There’s something to be said for delayed gratification. The anticipation that builds as you wait, creates an incredible amount of joy once the goal is reached. It’s true about the Saints victory in the Super Bowl and it’s true about life. Good things happen to patient people. It’s funny how the unpleasantness that you live through on your journey can so easily be forgotten during the moment of your celebration. It’s as if every part of the experience, the good and the bad, added up to the victory. And while no one wants to relive their darkest day, deep down inside you know that even that was part of reaching your destiny.
   I watched the Super Bowl with a couple hundred of my closest friends. We started the celebration during the pre-game show with a Louisiana style feast. Gumbo, red beans and rice, jambalaya, barbeque pork, a wild pig (slow cooked in a Cajun microwave) and potato salad started off the evening. We all brought recliners and sofas and lounge chairs and such and filled up the auditorium at the church. It was some party.
   The game started slow for the Saints. The first quarter belonged to the Colts. It was very quiet in the building. You could feel the collective pit of worry in everyone’s stomach. It looked like it was going to be a long night. But then it happened. The Saints found the rhythm and never looked back. They dominated they final three quarters of the game, outscoring the Colts 31 to 7.
   I think the turning point of the game was when the Saints went for the touchdown on 4th and goal at the end of the Second Quarter. Even though they didn’t score, it set the tone for the Second Half. Sometimes a calculated risk is exactly what you need to inspire you on to victory.
   The onside kick, the interception, the coach and quarterback’s leadership and the unsung heroes on defense, not to mention our amazing field goal kicker finished the job. The New Orleans Saints are World Champions.
   44 years in the making. Victory sure is sweet. At the end of the game our place erupted. We danced and sang and laughed and cried. It was some celebration. There’s something to be said for delayed gratification.

There’s a cool church conference coming to Baton Rouge in April of this year. The All Access/2010  will be held at Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on April 27-29. Lots of great speakers like, Brian Houston, John Maxwell, Craig Groeschel and Tommy Barnett will be teaching at the Conference. And Hillsong United will be leading worship. For more info click on www.allaccess2010.com This looks like a good one.

1. The NFL may want to reconsider that whole ‘Who Dat’  trademark thingy. When we butcher the English language we don’t want folks taking credit for our work.
2. Randazzo’s King Cake is amazing. We ate one during the Saints game last Sunday night. I like it that the ‘king’ in king cake refers to Jesus.
3.  I emailed Mary Landrieu’s office several times recently and I called her office repeatedly to register my opinion on Health Care. I haven’t heard back from anyone yet. They must be real busy.
4.  It appears that the Runners Up on American Idol get more press than the actual winners.
5.  This is a Mac world and I’m typing this on a PC.
6.  Congress keeps raising the debt limit for the US. Maybe they should try spending less money. I was going to call them ‘drunken sailors’. But then I’d have to apologize to the drunken sailors.
7.  I laugh at news people who report on Man-Made Global Warming as if it were a fact. I wonder if they heard about the UN scientist fudging the data ? I guess not.
8.  I am amazed by GPS technology. But then again I’m easily amazed.
9.  We’re cooking a pig at the Super Bowl party. I wonder if the NFL will try to trademark the term, ‘cooking a pig’?

   The Saints in the Super Bowl is an event that I thought would not happen in my lifetime. It still sounds a bit far-fetched to my ears. The hapless old New Orleans Saints are no more. They’re now the Champions of the NFC and have earned a spot in the greatest show on Earth. Big things happen in the most unexpected places.
   Our living room was full of McAllisters and friends last Sunday night for the big game versus the Minnesota Vikings. We were hoping for an easy win but got just the opposite. A nail biter. I almost had a heart attack. The final drive in the Fourth quarter by Bret and Company looked like it would dash our hopes. I had all but given up. And then it happened. The interception. Overtime. The forty yard field-goal. The biggest win in franchise history. We danced around our living room in utter disbelief. Sheer joy. Madness. The Saints are in the Super Bowl.
   There are (were) two events that I’ve been waiting for most of my life. 1. For the Saints to make it to a Super Bowl. 2. For Jesus to come back. 
   2010 is off to a good start. One down, one to go. Come on Jesus.

I believe in Destiny!

   Jesus said if we feed the hungry or give water to the thirsty or care for the sick, it’s like we are doing it for Him. The tragedy in Haiti has created a massive opportunity for the Church to serve that tiny nation. The Church is responding. Christians from all over America are praying, giving and going to Haiti. And in serving the hurting people there we are serving Jesus.
   Journey is committed to respond to our Haitian neighbors during their great need. First we are praying daily for the people and the responders on the island. Second we are giving financially to Convoy of Hope. And third we are prepared to go when the opportunity arises. 
   We met with representatives from Convoy of Hope this week to discuss ways that we could serve as a Church. The conditions on the ground are growing worse each day. Convoy fed about 50,000 people in Haiti the day we met with them. The number grows daily. Clean water is scare and the medical needs are mounting. Journey is raising financial support for convoy and recruiting short term volunteers. I will give an update on the details at all three weekend Experiences this Sunday.
   I’m grateful for all of you who have expressed an interest in joining a Journey relief team to go to Haiti. At this time only medical professionals are being recruited. We will stage other relief teams to travel there once the Airport is fully functional and the government is better organized and the city more secure. For more info about Convoy visit them at www.convoyofhope.org .

   I know most of you have heard about the earthquake in Haiti. Our prayers are going up for the people there and for all the rescue and relief workers serving also. There are so many hurting people in this, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere anyway. And now the pain has been magnified by this disaster. Our fellowship has more than 200 churches on the island with more than 30,000 believers. We have not heard about their well being yet. Our Ministry Partner, Convoy of Hope is already on site offering relief. To that end we will receive a special offering at the conclusion of each Journey Experience this weekend. The offering will be given to Convoy to help the victims of the Earthquake in Haiti. Would you consider a special offering for this worthy project? Bring it this Sunday or you can give online at journeyfellowshipchurch.com and designate it for Haiti.

  The morning started at 4:30 AM at my house. Outside it was 18 degrees which in Louisiana is a good reason to close the schools and move to the Bahamas. But me and the family prepared to depart for church. The pastors meet for 7AM to pray together and get ready for the three services. By 8:30 we are ready to roll. That is, USUALLY we are ready to roll. Today was a little different, to say the least.
  The cold weather sparked a series of unfortunate events that will make January 10, 2010 a day to remember at Journey. It went something like this;
   I just made a cup of Hot Chocolate when…
  A Power ‘brown out’ at 7:45 killed a third of our electricity.
  That sent us into red alert, with several of us looking for answers.
  Followed at 8:15 by a Power outage for the entire campus.
  We set up the cafe/lobby as a temporary chapel.
  Acoustic worship..Operating on Emergency lighting…having fun.
     No heat, No lights. No Media. No problem.
  The 8:30 Experience was held in the Main Lobby.
  BUT WE KEPT GOING.
  Electricity restored by 9:30
  Moved chairs back into main Worship Center to get ready for
     10 AM Experience.
   During the 10 AM water pump froze cutting off water supply.
   No bathrooms or water fountains or COFFEE.
   Server crashed shutting down the ‘Check In’ system and cutting
       off Internet service, thus ending the ‘Live Stream’ for Internet
       attendees.
   Followed closely by a false Fire Alarm sounding with strobe-
            lights and auto-voice advising us to ‘run for our lives’.
   The fire alarm sounded precisely at the most crucial moment of
        the talk I was giving on Faith vs. Works. (hmmmmmm)
  BUT WE KEPT GOING.
   The 11 AM Experience began on time though many of
       our support systems were out of order.
   Sometimes during worship the Media computer bailed out.
   Which essentially shut down the song lyrics, videos and message 
      notes on the Big Screen.
  BUT WE KEPT GOING.

     Overall it was a remarkable day at Journey. We distributed our 2010 Goal Cards, recommitted ourselves to Serve the Lord by serving His church and made a lot of memories. We’ll have all our systems up and running by next Sunday and maybe it’ll be 60 degrees again. That’s how we roll at Journey. We keep going.
      

   The new Bible Study Semester starts at Journey on Thursday February 4, 2010 at 7 PM. Why don’t you start the year off by going DEEPER into God’s Word ?
   The classes offered this semester are as follows:
1. I 12 Doctrine Class
2. Financial Peace University
3. Beth Moore Study for women (Thurs. night & Fri morning option)
4. Band of Brothers Bible Study for men
5. New Testament Survey
6. I 12 Youth Edition
7. I 12 Elementary Edition

  Plus the preschool classes are in session and the nursery is open for your babies. Bring the whole family. You can register this Sunday in the Main lobby or register on  journeyfellowshipchurch.com Click on the ‘Events/Classes’ button and follow the links to Reach Deep Classes.

   I found an old cigar box today and it started me thinking about things that have disappeared from my daily life. When I was a boy we would use empty cigar boxes for all kinds of things. Things like homemade piggy banks and crayon storage containers, to name a few. But not anymore.
   The world has changed tremendously in the last few decades and it’s the details of life where the change is noticed most. It’s the little things in our daily life that shape our unique existence, create our memories and define who we are as a person. And then one day you wake up and all the details have changed. Life is funny like that.
   So the cigar box inspired me to make a list about the things that I treasured as a little boy. Here’s a list of things that have changed greatly or disappeared completely from my daily life. 
  
1. Blackberry picking.    (not the handheld device) Momma would give us an empty bowl and me and my brother would fill it up with fresh berries that were growing wild in the woods near our house.

   I thought of a few more but that’ll do for now. I’m going to find a use for my ‘new’ cigar box. Maybe a home-made piggy bank. Or maybe…..

   In 2010 I will tell His Story in bold new ways, using fresh ideas, trying new methods and experimenting with new technologies. For He is the only History Maker whose influence will change eternity. That’s a big concept I know, but Jesus is shaping this life and the next life, now. I know He changed this life of mine, I can only imagine how He will alter the next. And that’s precisely why I am recommitting myself to be a Story-Teller. His Story Teller.
   I’ve been captured for many months now with the term “History Maker”. It seems to be a developing theme for Journey in 2010. We have called our first series of the year by this title and it will serve as the name of our next campus campaign. History Maker.
   Every person leaves a mark on this world. Each organization affects the future in some way. But the Church is uniquely positioned in this generation to change the world and to change eternity. Followers of Jesus come from every nation, labor under diverse governments, thrive in every culture. That’s why I believe it is the Church who is the authentic agent of change.
   So today I re-enlist. I whole-heartedly join the movement that has been rolling through the centuries. I joyfully link myself to the humble shepherds and the unwashed fishermen and bold followers who have served the people of the Lord for thousands of years. You and I will be dwarfed by the legends of the men and women who have gone before us. I honestly don’t feel qualified to stand in their shadow. But I am compelled. Driven. I don’t think I could do anything else. So I cast my destiny with the Foot-Washer.
   I will tell His Story. He is THE History Maker.