Are You Jokin'?!

I've seen some crazy weather stuff in my life, but today really takes the cake. We're just a short drive off the coast of Lake Erie...hundreds of miles off the Gulf Coast, and today we've got Hurricane force winds?! Are you seriously jokin'? My buddy TJ, down in Louisville, KY is one of thousands without power from this massive wind storm that's made it's way up the Ohio Valley. His church, TLC, was literally shakin off the foundation this morning, and this time it had nothing to do with Holy Spirit!

As we were heading to church tonight, it was a chore just to keep our vehicle on the road. Limbs and trees were everywhere, siding was flying off houses, our campus had stuff blown everywhere, and I think I saw a cow go by on our way home! Insane.

Oh, and the world must be coming to an end...our Wal-Mart Super Store is CLOSED thanks to no power...along with Arbys and half of our community. Dude, just when I wanted some Curly Fries too...

A Lazy Saturday...

After weeks upon weeks of no rain in our area, yesterday was such a welcomed day. The rain began earlier yesterday morning and has continued on through today. Our crops are in desperate need of water. It saddens me to see the time and effort put in by our farmers, just to have a front row seat to watch their crops wither away due to lack of water. That's one of the big differences I've noticed between crops in the south, and up here in the north. Here, farmers don't irrigate. The locals tell me that's usually not a problem, but this year has really been tough.
I've took advantage of the calm of the rain to spend some relaxing time around the house. Last night, Denise and I got out to get ice cream, but other than that, we spent the evening watching the Hurricane Ike show on Foxnews, surfing the internet (especially Facebook), and enjoying fresh coffee.

Today, wow am I lazy! I got up early to meet with my buddy Dan Duffy, he's helping me out by taking a display for me back to Columbus. After that, SUPER LAZY! I can't remember the last time I've crashed like this. And boy oh boy does it feel good! I've got a small to-do list I've got to get done today, but those shouldn't be a problem. I've got to wrap up my Bible Study for tomorrow morning at the Co-Ed Bible Study on campus, and I've got to put the finish touches on my message tomorrow night for The River Church. I'm hoping for lot's of 'laziness' today with my laptop, the coolness of the air, and lot's more coffee!

My prayers are out to all those affected by the massive hurricane. As I watch now, the reporters are telling me that it's headed right into Arkansas. Gotta call friends today to check on them.

I've added a couple of new things to my side bar. One, is the 'FOLLOW ME' section. If you are a regular reader, or just stopping by, I would like to invite you to click on the 'FOLLOW ME' section and sign up as one of my readers. Come one, come all...please sign up! This kinda gives me a better idea of the readers that I have.

I have also joined TWITTER. The button over on the side bar will let you keep up with me on a more regular basis. I'll be updating my TWITTER several times a day via text. You can sign up to be a regular follower over there, also.

Hope you have an incredible weekend...Mine will be much lazy! Mine will also be spent with my beautiful bride of 24 years...today! She's such a blessed lady! :)

Luau Pics...

This past Sunday, we had a BLAST with our students as we officially kicked off the Fall Semester. It was an amazing time!

If you would like to see MORE pictures from our Luau In The Park,

CLICK HERE!

Remnents of a Luau...

WOW! What an incredible time at the park today. We reserved one of the many pavilions and turned it into a Hawaiian Luau! It was a blast! I think we had 55 in attendance, but maybe more. Lots of fun, games, prizes...more free food than you could realize...and laughter galore! A special THANK YOU to Randy & Melodie Platt for taking care of all the details, providing and cooking the food, providing the games and prizes, and much more untold stuff. This was the largest fellowship projects we've ever had, and it was a massive success! Stay tuned...Pictures are on their way...

The Week That Was...

OK...TU is off and running! Man, is it running! The prof's are dealing out homework like never before...students seem to be already overwhelmed. Hopefully things will smooth out in a week or two.

We had a great kickoff to H2O last week. Wow, the electricity was amazing. Great group of new students! It was so great to see old friends. Can't wait till this Thursday!

We had a great time at First Baptist Church in Sheffield Lake this past Sunday. The people are incredible. And their pastor...Ron Woods, definitely a close friend in the making. We share so much in common, it's scary. I honored to have Ron in my friend circle.

We had great services at The River Church on Sunday night. Now that summer is over, our services are back on the TU campus. I'm glad to be back!

Got a couple of new toys this week: A car charger for my phone (Thank God)! That was sooo a necessity. And a cordless mouse for my laptop. The last thing I want is carpel tunnel of the finger by using the mouse pad! :D

Hope your week has been great...let me hear from you...gotta go, there's a fresh pot of coffee waiting on me...

Campus Ministry Fall Kick-Off...

Click Here to find out what happened and to see pics from last nights h2o Fall Kick-Off!


Click Here to see pics of our NEW Banners!

Prayer Walk 2008...

Our first Prayer Walk is in the books. I guess it would be easy to be discouraged because we only had 8 participate. But in reality, it was who those 8 were, that brought joy to my heart. It was simply an incredible time in the presence of an incredible God. We covered every square block of the TU Grid with an open heart & mind, seeking His presence and guidance. Of the 8, this was the first ever prayer walk for 4 of them. That was truly a blessing to watch. The beginning of a new year is here, and prayer is the best foundation that can be given. I'm overwhelmed at the anticipation I saw today from our prayer crew. Truly a confirmation to what I've been sensing all along...


"Oh God, what exactly are You up to? Amaze me again with Your power and your presence. Make Yourself known to our students in ways that will blow their minds. I stand and wait for the next wave You're sending. Total life change is what we're believing in. Captivate us again. In Jesus' Name, Amen"