One of the coolest things is happening right now at Life Pointe.  And, you are invited to be a part of a real story of transformation.  Check it out!

HEALING, FORGIVENESS, & REDEMPTION
For several months, Brad Tudor visited the LPC – Plantation Key campus.  He was exploring the claims of Christ and getting to know our church community.  He’s a really great guy and real privilege to get to know.

About 3 weeks ago, he came to church early to go through the Scriptures with me and to pray a prayer of repentance, confession that he was a sinner, and to make a commitment to follow Jesus. I tweeted about it here.  It was a privilege to be a part of this with Brad…a truly fantastic moment!  Only a couple weeks before this, I was in the hospital with Brad as multiple doctors told him his right thumb was going to be amputated because of a very serious infection that developed following a construction accident.  Now, here he was praying to follow Jesus…with a thumb that was pink, hardy, and healed!…truly a beautiful thing all the way around!

IT GET’S BETTER THIS SATURDAY!!!
Well, this Saturday at 11 AM, he’s taking things to another level.  He’ll be going public with his faith in Jesus by being baptized with about 35 other people from Life Pointe Church out at Bayfront Park in Homestead.  But first, I will be performing his wedding there on the shore as he also goes public with his lifelong commitment to Christa McCracken. Their beautiful 9 month old baby girl, Skylar and Christa’s mom and dad will be looking on…as will we, his church family! I’m beyond excited for Brad and Christa!

I think this may be one of the most transformational moments I’ve ever had the privilege to be a part of.  This is certainly one of the most significant moments in the history of Life Pointe Church and a massive moment in the lives of Brad and Christa!  We are incredibly blessed to get to be a part of this.

CONSIDER THIS YOUR FORMAL INVITATION
You may know Brad and Christa.  You may not.  Either way, bring a gift and a card and let them know how proud you are of them and celebrate this awesome day with them.  This is monumental!  We want to make it special for them as they take part in two HUGE life statements: commitment to Christ and commitment to one another.

I can’t wait…I’ll see you then!

Look up!

¹ I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven. – Psalm 123:1

Today marks the day my life changed forever.  10 years ago, standing at the altar at Cathedral of Praise (now the Church on Strayer) in Sylvania, OH flanked by some amazing guys: my brother, Rob Miskowski, Kevin Webb, Doc Hughes, Jeremey McCoy, Erik Kemerling, Matthew Robinett, and little Pierro Pagan, I watched as the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid my eyes upon came walking down the aisle.

Tony Scott, my dad, and Kelly’s dad performed our ceremony.  I can remember almost every moment of it still.  I stood there a little bit beat up after fighting off the above mentioned guys the night before as they attempted to duct tape me to a chair (and eventually succeeded) and drag me out into the middle of a parking lot where I was surrounded by some strange rednecks who were in town at the same hotel we were staying at for a NASCAR race.

Surrounded by friends and family, I said “I do” to my sweetheart.

From then until now, life has happened so fast.  We’ve got three little indians (5, 4, and 1).  Two are in school.  We’ve had some big adventures.  There have been high points and low points.  I’ve slept on the couch a couple times.  We’ve laughed together until I thought my smile was going to fall off.  We’ve cried together when things we attempted didn’t work out like we wanted them to.

10 years ago, I thought life would be grand.  It certainly has been.  But, my wildest dreams would never have concocted such an adventure.  Happy anniversary, sweetheart.  You’re still the woman of my dreams.  Thank you for so much love…to me, to our babies.  Looking back, I couldn’t in a million years imagine life with you.

Kourtney and McKenna on their way to school.

Today, I took Kourtney and McKenna for their 2nd day of school this year. It was McKenna’s 2nd day of school ever and my first day to take her.

We walked into a new school. I was calm on the outside…a basket case on the inside. Both girls pretty much left me and took off directly to their respective classrooms. I blew the transition! There were supposed to be hugs and kisses. But, that moment was lost.

At this point they were in their class around their soon-to-be friends. I didn’t want to traumatize them or make them look silly by doing our routine. I’m not sure what the protocol is in this uncharted area. So, what did I do? I hung around in the hallway like an awkward teenager hoping and waiting for a kiss. I came up with a thousand reasons in my head for why I was still in the hallway. Alas, someone I knew came and made small talk with me.

After that, I stuck my head back in the classrooms and told the girls’ teachers I was appreciative that they were taking such good care of them. Then, I left.

My heart was throbbing.
My hands were sweaty.
I was smiling albeit nervously.
I was now on my way to work.
I called Kelly and compared notes.
We were both giddy as we shared the juicy details of our awkwardly wonderful school exchanges/drop offs.

There is nothing more amazing than seeing my kids grow up to need me a little bit less than the day before. It’s amazing…and amazingly frightening. But, I couldn’t be more proud about my gangly, awkward adventure on the pursuit of Dad-dom. Cheers.

Kelly shares more pictures and a bit of her first day story here.

20 teams. Saturday, August 29th Draft Party. You can be in on the action if you are either attend Life Pointe or in some way are connected to someone at LPC (but you have to live in the areas of Homestead or the Upper Keys).  You in?

If so, here’s the scoop.

I started this blog a few years ago.  First, I was on Blogger, then Typepad, then WordPress.  Through the blog, I’ve made some good friends, shared some thoughts, interacted.  Throughout that time, it has been primarily about building community.

I think this blog is no longer the best virtual place for me to be to maximize community.  Other online tools have emerged that have become more effective for me.  Between Facebook and Twitter, I am in touch with more people and in real time.  So, if you’re wondering where I’ve gone, that’s where I am, look me up.

If you think I’ve given up on blogging, I haven’t.  But, I have come to the realization that while things in the past evolved every few decades, then every few years, things now change every few months.  And, as long as Facebook and Twitter remain the best places for me to interact, communicate ideas, and build community, that’s where I’ll be.

From time to time, I may sound off here on more substantive topics where I need the space.  But, for the most part, I’ll be elsewhere…hope to see you there.

I’ve never been away from the church I was pastoring for as long as I just was just now: 3 Sundays…almost 4 weeks.  To me, that’s a WOW.

Kelly and I were celebrating our 10 year anniversary, which actually falls on August 21st.  We left our 3 kids with Kelly’s parents in New Orleans.  Then, Kelly and I traveled from Paris to Milan to Florence to Cinque Terre to Naples to the Amalfi Coast to Rome to Sicily to Greece to Turkey back to Rome then Madrid and back home.  We backpacked all over the place in adventure like we’ve never had before.  We traveled by plane, train, foot (a lot of foot), and boat.  I didn’t touch a phone once.

Our experiences on the trip varied widely.  We packed super light with all of our possessions on our backs.  I took one pair of socks, two pairs of shorts, jeans, and three shirts.  We routinely washed our clothes in sinks.  Sometimes, we slept in hotels…some in hostels.  Once, we slept in a stairwell in Paris (or at least tried to sleep).  It was cold.  We ended up bundling up and watching episodes of The Closer on my iPod.

My favorite experiences were visiting the Areopogus/Mars Hill in Athens with the Acropolis in the backdrop (Acts 17:16-34), the ancient city of Ephesus in Turkey (Acts 18:24-20:1, Ephesians, Revelation 2:1-7), and the Colloseum in Rome where early church father, St. Ignatius was martyred-eaten by lions (though to this day, the official line at the Colloseum in Italy was that he was guilty of treason against Rome).

During that time, I read a good bit (Outliers, an Edmund Burke bio, and 50 Ways Italian Genius Shaped the World).  We played cards.  I never touched a phone.  I journaled a lot and had plenty of time to think without any demands placed on me by myself to share what I was thinking.  It was an adventure worthy of 10 years of marriage.  Kelly and I made memories on that trip we’ll never forget.  We’ll talk about how our plane was struck by lightning, how I almost passed out while hiking but was saved by a 70 year old German woman, and how much we griped over $7.50 cokes in Paris.

It was an adventure that a lot of pastors don’t feel free to have because their churches rely on them to do all the work.  So, getting away is hard to do.  I feel unbelievably blessed by a church that carries ministry with me as co-laborers instead of spectators sitting in bleachers.  Life Pointe Church is a family to me…incredibly loved and appreciated.  I don’t take you for granted.  You have enriched my life.  You’ve blessed my family with piles of love and arms of acceptance.  You allow me to be fully myself with no need for pretension.  How unusual a church community you are.

Well, Sunday, I walk through the doors at Life Pointe Church for the first time in a while…excited.  I’ll begin a series through the book of Joel called Devastation and Redemption.  I actually have butterflies.  Now, I’m wondering if the adventure of a lifetime wasn’t just the trip.  I think the adventure is my life- interrupted by another adventure.  Sometimes, I have to pinch myself and thank God for allowing me to live this life.

Things aren’t always easy.  We’ve faced some big challenges since we started.  We’ve also had some big wins.  In the time I’ve had to reflect, it isn’t primarily about the wins and losses.  It’s about the people who are with you as you win and lose.  There’s no doubt.  This is certainly the adventure of a lifetime.

PS. If you want to see more pictures of our trip, you can on my facebook account.  I’ve got a ton posted there.  Otherwise, I’ll see you this weekend.

Tonight, I gathered around a room with some pretty decent people for the first week of our summer life group semester as we began reading “Vintage Church” by Mark Driscoll.  The first chapter was dripping with theological short-hand.  The book will be challenging.  But, it begins to lighten up next week as we get beyond the first chapter.  It’s a good read, challenging, and will lead to good conversations with some good people I’m getting to know better.

Why is life group so good?

• new relationships develop.
• we pray with one another.
• Biblical conversations.
• we distribute leadership.

After the first week, I won’t lead it again.  I’ll just attend and participate with the group as leadership is shared and people step into their roles of leadership.

It’s inevitible that over the course of the next several weeks, strong leadership will begin to be expressed by people in the group…helping me to indentify future leaders in our church or groups.  What we study is important.  But, what emerges out of this group in the lives of the participants is as important.  That’s exciting.

If you haven’t registered for a group yet, it isn’t too late.  You can do it online here.

Thank you for your extravagant service.  I honor you for your sacrifice.