The Mavs have made it to the second round.  Denver is very atheletic and the Mavs don't match up well with them.  The bottom line is that the Mavs are one of the top four teams in the West and in the top 7 or so in the league.  In my opinion, based on the talent on the team that is a good thing.

I actually will have tickets to one of the second round games.  My family has shared season tickets with four other families for the last five years. We have taken turns going to games and have had a great time together. 

Last night when the game was over around 11:30 our phone rang.  It was my daugther, Jenilee who is a student at Belmont U in Nashville.  She called to talk about the game. 

The Mavs have provided lots of entertainment and good times for our entire family for which I am appreciative.

I am a huge Mavs fan.  While they have not won a championship and have given us some disapointments along the way, they have won 50 games a year for 9 years in a row.   They make the playoffs every year and the fact is only 7 teams have won a NBA championship in the last 25 years.  The Mavs are entertaining and for the most part good guys who don't make a lot a negative news.  I love the way JET enagages the crowd.  Dirk loves the game and the city.  He plays hard and he has fun.

Someone challenged me the other day by saying the Cowboys have made the playoffs recently so what is the difference.  The difference is that the Cowboys have not been playing up to their potential.   Let's face it, the Mavs don't have the talent that other teams like the Lakers do but they give us what they've got.  The Lakers, Cavs and Celtics (until they lost Garnett) are clearly a cut above all the rest.  The second tier of teams include the Mavs and the are as good as anybody in that group.

God is amazing!  We expected to see a considerable drop off in attendance after Easter, but we had 189 with us today.  We had 7 first time guests and one person recommitted his life to Christ.

My kids never cease to amaze me.  I am so blessed to share my life with them.

Jenilee is my oldest daughter.  She is a sophomore at Belmont University.  She takes a full load of classes, has a job as a photographer,  does some modeling, is active in a local church and volunteers teaching art at a center for people who have served time in prison.  Take a look at this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQURyXdQYWY

Jenilee’s life is the product of all those people who poured their lives into hers.  We were so blessed to have had a great church home and that she was able to attend a great school, Faith Christian School.  God has blessed my family beyond measure.  We are so undeserving but so very thankful.

I read all of John Ortberg’s books.  He is one of my favorite authors.  This is the first book of his that was a little disappointing.  It is a tweener in my opinion. Not deep enough to really tackle the subject matter in an intellectual manner and not light enough to be truly enjoyable.

Ortberg is very transparent in the book about some of his doubts.  Some of which leave you scratching your head.  He seems to imply that you cannot be certain about going to heaven when you die.  I have often told people that I am more certain about that one thing than anything else in my life.  In I John 5:13 we are told that the scriptures were written so that we could know that we have eternal life.

All that said there are some good parts in this book and I am glad I read it.  He tell a great story about author Henri Nouwen spending time with the trapeze artist of the Ringling Bros. Circus.  He is intrigued by the flyers and catchers.  The flyer lets go of the trapeze and go spinning through the air into the hands of the catcher.  When Nouwen talks to one of the flyers he is told that the real star of the show is the catcher.  As a flyer he states that all he has to do is to let go.  It is the responsibility of the catcher to be at the right place with split second precision to catch him.

The bottom line of course is that we are the flyers.  The only thing we have to do is let go.  God is the catcher.

There are some really good stories and thought recorded in this book as with all of Ortberg’s books.  The difference is that in this one there are fewer and what is in between is not as interesting.

We had 211 people at our Easter services.  God continues to move in a great way at Fellowship of the Parks. 

Once again I was amazed at our core team.  They are always willing to do whatever it takes to reach people.

Please pray for us as we have launched an emphasis called Live It Forward.  We are taking what God has done in our lives in these last six months at FOTP Grapevine and living it forward in the lives of others.  Our goal is to give $150,000 in a year over and above our budget in order to invest in our own facility.  Over $10,000 has been given in the first two weeks!  We are off to a great start and God gets all the glory.

My brother in law is currently battling cancer as is one of our Lifegroup Members, Judy Goodwin.  We will be walking in their honor.  Please see below if you would like to contribute.

Dear Family and Friends, I’ve decided to take a stand and fight back against cancer by participating in the American Cancer Society Relay For Life® event right here in my community.Please support me in this important cause by making a secure, tax-deductible donation online using the link below.To donate online now, click here to visit my personal page.Relay For Life® is a life-changing event that brings together more than 3.5 million people worldwide to: CELEBRATE the lives of those who have battled cancer. The strength of survivors inspires others to continue to fight. REMEMBER loved ones lost to the disease. At Relay, people who have walked alongside people battling cancer can grieve and find healing. FIGHT BACK. We Relay because we have been touched by cancer and desperately want to put an end to the disease. Whatever you can give will help - it all adds up! I greatly appreciate your support and will keep you posted on my progress.Sincerely, Charles Thornton  CELEBRATE and Double Your Money Many employers offer matching funds programs. Your $50 donation could turn into $100. Inquire with your personnel/HR department to complete the paperwork required to get your gift matched. Visit our Matching Gifts page.REMEMBER loved ones through Mosaic Of Hope Create a moving memorial tribute to your loved one lost to cancer or an inspiring honor tribute to your loved one winning the fight against cancer. Visit the American Cancer Society Mosaic Of Hope web site to build your own memorial or honor site dedicated to your loved one.FIGHT BACK by becoming a member of ACS CAN You have the opportunity to make a difference and save lives by becoming a member of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). ACS CAN is the organization that allows the voice of the cancer community to be heard. ACS CAN is a national grassroots movement of people just like you - cancer patients, survivors, caregivers and their families and friends who who are dedicated to changing laws and policies to help people fight cancer. You CAN take action. We CAN save lives. Together, we CAN make cancer a top national priority. Join CAN today, at www.acscan.org.

I think we will look back at this past Sunday as a pivotal moment in the history of FOTP Grapevine.  We celebrated what God had done in these last six months.  We had a record attendance with 156, baptized three adults, and had over 100 people attend out cookout. In addition, almost 30 of our families pledged to Live It Forward by giving to our building fund.  

We are praying that we will have at least 200 people attend on Easter.  I pray that many of them will come to realize the love that God has for them demonstrated by allowing His son to die on a cross.  Along with that I pray that they will celebrate the new life that can be theirs because of His resurrection.

We had a 5K (3.1 miles) race at our Keller campus.  I ran in the race and finished with a time of 30 minutes and 45 seconds. 

I had declared before the race that I would win the “church staff members who are over 50 and left handed category.”   As it turns out, I won the male over 50 age group.  Here is my secret to success, I don’t think there were but two other guys in my age group.  One was pretty close to me at the finish line but I held him off.

A few years ago in my hometown of Vivian, La. I ran in a 5k and won second in the over 50 age group.  One of my former classmates won it.  He cheated.  He had been running for some time getting in shape.  But like the race today, my odds were good.  With Vivian being an old field town there are not many 50 year old oil field hands who come home and say, “I think I will go out for a good run.” 

So here is a bit of advice – choose your races carefully.  If you do I can almost guarantee you that there is a cheap medal waiting out there to be placed around your neck.

Our church is now officially six months old.   It is simply amazing what God has done in these six months.  Here are just some of the highlights:

• As of this weekend we will have baptized 6 adults
• We have averaged well over 100 people a week in attendance with a high of 152
• We launched our Lifegroups with over 100 people a week involved
• Our church has covered the initial investment made by the Keller campus and we have become financially self-sufficient
• Live It Forward marks our fist emphasis to raise funds for our own facility
• We have built relationships and memories that will last forever

We know all the glory belongs to God but he lets us share in the joy!