I’ve never really understood the huge deal most people make about their birthday. I mean, sure, it’s a special day; one day out of the year you can celebrate your birth. But do you realize you share your birthday with 6 million other people? I guess that makes it a special day for a lot of people. So, if it’s special for a lot of people how special is it really?

Don’t get me wrong. If your birthday is a huge deal for you that’s fine. My wife’s birthday celebration lasts the entire month of March. I think it’s cute!

But seriously, shouldn’t we celebrate our moms on our birthdays? After all, they’re the ones who did the hard work so that we could be here. I’m going to make sure Jake tells his mom “thanks” every year on his birthday. Well, as soon as he can talk!

Today, on my birthday, I say, Happy Birthday to my mom! Thanks a ton for enduring the pain of birth on November 29, 1977. And thanks for putting up with all the mess I handed you as a child. You’ve put up with me through a lot of birthdays and for that I’m grateful. There’s no doubt I’m blessed to have survived my first few birthdays, and here I am now…28 years old. Wonders never cease!

I just spent a couple of days in Alpharetta meeting with some “missional” pastors from all over the nation. Let me just say that I’m thankful there are guys out there who get it. These are some cool guys! I’m excited about being a Southern Baptist. I’m excited about reaching the culture, contextualizing the gospel and remaining faithful to Scripture at the same time.

Sure, I think there are some challenges ahead. I know there will be roadblocks, hurdles and potholes…but overall, this will be good for the convention and this will be good for the Kingdom. The time has come (it’s really been here for a long time!) to start thinking missionally about out culture. View Cumming, GA or Austin, TX or your city as you would a tribe in Africa or a city in Brazil. We’re not trying to “make” the gospel relevant. By its very nature the gospel is relevant to all people. But we are trying to show the relevance of the gospel to a culture that is increasingly rejecting our message.

I think some good things will come out of our meetings. Things that will revolutionize the way we reach our culture, the way we communicate the gospel and the way we partner with one another to fulfill the Great commission.

I have only now been able to blog about the game last Saturday night. How devastating! My Dawgs lost to Auburn 31-30…and I was there. Yeah, I was there. I usually (almost never) go out late on Saturday nights because I like to be rested and ready and Sundays. But, I made an exception this time. I mean, it was Georgia/Auburn…tickets were selling for $1000 dollars. Got in at 1:00 AM but was still able to function on Sunday AM.

So, I took the opportunity to go. Even though I bleed red and black I must say that it was a good football game. Good game, bad outcome. But, that’s life. You can’t continually second-guess play calls, two-point conversions or middle-field coverage on 4th and 10.

If we beat Kentucky we’ll still be in the SEC Championship in Atlanta and we’ll have an opportunity to play in the Sugar Bowl which will also be in the ATL. It looks like we’ll play LSU in the SEC championship (of course if we beat Kentucky). That will be a tough game. LSU is always hardcore.

So, hopefully we’ll recover from our loss last weekend and be prepared for Kentucky this weekend. Go Dawgs!

A guy in our church just turned me on to this great article by Dan Reiland, pastor of Crossroads Community Church in Lawrenceville, GA. I thought Dan was right on here. Check it out!

I’m thinking about making some changes to my week. I usually take Mondays pretty easy and Thursdays are my big prep time for Sunday. But lately, Thursdays have been filled with all kinds of other stuff. It seems I get a thousand emails and the phone rings a million times on Thursday. I know, I can turn my phone off but it’s my cell phone and it’s the church number.

I’m not looking for any theological dissertations here on the need for days off, the “biblical work week” or the mathematical equation that proves a certain day is best to take off or best to prepare. I’m just looking for some practical advice of some guys who are doing it and think they’ve found something that works. Any thoughts?