Saturday Shout Outs!

Also Pictured:  Marie Allen, Ashley Goad, Carrie Burton
 Ryan Simmons & Natalie Whitaker

Today my Shout Outs! begin with a special holler at Springfield Friends Meeting in High Point, NC.  This morning at 10 AM there is a memorial service for Max Rees, who passed away on October 25th.   So many people had their lives touched by that great man of God, and Marilyn and I are saddened that we cannot be there today for this time of remembrance.  I find myself missing all of those folks so much this week- especially Max's grandchildren who were such an important part of the student ministry there from 1986-1994.  In the classic picture you see above there are several members of the Rees clan, including Stacy Gilbreth, Beth Brown, Mary Mercadante, David Mercadante and Ben Moran.  I love and miss all of my old SFM family, and my thoughts and prayers are certainly with you all this morning.  But I do have a few other things to shout about as well...

• Happy Birthday today to Kelly Jeck Trace and tomorrow to Jerry Hanbery (both FUMC-Kissimmee.  Kelly is 26.  Jerry is not.  :)
• Congratulations to Lindsey Joiner Bennett (FUMC-K) and her hubby Stephen, who became the proud parents of baby Oliver on October 18th.  He weighed 7.4 pounds and was 20 inches long.  Everyone is doing great!  In other baby related news, the Kissimmee crowd just continues to procreate!  Among the couples currently expecting are Jerry & Melissa Hanbery, Todd & Kristin Willis, Nate & Amanda Hill and Jacob Lupfer and his wife Cara.   If all of the old FUMC-K gang still lived in one place the church would have to add on to the nursery!  
• Had long phone conversations over the past couple of weeks with Ashley Goad Broadhurst (SFM) and Teresa Reep Tysinger (FUMC-K) that shared one thing in common- neither were long enough!  :)  I would love to be able to have those kinds of chats with all of my former youth- so call me!  Email me for my number!
• I have to sneak in one of my favorite stories that Max Rees used to tell.  He got a golfing lesson at a church auction one time, and went to take his lesson with a local course pro.  At the end of the lesson Max asked the pro what he thought about his golfing skills.  The pro responded that he thought Max should take one more lesson- and then quit.  When Max asked why the pro said, "Because no one should quit when they are this bad!"  Classic Max...
• Because I know you all care (LOL), Game 6 of this year's World Series (played Thursday night) ranks #3 on my list of all-time great WS games, behind Game 6 of the 1975 Reds-Red Sox series and Game 7 of the 1991 Braves-Twins series.  And congratulations to the Cardinals for winning it all.
• Ben Thompson (FUMC-K) is engaged.  More details to come!
• Laurie Rees (another of Max's grandchildren) sent me a really nice note about my blogs this week, as did her brother Will and her mother Judy.  I love that family, and it meant so much to hear from them.  Here'a quick note about Laurie- she was one of the prettiest girls I ever had in any of my youth groups, and she is now involved in Roller Derby.  YES- Roller Derby!  How cool is that?  I have got to get back to North Carolina!!!!
• And finally- if you are planning on coming to Tampa for Thanksgiving, I need to know now.  Space in the house is filling up fast, and I need to know how much SPAM to buy!  :)  

That's it for now.  Hope you have a blessed day and better tomorrow!

Because of Jesus,