Saturday Shout Outs!

Happy July!  Greetings friends and neighbors and welcome to anther edition of Saturday Shout Outs!  Today we have a mix of old friends, new friends and even a couple of Random Ramblings, so just jump in and hang on!

• My Twitter friend Christie Weatherby had a BRILLIANT post yesterday about how we can all participate in changing the world $5 at a time.  Here was her tweet: I am VERY excited to get to give you the opportunity to do something HUGE today!!! Please check it out: http://t.co/oRK5V8M   I hope all of my readers will check it out as well.  Awesome idea, Christie!
• Sometime back around June 14th 9th (corrected in comments!), our dear friend Colleen Martin (FUMC-K) became our dear friend Colleen Hooks!  Yes,that's right- Colleen got married!  :)
• I realized today that I owe return e-mails to both Todd Willis & Lauren Carr Cacciatore (FUMC-Kissimmee).  I am a slacker.  I will do better...
• Ashley Goad Broadhurst (Springfield Friends Meeting) is in the midst of yet another mission trip to Haiti.  Please continue to keep her in your prayers, and for updates be sure and visit her blog at http://thanksgivingprojectagb.blogspot.com/.
• Had lunch at the Wing House last week with Lisa Kraus Spires (FUMC-Kissimmee).  She and unborn baby Abbie/Abby/Abi/Abbe are doing well, but that doesn't mean that they don't need our prayers!  It was awesome to have a couple of hours to shoot the breeze. Wish I could have that with all of you...
• Brook Teoli Phelps (FUMC-K) is currently tweeting through the Bible in one year.  It's so cool to follow along as she commits to her goal.  Awesome.
• So far the Jones family has been pretty impressed with the summer movies- and between the 3 of us we have seen a lot of them.  I think our favorite so far has been Super 8.  Most confusing to us has been the reception received by The Green Lantern.  We all loved it, but we don't seem to have much company.  Not sure what people were expecting.  It's a comic book movie, you know?  We're seeing Transformers 3 this morning, based on a review by Nina Mock (Wesley Memorial UMC) that she posted on Facebook.  No pressure, Nina!
• I LOVE my ever-growing (1475 followers) Twitter family. I'm just saying...
• FUMC-K's Amber Herrick (who had a birthday on 6/23 27; corrected in comments!) tried to stir the pot last week by wondering aloud why Teresa Reep Tysinger is in my Hall of Fame and her twin sister Cyndi is not.  The obvious answer is because that would mean there are "too many Reeps"- but still, it's a good question.  So I ask all of you- who is missing from my HOF?
• Attention TV executives: I would like for there to be reunion movies for Saved By the Bell and That 70's Show, featuring the original casts of both.  That is all.
• I'm about to reach 700 consecutive days of blogging.  In addition, we have passed 80,000 visits to this site. I'm starting to plan the 2nd anniversary celebration coming up August 26th.  Any suggestions?
• Ben Thompson is home from Afghanistan &  Catie Cook (both FUMC-K) is headed for Germany.  Let's continue to pray for them and all of those who serve.
• Four days after that celebration, Marilyn and I will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. Any suggestions?  :)
• Ran into Lisa Jewett (Wesley Memorial) at Tijuana Flats for Taco Tuesday this week,  and she came over and sat with the Jones family.  We talked forever (just ask Will).  I LOVE catching up with old friends, especially ones as special as Lisa!
• Jerry Hanbery was with us for a night and most of a day earlier this week.  There is very little I enjoy more than sitting around talking politics, music, old friends and religion with Jerry.  HOWEVER- his assertion that Talladega Nights is funnier than Anchorman almost got him tossed from our home.  Will & I take our Anchorman very seriously...
• Rev. Cathy Thacker (better known to youth from the FUMC-K days as Mrs. T) is now serving a new church.  She is the pastor at FUMC-Lake Alfred.  Be praying for Cathy as she begins this grand adventure!
• And finally, last night at FUMC-K the youth ministry held another Rec Around the Clock.  Dwight Oakes & company (youth pastor there since I left in 2000) have now been using my title for that all-night event for 11 years, and I have not seen one penny in copyright royalties.  Dwight, consider yourself warned.  :)  My attorney, Jerry Hanbery, will be contacting you soon....

As always, it would be more than awesome if all of you would come to Tampa- because that's where I am!  LOL  Have a happy, safe and blessed 4th of July weekend, everyone!

Because of Jesus,