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The best way I can describe today:
For all you UGA bulldawg fans: Imagine for a moment that this Fall UGA decided to close Sanford Stadium. That's right, done. No games there. Maybe it was a crack in the structure. (Blame a GT engineer, right?) So let's say for the football season you had to play all your games at some neighboring stadium. I don't know, just pick somewhere. And this somewhere facility was nice, and it seated plenty of people, and it had concessions and restrooms,...and after all, it was the same players, cheerleaders, and coaches...and you still enjoyed rooting on your team. But, it was no Sanford Stadium. It just wasn't the same as "playing between the hedges."

I hesitate to make such an analogy because God is not contained in a building or limited by our ideals of "good church" or "good location". But, today - WE CAME BACK HOME. Oak Leaf Church was made for Carmike Cinemas in Cartersville, GA. Who knows for how long but for now, it's where we are supposed to be. Sure, it was the same worship and same teaching and same crazy terrific KidVenture volunteers that we had at Woodland High School. Nothing has changed. But there was....well....there was just something about this move back home. A draw. A fit. A belonging. Most importantly, an obedience to God.

If I'm being honest, I had my doubts. Would it really have the same energy? Would new, 1st time guests really show up? Should we try to recreate something from the past? But all of that was laid to rest within the first 30 minutes of being in the building (5am-5:30am). And as more and more SUPERB volunteers showed up, I sensed that it was going to be a special day. What's that? Kinks to work out? Well, sure. No doubt. But when you run out of 1st time guests bags, you have to bring in chairs for your 3rd service, you see a bazillion new faces, your KidVenture check-in station is rockin' (thanks Kim D.), and someone you had prayed for accepts Christ on your first day back in the theater....well, it's quite simple - you're home.