Duff - as it is, I'm still up there, snowed in, when I should be boarding a plane back to JFK.

It seems the storm that is still hitting this area dumped snow on Long Island during the night and then switched over to torrential rain, leaving a slushy, very wet start to Sunday back at Church at The Movies.

I was thinking it was a good job we had left our equipment truck in the movie theater parking lot for the week, about three hundred yards from the building. But maybe it wasn't.

I was talking to Charlotte on the phone this morning as she was pulling into the parking lot and she reported the truck was still where we left it, rather than in the process of being unloaded.

Turns out it had died - to be revived again later I am happy to report.

So here's who I'm bragging about.

In that downpour, our set-up guys and some ladies too offloaded every piece of equipment and pushed or carried it through the snowy, icey mess over to the theater entrance.

They must have been soaked to the skin and freezing cold, but they did it because in their minds what happens on Sundays is worth even that degree of sacrifice.

I am humbled to pastor people like this. I hope I am worthy of them.

CAMPBELL'S SAVE CHRISTMAS

When I checked my emails this morning, I had mp3's of every song on my deceased Christmas tape - all the way from Scotland.

I love this global village we live in!

SAVING CHRISTMAS

I am humbled at the international effort that is under way to save Christmas for me following the premature demise of my cassette, The Christmas Tape, at the tender age of 22.

+ One blog reader found it for me on Amazon.UK at a pretty ourrageous price, but she advised that since this was so important to me, I should go for it. I tried - they don't ship to the U.S. Thanks for trying Linda.

+ There was an almost immediate response from Oklahoma (thanks Danny) informing me most of the songs could be downloaded from iTunes. Several others passed on this information to me, including my son whose brief message could have been reduced to two words, iTunes, duh! Let me say in my own defense here that someone born in an era when one computer filled a whole room and who even owns a cassette of anything does not have a mind that immediately thinks - iTunes, so I do appreciate that nudge, though not the sarcasm from Texas!

+ Then this evening an unexpected superhero emerged in the shape of an old friend from Scotland, Pete Campbell, a great guy who was part of our church in Scotland for a while when taking a break from pastoring himself. Pete emailed me that he has a music buff for a son-in-law and that he will send me mp3's of all the songs.

Christmas has been saved!

I love it - help from all corners (except Dallas)!

The Christmas spirit lives on!

Santa is alive and well ... or something!

INTERNATIONAL DRUNKS

Offers to relieve me of my bottle of Johnnie Walker Red Label are coming in from around the globe, to date exclusively from pastors and missionaries (well, just one missionary to tell the truth and I always had my doubts about her!!!).

All tongue-in-cheek, let me hasten to add.

Nearer home things have been much quieter, but my wife decided it might be good to remove the liquor from our kitchen counter before any visitor got the wrong impression!!!

HOLD EVERYTHING

Nobody move!

Undeck the halls with bows of holly; delete your list and don't bother checking it even once; stop dreaming of a white Christmas.

There is a significant Christmas crisis in the Blackmore family that could mark the end of life as we know it.

Christmas is over - my cassette is broken.

Yes folks, I said cassette, the album released 22 years ago with the creative title The Christmas Tape broke yet again while I was playing it in the car this morning and I doubt if it can be repaired.

It contains classics like -

Band Aid : "Do They Know It's Christmas?"
Roy Wood with Wizzard : "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday"
Slade : "Merry Xmas Everybody"
Wham! : "Last Christmas"
Elton John : "Step Into Christmas"
Mike Oldfield : "In Dulce Jubilo"
Gary Glitter : "Another Rock N' Roll Christmas"
Paul McCartney : "Wonderful Christmastime"
Shakin' Stevens : "Blue Christmas"
Chris de Burgh : "A Spaceman Came Travelling"
Jona Lewie : "Stop The Cavalry"
The Beach Boys : "Little Saint Nick"
Queen : "Thank God It's Christmas"
Mud : "Lonely This Christmas"
Johnny Mathis : "When a Child is Born (Soleado)"
Bing Crosby : "White Christmas"

You can't buy this anywhere, it's irreplacable. It's been part of my Christmas for more than two decades.

Cancel Santa folks - it's over!

ANOTHER CHRISTMAS DINNER

Just got in from Medford Chamber of Commerce's Christmas Dinner. It was at a nice place, but I decided to eat in advance and pass up on everything but the salad as it's getting into that time of year when extra caution about food is essential.

They had a raffle and I won a bottle of Johnnie Walker Red Label, which caused a certain degree of hilarity among the assembled business persons. Haven't worked out who to pass it onto yet. Applications by email only please!

It has been a long day. Met Rick Mueller at 7.45am to do some video recording and it has been pretty non-stop ever since.

So words here are limited and bed is beckoning.

More tomorrow!

IT'S CALLED CHRISTMAS

What is the matter with people? This country is going nuts.

Let's set the record straight - the thing in the corner of my den is a CHRISTMAS tree; hanging around our walls are CHRISTMAS decorations; we have strings of CHRISTMAS cards; in my car I listen to CHRISTMAS music.

And whether you like it or not, I'm going to wish you a Merry CHRISTMAS and not Happy Holidays!

If that offends you, go get a life, re-read your history books instead of trying to re-write them and deal with the fact that since the birth of Jesus has been celebrated at this time of year for centuries, your whining is not going to change that.

But then again, instead of rambling on myself, I'll leave you to check out how these guys say - or sing - about this nonsense far more eloquently than I could -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAckfn8yiAQ

DAY OFF

The sabbath principle has to be a good one, because it was God's idea. If he needed a total break one day a week, then we do too. That's why I like Mondays - not that I rested in the sense of lazing around and doing nothing, rather I switched off from church stuff and focused on some things that are completely different.

Went to the gym this morning and then to Weight Watchers. I still attend Monday meetings as a member even though I lead four groups myself on Saturday mornings. I'll always be a member as I need to stay focused. This was not a diet that I succeeded with and can now give up, it is a new lifestyle.

Did a few things over at Charlotte's house this afternoon to help her out and then picked up my grandson from school. I don't do that often, but he likes it when he can ride with me in the Mustang and I know he enjoys our usual stop at the 7-11 on the way home.

Vegging this evening - there's a pretty pointless football game involving two inept teams on the TV, but I'm not really paying much attention.

Back to it tomorrow. It will be a full week, but one day of rest is enough and I'm ready to get going as we build up to Christmas Sunday, December 23rd.

SUNDAY REVIEW

+ I am proud of myself that I managed to steer clear of the chocolate chip bagels and chocolate chip cream cheese this morning, but man was I tempted!

+ We're taking a break from the live video feed in the Cafe for the Christmas period. This means the Big Screen Cafe closes when service starts and the volunteers have a chance to get into Theater 5 and hear most of the service live for a change.

+ Gave away three boxes of Godiva chocolates while I was teaching this morning - immediately alienated more than 300 people!!!

+ While we're doing Christmas Sunday services and not Christmas Eve, it looks like a bunch of people will be joining Penny at the Nursing Home to give out gifts to the old folks and spend time with them on the 24th. That's good stuff.

+ Pulling the Cafe crowd into the main service meant from a practical perspective the place was full. Nice problem. Good job we're doing two services Christmas Sunday. That will be a practice run for our next step as the crowd increases.

+ So many new people. Do I really need to reconcile myself to the fact I don't know the names of everyone in the church? I am certainly not comfortable with that.

+ Had a lady visiting today who has been in a very driven church for years. She just left there. I taught on grace today and I gather it blew her away - that's what grace does to you, it blows you away.

+ Our set-up team got everything in place in record time today. They are good!

+ We have a great giveaway for everyone next week. It involves chocolate of course.

+ I like the Hershey's t-shirt I wore this morning. I got a Reese's Pieces one at the same time. There was a bright orange one that had a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup graphic, but they didn't have it in my size. Pity - bright orange would look good on the DVD.

+ The Colts are anihilating the Ravens. The Ravens almost beat the Patriots last week, so does that mean the Colts could now pulverize New England? - I wish!

PRODIGAL HOUSE

Early this evening Gill and I took a ride to Prodigal House in Port Jefferson Station, where Frank Summers is getting everything in place for a whole new area of ministry - providing housing for troubled teens. Long Island Youth For Christ is sponsoring this project and Frank will direct it, while continuing to be part of our pastoral team.

It's a great opportunity for Frank and Lucy to get stuck into something that has been on their hearts for decades. While his involvement there will reduce Franks hands-on participation in the life of our church, it is very much in line with our policy of being a church that reaches out to those who are hurting.

The house they have bought, largely through the involvement of TV political commentator Sean Hannity, is an amazing place. It's a historic building and is in breath-taking shape.

Tonight the whole house looked even better as Jill Hannity had decorated it throughout for Christmas and those interested in what will be happening there in the coming months were able to visit and enjoy the seasonal decor.

It's great to see Frank and Lucy's dream become such an amazing reality.

TYLENOL PM

It's almost time to go to bed, because I can feel the Tylenol PM starting to kick in.

I get wired about Sundays, but one of the drawbacks of that is that if I wake up in the early hours of the morning, I find it very difficult to get back to sleep again. So often on a Saturday evening I take something to enhance my sleep experience (do you like that phrase?), so that I wake up refreshed and ready for the biggest morning of the week.

We're opening The Chocolate Box tomorrow and to add to the experience we've even discovered chocolate chip cream cheese to spread on the bagels.

Sounds like a lip smacking good morning ahead.

So now, to rest!

HUCKABEE SOUNDS INTERESTING

I'll admit I'm pretty switched off to all the primary junk at the moment. I figure there's still almost a full year to give it some serious thought. But I did like what I found here today.

Scroll down to the video of Huckabee addressing pastors -

http://www.mikehuckabee.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=VerticalDay.Home

INSIDE THE CHOCOLATE BOX

If our new series sounds interesting, wait till you see how it tastes! Chocolate chip bagels, chocolate donuts, hot chocolate, Hershey's Kisses, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Rolos, York Peppermint Patties, etc, etc .... and three boxes of Godiva chocolates to give away.

See you Sunday - with your appetite.

*This series is sponsored by Weight Watchers

GOOD QUOTE

Craig Groeschel of LifeChurch.tv (Edmond, OK) recently turned 40 years old and in celebration has blogged 40 leadership tips for young pastors. Here is one of my favorites:

#18 - If you’re going to reach people that others aren’t, you’ll have to do things that others won’t.

PODCASTS

Okay, I'll tell the truth, I really was going to post here last night, but then I went to iTunes to update my podcasts and discovered I was so behind that it took way past my normal bedtime just to complete that simple operation.

Podcasting is an amazing thing for someone whose first introduction to sound reproduction was the reel to reel tape recorders of fifty years ago.

I noticed this morning that two of the guys I listen to regularly are #4 and #9 on iTunes top 20 list of most popular Christian podcasts. That would be Rob Bell and Mark Driscoll.

Driscoll's current series on Phillipians is very good stuff - guaranteed to ruffle a few feathers, but of course that's what he does and it's probably why I like him. Kindred spirits???

I also listen to Erwin McManus, Andy Stanley, Bill Hybels, Mark Beeson, Perry Noble, Gary Lamb and a couple of folks few have even heard of - all of which probably explains why I get backed up fom time to time, especially if I skip going to the gym as that's where I do most of my listening.

If you don't have one already, I thoroughly recommend you ask for an iPod for Christmas. There's a world of good preaching out there!

HEAVEN IS RICHER

You would never believe how many people my friend Agnel packed into and around this very modest church building in Calangute, Goa on Sunday mornings.

A few years ago, straight out of a small training school, he took on the task of building the congregation there from a handful of local believers and grew the church to an average attendance of around 120 people. In the course of doing that, he started to plant in Vasco - around 90 minutes away - and established an even bigger church there.

Every Sunday afternoon, when the service in Calangute was over, Agnel would get onto his motor bike with his wife and daughter and they would ride along the winding roads towards their second congregation which met in the evening.

Agnel took a shorter journey on Monday of this week. He stepped from time into eternity - in a moment - leaving this world and the great work he has done at the age of 42.

It has been a privilege to spend time with him and his folks in Goa on four different occasions over the past few years. Gill and I were there in February when he seemed his normal self, oblivious to the cancer that was already spreading throughout his body. On Monday he went home.

But cancer did not kill him. God took him and for the life of me I can't fathom out the why's and wherefore's. But I trust where I can't understand.

Please pray for Amelia and their five year old daughter Ashna.

PUZZLED

I had a very nice email the other day from a lady who left our church earlier this year after being with us from the start. It seems her main issue was that we have changed and become "a salvation church".

Two things:

1. The day we launched I stood in front of the 154 people who showed up for that service and said, "This church exists for one purpose - To seek and to save those that are lost." I have to be honest and admit that phrase is not original. I read it in a book - a very good book. Those are the words Jesus used to sum up the whole purpose of his mission to earth. I figured if that was what he was about, maybe it's what his church should be committed to as well.

I am glad to report that we have not changed, nor morphed into anything different - maybe we just got a bit better at what we set out to do in the first place!

2. What the heck is "a salvation church"? I am tempted to go on a lengthy rant here, but will limit my comment to this - if indeed there are churches that do not have the salvation of lost men and women as their main focus and goal, those are not churches at all. They are bless-me social clubs.

Sadly I do know they exist!

TADD'S FAMOUS

One of the young church planters I've got to know a bit in recent years made it onto NBC Nightly News this evening - and he came over very well. Check this out -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xoKIelVViM

WOW

That was some morning!

When I left the house just before 7.00 there was no sign of the snow that had been forecast, but within ten minutes it was coming down and sticking. That is not the kind of sight that encourages people out onto the roads and it certainly hit our turnout considerably today.

But we had a great morning.

Kudos to our set up guys who worked in freezing temperatures to offload the truck and to put everything back on too when things were over. It still hasn't got up to 32 today (0 for our continental readers) and at this rate I guess it won't get there.

Outstanding song set by the band - superbly executed of course - on what I was told was a morning when boxes of Kleenex should have been handed out at the door.

As I taught on healing, it was inspiring to hear six stories from real people on how God had intervened on their behalf. I wove these into the message and every one of them was a faith-builder.

We go to a lot of trouble to make Sunday services special events, but there is one factor we always try to remember, what makes it all special is that Jesus is there.

He was with us today and as we prayed for him to heal people, I believe it happened and look forward to hearing some stories about what he did.

Okay, the teaching went long, but it was a very good time!

SNOW MIRACLES

There's meant to be a bit of snow around in the morning - increasing as the day goes by. But I don't want to miss our final Miracles teaching, mainly because I'm not doing it all, we're going to be listening to six incredible stories of modern day miracles during the teaching too.

One not to be missed Sunday!

UNEXPECTED AWARD

I was given an award for being Rookie Leader of The Year in Weight Watchers Eastern Suffolk Territory today. Not sure what I did to deserve it, but it is much appreciated.

On the left of the picture are Barbara and Nikki who are part of the Saturday staff team and on the right, Territory Manager Lucia Velardi, presenting the award.