Still Standing begins this week!

With the economy being up one day and down the next, the election next week, and everything in the world appearing to be so uncertain - we wanted to take a few weeks and talk about the things that are unchanging and the things in life that can keep us on solid ground!  This Sunday we begin a series called Still Standing, which will take a look at God’s eternal foundations, and how they outlast everything the world tries to hold onto. I hope that you will not let fear rule your life during this time, but rather come and discover the principles that will keep your life "still standing" when everything else is crumbling around you!!  This is a great series to invite a co-worker or neighbor to attend with you since we are all facing these uncertain times together!

 

Hope to see you - and a friend - this week!

 

Mike 

PLEASE CLICK THIS LINK TO VIEW A SNEAK PREVIEW OF OUR UPCOMING “STILL STANDING” SERIES

Bobby Richardson

I got to go over at lunch today with a good buddy of mine Barry Nash and see one of my heroes again!!  Former NY Yankee great and 1960 World Series MVP Bobby Richardson was in town speaking for FCA.  He is one of the all-time greats in Yankee history and played from 1955-1966 during the peak of the Yankee dynasty!   Beyond his remarkable playing career....multiple all-star appearances....gold gloves.....world series rings......world series records.....he is one of the kindest, most humble men that I have ever known!

One of the highlights of my life was getting the incredible opportunity to play for Coach Richardson from 1987 - 1990 at Liberty!!  I learned a ton of baseball from him but really more than that....I learned a ton about life!!  

It sure was great to see him today!!

Rearview Mirror

• Anne & I went out Friday night to Maggiano's and then stayed down by the Galleria - awesome night!
• Casey went on the CLOSER student retreat from NorthStar - heard it was unreal!!  I am so thankful for our student team who are creating an incredible ministry that my kids & hundreds of others get to grow up in!
• Watched Tech go down against UVA....I put the game on our DVR since I had a wedding..came home & watched it - fast forwarding through it and then they lost!!  What's worse is the "Dawgs" won and the fans are getting a little cocky again!!  Maybe they will break back out the black jersey's against UF!
• Incredible AM at NorthStar talking about forgiveness.....tons of people stood that said that there was something in their past that they were holding on to that they needed to let go of!!  
• The band knocked out of the park the Tim McGraw tune "Let it Go".....I have heard that song a 1,000 times but the words were dead on for what we were talking about!
• Quote I used from Max Lucado "Resentment always begins as a hurt but then moves to hate"....strong stuff!
• Came home & watched the Falcons....SO close to pulling off the game against the Eagles!  Coach Mike Smith is an amazing coach to rally those guys after the year they had last year!!!  They are going to be a solid group in years to come!
• MM had a good friend over and they had so much fun playing!!  I thank the Lord for my kids good friends!!!
• Picked up Casey from the retreat (he was so TIRED) but tons of homework...
• Watched "The Unit" late last night - THE BEST show on TV right now!!! Love it!
• The Phillies are smoking the Rays.....a little surprising actually!  Hate the Phillies but like the National League (dilemma)!
• Can't get over how much I enjoyed being at Liberty last week!!  What a place - it has come so far since I was there!
• Video shoot today for our "Still Standing" series which begins next Sunday! In the times we are living in - how do we withstand all of the "storms" around us and "stand"......It is going to be an incredible series!!!  
• Full week ahead!!

17 Years!

17 years ago on a beautiful fall day in Charleston, WV I married the greatest woman in the world! She was more then than I could ever ask for: loved the Lord, funny, great friend, loved sports, (thought I was good at baseball), smart and absolutely gorgeous!!!! I remember standing there that day and thinking that I was the luckiest guy in the world!

Today, 17 years later, there is NO doubt that I married the greatest woman in the world! She is more than I could ever ask for: loves the Lord, loves to laugh, still drop dead gorgeous, my closest friend, loves sports, (still thinks I was pretty good at baseball), incredible mom to the 2 blessings in our lives, loyal to her friends, never misses a chance to give a holler for anything that has West Virginia on it, great sister, awesome daughter to her parents, believes the best about people, loves NorthStar and believes in me often more than I believe in myself, great Aunt, incredibly hard worker, can build or fix anything (thankfully), volunteers for everything and absolutely the 1 person in this world that I cannot imagine living life without!

She is more now to me than she was the day that I thought she was everything!!! I cannot wait for all of the years to come.....they just keep getting better!!! Happy Anniversary Annie!!! I would say yes again today and everyday for the rest of my life!

Home from the burg!!

After an absolutely slammed Monday & Tuesday of this past week - I jumped on plane (which I never do) and flew to Lynchburg, VA for 2 days. I was invited to speak at Liberty University (Go Flames) on Thursday and to share about the work that we do at NorthStar with business leaders! It was a blast to be back at LU!

After graduating in 91 - I have only been back a couple of times through the years. I am absolutely blown away at how HUGE the campus has grown and all that is happening there! I was so proud of the school and its leadership in continuing to expand & grow but not losing the focus of why they are there!!

I spent Wednesday going around the campus and just taking it in and remembering my 4 incredible years there......Some of the greatest days of my life were spent on that campus! Here are a couple of the highlights of the trip:

• Ran into Jeff Alder, Head Men's Soccer Coach, Jeff was a student & soccer player during my time at LU. He was a great guy then but it was so cool to see the passion he now leads the program with!! I was so proud of him!!
• Went by dorm 18 where I spent 3 years.....didn't go in however...it didn't smell good 18 years ago - cannot imagine now!
• Drove by Anne's dorm and remembered all the trips I used to make across campus to pick her up!
• Went to the area outside DeMoss Hall where we all used to hang out so much!
• Visited the spot behind Carter-Glass mansion where I proposed to Annie!
  
• Spent the afternoon at the baseball field...met the new coach (nice guy) and took a tour of the fieldhouse that we were promised would be there when they recruited me in 87...It was sweet! Watched an intra-squad game and just relaxed for a little while and took in the time!
  
• Sat behind Atlanta Brave favorite, Sid Bream - also an LU grad - who was there watching his son play who is a freshman!
• Ate at Shakers.....used to be the best spot in town!!
  

Liberty University is a one of a kind place! It was hard to be there and not think about Dr. Falwell and his larger than life personality! Doc - you would be proud of how alive your dream still is!!

Rearview Mirror

• Anne & I went out to dinner together on Friday night.....it was nice!!  We had some Japanese food at Sapporo's and met some super nice people!  Great to be out with my girl!!
• The Allatoona baseball team had a team "yard-sale" on Saturday at AHS - it was chilly - felt like fall!!
• Came home and watched GT hang on for a victory of Clemson.....I worried for a little while but the Jackets came through!!
• Thanks to the kindness of a good buddy from NStar, John Greer, we went to the new Cobb Energy Centre to see Lady Antebellum & Josh Turner!!!  We had a blast!!  Both Lady Antebellum and Josh were incredible - nothing like watching great performers hold a crowd in their hands!!  Great concert - great friends there - with my family - what a fun night!!
• Solid AM at NorthStar today..heavy topic on Everyday Joe "Loneliness"....it was so sad to look out in some people's eyes and see sadness.......Joseph left us some great lessons on how to defeat "loneliness"
• In the 9:30am service our drum shield crashed on the drummer during our intro song - it was crazy but it was funny!!!  Look out on "you-tube"
• I dedicated a child this morning that was related to former Atlanta Falcon great Tommy Nobis....he sat on the 2nd row.....one of the all-time football greats in this city!  I was a little nervous!
• Went to my in-laws for a good lunch!
• Spent the afternoon at Allatoona on the baseball field with Casey getting some work in!!  I am so proud of that boy and how hard he is working!
• Mary-Michal brought home incredible grades from school - she is adapting to middle school really good!!
• Huge week ahead - Management Team meeting early in the AM and a good full day ahead!!  I wrap up at Allatoona on the baseball field with the "Bucs" as they get ready for their final 2 weeks of the season
• On Wednesday, I fly to Lynchburg to speak at a Liberty University alumni function!  Look forward to going back to the place I had so many great memories!!

Chemistry

Once a month we have 3 or 4 of our staff team share their stories of who they are -  where they are from and how they got to NStar!!  It is always great but yesterday was incredible!!  When you hear someone open up and let you into their world it helps you understand them better and also appreciate them more!  Great teams have great talent but even more they have the intangible of chemistry...........It is fun to play the game with people you like & people you understand!!  I love our team!

Full Court Press

One thing that I can't stand is just watching things happen.....there is nothing like a full court press!  I don't want to wonder what could have been, I want to fail trying to get ahead!

This may be our best season ever as a church and the one thing I do not want to happen is to pull back and "play not to lose".  I want to push it ahead and "play to win"!  

We have Merge in the AM and due to one of our team being out - some of the other teammates have stepped up to cover the holes and "push" it ahead!  I love it!!

I love this team and I love this church because "holding" back is not an option!  Winning attitudes are contagious!

Rearview Mirror

• Great day at NStar!!  Huge crowds.....usually down a little in October but slammed today!
• Week 2 of "Everyday Joe" on temptation - it was thick in the room.  I am sure that there were a bunch of people that thought I was talking about them....What a morning!
• The team did "Slow Fade" by Casting Crowns - it not only rocked but the words were right on the money!
• Casey pitched this weekend in a Varsity game for Allatoona and had a pretty solid outing - I am really proud of him!
• Had a great time at Jonathan Berry's wedding last night - it was fun to see so many kids from our youth group......I can't believe Jonathan is married!
• GT almost blew it vs. Gardner Webb....so glad that they survived!!
• How about the Falcons win today over the Bears!!  So much for the 1-15 prediction - these guys are the real deal!
• Saw "Eagle Eye" with Annie on Friday......it was pretty solid!
• The Cardinals just beat the Cowboys on a blocked punt - a day of upsets!!
• Went & watched 2 of my old "Titan" baseball players play today - it was great sitting with their parents and catching up!
• Getting Ready for a big week!
• Eddie Bishop made some big strides this weekend - thanks for your prayers!

Hope

I have super strong political views therefore I find myself loving this time of year! I love to watch debates and hear policy and see which of the candidates (whether I like them or not) is connecting with the audience & viewers! Part of it is that I was a speech major and we were always studying communication styles, the other is that I love to hear "vision" for our country and how that is cast & sold.

With all of that being said, I think this year our country is looking for something that is really sort of an intangible and that is "hope"....The ability to say, it is going to be okay and we are going to make it and come out stronger on the other side of the darkness that we are now in! If one candidate could capture this and feel it in their heart (not off the tele-prompter or from debate prep) they would walk away with this election.

Isn't great that all of scripture talks about what we all crave the most......HOPE! God told us all that He did so we could hang on and know - there is always a better day to come!! I guess He knew we all needed it!!!

Prayers for NorthStar!

• Pray for the marriages & families at NStar!  I have never seen so much stuff going on in peoples lives......I am praying "What the enemy intended for evil, God will use for Good"
• Pray for wisdom as we navigate the church through these tough economic times......We have been blessed in HUGE ways and are exceeding budget every week but we just want to make smart decisions as we continue to move forward!
• Pray that we will continue to expand our influence "to show God's love" in our community & world!!  I am praying that as things may seem "dark" in the world that the light we carry will be super bright and draw people to Jesus!!

Rearview Mirror

• Allatoona lost a tough game to North Paulding on Friday night....the guys are fighting hard and are a tough group to be a first year team!
• GT rolled over Duke - I am loving the Coach Johnson era!!! Way to go Jackets!
• Had a great time at Chris Huff's wedding.....he & Kimberly were precious and it is so great to be with a couple who is walking the walk and just glow while they are on the stage reciting their vows! They are precious!
• Great day at NStar today......We started the Everyday Joe series with "expectations".....What do you do when God gives you a vision or dream but things do not turn out like you thought they would?? Haven't we all been there? Take-away.....God teaches us more in the darkness than He does in the light!
• Today was the 1 year anniversary of the True North building so I spoke from there and we broadcast the service into the Compass Centre! It was cool to be with the True North crowd!
• I am so proud of Winfrey, Daniel, Bonnie & Stephanie who put in so much time getting everything ready for the morning! They are awesome!
• Got to be home today to watch the Falcons beat the Packers at Lambeau!! Good stuff - loving the Falcons right now!
• Casey went to "Satellite Groups" tonight at NStar - they are having Nerf Wars and there are a ton of HS students upstairs right now!! (I am in my office and they are right above me - I love the noise)
• Still praying for Eddie Bishop and praying that God will continue to heal him!
  

Everyday Joe

Sunday we begin a new series at NorthStar called "Everday Joe".......Everyone experiences; unmet expectations, temptation, being forgotten and then being faced with forgiveness of those who wronged you!

If someone had laid out a plan for our lives we would have never dreamed we would have to face & go through some of the things that we have. The question is do we have enough resources within us to face those times and bounce back and keep walking.........

Hope to see you Sunday!!!

Pray

Please take a second and pray for one of the men who has invested so much into my life, Eddie Bishop. Eddie was one of the first people I met when I arrived in Kennesaw in 1991 and to this day he has poured so much into me & so many others.

Eddie is fighting off an infection in the Kennestone ICU right now and the doctors have said the next 5-7 days are critical. Please keep Eddie & his precious family in your prayers! His wife Ludell is my assistant and his kids (Adam, Nan & Chad) are some of my favorite people in the world.

Thank you for your prayers!