McMansion

Sunday afternoon after visiting with Anna we drove past the current version of our old house on Hillpine. It's undergone a complete renovation from 3 BR / 2 bath / one garage to 5 BR / 4 baths / 2 car garage - with a pool in back. The only recognizable feature of the house is the right front (below).

The house did have a large backyard, which now features a pool. The house is for sale for almost ten times what we sold it for almost 30 years ago. Sure, tons of money was put in the house - it has more than twice as much space. No regrets - had we stayed, we would've missed out on so many blessings. 

Caught Michael Douglass on The Tonight Show Friday night (actually Saturday morning). He was talking up the third season of his Netflix series, so I gave it a watch. Two old men. Lots of cussin, which is what people these days consider groundbreaking and cutting edge. Constant cameos by numerous Hollywood celebrities. 

When I was in 9th or 10th grade I started going to nearby Northside Christian Church. The rest of my family started going there as well. We all got baptized on Easter Sunday 1975. When I moved up to GT I looked for a “Christian” church to attend. The first Sunday I attended Peachtree Christian Church, and the corner of Spring and Peachtree near White Columns. Completely different from my more casual church in Macon.  As I was leaving an old lady in front of me had fallen on the steps, hurting herself. I helped comfort her, and when a crowd gathered around her I slipped out, never to return.

My best friend from high school was also a freshman at Tech. He got me going both to the GT BSU and Wieuca Road Baptist. I attended there most of my freshman year. Our college class had a great old teacher: Doug Maag. Always wore a grey suit. Bill Self was a good preacher as well. I always remember his 1978 Mother’s Day sermon, profiling mothers in the Bible.

At the BSU there was a FBC crowd, a Wieuca crowd, and a SPdL crowd. I was becoming good friends with Yearwood, who went to SPdL. Also Fred O, John Rose, Don Sells, and Wayne Smith. By late spring 1978 I started going to SPdL with them, playing in the Sunday School volleyball league and then the worship services. Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday nights. Loved Marsh’s preaching, and how a college guy could get to know not just other college students but also parents and kids as well. We’d go to the movie nights and talent shows in the fellowship hall.

Sophomore year I lived in an apartment with Sells, Smith, and Mike Kirkland, and we all went to SPdL. Often went out to eat afterwards at Po Folks or Western Sizzlin. Or cooked pork chops and moon biscuits together at the apartment.  I eventually joined the Chapel Choir and went on three choir tours – two to Colorado Springs and one to Rochester New York. My senior year I was Chapel Choir president, and helped write up the little tour booklets given out to each student. Also the Camp SPdL booklets. At the BSU I went on mission trips to Terre Haute Indiana and Elmira New York, as well as every fall and spring statewide BSU Convention at Rock Eagle.

I look at JFBC and wonder how/if they'll keep growing. Lots of programs – sports, choirs, and kids activities. Kind of like SPdL in its heyday. Lots of folks moving into the community, but you’d think that has slowed down. More ethnicities moving into East Cobb for the schools, but JF is mostly white. Our SS class is an exception. Plenty of older people at JF, but even more younger folk.  Are all the JF Sunday School classes as good as mine? Longtime JF minister of music will be retiring soon, if he hasn’t already. He mostly lead traditional worship service and adult choir, while younger folk already lead service in gym and youth choirs. Also good solid preaching from engaging lead pastor. Lots of mission trips for people to go on, like at North Point. Not sure if JF has a big singles ministry.

David Lewis married Sheri Hall. I saw them in JF services serval Sundays after their wedding, but not after that. Maybe due to covid, not sure. They’re buddies with Danny Downing, who always seems to be traveling to one conference or another. Heather Swilley was in Lang’s grade – she has a child graduating from high school. Heather is an Auburn fan, but her daughter will attend Alabama. Heather’s husband Lee Taylor is on staff at JF, seems to be a solid guy. Tracy Taylor lives in Birmingham, but both her kids are in colleges in the Carolinas. Chad Eaton lives in Charlotte. His son is going to go to Auburn.

Our SS class has three main teachers, plus a fourth occasional teacher. All four are excellent. I’m not as much of a fan of the emphasis they put on discussions. We so often break into small groups, though most of the men in the class are quite insightful. Some say large classes should split to encourage growth, and I think that’s one of the reasons why my class splits off into smaller discussion groups, plus the care through prayer time when we pair off to pray one on one, instead of having a drawn out corporate prayer time in class. That way it’s easier to get to know people better. Plus our small groups that meet weekly, at a different time. I’ve been in various groups with Rob, Joe, Buddy, Ron, and John, plus a missionary care group with four other couples.

Above: remember these?

Sheltered as I was, I only saw them from a distance.

Below: a good idea. 

On Memorial Day I'm remembering Clint Castleberry, who earned All-American honors as a Georgia Tech freshman in 1942 before losing his life overseas in WWII. From Boys High, Castleberry finished third in the Heisman voting behind UGA's Frank Sinkwich. Tech retired his number 19, the only retired number on the Flats.