[rick][womack]

been a while since i did a 'blogging by bullets post' - here it goes...

• christmas day is over...the reality of God's Son becoming a man lives on
• i packed up the christmas stuff today - first time ever i've wanted it put away
• well, i packed up MOST of the christmas stuff - i was a fool to think i'd remember all the little boxes each little ornament came in - i tried...got the tree away, the light monster put away, the floor vacuumed, the decorations put away...but the ornaments stumped me...they looked quite good spread out on the entertainment center waiting for my wife to come home
• next major challenge...packing up my office! that'll begin soon - and hopefully be done quickly
• i'm going to begin a series of weekly meetings with my son next year as he moves toward 13 years old - i have about 5 or so challenges for him to meet and if he does (and i'll make sure he does) then we cap it off with a "Man's Meal" plus a very special gift from me to him to commemorate his 13th birthday...
• regarding the gift, i've spent months praying about what to get him and feel like i finally have the right thing - literally, i want this to be such a special moment in his "manhood" that he'll always remember
• regarding the "Man's Meal" - it'll be at my new favorite restaraunt - fogo de chao
• we had a great christmas together as a family - i love this season - the kids got some really great gifts, and they both made some very special gifts for my wife and i - really love those!
• leaves, leaves, leaves - they are everywhere! - so far, i've spent about 16-18 hours outside blowing and picking up leaves...it never ends! still more to be done!
• as i move toward a new season of ministry, i'm really getting more and more fired up about it!
• i've begun praying some big prayers as i move into this new season...i'll blog more about it in the coming days
• bowl season is here - i really hate to see college football come to an end in a couple of weeks...watching cmu come back to tie up the boilermakers with about a minute left - gotta love college football
  

since my wife's not been doing too much walking lately as she recoups, i've been doing most of the grocery shopping and man are there some great illustrations just walking around your local grocery store...

• there's the parent with the out of control kid...the thing i notice is that this usually is precipitated because the parent has no self-control!
• there's the parent walking around in her pajama bottoms...ok, just GROW UP already! this one bugs me, if i want to see you in your pajamas, i'll invite you over for a pajama party (don't hold your breath!) - put some stinking pants on and dress like an adult!
• there's the parent that pushes the cart then jumps on it to ride the cart down the aisle...what are you thinking? i know you have a small infant in a carrier in the cart, but why act like one
• there's the parent that can't say "no" - this one bugs me, but you know what, in life there are going to be plenty of "no's" - so practice now! stop letting junior or juniorette have their own way and filling your cart up with every little thing they pitch a fit for just to appease them - remember that you're the adult, you're the parent...be one!
  

this is my 100th post on this site (think i had 146 on the previous site)...so, to celebrate:
70 things i'm thankful for (as suggested by todd)...

• thankful for my Creator who loves me and gave me life
• thankful for my most beautiful bride of almost 16 years
• thankful for my son and his genuineness, love for Christ, and joy that he brings
  
• thankful for my daughter who has brought us so much joy, laughter and is daddy's girl
  
• thankful for laughter
• thankful for my home and the place of sanctuary that it is
• thankful for my mom and the sacrifices she made as a parent to raise me
  
• thankful for my dad and the relationship we now have
  
• thankful for my brother and the gift of music God's blessed him with
  
• thankful for and sister, her voice and her love for God
  
• thankful for my mother and father-in-law
• thankful for brothers/sisters-in-law - they're all awesome
  
• thankful for my nieces and nephews
• thankful for a Godly heritage from my grandparents
• thankful for my church and the awesome opportunity to serve at my church
• thankful for the opportunity to worship in freedom
• thankful for transportation
• thankful for technology
  
• thankful for computers
  
• thankful for my blackberry
• thankful for the braves
  
• thankful for baseball season
• thankful for the dawgs
  
• thankful for football season
• thankful for a/c
• thankful for fpu
• thankful for freedom
• thankful for music
  
• thankful for the ability to play guitar
• thankful for vacations
• thankful for family game night
  
• thankful for family movie night
• thankful for a comfortable place to sleep
• thankful for books
  
• thankful for and the ability to read
• thankful for health
• thankful for doctors
  
• thankful for dentists especially
  
• thankful for a close relationship with my wife
  
• thankful for a close relationship with my kids
• thankful for close friends who pray for me and encourage me
• thankful for challenges that shape me
• thankful for sunrises and sunset that bookend the day
• thankful for burritos, barbaritos, and moes
• thankful for mountain dew
• thankful for rest
• thankful for riding lawn mowers
• thankful for being born in florida
• thankful for not living in florida now
• thankful for the internet and web 2.0
  
• thankful for the bloggers that i read
• thankful for the cotn bloggers
• thankful for blue jeans
• thankful for God's protection as a child
• thankful for espn, discovery and fox news
• thankful for soccer
• thankful for the leaders i serve with
  
• thankful for the leaders i don't serve with
  
• thankful for God's faithfulness and grace
• thankful for the Holy Spirit
• thankful for Jesus Christ and His sacrifice
• thankful for emmanuel college
  
• thankful for southwestern university
• thankful for catalyst
• thankful for directv and dvr
• thankful for the leadership and character my wife leads with
• thankful for spring, summer and fall
• thankful for our pastors @ cotn
• thankful for the elders @ cotn
• thankful for coffee

so much on my mind that i want to post, not enough time in the day so here it goes in skeletal format...

• i'm glad my wife is home...i don't do well without her - she definitely completes me! she was away for a 3 day teacher training and i missed her terribly. glad she had some time away, some time with adult ladies where they could pamper themselves to cheesecake factory and the other niceties of buckhead, but REALLY glad she's home
• the kids and i made it own our own just fine - thanks for the prayers! i triple booked myself this week with her being gone, mega sports camp and preaching this sunday...actually, it wasn't that bad...i think we managed ok and i still got a couple things done around the house.
• mega sports camp was great. it was kristin and shawna's first big summer event and they did an incredible job of putting it together. we had plenty of volunteers and everyone was needed. the kids had a blast and so did the adults. there are a few tweaks we'll make next year and we'll be talking about those in the days ahead, but by and large it was a success! way to go K & S and COTN volunteers!
• i don't have an iphone...not sure if i will...but i've got to have a new phone soon...leaning heavily toward the blackberry curve - i've simply got to have something that can pull my calendar and contacts together, email will be a bonus
• the kids are out swimming today and i'm finalizing my sermon...for me, finalizing means that i pray through it first, then speak through it at least twice - i like to know my manuscript or outline (outline this time) really well
• middle schoolers came back in fired up, i'm looking forward to some added energy in the crowd tomorrow. they had a GREAT camp and i plan to spotlight them and give them props tomorrow - glad to be a part of the A/G - they have SO much more to offer in the way of camps...got to get more of our kids into the camp - last year my son went and it was amazing...
• speaking of my son, he came back from pow-wow feeling like he's called to do missionary work. he said God showed him a couple of places that he feels like he's supposed to go and tell about Jesus - that stinkin' fires me up! i love what God can do and does do with kids and teens - God make us old folks as open to You as they are.
• speaking of pow-wow, and kids' ministry, it's amazing what God is doing in our children's ministry areas - there have been so many answers to prayer in the past few weeks that i'm blown away - i really feel like God is positioning us to move UP to the next level in terms of ministry to our children - hang on!
  
• mark richt and family just returned from honduras on a missions trip - i love his boldness, he said in a radio interview, "we wanted to spread the Gospel" - i love that!

this one will probably be a sentimental post - tomorrow morning my daughter graduates from kindergarten - man, time flies...seems like just last year she was born, i went to second shift, stayed at home with her during the day and mom had her at night - that was a long few months - i missed my son and my wife, but i spent the first few months of her life with her - it was great...today, she spent the day with me, she wanted to be checked out early, so i did it - got to take EVERY chance you get as a dad because one day i won't be around her as much...i'm making deposits into her life every chance i get so that she grows up loving God and living for Him.

same goes for josh - he'll be heading into 7th grade and it's tough to swallow that pill - where did these years go - how'd they get by me SO quickly. still remember being the one to get him to the daycare or babysitter when he was an infant and a toddler, i remember the time taking him to the babysitter in west virginia and my car began sliding all over the mountain road on a sheet of ice - obviously, didn't care about the car, just the kid. in just a few short years i'll be taking him out to learn to navigate the roadways for himself...it'll be here sooner than i want! he's growing, becoming a young man, experiencing so much, learning so much, asking a lot of questions - i'm just really thankful that patrice and i have built a culture of communication

well, time to get some rest, going to be a long day tomorrow - i love my kids!

dads, if you're reading this and your a dad, there's perhaps no greater opportunity to make disciples than with your children - teach them to love the Lord your God with all their heart - read and re-read Deut. 6:1-9 - there's a ton that STILL applies to us dads...if you need to be encouraged, if you need prayer in this area, if you just need someone to bounce off of or vent to, please, don't hesitate to drop me an "e" or call... rickwomack[at]gmail[dot]com

mom's day is just about in the books, so many things on my mind...going to bullet point this post mostly so i can get it all out and sleep tonight!

• i lost a post yesterday after my devotional...here were my thoughts in a nutshell...Jesus asked peter, who do men say that i am? - he responded with some of the public opinion - then Jesus moved on to the crux of the matter - "who do YOU say that I am?" - ultimately, public perception is of little use compared to private realization and revelation - when peter said, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God" - he was challenged to keep it quiet because word would have spread quickly and Jesus wasn't here to establish an earthly kingdom, but a spiritual Kingdom! - wonder how many times we miss this? Jesus cares about your opinion of Him - not what others say, ultimately, when peter said, some say Elijah, etc., he was saying, the OTHERS are wrong - know what? sometimes others ARE wrong - who do you say that He is? You need to answer that for yourself - what is the realization and revelation that you have of Him?
• on to mom's day - we kept it simple this year because we're vacationing soon and we want to make dave proud! so, muffins for mom on mom's day, cards, and lots of love and help throughout the day was on tap - think it was a great day. i have the most incredible woman that God brought into my life...i'm amazed at her beauty that begins on the inside and radiates out for all to see! patrice is an incredible person, a fantastic mom and a beautiful woman of God! sorry guys, you all missed out on the best - must be tough having to settle for second best!
• also, have to give a shout out to my mom - she's always been a strong person and much of the determination and outlook that i have on life is due to her. she always believed in me and challenged me to greater heights - thanks mom - i love you.
  
• service was quick this morning! wow! didn't seem like it, but on the way to my awesome mother-in-law's house (really, she's incredible, like a second mom - in fact, i call her momma and ALWAYS have since the first day we met!), anyway, i digress, on the way there i freaked out when i realize we were half way there and it was only 12:15 - how did that happen? good service today - we were down in attendance but we always are on mother's day.
• spent the day with the family - fun!
  
• tomorrow's a parent's vs. kids soccer scrimmage - we're going to put it on them! - then we'll all need wheelchairs to get around because we'll be so sore!
• some awesome things happening in other churches - if you have time, read this post by perry - love what newspring is doing - some criticize 'seeker' churches (which is a phrase i despise and ticks me off) - know what? they are getting it done! i love that - check it out!
• about the phrase 'seeker' - coming from the pentecostal flavor of the Body of Christ, it frustrates me that we seek to separate ourselves and somehow elevate ourselves above others - ticks me off! (i know i said that!) - anyway, its about the kingdom and reaching lost people - have we so focused on our speaking in tongues and sanctification as a 'second work of grace' that we've forgotten the Hope of the world is Christ - i long for the day when our pentecostal churches are like those in the book of acts where people were saved AND filled with the Holy Spirit on the same day - that's God's design - let's work on it!
• chilling right now with watercolors on xm radio - smooooooth!
• project go is just a few short weeks away - can't wait!
• mega sports camp is just a few short weeks away!
• we'll be in our new worship facility and nursery/preschool soon!
• all these things mean we're going to be tired at the end of summer!
• school's almost over this year - my daughter is no longer going to be a kindergartner :(
• school's almost ovre this year - my son will be headed to 7th grade - that means he's almost half way through middle school - which means he's really close to high-school - God, please help us to raise him in these last few influential years in the way of Christ - as a radical, sold-out, committed follower of Christ - who knows Who Jesus is when asked (like Peter) - btw, Josh has a relationship with him already, just want it to be fresh and real every day
• jefferson has a starbucks - sbux for short - is this a good thing? dave's not pleased now...had my first triple shot white chocolate mocha today - GOOD! jefferson also now has a kroger that has fresh sushi - i know God's no pleased with that - NO, i can't eat sushi and i won't try - guess i'm closed minded about that - fresh, raw veggies are a stretch for me, fish is definitely out!
• going to go take care of laundry for my wonderful wife now - have a great night - and happy mom's day to all of you wonderful ladies that are moms - you're amazing!
  

just a wrap up/break down of what's on my mind...

• had supper last night with some friends from church, patrice's steak looked like a fish - pics forthcoming - it's great!
• fun time last night at supper - watching kendall stand on the chair while we yelled yee-haw was classic...
• what i heard of the message this am was on target and pulled no punches - been processing these things myself - just pray!
• had a couple bumpy spots in this am's service - nothing that we can't improve upon - here's the deal, we can never be the best at anything, because when we are, we stop improving!
• started writing some content for the new site - also, doing a lot of parallel reading of other sites to see some of their content and the phraseology that's used
• can't wait to be on vacation sometime soon - now would be good, but gotta wait...
• josh's soccer team played one of their best games this past weekend...alyssa's are always fun to watch - i call it bunch ball at this age
• the apprentice isn't on and that stinks - donald, still want to be on the show if you ever read this - the first pastor ever!
• took alyssa to world of wonder this afternoon while patrice went 'walmartin' (that's what they call it in some surrounding counties) - we had a blast - what a great park, so much creativity for a child, so much to do - it's huge - if you're a parent, gotta take your kids there if you're nearby - it was a great daddy/daughter date!
• the falcons shored up their defense - looking good for next year if the team can keep their nose out of trouble
  
• the braves lost today in an extra-value game (extra-innings)...on an unrelated cool note, chipper hit into an unassisted triple play - only been 13 of them in all of mlb history - i remember when raffy executed one a few years back - wow! bummer for larry though - this was the 2nd time in his career he hit into one - last one was in '96 - what are the chances?
  
• the above point reminds me of the perfect game (only been 17 in history) that josh and i saw when randy johnson pitched in turner stadium - by the ninth inning we were all pulling for the d-backs because we wanted to see history take place - great to be there with my son!
• going to be a busy week...soccer practices, games, travel, stuff...
• finally, i'm the most blessed man in the world with my amazing wife and two incredible children!

what every son wants and needs (taken from "The Quest for Authentic Manhood")

1. time together - real time!
   
2. life skills - how to tie a tie; how to change the oil; how to open the door for a lady
3. direction with solid "why" answers - teach them to know 'why'
4. convictions through modeling - you will leave in your son what you've lived out in your home; integrity
   
5. dad's heart - needs to be loved, affirmed and blessed by dad; make sure your son leaves home with these 3 things: 'i love you'(loved), 'i'm proud of you'(affirmed), and, 'your good at'(blessed)