The Heath Mullikin Project

So, I took 20 teens from the church to the sixers-wizards game Friday night. Philly won by 1 so now they are 1-1 when I’m there. Hoping to go see the Celtics Wednesday night. After the game we saw a TALL mug walking out and I realized it was former Washington player Georghe Muresan who is 7 foot 7 inches. He turned his head after we yelled his name repeatedly. Couldn’t catch up to get an autograph though. I’ll say it again. Lou Williams is terrible. He made his free throws which helped get the win, but he shouldn’t be on the court during crunch time. I actually saw Muresan play in Atlanta with the old Bullets when Chris Webber and Juwan Howard were on the team. That team also featured Chris Whitney, a long range shooter from Clemson. That was right after Atlanta signed Dikembe Mutombo and they had a decent starting 5. I think Rod Strickland played that night. Wow. That was a night with me and Kerry Traynum at the old Omni. That place was a box in the ground and a dump. Philips Arena is sooo much better. The Wachovia Center in Philly is kinda generic, but so are most NBA arenas. It’s alot easier to make a baseball stadium personal. The family is back in town and it was great to give all my girls hugs and kisses. Drake lit up when he say his daddy. I truly believe we get one chance with our kids and I want to love and invest in them effectively. They are my grand experiment of love. I am working on blogs on some of my friendships. Should be pretty good…like the weekend. May the Lord bless and keep you all.

What a day. What a day. Yesterday and today, it seems like I’ve had my cell phone and home phone to my ears at the same time while typing and reading stuff for the youth convention.
Days like this are stressful, but it’s a good feeling when you’re getting things done. Here’s some other “stuff” I got done(improper grammar intentional).
1. Watched most of the YouTube/CNN Republican debate last night. Let’s be honest. Only a few candidates get any attention in either party. Why they have a stage full of people is beyond me. If you’re going to let candidates appear at a debate then let them participate in the debate. I think that they should just go down the line and let each candidate answer each question. 2 more Mullikin rules for presidential debates-if you mention another candidates name then your mic is turned off and CNN doesn’t get to host any other presidential debates. It’s only a matter of time before they bring out Michael Buffer. I thought Romney and Rudy had some stumbles, Thompson and McCain looked really old and tired, Paul didn’t get the enthusiastic response as the last debate, and Huckabee had some good lines. Tancreado and Hunter are wasting everyone’s time. I believe they picked the questions out of a hat which made the whole thing feel disjointed. The worst answer of the night was Romney’s,”I’d have to ask my advisers if water boarding is torture.” McCain more than likely spoke from personal experience that it IS torture. I agree that you can’t give terrorists a list of what we will and won’t do to them when we capture and interrogate them, but Romney missed the layup.
2. Organized and cleaned out my yahoo inbox.
3. I’ve been working from home all day and the TV has not been on once.
4. Whatever happened to the IPhone? Are people still buying them? This story isn’t helping.
5. I miss my family. I’ve had enough peace, quiet, and Zorro.
6. If anyone knows how to get a Creative Zen Touch mp3 player to work with Vista then please let me know. Also, how to get my Blackberry 7250 to work with Windows Mail. My main two devices won’t talk to Vista.
7. Nana Cain’s mac and cheese better be served at Christmas dinner.
8. Ric Flair made his return Monday night. I also found out their is a pay per view in Greenville next February. Gonna miss that one. We used to get ringside seats every Monday night at the old Greenville Memorial Auditorium. Got to see Magnum TA’s last match just a few hours before his wreck. Good days with Brad Finley, his dad, and mine.
9. Tommy Bowden did indeed get a contract extension so I face a big decision. Then I hear that the ACLU is angry because he had his players at a church. How can I not back the man? Been saying give him one more year since 2000.
10. Going to the McClungs‘ tonight because Comcast doesn’t carry the NFL network on my plan.
11. Pray for Karen and the kids’ safe return on Friday.
I love you all.

Here’s where’s my brain’s at today:
1. Clemson is undefeated in basketball. If Oliver Purnell gets fired before Tommy Bowden then that would be an injustice. He’s really building a consistent program and has some quality wins over the last few years. What’s the difference between the NIT and the Champs Sports/Humanitarian Bowl?
2. If anyone has extra tickets to the Penn/UNC game in Philly next Tuesday night then Adam and I would like to go.
3. Working on two things for the blog: Ads and links to the blogs that I read. Checking on the validity of the ad program. Sounds too good to be true.
4. Still wrapping my head around Rob Bell’s thoughts from the other night. I am at a crossroads of choice. I see what I want me and my family to become, but am I willing to lead us there. Am I willing to be counter-cultural? Am I willing to let go of the things of this world to take hold of something(or someONE) “out of this world?”
5. Pray for me as I work on Setapart stuff this week.
6. I want to give praise to the Lord for healing my ear. Before we left South Carolina I had experience several months of ringing in my right ear. It wasn’t constant, but it was frequent. It often was occumpanied by dizzy spells. I noticed the other day that my ear hadn’t been ringing for a while. I just want to give God some props for working it out for me.
7. “I’d rather be broke than broken.”
8. The invite is out for anyone who wants to go see National Treasure 2 on Friday, December 21st. We’ll be in town on the 17th so we’re looking to hook up with family and friends. Nothing makes me homesick like Hootie’s “Not even the trees.”
9. Is anyone else wondering what Peter and Nathan Petrelli’s father’s role was in the “company” and why we’ve never seen a clear shot of his face in the picture we’ve been seeing? Is anyone else disappointed with the early season finale? Next episode will be amazing. Lots of questions left to be answered. Either Nathan, Adam, or Claire is gonna lose their head over the whole thing.
10. How many people’s desk calendars are up to date? You know those little trivia, ESPN, far side calendars. Most unused Christmas gifts ever.
Have a great day.

Well, Adam Jones, Brian Dalbow, and I went to see Rob Bell in Philly for his “The gods aren’t angry tour” Monday night. It was mindblowing. He is the Seinfeld of preachers. He ties everything together. It was truly phenominal. The main point was that when God started a relationship with Abraham that it changed everything. My ADD started acting up so I missed a few key moments. It started when he talked about how the prophets and Jesus said earth shattering things in attention grabbing ways. I started planning my next sermon in my head. I am still wrapping my head around everything. He talked about how humans created “gods” to make sense of the forces of nature that they couldn’t explain or control. What’s sad is that if you were “blessed” then you had to give more to show your appreciation and if you had a drought then you still had to give more to appease the god. When GOD supplies the ram to Abraham to save Isaac, HE’s saying,”Abraham, this is new thing I’M doing.” I’m not doing it justice, but it was amazing. The only bad thing was that No pens were allowed(venue rule I think) and I got frisked by a large man. Adam Jones claims he was fondled.(We’re doing a Seinfeld marathon.) I think he enjoyed it. Now on to some other stuff…

I just read that Tommy Bowden is getting a contract extension. So, give me your comments and answer my new poll at the bottom of the page.

I got to preach Sunday. I said what God had put on my heart about learning to be thankful. For the three weeks leading up, God really exposed how shallow my thanks was. It has changed my thinking. It should be online at the church website too. I’m really starting to look at these preaching opportunities as a way to stretch myself and creativity. It’s exciting to see God stirring in my heart. I love preaching. I love talking too, but you knew that already.

The family is still in Ohio. Adam just got into town so he’s staying with me a few days. Should be cool.

Finally, I went to my first Sixers game Saturday night. They’re horrible, but they play hard. I can’t bring myself to tell you that Lou Williams turned the ball over on 4 of the last 5 possesions including tripping on the last one. Horrible. We’re going Friday to see the Wizards come to town. Gotta love Philly.

First, thanks to those who suggested movies. I didn’t watch any of them. Comcast cable has free movies so I hit up a few of those. One I watched was the Fisher King with Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges. It was the movie I watched whenever I was bummed out in high school. I really love it. Me and my bud, Rusty Teasley, used to quote it all the time. We were the only ones who liked it so the quotes were just between us. “I like New York in June, how about YOU?” It’s a movie about redemption and how acts of kindness should not be done just to make ourselves feel better, but to actually benefit those we are helping and to make them happy. Well, I just realized that Survivor is a recap show tonight so I’m going back downstairs to play Madden. I was halfway through a season when the system locked up before I saved so I started over. Can I just say that they never should have made sequels to Smokey and the Bandit. Sadly, I watched those this morning. Oh well, the Cowboys won and the Puseys treated me to a feast today. Drake is feeling better, my family is having fun in Ohio, and I’ve got plenty of movies to choose from tonight. I am thankful for friends, family, salvation, grace, healing, gifts, opportunity, God’s provision, oxygen, and a stocked kitchen. By the way, Zorro(my dog) has horrible gas. This was even before I shared some turkey with him. Hope you’re all healthy, happy, and safe today. If you’re going to be at SetApart then you need to be there when we have our annual 5 star posse hotel hangout on the last night. It’s whoever I happen to run into on my way back to the room after curfew. Last time, it was me, Matt LeRoy, Ryan East, Mark Benjamin, and Tim Kirkpatrick. There were a few other guys. There has to be a LeRoy present. This is when the stories are told and Camp Heath shows up. It is a fun time. Speaking of camp, I get to do games at Penn-jersey camp next year. I’m excited. Now, I just gotta find a sand bucket.

Karen and the kids left for Ohio yesterday for some holiday time with her family. It’s become a tradition the last few years to travel there a big Thanksgiving. The Hurlbut’s live south of Cleveland and I’ve tried to go to a Cavs game every time we’ve been, but no such luck. We did make it to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame which was kind of a dissappoinment. Anyway, this isn’t the first time Karen and the kids have traveled away for a week or more. Several years, they went to New York during the summer while I was at camp. Now, I like to think of myself as the life of the party. I love being around people. But, when Karen is out of town, I retreat into some sort of cocoon and try to catch up on my movie watching. One year, I tried to see as many Oscar winners(that I hadn’t seen before) while she was gone. We have different tastes in movies and there are many she has no interest in seeing. Movies like the Deer Hunter, the Sting, etc. Well, last night I picked up Ocean’s 13 and Children of Men. Let’s just say: I won’t get those 4 hours back. I was pretty unhappy with both of them so now I’m gun shy for the next few days. I don’t want to sit through any more bad movies. Of course, I could catch up on some reading. Surprisingly, everything is ready for Sunday, my sermon and worship lyrics. Timmy may come up Saturday night for the Sixers game. I guess what I’m looking for some movie suggestions. If you know me then you know my love for movies. I’m thinking about Rescue Dawn, Evan Almighty, and Superman Returns(jk). So, how should I spend the weekend? Several families have invited me over for Thanksgiving dinner, but the Pusey’s asked first so they win the contest. I tried to work it out where I could go to several places throughout the day, but apparently, everyone in Delaware and Pennsylvania eats at 4 pm on Thanksgiving. My mouth is starting to water just thinking about the feast. I have so much to be thankful for especially in a year full of self examination, self doubt, and moving away from home. God is so good. I do not deserve his friendship. I do not deserve His continuing love. I rest in Him. I have put my family in a position where we are totally dependent on Him. We rely on miracles to get through every day. Why is that so hard? I know God is going to “show up” yet still I get antsy when He takes His time. Also, when He doesn’t “fix” everything at once. I guess it’s because He’s really trying to “fix” me and that takes time. Apparently, lots of it. So, just know that I’m up here on Riverside Dr., resting, chillin, watching whatever movies you suggest, enjoying God’s company, and eating the rest of the Halloween candy. Sounds good to me.