Eric Taylor

Lowest Gas Prices

I was reading Joe Sangl's post this morning and he provided an incredible cost saving tool... a link to the lowest gas prices in your area.  You type in your zip code and it pulls up the prices for all the gas stations in your area and tells you where to get cheap gas.  Here's the link.   What's the cheapest gas in your area?

Where is the week going?

Ever have one of those weeks where you look up and it's Wednesday already... that's me today.  I was in Birmingham all day yesterday for a meeting and by the time I got home I was whipped but my teenagers WANTED to hang out with me last night... (if you have teenagers you know how rare that is so I took the opportunity!)  We hung out watching American Idol... I have to agree with my friend, Dave's post... it may have been my least favorite show ever... maybe it's because I'm not cultured enough to appreciate Andrew Lloyd Webber.  But it was cool sitting with bad posture in our oversized chair with my daughter... just hanging out thinking about how we only have about 3 1/2 years left with her before she goes off to college (unless she goes to Auburn 3 miles away).  Regardless, time seems to be flying... whether I'm writing a sermon, meeting with church planters or my staff/leadership teams, or watching my daughter drive my Xterra out of my driveway, or my son slam dunk a basketball over me (it was on a 9' goal)... I'm living James 4:14...

"How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone."

That's why I want to make the most of EVERY opportunity... in my family, in my leadership, with my church, when I meet people I don't even know. 

Now, I've got to make the most of my opportunity here at A.K.'s Coffee and finish writing my message  before my next meeting!

Happy Spring Break

Spring Break in a college town usually means things get like a ghost town... but church yesterday was amazing!  Our attendance was only off by a few... we had several first time guests as well.  I always remind people that not everyone in this town is on spring break.  So... we can't check out when Auburn shuts down.  However, I believe we're just about ready for Easter... from a logistics and planning part.  Our children's ministry team has put together an amazing Easter EGG-stravaganza for kids after the service.  The band is going to rock like crazy and we've almost got all the baptism videos ready.  It is going to be a GREAT SUNDAY and the only variable left now is how many people YOU  will bring with you this weekend.  I've told people I've been investing in over the past few months to look for me to be completely obnoxious this week as I hound them to be there on Easter!  The challenge has been thrown out there... to double our attendance on Easter.  All it takes is for each person to reach one person... imagine the possibilities!  God is going to show up in power and do something amazing...we want to have lots of people there to experience what God is up to at Journey and in Auburn. 

Thoughts from Yesterday:

• Lost and Found (Kelsey, Jarrett, Micah) played yesterday and they really rocked!  They've been working very hard and we're going to use them again.  Kelsey's got a great voice.
• We got to leave our stage setup... that means we don't have to spend too much time on  Easter positioning the lights... (we've got to come up with a better system) 
• If you are portable and do lights... let me know your system because it's taking us way too long.
• we finished our Conversations with God series this morning...I expressed lots of passion a few times (ie--I became the "yelling preacher").
• I can't wait to begin "ROCKSTAR--Making HIM Famous"  this week.  It's going to be a great look at the Jesus... the most important, famous person of all time.
• We're baptizing on Easter Sunday... I love hearing the stories of lifechange on the baptism videos...proof that God is at work at Journey!
• My wife and daughter are trying to get me to go to Birmingham with them for a day of shopping... love my girls... hate the Galleria... my girls will win out! 
• My son left for the beach this morning with some friends... as I dropped him off I saw Him reach for his bible and devotion book!  That's my boy!
• Did I mention?... I can't wait for Easter...

Snow!

We had SNOW for the first time in a long time!  It's crazy around here... no bread or milk to be found in this town.  Why is it always bread and milk?  Why not peanut butter and crackers?  Why not campbell's soup?  That's one of life's mysteries!  Of course it's pretty much all melted now... That's fine with me because I'm looking forward to church tomorrow.  I know some buddies in the Atlanta area are having to cancel.  Even though it's a holiday weekend, I'm excited because I think we're going to have a bunch of guests tomorrow despite the cold weather.  I'm looking forward to it!  See you tomorrow!

They Got Me Again.

OK... I know I said after last season I was done with 24... the trailer for season 7 came out yesterday and I just saw it.  Dang... I'm so easy!  I can't wait til January 13th.  Lots of twists and turns and CTU no longer exists... I guess I'll have to get a new ringtone for my phone too.   

White Boy DJ

Today I was listening to Rick and Bubba on the Radio (the 2 sexiest fat men alive) and they had Dan Smith on, AKA White Boy DJ, the guy who wrote Baby Got Book... the video that made the rounds a few years ago and was hilarious... I heard for the first time "Lots of Caucasians"... a takeoff of I can only imagine.  I had to pull over I was laughing so hard!  Turns out, this guy is now a church planter in Cleveland.  Sounds like they do some pretty creative things there at Momentum.  That confirmed in my mind that we have to pull out the stops creatively at Journey so that we can create a buzz and reach the people who think church is boring and irrelevant... Now, I can't rap like Dan Smith... but we've got some people in our church and people who aren't at Journey yet, that will help us become wildly innovative and creative. 

The Prioirity of People

I have missed blogging for a few days... Been CRAZY Busy... Family stuff... helping Abby with 9th Grade science projects... Seth's Cross Country meets and routine family things... I've actually sat down to blog a few times at the "mobile office" known as Panera Bread Company but have had some pretty special "Divine Interruptions"--those encounters when you cross paths with people that you know God put there to see if you were going to be "too busy" or take the time to listen to their story.  I had a few of those the past few days... Yes, it has kept me from getting some "work" done... not that blogging is my life's work... I'm sure when I stand before God one day, He's going to say to me... "yeah, I've been keeping up with your ministry by reading your blog... pretty good stuff."  I think God would be more pleased that I spent time with people who were hurting... connected with them and listened to their stories.  (see this verse) I got to do that today with a couple of people... by the end of the day I looked around and still had some things on my To Do list... but they'll be there tomorrow and I can sleep well tonight knowing that today--people were my priority. 

Catch Up Day

I know it's been several days since my last blog--I'll try to catch you up quick.

• Monday I spent all day with Ray Jones, Pastor of Ridgecrest Baptist in Dothan.  Ray and I were on staff together at Calvary in Clearwater.  He is one of my spiritual heroes and mentors.  He oozes spiritual and leadership wisdom.  Plus, he's a big Auburn fan!
• Tuesday was my son Seth's 13th birthday.  That day was spent celebrating and remembering how much cooler our family is because he's in it!  Happy Birthday Son!

Here's a picture of him catching.  The mighty Cubs are still undefeated!

• Wednesday was filled with meetings and study time during the day and baseball games and growth group that night.

• Other stuff that went on: 
  
  • 24 season finale. GREATLY DISAPPOINTING.  To fade out without blowing something up... I felt cheated!  they should have just played some sappy love song or something.  the only thing that would have made it worse would have been if Audrey had walked to where Jack was and they ended the show with them embracing....and then a Chinese Helicopter came out of nowhere and laid down some massive firepower taking out a bunch of people and they shot both Jack and Audrey and they're lying alone bleeding.  Now THAT'S a cliffhanger.  But, I think I'm with Gary Lamb on this one... I'm officially DONE with 24.  I watched ALL SIX SEASONS... and they've all been good until this one.