Awesome Wednesday Night!

Last night (Wednesday) was a very special night for McGregor. Our students (6th grade through 12th grade) moved into their brand new Student Building (Studio G) and had their very first Wednesday worship experiences. It was awesome. High School was in Stage 1 and Middle School was in Stage 2. It was so cool to see so many students hanging out, having fun, worshiping God and hearing His Word in this new building that was built just for them.

Special kudos to our Middle School and High School teams. Way to go Jeremy, Steven, Erica, Gerald, Megan and the interns for pulling off the move and the worship services. I was so proud of you guys. Thanks also to the awesome army of volunteer leaders who made the night. It was so cool to see them with a place to hang with their students. Also a special shout out to our support ministry teams that worked so hard leading up to last minute (and I'm talking right up to the very last minute) getting the building and it's systems up and running.

I can't wait to see how God is going to continue to use this new facility for His glory in reaching and growing Middle Schoolers and High Schoolers.

Being A Part of A Team

I love being a part of a team.

I have the privilege of being a part of several awesome teams at McGregor. Whether I am leading the team or am a member of a team, being a part of a team makes the work a whole lot more fun. Let me tell about you about a couple of the awesome teams I have the privilege to lead and be a part of.

Our Educational Team. I have the awesome responsibility of leading this team of age-graded ministers at McGregor. This goes from our Preschool all the way through our Legacy Adult Ministry. This team leads all of our church's educational ministries, with our focus being on the Sunday morning Bible Study ministry we call Sunday School. We have around 2,600 people show up every Sunday morning and our team's desire is to provide each person with an incredible Bible study experience along with helping them connect with other believers.

Our Adult Planning Team. I also have the joy of leading this incredible team made up our adult ministers and their administrative assistants. They oversee all the adult Sunday School classes here at McGregor (55 classes). In addition to working with our adult Bible Study Classes, this team plans and puts together our FORUM Leadership Meetings and our TEAMS Rallies. This is also the team that loves to act (click here to see pics from a recent TEAMS Rally) and make awesome videos!

To all my fellow team members at McGregor - it is a joy to serve our Lord with you! You are awesome! Special kudos to our awesome Preschool Staff Team that I have been working with for the last year - you guys are super!

Being a part of a team definitely brings joy to my journey. Don't go it alone. Be a part of team!

Weekend Thoughts

I know, I used a similar title for a posting last weekend, but what else do you call it? I'm just in the mood to share some cool stuff that has taken place the last few days. Here's goes...

• Macy and I had a 7 hour date! And part of that date included another trip to PF Changs! It also included some fun time hanging out at the new Borders at Gulf Coast Town Center.
  
• I ran by personal best 3 miles Saturday morning - 24:52! (that's an average of 8:18 a mile) My next 5K race is June 9.
  
• We picked up our nephew, Michael Bricker, at the airport today. He will be staying with us for 2 weeks. He's just finished 5th grade and is an awesome kid.
• And I had JC's Barbecue for dinner. If you've not tried JC's yet, you're missing out on the best barbecue in Fort Myers. JC's trailer/cooker (pictured at top) is located at the corner of Fowler and Carol Street. He's there all day on Friday and Saturday. Tell 'em Mark sent you. You won't be disappointed.
  

Interesting note: Macy told me Friday night that she learns more about me through my blog sometimes than she does in person. Uh Oh! Back to my posting Thursday on communication. I need to add one - don't be more transparent with others than you are with your spouse.

This just in: Congrats to Steven and Kristi Anderson - birth of their second child Sunday morning!

Are We Communicating?

Lately I've been talking about communication a lot with some of our ministry teams here at McGregor. Communication is a funny thing. We often think we have communicated well, but in reality, the receiver of our communication missed our intentions completely.

The biggest problem with communication is the assumption that it has taken place.

So, how's your communication? Here are several of my thoughts to hopefully encourage you in your ability to communicate more effectively with others...

• For overall impact, nothing beats face to face communication. I love emails, blogs, podcast, etc..., but nothing is as effective as talking to someone in person. I have to remind myself of this all the time.
  
• Never, ever, assume you have communicated your intended message. Ask your intended audience if they really heard what you thought you intended to communicate. Get feedback.
  
• Think "intentionality" when it comes to effective communication. In other words, are you intentionally planning how and when you are going to communicate. Good communication will not just happen - especially in marriage!
  
• Make time to communicate with the ones that matter the most. This includes family, team members, etc. Good communication will always cost you time.
  
• Become a better listener. The best communicators are usually the best listeners. How good do you listen to those around you?
• Keep communication as simple as possible. I'm still learning this. The tendency for me is to communicate everything I know. The most effective communicators are those who have learned to simplify their message. For those of us who communicate to groups, this may be the single most important factor in really good communication.
  

So, are you communicating? Feel free to post your ideas on what you think makes for effective communication.

It's Almost Over

I just finished watching the finale performances by Blake and Jordin, and the show did not disappoint. Macy and I really enjoyed the show (and yes, Macy still watched even though Melinda was voted off last week). So, what did you think? My thoughts and observations on the show:

• Great opening performance by Blake. Loved the energy.
  
• Jordin is an AMAZING AWESOME singer!
• The show's audio was not very good (bad mix). Come on, it's the finale!
  
• Poor Blake, having to sing a ballad for his last song.
  
• Simon admitting he was wrong!
• Scott Krippayne winning the song writing contest. (Christian recording artist and song writer. Only song I can remember of his was "Sometimes He Calms the Storm.")
  
• IMing Miller during the show.
• Jordin blowing Blake out of the water on the last song!
• Final thought: After tonight, it's Jordin all the way!!!
  

So, what do you think. Who's going to win? Who should win? And what are we going to do next Tuesday night?

Joy in the Journey

Life is more than just arriving at the intended destination.

We often get so busy and so consumed with achieving that we miss the fun along the way. I believe the journey is as important as the destination. Now, don't ask Macy if I live this out when we're traveling, because I tend to be consumed with getting from point A to point B as fast as possible. I also have this tendency in life. But I am learning to slow down more and more, on the road and in life.

It's in the slowing that we can really enjoy all that God wants to bless us with. This past weekend I have purposefully slowed down and enjoyed the journey a little more. Macy and I took a meal to someone who was moving this weekend, we stopped by for a quick visit with some close friends, I called and talk with my Dad, and we spent time doing some projects around the house together. (The exciting part the weekend for me was having a black snake some how fall directly onto my feet while working in yard. I screamed like a little girl! As funny as that was, seeing Macy face when I told her what happened was even funnier. You had to be there.)

I am grateful for the many relationships God has blessed me with. Slowing down allows me to enjoy them. I don't want to miss that. No matter how busy I get, or how stressed out I feel, I want to take time to enjoy God's greatest blessings.

Challenge today: Take time to slow down and enjoy a little bit of the journey. I promise you, it will be worth it.

Question: What are some ways you have personally learned to slow down and enjoy the journey?

How Do You Get Your Blog?

What are you using right now to read this blog post? Are you coming directly to my site? Did you receive this via an email? Or are you using what's called a blog reader or news reader? I hope you are using a news reader of some type. These are handy applets that allow you to monitor your favorite blogs and be notified when anything new has been published. It's the best way to enjoy the blogosphere.

(If you already subscribe to blogs through a reader, then you're done with today's post.)

So, where do get one of these readers? Glad you asked. The one I use is called Google Reader. It's free, like most readers, and is very easy to learn to use. Instead of listing other popular readers, simply click here to do your own research. Some of the readers reviewed here are free and others have a cost associated with them.

But back to the news reader and how to use it. Let's assume that you decide to use Google Reader. Click here to go to the Google Reader site. The first thing you will need to do is set up an account with Google (you probably already have one with them). After you set up the account you are ready to start telling the reader what blogs you want to subscribe to. The easiest way to subscribe to a blog is to go to your favorite blog and click on the "subscribe to" button on the blog site. Most blogs all have this on their site. On my site you'll see it on the right hand column and it says "Subscribe in a reader." You simply click on this and you're set. Google Reader will give you one other step, you choose between Google News and Google Reader. Simply click on Google Reader and you're set to go.

Now the cool part starts. Simply open Google Reader every day and see which of your favorite blogs have new postings. And, you can read the blog posts straight from the reader. You don't even have to go to the blog's web page! Pretty cool!

So get out there and start reading more blogs. And let me know about your favorite ones.

Thanks to Vanessa for sharing her PF Chang's experience on my last post. Anyone else been to the new Ft Myers Chang's?

PF Chang's Has Arrived

We have tried to be patient. But for those of us who claim the Chang as one of our favorite places in the world to eat, it has been hard. Sure, there's been a Chang's just down the road in north Naples, but that was not good enough. We wanted our own Chang's, in our own town. Today, that becomes a reality.

And without wasting any time, the Millers and the Brickers headed south to Gulf Coast Town Center for the opening night for Fort Myers very own PF Chang's. We were not disappointed. While the layout was different than most Chang's I had been in, the service and the food was the same as usual, outstanding. And perhaps the best part of it all, it is about 15 minutes from my house.

What a great way to start off the week!

Weekend Ramblings

As I get half way through the weekend, I slow down enough to realize this has not only been a great weekend so far, but it has also been an awesome week. Some thoughts...

• We started the weekend on Friday evening with a very nice dinner with friends at our house.
  
• Saturday morning I completed my 2nd 5K race over in Cape Coral and enjoyed running it with Geoff and Sam Campbell. My official race time was 26:40 and I finished the 3 mile mark at 25:37. The last .1 mile was on the sandy beach! How crazy is that!
  
• Tod and Deb Tanner are now officially in town and we went by to see them Saturday morning as they are getting settled in to their new home. (Tod is our new Married Adult and Discipleship Pastor at McGregor.) Tod starts Monday in the office.
  
• Looking back even further it was a great Christian Home Week. I loved the extra time spent at home hanging out with the bride of my youth. Thanks Macy for a great week.
• I got to run five time this week (one more than my normal four).
• Completed several Sudoku puzzles (keeps my mind sharp).
  
• Biggest mistake: Discovering the web site ancestry.com at 9pm on Saturday night. This thing is unbelievable!

All in all, an awesome week and an an awesome weekend so far. I almost think I am ready for Monday!

Hamburgers, Volleyball and Team Building

Nothing brings people together like a little competition.

And that's exactly what we had this afternoon at our annual Team Spirit Day for the employees of McGregor. Every year we take half a day for a time of fellowship (read food) and a friendly volleyball tournament with the staff.

This year was really cool because we held the entire event in the new Studio G building. We got to play our tournament in the new gym, and while being much cooler than last year's outdoor sand pit match, it provided the back drop for some serious competition.

Of course, none of that competition came from my team (the QBQ!). We went 0-2 and were eliminated early on. But that doesn't mean we didn't have an awesome team. It just wasn't our day, or week, or whatever. Thanks to Jeremy, Steven and Erica for hooking us up with our team shirts and thanks for everyone on the QBQ! team that "gave it there all" and "left it all on the court." Remember, there's always next year.

Today's Highlights:

• Virgil (after almost being electrocuted a couple of weeks ago) kept his team, the Geriatrics, in the hunt.
• David and Gerald calling the game on the PA.
• The Blocking Nerds for staying in it so long - way to go Captain!
  
• And finally - props to Rob's Hokies (P&W ministry) for coming in first place!
• A fun afternoon of hanging out with people we work hard with every day.

Bricker Beach Blast '07

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the breeze was blowing. And friends were gathering for a wonderful time of fun and even a little adventure. My Sunday School class had its first beach party this past Saturday and it was a blast.

Neil helped set the whole thing up for us, providing us with an awesome location on the Ft Myers Beach with chairs, umbrellas, jet skis, parasailing, and many other ammenities. Thanks Neil for providing us with the perfect environement for our party.

I had a really great time at the party. It was cool to watch folks in our class go up 500 feet in the air with a parasail. It was a blast to race around on a jet ski (I'm still sore on my back side). But the best part was simply enjoying the day with friends. I love my SS Class and the relationships that come with being a part of a small group. I can't wait for the next party!

Christian Home Week Update: Last night was awesome. We did much of nothing. We did of course watch AI! To hear my commentary on the show, listen in later today to the Mark & Miller Show podcast.

American Idol & Family

I love Christian Home Week at our church. It's a chance for Macy and I to reconnect a little. Like most couples today, we stay pretty busy. And I'm not complaining. I love the pace, most of the time. But Family Week gives us both a chance to slow down just a little and to spend some quality time in the evening together. I try and keep our relationship a priority all the time, but this week gives me a chance to be even more intentional.

Now, to be honest, we're not off to a great start this week. Macy attended a baby shower last night, so we didn't get the full impact, yet. But tonight - I can't wait! Nothing says family like watching "American Idol" together and breaking each contestant down with our own profound and expert commentary. Should be fun.

So what about you? I challenge you to be intentional in spending more time with your family this week.

So, what are you going to do as a family this week?

Running On A Hot Day

I feel kinda bad. I have been encouraging a couple of friends to start running and this is really not a good time of the year to start. As I was running yesterday in the SW Florida sun and heat, I was very thankful I started back in January. It was extremely difficult just completing my run. A couple of times I almost stopped running and started walking. I know there would have been no way I could ever have made it if this was early on in my training. It sure is easier to build up stamina when conditions are nice.

That's true of our spiritual lives as well. If we are faithful and obedient in the good times, we will be ready for the tough times. It doesn't mean we'll avoid the tough days, but we'll be better prepared for what comes our way. Question: Are you building spiritual muscles in your training, preparing you for the hot long days of summer?

By the way, I'm running in my second 5K this coming Saturday. And I ran 3 miles this morning in 26:02!!! Bring it on summer!