Been a little while since I could sit down and post for all you loyal readers (hi mom!). This past weekend we were in D.C. for a friends wedding. My wife was a bridesmaid (she was smoke’n) and I got to hang out most of the weekend. Highlights from the trip:

1. Free Chains Shirts came in right before we left….they look sweet.

2. Ate at 5 Guys for the first time…a dang good burger

3. Ate at Chipotle and saw Indian Jones 4….disappointed to say the least.

4. Ran my long run for the week…longest I’ve run since basketball conditioning in high school

5. Witnessed my first fainting at a wedding….maid of honor went cold on stage (she was ok).

6. Played Frisbee golf Sunday at Clemson with my brother for his birthday…he’s freaking 30

7. Had a foreign student try and steal my frisbee on hole 15…chris got it back…then I won.

Jim Collins (author of Good to Great) must have been very proud of Sergio Garcia yesterday.  He confronted the brutal facts.  After winning the TPC at Sawgrass, Sergio thanked Tiger Woods for not being there!  He said it does make it easier with Tiger at home.  I loved it.  It’s true.  Not many “professionals” would want to admit it, but its true.

This is an idea that if embraced could have great impact in many areas of life, business, and ministry. Confronting the facts of your current situation will help you make better choices and decisions.  For World Causes we’ve looked at all our current human and financial capital and have seen what we can and cannot do right now. We want to do everything with excellence, which right now is Free Chains.

Check out his speech and think about areas where you need to confront the brutal facts.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPFMkVjC-yo&hl=en]

Our new site is being finished up right now.  It is simple but I think that it’s going look sweet.  I’ll give a sneak peak.  We’re looking into doing a couple of concerts this summer. Right now it looks like Greenville, Charlotte, and maybe Atlanta.  More to come on that as the details are finalized.

Please help spread the word about the Free Chains Campaign.  A child gets caught in the sex trade every 2 minutes. We need all your voices to help.

Yesterday I went down to my old stomping grounds of Atlanta for a meeting and to spend some time with my wife. Our first stop was to IKEA, the super super wal-mart of Sweeden. First off, I was not to convinced that it would be a good stop because of previous encounters with customer service representitives on the phone. (Their website said they had a piece of furniture, but when we called they said they did not. I ask why the website would say that and they said they didn’t know, but don’t come because we do not have it!). Talking about 2 different worlds. The inside was nice. The people were nice. And they even had a kiosk with maps of the store, pencils to take notes with, and rulers to measure the furniture if you left yours at home. I left with a totally different impression.

We next went to a lunch and got to hear from Donald Miller. He was interviewed by Gabe Lyons. Donald spoke about the idea of “story“. We all are part of a story and recognizing that will help us in our journey in life. Also, stories are what people remember. Learning to tell not only good stories, but the right stories. Some stories are not worth telling, but some are. Deciding which ones are crucial. That was a great thought for me right now will all that we’re doing with World Causes and Free Chains.

It was really cool to hear from Donald. He was very honest and real. If you have not read any of his stuff, you need to. Seriously, here’s a link. Get a copy. Read it. Discuss it.

It was also good to meet some new friends and connect with some other ones.  It was great to have my wife with me for the day too.

What’s your story?

Great weekend. Had a great time at church today. We took some friends for the first time and we had a good time. Perry talked about money. Always a scary topic, especially when bringing guests for the first time, but Perry knocked it out of the park. Key take away…God wants us to be generous. He said to visitors that “we don’t need you money. God has paid the bills at New Spring and will continue to do so.” But we are to be generous. It means we take our eyes off of our selves. Tough topic. Great talk.

A new week coming up. Lots going on.

-Our new Free Chain is getting closer. New design. Its going to be sweet.

-Red Salon lunch on Tuesday. Good to catch up with the many amazing friends doing awesome stuff. Daniel, Gabe, Jeff, Greg, Todd, Jennifer and some others will be there. I’m bringing Betsey too. Should be a great time.

-Couple new ideas are getting off the ground. Really excited about those.

-Time to be more efficient with my time. Going to guard my zone this week.