Sunday Recap

• Sunday morning pre-service (band practice) was probably the roughest ever, messed up cords, craziness in the sound board, songs not coming together.
• There were literally 5 people in the theater when the first song began.
  
• It scared me to death that we only had five people.
• The music came together nicely.
• We pulled a switcheroo and Meagan sang "O Holy Night" opera style. Even if video goes on You Tube, it will not do the song justice. It was amazing.
• Luckily people were just running a bit late and we had a good crowd by the end of the first song.
• We received the chair offering, and needed to raise just over $9000.
• Have I mentioned that we decided to receive a big offering the Sunday before Christmas when people go out of town and have spent all their money.
• Have I mentioned that $9000 is a crazy amount for around 50-55 adults to raise.
• Felt good about the sermon. God chooses the dirty, stinky, lowlifes to run the ad campaign to announce Jesus arrival. He came for them. Read Luke 2 if you weren't there.
  
• After church I hopped in the van and took off for Florida.
• The trip was going great. I made it all the way to Lafayette, LA before I needed gas.
• I pulled off the interstate and was merging in traffic toward the gas station and the van came to a grinding halt.
• I thought I had a flat tire. Lot's noise and shaking in the van.
• Looked at the tires and all was good. Tried to engage the transmission and it sounded like parts were falling out of the engine compartment.
• Made some calls and ended up driving the van backwards (only way it would move) about 1/8 of a mile to a Red Roof Inn where I had already booked a room
• Thanks to a connection my dad has and a bunch of legwork done by my friend Eric Pineas, I have a way to get my van back to Rowlett and a rental car to get me to Florida.
• I am tired of sinking money into this van. I have been a devout follower of Dave Ramsey's financial principles for many years, but there comes a time when I stop putting my wife and kid's in this unreliable vehicle. I really believe that God will provide a way for us to come back to Dallas with a new (to us) vehicle. Perhaps our "van" days are behind us as well.
• At the end of the day, as I was about to lay my head on the pillow, I was reminded that God was with me through the whole ordeal in the same way he was with us at Catalyst as we raised over $11,000 to furnish our new building with chairs and kid's furniture.
• I am blown away at the generosity of God's people at Catalyst. Our best days are ahead.
  
• Can I get a woot woot?