Mike Edmisten Follower of Jesus. Husband of Nicki. Father of Ryan & Brock. Communicator of the Word.

Shooting Satellites

Is anybody else amazed by this?

Last night, our Navy shot down a dead satellite from the USS Lake Erie in the Northern Pacific. The window of time to get the shot off was just a few seconds. The missile, traveling at over 17,000 mph, hit the satellite just three minutes after launch.

I admit that I am pretty easily amazed by new technology. Things like cell phones and the internet still blow my mind. But this kind of technology should amaze everybody.

Welcome Video

The welcome video we shot on Tuesday is already live on our website! Josh, you blow my mind on an almost daily basis!

Check it out.

Perspective

Working in ministry has its rewarding days…it also has its draining days. This week has been a collection of draining days. Lots of hospital calls, meetings, plus a bunch of "extra stuff" have all cropped up this week…and I'm beat. I haven't really even started on my message for Sunday. (By this point in the week, the message would normally be about finished.) I don't know exactly how I'm going to get everything done this week. Can you say, "stress?"

It's in moments like these when I need a little perspective. Hospital calls tend to provide a heapin' helpin' of perspective. I visited with an older lady who has completely lost her ability to speak as a side effect of a stroke. I watched a nurse feed her through a tube, which is the only way she can receive any nourishment.

I also visited with a younger man who is now in the fight of his life. Sunday he told me that he was going in for a minor procedure. That minor procedure turned major when his heart rate and blood pressure dropped through the floor. Plus, he's now looking at a possible cancer diagnosis.

Can I be honest? None of the issues/pains/stresses in my life amount to a hill of beans in comparison to what these people are dealing with. I feel ashamed that I would even complain about my week. Just because it hasn't been a perfect week doesn't give me any reason to whine or complain. I am blessed beyond my wildest dreams…sometimes I just need to be reminded of that.

Frigid Videos

We shot a couple of videos today. One is for ACC's website and the other will be part of our Easter worship experiences. I really think the videos are going to turn out great, but filming them was very tough. Both videos were filmed completely outside, and it was freezing today! By the time we were finished with the second video, my hands and feet were absolutely numb.

Note to self…do not schedule the filming of outdoor videos in February.

Sleeping During the Sermon

Mark Batterson preaches National Community Church, a large multi-site church in Washington DC. Mark recently admitted on his blog that there was a guy who snored through the entire service, including his sermon this past Sunday.

Kinda nice to see that it happens to the best of us! :o)

Tax Rebate

It's official. Most of us will receive a check from the federal government as part of their economic stimulus package designed to help our country avert a recession. What are you going to do with your check? Dave Ramsey gives some very practical, sensible advice on what to do with the stimulus tax rebate.

Check it out.

Happiness is…

…hearing my boys laugh.

…enjoying a sweet treat with my wife after the boys are asleep.

…enjoying other things with my wife after the boys are asleep. (I'll let you draw your own conclusions.)

…driving away from church on Sunday knowing that people connected with God in a powerful way.

…a rich cup of coffee in the morning.

…looking at old family pictures.

…a home improvement project done well.

…dreaming about what God can do this year in our church.

…dreaming about what God can do this year in my family.

…realizing that the outcome of this year's election, although important historically, doesn't change the fact that God is still ultimately in control.

…looking forward to the upcoming baseball season, which is getting closer everyday!

…having friends that love us and would do anything for us.

…sitting in my chair with Ryan watching old Looney Tunes cartoons.

…going out to dinner as a family.

…walking into my warm house on a cold winter day.

…having all four grandparents highly involved in our boys' lives.

…grasping how deep God's grace really is.

…strong relationships with our siblings.

…seeing my wife laugh until she cries.

…President's Day, when my wife and I both have a day off.

Sunday Reflections

Today was another stellar day in the life of Amelia Church of Christ.

Our worship was smokin' hot today! I love seeing people clap, sing, raise their hands, and just engage in the worship experience. Our band isn't there to put on a concert (although if they did play a concert, it would be a pretty darn good one!). They are on stage to facilitate worship and to help us connect with God. If you don't normally sing, you ought to try it next weekend. I promise that the more you participate in worship, the more it will impact your life.

I loved the When Life & Truth Collide series. Every message felt like it connected with a ton of people. They weren't necessarily easy messages to preach, but every one was extremely important because we all experience these collisions of life and truth.

I never get tired of seeing God's Word impact people. It absolutely never gets old. I can't believe I get to do this for a living! ACC, I love being your pastor!

Champions!

Gotta give some love to my niece, Shelby. Not only did she get the Edmisten good looks, but she has also exhibited the athletic prowess that our family is known for. :o)

Shelby's basketball team won their second conference championship in a row last night. Pictured above are Shelby and her proud coach and daddy, Jeff (my big brother who also inherited the aforementioned good looks and athleticism).

Congrats to Shelby and all her teammates!

Meet the Superfriends

Ryan has been collecting the DC Superfriends since Christmas. These action figures are perfect for his age and he's really into superheroes, but they are very tough to find. Gotta love eBay.

There are six in this particular set, and Ryan got all of them for Christmas except Aquaman. We heard about his lack of Aquaman from December 26 until today. Valentine's Day 2008 marks the day when Ryan's set is now complete. We welcomed Aquaman into our family this morning.

For the superhero challenged, here are the names of the Superfriends from left to right: Aquaman, Lex Luthor (the one evil guy in the set), Superman, Green Lantern, The Flash, & Batman.

To quote Ryan, "This is the best Valentine's Day ever!"