I made it in and out of both the DMV and the Tag Office in less than 35 minutes this morning.

That has to be some kind of record!

And, I just found out that in GA, you can renew your license online.

We had another HUGE answer to prayer again today that will save us a LOT of money.

The administration at North Metro Tech is really going out of there way to make us feel welcome, and they are doing a great job!

I am looking forward to partnering with them even more in the future in order to impact NMT, Acworth, and the surrounding communities.

We had a great week hanging out with a bunch of teenagers.

Last night the football team from South Doyle HS was in the house and we had a blast. Before the night was over around 15 students had begun a relationship with Christ. Gotta love that…

Made a lot of new friends and I am looking forward to what God is going to do with Josh Duncan and the crew at Meridian BC, South Doyle HS, and the “other” one (Seymour).

Random happenings from East Tennessee….

1. There is a used car dealership that only sells wrecked cars. Extremely wrecked.

2. The “God’s House of Hope” church meets in a jacked up barn…I am pretty sure you have to sign a waiver to enter.

3. The house we are staying in is haunted. It is a super nice house, but if I had to stay there by myself, I would be sleeping in my car. It makes the strangest noises - loud noises - all the time. It is appropriately named “The Cuckoo’s nest”.

4. Speaking at events like this - really makes me miss Student Ministry. I actually had a dream that I was back on stage at H2O.

5. Church planting is all consuming. Knoxville would be a great area for someone.

6. Just a few more days until we hang out with Steven Furtick, Chunks Corbett, and the rest of the crew at Elevation. I can’t wait!

It is official! The Miami Hurricanes will move from the Orange Bowl to Dolphin Stadium beginning in 2008!

This is a great move! Even though we won 3 National Championships at the Orange Bowl - this move will take us to the next level.

This is great for the players, the fans, and for recruiting. Props to Shannon and Shalala… The Tradition will continue at The U!

It is amazing to me that Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge stay so crowded during all times of the year.
One thing is for sure - some of the most interesting people on the planet vacation in these cities.

It has been fun talking to random people like the “Funnel Cake guy” in Gatlinburg, and “Racist Ronnie” in Knoxville. You never can tell what you are going to hear.

By the way, if you ever hear that someone has been chopped up on the news….the killer probably bought their knives/sword in Gatlinburg. The people who walk in those stores - should probably have to be fingerprinted. Seriously.

We are thinking about bringing in Portable Church Industries to do a consultation.

I know a lot of you guys have used PCI before. Before we make our final decision on whether or not to bring them in, I would love to hear about your experience.

Were they beneficial?
Knowing then what you know now….would you use them if you had to do it all over again?
Was it worth it?
Suggestions?

Email me at jrlee30@hotmail.com and let me know what you think. Thanks!

Todd and I are in Knoxville for the next few days speaking at a student ministry event.

We are staying in a nice cabin right next to Dollywood. It’s 40 minutes away from the church, but the TONS of extra room is worth the drive.

After the event and dinner last night we drove to Gatlinburg, but by the time we got there - everything was closed.

Fannie Farkles (can’t explain it if you have never been) was calling our names - but we will have to wait! Tonight, it is on!

There has been some talk about redefining church membership. Here are my thoughts and what we are leaning towards at Freedom.

Membership - seems like something you would “join” in order to take advantage of the services the organization has to offer (Gold’s Gym). Once the organization didn’t meet your expectations - simply move your membership to one that does (LA Fitness).

Partnership - seems much more meaningful. It adds accountability, expectation, and responsibility. Partnership (marriage, etc.) communicates that you are working together with the organization and/or person to accomplish the same goal, purpose, and passion. It is not something that you just casually walk away from. The mission becomes part of who you are.

As a result, Freedom will not have members. We will have ministry partners. Might seem small, but I think it will make a world of difference.

Quick blog between meetings…

1. Met with Pete Hixson and Brian Bennett this morning. They are doing a great job at Vinings Lake and the future is going to be pretty incredible. Hey Brian - nice pants!

2. Went to KSU today to see a friend named Matt. He’s an RA and we are loading his hall up with some food.

3. Got to hang out with Tony Nolan today. He lives right around the corner from our offices and is one of my favorite people. Not to mention - he gets random text messages from Albert Pujols (yes the real one).

4. In a few minutes we are off to our last meeting of the day.

It’s been a crazy one - but crazy is becoming normal.