Eddie's Blog

We Need More Dairy Queens

 I am a little bit disturbed about the number of local Dairy Queens, because there is just not enough of them out there. I have to drive all the way across town just to get a Blizzard. I ask you; what is this world coming to, when a man has to drive THAT far for a Blizzard?

 

The Chocolate Extreme is my Blizzard of choice (I have them add Peanut Butter Cups, and I take out the Brownie pieces). I’m pretty sure that it was sent straight from heaven as a gift from God.

 

The problem is that I am having a craving right now, and I am nowhere near a Dairy Queen!!!

 

Pastor’s Roundtable

 I just met with Greg Orham, Pastor of Foothills Church in Seneca, SC. They’re one of the churches that we are honored to have played a part in early on in our ministry. Greg is just a great guy and I love to hang around with him.

 

We’re going to be doing something special beginning in September. We’re going to be inviting 15 pastors to be with us in a “Pastor’s Round-table”. We’ll meet once a month for 3 months, and discuss how to start churches, what actions to take, setting up the children’s ministry, dealing with first timers, and all of course we will EAT. There is going to be a lot of interaction, and it’s going to be really interesting.

 

I’m giving you pastors a heads up now, because this is going to be limited to just 15 pastors from churches that run an average attendance of less than 300 people. The cost will be $300.

 

One of my goals in life is to help other pastors, and I know that is Greg’s heart, too. So in September, October, and November we’re going to be doing just that. More details will be coming, so stay tuned.

 

 

Kid Nation Celebration!

 Kid Nation Celebration is the Marathon version of Vacation Bible School, and it is going to be AMAZING!

 

This year, we are taking the show on the road. Kid Nation Celebration will be in two different places – the Marathon Powdersville campus in July, and the Marathon Greenville Campus in August. There is also going to be two different sides to each Celebration – one side for 1st – 4th grades, and the other side for 3 year olds – 5year olds!

 

I love everything that the staff is doing to put it all together – they are working themselves to death – but they understand what this means for our kids. Tammy Sorrells pulls it all together. Lyn Leopard does an incredible job with making it all work, and Susan keeps it all organized! Lynn Cox (my beautiful wife) helps with writing all of the dramas. AND THE VOLUNTEERS – we have an AMAZING group of volunteers who give their time to serve God through the growth of these kids!

 

We have actually DOUBLED the Children’s Department since last January. We’ve already had to bust out a wall for the 4th grade, and now we are do looking to expand to give them more room.

 

It is really an amazing transformation that is taking place over in the children’s area. This is going to be something to pull off, but I know that they will, and it’s really going to be incredible to see.

Summer's Here

 Summer has started with a bang. It is Hot. It is Rainy. It is South Carolina Humidity, in full force!

 

This year, Lynn, Faith, and I are going to have the best summer ever! Faith has moved a long way from her issues and now she is happy and excited about the summer. She is excited about going to Dollywood!

 

Dollywood is one of my favorite places, and now Faith loves it too!  We get to watch shows and ride the rides, and look for Dolly. That is one of Faith’s favorite things to do: Look for Dolly!  We don’t even think that she knows who Dolly is, but she knows that she is at Dollywood, so we help her look for Dolly!

 

We also get to EAT! That is a wonderful thing for me. I love to eat, and one of our favorite places to eat is the Ham & Bean House in Dollywood. If you ever get the chance, you need to go there. They have homemade cornbread, pork, pinto beans, and chow chow (if you don’t know what chow chow is, you’re not from around here!)

 

Faith’s favorite place is The Pancake Pantry in down town Gatlinburg, TN. If you ever go there, you have to order the French Toast, or the Sugar n Spice Pancakes. If you have never eaten there, you have to go, because that is all Faith talks about – Dollywood, and Pancake Pantry. I am raising this child right! The Bible says to train up a child in the way they should go, and to train them to go to Dollywood and The Pancake Pantry is doing it right.

 

That is going to be our family summer. We are going to be spending a lot of time up there. I’ll be taking the month of July off, have some fun, and relax. I suggest that you have some fun and relax, too.

Kid Nation Celebration!

 

Kid Nation Celebration is the Marathon version of Vacation Bible School

It’s Harder To Be A Man Than To Be A Woman

 For the past few weeks we’ve been talking about the role of men in life, marriage, fatherhood – all of the things that men need to deal with. We’ve been asking the question: Is it harder to be a man than to be a woman?

 

The truth is that it IS harder to be a man, because men have been given the responsibility of leading, teaching and spiritually guiding the household. Now, there are many women out there who will disagree with that. And women have a ton of responsibility, too. Being a mom, having a job, taking care of the household, being the nurturer, all of those things fall on the women.

 

But the bottom line is that God says that the ultimate responsibility falls to the man to take care of the family.

 

I always ask the men when they come to me and say that they are ready to get married, “Do you understand that you are about to take on the responsibility of not only your own life, but the life of your wife, and your future children?” That is a heavy responsibility and most men try to run from that responsibility, because most men don’t know how to be married, most men don’t know how to be a dad, they just don’t get it. And those are the kinds of things that we have been trying to help them learn.

 

God asked in Ezekiel, “Who will build the new wall?” He wanted somebody to check for holes in the wall and to stand in the gaps when they found them and to defend the wall. He said that he couldn’t find anybody to do that. So, it’s difficult to be a man, because we’re always in training.

 

This series has forced the men to take a look at their lives - their wall – and ask themselves the question, “Am I a real man?” “Am I doing all of the things that God has asked me to do?”