I can’t begin to describe how busy it is around the building(s) here at Legacy. I was so used to my little office just off the back corner of the fellowship hall in Marble Falls. I never had to search out an area of retreat or a separate fortress of solitude when I needed to research 8th Century BC Ammonites for a school paper or go over a sermon or spend time with my God in prayer. That little office was isolated in its own way. Plus, there were only three full-time members of the church staff. And aside from the occasional Retired Teachers Association lunch or that month before VBS, there never was a whole lot going on outside Ann’s office up front.

That is NOT the case here.

I remember Don Savage making announcements toward the end of a worship service very early on in our relationship here—this was back last fall—and he said, “This is a church that’s doing things. We’re not like a bunch of other churches not doing anything. This church is busy!” I cringed at the slight to “other churches.” And I smiled and appreciated his energy and enthusiasm for Give Away Day and the other benevolent works of this place. And then two Sundays ago Jack Roseberry made a similar statement from the pulpit, “We’re an exciting church! Exciting in a good way! Not like some churches that are exciting in a bad way. We’re exciting in a good way!” Again, I cringed at the reference to other churches. But I so love the heart and the attitude behind the comments. It seems that everyone here is doing something all the time.

I get here before 8a and there are Jason and Lance with 50 or so teenagers getting ready to go paint houses in downtown Fort Worth. Donna Croft and Sarah up here decorating for a wedding. Shanna Byrnes and several other ladies and half a dozen little kids painting the new Club 56 room and getting it ready for Sunday. Todd and his crew setting up for whatever Boy Scouts, AA, or Weight Watchers meeting is happening that night. The Quilting Ladies moving their tables around upstairs. The Letters From Dad group getting ready for their gathering. The Benevolence Center that’s open every day and doing a tremendous work in this community. This place is busy! And it’s so encouraging to see and hear so many disciples of our Savior busy about the work of our Lord. Praise God!

I seriously doubt I could find any corner anywhere on this sprawling campus, day or night, where I could be completely alone for an hour with my Bible and my God. But I’m still looking.

Peace,

Allan

Well, it’s official now. Our coyote(s) has/have become a media event. Last night the local CBS affiliate broadcast a portion of their 10p news live from the front of our church building on Mid Cities Blvd. The “minister of a local church” mentioned at the end of this story over on CBS 11’s website is our very own Jim McDoniel who was wired up for an interview that aired during the coyote segment.

You would think this would be a problem I would have encountered sometime in Marble Falls. Working at the church office late at night, it wouldn’t be uncommon at all to see several deer in our parking lot. Of course, we saw deer several times in the Home Depot parking lot in Marble Falls! We did get skunks and armadillos and possums in our backyard a few times, living on that “waterfront property” behind the Post Office. But I never saw or heard any coyotes. No, I have to move to the big city to find that.

Our coyote here, which actually lives not on our church property but in a wooded area to the southwest of us, killed the lady’s dog on Friday. And the buzz that created threatened to impact our Banner Beginning Sunday. We were asked by the city of NRH to distribute flyers and make announcements during services on Sunday, especially after the coyote was spotted in our amphitheater area—right next to our groundbreaking site—Saturday night. The announcements were met with the expected giggles and grins. And I even poked fun (a little) at the situation in my comments during our Fellowship Dinner Sunday night. But it is a serious matter. If that coyote killed one dog and maimed another while the owner was walking them, who knows what it could do to a child? Especially if that child is wandering around our grounds alone at dusk. Like before, during, or after Bible classes on a Wednesday night. Let’s be careful, especially around the west sides of our campus. Let’s keep an eye on our kids.

I’m almost completely unpacked and put up in my office here at the church building. Everything except my autographed Bob Lilly Ring of Honor poster. That’ll probably go up sometime tonight. One of our elders and worship leaders, Gordon Lowry, keeps making fun of my lava lamp. As it turns out, the things in my office are generally the things Carrie-Anne won’t let me display in the house.

Peace,

Allan