Bryan | Bryan McGee: Carpe Diem Coram Deo

Oct 11, 2008

On the road again

Jen and I are on our way back from the Catalyst Conference. It has been an incredible week and we are so glad we came. I can’t wait to get back and start using what we got at ROCK Church.

But, traveling can be long and boring. What do you do to pass the time on road trips?

Oct 1, 2008

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The Big Idea

Often the best ideas are shaped after the creative process has blown them out of proportion and then carved away the unnecessary portions to reveal a clear and sharp idea. ~ The Big Idea by Dave Ferguson

What have you been reading lately?

Sep 30, 2008

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Saving the Lives of Malnourished Children

My good friend Paige Strackman was recently reminded by a friend in Haiti that children there and many other countries are either dying of malnutrition or given away by their parents because food and medical care is so scarce. This should be heartbreaking to all of us. Especially since it is something that can and should be addressed.

We’ve all seen and heard stories like this before. But, few do anything about it. That’s not Paige. She submitted a plan to American Express as a part of their Member’s Project. An advisory panel chose 25 projects from the 1,190 submissions. Paige’s project is a part of the top 5 chosen by AMEX card holders. This means her project is guaranteed at least $100,000.

But, that’s nothing compared to how many children could be fed if her project wins the $1.5 million dollar grand prize. If you are an AMEX card holder, stop what you are doing and GO HERE. Read about her project and vote. It’s free and could change the lives of many children.

As an added bonus, I have promised Paige that I will record a music video of me dancing to any song she chooses when she wins it all. That in itself is worth voting for. Will you help feed hungry kids? VOTE NOW!

Sep 30, 2008

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President Jackson speaks on the financial bailout

photo via brad ruggles

President Andrew Jackson, our seventh president, addressed a delegation of bankers in 1832 in a “Come to Jesus” meeting:

Gentlemen, I have had men watching you for a long time, and I am convinced that you have used the funds of the bank to speculate in the breadstuffs of the country. When you won, you divided the profits amongst you, and when you lost, you charged it to the bank.

You tell me that if I take the deposits from the bank and annul its charter, I shall ruin ten thousand families. That may be true, gentlemen, but that is your sin! Should I let you go on, you will ruin fifty thousand families, and that would be my sin!

You are a den of vipers and thieves. I intend to rout you out, and by the eternal God, I will rout you out.

I think that about sums it up.

[via Brad Ruggles]

Sep 29, 2008

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Weekend Recap

Yesterday, we lost control of our house and stage lighting about 30 minutes before start time. Carolyn was able to get a very basic lighting setup by “Go Time”. But, there was no haze and none of our intelligent spots were able to work.
I can’t figure out why vendors and manufacturers don’t do a better job of servicing their products. Carolyn has been on the phone with our local vendor and the manufacturer. But the board is still not working. Are you listening LSC? Our lighting board has had problems since the very beginning. Please fix it!
Even without the haze or intelligent lights worship was awesome! Even though our lighting board may be a thorn in our flesh, God was celebrated in our service.
We also did our first test of live streaming the video our message over the ‘net. The picture was sub-par and the audio left a lot to be desired. But, IT WORKED! I am so excited about what this means for ROCK Church! Carolyn and her team are incredible. They are already strategizing how to fix all of the issues so we can go live in the next few weeks.
4 people raised their hands yesterday to give their lives to Christ! I think that makes 22 over the last 3 Sundays. Thank you, Jesus!
There were 35 kids in 2xTreme! That many 10-12 year olds in 1 room is a sight to behold. Eric Flore has been doing an amazing job teaching on Creationism. Our oldest son, Gabriel, turns 13 at the end of next month and he was concerned that he would have to leave before Eric finished his series. That’s what I like to hear.
Today, Kyle Runner starts as the new leader for our Video Production Team. How many are on this team? Counting Kyle, we have 1. I love that Kyle has caught the vision to start. He quit his job to join our team volunteering to develop this new ministry. Big vision attracts visionaries and Kyle is definitely a visionary. Welcome to the team!
On Saturday, Adam scored another touchdown and pulled several key flags to help his team command a dominating win. Woohoo!
Noah’s team on the other hand just couldn’t pull it together in their game against the Panthers. Daryl is on the coaching staff of the Panthers and he had the nerve to text me this after the game… “You can’t mess with the favor of God.” OUCH! But, on Saturday, I think he was right.
Speaking of Daryl, the Lifepoint guys hit it out of the park this weekend. They gave away gas to 250 people as a way to bless the community and let them know about their new move to Ashley High School. Go Lifepoint Go!
Jennifer and I are gearing up for our trip to Catalyst next week. I can’t wait to see what God does to us while there.
This week, Matthew celebrates his 2nd anniversary on our staff as our youth pastor. Jen and I had Matthew and his new bride, Jennifer, over Friday night for shrimp and grits. Matthew, I can’t imagine not having you on the team for the last 2 years. Where we are today has been dramatically affected by your vision and commitment. Thank you for believing in the dream.