It’s been a while since I got to make a fun video. Thanks to Rene Rodriguez for the sound production, Mike Reid for the script, Trey Williams for consulting, Makenzie for filming, and to the lead singer for appearing in our parody. Here’s to you Mr. Dad of Little Humans!

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TCC's First Celebration at Hemphill

Sunday was a great day of victory with our first day at our new temporary location. There was a great “feel” with many new faces. The vibe was a return to the days when we used to meet at Tobias. So I want to give you the top 10 reasons we like being at Hemphill for now:

10) It gets us Lean, Mean, and Back to Basics. We get to remember that we’re not about buildings.  At the core, we’re all about seeing lives changed. TCC has never been about all the bells and whistles. We’re flexible and can adapt to whatever environment we’re in. We’re going to see more growth while we’re at Hemphill.
9) The Bathrooms are “Fun-Sized.” Only in an elementary school can you relive your early years of school with miniature toilets.
There’s more Freedom and Less Rush. Now, we’ve got more time to connect with each other in a relaxed atmosphere, something that TCC has always been about. This move helps us do what we do best.
7) Indoor Baptism! We can move into the warm school for baptism instead of being outside in the freezing cold. Sign up for our next baptism on January 31st.
6) Serve a Service, Attend a Service. Moving to a smaller meeting space gets us back where everyone can serve every week and still get to be a part of worship. Are you plugged into a ministry team?
5) Interactive Sermons. Yes, occasionally I accidentally spit when I’m speaking. When we are this close, everyone can personally get involved in the message.
4) Saving Money. Because it’s not as expensive to rent the school, we’re able to save the difference to invest in our soon-to-be location. Give online here.
3) No More Rattlesnakes. By the time we left the PAC, there had been over 30 rattlesnakes found since the start of school this year. We even found one in Volunteer Central.
2) A Missionary Move for our Future. AT TCC, we do Whatever It Takes to fulfill God’s vision. It’s never about our comfort. It prepares us for our future, but while we’re there, we want to reach as many people in the surrounding area as possible.

And the number 1 reason we’re glad to be at Hemphill for now is:

1) Coffee and Donuts in the Service. Yes, now you can stay hyped up on caffeine and sugar during the Celebration Service!

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Believe it or not, I haven’t always been bald. No, in fact, as a teenager I had very long hair, mullet-like, I suppose. And I loved it! Pam did too. Like her beautiful voice was to me (which she still has), my hair attracted her to me. But cruel fate, about the time we got married, it all started falling out.

But be careful before you start calling me names like “Baldy!” Or maybe you don’t know the story of Elisha, another bald headed man of God:

Elisha left Jericho and went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, a group of boys from the town began mocking and making fun of him. “Go away, baldy!” they chanted. “Go away, baldy!” Elisha turned around and looked at them, and he cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of them. (2 Kings 2:23-25)

Don’t worry, I don’t take being follicly-challenged that seriously. But there is an awesome promise from Jesus that I want to remind you of today:

And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. (Luke 12:7)

Did you know there are between 100,000 and 150,000 hairs on the average head? That’s a lot to keep track of (and a lot to lose ☺.) So, no matter how many, or how few, hairs you’ve got on your head. God knows and you matter to Him today.

And for my bald brothers out there, say it with me: “I’m bald and it’s OK! I love it!”

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Now, here's the untold story that I need to tell you. The conference officially started Thursday morning. We got there early for the "white carpet" event, then it was time to check out all the vendor booths. One vendor was an internet distributor of video clip illustrations who were offering a $55 credit for anyone who would eat a whole, raw jalapeno. Zak ran across them and suggested that i "take one for the team" so that we could get the free videos. It sounded like a great idea at the time.

My other choice was to eat a habanero pepper that was much smaller for $75 credit, but after seeing the guy who'd just eaten one, I thought I'd better not, plus I couldn't figure out where I was going to get milk and bananas.

So I grabbed the jalapeno and ate it in 2 bites. It tasted like lettuce, absolutely no heat at all. But I wanted to get the credit and thought it'd be funny to play along and I was kinda acting like it was hot. After we walked off, I didn't even have a drink of water.

The conference started. After about 2 hours, I started feeling a little queasy. That feeling grew until after lunch, I was completely nauseous. I think I'll skip the details about what happened next, but I'll tell you, it wasn't pretty, and I feel sorry for those who were in my path at the time. I ended up missing the last speaker of the day and it got worse through the rest of the night. I was just slightly better off the next day. I ended up missing meals for the rest of the trip, other than something at the airport on the way home.

I have absolutely never been sick like that in my life! The silver lining was that Zak was able to get us an additional $75 credit after he told them about what happened. Oh, and they gave me a t-shirt that I wore for setup on Sunday morning. On the back it said, "I earned this." You know that's right!

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One time, I was taking a group of about 50 students home from a week at camp. We stopped off at a gas station in the middle of nowhere, the kids all jumped out to use the facilities and buy some snacks for the road, and I started to fill-up the vans. That's when I read the sign that said, "Cash Only" and I thought, "Oh NO, there's no way I can fill up these vans with the change in my pockets." Immediately, I ran into the convenience store and started telling the kids to go load up, we wouldn't be sticking around. Some of them, of course, were already in line for the bathroom and asked if they could just finish up. The guy who ran the store got in my face, accused us of stealing things and said no one could use the bathroom. I couldn't believe it. It was like something out of bad cartoon. So, my response was to laugh (I was only about 27 at the time, but I'd still probably do the same thing today). And here's the classic quote that he said to me: "Everything's funny to funny boys like you." Yes, he nailed me. It's probably a defense mechanism, but my response to problems is to laugh or at least to smile.

If you want to check out an inside look at the funny life of a pastor, you can set your DVR to record this week's episode of "Pastor Greg" this Friday night at 1:00am on TBN. This week's show was written by TCC's own very funny screenwriter, Mike Reid. (Disclaimer: Any resemblance to any actual pastor, either living or dead, is purely intentional.)

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Among the festivities, I made reservations at San Antonio's most romantic restaurant, The Vineyards. With it's remote location, set right in an actual vineyard, this place lived up to its reputation. I ordered the prime rib which I don't think I've ever experienced before, and it was phenomenal. I highly recommend this place for your next romantic evening.

As we waited for our entrees to be served, I wanted to say something romantic to really let Pam know how I feel for her. As my mind searched for the right words, my mouth began to speak. Unfortunately, the words were not ready yet. So out came the slip of the tongue, "I'm… so… special…" Suddenly, we both knew I blew it. Even though neither of us were drinking the wine from their vineyard, we were laughing like we were alcoholically-altered.

So, I was trying to say something like, "Honey, I'm such a blessed man among all men to have such a woman as you to spend my life with." But instead, I channeled the words of Chrissie Hynde. And while it's true that I am special in God's eyes, that's not what needed to be said at the moment. Thinking on my feet, I presented her with a gift of jewelry to save the day.

So, I thought you should know too: "I'm so special." (And so are you!)

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Update: It looks like the item was removed for some weird reason. It was a half-baked idea to begin with.

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