The Pulse

Every Sunday @ The Bridge we ask people to fill out a “Connection Card” and we often say, “this is the pulse of our church.”   The Connection Card  is the little tear off sheet attached to the bulletin where you can fill-in your name, address, SS #, CC #, etc.  Just Kidding.  We do ask everyone to fill out the card which does include info like name, address, kids, birthdays, anniversaries, etc.  It’s tedious work.  Some of you may wonder, “Why do I have to fill out this dad-blame(sp?) card every week?”  But there are a number of reason we do this. 

1. We believe the Connect Card is the pulse of our church.  When someone fills out their card, we are learning something about them.  Did they have a prayer request?  Is God calling them to some point of decision?  Do they want to join a Connection Group?  All these things help us to get a guage or pulse on what is happening in the life of our church. 
2. Another reason we ask everyone to fill out a card is that we REALLY want our newcomers to fill out a card so we can send them a “thank you” for investing some of their time in us.  We want to be able to let our newcomers know that we are really glad that we had a connection point with them.  But here’s the deal, if we only ask newcomers to fill out the card, it singles them out!  We don’t want to do this!  We want everyone to blend together as one big happy church family.  If everyone else is filling out a card, our newcomers are more likely to fill out their card.

So, when we ask you to fill out your Connection Card each week, let me say “thanks” in advance for doing just that.  Your doing that helps us check our pulse and engage our newcomers.

I May Cut Up My Credit Card

I LOVE my credit card.  It is so convenient (maybe too convenient!).  I love pulling up to the gas pump and swiping the card and never having to go inside.  I love going to the grocery store and swipin’ that bad boy through the card reader as I cruise through the self-checkout lane.  It’s easy.  And, it’s FREE.  Courtney and I pay off our credit cards every month.  We are disciplined.  We don’t want to be enslaved to credit card debt.  And, for 8 blessed years of marriage, we’ve paid off our credit cards each month and the credit card company makes Jack Diddily Squat off of us.  Until now.

Let me explain.  So, we go to pay off my credit card this month and discover that our bill shows that we have taken a “cash advance.”  So I’m thinking, “O great. Somebody has nabbed my CC numbers and is taken out cash advances.”  So I call the card company to inform them.  To my surprise, the card company informs me that when my check cleared the bank last month, we had insufficient funds.  So, they did us a favor.  they charged us two fees (totaling $78) and then put the balance that was unpaid back on the account as a “cash advance.”  It would have seen kind of them to put it back where it came from – a credit card purchase, but apparently they thought it would be in my best INTEREST to put in the higher INTEREST of the cash advance.  So, instead of paying a lover interest rate as a credit card purchase, they simply move it over to cash advance, for no good reason, and charge an exorbitant interest rate.

It gets better.  If you don’t know this already, it may blow you away.  Here is how paying off your cash advance works.  Your bill comes.  Let’s say its $200.  $100 in credit card purchases, and $100 in cash advance.  And you’re thinking, well, I don’t want to pay these high interest rates, let me pay that off in full.  So you send in a check for $200.  Then you wait a month, get another bill, and low and behold, you still $100 in your cash advance, accept it has actually grown b/c they charged you interest on it.  And you’re thinking, “But wait!  I paid that off!.”  No.  You didn’t.  Because the credit card company wanted to do you another favor.   Here’s what they do.  Before they receive your check for $200, you go to the store, buy a shirt, buy a happy meal and buy some gas to fill up your SUV.  You spend a total of $100.  That registers on your account, before they receive your check.  So, in their good, kind-heartedness, they figure that you would want to pay off your lower interest debts first, apply the $200 you sent in only to your credit card purchases and leave your cash advance there earning you an interest payment.  Isn’t that great?  I hope I’m being clear and this is making sense.  This is REALLY what they do.  They have created a system that will keep you forever in debt unless you go to extreme measures to pay it off.  I’ve asked, can I send in a check and specify it to pay off my cash advance.  The answer, “no.”  They won’t take it.

The only way I can pay off that cash advance is to stop using my credit card until my previous payment has cleared, or they will not apply my payment to the cash advance.  Or you can go to the bank that issued your credit card, write a check and it will clear the bank that day.

And the credit card companies KNOW they are doing this.  They know it is wrong.  And THEY DON’T CARE.  They just want you and me in debt to them.  Period.

Anyway…I have never used a debit card.  Maybe it is time.  I wonder what Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University will have to say about this???

My Bumper Crop

So, gardening has always had this strange appeal to me.  So this spring/summer, I finally got around to planting some things.  I planted some tomatoes, cucumbers and a watermelon.  So far, so good.  The cucumbers reached “maturity” today, so I harvested.  I think I had nine total, but I left one on the vine hoping that it continues to grow.  The tomatoes still have at least 3 weeks left, and probably five more for the watermelon.  My little man (Jackson) and I have enjoyed going out to check our garden each day and view the progress.

Anyway…you see the two pics of my cucumbers.  The one pic is representative of my lack of photography skills.  The other snap is inspired by my favorite food blogger, Abbie K!  You can check out her great photograhpy and recipes here!

Success!

Don’t you love it when a plan comes together?  (I believe that’s a line from the “A-Team”).  Congrats to Pastor Matt who has successfully gotten the Bridge’s website “above the fold” on Google when someone searches to find a church in the Morrisville area!  Previously, before Pastor Matt attended some seminars by Frank Reed at the Morrisville Chamber of Commerce, our website rarely, if ever, showed up in the top ten PAGES of a google search of churches in Morrisville, NC.  It was frustrating not having our website appear for people to find who might be searching for a church in our area.  And it’s not that we are in competition with other churches in our area, or even think we are the “best” church.  We believe that it takes all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people with the good news that God loves people and wants them to know Him.  But, anyway…what is the point of having a website if people can’t find it?  We pay to have the site, and think it’s a decent site (primarily maintained by our worship leader Cary), so why not work to make it easy for people to find it?

So, good job Matt.  Now let’s work to get our church to show up on the Google map!!!

*Unfortunately, our site won’t always come up at the top just yet, but will move down the page or to the next page depending on any number of factors.  If you want to help us stay at the top, visit our website and also link to our website from your website or blog!

Desperately Impractical

This past Sunday in our “Desperate House Lives” sermon series, I made the point that always being practical can be a romance killer in our marriages.  Sometimes, you’ve just got to be impractical!  I want to applaud two desperately impractical couples in our church – Cary and Amanda Penrose and Dan and Katie Griffin.

Cary and Amanda are the worship leaders at our church.  Both are in seminary, Amanda works fulltime, and Cary works at The Bridge and at another part-time job.  Wow.  That is busy.  They don’t have any children yet, which gave them the opportunity to do something very impractical – something all of us probably wish we would have the impracticality to do:  they drove to California and back over a period of ten days!  Of course, they made several touristy stops along the way, but what a valuable model of impracticality.  I mean, who drives to California?  For fun?  That’s crazy!  But what an opportunity to travel, see the USA, and spend some valuable time bonding with your spouse!  “Way to Go” Cary and Amanda!

Dan and Katie Griffin are taking impracticality to a whole new level!  Dan and Katie are both currently jobless, but due to their apparent adeptness towards financial freedom (check out Dan’s side job – www.savvydollar.org) , they are taking a 5 month vacation that begins in New Zealand!  Are you serious?  Yes!  Dan and Katie are newly weds, without kids, and have the guts to take advantage of an opportunity of impractical proportions that they may never get again!  And why not?!?  Our number one relationship and responsibility after God is our spouse.  Doing impractical things that show we love each other, build the relationship, and make memories is a great way to keep romance alive in our relationships and our marriages healthy.

I know that not all of can be as impractical as the Penrose’s and Griffin’s, but all of us can learn from their example.  Here are some ideas for being impractical as a couple:

• Take a vacation.  You really do need it.
• Go to that expensive restaurant on a birthday or anniversary.  Celebrate!
• Let the grass grow an extra week and take a day trip somewhere one Saturday.
• Plan a coffee date with your spouse.  Pay for a babysitter or work an exchange with another couple where you watch their kids in return for their watching yours.
• Practice the 10 second kiss!
• Do something – something different.

Your marriage is too valuable.  Keep the romance alive.  Become a student of your spouse.  Be a servant in your home.  God wants to move your marriage from “Desperate House Lives” to “Dream Marriage.”  It can happen.  But is takes work.  And impracticality.

Desperate House Lives

This coming Sunday (Easter), our church is kicking off a new series of messages called, “Desperate House Lives.”  Yes, it’s an obvious play off of the television show “Desperate House Wives.”  But here’s the point - our lives as individuals or families can reach the point of desperation.  The dreams we had envisioned for our relationships or families have taken a turn for the worse.  What happened?  You happened, that’s what!  We are all a product of our upbringing.  For good, or for bad, we were all “stained” by the environment in which we were raised.  And whether we like it or not, these stains show through in our lives and relationships today.  Is there hope?  Can we change?  Absolutely.  Join us @ The Bridge over the next six weeks as we seek God’s wisdom in doing a little “house cleaning” and “stain removal.”  Here’s how will spend the six weeks:

• Week 1 – Dirty Laundry
• Week 2 – Kid CEO
• Week 3 – Dynamic Communicators
• Week 4 – The Bedroom
• Week 5 – The Reality of Marriage (and how to turn it in to a Dream Marriage)
• Week 6 – The Power of the Vow

Make an investment in yourself and your family (or future family) by being a part of this series.  Click here for directions to our church.  We meet at the Kid’s R Kid’s preschool in Morrisville at 10:30am every Sunday.

CS Lewis Fans

For those of you who may be CS Lewis fans, I thought I’d let you know about a theatrical presentation of “The Screwtape Letters” that I read about in Christianity Today.  An actor by the name of Max McLean has adapted and memorized the text to the story and is performing it in Chicago.  I can only hope that he’ll bring it south so that I might be able to go see it.  Click here for the website about the show and to see a preview video.

For those of you unfamiliar with Lewis’ Screwtape Letters, Screwtape is a experienced demon who is tasked with training a younger demon, Wormwood, in the ways of tempting mankind.  The story and training unfold through a series of letters whereas Screwtape instructs the somewhat inept young Wormwood.  It’s a fun read and should get your mind engaged as well.

The video preview of McLean’s theatre show didn’t really make me want to see the show, but I’d just have to go anyway out of sheer curiosity if it ever came nearby.

I Can’t Park Anymore

I can’t explain it, but I can’t park anymore.  I mean, I can’t park straight.  I’ve been noticing this for several weeks/months now.  I pull in.  Get out.  Walk away.  Turn back.  And the car is crooked.  On the line.  Over the line.  What’s wrong with me?  I use to pride myself on my driving and parking ability.  Not so much anymore.   Maybe it’s old age.  I turn 37 today.  And if you know me at all, I haven’t been able to remember anything for at least 5 years now.  I’m losing my mind and my ability to park.  Times change.  I adapt.  I record all appointments on the calendar in my phone.  It buzzes me and let’s me know when I’m about to forget something.  What a lifesaver!  So maybe I need to go back to a compact size car.  Could help my parking.

Anyway…speaking of changing as you grow older…I read this blog that talked about our values changing as we age.

Mommy Blogging – Two Blogs to Read

As per usual, I am having bloggers block.  My mind is elsewhere.  And I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time to do some things I like to do like:

1. Keep up with my wife’s blog.
2. Keep up with my sis-in-law’s blog.

My buddy Fleegle couldn’t make our weekly breakfast this week (his 2 year old is sick and keeping them up a lot the last two nights), so I spent much of the time catching up on these two blogs.  I love reading both of their blogs because:

1. They are about people I love
2. Both of these beautiful women love God and are transparent about their lives and faith.

Living a life of faith is not always easy.  So reading their musings encourages me on the journey.  I hope you’ll check out their musings as well and find encouragement for your journey.

Toot N Tell

Okay, so let’s get past the fifth grade jokes about “toot n tell” and let me tell you what you’re missin’!  The Toot N Tell is a restaurant in Garner, NC that has the best breakfast you will ever find, if you’re a southerner.  Before I say anymore about the breakfast, let me explain the name.

I’m told that the name came from the fact that when the restaurant began, it had a drive through window (they still do I believe) and people would drive up, “toot” their horn, and “tell” their order. Voila – “Toot n Tell.”

Anyway…I love the Toot n Tell and regret the fact that it is way out of my way to go there.  You pretty much have to know how to get there in order to find it.  It’s off the beaten path, and you can’t get there from here.  And the breakfast is out of this world.  It’s not that other’s couldn’t cook the same things, it’s just that it is somehow better at the Toot n Tell.

Anyway…my breakfast of choice is the two egg special.  Two eggs, over easy, grits with red-eye gravy, toast and fatback.  When I first started going to the Toot n Tell, I believe the special cost 2.80.  It eventually went to $3.20.  I don’t know what it is today (didn’t pay attention when I went yesterday) but I do know my total bill, including coffee, ws $5.35!!!

Okay, so let me explain “red-eye gravy” and “fatback” since I know many of you non-southerners have no idea what I am talking about.  Red-eye gravy is made by cooking country ham and leaving the grease residue in the pan.  Then, the cook pours coffee into the pan which mixes with ham residue and there you have it – red-eye gravy!  And it is sooo good.  Fatback.  Also known as “salt pork” and “streak of lean.”  To me, it’s like bacon on steroids.  It is basically pig fat with a small “streak of lean” meat running through it that is heavily cured in salt and fried like bacon.  It is a heart attack waiting to happen but I would eat it every day if I could.  Most people know fatback more from being used to season green beans.  The Toot N Tell is the only place I know that you can order fatback, which is good, since it is so unhealthy to eat it.

Anyway…I’ll post a couple more pictures below.  Let me know if you want to make a breakfast run to the Toot N Tell!