Last night I had one of the most interesting experiences of my life. Debbie and I surprised our 11 year old daughter for her birthday by taking her and her best friend to a Cheetah Girls concert at the Pepsi Arena. That’s right, I said Cheetah Girls concert (The Cheetah Girls are singers and dancers that are on the Disney channel). 

When we dropped the news on them in the Pepsi Arena parking lot, the look on their faces was priceless! They screamed like little school girls…oh yeah, that’s right …because they are little school girls. Then when we walked through the doors we heard 6,000 other little school girls scream at the same time…that is a sound that I don’t ever want to hear again. 

I don’t know if I have ever felt more out of place in my life. Everybody was wearing cheetah print clothes…singing cheetah songs. This was definitely a primarily Mom-daughter bonding experience as I was one of few dads in the audience. However, after seeing our daughter so surprised and having the time of her life and making a memory she will never forget…I wouldn’t have missed it for anything! In fact all I have to say is…it was Cheetariffic! I even picked up some new dance moves.

Readers are leaders and I’m reading a fantastic book written by an incredible leader.  Mark Batterson is the lead Pastor of National Community Church in Washington DC. NCC is a multi-site church meeting in movie theatres and @ metro stops, and is attended by more than 70 percent of twenty some-things! I had heard of some of the great things God was doing in DC thru this church and so this summer I took a road trip with some friends to check them out. Their story is phenomenal!  

Mark is a genuine, refreshing, infectious dude! It’s so cool to see a pastor that is comfortable in his own skin! Apparently, he is a pretty good hoop player also…I think I can take him…half court…if I post him up . Mark is one of the guys that inspired me to think outside the box and consider satellite locations. This December we will launch our second Northway location in Clifton Park. In addition to being a Pastor, Mark is an exceptional writer. Mark’s latest book is a must read. It has one of the most clever titles I’ve ever heard. In a Pit With a Lion On a Snowy Day: How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars!
 

Let me give you some of the highlights so far…. 

• Your biggest problem is your greatest opportunity 
• Half of spiritual growth is learning what we don’t know…the other half is unlearning what we do know…I LOVE THAT! 
• Unlearning is twice as hard and takes twice as long 
• Don’t accumulate possessions, accumulate experiences 
• You can do nothing wrong and still do nothing right 
• Spiritual maturity is seeing and seizing God–ordained opportunities 
• The cure for failure is failure…the cure for rejection is rejection

That’s just the SportsCenter teaser…. I’ll share the entire highlights of this book with wisdom and insight later. We will have his book available in our bookstore…THE SOURCE. 

I Love movers and shakers in the Northeast and we look to have Mark up soon as our guest at Northway Church. Maybe he will take me up on that half court game…if he does I will put some of the highlights on our site.

Several weeks ago I watched the one of the most compelling interviews ever … a 20/20 special on the life of Steve Erwin a.k.a. the Crocodile hunter. If you have children I’m sure you have been touched by his passion and love for animal conservation. Recently, Steve was tragically killed in a freak incident with a sting ray.

I don’t know much about animals but I loved to watch Steve because of his contagious enthusiasm and love for God’s creatures. I was so moved to hear his wife talk about the man she loved more than anything. She told Barbara Walters and the rest of the world “the day Steve died…I lost my prince.â€? At the close of this gripping conversation Barbara asked her what she would miss most about Steve. Tears streamed down her face as she responded the thing I will miss the most is…

“Steve was fun! He taught me how to have fun! Steve taught me to dance in the rain…he taught me to run thru puddles…Steve had a zest for life and he showed me don’t sweat the small stuff!�

Tears were now streaming down my face…I was so inspired and moved and I was crying like a champ! What a legacy!

I am praying for Steve’s family.

I remember when I used to be lot more fun. I’m going to do better at that. Thanks Steve for reminding all of us what is important in life….relationships and enjoying the moment.  Life is short and the weather man says it’s supposed to rain this week. I think I’ll take Debbie on a date in the rain. I’m going to turn off technology and play more with my kids! Thanks Steve! We will miss you!

I love people who are driven! I love setting goals and seeing those come to fruition with hard work and determination. I believe God has hardwired all of us that way. Deep inside all of us we know we are here for a purpose that we need to accomplish. I recently read that most people feel like there is an unwritten story inside of them that needs to be told. That’s why writers write, painters paint, entrepreneurs innovate, scientists create, musicians play, composers write, athletes compete…you get the idea.

I recently read a passage of scripture that I had read numerous times. But this time it was like God put a new verse in the Bible that had never been there before . Jesus prayer the night before He went to the cross… John 17:4… I brought you glory here on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.

This verse haunts me… I can’t get it out of my head. I keep asking “God what is the work that you want me to accomplish? God what do you want me to accomplish as a husband? God what do you want me to accomplish as a Dad?� I have to continually remind myself that the greatest accomplishment that I will ever make is with my family. I also ask God continually “What do you want me to accomplish as a leader?�

What a great question! How would respond to that? What is the work that God wants you to accomplish? What is the story that needs to be told through you? Let me encourage you that just before Jesus prayed that prayer He told his team “I chose you to be on my team and when you stay close to me as your life coach (Buddy paraphrase) you are empowered to live lives of exponential fruit!� In other words, when we do the work God wants us to do there is nothing more fulfilling! We receive joy and God gets the credit! God loves seeing the work he gave you and me to do come to fruition!�

Two weeks into the blogging world and the response has been phenomenal! Thank you to all of you who are checking in from time to time and all of you who are adding it to your favorites. I’m honored, I’m having blast writing and I appreciate your feedback. I was just informed that a good percentage of the traffic on my blog is from Australia. Hey mates! How cool is that! God is expanding our ministry literally across the globe.

Know this….any of you checking us out thru technology – whether by streaming video, podcast or the blogging world – and wherever you are in the world, whether Australia or next door – you have an open invitation any time at Northway Church. If you are ever in upstate New York we would be honored to have you as our guest at Northway. There is nothing like Northway live! It’s truly the highlight of my week and many others!  At Northway you’ll meet some of the most amazing people I have ever met… people from all different backgrounds that love God passionately. There is a vibe at Northway that I have never experienced at any other church… it’s just something you have to experience. God is unmistakably working in a powerful way! Please note I am a little biased…but it’s the truth! Talk to you soon!  

She was 15…I was 17. She was a cheerleader…I was a hoop player when we first met.  This October we’ll have been married 18 years! 

This past summer Debbie told me “I think I’m going to take up running….I think I want to run a 5k for breast cancer in honor of my Mom.� I politely replied “that’s awesome!� But secretly questioned she’s never been a runner…will she stick to this?…will she make it? 

Day in and day out she trained. I remember when she made it to a mile…she was so excited…then two miles! I remember Debbie saying so often “I don’t feel like running today� but she stayed disciplined and stuck with it and eventually made it up to three miles in her routine! 

This past Saturday the race she had trained for for months had arrived (the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure). Friday night Debbie called her Mom in PA (Josephine) and said… Mom, I love you and tomorrow I’m running for you. It was a moment. It seemed like Christmas Eve that night as Debbie could hardly sleep in anticipation of her big day.

I had never been to a race before and I was immediately captivated by the cause. Close to 2000 runners where there – all with their own stories. Some were cancer survivors, others were running for family and friends that were survivors, and others ran for loved ones that had passed. All had their assigned numbers on their chest and most had had the name of their loved one that had inspired them to run on their back.

On your mark, get set, go! They were off! I could barely see Deb in the sea of runners. She ran out of view and then I watched the clock….and went to the finish line and waited with great expectation looking for my bride. As I stared at the hill where the runners would emerge to run the final stretch, I got as close as I could so I could see her…then I saw Debbie! I have never felt such a wave of emotion come out of no where…I felt an overwhelming sense of pride! I started running parallel to Debbie behind the barriers…screaming…Go Debbie!…Go Debbie! Woo Hoo! Then she crossed the finish line! What a cause! What a day! What an accomplishment! What a woman! 

She is 39 I am 41. She’s a runner…I’m her cheerleader.  

This past summer I got a video iPod. It’s a fantastic tool and it quickly changed my life. If you have an iPod you know it’s something very personal…it contains everything from my favorite books and music to my favorite sermons… especially those incredible podcasts from northwaychurch.tv.

I quickly noticed that my 14 year old son and my wife had iPod envy. Debbie recently took up running as she’s been training for a 5k, and she asked to borrow it. No problem, I’m a very giving person…just make sure you return it. My son also convinced me that it’s impossible to mow without music. Who knew? I told him when I was a kid we mowed without self-propelled mowers or music, and when we mowed it was in our bare feet in the snow and we liked it! However, I gave in – I’m such a softy.

Two weeks ago, much to my horror, I realized that I must have misplaced my iPod. I looked everywhere, high and low…all thru the house, my car and at work. After two weeks I found myself depressed as I was going thru iPod withdrawal. I retraced my steps a thousand times to no avail and then I had an epiphany! I didn’t lose it…Debbie must have lost it! I quickly confronted her and persuasively argued that she was the last one that had it. I informed her that it would help our marriage if she would just pony up and return it.

For some odd reason she didn’t appreciate that. I then approached my son and gave him a similar lecture. Needless to say, things have been intense lately. I was on my way to church Saturday night with a powerful message from Matthew 8 on not accusing and judging others and I reached into my briefcase and you’ll never guess what I found? My iPod! To make matters worse Debbie and my son were standing there when I found it.

I apologized and they said “It’s ok, we love you, and we know you are a bonehead.� I think God has a great sense of humor and I’m glad my family does too. 

Much love to all you Giants fans that missed Monday night football or missed it on ESPN. Last night on Monday Night Football…the Philadelphia Eagles won! I was offered tickets by my bro who lives and pastors in Philly but I passed on them with the launch of our second campus in Clifton Park coming up. This is commitment at its highest level.

My prayer is that the Eagles and the Giants have to play each other in the playoffs. If so, I am committing to hosting the biggest party in the capital region at Northway Church on our ginormous screen…you’re all invited…just make sure you wear green.