happy 3rd birthday destin
three years ago today destin came into this world as a bouncing baby boy. tears filled my eyes as i beheld flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone. childbirth has to be one of the greatest miracles that almighty God has ever performed. it ranks right up there with parting the red sea and other great miracles of the bible.
fatherhood is without a doubt the greatest responsibility a man will ever have. any male can make a baby but only a man can take care of a baby. i am often overwhelmed at the thought of God trusting me with the task of partnering with him to rear our male child into a godly, respectable, responsible man.
here are seven things i don’t ever want my son to forget:
- God is not an option in our house. i agree with joshua who said, “as for me and my house we will serve the lord.” i promise to lay a christian foundation for you to build on and use as an example. i will use every teachable moment as an opportunity to show the ways of Jesus Christ; we will bless our meals before we eat; pray before we fall asleep; meditate on the Word of God; acknowledge Him in all our ways… when you are older you will have a choice but as long as you are dependent on me, God is not an option in our house.
- i will always respect and honor your mother. i am well aware that you would not be here were it not for your mom. for that reason i honor her. i honor her because she carried you for nine months in her womb; nourished you when you couldn’t do it for yourself; cares for you when you are ill; prays for you constantly; teaches you your letters, numbers, and colors; sacrifices time, energy and even sleep. i guess you get the point. there will be times when we will not agree or see eye to eye but there will never be a time that i don’t honor her as your mother. i expect the same from you.
- destin i want you to know that i love you with an unconditional love. the fact is you will never be able to imagine how much i love you. the interesting thing is you don’t have to do anything to earn this love. i want you to be a good boy; make good grades; be nice to your friends; honor your parents; realize your God given purpose but none of that has anything to do with my love for you. how can i say it more plainly? I LOVE YOU DESTIN!!!
- i believe you are destined for greatness. your name, “destin”, suggest that God has a ultimate plan for your life. i believe you can do anything you put your mind to. never accept mediocrity or average as the norm for your life because it is not. always attempt to do your best. you don’t have to be “the” best. but i fully intend for you to “do” your best.
- choices not chances determine your destiny. remember every choice whether good or bad has a consequence. i have certainly made my share of both good and bad choices. i hope you will follow my footsteps that lead to success and avoid my missteps that led to potholes. i am convinced of this scripture, “all things work together for the good of them that love God…
- i will always have your back. did i say always? time nor distance nor age nor issue will ever distract me from watching out for you. it is my job that i take very seriously. when you are right i got you and when you make mistakes as we all do, i got you. let the record show you can count on your daddy.
- i will discipline you because i love you. make no mistake about it, i am old school when it come to discipline. there will be times when you will not understand why i am correcting you; punishing you; and yes spanking you. but trust me you will appreciate it later on in life. it was the same for me when i was a child. i am a better man today because of the discipline i received as a child. i owe you that in the name of love.
love ya son,
daddy
blessed are the flexible…
i have often preached in sermons, quoted in conversations and counseled people using the phrase, “blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape.” another statement i’ve used has been, “the only thing that is certain in life is uncertainty.” now i am at a place where i have to digest those sayings for myself.
our intown location has for three years has used the ballroom at twelve in atlantic station for it’s sanctuary. it has been a great location for us. we were the first church to have service in atlantic station. it was birthed from atlantic station’s motto, “live, work, and play.” we have for three years added a fourth and most important dimension, “worship.”
however on May 3, we are going to be relocating to the fabulous loudermilk center on edgewood street in Atlanta. this facility was almost dropped in our lap. it offers to us some unique opportunities that we did not have in Twelve such as: additional space for children’s ministry, room to do mid-week bible study/small group sessions, increased visibility, it allows us to direct money to ministry and not just maintenance. in short it gives us room to be a little bit more creative in what we offer.
on top of that my lead pastor, business partner, protege and most of all friend, tyson moore, has been offered a tremendous promotion with his job that requires relocation to arizona. wow!!! i must admit i hate to see him leave. he has literally taken the lead of our intown church and run with it. his leadership skills honed in the boardrooms of corporate america has been invaluable in providing leadership to our intown location.
not only is he a ministry colleauge, but a business partner. we have literally started ventures together that made us smile on the way to the bank as well as caused us to wonder what in the world have we gotten ourselves into? lol!!! in addition, he has been in the truest sense of the word a FRIEND. tyson, haiston and i have developed a great bond between us. we have traveled together on vacation; broken bread together over dinner; played each other on the golf course; prayed for each other during difficult times; laughed with each other at the comedy club; cried with each other at the renewal of vows (those who were there remember). LOL!!! i guess you get the point- we are gonna miss this dude and his family. yet we are happy for the opportunity that God has given him. you deserve it doc.
if i am 100% honest, i am a lil nervous about the move from atlantic station and tyson moving to arizona because i have become comfortable at Twelve and with his leadership. but when i reflect over my life, i was nervous on my first day of high school; nervous on my first day of varsity football paractice; nervous taking the ACT (old school); nervous when my folks dropped me off at Grambling; nervous when i moved to Atlanta for seminary; nervous about becoming pastor of mt. sinai in ’93; nervous about getting married; nervous about parenting; nerovous about starting businesses, etc.
i think every now and then God shakes us up to remind us that He is our source and strength; He is the Author and Finisher of our faith; transition is never easy but it is so necessary and unavoidable in life. i’m learning to sit back and enjoy the ride of life. i’m standing on tip toe anticipation to see what God’s next move is. i hope you are also…
trusting in transition,
wtp3
first speaking engagement for my first lady
today I had a wonderful opportunity to support Lady Kim as she spoke for a conference. it blessed me on several different fronts. first, i’m enjoying watching her take on the role of first lady of destiny world church. when kim married me not only did she have to become a wife to me but also she was immediately thrust into the role of first lady. talking about adjustments…
all first ladies can attest that there is no instructional manual that ladies receive to help you navigate the uncertain waters of being “first lady.” however, there are plenty opportunities for on the job training. lol!!! while i may be biased i think she is doing a great job. for example she has a compassionate heart… genuinely loves people…generous to a fault and loves to talk. (Lord have mercy- LOL)
secondly, i am grateful that someone outside our church, lady kameshia of thy will christian ministries 
was led to invite her to come and speak for her ”finally!” conference. kim spoke about Esther and how God brought her to a place where she realized who she was and that God had purpose for her life. there are some interesting similarities between Esther and lady kim. on top of all that she used points similar to the the way I use when speaking. she got that from me… lol!!!
thirdly, it was funny to see the shoe on the other foot. last nite as she was preparing for her engagement, all of a sudden i wanted to go out for dinner. after all i’m on a semi vacation. her reply was she couldn’t because she had to get ready for tomorrow. huh??? normally it’s the other way around. but it was good for her to see what kind of pressure i’m normally under as i prepare for speaking. likewise, it was good for me to see how she feels when she wants to go out and hang with her husband not the pastor.
ok. enough of all this formal stuff. about to go out for date nite with my boo. her treat since she was speaking today. lol!!!
love ya baby,
wtp3
lol!!!
While watching my son and daughter ,Destin and Christina, playing the other day I almost became envious of the fact that they are still children. What I noticed the most was their unique ability to laugh and have fun. I was doing some study on my computer and going thru my day when for some reason I just paused to pay attention to their laughter.
I mean it was laughter from deep within. The kind where you almost lose your breath doing it. From my perspective, I didn’t notice anything funny but they were really enjoying themselves. On another occasion Destin and I were riding and he started to chuckle for seemingly no reason. I asked him,”what’s so funny?” Mind you he’s only two so I didn’t get a reply that I could understand.
However, I did get the distinct impression from God that suggested only adults need a reason to laugh. Hmm!!! Is adulthood synonimous with being serious… glum… irritable… and uptight… Maybe Jesus had this in mind when He said, “Lest you become as little children…”
Most people especially Christians are far too serious. Cmon lighten up!! It’s not that serious unless you make it so. Children laugh over 300 times a day whereas adults laugh only 15 times. Huh??? 7o percent of all illnesses have some relation to stress: High blood pressure, heart disease, depression, insomnia, migraines, anxiety, ulcers- the list goes on. The bible says, “Laughter doeth good like medicine.
Do me a favor today. Have a laugh on me. LOL!!!
high school hoops
Tonight, the family and I went to a Douglas County Basketball game. It was way cool just hanging with no schedules, deadlines or sermon series to do. We have several young ladies from DWC who play on their team. Much love to all of our students at all of our schools but this one just happens to be around the corner from where we live. Shout out to Krystal, her sister Kristina, and Christian. All of them had a great game.
I’m almost ashamed to talk about our eating at the game. Two popcornbags for Chrissy and Destin; Hot dog for me; Lemon peppered wings for Kim; French fries for everybody and a sprite that we all drank from. LOL!!! Got to support the booster club 
,
Been sitting next to Orlando who is the statistician and booster club president. Mentioned to him that we like the warm-ups of the team. Last nite he presented Kim and I with our own personalized warm up with our numbers on them. Everybody knows I was number 85 in the class of ’85. Kim says, “she was number 00 on the basketball team”, but she also kept the stats. huh???
Most importantly, I enjoyed just being there with the family. Nothing gives me greater joy than seeing smiles and hearing the laughter of my family. I am addicted to trying to create lasting memories with my folks. And it only cost us $14 bucks and the food of course. But it was worth every dime…
Happy Birthday Dad!!!
Happy Birthday Dad,
Today I celebrate you for the wonderful example that you have provided for Ton and I. The scriptures teach us to, “Honor our mother and father.” So today not only do I celebrate you but I also honor you as my father. There are a couple of things that stand out as I think about you today.
First, I’m grateful for the spiritual foundation that you laid down for our family. I remember it being understood that we would live life based on biblical principles; that on Sunday we went to church; that we gave thanks for our meals before eating, etc. It seems like only yesterday that I was watching and listening to you review the Sunday School lesson. I often think about your study habits when I’m studying for a Sunday message.
Secondly, I am thankful that you always made time for us. Whether it was a school play in elementary, playing basketball with my friends and I in the neighborhood, taking us on vacation (still remember trips to Six Flags over Texas) or spending your hard earned money on us. Although I didn’t know it then but the most important thing you could have done was spend time with us. I’ve learned that kids spell love T-I-M-E.
Thirdly, I am indebted for you placing the spirit of an entrepreneur on the inside of me. I watched you run your own business: Purvis Funeral Home & Ambulance Service. This helped me not be afraid of cutting against the grain and thinking outside the box. Actually my first job was working for you (washing funeral cars, going on ambulance calls & collecting insurance). You have left a great legacy for me and for that I say thanks and I love you.
My prayer is that God will help me to build on the foundation that you have laid for me. I want Kim to look back down our family tree and give thanks for you because you showed me how to be a husband. I want our children, Destin and Christina to appreciate you because you showed me how to be a father.
Again Happy Birthday and enjoy your day.
Your son,
Wilbur 3
More Blessed to Give
Kim surprised me at church on Sunday by purchasing two beautiful dessert baskets from Lisa who is one of the members of our church. Not only does it look like a basket prepared at a five star hotel but it is also incredibly tasty. I’m sure it’s also leaking with calories but that’s not the point. LOL!!!
I initially thought that’s a lot of food to eat just for our family. I was pleasantly surprised when I found out she had bought one for us and one to give to our next door neighbor. If you were to look the word “neighbor” up in the bible or in the dictionary I’m sure their picture would be there.
On several occasions they have gone out of their way to show kindness to us. Once when I was sick, I saw my neighbor outside and told him I had been under the weather for a couple of days. The next day his wife brought over a big basket of chicken, greens, macaroni and cheese,cornbread, rice and gravy. I mean the works!!! Also, I think they have given a gift or card for every holiday. Not to mention this year we had a birthday party for Chrissy and forgot to give them an invitation. Even then, they brought over a card with money in it.
I’m embarrassed to say that I have never given them anything in return. Not that they ever asked for anything but I don’t want to go thru life being a receiver and never a giver. Something is wrong with the hand that accepts but never gives. You know what makes the Dead Sea dead? It allows water to come in but never gives any away. WOW!
Long story short, I’m thankful that God gave me a wife that believes in the scripture that says, “It’s more blessed to give than to receive.” I had actually thought about getting them something but unfortunately that was it- Just thought about it. Kim really does bring balance to my life as any good wife does. Maybe that’s what the bible meant by “helpmeet.”
The basket brought laughter to our neighbors, a warm fuzzy to our hearts and most importantly I hope a smile to God. I encouage you to find somebody to bless this season. Christmas is a reminder that God is a giver.
Thanks baby!!!
Falcons…Family…and Friendship
After worship on Sunday a couple of friends, Destin and I normally head down to the Georgia Dome to enjoy some Falcons football. I’m learning that the most meaninful things are those that money can’t buy. Like hanging with friends and my son watching football. Just the boys hanging. Priceless!
It’s like the guys and I have an unwritten rule about not talking about anything that has the potential to steal the joy and relaxation of the afternoon from us. Come on guys you know what I mean. We talk about first downs, player’s stats, and playoff possibilities. What a way to wind down on Sunday.
Destin is really getting into this whole fooball thing. He’s only two but seems to enjoy the sights and sounds of football. Not to mention the popcorn, chicken fingers and hotdogs. I can’t help but think that today i carry him to the games with me. But one day I look forward to him picking me up to hang with him at a game-His treat of course. LOL!!!
Go Falcons!
Family Friday
Fridays are typically reserved for hanging with the family-Kim, Christina and Destin. Movies, dinner (preferably seafood), blockbuster nights and bowling are a few of our favorites. It’s so easy to allow business, ministry, and other commitments to crowd out our most important asset which is family. Isn’t it funny how the most important things in our lives are the things that money can’t buy.
Well today, Destin (who’s 2 and growing too fast) and I went to get a haircut over at Blades Barbershop (Btw, a really cool spot with some tight barbers). I was anxious because I thought it was going to be a repeat of the first-time where he cried and squirmed the whole time.
Most dads tell me that watching your son throw a fit in the barber shop is a part of the bonding process between daddy and son. Well be that as it may, I was so proud to watch my little man sit in the barbers chair by himself with the kiddie cape around his neck getting a baby fade and edge without tears or crying.
This was a special moment because I enjoy creating memories that will last a lifetime. I can still vividly remember going to the barber shop with my dad when I was a kid. It was a little quaint, white building on the east side of Mansfield where old men would gather to chat and play checkers. Sometimes even when they weren’t getting a cut.
Now almost four decades later I’m wondering if Destin will years later remember his first and second haircut while with his dad. I do know this, “Children spell love t-i-m-e.”I encourage every dad to give their children a gift that will never grow old; never rust out or lose it’s enthusiasm: That’s the gift of quality time with their daddy.
