If there  is free food to be had my family will do anything.  Thank you Chick-fil-a.

Now if only Longhorn will let us dress up like a chicken for a free steak!

Baby Samuel slept through the event.

Yes, I have 5 children but the other day my 3 boys were sitting togher and I just had to take this picture.  Very few of you are old enough to remember My Three Sons but here are mine.

My family and I are taking a much needed family vacation this weekend.  We are up at my sister and brother-in-law’s beautiful house in Johnson City, TN.  7 miles from the Bristol track for you NASCAR fans.  We are having an wonderful time.  Tomorrow we will be celebrating my daughter Sarah Beth’s 7th birthday as well as our country.  Sarah Beth still believes all the fireworks are for her.  Then Sunday I get the rare pleasure of attending a church.  I have been hearing great things about this church up here and I’m looking forward to just sitting back and attending.

If you have not heard.  My wife Dawn starts her new job in about a week and I’m so excited for her.  It’s a great oppertunity in so many ways.

• Dawn and I had a very nice relaxing anniversary vacation on Amelia Island this weekend.  Big thanks to so many people who helped us so much with our kids so we could go on this trip.  Thank you.
• Good service yesterday with lots of fun father’s day stuff.
• Most fun being “Boxing for Meat”.  See pictures below.
• Great job technical team setting all the wii stuff up and getting in on our screens.  Never underestimate how hard our tech team works since we operate in a portable setting.
• Loved giving away a steak.  Hope the guys were happy.
• Everyone seemed to love Perry Noble’s preaching on Sunday.  He is such an engaging speakers.  Many people asked me about his church.  Here is the link to his church.
• Great job Nathan leading the band while John was at our other campus.
• I’m very sad to report the Dittmer family is moving in two weeks.  Carl, Beth and their kids have been with us since we began and due to his job switch they will be moving.  If you remember I had the honor of baptizing their daughter Kendra earlier this year.  We will be very sorry to see them go but I’m so glad to have gotten to know them over the past year and a half.  Beth told me today that this will be their 24th move.
• Make sure you join us for our last week of One Prayer this Sunday.
• Here are a few pictures Dawn Doyle was nice enough to take for me of this past Sunday’s game

What do you call it when your kids begin to use your former cat’s litter box (cleaned out) for a swimming pool?

captions anyone?

• I am loving One Prayer !!
• 2 weeks ago Craig Groeshel was amazing and now this week Andy Stanley preached an awesome service for us.
• Lots of good talks with people this week.
• Prayed with a high school student that wants to put God first in his life.
• Prayed with a young adult that has been through a lot and says that’s it I need God.
• Summer is very difficult for us for a number of reasons.
• Biggest reason being the school puts all the desks, tables, bookcases etc in the hallway and we must move them all back in rooms then back out of rooms when we leave.  If you are available to help out on either end please let me know.
• Second biggest reason was air conditioning.  We didn’t have any yesterday.  Don’t worry we should have that fixed by this week.  I’m again sorry about the heat.
• I was so impressed with our church yesterday as NO ONE complained about the heat as many of us sweated through our shirts.  What great attitudes.
• Loved the service this week.  Lot’s of cool moments and a very cool music video.  Did you miss white man?  Jason has it on his blog.
• Don’t miss this week!! Why?  Well we have a big surprise.  Something we have never done before and someone will walk away with an amazing prize.
• Also it’s father’s day so hey if you’re a dad, make sure you come.  No we won’t embarrass you but we will give you something fun to see.
• I’ve so looking forward to Dawn and my mini-vacation this weekend.  It’s our 15 year anniversary and we have farmed out all the kiddies (except baby) and we’ll be at Amelia Island Thursday – Saturday.  Can’t wait.

• Obviously the highlight of my Sunday was seeing all 5 of my kids walk into the church.
• I’m so glad everyone got to hear one of my favorite speakers (Craig Groeschel) this week.  He did an awesome job.
• See someone does have more kids than Dawn and I!!
• I heard Sharpsburg also loved the message and responded great to a video message.
• We (Madras folks) are not surprised.
• We will continue One Prayer this week with a speaker many will recognize.  Clue:  He is from the Atlanta / Northpoint / Buckhead area.
• I’ve already watched the message and it is just awesome.
• I met some really cool first timers this week.
• I’ve been able to see many picture of Ed on his trip to Israel.
• He will still be there about 8 more days.
• At this point in my life, I can’t be gone that long but I’m quite jealous reading about his trip.
• Last night’s volunteer banquet was so much fun.  270 people from 2 campuses got together for a night of food and fun.
• It’s always fun for me to see the Sharpsburg campus but I love the people at Madras.
• This week I have heard very sad news about 2 more pastors that I know that have had to step down from their churches due to personal indiscretions.
• Those stories always make me sad because I know how many people can be affected by what a pastor does in his personal life.
• I pray often that what I do in my personal life will not hurt someone else’s walk with God.
• Dylan had a baseball party Friday night and a few of my “paper people” were there and they just blew me away by their generosity to my family.
• Dylan is still in a back brace but continues to improve everyday.
• Dawn and I are taking our yearly short 2 day vacation (no kids) in 2 weeks to Amelia Island.  It’s been a very difficult 2 months and I’m really looking forward to it.
• Look forward to seeing you this Sunday for week 2 of God is…

I’m very pleased to say all 7 of us will be at church tomorrow at Madras.  Also all of us will be attending the volunteer banquet tomorrow night at the Sharpsburg Campus.  What a blessing to be able to type that.

Hope to see everyone from both campuses at the banquet.

I thought the last post was going to be my last one about the accident but…

My brother “Uncle Lance” and his great wife Jenny sent my little man of steel a real suit to wear.   It is so awesome.   He doesn’t want to take it off.  I was able to fit it over his turtle shell brace.  Now he is the real superman!  

Thanks Lance and Jenny

He might be enjoying his new nickname a little too much.  :)

I usually write on this blog great things that happened in our church.  This week has been a little different but many of the stories of the past week are about how wonderful our church, friends and family are.  Let me share much of what happened since the accident and I’ll let you decide how incredible our church is.  I honestly don’t know how people make it without God and a church family.

• Sunday 2:15pm Accident happened
• While I’m in the ER 3 church friends arrive.  1 (whom I never saw) held our 7 week old baby so Dawn could be with Dylan and I in the ER.  The other 2 brought me a sandwich and water and took my truck and trailer back to my house.  
• Soon 2 more friends show up just to see Dylan and be a huge support to me.
• Newnan ER team was great.   They put 2 staples in his head, X-Rayed most of his body, got him stable, then decided to transfer him.
• News begins to spread quickly and many people begin to pray for us.
• About 5pm we left Newnan and after the slowest ambulance ride in history Dylan and I arrived at Egelston Children’s Hospital.  (I have a few picture on my phone of Dylan getting in, riding and getting out of the ambulance because he asked me to take them) 
• I was getting many texts on my phone while in the Egelston ER.  News was spreading faster and faster and the amount of people praying and concerned just amazed me.  
• I remember my mom called and asked if we had anyone to help us.  I nearly laughed since I was already overwhelmed by the love from so many and the news had barely spread at this time.
• Around 10pm Sunday night we were moved up to a room
• At this point Dylan was still in substantial pain but doctors were begining to rule out all internal injuries.  
• Monday morning many more doctors came to see Dylan. 
• A doctor at Egelston confirmed what a doc in Newnan said to me.  That if Dylan had been about 3 yrs older our 2-3 yrs younger this would have been much worse.  They both said that at this age range kids bones are very elastic.  As you get older they solidify and they would not have bended but broke.  
• Finally on Monday after giving so many updates about Dylan I made a difficult decision and began to write updates on this blog. 
• On Monday afternoon Physical Therapy came and tried to get Dylan out of bed.  It was so difficult they agreed we should get new x-rays on his leg.  
• I begin to hear that people that I haven’t talked to in many many years are praying for us.  
• My former church, where I worked, sent a mass email to their entire congregation to pray.
• Decision was made Monday night to get an MRI Tuesday AM since there was concern on nerve damage
• A number of good friends drove all the way up to ATL to visit with us.
• Dylan is the oldest of our 5 children so childcare while Dawn and I were in the hospital was a real concern but our friends relieved most of that concern from us and made sure our kids were taken care of and were having lots of fun while we were gone.  
• Monday night we had our entire family up in Dylan’s room.  He was so tired and on medicine that he fell asleep in all the noise.  It had only been 2 days since I had seen the other kids but it had seemed like weeks.
• Tuesday MRI was interesting.  When they put him to sleep and told me to leave for an hour, I didn’t know what to do.  It was the longest I had been away from him in days.  So I emailed and called more of my friends.
• More friends made the big drive up to Egelston Tuesday afternoon.
• One of Dylan’s good friends came up and he helped Dylan make a cool lego toy.  This meant so much to Dylan.
• The PT people came back Tuesday afternoon and got Dylan to sit in a chair.  
• I’m still in a bit of shock and nearly beginning to cry as I picture 100’s of times in my head what happened and now I’m looking at him standing up.  In our physical brain this does not compute.  A 2000 lb trailer roles over a boy’s chest and he is walking nearly 48 hrs later?  So glad God is greater than what we can imagine.
• When were were discharged last night (a day before we expected) we realized again our other 3 kids were at 2 different houses where friends were keeping  them, feeding them and loving on them.  
• On the way home we picked up Ariana.  Dylan woke up to see one of his best friends who gave him the perfect gift.  
• Then we got home to find Dylan’s new bed all ready and made up for him with a very sweet note.  Dawn and I both nearly broke down right then and cried.  
• While putting all our kids to bed another friend stopped by to bring us Dylan prescription that she had picked up for us, in addition to a present for him.  
• I wish everyone could see the sweet cards Dylan’s friends have made him.   
• Another friend brought Sarah and Will back to us in addition to about 3 meals worth of food.
• We have no idea how many people have been praying and were concerned for us but if you told me 5000 I would not have been surprised. 
• The love we have received has totally overwhelmed us.  Honestly.
• I’m so glad I decided, after much hesitation, to write these updates.  Because nearly 700 people have read them.  
• Today we farmed out all our kids to more families so Dylan and I could rest.   
• Many people have brought us food so Dawn doesn’t have to worry about meals for a few days
• Dylan is now napping and I should too.

Why did these 54 hours change me.  Well the obvious first.  We nearly lost Dylan in a very tragic accident and experiencing that always puts the love you have for your family into perspective.  Dawn and I are so blessed that God has given us these wonderful 5 children.  Also,  I have been changed in seeing what community in Christ really is like.  Every church I know wants an Acts 2 church (2:42-47) but we rarely get to experience it.  These last few days I have been able to experience it but not just from my church but from believers all over the world who have been praying for us.  Lastly, I got to spend 54 hours of intense time with my son.  Where I had to do everything for him.  This tragic time, as difficult as it was, has changed our relationship and I’m so glad to have spend that time with him.  

Well, we are home.  Dylan is good and our prayers have been answered.  I know we will never be able to thank everyone in person but please know how grateful we are to you.  Thank you.  

We love you,

the Coffmans