Welcome to Nolan's World

Get Offensive NOW!!!

(This post is written partly in honor of the fact that football season is officially within sniffing distance)

It's time for some of us to get off the sidelines and into the game.  Quit being paralyzed by what may or may not happen.  Take ownership of your life and MOVE!!!  

Yes, you may get gang-tackled.  You may lose huge...but the worst loss that I think any of us could experience is to NOT EVEN TRY!

GRAB the ball and take off.  SOAR down the middle of the field of life as hard as you can!!!

Be proactive.  Adjust on the fly.  Ask for a little forgiveness for moving too quickly rather than waiting your life away for ambiguous permission.

There is so little time and so much to do.  Love radically.  Give sacrificially.  Serve unexectedly.  Live passionately and on purpose.

Make others adjust to you rather than constantly counteracting the movements of others!

Be an original, not a cover.  

Play by God's rules and nobody else's.

Moving with an offensive mindset will automatically cause some around you to be defensive.  

Keep on moving as your critics are forced to chase you and eat your dust!

Live in a way where you rest assured that you will one day hear your Maker say two words: well done!

A Selfish Prayer Request

This is not a big deal in the grand scheme of life at all, but I just got back from my contact lens fitting, and found out there is a chance that my lenses may not be ready for me before leaving for vacation on September 17 (I have to have hard lenses that are specially made to correct an issue with my cornea).  If you don't mind praying for the "small, less significant" issues in a person's life, would you please pray that my contacts make it back from the lab in record time, and if not in record time, at least by September 16?  Thanks so much!

Come Run with Me

Registration Details

Confirmation #:	42273800-082109091613
Date & Time:	12/05/09
Location:	Downtown Memphis (Map)
Purchased at:	08/21/09
Category:	Half Marathon
Name:	Nolan Bobbitt

I am officially signed up for the St. Jude Half Marathon on Saturday, December 5.  You can come run with me.  It's for a great cause and it will be a great time.  

You might say there there is no way I can do this...If I can do it, you can do it.  I am overweight and suffer from psoriatic arthritis.  I refuse to allow those things to keep me from finishing this race.  Overcome your obstacles and fears as you run beside me (or behind me as you "eat my dust" :) ).  

My training schedule has been a little off, but I start back on Monday.  

Don't make the fat man run all alone...come run with me!!!  Leave a comment if you are in or thinking about it!  WE CAN DO THIS!!!

Sign up today here.

Whew, That's Done!!!

• Just finished my first consulting project for a church starting a coffee shop that operates five days a week in addition to being open on Sundays.  It was a great learning experience and a lot of work and a lot of fun.
• I have been working 55+ hours a week between all three of my jobs for the last several weeks.  It is weird to be done with something that has taken so much time and energy over the last 2 1/2 months.
• There has not been a "Fresh New Start" update in a couple of weeks.  I will update you when I weigh in at the Dr. on September 2.  Exercise has been spotty over the last couple of weeks, but I have still been much more active than my old "norm."  I have to get back on my healthy eating plan.  Crazy work hours and busy life have made it tough, but I am into lifestyle change for the long haul.  My original goal was 50 lbs. lost in 3 1/2 months and I think I will actually accomplish 35 lbs., possibly a little more.  I plan to really buckle down over the next month and be a really good boy with exercise and eating before heading to Disney.
• I start following my official half marathon training plan September 1.  My goal is to run half and walk half!  I am very excited!
• Actually I have three goals: 1. Don't die (during training or the race)  2.  Finish the race  3.  Don't be last.
• If you are really slow, PLEASE sign up to run with me on December 5, so I can make sure Goal #3 is doable provided I don't die and finish the race! :)
• We had a birthday celebration for Alison last night at The Melting Pot.  Great fun.
• We drove home in a huge storm last night and I lost a contact lens.
• Since I have an old prescription, I have to visit the eye dr. tomorrow.
• Hope to have new contacts before going to Disney World!!!
• We leave for Disney in 29 days!!!
• Football season is right around the corner and that is a beautiful thing!!!
• Brett Favre just retired again...trust me, oh wait, he unretired again!  
• I have the most amazing wife and daughter on the planet!
• I am SO grateful for wonderful friends and family!
• Getting a new netbook computer that will hopefully help me write more regularly sometime next week!
• Will blog about my consulting project by early next week
• Have a great day

The Principle of the Path Book Review

I have two looming thoughts after reading Andy Stanley's The Principle of the Path: "I hope I be wise enough to write a book like this one day," and "wow, I REALLY wish that I could have read this book 20 years ago!!!"

The message of this book is simple: Direction--not intention--determines our destination.  While on the surface this "principle of the path" is relatively easy to understand, Andy reveals the inherent difficulties and rewards in living it out.  

True to typical Andy Stanley form, The Principle of the Path is filled with profound and powerful thoughts, straightforward and easy to follow steps, and great storytelling.

Here are a few of my favorite statements:

• "If regret can be avoided, it should be."
• "Recognizing the distinction between a solution and a path is the first step in understanding the principle of the path."
• "Simply put, you and I will win or lose in life by the paths we choose."
• "Christians start talking about forgiveness as if somehow forgiveness serves as an escape hatch from the outcome of bad decisions."
• "Today's decisions create tomorrow's experiences."
• "Maps are useless if you don't know where you are."
• "Divine direction begins with unconditional submission."

The Principle of the Path was a huge inspiration and help to me in many different ways.  I am seeking to live out its truths and play "offense" with my personal journey!  I would highly recommend it to you!

Do You Believe This?

Do you believe the message communicated in the picture below???

I'd love to hear your thoughts...

The Next 10 Days

It's officially crunch time for me.  Maddie goes back to school tomorrow and Alison will be anxiously awaiting her first subbing call for the new school year.  My consulting project (that I will actually blog about soon) is in overdrive for the next ten days.  We open the doors of The Common Cup to the church on Sunday and will be open to the public on Monday.  Lots of stuff left to be done, and many "little" things need to be resolved before opening.  Your prayers would be greatly appreciated and I'll try to update you later this week!

50 Questions, 50 Answers

1. What time did you get up this morning? I slept in until 6 AM...I normally roll out at 4:20 AM!

2. How do you like your steak? Medium

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Julie & Julia--great movie!

4. Favorite TV Shows? 24, Lost, Top Chef

5. If you could live anywhere else in the world where would it be? Denver, Colorado or Nashville, Tennessee

6. What did you have for breakfast? Leftover dessert from last night (it was my anniversary and my perogative)

7. What is your favorite cuisine? Italian

8. What foods do you dislike? Shellfish (allergic) and seafood in general

9. Favorite Place to Eat? Texas de Brazil, Cheesecake Factory, PF Chang's

10. Favorite dressing? Homemade ranch

11.What kind of vehicle do you drive? Ford Expedition

12. What are your favorite clothes? Bright button down shirts and jeans

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance? Italy, Greece, Kenya, Ukraine, New Zealand

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? All the way full (it's a question of what it's full of--air or water)!!!

15. Where would you want to retire? Dudes like me don't retire

16. Favorite time of day? When my daughter and wife wake up and come down to spend time with me

17. Where were you born? Clinton, OK

18. What is your favorite sport to watch? Football

19. What is the goal of life?  Experience the unconditional love of Jesus through salvation and spend the rest of your energy giving that life to others

20. What do you want said at your funeral?  Nolan desperately loved Jesus, his family, his friends, and made a significant mark on those whom he touched!

21. What are you reading right now? Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney (excellent book, BTW)

22. Bird watcher? Only cool birds like eagles and penguins

23. Are you a morning person or a night person? Morning, most definitely

24. Do you have any pets? Not since my shitzu Fu died about 25 years ago

25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? Yes...but not just yet

26. What did you want to be when you were little? an astronaut or doctor

27. What is your best childhood memory? being with my grandparents

28. Are you a cat or dog person? dog

29. Are you married? YES, to the most beautiful and amazing woman on earth!

30. Always wear your seat belt? Definitely

31. Been in a car accident? Yes...and I was wearing my seatbelt all three times!

32. Any pet peeves? People attached to their cell phones in the Starbucks ordering line

33. Favorite Pizza Toppings? Ham, bacon, extra cheese

34. Favorite Flower? Roses

35. Favorite ice cream? Cherry Garcia

36. Favorite fast food restaurant? Subway

37. How many times did you fail your driver's test? 0

38. From whom did you get your last email? Twitter

39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? I don't believe in maxing out credit cards, but amazon.com and ebay have gotten their fair share of my cash recently

40. Do anything spontaneous lately? Invited some friends to dinner; that's about as spontaneous as it gets for me

41. Like your job? Well I have three right now, and I enjoy aspects of them all, but don't completely love any of them

42. Broccoli? Good stuff

43. What was your favorite vacation? I am pretty sure it will be our trip to Disney World next month!

45. What are you listening to right now? Daughtry's newest CD

46. What is your favorite color? Titan Blue

47. How many tattoos do you have? None (yet) :)

48. Next big life goal? Survive a half-marathon run/walk in December

49. If you could choose any job and get paid for it, what would you do?  Write, speak, and pastor

50. Coffee Drinker? What do you think???

Funeral Thoughts

Preaching at a funeral can be a bittersweet experience.  For those of us who follow Christ, we trust that it is better for our loved-one or friend to be in the presence of Jesus, yet at the same time, we miss their active presence in our lives.

Alison's grandmother Lillian Hull passed away Thursday afternoon and later today my brother-in-law Mike and I will be sharing the delivery of her eulogy/message of hope at her funeral.

One of the first things that I thought about when I was asked to participate today is this quotation from D.L. Moody, the great evangelist of the 19th century.  Every time I read it, I am encouraged and strengthened by its truth.  I will be sharing it in my message today, and I hope it lifts your spirits as well:

"Some day you will read in the papers that D.L. Moody of East Northfield, is dead. Don't you believe a word of it! At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now; I shall have gone up higher, that is all--out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal--a body that death cannot touch; that sin cannot taint; a body fashioned like unto His glorious body."